Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff

Episode: Political Activism's Revival – March 14, 2019

Episode Overview

This episode of Economic Update centers on the resurgence of political activism in the U.S., highlighting its economic roots and focusing on the prominent role women and grassroots organizers play in current movements. Richard Wolff opens with crucial updates on economic news, then interviews creative activist and journalist Eleanor Goldfield about her journey, the importance of activism, the connection to broader systemic issues like capitalism, and the role of the arts in sparking social change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Commentary: Women in Leadership & Social Change

• Recognition of Women's Leadership – Wolff honors International Women's Day (00:10), commending women for their leading roles in labor strikes, the MeToo movement, and calling for a general strike during the government shutdown.
  • Memorable Moment:
    • "The women are in the leadership and we all need to take our hats off to those... who are doing that." (01:25, Wolff)
• Public School Teacher Strikes – Stresses the significance of women-led teacher strikes as a fightback against cuts in public services.

Economic Updates

Open Access to Knowledge (03:00)

• University of California breaks ties with Elsevier, opting for open access publication.
  • Quote:
    • "'Knowledge should not be accessible only to those who can pay.' Bravo to Robert May..." (03:44, Wolff quoting Robert May)

Critique of Commodification of Basic Needs (04:15)

• Parallels are drawn between access to academic research and access to healthy food, housing, and societal essentials.

Corporate Incentives & Political Complicity (05:20)

• Criticism of Governor Cuomo’s failed deal with Amazon—offering public money to lure corporations at the expense of community needs.
  • Quote:
    • "What's good about the University of California is what's bad about Governor Cuomo..." (06:35, Wolff)
• Further critiques of politicians’ alliances with Facebook (privacy violations) and Trudeau’s protection of SNC-Lavalin in Canada.

Protectionism & Hypocrisy in Trade (08:38)

• U.S. government pressuring UK to accept U.S. agricultural products (chlorinated chicken, hormone-loaded beef) post-Brexit, while the U.S. itself practices protectionism.
  • Quote:
    • "The ambassador to Britain issued a public statement rebuking the British for... being protectionist. You're keeping us out." (10:28, Wolff)

Global Health Rankings (11:45)

• Bloomberg's index ranks the U.S. 35th among world’s healthiest countries; Spain leads, notable for universal healthcare systems.

Employee Ownership Act (13:15)

• Highlights the Main Street Employee Ownership Act facilitating worker co-ops via Small Business Administration loans—signifying quiet progress towards workplace democracy.

Tax Refund Shortfalls (13:50)

• Addresses public discontent with diminished tax refunds post-2017 tax bill. Wolff explains:
  • The bill reduced deductions for state and local taxes, effectively raising taxes for many.
  • Quote:
    • "When these people tell you they're cutting your taxes, reach for your wallet because they're reaching in it..." (14:40, Wolff)

Interview Segment: Eleanor Goldfield – Activism, Art, and Media

Background & Motivation (15:52)

• Goldfield describes launching her show "Act Out" as a response to Occupy and a need not just for truth-telling, but for providing activist solutions and platforms.
• Emphasizes spotlighting ongoing grassroots struggles largely ignored by mainstream media.
  • Quote:
    • "People are fighting on all of these issues across the nation and they're just not getting those platforms." (16:41, Goldfield)

Evolution of Activism (17:07)

• Activism fueled by earlier experiences in environmentalism and the anti-war movement.
• Occupy helped unify disparate issues under an anti-capitalist critique.

Impact & Focus of "Act Out" (19:26)

• Goldfield reiterates the necessity of rooting activism in an explicit critique of capitalism, linking diverse struggles—environment, war, immigrant and women's rights—to economic structures.
  • Quote:
    • "None of our problems will ever be properly addressed unless we address the root cause, which is capitalism." (20:25, Goldfield)

Shifting Tactics in Labor & Left Movements (21:22)

• Growing labor militancy (e.g., teacher strikes) shows a break from reliance on Democrats, toward systemic questioning of the two-party structure.
  • Example: National union meeting pivots to "the Dems aren't going to help us, so what do we do?" (21:32, Goldfield)

Art’s Power in Activism (22:56)

• Goldfield asserts art is crucial for inspiring and recruiting people to activist causes, making complex or difficult issues accessible through emotional resonance.
  • Quote:
    • "Art is kind of the back door into people's minds because it hits them emotionally, and then they start to personally go over it in their mind..." (23:57, Goldfield)
• Creative activism events blend enjoyment with organizing: “If you don’t make it fun, people aren’t gonna come back.” (Sol Alinsky cited at 25:33)

Obstacles in Mainstream Media (27:48)

• Corporate media remains unreceptive to political critique; alternative media builds solidarity and makes change possible:
  • “Corporate media will never, they will die before they ever reach out a hand.” (27:51, Goldfield)
  • Experience of explicit censorship on platforms like Facebook and Google.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Women’s Activism:
  "Good leadership from the women in this country. It deserves recognition." (02:07, Wolff)
• On Public Good vs. Profit:
  "There are a lot of other things that ought not to be limited to people according to their ability to pay." (04:12, Wolff)
• On the Two-Party System:
  “Maybe it’s not just a matter of which party. Maybe it’s the two-party system and this whole structure that is perpetuating the ills that we’re all suffering under.” (22:17, Goldfield)
• On Getting Censored:
  "I've been censored heavily on Facebook and on Google and... the corporate social media as I call them." (27:56, Goldfield)
• On Fun in Activism:
  "If you don't make it fun, people aren't gonna come back." (25:37, Alinsky via Goldfield)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Women's Leadership in Strikes & MeToo: 00:50 – 02:50
• UC/Elsevier Open Access Decision: 03:00 – 04:15
• Corporate Deals & Political Critique: 05:20 – 08:33
• Protectionism Trade Segment: 08:38 – 11:37
• US Health Rankings: 11:45 – 13:15
• Employee Ownership Act: 13:15 – 13:50
• Tax Refunds & 2017 Tax Reform: 13:50 – 14:44
• Eleanor Goldfield Interview Begins: 14:46
• Roots of Activism & Act Out Launch: 15:52 – 19:26
• Critique of Capitalism at the Core of Social Ills: 19:26 – 22:21
• Intersection of Art & Activism: 22:56 – 25:52
• Censorship in Corporate Media: 27:48 – 28:21

Conclusion

This episode captures the revitalization of political activism in the U.S., the economic and systemic sources behind renewed collective movements, and the innovative role art plays in organizing. Through both Wolff's critical updates and Goldfield’s activist perspective, listeners gain insight into the necessity of structural critique, the broad and evolving base of activism, and the enduring importance of alternative, creative media in advancing social change.