Tue, 30 July 2024
Air Date 7/30/2024 The Republican Party is making it sound like they're trying to transform themselves into the party of working people. There's a mountain of evidence suggesting that you shouldn't believe them but there's also plenty of reason to sit up and take notice of the situation. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) KEY POINTS KP 2: Trump, Vance, and the New Right at the RNC - Deconstructed - Air Date 7-19-24 KP 5: Why Hiking Tariffs Actually Protects Americans - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 5-14-24 (43:44) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the shifting political epoch toward pro-worker policies we're witnessing Clip: Let's adopt the GOP's national platform - Jim Hightower - Air Date- 3-6-13 Article: Biden’s labor report card: Historian gives ‘Union Joe’ a higher grade than any president since FDR DEEPER DIVES (54:05) SECTION A: TEAMSTER SPEECH AND FALSE POPULISM (1:17:09) SECTION B: PRO-WORKER LEGISLATION (1:28:24) SECTION C: JD VANCE AND THE "CENTER" RIGHT MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: J.D. Vance scowls with his face in partial shadow while standing at a podium. Credit: "J.D. Vance" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1645_Vance_Populism_Air_Date_7-30-24_-_72924_21.22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:30am EST |
Mon, 29 July 2024
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 7-29-24
What people mean when they call Kamala Harris a ‘DEI candidate’ Kamala Harris and the Threat of a Woman’s Laugh ‘It is a train that is never late’: Trump, GOP escalate racist and predictable attacks on VP Harris
Produced by:
Direct download: 214_-_Bonus_Sample_-_The_Lesson_of_The_Grinch_-_72824_6.05_PM.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:30am EST |
Fri, 26 July 2024
Air Date 7/26/2024 It's clear where the vast majority of violent rhetoric is coming from in the country and it's clear which party is a cult of personality and which puts country before personal power. This is the state of play in our politics. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) KEY POINTS KP 2: Who Really is Stoking Violence in America? - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 7-15-24 KP 3: The Long Simmer of Political Violence in America - The Atlantic - Air Date 7-15-24 KP 5: Jon Stewart on Biden 2024: It Is What It Is? - The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart - Air Date 7-11-24 KP 6: You did it, Joe - Today, Explained - Air Date 7-22-24 (51:48) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why it's OK to have a bit of hope even if it's uncomfortable DEEPER DIVES (57:02) SECTION A: BIDEN STEPS DOWN A2: Fox News MELTS DOWN Over Kamala Harris - The Rational National - Air Date 7-22-24 (1:12:23) SECTION B: VIOLENCE AND VIOLENT RHETORIC (1:21:33) SECTION C: THE RNC (1:57:29) SECTION D: CONSPIRACY SHOW IMAGE: Description: Composite image: In background, a photo from the RNC with image of Trump making a fist after the assassination attempt on every screen. In the foreground, Biden's letter telling America he is not running for reelection. Beside it, a photo of a smiling Vice President Kamala Harris. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Photo: "Kamala Harris" by Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped around subject
Direct download: 1644_RNC_Dems_Air_Date_7-26-24_-_72424_18.35.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:30am EST |
Tue, 23 July 2024
Original Air Date: 11/15/2022 Today, we take a look at our extremely steady history of political violence from the Revolution, through the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow, into the Civil Rights era, the Militia Movement and domestic terrorism, and now to our current once-again-radicalized, right-wing movement willing to use and tacitly condone violence as a political tactic. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Capitol Attack Wasn't the 1st Violent Incident in Congress - Inside Edition - Air Date 1-20-22 Ch. 2: A history of US political violence Part 1 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22 Ch. 4: Political Violence Is No Anomaly in American History - System Check - Air Date 1-8-21 Ch. 5: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22 Ch. 8: Paul Pelosi attacked with hammer in his home - ABC News - Air Date 10-29-22 Ch. 9: A history of US political violence Part 2 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22 Ch. 10: Political Violence - In the Thick - Air Date 11-4-22 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Show Image: Description: A newspaper cartoon/drawing of Senator Sumner being beaten on the floor of the Senate with a cane by Sen. Preston Brooks in 1856. Credit: “Southern Chivalry - Argument vs. Clubs” by J.L. Magee, 1856 | Public Domain
Direct download: 1526_A_History_of_Political_Violence_in_the_US_-_72224_15.11.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:30am EST |
Sun, 21 July 2024
Air Date: 7-21-24
REFERENCES: Jon Stewart Examines Biden’s Future Amidst Calls For Him to Drop Out | The Daily Show Inside the Complicated Reality of Being America’s Oldest President Biden, turning 80, faces renewed age questions as he weighs reelection Our U.S. Gerontocracy Needs to Go (and Biden Isn’t Even the Worst) Why American politicians are so old
Produced by:
Direct download: 313_-_Consistency_When_it_Matters_General_Sample.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:28pm EST |
Sat, 20 July 2024
