Alle afleveringen van Tech Won't Save Us – pagina 6 van 8

(Un)Stablecoins and the Crypto Crash w/ Bennett Tomlin

19 mei 2022 · 55 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Bennett Tomlin to discuss last week’s crash of Terra and Luna, the problems with stablecoins, and whether this collapse will finally force regulators to take action on cryptocurrency. Lees meer

Bennett Tomlin is a co-host of Crypto Critics’ Corner and writer of the FUD Letter. Follow Bennett on Twitter at @BennettTomlin.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Paris wrote about the Terra/Luna collapse and why we can’t let those who promoted crypto scams escape blame for their actions.

Bennett references George Soros’ attack on the British pound in 1992, also known as Black Wednesday.

Do Kwan was behind the failed Basis Cash stablecoin.

Vitalik Buterin backed a proposal for an FDIC-like response to rescue “small holders” who lost money in the Luna collapse.

Investors recently pulled $7 billion out of Tether, which still won’t be open about its reserves. It was hacked in 2017.

FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried described yield farming as a Ponzi scheme.

Justin Sun has already launched a copycat of the failed Terra algorithmic stablecoin. The Verge did a deep dive on him in March.

a16z says the crypto winter is here.

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The Argument for Half-Earth Socialism w/ Drew Pendergrass & Troy Vettese

12 mei 2022 · 59 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Drew Pendergrass and Troy Vettese to discuss the environmental crises of climate change and mass extinction we face, and why taking them seriously while providing for everyone requires a radical change to how we structure society. Lees meer

Drew Pendergrass is a PhD candidate in environmental engineering at Harvard University and Troy Vettese is an environmental historian and a Max Weber fellow at the European University Institute. They are the co-authors of Half-Earth Socialism: A Plan to Save the Future from Extinction, Climate Change and Pandemics. Follow them on Twitter at @pendergrassdrew and @TroyVettese.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Earth is currently undergoing its sixth major extinction, due to the actions of humans on the planet.

The most recent IPCC report looked at demand-side solutions to the climate crisis.

The meat industry is responsible for double the emissions of plant-based foods, as well as for an enormous amount of water and 80% of all agricultural land.

Aaron Benanav is the author of Automation and the Future of Work.

There is also a Half-Earth Socialism videogame on half.earth.

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How IBM Workers Took On Racism and Apartheid w/ ann haeyoung

5 mei 2022 · 50 min

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Paris Marx is joined by ann haeyoung to discuss IBM worker organizing in the 1970s and 1980s against racism and apartheid, and how those stories are important to informing tech organizing in the present. Lees meer

ann haeyoung is a media artist interested in technology and labor. She is also a former tech worker and organizer, and a graduate student at UCLA.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

ann wrote about IBM organizing for Wired, and put together a four-part series on her research for Tech Workers Coalition.

Science for the People published an article about tech worker organizing in the 1960s and 1970s.

Logic Magazine spoke to Joan Greenbaum about the early days of tech worker organizing.

Tech Won’t Save Us is looking for a producer.

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The Financialization of Everything w/ Edward Ongweso Jr.

28 april 2022 · 1 uur 3 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Edward Ongweso Jr. to discuss Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition, how technology is enabling an extension of speculation and gambling, and why those pressures need to be opposed. Lees meer

Edward Ongweso Jr. is a staff writer at Motherboard/Vice and a co-host of This Machine Kills. Follow Edward on Twitter at @bigblackjacobin.

🎉 This month is the show’s second birthday. To celebrate, we want to get 100 new supporters at $5/month or above to bring on a producer to help make the show. Help us hit our goal by joining on Patreon. You can also follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Edward wrote about Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition and the casino economy we increasingly find ourselves in.

Paris wrote about Elon’s Twitter purchase for Jacobin before it was confirmed, and Tribune afterward.

Max Read also wrote about the acquisition and what it might mean.

CNN spoke to meme stock traders who made a lot of money and the difficulty of what came after.

TrueAnon did a recently episode on mobile gambling.

Tim Hwang wrote “Subprime Attention Crisis: Advertising and the Time Bomb at the Heart of the Internet.”

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We Can’t Allow Tech Solutions to Delay Climate Action w/ Molly Taft

21 april 2022 · 59 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Molly Taft to discuss why we need to act now to reduce emissions, what role carbon removal technologies can play, and how Silicon Valley is trying to shift our focus to future technologies rather than taking drastic action today. Lees meer

Molly Taft is a staff writer at Earther. Follow Molly on Twitter at @mollytaft.

🎉 This month is the show’s second birthday. To celebrate, we want to get 100 new supporters at $5/month or above to bring on a producer to help make the show. Help us hit our goal by joining on Patreon. You can also follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Molly wrote about the dire warnings in the most recent IPCC report and why we need to be paying attention to carbon removal technologies.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But, the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels.”

Groups are urging the United States and European Union not to invest in new fossil fuel infrastructure and production.

Canada approved Bay du Nord, a new deep-sea oil project in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Major tech companies, especially Amazon, have been helping oil companies extract more oil. Microsoft has also been helping them oppressively manage their workforces.

Kate Aronoff explained part of the problem with Bill Gates’ approach to climate change.

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Who’s to Blame When a Self-Driving Car Kills Someone? w/ Lauren Smiley

14 april 2022 · 1 uur 3 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Lauren Smiley to discuss what we’ve learned about the Uber crash since in happened in March 2018, what that’s meant for the vehicle operator who’s been charged, and whether the justice system made the right call in blaming her instead of Uber. Lees meer

Lauren Smiley is a WIRED contributor and freelance journalist based in San Francisco. Follow Laren on Twitter at @laurensmiley.

🎉 This month is the show’s second birthday. To celebrate, we want to get 100 new supporters at $5/month or above to bring on a producer to help make the show. Help us hit our goal by joining on Patreon. You can also follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Lauren interviewed Rafaela Vasquez and dug into the substance of the past four years of information on the Uber crash for WIRED.

Last summer, Vasquez’ legal team argued the grand jury hadn’t heard to full version of events before indicting her.

In 2019, the NTSB’s final report placed primary blame on the operator, but secondary blame on Uber, the pedestrian, and the state.

In 2015, Lauren wrote about the “shut-in economy” and social divides being entrenched by on-demand services.

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How to Unionize Amazon w/ Justine Medina & Karen Ponce

7 april 2022 · 51 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Justine Medina and Karen Ponce to discuss how the Amazon Labor Union succeeded in unionizing Amazon’s JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island, what it’s like working for Amazon, and where the movement to unionize Amazon goes next. Lees meer

Justine Medina is a packer at the JFK8 warehouse and is on the organizing committee of the Amazon Labor Union. Karen Ponce is a stower at JFK8 and the interim secretary of Amazon Labor Union. Follow Justine on Twitter at @jnmedina8989 and Karen at @Karennn_928.

