The Socialist Program

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 funding, and the wider role of elite universities in the United States.

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 www.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 and submit questions to the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

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’s Forum, and an editor at 1804 Books.

This is a preview of a patrons-only episode. Subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the full episode, get access to all our patrons-only content including live Q&A seminars with Brian Becker, and help keep this show on the air.

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 by Eugene Puryear, an author and political organizer, and co-host of The Freedom Side LIVE, a live video show every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern on BreakThrough News.

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 and submit questions to the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

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-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.

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 Becker and producer Nicole Roussell discuss in today’s patrons-only Q&A seminar.

This is a preview of a patrons-only episode. Subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the full episode, get access to all our patrons-only content including live Q&A seminars with Brian Becker, and help keep this show on the air.

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 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.

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 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 patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the full episode, get access to all our patrons-only content including live Q&A seminars with Brian Becker, and help keep this show on the air.

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-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://www.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 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 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.

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 Tehran.

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 and submit questions to the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.