The Poor Prole’s Almanac

How did a movement to protect the Earth become a target for federal "ecoterrorism" investigations? Join Andy and Matt as they trace the 400-year evolution of land relations and the emergence of the "Green Scare." This episode exposes how the "moral timidity" of mainstream groups like the Sierra Club—summed up by the 1984 "Gang of 10" meeting—chose professional respectability over urgent action, leaving a vacuum that radical militants were ready to fill.

Explore the origins of "ecotage," from the literary influence of Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang to the bold, performative actions of Earth First! and the high-seas tactics of the Sea Shepherds. The hosts reveal how industry lobbyists like Ron Arnold and the FBI collaborated to rebrand ecological defense as terrorism, effectively criminalizing dissent to protect industrial interests.

Beyond the protests, the Matts delve into the philosophical battlefield of Deep Ecology, examining the rift between social ecologists like Murray Bookchin and the biocentric views of figures like Dave Foreman. From the "cracking" of the Glen Canyon Dam to the disturbing rise of modern eco-fascism, this episode asks: what happens when industrial society is forced to "mercifully choke on its own dung pile," and who gets to decide what grows from the ashes?

For sources, transcripts, and to read more about this subject, visit: www.agroecologies.org

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Key Words:

Green Scare, eco-defense, environmental activism history, ecoterrorism, Earth First!, The Monkey Wrench Gang, Edward Abbey, ecotage, Deep Ecology, eco-fascism, Gang of 10, Sierra Club history, radical environmentalism, Dave Foreman, Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd, biocentric rights, land relations, Murray Bookchin, social ecology, Glen Canyon Dam cracking, environmental reform vs radicalism, green movement evolution, Ron Arnold, FBI environmental investigations, land defense, industrial society collapse, rage moderation, anthropocentrism, 1980s environmental movement, Earth Liberation Front, Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, environmental sabotage, land management history, capitalist alienation, radicalization, biocentrism, eco-defense history, Poor Proles Almanac.

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This episode features an engaging conversation with Michael Weissong and John Lampy, the creators behind the provocative musical The Tuneabomber. The discussion explores how a project that began as a late-night pun evolved over several years into a fully realized "silly" cabaret-style show centered on the life of Ted Kaczynski. Rather than focusing strictly on the technical details of his crimes or the dry facts of his manifesto—which the creators initially felt played too much like a "book report"—the show focuses on the "messy" and "sad" humanity of the man himself. By framing a notorious historical figure as an aspiring cabaret star, the creators aim to strip away his social magnetism and present him as a clownish, deeply troubled individual.

The dialogue also highlights the unique cultural moment in which the show exists, particularly the "memeification" of Kaczynski among younger audiences who lack firsthand memory of his actions. The guests reflect on the desensitization of modern viewers and how dark humor serves as a tool for processing historical atrocities. From performing at anarchist communes to prestigious university settings, the creators share insights into the varying reactions their work provokes, ranging from uncomfortable laughter to deep philosophical debates about technology and radicalization. Ultimately, the episode provides a fascinating look at the challenges of using comedy to critique political violence while navigating the fine line between "edgy" satire and historical tragedy.

 

To check out the show, visit https://www.thetuneabomber.com/ or find them on social media!

For sources, transcripts, and to read more about this subject, visit: www.agroecologies.org

To support this podcast, join our patreon for early, commercial-free episode access at https://www.patreon.com/poorprolesalmanac

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Key Words:

 

The Tuna Bomber musical, Michael Weissong, John Lampy, Ted Kaczynski musical, Unabomber cabaret, dark humor, political satire, Uncle Ted memes, industrial society and its future, environmentalism theater, Harvard University experiments, cringe comedy, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, New York cabaret scene, anarchist commune performance, political violence satire, modern radicalization, technological critique, Poor Proles Almanac podcast, two-man show, the memeification of Ted Kaczynski, satire on domestic terrorism, musical theatre New York, comedy about radicalization, Uncle Ted online culture

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After 250 episodes, we are finally tackling the most controversial figure in the history of anti-industrial resistance: Theodore John Kaczynski.

In this episode, we move past the memes to explore how a 16-year-old Harvard math prodigy was transformed into the world’s most infamous domestic terrorist. We dive into the disturbing "multiform assessments" Kaczynski endured under Henry Murray—experiments linked to the CIA’s MK Ultra program—and how they may have fractured his mind long before he reached the cabin.

Beyond the bombs, we dissect the 35,000-word manifesto, Industrial Society and its Future. We analyze Kaczynski’s signature concepts of the "power process" and "surrogate activities," asking if his diagnosis of modern "learned helplessness" was actually right. But the story doesn't end in the 90s. We trace how Kaczynski’s "anti-woke" rejection of leftism has allowed his ideology to mutate, finding a new home among modern eco-fascists, Telegram accelerationists, and nihilist terror groups like ITS.

Join us as we attempt to separate the valid critique of technology from the "bad radical violence"—because while we agree industrial society is a trap, we’d really prefer a revolution that lets us keep the penicillin.

