How Huawei Is Beating U.S. Sanctions

The Russian Revolution in 1917 brought the Bolsheviks to power. For the first time in history the working class seized and held state power. What was the experience of the Soviet Union? How did it change global politics in the 20th century? What did socialism achieve and what caused the Soviet Union to fall in 1991? In Part 1, we explore the socialist revolution that brought the Soviet Union into existence and the civil war that immediately followed. Millions died defending the new country, defeating the counter-revolution but then facing the enormous task of rebuilding a nation devastated by war. Watch the NEW video edition of “The Real Story” on BreakThrough News! In the first part of this series, Brian is joined by Carlos Martinez, author of “The End of the Beginning: Lessons of the Soviet Collapse,” co-founder of the No Cold War Campaign, and editor of the political analysis site Invent-The-Future.org. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

9 Joulu 20211h 5min

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss two sickening injustices of the capitalist economy -- landlords going after the children of the tenants they target for eviction & the ultra-wealthy keeping over $10 billion more of their inheritances in 2020 thanks to the Trump estate tax cuts! Why do we live in a system where children are evicted while the extremely rich get even richer? Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can check out his work at rdwolff.com. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

8 Joulu 202133min

On today's In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how the ultra-right wing majority on the Supreme Court is poised to eviscerate Roe v. Wade, but a movement to fight back against this assault on women’s rights is growing and demanding that Democrats in Congress legalize abortion once and for all. They also discuss U.S. aggression stepping up against Iran, China, and Russia; the Omicron variant continuing to cause panic around the world; Michigan reeling in the aftermath of yet another mass shooting; the U.S. marking the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and more. The following articles are referenced in this episode: Supreme Court prepares to decimate abortion rights — Here’s why it’s not too late https://www.liberationnews.org/supreme-court-prepares-to-decimate-abortion-rights-heres-why-its-not-too-late/ Campaigners Warn of 'Wave After Wave of Variants' as Long as Vaccine Apartheid Remains https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/12/06/campaigners-warn-wave-after-wave-variants-long-vaccine-apartheid-remains China Seeks First Military Base on Africa’s Atlantic Coast, U.S. Intelligence Finds https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-seeks-first-military-base-on-africas-atlantic-coast-u-s-intelligence-finds-11638726327 Air Board Denies Key Permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline, Dealing Critical Blow to Beleaguered Fracked Gas Project https://appvoices.org/2021/12/03/air-board-denies-key-permit-for-mountain-valley-pipeline/ Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

7 Joulu 20211h 28min

Brian and Prof. Ken Hammond discuss U.S.-China relations, China’s role in Africa and the new Cold War. In a stunning display of hypocrisy, western powers are decrying China for alleged “colonialism” in Africa. What is the true nature of China’s economic and diplomatic engagement with the continent, and how does the corporate media try to twist reality? Prof. Hammond explains the vital historical context to understand the China-Africa relationship, and how the United States has Africa in the crosshairs as it pursues its new Cold War. Watch the NEW video edition of “The Real Story” on BreakThrough News! Dr. Ken Hammond, professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University, founding director of the Confucius Institute at New Mexico State University, and activist with Pivot to Peace. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

2 Joulu 202146min

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss how the Omicron variant is causing panic in global financial markets, with huge stock sell-offs taking place worldwide. What can we learn about how different countries have handled the pandemic, and the radically different outcomes they produced? Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can check out his work at rdwolff.com. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

1 Joulu 202132min

In this November 2021 patrons-only seminar, Brian and the crew discuss the big picture of global class struggle and its history, the movement for justice in the U.S. where the national question is central, and how a revolution is possible in the U.S., how socialism can be built in the U.S. and how it is being built in countries like China, as well as existential crises that only socialism can solve; climate change, war, and fascism. Brian also shares some of his personal experiences as a young activist during the tumultuous period of the late 1960's. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

30 Marras 202114min

On today's In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how the three men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery have been convicted of murder in a major victory for the struggle against racism, but at the same time the Rittenhouse verdict reveals a grave danger. They also discuss the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID due to global vaccine apartheid, efforts to rig the U.S. electoral map, the historic victory of the left in the Honduran presidential election, and more. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

30 Marras 20211h 19min

Karl Marx wrote in Capital that capitalism came into the world “dripping from head to foot, from every pore, with blood and dirt.” The Thanksgiving holiday is built around an insidious and false creation myth -- that the so-called “settling” of North America was a peaceful and amicable process. But in reality, the genocidal expansion of colonialism across the continent led to unspeakable suffering and death for Indigenous peoples. What is the real story of the birth of U.S. capitalism? Dr. Gerald Horne holds the Moores Professorship of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century”. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

25 Marras 202147min