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Cory Doctorow

@pluralistic@mamot.fr · 4 days ago

Today's threads (a thread)

Inside: Where did the money go? and more!

Archived at: https://pluralistic.net/2026/01/08/after-the-moneys-gone/

#Pluralistic

https://pluralistic.net

Pluralistic: Where did the money go? (08 Jan 2026)

A US$100 bill, tinted red; the face of Ben Franklin has been replaced with the hostile red eye of HAL 9000 from Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey.'

Image:
Cryteria (modified)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en — A US$100 bill, tinted red; the face of Ben Franklin has been replaced with the hostile red eye of HAL 9000 from Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey.' Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

GhostOnTheHalfShell

@GhostOnTheHalfShell@masto.ai replied · 4 days ago

@pluralistic

As usual, a terrific article. economists can’t figure out why people are so upset when “ inflation is not that bad”.

In the real world, affordability is what governance people’s lives. Affordability is defined as income divided by the cost of living.

In a rentier economy, the cost of living is designed to be more than people’s income.

It doesn’t matter if inflation is half percent 1% 5% to a population that can’t already pay for the necessities

Phosphenes

@Phosphenes@mastodon.social replied · 4 days ago

@pluralistic

Have you seen Benn Jordan's 'You Are Witnessing the Death of American Capitalism'? It reminded me of your work, but with animations.

I especially liked the private equity fish that converts companies into turds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqtrNXdlraM

You Are Witnessing the Death of American Capitalism

YouTube

2qx

@2qx@mastodon.social replied · 4 days ago

@pluralistic

Monetary policy in the United States isn't set by the FOMC, it's unilaterally set by the NY Fed (and it's shareholders, i.e. banks).

Bernie Madoff had $58B in CASH in a checking account at the largest voting member of US monetary policy.

Scams absorb excess liquidity and don't increase the number of people receiving unemployment benefits. So they should be A-OK according to the dual mandate monetary policy.

2qx

@2qx@mastodon.social replied · 4 days ago

@pluralistic

The PROBLEM is, when all investments are scams, and value investing is effectively impossible, everyone just buys index funds.

When everyone is betting on the continued existence of the Monopoly, all members of the public receive dividends from the big public trust. It becomes like the other side of Elizabeth Magie's Landloard's game: Prosperity.

And Americans aren't allowed to know of or play Prosperity.

So will the "never choose" punters get taken?

https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-landlords-game/

The Public Domain Review

The Landlord's Game: Lizzie Magie and Monopoly's Anti-Capitalist Origins (1903)

The story of how a homemade, anti-capitalist game created by a woman becomes a mass-produced uber-capitalist game that profited a man.

Cory Doctorow

@pluralistic@mamot.fr replied · 4 days ago

I'm coming to Colorado! Catch me in #Denver on Jan 22 at The Tattered Cover:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cory-doctorow-live-at-tattered-cover-colfax-tickets-1976644174937

And in #ColoradoSprings from Jan 23-25, where I'm the Guest of Honor at COSine:

https://www.firstfridayfandom.org/cosine/

Then I'll be in #Ottawa on Jan 28 at Perfect Books:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DS2nGiHiNUh/

And in #Toronto with Tim Wu on Jan 30:

https://nowtoronto.com/event/cory-doctorow-and-tim-wu-enshittification-and-extraction/

NOW Toronto

Cory Doctorow and Tim Wu: Enshittification and Extraction - NOW Toronto

Instagram

Perfect Books on Instagram: "❗BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TIME❗ We are SO excited to present author and activist Cory Doctorow as part of what we are now calling The Perfect Books Lecture Series. This event is presented in partnership with The Other Hill.

We hope you'll us on January 28th 2026 at allsaints as Toronto-born Cory Doctorow gives one of his truly iconic lectures on his most recent book, Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It, followed by an audience Q&A session and book signing.

Until midnight on December 31st, you can get early bird ticket prices, only $10 — the link is on our bio and on our website 👀

🕝 January 28, 2026. Doors 7:00pm, Event 7:30-8:30pm
📍allsaints event space, 317 Chapel St, Ottawa
🎫 EARLY BIRD TICKETS: $10 — Available until midnight on December 31st!
🎫 General Tickets: $15

Cory Doctorow (craphound.com) is a science fiction author, activist and journalist. He is the author of dozens of books, most recently ENSHITTIFICATION: WHY EVERYTHING SUDDENLY GOT WORSE AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT (nonfiction); and the novels PICKS AND SHOVELS and THE BEZZLE (followups to RED TEAM BLUES). Other notable books include the solarpunk novels WALKAWAY and THE LOST CAUSE; the tech policy books THE INTERNET CON and CHOKEPOINT CAPITALISM; and the internationally bestselling YA LITTLE BROTHER series; and the picture book POESY THE MONSTER SLAYER. In 2020, he was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame."

Cory Doctorow, renowned science fiction author, activist, and journalist, will present his latest book, Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It, at The Perfect Books Lecture Series. This event is part of a series presented in partnership with The Other Hill. Attendees will have the chance to engage with Cory in a Q&A session and get their books signed. Secure your spot before January 31st to take advantage of early bird ticket prices.

https://www.firstfridayfandom.org/cosine

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Eventbrite

Cory Doctorow Live at Tattered Cover Colfax

Join us for a great event with Cory Doctorow as we hear about his bestselling book: Enshittification.