Trump has declared a police state in D.C., announcing a federal military takeover. Despite recent violent crime rates in D.C. at a 30-year low, he cited “crime” as the reason—but Professor Richard Wolff & Brian Becker discuss his real goals.

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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Before we can change the world, we have to understand how change occurs. Today's episode features a recording of our host Brian Becker teaching at the Summer School for Socialism, a class series hosted by The People's Forum in New York City. The class module in today's episode is titled "Change is Possible." How do systems of power rise and fall? Brian introduces the Marxist method for understanding how societies change.

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In the decades since its 1949 revolution, China has emerged – or reemerged – as a global power, and the U.S. government sees China’s rise as an existential threat. Now there’s a bipartisan consensus, anchored in the Pentagon’s strategic doctrine, preparing for war and “great power conflict” with China. Brian Becker talks with Prof. Ken Hammond, who recently returned from teaching in China, about the political, social, and class character of the Chinese socialist project.

Dr. Ken Hammond is a professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University, founding director of the Confucius Institute at New Mexico State University, and a leading organizer with Pivot to Peace.

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Coinciding with the 72nd anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended military hostilities during the Korean War, a historic People's Summit for Korea took place in New York City between July 25th and 27th. Brian Becker, host of The Socialist Program, was a guest on one of the plenary panels entitled "The Long Revolution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."  In his presentation Brian outlines the different stages of US-DPRK relations since the end of the Korean War. He explains why the U.S. has refused, so far, to sign a peace treaty, and outlines the challenges for activists in the U.S. who are organizing to promote peace on the Korean peninsula and an end to the U.S. occupation of South Korea.

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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.

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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.