Economic Update: The Terminal Crises of Global Capitalism

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[S12 E45] The Terminal Crises of Global Capitalism
In this week's show, Prof. Wolff presents updates on students' solidarity with workers at Smith College; US car industry manipulates supply/demand to inflate prices, profits; Teamsters strike, solidarity defeat Sysco Systems; Starbucks provokes its 250 unionized stores, and why rising wages do not "cause" inflation. In the second half of the show, Wolff interviews Prof. William I. Robinson on global capitalism and its multiple crises he calls "terminal."
Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a ‪@democracyatwrk‬ production. We make it a point to provide the show free of ads. Please consider supporting our work. Join our Patreon community: / democracyatwork and help us spread Prof. Wolff's message to a larger audience. Every donation counts!
A special thank you to our devoted Patreon community whose contributions make this show possible each week.
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About our Guest: Prof. William I. Robinson is distinguished professor of sociology, global and international studies, and Latin American studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He researches globalization, capitalism, and crisis, and is also involved with social movements and anti-capitalist politics in Latin America and the United States. Among his award-winning books are: Promoting Polyarchy: Globalization, U.S. Intervention, and Hegemony (1996), A Theory of Global Capitalism (2004), Latin America and Global Capitalism (2008), and Global Capitalism and the Crisis of Humanity (2014).
Links:
Web page: robinson.faculty.soc.ucsb.edu
Photo web page: www.flickr.com/photos/wirobinson
Facebook blog page: / williamirobinsonsociol...
Amazon author's page: www.amazon.com/-/e/B001HD35GA
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NEW 2021 Hardcover edition of “Understanding Marxism,” with a new, lengthy introduction by Richard Wolff is now available at: www.lulu.com/
“Marxism always was the critical shadow of capitalism. Their interactions changed them both. Now Marxism is once again stepping into the light as capitalism shakes from its own excesses and confronts decline.”
Check out all of d@w’s books: "The Sickness is the System," "Understanding Socialism," by Richard D. Wolff, and “Stuck Nation” by Bob Hennelly www.democracyatwork.info/books
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SOURCES FOR SHOW SEGMENTS:
1. Auto industry: fred.stlouisfed.org/series/TO...
- www.axios.com/2022/07/14/auto...
2. Sysco systems: labornotes.org/2022/10/ahead-...
3. Starbucks: truthout.org/articles/starbuc...
4. Wage inflation vs price inflation: www.cnn.com/2022/10/28/busine...

[@huss4realz]

My friend, who now lives in Philadelphia, said that the Starbucks near his work had the workers out on strike, and depsite how hungry he was, he didn't cross the picket line. And it wasn't just him: a photo was shared on Twitter that showed TONS, a complete counter-full of orders, NOT being picked up, prepared and just sitting there, because the people of Philadelphia weren't gonna cross the picket line either ❤️❤️🙏🙏

[@Richard-jm3um]

Amazing!

[@NuisanceMan]

Solidarity forever

[@jacpratt8608]

there'd have to be another way of getting fed than Starbucks! You could go and get it and come back and join the picket line! All that food sitting there - was it all wasted? Or passed out to some who might need it?

[@BrandonDesiderio]

Really clueless example. Net sales are all that capitalists need, not human beings actually picking up or drinking/consuming said sales. As long as capital still exchanges hands with the owner class, that picket line was crossed. Anything else is non-materialist idealism.

[@kabubagachugu7729]

Prof Robinson was brilliant! he was going at a breakneck speed, I mean, the subject matter is vast but I still learnt a lot. please have him back as soon as you can

[@c99kfm]

Indeed, a talk lasting a couple of hours where he has the time to breath in between arguments should be very enlightening. Perhaps some sort of debate between him and Professor Wolff, where they argue over what the populace could and should do to rein in the kleptocrats.

[@miguelthealpaca8971]

@@c99kfm They probably wouldn't disagree much, so I doubt their discussion would be a debate.

[@user-wp8yx]

This guest just explain the problem with wealth inequality better than I have ever heard. When the rich accumulate so much money and the poor have none to spend, there is nothing to invest in and the money cannot be used.

[@c99kfm]

Yes! I'm looking up him (William I. Robinson) and will probably buy (or borrow) a book or two by him.

[@c99kfm]

We had "Latin America and Global Capitalism" in the shelves, so time to check out what insights he could offer in 2008.

[@rogersmith7396]

If you are in business you know you can't sell anything to the poor. The solution is to eliminate poverty and massively grow sales. The country is run like a pirate ship, to the rich go the spoils. Completely irrational in the modern age.

[@jacpratt8608]

Too much is never enough. That Mary Trump hit the bullseye with her book title. Too Much Was Never Enough. She'd be good guest for the Prof here..

[@georgefurman4371]

The simplicity of our socioeconomic reality defining expressions in the inequality it produces, it's whole dysfunctional nature is difficult to accept for those that learned the domesticating culture of capitalism. The concepts of change and improvement are reduced to the superficial aspect of technicalities, reformed practices, the logistics, but the roots of its contradictions are ignored. They set aside and dismiss now its proposed humanistic goals when in the past it's leaders demanded support in the political context to replace the old feudal system. The ruling class rallied the people in revolutions and historic events to take over political power from the feudal nobility in this world market system they organized while sharing its riches with that old deposed class. Equality, liberty and fraternity was the banner they raised to depose that corrupt aristocracy. Now they are the new obsolete class they became by betraying those principles they said to defend and accomplish in position of ruling leadership of society.

[@timothypulliam2177]

It's refreshing to hear people speaking realistically

[@TennesseeJed]

The real Wolff of the market!

[@benpoppy8079]

81 of the wealthiest individuals in the world have more money than 1/2 of the world's population this is just sick

[@joelquaintance9025]

There is nothing I can say other than EXCELLENT DIALOGUE AND INFORMATION.

[@neilarmitage8276]

Thank you Professor Wolff for these shows - I always learn something and found this episode very helpful in understanding what is going on from a very informative guest. Please consider doing a show on what is going on with our economy here in the UK. I'm sure your insights would be enlightening.

[@AprilWatters]

Its sad that, for me and many others, the "family" abuse and dysfunction was only the beginning. Where people learn to tolerate abuse and not rise up. I was criminalized for standing up to abuse since the 70s. Trying to empower people for decades

[@mostlyends]

Same. Born in 1975. Abused by parents. Came out as gay. Parents divorced. Two of my four brothers have hanged themselves. My father and my mother stole from me in my adult years. I am property to them. My dad said that repeatedly when I was a child. I'm supposed digest all of that and crawl out of homelessness on my own while disabled, etc blah blah blah. There will be no justice. The boomers stole the planet and abused it and left us with the scraps.

[@jacpratt8608]

@@shantiharris2996 I don't have a clue what SJW is but we don't need fancy things like that round here to create atomised families up and down the street, from every corner of the Earth.. Its abominable. STS. Just because they are related people don't neccessarily like each other and worse, being related to anyone at all just gives them a start up excuse to see how they can screw you! The Origins of the Family Private Property and the State says it all and is not given enough credit among Marxists. Family is an evolutionary trick on us humans. Though I'm not quite sure where families came into the discussion on this program.

[@brianwheeldon4643]

Wow indeed! William's openin remarks are the best I've heard, and that icludes chris Hedges. He manages to summarise everthing and squeeze it into a concise clearly understandable 2 or 3 minutes. Thanks for this interview Richard, very much welcomed

[@makapaca]

Our impending biosphere collapse has me thinking about the collapse of global Capitalism and what it means for our children, but I've been thinking about this in abstract terms. It is so helpful to have the actual stats to understand where we are now and what the collapse will look like. Thank you Professor Wolff & Dr. Robinson.

