Capitalism in Crisis: Why Do Recessions Happen?

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how the battle in Congress over the fate of major social programs to address the needs of the people and the planet continues after the House progressive caucus blocked passage of a physical infrastructure bill to counter efforts by right wing Democrats to kill the much larger budget and social infrastructure bill. Also, they discuss the latest on the pandemic as the U.S. death toll hits 700,000, efforts by the right wing to cement its political power through redistricting, 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.

5 Okt 20211h 6min

In this September 2021 patrons-only seminar, Brian and the crew discuss the how socialism can be achieved in the United States and how revolutions happen, how to organize against imperialist war including from within the ranks of the military, and the internal contradictions of the U.S. government that are preventing Congress from addressing the dire needs of the people. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

4 Okt 202110min

Today's episode is the first in a multi-part series on Lenin's theory of imperialism and how his ideas apply to the modern day struggle against war and empire. Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek discuss Lenin's landmark work "Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism". Far from being a series of mistaken policy choices, Lenin proves that imperialism is a compulsory system under modern capitalism. These concepts are covered in detail in the book "Imperialism in the 21st Century: Updating Lenin's Theory a Century Later" published by Liberation Media. 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 Sep 202144min

On today's episode we discuss the frantic effort by pharmaceutical corporations to keep prescription drug prices -- and their profits -- sky high. As part of the proposed social spending budget, Congress is considering a measure to negotiate hundreds of billions of dollars of savings on prescriptions covered by Medicare. This would fund major expansions to Medicaid and Medicare services, but right-wing Democrats backed by big pharma are doing everything they can to block it. 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.

29 Sep 202130min

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

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

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

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