The Socialist Program

Mass arrests of immigrants in the United States, massive starvation imposed on the people of Gaza. The Trump administration is on a rampage, but there is a growing nationwide fightback movement.

Brian Becker is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan, a Palestinian organizer with the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, Education Director at The People’s Forum, and an editor at 1804 Books.

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

Emblematic of capitalist corporations, investment bank Goldman Sachs asks a revealing question that shows the evils of capitalism: ‘Is curing patients a sustainable business model?’

Nicole Roussell and Professor Richard Wolff discuss the unhealthy effects of the profit drive and huge profits in the pharmaceutical industry, using Hepatitis C treatments as an example, and how the math would work with industry profit no longer built in. 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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ICE conducted one of the largest raids since Trump took office in Ventura County, California, with agents chasing farmworker Jaime Alanis off a roof to his death and arresting over 360 people. Those arrested included U.S. citizens, moms, and veterans. Now organizers have successfully mobilized a large network of volunteers to fight back against the ICE campaign of terror.

Brian Becker is joined by Lainy Yompian and Ryan Drury of VC Defensa, the network in Ventura County, California that has organized the network and hotline to respond to ICE raids and follow them around town.

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The U.S. Supreme Court allowed Trump’s evisceration of the Department of Education this week through mass layoffs. Fellowships and sponsorships to fund student research are getting cut while student debt is growing. Professor Richard Wolff breaks down the potential impacts on the U.S. economy and society, the history of the federal education system in the U.S., and the root causes of Trump’s attacks on education.

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

Join the The Socialist Program community at https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

The right-wing Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for Trump to carry out the mass firings of hundreds of thousands of federal workers. More than 200,000 have already been fired or forced out as Trump carries out the Project 2025 plan to radically re-shape the form of government in the United States. The violent ICE assault against immigrant families is part of that plan.

Brian Becker and Professor Richard Wolff discuss what happens to the economy when those cuts hit and the layoffs continue. They also discuss why the ruling class is freaking out about NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s proposal to tax the rich by just 2% more and make buses free and provide affordable housing for New Yorkers.

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

Join the The Socialist Program community at https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Donald Trump’s Tax bill has passed. It constitutes a massive transfer of wealth from working class and poor people to the already very very rich. Israel continues to massacre Palestinians lining up to receive food in Gaza. And Donald Trump has announced that a ceasefire is near. 

Brian Becker is joined by Layan Sima Fuleihan, a Palestinian organizer with the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, Education Director at The People’s Forum, and an editor at 1804 Books.

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

Trump and the Republicans have passed in the Senate a sweeping tax bill that is a massive wealth transfer from the poorest to the wealthiest, making permanent Trump’s huge 2017 tax cuts for the wealthiest and giving hundreds of billions to corporations —while slashing millions of people’s access to healthcare and nutrition. Brian Becker and Professor Richard Wolff discuss how Congress is ramming through a highly unpopular bill and what it says about U.S. capitalism. They tie in how the primary victory of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in NYC shows people are ready for another way. 

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

Join the The Socialist Program community at https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

New Yorkers voted by a large margin for Zohran Mamdani, a self-described Democratic Socialist, in the Democratic Party primary this week. The entire U.S. ruling class, much of it rooted in New York City, on Wall Street, has declared war against Mamdani, hoping to prevent his expected victory in the general election in November. 

Brian and Layan also discuss the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and what it says about contemporary politics and the state of the U.S. empire.

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 at 1804 Books.

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

Trump and Israel started a dangerous war against Iran but Trump called it off after dropping massive bombs. What happened? Was the United States defeated again? How did Iran pull off a victory?

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

Join the The Socialist Program community at www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

The Trump Administration bombed Iran and then within 24 hours announced a ceasefire. Brian Becker and Professor Richard Wolff analyze Trump and Netanyahu's erratic actions and the bigger picture behind them.

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

Join the The Socialist Program community at https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.