Upstream
Episodes
The Politics of COVID with Eric Levitz
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a year since Covid hit the United States and radically altered our lives. It won't be news to most that the Trump administration completely ...
McMindfulness with Ron Purser
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last few decades, mindfulness has gone viral. These days, the practice has found its way into corporations, prisons, schools, police departme...
Documentary #9: Debunking the Myth of Homo Economicus
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What do you see when you peek behind the curtains of neoliberal capitalism? What happens when you lift the veil off? Well, you see a mythological char...
A Solstice Celebration for 2020 with Manda Scott and Nathalie Nahai
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're bringing you a special solstice // New Year's conversation. Upstream host Della Duncan comes out from interviewer's chair to be...
The Sickness is the System with Richard Wolff
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It won't come as a surprise to most to hear that the Trump administration has completely dropped the ball on their response to the covid pandemic. The...
Abolishing Silicon Valley with Wendy Liu
18 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The idea of Silicon Valley means many things to many people. The most prominent associations with this region and culture probably have to do with the...
Grassroots Urban Placemaking with Mark Lakeman
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What if you got your neighbors together and occupied the public spaces on your book, transforming them into whatever you would all want it to be? What...
A Systems Perspective On Our Current Crisis with Nafeez Ahmed
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Nafeez Ahmed is a journalist and researcher who uses systems thinking to support the just transition to a more equitable and sustainable future. W...
International Development and Post-capitalism with Jason Hickel
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing our focus on the COVID pandemic and its intersection with capitalism, in this Conversation, we spoke with London-based economic anthropolog...
COVID and The Rot of The American Ruling Class with Doug Henwood
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing our focus on the coronavirus pandemic and its intersection with capitalism, in this conversation we speak with Doug Henwood, an economist a...
COVID, Feminist Economics, and Democratic Socialism with Julia Salazar
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing our focus on the coronavirus pandemic and its intersection with capitalism, in this conversation we speak with New York State Senator, Juli...
An Epidemic of Insecurity with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's unfortunate that it's taking a global pandemic to reveal it, but the unprecedented crisis catalyzed by the coronavirus has exposed our capitalist...
Extinction Rebellion with Gail Bradbrook
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In recent months, thousands of people from coast to coast have confronted politicians and asked them to take action on climate change. Few of these po...
Gift Economies with Robin McKenna
03 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What do an indigenous ceremony in Canada, Burning Man, and an occupied salami factory in Rome have in common? They are all expressions of the gift eco...
Is Localization a Solution to the Crisis of Capitalism? with Helena Norberg Hodge
29 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's often said that the economic system is rigged. The truth, however, is that the system is working exactly as it was designed to. Those in power, w...
A People's History of Silicon Valley with Keith A. Spencer
26 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The dark shadow of Silicon Valley is growing longer everyday, covering more and more of the globe and spreading not just technology, but a particular ...
Documentary #8: Worker Cooperatives Pt. 2 – Islands within a Sea of Capitalism (Documentary)
12 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the second episode of the series on worker cooperatives, we build on the conversation that we began in Episode one, which explored how cooperatives...
Documentary #8: Worker Cooperatives Pt. 1 – Widening Spheres of Democracy
24 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The 21st century has seen an explosion in Worker Cooperatives—particularly since capitalism's 2008 crisis. In Part 1 of this 2-part series, we'll ex...
How Agriculture Turned Humanity into a Superorganism with Lisi Krall
06 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For the last 150,000 or so years of human evolution, not a whole lot changed. That is, until about 10,000 years ago, when in the blink of an eye we be...
The End of Policing with Alex Vitale
10 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation we spoke with author Alex S. Vitale about his new book, "The End of Policing," which was published by Verso Books on October 10th...
Documentary #7: Universal Basic Income Pt. 2 – A Bridge Towards Post-Capitalism?
25 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It has been said that it's easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine the end of capitalism. That might have been true a decade ago, but t...
Documentary #7: Universal Basic Income Pt. 1 – An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
15 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What if you were paid just for being alive? Just imagine, you are given a check every month for the rest of your life, enough to cover all of your bas...
The Divide: Global Inequality from Conquest to Free Markets with Jason Hickel
23 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Conversation we spoke with Jason Hickel, an anthropologist formerly at the London School of Economics and now at Goldsmiths University of Lond...
