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Air Date 3/26/2023

Today, we take a look at the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the debate over continuing to support Ukraine heats up, an arrest warrant is issued for Putin and China makes a state visit to Moscow.

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

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Biden in Ukraine Matt Duss, Medea Benjamin Debate U.S. Involvement, Hopes for Peace - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-20-23

Matt Dust discusses Biden's trip to Ukraine and the symbolism. CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin speaks on why she believes this is a propaganda move to increase support for a senseless war.

Ch. 2: Russias Total War on Ukraine One Year Later - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 2-22-23

We discuss what’s changed since February 2022, what Ukraine still needs to win, Biden’s recent visit, and the geopolitical consequences of the war for the rest of the world.

Ch. 3: Unwinnable War Calls Grow for Negotiated End to Ukraine War - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-2-23

To talk about possible peace talks, we are joined by two guests: Vladislav Zubok, a Russian professor of international history at the London School of Economics, and Wolfgang Sporrer, a conflict manager and adjunct professor at the Hertie School in Berlin

Ch. 4: Nuclear weapon policy analyst Stephen Schwartz on Putin's suspension of nuclear weapons treaty - The BradCast - Air Date 2-22-23

Nuclear weapons policy analyst and historian STEPHEN SCHWARTZ unpacks the implications of Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a unilateral suspension of participation in the New START treaty.

Ch. 5: Arrest warrant issued for Putin for forced deportation of Ukrainian children - NBC News - Air Date 3-17-23

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleging that he oversaw the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

Ch. 6: Chinese president visits Putin in Russia as the countries increase cooperation - PBS Newshour - Air Date 3-20-23

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow Monday for a three-day state visit to Russia.Sasha Gabuev of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussed the visit with Nick Schifrin.

Ch. 7: Russia will 'lose on the global stage' even if Ukraine gets its territory back - Morning Joe - Air Date 3-20-23

The Eurasia Group's Ian Bremmer joins Morning Joe to discuss Turkey and Hungary clearing way for Finland to join NATO, Vladimir Putin's recent trip to Mariupol and the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Putin for war crimes.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 8: Unwinnable War Calls Grow for Negotiated End to Ukraine War Part 2 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-2-23

Ch. 9: Russias Total War on Ukraine One Year Later Part 2 - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 2-22-23

Ch. 10: Veteran War Correspondent Phil Ittner LIVE from Kiev, Ukraine - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 2-2-23

Are recent attacks by Russia just the beginning of what could be a bloody year for both Ukraine & Russia? Veteran War Correspondent Phil Ittner joins Thom Hartmann to discuss.


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 11: Final comments on the debate on the left about the future of the war in Ukraine


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)

SHOW IMAGE: 

Description: Photo of a soldier standing with their back to the camera wearing a helmet, tactical gear, and a gun on their back. A distressed Ukrainian flag flies in the distance on the battlefield.

Credit: “Ukraine-war-soldier-weapon” LukasJohnns, Pixabay | Pixabay License 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Direct download: 1551_Ukraine_War_1_Year_Air_Date_3-26-23_General_-_3-26-23_20.27.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:43pm EDT

Original Air Date: 3-23-23

Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss:

- giving credit where due

- the mysteries of right-wing comedy through the ages

- the dream of freedom from cars and trapping people in cities

 

REFERENCES:

The 1/2 Hour News Hour 

Is the right winning the comedy wars? - Vox 

Fifteen Minutes of Blame - Slate 

 

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_267_Sample_-_3-24-23_15.48.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:03pm EDT

Air Date 3/21/2023

Today, we take a look at how GOP-controlled states are subverting democracy with a form of "competitive autocracy" and some of the horrifying legislation these states then pass after they are no longer subject to the opinions of the general public.

Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 

Transcript

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Watch/Listen: The Laura Flanders Show


SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: The Autocratic Nightmare of State Republicans (David Pepper Interview) - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 2-5-22

David Pepper, former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, author of the book "Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call from Behind the Lines."

Ch. 2: Republicans Are Staging A Legislative Coup - More Perfect Union - Air Date 1-5-22

Republicans are now carrying out a legislative coup by rigging a decade of elections.

Ch. 3: Laboratories of Autocracy – David Pepper – It’s the States, Stupid! - The Al Franken Podcast - Air Date 10-29-22

The former Ohio Democratic State Chair on how state legislatures are dismantling democracy.

Ch. 4: The Fight for Fair Maps - The Takeaway - Air Date 7-18-22

After each census every 10 years, a fight for redistricting ensues. 

Ch. 5: Failing (Red)States - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 3-4-23

Ralph welcomes William Kleinknecht, author of “States of Neglect: How Red-State Leaders Have Failed Their Citizens and Undermined America”

Ch. 6: Ending my sm sabbatical since Houston is once again under attack by the party of "small government" - princewilliamhtx - Air Date 3-15-23

Ch. 7: Wherever you live in America, here’s why you should care about Governor Abbott’s removal of school board members in Houston. - isiahrmartin - Air Date 3-16-23

Ch. 8: “Plantation Politics”: How White Mississippi Lawmakers Want to Seize Power in Majority-Black Jackson - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-9-23

Mississippi's Republican majority in the state Legislature has put forth a slew of bills in recent months to put the majority-Black capital of Jackson under a white-led superstructure.

Ch. 9: These Republicans are Trying to LITERALLY Send Your Kids Back To The Mines - The Young Turks - Air Date 2-11-23

Iowa Republicans are proposing a new bill that would change Iowa's child labor law to allow teens to work more dangerous jobs.

Ch. 10: How Moore v. Harper Could Reshape Democracy - The Takeaway - Air Date 12-8-22

The Supreme Court began hearing arguments on Moore v. Harper this week, a case that involves North Carolina’s Republican-led-state legislatures' efforts to pass gerrymandered maps.


BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 11: Sarah Huckabee Sanders Rolls Back Child Labor Protections in Arkansas - The Young Turks - Air Date 3-10-23

Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law that would make it significantly easier for children to work extremely hard jobs.

Ch. 12: Missouri law barring police from enforcing federal gun laws creates confusion - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 2-26-23

Missouri has some of the most permissive gun laws in the nation. A state law passed in 2021 is making it harder for police to enforce federal gun laws.

Ch. 13: Tennessee legislator shocks with lynching suggestion - Alex Wagner Tonight - Air Date 3-3-23

Jelani Cobb talks with Alex Wagner about a Tennessee legislator suggesting that lynching be added as an option in new state death penalty legislation.


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 14: Re-indigenization - VoicedMailer Daniel


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 15: Final comments on how to fix the states


SHOW IMAGE: 

Description: Partial illustrated map of the U.S. "Red states" are black. A hollow-eyed elephant is overlaid on top of them. Blue and purple states are visible.

Credit: Composite by A. Hoffman, License: CC By-SA 4.0. Map image credit: “Last 2 Election Red States and Blue States and Purple States” by BobWyatt07, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped, color-filled red states to black 

Direct download: 1550_Red_States_Air_Date_3-21-23_General_-_3-21-23_21.05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:49pm EDT

Air Date 3/18/2023

Today, we take a look at how Fox News is being exposed as the alleged liars-for-pay we always suspected they were by the defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems.

