Sat, 24 September 2022
Air Date 9/24/2022 Today, we take a look at the decades-long scheme to funnel conservative activist judges into the judiciary to support Republican policy goals and the resulting legal bulwark defending Trump against prosecution and supporting his future election efforts. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES About half the world has prosecuted a former leader, so why doesn’t the U.S.? Seth takes a closer look at the FBI seizing the phones of two Trump aides and issuing 40 subpoenas as the Justice Department intensifies its various investigations of Trump and his allies, including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. You may not have heard of Judge Aileen Cannon at the start of her lifetime appointment. But Trump's court pick just ruled in favor of a special master in the Mar-a-Lago probe. Ch. 4: The Law v Lawless Edition - Amicus - Air Date 9-10-22 A single Trump-appointed judge’s attempt to stick a fork in the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into potential mishandling of classified materials is part of a systemic story about American justice. When you see the news about a 10-year-old forced to flee her state to terminate a pregnancy from her rapist, think about Leonard Leo as the man who brought that state of affairs about. He is the guy pulling the strings in the background. A federal judge on Monday agreed with Donald Trump’s lawyers to appoint an independent arbiter known as a special master to review top-secret documents seized during an FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate. Ch. 7: The Scheme Speech 1: The Powell Report - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse - Air Date 5-27-21 Sen. Whitehouse delivers his first speech on court capture MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) “It was a very unusual transaction, the likes of which I have not seen in my years of covering money in politics,” says New York Times reporter Ken Vogel. Ch. 9: Lock Him Up? - On The Media - Air Date 9-9-22 James D. Long [@prof_jameslong], associate professor of political science at the University of Washington, on the consequences of modern democracies across the globe prosecuting — or choosing not to prosecute — their former leaders FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on defeating authoritarianism with action, not news following MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Direct download: 1516_Trump_Investigations.Judiciary_Air_Date_9-24-22_General_-_9-23-22_15.36.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:46pm EDT |
Wed, 21 September 2022
Air Date 9/21/2022 Today, we take a look at the history and legacy of British imperialism and slavery through the lens of the divergent views on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the growing movement of former colonies to achieve full independence. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES You can't expect people to show respect for something that never respected them. #BetweenTheScenes on the mixed reaction to the Queen’s death. Kehinde Andrews describes the brutal legacy of the British slave trade and the British Empire, which makes the monarchy a symbol of white supremacy that should not be mourned, but rather abolished. Ch. 3: The royal family: Slavery, colonialism and race - Sky News - Air Date 6-23-22 In the Caribbean, some people are calling for the Queen to be removed as head of state, and for the royal family to pay reparations for their role in slavery. Wongel Zelalem reports on Julius Malema telling Africans to not mourn Queen Elizabeth II. Breaking down the legacy of British colonialism through the lens of controversy over online reactions Ch. 6: Slavery, Colonisation and the Crown - TRT World In 2022, Britain celebrated 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s rule with street parties and festivities. But many critics say that the British monarchy should not be celebrated because of its legacy of slavery, looting and colonialism. Ch. 7: Who needs the monarchy? - It's Been a Minute - Air Date 8-16-22 Guest host Elise Hu talks to Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, lawyer, activist and author of This Is Why I Resist about this new era for the British royals, the power they hold and the potential opportunities for the new monarch. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) "There's a degree of psychosis that you can go to another people's land, colonize them, and then expect them to honor you at the same time," says Kenyan American author Mukoma Wa Ngugi. We also speak with Harvard historian Caroline Elkins. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: An old postage stamp depicts a 3-mast schooner ship on the water and an airplane above it with a young Queen Elizabeth II to the right wearing a crown and a crown symbol over her head. The text at the edges reads “JAMAICA” “West Indies” “2d Postal Centenary, 1860-1960”. Credit: “Jamaica Postal Centenary” by Bill Smith, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped and added pieces of image to top and bottom of stamp.
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Direct download: 1515_British_Empire_Air_Date_9-21-22_General_-_9-21-22_17.05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:23pm EDT |
Sat, 17 September 2022
Air Date 9/17/2022 Today, we take a look at the way terrible patterns of the past like colonialism, racism, propaganda, feudalism, and abuse of corporate monopoly power are recreating and re-entrenching themselves in the digital world Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Rise Of Digital Oligarchy w/ Jillian York - The Majority Report - Air Date 8-4-22 Emma hosts Jillian York, Director of International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, to discuss her recent book Silicon Values: The Future of Free Speech Under Surveillance Capitalism. Ch. 2: How Social Media Profits Off Your Anger - Wisecrack - Air Date 8-26-22 Does the internet run on rage? If you’ve spent any time online, you know that anger is to the internet as cake is to a birthday party. But why have the interwebs become a place of such division and rage? It’s complicated, but we’ll explain Ch. 3: Using AI to Say the Word - This Machine Kills - Air Date 9-2-22 We discuss a new startup doing the rounds called Sanas that uses AI “accent translation” to make "non-white" call center workers speak English with a white American accent. This is some real retro throwback tech solutionism Ch. 4: Addressing the TikTok Threat - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 9-8-22 This week on Your Undivided Attention, we bring you a bonus episode about TikTok. Co-hosts Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin explore the nature of the TikTok threat, and how we might address it. We conclude our conversation with Vice's Edward Ongweso Jr. by looking at Peter Thiel's role in bankrolling Uber as the 'Tip of the Spear' for rolling back labor laws, workers' rights and Unions. Ch. 6: Break Up Monopolies: Zephyr Teachout - Future Hindsight - Air Date 8-11-22 Zephyr Teachout is Senior Counsel for Economic Justice for the New York AG and law professor at Fordham University. We revisit our conversation with her about her book, Break 'Em Up: Recovering Our Freedom from Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big Money. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: The Digital Self, Web3 and reclaiming your online identity - Future Tense - Air Date 7-23-22 How is our sense of identity changing as our online and offline experiences increasingly merge? What grounds a person’s online persona (or personas) to the physical world? And is such a tie important? We are joined by Dan McQuillan to discuss his great new book Resisting AI. “With analytical and moral clarity, McQuillan makes the case for recognizing the radical politics of AI and meeting its goose step march head-on.” FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on how to fix the internet for yourself MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Direct download: 1514_Digital_Dystopia_Air_Date_9-17-22_General_-_9-16-22_20.12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:00pm EDT |
Wed, 14 September 2022
Air Date 9/14/2022 Today, we take a look at the history and hysteria behind debt and debt forgiveness while Biden is canceling student debt and opponents of the idea are reacting in the most predictable way possible because they misunderstand the relationship between debt and morality. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BOMBAS.COM/BEST BUY ONE/GIVE ONE TO SOMEONE IN NEED ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES We speak to Astra Taylor, writer, filmmaker, and co-director of the Debt Collective, a union for debtors and one of the original advocates for a debt jubilee that would cancel all student debt. Ch. 2: Freedom Dreams: Black Women and the Student Debt Crisis - The Intercept - Air Date 8-22-22 The Intercept’s new documentary, “Freedom Dreams: Black Women and the Student Debt Crisis,” profiles Black women educators and activists struggling under the weight of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, in student loan debt. Ch. 3: Hidden History of Student Debt - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 8-25-22 Many woke up to find news that $10k of their student debt would be forgiven, Thom Hartmann and Jefferson Smith break down what this means and what happens next. Max breaks down the politics, the details, and biggest misses of the Biden student debt relief plan and why it’s in danger of being PITOTWIU Florida Representative Michael Waltz believes the military recruiting crisis will worsen with President Biden’s student loan forgiveness. He also believes it is unfair to those who have not incurred debt. Ch. 6: Forgiving (and Unforgiving) Debts - Now & Then - Air Date 9-6-22 Heather and Joanne discuss the history of debtors’ prisons in early America, the rise of bankruptcy laws after the Civil War, and the Cold War origins of federal student loans. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: Forgiving (and Unforgiving) Debts Part 2 - Now & Then - Air Date 9-6-22 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on morality and money MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: A dark gray, 3D image of the word "DEBT" sits in a white void, a connected chain and open shackle with an open padlock lie in front of it. Credit: "3D Shackled Debt" by Chris Potter, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Enlarged with more white background
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1513_Cancel_Student_Debt_Air_Date_9-14-22_General_-_9-14-22_21.52.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:35pm EDT |
Fri, 9 September 2022
Air Date 9/9/2022 Today, we take a look at platforms, goods, and business models in the modern landscape of the digital marketplace. We start by questioning the morality of engaging in given platforms that cause harm - cryptocurrencies' role in crime and Facebook's role in destabilizing society, for instance - and then examine virtual products and virtual talents, the movement demanding the right to repair, and the coming world of digital art produced by artificial intelligence. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Digital Life Is a Moral Mess - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 8-22-22 Then, Shirin Ghaffary, senior reporter at Recode and co-host of the podcast Land of The Giants, shares the story of Facebook, and why it has been so hard of them to respond to the damage their technology has created. "AI rapper" FN Meka isn't human - he's a digital creation of a company. But that didn't stop him from getting a record deal! He briefly became the first digital rapper to sign a deal with a major recording company. Ch. 3: The Right to Repair with Aaron Perzanowski - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 5-10-22 Do we really own the devices we buy? ‘The Right to Repair’ author Aaron Perzanowki joins Adam to explain how companies are using their power to control the products we buy from them, even after they’ve left the store, and prevent us from repairing them. Ch. 4: The Streaming TV Bloodbath - What Next - Air Date 8-28-22 Shows are disappearing. Staff are getting axed. Is It greed, or necessary for the networks' survival? Ch. 5: CAN THEY DO THAT? | PlayStation to Remove "Owned" Movies - Hoeg Law - Air Date 7-7-22 Buying digital content has never been easier. Between Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo and more, your favorite game, song, or movie is just a click (and charge) away. Ch. 6: Rethinking ownership in the digital age | Siân Lindley - TEDxEastEnd - Air Date 2-20-15 When George Orwell wrote 1984, there was nothing simpler than the idea of owning a paperback book. The more the digital world he foreshadowed becomes real, the more complex the idea of ownership becomes. Do you own your digital books? Your photographs? MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: The AI that creates any picture you want, explained - Vox - Air Date 6-1-22 How programmers turned the internet into a paintbrush. DALL-E 2, Midjourney, Imagen, explained. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on how the world was lost and the Dream Machine MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Direct download: 1512_Digital_Ownership_Air_Date_9-9-22_General_-_9-9-22_19.04.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:54pm EDT |
Tue, 6 September 2022
Air Date 9/6/2022 Today, we take a look at the precarious state of our immigration and asylum system, the legacy of neoliberalism and imperialism in South and Central America, the inhumanity practiced by both of our political parties (though not equally), and the ever-present possibility that things could get worse. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES We speak to attorney and activist Efrén Olivares with the Southern Poverty Law Center's Immigrant Justice Project about the impact of this policy, as well as ongoing efforts to reunite families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border Ch. 2: The Lasting Impacts of Family Separation - The Takeaway - Air Date 8-18-22 Caitlin Dickerson whose latest investigative piece “The Secret History of Family Separation,” chronicles the full scope of the policy, its legacy, and how similar, future iterations may be adopted. “What we’re seeing happening right now is Governor Abbott using asylum seekers as political pawns to merely help increase his polling numbers down in Texas,” says Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition Ch. 4: Capital's migration policy: Daniel Melo Part 1 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 2-28-22 Immigration lawyer Daniel Melo on his article "The Capitalist Imperative Driving Cruel and Bipartisan US Migration Policies" for Black Agenda Report. Azadeh Shahshahani is legal and advocacy director at Project South. She joins us to raise some questions about the US government’s claim that this time, they’re really bringing stability and security to northern Central America. Ch. 6: The Democrats Long War on Immigrants - Intercepted - Air Date 2-17-21 The activist and writer Harsha Walia joins Intercepted to discuss the Democratic Party’s fundamental role in shaping the long arc of U.S. border policy Ch. 7: Capital's migration policy: Daniel Melo Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 2-28-22 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: The Democrats Long War on Immigrants Part 2 - Intercepted - Air Date 2-17-21 The activist and writer Harsha Walia joins Intercepted to discuss the Democratic Party’s fundamental role in shaping the long arc of U.S. border policy FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the amorality of economics MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: A sign with a red background and white lettering is taped to a piece of cardboard and lies on the concrete ground; it reads “Seeking Asylum is a Human Right”. Credit: “Advocates disrupt transfer of asylum seekers from Villawood” by Kate Ausburn, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Direct download: 1511_Immigration_Air_Date_9-6-22_General_-_9-6-22_19.37.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:06pm EDT |
Sun, 4 September 2022
Original Air Date 8/21/2021 Today we take a look at the history of bipartisanship and appeasement in the US dating back to before the Civil War and tracking it all the way up to the current negotiations over the infrastructure bill. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Unnatural Endurance of Bipartisanship Part 1 - The Politics of Everything - Air Date 3-4-21 Joe Biden ran for president promising to “revive” the spirit of bipartisanship, put an end to factional battles, and bring Americans together after an era of painful division. Biden often speaks about bipartisanship as a cherished value that he would restore to Washington, but Ocasio-Cortez is dubious. Ch. 3: The Unnatural Endurance of Bipartisanship Part 2 - The Politics of Everything - Air Date 3-4-21 Ch. 4: Exhaustion of Bipartisanship - In The Thick - Air Date 6-25-21 Maria and Julio discuss remarks from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the 38th annual NALEO Conference, and they get into the vice president’s visit to El Paso and the US-Mexico border. Sam and Emma host Ari Rabin-Havt, the former Legislative Director and Chief Policy Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, to discuss the prospects of the Senate bipartisan infrastructure bill. Ch. 6: Manchin Capitol Riots Made Me MORE Bipartisan - The Young Turks - Air Date 4-9-21 In a recent interview, Senator Joe Manchin claimed that the Capitol Riots changed him, and made him double down on bipartisanship. Ch. 7: Why Appeasement Won't Work This Time Around - On the Media - Air Date 1-8-21 White southerners called it “redemption.” To Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, founder and executive director of the African American Policy Forum, it was a catastrophe of appeasement and an object lesson in the politics of reconciliation. Ch. 8: Keri Leigh Merritt on the New Lost Cause - CounterSpin - Air Date 1-15-21 Historians are shaking their heads as media talk about January 6 as "unprecedented"; while shocking and dispiriting, it has layers and layers of precedent that need to be learned and engaged, if we are ever to actually have a racial reckoning. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational - Vox Conversations - Air Date 1-21-19 For most of American history, American politics has been under one-party rule. For decades, that party was the Republican Party. Then, for decades more, it was the Democratic Party. Ch. 10: What a More Responsible Republican Party Would Look Like - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 3-2-21 This is the modern G.O.P.: a post-policy party obsessed with symbolic fights and curiously uninterested in the actual work of governing. But does it have to be that way? FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the merits of taking liars at face value MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Direct download: 1436_The_Long_Legacy_of_Making_Deals_with_the_Devil_Bipartisanship_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:14am EDT |
Wed, 31 August 2022
Air Date 8/31/2022 Today, as we wait to see if Trump will ever be indicted for any of his many, many, many crimes, we take a look at the long and illustrious history of powerful people avoiding prosecution in the United States. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES HuffPost reporter and fellow Seattleite Michael Hobbes join Zach in the studio for a deep dive into his most recent article about white-collar crime. Eight years after the deadly Flint water crisis began, the state’s Supreme Court has thrown out charges against former Governor Rick Snyder and eight other former officials for their complicity in the public health emergency. Ch. 3: Obama Requests Immunity for War Criminal George W. Bush - The Majority Report - Air Date 8-22-13 Obama's DOJ has requested that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Paul Wolfowitz be granted immunity in a case that is alleging that they violated international law with the Iraq War... Ch. 4: Obama on Investigating Bush Crimes: "Need to Look Forward" - This Week - Air Date 1-11-09 Barack Obama on This Week, January 11, 2009 In 1992, when Bush Sr. was president, he pardoned several Iran-Contra defendants, including Caspar Weinberger, Robert McFarlane, and Elliott Abrams. We speak with Greg Grandin. Ch. 6: Pardon Me - Reveal - Air Date 7-6-19 We tell the untold story of a pardon system that is completely broken and a pardon attorney’s office that is being ignored by the White House. Ch. 7: Bryan Stevenson on the racial terrorism of lynching - Cape Up - Air Date 4-24-18 Bryan Stevenson wants us to confront our country’s racial terrorism and then say, ‘Never again’ Ch. 8: Justice Department Weighs Whether Or Not To Prosecute Trump - MSNBC - Air Date 8-29-22 New York Times Justice Department Reporter Katie Benner and former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman discuss how the inquiry into Trump’s handling of classified documents poses an unparalleled test for DOJ MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Archives specialist John Deeben provides a brief legislative history of amnesty activity during and after the Civil War. Ch. 10: The power of presidential pardons - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 12-25-20 Pardons are among the most powerful tools a president has. While pardons can be politically motivated, drawing criticism, they can also change lives. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the nature of pardons, accountability and hurt feelings MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: The word “Accountability” is in all caps in white, cracked marblized text above a long rectangle of a computer “loading” bar. The white lines in the loading bar are being drawn in by a hand holding a marker and only fill the bar half-way. Two caution symbols fill in the rest of the bar. Credit: “Handwriting Text Accountability Loading. Concept meaning Forecasting the future event” by Jernej Furman, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Enlarged, addition of yellow and black caution symbols and “sleeve” to the arm of the hand.
