Any of several events in which widespread fear of communism or leftism develops
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Is communism having a mini revival? Marxist critiques and socialist ideas are becoming the in thing with Gen Z, while Donald Trump is harking back to the Red Scare of his youth to attack the Democrats. Is it anything more than a resurrected bogeyman for the right? Man of the left, veteran journalist and friend of the pod Paul Mason joins the panel to discuss Reds: A Global History of Communism, his sweeping new history of the movement. Plus: Andy Burnham heads to Ukraine with missile plans in hand, Reform's bullshit policy of the week and much, much more. • Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk. • Buy Paul's book Reds: A Global History of Communism from our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. ESCAPE ROUTES • Zoë has started watching award-winning medical drama The Pitt • Jonn has been watching the BBC murder mystery Ludwig • Paul went to watch Adrian Lester star as the titular character in Cyrano de Bergerac at the Noël Coward Theatre in London's West End • Andrew has been bingeing the late '70s British fantasy TV hit Sapphire and Steel www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison with Zoë Grünewald, Jonn Elledge and Paul Mason. Produced by James Liddell. Audio Production by Tom Taylor. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez laughed off Woke 1.0, she attempted to distance herself from a movement she not only helped build but also led. Because the DSA is ascendant, they're hoping to pivot to kitchen table issues just long enough to trick otherwise sane people into voting for them.Hasan Piker started wearing suits. Abdul El-Sayed is attempting to draw in Trump supporters by showcasing his white grandparents.And out in Texas, James Talarico is making ads with his Paw Paw. They're just regular folks, like you and me. Well, except that they want to tear America down to the studs and rebuild it as a woked-up socialist paradise. But shsh. Nothing to see here, move along, move along.Woke 1.0 wasn't just some silly thing that happened to them one time. It is a deeply held belief system that has been passed on through the generations and mandates conformity across all institutions and culture. It is not an ideology so much as the biggest cult in American history.As we've watched their power weaken after Trump's second win, we see them now more clearly than ever trying to cling to it. Calling white people racist gets louder. Ordering women to obey the rules of language, like the refusal to use the word “cis” or whether or not dating bisexual men, makes you homophobic. Cults must always control the women, separate them from their children. True for Charles Manson, Jim Jones, or Scientology. It's so bad on the Left now that the only right women fight for now is the right to kill their own babies.From White Fragility to protecting women in sports or locker rooms, not to mention children, the once and former feminists are MIA. Many of them are so desperate to be led and dominated by men that they are becoming Muslim reverts:Back in the 1970s, women were also vulnerable and impressionable because the Counter Culture revolution was all about leaving traditional values, like family and religion, behind to “find yourself.” Women were suddenly free, yet all they seemed to want was to find someone to follow. All of those white college girls of privilege were either sucked into cults, moving into vans, or shooting up banks.Meanwhile, the black community was vulnerable, too, and that is how cult leaders like Jim Jones took advantage of them. He was selling things not that different from today's Left. The Origins of Woke 1.0I'll never forget May 25th of 2016. I decided to splurge for my daughter's 18th birthday by taking her to see Hamilton on Broadway, with nearly the entire original cast. The tickets, flight, and hotel were too expensive, but we'd never get this moment back, so why not? It was the same year my daughter would visit the NYU campus, have her prom, and I would be doing everything I could to elect Hillary Clinton as the first female President of the United States, with the doomed hashtag #imwithher.I was part of a generation of parents who wanted to not just be better but to perfect ourselves, our children, and our world. I can't pinpoint exactly when we transformed from anti-establishment Gen-Xers to helicopter parents. But I know it had to do with the therapy culture of the 1990s, capped off by Columbine in 1999, 9/11, and the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that followed. Something was wrong, not just with all of us, but with our country too.The person elected to heal us from all of this collective, multi-generational trauma was Barack Obama, who became our spiritual leader and our male role model. 2012 was the moment Obama and the millennial do-gooder establishment that surrounded him sought to make our country better through indoctrination in public schools and universities.Hillary Clinton was chosen as the torchbearer, but she lacked Obama's charisma and had nothing to sell the public that they wanted except one thing: identity politics. It wasn't enough. Our cult over-reacted to Trump's win, as though it was the FBI showing up outside the Koresh compound. It was Doomsday and that dark cloud would cover everything we controlled, from Hollywood to the legacy media to book publishing to fashion to influencer culture. We drew a line, and if you wanted in, you could not cross it. If you wanted out, all you had to do was question authority.But it was what we weren't watching that would be our biggest problem later. We weren't watching the kids. Teenage WastelandWhat happened to the nation's young people, having been indoctrinated in the oppressor/oppressed mindset, where they saw racism, homophobia, transphobia, and Islamophobia everywhere they looked, even before Trump won, kicked into motion an apocalyptic fantasy that would justify everything they did, from protests to violence to assassinations. The internet was their fantasy world, which gave many of them absolute power. This was true whether it was social justice warriors who ultimately led the transgender contagion among young girls, or the boys who gravitated to 4-chan and would eventually lead to the rise of the mass shooter influencer, like Tyler Robinson, Matthew David Crooks, or Luigi Mangione. The first real sign of trouble happened nine years ago at Evergreen College. When I first saw this story, I was already pulling away from the cult, but even then, I was afraid to put it on social media because I knew it would be seen as “racist.” And yet, by burying this story, the Left set itself up for much worse down the road.Violence showed up as early as 2015 during Woke 1.0, when Trump supporters were often beaten, kicked, and spat on. The protests at Trump's inauguration seemed to be a natural extension of the mass hysteria that consumed the Left in 2016. It would only get worse.The violence we're seeing on the Left only escalated, culminating in a full-blown revolution on the streets in 2020, a mob demanding diners raise their fist for Black Lives Matter, and authoritarianism rising from a generation raised to believe they have the right to tear down what they didn't build and make the whole country pay because of it.That put power briefly back in the hands of Joe Biden, who pandered to the mob. They believed the false narratives around January 6th, decided MAGA was the cult, and walked away from this story. They barely even talk about it now.The entire Democratic Party became the administrators at Evergreen, too crippled by white guilt to provide the necessary leadership and discipline these kids needed before they graduated and joined the workforce. But even still, the most dangerous legacy Woke 1.0 leaves behind isn't what it's done to kids or to culture, to our sense of history or to our unity as a country. No, in dividing us into the oppressed and the oppressor, it opened the door to America's enemies to exploit the sitting ducks on the Left and name Islam as the most oppressed and thus hand it the most power.Then the enemy walked through the door we left open.Woke 2.0My daughter was three when the planes hit the towers. I remember waking up to the news. Imagine the days before we all had cell phones, or even social media. I had to call my friend and tell her to turn on the news. This was the first time America had been attacked on this level since Pearl Harbor.But terrorism accomplished very little for Islam. It turned the US and the world against them. They were feared and even hated. Our country would transform into a surveillance state, and there's an argument to be made that everything we're living through now is not because of COVID but because of 9/11.Changing hearts and minds would be the way the Islamic world would rise from the ashes. Before long, there was a new word that controlled our thought and speech: Islamophobia.I didn't realize how deep it all went until 2017, the same year as Evergreen. Wonder Woman had come out. My daughter really loved it, but she was afraid to say so online. Why? Because Gal Gadot was an Israeli who trained with the IDF.I was as shocked by this development as I was when she told me her friend was becoming a “he” and wanted “top surgery.” What on earth were they teaching our kids? Idiot liberals like me had no idea. And by the time many of us figured it out, it was too late.Palestine joined the wheel of oppression and took its place in the hierarchy long before October 7th. Hamas attacked Israel, and Putin invaded Ukraine with Joe Biden in power. They clearly saw him as a weak and addled president who would not be able to manage these wars, so what better time to test the hearts and minds campaigns and the way our enemies had begun to destroy us from within.October 7th