Best of the Left Podcast

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Air Date 2/27/2021

Today we take a look at the climate-fueled disaster in Texas from almost every angle; from the strictly scientific to the purely political and all of the disaster capitalism in between.

Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Why on Earth are Winters Getting Worse if the Planet is Getting Warmer - Weathered - Air Date 2-1-21

Weathered is a show hosted by meteorologist Maiya May and produced by Balance Media that helps explain the most common natural disasters, what causes them, how they’re changing, and what we can do to prepare.

Ch. 2: Power Outages Becomes Propaganda Nexus - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 2-17-21

Many Republicans, including Tucker Carlson, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and others, falsely claim that the Texas power outages are a direct result of Texas being too reliant on "unreliable" wind power

Ch. 3: Chris Hayes To Ted Cruz: Governance Is Not Just ‘Performative Trolling’ - All In - Air Date 2-18-21

There are a million things that a senator can do in the middle of a disaster, none of which interests a politician like Ted Cruz, who sees himself as basically Rush Limbaugh with a Senate office

Ch. 4: Failed State Texas Power Grid Collapse Impacts Millions. Black & Brown Communities Are Worst Hit - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-18-21

Millions of people in Texas were plunged into freezing cold and darkness as a major winter storm overwhelmed the state's power grid. More than 12 million Texans face water disruptions and have been ordered to boil tap water for safe consumption

Ch. 5: Fossil Fuel Shock Doctrine: Naomi Klein on Deadly Deregulation & Why Texas Needs the Green New Deal - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-22-21

Naomi Klein, senior correspondent at The Intercept and a professor at Rutgers University, says Republicans’ reaction is “because of panic” over their own culpability.

Ch. 6: Adapting and Moving in a Warming World, with Beth Gibbons and Dr. Jola Ajibade - Warm Regards - Air Date 2-8-21

This episode of Warm Regards focuses on two more facets of decision making based on data about how the climate is changing.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 7: How to Prepare for Climate Change Part 1 - Strange Days with Fernand Amandi - Air Date 2-5-21

Ch. 8: How to Prepare for Climate Change Part 2 - Strange Days with Fernand Amandi - Air Date 2-5-21

Ready for the coming impact of climate change? Fear not as CBS Sunday science expert David Pogue tells #StrangeDaysPodcast how to get ready + Frank Schaeffer warns how radicalized evangelical Christians threaten Biden’s agenda & democracy.

Ch. 9: Tara Houska and Ruth Breech on Divesting from Toxic Capitalism - For The Wild - Air Date 8-21-19

Climate disaster is unfolding before our eyes every day, and yet banks have poured $1.9 trillion into maintaining and expanding the fossil fuel industry since the Paris Agreement was adopted.


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 10: The divide is more religious than political - V from Central New York


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 11: Final comments on cancel culture

Article: Right-wing media helped usher in the age of “cancel culture,” but now pretend it's an invention of the left


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Listen Anywhere!

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

Direct download: 1401_Texas.Climate_Air_Date_2-27-21_General_-_2-28-21_17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00am EDT

Air Date 6/28/2019

Today we take a look at the ways that extreme inequality and many of the worst instincts and repercussions of capitalism are being upheld and perpetuated by our culture of philanthropy. It turns out that what we see as the rich giving back is really more of a purchase on their part, a purchase of our acceptance of inequality and the right of the wealthy to rule.

Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Gilded Rage - Future Perfect - Air Date 5-21-19

To put our new age of extreme inequality in perspective, we look back at Andrew Carnegie, who gave America a huge number of libraries so they’d forgive him for his brutal steel mills. We ask: Is the same thing happening in 2019?

Ch. 2: Anand Giridharadas: Winners take all Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 9-27-18

Anand Giridharadas, author of Winners Take All, on the win-win business- and plutocrat-friendly philanthropy of today’s nouveau riche.

Ch. 3: Rob Reich: Is big philanthropy destroying democracy? - Tiny Spark - Air Date 11-7-18

Stanford professor Rob Reich’s new book Just Giving: Why Philanthropy Is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better investigates how charity can undermine democratic values and explores the ways federal policies help to facilitate greater inequality.

