Economic Update With Richard D. Wolff

On this week's episode of Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff addresses the numerous requests for financial planning or investment advice that he receives from many of you. We touch on the truth about investing in the stock and/or bond markets. In addition, Professor Wolff offers a basic understanding of the economics of US capitalism's century-long, profit-driven failure to adequately provide housing to its people.  Finally, an interview with Professors Eleni Schirmer and Sofya Aptekar about their new book "Lend and Rule", from Common Notions Press, and their fight against the financialization of US public universities, and why it is so necessary.  Sofya Aptekar is an associate professor of urban studies at the City University of New York School of Labor and Urban Studies. She is the author of Green Card Soldier (MIT, 2023) and a delegate of the Professional Staff Congress. She can be found on X/Twitter at @sofyaaptekar  Eleni Schirmer is a writer living in Montréal. She currently holds a postdoc at Con

On this week's episode of Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff offers a special episode to continue the previous discussion on communism. We will discuss how socialism's history evolved into separating socialism from communism and creating multiple, different meanings of what is considered communism today.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate   Every donation counts and helps us provide a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world they can't get anywhere else. We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and others we produce possible each week. We kindly ask you to also support the work we do by enc

On this week's episode of Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff offers a special episode discussing the unscary origins of the ideas of communism and socialism before the Cold War demonized them. We will discuss how socialism's history evolved into separating socialism from communism and creating multiple, different meanings of what is considered communism today.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate   Every donation counts and helps us provide a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world they can't get anywhere else. We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and others we produce possible each week

On this week's episode of Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff draws attention to the 10,000 hotel workers who recently conducted a strike impacting major hotels across 19 US cities. We highlight the contested merger of the two largest grocery chains in America. Albertsons and Kroger threaten to become the third largest retail giant after Amazon, and Walmart plus the Canadian government forces 9000 Canadian railway striking workers back to work, with murmurs of a general strike looming. We also give a shout-out to a small Brooklyn pizzeria unionizing with Starbucks workers.  Finally, an exclusive interview with world-renowned economist, politician, author, and the former finance minister of Greece Yanis Varoufakis discusses global economic change and the working class, topics discussed in his latest work "Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism".   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on vi

On this week's special Labor day episode of Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff honors both Labor Day and President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln once said in 1861 that "Labor is the superior of capital." Yet, capital in the United States has only two major political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats who both are currently advocating for capital over labor and essentially operating as a two-party monopoly excluding all others.  In today's political discourse, Labor has no party advocating for what Lincoln once advocated. The injustice and inequality generated in and for society by capitalist economies is neither necessary nor welcome. A genuine labor party is the missing solution.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our

On this week's Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff discusses Kate Pickett's and Richard Wilkinson's best-selling study in the book "The Spirit Level" (2009), showing how economic inequality correlates with most of the major social problems of our time.  We will juxtapose their latest paper "The Spirit Level at 15: The Enduring Impact of Inequality" Which details how economic inequality has only gotten worse since the past fifteen years, despite government laws and programs aimed to "reduce" inequality.  Wilkinson and Pickett show how inequality leads to severe social ills, divisions, and disintegration. What we need is to face that it is capitalism that generates the inequality that generates the hostilities and social tensions intruding upon and damaging our lives." Important reading "The Spirit Level at 15: The Enduring Impact of Inequality: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/215026/1/The_Spirit_Level_at_15_2024_FINAL.pdf    The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc.

On this week's Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff discusses the growing Labor movement and the nuclear disarmament movements in the United States; we will also examine the economic impacts of people under 50 not having nor wanting to have children; we highlight the UK Conservatives fearmongering claiming Free Speech is in danger from "cancel culture" and how anti "cancel culture" legislation was blocked by the new Labor gov't; We also discuss an Ohio court ruling that favors employers over the general public around boneless chicken that had bones.  Finally, we end the show with an interview with psychotherapist Tess Fraad-Wolff on gender, the patriarchy, and recent changes in capitalism.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our websi

On this week's program, we question the effectiveness as well as the economics of US sanctions (Economic Warfare), also the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) endorses the United Auto Workers (UAW) plan of setting all union contracts to expire on May 1, 2028, essentially laying the groundwork for a "General Strike". We also highlight the latest rhetoric from the US Chamber of Commerce's declaration of a "labor shortage" which only masks their desire for government help in procuring more workers without having to offer higher pay and better working conditions to overcome the "phony" labor shortage.  Finally, we Interview Professor Clara Mattei from Rio as Brazil hosts G20 meetings and discuss the protest events calling for an end to the suffering of the people of Gaza. Clara E. Mattei is an Associate Professor in the Economics Department of The New School for Social Research.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the sho

This week's episode features updates on the UK and French elections showing dramatic shifts to the left contradicting US mass media, US self-induced global economic isolation in pursuit of punishing countries doing business with China, Trump and Biden equally unwilling to solve Social Security's financial problems by taxing incomes of the rich as Congress could and should. Professor Wolff closes with an interview with Dr. Harriet Fraad on global declines in marriage and birth rates and those declines' connections to capitalism.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate   Every donation counts and helps us provide a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events

On this week's Economic Update, Professor Wolff devotes the entire program to explaining clearly and accessibly what government deficits are, why they occur, and who benefits from them.  We show how deficits and debts reward corporations and the rich at the expense of the mass of employees. This show will equip our audience to see through the misuse of deficits and debts in the 2024 election campaigns.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate   Every donation counts and helps us provide a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world they can't get anywhere else. We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and

