The concept of the multiverse—the idea that infinite, parallel realities exist with variations on our own world—has captured the imagination of storytellers and audiences alike. Marvel superhero films, the adult cartoon Rick and Morty, and other science fiction narratives explore this concept, offering glimpses of worlds that are both familiar and wildly different from our own. These stories not only entertain but also challenge our understanding of reality, fate, and possibility.
These explorations of the multiverse often reflect the anxieties and hopes of contemporary society. They allow us to imagine different outcomes and explore the consequences of social, political, and scientific change. But what if we imagined a version of our world where the United States had solved its major social problems? What would such a reality look like?
In this alternate version of America, universal healthcare would be a fundamental right, ensuring that no one goes bankrupt over medical bills or struggles to afford basic care. Gun violence, a persistent crisis in our reality, would be managed with reasonable restrictions, prioritizing public safety over unrestricted individual access. Education would be a right, fully funded and accessible to all, removing economic barriers that currently reinforce inequality. Housing would be treated as a necessity rather than a privilege, with solutions in place to end homelessness. The climate change crisis would be addressed with decisive action, shifting away from fossil fuels and investing in sustainable infrastructure. Addiction and mental health services would be integrated into healthcare, viewed with compassion rather than criminalization.
Popular fiction shows us that the multiverse holds infinite possibilities. Perhaps the most radical idea is that, rather than existing only in an alternate dimension, a better world could be built here, if the willpower existed to make it happen. And what’s even stranger is that one doesn’t need a portal gun or magic to experience these alterations of political reality. Other nations on this world have found these solutions that have eluded the United States.
Journalist Natasha Hakimi Zapata has traveled around the world, from Costa Rica to New Zealand, and Estonia to Singapore, uncovering how different countries solve the problems that plague the United States. Through in-depth reporting, including interviews with senior government officials, activists, industry professionals, and the ordinary people affected by their policies, Another World Is Possible examines innovative programs that address public health, social services, climate change, housing, education, addiction, and more.
In each instance Hakimi Zapata provides a clear-eyed assessment of the history, challenges, cost-effectiveness, and real-world impact of these programs. The result is a compelling, frame-shifting account of how we might live differently and create a safer, healthier, more sustainable future.
Guest:
Natasha Hakimi Zapata is an award-winning journalist, university lecturer, and literary translator. Her work has appeared in The Nation, Los Angeles Review of Books, In These Times, Truthdig, Los Angeles Magazine, and elsewhere. She is the former foreign editor of Truthdig and the author of Another World Is Possible: Lessons for America from Around the Globe (The New Press). She lives in London.
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This interview will be recorded on Monday, February 17, 2025.