Direct download: 1510_Accountability_Air_Date_8-31-22_General_-_8-31-22_21.45.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:57pm EDT |
Sat, 27 August 2022
Air Date 8/27/2022 Today, we take a look at the tensions between China and Taiwan, the tensions between China and the U.S. vis-a-vis Taiwan, the tensions between Russia, Europe and the U.S. vis-a-vis China and Taiwan and the tension between these small-minded struggles for global power and the dangers posed to the human race by nuclear weapons. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Why China and the US are at odds over Taiwan Start Here - Al Jazeera - Air Date 11-8-21 Taiwan is caught in the middle of a tug-of-war between China and the US. What’s it all about? And where could it end up? #AJStartHere with Sandra Gathmann explains. Ch. 2: Pelosi in Taiwan - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-2-22 China didn’t want Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan. Neither did the White House. Politico’s Alex Ward explains why she went anyway. The Quincy Institute's Michael Swaine and Taiwanese American journalist Brian Hioe join to discuss Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and the growing tensions between China and the US. Ch. 4: Pelosi in Taiwan Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-2-22 China didn’t want Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan. Neither did the White House. Politico’s Alex Ward explains why she went anyway. Ch. 5: George Beebe of the Quincy Institute on the Russia-Ukraine war - The BradCast - Air Date 8-2-22 George Beebe on the impact of the tensions between the U.S. and China on Russia and the war in Ukraine. Ch. 6: Fallout From Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan Visit - The Majority Report - Air Date 8-4-22 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi reacts to the aftermath of her visit to Taiwan, saying a big fuss was made. The Majority Report crew discusses how the United States is escalating conflict with China. The Quincy Institute's Michael Swaine and Taiwanese American journalist Brian Hioe join to discuss Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and the growing tensions between China and the US. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Hong Kong's Rewritten Histories - On the Media - Air Date 7-6-22 This fall, students in Hong Kong will learn a new version of history — one that erases the fact the region was ever a British colony. Guest Louisa Lim, author of the new book Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong, The U.N. warned this week that humanity is "one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation" as tensions escalate globally. We speak with Ira Helfand and Zia Mian. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Direct download: 1509_Taiwan_Air_Date_8-26-22_General_-_8-27-22_10.46.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:20am EDT |
Wed, 24 August 2022
Become a member to hear the full show and support our work! Original Air Date: 7-8-22 We discuss: VoicedMails: Passion is exploited by capital - Heather References: George Carlin's American Dream - HBO BecomLeave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by:
Direct download: Bonus_Show_253_Sample_-_8-24-22_14.03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:28am EDT |
Sat, 20 August 2022
Air Date 8/20/2022 Today, we take a look at the history of NATO and its role in the world after the fall of the Soviet Union which has come back into focus due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, sparking previously neutral countries to request NATO membership, all while an eye to a future causes speculation on how NATO should respond to the growing geopolitical influence of China. You got all that? Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Nato and China: A new rivalry? Part 1 - The Real Story - Air Date 10-22-21 This week in an interview with a British newspaper the Secretary General of Nato repeated his desire to widen its mandate to include China. His comments coincide with reports that Beijing has tested a hypersonic missile. Ch. 2: The History of NATO Expansion w/ Joshua Shifrinson - American Prestige - Air Date 3-18-22 Danny and Derek speak with Joshua R. Itzkowitz Shifrinson, associate professor of international relations at Boston University, about the history of NATO expansion from 1989 until 2008. Finland's president and prime minister say they plan to end decades of neutrality and join NATO. Sweden is also expected to seek NATO membership. The Kremlin says Russia sees the expansion of NATO on its borders as a threat. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine heading towards its fifth month, Europe correspondent Ido Vock speaks to the former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The United States announced at a NATO summit in Madrid plans to build a permanent military base in Poland, as it formally invited Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance after they applied for membership. Ch. 6: NATO and China: A new rivalry? Part 2 - The Real Story - Air Date 10-22-21 This week in an interview with a British newspaper the Secretary General of Nato repeated his desire to widen its mandate to include China. His comments coincide with reports that Beijing has tested a hypersonic missile. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Why is China supporting Russia on NATO? - The Real Story - Air Date 2-18-22 This month President Putin of Russia was the star guest at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. But his trip to China was not just about showing support for the host country. Ch. 8: Finland and Sweden have entered the chat - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-23-22 Their admission to NATO would further isolate Russia, leaving it the only Arctic country outside the alliance. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the systemic reasons that NATO still exists and how we should replace it MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Direct download: 1508_NATO_Air_Date_8-20-22_General_-_8-19-22_19.32.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:33pm EDT |
Tue, 16 August 2022
Air Date 8/16/2022 Today, we take a look at the strategies underway to systematically dismantle democracy in the United States including installing Big-Lie™ believers in elected and poll-working positions, preventing state-level Supreme Courts from holding GOP-dominated state legislators to the state constitutions, and wiping out tens of thousands of career civil servants from the federal government to be replaced by right-wing extremists. Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Republicans Caught Planning MASSIVE Voter Fraud - David Pakman Show - Air Date 6-2-22 A mindblowing new report from Politico Now, reporting by POLITICO details GOP efforts on the local level to challenge and potentially overturn elections. Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine and the author of "Cheap Speech" joins William Brangham to discuss. Trump’s top allies are prepping a plan to purge the federal government. They want to remove thousands of key decision-makers and replace them with MAGA loyalists, all through an Executive Order called "Schedule F." Many of the possible 2024 Republican contenders have told Axios that they support the plan being put together by Trump's allies to purge career government workers and replace them with their own loyalists. Ch. 5: Fake Electors, Real Crimes and Much More - The Bradcast - Air Date 7-26-22 Explaining the plan to elect 2020 election deniers into positions of power to influence the 2024 election. Across the country, dark money is pouring into Secretary of State races to promote election-denying candidates. Carolyn Shapiro says a ruling in favor of North Carolina Republicans would be "extremely problematic from the perspective of democracy." Ch. 8: The Supreme Court Case That Could Upend U.S. Elections - All In w/ Chris Hayes - Air Date 7-5-22 "I always counsel against assuming that any one court decision is going to dramatically change the landscape. But this case is different," says Marc Elias on the Supreme Court taking up a case on state legislatures' authority over elections. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Fake Electors, Real Crimes and Much More Part 2 - The Bradcast - Air Date 7-26-22 Previously undisclosed emails between top associates and aides of Donald Trump expose how they coordinated their plot to present 'fake' electors in seven states to steal the 2020 election. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Power is the ability to act - Pat from Chicago FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on building movement power Become a Poll/Election Worker: How to Be A Poll Worker Where you Live (US Election Assistance Commission) WorkElections.org (Fair Elections Center) Defeat MAGA Secretaries of State in Midterms: Help People Get Voter IDs: MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A voter crouches by a folding table, his head is obscured by the white voter privacy box decorated with an American flag on each side. Other tables and privacy boxes can be seen in the large building foyer. Glass entrance doors can be seen in the distance. Credit: “Election Day 2020” by Phil Roeder, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Direct download: 1507_Loyalists_Air_Date_8-16-22_General_-_8-16-22_18.57.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:51pm EDT |
Sat, 13 August 2022
Original Air Date 8/10/2021 Today we take a look at the mechanisms by which the legacy of White Supremacy is harmful to the health and wellbeing of individuals and society as a whole. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES This week, author Heather McGhee breaks down the driving force of American economic exclusion via the swimming pool. Baratunde asks Heather about all she has learned traveling across the country to write her book, The Sum of Us. Ch. 2: The Role 'Nice White Parents' Play in School Segregation - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-9-20 Chana Joffe-Walt, producer for This American Life and host of the new podcast Nice White Parents, and Dr. Rachel Lissy, senior Program Officer at Ramapo for Children, talk about investigating the relationship between white parents and segregation Ch. 3: The NFL's Race-Norming Problem Is All Over Medicine - What Next - Air Date 6-7-21 The NFL recently announced it would stop using “race norming” when assessing who would receive a share of their recent $1 billing settlement for former players. The practice assumes Black players started with lower cognitive function. Researchers say facial recognition software is up to 100 times more likely to misidentify people of color than white people. This week, Boston voted to end its use in the city. Ch. 5: People Like Us, Education - Hidden Brain - Air Date 6-3-19 Generations of Americans have struggled against segregation. Most of us believe in the ideal of a colorblind society. But what happens when that ideal come up against research that finds colorblindness sometimes leads to worse outcomes? MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 6: Can We Finally End School Segregation? - The New Yorker Radio Hour - Air Date 5-21-21 By many accounts, American schools are as segregated today as they were in the nineteen-sixties, in the years after Brown v. Board of Education. WNYC’s podcast “The United States of Anxiety” chronicled the efforts of one small school district. VOICEMAILS Ch. 7: Patriotism and the culture wars - Dave from Olympia, WA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on the nature of airing dirty laundry MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Color photograph of a corner of an old public pool that has been filled in. Where there was once water is now green grass. The railing of a metal ladder is still intact, but a weed grows around its base. Blue square tiles still edge the concrete corner. Photo Credit: "The Memorial Pool in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, MD, by artist Joyce J. Scott" by Graham Coreil-Allen (Pool/Park History) | License | Changes: Slightly cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1433_Structural_Racism_Air_Date_8-9-21_Members_-_8-9-21_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:03pm EDT |
Wed, 10 August 2022
Air Date 8/10/2022 Today, we take a look at the origins of the European colonial land-grab, the need for the #Landback movement, and the benefits to society and the environment in the context of the climate crisis to return stewardship of the land to native peoples. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: Check out BOMBAS.COM/BEST for 20% off! Internet Privacy with ExpressVPN! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Why It’s Time To Give Native Americans Their Land Back - AJ+ - Air Date 10-9-20 For some reason, Oct. 12th is still Columbus Day in a lot of the United States. Fortunately, more and more cities and states are adopting that day as Indigenous Peoples Day Ch. 2: Canada, it's time for Land Back - The Breach - Air Date 6-2-21 Since its inception, Canada has been stealing Indigenous lands — by the barrel of a gun, by starvation tactics & by tearing children from their families. Ch. 3: Mark Charles: An Indigenous Liberation Theology - A People's Theology - Air Date 7-7-21 Mason chats with Mark Charles about his book, Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery. We chat all about the Doctrine of Discovery, Mark's theology of land and water, and much more. Ch. 4: Can Indigenous People Lead the Fight Against Climate Change? - Above the Noise - Air Date 4-20-22 Indigenous communities across the globe are experts at managing and protecting land. Is it time the U.S. finally returned STOLEN parklands back to them? Ch. 5: LandBack: The Indigenous Liberation Movement - Andrewism - Air Date 1-6-21 LandBack isn’t about deporting white people. It’s a path to a better future. Native American representation in film and TV used to be confined to Westerns and storylines of defeat. Today, a new wave of Native American comedies, written and created by Native peoples, are taking back their narratives. Bonus: Landback cold open - Reservation Dogs S1 E3 Uncle Brownie - Air Date 8-16-21 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Meet the native Hawaiians fighting U.S. occupation - AJ+ - Air Date 3-3-17 In 1893, armed U.S. naval forces helped American sugar plantation owners illegally overthrow Hawaii’s constitutional monarchy. 100 years later, the U.S. apologized and admitted in a resolution that Native Hawaiians had never relinquished their sovereignty From 1877 to 1934, under a range of laws and reneged-upon treaties, the U.S. government appropriated tens of millions of acres of Native American land. In recent years there has been a growing movement known as “land back” to reclaim their lands. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Definition of power and organizing - Pat from Chicago FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on why the left doesn't fight hard enough for political power TAKE ACTION / EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Yellowhead Institute (@Yellowhead_): "Land Back - A Yellowhead Institute Red Paper" (Includes tools and resources. Canadian-based, but broadly applicable.) NDN Collective (@ndncollective): LandBack.org (U.S.-based) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A red "Land Back" flag waves outside the front of a courthouse. An American flag flies above it against a blue sky at the top of the courthouse. Credit: "A Land Back flag flies under the US Flag outside Aitkin County Courthouse in Aitkin, Minnesota" by Lorie Shaull | License CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, increased contrast, decreased brightness
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1506_Landback_Air_Date_8-10-22_General_-_8-10-22_14.52.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:21am EDT |
Fri, 5 August 2022
Air Date 8/5/2022 Today, we take a look at the politics of energy and climate in a world addicted to fossil fuels but full of people striving to push us past the tipping point toward a clean energy future Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Internet Privacy with ExpressVPN! Get your audiobooks from Libro! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Biden Fist Bumps A Pariah - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 7-19-22 Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss the hypocrisy of President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia, and how the Saudis are trying to buy their legitimacy through sports. This episode features a live conversation co-hosted by Evergreen Action, featuring Senator Ed Markey, Representative Pramila Jayapal, and Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Jr. We speak with Jean Su, energy justice director and senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, who co-wrote a report detailing how the president can use emergency powers to address the climate crisis. Ch. 4: Did Joe Manchin just save the planet? - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-3-22 Probably not, but he did finally compromise on the Inflation Reduction Act (née Build Back Better), which could be the most significant climate spending bill in US history. Vox’s Li Zhou and Rebecca Leber explain. There’s a way to tell the story that connects to policy and planning, but that centers human beings. We talked about that during last year’s heat wave with Portland State University professor Vivek Shandas. Ch. 7: What If The Fed Bought Out The Oil Industry - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 7-18-22 Progressive economist, Robert Pollin, gives us his take on the causes and remedies of the current inflationary spiral, and what both the Fed and the Biden Administration can do about it. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Dirty World - Gaslit Nation with Andrea Chalupa and Sarah Kendzior - Air Date 7-19-22 This week we take on shady internal affairs (the enormous number of people in the Trump crime cult circle who died violent or mysterious deaths) and burning external affairs (the horrors of climate change and Joe Manchin’s role in destroying the planet). Progressives care about climate change and we care about the environment. So it is great to know that with Democratic leadership action is being taken to move us forward in the effort to protect ourselves from the consequences of global warming. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Response to neurodivergence episode - Bill from St. Petersburg, FL Ch. 11: Neurodiversity - Larry FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the range of normal MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Among a crowd of protestors, a man holds up a sign that reads “DECLARE CLIMATE EMERGENCY” in hand-painted black letters on a red background. Credit: “United Climate Rally - Melbourne” by Matt Hrkac, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0) | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness, contrast and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1505_Climate_bill_Air_Date_8-5-22_General_-_8-5-22_19.05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:17pm EDT |
Tue, 2 August 2022
Air Date 8/2/2022 Today, we take a look at what neurodiversity is and why it should be seen as a strength and benefit to society when accommodated properly rather than a problem to be solved or, worse, ignored. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: What Exactly is Neurodiversity? - How to ADHD - Air Date 1-18-22 The neurodiversity movement has been around for some time, but what exactly is it? In this video, we talk about what the neurodiversity movement is and how it's linked to the autistic community. In this talk, Adriana discusses the idea of neurodiversity. Many people are labeled incorrectly because their brains are wired differently. Adriana offers awareness and an alternative way to see people as unique and valuable. Ch. 3: Giftedness is Not Achievement with Aurora Remember Holtzman - ADHD Essentials - Air Date 12-11-21 Today, we’re talking to Aurora Remember Holtzman. Aurora is a school psychologist, neurodivergence coach, and host of the Embracing Intensity podcast. And her focus is giftedness and twice exceptionality. Ch. 4: Creating a Neurodiversity-Affirming World - Neurodiversity Podcast - Air Date 8-10-21 Emily Kircher-Morris and Joel Schwartz talk about what it would take to create a neurodiversity-affirming world where old stereotypes and perceptions are shed. Ch. 5: Elaine Halligan: Neurodiversity is a superpower, not a problem - TEDx Talks - Air Date 11-25-19 We have to break the stigma around mental health and children. Most of the times the signals are quite subtle and can be often overlooked by parents, so many children may be suffering behind closed doors. Ch. 6: The Utility (or Futility) of Labels - The Neurodiversity Podcast - Air Date 7-7-22 The reality of working within a system in flux. The meaning or usefulness of the term “gifted.” The utility (or futility) of labels. The confusion of overlapping diagnoses. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Neurodivergence and Queerness with Leela Sinha - Embracing Intensity - Air Date 5-23-22 Today’s episode is a recording of our talk with Leela Sinha on the intersection of neurodivergence and gender. This is definitely not an “inside-the-box” topic. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the hyper-focus ability of ADHD MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: The neurodiversity awareness symbol - an infinity symbol (a horizontal elongated number 8) in a rainbow of overlapping colors - is against a white background. Image Credit: “Neurodiversity Symbol” by MissLunaRose12, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC by-SA 4.0 | Changes: White background added
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1504_Neurodivergency_Air_Date_8-2-22_General_-_8-2-22_20.24.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:41pm EDT |
Sat, 30 July 2022
Original Air Date 6/9/2021 Today we take a look at the motivations behind legislation being introduced in statehouses around the country to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory, criminalize the right to protest and limit the right to vote. Now if only there were some theory we could look to to understand the complicated interconnectedness of these subtly racist ideas... Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Most students in America are only taught about a handful of important Black Americans in history class. Here’s a look at why schools should teach students about race and why certain parents are opposed to that shift. Ch. 2: Critical Race Theory - Past Present - Air Date 5-25-21 In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the current controversy over critical race theory. Ch. 3: Elly Page on Anti-Protest Bills - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-23-21 If the Chauvin verdict is testament to the power of protest, so too are the vigorous efforts to squelch that power. Plus: Right-wing legislators target trans kids at the state level. Ch. 4: Not Ready For That Conversation - On The Media - Air Date 4-23-21 Tami Abdollah [@latams], national correspondent for USA Today, on how Republican-controlled legislatures across the country have been introducing bills to criminalize protests — or as they put it, to stop the rioting. Ch. 5: GOP States Are Pushing for Stricter Penalties for Protesters - The Takeaway - Air Date 4-27-21 The Takeaway spoke with Nora Benavidez, the director of U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America, and Elly Page, senior legal advisor at the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, working with the U.S. Protest Law Tracker. Extreme voting restrictions have advanced in several Republican-led states across the U.S., including in Florida. Mother Jones reporter Ari Berman says these efforts are an extension of former President Trump’s “big lie” about voter fraud. This “Trump grip” narrative is nonsense and it needs to stop —the Republican Party has made it crystal clear with their voter suppression efforts that they no longer believe in democracy. They are doing this because they want to. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Trey Martinez Fischer says the legislation would have “a tremendous impact” on ballot access in the state. “Just like every bad policy, Hispanics, Latinos and Asian Americans will be disproportionately impacted," "the time for a national response is now." Ch. 9: How Corporate Media Protects Violent Cops - Carlos Maza - Air Date 6-4-20 Police departments across America have declared war on unarmed protesters. They get away with it thanks to a corporate media ecosystem that helps shield cops from criticism and discredit the people protesting police brutality. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Lesson #3 The Value Proposition FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Iconography of a person speaking into a bullhorn with an arm up and other people icons listening to represent "protesting" with a red circle with a line through it over the image. Credit: "No protesting" by David Pursehouse | Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, enhanced contrast, saturation and brightness
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1422_CRT_Protest_Voting_Air_Date_6-9-21_Members_-_6-9-21_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:03am EDT |
Tue, 26 July 2022
