Legalise Freedom Dot Com

LF246 Rob Larson – Capitalism Vs. Freedom: The Toll Road to Serfdom

Rob Larson discusses his book Capitalism Vs. Freedom – The Toll Road to Serfdom
For years, we’ve been taught that capitalism is good for freedom. Dominant right-wing commentators claim that markets free us, and this view still dominates education and politics. However, in Capitalism vs. Freedom, Larson puts big business under a microscope, debunking libertarian economics while demonstrating that the marketplace has its own great centres of power, which the libertarian tradition itself claims is a limit to freedom. Larson illustrates how capitalism fails both this and other concepts of human liberty, not just failing to establish a right to a share of society’s production, but also leaving us subject to the power plays of political and corporate elites which are increasingly becoming one and the same.
That global economic, political, social, and environmental systems are disintegrating is scarcely in doubt. Inequality is on the rise as resources are concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. Even in the West, children now born can expect to be poorer than their parents. The era of ever-increasing prosperity is coming to an end. Conventional energy sources are running out while renewables fail to plug the gap. Climate change is making vast swathes of the Earth – such as the Middle East – increasingly uninhabitable for millions who have two choices – move somewhere else or die. Mass migration continues to drive social conflict. Fundamentalism is resurgent. Donald Trump and Brexit are just two of the most obvious signs of cascading collapse. The kaleidoscope has been shaken, the pieces are in flux, a new world is coming. The question simply remains – what, if anything, can we do about it?
Bumper music:Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OSTTangerine Dream ‘Thief’‘
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LF245 Carl Abrahamsson – Occulture: The Unseen Forces That Drive Culture Forward

Carl Abrahamsson discusses his book Occulture – The Unseen Forces That Drive Culture Forward.
Art, magic, and the occult have been intimately linked since our prehistoric ancestors created the first cave paintings some 50,000 years ago. As civilizations developed, these esoteric forces continued to drive culture forward, both visibly and behind the scenes, from the Hermetic ideas of the Renaissance, to the ethereal worlds of 19th century Symbolism, and the occult interests of the Surrealists. In this deep exploration of ‘occulture’ – the liminal space where art and magic meet – Carl Abrahamsson reveals the integral role played by magic and occultism in the development of culture throughout history as well as their relevance to the continuing survival of art and creativity.
Blending magical history and esoteric philosophy with his more than 30 years’ experience in occult movements, Abrahamsson looks at the phenomena and people who have been seminal in modern esoteric developments, including Carl Jung, Anton LaVey, Aleister Crowley, and Rudolf Steiner. Showing how art and magic were initially one and the same, the author explores the history of magic as a source of genuine counter culture and compares it with our contemporary soulless, digital monoculture. He reveals how the magic of art can be restored if art is employed as a means rather than an end – if it is intense, emotional, violent, and expressive – and offers strategies for creating freely, magically, even spontaneously, with intent unfettered by the whims of trends, a creative practice akin to chaos magick that assists both creators and spectators to live with meaning.
He also looks at intuition and creativity as the cornerstones of genuine individuation, explaining how insights and illuminations seldom come in collective forms. Exploring magical philosophy, occult history, the arts, psychology, and the colourful grey areas in between, Abrahamsson reveals the culturally and magically transformative role of art and the ways the occult continues to transform culture to this day.
www.patreon.com/vanessa23carl
www.carlabrahamsson.com
www.trapart.net
 
Bumper music:
Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Havdis ‘Borea’
 
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LF244 Anthony Peake – Mystery and Meaning in Time, Space, and Matter – Part Two

Anthony Peake discusses his book Time and The Rose Garden: Encountering the Magical in the Life and Works of J.B. Priestley. This is a two-part interview. Part one is here
Active from the early 1900s almost until his death in 1984, English playwright and novelist John Boynton Priestly – when considered at all – is generally regarded as an old fashioned, outmoded relic of a bygone literary age. However, as Anthony Peake shows, Priestly was often far ahead of his time as a thinker, and was an avid explorer of the great existential mysteries which have occupied some of the greatest minds for millennia. Peake draws out common themes in Priestley’s work which strongly suggest that time, space, and matter are not what they seem. In this strange, surreal and, for most people, largely unfamiliar view of reality, mind and matter are intimately intertwined, opening up a panorama of bewildering possibilities. Do past, present and future exist simultaneously in an eternal now? If so, is the past still accessible under certain circumstances, and under similar circumstances, can we foresee the events of the future?
The emergent picture is one of reality as a holistic system in which every part is interconnected with and accessible by every other part. Mind and matter anywhere in the Universe have the potential to affect mind and matter anywhere else in the Universe, instantly, and irrespective of location in either space or time. In this light, psychic phenomena such as precognition, telepathy, and telekinesis suddenly seem possible, and disturbing anomalies such as time-slips, deja vu, ghosts, and UFOs appear less bizarre. As cutting-edge physics continues to construct a scientific framework on which to hang such largely subjective experiences, Peake’s book calls for a reassessment of Priestley’s work and his contribution to our ongoing struggle to comprehend the unfathomable complexities of the cosmos.
Previous interviews with Anthony Peake:Opening the Doors of PerceptionThe Infinite MindfieldThe Labyrinth of Time
Bumper music:Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Klaus Schulze ‘Schwanensee 1’
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LF243 Anthony Peake – Mystery and Meaning in Time, Space, and Matter – Part One

Anthony Peake discusses his book Time and The Rose Garden: Encountering the Magical in the Life and Works of J.B. Priestley. This is a two-part interview. Part two is here
Active from the early 1900s almost until his death in 1984, English playwright and novelist John Boynton Priestly – when considered at all – is generally regarded as an old fashioned, outmoded relic of a bygone literary age. However, as Anthony Peake shows, Priestly was often far ahead of his time as a thinker, and was an avid explorer of the great existential mysteries which have occupied some of the greatest minds for millennia. Peake draws out common themes in Priestley’s work which strongly suggest that time, space, and matter are not what they seem. In this strange, surreal and, for most people, largely unfamiliar view of reality, mind and matter are intimately intertwined, opening up a panorama of bewildering possibilities. Do past, present and future exist simultaneously in an eternal now? If so, is the past still accessible under certain circumstances, and under similar circumstances, can we foresee the events of the future?
The emergent picture is one of reality as a holistic system in which every part is interconnected with and accessible by every other part. Mind and matter anywhere in the Universe have the potential to affect mind and matter anywhere else in the Universe, instantly, and irrespective of location in either space or time. In this light, psychic phenomena such as precognition, telepathy, and telekinesis suddenly seem possible, and disturbing anomalies such as time-slips, deja vu, ghosts, and UFOs appear less bizarre. As cutting-edge physics continues to construct a scientific framework on which to hang such largely subjective experiences, Peake’s book calls for a reassessment of Priestley’s work and his contribution to our ongoing struggle to comprehend the unfathomable complexities of the cosmos.
Previous interviews with Anthony Peake:Opening the Doors of PerceptionThe Infinite MindfieldThe Labyrinth of Time
Bumper music:Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Klaus Schulze ‘Zeitgeist’
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LF242 Antonin Tuynman – Machine / Mind / Mankind – The Future of Consciousness