🎉 This month is the show’s second birthday. To celebrate, we want to get 100 new supporters at $5/month or above to bring on a producer to help make the show. Help us hit our goal by joining on Patreon. You can also follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

You can support the Amazon Labor Union by donating to its Solidarity Fund.

Justine spoke to Labor Notes and wrote about why the ALU won.

The ALU is making 8 immediate demands of Amazon.

Chair of the ALU’s Worker Committee Angelika Maldonado spoke to Jacobin about the union win.

Lauren Kaori Gurley wrote about the Amazon Labor Union’s successful union vote at JFK8.

In early 2020, Amazon fired Chris Smalls and tried to smear him as “not smart or articulate,” but their internal memos leaked.

Jacobin and Briarpatch published articles on the need to salt at Amazon.

Chris Smalls says workers from 50 facilities have contacted the ALU.

The ALU is demanding to meet with Amazon in early May to begin bargaining.

Amazon is planning to ban a ton of words in its chat app.

Amazon forcing people to work in warehouses without air conditioning was a scandal in 2011.

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Web3 is Not Going Great w/ Molly White

1 april 2022 · 1 uur 4 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Molly White to discuss the big Axie Infinity hack, what’s wrong with the New York Times’ Latecomer’s Guide to Crypto, and what Molly’s years as a Wikipedia editor have taught her about the problem with web3’s vision of total commercialization. Lees meer

Molly White is a software engineer and the creator of web3 is going just great. Follow Molly on Twitter at @molly0xFFF.

🎉 This month is the show’s second birthday. To celebrate, we want to get 100 new supporters at $5/month or above to bring on a producer to help make the show. Help us hit our goal by joining on Patreon. You can also follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Molly and a bunch of other crypto critics put together an (Edited) Latecomer’s Guide to Crypto.

You can read Kevin Roose’s original Latecomer’s Guide here.

Molly wrote about the $625 million Axie Infinity hack and harassment on the blockchain.

Interest in NFTs and their values have plummeted in recent months.

Tech Won’t Save Us has a new website. Check it out at techwontsave.us.

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Digital Tech Didn’t Democratize the Film Industry w/ Will Tavlin

24 maart 2022 · 48 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Will Tavlin to discuss the history of the film industry, how the digital revolution was promised to democratize film, and how it actually helped cement the power of Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Lees meer

Will Tavlin is a writer and fact checker based in New York City. Follow Will on Twitter at @wtavlin.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Will wrote about how Hollywood killed celluloid film to empower itself for n+1.

Paris wrote about the repeal of the Paramount Decrees and what tech companies are doing to cinema.

Marvel films’ heavy reliance on CGI has downsides, and Disney is increasingly looking to making whole sets virtual, if not even the actors on them.

David Noble wrote about ideas of technological progress in Progress Without People: New Technology, Unemployment, and the Message of Resistance.

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Can Higher Interest Rates Tame Big Tech And Inflation? w/ Grace Blakeley

17 maart 2022 · 59 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Grace Blakeley to discuss how low interest rates and quantitative easing fueled the tech economy’s post-recession growth, why raising them won’t fix the problems that’s created, and whether higher interest rates are the solution to rising inflation. Lees meer

Grace Blakeley is a staff writer at Tribune Magazine and host of A World to Win. She’s also the author of Stolen: How to Save the World from Financialisation and The Corona Crash: How the Pandemic Will Change Capitalism. Follow Grace on Twitter at @graceblakeley.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Grace wrote about how interest rate hikes are used against workers, what we should learn from the Gamestop short squeeze, and how the pandemic has produced closer links between the state and major corporations.

Benjamin Braun and Adrienne Buller explained the concept of asset manager capitalism.

In the face of rising inflation, NFT values are down 48% since November.

High energy prices tend to drive inflation, and Russia and Ukraine are major wheat exporters.

In the UK, wages are falling at the fastest rate since 2014. In the US, wages are falling when accounting for inflation, after decades of wage stagnation.

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How Peter Thiel Wields His Power in Silicon Valley w/ Moira Weigel

10 maart 2022 · 1 uur 2 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Moira Weigel to discuss Peter Thiel’s history, how the network he cultivated has influenced Silicon Valley, and his recent move into funding Republican candidates. Lees meer

Moira Weigel is an assistant professor at Northeastern University, a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard Law School, and a founding editor of Logic magazine. She also co-edited Voices from the Valley: Tech Workers Talk about What They Do--And How They Do It. Follow Moira on Twitter at @moiragweigel.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Moira wrote about Peter Thiel and the importance of his network in The New Republic.

Paris wrote about why Peter Thiel isn’t an outlier in Silicon Valley.

Reason Magazine asked “wasn’t Peter Thiel supposed to be a libertarian?”

In February 2020, Peter Thiel stepped down from Facebook’s board.

Books mentioned: The Contrarian by Max Chafkin, From Counterculture to Cyberculture by Fred Turner, Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters, The PayPal Wars by Eric Jackson, Predict and Surveil by Sarah Brayne.

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War in the Content Economy w/ Ryan Broderick & Hussein Kesvani

3 maart 2022 · 1 uur 5 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Ryan Broderick and Hussein Kesvani to discuss how war gets filtered through social media and the content economy, and what that means for how we make sense of it. Lees meer

Ryan Broderick writes the Garbage Day newsletter and hosts Content Mines. Hussein Kesvani is a writer and the co-host of Trashfuture and Ten Thousand Posts. Follow Ryan on Twitter at @broderick and Hussein at @HKesvani.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Ryan has written two issues of Garbage Day trying to make sense of what’s happening in the war.

Hussein wrote a very good tweet.

Sam Biddle wrote about how Facebook is allowing users to praise the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion.

Taylor Lorenz wrote about Instagram meme pages capitalizing on the conflict.

Journalists have been saying some pretty racist things about why the war in Ukraine is different than those in the Middle East.

Chris Stokel-Walker wrote about how TikTok is designed for war.

Jonah Peretti wrote an article called “Capitalism and Schizophrenia.”

NBC’s Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel wondered aloud on Twitter whether NATO should start World War III.

Hillary Clinton neglected the consequences of the US arming Afghan “insurgents” against the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

The media isn’t applying the right level of scrutiny to Ukrainian war stories, like Snake Island.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could have consequences for semiconductors.

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Can Tesla Survive Elon Musk? w/ Edward Niedermeyer

24 februari 2022 · 58 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Edward Niedermeyer to discuss how Elon Musk got involved in Tesla, promised things he couldn’t deliver to raise funds, and where it goes next now that he’s becoming a more controversial figure. Lees meer

Edward Niedermeyer is the author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors and a co-host of The Autonocast. Follow Ed on Twitter at @Tweetermeyer.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

California is suing Tesla over “rampant racism” at its Fremont factory, with another Black worker suing the company earlier this week.

