Coffee with Comrades

Latest Episodes:

Episode 26: "Behind Every Lone Wolf There's a Wolf Pack" feat. Shane Burley Jan 01, 2019

Show notes

In this week's episode of Coffee with Comrades, Pearson sits down with Shane Burley, author of Fascism Today: What It Is and How to End It. Shane is a film-maker and journalist based out of Portland, OR. His work has appeared in numerous outlets including Jacobin, Alternet, TruthOut, Salon, ThinkProgress, Waging Nonviolence, and many more.

Shane's recent article from Commune magazine, A History of Violence, provides a historical context for the trial of James Alex Fields, the white nationalist who murdered Heather Heyer and injured dozens of others at Unite the Right in Charlottesville, VA back in 2017. We discuss the current state of the Alt-Right, the monsters of the past and present, the fascist creep, mainstream white supremacy vs. full-fledged white nationalism, the perverse psychological self-image of racists as both victim and conqueror simultaneously, and how we can defend ourselves and our communities from future lone wolf attacks.

Read Shane's article, A History of Violence.

Buy Shane's book, Fascism Today: What it Is and How to End It.

Follow Shane on Twitter.

Intro: "I Ain't Got No Home in this World" by Woody Guthrie

Interlude: "All You Fascists Bound to Lose"

Outro: "Goodnight, Alt-Right" by Stray From the Path

Episode 25: "All Good Things are Wild & Free" Dec 18, 2018

Show notes

In this week's episode of Coffee with Comrades, we forego our usual current events segment and dig right into an interview with Dimitri Kopansky.

Our discussion ranges from a general introduction to Boy Scouts of America to issues of toxic masculinity, (re)imagining tradition, and social ecology.

Follow Dimitri on Twitter.

Intro: "I Ain't Got No Home in this World" by Woody Guthrie

Interlude: "Urine Speaks Louder than Words" by Wingnut Dishwasher's Union

Outro: "Misanthropic Drunken Loner" by Days N' Daze

Episode 23: "Y'allidarity" feat. Tallahassee DSA Dec 05, 2018

Show notes

In this episode of Coffee with Comrades, Pearson sits down with Cosby Hayes and Paul de Revere, two members of the Tallahassee Democratic Socialists of America, to chat about Hurricane Michael, ongoing disaster relief efforts, and political organizing in Florida's capitol. But first, Bree and Pearson tackle the news.

FL cops seize white supremacist gangs' cache of pipe-bombs, firearms, and drugs.
Refugees at the border seeking asylum had numbers scrawled on their arms.
The U.S. senate advanced a bill to end support of Saudia Arabia's genocidal war in Yemen.
Millennials aren't killing industries, we're just broke.
Yellow vest movement continues to rage in Paris.
Jeremy Hammond has been placed in solitary confinement.
George H.W. Bush is dead. Rest in piss.

On this week's edition of the show, hear from two Tallahassee DSA community-organizers who sit down for a report on disaster relief in the Florida panhandle six weeks after the devastation of Hurricane Michael. In addition, Cosby and Paul contemplate the pro's and con's of political organizing in the "big tent," dissect sectarian shenanigans, and explore the limitations of electoralism before closing on a discussion of the future of the DSA.

Keep up with Tallahassee DSA on Twitter.

Check out Cosby's podcast, Tropical Depression.

Follow Paul on Twitter. Read Paul's story on the Parkland student movement.

Intro: "I Ain't Got No Home in this World" by Woody Guthrie

Interlude: "Help is on the Way" by Rise Against

Outro: "Don't Wait feat. Sam Carter" by Neck Deep

Episode 22: "The Magic Circle-A" feat. Out of Order Games Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

This week, Pearson picked the brain of TL, founder of Out of Order Games and developer of Bloc by Bloc: The Insurrection Game. But first, Bree and Pearson tackle a busy news week.

Yesterday, the CBP fired tear-gas across the Tijuana border at migrant families and shot children with rubber bullets.
Neo-nazis are organizing secret paramilitary trainings all across the U.S. Watch Documenting Hate: New American Nazis.
White supremacists tried to crash the Anarchist Book Fair at Boston University this week and were promptly chased off.
Gavin McInnes quits the proud boys.
Hillary Clinton decided if ya can't beat the far-right, why not join 'em?
The Camp Fires continue to rage in California. Local organizers on the ground are facilitating mutual aid disaster relief.
- Help fund North Valley Mutual Aid.
- Support the Camp Fire Displacement Fund from Chico DSA.
This week, we celebrated Transgender Day of Remembrance. Check out the Trans Day of Resilience art project!
Oregon FedEx driver is a model for anti-racist self-defense.

Bloc by Bloc: The Insurrection Game is a semi-cooperative strategy board game inspired by twenty-first century riots and revolutions. The game features hidden agendas, deep strategy, area control, asymmetrical player abilities, and a special method for randomly generating billions of unique city layouts. Pearson and TL spend the hour discussing the game's roots in anarchism, the way Bloc by Bloc's design synthesizes game mechanics and political philosophy, the colonialist roots of many contemporary tabletop games, and the necessity of leisure and play in the struggle for a better world.

You can order a physical copy of Bloc by Bloc at Out of Order Games website.

You can also download a FREE version of Bloc by Bloc.

Support Out of Order Games' initiative to put copies of Bloc by Bloc at local community centers.

Follow Out of Order Games on Twitter.

Pearson went on the Macabre Media podcast to talk about avant-garde horror. Follow them on Twitter.

Hear about Tallahassee DSA and MADR on Chapo Trap House.

Intro: "I Ain't Got No Home in this World" by Woody Guthrie

Interlude: "Solidarity Forever Illegal Version" by Jester of No Court

Outro: "Black Friday" by Stray From the Path

Episode 21: "The Opposite of Addiction is Community" feat. Michael Laufer Nov 20, 2018

Show notes

In this week's edition of Coffee with Comrades, Pearson sits down for Pt. 2 of a conversation with Michael Laufer of 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective to discuss cryptoanarchy, addiction, harm reduction, atomization, a new folk medicine, and even how the National Liberation Front of Vietnam made coffee!

If you haven't already, be sure to check out Episode 14: "Science is a Human Right" for some context.

Follow Michael Laufer on Twitter.

Visit 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective's website.

Intro: "I Ain't Got No Home in this World" by Woody Guthrie

Interlude: "Virus" by Deltron 3030

Outro: "Share the Body" by Silent Planet

Episode 20: "The Glorious Proletarian Renaissance" feat. Breht Ó Séaghdha Nov 13, 2018

Show notes

We've got a jam-packed episode of Coffee with Comrades for you this week. We were joined by Breht Ó Séaghdha of Revolutionary Left Radio and The Guillotine to talk about "Culture" by Terry Eagleton. But first, some current events:

Jeff Sessions is forced out. Liberal melodrama ensues. The law won't save us, only freedom will.
Fuck Tucker Carlson.
Nancy Pelosi wants to play nice with the GOP. The Democrats offer no hope.
Trump witlessly compares himself to White Walkers.
White nationalist and anti-fascist accounts were banned from PayPal earlier this week.
California wildfires offer yet another glimpse into the future.
A Neo-Nazi militia in the Ukraine is now training white nationalists in the U.S.
FL recount: Gillum vs. DeSantis.
FL restored the voting rights of 1.4 million human beings.

We spend the rest of the episode discussing the cultural analyses of Terry Eagleton, dissecting "American culture," historical repression, revolutionary ruptures, unfounded and arbitrary authority, neoliberalism, Hollywood, Buddhism, academia, and building an authentic leftist culture.

You can follow Breht on Twitter and be sure to check out Revolutionary Left Radio and The Guillotine, as well. You can also support both shows on Patreon.

If you like what you hear, follow us on Twitter or check out our website.

Intro: "I Ain't Got No Home in this World" by Woody Guthrie

Interlude: "Propaganda" by Dead Prez

Outro: "The House Always Wins" by Stray From the Path

PS. Stick around 'till the very end for goofy bloopers at Pearson's expense.

Episode 19: "Walk the Earth" Nov 06, 2018

Show notes

**This episode is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Nancy Van Vessem, a professor at FSU's College of Medicine, and Maura Binkley, an FSU English student, murdered by the fascist violence of misogyny & racism. Rest in power, Maura & Nancy.**

This week, Bree and Pearson tackle the classic Tarantino motion picture, Pulp Fiction. But, first, this week in the news:

Last night, a racist, misogynistic coward walked into a Tallahassee yoga studio and murdered two women, injuring five others, before killing himself.
John Bolton, the deranged war hawk who also happens to be Trump's national security advisor, gave an unhinged speech earlier this week at Miami-Dade College about the Latin America, a region ravaged by U.S. imperialism and foreign policy.
Trump said Thursday that if any member of the "migrant caravan" making its way toward the United States border throws stones or rocks at U.S. military personnel they would "consider it a firearm" and license to use lethal force in response.
What's more, Trump is floating the idea of erasing the 14th Amendment, a policy that's widely supported by his xenophobic, far-right base.
To make matters worse, Trump promises indefinite detention and concentration camps for anyone trying to cross the border.
Noam Chomsky pointed out on Democracy Now! this week, as we've been saying since this podcast began, that Trump's vitriol leads directly to violence.
The mid-terms are this week. Amendment 4 restores the right of FL felons to vote.
Google workers organized a mass walkout to protest sexual harassment of top CEOs and advocate for equality in pay.

Pulp Fiction is an infamous film in the history of the silver-screen. Bree and Pearson discuss gender, nihilistic violence, Americana, late-stage capitalism, power dynamics, Guy Debord, Deleuze and Guattari, statelessness, nomadism, and lawless freedom.

Pour yourself a cup o' "some serious gourmet shit" and enjoy our discussion of Pulp Fiction!