[@RussCR5187]

I call it "The Race to Chaos". Which of the following global situations will be the first to cause multi-country chaos? 1. Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 to a much more virulent omicron (as Geert Vanden Bossche predicts). 2. Financial collapse around the largest debt bubble in history, brought on by rising energy prices. 3. Nuclear holocaust triggered by out-of-control megalomaniac "leaders". The “bonus” situation that could also lead to chaos: climate (biosphere) breakdown. Data does show a worsening of weather extremes over the last several decades, but even if it should continue to worsen (whatever the reason--CO2, geoengineering, etc.) I don’t believe it would worsen fast enough to outrace the above.

[@AlternativeMediaJointCenter]

The second half of this program, you guys have discussed one of the few most crucial topics for our era! I believe that our children and definitely our grandchildren will build up socialist societies from 2035 and onwards.

[@RussCR5187]

Yes. And what kind of discussions do we see out in the general public? Useless tribal bickering (when we see discussions at all).

[@jacpratt8608]

just pray they dont have Cultural Revolution or authoritarian monsters running it like they do just about everywhere else.

[@RussCR5187]

@@jacpratt8608 Actually, there's strong evidence that where we're headed is technocratic totalitarianism. The technologies and the propaganda methods are advancing rapidly at this point. Brazenly. Openly. In plain sight.

[@sirmclovin9184]

I hope you are right, but it's not gonna happen by itself.

[@russellgallman7566]

Enjoyed the conversation. Thank you both!

[@PetaloudesTouYialou]

Excellent explanation of how capitalism is degenerating. Thank you Prof. Wolff and Prof. Robinson

[@superduperjew]

I'm leaving the system one way or the other. I'm currently learning basic carpentry and have outdoor skills that will aid me in my exciting life ahead. I'm going remote and never looking back at this system of extraction and misery. Lots to learn and see on earth yet we're all convinced we need to stay put, in our apartments to work our lives away...in order to live in our apartments. It's insanity. There's nothing in this for people like me. Not to mention this system of neverending competition has created so much tension and hatred twoard my fellow man. I yearn for something a manufactured system can't provide. I decided years ago and it feels good to say it.

[@jacpratt8608]

all the best to you

[@NeptunesHorses5909]

Before I was laid off at the end of 2019 and took my career change studies full time, I had made a similar salary for the previous 15 years. The last car I purchased new was in 2012; while there are technology and features upgrades, a gas, hybrid, or electric compact economy car from the same or comparable manufacturer costs almost twice as much.

[@jacpratt8608]

I've heard we're at the point when only the very rich can afford a new car, everybody else has to have second hand and used cars. (I haven't driven for 20 years by choice at first. But I was surprised how quickly I'd stepped into another class. Near untouchable. Certainly not I'd let you in my carable. Then I decided I'd never have a car again.)

[@ladyspirit2493]

Solidarity 🌹🍞 Thanks Democracy At Work! 👒

[@murray1943]

William hit the NAIL right on the head!

[@James-os9ku]

William I. Robinson was superb ! Now that's the type of guest to have on the show !

[@TerranMetal]

I would very much like to see a longer and in depth discussion with Prof. William I. Robinson.

[@gfarrell80]

Agreed with his commentary on Ukraine. Ukraine was is basically the Western/US/EU/NATO block trying to expand and absorb into new markets. We wanted Ukraine as a weapons customer, an IMF debt colony, and to privatize their nationalized resources, tapping them for Western owners.

[@moniqueboyke5879]

Great video professor Richard Wolff

[@russellgallman7566]

Prof. Robinson doesn't sound like he has an MMT lens yet. For folks using the neoclassical econ line of thought, all govt debt is a bad thing. As per the work of Minsky and Godley, we have to ask the question: "What do the balance sheets show?" Via Godley's work with Sectoral Financial Balances, we know that when a currency issuing govt has a balance sheet showing negative equity, then the non-govt sectors' balance sheets will show positive equity. And we know from what the data show that when the same govt sector is showing positive equity, then the non-govt sectors will show negative equity. A currency issuing govt has a role to play in creating the money the private sector needs, and it does so via spending the money in existence. Like L. Randall Wray points out, the MMT v Orthodox Econ debate resembles the debate between Evolutionists and Creationists. Evolutionists describe reality; whereas, Creationists describe something that never existed. I am afraid that until the money story is grounded in reality, we are screwed.

[@treefrog3349]

Isn't it a curious thing that our budding young people are more aware and more sensitive to the plight of working people that our own wizened legislators on Capitol Hill? MILLIONS see it, experience it and live it daily, yet our "deciders", our "representatives" atop Capitol Hill seem to be looking elsewhere.

[@rogersmith7396]

People go into politics to get away from average people and join the elites. The results should surprise no one.

[@tommackling]

Great guest. 👍 The sooner we dump capitalism the better. I expect the system will at some point basically implode, and my key concerns here then chiefly center around issues of: 1) minimizing the degree of brutality and oppression likely to appear as an authoritarian / fascist state attempt to suppress "a slave revolt" and a "communist style" possible public/"mob" forfiture of privately owned properties (i.e. authoritarianism invoked as a last ditch attempt to preserve capitalism and the private property of the "haves" from the "have nots"), and 2) promoting the organic, broad based development of better alternate foundations (and "architectural blueprints") for society in order to a) mitigate the period of chaos, senseless destruction, and general disfunction following the collapse of the socio-economic system and what must effectively amount to some sort of revolution, and also to b) increase the likelihood that the society that eventually rises from the rubble will be better than the one it replaced. It is my hope that such "blueprints" can and will be collaboratively forged and elaborated on by a broad base of humanity, through "grass roots" level initiated communications and the sharing of what will effectively constitute a shared vision and template of, and driving impetus towards the creation of, a new and better society. IMO, the disaster is the decay, rot and eventual death, at the end of the life cycle of capitalism. And the likely reason why the billionaires who actually dictate our government policies aren't actually interested in steering the world away from disaster, is essentially because they play the effective role of a parasitic tumor, which draws strength through a process which will most likely eventually kill the body afflicted with the tumor. But sociopathy, sadism, and genuine hatred and contempt for the masses of individuals they have duped, deceieved, manipulated, exploited and controlled, combined with the corruption and rot of the soul, mind and spirit, and an inability to continue to derive pleasure from anything actually healthy or decent, has lead to our effective overlords being indifferent to the future survival of humanity. It is very much as if there really is such a thing as evil, and evil powers and principalities. And that our effective ruling class happens to be infected with a kind of spiritual or mental malignancy and evil (or at least, it seems so to me). And this evil, which entices and corrupts unwitting people, through their earthly desires, chiefly for wealth and power over others, has dominated our whole capitalist based society. And so, for centuries now, it has been as if we lived in a disguised dungeon, where Satan ruled as king. But now (I think) capitalism is spent, rotting like an over ripe fruit, and our society and our dungeon is now crumbling and collapsing. And we need to free ourselves of our insane and unfit economic masters, and build a new society on new and better ideas and foundations. I think we need to abandon the slave and master template altogether, and embrace instead recognition of mutual merit and value and the need for harmonious collaborative and cooperative societal synthesis, enterprise and development. I think we need to embrace a model that shuns the existance of a minority ruling (or administrative) class. So long as "making it" remains our societally embraced principal individual aspiration, I think our "elected representatives" will likely continue to serve the interests of those who actually pamper them, rather than those they were "elected" to supposedly represent. So personally I advocate for a more radical reformation of our parlimentary structure, namely dynamically tiered direct democracy (where small groups of no more than 20 people meet, debate and decide, and pass their decisions, along with one of their number present selected to present these decisions and represent the wishes of the group that these decisions be embraced, up one level to the next tier of a similar meeting, in pyramidal fashion, until the final will of the people as well as those who will represent and facilitate the enactment of that will, percolates or bubbles up, to a temporarily assembled uppermost group, through a series of levelled democratic processes). Well, a fuller presentation and discussion is probably warrented here, but anyway. And I think we should also strive for a decentralized society which welcomes diversity in terms of significantly alternative primarily self governing local communities. Basically I think we should look at the human body as a kind of metaphorical template, where individuals correspond to cells, which organize into largely self governing communities or organs. And these divesely varying yet interdependent organs interact harmoniously to ensure and effect the health of the overall synthesis, which is the body or the planet. And it is through and for the wellbeing of the overall synthesis, that the health of each organ, and each cell, is made both feasible and also an intrinsic objective and goal. We simply can not go on under the effective administration of spiritually and mentally unfit psychopaths. And we need to reassume the responsibility of collaboratively and collectively ensuring our own future well being. Ah, both spirit and God are real, by the way, although I won't be able to justify this comment here. Simply understand, perhaps, that we are all part of a truly splended and wonderful enterprise and existence. We are all unique and precious, and yet we all are one. So there is reason enough to have some confidence in the future. Cheers, peace, courage, love and God bless.

