Understanding Marxism: Q&A with Richard D. Wolff [June 2019]
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Prof. Wolff's latest book "Understanding Marxism"
Paperback: bit.ly/2BH0lkL
Ebook: bit.ly/2K6iI8v
Understanding Marxism Q&A with Richard D. Wolff
Prof. Wolff talks about the impetus for the book and why Marxism is appealing to a growing audience.
Wednesday, June 12th, 2019 at 7pm
Judson Memorial Church
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A paraphrase from John Steinbeck that I like and agree with: "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat, but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires"
true at the time because you could escape poverty when Steinbeck said that great observation. Escaping poverty may not be so easy this time around.
I love John Steinbeck. Cannery Row was great.
Complete bs tbh
Steinbeck’s sympathies were with the poor. He would be horrified at how the US has turned out, with the gulf between the 1% and the rest widening every year; with the rich rigging the tax code to favour themselves; and with captains of industry socialising their losses but keeping their gains.
@@LeScandal The gulf is widening yet the poor are better off than ever before.
i took a class in college on Communism and never had it explained as well as what Richard does in a 20 minute segment.
An entire class? And he explained more in TWENTY minutes? Wow.
Lies are quickly told.
it can take a very long time to explain something simple in a confusing way
Zachary Brody yea it’s pretty simple , communism and socialism always fails.
@@youtuber6185 In what way? Both Russia and China have in the past two decades brought more people out of poverty than any nation ever. Meanwhile the US is destroying the middle class and exploding the number of homeless and poor.
He looks like the guy that said “socialism is when... the government... does.. stuff..” wait is this actually the dude
yes
I read this in a novel (I think ) For social justice, work, affordable housing, good unespensive Health care. Forget identity politics, have invisible brigades block crucial infrastructure (train tracks as an example) to promote claims.
Yeah that's him. The clip you're talking about is taken out of context for a joke. In that clip he was mocking people who think that socialism is "when the government does stuff". But by cutting the first part, it makes it look like he's saying socialism is "when the government does stuff". It's funny, but it's obviously not his position xD
he is not a socialist......he is a STATE CAPITALIST. and hes making money off you ignorant socialist.....wolff is worth 12 million dollars
@@captrodgers4273 [citation needed]
I was listening To Jordan Peterson talk about Marxism, so I wanted to find out more about Marxism. Thanks for helping me learn
It's best not to listen to JP in general lol
@@UhhhNiko my life has improved tremendously since listening to JP, but I still have trouble with why Marxism is bad
@@Stranger_In_The_Alps We all need some help and guidance in our lives and I'm truly glad you're getting something out of his writing, but Peterson is absolutely clueless about Marxism. Good on you for looking more into it for yourself. Richard D Wolff's work in general is very accessible and informative, so if this lecture was interesting to you, check out more of his work. His podcast and books and terrific.
lol Jordan "The Pseudo Intellectual" Peterson...WHAT A GUY!
@@Stranger_In_The_Alps because it's fundamentally not bad and has never been bad. It's only bad for those who exploit others for profit, the employers.
Laughed so hard at
"No Marxist wants to debate me!"
"You've found him!"
JBP: Marxists wont debate me!
Also JBP: I wont debate him hes a Marxist
No smart Marxist wants to debate him. He cant waste his time with idiots.
ismsThere're two problems with that ... situation, and that's 1) that Marx wrote so pithily about every aspect of the business cycle, and not always in a coherent manner, and 2) that being a Marxist doesn't really mean anything except doing what Marx did, which was to observe and deduce. As far as I know, his activism didn't include much else than spending time explaining what the problem was, not saying outright what's to be done about resolving it, so saying you're a Marxist is kind of stupid, in my book. In terms of it being an ideology, I can agree, of course, but that you can say about any of the old -isms. What's interesting to me is how we immediately deflect from the topic at hand when we hear a trigger word, and I think we do that just as much from experience as from the way we process language. It's a Kiki and Bubba-thing, you know? Dr. Wolf is an elderly gentleman, and I'm afraid that a lot of time spent in academia has blunted his sense of this aspect of, well, psychology, if I'm going to be generous. Good dude, but he's got a lot of information to give in a short space of time, always it seems, so I guess there's that too. In a crisis you can't really delve into philosophy.
@@SleekMinister Yes, The communist manifesto and Das Kapital are almost the same thing to Mein Kampf. Both are basically rants, Hitler blaming Jews for basically everything, and Marx blaming bourgeoisie, again, led mostly by the Jews. Both of them offer the same insane solution, complete eradication of the opposition, no compromise possible. How could anyone take clearly insane people like Hitler and Marx/Engels seriously, is beyond me.
@@independentthought3390 i somehow doubt you read any of the three books
I'm a simple leftist, I see Richard Wolff, I click.
Im a simple capitalist. I believe what I see more than what I hear. I hear a lot of great theories coming out of Marxists like Wolff. What I have seen from Marxist regimes are economic failures and political hell holes. Not buying what Wolff is selling, but he is interesting to listen to.
Maximilian, yep. Stay simple. That’s how to justify your ideas. Your a simple lazy jerk who wants my shit cuz your too lazy to go out and earn your own shit.
@@mhandley0711 If you are rich I also want to eat you. You forgot that part!
@@bleuwater9629 bleu water I'm a simple socialist, I believe what I see more than what I hear. I hear a lot of great theories coming out of Capitalists like Smith and Friedman. What I have seen from capitalist regimes in Central America, South America, Africa, Asia are a series of failed states dominated by the first world in a number of ways. Millions of people perish from diseases that are cured and food that is lacking, but in other places almost half of it is thrown out. All the suffering, because it is simply profitable. Eat that capitalist propaganda up, you filthy bootlicker
@@bleuwater9629 if you quantify "economic success" by how rich the capitalists are, then sure. but Marxist governments have lifted literally hundreds of millions out of poverty. there were definitely serious issues with the USSR, the general lack of free speech in Marxist countries and many other issues, but capitalism has just as brutal if not worse early history. WW1 was a direct result of imperial competition between capitalist countries, and that's not to mention the atrocities in the Belgian congo, the American South, India, etc. the conditions of the workers were horrendous too, that's why there were such big labour movements in the 19th and 20th century. as socialists we must acknowledge the mistakes of our past and learn from them, but if we give up entirely because in some places bad things happened, then we would've thrown out capitalism literally centuries ago. it's socialism or barbarism. barbarism which I define as ecological collapse and the neo-feudalist future we are heading towards
"They said american universities are filled with marxists. But where are they? I have never found them. I was looking for them. I needed friends" 🤣🤣
Dude they don’t exist.. the so called “Marxists” or “communists” on campus have never picked up a Marx book in their life it’s just an edgy identity to look rebellious to their peers 🤮
@@James_744 True, I'm probably one of the few socialist college students who has read any of Marx's work. Most Marxist colleges students are just liberals who want to be edgy.
See, Spinosaurus is there for you.
actually in the 50s and 60s universities purged them. Seeing that marxism and socialism were causing the deaths of millions around the globe.
@@robertprice9052 You obviously didn’t watch the full video or didn’t comprehend it well.
The moment he said "You can call it a purple giraffe " I just burst out laughing 😂😂😂😂
Wow... when he described the difference of “How” you fight for reform, the difference between Bernie and Warren becomes super clear- Bernie is fighting to educate the American people to struggle for themselves; Warren reform is its own ends.
That's why there are right-wingers out there who actually believe that billionaires like George Soros were socialists. They're just capitalists calling for very mild social democratic reforms in order to keep the system running, but because they never bothered to actually get into socialist theory, they just assume they would be socialists lmao.
Bernie has never worked a single job in his whole life to earn a living. The Rip Van Winkle of American politics, the multi-millionaire with three homes managed to confuse young minds who are in the same situation as him are easily fooled with emotional lines that gets their heart strings. I often wondered how the USA rapidly lost its footing ever since the election of Obama. Now I know why. With Marxists subversive elements entrenched in all the western universities since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, to subvert the system by poisoning he young generations of the West, who needs an external force to collapse the west? Start here from an official who worked inside the former Soviet Union -> th-cam.com/video/Y9TviIuXPSE/w-d-xo.html
Just under two hours of Richard Wolf was of greater value than my four years of High School.
Never heard anything of this in high school...feels like brainwashing by omission.
Sad thing is, he's a proponent of public schooling. Check out John Taylor Gatto!
@@srubberalittle - can you pick out anything he said that is wrong?
@@srubberalittle haahhahahahaa gtfo liberal
His accent make this all easier to digest.
You can always spot a few people under this video repeating "Marxism has failed all over the world!" or "It killed 100 million people!" and etc. I'm not surprised at all. If you wanna compare it, nowadays we can easily accuse capitalists of killing millions of colony people(let alone World War twice ), but it makes no sense. Wolff said explicitly that the core issue is "who produced the surplus and who decided how the surplus to be allocated", few words that summarize the human history, and Marxists say the employees who produce the surplus ought to decide it while capitalists say not. It's just so simple question.
