Neon Liberalism

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?

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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?

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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/

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!

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/

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.

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/

Why did JD Vance personally campaign for the former Hungarian prime minister, Victor Orban? Why did his comprehensive defeat by a former member of his own party, Peter Magyar, garner such attention from the American press?

Because, according to Greg Sargent, Orban has for the last sixteen years served as the vanguard of the authoritarian internationale, leading and organizing would-be autocrats across the West. How did he lose, and what does that mean for the American struggle against authoritarianism?

Greg Sargent, staff writer at the New Republic and host of their Daily Blast podcast, and author of https://newrepublic.com/article/209001/trump-orban-hungary-defeat-humiliation-beginning

On April 2, 2025, Donald Trump announced "Liberation Day" tariffs which, according to him, would fix the trade deficit and bring American manufacturing roaring back.

One year on, Samantha and economic analyst Joey Politano dig in to what actually happened. Manufacturing is down, the deficit is barely changed, fake "deals" have been signed--and, according to Joey, the heads of many of America's largest and most influential corporations have exposed themselves to criminal liability for bribes, corruption, and insider trading.

Join us as we explain the tariff chaos, why it didn't cause an economic apocalypse, and what is really going on behind the scenes.

Last month, Donald Trump started a war—or perhaps a special military operation—with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Join Samantha and military historian Bret Devereaux as they discuss the "uncomfortable frontier arrangement" that previously existed with Iran, why Donald Trump blew it up, and what—maybe—the future holds (spoiler: a mess).