Air Date 7/26/2022 Today, we take a look at recent Supreme Court rulings aside from overturning abortion rights and how all signals are that they are going full steam ahead on a conservative authoritarian deconstruction of the past 100 years of progress Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Get your audiobooks from Libro! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: A Supreme Court Term Like No Other - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 7-9-22 Dahlia Lithwick hosts Amicus’ annual term-ending breakfast table conversation, featuring Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern, Professor Katherine Franke and Professor Nikolas Bowie. They dig into the biggest decisions of the term The U.S. Supreme Court announced Thursday it will hear oral arguments in a case experts warn could be one of the greatest threats to U.S. democracy since the deadly January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. In October, the court will hear Moore v. Harper. Ch. 3: Just how bad is the Supreme Court's EPA decision - Strict Scrutiny - Air Date 6-30-22 Kate and Leah break down the "free-wheeling, free association analysis" of the Supreme Court's opinion in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. Basically, it's bad! And not just because of the impending climate apocalypse! Ch. 4: The Supreme Court Needs an Upgrade - What Next - Air Date 7-6-22 The Supreme Court treated its most recent term like the opening salvo in a conservative revolution, approving prayer in schools, establishing a constitutional right to conceal and carry a firearm, and eliminating the constitutional right to abortion. Ch. 5: The Outrage Continues - In The Thick - Air Date 7-19-22 Julio is joined by Errin Haines, editor at large for The 19th, and Elie Mystal, justice correspondent and columnist for The Nation. They discuss the Supreme Court and the impact of their decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Writer Mark Joseph Stern joins the MR crew to talk about the recent SCOTUS opinions and rulings on Carson v Makin and Kennedy v Bremerton which continue to blur the lines between church and state. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the political philosophy that increases suffering Bonus clip: Because of Texas abortion law, her wanted pregnancy became a medical nightmare - NPR - Air Date 7-26-22 New, untested abortion bans have made doctors unsure about treating some pregnancy complications, which has led to life-threatening delays and trapped families in a limbo of grief and helplessness. MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1503_Extreme_SCOTUS_Air_Date_7-26-22_General_-_7-26-22_18.31.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:20pm EDT |
Fri, 22 July 2022
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Sign up through wren.co/best to make a difference in the climate crisis, and Wren will plant 10 extra trees in your name! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Global Food Prices Are at A Record High - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-22-22 We speak with Ukrainian-American Anna Nagurney, Chair in Integrative Studies at the Isenberg School of Management at The University of Massachusetts - Amherst about the latest on Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian food exports. Ch. 2: Why War in Ukraine is Causing Apocalyptic Famine - RealLifeLore - Air Date 6-30-22 Explaining why the geopolitical destabilization of the war in Ukraine may be part of Russia's plan and what actions the world can take to reduce the famine Joining us from Mogadishu, Somalia, Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, says poorer countries in Africa aren't able to financially compete with richer countries to afford basic staples like wheat. Ch. 4: For Bread: On capitalism's global food crisis - Prolekult - Air Date 7-2-22 An overview of the fundamental factors driving the global food crisis. The piece looks at the way fertilizer has shaped agriculture, the composition of agricultural capital, and the environmental crisis' impact on agriculture globally. We speak with food systems experts Sofía Monsalve Suárez and Rachel Bezner Kerr about how to prevent a looming global food shortage. Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli lays out what it would take to build a more equitable, sustainable food system that nourishes all people and asks us to widen our perspectives before eating our next meal. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Are Food Shortages Coming to the United States? - David Pakman Show - Air Date 4-20-22 Are food shortages really coming to the United States, as some are claiming? Ch. 8: Why War in Ukraine is Causing Apocalyptic Famine Part 2 - RealLifeLore - Air Date 6-30-22 Explaining the slow-moving famine already underway before the start of the war in Ukraine VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Requesting a Culture Wars episode - Phil from California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on our coverage of the culture wars Referenced: #1479 Torturing Children and Families in the Name of Protecting Them (Trans Rights) #1470 Distorting History and Banning Books is a Power Play of Exclusion #1453 The Tea Party Too (School Board Backlash and the Dark Money Behind It) #1501 Navigating Post-Roe America #1374 Tell Stories, Not Myths - Columbus and the Centrality of Colonialism #1431 Stealing Native Children and Their Future #1492 The Great Replacements (Conspiracy vs Reality) MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photograph of a cluster of golden wheat grains on a white surface. A small, colorful figurine of a globe rests on top of the grains. Credit: "Globe and wheat. Global wheat shortage." by Jernej Furman, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1502_Famine_Air_Date_7-22-22_General_-_7-22-22_19.26.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:56pm EDT |
Sun, 17 July 2022
Original Air Date 4/16/2020 Today, Amanda and I discuss a few of the aspects of life during a pandemic that's causing mental fog and affecting our work. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: We all make mistakes but we’re making a lot more of them right now Ch. 2: The Burnout Generation Ch. 3: Survival Mode Ch. 4: Hidden Mental Health Toll of Coronavirus with Alisa Kriegel - WhoWhatWhy - Air Date 3-22-20 The COVID-19 pandemic is going to have a huge toll on mental health, what can we do to mitigate the damage? Ch. 5: Soft Launch of my secret project Ch. 6: Showing the ShowSharer™ MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more 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 Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_203_-_4-16-20_Repost_2022.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:25am EDT |
Wed, 13 July 2022
Air Date 7/13/2022 Today, we take a look at how the Supreme Court stripped abortion rights for half the country, what life will look like for those seeking abortions and what we can do both personally and politically to fight back. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Nominate us for the Podcast Awards by July 31st! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Aimee Arrambide of Avow Texas with Abortion Resources - Burn It All Down - Air Date 6-29-22 Jessica Luther talks with Aimee Arrambide who provides information and abortion resources related to the overturning of Roe V. Wade. Computer scientist and social media expert Dr. Jen Golbeck has been running a popular TikTok series educating people on how to be more secure while navigating abortion online. Ch. 3: The Day 'Roe' Died - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-24-22 For the first time in this country's history, an unelected majority of Supreme Court justices have taken away a fundamental constitutional right. Ch. 4: When Pregnancy becomes Crime - This Is Hell! - Air Date 7-5-22 Writer and philosophy scholar at Cornell University, Kate Manne talks about her Substack article "Criminalizing Pregnant People: A Brief Retrospective." We speak with two leading legal scholars. Kathryn "Kitty" Kolbert is co-founder of the Center for Reproductive Rights Ch. 6: Just Doing The Job They Were Put On The Court To Do - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 6-25-22 Roe v Wade has been swept away and Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lays out the case for what Democrats need to do in response to the Dobbs decision MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: How The Supreme Court Killed Roe v. Wade - LegalEagle - Air Date 6-29-22 This is a sea change at the Supreme Court FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the importance of state judicial elections TAKE ACTION! Start Paying Attention to State Judicial Elections: Ballotpedia: ALL State Judicial Elections 2022 (scroll down for state links & maps) Quick Links: Texas (18 appellate | 6 supreme); Florida (28 appellate | 5 supreme); Ohio (28 appellate | 3 supreme); Lousiana (22 appellate | 1 supreme); Tennesee (24 appellate | 5 supreme) ...and more. Your State-by-State Guide to the 2022 Supreme Court Elections (via Bolts Magazine) Share BOTL's Twitter Thread on this Subject EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE State Judge Elections Are About to Become Decisive for Abortion Rights (via Slate - July 6, 2022) We Need to Reclaim State Courts From Big Money and Hateful Agendas (via TRUTHOUT - May 2019) The Politics of Judicial Elections, 2019–20 (via Brennan Center - Jan. 25, 2022) Gerrymandering or Creating New Courts (Dec 2021) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A black and white photo showing a large crowd of people protesting in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building on the day Roe v. Wade was overturned, amidst ominous dark clouds in the sky. Credit: "2022.06.24 Roe v Wade Overturned - SCOTUS, Washington, DC USA 175 143207" by Ted Eytan, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
Direct download: 1501_Post-Roe_Air_Date_7-13-22_General_-_7-13-22_12.16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:39am EDT |
Fri, 8 July 2022
Original Air Date: 6-6-22
References: Daycare late fees no deterrent, study finds Prosecutor: Driver In Hit-And-Run Death Left For Job Interview What Is Necropolitics? The Political Calculation of Life and Death When W. E. B. Du Bois Was Un-American
Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: |
Mon, 4 July 2022
Air Date 7/4/2022 Today, for this milestone episode, I attempted to squeeze in as many clever and interesting ideas as I could and ended up writing a starter guide to understand the United States. Plus, there are jingles! Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Political Structures of Our Country Tracking the political eras that proceeded our current situation and looking at what may come next. Jingle 1: Strawman Ch. 2: Progressives and Progress Looking at a progressive perspective of the last 20 years and the process of progress itself Jingle 2: Defer to Authority Ch. 3: Understanding Race, Gender, Privilege and Power Understanding why our understanding of the world is often insufficiently complicated Jingle 3: Just Asking Questions Ch. 4: Progressives in Politics Tracing the fissures on the political left from Bush to Biden Jingle 4: Manipulating Data Ch. 5: Republican Transformation Tracing conservatism from mid-century Republicans to 21st-century insurrectionists Jingle 5: Appeal to Emotion Ch. 6: Foreign/Power Looking at various forms of power and how they play out on the international stage Jingle 6: Passive Voice Ch. 7: The Progress Trap The progress traps of new technology and why we're not defending against them Jingle 7: Clickbait Ch. 8: Structural Thinking and the Alternative What happens when an individualist thinker is faced with problems that only structural thinking can handle? Jingle 8: Conspiracy Theories FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Conclusion MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Jingles: Concept and Some Lyrics by Jay Tomlinson, Music and Most Lyrics by Jonathan Mann
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1500_Everything_Air_Date_7-4-22_General_-_7-4-22_22.10.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:46pm EDT |
Sat, 2 July 2022
Original Air Date 6/19/2021 Today we take a look at the politics of obstruction in service to big donors' interests while sacrificing the ability to run a functioning democracy in the process. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: West Virginia's Robyn Kincaid on the maddening Joe Manchin - The BradCast - Air Date 6-9-21 Robyn Kincaid explains the mysteries of Manchin, the history of his family's political dynasty in the state, and key factors that may be at work in Manchin's inexplicable obstruction of Biden and the Democrats' agenda. Ch. 2: How Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out w/ Aída Chávez - Start Making Sense - Air Date 3-31-21 The political transformation of Kyrsten Sinema, the new senator from Arizona: She’s one of the two most conservative Democrats in the Senate—but Aida Chavez explains that she started out to the left of the Party. Breaking down the conflict-averse nature of the Democratic Party. Ch. 4: Breaking Down President Biden's $6 Trillion 2022 Budget - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-28-21 The president's budget attempts to incorporate plans on infrastructure, housing, and healthcare, and is likely to receive conservative backlash for raising the federal deficit. Ch. 5: What Does Joe Manchin Want? John Nichols on Filibuster Reform - Start Making Sense - Air Date 6-9-21 Congressional action could block voter law changes—but that requires filibuster reform, and Joe Manchin says he won’t vote for filibuster reform. What does Joe Manchin want? John Nichols comments. Ch. 6: Joe Manchin Gets Candid With Billionaire Donors in Leaked Audio - Deconstructed - Air Date 6-16-21 Sen. Joe Manchin reveals his thoughts on the filibuster in a leaked Zoom call with fundraisers. Ch. 7: Does America Have a Chance At Democracy? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-12-21 When a political party is more obsessed with identity than issues - America is in trouble. Can America function as a multi-racial, ethnic, religious democracy? MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: How Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out w/ Aída Chávez Part 2 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 3-31-21 The political transformation of Kyrsten Sinema, the new senator from Arizona: She’s one of the two most conservative Democrats in the Senate—but Aida Chavez explains that she started out to the left of the Party. Explaining Manchin's love of being the center of attention and those who love to use him as a shield against criticism BONUS Ch. 10: Curation Lesson #4 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on Bo Burnham's "Inside" TAKE ACTION! Pressure Manchin & Sinema via No Excuses PAC | TW: NoExcuses_PAC Pressure Manchin via West Virginia Can’t Wait |TW: @WVCantWait Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Composite image. Photo of Sen. Kristen Sinema (D-AZ) on the left and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on the right. More than half of their images are overlaid with red, the rest with blue. A vector image of the U.S. Capitol is in the foreground, a rope is coiled around the dome being pulled at each end out of view. Credit: Composite image designed by Amanda Hoffman Image 1: "Kyrsten Sinema" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with overlays Image 2: "FAA REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION" by Senate Democrats, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with overlays
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1424_Fighting_with_at_least_two_hands_tied_Conservative_Democrats_Manchin_and_Sinema_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:52pm EDT |
Tue, 28 June 2022
Original Air Date 7/5/2019 Today we take an unflinching look at Mitch McConnell and what a bad, bad man he is for basically all of the reasons. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content: Become a member! Get your audiobooks from Libro! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Money Money Money Part 1 - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-6-19 Mitch fully embraces the 'evil' of raising money in politics, and truly believes money is free speech. Ch. 2: Voting Machine Lobbyists Pay Mitch McConnell - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 6-13-19 Lobbyists for both major voting machine companies have started contributing to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's re-election campaign as McConnell is blocking election security bills. McConnell, a longtime opponent of campaign finance reform who battled the late Sen. McCain over the issue, made clear in December that the House proposal would never see floor time in the Senate. Ch. 4: Money Money Money Part 2 - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-6-19 McCain and Mitch fought each other over money in politics for years. Mitch wasn't ever going to lose, McCain saw the corruption and tried to call it out. Ch. 5: Mitch Is the Biggest Monster In Politics - The Majority Report with Sam Seder - Air Date 3-8-19 Mitch has been packing the courts, it is monopolization of our judiciary by far right extremists / conservatives. McConnell sees what the progressives are doing, and is dedicated to stopping them at all costs. Ch. 7: Darth Vader Has Arrived - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-13-19 Mitch fought endlessly to ensure corporate money in politics. Citizens United and Mitch McConnell completely overturned democracy and legalized corruption. Mitch is manipulating our judicial system - Trumps court appointments are pushing terrorism on the people. Mitch is the most productive and destructive GOP in modern history. Mitch blocked Merrick Garland under Obama, and now will indiscriminately fill any SCOTUS opening. Ch. 10: Not A Happy Choice - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Eric Mennel - Air Date 6-20-19 Mitch rose to fame during the Obama administration, for refusing to work with Obama on anything, which paved the way for Trump VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Christians thrive on oppression - (Another) Heather Ch. 12: The Christian Right's Persecution Boner - Ani from Florida FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on why it’s safe to say that Mitch McConnell is an extortionist TAKE ACTION! (Cut for time) SEGMENT: Support the Fight to Oust McConnell in 2020 - Best of the Left Activism Support End Citizens United Support Indivisible Kentucky Support the Ditch Mitch Fund Support Steven Cox Support Amy McGrath (if she announces) Support Matt Jones (if he announces) Researched & written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more 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: 1287_Mitch_McConnel_Air_Date_7-5-19_Ad_Free_-_7-4-19_21.28_Repost2022.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:37pm EDT |
Sat, 25 June 2022
Air Date 6/25/2022 Today we take a look at some of the takeaways from the hearings investigating the January 6th insurrection. Most notably: they knew, they knew, they knew, they knew from the very beginning that their fraud claims were nonsense and they pushed ahead anyway. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Get three months free of ExpressVPN! Switch and get your audiobooks from Libro! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Jan. 6 Insurrection Understanding The Big Picture Part 1 - Fresh Air - Air Date 6-9-22 New York Times Congressional reporter Luke Broadwater says the effort to overturn the 2020 election results was a "sprawling and diffuse" one that involved local governments as well as White House insiders. Ch. 2: January 6th Goes Primetime Part 1 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-10-22 Brad is joined by guest co-host Dr. Leah Payne. They begin by discussing the first primetime hearing of the J6 Select Committee. They then focus on Tucker Carlson's response to hearings. Ch. 3: Special coverage of House J6 Hearing, Day 3 Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-16-22 HEATHER DIGBY offers important insights into today's hearing Ch. 4: The Jan. 6 Insurrection Understanding The Big Picture Part 2 - Fresh Air - Air Date 6-9-22 Ch. 5: January 6th Goes Primetime Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-10-22 Ch. 6: Special coverage of House J6 Hearing, Day 3 Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-16-22 Investigative reporter Trevor Aaronson is joined by Margot Williams, research editor for The Intercept, and Michael Loadenthal, founder and executive director of the Prosecution Project. These retired Generals fought to defend Democracy abroad, now they are warning that America's Democracy needs to be defended from threats inside the country. Six Republican members of Congress who supported Donald Trump's lies sought broad presidential pardons for their involvement in the campaign to discredit the election results MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Republican Speaker of the Arizona House "Rusty" Bowers described how he was pushed by Trump, John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani to call the Arizona Legislature back into session to investigate claimed illegal votes. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on turning anger into election action TAKE ACTION: Become a Poll Worker Where you Live 2022 Midterms Lay of the Land: Remaining Midterm Primaries and Runoff Elections by Date (270toWin) 2022 Election Maps (270toWin) Find SwingLeft Races in a Target State Near You SwingLeft’s State-Level Target Races (*Scroll down*) The States Project’s Targeted States Volunteer: Virtual SwingLeft Volunteer Orientations - Next one is June 29th! All SwingLeft Events (Virtual and In-Person) Field Team 6 (Virtual and In-Person) VoteRiders: Help People Get Voter IDs Donate Strategically: SwingLeft - House, Senate & States Plan VoteRiders: Give to Help People Get Voter IDs Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
Direct download: 1499_Jan_6_Hearings_Air_Date_6-25-22_General_-_6-25-22_20.58.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:52pm EDT |
Wed, 22 June 2022
Air Date 6/22/2022 Today we take a look at the complicated evolution of Pride Month in an era of much greater LGBTQ acceptance and the simultaneous resurgence of anti-LGBTQ energy that, in many ways, mirrors the arguments of 40 years ago. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Get your audiobook from Libro! Check out The Politics of Everything podcast! SHOW NOTES Throughout the month of June, LGBTQ communities in the U.S. have been celebrating Pride in cities and states around the country. And corporate America has made itself a part of that, too, by increasingly tapping into Pride Month Ch. 2: Anti-trans legislation - It's Been a Minute - Air Date 4-29-22 Ari discusses how this wave of law-making differs from so-called "moral panics" of past decades — and why that matters — with historian Jules Gill-Peterson, of Johns Hopkins University. Ch. 3: Is Pride Too Commercialized? - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-15-22 Today, Pride Month gatherings are more likely to be described as parades than marches. And with rainbow flags adorning the storefronts of big corporations, it might be easy to think the struggle is over. Ch. 4: Disney vs. Itself vs. The Right - Recode Media - Air Date 4-13-22 Within the past few months, Disney CEO Bob Chapek managed to piss off his shareholders, the LGBT community, and right-wing conservatives. Today we talk about how he did it, why it happened, and what’s next. Ch. 5: Don't Rainbow-Wash On My Parade - What A Day - Air Date 6-2-22 June is Pride Month, the unfortunate time when many corporations claim they support LGBTQ+ people, but also support politicians who actively work against LGBTQ+ rights. It’s not a new phenomenon – even before June, for example, activists called out Disney Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law is part of a nationwide push by Republicans to score political points by attacking gay and transgender students. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Chris Southcote-Want: It’ll all come out in the rainbow wash - TEDx Talks - Air Date 11-18-21 The impact of rainbow washing and why creating inclusive and equitable cultures is the responsibility of us all. Ch. 8: State Farm Gives Up on LGBTQ Rights - Charlotte's Web Thoughts - Air Date 5-24-22 You may have been doom-scrolling yesterday and caught the latest hysteria of anti-LGBTQ extremists in the conservative movement. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the lessons we must relearn generation after generation MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1498_Pride_and_Prejudice_Air_Date_6-22-22_General_-_6-22-22_19.56.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00pm EDT |
Fri, 17 June 2022
Air Date 6/17/2022 Today we take a look at many intertwining realizations that are beginning to permeate society which include but are not limited to the dead-end mentality of infinite growth, the uselessness of growth past a certain point for wellbeing, and the deepening alienation being felt in response to consumerism in place of community. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Get your audiobooks from Libro! Enjoy online privacy and digital globetrotting with ExpressVPN! SHOW NOTES “Infinite growth on a finite planet is a recipe for catastrophe” Some economists have long argued that to really save ourselves from the climate crisis, we need a fundamental overhaul of the way our economies work. Ch. 3: Degrowth: liberation from growthism - The Taxcast - Air Date 9-23-21 Naomi Fowler explores degrowth and how we liberate ourselves from ‘growthism’ with economic anthropologist Jason Hickel. Standing Rock was just one in a long line of battles that Indigenous peoples have been fighting against the twin forces of colonialism and capitalism since first contact. Ch. 5: Eco-Socialist Degrowth? w/ Paul Murphy - Rupture Radio - Air Date 5-2-22 Capitalist growth is destroying our life support systems. We talked about why the notion of decoupling growth from intensive resource use is ultimately unconvincing. Tim Jackson joins David to discuss consumption, growth, macroeconomics, the modern economy, and more. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: How We End Consumerism - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 6-4-21 How we end consumerism, explained. We spoke with him about international capitalism during the pandemic and how to fundamentally move to a post-capitalist world We continue our quest by looking into post-growth. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the climate legislation currently in negotiations and how to win a Rivian EV TAKE ACTION! LAST CHANCE FOR BOLD CLIMATE LEGISLATION: Demand the Full $555 Billion in Climate Investments in the Budget Reconciliation Package and get it passed ASAP!
