64. Platform Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics by This Machine Kills
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Cold open: https://www.npr.org/2021/04/13/984994360/he-tried-to-organize-workers-in-chinas-gig-economy-now-he-faces-5-years-in-jail We dig deeper into our explorations of technological and financial capitalism in China by discussing an invaluable source for rigorous, ruthless analysis: Chuang, a collective and journal “analyzing the ongoing development of capitalism in China, its historical roots, and the revolts of those crushed beneath it.” We then start getting into a long, detailed, investigative report on the working conditions of platform labor in China. While some ghouls in Western countries might look at the horrors we discuss and say, “See, it could be worse.” We must instead assert, “No, it should be better.” Some stuff we reference: • Delivery Workers, Trapped in the System | Chuang: https://chuangcn.org/2020/11/delivery-renwu-translation/ • Social Contagion: Microbiological Class War in China | Chuang: https://chuangcn.org/2020/02/social-contagion/ Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! patreon.com/thismachinekills TMK shirts are now available: bonfire.com/mech-luddite/ Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (twitter.com/braunestahl)

So this episode is about the capitalist immiseration being experienced by gig economy drivers in China rn. Sounds just as fucked as delivery drivers in the US tbh.

I was expecting more context from a left pod. Like maybe if China wasn't forced to compete with a ruthless global hegemon in the course of their development, for the survival of their project, their system might not be quite so authoritarian. Instead it's an episode of chinabad.

It's easy to be liberal when you're in a position of unassailable power. Not so easy when the US has the stated aim of killing your project by literally any means necessary.

Is this pod legit? Maybe I'm wrong about this, but don't the presenters write for vice and isn't it a vice pod? Is vice still owned by news corp?

Anyway, fwiw, the episode is worth listening to imo, more in the context of a great power media war and less as concern for the rights of chinese workers.

  • FidelCashflow [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Hot take but how long has the gig econony existed? A year or two tops? Even if it is a comete failure I think it is too early to be mad about it. China is less than a century old and has four thousand years of history to comsider against an infinite future. Moving slow sucks but might be appropriate in these times.