The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

A new world order is emerging as the old one declines. A wide swath of countries in Asia—including China, Indonesia, and U.S.-occupied South Korea and Japan—announced a joint project to build up Asian trade infrastructure and reduce Western dependence. Brian Becker and Professor Richard Wolff discuss this comprehensive plan as a response to Trump’s tariffs and trade war.

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the o...

The Trump White House has issued another executive order announcing their intention to deploy the U.S. military against the people of the United States. Donald Trump is hell bent on building a new political system inside the United States and across the world.

Brian Becker is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan, a Palestinian organizer with the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, a popular educator, the Education Director at The Peo...

China doesn’t need U.S. energy or farm imports, several officials announced this week, deflating the Trump Administration’s aggressive trade war. Brian Becker and Professor Richard Wolff discuss the long use of tariffs for manipulation and bullying by the U.S. and why it’s different this time.

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

Join the Th...

Trump had to retreat big this week, and Brian and Layan discuss all of it. The administration is backing off of tariffs, Trump is furious over Ukraine negotiations, and Musk took a huge step back from DOGE amid Tesla’s profits tanking. 

Brian Becker is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan, a Palestinian organizer with the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, a popular educator, the Education Director at The People’s Forum, and an editor a...

Trump’s trade war is causing stock market chaos and may trigger a ‘capital war’ – or even a military war – and seems to be an act of desperation in the face of a declining U.S. empire. Brian Becker and Professor Richard Wolff discuss this rapidly shifting global economy, and what may come next.

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

J...

Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan break down Trump’s doubling down on deportations – including potential plans to deport U.S. citizens, Rubio’s signal of a possible pivot away from the war in Ukraine, new developments in the Gaza genocide, and how socialists should relate to the new wave of the anti-Trump movement.

This is a preview of a patrons-only episode. Subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the full episode, g...

Trump's trade war against China is escalating, but so far it seems to have only facilitated a growing political and economic isolation of the United States. Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the real motives behind Trump’s seemingly chaotic tariff declarations, including how Greenland factors in, and what may lie ahead. 

Brian and Prof. Wolff also discuss Harvard’s refusal to cave to Trump’s threats to pull federal fundin...

Brian and Layan discuss Trump’s possible shift in his policy of genocide on Gaza while the witch-hunt against U.S. students grows and Trump terrorizes millions by shutting down their bank accounts to encourage “self deportations” on this patrons-only episode. 

Brian Becker is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan, a Palestinian organizer with the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, a popular educator, the Education Director at The People’...

Trump increased already huge tariffs today, bringing total tariffs on China to 125% of goods (at 104% at the time of recording). China has retaliated, and the stock market plunged $7 trillion in value after tariffs were announced last week (before bouncing back after this recording). Trump says this is about bringing back jobs, but what is the reality? Brian Becker and Eugene Puryear discuss Trump’s real goals.

Brian is joined b...

Trump enacted major tariffs on countries all around the world last Wednesday, and the stock market crashed over the next two days, with about $5 trillion in losses. Upsetting the world’s billionaires, stocks have continued to be extremely volatile this week. Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss what Trump’s aims are, what’s coming next, and what it means for our class.

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founde...

What does the loss of Musk’s well-funded candidate in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race mean? What factors are at play in China’s foreign policy with Israel? Why are there two marches on Saturday, does marching really work, and should I go? Is there a risk of war with Iran? Huge numbers of Asheville residents are homeless after the storms there—how would a socialist society address this? These are just some of the topics that Brian ...

Trump, Musk, and the billionaires are trying to privatize the Post Office among several other government services. Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the real story behind these attacks.

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 patr...

Brian and Layan discuss the horrendous conditions in Gaza, with no food or aid for weeks, on this patrons-only episode. Here in the United States, hundreds of thousands of people are preparing to descend on Washington DC for a mass march to demand an end to genocide, to stop the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, and to free Mahmoud Khalil, Rumeysa Ozturk, and all students targeted for their political activity.

Brian Becker is joined by ...

The US is waging an economic war on China while threatening Chinese students here on student visas. But China has maintained huge economic and social growth, in spite of severe economic sanctions and new tariffs.

Brian Becker is joined by Ben Norton, an investigative journalist currently based in Beijing, and the editor of the independent news website Geopolitical Economy Report, at geopoliticaleconomy.com.

Please make an urgently-n...

On today's episode, Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss Musk’s recent statements on Social Security and the Trump administration’s agenda to cut and privatize the vital program that so many seniors rely on to survive. They’re cutting the Social Security budget, firing workers, and grabbing hold of the most sensitive data in the Social Security system.

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organizatio...

Two nights ago, Israel shattered the ceasefire with Palestine, killing more than 400 people in Gaza, with more bombings that today were followed with a new ground invasion. Donald Trump bombed Yemen and is threatening war with Iran, a formidable and large country with a very strong military. Is a regional war coming?

Brian is joined by Professor Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies who teaches at the University of Teh...

On today's episode, Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss Trump's demands that European countries double their military spending, and the new German government has embraced the open remilitarization of Germany--a major shift in policy for Germany since the defeat of Hitler and Nazism in 1945.

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

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Brian is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan -- a Palestinian organizer with the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, a popular educator, the Education Director at The People’s Forum, and an editor at 1804 Books -- in a discussion of what Russia seeks in a peace deal to end the Ukraine war. They also discuss Trump's false usage of the Enemy Aliens Act against Venezuelans and the Maduro government, the growing free speech fight over ...

When Trump ordered the arrest and deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil in New York City, he didn't expect it would trigger a mass movement in his defense. Millions of people understand it as an epic battle over free speech and the right to organize in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Brian is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan, a Palestinian organizer, popular educator, and Education Director at The People’s ...