Sixty-one people were just indicted for their alleged involvement in the movement to Stop Cop City. These folks were slapped with RICO charges, which were designed to go after the mob. Some were charged for crimes as small as handing out fliers, serving as a legal observer during a protest, and organizing a bail fund.Our guest is abolitionist organizer Micah Herskind, who has been involved with and written extensively about the movement to Stop Cop City. You can read his Primer on Cop City in Scalawag here. Follow Micah Herskind on Twitter: @micahinATLAs we discuss, the RICO indictment seeks to criminalize and shut down the decentralized movement against the massive urban warfare training center for police known as Cop City. The indictment even lists “mutual aid” “solidarity” and “collectivism” as essential to what they are calling an “organized criminal enterprise” against Cop City. This is an outrageous abuse of power by the state which threatens to strip away our very right to protest.YOU CAN HELP THE FOLKS FACING THESE INSANE CHARGES by donating to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. https://atlsolidarity.org/This episode was hosted by Dr. Erika Okamoto of the Cocktails & Capitalism podcast — a show that pairs crafted beverages with stories distilled from our capitalist hellscape. You can support this anticapitalist independent media project by contributing any amount through Patreon: https://tinyurl.com/mw4a4burSupport the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

The Hot Labor Summer Tour is about to  begin! Human rights lawyer Steven Donziger and ALU President Chris Smalls  have joined forces to share their stories in cities across the country.  We’re joined by Chris , Steven , and Devon Young, the producer of this Little Secret tour.  Devon explains that Little Secret blends music, comedy, and talks from organizers and activists, creating events that folks really want to go to. (Having visited Little Secret LA, I can attest to that)Get your tickets! smallsdonzigertour.comTune in for a preview of the subjects Chris and Steven will be discussing on the tour, including the labor and climate movements, the criminal justice system, and how they've managed to challenge the power of massive corporations. Tour dates:          Denver July 12          NYC July 19          Atlanta July 22          Los Angeles July 29          Chicago August 17          Detroit August 18If you can't make it to one of these shows, please help us spread the word! You can also support the work of these two by donating here: https://www.smallsdonzigertour.com/Follow: Little Secret on IG @littlesecret_LA for updates about the tourSteven Donziger on IG @stevendonziger and Twitter @sdonzigerChris Smalls on IG @chris.smalls_ and Twitter Devon Young on IG cuteanon__HOT LABOR SUMMER COCKTAILTo celebrate Hot Labor Summer — a hashtag popularized by Chris Smalls — our resident anticapitalist bartender Jesse Torres crafted a delicious spicy cocktail by the same name. It’s perfect for on the patio, by the pool, or on the picket line.60ml Kentucky Bourbon or Cognac (other spirits substitute nicely)30ml Pineapple juice15ml Good quality Grenadine15ml Lime juice1 dash Aromatic BittersJalapeños (for muddling)Muddle 2-3 slices of jalapeños in a shaker tin with the bourbon. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake well with ice. Double strain into a rocks glass rimmed with chili lime salt like Tajin, and fill with ice. Garnish with a grilled pineapple spear or jalapeño slice.Support the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

In this season 3 finale, Steven Donziger describes his epic battle against oil giant Chevron, connecting the dots between his own struggle against a multinational corporation and the fight to stop Cop City. In both stories, the consequences for standing up against corporate power to protect people and the planet have been chilling. Steven highlights the outrageous, unprecedented forms of corporate-backed state oppression that have come in retaliation for his legal advocacy work and the civil disobedience of protestors in Atlanta: “I’ve never seen a corporate prosecution; I’ve never seen a corporation allowed to jail somebody anywhere–much less in the United States–but it happened to me; and I’ve never seen peaceful protestors charged with domestic terrorism.”Liked this discussion? Go see Steven live on the Hot Labor Summer Tour! He’ll be traveling the country alongside Amazon Labor Union president Chris Smalls to spread the word about their battles against corporate power. Catch them in Denver on July 12th, NYC on the 19th, Atlanta on the 22nd, Los Angeles on the 29th, Chicago on August 17th, and Detroit on August 18th. I plan to attend the LA show, so I hope to see some of you there!Support Steven Donziger’s legal defense fund here. Sign this petition to the United Nations seeking a legal ruling that the Biden Administration restore Steven’s full freedom including his right to international travel.Check out freedonziger.comI recently launched a new show called The Left Wing with my friends Desmond Price of Independent Thought and Jon Cooper of Counterpoint Politics. The Left Wing is a YouTube channel and audio podcast on Apple, Spotify, etc. In it, we engage in good-faith political discussions about important events in the news from a range of Leftist perspectivesThe Donziger CocktailThis equal parts drink can be served warm or with ice.Ingredients:-80 ml (2 oz) red wine-80 ml (2 oz) horchata lojana sweetened with honey or sugar-10 ml Lemon juice (a small squeeze)Garnish: lemon wheelBrew tea. Add sugar or honey to your liking. Let cool. In a glass or mug, add 80 ml red wine, 80 ml horchata lojana, and a squeeze of lemon juice (~10 ml). Add ice and a lemon wheel as garnish. Enjoy!How to make horchata lojana if you can’t find a mix:-1 tea bag lemon tea or lemon balm tea-1 tea bag camomile tea-1 tea bag mint tea-1 tea bag hibiscus tea-500 ml hot water -Honey or sugar, to taste (I use a lot of honey, close to 4 tbsp / 60 ml)Steep tea bags in hot water. Mix in honey or sugar. Allow to cool.Support the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

