PODCAST · news
World Socialist Radio
by The Socialist Party of Great Britain
Official podcast of The Socialist Party of Great Britain. We have one single aim: the establishment of a society in which all productive resources – land, water, factories, transport, etc. – are taken into common ownership, and in which the sole motive for production is the fulfilment of human needs and wants. To read more news, views, and analysis please visit: worldsocialism.org/spgb or, for a free three-issue subscription to The Socialist Standard: spgb.net/podcast
Episodes
-
Season Two Trailer - Helicopters over Helvellyn
World Socialist Radio will return in autumn 2026 with a new series of live discussions with new releases every two weeks. In the meantime, we present a discussion of the article "Helicopters over Helvellyn" from the July 2026 edition of the Socialist Standard. In this episode, we discuss some...
-
The Fabian Society Again. Why Reformism Still Falls Short.
Recent online claims portraying the Fabian Society as a secretive conspiracy are greatly exaggerated. These accusations gained traction after a judge connected to the society ruled against the UK government in a high-profile case, leading some commentators to suggest that Fabians had infiltrated...
-
Dark Paths. How AI, Profit and Power Are Shaping an Uncertain Future.
The episode argues that recent developments in artificial intelligence reveal how autonomous AI systems can behave in unexpected and potentially dangerous ways. Using examples such as AI agents tasked with buying paperclips, running online businesses, or handling confidential information, the...
-
The Architecture of Autistic Order. The Contradictions of Capitalism and the Appeal of Socialism.
In this episode, written by Pablo Wilcox, it is argued that Autistic thinking seeks universal principles and coherent systems, contrasting sharply with the contradictions and unwritten social hierarchies of capitalist society. The author reflects on how, from a young age, he viewed political and...
-
Decline and Fall. High-Street Closures and Community Life.
Reflections on the visible decline of a once-thriving city-centre shopping street, where many traditional businesses have closed and been replaced by charity shops, betting offices, convenience stores, or empty premises. This pattern is not unique, but part of a broader decline affecting towns…
more -
Nine Days That Didn't Shake The World. The 1926 British General Strike.
Reflections on the centenary of the 1926 British General Strike. Millions of workers joined the strike in solidarity with coal miners facing wage cuts and worsening conditions, but despite its enormous scale, the strike ultimately failed to produce lasting political or social transformation. The...
-
Moon Madness. Space Exploration and Capitalist Motives.
The original moon race captured imaginations because it seemed to represent a dramatic leap into the future, even though it was fundamentally driven by Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. By contrast, today’s moon missions present a far more muted and divided public...
-
David and Goliath. Competition and "Enshitification"
In modern capitalism, so-called “Davids” (like startups) often win by using strategies backed by huge financial power, such as venture capital. Companies deliberately sell at a loss to undercut competitors, drive them out, and dominate the market—after which they worsen their service or raise...
-
The Closed World of Billionaire Power
This episode argues that a small global elite of billionaires effectively operates within a “closed world” of power, where wealth translates into disproportionate influence over politics, economies, and decision-making. Rather than governments or democratic institutions being in control, real…
more -
Agency and Responsibility
This episode uses the example of Tourette’s syndrome to challenge how capitalist society understands personal responsibility. It argues that capitalism assumes individuals are fully rational and in control of their actions, so behaviour – especially speech – is judged as intentional and morally...
-
Zackonomics — How Green Can You Be?
The episode critiques the economic ideas associated with Green Party leader Zack Polanski, arguing that his proposals – such as wealth taxes, public ownership, and increased government spending – reflect a reformist belief that capitalism can be reshaped to serve people and the environment. This…
more -
Peter Mandelson: Arch Labour Party Careerist
Peter Mandelson exemplifies a lifelong “careerist” within the Labour Party. His political trajectory was driven more by personal advancement than by principled commitment to socialism. He rose through the party not from grassroots activism but via roles in communications and media management,...
