The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

Layan Sima Fuleihan, a popular educator and organizer at The People's Forum, joins the discussion to dissect the complexities surrounding the U.S.-Hamas dynamics in Gaza. She highlights the critical humanitarian crisis and critiques the Biden administration's narrative on ceasefire negotiations. Fuleihan reveals Hamas's demands for a permanent ceasefire and prisoner exchanges, often misrepresented in Western media. The conversation also underscores shifting public sentiment in the U.S. and calls for solidarity and activism to support Palestinian struggles.

Professor Richard Wolff and Brian discuss the extreme wealth gap and societal impact of billionaires like Jeff Bezos. They question the necessity of such wealth accumulation, propose converting companies into public utilities, and critique the recognition given to billionaires within capitalism.

On February 25, active duty U.S. Airman Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in protest of the war on Gaza. He screamed “Free Palestine” as he burned. His heroic act has shown the profound shift in U.S. consciousness against Israel’s war on Palestine, and inspired even greater resistance. Brian Becker is joined by Mike Prysner, a veteran, anti-war activist, producer of The Empire Files & host of the podcast "Eyes Left.” Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://www.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.

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss Trump's approach to inflation...and why blaming immigrants and other countries doesn't work. 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.

Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research and co-author with Noam Chomsky, dives into the U.S.'s long-term war strategy in Ukraine. He examines the historical context of U.S. involvement and critiques the double standards in handling conflicts like those in Ukraine and Gaza. Their discussion highlights how capitalist interests drive military decisions and the urgent need for rethinking U.S. foreign policy, focusing on diplomacy over prolonged conflict.

Discussion on the rising credit card debt among workers and Capital One's bid to acquire Discover for over $35 billion. Insights from Professor Richard Wolff on economic inequalities and the need for systemic change. Exploration of historical shifts towards consumer credit, its impact on working-class families, and the looming crisis of credit card debt in America.

Joe Biden can’t remember the names of Hamas or the president of Mexico, but he is still all in for Israel’s genocide against Palestinians, pushing Ukrainians to keep fighting and dying, and sending billions of dollars abroad for weapons.  Brian Becker is joined by Eugene Puryear, the author of the book “Shackled and Chained,” a political activist, and a co-host of The Freedom Side LIVE, a live video show every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern on BreakThrough News. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://www.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.

Discusses the spike in housing costs and inflation surpassing the Federal Reserve target. Explores human decisions affecting market prices and critiques media for blaming vague market forces. Compares past inflation rates during the Vietnam War and analyzes the impact on working people. Explores power dynamics within the capitalist system and the intervention in issues like rent control.

Richard Becker discusses the colonial roots of Zionism and Israel's role in advancing U.S. imperialism. The podcast delves into the historical origins of Zionism, the Balfour Declaration, Churchill's views, Arab resistance to colonial dominance, and the impact of Zionist settlements on Palestine.

As negotiations over the war in Gaza continue, Hamas delivered a three-part proposal that would end in a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli military from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected the proposal, vowing to fight until “an absolute victory.” Is that possible for Israel? How will this genocidal war end? Brian Becker is joined by Mohammed Nabulsi, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement and an attorney based out of Houston, and Layan Sima Fuleihan, a popular educator, organizer, the Education Director at The People’s Forum, and an editor at 1804 Books. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://www.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.