That's because those people are taking the right-wing trash (Ben Shapiro, PragerU, Stephen Molyneux, Candace Owens, OANN, Fox News, they listen to seriously
The workers do not decide anything in communism. That is a naive belief. The whole system is ran by a handful of elites and if you dont like how they do things, they take you out in field and execute you.
I haven't been so interested in a lecture in my entire life! My entire belief system is being flipped at the moment!
this comment makes me so hopeful
Not a socialist but he’s a really good speaker!
Dude, they amount of eye opening things hes saying for me.
I live in Canada, and I always thought it was odd how badly socialism is portrayed in education.
I remember in Jr high, an entire year of Social Studies was dedicated specifically on teaching us how scary Russia used to be because of how socialism let to communism over there.
I obviously didn't know any better at the time because I was a kid, but that year always stuck out in my mind because we've never went into depth about the economy of any other countries.
It definitely felt forced.
We need a bill of rights under any government
Professor Wolff is in his prime and delivering the message that we both crave and need to know at a breakneck pace like a pro. Thank you, Professor Wolff. Please know that your efforts are being heard and appreciated.
I often wondered how the USA rapidly lost its footing ever since the election of Obama. Now I know why. With Marxists subversive elements entrenched in all the western universities since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, to subvert the system and the young generations of the West, who needs an external force to collapse the west. Start here from an official who worked inside the former Soviet Union -> th-cam.com/video/Y9TviIuXPSE/w-d-xo.html
Just watch CNN. Plenty of lies and bullshit there for you to nom nom on. Idiot.
In the US, one guy has his own space program. It's time to have a discussion about the structure of our system and the degree of economic inequality.
Aaron Finn - all of socialism couldn’t run their own space program. And what they did accomplish was done by stealing what we had. Socialism doesn’t make for excellence and technological achievement. Socialism excels at bread lines, poor medical systems, low life expectancy and gulags where people think about liberty are tortured and worked to death
@@mhandley0711 What about those societies best described as "social democracies," societies in which the citizens have voted to impose on themselves high rates of taxation in order to establish a very strong social welfare state?
@@mhandley0711 socialism communism can be mixing with state lead owned capitalism.
thats why trump scared on GDP real ppp china as No.1, Eurozone ppp No.2, US ppp No.3, and so trump insisted to make a win lose trade deal with china, not a win win as china wants.
Edward, how about them?
France GDP 1990: $1.269T
Germany GDP 1990: $1.765T
U.K. GDP 1990: $1.093T
U.S. GDP 1990: $5.98T
France GDP 2017: $2.583T
Germany GDP 2017: $3.677T
U.K. GDP 2017: $2.622T
U.S. GDP 2017: $19.39T
That GDP GROWTH BENEFITS everyone. You’re socialist workers paradises are shit and weak economies and high unemployment.
You don’t think there’s high unemployment in your worker PARADISE OF the EU? Check the facts.
Socialism sucks and so does democratic socialism. Democratic socialism is just another way of saying you want some of my shit. Just you’re not willing to take all of it and send me to a work camp to work me to death for having thoughts of liberty.
@@nthperson th-cam.com/video/bX3EZCVj2XA/w-d-xo.html
The " Labor theory of value" was taught in Universities of Economic in Eastern Europe 1950-1995. Im one of them who studied it as a part of the mandatory exams on Marxism studies in the University of Economic back home.Since i came to North America, 20 years ago, I have not found yet anybody who knows about this theory, which confirms your observation as well.
And I don't get why it's not studied. I mean I do, but IF Marxism would be such a simple and stupid thing like they claim, then it shouldn't take much time to prove it wrong, right? Somehow they're afraid of it.
But I get it, it would destroy the American Dream. That's what keeps the system going. Any third world country does it, the first thing they do with their budget is to build schools and hospitals for their people, every country in Europe has public healthcare, it's even the position of many economic right-wing liberals that the government should provide some basic services for the people. In the US, they're perfectly fine with being treated like shit as long as nobody destroys their completely unrealistic dream that one day, they might be a billionaire.
Always thought the risk argument was ridiculous.
What are they really risking, what is the worst that can happen?
They lose their money and become an average citizen.
How telling is it that they think that is some horrible prospect?
@小熊维尼 Are you trying to say that utilizes are regulated by the government?
there's also the argument for aptitude or competency. it is not easy to create a gainful enterprise. if it were so simple then everyone would be able to do it. by the numbers, very few people can do it and people who can do it tend to do it more than once. that's just empirical observation. it's just the math.
is extraordinary talent addressed in this presentation of Marxism? it's not... is extraordinary production, or work ethic to be rewarded? apparently not... everyone should have a vote in the company, no matter how much of a free rider they are... don't we all see in every system of work around us that there are overoerformers and underperformers? isn't it "fair" for people who do more to get more and those who do less to get less?
is there no room for meritocracy left in the world?
@@trinydex it is addressed in Marxism because at it's core Marxism is just workplace democracy. Any issue or decision that arises is addressed by vote. Collective decision-making made by the people those decisions effect most.
"Hey guys I think Sandy's really been busting her ass and deserves a raise, and we have excess profit from last year, can we hold a vote on it?"
"Hey guys I feel like Jim's really slowing us all down. He either needs more training or to be let go, can we vote on this at next week's meeting?"
"Hey guys I feel like I deserve more pay or I'm going to have to go find work somewhere else. I'd like to put it up for a vote tomorrow"
There's plenty of evidence to answer your questions in the Basque region of Spain, in the city of Mondragon which is home to tens of thousands of people employed by worker co-ops. They have wage scales determined by the employees, give raises when fit, hire and fire collectively, etc
@@lepus6511 you are addressing only the basest of examples. look at how democracy paralyzes politics, how factions develop and they're so ideologically opposed that no one gets anything done and generations of vindictive behavior results.
your idealistic version of socialism or communism in the workplace is not immune to this. what happens when it's the vision of the company for 10 to 20 years? what happens when it's 1 awesome leader vs. another awesome leader?
@@trinydex These are the scenarios you presented. The idea that pay is stagnant and poorly performing workers run rampant is not based in any reality.
Again look at Mondragon. The co-ops there employ 70,000 people. Workers are smart. They know what's best for themselves and their jobs most of the time. The Mondragon workers voted to dock their own pay and furlough hours to keep everyone employed during the pandemic and it worked out well for them. Their demand dropped to a quarter of what it was and they kept the ship afloat with a 5% paycut. In the rest of Spain most people just got laid off, a decision completely out of their hands. Employees know they have to keep their business competitive or it will fail. Plus like minded people tend to work in similar places and live in similar regions of a country. And not all decisions are yes/no votes. If you have workers split on spending your excess profit on raises or buying new equipment you can split the profit to address both. Split between 2 options? Do one this month, one the next, see which brings better profit. There's hundreds of ways to compromise. Debate is a huge part of Marxism. Everyone gets to present their reasoning to convince others to vote with them. And if a vote result doesn't work after awhile you vote again and try something new. It's incredibly flexible
I'm going to go read Marx now
I will summarize, bourgeoisie bad, bourgeoisie steals, bourgeoisie horrible, get rid of bourgeoisie. Bourgeoisie. Bourgeoisie... Where was I?
@@independentthought3390 This but unironically.
Marx is so hard to understand... jargon is going to be the death of me
@@independentthought3390 yeah🤞🏻
Basically, in the end, marxism wants everyone to work for the benefit of everyone, for everyone to have at least the basic needs for living: food, housing and work and to use technology to make life easier. Where the more technology improves, the easier work will be, giving people more time to do other things and to enjoy life. Wealth will be distributed evenly and fairly. So in a marxist society, everyone is ensured to have a house, food on the table, work, a steady income and freedom to do what they want with their time. In return, people will give their time to work for the benefit of all.
I've just got my copy of Understanding Marixm but look forward to reading it. Thank you for all the work you do Professor
That's awesome.
Work? You mean he chose to apply his time and effort on his own?!? Why would you advocate for anyone to do something like that while advocating the complete control of labor.
Ohhhh marxist, you are cute with your dueling beliefs. We want freedom by control! Its delusional.
@@danielp28 you realize the workers are the ones saying they want control, your statement makes no fucking sense at all. He worked he wrote the book he does the talks that's a job and it's work. You go to work everyday you create more wealth for your job than they give to you and that's a necessity in a capitalist economy. Yet if you and all the other workers ran that company you'd all split your work up get it done and divide the extra money made up between you. All of you earning more and having a better life. He's advocating for you and yet your arguing against him. That is a sign of how we are taught in this country and not you thinking logically for yourself. You attack the man who suggest you deserve more and stick up for the man who decided you have enough and he will take the 80 percent extra you produced if not more than that. Congrats you played yourself
Daniel Paez you really misunderstand the whole premise of Marxism and socialism. The whole point is that in the current capitalist system you AREN’T getting what you’re working for, while the corporate executives are getting MUCH MORE than what they work for.
