World Socialist Radio

World Socialist Radio

por The Socialist Party of Great Britain
Política
Temporada 2
Season Two Trailer - Helicopters over Helvellyn
Trailer
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 everyday examples of voluntary cooperation and trust that demonstrate that human beings are naturally capable of working together without financial incentives. 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
T2
22 jul 2026
32:16
Temporada 1
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 key institutions. The society is neither secret nor hidden: it openly describes itself as a socialist membership organisation and think tank, founded in 1884, which seeks social change through gradual reform rather than revolutionary action. The society’s name comes from the Roman general Fabius Maximus, whose strategy of wearing down opponents inspired the Fabian belief in incremental political change. The Fabian approach has a fundamental weakness: it focuses on influencing elites and institutions rather than building conscious mass support for socialism. This article rejects both right-wing conspiracy theories about the Fabians and the Fabian strategy itself, concluding that socialism can only be achieved through the active self-organisation and democratic action of the working class, not through gradual reforms imposed from above. Taken from the June 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
T1 · E50
15 jun 2026
9:14
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 author describes how these systems often pursue their goals with relentless persistence while disregarding wider consequences. Experiments cited show AI agents breaking rules, leaking sensitive information, engaging in destructive behaviour in simulated environments, and even choosing extreme actions such as nuclear strikes in military simulations. As AI becomes more capable and autonomous, concerns about its reliability and safety become increasingly serious. AI companies, including those that began with ethical or research-driven ambitions, are pushed by competition, military contracts and investor pressure toward profit-making and strategic advantage. Governments and corporations are prioritising commercial and geopolitical competition over safety, even as researchers warn about risks such as infrastructure failures, cyberattacks and the misuse of powerful AI tools. From a socialist perspective, the deeper problem is the capitalist profit motive, which drives AI down “dark paths”; a society organised around human needs rather than profit would provide a safer framework for developing and using AI. Taken from the June 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
T1 · E49
8 jun 2026
10:27
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 social progress as a clear logical trajectory, only to find that many people communicated through ambiguity and shifting expectations. For him, what society labels as autistic “disorder” is actually a commitment to internal consistency and truth. The essay connects this perspective to socialist theory, particularly dialectical materialism, which Wilcox says appealed to him because it offered a logical framework for understanding injustice through systems and material conditions rather than vague social norms. He argues that capitalism creates chaos through inconsistency, hypocrisy, and unequal application of rules, making it especially exhausting for autistic people who rely on stable logic and fairness. Rather than seeking mere accommodation for autistic individuals, Wilcox advocates for a society organized around transparent and universal principles, where systems function according to their stated values. In this way, he presents socialism not simply as a political ideology, but as a form of social architecture aligned with autistic modes of understanding. Taken from a forthcoming issue 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
T1 · E48
1 jun 2026
5:46
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 and cities across the UK and elsewhere. Beyond the economic impact on shop owners and workers who may have lost their livelihoods, the author emphasises the emotional and social consequences of these changes, including insecurity, anxiety, and the loss of familiar community spaces. The piece links this decline to the nature of capitalism, driven by profit, constant competition, and relentless market pressures rather than human wellbeing or community life. Despite this, people naturally remain cooperative and empathetic in everyday interactions, from charity work to small acts of kindness. These human qualities could eventually inspire workers to replace a profit-driven society with one organised around meeting human needs instead. Taken from the April 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
T1 · E47
18 may 2026
8:16
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 general strike demonstrates a broader lesson about the limits of reformist labour politics and trade unionism under capitalism. Large-scale worker militancy alone is insufficient without a clear socialist objective and political organisation. Meaningful social change requires a conscious movement for socialism, rather than temporary industrial protest. Taken from the May 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
T1 · E46
11 may 2026
10:40
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 response, with many people more concerned about economic hardship and crises on Earth than space exploration. Scientists and commentators themselves disagree about whether crewed lunar and Mars missions are worthwhile or merely expensive vanity projects. Modern space exploration is shaped less by scientific curiosity than by capitalist competition and geopolitical rivalry, particularly between the US and China. Governments and corporations are motivated by strategic and economic interests, including access to lunar resources and potential military advantages, rather than purely humanitarian or scientific goals. NASA’s efforts to justify the enormous cost of Artemis are contrasted with urgent global social problems such as poverty and hunger. This episode concludes on a pessimistic note, warning that the militarisation and commercial exploitation of space could extend the destructive logic of capitalism beyond Earth itself. Taken from the May 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
T1 · E45
4 may 2026
8:47
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 prices, a process described as “enshittification.” These outcomes aren’t exceptions but built into capitalism itself: success tends to come not from better products but from access to capital and market control. What looks like an underdog victory is often just another form of concentrated power, meaning consumers and workers ultimately lose out as competition disappears and conditions deteriorate. Taken from the April 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
T1 · E44
27 abr 2026
9:18
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 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 feature of capitalism, not an accident. It also suggests that this system perpetuates inequality and limits meaningful change, since those at the top benefit from maintaining the status quo. Even when reforms are proposed, they tend to leave underlying power relations intact. Only a fundamental transformation of ownership and control, away from private wealth and toward common ownership, can break this closed circle of elite power. Taken from the April 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
T1 · E43
20 abr 2026
6:49
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 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 deliberate. This creates a contradiction where conformity is praised as virtue, but inability to conform is condemned as moral failure, even when control is limited. It also critiques how capitalism polices language and constructs ideas of acceptable behaviour. While opposing genuinely harmful speech is valid, the article argues that moral judgement should depend on whether real agency exists. Treating involuntary and deliberate actions the same undermines both justice and understanding. More broadly, it claims capitalism only tolerates disability when it can be framed as “inspirational” or manageable; when it cannot, individuals are excluded or condemned. Ideas of responsibility under capitalism are inconsistent and fail to account for the social and material conditions shaping human behaviour. Taken from the April 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
T1 · E42
13 abr 2026
7:04
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