The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

The Socialist Program
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Apr 13, 2023 • 55min

Hidden History: When Communism and Feminism Came Together in China, 1949

Women leaders from the Global South gathered in China in 1949 to build an anti-imperialist, anti-colonial women's movement. Dr. Lisa Armstrong uncovered this forgotten history. The struggles against oppression were interconnected with class, race, and gender. Women faced risks and challenges to attend the conference. Researching communist women's history was difficult due to suppression. The podcast explores erasure, fear, and the struggle for justice in the leftist movement.
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Apr 12, 2023 • 32min

Dollar Imperialism and Its Decline

Professor Richard Wolff joins Brian to discuss the decline of the US dollar as the world's reserve currency and the rise of other currencies like the yuan. They explore the historical context of dollar imperialism, China's role in manufacturing and currency manipulation, and the impact of globalization on American corporations and global power dynamics.
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Apr 6, 2023 • 38min

The Politics of the Trump Indictment

On today's episode Nicole Roussell interviews Brian Becker about the indictment of Donald Trump, the leader of Taiwan meeting with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, the ever expanding story about who destroyed Nordstream 2, and the win for abortion rights in Wisconsin. 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.
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Apr 5, 2023 • 28min

Why France Is In the Streets

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the three months of protests and 11 days of strikes in France against President Macron's attempt to roll back residents' full rights to retirement pensions. 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.
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Mar 30, 2023 • 12min

The New Stage of the U.S. Military-Industrial Complex

In this patrons-only seminar, Brian discusses the media's take that the U.S. industrial base is inadequate to feed the war machine, Israel's hidden history of nuclear weapons, the best way to study the lessons of history, the varied roles that nonprofits play in people's struggles, 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.
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Mar 23, 2023 • 51min

Israeli General’s Son: Myths and Facts of an Apartheid System

As Israel’s racist, right-wing government has careened even further right, Israelis have been protesting in the streets “for democracy.” But in Palestine, Israeli forces have killed a shocking number of people this year as their war ramps up. What is driving the conflict ground right now and where is this apartheid system headed next? Brian 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 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.
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Mar 22, 2023 • 27min

What's Causing the Bank Collapse?

Professor Richard Wolff joins Brian to discuss the collapse of several banks, the complexity of economic language and lack of economic literacy, understanding government bonds and the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the potential impact of the bank collapse on the broader economy, and the failure of current fixes and reforms in the financial system.
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Mar 16, 2023 • 51min

Wuhan Lab Leak Hoax and the Coming Conflict with China

How did an Energy Department report about COVID coming from a lab leak, an assertion made with “low confidence,” take the whole media by storm? Why is this allegation being dredged up again? While viral outbreaks can take decades to uncover and sometimes don’t ever become clear, the political framing is already obvious. Brian is joined by K.J. Noh, a peace activist, organizer with Pivot to Peace, scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice. 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.
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Mar 15, 2023 • 30min

Collapsing Banks & A Weakening U.S. Empire

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the  collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, among others, that has caused  widespread panic. The federal government has bailed out these banks,  which will make hard-felt U.S. inflation even worse. Are we headed for  another economic 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.
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Mar 9, 2023 • 48min

All the Lies That Are Fit to Print: The Media & the Ukraine War

The U.S. mainstream media is acting as a propaganda machine for the U.S. drive to keep the Ukraine war going — while Ukrainians and Russians fight and die — and weaken Russia. Brian is joined by Walter Smolarek, editor of Liberation News and producer of this show, to help explain and dissect what’s going on in Ukraine, with the Nordstream pipeline, and with related coverage of China. 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. Rania Khalek’s interview with Seymour Hersh on his Nordstream pipeline story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blDRGHGXn0U

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