Dan interviews returning guests Aslı Bâli and Aziz Rana on the long history behind the crisis of American imperial legitimation that has become so manifest amid the pandemic.
Wed, 23 June 2021
Air Date 6/23/2021 Today we take a look at the purposeful effort to erase the history of anti-Black terrorism in America and the renewed efforts expose our true history in order to learn from it and create the opportunity for healing. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Notes & Transcript (https://www.bestoftheleft.com/1425) BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Refer Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BestOfTheLeft.com/Descript CHECK OUT OUR FANCY PRODUCTION SOFTWARE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Blinkist GET KEY INSIGHTS FROM THOUSANDS OF BOOKS! BestOfTheLeft.com/Bookshop BotL BOOKSTORE BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The massacre of Tulsa's "Black Wall Street" - Vox - Air Date 2-27-19 100 years ago, a white mob destroyed an American neighborhood called “Black Wall Street,” murdering an estimated 300 people in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ch. 2: Joseph Torres on Media & Tulsa Massacre - CounterSpin - Air Date 6-4-21 Janine Jackson interviewed Free Press’s Joseph Torres about media and the Tulsa Massacre for the June 4, 2021, episode of CounterSpin. Ch. 3: Blood on Black Wall Street - Excavating the Past - Into America - Air Date 6-3-21 100 years ago this week, a white mob burned down Tulsa's Greenwood District, a bustling business district. For decades, the government refused to acknowledge the Tulsa Race Massacre ever happened. Ch. 4: The Tulsa massacre, 100 years later - Today, Explained - Air Date 6-1-21 It was one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American history, but for a long time very few Americans learned what happened to the Black residents of the Greenwood district in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As President Biden signs legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday to mark the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation we speak to the writer Clint Smith MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Al talks to Michael Harriot, Senior writer at The Root online newspaper Sam and Emma host author Clint Smith, staff writer at the Atlantic, to discuss his new book, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America on how the legacy of slavery has been passed down and obscured through generations VOICEMAILS Ch. 8: University athletics - Alyson from Boulder, CO FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on Deadline for Democracy marches and Harriet Tubman's lifespan MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Historic, black and white photograph of the aftermath of the Greenwood Massacre (Tulsa, OK). A man in overalls and a hat walks through rubble, his face in silhouette. All around him is destruction, downed power lines, and the remnants of building facades. Credit: "Greenwood Massacre", Flickr | License | Changes: cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1425_Juneteenth.Tulsa_Massacre_Air_Date_6-23-21_General_-_6-23-21_17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:27pm EDT |
Sat, 19 June 2021
Air Date 6/19/2021 Today we take a look at the politics of obstruction in service to big donors' interests while sacrificing the ability to run a functioning democracy in the process. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Refer Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BestOfTheLeft.com/Descript CHECK OUT OUR FANCY PRODUCTION SOFTWARE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Blinkist GET KEY INSIGHTS FROM THOUSANDS OF BOOKS! BestOfTheLeft.com/Bookshop BotL BOOKSTORE BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: West Virginia's Robyn Kincaid on the maddening Joe Manchin - The BradCast - Air Date 6-9-21 Robyn Kincaid explains the mysteries of Manchin, the history of his family's political dynasty in the state, and key factors that may be at work in Manchin's inexplicable obstruction of Biden and the Democrats' agenda. Ch. 2: How Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out w/ Aída Chávez - Start Making Sense - Air Date 3-31-21 The political transformation of Kyrsten Sinema, the new senator from Arizona: She’s one of the two most conservative Democrats in the Senate—but Aida Chavez explains that she started out to the left of the Party. Breaking down the conflict-averse nature of the Democratic Party. Ch. 4: Breaking Down President Biden's $6 Trillion 2022 Budget - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-28-21 The president's budget attempts to incorporate plans on infrastructure, housing, and healthcare, and is likely to receive conservative backlash for raising the federal deficit. Ch. 5: What Does Joe Manchin Want? John Nichols on Filibuster Reform - Start Making Sense - Air Date 6-9-21 Congressional action could block voter law changes—but that requires filibuster reform, and Joe Manchin says he won’t vote for filibuster reform. What does Joe Manchin want? John Nichols comments. Ch. 6: Joe Manchin Gets Candid With Billionaire Donors in Leaked Audio - Deconstructed - Air Date 6-16-21 Sen. Joe Manchin reveals his thoughts on the filibuster in a leaked Zoom call with fundraisers. Ch. 7: Does America Have a Chance At Democracy? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-12-21 When a political party is more obsessed with identity than issues - America is in trouble. Can America function as a multi-racial, ethnic, religious democracy? MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: How Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out w/ Aída Chávez Part 2 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 3-31-21 The political transformation of Kyrsten Sinema, the new senator from Arizona: She’s one of the two most conservative Democrats in the Senate—but Aida Chavez explains that she started out to the left of the Party. Explaining Manchin's love of being the center of attention and those who love to use him as a shield against criticism BONUS Ch. 10: Curation Lesson #4 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on Bo Burnham's "Inside" TAKE ACTION! June 21st in D.C. & Virtual: Poor People's Campaign: March to Demand a 3rd Reconstruction | TW: @UniteThePoor Pressure Manchin & Sinema via No Excuses PAC | TW: NoExcuses_PAC Pressure Manchin via West Virginia Can’t Wait |TW: @WVCantWait Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Composite image. Photo of Sen. Kristen Sinema (D-AZ) on the left and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on the right. More than half of their images are overlaid with red, the rest with blue. A vector image of the U.S. Capitol is in the foreground, a rope is coiled around the dome being pulled at each end out of view. Credit: Composite image designed by Amanda Hoffman Image 1: "Kyrsten Sinema" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with overlays Image 2: "FAA REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION" by Senate Democrats, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with overlays
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson 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: 1424_Joe_Manchin.Filibuster_Air_Date_6-19-21_General_-_6-19-21_10.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:59am EDT |
Tue, 15 June 2021
Do you feel valued by your health insurance company? Because they are definitely working to extract as much value out of you as they can. Air Date: 6-4-21 - Broken health insurance exchanges - Health insurance company meddling - Health insurance companies using surveillance capitalism - Feeble efforts to resist commodification
Produced by: |
Sat, 12 June 2021
Air Date 6/12/2021 Today we take a look at the politics of sports including racism, sexism, capitalism, media and mental health. So, pretty much just like regular politics but with the one group of rich people who society broadly thinks don't have a right to be heard. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Refer Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BestOfTheLeft.com/Descript CHECK OUT OUR FANCY PRODUCTION SOFTWARE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Blinkist GET KEY INSIGHTS FROM THOUSANDS OF BOOKS! BestOfTheLeft.com/Bookshop BotL BOOKSTORE BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Professional sports are never more than an inch away from the deepest core of what's happening in America. They are an amazing crucible of politics and culture that manage to reflect the issues we are working through as a country. On this episode, we parse the racist, anti-labor characterization of athletes in media, how they are both scary threatening men and tiny children who shouldn't be paid and breakdown how this topic has cultural implications to other labor struggles. Ch. 3: Absurdly Racist NFL Scandal EXPOSED In New Pledge - The Damage Report - Air Date 6-3-21 The NFL pledged to halt the use of “race-norming”. John Iadarola and Dr. Rashad Richey break it down on The Damage Report. Jackie MacMullan made an inexcusable comment to Kyrie Irving. Rick Strom breaks it down. Ch. 5: Why College Athletes Don't Get Paid - Vice News - Air Date 12-29-19 College sports have become a multi-billion dollar industry, but the NCAA's regulations prohibit amateur athletes from profiting off their abilities to go pro. But a new lawsuit could completely uped the NCAA and the college athletic business model. Ch. 6: Hope Solo Wants Soccer Justice - Edge of Sports - Air Date 5-24-21 This week we speak to legendary goalkeeper Hope Solo about her 20 year career in USA Soccer and what she would do if she was in charge of the Federation. We get into issues concerning equal pay and the pushback. Ch. 7: Naomi Osaka, Athletes, and Mental Health - Past Present - Air Date 6-8-21 In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the controversy over tennis champion Naomi Osaka’s decision not to participate in post-match press conferences. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Sole By The Pound: Sonny Vaccaro on NCAA Sham Amateurism - Edge of Sports - Air Date 11-30-16 Today we speak to the most influential person in basketball who never laced up sneakers or coached on a sideline: former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro – the guy who connected sneaker money to so-called amateur hoops. Ch. 9: Megan Rapinoe - The Old Man and the Three with JJ Redick and Tommy Alter - Air Date 11-25-20 As a soccer superstar, Megan Rapinoe is beloved and admired worldwide. But as her millions of fans know, it's not just because of what she does on the pitch. A well known activist, she has been outspoken and a leading voice on several topics VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Critical Race Theory and objective facts - Christian from Arkansas FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the future continued breakdown of shared realities MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Cropped photo of four, African American, San Francisco 49ers football players kneeling on the side lines before a game during the national anthem, two with hands over their hearts. Other people of various races stand around them, one woman looks over at the kneeling players. Credit: "San Francisco 49ers National Anthem Kneeling" by Keith Allison | Wikimedia Commons | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1423_Sports_Racism_Labor_Air_Date_6-12-21_General_-_6-11-21_17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:00pm EDT |
Wed, 9 June 2021
Air Date 6/9/2021 Today we take a look at the motivations behind legislation being introduced in statehouses around the country to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory, criminalize the right to protest and limit the right to vote. Now if only there were some theory we could look to to understand the complicated interconnectedness of these subtly racist ideas... Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Refer Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BestOfTheLeft.com/Descript CHECK OUT OUR FANCY PRODUCTION SOFTWARE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Blinkist GET KEY INSIGHTS FROM THOUSANDS OF BOOKS! BestOfTheLeft.com/Bookshop BotL BOOKSTORE BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Most students in America are only taught about a handful of important Black Americans in history class. Here’s a look at why schools should teach students about race and why certain parents are opposed to that shift. Ch. 2: Critical Race Theory - Past Present - Air Date 5-25-21 In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the current controversy over critical race theory. Ch. 3: Elly Page on Anti-Protest Bills - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-23-21 If the Chauvin verdict is testament to the power of protest, so too are the vigorous efforts to squelch that power. Plus: Right-wing legislators target trans kids at the state level. Ch. 4: Not Ready For That Conversation - On The Media - Air Date 4-23-21 Tami Abdollah [@latams], national correspondent for USA Today, on how Republican-controlled legislatures across the country have been introducing bills to criminalize protests — or as they put it, to stop the rioting. Ch. 5: GOP States Are Pushing for Stricter Penalties for Protesters - The Takeaway - Air Date 4-27-21 The Takeaway spoke with Nora Benavidez, the director of U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America, and Elly Page, senior legal advisor at the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, working with the U.S. Protest Law Tracker. Extreme voting restrictions have advanced in several Republican-led states across the U.S., including in Florida. Mother Jones reporter Ari Berman says these efforts are an extension of former President Trump’s “big lie” about voter fraud. This “Trump grip” narrative is nonsense and it needs to stop —the Republican Party has made it crystal clear with their voter suppression efforts that they no longer believe in democracy. They are doing this because they want to. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Trey Martinez Fischer says the legislation would have “a tremendous impact” on ballot access in the state. “Just like every bad policy, Hispanics, Latinos and Asian Americans will be disproportionately impacted," "the time for a national response is now." Ch. 9: How Corporate Media Protects Violent Cops - Carlos Maza - Air Date 6-4-20 Police departments across America have declared war on unarmed protesters. They get away with it thanks to a corporate media ecosystem that helps shield cops from criticism and discredit the people protesting police brutality. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Lesson #3 The Value Proposition FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Iconography of a person speaking into a bullhorn with an arm up and other people icons listening to represent "protesting" with a red circle with a line through it over the image. Credit: "No protesting" by David Pursehouse | Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, enhanced contrast, saturation and brightness
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com 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: 1422_CRT_Protest_Voting_Air_Date_6-9-21_General_-_6-9-21_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:34pm EDT |
Sun, 6 June 2021
Air Date 6/6/2021 Today we take a look at the tensions building between the US and China with an emphasis on understanding the context in which China has grown from a Cold War afterthought into a force capable of challenging American hegemony. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com LISTEN TO UNF*CKING THE REPUBLIC! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Refer Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BestOfTheLeft.com/Descript CHECK OUT OUR FANCY PRODUCTION SOFTWARE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Blinkist GET KEY INSIGHTS FROM THOUSANDS OF BOOKS! BestOfTheLeft.com/Bookshop BotL BOOKSTORE BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Graham Allison: Is war between China and the US inevitable - TEDTalks - Air Date 11-20-18 Taking lessons from a historical pattern called "Thucydides's Trap," political scientist Graham Allison shows why a rising China and a dominant United States could be headed towards a violent collision no one wants. Ch. 2: The world's great powers - Worldly - Air Date 2-18-21 Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down one of the DC foreign policy world’s hottest new catchphrases: “great power competition.” It’s the idea that international politics in the 21st century will be dominated by a struggle for influence between the US & China. Ch. 3: The Century of Humiliation w/ Carl Zha - The East is a Podcast - Air Date 6-12-20 Carl Zha is the host of the Silk and Steel podcast. Ch. 4: Why Is China Investing Billions in Africa - NowThis World - Air Date 12-16-18 China has invested billions of dollars into the continent of Africa to build massive infrastructure projects in African countries. Ch. 5: China's trillion dollar plan to dominate global trade - Vox - Air Date 4-5-18 It's about more than just economics. Beijing has accused the U.S. of perpetuating a Cold War mentality as President Joe Biden and senior administration officials shore up alliances in the Pacific region to counter China’s growing influence MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Industrial Policy: How the Green New Deal's Architects Would Do IP - ChinaTalk - Air Date 5-13-21 Saikat and Zack take us inside the creation of the Green New Deal, lay out how bold leadership can change a nation's economic trajectory, lament Democrats' lukewarm appetite for industrial policy, and offer up their vision for a American developmental Rodney Jones, a long-time Asia analyst, colleague of Rob Johnson's, and currently Principal of Wigram Capital Advisors in New Zealand, discusses how China and other Pacific Rim countries succeeded in containing the Covid-19 pandemic VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Don't forget all the work that goes into the show - Nick From California Ch. 10: #1358 and explaining the systems of power - Quai from North Carolina FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the Center for Humane Technology as a response to Surveillance Capitalism MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: A Chinese flag waves just above an American flag in front of a background of trees. Image Credit: "American and Chinese flags" by futureatlas.com | Flickr
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: 1421_China_Air_Date_6-6-21_General_-_6-6-21_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:31pm EDT |
Tue, 1 June 2021
Air Date 6/1/2021 Today we take a look at the world of surveillance capitalism and the current age of techno-optimism that is just the newest iteration of the age-old effort to consolidate power and wealth by undermining individual freedom and democratic self governance. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Refer Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BestOfTheLeft.com/Descript CHECK OUT OUR FANCY PRODUCTION SOFTWARE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Blinkist GET KEY INSIGHTS FROM THOUSANDS OF BOOKS! BestOfTheLeft.com/Bookshop BotL BOOKSTORE BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Surveillance Capitalism: Shoshana Zuboff Part 1 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 7-16-20 Shoshana Zuboff discusses a world in which technology users are neither customers, employees, nor products. Instead, the raw material for new procedures of manufacturing and sales that define an entirely new economic order: a surveillance economy. From microscopic "smart dust" tracking devices to DNA-tracing tech and advanced facial recognition software, journalist Sharon Weinberger leads a hair-raising tour through the global, unregulated bazaar of privatized mass surveillance. Ch. 3: Surveillance Capitalism: Shoshana Zuboff Part 2 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 7-16-20 Shoshana Zuboff discusses a world in which technology users are neither customers, employees, nor products. Instead, the raw material for new procedures of manufacturing and sales that define an entirely new economic order: a surveillance economy. Ch. 4: 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? Ch. 5: Surveillance Capitalism: Shoshana Zuboff Part 3 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 7-16-20 Shoshana Zuboff discusses a world in which technology users are neither customers, employees, nor products. Instead, the raw material for new procedures of manufacturing and sales that define an entirely new economic order: a surveillance economy. Ch. 6: That Time Disney Built a Creepy Government - Wisecrack - Air Date 1-15-21 Disney World is beloved all over the globe for the pure escapism it offers. But the story behind this fantasy world is a lot weirder, and a whole lot less magical than it might seem. In Stephen's unfortunate new segment "Uh-Oh," he takes a look at the dangers posed by a Nevada bill that would allow big tech companies to build and govern their own cities without state oversight. What could go wrong? What does the digital acceleration in this pandemic mean for our future? Shoshana Zuboff spoke with Anthony Gooch. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Steve Durbin — Identity Is Weaponized - ISF Podcast - Air Date 3-29-21 ISF CEO Steve Durbin and producer Tavia Gilbert discuss the ISF’s latest report, Threat Horizon 2023: Security at a Tipping Point. Today, we dig deeper into the report’s second threat: Identity is weaponised. Ch. 10: Rana Foroohar: The Surveillance Economy - New Economic Thinking - Air Date 8-22-20 Financial Times columnist Rana Foroohar talks to Rob Johnson about how the pandemic opens the door to more surveillance technology from Silicon Valley, but also to a growing consensus on reigning in Wall Street excess. BONUS: Ch. 11: Curation Lesson #2: Alternative option explained VOICEMAILS Ch. 12: Mere aggregation - Diana Ch. 13: Use It or Lose It copyrights - Jonathan from Florida FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments to say thanks MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Close-up of a single human eye with the faded pattern impression of a microchip around the edges. Credit: Spying eye | Pixabay
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: 1420_Surveilance_Capitalism_Air_Date_6-1-21_General_-_6-1-21_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:56pm EDT |
Sat, 29 May 2021
Air Date 7/2/2019 Today we take a look at the ways in which Christians are being rallied to see themselves as the true victimized minority in America, a key component to stoking right-wing nationalism Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Refer Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Rise of the Christian Taliban - The Intercept with Mehdi Hasan - Air Date 6-20-18 Mehdi Hasan is here to warn you about a growing threat to the laws and values of the United States from a group of religious extremists and fanatics. Ch. 2: Reverse Discrimination Isn't A Thing - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 4-11-19 The religious right claims reverse discrimination in that they are being unfairly required to exist in the same world as trans people Ch. 3: Is Mike Pence Christian? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 4-15-19 Mike Pence argues that to be a Christian one must discriminate against gay people, prevent women from getting abortions or birth control, support tearing refugee children from their parents and prevent the working poor from having access to healthcare. Mike Pence insists that it's the Christians who are being discriminated against. Ch. 5: Educating and Engaging with Lyra McKee - This Way Out - Air Date 4-29-19 Lyra McKee (full TEDx talk) shares her experiences transforming lives with conversations in religious spaces Ch. 6: Master Plan to Dismantle LGBTQ Rights - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 4-25-19 What are the LGBTQ cases heading to the Supreme Court? It's 2019 and people can be fired for not adhering to heteronormative gender ideas. Corporate, Christian, Conservative resistance is damaging and disgusting. Ch. 7: House Passes the Equality Act - This Way Out - Air Date 5-20-19 The House passes the Equality Act in an effort to stop LGBTQ discrimination and ensuring their freedoms. GOP is pushing back with the fallacious idea that white Christians are being discriminated against. Ch. 8: Demand the Senate Pass the Equality Act & Protect Trans Health Rights - Best of the Left Activism Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. Republicans are always claiming that everything progressives do is an attack on religious liberty, even sometimes just existing by some people is seen as an attack on "religious freedom'... in the meantime, Republican speaker Paul Ryan fires a religious leader fires a Chaplain over politics? VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: From depression to anxiety - Corey from New Jersey Ch. 11: Prisoners dilemma and the presidential election - Heather FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the overthinking many do during primary elections TAKE ACTION! Tell the Senate to Pass the Equality Act Protect Trans Health: Comment on Trump’s Discriminatory Rule EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE 7 maps show the mess LGBT laws are in the USA (USA Today) The Senate should stand up for all Americans and pass the Equality Act (Rep. Patrick Maloney in The Hill) A History of Federal Non-Discrimination Legislation (93rd - 114th Congress) (Human Rights Campaign) Why Trump Is Rolling Back LGBTQ Health-Care Protections (The Atlantic) The Trump Administration Will Allow Health Workers To Refuse Abortion And Sex Reassignment Services (Buzzfeed) Researched & written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1286_Christian_Nationalism_Air_Date_7-2-19_Ad_Free_-_5-29-21_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:47pm EDT |
Tue, 25 May 2021
Air Date 5/25/2021 Today we take a look through a wide-angle lens at the current flareup of the conflict in Israel and Palestine including a discussion of disparate power dynamics, lived experience in Palestine, the creation story of Hamas, understanding the definition of apartheid and recognizing how the reactions in American politics and media are shifting. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Refer Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BestOfTheLeft.com/Descript CHECK OUT OUR FANCY PRODUCTION SOFTWARE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Blinkist GET KEY INSIGHTS FROM THOUSANDS OF BOOKS! BestOfTheLeft.com/Bookshop BotL BOOKSTORE BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Michael Brooks takes a question on Israel - The Mill Series - Air Date 3-9-20 The Mill Series hosted Michael Brooks at Lafayette College on Thurs Feb 27, 2020. Ch. 2: Life and Death in Occupied Palestine - Deconstructed - Air Date 5-21-21 On May 7, Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem during the evening prayer. Hamas responded a few days later by launching rockets from Gaza into Israel. Israel retaliated with its own strikes, and the violence escalated. Ch. 3: Blowback: How Israel Helped Create Hamas - The Intercept - Air Date 2-20-18 Did you also know that Hamas — which is an Arabic acronym for “Islamic Resistance Movement” — would probably not exist today were it not for the Jewish state? Ch. 4: Is Israel Guilty Of Apartheid Against Palestinians - AJ+ - Air Date 5-14-21 Although it’s most famously associated with the white supremacist regime that used to rule South Africa, apartheid is actually a crime with specific conditions. In this explainer, we look at what those conditions are and whether they truly apply to Israel Ch. 5: Focus on Palestine feat. Mohammad Alsaafin - Chapo Trap House - Air Date 5-20-21 Felix is joined by journalist for AJ+ Mohammad Alsaafin for a wide ranging discussion on Palestinian resistance and the future of Zionism and the Palestinian cause. Heather Digby Parton will be here to run down the biggest stories of the week. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Debunking Israel's Human Shield Defense in Gaza Massacre - Empire Files - Air Date 5-19-21 Abby Martin gives 5 points that evaporate Israel's assertion that the civilians it kills in Gaza were "human shields." Ch. 8: The U.S. Media Has A Palestine Problem - AJ+ - Air Date 5-22-21 Israeli occupation of Palestine tends to be a touchy subject for news media, so much so that they break journalistic standards and writing etiquette just to avoid implicating one party another BONUS Ch. 9: Curation Lesson #1: Definitions FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments playing a logical deduction guessing game in celebration of Towel Day MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1419_Israel_Air_Date_5-25-21_General_-_5-25-21_22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:44pm EDT |
Sat, 22 May 2021
Air Date 5/22/2021 Today we take a look at the global struggle to acquire and distribute sufficient doses of vaccine in an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. It is not going as well as one might hope. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy!
OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: PRODUCTION SOFTWARE: Check out the fancy audio/video editing/transcribing/collaborating software we use! BLINKIST: GET KEY INSIGHTS FROM THOUSANDS OF BOOKS! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? GET IN TOUCH!
SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Pandemic Immunoprivilege - In The Thick - Air Date 4-27-21 Ranna Ayyub writes for Time Magazine about the COVID-19 crisis in India and the Prime Minister’s failure to lead during this second wave. Dean Baker, a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, joined host Jamilah King on the podcast to talk about the impact this decision could have on bringing the pandemic to an end. The international disparity in vaccine access between rich and low-income countries highlights “the irrationality of global capitalism,” says acclaimed Filipino scholar and activist Walden Bello. Refuting the hollow arguments made by the likes of Bloomberg News against waiving the vaccine patents. We breakdown the anti-TRIPS waiver corporate and ideological forces behind the seemingly good-hearted #VaxLive concert on May 8th. Ch. 6: Covid Vaccines - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 5-3-21 John Oliver explains why some people don’t want to get the Covid-19 vaccine and how they might be reassured. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: James Love on Bill Gates & Vaccine Politics - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-7-21 How we navigate that has to do with media’s elevation of “experts” like Bill Gates raise serious questions about why we allow billionaires to set policy on something as important as public health. We talk about that with James Love. Ch. 9: Pandemic Immunoprivilege Part 2 - In The Thick - Air Date 4-27-21 VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Disney IP and copyright law - Nick From California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on our recent bonus episode about surveillance capitalism MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1418_Vaccine_Rollout_Air_Date_5-21-21_General_-_5-22-21_10.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:52am EDT |
Wed, 19 May 2021
Air Date 5/18/2021 Today we take a look at the potential of the end of American involvement in the war in Afghanistan as well as some of our recent actions related to Yemen and Syria as well as our relationship with Saudi Arabia. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com EPISODE SPONSORS: BOMBAS.COM/BEST | UNF*CKING THE REPUBLIC Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! SHOW NOTES President Biden announced a complete troop withdrawal from what he called the “forever war” in Afghanistan, by September 11th. “Only the Afghans have the right and responsibility to lead their country,” Biden said from the White House. Ch. 2: America is finally leaving Afghanistan - Worldly - Air Date 4-15-21 Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about President Joe Biden’s announcement that all remaining US troops will withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021 — the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that launched the war. Ch. 3: Let's End the War in Yemen - Deconstructed - Air Date 2-12-21 In his first significant foreign policy announcement since taking office, President Biden broke with both former presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama and declared an end to U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is deepening amid the pandemic and cuts to international aid from the United States and its allies, leaving millions of Yemenis facing famine after years of a brutal U.S.-backed, Saudi-led bombing campaign Ch. 5: Biden Bombs Syria - Empire Has No Clothes - Air Date 3-17-21 This week on Empire Has No Clothes, Kelley, Dan, and Matt discussed Joe Biden's decision to bomb Syria and what it means for his foreign policy going forward. We also talked with David Sterman of New America about what it means to have an endless war. Ch. 6: The Art of Fake-Ending Wars - Citations Needed - Air Date 4-14-21 In this episode, we discuss the United States' history of fake-ending wars, who these pronouncements are meant to please, why troops levels are often impossible to know, and why so many of our so-called "wars" are not really wars at all, but occupations MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Joe Biden's War Powers - Intercepted - Air Date 4-28-21 If you went back and looked at every foreign policy decision Joe Biden made — every single one — would you be any closer to understanding him? Ch. 8: Samantha Nutt: The real harm of the global arms trade - TEDTalks - Air Date 6-23-16 In some parts of the world, it's easier to get an automatic rifle than a glass of clean drinking water. Is this just the way it is? Samantha Nutt, doctor and founder of the international humanitarian organization War Child, explores the global arms trade VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Disney, racism and capitalism - Sasha Ch. 10: Recommending "Somebody" podcast for example of DARVO - Pat from Chicago FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on DARVO from the police in the Somebody podcast Bonus clip: Somebody MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1417_Afghanistan_War_Air_Date_5-18-21_General_-_5-19-21_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:30am EDT |
Fri, 14 May 2021
Air Date 7/20/2020 Systems maintain themselves through the efforts of many moving parts that need not understand their roles in maintaining the system as a whole, only their specialized task. Today, I use a case study incident to show how the system of racism defends itself against attack. Many separate parts, none of which understand how their individual actions connect to the larger system, work in complicated yet predictable ways to carry out this defense of racism much like the many specialized antibodies of an immune system work together to isolate and eradicate threats to the host. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Introduction to the story of a story Ch. 2: Yascha Mounk on antiracism in America - The Good Fight - Air Date 7-10-20 Ch. 3: Jay explains the fraught nature of interracial relationships Ch. 4: Introducing the Education Council Meeting incident - The Good Fight - Air Date 7-10-20 Ch. 5: Edward Irizarry speaks about the privilege and racial dynamics of the council Ch. 6: Explaining DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender Ch. 7: Robin Brochi responds to Edward Ch. 8: Tom demands to know what’s racist about holding a brown baby Ch. 9: Additional input from other council members Ch. 10: The story of the story Ch. 11: Recap and wrap up Original meeting video: CEC D2 Working Business Meeting June 29, 2020 16:55 - Edward Irizarry Speech 22:50 - Robin Brochi's Apology 26:25 - Tom Wrocklage asks what about his actions were racist 39:20 - Beginning of segment that is ultimately clipped out of context Tom's I-have-a-black-friend video: My friend from my living room on the June 11th CECD2 meeting FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: Rerun_1358_White_people_talking_about_race_Air_Date_7-20-20_Ad_Free_-_5-14-21_16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:58pm EDT |
Tue, 11 May 2021
Air Date: 5-11-21
Red Bull, Elon Musk, and Matt Gaetz - The Bulwark Brooke speaks with Lulu Miller about her new book, "Why Fish Don't Exist" Billy Bragg - Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted Commentary: I love Disney World, but wokeness is ruining the experience
Produced by: |
Sat, 8 May 2021
