The Ex-Worker

This episode offers an audio version of “Become an Anarchist or Forever Hold Your Peace [https://crimethinc.com/2025/02/21/become-an-anarchist-or-forever-hold-your-peace],” arguing that neither courts nor laws will halt the descent into autocracy. Massive numbers of people will have to take it upon themselves to organize concrete acts of resistance, to take direct action on a horizontal and participatory basis—in other words, to become anarchists. -------SHOW NOTES------   * Table of Contents * Introduction {0:36} * Tyranny Is the Opposite of Anarchism {1:12} * A Three-Sided Conflict {3:45} * No Law Will Give You Freedom {8:32} * Remember How We Got Here {12:02} * Become an Anarchist or Forever Hold Your Peace {15:50} * This episode offers an audio version of “Become an Anarchist or Forever Hold Your Peace [https://crimethinc.com/2025/02/21/become-an-anarchist-or-forever-hold-your-peace],” published by CrimethInc. on February 21, 2025. The article version includes a variety of hyperlinks offering documentation confirming the claims therein. * If you’re interested in learning more about anarchist ideas, you could start with To Change Everything [https://crimethinc.com/tce], our introduction to anarchism, or with “The Secret Is to Begin [https://crimethinc.com/2016/09/28/feature-the-secret-is-to-begin-getting-started-further-resources-frequently-asked-questions],” which offers further points of departure. To learn about direct action, start with this guide [https://crimethinc.com/2017/03/14/direct-action-guide]. * You can read our argument that it was naïve for Democrats to invest so much hope in Robert Mueller’s investigation of Donald Trump here [https://crimethinc.com/2019/02/26/life-in-mueller-time-the-politics-of-waiting-and-the-spectacle-of-investigation]. We published it well before that investigation ended in a complete washout. Along similar lines, our text “Take Your Pick: Law or Freedom [https://crimethinc.com/2018/11/09/take-your-pick-law-or-freedom-how-nobody-is-above-the-law-abets-the-rise-of-tyranny]” has proved prescient, accurately predicting some of the quandaries that fetishizing legality has created for Democrats as Donald Trump and his cronies gain control of more and more aspects of the government and judicial system. * You can read our critical analysis of democracy in full in our book From Democracy to Freedom [https://crimethinc.com/books/from-democracy-to-freedom]. We offer it in print or as a free PDF. * For more background on the neoliberal nightmare that has unfolded in Argentina since the victory of Javier Milei, read this [https://crimethinc.com/2024/06/17/six-months-in-a-neoliberal-dystopia-social-cannibalism-versus-mutual-aid-and-resistance-in-argentina]. * For background on the damage that the Trump regime is doing to public health, consult this text [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/health/trump-usaid-health-aid.html]. For background on the damage that the Trump regime is doing to medical research, consult this one [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/us/politics/medical-research-funding-cuts-university-budgets.html]. You can learn about how the cuts to USAID have impacted people around the world here [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3604r84zjyo]. Elon Musk is even trying to make it impossible to keep up with the weather [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/opinion/weather-service-doge-cuts.html]. Whatever you’re imagining, what’s happening is worse. * For further discussion of how to resist rising authoritarianism, you could start with “The Case for Resistance: What We’re Up Against—and What It Could Look Like to Fight [https://crimethinc.com/2024/11/20/the-case-for-resistance-what-were-up-against-and-what-it-could-look-like-to-fight],” also available in audio form here [https://crimethinc.com/podcasts/the-ex-worker/episodes/108]. You could also listen to the previous episode [https://crimethinc.com/podcasts/the-ex-worker/episodes/110] of this podcast, “It’s Safer in the Front [https://crimethinc.com/2025/01/28/its-safer-in-the-front-taking-the-offensive-against-tyranny],” which picks up some of the same themes.

