The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

You may have heard that the US government recruited Nazi scientists to work for NASA, but did you know they also recruited them to experiment on US soldiers? Their recruitment was part of Operation Paperclip, and the scientists were only a fraction of this program. It also recruited Nazi SS spies and unleashed them into the Cold War, installed Nazi generals into top positions in West Germany and NATO, and helped Nazi war criminals flee prosecution. And this story goes even deeper, all the way to the initial rise of Nazi Germany, directly challenging the dominant US narrative about its history. We’ve compiled it all into an immersive, 1 hour and 20 minute podcast that explores the many facets of this scandal and how they are connected. We’ve combed through tens of hours of oral testimony to bring the story to life with shocking first-hand accounts. This is part of our new podcast series: ‘Socialist History,’ which uncovers the real story of US imperialism through a socialist lens, told from the perspective of the people who fought back. In this first season each episode unpacks a different Pentagon or CIA operation. This is a preview, get the full episode at https://www.patreon.com/collection/2243748 Archival (within this preview episode) notes: 0:18 - Newsreel: fall of Berlin (1945) 1:20 - Newsreel: V2 rocket (1945) 2:50 - Wernher von Braun, press conference after surrendering to US (1945) 3:54 - Newsreel: President John F. Kennedy meets Wernher von Braun (1962) 4:05 - ‘I Aim at the Stars’: dramatized biopic about Wernher von Braun (1960) 4:23 - Wernher von Braun interviewed by Dick Cavett (1970) 5:47, 6:48, - Alexander Bartos, survivor of Nazi concentration camps and V2 factory (2021) 8:30 - Wernher von Braun recounts visiting V2 factory (~1976) 10:15 - Newsreel: Hans Spiedel becomes Commander in Chief of NATO'S Central European Land Forces (1957) 11:18 - Stone Christopher, Lt. Col. Air Force Intelligence, Director of Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency (JIOA), interview with journalist Linda Hunt (~1985)

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spent billions of U.S. dollars to buy and prop up the Japanese currency, the yen. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker unpack the economic and geopolitical calculations of the Trump White House, and what it means for the US economy.  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.

“It's kind of in the DNA of American bourgeois capitalist politics: demonize your enemy, call them a communist, and that's the end of the story. But there's another element, which is the Republican Party, the MAGA project, Project 2025 — the Trump White House is failing.” The House Ways and Means Committee has sent a subpoena to BreakThrough News, demanding internal communications, financial records and more. We are not charged with any crime, because our only “crime” has been to tell the truth – about the Palestine solidarity movement, about ICE’s terror in our streets, about Washington’s crimes around the world, from Cuba to the Congo. This is a flagrant abuse of power, and a direct attack on our work as journalists and on the First Amendment. The State Department’s dangerous “Cuba report” released Monday – blasting Havana as the global center of a sinister anti-American communist plot by Russia, China, Iran, North Korea– is just the latest step in the Trump administration’s McCarthyist revival. But attacks on the left didn’t start with Trump: Brian Becker, host of the Socialist Program, joins BT Live to discuss how this latest crackdown on free speech is rooted in US history: From the Palmer Raids to COINTELPRO, every time a mass movement for a more just world starts to gain real traction, the state reaches for the same playbook. DONATE / SIGN THE PETITION: https://breakthroughnews.org/bt-under-attack

The Trump administration is catalyzing a longtime trend in the US where corporate criminals get a fine or nothing, while almost two million working class people sit behind bars. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell discuss what this shows about the nature of the capitalist system and why we need socialism. 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.

New financial disclosure documents reveal the extent of Trump’s profiteering through the office of the presidency. Trump made over $2 billion his first year back in office, including more than $1 billion from his promotion of a Trump cryptocurrency alone. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell discuss. 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 Supreme Court just gave Trump the ability to dismiss the heads of supposedly independent agencies — overruling 91 years of precedent — with the exception of the Federal Reserve. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell discuss the meaning of this ruling, as well as the birthright citizenship and campaign finance SCOTUS decisions this week. 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.

