Glengarry Glen Ross

Unramblings

We’re back and tackling more depressing subject matter than ever! Last time you joined us, we talked about the surprising themes and messages around the toxicity of extractive, colonial-feudal systems contained within a delightful and progressive children’s cartoon; this time we’re still talking about the toxicity of those systems, but in the significantly gloomier David Mamet play-turned-film Glengarry Glen Ross. We break down the way that Mamet uses constrained locations to evoke a sense of how trapped we all are by capitalism and the influence of the work as a play on the work as a film. We also hope you enjoy our attempts to define just who, exactly, is the most punchable character in this work (hint: the actor who plays him is also quite punchable!).

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Show Notes:

The Correspondent - The neoliberal era is ending. What comes next?

Tinbergen Institute - Socially Useless Jobs Study by two Dutch economists examining responses from over 100,000 workers in 47 countries regarding the perceived value of their jobs to society, referenced in the article from The Correspondent listed above.

David Graeber - Bullshit Jobs Essay from 2013, also referenced in the articles listed above, about why instead of massively shorter work-weeks, we have a bloat of pointless jobs that produce little-to-no social good and a population that resents and exploits the section of workers who do produce social good.

Economic Policy Institute - Let’s not give up on the American Dream Testimony before the Economic Policy Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; provides data on the current state of economic opportunity, mobility, and inequality in the U.S. and a policy agenda to restore the American Dream.

State of the Nation 2018-19: Social Mobility in Great Britain States that social mobility in the UK has been stagnant for four years. Key findings for the Assessment of Social Mobility (which indicate that social mobility is low) are on page 1; the Executive Summary on pp. vii – xi provides recommendations for government departments, employers, education chiefs, local councils, and communities to use in addressing the lack of social mobility and equal opportunity in the UK.

World Bank - Fair Progress? The State of Economic Mobility Across Generations Around the World Summary of the report, which is essentially an entire book on this topic; lists key findings and, surprise, surprise, the PUBLIC INVESTMENTS and POLICIES related to ensuring access to opportunity that affect social/economic mobility.

Paolo Freire - Pedagogy of the Oppressed Great book, and really short! One of the foundational texts of critical pedagogy; his analysis of class relationships in colonial systems is particularly relevant.