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PODCAST

World Socialist Radio

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

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All Episodes

6:49

The Closed World of Billionaire Power

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/04/20

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 power lies with those who own and control major corporations and financial systems, allowing them to shape policies and outcomes in their own interests. This concentration of power is presented as a structural

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7:04

Agency and Responsibility

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/04/13

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 accountable. However, conditions like Tourette’s, where speech can be involuntary, expose a flaw in this assumption: society often ignores medical or material explanations and still treats actions as

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10:52

Zackonomics — How Green Can You Be?

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/03/30

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 is an illusion, similar to earlier Labour policies, because capitalism is fundamentally driven by profit-making. According to the author, governments – regardless of intentions – must prioritise profits to

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7:19

Peter Mandelson: Arch Labour Party Careerist

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/03/23

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, becoming a key architect of “New Labour.” This episode uses Mandelson as a case study to criticise Labour, arguing that figures like him demonstrate how the party is dominated by professional politicians

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9:27

Myths of Race and Nation

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/03/16

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 racial or national unity to distract ordinary people from their shared class interests. By encouraging workers to identify with a nation or racial group, elites can divide the working class and prevent them from

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9:45

Big Red Button

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/03/09

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 power is concentrated in the hands of political leaders and military systems. Even though the popular image of a literal button is exaggerated, governments still maintain complex systems that could launch

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5:46

State and Repression

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/03/02

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 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

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7:21

Ending The Money System Can Save The Planet

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/02/23

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 well-intentioned reforms—such as green technologies, regulations, or ethical consumer choices—are presented as insufficient, because they operate within the same system that prioritises growth and profitability

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9:10

Human Factories

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/02/16

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 a structural double bind: behaving in socially approved “feminine” ways may earn status but rarely real authority, while assertive behaviour can bring power at the cost of social acceptance. Feminist

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16:44

Venezuela: Another Failure of Capitalism

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/02/09

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 expansion, and price controls while still operating within a capitalist framework dependent on oil exports and global markets. When oil prices fell and economic pressures intensified, these reforms proved

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7:57

Do I Know You?

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/02/02

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 is not purely about memory but also about social pressure and assumed roles.The episode then expands to examine how capitalist society encourages shallow and fragmented social interactions, where people are

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12:22

Why We Can't Support Your Party

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/01/26

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 taxation, nationalisation, and expanded public services, rather than advocating the abolition of capitalism itself. This approach has repeatedly failed, citing historical examples such as the Syriza government in

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9:38

The Magic Gadget IRL

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/01/19

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. It highlights growing concerns about the mental health impacts of ubiquitous device use among young people and discusses recent policy responses such as Australia’s ban on major social media platforms for

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8:07

What The Fascist Needs

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/01/12

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 change the underlying conditions that breed fascist sentiment. Instead, it emphasises that many people drawn to fascist politics are alienated, fearful, and frustrated by their position in society under a

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7:42

Socialism From the Barrel of a Gun

World Socialist Radio ·

2026/01/05

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 suggest growing gun ownership among LGBTQ and left-liberal Americans driven by fear of political repression, while a Cato Institute FOIA request revealed the SRA is under FBI investigation. The SRA presents

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9:08

Transgender Issues and Capitalism

World Socialist Radio ·

2025/12/29

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 patriarchal and gender norms originate in earlier modes of production and persist under capitalism to serve economic ends, assigning individuals culturally defined roles tied to reproductive labour. From

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9:42

Cheating The Reaper

World Socialist Radio ·

2025/12/22

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 autocrats and Silicon Valley figures treating ageing as a technical problem to solve, despite biological limits and deep inequalities in who could even access such treatments. The speaker underscores that

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11:23

Abolish The Wages System: Why We Need To Get Rid Of...

World Socialist Radio ·

2025/12/15

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 production and in production for profit rather than human need. They reject the idea that capitalism emerged naturally, instead tracing its origins to violent dispossession – from the Enclosures and Highland

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11:50

Revolution Reclaimed: What It Really Means to Change...

World Socialist Radio ·

2025/12/08

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 like AI and genetics. Societal revolutions happen gradually and often unnoticed, just as we don’t feel the Earth spinning. Capitalism isn’t the final stage of history, and future generations will likely view

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19:26

Violence and War: Are They Inevitable? The Long View

World Socialist Radio ·

2025/12/01

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, egalitarian hunter-gatherer bands — there is scant evidence of systemic war. It was only with the advent of agriculture, permanent settlements and the resultant scarcity that social hierarchies emerged: a

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43 results

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