Recession, inequality and capitalism: A "soft landing" for who?

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the global food crisis that is taking shape with major price rises already being felt around the world – a grave situation that is expected to deepen. As the war in Ukraine drags on and as the western countries attempt to cut Russia off from the global economy, disruptions to supply chains and shortages are becoming even more severe. The global capitalist market is yet again proving to be incapable of ensuring something as basic as food to the world’s population. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find 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.

4 Mai 202231min

On today's In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how the Biden administration is preparing by far the biggest package of military aid yet for Ukraine. With hardly any debate, Congress is ready to approve sending $20 billion of weapons to Ukraine on top of $13 billion in additional financial support for the government – a point driven home by Nancy Pelosi’s surprise trip to Kiev. The panel also discusses the continuing rollback of pandemic relief programs, the fight to defend abortion rights, demands for student loan debt relief, and more. The following articles are referenced in this episode: The U.S. Should Show It Can Win a Nuclear War https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-us-show-it-can-win-a-nuclear-war-russia-putin-ukraine-nato-sarmat-missile-testing-warning-11651067733 The Means-Test Con https://www.levernews.com/the-means-test-con/ [This episode was recorded Monday (May 2nd 2022) late afternoon prior to the news that the Supreme Court majority had voted to overturn Roe V. Wade and extinguish women’s fundamental right to control their own body. Starting last night and throughout today, and in the coming days, there will be mass protests in the streets throughout the United States.] ——— 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.

3 Mai 20221h 22min

In this April 2022 patrons-only seminar, Brian and Nicole focus on the new era in world politics taking shape as a consequence of the Ukraine war & other global trends. Where are we coming from and where are we headed? Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

29 Apr 202211min

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the United States is ready for anything after Russian officials warn of the danger of nuclear war. Brian and Eugene Puryear discuss how the NATO powers are implementing their strategy of fighting a long-term proxy conflict against Russia as well as Russia’s move to end gas sales to Poland and Bulgaria amid all-out economic warfare waged by the west. They also put these current developments into a historical perspective and explore how relations between the peoples of the region were completely different during the Soviet period. Eugene Puryear is the host of the BreakThrough News podcast The Punch Out, and co-host of the BT live video show The Freedom Side. ——— This show comes out weekly on BreakThrough News’ Youtube, Wednesdays at 7pm ET. Subscribe now to never miss an episode. The Socialist Program with Brian Becker also comes out three times per week in podcast form — including weekly news round-ups and segments with economist Richard Wolff. Subscribe on your preferred listening platform here! https://linktr.ee/thesocialistprogram ——— 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.

28 Apr 20221h 23min

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss Elon Musk, a billionaire, buying Twitter, one of the world's largest mass communications platforms. Why are billionaires so determined to control the information available to the public? Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find 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.

27 Apr 202231min

On today's In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how a high profile visit to Kiev by Defense Secretary Austin and Secretary of State Blinken further cemented the central role of the United States in equipping and organizing the Ukrainian war effort -- and blocking peace talks. They also discuss Elon Musk moving in on Twitter, French President Macron winning re-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.

26 Apr 20221h 11min

The war in Ukraine has ushered in a new era of global politics, and it has also ushered in a new political witch hunt against dissenting voices. With more and more intensity, the corporate media – including social media giants – are closing ranks to squeeze out anyone who dares speak up in opposition to the Pentagon’s narrative and against catastrophic confrontation between the United States and Russia. Brian is joined by Ben Norton. He is a journalist and editor of Multipolarista. You can find his work at BenNorton.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.

21 Apr 202257min

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the extreme injustices of the U.S. tax system. Monday was Tax Day — no cause for celebration for millions of ordinary people. But for the ultra rich, it wasn’t so bad. Many of the wealthiest people on the planet actually pay a tax rate that is lower than a typical worker — how do they get away with this scam? Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find 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.

20 Apr 202227min