In this kickoff episode, activist and teacher Sabrina Jennings (links below) calls in to review two outstanding exposé documentaries, The Bibi Files, and The Lobby, both released 2024. Sabrina's critical class on the history of the Israel and Palestine conflict can be found right here - there are still a few slots left, so please sign up if you are interested in getting educated and getting active on the Gaza genocide.

CLASS SIGNUP LINK

https://form.typeform.com/to/fV4wTKx5

Sabrina's Patreon and Zine:

https://www.patreon.com/c/NoteToSelfzine/posts

Bluesky:

https://bsky.app/profile/notetoselfzine.bsky.social

The Bibi Files

https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-bibi-files

The Lobby -United States

https://electronicintifada.net/content/watch-film-israel-lobby-didnt-want-you-see/25876

Michael Scott Judge/Rulin and Amjad

https://chuffed.org/project/129541-urgent-appeal-help-my-family-survive-genocide-war-in-gaza

Written by Professor A. J. Mandt (Wichita State University)

https://philpeople.org/profiles/a-j-mandt

Voiced by Charlton Heston. Original here:

https://archive.org/details/thegiantsofphilosophy

Remastered for clarity using thousands of dollars of gear, free for the Internet forever.

Come join my Patreon!

https://patreon.com/c/HemlockPatreon

Original Video (SFU)

https://youtu.be/gpkZRyXdmi0

Summary

In a passionate and wide-ranging lecture, Cornel West pays tribute to Edward Said, framing him not just as a brilliant academic but as a "poet" in the broadest sense—a human being of immense courage, imagination, and compassion who wrestled with complex truths. West emphasizes Said's deep connection to music and art as sources of human dignity and resilience, essential tools for navigating and resisting oppression, drawing parallels to the Black American experience where creative expression has been a lifeline.

West powerfully argues that music, art, and poetry are not merely decorative but constitutive of who we are, vital for taking risks and envisioning a better world, especially for the "wretched of the earth." He links this to the necessity of truth-telling, both to power and within one's own community, and the importance of retaining one's "funk"—an authentic, critical, and compassionate spirit. He highlights figures from John Coltrane to Kendrick Lamar as exemplars of this artistic and moral courage.

The lecture culminates in a call for deep self-reflection and an unwavering commitment to justice, urging listeners to confront the "internal conversation" and resist the co-optation that can come with success or the allure of empire. West stresses the importance of solidarity across different oppressed groups, the courage to speak truth even when it's uncomfortable, and the continuous, compassionate engagement required to build a more just and loving world, recognizing that true progress involves wrestling with difficult realities, both external and internal.

I will end with a little scene that took place in the last months of peace. They were the most terrible months of my life, for helplessly and hopelessly one watched the inevitable approach of war. One of the most horrible things at that time was to listen on the wireless to the speeches of Hitler—the savage and insane ravings of a vindictive underdog who suddenly saw himself to be all powerful. We were at Rodmell during the late summer of 1939 and I used to listen to those ranting,raving speeches. One afternoon I was planting in the orchard under an apple-tree iris reticulata, those lovely violet flowers, which like the daffodils come before the swallow dares and take the winds of March with beauty. Suddenly I heard Virginia’s voice calling to me from the sitting room window: “Hitler is making a speech.” I shouted back, “I shan’t come. I’m planting iris and they will be flowering long after he is dead.” Last March, twenty-one years after Hitler committed suicide in the bunker, a few of those violet flowers still flowered under the apple-tree in the orchard.

-Leonard Woolf, "Downhill All The Way"

Hardt and Negri - "Empire"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_(Hardt_and_Negri_book)

Totality and Infinity by Emanuel Levinas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totality_and_Infinity

Bob Woodward, "Peril" (2021)

Adam Becker/Cult of Tech Doomsday Actors

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/212987932-more-everything-forever

Oliver Haimson/Trans Technology OUT NOW

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2IELqCfDmDICHdMHt3XyXo?si=d88b4927ec4f4a15

Savonarola bonfire of the vanities

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonfire_of_the_vanities

We own this City (Baltimore PD Docudrama)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Own_This_City

Liberation theology / Second Vatican Council

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_theology

Oscar Romero

Adorno, Horkheimer, and Frankfurt School

Fiji is sinking underwater

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/climate-change-fiji-sealevels/

Patreon:

https://patreon.com/c/HemlockPatreon

How I learned to stop worrying and love the Dome.

