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Blockchain Won’t Save the Global South w/ Olivier Jutel Aug 26, 2021

Show notes

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.
Olivier Jutel is a lecturer at the University of Otago. Follow Olivier on Twitter at @OJutel.
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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’ 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 “Chasing Innovation,” and Teresia Teaiwa in “Anglo-American Imperialism and the Pacific.”

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How Neoliberalism Seized the Internet w/ Dan Greene Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

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.
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 Aug 12, 2021

Show notes

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.
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 Aug 05, 2021

Show notes

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.
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 Jul 29, 2021

Show notes

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.
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 Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

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.
🚨 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 Jul 15, 2021

Show notes

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.
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 Jul 08, 2021

Show notes

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.
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 Jul 01, 2021

Show notes

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.
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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VCs Want to Disrupt the Media w/ Eoin Higgins Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

Paris Marx is joined by Eoin Higgins to discuss why tech companies and venture capital firms are launching their own media verticals, what Marc Andreessen hopes to get out of Clubhouse and Substack, and why Jeff Bezos may have a better approach to media.
Eoin Higgins is a freelance journalist and writes on Substack under The Flashpoint. Follow Eoin on Twitter as @EoinHiggins_.
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:

Eoin wrote about what venture capital firms are doing in media and Marc Andreessen’s favoriting of alt-right tweets.
In 2016, Marc Andreessen wrote a tweet about colonialism in India that received a lot of backlash.
Coinbase started a “media arm” to “become a source of truth” in the face of critical reporting.
Anna Wiener recently wrote about how tech may be shifting from a narrative of disruption to one of building institutions (to serve themselves).
Sam Harnett critically examined tech journalism and its history, especially with regard to reporting on the gig economy.
Zoe Schiffer and Megan Farokhmanesh detailed how venture capitalists used Clubhouse to organize against critical coverage of the industry and go after journalists like Taylor Lorenz.
Ed Zitron wrote about how tech journalism’s shift from an enthusiast press to an industrial press was something venture capitalists and powerful people in the industry were not happy about.

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