[@TankGump96]

So... what's the bad news? Lol

[@tommackling]

@@TankGump96 Um, maybe that patience is a virtue? I think that there is probably some kind of computational like exploratory process going on, where things are kind of dug up from the mud, and where there are excellent and basically completely worthwhile things that emerge and which some how get collected, stored off and retained, but where there are also some rather vile and unpleasant things which emerge, which will for the most part not be preserved, and whose existence is extremely temporary, relatively speaking. But because such "unfit" things can not endure, and will not likely emerge again, their existence, while it lasts, is more fully allowed to blossum to its full potential. In effect, I think that evil must be explored and have its day, even though it must ultimately perish and be forgotten. And I suspect that God, like we ourselves, cherishes even more all that is even the least bit sweet, if its existence is fleeting. And so, in effect, there is no rush to heaven, but a kind of lingering appreciation of much of hell, and despite there being an eternity of joyfull existence yet to embrace, there is a stubborn unwillingness to finally let go of that which can not last. And so, well, it is as if we were afraid of anything better than what we have come to know and even love. Forgive me my friend for "waxing so poetical", but when you cheerfully (I thought) asked me if there was any bad news, I really thought that perhaps, given the best attitude, that there really wasn't any, that things were sorting themselves out as necessary and that, in the end, everything would be evidently wholly justified and almost unbelievably wonderful and worthwhile. (Well, once a had a "vision" or a kind of powerful daydream, where I had a powerful impression that it would be so). And so the only bad news, I could think of was perhaps that we had to put up with and suffer from a rather significant amount of evil, and that we basically had to be very patient. 😇 I am in a good mood though and feeling quite optimistic that God is in control and things are beginning to get significantly better, but I suppose a certain amount of struggle and difficulty is almost required. Cheers, love and God bless

[@TankGump96]

@@tommackling Ed Harris' character in Westworld; "”I think humanity is a thin layer of bacteria on a ball of mud hurtling through the void. I think if there was a god, he would've given up on us long ago. He gave us a paradise and we used everything up. We dug up every ounce of energy and burned it. We consume and excrete, use and destroy. Then we sit here on a neat little pile of ashes, having squeezed anything of value out of this planet, and we ask ourselves, "Why are we here?" You wanna know what I think your purpose is? It's obvious. You're here, along with the rest of us, to speed the entropic death of this planet. To service the chaos. We're maggots eating a corpse.” Now that's a healthy dose of reality. Lol.

[@TankGump96]

@@tommackling Or maybe Bob Dylan had it right. ""May you grow up to be righteous May you grow up to be true May you always know the truth And see the light surrounding you May you always be courageous Stand upright and be strong May you stay forever young" 😇

[@tommackling]

@@TankGump96 The "humanity is a thin layer ..." viewpoint is too dark and grim for me, but I appreciate the Bob Dylan quote/lyrics, thank you. I think I tend to regard everything as some giant informational process, as if everything was a simulation but not really, more like a "first run" real exploration, not a simulation of something else, but the thing in itself that is as real as anything possibly could be, well, except for it being rather temporary, while other things which are much less transitory and much firmer might admittedly also exist somehow outside our own space-time reality bubble. But anyway, if one imagines all the physical processes of our world/universe as fundamentally informational processes, then everybody is basically like a sub-routine interactively embedded within a much larger, and "all inclusive" computational process. And one can think about the requisite sort of comoutational attributes one would most likely need to build a sentient program, and then, after jumping through a few hoops I won't try to detail here, one can come to the astonishing conclusion that there already is a "super-intelligence" that dwarfs every single human intelligence, and that we're all connected with and part of it. In this way, with some elaboration, one can develop a computationalistic proof of the existence of God, where it directly points to one seemingly very reasonable candidate for God, which we can know almost certainly exists, although it does not preclude the possibility that a better candidate for God also exists. Ah, I also had a number of "religious experiences" and rather remarkably awkwardly came to the point where I could no longer doubt the existence of spirit and God, although I think I remain rather unsure or confused about the nature of God... probably because I had become engaged in a rather bitter struggle with an entity I believed to be God, and received healing and grace from some "loving and merciful powers", which I had at least initially assumed were not dominantly powerful, but to which I happily sought to ally and align myself with nonetheless, chosing as my God, a loving and merciful one, in spite of the nature of those forces that seemed to assail me. After I guess a kind of lengthy process, I healed, (physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally, - my "metaphysical battles" had left me in very rough, I guess I'd say, brutalized, shape, emotionally traumatized and scarred etc.), and well, I'm not really sure if it was more that I directed my attention towards a different God or whether it wasn't just that my perceptions, beliefs and apprehensions were all fouled up and I had been evil, I don't know, but anyway, I had gotten all messed up, like I had been flooded with demons from hell and all my better aspects and spirits, some whom had fought so bravely and valiently to defend me, eventually fled and abandoned my body, until the only thing left seemed to be the demons I couldn't slay, and I eventually I feared and felt that I could nolonger even maintain command over my own mind, and so I was wrecked and broken. And I eventually surrendered myself to the loving and merciful powers and the spirit of Jesus Christ. And eventually, yeah, I got healed up rather nicely, and I've even come to love and feel grateful towards God. So yeah, that's my spiritual evolution story in a nutshell, skipping out the details of much of the epic and amazing aspects, (like I think some of my "religious experiences" are pretty profound and perhaps well worth describing, but, well maybe someday I'll write a book, lol). So anyway, I think I know that God and spirit are real, but I've been on my own little journey trying to figure out how to best live given what I know, and given that I more or less wrote off most religious teachings as trash, - for example, I still don't think I believe in the doctrine of sin, - I don't think sin is a real thing. Anyway, yeah, God without religion. It's different, lol. And for me, "faith" and "belief" mean something entirely different than usual, because there is no question in my own mind as to God's existence. Mine is the kind of belief and faith one might have in one's father or one's son, who is standing directly infront of you and of who's existence is not in doubt. Why I'm trying to share all this with you here is um, beyond me. Somehow I only started out wanting to share with you that there was a point to life and a reason to live, and well one thing seemed to flow into another, and I evidently didn't see fit to cut off my blithering at an earlier, more judicious point. Ah, I think it's probably because from somewhere I feel this need to communicate my discovery, to write that book I've thought about writing, but have always put off the attempt. I guess that story is like trying to bubble out of me against my "better" judgement. Either that, or I'm like a gossipy old woman, an incorigible yacker. Nah, I probably just need to start trying to write my chronicles. Cheers friend. God bless and all the best

[@catchow1]

Prof. William Robinson is right on! A great, but too brief, interview.