Patreon: https://patreon.com/c/HemlockPatreon

Music Credit (under the FOX clip):

Anapse Entertainment

⁠https://anapse.bandcamp.com/⁠

Streamsafe Essentials I

References:

Reykjavik Summit 1986

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reykjav%C3%ADk_Summit

Katyn Forest Massacre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyn_massacre

Operation CYCLONE 1979-92 (Aid to Afghan Mujahideen)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cyclone

Rambo III

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambo_III

Checkpoint Charlie Crisis 1961

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Crisis_of_1961

The song at the end Tom Lehrer (Sep 1967)

https://youtu.be/frAEmhqdLFs

The Fox News Clip "What A Time to Be Alive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1074RmRvlLU

Reagan, Remarks at Keflavik Air Force Base, Oct 12 1986

https://youtu.be/MiImp6vDPS8

Oliver's Book Trans Technologies:

https://a.co/d/01Lhkk9

Oliver's Bluesky:

https://bsky.app/profile/haimson.bsky.social

Guest: Oliver Haimson, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, and Director of the Community Research on Identity and Technology Lab.

Episode Overview:

In this episode, host William Engels sits down with Professor Oliver Haimson to discuss his new book, Trans Technologies. They explore how technology, broadly defined, plays a crucial role in the lives of trans people, often serving as a tool for empowerment, resistance, and community building in the face of increasing political hostility and systemic barriers. The conversation touches on recent events, philosophical definitions of technology, and the practical challenges and ethical considerations involved in creating and maintaining technology for marginalized communities.

The discussion covers a wide range of topics, including the impact of leaked government documents threatening essential services for LGBTQ youth, the vital work of organizations like Trans Lifeline, and the sustainability issues faced by independent tech creators. Professor Haimson shares examples of technologies built by and for trans people, such as state risk maps and databases tracking anti-trans legislation, highlighting how technology can be a powerful tool for survival and advocacy when traditional political systems fail. They also delve into the definition of technology itself, considering it not just as digital tools but as anything that extends human agency.

Beyond the immediate political climate, the interview touches on the importance of privacy and data security in sensitive technologies, especially given the realities of government surveillance. They reflect on the journey of writing the book, the surprising breadth of trans technological creativity from gaming to art, and the possibility of a more optimistic future where technology can be focused less on survival and more on fostering joy and connection. Ultimately, the conversation underscores the resilience and ingenuity of the trans community in leveraging technology to navigate a challenging world.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Introduction to Oliver Haimson and the book "Trans Technologies"

• Recent political attacks on LGBTQ+ services and suicide hotlines (988)

• Trans Lifeline as an example of a critical trans-led technology/service

• Challenges in sustainability and resources for small-scale trans technologies

• Technology as a form of resistance and empowerment

• The relationship and tension between political action (voting, policy) and technological solutions for trans issues

• Examples of trans technologies: state risk maps, databases tracking anti-trans laws (Transformations)

• Defining "technology" – extending human agency (drawing on Sandy Stone's definition)

Tags/Keywords:
Oliver Haimson, William Engels, Trans Technologies, Transgender, LGBTQ+, Technology, Trans Studies, Queer Studies, Mental Health, Crisis Hotline, Suicide Prevention, Trans Lifeline, Privacy, Data Security, Ethics, Government Surveillance, Foia, Academics, University, Whistleblowing, Chelsea Manning, WikiLeaks, DNA Phenotyping, Political Backlash, Anti-Trans Legislation, Fearmongering, Activism, Resistance, Mutual Aid, Philosophy of Technology, Media Studies, Human-Computer Interaction, Digital Humanities, Policy, Discrimination, Marginalization, Oakland Institute for Urban Studies, University of Michigan, National Science Foundation, Grant Funding, Culture Wars, Freedom of Information Act, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity (DEI), Academia, Optimism, Pessimism, Utopia, Solar Pump, Gay Revolution, Identity, Community, Support, Art, Video Games, itch.io, Documentaries, Books, Sandy Stone, Heather Dewey-Hagborg, Avery Dame-Griff, Jamie Lauren Keiles, Martin Heidegger, Marshall McLuhan, Antonio Gramsci, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, Pete Hegseth, The Two Revolutions, The Third Person.

