Robinson's Podcast

Richard D. Wolff is Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a visiting professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs at The New School. He is also co-founder of Democracy at Work and host of Economic Update. In this episode, Richard and Robinson discuss Donald Trump, socialism in the United States, and Richard’s disagreements with Victor Davis Hanson. More particularly, they talk about Richard’s case against Trump, his criticisms of Hanson’s understanding of socialism, American power, European colonialism, Russia and NATO, and Israel. They also discuss James Talarico and Abdul El-Sayed, the history of American socialism, the minimum wage, money in politics, Thomas Massie, JD Vance’s relationship with Peter Thiel, and Richard’s experience running for city council. Richard’s books include Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024).

Richard’s Website: rdwolff.com

Democracy at Work: democracyatwork.info

Understanding Capitalism: democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalism

OUTLINE00:00:00 Introduction00:01:03 Republicans Should Vote (About) Trump!!!00:07:05 America Is Getting Weaker!00:11:53 Trump’s America Is Over00:14:14 Trump’s America Has Forgotten Its History00:19:12 Is There Still a Good Case for Trump?00:26:23 Trump’s Promises He Cannot Keep!00:34:53 Recap: Richard Wolff vs Victor Davis Hanson 202600:41:06 The Red Scare in the Cold War00:44:23 Victor Davis Hanson Doesn’t Understand Socialism!00:48:06 Victor Davis Hanson Equates Socialism and Immigrants01:05:01 Trump and Europe’s Colonialism Is Over!01:08:48 Russia Is a Victim of NATO01:11:24 Israel Has Been Bombed01:15:52 Richard Wolff’s Problem with James Talarico01:25:22 Socialists Ruled the United States01:28:28 The Rich Screwed the Poor on the Minimum Wage01:33:08 Why Don’t Socialists Want Trump’s Free $5,000?01:35:18 Why Money Must Get Out of Politics01:44:41 Does Abdul El-Sayed Have “the Gift”?01:48:27 French Socialism vs American Socialism01:54:43 Why Americans Can’t Get into Socialism02:03:16 Richard Wolff Is Struck by Thomas Massie02:04:50 When Richard Wolff Ran for City Council02:09:20 JD Vance Is Funded by Peter Thiel!02:16:53 What Is Democracy at Work?

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Michael Hudson is Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and President of the Institute for the Study of Long-Term Economic Trends. He researches domestic and international finance, economic history, and the role of debt in shaping economies and societies. In this episode, Michael and Robinson discuss the war in Iran and Michael’s prediction that it will cause a global depression. More particularly, they talk about oil and the Strait of Hormuz, which countries Michael thinks will suffer most, his skepticism about the changes the 2026 elections can deliver, and his criticisms of how economists describe the American economy. They also discuss AI and the future of employment, Donald Trump’s foreign policy, China’s role in the international economic order, instability in Europe, and the future of the United States. Michael’s recent book is Temples of Enterprise (ISLET, 2024).

Michael’s Website: https://michael-hudson.com

Temples of Enterprise: https://a.co/d/a3c53dm

OUTLINE00:00 Introduction00:23 Iran War Will Cause a Global Depression10:57 The 2026 Elections Mean Nothing19:45 2026 Voters Can Do Nothing About AI, Israel, or Iran30:51 Economists Are Lying About the State of the Economy38:02 Different Economic Metrics42:25 AI and an Employment Collapse48:35 Trump Is Choking the World's Oil59:32 The Strait of Hormuz1:04:16 The Iran War Will Destroy These Countries First1:12:27 Trump Wants the World to Pay Tribute1:17:43 Is China the Hero?1:28:16 Destabilization in Europe1:37:32 Anti-Protest Drone1:40:20 What Does Chinese Dominance Look Like?1:46:15 Where Does History Go from Here?1:55:39 Where Does the United States Go from Here?

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Platypus Economics on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PlatypusEconomics

Justin Wolfers is Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the University of Michigan, where his research spans macroeconomics, labor economics, political economy, and behavioral economics. He is also affiliated with the Brookings Institution, Peterson Institute for International Economics, and National Bureau of Economic Research, and in 2026 launched Platypus Economics, a new media platform devoted to making economics accessible to a broad audience. In this episode, Robinson and Justin discuss the intersection of economics, technology, and American politics. More particularly, they talk about Elon Musk and the influence of extreme wealth on elections, how artificial intelligence could transform the labor market, whether current economic data accurately reflects Americans’ experiences, and political bias in economics. They also discuss inflation, Justin’s criticisms of the Trump administration’s economic policies, proposed $5,000 checks, and how economic considerations shape political choices.

