Heart Yoga Radio

STICKING IT TO THE MAN, UBI & DENIAL - INTERESTING TIMES 86

Join me on my constitutional. In this podcast, I examine how wide-spread and justifiable resentment at conditions of life under current power arrangements is channelled by the very agencies causing that resentment into serving their project of concentrating concentrate wealth and power in a very few hands. The result here is that a good many people believe passionately that they are sticking it to the man by cleaving to beliefs, action and politics which that same man devised and paid to propagate. I use the example of some recent debate around the viability of Universal Basic Income (UBI) and the role of the state. [Free. 27 minutes.]

AI, MONEY, TIME

Join me on my constitutional. In a somewhat rambling discourse, I examine an engagement with an AI on the subject of theories of money and, from there, proceed to take issue with 'technological solutionism' which suggests that technological advance of a certain kind is sufficient to solve humanity's pressing problems. Over and against this idea, I claim that technology can be immensely powerful and transformative, but is not sufficient to ensure human flourishing without the appropriate political and structural change to society. I illustrate the case with the empirical case of how massively enhanced technologically-facilitated productivity has not improved the lot of workers but has lead to the concentration of wealth and power in very few hands. I suggest the use of enhanced productivity and the ability to automate drudgery should be used to liberate time for people in general rather than serving the bottom line. [Free. 26 minutes.]

LOOKING BACK OVER 2024 AND FORWARD TO 2025 - INTERESTING TIMES 85

In this podcast, I reflect on events of the past year, particularly with respect to ecological, economic, and cultural systems. I compare  my forward speculations of January 24 with events of the year itself. I also speculate on how the trends I identify might develop as 2025 unfolds. I ask if there are any hopeful signs and question what we can and should do. [Free. 69 minutes.] 

OPTIMISM OF THE WILL, PESSIMISM OF THE INTELLECT - INTERESTING TIMES 80

In this podcast, I apply Gramsci's concepts of optimism of the will and pessimism of the intellect to some recent news items in order to expose the propaganda nature of their reporting by the BBC and other MSM, to expose the "common sense" and natural seeming language of the broadcasters, which however obscures reality whilst pretending to illluminate it.  [Free. 31 minutes.] 

"LIFE IS ONLY REDEEMED THROUGH ART" - HOW SO?

In this podcast, I reflect on Nietzsche's apercu that "life is only redeemed through art". I consider social, cultural, political and individual aspects of the question. I ask, what help, if any, such reflections might give us when we are faced with the necessity of changing our brutal reality which is that business as usual is not an option if we are to survive, let alone thrive. [Free. 25 minutes.]

WHAT DOES THE BBC WANT YOU TO THINK TODAY? RAW THOUGHT

In this podcast, we discuss two recent propaganda offensives that the BBC is engaging in and which the rest of the MSM are parroting. They are the propositions that (1) carbon capture and storage can mitigate climate disruption and we can accordingly go on with business as usual, and that (2) the Israeli state are the good guys. Needless to say, we dispute both of those propositions. [Free. 32 minutes.]

TORY CONFERENCE 23 - INCOMPETENCE, FRAGMENTATION AND MADNESS - INTERESTING TIMES 69

In this podcast, we reflect on widely reported items from the 2023 Tory Part Conference, and plug into some of the wider political and philosophical issues they give rise to. [Free. 42 minutes.]

LAO TZU 68

In this podcast, we engage with the final chapter [81] of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. In this chapter, Lao Tzu is suspicious of book learning and loquacious oratory, instead intimating that knowledge gained through meditation and clear seeing and plain speech are preferable. He also reminds us that non-doing is the way of both the sage and the Tao itself. [Free. 29 minutes.] For details and to book our forthcoming live event - http://peteyates.uk/live-events/

TRAILER FOR ’THE APOCALYPSE & YOU’ LIVE EVENTS

In this podcast, we outline the material we'll cover in our forthcoming series of live talks on zoom. The series  starts on 15th October, 1pm BST and four more events follow at weekly intervals. To book, visit http://peteyates.uk/live-events/. [Free. 29 minutes.]

INTERESTING TIMES 68 - WHERE IS THE WAR ON WOKE GOING?

We devote the first few minutes of this podcast to announcing our forthcoming series of live talks on zoom entitled, The Apocalypse and You. The first of the four weekly talks will be on October 15th, 1 - 3pm. Email me on info AT peteyates.uk if you're interested in the series of talks.

The podcast proper jumps off from a consideration of a peculiarly fervid and florid rant which the UK Home Secretary delivered recently in the UK Parliament and which declared war of the 'tofu eating wokerati'. We demonstrate how this diatribe was a part of a concerted programme of divide and rule propaganda  which is intensifying as the reactionary UK establishment experiences considerable push back.  [Free. 34 minutes.]