As a result of the economic downturn caused by Coronavirus, and with the government's furlough scheme winding down, we stand on the brink of mass joblessness. In this pilot episode of TWT FM, we unpack the function of unemployment under capitalism, hear from trade union organisers leading the fightback against redundancies, and discover how the left can push for a future beyond unemployment.

TWT FM is a podcast from The World Transformed. This episode was produced by Matt Huxley, Sarah Vowden, Charlie Clarke, James Roadnight, Penny Grennan, Aron Keller and Sam Swann, with contributions from Keir Milburn, Will Stronge, Ellen Clifford, Andy Mitchell and Denise McKenna from Disabled People Against Cuts, Richard King, Tim Jones and Hilary Wainwright.

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Unemployment

Debt is a key disciplinary mechanism under capitalism; a power relation that causes financial, cultural and spiritual misery. In this episode we debunk the myths and moralising that surrounds debt, and hear from those developing creative alternatives to an indebted existence.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Professor David Graeber. It was produced by Sarah Vowden, Matt Huxley, Aron Keller, James Roadnight, Penny Grennan, Charlie Clarke and Alex Brent, with contributions from Sarah-Jayne Clifton, Tim Jones and Eva Watkinson from Jubilee Debt Campaign, Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn from Hoe Street Central Bank, Alex Masey from Gamvisory, Yao Graham, Lidy Nacpil, Grace Blakeley, Dr. Johnna Montgomery and Ben Beach.

Debt

As the government has made tentative steps to shelter the unhoused homeless and enacted a temporary eviction ban for renters, the pandemic has made clear that homelessness is a political choice. In this episode we uncover the origins of rentier capitalism, explore the history of squatting and life ‘on the road’, and speak to volunteers dealing with Britain’s spiralling homelessness crisis.

This episode was produced by Aron Keller, Penny Grennan, James Roadnight, Sarah Vowden, Tin Hinson, Charlie Clarke and Matt Huxley. It featured contributions from Professor Danny Dorling, Tom, Andrea and Shaunna from Labour Homelessness Campaign, Michelle Langan from Paper Cup, Jane Clendon from Streets Kitchen, Homes For All, Ben Smithies and the Museum of Homelessness, Jeremy Gilbert, Richard King, and Dorothy Allen-Pickard and Breach Theatre.

Homelessness

A podcast from The World Transformed bringing radical political education and utopian thinking to bear on the issues that define our world.