![]() Air Date 7/20/2024 Extremism comes in many forms and we live in an era in which way too many of them are on display simultaneously, but it's not coincidence. The far right has been working toward an extremist Supreme Court for decades. Christian Nationalists have similarly been trying to impose their rigid view of far-right Christianity on the rest of us for a very long time. The far-right Heritage Foundation now deems this to be the time to attempt to radicalize the federal bureaucracy, and far-right calls for political violence and lax gun laws resulted in an environment where no one was really all that surprised about the assassination attempt against Donald Trump. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) KEY POINTS KP 1: Opinionpalooza The Supreme Court End-of-Term Breakfast Table - Amicus - Air Date 7-6-24 KP 3: Just Decide the EMTALA Case Already, You Cowards - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-27-24 KP 4: What is Project 2025 - Today, Explained - Air Date 7-11-24 KP 6: Republicans issue vile reaction to Trump shooting - No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 7-15-24 (57:30) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On what should come next for the Democrats DEEPER DIVES (1:05:02) SECTION A: SUPREME COURT (1:51:47) SECTION B: PROJECT 2025 (2:07:10) SECTION C: POLITICAL VIOLENCE (2:16:21) SECTION D: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM SHOW IMAGE: Description: Composite. Photo of Trump giving a speech at a podium with the overlaid words "The Plot Against America" next to him against the black background. Credit: Composite by A. Hoffman. Photo: "Donald Trump" by Matt Johnson, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, overlaid text added
Direct download: 1643_Extremism_Air_Date_7-20-24_-_71924_15.32.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:30am EST |
Wed, 17 July 2024
![]() Air Date 7/17/2024 Recent elections in the UK, France and Mexico spanned the spectrum from confirming inevitabilities to completely upending expectations but they each have lessons for politics in the US Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (20% off in July! Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) KEY POINTS KP 1: The UK Election Results Explained - TLDR News - Air Date 7-5-24 KP 2: Shocking French election results- What you need to know - Zeteo - Air Date 7-8-24 KP 4: Labour Wins Massive Majority On Low Vote Share, Gaza Costs Starmer - Novara Media - Air Date 7-5-24 KP 5: France’s leftwing alliance beat the far right, but what now? - Today in Focus - Air Date 7-8-24 (1:00:32) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how to react to the current political moment and all of the many moments to come Article: The Democratic Party’s Strange Attraction to Defeatism DEEPER DIVES (1:10:16) SECTION A: FRANCE (1:44:54) SECTION B: GREAT BRITAIN (1:59:28) SECTION C: MEXICO SHOW IMAGE: Description: Graphic of a partially transparent ballot box with the UK flag, the French flag and the Mexican flag visible in composite in the background. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Images from Pixabay.
Direct download: 1642_UK_FR_MX_Elections_Air_Date_7-16-24_-_71624_16.26_copy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:30am EST |
Sun, 14 July 2024
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 7-14-24 REFERENCES: How to Beat Trump in a World of Unreason Democrats don’t just need a new candidate. They need a reckoning.
Produced by:
Direct download: 312_-_In_a_Dinghy_of_Hope_Bonus_Sample_-_71324_6.52_PM.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:30am EST |
Fri, 12 July 2024
![]() Air Date 7/12/2024 From solar scams to controversial congestion pricing and the smart grid that's needed to connect it all, we look at the messy and difficult path to a low-carbon future. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) KEY POINTS KP 1: When solar power leaves you feeling burned - Today, Explained - Air Date 1-2-24 KP 3: This is what's REALLY holding back wind and solar - DW Planet A - Air Date 6-2-23 KP 4: How to fix clean energy’s storage problem - VOX - Air Date 4-27-23 KP 6: The Lost Subways of North America - 99% Invisible - Air Date 5-21-24 KP 8: Comptroller on Congestion Pricing's Indefinite Pause - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 6-17-24 (54:25) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how to make the case to Biden to step aside DEEPER DIVES (1:01:35) SECTION A: ENERGY POLICIES (1:20:31) SECTION B: THE INTENTIONAL SOLAR SCAM (1:36:14) SECTION C: PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a smoggy traffic jam on a highway, taken from the middle of the lane behind the cars. Cars' brake lights are visible. Credit: “World Class Traffic Jam: Jersey Turnpike Version” by b k, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Slight crop
Direct download: 1641_Green_Energy_and_Transport_Air_Date_7-12-24_-_71024_19.30.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:23am EST |
Tue, 9 July 2024
