The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard  Wolff discuss the possibility of a recession, now that the majority of  CEOs foresee one. They're calling it mild, but is that what the economic  signals are showing? 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.

Brian Becker, an expert on imperialism and strategies pursued by major powers throughout history, discusses the main epochs of imperialism and the lessons it holds for the contemporary movement for justice and self-determination. Topics include the clash between imperialism and grassroots movements, the new era of global politics since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the collapse of the socialist camp and the end of the Cold War, the historical progression of global politics, and the era of global colonization and major power conflicts.

Three decades after the end of the so-called Cold War the threat of all-out nuclear conflict – and therefore the annihilation of life on Earth as we know it – is a real and growing danger. But this time, the threat to human civilization is compounded by the crisis of climate change. We need a new system if humanity is to step back from the brink. Brian is joined by John Bellamy Foster, the editor of Monthly Review and a professor of sociology at the University of Oregon. He’s the author of several books, including Naked Imperialism: The U.S. Pursuit of Global Dominance, and The Return of Nature: Socialism and Ecology. Look at for his new book being published August 23 called “Capitalism in the Anthropocene: Ecological Ruin or Ecological Revolution.” 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 Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard  Wolff discuss how outrage is spreading across the country in the wake  of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. The complete failure and  cowardice on the part of the police allowed  the killer to carry out the massacre. And the gun manufacturers who  profit while mass shootings devastate the country are given special  legal protections. How are the arms industry capitalists shielded from  accountability? 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.

As the U.S./NATO proxy war in Ukraine against Russia rages, the imperialist establishment is increasingly united behind a strategy of escalation. Brian and Eugene Puryear trace the development of this increasingly hostile approach over the years and decades; and review the most important recent military, economic and political developments in the conflict. Eugene Puryear is the host of the BreakThrough News podcast The Punch Out, and co-host of the BT live video show The Freedom Side. 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 report from the Tax Justice Network, a well-known  international organization, finding that the United States is now the  country with the greatest degree of financial secrecy in the entire  world.  Banks and corporations move in the shadows, concealing their operations  and vast wealth. What are the ultra rich up to behind the scenes? 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 In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss how Congress raced to pass a massive $40 billion spending package for the  war in Ukraine at the same time as the foreign policy establishment  contemplates the possibility of a military confrontation with China.  They also discuss the anniversary of the murder of  George Floyd and the racist massacre in Buffalo, the struggle for  abortion rights as the Supreme Court ruling looms, and more. 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.

Today's bonus episode is a recording of Brian Becker's keynote speech at the Los Angeles Socialism Conference on May 7th, 2022.

The Summit of the Americas being held next month in Los Angeles is shaping up to be a humiliation for the Biden administration. In response to the United States’ attempt to exclude Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua from the gathering, leaders in Bolivia, Mexico and Caribbean states plan to boycott. And activists in Los Angeles along with others throughout the country and the hemisphere are planning a People’s Summit for Democracy as a counter-event to demand an end to U.S. aggression against Latin America and highlight the people’s struggles against injustice inside the United States itself. Brian is joined by Manolo De Los Santos, the co-executive director of The People’s Forum in New York, and a longtime popular educator. 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.

Professor Richard Wolff discusses the shortage of infant formula and criticizes the capitalist economy for neglecting the survival needs of babies. The podcast explores the infant formula crisis in the US, outsourcing baby formula manufacturing to China, the impact of COVID on schools and businesses, and the effects of capitalism on access to essential products.