In this episode we direct a critical gaze at the widely held narrative wherein the erosion of the American industrial base took with it the ‘good life’ and well-being provided by industrial work throughout the 1950s-60s. In this view, these socio-economic shifts led to a sense of abandonment and elite resentment that, in part, fueled the rise of Donald Trump. I think there is definitely some truth to this. But I also think this framing is misleading in ways that point us towards solutions that will not (even if successfully implemented) alleviate these problems or promote human flourishing. Rather, we peer into a key work of the self-educated metal worker, labor activist, & social theorist Harry Braverman, to put forth an alternative rendering of this narrative and a reconsideration of the supposed ‘Golden Age’ of American capitalism.

An excellent recent essay (mentioned in the episode) on the Braverman’s life and his massively influential book, Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century, can be found here.

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