Ask Prof Wolff

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "Would you agree that for large monopolistic industries that the entire society depends on for survival, like food, energy, defense, and health care, worker coops would not go far enough? If we're serious about our long-term survival, wouldn't we have to remove the profit motive entirely and give all citizens democratic control over these industries?" This is Pr...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "I don't understand how inflation works. How can a 2x4 cost more than it did 10 years ago?" 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

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "To what extent does the US Military Industrial Complex factor into the US economy as a whole? It seems like the US is at endless war and, in my opinion, there has to be a significant economic reason for this. Would the US economy take a great hit or maybe fall apart completely if not for the seemingly endless war profiteering?" This is Professor Richard Wolff's...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "How should we answer when people say, 'capitalism is the only way there is, nothing else works.' How do we live without earning and profiting from our working and, in doing this, making ourselves prosperous from our own industry and ideas?" This is Professor Richard Wolff's response. To submit your own question for Prof. Wolff, join Democracy at Work on Patreon...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "From a Marxist economic perspective, can you explain how austerity politics and austerity measures eventually lead to over-policing?" 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

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "I, as a socialist myself, agree with the socioeconomic model that you advocate, with worker-owned cooperatives substituting today's private businesses. However, making the actual changes, reforms and, if you like, revolution, would also bring an end to stocks, stock-based companies, and the stock market. I can't get my head around how we actually get rid of the...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "Based on the content that I consume, my expectation is that factions of the 1% like BlackRock intend to own all family housing in America and rent it to us. The prices of homes going down paired with higher interest rates makes the game even more favorable for those who can buy these properties in one payment. My question is, how will these parasites intercept...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "As we see billions once more go to Ukraine, as we have seen trillions upon trillions go to wars since WWII, isn't it correct to say that Military-Keynesianism is fascism? Technocratic fascism? If so, why? And if not, why not? A Boeing factory in every state, not to mention other military contractors that pay off the coin-operated politicians signifies fascist t...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "Can there be another segment about surplus and economic sinks? If capital has to increase all the time, why is there a surplus? And if there is a surplus, why can't we spend it on social programs like health care and infrastructure?" This is Professor Richard Wolff's response. To submit your own question for Prof. Wolff, join Democracy at Work on Patreon at  ww...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "The war of ideas is real and, as often as I can, I engage with opposing ideas. From my perspective, I find that socialistic approaches to most social/economic issues check the box of many of the purported ideals of my more/less conservative neighbors, however, I cannot pierce the armor of their preconceptions. I'm tired of blaming their propaganda consumption....

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "Is capitalism a religion? Has it become the established religion of the United States?" 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

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 m...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "Hello, I am an officially retired person, although I continue to work on projects in the arts, in part to supplement Social Security and in part as a labor of love. I often feel that I am somewhat excluded from the critical effort I see here to remake our work lives. What role can seniors play? We do, after all, possess lifetimes of experience." This is Profess...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "I was wondering if there has ever been a political party that focuses primarily on the formation, maintenance and sustenance of worker co-ops? My understanding is that worker co-ops are all inclusive by design and would include folks that have been marginalized by society (i.e. people of color, women, gay folks, etc). Would it be useful to develop a political p...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "One issue I hope Prof. Wolff might address is a comparative analysis of the role of for-profit vs. non-profit corporations. For example, in the recent shows on inflation, he notes that raising prices by the employer is motivated by profit maximization. This dynamic can't play an obvious role for a non-profit, but they could raise prices to maximize the salaries...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "You're known as an advocate of worker cooperatives. However, back in the 19th century, Friedrich Engels (as well as Eduard Bernstein, the father of Democratic Socialism) was very skeptical of worker cooperatives because of the power the workers at a company could still have over the general public to whom they were not responsible to, meaning they could still,...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "Can you please address the previous and current systemic collusion/connivance between the union leadership [of possibly every labor union] and the corporate management? And not just the fairly recent scandal of UAW/FCA regarding eroding solidarity and diminished worker benefits. Although, the technical question was how the US DOJ found evidence for it and manag...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "Hello Professor Wolff, here in Germany, gas prices are very high due to the sanctions policy with Russia. It is typical of a market economy that the gas that has become scarce is priced higher in order to alleviate the shortage. In this way, the scarce gas is distributed to the rich who can make monetary inquiries. How should allocation of goods (let's say gas/...

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "Dear Prof. Wolff, can you explain the value of a National Infrastructure Bank?"

A Patron of Democracy at Work asks: "Greetings Prof Wolff, my question is one of ethics. How does a collective remain competitive in a dog-eat-dog capitalist environment when the expectation is that a worker-owned enterprise would be presumed to follow the law? I'm not saying all privately-held enterprises are corrupt but it follows that if a given firm were to cut corners, all other competitors w...

An audience member of Ask Prof Wolff LIVE asks: "Can you discuss the concept of labor markets and how they influence collective bargaining power?" Prof Wolff answered this question during a live Ask Prof Wolff event. We look forward to having more live "Ask" sessions like these! Some will be open to the public, some will be for the generous donors who sustain our work. Some will be with Prof Wolff...

An audience member of Ask Prof Wolff LIVE asks: "If inflation is a result of employers increasing prices to make higher profits, how does the Fed connect the interest rate as a way to directly control inflation?" Prof Wolff answered this question during a live Ask Prof Wolff event. We look forward to having more live "Ask" sessions like these! Some will be open to the public, some will be for the...

An audience member of Ask Prof Wolff LIVE asks: "In a worker cooperative society, what would be the role or major functions of the state?" Prof Wolff answered this question during a live Ask Prof Wolff event. We look forward to having more live "Ask" sessions like these! Some will be open to the public, some will be for the generous donors who sustain our work. Some will be with Prof Wolff, and ot...

An audience member of Ask Prof Wolff LIVE asks: "Fascism is when the state and corporations merge, so why isn't the system that China has considered fascist? Is it fascist, is it not?" Prof Wolff answered this question during a live Ask Prof Wolff event. We look forward to having more live "Ask" sessions like these! Some will be open to the public, some will be for the generous donors who sustain...

An audience member of Ask Prof Wolff LIVE asks: "What are the major historical downsides to a deflation? Are price decreases in a specific sector (e.g. fuel if, hypothetically, the shocks to that supply chain end sometime) generally isolated from these?" Prof Wolff answered this question during a live Ask Prof Wolff event. We look forward to having more live "Ask" sessions like these! Some will be...