Episodes
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Well dear listeners, this is it – the final episode of Escape Velocity Radio (for the foreseeable future anyway). And it’s not even a real episode. It’s about one-tenth of an episode – and even then it barely got made. But we felt that at the very least we owed you 6 more minutes top-drawer† podcasting before we closed this chapter, so here it is. Thanks for listening and for all the support, and we’ll see you on the other side. † assessment of quality has not been verified by an independent third-party
Episode Links
Episode Music
Europe – The Final Countdown -
After celebrating Winnipeg’s triumphant victory as Canada’s most racist city, we look at the disconnect between viewing racism as bigoted acts by individuals and seeing it as a colonial system which operates beyond any individual person’s attitudes or actions. We then buckle in for the thrill ride that is the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, offering our official review of Canada’s newest national museum: from the wings of the white dove, through the bodegas of despair, and up to the tip of the flume ride and back. Lastly, on G7 Radio, we look at Rhythm Activism’s strange and amazing 1998 album Jesus Was Gay.
Episode Links
Welcome to Winnipeg: Where Canada's racism problem is at its worstWheeler Vs. MacLeans MagazineCanadian Museum for Human RightsNorman NawrockiEpisode Music
Rhythm Activism – Down in the MinesRhythm Activism – In the Darkest Hour -
Episodes manquant?
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This month we get into the copious feedback we received from last episode, specifically reflecting on the dissonance between our discussion of sexual assault and two of our past G7 releases. Next we look at the recent spate of highly-publicized police killings of black men in the United States, and wonder aloud what might be more effective in preventing such extra-judicial murder: police body cameras, or a fundamental power shift in race, policing, and justice? Then we make the mistake of once again trying to review a Hollywood movie with Interstellar, but end up on a tangent about our obsession with science fiction and space travel, human triumphalism, alien saviourism, and the barf scene in Team America. Lastly, in the fourth installment of G7 Radio, we discuss I Spy’s 1998 discography Perversity Is Spreading … It’s About Time!
Episode Links
ConsentEd - What Is Consent?ConsentEd - Misrepresentation of Sexual AssaultProject MENDRestorative Justice OnlineOperation Ghetto Storm Annual ReportDo Police Body Cameras Actually Work?Why is no-one talking about American-on-American crime?Black Lives MatterInterstellarWanderersThe Fermi ParadoxAvoiding "Sagan Syndrome"Reasonable VeganEpisode Music
Dead Prez – I Have A Dream, TooI Spy – Appliances and Cars -
In the wake of widespread allegations detailing disgraced CBC Radio personality Jian Ghomeshi’s long history of violent sexual assaults, Winnipeg-based writer and journalist Melissa Martin (@DoubleEmMartin) joins us in the basement. We discuss her experience being introduced to the “open secret” of Ghomeshi’s unsettling behaviour towards women; how that kind of open secret is mirrored more broadly in society; why the criminal justice system is not the right model for dealing with sexual assault; and how our twisted and deficient views on consent and sexuality allow abusers like Jian to believe they’ve done nothing wrong. Then to lighten the mood, we bring you the third installment of G7 Radio, this time featuring The Weakerthans’ debut album “Fallow”.
Episode Links
Jian Ghomeshi: 8 women accuse former CBC host of violence, sexual abuse or harassmentThe week that was: How Jian Ghomeshi news unfoldedJian Ghomeshi's Facebook postDo You Know About JianI Didn't Report Because Fuck YouFor battered NFL wives, a message from the cops and the league: Keep quietSorry, we haven't reached a 'watershed' on violence against womenEpisode Music
The Weakerthans – LeashThe Weakerthans – Letter of Resignation -
Boo! It’s October, which means another terrifying Halloween episode! This month we visit the home of Anishinaabe/Metis comedian and podcaster Ryan McMahon (@RMComedy) – which, like most homes in North America, is probably built on a haunted ancient Indian burial ground. We chat with Ryan about his stand-up comedy and his Red Man Laughing podcast; how Idle No More has influenced his work; the history of colonization in Canada; and how we might work towards a more just and sustainable future. Then, on the second installment of G7 Radio, we discuss Consolidated’s artistically-advanced yet commercially-untenable 1997 album “Dropped”.
