Richard Wolff: Imperial Decline - Crisis, Denial & War

Summary

Glenn Diesen and economist Richard D. Wolff discuss social unrest in Europe and the United States, the political consequences of declining Western power, and the relationship between domestic crises and foreign policy.

Imperial Decline and Domestic Tensions

Wolff argues that the West is experiencing the consequences of a centuries-long colonial and imperial order. He says European wealth was built in part through the extraction of resources and labor from elsewhere, and criticizes European leaders for blaming immigrants when people displaced by global inequality seek a share of that wealth. In his view, the United States inherited and consolidated the European empires’ global position after World War II, but that dominance is now weakening.

Protests and Government Response in Europe

Wolff points to France, along with unrest and discontent in other European countries, as signs of mounting pressure. He links French protests to grievances over public services, education funding, and vacant teaching jobs, and notes that housing costs are a wider concern.

He argues that governments are cutting domestic spending while increasing military expenditure and confronting Russia. In his view, police repression and talk of curfews are responses to demands officials have not addressed. He sees this as a crisis of political legitimacy, not simply public disorder.

Politics of Denial and Nostalgia

Wolff says Western political leaders are responding to declining influence with denial and appeals to past greatness rather than adapting to changed conditions. He describes U.S. and European hostility toward Russia as excessive and argues that major parties often offer little substantive alternative.

Diesen raises the concern that domestic difficulties can prompt leaders to emphasize external enemies, while foreign conflicts deepen domestic problems.

U.S. Politics and the Left

Wolff outlines two possible outcomes if progressive Democrats make significant gains:

1. A renewed campaign could associate the left with foreign enemies and portray socialists or progressives as threats, echoing Cold War-era attacks on the New Deal and labor movements.
2. Progressive candidates and ideas could gain enough support to shift politics more substantially.

Wolff cites polling in which younger Americans reportedly express a greater preference for socialism over capitalism. He interprets this mainly as dissatisfaction with the existing economic order, rather than evidence that respondents share a precise definition of socialism. He also argues that Democratic Party leaders are more concerned with containing their left wing than defeating Republicans.

Foreign Conflicts and the Changing Balance of Power

Wolff portrays the United States and Israel as imperial powers trying to sustain roles he believes they can no longer afford. He discusses U.S. involvement in Ukraine and Iran, support for Israel, and wider regional military activity.

In his analysis, Iran’s links with Russia and China make Western efforts to isolate or defeat it especially risky. He presents BRICS and China’s growing influence as signs of a broader anti-Western shift, arguing that Western leaders underestimate this change. He also contends that China can benefit strategically from conflicts without becoming directly involved.

Wolff’s remarks are presented as political and economic analysis; many of his claims about governments, conflicts, and strategic outcomes are his interpretations.

Presenters and contributors: Glenn Diesen (host/interviewer); Richard D. Wolff (guest).