This episode offers an audio version of “It’s Safer in the Front [https://crimethinc.com/2025/01/28/its-safer-in-the-front-taking-the-offensive-against-tyranny],” making the case that seeking safety by avoiding confrontation is not likely to be an effective strategy in a time of escalating political conflict. {February 25, 2025} -------SHOW NOTES------   * Table of Contents * Introduction {0:30} * My Friend’s Grandfather {1:11} * “Summit of the Americas,” Québec City, April 20, 2001 {3:41} * George W. Bush’s Second Inauguration, Washington, DC, January 20, 2005 {5:10} * Democratic National Convention, Denver, August 25, 2008 {6:34} * Donald Trump’s First Inauguration, Washington, DC, January 20, 2017 {8:59} * Block Cop City, Atlanta, November 13, 2023 {13:11} * Conclusion {18:33} * This episode offers an audio version of “It’s Safer in the Front [https://crimethinc.com/2025/01/28/its-safer-in-the-front-taking-the-offensive-against-tyranny],” published by CrimethInc. on January 28, 2025. The article version includes a variety of hyperlinks offering more documentation about the events referred. * To learn more about the mobilization against the “Summit of the Americas” in Québec City in 2001, read this [https://crimethinc.com/2021/04/19/the-revolutionary-anti-capitalist-offensive-anarchists-confront-the-summit-of-the-americas-april-2001]. To learn more about the movement against capitalist globalization, of which it was a part, you could start here [https://crimethinc.com/2021/11/30/epilogue-on-the-movement-against-capitalist-globalization-22-years-after-n30-what-it-can-teach-us-today]. You could also read David Graeber’s reflections [https://crimethinc.com/2020/09/03/the-shock-of-victory-an-essay-by-david-graeber-and-a-eulogy-for-him] on the movement. * To learn more about the demonstrations against George W. Bush’s second inauguration, read this [https://crimethinc.com/2017/01/17/no-more-presidents-a-narrative-from-the-2005-inauguration]. For more background on the history of anarchist protest activity against presidential inaugurations across the decades, you could start here [https://crimethinc.com/2017/01/16/whoever-they-vote-for-we-are-ungovernable-a-history-of-anarchist-counter-inaugural-protest]. * To learn more about the mobilization against the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in 2008, read this [https://crimethinc.com/2009/05/05/going-it-alone]. * To learn more about the anarchist demonstration against Donald Trump’s first inauguration, read this [https://crimethinc.com/2019/01/22/analysis-anarchist-resistance-to-the-trump-inauguration-learning-from-the-events-of-january-20-2017]. To learn about how the arrestees used solidarity to win a historic victory over the charges brought against them, start here [https://crimethinc.com/2019/01/30/weve-got-your-back-the-story-of-the-j20-defense-an-epic-tale-of-repression-and-solidarity]. You could also read this text [https://crimethinc.com/2017/01/30/making-the-best-of-mass-arrests-12-lessons-from-the-kettle-during-the-j20-protests] about what to do when kettled. And to get a sense of what it was like on the streets that day, don’t miss the J20 protest simulator [https://crimethinc.com/2019/01/18/j20-protest-simulator-choose-your-own-adventure-in-the-streets-and-courts-of-washington-dc]! * For background on the movement to stop Cop City in Atlanta, start here [https://crimethinc.com/2022/04/11/the-city-in-the-forest-reinventing-resistance-for-an-age-of-ecological-collapse-and-police-militarization]; to learn about the Block Cop City mobilization, read this [https://crimethinc.com/2023/12/12/dont-stop-continuing-the-fight-against-cop-city-six-more-months-in-the-movement-to-defend-the-forest]. Finally, this article [https://crimethinc.com/2023/09/05/understanding-the-rico-charges-in-atlanta-a-sweeping-indictment-seeks-to-criminalize-protest-itself] explores the trumped up charges brought against arrestees in the movement. * For background on the anti-fascist resistance to the “Unite the Right” rally, read these reflections [https://crimethinc.com/2024/08/11/charlottesville-revisited-2017-to-2024-what-can-a-moment-of-peril-tell-us-about-our-own-dangerous-times]. To learn about the Kronstadt revolt, you could start here [https://crimethinc.com/2021/03/03/the-kronstadt-uprising-a-full-chronology-and-archive-including-a-view-from-within-the-revolt]. * Finally, for further reading in this category, try “We Fight because We Like It: Maintaining Our Morale against Seemingly Insurmountable Odds [https://crimethinc.com/2018/03/22/we-fight-because-we-like-it-maintaining-our-morale-against-seemingly-insurmountable-odds].”

