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Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a weekly nationally syndicated program produced by Democracy at Work and hosted by Richard D. Wolff. The program explores complex economic issues and empowers listeners with information to analyze not only their own financial situation but the economy at large. Beyond focusing a critical eye on the economic dimensions of everyday life - wages, jobs, taxes, debts, interest rates, prices, and profits - the program also explores systemic solutions to our economy's problems including alternative ways to organize production and distribution of the goods and services we all depend on. 
 
Democracy at Work is a non-profit 501(c)3 that advocates for worker cooperatives and democratic workplaces as a key path to a different, stronger, democratic economic system.  Generous contributions made from subscribers like you make our work possible.  Economic Update is a collaborative effort, brought to you each week by the hard work and dedication of a team of workers. Your subscriptions fees help cover the cost of salaries and production costs.  We are truly grateful for your support. 
 
The subscription plan will give you access to all back catalogue and bonus episodes and interviews. We are committed to bringing you quality content with distinguished guests and the latest economic news that impacts all of our lives.  All our shows are free of ads.  The subscription service helps us pay for the costs of production. Please consider subscribing today.

 

Sep 1, 2022

This program covers the origins, evolution, and current significance of "communism." After a brief history of communism as a utopian ideal of community, we treat Marx's presentation in the Communist Manifesto, and then communism's subordination to "socialism" to World War 1. That War changed everything. It split socialists everywhere into a Socialist Party and a Communist Party with key differences but also commonalities. When most European communist parties collapsed, socialism once again became the only major systemic left position. Yet the utopian longings expressed by communism left many on the left dissatisfied with modern socialisms. They searched for a possible solution, a new kind of communism located in workplaces organized as democratic, worker-coop.