In 1959 the US Army began building a base beneath the Greenland ice sheet, presented to the press, to Congress, and to the Danish government as a scientific research station. This was a cover story. The real plan, code-named Project Iceworm, was to bury a network of tunnels housing up to 600 nuclear missiles under the ice, invisible to Soviet satellites, on land taken from Indigenous people who were never consulted, in a country that had declared itself nuclear-free. In this episode we take a deep dive into the breathtaking scale of the classified plan, why the moving ice ultimately defeated it, the radioactive waste left behind, the straight line to Trump's push to take Greenland today, and more. This is part of the first season of Socialist History, our new series on The Socialist Program. In each episode we unpack a different CIA or Pentagon operation, each of which was given its own code-name as Project Iceworm was. This is a preview of this episode. Join The Socialist Program community at www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get access to this and the next episodes in this series, more exclusive content, and help keep this show on the air. Archival notes (within this preview episode): 0:01 - Documentary on Camp Century, narrator voiceover (1964) 1:31, 1:49 - Documentary on Camp Century, narrator voiceover (1961) 3:54 - President Donald Trump speaking at press conference (2025) 4:21 - Documentary on Camp Century, narrator voiceover (1961) 5:17 - Newsreel on the United States Strategic Air Command (SAC), narrator voiceover (1965)

Most empires never write their plans down, but the American empire did. In 1950 a top-secret government document called NSC-68 laid out the blueprint for permanent war: a militarized economy, a nuclear buildup without limit, and a posture of global confrontation that would outlast the men who wrote it. It is the founding doctrine beneath every operation in this series. In this episode we take a deep dive into how NSC-68 was written and by whom, and its role in shaping the trillion-dollar war economy still running today. This is part of the first season of Socialist History, our new series on The Socialist Program. In each episode we unpack a different CIA or Pentagon operation or document that shaped US imperialism. Join The Socialist Program community at www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get access to the next episodes in this series, more exclusive content, and help keep this show on the air. Archival notes: 0:10 - Alex Jones, Infowars (2017) 0:16 - Pres. Trump at a rally (2018) 2:13 - Pres. Harry S. Truman at inauguration. Includes newsreel narrator voiceover (1949) 3:40 - Interview w/ Paul H. Nitze, former US govt. official and author of NSC-68 (1996) 6:03 - US Army documentary on the end of World War II, narrator voiceover (1945) 6:44 - Gen. Douglas MacArthur speaking at the signing of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Includes newsreel narrator voiceover (1945) 8:04 - Newsreel on soldiers returning home at the end of World War II, including narrator voiceover and source audio (1945) 10:24 - Pres. Franklin Roosevelt addresses Congress on World War II (1943) 11:06 - Newsreel on Soviet heroism in World War II, narrator voiceover (1942) 11:25 - Newsreel on the formation of the United Nations, narrator voiceover (1945) 11:49 - Newsreel on the formation of the International Monetary Fund, narrator voiceover (1944) 12:29 - Newsreel on the bombing of Dresden in World War II, narrator voiceover (1945) 14:39 - Newsreel on US industrial transition to wartime, narrator voiceover (1943) 15:30 - Pres. Harry S. Truman radio address (1945) 16:35 - Documentary on economic transition after World War II, narrator voiceover (1945) 17:10 - Cold War propaganda cartoon (1949) 18:30 - Newsreel on the formation of NATO, narrator voiceover (1949) 19:34 - Audio of first Soviet nuclear weapon test (1949) 19:46 - Newsreel on first Soviet nuclear weapons test, includes narrator voiceover and source audio of reporters questioning Soviet Foreign Minister Vyshinsky (1949) 20:33 - Documentary on Chinese Civil War, narrator voiceover (1950s) 22:25 - Interview w/ Paul H. Nitze, former US government official and author of NSC-68 (1996) 25:25 - Interview w/ US Ambassador George F. Kennan (1993) 29:21 - Interview w/ Paul H. Nitze, former US govt. official and author of NSC-68 (1996) 31:50 - Newsreel on development of hydrogen bomb, narrator voiceover (1950) 35:11 - Newsreel on outbreak of the Korean War, narrator voiceover (1950) 36:46 - Interview w/ Dean Rusk, Asst. Sec. of State during the 1950 division of Korea (1988) 37:38 - Interview w/ Donald MacDonald, official in the US military occupation govt. in South Korea (1988) 38:09 - Interview w/ Gregory Henderson, US Vice Consul in Korea 1948-1950, on the South Korean police (1988) 39:07 - Interview w/ Ko Wan-soon, survivor of the Jeju Massacre (2022) 41:37 - Newsreel on Gen. Douglas MacArthur meeting John Foster Dulles, narrator voiceover (1950) 42:39 - Interview w/ Paul H. Nitze, former US govt. official and author of NSC-68 (1996) 44:46 - Pres. Harry S. Truman speech, after outbreak of Korean War (1950) 46:01, 46:50 - Interview with Yan Von Sik, soldier in the Korean People’s Army (DPRK [North Korea]), on his experience in the Korean War (1998) 48:15 - Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower on Korean War armistice. Includes newsreel narrator voiceover (1953) 1:02:55 - Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address (1961)

