In the News: China Tells Secretary of State: The U.S. is Not Our Master
On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the tense summit in Alaska between top US and Chinese officials, the significance of the struggle to unionize the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, back room maneuvering to strengthen the two-party duopoly in American politics, and more.
23 Maalis 202148min
The Real Story: Iraq War Veteran: "War Crimes Fueled Iraqi & GI Resistance"
March 19 marks the 18th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The catastrophic warfare that followed claimed the lives of over a million Iraqis, led to the death or life-altering injury of tens thousands of U.S. service members, and sowed chaos throughout the Middle East. Brian is joined by Mike Prysner, the producer of The Empire Files. Mike is also a co-host of the podcast Eyes Left, a podcast hosted by two anti-war Army veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Mike was a soldier serving in the U.S. military during the Iraq invasion, and went on to become an anti-war leader who organized soldiers and veterans to resist the Pentagon war machine.
18 Maalis 20211h 2min
Capitalism in Crisis: When Right Wing Politicians and Economists Sound the Alarm About Inflation, Don’t Believe the Hype
Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss inflation. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen assured the public last weekend that growing fears of rising inflation are misplaced. Is this true? What is inflation? Why does this matter for the working class? Richard Wolff is the co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work and the author of many books, the latest being “The Sickness is the System: When Capitalism Fails to Save Us from Pandemics or Itself”. You can check out his work at rdwolff.com.
17 Maalis 202135min
In the News: War Crimes and the Capitalist Warfare State
On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the upcoming anniversaries of some of the most infamous crimes of U.S. imperialism, the latest developments in the trial of Derek Chauvin, actions to mark the anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s murder, the Biden administration’s latest maneuvers against China, the continuing fight to win a living wage, and more.
16 Maalis 202146min
The Real Story: Socialist Debates & Political Struggles in the Anti-War Movement: From Gulf War to Today
Brian Becker reviews the history of heated debate within the socialist movement over the necessity of taking a principled, anti-imperialist position in opposition to the U.S. war machine. Almost 18 years ago, George W. Bush launched the invasion of Iraq, a conflict that would ultimately take the lives of over a million Iraqis. Whether and how to oppose this war -- and others like the 1991 Gulf War or the 2011 war on Libya -- has been a persistent topic of debate.
12 Maalis 20211h 11min
Capitalism in Crisis: Why are Super-Rich Democrats Called "Moderates" When they Wage Class War vs. Low-Income Workers?
Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss the Biden administration’s stimulus package. The Washington Post exultantly proclaimed that the bill “showers money on Americans.” Is this really true? Richard Wolff is the co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work and the author of many books, the latest being “The Sickness is the System: When Capitalism Fails to Save Us from Pandemics or Itself”. You can check out his work at rdwolff.com.
10 Maalis 202134min
In the News: The Role of Slave Labor in American Capitalism Before and After the Civil War
On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the opening of the trial of Derek Chauvin in the case of George Floyd’s murder, intense political and military maneuvering ahead of the potential withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the racist roots of the so-called criminal justice system in the United States, and more.
9 Maalis 202144min
The Real Story: A Socialist Look at Syria and US Intervention
Brian Becker dissects the reasons for the US military occupation in Syria and analyzes the objectives and strategies of U.S. imperialism in Syria, and its wars against Iraq and Libya. Becker examines in detail how the Pentagon completely dominates U.S. policy in the region and reviews how and why U.S. strategy in the Middle East dramatically shifted during the past 30 years. The people of the United States heard that Biden bombed Syria last week just as Trump bombed Syria in the early days of his administration. But they don't have a clue that U.S. are troops are occupying the oil rich parts of Syria. This episode of The Socialist Program explains why.
5 Maalis 202159min
