The Socialist Program

New financial disclosure documents reveal the extent of Trump’s profiteering through the office of the presidency. Trump made over $2 billion his first year back in office, including more than $1 billion from his promotion of a Trump cryptocurrency alone. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell discuss. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democrac...

The Supreme Court just gave Trump the ability to dismiss the heads of supposedly independent agencies — overruling 91 years of precedent — with the exception of the Federal Reserve. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell discuss the meaning of this ruling, as well as the birthright citizenship and campaign finance SCOTUS decisions this week. Professor Richard Wolff is an author &...

Socialist History is an in-depth, immersive podcast that uncovers the real story of US imperialism through a socialist lens, told from the perspective of the people who fought back.  Hosted by Layan Sima Fuleihan and Brian Becker, each episode reopens a hidden chapter of US imperialism and shows how it still shapes the world today.  Don't let the empire whitewash its history. Get the Socialist...

In 1959 the US Army began building a base beneath the Greenland ice sheet, presented to the press, to Congress, and to the Danish government as a scientific research station. This was a cover story. The real plan, code-named Project Iceworm, was to bury a network of tunnels housing up to 600 nuclear missiles under the ice, invisible to Soviet satellites, on land taken from Indigenous people who we...

Most empires never write their plans down, but the American empire did. In 1950 a top-secret government document called NSC-68 laid out the blueprint for permanent war: a militarized economy, a nuclear buildup without limit, and a posture of global confrontation that would outlast the men who wrote it. It is the founding doctrine beneath every operation in this series. In this episode we take a de...

In 1961 the United States launched the largest covert operation of the Cold War against a single country, a campaign of sabotage, terror, and assassination aimed at destroying the Cuban Revolution ninety miles from Florida. It was code-named Operation Mongoose. Alongside it, the Joint Chiefs of Staff drew up Operation Northwoods, a plan to stage terrorist attacks on American citizens and blame the...

In 1953 the CIA secretly organized a coup to overthrow the democratically elected leader of Iran. This was the CIA's first regime change operation — code-named 'Operation Ajax' — becoming the playbook for later CIA operations. Its consequences are still reverberating around the world. In this episode we take a deep dive into how Operation Ajax was planned and executed, its motivations, the politic...

Big Tech stocks lost hundreds of billions in just two days. Prof. Richard Wolff and Brian Becker examine the multiple, cascading crises that are destabilizing the capital system. 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 http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to...

According to a recent national survey, 62 percent of Americans aged 18–29 say they hold a “favorable view” of socialism, and 34 percent say the same of communism. Why is this happening inside the very center of the world capitalist system? And what does it mean for the future? Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organizatio...

Iran is outmaneuvering the United States and Trump is furious. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss the current war in Iran and the future of the globe – as Russia, China, Iran, and other countries start to pry control from the United States. 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...

A new Wall Street Journal study finds that the five biggest home insurers, Allstate, State Farm, Liberty Mutual, United Services Automobile Association, and Farmers Insurance, denied nearly half of all claims last year. The primary driver is an increase in deductibles, which insurers claim is being done to compensate for an increase in weather-related catastrophes. Professor Richard Wolff and prod...

According to the International Energy Agency, around 25% of the world's seaborne oil trade is transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, and the options to bypass it are limited. According to the UN Trade and Development Organization, around 30% of global seaborne fertilizer volumes pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Both have been significantly impacted by the US-Iran war. Professor Richard Wol...

Americans are increasingly struggling to make ends meet, while the rich get even richer. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell debunk corporate media justifications for this inequality. 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 http://www.patreon.com/...

Trump is planning the next war. The target is Cuba. Trump and his agents in the Pentagon and CIA are claiming that Cuba is threatening military action against the United States. The people in Cuba are preparing to resist and have said that they will fight to the death rather than surrender their independence and national sovereignty. Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan discuss. This is a preview of a...

Robert Kagan, a leading architect of the 2003 Iraq invasion and the wider 'neocon' tendency in Washington, published an article this week titled 'Checkmate in Iran.' On today's show, Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan discuss the latest headlines and react to this article, of which an excerpt reads: " The defeats in Vietnam and Afghanistan were costly but did not do lasting d...

Low-cost Spirit Airlines has gone bankrupt and closed, and the idea of nationalizing the airline has become hugely popular. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell discuss the mainstream media’s reaction, the feasibility of a nationalized airline, and how it could look and improve workers’ lives. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Wo...

The ratio of U.S. government debt to GDP (gross domestic product) is now over 100% – meaning the U.S. government is in more debt than the size of the entire U.S. economy. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker break down why the U.S. government has gone into so much debt, and how it affects the working class. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at...

As the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues, and a US ground invasion of Iran seems imminent, Iran has now responded by striking US-allied countries in the region. Will Trump continue this profoundly unpopular war that is upending the global economy? Will it spiral out of control? Brian Becker is joined by Professor Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies who teaches at the...

Tech companies are laying off tens of thousands of workers — all while investing tens of billions of dollars into AI tech. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss the effects on the workforce and economy, and how a socialist society could handle new technology. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com...

The Military-Industrial-Tech Complex is using the Iran war to consolidate its power over US society and reap huge profits, even though the war is a strategic failure for the US. Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan discuss. This is a preview of a patrons-only episode. Subscribe at https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram to hear the full episode, get access to all our patrons-only content, and help...

The Iran war has closed the Strait of Hormuz almost completely. The head of the International Energy Agency said that the war is causing the biggest energy crisis in history. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com .

This is a preview of a patrons-only episode. Subscribe at https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram to hear the full episode, get access to all our patrons-only content, and help make this show possible.

As highlighted by a New York Times report this week, the debate about Trump’s mental health has been revived. Trump posting memes of himself and Jesus and starting a regional war with Iran are certainly indicative that something is wrong. But polling across issues shows that U.S. residents are unhappy with this system as a whole. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell discuss.  Profe...

The Islamabad talks collapsed. Twenty-one hours of negotiations in Pakistan, the first face-to-face between the US and Iran since 1979, and it ended with nothing. Oil futures jumped seven percent. And the President of the United States did all of this from a golf club in Florida after spending Saturday night at a UFC fight in Miami where the crowd booed him. And starting today, Monday, April 13th,...

On Wednesday night, President Trump addressed the nation and issued what can only be described as a genocidal threat against Iran, saying: “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.” He also claimed that the US is winning the war and that it should be over “very shortly” Today, a US F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran.  Editor's Note: This episode was recorded...