Fossil fuel profiteers don’t deserve a moment of peace. The youth-led group Climate Defiance is using direct action to expose the politicians most responsible for the climate crisis and compel them to act with the urgency this crisis deserves.I spoke with Rylee Haught – the group’s student recruitment lead – just a day after Climate Defiance shut down Joe Manchin’s keynote address in protest of the Senator’s role in greenlighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline. We talk about Manchin’s fossil fuel interests, the success of this action, and the other incredible actions the group has organized, including their successful blockade at the White House Correspondents Dinner.We also discuss:         Senator Joe Manchin’s profiteering off of fossil fuels        Disruption as a strategy        Disruption vs working within the normal channels        How to shut down a board meeting or other event        Sit ins, blockades, and other tacticsCalls to action:Follow Climate Defiance on Twitter, TikTok, FB, and Instagram!Get involved through their website / sign their Pledge of ResistanceSupport by donating!! As Rylee says in the episode, “We are a Small scrappy group of Gen-Zers, so definitely send us some funds if you can!”Shoutout to bartender Jesse Torres for crafting the Climate Defiance cocktail! This is such a special drink to honor the work of this group of young, determined climate activists!Climate Defiance Cocktail This is a riff of a riff on the Corpse Reviver no. 2. It’s a bright and refreshing cocktail and a delightful drink for any occasion or time of day. Serve it on the rocks with soda for an even lighter option. Climate Defiance Cocktail 22ml  Tequila blanco22ml  Giffard Blue curaçao 22ml  **Don Ciccio Cinque Aperitvo bianco 22ml  Lime juice Optional: Mezcal rinse Method:  Pour all ingredients except into a shaker and shake well with ice. (Optional: Rinse a coupe or martini glass with mezcal and dump out any excess.) Strain into the rinsed glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry. ** The Don Ciccio Cinque can be substituted with any other light colored amaro or aperitivo such as Suze, Malört, Salers, Luxardo Bitter Bianco, Cocchi Americano, or Lillet blanc.  Support the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

In this episode, author and movement facilitator adrienne maree brown shares her desire to see our movements become welcoming sanctuaries “where we get to taste and feel this world we’re trying to co-create.” Unfortunately, this is far from the reality that many of us experience in Leftist spaces. As adrienne explains, capitalism and other oppressive systems tend to infiltrate our movements, making us competitive, critical, and eager to punish. “It’s been breaking my heart to be inside of movements and feel how these huge systems that we’re trying to take down infiltrate our practices. We become competitive with each other, we become hypercritical of each other, we become punitive with each other.”adrienne has 25 years of experience as a movement facilitator supporting social and environmental justice work. Vast praxis and reflection in conversation with other changemakers have grounded her deep insights about cancel & call-out culture. For more on these topics, I highly recommend adrienne’s short book We Will Not Cancel Us.Adrienne has also written extensively about pleasure activism, emergent strategy, abolition, radical imagination, & transformative justice. She recently published a work of visionary fiction titled Maroons, the second novel in the Black Dawn trilogy set in the abandoned urban landscape of Detroit in the aftermath of a supervirus that targets Black people. You can find this trilogy and her other books on AK Press!Check out adrienne's wonderful podcasts: How to Survive the End of the WorldOctavia’s ParablesThe Emergent Strategy Podcast. Follow adrienne on Twitter ( @adriennemaree ) and Instagram ( @adriennemareebrown )Big thanks to Anjali Pinto who took the above photo of adrienne. THE MAROONS COCKTAILA cocktail in honor of adrienne maree brown and her recent novel by the same name.      60ml Tequila Reposado     30ml Grapefruit juice      15ml  Lemon juice      22ml  Cinnamon syrup      30ml turmeric tea blend      2 quarter-sized slices of raw ginger Brew turmeric tea according to package instructions but use two tea bags instead of one to make a strong brew. Let tea cool and then add the ginger slices and Tequila to a cocktail shaker and make well. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice. Fine strain into a rocks glass will with cubed ice and garnish with a lemon slice and sprinkle of turmeric powder.Huge thanks to our resident bartender Jesse Torres for crafting this delicious, sexy drink in honor of adrienne and her work!Support the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

