Champagne Anarchism

Why Milton Friedman Was Wrong About Everything | Capitalism and Freedom Introduction

We're doing it! We're hate-reading Milton Friedman's Capitalism and Freedom, a book that encapsulates everything terrible about Friedman, his work, and his legacy. Here we are at last.

We're covering Friedman's biography, the context of the world he was writing in, some major themes, some notes on his legacy, and there's even a mini section on the things he got right (being very generous).

There's a lot to unpick for this book, and a lot to rant about, so let's get going!

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/72XKJkS3Y88f5iAQDx5e2K
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Y7ZfL2gfU
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/let-capitalism-151745508

The Neoliberal Playbook: Cut, Criticize, Privatize | Capitalism and Freedom Ch. 11-12

Final two chapters in the book! Today we're talking all about the Starve the Beast strategy that defines neoliberalism and right-wing economics: cutting public services, criticizing them when they don't work, and privatizing them when voters get sick of it (NHS anyone?). It's a formula Friedman popularized and it's one that the right has been running with ever since.

ALSO, however! We'll talk about the negative income tax -- the only good idea Friedman ever came up with (he got a lot of hate from his friends for it, don't worry).

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXJEWHAs2I0
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3nncJJbCQKTBHRVretY2Hc
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/neoliberal-cut-155203888

No, Capitalism Won't Fix Racism | Capitalism and Freedom Ch. 7-8

We're talking about perhaps my least favorite chapter in this book, the infamous chapter 7, where Friedman (following Becker) argues that the market will solve discrimination. It's madness (and it's maddening to read, we'll talk about it).

We'll also cover a little bit of chapter 8 without rehashing all the monopoly stuff from chapter 2. And right at the end I'll say a little bit about being a good corporate citizen (preview: there's no such thing).

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ef6n0ypihHJ50ojpzBcij
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZRq6xqRi5g
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/no-capitalism-ch-154096095

Milton Friedman's Money Rule Failed | Capitalism and Freedom Ch. 3-4

Will we ever stop talking about money? No!! Don't be ridiculous! We're talking all about Milton Friedman's k percent rule (we'll go through Keynesian, MMT, and anarchist criticisms), free floating exchange rates, and so-called free trade.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4GpzgS9KHnk1FgiW0VaUQ9
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIVq8wuzo30
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/152809209?collection=2024791

One thing! The episode glossed over some of the issues in the Keynesian section with the Volcker rate hikes specifically. It's not JUST that targeting the monetary base is difficult and a bit of a moving target (it is!) it's also that the tightening cycle actively exacerbated the massive contraction that followed.

So! If you're interested in a full breakdown, Bill Dupor at the St Louis Fed has a piece that Justin found interesting, available as a pdf at the bottom of the Patreon post. It's a little long and heavy on the economics but if you want more info, that's a great starting point.

What is Anarchism Anyway?

If you've always wondered about anarchism and anarchist philosophy, consider this a brief introduction. In this video we'll go through the two assumptions about human nature that underpin much of modern anarchism (these from the late, great David Graeber), try to imagine what an anarchist society might look like (although of course this will depend on the anarchist you're talking to/reading, but let's do the thought experiment), and talk through a few of the main branches (and one that's not a real thing).

One of the problems is that anarchism is more of a process. Unlike something like socialism, where you could write out a constitution (or communism, or monarchism, or representative democracy, or eco-fascism, or robot overlord-driven techno-fascism), you can't actually describe the ideal structure of an anarchist society because it's meant to be a constant state of change and adaptation.

Then at the end, there are some reading recommendations and where to go from here.

Ursula Le Guin (the writer and let's be honest, absolute queen [non-derogatory]) described anarchism as the most idealistic of all political ideologies. It has a long and proud history with multiple thinkers.

Listen to/watch on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2nM6aagHlN9Gp8b2DxiWVR
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/what-is-anyway-144477670
YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kta2iF5f21s

How to Finally Read Vladimir Lenin | State and Revolution Introduction

Welcome to a brand new series! This time around we'll be tackling a big one: Vladimir Lenin's State and Revolution, one of his most important and influential books -- a book that remained unfinished because the author had to go off and win a revolution. It is a must-read for anyone who dreams of revolution.

This episode will introduce you to Lenin and his work, and in subsequent videos we'll break down this book chapter by chapter.

How do we read Lenin today? What did Russia look like when Lenin wrote this book? Is it possible to disagree with Lenin on a fundamental level and still take something valuable away from reading this book (i.e. how does an anarchist read State and Revolution)? All of this and more in this episode.

Today we're covering Lenin's biography, the historical moment, some major themes, and the big question here. Spoilers, a big question is this: did Lenin simply betray his ideals, or is there a seed of what the Russian Revolution became already in this text?

