The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

Brian Becker went on a four-city speaking tour this month. This is his talk at the first stop on the tour on September 14 in Denver, CO, with a packed house at the Denver Liberation Center. This episode is a preview of the full talk that is available for Patrons in the TSP community. Subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest of this episode, support the show, join our monthly patron-only Q&A seminars, and access the highly valuable archive of years of socialist analysis.

28 Sep 202312min

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the looming government shutdown and what it shows about the U.S. capitalist system. Is it a stable democracy if it can't stay open? Why aren't lawmakers using the clear solutions at hand? 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.

27 Sep 202333min

The opening week of the United Nations General Assembly shows clearly that this is a new era of global politics. Ukrainian President Zelensky threw down the hammer demanding more war, suggesting even an escalation to nuclear weapons, while Biden is trying desperately to break up the forming alliances in the Global South. Tomorrow Zelensky and Biden will meet in Washington, where they’ll make a hard sell for tens of billions more in war spending. Brian Becker is joined by Walter Smolarek, the editor of Liberation News. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://www.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 20231h 3min

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the criminal inaction of the White House and Congress against inflation and the rising costs of basic goods we need to live. 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.

20 Sep 202328min

New relationships are growing and strengthening among countries in the Global South. Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting, while Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro traveled to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. What do these big geopolitical shifts mean for the residents of the Global South and the globe? Brian Becker is joined by Ben Norton, an investigative journalist based in Latin America, and editor of the independent news website Geopolitical Economy Report at geopoliticaleconomy.com. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://www.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 20231h 5min

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the real possibility of a massive strike as the contract for nearly 150,000 members of the United Auto Workers runs out on Thursday. Union members are demanding fair pay and protection from mass layoffs, but the Big Three auto companies — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis — haven't yet agreed. 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.

13 Sep 202336min

On today's episode Nicole Roussell interviews Brian Becker about U.S. media coverage of the "huge threat" of Medicare costs to the U.S. budget, the Ukraine war, the U.S. pivot toward war with China, Putin and Kim Jong Un meeting this week, and the rising cost of car insurance. 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 202350min

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff mark Labor Day with a discussion on how workers are fighting back with intensity not seen in many years. From UPS to academic workers to writers and actors, major labor struggles have been erupting nationwide in a revolt against mounting inequality and corporate greed. And the next major fight on the horizon is a potential strike at the Big Three automakers. 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.

6 Sep 202327min