The Arts of Travel

How do we pursue justice when 'losing is likely'? How can faith teach us to better care for the earth? Why does the technocratic language of the  White Western Left, fail in providing spiritual reasons for overturning Capitalism?  I discussed all this with  Dr. Brad East of Abilene Christian University & his essay for The Point Magazine: 'When Losing is Likely, Wendell Berry's Conservative Radicalism'

Dr. East's essay for The Point Magazine, When Losing is Likely, Wendell Berry's Conservative Radicalism,  can be found here: https://thepointmag.com/criticism/when-losing-is-likely/

For more with Dr. East you can read his collected writings here: https://www.bradeast.org/about 

Music by Prod Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/c/ProdRiddiman/videos

I spoke to Chang Che of SupChina for a fascinating conversation on Wang Huning, the strategist behind Xi Jinping & the Modern CCP

We discuss Wang's role in crafting China's authoritarianism to implement capitalist reforms, how Wang's writings convinced party leaders that America would ultimately collapse, the current state of Nihilism in both the US and China amongst young people, and the contrasting legacy of China's 'Covid-Zero' and America's "Covid for Everyone". 

For more w. Chang please read his work on Sup China here: https://supchina.com/author/changche/

You can also find a website of all his writings here: https://changnche.com/

Music by Prod Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyLbRJEFSa8 

I spoke to Paul Passavant, author of: Policing Protest: The Post-Democratic State and the Figure of Black Insurrection. We discuss the policing of protest in America, how public spaces have slowly become privatized and thus subject to policing, and the future of protest inside an increasingly authoritarian U.S 

For more w. Dr. Passavant you can find his book here, out on Duke University Press: https://www.dukeupress.edu/policing-protest

Music by Prod Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/c/ProdRiddiman/videos 

I spoke to Central Asia expert Colleen Wood on the history of Russian Colonialism in Central Asia. Topics include how Russia structured Central Asia economies, how the Soviet system sought to instill Nationalism and break traditional viewpoints on nature, and how the influx of Russians fleeing Putin's War is raising new questions about "whiteness" and racism within the region. 

For more of Colleen's work please check out her website here: https://colleenwood.rocks/

Music by Scarim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXOwuxwMzfs  

We spoke to Ananth Krishnan of The Hindu & The India-China Newsletter for a deep dive on how India sees China & how China sees India. 

We discuss the points of cooperation and tension between the two nations, the horrific synchronicity islamophobic nationalism in both nations, the differences in how these countries see spaces like Tibet, The LAC or Taiwan, and if authoritarianism is the future for India & China. 

For more if Ananth's writing you can see his work regularly in the Hindu, and subscribe to his newsletter here: https://indiachina.substack.com/

Music by Prod Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhOaj6JkI0M

I spoke to policy expert Temur Umarov on the economic relationships between Central Asia, Russia & China as well as how regional policies (Xinjiang, One Belt One Road, The War in Ukraine) are impacting capitalism throughout the region. 

It's a fascinating conversation on Neoliberalism, Shock Therapy, and the global importance of Central Asia. For more w. Temur, you can find his biography here: https://carnegiemoscow.org/experts/1738

Music by Scarim: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDWvl8awZxSfoPRtsjw2zhw 

I spoke to academic & activist Lokman Tsui on the loss of Press Freedom in Hong Kong. 

Lokman (a former journalism professor at Chinese University of Hong Kong) explains the history of Hong Kong's once robust free press, how this was dismantled after Hong Kong's massive democracy protests, what the media 'red lines' are now in Hong Kong, and his hope for how Hong Kong can regain a free press. 

For more w. Lokman, please follow his Twitter at: https://twitter.com/lokmantsui

Music by Lethal Needle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n84U0ZEee3U

I spoke to Dr. Quito Swan of Indiana University on revolutionary scientist Pauulu Kamarakafego and his journey through the Black Pacific, Black Atlantic & Africa to decolonize science. 

We discuss the differences between the Black Pacific & Black Atlantic, how colonizers used their hold over science to cower the colonized, and how revolutionaries like Paulu (Known as ROOSE in his native Bermuda) sought to turn science against the colonizers and decolonize science.