This episode offers an audio version of “Sacrificial Violence and Retribution [https://crimethinc.com/2024/12/23/sacrificial-violence-and-retribution-comparing-the-killings-of-jordan-neely-and-brian-thompson],” exploring the responses to two different extrajudicial killings as a way to understand the different forms of violence that are contending in our society today. {November 22, 2024} -------SHOW NOTES------   * Table of Contents * Introduction {0:30} * Sacrificial Violence {3:18} * Retribution? {8:35} * Beyond Martyrdom {14:11} * This episode offers an audio version of “Sacrificial Violence and Retribution [https://crimethinc.com/2024/12/23/sacrificial-violence-and-retribution-comparing-the-killings-of-jordan-neely-and-brian-thompson],” published by CrimethInc. on December 23, 2024. The article version includes a variety of hyperlinks providing citations for the claims made herein. * To get deeper into René Girard’s analysis of sacrificial violence, you can read the first chapter of his book Violence and the Sacred here [https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9781472529251_A24068167/preview-9781472529251_A24068167.pdf]. * You can read an incomplete roundup of various responses to the shooting of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, here [https://crimethinc.com/2024/12/23/sacrificial-violence-and-retribution-comparing-the-killings-of-jordan-neely-and-brian-thompson#appendix]. In this news clip [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3rdcEx2_WI], you can see a representative speaking on CNN on behalf of a fundraising campaign in support of Luigi Mangione’s legal defense. You can read a discussion of the causes of the anger directed at insurance executives here [https://www.usermag.co/p/yes-we-want-insurance-executives]. You can read some statistics about gun violence in the United States in general here [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41488081]. * For information about how much damage mass deportations are likely to inflict on the United States economy—not to mention the lives of millions of families—start here [https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/mass-deportation]. To learn more about why people travel to the United States without documents and what role they play in the United States economy, read our book, No Wall They Can Build [https://crimethinc.com/books/no-wall-they-can-build]. * Finally, for a further discussion of revenge and political violence, you could read an earlier article of ours, “Against the Logic of the Guillotine [https://crimethinc.com/2019/04/08/against-the-logic-of-the-guillotine-why-the-paris-commune-burned-the-guillotine-and-we-should-too].”

This episode offers an audio version of “The Case for Resistance [https://crimethinc.com/2024/11/20/the-case-for-resistance-what-were-up-against-and-what-it-could-look-like-to-fight],” laying out an analysis of what we can expect from Donald Trump’s second term and how we can prepare to confront it. “This is a pivotal moment, and everyone who isn’t cynically detached is sounding the alarm. Those of us who recognize the necessity of fighting had better find each other, identify the strengths and weaknesses of all the parties involved, recall the lessons of the past eight years, and strategize.” {November 22, 2024} -------SHOW NOTES------   * Table of Contents * Introduction {0:30} * The Balance of Forces {2:44} * How Popular Is Trump? {5:36} * Billionaire Supervillains {8:47} * Know Your Enemy {10:29} * Breaking the Spell {12:57} * Exerting Leverage {15:10} * Refine Our Strategies {17:51} * Fight Smart {19:17} * How Can We Resist? {20:27} * Strategizing to Stop Mass Deportations {33:08} * This episode offers an audio version of “The Case for Resistance [https://crimethinc.com/2024/11/20/the-case-for-resistance-what-were-up-against-and-what-it-could-look-like-to-fight],” published by CrimethInc. on November 20, 2024. The article version includes a variety of hyperlinks providing citations for the claims made herein. * For background, you could start by listening to episode #106 [https://crimethinc.com/podcasts/the-ex-worker/episodes/106] of the Ex-Worker, which explores the various ways that the Democratic Party is responsible for creating the situation in which Donald Trump can return to power. It is also available as the article “History Repeats Itself: First as Farce, Then as Tragedy [https://crimethinc.com/2024/11/06/history-repeats-itself-first-as-farce-then-as-tragedy-why-the-democrats-are-responsible-for-donald-trumps-return-to-power].” Unfortunately, we predicted this dire turn of events in “Why Stop at Removing Biden [https://crimethinc.com/2024/07/11/why-stop-at-biden-the-center-cannot-hold]?”, published by CrimethInc. in July 2024. * For information about how to organize an assembly, you could read the article “How to Organize an Assembly [https://crimethinc.com/2024/11/10/how-to-organize-an-assembly-preparing-to-respond-to-an-era-of-disasters-and-despotism],” which details the steps in organizing a successful assembly and presents some sample discussion questions you could use to discuss how to prepare for the second Donald Trump administration. * For access to a wide array of materials about security culture, digital security, phone safety, protective gear, direct action strategy, street tactics, jail support, and first aid, you could consult “EVERYBODY OUT! [https://crimethinc.com/2020/10/27/everybody-out-resources-for-a-season-of-post-election-unrest],” the resource list we published ahead of the 2020 elections. To get some historical context and refine your sense of strategy ahead of the second Trump era, read The Trump Years [https://crimethinc.com/2021/01/20/the-trump-years-the-road-from-january-20-2017-to-january-20-2021-a-chronology-of-resistance],” a chronology of resistance and direct action under the first Trump administration.

