The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

Israel turned thousands of people in Lebanon into human bombs on Tuesday with a sophisticated terrorist attack. Thousands of pagers exploded at the same time around the country, killing and injuring many, and the next day the Israelis carried out another major attack. Brian and Layan delve into the decades of Israeli terrorism against Lebanon, the U.S. corporate media’s “light-hearted” coverage, and the arrogant imperialist policies that started it all.

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.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://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 the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

The Socialist Program presents a new special 3-part, more than 5-hour-long podcast series on the legacy of Russian Marxist V.I. Lenin, based on a class series by Brian Becker at The People’s Forum in November and December 2023, enhanced with historical audio recordings and more. This series provides a specific approach to studying Lenin's writings for a new generation of socialist organizers. It discusses the war in Gaza and the struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation, and outlines Lenin's organizational and tactical outlook in the era of modern imperialism.

This is Part 1 of Lenin and the Path to Revolution

Below are details of historical audio clips included in this episode that may not be otherwise identified by listening:

5:50 - Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, written in 1893 (a favorite of Lenin)

8:53 - Excerpt of Lenin’s speech “What is Soviet Power?” recorded March 1919

14:28 - Recording of Tsar Nicolas II addressing soldiers in 1910

37:45 - Journalist John Pilger speaking with a U.S. soldier in Vietnam, 1970

52:02 - Eyewitness account of the February Revolution from the Kennan Institute Russian History Audio Archive

1:21:14 - Marching Song of the First Arkansas Regiment (U.S. Civil War)

1:28:36, 1:28:56 - News report on House Un-American Activities Committee investigation in Hollywood, 1947

1:29:44, 1:30:15 - Anderson Cooper and Bernie Sanders at the Democratic Party presidential debate in Las Vegas, 2015

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Help make this show possible by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram

The Socialist Program presents a new special 3-part, more than 5-hour-long podcast series on the legacy of Russian Marxist V.I. Lenin, based on a class series by Brian Becker at The People’s Forum in November and December 2023, enhanced with historical audio recordings and more. This series provides a specific approach to studying Lenin's writings for a new generation of socialist organizers. It discusses the war in Gaza and the struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation, and outlines Lenin's organizational and tactical outlook in the era of modern imperialism.

This is Part 3 of Lenin and the Path to Revolution

Below are details of historical audio clips included in this episode that may not be otherwise identified by listening:

5:56 - Eyewitness to the Russian Revolution, from documentary ‘Images of a Revolution,’ 1987

7:35 - Eyewitness to the Russian Revolution, from documentary ‘Images of a Revolution,’ 1987

10:08 - Member of the public asks president Obama a question during a town hall meeting, 2009

12:02 - Then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at a town hall responding to a question from a member of the public asking if the Democratic Party could move left on economics, 2017

54:39 - Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill speaking in 1954

58:49 - Andy Stapp of the American Servicemen's Union, speaking at the Black Panther Anti-Fascism Conference, 1969

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Help make this show possible by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram

Israel is at war with Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and now Iran. More than 180 Iranian missiles struck Israel on Tuesday. For the last year Israel has carried out a non-stop killing spree in Gaza—that war is now part of a larger regional war in the Middle East.

Brian Becker is joined by Ben Norton, an investigative journalist currently based in Beijing, and the editor of the independent news website Geopolitical Economy Report, at geopoliticaleconomy.com.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://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 the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

The Socialist Program presents a new special 3-part, more than 5-hour-long podcast series on the legacy of Russian Marxist V.I. Lenin, based on a class series by Brian Becker at The People’s Forum in November and December 2023, enhanced with historical audio recordings and more. This series provides a specific approach to studying Lenin's writings for a new generation of socialist organizers. It discusses the war in Gaza and the struggle of the Palestinian people for national liberation, and outlines Lenin's organizational and tactical outlook in the era of modern imperialism.

This is Part 2 of Lenin and the Path to Revolution

Below are details of historical audio clips included in this episode that may not be otherwise identified by listening:

12:28 - Eugene Puryear speaking at the National March On Washington for Palestine, November 4th 2023

30:04 - Brian Becker speaking at anti-war rally in Washington, D.C., January 18, 2003

56:37 - ‘John Brown’s Body’ - popular song in the U.S. Civil War

1:36:28 - Joe Biden (then a senator) speaking in Congress, 1986

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Help make this show possible by joining our patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram