This is a segment of episode #199 of Last Born In The Wilderness “Kaczynski Moments: A Generation Of Unabomber Acolytes (& Apostates) w/ John H. Richardson.” Listen to the full episode: http://bit.ly/LBWrichardson

Read John H. Richardon’s article ‘Children of Ted: The Unlikely New Generation of Unabomber Acolytes’ at New York Magazine: http://bit.ly/ChildrenOfTed

In this segment of my interview with journalist John H. Richardson, former Writer at Large for Esquire, we discuss his captivating article ‘Children of Ted: The Unlikely New Generation of Unabomber Acolytes,’ published December 2018 in New York Magazine. John takes a deep dive into the world of Theodore Kaczynski (aka the Unabomber) acolytes and apostates, a journey that documents his interactions with various individuals and groups that have been inspired (or adjacently-inspired) by the anti-civilizational writings and philosophy of Kaczynski (and even his multiple deadly acts of terrorism leading up to his arrest by the FBI in 1996). While John’s article is centered around the story of John Jacobi, who become radicalized (in part) through his exposure to Kaczynski’s manifesto ‘Industrial Society and Its Future’ and his subsequent correspondences with him, the article more broadly examines a phenomenon Richardson describes as Kaczynski Moments. “The Kaczynski moment dislocates. Suddenly, everyone seems to be living in a dream world. Why are they talking about binge TV and the latest political outrage when we’re turning the goddamn atmosphere into a vast tanker of Zyklon B? Was he right? Were we all gelded and put in harnesses without even knowing it? Is this just a simulation of life, not life itself?” As John writes and states in this interview, Kaczynski Moments cut through almost every political tendency and ideology, and yield wide and varied results. In writing the piece, John interviews some of the most prominent anti-civilizational activists, writers, and even a terror-friendly propagandist for an eco-extremist outfit operating in Mexico and South/Central America. We discuss John’s own Kaczynski Moment and interactions with the man himself, and how his research into the lives of Kaczynski-inspired or Kaczynski-adjacent-inspired individuals and groups has informed his journalism and life after the publication of ‘Children of Ted’ this past December. 

It must be stated, for myself and John, that we do not condone or endorse the actions of Theodore Kaczynski, or those inspired or adjacently-inspired by his actions. The ethical/philosophical differences between the various parties discussed in this episode should be apparent and obvious to the listener, at least that is what I hope. 

John H. Richardson is a journalist and former Writer at Large for Esquire Magazine. He is the author of three books, including ‘My Father The Spy, An Investigative Memoir.’ He was born in Washington D.C. in 1954, and grew up in Athens, Manila, Saigon, Washington, Seoul, Honolulu, and Los Angeles. John has worked at the Albuquerque Tribune, The Los Angeles Daily News, Premiere Magazine, New York Magazine, and Esquire Magazine and taught at the Columbia University, the University of New Mexico, and Purchase College.

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I speak with journalist John H. Richardson. Former writer-at-large for Esquire, John is the author of the captivating article Children of Ted: The Unlikely New Generation of Unabomber Acolytes, published December 2018 in New York Magazine.

In Children of Ted, Richardson takes a deep dive into the world of Theodore Kaczynski (aka the Unabomber) acolytes and apostates, a journey that documents his interactions with various individuals and groups that have been inspired (or adjacently inspired) by the anti-civilizational writings and philosophy of Kaczynski, and even his multiple deadly acts of terrorism leading up to his arrest by the FBI in 1996.

Episode notes: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/john-richardson

// Sustain + support: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

// Donate: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast

This is a segment of episode #198 of Last Born In The Wilderness “Sacrifice Zones: Between The Devil & The Green New Deal w/ Jasper Bernes.” Listen to the full episode: http://bit.ly/LBWbernes

Read Jasper Bernes' article ‘Between the Devil and the Green New Deal’ at Commune: http://bit.ly/DevilGND

In this segment of my interview with Managing Editor of Commune Magazine Jasper Bernes, we discuss his recent article ‘Between the Devil and the Green New Deal,’ featured in the second issue of Commune Magazine. What is the Green New Deal, and what is materially required for it to be successfully implemented? As Jasper explains, its main objective would be to convert the US economy to (net) zero carbon emissions with renewable power by 2030 — an undertaking that would require a massive overhaul of the energy infrastructure towards solar, wind, and biofuels as the primary source of energy production. While that all sounds rather nice, what are the (not-so) hidden costs of developing these so-called sustainable technologies, especially on the scale demanded for in the Green New Deal? As Jasper points out, “nearly every renewable energy source depends upon non-renewable and frequently hard-to-access minerals: solar panels use indium, turbines use neodymium, batteries use lithium, and all require kilotons of steel, tin, silver, and copper,” all of which require extensive mining (most often in the less “developed” regions of the world), which is highly environmentally destructive and relies almost completely on the exploitation of human labor and fossil fuel use. As we frame it in this interview, to maintain an infinite growth economic model (capitalism) while trying to mitigate the worst impacts of global climate change and environmental degradation through “sustainable” technologies is not only unfeasible, but entirely impossible.

