Expertly-curated progressive politics, news, and culture produced by leftist humans, not algorithms or AI. This is an award-winning podcast that dives deeply into a wide range of national and international issues facing society and governments. We draw from hundreds of sources of progressive news and commentary. Est. 2006. Save time by listening to a range of perspectives on a focused topic in each episode and be introduced to new sources you will not have come across on your own!
Listeners of Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy that love the show mention: young turks, progressive talk, progressive news, counterspin, rachel maddow, front page, jay does a great job, thanks jay, thank you jay, progressive podcasts, collects, tomlinson, stephen colbert, lee camp, best of the left podcast, aggregation, citizen radio, brings together, compiling, culling.
The Best of the Left - Progressive Politics and Culture, Curated by a Human podcast is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to expand their understanding of current events and progressive ideas. With great content, diverse voices, and excellent curation by Jay, this podcast offers a unique perspective that is often missing from traditional news outlets. It features wonderful music and covers a wide range of topics that are both interesting and relevant. The show provides valuable insights that help listeners navigate the chaos happening around them.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is its ability to bring together various voices that are not typically heard on TV or in daily news coverage. It offers a platform for marginalized voices and amplifies the perspectives of those who are often excluded from mainstream media. This diversity of voices helps provide a more comprehensive understanding of complex issues.
Another standout feature is the strong curation by Jay and his team. They carefully select the best content from across the progressive pod-universe and present it in one place. This saves listeners time and effort in searching for information themselves. The episodes are well-organized around specific themes or topics, allowing for deep dives into important subjects.
While there are many positive aspects to this podcast, one potential downside is its length. Episodes can be quite long, usually around 90 minutes, which may be too much for some listeners to commit to on a regular basis. However, considering the amount of valuable information presented in each episode, it can be seen as a worthwhile trade-off.
In conclusion, The Best of the Left - Progressive Politics and Culture, Curated by a Human podcast is an exceptional resource for anyone seeking diverse perspectives on current events and progressive ideas. Its great content, wonderful music, and strong curation make it stand out among other podcasts in similar genres. While it may require a time commitment due to its length, the wealth of insights provided make it well worth it. Overall, this podcast serves as an invaluable tool for understanding the world around us and encourages critical thinking and informed discussions.
Air Date: 5-21-2025 A popular MAGA refrain is, "promises made, promises kept." The key is having known which promises to take seriously. Weaponizing the government against his enemies and attempting to wield dictatorial power, sure. Benefit his supporters or the working class more broadly, or rid the government of waste, fraud, or corruption... not so much. Direct Download BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: 100 Perfect Days - Pod Save America - Air Date 4-29-25 KP 2: 100 Daze of Trump's 'Fascist Death Spiral' with Heather Digby Parton of Salon, 'Driftglass' of 'Pro Left Podcast' - The BradCast - Air Date 4-30-25 KP 3: There is no president, really - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 4-26-25 KP 4: 100 days of payback - Today, Explained - Air Date 4-29-25 KP 5: Trump Is Losing A Lot In Court. Plus, the First Episode of The Divided Dial (S2). - On The Media - Air Date 5-9-25 KP 6: 100 Days of Hypocrisy - Main Justice - Air Date 4-29-25 KP 7: A Trumped Up Police State Is Coming Part 1 - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 5-8-25 KP 8: 100 Days of Chaos Skye Perryman - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-1-25 (52:39) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the upcoming No Kings protest on June 14 DEEPER DIVES (57:36) SECTION A: EXECUTIVE POWER (1:35:05) SECTION B: IMMIGRATION & FORCE (1:58:20) SECTION C: INCOMPETENCY AND SELF ENRICHMENT (2:40:49) SECTION D: RESISTANCE SHOW IMAGE CREDITS for #1711 - Trump 100 days Description: Black and white photo of Trump at a podium at the White House looking stern, with a policeman standing behind him. Credit: “P20250519JB-0425P20250519JB-0425” by The White House, Flickr | Government work, Public Domain Produced by Jay! Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Air Date: 5-19-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin was on vacation) discuss: The origins of and problems with “the one way” Christian mindset Why Finland's happiest country title and happiness itself are terribly misunderstood by Americans How our globalized world is messing with perceptions of our cultural similarities and differences The link between genocides, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories Naomi Klein's analysis on the problems with how we talk about the Holocaust How we get back to humanization and recognizing our core similarities as beings floating on a rock in space Some Finnish wisdom that encapsulates life, the universe, and everything FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube REFERENCES: My Miserable Week in the Happiest Country on Earth - The New York Times Doppelgänger by Naomi Klein (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!) The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!) A Wilder Shore: The Romantic Odyssey of Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson by Camille Peri (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!) “Pale Blue Dot” - An excerpt from Carl Sagan's book “Pale Blue Dot” (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!) SOLVED! SONG! “Pale Blue Dot” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. TAKE ACTION: June 14th - “No Kings” Nationwide Day of Action Join our Discord Server Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 5/18/2025 The full quote from today's title is from one of the most celebrated writers of Southern American literature, William Faulkner, who said, "The past is never dead. It's not even past. All of us labor in webs spun long before we were born, webs of heredity and environment, of desire and consequence, of history and eternity.” The new film, Sinners, set in the Jim Crow South, attempts to take on some of the subjects that make up that web of history and consequence. The theme of today's episode is an attempt to dig into many of the subjects of the film. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Sinners: Director Ryan Coogler on His Latest Hit, Delta Blues, His Mississippi Roots & Vampires Part 1 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-25-25 KP 2: Sinners and the General State of Things - The Morbid Zoo - Air Date 5-10-25 KP 3: Western Christianity and White Supremacy Part 1 - Meant For This - Air Date 3-23-22 KP 4: How Do You Put A Price On America's Original Sin? - Consider This - Air Date 3-27-23 KP 5: Storm and Stress: Jim Crow America Part 1 - History is US - Air Date 6-5-22 KP 6: Trump's first 100 days, but it's just the racism - Garrison Hayes - Air Date 5-2-25 (48:29) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how to talk about the interplay between economics and identity politics DEEPER DIVES (57:48) SECTION A: CHRISTIANITY (1:33:29) SECTION B: RACE (2:18:56) SECTION C: CULTURE SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Portion of the 1830s painting “Slave Market” (Brazil) depicting two white men discussing the sale of enslaved, black Brazilian men with a church with steeple and cross in the background and the iconography of the Virgin Mary on the wall above. Credit: “Slave Market” by Johann Moritz Rugendas, New York Public Library Digital Collections | Copyright status undetermined by NYPL | Changes: Cropped with increased contrast and brightness Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Original Air Date 6/4/2022 Today we take a look at some of the obvious steps we need to take to reduce gun violence in the United States, debunk some of the favored propaganda supporting unfettered gun ownership and explore the origins of how Gun Culture™ was invented by corporations as the frontier era need for guns began to vanish pushing them to convert guns from tools that were needed but not loved into items that were loved though no longer needed. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Igor Volsky on Ending Gun Violence - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-27-22 Ch. 2: NRA's "Good Guy With A Gun" Theory Failed In Real Time In Uvalde - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-27-22 Ch. 3: Jordan Klepper Debunks The "Good Guy with a Gun" Argument - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-11-15 Ch. 4: The Second Amendment Isn't About Killing Politicians or Overthrowing Democracy - The Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 5-31-22 Ch. 5: Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger speaking to Charlayne Hunter-Gault - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 12-16-1991 Ch. 6: How the Gun Industry Used Marketing to Change a Culture - Letters and Politics - Air Date 8-7-19 Ch. 7: Mass Shootings: American Exceptionalism of the Worst Kind - Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman - Air Date 5-26-22 SHOW IMAGE: Description: A pencil sketch of a larger-than-life hand gun on the shoulders of a weary man, in the image of Jesus carrying the cross. He stands in a pool of red blood. Credit: “Gun Culture” by Christopher Dombres, Flickr | Public Domain | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Original Air Date 5/24/2019 As the neoliberal order collapses from the pressure of its failures to provide for working people, we take a look at the much-maligned, rarely-understood field of economic and social study known as Marxism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Contributions of Karl Marx Part 1 - Economic Update - Air Date 5-25-18 Professor Wolff takes a deeper look at the life and work of Karl Marx in celebration of the 200th anniversary of his birth. Ch. 2: Marxism Today - Analysis - Air Date 6-19-16 Robin who was a BBC reporter for 25 years thinks Marx was always in the background discourse of politics, an influence he partly feared and didn't fully understand. He takes a walk through central London in the footsteps of the great revolutionary. Ch. 3: David Harvey on Marx, Capital, and the Madness of Economic Reason - Left Out - Air Date 11-5-17 David Harvey is arguably the most influential living geographer, as well as one of the world's leading Marxist scholars. He is among the most cited intellectuals of all time across the humanities and social sciences. Ch. 4: This Ruthless Criticism of All That Exists Marxism as Science - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 2-2-19 J. Moufawad-Paul, a Marxist philosopher and author of "Continuity and Rupture", "The Communist Necessity", and "Austerity Apparatus", joins Breht to discuss his most recent essay "This Ruthless Criticism of All That Exists: Marxism as Science". Ch. 5: Erosion of Consumer Choices - David Harvey's Anti-Capitalist Chronicles - Air Date 4-24-19 Prof. Harvey discusses Marx's theory of Capital and its relevance today. Consumers have less and less autonomy. Their choices, even how they will spend their leisure time, are increasingly influenced by capitalists. Ch. 6: The Contributions of Karl Marx Part 2 - Economic Update - Air Date 5-25-18 Professor Wolff takes a deeper look at the life and work of Karl Marx in celebration of the 200th anniversary of his birth. Produced by Jay! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 5/6/2025 The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we look at government surveillance overreach, challenges facing immigrant and refugee communities, the shifting landscape of American culture brought on by Christian Nationalism and the emerging broligarchy, and grassroots movements challenging institutional power. Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) PART 1: GOVERNMENT POWER & ITS MISUSE #1697 The Trump World Order: Are we the Baddies? (00:27:13) #1699 A Government Of the People, By the People, and Weaponized Against the People (00:41:10) #1704 Weaponization and Capitulation: Trump vs Immigrants, Universities, and Media (01:05:30) #1706 Trump's Kafkaesque Deportation Nightmare is the Shame of the Nation PART 2: VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES & CIVIL RIGHTS (01:29:29) #1700 Dehumanizing Trans People is Always the First Step for Fascists (01:49:55) #1705 Threatened Social Safety Nets Are Foundational to Healthy Societies PART 3: CULTURAL & SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION (02:03:47) #1702 Destroying Education, Boosting Christian Nationalism: Rewriting the Past and Hamstringing the Future (02:24:21) #1703 The Broligarchy and the Rise of Techno-Feudalism PART 4: OPPOSITION & RESISTANCE (02:39:54) #1698 Resistance is Not Futile: Support the collective revolt against Trumpism (Special Podcasthon!) (02:53:32) #1701 Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: Installing the Backbone Democrats Need Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date: 5-5-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin continue our discussion on masculinity and dive into: - The dangers of the online obsession with Patrick Bateman from American Psycho - John Adams' famous quote that could give some insight into today's incels - The Matt Walsh/Megan Kelly skirmish that exposes Walsh's siloed world-view - A small but interesting group of former Trumpers who seem to have woken up to the bullshit of traditional gender roles - The studies that show women have better sex under socialism - SOLVED! SONG! “Love's Not a Game” (Directly inspired by this episode!) FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram YouTube REFERENCES: Sigma grindset: TikTok's toxic worshipping of Patrick Bateman is another sign young men are lost - GQ Magazine John Adams Writes to Abigail: ‘I must study politicks and war' Megyn Kelly Rebukes Matt Walsh for Saying Women Should Be ‘Traditionally Feminine': Men Find Working Wives ‘Smokin Hot' - Mediaite Daily Wire's Matt Walsh: “Men are generally not attracted to ambitious career-driven women” - Media Matters The Vibe Shifts Against the Right - The New York Times Why Women Had Better Sex Under Socialism - The New York Times (August 2017) SOLVED! SONG! “Love's Not a Game” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #8: Part 2 EXTRAS “The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity and Love” by bell hooks (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!) Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Air Date 5/2/2025 We're taking the passing of Pope Francis as an opportunity to explore the deeper political implications of the extremist, rightward turn for some in the Catholic Church, including many recent converts. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Why Pope Francis successor could have great influence on U.S. politics - MSNBC Reports - Air Date 4-23-25 KP 2: Trump Purges Military Leaders And Angela Denker On The Radicalization Of White Men - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 2-25-25 KP 3: The Meaning of Pope Francis - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 4-25-25 KP 4: Weekly Roundup The Pope, JD Vance, and Anti-Christian Bias - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 4-25-25 KP 5: Opus Dei A Catholic Cult with Gareth Gore - Free Thought Matters - Air Date 2-20-25 KP 6: To Understand JD Vance, You Need to Meet the TheoBros - Mother Jones - Air Date 10-2-24 KP 7: The Radical Catholic Right from Paul Weyrich to JD Vance Part 1 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 9-23-24 (53:23) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the benefits of democracy DEEPER DIVES (1:04:00) SECTION A: THE POPE (1:22:49) SECTION B: IN POLICY (1:43:34) SECTION C: POST-LIBERAL CATHOLICS (2:17:50) SECTION D: MEN SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite image. Showing a disgruntled looking JD Vance looking toward an image of Pope Francis smiling while blessing a child in a crowd. A quote in a box says “What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly, and will end badly.” Credit: Design by A. Hoffman | Components: “JD Vance” Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, used in composite | “Blessing of children pope” by ansehen, Pixabay | License: Pixabay Produced by Jay! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Air Date 4/29/2025 The economic and political fallout of Trump's misguided tariffs, exposing his self-proclaimed deal-making prowess as a fraud and his grasp of the relevant issues to be childlike at best. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The Lost History of Trump's Tariff War Part 1 - Lever Time - Air Date 4-4-25 KP 2: What we can learn from a past tariff tiff - Make Me Smart - Air Date 2-11-25 KP 3: Who Got Rich? The Trump Tariffs, Explained by MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle - PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT- Air Date 4-11-25 KP 4: From “Liberation Day” to Chaos: Trump Pauses Most Tariffs While Escalating Trade War with China - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-10-25 KP 5: Is Trump (Already) Giving Up On Tariffs? - TLDR News - Air Date 4-25-25 KP 6: The tariffs are just stupid. - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 4-18-25 (00:48:40) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the related topics of masculinity and labor DEEPER DIVES (00:53:39) SECTION A: MOTIVATION (01:17:08) SECTION B: DOMESTIC EFFECT (01:57:28) SECTION C: INTERNATIONAL EFFECT (02:43:36) SECTION D: HISTORY Tariffied: Exposing Trump's Artless Deal Description: Composite image. An illustrated outline of Trump's bust, including hair and suit and tie, with overlapping tariff stamps where the eyes and nose should be, and a wide open mouth with a globe between his teeth. Credit: Design by A. Hoffman | Components License: Pixabay Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date: 4-28-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Why the “manly” manufacturing jobs Trump and MAGA want are never coming back - Why incels love Trump's tariffs - The sad flails of the “Make America Manly Again” movement - The “Sigma grindset” guys' obsession with - and complete misunderstanding of - disturbing fictional movie characters - Cliffhanger! Jay explains our upcoming schedule - SOLVED! SONG! “Blinded” (Directly inspired by this episode!) FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube REFERENCES: Manufacturing jobs are never coming back - Vox The strange link between Trump's tariffs and incel ideology - Vox Trump's Tariff Pause Sets Back the “Make Men Manly Again” Movement - The Nation Sigma grindset: TikTok's toxic worshipping of Patrick Bateman is another sign young men are lost - GQ SOLVED! SONG! “Blinded” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #8: “Part 1: Drowning Men Will Clutch at Straws: Masculinity in a MAGA world” (April 26th) TAKE ACTION: May Day nationwide action - May 1st Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 4/26/2025 For those of us who knew that Trump was lawless and deeply racist in his desire for mass deportations of brown people, we're getting exactly what we expected. For others, at least the lawlessness is coming as a bit of a surprise, and yet, here we are. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Mr. Abrego Garcia - Main Justice - Air Date 4-15-25 KP 2: Dara Lind on Criminalizing Immigrants - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-11-25 KP 3: Are Trump Administration Officials in Criminal Contempt - Strict Scrutiny - Air Date 4-21-25 KP 4: Bukele Goes To Washington w. Roberto Lovato - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-20-25 KP 5: What a photojournalist saw as Venezuelan migrants arrived in El Salvador - 60 Minutes - Air Date 4-6-25 KP 6: Dictator Behind Trump's Notorious El Salvadorian Prison Deportations Wants U.S. Dissents Locked Up - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 4-16-24 KP 7: Trump's Real Plan With El Salvador Revealed - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 4-15-25 KP 8: Sen. Van Hollen on Meeting Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador & Escalating Constitutional Crisis - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-21-25 NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On finding glimmers of hope for the future DEEPER DIVES SECTION A: DEPORTATION PRACTICES SECTION B: VICTIMS OF REGIME SECTION C: VENEZUELA AND EL SALVADOR SECTION D: RESISTANCE SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite image. An illustration of ghost-like man, woman, and child walking into a dark, complex maze with the I.C.E. logo and Trump's mug shot at the entrance. Credit: Design by A. Hoffman | Components License: Pixabay Produced by Jay! Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Air Date 4/22/2025 George W. Bush proposed privatizing Social Security and didn't succeed. But, as with appointing Justices that would eventually overturn Roe V. Wade, groundwork was being laid as part of a multi-decade effort that would, they hoped, pay off in the future. So don't be surprised when they come for your earned benefits programs just as they came for the fundamental right to bodily autonomy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: What few people know about the program that saved America - Meg Jacobs - TED-Ed - Air Date 6-17-21 KP 2: Trump is coming for Social Security. And he has a new 'Big Lie' to justify it. - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-5-25 KP 3: What DOGE could mean for Medicare and Medicaid? - Consider This - Air Date 2-10-25 KP 4: Food banks feel the pain from higher prices and cuts to government programs - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 4-10-25 KP 5: Important HHS services _will grind to a halt_ with cuts, former Secretary Sebelius says - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 4-2-25 KP 6: Trumps Butchering Social Security to Feed His Starving Billionaires w/ Alex Lawson - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 3-12-25 KP 7: 'The federal workforce feels tormented': Federal employees on the consequences of losing their jobs Part 1 - On Point - Air Date 4-1-25 KP 8: INTERVIEW: Tim Faust on Defending Medicaid - The Worst of All Possible Worlds Part 1 - Air Date 3-31-25 (00:51:58) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the false moral arguments for cutting social safety nets DEEPER DIVES (01:02:18) SECTION A: SOCIAL SECURITY (01:51:24) SECTION B: GENERAL CUTS (02:34:52) SECTION C: MEDICAID & HHS SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of a homemade protest sign that says “Hands Off My Social Security” from the Hands Off nationwide rallies. Credit: Private permission photo Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Air Date 4/18/2025 Before the election, I heard interviews and statistics about Trump supporters responding to his stated desire to weaponize the government against his political enemies. Their response was that 1) they didn't want him to do that and 2) didn't think he would. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Free Mahmoud Khalil with Ben Wizner and Baher Azmy - At Liberty - Air Date 3-26-25 KP 2: News Brief Dem Leaders, 'Free Speech' Warriors Mostly Shrug as Trump Disappears Political Dissidents - Citations Needed - Air Date 4-2-25 KP 3: Trump's Revenge - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-1-25 KP 4: Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials - Up First - Air Date 4-10-25 KP 5: Mahmoud Khalil and a New Red Scare. Plus, Press Freedom Under Threat. - On The Media - Air Date 3-14-25 KP 6: Trumps Attacks on Law Firms, Lawyers, and the Law - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 3-20-25 KP 7: Trump and the Courts w Samuel Moyn - Behind the News - Air Date 3-7-25 (00:52:02) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how racism and anti-intellectualism are a self-inflicted injury to society DEEPER DIVES (00:59:09) SECTION A: COMPLYING ENTITIES (01:46:29) SECTION B: GOVERNMENT WEAPONIZATION (03:01:33) SECTION C: JUDGES AND LEGISLATORS Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Air Date 4/14/2025 Everything, it turns out, is a double-edged sword. Democracy and freedom are great but it also contains the keys to its own destruction. Love is pretty good but it turns out that only love can break your heart. And technology, which has freed people from countless hours of menial labor also has the power to subsume our economy, our politics, and much of our everyday lives. It may even be said to have supplanted capitalism itself. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! ACTIVISM ROUNDUP KEY POINTS KP 1: The Broligarchy Pt 2: Is this Techno-Fascism? Part 1 - Close All Tabs - Air Date 4-2-25 KP 2: Capitalism Has Mutated Into Something Worse with Yanis Varoufakis - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 2-7-24 KP 3: How Technofacism is Rooted in Silicon Valley / Becca Lewis Part 1 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 2-11-25 KP 4: We Went To Georgia Facebooks Data Center Took This Town Hostage - More Perfect Union - Air Date 3-27-25 KP 5: The Rise of Techno-Authoritarianism - Radio Atlantic - Air Date 2-26-24 KP 6: What does Palantir actually do? - Good Work - Air Date 3-28-25 (00:52:52) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the faustian bargain of the internet's walled gardens DEEPER DIVES (01:02:20) SECTION A: FALLOUT (01:45:41) SECTION B: ORIGINS (02:10:50) SECTION C: TECH BROS (02:37:42) SECTION D: APARTHEID Technofeudalism Description: A composite image of Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Jeff Bezos wearing tiny golden crowns with dollar signs on them. An illustration of tiny replication of workers at desks in cubicles is in the background. Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Original Air Date: 3/5/2019 From 2019: Today we take a look at how the illiberalism of the Israeli government has alienated the vast majority of democratic nations and individuals who support human rights, leaving the country with some of the most far-right, fascist, white-supremacist, anti-Semitic people in the world as their only remaining allies. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! Show Notes Ch. 1: Peter Beinart on anti-Semitism in America and illiberalism in Israel - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 11-28-18 Ch. 2: Inequality and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism Q&A with Paul Jay (2/5) - @TheRealNews - Air Date 11-1-18 Ch. 3: Advocates: Israel's Jewish Nation-State Law Constitutionally Enshrines Racism Against Palestinians - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 7-23-18 Ch. 4: Canada's Trudeau Attacks BDS, Joins Trump & Israel Blaming 'Both Sides' for Anti-Semitism - @TheRealNews - Air Date 11-12-18 Ch. 5: Noam Chomsky Condemns Israel's Shift to Far Right & New “Jewish Nation-State” Law - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 7-30-18 Ch. 6: The Last Temptation of Evangelicals - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 5-21-18 Ch. 7: Saudi Crown Prince Tells Palestinians to 'Shut up' as He Cozies up to Israel - @TheRealNews - Air Date 5-3-18 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 4/5/2025 Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. And with Trump in place, the Christian Nationalists are looking to rewrite history to their liking in order to create the dystopian future they desire. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Donald Trump is Rewriting the Past. Plus, the Christian Groups Vying for Political Power - On The Media - Air Date 2-17-25 KP 2: Trumps Vision for America I Am God - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 3-7-25 KP 3: How to Stand Up to Project 2025 and Save Public Education - Assembly Required - Air Date 12-12-24 KP 4: How School Integration Failed Black Students w Noliwe Rooks - This Is Hell! - Air Date 3-19-25 KP 5: Trump Can't Destroy The Dept. Of Education But He Will - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 3-7-25 KP 6: Trump orders 'restoring' American history through Smithsonian overhaul - Trump's Terms - Air Date 3-28-25 KP 7: Make America Great Again means segregation - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 3-25-25 KP 8: Does Trump Have A Mandate - Stop Christian Nationalism - Air Date 11-20-24 (00:54:50) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the power of repetition DEEPER DIVES (01:00:41) SECTION A: PUBLIC EDUCATION (01:45:37.350) SECTION B: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM (02:35:29) SECTION C: RELATED TOPICS SHOW IMAGE CREDITS for #1702 - White nationalism Description: A composite image of an illustration of Trump holding up a white cross against a dark background of a brick wall painted with the American flag. Credit: Custom composite design. | Components License: Pixabay Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Air Date 4/2/2025 Love them or loathe them, the Democratic Party is the political institution available to the left to structurally take on Trumpism but we need a whole lot of new energy and new commitments to the fight to turn them into an opposition worthy of the moment we face. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript New Format Notes Code BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: 'Now is the time to break glass': Chris Hayes reacts to Schumer interview 'Now is the time to break glass': Chris Hayes reacts to Schumer interview - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 3-19-25 KP 2: Why Are Some Democrats Trying To Be Republicans？- Kat Abughazaleh - Air Date 3-3-25 KP 3: WATCH: Crowd ROARS As AOC Lays Out Fighting Strategy For Democratic Party - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 3-23-25 KP 4: Why Democrats Are Failing Us - Bean Thinking - Air Date 3-19-25 KP 5: Why Im Running For Congress - Kat Abughazaleh - Air Date 3-24-25 KP 6: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D-IL) Speaks at the 2025 HRC Los Angeles Dinner - Human Rights Campaign - Air Date 3-24-25 (00:48:03) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR With a VM on trans kids and a sneek peek at SOLVED! DEEPER DIVES (00:58:17) SECTION A: (01:37:40) SECTION B: (02:19:15) SECTION C: (02:35:50) SECTION D: (02:55:46) SECTION E: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Air Date 3/28/2025 You might not be trans yourself but that's just like how coal miners aren't canaries because when they saw that the canaries were under threat, they knew the danger was all around them. Fascists always start with those who are the easiest to dehumanize but they never stop there. ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch, like, subscribe & comment on our newly-launched YouTube show, SOLVED! Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! Activism Roundup KEY POINTS KP 1: The Threat of Project 2025 on LGBTQ+ Rights - The Blueprint with Jen Psaki - Air Date 9-16-24 KP 2: The fight to protect LGBTQ+ rights from Trump - Politics Weekly America - Air Date 1-31-25 KP 3: Ezra Young on Trans Rights Law, Anne Sosin on RFK Jr. and Rural Health - CounterSpin - Air Date 2-7-25 KP 4: The Rights About-Turn on Parental Rights - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 11-30-24 KP 5: Humanizing Trans People Laverne Cox - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-23-25 KP 6: Imperialism and Totalitarianism Go Hand in Hand M. Gessen on Trumps Policies at Home & Abroad - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-14-25 KP 7: The Fight for Trans Futures - In The Thick - Air Date 12-12-24 KP 8: Know Your LGBTQIA+ Rights with Chase Strangio - At Liberty - Air Date 2-13-25 (01:02:12) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the launch of SOLVED! DEEPER DIVES (01:10:48) SECTION A: POLICY ROLLSBACKS (01:47:25) SECTION B: DEHUMANIZATION (02:25:13) SECTION C: HISTORICAL ATTACKS (02:59:41) SECTION D: STORIES (03:29:55) SECTION E: TRANS JOY AND RESISTANCE Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Original Air Date: 3/29/2022 Today we take a look at the current iteration of the cynical culture wars being waged by conservative Republicans against LGBTQ kids for political gain. The current wave of anti-trans and anti-gay legislation sprouting across the country is not about protecting kids and is absolutely nothing new. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 Ch. 2: Andy Marra on Trans Youth Rights - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-4-22 Ch. 3: The Anti-Trans Agenda (w/ Gillian Branstetter) - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 3-20-22 Ch. 4: Chase Strangio on the GOPs Push in Florida, Texas, Idaho to Eradicate Trans Youth & Trans Lives - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-9-22 Ch. 5: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 2 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 Ch. 6: Don't Say Gay - Today, Explained - Air Date 3-17-22 Ch. 7: Behind the Transphobic Hate Campaigns (and Steven Crowder) on College Campuses in Texas (w/ Steven Monacelli) Part 1 - DOOMED with Matt Binder - Air Date 3-23-22 Ch. 8: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 3 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 Ch. 9: Behind the Transphobic Hate Campaigns (and Steven Crowder) on College Campuses in Texas (w/ Steven Monacelli) Part 2 - DOOMED with Matt Binder - Air Date 3-23-22 Ch. 10: Andy Marra on Trans Youth Rights Part 2 - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-4-22 Ch. 11: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 4 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Air Date: 3–24-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Our new game Satire Showdown - The authoritarian takeover of the term common sense - How Americans actually feel about DEI initiatives - The right's turn on Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett - A deep dive on the theory of a multiracial Right and how Democrats should respond FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: How populist leaders like Trump use ‘common sense' as an ideological weapon to undermine facts - The Conversation The Age of Anti-Woke Overreach - The Atlantic ‘She is evil': Amy Coney Barrett under attack by right wing after USAid ruling - The Guardian Trump and the Rise of the Multiracial Right - In These Times “Common Sense” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #342: Common Sense Is Not So Common (March 25th) Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 3/21/2025 If you've been paying attention, the weaponization of the government against Trump's political and ideological enemies is exactly what you would have seen coming and now it's here. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Special - The Arrest of Mahmoud Khalil w/ Spencer Ackerman - American Prestige - Air Date 3-12-25 KP 2: Trump Invokes Wartime Alien Enemies Act, Then Ignores Judicial Order to Turn Around Deportation Flights - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-17-25 KP 3: Are Non-Violent Protestors Now Labeled "Terrorists?" - Thom Hartmann - Air Date 6-20-13 KP 4: John Harwood on Trump's attack on free speech: ‘Everyone in civil society needs to stand up' - Velshi - Air Date 3-6-24 KP 5: Trump Hates Science - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 3-14-25 KP 6: Fascism is Officially Here | Hasanabi reacts - Hasanabi Productions - Air Date 3-17-25 (48:46) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the need for us to protect each other DEEPER DIVES (53:17) SECTION A: FREE SPEECH CAN BE TERRORISM (1:25:56) SECTION B: OPPOSING TRUMP CAN BE TERRORISM (1:43:42) SECTION C: DOJ, FBI, & THE JUDICIARY (2:20:30) SECTION D: GOVERNMENT FUNCTION SHOW IMAGE Description: Protestors in New York City hold signs that say “Release Mahmoud Khalil - Hands off our students” and “Release Mahmoud Khalil” with the activist's photo. Credit: “Mahmoud Khalil NYC detention protest 013” by SWinxy, Wikimedia | License: CC BY 4.0 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Air Date: 3–19-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - A special little ditty Jay put together - The legitimate problems that helped birth the damaging MAHA movement - Sherrod Brown's OpEd on how the Democrats lost their way - What Jay learned from India's railway engineers - An interview with Ro Khanna that sparked some hope FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: “Like a Flame in the Night” - Based on SOLVED! Ep. #340: Prophetic Voices from the Past and Hope for the Future (March 9th) Health Paranoia and the Politics of MAHA Democrats Must Become the Workers' Party Again Ro Khanna Is Doing More Than Voting 'No' Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 3/18/2025 In this special Podcasthon episode, we're joining thousands of podcasts around the world in taking the opportunity this week to support a cause or organization that we believe in. In this time of fighting fascism, Best of the Left has chosen to support Indivisible, the grassroots organizing team that's working to resist Trumpism and pressure Democrats to do the same. Follow the link in the description of this episode to make a donation but also take a moment to find and join your local Indivisible chapter to stay engaged. SUPPORT INDIVISIBLE WITH A DONATION AND SIGN UP WITH YOUR LOCAL CHAPTER! Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! Activism Roundup KEY POINTS KP 1: Bernie Response Does Huge Numbers｜One Democrat Defies Trump - The Rational National - Air Date 3-5-25 KP 2: How to Rebuild the Left as the Far Right Floods the Zone - UNFTR Media - Air Date 2-5-25 KP 3: How to Really Resist - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 2-28-25 KP 4: Republicans finally go NUCLEAR over town hall disasters - Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 3-5-25 KP 5: How Leftists Can Win in 2025 - Harper O'Conner - Air Date 1-3-25 KP 6: Gov. Pritzker SLAMS Trump and Musk in closing remarks of State of the State address - NBC Chicago - Air Date 2-19-25 (50:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Giving the call to join the fight at Indivisible.org DEEPER DIVES (52:46) SECTION A: STRATEGY & GOALS (1:16:30) SECTION B: HUMOR AS A TACTIC (1:35:34) SECTION C: PROTEST (1:54:57) SECTION D: BOYCOTT (2:13:48) SECTION E: RESOURCES (2:37:09) SECTION F: POWER STRUCTURES SHOW IMAGE Description: A protestor holds a Trans Pride flag with the word RESIST (with an equals sign in the E) in front of a state capitol building. Credit: Private permission photo