Support our courageous Tallahassee comrade, Shelby, as she defends herself from far-right threats of violence.

PS. Stick around to the very end for a fun super-cut.

Intro: "I Ain't Got No Home in this World" by Woody Guthrie

Interlude: "Misirlou" by Dick Dale

Outro: "You Never Can Tell" by Chuck Berry

Episode 18: "A People's History of Halloween" feat. Nestor of Black Banner Magic Oct 30, 2018

Show notes

Get ready for a spooky, jam-packed episode of Coffee with Comrades. Bree is back! What's more, we have our comrade Nestor on the show from Black Banner Magic to talk about witchcraft, the devil's night, and the secret history of Halloween. But first, some current events:

The so-called "MAGA Bomber" is Florida man Cesar Sayoc, who sent a total of 14 mail bombs to the Clintons, Obamas, CNN, and event Robert De Niro.
Meanwhile, a white supremacist opened fire at a Kroger store in Kentucky this week.
White supremacist Robert Bowers walked into a synagogue in Philadelphia and opened fire, killing eleven people.
Over the propaganda of "migrant caravans," Trump is ratcheting up his attempts to "secure the border" by sending the literal fucking U.S. military to border states.
History shows us the violence Central Americans are fleeing was stoked by the U.S.
Jair Bolsonaro, the out-and-out, bona fide fascist, is President-elect of Brazil.
One in six Americans are far-right. But white supremacy is a structural, systemic flaw of the United States.

Nestor from the Black Banner Magic podcast joins us on the show to talk about Halloween's roots in Gaelic paganism, the rebellious mischief that the holiday foments, the Great Rebellion of Detroit and the ensuing string of Devil's Night arsons, and American capitalists' taming of the festivities into a tepid celebration of consumerism and excess. To find out more about the Devil's Night, read this stellar essay on the subject from Mask magazine. Please consider supporting Black Banner Magic on Patreon, where ⅔ of every dollar raised goes to the Omaha Freedom Fund!

Follow Black Banner Magic on Twitter.

Support Black Banner Magic on Patreon.

Listen to the Black Banner Magic Podcast.

Intro: "I Ain't Got no Home in this World" by Woody Guthrie

Outro: "Devil's Night" by Motionless in White

Episode 17: "All the World's a School" feat. ESM & Exiled Consensus Oct 23, 2018

Show notes

On this week's episode of Coffee with Comrades, Sam joins Pearson once again for a discussion of current events before Pearson hosts an interview with a comrade from EngSciMath and Exiled Consensus.

Current Events:

Mutual Aid relief efforts in the Florida panhandle are ongoing.
Panama City landlords are finishing what Hurricane Michael started.
Meanwhile, the Oath Keepers got arrested in Mexico Beach, FL while "patrolling" out past curfew.
Amazon is still garbage.
The Trump administration's war on our transgender comrades continues.
Elizabeth Warren decided it would be a good idea to do a DNA test to "prove" her indigenous ancestry.

Support Mutual Aid Disaster Relief & Autonomous Relief Efforts:

Today's edition of the show focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math majors and the intersections these fields have with radical left politics. A comrade from EngSciMath and Exiled Consensus join Pearson for a discussion of education, the university, and critical inquiry to envision a future divorced of capitalist schemes where emancipated free-thinkers are empowered to work for a world of justice and equality in community with one another.

You can follow EngSciMath on Twitter.

Get involved with the EngSciMath Slack: engscimath@protonmail.com.

Visit Exiled Consensus's website and give him a follow on Twitter.

Check out Sam's website.

Intro: "I Ain't Got No Home in this World" by Woody Guthrie

Interlude: "Yomilo" by Milo

Outro: "Royal Beggars" by Architects

Episode 16: "The Truth Hurts, But the Anthropocene Might Kill You" Oct 09, 2018

Show notes

Sam is back for another episode of Coffee with Comrades to discuss the Anthropocene with Pearson. But first, some news:

Kavanaugh was confirmed. Let's organize to smash the patriarchy.
The fascist presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro won 48% of the vote in Brazil, which has implications for politics all across the globe.
Amazon's wage-theft continues.
Major Climate Report Describes a Strong Risk of Crisis as Early as 2040.
Only 100 companies are to blame for 71% of emissions.

The Anthropocene is our current climate epoch, one marked by a measurable influence from humankind. Most of us know that climate change is bad--really bad. But the science is absolutely damning. As our planet is rocked by one catastrophe after another, Sam unpacks the science behind anthropogenic climate change. Together, Sam and Pearson take a sobering look at the consequences of global warming. Below are a number of sources Sam compiled for folks who are interested in fact-checking or just finding out more about this dilemma.

Check out Sam's shit-posts on Twitter.

Take a gander at Sam's website.

Intro: "I Ain't Got No Home in this World" by Woody Guthrie

Outro: "Don't Let the World Rot" by Northlane

Extinction, biodiversity collapse