Sat, 28 February 2026
Original Air Date: 3-1-2024 We don't have to think too hard to understand the fears of a world in which work, and the ability of millions to support themselves, are lost to automation and artificial intelligence. But that is only a capitalist future in which the benefits of technological advancement are hoarded by the already-wealthy. Today we imagine a different path. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! SHOW NOTES Introduction to Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work by Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams Since the demise of the USSR, the mantle of the largest planned economies in the world has been taken up by the likes of Walmart, Amazon and other multinational corporations. Ch. 3: The Two Futures Of Automation Capitalism VS Socialism - Second Thought - Air Date 12-15-21 With jobs being automated and handed off to machines at an ever-increasing pace, it's only natural to consider what our future will look like. Ch. 4: Planet of the Robots: Four Futures of AI (Documentary) - 1Dime - Air Date 10-15-21 In this video we will be discussing automation, which is often confused with being the ‘technological revolution’ in it of itself as it is what the mainstream focuses on, and for good reason, as how we handle automation will determine the trajectory or co Ch. 5: Universal Basic Income Explained (An Automation Solution) - Futurology - Air Date 5-28-24 With jobs being automated and handed off to machines at an ever-increasing pace, it's only natural to consider what our future will look like. Ch. 6: The Two Futures Of Automation Capitalism VS Socialism Part 2 - Second Thought - Air Date 12-15-21 In this video we will be discussing automation, which is often confused with being the ‘technological revolution’ in it of itself as it is what the mainstream focuses on, and for good reason, as how we handle automation will determine the trajectory or co Ch. 7: Universal Basic Income Explained (An Automation Solution) Part 2 - Futurology - Air Date 5-28-24 Since the demise of the USSR, the mantle of the largest planned economies in the world has been taken up by the likes of Walmart, Amazon and other multinational corporations. SHOW IMAGE CREDITS: Description: Photo of a patch on a backpack that says "What would you do if your income were taken care of?" Credit: "Berlin UBI March" by Patrick Maynard, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com |
Thu, 26 February 2026
Original 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 a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! 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. “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 accolites 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. 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.
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
|
Wed, 25 February 2026
Air Date: 2-17-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:
Leave a message on our new system!
FOLLOW US ON: YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please subscribe and share!) Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e
REFERENCES Your friends are still acting like everything is normal in America. What do you do? - Vox They Were Ordinary Germans. We Are Ordinary Americans. - The New York Times How to Survive the Information War - The Atlantic Galaxy Brain podcast: How to Be A Citizen in the Information War (And Stay Sane) - Galaxy Brain (The Atlantic) Can Woke 2 Go IRL? Even Thomas Chatterton Williams Thinks It’s Possible - Vanity Fair Why Hannah Arendt and the Banality of Evil Still Matter Today - Philosopedia The Popular Front Isn’t Foreign — It’s American /// Want to Fight Fascism? Look to U.S. History. - In These Times As Congress Begins to Grapple With Restrictions on ICE, States Take Matters Into Their Own - Talking Points Memo Lawmakers visit Minnesota for inspiration — and to warn the nation - Minnesota Reformer
BACKSTAGE We Must Establish The Run Against Authoritarianism - Bad Faith Times
EXTRAS: 00:13:27 Best of the Left #1770 - Getting in the Fight Against ICE and Authoritarianism 00:19:42 Best of the Left Bonus Edition #334 - “Collaborators, Internal Exiles, and Dissidents” from Jan. 26, 2025 (pre-YouTube) Prosecutor Fired After Voicing Frustration With Immigration Caseload - The New York Times
TAKE ACTION: How to Support Minneapolis Communities In a blue state? Help stop ICE overreach Free DC Project: FOR ALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY Find your Indivisible group - or start one
