A Fractured Mass Without Class (Ft. Theory Undergound)

Jul 29, 2025

Join Dave McCarriker, an underground theorist and author known for his insights on time energy and societal structures, as he discusses the 'Post-Class Fractured Mass.' He examines how modern media and education have fractured traditional class identities. The conversation touches on the gig economy's impact on workers and the evolving role of class in revolutionary change. Dave also critiques the limitations of contemporary ideological frameworks and encourages a reevaluation of how we perceive identity and protest in today's landscape.

01:22:54

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ANECDOTE

Personal Polyamory Experience

The host shares personal experiences with polyamory during different phases of life.
He ultimately asserts that most people need reliable, monogamous, committed relationships for stability.

insights

INSIGHT

Ideology and Revolution Clarity

Ideology distorts perception; critique removes the distortion to reveal reality.
Revolution's essence lies in the principles and goals pursued, not merely the methods used.

insights

INSIGHT

Progressive Schooling as Gatekeeping

Progressive schooling sorts people into defensive, competitive identities rather than a genuine education.
This system produces disciplined workers knowing their place and a small elite, reinforcing social stratification.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Unveiling Ideology and Revolutionary Essence

02:50 • 2min

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Revisiting Class and Education in Modern Society

04:44 • 16min

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Generational Shifts and Class Dynamics

20:32 • 25min

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Class Dynamics: From Peasants to Modern Workers

45:47 • 4min

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Navigating Identity in the Digital Age

50:01 • 30min

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Exploring Voice Cloning and Philosophical Pessimism

01:20:05 • 3min

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Underground Theory

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In 'Waypoint', the protagonist, Julie, finds herself in a terrifying situation: kidnapped from her home and waking up in a hotel room with no phone, no money, and a bomb strapped to her chest. As the story unfolds, Julie must navigate this perilous situation, leading to an adventure filled with suspense and intrigue.

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Being and time

Martin Heidegger

In 'Being and Time', Heidegger delves into the fundamental question of what it means to 'be'. The book is divided into two main divisions: the first analyzes the existentials of Dasein, or 'being-in-the-world', while the second grounds these existentials in temporality. Heidegger introduces key concepts such as 'Dasein', 'Being-with', and the three temporal ecstases (having-been, present, and to-come), emphasizing that Dasein's existence is essentially futural and characterized by its possibilities and projects. The work challenges traditional philosophical notions of subject and object, instead positing that Dasein is inseparable from its world and historical context.

Time Energy

Dave McCarricer

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Weapons of Mass Instruction

A Schoolteacher's Journey Through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling

John Taylor Gatto

In 'Weapons of Mass Instruction', John Taylor Gatto critiques the mechanisms of traditional education that he believes cripple imagination and discourage critical thinking. The book offers insights into how to escape these limitations and foster more meaningful educational experiences. Gatto shares stories of individuals who succeeded outside the conventional school system, challenging the notion that formal schooling is essential for success.

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Culture of Narcissism

Christopher Lasch

In 'The Culture of Narcissism', Christopher Lasch presents a psychological and cultural synthesis that examines the normalization of pathological narcissism in 20th-century American culture. Lasch argues that since World War II, America has produced a personality type consistent with clinical definitions of narcissistic personality disorder. He locates symptoms of this disorder in various aspects of American life, including radical political movements, spiritual cults, and the broader cultural shifts of the 1960s and 1970s. The book critiques the erosion of family and community structures, the rise of consumerism, and the impact of technological advancements on social relationships. Lasch's work is a comprehensive diagnosis of American culture, predicting the expansion of narcissistic tendencies into all aspects of American life.

Get access to The Backroom (70+ exclusive episodes) on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

Is the Marxist conception of class outdated? In this episode of 1Dime Radio, I’m joined by Dave from Theory Underground to unpack the “Post-Class Fractured Mass” (PCFM): why the working class, the “proletariat” no longer coheres the way Marxists imagined, how media + schooling carve us into niches and swarms, and what this means for organizing today. We talk about why the decline of working-class power is due to real material factors in the economy, and not just due to ideology and “class consciousness.” This brings us to the pivotal question: in the age of the gig economy, is the working class obsolete as the agent of revolutionary change? If so, who is the revolutionary subject today?

In the backroom, we discuss the issues with the term “Post-Left”, how people burn out from politics, and how bourgeois pseudoprogressive libertine attitudes bleed into leftist circles (like polyamory, non-monogamy, etc). Become a patron at Patreon.com/OneDime if you haven’t already!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 The Backroom Preview

05:15 The Post-Class Fractured Mass (PCFM)

07:08 Jobs, Careers, & Time-energy

10:33 “Progressive” schooling as sorting/gatekeeping

25:54 From Class Power to Popular Front of "The Vulnerable"

30:14 Outsourcing, deindustrialization & Stratification

36:35 The “Dictatorship of the Proletariat”

42:27 Can the Democratic Party be “reformed”?

50:10 The Gig Economy and The Breakdown of Solidarity

01:02:08 Ideological Gerrymandering

01:21:45 AI & Transition to The Backroom

GUEST:

Dave — Theory Underground

• Check out the Theory Underground YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theory_underground

• Check out the Underground Theory Book (Im in it too!) : https://www.amazon.com/Underground-Theory-David-McKerracher/dp/B0CH2CXSGN

• Check out the Dave’s Timenergy Book: https://www.amazon.com/Timenergy-Why-Have-Time-Energy/dp/B0D285C1TV/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uWMeog7v0Fzxa2o7vYK7_OuDzbW0mXjpYddGDa84LDHzaHN7WUeL3O_T1zrzPCEr4Tw75Pn1KD82Jmmdem3hjQKq0TW4WLFIA3DIhDNVaV4.mgTh5f1Lm2lcEPI24AzA_GwBr-Gs5nOCIyzU_5-BfEg&dib_tag=se&qid=1753806927&refinements=p_27%3ADavid+McKerracher&s=books&sr=1-1&text=David+McKerracher

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Outro Music by Karl Casey

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