The Socialist Program

On today's episode, Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss world’s largest asset management firm Blackrock CEO Larry Fink’s comments that the presidential election “doesn’t matter.” How does Wall Street view the possible election outcomes? 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...

On this special episode just a few days from Election Day, Brian & Layan discuss the effect Israel is having on the U.S. presidential election, what Israel thinks about the election, and whether there has been any Israeli interference. Brian Becker is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan, a Palestinian organizer with the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, a popular educator, the Education Director...

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump appear to be neck and neck in the presidential election, bringing the possibility of a second Trump term closer to reality. But would a Trump victory really bring the end of democracy and the rise of fascism? Brian Becker and Eugene Puryear put election 2024 in its historical context, reviewing key moments to understand this moment such as the U.S. Civil Rights Movem...

On today's episode, one week from the presidential election, Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the proposed economic policies of Harris and Trump and what effect they will have on working people. 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...

Most people don’t know the extraordinary methods used to influence and shape a pro-Israeli narrative in the corporate owned mainstream media. Practices like banning the use of the word genocide allows U.S. policy makers to normalize imperialism and Israel’s killing spree in Gaza and Lebanon. Brian Becker is joined by Alan MacLeod, a journalist with a PhD in Sociology, senior staff writer for MintP...

On today's episode Nicole Roussell and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the recent decisions by big tech capitalists to reopen old nuclear plants and fund research into new nuclear research, despite the huge health risks. Richard explains how monopolies use advertising to rebrand dangerous products like nuclear energy—evidence of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. Professor Richard Wolff is an author...

The western capitalist media is deliberately misleading people about the US-Israeli aggression against Palestine and Lebanon and the looming possibility of a war with Iran. Vijay Prashad and Brian discuss the true relationship between the U.S. and Israel, what lessons from history tell us about U.S. foreign policy goals, and the nature of imperialist expansion. Brian Becker is joined by renowned j...

Regional war in the Middle East is rapidly expanding while Kamala Harris stated that Iran is the number one adversary of the United States and Donald Trump announced that he was ready to obliterate Iranian cities. Brian is joined by Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies who teaches at the University of Tehran. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joinin...

On today's episode Nicole Roussell and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss insurance companies dropping hurricane victims from their rolls and not paying out despite horrendous conditions from Hurricane Helene and with severe Milton on the way. 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 c...

Israel is at war with Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and now Iran. More than 180 Iranian missiles struck Israel on Tuesday. For the last year Israel has carried out a non-stop killing spree in Gaza—that war is now part of a larger regional war in the Middle East. Brian Becker is joined by Ben Norton, an investigative journalist currently based in Beijing, and the editor of the indepen...

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss who the big banks are in today's economy and industry will always avoid regulations. 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/thesociali...

In this patrons-only Q&A seminar, we focus on the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and what it means, the prospects for the Israeli military invasion of Lebanon, and the real attitude of the Biden-Harris administration -- which is hoping for an all out victory for Israel and not a cease-fire. This is a preview of the full Q&A seminar for members of our Patreon community. Subscribe at patr...

Israeli air strikes in Lebanon are creating carnage, and the death toll is now soaring—including many children. One week ago Israel turned thousands of people in Lebanon into human bombs by inserting explosives into their communication devices. Brian and Ghadi discuss the devastation, why Israel and the US can’t win, and the secret Sykes-Picot treaty. Brian Becker is joined by Ghadi Francis, Leban...

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss Trump's economic program, including his threats to impose massive tariffs on Deere's farming equipment if they move operations to Mexico as planned. 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...

Israel turned thousands of people in Lebanon into human bombs on Tuesday with a sophisticated terrorist attack. Thousands of pagers exploded at the same time around the country, killing and injuring many, and the next day the Israelis carried out another major attack. Brian and Layan delve into the decades of Israeli terrorism against Lebanon, the U.S. corporate media’s “light-hearted” coverage, a...

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the increasing debt in the working class, why we're in so much debt, and who is responsible. 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 patreo...

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s first, and likely last, debate was held last night. America’s tortured form of “democracy” was on display for the whole world to see. Brian Becker is joined by Claudia De La Cruz, a presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism & Liberation, a lifelong community organizer and popular educator. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Pr...

On today's episode Nicole Roussell and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss a newly released report aiming to assess and fix Europe's economic decline against the United States and China. 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 ou...

On today's episode Nicole Roussell and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss China's increasing use and production of robots to help workers amid a large population decline. 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 commu...

On today's episode Nicole Roussell and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss Kamala Harris's newly released tax proposals, Trump's 2017 tax cuts that will expire in 2025, and the role the capitalist system uses taxes to play in making the rich richer. 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...

In this patrons-only Q&A seminar, Brian & Nicole discuss the massive weekend Israeli air strikes in Lebanon and the threat of a larger war, the Democrats' and Republicans' shared goal for militarism and war, Russia's position in global politics, U.S. ruling class analysis of multipolarity, Navajo protests for sovereignty and against dangerous plutonium on their lands, the polit...

On today's episode Nicole Roussell interviews Brian about the Democratic Party Convention, with Kamala as the new nominee, while the war in Gaza rages on and millions of people in the US continue to live in or near poverty. 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...

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the Democratic National Convention and the Democrats' double talk on price gouging, as well as a new report showing that hundreds of for-profit and not-for-profit colleges have closed in the last decade. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com....

Will the Middle East erupt into a widespread, large-scale regional war after the Israeli government assassinated senior leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah? Brian is joined by Mohammad Marandi to get insight into what’s happening in Tehran. He is an expert on American studies and teaches at the University of Tehran. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Pat...

In the latest Venezuelan election, the U.S. brought out its imperialist toolkit of lies and propaganda to try to overturn the democratically elected government of Nicolas Maduro. But so far it hasn’t worked, with hundreds of thousands mobilizing to defend the government and the military still intact. Brian is joined by Manolo De Los Santos, the executive director of The People’s Forum in New York,...