Reach us via Signal:
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts! |
Mon, 23 February 2026
Air Date: 2/23/2026 Today we examine how the platforms that monetize your attention are merging with state power. We'll hear how TikTok's new owners include Trump ally Larry Ellison, how DHS sent hundreds of subpoenas to unmask anonymous ICE critics, how Ring's Super Bowl ad cheerfully introduced AI-powered neighborhood surveillance, and how the social media addiction trials that are being likened to the Big Tobacco settlement of the 90s, are finally exposing what these companies knew about the harmful nature of their products all along. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! TOP TAKES KP 2: Trouble at TikTok Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-4-26 KP 3: Is Social Media Having Its Big Tobacco Moment Part 1 - The Global Story - Air Date 2-16-26 KP 4: The Social Media Addiction Trials Begin Part 1 - On The Media - Air Date 2-13-26 KP 5: Ring's Lost Pet Ad Fetching a Surveillance State - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 2-10-26 KP 6: DMs! My Kingdom For DMs! - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 2-17-26 (00:53:14) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Big Tech is the New Big Tobacco - Here's what that means for our future DEEPER DIVES (01:01:11) SECTION A: LAWSUITS A2: Why New Mexico Is Taking Meta to Court - Here & Now Anytime - 2-5-26 A3: The Social Media Addiction Trials Begin Part 2 - On The Media- Air Date 2-13-26 A4: Is Social Media Having Its Big Tobacco Moment Part 2 - The Global Story - Air Date 2-16-26 A5: Trouble at TikTok Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-4-26 (01:44:53) SECTION B: TIKTOK B2: TikTok's New Trump-Approved US Owners Part 1 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-28-26 B4: TikTok's New Trump-Approved US Owners Part 2 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-28-26 (02:19:50) SECTION C: PLATFORM POWER (02:56:37) SECTION D: ATTENTION HARMS D2: AI Chatbots Upended Their Lives. Then They Turned to Each Other - Consider This - Air Date 2-4-26 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of a pre-teen girl leaning on a table holding a phone in her hands that she looks at so closely it covers her entire face. Credit:”teen iphone smartphone girl” by cyndidyoder83, Pixabay | Pixabay License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com |
Fri, 20 February 2026
Air Date: 2/19/2026 Today we trace the pipeline from masculine grievance to fascism. We'll hear how ICE agents' own family members describe them as low-IQ bullies chasing signing bonuses, why a former white nationalist explains that the alternative to unpacking discomfort is becoming overtly racist, how incel culture evolved from lonely forums into a MAGA recruitment tool, and what researchers found about why men socialized to equate violence with manhood end up joining state-sanctioned death squads. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! TOP TAKES KP 1: White Men, We Have A Problem - Swolesome - Air Date 1-7-26 KP 2: Do You Get It Now, Ben? - SOME MORE NEWS - Air Date 2-11-26 KP 4: The Terrifying Rise of "Vice Signalling" - JimmyTheGiant - Air Date 1-28-26 KP 5: Who's We? - PissedMagistus - Air Date 1-17-26 (00:49:13) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR The Manosphere Correctly Diagnoses Some Problems but Their Solutions are a Con DEEPER DIVES (01:04:19) SECTION A: FRAGILE MASCULINITY A1: The Patriarchy Is Fracturing… - Dr. Deneen Speaks - Air Date 1-17-26 A2: Are Women Responsible For Fixing Broken Men? - The Speech Prof - Air Date 2-9-26 A3: Masculinity Isn't Real | The History They Won't Teach - Therese - Air Date 1-27-26 A4: "Any Woman Who Doesn't Find Me Attractive Is LYING!!!" - The Speech Prof - Air Date 1-27-26 (01:27:11) SECTION B: PIPELINE TO HELL B2: The Masculine Urge to Join a Fascist Death Squad - Signified B Sides - Air Date 1-26-26 B3: Here's Why Tim Pool LOVES ICE - Luke Thomas Gets Political (LTGP) - Air Date 1-27-26 B4: Syril Karn in Andor Is The PERFECT Representation of Fascism! - Film Obsessed - Air Date 1-22-26 B5: Everything Is Gender - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-11-26 (02:07:49) SECTION C: THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE C1: Political Meme Propaganda Machine - Harland Spinks - Air Date 1-25-26 C2: Exposing the Far Right - Against the Grain - Air Date 2-4-26 (02:26:50) SECTION D: AUTHORITARIAN CURIOUS D1: The Contradiction That Exposes Scott Galloway's Real Agenda - Therese - Air Date 12-4-25 D2: The Rise of the Authoritarian-Curious - Then & Now - Air Date 2-9-26 D3: Shirley, He Can't Be This Stupid - We Gon Be Alright - Air Date 1-19-26 D4: America's Nazi Influencers - Novara Media - Air Date 1-20-26 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite image of photos of a white man looking sad facing away from the camera, and then enraged looking toward the camera. Credit: Internal composite design. Images by Engin_Akyurt, Pixabay | Pixabay License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com |
