Arts Catalyst Event in London, UK – Towards the planetary commons: reimagining infrastructures for autonomy

May 9, 2019 0 Comment

Marwa Arsanios | Paloma Polo | Lorenzo Sandoval | They Are Here 12.00pm, Thu 23 May 2019 – 6.00pm, Sat 3 August 2019 Arts Catalyst74-76 Cromer StreetLondonWC1H 8DR FURTHER INFORMATION Free, no need to book we-are-in-this together-but-we-are-not-one-and-the-same” — Rosi Braidotti Towards the Planetary Commons is a new exhibition investigating agency and autonomy in the face of global ecological crises. Encompassing artist film, an… Continue reading →

The Morning After The Rebellion: An Open Letter To The People of #ExtinctionRebellion

May 9, 2019 2 Comments

I spent the last 4 days in the Extinction Rebellion camp at Marble Arch in London. Yesterday, while police stepped up their presence on site, the protestors held an assembly to discuss their next steps. They decided to end this phase of the protest, clear up the camp, and leave within a couple of days…. Continue reading →

One Cheer — More or Less — For the Green New Deal

May 8, 2019 0 Comment

In critiquing and analyzing a state policy proposal like the Green New Deal from an anarchist perspective, I should throw in the usual disclaimers about my working assumptions. I’m not an insurrectionist and I don’t believe the post-capitalist/post-state transition will be primarily what Erik Olin Wright called a “ruptural” process. Although the final transition may… Continue reading →

Book of the Day: The Anatomy of Escape: A Defense of the Commons

May 8, 2019 0 Comment

Market anarchists favor replacing the state with a fully free market, i.e., one with no restrictions on voluntary production and exchange; all functions of the state are either to be abolished (when they are inherently invasive of people’s right to live their lives peacefully) or turned over to free competition (when they are not). Many… Continue reading →

Time for Progressives to Stop Shaming One Another

May 7, 2019 0 Comment

Sometimes I find my hopes for the progressive agenda outweighed by my fear for what happens each time they make another stride. I realize times are hard — economic inequality is high; racism, sexism, and homophobia are on the rise; and climate crisis is in progress — and these issues need to be addressed urgently. But I’m growing increasingly… Continue reading →

Heteromation as the New Division of Labor Between Machines and Humans

May 7, 2019 0 Comment

Book: Heteromation, and Other Stories of Computing and Capitalism. By Hamid R. Ekbia and Bonnie A. Nardi. MIT Press, 2017 Description: “The computerization of the economy—and everyday life—has transformed the division of labor between humans and machines, shifting many people into work that is hidden, poorly compensated, or accepted as part of being a “user”… Continue reading →

Cochabamba, Bolivia: Confronting speculators and financing community infrastructure

May 6, 2019 0 Comment

The informal settlement of Las Peñas, on the outskirts of Cochabamba, has been refused the right to become part of the city, leaving it with no public investment for basic infrastructure and services. Las Peñas neighbourhood forced the re-sale of unoccupied plots of land at original price plus a small amount (owned by speculators taking… Continue reading →

The Future of Computing and Why You Should Care

May 6, 2019 0 Comment

The future of computing and why you should care Todd Weaver Founder and CEOPGP Fingerprint: B8CA ACEA D949 30F1 23C4 642C 23CF 2E3D 2545 14F7 (transcript follows) Let me set the tone by using a quote from a great person of history: “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people,… Continue reading →

Patterns for Decentralised Organising / Richard D. Barlett and Natalia Lombardo / Intersection18

May 4, 2019 0 Comment

Presented at Intersection Conference If you’re interested in the future of work, you may have heard rumours about Enspiral, a network of 200 entrepreneurs in New Zealand working on “stuff that matters”. The network is composed of many start-ups and small co-ops experimenting with radical self-management practices, decentralised ownership, and shared leadership. Nati and Rich… Continue reading →

Using the CSA Model for Jazz Performance

May 3, 2019 0 Comment

I am always amazed at how commoning reaches into the most unlikely realms of life. The latest example that I’ve discovered is jazz performance! For the moment, leave aside the idea of jazz as an artform that is fundamentally about commoning – improvised collaboration, individual artistry that flowers within an ensemble, being attuned to the… Continue reading →