We take the occassion of the first Trump-Mamdani meeting to ask: How can Max Weber's theory of charismatic authority help us understand fascism and the struggle against it?  Do we need a charismatic leader to save us?  PLUS: we spill the tea on Max Weber's spicy poly life. And the ghost of David Graeber makes his usual appearance.

THOUGHT SNACK is an occasional podcast from Sense & Solidarity where Sarah Stein Lubrano and Max Haiven explore the big ideas that make and break our world.

Sense & Solidarity is a platform where people who want to radically change the world can learn together and build individual and collective capacity. senseandsolidarity.org/

Sarah Stein Lubrano is a writer and researcher who specializes in the social psychology of politics. She is the author of Don't Talk About Politics: How to Change 21st-Century Minds (2025). www.sarahsteinlubrano.com

Max Haiven is an researcher and educator who uses writing, teaching, games, podcasts and other techniques for the radical imagination. His latest book is Palm Oil: The Grease of Empire (2022). maxhaiven.com/

Music by Dan Gouly.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit senseandsolidarity.org

Sarah indulges Max's controversial take that...

• Students are workers
• Use of ChatGPT and generative AI is the refusal of work
• Workers can and should reclaim the means of study as part of a class war

THOUGHTSNACK is an occasional podcast from Sense & Solidarity where Sarah Stein Lubrano and Max Haiven explore the big ideas that make and break our world.

Sense & Solidarity is a platform where people who want to radically change the world can learn together and build individual and collective capacity.
http://senseandsolidarity.org/

Sarah Stein Lubrano is a writer and researcher who specializes in the social psychology of politics. She is the author of Don't Talk About Politics: How to Change 21st-Century Minds (2025).
http://www.sarahsteinlubrano.com

Max Haiven is an researcher and educator who uses writing, teaching, games, podcasts and other techniques for the radical imagination. His latest book is Palm Oil: The Grease of Empire (2022).
http://maxhaiven.com/

Music by Dan Gouly.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit senseandsolidarity.org

Sarah and Max try and figure out why everyone is so obsessed with (mis)counting babies. Of course, we talk about capitalism, imperialism, patriarchy and much more.

Here's what set us off:

• "The Birth-Rate Crisis Isn’t as Bad as You’ve Heard—It’s Worse" in The Atlantic.
• "How does Low Fertility Affect Economic Growth, Worldwide?" in Rocking our Priors podcast

THOUGHTSNACK is an occasional podcast from Sense & Solidarity where Sarah Stein Lubrano and Max Haiven explore the big ideas that make and break our world.

Sense & Solidarity is a platform where people who want to radically change the world can learn together and build individual and collective capacity.
http://senseandsolidarity.org/

Sarah Stein Lubrano is a writer and researcher who specializes in the social psychology of politics. She is the author of Don't Talk About Politics: How to Change 21st-Century Minds (2025).
http://www.sarahsteinlubrano.com

Max Haiven is an researcher and educator who uses writing, teaching, games, podcasts and other techniques for the radical imagination. His latest book is Palm Oil: The Grease of Empire (2022).
http://maxhaiven.com/

Music by Dan Gouly.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit senseandsolidarity.org

Max and Sarah sketch a framework for understanding three core fascist motivations, based on Max's forthcoming book The Player and the Played: From Gamified Capitalism to 21st Century Fascism.

• An OPPORTUNIST motivation to personally benefit from authoritarianism
• A PARANOID fear that the "natural" order is collapsing
• A PSYCHEDELIC infatuation with the power to bend and break reality

THOUGHT SNACK is an occasional podcast from Sense & Solidarity where Sarah Stein Lubrano and Max Haiven explore the big ideas that make and break our world.

Sense & Solidarity is a platform where people who want to radically change the world can learn together and build individual and collective capacity.
http://senseandsolidarity.org/

Sarah Stein Lubrano is a writer and researcher who specializes in the social psychology of politics. She is the author of Don't Talk About Politics: How to Change 21st-Century Minds (2025).
http://www.sarahsteinlubrano.com

Max Haiven is an researcher and educator who uses writing, teaching, games, podcasts and other techniques for the radical imagination. His latest book is Palm Oil: The Grease of Empire (2022).
http://maxhaiven.com/

Music by Dan Gouly.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit senseandsolidarity.org

On May 21, Sarah Stein Lubrano, author of Don't Talk About Politics: How to Change 21st-Century Minds sat down with Max Haiven at Berlin's Shakespeare and Sons bookshop.