-
Myths of Race and Nation
This episode argues that ideas about “race” and “nation” are largely social and political myths rather than clear scientific or natural realities. It connects the myths of race and nation to political and economic interests, particularly under capitalism. Ruling groups often promote ideas of…
more -
Big Red Button
This episode uses a recent film about nuclear war as a starting point to discuss the continuing danger of nuclear weapons. It notes that films and stories about a leader pressing a “big red button” highlight how catastrophic nuclear conflict would be, but the real concern is that such destructive...
-
State and Repression
An account of how state repression is always accompanied by deceptive attempts to control the narrative and preserve legitimacy. Taken from the February 2026 edition of The Socialist Standard. World Socialist Radio is the official podcast of The Socialist Party of Great Britain. We have one…
more -
Ending The Money System Can Save The Planet
A letter to the editor. Environmental destruction is rooted in the global money-based economic system, where production is driven by profit rather than human need. It claims that businesses must expand and compete to survive, leading to overproduction, resource depletion, and pollution. Even...
-
Human Factories
This episode critiques superficial “girl-boss” empowerment narratives, arguing that flashy media representations of strong women mask the harsher realities many women face under capitalism—persistent pay gaps, gendered expectations, and widespread violence. Research on women’s advancement reveals…
more -
Venezuela: Another Failure of Capitalism
This episode argues that Venezuela’s economic and social crisis reflects the limits of reformist political projects that try to improve capitalism rather than replace it. It traces how governments associated with Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro pursued policies such as nationalisation, welfare...
-
Do I Know You?
A fraudster exploits a moment of uncertainty by pretending to be a familiar figure, relying on the victim’s embarrassment and hesitation to question their own memory. The example shows how easily social cues, expectations, and politeness can override critical thinking, revealing how recognition…
more -
Why We Can't Support Your Party
The Socialist Party of Great Britain refuses to support the newly founded political organisation “Your Party,” launched in November 2025 under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. “Your Party” promotes a reformist programme that seeks gradual change within capitalism through…
more -
The Magic Gadget IRL
This episode reflects on life before smartphones and social media, describing how children in the 1990s experienced the world directly, without digital pressures such as FOMO (fear of missing out), sexting, cyberbullying, and addictive “attention economy” features designed to maximize engagement....
-
What The Fascist Needs
This episode argues that fascism and fascists are symptoms of deeper social and economic decay under capitalism — not just isolated groups of extremists or caricatures of “jackbooted thugs.” It dismisses simplistic responses like beating up racists on the streets, noting that violence alone won’t...
-
Socialism From the Barrel of a Gun
Recent media attention has focused on the Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), a US-based left-wing organisation promoting firearms training and “working-class armed self-defence,” after a Democratic Senate candidate in Maine was criticised for past posts encouraging people to join it. Reports...
-
Transgender Issues and Capitalism
This episode situates debates over transgender identity within a Marxist analysis of capitalist society, arguing that rigid gender roles are historically constructed and reinforced by capitalism’s need to reproduce labour power. It draws on Marx’s base-and-superstructure framework to explain how...
-
Cheating The Reaper
This episode article uses recent public comments by authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, and the broader enthusiasm among billionaires and tech elites for life-extension research, to highlight the hubris of the rich attempting to “cheat death.” It points out the absurdity of...
-
Abolish The Wages System: Why We Need To Get Rid Of Capitalism
This episode is a recording of a talk given by Johnny Mercer at The Socialist Party's Head Office on 30th November 2025. The speaker outlines the Socialist Party of Great Britain’s case for abolishing the wage system, arguing that capitalism is rooted in minority ownership of the means of...
-
Revolution Reclaimed: What It Really Means to Change the World
This episode explores how the word “revolution” has been overused and misunderstood, much like marketing buzzwords such as “game-changer.” The speaker argues that revolutions are a normal and essential part of human progress — from mastering fire to agriculture, industry, and modern technologies...
-
Violence and War: Are They Inevitable? The Long View
This episode argues that war and large-scale violence are not primitive constants built into human nature, but rather they became widespread only with the rise of hierarchical, agrarian and class-based societies. For most of human prehistory — during the long era when humans lived as small,...
-
'No Such Thing as Free Buses' and 'Woolly Thinking'.
Proposals for “free buses” under capitalism—like the plan by New York politician Zohran Mamdani—paint a misleading picture: there’s no such thing as “free” in a system based on profit. While fare-free public transport would indeed make travel easier and lower emissions, the column warns that...
-
Bonkers From Jib to Poop – Tales of Capitalism All at Sea
This is a talk that was given on 31 Oct 2025 on a general maritime theme. There's no particular point being made, just some observations on a number of vaguely related news stories from earlier in the year. World Socialist Radio is the official podcast of The Socialist Party of Great Britain. We...
-
Basic Skills. How Capitalism Is Failing Us
This Socialist Standard article “Pathfinders – Basic Skills” critiques claims that declining literacy and “cancel culture” stem from abandoning phonics, arguing instead that capitalism’s chaotic priorities—not conspiracies—drive educational failures. It notes that both US and UK literacy levels…
more -
UFOs Exposed: How Capitalism’s Crafty Cover-Ups Shape What We Think We See
This episode examines how UFO narratives have been shaped by secrecy, misinterpretation, and capitalist interests. It discusses the BBC4 documentary “What Are UFOs?”, which revisits pilot Alex Dietrich’s 2004 “tic tac” sighting and the 2015 “gimbal” video, both later explained by experts as…
more -
Withdrawal Symptoms
Even in a socialist society the legacy of capitalism would pose deep challenges—particularly in areas tied to personal behavior, health and consumption. The episode points to obesity, processed foods, addictions, pollution, synthetic drugs and industrial toxins as examples of harms created under...
-
Charlie Kirk: A Victim Of His Own Ideology
This episode criticises Kirk’s activist legacy, arguing that his aggressive right-wing tactics — including demonisation of queer people, unions, and students — laid the grounds for the backlash that culminated in his assassination. It frames his death not simply as violence against a provocateur,...
-
All Socialists Now?
This episode criticises how Labour and other self-described “socialist” parties trumpet the label without a coherent understanding of socialism, arguing that most of their proposed reforms—such as nationalisation, higher taxes, expanded public services—do nothing to challenge capitalism’s...
-
Nationalism and Capitalism
From the October 2025 issue of The Socialist Standard, written by Robin Cox Nationalism is a product of capitalism: it emerges to glue culturally diverse societies under a shared identity, but in fact tends to erase local diversity and enable state control. This episode traces nationalism’s rise...
-
A Wealth of Hallucinations. AI deception and distortions.
From the September 2025 issue of The Socialist Standard: This article warns of the growing crisis posed by generative AI’s propensity for “hallucinations”—fabrication of false or harmful content presented as fact. It highlights alarming examples, including a case where Google’s AI falsely…
more -
Corybn's Crumbs of Comfort. Lord Desai's Retort. Cooking The Books September 2025.
Creating an egalitarian society through a redistribution of wealth within capitalism is a pipe-dream as it goes against the logic of the system. Capitalism is based on a minority owning the means of wealth production and on these being used to generate profits that are accumulated as more wealth...
-
How Labour Changed
Labour didn’t fundamentally reform capitalism. Instead, capitalism reshaped Labour, gradually pulling it away from egalitarian ideals toward embracing profit-driven policies and business-friendly governance. Originally formed in 1906 as a trade union pressure group in parliament, in 1918 the…
more -
Justice Isn't For Us
We love watching cop shows. The bad guy gets caught, everyone breathes a sigh of relief, and law and order are secured for another day, again. The detective’s a heavy drinking, chain-smoking, emotionally wrecked mess, but somehow they get the bad guy. Usually some rich, powerful bastard who…
more -
Just Another Day. A short story about planned obsolescence, free market ideology and everyday interactions.