[@donklee3514]

Thank you. I've been railing about this for over a year. New car stock parked on the back lot exacerbating the perception of a shortage trying to force you into overpriced used at new car prices.

[@gmw3083]

New vehicles have been a ripoof for decades and are for insecure fuels anyway. In 40 years of driving I've never owned a new vehicle. Who needs em. What's wrong with Cuba.... Wolff should appreciate how they make cars last. The real problem is planned obsolescence.

[@oldfan1963]

Congrats,m Teamsters! Re-awaken the Militant Union!

[@vivalaleta]

Hedges! He, long ago, saw how badly the workers were being treated in his ivy league college and fought it. He was brave and moral from the start.

[@BAHRAM56561]

WONDERFUL. THANK YOU RICHARD.

[@boombot934]

Brilliant interview, thank you❤🌹🙏 dear prof. Wolff!

[@jeffbrewer1580]

All power to the workers

[@wwaitkus]

As depressing as this is, it's actually a breath of nice, much needed polluted air to the actual truth. No wonder the MSM don't want Professor Wolfe or Professor Robinson on their shows. People might actually wake up and/or learn something.

[@SlytherinShark888]

Thank you Professor Robinson.

[@moranmike36]

A thread of hope...solidarity 🤝

[@RussCR5187]

Wish I saw more of it. Before it's too late.

[@moranmike36]

@@RussCR5187 join up, be one more person stronger than we were before 🤝

[@RussCR5187]

@@moranmike36 If you mean "join a union", at 77 and retired I'm not qualified. However, I stand ready to march in the streets if it should come to that.

[@kp6215]

My regular funding thank you since 2008 when I found your work😊

[@boombot934]

The most interesting information today!

[@rogelioecheverri3366]

Incredible! Best show ever that describes the current global economic situation and where its headed.

[@ShaedeReshka]

Thank you for exposing me to more fascinating books to read!

[@dkblack1289]

Thanks you Prof for bringing in another prof, brilliant as you are. I am going to buy at least one of his books today. With regard to your question on the war in Ukraine, the war was inevitable . It is the outcome of global capitalism using its military wing against which Russia drew a red line. Unfortunately, global capitalism is blind and does not see any lines even if those lines be red. How could ypu convince global capitlism that the bible says: Thou Shalt not Covet Gazprom? Further, the support of global south for Russia is not quite a hatred for the west, but a revolt against global capitalism. You can look at the global south in terms of federation of unions who rise up against the management, not because they hate the factory, but to obtain better terms for their labour. My humble input to your question sir.

[@jgalt308]

Save yourself the trouble...Michael Hudson has been explaining this for decades and has hours of video available online, and even takes "live" unscreened questions.

[@taramaclaird9633]

A most impressive guest.

[@williamlay6981]

I see it is very real to me. I can hope we as a people can work it out. I hope!

[@rogersmith7396]

The rich will fight to the death before giving up their position. You have to be prepared to do the same.

[@YusifRefae]

amazing guest.

[@markgigiel2722]

Also, if you CAN afford a car, you will be paying them forever. They are going to a subscription model. Since cars are internet capable now, any features will cost you a monthly fee. Power windows, power locks, remote start, heated mirrors, heated seats, auto dimming headlights, cruise control etc. will all be an extra monthly fee for as long as you own the car.

[@all2031]

The US economy has been war based since WW II and has forced the rest of the world to transfer funds from civilian economy of development to military so to keep up with new technologies to defend their countries. This has turned the planet into a powder keg and NATO's expansion has lighted up the match to blow it to pieces if the Ukraine conflict is not handled with tremendously skillful diplomacy. Combine the military situation with the economic fizzle and environmental, social, political crises, the potential for life on spaceship earth in at stake. How Corporate G7 is going to resolve all this given their ruling classes talent indicates a dire future for us all.

[@DerekSpeareDSD]

Excellent guest!

[@Vhbaske]

As a philosopher iI subscribe to the idea of the emergence of cooperatives globally, there where capitalism doesn't fit, you can form a cooperative. That is, cooperatives are a different flavor than capitalism, it rises among the crashes of manufactiure and gives a new push to the economy. I am sure that cooperatives will conquer the world, peacefully and as if they were foreordained to take the world. Everyone fits in the cooperative, socialist, communist and all who believe that peace is the future of humanity.

[@jamesking7676]

Love the show

[@tertiary7]

that 2nd half could be a 1-2 hr discussion

[@dannyferguson9415]

The Global Police State By William I Robinson is a well researched warning and description of the threats humanity faces.

[@Eged282]

This guy is as blunt as it can be. 👍👍👍🙏

[@nolandionne1262]

Prof. Robinson strikes me as zealous preacher - what an urgent message and excellent communicator!

[@theresajandt2775]

I do believe it! We diffently had huge supply chain issues Sir Wolff! I watched tons of videos showing the cargo ships backed up and Yes Sir we diffently have a chip shortage. Your diffently right about people having to get used to buying used cars if they can even afford that and that's if we even will have gas or diesel fuel or can even afford to buy groceries. The last two years have been hell on earth for America's and people all around the earth. People are choosing weather to heat or eat right now. Tons of businesses have gone out of business. Many companies are laying off right now. There's a shortage of just about everything. Like farmers cannot get the Urea fertilizers or parts for their farm equipment. I can't believe your telling people not to believe the supply disruptions. I absolutely do not believe what your saying about the car industry's! The prices are going up everywhere. The supply chain disruption is not nonsense! America is in Extremely serious trouble. Your right about the American standard of living! We can our homes and job's and 401k,s and our freedom goodbye! In fact we can kiss America goodbye! Your diffently right about your changing America from a Constitutional Republic to a Communitarian law and Socialist County!

[@EvolutionWendy]

GREAT info!!

[@MathUDX]

I'd really love to see Michael Roberts on as a guest some time to further fleshing out the possibility of a final crisis.

[@sofiasmith6757]

Thanks

[@tommynocash2419]

Keep up the good.work

[@gracerichards592]

I second that hat off to those students, united they're stand..

[@NietzsChe_Guevara]

Richard! Very interesting! Here in Mexico the price are even 40% more than before the pandemic! Thanks for information about new strategies of automotive industry! This is coming up to confirm the capitalism only creates inequality in all expressions wages, things, process etc!

[@neznaykanalune2800]

“Eat your pineapples, chew on quail. Your last day is coming, bourgeois!”

[@kradwonders]

We are now in The Fourth Turning as described by Strauss and Howe. The Fourth Turning began around 2010. Most turnings last about 20 years. Therefore, The Fourth Turning has about 8 more years to work itself out. The last 3 Fourth Turnings ended in war, the Am. Revolution, the Civil War and WWII. The Fourth Turnings are usually followed be a coming together and a kind of rebirth or a First Turning. Will that happen again? We shall see.

[@oldfan1963]

7:17 - Cisco teamsters... In the UK, they have made such "sympathy strikes" illegal.

[@stephenwallace8782]

Happy to see Labornotes as a constant source..