SUPPORT Grassroots Climate Action: Enter the CCAN fundraiser raffle and win a Rivian Electric Truck (or a Tesla up to a Plaid Model S)! Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: An illustration of a green Earth, with a small plant sprout growing out of it. Green arrows encircle the earth against a pale green abstract background. Credit: Nature-Earth-Sustainability | License
Direct download: 1497_Wellness_Economy_Air_Date_6-18-22_General_-_6-17-22_17.52.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:04pm EDT |
Wed, 15 June 2022
Air Date 6/15/2022 Today we take a look at the many reasons why we are experiencing a housing crisis in the US and beyond but it mostly comes down to treating housing as a commodity to be profited from rather than a basic human need or, if you're feeling radical, a basic human right. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Check out Bombas.com/Best! Support independent bookstores through Libro! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Housing Market - If You Don't Know, Now You Know - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-8-21 Why has it become so hard to buy a home in America? If you don’t know, now you know. Ch. 2: How Foreign Companies Are Raising Housing Prices - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-27-21 Should corporations be allowed to buy houses and raise the housing price in your neighborhood? Ch. 3: John and Ana React to Bonkers Housing Story - The Damage Report - Air Date 3-12-22 The housing market has reached frightening heights which has people looking elsewhere for home buying. Ch. 4: How Socialists Solved The Housing Crisis - The Gravel Institute - Air Date 1-29-21 Zohran Mamdani, New York State assemblyman, talks about how Austrian socialists in the 1920s and ‘30s pioneered an approach that offered better, cheaper, and safer homes for everyone. What happens when the housing bubble bursts? It is easy to see when it has happened but spotting a collapse ahead of time is difficult. Ch. 6: Eviction Rates Are Rising - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-13-22 Discussing the need for tenants to have a right to counsel in eviction proceedings Ch. 7: Why Dems Have Abandoned Public Housing - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-9-22 The Democratic Party has no plan to address the homeless crisis the United States is facing today. One way to fix it would be to provide public housing to people. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) George Clarke visits a council estate in Vienna and is shocked by what he finds. Ch. 9: Short-term rental housing is hurting Ouray residents - Rocky Mountain PBS - Air Date 7-19-21 Increasing housing prices, rent, construction costs, and short-term rental (STR) properties have created an environment that fewer and fewer people are able to thrive in. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on supporting affordable housing through the Build Back Better bill TAKE ACTION! Demand Targeted Affordable Housing Investments Stay in Any Reconciliation Package! - Call your Senators and Reps at 202-224-3121 and use the NLIHC Call Script (and email them) - Use NLIHC's Advocacy Toolkit to help spread the word - Read and share the NLIHC's Inflation Fact Sheet - Follow @NLIHC EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Resurrected budget package no slam dunk as negotiations heat up (June 6th via RollCall) Affordable housing in the US is increasingly scarce, making renters ask: Where do we go? (March 14th via The Conversation) Housing Investments in Build Back Better Would Address Pressing Unmet Needs (Feb. 10th via Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) A growing share of Americans say affordable housing is a major problem where they live (Jan. 18th via Pew Research Center) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: An illustration of a simple green house with a "$" symbol incorporated into it. The vertical line of the symbol is also the shape of the chimney and the front door. Small dollar signs flow out of the chimney, getting smaller as they go up.
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1496_Housing_Crisis_Air_Date_6-15-22_General_-_6-15-22_11.34.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:59am EDT |
Sat, 11 June 2022
Air Date 6/11/2022 Today we take a look at the reasons why Democrats lost rural America and why it's important to make gains outside urban centers through working-class coalitions and a focus on the policy failures of unchecked Republicanism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Get 3 Months free of ExpressVPN! Check out the American Prestige podcast! SHOW NOTES Democrats used to win elections in rural areas, but that seems like a distant memory now. This week, Zach is joined by Bill Hogseth, a political organizer from rural Wisconsin, to talk about the difference between making promises and delivering change Ch. 2: Can Democrats Win in Rural America? - Deconstructed - Air Date 6-4-22 Maine state Sen. Chloe Maxmin tackles one of the most pressing problems confronting the modern Democratic Party: how to reverse its decades-long backslide in rural support. Maxmin and her co-author and campaign manager Canyon Woodward join Ryan Grim Ch. 3: How Democrats Lost Rural America w/ Anthony Flaccavento Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-24-22 Anthony Flaccavento, Virginia-based farmer, author, and co-founder of the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative, joins the Jacobin Show to discuss rural America—and why the Democrats lose so consistently in rural elections. Ch. 4: Joe Shepherd of United Rural Democrats - The Rick Smith Show - Air Date 5-9-22 By working people. For working people. Welcome to The Rick Smith Show. Ch. 5: How Democrats Lost Rural America w/ Anthony Flaccavento Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-24-22 Anthony Flaccavento, Virginia-based farmer, author, and co-founder of the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative, joins the Jacobin Show to discuss rural America—and why the Democrats lose so consistently in rural elections. Former OHIO Democratic party chair David Pepper On Why We Need to Focus on State Capitols to Save Democracy, and why we all need to do our part to lift it up. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank, author of “What’s the Matter with Kansas” and “Listen, Liberal”, tells host Paul Jay that the Democratic Party serves the professional class and the top 10% and no longer cares about the poor or working class. Ch. 8: The New Democrats w/ Lily Geismer - The Dig - Air Date 6-5-22 Dan’s second episode with historian Lily Geismer, who he interviewed in 2019 about Don’t Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party. This interview is on Left Behind: The Democrats’ Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the ignoring the middle class and poor open the door to right-wing populism of the worst sort MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a blue, dented, and rusted mailbox on a spike leaning against an old wooden fence. Its flag is down, indicating no mail. Thick, golden tall grass grows behind it against a blue sky. Credit: "Rural America" by Kris Notaro, Flickr | License CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1495_Rural_America_and_Democrats_Air_Date_6-11-22_General_-_6-11-22_14.33.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:29am EDT |
Wed, 8 June 2022
Air Date 6/8/2022 Today we take a look at progressive victories in primary elections around the country and explain why moderates are not much more than allies of conservatism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Get your audiobooks from LIBRO! Use Promo Code: BEST Check out Bombas.com/BEST for all your clothing essentials! SHOW NOTES “What you’ve seen is a surprising backlash at the voter level to all of the money that flooded in,” says investigative journalist David Sirota of The Lever. “It’s been a pretty good night for progressive candidates, despite all that money.” Ch. 2: Howie Klein of 'Down With Tyranny' on midterm primaries - The Bradcast - Air Date 5-27-22 Howie Klein delivers lively analysis on primary victories (and losses) for progressive Democrats so far in the 2022 midterm election cycle, and a preview of important races coming up in seven states in the Super Tuesday primary on June 7. Ch. 3: Voting, Primaries and Redistricting in the South Part 1 - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-28-22 We take a look at the latest primary election results from this past week. We’re joined by Maya King, politics reporter for The New York Times, and Stephen Fowler, state and local politics reporter for Georgia Public Radio. Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief, talks about the latest in national politics, including recent polling on midterm issues and President Biden's statement on Taiwan. Ch. 5: Voting, Primaries and Redistricting in the South Part 2 - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-28-22 We take a look at the latest primary election results from this past week. We’re joined by Maya King, politics reporter for The New York Times, and Stephen Fowler, state and local politics reporter for Georgia Public Radio. Ch. 6: How "Moderates" Serve The Right - Second Thought - Air Date 12-17-21 This week we're talking about everyone's favorite grillpilled neighbor - the American "centrist" or "moderate". As much as they like to see themselves as enlightened arbiters of progress, centrists are little more than spoilers for actual progress. What progressives should be focusing on in the 2022 midterm elections is clear. It's economics. That's what people are worried about the most and that is what they should run on. Whether they focus on that or not is a different story. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Turner says the corporate wing of the Democratic Party seeks to consolidate the existing leadership’s power while shutting down champions of progressive policies like Medicare for All. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Should Justice Sotomayor retire this year? - Woody from Washington DC FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the extreme measures needed to stabilize our political system MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1494_Election_primaries_Air_Date_6-8-22_General_-_6-8-22_15.48.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:03pm EDT |
Tue, 7 June 2022
Original Air Date: 5-16-22 Connect with our Discord community!
Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss: - The power of Indigenous stories - Elite panic - Panic at the dinner table - Quantification and who counts - Stoking civil war - Fear is the heart of love
References: Southern Living: Why Is It Rude to Eat with Your Elbows on the Table? Beware Prophecies of Civil War I will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_251_Sample_-_6-7-22_14.05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:13am EDT |
Sat, 4 June 2022
Air Date 6/4/2022 Today we take a look at some of the obvious steps we need to take to reduce gun violence in the United States, debunk some of the favored propaganda supporting unfettered gun ownership and explore the origins of how Gun Culture™ was invented by corporations as the frontier era need for guns began to vanish pushing them to convert guns from tools that were needed but not loved into items that were loved though no longer needed. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Igor Volsky on Ending Gun Violence - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-27-22 We revisit some conversations about gun violence and gun culture this week on the show. In March of last year we spoke with Igor Volsky, executive director of Guns Down America In addition to the police response being an unfathomable failure, it is also proof that the ‘good guy with a gun’ theory doesn't work. Ch. 3: Jordan Klepper Debunks The "Good Guy with a Gun" Argument - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-11-15 Jordan Klepper sets out to determine the likelihood of another gun owner stopping an active shooter. The far-right wants you to think the Second Amendment is about average Americans taking up arms against a tyrannical government. But none of that is true... The real history of the second amendment is far more interesting and unsettling. Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger speaking to Charlayne Hunter-Gault, PBS News Hours, 12/16/1991 Ch. 6: How the Gun Industry Used Marketing to Change a Culture - Letters and Politics - Air Date 8-7-19 Today, we are in conversation with Pamela Haag about American gun culture and its influence on policy and gun market. Guest: Pamela Haag is an award-winning nonfiction writer, essayist, cultural commentator, and historian. “Together we rise,” reads the motto on a wall of the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The school serves about 600 students in the second thru fourth grades. Over ninety percent are Latinx. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) In this public News Brief, we discuss the phoned-in, cynical response by Republicans to mass shooting and how they've devolved into a dark, meta self-parody. Guest: Robert J. Spitzer is Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Political Science Department at the State University of New York, College at Cortland. He is the author of 15 books including Guns across America: Reconciling Gun Rules and Rights. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the bonus episode in which we explain the cultural foundations of capitalism, guns and beyond MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Credit: “Gun Culture” by Christopher Dombres, Flickr | Public Domain | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1493_Mass_Shootings_Air_Date_6-4-22_General_-_6-4-22_10.03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:44am EDT |
Wed, 1 June 2022
Air Date 6/1/2022 Today we take a look at the current conspiracy theory known as "The Great Replacement" which posits that a cabal of elites is conspiring to eradicate Whiteness as a culture and as a people in Europe, North America and other countries colonized by White Europeans. We also look at the history of the cabal of elites that conspired to eradicate Native peoples and culture from colonized lands in a pattern of genocide and dispossession. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Imagine for a moment a breaking news story that more than 500 bodies of white children were found buried in unmarked graves at some of the most prestigious boarding schools in New England…That we discovered a federal plot to steal children Ch. 2: The “Great Replacement” Conspiracy Theory - Past Present - Air Date 5-24-22 In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory. Nick Estes says the institutions were part of a “genocidal process” of “dispossession and theft of Indigenous people’s lands and resources.” Ch. 4: No Lone Wolves - What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Air Date 5-18-22 A shooting Saturday at a supermarket in a predominantly-Black neighborhood in Buffalo left at least 10 people dead and three more injured. The suspected shooter left a manifesto riddled with racist ideology Ch. 5: Haaland's Boarding School Report - Let's Talk Native with John Kane - Air Date 5-12-22 Discussing native residential schools as textbook genocide and the new, insufficient report on them. What’s the right-wing answer to the complicated governing issue of the nationwide baby formula shortage? Just stop feeding migrant babies. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Tim Wise counsels that we must remain persistent in the anti-racism struggle and not surrender to exhaustion or otherwise be worn down by repetition. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on those who see themselves in a demographic war for White superiority MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: An historic photograph from 1922 North West Territories, Canada of four Indigenous children in front of a schoolhouse holding paper letters and wearing Western formal dress - including dresses, suits, and top hats. All have serious and sad expressions. Credit: "Children at Fort Simpson Indian Residential School holding letters that spell 'Goodbye'" by Libraries and Archives Canada, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1492_Great_Replacements_Air_Date_6-1-22_General_-_6-1-22_20.00.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:17pm EDT |
Fri, 27 May 2022
Air Date 5/27/2022 Today we take a look at the disruptions to society that can unfold in times of economic distress such as high inflation, price gouging, wage stagnation and income inequality as well as some policy ideas for turning things around. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES "Germany's capitalists drove it into WW1" Warns Richard Wolff. Could America's capitalist lead us into fascism? "Learn from history" Ch. 2: You Are Being Lied to About Inflation - Robert Reich - Air Date 2-28-22 The underlying problem is not inflation. It’s corporate power. The entire American economy is concentrated into the hands of a few greedy, corporate giants with the power to raise prices. Jayati Ghosh, who says prices of essentials are soaring much higher than can be explained by oil prices and supply shortages alone, because of what she calls "feverish speculation" in financial markets and corporate profiteering. Professor Wolff joins to discuss the situation for workers in the US today. OMAR OCAMPO of the Institute for Policy Studies Program on Inequality and the Common Good explains how it happened, and what actions can and must be taken to reverse this obscene trend. An overhaul to the system where the government subsidizes only a few formula brands can help combat the monopolization that has caused this crisis, says David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect. The Biden Administration’s 2023 budget proposal includes a Billionaire Minimum Income Tax and a rewrite of stock buyback practices. Will these changes actually take effect? Niko Lusiani is the Director of Corporate Power at the Roosevelt Institute. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Elon Musk’s Billionaire Games - The Daily Show with Trevor Noah - Air Date 5-7-22 Trevor’s no finance expert, but the details of Elon Musk’s Twitter buy seem a little weird. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the culture of distrust of the poor MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1491_Inflation_Economics_Air_Date_5-28-22_General_-_5-27-22_15.34.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:06pm EDT |
Wed, 25 May 2022
Original Air Date: 4-26-22 References: Excerpt from interview, MARK FERRARI interview (Behind The Scenes) - The Making of Monkey Island Forgetting, not memory, moves us forward - Future Tense - Air Date 3-27-22 A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster by Rebecca Solnit Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by:
Direct download: Bonus_Show_250_Sample_-_5-25-22_22.36.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:33pm EDT |
Fri, 20 May 2022
Original Air Date 5/8/2021 Today we take a look at the culture that Disney has helped create and how they did it, using cuteness as a weapon to push ideas from racist stereotypes and segregation to the masterful use of hollow nods toward progressivism while reinforcing the ethics of individualism in order to give systemic injustice a pass. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Racial Politics of Disney Animals Part 1 - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 8-28-15 Scholar, writer, and activist Walidah Imarisha is someone who’s been thinking hard about what stories Disney tells and why. She teaches a class on race and Disney films at Portland State University. Ch. 2: 40 Acres and a Movie - Still Processing - Air Date 4-8-21 Disney owns a piece of every living person’s childhood. Now it owns Marvel Studios, too. Jenna and Wesley look at depictions of racist tropes and stereotypes in Disney’s ever-expanding catalog. The company has made recent attempts to atone for its past. Ch. 3: The Racial Politics of Disney Animals Part 2 - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 8-28-15 Ch. 4: Woke Disney - Lindsay Ellis - Air Date 9-30-21 Nodding to progressive ideas while just proping up capitalism is just marketing. Ch. 5: Disneyfication of American History - American Hysteria - Air Date 1-25-21 Disney has been presenting a fairytale reality within a reality since the 1920s, a far cuter reality that mimics our reality until reality is no longer reality at all. Make sense? Ch. 6: How Disney Ruined Culture - Wisecrack - Air Date 11-9-20 It's no surprise that Disney has an absolute stranglehold on the culture we consume today. But the joys of the Magic Kingdom aside, what if it's actually kind of really bad for art? We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition: How Disney Ruined Culture. Ch. 7: The (Not So) Wonderful World of Disney - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 2-16-18 Sam talks to filmmaker and activist Abigail Disney, daughter of Roy E. Disney, about her views on inequality in the U.S., corporate greed and why, despite her last name, she's become one of the more vocal and prominent critics of The Walt Disney empire. Ch. 8: DED Talks: Why Walt Disney is Nothing Like You Think He Was - Cracked - Air Date 1-19-15 Disney tell's his story MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Disneyfication Of Cuteness - American Hysteria - Air Date 1-25-21 Disney has been presenting a fairytale reality within a reality since the 1920s, a far cuter reality that mimics our reality until reality is no longer reality at all. Make sense? Ch. 10: Copyright: Why We Can't Have Nice Things - Wisecrack - Air Date 4-23-21 This video, like everything else in the world, is copyrighted. But what does that really mean? Copyright laws started out as a way to protect creators from having their hard work stolen, but it's turned into something else entirely. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Ableism in the show - Alyson from Colorado FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on Woke Disney and Ableist language MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson 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
Direct download: 1416_Disney_Air_Date_5-8-21_Members_-_5-8-21_12_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00pm EDT |
Tue, 17 May 2022
Original Air Date 4/14/2021 Today we take a look at the one element of our government that, above all others, has contributed to the absolute disfunction of our democracy. The filibuster was never intended by the founders, always anti-democratic, often used for racist ends and is now being abused at a rate never before seen. 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Filibuster - Last Week Tonight - Air Date 9-9-19 John Oliver explains why filibusters exist, why they shouldn't, and why it's stupid to drink coffee like a cat. President Joe Biden has promised swift action on the pandemic, the economic crisis and more, but much of his agenda hinges on whether he can get enough support in the Senate. Mitch McConnell is on a warpath, and he's getting all his favorite lies lined up. Adam Jentleson, who served as a former senior aide to Sen. Harry Reid, joins Mehdi Hasan to explain the history of the filibuster and how, according to Jentleson, it helps conservatives override the nation's democratic system. Ch. 5: Is Filibuster Reform Mitch McConnell's 'Kryptonite?' - Zerlina. - Air Date 3-16-21 Rep. John Yarmuth explains to Zerlina Maxwell why the rule is so important to the Senate Minority Leader, and why McConnell is “scared to death” about the possibility that Democrats will abolish it. Ch. 6: What Is Manchin's Real Agenda w/ David Sirota - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-11-21 David Sirota explains the motivations and unseen pressures playing on Joe Manchin as he continuously pivots his position on the filibuster. Ch. 7: Activism: Support No Excuses PAC and W.V. Cant Wait - Best of the Left - 4-14-21 Ch. 8: Now Is the Time to End the Filibuster - Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman - Air Date 3-18-21 Amy Goodman gives a commentary explaining the need to end the filibuster. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Adam Jentleson, talks about why it's a good idea for Senate Democrats to reform the filibuster and pass popular legislation Ch. 10: Reid Calls for Filibuster Reform to End Gridlock - Nevada Senator Harry Reid - Air Date 11-22-13 On the Senate floor, Senator Reid laid out why we need to reform the rules to ensure qualified presidential nominees get up-or-down votes. Ch. 11: What Is Manchin's Real Agenda w/ David Sirota Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-11-21 VOICEMAILS Ch. 12: Wading into the discussion on the child tax credit - Dave from Olympia, WA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on racism and population EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Inside the West Virginian Movement to Push Joe Manchin to the Left (The New Republic) Progressive PAC kick-starts search for challengers to Manchin, Sinema (Politico) Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Cartoon version of Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell holding a chart that says "Republican Filibusters." The horizontal bar graph below the title shows an X axis starting with "88th term 1963-64" and ending with "110th term 2007-2008." The bar values range from 3 at the beginning of the time-line to "153 Projected for end of term" at the end. Credits: "Mitch McConnell, Filibuster King" by DonkeyHotey, Flickr | License | Changes: Increased white background to make vertical image square, smudged existing shadow to extend farther, dark blue border added
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1411_Filibuster_Air_Date_4-14-21_Members_-_4-14-21_20_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT |
Sat, 14 May 2022
Air Date 5/14/2022 Today we take a look at the options and actions still available after the Supreme Court overturns Roe for those seeking abortions and Reproductive Justice more widely. Plus, an obligatory explanation of how we got to now. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Learning from Pre-Roe to Navigate Post-Roe - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 5-5-22 Law professor and podcast host Melissa Murray, journalist and bestselling author Jessica Bruder, and Slate’s news director Susan Matthews—host of the upcoming Season 7 of Slow Burn focusing on the road to Roe v Wade Ch. 2: Producer Sebastian on the anti-abortion right in the United States - This is Hell! - Air Date 5-5-22 Sebastian gets on his soapbox and lectures about the history of abortion rights and the anti-abortion right in the United States. Looking at the intertwining fights for reproductive and voting rights. Frank Schaeffer once produced propaganda films that helped launch the Christian right. Now he feels regret for what he calls an 'anti-family' movement. Ch. 5: Lindsey Shares Her Abortion Story - Serious Inquiries Only - Air Date 5-5-22 Our own Dr. Lindsey Osterman has had an abortion, does not regret it, and wants to tell us why this basic healthcare right matters not just for those in extreme circumstances. Ch. 6: Amy Littlefield on the fight for Abortion Rights - Start Making Sense - Air Date 5-12-22 Progressive faith communities are learning how to support reproductive justice Ch. 7: Resisting attacks on abortion rights in the US with Emma Norton - Red Flag Radio - Air Date 5-9-22 Roz talks to socialist activist Emma Norton about the history of abortion rights, the limitations of looking to the Democrats to protect the right to choose, and the struggles that are needed to win. David Daley writing for the Boston Globe writes the thought-provoking article "Your Vote Won't Help Restore Abortion Rights" MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: The Turnaway Study What The Research Says About Abortion - Short Wave - Air Date 5-9-22 We turned to Dr. Diana Greene Foster, the lead researcher on the interdisciplinary team behind The Turnaway Study. For over a decade, she and her fellow researchers followed just under a thousand women who sought an abortion across 21 states. Ch. 9: Lindsey Shares Her Abortion Story Part 2 - Serious Inquiries Only - Air Date 5-5-22 Dr. Lindsey Osterman discusses the idea of being made to carry a pregnancy to term before offering the baby for adoption. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on how to make sure your efforts to support abortion access are well spent Get Involved/Support/Volunteer for Abortion Funds & Learn State Laws: Twitter thread - Getting Involved with Local Abortion Funds (Read on Thread Reader) Find your local Practical Support Organization Abortion Access in Your State: A Quiz (with resources) (Lilith.org) Check out the hashtag #FundAbortionBuildPower Abortion Pills Stand to be Next Battleground in a Post-Roe America (NY Times) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: The words "WHAT NOW?" in white are overlayed on a faded image of the U.S. Supreme Court. Below the words, is a faded portion of the top of Justice Alito's leaked draft majority opinion indicating Roe v. Wade will be struck down. Credit: Composite design by Amanda Hoffman using images in the public domain.
