Podcast / Tech Won’t Save Us / May 7, 2026

Muskism Is the New Fordism—With Ben Tarnoff & Quinn Slobodian

Paris Marx is joined by Ben Tarnoff and Quinn Slobodian to discuss their new book Muskism, which explores how Elon Musk exemplifies a new economic system shaping our lives.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Muskism Is the New Fordism w/ Ben Tarnoff & Quinn Slobodian / Tech Won’t Say Us
byThe Nation Magazine

Paris Marx is joined by Ben Tarnoff and Quinn Slobodian to discuss their new book Muskism which explores how Elon Musk exemplifies a new economic system shaping our lives, similar to Fordism in the twentieth century.

Ben Tarnoff and Quinn Slobodian are the authors of Muskism. Ben is a writer and technologist based in Massachusetts and the author of Internet for the People. Quinn is professor of international history at Boston University, and the author of books like Crack-Up Capitalism.

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Elon Musk arrives to court at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building on April 30, 2026, in Oakland, California.

Elon Musk arrives to court at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building on April 30, 2026, in Oakland, California.

(Benjamin Fanjoy / Getty Images)

Paris Marx is joined by Ben Tarnoff and Quinn Slobodian to discuss their new book Muskism, which explores how Elon Musk exemplifies a new economic system shaping our lives, similar to Fordism in the 20th century.

Tarnoff is a writer and technologist based in Massachusetts and the author of Internet for the People. Quinn is a professor of international history at Boston University, and the author of books like Crack-Up Capitalism.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/subscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

How Mass Layoffs Changed Working in Tech w/ Clarissa Redwine & JS Tan / Tech Won’t Save Us
byThe Nation Magazine

Not long ago, tech jobs were sought after for their security, benefits, wages, and the progressive values promoted by Silicon Valley companies. But now workers are barely hanging on. Clarissa Redwine and JS Tan join Paris Marx to discuss the state of worker organizing in the tech industry, including how it’s changed since the mid-2010s and where it needs to go from here.

Clarissa Redwine is a tech worker and labor activist. JS Tan is a PhD candidate at MIT and writes the Value Added newsletter. They are the authors of Against Tech Oligarchy: Worker Resistance in the World's Most Powerful Industry.

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