Best of the Left Podcast

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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.

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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.

Ch. 3: McConnell Admits Defeat with Cenk Uygur, John Iadarola, and Ana Kasparian - The Young Turks - Air Date 3-8-19

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.

Ch. 6: McConnell Makes Obstruction Pledge with Cenk Uygur, Jayar Jackson, and John Iadarola - The Young Turks - Air Date 4-24-19

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.

Ch. 8: Is Mitch McConnell the Most Evil Politician in US History with Alex Pareene - The Majority Report with Sam Seder - Air Date 4-5-19

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.

Ch. 9: Mitch McConnell Gets Cornered By Question with Cenk Uygur, Ira Madison and John Iadarola - The Young Turks - Air Date 5-29-19

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

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Support Amy McGrath (if she announces)

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Researched & written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman 


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Banjo - Grey River
  • Heather - Migration
  • Lord Weasel - Molerider
  • Chrome and Wax - Ray Catcher
  • Inessential - Bayou Birds
  • Vibrant Canopy - Origami
  • Moon Bicycle Theme - American Moon Bicycle
  • Waterbourne - Algea Fields
  • Surly Bonds - Aeronaut
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

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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

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.

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Transcript

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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

Ch. 7: Jan. 6 Hearings Point Finger at Donald Trump. But Federal Prosecutors Haven't Gone That Far. - The Intercept - Air Date 6-15-22

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.

Ch. 8: Generals Warn America's Democracy Is in Danger From the Inside - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-23-22

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.

Ch. 9: Guess Which Republican Congressmembers Sought Pardons After Trying to Help Trump Subvert Vote - Democracy Now - Air Date 6-24-22

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)

Ch. 10: Top Arizona Republican Testifies He Rejected Trump Plot to Overturn Vote, Then Faced Violent Threats - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-22-22

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:

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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

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.

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Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Rainbow capitalism raises questions about corporate commitments and Pride Month's purpose - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 6-30-21

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

Ch. 6: Florida to Michigan to Missouri Hear Speeches of Gay Legislators & Allies Fighting Anti-LGBTQ Bills - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-25-22

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):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

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

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 

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Capitalism is the Planet’s Cancer: Operate Before it’s too Late George Monbiot - Double Down News - Air Date 1-30-20

“Infinite growth on a finite planet is a recipe for catastrophe”

Ch. 2: Degrowth: why some economists think abandoning growth is the only way to save the planet Part 1 - The Conversation Weekly - Air Date 10-28-21

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.

Ch. 4: Our Struggles are Your Struggles: Stories of Indigenous Resistance & Regeneration - Upstream - Air Date 3-21-22

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. 

Ch. 6: Jason Hickel on how degrowth will save the world (part two) - Politics Theory Other - Air Date 12-19-21

We talked about why the notion of decoupling growth from intensive resource use is ultimately unconvincing.

Ch. 7: Infinite Growth on a Finite Planet? (Tim Jackson Interview) - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 9-19-21

Tim Jackson joins David to discuss consumption, growth, macroeconomics, the modern economy, and more.

Ch. 8: Degrowth: why some economists think abandoning growth is the only way to save the planet Part 2 - The Conversation Weekly - Air Date 10-28-21


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 9: How We End Consumerism - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 6-4-21

How we end consumerism, explained.

Ch. 10: Jason Hickel on International Development and Post-capitalism (In Conversation) - Upstream - Air Date 5-28-20

We spoke with him about international capitalism during the pandemic and how to fundamentally move to a post-capitalist world

Ch. 11: Post Growth - Life after Capitalism (Podcast with Prof. Tim Jackson - CUSP) - Circular Metabolism Podcast - Air Date 4-28-21

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!

  • Call 202-318-1885 (the #Call4Climate number) to automatically contact both of your senators, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
  • What to say: CCAN’s email form also includes a call script.
  • Learn more about what’s in the current reconciliation bill, what we need to fight for during negotiations, and download state-by-state fact sheets on how the bill would benefit the state you live in.

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

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 

Transcript

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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.

Ch. 5: Is the Housing Bubble About to Burst Featuring Prof. Richard Wolff - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-1-22

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)

Ch. 8: Does Vienna Have the World's Best Council Housing? Swimming Pools, Private TV Channels & More - Channel 4 Documentaries - Air Date 8-8-19

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.

Credit: Household | License

 

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

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 

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: How can Democrats win back rural America? (with Bill Hogseth) - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 1-26-21

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.

Ch. 6: David Pepper On Why We Need to Focus on State Capitols to Save Democracy - The Tennessee Holler Podcast - Air Date 2-9-22

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)

Ch. 7: Corporate Democrats Have a Vested Interest in Not Listening to Workers – RAI with Thomas Frank - The Real News - Air Date 9-5-17

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):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

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


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 

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: David Sirota: Progressives Win Key Primary Races Despite Millions Spent to Back Corporate Democrats - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-18-22

“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.

Ch. 4: Monday Morning Politics: Midterm Concerns and Foreign Policy - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 5-24-22

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.

Ch. 7: Progressive's Path To Victory Is Clear...If They Decide To Follow It - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-29-22

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)

Ch. 8: Nina Turner: Democrats Must Decide If They Are “Party of the Corporatists or Party of the People” - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-18-22

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):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard (https://theobard.bandcamp.com/track/this-fickle-world)
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

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

Original Air Date: 5-16-22

Become a member!

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:

Reddit, Ask a Historian 

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

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 

Transcript

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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

Ch. 2: NRA's "Good Guy With A Gun" Theory Failed In Real Time In Uvalde - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-27-22

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.

Ch. 4: The Second Amendment Isn't About Killing Politicians or Overthrowing Democracy - The Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 5-31-22

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.

Ch. 5: Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger speaking to Charlayne Hunter-Gault - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 12-16-1991

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.

Ch. 7: Mass Shootings: American Exceptionalism of the Worst Kind - Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman - Air Date 5-26-22

“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)

Ch. 8: Rightwing Media's Increasingly Goofy, Hyper-Militarized Non-Solutions to Mass Shootings - Citations Needed - Air Date 5-27-22

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.

Ch. 9: A History of the 2nd Amendment, Gun Control, & the Rise of the NRA - Letters and Politics - Air Date 5-25-22

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:

Description: A pencil sketch of a larger-than-life hand gun on the shoulders of a weary man, in the image of Jesus carrying the cross. He stands in a pool of red blood.

Credit:Gun Culture” by Christopher Dombres, Flickr | Public Domain | Changes: Cropped

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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

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.

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Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Boarding Schools from Hell: Indian Residential Schools in America - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 5-17-22

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.

Ch. 3: Nick Estes: Indian Boarding Schools Were Part of "Horrific Genocidal Process" by the U.S. - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-13-22

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.

Ch. 6: ‘Why Are We Feeding Illegal Babies?’: The Right's Response To The Formula Shortage - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-13-22

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)

Ch. 9: Confronting The Raw Truth About The White Supremacist Terrorist Attack on The Black Community in Buffalo - The Chauncey DeVega Show - Air Date 5-18-22

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

Bonus clip: John Gibson: “Make more babies” because in "[t]wenty-five years ... the majority of the population is Hispanic" - Fox News via Media Matters - Air Date 5-12-06


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

  • Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr 
  • Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
  • Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard (https://theobard.bandcamp.com/track/this-fickle-world)
  • Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

 

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

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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