Podcast appearances and mentions of Brian Becker

After two years of horrific and criminal genocide and assault on Gaza, there is now a ceasefire. Israel is committing more crimes against Palestinians, but mass public opinion has majorly shifted, changing the balance of forces. On the home front, the Trump White House is waging a war against immigrant families, and basic democratic rights. Brian Becker is joined by Lee Camp, a comedian, political commentator, and host of Unredacted Tonight on YouTube. You can find more of his work at leecamp.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.

What are the terms of the Gaza ceasefire? Thousands of Palestinians are returning to what is left of their homes. Trump declares that this is the end, finally, to the war. Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan 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 Trump White House is waging war on immigrants and Black America, preparing to go to war with Venezuela, and continuing the suffocating blockade on Cuba.Brian Becker is joined by Claudia De la Cruz, the 2024 presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism & Liberation, Executive Director of IFCO, a lifelong community organizer and popular educator.Join the The Socialist Program community at http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Welcome to week five of our series, Come, Holy Spirit.Brian Becker

Welcome to week four of our series, Come, Holy Spirit.Brian Becker

Brian talks with Eugene Puryear about how the Trump White House is criminalizing left and liberal organizations as part of Project 2025's effort to impose a new right-wing political system in the United States. Puryear argues that Trump's economic and social policies are broadly unpopular and that the Trump Administration is using law enforcement to target and silence dissent in an illegal, unconstitutional effort to eliminate basic democratic rights.Brian Becker is joined by Eugene Puryear, an author and political activist, and co-host of The Freedom Side LIVE, a live video show every Thursday on BreakThrough News.Join the The Socialist Program community at http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Is the next Great Depression coming? One hedge fund manager who makes his clients billions off of economic crashes thinks the current stock market looks a lot like the high before the crash in 1929. Professor Richard Wolff & Brian Becker discuss the cyclical crashes inherent to capitalism, how the stock market relates, and what's coming.Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

Welcome to week three of our series, Come, Holy Spirit.Brian Becker

Live vanop ManiFiesta: Jeremy Corbyn over de nieuwe politieke partij waar hij zijn schouders onder zet. Over miljarden voor wapens terwijl kinderarmoede en de wooncrisis blijven groeien. Over Palestina en internationale solidariteit. Jeremy Corbyn is levenslang activist voor vrede en sociale rechtvaardigheid en voormalig leider van de Britse Labour Party. Vandaag is hij onafhankelijk parlementslid én oprichter van een nieuwe politieke partij: YourParty.uk.HOOFDSTUKKEN 00:00 Intro 01:50 Your Party20:27 Oorlog en militarisering33:18 PalestinaMEER WETEN* ‘Tanks vullen geen brooddozen', Peter Mertens, mei 2025, Lava. lavamedia.be/tanks-vullen-geen-brooddozen * Peter Mertens in “The Socialist Program” met Brian Becker, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6YI6NuUq-w* Peter Mertens in gesprek met Jeremy Corbyn, 2022https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkmmhoW6Y24 OVER PETERPeter Mertens is algemeen secretaris van de PVDA, volksvertegenwoordiger in het Federaal parlement, gemeenteraadslid in Antwerpen en auteur van meerdere boeken, waaronder ‘Muiterij'. Meer over Peter: https://www.pvda.be/mensen/peter-mertens Volg Peter Mertens op sociale mediaInstagram https://www.instagram.com/mertens.p/YouTube https://youtube.com/@petermertenstv?feature=sharedFacebook https://www.facebook.com/peter.mertens.pvdaTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@peter.mertensX https://twitter.com/peter_mertens Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/petermertens.bsky.social OVER FAKTO Fakto is een digitaal, marxistisch mediakanaal, powered by PVDA. Fakto kiest kant. We slopen heilige huisjes en gooien vastgeroeste ideeën overhoop. We binden de strijd aan met de conservatieve, liberale en nationalistische ideeën die we elke dag krijgen voorgeschoteld. We leggen de fundamenten van het kapitalisme bloot en strijden voor een socialistische samenleving zonder uitbuiting en onderdrukking, op maat van mens en milieu. We willen de wereld begrijpen om ze te veranderen. Fakto is een team van geëngageerde videasten, podcastmakers en researchers. Samen met jou zoeken we naar antwoorden op de prangende vragen van deze tijd, in verhalende podcasts en educatieve video's voor sociale media. Ook jij bent Fakto: stuur ons jouw ideeën, volg onze kanalen op sociale media en help onze video's verspreiden. ABONNEER JE OP AL ONZE KANALEN Insta https://www.instagram.com/fakto.pvda/ TikTok https://tiktok.com/fakto.pvdaWhatsApp https://wa.me/message/OIG5IB4QTOBFN1 Telegram https://t.me/+wSP5w1BFfNkzMDI8 Kantelpunt #8 kwam tot stand met de medewerking van Charlie Le Paige, Gille Feyaerts en Stefaan Van Parys. Bedankt ook aan het hele Fakto-Team en aan de 2.653 vrijwilligers die van ManiFiesta 2025 een succes maakten.