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

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: They All Knew Media Matters Files FEC Complaint That Fox News Broke Election Laws, Lied for Trump - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-6-23

Fox News based on evidence from the Dominion lawsuit. "All the way from Rupert Murdoch on down to the show producers, they knew what they were saying was not true, that it was actually a lie, and they did it anyway," says Carusone.

Ch. 2: Ranking Fox News LIES & LEAKS from the Dominion Lawsuit Brian Tyler Cohen vs Tommy Vietor - Pod Save America - Air Date 3-15-23

Former Obama spokesperson Tommy Vietor and political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen draft the biggest bombshells and revelations from Dominion's Lawsuit against Fox News.

Ch. 3: MSNBC's Ayman Mohyeldin on Fox News election lies Fox is a state-controlled propaganda machine - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 3-3-23

MSNBC's Ayman Mohyeldin talks to SiriusXM radio's Dean Obeidallah about the recent revelations that Fox News anchors and Rupert Murdoch knew the 2020 election fraud claims that Fox News was broadcasting were a lie

Ch. 4: Planet Fox Rupert Murdoch's Empire Of Influence w Jonathan Mahler - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-19-19

Jonathan Mahler (@jonathanmahler), staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, joins us to discuss his article, 'Planet Fox: How Rupert Murdoh's Empire of Influence Remade the World.'

Ch. 5: Fox News Still Broadcasts Election Lies. It Could Cost Them. - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 3-8-23

White House correspondent Scott Detrow, media correspondent David Folkenflik, and Colorado Public Radio reporter Bente Birkeland.

Ch. 6: See Tucker Carlson demolished on TV by his own words - The Beat - Air Date 3-14-23

Before hosting a Fox News show, Tucker Carlson warned against "conspiracy theories.” Now, Mr. Carlson is involved in a case alleging lies, where some of the most damning evidence comes from Fox hosts including Carlson.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 7: Fox News Faces ANOTHER Election Fraud Defamation Lawsuit - The Young Turks - Air Date 12-30-21

Venezuelan businessman Majed Khalil is suing Fox News, Lou Dobbs, and Sidney Powell for defamation regarding conspiracy theories about the 2020 election being rigged against Donald Trump.

Ch. 8: The OTHER Lawsuit Involving the Murdochs - On the Media - Air Date 3-1-23

Guest host David Folkenflik speaks with Lachlan Cartwright, the Editor at Large of the Daily Beast where he covers power, crime, celebrity and justice, to get a look into the lawsuits and what they mean for the future of the Fox empire.


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 9: Criticizing Culture - VoicedMailer Dr. Wiskers


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 10: Final comments on our national multiculturalism

American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (Affiliate links: Physical, Audiobook)


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: 1549_Fox_News_Air_Date_3-18-23_General_-_3-18-23_17.23.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:55pm EDT

Original Air Date: 3-10-23

Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss:

- Nick being a liar

- The competing values behind editing and banning books

- Why tech leaders are like 8-year-olds

 

REFERENCES:

The BFG Isn’t a BFD

Equating the Roald Dahl edits to book banning is living in a Willy Wonka fantasy world

Biden talks to Anthony Fontana about 90s rap

 

Connect your Discord to Patreon

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_266_Sample_-_3-10-23_18.25.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:37am EDT

Air Date 3/14/2023

Today, we take a look at the rise of "woke capitalism" as the cudgel now being wielded against any corporations who dare to seek profits by appealing to the majority of potential customers who prefer progressive social positions to that of Republicans.

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

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Dissecting the War on Woke | Part One - Shanspeare - Air Date - Air Date 1-13-23

Republicans are at war with Woke

Ch. 2: CRT, ESG: Don't fall for the Right's pretend 'Culture Wars' - The Bradcast - Air Date 3-2-23

We debunk Republicans' new fake culture war outrage attacking a mundane, decades-old investment framework known as ESG in which corporations and investment managers consider factors like the environment when making business decisions.

Ch. 3: Who Is Afraid of Woke Capitalism? - After Hours - Air Date 11-2-22

Mihir, Felix and NYU’s Dolly Chugh discuss the pressure on business leaders to conform to the demands of woke capitalism. Should you give in? Push back? What are the risks and rewards?

Ch. 4: Why Are Republicans Obsessed With “Woke” Corporations? | The Class Room With Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò - More Perfect Union - Air Date 7-7-22

In the last few years, Republicans have been increasingly concerned about a “woke” corporate agenda, but they're missing the real problem. It’s not that corporations and establishment politicians care too much about racial or gender justice.

Ch. 5: Republicans Encouraged SVB Failure - Blame it on 'WOKENESS!' - The Dollemore Daily - Air Date 3-13-22

Jesse talks about the pathetic Republican response to the entirely predictable failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). James Comer substituted leadership and policy acumen for the expected deflection and blamed the bank's collapse on being WOKE

Ch. 6: Republicans Loved Corporations…Until They Got ‘Woke’ | The Couch Report - Vice News - Air Date 5-10-21

Greg Walters explains the current conflict between the Republican Party and corporate America.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 7: BlackRock: The Devil's Banker. Do as I say, not as I do. - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 9-17-22

BlackRock is at the center of a storm in conservative media for pushing companies too hard toward sustainability. That he’s too woke. Liberals think he’s behind the housing crisis. Conspiracy theorists believe he’s in the pocket of the Chinese government.


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 8: Final comments on how the left really brought about woke capitalism


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: 1548_Woke_Capitalism_Air_Date_3-14-23_General_-_3-14-23_20.46.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:51pm EDT

Air Date 3/8/2023

Today, we take a look at some of the emerging elements of technology and regulation that will likely shape the next era of the internet and our relationship to it. For today, these will include synthetic relationships with artificial intelligence, fake audio and video virtually indistinguishable from reality that will facilitate disinformation, reinterpreting Section 230 for a new era of internet content and the ongoing struggle to regulate social media platforms.

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

Transcript

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Join our Discord community!

Watch/Listen: The Laura Flanders Show


SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: What is ChatGPT, the AI software taking the internet by storm - BBC News - Air Date 1-15-23

While its popularity is soaring amid reports that OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is closing in on a $10bn investment from Microsoft, there are fears the technology could cause more harm than good.

Ch. 2: Synthetic Humanity AI & Whats At Stake - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-16-23

In this episode of Your Undivided Attention, Tristan and Aza reach beyond the moment to talk about this powerful new AI, and the new paradigm of humanity and computation we’re about to enter.

Ch. 3: What are deepfakes and are they dangerous? - Start Here, Al Jazeera English - Air Date 6-21-21

What are deepfakes? How are they made? And should they worry us?

Ch. 4: Creating a lie detector for deepfakes - CBS Sunday Morning - Air Date 1-29-23

Adobe and Microsoft have teamed up to develop new tools for verifying the attributes and history of images and videos on the web.

Ch. 5: Free Speech on Trial: Supreme Court Hears Cases That Could Reshape Future of the Internet - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-27-23

We speak with Aaron Mackey, senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who says Section 230 “powers the underlying architecture” of the internet.

Ch. 6: SCOTUS on the Internet Its Complicated Part 1 - Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-25-23

Two big tech cases before the US Supreme Court this week promised justices tackling the thorny issues of content moderation, liability, and internet platforms, but instead delivered confusion and dodges.

