The Real Story

This ongoing multi-part series takes an in-depth look at the history of China's foreign policy. As the U.S. war machine ramps up aggression towards China, understanding the history of the country's engagement with the world is more crucial than ever.

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.

Understanding China's Foreign Policy - 1949 to Today

Episodes Newest First

Today's episode is the first in a multi-part series take an in-depth look at the history of China's foreign policy. As the U.S. war machine ramps up aggression towards China, understanding the history of the country's engagement with the world is more crucial than ever. In this section, we discuss the early phase of foreign policy pursued by the People's Republic of China, characterized by fervent anti-colonialism and a complex alliance with the Soviet Union. 

Brian is joined by Kenneth Hammond, a Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University and an activist with the organization Pivot to Peace.

The Real Story: Understanding China's Foreign Policy -- 1949-1959

Today's episode is the second in a multi-part series that takes an in-depth look at the history of China's foreign policy. We discuss how U.S. imperialist pressure on China and the Soviet Union lead to a breakdown in relations between the two socialist giants, Soviet efforts at peaceful coexistence with the United States, the China-India war of 1962, the Soviet-U.S. 1963 nuclear test ban treaty, the U.S. invasion of Vietnam in 1964, and the CIA-organized anti-communist genocide in Indonesia. 

Brian is joined by Kenneth Hammond, a Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University and an activist with the organization Pivot to Peace.

The Real Story: Understanding China's Foreign Policy -- 1959-1965

Today's episode is the third in a multi-part series that takes an in-depth look at the history of China's foreign policy. We discuss how Chinese foreign policy shifted after the Cultural Revolution. This culminated with China and the U.S. under the Nixon administration forging a new alliance that reshaped global politics. 

Brian is joined by Kenneth Hammond, a Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University and an activist with the organization 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.

China's Foreign Policy Part 3, 1965-1975: When Enemies Become "Friends"

Today's episode is the fourth in a multi-part series that takes an in-depth look at the history of China's foreign policy. At a time when U.S. imperialism seemed to be in complete and utter decline following its defeat in Southeast Asia, and with revolution spreading from Africa to Iran to Nicaragua, the United States enters into a de-facto alliance with China and facilitates the integration of China into the world economy. Brian and Prof. Kenneth Hammond also discuss China's invasion of Vietnam in 1979, Gorbachev taking power in the Soviet Union and introducing far reaching reforms, the arms race initiated by the U.S. that brings the world to the brink of nuclear war, the counter-revolutionary wave that sweeps the governments of Eastern Europe, and how China was confronted with the prospect of a counter-revolution in a 7-week long standoff in Tiananmen Square that ends with the suppression of that movement. 

Brian is joined by Kenneth Hammond, a Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University and an activist with the organization 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.

China's Foreign Policy Part 4, 1975-1989: Reaping the Whirlwind

Today's episode is the fifth in a multi-part series that takes an in-depth look at the history of China's foreign policy. In the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, China found itself internationally isolated and subjected to harsh new economic sanctions. Then in 1992, Deng Xiaoping launches the "Southern Tour", culminating in the dramatic deepening of market reforms. This leads to a massive influx of foreign investment as China becomes deeply integrated into the global economy.  

Brian is joined by Kenneth Hammond, a Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University and an activist with the organization 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.

China's Foreign Policy Part 5, 1989-1995: Navigating to Global Economic Integration after Tiananmen

The war in Ukraine has altered the global order. How is it changing politics around the globe? What is the historical background of the different nations in the region throughout the different historical eras and how does that affect the current conflict? What does history tell us about where this is headed?

Brian Becker is joined by Vijay Prashad, the Executive Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, and author  of “Red Star Over the Third World.”