Have you heard of TigerSwan? This company profits off of the surveillance and suppression of pipeline protests. Staffed with former military personnel from the War on Terror, TigerSwan has developed a hyper-militarized counterinsurgency approach to dealing with protestors resisting fossil fuel projects. TigerSwan first made a name for itself by monitoring, infiltrating, and disrupting Indigenous-led protests against the development of the Dakota Access Pipeline. A recent article in The Intercept states “To TigerSwan, the emergence of Indigenous-led social movements to keep oil and gas in the ground represented a business opportunity” (Intercept).Much of what we now know about TigerSwan was recently revealed after the company failed to obtain a security license and was later forced to release over 50,000 pages of documents. The company fought to keep these documents private, which is no wonder since they detail the company’s ruthless targeting of pipeline protestors. MAIN SOURCE: “After Spying on Standing Rock, TigerSwan Shopped Anti-Protest ‘Counterinsurgency’ to Other Oil Companies” The InterceptCOCKTAIL PAIRING:THE FOREST DEFENDER                                 2 oz    White Rum½ oz    Lime Juice¼ ozSt. Germain Elderflower¼ oz    Celery Juice¼ ozSimple Syrup⅛ tsp   Matcha powder         Cucumber wheelAdd all ingredients into a shaker, muddle a cucumber, and shake hard with ice. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a thinly-sliced cucumber wheel.Glassware:  CoupeGarnish:  Cucumber wheelBIG THANKS to Jesse Torres ( @jessejamz ) for crafting this delicious custom cocktail!Support the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

It shouldn’t be illegal to feed hungry, unhoused folks, and yet this is now the case in Houston and cities across America. Shere Dore is a homeless advocate in Houston who has been working to feed her unhoused neighbors since 2011. She is a devoted member of Food Not Bombs – a movement composed of volunteers who come together in cities around the world to provide food for hungry and unhoused folks. Shere has been rewarded for her important work with 8 TICKETS from the city of Houston since March 1st. Collectively, the volunteers in Houston FNB have received 22 tickets for feeding homeless folks outside of the public library. (As of August 16th, the total count is 51! 🤯)The end of this episode contains a tribute to forest defender Tortuguita, who was killed for protesting the development of Cop City. Tort was a volunteer with  Tallahassee  Food Not Bombs.   I connected with the folks at the Tallahassee Food Not Bombs group Tort volunteered with, and people had such wonderful things to say about Tort. At the end of this episode, you’ll hear from a member of this group. RESOURCES: Help FNBHTX and/or homeless advocates who are the "boots on the ground":DONATE : paypal: homelessadvocacyhou DONATE: https://www.hpjc.org/fnb/Houston FNB site Follow Houston FNB! Facebook & InstagramFollow Tallahassee FNB InstagramSupport Tallahassee FNB SUPPORT HOUSTON FNB!How to VOLUNTEER with a FNB chapter or start one!Mutual Lemon-Aid MocktailCrafted by the our wonderful resident anticapitalist bartender, Jesse TorresMakes 2 liters6Large lemons with shiny and healthy looking skins350mlJuice from the six lemons250mlGranulated sugar (by volume)1.5LWaterlarge pinch of saltPeel the lemons with a peeler, getting as much of the peel off as possible while leaving  the white pith. Put peels in a container, cover with granulated sugar and massage the peels with your hands or a muddler to release the oils into the sugar. Cover and let stand for 3 to 24 hours if possible. Periodically stir the mixture to help incorporate the oil into the sugar. Juice the six lemons and filter out any seeds. After letting the peels and sugar sit, add the lemon juice, water, and salt and stir well until all the sugar is incorporated. Strain out the lemon peels and chill well before serving. To serve, simply pour over ice in your favorite glasses and garnish with a lemon peel. You can also add your favorite spirit for a boozy option. Enjoy!  Glassware:  Collins glassGarnish: Lemon wheelABV: 0%Pro tip: take about five cardamom pods & smash to break open. Gently toast the pods in a pan on the stove until fragrant—a few minutes. Add  pods to the lemon peel and sugar mixture and let steep while the sugar is drawingSupport the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