wasn't a random attack. It was an act of such extreme violence that Israel would have no choice but to go to war, and in so doing, a worldwide campaign to defend the oppressed in Palestine could turn the entire world against Israel. But it wasn't until the rise of Zohran Mamdani, Hasan Piker, and now Abdul El-Sayed and the entire DSA that we could see how fruitful the decades-long hearts-and-minds campaign really was. The Holocaust, to these young people, barely matters. They have no idea what Stalin did, what Mao did, or even really what Hitler did. And they know better than to criticize Islam because that would make them a racist. There was only one place left to go.Just like the leap from World War I to World War II, so too would the jump from Woke 1.0 to Woke 2.0 land on the eternal scapegoat: the Jews. It's like shooting fish in a barrel. Islam and Socialism. Islam and Black Lives Matter. Islam and Medicare for all. These two movements have so much in common, from controlling thought and speech to controlling women and children. But really, it's all about their shared enemies, Israel and the US.Woke 2.0 isn't just the Left, however. It's also a large portion of the Right who have named Israel as the ultimate evil as well, so much so that they are following Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson down the rabbit hole to deflate any offense against the rising radicalism — terrorism - on the Left.Both Nick Fuentes and Hasan Piker have chimed in to declare Candace is helping to defeat the Right and absolve the Left. They can't believe their luck. What unites all of them is their conclusion that Israel and the Jews are the problem.China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea know us better than we know ourselves. Who needs bombs when you have white fragility? Who needs censorship when you have cancel culture? But Islam that wants more. They seek to overtake and convert the United States the way we once feared the Communists might. With the oppressor/oppressed ideology and the rise of Islamo-Marxism, there is no stopping them now. A TikTok user quoting Sharifa Alkhateeb and an Iranian.They just needed the right script, and they found it with helpless resistance libs who have run out of options and Gen-Z, raised on convenience culture who are lured in by the promise of free stuff. Who needs suicide vests and box cutters when you have TikTok?We would start two failed wars after 9/11 called the “War on Terror.” People like me were convinced we were wrong. Now, just as with Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare, considering how it all turned out, I have to wonder. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sashastone.com/subscribe
Aminah Sheikh joins Breht to discuss the mass resistance that erupted in Minneapolis against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, the subsequent repression of organizers, and the contours of an emerging new Red Scare. They discuss the current political moment, DSA's growing electoral insurgency, and the struggle to build independent working-class power before turning to Islam, Marxism, anti-imperialism, and the role faith can play in revolutionary politics. Follow Aminah on IG and on X @AminahSheikh Here are some articles written by Aminah as well: On Rosa Luxemburg HERE On The Canadian Right HERE On Militant Trade Unions and Anti-Communist Reaction HERE On Palestine HERE ---------------------------------------------------- Check out our new merch designs and support the show HERE Learn more here: https://revleftradio.com/ Check out Unlearning Capitalism for more political educational resources
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Episode 1014 dismantles the "Democrats in Disarray" panic after Dr. Abdul El-Sayed's progressive primary win in Michigan, tracing Third Way's $15 million war chest against democratic socialism back to nearly identical Red Scare rhetoric almost a century ago. Driftglass and Blue Gal prove that the same "socialism!" screeching Republicans threw at Obama just two weeks into his presidency in 2009 is word-for-word the same panic thrown at another Democrat facing deep economic crises a century earlier. That "Red Scare" was funded then by Hearst's media empire and is now funded by Big Pharma, Big Banks, and Big Tech. The episode also indulges in a little well-earned schadenfreude over a solar-industry-funded super PAC quietly picking off the Republicans who sabotaged clean energy, one primary at a time. It's about corporate "centrist Democrats" manufacturing a crisis, media amnesia as a weapon, and why the same lies have been recycled for 100 years.Links for this episode: https://www.newsweek.com/we-are-all-socialists-now-82577https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/us/politics/democratic-party-socialists-moderates.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/03/centrist-democrats-launch-new-pledge-moderate-party/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/brooks-and-capehart-on-what-progressive-primary-wins-mean-for-democratshttps://www.commondreams.org/news/cheri-bustos-next-american-erahttps://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/29/fema-democratic-disaster-requests-trump-01013938https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/us/politics/kennedy-center-tours.htmlhttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-07-31/alaska-road-permit-shows-how-trump-upends-business-normshttps://crooksandliars.com/2026/08/theres-nothing-we-could-do-cornyn-concedeshttps://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/10/white-house-max-miller-pressure-campaign-01031353https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/10/trump-vaccine-executive-order-autism.htmlhttps://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/07/how-solar-donors-helped-take-down-a-trump-backed-republican-01028209 More at proleftpod.com. Stay in Touch! Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.com Website: proleftpod.com Support via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpod or Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpodMail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791Support the show
In this episode, Alyson and Breht examine the Trump administration's emerging campaign against what it calls "far-left terrorism." We begin with NSPM-7, the presidential directive encouraging federal agencies to investigate not only alleged political violence, but the organizations, funders, media networks, and ideological communities surrounding it. We then look at two distinct examples of this framework in practice: the sweeping Prairieland prosecutions in Texas, where defendants received extraordinarily severe terrorism-related sentences, and the separate crackdown in Minnesota following anti-ICE mobilizations and political unrest. From there, we analyze Marco Rubio and Stephen Miller's international counterterrorism summit, the effort to redirect the machinery of the War on Terror toward the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist left, and the State Department's Cuba document, which portrays socialism, anti-imperialism, Palestine solidarity, and antifascism as parts of a foreign-influenced revolutionary network. Finally, we ask whether the United States has entered a new Red Scare, what may come next, and how left-wing individuals, media outlets, and organizations can protect themselves without abandoning their political work. Check out our new merch designs and support the show HERE Learn more here: https://revleftradio.com/ Check out Unlearning Capitalism for more political educational resources
In this episode, Alyson and Breht examine the Trump administration's emerging campaign against what it calls "far-left terrorism." We begin with NSPM-7, the presidential directive encouraging federal agencies to investigate not only alleged political violence, but the organizations, funders, media networks, and ideological communities surrounding it. We then look at two distinct examples of this framework in practice: the sweeping Prairieland prosecutions in Texas, where defendants received extraordinarily severe terrorism-related sentences, and the separate crackdown in Minnesota following anti-ICE mobilizations and political unrest. From there, we analyze Marco Rubio and Stephen Miller's international counterterrorism summit, the effort to redirect the machinery of the War on Terror toward the radical left, and the State Department's Cuba document, which portrays socialism, anti-imperialism, Palestine solidarity, and antifascism as parts of a foreign-influenced revolutionary network. Finally, we ask whether the United States has entered a new Red Scare, what may come next, and how left-wing individuals, media outlets, and organizations can protect themselves without abandoning their political work. Check out our new merch designs and support the show HERE Learn more here: https://revleftradio.com/ Check out Unlearning Capitalism for more political educational resources
This is a preview of The Weekender. Sign up for our Patreon and get access to the full episode, our Tuesday show, and our Discord. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman open on Abdul El-Sayed's razor-thin win over Haley Stevens in Michigan's Senate primary, tracing the Islamophobia baked into the attacks on him back through McCarthyism and the original Red Scare against Black Americans. They break down Trump's response and the DOJ's trip to Wayne County polling places, then go point by point through Tucker Carlson's new ten-point platform, one word per point, and land on what he conveniently leaves out. From there it's Rep. Chuck Edwards, the North Carolina Republican censured for showering young female staffers with jewelry, guns, guitar serenades, and thirty flavors of ice cream after a bad breakup, before Jared and Nick close out with what they're watching this week.