For more w. Dr. Swan please see his new book ' Pasifika Black' coming out this April 2022 on NYU Press about the Black Pacific: https://nyupress.org/9781479885084/pasifika-black/

And for more on Dr. Swan's work on the life of Pauulu Kamarakafego you can find his text 'Pauulu's Diaspora' on University of Florida Press: https://www.google.com/search?q=pauulu%27s+diaspora&oq=pauulu%27s+diaspora&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l2.3939j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Music by Scarim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-1qktFaGpE 

We spoke to Dr. Sabina Knight of Smith for a two-part conversation on her book: Chinese Literature: A Very Short Introduction.

In Part 2 (our conclusion) we discuss the literature of China's May 4th movement, the literature of the cultural revolution & Nobel-Prize winning author Mo Yan 

In part one, we discussed the historic & contemporary influence that Daoism, Confucianism & Anti-War Poetry have had on China's literature & literary culture.

For more w. Dr. Knight you can find her book here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/chinese-literature-a-very-short-introduction-9780195392067?cc=us&lang=en&

And on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/SabinaKnight1

Music by Lethal Needle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrz74Wi_GC4

I spoke to Dr. Maria Repnikova, author of "Chinese Soft Power" to discuss how Chinese and Russian State Media report on Ukraine to their domestic audiences. We also discuss Hong Kong, Aileen Gu, "Little Pinks", Patriarchy, Chomsky and "Wolf Warriors" 

For more of Dr. Repnikova's work you can see her website here: https://www.mariarepnikova.com/

Music by Scarim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vajWNeGy1Og 

I spoke to Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins of The Nation on Liberalism, a subject that despite its omnipresence, I find perplexing and mysterious. 

Daniel unpacks the history of liberalism, the many different strands and threads of this ideology,  engages with left wing critique of liberalism  and addresses if liberalism will soon (or already has) give way to fascism. 

It's a fascinating discussion, and while it did not (and never will) turn me from an anarchist to a liberal, it did help me better understand how pluralism and complexity of the liberal tradition.  

Daniel's work can be found in Dissent, The Baffler and he hosts a regular interview series for The Nation Magazine. His website can be found here: http://danieljenkins.me/ 

Music by Lethal Needle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5CdrLvoUfc

I spoke to the AP's Huizhong Wu on how the shocking images of a chained woman(小花梅, "Little Plum Blossom") in Feng County, Jiangsu has sparked unprecedented fury on China's heavily censored internet. 

Topics of our conversation include the vast class divide between the Eileen Gu's & rural women of China, Human trafficking, Mental Health Care, and why a global audience should care about Little Plum Blossom  

For more w. Huizhong, please follow her work at the Associated Press. She can also be found on Twitter @huizhong_wu

Music by Lethal Needle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B6HR7r94s0

I spoke to Joe Kassabian, a Yerevan based researcher on Armenia, Azerbaijan & the 2020 war for Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh) 

Joe explains the long historical roots of Armenian/Azeri conflict, how geopolitical powers like Isreal, Turkey & Russia became involved, Armenia's future and what the global left can learn from centuries of non-violent & armed Armenian resistance. 

For more w. Joe you can check out his podcast Lions Led by Donkeys on Apple & Spotify: shorturl.at/lGOQY

Music by Lethal Needle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t--e1LqfZE

We spoke to Dr. Sabina Knight of Smith for a two-part conversation on her book: Chinese Literature: A Very Short Introduction. 

In part one, we discuss the historic & contemporary influence that Daoism, Confucianism & Anti-War Poetry have had on China's literature & literary culture. 

For more w. Dr. Knight you can find her book here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/chinese-literature-a-very-short-introduction-9780195392067?cc=us&lang=en&

And on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/SabinaKnight1

Music by Mist3r: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Z45wzwYSg 

I spoke to journalist Taylor Moore on her story for the Chicago Reader, 'A silence louder than words: How allegations of sexual abuse exposed cracks in the foundation of Young Chicago Authors, Free Write Arts & Literacy, and the city’s spoken word community' 

We discuss these allegations, the actors involved, the successes & failures of restorative justice in resolving these allegations, and where Chicago's creative writing scene will go from here. 

Taylor's Twitter is : @taylormooresays. For more of Taylor's journalism, you can check out her website: https://www.taylorgmoore.co/  

Music by LethalNeedle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jec26cgWrKM 

I spoke with Dr. Robert Nichols author of, 'Theft is Property: Dispossession & Critical Theory'. It's one of the most important books I've ever read on  capitalism, settler colonialism & indigenous critiques of both. 

I discuss w. Dr. Nichols how indigenous philosophy both augments and challenges  white & Eurocentric critiques of capitalism. How the concept of property & property law was designed to steal indigenous land, and how modern indigenous groups are fighting back with both violent and non-violent resistance to disrupt the death cults of capitalism & white supremacy

For those interested in learning more, Dr. Nichols book is available as an open-access text from Duke University press: https://www.dukeupress.edu/theft-is-property

Music by Prod Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9xKaM6IXMA

We spoke to Writer & Organizer Zikri Rahman on Malaysia's Lawan Protests and the political conditions that spawned them. We discuss the growing dissent towards Malaysia's Ruling Elite, how the next generations of Malaysia's want to define (and decolonize) the narrative around their country, and how the Lawan movement connects to other regional and global struggles for democracy, equality and freedom. 

For more w. Zikri, you can check out his Twitter here: https://twitter.com/zkrhmn/

Music by Zach Sutton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7FiBZvr8Cs&t=3s

I spoke to writer and organizer Dean Spade on their Book - Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (And The Next). We discuss a fascinating array of topics: Covid, Anarchism, #NoDAPL, Ella baker, #FreeJessicaReznick, Angela Davis, Joy James. Throughout our conversation we try to center this central question - how can Mutual Aid help us heal ourselves, so we can heal the world. 

For more of Dean's work please check out: http://www.deanspade.net/ 

Music by: Gold Streak Beats : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w21AouURoe0

I was thrilled to speak with Jesse Appell, who was one of China's most well-known foreign stand-up comics and now is one of the US's best known tea importers. 

We discuss Jesse's journey through China's stand-up comedy scene, the challenges he faced as a foreign performer, and how he turned himself into a tea importer when borders closed, as a way to continue his connection with China. 

For more on Jesse you can check out his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessesteahouse/?hl=enAnd his new website: Jesse's Tea House: https://jessesteahouse.com/

Beat by Zack Sutton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj7PcNoFMEEf

We spoke to organizer Minsun Ji on Squid Game and how the labor movements of South Korea inspired the series. We discuss the Ssangyong Motor strikes, the legendary Jeon Tae-il's rallying cry to workers "We are Not Machines!" & contemporary Neoliberalism in South Korea. 

For more with Minsun you can check out her work with Labor Co-ops at : https://www.laborcoopconnections.com/

The three pieces of Minsun's writing we discuss we can find here: 

On Squid Game: https://labornotes.org/blogs/2021/10/real-life-auto-strike-behind-runaway-netflix-hit-squid-game 

On Joen Tae Il and Worker Suicides in South Korea: academia.edu/45265187/Korean_Suicide_Protest_as_Anomic_Response_to_Labour_Disempowerment

On Marx's study of Worker Co-ops: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0309816819852757

Music by Huston: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS62_DxC3VM

I chatted with Dr. Bathsheba Demuth on her ground-breaking work, Floating Coast: An Environmental History fo the Bering Strait, which discusses how both the Capitalism of the US and the State Socialism of the USSR sought to enclose, extract and transform the Arctic.  

We discuss the impact of nation-states on the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. How both capitalism and environmentalism devastated the arctic's flora and fauna, and what deeper spiritual meanings we can find in the Arctic and its lifeforms. 

Music by Prod Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/c/ProdRiddiman/videos

I spoke with Japan-based writer Sam Holden on his work saving Sento & Akiya, the "Past and Future Commons" of Japan. 

We discuss the community ecosystems that Sento Bathouses and Akiya generate, what cities like Tokyo lose when bathhouses disappear, and what lessons rehabilitating these structures and turning them into 'commons' has for a post-growth Japan and a world exhausted by the relentless and violent push for growth in late-state neoliberal capitalism. 

