Conversation with Nikos Sotirakopoulos -- Socialists of the Right | Yaron Brook Show

📺  Live December 29, 2025 @ 3 PM ET | Yaron Brook Show
Conversation with Nikos Sotirakopoulos -- Socialists of the Right | Yaron Brook Show

Socialists of the Right: How the “New Right” Abandoned Liberty for Power, Tribalism, and Control

The political spectrum is breaking down—and something dangerous is rising in its place.

In this year-end powerhouse conversation, Yaron Brook is joined by Nikos Sotirakopoulos (Ayn Rand Institute Visiting Fellow, ARU instructor) to dissect one of the most misunderstood trends in modern politics: the rise of “right-wing socialism.”

From Tucker Carlson’s transformation and the collapse of classical liberalism, to nationalism, religion, aesthetics, conspiracy culture, and the growing alliance between the populist Left and the collectivist Right—this episode exposes how tribalism is replacing reason across the political landscape.
Is the “New Right” actually conservative—or just another flavor of socialism?

Why are freedom, individualism, and capitalism being sacrificed for tradition, power, and identity?

And is there any political force left that still defends individual rights?

This is a wide-ranging, provocative, and unapologetically philosophical discussion—with nearly two hours of sharp audience Q&A touching everything from Objectivism, religion, art, fascism, China, war, space capitalism, and the future of Western civilization.

🔎 More on Nikos: https://ari.aynrand.org/experts/nikos-sotirakopoulos/

👇 Jump to key moments below and join the fight for reason.
📺 Watch the full episode: https://youtube.com/live/4qmruHOwq10

⏱️ Timestamps – Main Discussion
0:00 Introduction & welcome
0:52 Nikos joins from Greece
1:42 *2025* in review: ideological shifts & pivotal events
2:01 Far Left vs Far Right: same collectivism, different aesthetics
2:58 White nationalism & identity politics
6:59 Milo Yiannopoulos, Richard Spencer & the New Right ecosystem
7:52 Tucker Carlson’s transformation & audience manipulation
13:21 Conspiracy theories, COVID & intellectual collapse
16:37 European right-wing movements & national conservatism
20:56 Abandoning classical liberalism for tradition
24:08 Freedom, fascism & historical amnesia
30:03 Integralists, national conservatives & American Christianity
36:23 Aesthetics, art & the psychology of political power
40:58 Skepticism & the future of classical liberalism
44:58 Europe’s New Right vs the populist Left
53:07 Reasons for optimism: positive global trends

🎙️ Audience Questions (Highlights)
59:41 Is modern socialism symbolic rather than economic? (San Francisco & homelessness)
1:05:23 Does Nikos read fiction—and what shapes his thinking?
1:12:51 Jesus, Socrates & hostile tribal attacks 😜
1:15:55 Is the New Right self-defeating due to irrationality?
1:20:34 From nihilism to Rand: art, music & sense of life
1:28:16 Replacing “helping” with “creating” in moral philosophy
1:31:43 If both parties are socialist, who defends rights?
1:36:09 Would a moon colony be more capitalist than Earth?
1:38:46 Has October 7 strengthened religion in Israel?
1:44:08 Is the U.S. nearly as corrupt as China?
1:49:29 Who in the U.S. today fits the definition of fascism?
1:56:15 Warfare, altruism & Objectivism
2:01:47 Meaningful work: fulfillment beyond elite careers
2:09:40 Is Nikos optimistic about Objectivism’s cultural future?
2:12:59 What we can still learn from Ayn Rand

👉 Don’t miss this timely and high-level conversation with Nikos Sotirakopoulos -- and stay tuned for a principled defense of capitalism and economic liberty.
📌 Tune in now for sharp analysis and bold ideas!  
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 #fascism #conservatism #democraticsocialism #selfishness #egoism #capitalism #philosophy #Morality ​#Objectivism​ #AynRand #politicslk #NewRight #RightWingSocialism #ClassicalLiberalism #Populism #WesternCivilization


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Yaron is the executive chairman of the Ayn Rand Institute and a world class speaker. He is the coauthor of the national best-seller Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government, Equal is Unfair: America's Misguided Fight Against Income Inequality and In Pursuit of Wealth: The Moral Case for Finance. He speaks around the world on a variety of topics including the morality of capitalism, Ayn Rand and her philosophy, finance and economics, and the value of inequality.