@@dogeness How do you assess that? Have you ever owned or operated an enterprise with employees? Set that aside for a moment, you misunderstand REALITY. The government takes most of your earnings, do you know what employer contributions are? Do you know how much the state takes in medicare tax? OH RIGHT! You probably don't have jobs because MUH LABOR IS UNDERPAID.
I can see why you believe that executives are paid more than their worth, but it's not up to YOU to determine. If you make a company work, you can try underpaying executives and see if your company remains stable. Fucking ignorant marxists, your reality is exactly what you want more of. More state = less money for your underskilled labor.
The way this professor explains complex matters to bite-size chunks is quite remarkable
No.. no.. it really isnt
Chew well and swallow these nutritious bite sized chunks.
If only --anything he said was true. Lol
They aren't complex, but yes he is great at teaching.
@@Jkjoannaki too bad he spews such trash lies
Mr Wolff’s passion and enthusiasm is infectious. I wish I had a teacher like him... what an honour for anyone to see his lectures or be taught by him. I tip my hat to you sir xxxx
Saima, I really don’t think you want R Wolff as your professor. Read a little more about George Papandreou, PM of Greece. Marxism fails ever time but usually results in a pile of tens of millions dead corpses....its unconscionable Marxism still has the luster of fools gold.
One of his students, George Papandreou, became Prime Minister of Greece serving from 2009 to 2011. Wolff remembers Papandreou as a student who "sought then to become both a sophisticated and a socialist economist."[20] However, CUNY Economics professor Costas Panayotakis observed that "after being elected Greek prime minister in the fall of 2009 on a platform that excoriated austerity as the wrong kind of policy to be adopted at a time of deep economic crisis, George Papandreou has reversed himself and, faced with a debt crisis, called in the International Monetary Fund and imposed the most brutal austerity program the country has ever seen."[21] Wikipedia
@@bluebird6300 did you watch the video?
@@peterf08 yes, I did and am unmoved
@Aaron NoneYa YOU do NOT know what capitalism is . Capitalism is NOT a Slavery, feudalism or socialism . Capitalism is based on voluntarily exchange of good and services . What you are referring to is CRIME , use of FORCE , which we have plenty in history and your "socialism " is full of it .
@Aaron NoneYa have you lived under Socialism? My family has and were sent to camps, tattooed, starved and witnessed death abound. That is our world's history in our last century, 100, 000,000 million dead due to socialism.
My family escaped in '68. My father worked as a coalminer in the day and janitor at night in the US and Canada. Only in a capitalistic society was my father able to raise our family out of poverty. No other system has been PROVEN to lift more people out of poverty EVER. 💯 What makes you so arrogant that you can remake Socialism better when history has PROVEN IT TO BE LETHAL and GRUESOME?
This video breaks down so many walls I've had my whole life. I wish I had a teacher like Prof. Wolff years ago. Amazing.
Michael Jandavs Same feeling. It was like finding the missing tassel.
@A Girl's Life lucky!
@@arnotheway9869 Finally some open minded people. Thank you guys for restoring a tiny bit of faith in humanity.
Are you familiar with Chris Hedges? If not, get him in the top of your queue.
@@fredoctober292 for a long time now. 👍🏻
This platform on TH-cam is incredibly important, more than you may know. Thank you.
I know, we need to expose how weak an argument there is for socialism, state capitalist, marxism whatever you want to call it is.
Marxists Propaganda has that effect in young/naive/emotional minds living on their parents earnings and never on the mature adult ones who actually contribute to society and know how a society and its economy actually functions. I often wondered how the USA rapidly lost its footing ever since the election of Obama. Now I know why. With Marxists subversive elements entrenched in all the western universities since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, to subvert the system from within by poisoning the young generations of the West, who needs an external force to collapse the west. Start here -> (th-cam.com/video/Y9TviIuXPSE/w-d-xo.html) from an official who worked inside the former Soviet Union and how each of the Marxist subversion methods are gaining ground in the west today....
I gotta be honest: my first impression of Professor Wolff was that he was just an eccentric dissident, but I was surprised at just how organized and persuasive a a speaker he can be when he wants to. Good sense of humor too. As an economics student, it makes me want to look into Marxism more.
Read Thomas Sowell. Marxism cannot be implemented without violence. And when it happens standard of living and liberty vanish.
Hope so, 'cuz capitalism is killing us and the planet.
No ho study Thomas sowell for the truth.
Richard Wolff is a lying fool
How do I get my out of touch parents to watch this?
They’re scared of socialism and they’re both in social security, plus all their kids and grandkids are getting free healthcare now .
Tell them if you don't watch it, you can say goodbye to social security income you're getting and medicare too. Because it'll be gone. Socialism bye bye.
And sorry, I can maybe stick you two in the living room. But you're both going to need to be greeters at wally world or something.
@@jmitterii2 meh, they sold the family farm, my inheritance, so they’ve got plenty of money all of a sudden, but it’s theirs and not for the betterment of anyone besides the people they buy shit from ... apparently... pitiful self centered folks...
Hope that mil hold out long enough to pay some stranger to wipe their ass in a few years.
Tell them that they should give it a shot. If socialism were like they believe, they shouldn't be afraid of it.
I also recommend you to watch what Noam Chomsky says about Adam Smith, helps introducing them to the fact that even capitalist theory itself is misrepresented in order to support and maintain the conglomerate of state power and capitalist enterprises.
Simple introduce it as Workplace Democracy and explain the flaws of capitalism before getting to marx
@@drewan6591 that’s been the most effective of an tactic with mom. She worked a lot of shit jobs with bad bosses, sexism etc. but she’s so busy squirreling away cash for something that I can’t imagine, I doubt she can imagine what she’s going to spend it on, she retired with some money yet freaks out about income if not working.
It feels like a lost cause but the only other option is to give up, not doing that.
"Jordan Peterson is walking self-help book"
Yem yem yem.... This is deliciously accurate.
"Of the sort you shouldn't buy"
@@CDexie lol!
You Sir are an IDIOT !!! Marxism is fucking. Your head --- EVEN WORSE Marxist theory appears good as a theory but in practice, the implementation of it has resulted in the slaughter and starvation of 120,000,000 people in the 20th century that to mention the untold poverty and misery under the tyranny of its stupid power-hungry leaders I see your problem is that capitalism has both winners and losers. What do you have against being able to make of your life what you will through your own incentive, hard work & talent ??????? You think the equal sharing of poverty and misery like Venezuela with it socialism, is better ????????????????? Where is the fairness and forced equal outcomes. Let those who will succeed and be of benefit to their country do so, ----- and the liberal Marxist indoctrinated drug addicts live off the fat of the land while they can and then become homeless. When they communist New World order takes hold with us glad to join when the social degeneracy and chaos gets bad enough, they will round up all the useless eaters and exterminate them.
@@answerman86 all that texting..you missed a fox news special
@@jimbodriver1015 My reply that I believe you're speaking of is to narutofmx. For anyone who's political knowledge goes beyond Marxist indoctrination that stupid video of the Wolff man should give a good laugh. He fails to mention that in order to institute their Marxist philosophy they had to slaughter and deliberately starved to death 60,000,000 of their fellow countrymen. Beyond that, for the success of communism he brings up modern China when they slaughtered and deliberately starved to death 60,000,000 of their own people and he fails to mention today's success in growth of China by the percentage is from a start from nearly nothing whereas their 10% growth is less of a accomplishments than a 3% growth of a huge prosperous economy like ours. Beyond that, he fails to mention that the excess of communism in China is not success derived from communism, but from STATE CAPITALISM where the workers are paid only slave wages, assigned what they will be doing for their life's work, and work about 12 hours a day, are often supplied Barrick's type housing to live in, and have little money to go out on the town, with no ability or choice to will go out and find a better job. Anyone who doesn't realize communism happiness restricting totalitarian nightmare that prevents you from making what you will of your own life through your own incentive, hard work and talent is a naïve, gullible and foolish Marxist propaganda indoctrinated & programmed politically retarded Nitwit,
Yes! was waiting for one of these. I clicked Like immediately.
Lol me too!
Obvious CR commie although you probably don't even realize it. The philosophizing son of a bitch (Marx) was nothing but a Malcontent Full of Negativity, Dividing the world into only the 2 categories of the Oppressed and the Oppressor. Of course his dangerous demonic wretched philosophy had not yet been put into practice or he could have been a critic of that, saying that the implementation of his own philosophy resulted in force compliance to make everyone equally poor and the slaughter and starvation of 110,000,000 of their own countrymen in the 20th century. -all for "The Greater Good". He says he loves AOC who is a charismatic high-energy delusional nutcase with a child mentality. No cows, no cars that run on gasoline, retrofit to meet environmental standards or tear down and rebuild all buildings, no national or international air travel. We can build a railroad to Hawaii. Remember that ?????