Episode Links
Ryan McMahonRed Man Laughing Live on CBCDancing On Our Turtle's BackIndian & CowboyConsolidated - "Dropped"Consolidated - "Business of Punishment"Episode Music
Tanya Tagaq – UjaConsolidated – Schnitzel BoyConsolidated – Fractured FairytalesConsolidated – Shell -
This month we delve (very-shallowly) into our personal video game histories in order to reveal just how little we know about games and gaming, then discuss Anita Sarkeesian’s Feminist Frequency and Tropes vs Women in Video Games projects. We then touch on the new Canadian Museum for Human Rights and how it may or may not be of any value to anybody anywhere currently facing human rights abuses, and see how it compares to the nearby Museum of Canadian Human Rights Abuses. Lastly we break ground on a new segment called G7 Radio, where we step back through time and discuss the records we released while running G7 Welcoming Committee Records. This month: …But Alive’s Bis Jetzt Ging Alles Gut.
Episode Links
Feminist FrequencyCanadian Museum of Human RightsFirst Nations launch human rights violations museum on CMHR groundsG7 Welcoming Committee Records...But AliveKettcarGrand Hotel van CleefEpisode Music
...But Alive – Zeit, An Gott Zu Denken...But Alive – Ausverkauf Vs. Ghettoromantik...But Alive – Korrekt III (Das Letzte Kapitel) -
We return from our summer travels (and travails) with stories of colonial homesteads and colonial privilege, followed by a debunking of prominent atheist and neuroscientist Sam Harris’ absurd article and podcast defending Israel over the (apparently) mindless barbarian Arabs who comprise “her enemies”. We then chat with Electronic Intifada associate editor Nora Barrows-Friedman (@norabf) about the origins of the Israel/Palestine conflict, Zionism as a colonial project, what the deal is with Hamas, and what lies ahead.
Episode Links
Sam Harris - Why Don't I Criticize Israel?Gaza myths and facts: what American Jewish leaders won't tell youThe Electronic IntifadaOne Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian ImpasseEpisode Music
Punch – Worth More Than Your Opinion -
We start by discussing the new documentary Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, which delves into how animal agriculture is the primary source of environmental degradation on the planet, and asks why major environmental organizations aren’t doing anything about it. Then we are joined by veteran lecturer and media analyst Jean Kilbourne to discuss her pioneering work looking at how advertising depicts women; how it creates and enforces gender roles and impossible beauty standards; and how it contributes to rape culture. Lastly, we review some feedback on the Chris Hedges plagiarism debacle.
Episode Links
CowspiracyThe Wrong Kind of GreenGreen, IncWhy Do Environmentalists Keep Getting Killed Around the World?Jean KilbourneKilling Us Softly 4Can't Buy Me Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and FeelSo Sexy So SoonEpisode Music
Clann Zú – There Will Be No Morning Copy -
As we return from our extended absence, Chris brings us tales of Propagandhi’s Australian sojourn, including their introduction to the RISE organization, and their time with Sea Shepherd. Then we give our half-a-cent on the plagiarism charges being levelled at Chris Hedges; look at new and probably-terrible ideas to alter how we eat via technology; and relatedly review some feedback on last episode’s interview with Leigh Phillips about GMOs. Lastly, we discuss Dr. Gabor Maté‘s humane yet difficult perspective on the Rob Ford spectacle; and on Kickstarter Corner®, we bring word of Will Potter’s Drone on the Farm project.
Episode Links
RISESea ShepherdThe Troubling Case of Chris HedgesChris Hedges Defends Himself Against Accusations of PlagiarismLet’s embrace the end of foodOrganic farming: Environmental impact and emissionsCan Rob Ford Conquer his Pain and Become an Inspiration?Drone on the FarmEpisode Music
RVIVR – The Seam -
In this month’s extended installment of the podcast, we begin by taking a field trip to a corporate chain movie theatre to watch better-than-average Hollywood slop in the form of Darren Aronofsky’s Noah. Then we take a field trip to our houses to watch better-than-everything sciencey television in the form of Cosmos. Next, our interview guest – science writer and EU affairs journalist Leigh Phillips (@leigh_phillips) – joins us to mount a leftist defence of genetically-modified food. Lastly, we review some listener feedback, and discuss the Inuit #sealfie campaign (and the Canadian government’s success in conflating the commercial and subsistence seal hunts to its own shit-mouthed benefit.)
