We are joined once again by Nick Chavez, a Marxist mechanical engineer, to discuss the political economy of automation – providing the groundwork for a better understanding of how automation actually operates in the market, the workplace, the interests of capital, and the lives of labor. What happens when the living are dominated by the dead? What happens when you work too much or not work enough? What happens when the bottom keeps falling out of a stagnated service economy? What happens when capital controls the forces of automation? We need only look at the world to find the answer to these questions.

Some stuff we reference:
••• The Present and Future of Engineers | Nick Chavez | Brooklyn Rail https://brooklynrail.org/2021/10/field-notes/THINKING-ABOUT-COMMUNISM 
••• Smart Machines and Service Work: Automation in an Age of Stagnation | Jason E. Smith http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781789143188
••• Automation and the Future of Work | Aaron Benanav https://www.versobooks.com/books/3717-automation-and-the-future-of-work

Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! patreon.com/thismachinekills  

Grab fresh new TMK gear: bonfire.com/store/this-machine-kills-podcast/ 

Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (twitter.com/braunestahl)

132. Automating Service /// Serving Automation (ft. Nick Chavez)

Look I know we've been talking about Spotify a lot but somehow we got legendary musician, recording engineer, and music industry iconoclast Steve Albini to come on and talk about it so everyone sit down and shut up and listen because class is in SESSION. Also there's an audio problem at one point in the episode but we fix it and I couldn't take it out because it would have messed up an important part of the conversation. Also if you're the band that practices next door to me congratulations you're now on a track with Steve Albini kind of.

STEVE ALBINI
(he's anti-plug but check out this thing he wrote in 1993 which we reference on the podcast)
https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-problem-with-music

JAKE'S SHOWS

MeatSpace Comedy NYC 2/15
https://www.ticketweb.com/event/meatspace-comedy-jake-flores-simone-the-gutter-tickets/11755105?pl=scenic

RushTix Comedy ONLINE 2/24
https://rushtix.com/events/jakeflores/

MERCH
poddamnamerica.bigcartel.com

PATREON for BONUS EPS and DISCORD
patreon.com/poddamnamerica

The Problem With Spotify w/ Steve Albini

Investigative reporter Matthew Cole comes on to discuss Seal Team 6 from his new book Code Over Country

MERCH
poddamnamerica.bigcartel.com

PATREON
patreon.com/poddamnamerica

JAKES SHOWS

RushTix Comedy ONLINE 2/24
rushtix.com/events/jakeflores/

www.brooklynvegan.com/eve-6-announce…c-jake-flores/

Dogs Of War w/ Matthew Cole

We’re joined by Phil Neel, a communist economic geographer, to dig deep into different theories of crisis in capitalism. While theorizing crisis is a core part of the Marxist analysis of capitalism, we focus on understanding how major approaches in mainstream economics try (and fail) to explain the features, causes, and solutions for crisis. Bonus: we learn how economics is a disproven cosmology maintained by bourgeois ideology—like astrology for the ruling class. Double bonus: we end the episode with an explanation and critique of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT).

Check out some of Phil’s work:
••• Global China, Global Crisis: Falling Profitability, Rising Capital Exports and the Formation of New Territorial Industrial Complexes | Phillip Neel https://drive.google.com/file/d/1krt15Qx0lPizv7SPR8b0GhsmGK61k1TP/view 
••• Hinterland: America’s New Landscape of Class and Conflict | Phil Neel https://www.akpress.org/hinterland.html 
••• Phil Neel at Brooklyn Rail | https://brooklynrail.org/contributor/phil-a-neel

Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! patreon.com/thismachinekills  

Grab fresh new TMK gear: bonfire.com/store/this-machine-kills-podcast/ 

Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (twitter.com/braunestahl)

139. – Infinite Crisis (ft. Phil Neel)

For the full discussion, extra content & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow

Direct link to this full discussion: https://www.patreon.com/posts/chris-hedges-on-63210770

Pulitzer Prize–winning Journalist Chris Hedges talks about Russia, Ukraine, Nato expansion and his experience on the ground reporting from Eastern Europe during the fall of the Soviet Union. Then Phyllis Bennis, of the Institute of Policy Studies,  talks about what needs to happen next. 

Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years for The New York Times, where he served as the Middle East Bureau Chief and Balkan Bureau Chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor, and NPR. He is the host of the Emmy Award-nominated RT America show On Contact.

Link to Chris' article on Russia/ Ukraine “Chronicle of a War Foretold” at Sheer Post - https://scheerpost.com/2022/02/24/hedges-the-chronicle-of-a-war-foretold/

Included in the full discussion at:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/chris-hedges-on-63210770, along with the rest of the discussion with Chris Hedges, Katie also speaks with Phyllis Bennis.

Phyllis Bennis is a fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies, where she directs the New Internationalism project. Her books include Before & After: US Foreign Policy and the War on Terror.   In 2001 she helped found the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and now serves on the national board of Jewish Voice for Peace. Her latest piece on Ukraine appears in Foreign Policy in Focus.

Link to Phyllis' latest piece: https://fpif.org/putins-invasion-of-ukraine-is-illegal-and-wrong-respond-with-diplomacy-not-war/

Chris Hedges On Ukraine, Russia, NATO & Why We Shouldn't Arm Ukraine

Rather than try to hit you with hot takes and quick analysis on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we take a step back and round up of the most craven people in crypto who saw this crisis as a problem in need of web3 solutions. Brace yourself for the most harebrained schemes and opportunistic scams. The great thing about the blockchain is that it promotes peace and profits at the same time.

