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After weeks of US claims that a Russian invasion of Ukraine was imminent, Vladimir Putin instead recognized the breakaway republics of Luhansk and Donetsk. The decision has triggered a new round of US-led sanctions while bringing attention to rebel-held areas, where,  according to UN figures on the Donbas war, 80% of civilian casualties have occurred since 2018.

Professor Richard Sakwa analyzes the factors behind Putin's move, and its likely consequences. Putin's decision, he says, comes after Kiev refused to implement the 2015 Minsk accords, which could have ended the conflict, and a longstanding US-driven project to expand NATO to Russia's borders. 

Guest: Richard Sakwa. Professor of Russian and European politics at the University of Kent. His books include “Frontline Ukraine: Crisis in the Borderlands” and his latest, “Deception: Russiagate and the New Cold War.”

Rejecting NATO expansion, Putin recognizes forgotten Donbas civilians

The epic story of how African Americans fought for the right to be armed to fight the Confederacy and then, as soldiers, led a revolution to defeat slavery.

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LIKE MEN OF WAR: How Black Soldiers Whipped the Confederacy

Robbie Martin goes solo on the last episode of February 2022. Starting off Robbie talks about the under-reported warning about how a war in Ukraine might cause an accidental release of 'deadly pathogens' at (11) US DOD linked biological labs there. He then continues to explore the volatile frightening cluster-fuck with Russia's military entering Ukraine specifically by analyzing the cold reactions of the infamous neoconservative Kagan family. The episode concludes with Robbie playing parts of the new 60 Minutes segment on 'Havana Syndrome' and sharing reactions from sound designers and electronic musicians on the alleged audio recording of the 'Havana Syndrome' sonic weapon itself.

Intro/Outro Music:  Fabio Frizzi - Zombi 

Havana Music:  Zoviet France - Ascend A Fall & Caught in The Square

Havana Syndrome Sound Reviews by: @jessehamel_ @compostghoul 
@x7557x @ProlePumpkin @bHarb12 (twitter handles)

Ukraine & Georgia's Defense Department sponsored labs:
http://dilyana.bg/the-pentagon-bio-weapons/

US official: Russian invasion of Ukraine risks release of dangerous pathogens:
https://thebulletin.org/2022/02/us-official-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-risks-release-of-dangerous-pathogens/

Patreon subscribers at the $5 tier get access to an exclusive bonus episode per month. www.patreon.com/mediarootsradio

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Revenge of the Kagans, DOD's 11 Ukrainian Bio Labs, 60 Mins Targeted Individuals, Havana Reviews

On today's In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, and Walter Smolarek discuss the devastating sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and its allies and the frenzy to boycott and denounce all things Russian. They also discuss International Women’s Day, the anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack on civil rights demonstrators in Selma and the struggle for voting rights today, the far right convoy converging on Washington, D.C., 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.

How the U.S. Used Ukrainians as Pawns in its Imperial Game

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Former senior advisor the Secretary of Defense Col. Doug Macgregor joins Max Blumenthal and Aaron Maté for a live discussion of the Russia-Ukraine war and his time in the Trump administration when an Afghan withdrawal was sabotaged and conflict with Iran and Syria continued.

Guest: Douglas Macgregor, retired US Army Colonel and former Pentagon senior advisor.

Former top Pentagon advisor Col. Doug Macgregor on Russia-Ukraine war

Abby and Robbie talk about latest in the war in Ukraine and the banning of Russia Today in Europe and the US. Abby gives an honest account of what it was like to work for RT and the legacy of her show Breaking the Set, which has been pulled off YouTube.

Patreon subscribers at the $5 tier get access to an exclusive bonus episode per month. www.patreon.com/mediarootsradio

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Fluorescent Grey - We Killed Kids on the Basketball Court [Featuring Barack Obama] https://bit.ly/3wcJAuU

RIP RT America, The End of An Era

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy gave a high profile address to Congress calling for stepped up US involvement in the war — especially through the imposition of a “no-fly zone”. While this idea is presented as a humanitarian move, the reality is that such an action would mean that the two largest nuclear-armed powers would be in a state of war with each other. Brian and Eugene Puryear discuss this and more of the latest developments in the Ukraine war. 

Eugene Puryear is the host of the BreakThrough News podcast The Punch Out, and co-host of the BT live video show The Freedom Side.

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 a Ukraine “No-Fly Zone” is a One-Way Ticket to Nuclear War

On today's In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Nicole Roussell and  Walter Smolarek discuss the latest on Ukraine -- developments from the battlefield as well as the shockwaves rippling across world politics and the economy. They also discuss how the dictatorship of capital continues to imperil lives amid the pandemic, an impending wave of utility shut offs, 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.

Let it Burn: How the US Could Have Prevented the Ukraine War, But Didn't

On today's episode Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff  discuss  the still increasing costs of many necessities, as the United States  flounders in the economic crisis that's now been ongoing for several  years. To what extent is the war in Ukraine having an effect?

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.

U.S. Capitalists Scapegoat Russia for Soaring Prices

On today's In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem and Walter Smolarek discuss how NATO countries search for ways to deepen the conflict in Ukraine with arms shipments and sanctions, while promoting  selective outrage at the violence of war. The panel also discusses the victory of workers in Staten Island who formed the first Amazon union in the United States, Martin Luther King’s legacy 54 years after his assassination, 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.

How the U.S. Government Manipulates the Public to Build Support for Larger War in Ukraine

After decades of nonviolent resistance, abolitionists take up arms and start killing pro-slavery forces in the lead to the Civil War. Prequel to our recent episode 'LIKE MEN OF WAR: How Black Soldiers Whipped the Confederacy' with Eugene Puryear of BreakThrough News.

BLEEDING KANSAS: The Civil War Before The Civil War

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

Let it Burn: How the US Could Have Prevented the Ukraine War, But Didn't

The Socialist Program with Brian Becker