Neon Liberalism

Tariffs were central to mercantilist economic policy—deployed to generate funding for government, protection for industries, or pain for enemies. But can or will tariffs be put to a genuinely public-spirited use for today's United States? Samantha, Jason, and guest Maia Mindel talk about purposes and consequences of the Trump administration's proposed tariffs.

Trump II is upon us, and the administration has already taken aim to reduce citizenship rights and deport immigrants, despite the longstanding truth that arguments against immigration don't hold much water. Liberal Currents associate editor Paul Crider joins Samantha and Jason to describe the new Republican restrictionism and to give some of those arguments another drubbing.

Is Donald Trump going to give Americans an education in war on the homefront? Samantha, Jason, and guest Matthew Downhour evaluate new challenges to the liberal international order and assess the incoming administration's taste for territorial aggrandizement.

Samantha, Jason, and guest Vikas Valiveti talk the science, politics, and ethics of youth transition. Spoiler: there are a lot of people spreading lies about trans healthcare. What don't they want you to know?

Social media powered the Arab Spring, the George Floyd protests, and (seemingly) much of our politics for the last decade. Since Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter, many liberals have hoped that Bluesky might become what Twitter once was. But is social media really always a tool of progress? Or is it more like radioactive waste, invisibly poisoning our minds and politics? Join Samantha, Jason, and guest Katherine Cross to discuss the nature of social media and whether Bluesky will save us.

Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham has dislodged the regime of Bashar al-Assad after a lightning offensive, raising new hopes for Syria's future. Having won on the battlefield, can HTS implant a successful government in Damascus? Liberal Currents contributing editor Matthew Downhour joins Samantha and Jason to talk about war, autocracy, and democracy.

Are we living through a crisis in gender relations? Maia Mindel joins Samantha and Jason to talk about abortion bans, trans rights, MeToo, "male loneliness," declining birthrates, and most of all the decline of the patriarchal bargain and what might replace it.

Samantha and Jason talk about ghost guns, CEO killings, and the place of political violence in the repertoire of contention.

What makes for a successful coup, and wouldn't South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol like to know? Adam Gurri joins Samantha and Jason to talk about one of the biggest stories of the week, and whether America is on the path to a personalist dictatorship.

Join Samantha and Jason as they discuss the resurgence of economic populism, the breakdown of the dreaded "neoliberal consensus," and whether populism itself is just a vibe.