Month: November 2021 (Page 1 of 2)

The Problem(s) with LinkedIn

November 29, 2021 / baseblogger

LinkedIn has a lot of haters these days. Why? According to critics, it combines the worst features of Facebook (lack of privacy, mindless chatter) with the worst features of the business world (corporate politics, self-promotion, professional class propriety). To boot, LinkedIn doesn’t even do the things it’s supposed to do, i.e., it usually doesn’t help you network or land a job.

I’ll admit I don’t know exactly what’s wrong with LinkedIn. I just know it sucks and I don’t like using it. Do I still have a LinkedIn account? Yes. Will I get rid of it? Probably not. But I rarely use it, and I don’t expect that to change.

The Power Broker

November 22, 2021 / baseblogger

The trick to reading a Robert Caro biography? He writes about places more than people. And, above all, he writes about power. I pointed to this feature in a post on Caro’s book series The Years of Lyndon Johnson. But before Caro wrote about LBJ, he wrote about Robert Moses and New York. I’ll say a word here about The Power Broker: a book about how one builds (and then loses) power in a major US city.

‘Thought Leader’: A Business ‘Intellectual’

November 18, 2021 / baseblogger

Not long ago, I watched a LinkedIn video that defined a ‘thought leader’ as “a person who helps people make difficult choices by being a decision leader.” As a philosopher, I wasn’t too impressed with this display. And as a definition of ‘thought leader,’ that’s about as unhelpful as it gets.

But I think it shows us a few things about business jargon and the nature of the ‘business intellectual.’ What does it show us?

The Feminization of Work

November 15, 2021 / baseblogger

I often make the point that the left should target a broad working-class coalition. Every now and then to the point of sounding like a broken record. This includes an approach from multiple vectors – not only people on the job, but also unemployed people and the precariat. But while I often talk about race and about tenants unions, I don’t talk as often about gender. I’ll do that here by looking at the feminization of work.

Readers who know me might be surprised that I haven’t written as much about gender. After all, I have a background in feminist philosophy and activism. So, in that spirit, I’ll use this post to share one key data point on the feminization of work. I think it addresses why it’s so important for leftists to address issues of gender, especially in the world of work.

october reading list 2021 i alone can fix it

November Reading List (2021)

November 11, 2021 / baseblogger

As we enter our second pandemic winter, I’m reading a wide range of things. Some baseball. Some nostalgia. And some science. If you’re interested in some new reads this winter, continue on for the full list.

Month: November 2021 (Page 1 of 2)

The Problem(s) with LinkedIn

The Power Broker

‘Thought Leader’: A Business ‘Intellectual’

The Feminization of Work

November Reading List (2021)

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