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
Nov 21, 2019 • 29min
[S9 E45] Teaching Economics: A Revolutionary Approach
Updates on Sawant's victory in Seattle City Council election, the US obesity problem's costs and causes, critiquing libertarian arguments for capitalism. Interview Dr. Amy S. Cramer, Prof of Economics, Arizona, on her accessible education project "Voices on the Economy.
Nov 14, 2019 • 29min
[S9 E44] Political Strategy for Transition
Today's program discusses a political strategy for transition beyond capitalism to an economy based on democratic worker-cooperatives. The first half explores the history of how transition was achieved from feudalism to capitalism. The second half draws lessons from that history to provide a strategy for a transition now beyond capitalism.
Nov 7, 2019 • 29min
[S9 E43] U.S. "Profit-driven Medicine"
Updates on Berlin, Germany's law freezing all rents for 5 years, overindebted corporations threaten world economy, prisoners' slave labor in Los Angeles, French inequality and yellow vests, Bernie's push to put workers on corporate boards. Interview with Dr. Michael Magee on US medical-industrial complex.
Oct 31, 2019 • 29min
The Human Agenda
Updates on costs of NBA offense to China, worsening global inequality, poverty mocks Nobel prize for 3 economists working on "incremental solutions" to poverty, why Google donated to global warming deniers, and latest crisis in defaults on US auto loans. Interview with Richard Hobbs, Human Agenda Director, San Jose, CA, expert on worker co-ops.
Oct 24, 2019 • 29min
The Capitalist Corporation
This program examines the structure and functioning of the large capitalist corporation dominating modern economies. We discuss their basic economics and influence on politics. We criticize rationales for corporate profits such as "risks" and "entrepreneurship" and explore parallels between corporate structures and monarchies.
Oct 17, 2019 • 29min
Making Critical Arguments
Updates on US housing crisis as systemic failure (the homeless LA opera singer), Greta Thunberg's critics exposed, Europeans gain from US-China trade war, Sackler family "donations" to museums, universities, capitalists take over Sports Illustrated. Interview on Left's critical arguments with Prof. Ben Burgis of Georgia State University.
Oct 11, 2019 • 29min
Worker Co-ops, Socialism's Future
On the first half of the show, Prof. Wolff focuses on how, why socialism has changed from what it meant in the 19th and 20th centuries (public enterprises + state planning vs capitalism's private enterprises + markets). The second half explores why 21st century socialism aims to democratize capitalist workplaces, replacing their top-down undemocratic organization with worker cooperatives.
Oct 3, 2019 • 29min
A Growing US Left
Updates on California events (LA Times labor union, 80,000 Kaiser workers to strike, new state public banking law), gross inefficiency of private car industry, anti-left politics in US labor history, wide global use of wealth taxes vs "conservative" claims. Interview: Michael Brooks, host of Michael Brooks Show podcast.
Sep 28, 2019 • 29min
Capitalism and Mental Health
Updates on ICE raid in Mississippi, global comparisons of gun violence, conservatives on Dem's wealth tax ideas. Interview With Dr Harriet Fraad on how capitalism affects mental health in US."
Sep 19, 2019 • 29min
US Economy and the Market
Analysis of the state of the US economy at summer's end, 2019: a decidedly mixed picture. Critique of the institution of the market that focuses on its structure, social effects, and particular beneficiaries: a counter to the imaginary "free market."