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There's a new Red Scare bubbling up in politics. Just how real is the communist threat? This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by Patrick Boyd and David Tatasciore, and hosted by Noel King. "Are you a Communist?" poster in Forest Hills, New York City. Photo by Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Donald Trump won't stop calling his enemies communists – but is it too old a reference for anyone to care? Jarv and Chris are joined by Maurice Isserman, author of Reds: The Tragedy of American Communism, to discuss the history of communism in America and why it might struggle to work as an attack line for MAGA to use on the left. Buy Reds: The Tragedy of American Communism through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund American Friction by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. [NOT FOR PATREON] Back us on Patreon! Follow us on social media: Bluesky Instagram TikTok Written and presented by Chris Jones and Jacob Jarvis . Audio/ Video editor: Chris Jones. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Executive producer: Martin Bojtos. Artwork by James Parrett. Music: Orange Factory Music. AMERICAN FRICTION is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Back in the fall, Trump's NSPM-7 redirected the FBI, DOJ, and IRS toward "left-wing political violence," opening the door to labeling domestic groups terrorist organizations — despite three independent datasets (New America, CSIS, even the ADL!) showing right-wing violence outpacing left-wing violence by factors of 9-to-1 or greater. Last week, Rubio's "Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism" internationalized this McCarthy reboot. Central to the rhetoric of Rubio and Miller is framing leftist politics as being driven by envy and resentment rather than a response to inequality. Matthew traces this rhetoric, empirically contradicted by relative deprivation research, back through Nietzsche, Scheler, Schoeck, and Rand. Four days after the Ministerial, the State Department's Cuba report named 70+ Americans — from spies to wedding guests — as one undifferentiated network, a scapegoat machine now churning out congressional subpoenas, a federal grand jury, and a widening dragnet. Show Notes NSPM-7, full text — The White House NSPM-7 constitutional analysis — The Conversation New America, "Terrorism in America After 9/11" impact summary CSIS, "Left-Wing Terrorism and Political Violence in the United States" Just Security rebuttal of the CSIS report ADL, "Murder and Extremism in the United States in 2024" Rubio and Miller Ministerial remarks, full transcript Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals (1887), full text Scheler, Ressentiment (1912), full text PDF Schoeck, Envy: A Theory of Social Behaviour — Online Library of Liberty Ayn Rand, "The Age of Envy" — Ayn Rand Institute U.S. Department of State, Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism (July 20, 2026) National Lawyers Guild, "The National Lawyers Guild Reaffirms its Solidarity with Cuba in the Face of Increasing McCarthyite Repression" (July 2026) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Republicans are desperate because they've betrayed their voters - so they pull out the Red Scare! It may work, but either way we're getting socialism and authoritarianism. Some on the right LOVE a tough government.
Margaret finishes her talk with Cristen Conger about an organizer who was the first Black American woman to own a newspaper and once scared off the Klan Sources: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-may-20-op-anderson20-story.html https://www.npr.org/2021/05/04/993605428/beneath-the-santa-monica-freeway-lies-the-erasure-of-sugar-hill https://americacomesalive.com/california-eagle-newspaper-black-readership-ahead-time/ https://www.pbs.org/blackpress/news_bios/ca_eagle.html https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf6c60052d The Untold Story of Charlotta Spears Bass, Groundbreaking Politician, Nicole A. Mansfieldhttps://www.history.com/articles/nat-turner-rebellion-literacy-slavery https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2021/02/brown-s-first-black-female-graduate-ethel-robinson-s-legacy-on-college-hill https://ncph.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Redlining-and-Racial-Covenants_pdfversion.pdf https://www.segregationbydesign.com/los-angeles/sugar-hill https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/progressive-party-platform-1948 https://mutterhood.com/charlotta-bass/ https://www.blackwomenradicals.com/blog-feed/charlotta-spears-bass https://lamag.com/lahistory/charlotta-bass-kkk/ https://web.archive.org/web/20090819013517/http://www.socallib.org/SCLWebsite/hiseagle.htm https://www.myblackhistory.net/Charlotta_Bass.htm https://www.aaihs.org/charlotta-bass-and-the-cold-war-peace-movement/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On the first half of Empire on the Rocks, Medea and Marcy discuss growing opposition to the war on Iran and U.S-Israel military integration. On the second half of our program, our podcasters take a deep dive into Secretary of State Marco Rubio's "Cuba, the Capital of 21st Century Communism." The conspiracy-heavy document attacks both the island nation--long suffering under brutal U.S. sanctions-- and its progressive supporters in the United States. Is Rubio's Red Scare rant a pretext for military intervention in Cuba or a blueprint for persecution of the Left in the U.S? Or is it both? Listen to learn more.
The Trump administration is increasingly conflating communism and the political left, casting them as threats to American national security.The rhetoric is beginning to take institutional form. The administration has directed federal agencies to investigate networks it says facilitate political violence, convened an international summit on so-called “far-left” terrorism, and published a report placing prominent American activists, politicians and organizations within a broader narrative of foreign communist influence.For some, the parallels to an earlier period of American history - the Red Scare - are difficult to ignore.Today historian Ellen Schrecker, author of Many Are the Crimes: McCarthyism in America, joins us to examine the history of the Red Scare and whether it's repeating itself.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts
Margaret talks to Cristen Conger about an organizer who was the first Black American woman to own a newspaper and once scared off the Klan. Source: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-may-20-op-anderson20-story.html https://www.npr.org/2021/05/04/993605428/beneath-the-santa-monica-freeway-lies-the-erasure-of-sugar-hill https://americacomesalive.com/california-eagle-newspaper-black-readership-ahead-time/ https://www.pbs.org/blackpress/news_bios/ca_eagle.html https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf6c60052d The Untold Story of Charlotta Spears Bass, Groundbreaking Politician, Nicole A. Mansfield https://www.history.com/articles/nat-turner-rebellion-literacy-slavery https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2021/02/brown-s-first-black-female-graduate-ethel-robinson-s-legacy-on-college-hill https://ncph.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Redlining-and-Racial-Covenants_pdfversion.pdf https://www.segregationbydesign.com/los-angeles/sugar-hill https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/progressive-party-platform-1948 https://mutterhood.com/charlotta-bass/ https://www.blackwomenradicals.com/blog-feed/charlotta-spears-bass https://lamag.com/lahistory/charlotta-bass-kkk/ https://web.archive.org/web/20090819013517/http://www.socallib.org/SCLWebsite/hiseagle.htm https://www.myblackhistory.net/Charlotta_Bass.htm https://www.aaihs.org/charlotta-bass-and-the-cold-war-peace-movement/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Subscribe on Patreon and hear this week's full patron-exclusive episode here: https://www.patreon.com/deathpanelpod/posts/165004076 Beatrice speaks with Vicky Osterweil about the Trump administration's recent statements declaring a renewed red scare, painting the left as “deformed,” a “fatal cancer to civilization,” and a threat to “normal, healthy, ordered living.” Runtime 2:27:45 Get Health Communism here: https://bookshop.org/a/118130/9781839765179
Aaron Leonard and Donald Parkinson sit down for a conversation on Leonard's recent book 'Menace of Our Time: The Long War Against American Communism'. Relating this history to current events, Leonard and Parkinson discuss the various ways that the U.S. government, and in particular the FBI, subverted civil liberties and indulged in state repression according to the ebbs and flows of geopolitics while never abandoning its agenda of surveillance and subversion of the Communist Movement. From the early days of Criminal Syndicalism laws and the Palmer Raids to the rise of the New Left and the marginalization of the Party, the long arc of a campaign of espionage that utilized legal and extra-legal tactics provides an important window into the nature of state repression against left-wing dissidents in a country that is supposedly a bastion of political liberty.