Some stuff we reference:
••• Crypto Community Rushes to Ukraine’s Defense Armed With NFTs, DAOs | Maxwell Strachan https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7dx39/crypto-community-rushes-to-ukraines-defense-armed-with-nfts-daos 
••• Crypto won’t save Ukraine — or Russia | Linsey Choo https://www.protocol.com/newsletters/protocol-fintech/ukraine-russia-crypto?rebelltitem=5#rebelltitem5 
••• Crypto and NFT scammers take advantage of the invasion of Ukraine to boost their grifts | Web 3 is Going Great https://web3isgoinggreat.com/?id=2022-02-26-0 

Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! patreon.com/thismachinekills  

Grab fresh new TMK gear: bonfire.com/store/this-machine-kills-podcast/ 

Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (twitter.com/braunestahl)

141. – The DAOs of War

A state-of-the-art Russian submarine has gone rogue. Is it about to launch an unprovoked nuclear attack on the United States? We finally delve into the world of right-wing legend Tom Clancy and his signature character Jack Ryan with the blockbuster film adaptation of THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990). PLUS: Winston Churchill predicts the future!

Michael and Us

#322 - The Tao of Jack Ryan

We are unlocking a premium episode in which we discuss Ed’s new reporting on the political economy of play-to-earn games, focusing on Axie Infinity and its super-exploitative system of “managers” and “scholars.” Surprise, surprise – the technological and financial foundation of Axie Infinity is just a house of cards built on a bed of sand. Its failure is inevitable. The question is: how much damage will it do along the way?

Some stuff we reference:
••• The Metaverse Has Bosses Too. Meet the ‘Managers’ of Axie Infinity | Ed Ongweso Jr. https://www.vice.com/en/article/88g3ag/the-metaverse-has-bosses-too-meet-the-managers-of-axie-infinity 
••• Miami Mayor Unveils Laser Eyes Robot Bull Statue at Bitcoin Conference https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5q9wm/miami-mayor-unveils-laser-eyes-robot-bull-statue-at-bitcoin-conference 

Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! patreon.com/thismachinekills  

Grab fresh new TMK gear: bonfire.com/store/this-machine-kills-podcast/ 

Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (twitter.com/braunestahl)

*Unlocked* – 151. Sharecropping by Another Game

On a very special episode of And Introducing, we bring back Matthew Perpetua for his third pod appearance to talk about something a little more personal than Donald Fagen or Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas: Fluxblog, Matthew's mp3 blog that has now reached its landmark 20th year of existence.
 
Gird your loins for a rich and digressive conversation that covers topics such as poptimism, the rude and gross 2000s, how music media has changed over the past two decades, Kylie Minogue and "alt pop" girlies, being the first person in North America to blog about that insanely good song "Heartbeats" by the Knife, and why everyone is always acting like it's the end of the world when it's never really the end of the world. 
 
Matthew's freakin blog: http://www.fluxblog.org/
Matthew's Spotify playlists: https://open.spotify.com/user/123059001?si=9a603cb29fae4268
Matthew's newsletter: https://fluxblog.substack.com/
Matthew's podcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fluxblog
Molly's videos for The Alternative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huEtAZe2H8U&list=PL91XLsodQepCJeZ2c1Ja9V7x9PLc0zsv1
Pickathon: https://pickathon.com/
 
Songs in this episode:
 
Automatic - "New Beginning" (first song currently on Matthew's Fluxcaviar playlist)
Harry Styles - "As It Was"
Kylie Minogue - "Sweet Music"
Doja Cat - "Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Freestyle"
Måneskin - "Beggin'"

And Introducing

#109 FLUXBLOG! (ft. Matthew Perpetua)

Beloved TikTok laywer David Pourshalimi of P&P Law Firm in LA joins us to break down his wins in court, to answer some listener questions, and to get a brief rundown on Jacques criminal history.

Find David here
TikTok at Pandpfirm2.0
Instagram at pandpfirm

Subscribe to us on Patreon for a weekly bonus episode at Patreon.com/Seekingderangements

Let's Gooo! with David Pourshalimi

We review China’s hard, fast, and big regulatory responses to big tech’s rising power over the last year, discuss the vastly different political theories motivating tech policy in the US, Europe, and China, and look ahead for what’s to come as China unveils a new set of sweeping, world leading regulations for AI decision-making.

Some stuff we reference:
••• China’s Tech Crackdown: A Year-in-Review https://www.lawfareblog.com/chinas-tech-crackdown-year-review 
••• What Xi Means by ‘Disorderly Capital’ Is $1.5 Trillion Question https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-09/what-xi-means-by-disorderly-capital-is-1-5-trillion-question?sref=z97LigUM 
••• Antitrust in China – 2021 Year in Review https://www.gibsondunn.com/antitrust-in-china-2021-year-in-review/
••• China Is About to Regulate AI—and the World Is Watching https://www.wired.com/story/china-regulate-ai-world-watching/ 

Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! patreon.com/thismachinekills  

Grab fresh new TMK gear: bonfire.com/store/this-machine-kills-podcast/ 

Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (twitter.com/braunestahl)

159. Big Tech Trouble in China

A podcast about technology and political economy /// Agitprop against innovation and capital /// Hosted by Jathan Sadowski and Edward Ongweso Jr., Produced by Jereme Brown /// Hello friends and enemies

Listen anywhere that fine podcasts are distributed. Subscribe at patreon.com/thismachinekills to get premium episodes every week.

132. Automating Service /// Serving Automation (ft. Nick Chavez)

This Machine Kills