Recently, the protest group Palestine Action was proscribed by the Labour government under counter terror legislation putting the group in the same category as Al Quaida, ISIS and National Action.This is stunning attack on the right to protest and will have wider implications for the palestine solidarity movement, and other movements that sometimes…

Kier Starmer's Powelite rhetoric last week shocked many in his party and on the left. Yet it fitrs into a long history of labour racism and racist border policies. Writer Michael Richmond joins the show to discuss all of this, the function of state race relations iniatives, the echoes of the August racist riots and more.Michael Richmond is the co a…

Author and historian Pádraig Ó Ruairc joins the show to discuss his new book, Burn Them Out: A History of Fascism and the Far Right in Ireland. We discuss Ireland's complicated political situation post war of independence, the rise of the Blueshirts and their leader Eoin O'Duffy, how FIne Gael reckons (or doesn't reckon) with its fascist origins an…

This week Alex is joined by author Lois Shearing to discuss their new book Pink Pilled: Women and the Far Right. We discuss women's precarious positions within online fascists spaces, how gender motivates far right politics today, how the emptiness of liberal feminism can be exploited and more. The interview was conducted before Pink Pilled came ou…

Sam (now known by his real name, Youtube personality Richard Hames) comes back on the show to mark the the release of a new Spanish edition of The Rise of Ecofascism. We cover some of the things in the new preface of the book, reflect on the state of the world in the age of Musk and speculate about where all this is heading. Support the show: patre…

We round up the key far right stories in 2024, discussing Tommy Robinson's incarceration, the fortunes of Homeland and PA and the absolute and total shutdown of the Traditional Britain Group xmas social.Final news, in early 2025 we will be moving to be hosted by anti-fascist researchers Red Flare! Look out soon for details of where you can find our…

For our 100th episode (!) we are joined by two member of the It's Going Down collective to discuss Trunp and the American election. We discuss the racist lies of the Trump campaign, why American fascism goes unchallenged during the Biden presidency, prospects for future resistance and more.By 12 Rules For WHAT

Its been quite a month in the UK. This episode I cover the UK race riots, featuring an interview I did with US podcast It's Going Down. Discussing the post organisational nature of the UK far right, how the EDL doesn't exist, the state's response to the riots and more. This show is part of the channel zerio network. Listen to all the shows at chann…

Aurhor and researcher Spencer Sunshine joins the show to discuss all things Seige. We discuss James Mason's obsession with Charlies Manson, how fringe art scenes championed his work, the rebirth of Seige on nazi Telegram channels and have some out of date takes on the Trump assassination attempt. Support the show: patreon.com/12rulesforwhatSupport …

Today journalist and activist Dmitry Okrest joins the show to discuss a new book on Russian antifascist Socrates. We talk about Socrate's political activism, the repression he experienced from the Russian State, the Network and Tyumen cases and much more. Support the show: patreon.com/12rulesforwhatLink to the book: https://www.activedistributionsh…

John Koenig is the author of The New York Times' Best Seller Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, a dictionary of made-up words for emotions that we all feel but don't have the words to express. We talk about his book, identity and individuality, contradiction, writing, the human experience, fatherhood, and more. — (00:44) Why use "sorrows"? (02:51) Did …

We're back and joined by researcher and activist Adrien Wilkins to discuss the history of antifascism in Norway. We discuss the tactics of both fascists and anti-fascists, the pitfalls of counter-extremism, why bomb throwing was such a big thing for the Norwegian fascist movement and much more. Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/12rulesforwhat…

Dylan O’Sullivan is a curator, editor, and writer at O'Shaughnessy Ventures and Essayful. Dylan and I talk about writing, taste, discipline vs. inspiration, timelessness vs ephemerality, boredom and solitude vs. the internet, inciting a digital renaissance, not lying to yourself, and more. — (00:45) Curating & editing vs. writing (05:39) Fear of ne…

In the late 1980s millitant anti-fascists started a cultural project, Cable Street Beat, to counter the rise of a violent fascist music scene which was attacking left wing gigs and attempting to attract a disaffected youth. For this episode reseacher Alex Cater joins to show to discuss the effort. Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/12rulesfor…

Steve Schlafman is a venture capitalist turned transition coach. We talk about lostness, transformation, curiosity, mindfulness practices, his new Downshift program, being a husband and father, and more. — (00:59) Lostness, navigating liminal identity space, personal transformations (18:31) Head and heart, mind and body; intellectualizing emotions …

Matt Clifford is a co-founder of Entrepreneur First and leads their AI efforts, as well as chair of ARIA, the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency. We talk about EF, talent investing, ambition, why we don’t have more Thiel Fellowships, his new focus on AI, and AI safety concerns. — (00:59) Talent matters most(03:17) Scarcity of talent x cult…

We are joined by author David Renton to discuss the far right in Israel, we cover the Israeli government's links to the international far right, the influence of the Kahanist movement, how Israel's government has conducted the assault on Gaza and more.Support us on patreon: patreon.com/12rulesforwhatWe are part of the Channel Zero network of anarch…