Episode Links
NoahCosmosLeigh PhillipsDebate: GM is good for youUnion of Concerned ScientistsMaking A Killing: The Political Economy of Animal RightsSistah VeganAn Animal Liberationist Perspective on #Sealfie and the Inuit Seal HuntEpisode Music
Corrosion of Conformity – TechnocracyThe Flatliners – Drown in Blood -
To celebrate the vernal equinox in the tradition of Chris’ ancestors, we at once lamely lament the continued dearth of female voices on our podcast, and simultaneously criticize The Agenda for their disingenuous comments about their own sausage party. We then recap this year’s Canada Reads series and how it brought some passionate discussion about colonization onto the mainstream airwaves, as well as the critiques and responses around Joseph Boyden’s book The Orenda. Then Chris launches an Escape Velocity Radio Reads segment featuring books he hasn’t yet finished, and we discuss some ideas on how decolonization, indigenous resurgence, and animal liberation might relate to each other.
Episode Links
Where, Oh Where, Are All the Female Guests? Canada ReadsCritical Review Of Joseph Boyden's "The Orenda": A Timeless, Classic Colonial Alibi The Ecological Hoofprint: The Global Burden of Industrial LivestockBlack Flags and Windmills: Hope, Anarchy, and the Common Ground CollectiveVeganism in the Occupied Territories: Anti-Colonialism and Animal LiberationIs There No Room for Rod Coronado in the Animal Rights Movement? The Problem with Veganism as the Moral BaselineEpisode Music
Bikini Kill – Statement of Vindication -
With the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia just winding down, we sit down with Jules Boykoff – author of Celebration Capitalism and the Olympic Games and Activism and the Olympics – to talk about what’s inspiring and what’s sickening about the Olympics. Chris and Jules discuss the gargantuan (and publicly-funded) cost of the games, the ubiquitous corporate sponsorship of athletes, the politics of Olympic boycotts for both athletes and spectators, and ideas for reclaiming the Olympics from corporate profiteers. Also: Chris and Derek recap the Maple Leafs “Forces Appreciation Night” parody website; reflect on Joshua Oppenheimer’s insane documentary The Act of Killing (brief re-enactment included), and note the recent resurfacing of two of the left’s most controversial activist scholars (excluding your charming hosts of course).
Episode Links
Toronto Maple Leafs parodyTwo Canadians Made A Fake Toronto Maple Leafs Website To Criticize The Afghan WarJules BoykoffCelebration Capitalism and the Olympic GamesActivism and the Olympics:Dissent at the Games in Vancouver and LondonPapa Palermo Pizza ad featuring Jules BoykoffThe Act of KillingDirector calls for US to acknowledge its role in 1965 killingsElectronic Intifada on Scarlett JohannsonAn Alienated Finkelstein Discusses His Writing, Being Unemployable, And Noam ChomskyIn Search of Ward ChurchillEpisode Music
Greg MacPherson – 1995 -
We take the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico to interview teacher, researcher, and author of Zapatistas: Rebellion from the Grassroots to the Global, Alex Khasnabish. Alex takes us through the roots of the rebellion; the military conflict and subsequent negotiations; the unique and refreshing character of the movement; its broad influence both inside Mexico and internationally; and the ongoing grassroots work the Zapatistas continue to do today. In our debrief, we discuss the influence the Zapatistas had on us as young, irritating, and pedantic but well-meaning twits, and the connections between indigenous movements in places like Mexico and indigenous resurgence here in Canada. But more importantly: Propagandhi tour news, and a new song from War On Women!
Episode Links
Alex KhasnabishZapatista: Rebellion from the Grassroots to the GlobalRebellion in Chiapas: An Historical ReaderEpisode Music
War On Women – ServiliaRage Against the Machine – People of the SunAgainst Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues -
While on a short break from our clandestine preparations for liberating Santa’s reindeer from chattel slavery, we recount some of the feedback we received on last month’s Chris Hedges interview. Then we review Alex Gibney’s documentary We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks; do what may be our first ever science segment, about the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the coming post-antibiotic age; and have our plans for an Escape Velocity Radio intern dashed by Charles Davis’ article about poorly-paid (and unpaid) interns, “The Exploited Labourers of the Liberal Media”.
Episode Links
Losing Moses on the FreewayWe Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaksWe Steal Secrets: Alex Gibney, WikiLeaks, & Julian AssangeWe Steal Secrets: A response from Alex GibneyAntibiotic resistance threats in the United States, 2013How Industrial Agriculture Has Thwarted Factory Farm ReformsImagining the Post-Antibiotics FutureThe Exploited Labourers of the Liberal MediaEpisode Music
Slapshot – Punk’s Dead, You’re NextLiving Colour – Cult of PersonalityChristmas in the Stars – What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?) -
This month we bring you our conversation with Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and author Chris Hedges. Recorded during his late-2013 visit to Winnipeg, we discuss the idea of human progress; religion’s role in the world and the “new” atheists; his controversial attacks on the black bloc tactic; the role of electoral politics in agitating for social justice; and more. Then your intrepid hosts debrief on where some atheists go astray, and enter the fray regarding living clown celebrity Russell Brand, concluding that he and Chris are basically living parallel lives.
