Anews Podcast 153 – 2.21.20

From Anews Podcast

Welcome to the anews podcast. This podcast covers anarchist activity, ideas, and conversations from the previous week on anarchistnews.org.

TOTW: Heroes et al. with Ariel and Chisel

sound editing by Greg

What’s New was written by Chisel and Greg, and read by Chisel and Greg.

Music:
1. Erik Satie – Gymnopedies 1/2
2. Avril Lavigne – Complicated (edit)

There are 25 Comments

The first song reminds me so much of another song i was trying to remember the name of recently to find it, i got excited thinking it was it, but it sounds similar so i do like it.

yeah, this anathema issue was worth it just for the cellphone tower instructions and the molotov map.
i wish graffitting would tickle me, i’d have a new something fun to do.

nice chorus on the an-syn.

TOTW: Conversation turned out deeper than i expected, i hadn’t commented on that thread, a nice surprise. Actually so much was discussed i’d have to listen to it again and give it more thought.

I hadn’t thought about it before, i’ve had a very literal definition of hero, someone who saves your life, or saves you from some suffering or inconvenience (this could be a gesture so small and commonplace as giving you a ride specially on a rainy day, or talking/listening to you), by whatever reason, even chance. Chance, like a one time freak occurrence, near miraculous is what makes it heroic for me. A person who saves lives all the time is a professional ir something, someone who is frequently nice snd kind to you is your friend or something

I’ve personally never conflated what i thought were heroes and people who i admired or may want to consider role models (which i have never been so decided to do anything as to where a role model would be useful, examples of what not to do, as cautionary tales, have been more helpful so far). I can see a person can be both.

I would place interesting thinkers in a category apart from those. Interesting conversation does not necessarily make me want to be like the person no think they saved me in any way. I’d still be grateful and appreciative of the nice thunks provoked and shared. I can also see how someone could be all three to someone else.

But like i said, those were my superficial thoughts before listening to this discussion and see a lot of other complex ways it could go, bears a second listen.

Just wanted to say that having consistent feedback for this podcast is awesome, especially from consistent people, so thank you anon! (and Nettle!)

haha, no u

I'm with Chisel, 'I don't know if I can go on...' best response to kt, I couldn't read past that section of the interview.

And you know, all of what a! meant to me is too much for words right now, I'm working on it though.
I think I get my attitude toward heros from my short stint in punk, where the bands that we moshed to were also part of the pit for other bands. It was unseemly to gush, and it is, but there is something about acknowledging greatness that can get missed in that attitude too.
Game recognize game, as they say in sport.

Moar Satie!

ha yeah the audio level for the music tracks was 10x higher, just a note anews podcast folks, but love the work yall do!

Yes Greg made a mistake with distortion on the music track, no he will not fix it! :p

was it just the spam that sentenced it to death? why was it labelled fascist? will it be back?
i miss being the resident crazy in a strange little internet-garden. i miss consistently embarrassing myself in a e-location that wasnt quite so troll filled as anews. i miss getting book recommendations.

try using the forum section here in the meantime! :)
have you checked the irc as well?

its webmaster had too many other things to do. it was lovely for the years that it lasted. it allowed for sustained conversation in a moderated forum that neither the anews irc nor forums can replicate, partly as a reflection of the software, and partly because it was moderated by a single person. Also, it was small.

We must enjoy things while we have them, and still be ready to lose all.

edit: "a strange little internet garden" yes.

but nice to hear from you, dot! i loved it whilst it lasted, even for the short period that i actually interfaced with the site. goodnight a101

Aerial, what are some example of commenters on that thread being super shitty to those who's feeling were hurt by A! (see 26:09)?Chisel, what specifics were on offer for A!'s abuse? (see 21:56)

these conversations are not here to spell out every detail for your spectacting enjoyment. they are here to provoke thought and thoughtfulness. your participation (in the form of your own effort and imagination) is appropriate. what do you think might have counted as super shitty?
this particular conversation is partly about decision-making in the face of contradictions. bring your own wisdom to it.

ps: anon, without more information/connection, is never trustworthy.

Not looking for "spectacting enjoyment", just trying to understand those curious parts of the podcast. I have no idea what counted as "super shitty", that's why I asked. Sorry but "decision-making in the face of contradictions" is too vague or abstract to provoke thought and thoughtfulness.

So often, I ask myself when listening to ANews output and this would include Aragorn! too: what the fuck has any of this got to do specifically with being anarchist? There is so much material including many a TOTW which has nothing particularly to do with anarchism and is the material which can be heard on many a radio phone-in type show.

I am interested in how anarchists (so-called) incorporate anarchist ideas into their everyday life. So for example, I totally disagreed with Arargorn! working and claiming to be an anarchist, paying tax (which I assume he would be against?) etc etc. I gather he didn't pay a mortgage or rent as where he lived was owned outright? Also, he paid road tax in order to travel? He made no use of common law as far as I know?

It appears many of the ANews crowd are not interested in putting in any energy in challenging any of the oppression out there including employment, tax etc etc, instead preferring to live within such oppression and chatting about stuff which is also addressed in mainstream media through radio phone-ins, self-help books and magazine-type television programmes such as Oprah.

Nothing much radical comes out from you guys to be honest, maybe I'm wrong about this, but that's how it appears to me.

I would be appreciative and interested in any responses from the ANews crowd.

Thanks

anarchists come in all different shapes and sizes with many different ideas and interests. one unifying characteristic is that none of them exist to entertain you and your very specific requirements of what it means to being an anarchist.

ps. great episode!

a news crowd here! so how did you find the time to post when you should obviously be busy meeting your own lofty standards of radicalism?

Being an anarchist is about everything in one's life, ultimately, at least I aim for that. Sadly, I was born into this capitalist hell hole, that tends to limit my options. So, I could fight each claw the state & capitalism & society! has in me, which would, frankly, take all my energy and probably I'd end up in prison. (I admire the people who've made this choice, or had it thrust upon them, not dissing prisoners). I, for one, am not cut out for the long drawn out fight to not pay taxes, as one example, and maybe lose and owe my life's earnings to the state. I have made other decisions. I think we each have to do what we think in necessary and what we are capable of and cut each other some slack for making different decisions. (I mean regarding how one attacks the state, not if someone decides to run for office. That person gets no slack!)

Who can say which thread, if pulled, will unravel the hideous tapestry of this world?

My first listen to an ANews podcast. Y'all started into the multifaceted aspects of heroes and influencers. Asked great questions. Bounced ideas around. It's never too soon for that.

I'm solipsist, I bounce idea round in own head, I my own heroic person, for entertainment, I not listen to philosophy on podcast, I go to circus of life and watch clowns. They are everywhere,,,,,,,,.......

u my kinda fun

Re: Emma Goldman, the thing I loved the most about reading Living My Life 20 years ago, was that it felt like she did a good job of not portraying herself as perfect, of including the ugly bits. It really humanized her for me, made her seem like someone I COULD have had casual relations with despite how big she was. Maybe Berkman (or Most!) could've done more of that, but it was certainly enough for me to bring her down off of a pedestal, and place her next to me, as just another person who did cool shit.

While dealing with an increasingly oppressive job, my oasis for the week is listening to anarchist podcasts, Anews is on my regular list due to being short, informative (I often look up what is referenced), snarky, and sometimes thought-provoking. Sometimes you speak so fast I have to listen again. Topic of the week sandwiched by good musical choices is a hit or miss. But always worth a listen. I give you all a good deal of credit getting this out each and every week especially with A!s passing. Without Anews, my day would be less tolerable.

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