Tesla vehicles are continually found to have very poor build quality, and customers report the service experience can be frustrating too.

Tesla allowed people to play games on vehicle touchscreens while driving in December 2021 before being pushed to remove the feature.

Tesla tried to automate parts of the production process that other companies had already tried to automate — and it failed too.

The number of people being killed by cars in the United States is increasing — particularly among pedestrians.

US auto safety regulators haven’t kept up with changes in vehicle dangers.

The New Yorker reported on the problems in the early years of Google’s self-driving project.

Last year a customer in China protested at the Shanghai auto show over her Tesla’s brake failure, forcing regulators to take a closer look at the company.

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Cringe Raps and $5 Billion in Stolen Bitcoin w/ Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

17 februari 2022 · 46 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai to discuss the arrest of Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan for trying to launder the $5 billion in Bitcoin stolen in the 2016 Bitfinex hack, how they were moving the money, how the authorities found them, and what lessons the case might hold. Lees meer

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai is senior staff writer at Motherboard. Follow Lorenzo on Twitter at @lorenzofb.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Lorenzo wrote about the arrest of the couple and Heather Morgan’s cringe raps as Razzlekhan. Along with Motherboard colleagues, he also dug deep into the couple’s history and online presence.

The Bitcoin they held and tried to launder came from the 2016 hack of Bitfinex.

People who knew Morgan told the New York Times her social media presence was “part of an elaborate act to confront social pressures.”

In 2014, Mt. Gox was hacked and shut down. It was an exchange handling 70% of Bitcoin transactions.

Criminals laundered $8.6 billion in cryptocurrency in 2021, up 30% from the year before.

AlphaBay was a darkweb crypto marketplace that was seized by authorities in 2017.

On Feb 14, Heather Morgan was released on bail, but Ilya Lichtenstein remained in detention.

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The Poorly Paid Workers Powering Automation w/ Phil Jones

10 februari 2022 · 49 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Phil Jones to discuss the hidden microworkers behind supposedly AI-powered automation from major tech companies, how it differs in the Global North and South, and what it means for how we think about the future. Lees meer

Phil Jones is the author of Work Without the Worker: Labour in the Age of Platform Capitalism and a researcher at Autonomy. Follow Phil on Twitter at @philjones7771.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Phil wrote about digital piecework for The Guardian and had an excerpt about refugee labor in Rest of World.

Turkopticon helps workers on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk gain some information on the contractors offering tasks on the platform.

In 2020, Gizmodo did surveys to find out about workers’ experiences on Mechanical Turk. There were a lot of horror stories.

In 2014, workers on the platform sent emails to Jeff Bezos to ask for better conditions.

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Crypto Winter Is Coming w/ Jacob Silverman

3 februari 2022 · 1 uur 8 min

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As the podcast celebrates episode 100, Paris Marx is joined by Jacob Silverman to discuss the huge drop in crypto prices, the coming threat (to crypto) of interest rate hikes and regulation, the human impact of crypto schemes, and where things may be going next. Lees meer

Jacob Silverman is a staff writer at The New Republic and writes about crypto with the actor Ben McKenzie. Follow Jacob on Twitter at @SilvermanJacob.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Jacob and Ben McKenzie wrote about Tether. Zeke Faux also wrote an essential article on the stablecoin, and Jacob recommends Crypto Critics Corner.

Crypto prices have plunged, and that’s hurt regular people.

New York’s Attorney General reached a settlement with Tether last year.

VC firm Andreessen Horowitz is making a big lobbying push in Washington, DC to get favorable crypto regulations.

Matt Damon and Spike Lee are among the celebrities to take crypto money and help pump the industry.

US regulators are looking at crypto regulations, and Biden administration is planning an executive order to move it forward.

China banned crypto mining, Russia proposed a ban on crypto, and many countries have suffered power outages due to crypto mining.

Stephen Diehl wrote explained how crypto is about arbitraging securities regulation.

Diane Jeantet wrote about a massive series of Bitcoin pyramid schemes in Brazil.

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Microsoft Wants to Dominate the Games Industry w/ Rob Zacny

27 januari 2022 · 54 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Rob Zacny to discuss the potential consequences of Xbox’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and what subscriptions and consolidation might mean for the future of games and the industry. Lees meer

Rob Zacny is a senior editor at Waypoint and co-host of Waypoint Radio. Follow Rob on Twitter at @RobZacny.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Rob discussed the consequences of the proposed acquisition with his colleague Patrick Klepek.

Microsoft plans to buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.

In November, Phil Spencer said he was troubled by the harassment and abuse at Activision Blizzard.

QA workers at Activision’s Raven Software are seeking to unionize. The company said it won’t recognize the union, and is reorganizing the division.

A new Game Developers Conference found 55% think the industry should unionize.

On January 18, the US Federal Trade Commission began a process to rewrite its merger guidelines.

Google shut down its Stadia game studios at least in part due to Microsoft’s acquisition of Zenimax.

At GDC in 2005, a developer rant session featuring Warren Spector, Jason Della Rocca, Greg Costikyan, Brenda Laurel, and Chris Hecke presented a grim picture of where the industry was going.

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How Evangelicals Emulate Startup Culture w/ Corrina Laughlin

20 januari 2022 · 49 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Corrina Laughlin to discuss how evangelical Christians have adapted to modern technologies, how churches have emulated startups, the growth of the faith tech sector, and whether there’s anything that can be learned from their tech experiments. Lees meer

Corrina Laughlin is the author of Redeem All: How Digital Life Is Changing Evangelical Culture. She’s also an instructor of media studies at Loyola Marymount University. Follow Corrina on Twitter at @CKLaughlin.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Corrina wrote an article about why evangelicals are early adopters for The Atlantic.

Pew estimates about 24% of US adults identify as born again or evangelical Protestants.

The 1925 Scopes Trial was over the teaching of evolution in Tennessee schools.

Life.Church makes a ton of high production value resources available to churches looking to start up and expand what they’re doing.

The prosperity gospel is a pro-capitalist theological tradition preached by some very wealth pastors, including Kenneth Copeland.

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Envisioning Platform Socialism w/ James Muldoon

13 januari 2022 · 54 min

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Paris Marx is joined by James Muldoon to discuss his vision for platform socialism and the different ways we could reorganize platforms to serve the public good over corporate profit. Lees meer

James Muldoon is the author of Platform Socialism: How to Reclaim our Digital Future from Big Tech. He’s also a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter and the Head of Digital Research at Autonomy. Follow James on Twitter at @james_muldoon_.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

James wrote about why web3 won’t save the internet.

Paris wrote about what’s wrong with discourses about decentralization and why we should nationalize Amazon.

Francesca Bria was interviewed by Crypto Syllabus about web3, decentralization, and her experience with municipal tech projects.

Facebook’s Project Amplify ensured users saw positive stories about the company.

Antonio Negri and Dalla Costa were among the Italian Autonomist Marxists thinking about the social factory. Karl Marx wrote about the concept of surplus value.

G.D.H. Cole wrote about guild socialism. James also mentions the work of Otto Neurath.

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How Roblox Exploits Children w/ Quintin Smith

6 januari 2022 · 46 min

Afspelen

Paris Marx is joined by Quintin Smith to discuss how Roblox profits from the labor of children, built an exploitative in-game economy, and needs to be regulated as soon as possible. Lees meer

Quintin Smith is a journalist working with People Make Games and Shut Up & Sit Down. Follow Quintin on Twitter at @Quinns108.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Quintin did an investigation of Roblox for People Make Games. Watch part 1 and part 2.

Roblox went public on March 9, 2021, hitting a valuation of $45 billion. It’s now over $50 billion and benefiting from the metaverse hype.

More than half of US kids and teens under 16 are on Roblox. It’s estimated that half the platform’s users globally are under 13 years old.

Cecilia D’Anastasio reported on fascist role-playing games in Roblox.

Games featuring sex and nudity are not always caught by Roblox, exposing kids to them.

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Happy Holidays from Tech Won’t Save Us!

30 december 2021 · 12 min

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To end 2021, Paris Marx provides a quick update on the podcast and what’s coming next year. Lees meer

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Paris’ book Road to Nowhere: What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong about the Future of Transportation comes out in July 2022.

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Silicon Valley Doesn’t Get Science Fiction w/ Annalee Newitz

23 december 2021 · 57 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Annalee Newitz to discuss what’s wrong with Silicon Valley’s understanding of science fiction, and how tech leaders use it to justify terrible futures. Lees meer

Annalee Newitz is the author of Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age and The Future of Another Timeline. They are also the co-host of Our Opinions Are Correct and a writer for NYT Opinion and New Scientist. Follow Annalee on Twitter at @Annaleen.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Annalee wrote about what tech companies don’t get about science fiction for New Scientist.

Paris wrote about the dystopian future proposed by the metaverse.

The Verge spoke to Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, but the interviewer suggested The Matrix was trying to predict where technology was going.

In 1985, Ursula K. Le Guin wrote about science fiction and the future.

Facebook is already failing to combat harassment in VR, and its incoming CTO thinks doing so in the metaverse is “practically impossible.”

People mentioned: Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, JPL engineer Jack Parsons, and Trekonomics author Manu Saadia.

Annalee’s reading suggestions: Ring Shout by P Djeli Clark, Murderbot series by Martha Wells, Infomocracy by Malka Older, An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King, Rosewater by Tade Thompson, Waste Tide by Chen Qiufan, Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, and Broken Earth by N.K. Jemisin.

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The Video Game Industry Needs Unions w/ Gita Jackson

16 december 2021 · 56 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Gita Jackson to discuss the revelations of sexual harassment and discrimination at Activision Blizzard, how workers have organized in response to them, and what it all could mean for the future of the video games industry. Lees meer

Gita Jackson is a senior writer at Motherboard, Vice’s tech vertical. Follow Gita on Twitter at @xoxogossipgita.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

In July, California’s fair employment department sued Activision Blizzard, revealing shocking interal details, including a “Cosby Suite” and harassing prospective workers at a job fair.

In November, it was revealed that CEO Bobby Kotick knew about it and had settled harassment lawsuits. Afterward, workers walked out but the board stood behind Kotick.

The heads of Playstation and Xbox released statements criticizing Activision Blizzard’s leadership.

Workers are now passing around union cards under the name A Better ABK as the company sends anti-union statements. They have also set up a strike fund.

The EA Spouse Letter was written in 2004.

Gita wrote about Comic Book Workers United, the union seeking recognition at Image Comics.

The Mandalorian used Unreal Engine to create virtual sets, and Unity just bought part of Weta Digital to expand its virtual production.

Since recording, Vodeo Games has formed the first video game union in North America.

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Web3 is a Scam, Not a Revolution w/ Stephen Diehl

9 december 2021 · 59 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Stephen Diehl to discuss why technologists are divided on crypto, what’s wrong with blockchain, why crypto assets are scams, and why web3 is a rebranding effort. Lees meer

Stephen Diehl is software engineer and crypto skeptic based in London. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @smdiehl.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Stephen has written about how to understand crypto assets, the problem with “decentralization”, the speculative mania inherent to crypto, why web3 is bullshit, and more on his blog.

Some guy bought a beer with crypto and it showed one of the big flaws with using crypto as a means of payment.

Andreessen Horowitz one of the main players lobbying for lax crypto regulations in the United States.

How Albania’s pyramid scheme crisis in the 1990s holds lessons for the today’s crypto mania.

David Golumbia was on episode 67 (July 1, 2021) and Olivier Jutel was on episode 75 (August 26, 2021).

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Who Inspired Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos’ Space Visions? w/ Fred Scharmen

2 december 2021 · 54 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Fred Scharmen to discuss Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos’ visions for space colonization, the inspiration they draw from the work of Wernher von Braun and Gerard O’Neill, and what’s wrong with basing our future on those ideas. Lees meer

Fred Scharmen is the author of Space Forces: A Critical History of Life in Outer Space. He teaches architecture and urban design at Morgan State University’s School of Architecture and Planning and is the co-founder of the Working Group on Adaptive Systems. Follow Fred on Twitter at @sevensixfive.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Paris wrote about the billionaire space race and Jeff Bezos’ vision for space colonization.

Wernher von Braun was a Nazi before becoming chief architect of NASA’s Saturn V rocket. He appeared in a 1955 Disney program about space flight, but his past was also criticized, including in a song by Tom Lehrer.

Elon Musk has cited Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” as an inspiration and Jeff Bezos saved The Expanse when it was cancelled.

Jeff Bezos’ ideas about space colonization come directly from Gerard O’Neill’s vision of space colonies floating in space.

Adam Mann asked in the New Yorker whether Mars was really ours for the taking.

The Just Space Alliance presents an alternative to the billionaire framing of space.

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Don’t Give Surveillance for Christmas w/ Chris Gilliard

25 november 2021 · 57 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Chris Gilliard to discuss the ethics of tech media recommending surveillance devices, aspects of “smart” technologies you might not have considered, and why we should think twice about surrounding ourselves with cameras and microphones. Lees meer

Chris Gilliard is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center. Follow Chris on Twitter at @hypervisible.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Chris wrote about the history of home surveillance, and the concept of luxury surveillance with David Golumbia.

Caroline Haskins went in-depth on what Ring does to communities.

Health apps and fitness trackers help rich people but don’t do much for poor people.

The New York Times thinks the Theranos scandal soured the media on Silicon Valley. (We don’t buy it.)

US Infrastructure Bill will require monitoring systems for drunk driving in new vehicles as early as 2026.

Amazon has worked to kill or undermine privacy legislation across 25 US states.