Air Date 3/15/2025 It always bears repeating that the progressive perspective on the state of the world is not that everything was going just fine before Trump showed up but there's a world of difference between the leftist desire to improve things and Trump's bull-in-a-china-shop foreign and economic policies. Allow us to list the ways. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: Project 2025 Foreign Policy America Last - The Tristan Snell Show - Air Date 8-15-25 2: March 6, 2025 Full Show - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-6-25 3: Trump's Foreign Policy - It Could Happen Here - 11-14-24 4: Ukraine's Fight for Self-Determination w/ Howie Hawkins - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-3-25 5: Russia, Ukraine, US The Global Chessboard - WhoWhatWhy's Podcasts - Air Date 3-4-25 6: After restarting aid to Ukraine, U.S. will present ceasefire proposal to Russia - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 3-11-25 7: Trump's tariff tumult - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 3-6-25 8: Trumps On-and-Off-Again Tariffs, and Decoding Make America Healthy Again - On the Media - Air Date 3-7-25 9: Global Chess Europe's Unity Strengthens While American Trade Policy Falters - The Tristan Snell Show - Air Date 3-6-25 (59:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On Monthly-ish Recaps and the week of activism DEEPER DIVES (1:02:33) SECTION A: RUSSIA AND UKRAINE (1:44:50) SECTION B: TRADE WARS AND TARIFFS (2:27:43) SECTION C: USAID (3:03:26) SECTION D: US REALIGNMENT & NATO SHOW IMAGE Description: Rendering of Donald Trump handing Vladimir Putin the world while they stand at podiums with the American and Russian flags behind them. Credit: “trump-putin-russia-usa-politics” by Lola4556677, Pixabay | License: Pixabay
Air Date 3/12/2025 The (Approximately) Monthly Mix is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we look at the future for Gaza, Trump's plans for mass deportations, the decline of the US on the international stage, the wrecking crew dismantling the federal government, RFK Jr. and the threat to public health, and Trump's endemic corruption. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! PART 1: ETHNIC CLEANSING AT HOME AND ABROAD #1687 Respite: Ceasefire in Gaza and the Legacy of Imperial Folly in the Middle East 1: Gaza Ceasefire Explained Reading Between The Lines Part 2 - The Socialist Program - Air Date 1-16-25 2: On the Situation in Syria and its Implications for the Region - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 1-6-25 3: Egypt, Jordan Reject Trump Plan to Clean Out Gaza; Palestinians Return to N. Gaza in Historic Day - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-27-25 (25:13) #1693 Empowering Ethnostates: Ethnically cleansing Gaza and Trump's South Africa fixation 4: Trump's Insane Plan To Own Gaza - Pod Save the World - Air Date 2-12-25 5: West Bank Annexation Inevitable - The Majority Report - Air Date 2-6-25 6: Trump's South Africa Fixation - What Next - Air Date 2-12-25 (49:33) #1692 Ethnically Cleansing America (1:16:02) #1688 International Decline: The Old Is Dying and the New Cannot Be Born PART 2: TRUMP AND THE WRECKING CREW (1:41:55) #1689 The Media and the Moguls (2:02:34) #1691 Breaking the Government (2:25:26) #1690 Oligarchy Unmasked- Why Billionaires Hate Democracy and How They're Dismantling It (2:45:15) #1694 Unhealthy Discourse - RFK Jr. and the Anti-Science Movement Endangering Global Health (3:02:31) #1695 Trump's Corruption As A Matter Of Course
Air Date: 3–9-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The Founding Fathers' prophetic concerns that we don't ever talk about - FDR VP Harry Wallace's op-ed on American fascism from 1944 - Philosopher Richard Rorty's chilling predictions from 1998 - A few reasons - with caveats - why U.S. Democracy might make it through Trump 2.0 - Some hope and advice from a country that recently defeated their authoritarian regime BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: Benjamin Franklin to the Federal Convention The Other Fear of the Founders - The Atlantic Vice President Henry A. Wallace on ‘The Danger of American Fascism' in 1944 - Brewminate An eerie prophecy of Trump's second term - Vox Three reasons why American democracy will likely withstand Trump - Vox Poland just showed the world how democracy wins Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 3/7/2025 Corruption, for those who indulge, isn't just a perk of power, it can also be a method of maintaining it. Trump is not bothering to hide the corruption he's working to facilitate or how it's geared toward supporting his desire for unchecked power. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: President Trump's Second Administration and Project 2025 - Trump's Terms - Air Date 2-11-25 KP 2: The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau was protecting you from corporate greed. It's gone now. - The Real News Network - Air Date 2-18-25 KP 3: The Gangster Presidency - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-15-25 KP 4: Trump's Theory of Power - Brennan Center for Justice - Air Date 2-5-25 KP 5: See Trump's blatant quid pro quo with Eric Adams play out live on Fox News - All In w Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-14-25 KP 6: The Billionaires Government Branko Marcetic on Trumps Complete Betrayal of His Base - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-27-25 KP 7: D.C. Gutted. Grassroots Galvanized. - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 2-22-25 KP 8: Elie Mystal On The Peoples Checks and Balances - Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast - Air Date 2-21-25 (56:17) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the impact of corruption DEEPER DIVES (1:05:38) SECTION A: THE CABINET OF GREED (1:48:28) SECTION B: QUID-PRO-QUO (2:10:58) SECTION C: CORPORATE INTERESTS (2:48:08) SECTION D: KING TRUMP SHOW IMAGE Description: A protestor holds up a sign that says “Stop The Billionaire Grift!” Credit: “HANDS OFF THE CFPB RALLY at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau” by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen
Air Date 3/4/2025 An old proverb says that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and we're all about to see how dangerous as know-nothings and science skeptics take over the government agencies staffed by doctors and scientists with the goal of keeping the population healthy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: U.S. health agencies hit with mass layoffs by Trump administration - Way Too Early with Ali Vitali - Air Date 2-18-25 KP 2: Department of Health and Holy Sh*t: RFK Jr.'s MAHA Movement and What It Means for America Part 1 - Inside the Hive - Air Date 2-5-25 KP 3: Psychiatric Struggle w/ Danielle Carr - The Dig - Air Date 2-17-25 KP 4: MAHA Forever - The Dream - Air Date 2-16-25 KP 5: Republicans are Proposing Bills SO F***ing Stupid They'll Make Your Head Explode - The Humanist Report - Air Date 2-18-25 KP 6: Samoa's Health Chief Says RFK Jr. Spread Anti-Vax Misinformation Before Deadly Measles Outbreak - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-31-25 (48:15) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the tragedy of the mirror world DEEPER DIVES (57:25) SECTION A: HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS (1:15:51) SECTION B: RFK JR. (1:30:48) SECTION C: ANTI-SCIENCE DANGERS (1:55:19) SECTION D: PREDATORS AND PREY SHOW IMAGE Description: RFK Jr. speaks at the podium at a Trump-Vance rally while an out-of-focus Donald Trump watches him in the background. Credit: “Donald Trump & Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Air Date: 3-2-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How “entrepreneurialism” has gained unearned adoration and disempowered labor organizing - The 100-year-old “New Thought” era and how it shaped our current culture of work - The social critic Theodore Roszak's accurate predictions about the dark turn of tech and work - What Democrats should learn from Steve Bannon's approach to Musk FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: The Cult of the Entrepreneur - The New Republic The Social Critic Who Predicted Big Tech's Dark Turn - The Nation What Anti-Musk Democrats Can Learn From Steven Bannon - NY Magazine Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 5 Calls app Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Original Air Date: 615/2022 The many reasons why we are experiencing a housing crisis in the US and beyond but it mostly comes down to treating housing as a commodity to be profited from rather than a basic human need or, if you're feeling radical, a basic human right. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Housing Market - If You Don't Know, Now You Know - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-8-21 Ch. 2: How Foreign Companies Are Raising Housing Prices - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-27-21 Ch. 3: John and Ana React to Bonkers Housing Story - The Damage Report - Air Date 3-12-22 Ch. 4: How Socialists Solved The Housing Crisis - The Gravel Institute - Air Date 1-29-21 Ch. 5: Is the Housing Bubble About to Burst Featuring Prof. Richard Wolff - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-1-22 Ch. 6: Eviction Rates Are Rising - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-13-22 Ch. 7: Why Dems Have Abandoned Public Housing - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-9-22 Ch. 8: Does Vienna Have the World's Best Council Housing? Swimming Pools, Private TV Channels & More - Channel 4 Documentaries - Air Date 8-8-19 Ch. 9: Short-term rental housing is hurting Ouray residents - Rocky Mountain PBS - Air Date 7-19-21 SHOW IMAGE: Description: An illustration of a simple green house with a "$" symbol incorporated into it. The vertical line of the symbol is also the shape of the chimney and the front door. Small dollar signs flow out of the chimney, getting smaller as they go up. Credit: Household | License Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 2/25/2025 Racism is at the core of most of what Trump believes so it should be no surprise when he aligns himself and the country with explicitly supremacist projects like the perceived Jewish superiority over Palestinians and the assumed "reverse racism" against White South Africans Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Trumps Insane Plan To Own Gaza - Pod Save the World - Air Date 2-12-25 KP 2: Elon's African roots - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-13-25 KP 3: Trumps South Africa Fixation - What Next - Air Date 2-12-25 KP 4: American Jews, Israel, and Palestine w Peter Beinart - American Prestige - Air Date 2-11-25 KP 5: West Bank Annexation Inevitable - The Majority Report - Air Date 2-6-25 KP 6: Israelis and Palestinians Standing Together - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 2-15-25 KP 7: On The Ground in Gaza Serving the People in Palestine - Rev Left Radio - Air Date 2-11-25 (51:08) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why Israel and Gaza are not are complicated as you may think DEEPER DIVES (56:45) SECTION A: TRUMP'S GAZA PROPOSAL (1:10:39) SECTION B: AFRIKANERS AND TRUMP (1:35:00) SECTION C: WEST BANK VIOLENCE (1:59:33) SECTION D: HISTORICAL CONTEXT (2:25:09) SECTION E: RESISTANCE SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite showing Netanyahu and Trump with their heads close looking down on a Palestinian flag flying out of the rubble on Gaza. Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Air Date: 2-23-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The heavy influence of a Nazi political theorist (propagandist) on the MAGA movement - How our disagreements on baseline reality lead us to devastatingly different conclusions - What many Trump supporters hoped for vs. what they got - How so-called Timeline apps may help us extricate ourselves from social media FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: Us and Them Is All the Rage What Our Broken Politics Owe to the Nazi Jurist Carl Schmitt It's The Fascism, Stupid Timeline apps are here: Tapestry, Reeder, and a new way to read feeds Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 5 Calls app Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 2/21/2025 There is nothing other than racism at the heart of Trump's immigration policy. He wants to deport as many brown people as possible, stop as many immigrants and refugees as possible unless they're White people from South Africa or the nearly 40 million Canadians he's inviting to enjoy immediate US citizenship. This is not complicated. Trump is a disgusting, blatant racist (and always has been) who's trying to turn the US into a White ethnostate. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Trump's Unconstitutional Rampage Against Immigration - Amicus - Air Date 1-25-25 KP 2: Guantanamo's other history Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-10-12 KP 3: Know your rights (immigration edition) - Make Your Damn Bed - Air Date 1-23-25 KP 4: Operation Wetback and the Bipartisan Legacy of US Deportations Part 1 - Letters and Politics - Air Date 1-16-25 KP 5: Extraordinary Cruelty, Ordinary Policy: Immigration and Deportation Under Trump 2.0. - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 1-31-25 (45:30) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On what we can learn from imaginary borders DEEPER DIVES (51:24) SECTION A: RIGHTS & FIGHTS (1:26:42) SECTION B: GITMO & HAITI (1:48:34) SECTION C: BIPARTISAN EXPLOITATION (2:36:28) SECTION D: REALITY ON THE GROUND SHOW IMAGE Description: A composite image showing a photograph of a sign from a protest that says “The Criminal Is In Office” blended into an illustrated depiction of the backs of people behind a chainlink fence. Credit: Composite images: private permission photo, and illustrated graphic via Pixabay | License: Pixabay Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X
Air Date 2/18/2025 Democracies slide into dictatorship in two ways, first slowly and then all of a sudden. We have been sliding in this direction for at least as long as I have been paying attention to politics and we're finally at the moment where that slow slide shifts into full speed. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership 20% off for the Holiday! Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: Is America Broken - The Gray Area - Air Date 2-10-25 2: Musk's 'DOGE' is spiraling U.S. into a constitutional crisis - The ReidOut - Air Date 2-7-25 3: Trump's latest target the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 2-10-25 4: Trumps American Takeover - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-1-25 5: Musk's Coup and Trump's Christian Zionist Gaza Takeover - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 2-7-25 6: Media Continues Painting Musk's Far Right Coup as Good Faith _Cost-Cutting Effort - Citations Needed - Air Date 2-5-25 7: Why Are Dems Surprised - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 2-7-25 (55:58) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the long slide to dictatorship Clip: O'Connor Decries Republican Attacks on Courts - NPR DEEPER DIVES (1:03:06) SECTION A: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES (1:29:34) SECTION B: CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS (2:00:04) SECTION C: THE PLAYBOOK (2:22:46) SECTION D: WHAT TO DO SHOW IMAGE Composite image of the US Capitol building, surrounded by symbols of justice, treasury, international aid, and education, with a large brick smashing into the center with the acronym “MAGA” on the end. Credit: Composite images from Pixabay | License: Pixabay
Air Date: 2-16-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Why we may be forced to bring back bullying - The impact of algorithms and what we can do about it - Democrats and the meaning of 'the medium is the message' - The unbelievable stupidity of techbro dweebs and their followers - The sociopathic reasons why Musk is doing this Not a member? BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: The Algorithmic Cage The Big Tech Takeover of American Politics I knew one day I'd have to watch powerful men burn the world down – I just didn't expect them to be such losers Remedial Civics for Tech Bros (Middle article) Why Is Elon Musk So Hell-Bent on Bulldozing the Government? Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 5 Calls app Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Original Air Date: 8/4/2015 The dysfunctional state of the US immigration system and the political fight brewing over what to do about it Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Show Notes Act 1: Coming Out As An Undocumented Immigrant - Latino Voices - AJ+ (@ajplus) - Air Date: 03-20-15 Act 2: Donald Trump WRONG About 'Immigrant Crime' - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 07-08-15 Act 3: Scott Walker Now Bashing Any and All Immigrants - @majorityfm - Air Date: 04-22-15 Act 4: La Raza Annual Conference Will Be Skipped By EVERY 2016 Republican Candidate - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 07-12-15 Act 5: 'OITNB' actress (@dianeguerrero__) speaks out about family's deportation - CNN - Air Date: 11-17-14 Act 6: Mass Graves of Immigrants Found in Texas, But State Says No Laws Were Broken - @democracynow - Air Date: 07-16-15 Act 7: Did You Know Jesus Was Against Immigration? - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 07-16-15 Act 8: Hold Border Patrol Responsible via @ACLU — Best of the Left Activism Act 9: Let Them All In? How Immigration Can Help the Economy - @LearnLiberty - Air Date: 01-13-15 Act 10: The Migrant Manifesto by Musa Okwonga (@Okwonga) - @migrants_rights Network - Air Date: 11-26-12 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 2/11/2025 The very rich, as has been noted before, are not on the side of regular people. And even if you think that the federal government needs a major reboot, no one but the ultra-wealthy are going to be happy with what they build in the aftermath of the administrative coup currently underway. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! ACTIVISM ROUNDUP KEY POINTS KP 1: How Oligarchs Took Over The World - Double Down News - Air Date 1-9-25 KP 2: Is Elon Musk Staging a Coup? Unelected Billionaire Seizes Control at Treasury Dept. & Other Agencies - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-3-25 KP 3: The Oligarchy's Power is Waking America Up - Velshi - Air Date 1-27-25 KP 4: DARK GOTHIC MAGA: How Tech Billionaires Plan to Destroy America Part 1 - Blonde Politics | The Silly Serious - Air Date 11-13-24 KP 5: Why the Tech Bros Allied with Trump - Zeteo - Air Date 2-2-25 KP 6: President Trump and the Power of the Purse - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 2-5-25 (51:21) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the dream of the accelerationists DEEPER DIVES (56:16) SECTION A: HISTORICAL CONTEXT (1:40:21) SECTION B: GOVERNMENT DESTRUCTION (2:25:04) SECTION C: THE BROS SHOW IMAGE Description: A composite image showing a wrecking ball - with Elon Musk's face on it - smashes a white wall. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Image sourced from Pixabay. | License: Pixabay Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date: 2-10-25 Today, Jay! and Amanda (Deon and Erin were sick) discuss: - Why you should be using an RSS reader - The danger of Mystification as humans try to cope - Musk and Trump's flagrant law breaking - What Dems and you can do, with some tips from our own experience FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: You should be using an RSS reader Doppelgänger by Naomi Klein Q & A: Jared Yates Sexton on the ‘Weaponized Abuse' of Authoritarianism Brian Schatz on How Democrats Can ‘Start Kicking Ass Again' All the ways Elon Musk is breaking the law, explained by a law professor Five Things Dems Must Do to Fight Trump Now Find your Indivisible group - or start one: Indivisble.org Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 5 Calls app: https://5calls.org/ Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 2/7/2025 Trump came in with a plan to subdue the media and large swaths of the media came in with a plan to acquiesce. But it's important to understand why because it's not a conspiracy or people wanting to do harm, it's structural to the system. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Revenge- Trump throws lawsuits at the media and demands compliance - The ReidOut w Joy Reid - Air Date 12-17-24 KP 2: Fox News is Back at the White House. Plus, No Joke, The Onion Buys Infowars. - On the Media - Air Date 11-15-24 KP 3: Trump SECRET Meeting with Media before Payoff EXPOSED - The MeidasTouch Podcast - Air Date 12-16-24 KP 4: Mickey Huff The Mainstream Media is [CENSORED] - The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow - Air Date 1-11-25 KP 5: Why Is Mainstream Media Still So Bad At This - The Majority Report - Air Date 2-2-25 KP 6: Public Broadcasting Is In Danger (Again) - On the Media - Air Date 1-10-25 KP 7: Attention pays (with Chris Hayes) - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 1-27-25 KP 8: Jim Acosta's powerful last words as he leaves CNN- -It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant - Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 1-28-25 KP 9: Fox News is Back at the White House. Plus, No Joke, The Onion Buys Infowars. Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 11-15-24 (53:40) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the liberatory power of the humble RSS feed reader DEEPER DIVES (1:00:23) SECTION A: MONEY (1:20:46) SECTION B: ATTENTION (1:34:24) SECTION C: FREE PRESS SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of a TV in a living room with a Breaking News graphic. A person can be partially seen sitting on the couch eating a bowl of popcorn in their lap. Credit: “Breaking news journalism press” by Tumisu, Pixabay | License: Pixabay
Air Date 2/4/2025 The era of unquestioned US hegemony is undoubtedly on the decline but the future is much more complicated and uncertain than the straightforward idea of China rising to take our place that we've been told. Though Trump is not the cause of US decline, he may send us out in a tragic blaze of glory. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Things Fall Apart - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 1-28-25 KP 2: The end of America's global dominance Part 1 - The New Statesman - Air Date 1-8-25 KP 3: Will France and Germany's woes affect the rest of Europe? | Counting the Cost - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 12-12-24 KP 4: Putin faces 'economic dilemma' amid Trump sanctions threats | World in 10 - Times Radio - Air Date 1-25-25 KP 5: Goodnight, Pax Americana: Neoliberalism and the decline of the US Empire w/ Radhika Desai Part 1 - The Red Nation Podcast - Air Date 9-22-23 KP 6: Yanis Varoufakis on Cloud Capital vs AI: DeepSeek, Technofeudalism, Capitalism and the New Cold War - DiEM25 - Air Date 1-26-24 (46:57) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On soft landings vs crash landings DEEPER DIVES (52:56) SECTION A: AMERICAN DECLINE (1:26:09) SECTION B: CHINA (1:49:01) SECTION C: RUSSIA (2:15:18) SECTION D: FRANCE (2:35:47) SECTION E: CORPORATE CONTROL (2:59:56) SECTION F: WHAT COMES NEXT SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite image of a crystal ball with Earth floating in its center and a white question mark on top of it. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Images from Pixabay. | License: Pixabay Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X
Air Date: 2-2-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: - How the resistance is transforming, not over - What actually worked when resisting Trump's first term - A curation of good advice on being effective and staying sane this time around FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: Goodbye, ‘Resistance.' The Era of Hyperpolitics Is Over. How to Take Heart From What Really Worked in the First Resistance The Authoritarian Regime Survival Guide, VerfBlog Here's What You Can Do to Keep Democracy Alive During Trump's Second Term Trump Will Overplay His Hand. Here's How to Be Ready. A Message From the Future With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 1/31/2025 The genocide and subsequent ceasefire in Gaza is only the latest horrifying consequence of botched military misadventures in the Middle East and if the history of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons can teach us anything it's that atrocities have long shadows. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Gaza Ceasefire Explained Reading Between The Lines - The Socialist Program - Air Date 1-16-25 KP 2: The Ceasefire in Gaza w Mohammad Alsaafin - American Prestige - Air Date 1-19-25 KP 3: Trump's Middle East Plans w Mouin Rabbani - Behind the News - Air Date 1-23-25 KP 4: On the Situation in Syria and its Implications for the Region - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 1-6-25 KP 5: Katherine Gallagher on Abu Ghraib Verdict - CounterSpin - Air Date 11-29-24 KP 6: Trump's Middle East Plans w Mouin Rabbani Part 2 - Behind the News - Air Date 1-23-25 KP 7: Egypt, Jordan Reject Trump Plan to Clean Out Gaza; Palestinians Return to N. Gaza in Historic Day - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-27-25 KP 8: Gaza Ceasefire Explained Reading Between The Lines Part 2 - The Socialist Program - Air Date 1-16-25 (51:16) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the echos of atrocities DEEPER DIVES (1:02:15) SECTION A: THE DEAL (1:24:41) SECTION B: CEASEFIRE POLITICS (1:46:00) SECTION C: THE EMPIRE (2:28:35) SECTION D: NOW WHAT? SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of Palestinians walking through a street of rubble and debris with collapsed buildings on either side. Credit: “Damage in Gaza Strip during the October 2023 - 27” by WAFA, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC-SA 3.0 | Changes: Cropped Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X
Air Date 1/28/2025 The existence of out-of-control wildfires in Los Angeles amid the rising climate crisis is not confusing or strange. How to deal with such an emergency during our ongoing political and information crisis is a completely different story. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Untold Stories of L.A. Fires: Incarcerated Firefighters, Black Altadena & Octavia Butler's Warning - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-13-25 KP 2: Water Wars - Sustainable Minimalists - Air Date 12-14-23 KP 3: Climate Scientist Debunks L.A. Wildfire Myths with Dr. Daniel Swain - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 1-19-25 KP 4: Wildfire Conspiracies And Reinvigorating Black Male Voters with Mondale Robinson & Trae Crowder (Ep 263) Part 1- The Bitchuation Room - Air Date 1-15-25 KP 5: The Politics of Fire - The Keith Boykins Channel - Air Date 1-12-25 KP 6: Fires, Liars, and Oligarchy Rising; Garland nixes execution drug - The Bradcast - Air Date 1-16-25 (47:06) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why progressive visions are interconnected DEEPER DIVES (55:26) SECTION A: WATER (1:18:36) SECTION B: INSURANCE (1:38:09) SECTION C: POLITICAL FAILURE (2:21:29) SECTION D: CLIMATE SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of downtown Los Angeles at night with the Pacific Palisades fire burning on the mountains in the background. Credit: “Palisades Fire from downtown” by Toastt21, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped, time stamp in lower right corner removed Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X
