Economic Update

Economic Update - The Human Agenda

 Updates on costs of NBA offense to China, worsening global inequality, poverty mocks Nobel prize for 3 economists working on "incremental solutions" to poverty, why Google donated to global warming deniers, and latest crisis in defaults on US auto loans. Interview Richard Hobbs, Human Agenda Director, San Jose, CA, expert on worker coops."

 

 

Economic Update - The Capitalist Corporation

 This program examines the structure and functioning of the large capitalist corporation dominating modern economies. We discuss their basic economics and influence on politics. We criticize rationales for corporate profits such as "risks" and "entrepreneurship" and explore parallels between corporate structures and monarchies.

 

 

 

 

Economic Update - Making Critical Arguments

Updates on US housing crisis as systemic failure (the homeless LA opera singer), Greta Thunberg's critics exposed, Europeans gain from US-China trade war, Sackler family "donations" to museums, universities, capitalists take over Sports Illustrated. Interview on Left's critical arguments with Prof. Ben Burgis of Georgia State University.

Economic Update - Worker Co-ops, Socialism's Future

"First half focuses on how, why socialism has changed from what it meant in the 19th and 20th centuries (public enterprises + state planning vs capitalism's private enterprises + markets). Second half explores why 21st century socialism aims to democratize capitalist workplaces, replacing their top-down undemocratic organization with worker cooperatives

Economic Update - A Growing US Left

Updates on California events (LA Times labor union, 80,000 Kaiser workers to strike, new state public banking law), gross inefficiency of private car industry, anti-left politics in US labor history, wide global use of wealth taxes vs "conservative" claims. Interview: Michael Brooks, host of Michael Brooks Show podcast.

Economic Update - Capitalism and Mental Health

Updates on ICE raid in Mississippi, global comparisons of gun violence, conservatives on Dem's wealth tax ideas. Interview With Dr Harriet Fraad on how capitalism affects mental health in US.

Economic Update - US Economy and the Market

Analysis of the state of the US economy at summer's end, 2019: a decidedly mixed picture. Critique of the institution of the market that focuses on its structure, social effects, and particular beneficiaries: a counter to the imaginary 'free market'.

Economic Update - Capitalism in Denial

 Updates on parallel declines of UK and US capitalisms; denials of their systemic problems worsens them. Longer segments on (1) political economy of immigration, and (2) why the basic problem of Central and South America is 2-3 centuries of capitalism producing and reproducing extreme inequality, staggering poverty, and corrupt government elites. That is the crucial context for the Cuban and Venezuelan efforts, however imperfect and against US opposition, to break out of that capitalism.

Economic Update - Homelessness in the US

Updates on politicians' "blame game" of scapegoating to avoid blaming capitalism, middle class squeezed by prices, limits of workers on corporate boards of directors, lessons from a courageous Puerto Rican people. Interview Rob Robinson, global advocate for the homeless.

 

 

Economic Update - "Injustice, Race and Class"

Updates on 3 deadly failures of capitalism, DOJ investigation of hi-tech monopolies, worker coops franchised, how income inequality breeds social inequalities. Interview with Bob Hennelly, investigating reporter on Garner, Epstein and Kushner cases.