Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff

Episode: "Growing Left Public Voices"

Date: September 24, 2020
Host: Richard D. Wolff
Guest: Mexie (Host of Vegan Vanguard podcast & YouTube channel)

Overview

This episode explores the expanding influence of leftist public voices in media and activism. Richard Wolff discusses recent economic news, highlighting student activism, pharmaceutical industry malfeasance, wealth inequality, and policy shifts, before a substantive interview with Mexie, a prominent YouTube and podcast creator. The episode emphasizes the need for interconnected critique of capitalism, social justice, and environmental issues, underscoring the importance of coalition-building among various left movements.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Student Activism at University of Michigan (00:10–06:55)

• Victory for Student Organizing: Students at University of Michigan went on strike in response to unsafe conditions post-COVID return; they ultimately forced the administration to retract legal action and disciplinary threats.
• Context and Lessons: Wolff contextualizes the event within broader trends of corporatization of universities—transitioning authority from students and teachers to administrators following a corporate model.
• Student Sentiment Data: Polls showed 51% of students believed returning to campus was a mistake; only 6% felt they were learning more than pre-pandemic, while 60% felt they were learning less.
• Systemic Critique: Wolff critiques the shift from education-focused to admin-dominated universities, likening it to a "Frankenstein story."
• Quote:

  “A university has two key players, the students who are there to learn and the teachers who are there to teach. They should be in charge because they're the people upon whom this institution depends.” — Richard Wolff, 05:58

2. Pharmaceutical Industry Criticism – Johnson & Johnson & Opioids (06:55–10:40)

• Legal Actions: The NY State Dept. of Financial Services sued Johnson & Johnson for misleading opioid advertising, especially towards the elderly.
• Grim Statistic: Since 1997, 400,000 Americans have died from opioid overdoses.
• Financial Perspective: J&J offered $4 billion to settle—$10,000 per death, a "trivially small percentage of one year's profits."
• Call for Oversight: Wolff advocates for a federal pharmaceutical commission, likening it to utilities or insurance industry oversight.
• Quote:

  “Killing people is like a bump in the road for the profitable pharmaceutical giant.” — Richard Wolff, 09:18

3. Wealth Inequality During the Pandemic (10:40–13:55)

• Stark Wealth Gains: The 643 richest Americans increased their combined wealth by $845 billion during the early pandemic, averaging over $1 billion per person.
• Economic Contrast: During the same period, over 60 million Americans filed for unemployment.
• Missed Opportunities: Wolff argues that taxing this windfall could have funded public health measures, such as safe reopening for restaurants, which would benefit many workers and students.
• Quote:

  “In our capitalist system, we used $845 billion not to help us through a supposed national emergency, but to make the richest people richer.” — Richard Wolff, 12:50

4. Policy Shifts: Millionaire Tax in New Jersey (13:55–15:15)

• Tax Advancement: New Jersey raised taxes on annual incomes over $1 million, expected to generate $390 million in new revenue.
• Implication: Wolff calls it a potential trend, a "straw in the wind”—a sign other states may follow.
• Quote:

  “Watch out, millionaires. This is coming all over America. New Jersey deserves the role of pioneer in finally recognizing that taxing the super rich is... long overdue in this society.” — Richard Wolff, 14:53

5. Unemployment Reality Check (15:15–15:50)

• True Unemployment Rate: Wolff calculates a real unemployment rate of around 18%, using 30 million people on state and federal unemployment benefits, far higher than the commonly cited 8.4%.

Interview with Mexie: Expanding & Uniting Left Voices

Introduction (15:50–16:22)

• About Mexie: PhD in geography, creator of a leftist YouTube channel & the Vegan Vanguard podcast. Focus on political economy, environmental governance, social and animal justice, decolonization.

A. Rise of Left Public Voices & Political Education (16:22–19:45)

• Mexie credits the convergence of the 2016 Bernie Sanders campaign & Trump’s election for energizing left media.
• Media Landscape: Right-wing dominance in online platforms (PragerU et al.) created a vacuum leftists moved to fill, providing analysis that directly addresses systemic capitalism.
• Youth Disconnection: Young people, burdened by debt/insecurity, are receptive to left critiques and political education absent from mainstream.
• Class Analysis: Understanding class & political economy helps people make sense of everyday struggles—contrary to right/liberal narratives.
• Quote:

  “There is just really this appetite for this kind of political education...and especially with the crises going on right now, I feel like left media is so important and people are responding to this work because we are actually providing analysis that makes sense and we can actually point people towards effective solutions.” — Mexie, 18:25

B. Intersection of Anti-Capitalism, Social Justice, and Animal Liberation (19:45–24:22)

• Personal Journey: Mexie moved from anti-capitalist and environmental politics into animal liberation/anti-speciesism.
• Preference for "Anti-Speciesism": Emphasizes the interconnectedness of human & animal oppression via capitalism and colonialism, rather than consumerist "veganism."
• Systemic Analysis: Rejects the notion individuals can “consume their way out” of capitalist crises—structural change is necessary and more impactful.
• COVID-19 & System Failures: Pandemic exposes brutality and inefficiency of current systems—e.g., mass destruction of animals while millions go hungry.
• Quote:

  “Anti-speciesism is a movement that understands that human oppression and animal oppression are interlinked...And so it really seeks to fight the root causes of this oppression and kind of expand the idea of liberation to be one of total liberation.” — Mexie, 21:58

• Encouragement: Urges activists to embrace intersectional organizing and direct action that combines multiple struggles for stronger collective impact.

C. U.S. Election Reflections from an External (Canadian) Perspective (24:22–28:07)

• While sensitive to her Canadian perspective, Mexie expresses clear opposition to another Trump term, calling the Biden campaign "a return to crushing neoliberalism."
• Cautious Hope: Suggests Biden may not extinguish left energy as Obama did; stresses the need for organizing beyond voting, as neoliberal Democrats won't solve fundamental contradictions.
• Missed Democratic Opportunities: Critiques the Democratic Party’s reluctance to embrace popular reforms (e.g., universal health care) and focus on serving donor interests.
• Quote:

  “There's actually the danger, I think, that if he gets into power and then doesn't actually provide any positive change...in four years time, we could just have a swing back to a potentially even worse Republican...But I'm actually hopeful because I don't actually think that Joe Biden can diffuse the revolutionary energy right now the same way that Obama did.” — Mexie, 26:18

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On university strikes & administration:

  "They went to court and they wanted to use the courts to fine the students, to punish them, to force them back. All the usual corporate behavior from the administrators. It didn't work...In other words, the students won their point and the university had to back down." — Richard Wolff, 01:45

• On Johnson & Johnson’s settlement:

  “That works out to $10,000 per dead person. That's how much Johnson and Johnson thinks a life in America is worth.” — Richard Wolff, 08:39

• On wealth distribution during COVID:

  “We could do such useful things. But we didn't. In our capitalist system, we used $845 billion not to help us through a supposed national emergency, but to make the richest people richer.” — Richard Wolff, 12:50

• On left media’s rise against right-wing dominance:

  “Big platforms like YouTube...were really dominated by these right wing grifters...and they were really just misleading people as to what were the true causes of their problems.” — Mexie, 16:46

• On building coalitions:

  “I really, really advocate for that in my work...as much as possible, I try to incorporate all these things in my analysis and encourage people to incorporate these things in their fights on the ground through direct action.” — Mexie, 24:03

Suggested Segments & Timestamps

| Segment | Start | End | |---------------------------------------|-----------|----------| | Student Activism | 00:10 | 06:55 | | Pharmaceutical Industry Critique | 06:55 | 10:40 | | Wealth Inequality | 10:40 | 13:55 | | Millionaire Tax in New Jersey | 13:55 | 15:15 | | Unemployment Numbers | 15:15 | 15:50 | | Interview: Introduction & Left Media | 15:57 | 19:45 | | Interview: Intersectional Justice | 19:45 | 24:22 | | Interview: Election Analysis | 24:22 | 28:07 |

Tone & Language

The episode maintains a direct and urgent tone, blending Wolff's critical, sardonic commentary with Mexie’s measured, thorough explanations and intersectional language. Both prioritize system-level analysis and coalition-building, expressing hope in growing left media and organizing despite daunting economic and political realities.

Summary

This episode demonstrates the power and necessity of leftist voices and intersectional analysis in today’s crises. Student activism, corporate malfeasance, staggering inequality, and cautious signs of policy reform are tied together by a dedication to system change. Through Mexie’s interview, listeners gain insights into the importance of unifying different liberation movements—animal, racial, environmental, and economic—while remaining grounded in material and class analysis. The evolving media landscape is viewed as an opportunity for the left to reclaim space, provide vital political education, and foster the collective energy needed to address the crises of capitalism.