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Caitlin and Trent catch up with historian and former journalist John Ghazvinian to discuss the state of Iran, its past, present and future, how that has historically intersected with the United States dating back nearly 300 years, why trust is so important in international relations, the JCPOA, the Trump era,
How mystics and transhumanists force the dead to speak on behalf of their politics.
The precedents for the violence and overt use of state power we are now experiencing can be found in the 1910s and 1920s rather than the 1930s and 1940s.
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Caitlin and Trent speak with Jared Holt and Michael Edison Hayden about the infamous right-wing "busybody journalist" Andy Ngo, his work demonizing Muslim immigrants in grad school, and his transition to online political influencer and professional victim with "The Post Millennial" as its editor-at-large. Half the
As the Trump administration seeks to erase the history of Black achievements, we must ensure that figures like Hazel Scott are not forgotten.
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Trent and Caitlin are joined by Layla al-Sheikh to discuss that Israel deal and the history of past proposals and solutions. Half the Answer can be heard on Spotify, on Apple, on YouTube, on Amazon, and elsewhere via its RSS feed. Resources: Current updates https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/
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If you remember anything from high school civics, it's the phrases "separation of powers" and "checks and balances." That separation and those checks are under the greatest attack we've seen in our lifetimes. But why does that matter? How does it affect
Liberal Currents publishes writers of diverse perspectives who share an unflinching commitment to freedom, pluralism, and democracy, in opposition to authoritarianism at home and around the world.
Billionaire money has become a source of wildly distorted political power that allows a few men with extremist views to wreak havoc on the rest of us.
Christopher Mathias, author of "To Catch a Fascist," speaks to Caitlin and Trent about the events of 2020, clashes between violent fascist clubs and "community defense" groups. They discuss misconceptions about what "antifa" is and what kinds of activities they are engaged in, the
Our language has to meet the moment, and we have to be relentless about dispelling the fiction MAGA is selling.
Trent and Caitlin talk with journalist Jacqueline Sweet about how violence is framed in media as political, the rush to score points for one side or the other, inconsistent standards for free speech and freedom of the press, and the scammy nature of our president and his public statements. Half
Charlie Kirk, the shutdown, mass deportation and militarization, and more.
Samantha and Lucian Staiano-Daniels, author of "The War People," discuss the connection between liberalism and toleration and the dark history of religious civil war. How did the European Wars of Religion give birth to our concept of toleration? And is this history enough reason today to embrace toleration?
We have exited a long period of peace and entered into a struggle not unlike war, in which all the old certainties have gone malleable and the future of the republic is at stake.
Trent and Caitlin speak with Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider about their recent book The Education Wars: A Citizen’s Guide and Defense Manual. They discuss the faulty beliefs and logics that lead us to think about education as a tool for achievement and competition rather than a service provided
Trump and Hegseth are cultivating a military that sees liberals and minorities as enemies to be fought and is willing to follow orders to do so.
Trent and Caitlin talk with political science professor Matt McManus about far-right thinkers and their journey through the past two decades. He regales the HTA audience with nuggets of wisdom from Charlie Kirk's books and other pieces of right-wing political theory he has reviewed. Half the Answer can
As the right begins to revise their view of Hitler, we must revive the example Churchill set in that era.
Samantha and fellow Liberal Currents editor Jason Briggeman discuss the economics of liberal democracy, starting from the basic question "why are all the rich countries liberal democracies?" Did liberal democracy cause the Industrial Revolution? What is the role of imperialism in the modern economy? And perhaps most importantly: