podcast friday

 This week's is a tough one because there were a few top contenders, but I'm going to go with the one I haven't seen covered elsewhere: I Don't Speak German's "How to Talk to Your Son About Fascism, with Craig A. Johnson." It's what it says on the package—Craig is an academic, but he felt it would be more useful to write a book for popular consumption, focusing on deradicalizing boys and young men. I need this book btw. It's not out yet. I requested it at my library.

There is a fundamental tension between several truths:

• It is not the responsibility of marginalized people to educate their oppressor
• Deradicalization on an individual level does not scale
• There is an epidemic of far-right radicalization happening to (mostly) white boys and young men and this is the primary factor in electing fascist governments.

This episode (and presumably the book) threads this needle expertly, by aiming its call to action primarily at normie parents across the political spectrum who don't want their kids to join the Hitler Youth. While advocating more militant action to deal with adult Nazis, it draws an important line between our responsibility to young people and our responsibility to deal with the current crop of fash by any means necessary. It's a really good listen and I'm sure an even better read.