The David Lin Report US Empire Is ‘Over’: Richard Wolff On The Next Global ‘Policeman’, New Alliances
Sep 29, 2025
Richard D. Wolff, an economist and co-founder of Democracy at Work, discusses the shifting global power dynamics with a focus on China overtaking the U.S. He argues that concerns about Russia's incursions into Europe stem from political theater rather than imminent threat. Wolff also explores how U.S. isolation and the rise of BRICS highlight the waning influence of the West. With tensions in Ukraine and the implications of Trump's foreign policy, he poses that the future global policeman may well be China, promoting a need for cooperation.
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Incursions As Political Theater
- Richard Wolff argues recent drone incursions into Europe are largely political theater, not preludes to all-out war.
- He attributes the intense European reaction to displacement of anger toward the U.S. over economic pain from sanctions and tariffs.
Sanctions, Tariffs, And Europe's Recession
- Wolff links Europe's deep recession to losing Russian oil and gas after sanctions and to U.S. tariff pressures under Trump.
- He frames Europe's economic pain as a driver of anti-Russian rhetoric and political desperation in Europe.
History Shapes Russian Security Mindset
- Wolff recounts historical invasions of Russia to argue Russians fear Western invasions more than vice versa.
- He lists Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm, and Hitler as failed Western invaders to support his point.
