The Real Story

March 19 marks the 18th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The catastrophic warfare that followed claimed the lives of over a million Iraqis, led to the death or life-altering injury of tens thousands of U.S. service members, and sowed chaos throughout the Middle East.  

Brian is joined by Mike Prysner, the producer of The Empire Files. Mike is also a co-host of the podcast Eyes Left, a podcast hosted by two anti-war Army veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Mike was a soldier serving in the U.S. military during the Iraq invasion, and went on to become an anti-war leader who organized soldiers and veterans to resist the Pentagon war machine.

The Real Story: Iraq War Veteran: "War Crimes Fueled Iraqi & GI Resistance"

North Korea fires tactical short range missiles in a recent missile test and the American media has proclaimed this to be a major provocation testing the Biden administration. Donald Trump met twice with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in two summits, one in Singapore and the other in Hanoi, but those summits resulted in failure. What’s next in US policy towards North Korea? Brian will follow up on this discussion with a second part of the episode coming soon!

The Real Story: What North Korea Wants and What the American People Don't Know About the Korean War

The United States has been intervening in Afghanistan since 1979. Trump and now Biden promise to end U.S. involvement in the Afghanistan war. But imperialist domination in the country continues.

Brian is joined by Sohrob Aslamy, a doctoral student at Syracuse University in the Department of Geography and the Environment.

The Real Story: When U.S. Empire Waged War vs. Socialism in Afghanistan: 1978-1990s

The Biden administration has announced that the United States will be withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan by September 11 of this year, and that this withdrawal will take place regardless of conditions on the battlefield. What's behind this move? Is the U.S. empire's longest war really coming to an end?

Continuing last week's episode about the history of U.S. intervention in Afghanistan, Brian talks with Sohrob Aslamy, a doctoral student at Syracuse University in the Department of Geography and the Environment.

Is the U.S. Actually Leaving Afghanistan? Part 2 of our Afghanistan and U.S. Imperialism series

The fate of the JCPOA Iran nuclear agreement hangs in the balance. The United States broke the agreement during the Trump administration and reimposed sanctions that caused great suffering to Iranians, but negotiations are now underway for the United States to rejoin. Meanwhile, Israel is upping its aggression against Iran. Brian is joined by Professor Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.

The Real Story: The U.S. & Israeli War Against Iran

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

The Israeli government is waging war against the Palestinian people and attempting to carry out mass ethnic cleansing of the city of Jerusalem as part of ongoing historic efforts to evict the Palestinian people from their homelands. This has led to a historic level of resistance in Jerusalem, Gaza, the West Bank and in Palestinian communities within the current Israeli borders.

Brian is joined by Abby Martin and Mike Prysner of The Empire Files. The Empire Files' full-length documentary movie “Gaza Fights for Freedom” is now available for free online. Check out their work at TheEmpireFiles.tv

Palestine Resists: A Conversation with Abby Martin and Mike Prysner of The Empire Files

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

Various ruling class factions, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have coalesced against Trump and the fascist-led insurrection against Congress. What comes next?

The Real Story: The Fascist Assault -- The Ruling Class Response

Professor Gerald Horne sat down for a conversation with Brian about his latest book "The Bittersweet Science -- Racism, Racketeering, the Political Economy of Boxing." From Jack Johnson to Muhammad Ali, Gerald Horne offers a fresh and fascinating look at the role of boxing and professional sports and their impact on capitalism and Black America.

The Real Story: Gerald Horne on Racism, Racketeering and the Political Economy of Boxing

Under the cloud of a massive military occupation of Washington DC Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president. In a highly polarized country Biden announced 17 Executive Orders and started unveiling the policies and objectives of the new administration. Hunger, unemployment and homelessness is surging. More than 100,000 have died from Covid in just the last four weeks. We take a look at the Biden's domestic and foreign policy positions and talk about the imperative need for a new, massive and militant working class movement without which the Biden White House will enforce its number #1 promise to voters that "nothing will fundamentally change."

The Real Story: What is Biden Planning?

After 45 Senate Republicans voted to declare his impeachment trial unconstitutional, Donald Trump is almost assured an acquittal. It marks a stunning turnaround for a man who just a few weeks ago was completely isolated and facing the prospect of jail time for seditious conspiracy. How did the Democratic Party fail so spectacularly? Will impeachment ironically be the thing that paves the way for Trump’s reentry into the political spotlight? What does this mean for the rising danger of fascism?

The Real Story: Why Impeachment Helps Trump

Will the U.S. continue under Biden to push towards confrontation with China? As the Biden administration takes the reins, what will change about U.S. policy towards China, and what will remain the same?

Kenneth Hammond, a Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University and an activist with the organization Pivot to Peace, discusses these questions and more with Brian.

The Real Story: Biden Targets China

On this episode we are joined by Brian Willson, a Vietnam veteran, writer, lawyer and a peace activist. On September 1, 1987, Brian lost his legs while participating in a peaceful act of civil disobedience at a railroad track at the Concord Naval Weapons Station to block the shipment of weapons to the terrorist Contra fighters in Nicaragua, and has continued his fight against U.S. empire.

The Real Story: Blood on the Tracks -- A Vietnam Veteran's Battle Against Empire

A damning new independent investigation into the police murder of Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado has been released, but the only people facing charges so far in this case are the activists who led the movement for justice for Elijah McClain.  

Lillian House joins the show. Lillian and other leaders of a mass movement in the Denver/Aurora Colorado area demanding justice for Elijah McClain was herself arrested in a coordinated police attack on September 17, 2020. She was charged with multiple felonies and is awaiting trial. If convicted, Lillian House could be imprisoned for a half a century.

Their Protest Forced Investigation on Elijah McClain Police Killing; Now They Face Decades in Prison

Brian Becker dissects the reasons for the US military occupation in Syria and analyzes the objectives and strategies of U.S. imperialism in Syria, and its wars against Iraq and Libya. Becker examines in detail how the Pentagon completely dominates U.S. policy in the region and reviews how and why U.S. strategy in the Middle East dramatically shifted during the past 30 years.

The people of the United States heard that Biden bombed Syria last week just as Trump bombed Syria in the early days of his administration. But they don't have a clue that U.S. are troops are occupying the oil rich parts of Syria. This episode of The Socialist Program explains why.

The Real Story: A Socialist Look at Syria and US Intervention

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

The Real Story

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