As the war in Ukraine hits one year, Biden visits Zelensky in Kiev, Putin gives an uncompromising state of the nation speech, and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs makes a fiery statement against the US Empire, the likes of which haven’t been seen in decades.

Brian is joined by Walter Smolarek, editor of Liberation News and producer of this show, to sort through the tea leaves on where the war in Ukraine may be headed.

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.

365 Days of Ukraine War: US Doubles Down, While Global South Realigns

The United States tries to keep people in the dark about the blockade against Cuba and the many accomplishments of the Cuban Revolution. This is part of the U.S. campaign to overturn the socialist government in Cuba that has successfully led its people through more than 60 years of attacks, attempted coups, sanctions, trade embargoes, and the Covid pandemic.

Brian is joined by Gloria La Riva, the coordinator of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee and a longtime leader of brigades to Cuba to learn and expose people in the United States to the realities on the ground, and Aminah Sheikh, who is a labor and community organizer active in the Canadian peace movement.

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 People of the World Stand With Cuba Against the U.S. Blockade

The U.S. mainstream media is acting as a propaganda machine for the U.S. drive to keep the Ukraine war going — while Ukrainians and Russians fight and die — and weaken Russia.

Brian is joined by Walter Smolarek, editor of Liberation News and producer of this show, to help explain and dissect what’s going on in Ukraine, with the Nordstream pipeline, and with related coverage of China.

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.

Rania Khalek’s interview with Seymour Hersh on his Nordstream pipeline story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blDRGHGXn0U

All the Lies That Are Fit to Print: The Media & the Ukraine War

With Trump's indictment in the news, we thought it might be a good time to watch the movie that has been more influential on QAnon than any other: Ridley Scott's little-loved seafaring adventure WHITE SQUALL (1996). We parse this half-forgotten film to figure out why, exactly, the QAnon people love it so much. "Where we go one, we go all!"

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

Michael and Us

#416 - One Insular Tahiti

A Christian boy goes up against his sinister atheist philosophy teacher (played by Kevin Sorbo!) in GOD'S NOT DEAD (2014), one of the biggest Evangelical blockbusters of all time. Luke and guest host Alex Shephard discuss the film's tone-deaf depiction of academia and its particular streak of right-wing sadism. PLUS: What's next for Tucker Carlson? And is there any life at all in the ol' Ron DeSantis?

Watch the whole damn movie for free on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ek2LEoSut0&ab_channel=Se%C3%B1iorFroggy

"Tucker Carlson Has Already Lost His War With Fox News" by Alex Shephard - https://newrepublic.com/article/172274/tucker-carlson-twitter-video-lost-war-fox-news

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

#424 - Know Thyself (w/ Alex Shephard)

On this episode of SPS, Pamela & Andreas interview Spencer Leonard. Spencer is a founding member of Platypus and has recently published a two-volume selection of Marx & Engels journalism. The first volume focuses on Bonapartism, with selections from 1851–1859, and the second focuses on their writings on imperialism, with selections from 1856–1862. He speaks to us about the democratic revolution, liberalism, and the self-contradiction of bourgeois society. Spencer challenges the thesis put forth by Domenico Losurdo of an advancing "de-emancipation" alongside emancipation, and raises the problem of Marxism in the 20th century, and its legacy in the 21st.  

Links:
Marx and Engels on Bonapartism, Selected Journalism, 1851–59
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666928044/Marx-and-Engels-on-Bonapartism-Selected-Journalism-1851

Marx and Engels on Imperialism, Selected Journalism, 1856–62
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498559232/Marx-and-Engels-on-Imperialism-Selected-Journalism-1856

Domenico Losurdo in the Platypus Review (May 2012) 
https://platypus1917.org/2012/05/01/liberalism-and-marx-domenico-losurdo/

SPS #56: Spencer Leonard on Marx & Engels

We begin with a rundown of recent events, from the Coronation to the CNN Trump town hall to the Liberal Party of Canada's recent convention, before discussing this month's Superdelegate pick: the beloved comedy GALAXY QUEST (1999). We situate the film's satire in the context of 1999-era fan culture, and hash over our own respective histories with the Star Trek franchise. PLUS: a dive into a young Tucker Carlson's journalism.

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

#426 - By Grapthar's Hammer

We're changing our release schedule around a little so to make sure you don't have to wait three whole extra days for the next episode we're throwing you a bonus episode as a freebie. Enjoy!
***
Lucy, Theo, Andrew, and Ben bring you: Cornwall's most competitive worm-summoning meet-up and a Texas community terrorised by the turkeys they once considered friends.
***
Get an extra episode every week with one simple trick: signing up to our Patreon at Patreon.com/BoontaVista

UNLOCKED BONUS EPISODE: White Magic Only At The Worm Jamboree

Bonus Episodes

We are back with another installment of THE GAY LIST and as promised we found the straightest guys we know to help us out. Listen to Will and Nate's podcast A Closer Look (Hesse is featured there as well)

Also subscribe to our Patreon for weekly bonus content.

SD 231 - Ya Man's Gay Pt. 2 w/ Will Sennet & Nate Fisher

Charles and Alex catch up on OK Go's cereal lawsuit, Rivers Cuomo's visit to the Rock Hall of Fame, and guys who still talk about Bored Apes every day. Fortune Kit on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fortunekit

165 - Perfect Score

Did Tetris bring down the USSR? That's the implication of TETRIS (2023), a highly fictionalized account of the beloved video game's journey from the Soviet Union to your phone. We examine what anti-Communist kitsch looks like in the year 2023. PLUS: Russian coups, disappearing subs, and further thoughts on the movie on everyone's lips, The Flash.

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

#438 - In Soviet Russia, Game Plays You

The commentary on the commentary on the Left.

SPS #56: Spencer Leonard on Marx & Engels

Sh*t Platypus Says

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