Actions to Take and Andrea's Book Break

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Next Comes What

Host: Andrea Pitzer
Episode: See You in May
Date: April 14, 2026

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Overview

In this brief and to-the-point episode, Andrea Pitzer pauses her regular programming to update listeners on her current book project, her activism against authoritarianism, and resources for fighting ICE detention centers and authoritarian encroachment in the United States. Drawing on her experience studying the rise of strongmen globally, Pitzer highlights modern tactics for resistance and discusses why education and community involvement matter now more than ever.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Host Hiatus and Book Update

• Andrea Pitzer announces she is taking the rest of April off to complete her upcoming book, Snowblind (due 2027), chronicling a 100-year-old polar expedition.

  • "I am taking the rest of April off... to finish my next book, Snowblind, which is due at the end of the month." (00:05)

• She references her research trip in Russia during the onset of the Ukraine war and ongoing support for Ukrainian scientists and activists.

  • "I was actually in Russia researching in February 2022 when Moscow tried to seize Kyiv." (00:22)

2. Ongoing Human Rights Advocacy

• Andrea shares recent work speaking about proposed ICE detention centers and the pushback from local communities.

  • "ICE wants to turn [the empty warehouse] into a detention facility to house 10,000 people. That's twice the population of Social Circle itself..." (01:15–01:24)

• Community concerns center around fundamental human rights and the impact of warehousing people in inhumane conditions.

  • "We have basic human rights concerns about the idea of having people warehoused in a place that was not built for human habitation and what we can do about them." (01:32–01:44)

3. State of Authoritarianism and Resistance

• Pitzer describes the current US climate as one where authoritarian tendencies are increasing but points to persistent national resistance.

  • "Authoritarianism... is hardening and working very hard to tear down ways to resist." – [Speaker E] (01:57)
  • "We also have a tremendously powerful public presence of people doing just that on the streets across the country and national protests." – [Speaker E] (02:11)
  • "Lower courts... are still defying the government openly, and as long as those things keep working, we have a really good chance to beat this." – [Speaker E] (02:23)

• Emphasis is placed on the necessity for continued, increased activism.

  • "It will require people to show up as they have been, but in even greater numbers." – [Speaker E] (02:37)

4. Conversations & Strategic Action

• The episode previews Pitzer's recent interviews on the subject:

  • Edwin Eisendraft (It’s the Democracy, Stupid podcast)

  • Michael Scott Moore (former hostage, writer on detention and justice)

  • Michael Podorzer and Anat Shankar Osorio (on the significance of the term “concentration camp” and activist messaging)

  • Michael Scott Moore: "Concentration camps are part of a process that happens in a larger society. They aren't just like an a la carte add on kind of thing. You can't get to them... until there are deep flaws that have been exploited... to create this concentration camp society." (02:55–03:15)

  • "Right now it is critical to have a huge hammer effect close the Camps campaign because we are so free to act right now." – [F] (03:31)

5. The Power of Local Action & Education

• Resistance doesn’t require perfection—small, focused efforts matter.

  • "Even a little bit of education is actually tremendously powerful..." – [F] (03:53)
  • "Just a little bit of education and people can reverse themselves completely." – [F] (04:05)

• Andrea urges listeners to choose a single front to resist authoritarianism and not succumb to despair from feeling the need to solve everything.

  • "Don't feel like you have to solve everything. That is an absolute recipe for despair. So just reach out and make sure you're engaged on one front..." (04:09)

6. Calls to Action: Events & Resources

• Training Call (April 14, 8:00pm ET): For organizing resistance to ICE warehouse conversions.

• National Day of Action (April 25): "Communities Not Cages" day to Stop ICE Warehouse Detention.

• May Day (May 1): Nationwide worker solidarity; more at maydaystrong.org.

  • "You can register to join a nationwide Training call on April 14th at 8:00pm Eastern Time... That call will get you ready for Saturday, April 25, the communities not Cages National Day of Action to Stop Ice Warehouse Detention." (04:19–04:53)

  • "May Day... calls for a day of shutting down business as usual and reclaiming our power, along with all the concrete things that Trump and his billionaire cronies have stolen from the country." (05:13–05:36)

• All event links are available via the Degenerate Art newsletter or AndreaPitzer.com.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On societal resistance:
  "Lower courts... are still defying the government openly, and as long as those things keep working, we have a really good chance to beat this." – [E] (02:23)

• On the systemic pathway to detention centers:
  "Concentration camps are part of a process that happens in a larger society... You can't get to them in a society until there are deep flaws that have been exploited by political actors to create this concentration camp society." – Michael Scott Moore (02:55)

• On the importance of education:
  "Just a little bit of education and people can reverse themselves completely." – [F] (04:05)

• On collective action:
  "May Day... calls for a day of shutting down business as usual and reclaiming our power, along with all the concrete things that Trump and his billionaire cronies have stolen from the country." – Andrea Pitzer (05:13–05:36)

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Summary | |-----------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | 00:05 | Host hiatus announcement | Book update; reason for brief episode | | 01:15 | Discussion of ICE facility plans | Community resistance highlights | | 01:57 | Status of US authoritarianism | Nationwide activism, note of hope | | 02:55 | Interviews with experts, concentration camps context | Systemic roots of detention and activism | | 04:19 | Calls to action: activist events | Training, national days of action, May Day| | 05:13 | May Day call & workers' rights | Movement-building and reclaiming power |

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Resources & Further Reading

• Degenerate Art Newsletter: AndreaPitzer.com
• May Day Events & Updates: maydaystrong.org

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Closing Tone

Andrea maintains a steady, encouraging tone throughout—emphasizing that while systemic challenges are daunting, progress is achieved through education, direct action, and community solidarity. She urges listeners not to despair and to take action, even if only on a small, local scale.