Jasper Bernes is the Managing Editor of Commune Magazine and Founding Editor of Commune Editions. He is the author of ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Deindustrialization’ and two books of poetry: ‘We Are Nothing and So Can You,’ and ‘Starsdown.’ He lives in Berkeley with his family.

WEBSITE: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com

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DROP ME A LINE: Call (208) 918-2837 or http://bit.ly/LBWfiledrop

EVERYTHING ELSE: https://linktr.ee/patterns.of.behavior

In this episode, I speak with Jasper Bernes, Managing Editor of Commune Magazine. We discuss his recent article, Between the Devil and the Green New Deal, featured in the second issue of Commune Magazine.

In this interview, I ask Jasper to explain the details of the Green New Deal, as has been proposed by the more progressive wing of the United States political establishment, and most famously by New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of the Democratic Party. What is the Green New Deal, and what is materially required for it to be successfully implemented? As Jasper explains, its main objective would be to convert the US economy to (net) zero carbon emissions with renewable power by 2030—an undertaking that would require a massive overhaul of the energy infrastructure towards solar, wind, and biofuels as the primary source of energy production. While that all sounds rather nice, what are the (not-so) hidden costs of developing these so-called sustainable technologies, especially on the scale demanded for in the Green New Deal? As Jasper points out, “nearly every renewable energy source depends upon non-renewable and frequently hard-to-access minerals: solar panels use indium, turbines use neodymium, batteries use lithium, and all require kilotons of steel, tin, silver, and copper,” (http://bit.ly/DevilGND) all of which require extensive mining (most often in the less “developed” regions of the world), which is highly environmentally destructive and relies almost completely on the exploitation of human labor and fossil fuel use. As we frame it in this interview, to maintain an infinite growth economic model (capitalism) while trying to mitigate the worst impacts of global climate change and environmental degradation through “sustainable” technologies is not only unfeasible, but entirely impossible. Jasper and I go over the details of this subject in more depth in this episode.

// Episode notes: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/jasper-bernes

// Sustain + support: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

// Donate: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast

This is a segment of episode #197 of Last Born In The Wilderness “All That Is Sacred Is Profaned: Marxism, Paganism, & History As Process w/ Rhyd Wildermuth.” Listen to the full episode: http://bit.ly/LBWwildermuth



Pre-order ‘All That Is Sacred Is Profaned: A Pagan Guide To Marxism’ from Gods & Radicals Press: http://bit.ly/sacredprofaned

In this segment of my discussion with Rhyd Wildermuth — writer, political theorist, and co-founder of Gods & Radicals, we discuss his soon-to-be-released book ‘All That Is Sacred Is Profaned: A Pagan Guide To Marxism.’ We examine the various ways capitalism — as a social, political, and economic system — directly informs the ways we relate with the land in which we live upon (and the spirits that reside there), the bodies we inhabit, the labor we perform, the rituals we engage in, and the various ways these relationships and perceptions either highlight or obscure the exploitive qualities of the global capitalism system we are all embedded within. In Rhyd’s book ‘All That Is Sacred Is Profaned,’ this examination of capitalism is framed within a Marxist analysis of the material conditions that inform these relationships (defined as “historical materialism” by Marx), and is then overlaid with a pagan, or more precisely animist, examination of these relationships as well. Rhyd, in being able to wed an animist perspective (the understanding that all objects, places and creatures possess a distinct spiritual essence) with a Marxist analysis of capitalism, is able to define more fully the conditions that have led to the rise and persistence of the capitalist system up to the present moment. One of the major themes of this discussion is to examine the “Progress Narrative,” or how capitalism informs our perception of time by imposing values on the past (bad), present (better), and future (obviously better), versus the “Process Narrative,” which poses that “the conditions of life are constantly in flux, changing according to larger processes (forces) which conflict with each other.”

