The Arts of Travel

I spoke to Dr. Khatchig Mouradian for a fascinating conversation on how Armenians resisted extermination at the hands of the Ottoman Empire and his new book: The Resistance Network: The Armenian Genocide and Humanitarianism in Ottoman Syria, 1915–1918.  Our conversation discusses the particularities of how Armenians resisted genocide, but also the universal lessons we can take from Armenian survival. 

We also discuss extensively the work of legal scholar Raphael Lemkin and Armenian Assassin Soghomon Tehlirian who sought justice for Armenians both inside and outside the boundaries of law. 

For more on our conversation today, I highly recommend Dr. Mouradian's Book, which you can find here: https://msupress.org/9781611863949/the-resistance-network/

Music by Nick Chou: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz7zuE7xg5c

We spoke to Dr. Elaine Hui of Penn State on her incredible work of scholarship: Hegemonic Transformation The State, Laws, and Labour Relations in Post-Socialist China

Dr. Hui and I discuss how China transitioned from socialism to capitalism, how hegemony & consent were manufactured by the CCP to convince citizens to go along with this huge shift in ideology, and the workers, laborers and migrants who still resist the hyper-neoliberalism of China under Xi Jinping. 

It's a fascinating conversation, for more w. Dr. Hui I highly recommend reading her book, which you can find here: https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9781349700196

Music by CapsCtrl - Reasons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q21N3-Jc3eI

I spoke to artist Sam Lavigne on his subversive artwork and the need to collectively sabotage Big Tech. 

We also discuss the philosophy of Luddism & the bleak future that will come to pass if we don't resist Silicon Valley. 

For more w. Sam, please read his full essay on Pioneer Works here: https://pioneerworks.org/broadcast/gaslighting-your-boss

And you can check out his website here: https://lav.io/

Music by Prod Riddiman - Adrenaline : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdOhb2qB6k0

I spoke to Novelist S.L Lim on what writing & making art has been like in Australia, which has endured some of the most dramatic consequences of life during the Anthropocene. We discuss the death of the Great Barrier Reef, Wildfires and why Australians seems to be doubling down on leaders and political movements that will accelerate and intensify climate and ecosystem catastrophe. 

The rest of our discussion (which is a wide-ranging one!) focuses on abolition, settler-colonialism and the importance of art in a time where it feels like the world is ending. 

For more w. S.L. you can check out her website here: https://slwritesbooks.com/

Then, follow the Out of the Woods Collective (which we also discuss in our conversation) here: https://www.commonnotions.org/buy/hope-against-hope 

And here: https://twitter.com/out_woods

MUSIC by GOLD STREAK BEATS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56dYxRmh8Qc 

We spoke to Xuandi Wang of Sixth Tone on his work covering Youth in China, their alienation, alternative lifestyles (on real-life communes or in digital spaces) that are emerging, and the general state of mental health on the Chinese internet. 

For more with Xuandi, we highly recommend his reporting in Sixth Tone, which you can find here: https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1006834/capturing-the-alienation-of-chinas-young-migrants

and here: https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1006694/in-chinas-new-age-communes%2C-burned-out-millennials-go-back-to-nature 

Music is by Pink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcNNUB87O6U

I spoke to Dr. Duncan McCargo, Director at the Nordic Institute of Asia Studies and the author of " Tearing Apart The Land: Islam and Legitimacy in Southern Thailand" 

Our discussion is on Patani, located in Southern Thailand it's one of the most misunderstood regions in all of Southeast Asia. Dr. McCargo and I discuss how Patani's fate was decided by the Kingdom of Siam & The British Empire, why the region of Patani has been so resistant to being part of Thailand, what that resistance has looked like, and what larger questions Patani raises both for Thailand and globally. 

For more I can't recommend Dr. McCargo's book enough, it's fascinating not just for those interested in Thailand but for those interested in larger philosophical questions on the Nation-State, social movements and identity. You can find it here: https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501702914/tearing-apart-the-land/

Dr. McCargo also recommended the Nordic Institute's own podcast on Asia: https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/the-nordic-asia-podcast/id1509921432

Music is by H3 Beats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rut35JzzGVY 

I spoke to Steve Ducey of NØlympics LA on why his group is trying to stop the Olympics from coming to LA and the many problems of the modern Olympics. 

It's a fascinating chat on gentrification, capital and nationalism and I think Steve makes a very convincing case against the Modern Olympics, and all this even without the myriad of problems that Covid-19 introduces into trying to host the global event.  

For more conversations on the Olympics you can check out NØlympics LA here: https://nolympicsla.com/ 

And on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NOlympicsLA

I spoke with legendary scholar Dr. Joy James on Ella Baker, John Brown, Samaria Rice, Maroonage and rebuilding Abolitionism in the United States & Globally. 

For more on the topics we discuss today, please see the following resources: 

WEB DuBois on John Brown: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62799

Joy James on Ella Baker in Transcending the Talented Tenth: https://www.routledge.com/Transcending-the-Talented-Tenth-Black-Leaders-and-American-Intellectuals/James/p/book/9780415917636

The Cut's interview w. Samaria Rice: https://www.thecut.com/article/samaria-rice-profile.html

The writing of Vicky Osterweil: https://tinyurl.com/5r39zy34 

Joy James presentation at Brown University, the Architects of Abolitionism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9rvRsWKDx0

Joy James on Verso on the 'New and Old Bones' of Abolitionism: https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/5095-new-bones-abolitionism-communism-and-captive-maternals 

Joy James on the Black Agenda Report: https://blackagendareport.com/black-agenda-radio-week-june-21-2021

Photo Credit to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Baker (CC 4.0)

Music by Gold Streak Beats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp0Ar11n14Q 

We conclude our conversation with Vice's Edward Ongweso Jr.  by looking at Peter Thiel's role in bankrolling Uber as the 'Tip of the Spear' for rolling back labor laws, workers' rights and Unions. All in the name of creating a 'Post-capitalist' future of monopoly, dominance and control. 

We also discuss the shocking (and shockingly underreported) collaboration between Jackson, Mississippi's Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and Amazon's Ring program. Why is the leader of 'Cooperation Jackson', working with Jeff Bezos? Listen to find out. 

Lastly, we offer a brief post-mortum on the failure of Proposition 22 and what new battles are emerging as the Gig economy expands and replaces traditional labor. 

For more w. Edward (who I find to be the best writers on Silicon Valley in America) please check out his writing here: https://www.vice.com/en/contributor/edward-ongweso-jr

Edward's witty (and acerbic!) twitter profile is here: https://twitter.com/bigblackjacobin

Music for this episode is by Kiyoto - "Saltation": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ik8_zdC48g

Photo by Dan Taylor, shared under CC 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Thiel_by_Dan_Taylor.jpg 

This is a conversation with Hathairat "Wist" Phaholtap, Thai Editor at the Isaan Record, on Isaan & Northeast Thailand. We discuss The Isaan Record's outstanding reporting on Northeast Thailand, as well as the unique history, culture and politics of this region.  Other topics include Mo Lam Music, Feminism and the health of Thailand's ecosystems.

For more of the Isaan record, I highly recommend the following series: 

On Feminism in Isaan 

https://theisaanrecord.co/2020/08/27/the-good-daughters-of-isaan-4/

On Mo Lam Music 

https://theisaanrecord.co/2020/03/20/the-soul-of-molam-1/

On Rivers in Thailand: https://theisaanrecord.co/2021/02/23/the-mekong-in-crisis/ 

Beat is by Gold Streak Beats - Heavenly Bodies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FMYuiCr57U