In 1961 the United States launched the largest covert operation of the Cold War against a single country, a campaign of sabotage, terror, and assassination aimed at destroying the Cuban Revolution ninety miles from Florida. It was code-named Operation Mongoose. Alongside it, the Joint Chiefs of Staff drew up Operation Northwoods, a plan to stage terrorist attacks on American citizens and blame them on Havana in order to manufacture a pretext for a full-scale invasion. In this episode we take a deep dive into how Mongoose and Northwoods were conceived and authorized at the highest levels of the US government and how the embargo and regime change logic still operate today. This is part of the first season of Socialist History, our new series on The Socialist Program. In each episode we unpack a different CIA or Pentagon operation, each of which was given its own code-name as Operation Mongoose was. Join The Socialist Program community at www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get access to the next episodes in this series, more exclusive content, and help keep this show on the air. Archival notes: 1:10 - Newsreel on Cuban Revolution (1958) 1:29 - Newsreel on nationalization of Cuban industries (1960) 1:49 - Interview with Jorge Risquet, Cuban Revolutionary Army Captain. Includes narrator voiceover (1998) 2:57 - Interview with Samuel Halpern, CIA officer 1947 to 1974, on Op. Mongoose (2003) 7:02 - Documentary on Cuban Revolution, voiceover (1964) 9:43 - UN Special Rapporteur Fionnuala Ní Aoláin on Guantanamo detention center (2023) 10:33 - US Army internal education film on Latin America (1960s) 11:05 - Cuba travelogue (1933) 11:32 - Newsreel on Fulgencio Batista’s coup in Cuba (1952) 12:12 - Newsreel on Cuban Revolution (1959) 13:25 - Interview with Ricardo Alarcón, Pres. of Cuban Natl. Assembly, on Cuba Revolution (2003) 15:40 - Fidel Castro speaking at Harvard Law School (1959) 16:51 - Interview with Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., former advisor to Pres. John F. Kennedy, on Bay of Pigs. Includes narrator voiceover (2003) 17:18 - Interview with Fabian Escalante, Cuban Intelligence officer. Includes narrator voiceover (2003) 18:25 - Pres. John F. Kennedy speaking to press on the Bay of Pigs (1963) 18:32 - Interview with Theodore Sorensen, former Special Counsel to John F. Kennedy (1998) 19:06 - Interview with Richard M. Bissell Jr., Deputy Director of the CIA during the Bay of Pigs invasion. Includes narrator voiceover (1965) 20:19 - Interview with Samuel Halpern, CIA officer 1947 to 1974, on Op. Mongoose. Includes narrator voiceover (2003) 26:35 - News report on John Roselli testimony to Church Committee (1975) 27:51 - Robert Maheu, CIA mafia contact, speaking to press. Includes narrator voiceover (1975) 29:55 - John F. Kennedy in presidential debate (1960) 30:45 - Interview with Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., former advisor to Pres. John F. Kennedy, on Op. Mongoose (2003) 36:26 - Interview with Robert McNamara, US Sec. of Defense 1961-1968, on Cuban Missile Crisis (2003) 36:41 - Interview with General William Y. Smith, former Air Force Staff Assistant during Cuban Missile Crisis. Includes narrator voiceover (1998) 38:03 - Interview with Fidel Castro on Cuban Missile Crisis (1998) 39:46 - Pres. John F. Kennedy’s televised speech on the discovery of Soviet missile sites in Cuba (1962) 41:51 - Phone call between Pres. John F. Kennedy and former Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1962) 42:55 - Interview with Theodore Sorensen, former Special Counsel to John F. Kennedy, on the Cuban Missile Crisis (1998) 43:39 - Interview with Robert McNamara, US Sec. of Defense 1961-1968, on Cuban Missile Crisis (2003) 44:09 - Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting with Gen. Curtis LeMay and Pres. John F. Kennedy on Cuban Missile Crisis (1962). Includes narrator voiceover. 45:40 - Interview with Robert McNamara, US Sec. of Defense 1961-1968, on Cuban Missile Crisis (2003) 47:44 - Phone call between Pres. John F. Kennedy and former Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1962)

