Ep. 86 - W.O.R.K. in the Age of Spin

17-12-2022 • 1 hr 2 mins

BrownTown chops it up about WORK. Building on previous episodes about labor, unions, and trying to do liberatory work within capitalism, BrownTown contextualizes recent inflation hikes, the state of "hustle culture," and the seven-decade growth of corporate profits on the backs of the working class. While the majority of adults WORK, the propaganda that you must "earn" the right to live and be productive constantly in order to have any value has normalized harmful policies, language, and attitudes towards one another. Though COVID, the great resignation, Striketober, and other large phenomena have chipped the armor of capitalist logics and apparatuses, how do we better utilize that energy to sustain better material conditions forever and for always? Originally recorded October 25, 2022.

Full Transcription Here!

“The reason all workers deserve a living wage is because all workers have to be alive. Not very complex” --@existentialcoms

Previous episodes to listen to:

Mentioned in Episode or Related Information:

Katie Porter PROVES How Corporate Greed Led to Inflation, The Young Turks
CEO Says He's Been "Praying for Inflation" Because It's An Excuse to Jack Up Prices by Jon Schwarz, Ken Klippenstein (The Intercept)
The “Labor Shortage” Is Being Used as a Pretext to Harm Workers by Sarah Lazare (In These Times)
‘Cartel-like’ Gas Companies Are Profiting Billions From the War in Ukraine by John Buckley (VICE)
History of the Industry - Oil and Gas Research Guide (Library of Congress)
TV Commercials Production Department Unionizes with IATSE (Hollywood Reporter)
SoapBox Editorial: Interview with Caullen and Ellen Long of Kartemquin
Shit in a bucket vs. toilets meme by Olivia Love
Accounts to follow: @blackleftiss, @economicleft, Upstream Podcast, and more!

CREDITS: Intro soundbite from The Young Turks. Outro music Pimpin' Benjamin by Coast Contra. Audio engineered by Kiera Battles. Episode photo by Aidan Kranz.