"Capitalism exploits workers" ???????? Yes, and it pays them for being exploited, providing them with a livelihood. But having what education you get and having your life's work determined for you by the state, No, that's Not being exploited ???????? Are you nuts. Do you want to be a doctor and receive the same pay as a street cleaner and garbageman under a Marxist system ?????????? Do you think that having the state assign people to the job that is decided for them is better than letting people use their own talents, incentive and hard work to exceed naturally into being as productive as they can be ?????? and do you think a giant bureaucracy to run everyone's lives and distribute to everyone is better than letting people run their own lives. The bigger the government, the smaller the person and the more tyranny there will be over him. Don't ever forget that. And he worked in the British Museum on the hen you read.
@@answerman86 So you think capitalism is the end of the road, the pinnacle of achievement that must not be reformed in anyway. Judging by your essay I woulds say you stopped watching 20 minute in.
Daddy Wolff radicalizes me. And I like it
Under my 2*2 years master degree in the U.S., I have never heard Marxism in class, that makes me think it is a taboo in America.
It’s the same with facism, both ideologies are authoritarian in nature and lead to mass restrictions of individual rights and both need to be treated as such
@RUSSIAN ROBOT very true. Which is why I believe that keeping the economy in the control of the individual consumer is crucial
@@glub4905 it's not, you didn't even watch the video nor do you know what communism is
@@du42bz yeah, i've lived it for 20 years thank you very much. You idiot have no idea what's in store for you if it gets there.
I only wish I'm as active or as engaging in my 70s. What a perspicacious man Dr. Wolff is! You are a national treasure, I cherish these videos.
He might be a national treasure in North Korea, but no communist as a national treasure here in United States. The only thing they will bring is tyranny and poverty.
@@answerman86 He's obviously not for north korean style authoritarian communism.
@Alan 59 He's for worker co op socialism.
the socialists don't like the poor ,they just hate the rich...I mean this dude is another piece of crap who is trying to sell his shitty ideas to stupid enough people who would eventually buy it...
His talks are easy to take apart. All this clout and it is strange how easy it is to remove any strength from his arguments.
This is Wolff's best speech yet
You like listening to fairy tales and innacurate descriptions of capitalism. A cheap memorized monologue.
Here is a basic lesson for you Wolffies...
Capitalism = voluntary cooperation
Marxism = involuntary organization of labor.
USA = SOCIALIST
The spread of bad ideas doesnt qualify them as good. Yes, it excites some folks to be able to use state power to take something that was not produced by their labor or effort.
Marxism died when fat, angry, lonely losers started chanting for equality. Make your own! Lazy fucks.
@@danielp28 Did you... even watch a minute of this lecture? Or really, any lecture on Socialistic ideas?
That's a very low bar.
@@jeremias-serus which point of mine do you disagree with? You morons are the most educated malinfomed group of people, even collectively you cant seem to understand very basic arguments. The current system has traces of capitalism, quickly diminishing thanks to folks like you.
Try Steve Quayle if you want to hear somebody really good with knowledge and understanding way beyond the norm.
Respect from China 🇨🇳! China universities all have a course about Marxism...study the capitalism operation, the good side and shortcomings...no system is perfect. Art of the war saying the most important is knowing yourself and outside well firstly... same here, u need to find your own ways, coz everyone situation is different. So study Marxism can be useful for the people who want to change to be better.
Sorry my English is not good
@@user-il8bv4fg7p It's not bad.
I´ve always admired Professor Wolff. This lecture was incredible!
> This lecture was incredible!
Correct. Lacking in credibility 😁
Thankyou Richard Wolff, best than any University teacher
@Deep Thought yeah specially teaching things that dont help you understand reality, that's the importance of historical materialism
This Q&A with Professor Wolff is absolutely riveting, informative, relevant and important for our chaotic world of failing capitalism, climate and biosphere emergencies, wars and overpopulation. What a great communicator and scholar!
Riveting or seemingly delusional...
Which country is capitalist again? The US stopped being a free market in 1913, but I wouldnt expect you to understand the effects of controlled currency by a state. You know, like how Marx proposes the exact thing by directing labor? Fucking morons!
Wolff is terrific
This is not taught in college
Marxists Propaganda has that effect in young/naive/emotional minds living out of their parents earnings and never on the mature adult ones who actually contribute to society and know how a society and its economy actually functions. I often wondered how the USA rapidly lost its footing ever since the election of Obama. Now I know why. With Marxists subversive elements entrenched in all the western universities since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, to subvert the system from within by poisoning the young generations of the West, who needs an external force to collapse the west. Start here -> (th-cam.com/video/Y9TviIuXPSE/w-d-xo.html) from an official who worked inside the former Soviet Union and how each of the Marxist subversion methods are gaining ground in the west today....Watch carefully as these propagandists will never in their life have a debate with real economists....
This was therapeutic. I recently read a comment complaining about "cultural marxism" ruining Lord of the Rings because they didn't like that the Amazon Corporation had invented black dwarfs...and the comment made me die a little inside.
This should be the main question of every worker:
Why do we go to work and produce a surplus over which we have No Control?
YES YES YES Professor!
The concluding note of this video and the one for Philosophy Tube's video on Peterson go so well together.
He delivers packages quickly because of the Post Office.
More accurately he is running a town square market but he owns the square
Donnerfuß rag pat deep
I am a capitalist, and if I am honest with myself, unlikely to ever change my political and long held views... but this lecture is excellent and insightful. Mr Wolff is a fluent and passionate speaker and you can tell he genuinely believes unwaveringly in a cause/philosophy; that means a hell of a lot in modern times. And coming from a brit, with all the fronting of some of our politicians over Brexit, I feel I'm qualified to make that statement. As you are sir
How many people work for the businesses you own?
@@Falcrist hi,
I am not a business owner, and I am unlikely to be as I value family time more, however in a functional society I do believe that a strong economy is based on the success and growth of companies big and small. If you disagree I understand, as this is why I watched this video in the first place, I am willing to listen to the other side and it's this mindset that grows society rather than creating echo chambers, which lets face it, is never a good idea.
I hope you are well and all the best 👍
@@DitchySOOTO1 Then you aren't a capitalist, but rather a working class supporter of capitalism. And why you would willingly choose to support a system which seeks to destroy your workers rights, is beyond me.
Success and growth of companies is not reflective of the health of society as a whole. Monopolization, gutting of labour laws, dumping plastics into the ocean, even exporting war abroad - all of these and more make companies a lot of money at the detriment of everyone else. Wealth does not trickle down under capitalism, rather it floats to the top with every purchase you make.
I was not aware of you Sir. I really appreciate your scholarly and accurate discussions and descriptions of socialism and communism. Thank you for being brave enough to tell the truth.
Ohh man!!! I discovered Mr Wolff few days back by accident on my recommended TH-cam videos and I decided to click.
Best click of my life!!
Agreed! I just learned about him this week and can’t get enough
I'm a baby Boomer, and I do recall learning in the public school system about Marxism and Communism, though I am certain not to the depth that Richard Wolff discusses it. I am blessed that I have kept an open mind about the many social and political issues which shapes our country today. I do not participate in the ignorance so many of us are stricken with when it comes to Race relations, political and economic systems which has caused such a huge rift between ALL Americans today. Capitalism, Socialism and, yes, Communism can coexist in our nation, but as a people we must always remain vigilant to prevent abuses to them which would continue to threaten our Democracy and our way of life. Not only should we be equal in the eyes of the law, and the workplace, but remember that in the eyes of GOD (however he is worshiped) WE ARE EQUAL.
william ,
Marxism- death camps, stasi, gulags, bread lines, death penalty for thinking about liberty, wire tapped phones, Travel permits to keep people inside the socialist paradise hell on earth, and so on. Oh and ya, if you have shit, socialism is lazy fucks who want your shit - coming and taking it and sending you to a concentration camp for having had that shit that they took, oh and ya, murdering your wife and kids in front of you first.
@@mhandley0711 It would be hilarious, if it were not so sad. You can't tell the difference between an economy, and a state.
Marxism is not a way of life, or even an economy.
It's a critique of capitalism.
It's like atheism: not god. Other than that, anything.
There are no Marxist countries, because Marx never said what to do next. Just that it should not be capitalism, and should be democratic.
How about in socialism, the rich stop taking things from YOU, and you don't have to worry about people taking your stuff.
99% of people benefit from socialism.
Are you the 1%?
no?
Then what are you complaining about?
You sound bitter and angry.
