Rising Pessimism & Crony Capitalism in America

Released: Jan. 26, 2012

James Howard Kunstler comments on the rising rates of pessimism in the U.S. in response to Capital cronyism, the disappearing American dream, and our own entitled wishful thinking. During the second half of the program he examines some of the cultural and lifestyle changes we may observe in response the 21st century failures in politics, capitalism, technology and religion.

Links:

Moyers & Company Show 102: On Crony Capitalism
January 20, 2012

Sponsor:

Join CNU in West Palm Beach, FL this year May 9-12, for the 20th anniversary event of the Congress for the New Urbanism. Confirmed speakers include Richard Florida, Sprawl Repair Manual author Galina Tachieva, retail guru Robert Gibbs, Fighting Traffic author Peter Norton, Peter Calthorpe, Lizz Plater-Zyberk, Jaime Correa, Andres Duany and many more speakers being added every day.

Go to www.cnu20.org and register now to take advantage of early registration rates.

JHK’s New Year’s Resolution

Released: Jan. 5, 2012

JHK discusses his 2012 Annual Forecast. He thinks this may be the year that we discover that shale gas and oil is just another bubble, simply a destination for hot money to make returns in a financial landscape that doesn’t offer many. He also mentions a recent encounter with Noam Chomsky.
Lastly, Jim shares his resolution for the new year

Links:

Dmitry Orlov on Noam Chomsky interview (with link to media file)
http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2012/01/dismal-public-affair.html

Apocalypse Not, Green Wizardry and Techno-Narcissism

Released: Dec. 22, 2011

Apocalypse Not, by John Michael Greer

John Michael Greer, author of The Long Descent, The Wealth of Nature and, most recently, Apocalypse Not, joins JHK and Duncan by phone to speak about 2012 apocalypse scenarios, Green Wizardry, politics and techno narcissism. Greer explains how the 1970s were the last time that America was confronted by a major disruption in its energy supply. At the time, many Americans began exploring renewable energy and more modest living arrangements that require less energy. But that was the road not taken. And now we face what he describes as a “stairstep collapse,” like many other civilizations that have overshot their resource base. Other topics include: our modern delusions about technology, the re-enchantment of our worldview, and the potential resurgence of fraternal orders which once served as the foundation of public life in America.

Links:

The Arch Druid Report, official blog of John Michael Greer

Spiritual Warfare in the American Long Emergency

Released: Oct. 6, 2011

There’s a crazy Christian cult on the rise in the US and JHK believes Americans needs to watch out. The New Apostolic Reformation is a dangerous movement exerting its influence on the American political sphere during a time when this country is so fraught with problems that we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to being pushed around by crazy people like this, Kunstler says. The group — which has connections to presidential candidates Rick Perry and Michele Bachman — not only believes in literal devils but that certain American politicians are afflicted by these demons. More concerning is their belief in dominionism over all aspects of American culture, politics and business. The “apostles” claim to speak directly to God and feel they have a mission to convert all the people of the world (particularly the Jews) to Christianity. Kunstler sees this group, and others like it, becoming more troublesome as The Long Emergency unfolds. He can imagine that the country may find itself in a new Civil War in the years ahead. During the conversation JHK also describes his experiences reporting on religious cults, his own thoughts on religion as an agnostic, and explains how the story of the New Apostolic Reformation may resemble some of the aspects in his fictional World Made By Hand novels. [Main discussion begins: 5:04 mins.]

For a transcript of this episode, visit: http://kunstlercast.com/religiousright/

Note: This episode contains cursewords

Links:

A Leading Figure In The New Apostolic Reformation
Fresh Air, NPR, October 3, 2011

The Evangelicals Engaged In Spiritual Warfare
Fresh Air, NPR, August 24, 2011

Upcoming:

KunstlerCast in Buffalo
October 19-22, 2011
During National Preservation Conference

KunstlerCast Book Release Party
Nov. 1, 2011
Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Daisy Bakers, Troy NY

JHK Speaks to Richard Heinberg

Released: Sept. 1, 2011

In the conclusion of this one-hour conversation, Richard Heinberg, author of Peak Everything, The Party’s Over and the newly published The End of Growth joins James Howard Kunstler by phone to talk about peak oil, financial dysfunction, techno-grandiosity, the fate of industrial aggriculture and the suburban living arrangement. Heinberg also reacts to being labeled a “Doomer.”

Buy full one-hour audio (.mp3) interview – $1

(Note: Parts 1 & 2 are now avaialble for free. But you can still buy the full interview in one file if you’d like.)

Buy Transcript (.pdf) – $1

Buy Transcript on Kindle – $1

http://PostCarbon.org.