This week, I dive into the massive wave of strikes and protests that have surged in France over the past 3 months. At it’s peak, the protests swelled to over a million people, bringing young and old together on the streets.This is now the 12th week of action that has been underpinned by strikes and acts of civil disobedience organized by unions and workers across the country. We recorded this episode a couple weeks ago, and since then there have been some major developments to report. On Friday April 14th, France’s constitutional council approved President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms. This paved the way for Macron to sign these reforms into law, which he did the very next day, Saturday the 15th. The new law will go into affect in September. These hugely unpopular developments sparked a new round of protests during which many were arrested and fires were ignited across the country.  In the western city of Rennes (“REN”), the entrance to a police station was set ablaze. Trade union members also engaged in creative acts of civil disobedience by dumping gas and power meters outside a government building.Protestors continue to call for raising taxes on the wealthy and employers rather than raising the retirement age, but these calls have been completely ignored.This morning Macron addressed the country about the new pension laws, stating that these changes “were needed to guarantee everyone’s pension” and that “gradually working more means also producing more wealth for our whole country.” During his address, people across the country banged saucepans together to drown out his words, their rallying cry being “Macron won’t listen to us? We won’t listen to him!”  France’s main labor unions have called for another mass protest on May 1st, International Workers’ Day. I’ve joined forces with my dear friend and fellow podcaster Desmond Price of the Independent Thought podcast to create a bi-weekly news segment called Under the Radar. In it, we discuss important news articles that deserve much more attention and amplification. As always, I’ll be highlighting stories that shine light on our capitalist hellscape, which are often the same stories that major corporate media outlets ignore or suppress.  We’ll be sharing the full discussion, including the video, with our Patreon supporters every other week.And I want to add that this is where I’ll be sharing my own views and reactions much more readily than I tend to do during my interviews. If you want to hear me get fired up about the evils in our capitalist world, this Under the Radar segment is for you!Patreon for Cocktails & Capitalism: https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creatorPatreon for Independent Thought: https://www.patreon.com/Independentthought?utm_campaign=creatorshare_fanSupport the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

In this episode, I speak with The Lever’s Rebecca Burns about the explosive Norfolk Southern train derailment that produced a toxic mushroom cloud over East Palestine, Ohio. We talk through the events that unfolded on February 3rd when train cars carrying over a million pounds of hazardous chemicals went off the tracks, explaining how this nightmare was a product of corporate greed. Rebecca outlines the regulatory failures that led to this disaster. We discuss the role that the chemical and rail lobbies have played in creating the unsafe conditions for this catastrophic derailment. Rather than investing in maintenance, their workforce, or upgrades to Civil War-era breaking systems, railroad companies like Norfolk Southern have been sinking their growing profits into executive pay and stock buybacks.The 7 largest freight railroad companies in the US (including Norfolk Southern) spent $191 billion on stock buybacks and shareholder dividends from 2011-2021. At the very same time, these companies were firing workers like crazy, slashing their workforces by 30%. In so many ways, this preventable corporate disaster was directly connected to the labor movement and the crushing of the rail worker strike by the Biden administration. While these workers had been asking for paid time off, the railroad industry has refused to offer reasonable schedules, forcing workers to abide by their draconian model of “precision scheduled railroading.”We also discuss the human side of this corporate catastrophe, including the health impacts on the people of East Palestine and the noble efforts of locals like the folks at River Valley Organizing to stand up for the wellbeing of those in the affected area. The Lever Cocktail 45 ml Gin15 ml Suze bitter aperitif 15 ml honey 22 ml lemon juice 30 ml turmeric tea blend Brew turmeric tea using 2 tea bags to make a strong brew. Let tea cool and then add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake with ice. Strain into a rocks glass with cubed ice and garnish with a lemon slice and a sprinkle of Cayenne pepper.RESOURCES:The Lever levernews.comRebecca Burns in The Lever & on Twitter“Rail Companies Blocked Safety Rules Before Ohio Derailment”River Valley Organizing (also on Twitter & IG)Railroad Workers United (Twitter & IG)Support the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

This conversation with Amy Westervelt and Paul Paz y Miño examines and condemns the extreme charges that have been used against Cop City protestors, Steven Donziger, and others for defending people and the planet.In the first half of the discussion, we talk about Chevron’s brutal legal assault against those who have tried to hold the company accountable for its deliberate pollution of Ecuador, focusing on the use of the RICO Act against Steven Donziger.We then shift our discussion to the insane domestic terrorism charges for 42 protestors involved in the Stop Cop City movement and potential RICO indictments in the coming days, explaining how these charges are part of a dangerous trend of escalating legal tactics that the state and corporations use to suppress dissent. Paul Paz y Miño is the associate director of Amazon Watch, an environmental org that  works with Indigenous communities in the rainforest. They were listed as a non-party co-conspirator in the RICO case against Donziger.Amy Westervelt is an investigative climate journalist who hosts a number of amazing podcasts including Drilled, Damages, Rigged, and Hot Take. These shows shine light on the crimes of the fossil fuel industry.Also discussed:-The Green Scare-Standing Rock-Charges for Standing Rock protestors-Criminal infrastructure laws-The Patriot Act-The legality of these insane charges-Chilling effects on the climate movement COCKTAIL PAIRING:The Forest Defender           2 oz    White Rum½ oz    Lime Juice¼ ozSt. Germain Elderflower¼ oz    Celery Juice¼ ozSimple Syrup⅛ tsp   Matcha powder         Cucumber wheelAdd all ingredients into a shaker, muddle a cucumber, and shake hard with ice. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a thinly-sliced cucumber wheel.RESOURCES:Atlanta Community Press Collective, article on upcoming indictmentsUnicorn Riot article on RICO chargesAl Jazeera articleAtlanta Solidarity Fund statement on possible RICO charges. Support them hereGuardian articleSupport the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

