Current Affairs

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.benjamin0:00-11:16 Why Disruptive Protest Works11:16-14:23 Overcoming the Fear of Public Confrontation14:23-18:36 Making the Human Cost of War Visible18:36-22:52 The Rise and Limits of Today’s Antiwar Movement22:52-25:49 The Myth of Trump as an “Anti-War” President25:49-31:53 NATO’s Role in the Ukraine War31:53-34:54 Is There a Real Anti-War Right?34:54-37:56 Why Democrats Lag Public Anti-War Opinion37:56-40:16 What Keeps People Fighting Back40:16-47:33 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/

How can someone so delusional attract an audience of millions? What does it say about us that Owens is listened to by anyone other than a psychiatrist?🧿 Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/candace-owens-and-the-decay-of-the-american-brain🦩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/

Right-wing megadonors flew mayors to an all-expenses-paid summit in New Orleans, where they pushed a policy framework that codified mainstream criticism of Israel as “antisemitic.”📰 Read the article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/a-dark-money-network-is-recruiting-u.s.-mayors-to-criminalize-pro-palestine-speech🦩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/

Nina Turner is a former Ohio State Senator, national co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, and one of the most forceful advocates for working-class politics in the United States. She’s a longtime champion of economic justice and a leading voice in movements for peace and social uplift, including the new Up in Arms campaign challenging the power of the military-industrial complex. Turner joined Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson to discuss why the Democratic Party keeps failing to meet the needs of ordinary people, why insurgent primary challenges are essential to democracy, and how redirecting our vast military spending could transform the lives of millions.🔥 Nina's Twitter: https://x.com/ninaturner🔥 Nina's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninaturnerohio/🔥 Up In Arms Campaign: https://upinarms.life/0:00–11:33 The Democratic Party's Failures11:33–14:57 How Harris Squandered Her Campaign14:57–21:33 Should the Left Primary Hakeem Jeffries?21:33–28:49 Mamdani’s Affordability Blueprint28:49–39:33 The Up in Arms Campaign🦩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/

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/@fantano0:00–7:28 What Right Do Critics Have to Judge Music?7:28–10:34 AI Music and How It Uses Artists’ Work10:34–17:13 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 Lyrics32:29–37:13 Paying Artists Fairly and Why They Should Unionize37:13–40:39 Zohran Mamdani’s Rap Career40:39–44:53 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/