The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

Profit Is A ‘False God’ w/ Prof. Wolff

Jul 23, 2025
Richard Wolff, an esteemed economist and co-founder of Democracy at Work, dives into the dark side of profit-driven healthcare. He critiques how profit motives undermine public welfare, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. The discussion highlights Cuba's impressive healthcare successes under socialism, contrasting them with U.S. shortcomings. Wolff emphasizes that access to healthcare should be a fundamental right, advocating for a reevaluation of our economic systems to prioritize public good over corporate greed.
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INSIGHT

Profit Over Patient Cures

  • Capitalism prioritizes profit over curing patients, making cures unsustainable business models.
  • This systemic profit motive ignores societal needs and challenges genuine healthcare progress.
INSIGHT

Profit Drives Harmful Products

  • Profit incentives can promote harmful products like cigarettes and fake pollution fixes.
  • Under capitalism, profitable means prevail, often at societal health's expense.
INSIGHT

Profit Is Not a True Guide

  • Profitability decisions in capitalism are often based on limited, short-term knowledge.
  • A democratic society should collectively decide investments based on broader social benefit, not narrow profits.
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