Episode Links
The Rob Ford sagaWar Is A Force That Gives Us MeaningAmerican Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on AmericaWhen Atheism Becomes Religion: America's New FundamentalistsJeremy Paxman vs Russell BrandRussell Brand on revolution: “We no longer have the luxury of tradition”A discourse on brocialismIndigenous Nationhood MovementCitizen RadioEpisode Music
warsawpack – Doomsday Device -
On this month’s terrifying episode, which may or may not have been recorded in an actual haunted house, we spend the hour with activist and economist Robin Hahnel discussing his book Of the People, By the People: The Case for a Participatory Economy. Robin tells us about the bone-chilling failings of free market capitalism, the spine-tingling reasons why he feels viable alternative economic models need to be part of activist discourse, and the blood-curdling details of how his proposed alternative to capitalism — called Participatory Economics — works in practice. Join us for this mortifying discussion about how humans organize their economic affairs — if you dare!
Episode Links
Of the People, By the PeopleRobin Hahnel -
This month, we take time out from exposing each other as undercover operatives working for the corporate state to discuss Jamie Meltzer’s new documentary Informant, about the bizarre case of activist turned FBI lackey Brandon Darby. We then look at Canada’s recent history of undercover operations in activist movements, and hear from Toronto-based organizer Sharmeen Khan about her experiences being infiltrated by the Ontario Provincial Police during the G20 protests in 2010.
Episode Links
InformantRevolutionary to rat: The uneasy journey of Brandon DarbyHow a Radical Leftist Became the FBI's BFFWeb of HateThe COINTELPRO PapersHow police infiltrated groups planning G20 protestsLiving among us: Activists speak out on police infiltrationEpisode Music
The Rolling Stones – Undercover of the NightI’m A Policeman – Disneyland Children’s Sing-Along ChorusDead Kennedys – I Spy -
Come, sit by the lake and eavesdrop while we review your copious feedback to episode 11’s discussion of the BDS movement against Israel; debrief on Propagandhi’s European tour and the ubiquity of corporate sponsorships in music; and reflect on what it means to live an ethical life under capitalism. Next we discuss Neill Blomkamp’s film Elysium, Kim Stanley Robinson’s book 2312, and alternative economic models which take inspiration from the past. Then Derek gets hungry and eats a cultured hamburger while Chris simultaneously praises lab meat and compares it to dog shit.
Episode Links
Consensus wisdom: The boycott of Israel is workingElysium2312Anarchism and Workers' Self-Management in Revolutionary SpainOf the People, By the PeopleFirst hamburger made from lab-grown meat to be served at press conferenceEpisode Music
Shellac – BoycottAntillectual – Cut the Ground From Under Our Feat G.A.S. Drummers – BlindDeltron 3030 – 3030Judas Priest – Eat Me Alive -
Derek barely reviews World War Z (the shitty movie, not the excellent book), which segues into a discussion of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel (wherein Chris calls for a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Canada). Then we sit down with Montréal-based activist and journalist Stefan Christoff to discuss the 2012 Quebec student strike and its historical significance, outcomes, and legacy. Also: Chris airs his grievances against the armchair audio engineers amongst our listenership.
Episode Links
World War ZPalestinian Civil Society Call for BDSInterview with Noam Chomsky by Frank BaratInterview with Ali Aunimah by Khalil BendidbLe Fond de l'Air est RougeStefan Christoff on TwitterEpisode Music
The Rebel Spell – Please ResistTemps Libre – Brahja & Christoff -
Derek backpedals on calling Jared Diamond “douchebaggy”, we give wildly divergent recommendations of who to follow on Twitter, and we attempt to convince you to back the new Media Education Foundation/Tim Wise documentary on Kickstarter. Then, Chris interviews sports columnist and author Dave Zirin about the intersection of sports and politics, discussing sexism, homophobia, racism, militarism and labour in the professional sports world. Plus: listener feedback!
Episode Links
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human SocietiesSurvival International: Why Jared Diamond is wrong"White Like Me" KickstarterSpeaking Treason Fluently: Anti-Racist Reflections From an Angry White MaleGlenn Greenwald (The Guardian)Raffi Cavoukian (Twitter)Dave Zirin/Edge of SportsGame Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside DownEpisode Music
The Doughboys – Never Sleep - Montre plus