Ch. 7: Why Some See Web 3.0 as the Future of the Internet - WSJ - Air Date 2-15-22

Some see Web 3.0 as the next generation of the internet, a decentralized version of the web-based on the blockchain. Here are the key principles behind it, and why skeptics are unconvinced it could scale globally.

Ch. 8: Real Social Media Solutions, Now — with Frances Haugen - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 11-23-22

Tristan sits with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, a friend of Center for Humane Technology, to discuss the harm caused to our mental health and global democracy when platforms lack accountability and transparency.

Ch. 9: SCOTUS on the Internet It's Complicated Part 2 - Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-25-23


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 10: Synthetic Humanity AI & Whats At Stake Part 2 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-16-23

Ch. 11: Ban TikTok? - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-21-23

Politicians across the United States are calling for an outright ban on the popular social media platform. Alex Heath, deputy editor at The Verge, explains how TikTok hopes to pre-empt one from ever passing.


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 13: What does re-Indigenization mean for White folks and racial tribalism? - Pat from Chicago


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 14: Final comments on what re-Indigenization means for the rest of us


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)

SHOW IMAGE: 

Description: A dark, abstract image with the appearance of staining or mildew. In the center, there is a dark silhouette of hands holding the outline of a smartphone. A dark question mark is on the phone screen.

Credit: "Phone-question-screen-online" by ChenSpec | License

Direct download: 1547_Future_Internet_Air_Date_3-8-23_General_-_3-8-23_20.33.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:03pm EDT

Air Date 3/4/2023

Today, we tell a story of colonialism, dispossession and cultural renaissance as a lens through which to understand alienation, a primary condition of modernity

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

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: The annexation of Hawaii

The dark history of the overthrow of Hawaii - TED-Ed - Air Date 2-17-22

U.S. Apology Bill to Hawaiian People - EarthWorldSolutions - Air Date 11-02-12

Ch. 2: Scottish clearances and economic displacement

The Highland Clearances of Scotland - Pilgrim Kat - Air Date 1-22-23

Why Can’t Hawaiians Afford To Live In Hawaii? - AJ+ - Air Date 1-20-22

Ch. 3: White people, Indians and Highlanders

White People, Indians, and Highlanders: Tribal People and Colonial Encounters in Scotland and America (Affiliate link)

Ch. 4: Cultural and linguistic erasure

The Banning of the Hawaiian Language - Noʻeau Woo-O'Brien - Air Date 12-07-19

Aloha Aina - Indigenous Life in Hawaii - Captain Potter - Air Date 11-26-21

Two Worlds - weRnative - Air Date 11-22-19

Ch. 5: Red Power, the American Indian Movement and the Siege of Wounded Knee

What is the Red Power Movement? - Fusion - Air Date 6-2-17

Wounded Knee siege - Witness History - Air Date 2-27-23

Ojibwe Author David Treuer on Retelling the History of “Indian Life Rather Than Indian Death” - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-22-19

Ch. 6: Cultural renaissance of Hokulea

Papa Mau: The Wayfinder - OiwiTV - Air Date 4-14-17

Ch. 7: Cultural renaissance of GalGael

Birdman of Pollok/Curaidh na Coille - BBC - Air Date 12-28-19

The Highland Clearances of Scotland - Pilgrim Kat - Air Date 1-22-23

The Fight To Take Back Hawaii - Foreign Correspondent - Air Date 5-11-22

Hawaiian Language Ban - Barry Shell - Air Date 5-17-08

Ch. 8: re-Indigenization in Scotland

Alastair McIntosh - The Lesley Riddoch Podcast - Air Date 1-3-23

Ch. 9: Connecting with Aina in Hawaii

Aloha Aina - Indigenous Life in Hawaii - Captain Potter - Air Date 11-26-21


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 10: Final comments on the single story of the values that drove colonialism and continue to shape our world


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: The words “exist & resist & indigenize & decolonize” on top of each other in white, lowercase letters on a black background.

Credit: “exist & resist & indigenize & decolonize” by dignidadrebelde, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped and increased size of credit watermark

 

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: 1546_Re-Indigenization_Air_Date_3-4-23_Members_-_3-4-23_17.45.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:55pm EDT

Original 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 or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 

Transcript

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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

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Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com


Original Air Date: 2-23-23

Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss:

- Briefly celebrating a Super Bowl victory

- Extinguishing empathy for profit 

- Manifesting disaster through film

- The Ohio derailment

- The value of ownership

- Reducing workplace stressors

 

REFERENCES:

‘You unleash hell on your kids’: Central Texas mom warns parents about ‘Hocus Pocus 2′ 

After East Palestine derailment, a resident reflects on Ohio movie "White Noise" 

The Ohio derailment is an inflection point that shows that business will drive over our bodies to make a buck. 

Norfolk Southern is giving $25,000 to an Ohio town where it caused a life-or-death evacuation 

 

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_265_Sample_-_2-25-23_16.49.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:55pm EDT

Air Date 2/22/2023

Today, we take a look at some of the work of the chaotic wrecking crew that is the GOP of the 118th Congress including their plan to hold the world economy hostage and weaponize the government against Democrats all while infighting their way to the 2024 presidential election.

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

Transcript

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content)

Join our Discord community!


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ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN!

BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO!


SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: What House Speaker McCarthy’s concessions to get elected mean for the nation - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 1-7-23

His dramatic victory came after a series of concessions that will give hardline conservatives greater influence in the House. Sarah Binder, a political scientist at George Washington University, joins John Yang to discuss.

Ch. 2: GOP is playing with U.S. prosperity in fight over debt ceiling - MSNBC - Air Date 1-14-23

McCarthy and the House GOP are threatening to not raise the debt ceiling. That would be a huge mistake. Ali Velshi explains why.

Ch. 3: Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Impending debt ceiling showdown a ‘manufactured crisis’ - GBH News - Air Date 1-19-23

Senator Warren joined Jon Keller to discuss the debt ceiling which she called a "manufactured crisis" that Republicans don't care enough about, and that wealthy corporations need to pay more in taxes.

Ch. 4: Joe: Debt ceiling fight is just a lose-lose for McCarthy - Morning Joe - Air Date 1-18-23

The Republican-controlled House has planted the seeds for a debt-ceiling showdown. The Morning Joe panel discusses.

Ch. 5: Right-Wingers FINALLY Exposed For Crushing Plot In Real Time - The Damage Report - Air Date 2-12-23

Right-wingers, including Matt Gaetz, Lindsey Graham and Kevin McCarthy, get caught for their blatant lies over social security on camera while ABC Johnathan Karl runs cover. John Iadarola and Ben Carollo break it down on The Damage Report.

Ch. 6: The real reason behind the Republican Party infighting Part 1 - All In w/ Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-10-23

Then, Republican infighting keeps going public, as even Fox News pans their hearings. Guests: Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Stacey Plaskett, Yurii Hundych, Alfie Williams, Gov. George Pataki

Ch. 7: House GOP Twitter Hunter Biden laptop 'censorship' hearing crashes and burns Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 2-9-23

The awaited GOP-led House hearings are now underway, and as predicted, they are not going well. Republicans intended a hearing on Twitter's content moderation policies to bolster their bogus claims of alleged federal government censorship of social media.

Ch. 8: The real reason behind the Republican Party infighting Part 2 - All In W Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-10-23

Ch. 9: House GOP Twitter Hunter Biden laptop 'censorship' hearing crashes and burns Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 2-9-23


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 10: Is America broken? - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 2-2-23

Sean Illing speaks with Alana Newhouse, the editor-in-chief of Tablet magazine. They discuss her recent essay on "brokenism," a term she coined in an effort to redefine political divisions in America.


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 11: Final comments on the complication of the ideological dividing lines through societal change


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Direct download: 1545_GOP_Congress_Air_Date_2-22-23_General_-_2-22-23_19.42.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:45pm EDT

Air Date 2/17/2023

Today, we take a look at the importance of teaching a full and unflinching version of Black history and why the campaign to block it is reaching a peak at this moment in time.

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Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: The fight over AP African American Studies - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-7-23

The College Board piloted an AP course on African American Studies. Then, after conservative pushback, it debuted a revised curriculum. But the group insists it’s not caving to political pressure.

Ch. 2: How Florida’s School Censorship Spreads - What Next - Air Date 2-9-23

Governor Ron DeSantis canceling the rollout of AP African-American Studies course in Florida is more than just another salvo in the culture war. It has implications across public education, across the country—and its chilling effect is already evident.

Ch. 3: Erasing History - Counter Stories - Air Date 6-4-21

On this episode, we tackle how new efforts aim to limit or erase important history and context. From bodies discovered in a former Indian Boarding school in Canada to new legislation banning Critical Race theory

Ch. 4: Combating Anti-History - Latino Rebels Radio - Air Date 2-9-23

While the fight for African American studies continues in Florida, Sean Arce draws parallels to the current battle with Arizona's ethnic studies battle over a decade ago.

Ch. 5: Black History Month: Teaching Beyond Slavery, Racism, Oppression, and Struggle - Here Wee Read - Air Date 2-1-22

In response to a recent post on my Instagram account, I’m talking about going beyond teaching children about slavery, racism, oppression, and struggle during Black History Month or anytime of the year.

Ch. 6: Ta-Nehisi Coates on the right-wing backlash to teaching Black history - All In With Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-2-23

“I take it as a sign of strength for where the movement is right now,” says Ta-Nehisi Coates on anti-CRT policies and the backlash from the right. “It doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous—but it’s also a statement of how threatened they feel..."


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 7: The Movement to Erase Black History and Culture - At Liberty - Air Date 2-3-22

February marks Black History Month, a time to recognize the significant achievements and culture of Black Americans–from bell hooks to Beyonce–and also to honor an accurate history about them, a history that we know is rife with discrimination and abuse

Ch. 8: Why Our Idea of History is a Poison - Then & Now - Air Date 12-1-22

Why Our Idea of History is a Poison


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 9: Final comments on the Streisand Effect


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)

SHOW IMAGE: 

Description: On a black background, scattered historic images of famous Black Americans, including Sojourner Truth, Thurgood Marshall, and Josiah Thomas Walls, as well as images of slavery, the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement. The shape of Florida is centered and filled in with part of the Florida state flag (including red crossed bars of the Confederate flag). A black horizontal banner in forefront reads “Black History is American History”.

Credit: Composite designed by Amanda Hoffman. Historic images are in the public domain, except for the Negro League patch (credit: David, Flickr, License) and the Navy Band sign (Gerry Dincher, Flickr, License)

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Direct download: 1544_Black_History_Air_Date_2-18-23_General_-_2-17-23_21.29.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:14pm EDT

Air Date 2/14/2023

Today, we take a look at some origins, alternatives and misunderstandings of capitalism from the Dutch East India Company, to Adam Smith and up through the planned obsolescence and marketing that have tricked us all into working far harder than necessary while failing to make us happy.

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Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Indigenous Economics with Tyson Yunkaporta (In Conversation) - Upstream - Air Date 11-10-21

We speak with Tyson Yunkaporta of the Apalech Clan in far north Queensland, Australia, about the connections between Indigenous economics, complexity theory, and systems thinking.

Ch. 2: Transcending Capitalism Insights from Buddhism and Marxism - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 1-3-23

Professor of Philosophy and author, Graham Priest, joins Breht to discuss his latest book Capitalism - it's Nature and Replacement: Buddhist and Marxist Insights.

Ch. 3: We don't understand Capitalism. Part One - UNFTR - Air Date 1-27-23

How we no longer seem to understand Capitalism. Adam Smith was so much more than the figurehead we associate with Capitalism. He was a true innovator and we use many of his concepts to measure economies to this day

Ch. 4: Your Work Is Not Your Worth - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 10-21-22

Dorian Warren is co-president of Community Change and co-chair of the Economic Security Project, and Aisha Nyandoro is CEO of Springboard to Opportunities and founder of the Magnolia Mother’s Trust.

Ch. 5: We don't understand Capitalism. Part Two. - UNFTR - Air Date 1-27-23

Adam Smith was a social theorist who was greatly concerned with improving lives and creating a balanced economic system. He created several crucial concepts that remain relevant to this day and believed in the power of the free market.

Ch. 6: Economics for a New Year - Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Air Date 1-19-23

US spending for war in Ukraine paid for by higher interest rates; a rational transport system is NOT electric cars; an appreciation of the "degrowth" impulse with a critique of the degrowth movement's focus.

Ch. 7: Indigenous Economics with Tyson Yunkaporta (In Conversation) Part 2 - Upstream - Air Date 11-10-21


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 8: Transcending Capitalism Insights from Buddhism and Marxism Part 2 - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 1-3-23


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 9: Stolen children and native cultures - Alan from Connecticut

Ch. 10: Thoughts on the reasons for Cop City - V from Central New York


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 11: Final comments on the value of being open to understanding indigenous thinking


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: 1543_Capitalism_Air_Date_2-14-23_General_-_2-14-23_19.16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:45pm EDT

Air Date 2/10/2023

Today, we take a look at the recent rise in tensions in the wake of Israel electing what may be their most right-wing government to date. Literal fascists are now in the governing coalition, violence is rising and reforms are being considered to effectively remove judicial review from the governing process all while the US continues to give its support.

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

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: A look at the violence and unrest in the West Bank - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-2-23

A look at the violence and unrest in the West Bank.

Ch. 2: Israel and the Progressives - Against the Grain - Air Date 1-25-23

Why do so many people who see themselves as progressive nonetheless support the state of Israel, considered an apartheid state for its treatment of the native Palestinian population?

Ch. 3: Diana Buttu & Gideon Levy: Israel's New Far-Right Gov't Entrenches Apartheid System with US Support - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-5-23

Far-right Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Tuesday visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem is being roundly condemned across the Middle East. Ben-Gvir is a key part of Benjamin Netanyahu’s new far-right government

Ch. 4: Protests in Israel over proposed judicial reform Part 1 - The Current - Air Date 1-19-23

Proposed judicial reform in Israel has prompted thousands to take to the streets in protest. We talk to Dahlia Scheindlin and Diana Buttu, a lawyer and former adviser to the negotiating team of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Ch. 5: "An Intolerable Situation": Rashid Khalidi & Orly Noy on Israeli Colonialism & Escalating Violence - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-30-23

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken is in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories amid an alarming rise in violence, with Israel killing at least 35 Palestinians since the beginning of January.