Big Tech stocks lost hundreds of billions in just two days. Prof. Richard Wolff and Brian Becker examine the multiple, cascading crises that are destabilizing the capital system. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

According to a recent national survey, 62 percent of Americans aged 18–29 say they hold a “favorable view” of socialism, and 34 percent say the same of communism. Why is this happening inside the very center of the world capitalist system? And what does it mean for the future? Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss. 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.

Iran is outmaneuvering the United States and Trump is furious. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss the current war in Iran and the future of the globe – as Russia, China, Iran, and other countries start to pry control from 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 http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

A new Wall Street Journal study finds that the five biggest home insurers, Allstate, State Farm, Liberty Mutual, United Services Automobile Association, and Farmers Insurance, denied nearly half of all claims last year. The primary driver is an increase in deductibles, which insurers claim is being done to compensate for an increase in weather-related catastrophes. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell discuss. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

According to the International Energy Agency, around 25% of the world's seaborne oil trade is transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, and the options to bypass it are limited. According to the UN Trade and Development Organization, around 30% of global seaborne fertilizer volumes pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Both have been significantly impacted by the US-Iran war. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell discuss. 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.

Americans are increasingly struggling to make ends meet, while the rich get even richer. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell debunk corporate media justifications for this inequality. 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.

Trump is planning the next war. The target is Cuba. Trump and his agents in the Pentagon and CIA are claiming that Cuba is threatening military action against the United States. The people in Cuba are preparing to resist and have said that they will fight to the death rather than surrender their independence and national sovereignty. 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.

Robert Kagan, a leading architect of the 2003 Iraq invasion and the wider 'neocon' tendency in Washington, published an article this week titled 'Checkmate in Iran.' On today's show, Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan discuss the latest headlines and react to this article, of which an excerpt reads: "The defeats in Vietnam and Afghanistan were costly but did not do lasting damage to America’s overall position in the world, because they were far from the main theaters of global competition. The initial failure in Iraq was mitigated by a shift in strategy that ultimately left Iraq relatively stable and unthreatening to its neighbors and kept the United States dominant in the region. Defeat in the present confrontation with Iran will be of an entirely different character. It can neither be repaired nor ignored. There will be no return to the status quo ante, no ultimate American triumph that will undo or overcome the harm done. The Strait of Hormuz will not be “open,” as it once was. With control of the strait, Iran emerges as the key player in the region and one of the key players in the world." Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/2026/05/iran-war-trump-losing/687094/?gift=hiiGzc0-UIJgig613c5z6zZjRf2WZbvFWlow-CamhFA&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share This episode was recorded on May 12th 2026.

Low-cost Spirit Airlines has gone bankrupt and closed, and the idea of nationalizing the airline has become hugely popular. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell discuss the mainstream media’s reaction, the feasibility of a nationalized airline, and how it could look and improve workers’ lives. 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 ratio of U.S. government debt to GDP (gross domestic product) is now over 100% – meaning the U.S. government is in more debt than the size of the entire U.S. economy. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker break down why the U.S. government has gone into so much debt, and how it affects the working class. 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.

As the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues, and a US ground invasion of Iran seems imminent, Iran has now responded by striking US-allied countries in the region. Will Trump continue this profoundly unpopular war that is upending the global economy? Will it spiral out of control? 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 http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Tech companies are laying off tens of thousands of workers — all while investing tens of billions of dollars into AI tech. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss the effects on the workforce and economy, and how a socialist society could handle new technology. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

The Military-Industrial-Tech Complex is using the Iran war to consolidate its power over US society and reap huge profits, even though the war is a strategic failure for the US. 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 Iran war has closed the Strait of Hormuz almost completely. The head of the International Energy Agency said that the war is causing the biggest energy crisis in history. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

More war or a peace deal? The two week ceasefire between the United States and Iran runs out Tuesday April 21, and Donald Trump is threatening to destroy every power plant and every bridge in a country of 90 million people. 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.

As highlighted by a New York Times report this week, the debate about Trump’s mental health has been revived. Trump posting memes of himself and Jesus and starting a regional war with Iran are certainly indicative that something is wrong. But polling across issues shows that U.S. residents are unhappy with this system as a whole. Professor Richard Wolff and producer Nicole Roussell discuss. 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 Islamabad talks collapsed. Twenty-one hours of negotiations in Pakistan, the first face-to-face between the US and Iran since 1979, and it ended with nothing. Oil futures jumped seven percent. And the President of the United States did all of this from a golf club in Florida after spending Saturday night at a UFC fight in Miami where the crowd booed him. And starting today, Monday, April 13th, the US is escalating once again, declaring a full blockade of Iranian ports by the US Navy. 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.

On Wednesday night, President Trump addressed the nation and issued what can only be described as a genocidal threat against Iran, saying: “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.” He also claimed that the US is winning the war and that it should be over “very shortly.” Today, a US F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran. Editor's Note: This episode was recorded at 11:00AM ET today, April 3rd. After this recording, a second US fighter jet, on a search mission for the first downed jet, was downed by Iranian air defenses. 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 and Layan Fuleihan discuss what's happening behind the scenes in Trump's war room. This includes the Trump administration's possible collusion with a massive insider trading scheme. 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 U.S. economic crisis is worsening as Trump requests $200 billion more dollars to fund his war against the Iranian people, which has already killed at least 3,230 people in Iran and 13 U.S. soldiers. Trump is facing legal battles against his tariffs and public opinion is turning against him. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss. 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.

More than fourteen hundred people have been killed in Iran, including over two hundred children. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed. Countries across Asia are rationing fuel, canceling thousands of flights, and closing schools to conserve energy. The Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a two hundred billion dollar funding request to Congress. The president told a rally crowd the war was won in the first hour, but today, with the casualty numbers rising, and the number of displaced reaching over a million, there is no plan for when or how this ends. Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan discuss.

Two weeks ago, the United States and Israel launched a massive bombing campaign against Iran, killing the Supreme Leader and many other political and military senior officials on the very first night and striking thousands of targets across the country. The administration said the war would be over in weeks. Trump said it was won in the first hour. Driven by extreme hubris, Donald Trump and his entire team have made an extreme miscalculation. Join the The Socialist Program community at http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Huge oil prices are hitting U.S. residents as Trump and Netanyahu’s war on Iran rages. This is the second time in recent history that Iran has been attacked while in negotiations with the U.S. or Israel, and officials are indicating they’re no longer interested in negotiations that lead nowhere. Professor Richard Wolff and Nicole Roussell, a producer of the show, discuss the consequences for workers in the United States and globally. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

