The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

Brian speaks with author and historian Aaron Leonard about his book "Menace of Our Time: The Long War Against American Communism.” Leonard’s book is a riveting account of the extraordinary efforts by politicians. At the moment that the Trump White House is issuing Executive orders deeming people with anti-capitalist views as domestic terrorists it is important to learn about the history of anti-communist witchhunting in the United States during the past century. Get the book here: https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/menace-of-our-time/9781978841802 See all of Aaron’s work here: http://aaronleonard.net/ Join the The Socialist Program community at http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Donald Trump and the Pentagon are at war, once again, this time against Venezuela, and this war is widening. As the year 2025 comes to an end, Donald Trump is taking to the airwaves to talk about his “wonderful achievements.” But what really happened in 2025? And what’s next for the Trump administration and the people’s movement for social justice? 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 possible.

Brian Becker is joined by Manolo De Los Santos of The People’s Forum to discuss Trump’s “total blockade” against Venezuela — an “act of war” targeting oil tankers and ports, according to members of Congress as they vote on a War Powers Resolution to prevent the president’s attacks from escalating even further. De Los Santos also reviews Venezuela’s response to Trump’s attacks, as well as its history of foreign colonization and how it has shaped the consciousness of every generation in the country. Join the The Socialist Program community at http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Economist Richard Wolff joins Brian Becker to discuss President Trump’s resurrection of the Monroe Doctrine and pivot to Latin America, aimed squarely at pushing China out of the Western hemisphere — and why the strategy will fail. 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 to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

The Trump White House engages in straight out piracy by seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker on its way to Cuba. Donald Trump says he’s giving the economy an “A+++++” grade under his administration. Millions of people are about to lose healthcare, and Trump’s approval rating is headed towards the basement. Brian Becker is joined by Layan Fuleihan to discuss. 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 possible.

In the wake of the powerful Nationwide Day of Action for "No War on Venezuela" where over 65 cities mobilized to demand an end to the US war drive on Venezuela, we gather again to assess the current moment and chart the path forward. This is a podcast version of last night's webinar, providing a space to evaluate the impact of our mobilizations against a potential war with Venezuela and discuss how we can deepen anti-war consciousness in our communities. As U.S. threats and manufactured narratives escalate, our responsibility to build a broad and politically grounded anti-war movement becomes even more urgent. Brian Becker from the ANSWER Coalition is joined by Manolo De Los Santos from The People’s Forum. 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 possible.

Every four years, the U.S. government releases something called a ‘National Security Strategy’ (NSS). The Trump administration released its NSS in the last few days, and the media in the U.S. and all over the world is buzzing about what this strategy means. Today, we will talk about some of its key positions and answer the question: do they constitute a new foreign policy for the United States? Brian Becker is joined by Layan Fuleihan to discuss. 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 possible.

Donald Trump this week went on an all-out racist tirade against Somali Americans as ICE agents descend on Minneapolis, New Orleans, and other cities to carry out mass arrests of immigrant workers. People all over the United States are taking to the streets on Saturday December 6 in protest against a new US war, this time in Latin America against the people of Venezuela. Brian Becker is joined by Layan Fuleihan to discuss. 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 make this show possible.

Billionaire Jeff Bezo’s Washington Post published a jaw-dropping article this week with the headline: ‘Why you may not want lower prices as much as you think you do.’ Economist Richard Wolff joins Brian Becker to debunk this claim. 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 http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Following the targeted shooting of two National Guard members in Washington DC, Donald Trump pledges to end all immigration from the so-called “third world.” Trump has also declared Venezuela’s airspace to be off-limits to all airlines as the US threatens a new war, this time, in Latin America. Brian Becker is joined by Layan Fuleihan to discuss. 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 possible.

Karl Marx wrote in Capital that capitalism came into the world “dripping from head to foot, from every pore, with blood and dirt.” The Thanksgiving holiday is built around an insidious and false creation myth -- that the so-called “settling” of North America was a peaceful and amicable process. But in reality, the genocidal expansion of colonialism across the continent led to unspeakable suffering and death for Indigenous peoples. What is the real story of the birth of U.S. capitalism? Dr. Gerald Horne holds the Moores Professorship of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century”. 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 possible.

Millions of working class people in the U.S. will lose their health insurance coverage in the coming weeks. Brian and Professor Wolff discuss how both ruling-class parties are acting as agents of corporate capitalism while millions of people have been evicted from Medicaid and 22 million more are facing a doubling of their monthly premium costs which will leave 37 million Americans unable to see a doctor or receive health care services. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

The Trump White House has pushed a new resolution UN Security Council hands control of Gaza to an international body that will be chaired—according to Donald Trump—by Donald Trump. Meanwhile, as winter approaches, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza remain without shelter and without food. Layan Fuleihan is joined by Taher Dahleh, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, to discuss. 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 possible.

The stock market has plunged several days in a row due to fears of the overinvested AI bubble bursting. Nicole Roussell, a producer of the show, and Professor Wolff discuss how the next stock market crash could cause an economic collapse even more devastating than the worst in capitalism’s history: the Great Depression. 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 http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

The Trump administration and the pro-imperialist Venezuelan opposition are making plans for war against Venezuela. Behind the scenes, corporate capitalism is salivating over the possibility of seizing Venezuela’s vast natural resources. Brian Becker is joined by Layan Fuleihan to discuss. 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 possible.

Democrats caved and health insurance premiums could more than double on average. Brian and Professor Wolff discuss the aftermath of the government shutdown, why it happened, and why it failed. 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 http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

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 Fuleihan to discuss.

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 Fuleihan to discuss. 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 possible.

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

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 ignite the entire region. Brian Becker is joined by Manolo De Los Santos, the executive director of The People’s Forum in New York. 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 possible.

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

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

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 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 possible.

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 enough of society’s resources to decide to develop a new spaceship instead of feeding people. 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 http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

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 in US cities, and the mass movement of 2006, in an examination of effective tactics and movement building that can succeed in defeating Trump’s ultra-right agenda. 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 possible.