The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard  Wolff discuss how the leaders of the wealthy G7 nations gathered in  Germany this week for a summit focused on isolating Russia from the  world economy. The summit discussed attempts to  impose a “price cap” on Russian oil exports and a prohibition on  trading Russian gold, but is this sanctions regime backfiring on the  west? 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.

The Supreme Court – an unelected group of nine millionaires with  lifetime appointments – have overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed  the right to abortion at the federal level. Tens of thousands have been  in the streets all over the country since the Dobbs  decision was announced on Friday, and in the weeks prior to that in  response to the draft decision leak. Biden called abortion “a  fundamental right” in his speech Friday reacting to the decision, but  has so far taken no action to restore this right. How can  a militant women’s movement overcome the indifference and outright  hostility of the political establishment towards abortion rights? In this special edition of The Socialist Program, we air two interviews  from our video partner BreakThrough News from their live coverage just  after the Dobbs decision came down. Hosts Eugene Puryear and Rania  Khalek BT were joined by Kym Smith -- an organizer  with the Party for Socialism and Liberation in South Carolina -- and  Mara Verheyden-Hilliard -- a constitutional rights lawyer and executive  director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund. 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.

In a true show of intercontinental solidarity, words from Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel joined the speeches of Native activist and Co-Director of the International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee Jean Roach, National Director of BYP100 D’atra Jackson, and host of this show, Brian Becker, at the final plenary of the three-day-long People’s Summit for Democracy in early June. 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.

On today's episode, Brian Becker and Prof. Richard  Wolff discuss the elections in France's legislature that led to  a large upswing in   seats won by the progressives and current President Macron's  center-right party losing their governing majority. What does this  energy behind the left in France tell us? 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.

Discussing the need for reliable information about China, the podcast explores misconceptions about dissent and public debate in China. It also delves into China's approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and the effectiveness of lockdown measures. The chapter highlights the disparity in spending on PCR tests and US aid to Ukraine, the success of the Chinese film industry, and the eradication of extreme poverty in China.

Stephanie Weatherbee Brito from the International People's Assembly joins Brian to discuss building a global movement against capitalism. They cover the historical roots and global nature of the anti-capitalism movement, the problems with capitalism including its inability to address climate catastrophe, and the importance of engaging young people in political activism.

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the newly-released inflation report that found that prices rose at a breathtaking pace – 8.6 percent, the highest in over 40  years. Anger is spreading across the country as working people struggle to afford the basic necessities in life as fuel, food and other essential commodities become increasingly unaffordable. What can be done to solve the crisis? 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.

On today's episode, Brian Becker interviews Roberto Lovato. Since the  Monroe Doctrine, Latin America has resisted U.S. attempts to dominate  the region. Last week, another instance of resistance took place around  the Summit of the Americas, which many heads  of state boycotted over the Biden administration's decision to exclude  Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Brian and Roberto Lovato discuss this,  the urgent need to end the blockade of Cuba, and the hypocrisy of U.S.  immigration policy as Ukrainians are welcomed  but immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean are caged. Roberto Lovato is the author of the critically-acclaimed memoir Unforgetting. Lovato is a journalist and visiting professor of English  at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Lovato has reported on numerous  issues—violence, terrorism, the drug war and the refugee  crisis—from Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Haiti,  France and the United States, among other countries. Photo credit: Midia Ninja 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.

In this May 2022 patrons-only seminar, Brian focuses on answering questions from patrons, including multiple about the ongoing war in Ukraine, the connection to China and North Korea, how political organizing in the U.S. has changed over the decades, organizing in rural areas, and more. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

Biden excluded Cuba from the Summit of the Americas, and then the U.S. government blocked visas for Cuban special guests to the People's Summit of Democracy as well. To discuss the U.S. policy of exclusion and the double standards in U.S. definitions of “democracy,” Brian is joined at the People's Summit for Democracy by Gail Walker, executive director of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization and Pastors for 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.