@@mhandley0711 I doubt Marx would approve of any of the things you mentioned.
@@sanford943 They complain about death camps, tapped phones, and bread lines, as if those things don't exist in capitalist countries.
Or the US specifically.
Why do these rich capitalist countries even need food banks, when they are the wealthiest countries that have ever existed?
Because capitalism=inequality.
@@Azirahaelx wtf
Simple, employees all vote to choose a leader that represents their own ideals, and they act as leader and every quarter you vote a new leader. If the disagreement on the leader gets too heated you can split the company in two. The fundamental rule is that the company sells it's good at a market and the money gets split between all the producers. You can also have a constitution or founding document to outline how it all works.
Man this hit hard! I am almost on fire for a revolution.
Read the gulag archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
@ei2u43 You comparing 20,000 deaths that occurred during a war to 100 million deaths from a dangerous ideology?
@@MrKevinwg There are no 100 million deaths from communism. That's an arbitrary made-up number that sounds scary. Stalin had about 800,000 people killed over his 32 years at the helm of the Soviet Union. You can safely blame his policies for 3.3 million deaths. If you want to blame him for famine and disease that was not caused by his policies, but not prevented by them you can probably blame him for about 6.5 million additional deaths.
That might get you to 10 million deaths, but it would be irresponsible. The 100 million figure requires he killed more than 20 million people. Which leads to the problem, where are these numbers coming from? If you blamed Stalin for 3.3 million deaths, which is the actual figure, then people could probably have an intelligent discussion about whether Stalin's repression was necessary or excessive. That's a debate in Leninism between Stalinist and non-Stalinist Marxist-Leninists. It has very little bearing on the legitimacy of non-Leninist Marxists.
@@MrKevinwgWolff is a blowhard with a mediocre intellect
What a wonderful teacher.
Helps us see what is right in front of us, hiding in plain sight.
This should be compulsory viewing on a regular basis.
Marxists Propaganda has that effect in young/naive/emotional minds living out of their parents earnings and never on the mature adult ones who actually contribute to society and know how a society and its economy actually functions. I often wondered how the USA rapidly lost its footing ever since the election of Obama. Now I know why. With Marxists subversive elements entrenched in all the western universities since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, to subvert the system from within by poisoning the young generations of the West, who needs an external force to collapse the west. Start here -> (th-cam.com/video/Y9TviIuXPSE/w-d-xo.html) from an official who worked inside the former Soviet Union and how each of the Marxist subversion methods are gaining ground in the west today....Watch carefully as these propagandists will never in their life have a debate with real economists.....
Brilliant as always, thank you Professor Wolff and Democracy at Work!! Hope to see you up in Boston sometime!
Every few months listen to this again. I've read Marx,I learned about socialism,communism etc vs. capitalism at my father's knee more then 60 years ago...but I'm always overwhelmed by Prof. Wolfe's lectures for simplifying,educating and preparing Americans for the coming change.
I plan on sitting and listening to this and other Prof. Wolff videos with my now 3 month old granddaughter at least once per year. Lots to listen to for sure ...
What coming change? Socialism? Lol.
Notice Richard doesn’t move to a socialist country? What a lying fucking coward he is.
Очень интересно. Всегда приятно слышать по настоящему образованного и думающего человека. 👍🏻
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊i9i😊😊😊ìiii😊ì😊ùi😊IjIhù
Be careful "en 5sc2ty72 USA is plenty of Nazists they think, they own all the world.
Capitalismo depredador
" Socialismo"
Usa has been destroying every govermen that think like Coronel Gaddaffi, Chavez .
Fantastic. I'm so grateful to be here at this right time to absorb what you are sharing.
This is really wonderful ... the history of the USA is so dishonest. Thanks, great video.
justgivemet
And you think your getting an unbiased history lesson here?
American History has been rewritten in education for decades.
The real question for me is who are the people driving the take over of America?
@@kccox8516
Not everyone who is super-rich is trying to take over the country,
but the movement to take over the country would not exist if not
for some of them.
Wolff adds to that dishonesty
Some elements of Orthodox socialism are well en-bedded in the US. For example 2008 bailout of banks, frequent bail out of auto corporations,.. But no one talks about budget deficits. That is creating debt to cover today's cost of government on the account of children and generations not even born. Children are the easiest to screw up and the governments are doing just that and for over 40 years in a row. It is already $22 trillion that today's children and those who are not born, yet they will have to service. This is something Karl Marks would be ashamed for.
And food subsidies ??? Most do not even know that food in the USA is subsidized. That takes place under the "farmers subsidy". Since 1923. No communist country subsidized food for all citizens.
axiom1 Socialism’s primary ideology is to abolish private companies and have the community own and manage the companies. Education, Health care and food subsidies are social services. You can have a capitalist country with social services and these do not make it socialist. Finland , for example is a mixed economy because 7% of their companies are state owned. So their economy is mixed between capitalism and communism. Yes they have a large social net but their means of production are not owned, managed by the community. There are actually no countries thriving that use ANY socialism that I know of. Watch the Democratic Socialist convention for 2019 and you will see
Why. It’s a mess
The way he enunciates his words, translation algorithms love him.
This is the best video. I watch it again from time to time when recommend it to a friend. Especially that last part, about Peterson, very nice touch to reach across the lines
This make me frighten of Marxism and the easily deluded people.
This man is superb. Such analysis, such clarity, such insight, delivered with a degree of tasteful humour. Our politicians could learn a lot from this particular economist, but I don't think they are either intelligent enough or have the political integrity to separate themselves from their sponsors.
I have read a lot of his books and he makes previously confusing books a lot clearer than before, such as the writings of Karl Marx.
Without being to self deprecating it is difficult to explain Marxian theory to somebody on the doorstep who cannot pay the rent or, feed the family. They don't understand where you are coming from they need solutions.
Wolff is whiny and envious of his betters. He wants businessmen to take care of him. What a crybaby, like all commies. Be a man. Be a capitalist!
on the contrary i dont think politicians care enough about socialism and its applications
@@achyuthaaparthasarathy5931 If you are replying to me ,whats the connection?
@@TeaParty1776 not u david woolnough
@@achyuthaaparthasarathy5931 No.
I love listening to Richard Wolff
Dude's a gem, sorta like Chomsky...
Head shoulders and ass above Noam
“We are convinced that liberty without socialism is privilege, injustice; and that socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality.”
― Mikhail Bakunin
And he's not nearly as dour and mean as Chomsky can be
@@MaxShoham has not as old. Chomsky was more upbeat 30 years ago.
Dont recall him being mean, please post link.
julian shepherd I guess so. And I really like Chomsky! Very inspirational figure. But Chomsky comes across as holier than thou and in interviews often replies callously- it feels like he always thinks people are wasting his time
Thank you. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the discussion. You have sparked my interest in this topic with a renewed perspective of how to approach it progressively and intellectualy
It's really weird hearing the thing about Herman Cain not having a "full deck", from a time before he died of COVID-19 after attending a Trump rally.
Yeah, I’m not one to rag on the dead, and frankly, from what I can tell, the man wasn’t exactly “evil” (like a Bezos, or a Koch, or a Clinton, or Bush, for example), so I’m not gonna relish his demise like I did with the one Koch brother a year or so ago... That said, it’s kind of hard to feel sorry for the guy, when he gloated over the foolish and reckless behaviors Trump all but encouraged at his Juneteenth rally, and he proudly and ignorantly engaged in said behaviors, while giving cover to Trump as a “token black”, insisting nothing about Trump or his governance has been remotely racist, and adding fuel to the lie that “Trump has done more for black ppl than anyone in our history”, or however they worded it... I’m not celebrating his death like I did with Koch, or Scalia, but with what he dedicated himself to in more recent years makes it basically impossible for me to feel bad for him...
Yeah its weird. I wonder what is gonna change cuz of the covid crisis. And the bullshit they say that the stocks are going up isn't the case no more.
@@nikolademitri731 Well said. He's simultaneously the victim and also the perpetrator of the very system that both built his career and killed him. It's sad and strange all around, if he was a larger political figure I'd say historians would study the situation for years. A mix of propaganda, double-think, and hypocrisy. "Internal contradictions," as some might say.
People die after going for a walk. Did they die FROM the stroll, or WITH the stroll? What about all the thousands demonstrated against racism after G. Floyd's death? Did anyone in this group die of/with the new flu? Ever hear of the distinction between co-morbidities and cause of death?
@@degamispoudegamis Since viruses measure in nanometers, unless the mask does not allow you to breathe, there is no mask that stops them from getting out. I am sure you know this already. You are just being coy. As the WHO has recently affirmed that PCR tests are not for determining infection, we know that this campaign fear-porn you and your fellow trolls have been spreading is bogus. We also know that none of this has anything to do with the new flu. We also know that many of you are being paid to write stupid, provocatory things on the internet, just to get everyone angry. Cheers.
