The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani received more than a million votes as he won the New York city mayoral election this week. Today we will talk about the practical implications of Mamdani's victory, how the ruling class in New York is likely to react to his election, and some of the strategic and theoretical questions for socialists as it regards elections and what political power actually means. Brian Becker is joined by Layan F...

The ruling class mainstream media and the the Trump White House are “warning” of the dangers of Zohran Mamdani’s socialist politics. In spite of the ruling class pushback, many of his policies, like taxing the rich, are wildly popular—and not just in New York City.

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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The United Nations voted overwhelmingly, again, 165 to 7, to end the U.S. embargo on Cuba, with the U.S. and Israel voting against. This is as the one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever hit Cuba causes massive destruction but no deaths due to the country’s organization.

Plus, the Miami Herald is reporting that the Trump administration has approved military strikes on Venezuela, which could come ‘at any moment,’ and which could ...

Trump has sent an aircraft carrier, ten thousand troops, and eight warships into the Caribbean to terrorize Venezuela – and now Colombia – into submission. Will Trump actually launch a full military invasion?

Brian Becker is joined by Zoe Alexandra, the Editor-in-Chief of Peoples Dispatch (peoplesdispatch.org), and co-host of the podcast Give the People What They Want!

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This is part three of our Explaining Socialism Series. In this episode, Prof. Richard Wolff and Brian discuss how socialism has evolved as a concept, doctrine, and guide to action over a longer historical period.

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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Since early September, U.S. forces have carried out nine strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing as many as 40 individuals. Donald Trump says the strikes are legal, and that the boats were trafficking drugs, but he has not offered evidence to make his claim. This is an act of lawlessness. Is it a precursor to a bigger war with Venezuela? Brian Becker is joined by Layan Fuleihan to discuss.

This is a preview of a patro...

The anti-socialism that the U.S. elite have instilled is breaking down, especially among young people. As the Trump administration tears away our democratic rights, it’s becoming ever more clear that we need a new system where our rights can’t be taken away. What is socialism? What is communism? Prof. Richard Wolff & Brian discuss what socialism and communism are, democratizing the workplace and society, and why Elon Musk has e...

On Saturday, October 18, millions of people are expected to take to the streets for what is known as No Kings Day. The Trump White House and right wing governors around the country are treating people in the United States who engage in protest and dissent against the government’s policies as enemy combatants rather than people exercising their First Amendment right to free speech.

Brian and Layan discuss the General Strikes of 1934...

After two years of horrific and criminal genocide and assault on Gaza, there is now a ceasefire. Israel is committing more crimes against Palestinians, but mass public opinion has majorly shifted, changing the balance of forces. On the home front, the Trump White House is waging a war against immigrant families, and basic democratic rights. 

Brian Becker is joined by Lee Camp, a comedian, political commentator, and host of Unredacte...

What is socialism? Did it fail? Prof. Richard Wolff & Brian discuss what socialism means, compare government systems like China, Cuba, and the USSR, and consider what elements constitute socialism.

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 and Layan analyze how the New York Times and other US corporate-owned media are deliberately crafting a false narrative about the Gaza war at the moment the ceasefire is taking effect. The Netanyahu government has admitted that the they are losing the battle of narratives, and the New York Times is taking up their defense.

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The Trump White House is waging war on immigrants and Black America, preparing to go to war with Venezuela, and continuing the suffocating blockade on Cuba.

Brian Becker is joined by Claudia De la Cruz, the 2024 presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism & Liberation, Executive Director of IFCO, a lifelong community organizer and popular educator.

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Brian and Layan examine the Trump plan for Gaza and the Palestinian response. They assess the impact of global movement on the future of the Israeli occupation project. They also discuss Trump’s political ultimatum to US universities.

This is a preview of a patrons-only episode. Subscribe at https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram to hear the full episode, get access to all our patrons-only content, and help make this show possi...

Donald Trump is sending the U.S. military into cities and towns all over the country to wage war against U.S. residents…what he calls “the enemy within.” And Secretary of War Pete Hegseth summoned military generals from all over the globe to Quantico, VA, to amplify this. 

Brian Becker is joined by Mike Prysner, a veteran, anti-war organizer and producer of The Empire Files, which is premiering a new feature film called Earth’s Grea...

The CEO of Walmart is acknowledging that AI will “change literally every job,” as AI threatens workers’ jobs and incomes everywhere and data centers tear up communities. The capitalists are currently who will benefit from new technology, with increasing profit while they cut jobs. Professor Richard Wolff argues that’s not how it has to be—if we fight for worker control of the technology, workers can reap the rewards.

Professor Richa...

Brian talks with Eugene Puryear about how the Trump White House is criminalizing left and liberal organizations as part of Project 2025’s effort to impose a new right-wing political system in the United States. Puryear argues that Trump’s economic and social policies are broadly unpopular and that the Trump Administration is using law enforcement to target and silence dissent in an illegal, unconstitutional effort to eliminate basi...

Is the next Great Depression coming? One hedge fund manager who makes his clients billions off of economic crashes thinks the current stock market looks a lot like the high before the crash in 1929. Professor Richard Wolff & Brian Becker discuss the cyclical crashes inherent to capitalism, how the stock market relates, and what’s coming.

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work....