Platypus Economics: https://platypuseconomics.com

Justin’s University of Michigan Profile: https://fordschool.umich.edu/faculty/justin-wolfers

Justin’s X: https://x.com/JustinWolfers

Justin’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/justinwolfers.bsky.social

Platypus Economics Newsletter: https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com

00:00 Introduction
00:25 Elon Musk Can Buy ANY Election He Wants
07:21 AI Could DESTROY Jobs If We Don’t Do This
14:28 Is Current Econ Data Misleading?
19:36 Political Bias in Economics
28:35 Corruption in the Trump Admin
36:33 Understanding Inflation and Cheap Candy
44:58 Is Trump Personally Responsible for Inflation?
51:40 Trump’s 5k Checks Are IDIOTIC LIES
56:50 How to Vote If Trump Were on Ballot

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Jason Stanley is the Bissell-Heyd-Associates Chair in American Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, where he is also Professor of Philosophy. Before moving to Toronto in 2025, he was the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University. Jason’s work focuses on propaganda, authoritarianism, democracy, free speech, and political language. In this episode, Robinson and Jason discuss Jason’s account of how political propaganda has changed during the Trump era. More particularly, they talk about soft and hard propaganda, social media and political bots, Trump’s political communication, Jason’s decision to leave Twitter and later the United States, and the effects of online attacks. They also discuss artificial intelligence and democracy, the political influence of tech billionaires, Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, and Jason’s transition toward the philosophy of propaganda. Jason’s most recent book is Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future (Atria/One Signal, 2024).

Jason’s Website: https://jasonstanley.org

How Propaganda Works: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Jason+Stanley+How+Propaganda+Works

Erasing History: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Jason+Stanley+Erasing+History

OUTLINE
00:00 How Propaganda Has Changed with Donald Trump
10:42 Soft and Hard Propaganda
13:56 Defining Propaganda
25:01 Is Trump Trying to Broaden Popular Support?
30:12 Trump Is Ruining Democracy
33:15 Social Media is Political Theater for BOTS
45:39 Why Jason Left Twitter
49:54 Attacks Against Jason on Twitter
53:20 The Terrible Cost of Leaving the US
01:04:56 How AI Threatens Democracy
01:08:26 Tech Billionaires Want to Wipe Out Humanity
01:12:02 Elon Musk's Secret Plans 
01:14:30 Does Peter Thiel Want All Humans Dead?
01:17:37 Jason's Transition to Philosophy of Propaganda

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Daron Acemoglu is an Institute Professor of Economics at MIT and a recipient of the 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, which he shared with Simon Johnson and James Robinson for research on how institutions shape prosperity. He is also the bestselling co-author of Why Nations Fail, The Narrow Corridor, and Power and Progress. In this episode, Robinson and Daron discuss the future of liberal democracy in an age of artificial intelligence. More particularly, they talk about how AI could undermine democratic institutions, whether tech billionaires have accumulated too much power, and why Daron believes current approaches to AI could produce an increasingly unequal, two-tier American society. They also discuss the importance of the 2026 elections, Zohran Mamdani, disagreements between the center and far left, and Daron’s proposal for a renewed “working-class liberalism.” Daron’s latest book is What Happened to Liberal Democracy?: Remaking a Politics of Shared Prosperity (Dutton, 2026).

Daron’s Website: https://www.daronacemoglu.com

What Happened to Liberal Democracy?: https://a.co/d/0f0qGMxt

OUTLINE
00:00 What Is Liberal Democracy?
09:30 How Does AI Undermine Democracy?
18:30 Are the Tech Billionaires Out of Control?
24:50 AI Is an Existential Threat
27:18 How AI Will Turn the USA into a Two-Tier Dystopia
35:17 Other Views on AI
38:19 Why the 2026 Elections Are So Important for the Left
42:30 What Makes Mamdani a Great Politician?
45:58 The Far Left vs the Center Left: Who Should Win?
52:00 Working Class Liberalism