At a time when misinformation, rising authoritarianism, and disasters exacerbated by industrially-produced climate change are creating a feedback loop of escalating crisis, it’s crucial to understand disaster response as an integral part of community defense and strategize about how this can play a part in movements for liberation. In this reflection, a local anarchist involved in longstanding disaster response efforts in Appalachia recounts the lessons that they have learned in the course of dealing with the consequences of Hurricane Helene over the past six weeks and offers advice about how to prepare for the disasters to come. {November 18, 2024} -------SHOW NOTES------   * Table of Contents * Introduction {0:37} * Start Preparing Now {3:59} * Communications {5:35} * Supply Chain Logistics {7:23} * Heavy Machinery {9:06} * Breaking the Spell {10:29} * Rumors and Misinformation {12:04} * Vultures {14:19} * Engaging with the State {16:28} * Finances {18:42} * Getting Organized {20:35} * This episode offers an audio version of The Eye of Every Storm: Anarchist Response to Hurricane Helene [https://crimethinc.com/2024/11/13/after-the-hurricane-anarchist-disaster-response-in-appalachia], published by CrimethInc. on November 13. We present this in collaboration with Audible Anarchist [https://audibleanarchism.podbean.com/], another collective producing audio content. * For related content, you can listen to an interview with an anarchist involved in Mutual Aid Disaster Relief [https://mutualaiddisasterrelief.org/] organizing in the wake of Hurricane Irma in 2017 in the fourth episode [https://crimethinc.com/podcasts/the-hotwire/episodes/4] of The Hotwire. You can also read these accounts [https://crimethinc.com/2018/10/10/anarchist-relief-efforts-for-hurricane-florence-three-on-the-ground-accounts] of anarchist relief efforts in North Carolina following Hurricane Florence in 2018. Finally, this analysis [https://crimethinc.com/2021/09/02/louisiana-disasters-on-the-horizon-the-colonial-roots-of-climate-crises-and-a-path-toward-resilience] written in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida explores the colonial roots of the disasters that a series of hurricanes has inflicted upon New Orleans. * You can read about how people responded to the impact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico here [https://crimethinc.com/2021/02/08/puerto-rico-the-road-to-decolonization-disaster-relief-mutual-aid-and-revolt]. Anarchists in Brasil have made the case [https://crimethinc.com/2024/06/25/the-disaster-is-already-here-anarchists-in-southern-brazil-on-floods-and-solidarity] that capitalism is one of the chief causes of the suffering inflicted by the floods of May 2024. In episode 95 [https://crimethinc.com/podcasts/the-ex-worker/episodes/95] of the Ex-Worker Podcast, you can hear two perspectives on the responsibility of the Turkish and Syrian governments for the suffering caused by the earthquakes of February 6, 2023. * For more information about how capitalism is implicated in the sort of industrially produced climate change that is exacerbating hurricanes and other “natural” disasters around the world, you could consult this short text [https://crimethinc.com/2024/05/08/ahead-of-another-summer-of-climate-disasters-lets-talk-about-real-solutions] by Peter Gelderloos. * Finally, if you are looking to get connected to anarchist disaster relief efforts, you could start by learning more about Mutual Aid Disaster Relief [https://mutualaiddisasterrelief.org/].