Ch. 6: An Escalating Cycle of Violence in Israel and Palestine - Global Dispatches - Air Date 2-1-23

We are in the midst of an escalating cycle of violence in Israel and Palestine. On Thursday, January 26 Israeli forces killed at least 9 people in a raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.

Ch. 7: Protests in Israel over proposed judicial reform Part 2 - The Current - Air Date 1-19-23


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 8: Republicans feign anti-Semitism standard to eject Rep. Omar from committee - Alex Wagner Tonight - Air Date 2-3-23

House Republicans use a tweet by Rep. Ilhan Omar containing anti-Semitic tropes as an excuse to remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alex notes when Republican leaders were not only untroubled by anti-Semitic tropes but perpetuated by them.

Ch. 9: Israel and the Progressives Part 2 - Against the Grain - Air Date 1-25-23


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 10: Final comments to wrap up


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: 1542_Israel_Air_Date_2-10-23_General_-_2-10-23_17.49.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:46pm EDT

Air Date: 2-8-23
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss:
- Using emotional intelligence to talk about sports
- Uncomfortable conversations and circular logic
- Nouning The French
- Political Spam

REFERENCES:
The French Want to Remain the French - New York Times

Words Matter by Sally McConnell-Ginet (Affiliate link)


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Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
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Direct download: Bonus_Show_264_Sample_-_2-8-23_19.47.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:51pm EDT

Air Date 2/5/2023

Today, we take a look at the threat to the lives of environment protectors around the world with a special focus on the first environmental activist in the U.S. to lose their life at the hands of police while defending the environment and the people who depend on it as part of the Defend the Atlanta Forest movement against the construction of what they have dubbed "Cop City."

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Record number of environmental activists murdered - BBC News - Air Date 9-13-21

227 people were killed around the world in 2020, the highest number for a second consecutive year. The victims were called "environmental defenders" by the report – killed for protecting natural resources that need to be preserved,

Ch. 2: Cop City - The Takeaway - Air Date 1-17-23

Digital producer Zachary Bynum reports from Atlanta, talking with activists, organizers, and elected officials from the city to determine what this all means about race, land stewardship, and power.

Ch. 3: 200 environmental activists murdered in 2021 Global Witness report - Down to Earth - Air Date 10-4-22

According to Global Witness’ report titled ‘Decade of Defiance’, 1733 activists were killed between 2012 and 2021. 227 of them were killed in the year 2020. Last year, 200 environmental defenders were murdered. Nearly 4 people a week!

Ch. 4: SWAT Teams Attack Atlanta Forest Encampments, Activists Charged with "Terrorism" - Unicorn Riot - Air Date 12-17-22

SWAT teams and other armed police officers from eight different federal, state, county, and city police agencies conducted a raid on those camping out in the Atlanta forest

Ch. 5: Six Charged in Atlanta with Domestic Terrorism for Protesting Cop City Training Facility - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-21-22

Six people in Atlanta have been charged with domestic terrorism for taking part in protests against a massive new police training facility known as Cop City.

Ch. 6: Environmentalists in danger Part 1 - DW Documentary - Air Date 10-29-22

Around the globe, people are risking their lives to protect the environment and climate. When environmentalists’ activities disrupt organized crime and other illegal profiteers, they are sued, threatened and even murdered.

Ch. 7: Atlanta's Cop City Moves Ahead After Police Kill 1 Protester & Charge 19 with Domestic Terrorism - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-2-23

Just weeks ago, law enforcement officers — including a SWAT team — were violently evicting protesters who had occupied a wooded area outside the center, when they shot and killed a longtime activist and charged 19 with domestic terrorism.

Ch. 8: Environmentalists in danger Part 2 - DW Documentary - Air Date 10-29-22

Ch. 9: Cop City: Forest Defender Killed by Police in Forest Raid - The Takeaway - Air Date 1-25-23

We checked in with Founder of Community Movement Builders Kamau Franklin and Sean, a participant in the Defend the Atlanta Forest movement, for an update on the situation.

Ch. 10: Former Energy Executive Charged In Connection To Environmental Activist's Murder - NBC news - Air Date 6-22-22

Former energy executive Roberto David Castillo has been sentenced in Honduras for orchestrating the murder of environmental activist Berta Cáceres in 2016.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 11: Cop City Part 2 - The Takeaway - Air Date 1-17-23

Ch. 12: Activists at COP26 Honor 1,000+ Environmental Defenders Killed Since Paris Accord 1 in 3 Indigenous - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-8-21

Glasgow memorial honors 1,005 land and environmental defenders who have been murdered since the 2015 Paris Agreement. One in three of those defenders killed was an Indigenous person. 2020 was the most dangerous year on record for environmental defenders.


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 13: Final comments and conversation with Ben about his fallen friend

Bonus clip: More training not enough to reform police culture says whistleblower - MSNBC - Air Date 1-31-23

Whistleblower Katie Sponsler, former National Park Service ranger, U.S. Air Force veteran, and advocate for police reform, joins Joy Reid on why more training alone is not enough to reform police culture.


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: 1541_Killing_Environmentalists_Air_Date_2-5-23_General_-_2-5-23_14.30.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:35pm EDT

Air Date 1/31/2023

Today, we take a look at just some of the nearly infinite ways in which our society, culture, and economy are infused from top to bottom with Scam Culture™ that is bleeding us dry both financially and mentally.

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

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: The Grift Economy: Everything is a scam, always. - Thought Slime - Air Date 11-5-21

For those that need to read this: you aren’t a capitalist. You’re capital.

Ch. 2: Power and Corruption: The Devos Family - iilluminaughtii - Air Date 1-20-23

Betsy DeVos and her family have been important figures in the business world for decades. They’re involved in a massive MLM, invest in shady businesses, and have put their money toward politics for as long as anyone can remember.

Ch. 3: Bill Black: The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One - theAnalysis.news - Air Date 5-31-21

How does a corrupt mortgage scam by brokers in California become a massive national fraud that puts the whole economy into a deep crisis? Bill Black on theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay.

Ch. 4: Why FTX’s Crypto Scam Is A Tale As Old As Time - The Problem With Jon Stewart Podcast - Air Date 12-7-22

“Whatever fun name you wanna put on it, it’s the same damn thing we’ve seen over and over again.” David Dayen, Executive Editor of The American Prospect, joins us to talk through the spectacular rise and fall of crypto exchange FTX

Ch. 5: The Gig Economy Was Always A Scam - Wisecrack - Air Date 8-8-22

The gig economy has revolutionized how we think about work, but not necessarily for the better. How have a bunch of multi-billion-dollar companies like Uber or Instacart so fundamentally changed our economy?

Ch. 6: Why Spotify Will Ultimately Fail - Benn Jordan - Air Date 1-9-23

An investor's guide to breaking the thing you're trying to sell.