In 2019, video circulated of a man talking to someone’s 8-year-old daughter after he hacked the Ring camera in her bedroom.

In the US, wage theft matches all other property theft combined, but the media sensationalizes shoplifting while ignoring wage theft.

Chris recommended people read Simone Brown’s Dark Matters: On the Surveillance of Blackness.

The Wirecutter Union is asking people not to visit the website from November 25-29.

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Net-Zero Uses Technofixes to Delay Climate Action w/ Sabrina Fernandes

18 november 2021 · 58 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Sabrina Fernandes to discuss what came out of COP26, what it actually means to have net-zero emissions by 2050, and all the mechanisms that countries are developing to delay necessary action to reduce emissions. Lees meer

Sabrina Fernandes is an IRGAC postdoctoral fellow at Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. She’s the producer of Tese Onze and a contributing editor at Jacobin. Follow Sabrina on Twitter at @safbf.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Sabrina and Claudia Horn wrote about COP26 and what Brazil’s far-right government was up to at the conference.

Paris wrote about why Elon Musk won’t save us from the climate crisis.

The International Rights of Nature Tribunal has a resource on the false solutions to the climate crisis.

Melissa Moreano and Juliane Schumacher wrote about REDD+ and the discourse around forests at COP26.

Daniel Aldana Cohen worked on the Green New Deal for Public Housing.

COP26 agreed on the Glasgow Climate Pact, but pledges would still result in 2.4º of warming.

Climate scientists say net-zero is about “a need to protect business as usual, not the climate.”

Jeff Bezos should cut Amazon emissions, not focus on forests.

Amazon’s emissions increased by 15% in 2019 and 19% in 2020.

Painting the street white causes people to absorb the heat that streets aren’t.

Juice Media did good videos on the problems with net-zero and carbon capture.

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How Amazon is Changing the Books We Read w/ Mark McGurl

11 november 2021 · 49 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Mark McGurl to discuss how Amazon is reshaping the publishing industry and altering the form of the novel itself. Lees meer

Mark McGurl is a Professor of Literature at Stanford University. He’s also the author of The Program Era: Postwar Fiction and the Rise of Creative Writing and Everything and Less: The Novel in the Age of Amazon. Follow Mark on Twitter at @markjamesmcgurl.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Jeff Bezos’ valedictorian speech was about space colonization.

Paris wrote about Jeff Bezos and Amazon’s early days.

US publishers, authors, and booksellers have written to Congress about Amazon’s effective monopolization of book sales, with more than 50% of the US book market.

Jane Friedman explains how Amazon shut down many of its writer-oriented programs, makes exclusivity hard to avoid, and dominates Kindle charts.

Novels and authors mentioned: Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You, Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Shuffle, David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest, Rachel Cusk, and Ben Lerner.

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Why the Metaverse Must Be Stopped w/ Brian Merchant

4 november 2021 · 1 uur 8 min

Afspelen

Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss Mark Zuckerberg’s big plans for the metaverse, everything that’s wrong with it, the concept’s scifi origins, and why Silicon Valley is desperate to make it happen. Lees meer

Brian Merchant is the author of The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone and Blood in the Machine, coming in 2022. Follow Brian on Twitter at @bcmerchant.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Brian wrote about the dystopian origins of the metaverse for Motherboard and why Silicon Valley wants it to succeed for The Atlantic.

Paris wrote about how the metaverse is a way to get us to spend more time and money in digital spaces for Business Insider.

Matthew Ball made the business case for the metaverse last year.

Apple’s changes to iOS privacy settings cost Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat an estimated $9.85 billion in revenue.

Emails sent by Oculus CEO Jason Rubin in 2018 asserted that consumers want the metaverse (something that’s not at all clear).

David Karpf wrote about how VR keeps failing and getting revived for Wired.

Apple’s AR headset or glasses are supposedly coming in 2022.

Microsoft is trying to get in on the metaverse with workplace applications of its own.

Brian hosted a series for Motherboard about the themes of Dune.

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Can Nostalgia Inspire a Better Future? w/ Grafton Tanner

28 oktober 2021 · 55 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Grafton Tanner to discuss how social and environmental crises fuel nostalgia, how companies profit from it, and whether it can be reoriented to inspire a better future. Lees meer

Grafton Tanner is the author of “The Hours Have Lost Their Clock: The Politics of Nostalgia” from Repeater Books. Follow Grafton on Twitter at @GraftonTanner.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Paris reviewed Grafton’s book in Jacobin.

TikTok has already gone through a phase of nostalgia for the early pandemic and its lockdowns.

Malls have been closing for years, but many people have nostalgia for their heyday.

In 1996, Jennifer Light compared emerging digital spaces to shopping malls.

Matthew Ball wrote one of the key essays on what the metaverse should look like (from a corporate perspective).

A message mentioned in the opening crawl of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was broadcast exclusively in Fortnite.

When Amazon bought MGM, it said it wanted to redevelop much of its accumulated intellectual property.

At the end of the 2010s, some people questioned what algorithms were doing to our sense of time.

The internet doesn’t get properly preserved and its history is being permanently lost.

Tim Maughan wrote about how the world is too complex.

Nishant Shahani’s “Queer Retrosexualities: The Politics of Reparative Return” and Badia Ahad-Legardy’s “Afro-Nostalgia: Feeling Good in Contemporary Black Culture.”

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What Gig Work Means for Women in India w/ Noopur Raval

21 oktober 2021 · 54 min

Afspelen

Paris Marx is joined by Noopur Raval to discuss India’s gig economy, the specific conditions of women who provide services through beauty and wellness apps, and how workers organize to improve their conditions. Lees meer

Noopur Raval is a postdoctoral research fellow at the AI Now Institute at New York University. Follow Noopur on Twitter at @tetisheri.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Noopur wrote about organizing in the gig economy and the conditions of workers in beauty and wellness.

Julia Ticona and her colleagues wrote about tech’s impacts on domestic work.

More than 100 women who worked through a beauty app recently went on strike outside the company’s office.

Aditi Surie has written about platforms and informal work in India.

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Beating Uber at the UK Supreme Court w/ Yaseen Aslam

19 oktober 2021 · 42 min

Afspelen

Paris Marx is joined by Yaseen Aslam to discuss the UK Supreme Court ruling that Uber drivers are not self-employed, the long fight to reach that point, and the next steps in the push for gig workers’ rights in the UK. Lees meer

Yaseen Aslam is the president of the App Drivers and Couriers Union and a lead claimant in the Aslam v Uber case. Follow Yaseen on Twitter at @Yaseenaslam381 and the ADCU at @ADCUnion.

🚨 T-shirts are now available!

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

In February, the UK Supreme Court upheld a previous ruling the Uber drivers were not self-employed, but were covered by a “worker” status. The following month, Uber reclassified workers, but didn’t observe the Court’s definition of what it meant to be a worker.