Sun, 15 February 2026
Air Date 2/15/2026 Today we explore the gap between free speech rhetoric and the reality of arrested reporters. We'll hear how a decade of cancel culture panic over college students gave way to actual government suppression of journalists, why the DOJ is perverting a law designed to fight the Ku Klux Klan to prosecute Black journalists, how the administration that promised to "bring back free speech" is maintaining lists of forbidden words, and what history teaches about humor as a weapon against authoritarianism. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! TOP TAKES KP 1: AG Bondi Confirms FBI Executed Search Warrant at WaPo Reporter's Home - MS Now - Air Date 1-13-26 KP 2: Why Trump Arresting Journalists Is a Sign of Weakness - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-30-26 KP 4: Stars and Stripes in Peril Part 1 - On The Media - Air Date 1-28-26 KP 5: Humor Can Topple Dictators Part 1 - Why, America with Leeja Miller - Air Date 10-18-25 KP 6: The Effectiveness of Nonviolent Activism - Inside International Affairs - Air Date 2-28-24 (00:52:02) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why authoritarians are so afraid of the media DEEPER DIVES (01:02:13) SECTION A: STATE REPRESSION A1: One Authoritarian's Playbook - Rights & Wrongs - Air Date 6-2-25 A2: Following Independent Journalists Fighting for Free Press in Russia - Fresh Air - Air Date 2-5-26 A3: Stars and Stripes in Peril Part 2 - On The Media - Air Date 1-28-26 (01:26:49) SECTION B: LEGAL ATTACKS (02:03:30) SECTION C: MEDIA INSTITUTIONS C3: 'If You Can Keep It' The Future Of The Free Press Part 1 - 1A - Air Date 2-2-26 C5: 'If You Can Keep It' The Future Of The Free Press Part 2 - 1A - Air Date 2-2-26 (02:56:52) SECTION D: LAUGHTIVISM D1: Humor Can Topple Dictators Part 2 - Why, America with Leeja Miller - Air Date 10-18-25 D3: The Power of Laughtivism | Srdja Popovic at TEDxBG - TEDx Talks - Air Date 2-14-13 D5: A Message From The Frog Resistance - The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - Air Date 10-13-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite design of a photo of a press pass on a lanyard on a table overlaying a photo of an ICE protest in Minneapolis. Credit: Internal design. Photo 1: “Standard Press Credentials - Minneapolis Civil Unrest” by Tony Webster, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 | Cropped & blended | Photo 2: “Protest against ICE in downtown Minneapolis” by Fibonacci Blue, Flickr | CC BY 4.0 | Cropped & blended
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com |
Fri, 13 February 2026
Air Date: 2-3-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:
FOLLOW US ON: YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please subscribe and share!) Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES DISCUSSED Why Nonviolent Resistance Doesn't Require Your Opponent to Have a Conscience - Tim Hjersted, Films for Action Think There’s Nothing You Can Do to Stop ICE? Think Again. - The Nation Here’s How We Pressured an Airline to End Its Contract With ICE - TruthOut Want to Stop ICE? Go After Its Corporate Collaborators. - The Nation CEOs of major Minnesota businesses finally speak out, sign meek call for 'deescalation' - Bring Me The News ‘Tariff for Oligarchs’: Top Economist Urges Europe to Fight Trump by Punishing US Billionaires - Common Dreams Some Conservatives Veer Off Party Line After DHS Agents Kill Another US Citizen - Mother Jones Here’s Your Damn Playbook, Democrats - The New Republic This Could Be the Moment MAGA Collapses - The New Republic MORE RESOURCES Here’s How to Find Out Which Corporations Are Collaborating With ICE - Little Sis How to Weaken ICE: Cut Off the Corporations That Make Deportations Possible: Unified Strategy to Join, Support, or Build Boycott Campaigns Against ICE Vendors