logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
8m 20s

Capitalism is Unstable…and It’s Designed...

Democracy at Work - Richard D. Wolff
About this episode

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "Are any complex systems eternally homeostatic? Cyclic behavior is a euphemism for millions of people will lose their jobs and homes, quit school, etc. I don't think that anyone imagines an economic system sans fluctuations. That would be truly Utopian. Or dystopian rather because fluctuations can be rightly considered a healthy feature of complex systems. But my overall impression in listening to professor Wolff is that these instabilities are borne in no small measure from the fundamental tensions that constitute the employer/ employee relationship."

This is Professor Richard Wolff's response.

To submit your own question for Prof. Wolff, join Democracy at Work on Patreon at www.patreon.com/democracyatwork

Up next
Mar 2024
ASK PROF WOLFF LIVE (RECAP) - 03-20-2024
This week on Ask Prof Wolff Live, we explore anti-inflationary measures implemented by central banks, the rationale behind income caps subject to social security tax, and the potential implications of transitioning from a socialist or communist economy to a wartime footing. Ask P ... Show More
59m 29s
Mar 2024
ASK PROF WOLFF LIVE (RECAP) - 03-06-2024
Stay connected with the latest news from d@w. Join our mailing list today: https://www.democracyatwork.info/sign_up In this installment, Prof. Wolff discusses the impact on children's autonomy, explores the intersections of class struggle with other forms of oppression, and unrav ... Show More
39m 49s
Nov 2023
ASK PROF WOLFF LIVE (RECAP) - 11/8/2023
Stay connected with the latest news from d@w. Join our mailing list today: https://www.democracyatwork.info/sign_up Join this special iteration of "Ask Prof Wolff" Every Wednesday at 2PM (Eastern) Live on D@W YouTube Page. Professor Wolff will respond to your questions live! This ... Show More
42m 42s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
The crisis of democratic capitalism with Martin Wolf
Some analysts argue that capitalism would work better without democracy, while others believe that democracy would be better off without capitalism – so what’s the solution? In his new book “The crisis of democratic capitalism”, Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Fin ... Show More
33m 35s
Aug 2020
FreshEd #103 – The Next Economic Crisis? (William I Robinson)
Are we heading towards another economic crisis? The stock market plunged last week; private debt is at an all-time high; speculative markets are on the rise; wealth remains concentrated at the top; and workers are stuck in precarious low-wage jobs. My guest today, William I. Robi ... Show More
37m 11s
Nov 2020
The Sickness is the System with Richard Wolff
It won’t come as a surprise to most to hear that the Trump administration has completely dropped the ball on their response to the covid pandemic. The misinformation campaign, lack of empathy, and outright failure of this administration to address the dangers and impacts of covid ... Show More
47m 58s
Sep 2022
Jacobin Show: Confronting Capitalism w/ Vivek Chibber
Vivek Chibber, author of Confronting Capitalism, joins Jen Pan to explain what we can learn from both the Bolshevik and social democratic past to more effectively challenge and overcome capitalism in the 21st century. David Griscom of Left Reckoning is also with us to discuss whe ... Show More
1h 29m
Sep 2021
Why Capitalism Isn't Without Democracy
We’re taking a week off as school starts back up, but we wanted to reshare this episode with you this week. For a show about economics, we talk about democracy a lot. But there’s an important reason for that. Without a strong democracy to build capitalism on top of, it’ll always ... Show More
25m 5s
Jun 2024
Why Capitalism can't escape the crisis
15 years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the economy is once again taking a turn for the worse. The past decade and a half has seen capitalism go from disaster to disaster. Instability and chaos are the new normal. Whether it’s environmental crises, economic crises or poli ... Show More
38m 21s
Feb 2023
Jan Toporowski Explains Why Capitalists Dislike Full Employment
In the wake of the Great Financial Crisis, the work of John Maynard Keynes experienced a revival, as people sought answers to the problem of sluggish growth. In this cycle, sluggish growth isn't the problem. If anything, you hear business leaders and central bankers talking about ... Show More
37m 39s
May 2024
Defending Socialism: A Logical Critique of Capitalism
Philosopher Scott Sehon joins Breht to discuss his new book "Socialism: A Logical Introduction". Together they analyze arguments in favor of capitalism, argue against them, and defend socialism as a superior form of socio-economic organization in the process. They discuss differe ... Show More
1h 33m