Do Your Own Research: You Can’t Have Billionaires and Democracy. Ancient Collapse Proves It. w/ Luke Kemp

This book offers a dramatically new understanding of human history, challenging fundamental assumptions about social evolution, the development of agriculture, cities, the state, democracy, and inequality. Graeber and Wengrow argue that traditional theories of human history, such as those posited by Hobbes and Rousseau, are not supported by anthropological or archaeological evidence. Instead, they show that humans have lived in large, complex, but decentralized societies for millennia, often without ruling elites or hierarchical systems. The authors draw on extensive research in archaeology and anthropology to reveal a history that is more varied and hopeful than previously assumed, emphasizing human experimentation with different social arrangements and the potential for new forms of freedom and societal organization.

In 'Against the Grain', James C. Scott argues that the early agrarian states were not the result of a voluntary transition from hunter-gatherer lifestyles, but rather were formed through coercion and violence. He challenges the conventional narrative that agriculture led to settled communities, civilization, and improved living standards. Instead, Scott posits that these early states were often hierarchical, plagued by malnutrition and disease, and reliant on slavery. The book explores the domestication of fire, plants, and animals, and how these processes led to the control of populations and the emergence of states. It also discusses the tensions between states and non-state peoples, highlighting the adaptability and resilience of nomadic and hunter-gatherer communities.

James C. Scott's "The Art of Not Being Governed" explores the history and strategies of marginalized communities who have resisted state control. The book focuses on the Zomia region of Southeast Asia, a mountainous area where diverse ethnic groups have maintained their autonomy by evading state power. Scott examines how these communities have used their knowledge of the terrain and their social organization to resist state-led projects and maintain their independence. The book challenges conventional understandings of state power and highlights the resilience of marginalized communities in the face of oppression. Scott's work offers valuable insights into the dynamics of power, resistance, and state formation.

In this book, James C. Scott examines the failures of centrally managed social plans and the destructive consequences of high-modernist ideologies. Scott argues that states often impose simplistic visions on complex societies, ignoring local, practical knowledge and leading to disastrous outcomes. He identifies four conditions common to all planning disasters: administrative ordering of nature and society, high-modernist ideology, authoritarian state power, and a prostrate civil society. The book critiques various utopian projects, including collective farms, compulsory villagization, and urban planning, and advocates for a more nuanced approach that respects local diversity and practical knowledge.

This book provides a comprehensive history of societal collapse, tracing the evolution of human societies from egalitarian groups to dominance hierarchies. It explores how the rise of inequalities, extractive institutions, corruption, and over-expansion led to the downfall of various empires and societies. The author, Luke Kemp, discusses the current global 'Goliath' and its vulnerabilities, including climate change, nuclear weapons, and fragile supply chains, emphasizing the need for democratic control to prevent a final collapse.