Joscha Bach is a cognitive scientist and AI researcher. We talk about our relationship with & models of reality, creativity and curiosity, animism and self-organizing software, stages of development, and more. — (01:25) The dream world; how we interact with & perceive reality(03:49) Fear(05:16) Self, consciousness, & awareness(08:10) We're a coarse…

Gabe (@VividVoid_ on Twitter) is a writer and coach, and former Marine. We talk about inferiority, art, nothingness, spirituality, courage, fear, alignment with The Void, representations of reality, exposure therapy, Quality, and more. — (00:52) You’re not inferior to anyone else (06:14) Art is the byproduct of a spiritual practice (09:28) Authenti…

Nathan Baugh writes fiction and the World Builders newsletter. We talk about writing, non-fiction vs. fiction, storytelling and world building devices, Kurt Vonnegut and other authors, getting the most out of technology and the internet, and more. — (00:47) Why writing (02:46) Loops & closing the curiosity gap (04:05) The combination of short form …

Billy Oppenheimer writes the Six at 6 newsletter, and has been a writing and research assistant for Ryan Holiday, Robert Greene, and Rick Rubin. We talk about research, naive optimism, working for legendary writers and creatives, boredom, his newsletter, curation and creation, how “the work is the win”, and his first book. —(00:52) Naive optimism &…

John Coogan is the co-founder of Soylent and Lucy, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Founders Fund, and a YouTuber and podcaster. We talk about AI, pioneering vs. wire-heading, identifying problems to solve, the need for more risk takers, satisfying curiosity, techno optimism, YouTube and podcasting, and his next venture. — (00:53) “Benevolent murder…

Today we are joined by Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, activist for People Before Profit in North Dublin to discuss November's race riots, the far right in Ireland and how the anti-fascist Irish left are fighting back and supporting migrant solidarity efforts.Follow us on instagram @12rulesforwhatSupport us on Patreon at patreon.com/12rulesforwhatEoghan is a…

Sasha Chapin is a writer, coach, and the co-founder of a fragrance line. We talk about his book, awakening, meditation, Deep Okayness, coaching, writing, fragrance, and more. — (00:54) Writing a book on meditation & awakening(04:30) What is awakening, and is there a “destination”?(07:48) There’s a “manager” in our head(11:56) Aliveness & egoism(13:…

Ryan Hashemi is the founder of Hashemi Studios, which helps businesses and creators grow on YouTube, as well as the former Chief Strategy Officer of Jubilee Media, a media company provoking understanding and human connection. Ryan and I talk about the longevity of YouTube, building the “Disney of Empathy”, keys to creating and growing on YouTube, m…

Chris Bakke is a serial entrepreneur, most recently selling his company, Laskie, to Elon Musk and X (Twitter). We talk about satire and memes, X/Twitter, authenticity, hiring and the labor marketplace, how Laskie got acquired, criteria for finding problems to solve, passion and pivoting, and creating value. — (01:04) Satire, shitposting & memes; au…

Today we are joined by writer and researcher Anthony Faramelli to discuss his work on the concept of microfascism and the nature of fascist desire.We discuss how algorithmic structures feed radicalisation, how we can intervene if someone is radicalised online, the anti-fascism of the Zapatistas and much more!…

Arjun Khemani is a HS drop out and works at Airchat, an audio messaging network founded by Naval Ravikant and Brian Norgard. Arjun and I talk about education, knowledge creation, Airchat, the power of the internet, and more. Given that Arjun is located in India on a completely opposite time zone, we thought we’d use Airchat to make a unique, experi…

Jack Raines is the writer of the Young Money blog, Editor-in-Chief of Exec Sum, and a Columbia MBA student. We talk about alternative life paths, the importance of travel, how to think about finances, writing, satire, university, prioritizing fun, and his first book that’s in the works. Please enjoy. — (01:42) Alternative life paths and scripts(05:…

Michael Mayer is the co-founder and CEO of Bottomless and owner of a popular pseudonymous Twitter account. We talk about Twitter and media, habits and cultivating a sense of disgust, failure, technology and startups, distinguishing what’s important from the noise, and more. — (00:56) Caring too much about social media & audiences; taking a year off…

In the aftermath of the far right violence seen on armistice day, in which mob fought with police and carried out attacks on the massive Palestine demonstration we discuss what it could mean, analyse where the movement comes from, assess its potential and discuss policing on the day.Support us on patreon: patreon.com/12rulesforwhatFollow us on Inst…

Danny McMahon (@Dodford on YouTube) is a filmmaker and documentarian, known for his portraits of pop culture icons. We talk about filmmaking and art, storytelling and inspiration, simplicity and experimentation, identifying your talent, and psychology. — (00:37) Why documentaries & the ease of remixing (03:11) Profiling inspiring individuals who ov…

Rory Sutherland is an author and the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy. We talk about perception vs. technological improvements, creativity, the battle between efficiency and invention, how we’re neither rational nor irrational, changes in advertising and social norms, evolutionary biology, and more. —(00:37) Perceptual arbitrage(08:23) Making space for rand…

