The Socialist Program

On  today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how the U.S. government is hoarding vaccine doses and prolonging the suffering of people all around the world in defense of big pharma’s profits. They also discuss tensions between Russia and NATO over Ukraine, a new court ruling in Los Angeles on the rights of the homeless, and more.

The fate of the JCPOA Iran nuclear agreement hangs in the balance. The United States broke the agreement during the Trump administration and reimposed sanctions that caused great suffering to Iranians, but negotiations are now underway for the United States to rejoin. Meanwhile, Israel is upping its aggression against Iran. Brian is joined by Professor Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American...

Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss how the tobacco industry built an extremely profitable business model based on addiction, and what they're doing to try to keep it going. Richard Wolff is the co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work and the author of many books, the latest being “The Sickness is the System: When Capitalism Fails to Save Us from Pandemics or Itself”. You can check out his work...

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss the historic people's victory in  the trial of Derek Chauvin, which resulted in guilty verdicts on all three counts thanks to the mass movement that swept the country and the world demanding justice for George Floyd. They also discuss laws being considered across the country to repress...

In this January 2021 patrons-only seminar, Brian and the crew talked  about the January 6th fascist insurrection, delving into the details and  the historical context of fascism in the United States. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

The Biden administration has announced that the United States will be withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan by September 11 of this year, and that this withdrawal will take place regardless of conditions on the battlefield. What's behind this move? Is the U.S. empire's longest war really coming to an end? Continuing last week's episode about the history of U.S. intervention in Afghanistan, Brian...

Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss the push for a global minimum tax on corporations. What prompted this move -- which is supported by the Biden administration -- and what does it say about how global capitalism works? Richard Wolff is the co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work and the author of many books, the latest being “The Sickness is the System: When Capitalism Fails to Save Us from Pa...

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss the police murder of Daunte Wright  outside of Minneapolis as the trial of Derek Chauvin continues, the Pentagon's latest statement on "extremism" in its ranks, the brutalization of Army lieutenant Caron Nazario, the cyberattack on a key Iranian nuclear facility, and more.

In this December 2020 patrons-only seminar, Brian and the crew talked about the big picture of US imperialism from World War II to today, including what the Biden administration means for US foreign policy. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

The United States has been intervening in Afghanistan since 1979. Trump and now Biden promise to end U.S. involvement in the Afghanistan war. But imperialist domination in the country continues. Brian is joined by Sohrob Aslamy, a doctoral student at Syracuse University in the Department of Geography and the Environment.

Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss the Biden administration's next big priority -- passing an infrastructure plan his administration says will create a huge number of jobs. What’s in the proposal, will it pass and what does it mean for the working class? Richard Wolff is the co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work and the author of many books, the latest being “The Sickness is the System: When...

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss the new U.S.  moves to escalate tension with China, the trial of Derek Chauvin, the latest on the Biden administration's infrastructure plan, and more.

In 1791 and 1804 the oppressed people of Haiti carried out a revolution unlike any other in world history. It ushered in a new era. It was the beginning of the end for chattel slavery in the United States too. In recent months the people of Haiti are back in the streets. Is it time for a second social revolution in Haiti? Brian is joined by Eugene Puryear, who just got back to the United States fr...

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the trial of Derek Chauvin and other grotesque  features of the American police state, protests across the country over the weekend against anti-Asian racism, exciting new developments in the case of the framed Denver protest leaders, and more.

North Korea fires tactical short range missiles in a recent missile test  and the American media has proclaimed this to be a major provocation  testing the Biden administration. Donald Trump met twice with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in two summits, one in Singapore and the other in Hanoi, but those summits resulted in failure. What’s next in US policy towards North  Korea? Bria...

Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss the Biden administration's new major economic proposal, promising to spend trillions to create huge numbers of jobs  and enact policies beneficial to working people. But what is this plan  really? Richard Wolff is the co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work and the  author of many books, the latest being “The Sickness is the System: When Capita...

On  today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem and  Walter Smolarek discuss the tense summit in Alaska between top US and Chinese officials, the significance of the struggle to unionize the Amazon warehouse in  Bessemer, Alabama, back room maneuvering to strengthen the two-party duopoly in American politics, and more.

March 19 marks the 18th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The catastrophic warfare that followed claimed the lives of over a million Iraqis, led to the death or life-altering injury of tens thousands of U.S. service members, and sowed chaos throughout the Middle East. Brian is joined by Mike Prysner, the producer of The Empire Files. Mike is also a co-host of the podcast Eyes Left, a p...

Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss inflation. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen assured the public last weekend that growing fears of rising inflation are misplaced. Is this true? What is inflation? Why does this matter for the working class? Richard Wolff is the co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work and the author of many books, the latest being “The Sickness is the System: When Capitali...

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the upcoming anniversaries of some of the most  infamous crimes of U.S. imperialism, the latest developments in the trial of Derek Chauvin, actions to mark the anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s murder, the Biden administration’s latest maneuvers against China, the continuing fight to win a living wage,...

Brian Becker reviews the history of heated debate within the socialist  movement over the necessity of taking a principled, anti-imperialist position in opposition to the U.S. war machine. Almost 18 years ago, George W. Bush launched the invasion of Iraq, a conflict that would ultimately take the lives of over a  million Iraqis. Whether and how to oppose this war -- and others like the 1...

Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss the Biden administration’s stimulus package. The Washington Post exultantly proclaimed that the bill “showers money on Americans.” Is this really true? Richard Wolff is the co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work and the author of many books, the latest being “The Sickness is the System: When Capitalism Fails to Save Us from Pandemics or Itself”. You can chec...

On today's "In the News" roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss the opening of the trial of Derek Chauvin in the case of George Floyd’s murder, intense political and military maneuvering ahead of the potential withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the racist roots of the so-called criminal justice system in the United States, and more.

Brian Becker dissects the reasons for the US military occupation in Syria and analyzes the objectives and strategies of U.S. imperialism in Syria, and its wars against Iraq and Libya. Becker examines in detail how the  Pentagon completely dominates U.S. policy in the region and reviews how and why U.S. strategy in the Middle East dramatically shifted during the past 30 years. The people of th...

Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss how intellectual property rights are used by capitalists to stifle innovation and hold back progress while protecting  their profits. They focus especially on how this phenomenon is playing out when it comes to the Coronavirus vaccines. Richard Wolff is the co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work and the author of many books, the latest being “The Sickne...