[@MrDannyHeim]

yeah good stuff there

[@AprilWatters]

Since my focus in life has been child abuse and the "family" system, this is just a scaled up version. Micro and macro abusive system. Abuse is normal

[@jamesmorton7881]

Yes, organize for a change. Vote for change. Demand democracy for your labour.

[@petestanton1945]

I remember Poland had solidarity

[@spanky7277]

The automobile did a in hose out sources and moved the Industries to a lower income States .

[@monkeymoonky7900]

I remember being confused when food prices started going up. The $5 yogurt was now $6 but whenever they went on sale it was how it was before, around $4. If they had to raise the prices because of supply issue, how come they're still able to make profit with deep discount like that?

[@MrDXRamirez]

Gold is becoming the most sought after commodity because a particular commodity is needed to measure the values in all commodities. If this does not happen then we will never know how much to produce, how long we should work, and what we should be making if we continue to depend on sale as a measure for their values. The characteristic movement of money between industries is not the same as the movement of capital dependent on sale, they clash. For instance, between industries and nations trade between them has the ultimate end of use-value clashes with the ultimate end of exchange-value by capitalist corporations. We cannot tell from price relations how much value is in this good or that one. How much wheat for how much iron a nation has to give in order to receive needs a socially recognized equivalent to measure the value contained in the wheat and in iron, or coal, sugar, etc. If we allow private exchanges to decide values and price the economy will work by the skin of its teeth and this threatens the survival of society which requires consistency. Governments will never know how much to allocate resources to all social classes in society and forever be in a state of crisis. Of course, the victims of market forces who invest too little here and too much there will reach a balance between work and life for those who have to work for a living.

[@chaserofthelight1737]

They said the next generation coming in up is the first generation since WWII that won’t do better then their parents. In either Virginia or West Virginia a few years ago the teachers went on strike, they did get some of what they were asking for. Then the powers that be in the state, passed a law, if teachers went on strike again others would legally be able to come in, taking care of teaching as usual. Seems there’s always a backdoor for the powers that be to use to continue to have POWER over the workers.

[@rogersmith7396]

It used to be common practice to pay off the govener and use the national guard to run off strikers at gun point. Very common in the mining industry.

[@randht]

We should protest Adidas and Nike also. I also forgot Chase bank.

[@GhostOnTheHalfShell]

i agree the economic order is facing an existential problem as growth hits a wall. growth is existential to interest driven monetary systems. without it, inflation and recession emerge as a persistent dynamic.

[@michaelbyron1166]

Could you do a video on the "rent seeking" behavior of capitalism.... especially as it relates to late stage capitalism?

[@jgalt308]

If he did that, Wolff wouldn't be Wolff...as he makes no such distinctions... capitalism is capitalism...he has no clue when it began or what it consists of, nor does he accept any aspect of the F.I.RE sector as not being capitalism, so even though Marx understood it, Wolff does not.

[@l.w.paradis2108]

@@jgalt308 Don't tell me -- let me guess. You think that the free market described by Adam Smith is capitalism. No, capitalism is what that "free market" invariably devolves into. Smith thought this devolution was a risk, and that it posed a danger to freedom, because in essence it meant a turning away from the productivity, creativity, and discipline of the free market and a return to feudalism (a good thought, actually). Marx saw capitalism as an inevitability: a fundamental change, and thus a new stage in which freedom would necessarily decline. FIRE is not an aid to free markets, but has become sheer rent-seeking. Both Smith and Marx would of course agree. The irony is that the freedom sought in establishing a free market carries the seeds of its own destruction.

[@jgalt308]

@@l.w.paradis2108 What part of ..."nor does he accept any aspect of the F.I.RE sector as not being capitalism," ...did you not understand? I would suggest, instead of attempting to "read minds" you read and respond to what has been written... But thanks for agreeing that the F.I.RE sector is NOT capitalism.

[@l.w.paradis2108]

@@jgalt308 But I did respond, just not in the way you like. F.I.RE is not a free market, and does not operate according to free market principles. It is, however, capitalism; late stage monopoly capitalism, to be precise. I would like Adam Smith to have been right. Brilliant man. Plus it would have made things much easier. Just, like, work hard, think hard, then work hard some more -- you know? Actual merit and all that.

[@jgalt308]

@@l.w.paradis2108 Well my piece is a criticism of Wolff specifically, and since you didn't defend him you did not respond to what was written. ( and no one said anything about markets free or otherwise. ) As for your understanding of capitalism, or free markets...your mind-reading ability is way off and wrong on all three counts. ( and since you only see two you're probably all confused. ) As far as the F.I.RE sector is concerned there is only one kind of capitalism. ( see Michael Hudson ) Then there is capitalism. ( in terms of the means of production ) And then there is the "free market". ( which also has a very specific definition and parameters ) Of course, the government determines all of the above by FORCE...as it always has. So you can keep working on that mind-reading thing or respond to what has been written. ( and capitalism wasn't a thing when Adam Smith was writing. The term was coined by a socialist, with so many variations on offer, that they have no clue what capitalism is, they just know that "no true socialism" has emerged yet. )

[@Guitarpima]

You cannot fix a problem using the same system that gave you the problem.

[@jacpratt8608]

The discussion of "fictitious money" is worth paying a lot of attention to. And the theory of militarized global economy, but I don't think the rest of the world will stand for that. Its a very USA centred view. Masses of money and armaments have failed to get their own way before, and now when the money is being openly called "Fictitious" it looks worse. Evolution theory might be a more useful thing thinking about where all this is going. Somehow resisting the temptation to meddle ignorantly or at all. Just to consider evolution might cool things down. Schooling and Religion notwithstanding. This inescapable Global Military Economy sounds like personalizing vast empires as participants in a dysfunctional marriage that's getting more inconvenient daily. When the ultra violence explodes the neighbours or tenants or slaves (that's us) will be collateral damage if we don't watch out. There's nowhere to move to so you have to take the matter in hand.,

[@markgigiel2722]

Unions fought hard for all the worker's rights we have. Many literally dying. As things got better for workers, they FOOLISHLY took it for granted and Unions declined. As productivity and profits increased, wages and benefits and conditions didn't keep up and workers started to suffer again. The pendulum has finally swung back and people are waking up. It's about time.

[@johnpanos2332]

" blueprint or scramble " royal dutch shell's paper on the future

[@ruiamaral7954]

A good sobering interview though I personally, as an uneducated economic layman. think the point about China or a Sino led world-order may be off base. China seems to be, currently, undergoing a massive amount of internal upheaval at all levels (economic, social, government, demographically, ecologically) which makes me wonder if they themselves have the capability to be in that dominant position. I don't think sheer population size or political clout (which is becoming more precarious daily) can account for such a view that China will pre-dominate.

[@jacpratt8608]

Rather than actively dominating China might just move in when US/UK/ Euro crisis etc shatters. Already trying to move into Afghanistan. With varied degrees of sympathy and less of empathy. Nothing new really. Still as frightening.

[@zdcyclops1lickley190]

If a company has an increase in labor costs it passes it on to its' customers. And or reduces the size of its' work force. Publicly traded companies are required by law to put the financial interests of its' stock holders firt.

[@OroborusFMA]

"The crisis consists precisely in the fact the old is dying and the new cannot be born." Gramsci

[@MrRealAmericanvalues]

Wow.

[@mohannair5671]

The rise of industrial economies, was transformation of muscle power with coal based steam power. Could you please study the deindustrialization with renewable energy replacing fossil, especially oil and gas based machinery!!!!!

[@PaulRoundhill]

Is the threatened China/Taiwan conflict a deliberate plan to cause micro-processor scarcity?

[@bobcornwell403]

Interesting. U ions cooperating with each other. I understand such was common in the 1950's. Imagine if that had happened during the PATCO strike. Airports would be one by one shutting down because teamsters would have refused to cross PATCO picket lines. Also, trucks would have been breaking down in the most inconvenient locations. Within a week or two, the airports would have been out of food and out of fuel. They would have begged then President Reagan to settle with PATCO. But sadly that's not what happened. I see what did happen during that strike as the beginning of the end of organized labor. PATCO was forced to act on its own, because other unions didn't cooperate, and it was crushed. It has always been my view that unions are a necessity component of healthy capitalism. I remember them being pretty much hated by leftists thinkers during the 70's. They were often referred to as "leftenants of capitalism", because they were so effective at delaying the revolution. This being said, I think unions always sail under the Jolly Roger. In fact, the word "strike" is a nautical term, as in "Strike the sails." At one time, during the late 1700's, half the British navy was shut down during what was called the Spithead mutiny, when the sailors either suddenly struck the sails, or refused to unfurl them. Even coops may have started with sailing ships, as they notoriously terrible places to work. The captains had absolute authority, once the ship cleared land, and enforced such authority with viscous brutality. Flogging were as common on ships back then as they were on plantations. Every once in a while, the crew would rebel. They would quickly kill the captain and his officers and take the ship for themselves. This was a profoundly criminal act in itself, so the ship would have to go outlaw. Often, the ship would end up sailing to a pirate port, where it would be looted of everything useful. Then, it would be scuttled or fitted with cannons. The crew would then become pirates. If their ship ended up being scuttled, they would join other pirate crews. On many pirate ships, the captains did not have absolute authority, and could be fired by the crew. Any loot obtained was divided up by the crew into shares. The captains may have gotten multiple shares, but it was nothing like he would get with a non-pirate ship, where he would be the only one allowed to get any of the profits.

[@tommackling]

It seems to me that our rights to private property ought to be protected, in so far as I think people should be able to occupy and enjoy their little homes, and be able to count on being able to access the foods and materials they have carefully gathered into their cupboards, pantries and larders, and similarly I think it is somehow right and good that typically every barnacle can manage to secure and cling onto something solid, without being constantly swept away. But this kind of basic and practically universal essential personal comfort and priviledge seems to come more as a need to recognize every persons right to be able to occupy and largely control some modicum of space, some tiny corner of the universe in which one may make oneself at least reasonably comfortable in, at least during "off hours"/"personal time". But through some strange limitation of our ability to reason, it seems this modest defense of the notion of "property", in contexts where such seems only reasonable, somehow seems to lead to the defense of very unreasonable situations, such as where one barnacle could somehow "own" every possible place a barnacle might attach itself to, and recieve some sort of regular payment, rent or tribute from any barnacle occupying that location. And it seems that somehow, through an elaborate system of deeds, money, contracts and laws, "ownership" and "entitlement" have taken on entirely unreasonable and highly problematic extremes. Should some people really exist as basically other people's slaves, at other people's discretion? Who knows. But I tend to think that extreme, even extravagent, wealth should be frowned on, rather than obediently served. Somehow, I think, something like "reasonableness" needs to usurp and dominate over "recognition of social hierarchy", in particular as our social hierarchy is based on wealth, and exceptional wealth is derived from exceptional sociopathy. Yeah, I think I might be a communist after all. But I think we need a form of communism where individuals retain self-soveignty and free will; where there is no master, ruling or administrative class, and human activity, for the most part, is not forced, but is motivated out of individual desire to act, do, create, contribute etc. I think the individual motivation should remain, even though I don't believe the general aspiration ought to be to become as personally financially wealthy as possible. Yeah, whatever. I do think we really need to abandon capitalism and move beyond "money worship". And I was just sort of "thinking out loud" here in a semi-public way, sort of sharing my inchoate ideas on how and what else our society could possibly be founded and centered around. BTW, if I know for certain that spirit and God are both entirely real, but do not suppose I know how one ought or ought not to behave, does that make me religious (in the way that most people use the term)? I don't know. But I totally agree that we really ought to move beyond an egocentric competition based society and towards a society based more on cooperation, the need for diversity and harmonious synthesis, kind of as if people were like individual cells, and communities were like organs, with a single body. And I also completely agree that we are not actually separate; that we're all connected and each of us are a very small part of a much grander entity and enterprise. So yeah, God bless, peace, love and all the best.

[@tommackling]