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2VOmd83Dw9IZBDuRDDESQq
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/lets-talk-about-158101918
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nViCCnbyyn4

Where Does Capitalism Go From Here? | Debt: The First 5,000 Years (Ch. 12)

What do we have in store for us in this early stage of our late-stage capitalist hellscape? What does radical love look like in an ordinary, everyday context? And are we overdue for a Biblical jubilee? All of this and more as we wrap up Graeber’s Debt: The First 5,000 Years.

Watch/listen to on
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orW57CeZi8s
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/where-does-go-ch-144187472
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ooZgHSg3c5vhomnhbFjJ0

Milton Friedman's Freedom Is A Scam | Capitalism and Freedom Ch. 1-2

This week we're into the first two chapters of Milton Friedman's Capitalism and Freedom, one of the most influential economics books ever written and the intellectual backbone of the neoliberal era.

Friedman has a lot to say about freedom. The problem is that he doesn't appear to have thought very hard about what it actually is.

Today we're covering Isaiah Berlin, Hannah Arendt, the anarchist and Black feminist traditions, and ask what all of it means for the world Friedman's ideas actually built — the one we're living in right now.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4cJc0wwg4k7JRFCEqhenj6
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GozF9nNy1eM
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/do-you-feel-free-152306956

Teaching Liberation | Pedagogy of the Oppressed Ch. 3

This is the main chapter of this book, the chapter where Paulo Freire lays out the method for what a true pedagogy of the oppressed might look like. We talk through the stages of investigation, decoding, codifying, de-coding again, inviting experts, and presentation, and figure out why it's so important to keep a love of humanity, humility, and the faith that we're capable of change at the heart of everything. We are learning this week how to teach liberation. And the key part of it, as with this whole book, is that this is a conversation above all.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MlJM3DcR1RVnaOxel3g0t
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PxXtNeNK9U
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/148875572?collection=1914947

How to Become Human | Pedagogy of the Oppressed Ch. 1

It's chapter one and we're starting with a very simple, easy question: what does it mean to be human?

We're talking about about being human, mechanization, objectification, humanization, and dehumanization. What is Freire getting at when he says that oppression is preventing people from living human lives? And why does it matter?

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtxX4H_AGVc
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ivwDHjzwgC8SBiYbZz0Pi
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/147801159?collection=1914947

What if We Let The Market Educate Us? | Capitalism and Freedom Ch. 5-6

Back into Friedman, and this time we're talking all about the battle over government intervention and education (more education if you also went through the Freire videos!). We're mostly doing a deep dive into Chile, where Friedman's unhinged voucher policy was implemented under the dictatorship. We'll look at the results and the spark of the Penguin Revolution.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6aLoPLSpfQOHB4iysrJinJ
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWC1vzhrRwM
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/153370383?collection=2024791

Finding the True Revolutionary | Pedagogy of the Oppressed Ch. 4

Here we are at the end of Pedagogy of the Oppressed! And we're talking about revolutionaries, we're talking about myths as a method of control, we're talking about culture and divide and rule tactics -- and so much more.

This chapter is speaking (almost directly) to a would-be revolutionary, advising and cautioning and taking us through Paulo Freire's ideas of dialogical and anti-dialogical action.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/60M6OSsjJUxPPeOexFDDlu
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5VltxLzUzA
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/finding-true-of-149334351

Educate Good Little Workers with the Banking Model! | Pedagogy of the Oppressed Ch. 2

We're looking at chapter 2, which is all about the banking model of education and the problem-posing model of education. What's the point of pedagogy anyway? Why educate? Why do we set up schools the way we do? And how can we do better?

Let's talk all about the difference between educating humans and educating workers. This is a short chapter, and in a sense we're still laying the foundations for what's to come, but this chapter is perhaps one of the most influential in this book because it lays out, clearly and simply, the fundamental issue with almost all modern education systems: that when you treat people like perfectly ignorant containers to be filled, they start to act like containers.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5AUJgla0AfbzlievBi8chx
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/educate-good-ch-148301299

Education as Liberation | How to Read Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed

We are finally getting to one of the absolute classics of leftist philosophy, particularly when it comes to education, our first book of the year is Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed.

This work is a classic for a reason -- it turns everything we think about education on its head and proposes and alternative that is radical, powerful, and deeply, fundamentally human. It's also a famously difficult book to read.

Over the next few weeks we'll be taking this work chapter by chapter, and we're starting with this intro. It covers general strategies for reading this book, some important terms to know before reading, biography, major themes, and some (some!) of the biggest criticisms of Freire and his work.

This book is a challenge, but it's worth it. Let's get started!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtNZZxdJIFI
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/30iFrFcD9I3m7rPVLuciJw
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/147113651?collection=1914947