Current Affairs

Current Affairs

A podcast of politics and culture, from the editors of Current Affairs magazine.

  1. 6D AGO

    Gaza, Ukraine, and Why Trump’s "Anti-War" Rhetoric Is a Lie (w/ Medea Benjamin)

    Medea Benjamin is an anti-war activist and one of the co-founders of CODEPINK: Women for Peace. She’s spent decades fighting the American military-industrial complex, organizing protests against the invasion of Iraq in the early 2000s and interrupting speeches by both Barack Obama and Donald Trump. She’s also the co-author, with David Swanson, of NATO: What You Need to Know. She joined Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson to discuss the ongoing push for war, from the Middle East to Venezuela, and how ordinary people can organize and stand against it. 🌸 CODEPINK: https://www.codepink.org/ 🌸 Medea's Twitter: https://x.com/medeabenjamin 🌸 Medea's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/medea.benjamin 0:00-11:16 Why Disruptive Protest Works 11:16-14:23 Overcoming the Fear of Public Confrontation 14:23-18:36 Making the Human Cost of War Visible 18:36-22:52 The Rise and Limits of Today’s Antiwar Movement 22:52-25:49 The Myth of Trump as an “Anti-War” President 25:49-31:53 NATO’s Role in the Ukraine War 31:53-34:54 Is There a Real Anti-War Right? 34:54-37:56 Why Democrats Lag Public Anti-War Opinion 37:56-40:16 What Keeps People Fighting Back 40:16-47:33 Why Americans Must Confront Their Own Government’s Crimes 🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership 🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs 🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/

    47 min
  2. DEC 5

    Anthony Fantano on the Exploitative Music Industry and Zohran's Rap Career

    Anthony Fantano is the biggest music critic on YouTube, and the self-described “internet’s busiest music nerd.” The New York Times calls him “The Only Music Critic Who Matters (if You’re Under 25),” and his show The Needle Drop has over 3 million subscribers. Fantano is known for his provocative takes, like “AI Music is Evil” and “Taylor Swift is a Coward.” He joined Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson and associate editor Alex Skopic to talk about the state of the music industry, how streaming platforms exploit artists, and whether Zohran Mamdani should rap again. 🎹 The Needle Drop: https://www.youtube.com/theneedledrop 🎹 Fantano: https://www.youtube.com/@fantano 0:00–7:28 What Right Do Critics Have to Judge Music? 7:28–10:34 AI Music and How It Uses Artists’ Work 10:34–17:13 Why So Much Music in 2025 Feels “Mid” 17:13–23:58 Have Music Critics Become Too Nice? 23:58–32:29 Censorship, Algorithms, and Political Lyrics 32:29–37:13 Paying Artists Fairly and Why They Should Unionize 37:13–40:39 Zohran Mamdani’s Rap Career 40:39–44:53 Underrated Artists Fantano Recommends 🦩SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT AFFAIRS MAGAZINE: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership 🦩 PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/CurrentAffairs 🦩THE MYTH OF AMERICAN IDEALISM: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/

    45 min

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A podcast of politics and culture, from the editors of Current Affairs magazine.

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