Ch. 4: Could billionaires solve global poverty? - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 4-25-19

Time editor at large, Anand Giridharadas, discusses whether billionaires can put an end to global poverty if they had the will to do so, and talks about his recent book, Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World

Ch. 5: Rob Reich on whether philanthropy is bad for democracy - Rationally Speaking - Air Date 11-12-18

This episode features political scientist Rob Reich, author of "Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy, and How it Can Do Better". Does it deserve to be tax-deductible? And do philanthropists have too much power in society?

Ch. 6: Anand Giridharadas: Winners take all Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 9-27-18

Anand Giridharadas, author of Winners Take All, on the win-win business- and plutocrat-friendly philanthropy of today’s nouveau riche.


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 7: Inequality is the #1 issue - James from Sacramento, CA


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 8: Final comments on covering inequality and presenting a bonus clip on two manifestations of racism

BONUS CLIP: Myths of the ruling class with Anand Giridharadas - Why is this happening? - Air Date 10-8-18


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Gullwing Sailor - Migration
  • Felt Lining - The Cabinetmaker
  • Slow Lane Lover - Barstool
  • Gondola Blue - Towboat
  • The Back Lot - Sunday at Slims
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

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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: 1285_Philanthropy.Inequality_Air_Date_6-28-19_-_2-24-21_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:11pm EDT

Air Date 2/20/2021

Today we take a look at the fight to create and maintain workable and humane economic and social floors, beneath which people are not allowed to fall. The fetishization of market forces embraced by decades of neoliberals and weaponized by authoritarians have left millions desperate for basic standards. To draw the connection, we look at the protests by Indian farmers against proposed deregulation and the fight for $15 in the US.

Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Your four talking points for $15-an-Hour minimum wage - Working Life Podcast - Air Date 2-17-21

Right before our eyes, in these very days and at this time of crisis, you can see so clearly this bankrupt system, defended and promoted by greedy CEOs and spineless politicians, but a system people are trying to rebel against and take down.

Ch. 2: Inside the Raise the Wage Act, with EPI's David Cooper Part 1 - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 1-30-21

Rebecca sits down with the Economic Policy Institute's David Cooper for a deep dive into Democrats' Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025.

Ch. 3: What’s the deal with the CBO report? Part 1 - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 2-12-21

The big news in the minimum wage world this week is the new CBO report—which, among many benefits, also found that a $15 federal minimum wage would cost jobs, increase the deficit, and raise prices. Goldy and Paul explain how CBO arrived at their numbers.

Ch. 4: Inside the Raise the Wage Act, with EPI's David Cooper Part 2 - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 1-30-21

Rebecca sits down with the Economic Policy Institute's David Cooper for a deep dive into Democrats' Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025.

Ch. 5: Modi’s “Arrogance of Power” and the Indian Farmers’ Protests with Rana Ayyub - Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-16-21

This week, journalist and Washington Post columnist, Rana Ayyub, joins to discuss the protest movement and how Modi·s reaction to it fits his pattern of illiberalism and nationalism that marches India away from democracy.

Ch. 6: Indian Farmers Lead Historic Strike & Protests Against Narendra Modi, Neoliberalism & Inequality - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-3-20

P. Sainath, an Indian journalist and the founder of People’s Archive of Rural India, or PARI, who describes why working-class Indians are standing up against “absolutely vicious” new rules that were rammed through Parliament, and show no sign of stopping.

Ch. 7: All walls must fall w/Harsha Walia - The Red Nation Podcast - Air Date 2-15-21

Harsha Walia discusses her new book, Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism, the Indian farmers' movement, and how she became an organizer.

Ch. 8: Prof. Richard Wolff: India's Historic General Strike - The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow - Air Date 12-4-2020

Professor Richard Wolff joins RJ Eskow to discuss the historic strike taking place in India and possible influence on other countries.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 9: What’s the deal with the CBO report? Part 2 - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 2-12-21

The big news in the minimum wage world this week is the new CBO report—which, among many benefits, also found that a $15 federal minimum wage would cost jobs, increase the deficit, and raise prices. Goldy and Paul explain how CBO arrived at their numbers.