The GOP controls it all - White House and Congress. And they've given their base NOTHING. So, it's time for another Red Scare right before mid-terms. And it will work. Republicans love to fear Muslims and Commies.
Air Date: 7/25/2026 The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on the news from June and July without being overwhelming! Organized around a single idea: the same politics that left America friendless abroad is keeping Americans apart at home. The war with Iran ends and America's word counts for less around the world, so Europe starts building its own software instead of buying ours, NATO war-games its own doubts, and China quietly steadies the world's oil markets, while Taiwan shows that real security comes from connection, not threats. At home, the administration revives the red scare, hands the Justice Department to the president's personal lawyer while judges face death threats, and turns the country's 250th birthday into a fight over who counts as American, and billionaires cash out while everyone argues. And the way back starts small: a psychologist's simple habit for a happier social life, organizers who treat loneliness as a political problem with a political cure, and a Michigan Senate campaign built on talking to people instead of donors. Covering: June–July 2026 Full Show Notes Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, 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! SECTION 1: A SUPERPOWER WITHOUT FRIENDS (00:01:30) #1805 - Trump Giving Iran $300 Billion to End His Own War 1: The Iran Deal, Boy, I Don't Know - Takes by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 6-18-26 2: J.D. Vance Iran Deal Fall Guy Part 1 - On the Media - Air Date 6-19-26 3: Trump Weakened U.S. Allies While Strengthening Iran Part 1 - UNFTR - Air Date 6-19-26 (00:26:23) #1810 - Post-American Europe: How to Lose Friends and Influence People to Protect Themselves Against You 4: TODAY: Europe Replaces ENTIRE American Software Stack - Google OUT, Microsoft OUT June 9 - House of El - Air Date 6-4-26 5: Would NATO Hold if Russia Tested Article 5? Lessons From a War Game | Berlin Briefing Podcast Part 1 - DW News - Air Date 7-17-26 6: China Quietly Saved the World Last Month Part 1 - Max Fisher - Air Date 7-17-26 (00:54:17) #1799 - The US and China Are Fighting Over Taiwan, Semiconductors, and Africa's Minerals 7: Can There Ever Really Be "one China?" - Vox - Air Date 5-28-26 8: Trump's FAILED Meeting With China's Xi Jinping Was Humiliating - Pod Save the World - Air Date 5-21-26 9: China Will Never Beat Taiwan, Here's Why - Maxinomics - Air Date 3-37-26 SECTION 2: DIVIDED ON PURPOSE (01:23:27) #1809 - Democrats Seek a Blue Wave, Progressives Push Democratic Socialism, GOP Revive the Red Scare 10: The Red Scare Returns Trump Is Calling Us Communists - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 7-8-26 11: Why Dems Like Him Are Crashing Out Right Now with Jeet Heer Part 1 - The Majority Report - Air Dat 7-3-26 12: Unsticking Congress with Maya Kornberg Part 1 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-7-26 (01:45:55) #1802 - Department of Injustice: Revenge Prosecutions, Judges Threatened, and Incompetence All the Way Down 13: Trump Eyes Personal Lawyer to Run DOJ Part 1 - The Beat w Ari Melber - Air Date 6-4-26 14: This Federal Judge Ruled Against Trump. Then the Death Threats Rolled in Part 1 - 60 Minutes - Air Date 3-1-26 15: DOJ in Crisis - Stay Tuned with Preet - Air Date 2-10-26 SECTION 3: STRANGERS IN OUR OWN COUNTRY (02:12:09) #1806 - America at 250: The Declaration, the Constitution, and our Crisis of Democracy 16: America's 250th Birthday Must Reckon with Racism, Historian Says - Here & Now Anytime - Air Date 6-19-26 17: Trump 250 Gala Grows More Humiliating as Fox Grapples with Low Turnout - THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent - Air Date 6-26-26 18: The Constitution (Melissa's Version) - Strict Scrutiny - Air Date 5-11-26 (02:37:01) #1807 - What the World Cup Exposes: Identity, Colonialism, and Racism in 2026 19: Pete Hegseth is Trying to Resegregate the Military - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 6-20-26 20: US Soccer Star Shows MAGA's Racism With Zero Effort - Rick Strom - Air Date 6-23-26 21: Colonial Wars Played On The Pitch - AJ+ - Air Date 6-21-26 (03:07:56) #1804 - Elon Musk, the First Trillionaire, and the Broken System That Made Him 22: Belfast Riots: Why UK Mobs See Racial Violence as 'national Defence' | Amina Shareef | MEE Opinion - Middle East Eye - Air Date 6-18-26 23: 'Billionaire CRISIS': How the Country's Wealthiest Are 'bankrolling' U.S. Politics - MS NOW - Air Date 5-27-26 24: SpaceX IPO: What They're Not Telling Retail Investors - UNFTR Media - Air Date 6-9-26 (03:34:28) #1808 - Billionaires vs. Democracy: They're Not Coming For Your Job, They're Coming For Your Government (And The Entire Economy) 25: The Richest Country Is Pretty Mid Now Part 1 - Benn Jordan - Air Date 6-28-26 26: The End Of Capitalism Is Here. - Second Thought - Air Date 6-5-26 27: America is Entering a New Socialist Era — and It Might Stick - The Recount - Air Date 6-30-26 SECTION 4: THE WAY BACK TO EACH OTHER (04:03:58) #1800 - How Capitalism Created Loneliness and How To Joyfully Organize Our Way to Community 28: Anthropic Discovers the Axis of Evil, and AIs Loneliness Economy - The AI Fix - Air Date 2-3-26 29: The Political Economy of Love Attention, Affection, & What Capitalism Can't Buy Part 1 - Rev Left Radio - Air Date 1-19-26 30: The Simple Habit for a Happier Social Life Nicholas Epley Part 1 - TEDTalks - Air Date 5-19-26 (04:30:56) #1801 - Counterfeit Populism: Trump, the 2026 Primaries, and the Era That's Ending 31: Why I Left the (White) Left - Signified B Sides - Air Date 6-2-26 32: Hayes: Trump is Chasing Good Press with Bombs - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 6-11-26 33: Abdul El-Sayed Thinks the Michigan Senate Race Will Come Down to This One Factor - Slate and Abdul El-Sayed - Air Date 4-30-26 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