Another short essay I wrote, where I was basically trying to explore possible drawbacks associated with abandoning capitalism for some form of socialism. I recently wrote a short essay touching on the subject of ownership. In case anyone might enjoy reading it, here it is: Ownership, of course, is a societally defined and established concept. And it is a rather curious and largely essentially artifiical one. But we have a vast apparatus of law to define and protect ownership and the way in which ownership may be transfered, protected and established. But ownership still remains a strange sort of social construct. It comes about as the legal recognition of a claim, which is formally acknowledged with a legal deed or title, literally, ownership is a from of official entitlement. Unlike the society of the nomadic natives that formerly occupied North America, our society seems to have been very much focussed on the concept of legal entitlement and/or ownership. But still, under extreme circumstances, for example, when fewer than ten thousand men have managed to use their wealth to gain effective control over courts and governments, so as to the extent that they may now legitimately claim to own all of the land and resources that tens and hundreds of millions of people need to live on in order to survive, well, in such extraordinary circumstances, it has at least happened in the past that the tens and hundreds of millions decide they will not continue to honor or recognize that legal entitlement. And also, but in a different direction here, it is perhaps worth observing here, that in our, essentially capitalist society, legal entitlement associated with ownership is tightly coupled to another social construct, namely that of financial wealth. It is through such financial wealth whereby an individual or corporation may aquire the legally recognized entitlement of ownership. And generally, with ownership also comes certain legal entitlements and perogatives thereby conferred. And through a process generally called economic development but sometimes also known as rent collection, ownership and the associated entitlements and perogatives (such as the ability to collect rent) effectively serve as an engine of sorts, whereby additional wealth can be accrued. Thus wealth and ownership are highly coupled. In our, essentially capitalist society, we have, more or less, usually implicitly, or usually, in an only indirectly stated fashion, embraced an ideology of economic materialism. Materialism came about over a long historical journey, as people became less interested in "philosophical speculations" and "spiritual considerations", and more focussed on obtaining physical comfort. Marxist communist ideology too is, apparently, chiefly focussed on the same objectives and may also be safely regarded as a form of economic materialism. The chief disagreements seemingly having to do with the "efficiency" and seemingly, even more something like the "sanctity", of "private" or individually held, ownership (and property), and the relative importance or virtue of ensuring the economic wellbeing of individuals who are, or would otherwise be, poor and lacking both property and an effective means whereby such property may be obtained. There are also, historically speaking, some largely philosophical divisions impingent here, having to do with ideas of individual independence, merit and competition and the like, as well as an enormous concern over the "collective" or the "state", having too much administrative power and authority over the private affairs and activites of individual citizens. And certainly we have an historical basis for such concerns, as there, apparently, was indeed such a state enforced conscription into the labor force, during what amounted to the somewhat tardy industrialization and the factory assembly lines of the former USSR or Soviet Union, which had embarked on an attempt to build a successful "communist" society, - well apparently their great experiment ended before reaching the communist phase, which, apparently, was to occur only after a "socialist" phase had been successfully completed. But of course, given technologically enabled automation, it is also probably reasonable to suppose that there is now likely far less possible motivation for the state direction of individual human activity, and hence less societal pressure towards such a development. In terms of achieving the tacit goal of material confort for the broader citizenry, it may well be, in my opinion, that the more closely and directly held desire for personal economic affluence associated with capitalism indeed provided more effective motivational impetus of the citizenry towards the acheivement of general affluence. Certainly, towards the latter half of the previous century, it did appear that this may indeed have been the case, as the highest general standard of living was apparently enjoyed by the capitalist oriented United States (and although other socio-economic conditions may have played a significant role towards that determination, certainly the embraced "economic system" plausibly deserves significant recognition). But again, with de-industrialization and radical automation, together with job outsourcing associated with neoliberal "globalization", a lack of job opportunities and an effective target for that increased personal motivation may well render that "motivational advantage" (of everyone really wanting to be wealthier) some what fruitless or moot. And indeed we now observe declining standards of living, for the majority, in the previously more prosperous capitalist Western countries. And we are also observing a perhaps alarming increase in the economic disparity between those who are growing increasingly affluent, and, it seems, a majority of those who are growing increasingly impoverished. The real concern (it seems to me), with socialism, and now, apparently, also capitalism, is to somehow ensure against the existence and establishment of a minority "ruling" or administrative class, and the effective (deception, manipulation and) enslavement of those who do not belong to this exceptionally priviledged class. This, or rather, how society can be alternatively founded and constructed in such as way as to provide this guarantee of freedom from tyranny and "liberty for all", is now, it seems to me, perhaps the most pressing issue to be resolved. So long as "making it" remains our societally embraced principal individual aspiration, I think our "elected representatives" will likely continue to serve the interests of those who actually pamper them, rather than those they were "elected" to supposedly represent. So personally I advocate for a more radical reformation of our parlimentary structure, namely dynamically tiered direct democracy (where small groups of no more than 20 people meet, debate and decide, and pass their decisions, along with one of their number present selected to present these decisions and represent the wishes of the group that these decisions be embraced, up one level to the next tier of a similar meeting, in pyramidal fashion, until the final will of the people as well as those who will represent and facilitate the enactment of that will, percolates or bubbles up, to a temporarily assembled uppermost group, through a series of levelled democratic processes). Well, a fuller presentation and discussion is probably warrented here, but anyway. Finally, let me also point out that ownership, seemingly naturally entails certain perogatives, most significant amoung these being the right to have discretionary authority over the management of that which is owned. Very briefly returning to the observation that, in our current society, ownership is highly skewed to coincide with wealth, and also, that it seems wealth may well confer far too much general adminsitrative power and influence, (so much so that, for example, our representative democratic governments might be serving only the interests of the already exceptionally empowered), I want to point out that, in its most natural sense, "ownership" need not necessarily be something conferrable, alienable, or something that requires wealth, or something may be acquired through purchase or surrendered through sale. In a fundamental sense, every human being owns their own body, and, forgetting for a moment about all of our legal statutes and tomes of established legal precedence, roughly speaking, one owns that which chiefly one may command through the extertion of intention and will. All else, is pretty much artifice, due to historical developments involving the largely illegitimate claims of individual men and women to possessing the right to impose their own will on others. Your body is yours, and my body is mine, and every one of us, as individual human beings, has God given discretionary authority over the administration of our own bodies. And this is true no matter how wealthy certain individuals become and no matter how corrupt or authoritarian our government and civil agencies may be or may yet become. And (I think) we must remember this and our fundamental individual and inalienable God given human rights, and we must refuse to bow to tyranny. And we must refuse to comply with unreasonable demands and we must refuse to participate in evil. It doesn't matter how wealthy our modern ceasars are. It doesn't matter that our would be governors dance to their suggestions and seem bedzzaled and mesmerized by their earthly riches and treasure. We, who yet believe in truth and goodness, we who yet would serve to protect all that is truly good and worthwhile, we must stand in defiance of evil, and refuse to comply or participate in evil. May you know God's kindness and His love, His mercy and His grace. In Him we trust, and in Him we are united. Cheers, peace, love and God bless.

[@tommackling]

I posted the comment, in the reply above (which ends in an appeal for the recognition of fundamental individual human rights in terms of having discretionary authority over one's own body, re. eg. government mandates for use of patented proprietary private experimental biomedical substances) and someone asked my why I wrote that essay. And (just in the off chance that someone might be interested in reading it, here is (a copy of) my reply (well, it echoes in theme at least, the sentiment expressed by the author who was the featured guest in this video). -------- It is my opinion that we, in the so called Western World, have come to the end of the period where capitalism may be considered a viable socio-economic system, (mainly due to some inherent attributes it posesses, which effectively impose a limited lifespan, so to speak, at least for the period for which it might be possibly deemed to be advantageous on a societal level). And I fully anticipate that some alternative "foundational principles" for our socio-economic organization must fairly soon be found and adopted. I very much expect, for instance, we are heading towards general societal paralysis, where draconian policing and abusive, authoritarian governments vainly attempt to suffocate the population against a violent overthrow of perversely dysfunctional and generally malign administrative governance. And I wanted to attempt to lay out a very brief exploration of how we came to be where we are now, together with an attempted examination of how the blue-prints for such an alternative socio-economic system (or organizational scheme) might be fashioned, in such a way that the best aspects of capitalism, whatever they may be, might possibly be retained and the worst aspects of already tried alternatives might be avoided. But even more to the point, I would like to help in the instigation of a process whereby the larger population gains a greater apprehension and appreciation of the degree to which they too have the power and right to participate in the forging of their own futures; where it is not so much me that fashions their society, but the citizens themselves, and where the broader aspects of future society are largely forged through a process of collective "brain storming", the sharing and communication of ideas, thoughts and desires towards the establishment of what essentially constitutes a commonly (or commonly enough) shared vision, for our societal arrangement. In stating this intent, I am implicitly asserting that, on a mass scale, future reality is indeed born out of imagination and desire, and also, I suppose, that it is unsatisfactory, at least to me, that too few people are currently participating in this exercise of "future creation", as I chiefly blame the impoverishment and perversely dysfunctional nature of the current process of "future formation" on the condition that far too tiny a fraction of human minds are actively participating in the task. The "think tanks" employed by the extraordinarily wealthy suffer from being largely limited to output which seems desirable to their employers, and so I think the brain-storming exercise needs to be extended to include a much broader base of society, so as to include the minds of those not entirely devoted to the aggregation of vast fortunes and the exploitative control and manipulation of others. Basically I'd like to mitigate the violence and abuse of authoritarian governments trying to "hold on", and also mitigate the senseless violence, destruction, chaos and general dysfunction that may be expected to be associated with societal collapse typically associated with revolutionary periods, principally and ideally by helping facilitate a shortening of the duration of that period of chaos and general dysfunction. And finally, I hope that such a process, whereby the effective blueprints for a new society have already been established in the collective minds, will also help to ensure that the society that finally emerges from the rubble will actually be happier, healthier and generally more desirable than the one it replaced. Basically, I can see change on the horizon, and I'd like to help people to be better positioned for what is coming. Well, I think I might have embellished a wee bit here, making things sound more wonderful and exciting than is perhaps appropriate, but anyway, at least I think such concerns and considerations were my principal motivations. Cheers my friend. God bless and all the best.

