Liked both reviews. On the Amazon one, there's another, older, name for "cloudalists", barons. Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan, and many more. There's little difference between the 1st Guilded Age and this one beyond resource extraction vs. computerized service. Lightly regulated capitalism will always bend toward monopoly and rent extraction, aka enshittification, and rent extraction can resemble feudalism if you turn down the lights and squint (and ignore the last 500-odd years of history).
I was looking forward to Technofeudalism, but when I thumbed through it in the bookstore I was disappointed and decided not to read it. Your review confirms my reaction. While an understanding of feudalism and Marxism can add to our analysis of the present -- as can an understanding of consumer capitalism and the mall -- we need to integrate those ideas into a deeper understanding of the present and where we're headed.
As for the journalism and social media discussion: Brill is a lawyer who pivoted to writing (and doing television) about law. I recall being disappointed when his publications tended to focus on Big Law and who gets paid big bucks. He's much more of a media entrepreneur. And yeah, I agree that social media, while problematic, is far from the only problem out there.
As always, I greatly appreciate your take on things. In a complex world, it is good to see some clear-headed analysis. Keep it coming. Definitely looking forward to your book.
I haven't read this latest Varoufakis book yet—waiting for my partner to finish it and then I will take it up—but I am largely familiar with the central claim from interviews with him.
I would like to suggest another couple of books to you to read that might make you reconsider your faith in the state's regulatory capacity to rein in Big Tech or literally any other multinational entity though, most especially in the United States. (Yes, the EU is a bit stronger at resisting for now, but there are forces seeking to undermine the state's power here just as they did so successfully in the U.S. and U.K.)
"Vulture Capitalism: Corporate Crimes, Backdoor Bailouts and the Death of Freedom" by economist and author Grace Blakeley
and
"Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism" by George Monbiot and Peter Hutchison (which is also being made into a documentary)
Would love to hear your thoughts if you read either or both.
Liked both reviews. On the Amazon one, there's another, older, name for "cloudalists", barons. Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan, and many more. There's little difference between the 1st Guilded Age and this one beyond resource extraction vs. computerized service. Lightly regulated capitalism will always bend toward monopoly and rent extraction, aka enshittification, and rent extraction can resemble feudalism if you turn down the lights and squint (and ignore the last 500-odd years of history).
I was looking forward to Technofeudalism, but when I thumbed through it in the bookstore I was disappointed and decided not to read it. Your review confirms my reaction. While an understanding of feudalism and Marxism can add to our analysis of the present -- as can an understanding of consumer capitalism and the mall -- we need to integrate those ideas into a deeper understanding of the present and where we're headed.
As for the journalism and social media discussion: Brill is a lawyer who pivoted to writing (and doing television) about law. I recall being disappointed when his publications tended to focus on Big Law and who gets paid big bucks. He's much more of a media entrepreneur. And yeah, I agree that social media, while problematic, is far from the only problem out there.
As always, I greatly appreciate your take on things. In a complex world, it is good to see some clear-headed analysis. Keep it coming. Definitely looking forward to your book.
I haven't read this latest Varoufakis book yet—waiting for my partner to finish it and then I will take it up—but I am largely familiar with the central claim from interviews with him.
I would like to suggest another couple of books to you to read that might make you reconsider your faith in the state's regulatory capacity to rein in Big Tech or literally any other multinational entity though, most especially in the United States. (Yes, the EU is a bit stronger at resisting for now, but there are forces seeking to undermine the state's power here just as they did so successfully in the U.S. and U.K.)
"Vulture Capitalism: Corporate Crimes, Backdoor Bailouts and the Death of Freedom" by economist and author Grace Blakeley
and
"Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism" by George Monbiot and Peter Hutchison (which is also being made into a documentary)
Would love to hear your thoughts if you read either or both.