Class Struggle Is a Fundamental Core of Capitalism - Richard Wolff

"Here is the basic insight Karl Marx developed. He said that in capitalism what we've heard about how it works to make technology progress (which it does) and what we've heard about how it produces wondrous amounts of goods and services (which it does) has to be put alongside of the fact that also in the core of capitalism is a fundamental conflict. That the people brought together, the employer on the one hand and the employees, on the other are locked into a relationship that is fundamentally conflictual. That in the core of this system is a relentless, endless, class struggle... The class struggle is everywhere. Marx is the theoretician who explains it. But to pretend that it isn't there, to pretend that we don't have to study it, and to pretend we have no use for the single most developed analysis of it, that's childish." - Richard Wolff

This is a clip from Economic Update: Marxism's Ongoing Relevance.
[S11 E14]

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Learn more about Prof Wolff's NEW BOOK, "The Sickness is the System: When Capitalism Fails to Save Us from Pandemics or Itself"
Now also available as an eBook!

“A blueprint for how we got here, and a plan for how we will rescue ourselves.”
- Chris Hedges, American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, New York Times best-selling author

Check out Prof. Wolff's other books "Understanding Socialism" and "Understanding Marxism"
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[gabbyhyman]

Thanks again, Professor. The use of the word "childish" is an understatement.

[smokymountainmodeler]

Fear is a great motivator to keep the working class in line.

[ScottDavis-nuuu]

The struggle continues. Cameras in the trucks.

[khulekanimzimela]

I highly respect this Prof for not using his lvl of education to bury unlearned masses of ppl but to wake them up .keep it up Prof!!

[gaynor]

A Catholic I know told me that if your employer is ripping you off and you steal from them in return, it is considered, in Catholicism, as a Pardonable Sin.

[felicetanka]

The worst aspect is in the richest country ever that has business medicine and its greed.

[danielcoins]

Depending on one stream of income had never made any millionaire and earning check don't put you on forbes

[cityofjoy]

It's only when we lose our bread and job we find out what capitalism really is👍

[pentlyobvious]

Galvanising off to Mexico? It's not metal work . He meant galavanting .

[hopeokpe]

Thanks alot sir
I can defend my project

[yobop]

The risk factors in the equation of economic must be readjusted to reflect that which is imposed on others for the benefits of a few....not doing so will become death to the oppressors....mark my words....rew

[MrxstGrssmnstMttckstPhlNelThot]

What the fuck is with the comment section in this video? All the craziest people here for some reason lmao.

[oochiewally]

its funny the people i work for are making me struggle as an American but treating the immigrants i work with all nice and fine ..and those same people we work for hate capitalism but did the schooling to prosper in life but now want to pick and choose who to make suffer and who not to..

[alexgoslar]

Since all ecosystems are interlinked, what would ensure sustainability? Inventing reasons to induce sales? Or pursuing solutions for actual unmet needs.

[mudmessiah]

Doesn’t that imply a constant struggle as an engine rather than a one-sided issue...to be resolved? The class struggle is one whose nature is Yin and Yang...with one never quite extinguishing the other? A motion acting as an engine. The cessation of conflict leading to the end of progress, plenty, and motivation?

[jamesmorton]

Farmers in Sumer (2600BC) had it much better than you. The land that grew their food could not be taken away.
The King needed them working to support the existance of the the economy. Debt bondage was
solved with debt forgivness. screw the banking FIRE sector.

[spanky]

Camera In a Bathroom is against the law, and Cameras on the workers Is against the law . you can only have cameras the Merchandise .

[otaju]

Thank you very much. What an amazing "illustration" of how the class struggles are everywhere.

[jhonfamo]

Explotation of people
Collective bargaining?
😂

[augustinepan]

I had been worker and gradually became employer and finally I’m retired now. Class struggle for sure it’s a process of struggle from worker to become employer, to climb up the social ladder or a design of the capitalist system. Employer or owner of a business has competition from others, your business is not always a monopoly that can set your price at will, in order to compete you have to reduce your cost structure and workers salary is one of it. To set a minimum wage for the basic worker if implemented fairly, competition among business entities becomes fair too. In modern time business have social responsibilities too, that is company has to pay for Medicare, retirement pension fund etc...and profit is not guaranteed it can go bankrupt and end up to have nothing in my country, there is no chapter eleven to protect a business from the debts and kept on operating.
To be employer is not always easy or let the worker tries if he can succeed!
This had really happened, an offer to provide free capital to one of the politician who had received high education to run a business per his legislative proposal for protection of the workers for a period of 3 years but he refused. It simply wouldn’t work.