Antonin Tuynman discusses his book Is Intelligence an Algorithm?, a wide-ranging exploration of the similarities and differences between human and artificial intelligence, and the potential for future advancement of both.
Although human and machine intelligence share certain similarities, there are profound differences which pose significant problems for the development of an artificial intelligence which can truly match or even exceed the capabilities of the human brain. Artificial intelligence seeks to emulate the strengths of human intelligence whilst eliminating its weaknesses. However, both human flaws and human genius stem from the same source and it seems that we cannot have one without the other. Among other things, this places the prospects for transhumanist hopes of merging man and machine in serious doubt.
There is also the question of whether artificial intelligence can ever truly understand the information it processes. Even the most powerful computers today are still essentially number crunchers with a limited capacity for pattern recognition. Meaning and purpose are alien to A.I., as are beliefs, emotions, desires, intuition, morals, and a host of other human characteristics and qualities. Consciousness is an unfathomable mystery even to us, so it seems that our attempts to replicate it in machines are doomed to failure.
However, whatever the apparent limitations of artificial intelligence, computers are increasingly being placed in charge of the infrastructure and systems on which modern life depends. This poses difficult questions about what might happen should A.I. somehow evolve on its own. The so-called ‘internet of things’ is linking computer power with sensors, robots, and other machines at a rate which may become exponential. This cybernetic matrix is being given the power to control, to regulate, to decide, to act. What if it calculates that we are the problem? Many human beings have already come to this conclusion. Man, machine, or something in between… To whom – or what – does the future belong?
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Cwtch ‘What Do Robots Dream About?’
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LF241 Thomas Sheridan – The Secret Science of Sorcery – Part Two

Thomas Sheridan discusses his book Sorcery – The Invocation of Strangeness.
This is a two part interview. Part one is here.
In the modern world, we no longer have time for magic, dismissing it as mere mumbo-jumbo from a less enlightened age. One might say, in fact, that the magic has gone out of our lives. Most of us, however, misunderstand just what magic is – a mechanism for manipulating the world around us, which through suppression and since the ascent of the scientific era, has mostly faded from memory. Yet this force lives on and indeed is fundamental to the very fabric of the Universe.
Probing deeper, we find that most of that which makes up all that apparently exists – in the form of dark matter and dark energy – remains a mystery to modern mainstream science. We discover that conventional notions of time, space, and matter are illusions and that reality is subjective, malleable, and made up of myriad unseen, unknown levels. We learn that our beliefs and expectations, our desire and will, play a part in shaping reality and in doing so, we understand that we can manipulate the mechanics of the non-material toward our own ends. Materialist science may reject mind over matter, but it’s real enough. From particle physics to psychic powers, and from Donald Trump to 9/11, we roam the realms where science and sorcery are one and the same, and nothing or nowhere is quite what it seems.
Previous interviews with Thomas Sheridan:The Anvil of the PsycheConsciousness Parasites and Psychopathic SocietyRise of the Nazi Death CultThe Druid Code: Magic, Megaliths and Mythology
Bumper music:Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Tangerine Dream ‘Sorcerer’
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LF240 Thomas Sheridan – The Secret Science of Sorcery – Part One

Thomas Sheridan discusses his book Sorcery – The Invocation of Strangeness.
In the modern world, we no longer have time for magic, dismissing it as mere mumbo-jumbo from a less enlightened age. One might say, in fact, that the magic has gone out of our lives. Most of us, however, misunderstand just what magic is – a mechanism for manipulating the world around us, which through suppression and since the ascent of the scientific era, has mostly faded from memory. Yet this force lives on and indeed is fundamental to the very fabric of the Universe.
Probing deeper, we find that most of that which makes up all that apparently exists – in the form of dark matter and dark energy – remains a mystery to modern mainstream science. We discover that conventional notions of time, space, and matter are illusions and that reality is subjective, malleable, and made up of myriad unseen, unknown levels. We learn that our beliefs and expectations, our desire and will, play a part in shaping reality and in doing so, we understand that we can manipulate the mechanics of the non-material toward our own ends. Materialist science may reject mind over matter, but it’s real enough. From particle physics to psychic powers, and from Donald Trump to 9/11, we roam the realms where science and sorcery are one and the same, and nothing or nowhere is quite what it seems.
Previous interviews with Thomas Sheridan:The Anvil of the PsycheConsciousness Parasites and Psychopathic SocietyRise of the Nazi Death CultThe Druid Code: Magic, Megaliths and Mythology
Bumper music:Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Tangerine Dream ‘Sorcerer’
Listen to more shows on Legalise Freedom Dot Com.

