The @curaffairs podcast is a Treasure Trove of political theory, analysis, and humor. I can't recommend it enough.

**And it's slowly turning me into a socialist.

**I formerly thought of myself as a "social democrat", if anything, but am now unsure. (I still think, however, these labels are meaningless in comparison to our daily actions, including our voting habits and consumption choices.)

I think the "socialist ethic," as @NathanJRobinson describes it, is undeniable. We should want equality of opportunity and social rights for all people, regardless of where they were born. This to me is obvious. However things get murkier when describing socialism-in-action.

But that's exactly where I've found @curaffairs to be so enlightening. Because I didn't realize there is such a vibrant debate amongst "socialists" as to what socialism constitutes in the first place. This was my fault; I had conflated Marxism with Socialism.

(Then again, was it JUST my fault? Why does the Jacobin focus, ad nauseam, on the Russian revolution? And why do so many socialists cling to Marxist theory like it's prophecy? Marx was a great sociologist. But the world's far more than just a struggle between labor and capital...

...and he was writing in the late 1800s. The world's changed. So should our understanding of it.) But I digress. The point is I'm seriously wondering: am I S? Maybe Nathan's new book, which I can't wait to read, will get me there. Maybe digging through the Podcast archive will.

Or maybe not.

Does it even matter? No, not really. I'll keep eating plants and voting my conscience. I'm not a prominent person in society. This thread will go unread, unliked, unnoticed. Maybe my wife will tease me about it.

Wait what was I saying...?

Ah, yes, the Real Point: I already knew the @curaffairs magazine was great (I subscribed a few months ago), but now I know the Podcast is also EXCELLENT.

P.S. I was giddy when I heard ON THE POD about the contributors who couldn't **fully** enjoy enjoyable moments/situations because of just how shitty the world is... there's a Zen to that I haven't figured out yet.

But knowing that struggle is shared brings me some inner peace.

Correction: just how the shitty the world CAN BE...