JHK Speaks to Richard Heinberg

Released: Aug. 25, 2011

In part one of this one-hour conversation, Richard Heinberg, author of Peak Everything, The Party’s Over and the newly published The End of Growth joins James Howard Kunstler by phone to talk about peak oil, financial dysfunction, political convulsions and generational conflict.

*If you can’t wait to hear the exciting conclusion of this conversation, you can download the entire interview and/or purchase a transcript now.

Buy full one-hour audio (.mp3) interview – $1

Buy Transcript (.pdf) – $1

Buy Transcript on Kindle – $1

(Note: the price has already dropped to $1)

http://PostCarbon.org.

JHK Reacts

Released: May 12, 2011

James Howard Kunstler shares his thoughts on the capture and destruction of Osama bin Laden and the future of U.S. relations in the Middle East.

Sponsor:

This week’s sponsor is The Congress for the New Urbanism, the nation’s leading advocacy organization dedicated to promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions.

Suburbia is Empowered by the Numbers

Released: April 21, 2011

The 2010 U.S. Census figures have led to a newly empowered suburban electorate. But the figures also indicate that several major U.S. cities are increasing in population at their cores. JHK offers some analysis.

Sponsor:

This week’s sponsor is The Congress for the New Urbanism, the nation’s leading advocacy organization dedicated to promoting walkable, mixed-use neighborhood development, sustainable communities and healthier living conditions.

Time for a Reset

Released: Jan. 27, 2011

James Howard Kunstler speaks about his annual forecast for 2011. Although there are a lot of people out there cheering for a “recovery,” JHK believes it’s time for a reset. He foresees food shortages, financial strain and political troubles ahead.

Read Jim’s Forecast 2011.

Note: This episode contains explicit language

The Arizona Tragedy

Released: Jan. 13, 2011

JHK reacts to the tragic shooting in Arizona. He reflects on the gun ownership debate in the U.S. and his own conflicting thoughts about owning a gun himself. He discusses the power of violent rhetoric in our public discourse and evaluates his own use of strong language. He also muses on the built environment in Tucson, Arizona and what role it might have played in the tragedy.

Note: This episode contains explicit language

To receive an email notification about the forthcoming KunstlerCast book, scheduled to be published this August, sign up for the KunstlerCast email list(about 2 to 3 emails per year)

A Vacuum in Progressivism

Released: Nov. 11, 2010

JHK shares his thoughts on the recent U.S. midterm elections, the Tea Party, Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity, and the problems of progressivisim.

The Systemic Failures of Our Financial Future

Released: Aug. 19, 2010.

JHK explains how the current financial problems around the world factor into his vision of The Long Emergency. Kunstler sees these systematic failures of finance as a threat to all of our fundamental economic arrangements, including our ability to live in an orderly society. The President, says JHK, has become “the bank’s bitch” in his continuation of the American campaign to sustain the unsustainable. Rather than more financial innovations based on the notion of getting something for nothing, Kunstler says we need to have an economy in which people invest in productive activities and are rewarded for the value that is created through those productive activities. Society is becoming poor and that’s a huge political problem. JHK foresees a very turbulent autumn, in both finance and politics.

Direct Download:
KunstlerCast_122.mp3
(34 MB | 48:58 mins.)

Inversion of Assumed Roles

Released: May 20, 2010.

James Howard Kunstler examines the politics of place. Are the suburbs more conservative than cities? Why are people who try to conserve the historic fabric of their towns branded as radical liberals, while the agents of destruction in those towns call themselves “conservative?” What is the historical relationship between political ideas and the places where they originate from? JHK addresses these questions in today’s episode.

Sponsor:

Today’s program is sponsored by Audible, the Internet’s leading provider of spokeword entertainment with more than 75,000 titles in every genre to chose from. For a free audiobook download and 14-day trial, sign up today at Audiblepodcast.com/kunstler

The Arguments For Suburbia

Released: April 15, 2010.

This conversation was recorded one day before James Howard Kunstler was scheduled to debate Randal O’Toole at Brown University in Providence, RI. O’Toole is a well-known advocate for the suburban living arrangement. Host Duncan Crary chats with JHK about the pro-suburbia arguments in preparation for the debate. JHK refutes some of the major arguments used by sprawl defenders, including the notions that sprawl is good because people choose it and that sprawl represents liberty. JHK also notes that while the infrastructure required to deliver suburbia is extremely subsidized with government money, many sprawl defenders argue against public transportation because it is subsidized.

[Update: You can download Randal O’Toole’s presentation from his debate with JHK on this page.]