Richard, please go be Bernie’s advisor... if you care as much please, your wisdom is needed
I love Bernie but think he handed a win to complicit Repukes by tagging himself as a socialist.
Americans are not ready - too propagandized by corporate media.
And propaganda is the exact truth... I’m not sure how far to the left the American ppl truly want to go, but by discussing and pitching these ideas that most American agree with he is opening the gates to undemonize the fear of the S word that has been so adamantly pounding into the American psyche
@@Blkeith88 exactly whether Bernie gets the nomination or not matters but it doesn't he's making waves and opening people up to a different way of thinking here. It's happening all over the world but we don't think of other countries as having it better so we don't see it until someone says hey look at these guys they're happier. And Bernie's doing that whether he wins or not what he's doing can't be undone the cats out of the bag.
I've heard Bernie actually thinks capitalism is ok. Electing anyone won't solve our problem, until a lot of people, our friends, acquaintances etc. don't understand what capitalism implies and what leftist idea actually is.
@@MaximC Yeah bernie is at the very least claiming he is pro capitalism. He used to be a socialist, but now he believes in social democracy. He's just mislabelled it democratic socialism for whatever reason.
The answer to those first two questions is THE best explanation of reform vs. revolution I've ever heard.
And I'm old in internet years.
I must say that I’m liking very much of what Dr. Wolff is saying here. And I just admire his humility and sincerity. Definitely moves me to come out of my slumber of indoctrination and my self imposed biases against Marx, as well as others, because of it and read Marx for the first time and read him with intellectual honest and objectivity. In fact, as Dr. Wolff points out to some degree, I only know of Marx what I’ve been “told” to know about him! And that’s a sad and ridiculous state of affairs.
I simply like this man’s perspective on the pros and cons and the realities, as much as that’s possible, of economic philosophy.
I’ll be sure to catch more of him... as well as many of the great economic philosophers of note, both past and present.
Valuable video!
I feel the same way. The best blessing from the pandemic and being contained to my house most of the time is having the freedom to reeducate myself. I finally am realizing and understanding the falsehoods I've been told not only by the american education system but my republican parents as well. So crazy to see that I've never actually understood much of the "devil" I was instructed to stay away from my whole life and realizing that I actually like this ideology so much more and it's always been more of my own. Can't wait to read his books I just ordered!
@ LYNAE
Good for you! It is quite sobering and awakening to listen to this man. I hope not to throw the baby out with the bath water or jump out of the frying pan into the fire but he has engaged me and stirred me to question the gospel according to many of the things and many of people that I’ve been lead to believe or have allowed myself to accept or believe for one reason or another for a good part of my life. And like you say in so many words, it’s time to put the various philosophies side by side and let them speak for themselves and see where the chips may fall in relation to life, and go on from there with an informed and objective opinion rather than an adopted and unquestioned one. And another blessing from this pandemic is that it has opened my eyes, at least, to where the American government’s interests really lies. And it seems to be with and for big business. And that’s with respect to both parties. In fact, both parties seem to me to only play out before the American public what they’ve both practiced back stage with each other. Matter of fact, I truly believe that big business really runs the country. I’ve thought this for years! Maybe that’s one of the reasons this video triggered my interest. But then I should say that I can be a little paranoid at times on some issues. Lol! But then again, isn’t that the same thing as feeling a little uneasy about something you’ve accepted and held for a long time and without question and only come to realize it when you stumble on some guy like the good Dr. here in this video? America is a great country but she’s definitely not squeaky clean and has a whole lot of room for improvement and can be made much better for all her citizens... if we can get big business out of Washington and get Washington out of our business.
What did you read? I want to read some of his work but I don't know where to start and a lot of it is exceedingly long.
What were you told before about Marx?
@Frey Faust I feel like the presentation of Marxism here is a little ingenuine. this presenter frames Marxism as a critique of capitalism, but Marxism is actually more than that. even if we just evaluate the communist,
manifesto, it is prescriptive. it prescribes what should be done and it prescribes revolution. the fact that this guy is able to jovially, with personal attacks, defend this economic philosophy might be telling that he doesn't have that much philosophical integrity.
notice he mostly talks about what we the people would want from a system. he doesn't talk about the reality of how systems work.
this is pretty typical of Marxists and that's why the predominant criticism of Marxism is that it's a theory and it doesn't work in real life. this however is a very philosophically dissatisfying explanation. so here's a more satisfying one.
on binary principle: capitalism is freedom at the cost of equality and communism is equality at the price of freedom.
in capitalism, you can be free and by virtue of being free, you are free to be unequal. by definition everyone will be unequal, because freedom is more highly valued. this is also the most natural, basic form of governance and economics.
communism on the other hand requires equality, principly at the cost of freedom. but to create uniform equality requires force, the construction on freedom. this is why all state sized communism in application requires force, they tend toward tyranny because force is a prerequisite to create or keep the large scale uniformity.
additionally it is easier to create equal poverty than it is to create equal wealth. the easiest path is the lowest common denominator, not the highest common denominator.
can communism be applied in companies and in small social settings? absolutely. co-ops, family, religious organizations are all places where people use their freedom and CHOOSE the constriction of their freedom so that everyone can be equal or more equal in outcome of: finances, respect, status, loyalty, etc.
not all communism is bad. not all capitalism is good. until people can learn to speak in nuance and truly investigate why the pros and cons of any given system exist, there will be no truth found.
Fantastic... especially starting at the hour mark or so, but the whole thing is an extraordinary important history and current events lesson. Please share EVERYWHERE.
Hello from Britain. I`ve not watched one of Wolff`s videos for a while and I have forgotten how much I enjoy them. He is such a clever man.
@Vianca Applebaum Marx was not a Zionist
Watch the few debates he has done. His ignorance and lies collapse at the most basic level of truth
My father was an English merchant marine sailor who sailed into Germany in the early 1920s. He said on one of his trips, the price of a loaf of bread went up 1000% overnight. That was how bad it got.
Such a incredible articulation on reform revolution and maladies of capitalism.
As an Austrian I am pleased and very surprised to hear him speak the name of Kurt Eisner! Long live the Bavarian Council(Soviet)-Republic! And also pleased every time someone from the US mentions Bertold Brecht,Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg! Very important leaders of the German and international communist and workers movements! Read their works! You will profit from it!
Mass murder? Never heard of it.
@@TeaParty1776 You mean the mass murder of innocent Bavarian workers and peasants and people that practices their free speech after the council-republic that Kurt Eisner founded with the vast majority of the people behind him was toppled violently by capitalist forces. Or the murder of Eisner himself by an agent of the bourgeoisie. I heard of that. Thank you.
@@maxmeggeneder8935 My guess is that you mean the failed Marxist revolution in post-WW1 Germany that was defeated by anti-capitalist nationalists.
@@TeaParty1776 Why do you think that the could have been anti capitalist when they were armed, funded and sent there to kill by the big industrialists of the time?
And I want to bring this to a point. Why did you make your "mass murder never heard of it?" comment. Do you think that the Bavarian soviet-republic commited mass murder or what was that about?
I will not convert to the tea party and you will not become a socialist, so why bother? Except you want to troll around and waste my time.
Who needs to attend university to read for an economics degree when Professor Wolff is at the podium?
Professor Wolff is not only sharp at his subject but he also has a brilliance in speaking; not many sharp minds know how to deliver a lesson and/or message. Elementary school kids can understand what he is talking about without getting bored.
Hail Professor Wolff. Great admiration and respect for you from Guyana, South America.
I like to meet this man in his lifetime. I write from Nigeria.
Why you want to meet Pr Richard Wolff? He is a simple person who has always ask questions. You should learn how to be sceptic
My heart-felt thanks to Professor Richard Wolff for explaining and articulating socialism so well so crystal clear. You are really a wonderful and enlightening teacher !
I wad teary eyed and emotional watching this and I am not even American
Who's cutting onions? I'm not even American either.
Fuckin hell grow a pair
Wow, finally someone explained who JP really is. I agree 100% with him.
Dr. Wolff is brilliant with a great sense of humor.
Many people suggesting Joe Rogan inviting him. It could be interesting, 100 times better than JP.
JP is a grifter. I liked the guy until he was on PragerU getting paid to say VuVuZwela
I'm a far right person, I love to listen to Dr Wolff, his way of explaining, his logic. I might not agree with him on every point but I think his vision of a possible post capitalist future and why makes a lot of sense.
Love listening to Wolffs talks. Really captivating ideas, like a book you can't put down.
Also, the last bit at the end about Peterson, I'm so glad to hear someone else have a similar take on him as I've had. So many talk about him as a genius leading a generation of young people to righteousness. I see him as a con man pandering to a disillusioned group and taking advantage of them for profit and religious reasons. Glad to see an assessment closer to what I see.
