Democracy At Work

An Interview with Richard Wolff

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:27:19 -0400

Today, Wolff has emerged as one of — if not the number one — most prominent leftist economist in America. In addition to teaching the Big Bad Wolff appears on Free Speech TV, Link TV, Pacifica Radio, does public speaking at the Brecht Forum and other venues, writes books such as Capitalism Hits the Fan, Occupy the Economy and Democracy at Work and has a substantial online presence, arguing there’s a better way to run the economy that’s in the interests of the 99%, instead of the 1%. In this interview, Wolff discusses his vision for changing the capitalist system.

Fundamentally, he poses the question that if America has repeatedly gone to war abroad “to make the world safe for democracy,” isn’t it time that we brought the war home to make the American workplace safe for democracy, too?

Read the interview here.

April Fan of the Month

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:30:53 -0400

Meet our April Fan of the Month: Charles Bivona.

A New Political Strategy

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:01:23 -0400

Across the history of modern capitalism until recently, three forces often combined to contest for political power as one strategy for basic social change. The three were labor unions, social movements, and, finally, labor, socialist, or democratic parties. The changes they favored often included a transition from capitalism to what they called socialism (usually an economy with [1]more public than private ownership of the means of production and [2] more central planning than markets as mechanisms for distributing resources and outputs). In practice, what they mostly sought and often achieved was a transition from a largely private, harsh, unstable capitalism to a relatively more state controlled, state-interventionist, mass-welfare-focused capitalism.

Economic Update with Richard Wolff Updates on CEO pay, the...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:30:54 -0400

Economic Update with Richard Wolff

Updates on CEO pay, the assault on social security, Maggie Thatcher, and “job creation.” Interview with Chris Hedges on deepening social crisis, divisions, and turmoil coming. Response to listeners: on French socialists, hidden money, and workers coops paying taxes.

These Tuesday evenings will each begin with an update and...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:30:31 -0400

These Tuesday evenings will each begin with an update and analysis of major economic events of the last month and their contexts of longer-term economic trends shaping politics and society here and abroad. We will focus on the evolving global capitalist economic crisis and its consequences. We will examine topics such as

the social costs effects of the historic long-term US unemployment,
national debt crises and “austerity programs” in Greece, Ireland, Spain, and beyond
changes in today’s Chinese economy and their global effects,
tax reform and the entire tax issue in the US today,
continuing crisis in the US housing and credit markets
the economics of immigration

Actual economic developments will shape the agenda for each monthly Tuesday meeting. Rick Wolff, with occasional guests, will present an economic update and an analysis of some particular economic topics and then open the floor to questions, comments and a general discussion of where the US and world economies are going and the political implications. We aim to develop participants’ understanding of and ability to explain to others the key economic developments of our time.

FDL Book Salon Welcomes Richard D. Wolff, Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:30:37 -0400

Richard Wolff discusses his latest book, Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism and the state of the economy with interested readers. Read the chat here.

What You're Saying

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:30:54 -0400

“I just wanted to say thank you. I have watched several of your talks and feel enlightened. Over the last couple of years I have become increasingly frustrated with the economy. The first step in changing things is understanding where we are and how we got there. Your videos accomplished that for me so eloquently.”

Help us continue to build this movement by making a gift today!

On April 17 at 7pm, join Richard Wolff on reddit for an AMA (Ask...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:30:35 -0400

On April 17 at 7pm, join Richard Wolff on reddit for an AMA (Ask Me Anything).

We Need Your Generous Gift to Keep On Keep’n On

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:01:30 -0400

Since 2011 rdwolff.com and democracy at work have been scraping together donations and doing some fundraising. We are lucky enough to get some institutional support in the form of matching grants. We use the modest incomes we gather to set up, maintain and populate our two websites. We have a weekly radio show, Economic Update, based at WBAI 99.5FM New York and syndicated to 14 other stations including in San Fran, LA, Tampa…

We write blogs and we published 3 books, made a hundred media appearances and organized many live events. We don’t get revenue from advertising on our websites, radio show, events. All that we do costs money. We need support, whatever you can afford.

