Gaslit Nation

Anti-Fascist Economics: How to Defeat the Oligarchy

Gaslit Nation

Summary

Jake Stouck, co-founder and CEO of Serval, emphasizes the need for automation in IT to alleviate common workplace bottlenecks such as onboarding and password resets. He argues that while employees wait for IT assistance, their productivity is hindered, leading to frustration. Serval aims to streamline these processes by allowing users to describe automation tasks in plain English, eliminating the need for complex workflows or costly consultants. This approach not only empowers employees but also enables IT teams to focus on more critical projects.

In a separate discussion, the podcast highlights the political climate surrounding the upcoming midterm elections, noting a surge in early voting, particularly among young Latino and Black voters. A recent poll indicates a significant drop in approval ratings for Donald Trump, suggesting a shift in voter sentiment. The conversation also touches on the need for vigilance against voter suppression tactics as the election approaches. Additionally, the podcast features a report from the House Judiciary Committee detailing disturbing allegations against Trump related to Jeffrey Epstein, prompting calls for an independent investigation into the matter.

Economist Isabella Weber joins the conversation to discuss her book, "Anti-Fascist Economics," which examines the relationship between economic policy and the rise of fascism. She argues that the current economic system is failing the majority, leading to political instability and the potential rise of extreme right movements. Weber advocates for a reimagined economic framework that prioritizes human dignity and addresses the affordability crisis in essential sectors like housing and food. She emphasizes the importance of government intervention to stabilize prices and ensure equitable access to resources, framing this as crucial for safeguarding democracy.

Show Notes

How do we take our democracy back from the oligarchs and build a livable future? When we're up against all the money in the world, what is our leverage? And what does an economy based on human dignity look like? Economist Isabella Weber joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the urgent answers in her new book, Anti-Fascist Economics: In Defense of Affordability, Dignity, and Democracy. Weber grew up in Nuremberg, Germany, an ancient city--important for the Holy Roman Empire--which is why the Nazis chose it to launch the Third Reich, with their racist Nuremberg Laws and fascist pageantry rallies. Witnessing the scars of that nightmare, she studied the history of how business elites empower fascism to crush workers and keep them in line. History repeats today with American oligarchs and high-powered law firms cozying up to Trump as his goon squad, ICE, disappears people off the street, and to concentration camps, and his regime weaponizes the government against dissidents and elections. We discuss the oligarchs' revolt of threatening to leave states that dare to force them to pay their fair share in taxes, how FDR won the war against wannabe oligarchs as a national security urgency of protecting democracy, the chilling legacy of Joe McCarthy's Red Scare, how to confront the weaponization of greed used by Russian oligarchs to hijack democracies, and much more. To listen to our full discussion, grab your discounted annual membership at Patreon.com/Gaslit or GaslitNation.Substack.com – thank you to everyone who supports our independent journalism during these difficult times. It means a lot. Fight back with Gaslit Nation: Join our Halloween phonebank with Indivisible this Wednesday, October 28 at 6pm ET. RSVP here: https://indivisible.org/events/indivisible-and-gaslit-nation-halloween-phone-bank-party/ Help Ukraine make it through the winter. Bid on these items, including the chance to develop your own story with Andrea, to benefit Razom for Ukraine. Check out our silent auction here: https://givebutter.com/c/Gaslit-Razom/auction Haunt Steven Bannon's nightmares with us. Pre-order Andrea's new book, A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire, from your local bookstore or BookShop.org. Forward your receipt to [email protected] for a pre-order gift and a signed book plate to turn your first edition into a signed copy. Pre-order here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/807202/a-reasonable-guide-for-unreasonable-women-by-andrea-chalupa/ Program this voter protection number into your phone: 1-866-OUR VOTE // 866-687-8683 https://866ourvote.org/

Show Notes: Anti-Fascist Economics, by Isabella Weber https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804175/anti-fascist-economics-by-isabella-weber/ Isabella Weber on Anti-Fascist Economics: https://www.isabellaweber.com/anti-fascist-economics Germany's Far-Right Achieves an Electoral Breakthrough in Key State Election https://www.wunc.org/2026-09-06/germanys-far-right-achieves-an-electoral-breakthrough-in-key-state-election Sheinbaum, Business Sector Agree to Lower Basic Food Prices https://mexiconewsdaily.com/?p=409456 Oil Companies Made $200 Billion in Profits in 2022. Here's How https://www.cnbc.com/video/2023/03/03/oil-companies-made-200-billion-in-profits-in-2022.html Address at Madison Square Garden, October 31, 1936, Franklin D. Roosevelt https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-madison-square-garden-new-york-city-1 Political Aspects of Full Employment, by Michał Kalecki https://mronline.org/2010/05/22/political-aspects-of-full-employment/ Mark Zuckerberg Makes Deal With Meta to Help Him Pay California Billionaire Tax, If It Passes https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ap-top-news/2026/10/22/mark-zuckerberg-makes-deal-with-meta-to-help-him-pay-california-billionaire-tax-if-it-passes0 Meta Apologizes After Suspending "No Kings" Instagram Account https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2026/10/19/meta-apologi

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