Last Born In The Wilderness

[Intro: 9:45] In this episode, I speak with eco-radical philosopher, writer, and poet Julian Langer.  We begin this discussion by addressing Julian's recent essay ‘The Whole is Less than the Sum of its Parts,’ in which he redefines what we commonly understand "collectivism" and "individualism" to be: "If collectivism is correct, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, then it doesn’t matter if 10% of a coral reef is bleached, or 20%, or 90%, because you have this transcendental greater than, which remains. Likewise, the death of 1 polar bear doesn’t matter, because individuals are inconsequential, and neither does the extinction of 1 species, because you still have this larger whole of earth that matters more, and likewise it doesn’t matter if 200 individual species comprised of statistically irrelevant individuals die due to ecocide, because the transcendental whole remains." (https://bit.ly/3h0ySNR) Also, we address themes addressed in some of his other writings, including his thoughts on so

[Intro: 9:22] In this interview, I speak with political commentator Jared Yates Sexton, author of the upcoming book ‘American Rule: How A Nation Conquered The World But Failed Its People.’ As I remark on in this discussion, I first became aware of Jared and his work from his analysis of the QAnon conspiracy theory. I ask him to expound on the tenets of this alarmingly popular and increasingly pervasive belief system (which we characterize as having the attributes of a pseudo-religious cult), its roots on the anonymous online forum 4chan, as well as the impacts this reality-bending narrative is having on contemporary politics in the United States. Jared states very clearly what this toxic narrative is producing right now in his recent article ‘A Cult Within A Cult: Qanon, Conspiracy Theories, and Growing Fascism’: “To fully grasp what Qanon is and what it could become, we have to break down the very essence of this cult. It is a rebranding of the New World Order conspiracy theory that has held sway over Am

[Intro: 7:19] In this episode, I speak with anti-racist and environmental activist Hilary Moore, author of ‘Burning Earth, Changing Europe: How the Racist Right Exploits the Climate Crisis–And What We Can Do About It’, and co-author of ‘No Fascist USA! The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee and Lessons for Today’s Movements.’ In her booklet ‘Burning Earth, Changing Europe’, Hilary examines how right wing ideology, in its various forms, reacts to, co-opts, and inserts its agendas into the discourse and activism surrounding climate change and environmentalism at large. As she points to in this interview:  1. Climate change is not an inherently progressive issue. 2. How you think and talk about climate change may prop up racist right-wing positions. 3. The far right does not need to govern to influence. With these truths in mind, Hilary points to how social justice itself must be central to any environmental and climate movement: “My advice to the environmental movement in the US is blunt: get out of the way

[Intro: 13:47 | Outro: 1:27:22] In this interview, I speak with journalist and author Vincent Bevins, author of ‘The Jakarta Method: Washington’s Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program That Shaped Our World.’ The events that have shaped our world, particularly in the post-Cold War era, are often unexamined and under-appreciated. This is especially true in a time of rising right wing populism and reactionary violence in nations around the globe, with the rise of such far-right leaders as Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and Donald Trump in the United States, as well as the growing concentration of wealth by the global capitalist elite, facilitated by decades of neoliberal economic policies and austerity. How did we get to this point? Vincent Bevins, in his truly important work ‘The Jakarta Method,’ provides something of a gift of insight into the events, often unexamined in the so-called First World, that have shaped the socioeconomic order that emerged out of decades of Cold War violence enacted and inf

[Intro: 8:44] In this episode, I speak with Bayo Akomolafe, author of 'These Wilds Beyond Our Fences', Executive Director and Chief Curator for The Emergence Network (A Post-Activist Project), and host of the online writing course, ‘We Will Dance With Mountains: Writing as a Tool for Emergence’.  We begin by discussing Bayo's recent essay ‘I, Coronavirus. Mother. Monster. Activist.’: “One of the central questions I ask with this essay is: If this is indeed a war, do we really want to win it? What if winning is the worst possible outcome we could imagine? Do we want to come out on top, stamp out this viral enemy, and restore agency to the cold ossified tentacles of the familiar? Are we sure this disruption is not what we want, what we’ve cried for in unvoiced ways? Should we not treat this opening as our grand marronage, our fugitive departure from exhausted cottonfields? Nothing about this moment is romantic. And we should be careful about smoothening the hard and recalcitrant edges of this phenomenon to

[Intro: 8:47] In this episode, I speak with dear friend, healer, and counselor Barbara Cecil. This is a griefful time. We are witnessing systems fail and a deep fracturing of our collective shared experience of reality, particularly for those embedded within the dominant culture of North America, to which many of us are tied to. More and more, time seems to be quickening and grinding to a stuttering halt, all at once.  Barbara and I deepen our exploration into the terrain of our current predicament, continuing with the themes journalist Dahr Jamail and I discussed in our recent interview released a few weeks ago. We discuss what it means to really be present in this time of trouble, and how vital it is to know how to ground oneself and (re)connect with our intuition. It is from this place that we may then proceed, as this wisdom and skill will prove to be increasingly needed as we meet our time of many endings. Barbara Cecil is the author of ‘Coming Into Your Own: A Woman's Guide Through Life Transitions.

In this episode, I speak with feminist writer and teacher Silvia Federici. We discuss the themes of her new book, Beyond the Periphery of the Skin: Rethinking, Remaking, and Reclaiming the Body in Contemporary Capitalism, published through PM Press.  The body—our sense of “self” in relation to others—has been restricted, reduced, and mutilated under Capitalism and the impositions of the State. This is particularly true with women, as Federici has thoroughly examined throughout her decades of research, in particular with her seminal work Caliban and the Witch, which lucidly explores the brutal transformation European populations were forced to endure as these societies began to transition to the social order of Capitalism, now global in scope and reach. Occurring over centuries, this transition—with the enclosure of the Commons and the femicidal witch hunts—dramatically restricted of the sovereignty of the peasant class and brutalized the bodies of women. This process was fundamental in the constriction of th

In this episode, I speak with award-winning journalist and author Dahr Jamail.  I can imagine most of you listening to this episode will recognize what Dahr and I both feel and know in this time we are in. Many of us are beginning to come to terms with the reality we have been dealt — a global predicament that includes a pandemic that won’t soon leave us, economic crisis and social unrest that will only worsen as the months pass on, and nonlinear climate disruption that continues to rear its ugly head, portending horrors that are only beginning to make themselves a reality. And we know, from these trends, this breakdown will only accelerate as the months and years pass. As Dahr states, citing his time in Iraq, “today is better than tomorrow.” // Episode notes + transcript: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/dahr-jamail-5 // Sustain + support: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness // Donate: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast

[Intro: 9:16 | Book: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr] In this interview, I speak with meteorologist and geoscientist Nicholas Humphrey.  As the nations of the world continue to confront the challenges of a global pandemic, and as the United States experiences the worst economic crisis in its history and convulses in the wake of accelerated social breakdown and civil unrest, the global climate crisis continues unabated. I ask Nicholas to provide his insights into the profound climate shifts the Arctic region has experienced the past several months (since the recording of this interview, a region in Siberia recorded a record-breaking temperature of 100.4°F/38°C). (https://lat.ms/2VnnYsG) This includes the impact these changes are having on the ocean currents and atmospheric jet streams — amplifying the severity of storms and nonlinear weather events around the globe, as well as triggering more tipping points and feedback loops in the climate system. We also examine how thawing permafrost in the Arctic is leading to inf

[Intro: 11:04 | Book: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr] In this episode, I speak with journalist and activist Arun Gupta. We discuss several of his recent articles published at The Raw Story, addressing the rise of far-right violence by counter-protesters and agitators at dozens of Black Lives Matter protests over the past several weeks. In particular, we discuss what he addresses in his piece ‘Trump supporters are attacking and killing Black Lives Matter protesters — and getting away with it’: “Since the police killing of George Floyd sparked unprecedented protests against systematic racism, at least four Trump supporters, including some involved in his 2016 campaign, have attacked Black Lives Matter protesters with weapons, leading to at least one death. Disturbingly, perpetrators have been released or given light charges despite severely wounding and killing protesters. The real number of attacks by Trump supporters may be substantially higher as there have been hundreds of attacks, terrorist plots, and threats of