LIVE TONIGHT!Join economist and Democracy at Work co-founder...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:30:33 -0400

LIVE TONIGHT!
Join economist and Democracy at Work co-founder Richard Wolff for a special Livestream of his Monthly Update in New York City.

Ask Rick Would pure capitalism work?

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:01:38 -0400

Ask Rick

Would pure capitalism work?

Worker Self-Directed Enterprise Spotlight: TRADOC worker...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:02:40 -0400

Worker Self-Directed Enterprise Spotlight: TRADOC worker cooperative in Mexico

Richard Wolff discusses Jane Slaughter’s two-part series on the TRADOC worker cooperative in Mexico.

Economic Reality ChecksEconomic Update with Richard...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 16:03:04 -0400

Economic Reality Checks
Economic Update with Richard Wolff

Updates on “recovery,” No. Dakota’s public bank, costs of US wars, global austerity, and rising health care costs for employees.
Major discussions of banking crisis, Stockton, CA bankruptcy, declining US manufacturing and “neutrality on raising corporations’ taxes.
Worker Self-Directed Enterprise spotlight: Mexican tire factor run by workers since 2005
Ask Rick: Responses to questions on “pure” capitalism and business reactions to resource limits.

There’s a lack of genuine democracy in our economy. How do we fix this? Join professor Richard...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 15:02:04 -0400

There’s a lack of genuine democracy in our economy. How do we fix this? Join professor Richard Wolff today at 5pm EST on FireDogLake Book Salon.

Capitalism as a system has spawned deepening economic crisis. What can we do? Join economist Richard...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:01:39 -0400

Capitalism as a system has spawned deepening economic crisis. What can we do? Join economist Richard Wolff today at 5pm on FireDogLake Book Salon for a solution.

Economist, professor and author Richard Wolff lays out a hopeful and concrete vision for economic...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:01:34 -0400

Economist, professor and author Richard Wolff lays out a hopeful and concrete vision for economic democracy today at 5pm EST on FireDogLake Book Salon.

Tired of capitalism? There's a cure for that.

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 12:02:58 -0400

Economist Richard Wolff talks about Democracy at Work today at 5pm EST on FireDogLake Book Salon.

Ask Rick Would scarce resources limit worker self-directed...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 11:43:31 -0400

Ask Rick

Would scarce resources limit worker self-directed enterprises?

FDL Book Salon: Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 08:55:53 -0400

FDL Book Salon: Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism

Author: Richard D. Wolff
Sunday, April 7, 2013 2:00 pm Pacific time

Capitalism as a system has spawned deepening economic crisis alongside its bought-and-paid-for political establishment. Neither serves the needs of our society. Whether it is secure, well-paid, and meaningful jobs or a sustainable relationship with the natural environment that we depend on, our society is not delivering the results people need and deserve.

One key cause for this intolerable state of affairs is the lack of genuine democracy in our economy as well as in our politics. The solution requires the institution of genuine economic democracy, starting with workers directing their own workplaces, as the basis for a genuine political democracy.

Here Richard D. Wolff lays out a hopeful and concrete vision of how to make that possible, addressing the many people who have concluded economic inequality and politics as usual can no longer be tolerated and are looking for a concrete program of action.

Richard D. Wolff is professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is currently a visiting professor at the New School for Social Research in New York. Wolff is the author of many books, including Capitalism Hits the Fan: The Global Economic Meltdown and What to Do About It. He hosts the weekly hour-long radio program Economic Update on WBAI (Pacifica Radio) and writes regularly for The Guardian, Truthout.org, and MRZine. (Haymarket Books)

Book Trailer – Richard D. Wolff

Talk Nation Radio: Richard Wolff on Putting Workers in Charge at...

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:40:30 -0400

Talk Nation Radio: Richard Wolff on Putting Workers in Charge at Work

Richard Wolff is a professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the author of Democracy at Work.

Talk Nation Radio is a half-hour weekly radio show syndicated by Pacifica Network. It airs on radio stations across the country, as well as being available online.

Total run time: 29:00

Host: David Swanson.
Producer: David Swanson.
Music by Duke Ellington.

Syndicated by Pacifica Network.