Base and Superstructure

Thoughts on production, alienation, and ideology

Category: Corporate World (Page 1 of 13)

These are posts on the corporate world from the blog Base and Superstructure. The corporate world is complex. It’s confusing to anyone not involved. Corporate life has its own characteristic forms, language, jargon, and mannerisms. Neoliberalism structures our politics and thought, and so this is also a major focus of these posts. The non-profit corporate sector is its own distinct mini-world. And, in particular, spending significant time involved in corporate life engenders a special form of ennui. All of these subtopics feed off of one another. Each is critical to thinking about corporate life and its role in the United States.

An artistic image depicting Soviet managerialism, with red and yellow rays and a man and woman staring at the screen.

Managerialism and Socialism

April 22, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Ronald Purser’s recent article in Current Affairs, “Against Managerialism,” brought to mind for me a common motivation for socialism. It’s one we easily forget, even more so when we dive into the weeds of talking politics or running a socialist org.

I’m talking about economic democracy – the idea that regular, everyday workers are the most qualified to run their workplace. When I think about socialism – really reflect on it – I see economic democracy at the heart of it. And to create a real economic democracy requires us to rid the world – and ourselves – of managerialism.

Let’s say a bit more.

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A photo of a man by himself, designed to represent the problem of AI and loneliness.
Sad Sadness Man Depression Depressive Loneliness

AI and Loneliness: A Better Alternative?

March 25, 2024 / / 0 Comments

As I was reading Anton Jäger’s recent Jacobin article on AI and loneliness, I found myself thinking about what a better scenario would even look like.

Jäger claims, with good reason, that AI chatbots mix with capitalism in a concerning way. Some bill them as a way to rescue people from loneliness and lack of intimacy. But, in practice, they take advantage of people for profit.

In a better world, how would chatbots handle these problems? After all, implementing socialism wouldn’t automatically cure the loneliness epidemic. It wouldn’t, by itself, put us into a place where we easily navigate social circles and form friendships. Capitalism harms our friendships, but friendship ain’t easy. Even in the ideal case.

How could chatbots help with that. Could they? Or are we just barking up the wrong tree?

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Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): The AI Trick

March 11, 2024 / / 0 Comments

In a recent issue of Jacobin, Garrison Lovely tackles the question of whether humanity can survive AI.

It’s a question with many facets. Along the way, Lovely considers just about all of them. Do people overhype AI or not take it seriously enough? Are its harms primarily short- or long-term?

He looks at both human extinction (!) and much more immediate impacts like job loss, racist algorithmic decisions, and the continuing transformation of the workplace into a giant, soulless corporate warehouse that would terrify even Adam Smith.

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Life Coaches?

November 13, 2023 /

When I got the latest issue of Current Affairs in the mail in August, the article on life coaching by Ronald Purser stood out to me.

I’ve never hired a life coach. Nor, thankfully, have I ever desired to become one. But I’ve flirted a few times with the idea of working with a therapist – or even a coach – around career issues. Why not hire an impartial professional to talk through these issues with you? It seems like a good idea.

That’s all to say that a person who starts a blog about, among other things, alienation and corporate ennui might have a few issues in those areas with discussing with a professional. Who’d have known?

In his article, Purser makes all the criticisms of the life coaching industry we’d expect. The issues Purser raises are the same ones that keep people like me from seriously considering getting into life coaching, as either practitioner or client.

What are those issues? There are no meaningful standards or regulations in the industry. Various grifters use life coaching and related marketing campaigns to make quick money. Even Silicon Valley has gotten in on the game by investing that sweet, sweet VC money.

So should we celebrate our victory after exposing the life coaching industry for its shortcomings? Not exactly.

More than anything, I think we should feel a sense of disappointment or missed opportunity. The issues people bring to life coaches are real, even if the coaching isn’t. And people should have access to what they need. In short, life coaching fills a real niche, however badly.

There are many things we deserve in a socialist society. A ‘life coach’ worth having is one of those things.

Photo of two women arguing in a white-collar workplace.

Working With People You Don’t Like

October 23, 2023 /

I’ve worked lots of jobs in the past 25 years. I’ve also joined, led, followed, and otherwise engaged with many, many activist groups over that same time period. And I can say I’ve met a lot of characters while doing these things.

What I’m saying is that I’ve seen conflicts. I’ve even participated in a few conflicts myself. And I’ve even learned a few tricks for how to handle conflicts.

Part of the background to conflict involves working with people you don’t like. And when you’ve worked in that many jobs and with that many activist groups, you’ll end up working with people you don’t like. I’ve certainly done that plenty of times, both on the job and in activist groups.

I could say lots of things about how to do it. But the first thing I’d say? Standard workplace advice misses the point.

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