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 as a Pawn: The Real Reason the US Forced a Crisis with Russia

On today's In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole  Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how Joe Biden deepened the war in Ukraine during a trip to Poland over the weekend when he declared that  Russian president Putin “cannot remain in power.”  As the United States and other NATO powers raise the stakes, is there  any hope for a breakthrough in negotiations? The panel also discusses  the administration’s massive new military spending proposal, protests  against British colonialism in the Caribbean, the death of Madeline Albright, the debate over Russian oil purchases, and more.

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. Strategy vs. Russia: Regime Change, Encirclement, or Both?

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard  Wolff discuss the Biden administration's budget proposal for the coming  year on Monday, proposing an enormous increase to the military budget  as the new Cold War intensifies. Biden  also included a proposal to tax the ultra-rich, but is this really  enough to make a dent in the enormous level of inequality in this  country?

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.

Biden's New Budget Gives $31 Billion Gift to War Industry

Key international relationships are being profoundly tested by the war in Ukraine, especially the alliance between China and Russia – the two countries at the top of the U.S. empire’s hit list. How does China’s government view Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine? Will the relationship between the two countries grow closer or more distant as the western powers attempt to cut Russia off from the global economy? What consequences will this have for the entire world?

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 activist with Pivot to Peace.

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The Socialist Program with Brian Becker also comes out three times per week in podcast  form — including weekly news round-ups and segments with economist Richard Wolff. Subscribe on your preferred listening platform here! https://linktr.ee/thesocialistprogram

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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.

China Reaffirms Closer Relations with Russia as Ukraine War Continues

In this March 2022 patrons-only seminar, Brian and Nicole discuss and  answer questions about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, including  Biden's call for Putin to be removed from power in Russia, what a nuclear war would really mean, and more. They also discuss the struggle for women's liberation and the wider "New Cold War" against China. 

Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

Brian Becker Seminar #14: Ukraine, Biden Calls For Regime Change In Russia, & More (Preview)

In the first installment of an ongoing series where The Socialist Program examines the real origins of U.S. society, we discuss the true history of Thanksgiving. Brian and Dr. Gerald Horne talk about the history of settler colonialism in the United States, how it gave rise to slavery and white supremacist ideology, and the enduring features of U.S. society that can be traced to these phenomena.

Dr. Gerald Horne holds the Moores Professorship of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century.” He is also the author of “The Bittersweet Science: Racism, Racketeering, and the Political Economy of Boxing.”

Creation Myths Part 1: The Real Story of Thanksgiving

A top Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated on November 27 in a brazen murder. Was it the Israeli Mossad, the CIA, or both? Brian discusses the killing and takes an in-depth look at U.S.-Iran relations as Joe Biden prepares to ascend to the White House with Mohammad Marandi. He is an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.

The Real Story: The Criminal Assassination of Iran’s Top Scientist: What Comes Next?

The Korean War began 70 years ago and has still not ended even though North and South Korea want it to end. The key obstacle is not in Pyongyang or Seoul but in Washington DC. Brian takes an in-depth look at US-Korean relations as the Biden Administration prepares to take the helm. Hyun Lee and Gregory Elich are the featured expert guests in this fascinating analysis.

The Real Story: Why Not Have Peace with North Korea?

Militarism is everywhere you look in U.S. society. No country on earth spends sums anywhere near as vast as the U.S. government. We are fed propaganda from childhood glamorizing war and the armed forces, and the endless bombing and occupation of multiple countries around the world is normalized and forgotten.

Brian is joined by Lee Camp -- a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, and host of the television show "Redacted Tonight," which you can see on RT America. His latest book is called "Bullet Points & Punch Lines: The Most Important Commentary Ever Written on the Epic American Tragicomedy."

The Real Story: Why U.S. Capitalism is Addicted to War

Donald Trump forfeited all support from establishment forces when he incited a fascist assault against the sitting U.S. Congress. Was there police and military collusion that allowed fascist forces to quickly seize control of the Capitol building?

The Real Story: Fascist Takeover in DC Isolates Trump

News and views about the world for those who want to change it, with Brian Becker