Meta Mirror World

The solipsism of social media rests on the false promise of everything being yours: your feed, your network, your friends, customisable and uniquely, ineffably you.

We Must Save the Constitution from Itself

The amendment process exists for a reason, and it’s time to talk about using it.

Swiping Left on MAGA

The thing about a ‘no girls allowed’ treehouse is it doesn’t have any girls in it. 

Now More Than Ever, We Must Resist Trump

Trump does not have a mandate and the stakes of the next four years are too high to pretend otherwise.

Neon Liberalism #10: The Battle for Ottawa

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. The Battle for OttawaPodcast Episode · Neon Liberalism · 01/19/2025 · 50mApple

The Crisis of Democratic Governance

State Democrats have failed to deliver what the American people want.

How Liberalism Uses Jews, and Why It Shouldn’t Do That

It is not healthy to treat Jewish people like an abstracted symbol of liberalism.

Neon Liberalism #9: Why Is Youth Transition So Controversial?

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? Why Is Youth Transition So Controversial?Podcast Episode · Neon Liberalism · 01/13/2025 · 55mApple

Neon Liberalism #8: Will Bluesky Save Us?

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?

Defending Democracy When Voters Make Bad Choices

It is precisely when the largest bloc of voters has chosen poorly that we need democracy the most.

Neon Liberalism #7: Can HTS Land the Plane?

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

Misinformation Against Trans Healthcare

In the past year alone, at least 500 anti-trans bills have been proposed or implemented throughout the US, in every state. Papers like the New York Times routinely publish articles casting doubt on the efficacy of trans healthcare, often by claiming countries like Sweden, Finland, and the UK are reconsidering

The Bellicose Stance of the State

The incoming "America First" coalition is likely to put the United States in greater, not less, risk of conflict. 

The Biopolitics of Youth Transition

Youth transition is a central pillar of trans rights.

America's Paths to Personalism

The three primary risk vectors of the second Trump administration.

Identity Politics Is Dead—Except For White People

If someone is racist and sexist then they will be inclined to look for reasons not to vote for Harris, and the left did and continues to do an excellent job at providing such reasons.

The Liberal Socialist Canon

A liberal vision with a long tradition.

A Disease of Affluence

Trump's supporters are not motivated by economic anxiety, but by its opposite.

Abandoning Trans Rights Is Not a Path to Victory

While columnists discuss the finer points of trans women in sports, Republicans pursue an authoritarian and punitive regime.

Now Is Not the Time for Moral Flexibility: The Example of John Quincy Adams

We must stand by the principles of the open society, pluralism, freedom, and mutual toleration.

A Practical Program for Resisting a Trump Second Term

How to fight back against the implementation of fascism in America.

An Exercise in Political Imagination: the Day Stephen Bright and Bryan Stevenson Debated William F. Buckley

Bright and Stevenson defended the abolition of capital punishment at a moment when political support for that movement reached its nadir.

Liberalism and the Politics of Joy

A natural companion to the fight against reactionary Christian nationalism.

The Plutocrat-Populist Axis

Why is this alliance such a robust and enduring power bloc?