[Intro: 9:24 | Book: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr] In this interview, I speak with Sunil Bhatia, Professor of Human Development at Connecticut College. He is the author of dozens of articles related to transnational migration, identity and cultural psychology, and is the author of two books, ‘American Karma: Race, Culture and Identity in the Indian Diaspora’ and ‘Decolonizing Psychology: Globalization, Social Justice and Indian Youth Identities.’ At its root, Western Psychology is colonial. With that in mind, what would a decolonized psychology include and exclude in its framework? As Sunil addresses in his work and in this interview, Psychology, as a social science, has served the Western colonialist project in all its forms. Even as we have entered into a "post-colonial" period over the past century or more, the impacts of colonization on numerous populations around the world are still felt presently, profoundly so. Officially, Western nation-states have abandoned previously defined colonies to self-governance (

[Intro: 7:10 | Book: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr] In this episode, I speak with award-winning author and journalist Chris Hedges. We discuss the material conditions precipitating the unprecedented uprisings in the United States the past few weeks, as addressed in his recent article published at SheerPost, ‘The Treason of the Ruling Class’:   ‘“In order for nonviolence to work, your opponent must have a conscience,” Stokely Carmichael warned. And if your opponent is bereft of a conscience, then state violence is inevitably met with counter-violence. Tyranny takes the place of reform. The danger of widespread sectarian violence in America is now very real. There are three options: reform, which, given the decay in the American body politic, is impossible; revolution; or tyranny. The more things deteriorate, the more the elites feel threatened, the more brutal the police, the National Guard and the organs of state security will become. The longer the serfs defy their masters the more the populations in the jails an

[Intro: 11:05 | Book: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr] In this episode, I speak with Mike Africa, Jr., second generation member of the MOVE Organization and founder of The Seeds of Wisdom, a sister chapter of the MOVE Organization. We begin this discussion with Mike providing background information on the philosophy and aims of the MOVE Organization since its formation in the 1970s, and the role he and his parents have played in the organization up to the present day. From there, he provides a background to the most dramatic confrontations between the members of MOVE and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD): the 1978 confrontation between MOVE and Philadelphia police officers (leading to the death of one officer, the brutal public police beating of Delbert Africa, and the wrongful conviction of nine members of MOVE), and the 1985 bombing of the MOVE headquarters on Osage Avenue, Philadelphia by the PPD — the fires of which killed eleven members of MOVE (including five children) and decimated 65 houses in that nei

[Intro: 13:08 | Book Pre-sale: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr] In this episode, I speak with Dr. Gerald Horne, Moores Professorship of History and African American Studies at Houston State University and the author of ‘The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century.’  In this discussion, Dr. Horne examines the material conditions that have precipitated the uprisings across the United States the past week, in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th. His analysis includes how the novel coronavirus pandemic has led to the "unmasking of capitalism” stemming from the U.S. government's altogether lack of economic support for the majority of U.S. citizens in wake of this unprecedented crisis; the far-right political and economic policies of the Trump Administration and his recent decision to defund the World Health Organization, in turn instigating a new Cold War with China; and the hundreds of years o

[Intro: 11:36 | Book Pre-sale: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr] In this episode, I speak with historian and conservationist Betsy Gaines Quammen, author of ‘American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God and Public Lands in the West.’  This discussion with Betsy begins with an examination of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and how the theological underpinnings of this religious organization has played an important and instrumental role in the settler-colonialist expansion in the American West since the followers of this faith settled in the region over a century ago. This is especially relevant when we examine how these historical processes have led to the present day crises of land use in the region — conflicts between the federal government (e.g. the Bureau of Land Management) and the political extremism of various cattle ranchers and the militia movement, particularly the Bundy family (Cliven and his son Ammon). The Bundy's numerous high-profile confrontations with federal authorities in recent y