On September 28, Uber drivers in 8 UK cities went on strike, demanding better hourly rates and the full implementation of the Supreme Court ruling/

The ADCU sued Uber in the Netherlands over automated dismissal and not providing drivers their data under the GDPR. In April, the court made Uber reinstate 5 drivers.

In October, the ADCU announced it was suing Uber over its racially biased facial recognition algorithms.

Find out more about the ADCU.

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Solidarity in Canada’s Gig Economy w/ Jennifer Scott & Brice Sopher

14 oktober 2021 · 53 min

Afspelen

Paris Marx is joined by Jennifer Scott and Brice Sopher to discuss the campaign to unionize Foodora and the fight for gig workers’ rights in Canada. Lees meer

Jennifer Scott is a gig worker and president of Gig Workers United. Brice Sopher is also a gig worker and vice president of Gig Workers United. Follow Jennifer on Twitter at @PalimpsestJenn, Brice at @this_is_walmer, and Gig Workers United at @GigWorkersUnite.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

If you’re in Canada, sign the Gig Workers’ Bill of Rights.

Paris wrote about why Uber’s Flexible Work+ would be a disaster in Canada.

In February 2020, the Ontario Labour Board ruled that Foodora workers could unionize. The company soon after announced plans to leave Canada, but workers voted 88.8% in favor of unionization. In August, they negotiated a $3.46 million settlement with the company.

Sara Mojtehedzadeh (episode 79) made a podcast series about the Foodora campaign called Hustled.

Canada’s Conservative Party presented a gig work plan written by an Uber lobbyist.

Ontario has a committee looking at the future of work that gig workers fear will pave the way for Flexible Work+.

Find out more about Gig Workers United (CUPW) and Uber Drivers United (UFCW).

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Gig Work is Not a Novelty in Brazil w/ Rafael Grohmann

12 oktober 2021 · 47 min

Afspelen

Paris Marx is joined by Rafael Grohmann to discuss the state of app-based work in Brazil, organizing by food delivery workers to demand better conditions, and even a recent strike by click farm workers. Lees meer

Rafael Grohmann is a professor at UNISINOS, coordinator at DigiLabour Research Lab, and principal investigator in Brazil of Fairwork Project. Follow Rafael on Twitter at @grohmann_rafael.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

DigiLabour is organizing a PhD symposium on October 27-28. Find out more here.

Some of the people and work mentioned in this episode: Callum Cant, Fabian Ferrari and Mark Graham, Noopur Raval, Rosana Pinheiro Machado, Cheryll Soriano and Jason Cabañes, and Wendy Brown.

DigiLabour is looking into worker-owned platforms in Brazil.

Vice wrote about gig work organizing in Latin America and talked a lot about the Anti-fascist deliverers.

Rafael and his colleagues also looked at political struggle around gig work and the importance of communication.

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The Fight for Gig Workers’ Rights in Europe w/ Ben Wray

7 oktober 2021 · 47 min

Afspelen

Paris Marx is joined by Ben Wray to discuss the state of the gig economy in Europe, including the Spanish riders law, recent court ruling on employment status in the Netherlands, strikes in Germany and Greece, and the forthcoming platform workers directive from the European Commission. Lees meer

Ben Wray is a coordinator at the Gig Economy Project and a freelance journalist. Follow Ben on Twitter at @Ben_Wray1989.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Sign up for the Gig Economy Project’s newsletter for updates on what’s going on in Europe.

A Dutch court ruled that Uber drivers are employees.

Spain’s Riders Law came into effect, but the companies didn’t comply.

Glovo dark supermarkets workers in Barcelona went on strike in August.

E-food workers in Greece went on strike and won a huge victory.

Gorillas fired workers for wildcat strikes.

The European Commission will deliver platform work regulations in December. It’s been meeting a lot with gig companies.

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Migrant Workers in Australia’s Gig Economy w/ Tyler Riordan

5 oktober 2021 · 43 min

Afspelen

Paris Marx is joined by Tyler Riordan to discuss the state of the gig economy in Australia, the ongoing efforts to improve their conditions, and Tyler’s research on migrant food couriers in Brisbane. Lees meer

Tyler Riordan is a PhD candidate in hospitality and anthropology at the University of Queensland. Follow Tyler on Twitter at @tyler_riordan.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

The deaths of gig economy workers have become a major focus on governments and the media over the past year

Australia’s federal government has an ongoing Senate committee on gig work

Uber settled a case in December 2020 to avoid a ruling on employment status, but another test case has been filed in Federal Court

Foodora pulled out of Australia in 2018

Menulog announced it was making some workers employees earlier this year

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How Race Was Central to Prop 22 w/ Veena Dubal

30 september 2021 · 46 min

Afspelen

Paris Marx is joined by Veena Dubal to discuss how Proposition 22 and the contract status of gig workers is reminiscent of the United States’ history of racial wage codes, which codified lower wages for Black workers. Lees meer

Veena Dubal is a Professor of Law at UC Hastings. Follow Veena on Twitter at @veenadubal. Go back to episode 10 (May 21, 2020) for Veena’s first appearance on the podcast.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

If you’ve ever assigned an episode of the podcast in a college or university course, let me know by Twitter DM, email, or through this form.

Read Veena’s essay on The New Racial Wage Code.

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois had opposing philosophies for Black social and economic progress.

Robert C. Weaver and David Roediger wrote about differential wages.

Uber put up a billboard saying, “If you tolerate racism, delete Uber.” Drivers were not happy.

Uber and Lyft held up workers’ unemployment claims, and Lyft charged for PPE.

After Prop 22, gig companies raised fees despite promising not to, and workers reported earning even less money.

In August, Prop 22 was found to be unconstitutional.

New York City recently passed new protections for delivery couriers after organizing by Los Deliveristas Unidos.

Find out more about Rideshare Drivers United.

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The Amazon Union Drive Comes to Canada w/ Sara Mojtehedzadeh

23 september 2021 · 51 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Sara Mojtehedzadeh to discuss the Teamsters’ organizing at Amazon warehouses in Canada and the working conditions that workers face at those facilities. Lees meer

Sara Mojtehedzadeh is a labour reporter at the Toronto Star and the host of Hustled, a podcast about Foodora workers’ fight for a union. Follow Sara on Twitter at @SaraMojtehedz.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

If you’ve ever assigned an episode of the podcast in a college or university course, let me know by Twitter DM, email, or through this form.

In June, the Teamsters voted to put resources behind unionizing Amazon.

The Teamsters Canada applied for a union vote in Edmonton, Alberta, and said it’s organizing at nine warehouses. Amazon is hiring 15,000 workers and raising wages.

During the pandemic, the Canadian government signed a deal with Amazon to deliver PPE. The contract fell apart.

After an Amazon worker died in Indiana, the governor intervened to overturn the citations.

California is regulating productivity quotas at warehouses.

Discussions are picking up about sectoral bargaining in Canada.