Documentary #6: Beer - Crafting a Better Economy
09 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Once an important life-force of early civilization and an ancient crafter of community, beer was, like many things under our current economic system, ...
Doughnut Economics with Kate Raworth
03 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When you think about economics, what images come to mind? Maybe a supply and demand graph? Or a blackboard with complex equations scrawled across it? ...
Documentary #5: The Call For A New Economy
21 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Bellowing out in the songs of eco-village choirs and reverberating down city streets through the chants of the 99%, the call for a new economy echoes ...
African American Co-ops with Jessica Gordon Nembhard
15 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Upstream Conversation we spoke with Professor Jessica Gordon Nembhard, author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative...
Platform Cooperativism with Trebor Scholz
05 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Upstream Conversation we spoke with scholar and activist Trebor Scholz, who is an Associate Professor of Culture & Media at the New School for...
The Solidarity Economy with Cheyenna Weber
30 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Upstream Conversation with spoke with Cheyenna Weber, co-founder of SolidarityNYC and a lead organizer of the Cooperative Economics Alliance o...
Documetary #4: The Solidarity Economy
13 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we explore a phenomenon that has existed throughout centuries both within and alongside Capitalism. Wherever relationships have been b...
Sneak Peak: Racism & capitalism (Jessica Gordon Nembhard)
05 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You're listening to a Sneak Peak of our Solidarity Economy episode with scholar & activist Jessica Gordon Nembard, Professor of Community Justice and ...
Election 2016 Aftermath with Doug Henwood
01 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this Upstream Conversation we spoke with author and journalist Doug Henwood. Doug wrote a book about Hillary Clinton called My Turn: Hillary Clinto...
The Recession isn't Over, but is Capitalism? with Richard Wolff
17 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Unemployment is down and the stock market is up. So we're in a recovery, right? Many politicians & economists would like us to think that, but in this...
Documentary #3: Betrayal & Solidarity In Greece
01 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Greece was all over the news in 2014 and 2015. You might remember hearing about the new radical left party Syriza, the referendum, the violence in the...
Art of Hosting with Maria Scordialos
01 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Maria Scordialos is a Greek activist, co-initiator of The Art of Hosting, and founder of the Living Wholeness Institute, which runs the Axladitsa re...
The Crisis in Greece with James Galbraith
30 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
James K. Galbraith is an advisor to former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis. He is also a founding member of DiEM25, an economist who writes of...
Regenerative Agriculture at Studio Hill Farm with Jesse McDougall
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Raising animals for food is often cited as being one of the drivers of the ecological crisis we're in. But does it have to be? Meet Jesse McDougall, o...
Happy City Bristol with Liz Ziedler
01 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Liz Zeidler is the Co-founder and Director of Happy City, an organization in Bristol, UK which is about giving people more of what we all want, but th...
Flatpack Democracy with Peter Macfadyen
01 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Macfadyen is the radical council member and previous Mayor of Frome. He is also the author of Flatpack Democracy, a DIY guide to creating indepe...
The Spirit Level with Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett
31 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett are the authors of the book The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. The Spirit Level no...
Documentary #2: Welcome to Frome Pt. 3 – A New Cultural Vision
31 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this final episode of our 3-part series, "Welcome to Frome", we explore possible futures for the small Somerset town of Frome. In this episode,...
Documentary #2: Welcome to Frome Pt. 2 - A Town Divided
31 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this second episode of our 3-part series, "Welcome to Frome", we explore the darker history of the small Somerset town of Frome. In this epis...
Documentary #2: Welcome to Frome Pt. 1 - This Is What The New Economy Looks Like
31 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this first episode of our 3-part series, "Welcome to Frome", we explore how the small Somerset town of Frome started a revolution that has complete...
Crisis Theory - A Marxist Video Game with David Cribb
11 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Crisis Theory is a new video game developed by David Cribb. In this game, you play as the spirit of capitalism. Your one job is to keep the game from ...
Sneak Peak: Seeing Wetiko (Martin Kirk)
04 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Wetiko is an Algonquin word for a cannibalistic spirit or thought-form driven by greed, excess and selfish consumption. It deludes its host into belie...
Sanders, Clinton, and Corbyn with Richard Seymour
12 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
"The mirror of democracy is cracked and warped and people no longer recognize their reflection in it." Where should the Bernie Movement go after the c...
Sneak Peak: Why we need a 21st Century Labor Movement (Wilkinson & Pickett)
29 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Inequality reduced dramatically from around the 1930s to the 1980s, when it suddenly started rising again to levels not seen for almost a hundred year...
