Two US veterans, Matthew Hoh and Daniel Sjursen, explain how the war in Afghanistan was lost, Afghans suffered, and military contractors profited -- all while the American public was kept in the dark.

Guests:

Danny Sjursen. Retired US Army officer, senior fellow at the Center for International Policy. He served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and later taught history at West Point. His latest book is "A True History of the United States." 

Matthew Hoh. Former Marine and State Department official who resigned in protest from his post in Afghanistan over U.S. policy in September 2009. Now a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy. 

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Anti-war veterans explain how US lost Afghanistan while leaders lied, profited

Marxist ideology is one of the most potent weapons the working and oppressed classes have, a weapon that our class can and has used to not only win reforms but to build revolutionary societies where the people, and not profits, are in control. As the PSL identified at our 3rd Party Congress in 2016, one of our primary tasks is to mend the “break in ideological continuity” that emerged after the overthrow of the Soviet Union by reestablishing “the theory of revolutionary Marxism and the entire vision of workers’ power” as a dominant guiding pole in people’s struggles [1].
To correct for the ideological break, it’s helpful to have a concrete understanding of ideology and the different forms it takes. Although the word ideology is used frequently, it’s commonly used in a pejorative sense to refer to something that’s not factual, that’s unscientific, or that’s devoid of substance. It’s also used by those hostile to socialism to present a distorted view of Marxism. What exactly is ideology? What is the difference between bourgeois and Marxist ideology? What significance does this have for organizing today?
To address these questions and help repair the break in the ideological continuity of revolutionary socialism in U.S. social movements, this article outlines Marx’s understanding of ideology. It traces his historical-materialist approach to investigating the relationship between ideas, material reality, and modes of production through several of his works. This allows us to take in the theory’s nuances about life and consciousness, as well as to draw out examples that are still relevant and applicable today. In particular, we focus on the theory of commodity fetishism and the function of the wage in producing the bourgeois ideological conception of the atomized individual. Proposing a move from “true/false” to “correct/incorrect,” the end of the article returns to the importance of popularizing and promoting Marxist ideology to understand and transform the world today, as revolutionaries have done throughout the socialist struggle to break the chains of exploitation and oppression.

Read the full article:
www.liberationschool.org/what-is-ideology

What is ideology? An introduction to the Marxist theory of ideology

As the Biden administration continues to seek the extradition of Julian Assange, new details have emerged about the Trump administration's secret war against Assange and his organization, Wikileaks. Michael Isikoff of Yahoo News discusses his team's explosive reporting on the CIA plot to surveil, kidnap, and even kill Assange -- all overseen by Michael Pompeo. 

Isikoff and Aaron Maté also debate Russia's role in the Assange controversy, particularly the allegation that Russia stole Democratic Party emails in 2016 and gave them to Wikileaks.

Guest: Michael Isikoff, chief investigative correspondent for Yahoo News. 

"Kidnapping, assassination and a London shoot-out: Inside the CIA's secret war plans against WikiLeaks."
https://news.yahoo.com/kidnapping-assassination-and-a-london-shoot-out-inside-the-ci-as-secret-war-plans-against-wiki-leaks-090057786.html

Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Inside the CIA plot to kidnap, kill Julian Assange

In this September 2021 patrons-only seminar, Brian and the crew discuss the how socialism can be achieved in the United States and how  revolutions happen, how to organize against imperialist war including from within the ranks of the military, and the internal contradictions of the U.S. government that are preventing Congress from addressing the dire needs of the people. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

Brian Becker Seminar #9: Socialism is Possible in the US, Resisting Imperialism, & More (Preview)

On today's episode, Brian and Lee Camp discuss the latest revelations about the CIA's attempts to take revenge on Wikileaks for exposing the secret crimes of the U.S. government. This went as far as planning to assassinate Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange, who was at that point confined to the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Now in prison, the fight to free Assange continues.

They also discuss the case of Steven Donzinger, an international environmental lawyer who took on Chevron and won — but has now been sentenced to prison in a case of retaliation that has drawn global outrage. They also discuss the political right turn made by Tulsi Gabbard.

Lee Camp is the host of the TV show Redacted Tonight and author of the book Bullet Points & Punch Lines. Check out his work at www.LeeCamp.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.

The Plot to Kill Julian Assange & Destroy Wikileaks

On today's episode Prof. Richard Wolff joins the show to discuss major developments in the labor movement as workers grow increasingly assertive of their rights. Members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees voted almost unanimously to authorize a strike that would shut down Hollywood, Kellogg’s factory workers are on strike, and workers at Nabisco recently wrapped up a successful strike action. Will this trend continue?

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can check out 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.

Labor Movement Surge: Workers Unite Against Inequality

As the U.S. government makes a series of aggressive moves, could moves by the Taiwanese government towards a declaration of independence spark a war with China? Brian and Prof. Ken Hammond also discuss the essential historical background left out by the corporate media, explaining how Taiwan was carved away from the rest of China at the conclusion of the civil war in 1949 with the sponsorship of U.S. imperialism.

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.

Why Taiwan could Trigger A War with China

Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich talks to Abby Martin about his fight as Cleveland mayor against the corporation trying to privatize the city's energy grid where he closely evaded an assassination attempt, his historic tenure in Congress where he stood up against the Bush administration's war path, and the fight for accountability within the corporate captured Democratic Party.

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Dennis Kucinich, Renegade Against War & Corporations

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss how the Federal Reserve has been forced to announce new ethics rules after a scandal over financial trading conducted by high-ranking officials led to the resignation of two regional bank presidents. But will this really prevent Fed officials from using their positions of power to get rich?

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can check out 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.

Why Federal Reserve Bankers Should be Arrested for Corruption

(Patreon-only Rose McGowan interview here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/rose-mcgowan-57953217)
Labor journalists Alex Press (https://twitter.com/alexnpress) & Jonah Furman (https://twitter.com/JonahFurman) discuss the labor movement, strikes, John Deere and what it has to do with Alec Baldwin's deadly shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Alex Press is a writer and editor at Jacobin Magazine, whose latest article is "Halyna Hutchins’s Death on the Set of Rust Was 'Not a Freak Accident'."Jonah Furman is a labor movement organizer and writer for Labor Notes (https://twitter.com/labornotes), the media and organizing project that since 1979 has amplified the voice of workers and labor militants. He is also a frequent contributor to The Intercept.

Alec Baldwin Shooting 'NOT a Freak Accident' With Alex Press & Jonah Furman

The US Navy has poisoned the largest water supply in O'ahu, Hawaii. Nobody knows how long residents have been drinking toxic water, how big the chemical leak is, or how many it will impact. But instead of urgent action to save lives, the Navy is engaging in a cover up. 

For more details on this case listen to our hour-long podcast on this #RedHill disaster here or any streaming platform: https://soundcloud.com/empire-files/redhill

Support our work covering US military pollution at https://earthsgreatestenemy.com

#SHUTDOWNREDHILL

Hawaii Emergency: Navy Poisons Drinking Water

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

Labor Movement Surge: Workers Unite Against Inequality

The Socialist Program with Brian Becker