This week, the State Department published a report accusing Cuba of being the “capital of 21st-century communism,” and of plotting an anti-American revolution. On this week's On the Media, why the Trump administration can't stop invoking Cuba as its “communist” bogeyman. Plus, hear from a former flight attendant turned independent journalist, who is doggedly covering ICE's removal flights. [01:00] Brooke Gladstone looks at how President Trump and his allies are using dehumanizing language and the specter of communism — seemingly inspired by far right provocateur Jack Posobiec — to try to discredit all Democrats leading up to the midterm elections. Gil Duran, journalist and author of The Nerd Reich, explains the connection. [08:47] The State Department released a report this week about the threat that Cuba poses to the United States, listing everyone from Mayors Zohran Mamdani and Karen Bass, journalist Amy Goodman, to a co-founder of Ben & Jerry's as agents of Cuban influence. Brooke sits down with Michael J. Bustamante, associate professor of Cuban and Cuban-American history at the University of Miami, to talk about the cherry-picked historical scholarship in the report, and the role that the Cuba bogeyman plays in American politics today. [31:25] Micah Loewinger speaks with Gillian Brockell, independent journalist and former flight attendant who is covering ICE flights and third-country removals. Brockell explains why all ICE flights, domestic and international, are unsafe, and how the Trump administration is trying to skirt around judges' orders by sending asylum seekers to countries, often far-flung, that they didn't come from. Further reading / watching: “Why Trump Keeps Talking About Communism: The 'Unhumans' Playbook,” by Gil Duran Cuban Memory Wars: Retrospective Politics in Revolution and Exile, by Michael J. Bustamante “ICE Deportation Flights Are Getting Longer and Crueler,” by Gillian Brockell “Tracking All of Trump's Known Third-Country Removals,” by Gillian Brockell “Video proves Delta flew Liam Ramos and his dad to ICE detention center,” by Gillian Brockell On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Trump administration is trying to manufacture a new anti-communist red scare, enlisting the national security state into a counter-revolutionary political project. Marco Rubio is obsessed with making Cuba an enemy. How Democrats gave up the only leverage they had to stop the Iran War. Think tanks and the foreign policy establishment are in crisis and dangerously out of touch with reality--Emma Ashford reports on the Aspen Security Forum. How the ruling class reproduces itself by co-opting young people into believing they're not actually workers. And the dismal state of the nuclear disarmament movement in 2026--why preventing nuclear war and nuclear proliferation requires reconnecting nuclear issues to conventional militarism. Subscribe to the Un-Diplomatic Newsletter: https://www.un-diplomatic.com/ Watch Un-Diplomatic Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@un-diplomaticpodcast Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the individuals and not of any institutions
Associate Professor of African American Studies at Wayne State University & author of Black Scare Red Scare: Theorizing Capitalist Racism in the United States, Charisse Burden-Stelly, returns to Bad Faith to discuss the new 100 page State Department report accusing American leftist groups of being part of a "sustained campaign of subversion" against the United States. This new Red-Scare blacklist names Code Pink, the DSA, Hasan Piker, Ben Cohen, Zohran Mamdani, and even Maxine Waters. What does this mean for left movements, & does the liberal response to these accusations, which is largely to distance "Communism" from Scandinavian-style social democracy, help or hurt the cause of the socialist left? We examine a series of Red-Scare articles, including a viral Atlantic Piece titled "The DSA Is a Parasite," along with clips from Jon Stewart, Abdul El-Sayed, & more. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod).
Sponsored by SmileSet. Go to smileset dot com slash rushhour for 35% off your order! On today's morning episode of The Rush Hour, we dive into the latest twists surrounding Mitch McConnell's unexplained absence from the Senate as a bizarre new conspiracy theory fuels speculation about his whereabouts—and whether the former Republican leader is even alive. We'll separate what's known from what's being claimed and break down why the rumors continue to spread. Then, Donald Trump ramps up a familiar political playbook, warning Americans that communism is taking over the country. We'll unpack the latest rhetoric, why "red scare" messaging keeps resurfacing in election cycles, and what policies and political movements are actually being targeted. It's the biggest political stories of the morning, with context, analysis, and a healthy dose of skepticism—only on The Rush Hour.
David Harsanyi, senior writer at The Washington Examiner and co-host of the You’re Wrong podcast with Mollie Hemingway, on his latest Examiner piece, “America needs a new Red Scare.” Seth and David dive into the growing threat of communism in the United States, discussing how it's being whitewashed in schools and the media, and how this is having a profound impact on the country's youth. The conversation also touches on the dangers of socialism and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) wing of the Democratic Party, and how they're gaining traction. David shares his insights on the topic, pointing out that the DSA's platform is not just about expanding Medicare and creating government-run grocery stores, but also includes more radical ideas like abolishing the police and ending incarceration. They also discusses the importance of educating people about the dangers of communism, citing the lack of awareness about the Victims of Communism Museum and the Holocaust Museum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
President Trump is fomenting a right-wing fever dream of a communist plot to destroy America. TRN Podcast host Nick Estes, debunks this myth. Watch the video edition on The Red Nation Podcast YouTube channel https://youtu.be/A7nl1X_XwAg Empower our work: GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/empower-red-medias-indigenous-content Subscribe to The Red Nation Newsletter: https://www.therednation.org/ Patreon https://www.patreon.com/redmediapr
Air Date: 7/18/2026 Today we examine recent primary elections and how the political smear of crying 'socialism' has been dusted off and aimed at a new generation of candidates. What's changed is that the people being smeared are actually winning elections, and the more the establishment called them dangerous, the stronger their numbers got. Full Show Notes Transcript Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, 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! TOP TAKES KP 1: The Red Scare Returns Trump Is Calling Us Communists - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 7-8-26 KP 2: Brooks and Capehart on What's Next for Democrats in the Maine Senate Race - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 7-10-26 KP 3: Why Dems Like Him Are Crashing Out Right Now with Jeet Heer Part 1 - The Majority Report - Air Dat 7-3-26 KP 4: A Progressive Compact for America Part 1 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 6-20-26 KP 5: Democratic Socialist Electoral Victories and the Implications for American Politics Part 1 - Rev Left Radio - Air Date 7-12-26 KP 6: Unsticking Congress with Maya Kornberg Part 1 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-7-26 (00:48:08) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR The Democrats Are Losing Because They Chose Wall St. Over Workers My commentaries on YouTube - Share them! DEEPER DIVES (00:59:58) SECTION A: WHO THEY ARE A1: Can a Democratic Socialist Win in a Swing State This Progressive in Wisconsin Thinks so - MS Now Reports - Air Date 7-8-26 A2: Stop Trump's Project 2025 Scheme to Kill Science; Guest Dr. Colette Delawalla of Stand Up for Science Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-24-26 A3: How Colorado Spooked the Establishment with David Sirota - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-4-26 A4: Primary Fights - The Practivist Pod - Air Date 6-4-26 A5: How Colorado Spooked the Establishment with David Sirota Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-4-26 A6: Stop Trump's Project 2025 Scheme to Kill Science; Guest Dr. Colette Delawalla of Stand Up for Science Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-24-26 A7: Why Dems Like Him Are Crashing Out Right Now with Jeet Heer Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Dat 7-3-26 (02:00:45) SECTION B: WHAT THEY BELIEVE B1: The Socialists Are Coming! Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 7-2-26 B2: DSA & Justice Democrats on Changing the Democratic Party, Mamdani, Gaza & More - Democracy Now! - Air Date 7-10-26 B3: The Socialists Are Coming! Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 7-2-26 B4: Trump's America250 Spectacle, the SSPX Schism, and the Rise of Democratic Socialists - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 7-3-24 (02:27:27) SECTION C: MONEY, POWER, AND THE RECKONING C1: A Progressive Compact for America Part 2 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 6-20-26 C2: Seth Stern on Criminalizing Dissent - CounterSpin - Air Date 6-26-26 C3: Unsticking Congress with Maya Kornberg Part 2 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-7-26 (02:57:37) SECTION D: CRITIQUES AND THE PATH FORWARD D1: Why I Left the (White) Left Part 1 - Signified B Sides - Air Date 6-2-26 D2: Democratic Socialist Electoral Victories and the Implications for American Politics Part 2 - Rev Left Radio - Air Date 7-12-26 D3: A Joy Reid Rant Democrats Want Obedience; We Need Justice Part 1 - The Joy Reid Show - Air Date 7-12-26 D4: Why I Left the (White) Left Part 2 - Signified B Sides - Air Date 6-2-26 D5: Why the Center Left Is Losing, the Squad Vs. the Median Voter, and How Patriotism Wins Elections Part 1 - The Good Fight - Air Date 6-27-26 D6: A Joy Reid Rant Democrats Want Obedience; We Need Justice Part 2 - The Joy Reid Show - Air Date 7-12-26 D7: Why the Center Left Is Losing, the Squad Vs. the Median Voter, and How Patriotism Wins Elections Part 2 - The Good Fight - Air Date 6-27-26 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
On our political radar this week… America was treated to still another delusional rant from Donald Trump Thursday night about the issue that's his singular fixation: imaginary election fraud six years ago. The speech came in a week of bad news from the mad man in the Oval Office: Iran continues to dog-walk Trump and make the U.S. a laughing stock for the world, while the idiotic war continues to drive prices for American voters higher and higher. Trump was finally forced to pay millions of dollars in damages to a woman he sexually assaulted, and once upon a time, this would have been major news. His nominees for Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence embarrass themselves in Senate confirmation hearings – and threaten our national security and the rule of law if confirmed. And the reflecting pool in Washington, D.C., continues to be a perfect metaphor for Trump's presidency: his lack-of-self-awareness delusional hubris meeting the real-world reality of his total incompetence and stupidity. Hey, did anyone know dumb has a B in it? Trump's speech about the 2020 election is both idiotic and alarming at the same time. Voters are locked in on the cost-of-living, while Trump, his administration, and all the Republicans are locked in using the fictional tropes about the 2020 election being rigged to deliberately rig the 2026 election. We should be far more alarmed than we are about the prospect of a free and fair election this November. Trump and the Republicans have settled in on the messaging we predicted here on this podcast several weeks ago – manufactured culture wars and racial scare tactics about violent crime – but with an unexpected blast from the past – COMMUNISM. That's right. It's Red Scare 3.0 for the GOP as they look to spend the rest of 2026 campaigning like it's 1956. The political eyes of the nation are focused on Michigan's race for the U.S. Senate, where there is also a significant new endorsement. Senator Gary Peters, whose retirement launched the battle for nomination, reversed his earlier neutrality decision to back Haley Stevens, saying the Senate isn't the place for on-the-job training. The latest Detroit News polling, from well-respected pollster Richard Czuba, shows Stevens with a lead over Abdul El Sayed…and that Democratic voters are focused on two issues: the economy and fighting Trump. (It appears nobody mentioned the 2020 election.) Yesterday saw the latest federal fundraising reports from candidates and PACs across the country. And news flash: money still matters more than the terminally online chatter around campaigns. And Democrats overall continue to outperform Republicans here in Michigan and across the country. Democratic candidates for Senate and Congress are racking up massive hauls, and while the Republicans aren't complete slouches, at least with their fundraising, they lag in most key races. Screenshot The political focus is on Michigan and the Democratic battle for the U.S. Senate nomination. Joining the conversation is someone watching especially closely, online political guru Jack Cocchiarella. His YouTube political updates are seen by more than 1-and-a-half million subscribers, and more than 2 million followers across social media platforms. Jeff first came to know Jack while he interned for the Lincoln Project during 2020 while he was still in high school. Now, after a political science path through Columbia University, he positions himself at the intersection of media virality and civic engagement—highlighting how today's platforms shape electoral conversations. His commentary covers everything from algorithmic media dynamics to youth voter mobilization, and his channels regularly break down political stories, offering context, critique, and a call to action. Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Republic, If You Can Keep It is sponsored in part by
One of the most beloved comedians in American History has been questioned about his loyalties to America. Come listen to Charlie Chaplin and The Red Scare and see what happens!
