The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

The Socialist Program

News and views about the world for those who want to change it. Socialist commentary and education episodes every week: Tues: In the News | Wed: Capitalism in Crisis | Thurs: The Real Story

  • 27 minutes 57 seconds
    Biden’s Tariff War on Clean Energy

    On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the lies both parties are telling about the effects on climate and jobs of tariffs slapped on electric vehicles from China.

    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.

    15 May 2024, 10:30 am
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    Thousands of U.S. Students Arrested While Israel Invades Rafah

    In a massive, nationally coordinated crackdown, the United States has arrested nearly 3,000 U.S. students in the last week. Many have been beaten, pepper sprayed, and tear gassed; expelled from their housing; and many will be expelled from their university altogether. Using U.S. bombs and missiles, the Israeli military has launched a devastating assault on people in Rafah—where more than one million Palestinians took refuge from previous Israeli bombing.

    Brian Becker is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan, a Palestinian organizer with the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, a popular educator, organizer, the Education Director at The People’s Forum, and an editor at 1804 Books, and Manolo De Los Santos, researcher at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and founder and executive director of The People’s Forum in New York.

    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.

    9 May 2024, 10:30 am
  • 25 minutes
    Wall Street’s Dream Is Privatizing Social Security & Medicare…But They’re Here to Stay!

    On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the latest fear-mongering over the solvency of Medicare and Social Security, the two most popular programs in the United States.

    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.

    8 May 2024, 10:30 am
  • 43 minutes 18 seconds
    The Colonial Roots of Zionism: Palestine, Israel, and the U.S. Empire Part 2: 1947-1967

    Starting with the illegal UN vote to partition Palestine in 1947, this second episode in a series goes over the colonial, racist history of the zionist project up until the 1967 Six-Day War. Listen to the first one on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts. This was recorded April 26, 2024.

    Brian is joined by Richard Becker, the author of the newly updated book, "Palestine, Israel, and U.S. Empire," published by 1804 Books.

    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 May 2024, 10:30 am
  • 29 minutes
    It’s May Day! Understanding How Every Worker Is Exploited by Their Boss

    On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff explain why and how workers actually do make all of our goods, including what capitalists claim is what they bring to the table—the production equipment, buildings, desks, work tables, machines to harvest raw materials, and more.

    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.


    1 May 2024, 10:30 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    Student Uprising Spreads as US & Israel Plan Rafah Invasion

    As the Pentagon and U.S. elite provide Israel more weaponry and urge a Mosul, Iraq-style mass demolition in Rafah, protest encampments on college campuses are erupting nationwide. And in the face of evictions from student housing, arrests, threats of bringing in the National Guard, and more repression, students are standing strong for the Palestinian people.

    Brian Becker is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan, a Palestinian organizer with the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, a popular educator, organizer, the Education Director at The People’s Forum, and an editor at 1804 Books.

    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.

    25 April 2024, 10:30 am
  • 1 hour 41 minutes
    Lenin and the Path to Revolution [Part 1]

    The Socialist Program presents a new special 3-part, more than 5-hour-long podcast series on the legacy of Russian Marxist V.I. Lenin, based on a class series by Brian Becker at The People’s Forum in November and December 2023, enhanced with historical audio recordings and more. This series provides a specific approach to studying Lenin's writings for a new generation of socialist organizers. It discusses the war in Gaza and the struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation, and outlines Lenin's organizational and tactical outlook in the era of modern imperialism.

    This is Part 1 of Lenin and the Path to Revolution

    Below are details of historical audio clips included in this episode that may not be otherwise identified by listening:

    5:50 - Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, written in 1893 (a favorite of Lenin)

    8:53 - Excerpt of Lenin’s speech “What is Soviet Power?” recorded March 1919

    14:28 - Recording of Tsar Nicolas II addressing soldiers in 1910

    37:45 - Journalist John Pilger speaking with a U.S. soldier in Vietnam, 1970

    52:02 - Eyewitness account of the February Revolution from the Kennan Institute Russian History Audio Archive

    1:21:14 - Marching Song of the First Arkansas Regiment (U.S. Civil War)

    1:28:36, 1:28:56 - News report on House Un-American Activities Committee investigation in Hollywood, 1947

