Mechanical Freak

A special stocking stuffer for our loyal listeners, Brian regales Munya with the history of the war on Christmas. Happy holidays!

Read Brian Platt & Mary Anne Henderson’s 2015 article, “The War on Christmas” in Counterpunch

Visit the Ending the Myth page for updates, sources, and suggested readings

Up Next: We will be discussing Chapter 9, “Fortress on the Frontier” in Grandin’s End of the Myth

Show music by Bjorn/Fleksor

Show art by Carl

Live from Leavenworth aka CHRISTMASTOWN USA! Starbucks workers are unionizing, we’re all going to get covid, and there is a war being waged on the Christmas battlefield between hotdog vendors and the very cool, unique (quirky even), worshipers of a Germanic daemon.

In part one of this two parter, we discuss the early labor movement and how the implementation of Jim Crow was used to enact a counter-revolution against Reconstruction. We also answer the question, “How did American towns and suburbs get to be so white?”

For a short history of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, go here

For a history of lynching in the American South, read Leon Litwack’s “Hellhounds”

For a discussion of the creation of sundown towns, see James Loewen’s “How Sundown Towns Were Created”

And listen to our episode from Texas Sucks on Vidor, TX and Sundown Towns

Visit the Ending the Myth page for updates, sources, and suggested readings

Up Next: We will be discussing Chapter 9, “Fortress on the Frontier” in Grandin’s End of the Myth

Show music by Bjorn/Fleksor

Show art by Carl

Listen to the episode in its entirety on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/posts/60012666

Greg, Cassidy, and Brian get together to discuss the victory for Starbucks workers in Buffalo and try to untangle exactly what happened in the vote that is being contested. Then, Brian is forced to spit out his Raisin Bran as he learns about how workers are treated at Kelloggs.

If you’re a starbucks worker and want to organize, check out this thread to get connected with Workers United in your area.

Want to help out the Kellogg’s strikers? Yes, of course you do, so go here to learn how.

Kshama Sawant has won for the 4th time in 8 years as an open Marxist and a Trotskyist. We discuss Kshama Sawant and Socialist’s Alternative 4th consecutive victory on the council, how working people beat back all the worst developers and landlords (again), and more from Kshama’s hot fire victory speech!

Read Sawant’s speech, “We Have Not Backed Down”

After 11 episodes, we have finally made it to the 20th century! In this episode, we discuss some of the things that they have learned and the things that they regret not being able to cover. We also take questions from our beloved freaks.

Visit the Ending the Myth page for updates, sources, and suggested readings

Up Next: We will be discussing the labor movement and black civil rights

Show music by Bjorn/Fleksor

Show art by Carl

Listen to the episode in its entirety on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/posts/59414967

The Progressive Era is the bridge between the America of the 19th century and the America of the 20th century. With the birth of the corporation in the Gilded Age and the rise of American imperialism with the Spanish-American War, the capitalist class created the modern American imperial state with all of its attendant bureaucrats and functionaries.

Visit the Ending the Myth page for updates, sources, and suggested readings

Up Next: We will be discussing the labor movement and black civil rights

Show music by Bjorn/Fleksor

Show art by Carl

Another year, another Thanksgiving Pageant Spectacular with Mechanical Freak! Join Greg, Brian, Munya and Cassidy on the boat as we share some stories and read up on the Financial Times to get into the Thanksgiving spirit . After guzzling down some Gregnog and BTS Sweet Chilli Sauce, we have some fun with friends and special guests Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, Shaun Scott, and our old pals Max and Matt. Plus, stick around for special segments with Big Soy Naturals, legal advice from our lawyer Code Name Tanya, Astrological Readings from 1-800-Freak-Star, and a film review with movie star and cinema expert Justin Roll.

Check out “Your Boss and Landlord Vote” means.tv/programs/sawant

Listen to Big Soy Naturals bigsoyuniverse.neocities.org

Listen to Ending the Myth mechanicalfreak.website/ending-the-myth

Subscribe to our Patreon patreon.com/MechanicalFreak

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