Direct download: 1490_SCOTUS_Roe_Air_Date_5-14-22_General_-_5-13-22_18.47.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:15am EDT |
Tue, 10 May 2022
Air Date 5/10/2022 Today we take a look at the impacts of media ownership on society including legacy newspapers and social media platforms owned by billionaires and the consolidation of our news and entertainment corporations through mega mergers. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Check out Bombas.com/Best BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Who Rules America: The Power of The Media | Propaganda - ENDEVR Documentary - Air Date 1-3-21 Who Rules America? takes a comprehensive look into the governing system of the United States of America and reveals the behind-the-scene powers that rule the nation. Ch. 2: Billionaires Control The Media - and Its Destroying Democracy - Novara Media - Air Date 11-20-19 Billionaires control the media, and it's undermining our democracy. The Washington Post announced on Monday the paper had been sold to Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos for $250 million. Bezos, one of the world’s wealthiest men, now controls one of the most powerful newspapers in the country. Ch. 4: Elon Musk, Twitter, and the History of Media Oligarchs - Past Present - Air Date 5-2-22 Niki referred to this Los Angeles Times article about the limits of Elon Musk’s “free speech absolutism.” Natalia referenced this New York Times article about billionaire investors in the press. I spoke before FTC Chair Lina Khan and Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Jonathan Kanter this week about how corporate mergers are devastating working conditions, access to diverse voices, and artistic freedom in media. Elon Musk reaching a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion is discussed by Anand Giridharadas. "This future in which there would actually be more abundant and equitable speech terrifies the crap out of people like Elon Musk,” Giridharadas tells Joy Reid. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: How William Randolph Hearst Made The Media - KERA's Think - Air Date 9-27-21 He was one of the wealthiest men in America – and his media empire granted him unprecedented influence. Stephen Ives joins host Krys Boyd to tell the story of William Randolph Hearst and the template he created for the media business. Ch. 8: Is Free Speech Online Just a Myth? - What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Air Date 5-8-22 A conversation with one of the smartest First Amendment lawyers in the country. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the propaganda of building faulty assumptions into questions MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: The front page of a newspaper is held up by a reader. The newspaper is called “The Media” and the large text headline is a quotation that reads “We Own This, Too" above black and white photos of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Rupert Murdoch. Credit: Composite design by Amanda Hoffman. Images include: “newspaper, world is changing”; "Jeff Bezos" by NASA Robotics Competition, Flickr (Public Domain); "Elon Musk" by Tesla Owners Club Belgium, Flickr (CC BY 2.0); "Rupert Murdoch" by Eva Rinaldi, Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) | Changes: Cropped and black and white
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1489_Media_Ownership_Air_Date_5-10-22_General_-_5-10-22_16.59.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:08pm EDT |
Sat, 7 May 2022
Air Date 5/7/2022 Today we take a look at the jockeying for position that is happening among GOP politicians, both incumbents and hopefuls, in this murky Trump/post-Trump political era in which the path to victory for Republicans is to support Trump unquestioningly while also keeping an eye on the long game for which one should attempt to out-Trump Trump to gain the support of his cultish masses. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES GOP politicians who formerly rejected QAnon and Trumpism are now joining the choir in pursuit of power Next month starts a wave of primaries in Ohio, Georgia, and Pennsylvania that will provide the strongest clues yet on just how much of a hold on Republican voters that Trump still has. Ch. 3: Greg Abbott's Border Shutdown Backfires Spectacularly - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-16-22 Texas Governor Greg Abbott has effectively shut down the US/Mexico border in his state. He did this in the name of stopping the flow of drugs and migrants into the US, but really it was a theatrical stunt to appeal to the far-right. Ch. 4: The Trump Variants Part 1 - Some More News - Air Date 11-9-21 Here's a video about Ron DeSantis, Marjorie Taylor Green, and Matt Gaetz and how they all want to be the next Donald Trump. Ch. 5: The Fight Between Florida and Disney - The Takeaway - Air Date 4-25-22 We speak with Carlos Ball, law professor at Rutgers University, and Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, about how what’s happening with Disney connects to other recent examples of corporations weighing in on LGBTQ issues. Ch. 6: The Trump Variants Part 2 - Some More News - Air Date 11-9-21 How fascism starts and what happens to the masses when the authoritarian leader goes away. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) DeSantis' anti-gay agenda is all about winning over the conservative entertainment wing VOICEMAILS Ch. 8: The down side of fulfilling jobs - VoicedMail from Discord Community Member FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on creating workplaces that are conducive to human needs MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE:
Credit: Composite design by Amanda Hoffman. Image layers used include: “Trump and U.S. Image”, Images of politicians all by Gage Skidmore, Flickr and Wikimedia Commons: “J.D. Vance”, “Marjorie Taylor Greene", "Ron DeSanits” | Changes: Cropped and orange filter added
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1488_GOP_Hopefulls_Post_Trump_Air_Date_5-7-22_General_-_5-7-22_16.13.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:17pm EDT |
Wed, 4 May 2022
Air Date 5/4/2022 Today we take a look at the tectonic shifts in the geopolitics happening under our feet; the long, slow decline of the US empire and the neoliberal order, the role of the war in Ukraine in hastening the end of globalization, and the rise of both China in the east and of the oceans around us all. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Check out Will Be Wild wherever you get your podcasts! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Ukraine and an Empire's Decline - Economic Update - Air Date 4-16-22 Wolff talks with host and journalist Chris Hedges about Ukraine and the end of the US empire. Ch. 2: A World to Win Imperialism and the Energy Crisis w/ David Wearing - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 4-1-22 Grace chats to David Wearing, post-doctoral researcher at SOAS and author of AngloArabia: Why Gulf Wealth Matters to Britain. The new war in Europe has been described as a turning point in human history. President Biden reportedly warned Chinese President Xi Jinping via video call Friday that China would face “consequences” if it provided material support to Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Alfred McCoy argues that American global hegemony will end around 2030 replaced by China as world leader but Chinese hegemony will last only for about 20 years and that by 2050, climate change will have brought environmental catastrophe to both countries. Ch. 6: Climate Catastrophe, the Fall of America, and a New World Order - WhoWhatWhy - Air Date 1-14-22 A bleak but fascinating look across five continents and seven centuries points to climate and political destruction ahead. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Oil & Disorder ft. Helen Thompson - Bungcast - Air Date 3-29-22 Helen Thompson, podcaster and professor of political economy at Cambridge and author of Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century, joins us to talk about the geopolitics of oil, stretching from the 1956 Suez Crisis to the Fracking Revolution of today. Alexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon are the authors of Exit from Hegemony: The Unraveling of the American Global Order. We had a 90-minute conversation on some important topics for the study of international relations. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Pyramid scheme sticker club - Alan from Connecticut FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on how people find math so hard that many pyramid schemes likely get started by accident MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1487_New_World_Order_Air_Date_5-4-22_General_-_5-4-22_16.53.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:40pm EDT |
Fri, 29 April 2022
Air Date 4/29/2022 Today we take a look at the rising wave of successful unionization efforts and the corporate tactics being leveled against them, including the propaganda that surrounds the culture of labor. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Check out Will Be Wild wherever you get your podcasts! SHOW NOTES Around the country, workers are rising up, demanding more, and winning important victories, even though the deck is stacked against them. The question is: Where will the reinforcements come from? Ch. 2: Apple Store employee explains why he's fighting to unionize - ABC News - Air Date 4-26-22 Genius Bar technician Derrick Bowles explains why he and his coworkers are making the move to unionize their Apple Store We speak with the two best friends who led a drive to organize workers at Amazon's warehouse in Staten Island, New York, and made history Friday after a majority voted to form the first Amazon union in the U.S. Ch. 4: Unions And Strikes Are Good - Some More News - Air Date 3-30-22 Hi. In today’s episode, Cody, who is still on strike against the News Lord, discusses the importance of Unions, Co-Ops, and the future of work. Ch. 5: Why Work Won't Love You Back - On The Media - Air Date 4-22-22 In 2021, a record-breaking number of workers quit their jobs, leading to the phenomenon deemed the "Great Resignation." To understand how that happened, it helps to unpack how work has shifted over the past several decades Around the country, workers are rising up, demanding more, and winning important victories, even though the deck is stacked against them. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: The Holiday You May Have Missed - On The Media - Air Date 4-20-22 International Workers' Day is celebrated with rallies and protests all over the world on May 1, but it's not a big deal in the United States. Back in 2018, Brooke spoke with Donna Haverty-Stacke of Hunter College, CUNY about the American origin of May Day FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on the intrinsic human needs that, when fulfilled, give meaning to any work TAKE ACTION! Call your members of Congress today and demand the $94 million increase in funds to The National Labor Relations Board: US Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Find Your Senator and Representative House Lawmakers Demand More Labor Board Funds As Workplace Organizing Spreads (Huffington Post) Lawmakers Urge NLRB Budget Boost Amid 'Dramatic Increase' in Unionization (Common Dreams) The Labor Board Is Withering Away, And That's Bad News For The Labor Movement (Huffington Post) EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Bernie Sanders Wants Democrats to Make Unions Their Biggest Message (Vanity Fair) Sanders pressures Biden on Amazon unions: ‘The time for talk is over’ (Politico) Starbucks May Soon Face Legal Consequences for Union Busting (Truthout) The Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class (NY Times) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Amazon Labor Union logo - a black outline of an open box with three fists coming out of the top - against Amazon corporate orange. A heart encircles the logo and is surrounded by black. Credit: Amazon Labor Union logo (artist not found upon search). Additional heart border design by Amanda Hoffman. Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1486_Labor_Organizing_Air_Date_4-29-22_General_-_4-29-22_21.04.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:28pm EDT |
Tue, 26 April 2022
From critically acclaimed podcast studios Pineapple Street and Wondery comes a new 8-part series called Will Be Wild that shines a light on the human stories left out of the headlines. It goes deep into the lives of people who took part in that day, people who saw it coming, and people who fear that January 6th was just the beginning of something, not the end.
Follow Will Be Wild wherever you get your podcasts, or you can listen early on Amazon Music or early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app.
Listen Here: wondery.fm/BotL_WillBeWild |
Sat, 23 April 2022
Air Date 4/23/2022 Today we take a look at how we got to the form of toothless liberalism we are living with today and begin to reimagine what a more muscular state apparatus could do in the face of the climate crisis. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Emma hosts Luke Savage, staff writer at Jacobin Magazine, to discuss his new book The Dead Center: Reflections On Liberalism And Democracy After the End Of History. Ch. 2: Nationalizing Oil It's About Saving the World - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 4-11-22 Squeals of “socialism!” aside, we know how to do this and have done it before, repeatedly - This time it’s not just about saving our banks or fighting a war. This time, it’s about saving the world. Luke Savage on his collection of essays about the abandoned hopes of the Obama era, the rise of Trumpism and the inability—or unwillingness—of Liberalism to offer a moral and more just vision for the world. Matt Bruenig, returning to the podcast, is the founder of the People's Policy Project think tank. Johanna Bozuwa, Executive Director at the Climate and Community Project, has written a detailed paper on how we can actually "nationalize this." Ch. 6: Climate Incrementalism is the New Denial w/ Kate Aronoff - Bad Faith - Air Date 5-15-21 Tired of defeatist, nihilistic conversations about climate change? Same. That's why this week, we invited climate journalist and author of Overheated: How Capitalism Broke the Planet, Kate Aronoff. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Emma hosts Luke Savage, staff writer at Jacobin Magazine, to discuss his new book The Dead Center: Reflections On Liberalism And Democracy After the End Of History. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Thoughts on doing psychology right - Nick from California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on talking about psychology done wrongly... wrongly MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1485_Weak_Dems_Nationalizing_Big_OIl_Air_Date_4-23-22_General_-_4-23-22_17.29.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:34pm EDT |
Wed, 20 April 2022
Air Date 4/20/2022 Today we take a look at the bizarre halo effect that seems to surround Elon Musk and then thoroughly puncture it by just explaining a few things about him and his companies. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Check out The Politics of Everything wherever you get podcasts! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Myth Of The "Self-Made" Billionaire - Second Thought - Air Date 9-10-21 It’s no secret that Americans love to hear about billionaires. You’ll find them everywhere. They’re on the news [Bezos space launch], have their own TV shows, movies, and even make their way to elected office. Ch. 2: Is Elon Musk a Fraud - Deconstructed - Air Date 5-14-20 Over the weekend, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to voice his frustrations about the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown in Alameda County, California. The billionaire entrepreneur threatened that he would take his auto factory to another state Ch. 3: Tesla SUED Over Racial Discrimination In The Workplace - The Young Turks - Air Date 2-12-22 Elon Musk and Tesla are coming under fire as the state of California is suing the company for allegedly running a “racially segregated” workplace. Black workers are reportedly concentrated in certain parts of the factory and are constantly berated Ch. 4: Elon Musk Is Not Your Friend - Some More News - Air Date 5-10-21 Hi. Elon Musk will not save us. Sorry. Billionaire memelord Elon Musk has dropped yet another batcrap Libertarian rant for his adoring fans, this time regarding the bloodthirsty government and how he hates the pesky electric vehicle subsidies that he would (and already does) benefit from. Ch. 6: Elon Trolls the SEC - What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Air Date 4-8-22 With 9.1% ownership of Twitter—and a board seat—Elon Musk is the new master of Twitter's future. Why did the wealthiest man in the world just take over the world's most influential platform? Ch. 7: Elon, Segregationist & Culture War in Colorado w/ Chase Woodruff - Left Reckoning - Air Date 2-23-22 The real reason Elon Musk fleed California: incredible racism and animal cruelty charges. Also, how he's giving marching orders to Texas cops. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Elon Musk Isn’t Saving Humanity w/ Manu Saadia - Tech Won't Save Us - Air Date 3-25-21 Paris Marx is joined by Manu Saadia to discuss the roots of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos’ visions for space, and why they serve the billionaires’ need for control, not the betterment of humanity. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Back on the path - Dave from Olympia, WA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on foundational ideas that help explain politics MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1484_Elon_Musk_Billionaires_Air_Date_4-20-22_General_-_4-20-22_20.45.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:38pm EDT |
Sat, 16 April 2022
Air Date 4/16/2022 Today we take a look at the coming wave of attacks on abortion and the foundational concept of privacy more broadly that are making their way to the Supreme Court for likely rubber-stamping by at least 5 of the deeply conservative current justices. Undermining the established precedent of privacy that abortion rests on can, and likely will, have ramifications far beyond reproductive rights. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES “Abortion rights don’t fall within that framework of constitutional rights that the Supreme Court feels that it has an obligation to uphold,” says Imani Gandy, senior editor of law and policy for Rewire News Group. Ch. 2: The GOP Is Now Coming For Birth Control - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-21-22 The more Republicans come out against the Supreme Court’s Griswold v. Connecticut ruling on contraception access, the more the public should be worried that they will lose the legal right to birth control. Ch. 3: Fundamental Rights Doublespeak Part 1 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 4-9-22 History proves that “unenumerated” does not equal “invented” rights. Joined by David Gans, director of the Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Citizenship Program at the Constitutional Accountability Center. Michele Goodwin speaks on about the links between current conflicts between state and federal law and their historic precedents, such as Brown v. Board of Education and the Fugitive Slave Acts. MARK JOSEPH STERN, legal journalist from Slate, explains the latest news out of the US Supreme Court, beginning with the Senate confirmation hearings last week for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Joe Biden's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Ch. 6: Fundamental Rights Doublespeak Part 2 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 4-9-22 History proves that “unenumerated” does not equal “invented” rights. Joined by David Gans, director of the Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Citizenship Program at the Constitutional Accountability Center. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) “The very party that claims to be very concerned with protecting children—that’s accusing their enemies of being literal pedophiles—wrote a bill that apparently would have allowed children to get married,” says Chris Hayes. Ch. 8: The Latest Battles over Marriage - Past Present - Air Date 4-12-22 In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss recent developments in the politics of sex and marriage. Ch. 9: Fundamental Rights Doublespeak Part 3 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 4-9-22 History proves that “unenumerated” does not equal “invented” rights. Joined by David Gans, director of the Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Citizenship Program at the Constitutional Accountability Center. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the upcoming milestone for the show MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1483_SCOTUS_Abortion_and_More_Air_Date_4-13-22_General_-_4-16-22_21.50.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:43pm EDT |
Wed, 13 April 2022
Air Date 4/13/2022 Today we take a look at the mainstreaming of crypto and NFTs by celebrity endorsements, why they're terrible by nearly any metric and why they are emblematic of our broken culture. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Shop Bombas.com/Best for 20% off your first order! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Line Goes Up – The Problem With NFTs - Folding Ideas - Air Date 1-21-22 If someone pitches you on a "great" Web3 project, ask them if it requires buying or selling crypto to do what they say it does. Ch. 2: NFTS and Celebrities: A Match Made in Hell? - Wisecrack - Air Date 4-4-22 How did NFTs become the new Coca-Cola? NFTs are everywhere, nowhere more so than on the lips of celebrities. But why are celebrities getting into the world of crypto? And what can the rise of celebrities endorsing NFTs tell us about our society? Bennett and Cas are joined by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman who discuss the ideas behind their upcoming book about cryptocurrency, their issues with celebrity shilling of speculative assets, and how it really feels like corporate greed Ch. 4: Why Scams Are Inherent To Cryptocurrency - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 3-27-22 Explaining the systemic reasons why the features of crypto are so amenable to scams Ch. 5: Can Our Climate Survive Bitcoin? - Reveal - Air Date 3-25-22 Bitcoin’s demand for electricity is so great that it’s giving new life to the dirtiest type of power plants: ones that burn coal. In Hardin, Montana, the coal-fired power plant was on the verge of shutting down until bitcoin came to town. Crypto specialist, Dan Olson, shares his takes on NFTs and explains pieces from his insanely popular video, "Line Goes Up – The Problem With NFTs." John Iadarola and Dan Olson break it down on The Damage Report. Ch. 7: The Crypto Grift Descends on Ukraine - Scam Economy - Air Date 3-17-22 Matt Binder breaks down how grifting cryptocurrency founders, entrepreneurs, investors, and hustlers are trying to pump their money-making schemes for a profit and generate good PR for the crypto industry under the guise of charity for Ukraine. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on how people, myself included, get scammed MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1482_Crypto_and_NFT_Air_Date_4-13-22_General_-_4-13-22_18.51.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:18pm EDT |
