Cutting Through the Spin: What the Showdown in Congress Means for Workers
On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how trillions of dollars to address the needs of working people in the areas of education, childcare, health, housing and more are on the line as a crucial struggle unfolds in Congress and in the streets. They also discuss the Biden administration’s brutal treatment of thousands of Haitian refugees seeking asylum in Texas, the latest on the pandemic as COVID spreads virtually unchecked in large parts of the country, and more. The following articles are referenced in today's episode: The U.S.’s Long History of Mistreating Haitian Migrants https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-uss-long-history-of-mistreating-haitian-migrants Covid Gets Redder https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/27/briefing/covid-red-states-vaccinations.html Covid’s Hidden Toll: One Million Children Who Lost Parents https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-children-orphans-parent-deaths-million-11632675021 Supreme Court observers see trouble ahead as public approval of justices erodes https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-public-opinion/2021/09/25/379b51ec-1c6c-11ec-bcb8-0cb135811007_story.html Keystroke tracking, screenshots, and facial recognition: The boss may be watching long after the pandemic ends https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/24/remote-work-from-home-surveillance/ 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 Sep 20211h 18min
China Moves Left Under Xi Jinping: Part 2
We continue our discussion of the major changes in Chinese politics and society ushered in by President Xi Jinping. We cover the emerging "common prosperity" economic policy aimed at redistributing China's wealth, the country's key geopolitical strategy known as the Belt and Road Initiative, and how this all fits in with the Communist Party's perspective on building socialism. Brian is joined by Kenneth Hammond, a Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University and an activist with the organization 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.
23 Sep 20211h 9min
Addicted to War: The ABC's of U.S. Military Spending
On today's episode we discuss the military-industrial complex in the wake of the nuclear submarine deal between the United States and Australia, which sparked a diplomatic crisis with France. A new alliance between the US, Australia and the UK trashed a submarine deal France had with Australia worth tens of billions of dollars, awarding the sale instead to the United States. How does the war economy help keep U.S. capitalism afloat? 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.
22 Sep 202133min
War Criminal George W. Bush Confronted
On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker and Esther Iverem discuss how George W. Bush was directly confronted at a Los Angeles speaking event by anti-war organizers including an Iraq war veteran who said that Bush was personally responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. They also discuss how there are 126,000 fewer childcare workers today than at the start of the pandemic, and the end of the Nabisco workers strike with the approval of a new union contract. Brian and Esther are joined by Mike Prysner and Marissa Sanchez, ANSWER Coalition organizers who protested George W. Bush in Los Angeles. Mike Prysner is an Iraq war veteran. 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 Sep 20211h
Covid-19: A Socialist View toward Vaccines, Public Health Policy & the Failures of Capitalism
The Coronavirus pandemic coupled with the capitalist system has caused unspeakable suffering in the United States and around the globe. Failures to adequately prepare and respond to the public health emergency led to massive unemployment, hunger, poverty and death. And now that vaccines capable of ending the pandemic are being mass produced, far right political forces are seeking to cynically mobilize people against the most basic public health measures. How should socialists react to this phenomenon? Brian is joined by by Eugene Puryear. He is the host of the podcast The Punch Out on BreakThrough News and host of the weekly live show The Freedom Side on BreakThrough News, which airs every Thursday on YouTube.com/BreakThroughNews at 3 p.m. Eastern/12 p.m. Pacific.
16 Sep 20211h 3min
Grand Theft Banks: How the Government Funds Wall Street
On today's episode we discuss one of the key ways that the biggest capitalist enterprises receive huge government assistance -- quantitative easing. This policy, carried out by central banks, has been the subject of major debate in recent weeks. What is quantitative easing, and is it going away any time soon? Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can check out his work at rdwolff.com.
15 Sep 202132min
The U.S. Left's Response to Sept. 11
On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss the founding of the ANSWER Coalition just 3 days after the tragic September 11 terror attacks that took the lives of nearly 3,000 people in New York City and the Washington, D.C. area. They discuss how the U.S. left reacted after September 11 and how a new mass movement came into being. The panel also covers efforts by right wing Democrats to thwart a major expansion of social programs, police brutality in Louisiana, and more.
14 Sep 20211h 30min
20 Years After Sept. 11 - How the "War on Terror" Changed U.S. & Global Politics (Preview)
20 years after the September 11th terrorist attack, we reflect on the profound impacts this event had on the globe. The U.S. government manipulated the aftermath of the attacks to declare that an "axis of evil" existed -- Iraq, Iran and North Korea -- and committed itself to waging regime change wars against these nations and others. The hardline militarist policy followed by the Bush administration, known as neo-conservatism, became completely dominant in U.S. foreign policy and military circles in the years following 9/11. And in each one of these regime change wars, the United States failed to achieve its goals -- but still caused enormous death and suffering. Brian Becker is interviewed on this topic by Nicole Roussell. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!
11 Sep 202110min
