We are in the midst of the deliberate worsening of every aspect of existence. But we don't have to accept it.
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This week, "Next Comes What" considers the enshittification of the world. Andrea Pitzer lays out Cory Doctorow's theory of how the internet got ruined and then extends that concept to the deliberate destruction of nearly every aspect of modern life by government and tech companies globally. (You can read more about the concept in Doctorow's book, Enshittification.) Andrea considers the enshittification of detention in the U.S., and the parallel destruction of any functioning parts of immigration in the country. Together, those have led to the expansion of concentration camp detention through ICE campaigns and DHS policy.
She also takes on the enshittification of health care and climate policy, and discusses how these shifts make the public more dependent on authoritarian leaders just to survive. People become reluctant to demand more, for fear that the system will unleash even more punishment. Andrea considers the ways that the unmasking of secret meetings under the auspices of tech giants reveal how the stage is set for further disempowerment and enshittification of daily life. The episode closes with a look at the importance of radical hope and ways to imagine a better world, which can begin with tackling specific, concrete policies close to home.
0:00 – What Is Enshittification? Cory Doctorow's Term Explained
1:27 – Google's Enshittification: How Search Results Got Worse
2:44 – Enshittification Beyond Tech: From Politics to Daily Life
5:51 – Fascism and Enshittification: A Century-Old Playbook Returns
9:06 – Policing, Detention, and the Weaponization of Concentration Camps
11:17 – Immigration Policy Enshittified: Refugees, Detention, and Global Crackdowns
17:09 – Climate Crisis, Water Bankruptcy, and the Manufactured Supercrisis
18:11 – Healthcare Under Attack: DOGE Cuts, Medicaid, and the NHS
19:14 – Propaganda, AI, and the Billionaire War on Reality
24:35 – How to Fight Back: Civil Rights, Renewable Energy, and Demanding Better
