The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

The United States is adding even more money and capacity into its cache of nuclear weapons, the detonation of which would mean tens of millions of people dying. What's behind the estimated $10 trillion in spending on a product that the government will hopefully never use?

Brian is joined by Greg Mello, co-founder and Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group.

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 our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

$10 Trillion for Nuclear War: Racing to the Nuclear Cliff

The U.S. government has funded, written books for, and otherwise supported the development of right-wing Islam extremism to support U.S. imperialist goals. Then they turn around and stoke Islamophobia to justify their war agenda.

Brian is joined by Dr. Nazia Kazi, she is an activist and professor of Anthropology at Stockton University, and author of the article “9/11 Attacks: Why Young Americans Know Nothing About the ‘War on Terror’” and the book “Islamophobia, Race, and Global Politics.”

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 our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

How the CIA Politically Manipulates Islam for the US War Agenda

Even a film screening of a North Korean family drama is getting South Korean organizers in trouble under the administration of right-wing President Yoon, as he takes the country back toward the oppressive regime of the 1980s when reading certain books could result in jail time.

Brian is joined by K.J. Noh, a peace activist, organizer with Pivot to Peace, scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice.

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 our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

U.S. Game Plan for South Korea

Today's episode is a recording of Brian Becker's speech during the launch of the International People’s Tribunal on U.S. Imperialism: Sanctions, Blockades, and Economic Coercive Measures. This event was held at The People's Forum in New York City on January 28, and featured a wide range of anti-war leaders and experts on international law. Brian discusses the urgent need to build the anti-war movement, and the importance of rejecting the demonization of targeted countries and putting the fight against sanctions at the forefront. Brian makes the case that U.S. empire is rooted in the insatiable search of capitalists for profits.

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 our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Brian Becker at People's Tribunal: "End the Scourge of Capitalism and Imperialism!"

Biden’s administration used an Air Force F-22 Raptor jet fighter and Raytheon’s Sidewinder missile, to shoot down a meandering Chinese balloon on Saturday. Republicans in Congress called the balloon a “show of force,” and Biden canceled Secretary of State Blinken’s trip to China.

Brian is joined by Dr. Ken Hammond, professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University, founding director of the Confucius Institute at New Mexico State University, and leading organizer with Pivot to Peace.

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 our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

The War Drive Against China Keeps Ballooning

On today's episode John Prysner and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss how one year into the war in Ukraine, the U.S. government has committed $100 billion dollars to this bloody proxy conflict that is threatening the whole world with catastrophe. But while huge numbers of people suffer and die, some capitalists are focused on getting their share of this enormous sum of money. Who profits from war?

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/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Ukraine War Turns 1: A $100 Billion Giveaway to the Arms Industry

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, among others, that has caused widespread panic. The federal government has bailed out these banks, which will make hard-felt U.S. inflation even worse. Are we headed for another economic crisis?

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/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Collapsing Banks & A Weakening U.S. Empire

In this patrons-only seminar, Brian discusses the media's take that the U.S. industrial base is inadequate to feed the war machine, Israel's hidden history of nuclear weapons, the best way to study the lessons of history, the varied roles that nonprofits play in people's struggles, and more.

This episode is a preview of a longer seminar for Patrons in the TSP community. Subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest of this seminar, support the show, register for next time, and access the highly valuable archive of years of socialist analysis.

The New Stage of the U.S. Military-Industrial Complex

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the third bank failure in two months. First Republic collapsed Monday, a sure sign that the financial system is still in huge turmoil. Then JPMorgan Chase bought the bank's assets for a bargain. What does this say about the economic system and what does it mean for 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.

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 our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

First Republic Bank Rescue & Secret Collusion Between the Government and Wall Street's Biggest Banks

Historian Aaron Good discusses Operation Mongoose, the CIA's terror campaign against Cuba; how it led to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis; and the response of US President John F. Kennedy (JFK).

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mR_skuR6910

This is from the Empire and the Deep State series that we are co-hosting with historian Aaron Good and producer Seamus McGuinness of the American Exception podcast.

This is part 6 of our historical analysis of the JFK administration.