Sun, 10 April 2022
Original Air Date: 3-15-22 Today, I am talking with Erin (not from Philly), Deon and Erin from Philly. We discuss: - Whether or not to capitalize the B in black - What it means when the B is capitalized - How all of this relates to the rapid expansion of identity labels - Why the solution to segregation and stereotypes is more segregation - And why we think it's worth spending time talking about things like this CONNECT ON DISCORD References: Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_248_Sample_-_4-10-22_12.00.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:07pm EDT |
Wed, 6 April 2022
Air Date 4/6/2022 Today we take a look at the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, what her confirmation would mean for representation on the court and what the hearing tells us about the state of our politics. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Check out Democracy Decoded where you get your podcasts! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: By Any Measure, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is Qualified - David Pakman Show - Air Date 3-24-22 By any objective measure, Joe Biden's Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, is eminently qualified to be a Supreme Court Justice Ch. 2: Anita Hill on the Supreme Court’s Future Part 1 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 3-12-22 The upcoming confirmation, and what it means for the court’s future—and for America’s future. MARK JOSEPH STERN, legal journalist from Slate, explains the latest news out of the US Supreme Court, beginning with the Senate confirmation hearings last week for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Joe Biden's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy are following the lead of Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and celebrating joy in this historic nomination. Speaking with legal analysts Imani Gandy and Dahlia Lithwick about Republican embrace of disinformation. Ch. 6: Anita Hill on the Supreme Court’s Future Part 2 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 3-12-22 The upcoming confirmation, and what it means for the court’s future—and for America’s future. Ch. 7: ITT Sound Off: Saving the Supreme Court - In The Thick - Air Date 3-25-22 Elie Mystal writes in The Nation: “It was emotionally affecting to watch Jackson, a ridiculously accomplished Black woman, be forced to dance to the tune of these mediocre white senators who were trying to reduce her to a caricature.” MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Cory Booker speaks out about the hope he feels about Ketanji Brown Jackson joining the Supreme Court Black listeners call in to talk about what it meant to see the judge up there, and react to more of Sen. Booker's words and Judge Brown Jackson's tearful reaction. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Response to Maria on puberty blockers - Sophia from Texas FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on motivated reasoning, wild guesses and edge cases MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1481_SCOTUS_Confirmation_Air_Date_4-6-22_General_-_4-6-22_19.41.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:05pm EDT |
Sat, 2 April 2022
Air Date 4/2/2022 Today we take a look at the current iteration of the cynical culture wars being waged by conservative Republicans against LGBTQ kids for political gain. The current wave of anti-trans and anti-gay legislation sprouting across the country is not about protecting kids and is absolutely nothing new. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Check out Democracy Decoded where you get your podcasts! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Andy Greenberg - Longform - Air Date 12-11-19 Andy Greenberg is a senior writer for Wired. His new book is Sandworm. “I kind of knew I was never going to get access to Sandworm, which is the title of the book - so it was all about drawing a picture around this invisible monster.” Ch. 2: How America’s gas got hacked - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-12-21 The largest-known ransomware attack on American energy infrastructure is driving up gas prices and creating shortages. Wired's Lily Hay Newman says Colonial Pipeline might be a turning point for cybersecurity. Ch. 3: Is Russia at War with the West? Part 1 - The Inquiry - Air Date 11-21-18 There are currently a number of serious allegations made in the West against Russia. They include the attempted murder of the former spy Sergei Skripal on British soil; interference in the 2016 US election; the hacking of the American electricity grid. Sanger joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the threats and realities, how the U.S. wages cyber warfare, and how prepared the U.S. is to stop attacks. Ch. 5: Is Russia at War with the West? Part 2 - The Inquiry - Air Date 11-21-18 Russia has been practicing cyberwar in a real-life test lab — Ukraine. Andy Greenberg, author of 'Sandworm', recounts how Russia went from repeatedly shutting down Ukraine's infrastructure to unleashing worms that caused billions of dollars in damage. Ch. 7: Is World War III Already Here? - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 1-3-22 Warfare has changed so fundamentally, that we're currently in a war we don't even recognize. It's the war that Russia, China, and other hostile foreign actors are fighting against us — weaponizing social media to undermine our faith in each other MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Last week, a hacker group called DarkSide shut down the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies 45 percent of the fuel consumed on the East Coast. Gas prices skyrocketed, people started hoarding gas, and DarkSide walked away with over $4 million in Bitcoin. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Puberty blockers experimental? - Maria in Pennsylvania FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the deception and logical fallacies at the heart of critiques of gender affirming care MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1480_Cyber_War_Air_Date_4-1-22_General_-_4-2-22_12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:01am EDT |
Tue, 29 March 2022
Air Date 3/29/2022
Today we take a look at the current iteration of the cynical culture wars being waged by conservative Republicans against LGBTQ kids for political gain. The current wave of anti-trans and anti-gay legislation sprouting across the country is not about protecting kids and is absolutely nothing new. Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Check out Democracy Decoded! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 This weaponization of white womanhood and femininity has deep roots in this country’s history, and is prompting unprecedented consequences for the trans community. Nikita Shepard joins to discuss the history and what we can do about it. Ch. 2: Andy Marra on Trans Youth Rights - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-4-22 Texas state leadership is staking a position on that, but humans everywhere are pushing back, and we talk about that with Andy Marra. Ch. 3: The Anti-Trans Agenda (w/ Gillian Branstetter) - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 3-20-22 Matt and Sam talk to Gillian Branstetter, press secretary for the National Women’s Law Center, about the spate of anti-trans laws sweeping the country. We speak with Chase Strangio of the ACLU about recent anti-LGBTQ legislation in Florida, Texas, and Idaho, and pending bills in other states. Ch. 5: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 2 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 Ch. 6: Don't Say Gay - Today, Explained - Air Date 3-17-22 The furor over Florida’s latest culture-war legislation has Disney, among the state’s largest employers, turning red. Journalist Steven Monacelli joins to discuss how he actually debated Steven Crowder earlier in the day on a college campus in Texas. Why was Crowder there? Because trans people are playing sports. Ch. 8: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 3 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 Ch. 10: Andy Marra on Trans Youth Rights Part 2 - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-4-22 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 11: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 4 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 Ch. 12: The Anti-Trans Agenda (w/ Gillian Branstetter) Part 2 - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 3-20-22 VOICEMAILS Ch. 13: Dynamics of our political parties - Craig from Ohio FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments on the divides within American political parties TAKE ACTION! Contact your Senators to pass the Equality Act via passtheequalityact.com/act Join Lambda Legal's #DontEraseUs campaign to fight anti-LGBTQ+ curriculum (especially if you’re a student or teacher). EDUCATE YOURSELF Read BOTL’s activism segment on the Equality Act from last March (*2021*) for more context Lambda Legal Transgender Rights Toolkit (Lambda Legal) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman Image Description: A white protest sign is held in the air with the words “YOU WILL NOT ERASE OUR KIDS” drawn on it. The word “NOT” is underlined and colored in red. Each letter in the word “KIDS” is colored in with red, blue, yellow, and orange, respectively. A small blue sticker in the top right corner says “I [heart sign] My Trans Child”. Credit: “2018.10.22 We Won't Be Erased - Rally for Trans Rights, Washington, DC USA 06817” by Ted Eytan, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 License | Changes: Cropped, slightly increased brightness, contrast, and saturation
Direct download: 1479_Anti-Trans_wave_Air_Date_3-29-22_General_-_3-29-22_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:16pm EDT |
Thu, 24 March 2022
Air Date 3/24/2022 Today we take a look at the desperate state of refugees fleeing war, strife and climate disruption as well as the response of governments around the world that espouse liberal platitudes of humanitarianism while hardening their borders against those seeking refuge. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Check out Democracy Decoded wherever you get your podcasts! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Fortress Europe: Who gets to come in? - The Real Story - Air Date 11-9-21 The European Union is at loggerheads with Belarus over the arrival of thousands of migrants. It alleges that President Lukashenko has created a deliberate crisis by facilitating the migrants' travel into Belarus and onwards to the country's borders Ch. 2: War in Ukraine - Humane Ukrainians & A Major Refugee Crisis - The Daily Show - Air Date 3-4-22 As Russia's war on Ukraine continues, compassionate Ukrainians come to the aid of Russian soldiers, and Trevor weighs in on the implications of how European countries are welcoming refugees. As Afghanistan faces a dire humanitarian crisis, we look at how more Afghans may die from U.S. sanctions than at the hands of the Taliban. The U.S.'s attempts to block support for the new de facto government have prevented vital funding from flowing It’s been more than six months since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Since the withdrawal, more than 76,000 Afghans have resettled across the U.S. We check in on resettlement efforts, the challenges facing Afghan refugees, and more Ch. 5: Fortress Europe - Declarations: The Human Rights Podcast - Air Date 2-2-22 In this week’s episode, host Maryam Tanwir and panelist Yasmin Homer discuss the role of technology in the securitization of European borders with MEP Patrick Breyer and researcher Ainhoa Ruiz. Ch. 6: Border walls and the climate crisis w/ Nick Buxton - This Is Hell! - Air Date 11-3-21 The Transnational Institute's Nick Buxton on the report "Global Climate Wall" As the U.S. considers a ban on importing Russian oil as part of sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine, senior advisers to President Biden are reportedly planning to visit Saudi Arabia to secure more oil to make up the shortfall. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Border walls and the climate crisis w/ Nick Buxton Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 11-3-21 Discussing the connection between climate policy and the entities who stand to profit the most by fortifying against climate refugees FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on small-government conservatives' authoritarian tendencies TAKE ACTION! New way to help defeat fossil fuel allied politicians, no matter their party: Jane Fonda PAC Help Refugees Around the World: International Rescue Committee Anera (Middle East focus) House Refugees in Your Home: Room for Refugees (US, UK, Canada) Refugees at Home (UK only) EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE 8 Ways to Solve the World's Refugee Crisis (Amnesty International) The Great Climate Migration Has Begun (NYTimes, 2020) Climate Change Refugees - the world's forgotten victims (World Economic Forum) #AfricansinUkraine (Twitter hashtag) Climate Change and Disaster Displacement (UNHCR) Refugee Environmental Protection Fund (UNHCR) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1478_Refugees_Air_Date_3-24-22_General_-_3-24-22_12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:23am EDT |
Sat, 19 March 2022
Air Date 3/19/2022
Today we take a look at the details of the planned coup that had its culmination in the form of a violent insurrection at the US Capitol Building on January 6th, 2021 as well as the ongoing efforts to undermine and dismantle the structures of our election system. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: January 6th Planning Was WAY More Detailed Than We Thought - The Majority Report - Air Date 2-5-22 In some ways, the attack on the Capitol looked haphazard but the answer is far scarier. There was much more planning by the group involved. National columnist Will Bunch says there is growing evidence that links Trump and his inner circle to the Capitol attack. Michael Schmidt, Washington correspondent for the New York Times; David Wilson. Former Pentagon adviser Ryan Goodman says former President Trump could have used the Insurrection Act to hold onto power onJanuary 6, 2021. Rep. Pete Aguilar, member of the January 6th Committee It took decades to build our system of non-partisan, professional election administration, but the entire system is now under persistent attack by Trump's MAGA Mob. Michael Schmidt, Washington correspondent for the New York Times Ch. 8: Trump Facing CRIMINAL Charges Per Trump Riot Committee - David Pakman Show - Air Date 3-3-22 The January 6 Trump riot committee has released a list of possible criminal charges committed by former President Donald Trump. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Thoughts on the Ukraine context episode - Alan from Connecticut FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on our new Discord community server and how to join TAKE ACTION! Become a Poll Worker or Election Official: WorkElections.org EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Expert fears partisan actors may replace election workers who quit over threats (PBS News Hour) 1 in 5 local election officials say they're likely to quit before 2024 (NPR) Researchers warn that Christian nationalists are becoming more radical and are targeting voting (Washington Post) One in five U.S. election workers may quit amid threats, politics (Reuters) Local election officials are exhausted, under threat and thinking about quitting (Politico) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Black and white photo from a rally. A hand holds up a sign that says "Remember Jan. 6th, Senators. Protect Our Democracy Now". Credit: "January 6th Vigil for Democracy" by Becker1999, Wikimedia Commons | License | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1477_Jan_6_Coup_Air_Date_3-19-22_General_-_3-19-22_14.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:18am EDT |
Wed, 16 March 2022
Air Date 3/16/2022 Today we take a look at the dynamics of mis- and disinformation as well as the history of those, primarily Russia, who are actively using it as a weapon of information warfare against the US, The West, and democracies around the world. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Are you Disinformed or Misinformed? - Harvard Data Science Review Podcast - Air Date 6-17-21 Harvard Data Science Review digs into the world of disinformation and misinformation, and the difference between them. Ch. 2: Moving beyond news deserts and misinformation - Democracy Works - Air Date 2-14-22 Victor Pickard is the C. Edwin Baker Professor of Media Policy and Political Economy at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Democracy Without Journalism? Ch. 3: Why "Cheap Speech" Threatens Democracy - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 3-5-22 Dahlia talks to Rick Hasen about his new book Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics–and How to Cure It. Ch. 4: The Firehose of Falsehood Effect - The Propwatch Project - Air Date 4-4-21 Dr. Christopher Paul, senior social scientist of the Pardee RAND Graduate School, discusses his seminal work on the "Firehose of Falsehood" propaganda model. Ch. 5: The long history of Russian disinformation targeting the U.S. - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 11-22-18 From Pizzagate to George Soros conspiracies, “fake news” has become a noxious presence in public discourse, especially since the 2016 presidential election. Ch. 6: Post-Truth: Lee C. McIntyre - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-14-20 Authoritarians use post-truth to corrupt our faith in the truth. The end goal is not to make citizens believe lies, but to make them so cynical and uncertain, they think they can never know the truth. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Inside Estonia's approach in combating Russian disinformation - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 1-15-22 Russian disinformation is rife in countries formerly ruled from Moscow. Some ex-Soviet states have tried to suppress it altogether by banning Russian television stations and even limiting the use of the Russian language on their own domestic channels. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Seeking power from the right and left - Alex from Maryland Old FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on avoiding the nihilism strategy of the Underpants Gnomes TAKE ACTION! Media Literacy Now - Advocate for U.S. Media Literacy Bills at State Level (See Existing Media Literacy Bills and Laws) Tools to Fight Disinformation: List: Tools That Fight Disinformation Online (RAND.org) InVID - Browser plug in to help identify and verify shared videos and images Hamilton 2.0 Dashboard - War in Ukraine (Disinformation tracker) Orgs Fighting Disinformation: Content Authenticity Initiative Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity Alliance for Securing Democracy EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Short Docuseries: Operation InfeKtion (New York Times) Book: “The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread” by Calin O’Connor and James Owen Weatherall Video Series: Crash Course Media Literacy Training: First Draft News - Training Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: In graphic form, the word "TRUTH" is angled and textured in red. A magnifying glass hovers over most of the letter "U" and the word "LIES" can be seen repeated in rows through the circular glass. Credit: Original design on Pixabay / Changes: angled, text color, background color / Final by Amanda Hoffman
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1476_Disinformation_Air_Date_3-16-22_General_-_3-16-22_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:55pm EDT |
Tue, 15 March 2022
Original Air Date: 2-8-22 Today, I am talking with Amanda, Erin and Deon. We discuss: - Tragic Optimism - Don't Look Up - Simulacra and Simulation - That Funny Feeling References: Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts! |
Fri, 11 March 2022
Air Date 3/11/2022 Today we take a look at the intertwining oil interests that underlie many of the decisions about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and how others are responding to it. It is a tangled mess that the US, Europe and other nations are currently attempting to extract themselves from but it will be a long process. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Bombas.com/Best Shop for 20% off! SHOW NOTES Gas prices are going up, but it's not Biden's fault. Thom exposes Trump, Saudi Arabia and Putin's connection to raise gas prices. We speak to energy and climate investigative reporter Antonia Juhasz, author of "The Tyranny of Oil: The World's Most Powerful Industry," about growing calls for a green energy revolution amid the climate crisis and rising prices for fossil fuels. As the horrors of Russia's war on Ukraine continue, we continue focusing on efforts to counter it. Shell Oil apologizes for getting caught secretly buying cheap Russian oil. The MR crew discusses how increasing oil production domestically is being talked about as a solution, but no one is talking about the importance of nationalizing energy. Ch. 6: Banning Russian oil - Today, Explained - Air Date 3-8-22 Gas prices hit a record high in the United States today. Then the White House put an embargo on Russian oil. The Atlantic's Robinson Meyer explains. The prolific author has said that kleptocratic actions are an “existential threat facing our generation.” MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Peak Oil- It's a Crude, Crude World. - Unf*cking The Republic (UNFTR) - Air Date 2-5-22 We tie in good ol’ Milton Friedman again to discuss how trading this ubiquitous fuel went from commodity to casino. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the rising demand for clean energy action in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine TAKE ACTION! Find Your Local: Mothers Out Front* (*not just for mothers) Chapters League of Conservation Voters Affiliates Local Politics: Find Your State Legislators and Write and Call Them Find out if your local legislators and candidates have taken the “No Fossil Fuel Money” Pledge Learn how to get your local candidates/legislators to sign the “No Fossil Fuel Money” pledge National Politics: Find out Which Members of Congress are Taking Oil and Gas Money via Open Secrets League of Conservation Voter Environment Scorecard EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Climate Hawks Join the Debate on Ukraine (New York Times) Newsletter: Heat Pumps for Peace and Freedom (Bill McKibben on Substack) Editorial: What’s better than a ban on Russian oil imports? Ending our dependence on fossil fuels (LA Times) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman SHOW IMAGE: Description: Close up of a white sign that says "War Sized Climate Action Now!" in black, military-style text. To the right, a silhouette of the Iwo Jima memorial shows soldiers raising a wind turbine (instead of a flag). Credit: "CleanEnergyMarch-5-1470274" by Mark Dixon, Flickr | CC by 2.0 License | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness and contrast
Direct download: 1475_Russia_Ukraine_War_Oil_Air_Date_3-11-22_General_-_3-11-22_17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:14pm EDT |
Wed, 9 March 2022
