Mechanical Freak

Historian, friend of the show, and fellow Texan, Mary Anne Henderson joins us to talk about Texas. We talk how and why it was settled and revisit the nearly totally forgotten Mexican War. We will be discussing material covered in chapter 5 from The End of the Myth and much, much more!

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

Up Next: We are having an off-book discussion of the abolitionist movement, so why not check out Philip Foner’s writing on slavery and organized labor as well as WEB Du Bois discussion of “the general strike” of slaves during the Civil War.

Show music by Bjorn/Fleksor

Show art by Carl

Greg and Munya consider the culture war in light of Seattle Police Department antics about vaccination, the life of Colin Powell in light of its loss, the fourth wall breaking cringe comedy commencing at John Deere during the strike and the prerogatives of the Masters of Business Administration, and the imminent Seattle election and what you can do in these Last Days.

Volunteer with Nikkita Oliver’s campaign for Seattle Council Position 9 and consider donating

Volunteer with Nicole Thomas-Kennedy’s campaign for City Attorney and consider donating

Don’t forget to vote! Register to vote online.

The metaphor of the “safety valve” is a critical concept for Grandin and his book. We explore the various ways in which this metaphor was deployed in the early 19th century before delving into capitalism’s unending “urban crisis.” For those following along at home, we will be covering material from chapter 4 in End of the Myth.

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

Up Next: Chapter 5 “Are You Ready for All These Wars?”

Show music by Bjorn/Fleksor

Show art by Carl

Munya, Greg, and Brian get together to talk jobs, Jobs, JOBS! They discuss why turning up the misery dial wasn’t the panacea we were promised it would be and the exciting new plan to reduce SPD by 40%. Google “police” + “40 percent” to learn more!

The thread on Andrei Constantin can be found here

Don’t miss “Forging the Jacksonian Consensus,” the latest episode of Ending the Myth, a limited series from our own @brian_noname and @raadzzi

We discuss the arrival of Andrew Jackson on the political scene and the role of Jacksonian democracy in Westward expansion — It’s not good, folks. For those following along at home, we are covering chapter 3 of the End of the Myth.

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

Up Next: Chapter 4 “The Safety Valve”

Show music by Bjorn/Fleksor

Show art by Carl

Greg and Munya are joined by star Nikkita4Nine volunteers and campaign workers Aun, Sunny, Rico, and Iman. We discuss Nikkita Oliver’s campaign for Seattle City Council Position 9, why they decided to volunteer, memorable stories from canvassing people’s doors, getting to know our neighbors, and why the fight for city council matters for the future of the city we love.

Volunteer for the Nikkita4Nine campaign.

Donate to Nikkita4Nine.

Learn more about Nikkita Oliver’s platform for City Council.

Don’t forget to vote early! Register to vote online.

After taking a brief detour we return to Grandin’s End of the Myth to talk about the treatment of the Native American population in the United States up until the 1830s. We cover Chapter 1&2 of the book for those following along at home.

For more on the treatment of the Native American population in the US, see Ward Churchill’s article “‘Nits Make Lice’”

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

Show music by Bjorn/Fleksor

Show art by Carl

Listen to the episode in its entirety on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/posts/56843555

Cassidy, Munya, and Colin talk about the brewing IATSE strike, the Northwest Carpenters Union turmoil and related wildcat strikes, David Horsey’s love of local brains, and two protections for renters approved by City Council.

Follow @ia_stories on Instagram, and sign the petition in support of IATSE workers

Listen to our previous episode, “They See Me Rollin’”, where we originally discussed the IATSE fight for improved working conditions

Read “Carpenters union pauses picketing in Seattle after wildcat strikes, dispute with Kshama Sawant” and “Seattle City Council approves requirement for six months’ notice of rent increases” by Heidi Groover in the Seattle Times

Listen to, “The Road Not Taken,” the latest episode of Ending the Myth, a limited series from our own @brian_noname and @raadzzi

It’s Episode 1 and we are already making a detour from End of the Myth to look at historian Lerone Bennett Jr’s excellent 1970 essay “The Road Not Taken.” We discuss the central role of the slave system to America’s development and the role of contingency in history, of the road not taken.

Read Bennett’s original essay as it appeared in Ebony here or the slightly longer version from The Shaping of Black America here

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

Show music by Bjorn/Fleksor

Show art by Carl