Doomer Optimism

Join the Doomer Optimism crew for their first-ever live group chat as they tackle the big questions facing our technologically saturated world. Ashley, Nate, Jason, Peter, and Patrick gather to discuss Paul Kingsnorth’s new book Against the Machine, the creeping influence of AI in our daily lives, and whether we’re heading toward accelerated collapse or just another step down.The conversation meanders from the ethics of AI chatbots (including Amish farmers launching their own) to the practical realities of keeping phones away from kids in an increasingly digital world. Nate shares hard-won wisdom from rebuilding after his house fire, while Peter warns about the looming cattle market collapse that could reshape American agriculture. Jason makes the case for sheep, Ashley name-drops her upcoming dinner with Wendell Berry (yes, really), and everyone debates whether we should accelerate into the chaos or dig in our heels and resist.Topics covered: screen-free parenting strategies, the difference between tools and crutches, why COVID lockdowns weren’t all bad, the impossible economics of small-scale beef production, John Michael Greer’s stair-step collapse theory, and what it really takes to build resilience in an age of affluence and anxiety.Plus: Patrick performs a house tour nobody asked for, Nate explains why relationships matter more than bunkers, and the group grapples with whether the machine can ever truly be stopped—or if the best we can do is stay human despite it all.

Ashley talks with Kevin Ryan, a Marine Corps veteran and public school teacher running for U.S. Senate in Illinois without corporate donors, consultants, or ad buys. Kevin describes his campaign from a converted school bus as he travels to all 102 counties, gathering signatures by hand and talking directly with voters about what they want from their government. The two discuss money in politics, disillusionment with both parties, and how cynicism erodes civic life. It’s a grounded look at whether a government of the people, by the people, for the people can still function and what it takes to test that idea in real time.

Against efficiency and isolation: learning humility from forgotten communities and the ancient art of the Georgian feastJohn Heers, founder of First Things Foundation, joins Ashley to discuss his unconventional approach to international development—sending people to live humbly in forgotten communities from Mozambique to Guatemala, learning local languages, and facilitating indigenous entrepreneurship rather than imposing Western solutions.The conversation weaves through the tyranny of "spreadsheet brain," the spiritual necessity of smallness over ego, and why efficiency isn't a virtue in itself. John introduces the Georgian supra—a traditional dinner built around ritualized toasting that creates communion without demanding psychological intimacy—and explains how this ancient social technology is resonating with Americans hungry for something beyond transactional relationships.John and Ashley explore how face-to-face gathering, shared meals, and acknowledging life's difficult realities (including death and sin) are essential acts of resistance against a machine culture that wants us isolated, autonomous, and always online.John and Ashley will be hosting a Georgian supra together at the next Doomer Optimism gathering in Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, February 13-14, 2025. We hope that you're able to join us!

Dr. Chris Ellis interviews Tucker Max, who shares his transformative journey from bestselling author to homesteader, focusing on resiliency and self-sufficiency. Tucker discusses the impact of COVID-19 on his beliefs and actions, emphasizing the importance of family involvement in homesteading and the skills developed through this lifestyle. He emphasizes the importance of community and legacy, advocating for a nurturing relationship with the land and a focus on personal development. Tucker offers insights on the challenges and rewards of homesteading, encouraging others to embrace this path for a fulfilling life.

Generational Perspectives on Preparedness with Dr. Chris Ellis and Jonathan RawlesDr. Chris Ellis sits down with Jonathan Rawles, mechanical engineer, author, and co-founder of Survival Realty, to explore how different generations approach preparedness and community resilience in an era of cultural collapse. Unlike his father, James Wesley Rawles, known for his expertise on nuclear war bunkers and self-sufficiency, Jonathan focuses on what he calls the "slow collapse" already underway in American society.Growing up witnessing the erosion of social trust—where unsupervised children playing outside now prompt police calls despite lower crime rates—Jonathan sees preparedness as fundamentally about rebuilding community connections. Through his work in real estate, he observes how rising property costs challenge traditional preparedness, while older homesteaders struggle to pass on decades of work to appreciative buyers.Yet Jonathan remains optimistic, describing communities where young people eagerly embrace early marriage and family life, and multigenerational families return to their roots. He emphasizes that while full self-sufficiency has become economically daunting, basic resilience remains accessible on any budget through food storage, backup heating, and cooking skills.The conversation reveals how true resilience requires a "mindset of vitality and optimism," coupled with taking responsibility for fixing what we can in our own communities. Jonathan's insights show how preparedness-minded individuals are creating resilient futures through churches, homeschool co-ops, and intentional networks rather than waiting for collapse.

What does it mean to be truly prepared in an uncertain world? Dr. Chris Ellis is joined by Bradley Garrett to explore the evolving landscape of resilient citizens and prepping communities, from the "Noah archetype" of community-focused preparedness to bunker communities like Vivos xPoint.The discussion unpacks the psychology, demographics, and practicalities of modern preparedness culture. Younger generations are reshaping the prepping movement, while bunker building represents both rational strategy and potential obsession. International models of community resilience offer insights for American preparedness efforts, and current threats like AI and misinformation demand new approaches to national resiliency.Topics range from underground living and community resilience models to demographic shifts changing preparedness culture. The conversation also examines how gaming platforms serve as testing grounds for real-world preparedness strategies and explores the intersection of wealth, responsibility, and survival planning.

Dr. Chris Ellis, author of "Resilient Citizens," sits down with homesteader and author Roxanne Ahern to explore how sustainable living practices build both personal and community resilience. Ahern, who wrote "Holistic Homesteading" after her own transformation from health struggles to self-sufficiency, breaks down the practical and philosophical aspects of growing your own food, preserving traditional skills, and creating meaningful connections with neighbors.The conversation moves beyond typical homesteading advice to examine deeper questions: How does working with soil and seasons teach us about life's cycles? What role do farmers' markets play in rebuilding local food systems? And why might parenting and gardening share surprising parallels in developing patience and grace?Ahern addresses real concerns about modern agriculture—from chemical dependencies to disconnected food chains—while offering concrete steps listeners can take regardless of their living situation. Whether you're curious about starting a backyard garden or questioning how to prepare for an uncertain future, this episode provides both inspiration and actionable wisdom rooted in years of hands-on experience.

Joe Allen leads us on a journey through the Axial Age's profound wisdom traditions to uncover how ancient civilizations grappled with the same transhumanist dreams that captivate us today. From the bronze automaton Talos guarding Crete to the terrifying Brahmastra weapons of the Mahabharata, we trace humanity's eternal fascination with creating artificial life and wielding god-like power.This episode weaves through the Hindu concept of yugas—those vast cosmic cycles that see humanity descend from golden ages into our current Kali Yuga, the age of iron and spiritual darkness. We examine how the Golem tradition reflects both our creative aspirations and the dangers of "golemizing" sacred wisdom, turning living tradition into a lifeless mechanism.

What if everything we think we know about "natural" ecosystems is wrong?Peter Allen is a restoration ecologist and regenerative farmer, and learn how North America's pre-European landscapes weren't wild at all—they were sophisticated agricultural systems managed by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.Speaking from his 220-acre farm in Wisconsin's unique Driftless region, Peter shares his journey from academic ecology to hands-on farming, revealing how the oak savannas that once stretched coast-to-coast were the most productive ecosystems on the continent. He explains why megafauna like mastodons and giant ground sloths were the original landscape architects, and how their extinction 12,000 years ago began the sixth mass extinction we're still experiencing today.Peter offers a practical roadmap for restoration, from understanding why our food has lost its ability to nourish us (spoiler: it's all about minerals) to how properly managed livestock can rebuild topsoil faster than nature ever could. He tackles controversial topics head-on, challenging the narrative that cows cause climate change and explaining why the war on beef might be about more than just the environment.

Ashley is joined by Grayson Quay, author of 'The Transhumanist Temptation' to explore the philosophical and ethical implications of transhumanism, its historical roots, and its intersection with modern ideologies. They cover the concept of natural law, the role of technology in shaping human identity, and the challenges parents face in a tech-driven world. They also discuss the future of humanity in relation to AI and consciousness, concluding with a call to embrace our humanity in an increasingly transhuman era.

The Shire We Call HomeJason sits down with Tom Ruby and Alan Cornett to explore the profound influence of Wendell Berry on modern agrarianism, the surprising revival of Catholicism in America, and why the future might belong to those willing to get their hands dirty.From the rolling hills of Kentucky, which echo Tolkien's Shire, to the intellectual journey from secular academia to Catholic agrarianism, Tom and Alan share their personal stories of finding meaning through land stewardship and community building. The conversation weaves together themes of localism, the "cultural debris" of forgotten traditions, and the practical wisdom needed to counter our age of disconnection.Whether you're drawn to Berry's vision of place-based living, curious about the Catholic Land Movement, or simply wondering how to build authentic community in fractured times, this conversation offers both philosophical depth and practical hope. As our guests remind us: good people are out there, working the land and building the kind of life that lasts.

In this episode, Ashley asks her two closest collaborators on Doomer Optimism – Jason on the podcast, and James on events – to think through what drew them to the project, lessons from what we’ve done so far, and where we could go from here.