It's a fascinating chat with one of the brightest minds I've ever interviewed. You can find more of Sam's Writing on his substack. The two essays we discuss can be found here: 

• https://samholden.substack.com/p/what-i-talk-about-when-i-talk-about
• https://samholden.substack.com/p/why-we-founded-sento-and-neighborhood

Music by Prod. Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gFpYEJgpvg

I hosted journalist Haris Zargar for an in-depth conversation on Kashmir, Kashmiri Identity and how India's leader Narendra Modi has unleashed unprecedented violence and authoritarianism on the region. 

For more on Kashmir, I highly recommend Haris's work at New Frame Magazine: https://www.newframe.com/writer/haris-zargar/

For more on a Feminist perspective on Kashmir and India's state, carceral and patriarchal violence, I highly recommend the group Zanaan Wanaan, who we hope to host as interview guests in the near future: https://zanaanwanaan.com/about/

Photo Attributed to Kashmir Global (CC 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/kashmirglobal

First beat is by 'ONE': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybtkdZ-vNQQ&t=68s 

Second Song is by Zanaan Wanaan: "Kashmiri Bella Ciao" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABe4V1DR0jM 

We spoke to Brian Kahn the managing editor of Earther for a frank and (at times) spiritual discussion on what it's like to do climate change reporting on a dying planet. 

Brian and I discuss his publication Earther, my own critiques with the data/policy/'nerd' focus of modern climate change reporting, and if there is more room for the spiritual or empathetic in discussing the anthropocene and the daily necropolitics of climate change. 

It's a raw and honest discussion that I've left mostly unedited. I hope you enjoy our chat. 

 For more of Brian's work you can find his writing at: http://www.blkahn.com/about and you can read more of his reporting/editing at : https://gizmodo.com/earther

Music by: Zach Sutton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_7et8F2h4U

I spoke to Artist Shaq Koyok on Orang Asli, the indigenous peoples of Malaysia. It was a great conversation on the history of Malaysia, decolonialism, and global indigenous organizing. 

For more of Shaq check out his instagram @shaqkoyok_art or his main website: https://shaqkoyok.blogspot.com/

Music by: Zach Sutton - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXvfO0IADMw

Images by Shaq Koyok 

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 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 

I spoke to Dr. Rodrigo Nunes  on Neoliberalism, Denialism and the question of what political forms and economies may exist in the near future.  We also discuss the paradoxical popularity of leaders like Trump, Bolsanaro and Neoliberalism itself. 

For more w. Dr. Nunes, I highly recommend his essay for Public Books 'Are we in Denial about Denial?" , and look out for his new book ' Neither Vertical Nor Horizontal: A Theory of Political Organization' out May 2021 on Verso. 

Public Books Essay can be found here: https://www.publicbooks.org/are-we-in-denial-about-denial/

Verso Book Here: https://www.versobooks.com/books/3810-neither-vertical-nor-horizontal

You can also follow Dr. Nunes on Twitter: @OrangoQuango

Music by Prod Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdSuKogXJOZld5Dzw_9285w 

We spoke to Zafar Aafaq on his coverage of India's Covid-19 pandemic,  how India's Muslim communities have responded with a huge outpouring of mutual aid to all Indians, and if the BJP's disastrous handling of the Covid-19 crisis will damper the potency of its ethnonationalist politics of Hindutva.  We also discuss the situation of Covid-19 in Kashmir and how the BJP's carceral violence in the region is completely antithetical to public health. 

For more of Zafar's work please follow him on Twitter: @ZafarAafaq

You can also read the article that inspired us to reach out to him here: https://themuslimvibe.com/muslim-current-affairs-news/muslims-in-india-continue-to-offer-help-and-volunteer-as-covid-wrecks-havoc

Music is by Gold Streak Beats , "The Cut" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkrKAmwnv8k 

I was fortunate to be able to speak with Journalist Viola Zhou, on China's Gig Economy and how it compares to the US gig economy. 

For more w. Viola you can follow her on Twitter : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u43yUcB8uY

And read her work on Vice: https://www.vice.com/en/contributor/viola-zhou

Music by Prod Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u43yUcB8uY

To discuss Central Asia, I spoke to Joanna Lillis, author of: Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan. We have a far-reaching discussion on Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan and the real lives of people living in these diverse and dynamic nations.

A journalist with over 20 years of experience living in Central Asia, Joanna has an unparalleled knowledge on the region and is able to host a fascinating discussion on the different politics of the various nations of Central Asia, as well as the differing desires of their citizens.

