An Empire in Decline: Why the Ruling Class Blame Game Will Fail
On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the increasingly unstable political environment, as Dr. Wolff writes about in his newest article. He argues that some politicians are denying there are any problems while some find a scapegoat where they can direct people's anger--and both of which are symptoms of the political elite desperately trying to protect the capitalist system. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can check out his work at rdwolff.com, and read the article here: https://www.alternet.org/2022/01/capitalism. 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 Feb 202234min
The Twenty Year Rampage of Endless War: U.S. Foreign Policy Since 2001
On today's In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem and Nicole Roussell discuss the political period twenty years ago when George W Bush laid out “the axis of evil” – Iraq, Iran, and North Korea – and escalated the “war on terror,” which was really just a campaign of imperialist war and intervention. They also analyze the escalating war against Russia, the Washington Post’s Sunday lead editorial with an alarming message, the newest thing named after Jeff Bezos (it’s a library!), dark money in elections, the plea deals for the murderers of Ahmaud Arbery, the new angle that the U.S. press is taking against China’s incredible record against Covid, and the campaign to transfer political prisoner Leonard Peltier to a hospital to treat his Covid infection. 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.
1 Feb 20221h 15min
Brian Becker Seminar #12: Ukraine, Russia, NATO, & More (Preview)
In this January 2022 patrons-only seminar, Brian and the crew discuss the Ukraine conflict at length, including a deep dive into the historical and geopolitical context of the region, the legacy of World Wars and the Cold War, the class character of the Russian state today, and more. We also discuss a Marxist analysis of class stratification in the U.S. today. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!
28 Jan 202215min
Risking World War III with Russia: Why?
Is war with Russia just around the corner? If you listen to corporate U.S. media and politicians it is. Brian Becker and Eugene Puryear break down what’s really going on in Ukraine and Russia, what the context of the tension is, and what the chances are of war. Brian is joined by Eugene Puryear, author and activist, host of the BreakThrough News podcast The Punch Out, and co-host of the BT live video show The Freedom Side. Watch the video edition of “The Real Story” on BreakThrough News! 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 Jan 202255min
Fear Grips Wall Street: Is the Big Crash Coming?
On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the recently turbulent stock market. What does this mean for the economy and for us? Is this volatility a sign of something to come? 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.
26 Jan 202232min
U.S. Imperialism: Addicted to War & Militarism
On today's In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem and Nicole Roussell discuss the U.S. evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Kiev while stating that war with Russia may be soon, the win for Julian Assange giving him his right to appeal to the U.K. Supreme Court to stop his extradition to the United States, the Senate's maneuvers against protecting voting rights, and the newly exposed U.S. war crimes against the people in Syria. 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 Jan 202255min
U.S. Prepares for War with China, 50 Years After Nixon’s Visit and Shanghai Communiqué
Brian Becker and Dr. Ken Hammond discuss U.S. aggression against China, which often uses Taiwan as a pretext. But next month is the 50th anniversary of the Shanghai Communiqué – a document the U.S. and China jointly signed, after Nixon visited the country, which recognized that Taiwan is in fact part of China. Brian is joined by Dr. Ken Hammond, professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University, founding director of the Confucius Institute at New Mexico State University, and activist with Pivot to Peace. Watch the video edition of “The Real Story” on BreakThrough News! 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 Jan 20221h 9min
Wall Street Panic: The Paradox of Inflation & A Slowing Economy
On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss cascading crises that rocked Wall Street and the stock market, which crashed yesterday, as inflation spikes and the economy slows. Things are about to get much worse as the Federal Reserve plans to raise interest rates 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.
19 Jan 202232min