and Suppliers - Herman Legal Group We Must Establish The Run Against Authoritarianism - Bad Faith Times BACKSTAGE Trump is Making an Enemy of the Gun Lobby - The Intercept EXTRAS: Meta lays off employees across multiple teams - Tech Crunch (Oct 16, 2024) People Think Amazon Is an E-Commerce Company, but 74% of Its Profit Comes From This Instead Best of the Left #1769 Politics Beyond the Ballot Box: Elections and the Movements that Power Them ICE confirms new office in College Park - Atlanta News First Ossoff Inquires about Rumored New ICE Detention Facility - Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) Prominent MAGA streamer compares ICE to Gestapo after Pretti shooting TAKE ACTION: How to Support Minneapolis Communities In a blue state? Help stop ICE overreach Free DC Project: FOR ALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY Find your Indivisible group - or start one Reach us via Signal: Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts! |
Tue, 10 February 2026
Air Date 2/10/2026 Today we explore what effective resistance actually looks like. We'll hear why Jamelle Bouie says the panic of those in power signals that opposition is working, what abolitionists teach us about fighting without knowing the ending, and how Minneapolis proved that democratic force can overwhelm physical force. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! TOP TAKES KP 1: What I've Learned From Reading History - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-28-26 KP 2: Five Ways to Fight Trumps Fascism - Robert Reich - Air Date 8-19-25 KP 3: Abolish ICE! No Brainer. Then What? Also, How? - Matthew Cooke - Air Date 1-27-26 KP 6: Gadgets For People Who Don't Trust The Government - Benn Jordan - Air Date 1-4-26 KP 7: What Does Minnesota Today Tell Us About What Resistance Requires? - Tad Stoermer - Air Date 1-24-26 KP 8: What Is a General Strike (and Why Did the U.S. Outlaw Them) - More Perfect Union - Air Date 5-1-25 KP 10: We Don't Need Irony. Just Make It Good - Jessie Gender - Air Date 1-26-26 (00:49:16) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the war on empathy A Time to Be Cringe: Why Gen Z Needs Some Millenial Humor (SOLVED! #29 - 12-12-25) DEEPER DIVES (00:59:25) SECTION A: WHAT DO WE WANT A3: The Kids Aren't Alright - The Majority Report W/ Sam Seder - Air Date 1-25-26 (01:21:40) SECTION B: WHAT DID WE WANT B2: The Black Labor Movement Part 1 - Against the Grain - Air Date 1-20-26 B3: Policing the Civil Rights Movement - Against the Grain - Air Date 1-26-26 (01:50:25) SECTION C: HOW DO WE DO IT C2: The 3.5 Percent Rule - Erica Chenoweth - You Are Not So Smart - Air Date 5-11-25 (02:24:10) SECTION D: WHAT WORKS D3: The Black Labor Movement Part 2 - Against the Grain - Air Date 1-20-26 D4: 1946 Oakland General Strike - Stuff You Missed in History Class - Air Date 3-24-25 D5: Confronting Capitalism: Why the US Never Got a Labor Party - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 1-21-26 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of a protest in Minneapolis showing people holding signs that say “ICE is not welcome!” And “FUCK ICE” and “ICE OUT OF MN”, etc. Credit: “Protest against ICE in Minneapolis” by Fibonacci Blue via Flickr | CC BY 4.0 | Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com |
Fri, 6 February 2026
Original Air Date: 8-25-2017 Today we look at the constant struggle between the freedom to speak and the necessary limits placed on that freedom due to the rights of others to not be substantially harmed by that speech Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Show Notes Ch. 2: ACLU Will No Longer Defend Hate Groups Protesting With Firearms - MSNBC Ch. 3: Understanding the line between free speech and hate speech - BackStory - Air Date 8-23-17 Ch. 4: I was a prominent neo-Nazi. Ignoring white extremists is a mistake. - Vox - Air Date 4-14-17 Ch. 5: Nazis Don't Get Free Speech! - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 08-22-17 Ch. 6: Understanding who joins Antifa - Trumpcast from @Slate - Air Date 8-18-17 Ch. 7: How Do We Define Hate Speech? - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 8-21-17 Ch. 9: How not to fall for fascist rhetoric - 1943 US War Department Voicemails Ch. 19: Free speech absolutism - Ryan in Minneapolis, MN Ch. 20: Free speech absolutism is bullshit - Zach from Atlanta, GA Ch. 21: Railing against free speech would be a gift to the right - Todd from Delaware, OH Ch. 22: Recommending Chomsky video - Elizabeth from North Carolina Ch. 23: The Constitution is not a suicide pact - Will from Mississippi Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com |
