🦩 This episode originally aired on July 15, 2025. Get new episodes early at patreon.com/CurrentAffairs

Barry Eisler, a former CIA agent and bestselling novelist, joins Nathan J. Robinson to discuss his new book, The System. They talk about how power actually works in Washington, how politicians get absorbed into the duopoly, why partisan conflict is mostly theater, and how language, fiction, and euphemism shape our understanding of violence, war, and the state.

🕸️ Purchase The System: https://barryeisler.com/books/the-system/

🕸️ Barry's Other Writing: https://barryeisler.com/books/

🕸️ Follow Barry on Twitter: https://x.com/barryeisler

🕸️ Follow Barry on Substack: https://barryeisler.substack.com/

0:00–5:33 Introducing *The System*

5:33–10:41 The Illusion of Partisanship

10:41–15:14 Understanding the Duopoly

15:14–27:06 The Co-optation of AOC

27:06–34:09 Chomky's Martian

34:09–39:28 How Language Masks Violence

39:28–45:24 Rationalizing Atrocity

45:24–56:03 “Are We the Baddies?”

56:03–1:06:15 The Politics of Thrillers

🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership

🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs

🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/

China's mineral dominance: how the West should respond ft. Tobias Gehrke

Money & Macro Talks

Who will do refining for allied supply chains?

The AI-powered Podcast Player