Rhyd Wildermuth is a co-founder and the publishing manager of Gods & Radicals Press. He’s also a bard, poet, and theorist. He has written numerous essays on paganism, anti-capitalist political theory and analysis, and is the author of ‘Witches In A Crumbling Empire,’ and most recently ‘All That Is Sacred Is Profaned: A Pagan Guide To Marxism.’ He is the co-host of Empires Crumble, a podcast on politics, culture, history, and magic with Alley Valkyrie. After spending much of his life within the borders of the United States, he now reside in Rennes, France.

WEBSITE: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com

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DROP ME A LINE: Call (208) 918-2837 or http://bit.ly/LBWfiledrop

EVERYTHING ELSE: https://linktr.ee/patterns.of.behavior

In this episode, I speak with Rhyd Wildermuth—writer, political theorist, co-founder of Gods & Radicals, and the author of the soon-to-be-released, All That Is Sacred Is Profaned: A Pagan Guide To Marxism.

In this discussion with Rhyd, we examine the various ways capitalism—as a social, political, and economic system—directly informs the ways we relate with the land in which we live upon (and the spirits that reside there), the bodies we inhabit, the labor we perform, the rituals we engage in, and the various ways these relationships and perceptions either highlight or obscure the exploitive qualities of the global capitalism system we are all embedded within. In Rhyd’s book, All That Is Sacred Is Profaned, this examination of capitalism is framed within a Marxist analysis of the material conditions that inform these relationships (defined as “historical materialism” by Marx), and is then overlaid with a pagan, or more precisely animist, examination of these relationships as well. Rhyd, in being able to wed an animist perspective (the understanding that all objects, places and creatures possess a distinct spiritual essence) with a Marxist analysis of capitalism, is able to define more fully the conditions that have led to the rise and persistence of the capitalist system up to the present moment. One of the major themes of this discussion is to examine the “Progress Narrative,” or how capitalism informs our perception of time by imposing values on the past (bad), present (better), and future (obviously better), versus the “Process Narrative,” which poses that “the conditions of life are constantly in flux, changing according to larger processes (forces) which conflict with each other.” This conversation with Rhyd is wide, and these topics are just some of what we discuss in this episode.

// Episode notes: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/rhyd-wildermuth-3

// Sustain + support: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

// Donate: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast

This is a segment of episode #196 of Last Born In The Wilderness “We're Doomed!: Of Our Elaborate Plans, The End w/ Michael Sliwa & [RS].” Listen to the full episode: http://bit.ly/LBWrobmike

In this segment of my discussion with [RS], host of [MF] on the Progressive Radio Network, and Michael Sliwa, former co-host of Nature Bats Last and the author of 'Chasing A Different Carrot: A Manifesto For The Predicament Of Privilege,’ we examine the overwhelm many are feeling in trying to navigate through our times of overlapping social, economic, ecological, and political crises. As more and more people become increasingly aware of the converging crises we face on this planet — whether that be of global ecological collapse, intensifying climate disruption, escalating social and political fragmentation, rising authoritarianism (in the United States and abroad), and the looming possibility of war breaking out between the United States and other global players (Iran, Venezuela, China, etc) — to anticipate a way out of this seems more unrealistic by the day. Whatever stability that we, the privileged global minority in the industrialized or “developed” world, have experienced up to the present moment continues to fracture. Understandably, we seek support and meaning in these times, and we look to other like-minded individuals to make us feel a little less insane for experiencing grief, anxiety, and despair in response to these crises. This discussion with Mike and [RS], in part, focuses on the flaws, as well as the overwhelmingly positive attributes, of the various groups and communities that have formed in response to the challenge of finding the others.

Michael Sliwa is a former co-host of Nature Bats Last on PRN, is the author of 'Chasing A Different Carrot: A Manifesto For The Predicament Of Privilege.' Follow his work: https://michaelsliwa.wordpress.com

WEBSITE: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com

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DROP ME A LINE: Call (208) 918-2837 or http://bit.ly/LBWfiledrop

EVERYTHING ELSE: https://linktr.ee/patterns.of.behavior

In this episode, I speak with Michael Sliwa and [RS]. [RS] is the host of [MF] on the Progressive Radio Network, and Michael is the former co-host of Nature Bats Last and the author of Chasing A Different Carrot: A Manifesto For The Predicament Of Privilege. In this lively discussion between the three of us, we examine the overwhelm many are feeling in trying to navigate through our times of overlapping social, economic, ecological, and political complexities.

