Economic Update

Economic Update- Marxism’s Ongoing Relevance

After clearing away the Cold War debris that blocked discussion of Marxism's insights since 1945, we focus on Marxism's core contribution to (1) thinking about and (2) changing modern capitalist society. That contribution is class structure and class struggle. Marxism explores how class struggle exists in capitalism, how it influences all of social life, and how it changes over time. Marxism also envisions the end of class struggles as its social change goal now. 

Economic Update- Socialism and Worker Co-ops

 20th century socialism is now behind us. Socialists continued to evaluate both its achievements and failures via extensive self-criticism. A changed socialism has emerged, focused on a transition of workplaces from top-down hierarchical capitalist structures into democratic worker cooperatives. The powerful appeal of worker coops as grounding a new 21st century socialism is presented.  

Economic Update- Private Profits VS. Public Treasure - Saving The Redwoods

Updates on successful unionization drive against Starbucks' anti-union campaign, UK universities go to 3-day schedule so students can take jobs the other 3-4 days (fallout from a failing capitalism), UAW union prepares for strike against Ford, GM and Stellantis with Detroit community solidarity. Interview Eleanor Goldfield about her new film To The Trees exposing struggle: profiteers vs people protecting giant redwood forests.

Economic Update-Profit & Inequality: Two Driving Forces of Capitalism

Updates on economists favoring rent control, leading global capitalists resent/resist US China-bashing, urgent drug shortages in US and a public pharma industry.  Major discussion of causes of rising US economic inequality since the 1960s and its socially explosive political effects.

 

Economic Update- Rebuilding Families Amidst A Crumbling Economy

Updates include how US labor rediscovers the general strike as WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes merged in LA and allied with hotel workers,' teamsters', and teachers unions; drug-producing firms' profiteering cause shortages of needed medications; new research proves affirmative action for "legacy" students from rich, white families at Harvard, Yale and other elite schools, US domestic food supply chain includes gross examples of forced labor. Part 2 of an interview with Dr Harriet Fraad on new forms of family emerging as working class households react to collapsing traditional households. The family-economy link is a social problem not merely a personal problem.

Economic Update- Capitalism Versus Socialism

This over 200-year debate and struggle has become confused and confusing. Too many different definitions make honest, balanced discussions and evaluations of these alternative systems difficult. Because socialism is rising yet again to challenge capitalism, the debate now must take account of the terms' new and different meanings. We do that here in arguing for a new way to understand and engage "capitalism versus socialism."  

 

Economic Update- Capitalism’s Tools: Bankruptcy, China-Bashing and Gov’t Support

 Bankruptcy of Yellow Freight trucking exemplifies US capitalism's undemocratic core, history of US-China relations (from enmity to friendship to enmity), how GOP and Dems do NOT differ in providing governmental financial support to US corporations.

Economic Update- American Families Today are Crisis Ridden

This week's updates focus on Biden's inadequate student debt relief, Bastille Day and French Revolution, and alternatives to Artificial Intelligence being installed to increase profits and joblessness. Interview with Dr. Harriet Fraad on the crisis of the US family, causes and consequences.

Economic Update- A Wise American Capitalist Criticizes U.S. Capitalism

This week's updates focus on Artificial Intelligence abused by employers as Profiteering Tool; racism in US universities, US-China economic competition, the progressivism of Tony Bennett. Interview with Ben Cohen, co-founder/former CEO of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream on a capitalist's criticism of US capitalism.

 

 

Economic Update- The U.S. Tax System: Rigged, Unfair & Fundamentally Unjust

This week's update focuses on a systematic overview of federal, state, and local tax systems in the US to show the injustices built into corporate and personal taxation of income, spending and property.