Geographer Matthew Huber discusses the politics of oil and how the “American Way of Life” was created in response to the crisis of capitalism in 1930s — and, in turn, generated a rightwing backlash in the 1970s.
Against the Grain
12:00 PM Pacific Time: Mondays - Wednesdays
Acclaimed program of ideas, in-depth analysis, and commentary on a variety of matters—political, economic, social, and cultural—important to progressive and radical thinking and activism. Against the Grain is produced and hosted by Sasha Lilley.
Notions of racial hierarchy abounded in the early nineteenth century as missionaries tried to convert Native Americans, federal officials sought to seize Indian lands, and Indians in the southern US bought, sold, and owned black slaves. Barbara Krauthamer relates what happened when people of different races, agendas, and social status encountered one another in the shadow … Continued
Against the Grain – November 24, 2015
A radio and web media project whose aim is to provide in-depth analysis and commentary on a variety of matters — political, economic, social and cultural — important to progressive and radical thinking and activism.
The drug-using, pregnant women who Kelly Ray Knight worked with and studied in San Francisco’s Mission District lived in shabby, privately owned daily-rent hotels. Crisis, violence, memory, and hope intersected in the everyday lives of these women, who were often pressured to do sex work in order to avoid immediate eviction.
The Power of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Lobbying group, aggressive litigator, political power broker, and media campaigner: the US Chamber of Commerce is all that and more. Yet its tremendous influence does not get the attention it merits, promoting corporate interests on behalf of anonymous donor companies. Journalist Alyssa Katz reflects on the immense power of U.S. Chamber of Commerce — how … Continued
If it’s just a matter of time before humans create self-aware, artificially intelligent machines and robots, then what can Buddhist thought offer to that enterprise? James Hughes thinks Buddhist psychology and cosmology can and should inform the creation and design of AI beings. For one thing, Hughes doesn’t believe it’s ethical to create self-aware machine minds … Continued
Joseph Matthews discusses the refugee life and times of Herschel Grynszpan, the Jewish teenager who shot a Nazi consular official in Paris in 1938; the Nazis responded by inciting Kristallnacht, a pogrom against German Jews, 77 years ago today. Sasha Lilley Interview with Joseph Matthews
Is a romantic partner a replacement for the community that people used to rely on to meet their material and emotional needs? Mitch Monsour thinks so; he points to the competitive and individualistic nature of our society, the way economic rationality gets enacted in the romantic arena, and the structural obstacles to real intimacy. For … Continued
A revolutionary socialist, fervent opponent of colonialism, staunch anti-sectarian, and maverick champion of gay liberation — the French writer and activist Daniel Guérin’s life spanned many of the key radical movements of the 20th century, with an unusual twist: he was in turn a Marxist, then an anarchist, and then synthesized the two traditions. Scholar … Continued
The Moynihan Report and Its Legacy
When the Moynihan Report was released fifty years ago, it sparked an explosive debate as well as a long-running controversy, one that persists to the present day. What did the document say about African American life, and why did William F. Buckley, Dr. King, and Michael Harrington all praise its message? Daniel Geary describes the report’s … Continued