This Used To Be Real Estate ft. John Zerzan

Years ago
I was an angry young man
And I'd pretend
That I was a billboard
Standing tall
By the side of the roadI fell in love
With a beautiful highway
This used to be real estate
Now it's only fields and trees

— [Nothing But] Flowers, The Talking Heads

Please excuse the static!

This is an interview with the anarcho-primitivist John Zerzan.

What to say about John. He’s a really nice guy. He’s anti-civilization, but not an accelerationist (as far as I know). He’s an icon. There’s also a chance you don’t know who he is.

John Zerzan was one of the first philosophers I ever read. I’ve been a fan of his work since I was very young. I remember a long, long time ago, it must have been the mid-2000s, anarcho-primitivism was having a real moment online. I was old enough to grok it, young enough to still be enchanted by it. As I’ve grown older, there’s lots about his work that I can’t totally get behind or relate to (for example, one thing I’m learning about my politics, whatever they are, is that I don’t believe you can eliminate hierarchy), but I still think it’s well worth checking out. His commentary on symbolic thought, time, and computers are both especially interesting and prescient.

You can read more of his work here. I also highly, highly recommend his two appearances on one of my favorite podcasts, Hermitix, The Death of Civilization, and Time and Primitivism.