Air Date 5/8/2021 Today we take a look at the culture that Disney has helped create and how they did it, using cuteness as a weapon to push ideas from racist stereotypes and segregation to the masterful use of hollow nods toward progressivism while reinforcing the ethics of individualism in order to give systemic injustice a pass. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Racial Politics of Disney Animals Part 1 - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 8-28-15 Scholar, writer, and activist Walidah Imarisha is someone who’s been thinking hard about what stories Disney tells and why. She teaches a class on race and Disney films at Portland State University. Ch. 2: 40 Acres and a Movie - Still Processing - Air Date 4-8-21 Disney owns a piece of every living person’s childhood. Now it owns Marvel Studios, too. Jenna and Wesley look at depictions of racist tropes and stereotypes in Disney’s ever-expanding catalog. The company has made recent attempts to atone for its past. Ch. 3: The Racial Politics of Disney Animals Part 2 - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 8-28-15 Ch. 4: Woke Disney - Lindsay Ellis - Air Date 9-30-21 Nodding to progressive ideas while just proping up capitalism is just marketing. Ch. 5: Disneyfication of American History - American Hysteria - Air Date 1-25-21 Disney has been presenting a fairytale reality within a reality since the 1920s, a far cuter reality that mimics our reality until reality is no longer reality at all. Make sense? Ch. 6: How Disney Ruined Culture - Wisecrack - Air Date 11-9-20 It's no surprise that Disney has an absolute stranglehold on the culture we consume today. But the joys of the Magic Kingdom aside, what if it's actually kind of really bad for art? We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition: How Disney Ruined Culture. Ch. 7: The (Not So) Wonderful World of Disney - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 2-16-18 Sam talks to filmmaker and activist Abigail Disney, daughter of Roy E. Disney, about her views on inequality in the U.S., corporate greed and why, despite her last name, she's become one of the more vocal and prominent critics of The Walt Disney empire. Ch. 8: DED Talks: Why Walt Disney is Nothing Like You Think He Was - Cracked - Air Date 1-19-15 Disney tell's his story MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Disneyfication Of Cuteness - American Hysteria - Air Date 1-25-21 Disney has been presenting a fairytale reality within a reality since the 1920s, a far cuter reality that mimics our reality until reality is no longer reality at all. Make sense? Ch. 10: Copyright: Why We Can't Have Nice Things - Wisecrack - Air Date 4-23-21 This video, like everything else in the world, is copyrighted. But what does that really mean? Copyright laws started out as a way to protect creators from having their hard work stolen, but it's turned into something else entirely. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Ableism in the show - Alyson from Colorado FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on Woke Disney and Ableist language MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1416_Disney_Air_Date_5-8-21_General_-_5-8-21_12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:53pm EDT |
Wed, 5 May 2021
Air Date 5/5/2021 Today we take a look briefly at the trial of Derek Chauvin itself before moving on to various responses, a wide-angle lens on some of the forces at play in policing and the work still to be done. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Chauvin Found Guilty on All Counts - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 4-21-21 Introducing the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin Ch. 2: Chauvin Guilty - Criminal (In)justice - Air Date 4-22-21 A Minneapolis jury has found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd. What does it mean for criminal justice reform? We go to Minneapolis to speak with Kandace Montgomery, co-executive director of Black Visions Collective, about their response to the guilty verdict for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Staff writer for The New Republic, Osita Nwanevu, joins the show to share his thoughts on the conviction of Derek Chauvin. Sam Seder and the Majority Report crew discuss this. Ch. 5: What have we learned - Dr. Roger Ray Part 1 - Progressive Faith Sermons - Air Date 4-25-21 While we want to show respect and support for public servants generally, such respect must also be met, especially now, with a willingness to question authority and to challenge the racism and classism that is so deeply embedded in policing. Ch. 6: Live Event Announcement Join Jay and Roger Ray in a live discussion on Ch. 7: Why Cops Don't Change - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 4-19-21 A retired NYPD detective says the force’s stubborn, insular culture was built to last. And Elie Mystal explains a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that made killing “reasonable.” Ch. 8: What have we learned - Dr. Roger Ray Part 2 - Progressive Faith Sermons - Air Date 4-25-21 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Why Cops Don't Change Part 2 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 4-19-21 The guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin came as a relief to many nationwide, but the number of people killed by police since his trial began underscores the broader issues that remain. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: A rant for Patrons - Andy from New Orleans FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the business of progressive media MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1415_Chauvin_Trail.Police_Air_Date_5-5-21_General_-_5-5-21_21.28.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:41pm EDT |
Wed, 28 April 2021
Air Date 8/22/2020 Today we take a look at the long history and motivations for voter suppression, explain why it tends to help one party over the other and why vote-by-mail is the best solution to the majority of our voting problems. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Jay explains that voter suppression is like pointillism in that it can only be understood by taking a wide enough view
Ch. 3: The pointillism of voter suppression (continued)
Ch. 4: Victoria Bassetti of the Brennan Center on the myth of widespread voter fraud - @DecodeDC - Air Date 10-20-16
Ch. 7: Carol Anderson on the Realities of Voter Suppression - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-12-18
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments TAKE ACTION! Know Your Voting Rights & Make a Plan (ACLU) Let People Vote - State-by-State Rules & Options (ACLU) Volunteer for a 2020 Voter Protection Team (FairFight) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: "December 10 March for Voting Rights" by Michael Fleshman |Changes: cropped | License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1362_Politics_is_Pointallism_Back_Up_to_See_Things_Clearly_Voter_Suppression.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:14pm EDT |
Sat, 24 April 2021
Air Date 4/24/2021 Today we take a look at the major infrastructure investment plan proposed by the Biden administration, progressive perspectives arguing to make it better and the need to democratize the institutions that constitute our infrastructure. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy!
