World Socialist Radio

The Socialist Party of Great Britain
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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

  1. Human Factories

    1D AGO

    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 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 thinkers and historians are therefore drawn to questioning the roots of patriarchy, from debates about prehistoric societies to modern analyses of gender and property. Drawing on Angela Saini’s work, the piece highlights how patriarchal systems developed alongside expanding state power, militarisation, and rigid gender roles that channelled men into war and women into reproductive and domestic labour. Women’s bodies and reproductive capacities become central to understanding both ancient and modern systems of control. Historically, women were among the earliest enslaved populations and were positioned as “human factories” to sustain armies and economies; today, similar pressures persist through pronatalist policies and political movements that seek to regulate women’s choices about work, family, and reproduction. As birth rates decline globally, capitalist states increasingly frame women’s fertility as an economic necessity, often disregarding women’s autonomy and wellbeing. Genuine liberation requires challenging the wider economic structures that depend on gendered exploitation, arguing that feminist struggles against patriarchal power are inseparable from broader efforts to dismantle class domination. 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 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 Featuring music: 'Pushing P (Instrumental)' by Tiga Maine x Deejay Boe. Source: Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

    9 min
  2. Venezuela: Another Failure of Capitalism

    FEB 9

    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 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 unable to stabilise the economy, leading to inflation, shortages, and worsening living standards. These outcomes reveal structural weaknesses in attempting to manage capitalism through state reforms alone. Both supporters and critics of the Venezuelan government misunderstand the deeper problem. Defenders frame Venezuela as a victim of external pressure or sabotage, while opponents blame “socialism,” yet both sides overlook that the country remained fundamentally capitalist. Lasting change cannot come from reformist policies or state-led capitalism but requires a more fundamental transformation of the economic system itself. 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 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 Featuring music: 'Pushing P (Instrumental)' by Tiga Maine x Deejay Boe. Source: Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

    17 min
  3. Do I Know You?

    FEB 2

    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 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 primarily understood through their economic or social functions rather than as full individuals. This environment makes people more vulnerable to manipulation and alienation, weakening genuine human connection. A socialist society, organised around cooperation and shared purpose, would reduce these distortions, allowing people to relate to one another more openly and authentically, without the mistrust and confusion fostered by competitive social structures. Taken from the January 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 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 Featuring music: 'Pushing P (Instrumental)' by Tiga Maine x Deejay Boe. Source: Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

    8 min
  4. Why We Can't Support Your Party

    JAN 26

    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 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 Greece, because capitalist economic pressures ultimately block meaningful reform. Although the party’s rhetoric speaks of fundamental transformation, in practice it will pursue modest reforms that leave capitalism intact, making it incapable of achieving genuine socialism — which, they argue, requires conscious majority support to replace the entire economic system. Taken from the January 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 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 Featuring music: 'Pushing P (Instrumental)' by Tiga Maine x Deejay Boe. Source: Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

    12 min
  5. The Magic Gadget IRL

    JAN 19

    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. 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 under-16s and widespread bans on phone use in schools, though evidence of real benefits remains mixed. It also notes how pervasive smartphone ownership even among very young children blurs safety with surveillance, and that regulatory efforts may simply push kids toward less regulated, potentially worse online spaces. Taken from the January 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 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 Featuring music: 'Pushing P (Instrumental)' by Tiga Maine x Deejay Boe. Source: Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

    10 min
  6. What The Fascist Needs

    JAN 12

    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 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 profit-driven system, and that their attraction to nationalism and hatred stems from this sense of powerlessness rather than coherent political ideas. The real answer to fascism isn’t merely opposing its street-level activism but challenging and transforming the social conditions that give rise to it — particularly the inequalities and crises inherent in capitalism. Working-class education, solidarity, and unity against nationalism and division are needed to undercut fascist appeal. Only broad social change, rather than repression of individuals, can address the root causes of fascist movements. Taken from the February 1993 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 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 Featuring music: 'Pushing P (Instrumental)' by Tiga Maine x Deejay Boe. Source: Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

    8 min
  7. Socialism From the Barrel of a Gun

    JAN 5

    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 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 itself as a left-wing counterpoint to right-wing gun culture, framing firearms as tools for community defence and resistance to authoritarianism. However, this trend reflects not a coherent ideological shift but widespread anxiety produced by capitalism – economic insecurity, political polarisation, violent policing, and commodified security – conditions that push different social groups to arm themselves defensively. This episode criticises the SRA’s use of revolutionary rhetoric, particularly selective quotations from Marx and implied links to Leninist traditions, arguing these ideas are taken out of their historical and theoretical context. Marx’s later view emphasised democratic, majority-led self-emancipation rather than armed minorities or vanguards, and the piece contends that firearms cannot resolve capitalism’s structural causes of insecurity and division. Drawing on historical examples and socialist theory, it argues that armed groups – left or right – reproduce capitalism’s logic of coercion and offer consumerist, individualised responses to systemic problems. Socialism cannot be achieved or defended by militias or vigilantes, but only through conscious, democratic, and mass political organisation; the SRA is therefore a defensive reaction to social breakdown rather than a genuine revolutionary alternative. Taken from the January 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 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 Featuring music: 'Pushing P (Instrumental)' by Tiga Maine x Deejay Boe. Source: Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

    8 min
  8. Transgender Issues and Capitalism

    12/29/2025

    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 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 this perspective, gender identity is not simply derived from biology but is shaped by social expectations that help sustain the capitalist system. Taken from the December 2022 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 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 Featuring music: 'Pushing P (Instrumental)' by Tiga Maine x Deejay Boe. Source: Free Music Archive, licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

    9 min
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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

Information

  • Creator
    The Socialist Party of Great Britain
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © CC BY-ND 4.0
  • Show Website
    World Socialist Radio