SEND ME A TEXT MESSAGE NOWLindsey Graham's sudden death should have been a moment for reflection. Instead, it became something else almost immediately. Kash Patel and the FBI got involved.Before the facts had a chance to catch up, the speculation took off at full speed.In today's America, that's becoming the rule instead of the exception.Then came language that should sound familiar to anyone who's paid attention to history. The words may be different. The technology may be different. But the political playbook? That hasn't changed nearly as much as we'd like to believe.What happens when fear becomes a campaign strategy? When political opponents stop being opponents and start being portrayed as enemies hiding in plain sight? America has traveled down this road before, and the similarities are difficult to ignore.I'll explain why I believe Donald Trump is dusting off one of the oldest political playbooks in American history. Trump's calling people “communists”. That's why the phrase “Red Scare” matters far more than most people realize, and why history has a habit of returning with a fresh coat of paint.I'll also take a hard look at another story that's receiving far less attention than it deserves: America's growing missile shortage. As tensions with Iran continue, are we quietly burning through military stockpiles faster than we can replace them? It's a question that could have consequences far beyond the current conflict.This is Episode 251 of A World Gone Mad—where history matters, common sense is trying to have a seat at the table, and asking uncomfortable questions is always welcome.If you've enjoyed the podcast and found it informative, and maybe got a laugh or two, then please contribute to keeping this podcast around. I'm not backed by Corporate media. There is no outside money other than my own wallet so if you could please contribute to the GoFundMe below even a small donation makes a difference.https://gofund.me/5d9a419efAWorldGoneMadPodcast@gmail.com
On our political radar this week… Demagogue Senator Joe McCarthy’s Red Scare tactics of the 1950s are back. The GOP game plan for the 2026 campaign is clear: branding Democrats as soft-on-crime and communists who want to destroy America. Using Hollywood terms, it's a sequel to what was, for a while, a highly successful 1950's crusade led by Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy. The candidates in Michigan's two very high-profile primary battles had TV debates in the last few days. Did the debates change anything in the races for the GOP nomination for governor or the Dem nomination for U.S. Senate? Hint – I don't think so. Not even a little bit. Donald Trump got a diplomatic “red card” for his unhinged performance at the meeting of NATO leaders, threatening and insulting our allies while praising the Turkish dictator who has been sanctioned for his cozy military relationship with Russia. The Graham Platner story has reached the inevitable conclusion in the wake of allegations he raped a former girlfriend with Platner defiant but recognizing his support had evaporated. Subscribe to our YouTube channel It’s time for Trump to cough up the $5-million judgement for sexually assaulting and then defaming E. Jean Carroll. Earlier this week a fed-up federal judge ordered the release of the escrowed $5.8 million in one of the defamation cases brought by columnist E. Jean Carrol related to Trump's sexual assault against her, saying that Trump's stalling was over. Still pending: another $83-million plus interest in the 2nd defamation case related to Trump's sexual assault of Carroll. No word yet from the other 27 women who've credibly described Trump's sexual crimes against them. Trump's Justice Department is ramping up threats to disrupt and discredit the 2026 election, targeting three Democratic strongholds in Michigan. We're joined by former DOJ voting rights attorney Sam Bagenstos. Bagenstos was a senior staffer at what it now Robert Kennedy Jr.'s Department of Health and Human Services, the Project 2025-driven office of Management and Budget, and the nearly dormant Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights. From Inauguration Day 2021 to June 2022, he served as general counsel to the Office of Management and Budget where his responsibilities included working on President Biden's Day One executive orders; helped respond to COVID-19, including implementing several crucial aid programs; and helped craft and implement the American Rescue Plan as well as the Inflation Reduction Act;. From 2009 to 2011, Bagenstos was the principal deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights, the No. 2 official in the Civil Rights Division where he was lead attorney in multiple voting rights lawsuits. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Greed, Grift$ and Grab$: The Trump Crime Family Chronicles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Republic, If You Can Keep It is sponsored in part by
Trump and the GOP have taken to calling Progressives the "C" word. But are Americans dumb enough to fall for the old 'communist' name-calling once again?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Trump's latest Red Scare recycles one of America's oldest political tricks: invent an internal enemy to distract voters from the policies reshaping the country…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Republicans revive the red scareMasked fascists march on July FourthThe Pacific runs a feverTrump admits the rigScience rewrites the eight-hour sleep ruleSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Let's talk about Trump and the GOP's red scare rhetoric failing on the youth....
When things aren't going well for President Donald J. Trump Fox News has a few tools in its arsenal to keep its viewers terrified, paranoid and glued to their television sets. One of the network's biggest propaganda weapons of mass distraction is the fear of a communist revolution in the United States.So far this year the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) endorsed 150 candidates in primary elections for federal, state and local offices banking 38 wins. Last week in New York City nine of the ten candidates backed by the DSA won their races in deeply blue districts.Although the DSA is further to the left the Democratic Party on many issues it would be a stretch to call the political organization communist. There's nothing in the political movement's platform that would indicate the DSA is planning to seize the means of production or outlaw private property rights.Fox News has seized on the DSA's use of the term ‘socialist' as an indication that the organization is secretly plotting to topple the largest free market economy in the world and replace it with a totalitarian Soviet style managed economy.This would be quite the feat in a country with 33 million small businesses, a high rate of home ownership (65.2%), and where roughly 156 million Americans own publicly traded stocks.Americans also love to buy a lot of products and services as over 70% of the U.S. economy is based on consumer spending. The United States is about as far away as a communist economic model as an any economy could be but that is not going to stop Fox News from manipulating and terrifying its viewers.The network is desperate to distract its audience from the reality of Trump's failed conflict in the Middle East, high gas prices, rising inflation and the president's obsession with his building projects. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decodingfoxnews.substack.com/subscribe
Hour 3 for 7/1/26 Ed Morrissey and Jeremy Wayne Tate discuss Standardized Tests and Berkley's call to bring them back (3:19). Topics: if ACT and SAT are predictive of economic success (8:16), the purposes of testing (13:56), and the CLT exam (18:58). Then, Mike Gonzalez from Heritage covers the recent socialist candidates (27:16), socialist strategy (35:45), Kamala meeting with Mamdani (42:23), and why this isn't a new Red Scare (47:12). Link: https://x.com/JeremyTate https://www.cltexam.com/ https://www.heritage.org/staff/mike-gonzalez https:/x.com/Gundisalvus
John F. O'Donnell is a comedian, TV Host, and Mental Health Advocate. We've been friends since the Redacted Tonight days. Those were simpler times when people genuinely believed that left-wing comedians were Russian spies. Somehow, things have gotten even crazier.
Decades before Miami became Havana USA, a wave of leftist, radical, working-class women and men from prerevolutionary Cuba crossed the Florida Straits, made Ybor City the global capital of the Cuban cigar industry, and established the foundation of latinidad in the Sunshine State. Located on the eastern edge of Tampa, Ybor City was a neighborhood of cigar workers and Caribbean revolutionaries who sought refuge against the shifting tides of international political turmoil during the early half of the twentieth century.In Ybor City: Crucible of the Latina South (University of North Carolina Press, 2023), Historian Sarah McNamara tells the story of immigrant and U.S.-born Latinas/os who organized strikes, marched against fascism, and criticized U.S. foreign policy. While many members of the immigrant generation maintained their dedication to progressive ideals for years to come, those who came of age in the wake of World War II distanced themselves from leftist politics amidst the Red Scare and the wrecking ball of urban renewal. This portrait of the political shifts that defined Ybor City highlights the underexplored role of women's leadership within movements for social and economic justice as it illustrates how people, places, and politics become who and what they are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/latino-studies
Decades before Miami became Havana USA, a wave of leftist, radical, working-class women and men from prerevolutionary Cuba crossed the Florida Straits, made Ybor City the global capital of the Cuban cigar industry, and established the foundation of latinidad in the Sunshine State. Located on the eastern edge of Tampa, Ybor City was a neighborhood of cigar workers and Caribbean revolutionaries who sought refuge against the shifting tides of international political turmoil during the early half of the twentieth century.In Ybor City: Crucible of the Latina South (University of North Carolina Press, 2023), Historian Sarah McNamara tells the story of immigrant and U.S.-born Latinas/os who organized strikes, marched against fascism, and criticized U.S. foreign policy. While many members of the immigrant generation maintained their dedication to progressive ideals for years to come, those who came of age in the wake of World War II distanced themselves from leftist politics amidst the Red Scare and the wrecking ball of urban renewal. This portrait of the political shifts that defined Ybor City highlights the underexplored role of women's leadership within movements for social and economic justice as it illustrates how people, places, and politics become who and what they are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Scholar Emmaia Gelman reflects on the Anti-Defamation League's long history of targeting the left in the United States and abroad. She describes the purported civil right group's involvement in the Red Scare, its surveillance of left organizations, and role in branding as antisemitic those who criticize Israel. Emmaia Gelman, The Anti-Defamation League and the Racial State UC Press, 2026 The post The Anti-Defamation League and the Left appeared first on KPFA.