Sponsor:

Support for this program comes from the Congress for the New Urbanism, the nation’s leading forum dedicated to advancing urbanism and promoting alternatives to sprawl. CNU’s 18th annual Congress,”New Urbanism: Prescription for Healthy Places” will be held in Atlanta, May 19 – 22, organized with help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It will feature 90 plus sessions, tours, and immersive experiences with world’s leading thinkers and builders of good urbanism, and prominent researchers into the health impacts of how places are built, including the CDC’s Dr. Howard Frumkin, co-author of “Urban Sprawl and Public Health.” Register today, at: www.cnu18.org

The Context of Current Events

Released: Dec. 31, 2009.

James Howard Kunstler takes a moment to examine where we’re at as a culture at the end of 2009. JHK shares his thought process leading up to his 2010 Forecast. Topics include healthcare, economics and foreign affairs.

[Note: This podcast contains some cursewords.]

Announcement:

There will be a staged-reading of James Howard Kunstler’s play, “Big Slide” this Jan. 9 at the Multi-use Community Cultural Center in Rochester NY. The playwright will introduce the show, which begins a 7:30 p.m. Admission is pay what you can. For information, visit: http://muccc.org

The Diminishing Returns of Information Technology

Released: August 27, 2009.

James Howard Kunstler believes that stupid Americans are exerting their political and cultural tyranny over the rest of us. No other society has produced a larger group of stupid people with as much money and means to express their thoughts, pleasures, ideas, biases, delights, and hatreds in things that can be broadcast, built or in some way imposed on other people. Those who object to this situation are called elitist, he says. JHK also explores the diminishing returns of information technology and the internet.

Direct Download:
KunstlerCast_77.mp3
(24 MB | 26:00 mins.)

The Tribunal of the Inquisition as illustrated by Francisco de Goya

Sponsor:

This week’s sponsor is PostPeakLiving.com, offering online courses that prepare you for the post peak oil world. Registration Closes Midnight, Sept. 2. Use “KunstlerCast” as your discount code.

JHK Examines the Top 10 Rail Corridors in the US

Released: May 7, 2009.

James Howard Kunstler responds to a listener call about the 10 “high speed” rail corridors the Obama administration is seeking to restore in the U.S. The phrase high-speed rail is a little misleading, though, because what Obama is looking to do with rail in this country is actually just bring it back up to “Bulgarian” standards. These passenger rail upgrades and restorations will service trains that travel around 100 miles per hour, not nearly as fast as the high speed trains in Europe or Japan.

Direct Download:
KunstlerCast_63.mp3
(23 MB | 25:06 mins.)

Sponsor:

Sponsorship for this podcast comes from the Congress for the New Urbanism, the nation’s leading forum dedicated to advancing urbanism and promoting alternatives to sprawl. CNU’s 17th annual Congress will be in Denver, June 10-14. For information and to register, visit: www.cnu.org.

Remembering Y2K

Released: Dec. 25, 2008

Every year James Howard Kunstler publishes his annual forecast on his popular blog. For this installment of the KunstlerCast, Jim gives us a sneak preview of some of his predictions for 2009. Topics in this show include: phony baloney money, new economies, home deliveries, oil shortages and price increases. Kunstler also talks about his 1999 predictions and thoughts about Y2K.

Direct Download:
KunstlerCast_44.mp3
( 21 MB | 26:23 mins.)

Promo music featured in this episode courtesy of IODA Promonet:

Opotopo
“Belama” (mp3)
from “Highlife Time”
(Vampi Soul / Light In The Attic)

More On This Album

JHK Reacts to the Election of Barack Obama

Released: Nov. 13, 2008

James Howard Kunstler shares his feelings about President-elect Barack Obama. For now Jim is hopeful that Mr. Obama can set a good example for decent behavior as he takes the helm of a functionally bankrupt government. In order to reform the systems of daily life that have to be fixed, it’s important that Obama tells the truth to American people. Jim also addresses the high speed rail bond that passed in California. Lastly, a listener in Japan predicts how the Japanese will face The Long Emergency.

Direct Download:
KunstlerCast_38.mp3
( 20 MB | 22:00 mins.)

Promo music featured in this episode courtesy of IODA Promonet:

Hauschka
“Freibad” (mp3)
from “Ferndorf”
(Fat Cat Records)

More On This Album

More info about the KunstlerCast theme music

The Increasing Irrelevance of our Two Political Parties

Released: Oct. 30, 2008

James Howard Kunstler muses on the increasing irrelevance of the two political parties in America. Neither party seems to be truly facing our energy predicament and the coming obsolescence of suburbia. Yet this is with the complete connivance of the voting public, which is too heavily invested in the status quo.

Direct Download:
KunstlerCast_37.mp3
( 16 MB | 20:00 mins.)

Promo music featured in this episode courtesy of iodaPromonet:

Max Richter
“Berlin By Overnight” (mp3)
from “24 Postcards In Full Colour”
(Fat Cat Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

More info about the KunstlerCast theme music