logo

21 February 2026

logo

Bill Scher (Washington Monthly) and Matt K. Lewis (The Daily Beast, MattLewis.org)

On The DMZ, Bill and Matt discuss the intra-conservative battle over Ted Cruz’s attempt to defund Obamacare. Matt says the conservative rank and file is being manipulated and misled. Is a government shutdown imminent? Matt argues that the GOP is stuck with a message that appeals to its base, but not to the media or the larger public. Bill explains how John Boehner could make an unorthodox play for greatness. Turning to foreign policy, Bill touts the importance of Obama’s address to the UN. Has the president pursued a consistent foreign policy vision? Plus: Why “taking the fight to Obama” may be a poor political strategy for Republicans.

Play entire video
Recorded:Sep 25    Posted:Sep 25, 2013
Download:
mp3
The DMZ | Sep 25, 2013 | Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Is Anthropic Misanthropic?

playvideo screenshot

Holly Elmore, executive director of PauseAI US, makes the case for naming and shaming people who are fueling an AI race whose perils they understand

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The AI Apocalypse Cometh?

playvideo screenshot

Robert Wright and Paul Bloom discuss whether reports of AI acceleration are greatly exaggerated—and what’s at stake if they’re not. Plus, in Overtime: Bob’s Epstein files cameos and Paul’s big news.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Agency, AI, and the MAGA Impulse

playvideo screenshot

Nikita Petrov argues MAGA and similar movements are collective responses to a felt lack of agency. Robert Wright warns AI is about to make that feeling universal. Plus: Spanish rituals as a survival model, the “Claude Code hangover,” and Bob’s case for slowing AI development down.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Is the Singularity Near?

playvideo screenshot

Robert Wright and Timothy B. Lee, author of the Understanding AI newsletter, discuss recent AI developments (more autonomous agents, more automated coding in the labs, Moltbook, etc.) that have fostered a sense that things are speeding up.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Meaning of Moltbook

playvideo screenshot

Psychologist and Small Potatoes EIC Paul Bloom joins Robert Wright to discuss the Moltbook phenomenon, the latest Epstein Files release, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Grand Unified Theory of MAGA

playvideo screenshot

Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov discuss whether MAGA can be seen as a coherent global phenomenon. Plus: The paradox of international nationalism; Burkean conservatism vs. Silicon Valley libertarianism; and the crumbling rules-based order.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Case Against AI

playvideo screenshot

Alex Hanna and Emily Bender, co-authors of the book The AI Con, join Robert Wright to discuss and debate AI—including whether LLMs are more than “stochastic parrots” (a term Emily coined), AI’s present and future impact on society, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

New World Disorder

playvideo screenshot

Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner of the American Prestige podcast join NonZero’s Robert Wright to discuss Trump’s latest foreign policy eruptions.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

AI After Us

playvideo screenshot

Robert Wright and Daniel Faggella, host of the podcast The Trajectory, discuss the fate of humankind in a world of increasingly powerful AI—including the “succession” scenario.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Past and Future of Digital Media

playvideo screenshot

Robert Wright talks with Mike Pesca, host of the long-running daily podcast The Gist, about new technological challenges to independent journalists and the perils of opining on Israel.