Peterson is a con man, no doubt. But he believes his own bullshit
This is by far the best thing I have heard from Richard Wolff .... amazing.
Wolff said that instead of having a board of directors we could have hourly employees take turns weekly to make all of the decisions. He’s deliciously ignorant... his foolishness is so entertaining.
That’s like saying , “let’s have students take turns teaching his class weekly” Wolff does not see running a business as requiring any skill. If 96% of businesses fail in 10 years then it’s kind of obvious that business is more challenging that being a Marxist professor
@@youtuber6185 Here we go again with your anti intellectualism if running a business is more challenging than being a Marxist professor then how many Marxist professor do you know? Compare that to how many business people do you know? You dont even need to answer just marinate on it..
ike man An intellectual knows that society is a manifestation of the average will. Society is not a construct but a collection of voluntary exchanges. Socialism and Communism are both attempts to control outcome and to gain equality over chaos. You may also marinate that idea ....if you choose....
@@youtuber6185 I can't even distill out your argument you're calling a PhD holder ignorant just cos you don't like his economic philosophy? Dude there's no society on Earth that doesn't practice some form of capitalism and private property ownership. The real question is if you're ok with American style winner take all capitalism. A system massively rigged to benefit a very tiny minority while the majority live in economic despair. If you're ok with that then Richard Wolfe is not the guy you should be watching and Bernie Sanders will probably not be your preferred candidate.
America is now in the grip of the worst anti-intellectualism probably in its history. Getting an education is being demonized and anyone with a different opinion is seen as an enemy of the state. It's lil wonder that Trump is being worshipped by so many while he is literarily driving the ship of state off a cliff.
ike man him having a PhD doesn’t automatically make him correct about his premise that community ownership of the means of production is superior. He’s simply wrong about his main premise.
Documenting all the ills of capitalism doesn’t therefore equate to “ well then community ownership will solve the issues”. Corruption exists in capitalism and why would taking away private ownership rights over the means of production solve it. I think it would make the corruption worse. And that’s not my opinion, that’s what history has proven.
Even with all the flaws of humans , society has prospered in the last 100 years.
I can tell by your argument that you have trouble separating the problems of society with the system as whole. I won’t convince you nor Wolff because you both have a flawed argument of causation and correlation.
"I don't want you to ask me why I'm a Marxist, I want you to ask yourself why you aren't" -Richard D. Wolff
Couldn't have said that better.
Really, it sounds like an idiot doesn't know that Marxists are responsible for the largest nationcides and genocides in human history. I would have less problem with comrade Wolff if he was a Nazi, at least it has an appearance of practicality.
@@narniafreak129 oh your right I forgot that the genocide in Rwanda was communist, oh and that Hitler was a communist too, and the massacres Nanking and Spain were communist too, oh wait no they weren't. Go back to 4Chan if you want to spread your fascist shit small boy
@@corkscrew4585 So obviously there is a "capitalist" Marx who wants to exterminate classes right?? Am I missing something? See stupidity I can excuse, but not ignorance.
@@narniafreak129 I'm glad you can excuse stupidity, I don't want you feeling bad about yourself, especially since that comment makes absolutely no sense to anyone but yourself.
@@corkscrew4585 I am glad you understood clearly that you don't know neither history or understand marxism.
Thank you! I learned a lot and now I am seeking more…
Mr Wolff YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
enter the covid 19 pandemic...this talk was a year old. He's such a great guy and I look forward to him enjoying the rest of his many happy years.
Thank you, thank you, thank you thoughtfulness is so rare...... I apreciate this so much. 🙏🏼
Love from Boise State University! I'm sorry I missed Prof. Wolff in 2019, thanks to Democracy At Work for collaborating to put this lecture up. Solidarity Forever! ✊
“We are convinced that liberty without socialism is privilege, injustice; and that socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality.”
― Mikhail Bakunin
But what the heck does "liberty" mean? No one who participates in society is completely free to do whatever they feel like doing at any given moment; every system imposes limits. So these easy generalizations don't really address the issue. Admittedly, it's a vast topic.
@@lawsonj39 yeah, and what's liberty for one may be not for another. Private property for example.
I'd like to see this guy on the Joe Rogan podcast!
Yes I want that for a long time, I hope it happens
@@2late4coffee You are responding a comment made 1 year ago, you crazy
@@peladohdp8304 so what, this is youtube comment section and time doesn't matter it is just a comment lol. I guess you are the one who is dumb af
It will never happen like he'll never have Prof. Chomsky or Varoufakis or Steve Keen or Richard Werner
@@japiro14 if he went on so many people would switch sides like that, Richard is really good at it tbh idk what it is about him
The book is available on Lulu.com in paperback and now as an ebook!
Paperback:
www.lulu.com/shop/richard-d-wolff/understanding-marxism/paperback/product-24002973.html
eBook:
www.lulu.com/shop/richard-d-wolff/understanding-marxism/ebook/product-24130448.html
The more I listen to Richard Wolff, the more I like him He is truly a brilliant man.
@Both Barrels Oh sure, because you personally built this country tight? LOL.
@Both Barrels Why are you so hostile towards me? You see, that's the problem I have with you capitalists. You can't discuss our different views like a rational adults, so instead you have to resort to personal attacks and childish name calling.
@Both Barrels Because the U.S will destroy any attempt at socialism. Search up el plan candor as an example.
@Both Barrels So you believe people should work for what they have? Congrats you would enjoy a communist state.
Even if you're not marxist or a leftist you should at least have an understanding of what these schools of thought are and this video is an excellent 101 summary 👌
Exactly.
Al salam Alaikum thank you for everything you do D@W... i hope more of this content spread in my country Saudi Arabia so people can see there is alternative to the IMF backed twenty-thirty vision which is tightening the belt on most citizens and devastating foreign workers.
You are so brave to speak out. I've learned on RT about all of the executions for those protesting.
Charity Achusim I agree but as a general rule, RT should not be your source of news
@@viktorkc1154 I have so many sources now that it would take some time just to list. Thank you for your thoughts!
Not many people give him credit for it but Prof Wolff has an immaculate sense of humor....which beautifully complements his awesome knowledge! Thanks a lot sir for spreading these ideas which the oligarchy would never want us to know in the first place.....you have done way more to help the people and the planet than any Jeff bezos ever would. Love from India
I am happy to see indian marxist here..
@@vals4207 Lal Salaam from Indian Comrade.
@@shantanusingh5320 Lal salaam.
Of course we didn't know that, Professor. Thanks for the education!
I Love this man
Could listen to Professor Wolff all day, a real shining light in this age of faux intellectualism.
Listen to Steve Quayle if you want to hear a super intelligent and knowledgeable intellectual
You Sir are an IDIOT !!! I see your problem is that capitalism has both winners and losers. What do you have against being able to make of your life what you will through your own incentive, hard work & talent ??????? You think the equal sharing of poverty and misery like Venezuela with it socialism, is better ????????????????? Where is the fairness and forced equal outcomes. Let those who will succeed and be of benefit to their country do so, ----- and the liberal Marxist indoctrinated drug addicts live off the fat of the land while they can and then become homeless. When they communist New World order takes hold with us glad to join when the social degeneracy and chaos gets bad enough, they will round up all the useless eaters and exterminate them.
Wolff applied as a janitor but was mistakenly hired as professor.,
@@TeaParty1776 and you're probably an inbred moron.
@@TeaParty1776 It's all part of the glorious 5-year sanitation* plan.
* Sanitizing the planet of humanity, via Marxism.
Reformism has definitely impeded the transition to Socialism. If you read Lenin's great work, "Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism," you'll quickly discern that today we are at the same stage of Capitalist development that we were in during Lenin's time ... 100+ years ago. Lenin analyzed the ascendency of Finance Capital and the transformation of Capitalism from small market competitiveness into its monopoly phase. That's where we are today; the Great Depression and Roosevelt's Keynesian Era simply reset the system and brought it back to a more equitable and friendly phase ... which has been carved away and done away with over the last 70 years.
@Philip I doubt that.
Pokémaniac Guquiz Based on what? Your reading of pokemon gaming guides? I like Pokémon too, but you gotta actually study history and political philosophy, and not just listen to pundits or use “common sense”, to actually even understand what the OP was saying. Hey, maybe you’ve done some of that reading, and I’m not giving you enough credit, but “I doubt that”, doesn’t seem like the kind of reply from someone who’s even begun to study or understand the matter. It makes me think you saw the name, “Lenin”, and immediately thought, “oh, that can’t be right, the USSR was a failure”, and just dismissed it outright. That, or maybe you’re just trolling. Idk.