Chelsea welcomes back comedian and Pop Mystery Pod host Tess Barker to unpack the memoir of chef and television icon Julia Child. Bride-to-be cooking classes! Ina Garten similarities! A cooking-infused friendship breakup! Plus: her longtime child-free marriage to husband Paul Cushing Child, their brush with McCarthyism, and the publishing story that Chelsea will think about every day till the end of time. Contact us or send us your voice notes: hello@glamoroustrash.com Follow Chelsea: Instagram @chelseadevantez Join the cookie community: Become a member of the Patreon Thank you to our sponsors: Quince - Go to quince.com/glamorous for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Thrive Causemetics - Get 20% off your first order at thrivecausemetics.com/glamorous Libro.fm - Click here to get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with your first month of membership using code TRASH. Show Notes: Dringo! Card Groundhog Day episode of Pop Mystery Pod You've Probably Heard of the Red Scare, but the Lesser-Known, Anti-Gay 'Lavender Scare' Is Rarely Taught in Schools (Time Magazine) The United States Government's Anti-Gay Lavender Scare, Explained (Teen Vogue) Where to find our guest: Tess Barker Pop Mystery Pod Lady to Lady Podcast Toxic: The Britney Spears Story Instagram *** Glamorous Trash is all about going high and low at the same time— Glam and Trash. We recap and book club celebrity memoirs, deconstruct pop culture, and sometimes, we cry! If you've ever referenced Mariah Carey in therapy... then this is the podcast for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
During the Cold War, hearings led by U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy soon turned into a witch hunt, as paranoia and political opportunism destroyed the careers (and lives) of actors, directors, singers, filmmakers, writers, and prominent scientists who were accused of disloyalty, subversion, and treason. But even as the accusers cited poems, plays, novels, and song lyrics to bolster their attack, literature mounted a counteroffensive, striking back at the powerful in what Marjorie Garber has termed "poetic revenge." In this episode, Jacke talks to Garber about her book A Treacherous Secret Agent: How Literature Spoke Truth to Power During the Red Scare about the long reach of authors like William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Kyd, John Donne, and others, whose works exposed the lies and hypocrisies of one of America's darkest periods. PLUS Jacke takes a look at Arthur Miller's late-in-life reflections on his own work of poetic revenge, the great anti-McCarthyist play The Crucible. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at gabrielruizbernal.com. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join us as we discuss the trial of Alger Hiss, why Whittaker Chambers became disillusioned with communism, the Rosenbergs, and the effects of the Red Scare on American society.Join us every Monday for episodes and discussions and on Thursdays for pop quizzes and Sketches in History!
“Is he a Communist?” During a House Un-American Activities Committee hearing in 1938, Congressman Joe Starnes probed into the politics of a writer produced by the Federal Theatre Project. The playwright in question? Christopher Marlowe. While Starnes's blunder became legendary, Shakespeare and his contemporaries continued to come up throughout the Red Scare years. Something about early modern poetry and plays often rang as disquietingly topical. In her book, A Treacherous Secret Agent: How Literature Spoke Truth to Power During the Red Scare, Marjorie Garber reveals how literature has always posed a threat to authority, a power of which Shakespeare was well aware. As she puts it, “poetry makes trouble all the time.” This episode explores how Shakespeare became a magnet for suspicion during the Red Scare—and how he spoke to the moment from beyond the grave. From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast. Published May 5, 2026. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This episode was produced by Matt Frassica. Garland Scott is the executive producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster. Technical support was provided by Philip Bodger in Lewes, England and Voice Trax West in Studio City, California. Web production was handled by Megan Fraedrich. Transcripts are edited by Leonor Fernandez. Final mixing services provided by Clean Cuts at Three Seas, Inc. Marjorie Garber is the William R. Kenan, Jr., Research Professor of English and of Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University. She is the author of twenty books, including Shakespeare in Bloomsbury and A Treacherous Secret Agent: How Literature Spoke Truth to Power During the Red Scare. She lives in London, UK. Learn more about Marjorie Garber and her work at her website.
Lucille Ball might have been a natural boundary-pusher, but America's top TV comedienne had some ‘splaining to do when a damning news broadcast unveiled her former ties to the Communist Party. The hysteria of the Red Scare threatened to bury this redhead at the bottom of the Hollywood blacklist overnight. Even when America put rampant McCarthyism to rest, the United States government kept watching Lucille Ball – and we’re not talking about I Love Lucy reruns.Lucille Ball might have been a natural boundary-pusher, but America's top TV comedienne had some ‘splaining to do when a damning news broadcast unveiled her former ties to the Communist Party. The hysteria of the Red Scare threatened to bury this redhead at the bottom of the Hollywood blacklist overnight. Even when America put rampant McCarthyism to rest, the United States government kept watching Lucille Ball – and we’re not talking about I Love Lucy reruns.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen to the full episode In this contribution to an ongoing co-host conversation, Matthew argues that the liberal centre's habit of punching left is a historically conditioned class strategy. From FDR's New Deal—designed to inoculate capitalism against socialism—through Hayek, Buckley, the Birchers, Limbaugh, and the Obama-era "socialist medicine" smear, liberals have accepted the premises of Red Scare attacks, because doing so served their own interest in disciplining the actual left. The result is a Ratchet Effect that pulls discourse perpetually rightward, and a narrowing of the Overton window to convert anticapitalist politics into psychological pathology. When the liberal centre engineers conditions in which no structural challenge to capitalism is rational, it can caricature the resulting conflict as hysteria, cultishness, and immaturity. There's also a gendered dynamic going on here, in which the leftist is unreasonable, nitpicky, always demanding too much, focused on minutiae but also big feelings, and always missing the “big picture”. Sometimes the only real division between right wing and liberal responses to the left is the difference between outright hatred and resentful dismissal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Megyn Kelly breaks down the most ridiculous and bizarre Met Gala moments, featuring Madonna, Katy Perry, Lena Dunham, black "trans" quadriplegic "model" with cerebral palsy, Lauren Sanchez Bezos' alarming face, and more, then Megyn talks about the Blake Lively settlement with Justin Baldoni, the key detail that Lively received zero money, what happens next with Lively and her career, and more. Then Red Scare hosts Anna Khachiyan and Dasha Nekrasova join to discuss the shocking new details about the male accuser in the JP Morgan female exec story, the revelations that he once told his employer his father died when he's still alive, the wildest Met Gala moments, why Nick Fuentes remains popular, the truth about his offensive commentary, and more. More from Red Scare: https://open.spotify.com/show/2uux6PcmzX2FPxfGyeeFOc DailyLook: https://dailylook.com to take your style quiz and use code MEGYN for 50% off your first order. Herald Group: Learn more at https://GuardYourCard.com Brooklyn Bedding: Upgrade your sleep with Brooklyn Bedding—Visit https://brooklynbedding.com and use promo code MEGYN for 30% off sitewide! Relief Factor: Try the 3-Week QuickStart for just $19.95 at https://ReliefFactor.com or call 800-4-RELIEF. Follow The Megyn Kelly Show on all social platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MegynKelly Twitter: http://Twitter.com/MegynKellyShow Instagram: http://Instagram.com/MegynKellyShow Facebook: http://Facebook.com/MegynKellyShow Find out more information at:https://www.devilmaycaremedia.com/megynkellyshow Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.