Samantha Hancox-Li

editorschat

The Editors' Chat #5

This month we discuss whether Trump administration actions are "distractions," the idea of a "reactionary centrist," the effect of bad government statistics, and more.

neonliberalism

Neon Liberalism #38: What Is Liberal Currents?

People find us hard to categorize: are we emphatic liberals? Radical leftists? Crypto-libertarian infiltrators? Join Samantha and Liberal Currents editor-in-chief Adam Gurri as they discuss what it means to be a home for mere liberalism, the foundational principles of the liberal project, and how to be a liberal who means

The Liberal Currents Canon, or Some Good Books

From time to time we get asked for recommended reading. The topics vary, but given the nature of Liberal Currents there are certainly recurring themes. By the same token, there are a few books that a number of us have read and talked about together, and are relatively well known

neonliberalism

Neon Liberalism #37: The Authoritarian Logic of Child Abuse

Join Samantha and guest Talia Lavin, author of Culture Warlords and Wild Faith, as they discuss Donald Trump's connections with Jeffrey Epstein, the broader problem of child sexual abuse among Republicans, and how this connects with their vision of a family and a nation dominated by authoritarian, unaccountable

neonliberalism

Neon Liberalism #36: Strange Bedfellows

In recent years, a number of prominent right-wingers have moved left dramatically. In particular, a surprising number of libertarians have abandoned their "fusionist" association with the Republican Party, and become more closely affiliated with the progressive movement. How did this happen? What was fusionism and why did it

editorschat

The Editors' Chat #4

We discuss Tesla, the courts as an impediment to Trump, Epstein, and more.

We Need to Talk About Pedocon Theory

The connection between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein is no accident, but reveals a deep logic at the heart of reactionary politics.

neonliberalism

Neon Liberalism #35: Tell Me a Story

Join Samantha and author Robert Jackson Bennett as they discuss the power of fiction to shape politics, from 20th-century detective fiction to modern-day QAnon. Along the way they discuss the fiscal-military state, the meaning of liberal society, and why it matters that conservatives have fun engaging with conservative narratives. Neon

neonliberalism

Neon Liberalism #34: Are Liberals Losing the Culture War?

Andrew Breitbart argued long ago that "politics is downstream of culture." Is that true? Is there such a thing as liberal culture? Has Trump II revealed its apparent dominance to be hollow? Or is the death of liberalism overwrought? Join Samantha and guest Alex Lefebvre, author of Liberalism

neonliberalism

Neon Liberalism #33: What Is America?

According to Vice President Vance, America is not an idea: America is a nation. A people. And there are some here who don't belong. Join Samantha and guest Guillaume Attia as they discuss the contrast between America as a nation and America as an idea, the philosophical foundations

neonliberalism

Neon Liberalism #32: A New Nuclear Age

Since the end of the Cold War, it's been easy to see nuclear competition as a thing of the past. As the dust settles over Iran—as Russia rattles the nuclear saber in Ukraine—it's increasingly clear that the question of nuclear weapons has been re-opened.

editorschat

The Editors' Chat #3

We discuss Mamdani, trade-offs, empathy, internationalism, and the post-Nazi transition.