[Intro: 7:55 | Book Pre-sale: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr] In this episode, I speak with Margaret Kimberley. She is the author of ‘Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents’ and is Editor and Senior Columnist at Black Agenda Report. We begin this discussion with Margaret examining the role every United States president has played in perpetuating and reinforcing the white supremacist structure of the nation, including the most lauded presidents in U.S. history: Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Barack Obama, to name a few. From there I ask Kimberly to define the term she and others at Black Agenda Report have coined, the "black misleadership class":  “Black Agenda Report was quite intentional in coining the term black misleadership class. The misleaders include Democratic Party politicians and allies in civil rights organizations, journalism, churches, and the foundation world. This group is entirely self-interested as they work to get funding for pet projects, well paid jobs, election to office, media

In this episode, I speak with Darcia Narvaez PhD, Professor of Psychology at Notre Dame University. Professor Narvaez is the author and editor of numerous books, including Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality: Evolution, Culture and Wisdom, and Indigenous Sustainable Wisdom: First-Nation Know-How for Global Flourishing. She also writes regularly for Psychology Today with her Moral Landscapes column, which explores her work with parenting, child development, self-development, and morality. The first time I spoke with Darcia was almost three years ago, back when I was first beginning to do interviews for this podcast. A great deal has changed and happened since then, not only with my work specifically, but in the world at large. In contemplating the roots of the fragmented, disruptive responses the novel coronavirus pandemic has generated, I felt compelled to reconnect with Prof. Narvaez to discuss her insights into this subject. This includes an examination of the contemporary, common child-rear

[Intro: 14:01 | Book Pre-sale: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr] In this episode, I speak with psychotherapist, writer, and witch Anthony Rella.  Much of this discussion with Anthony touches on some very personal topics I'm presently reflecting on and addressing in my own life. This includes personal reflections on intergenerational and collective trauma, somatic responses to conflict in intimate relationships, masculinity, privilege, and our individual and collective responses to the overlapping crises we are in the midst of contemporarily. In conducting this interview, I attempted to present my inquiries into these subjects with openness and vulnerability, while also keeping our explorations broad enough to be received by practically anyone that is receptive to these subjects. This segment of Anthony’s essay ‘It is Right to Take Time to Grieve’ expresses some of what we explore in this discussion: “Grief and disappointment are not separate from care, joy, and enthusiasm. All of these feelings are emotions of enga

[Intro: 11:53 | Book Pre-sale: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr] In this episode, I speak with Jeff Gibbs, Director of the popular and controversial documentary film ‘Planet of the Humans.’ The film was Executive Produced by Michael Moore and released to the public on YouTube, generating over six million views since its release on Earth Day last month. Since its release, ’Planet of the Humans’ has generated enormous controversy, backlash, and intense discussion within the environmental and climate movement at large. Some of the harshest criticisms this film has received have come from stanch proponents of "renewable" and "green" energy technologies (like wind, solar, and biomass — the subjects of the film). The harshest of these criticisms have come from activist and ‘Gasland’ filmmaker Josh Fox, who has stated that the film "is wildly unscientific, outdated, full of falsehoods, and benefits fossil fuel industry promoters and climate deniers" and has asked Moore and Gibbs to disavow the project. (https://bit.ly/3b6ElP

[Intro: 7:13 | Book Pre-sale: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr] In this episode, I speak with Indigenous elder, author, and teacher Stan Rushworth. We discuss Traditional Ecological Knowledge and his upcoming book project ’The Changing Earth: Indigenous Voices from Turtle Island,’ made in collaboration with journalist and author Dahr Jamail. Stan is featured in Ian MacKenzie's recently released short film ‘Prayer for the Earth: An Indigenous Response to These Times.’ Our planet is undergoing massive ecological, climatological, and cultural shifts, with the consequences of these crises playing out in the near and distant future. In our attempt to reattain a harmonious balance with the life systems of the planet, certain traditions of knowledge and wisdom come to the forefront, namely Indigenous or Traditional Ecological Knowledge. But what is attached to these traditional forms of knowledge is something that is often overlooked, whether on purpose or not: the hundreds of years of genocide that nearly erased Indigenous