Ch. 10: Amazon Workers Organize! - Working Life Podcast - Air Date 2-10-21

Thousands of workers are trying to get a union at Amazon's huge warehouse in Bessemer Alabama. The ballots have just been mailed and we get an update on the organizing campaign from a good friend of the show Dave Mertz


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 11: Final comments on the results of our disinformation headline contest


TAKE ACTION!

Call Your Senators to Pass a $15 Federal Minimum Wage: 888-639-5155

Stay engaged with @fightfor15 & #fightfor15 on Twitter

Tell Sen. Joe Manchin how you feel, too!

EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE

The Fight for a $15 Minimum Wage Is Our Selma (Time, Op-Ed)

Sanders confident of raising minimum wage as part of $1.9tn Covid package (The Guardian)

Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman 


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

SHOW IMAGE:

Image Description: Image of a young Black woman holding sign that says "Fighting for $15" next to an image of a young Indian man holding a sign that says "If you ate today, thank a farmer".

Composite Design by Amanda Hoffman. Images include: “FightFor15-1330695 - #Fightfor15 Protest in Pittsburgh, PA - April 2015” by Mark Dixon, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped and rotated *and* “052 Indian Farmers Protest” by Felton Davis, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, enhanced brightness and contrast

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Listen Anywhere!

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

Direct download: 1400_India.15_Minimum_Air_Date_2-20-21_General_-_2-20-21_21.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:58pm EDT

Air Date 2/16/2021

Today we take a look at the competing histories fighting for dominance in the minds of Americans; the mythologized and romanticized history as represented by the "patriotic" framing of history from the 1776 Commission report and the much more fact-based approach that doesn't skirt the issue of race from the 1619 Project.

Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 

Transcript

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Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft


SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: The 400 Year Legacy with Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ibram X. Kendi - Why Is This Happening with Chris Hayes - Air Date 12-6-19

Nikole Hannah-Jones, the architect behind "The 1619 Project," and Ibram X. Kendi, author of “How To Be an Antiracist,” joined Chris Hayes to examine the 400 year legacy of slavery in America.

Ch. 2: With Hours Left in Office, Trump White House Tries to Rewrite U.S. History - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 1-19-21

Prof. Eddie Glaude Jr. joins Mehdi Hasan to explain why the Trump administration's 1776 Report is an attempt to stoke a culture war via historical nonsense.

Ch. 3: Eric Foner on The 1619 Project - Start Making Sense - Air Date 11-21-19

Historian Eric Foner talks about The New York Times’ “1619 Project,” which argues that the legacy of slavery is central to all of the American past and present—including the White House today.

Ch. 4: The 1776 Report - Past Present - Air Date 1-26-21

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss ·The 1776 Report· issued by the outgoing Trump administration.

Ch. 5: The Original Sin of 1619 - In The Thick - Air Date 8-20-19

Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones led a team of black journalists, writers and poets to create The 1619 Project, a deep and thoughtful look into the 400th anniversary of the beginning of slavery in this country. But a lot of the response has been predictable


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 6: Midnight in the Garden of American Heroes - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 2-11-21

Matt and Sam explain West Coast Straussianism, the school of thought behind one of the last acts of the Trump administration: its publication of the "1776 Report," the Right's shabby response to the 1619 Project and blueprint for the American Founding

Ch. 7: Adolph Reed Critiques The 1619 Project - The Michael Brooks Show - Air Date 5-14-20

Adolph Reed talks about the 1619 project through the lens of anti-essentialism.


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 8: Proper attribution for vaccines - Dr. Gay

Ch. 9: Financial health of the show? - Nick from California


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 10: Final comments on framing vaccine manufacturers properly


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Listen Anywhere!

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

Direct download: 1399_1619_vs_1776_Air_Date_2-16-21_General_-_2-16-21_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:08pm EDT

Air Date 2/13/2021

Today we take a look at the fallout from the January 6th insurrection, the case for impeachment and/or punishment for every single person involved and discussions for why this process is so important to the stability of the country.

Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 

Transcript

MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content)

MERCHANDISE!

REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy!


EPISODE SPONSOR: Unf*cking the Republic Podcast

Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft


SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: AOC shares harrowing personal story from January 6th attack - The BradCast - Air Date 2-2-21

AOC relates her experience in the capitol and explains why the enablers of the insurrection total lack of remorse is a problem.

