Humans easily fixate on catastrophe, whether real or imaginary. Does the nation, the economy, or even civilization need to collapse in order to start anew? Who benefits if we think like that, and would things get better or worse?
The producers of the long-running radio program "Against the Grain" teamed up with others, to write an influential if controversial book about all that. It was published in 2012 with the title "Catastrophism: The Apocalyptic Politics of Collapse and Rebirth."
With war, inflation, and the pandemic there is plenty of public fear now.
And finally, there are signs more people are afraid something awful is about to happen, or already happening behind the scenes. Not to mention the science of the rapidly developing climate catastrophe, which is all too real.
I've reached out to one of the authors, Eddie Yuen. Eddie teaches in the Urban Studies Department at the San Francisco Art Institute. He is the co-editor, of the book "Confronting Capitalism: Dispatches from a Global Movement." He's written about popular movements, the politics of Right and Left, and the role of apocalypse in environmentalism.
Along with Sasha Lilley, another author in the book, Eddie has been a radio producer for "Against the Grain" on KPFA, the Pacifica flagship station in Berkeley and the Bay area.
Interview by Alex Smith for Radio Ecoshock
Clips of Sasha Lilley from "Against the Grain" KPFA archive, November 12, 2012.
Background music by Alex Smith
In the Affiliates version there is a break and reintroduction at 28:08 for stations that need to add Station ID or announcements.
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