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 1, 2015 • 59min
ECONOMIC UPDATE: CAPITALISM'S INSTABILITY
Sept 20, 2015 This week's updates include the GM settlement, a look at why the Census Bureau proves there is no recovery for 90% and why GE is moving jobs overseas. Prof. Wolff responds to listeners on FED agonies over interest rates and how capitalism mishandles unemployment. We end with a major discussion of WSDEs and capitalist corporations.
Oct 30, 2015 • 59min
ECONOMIC UPDATE: PUERTO RICO AS US'S GREECE
Sept 27, 2015 This week's updates include a look into new Detroit book, the Mayor's austerity policy in Chicago, homeless school children and soaring medical insurance deductibles. Prof. Wolff responds to listeners on the VW scandal and the Pope's statements on economics. Prof. Wolff also interviews Prof. Ian Seda-Irizarry on the current crisis in Puerto Rico.
Oct 28, 2015 • 59min
ECONOMIC UPDATE: MEANINGS OF CLASS
This week's episode includes updates on the Swedish plan for peaceful transition beyond capitalism, ripoffs in car insurance and Ferguson, MO's credit downgrade. Prof. Wolff's response to listeners about the CA drought and the best solution for corporate abuses like VW's. Major discussions include what class means and what is at stake in the different meanings of class and guaranteed income vs guaranteed jobs.
Oct 27, 2015 • 59min
ECONOMIC UPDATE: CAPITALISM'S CRIMES
October 11, 2015 This week's episode includes updates on the attack against Planned Parenthood and Irish and French unions' current initiatives. Prof. Wolff responds to questions on the VW scandal and the TPP deals. The second half of the show includes an in-depth update and analysis of the ongoing Crisis in Greece with Prof. Harry Konstantinides.
Oct 26, 2015 • 59min
ECONOMIC UPDATE: CAPITALISM VS DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM
Today's episode includes updates on a monstrous beer merger, buying the US presidency, homelessness in Hawaii and the Canadian election results. Prof. Wolf responds to a listener's question on the relationship of individualism to capitalism and socialism. We end on a major discussion of the history of socialism vs. capitalism with a focus on the specific place of democratic socialism.
Oct 25, 2015 • 59min
ECONOMIC UPDATE: CO-OPS VS CAPITALISM
October 18, 2015 This week's edition of Economic Update features discussion on: saving capitalism, looming economic downturn, 250,000 against TTIP in Berlin, US plan to give Puerto Rican taxes to banks, and a one-on-one interview with Ms. Laura Flanders, an independent journalist on co-ops vs capitalism.
Jul 14, 2015 • 53min
Higher Education in Crisis
June 14, 2015 Today's updates include an analysis of unemployment numbers to show what they hide as well as reveal. Responses to listeners' questions expose the economics of lotteries and why the largest US corporations have recently used their profits to buy back their shares in the stock markets. The second half of the show features an in-depth interview with Prof. Sohnya Sayres where we explore the end of free college and universities in the US, the rise of administrators dominating students and faculty and what these trends have meant for the quality of higher education in the US.
Jul 14, 2015 • 53min
Fighting Economic Justice
June 21, 2015 Today's show opens with Goldman Sachs' injustice and then we move on to the 'independent contractor' ploy just busted at FedEx and Uber followed with Wisconsin governor's attack on public universities to lower taxes on corporations and the rich. In the second half of today's show, we interview Prof Kristin Ross on her new book about the significance of the Paris Commune where workers fought injustice by reorganizing society dramatically and effectively.
Jul 14, 2015 • 54min
Pope Questions Capitalism
June 28, 2015 Today's updates begin with the victories of alumna, faculty and students over the autocratic board of Sweet Briar College in Virginia. We then discuss the uniquely awful US record on paid leave for workers and an interesting move by cities (ex: Santa Cruz, CA) to disconnect from corrupt big banks. We have fun with the US gov't leaving the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York and we celebrate the rising UK movement against austerity. The second half of the show features an interview with veteran reporter Bob Hennelly on the Pope's statement about ecology, environment, and a failing economic system.
Jul 14, 2015 • 55min
Class and Socialism
July 6, 2015 We are beginning a new 3-week experiment with a new format that includes two in-depth analyses, one in each half of the show. We begin this update by considering the different meanings of class, class analysis and class struggle across human history and why those differences matter so much now. Today's second half explores how socialism evolved from a basic alternative to capitalism into a state capitalism not so different from private capitalism.