Ch. 2: We Can't Just "Move On": AOC & Rashida Tlaib Demand Accountability for Deadly Capitol Attack - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-5-21

We air excerpts from speeches by Democratic Congressmembers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. "Some are already demanding that we move on or, worse, attempting to minimize, discredit or belittle the accounts of survivors"

Ch. 3: Rep. Cori Bush Denounces White Supremacist Violence from the Capitol Insurrection to Ferguson - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-8-21

With former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial set to begin in the Senate this week, we feature the speech Democratic Congressmember Cori Bush of Missouri made Thursday on the floor of the House of Representatives to demand accountability for the

Ch. 4: Dem House Managers submit pre-Impeachment Trial briefs - The BradCast - Air Date 2-2-21

House Democrats submit their pre-trial filings, detailing a graphic, detailed, painstakingly-documented argument for Trump's conviction for inciting the insurrection. Trump's lawyers filed a largely limp legal brief in response, filled with false claims.

Ch. 5: New Audio From The Insurrection And What It Could Mean For Impeachment - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 2-11-21

Elie Honig, CNN legal analyst and host of the CAFE daily impeachment podcast Third Degree, talks about the ongoing Senate impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump.

Ch. 6: Prosecute the Insurrectionists—All of Them: Elie Mystal on Storming the Capitol - Start Making Sense - Air Date 2-3-21

Eight hundred people stormed the Capitol building on January 6, but fewer than 200 have been charged with crimes. Why so few? Elie Mystal, The Nation's Justice correspondent, says every one of the 800 committed crimes that day and should be prosecuted.

Ch. 7: Life After Fascism: A Brief History - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 1-21-21

Timothy Snyder, professor of history at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna, offers historical context for the attack on our democracy.

Ch. 8: The “Healing” Con: How Warm and Fuzzy Appeals for "Unity" Are Used to Protect Power - Citations Needed - Air Date 1-20-21

Healing, On its face these concepts sound fine enough: after all, who doesn't like peace? Unity sounds great! But in the majority of political contexts, these warm and fuzzy buzzwords rush past the work of justice and reparations.

Ch. 9: GOP Senators Want to "Move On" from Trump's Second Impeachment Trial - Late Night with Seth Meyers - Air Date 2-8-21

Seth takes a closer look at former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial being a chance to hold Trump accountable for his crimes and to shine a national spotlight on the decay of the GOP and our democratic institutions.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 10: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene - Past Present - Air Date 2-9-21

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the controversial tenure of freshman Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Ch. 11: Incitement - What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law - Air Date 1-30-21

With the trial looming, we look at whether Trump has a good argument against the charge he incited a riot on Capitol Hill, and whether or not it's constitutional to impeach someone after they leave office.


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 12: Final comments on a new game I just invented

Game Headlines:

Biden to Begin Allowing Asylum Seekers Waiting in Mexico to Enter U.S.

Biden to Rescind Medicaid Work Requirements

Biden administration launches review aimed at closing Guantanamo prison


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

SHOW IMAGE:

Composite by Amanda Hoffman. Image Includes: "Donald Trump" by Gage Skidmore on Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped/blurred with red overlay *and* "Hats" by Tyler Merbler on Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with red overlay

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Listen Anywhere!

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

Direct download: 1398_Insurrection_Accountability_Air_Date_2-13-21_General_-_2-13-21_11.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:55pm EDT

Air Date 2/10/2021

Today we take a look at the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in the US and around the world. Between White and Black in the US, Israeli and Palestinian in Israel and the Global North and Global South broadly, the legacies of colonialism and racism predictably play themselves out.

Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 

Transcript

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EPISODE SPONSORS: BOMBAS.COM/BEST | C-Span

Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft


SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Elisabeth Rosenthal on Troubled Vaccine Rollout - CounterSpin - Air Date 1-15-21

Many could and did predict that the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine would be marred by the Trump administration being the Trump administration, and the hollowing out of public health infrastructure.

Ch. 2: The Perils of Pandemic Doomsaying (and Other Covid Messaging Mix-Ups) - On the Media - Air Date 1-29-21

Zeynep Tufecki [@zeynep], associate professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, explains why public health officials send mixed messages on everything from masks to variants.