Ch. 7: James O'Brien caller wrote his dissertation on 'incel' culture - LBC - Air Date 1-27-23

Explaining the appeal of Andrew Tate and his acolytes to young, insecure men

Ch. 8: TikToker Exposes New A.I. Scam That Is Absolutely TERRIFYING - Rebel HQ - Air Date 1-13-23

TikToker @benno56 shares his family's experience with a terrifying new A.I. voice-mimicking scam. Max Burns breaks it down.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 9: Mark Rober's Prank And The Truth About Scammers And Capitalism - Second Thought - Air Date 6-17-22

Scam call centers are just one cancerous offshoot of bureaucracy under capitalism, and while pranking these places may be cathartic, it's not enough to tackle the root cause.

Ch. 10: Is all money just a ponzi scheme? | Vicki Robin - Big Think - Air Date 7-22-18

"Money, it's a gas," wrote Pink Floyd's Roger Waters for their hit 'Money'. Author, speaker, and social innovator Vicki Robin would probably agree: she posits that most people don't understand the true, human, working value of money.


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 11: Response to the Stolen Children episode


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 12: Final comments on radical criticism of the true sources of Scam Culture and other ails of our society


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: 1540_Scam_Culture_Air_Date_1-31-23_General_-_1-31-23_21.02.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:15pm EDT

Original Air Date: 1-17-23

Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss:

- The updated dress code in the Missouri legislature 

- One-Way Empathy

- Andrew Tate and Capitalism Culture

- The management and labor of modern conveniences

 

REFERENCES:

Outrage after Missouri lawmakers' new dress code for women in the state House 

Andrew Tate: The Arrest, Greta Thunberg Feud and Everything Else You Need to Know 

Southwest's antiquated and atypical flight systems are partially responsible for cancellation chaos, airline experts say 

Modern Conveniences - 1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story 

Andrew Tate on reading books 

 

Join our Discord Server

 

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_263_Sample_-_1-28-23_14.55.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT

Air Date 1/25/2023

Today, we take a look at the long, global history of invading peoples stealing the children of native families to be acculturated into the population of the invading force. Reasons can range from a tactic of war and an intention to commit genocide, usually based on an ideology of racial superiority, to concerns over shifting national demographics, simple economic dispossession, or all of the above. We end with a discussion of ICWA, the Indian Child Welfare Act, which is currently being challenged in the US Supreme Court to the detriment of native children and sovereignty.

Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: The kidnapping campaign of Nazi Germany - DW Documentary - Air Date 3-11-20

On orders from Heinrich Himmler, the Nazis abducted children from Poland for forced Germanization.

Ch. 2: Claims of Russia kidnapping Ukrainian children throughout the region - ABC News - Air Date 11-22-22

Amid the war in Ukraine, children have been caught in the middle, with claims of some being kidnapped.

Ch. 3: Eliminating An Entire Race: Australia's Dark History of The Stolen Generation - History's Stories - Air Date 12-29-22

A brief history of Australia's Stolen Generations

Ch. 4: 10th Anniversary since the Apology to the Stolen Generations - Behind the News - Air Date 2-12-18

The 13th of February 2018 marks 10 years since former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said sorry to the Stolen Generations.

Ch. 5: 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. 6: Canadian government announces $2B in compensation settlement - TRT World - Air Date 1-24-23

Canada has announced it will pay more than 2 billion dollars to hundreds of Indigenous communities to settle a lawsuit seeking compensation for the loss of language and culture caused by residential schools.

Ch. 7: How the US stole thousands of Native American children - VOX - Air Date 10-14-19

Ranjani Chakraborty revisits underreported and often overlooked moments from the past to give context to the present.

Ch. 8: Jen Deerinwater on Indian Child Welfare Act - Counterspin - Air Date 12-9-22

Opposing the actual mission of those who want to eliminate the Indian Child Welfare Act is just…reality: the reality that made the Act necessary in the first place

Ch. 9: When You Take Away the Kids, You Take Away the Future - Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 11-19-22

The case that seeks to strike down the Indian Child Welfare Act is about colonialism, not civil rights.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 10: When You Take Away the Kids, You Take Away the Future Part 2 - Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 11-19-22


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 12: Final comments on the opposing world views of apologies


TAKE ACTION!

Follow @ProtectICWA on Twitter and check out their resources

ACLU: “Native Families' Right to Stay Together is at Stake at the Supreme Court

ACLU: “Keep Our Families Together”: A Law That Protects Native Families is at Risk”

EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE

Hear the Oral Argument Audio

Why Are Right-Wing Groups Targeting a Law Aimed at Protecting Native Families?” (Mother Jones)

Supreme Court case on adoption of Indigenous children could threaten Native American sovereignty” (San Diego Tribune)

The fight over American Indian children“ (Politico - Newsletter)

Experts say 2 lawsuits pose greatest threat to tribal sovereignty in decades” (Anchorage Daily News)

Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman


SHOW IMAGE: 

Description: Black and white photo of hundreds of Native American children in uniform settler clothing posed in front of Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania (c. 1900).

Credit: “Pupils at Carlisle Native Industrial School” by Unknown author - Unknown source | License: Public Domain

Direct download: 1539_Stolen_Children_Air_Date_1-25-23_General_-_1-31-23_15.42.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:21pm EDT

Air Date 1/21/2023

Today, we take a look beyond our shores to other examples of anti-democratic forces seeking to take control of governments in Germany, Brazil, and Peru, all of which echo, in some form or fashion, the coup attempt on January 6th, 2021 by pro-Trump insurrectionists.

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Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: ‘Barbarism’ by mob of ‘fascists’ - The World - Air Date 1-9-23

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had harsh words for those who stormed his country’s parliament, its Supreme Court and presidential palace this past weekend.

Ch. 2: ‘American export’: Right-wingers storm Congress in Brazil in echo of Jan. 6 - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 1-9-23

“If the U.S. can export this model of attempted authoritarian coup to Brazil, well then perhaps Brazil can export back a model of real accountability for the perpetrators and the planners,” says Chris Hayes on the January 6-style riot in Brazil.

Ch. 3: Brazil sends crucial message with quick arrest of rioters - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 1-10-23

Timothy Snyder, author of "On Tyranny," talks with Rachel Maddow about the similarities between Saturday's attack on the government buildings in Brazil's capital and the importance of swift, transparent and equitable accountability.

Ch. 4: German police raids nix far-right coup plot - The World - Air Date 12-7-22

German police conducted raids all across the country on Wednesday, making arrests, and attempting to dismantle a plot aimed at overthrowing the government.

Ch. 5: What's behind the political unrest in Peru - DW News - Air Date 1-13-23

Anti-government protests erupted after Dina Boluarte was sworn in as Peru's president in early December. Now, just over a month after her inauguration, the police response to protests has led to the deaths of more than 40 people, with hundreds injured.

Ch. 6: Peru: Death Toll Tops 40 as Security Forces Crack Down on Protests over President Castillo's Ouster - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-11-23

A major contributor to the current crisis is "the extreme weakness of the political system in Peru" in which many politicians lack any real connection to their constituents, adds Peruvian sociologist Eduardo González Cueva.

