Richard Wolff: Iran, Israel, and the End of the American Empire

Richard Wolff is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a visiting professor at The New School, where he works on economics in the Marxist tradition. This is Richard’s tenth  appearance on Robinson’s Podcast. In this episode, Richard and Robinson discuss the ongoing war in Iran. More particularly, they discuss whether it was predictable, how it will affect the United States, Israel, and Europe, what really motivated the war, and more. Richard’s latest book is Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024). Understanding Capitalism (Book): ⁠https://www.democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalism⁠ Richard’s Website: ⁠https://www.rdwolff.com⁠ Economic Update: ⁠https://www.democracyatwork.info/economicupdate⁠ OUTLINE 00:00 Was the Iran War Predictable? 05:43 How History Made Trump’s War with Iran Inevitable 15:00 The Historical Perspective 24:45 The War in Iran Is a Catastrophic Mistake for Israel 32:03 Will Europe Survive the War in Iran? 46:32 Is the Iran War the Last Straw for Donald Trump? 53:48 Why China Is Obliterating American Companies 01:03:17 How Trump and Israel Are Ending the American Empire 01:08:35 Is the United States Turning on Donald Trump? 01:13:54 Why Mamdani Is Winning Over New Yorkers 01:17:20 The Iran War Is Really About Oil 01:28:20 What Happens When The People of Iran Say “No More”? 01:39:13 Does AI Mean the End of Capitalism? 01:50:55 Will the United States Lose the War in Iran? Robinson’s Website: ⁠http://robinsonerhardt.com⁠ Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Added 7 Jul 2026