Original Air Date 3/10/2021 Today we take a look at the current goings-on around the world regarding our foreign policy under the new but not-so-new-feeling leadership of Joe Biden. We check in on Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and a couple of assorted arms sales to authoritarian leaders who support our foreign policy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Biden Administration Should Strike a Deal with Iran - World Class - Air Date 2-18-21 Abbas Milani — an expert on U.S.-Iran relations — discusses the Iranian economy, the future of Iran’s leadership, and what a potential nuclear deal could mean for the U.S. The Biden administration is facing intense criticism from U.S. progressives after carrying out airstrikes on eastern Syria said to be targeting Iranian-backed militia groups. Ch. 3: Biden's First Act Of War Hits 3 Countries - Empire Files - Air Date 3-3-21 Biden's Feb. 26 strike in Syria was a crime, and risks major war with three countries. Abby Martin explains. Ch. 4: Whither the Antiwar Left - Empire Has No Clothes - Air Date 2-25-21 This week on Empire Has No Clothes, Kelley, Dan, and I discussed the war in Afghanistan and why it's lost. We also talked with journalist James Carden about the state of the antiwar left and whether Joe Biden might do some good on foreign policy. Ch. 5: What's Next For The War In Afghanistan - NPR Fresh Air - Air Date 3-4-21 America's 19-year war in Afghanistan may soon be coming to an end. The Trump administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban, in which the U.S. agreed to withdraw all its troops by May 1. But the Afghan government was not included in those talks. Ch. 6: Can Joe Biden Save Yemen - Empire Has No Clothes - Air Date 2-11-21 This week on Empire Has No Clothes, Kelley, Dan, and I discussed Joe Biden's announcement that he would withdraw all American support for the war in Yemen. Joe Biden once vowed to hold Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for Jamal Khashoggi's murder. Now, it looks like he's letting him off the hook. Emma Vigeland and the Majority Report crew discuss this. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: The future of the US-Saudi relationship (ft. Sen. Chris Murphy) - Worldly - Air Date 3-4-21 Zack, Jenn, and Alex debate whether the US should continue to treat Saudi Arabia as a close partner given its atrocious human rights abuses and the declining US dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Abby Martin covers Biden's first arms deals to major human rights abusers Chile & Egypt; another US military base in Okinawa, opposed by a majority of residents, threatens unique biodiversity; militia puts US at crossroads of a new Iraq war Ch. 10: Can Biden remake Trump's Middle East - The Bunker - Air Date 11-25-20 From Israel to Iran, Donald Trump thought he could reset the Middle East. His fixation on the region defined the last four years of US foreign policy. But what will Biden’s presidency mean for America and the Middle East? VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Introduction to our caste system - Roy from Washington State FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on Biden attempting to talk about Afghanistan and China BONUS CLIPS: CNN Official interview Joe Biden on Afghanistan 'Making progress' - CNN - Air Date 11-28-10 What Biden Said About Uyghurs - CNN Presidential Town Hall Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1403_Biden_Foreign_Policy_Air_Date_3-9-21_Members_-_3-9-21_22_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:26pm EDT |
Fri, 4 March 2022
Air Date 3/4/2022 Today we take a look at the history of Ukraine as a Soviet state, war-torn state, famished state, westernizing state, energy-exploring state, annexed state, and invaded state. We also look at the role of the west and NATO as well as Putin's history and possible motivations. Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The real and imagined history of Ukraine - Today Explained - Air Date 2-25-22 Vladimir Putin says Ukraine isn’t a country. He’s wrong. Timothy Snyder is the Bird White Housum Professor of History at Yale University, specializing in the history of central and eastern Europe. Ch. 3: From spy to president: The rise of Vladimir Putin - Vox - Air Date 3-23-17 Putin’s intent on pushing back against the Western world order... and it appears to be working. Ch. 4: What Russia And Putin Actually Want With Ukraine - AJ+ - Air Date 2-17-22 Troops are being deployed, harsh words have been said, and there is potential for an all-out war. Snyder says the focus on NATO ignores the agency of leaders in Ukraine and elsewhere who have the right to seek their own arrangements. Ch. 6: Is the West to Blame for Russia's Invasion? (no) - TLDR News - Air Date 2-27-22 Some have suggested that the West is the blame for Russia's invasion into Ukraine, we'll explain that argument and why it's fundamentally wrong. Ch. 7: Why Russia is Invading Ukraine - RealLifeLore - Air Date 2-26-22 Explaining the oil interests in Ukraine that may be a motivating factor to Russia. Ch. 8: America, Russia, and Ukraine's Far-Right - The Gravel Institute - Air Date 2-18-22 This video is about American funding for the Azov Battalion. It explicitly condemns Russian propaganda that Ukraine is a "neo-Nazi country." Ch. 9: Putin's Bogus Claim To "Denazify" Ukraine - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 2-25-22 Steven Pifer, the former ambassador to Ukraine under Bill Clinton, and Jason Stanley, author of “How Fascism Works,” join Mehdi Hasan to discuss the Russian propaganda narrative. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: A Young Country With An Old History - WorldAffairs - Air Date 1-31-22 Historians Katherine Younger and Emily Channell-Justice tell Ray Suarez the story of modern Ukraine, and why embracing Western values has made Ukraine a threat to Vladimir Putin. Ch. 11: Ukraine: Questions for the Anti-War Movement - Empire Files - Air Date 2-27-22 An analysis of Putin's anti-communist speech Ch. 12: The Crimean War, Putin, and the War Over Reality - The Muckrake Podcast - Air Date 3-1-22 Jared Yates Sexton traces how the New World Order conspiracy theory led to this mess. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on why you should probably listen to all that again TAKE ACTION! Ways to Help Ukrainians, Protest War, Etc. (*Please always do your own research before giving*): CODEPINK Global Day of Action, Sunday, March 6th: "Stop the War in Ukraine. Russian Troops Out. No to NATO expansion." (CODEPINK) Support Ukraine's Independent Media Organizations and Journalists (Campaign endorsed by The Kyiv Independent) Here’s How You Can Help LGBTQ+ and Black Ukrainian Refugees (Self) 25 Meaningful Ways You Can Help Ukraine (GlobalCitizen) Linkt.ree of Resources/Ways to Help Ukrainians Curated by the nonprofit @RazomforUkraine (Razom for Ukraine) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman SHOW IMAGE: Description: A blue and yellow Ukrainian flag is waved in the air in front of a cloudy sky above a protest to show solidarity with Ukrainians. Credit: Amanda Hoffman, February 2022 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1474_Ukraine_context_Air_Date_3-5-22_General_-_3-4-22_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00pm EDT |
Wed, 2 March 2022
Air Date 3/2/2022 Today we take a look at the not-so-slow transformation of Republicans from a Bush/McCain/Romney party to a Trump/DeSantis/Putin party complete with cultish devotion and a dependence on a near-total dismissal of truth replaced by propaganda. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ruth Ben-Ghiat, professor of history at NYU and author of "Strongmen," talks about right-wing assault on democracy in the United States and familiar patterns between the Trump movement and other authoritarian movements around the world an in history. Ch. 2: Legitimate Political Discourse - Political Gabfest - Air Date 2-10-22 The GOP embrace of Jan. 6 rioters Explaining the seeming anomaly of Trump in the line of Republican presidential nominees Ch. 4: Republicans in complete disarray - The Bradcast w/ Brad Friedman - Air Date 2-7-22 Trump's Republican National Committee labeled the violent, deadly Capitol Insurrection 'legitimate political discourse, and censured conservative Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger for participating in the bipartisan House Jan. 6 Select Committee. Ch. 5: Rick Scott: The Man With The Plan? - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 2-23-22 What does the Republican Party really stand for — besides attacking liberals? One Republican senator is giving a masterclass in his plan to save America. David Jolly joins to discuss. Ch. 6: How Vladimir Putin won Republicans' approval - Vox - Air Date 1-13-17 He's an authoritarian strongman, and he's never been more popular with GOP voters. Alex Wagner: “The shocking thing is when these Republicans look at Russia—its repression and flouting of democratic norms and restriction of essential freedom—when they look at all that they may not see a cautionary tale, but an aspirational one.” MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: How Jan 6th Changed Extremism - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-5-22 Brandy Zadrozny talks about the landscape of extremism since January 6th and her new investigation that finds some militia and white supremacist groups have shifted tactics, going from protesting to putting energy into local politics and school boards. Ch. 9: The America We Deserve - In The Thick - Air Date 2-8-22 They get into the latest on the January 6th insurrection, and the connection between voter suppression and anti-Black racism. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on sheep-dogging, coalition governments and power dynamics MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1473_GOP_shift_to_authoritariain_cult_Air_Date_3-2-22_General_-_3-2-22_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:22pm EDT |
Sat, 26 February 2022
Air Date 2/26/2022 Today we take a look at the slow but important progress that's been made in the last ten years of efforts toward sensible gun control and accountability for gun manufacturers as well as the activists pushing the issue. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Path to the Sandy Hook Settlement - What Next - Air Date 2-22-22 A deft legal strategy led to the largest payout by a gun manufacturer in a mass shooting case. Guest: @NicoleHockley is co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise Foundation. Ch. 2: Sandy Hook families achieve major victory over gun maker - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 2-16-21 Tonight's guests are Joshua Koskoff, attorney representing Sandy Hook families. Survivors and families of the victims of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida, have launched a new online tool called the “Shock Market” to track the occurrence of U.S. gun violence. Ch. 4: A New Kind of Gun Control Part 1 - What Next - Air Date 2-3-22 San Jose is trying to pioneer a fresh way to address gun violence. Will it survive all the lawsuits? Guest: Sam Liccardo, mayor of San Jose, California. Gun violence in America has remained high throughout the pandemic. By some early estimates, 2020 is one of the worst years for homicides in recent times. Amna Nawaz speaks to The Trace's Champe Barton about efforts to change gun laws. Ch. 6: A New Kind of Gun Control Part 2 - What Next - Air Date 2-3-22 Valentine’s Day is when we’re supposed to give heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and flowers to those we love. For Manuel “Manny” Oliver, Valentine’s Day is something different. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Woman Accidentally Fires Purse Gun at Basketball Game - David Pakman Show - Air Date 11-6-21 A woman "accidentally" fires her gun, which was in her purse, during a basketball game Mayor Adams's new public safety agenda, guests Anthonine Pierre, leader of Communities United for Police Reform, Richard Aborn, president of the Citizens Crime Commission of NYC and Elise White, deputy research director at the Center for Court Innovation FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the news from the invasion of Ukraine by Russia MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: A woman walks during the March on Washington for Gun Control in 2013 holding a sign that says "Sandy Hook Chooses LOVE". A red 'no' symbol is over the silhouette of a semi-automatic rifle. Next to this, are two, gray child's hand prints with a red heart between them. Credit: "March on Washington for Gun Control 032" by Slowking4, Wikimedia Commons | Creative Commons License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1472_Gun_Control_Air_Date_2-26-22_General_-_2-25-22_17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT |
Wed, 23 February 2022
Air Date 2/22/2022 Today we take a look at the new right-wing protest tactic sweeping the world, truck convoy siege tactics in capital cities. Their causes are nonsensical, their tactics harmful but cracking down on them too harshly may boomerang on progressive protests down the road. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Canada’s anti-vax protest comes to a new head as truckers block off a major bridge connecting Canada and the U.S. Timothy Snyder, author of "On Tyranny," looks at how the U.S. has become a bad actor in the global community as its antigovernment right-wing, inflamed by Fox News and social media, is triggering political and economic disruption by fringe extremists. Ch. 3: Tucker Uses Convoy To Cosplay As Working-Class Ally - The Rational National - Air Date 2-8-22 Fox News host Tucker Carlson used the Canadian 'Freedom Convoy' to cosplay as a working-class ally. Ch. 4: Trucker protests energize Canada’s far-right movement - The World - Air Date 2-4-22 Actions have energized a small but growing far-right movement in Canada. And similar protests have popped up in Europe, where people are trying to convene in a convoy in Brussels to protest against pandemic restrictions Ch. 5: What the truck is happening in Canada? - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-15-22 A convoy of truckers angry over Covid-19 mandates is disrupting life in Canada’s capital city. Their movement is gaining traction in cities around the globe. Ch. 6: Vaccine protests in Canada - World Review from the New Statesman - Air Date 2-3-22 Thousands have joined the so-called “Freedom Convoy” in Canada, which has spiraled from truckers’ frustrations over Covid-19 vaccine mandates into calls to overthrow the government. As the Convoy occupation expanded beyond choking a single major city, the blocking of supply lines and border crossings raised more questions regarding how the government's reaction might affect political movements in the future. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: What the truck is happening in Canada? Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-15-22 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on a successful vacation and the weak allure of the internet MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1471_Trucker_Protest_Air_Date_2-22-22_General_-_2-23-22_09.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:36am EDT |
Fri, 18 February 2022
Original 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 MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) 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 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. 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):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson 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
Direct download: 1399_1619_vs_1776_Air_Date_2-16-21_Members_-_2-16-21_19_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am EDT |
Tue, 15 February 2022
Original 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 MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) 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. 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. 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. 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):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1396_Social_Media_Radicalization_Air_Date_2-5-21_Members_-_2-5-21_19_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am EDT |
Sat, 12 February 2022
Air Date 2/12/2022 Today we take a look at the recent uptick in banning and removing educational subjects and books from school curricula as well as specifically who is being harmed and who is being privileged by these decisions. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com SHOW NOTES Despite claiming that the left wants to stifle "free speech," Republicans are increasingly banning books, including from school libraries Ch. 2: Is Big Money Behind Book Banning Frenzy? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 2-8-22 What's behind the right-wing book-ban frenzy? Is it big money with a long-term plan? We do know it's not a "grassroots" or spontaneous. Ch. 3: The Movement to Erase Black History and Culture Part 1 - At Liberty - Air Date 2-3-22 We believe that the first amendment is fundamental because it should stop this kind of erasure in its tracks. That’s why we’re meeting this surge of censorship with new litigation and fierce advocacy. Joined by Emerson Sykes, Senior Staff Attorney w/ ACLU Education has always mattered to Black people. Our enslaved ancestors risked their lives to learn what white oppressors withheld. Because those oppressors understood the important role knowledge of ones history and oneself plays in Black liberation. Ch. 5: The Movement to Erase Black History and Culture Part 2 - At Liberty - Air Date 2-3-22 Ch. 7: Bans & Schools Book Panics - Now & Then - Air Date 2-8-22 Book bans are back. What’s causing this resurgence? What have similar acts of censorship meant throughout American history? And how should concerned citizens respond? MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Bans & Schools Book Panics Part 2 - Now & Then - Air Date 2-8-22 Ch. 9: The Movement to Erase Black History and Culture Part 3 - At Liberty - Air Date 2-3-22 VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: A message to Nick and Quai on anger and what to do with it - Alyson from Boulder, CO FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on perhaps only thinking I have let go of my anger MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of the graphic novel book “Maus I” laying on top of the graphic novel book “Maus II”. The covers show anthropomorphized mice under a white circle with a black swastika and a graphic depiction of a Hitler-ized mouse with whiskers in its center. Credit: “Maus I and II” by Bill Smith, Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/byzantiumbooks/51845556207/in/photolist-2n2epPd-2mZq2A8-2n1Mj1g-XYhG-2TmUhq-55feBS-avJJH3-Tjp4gY-SBWLR9-SBWLHd-TExp9E-8WwJM | License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ | Changes: cropped and tilted left
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1470_Book_and_CRT_Banning_Air_Date_2-12-22_General_-_2-12-22_10.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:57am EDT |
Wed, 9 February 2022
Air Date 2/9/2022 Today we take a look at the simmering geopolitical crisis in Ukraine as Russia amasses military forces along the border. In particular, we hear from those who do not predict the imminent outbreak of war and analyze the various motives at play. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES In which John discusses the crisis in Ukraine, and how the influence of Russia and Europe have shaped Ukrainian politics for centuries. REMINDER: Educational videos are allowed to be more than four minutes long. On the Ukraine crisis, there was a sharp juxtaposition Friday as the Pentagon warned that Russian troops could invade at any time, while Ukraine’s president accused the West of sowing panic. To speak about the key role NATO is playing in the Ukraine crisis, we speak with Ludo De Brabander, spokesperson of the peace organization Vrede vzw in Belgium, where NATO is headquartered. Ch. 4: Sanctions Sanctions Everywhere w/ Yar Batmanghelidj - American Prestige - Air Date 2-4-22 Danny and Derek speak about the attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau, North Korea's missile test, Ukraine, the U.S. operation that killed an Isis leader in Syria, and recent reports about Iran's nuclear breakout capability. Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin continuing to deny accusations of a planned invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration ordered the deployment of 3,000 additional troops to Eastern Europe on Wednesday to supposedly protect Ukraine. Ch. 6: Ukraine w/ Volodymyr Ishchenko - The Dig - Air Date 1-28-22 An in-depth interview on the historical and political-economic context of the Ukraine crisis with Ukrainian sociologist Volodymyr Ishchenko. The United States and Russia sparred on Monday over the crisis in Ukraine at the United Nations Security Council. Meanwhile, U.S. senators are preparing to unveil a bill that would target Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian banks and other entities MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Explaining the US-Russia Saber-Rattling - Jacobin Radio w/ Suzi Weissman - Air Date 2-1-22 Hillel Ticktin also joins to continue the discussion about the escalating tensions on the Russian/Ukrainian border. Ticktin argues that the long downturn and economic stagnation are the backdrop to understanding both Russia and the US in this crisis. Ch. 9: Putin's Terrorism and What to Do About It - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 2-1-22 We dig deep into this complex conflict, examining the humanitarian toll it takes on Ukraine, Putin’s ambitions for other regions of the world and the American exploitation of the conflict for partisan purposes. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Value of curation regarding the recent Israel/Palestine episode - Craig from Ohio Ch. 11: Maybe Neil Postman is actually the devil - Nick from California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on Russia plans besides war and their new agreement with China MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Direct download: 1469_Russia_Ukraine_Air_Date_2-9-22_General_-_2-9-22_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:10pm EDT |
Tue, 8 February 2022
Original Air Date: 1-13-22 References: Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: |
Sat, 5 February 2022