This week, I speak with Kamau Franklin about the insane charges for Stop Cop City protestors, including possible RICO indictments in the coming days. We discuss Sunday’s massive police raid which resulted in 35 arrests and 23 domestic terrorism charges, bringing the total number of domestic terrorism charges for #StopCopCity activists to 44. While RICO charges have not been issued, community organizations in Atlanta including Community Movement Builders and the Atlanta Solidarity Fund have announced that they expect these indictments in the coming weeks. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act was created in the 70’s to go after the mafia. It targets organized criminal enterprises, enabling extended penalties including sentences of 5 to 20 years and the seizure of financial assets from individuals and organizationsKAMAU FRANKLIN is a community organizer, writer, lawyer, and cofounder of Community Movement Builders, a national Black collective that works to build sustainable, self-determining communities through cooperative economics and community organizing. A fundamental component of this work is building resistance to police brutality and overpolicing. I recently spoke with Kamau and 2 other activists from the movement to Stop Cop City and defend the Atlanta forest, and I highly recommend that folks go back and listen to this important discussion.HOW TO HELP:Show up to Weelaunee Park!Donate to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund!Sign this and this petitionSend automated emails to #StopCopCity funders, contractors, and city officialsGET PLUGGED INTO THE MOVEMENT:Communitymovementbuilders.orgDefendtheatlantaforest.orgFollow and share! @defendATLforest on Twitter and @stopcopcity on InstagramTHE STOP COP CITY COCKTAIL(SIMPLIFIED VERSION)30 ml blueberry shrub40 ml vodka or whiskeySoda water or waterIceBlueberry Shrubb350g Blueberries350ml Granulated Sugar225ml Vinegar (wine, apple cider, or unseasoned rice)Mash berries, add sugar, & stir to combine. Seal & let sit at room temperature for ~24 h. Periodically shake or stir to dissolve sugar.Strain, slowly add vinegar, & taste. It should taste sweet & sharp but not overpowering, so add more sugar or vinegar to your liking. Label & cover with lid. Shelf stable for up to 1 year.Support the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

Rick of the Decolonized Buffalo podcast joins me to talk about Leftist misconceptions regarding Indigenous issues. An Indigenous socialist who is a member of the Comanche Nation, Rick has spent time organizing with PLS and the Socialist Party. While he advocates for getting involved in organizing, he has had a number of problematic, often racist experiences with non-Natives in Leftist organizing spaces. Rick shares these experiences, explaining that they often stem from racist misconceptions regarding Indigenous history, issues, and social structures.You can listen to the Decolonized Buffalo podcast on Apple , Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Follow the show on Instagram, and you can follow Rick on Twitter. If you check out his shared drive, you’ll find an amazing collection of leftist and decolonial books and other free resources. COCKTAIL PAIRING: The Sovereignty MargaritaChamoyada Margarita-3 oz mango juice-1 oz silver tequila-1 oz triple sec-.5 oz fresh lime juice-1 tbsp kosher salt-1 tbsp chili powder-⅛ tsp lime zest -chamoy for coating glass-lime wheel for garnishSupport the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

Have you ever wondered why we tip in the US? It seems like such an American thing to do and if you’ve ever traveled abroad, you almost immediately notice that most other countries don’t participate in this system. But why is that and where did it come from? In this episode we explore tipping in America with our resident anti-capitalist bartender and long time service industry worker, Jesse Torres. He takes us on an in-depth look at the history of tipping, explaining how this system of payment is rooted in classism and racism that exploits and alienates workers—especially and disproportionally women, queer folks, and people of color.Are there alternatives to tipping and how can service industry workers move to a better system? Join the discussion as we work towards reimagining service industry wages and business models and look at current examples of change already happening across the country.Support the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

In this episode, I speak with 3 activists working to STOP COP CITY – a highly militarized police training facility that would pave over one of the largest remaining forests in Atlanta. These 3 are part of a broad coalition of activists without centralized leadership who have come together to resist this development and defend the Atlanta Forest. Days after we recorded this episode, fellow activist and forest defender Tortuguita was shot and killed by the police during a massive raid. Calls for an independent investigation into this killing have been growing, as the version of events publicized by the police seems highly questionable. 7 more activists were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism.Cop City would be located right next to black and brown working class neighborhoods in Atlanta. These communities would be subjected to increased police harassment as well as the environmental consequences of destroying the forest: poorer air quality, hotter summers, and less protection from flooding. This $90 million military-grade urban warfare training center would be the largest facility of its kind in America. It would have a testing area for explosives, 12 firing ranges, a helicopter landing pad, and a center for practicing crowd control. In addition to boosting police morale and recruitment in the wake of the 2020 uprising, Cop City would serve a much more sinister function: to expand the police state and crush movement building in America and around the globe.In addition to exposing the fundamental connection between capitalism and policing, this episode examines the legacy of racial oppression that Cop City would inherit. We discuss the theft of this land from the Muscogee people as well as its use as a slave plantation and prison farm. We also address the important role that Indigenous and Queer activists have played within this movement.CALLS TO ACTION:*DONATE to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund to support legal costs *Call Atlanta Police Foundation investors, ask them to divest from Cop City (stopreevesyoung.com) *Form an action committee in your city!*GO TO THE PARK IN SOLIDARITY! RESOURCES:*Defend the Atlanta Forest website*Follow Defend the Atlanta Forest on  Twitter, IG, FB, Telegram,and TikTok*Al Jezeera video: Police vs Atlanta: The Battle Over Cop City*Democracy Now video with Kamau Franklin*Kamau Franklin’s article in TruthOut: STOP COP CITY COCKTAIL:45mlBourbon Whiskey15mlPine Liqueur (orSupport the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