LF239 Phil Escott – Why Eat Meat? The Case for Carnivores

Phil Escott discusses the possible benefits and potential challenges of a carnivore diet.
Although vegetarian and vegan diets have long been promoted as healthier alternatives to the carbohydrate and sugar saturated Western diet, in recent years much has been made of paleo, ketogenic, and similar low carb diets which attempt to emulate the eating patterns if not the entire lifestyle of our ancient ancestors. There is another alternative, however, now re-emerging, which takes some of those ideas a stage further – the complete, or near-complete, carnivore diet. Controversial and subject to some scathing criticism, it nonetheless offers options to those finding their current food regime unsatisfying, unhealthy or otherwise no longer acceptable.
But making or even contemplating such a choice can be challenging, caught between the mainstream medical dogma of ‘five a day’ and ‘healthy wholegrains’ and the sometimes savage attacks of vegan and veggie evangelists who believe that ‘meat is murder’, an atavistic throwback to be abandoned for the sake of the environmental, moral and spiritual well-being of the planet. The reality of the situation isn’t quite so black and white, but in an age characterised by polarised politics and destructively-divisive public debate, there’s almost always more heat than light when arguments erupt on emotive subjects. Attempting to cut through the confusion and needless complexity, Escott suggests some simple, straightforward strategies for those seeking lifestyle changes, starting with the larder.
Previous interviews with Phil Escott:Holistic Health and Natural HealingWhat is Awakening?
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’
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LF238 James Howard Kunstler – The Geography of Nowhere

James Howard Kunstler discusses his book The Geography of Nowhere – The Rise and Decline of America’s Man-Made Landscape.
First published in 1994 but sadly more relevant than ever, The Geography of Nowhere traces America’s evolution from a nation of Main Streets and coherent communities to a land where every place is like no place in particular, where the cities are dead zones, and the countryside is a wasteland of cartoon architecture and parking lots. In elegant and often hilarious prose, Kunstler depicts America’s evolution from the Pilgrim settlements to the modern car-centric suburb in all its ghastliness, adding up the huge economic, social, and spiritual costs that the U.S. is paying for its gas-guzzling lifestyle.
It is also a wake-up call for citizens to reinvent the places where we live and work, and to build communities that are once again worthy of our affection. Kunstler proposes that by reviving civic art and civic life, we will rediscover public virtue and a new vision of the common good. ‘œThe future’, he says, ‘œwill require us to build better places, or the future will belong to other people in other societies.’
The Geography of Nowhere has become a touchstone work in the decades since its initial publication, its incisive commentary giving voice to the feeling of millions of Americans that their nation’s suburban environments are ceasing to be credible human habitats. We examine what has changed during the intervening years and ask, in the shadow of looming political, social, economic, and environmental crises, whether anything worthwhile might be salvaged from the wreckage that America’s suburban sprawl must inevitably become.
Previous interview with James Howard Kunstler:Too Much Magic
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’John Foxx And The Maths ‘The Machine’Kraftwerk ‘Autobahn’
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LF237 Rupert Sheldrake – Science and Spiritual Practices

Biologist, parapsychological researcher, and author of The Science Delusion Rupert Sheldrake discusses his latest book Science and Spiritual Practices.
In this pioneering work Sheldrake shows how science helps validate seven practices on which all religions are built, and which are part of our common human heritage: meditation, gratitude, connecting with nature, relating to plants, rituals, singing and chanting, and pilgrimage and holy places. The effects of spiritual practices are now being investigated scientifically as never before, and many studies have shown that religious and spiritual practices generally make people happier and healthier.
Sheldrake summarizes the latest scientific research on what happens when we take part in these practices, and suggests ways to explore them for ourselves. For those who are religious, Science and Spiritual Practices will illuminate the evolutionary origins of their own traditions and give a new appreciation of their power. For the non-religious, it shows how the core practices of spirituality are accessible to all, even if they do not subscribe to a religious belief system. This is a book for anyone who suspects that in the drive towards radical secularism, something valuable has been left behind. By opening ourselves to the spiritual dimension we may find the strength to live more wholesome and fulfilling lives.
www.sheldrake.org
Bumper music: Cliff Martinez ‘Traffic OST’Remo Giazotto ‘Adagio in G Minor’
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