“Fake Work: How I Began to Suspect Capitalism is a Joke” with Leigh Claire La Berge

In this episode of Coming from Left Field, we engage in a thought-provoking conversation with author Leigh Claire La Berge about her book “Fake Work: How I Began to Suspect Capitalism is a Joke.” Drawing from her surreal experience documenting Y2K compliance for a Fortune 500 company—a job focused on generating legal cover rather than solving technical issues— La Berge explores the absurdity of modern corporate culture and how "bullshit jobs" reveal deeper flaws in capitalism.

 

The discussion touches on Marxist critiques, parallels between the dot-com bubble and today’s AI hype, and La Berge’s humorous project Marx for Cats, which uses feline behavior to explain economic theory.

 

Blending memoir, satire, and political analysis, the episode challenges listeners to rethink the meaning of work while offering sharp insights into alienation, class dynamics, and the possibility of systemic change.

 

Get the Book: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2534-fake-work

Mentioned: http://marxforcats.com

Greg’s Blog: http://zzs-blg.blogspot.com/

Pat’s Substack: https://patcummings.substack.com/about

 

#LeighClaireLaBerge#FakeWork#HowIBegantoSuspectCapitalismisaJoke#Capitalism#Marxism#BullshitJobs#Y2K#CorporateCulture#MarxforCats#DavidGraeber#LateStageCapitalism#GregGodels#PatCummings#CFLF#ComingFromLeftField#Podcast#zzblog#mltoday