Literate Machine explores media through the lens of culture, history, and politics, examining the ways capitalism, power, and ideology shape and are shaped by the stories we love. Written and performed by Eric Rosenfield, Literate Machine is available as blog entries, newsletter, podcast, and YouTube channel. Literate Machine is available on Apple Podcasts and finer podcast apps everywhere.
There's some evidence this was done on purpose Text: https://literatemachine.com/2026/08/16/is-ground-news-a-right-wing-psy-op/ Bibliography: https://literatemachine.com/2026/08/16/is-ground-news-a-right-wing-psy-op/#bibliography Support this project at https://patreon.com/ericrosenfield for early, ad-free episodes, exclusive authors notes, and bonus material for only $1 a month Discord:…
Ground News bills itself as a way to evaluate bias in the news, but the way it does so plays into the hands of those who have a reason to make you think all news bias falls into a simple left-right spectrum Bibliography: https://literatemachine.com/2026/07/29/ground-news-and-the-war-on-reality/#bibliography Text version: https://literatemachine.com/2026/07/29/ground-news-and-the-war-on-reality/…
Here's the 25k subscriber Q&A! Passion Project vs. Ambition, Democratic Socialism vs. Market Socialism, Predictions for 2028, 3 Crises that worry me, and the story of the channel. Relevant links: How Can I Save You? Gravity's Rainbow Over Palestine Mooks Clip of Hasan Piker saying Fox News is making the DSA look good
Innovation and the stars will not be enough to give us infinite growth in a capitalist economy and all you have to do to know why is look at the evidence Support this project at https://patreon.com/ericrosenfield and get early, ad free episodes, exclusive author's notes, and more for only $1. Support via one-time donation at: https://ko-fi.com/literatemachine Text Version:…
It seems like the entire economy is being sucked up into the realm of the ultra-rich. Let's explore why this looks like the beginning of the end. Support this project on Patreon at https://patreon.com/ericrosenfield and get early, ad-free episodes, exclusive author's notes, and other extras for only $1. Text version:…
Let me challenge your assumptions Support this project on Patreon at https://patreon.com/ericrosenfield where you can get early, ad-free episodes, exclusive author's notes, exclusive content and more for only $1. Full text: https://literatemachine.com/2026/04/30/mooks/ Bibliography: https://literatemachine.com/2026/04/30/mooks/#bibliography
The book V for Vendetta posits a battle for the soul of the country between Anarchism and Fascism, freedom and oppression. But what if revolution doesn't happen the way we think it does? Bibliography: https://literatemachine.com/2026/03/24/anarchism-and-the-promise-of-revolution-v-for-vendetta/#bibliography
What does Superman tell us about the ethics of closed borders? Support this project on Patreon at https://patreon.com/ericrosenfield Especially since at this moment Warner Brothers did a copyright claim on this video to take all the revenue despite the fact that I only use small clips for the purposes of review and commentary which is definitionally fair use. I've disputed it, and we'll see how it…
How the New Thought and Positive Thinking movements helped create Neil Gaiman and Donald Trump and undermined our economy and lives Support this project on Patreon at https://patreon.com/ericrosenfield Thanks to all my Patrons! Full bibliography at: https://literatemachine.com/2025/09/20/gaiman-trump-and-the-new-thought-behind-the-abuse/#bibliography Other formats, text, and more information at…
There's a worst case scenario looming here, isn't there? Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, Curtis Yarvin, Freedom Cities, "Anarcho-Capitalism", and the Neofeudal Order Still to Come Special thanks to my Patrons Support this project at https://patreon.com/ericrosenfield for exclusive author's notes, deleted material, and other goodies Blog version:…