The Socialist Program

On today's episode Nicole Roussell interviews Brian Becker about U.S. media coverage of the "huge threat" of Medicare costs to the U.S. budget, the Ukraine war, the U.S. pivot toward war with China, Putin and Kim Jong Un meeting this week, and the rising cost of car insurance. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at pat...

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff mark Labor Day with a discussion on how workers are fighting back with intensity not seen in many years. From UPS to academic workers to writers and actors, major labor struggles have been erupting nationwide in a revolt against mounting inequality and corporate greed. And the next major fight on the horizon is a potential strike at th...

As the much-hyped Ukrainian counter-offensive fails to produce major military breakthroughs, officials in the West are becoming concerned that their proxy war against Russia is not going according to plan. But instead of negotiating a lasting peace, the instinct of the war makers is the opposite – double down on massive arms shipments, and insist that Ukrainians die in even larger numbers. Brian B...

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, which resulted in the historic expansion of the bloc. With six new members, will the BRICS be able to mount a more formidable challenge to the dominance of Washington and Wall Street over international finance and diplomacy? What does this mean for the working people of the world. Professor Richar...

As world leaders from the Global South convene in South Africa for the BRICS Summit this week, the West is watching closely. 23 countries have applied to join Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa in the grouping, which is focused on trade and development in their regions — typically dominated by colonizing powers in Europe and the United States. Where is BRICS headed and what unifies the...

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the alarming pace of rising defaults on auto loans as hundreds of thousands of consumers face mounting bills amid surging new car prices. 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 Pr...

Seventy-five years ago, a witch hunt was launched in the United States against peace activists and leftists who opposed the growing danger of war with the Soviet Union. Today, as the United States has adopted major power conflict with China as its main military priority, and the danger of military confrontation with China grows, there is a new witch hunt against peace activists. But people are fig...

In this patrons-only Q&A seminar, Brian analyzes the newest indictment against Trump and the ensuing trial, artificial intelligence in the workplace, the new McCarthyism against people and organizations opposing U.S. foreign policy and war, who we should work with in the defense of Julian Assange, and more. This episode is a preview of a longer seminar for Patrons in the TSP community. Subscri...

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the housing crisis in the United States, where some Gen Zers are spending the majority of their income on housing, and homelessness is increasing — at a record rate. 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 con...

In this patrons-only Q&A seminar, Brian analyzes the January 6 Trump indictment and its effect on the 2024 presidential race and future politics, the dynamics of coups in several African countries, socialists in the 2024 race, the Teamsters' huge win, and more. This episode is a preview of a longer seminar for Patrons in the TSP community. Subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to he...

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss "Bidenomics" (which Professor Wolff calls "political theatre"), Biden's real economic record, and why his policies are so harmful. What has "Bidenomics" meant for the working class? Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his wor...

The blockbuster film “Oppenheimer” shows the lunacy of continued nuclear weapon development as the United States is preparing for war with major nuclear countries. What is the full history of nuclear weapons development and testing in the United States, what was the fallout, and how can the world stop a future nuclear war? Brian Becker is joined by Greg Mello, nuclear weapons expert and co-founder...

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the new study showing that elite schools enroll wealthy students far more than the rest of us. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com, and more about this discussion in his article The World Economy Is Changing—the People Know, But Their Lea...

A massive, years-long smear campaign was launched against anti-war, anti-elite Jeremy Corbyn shortly after his election to lead the British Labour Party. The campaign targeted Corbyn and his supporters as being anti-Semitic. What's the truth and what really happened? Walter Smolarek is joined by investigative journalist Asa Winstanley, who writes for the Electronic Intifada and on Substack at...

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the historic strike of SAG-AFTRA actors and WGA writers and what's at stake. 160,000 actors are now joining the Writers Guild on strike. They're challenging who gets to decide how to install artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization D...

NATO leaders met in Lithuania this week, and Finland and Sweden are now joining NATO, continuing the vast expansion of the military alliance. Ukraine was promised a path to NATO membership — despite the risk of further widening the war in Ukraine. Where is the newly emerging world order headed? How will the increasing contradictions resolve? And how can we better understand this historical moment...

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's trip to China for some of the highest-profile talks yet between the Chinese government and the Biden administration. As a fierce struggle over the future of the world economy plays out, the United States has maintained the Trump-era tariffs and is seeking to diminish China’s role in global...

In the days after the attempted coup by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia, what do we know? The Western media coverage was generally drooling. Why did Yevgeny Prigozhin start an armed coup attempt against the Russian government? Was the US involved? Brian Becker is joined by Eugene Puryear, author, activist, and co-host of The Freedom Side LIVE, which airs every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. E...

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the decline of the U.S. world order and economic domination, as BRICS economies overtake those of the G7. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com, and more about this discussion in his article The World Economy Is Changing—the People Know, Bu...

In this patrons-only Q&A seminar, Brian analyzes the attempted coup in Russia by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his troops from the mercenary Wagner group. Brian discusses who Prigozhin is, why mercenaries are working for Russia, how this happened, how this compares with Trump's efforts to stay in the White House after losing the 2020 election, and more. This episode is a preview of a longer semina...

The United States has made provocation after provocation toward China – and this week, the day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to China to reduce U.S.-China tension, U.S. President Biden denigrated Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling him a “dictator” and alleging that he didn’t know what was going on in his own country. Blinken’s trip was supposed to be months ago, but was resched...

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss UPS workers voting 97% for a strike for better conditions, better pay, and more full-time work. What does this militant vote among hundreds of thousands of UPS workers mean for the strength of the labor struggle? Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at r...

A London High Court judge rejected Wikileaks editor Julian Assange's appeal against his extradition to the United States. He now faces up to 175 years in prison — despite public opinion around the world and in his home country, Australia. The UN has declared his detention “arbitrary,” which usually results in the release of the detainee, but not so far. The fate of the man who revealed so many...

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the massive wildfires in Canada that blanketed the East Coast in a haze of smoke for days. As the climate crisis intensifies, hazardous conditions are set to become more and more common in every part of the world. But for the capitalists, the only thing that matters is that their employees keep coming in to the job, regardless of...

The destruction of a major dam in southern Ukraine has caused devastating flooding as a highly-anticipated Ukrainian military offensive gets underway. U.S. officials immediately declared that Russia was responsible but where’s the evidence and does that have any military logic?  Brian Becker is joined by Walter Smolarek, editor of Liberation News. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The...