Air Date 2/4/2022 Today we take a look at several vignettes of recent victories against conservative governments implementing exploitative, neoliberal policies that inspired the people to fight back. We will hear from the recent elections in Chile and Honduras, the massive farmer protests in India and the protest movement against deregulation or petroleum prices in Kazakhstan. Activists, take note. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Socialist Gabriel Boric takes the majority of the vote in Chile, changing the politics of the country. Socialism won over fascism. Now we wonder what will the imperialist countries do about a socialist country in South America? Ch. 2: Two Interviews on Chile - Behind the News - Air Date 12-28-21 Doug speaks with Antonia Mardones Marshall on the recent presidential election and its winner, Gabriel Boric. Plus: Antonia Atria, in an interview from October 2020, on that country's constitutional referendum. “It’s brought hope to the entire country,” says Faridd Sierra. Years of corruption and conservative law-making “showed the Honduras people just how cruel the [National] Party was and … they voted in response,” adds Suyapa Portillo. Ch. 4: India's huge farmer protests, explained - Vox - Air Date 12-30-20 Thousands of India’s farmers have set up camp in Delhi. I'm joined by Navyug Gill from William Paterson University to talk about the historic victory of the Indian Farmers who, after demonstrating for a whole year at the cost of 750 lives, succeeded in forcing the repeal of three farming reform laws. Ch. 6: Kazakhstan's Oyan protest movement w/ Paolo Sorbello - This is Hell! - Air Date 1-20-22 Journalist Paolo Sorbello on his article "‘Our activism won't stop': The Oyan movement recounts the January protests in Kazakhstan" for Global Voices, and in a Moment of Truth, Jeff Dorchen tangles with all-pervasive networks. Ch. 7: Has Socialism Broken The Chains of Neoliberalism? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-21-21 In these days of dark news from the rise of militarism to a new wave of Covid, there are green shoots: neoliberalism is finally being replaced by social democracy around the world & in America. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Humanize but don't fall asleep at the wheel - Zelda from Minnesota FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on getting focused on effective politics MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Three elderly Indian men with white beards, wearing turbans (pagri) and a jacket, vest, and sweater (respectively), sit on wall. Each man has one fist raised in the air. The man in the middle holds a long bamboo staff with his other hand. Credit: "Three protestors at the 2020-2021 Indian Farmers' Protest" by Ravan Khosa, Wikimedia Commons | License | Changes: Cropped to square
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Direct download: 1468_International_Chile.India_Air_Date_2-4-22_General_-_2-5-22_10.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:33am EDT |
Mon, 31 January 2022
Air Date 1/31/2022 Today we take a look at the new buzz around the "metaverse" and why it is not only fairly dystopian in and of itself but also seems to require that the real world be a dystopia in order for the concept to fully succeed. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Neil Postman Technopoly - C-Span Book TV - Air Date 7-10-92 Neil Postman, author of Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology published by Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, spoke on the theme of his book which noted the dependence of Americans on technological advances for their own security. Ch. 2: Enter the metaverse! - Today in Focus - Air Date 11-3-21 Mark Zuckerberg changed Facebook’s name to Meta last week – and launched a vision for his company that he claims will transform the way we interact with the internet and each other. So what exactly is the metaverse? Ch. 3: Prof. Wolff: New Metaverse, Same Old Capitalist BS - The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow - Air Date 12-3-21 Ch. 4: Why the Metaverse Must Be Stopped w/ Brian Merchant Part 1 - Tech Won't Save Us - Air Date 11-4-21 Brian Merchant discusses Mark Zuckerberg’s big plans for the metaverse, everything that’s wrong with it, the concept’s scifi origins, and why Silicon Valley is desperate to make it happen. Ch. 5: Why Metaverse Real Estate Is Selling For Millions - Cheddar Explains - Air Date 10-29-21 How much real money would you pay for a virtual plot of land? Developing technology is introducing everyone in the real world to new, virtual worlds, like Decentraland. Ch. 6: Why Chris Hayes thinks we're all famous now - Vox Conversations - Air Date 11-15-21 They discuss his recent essay in the New Yorker about fame and the internet, why we seek attention from strangers online, and how some German philosophers might offer guidance for our predicament. Ch. 7: Why the Metaverse Must Be Stopped w/ Brian Merchant Part 2 - Tech Won't Save Us - Air Date 11-4-21 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Why You Should Be Worried About Facebook's Metaverse - Vice News - Air 12-7-21 On December 6, Facebook was sued for its role in facilitating the genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. The Facebook Papers revealed how the company chased profits - often at the expense of safety. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: I don't want to tier people but I think I do - Nick From California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the humanizing impact of examining people structurally MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1467_Metaverse_Air_Date_1-31-22_General_-_13122_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:44pm EDT |
Tue, 25 January 2022
Original Air Date 1/26/2021 Today we take a look at our long history of ignoring domestic, right-wing terrorism from the Oklahoma City bombing through to the predictable actions of militia groups in 2020 and beyond. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) CALL TO ACTION: Join the CCAN Polar Plunge to fight Climate Change: KeepWinterCold.com Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Tracing the roots of the America's biggest domestic terror attack - PBS News Hour - Air Date 2-17-20 The 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing was the largest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. A new documentary on the PBS series American Experience takes a fresh look at the events and motivations that led to the attack by Timothy McVeigh Ch. 2: The Dangers of White Supremacy - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 10-2-20 Sam talks with Kathleen Belew, assistant professor of history at the University of Chicago, about what we get wrong when we talk about the white power movement. While working as a senior analyst in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2009, Daryl Johnson authored a report warning about the increasing dangers of violent right-wing extremism in the United States, sparking a political firestorm in the process Ch. 4: How the Oklahoma City Bombing Changed the U.S. - AJ+ - Air Date 2-26-19 In the almost 25 years since explosives killed 168 adults and children, what has the United States learned from the Oklahoma City bombing? And what can it tell us about the future of far-right extremism in the U.S.? Ch. 5: Most Violence is Right Wing. Period. Stop Lying - David Pakman Show - Air Date 8-22-19 Most violence is right wing, and it's important not to be distracted from that undeniable reality. The government must wake up to the threat of domestic terrorism before it's too late, says former Homeland Security counterterrorism analyst Daryl Johnson. Ch. 7: What’s Fueling Far-Right Hate in America? - AJ+ - Air Date 2-19-19 The number of far-right extremist groups prone to violence is increasing in the U.S. It's a threat the government was warned about a decade ago. But what's fueling the rise of hate, and what's the nation doing to combat it? Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson discusses what the Biden administration's national security team will have to undertake. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) To talk about the rise of white supremacist violence and the Trump administration’s response, we speak to Daryl Johnson, a former senior analyst in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. No one listened when the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI sounded the alarm about the rise of white supremacist and far-right domestic terrorism, says former DHS intelligence analyst Daryl Johnson and Greg Huffman of Facing South. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: We made it! (But not all of us) - Nick from California Ch. 12: The cause and result of moral panic - Paul from Vermont FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on moral panic and the shifting eras of white supremacist violence MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Composite design by Amanda Hoffman. Original images: "Proud Boy - Jan 6th" Elvert Barnes on Flickr, License | "Before the Siege" by Elvert Barnes on Flickr, License | "Tree of Life building at sunset" by David Fulmer on Flickr, Lincese | "Charleston Church" (Mother Emmanuel) by Zack Carlson on Flickr, Public Domain | "20th Anniversary - Oklahoma City Bombing" by US Army Corps of Engineers - Tulsa, License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson 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
Direct download: 1394_White_Terrorism_and_Willful_Ignorance_repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:48pm EDT |
Wed, 19 January 2022
Original Air Date 1/10/2021 Today, in our 15th-anniversary episode, we take a look at the years and years of warning signs we have been highlighting since 2006 that collectively predict the armed insurrection against the government as the natural endpoint for a radicalized, conspiratorial, White/Christian-supremacist, permanently-minoritarian political movement that has lost its ability to win power by legitimate means. SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: American Fascists, Chris Hedges - Ring of Fire - Air Date 2-12-07 Chris Hedges explains the decades-old prediction of the rise of Christian fascism Ch. 2: Ginsberg and O'Connor death threats - Rachel Maddow - Air Date 2006 Ginsberg and O'Connor deal with detailed death threats as part of the effort to take over the judiciary Ch. 3: O'Connor Decries Republican Attacks on Courts - NPR Morning Edition - Air Date: 3-10-2006 Sandra Day O'Connor warns of creeping dictatorial tendencies referencing efforts to control the courts Ch. 4: Avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings - The Young Turks - Air Date 3-22-2006 Cenk Uygur highlights the need to prevent dictatorship by avoiding the first steps that can lead to it Ch. 5: Tim Wise on How Donald Trump Legitimizes Racist Ideas - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date 01-07-16 Tim Wise explains what drives Trump supporters and the burgeoning Trumpism movement Sasha Abramsky speaks with Trump supporters, many of whom ask him his ethnicity before being willing to speak with him Ch. 7: Thirty Black People Booted From Trump Rally - @theyoungturks - Air Date 03-02-16 Secret Service agent choke-slams a journalist at a Trump rally. What will Trump do if he actually wins? Ch. 8: CNN's morally bankrupt hiring of former Trump campaign staffer - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 7-1-16 CNN profits from the Trump campaign to the detriment of the country Ch. 9: Trump Victory Inspires Acts Of Hate Against Minorities - @RingOfFireRadio - Air Date 11-11-16 Post-election rash of hate-crimes spike after Trump victory. Ch. 10: You Will Not Believe This Insane Antisemitic Email - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date 11-14-16 David Pakman shares an email he recieved and vandilism he witnessed in the wake of Trump's victory Ch. 11: A White Nationalist Will Be Advising Trump'��s Administration - @RingOfFireRadio - Air Date 11-14-16 Steve Bannon tapped to join the Trump administration Ch. 12: How to fight our enemies, the blacks and jews - A real-life White supremacist podcast - Air Date 11-10-16 Clips from an unabashedly White-nationalist podcast in the wake of Trump's election win Ch. 13: It can't happen here - Ideas from the CBC - Air Date 1-17-17 A look at the long history of racial grivance that fuels fascist tendencies in the US Trump issues an executive order effectively banning Muslims from several countries Trump's treatment of the media is precisely in line with the strategies of dictators around the world Trump doubles down when criticized for his comments in the wake of the Charlottesville White supremacists rally Ch. 17: Donald Trump Puts Our Democracy and Our Lives in Serious Danger - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 01-13-18 Not a single president has met more than one of the four qualities identified by political scientists as warning signs of an authoritarian or fascist leader. Trump meets them all. Is this how our Democracy dies? Scott Crow explains why the rise of progressive-left movements are always countered by a rise in right-wing conspiracy theories and why fascism downright requires conspiracies to survive. Donald Trump is "stoking and inciting - for the purposes of political power - the worst amongst us to take action in his name," says Steve Schmidt. Ch. 20: Violent Extremism in the U.S. - NowThis World - Air Date 11-4-18 White supremacist and other right-wing violence are currently the deadliest active domestic extremist movements in the U.S., according to data from several civil rights groups that track hate crimes and extremist violence. Ch. 21: Corruption of Department of Justice Sets Off Alarm Bells - Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 2-12-20 Rachel discusses the crisis in the justice department and the authoritarian actions of Trump. President Trump claims without evidence that anti-fascists are inciting riots at protests against police brutality, but has downplayed groups like the “boogaloo” movement, which are using the protests as cover to carry out violence, even murder. Ch. 23: Marjorie Cohn on Portland Secret Police - CounterSpin - Air Date 7-24-20 While we wait to see if corporate media can decide which optic is an optic too far, we talk about the legal, constitutional elements of the fight for our right to protest, including against the forces that are sent to police the protesting. Marjorie Kohn. Ch. 24: Trump Caravans and the Threat of Sectarian Violence - The Muckrake Podcast - Air Date 9-1-20 Right Wing vigilantism turns to roving bands of MAGA supporters driving into cities and doling out violence. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 25: Final comments to wrap up this anniversary episode
Direct download: 1391_Fascism_Remix_Air_Date_1-9-21_Members_-_1-10-21_11_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:19pm EDT |
Sat, 15 January 2022
Air Date 1/15/2022 Today we take a look at tradeoffs that are becoming ever more evident between the advancement of mass communication and social media technologies and the ways in which those advancements contribute to the degradation of social cohesion. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) Visit Bombas.com/Best for 20% Off! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Re-musing Ourselves - On the Media - Air Date 3-3-06 The late media critic Neil Postman argued in his seminal book "Amusing Ourselves to Death," that as TV prevailed over the printed word, it impaired our ability to make sense of a world of information. Jay Rosen writes the blog, PressThink. Ch. 2: Neil Postman Technopoly - C-Span Book TV - Air Date 7-10-92 Neil Postman, author of Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology published by Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, spoke on the theme of his book which noted the dependence of Americans on technological advances for their own security. Ch. 3: Prescient Predictions 1984; Brave New World; and Network Part 1 - Future Tense - Air Date 7-7-19 The dystopian best-seller 1984 was published exactly seventy years ago. Its influence has been profound. But does it really speak to today’s politico-cultural environment? Scott Stephens believes Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is a closer match. Ch. 4: The Trouble With Reality - On The Media - Air Date 5-17-17 This is a conversation between Brooke Gladstone, author of "The Trouble with Reality: A Rumination on Moral Panic in Our Time," and WNYC morning show host Brian Lehrer. Ch. 5: Prescient Predictions 1984; Brave New World; and Network Part 2 - Future Tense - Air Date 7-7-19 Ch. 6: Neil Postman on Cyberspace - The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour - Air Date 7-25-95 Charlene Hunter-Gault interviews media theorist and cultural critic Neil Postman on PBS' The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour in 1995. Postman discusses new media and the "Faustian bargain" of technological change in the context of the "Information Superhighway." Ch. 7: Alexa, What's Amazon Doing Inside My Home? - Land of the Giants - Air Date 7-30-19 What’s the downside to letting Alexa run your entire home? And why is Amazon making a microwave oven powered by Alexa? FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on Faustian Bargains MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1466_Faustian_Technology_Air_Date_1-15-22_General_-_12722_10.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:47am EDT |
Wed, 12 January 2022
Original Air Date: 12-21-21 Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss: - Empathy and the In-Group/Out-Group dichotomy - Santa's new side hustles - Races vs Racialized Groups - Representation: Who is allowed to do what to, or take what from, whom?
References: YouTube burnout is real. Creators are struggling to cope Words Matter: Meaning and Power bySally McConnell-Ginet NFB pulls Michelle Latimer's documentary Inconvenient Indian from Sundance festival The Jews Are Tired: The Royal Court, Rare Earth Mettle, and Why Enough is Enough No, Jewish characters do not need to be played by Jewish actors Pok Pok Changed Portland. But Its Era Was Over Before the Pandemic Toppled the Thai Food Empire. How To Negotiate Away From Cultural Appropriation With A Powerful Apology Lionel Shriver's full speech: 'I hope the concept of cultural appropriation is a passing fad' Writing the Other writing class
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts! |
Sun, 9 January 2022
Air Date 1/9/2022 Today we take a look at a few of the recent failures and challenges facing the Democratic Party in the face of an oncoming wave of anti-democratic forces bent on establishing an entrenched, minority-rule government through aggressive gerrymandering and voter suppression. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Why Is The GOP So Anti-Science Part 1 - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 10-14-21 Science historian Naomi Oreskes joins Mehdi to examine the Republican party’s anti-science trend. Noam Chomsky, the world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author, just turned 93 years old. Chomsky spoke to Democracy Now! prior to the discovery of the Omicron coronavirus variant, but he predicted new variants would emerge. Ch. 3: Why Is The GOP So Anti-Science Part 2 - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 10-14-21 Ch. 4: Alpha Male Anti Vaxxers Part 1 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 1-1-22 Brad and Dan kick off this New Year's Day roundup with a look at the false binary anti-vaxxers use to criticize the COVID vaccine and put forth a bad argument as to why they shouldn't get it. Ch. 5: Bill Gates and monopoly medicine Alexander Zaitchik Part 1 - This is Hell! - Air Date 4-15-21 Journalist Alexander Zaitchik on his article "How Bill Gates Impeded Global Access to Covid Vaccines" for The New Republic, and in a Moment of Truth Jeff Dorchen foils another dictatorship before it can start. Ch. 6: Alpha Male Anti Vaxxers Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 1-1-22 Ch. 7: Bill Gates and monopoly medicine Alexander Zaitchik Part 2 - This is Hell! - Air Date 4-15-21 Dr. Robert Malone appears on the Joe Rogan Podcast and uses the term "mass formation psychosis," which instantly becomes the meme of the month for the American right-wing. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Viral Lies - Reveal - Air Date 1-1-22 Reporter and guest host Ike Sriskandarajah looks into one reason people aren’t getting the COVID-19 vaccine: conspiracy theories. The World Health Organization calls it “an infodemic,” where dangerous medical misinformation sows chaos and mistrust. As COVID cases skyrocket, we speak to Dr. Peter Hotez at Texas Children’s Hospital about the Omicron surge, as well as his groundbreaking work developing an affordable patent-free coronavirus vaccine. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Distinctions without ascribing meaning - Abdul from Charleston, NC Ch. 12: Continuing to value people with opinions that have no value - Quai from North Carolina FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on the difference between goals and tactics to explain why libertarians are so often wrong MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1465_Anti-Science_GOP.Vaccines_Air_Date_1-9-22_General_-_1-9-22_11_New.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:50pm EDT |
Wed, 5 January 2022
Air Date 1/5/2022 Today we take a look at a few of the recent failures and challenges facing the Democratic Party in the face of an oncoming wave of anti-democratic forces bent on establishing an entrenched, minority-rule government through aggressive gerrymandering and voter suppression. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Julie Hollar on Moving Democrats to the Right - CounterSpin - Air Date 11-13-20 Blaming the left has been the practice of elite Democrats and their media abettors for decades. President Biden’s signature $1.75 trillion Build Back Better package appears to be dead after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced on Fox News this Sunday he would not support the plan to expand the social safety net Ch. 3: Nancy Pelosi DEFENDS Stock Trading In Congress - The Young Turks - Air Date 12-6-21 Congress has been noticeably inconsistent when it comes to enforcing the STOCK Act, a law that is supposed to stop insider trading and conflicts of interest for Congress members and high-ranking staffers. Ch. 4: Remembering the legacy of Sen. Harry Reid - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 12-28-21 Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has died at the age of 82. Faiz Shakir, a senior adviser to Sen. Reid joins Chris Hayes to discuss his legacy. Political lines are changing, as states across the country redraw their congressional maps — a process with huge implications for the balance of power in Washington, especially heading into 2022 elections. Lisa Desjardins explores. Ch. 6: What Can Biden Do For Voting Rights - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 7-14-21 Ari Berman recaps President Biden's major speech on voting rights which comes at the same time as some GOP-controlled legislatures have pushed ahead new state laws restricting ballot access. Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock talks with Rachel Maddow about the need for Democrats to take it upon themselves to prevent the continued dismantling of democracy in the United States before there is too much damage to repair. Ch. 8: Activism: Demand Democrats Pass Voting Rights and Election Protection Legislation MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Remembering the legacy of Sen. Harry Reid Part 2 - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 12-28-21 VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Thanks for making me coherent - Nick from California New Ch. 11: To essentialize or not - Scott from Canada FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on why essentializing race or sexual attraction is not good or even correct MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital/51396502460/in/photolist-2kEB8fi-fTRP7-2miJvy9 | License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode | Changes: Cropped, increased brightness and increased contrast
Direct download: 1464_Democrats_and_Voting_Rights_Air_Date_1-5-22_General_-_1-5-22_16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:39pm EDT |
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