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Capitalism Update (Audio)

Dec 31, 2024

As we enter the unknown economic territory of 2025, Nothing Is Real Radio Hour creator Sam Sebren listens back with you to a piece he produced for WGXC-Wave Farm in 2013 called "Capitalism: A Random Survey." Excerpt from the 2013 description:

Sam Sebren, producer-creator of the NIRRH, recently asked a question to 36 people in NY's Greene and Columbia counties, "Do you think capitalism is working? Why or why not? Or if you would like to decline to answer please state why." The anonymous assortment of friends, acquaintances, and strangers on the street were recorded on the spot, with no clue ahead as to what they were about to be asked. Workers, small business owners, retired people, and others of all ages from across the political, ethnic, and economic spectrum gave their spontaneous reply. None of the answers are edited and all answers are heard in the order they were recorded. Hear for yourself from a variety of everyday people - is there any consensus? Few of us are economists, yet we are all born into a turbulent complex economic system we are expected to navigate as if it is completely natural. Through this random survey, Sebren attempts to find out how deeply capitalism is, or is not, on our minds.

As we hear the participants thoughts from 12 years ago, what has changed? There are discussions questioning capitalism now, more than ever, yet what are we actually doing about any of it? Will capitalism last forever? In addition to Sebren's unofficial survey, listeners will hear from comedians Graham Elwood, Tom Simmons, John Agitation, and Michael Palascak, as well as recent comments on capitalism from economist Dr. Richard Wolff. With music from Pink Floyd, Suicide, and Vitamin String Quartet. Wishing everyone a more equitable, happy, healthy and peaceful New Year!

"The Nothing Is Real Radio Hour" includes sound and transmission art works by Sebren, who is based in Athens, and occasionally works by other artists, both pre-recorded and performed live in the studio. In a multidisciplinary practice, much of Sebren's recent work has challenged notions of accepted reality in art, advertising, and public spaces. In mediums including sound, Sebren's work blurs actual, imagined, and technological realities as he critiques socio-political rules & regulations in our consumer "culture" and urges his audience to smile and re-think our priorities.

Playlist:
Just Manifest It / Graham Elwood
Have A Cigar / Vitamin String Quartet
Capitalism: A Random Survey / Sam Sebren
End The Fed / Tom Simmons
CEO-To-Employee Pay Ratio / Richard Wolff
What Is Politics / John Agitation
What's Wrong With Capitalism / Richard Wolff
A Job Interview At A Pyramid Scheme / Michael Palascak
U-Scan Machine / Tom Simmons
Welcome To The Machine (excerpt) / Pink Floyd
Dream Baby Dream (excerpt) / Suicide