PLAYLIST with past episodes in the series here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hNArLl765PXe8tsTKmOciGL

You can support American Exception at https://Patreon.com/AmericanException

How CIA's Operation Mongoose terror war led to Cuban missile crisis

Ben Norton discusses the rise and fall of US-led neocolonial financial order, from the 1944 Bretton Woods conference that established the US dollar as the global reserve currency; to the 1971 Nixon Shock that ended the gold standard, Volcker Shock, Third World debt crisis, and emergence of neoliberalism; and finally to the historic growth of China and consolidation of the Global South-led BRICS bloc.

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=XTq9P4avOEk

Rise and fall of US-led neocolonial financial order: From Bretton Woods to BRICS

Political economists Radhika Desai, Michael Hudson, and Ann Pettifor discuss the growing debt crisis in the Global South and the need for forgiveness and system change.

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=-uxyjIFqi4o&feature=youtu.be

Transcript: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/06/22/third-world-debt-crisis-ann-pettifor

You can watch other episodes of their program Geopolitical Economy Hour here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hMl9DkPLikDDGccibhYHnDP

A new Third World debt crisis? The need for system change

Rising corporate profits have caused 45% of inflation in Europe, compared to 40% for rising import prices and just 15% for wages, according to research by IMF economists.

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qdZbq1iw-ho

Sources and more information here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/06/26/corporate-profits-inflation-europe-imf

US Federal Reserve says its goal is ‘to get wages down’: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/05/24/us-federal-reserve-wages-inflation

How corporate profits are driving inflation, not workers' wages

Political economists Radhika Desai, Michael Hudson, and Ann Pettifor discuss how the international financial system traps Global South countries in debt, reinforcing a neocolonial system.

Transcript: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/07/11/colonialism-sovereignty-financial-system-debt

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=x13cSy8S8To

You can watch other episodes of their program Geopolitical Economy Hour here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hMl9DkPLikDDGccibhYHnDP

Colonialism or sovereignty? How the global financial system traps countries in debt

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 to bring about an end to the scourge of imperialist war?

Brian Becker is joined by Vijay Prashad, the Executive Director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research, Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, and a prolific author, most recently with Noam Chomsky of “The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power.”

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

NATO Expands, Again. Will the Ukraine War Spread? w/ Vijay Prashad

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 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/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Showdown Over AI: SAG-AFTRA Actors Join WGA Writers on Strike

US government documents admit that the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not necessary to end WWII. Japan was on the verge of surrendering. The nuclear attack was the first strike in Washington's Cold War on the Soviet Union.

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=5vMEgneKF10

Links to sources and more information here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/08/07/atomic-bombing-japan-not-necessary

US-backed fascism in Japan - How Shinzo Abe whitewashed genocidal imperial crimes: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/07/09/fascism-japan-shinzo-abe-empire

After nuking Japan, US gov’t lied about radioactive fallout as civilians died: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/08/16/japan-us-lied-radioactive-fallout

Atomic bombing of Japan was NOT necessary to end WWII. US gov't documents admit it

Western governments have demonized the coup in Niger and threatened intervention, but polls show that 78% of Nigeriens support the military government's anti-colonial policies. France is extremely unpopular due to its neocolonial practices, whereas Russia is widely seen as an ally. The new nationalist junta pledges to pursue true independence and sovereignty.

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=tAcc6U69E6o

Check out our related video "US/France threaten intervention in resource-rich Niger - Fears of war in West Africa": https://youtube.com/watch?v=JZ_5nuoB940

Niger coup: 78% of people support military government's anti-colonial policies

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 grouping?

Brian Becker is joined by Mikaela Nhondo Erskog, member of secretariat of Pan Africanism Today, researcher at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, member of No Cold War, and host of the podcast The Crane: An Africa-China podcast coming from the DongSheng News collective.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

BRICS Summit: China, Africa, Russia and the 23 New Applicants

Political economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson explain how imperialism is a product not only of the struggle between classes but also nations, and how the framework of geopolitical economy helps us understand the international relations of the capitalist world system.

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=vKVjpKCFd28

You can watch other episodes of their program Geopolitical Economy Hour here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hMl9DkPLikDDGccibhYHnDP

The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

Pavel Chakraborty