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Liberal Currents

Join Liberal Currents Executive Editor Samantha Hancox-Li as she brings on guests to discuss everything a liberal needs to know to navigate our turbulent times, from economics to gender, from philosophy to politics.

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  • 20 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 1 hr
  • English

Episodes 20

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  • S2 · E90
    September 13 · 46 min

    The Midterms Will Be a Referendum on MAGA (with Greg Sargent)

    In this podcast, host Samantha Hancox-Li and guest Greg Sargent, staff writer for The New Republic and host of the Daily Blast podcast, discuss Trump's cratering poll numbers—worse than Bush's after Katrina—and what that means for the country, including how elites got hoodwinked by the vibe shift, why MAGA isn't working, and whether a major realignment is coming.

  • S2 · E86
    August 16 · 56 min

    The Moral Case for Dynamism (with Sonja Trauss)

    Samantha is joined by Sonja Trauss, president and founder of YIMBY Law, to discuss the state of the housing movement. They discuss the tension between articulating a radical liberal idealism, one which embraces change and dynamism, and meeting people where they are, which so often involves compromise and kludges. The most effective YIMBY reforms, Trauss argues, still fall somewhere in the middle.

  • S2 · E85
    August 9 · 49 min

    Red in Tooth and Claw

    Samantha Hancox-Li talks about the return of international competition in our increasingly unsettled age. In historical perspective, far from being an alien imposition on "normal politics," international competition has been a feature of human societies from the start. Reflecting on how the pressure of competition has driven both mindless militarism and genuine modernization—from the mass grave at Gomolava to the Meiji Restoration to the Kitchen Debate—she argues that liberals must remember that liberalism works.

  • S2 · E84
    August 1 · 1 hr 5 min

    Sovereign Citizens with Badges? (with Jessica Pishko)

    So-called "constitutional sheriffs" are spreading across the country, declaring that they have the right to nullify federal law based on their interpretation of the Constitution. Join Samantha Hancox-Li and guest Jessica Pishko, author of The Highest Law in the Land, as they talk about how fringe ideas once confined to militia movements and strange cranks have infected public office, the historical development of sheriffs, and the endurance of the cowboy idea in American politics.

  • S2 · E83
    July 26 · 1 hr 11 min

    Gender and Gender Anxiety (with Katherine Cross)

    So much of our politics today is driven by gender, from Graham Platner's rise and fall to Pete Hegseth's testosterone testing to various anti-trans crusades. Samantha and guest Katherine Cross, contributing editor at Liberal Currents, discuss the historical antecedents of modern gender anxieties, how history moves in a corkscrew, and why the right wing is forever driven by a longing for a past that never was.

  • S2 · E82
    July 12 · 1 hr 2 min

    Is the Lock Box Empty? (with Stephen Nuñez)

    The American government is an insurance company with an army--so how do our insurance company's finances look? Samantha and guest Stephen Nuñez, Director of Stratification Economics at the Roosevelt Institute, talk about the state of Social Security. No, it's not because the boomers are retiring--but the problems are real and getting closer. What can we do about it?

  • S2 · E81
    July 5 · 56 min

    The Power of Christian Nationalism (with Allyson Shortle)

    Samantha and guest Allyson Shortle, professor at the University of Oklahoma, talk about the current state and long history of the movement which forms the hard core of Donald Trump's support: Christian Nationalism. Where did this movement begin? How deep are its roots in American myth? What do they believe, and why have they stuck with Trump even as other groups begin to desert him?

  • S1 · E80
    June 28 · 1 hr

    What Was Neoliberalism? (with Nick Hanauer)

    "Neoliberalism" has become a epithet applied to almost everything. And yet it represented a real political movement, one captured governance in America for decades. Join Samantha Hancox-Li and Nick Hanauer, billionaire entrepreneur, civic activist, and co-author of Markets Built for Humans, as they discuss the origins of neoliberalism, how it broke apart under its own contradictions, and why economic growth depends not on trickle-down billionaires but strong wages for the middle class. Check out Nick's book here: https://www.marketsbuiltforhumans.org

  • S1 · E79
    June 21 · 54 min

    The Supreme Court Is Broken (with Madiba Dennie)

    The Supreme Court has never occupied a more central place in American governance. Republican dominance on that court has enabled them to push through much of their agenda without going through Congress: overturning Roe, repealing the Voting Rights Act, and more. Join Samantha Hancox-Li and Madiba Dennie, Deputy Editor and Senior Contributor at Balls and Strikes, and author of The Originalism Trap, as they discuss the rise of the conservative legal movement and what we can do about it.