“I’ll see you again in May.”

Transcript

[A]

So this episode of Next comes what is arriving a little early and will be a very brief one. I am taking the rest of April off both from this podcast and from the Degenerate Art newsletter to finish my next book, Snowblind, which is due at the end of the month. So you might recall that last year I took off two weeks in the spring to crew a vessel that was headed to the Arctic. And this year I am finishing the story of an expedition from a hundred years ago, one that I was actually in Russia researching in February 2022 when Moscow tried to seize Kyiv.

[B]

Good evening to you. We are reporting tonight from a country fighting for its survival against one of the most sophisticated and largest militaries on the planet.

[A]

Not surprisingly, this transformed the experience in many ways, not least of which was my subsequent involvement with Ukrainian scientist Dr. Olga Spock, which includes raising money for supplies on the front lines in Ukraine over these last four years. And I am excited to turn in the manuscript for this book, although it won't come out until 2027. And while I am out, you can still watch lots of current video of me talking about my usual beefs.

[C]

So right behind me is the empty warehouse that ICE wants to turn into a detention facility to house 10,000 people. That's twice the population of Social Circle

[A]

itself, because I have been really busy talking to different communities and audiences about ICE concentration camps in the US didn't

[D]

want to see Social Circle turning into prison town. We have basic human rights concerns about the idea of having people warehoused in a place that was not built for

[A]

human habitation and what we can do about them.

[D]

We'll do everything we legally can to try to oppose this thing from happening.

[A]

If you go to Friday's Degenerate Art post, you will find several links at the end.

[E]

We have an authoritarianism that is hardening and working very hard to tear down ways to resist.

[A]

One is to a recent conversation with Edwin Eisendraft.

[E]

But we also have a tremendously powerful public presence of people doing just that on the streets across the country and national protests. We have a lower courts that are still defying the government openly, and as long as those things keep working, we have a really good chance to beat this.

[A]

For his it's the Democracy Stupid podcast

[E]

out of Chicago, but it will require people to show up as they have

[A]

been, but in even greater numbers. I also talked with Michael Scott Moore, who was held hostage for a shockingly long time by Somali pirates many years ago and who has kept a keen interest ever since in issues related to detention, justice and human rights.

[F]

Concentration camps are part of a process that happens in a larger society. They aren't just like an a la carte add on kind of thing. You can't get to them in a society until there are deep flaws that have been exploited by political actors to create this concentration camp society.

[A]

And only a few days ago I spoke with Michael Podorzer and Anat Shankar Osorio about why the term concentration camp matters and some strategic approaches and reasons for messaging about camp closure.

[F]

Right now it is critical to have a huge hammer effect close the Camps campaign because we are so free to act right now.

[A]

I hope you're already doing things close to home to push back against whatever slice of the current buffet of authoritarianism you've decided to tackle.

[F]

Even a little bit of education is actually tremendously powerful when it comes to this kind of detention with concentration camps

[A]

because it's all part of the same loaf of cruelty that we are being force fed.

[F]

Just a little bit of education and people can reverse themselves completely.

[A]

And if you haven't yet gotten involved, now is the perfect time and don't feel like you have to solve everything. That is an absolute recipe for despair. So just reach out and make sure you're engaged on one front, even some part of resistance in your community. And in the days remaining in April, and there are a bunch of them, there are a lot of opportunities for bigger actions and building awareness. You can register to join a nationwide Training call on April 14th at 8:00pm Eastern Time, and that's for people organizing to fight warehouse conversions to concentration camps. That call will get you ready for Saturday, April 25, the communities not Cages National Day of Action to Stop Ice Warehouse Detention. So again, you can go on the call on April 14, which will help you learn how to host an event yourself or to plug in with other people on April 25th. And the following Friday will be May Day.

[G]

What do we want? Justice. When do we want it?

[A]

Now. That traditional celebration of workers worldwide. It seems like a billion groups are co sponsoring that event, which calls for a day of shutting down business as usual and reclaiming our power, along with all the concrete things that Trump and his billionaire cronies have stolen from the country.

[E]

So you can plan for that by

[A]

keeping up with [e-mail] where more details will be forthcoming. Again, links for these events are in the Friday, April 10 post over at my Degenerate Art newsletter and if you're not already a subscriber to generate art, you can find a link to it in the second paragraph. The welcome page of my [e-mail] and I'll see you again in May.

[H]

Thanks for listening to Next Comes what? Please share this with one person who's looking for ways to survive this mess. To support this podcast, please become a paid [e-mail] and consider giving Next Comes what? A five star review where you get your podcasts.