Ch. 3: Racial Disparities Already Taking Shape In Covid Vaccination Rates - MSNBC - Air Date 2-6-21

Rachel Maddow looks at how even though people of color suffer disproportionately more from Covid-19, vaccination statistics are already showing disproportionately fewer people of color being inoculated

Ch. 4: A Pastor's Plight to Address Vaccine Skepticism in Black Communities - On the Media - Air Date 12-4-20

The Rev. Paul Abernathy on his work addressing vaccine skepticism in Black communities, starting by earning trust and recruiting vaccine trial volunteers in predominantly Black neighborhoods in Pittsburgh.

Ch. 5: "Medical Apartheid" - Israeli Vaccine Drive Excludes Millions of Palestinians in Occupied Territories - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-5-21

"Israel actually is violating international law because it is denying its responsibility as an occupying power," says Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, member of the Palestinian Parliament "Israelis are getting the vaccines, and Palestinians are getting nothing."

Ch. 6: Vaccine Apartheid: US Media's Uncritical Adoption of Racist "Intellectual Property" Dogma Part 1 - Citations Needed - Air Date 1-27-21

As COVID-19 raged and pharmaceutical companies raced to develop a vaccine, Western media routinely asserted the premise that vaccine 'intellectual property' is a zero-sum possession that's been 'stolen' by malicious foreign actors & blackmarket criminals.

Ch. 7: Who Owns the COVID-19 Vaccines? - On the Media - Air Date 1-29-21

Dean Baker [@DeanBaker13], senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, on why intellectual property may be getting in the way of vaccine distribution.

Ch. 8: Vaccine Apartheid: US Media's Uncritical Adoption of Racist "Intellectual Property" Dogma Part 2 - Citations Needed - Air Date 1-27-21

As COVID-19 raged and pharmaceutical companies raced to develop a vaccine, Western media routinely asserted the premise that vaccine 'intellectual property' is a zero-sum possession that's been 'stolen' by malicious foreign actors & blackmarket criminals.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 9: Vaccine Priorities: Politics and Ethics. Gregg Gonsalves on Covid-19 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 12-30-20

Vaccine priorities: political and ethical questions about who comes first, after health care workers. Gregg Gonsalves considers the arguments.

Ch. 10: "A Moral Catastrophe": Africa CDC Head Says Lack of Vaccines for the Continent Will Imperil World - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-5-21

40+ African countries have been hit by second wave, and just six have received relatively small vaccine shipments. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa CDC and Prevention, says the world faces "a moral catastrophe" without vaccine equity.


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 10: Thoughts on "moral panic" - Christina


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 12: Final comments on corporations resisting reasonable regulation to avoid setting precedents


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Listen Anywhere!

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

Direct download: 1397_Vaccine_Rollout_Air_Date_2-9-21_General_-_2-10-21_12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:36pm EDT

Air Date 2/5/2021

Today we take a look at the role that social media plays in the radicalization of discontented communities and engage in the debate over content moderation and de-platforming of individuals.

Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 

Transcript

MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content)

MERCHANDISE!

REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy!


Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft


SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Why everyone hates Big Tech, with The Verge's Nilay Patel - The Weeds - Air Date 7-19-19

Verge editor-in-chief and Vergecast host Nilay Patel joins Matt in this special crossover episode to explain what Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which allows platforms to circumnavigate liability for user content, really means.

Ch. 2: Let’s Break Up Facebook, Google, Amazon - Newsbroke - Air Date 1-30-21

Trump has been removed from the nation’s capital and the nation’s social media feeds. And while it was fun to watch him and other far-right accounts “getting owned” by Twitter, Facebook, Google and other platforms, it does pose an important question

Ch. 3: Solving the Facebook Problem at Home and Abroad - On The Media - Air Date 5-22-19

When former Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes penned a New York Times op-ed calling for the breakup of the platform, he was lauded by anti-corporate politicians and the press. Then came a series of hard questions

Ch. 4: Zephyr Teachout on "Break 'Em Up" - Off-Kilter - Air Date 8-4-20

Rebecca talks to Zephyr Teachout about her new book "Break 'Em Up: Recovering our Freedom from Big Tech, Big Ag, and Big Money" and why we need an antitrust movement for our time.

