The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss Rite-Aid's folding due to lawsuits from the pharmaceutical corporation's role in the opioid epidemic, what happens to the industry with a major player going under, and how capitalism fuels the opioid crisis. 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.

Miko Peled, the son of an Israeli general, explains the barbarity and criminal logic of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Palestinians are being massacred by Israel after the Al-Aqsa Flood uprising that began on October 7, with bombs hitting apartment buildings and ambulances, fuel running out, and Israel blockading food, water, and aid from the Gaza Strip — announced by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as treatment for “human animals.” Meanwhile, Western media is pushing the narrative that presents Israelis as victims rather than the long-besieged Palestinians. What is the root of this war? How did a group of fighters take Israel’s well-funded army with a sophisticated surveillance arm by surprise? What is the status of the Israeli state? Brian Becker is joined by Miko Peled, a human rights activist, host of The Miko Peled Podcast, and author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.” You can find his podcast, books, and much more at mikopeled.com. 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 the largest ever walkout of healthcare workers — 75,000 Kaiser Permanente employees walked out last week. What does this mean for healthcare workers and workers everywhere? 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.

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss how student loan repayments have officials resumed after being frozen following the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. With millions across the country feeling the weight of this crushing debt burden again, what will it take to win relief? 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.

In this patrons-only Q&A seminar, Brian discusses the Canadian parliament giving a Nazi soldier a standing ovation, conflict brewing in the territories of the former Yugoslavia, patron's questions, and more. This episode is a preview of a longer seminar for Patrons in the TSP community. Subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest of this seminar, support the show, register for next time, and access the highly valuable archive of years of socialist analysis.

Brian Becker went on a four-city speaking tour this month. This is his talk at the first stop on the tour on September 14 in Denver, CO, with a packed house at the Denver Liberation Center. This episode is a preview of the full talk that is available for Patrons in the TSP community. Subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest of this episode, support the show, join our monthly patron-only Q&A seminars, and access the highly valuable archive of years of socialist analysis.

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the looming government shutdown and what it shows about the U.S. capitalist system. Is it a stable democracy if it can't stay open? Why aren't lawmakers using the clear solutions at hand? 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.

Walter Smolarek, editor of Liberation News, joins Brian Becker to discuss the potential escalation of the Ukraine war, the emergence of new global alliances, the unexpected turns in the proxy war with Russia, Biden's change in rhetoric, and the devastating consequences of Libya's regime change. They also delve into the US strategy in the Middle East and North Africa.

This podcast discusses the criminal inaction of the White House and Congress in addressing inflation and rising costs of basic goods. It explores the impact of inflation on workers' wages and living standards, the correlation between war spending and inflation, and the burden of economic crises on the working class. The episode provides insights on interest rates, 'shrinkflation,' and the need for transformative change.

Leaders of North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela have recently met with their counterparts in Russia and China, signaling shifts in global politics. The podcast explores the historical context of these relationships, the impact of the Korean War on sovereignty, and the parasitic nature of South Korea's development. It also discusses the China-Venezuela strategic partnership, US military strategy towards China, China's resistance against foreign colonial powers, and the US Joint Chiefs of Staff's plan to drop nuclear bombs on China and North Korea in 1953.