Economic Update

Economic Update - "Worker Coops Rising"

Updates on "regulatory capture" in the US vs EU, IMF report on the US economy today finds major negatives, and how Trump's desperation for re-election shapes his aggressive policies toward the Federal Reserve, China and Mexico. Interview with John Duda from the Democracy Collaborative and one of the founders of Red Emma's Booskstore Coffeehouse, a 30-member worker cooperative in Baltimore. 

Economic Update - Is US Capitalism in Decline

Updates on inequalities in pay for CEOs vs average workers; economics of mega-mergers; billionaires' idea of "charity;" economic consequences of attacking Huawei Corp; Bernie leads on two new bills in Congress to expand and provide loans to employee-owned businesses and worker coops. Interview Prof. Ric McIntyre on basic problems of US capitalism today.

 

 

Economic Update - China's Economic Record and Strategy

As follow-up to earlier parallel program on the USSR, this program seeks to offer (1) an overview of China's economic development mostly over the last 25 years (GDP, real wages, etc.), and (2) its economic strategy: learning but also differing from Soviet strategy. Some historical context is also provided.

Economic Update - Rise and Fall of the USSR

 Here we try to go beyond simplistic, sterile Cold War debates of demonizers vs celebrants of the USSR. USSR's strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures are examined from revolutionary beginnings in 1917 to its 1989 implosion. Second in 2-part series will do same for the People's Republic of China.

 

 

Economic Update - A New Labor Movement Rising

 Updates on US church membership and its tax subsidies, Toyota and Merkel slam US economic nationalism, 40 US states sue price-gouging pharma firms, Trump ("self-described "tariff man") does not understand that Americans pay all tariffs he imposes, Mothers' Day and the minimum wage, capitalism and politicians' corruption. Interview Neha Mathew-Shah, Pres., Progressive Workers Union.

Economic Update - The 3 Basic kinds of Socialism

Blurb: As ever more people become anti-capitalist and look toward socialist alternatives, it is important to grasp key differences among the alternative kinds of socialism. This program explains those differences among (1) the moderate or "democratic" socialism ( a la Scandinavia), (2) the communist kind of socialism (in the USSR and People's Republic of China, and (3) the new socialism focused on democratizing the work place. Doing better than capitalism will require deciding which of these three kinds of "socialism" (or what combination of them) will be the better economic structure.

 

 

Economic Update - Understanding Marxism

This special edition of "Economic Update" is devoted to Understanding Marxism, the title of a short new book just published by Democracyatwork. Today's program, like the book, explains Marxism's systemic insights into capitalism now. We discuss Marxism's basic criticisms of capitalism and also its complex relationship to socialism. Finally, we offer a survey of the last century of Marxism's huge, diverse influences on modern economics, politics and culture around the world.

Economic Update - The Great American Purge

The program begins by explaining the economics behind the great US  anti-leftist purge (“McCarthyism”) after 1945. It then shows the economic impacts of that purge over the last half century. Finally, it explains how that history produced a very different political response to the crash of 2008 compared to FDR’s response to 1929.

 

Economic Update - Living in a Socialist Economy

Updates on the US "bribing for college admission" scandal, how lobbyists reflect and worsen inequality, So. and No. Carolina teachers strike for better education, how NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) reflect and worsen workplace inequalities across global capitalism. Interview Victor Grossman, American who lived and worked in socialist Germany across the entire history of the GDR.

Economic Update - Social Movement for Economic Democracy

Updates on 60 megacorps who paid no 2018 Federal taxes, GM's CEO gets $29.1 million while GM fires thousands, wrecks communities, etc., Notre Dame tragedy exposes French inequality as billionaires suddenly find money for a church, not for people, rising wave of US worker strikes reflect militance and unity. Interview with Rebecca Lurie, Director of Community and Worker Ownership Project, CUNY.