Rejecting the Logic of Power and Unjust Authority | A Podcast for Radicals Ep 2
Sun Feb 01 2026
What makes authority legitimate? And what does it mean to reject the logic of power?In this episode, we explore why radicals reject hierarchical domination, the difference between "power over" and "power with," and how movements practice horizontal organizing at a massive scale.We draw on the anarchist tradition - Bakunin, Kropotkin, Malatesta - to understand why revolutionary movements that centralize power often reproduce the domination they claimed to oppose. And we examine what legitimate authority actually looks like: mutual, temporary, and voluntary.The episode features Brazil's Landless Workers' Movement (MST), which coordinates 1.5 million participants across 23 states through collective leadership, consensus decision-making, and structural gender equity - all without a permanent leadership class.In this episode:→ The anarchist critique of hierarchy→ "All Power to the People" - what it actually means→ Power over vs. power with→ What makes authority legitimate (and illegitimate)→ The MST and Zapatistas as models of horizontal organizingThis episode is part of the "Means and Ends in Radical Action" series from A Guide for Radicals.Resources:📖 Read the full chapter: https://www.radical-guide.com/a-guide-for-radicals/🌐 Explore more: https://www.radical-guide.comSupport our work:https://www.radical-guide.com/ways-to-support/If this content resonates with you, consider supporting A Radical Guide. Your contributions help sustain our projects and support ongoing efforts for justice, mutual aid, and collective liberation.And remember: Follow ideas, not people.#RadicalPolitics #Anarchism #HorizontalOrganizing #MST #PowerToThePeople #MeansAndEndsSupport A Radical Guide: https://www.radical-guide.com/ways-to-support/
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What makes authority legitimate? And what does it mean to reject the logic of power?In this episode, we explore why radicals reject hierarchical domination, the difference between "power over" and "power with," and how movements practice horizontal organizing at a massive scale.We draw on the anarchist tradition - Bakunin, Kropotkin, Malatesta - to understand why revolutionary movements that centralize power often reproduce the domination they claimed to oppose. And we examine what legitimate authority actually looks like: mutual, temporary, and voluntary.The episode features Brazil's Landless Workers' Movement (MST), which coordinates 1.5 million participants across 23 states through collective leadership, consensus decision-making, and structural gender equity - all without a permanent leadership class.In this episode:→ The anarchist critique of hierarchy→ "All Power to the People" - what it actually means→ Power over vs. power with→ What makes authority legitimate (and illegitimate)→ The MST and Zapatistas as models of horizontal organizingThis episode is part of the "Means and Ends in Radical Action" series from A Guide for Radicals.Resources:📖 Read the full chapter: https://www.radical-guide.com/a-guide-for-radicals/🌐 Explore more: https://www.radical-guide.comSupport our work:https://www.radical-guide.com/ways-to-support/If this content resonates with you, consider supporting A Radical Guide. Your contributions help sustain our projects and support ongoing efforts for justice, mutual aid, and collective liberation.And remember: Follow ideas, not people.#RadicalPolitics #Anarchism #HorizontalOrganizing #MST #PowerToThePeople #MeansAndEndsSupport A Radical Guide: https://www.radical-guide.com/ways-to-support/