The Bullshit Artists

Encounter #6 — The Necessity of Revolution, Models for Social Reorganization, and the Importance of Storytelling

In this episode, Rory begins by asking Jack for his thoughts on what Rory had previously suggested as the ‘necessity’ argument for political revolution in the face of impending climate catastrophe. Out of that discussion emerges a two-pronged conversation about, first, how the Mondragon worker cooperative in the Basque region of Spain could serve as a model for broader social and economic reorganization, and, second, the importance of story and narrative for any transformative political project. Somehow this conversation then segues into a discussion of obscure political theorists, including the utopian socialists Charles Fourier and Edward Bellamy—the latter of whom, Rory suggests, may provide us with something of a vision for what life could be like if the Amazon corporation were expropriated and put to public use through the distribution of goods according to need. Finally, the pair return to the topic of storytelling and begin to consider the possibility of creating a quasi-religious myth that could serve as a foundation for a new sociopolitical order that more adequately maps onto current material conditions as well as higher moral principles.

Encounter #5 — COVID-19 and Systems-Level Thinking, the Classroom as Polity, and an Army of Socrateses

After some housekeeping and a brief revisit of police violence, Rory and Jack begin this episode with a consideration of COVID-19, especially focusing on its possible origins and the widespread resistance in the US to vaccination. This topic then segues into a larger discussion of systems-level thinking, including particularly the absence of that capacity among the general public and the subsequent failure to act on or even to perceive various systems-level problems in society. Next, the conversation turns to the education system's utter inability to facilitate the development of such thinking skills among students—a shortcoming that Rory suggests is a deliberate one operating in service of the schooling system's sociological function of replicating and perpetuating capitalist social arrangements. Finally, Jack asks Rory a series of questions about his beliefs regarding political revolution in the United States, which the pair examine in light of the looming climate crisis.

Encounter #4 — Nuclear Holocaust, Police Violence, and Authority

In this episode of The Bullshit Artists, Jack and Rory begin the conversation by considering the connections between what Noam Chomsky has identified as the twin existential threats facing humanity: climate breakdown and nuclear holocaust. Then, Rory raises the issue of police violence in the United States, and the pair undertake a lengthy exploration of the nuances regarding police reform, defunding, and abolition—especially in light of recent and ongoing aggression toward black Americans. Finally, Rory puts forth the notion of the ‘temporary autonomous zone’ and explains how he believes it can apply to the classroom setting, which the two then discuss by reference to the example of Socrates and his pedagogical legacy.

Encounter #3 — The Anthropocene, the 'Benevolent Despot,' and Transformational Education

In this episode of The Bullshit Artists, Rory begins the conversation by detailing his recent therapeutic experience with psilocybin mushrooms. Then, Jack inquires about some of Rory's research interests—including his position regarding the likelihood of human survival in the Anthropocene—as well as his activism with the NYC chapter of Extinction Rebellion. Next, Jack poses a question: given our dire planetary circumstances, could there be a legitimate justification for allowing a 'benevolent despot' to impose policies on the global population that would help to avert our species' annihilation? Finally, the duo conclude with a consideration of what schools and schooling ought to look like today, as young people grow up in an increasingly unstable and hostile world.

Encounter #2 — Cancel Culture, the Golden Rule, and Psychedelics

In this episode of The Bullshit Artists, Jack begins the conversation by pressing Rory on his use of the ideological label "anarcho-communist." Then, the interlocutors turn to a long, winding discussion of what Rory had previously called the 'epistemic divide' in America, which includes aspects of 'cancel culture' and the #MeToo movement. From there, the pair pivot to some ruminations on 'the Golden Rule,' and conclude by linking that moral precept to the usage and phenomenology of psychedelics, including those drugs' potential political and psychological effects.

Encounter #1 — Introductions and Ideologies

In this inaugural episode of The Bullshit Artists, Rory and Jack begin with some passing comments on Neera Tanden's recently-failed nomination for the Biden Administration's Office of Management and Budget directorship, then move into deeper conversation about their biographies and ideologies. Finally, they conclude the conversation with some discussion of Jack's recent book, 'What Hath Trump Rot?: How Republicans Betrayed American Ideals.'