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.
Against the Grain – April 23, 2014
Gilbert Achcar disapproves of the term “Arab Spring.” He thinks the uprisings that began in late 2010 are only the beginning of a long-term revolutionary process. In his new book Achcar points to underlying socioeconomic factors and conditions in his effort to locate the deep roots of the upheaval. For more details and higher-quality audio, visit … Continued
Against the Grain – April 22, 2014
A reflection on the experience of collective action, the problems of organization, and the ways ideas from the past may help or hinder anti-capitalist movements, with members of the Free Association.
Against the Grain – April 21, 2014
Elisée Reclus was a social geographer and anarchist who, according to John Clark, introduced a strongly ecological dimension to anarchist thinking. Clark describes the various forms of domination that the French thinker observed and detested, and discusses the process of historical investigation that Reclus believed was essential to forging societies that functioned in harmony with … Continued
Against the Grain – April 16, 2014
Could it be that what we don’t eat is destroying our environment? Historian Tristram Stuart argues that the vast amount of food that is wasted by manufacturers, supermarkets, farmers, and consumers — up to 50 percent of food grown in this country — has massive ecological consequences, leading to the depletion of the oceans, the … Continued
Against the Grain – April 15, 2014
A celebration of the 65th anniversary of the world’s first listener-sponsored radio station, KPFA. Richard Moore, one of KPFA’s founders, discusses the station’s anarcho-syndicalist origins.
Against the Grain with Sasha Lilley – April 14, 2014
Gillian Hart, author of “Rethinking the South African Crisis: Nationalism, Populism, Hegemony,” on what happened to South Africa, and the promise of liberation, after the end of apartheid.
The Problem with Multiculturalism?
For those who oppose racism, what could be wrong with multiculturalism? A fair amount, says radical critic Vijay Prashad, who argues that the institutionalization and celebration of diversity has become a substitute for antiracist activism. Prashad offers instead the notion of a radical polyculturalism. And, in a speech from the archives, historian Robin D.G. Kelley … Continued
Against the Grain – April 8, 2014
What does the world of art have to do with radical politics? What connections have artists forged with other workers, and with organized labor? When museums present themselves as politically neutral, should we believe them? In his new book, Nicolas Lampert places art and artists in the context of political activism and militant dissent. For … Continued