Listen to the PODCAST version via iTunes or Stitcher, or just go directly to it on Soundcloud.

So awesome to be joined by Felix Biederman, writer, speaker, and founder of leftist podcast phenomenon, Chapo Traphouse.

Chapo Traphouse, in case you don't know, is a podcast which boasts the biggest Patreon on Patreon. It's one of a handful of newer and successful leftist news outlets that is changing the contours of our public discussion and political landscape. And it's really funny. The Chapo team talks about neoliberal and neoconservative punditry, stupidity, and cruelty. The talk about activism and social progress. They also do on-the-ground work, like door-to-door canvassing, meeting with international socialist groups to build bridges between movements, and donating money (most recently $10,000 to the Victim Rights Law Center) to causes.

TECHNICAL NOTE: I’m cut off of the frame a little bit, but, um, totally intentional, just so you can focus more on Felix and there was a fucking leafblower outside in the first 15 minutes. But it still sounds good. And hey, you can focus more on Felix this way.

In this ep:

• The loneliness of thinking bigger about politics: 2:15
• The way media ensnares our imaginations in incremental change: 6:15
• Why we need to be suspicious of “progressives,” including Kamala Harris: 7:25
• The on-the-ground marginal change is urgent, but will lead us down the wrong path if we don’t dream, bigger.: 11:15
• Stop using the language of your enemies.: 12:50
• Dragging the leaders down and raising the people up: 15:20
• Felix loves Downfall and it shows the weaknesses of iconic maniacs:16:35
• Distinctions in evil.: 18:35
• The Nazis Conner grew up with and, like the NAZI Nazis that Conner grew up with.: 21:15
• Why we need to be more forgiving of idiots: 23:15
• When do people deserve public scorn, when should we just ignore them, and when should we forgive them?: 27:20
• How fear of being “reactionary” is kind of white bro capitalist bullshit in the attention economy, bro.: 32:30
• What healthy detachment is and why it’s needed for leftists: 38:40
• Mindfulness as a way to exploit workers.: 40:30
• “Love what you do” is a trap, but we should love what we do. So now what? 43:55
• The suspicion of pleasure is capitalist exploitation, too.: 45:45
• Our era is not the first dumb era. 49:35
• Felix and I talk adult movies. IN A POLITICAL WAY.: 53:40
• Children are teeny tiny monsters. 58:45
• So Felix, why do people hate you and Chapo so much?: 1:01:20
• The public discussion is crucial to what our actions can achieve.: 1:11:55

SHOW NOTES

Here's a great overview article on the problems with Kamala Harris, “Dehumanization by Deification”,by Zoe Samudzi.

The Invention of Pornography  from one of my favorite publishers, Zone Books, has some essays about using porn to attack political power. 

I love when people talk about the art that’s guided their ethics. Felix mentions the Oliver Hirschbiegel movie, Downfall, and the Frank Herbert novel Dune.

Here's my essay on the racist climate I grew up in, part of my Guys I Wanted To Fuck In High School series.

If you want a good summary of the Amnesty International announcement that they support the decriminalization sex work, and the idiot actors who felt they knew better, here you go. It’s written by Elizabeth Nolan Brown, one of the best writers on sex work.

Here’s Patrick Seale’s look at former Syrian President Hafiz al-Asad, Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East. It'll give you some context for Syrian conflicts today.

I love love love this great interview with post-work thinker Frithjof Bergman. I talk about him quite a bit in episode 3 of AEWCH.

The anti-porn propaganda video I mention, “Perversion for Profit” is reeeeeally good (bad).

And here’s the study correlating porn and acceptance of gay marriage.

I can see it.