Economic Update: 2023 World Economic Trends
[S13 E06] New
Identifying and examining the larger economic dimensions and trends of three key aspects of today's global economy: Russia/Ukraine war, Europe's quandary, and the decline of the US empire. Attention focuses on the immense direct and indirect costs of the war in Ukraine; on Europe's desperate position and choices caught between the US and China blocs in the world economy; and on how the US empire is responding to its decline in the world economy. Our approach is to stress...
Read moreEconomic Update: A Corporatized America with Chris Hedges
[S13 E05] New
In this week's show, Prof. Wolff explains why capitalism does not deserve credit for improved living conditions, Home Depot billionaire blames US capitalism's problems on US workers being "lazy, fat, and stupid," Southwest Airlines as example of failures by both corporations and their gov't "regulators," George Santos as creature of capitalist advertising. In the second half of the show, Wolff interviews Chris Hedges...
Read moreEconomic Update: Economics for a New Year
[S13 E04] New
In this week's show, Prof. Wolff discusses US spending for war in Ukraine paid for by higher interest rates and inflation hurting middle and small businesses ; a rational transport system is NOT electric cars; an appreciation of the "degrowth"...
Read moreEconomic Update: "American Midnight" Democracy's Forgotten Crisis
[S13 E03] New
In this week's Economic Update, Prof. Wolff presents updates on the French School of Economic Warfare and sanctions against Russia; how asset price declines threaten US pensions, electric replace fossil fuel private cars because of profit motive, instead of for a rational transportation policy; US police in elementary schools: bad for students, parents, teachers and even police; honoring Staughton Lynd, US radical academic and labor organizer who died on 11/18/22. In the second half of the show, Wolff interviews Adam Hochschild...
Read moreEconomic Update: What's Wrong With Capitalism?
[S13 E02] New
Economic Update Episode List: Season 13
Season 13 | Season 12 | Season 11 | Season 10 | Season 9 | Season 8
To view older seasons, please visit our YouTube channel.
Season 13
Season 13 began in January 2023, and will run through December 2023.
A Corporatized America with Chris Hedges
Guest: Chris Hedges
January 2023 (Season 13 - Episode 05)
In this week's Economic Update, Prof. Wolff explains why capitalism does not deserve credit for improved living conditions, Home Depot billionaire blames US capitalism's problems on US workers being "lazy, fat, and stupid," Southwest Airlines as example of failures by both corporations and their gov't "regulators," George Santos as creature of capitalist advertising. In the second half of the show, Wolff interviews Chris Hedges on the crisis of corporate America in 2023.
No Guest
January 2023 (Season 13 - Episode 04)
In this week's Economic Update, Prof. Wolff discusses US spending for war in Ukraine paid for by higher interest rates and inflation hurting middle and small businesses ; a rational transport system is NOT electric cars; an appreciation of the "degrowth" impulse with a critique of the degrowth movement's focus on individuals' consumerism and excess consumption.
"American Midnight" Democracy's Forgotten Crisis
Guest: Adam Hochschild
January 2023 (Season 13 - Episode 03)
Watch on YouTube | Read Episode Transcript
In this week's Economic Update, Prof. Wolff presents updates on the French School of Economic Warfare and sanctions against Russia; how asset price declines threaten US pensions, electric replace fossil fuel private cars because of profit motive, instead of for a rational transportation policy; US police in elementary schools: bad for students, parents, teachers and even police; honoring Staughton Lynd, US radical academic and labor organizer who died on 11/18/22. In the second half of the show, Wolff interviews Adam Hochschild, author of "American Midnight" how 1917-1921 was a US rehearsal for a parallel right-wing surge of recent years.
No Guest
January 2023 (Season 13 - Episode 02)
Watch on YouTube | Read Episode Transcript
The year 2022 produced a daunting, long list of serious problems associated with the economy (inflation, rising interest rates, stock market decline, deterioration of the environment, war, labor uprising, etc.). More than ever, the victims and critics of the problems of 2022 identified them as symptoms of a systemic problem, namely the capitalist system. On the one hand, capitalism is working as it always has, but that is now a problem. At its center capitalism prioritizes profit and profit maximization and we show how they are the core causes of the system's dysfunction now for all but a tiny minority at its top.
Guest: Bob Hennelly
January 2023 (Season 13 - Episode 01)
In this week's Economic Update, Prof. Wolff discusses explosive labor militancy across 2022 in US and UK, Wells Fargo bank again fined for illegal practices on 16 million bank customers, US-Russia economic warfare undercuts European economies whose response will likely shape Ukraine War's results. In the second half, Wolff interviews journalist Bob Hennelly on the rising US labor movement.
Other Seasons of Economic Update
Season 13 | Season 12 | Season 11 | Season 10 | Season 9 | Season 8
To view older seasons, please visit our YouTube channel.
Episode transcripts are made possible by our volunteer transcription team. Would you like to join the team? Learn more on our Get Involved page.
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Economic Update: Surging US Labor Activism
[S13 E01] New
In this week's Economic Update, Prof. Wolff discusses explosive labor militancy across 2022 in US and UK, Wells Fargo bank again fined for illegal practices on 16 million bank customers, US-Russia economic warfare undercuts European economies...
Read moreEconomic Update: What "Capitalism's Decline" Means (REPEAT)
[S10 E46] REPEAT
This week's show is dedicated to a discussion of the signs of US capitalism's decline. US history as the passage of US capitalism from its birth, through its state-supported growth and expansion, to its global peaking from...
Read moreEconomic Update: Inflation and Labor Shortage
[S11 E25] REPEAT
In this week's show, Prof Wolff talks about the social effects of inflation and the lack of accountability on the part of employers. Capitalist employers set prices with the only motive of maximizing. Employees, the vast majority, must live with inflation but are excluded from decisions setting prices. Employers...
Read moreEconomic Update: Instability - Capitalism's Constant
[S12 E47] New
In this week's Economic Update, Prof. Wolff presents updates on the Twitter-Musk scandals, critique of profit as return to risk, mass European union-led strikes against inflation, economic crisis of 54 poorest...
Read more