    1:29:44, 1:30:15 - Anderson Cooper and Bernie Sanders at the Democratic Party presidential debate in Las Vegas, 2015

    ///

    Help make this show possible by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram

    22 April 2024, 10:30 am
  • 1 hour 43 minutes
    Lenin and the Path to Revolution [Part 2]

    The Socialist Program presents a new special 3-part, more than 5-hour-long podcast series on the legacy of Russian Marxist V.I. Lenin, based on a class series by Brian Becker at The People’s Forum in November and December 2023, enhanced with historical audio recordings and more. This series provides a specific approach to studying Lenin's writings for a new generation of socialist organizers. It discusses the war in Gaza and the struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation, and outlines Lenin's organizational and tactical outlook in the era of modern imperialism.

    This is Part 2 of Lenin and the Path to Revolution

    Below are details of historical audio clips included in this episode that may not be otherwise identified by listening:

    12:28 - Eugene Puryear speaking at the National March On Washington for Palestine, November 4th 2023

    30:04 - Brian Becker speaking at anti-war rally in Washington, D.C., January 18, 2003

    56:37 - ‘John Brown’s Body’ - popular song in the U.S. Civil War

    1:36:28 - Joe Biden (then a senator) speaking in Congress, 1986

    ///

    Help make this show possible by joining our patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram

    22 April 2024, 10:30 am
  • 1 hour 42 minutes
    Lenin and the Path to Revolution [Part 3]

    The Socialist Program presents a new special 3-part, more than 5-hour-long podcast series on the legacy of Russian Marxist V.I. Lenin, based on a class series by Brian Becker at The People’s Forum in November and December 2023, enhanced with historical audio recordings and more. This series provides a specific approach to studying Lenin's writings for a new generation of socialist organizers. It discusses the war in Gaza and the struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation, and outlines Lenin's organizational and tactical outlook in the era of modern imperialism.

    This is Part 3 of Lenin and the Path to Revolution

    Below are details of historical audio clips included in this episode that may not be otherwise identified by listening:

    5:56 - Eyewitness to the Russian Revolution, from documentary ‘Images of a Revolution,’ 1987

    7:35 - Eyewitness to the Russian Revolution, from documentary ‘Images of a Revolution,’ 1987

    10:08 - Member of the public asks president Obama a question during a town hall meeting, 2009

    12:02 - Then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at a town hall responding to a question from a member of the public asking if the Democratic Party could move left on economics, 2017

    54:39 - Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill speaking in 1954

    58:49 - Andy Stapp of the American Servicemen's Union, speaking at the Black Panther Anti-Fascism Conference, 1969

    ///

    Help make this show possible by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram

    22 April 2024, 10:30 am
  • 9 minutes 32 seconds
    Danger of a Regional War, China Nuclear Proposal & U.S. Class Analysis [Preview]

    In this patrons-only Q&A seminar, Brian & Nicole discuss the danger of a regional war in the Middle East, U.S. crackdown on supporters of Palestine, China's proposal to the US to commit to no nuclear first strikes, a class analysis of modern U.S. society, and more.

    Links referenced during the seminar:

    Video show with Mohammad Marandi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdCyssFsWsc

    Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/posts/iran-doesnt-want-102492180

    Petition to reinstate Professor Jodi Dean: https://www.change.org/p/revoke-professor-jodi-dean-s-suspension-from-teaching-at-hobart-and-william-smith-colleges

    Jodi's article: https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/news/palestine-speaks-for-everyone

    18 April 2024, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    Iran Doesn’t Want Larger War with Israel But is Ready For It w/ Prof. Mohammad Marandi

    What is Iran’s military and political strategy now that it has struck back against Israel’s illegal bombing of its embassy, and with another cycle of escalation looming? Israel’s strikes killed over a dozen people, including two Iranian generals, while Iran’s response produced no casualties. Why is Israel escalating? What does global public opinion look like towards the U.S. Empire on one side and the “Axis of Resistance” on the other? What consequences could the U.S. face in the region if Israel strikes again?

    Brian Becker is joined by Prof. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.

    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.

    17 April 2024, 12:54 am
  • More Episodes? Get the App
© MoonFM 2024. All rights reserved.