The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

In this patrons-only seminar, Brian discusses why the widely predicted Republican red wave became a trickle and what it means for  organizing and answers questions about the anti-war movement, the  Ukraine war, China's relationship with Cuba, and more. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

Greg Palast, an investigative reporter renowned for his focus on vote suppression in Georgia, dives into the alarming changes in voting laws, particularly SB 202, which severely limits mail-in voting. He discusses the suppression tactics that disenfranchise urban and minority voters and highlights the troubling rise of citizen-led challenges to voter eligibility. The conversation touches on landmark Supreme Court rulings like Shelby County v. Holder that have compounded these issues, raising urgent concerns about democracy in America and the barriers faced during Georgia's recent runoff.

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss how huge numbers of people are being locked out of the housing market amid soaring interest rates and home prices, marking a dramatic reversal for millions of people who were hoping to buy their own home. With prices spiking for renters as well, the failure of the capitalist market to provide something as basic as affordable shelter is on display. 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.

The poll tax was eliminated within this lifetime, in 1966, but the  right-wing in America has been hard at work reconstructing it with ID  requirements, stripping people with convictions of the right to vote,  and even arresting people for voting. It's Election Day today and many  people are heading to the polls in what may be a significant election.  What are the most important elements for socialists to know about? Brian  is joined by Esther Iverem, journalist, producer and host of the show  ‘On the Ground: Voices of Resistance From the Nation’s Capital,’ which  comes out weekly on Fridays. Check it out at onthegroundshow.org and two dozen Pacifica stations nationwide. 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.

The right-wing loves yelling, “We’re a republic, not a democracy!” Now they have a Supreme Court that agrees with them. The Court is about to hear Moore v. Harper, a gerrymandering case that will also take up the Electors Clause of the Constitution. The Republican legal argument, made famous by Trump’s 2020 legal team, is that state legislatures can send their own choice of electors to the Electoral College, rather than abiding by the vote of the people. The implications of this are huge — the end of ‘one person, one vote.’ Brian is joined by Steven Donziger, an advocate, writer and public speaker on human rights and corporate accountability. His most recent piece is The most terrifying case of all is about to be heard by the US Supreme Court. He also filed a class-action lawsuit with others against Chevron for environmental damage – including dumping 17 million gallons of crude oil in the Ecuadorian rainforest – and won a historic $9.5 billion judgment. Chevon then fled Ecuador and launched a campaign against Donziger that resulted in him being disbarred, serving 45 days behind bars, and under home confinement for 993 days. For more on his story, watch his interview on The Freedom Side and Rania Khalek Dispatches here on BreakThrough. 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.

Elon Musk's Twitter takeover and mass layoffs, the failure of capitalism, the undemocratic nature of billionaire ownership, the parallels between monarchies and high finance, the impact of debt on different class positions, and Elon Musk's controversial background and actions.

In this patrons-only seminar, Brian discusses the win of left Workers  Party candidate & former president Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva over  far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and the huge impact it will have in  Brazil and in the region, Elon Musk ordering massive job cuts as he  takes over Twitter, the US sending nuclear weapons to Europe, and more. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

Massive protests in South Korea are demanding the end of right-wing President Yoon Suk-yeol's tenure. At the same time, the US and Japan are promising a major military escalation against North Korea. 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.

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard  Wolff discuss how demonization of China has gone into overdrive as the  country chooses its new leadership, and how a key component of this has  been increasingly strident advocacy for so-called  “economic decoupling” from China. And in fact, just ahead of China’s  Communist Party congress, the U.S. government unveiled a harsh blow to a  critical sector of trade. 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.

As rents spike higher and higher, tent cities grow across the  country, and eviction protections wear out, tenants are fed up and  organizing. Nicole and Brian discuss the coming — and necessary — rent revolution. 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.