The Socialist Program

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 relie...

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 m...

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...

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 eviction...

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...

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...

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 Nabisc...

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...

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 co...

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss the end to the 20-year U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. The government of Afghanistan has collapsed without a fight, in the face of a lightning offensive by the Taliban following the announcement that US forces were leaving Afghanistan. Joe Biden went on national television yesterday to def...

Today's episode covers the rapid fall of key cities in Afghanistan to the Taliban & the consequences of 20 years of brutal U.S. occupation of the country. Brian & guest Mike Prysner also discuss how socialists struggle against imperialist war & organize enlisted soldiers to resist. Brian is joined by Mike Prysner, an anti-war activist, producer of The Empire Files & co-host of the...

Brian and Prof. Wolff begin a multi-part series on agriculture under capitalism. Under this system, the most basic necessity of life -- food -- is turned into a source of profit dominated by a smaller and smaller number of agribusiness corporations. Environmental destruction and enormous waste are built into the capitalist agriculture system while hundreds of millions around the globe still go hun...

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss the battle over the fate of millions of people in the United States facing eviction as the movement for housing rights gains momentum. Meanwhile, the new COVID wave worsens, the Taliban seized a series of key cities in Afghanistan, and more.  We'll also we'll hear from special guest E...

We continue a series of discussions about the basics of  Marxism, focusing today on the corporate-owned media. The majority of  the media in the United States is owned by five giant corporations --  What does this tell us about the so-called “free press”? Richard  Wolff is the co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work and the  author of many books, the latest being...

Today's episode covers the struggle to stop the  impending massive wave of evictions. After public outrage and protest,  including a sit-in outside Congress led by Rep. Cori Bush, Biden  relented and extended the eviction moratorium. Brian is joined by Lee Camp, host of the TV show Redacted Tonight and author of the book Bullet Points & Punch Lines. Please make an urgently-neede...

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker,  Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how the  Democratic Party leadership in Congress and the Biden administration are  failing to act in the face of impending mass evictions. They also  discuss the grassroots movement against evictions -- including the  sit-in outside Congress by Rep. Cori Bush, the...

As the U.S. war machine ramps up aggression towards  China, understanding the history of the country's engagement with the  world is more crucial than ever. This multi-part series takes an  in-depth look at the history of China's foreign policy since the 1949  revolution brought the Communist Party to power. This series is  now seamlessly combined into this one episode fil...

Today's episode is the seventh in a multi-part series  that takes an in-depth look at the history of China's foreign policy.  During the Obama administration, US imperialism adopts the "Pivot to  Asia" strategy and makes China its top target. At the same time, Xi  Jinping becomes China's president and navigates China's rise. Brian  is joined by Kenneth Hammond, a Professor...

Today we continue a series of discussions about the basics of Marxism — a method for understanding and changing the world used by many of the great revolutionaries of modern history. Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss rent, evictions and social programs under capitalism. With the CDC’s eviction moratorium set to expire, millions are now facing homelessness because they cannot pay rent. And why do gover...

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker,  Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how people in  Cuba and their supporters around the world are stepping up  mobilizations in defense of the country’s independence as the U.S.  government announces more sanctions. They also discuss the legacy of  civil rights legend Bob Moses, the renewed spread o...

In this July 2021 patrons-only seminar, Brian and the crew discuss the role of the CIA in media, the lies in the mainstream media, and the role of alternative media. Brian discusses the current moment in Cuba and the history of the revolution, as well as stories from the fight for the release of the Cuban Five. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the...

Today's episode is the sixth in a multi-part series that  takes an in-depth look at the history of China's foreign policy. In  1997, China achieves another milestone in its long struggle to unify the  country and end foreign domination -- the return of the city of Hong  Kong to Chinese sovereignty. Meanwhile, China's economic growth  accelerates as the country plays a bigg...

Today we continue a series of discussions about the basics of Marxism —  a method for understanding and changing the world used by many of the  great revolutionaries of modern history. Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss  how oil is essential to the functioning  of the global capitalist economy. They cover how capitalists have  ferociously competed over the years to control...

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how the people of Cuba demonstrated in support of their revolution and government over the weekend, new environmental disasters brought about by climate change, efforts to prohibit the teaching of the history of racism in America, a new global spying scandal involving an Israeli company, a...