Economic Update

Economic Update – Capitalism is the Problem – 02.21.16

Updates on Bloomberg's money, negative interest rates, the oil market, Puerto Rico's cruel sales tax, Fed Reserve governor supports breaking up banks 'too big to fail,' and Apple borrows despite its huge cash hoard. Response to listeners: converting capitalist into worker coop type enterprises. Major discussion: three alternative responses to the huge problems of capitalism today.

Economic Update – Economic Change, Economic Disorder – 02.14.16

Updates on China achieves economic superpower status, profit produces drug scarcities, Ireland's unjust austerity, millionaire tax in Massachusetts. Major discussions of self-destructive cut-backs in public higher education and the chaos of the monetary system (banks, Fed Reserve, etc.).

Economic Update – Lessons About and From Socialism – 02.07.16

Updates on the economic significance of Sanders' Iowa vote, Keynes on risks of revolution against capitalism, costs of oil market collapse. Interview with author Pete Dolack on lessons for today of past experiments in socialism.

Economic Update – How Markets Fail – 01.31.16

Updates on Johnson Controls Corp evades taxes, Disney sued over abuse of HB-1 visa system, French workers strike against austerity and against socialist government; response to listeners on tax-subsidies for churches and lessons of Israel's kibbutz experience, Major discussion of (a) 5 major market failures, and (b) major change in UK Labor Party policy favoring worker coops

Economic Update – Capitalism's Results – 01.24.16

Updates on Obama on/in Detroit, Walmart closing stores, Santa Fe and public banking, food-makers' profits vs people's health. Major discussion of Oxfam and IECD reports on world poverty and inequality.

Economic Update – Fighting Rightist Economics – 01.17.16

Updates on worker actions by UK's "junior doctors" and Detroit teachers, Flint's poisoned water, Supreme Court struggle. More on US govt subsidy of religion. Interview on worker coops with Michael Johnson author of new book.

Economic Update – What Capitalism Is – 01.10.16

Updates on Obamacare scandal, bank errors threaten depositors, public pension looting, subsidizing religion. Major discussion of old vs new meanings of capitalism as an economic system.

Economic Update – Economics and Real Issues – 01.03.16

Updates on economics vs "free press," Nevada vs public education, and bikes displace autos in Europe. Responses to listeners on economics of closed ACA health coops and on inflation's dangers and impacts. Major discussion of Massachusetts Senate Bill to tax rich universities and beginning to answer "What is Capitalism?" 

Economic Update – Capitalism and/or Socialism – 12.27.15

Updates on Spain's new left government, no NFL money for concussion research, Harvard runs like a business, Fresno research proves widespread hunger. Responses to questions on why corps buyback own shares and why the "new" gig economy is not new. Major topic: comparing old socialism (govt intervenes in econ) to new socialism (democratizing the enterprise).

Economic Update – Economic Lessons from 2015 – 12.20.15

Updates on FED's interest rate hike, Peter Drucker on "like a business," gun business, and oil economics. Response to question on whether it is China that is slowing the world economy. Major discussion of Greek and Spanish austerity politics and how major oil, banking and auto corporations proved why we can and must do better than capitalism