Ch. 7: Swift coup foreign arrests abroad a contrast to Garland's Trump probe - The Beat - Air Date 12-12-22

Swift arrests of coup plotters in Peru and Germany are contrasts to the U.S. response to the insurrection. There are new lessons and a new push for accountability.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 8: Brazil's fight against Fascism / Brian Mier - This Is Hell! - Air Date 1-16-23

Chuck welcomes friend of the show Brian Mier to talk about Brazil's January 6 knockoff event and the differences in how Brazil fights fascism to how the US refuses to.


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 9: Final comments on the different forms that authoritarianism takes


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

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Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

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Direct download: 1538_Coups_Air_Date_1-21-23_General_-_1-21-23_18.35.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:03pm EDT

Original Air Date 12/15/2021

Today we take a look at the cracks and fissures appearing ever more quickly in the neoliberal order that was already widely criticized before the pandemic stripped it bare, exposing all of the inherent inequality and inhumanity baked right into the system.

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Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: How Economic Jargon and Cliches Make Cruel, Anti-Poor Policies Sound Sterile and Science-y (Part I) - Citations Needed - Air Date 12-1-21

Part 1, where we examine the most popular cliches, jargon, etc that economists, economic reports, and pundits use to sanitize, obscure, and provide a little science-ism to what is little more than power-flattering cruel, racist, austerity ideology.

Ch. 2: American Capitalism In 4 Different Ages w Jonathan Levy Part 1 - The Majority Report w Sam Seder - Air Date 12-8-21

Sam and Emma host Jonathan Levy, professor of History at the University of Chicago, to discuss his recent book Ages of American Capitalism: A History of the United States.

Ch. 3: Noam Chomsky Part 1 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 11-20-21

Noam Chomsky discusses a whole raft of issues, including the climate crisis, the military budget, healthcare, challenging the corporate structure, reforming both the tax system and our elections, and how the Democrats have abandoned the working class

Ch. 4: How Economic Jargon and Cliches Make Cruel, Anti-Poor Policies Sound Sterile and Science-y (Part II) - Citations Needed - Air Date 12-1-21

Ch. 5: Noam Chomsky Part 2 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 11-20-21

Ch. 6: Reagan on Employee Ownership

Ch. 7: Ecology, Co-ops, and Profit - Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 12-8-21

Prof. Wolff interviews Prof. Melissa Scanlan on her new book showing how coops are a better bet than traditional capitalist corporations to solve current ecological crises.

Ch. 8: American Capitalism In 4 Different Ages w Jonathan Levy Part 2 - The Majority Report w Sam Seder - Air Date 12-8-21

Sam and Emma host Jonathan Levy, professor of History at the University of Chicago, to discuss his recent book Ages of American Capitalism: A History of the United States.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 9: Liberal Hypocrisy is Fueling American Inequality. Here's How - NYT Opinion - The New York Times - Air Date 11-9-21

Many blue states are actually doing worse in some areas than red states. It is in blue states where affordable housing is often hardest to find, there are some of the most acute disparities in education funding and economic inequality.


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 10: Personal disability experience - Jade from Upstate New York

Ch. 11: Thoughts on human nature and systems - Quai from North Carolina


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 12: Final comments on the nature of laws and morality


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Direct download: 1461_Neoliberalism_Air_Date_12-15-21_Members_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:48pm EDT

Air Date 1/14/2023

This Martin Luther King Day weekend, we take a look at a wider range of Black radicals who all helped build the unfinished Civil Rights Movement and who our history either whitewashes or demonizes to fit the narrative of American Exceptionalism™ marching us inexorably toward perfection.

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: The dangers of whitewashing black history | David Ikard - TEDxNashville - Air Date 6-18-22

Equipped with the real story of Rosa Parks, professor David Ikard highlights how making the realities of race more benign and digestible harms us all -- and emphasizes the power and importance of historical accuracy. This talk was filmed at TEDxNashville.

Ch. 2: The Black American Civil Rights Movement Was One of The Greatest "Military" Campaigns and Insurgencies in History - The Chauncey DeVega Show - Air Date 1-10-23

Thomas Ricks is the guest on this special January 2023 fundraising episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show.

Ch. 3: #ilovemalcolm: Tariq Ali on Malcolm X at Oxford - rosaluxnyc - Air Date 3-23-15

At "I Love Malcolm: Legacies of Love and Liberation" on February 14, 2015, organized by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung—New York Office, Tariq Ali discusses the impact of Malcolm X's debate at Oxford University in 1964.

Ch. 4: The Radicalism of Martin Luther King Jr. and W.E.B. Du Bois - Communist Party USA - Air Date 2-26-20

WEB Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr are two 20th-century giants in both the struggle for African American equality and the liberation of oppressed people worldwide.

Ch. 5: The Socialist Anti-Imperialism of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Left Anchor - Air Date 1-18-21

Today we are hoisting up an episode from the archives in celebration of MLK Day. We discuss King's advocacy of democratic socialism and his argument that civil rights were inadequate without an equal share of economic production.

Ch. 6: Whitewashing 101: How To Rewrite Black History - Second Thought - Air Date 2-18-22

It's Black History Month, so it's about time we talked about the recuperation of Black radicals like Dr. King and Nelson Mandela. Everyone and their mother likes to claim MLK as their own, and use his words as a rhetorical weapon.

Ch. 7: Why the US government murdered Fred Hampton - Vox - Air Date 6-2-21

What we aren't taught about the Black Panther Party.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 8: Written by Himself - the Life of Frederick Douglass - History of Indian and Africana Philosophy - Air Date 2-29-20

Frederick Douglass' journey from slave to leading figure of 19th-century American thought.


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 9: Final comments on the producers who made this week's topics come to life


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)

SHOW IMAGE:

Description: Composite image of black and white photos. Top: Martin Luther King Jr. talks with Malcom X. Bottom left: Portrait of W.E.B. Du Bois. Bottom Center: Rosa Parks’ mug shot. Bottom right: Button with the words “All Power to the People” surrounding Fred Hampton’s head.

 

Credit: MLK and Malcom X; W.E.B. Du Bois; Rosa Parks; Fred Hampton button | License All Images in Public Domain

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!

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Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Direct download: 1537_Black_Radicals_Air_Date_1-14-23_General_-_1-14-23_10.51.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:31pm EDT

Air Date 1/11/2023

Today, we take a look at the way unscientific guidelines, government subsidies, corporate propaganda, cultural context, capitalism, community stigma, and many actively and loudly wallowing in ignorance have shaped your personal food choices.

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

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: 'Healthy' Food, Nutrition and Access - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 10-12-22

The FDA has proposed new standards for food to qualify for its "healthy" seal of approval. Marion Nestle, professor emerita of nutrition, food studies, and public health at NYU talks about the changes, plus food insecurity and access to healthy food.

Ch. 2: The Meat Merchants Feeding Climate Catastrophe: Spencer Roberts and Jan Dutkiewicz Part 1 - This is Hell! - Air Date 11-29-22

Chuck Mertz speaks with science writer Spencer Roberts and political economist Jan Dutkiewicz about their New Republic Article, "How the Meat Industry Undermines Effective Climate Policy".

Ch. 3: The Politics of Meat ft. Jan Dutkiewicz - Our Hen House - Air Date 8-28-21

Political economist Jan Dutkiewicz, PhD, joins the podcast for a fascinating conversation about the ethical, political, legal, social, and environmental intersections of meat consumption.