Monopoly Power, New Deal Legacies, and the Fight for Real Economic DemocracyJames and Basel unpack the legacy of the New Deal, the tangled history of regulation, and the roots of today’s anti-monopoly movement. From egg prices and avian flu to Big Tech and corporate control of agriculture, they explore how concentrated power distorts markets, erodes democracy, and shapes both domestic and foreign policy. Grounded in history but focused on the future, the episode explores what real economic democracy might look like—and the role everyday people can play in achieving it.

Paul Kingsnorth and Leighton Woodhouse in conversation for the Third Annual Doomer Optimism Campout at The Wagon Box.

Ashley, Donald, and James cover a lot of ground in this episode. They kick things off with the story of Leslie Peltier, a self-taught stargazer from Ohio, before diving into a deeper conversation about environmentalism. Donald raises concerns about how today’s climate discourse can feel paralyzing, especially for young people, and argues that instead of backing away from nature, we need to find ways to work with it.The conversation broadens into bigger questions about collapse — not dramatic doomsday stuff, but a slower kind of breakdown where complex systems just can’t hold themselves together anymore. That idea leads them into American history, particularly the legacy of Jacksonian democracy and the ongoing tug-of-war between centralized power and local control.They touch on everything from the role of tradition to the limits of liberalism, and explore what it might take to build a coherent moral framework in a fractured time. It’s a thoughtful, wide-ranging discussion about how we got here — and where we might be headed.

DO 269 – Engineering, education, empathy, and mimetic warfare? Dr. Chuck Pezeshki & JoshDr. Chuck is an engineering professor at Washington State University. He runs an engineering design studio for student projects and blogs on an exorbitantly wide range of topics at https://empathy.guru.Dr. Chuck is hard to characterize other than “someone Doomer Optimists ought to be paying attention to.”

Can Humanity Keep Pace with the Technologies It Creates?Matthew Pirkowski joins Ashley Fitzgerald to unpack the complicated relationship between technology and humanity. They dive into the worlds of AI and cryptocurrency, exploring how these tools work—and how they shape our minds, societies, and futures.Drawing from his background in evolutionary psychology, Matthew reflects on how our instincts and behaviors interact with fast-moving technologies. He and Ashley wrestle with big questions: How does AI influence our decisions? What risks do we face when innovation outpaces understanding? And how do we walk the fine line between exploring new digital frontiers and exploiting them?The conversation also touches on a tech-driven world's psychological and political consequences—from polarization and power concentration to the importance of real, embodied experiences like parenting. They explore the need for communities to rethink how we live and govern together in a time of rapid change.Matthew and Ashley share a cautious hope for the future—one rooted in curiosity, responsibility, and a commitment to keeping human values at the center of technological progress.

Dr. Chris Ellis hosts Graham Summers and Matt, discussing various economic topics including market dynamics, investment strategies, and the role of metals in the current financial landscape. They explore the implications of monetary policy, the significance of gold and silver, and the potential for a monetary reset amidst inflationary pressures. The conversation covers the complexities of the global economy, the impact of tariffs, and the challenges of understanding value in a fluctuating market. Chris, Graham, and Matt discuss the historical context of currency debasement, the role of the Federal Reserve in monetizing debt, and the impact of COVID-19 on financial systems. They explore the growing economic inequality and the importance of preparing for future uncertainties. The discussion also touches on alternative education approaches for young adults, emphasizing the need for practical skills and financial literacy.

Chris Smaje and Jason Snyder make their triumphant return to DO to join Ashley to explore the concepts of 'strong gods' and 'weak gods' as articulated by NS Lyons, examining the historical context, implications of nationalism's resurgence, critiques of the strong gods argument, and the importance of localism and community in navigating societal changes. The discussion also dives into the need for a moral framework in a diverse society and the role of community in fostering resilience against global challenges. They discuss the need for a living tradition that is not ossified, the search for meaning in a secular world, and the role of religion in civic life. The conversation covers the complexities of community engagement, the duality of political figures, and the future of local politics and livelihoods. Throughout, they emphasize the importance of grounding spiritual practices in local contexts and the challenges of navigating tradition in a rapidly changing world.

Transition Engineering with Susan Krumdieck and Josh Susan Krumdieck (PhD, mechanical engineering) is a Professor at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and is the foremost global proponent of the emergent discipline of Transition Engineering. Susan figured out “Doomer Optimism” before it was a thing and asked herself, “What can I do as an engineer?” The answer was to elaborate a novel approach to tackling wicked challenges, dismantling the unsustainable systems that modernity depends on, and replacing them with systems that can serve people and ecosystems for the long term. She formed the Global Association for Transition Engineering to work at the grassroots and with academics, businesses, municipalities, and regional governments to advance Transition Engineering projects. Her seminal textbook on Transition Engineering can be downloaded for free from the publisher.