Trump’s Monroe Doctrine 2.0: Cuba, Venezuela Targeted in Hybrid War

The poll tax was eliminated within this lifetime, in 1966, but the right-wing in America has been hard at work reconstructing it with ID requirements, stripping people with convictions of the right to vote, and even arresting people for voting. It's Election Day today and many people are heading to the polls in what may be a significant election. What are the most important elements for socialists to know about? Brian is joined by Esther Iverem, journalist, producer and host of the show ‘On the Ground: Voices of Resistance From the Nation’s Capital,’ which comes out weekly on Fridays. Check it out at onthegroundshow.org and two dozen Pacifica stations nationwide. 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 Nov 202245min

The right-wing loves yelling, “We’re a republic, not a democracy!” Now they have a Supreme Court that agrees with them. The Court is about to hear Moore v. Harper, a gerrymandering case that will also take up the Electors Clause of the Constitution. The Republican legal argument, made famous by Trump’s 2020 legal team, is that state legislatures can send their own choice of electors to the Electoral College, rather than abiding by the vote of the people. The implications of this are huge — the end of ‘one person, one vote.’ Brian is joined by Steven Donziger, an advocate, writer and public speaker on human rights and corporate accountability. His most recent piece is The most terrifying case of all is about to be heard by the US Supreme Court. He also filed a class-action lawsuit with others against Chevron for environmental damage – including dumping 17 million gallons of crude oil in the Ecuadorian rainforest – and won a historic $9.5 billion judgment. Chevon then fled Ecuador and launched a campaign against Donziger that resulted in him being disbarred, serving 45 days behind bars, and under home confinement for 993 days. For more on his story, watch his interview on The Freedom Side and Rania Khalek Dispatches here on BreakThrough. 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 Nov 202241min

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss how Elon Musk became the new owner of Twitter. The widely-hated billionaire immediately began to prepare layoffs, reportedly starting with the mass firing of a quarter of all employees at the company. Under the dictatorship of the rich, one of the main ways that people in society communicate with each other can become the private possession of a single ultra-wealthy capitalist. 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.

2 Nov 202232min

In this patrons-only seminar, Brian discusses the win of left Workers Party candidate & former president Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva over far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and the huge impact it will have in Brazil and in the region, Elon Musk ordering massive job cuts as he takes over Twitter, the US sending nuclear weapons to Europe, and more. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

1 Nov 202215min

Massive protests in South Korea are demanding the end of right-wing President Yoon Suk-yeol's tenure. At the same time, the US and Japan are promising a major military escalation against North Korea. Brian is joined by K.J. Noh, a peace activist, organizer with Pivot to Peace, scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice. 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 Okt 20221h 16min

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss how demonization of China has gone into overdrive as the country chooses its new leadership, and how a key component of this has been increasingly strident advocacy for so-called “economic decoupling” from China. And in fact, just ahead of China’s Communist Party congress, the U.S. government unveiled a harsh blow to a critical sector of trade. 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.

26 Okt 202228min

As rents spike higher and higher, tent cities grow across the country, and eviction protections wear out, tenants are fed up and organizing. Nicole and Brian discuss the coming — and necessary — rent revolution. 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 Okt 202226min

The Communist Party of China is in its 20th Congress, a week-long meeting of 2,296 elected delegates from around the country in a nominations and voting process in which 95 million CPC members participated. The delegates set the priorities for China for the next five years. Brian and Tings Chak, researcher at the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research & a member of Dongsheng News collective, discuss the biggest takeaways, China’s economy, Xi Jinping’s presidency, Biden’s recent singling out of China in his National Security Doctrine, 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.

20 Okt 202239min