Brexit with Joseph Choonara
26 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview we hear from Socialist Worker's Party member & Lexit Campaign Spokesperson Joseph Choonara. We spoke about the movement on the radi...
Sneak Peak: Why the Radical Left Voted to Leave Europe (Joseph Choonara)
25 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
"Neoliberalism has become embedded in the very DNA of the European Union." It was not just the Right in the UK that voted to leave the EU. Listen to o...
Richard Seymour
23 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview we hear from activist and writer Richard Seymour. We spoke about the Orlando shootings, Brexit, Corbyn & the Labour Party, Trump, th...
Sneak Peak: What's Really Going on Behind Brexit? (Richard Seymour)
21 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Brexit? This Thursday Great Britain is poised to vote on whether or not to leave the European Union. The decisions and politics driving this referendu...
Sneak Peak: Loukanikos the Riot Dog (Yianni Litovchenko)
21 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Upstream Sneak Peak, Yianni Litovchenko of Alternative Tours of Athens tells us the story of the famous Greek riot dog Loukankios (or "Sausage...
Sneak Peak: Greek Financial Crisis Explained (Maria Scordialos)
15 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this Upstream Sneak Peak, we spoke with Greek activist and co-initiator of The Art of Hosting Maria Scordialos. She will be featured in our upcomin...
The Divide with Katharine Round
27 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Katharine Round is the director of the documentary film The Divide, which is based off of the book The Spirit Level. The Divide tells the story of 7 i...
Stop GDP with Martin Whitlock
16 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview we spoke with Martin Whitlock, co-founder of Stop-GDP.org and author of Human Politics : Human Value: Towards a society for people a...
Craftivism with Sarah Corbett
01 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Corbett is a craft-activist, or "craftivist". She is the founder of Craftivist-Collective, and has worked as a campaigner for NGOs like Oxfam an...
Gift Economies with Angela Miles
27 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Angela Miles is a professor at the University of Toronto, member of International Feminists for a Gift Economy, and author of the books Integrative ...
The Sharing Economy with Doug Henwood
23 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Doug Henwood is a columnist for The Nation, Harper's, and Jacobin Mag; the radio host of Behind the News; author of Wall Street: How it Works and for ...
The Sharing Economy with Keally McBride
18 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview we spoke with Keally McBride, Professor of Politics and the Chair of International Studies at the University of San Francisco. She w...
Spiritual Ecology with Satish Kumar
10 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview we hear from Satish Kumar: former monk, author, editor of Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine, long-time peace & environmental activist,...
The Sharing Economy? (15 minute shortened version)
29 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this shortened version of our "The Sharing Economy?" episode, we look at how companies like Taskrabbit and Uber have influenced an entire generatio...
Transition Towns with Rob Hopkins
29 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview, we hear from Rob Hopkins, the founder of the Transition movement, a radically hopeful community-driven approach to creating societi...
Ecological Feminism with Nadia Johanisova
23 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview we hear from Nadia Johanisova, an Ecological Economist, Professor of Environmental Studies in the Czech Republic, and the person who...
Economic Democracy with Pat Conaty
12 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Pat is a fellow Californian living in the U.K. He has worked with the New Economic Foundation since 1987 and is also a research associate of Co-operat...
Buen Vivir with Eduardo Gudynas
28 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This interview is a conversation with Eduardo Gudynas, a leading scholar of Buen Vivir, a Latin American social movement to focus development on "the ...
Gross National Happiness with Dr. Tho Ha Vinh
08 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview, we hear from Dr. Ha Vinh Tho, the Program Development Coordinator of the Gross National Happiness Centre in Bhutan. Tho is also the...
The Work That Reconnects with Joanna Macy
08 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview, we hear from Joanna Macy PhD, a highly revered local eco-justice philosopher, activist, and leader. Joanna is a scholar, teacher, a...
Robin Murray
08 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we spoke with the late Robin Murray, a prolific sustainability and environmental economist, an advocate for a living economy, and a k...
Growing Good Lives with Inez Aponte
07 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this interview, we hear from Inez Aponte, the founder of Growing Good Lives, an organization dedicated to bringing about a socially and environment...
Documentary #1: The Sharing Economy?
06 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we look at how companies like Airbnb and Uber have influenced an entire generation and entirely shifted the economic landscape of majo...