"Democracy is dying because we are clinging to a dangerous and outdated myth: talking about politics can change people's minds. It doesn't.

This provocative debut from a bold new voice combines a fascinating range of research to show us the psychological and sociological factors that really shape our politics.

Drawing from ancient philosophy to modern neuroscience and social science, Dr Sarah Stein Lubrano reveals the surprising truth about how people think and behave politically. From friendship to community organizing and social infrastructure, she explores the actions that actually do change minds.

In a world where politics keeps getting more irrational, dishonest, violent and chaotic, it's getting much harder to reach people with words alone. So people who really care about democracy must ask: how can we stop arguing and do the deep work to build stronger foundations for political life, and a better world for us all?"

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit senseandsolidarity.org

In this short bonus episode...

• 👹 We at Sense & Solidarity invite you to apply for our study workshop “Fascist Dreams, Antifascist Awakenings” in Palermo, May 25-29 (applications due April 7!).
• 📘 Sarah tells you about her forthcoming book Don’t Talk About Politics: How to Change 21st Century Minds and events this Spring and Summer.  
• 🎲 And Max tells you about the crowdfunding campaign on now for his board game Billionaires & Guillotines. 
• 🖼️ Plus, we critique public art and muse about the end of the world.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit senseandsolidarity.org

The world is giving fascism in 2025, so we’ve been away writing, reading and getting ready to serve up more on that topic. 
Meanwhile, here’s a chattier, less-structured version of our usual schtick - recorded over the holidays, live in front of a studio (well, living room) audience. 
Tune in to hear:

• Sarah talk about why we shouldn’t argue with our relatives and why fascists are much like guys who send dick pics.
• Max explain how games influenced fascists like Steve Bannon and why he’s obsessed with a rat.

We also get asked questions from the living-room-and-online-studio audience. 
For more information, visit: https://senseandsolidarity.org/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit senseandsolidarity.org

Live, in front of a seductive studio audience, Sarah and Max bring to a climax the first intoxicating season of What Do We Want? (a podcast about what brings social movements together and drives them apart) with an episode on PLEASURE.

They are joined by dazzling special guests Sita Balani and Zrinka Balo, to explore salacious questions including:

• Should we prioritize activism being pleasurable?
• In a world of work and worry, is taking pleasure itself an important form of activism?
• And in our quest for collective liberation, what kinds of sacrifices can and should we expect of ourselves and others?

It’s podcasting that goes beyond the pleasure principle and puts its finger right on the most sensitive questions.

For more information, visit https://senseandsolidarity.org/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit senseandsolidarity.org

We, an unnamed collective, must sanctimoniously inform would-be listeners that the SHAME episode of WHAT DO WE WANT? (a podcast about what brings social movements together and drives them apart) has been summarily cancelled. 
The hosts, Sarah and Max, have been found preemptively guilty of causing grievous harms to the left by asking questions including: Is pride enough? Should we wield shame? And should we cancel ourselves? 
(Also, did you hear that they invited a response from the scandalous radical writer Sophie Lewis, author of Abolish the Family and Enemy Feminisms? OMG!). 
...And by the way, “comrade,”… what made you want to listen to this f*cked up podcast anyway? Don’t you think that kind of behaviour is a little… problematic? 
To learn more about the many things we do and support us financially or otherwise, visit us at senseandsolidarity.org

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit senseandsolidarity.org

Why do so many people insist on believing in systems that hurt them? 
Why do so many of us dwell in fantasy, rather than facing reality? 
(Wait, is dwelling in fantasy an option? Why weren’t we told?) 
In this episode of WHAT DO WE WANT? (a podcast about what brings social movements together and drives them apart) Max and Sarah dive deep into the murky waters of FANTASY, desire and illusion to ask questions like: 

• How do we break through destructive ideologies? 
• How can we win arguments (and when should we)? 
• And should we just abandon activism? 

Then we’re joined by veteran Toronto-based activist, movement trainer and editor Sharmeen Khan, who tells us about the state repression that broke her fantasies and what she dreams of now. 
It's podcasting that accompanies you right to the precipice of Mount Doom and helps you throw away your Precious.

ACTION ALERT! Our guest, Sharmeen, is facing outrageous, repressive charges for standing up for Palestinian human rights. Read Naomi Klein’s summary of the case, and please consider donating to the legal defence fund or signing the letter demanding the charges be dropped. 

To learn more about the many things we do and support us financially or otherwise, visit us at Sense and Solidarity .org


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit senseandsolidarity.org