

Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff
Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 25, 2025 • 36min
Part Two: The Battle in Seattle: How Scrappy Protesters Shut Down the World Trade Organization
Margaret continues telling you about the Direct Action Network that organized the successful shutdown of the WTO in November, 1999. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 23, 2025 • 41min
Part One: The Battle in Seattle: How Scrappy Protesters Shut Down the World Trade Organiation
Discover the vibrant protests in Seattle that brought the World Trade Organization to a standstill in 1999. Learn about the diverse coalition of activists, including the innovative tactics of the Direct Action Network and the influence of the Zapatistas. Delve into the historical significance of this battle against neoliberalism as various grassroots movements united for social justice. Explore the creative strategies employed and how these protests shaped the global conversation on trade, activism, and solidarity.

Jun 22, 2025 • 28min
CZM Book Club: Two More Stories by Leo Tolstoy
Margaret reads you two more stories about anticapitalism and religion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

18 snips
Jun 18, 2025 • 56min
Part Two: The Black Bloc: It’s a Tactic, Not an Organization
Molly Conger, the host of the Weird Little Guys podcast, dives into the history and evolution of the Black Bloc tactic in activism. They discuss its origins in the 1980s, stemming from the Dutch squatters' movement, and how tragic events shifted tactics toward more militant expressions. The conversation mixes humor with reflections on activism, the media's portrayal of protests, and the importance of community solidarity. Molly and Margaret also explore the complexities of Black Bloc strategies and the ethical implications of media representations in shaping public narratives.

16 snips
Jun 16, 2025 • 59min
Part One: The Black Bloc: It’s a Tactic, Not an Organization
Molly Conger, host of the Weird Little Guys podcast, joins for a compelling discussion on the Black Bloc tactic, its roots in anti-globalization protests, and its role in modern activism. They clarify common misconceptions and delve into the historical connections to radical movements of the past. The conversation highlights the blending of art and activism while addressing the complexities of protest identities. With a dash of humor, they explore the relationship between goth aesthetics and radical politics, celebrating inclusive narratives amid serious topics.

Jun 15, 2025 • 28min
CZM Book Club: After the Dance by Leo Tolstoy
Margaret reads you a story about what it takes to break from society in disgust. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 11, 2025 • 31min
Part Four: The Alter-Globalization Movement: From the Zapatistas to the Battle of Seattle
Margaret continues telling you about the rise of neoliberalism and the rise of its opposition and about better ideas about how to globalize society. Sources: Direct Action: an Ethnography, David GraeberThe Zapatista Experience, Jerome Baschethttps://www.piie.com/commentary/speeches-papers/did-washington-consensus-failhttps://www.spiegel.de/international/interview-with-ex-neocon-francis-fukuyama-a-model-democracy-is-not-emerging-in-iraq-a-407315.htmlhttps://www.opendemocracy.net/en/zapatista-womens-revolutionary-law-as-it-is-lived-today/https://www.proceso.com.mx/reportajes/2019/1/3/pedro-el-subcomandante-del-ezln-que-murio-el-dia-del-levantamiento-217985.htmlhttps://www.ncesc.com/geographic-faq/how-much-of-britain-is-below-the-poverty-line/https://www.tni.org/en/article/a-short-history-of-neoliberalismhttps://bigthink.com/thinking/classical-liberalism-explained/https://schoolsforchiapas.org/ezln-the-path-of-the-zapatista-movement-40-years-after-its-foundation/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0306422018819354https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-25550654https://web.archive.org/web/20090813155006/http://greenanarchy.info/etc/ezln_response.htmhttps://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/26/world/americas/mexico-zapatista-subcommander-marcos.htmlhttps://www.teenvogue.com/story/zapatistas-have-been-revolutionary-forcehttps://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/03/the-woman-who-wont-let-mexico-forget-a-massacre.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Abejashttps://schoolsforchiapas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Interview-with-Subcomandante-Marcos.pdfhttps://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/ejercito-zapatista-de-liberacion-nacional-a-zapatista-response-to-the-ezln-is-not-anarchisthttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/mexicos-zapatista-indigenous-rebel-movement-says-it-is-dissolving-its-autonomous-municipalitieshttps://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jerome-baschet-the-reorganization-of-zapatista-autonomyhttps://schoolsforchiapas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Ra%C3%BAl-Zibechi-Zapatista-Autonomy-PDF.pdfhttps://illwill.com/zapatista-autonomyhttps://chiapas-support.org/2014/10/04/anatomy-of-a-paramilitary-attack-on-the-zapatistas/https://wagingnonviolence.org/2014/05/assassination-world-stands-solidarity-zapatistas/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 9, 2025 • 28min
Part Three: The Alter-Globalization Movement: From the Zapatistas to the Battle of Seattle
Margaret continues telling you about the rise of neoliberalism and the rise of its opposition and about better ideas about how to globalize society. Sources: Direct Action: an Ethnography, David GraeberThe Zapatista Experience, Jerome Baschethttps://www.piie.com/commentary/speeches-papers/did-washington-consensus-failhttps://www.spiegel.de/international/interview-with-ex-neocon-francis-fukuyama-a-model-democracy-is-not-emerging-in-iraq-a-407315.htmlhttps://www.opendemocracy.net/en/zapatista-womens-revolutionary-law-as-it-is-lived-today/https://www.proceso.com.mx/reportajes/2019/1/3/pedro-el-subcomandante-del-ezln-que-murio-el-dia-del-levantamiento-217985.htmlhttps://www.ncesc.com/geographic-faq/how-much-of-britain-is-below-the-poverty-line/https://www.tni.org/en/article/a-short-history-of-neoliberalismhttps://bigthink.com/thinking/classical-liberalism-explained/https://schoolsforchiapas.org/ezln-the-path-of-the-zapatista-movement-40-years-after-its-foundation/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0306422018819354https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-25550654https://web.archive.org/web/20090813155006/http://greenanarchy.info/etc/ezln_response.htmhttps://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/26/world/americas/mexico-zapatista-subcommander-marcos.htmlhttps://www.teenvogue.com/story/zapatistas-have-been-revolutionary-forcehttps://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/03/the-woman-who-wont-let-mexico-forget-a-massacre.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Abejashttps://schoolsforchiapas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Interview-with-Subcomandante-Marcos.pdfhttps://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/ejercito-zapatista-de-liberacion-nacional-a-zapatista-response-to-the-ezln-is-not-anarchisthttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/mexicos-zapatista-indigenous-rebel-movement-says-it-is-dissolving-its-autonomous-municipalitieshttps://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jerome-baschet-the-reorganization-of-zapatista-autonomyhttps://schoolsforchiapas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Ra%C3%BAl-Zibechi-Zapatista-Autonomy-PDF.pdfhttps://illwill.com/zapatista-autonomyhttps://chiapas-support.org/2014/10/04/anatomy-of-a-paramilitary-attack-on-the-zapatistas/https://wagingnonviolence.org/2014/05/assassination-world-stands-solidarity-zapatistas/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 8, 2025 • 34min
CZM Book Club : The Revolutionary Fables of Ricardo Flores Magón, Part Two
Margaret reads you more short stories written by the one of the ideological leaders of the Mexican Revolution.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 4, 2025 • 1h 1min
CZM Rewind: Part Two: Before the Mexican Revolution: Ricardo Flores Magón and the peasants who ended a dictatorship
Margaret continues talking with Kat Abu about the Mexican liberals who became anarchists and sparked a revolution. Original Air Date: 7.26.23 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


