A Patron of Economic Update asks: "You frequently mention the amount of corporate debt in America (which exceeds $18 trillion, an outdated statistic by now), despite having record profits, which are used to buy back stocks to pay dividends to shareholders. As this is the case with capitalism, the bubble always bursts eventually. Under "normal" conditions, the losers would be absorbed by winners, but since we're in End Stage Capitalism, it seems like all the companies in debt would be losers. Would the government bail them out? Or would the companies simply cease to exist? I know you can't predict the future, but I'm hoping you can lay out some possible scenarios based on historical parallels, if there even are any."

This is Professor Richard Wolff's video response.

Ask Prof Wolff is a Democracy At Work production. We are committed to providing these videos to you free of ads. Please consider supporting us on Patreon.com/economicupdate. Become a part of the growing Patreon community and gain access to exclusive patron-only content, along with the ability to ask Prof. Wolff questions like this one! Your support also helps keep this content free to the public. Spreading Prof. Wolff's message is more important than ever. Help us continue to make this possible.

Submit your own question to be considered for a video response by Prof. Wolff on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/economicupdate/community.

Follow us ONLINE:

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/economicupdate

Facebook:

• http://www.facebook.com/EconomicUpdate
• http://www.facebook.com/RichardDWolff
• http://www.facebook.com/DemocracyatWrk

Twitter:

• http://twitter.com/profwolff
• http://twitter.com/democracyatwrk

Instagram:

• http://instagram.com/democracyatwrk

Shop our CO-OP made MERCH:  https://democracy-at-work-shop.myshopify.com/

Check out the NEW 2021 Hardcover Edition of “Understanding Marxism,” with a new, lengthy introduction by Richard Wolff! Visit: https://www.lulu.com/

“Marxism always was the critical shadow of capitalism. Their interactions changed them both. Now Marxism is once again stepping into the light as capitalism shakes from its own excesses and confronts decline.”

Check out all of d@w’s books: "The Sickness is the System," "Understanding Socialism," by Richard D. Wolff, and “Stuck Nation” by Bob Hennelly at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/democracyatwork