A short story about planned obsolescence, free market ideology and everyday interactions. Written by Hud and taken from the September 2025 edition of The Socialist Standard. World Socialist Radio is the official podcast of The Socialist Party of Great Britain. We have one single aim: the...
-
Introducing The Socialist Party
The Socialist Party and the World Socialist Movement affirm that capitalism is incapable of meaningful change in the interests of the majority; that the basis of exploitation is the wages/money system. The Socialist Standard is proud to have kept alive the original idea of what socialism is -- a...
-
Book Review: Raising the Red Flag. Marxism, Labourism, and the Roots of British Communism 1884-1921. By Tony Collins
Taken from the July 2025 edition of The Socialist Standard. Walter Kendall advanced the view that Bolshevism-Leninism was something that was alien to the formally democratic traditions of the working class movement in Britain, introduced from an economically and politically backward part of the...
-
Capitalism Is Mental
Capitalism is not just a class war; it is a war of the mind. It demands conformity, punishes difference, and uses trauma as a tool of control. Still, resistance keeps bubbling up. Neurodivergent people often develop ways of thinking that refuse to follow capitalist logic, question authority, and...
-
Bad Apples - Technological innovation, market competition, and the profit motive
Apple have always been known for being control freakish and attempting to lock their customer base into their own exclusive ecosystem, including a special patent-protected charging cable that no one else is allowed to make and which doesn’t work with any third-party device. People say that...
-
Reeves, Marx and Mosbacher. Cooking The Books – July 2025
The Spending Revue: Governments can’t control the way that the capitalist economy works. They can, however, decide how they are going to spend the money that they have or plan to have. This is the annual budget. From time to time, in Britain, the government takes a longer view and sets out their...
-
Vanguards, Get Lost
A criticism of modern-day would be vanguard parties, and a comparison of the vanguardist position with what Marx actually wrote. From the July 2025 edition of The Socialist Standard. Featuring music: 'Pushing P (Instrumental)' by Tiga Maine x Deejay Boe. Source: Free Music Archive, licensed under...
-
Farage – Opportunist Supreme
With characteristic opportunism, Nigel Farage, sniffing political power, is seeking to present himself as the leader of a kind of neo-Labour Party who will fix everything Labour has always promised to fix for workers but never has. In the end however, he is only an extreme example of the...
-
Labour in Sickness and Health
Healthcare under capitalism and socialism. Article from the July 2025 edition of The Socialist Standard. Featuring music: 'Pushing P (Instrumental)' by Tiga Maine x Deejay Boe. Source: Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0
-
Dark Factors and Dodgy Populists
On cooperation, selfish competition and the plasticity of human behaviour. Article from the July 2025 edition of The Socialist Standard. Featuring music: 'Pushing P (Instrumental)' by Tiga Maine x Deejay Boe. Source: Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Official podcast of The Socialist Party of Great Britain. We have one single aim: the establishment of a society in which all productive resources – land, water, factories, transport, etc. – are taken into common ownership, and in which the sole motive for production is the fulfilment of human needs and wants. To read more news, views, and analysis please visit: worldsocialism.org/spgb or, for a free three-issue subscription to The Socialist Standard: spgb.net/podcast
HOSTED BY
The Socialist Party of Great Britain
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does World Socialist Radio have?
World Socialist Radio currently has 51 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is World Socialist Radio about?
Official podcast of The Socialist Party of Great Britain. We have one single aim: the establishment of a society in which all productive resources – land, water, factories, transport, etc. – are taken into common ownership, and in which the sole motive for production is the fulfilment of human...
How often does World Socialist Radio release new episodes?
World Socialist Radio has 51 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to World Socialist Radio?
You can listen to World Socialist Radio on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts World Socialist Radio?
World Socialist Radio is created and hosted by The Socialist Party of Great Britain.
URL copied to clipboard!