Air Date: 1-26-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: - The mindset of collaborators - Why many people turn inward and drop out - at their own risk - under authoritarianism - The nature of true dissidents and what we can learn from them FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: History Will Judge the Complicit The Desire to Turn Inward Is a Delusion How to Keep Your Moral Compass Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Original Air Date: 3/7/2017 Today we look at the dangerous myths of individualism and the American Dream™, some of their origins and some of their consequences Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Show Notes Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill Act 1: Cultural influences on our perspective of self w/Gish Jen - Think Again - Air Date 3-4-17 Act 2: You are not as free as you think you are w/Raoul Martinez - @thisishellradio - Air Date 2-24-17 Act 3: Individualism in the prosperity gospel brand of Christianity - Ideas from CBC - Air Date 1-8-17 Act 4: The Cold War propaganda of anti-collectivism w/Gish Jen - Think Again - Air Date 3-4-17 Act 5: The myths of the autonomous individual and free markets w/Raoul Martinez - @thisishellradio - Air Date 2-24-17 Act 6: Training is all that matters - A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain Act 7: An ignorance of history bolsters acceptance of anti-regulation individualism - You are not so smart - Air Date 2-24-17 Act 8: The Dangerous Myth of the American Dream w/Raoul Martinez - @thisishellradio - Air Date 2-24-17 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 1/21/2025 Decades ago, the conscious decision was made to exacerbate inequality for the sake of economic growth that would supposedly lift all boats. What probably wasn't understood at the time is that the logical conclusion of that choice would be to break democracy and usher in oligarchy. Now working people are left with only bad choices and empty promises. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Workers Without a Party - Confronting Capitalism - Air Date 12-11-24 KP 2: Democrats Bungled The 2024 Election WAY Worse Than We Thought - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-8-25 KP 3: The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order (with Gary Gerstle) - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 1-14-25 KP 4: How Democrats Can Win Back The Working Class - Lever Time - Air Date 11-8-24 KP 5: Why Elites Love Identity Politics - Confronting Capitalism - Air Date 1-1-25 KP 6: The failures of liberals and the Left have helped Trump's rise - The Marc Steiner Show - Air Date 10-30-24 KP 7: Democratic Dealignment w Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor - The Dig - Air Date 11-9-24 KP 8: Why Elites Love Identity Politics Part 2 - Confronting Capitalism - Air Date 1-1-25 (54:01) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the path Democrats have charted DEEPER DIVES (1:02:38) SECTION A: PARTY RECKONING (1:23:40) SECTION B: NEOLIBERAL STRANGLEHOLD (1:39:24) SECTION C: CROSSED WIRES (2:08:27) SECTION D: SOLUTIONS SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite image of multi-colored people outlines crossing over each other with arrows in the background pointing two different directions. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman, Images from Pixabay | License: Pixabay Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Air Date: 1-20-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: - Our new show name! - Getting over hurdles to find and form local community as a form of resistance and preparation - The study groups teachers are forming to teach and learn real history - How Citizen Assemblies could transform American politics for the better FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: A New Year's resolution for an Uncertain Future (The New Republic) Teachers Turn to Study Groups for Anti-Racist Learning as History is Whitewashed (TruthOut) What Could Citizens' Assemblies Do for American Politics? (The New Yorker) Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 1/18/2025 We are looking back on Jimmy Carter's life and legacy as a lens through which to more clearly see and understand the current state of our politics, our incoming president, the Middle East, the climate, and more. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Jimmy Carter Part 1 - Past Present - Air Date 2-28-23 KP 2: From the Archives: Former President Jimmy Carter on Women's Rights, Religion and Power - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 12-30-24 KP 3: Jimmy Carter's "Decency & Humanity" Came with Deadly U.S. Policies in Latin America_ Greg Grandin - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-7-25 KP 4: The Faith of Jimmy Carter - Facepalm America - Air Date 4-12-23 KP 5: The Jimmy Carter Cudgel & Preparing for Mass Deportations with Gabriel Salguero - Holy Post - Air Date 1-8-25 KP 6: When Carter called out America - Today, Explained - Air Date 12-30-24 (46:27) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the supposed desire for truth DEEPER DIVES (52:22) SECTION A: HISTORICAL CONTEXT (1:33:23) SECTION B: FOREIGN POLICY (2:07:22) SECTION C: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM (2:25:30) SECTION D: REPUBLICAN RATFUCKING SHOW IMAGE Description: Black and white photo of President Jimmy Carter in front of the White House in 1977. Credit: “President Jimmy Carter and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat at the White House, Washington, D.C.“ by Marion S. Trikosko, Library of Congress | License: Public Domain Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X
Air Date 1/15/2025 Elon Musk is leading the way for his class of tech broligarchs anxious to take over the MAGA movement and shape it to their own ends of deregulation, tax cuts, and lucrative government contracts. The disappointment that is inevitable for the MAGA populists is coming even faster than expected. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership, Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The long con of America's ultra-wealthy elites - The ReidOut - Air Date 1-2-25 KP 2: Crack-Up Capitalism- How Billionaire Elon Musk's Extremism Is Shaping Trump Admin & Global Politics - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-6-24 KP 3: GOP Already At Each Other's Throats While Musk Gloats - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-24-24 KP 4: MAGA civil war explodes between Elon & Trump faithful - No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 12-29-24 KP 5: Elon & Vivek's H1-B Crash Out - Bad Faith - Air Date 1-2-25 KP 6: Our Moment is Approaching - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-31-24 KP 7: Weekly Roundup Jimmy Carter vs Elon Musk - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 1-3-25 KP 8: The Oligarch Class - Left Anchor - Air Date 1-3-25 (55:27) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the rehashing of the anti-democratic argument for extreme wealth for the benefit of humanity DEEPER DIVES (1:07:40) SECTION A: OLIGARCHS (1:35:23) SECTION B: THE MAGA FRACTURE (1:51:04) SECTION C: GLOBAL INFLUENCE (2:21:44) SECTION D: ORGANIZING
Air Date: 1/11/2025 Today, we look back to the warnings we gave ourselves at the beginning of the first Trump administration. In 2017 there was concern about corruption and his business dealings, ethics around his nominees, and the inability of the media to cover him properly. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: What should Trump do to resolve his conflicts of interest? - @DecodeDC - Air Date 1-11-17 KP 2: SHOCKING: The GOP Doesn't Care That the Office of Govt. Ethics Can't Fully Vet Trump Nominees - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 01-10-17 KP 3: Zephyr Teachout on Trump and the emoluments clause - Amicus from @Slate - Air Date 12-24-16 KP 4: Trump's team exhibits classic abuser behavior - Bradcast from @TheBradBlog - Air Date 1-23-17 KP 5: We Need To Talk About That Donald Trump Press Conference - Jay Smooth (@jsmooth995) - Air Date 1-12-17 KP 6: A Taxonomy of Trump Tweets - On the Media - Air Date 1-13-17 KP 7: Masha Gessen on the rules for surviving autocracy - Trumpcast from @Slate - Air Date 11-14-16 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 1/8/2025 Trump's first term was marked by all of the friendships he built with some of the world's worst, most oppressive leaders. His second term is getting an early start as he has begun making threats toward traditional allies and friends including Canada, Mexico, Greenland, and Panama. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Make US imperialism great again: Trump threatens to colonize Panama, Canada, Greenland, Mexico - Geopolitical Economy Report - Air Date 12-27-24 KP 2: Donald Trump's New Manifest Destiny - WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch - Part 1 - Air Date 12-26-24 KP 3: Why Elon Musk interferes in politics around the world - DW News - Air Date 1-3-25 KP 4: Is Musk Flirting With Fascism? - Politics unpacked - Air Date 1-3-24 KP 5: Imperialist Fantasy: Historian Greg Grandin on Trump Threat to Retake Panama Canal, Invade Mexico - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-27-24 KP 6: The Weekender: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Destruction Part 1 - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-27-24 (49:09) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the baby-brained ideas of the far right DEEPER DIVES (54:40) SECTION A: PANAMA (1:16:10) SECTION B: MANIFEST DESTINY (1:35:47) SECTION C: MUSK (1:48:38) SECTION D: TRUMP 2.0 SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite image of a vector drawing of a confused-looking Trump leaning on a podium with a globe and dice being rolled. A risk dial is on the front of the podium showing an increasing threat level. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman | Images from Pixabay | License: Pixabay Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X
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