Right Action

In this first of opinion episodes, I discuss the case for principled non-voting and it's psychological effect towards creating the alternative social structures we can imagine taking the place of our current paradigm that is predicated and built upon centralization, mass, capitalism, and representative democracy. I've tried to break from rehashing the old arguments against a "flawed democracy" and instead highlight the psychological effect of not voting and the compulsion it creates to imagine and enact the alternatives. The basis for these considerations is an avoidance of what I've referred to as "the ugly end", which is an expected, but relatively undefinable social rupture that could take the form as forced resource scarcity, economic implosions, or environmental collapse. Investigate some of the resources below for more context.The Ecology of Freedom - Murray BookchinCollapse - Jared DiamondFrom Democracy to Freedom - Crimethinc.The Reproduction of Daily Life - Fredy PerlmanThe Human Zoo - Desmond Morris

We speak with Will Potter, a journalist and activist who investigates and writes extensively on topics related to the eco-justice and animal liberation communities and the current context of civil liberties repression. Potter authored the book, Green Is The New Red - An Insider’s Account of a Social Movement Under Siege. Potter blogs at greenisthenewred.com, has initiated a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund his investigative work on factory farms with drones, and was recently appointed the Marsh Visiting Professor of Journalism at the University of Michigan where he will continue teaching on topics related to civil liberties and the work he laid out in Green Is The New Red.To say his work has been important to both the eco-justice communities and to those concerned with civil liberties is an extreme understatement. From detailing the timeline and tactics of corporations and governments in squashing activism, to exposing the authoritarian nature of discrediting social movements and citizen dissent in a post 9-11 world, Potter’s work has added flames to the activist fire, and continues to shine a light in the corners of government policy and strategy they would rather have kept in the dark. 

We talk with Greg Bennick, vocalist for Trial / Between Earth and Sky, founder of 100 For Haiti, Co-Producer of the documentary Flight From Death, Co-Founder of The Legacy Project and more. Greg discusses his path towards new visions of living for himself, investigating the nuances of mortality, applying the work of Ernest Becker towards historical and modern moments of societal violence, and how to proceed onward. TrialBetween Earth and SkyFlight From Death : The Quest for Immortality100 For HaitiThe Legacy Project

We discuss the Strong Hearts Mission - www.strongheartsmission.com - with Jon Reith as he prepares to take supplies to the YPG / YPJ self-defense fighters in Rojava, who are currently in battle against ISIS and to protect their relatively newly formed society based on egalitarian, non-hierarchical principles inspired by Murray Bookchin's writings in The Ecology of Freedom. Resource ListA Small Key Can Open A Large Door - The Rojava RevolutionBlack Flags : The Rise of ISISThe Ecology of Freedom - Murray Bookchinwww.strongheartsmission.comwww.thelionsofrojava.com Permalink