On this week's Economic Update, Professor Wolff discusses a huge victory for Uber and Lyft drivers' struggling for better wages in Massachusetts; we also bring to your attention six United States senators who criticized Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase for failing to curb fossil fuel investments as he promised. In addition, we discuss the unfortunate new law passed by the new right-wing government in Greece extending the working week to six days.  Finally, we close our program with an Interview with longtime activist Rob Robinson, on the latest Supreme Court decision Grants Pass v. Johnson, which essentially criminalizes the homeless poor as part of its extreme right-wing change.    The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https:

On this week's Economic Update, Professor Wolff discusses the remarkable bursts of unionization at Starbucks in the US, award-winning New York nurse fired for referring to "genocide" in Gaza, and critique of Paul Krugman's argument that "democracy" is at stake in the 2024 election.  Finally, we close with a major discussion on the tension between the realities of climate change and the profit-driven fossil fuel industry that dominates our global economy   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate   Every donation counts and helps us provide a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world they can't get anywhere else. We want to thank our devoted

On this week's Economic Update, the entire program is devoted to how old socialism's rapid growth and global spread in the 19th and 20th centuries entailed a focus on the state. Key issues were: (1) would the socialist state limit itself to regulating capitalist enterprises and the market (as in many Western European nations) to enhance the well-being of the employee class or would the state itself own and operate enterprises and replace the market with state planning (as in the USSR), and (2) would the socialist strategy to acquire state power be reformist and electoral or revolutionary and armed. Concrete experiences in and with both kinds of old (i.e. state-focused) socialism led to self-criticisms from which a new socialism has emerged for the 21st century. The new socialism criticizes the state-focus of the old and prioritizes the transformation of the workplace over the social positioning of the state in and for the socialist vision and strategy.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a

In this week's Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff discusses the rise of the Chinese car industry, the struggle between employers vs employees over in-person vs remote workplaces, and the US military's anti-vax program in the Philippines as part of the US-China Cold War that is already underway. In the second half of our program, we interview Kristen Gonzalez, New York State Senator, District 59, on progressives winning elections.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate   Every donation counts and helps us provide a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world they can't get anywhere else. We want to thank our devoted community of supp

In this week's Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff discusses the latest US and EU tariffs against China's electric vehicles, 27,000 Virginia teachers vote to unionize, and students and workers at all 6 University of California campuses strike against attempted repression of students peacefully advocating a Gaza ceasefire.  In the second half of our program, we interview Oscar-nominated and Emmy Winning writer, director, and anti-fracking activist Josh Fox of the award-winning films GASLAND Parts 1 and 2 on his latest film "The Edge of Nature"   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate   Every donation counts and helps us provide a larger audience with the information they need to better u

In this week's Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff devotes the entire program to an analysis of tariffs. We discuss why tariffs are not a worker's issue, why capitalism's continuous swings between free trade and protectionist periods and phases make little impact on workers, and why competing capitalists seek to get workers to support their positions on tariffs.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate   Every donation counts and helps us provide a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world they can't get anywhere else. We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and others we produce possible each wee

In this week's Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff discusses The Washington Post's exposure of the corporate rich sponsoring police repression against student protests and how Boeing rewards CEOs while it exhibits the airlines' worst safety record. In addition, the UAW loses union election as German capitalists and southern governors join forces to intimidate workers with job threats. Finally, we highlight why mass public transport is a better alternative to gas-powered vehicles than electric vehicles.  We end our show with an interview David Van Deusen, a socialist and leader of Vermont AFL-CIO.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer support to continue doing so. You can support our work by joining our Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/democracyatwork Or you can go to our website: https://www.democracyatwork.info/donate   Every donation counts and helps us provide a lar

Third Party Politics and Social Change We would like to present a special edition of Economic Update featuring an exclusive discussion between Professor Richard Wolff and Dr. Cornel West. This program was recorded in June, 2023, but unfortunately we were unable to air this important discussion at that time. You will hear Dr. West explain why he undertook the challenge and burden to run for President of the United States. Given the political reality of US politics, as exhausted by the two major parties, we thought it would be a public service to invite Dr. West to be heard in this form. No endorsement is intended. If you haven't already, please subscribe to our channel, follow us on social media and of course be sure to sign up on our website: www.democracyatwork.info And as always, we thank for your attention, support and solidarity. The d@w Team   The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.info Inc. production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads and rely on viewer

In this week's Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff comments on US megabanks once again taking new off-the-books risks, Elon Musk endorsing right-wing undemocratic census proposals and  Fossil Fuel industry executives bribe Trump with campaign donations. In addition, we highlight the many US and global labor unions and workers who have joined the movement in supporting of ending the Israeli military actions in Gaza.  Finally, we Interview with Jaz Brisack and Casey Moore, organizers of Starbucks stores and of Inside Organizer School (IOS), a new organization that trains workers how to unionize their workplaces. The Inside Organizer School (IOS) is a unique program aimed at making inside organizers as effective as possible in motivating and mobilizing their co- workers. The IOS branches off from traditional union organizer training which addresses staff development, focusing its curriculum instead on developing inside organizers who organize from within the workplace.   The d@w Team Economic Update with Ri

[EU S14 E20] Roots of a Surging US Labor Movement In this week's Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff discusses the reasons why the official United States unemployment rate is currently low in comparison to historic rates; We also highlight why U.S. restaurants are losing business. We then turn to the hypocrisy of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in the face of repression of growing American protest movement against Israeli policy in Gaza. In addition, we discuss Gabriel Zuckman's report on the economic impact of the dramatic cuts in taxes on billionaires vs rising taxes on the poorer half of the U.S. Finally, we Interview union activist Steve Early on rising labor militancy and unionization: its roots, momentum, and future. For last 50 years, Steve Early has been a labor organizer, lawyer, free-lance journalist, or union representative. For three decades he was a Boston-based staff member of the Communications Workers of America. The d@w Team Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a DemocracyatWork.in