TOPHER'S BOOK:

https://a.co/d/izl2PvH

Come join the Patreon!

https://patreon.com/c/HemlockPatreon

By the way here's what Google Gemini has to say about our conversation:

In a conversation centered around author Topher McDougal's new book Gaia Wakes, McDougal and host William Engels delve into the complex relationship between humanity, technology, and the future of the planet. With the book's release imminent, McDougal notes increased media attention and requests to discuss his work. The discussion immediately touches upon the rapid, exponential growth of AI computing power, a central theme explored in Gaia Wakes. McDougal presents his book as an "exercise in optimism," arguing that despite facing complex global challenges that may currently overwhelm human institutions, there's a potential path towards a more integrated and collectively intelligent future for the Earth, partly facilitated by emerging technologies like AI.

The conversation explores various philosophical and economic dimensions of this future. They debate the concept of AI sentience and its implications for rights, contrasting traditional anthropocentric views with the possibility of intelligence manifesting at a planetary scale. Economic ideas like the incentive structures related to global public goods (like clean air) and the increasingly fluid boundary between production and predation in a technologically advanced world are examined. McDougal suggests that as global problems become too vast for current human systems to manage, there's an economic rationale for developing new forms of coordination and responsibility, potentially leading to a "body planetary" where AI integrated with global sensors develops a form of collective consciousness or "proprioception" for the Earth.

The discussion broadens to include perspectives from science fiction, historical philosophies, and socio-political critique. They touch on works like The Three-Body Problem and Dune, contrast different historical narratives (linear progress vs. cyclical history), and explore concepts like the capabilities approach to human rights and the nature of justice. McDougal argues against simple pessimistic views, suggesting that even amidst global crises and the concentration of power, there's potential for positive transformation. He frames his book as offering a hopeful, albeit realistically cautioned, vision for navigating these turbulent times, encouraging readers to consider the possibility of humanity's future role as a "custodial species" within a larger, interconnected planetary intelligence, ultimately calling for deliberate effort to build this future and avoid succumbing to fatalism.

Come join my Patreon!

https://patreon.com/c/HemlockPatreon

Original Video:

https://youtu.be/MUfVPV5Of6A

Summary:

In this powerful 2014 speech, journalist and author Chris Hedges dissects what he terms the "psychosis of permanent war" that grips the United States. He traces its origins to the anti-communist fervor following World War I, arguing that the Wilson administration pioneered modern mass propaganda techniques, manipulating public emotion rather than appealing to reason. Hedges contends that this permanent state of war, fueled by corporate interests and sustained by both political parties, has destroyed American democracy, corrupted core values like thrift and community, and replaced them with hedonism and the cult of the self. Drawing heavily on his experiences as a war correspondent in the Middle East, Latin America, and the Balkans, Hedges details the devastating human cost and destructive power of modern industrial warfare, critiquing US foreign policy interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and the consequences of Israeli actions in Gaza. He discusses how these actions often create more enemies than they defeat (blowback) and lead to the erosion of civil liberties at home through mass surveillance and laws undermining due process. Referencing thinkers like Dwight Macdonald and Sheldon Wolin (specifically the concept of "inverted totalitarianism"), Hedges argues that corporate power has effectively seized control, leaving mass civil disobedience as potentially the only recourse for citizens to reclaim agency. The speech also includes a Q&A segment touching on climate change activism, the limitations of electoral politics (including the Green Party), and the nature of resistance against entrenched power.

Keywords:

Chris Hedges, Permanent War, War Psychosis, US Foreign Policy, Militarism, Propaganda, Anti-Communism, Corporate Power, Inverted Totalitarianism, Democracy, Civil Liberties, Iraq War, Afghanistan War, Middle East, Gaza, Syria, Israel, War Crimes, Mass Surveillance, Civil Disobedience, Media Critique, Political Philosophy, Sheldon Wolin, Dwight Macdonald, Woodrow Wilson, Sigmund Freud, Noam Chomsky, Climate Change, Occupy Wall Street.

