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In this episode of 1Dime Radio, I am joined by political theorist Benjamin Studebaker, a PhD at Cambridge and author of the books "The Chronic Crisis of American Democracy" and "Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies," to break down the Iran-Israel conflict, Zohran Mamdani's surprising NYC mayoral primary victory, and the recent LA protests over immigration.

We also discuss the historic election of Zohran Mamdani—a socialist, Muslim, pro-Palestine candidate who beat AIPAC in the most Jewish city outside of Israel—and why local electoral wins may not translate to broader socialist strategy. The conversation takes a controversial turn as we examine the left's embrace of subsidized childcare, with Benjamin arguing that this merely accommodates capitalism's dissolution of the family.

Timestamps:00:00 Preview: Zohran Mamdani’s Victory03:08 War with Iran, NYC Election, & the LA Protests05:06 Iran-Israel War: What Most People Miss 10:12 The Role of Arab States and Turkey11:37 Why the US May Not Want Regime Change in Iran14:34 Challenges of Regime Change in Iran27:38 Egypt, Turkey, & The Gulf States54:34 Likelihood of Revolutions in the Middle East?01:09:55 Why Russia Dosent Hell Iran01:15:58 A New Era of American Hegemony?01:26:40 The Election of Zohran Mamdani01:31:24 Lessons for The Left01:50:49 Rent Control, Housing Market and the problem with Urban Growth02:09:52 The LA protests: Immigration and Public Perception02:18:34 Childcare and The Decline of The Family02:32:25 The Abundance Movement

In The Backroom segment on Patreon, Benjamin and I talk about Ezra Klein’s “abundance” movement. Become a Patron and get access to 65 exclusive podcast episodes at Patreon.com/OneDime if you haven’t already!

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Outro music by Karl Casey.

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021. The Two Great Commands