  • S1 · E78
    June 15 · 59 min

    Governance After Neoliberalism (with Rey Fuentes)

    Samantha Hancox-Li and guest Rey Fuentes, Director at the Roosevelt Institute, discuss the Democratic "ideas primary." Roosevelt's new "Good Life Agenda," a package of governing tools and policy proposals, aims to get beyond the "submerged state" and return to an ideal of active government delivering for the people. Their talk ranges over industrial policy, taxing the rich, and why mass membership organizations are essential for good governance.Liberal Currents' own entrant into the ideas primary, the Reconstruction Papers, is available for pre-order now: https://www.liberalcurrents.com/the-reconstruction-papers/Also check out our new merch store at https://liberalcurrentsmerch.printful.me/

  • S2 · E77
    June 7 · 1 hr 5 min

    Would a Land Value Tax Fix That? (with Christopher England)

    Samantha and guest Christopher England, author of Land and Liberty, talk the legacy of Henry George and his most famous proposal: the land value tax. They put George in his historical context, alongside Gilded Age oligarchy and radical political movements from socialism to anarchism. Why did Georgism fade away, why is it experiencing a resurgence now, and what—if anything—would Henry George have to say about AI? Liberal Currents merch store love now! https://liberalcurrentsmerch.printful.me/

  • S2 · E76
    May 31 · 1 hr 3 min

    The Democratization of Air Power (with Secretary of Defense Rock)

    Samantha Hancox-Li and guest Secretary of Defense Rock talk the state of modern war: the proliferation of drones, the endurance of the human factor, Ukraine's successful strategic bombing campaign vs. Trump's unsuccessful one. What does the democratization of airpower mean for the politics of future wars? Liberal Currents merch store live now! https://liberalcurrentsmerch.printful.me/

  • S2 · E75
    May 26 · 1 hr 8 min

    After America, Nothing (with Nicholas Grossman)

    Join Samantha Hancox-Li and guest Nicholas Grossman, professor of political science at the University of Illinois, as they discuss the damage Trump is doing to the Pax Americana, the prospects for a "Chinese Century," and why the likeliest future is simply multipolar anarchy. Check out Nick's latest, "Staggering Towards Anarchy," at Liberal Currents: https://www.liberalcurrents.com/staggering-towards-anarchy/

  • S1 · E74
    May 18 · 1 hr 5 min

    The Constitutional Crisis Is Here (with Robert Tracinski)

    Join Samantha and Robert Tracinski, currently running for Congress in Virginia's fifth district, as they talk about the danger Donald Trump's corruption and lawlessness poses to the country, the continuing importance of the Constitution, and Robert's road from a member of the Tea Party to a staunch liberal. You can check out Robert's campaign website here: https://www.tracinskiforcongress.com/ *Note that around 12 minutes, I make a mistake about what messaging David Shor's outfit, Blue Rose, has tested. Shor was testing populism vs. abundance messaging, not populism vs. corruption messaging. Apologies!

  • S2 · E73
    May 10 · 55 min

    Against Slopulism, For Taxes? (with Elizabeth Wilkins)

    Samantha is joined by Elizabeth Wilkins, president of the Roosevelt Institute, to discuss the economic debate that's roiling the Democratic Party--whether to lean in to Republican slopulism about tax cuts, or to embrace broad social programs funded by a broad tax base. Along the way, they discuss the legacy of Bidenomics, the nuts and bolts of tax policy, the glaring problem of inequality--and ultimately, the question of what it means to all be in this together. Read Wilkins' essay on the subject here: https://rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/beyond-who-pays-more-how-taxes-form-the-foundation-of-our-economy-and-democracy/

  • S2 · E72
    May 3 · 1 hr 12 min

    Measuring the Vibecession (with Matt Darling)

    Measuring the Vibecession (with Matt Darling) Samantha is joined by Matt Darling to discuss the state of the economy. Macroeconomic indicators are good, but the vibes are rancid. People feel like America is not on the right track. The divergence between the vibes and the macro is the vibecession--and it can be measured empirically. But what's causing it? Economic precarity that isn't properly measured? Phones and social media and doomscrolling? The revolt of the upper middle class against Bidenomics? Join us as we discuss what we know, what we don't, and why being right about the economy isn't as easy as it looks. Note: early in the discussion, I say "Biden" when I ought to have said "Kamala." Apologies.

  • S2 · E71
    April 26 · 58 min

    What Next, Democrats? (with Bethany Andres-Beck)

    Samantha interviews Bethany Andres-Beck, running in the Democratic primary for Massachusetts' 6th Congressional District. They talk about the spiritual crisis in the Democratic Party, the need to fix what's broken in America, and how they intend to fight for working people across a range of issues. "I have no patience for people who dodge responsibility for their power. You have power whether you use it or not," Beth explains--and now it's time for Democrats to take and exercise power. Check out their website at https://bethfordemocracy.com/

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes