What's the Positive Example of the Paris Commissariat?

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The paris commune was a period of radical history in the late nineteenth century. Author Am says there's now a progressive kind of deference to authority. People practising politics of care and solidarity are giving us a path out of this crisis, he writes. But i think we do have to find space to say that it's not just state authority that's giving us a way forward.

Paris Marx is joined by Lizzie O’Shea to discuss how learning about history can empower us to imagine more radical futures, how COVID-19 could create the opportunity to demand a better world, and how the praise for essential workers could help us rethink our ideas about work and the economy.

Lizzie O’Shea is the author of “Future Histories: What Ada Lovelace, Tom Paine, and the Paris Commune Can Teach Us about Digital Technology.” She is also the founder and chair of Digital Rights Watch. She recently wrote about how there is no such thing as unskilled labor for The Baffler. Follow Lizzie on Twitter as @Lizzie_OShea.

The photo of the Paris Commune mentioned in the episode can be found here.

Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.

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