Time for Ultra-Left-Post-Posadist-Nihilist-Anarcho-Communist-comedy and politics. Hosts Jamie Peck and AP Andy look at the future of work at a rare moment when almost nobody is working. Magally Miranda surveys domestic work in the gig economy. Annie McClanahan reflects on how the Covid-19 pandemic has made us all more aware of supply-chains and provision networks, not of their largeness but rather their intimacy, the human labor whereby goods move hand to hand to hand. (“Now,” says a friend, “I can’t stop thinking about all the hands that touched everything I buy.”) Aaron Benanav looks at the effects of automation. Will the rise of the robots free us? Will a guaranteed income allow us to work less and enjoy the fruits of leisure? Or will we be under-employed—pushed into doing tasks like dog-walking or assembling IKEA shelves—tasks that the rich used to do for themselves but can now hire others to do for a pittance?

Show notes:

Watch the entire talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0m0_CwVDzM

Part 1 of Aaron's article on Automation for New Left Review: https://newleftreview.org/issues/II119/articles/aaron-benanav-automation-and-the-future-of-work-1

Magally Miranda's domestic workers inquiry in Viewpoint:

https://www.viewpointmag.com/2017/03/07/the-power-of-trabajadoras-and-the-subversion-of-capital-notes-on-a-domestic-workers-inquiry/

Annie McClanahan talking about the Working Day at Red May 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW889a2ph6A

Red May is an annual monthlong series of discussions, lectures, book releases, and actions taking place across Seattle. Watch upcoming livestreams and donate to help them recoup some of their losses and keep organizing for next year at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC01CmowL5t_ku11gikGRZcg

and

https://www.redmayseattle.org/

Closing song: Kraftwerk - We are the Robots