Reagan and Velveeta have been working with fellow dancers to unionize the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar. While the club is contesting the results of their union vote from back in November, it looks like these ladies will succeed in forming the only stripper union in America! This will be the second unionized strip club in the history of the country, the first being the Lusty Lady in San Francisco which closed in 2013. We discuss the physical harassment and other unsafe working conditions that drove the Star Garden dancers to unionize. After petitioning their employer, 18 dancers were locked out of their workplace in March of ‘22. As a result, the women were driven to escalate their tactics to striking and picketing in front of the club. They’ve since collected union cards and voted in an official union election. Moving forward, the Actors Equity Association will assist these women as they bargain for a contract. To raise money for the out-of-work dancers on strike, Reagan and Velveeta and some other dancers in the community have been using a side project, the Stripper Co-Op, to put on brilliantly unique and vibrant pop-up strip shows at various venues. The money raised through the Co-Op is distributed fairly amongst the strippers, and they also donate a portion to mutual aid. Donations made between the Stripper Co-Op and its previous virtual iteration, the Cyber Clown Girls, total over $50,000 from May 2020 to the present to over 100 different orgs. The Stripper Co-Op was also inspired by the worker-owned Lusty Lady.Follow @stripperstrikenoho on Instagram and Twitter! @stripstrikenohoPlease support their strike fund here! Sign their petition for safety here!You can also follow their Stripper Co-op on Instagram: @stripperco_op or Shoutout to @jessejamz for crafting the lovely fancy version of the Stripper Strike cocktail! Cheers & solidarity!Stripper Strike60 ml Gin (like Las Californias)15 ml Lime juice60 ml Fever Tree Pink Grapefruit Tonic Water   Lime wedge ( garnish)Stripper Strike, fancy version60 ml Gin (like Las Californias)15 ml Lime juice30 ml Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice 10 ml Grenadine or Jamaica (Hibiscus) syrup (recipe below) 45 ml Tonic Water Small pinch of Salt Add all ingredients except the Tonic Water to a cocktail shaker & shake well with cubed ice. Fine strain into a Collins or rocks glass & top with the Tonic Water. Take the peel of a grapefruit & express over the drink & garnish. Glassware:  Collins or rocks glassGarnish: Grapefruit peelABV: 14%You can find Jamaica at your local Mexican or Central American food store. You can also use a well-made grenadine in place of the Jamaica, if unavailable. Jamaica Syrup75g Jamaica500ml SSupport the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

This week, I speak with a Jodie of Palestine Action – a UK-based network of activists using sustained direct action to shut down businesses profiting off of the violent oppression of Palestinians. They’ve already shut down two facilities owned and operated by Elbit Systems, and their tireless work has led to the cancellation of 280 million worth of British military contracts with Israel. Jodie paints a vivid picture of what it looks like to engage in direct action. We break down the meaning of direct action and how it differs from participating in protests. We discuss what this has looked like for Palestine Action, from lock-ons to large-scale property damage used to shut down  facilities by making these blood-soaked capitalist enterprises untenable & unprofitable. Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest weapons provider. They produce the drones that monitor and attack Palestinians as well as technology for the apartheid wall. This Israeli company advertises its products as “battle tested” because they’ve been used extensively against a captive Palestinian population. It uses Gaza as a  “weapons testing lab” so that it can market and sell its products to oppressive regimes around the world. Their drones and weaponry have been used in Myanmar, Kashmir, and on the US-Mexico border wall. GET INVOLVED!Join Pal Action & sign up for the newsletter!https://www.palestineaction.org/join-the-resistance/Participate in a workshop! https://bit.ly/PalActionWorksFollow PalAction on…Insta: https://www.instagram.com/pal_action/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pal_actionTelegram: https://t.me/palactionDonate to support their work! https://www.palestineaction.org/donate/DRINK PAIRING:Molotov MocktailThis wonderful wintery drink can be served hot or cold! It's a spirit-free cocktail, but as per Jodie's request, the flavors really hit your taste buds "like a sledgehammer" Molotov Mocktail2LWater350gFresh Cranberries (one 12oz package)350mlSweetener—Granulated Sugar, Honey, or Maple Syrup2Cinnamon Sticks12Whole Cloves10Whole Allspice Berries1Star Anise5Fresh Ginger Slices, peeled (about the size of a quarter)2Black Tea sachets 60mlLemon JuiceMETHOD: Add water and cranberries to a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add sugar, whole spices, and ginger and simmer for an additional hour, covered. Turn off the heat, add the tea sachets, and let steep for five minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir to incorporate. Strain out all the solids and let cool completely.Serve hot or chilled and poured over ice! Garnish with a lemon slice and a star anise. Enjoy!Tip: to make this boozy, add 45ml of your favorite spirit. Vodka, gin, bourbon, and light rum work best but use whatever you like. A red winSupport the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

