Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff
Democracy at Work, Richard D. Wolff
Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a weekly nationally syndicated program produced by Democracy at Work and hosted by Richard D. Wolff. The program explores complex economic issues and empowers listeners with information to analyze not only their own financial situation but the economy at large. Beyond focusing a critical eye on the economic dimensions of everyday life - wages, jobs, taxes, debts, interest rates, prices, and profits - the program also explores systemic solutions to our economy's problems including alternative ways to organize production and distribution of the goods and services we all depend on.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 3, 2020 • 29min
Social Movement Gains in LA
On this week's show, Prof. Wolff discusses the immense social waste of today's US unemployment the Trump ban on investments in Chinese companies, new global organization for worker co-ops, and higher education cuts in UK and US. The second half of the show features an interview with Niki Okuk, South Central LA activist fighting for community control of downtown Crenshaw Mall.
Nov 19, 2020 • 29min
What "Capitalism's Decline" Means
This week's show is dedicated to a discussion of the signs of US capitalism's decline. US history as the passage of US capitalism from its birth, through its state-supported growth and expansion, to its global peaking from 1945 to 2000. Wolff presents the causes of its ongoing decline this 21st century, and then offers a conclusion on the right, center and left political responses to decline.
Nov 12, 2020 • 29min
US Labor battles Covid-19 and Politics
On the first half of this week's show, Prof. Wolff discusses labor's gains (Florida and Maine) and losses (the tragic Prop 22 in California), and the refutation of the claim that China's spectacular economic growth is a product of capitalism, not socialism. The second half of the show features an interview with Bob Hennelly, investigative reporter, on labor in the U.S. today with a particular focus on public employees.
Nov 5, 2020 • 29min
No Matter Who Wins
On this week's show, Prof. Wolff presents the following short updates: Inspire Brands buys Dunkin Donuts, as big firms grow while medium and small firms die; private US capitalism is now on "life-support" financial dependence on US gov't; and pre-Covid US eviction tsunami is now getting worse fast. No matter who wins, the capitalist system gets continued support, continued failure to end instability, continued erosion of the New Deal, and continued denial of real political choice in the US.
Oct 29, 2020 • 29min
Capitalism's Worst Nightmare
On this week's show: what major social changes will flow from today's combination of major economic crash and the viral pandemic (capitalism's worst nightmare)? To answer, we consider how European feudalism changed after its 14th century combination of economic decline and the bubonic plague. The two big changes then were (1) switching from a decentralized to a strong state, monarchical feudalism and (2) transition from feudalism to capitalism. The two big parallel changes now are also (1) switching to a strong state capitalism and (2) transition from capitalism to a worker-coop based economy.
Oct 22, 2020 • 29min
Cuban Commitment to Worker Coops
On the first half of this week's show, Prof. Wolff presents updates on the different metrics used for US unemployment, IMF on uneven recovery, money and US elections, Indigenous People's Day, and lastly China's commitment to digital currency, while big banks hold back other countries. The second half of the show features an interview with Havana professor Camila Piñeiro-Harnecker.
Oct 15, 2020 • 29min
Progressive Social Media Surges in Canada
On the first half of this week's episode, Prof. Wolff presents a critique of pandemic eviction and updates on: the real US unemployment costs, Denmark sides with Germany against US pressure, China's successes, and lastly, why there has been no economic recovery in the US. On the second half of the show, Wolff interviews Lance of The Serfs, a major Canadian left-wing podcast.
Oct 8, 2020 • 29min
New US Labor Militancy
On this week's show, Prof. Wolff talks about the Geneva, Switzerland vote that's raising the min wage to $ 25.16/hour or over $50k/year; GOP block federal aid to cities and states; economics of police brutality; 20th vs 21st century depressions; and lastly, how profit motivates capitalists to market fake, toxic hand sanitizers. On the second half of the program, Wolff interviews John Samuelsen, President of Transport Workers Union in the US.
Oct 1, 2020 • 29min
Capitalism's Anxiety About the State
On this week's show, Prof. Wolff presents updates on how capitalism gets in the way of fighting Covid-19, systemic racism and Covid-19, why Europe did not allow the mass unemployment imposed on the US, and Wells Fargo CEO's fake excuse for lack of diversity among bankers. In the second half of the show, Wolff explores why capitalism fears the modern state and how it controls that state.
Sep 24, 2020 • 29min
Growing Left Public Voices
On the first half of this week's episode, Prof. Wolff discusses the following: graduate student strike at University of Michigan, Johnson & Johnson charged in opioid deaths, the richest Americans gain $845 billion from March-September 2020, New Jersey raises taxes on millionaires, and real unemployment is at 18%. On the second half of the show, Wolff talks with rising podcaster Mexie on how she brings the left together.