Ch. 4: Which food future will you choose? - Jim Hightower's Radio Lowdown - Air Date 11-25-22

As the eminent farmer-poet-activist Wendell Berry tells us, eating is a profound political act.

Ch. 5: The Meat Merchants Feeding Climate Catastrophe: Spencer Roberts and Jan Dutkiewicz Part 2 - This is Hell! - Air Date 11-29-22

Ch. 6: Black, Brown, and Diverse Plant-Based People for Equity w/ Lisa Dumas - Our Hen House - Air Date 10-29-22

Lisa Dumas is on a mission to make the world a better place. This week she joins us on the podcast for a conversation about how she’s working toward expanding access to plant-based food options to those in need.

Ch. 7: High-End Veganism and the Rise of Plant-Based Eating - Past Present - Air Date 10-5-21

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of veganism in light of an eviscerating review of the new plant-based menu at the New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park.

Ch. 8: Animal Agriculture is the New Oil w/ George Monbiot - Downstream - Air Date 6-8-22

In his new book Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet, George Monbiot warns that we’re approaching a tipping point in the fight to protect the planet.

Ch. 9: A (Mostly) Vegan World Plantf*ckers Can Save Us All - UNFTR - Air Date 1-8-22

It’s finally time to unf*ck our food system and talk about veganism. We decided not to pursue this topic from a moral or ethical perspective, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a story about justice.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 10: The Politics of Meat ft. Jan Dutkiewicz Part 2 - Our Hen House - Air Date 8-28-21

Ch. 11: The Meat Merchants Feeding Climate Catastrophe: Spencer Roberts and Jan Dutkiewicz Part 3 - This is Hell! - Air Date 11-29-22


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 12: Final comments on our emotional attachment to our perspective on food


MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)

SHOW IMAGE

Description: A woman with short gray hair and glasses stands in front of the brightly lit meat section at a grocery store. She looks down at a package of meat in her hands.

Credit: "d2590-1" by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Direct download: 1536_Food_Choices_Air_Date_1-10-23_General_-_1-10-23_21.03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:11am EDT

Air Date 1/7/2023

Today, we take a look at the criminal charges against Donald Trump that the January 6th Committee has referred to the DOJ but examine them through the lens of past presidential crimes that have gone unpunished from Nixon to George W. Bush

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Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: No One Is Above The Law - Calls Grow for Trump to Be Charged to Avoid Another Coup Attempt - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-20-22

We speak with Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a scholar of fascism and authoritarianism, and Robert Weissman, president of the advocacy group Public Citizen.

Ch. 2: Historian Meets Watergate Prosecutor On The Right (And Wrong) Kinds Of President Part 1 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 12-28-22

Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and Jill Wine-Banks, MSNBC legal analyst and former Watergate special prosecutor look to lessons from Watergate for what needs to happen with the Jan. 6th committee report.

Ch. 3: Lisa Gilbert on the January 6 Report - CounterSpin - Air Date 12-23-22

We spoke with Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of Public Citizen and co-founder of the forged-for-purpose Not Above the Law Coalition, about what the hearings found and why it can’t end there.

Ch. 4: Historian Meets Watergate Prosecutor On The Right (And Wrong) Kinds Of President Part 2 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 12-28-22

Ch. 5: "Brazen" Fraud: David Cay Johnston on How Trump's Tax Returns Show He Defrauded U.S. & Enriched Himself - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-3-23

Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnston, who has covered Trump for decades, says the new documents show "absolutely brazen" tax fraud. "Donald Trump has been a criminal his whole life," says Johnston.

Ch. 6: Obama on Investigating Bush Crimes: "Need to Look Forward" - This Week - Air Date 1-11-09

Barack Obama on This Week, January 11, 2009

Ch. 7: Obama Admin: Torture Not Illegal, Just A "Disagreement" - The Young Turks - Aired 3-27-10

Speaking of hangovers... Look forward, not backward. We don't do truth and reconciliation in this country.

Ch. 8: The Central Cause of January 6th Was One Man House Panel Urges Trump Be Banned from Public Office - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-23-22

We’re joined by John Nichols, The Nation’s national affairs correspondent, to discuss the full report.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 9: Ginni Thomas not mentioned in Jan. 6 Committee report - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 1-3-23

Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern and political strategist Rina Shah join Mehdi to discuss.


VOICEMAILS

Ch. 10: The upside of TikTok - James


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 11: Final comments on the good and bad of tech and the structural nature of media


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: 1535_Presidential_Accountability_Air_Date_1-7-23_General_-_1-7-23_09.55.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:07am EDT

Air Date 1/3/2023

Today, we take a look at the emerging implementation of facial recognition technology in public and commercial spaces along with the tracking and "amplifagandizing" capabilities of TikTok

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

Transcript

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SHOW NOTES

Ch. 1: Twitter, Facial Recognition and the First Amendment - The Lawfare Podcast - Air Date 4-15-21

This week on Arbiters of Truth, the Lawfare Podcast’s miniseries on our online information ecosystem, Evelyn Douek and Quinta Jurecic spoke with Jameel Jaffer and Ramya Krishnan of the Knight First Amendment Institute.

Ch. 2: Addressing the TikTok Threat Part 1 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 9-8-22

TikTok, the flagship app of the Chinese company Bytedance, recently surpassed Google and Facebook as the most popular site on the internet in 2021, and is expected to reach more than 1.8 billion users by the end of 2022.

Ch. 3: Privacy, your face and the rise of facial recognition - Life Matters from ABC - Air Date 7-26-22

Several large retailers, including Kmart and Bunnings, already use facial recognition technology in their stores – collecting biometric data that is as unique as a fingerprint – but are customers aware of how their facial data is being captured and used?

Ch. 4: NJ Legal Rights & NYPD's Facial Recognition Technology - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-30-22

Alexander Shalom, senior supervising attorney and director of Supreme Court advocacy at the ACLU-NJ, talks about the implications of a case in Hudson County, NJ, where a suspect was identified using the NYPD's facial recognition technology.

Ch. 5: The problem with banning TikTok - Vox - Air Date 8-29-20

TikTok’s in trouble. But so is the internet as we know it.

Ch. 6: Are You Feeding a Powerful Facial Recognition Algorithm? - NOVA PBS Official - Air Date 4-23-21

Facial recognition technology has great potential to help law enforcement identify suspects. But collecting and storing data from online photos has raised concern among critics.

Ch. 7: Addressing the TikTok Threat Part 2 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 9-8-22

Ch. 8: Why Facial Recognition Technology Is So Dangerous - Second Thought - Air Date 7-3-20

Government crackdowns, hyper-personalized ads, real-time location tracking of citizens. Mass surveillance is a growing threat in the modern world. In this episode, we'll take a look at why it's so dangerous.


MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)

Ch. 9: The Real Danger Of ChatGPT - Nerwriter1 - Air Date 12-30-22

The Nerdwriter is a series of video essays about art, culture, politics, philosophy and more.

Ch. 10: Hustle / Grind Alpha Bro vs. Random ChatGPT Guy - Andrew Rousso - Air Date 12-13-22

Inside everyone, there are two wolves but inside me... there are three.


FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 11: Final comments on the new ad system for the show


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