In this episode, Jessica Burbank explains the origins of her anticapitalist views. We discuss her working class background, her family’s economic hardships during the 2008 economic crash, and the massive bank bailouts that led her to dive deep into the field of economics. Next, we pivot to a discussion of capitalism as an undemocratic system designed “by and for the bosses.” We explore how this for-profit system manufactures scarcity, tying this fundamental tenet of capitalism to the kind of predatory practices of the oil and gas industries. These companies have engaged in horrific price gouging as American’s suffer through the economic hardships of an ongoing pandemic. (For more on this topic, watch Jessica’s video with More Perfect Union titled “Why Gas Prices Are So High Right Now.”)Jessica is an organizer and political analyst whose work with More Perfect Union and The Young Turks shines light on so many important issues, from military spending to the labor movement.  Don’t miss her Ted-X talk – “A New Direction for the U.S. Economy” – wherein Jessica calls for revolution and the complete overhaul of our economic system. Follow Jessica Burbank on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Substack. Be sure to watch her videos about CIA history. Check out her work with The Young Turks:Rebel HQUnbossed with Senator Nina Turner (YouTube show and podcast)(“Unhoused On Skid Row In Need Of Basic Facilities”)Jessica Burbank’s recommended reading:Stephanie Kelton’s book The Deficit Myth and her substack The Lens. Longer listCOCKTAIL:   DAIQUIRDATION The name is a play on the economic term “backwardation” that describes a situation in which the “futures” price of an asset is lower than the current price of the same asset)This is a delicious take on the classic daiquiri with the addition of guava since this is Jessica’s favorite kind of juice. Because guava juice varies in sweetness, you might want to adjust the amount of simple syrup to your liking. Daiquirdation2 oz rum1 oz guava juice1 oz lime1/4 oz simple syrup3 dashes bittersSupport the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

When invited to speak at the recent Gates Foundation annual event, Mikaela Loach seized the opportunity to announce that capitalism is causing climate change and “billionaires shouldn’t exist.” This young climate justice activist has been fighting fossil fuel projects in the UK using a variety of tactics. She is one of three claimants who has taken the UK government to court for handing over taxpayer money to fossil fuel companies in violation of their commitments to reach net zero emissions. Mikaela has been heavily involved in the #StopCambo campaign that successfully shut down development of the Cambo oil field. She and others in this campaign continue to fight the development of Rosebank, the biggest untapped oil field in the North Sea. If the oil and gas in this massive field are burned, they will create more CO2 than all the total emissions from all 28 low-income countries. #StopeRosebankMikaela is a 5th year medical student and the co-host of the YIKES Podcast – a show that focuses on the things that make us go “Yikes!” – from the climate crisis to racial capitalism. She just announced that she has a book coming out called IT’S NOT THAT RADICAL: Climate Action to Transform Our World. Pre-order the book here!Links:Follow & amplify the #StopRosebank campaign with @StopCamboPre-order Mikaela’s book: It’s Not That Radical: Climate Action to Transform Our WorldRead We Will Not Cancel Us by Adrienne Marie BrownCOCKTAIL: No More BillionairesMikaela Loach is a Climate Justice Activist and a lover of agave spirits. This drink combines the smokey elements of mezcal with the spice and richness of ancho chiles to make a cross between a Spicy Margarita and a Paloma. Be sure to use fresh grapefruit juice as it is key to making this drink bright and extra delicious. Italicus Bergamot Liqueur rounds out this cocktail and helps combine all the ingredients while also providing a lovely rich floral backdrop. 30     ml   Mezcal30    ml    Ancho Reyes Ancho Chile Liqueur  30    ml    Grapefruit juice15    ml    Lime juice15    ml    Italicus Bergamot Liqueur or St Germain8       ml    Simple Syrup (15ml if not using Italicus)    Small pinch of saltAdd all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well with cubed ice. Fine strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with an expressed grapefruit peel.Glassware:      RocksGarnish:         Grapefruit peelABV:             20%Pro tip: Italicus is an Italian liqueur made with bergamot and floral botanicals. It adds a lovely and rich floral backdrop to this cocktail. You can substitute a couple dashes of floral or lavender bitters or St. GermaiSupport the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

