Richard D. Wolff

Prof. Wolff answers a question from a Patron of Economic Update.

The patron asks: Is it necessary for a socialist political party to exist, as Lenin emphasized in his books, in order to support and lead the labour movement fighting capitalism or not. If yes, why don't you and people in this struggle don't create one, or join the Communist party? If not, how we're going to fight this class struggle without an organized party?

Prof. Wolff answers a question from a listener from Tampa, FL.

To what extent do the owners of the country: the billionaires, the CEO's and the people who live only off their investments (and do not work for a living- aka the idle rich)- to what extent are they threatened by low and moderate income people who have a right to health care, a living wage, affordable housing and no worry about college debt? To what extent does a comfortable working class and a comfortable moderate-income class-- threaten the super rich? Another way to ask this is to put this is: Do the super-rich want the rest of us to be uncomfortable, economically speaking? Why?"

A patron asks:  Is religion an opium of the people? Is religious faith generally harmful to worker solidarity or cooperation? I know a catholic priest founded Mondragon, but most of the anarchists fighting Franco and establishing worker controlled industries were anti religious before the civil war ended...