The Socialist Program

On today's In the News roundtable, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss how Congress has allocated billions of dollars in military spending at breakneck speed to fuel the war in Ukraine, and is moving to permanently expand the U.S./NATO war machine -- but no such urgency can be found when it comes to the plight of the tens of millions of people going hungry, experiencing homelessness, or living in deep poverty in the richest country on earth. And all the while, capitalists grow even richer off these injustices.

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.

As the world enters a new phase of major power conflict, it is crucial  to understand the character of the Russian government and the role it  plays on the world stage. Is Russia an imperialist power, equivalent to  countries like the United States, France or the UK? How has the  imperialist world system been set up – and is Russia in the club, or  out?

Brian is joined by Ben Norton. He is a journalist and editor of  Multipolarista. You can find his work at BenNorton.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.

On today's special edition of The Socialist Program, Brian is joined by Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist and journalist. For eight years Lee hosted the television show “Redacted Tonight”, but this anti-war, anti-imperialist program has now been shut down along with all the shows on RT America amid the  anti-Russia frenzy sweeping the country. They discuss how censorship and  militarism go hand-in-hand, especially in this current moment of crisis.

Lee’s latest book is called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines.” You can find that and more of his work at leecamp.com, and you can support his work at Patreon.com/LeeCamp.

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 In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, and Walter Smolarek discuss the devastating sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and its allies and the frenzy to boycott and denounce all things Russian. They also discuss International Women’s Day, the anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack on civil rights demonstrators in Selma and the struggle for voting rights today, the far right convoy converging on Washington, D.C., 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.

Intense bombing and fighting continues throughout Ukraine as Russia’s war enters its second week. Western countries have imposed a sanctions regime on Russia that is battering the economy and hitting workers the hardest. Eugene Puryear and Brian Becker discuss the latest on the war and explore the essential historical context, establishing five basic principles and points of unity for progressive forces in the West. They also discuss how the question of war and imperialism has served as an essential litmus test for socialists in the past. 

Eugene Puryear is the host of the BreakThrough News podcast The Punch Out, and co-host of the BT live video show The Freedom Side.

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 In the News roundtable, Brian Becker, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss the war in Ukraine, which continues to rage as the world is engulfed in a crisis that has the potential to reconfigure global politics in fundamental ways. What consequences has the war brought about so far? Which side is winning? How can peace truly be established? The panel discusses these questions as well the consequences of climate change, the far right and COVID, 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.

Abby Martin and Brian Becker discuss the Ukraine war and what it means for the anti-war movement.

This episode was produced in collaboration with The Empire Files.

Watch the video version of this episode on the Empire Files or BreakThrough News YouTube channels.

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.

[This episode was recorded Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022 at 3 PM Eastern Standard Time]

A historic crisis is playing out in Eastern Europe over Ukraine, one that has profound ramifications for the entire world. The United States and its allies are imposing harsh sanctions on Russia over its recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics as independent states, and the possibility of direct clashes between the Ukrainian and Russian military looms. This episode covers how NATO expansion and the 2014 western-backed coup in Ukraine created the powderkeg situation that is currently exploding, and what may come next.

Brian is joined by Eugene Puryear, author and activist, host of the BreakThrough News podcast The Punch Out, and co-host of the BT live video show The Freedom Side.

Watch the video edition of “The Real Story” 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 the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

On today's In the News roundtable, Esther Iverem, Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek discuss the latest on the dramatic situation unfolding in Ukraine. They also discuss two important historical anniversaries: Richard Nixon visiting Mao Zedong in Beijing 50  years ago, and the assassination of Malcolm X 57 years ago. The panel also covers the far right convoy in Canada, a shooting at a protest in Portland, Daunte Wright’s killer's sentencing, methane plumes seen from space, 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.

In this February 2022 patrons-only seminar, Brian and the crew discuss and answer questions about the ongoing conflict  surrounding Ukraine, Germany’s regional role, the history of World War I and World War II and how it relates today, and more.

Check out the preview now and subscribe at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to hear the rest!