This episode dives into the nightmarish reality of residential schools and their connection to capitalism. Here are some of the issues we discuss:The history of the residential school systemThe connection between residential schools and the militaryHow these facilities promoted capitalist valuesHow residential school allowed for the theft of land“Outing programs” that tried to make Indigenous children into farm laborers and servantsIndigenous erasure and how it was perpetuated by these “schools”Native activismProfessor Jimmy Lee Beason II is a member of the Osage Nation. He is also a Professor in the Indigenous American Indian Studies Department at Haskell University in Lawrence, Kansas – a facility that was once the site of a residential school. Through his work, he’s able to share Indigenous history, culture, and values with Native youth and adults. In teaching and mentoring Indigenous students, Jimmy’s decolonial work combats the legacy of Indigenous erasure perpetuated by the residential school system across Turtle Island. Follow Jimmy on Instagram @osage_native_scholar and you can find links to his written works and interviews on Linktree.Osage Native Cooler (spirit-free)This spirit-free cocktail is a refreshing non-alcoholic riff on a classic Cooler. Jimmy prefers cucumber and mint but try it with any fruit and herb combination like strawberry and basil or use cilantro instead of mint. A non-alcoholic spirit such as Seedlip helps to add the flavor and body of a alcoholic spirit without any of the booze and can really elevate and add complexity to your favorite spirit-free cocktail. Try finding one—it’s worth the effort!Osage Native Cooler60    ml    Non-alcoholic Spirit like Seedlip Garden 10815    ml    Honey or simple sugar syrup22    ml    Fresh Lime Juice6        Slices of fresh cucumber6-8         Mint leaves                 Small pinch of salt1-3        Slices of Jalapeno (optional)            Mineral or carbonated water to top    In a cocktail shaker add the slices of cucumber, jalapeno (if using) and non-alcoholic spirit and muddle very well. Add the rest of the ingredients except the carbonated water and shake with ice. Fine strain into a Collins glass filled with cubed ice. Top with your favorite carbonated water and garnish with a slice of cucumber and mint bouquet.Glassware:      Collins glassGarnish:         Cucumber slice and Mint bouquetABV:             0%Pro Tip: if not using a non-alcoholic spirit, use 35ml of honey or simple sugar syrup, 45ml lime juice, and 30ml of water instead. Support the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism

Join us for a fun deep dive into the history of Halloween and Día de los Muertos with Nash and Angel of the Death and Friends podcast. We talk about the ancient origins of Halloween, beginning with the Celtic bonfires, feasts, and drunken festivities that took place during Samhain. When the forces of colonialism, Catholicism, and capitalism arrive on the scene, the Pagan celebration is appropriated and severely distorted. We discuss how these communal celebrations slowly morph into the capitalist holiday that we now celebrate by purchasing candy, decorations, mass-produced costumes, and scary movies. Angel Luna helps us understand the connections between Halloween and Día de los Muertos. He explains the anticapitalist origins of sugar skulls – a tradition that grew out of political art critiquing the Mexican bourgeoisie. To give you a bit of Angel’s background, he is a Chicago-based comedian and magician. If you need a magician for a wedding, a bar mitzvah, or a quinceniera, you should hit him up! Follow him on Twitter and IG.Nash Flynn is actually a returning guest who previously appeared on the show to talk about how capitalism ruined funerals. In addition to being a comedian, Nash is also a death historian who studies death-ways and burial rituals. She’s also the host of the Tomorrow Today podcast that explores current research about the shape of the future.Follow Death and Friends on IG and TwitterFollow Nash on Twitter and IG~~~~~~~~~~Our cocktail pairing for this episode is the “October Veil,” a name that refers to the ancient belief that the veil between this world and the next is thinnest during Samhain. It was believed that the veil became so thin during this time of year that spirits could cross over into the world of the living. Big thanks to Jesse Torres for crafting this beautiful Halloween drink!October Veil CocktailUse your favorite spiced rum but we recommend using Chairman’s Reserve, Bounty, or Foursquare. Any good dry fortified wine that isn’t sweet like Madeira, Sherry, or Port will work great here too. 60 ml Chairman’s Reserve St. Lucian Spiced Rum22 ml Dry Madeira or Sherry 22 ml Cinnamon syrup30 ml Pumpkin puree (canned)15 ml Lemon Juice15 ml Cranberry Juice2 dash Aromatic BittersAdd all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well with one ice cube. Dump into a brandy snifter or other lovely glass and top with pebble or crushed ice. Add a straw and garnish with a rosemary sprig, fresh cranberries, and a dusting of powdered sugar. Glassware:  Brandy SnifterGarnish: Rosemary Sprig, Fresh Cranberries, Powdered SugarABV: 18%Cinnamon syrup2:1 ratio by weight of granulated demerara sugar to water. Using a pan and stove, add sugar to water and bring to a simmer Support the showCocktails & Capitalism is an anticapitalist labor of love, but we could use your help to make this project sustainable. If you can support our work with even a dollar a month, that would really help us continue to strengthen the class consciousness of folks suffering under capitalism around the globe. https://www.patreon.com/cocktailsandcapitalism