Sara wrote about the high injury rates at Amazon’s Canadian warehouses and the temporary closure of its Brampton, Ontario warehouse after a Covid outbreak.

Find out more about Teamsters Canada’s Amazon campaign and the Warehouse Workers Centre.

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What Apple Won’t Tell You About the iPhone w/ Brian Merchant

16 september 2021 · 1 uur 13 min

Afspelen

Paris Marx is joined by Brian Merchant to discuss the development of the iPhone, how Apple manages the press, and how the parts of the company’s supply chain that get too little attention. Lees meer

Brian Merchant is the author of The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone and Blood in the Machine, coming in 2022. Follow Brian on Twitter at @bcmerchant.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

In 1968, Douglas Engelbart showed off the “Mother of All Demos.”

David Nye wrote the American Technological Sublime.

Paris thinks Apple’s Steve Jobs Theater has big church vibes.

Disgraced former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes tried to emulate Steve Jobs.

IBM built the Simon smartphone in the 1990s, but it was ahead of its time.

In 2011, Apple made $473,000 per retail employee — far more than other retailers. Its revenue per square foot was almost double Tiffany’s. That year, Cory Moll also led a push for an Apple Retail Workers Union, but Apple fought back and he left the company in 2013.

In 2010, after facing criticism, Steve Jobs said the suicide rate at Foxconn factories was “well below the China average.”

In December 2020, workers at a Wistron iPhone factory in India ransacked the factory because they weren’t getting paid.

Jenny Chan, Mark Selden, and Ngai Pun wrote Dying for an iPhone: Apple, Foxconn, and The Lives of China’s Workers (US/UK).

Apple files annual conflict minerals reports. You can read their 2021 report here.

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The Creation of a Black Cyberculture w/ André Brock

9 september 2021 · 49 min

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Paris Marx is joined by André Brock to discuss the history of Black people’s online activity, the internet’s association with whiteness, and what Black Twitter can tell us about the centrality of Black people to digital culture. Lees meer

André Brock is an associate professor of media studies at Georgia Tech. He writes on Western technoculture, Black technoculture, and digital media. His award-winning book, Distributed Blackness: African American Cybercultures, theorizes Black everyday lives mediated by networked digital technologies. You can get if from NYU Press, and it’s available through open access. Follow André on Twitter at @DocDre.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald did portraits of the Obamas, while Kara Walker made “A Subtlety” at the Domino Sugar Refinery.

Achille Mbembe is a Cameroonian philosopher and social theorist.

Janelle Monáe, Sun Ra, and John Jennings are notable people engaging with Afrofuturism.

Books mentioned: Black Software: The Internet & Racial Justice, from the AfroNet to Black Lives Matter by Charlton D. McIlwain and Tools for Conviviality by Ivan Illich.

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Big Tech Entrenches US Power w/ Michael Kwet

2 september 2021 · 51 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Michael Kwet to discuss how digital technologies are used to entrench the power of the United States and its dominant corporations at the expense of the Global South. Lees meer

Michael Kwet is a Visiting Fellow of the Information Society Project at Yale Law School. He got his PhD in Sociology at Rhodes University in South Africa. Follow Michael on Twitter at @Michael_Kwet.

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Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Michael wrote about digital colonialism and the need for a Digital Tech Deal.

Bill Gates wrote a notorious letter in 1976 opposing the sharing of software as it conflicted with Microsoft's business model.

Tech companies export content moderation, training AI, call center, and even more labor to the Global South.

Gabriel Winant criticized the dominant liberal perspective on antitrust action.

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Blockchain Won’t Save the Global South w/ Olivier Jutel

26 augustus 2021 · 59 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Olivier Jutel to discuss blockchain’s pivot to humanitarianism, the questionable people behind the technology, and how their projects in the Pacific have benefited capitalist and imperial power. Lees meer

Olivier Jutel is a lecturer at the University of Otago. Follow Olivier on Twitter at @OJutel.

🚨 T-shirts are now available!

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Paris’ first book “Road to Nowhere” comes out in July 2022.

Olivier wrote a paper about blockchain imperialism in the Pacific and it was covered by Motherboard.

BCCI was an international bank established in 1972 that was shut down in 1991 for hiding money laundering and other financial crimes.

Hernando De Soto is a Latin American economist who advised Peruvian dictator Alberto Fujimori and advocates neoliberal policies like land title programs. He now pushes for it to be done through blockchains, and wrote an op-ed with Phil Gramm.

Brock Pierce is a co-founder of Tether and tried to turn Puerto Rico into a crypto paradise.

Hillary Clinton described the freedom to connect doctrine.

Geoffrey Bond sold Vanuatu citizenship and was connected to Sebastian Greenwood, who was part of the OneCoin Ponzi scheme.

Binance is under investigation, if not pushed out of, multiple countries.

Fiji is facing major opposition to land reform plans.

Books mentioned: David Gerard’s “Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain” and “Libra Shrugged,” Fred Turner’s “From Counterculture to Cyberculture,” Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri’s “Empire,” Herbert Schiller’s “Communication and Cultural Domination,” Armand Mattelart’s “The Invention of Communication,” Lilli Irani’s…

How Neoliberalism Seized the Internet w/ Dan Greene

19 augustus 2021 · 57 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Dan Greene to discuss how the Clinton administration reframed poverty through the lens of the internet and how that transformed the missions of key institutions like libraries and schools. Lees meer

Dan Greene is an assistant professor at University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies. He is the author of “The Promise of Access: Technology, Inequality, and the Political Economy of Hope.” Follow Dan on Twitter at @Green_DM.

🚨 T-shirts are now available!

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Anna Pacquin starred in a series of commercials for MCI about the internet

Ben Tarnoff wrote about the privatization of the internet

Dan wrote an article about the landlords of the internet

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How Smart is the Smart City? w/ Shannon Mattern

12 augustus 2021 · 48 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Shannon Mattern to discuss what we miss when we see the city solely through the lens of the computer, and how other institutions and ways of knowing can help inform richer ways of understanding the city. Lees meer

Shannon Mattern is a professor of anthropology at The New School for Social Research and President of the Board at the Metropolitan New York Library Council. She is the author of “Code and Clay, Data and Dirt” and “A City Is Not a Computer.” Follow Shannon on Twitter at @shannonmattern.

📚 Get 30% off “A City Is Not a Computer” when you buy it from Princeton University Press and use the code “TWSU” at checkout before the end of September 2021!

🚨 T-shirts are now available!

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Ursula K. Le Guin ranted about the meaning of the word “technology.”

Google wanted to build a smart city in Toronto, but activists killed it.

Gökçe Günel wrote “Spaceship in the Desert: Energy, Climate Change, and Urban Design in Abu Dhabi” about the Masdar smart city project.

Songdo was supposed to be South Korea’s city of the future. It didn’t work out.

Kevin Rogan wrote about the human labor Sidewalk Labs was hiding.