In 1953 the CIA secretly organized a coup to overthrow the democratically elected leader of Iran. This was the CIA's first regime change operation — code-named 'Operation Ajax' — becoming the playbook for later CIA operations. Its consequences are still reverberating around the world. In this episode we take a deep dive into how Operation Ajax was planned and executed, its motivations, the political context locally and globally, what happened in Iran after 1953, its impact on US-Iran relations up to today, and more. This is part of the first season of Socialist History, our new series on The Socialist Program. In each episode we unpack a different CIA or Pentagon operation, each of which was given its own code-name as Operation Ajax was. Join the The Socialist Program community at www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get access to the next episodes in this series, more exclusive content, and help keep this show on the air. Archival notes: 0:01 - News report on declassification of Op. Ajax (2013) 1:35 - Interview with Kermit Roosevelt Jr., leader of Op. Ajax, on how then Secretary of State John Foster Dulles briefed his team in 1953 2:21 - Newsreel on nationalization of Abadan oil refinery, narrator voiceover (1951) 3:12 - British Petroleum (BP) ad, narrator voiceover (early 1980s) 3:36 - Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Britain, speech to Parliament in 1940 (recorded in 1949, the original speech was never recorded). 3:59 - Newsreel on British navy (WW2 era) 4:28 - Newsreel on nationalization of Abadan oil refinery, narrator voiceover (1951) 5:52 - Documentary on oil, narrator voiceover (1950s) 6:19, 6:29 - Aramco corporation documentary, narrator voiceover (1950) 6:52 - Documentary on Saudi Arabia, narrator voiceover (2005) 9:17 - Newsreel on nationalization of Abadan oil refinery in Iran, narrator voiceover (1951) 11:07 - Sir Gladwyn Jebb, United Kingdom rep. to the United Nations, speaking on Iran oil nationalization at UN Security Council (1951) 11:48 - Newsreel on UK-Iran oil nationalization conflict, narrator voiceover (1951) 13:30 - President Harry S Truman, speech on Korea (1950) 14:10 - President Harry S Truman announcing surrender of Japan (1945) 15:18, 15:39 - Newsreel on war in Korea, narrator voiceover (1950) 16:14 - Newsreel on Cold War, narrator voiceover (1950s) 19:23, 20:07 - Interview with Alan Dulles, former CIA Director (1965) 21:23 - Newsreel on communist protests in Iran (1951) 22:35 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower addresses Congress (1953) 24:52 - Interview with John Foster Dulles, Secretary of State 1953-1959, (1952) 26:20. 26:39, 26:50 - Interviews with Kermit Roosevelt Jr., leader of Op. Ajax, on Op. Ajax 27:41 - Interview with Stephen Kinzer, former NYT correspondent, on Op. Ajax 29:10 - Interview with Kermit Roosevelt Jr., leader of Op. Ajax, on Op. Ajax 29:56 - Documentary on Op. Ajax, narrator voiceover 30:09 - Newsreel on coup in Iran, narrator voiceover (1953) 31:01 - Interview with Prof. Richard Cottam, former CIA officer in Iran 32:01, 32:40, 33:00 - British newsreel on coup in Iran, narrator voiceover (1953) 33:14 - Newsreel on coup in Iran, narrator voiceover (1953) 33:53 - Interview with Alan Dulles, CIA Director 1953-1961, CIA Deputy Director 1951-1953 (1965) 36:15 - Newsreel on coup in Iran, narrator voiceover (1953) 36:32, 36:37 - Newsreels on trial of Mohammad Mosaddegh, narrator voiceover (1953) 39:00, 39:34 - Interview with Kazem Allah, former Iranian political prisoner under the Shah 40:40, 42:11, 43:40 - Iranian students protesting the Shah in Washington, DC (1975) 44:35 - President Jimmy Carter’s toast to the Shah (1978) 44:51 - Documentary on 1979 Iranian Revolution, narrator voiceover and source audio 45:22 - Protests in Iran, source audio (1979) 47:02 - News report on Ruhollah Khomeini’s return to Iran (1979) 48:09 - News report on US Embassy takeover in Tehran (1979)

On Friday the right-wing Supreme Court delivered a stinging blow to Trump, ruling that his unilateral tariffs were unconstitutional. Trump claims he’s going ahead with more tariffs anyway, but economist Richard Wolff explains that they’ve already failed at their central economic premise. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

The Trump administration has revoked the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases, a major cause of climate change and millions of premature deaths from air pollution every year. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss why this is happening, and the even more dire level of air and water pollution in the United States before the EPA. 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.

Brian and Layan take a deep dive into how the capitalist-owned mainstream media conceals the truth about what motivates U.S. war-makers – and what they are hiding – by debunking the recent New York Times article titled: ‘Trump's Oil Grab in Venezuela Shatters an American Taboo’ 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.

Cuba is running out of fuel to power hospitals, schools, harvest crops, and transport basic goods — because Donald Trump has implemented a total fuel blockade against the island nation. Brian Becker is joined by Manolo De Los Santos, the executive director of The People’s Forum in New York, to discuss why Trump and the U.S. empire have targeted Cuba, and why people in Cuba are refusing to surrender. Join the The Socialist Program community at http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

More than 30% of countries around the world are facing severe US economic sanctions causing mass suffering, hunger, and death. From Cuba, to Venezuela, to the DPRK, and now even to traditional US allies who are being targeted with tariffs and other economic threats unless they bow to the demands of the Trump administration. Richard Wolff explains that these are the efforts of an empire that is in decline but still possesses military and economic weapons that can do great damage to those who try to maintain independence from Wall Street and the White House. 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’s agenda has become unmistakable: attack the living legacy of the Civil Rights Revolution – both by trying to erase the historical memory of it, and by reversing the expansion of democracy that it won. Why are Trump and his billionaire backers so threatened by this legacy? What lessons does it have for us today? How does social change happen? This episode is built around a class on this topic, taught by our host Brian Becker, part of a class series at The People's Forum in New York City titled: 'Hidden Histories of Rebellion in the United States’, recorded on January 27th. We've added supplemental audio clips and edited it for this podcast format. 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.

