Best of the Left Podcast

Today we take a look at the Trump campaign’s building trend toward fascism and white supremacy based on his actions and those of the people he keeps around him

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Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: One of the major problems with governing people - Restaurant at the End of the Universe

Ch. 3: Song 1: Hitchhikers Guide Theme Song

Ch. 4: Act 2: Ignoring the signs of creeping fascism - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 4-1-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: Here Comes The Wave (instrumental) - Silence Is Sexy

Ch. 6: Act 3: The ONE Trait That Predicts Who Supports Trump - The @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date: 01-22-16

Ch. 7: Song 3: Question Authority - Fran Archer

Ch. 8: Act 4: Donald Trump's Top Foreign Adviser, Joseph Schmitz, is a Former Blackwater Executive - @DemocracyNow - Air Date: 03-25-16

Ch. 9: Song 4: Crusader - Saxon

Ch. 10: Act 5: Heidi Beirich from @SPLCenter on White Supremacy and the Trump campaign Part 1 - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 3-4-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: A Dose of White Supremacy - Neffe Odom Kragh-Muller

Ch. 12: Act 6: Kathleen Frydl (@kfrydl): Sorry folks, it's fascism - @HumorlessQueers - Air Date 3-26-16

Ch. 13: Song 6: Call It Even - Scott Simons

Ch. 14: Act 7: Democrats Beware: You Don't Want Trump as President! - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 05-05-16

Ch. 15: Song 7: Consequences - The Robert Cray Band & The Memphis Horns

Ch. 16: Act 8: Trump's List of Supreme Court Picks Is an Utter Disaster - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date: 05-19-16

Ch. 17: Song 8: Worlds Apart (feat. Kerli) - Seven Lions

Ch. 18: Act 9: Trump Ally’s Not So Subtle Threats - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 04-23-16

Ch. 19: Song 9: All You Fascists - Billy Bragg & Wilco

Ch. 20: Act 10: How Not To Normalize Trump - On the Media - Air Date: 5-13-16

Ch. 21: Song 10: Tomorrow Never Knows - Alison Mosshart & Carla Azar

Ch. 22: Act 11: Elizabeth Warren has Some Thoughts of Donald Trump - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 05-05-16

Voicemails

Ch. 23: Resisting the urge to buy - Eammon from La Habra, California

Ch. 24: Remember the landfill - Zach from Atlanta

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

Ch. 25: Final comments on third-party voting as a prisoner's dilemma game theory problem

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

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Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

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Direct download: 1016_Trump_Air_Date_5-27-16_-_5-27-16_8.37_PM.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00pm EST

Tue, 24 May 2016

(2015/01/01) Making Provisions (Poverty)

Edition #887

Today we look at the state of poverty in America and some ideas of how to address it

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: Have you benefited from a government program - @allinwithchris Hayes - Air Date: 02-04-14

Ch. 3: Song 1: Eleanor Rigby (Strings Only) - Anthology Box Set

Ch. 4: Act 2: Extending Unemployment Benefits is Fiscally Conservative - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 10-17-14

Ch. 5: Song 2: Working Poor - House With No Home

Ch. 6: Act 3: Blessed Are The Poor - @jimmy_dore Show - Air Date 5-9-14

Ch. 7: Song 3: Kill the Poor - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

Ch. 8: Act 4: Politician Pushes For Literal Hunger Games - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 11-20-14

Ch. 9: Song 4: Laughing At You - Popaganda

Ch. 10: Act 5: PBS's Weak Challanges On Ryan Economics - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 10-10-14

Ch. 11: Song 5: Let's Eat the Poor - Let's Eat the Poor

Ch. 12: Act 6: Govt Will Double Food Stamp Value When Used for Local Fruits & Vegetables - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 11-15-14

Ch. 13: Song 6: Food Glorious Food - Oliver! (Soundtrack)

Ch. 14: Act 7: Bernie Sanders' 12 Point Plan to Save the Middle Class - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 12-05-14

Ch. 15: Song 7: Man With a Plan - Man With a Plan - Single

Ch. 16: Act 8: @HalfinTen via Coalition On Human Needs (@CoalitiononHN) - Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 17: Song 8: Time for Action - Time for Action - the Very Best Of

Ch. 18: Act 9: Linda Tirado - Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America - GoodBooksRadio - Air Date: 10-03-14

Ch. 22: Final comments on a stunning piece of cognitive dissonance

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

Activism: @HalfinTen via Coalition On Human Needs (@CoalitiononHN)

Take Action!