Ch. 5: ADL International Leadership Award Presented to Sacha Baron Cohen - Anti-Defamation League - Air Date 11-21-19

Sacha Baron Cohen is the well-deserved recipient of ADL’s International Leadership Award, which goes to exceptional individuals who combine professional success with a profound personal commitment to community involvement and to crossing borders

Ch. 6: Joan Donovan on how platforms enabled the capital hill riot Part 1 - Big Tech - Air Date 1-21-21

Joan Donovan studies social movements and their use of media and technology to spread their message.

Ch. 7: Peter Kafka and Kevin Roose on big tech's power and responsibility - Vox Conversations - Air Date 1-18-21

Recode’s Peter Kafka speaks with New York Times’s Tech columnist Kevin Roose about big tech’s power and responsibility - and whether it is going to have accountability.

Ch. 8: Insurrection on Capitol Hill Heightens Focus on Social Media Radicalization - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 1-13-21

Former Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos joins Mehdi Hasan to explain how Facebook is tackling radicalization on its platform, and where the company is still falling short.

Ch. 9: Joan Donovan on how platforms enabled the capital hill riot Part 2 - Big Tech - Air Date 1-21-21

Joan Donovan studies social movements and their use of media and technology to spread their message.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 10: Your Nation's Attention for the Price of a Used Car - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 10-6-20

Today’s extremists don’t need highly produced videos like ISIS. They don’t need deep pockets like Russia. With the right message, a fringe organization can reach the majority of a nation’s Facebook users for the price of a used car.


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 11: Final comments on Social Media Externalities


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

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Direct download: 1396_Social_Media_Radicalization_Air_Date_2-5-21_General_-_2-5-21_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:32pm EDT

Air Date 11/12/2019

Today we take a look at some of the ways that conservative policies, willed into existence almost exclusively by white people, measurably hurt people and shorten life expectancies, including those who most fervently support the self-destructive policies.

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: How Racial Resentment Is Killing White Working Class Americans | Opinions | NowThis - Air Date 5-4-19

‘People are voting for these policies that are shortening their own life spans.’ — Author of 'Dying of Whiteness' Jonathan Metzl argues that the politics of racial resentment is killing Americans in the heartland.

Ch. 2: Slavery and the Lack of Universal Healthcare - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 8-20-19

Jeneen Interlandi, New York Times editorial board member and staff writer for the New York Times Magazine, talks about the intersection of race and lack of universal healthcare in America.

Ch. 3: An Incredible Con - Slate Presents: The Queen - Air Date 5-20-19

For presidential candidate Ronald Reagan, Linda Taylor epitomized the brokenness of the federal bureaucracy and the broader trend of poor people getting rich off the public dime.

Ch. 4: Dying of Whiteness with Jonathan Metzl - Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes - Air Date 3-26-19

Jonathan Metzl writes that the policies promising to Make America Great Again, policies rooted in centering and maintaining the power of whiteness, are shortening the lives of the white Americans who vote for them.

Ch. 5: Greater than Fear - Brave New Words - Air Date 9-6-19

In 2018, progressives in Minnesota won across races, defining what it means to be “Minnesotan” through an aspirational narrative of multi-racial populism.

Ch. 6: Dying of Whiteness A Conversation with Scholar Jonathan Metzl - Speak Out with Tim Wise - Air Date 4-2-19

Tim speaks with Dr. Jonathan Metzl, a professor of sociology and psychiatry at Vanderbilt University, and the author of the new book, Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland.

Ch. 7: People seeking asylum - Brave New Words - Air Date 9-6-19

Over the last few years, facing a conservative and openly xenophobic administration, human rights advocates mounted and won four campaigns challenging offshore detention of people seeking asylum.


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 8: What was I thinking back then, gosh what am I thinking now? - Alan from Connecticut

Ch. 9: Pre-recorded bullshit ads - Dave from Olympia, WA


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 10: Final comments on learning to be wrong and the sad future of podcasting


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Derailed - The Depot
  • Astrisx - Bodytonic
  • Quaver - Codebreaker
  • These Times - The Pine Barrens
  • The Summit - K2
  • Take a Tiny Train - Ray Catcher
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

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