2322 - How VC's Exploit Workers & Impoverish Innovation w/ Benjamin Shestakofsky
The Majority Report with Sam Seder
Release Date: 09/09/2024
The Majority Report with Sam Seder
It's Casual Friday! Emma speaks with national affairs correspondent for , to round up the week in news. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on uber-controversial revelations around GOP gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, Israel’s aggression to Lebanon, RFK’s newest allegations, Mike Johnson’s capitulation to Dems over government funding, and labor action in the US, before parsing through Donald Trump’s use of the Zionist-Jewish conflation to blame the Jews for his theoretical upcoming loss. Jeet Heer then joins, as he, Sam, and Emma bask in the glory of the...
info_outline 2330 - US Empire & Cambodia; Eric Adams Is In Trouble w/ Noah Kulwin & Brendan James, Ross BarkanThe Majority Report with Sam Seder
It's an EmMajority Report Thursday! Emma speaks with and to discuss the most recent season of the podcast. Then, she speaks with contributing writer at and columnist at , to discuss his recent piece published in The Nation entitled First, Emma runs through updates on Israel’s attacks on civilians in Lebanon, the UN General Assembly’s overwhelming vote to end Israel’s military presence in Gaza and the West Bank, reporting on Biden’s weapons transfers, the uncommitted movement, the teamsters’ lack of a presidential endorsement, swing state polling,...
info_outline 2329 - UAW's New Strike & Huge Supreme Court Leak w/ Sarah Lazare, Mark Joseph SternThe Majority Report with Sam Seder
It's Hump Day! Sam speaks with , editor of and contributing editor at , to discuss her recent on the UAW fighting to restore a shuttered Stellantis plant in Belvidere, Illinois. Then, they speak with , senior writer at , to discuss the recent reporting in the New York Times regarding Chief Justice Roberts’ influence on the Jan. 6th cases that were in front of the Supreme Court. First, Sam runs through updates on Israel’s widespread and indiscriminate attacks across Lebanon, the UN’s vote on ending Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank, Fed cuts, polling, the GOP...
info_outline 2328 - Harris’ Debate Bump & Trump/Vance’s Immigrant Assault ContinuesThe Majority Report with Sam Seder
It's News Day Tuesday! Sam and Emma break down the biggest headlines of the day. First, they run through updates on election polling, Trump’s claims of “dangerous rhetoric” from the left, the complete shutdown of Springfield, Ohio in the wake of Trump/Vance’s anti-migrant fear-mongering, RFK’s continuing ballot struggles, major labor action with UAW, NYC Amazon Delivery Drivers, Seattle Starbucks, and Boeing, the devastating results of Georgia’s abortion ban, Israel’s expanding offensives, Twitter’s major revenue drop, and increasing attacks on the NLRB, also...
info_outline 2327 - A History Of African American Political Thought And The Outcomes Of Democracy w/ Melvin RogersThe Majority Report with Sam Seder
Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with , professor of political science and associate director of the at Brown University, to discuss his recent book First, Sam and Emma run through updates on Trump’s second would-be assassin, JD Vance’s unbridled racism (and the related shutdowns in Springfield, Ohio), the Harris campaign, Boeing’s labor strike, Israel’s continuing murder of its own citizens, Yemen-Israel conflict, Boar’s Head’s fiasco, Eric Adam’s absurd corruption, and Laura Loomer’s budding relationship with Donald Trump, before parsing through JD Vance’s claim to...
info_outline 2326 - Harris Exposed Trump As Being *That* Crazy w/ Heather Digby PartonThe Majority Report with Sam Seder
It's Casual Friday! Sam speaks with with , contributing writer at and proprietor of the blog , to round up the week in news. First, Sam runs through updates on Harris’ post-debate polling bump, the disturbing impact of anti-migrant conspiracy about Springfield, Senate polling, Laura Loomer’s DT linkup, labor action in the US, US military aid, Newsmax’s defamation trial, and Israel’s striking of yet another Gazan shelter, before unpacking the Trump campaign’s commitment to dangerous and absurd anti-immigrant conspiracy. Digby then joins as she and Sam run...
info_outline 2325 - Empathy In Activism; Anti-Haitian Racism Escalates w/ adrienne maree brown, Jake JohnstonThe Majority Report with Sam Seder
It's an EmMajority Report Thursday! She speaks with , writer, activist, and co-founder of the United States League of Young Voters, to discuss her recent book Then, she's joined by , writer and researcher at the , author of the book , to discuss the recent pattern of hate crimes against Haitian immigrants in the United States. First, Emma runs through updates on the swing-state race, the fight for IVF, anti-migrant fear-mongering, US foreign policy, Israel’s lies, and environmental emergency, also parsing through some lingering impacts from the debate. adrienne maree brown then...
info_outline 2324 - HARRIS DOGWALKS TRUMP; Debate RecapThe Majority Report with Sam Seder
It's Hump Day! Sam, Emma, and the MR Crew break down last night's debate between Kamala Harris & Donald Trump. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on last night’s debate, a certain mega-star endorsement, the US economy, ballot access, yesterday’s primaries, the anniversary of 9/11, New York Times labor action, Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Gaza, Pakistan’s crackdown on Imran Khan’s allies, and the NYPD Commissioner’s recent backtracked retirement, before briefly touching on some of their more technical reflections on the first Harris-Trump debate. From here, they parse...
info_outline 2323 - Previewing The Big Debate & Right Wing Payola w/ Dave WeigelThe Majority Report with Sam Seder
It's News Day Tuesday! Sam and Emma speak with , author of the "Americana" newsletter at to discuss the state of play of the election ahead of tonight's presidential debate. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on tonight’s debate, Israel’s enormous bombing of a designated safe zone in Gaza, presidential polling, today’s primaries, Boeing labor action, the GOP’s threat of a government shutdown, and the NYPD Commissioner stepping down as the most recent collateral in the FBI’s Eric Adams investigation, before parsing through some insane coverage of Israel’s use of...
info_outline 2322 - How VC's Exploit Workers & Impoverish Innovation w/ Benjamin ShestakofskyThe Majority Report with Sam Seder
Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with , assistant professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, to discuss his recent book First, Sam and Emma run through updates on presidential polling, the Harris, Trump and RFK campaigns, the DOJ v. Google II, IRS funding, the GOP’s government shutdown, Israel’s slaughter of its own citizens on October 7, the murder of Aysenur Eygi, and the end of the “return the hostages” pretense for Israel, before listening in to Fox’s suggestions for Trump ahead of tomorrow night’s debate. Professor Benjamin Shestakofsky then joins, diving...
info_outlineHappy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with Benjamin Shestakofsky, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, to discuss his recent book Behind the Startup: How Venture Capital Shapes Work, Innovation, and Inequality. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on presidential polling, the Harris, Trump and RFK campaigns, the DOJ v. Google II, IRS funding, the GOP’s government shutdown, Israel’s slaughter of its own citizens on October 7, the murder of Aysenur Eygi, and the end of the “return the hostages” pretense for Israel, before listening in to Fox’s suggestions for Trump ahead of tomorrow night’s debate. Professor Benjamin Shestakofsky then joins, diving right into the rise of Venture Capitalism out of late 1970s/early ‘80s reforms that shifted economic and corporate power to financiers and investors, such as the opening of pensions to riskier assets and dropping capital gains taxation, pushing businesses to put a much greater emphasis on stock prices and the promise of immediate growth instead of production or sustainability. Next, Professor Shestakofsky tackles his time working within and researching the world of venture capital, giving some practical examples of the risky and unsustainable mentality that drives the industry, stepping back to walk through some of the extreme examples of the exploitation it relies on, including obscuring the failed promises of their technologies by relying en masse on low-wage human labor – be it in the Philippines or Las Vegas. Expanding on this, Benjamin walks Sam and Emma through the impact the VC revolution has had on undermining the quality of services and helping to spur the “enshittification” of the internet, before wrapping up with some alternatives to this Silicon Valley mentality and the policies that can be used to incentivize that change.
And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma watch Trump flounder in the face of more legitimate sexual assault allegations and unpack his absurd statements on gender-affirming surgery… in schools, and his platforming (alongside much of the media) of the ridiculous Venezuelan gang story out of Colorado. They also discuss the progression of the Harris campaign and the state of polling ahead of the first presidential debate, and watch Dave Rubin, noted beneficiary of millions in Russian money, struggle with the concepts of taxation, wealth, and equality, plus, your IMs!
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