The Arts of Travel

This is a fascinating conversation with Krithika Varagur, author of : The Call Inside the Global Saudi Religious Project. 

Krithika's book touches upon Saudi Arabia's project to spread it's state religion, Wahhabi Islam,  globally. Krithika explains the origins of Wahhabi, how Saudi Arabia uses wealth, statecraft and alliances (for example, with the US) to spread this type of Islam. We also discuss larger questions about how Wahhabi Islam is evolving in our era of neoliberalism, global protests and uncertainty about the future of the nation-state. 

For more of Krithika's work, please check out her website here: http://www.krithikavaragur.com/about 

You can purchase her book from Bookshop here: https://bookshop.org/books/the-call-inside-the-global-saudi-religious-project/9781733623766 

Music- Blue Sky - is by Kiyoto: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC82piEoKF_rYn-Q8ZVxUpSA

To discuss the life and legacy of Dr. David Graeber, I spoke to Newslens Editor and Commonweal Writer: Nicholas Haggerty. Nicholas was a former student of Dr. Graeber and a subject in Dr. Graeber's most recent book: "Bullshit Jobs". 

We chat about Nicholas's time as a student of Dr. Graeber. His reflections on Dr. Graeber's scholarship.  How to think through Dr. Graeber's mix of Anarchism and Social Democracy, and how Dr. Graeber's coalition building should cause us to reflect on the still-divided state of the International left. 

For more w. Nicholas, please check out his beautiful eulogy to Dr. Graber at Commonweal here: https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/heedless-generosity

Beat is - Coast, by Don't Ask Alex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0zsX0k7Xhs

I spoke w. Yannick Giovanni Marshall (Twitter: @furtherblack), who wrote several brilliant essays on protest, Black Lives Matter and white Supremacy. We discuss the legendary revolutionary Franz Fanon, if one's class position makes them a counter-revolutionary, the role of universities in perpetuating injustice, and what we all can do to destroy the colony.  

For more w. Dr. Marshall, you can check out his writing and scholarship at his website here: https://www.yannickmarshall.net/

Dr. Marshall's writing can be found in multiple outlets, one piece that caught the attention of many can be found here: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/black-liberal-time-george-floyd-200601155933648.html

Music is 'Osaka' by Kiyoto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DDX7R7cA3w

I spoke with Thum "PJ"  Ping Tjin, the founder of New Naratif, on how colonialism and capitalism have shaped Singapore's past, present and  future.  We also discuss the history of Dissent in Singapore and why voices like PJ's are rising to critique the political and economic elites of the country. 

Beat - "Groove with Me" - Prod. Nikos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abx1OfQkO1Y 

This was a one of a kind conversation with a one of a kind mind. I spoke to Writer and Large Hadron Collider Scientist  Yangyang Cheng. 

Yangyang and I debate why so many brilliant people work in scientific systems that produce suffering.  And why this global pandemic has not inspired scientists, states and capitalism to cooperate, but instead acted as a catalyst for exploitation and violence. 

It's a fascinating conversation on  Research, STEM, and what these fields might look like in a world without borders or capitalism. 

For more on Yangyang, simply search her name, she is in my opinion one of the most important writers and public figures working today. 

I highly recommend her most recent piece for the Guardian for those who enjoy our conversation: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/13/allowing-privileged-flee-hong-kong-isnt-liberation-beijing

And her most recent article for Sup China on Borders and Science: https://supchina.com/2020/06/25/this-land-is-not-your-land/

Music is 'Inspired' by Julian Avila: https://soundcloud.com/julian_avila

I spoke to Vincent Wong, an attorney on Abolition as it relates to internationalism

Artwork is by Lizartistry: https://www.instagram.com/lizar_tistry/ 

Music is 'TwentyEighteen' by Julian Avila: https://soundcloud.com/julian_avila

To speak on Beirut in the wake of the August 4th explosion,  I was joined by writer and friend Joey Ayoub.  We discuss the lives destroyed by the blast, how Lebanon (and the global elite) helped birth the disaster through 'organized abandonment' and Joey's thoughts for how to keep living, struggling and fighting,  with so many around the world dealing with their own individual apocalypses.

For more with Joey, please check out here:  https://linktr.ee/joeyayoub

And check out his own excellent Podcast here: thefirethisti.me

Music is 'Butterfly Effect' by Julian Avila: https://soundcloud.com/julian_avila

This is a conversation on Thailand's protests with Pavin Chachavalpongpun. Pavin is an Associate professor at Kyoto University, a frequent contributor to the Washington Post and the founder of 'The Royalist Marketplace' ,  which besides being the World's 18th largest Facebook group, is the source of an incredible battle between Facebook and Thailand's government who hope to block the group to control dissent and criticism of Thailand's Monarchy and King Vajiralongkorn. 

In this conversation Pavin and I discuss Thailand's protests, the violence Thailand's Monarchy uses to maintain power, and how digital activism and real-life protests are building a new generation demanding freedom for Thailand 

For more w. Pavin I'd recommend the following: 

Music: - 'Hope' by That Kid Goran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jd-gfq3aDo

We spoke to William Andrews, author of Dissenting Japan. In my experience the best English Language resource on Protests, Direct Action and Riots in Japan.*

We discuss what happened in Japan after the 1960s, how its youth were caught up in the global wave of revolutionary anti-capitalist, anti-racist, anti-patriarchal struggles of this era, and how Japan's revolutionaries expressed dissent in their own unique, dangerous and powerful ways. 

It's a fascinating chat about a historical subject that should receive more attention. For those who'd like to learn more: 

* Podcast recorded in late 2019, so information on Carlos Ghosn and Japan's emperor have since changed, along with Covid-19 impacting the olympics

Music by Julian Avila: https://soundcloud.com/julian_avila

and Urban Nerd Beats: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDallascooper

I recorded this Interview with Kunthida Rungruengkiat, former deputy leader of Thailand's  now-banned Future Forward Party in March,  right after the party was ordered to dissolve and Thailand shut down to control the Covid-19 outbreak.  

Kunthida talks about the formation of the Future Forward Party, how their vision of social democracy threatened Thailand's elite, and why Thailand's youth and student-led protests may continue until fundamental change happens in the country. 

For more please follow Kunthida on Twitter here: @Kunthida_FWP

Beat is by River Beats - "BFFs": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJzSfs8uHJY