Get involved with Half In Ten

Follow Half in Ten on Twitter and on Facebook

Participate in #TalkPoverty

Sources/further reading:

"The Safety Net Is Good Economic Policy” by Sarah Steinberg at the Center For American Progress

"Fact of the Week: Safety Net Programs Kept Child Poverty from Skyrocketing during the Great Recession” by Lecia Imbery at the Coalition On Human Needs

"One in five millennials lives in poverty, report finds” by Jana Kasperkevic at The Guardian

Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Direct download: 2015-01-01_Making_Provisions_Poverty.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00pm EST

Fri, 20 May 2016

(2016/05/20) Escaping consumerism (Culture)

Edition #1015

Today we take a look at how to escape the hedonic treadmill of consumption in pursuit of happiness and moving toward a future of shared prosperity

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: The rise of stuff and the flatline of happiness - Capitalism and the environment with Gus Speth - McGill University - Air Date: 4-22-09

Ch. 3: Song 1: A Change Is Gonna Come - Ben Sollee

Ch. 4: Act 2: Finding a good practice of consumption - Juliet Schor from Stanford University - Air Date 2-4-09

Ch. 5: Song 2: Good Food - Legendary Wings

Ch. 6: Act 3: Michael Norton: How to buy happiness - TEDTalks - Air Date: 04-24-12

Ch. 7: Song 3: I Will Buy You a New Life - Everclear

Ch. 8: Act 4: Culture of work, insatiability and free time - Juliet Schor from Stanford University - Air Date 2-4-09

Ch. 9: Song 4: Cello Song (feat. Jose Gonzalez) - The Books

Ch. 10: Act 5: This Is Literally The Most Censored Topic On The Mainstream Media - @RedactedTonight w/ @LeeCamp - Air Date: 06-09-15

Ch. 11: Song 5: I Need To Wake Up - Melissa Etheridge

Ch. 12: Act 6: Institutionalizing 3 Buddist poisions (Ill will, Greed and Delusion) - David Loy from Stanford University - Air Date 2-4-09

Ch. 13: Song 6: Happy - Sister Hazel

Ch. 14: Act 7: 7 Tim Jackson: An economic reality check - TEDTalks - Air Date 10-5-10

Voicemails

Ch. 15: We need the fire in our bellies on climate catastrophe - Tim from Boulder, CO

Ch. 16: The problem with the lack of school psychologists - Sally from San Francisco

Ch. 17: Tried veganism as a test and found it surprisingly easy - Patrick from Dallas

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

Ch. 18: Final comments on turning off the hedonic treadmill and returning to minimalism

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Direct download: 1015_Consumerism_Air_Date_5-20-16_-_5-20-16_10.01_PM.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00pm EST

Tue, 17 May 2016

(2016/05/17) The human impact of animal agriculture (Food Choices)

Edition #1014

Today we take a look at the issue of animal agriculture minus the animals: the effects of our meat consumption on human rights, human health and climate change

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: An interview with the co-directors of Cowspiracy Part 1 - Rich Roll - Air Date 9-14-15

Ch. 3: Song 1: Solid Ground - Dougie Maclean

Ch. 4: Act 2: Something You Really Need To Know About The Meat You're Eating - @RedactedTonight w/ @LeeCamp - Air Date: 2-27-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: Happy Meal - The Cardigans

Ch. 6: Act 3: An interview with the co-directors of Cowspiracy Part 2 - Rich Roll - Air Date 9-14-15

Ch. 7: Song 3: Land of Confusion - Genesis

Ch. 8: Act 4: VEGAN 2015 - The Film - PLANT BASED NEWS - Air Date 12-1-15

Ch. 9: Song 4: Here's to Your Health - River Zydeco Band & Henk Mutsaers

Ch. 10: Act 5: Vegan For Human Rights - Mic. the Vegan - Air Date: 3-18-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: Human Rights - Brother Mudada

Ch. 12: Act 6: What do chickens and our constitutional rights have in common? - Jim Hightower - Air Date: 2-12-16

Ch. 13: Song 6: Free and Equal Speech - Chris Priest

Ch. 14: Act 7: Fight Anti-Whistleblower Ag-Gag Laws via @ALDF - Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 15: Song 7: Right to Complain - Trombone Shorty & Marc Broussard

Ch. 16: Act 8: Richard Oppenlander's pre-Cowspiracy screening presentation to the EU Parliament (Part 2 of 7) - Climate Vegan - Air Date: 12-20-15

Voicemails

Ch. 17: Raising taxes lowers the cost of hiring new employees - Jim from Detroit

Ch. 18: The Marxist idea of causing pain to spark the revolution - Alex from Montreal

Ch. 19: Planning ahead from 2016 to 2020 - Brian from Arizona

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

Ch. 20: Final comments on the dangers of Republican governance and moral culpability vs. mathematical reality

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

TAKE ACTION

Write to legislators and governors in states with Ag-Gag laws via Animal Legal Defense Fund's “Take Action to Stop Ag Gag” and demand they be repealed.

