The Socialist Program

A new poll shows that the majority of U.S. residents—75%—don’t believe in the so-called American Dream: that if you work hard in the United States, you can succeed at having an economically secure life. Professor Richard Wolff & Brian Becker discuss the major and growing inequality in the United States. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work...

Millions of Venezuelans participated in military drills to help defend the country as U.S. warships and fighter aircraft are deployed by Trump. Brian is joined by Manolo De Los Santos, Executive Director of The People’s Forum, for a discussion of the latest threats from the Trump Administration, how the issue of narcotics trafficking is being falsely used to justify another U.S. war of aggression...

Brian and Layan discuss the mass ICE raids and arrests in the last days of hundreds of workers at an auto factory in Georgia and a food production facility in Syracuse, NY. They also discuss the massive military parade in China that drew prominent attendance from the leaders of Russia, India, North Korea, Iran. Trump’s aggressive policies are creating a new coalition of countries opposed to U.S. h...

Trump’s family made $5 billion on Monday when they launched a new currency, a memecoin called $Trump. Along with propping up failing company Intel, these are recent examples of the resources the capitalists take from U.S. workers. Professor Richard Wolff & producer Nicole Roussell lay out how this corruption and grift occur. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organiza...

The Wall Street Journal provides evidence that the Ukraine war is a proxy war between the US and Russia. The Trump Administration’s attempt to takeover DC is part of the attempt to end the semblance of bourgeois democracy in the United States. Don’t we need socialized healthcare, not “Medicare for All”? What do we do to stop the federal takeover of more U.S. cities? Do protests even work? How can...

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that 1.6 million immigrants have left the United States since Trump took office due to the reign of terror the administration has perpetrated. Trump has also sued the Maryland federal judiciary for making him follow proper deportation procedures. Professor Richard Wolff & Brian Becker discuss the terror against immigrants, the military in the...

Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin on August 15th. 3 days later, with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, along with the leaders of the major NATO countries. Trump promised that his personal intervention would lead to a quick end to the war, but he has badly misjudged the situation. Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan discuss the latest, and explain why the war in Ukraine is not ending, at least n...

The Trump administration is considering buying a 10% stake in tech company Intel to prop up the struggling chip maker. Professor Richard Wolff & Brian Becker discuss why they might do this, what it means about the U.S. economy, and what it tells us about the U.S. government's competition with China. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work...

Brian and Layan discuss the rapidly expanding worldwide opposition as Israel intentionally slaughters journalists and starves Palestinian civilians. Even mainstream media figures are now denouncing Israel. They also expose the coup-like nature of Donald Trump’s militarization decree that intensifies an all-out attack against Black, Latino and immigrant communities. They also provide a political fr...

Trump has declared a police state in D.C., announcing a federal military takeover. Despite recent violent crime rates in D.C. at a 30-year low, he cited “crime” as the reason—but Professor Richard Wolff & Brian Becker discuss his real goals. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com. Join the The Socialist...

Before we can change the world, we have to understand how change occurs. Today's episode features a recording of our host Brian Becker teaching at the Summer School for Socialism, a class series hosted by The People's Forum in New York City. The class module in today's episode is titled "Change is Possible." How do systems of power rise and fall? Brian introduces the Marxist...

In the decades since its 1949 revolution, China has emerged – or reemerged – as a global power, and the U.S. government sees China’s rise as an existential threat. Now there’s a bipartisan consensus, anchored in the Pentagon’s strategic doctrine, preparing for war and “great power conflict” with China. Brian Becker talks with Prof. Ken Hammond, who recently returned from teaching in China, about t...

Coinciding with the 72nd anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended military hostilities during the Korean War, a historic People's Summit for Korea took place in New York City between July 25th and 27th. Brian Becker, host of The Socialist Program, was a guest on one of the plenary panels entitled "The Long Revolution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."  I...

Mass arrests of immigrants in the United States, massive starvation imposed on the people of Gaza. The Trump administration is on a rampage, but there is a growing nationwide fightback movement. Brian Becker is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan, a Palestinian organizer with the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, Education Director at The People’s Forum, and an editor at 1804 Books. This is a previe...

Emblematic of capitalist corporations, investment bank Goldman Sachs asks a revealing question that shows the evils of capitalism: ‘Is curing patients a sustainable business model?’ Nicole Roussell and Professor Richard Wolff discuss the unhealthy effects of the profit drive and huge profits in the pharmaceutical industry, using Hepatitis C treatments as an example, and how the math would work wit...

ICE conducted one of the largest raids since Trump took office in Ventura County, California, with agents chasing farmworker Jaime Alanis off a roof to his death and arresting over 360 people. Those arrested included U.S. citizens, moms, and veterans. Now organizers have successfully mobilized a large network of volunteers to fight back against the ICE campaign of terror. Brian Becker is joined by...

The U.S. Supreme Court allowed Trump’s evisceration of the Department of Education this week through mass layoffs. Fellowships and sponsorships to fund student research are getting cut while student debt is growing. Professor Richard Wolff breaks down the potential impacts on the U.S. economy and society, the history of the federal education system in the U.S., and the root causes of Trump’s attac...

The right-wing Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for Trump to carry out the mass firings of hundreds of thousands of federal workers. More than 200,000 have already been fired or forced out as Trump carries out the Project 2025 plan to radically re-shape the form of government in the United States. The violent ICE assault against immigrant families is part of that plan. Brian Becker and Professor Ri...

Donald Trump’s Tax bill has passed. It constitutes a massive transfer of wealth from working class and poor people to the already very very rich. Israel continues to massacre Palestinians lining up to receive food in Gaza. And Donald Trump has announced that a ceasefire is near.  Brian Becker is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan, a Palestinian organizer with the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, E...

Trump and the Republicans have passed in the Senate a sweeping tax bill that is a massive wealth transfer from the poorest to the wealthiest, making permanent Trump’s huge 2017 tax cuts for the wealthiest and giving hundreds of billions to corporations —while slashing millions of people’s access to healthcare and nutrition. Brian Becker and Professor Richard Wolff discuss how Congress is ramming t...

New Yorkers voted by a large margin for Zohran Mamdani, a self-described Democratic Socialist, in the Democratic Party primary this week. The entire U.S. ruling class, much of it rooted in New York City, on Wall Street, has declared war against Mamdani, hoping to prevent his expected victory in the general election in November.  Brian and Layan also discuss the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and what it...

Trump and Israel started a dangerous war against Iran but Trump called it off after dropping massive bombs. What happened? Was the United States defeated again? How did Iran pull off a victory? Brian Becker is joined by Professor Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies who teaches at the University of Tehran. Join the The Socialist Program community at www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram t...

The Trump Administration bombed Iran and then within 24 hours announced a ceasefire. Brian Becker and Professor Richard Wolff analyze Trump and Netanyahu's erratic actions and the bigger picture behind them. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com. Join the The Socialist Program community at https://www.p...

The Trump White House has ordered U.S. Naval and Air Force assets to move in the direction of Iran in preparation for a major U.S. war against this country of 90 million people. Trump promised to be the president bringing peace and ending endless war; instead, he has become the partner of war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu in expanding Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza now against Iran. Brian Becker is...

Trump is escalating a potentially huge war against Iran while pushing massive cuts on basic needs for Americans like food and health care, enacting widespread tariffs, and terrorizing immigrants with deportation raids. Nicole Roussell and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss what’s new and what’s not new about the U.S. government attacks. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organiz...