Wed, 4 February 2026
Air Date: 01-28-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:
FOLLOW US ON: YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please subscribe and share!) Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e
REFERENCES The Left is Always Right Too Early - Current Affairs Well, It’s Time for Populism, They Guess - Slate The Trump Backers Who Have Buyer’s Remorse - The Atlantic The Vibe Shifts Against the Right - NY Times The Americans Who Saw All This Coming—but Were Ignored and Maligned - The New Republic The Resistance Libs Were Right - NY Times
BACKSTAGE Eugenics: the skeleton that rattles loudest in the left's closet - The Guardian EXTRAS: Hot Dog Car Sketch - I Think You Should Leave CLIP: Leigh McGowan (Politics Girl) responds to Scott Jennings on CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip “One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” by Omar El Akkad (If you buy this book, or another, through this link, you support indie book stores and we get a small commission! Check out other great books on our Bookshop shelf) “A Time to Be Cringe: Why Gen Z Needs Millennial Humor” (SOLVED! #29)
TAKE ACTION: How to Support Minneapolis Communities In a blue state? Help stop ICE overreach Free DC Project: FOR ALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY Find your Indivisible group - or start one
Reach us via Signal: Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts! |
Sun, 1 February 2026
Air Date 2/1/2026 Today we examine what's actually working against the Trump regime and the role of this year's elections. Unsurprisingly, his own voter fraud investigation just proved him a liar, Democrats are overperforming expectations in House special elections, and Zohran Mamdani's campaign based on having fun in community needs to be a model for every movement against authoritarianism. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! In honor of our 20th birthday, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP...this includes Gift Memberships! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! TOP TAKES KP 1: Trump Admin's Endless Waste, Fraud, Abuse in Elections Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 1-20-26 KP 3: Get Out the Vote with Tom Lopach Part 1 - The Practivist Pod - Air Date 12-4-25 KP 4: Mobilizing the Mamdani Volunteer Army Part 1 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-12-26 KP 6: THAT Is A Mandate (feat. Kat Abughazaleh) Part 1 - The Daily Beans - Air Date 11-5-25 KP 7: The Next Socialist In Congress with Claire Valdez Part 1 - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-22-26 (00:55:41) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the role of community and friendship in fighting fascism DEEPER DIVES (01:03:26) SECTION A: IMMIGRATION POLICING A1: THAT Is A Mandate (feat. Kat Abughazaleh) Part 2 - The Daily Beans - Air Date 11-5-25 A2: Mobilizing the Mamdani Volunteer Army Part 2 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-12-26 (01:24:17) SECTION B: POWER AND ORGANIZING B1: The Democratic Party's McClellan Problem - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 12-30-25 B2: Mobilizing the Mamdani Volunteer Army Part 3 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-12-26 B3: The Next Socialist In Congress with Claire Valdez Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-22-26 B4: Working Families Party on Mamdani's Win; 2026 Midterms - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 11-17-25 (02:04:54) SECTION C: VOTING RIGHTS C2: Trump Admin's Endless Waste, Fraud, Abuse in Elections Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 1-20-26 C4: Get Out the Vote with Tom Lopach Part 2 - The Practivist Pod - Air Date 12-4-25 (02:32:50) SECTION D: CANDIDANCY D1: Hardcore Competence with Kat Abughazaleh - Hysteria - Air Date 1-22-26 D3: Mamdani's Momentous Win with Sarah Jaffe - The Curve - Air Date 11-5-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of one half of a huge crowd of Zohran Mamdani campaign volunteers in a park holding campaign signs and smiling. Credit: “Zohran Mamdani volunteer canvassers” via Zohran for NYC
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com |
Best of the Left Podcast
Put a description of your podcast here.
The Podcasts
Syndicate This Site:
Archives:
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
