The Vegan Vanguard

Rundown This episode explores (and critiques) the infiltration of white nationalist, racist rhetoric into the vegan movement, as well as the growing trend for the alt-right to consider veganism as foundational to their ideology. We start by outlining some of the ways in which white nationalism has been seeping into the online vegan community. We follow that with a discussion of how vegetarianism has been intertwined with Nazi ideology historically, which continues to the present day. Next we provide an analysis of how fascism is capitalism in decay, and how it’s a lack of understanding of political economy that allows people to be swayed by racist populist rhetoric. And finally we wrap it up with a condemnation of anti-semitism in leftist spheres as well, explaining why certain anti-capitalist groups are falling prey to the ‘Jew-as-greedy-banker’ conspiracy theory. As vegans and(/or) leftists looking to build allyship and grow our movements, we must wholeheartedly denounce fascism, white nationalism, and racism in all forms. Sources and Links * Bite Size Vegan’s video ‘Was Hitler A Vegetarian?’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhsQuUL2jd4 * VICE’s ‘Why so many white supremacists are into veganism?’: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/evb4zw/why-so-many-white-supremacists-are-into-veganism * Marine’s video with Laura Schleifer on Israel and Palestine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAhcgrtlKwQ * YouTube video by Yaron Brook (a right-wing Jewish man who believes anti-capitalism is inherently anti-semitic): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFXUJHWlo1A&t=2799s * Anti-semitism in Art: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernard-starr/five-stages-of-anti-semit_b_6707728.html * Further reading (books): Anti-semitism: A Historical Encyclopedia of Prejudice and Persecution, and Saracens, Demons, and Jews: Making Monsters in Medieval Art * ARZone Total Liberation Interview 8- Svetlana Chibireva and Laura Schlieffer on Holocaust memes: http://www.arzonepodcasts.com/2017/12/arzone-total-liberation-interview-8.html Support

Rundown In this episode we break down the Law of Attraction and “positivity culture,” and critique how they’ve been employed in the support of capital and other oppressive structures. In the second half of the episode, we temper this with a discussion around how we personally (or Mexie more specifically) reconcile our spirituality with anti-capitalist theory and praxis, acknowledging that these are loaded topics and that there will never be a one-size-fits-all answer for everyone. Sources and Links * Rhonda Byrne, “The Secret”: https://www.thesecret.tv/ * Rhonda Byrne, “The Power: https://www.amazon.ca/Power-Rhonda-Byrne/dp/1439181780 * Barbara Ehrenreich, “Smile or Die”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJGMFu74a70&t=0s * Vegan Warrior Princesses Attack!, “Be Grateful! Be Positive! Fuck that Ablest Bullshit”: http://veganwarriorprincessesattack.com/092-be-grateful-be-positive-fuck-that-ableist-bullshit/ * Russel Brand podcast with Rupert Sheldrake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAS-QzWvj8g&t=0s * Marine’s video on the Law of Attraction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyJ-Fr-7OkI * Mexie’s video on Precarious Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgJlsBCmrUA * Thich Nhat Hanh, “The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation”: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767903692/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0767903692&linkCode=as2&tag=theenthubud04-20&linkId=NQ452AG5P4UJNNT3  * Buddhadasa Bikkhu, “Heartwood of the Bodhi Tree”: https://www.amazon.com/Heartwood-Bodhi-Tree-Teaching-Voidness/dp/1614291527/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513195486&sr=1-2&refinements=p_27%3ABuddhadasa+Bhikkhu * Buddhadasa Bikkhu Books: https://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ABuddhadasa%20Bhikkhu * Walpola Rahula, “What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada”: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802130313/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802130313&linkCode=as2&tag=theenthubud04-20&linkId=C6RVTSYAWHXV6OMW Support

Rundown In this episode we break down the loaded and pernicious trope of “competition”. We start by discussing our own experiences growing up and being encouraged at an early age to compete, compete, compete! We then discuss how competition relates to other discourses like “liberty,” “freedom,” and equality of opportunity under neoliberalism. We move on to a discussion around how competition can be harmful for industries such as non-profits, health care, and education, and tends to promote a race to the bottom in a global liberalized economy. We finish with a discussion of how co-operation may, in fact, be the rule and not the exception among non-human and human animals alike. Sources and Links * Anwar Shaikh’s “Capitalism”: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/capitalism-9780199390632?cc=us&lang=en& * Anwar Shaikh’s Lectures on Competition: 5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KKg500WPEA&t=0s 6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js5jeXQSx-0 7) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HJUpSlLYxw&t=0s *8) (Perfect Competition) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mULRcWrCe6A&t=0s * A. Cooley and J. Ron “The NGO Scramble: Organizational Insecurity and the Political Economy of Transnational Action”: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/016228802320231217?journalCode=isec * David Harvey’s “A Brief History of Neoliberalism”: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/a-brief-history-of-neoliberalism-9780199283279?cc=us&lang=en& * Peter Kropotkin’s “Mutual Aid”: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-mutual-aid-a-factor-of-evolution.lt.pdf * Karl Polanyi’s “The Great Transformation”: https://books.google.ca/books/about/The_Great_Transformation.html?id=YfpIs1Z6B2sC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false * Marine’s video on the Non-Profit Industrial Complex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyCJ8IsEs18 * Mexie’s video on the Tragedy of the Commons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcwXME-PNuE&t=0s * Mexie’s video on Monopoly vs. Competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWrHrgih0pg * Mexie’s video on Equality of Opportunity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEFLlEZW6Lc Support the Show

Rundown In this episode we discuss why leftists should be vegan! We start by defining veganism as a political stance and not a grocery list, so that it’s clear that vegan praxis will look differently for everyone based on their background and privilege. We then consider the theoretical reasons why animal liberation should be a leftist concern, including discussion of anarchist and Marxist theory, and how animal agriculture was pivotal in the spread of colonial-capitalism. We follow this with a discussion of exactly how animals, environments, and people are being exploited by the animal agriculture industry (with lots of handy stats!), and finish by giving our take on whether veganism is “bourgeois.” We cover some heavy topics but keep it entertaining. We’d love to hear what you think! Sources and Links * Anarchopac’s Animal Liberation Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvEBa2PgO-w&t=1s * Baby Momma Rachel’s “My Food Stamps Cookbook”: https://myfoodstampscookbook.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders * Cowpiracy Infographic: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/544dc5a1e4b07e8995e3effa/t/54e4d927e4b0aaf066abfcf0/1424283943008/Cowspiracy-Infographic-Metric.png * Dylan Powell Talk: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/which-side-a-vegan-anarchist-podcast/id578833282?mt=2&i=1000364830540 * Food Empowerment Project, Slaughterhouse Workers: http://www.foodispower.org/slaughterhouse-workers/ * Good and Cheap Cookbook: https://cookbooks.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf * Kropotkin, Peter. 1993. Fugitive Writings. Black Rose Books. * Mexie’s Climate Change Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dohwus7rXqY&t=0s * One Green Planet Infographic: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/infographic-veganism-and-the-environment/ * Springer, S. 2014. War and pieces. Space and Polity. 18(1): 85-96. * Reclus, Elisée. 2013. Anarchy, Geography, Modernity: Selected Writings of Elisée Reclus. PM Press. * Zurowski, M., Animal Liberation and Marxism: http://weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/994/animal-liberation-and-marxism/ Support The Show