For sources, transcripts, and to read more about this subject, visit: www.agroecologies.org

To support this podcast, join our patreon for early, commercial-free episode access at https://www.patreon.com/poorprolesalmanac

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Key Words:

Ted Kaczynski, Unabomber, Industrial Society and Its Future, Uncle Ted, anti-technology, anarcho-primitivism, MK Ultra, Henry Murray, Harvard psychological experiments, power process, surrogate activities, learned helplessness, over-socialization, eco-terrorism, domestic terrorism, radical environmentalism, Freedom Club, technological slavery, eco-fascism, Individualists Tending to the Wild, ITS, accelerationism, anti-civ, Jacques Ellul, critique of industrial society, primitive living, Montana cabin, political philosophy, environmental resistance, deep ecology, technological determinism

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In this episode of the Poor Proles Almanac, we take an extended deep dive into the life, legacy, and contradictions of Edward Abbey, the man who provided the ideological foundation and a literal script for the radical environmental movement. Often viewed as the gritty counterweight to Lewis Mumford, Abbey’s work shifted the focus from urban sustainability to the raw, uncompromising defense of the American Southwest.

We explore Abbey’s fascinating evolution—from his "hammer and sickle" socialist heritage in rural Pennsylvania to his time on the GI Bill, culminating in a philosophy he famously described as "agrarian barefoot wilderness ecofriend." We’ll unpack the explosive impact of his 1975 novel, The Monkey Wrench Gang, which served as both a work of art and a functional instruction manual for "ecotage," detailing everything from disabling bulldozers to raising billboards.

The conversation doesn't shy away from the political paradoxes that defined Abbey. We grapple with his "problematic" stances on race and gender while examining his core ethical code: the rejection of violence against humans in favor of sabotaging the "tools of the technocracy." From his presence at the symbolic "cracking" of the Glen Canyon Dam to the way his ideas were later interpreted by everyone from Earth First! to the Unabomber, we ask: what happens when environmental fiction becomes a blueprint for real-world resistance?

Join us as we navigate the messy, radical ecosystem Abbey helped create—a world where property destruction, wilderness preservation, and a deep disillusionment with the state collide. Is he a hero for the biospheric crisis, or a relic of a complicated past? We’re pulling back the curtain on the man who told us to "keep it wild."

For sources, transcripts, and to read more about this subject, visit: www.agroecologies.org

To support this podcast, join our patreon for early, commercial-free episode access at https://www.patreon.com/poorprolesalmanac

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For PPA Merch, visit: https://breadandrosespress.com/

 

Key words:

Edward Abbey, The Monkey Wrench Gang, radical environmentalism, ecotage, monkeywrenching, Earth First!, Earth Liberation Front, ELF, wilderness preservation, American Southwest, Desert Solitaire, Hayduke Lives, eco-defense, sabotage, anti-industrialism, anti-technology, biospheric crisis, Lewis Mumford, Theodore Kaczynski, Unabomber, Glen Canyon Dam, eco-terrorism, property destruction, technocracy, deep ecology, eco-anarchism, Dave Foreman, agrarian barefoot wilderness ecofriend, environmental activism, industrial power, environmental ethics, Forest Service, Rare II, ecological vigilanteism, biospheric collapse, anti-establishment, political paradox, socialist heritage, technocrats, greenwashing, homesteading movement, property damage vs violence, Murray Bookchin, eco-fascism, industrial sabotage, Caterpillar D7 bulldozer.

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In this episode of the Poor Proles Almanac, Andy and Matt explore the intellectual life and enduring legacy of Lewis Mumford, a scholar and activist whose work serves as a vital manual for modern civic, social, and ecological thought. Though he is often pigeonholed as an urban planner, the hosts reveal Mumford as a radical generalist who sought to heal the fractures between science, art, and ecology. Originally trained as an engineer, Mumford’s worldview was transformed by the work of Scottish biologist Patrick Geddes, leading him to abandon sheer technical ability in favor of the "fullness of man’s existence." This shift birthed his vision of a "biotechnic order"—a civilization where technology is no longer an end in itself but is instead oriented toward the culture of life and the self-actualization of the human personality.

The discussion dives deep into Mumford’s critique of the "mega machine," his term for the pervasive ideology of power and bureaucracy that prioritizes quantitative production over living needs. Drawing on the anarchist philosophy of Peter Kropotkin, Mumford advocated for decentralization and the "Garden City" ideal—limited-size towns harmoniously integrated with nature. The hosts contrast Mumford’s human-centered ethics with the rigid energy-efficiency models of the Odum brothers, arguing that an ethical society must self-regulate within its ecological limits rather than succumbing to the cold logic of "big survey" or eco-fascism. By tracing Mumford's influence on figures like Murray Bookchin and Wendell Berry, the episode highlights how these mid-century ideas provide a necessary framework for resisting the centralized "pentagon of power" in our modern era of AI and industrial extraction.

 

For sources, transcripts, and to read more about this subject, visit: www.agroecologies.org

To support this podcast, join our patreon for early, commercial-free episode access at https://www.patreon.com/poorprolesalmanac

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To hear Tomorrow, Today, our sister podcast, visit: www.tomorrowtodaypodcast.org/

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