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How Australia Used Tech Against Welfare Recipients w/ Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran

5 augustus 2021 · 41 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran to discuss Australia’s robodebt scandal where automated decision-making was used against welfare recipients, and how exploitative AI implementations are being deployed by governments in social welfare and at the borders. Lees meer

Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran is a proud Tamil person and a PhD candidate at Australian National University whose work focuses on digital identification systems and border policing regimes. Follow Dhakshayini on Twitter as @Dhakshayini_S.

🚨 T-shirts are now available!

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Dhakshayini wrote about robo-governance and why we need to oppose it.

Robodebt eventually resulted in a A$1.8 billion settlement in favor of welfare recipients.

Robo-planning was another proposed system for Australia’s disability insurance scheme that has been canceled. A blockchain trial was also considered.

Australia is trialing a controversial cashless welfare card, and plans to increase the use of biometrics.

Scarlet Wilcock researched the history of “welfare cheat” narratives in Australia.

Canada has been using automated decision making to process visa applications.

Just Futures Law and Mijente released a report called “ICE: Digital Prisons.”

Israeli company NSO’s Pegasus technology was weaponized against activists, politicians, and journalists.

The Australian Human Rights Commission released a report on human rights and technology, while the European Data Protection Supervisor has called for a ban on biometrics.

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How Streaming is Reshaping the Film Industry w/ Peter Labuza

29 juli 2021 · 57 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Peter Labuza to discuss how streaming is reconfiguring Hollywood, what that means for the film and television we consume, and whether it’s time to consider antitrust action against the streaming giants. Lees meer

Peter Labuza is a lecturer at San Jose State University whose work focuses on the legal, financial, and political history of creative industries. He’s currently writing a book about the history of entertainment law in Hollywood. Follow Peter on Twitter as @labuzamovies.

🚨 T-shirts are now available!

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Peter wrote an op-ed for the LA Times about what streaming is doing to culture and the need for antitrust action.

Paris has written about the consolidation in entertainment companies, the need to consider state action, and Amazon’s acquisition of MGM.

David Graeber wrote that British culture from the sixties was a product of the welfare state.

Joshua Glick wrote about how Netflix is changing documentary production.

Jennifer Holt provides an overview of media deregulation in “Empires of Entertainment: Media Industries and the Politics of Deregulation, 1980-1996.”

FilmCritHulk wrote about the impacts of streaming and industry consolidation on labor, unions, and more.

In 2020, a judge ended the Paramount Decrees.

The Writer’s Guild recently went on strike over streaming residuals.

Salt of the Earth was a film made by blacklisted filmmakers.

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Demystifying the Billionaire Space Race

22 juli 2021 · 44 min

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Paris Marx takes a solo episode to discuss the billionaire space race. Specifically, how billionaires are selling grand futures of space travel as a PR scheme to get huge public contracts that will allow them to control the infrastructure of space. Lees meer

🚨 T-shirts are now available!

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Paris wrote about the billionaire space race, and it was translated into German, Italian, and Turkish.

New Mexico’s $220-million Spaceport America that’s used by Virgin Galactic is a joke.

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service has been way overhyped.

If we went to Mars, we would get cancer.

Adam Mann had a great essay on how we should think about Mars, and whether it’s “ours.”

Elon Musk says we can be indentured servants on Mars, and people will die.

Paris has written about Jeff Bezos’ space colonies, and compared them to Blade Runner and The Expanse.

Jeff Bezos stepped down as Amazon CEO to take on the role of Executive Chairman.

Ursula K. Le Guin argues science fiction isn’t about the future, nor is it predictive.

Amazon’s emissions rose 19% in 2020 and it’s helping Big Oil.

Paris wrote about the real climate future billionaires are creating.

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“Sleep Dealer” and the Border Politics of Tech w/ Alex Rivera

15 juli 2021 · 51 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Alex Rivera to discuss his 2008 film Sleep Dealer and how it imagined exploitative technologies being implemented in a future Mexico of hardened borders and limited migration. Lees meer

Alex Rivera is a filmmaker and digital media artist whose work explores themes of globalization, migration, and technology. His feature films include Sleep Dealer and The Infiltrators. Follow Alex on Twitter as @Alex_Rivera.

🚨 T-shirts are now available!

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

You can rent or buy Sleep Dealer from the official website.

Paris wrote about Sleep Dealer and what it illustrates about technology for Jacobin.

Border walls are still going up around the world.

Smart tech is often designed to hide the human labor that makes it work.

Kiwibot delivery robots are driven by Colombian workers making $2/hour.

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Tech Criticism Before the Techlash w/ Zachary Loeb

8 juli 2021 · 54 min

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Paris Marx is joined by Zachary Loeb to discuss the history of tech criticism with a focus on Joseph Weizenbaum and Lewis Mumford, as well as why the techlash is a narrative that suits Silicon Valley. Lees meer

Zachary Loeb is a PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania whose dissertation research looks at Y2K. Follow Zachary on Twitter as @libshipwreck, and check out his Librarian Shipwreck blog.

🚨 T-shirts are now available!

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Zachary wrote about Y2K, Lewis Mumford’s criticisms on technology, the life and thought of Joseph Weizenbaum, and theses on techno-optimism.

Books mentioned: “Dismantlings: Words against Machines in the American Long Seventies” by Matt Tierney.

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Bitcoin is a Right-Wing Technology w/ David Golumbia

1 juli 2021 · 52 min

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Paris Marx is joined by David Golumbia to discuss the ideology of cyberlibertarianism, the right-wing politics of cryptocurrencies and blockchains, and why the left shouldn’t embrace them. Lees meer

David Golumbia is an associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and the author of “The Politics of Bitcoin: Software as Right-Wing Extremism.” He’s also writing a new book called “Cyberlibertarianism” from Minnesota University Press. Follow David on Twitter as @dgolumbia.

🚨 T-shirts are now available!

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network at harbingermedianetwork.com.

Also mentioned in this episode:

David wrote about cyberlibertarianism for Jacobin Magazine.

Keith Spencer interviewed David about his book for Salon in 2018.

Elon Musk’s tweets affect cryptocurrency prices, while China is cracking down on crypto mining.

Marc Andreessen says “crypto is a right wing idea” in an interview with Noah Smith.

El Salvador’s right-wing authoritarian president made Bitcoin a form of legal tender.

Tether misled people about how much USD was backing its stablecoin.

About 20% of Bitcoin — worth billions of dollars — is lost and recoverable.

Other resources: Langdon Winner’s “Do Artifacts Have Politics?” and “Cyberlibertarian Myths and the Prospects for Community”; Richard Barbrook and Andy Cameron’s “The Californian Ideology”; Fred Turner’s “From Counterculture to Cyberculture”; Paulina Borsook’s “Cyberselfish” (article); and John Perry Barlow’s “A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace.”

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