The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how a Texas law has  destroyed abortion rights for 16 million women and girls and is being  used by right-wing political forces as a model for the rest of the  country -- but a new fightback movement is taking shape. They also  discuss the end of key pandemic relief programs, the aftermath of  Hurricane Ida, important victories won by the struggle against the  racist murders of Elijah McClain and Ahmaud Arbery, 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.

In this August 2021 patrons-only seminar, Brian and the crew discuss the U.S. empire's reorientation after its defeat in Afghanistan and how the new Afghan government may take shape, including relations with neighboring countries like China and Iran. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

As China emerges as a leading global economic power, the Communist Party led by Xi Jinping is taking increasingly aggressive measures to combat inequality and ensure that the entire population benefits in "common prosperity". Brian is joined by Kenneth Hammond, a Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University and an activist with the organization Pivot to 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.

Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the Supreme  Court ruling overturning the federal eviction moratorium and putting 11  million people at risk of being thrown onto the streets in the middle  of a pandemic. The rationale used by the court to issue this cruel edict  is the essence of capitalism -- protect property owners’ “right to  exclude” at all costs. Richard Wolff is the co-founder of the  organization Democracy at Work and the author of many books, the latest  being “The Sickness is the System: When Capitalism Fails to Save Us from  Pandemics or Itself”. 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.

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss the latest in Afghanistan, including the U.S. drone  missile strike in Afghanistan that wiped out a family of 10 people, all  civilians, including several young children. They also discuss the  devastation caused by Hurricane Ida and the urgent  struggle to prevent 11 million evictions in the wake of the Supreme  Court’s ruling last week striking down the federal moratorium. The following news articles and documents were referenced in this episode: Evacuations From Kabul Wind Down as U.S. Prepares to Pull Last Troops https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/28/world/asia/afghanistan-evacuations.html Is the U.S.-installed Afghan government doomed? https://www.liberationnews.org/is-the-u-s-installed-afghan-government-doomed/ Report Portrays a Broken C.I.A. Devoted to a Failed Approach https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/world/senate-torture-report-shows-cia-infighting-over-interrogation-program.html Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/publications/committee-study-central-intelligence-agencys-detention-and-interrogation-program 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 episode focuses on the long term plans being developed by the United States in light of the rapid collapse of their client government in Afghanistan. How do the war makers plan to recover from this blow to the prestige of U.S. empire? Brian is joined by Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist. 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 & Prof. Wolff continue a series on agriculture under capitalism with a focus on the hunger crisis in the United States. How is it possible that in the richest country ever tens of millions are deprived of something as basic as food? 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.

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss the United States' frantic evacuation from Afghanistan and the questions swirling about the future of the country’s government -- and critical history left out of the corporate media narrative. They also discuss how crucial pandemic relief measures are imperiled, the strike waged by Nabisco workers, and vital efforts to vaccinate the population from COVID & the major obstacles they are encountering. 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.

Will the chaotic end of the Afghanistan War deal a  lasting blow to US imperialism? We cover essential historical &  international context with Dr. Gerald Horne, professor at the University  of Houston & author of many books, including “The Dawning of the  Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism,  and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century.” 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 and Prof. Wolff continue a multi-part series on  agriculture under capitalism. This week, they focus on the evolution of  the system of factory farming and the effect it has on workers and  nature. 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.