The U.S. economy is headed into a downward spiral, with millions unemployed, prices going up, and myriad other poor economic indicators. Professor Richard Wolff & Brian Becker discuss how this is baked into the capitalist system and only a change of economic system can change the frequent economic crashes that fall the hardest on workers.Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

A new poll shows that the majority of U.S. residents—75%—don't believe in the so-called American Dream: that if you work hard in the United States, you can succeed at having an economically secure life. Professor Richard Wolff & Brian Becker discuss the major and growing inequality 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 https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Welcome to week one of our series, Come, Holy Spirit.Brian Becker

Veterans for Peace member and President of the Rachel Corrie Chapter was kidnapped by ICE during a citizenship interview.  He has lived in the US legally for 25 years and is an Army Veteran suffering from a service injury, which keeps him in a wheelchair.  He has been striving to gain his citizenship and was within an interview of getting it when ICE took him.  He, of course, is one of thousands, but he is also a part of the VFP family and needs your support:  https://www.veteransforpeace.org/pressroom/news/2025/08/25/ice-kidnaps-disabled-army-veteran .  We also share a clip from Brian Becker of The Socialist Program as he interviews Dr. Richard Wolff about the Trump/Gop War on immigrants.  We finish with Dave Rovics' new song about Zahid.

Welcome to week three of our series, We Love This Place.Brian Becker

The Wall Street Journal provides evidence that the Ukraine war is a proxy war between the US and Russia. The Trump Administration's attempt to takeover DC is part of the attempt to end the semblance of bourgeois democracy in the United States. Don't we need socialized healthcare, not “Medicare for All”? What do we do to stop the federal takeover of more U.S. cities? Do protests even work? How can we as socialists help merge, and lead, the labor and mass movements? Why is Russia not an imperialist country? 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 https://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.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that 1.6 million immigrants have left the United States since Trump took office due to the reign of terror the administration has perpetrated. Trump has also sued the Maryland federal judiciary for making him follow proper deportation procedures. Professor Richard Wolff & Brian Becker discuss the terror against immigrants, the military in the streets, and how the world is reacting. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

Welcome to week two of our series, We Love This Place.Brian Becker

Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin on August 15th. 3 days later, with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, along with the leaders of the major NATO countries. Trump promised that his personal intervention would lead to a quick end to the war, but he has badly misjudged the situation. Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan discuss the latest, and explain why the war in Ukraine is not ending, at least not anytime soon.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 keep this show on the air.

The Trump administration is considering buying a 10% stake in tech company Intel to prop up the struggling chip maker. Professor Richard Wolff & Brian Becker discuss why they might do this, what it means about the U.S. economy, and what it tells us about the U.S. government's competition with China.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.

Welcome to week one of our series, We Love This Place.Brian Becker

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Welcome to week four of our series, Head & Heart.Brian Becker

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.

Welcome to week three of our series, Head & Heart.Brian Becker

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.

Welcome to week two of our series, Head & Heart.Brian Becker

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.

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.

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.

Welcome to week one of our series, Head & Heart.Brian Becker

The Trump White House has ordered U.S. Naval and Air Force assets to move in the direction of Iran in preparation for a major U.S. war against this country of 90 million people. Trump promised to be the president bringing peace and ending endless war; instead, he has become the partner of war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu in expanding Israel's genocidal war in Gaza now against Iran. 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.

Welcome to week two of our series, Set Free.Brian Becker

The Israeli government, with the full support of Donald Trump and the White House, has launched a war against Iran and the people of Iran, posing the danger of a wider regional war that could lead to a global confrontation unlike anything since World War II.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.Join the The Socialist Program community at www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

China and the US have been in high stakes trade talks this week while the Trump Administration launches all-out attacks on immigrants, sending military forces to Los Angeles in an attempt to stop protests against ICE raids.Brian Becker and Professor Richard Wolff discuss Trump's management of the affairs of the bourgeoisie, and the extreme stress that U.S. capitalism is under.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.

Donald Trump and the US government declared war against working class immigrant families, against grandparents, parents, and against their children. 30 million people in the United States either have a green card giving them legal status as immigrants, or they are undocumented, working here, but without legal papers. This means that a big section of the country is under attack by the US government, and people are standing up, they're organizing, they're mobilizing, they're fighting back.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.

For the past year, Elon Musk and Donald Trump have functioned as a team. Musk financed Trump's presidential campaign. They worked together after Trump's election to fire hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, to attack all vestiges or reforms from the Civil Rights movement, to carry out a huge transfer of wealth from the working class and poor people to billionaires. Yesterday, their partnership blew up, at least temporarily, as they launched public attacks against each other. Brian and Layan discuss the Trump-Musk fallout, the escalation of the Ukraine war, and reports that Israel is financing ISIS in Gaza.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.

The Trump Administration is demanding the revocation of visas for all Chinese students. The courts challenge Trump's tariffs. Is a ceasefire in Gaza coming? Can a general strike happen in the US? Brian and Layan take listener questions and discuss these topics and more.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 https://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 threatened Europe with tariffs and stocks plummeted. He paused them and stocks climbed. Now the EU says they are ready for “fast track talks.” Is Europe bowing to Trump?Brian Becker and Professor Richard Wolff discuss what's going on between the Trump Administration, Europe, the elites, and what it means for workers.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.

Congressman Randy Fine calls for Gaza's nuclear annihilation, the Trump administration tries to bar international students from going to Harvard, Trump threatens even more tariffs, NATO leader calls for an even stronger NATO, and more.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, and help keep this show on the air.

College graduation ceremonies are turning into hotbeds of protest against the complicity of university administrations and the U.S. government in suppressing dissent on college campuses. Project 2025 outlined the plan to repress and suppress pro-Palestinian protest as part of their larger project to crush democracy inside the United States. Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan field questions from listeners on these topics and more in this episode.Have your own question for the show? Send us a voice memo on Telegram @TheSocProgram or leave a voicemail at +13028034804 and you might hear your question on air!Join the The Socialist Program community at www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Trump went to the Middle East this week, securing trillions in investment commitments that will line the pockets of the capitalists but do nothing to solve the dire crises in the United States. He also publicly denounced U.S. intervention in the Middle East, but then declared his intention to turn Gaza into a US-controlled “freedom zone.” Brian and Layan discuss Trump's Middle East trip, the dangerous chaos at Newark airport, and more.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, and help keep this show on the air.

Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan field questions from listeners on the AI hype, Trump charting a new U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, a socialist view of organizing tactics, and more. Have your own question for the show? Send us a voice memo on Telegram @TheSocProgram or leave a voicemail at +13028034804 and you might hear your question on air!Join the The Socialist Program community at www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

U.S. officials announced that they will begin distributing aid in Gaza, with or without a ceasefire. Donald Trump declared an end to US strikes on Yemen, and plans to hold new talks with Iran. What are the implications for the people in Gaza and the entire region?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.

A new world order is emerging as the old one declines. A wide swath of countries in Asia—including China, Indonesia, and U.S.-occupied South Korea and Japan—announced a joint project to build up Asian trade infrastructure and reduce Western dependence. Brian Becker and Professor Richard Wolff discuss this comprehensive plan as a response to Trump's tariffs and trade war.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.