by Paul Cudenec I am frequently disappointed to see people clinging rigidly to binary positions, imagining that opposing one particular nasty militarist empire, corrupt political party or manipulative dogma automatically involves throwing one's lot in with the rival that has been presented as its polar opposite. And yet, at the same time, I have often … Continue reading Seeing the whole truth with a three-dimensional outlook
by Mike Driver "Everything a lie... Everything you hear, everything you see... So much to spew out... They just keep coming, one after another... You're in a box... A moving box... They want you dead, or in their lie" - Terence Malick, The Thin Red Line The carousel spins round and round, faster and faster, the … Continue reading The Carousel
by W.D. James There'll be parties for hostingMarshmallows for toastingAnd caroling out in the snowThere'll be scary ghost storiesAnd tales of the glories of Christmases long, long agoIt's the most wonderful time of the yearThere'll be much mistletoeingAnd hearts will be glowing when loved ones are nearIt's the most wonderful time of the yeari I … Continue reading Charlie Brown: Christmas as social practice
by Paul Cudenec One of the big questions facing all of us trapped inside today's increasingly totalitarian global system is 'How did we get here?' How was it ever possible that human beings, once as free as every other wild creature on the planet, were able to be captured by a small minority of their … Continue reading Marxist doublethink and the disabling of resistance
by our regular guest columnist Walking With Goats It’s due to be minus five tonight. The moon’s full pound has reigned over the entrance of winter with all the windows in the valley peeking out their yellow hopes. Christmas is almost here: that festival of creation, mysterious to me in terms of its doctrinal roots, but … Continue reading Walking with Goats: Content Creation
Number 89 In this issue: Prisoner 1141183891920 Deep Evolution: Communication, Self-Knowledge, Tribe The Great David Graeber Debate Constantin von Monakow: an organic radical inspiration Acorninfo 1. Prisoner 1141183891920 by Paul Cudenec Hey, you there! Prisoner 1141183891920! How dare you dream of a life outside your cell? You were born in here, like your parents and … Continue reading The Acorn – 89
We present here an in-depth conversation between two regular Winter Oak contributors - W.D. James, who teaches philosophy in Kentucky, USA, and runs the Philosopher's Holler blog, and English dissident writer Paul Cudenec, who also has a personal blog on substack and whose books are all available as free pdfs here. W.D. James: What first … Continue reading Traditionalism, anarchism and the urgent need for righteous revolt: a dialogue
Outright opposition to modernity is often dismissed as backward-looking or “reactionary” and associated with a rigidly hierarchical or aristocratic outlook. But there is another tradition of resistance to the modern world that has very different ideals and can serve as the basis of an old-new radical philosophy of natural and cosmic belonging, inspiring humanity to … Continue reading Egalitarian Anti-Modernism and the Contemporary Political Landscape (Egalitarian Anti-Modernism Part 10)
by Paul Cudenec Having written a couple of recent articles advancing an anti-industrialist position, I have been reminded that this viewpoint is very much a minority one, even amongst those with whom I am generally in agreement. I know that to many it seems like an utterly outlandish proposition. "What, no electricity? We'd all just … Continue reading Seven reasons why I am an anti-industrialist
by Paul Cudenec Today marks the 130th anniversary of the birth of Herbert Read, one of the thinkers who has most shaped my own political philosophy. This seems like an appropriate occasion on which to share the profile of him that I wrote for the organic radicals website. The film linked at the end is … Continue reading A poet against “this foul industrial epoch”
winter oak 