Europe has plunged into an even deeper energy crisis as Russia cuts off imports through the Nord Stream pipeline in response to Western sanctions.

While U.S. and European leaders pledge that sanctions would quickly bring the Russian economy to its knees, is the reality, in fact, the opposite.

We need a new system. We need a new system.

We need a new society.

We need to demand that which may have sounded impossible even a few weeks ago,

but is not only realizable, but an imperative necessity.

Music We are very excited to have Professor Richard Wolfe join us for a regular weekly segment where we discuss the biggest stories relating to the economy, the state of the working class, and the crimes of big business.

I'm Walter Smolerick, filling in for Brian Beck.

The Socialist Program brings you content three days a week thanks to the support of our patrons at patreon.com slash the Socialist Program.

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listening to the show.

Richard Wolfe is the co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work, and the author of many books,

the latest is The Sickness is the System. When Capitalism fails to save us from pandemics or itself,

you can check that out and all of his work at R.D.Wolf.com. So Professor Wolfe, our listeners

might be more familiar with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

That was the planned, basically constructed pipeline that never became operational because of

tensions between the West and Russia culminating with the war in Ukraine that began in February.

But now the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, right, the pipeline. culminating with the war in Ukraine that began in February.

But now the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, right,

the pipeline that has been operational for many years and is a crucial artery for Europe to get gas from Russia,

especially countries that are crucial to the European economy, like Germany.

I mean, are the sanctions essentially backfiring?

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