Economic Update

Economic Update - The Declining Empire with Chris Hedges

 On this week's Economic Update, Prof. Wolff discusses the following: Denmark's new taxes on banks and rich people to help workers doing dangerous jobs; West Virginia AG sues Walmart and CVS for complicity in opioid scandal; and US State Department urges universities to sell shares in Chinese corporations. On the second half of the show, Prof. Wolff interviews author and journalist  Chris Hedges on signs of the declining US empire.

Economic Update - China: Capitalist, Socialist, or What?

On this week's episode, Prof. Wolff talks about the Chinese economy. China is run by a Communist Party but describes itself as socialist, while the employer/employee structure of its enterprises is capitalist. We examine what this means for (a) its place in the world economy, (b) its place in the transition from capitalism to socialism/communism, and (c) its conflict with the US.

 

 

Economic Update - Capitalism's Definition is not Innocent

Defenders of capitalism chose a poor definition because that made it much easier to defend capitalism. A much better, clearer definition was and is available. But it exposes capitalism to profound criticisms.

 

 

Economic Update - The FED's Rigged Money Management

On this week's show, Prof. Wolff discusses the following: the US is a poor place to raise kids according to a recent Forbes' magazine article, the collapsing restaurant industry, eviction policy (France vs US), Bugatti cars for very rich kids, and Pfizer CEO wants big profits from Covid-19 vaccine. On the second half of the show, Prof. Wolff talks with former Goldman Sachs banker Nomi Prins on how the Fed rigs US money supply in disastrous ways.

Economic Update - Pandemic Capitalism: A View from Asia

On this week's show, Prof. Wolff discusses corruption of public workers' pensions, capitalist contracts displaced by legal fights, Canada's COVID-19 record vs US, retail apocalypse deepens, and Bezos vs 50 homeless people in Pittsfield. On the second half of the show, Prof. Wolff interviews economist and former UN Assistant Secretary General, Jomo Kwame Sundaram.