OVERTHINK

In episode 174 of Overthink, Ellie and David chat with Indigenous philosopher and activist Kyle Whyte about his work on climate action. They discuss how Indigenous people are often blocked out of conversations about environmental impact, the common mischaracterization of the land back movement, and the importance of kinship. How are certain groups disproportionately affected by climate change? Is climate change actually a new problem? And how can respecting land rights of Indigenous people offer some solutions to climate change? In the Substack bonus segment, your hosts question who is called upon to respond to the crisis of climate change and how non-Indigenous people should engage in discussions surrounding climate change and colonialism. 

In episode 173 of Overthink, Ellie and David talk about theft. They discuss the lack of legal repercussions for tech companies stealing information to train new AI models, how feudalism and capitalism produced the conditions for stealing land with the creation of private property, and what the historic association between kleptomania and women demonstrates about the gendered dimension of theft. What does the move from heist films to grift docudramas say about 21st century capitalism? Can you steal land if it’s not already property? And why do we sometimes take the side of thieves?

In episode 172 of Overthink, Ellie and David take a closer look at Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, “the bible of decolonization.” They discuss Fanon’s bold stance on violence, his condemnation of rituals and dance, and some potential criticisms. They also question what the subjectivity of colonized people looks like given colonialism’s psycho-affective effects. What does violence do for the colonized? Who gets liberation movements off the ground? And what are the challenges that a newly independent nation might face once a colonial power has been overthrown?