A discussion with The Nation's Bhaskar Sunkara centers on socialism, democratic socialism, and how different historical models have worked or failed, with the speaker contrasting Soviet-style command economies, Nordic social democracy, and worker cooperatives as possible foundations for a modern socialist model. It then turns to New York City politics and Zohran Mamdani’s approach, arguing that his appeal comes not just from policy proposals like free child care, rent freezes, and free buses, but from the way he ties them to a clear narrative about affordability and working people. The conversation also touches on the difficulty Democratic politicians have often had in communicating policy wins, the influence of money and lobbying in politics, especially from tech and real estate interests, and the need for stronger regulation of technology and harmful online advertising. Later, the show shifts to a critique of GOP strategy and right-wing figures like Christopher Rufo and Benny Johnson, warning about racist scapegoating, post-election hardline moves on abortion, voting rights, and foreign policy, and ending with commentary on the political damage caused by images like Vivek Ramaswamy dropping his child during a campaign appearance.Subscribe to Fast Politics and listen 4x a week for interviews just like this on your favorite podcast app: https://episodes.fm/1645614328