Today we continue a series of discussions about the basics of Marxism, a method for understanding

and changing the world used by organizers, activists, and revolutionaries throughout modern

history. We'll discuss the Marxist understanding of the so-called gig economy. More and more workers are forced to make ends meet,

driving for Lyft or Uber, delivering food, or an ever-expanding number of irregular jobs.

But far before smartphones and the internet, capitalism has long depended on precarious labor.

We need a new system. We need a new society.

We need to demand that which may have sounded impossible even a few weeks ago,

but is not only realizable, but an imperative necessity. Deepening unemployment, a looming wave of evictions, massive and widening inequality, there's no denying it.

Capitalism is in crisis and capitalism is the crisis.

We are excited to be joined again by Professor Richard Wolfe.

He talks to us every Wednesday in this regular weekly segment

where we talk about the biggest stories related to the economy,

the state of the working class, and the crimes of big business.

The Socialist program brings you content three days a week thanks to the support of our

patrons at patreon.com forward slash the socialist program. We appreciate and depend on all of your

support and encourage you to become a patron today if you enjoy listening to the show.

Richard Wolf is the co-founder of the organization, Democracy at Work.

He's the author of many books.

The latest being, The Sickness is the System when Capitalism Fails to save us from pandemics or itself.

You can check out his work at R-D-Wolf.com.

That's R-D-W-L-F-F.com that's r d wOLFf.com professor wolf welcome back thank you brian glad to be here

let's start with a definition originally gig the word gig was coined by jazz musicians in the 1920s it was short for the word gig was coined by jazz musicians in the 1920s.

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