Tag: capitalism

Intro to The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class by Guy Standing (Video)

April 17, 2021

To start this series, I introduce the author Guy Standing and discuss a few prominent themes in his book The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class. Standing writes in the 2017 preface: “Those in the precariat have lives dominated by insecurity, uncertainty, debt and humiliation. They are denizens rather than citizens, losing cultural, civil, social, political and economic rights built upper generations. The precariat is the first class in history to labour and work at a lower level than the schooling it typically acquires.” … More Intro to The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class by Guy Standing (Video)

Introduction to G.K. Chesterton and Distributism (Video)

February 21, 2021

This video introduces you briefly to GK Chesterton and then discusses his definitions of Capitalism, Socialism and Distributism. I point out that Aristotle’s views on property in The Politics may be the origin of distributist thought, and give some background information that may help understand why Chesterton defines Capitalism and Communism as he does. Chesterton criticizes Capitalism for really being “Proletarianism” or a system of wage dependency. He criticizes Socialism for being dangerous because it places all resources and decisions into the hands of the state. Both of them concentrate property into a few hands, whereas Distributism calls for spreading property ownership more evenly. Spain’s Mondragon corporation is used as an example of contemporary distributism at work. … More Introduction to G.K. Chesterton and Distributism (Video)

Corporate Love Affair: Populists & Socialists Too? (McCarraher 6-Audio)

October 18, 2020

I discuss content from Chapters 12 and 13 of Eugene McCarraher’s The Enchantments of Mammon, especially his treatment of the American populist and socialist movements. McCarraher shows that underneath their anti-capitalist rhetoric lies a deep agreement with US corporate capitalism. The corporate system was seen by both as a model of cooperation, organization and efficiency which they simply wanted to harness more productively for people as a whole. The populists did not dispute capitalism so much as they attempted to reform it. The socialists (somewhat apropos to my conversation with Chris Cutrone recently) thought the corporate system and scientific management would work better with the profit motive out of the way. Both, then, in their own way, according to McCarraher, were still enchanted with Mammon. … More Corporate Love Affair: Populists & Socialists Too? (McCarraher 6-Audio)

Corporate Love Affair: Populists & Socialists Too? (McCarraher 6-Video)

October 18, 2020

I discuss content from Chapters 12 and 13 of Eugene McCarraher’s The Enchantments of Mammon, especially his treatment of the American populist and socialist movements. McCarraher shows that underneath their anti-capitalist rhetoric lies a deep agreement with US corporate capitalism. The corporate system was seen by both as a model of cooperation, organization and efficiency which they simply wanted to harness more productively for people as a whole. The populists did not dispute capitalism so much as they attempted to reform it. The socialists (somewhat apropos to my conversation with Chris Cutrone recently) thought the corporate system and scientific management would work better with the profit motive out of the way. Both, then, in their own way, according to McCarraher, were still enchanted with Mammon. … More Corporate Love Affair: Populists & Socialists Too? (McCarraher 6-Video)

Does the Corporate God Love Us? (McCarraher 5-Audio)

September 26, 2020

Drawing from Part 3 of Eugene McCarraher’s The Enchantments of Mammon, I take a good look at the way evangelical Christians in the late 19th century put God and Mammon on the same level. The corporation was raised to the dignity of a human person in U.S. law, begging the question of whether anyone who believes that can really adequately respect human life as “made in the image and likeness of God.” … More Does the Corporate God Love Us? (McCarraher 5-Audio)

Does the Corporate God Love Us? (McCarraher 5-Video)

September 26, 2020

Drawing from Part 3 of Eugene McCarraher’s The Enchantments of Mammon, I take a good look at the way evangelical Christians in the late 19th century put God and Mammon on the same level. The corporation was raised to the dignity of a human person in U.S. law, begging the question of whether anyone who believes that can really adequately respect human life as “made in the image and likeness of God.” … More Does the Corporate God Love Us? (McCarraher 5-Video)

The Rise of the Illiberal Right: What We’re Missing

September 20, 2020

In this video I address, through some Ideas from Ch. 6 of my book Ideological Possession and the Rise of the New Right, some deeper systemic reasons for the rise of the illiberal right and other phenomena that are disturbing societies around the globe. The problem is bigger than just blaming one source of trouble, whether it be the Internet, new organizations, racial groups or university progressives. … More The Rise of the Illiberal Right: What We’re Missing

The Rise of the Illiberal Right: What We’re Missing

September 20, 2020

In this video I address, through some Ideas from Ch. 6 of my book Ideological Possession and the Rise of the New Right, some deeper systemic reasons for the rise of the illiberal right and other phenomena that are disturbing societies around the globe. The problem is bigger than just blaming one source of trouble, whether it be the Internet, new organizations, racial groups or university progressives. Here’s a link to Ch. 6, which discusses these ideas in more depth: https://lauriemjohnson.com/2020/09/16/signs-of-mass-psychosis-ideological-possession-and-the-rise-of-the-new-right/
… More The Rise of the Illiberal Right: What We’re Missing

Mammon Hits America! Puritans, Evangelicals & Mormons (McCarraher 4-Video)

September 13, 2020

In these three chapters of McCarraher’s book, The Enchantments of Mammon, we get a front row seat to the peculiar developments of American Christianity from colonization through the 19th Century, and the reactions to it from Transcendentalists, Romantics and most importantly America’s enslaved African Americans. This video hits some of the highlights and hopefully gets us to ponder whether America’s historical take on Christianity is really very accurate, and just how much of a problem is its constant admixture of theological and commercial values. Spoiler: it’s a problem. … More Mammon Hits America! Puritans, Evangelicals & Mormons (McCarraher 4-Video)