On the heels of the Minnesota general strike on January 23rd, and a nationwide shutdown the following week in which millions participated, Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss the general strike tactic. How has it been used in the United States and elsewhere? Can it tip the scales against the Trump administration's attempts to roll back the gains of the Civil Rights Movement? 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.

One week ago, there was a general strike in Minneapolis against ICE Terror. The following morning, ICE agents executed ICU nurse Alex Pretti. They wanted to intimidate this new mass movement. But that failed. Today hundreds of thousands marched and millions participated in a nationwide shutdown against ICE; no work, no school, no shopping. Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan discuss, recording this episode at Noon Eastern Time, January 30th. 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 States may be entering a new era of labor militancy. A general strike led by labor, community organizations, small businesses, student groups, and faith-based leaders has shut down Minnesota, in protest against the terror campaign launched by thousands of ICE agents in recent weeks. 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.

Imperialism in the 21st Century is starting to look like the imperialism of the early 20th century as Donald Trump ramped up his demand to seize Greenland from Denmark. Professor Richard Wolff and Brian Becker discuss how capitalist competition led to two catastrophic world wars in the first half of the 20th Century, and how similar competitive pressures are taking shape today. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

As thousands of ICE agents continue their rampage in Minneapolis, the people are preparing for an even larger fightback that could reshape politics in the United States. Elon Musk endorses a call for martial law, and President Trump threatens the Insurrection Act to deploy the US military against the people of the United States. 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.

Trump ordered the massive bombing of Iran in June. Next he bombed Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January 2026. Is Trump now setting his imperial sights on Cuba? Brian Becker is joined by Manolo De Los Santos, the executive director of The People’s Forum in New York. 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 States is at a boiling point after the ICE killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Cities across the country are under attack from Trump’s federal ICE agent police force, and hundreds of thousands protested this ICE invasion this past weekend. Brian and Prof. Wolff discuss the struggle that is heating up. Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

Masked ICE agents are on a rampage in Minneapolis, in Portland, and throughout the United States. The Trump White House and the Pentagon have seized the fifth oil tanker carrying Venezuelan oil. 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.

After the January 3rd bombing of Venezuelan neighborhoods, military facilities and the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, the Trump White House and Pentagon are still imposing a full scale naval blockade against Venezuela. The Trump administration is claiming they’ve fundamentally changed the Venezuelan government but the facts don’t bear this out. Many of the oil concessions they may now receive were long ago offered by Maduro himself. Brian is joined by Manolo De Los Santos, the executive director of The People’s Forum in New York, to discuss how the government in Venezuela is still mobilizing the nation in defense of its sovereignty. Join the The Socialist Program community at http://www.patreon.com/thesocialistprogram to get exclusive content and help keep this show on the air.

Trump, Steven Miller, and other top administration officials are claiming that they are “running Venezuela,” taking over the country and its vast oil reserves. That’s not true, the Venezuelan government remains intact, but they are imposing a full naval blockade on the country in an effort to completely shut down Venezuela’s economy. The Trump admin also intends to conquer Greenland by one means or another, and are declaring ownership of the Western Hemisphere. Is the Trump administration’s open rejection of international laws – which were designed to prevent another World War – just rhetoric? Or does it represent a larger shift in U.S. and thus global politics? Brian Becker is joined by Professor Richard Wolff, author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work -- 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.

Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared in a U.S. court in New York City earlier today following the illegal kidnapping of Venezuela's president. Donald Trump has now acknowledged that he consulted with U.S. oil monopolies before and after the attack on Venezuela. The U.S. Congress did not authorize this attack, and Trump, while consulting with the oil company executives, refused to even brief Congress. Brian Becker and Layan Fuleihan discuss.