Original Air Date: 2/5/2019 Today we take a look at the history of FDR's "Four Freedoms" and "Economic Bill of Rights" that laid the groundwork for the fight for economic freedom for all that continues to this day. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Harvey Kaye, "The Fight for the Four Freedoms" - Book TV - Air Date 5-11-14 Harvey Kaye examines the progressivism of the Roosevelt-era and argues that a reminder of the "four freedoms" could address today's political and social issues. Ch. 2: What Ted Cruz Doesn't Get About 'Freedom' - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 7-21-16 Thom talks about Ted Cruz's speech at the Republican Convention and compares his definition of 'freedom' with the way it was described by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Ch. 3: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 1 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18 F.D.R. recognized that the original bill of rights would not be enough to make all American’s truly free and proposed an economic bill of rights. Of the eight amendments he proposed in 1944, seven are still waiting to be implemented. Ch. 4: Fighting for the Four Freedoms - @BillMoyersHQ And Company - Air Date 4-15-14 Historian Harvey J. Kaye talks about how FDR was able to mobilize Americans to create "the strongest and most prosperous country in human history." Explaining that libertarian thinking doesn't incorporate the existence of economic coercion Ch. 6: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 2 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18 Ch. 7: Bernie Sanders & FDR's Second Bill of Rights - Berniementum - Air Date 8-12-15 President FDR's Second Bill of Rights speech - January 11, 1944 Sen. Bernie Sanders speech at the National Press Club - Mar. 9, 2015 Music - "There is Romance" by Imcompetech University of Wisconsin Professor Harvey J Kaye author of Fight for the Four Freedoms: What Made FDR and the Greatest Generation Truly Great, explains Ronald Reagan and the great pushback against a progressive America Ch. 9: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 3 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18
Direct download: Throwback_-_1247_The_Fight_for_the_Four_Freedoms_FDR_vs._Libertarianism.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:30am EST |
Sun, 7 July 2024
Air Date: 7-7-24 REFERENCES: The Baffling Disaster Unfolding at the Washington Post The Democratic Governor Whose Message Can’t Be Beat Best of the Left #1247 The Fight for the Four Freedoms (FDR vs. Libertarianism) The Fight for the Four Freedoms
Produced by:
Direct download: 311_-_Primal_Scream_of_Catharsis_-_Bonus_Sample_-_7724_3.35_AM.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:29pm EST |
Fri, 5 July 2024
![]() Air Date 7/5/2024 China is an undeniable force in the world relating to several major political issues and to address their influence without a deep understanding of the history, context, and current dynamics would be to invite 100 years of humiliation. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) KEY POINTS KP 1: Joe Biden's Radical Worldview - More Perfect Union - Air Date 6-27-24 KP 2: Why China Doesn't Identify with the West, Explained - Siming Lan - Air Date 9-23-22 KP 3: Has China's Belt and Road Initiative been a success? - Financial Times - Air Date 10-30-23 KP 4: Why China Isn't the Problem - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 5-5-23 KP 6: Why China's Economy is Finally Slowing Down - Wendover - Air Date 3-21-24 KP 7: Our New Global Economy - Johnny Harris - Air Date 12-20-23 (1:04:13) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how Joe Biden can become a hero in the wake of his debate with Trump DEEPER DIVES (1:12:51) SECTION A: CHINA'S ECONOMIC FOREIGN POLICY A2: Has Africa gained from China's infrastructure plans? - Focus on Africa - Air Date 10-20-23
(1:37:10) SECTION B: THE EV WARS (1:59:44) SECTION C: TECH AND SPACE RACE (2:14:44) SECTION D: ESCALATING TENSIONS MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: An illustration of a darkened, draped Chinese flag, with its 5-star pattern, close up. Credit: "China flag" by The Digital Artist, Pixabay | Pixabay License |Changes: Added dark overlay
Direct download: 1640_China_Air_Date_7-5-24_-_7-4-24_14.31.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:30am EST |
Tue, 2 July 2024
![]() Air Date 7/2/2024 Border security around the world continues to take turns for the dark and dystopian as right-wing sentiment against migrants and refugees continues to escalate to the extreme. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Air Date 7/2/2024 Border security around the world continues to take turns for the dark and dystopian as right-wing sentiment against migrants and refugees continues to escalate to the extreme. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) KEY POINTS KP 2: EU Border Enforcement, Part 1 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 6-4-24 KP 3: Migrants & Refugees, the Pope & Volkswagen - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 5-26-24 KP 6: EU Border Enforcement, Part 2 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 6-5-24 (52:45) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On our summer membership drive DEEPER DIVES (57:32) SECTION A: POLITICIZATION OF THE BORDER (1:19:47) SECTION B: BRUTAL BORDER ENFORCEMENT (1:36:40) SECTION C: BORDER INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX (1:48:14) SECTION D: MIGRANT STORIES SHOW IMAGE: Description: Composite graphic showing a deep blue ocean with the gold stars of the EU flag. On the horizon, a faded US flag is behind concertina wire fencing. In the center, a long boat full of refugees floats on the water. Credit: Composite Design by A. Hoffman. | Composite imagery via Pixabay | Photo: “P52 Migrants 19 July 2015 03” by Oglaigh na hEireann, Flickr. License: CC BY 2.0 Changes: Cropped and reduced opacity
Direct download: 1639_Fortress_Earth_Migration_Air_Date_7-2-24_-_6-29-24_18.17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:30am EST |