Mean Streets: Post-Fordist Cities & Political Repression, Part One

In the first of a two-parter, we trace the evolution of the modern city from industrialisation to the 1970s, when a trio of crises laid the foundation for an anti-political backlash If you enjoyed this episode: – Support Blood Work via Patreon – Leave a rating or review on your podcast app – Follow us on Bluesky / Instagram / Twitter Image: A photograph taken on Leyden Street, London, during the 1979 ‘Winter of Discontent’ (Source: Maurice Hibberd/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Blood Work is a Scam Goldin Production This episode was produced by Thomas O’Mahony Our theme song is ‘Dream Weapon’ by Genghis Tron Our artwork is provided courtesy of KT Kobel THIS WEEK IN VIOLENCE: Even in Death, They Will Still Degrade You ALSO AVAILABLE IN AUDIO For this week’s newsletter, Gregk uses a resurfaced comment by filmmaker Joe Russo from 2023 to provide some commentary on the modern AI craze and the historical ties between technology, pornography, and violence.   Sources: Robert A. Beauregard (2006), When America Became Suburban Jordan T. Camp & Christina Heatherton [eds.] (2016), Policing the PlanetL Why the Policing Crisis Led to Black Lives Matter Peter Eisinger (2000), ‘The Politics of Bread and Circuses: Building the City for the Visitor Class’, Urban Affairs Review [35:3] Antonio Gramsci (1971), Selections from the Prison Notebooks Stuart Hall et al (1978), Policing the Crisis: Mugging, the State, and Law and Order Margaret Kohn (2004), Brave New Neighborhoods: The Privatisation of Public Space Mark Neocleous (2021), A Critical Theory of Police Power Paul A. Passavant (2021), Policing Protest: The Post-Democratic State and the Figure of Black Insurrection