The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

The Communist Party of China is in its 20th Congress, a week-long meeting of 2,296 elected delegates from around the country in a nominations and voting process in which 95 million CPC members participated. The delegates set the priorities for China for the next five years. Brian and Tings Chak, researcher at the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research & a member of Dongsheng News collective, discuss the biggest takeaways, China’s economy, Xi Jinping’s presidency, Biden’s recent singling out of China in his National Security Doctrine, and more. 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.

What would socialism look like in the United States—the richest  country ever known yet 38 million people are hungry? Socialism would use  that wealth and our development for the needs of the people, stop  endless wars, and crush racism, sexism, and all forms of bigotry. A new  book, "Socialist Reconstruction: A Better Future for the  United States," demonstrates what this could look like in detail,  starting in “the first decade of  socialism in the United States." Brian is joined by Dr. Jodi Dean, Professor of Political Science at  Hobart and William Smith Colleges & author of several books. She and  Brian were part of the collective effort to produce the just-released book “Socialist Reconstruction: A Better Future for the United States." 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.

Russia has been hit by multiple major attacks, including sabotage in their Nordstream energy pipelines and the explosion on the Crimean Bridge. The bridge is a vital supply route to and from the peninsula with military supplies. Russia responded with missiles hitting Kiev. As NATO and Europe send further weapons and technology, the war is quickly escalating. Where is it going? Brian is joined by Eugene Puryear, the host of the BreakThrough News podcast The Punch Out and co-host of the BT live video show The Freedom Side, which you can watch on the BreakThrough News YouTube channel, Thursdays 3–5pm ET. 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 Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the  International Monetary Fund predicting a worse economy in 2023 and  the illuminating comments from CEO  Jamie Dimon  of  JP Morgan Chase, the largest US investment bank. Bankers like Dimon and The Fed (made up of majority bankers) are  pushing the economy toward the brink, despite the crisis this will cause  for workers and families nationwide. 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.

Russia hit Kyiv with missile strikes yesterday, in response to the  attack that damaged the bridge to Crimea. The war in Ukraine is  escalating—and the United States is cheering. Esther Iverem talks with Brian about the accelerating state of the war. 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 United States has acknowledged almost 500 military interventions, listed in detail in a report by congressional researchers. More than 200 were just in the last 31 years, since the fall of the Soviet Union, representing a significant increase over the hundreds of years prior. What does this explain about the nature of capitalism, war, and imperialism? Brian is joined by Ben Norton, an investigative journalist based in Latin America, and editor of the independent news website Multipolarista, which you can find at multipolarista.com. Ben’s article that Ben and Brian discuss is here on his website: https://multipolarista.com/2022/09/13/us-251-military-interventions-1991. 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 Hurricane Ian has caused historic devastation  throughout Florida, leaving over 100 dead and destroying homes and  critical infrastructure. All of the extreme inequalities of the  capitalist system are on display in the wake of this massive disaster. 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 seminar, Brian analyzes Secretary  of State Blinken's gloating about the Nordstream pipeline explosion and  what this tells us, what is needed for a big anti-war mobilization, and  how to effectively provide mutual aid. He also talks about Brazil's  presidential election, with popular left candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da  Silva winning in the first round but headed to a runoff against  far-right Jair Bolsonaro, and the U.S. government's view on it, and  more. Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!

Two of the biggest world powers, Russia and China, have formed an alliance based on common interest, despite a very complex history. Seven months into the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, what is the state of the relationship? Brian is joined by Marco Fernandes, researcher with Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, member of Dongsheng News collective & organizer with the No Cold War campaign. 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 the Federal Reserve’s relentless campaign to raise  interest rates is having profound consequences not just in the United  States, but around the world. As rates rise in the United States, the  value of other currencies is plummeting, intensifying inflation and a  whole host of other economic and social issues. 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.