When Activists Start Thinking Like Bureaucrats

Progressives’ voracious appetite for rules, from the societal level to the interpersonal, has earned us a reputation for authoritarianism.In this episode, Aidan digs into the hidden authoritarian streak within progressive activism — not the cartoon version from Fox News, but the subtle, internal drift that turns idealistic movements into miniature bureaucracies. Drawing from personal experience, movement history, and examples from environmental and animal advocacy, he explores how perfectionism, moral policing, and rule-addiction undermine the very causes activists fight for. The episode makes the case for “joyful militancy” instead: a way of organizing rooted in trust, pluralism, and effectiveness rather than control, shame, or ideological purity.This audio version of Sandcastles is produced using an AI clone of Aidan's voice. Please forgive mispronunciations. Read the original on Substack. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sandcastlesblog.substack.com