// Episode notes: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/sliwa-rs

// Sustain + support: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

// Donate: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast

This is a segment of episode #195 of Last Born In The Wilderness “Mind Control: Psychedelics, Conspiracy, & Truth In The Post-Truth Era w/ Robert Forte.” Listen to the full episode: http://bit.ly/LBWforte2

Read the 1956 Life Magazine photo essay by R. Gordon Wasson: http://bit.ly/2Hjr2y9

In this segment of my discussion with psychedelic researcher Robert Forte, I ask Robert to explore the early days of psychedelic interest in American society, initially generated in large part by the release of the 1956 Life Magazine photo essay by R. Gordon Wasson (J.P. Morgan Vice President of Public Relations) — a landmark piece that was the first to expose the American public to the use and effects of psilocybin mushrooms. As Robert explains, the C.I.A. funded this venture (http://bit.ly/2VXcr4J), and was largely behind, along with media mogul Henry Luce, the branding of the psychedelic experience for Western audiences. Why would this be the case? 

In the episode, we descend down this rabbit hole of inquiry we discuss the absolutely perplexing history of the popularization (and demonization) of psychedelic use in the modern era, including the overwhelming interest by Western elites to use these substances for mind control and social engineering purposes, as demonstrated in the MK-ULTRA project by the C.I.A., among other examples. Toward the end of our discussion, Robert and I get into some rather hairy topics relating to “conspiracy theory” in the “post-truth era,” as defined by the blurring of lines between what is verifiably true and what is difficult to make sense of. While Robert and I may not come to agreement on these difficult subjects, we both absolutely recognize the necessity of questioning officially sanctioned narratives of events as propagated by the corporate-and-state managed press.

Robert Forte is a scholar and researcher of psychedelic drugs. He first studied with Frank Barron, who started the Psilocybin Project at Harvard with Timothy Leary in 1963. Robert is the former director of the Albert Hofmann Foundation, and currently is adjunct faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). James Fadiman, psychedelic researcher and writer, has described Robert as “a major but not well-known hero of the psychedelic movement.”

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Watch the video: https://youtu.be/O4F2HJjrNdA

Last year, I collaborated with Cynthia Jones, Artistic Director of Inspirata Dance Project, for the upcoming dance production Inspirata Dance Project Presents: "Koinonia". The purpose of this collaboration was to highlight the perspectives and stories of individuals that have settled in the Twin Falls, Idaho region as refugees from their home countries. In total, Cynthia and I recorded three interviews with three incredible women: Samra Culum, Milica Popović, and Liyah Babayan. Audio segments from each of these interviews will be featured in the upcoming dance production KOINONIA, which will be presented at the College of Southern Idaho Fine Art Auditorium May 23-25 at 7:30pm. If you are in the Southern Idaho/Magic Valley area, please come! Tickets are $15 at the door, and can be purchase online at https://idpkoinonia.brownpapertickets.com

Each of these collaborative interviews were released as episodes for the Last Born In The Wilderness podcast. In this video, I explain what brought about this collaboration with Cynthia Jones, what it was like to speak with these incredible women, and for each of us to listen and document their life stories. I present some information on the upcoming dance production KOINONIA, and at the end of the video I present some short segments from each of the interviews we conducted with Samra, Milica, and Liyah. Down below, there will be links to each of the episodes I released with these women, if you wish to listen to the full interviews with them.

Samra Culum is Student Development Coordinator at the College of Southern Idaho (CSI), and a refugee. Samra, as a child, fled with her family from war-torn Bosnia, and through the CSI Refugee Resettlement Program, settled in Twin Falls, Idaho with her family. Her story was featured in episode #95 “Our Humanity In Times Of Peril: War, Community, & Revisiting Trauma.” Listen: http://bit.ly/KOINONIAsamra

Milica Popovic is an Associate Professor of Art at the College of Southern Idaho. Milica discusses her personal experiences with the social and economic disintegration in her home country of Serbia, during the fracturing of the Republic of Yugoslavia in the 1990's. Milica and her husband made their way to the United States, where Milica eventually settled in Twin Falls, Idaho, and took up a position at the College of Southern Idaho, where this interview was conducted. Her story was featured in episode #105 “War, Art, & The Hardships That Shape Our Lives.” Listen: http://bit.ly/KOINONIAmilica

Liyah Babayan is a local entrepreneur, activist, Armenian refugee, the owner of Ooh La La! consignment boutique in Twin Falls, Idaho, and is the author of ‘Liminal: a refugee memoir.’ Liyah goes over her life story - framing it within the cultural/historical/political framework of her home country of Azerbaijan, where she had spent much of her early childhood, before fleeing with her family from severe persecution and mass genocide. Her story was featured in episode #131 “The Other: Genocide; Life After.” Listen: http://bit.ly/KOINONIAliyah

Follow Inspirata Dance Project on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inspiratadanceproject

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspirata_dance_project