People Mentioned:

• Dwight Macdonald
• Woodrow Wilson
• Gustave Le Bon
• Trotter (Wilfred Trotter)
• Sigmund Freud
• Karl Marx
• Vonda
• Dick Cheney
• Sheldon Wolin
• George Orwell
• Edward Gibbon
• Bill McKibben
• Bernie Sanders
• Naomi Klein
• Sawant (Kshama Sawant)
• Michael Bloomberg
• Bill De Blasio
• John Ralston Saul
• Simone Weil
• Cadmus (mythological figure)
• Randolph Bourne
• Tocqueville (Alexis de Tocqueville)
• Clausewitz (Carl von Clausewitz)
• Saddam Hussein
• Osama bin Laden
• Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
• Bashar al-Assad
• Hannah Arendt
• Vaclav Havel
• Lenin (Vladimir Lenin)
• Ralph Nader
• Jill Stein
• Mario Vargas Llosa
• Larry Summers
• Shakespeare (William Shakespeare)
• King Lear (character)
• Goneril (character)
• Regan (character)

Come join my Patreon!

https://patreon.com/c/hemlockpatreon

Sauce for the audio:

https://archive.org/details/NoamChomsky-02-13-96-BreakingTheMythAnExposeOfExploitative

Paul Krugman article that Chomsky urges you to read (title: Pop Internationalism)

https://archive.org/details/popinternational00paul/mode/2up

Chapters:

Modernity has forced the human spirit into a tunnel - is the light at the end the way back to Paradise, or an unstoppable train coming to end the human experiment?

Come join my Patreon!

https://patreon.com/c/HemlockPatreon

Original Video Credit (Kenan Institute for Ethics, 2002):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obeI1ea5ox4

Music of Tibet (1967)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Tibet_(album)

Why Religion Matters (2001)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25885.Why_Religion_Matters

Books and People

Summer of the Gods - Edward J. Larson (Scopes Trial)

The Origins of Love and Hate (Unfinished) - Ian D. Suttie, cited by John Bowlby

The Soul of the American University by George M. Marsden

Chapters

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:03:02) Main Talk, Skip Intro

Outline

This talk features Dr. Huston Smith, a distinguished professor of religion and philosophy, discussing themes from his work, particularly relevant to his then-forthcoming book "Why Religion Matters." He posits that modernity, driven by the success of the scientific method, has inadvertently led to "scientism"—a worldview that limits reality to the material and measurable. This scientific worldview, he argues, has shunted the human spirit into a metaphorical "tunnel," characterized by a loss of transcendence, the sense of a greater, qualitative reality that was central to traditional religious outlooks.

Smith identifies higher education, the media, and the law as institutions reinforcing this tunnel by promoting skepticism towards non-scientific truths and marginalizing religious perspectives in public life, creating an environment less hospitable to the human spirit compared to the "enchanted garden" of traditional views.

Despite this confinement, Dr. Smith sees potential "light at the end of the tunnel," pointing to several hopeful trends. These include the "fairness revolution" advancing minority and gender rights, a shift in psychology towards understanding human nature as fundamentally seeking communion and love (challenging Freudian drives), and developments in physics and cognitive science that suggest limitations to the purely materialist worldview and acknowledge realities potentially beyond space-time or current comprehension. He contrasts these positive signs with his concern that biology remains somewhat stuck in a reductive Darwinian framework, often polarizing the discussion unnecessarily. Throughout the lecture and Q&A, Smith emphasizes the enduring importance of the transcendent perspective offered by world religions for a complete understanding of reality and human flourishing.

Keywords

Huston Smith, Religion, Philosophy, Transcendence, Modernity, Scientism, Scientific Worldview, Traditional Worldview, Human Spirit, Tunnel Metaphor, Higher Education, Media Criticism, Law, Native American Church, Peyote, Fairness Revolution, Human Nature, Physics, Cognitive Science, Consciousness, Darwinism, Why Religion Matters, Multi-phonic Chanting.