Cabin - Ep. 7

Explicit content warning

12/29/20 • 73 min

The Relentless Picnic

“‘Oh!’ say the technophiles, ‘Science is going to fix all that! We will conquer famine, eliminate psychological suffering, make everybody healthy and happy!’ Yeah, sure. The technophiles are hopelessly naive (or self-deceiving) in their understanding of social problems. Thus it will take a long and difficult period of trial and error for the technophiles to work the bugs out of their Brave New World (if they ever do). In the mean time there will be great suffering.” —T. Kaczynski, Industrial Society and Its Future (1995). Cabin is the new season from The Relentless Picnic. It's one story told over multiple episodes. It's a story about solitude and isolation, community and loss, Henry David Thoreau and Ted Kaczynski—and it's told through audio recorded throughout 2019 and 2020. Support us at patreon.com/relentlesspicnic for access to a ton of bonus content. Our web site is relentlesspicnic.com SOURCES (Ep. 7): - The Unabomber In His Own Words (2018), dir. Mick Grogan, on Netflix: bit.ly/2DbHkuh ; - Technological Slavery: The Collected Writings of Theodore J. Kaczynski, a.k.a. “The Unabomber”, ed. and introduction by David Skirbina, 2010: amzn.to/2STTFYH ; - Walden; or, Life in the Woods, by H.D. Thoreau (1854): bit.ly/35RyPPQ ; - Patrick Conley: bit.ly/3pGdIIL ; - Ken Baumann: bit.ly/2WUmHK1 ; - Jacques Ellul, The Technological Society (1954): amzn.to/3o2zdmy ; - Eric Hoffer, The True Believer (1951): amzn.to/34TDrFl ; - The History of Violence in America, eds. H.D. Graham & T.R. Gurr (1969): amzn.to/3rCmGsl ; - Chester C. Tan, Chinese Political Thought in the Twentieth Century (1971): amzn.to/3aUNCgQ ; - L. Sprague de Camp, The Ancient Engineers (1963): amzn.to/3o8lavW ; - “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us,” by Bill Joy (WIRED, Apr., 2000): bit.ly/3hw5uQD ; - season photo: "Untitled #2214" by Todd Hido, 1998.

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Cabin - Ep. 6

“It may be objected that primitive man is physically less secure than modern man, as is shown by his shorter life expectancy; hence modern man suffers from less, not more than the amount of insecurity that is normal for human beings. But psychological security does not closely correspond with physical security. It is true that primitive man is powerless against some of the things that threaten him; disease for example. But he can accept the risk of disease stoically. It is part of the nature of things, it is no one’s fault, unless it is the fault of some imaginary, impersonal demon. But threats to the modern individual tend to be MAN-MADE.” —T. Kaczynski, Industrial Society and Its Future (1995). Cabin is the new season from The Relentless Picnic. It's one story told over multiple episodes. It's a story about solitude and isolation, community and loss, Henry David Thoreau and Ted Kaczynski—and it's told through audio recorded throughout 2019 and 2020. Support us at patreon.com/relentlesspicnic for access to a ton of bonus content. Our web site is relentlesspicnic.com SOURCES (Ep. 6): - The Unabomber In His Own Words (2018), dir. Mick Grogan, on Netflix: bit.ly/2DbHkuh ; - Technological Slavery: The Collected Writings of Theodore J. Kaczynski, a.k.a. “The Unabomber”, ed. and introduction by David Skirbina, 2010: amzn.to/2STTFYH ; - Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men (a.k.a. the “Second Discourse”), Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1755 ; - Walden; or, Life in the Woods, by H.D. Thoreau (1854): bit.ly/35RyPPQ ; - “Walking,” by H.D. Thoreau (1862): bit.ly/35P4Dor ; - season photo: "Untitled #2214" by Todd Hido, 1998.

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UPDATE: The Goods

A brief update from Adam, Erikk, and Nick on three very important fronts. First, news on the upcoming conclusion to our CABIN series. Second, on relentlesspicnic.com/store Third, on the continued existence of patreon.com/relentlesspicnic, the live shows we've been doing for our Patreon supporters, and the show we've got coming up on Monday, December 6th, 2021. Register here: crowdcast.io/e/digupthehatchet We're not gone. And we're thankful for you.