Vijay Prashad and Noam Chomsky on Afghanistan War & the Fragility of US Empire
The U.S. government has destroyed cities, countries, and towns around the world, through bombs and air raids, military ground invasions, naval attacks, economic sanctions and strangulation, coups, and more. Some say U.S. force is never ending, others say it’s on a fast decline, almost gone forever. Vijay Prashad and Noam Chomsky argue in their new book, “The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power,” that U.S. military might is somewhere in the middle: it’s fragile. Brian is joined by Vijay Prashad, the Executive Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, and author of a new book with Noam Chomsky called “The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power.” 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.
15 Sep 202248min
Queens, Kings and Capitalism
On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss how the corporate-owned media has been consumed with wall-to-wall coverage of the death of the Queen, fawning over the British monarchy. But the lifestyle that’s being celebrated is one based on plunder and empire. While their “subjects” live in poverty, the royals live a life of total luxury – all because they were lucky enough to be born into the right family. 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.
14 Sep 202227min
The Deepening Assault on Core Democratic Rights in the USA
The United States is in the midst of a political upheaval right now, after the 2020 uprising, the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol, and the Dobbs decision that overturned one of the Supreme Court's biggest decisions -- access to abortion under Roe v. Wade. The right wing is on the move and the left needs a clear understanding of just where they're headed and how to be able to effectively fight back. What does Dobbs indicate for other democratic rights that we thought were guaranteed? Producer Nicole Roussell and Brian discuss the very significant political changes in the domestic policy situation in the United States, and the Attica prison uprising and massacre 51 years ago today. 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.
13 Sep 202244min
Global Confrontation: The US, Russia, China, and a New Era
The United States and South Korea put on the biggest military war games in four years, while Russia and China also ran military drills. Will the world become multipolar and is that enough to fully counter U.S. imperialism? Is major power conflict on the horizon? Producer Nicole Roussell and Brian discuss what multipolarity means for the international working class, what is needed to end U.S. imperialism, and what geopolitics are evident in Ukraine. 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 Sep 202257min
Sanctions Backfire: Europe Plunged into Energy Crisis
On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss how Europe has plunged into an even deeper energy crisis as Russia cuts off imports through the Nord Stream pipeline in response to western sanctions. While US and European leaders pledged that sanctions would quickly bring the Russian economy to its knees, is the reality in fact the opposite? 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.
7 Sep 202232min
Brian Becker Seminar #17: Gorbachev's Legacy, Afghanistan, Climate Catastrophe, Education, & More [Preview]
In this August 2022 patrons-only seminar, Brian discusses the legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the Soviet Union before its dissolution, who is being lionized by the capitalist media after his death on Tuesday. Brian also discusses the 1-year anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal of from Afghanistan, the drying up of the Colorado River due to climate change, education under capitalism versus socialism, and more. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram to hear the rest!
1 Sep 202211min
Infiltration, Violence, Deportation: How the State Weakened and Split Socialism in the US
In this special crossover episode, Rania Khalek of Dispatches sits down with Brian to talk about the impact of severe repression on the socialist, communist and Black Liberation movement in the United States during the past decades. Rania Khalek’s Dispatches program is on BreakThrough News, and is available on video at YouTube.com/BreakThroughNews and as a podcast on Google, Apple, and anywhere you get your podcasts. 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. This month it's on Wednesday, August 31, at 12pm ET/9am PT. Register now on Patreon!
25 Aug 20221h 32min
How U.S. Capitalism Buries Students in Debt
On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the student debt crisis. With an announcement expected imminently on the fate of the national freeze on student debt payments, pressure is mounting on the Biden administration to not only extend the moratorium, but also cancel a substantial amount of the crushing debt burden tens of millions of people in the United States are under. How did we end up in a situation where borrowers have accumulated over $1.7 trillion in debt just because they wanted to get an education? 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.
24 Aug 202231min