[@tommackling]

One more short essay, lol: My son (in his twenties) is either triple of even quadruple Pfizer'd now (against my advice, I "missed my opportunity" to get injected with the clot inducing AZ formulation, and steadfastly declined every opportunity to receive either of the proprietary, patented for-profit mRNA formulations made available to me, and temporarily accepted my "unclean" status rendering me unable to enter bars, restaurants, theaters, hardware stores etc.). He (my son) apparently considers himself a serious lefty, and (apparently) like Ben Norton and several notable others, (and quite unlike me), doesn't consider the WEF to be a serious source of concern. He related to me the idea that the elimination of all the little bourgeoisie capitalists ( with the WEF sociopaths making them also mind controlled proles) should be very helpful, reducing the number of capitalists to be overthrown down to the few thousand billionaires, lol. I, on the otherhand, regard the billionaire WEF globalists as a serious and malign threat to humanity, and, far from embracing the WEF'ers who claim to want to "end global capitalism", I think the "left" should be uniting with the "Christian and conservative and small business capitalist" "right", and press home the point that these WEF oligarchic sociopaths that have seized control of all our corporations, institutions and governments, and that want us all digitally and technologically tagged, and monitored and controlled, are actually top tier capitalists and the end result of allowing wealth ever greater priviledge, influence and control. And their sociopathy, malevolence and general evil is a natural consequence of their extraordinary priviledge and power, and of there deception, manipulation and exploitation of others. That unrestrained capitalism too eventually results in tyranny and enslavement. In my assessment, ownership, through the privitization and financialization of every aspect of society and organized social endevour, effectively amounts to entitling men (or women) to tax others, to take some fraction of their output as their own, eventually leading to a kind of parasitical form of enslavement. Freedom from the need to labour perhaps for those fortunate enough to have others work for them, but nothing more than a refined from of predatory enslavement more generally. I consider myself a gnostic Christian, and have finally come around to embracing the idea that the purpose of life is not our own agrandizement, but to partake in our larger experience and enterprise in a loving and beneficial way, to serve and please God and the common good, and finally to love and appreciate with humility what has been made available to us to appreciate and love. And it seems to me, (and I assure you that whatever wisdom I might posess that is not already commonly understood, was, IMO, hard won, through struggle, failure and defeat), that it is true that, in general at least, men do need some form of need, desire or ambition, or some other motivation to act and exert themselves. And perhaps even there is some room here to admit an excuse for some general dellusion, some essentially fictionalized psychological reality which departs from the truth, although it goes against my intuitions to suppose any significant illusion can be warranted. But whatever maybe the case regarding the authenticity of the motivation, of the desire to do and perform and create, that will and motivation must infuse the lower and material portions of the metaphysical reality, it must not exist merely as a thought or an idea, but must inspire the very limbs of the body. So all of this is merely a fancy way of saying that human activity and effort is far more effectively stimulated when the enthusiasm for the task and activity gushes forth from within, perhaps, for example, out of "personal ambition", rather than by being imposed from an external demand, such as a threat of being beaten or going hungry, or being denied some societal priviledge or other. And I can not yet say, whether a general desire to be helpful and to serve and please God, or one's general or larger community, can prove to be a sufficiently immediate driver or impetus for constructive social endevour. What we are trying to establish here then is the degree to which some form of enslavement must necessarily be made intrinsic to societal organization. I.e. if not wage slavery, must there be some other form of compulsion, for example, state "mandated" behaviour? The concern here is of course to perceived and perhaps legitimate concerns that abandoning capitalism might necessitate or at least make much more likely, some form of state imposition of forced activity and possibly other infringements on personal liberty and self governance. Most notably, ideological defenders of capitalism point out that imposition under socialism as it was implemented in the former Soviet Union. Of course, much of that imposition was doubtless significantly due to a somewhat tardy period of "industrialization" and the assembly lines and manning of the manufacturing plants and industries. (And during these rough periods, there was also ugly and practically forced labor, even of children, in the capitalist nations as well, although a few decades earlier.) And moreover, increased automation and technology, especially in robotics, "machine learning" and "artificial intelligence" seem to have greatly diminished at least much of the need for human labor. To the extent that, now, the chief imperitive seems to be to find some activity for people to meaningfully engage in. So ok, maybe the need to harness the labour of the population has been largely eliminated, but some need for some social conditioning, narative and belief management, and psychological manipulation and control yet remains? To keep many people acting in a coordinated fashion rather than descending into quarreling and chaos? And what about some innate urge in men and women, to compete, dominate and control? Might it not be the case that capitalism potentially provides some distributive and relatively contained outlet for such vices? And might there not be a risk that an undesirable will to control, manipulate or even enslave others might somehow inevitably emerge even within a communist society? I don't know the answers to these questions, but to be honest, I haven't really thought much about the questions other than to have managed to simply pose them. But I do think that an investment in an effort to try to explore and address such questions and concerns would be warranted and possibly and hopefully, very worthwhile. All this having been said, I should like to conclude this essay, this little communication and sharing of thoughts, by saying that we can (or at least, those of us who still can) currently see the dangers and inadequacies of allowing the fate of many to rest in the hands of too few. And whether it be under some form of capitalism or under some form of socialism, it seems that what we most need to ensure is that power, that power to decide the direction of exertion and collective enterprise, and the course of our societal and collective future, must be infused into and reside within the greater population, and not be allowed to reside or concentrate within a minority ruling class (or fraction) of the population.

[@chuckleaf8027]

Yesterday you said it was economic nationalism...but today it's globalism??? Wow, that was fast.

[@larrysherk]

The organizing principles behind the Shamghai Cooperation Organization suggests to me that China, and their Asian followers, are well positioned for this transition and without imperial ambitions.

[@whiskeykilmer1866]

Just imagine if Professor Wolff would be allowed to say this on MSM.

[@vthilton]

Share and Save the World

[@reginafefifofina]

😹 have a positive attitude when you make it to work on time in spite of whoever stole your bike seat!

[@tiamarie1226]

Even the used cars are expensive if you want a bigger car. I think they are trying to push ppl to smaller cars ....so pretty soon it will be new and bigger used cars like Tahoe's and etc will be for the rich only. Small used cars for the poor..

[@rogersmith7396]

Not for the rich only, for the socially irresponsible only.

[@RussCR5187]

Looks like it's time to get into the auto repair business.

[@spanky7277]

So they can make more money . It saves the oil Industries . By forcing us to buy gas operated cars . This is just like the solar companies .that went from 20,000 dollars to 45.000 that tells you will get 15,000 from the government if you go solar . $250.00 for the Solar companies and $60.00 a month for the electric company . Is this suppose to be a deal ????

[@michaelkaplan22b]

Correct on the intentional elimination of entry-level subcompact automobiles and the hoax of supply chain/chip shortages. There are plenty of $45K autos available at the dealerships!

[@patrickmccormack4318]

Professor Wolff, those students will become what the condition of man is. That is, when given the opportunity to 'earn' more, most will choose the easy path. Question: What does an ivy league education buy? Is Might Right?

[@jacpratt8608]

Confidence in yourself from getting a broad general education and getting to know many different people cant do you any harm.

[@AprilWatters]

If there is ONE "small" thing we can do to change things is not to call people with debt $ "rich". Man made $ out of thin air is not "wealth". Wealth is nature, justice, community, family, etc. What nature makes. What man made debt $$ is at the Expense of

[@rogersmith7396]

Debt is subtracted from net worth. People don't seem to understand this.

[@janklaas6885]

🕊14:51 ²🕊21:21

[@asdqwe8837]

Kommunism är framtiden. Solidaritet mina kamrater.

[@shawntruckingwithbs5302]

Most Americans define Communism way differently then the rest of the world, they were taught not to like the reality but a characture

[@stefan-vasileionita2510]

👍

[@pipster1891]

Might be good for the future of the human race if fewer people can afford those massive American vehicles.

[@jacpratt8608]

totally. I have come to dislike the weekends with all the full metal jackets lined up in the streets to drive their poor work worn owners round the block to the supermarket.