Other Actions

Sign the Last Chance for Animal's Change.org petition to fight Missouri's Ag-Gag Law

Sign the Food Integrity Campaign's petition to fight Ag-Gag Laws

Sources/Further Reading:

No More Exposés in North Carolina (via NYTimes.com)

In the Belly of the Beast (via RollingStone.com) (WARNING: THIS IS IMPORTANT, BUT GRAPHIC)

Ag-Gag Legislation by State (via ASPCA.org)

Undercovered: 'Ag-Gag' Laws - How Big Agra Tries to Muzzle Journalists (via Mediate.com)

Big Agriculture Bullies and Lobbies to Keep Americans In the Dark (via Forbes.com)

Groups Sue Over North Carolina's Ag Gag Law, Saying it Violates The Constitution (via ThinkProgress.org)

Ag Boards Think They Should be Exempt From the Freedom of Information Act (via MFAblog.org)

Mercy for Animals Legal Advocacy (via MercyforAnimals.org)

Written by BOTL social media/activism director Amanda Hoffman

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Direct download: 1014_Veganism_Air_Date_5-17-16_-_5-17-16_9.15_PM.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00pm EST

Fri, 13 May 2016

(2015/11/06) Criminalizing the classroom (School-to-Prison Pipeline) (Repost)

Edition #966

Today we take a look at the structural systems in place that work to funnel many children, disproportionately children of color, out of the school system and directly into the (in)justice system

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: The School to Prison Pipeline - Advancement Project (@adv_project) - Air Date: 7-3-13

Ch. 3: Song 1: N/A

Ch. 4: Act 2: Spring Valley High - Backtalk from @BitchMedia - Air Date 10-29-15

Ch. 5: Song 2: N/A

Ch. 6: Act 3: Stuck In The School-To-Prison Pipeline - @ajplus -Air Date: 5-20-15

Ch. 7: Song 3: N/A

Ch. 8: Act 4: Criminalizing the Classroom: Inside the School-to-Prison Pipeline - @democracynow - Air Date: 10-28-15

Ch. 9: Song 4: Hipozebra - Selva de Mar

Ch. 10: Act 5: Spring Valley High and the school-to-prison pipeline - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 10-30-15

Ch. 11: Song 5: Rivers - Plusplus

Ch. 12: Act 6: School to prison pipeline locks kids into the system early - This Week in Blackness (@TWiBnation) - Air Date: 2-19-15

Ch. 13: Song 6: A Farewell To Trends - dustmotes

Ch. 14: Act 7: Policing Schools - Why Are There Cops In Schools? - @ajplus - Air Date: 10-30-15

Ch. 15: Song 7: N/A

Ch. 16: Act 8: SafeQualitySchools.org- Ending the #School2Prison Pipeline via @adv_project - Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 17: Song 8: The Poet - Shihan

Ch. 18: Act 9: When School Cops Go Bad: South Carolina Incident Highlights Growing Police Presence in Classrooms - @democracynow - Air Date: 10-28-15

Voicemails

Ch. 19: Jefferson fought to end slavery - Simon from San Diego

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

Ch. 20: Final comments on my untestable hypothesis

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

Activism: SafeQualitySchools.org: Ending the #School2Prison Pipeline via @adv_project

Take Action:

Students, parents, educators, law enforcement, and activists! VISIT The Advancement Project’s SafeQualitySchools.org to get involved.

FOLLOW the #School2Prison thread.

SHARE the "School to Prison Pipeline by Advancement Project” video

CONTRIBUTE your stories: #School2Pipeline Stories

Additional Activism/Resources:

SIGN to demand #BlackLivesMatter issues be addressed in primary debates: #RaiseTheDebate via Black Lives Matter at ”ColorOfChange

Sources/further reading:

”What You Need to Know About #AssaultAtSpringValleyHigh” — Infographic via The Advancement Project

"Where Are Black Children Safe?" Roxane Gay at The New York Times

"America Doesn’t Care About Black Women And Girls” by Ijeoma Oluo at The Establishment

"Black Girl Down… and Up” by PrisonCulture

"Take cops out of schools: More officers mean more arrests, even for offenses like talking back.” via The Washington Post

”A Short History of Cops Terrorizing Students” via The Nation

Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Direct download: 2015_11_06_Criminalizing_the_classroom_School-to-Prison_Pipeline.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00pm EST

Tue, 10 May 2016

(2016/05/10) Nothing free about corporate trade agreements (TPP and TTIP)

Edition #1013

Today we take a look at the dangerous effects of trade agreements like the TPP and TTIP and some ways to fight against them before they’re passed.

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: Forum on why we must stop the TPP - A Corporate Takeover - Lori Wallach (@WallachLori)

Ch. 3: Song 1: So Far So Close - Jahzzar

Ch. 4: Act 2: Where inequality comes from - Jim @HightowerNews - Air Date: 2-15-16

Ch. 5: Song 2: Who lies - Emma's Revolution

Ch. 6: Act 3: How 'Free' Trade Agreements Could Keep Government From Protecting us... - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 05-07-16

Ch. 7: Song 3: Middle America - Chris Priest

Ch. 8: Act 4: The TTIP Leaks: What We Learned - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 05-07-16

Ch. 9: Song 4: Which Side Are You On - Natalie Merchant

Ch. 10: Act 5: Who is behind Obama's push for TPP? - Jim @HightowerNews - Air Date: 2-17-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: The Silvery Light of a Dream - The Apples in Stereo

Ch. 12: Act 6: Forum on why we must stop the TPP - A Corporate Takeover - Kevin Zeese (@KBZeese)

Voicemails

Ch. 21: Wade's white, straight, cis, male privilege on display - Marti from Madison, WI

Ch. 22: A cab driver's perspective on contact work - James from Brisbane, Australia

Ch. 22: Sign up to donate, I just did! - Josh from Dallas, TX

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

Ch. 23: Final comments on how we do what we do and how you can help

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Direct download: 1013_TPP_Air_Date_5-10-16_-_5-11-16_1.05_AM.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00pm EST

Fri, 6 May 2016

(2016/05/06) May Day and Mothers Day (Feminism and Labor)

Edition #1012

Today we take a look at the origins and sustaining legacies of May Day (International Workers Day) and Mothers Day, another holiday originally begun as a call to recognize the struggles of labor

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: A Living Holiday May Day - Left Out from DemocracyAtWork.info - Air Date 5-1-16

Ch. 3: Song 1: Working Reward - The Haymarket Squares

Ch. 4: Act 2: Myra Bradwell: America's First Woman Lawyer... - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 04-13-15

Ch. 5: Song 2: Welcome to the Black Parade - Vitamin String Quartet

Ch. 6: Act 3: International Women's Day - @LastWeekTonight with @iamjohnoliver - Air Date: 03-15-16

Ch. 7: Song 3: Boys Will Be Boys - Alisha

Ch. 8: Act 4: May Day Sermon Profit vs Environment - Progressive Faith Sermons w: @RevDrRay - Air Date 5-1-16

Ch. 9: Song 4: Modern Way - Kaiser Chiefs

Ch. 10: Act 5: The origins of Mother's Day - BackStory with the American History Guys - Air Date 5-5-10

Ch. 11: Song 5: Re-Write History - George Dobbs

Ch. 12: Act 6: Lucy Parsons: The Anarchist & Intersectional Feminist Who Inspired May Day - @theLFshow w/ @GRITlaura Flanders - Air Date: 4-28-16

Ch. 13: Song 6: Working Class Hero - Exit Clov

Ch. 14: Act 7: 7 Paid Family Leave - @LastWeekTonight w/ @iamjohnoliver - Air Date: 05-10-15

Voicemails

Ch. 16: Get out and vote and be sure to vote down-ballot - David from Tennessee

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

Ch. 17: Final comments on who gets left behind by the Bernie or Bust movement

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Direct download: 1012_Labor_Air_Date_5-6-16_-_5-7-16_11.46_AM.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00pm EST

Tue, 3 May 2016

(2016/05/03) Deception vs. Disobedience (Climate Crisis)

Edition #1011

Today we take a look at the struggle between those intent on selling doubt about climate science in order to stretch fossil fuel profits as far as they’ll go and those standing up to them in the most direct way possible

Be part of the show! Leave a message at 202-999-3991