You don’t have to be a Leninist to understand and/or agree with what Lenin was talking about, though.. Hell, you don’t even have to be a leftist, you can be a diehard fascist, or anywhere between, and still at least understand why the OP believes this to be the case, whether you would agree, or not, or only partially. (Imo, if you actually read the history, etc, you will agree at least in part, otherwise you will not have read an accurate historical accounting. That’s not just bias, either, bc I don’t completely agree, but I understand it, and know that there’s more than a little accuracy there.)
Look, I’m not trying to put you down at all. Several years ago, I’d have probably given a similar answer to the OP, or I’d have gone into why “oh, socialism can never work, and communism is just a fantasy”, etc etc, and I don’t blame people for their ignorance, *unless it is willful ignorance.* So hey, why not study the subject in depth? You’ll probably say no, you’re good on that, but you might just find out that you have a lot of misconceptions about the subject, whether misconceptions built on lies, or misunderstandings.
I was a libertarian, of the Milton Friedman tradition, only 7-8 years ago. Then I actually decided to stop just watching TH-cam Friedman lectures and pundits who I agreed with, and began to actually read and study the political history, and political philosophy (also moral philosophy beyond Sam Harris’s incredibly basic work), and not only did I come to learn I was wrong about capitalism and socialism, but also that I didn’t understand either of them in their historical contexts, and why they’ve had their respective successes and failures, and I guarantee you that if you do the same, you will change your mind about your political views, whatever they are.. ✌️
@@nikolademitri731 It was in response to someone else. Someone who has since deleted their comment.
EDIT: Spelling
“We are convinced that liberty without socialism is privilege, injustice; and that socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality.”
― Mikhail Bakunin
if not already a comment id like to thank the person that put the partitions in the timeline bar for this video
An interjection to insert around 43:25 where Wolff responds to the question of the "atrocities committed in the name of Marxism" in the soviet union, cambodia etc... Blaming Marx for deaths caused by movements in reaction to his theories and discoveries, is the same as blaming Einstein for deaths caused by the atomic bomb because he discovered E=mc2, or blaming Issac Newton for the deaths caused by plane crashes and people falling off buildings, since he discovered the law of gravity... A totally baseless, unfounded criticism of Marx which is still thoughtlessly regurgitated to this day.
Not to mention socialism was violently destroyed by the outside forces of capital wherever it emerged, through blockade, embargo, coup, junta or outright military invasion.
Every socialist should face the same type of trial as the socialist offered by Stalin. Basically, the court consisted of 3 drunk sailors who did "rock-paper-scissors" and in 30 seconds were producing the guilty verdict. No jury, no trial, no attorneys, no defense, not a bit of justice for 100 million people. To establish accountability for socialists, they need to go to Siberia, to live in concentration camps, in order to prove their point.
It is funny how socialists thrive in the US but don't want to immigrate to China, Cuba, Nicaragua or North Korea. I think they all should immigrate.
@@narniafreak129 What the hell are you talking about. Can you even define socialism? Probably not.
@@narniafreak129 Have you even watched the video on which you are commenting? How can you seriously equate socialism with Stalin and gulags? Because you have no idea what you are talking about, you don't know the most basic fundamentals about what socialism is. That's how. Try actually watching the video you are commenting on and educate yourself before spouting such utter drivel.
@@therealartistproper Why you say i dont understand socialism? I lived in the USSR, so comparing to the lecturer I know all this by heart. Again, telling fairytales about socialism and living in it two different things. I assume you went to North Korea and lived there for 20 years to get your "socialist" education? Otherwise, you have no right to lecture me on socialism or marxism.
If Marx is innocent, let's assume, his theory didn't kill 100 million Russians, on what moral grounds do you argue that Hitler is evil? Marx, Lenin, Stalin advocated for terror, it is a foundation of any socialist society.
I can't wait to buy the book. I have to wait until August and I enjoy listening to Dr. Richard Wolff.
Wow, this man is wonderful. I've been a far leftist all my life, but I find his expositions and explanations inspiring, crystal clear - and often beautiful.
It's a shame every far left government has gone to shit then isn't it?
@@johannlindstrom5948 if by “gone to shit” you mean “improve the quality of life of peasants and elevate them to superpower status” then yes, they have gone to shit
@@ssik9460 No, that's not what I meant. I assume you mean China. Bringing 40% of the population to $10,000 a year and 50% still living in abject poverty while 10% live of the fat of the land doesn't bring them to superpower status. And, what about 95% living in poverty in Cuba or Venezuela. You're argument is complete garbage.
@@johannlindstrom5948 Hey, buddy, I live in the UK. Not a far left government, I think you'd agree. Guess what we're currently dealing with? Food shortages, disruptions to energy, tax rises that place a massive further burden on the poorest in our society while the richest won't notice, etc etc. So, tell me, is this capitalist, populist, right-wing shite *better*?
@@davemcg2344 When you guys left the EU you were supposed to make a deal to replace all that was going to be lost in trade. Do you know what we are dealing with here? Food shortages, disruptions to energy, tax rises that place a massive further burden on the poorest in our society and what do you know we have a left (trying to be further leftist) government in charge. So, tell me, is this reactionary, socialist, left wing shite *better*?
Damn my man Bernie really got radicalized
Lol
Hi Mr wollf.
Where can i find your books in a safe way.
What does that mean
Library
This has to be translated to every possible language. Pure gold, boy.
I didn't expect him to mention Jordan Peterson. As a fan of Jordan Peterson I didn't know he was anti Marxism. I would have liked to see him debate Mr Wolff. My opinion of Mr. Wolff went up and I'm disappointed in Jordan Peterson.
christdragon I was a Peterson fan for a while. Unfortunately, as another comment I saw pointed out, he is intellectually quite vacuous. His talk of “Post Modern Neo-Marxists” is pretty empty. In his debate with Slavoj Zizek, zizek asks him to name one of the Neo Marxists, and Peterson cannot do it. He did not prepare at all, and it shows sadly.
I think Peterson's views should be seen in the context of the university campuses on which he spent his time and where I think he saw the early warning signs of the movement we're all becoming more aware of today in wider culture, originally infesting the humanities subjects. I would point to what happened at Evergreen university a few years ago as an example of it (it's very well documented here on youtube). They have an almost religious mindset that bullies people into obedience via the threat of accusations of bigotry and violence aimed at anyone who remotely challenges, questions or pokes fun at their doctrines and slogans. They're intersectionalists (which I believe is regarded as a new form of post-modernism), obsessed with power structures and the evils of "whiteness" and who unfortunately, for actual socialism, have adopted certain aspects of socialist language but without ever really touching upon economics. Their ideas didn't amount to much greater than to "fuck the police", believing they could do a better job themselves. These days they'd probably phrase it as a defunding instead, but without much greater depth of thought going into it than that.
Anyway, I also used to watch some of Petersons' videos and I was also turned off by his opinions about Marxism, and about religion for that matter, which may also be related. I'm on much firmer ground with him when he sticks to scientific subjects. He's undoubtedly a very clever man and so the only way I can explain away his misconceptions is to suggest that they're actually aimed at the people I tried to describe above, because they call themselves Socialists and Marxists but don't seem to have the first clue about those subjects. They're basically an enormous gift to free market capitalists who now, instead of confounding Marxist theory with Stalinist politics, can point to these people as a contemporary example of how rotten Marxism must be. Nobody in their right mind would want those people in charge, afterall. So far they've only been allowed to fuck up our beloved film and television franchises with their ideologies, which is bad enough! But they are gaining a strong foothold in many large corporations that do hold political sway so there may be genuine reason for concern.
I think Peterson thinks of those people when he confronts cultural marxism and his feelings toward religion might also be explained by seeing what happens in its absence; ie. secular people might create their own new religion (cult) without being aware that's what they're doing, and so perhaps there is a need for organised religion in society afterall (where previously I saw none), so that people don't create new modes of foolishness but instead stick to the comfortable old ones which we're better equipped to deal with.
All that is to say, Peterson did a very wise thing in backing out of that debate. A small amount of research on Mr Wolfe would've revealed that he was coming up against a very different animal from that he'd previously encountered, armed with arguments and a degree of historical knowledge he'd have struggled to confront. And that's to be expected; he's a clinical psychologist, whereas Wolfe is a professor of economics. It would've been a trainwreck. He's encroaching on an area outside of his professional expertise, and think he realised it, but sadly, didn't back down.
But, I could be wrong. It's just my theory.
@@wherestheoptoutoptionmfs Wolff is also a professor of History, i value his work way higher scientifically. Especially after the reveals about Peterson and exposure of his 'flaws' and wrongs by other intellectuals. Keeping that in mind, his lectures sound different, i've tried it. I also found him before i found Marxism, but know better now.
@@wherestheoptoutoptionmfs "just a theory"
Nah, just bullshit
@@patriciapandacoon7162 I'm open to that.
Powerful speech.
Weird question: Anyone know if this book is on Audible? lol.
(I have trouble paying attention when I read, but when stuff gets read to me, it registers better. lol.)