Kevin Espiritu is the Founder and CEO of Epic Gardening. We talk about content creation, developing your passion, the pareto principle, paradoxes, creating cinematic universes, the global food supply chain, and more. — (00:42) Writing is a foundational skill across content(03:05) To get reps, you have to really want it(05:02) Developing a passion v…

Wolf Tivy is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Palladium Magazine. We talk about governance and building new institutions, religion and higher callings, virtuosity, agency, and more. — (00:16) How do you build a new governing bodies, polities, or political institutions? (18:46) Wolf’s religious underpinnings (31:03) Higher callings & Darwinian vir…

Today historian and activist Louise Hann joins the show to discuss the reprint of a new edition of Physical Resistance: 100 years of antifascism by Dave Hann.We talk about what physical resistance really means, the use of history for antifascists today. Dave Hann's process for writing the book and more! To support the show, and get some extra bonus…

Chris Turner is the founder and CEO of Moonrise, a co-learning space for homeschoolers and creative kids. We talk about the public education system, homeschooling, taking kids seriously, the internet as curriculum, skills for navigating the future, finding meaningful work, education startups, technology and design in learning, and more. — (00:48) W…

Kyle Harrison is the General Partner at Contrary Capital, as well as a writer. We talk about hype cycles, talent vortexes, investing in people, battles between tradition and progress, building systems, writing, and much more. — (00:46) Acceleration of FOMO and hype cycles in investing(07:04) Being people-centric is contrarian in VC(11:19) Most barr…

Jackson Dahl is a venture capitalist and was on the founding team of esports company 100 Thieves. We talk about finding your compulsion, oscillating between interest areas, navigating accelerating technological change, the relationships between creators and audiences, building community online and in-person, and art and creativity. — (00:50) Identi…

This week I'm joined by legal observer Andy Meinke of : court support group Activist Court Aid Brigade to discuss new restrictions in UK protest law, the vagaries of conspiracy, the difficulties of legal observing a antifascist protest and much more.Support the show on patreon: patreon.com/12rulesforwhatFollow the instagram and twitter @12rulesforw…

Tyler Denk is the co-founder and CEO of newsletter platform Beehiiv, and was the second employee at Morning Brew. We talk about newsletters, creators, running a startup, standing out, taking the path less traveled, ambition, authenticity, and uniqueness. — (00:46) Why build a newsletter platform & not another Morning Brew-like newsletter(01:48) VC,…

Xavier Helgesen is the co-founder of Enduring Ventures, a long-term holding company. He also co-founded Better World Books and was the founding CEO of Zola Electric. We talk about holding companies, the publishing industry, capital allocation, focus, reinventing ourselves, building things that last, parenting, and more. — (02:43) Why run 20+ busine…

Emmett Shear is the co-founder and former CEO of Twitch, ex-interim CEO of OpenAI, and a visiting partner at Y Combinator. We talk about agency, meta learning, deliberate practice, coordination problems, parasocial relationships, positive sum games, and more. Please enjoy. — (00:51) When to persist vs. make a change(06:16) Know what you want and ho…

Today researcher and writer Timo Koch joins the show to discuss National Conservatism, a far right populist ideology focussed on influencing high level policy. We cover Natcon's history, the influence of Orban, its reactionary idea of the family and much more.Support the show on patreon: patreon.com/12rulesforwhat…

Nick (AKA Critter / @becomingcritter) is a writer and podcaster. We talk about presence, skepticism, religion, fearless authenticity, balancing seriousness and fun, relationships, and podcasting. Please enjoy. — (03:01) Seeking mystery & divinity(08:54) Skepticism, presence, and realizations about conceptions like time(23:36) Impermanent immediacy(…

Matt Bateman is the Vice President of Pedagogy at Higher Ground Education. We talk about a pedagogy, Montessori, capability and agency in children, experimentation in education, how young education is as a science, the importance of work, and a conception of the good life. — (00:42) Leaving academia(02:35) Why Montessori & seeing a classroom for th…

Nicole (@startingfromnix) is a writer. We talk about writing, introspection, being heart- vs. head-heavy, what’s core to your identity, pursuing meaning over ego, living in the present, depth and endurance, and more. — (00:41) Writes helps you clarify your thoughts(02:49) The taste gap & inching closer to what you want to write(05:47) Focusing on t…

This week I am joined by Milica Svabic of the migrant solidarity and border monitoring organisation Kilkaktiv to discuss border violence and the far right in Serbia. We talk about the practical work of supporting people on the move in Serbia, how smuggling gangs have become stronger because of increased border security, the far right's use of the m…

Jake (@0FJAKE) is a podcaster, writer, and the former Chief of Staff for Balaji Srinivasan. We talk about sabbaticals and taking the time to find your work, pseudonymity and authenticity, status, challenging norms, the benefits of audio, and more. — (00:44) Taking sabbaticals(06:29) People should spend more time finding their next thing(16:56) Havi…

Dwarkesh Patel is the creator of the Lunar Society newsletter and podcast. We talk about curiosity, talent, podcasting and research, status games, finding what to work on, standing out from the crowd, and AI & futurism. — (00:42) Starting a podcast out of college while others enter the workforce(04:51) How he overcomes the occasional desire to quit…