On this episode, Alina Utrata talks to Dr Maha Rafi Atal, the Adam Smith senior lecturer in political economy at University of Glasgow, about her forthcoming book When Companies Rule: Corporate Power from the East India Company to Silicon Valley. In the episode, they discuss the idea of company rule as an ideological (rather than profit-driven) project, from today’s Amazon warehouses to Robert Owen’s company towns in Scotland. They discuss what can the East India Company tell us about company rule in an modern-day oil refinery in India or securitized plantations in Kenya? How did the history of company rule in the US shape reactions to the Affordable Care Act (and state-provided welfare)? What is the best sci-fi book about these topics? And should we all just learn to stop worrying and love company rule?
For a complete reading list from the episode, check out the Anti-Dystopians substack at bit.ly/3kuGM5X.
You can follow Alina Utrata on Bluesky at @alinau27.bsky.social
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Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4148-nowhere-land
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