 We discuss the USSR/Russia's imperialism over the region, the various spectrum of democracy that exists throughout Central Asia, how young people are remaking these countries (often to the chagrin of the gerontocratic authoritarians who too often are in control) and why Central Asia deserves far more attention and reporting than it currently receives.  

For more with Joanna, please follow her on Twitter or purchase her book! 

https://twitter.com/joannalillis

https://bookshop.org/books/dark-shadows-inside-the-secret-world-of-kazakhstan/9781784538613

Image is shared under CC 2.0, Photographer is Steve Evans: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Young_Uzbekistani_boys_at_a_mosque_in_Uzbekistan.jpg

Music is by ESKRY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqpJOU2ny6U

I spoke to Eli Friedman of Cornell University on China's Gig Economy. Why the Gig Economy has taken such a large role in China's economy.  And what the future of the Gig Economy will be in China. 

Beat by Gold Streak Beats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztKSVF06cVI

I had the honor of speaking to Let Let Sein (a pseudonym) a brave Shan/Karen ethnic women on the ground in Myanmar. 

We discuss how protesters are using strikes/mutual aid/digital activism and street protests to fight for democracy, the inhuman violence that Myanmar's Military (Tatmadaw) dictatorship is using to brutally claim power, and how the world can help Myanmar's protesters and freedom struggle. 

For more resources on Myanmar I would recommend the following: 

 Justice for Myanmar: http://justiceformyanmar.org/

Mutual Aid Myanmar: https://www.mutualaidmyanmar.org/

Scholar Geoff Aung: https://nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/dead-generations/ 

Scholar Chu May Paing: https://www.instagram.com/lionwithaflowingmane/?hl=en 

The Newgroups Myanmar Now & The Irrawaddy: https://www.myanmar-now.org/en , https://www.irrawaddy.com/ 

Organizers  Breanna Randall & Theo Htet: https://speakupformyanmar.com/ ,  https://twitter.com/theohtet

And Historian Edith Mirante: https://www.projectmaje.org/ 

The photo is of murdered protester Kyal Sin, also know as Angel or (邓家希) who has become a martyr and symbol of these protests. Her tee-shirt reads ' everything will be OK'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Kyal_Sin 

Music by Prod. Riddiman: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdSuKogXJOZld5Dzw_9285w 

To discuss the violence of Borders & Global North Immigration, I was honored to speak w. Shahram Khosravi of Stockholm University. Dr. Khosravi is the author of several books (on Art, Iran, Sweden), but it is his work  '"Illegal'" Traveler: An Auto-Ethnography of Borders' that we discuss most extensively today. 

Dr. Khosravi discusses the violence he faced as an 'illegal' migrant fleeing Iran for Sweden, how migrants today face even worse violence and exclusion from Global North countries, how welfare for Swedish citizens that excludes migrants reinforces segregation, and how we can build a world without borders and the Nation-State. 

For more w. Dr. Khosravi please check out his group: Critical Border Studies & please pick up a copy of "'Illegal' Traveler" after listening, it is a life-changing book. 

- https://www.criticalborderstudies.com/about/ 

- https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9780230230798 

Music is by  H3 Music: https://www.youtube.com/c/H3Music/videos?view=0&sort=p&flow=grid

This is the conclusion (part 2) of our conversation w. Writer & Agitator Vicky Osterweil, Author of 'In Defense of Looting'. 

In our conclusion we discuss how several prominent academics have tried to wield the violence of the state as a force of liberation, and why this is a dead-end for abolition.  

Turing to the future we end by looking at the visions of Russell Maroon Shoatz & Achille Mbembe and their frameworks of Maroonage & Black Lives in the Anthropocene as ways forward for scholarship and revolution. 

For more w. Vicky, please follow her on Twitter @Vicky_ACAB

And please buy her book from any non- Amazon platform, such as Bookshop:https://bookshop.org/books/in-defense-of-looting-a-riotous-history-of-uncivil-action/9781645036692 

Music by Gold Steak Beats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq8OovnOuKE

Photo from Russell Maroon Shoatz's Website: https://russellmaroonshoats.wordpress.com/about/