EPISODE SPONSORS: Check out UnF*cking The Republic Podcast! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Financial journalist and Exec Editor of The American Prospect, DAVID DAYEN, on Biden's infrastructure and public investment bill, how it will be funded, how it addresses economic inequality and the US social welfare infrastructure, what to expect next. Megan Cassella, Politico reporter covering Biden administration economic policy, talks about the big infrastructure proposal from President Biden. Ch. 3: Is America big enough to Go Big again? - Jim Hightower's Radio Lowdown - Air Date 4-13-21 It’s time for America to go back to the future – a future of true greatness created by a people united to build a strong nation for the Common Good. Ch. 4: Infrastructure, mobilization, survival w/ Laleh Khalili - This Is Hell! - Air Date 4-14-21 Political scientist Laleh Khalili on her article "Apocalyptic Infrastructures" for Noēma Magazine. Ch. 5: Infrastructure, Jobs, and More - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 4-5-21 Catherine Rampell, syndicated opinion columnist at The Washington Post, political/economic commentator at CNN and special correspondent at PBS NewsHour, runs through the latest in national politics and news. We’ll hear about the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act (AAIA) from Ernesto Falcon, senior legislative counsel at Electronic Frontier Foundation. Ch. 7: Live Event Announcement On this week's show, Prof. Wolff discusses how the US home rental market is failing over 20% of all renters, and the basic flaws in Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure proposal. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Financial journalist and Exec Editor of The American Prospect, DAVID DAYEN, on Biden's infrastructure and public investment bill, how it will be funded, how it addresses economic inequality and the US social welfare infrastructure, what to expect next. Ch. 10: Infrastructure, mobilization, survival w/ Laleh Khalili Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 4-14-21 Political scientist Laleh Khalili on her article "Apocalyptic Infrastructures" for Noēma Magazine. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Further thoughts on public welfare programs - Craig from Ohio Ch. 12: More thoughts U.S. complicity - Jonathan from New York FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on the new propaganda paradigm leading the charge at Fox News Bonus clip: THE QUESTION MARK - THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART - Air Date 9-13-06 Bonus clip: Tucker Carlson Jeopardy - The Daily Social Distancing Show - Air Date 2-15-21 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE Description: Worker in a hard hat installing fiber optiic internet cable lines from a giant spool into a concrete hole in the ground. Credit: "SRNL Fiber Optic Cable Installation" by Savannah River Site, Flickr | License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1414_Infrastructure_Bill_Air_Date_4-24-21_General_-_4-23-21_21.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:20pm EDT |
Wed, 21 April 2021
Air Date 4/21/2021 Today we take a look at the insurrection and police violence through the lens of White Supremacy and the rise of the likes of Tucker Carlson who has become the leading spokesman for laundering White Supremacist talking points through a marginally respectable facade. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft
SHOW NOTES "It is very hard not to see some fundamental contradictions in how our country, the state, wields force against its citizens," says Chris Hayes, comparing police responses in Black Lives Matter protests and the Capitol riot. Ch. 2: Black, White, and Blue - Progressive Faith Sermons - Air Date 4-18-21 While many are uncomfortable with calling for defunding the police, there is no way around the need for massive reform of our nation’s police force (and military) to root out the systemic racism that makes encounters between white police and black citizen Ch. 3: Tucker Carlson - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 3-15-21 Tucker Carlson is admired by white nationalists, elected officials, and maybe some of your relatives or coworkers. Given that he has the ear of so many Americans, John Oliver explains where Tucker came from and what his rhetorical tactics are Trevor reflects on the ever-present occurrence of deadly police violence against Black people in the U.S. and the seeming lack of cops willing to rise up and take a stand against it. Ch. 5: Did Tucker Carlson Order Insurrection - The Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-26-21 The last broadcaster to suggested something like this against the United States government, was Axis Sally. Worse it was all based on a lie that you might believe about the second amendment. According to reports, a group of House Republicans including Georgia's Marjorie Taylor Green and Arizona's Paul Gosar are forming an "America First Caucus" to protect "Anglo-Saxon political traditions." The Atlantic's Adam Serwer and Mehdi discuss Carlson's history of promulgating racist rhetoric on prime time television and its real-life consequences. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Arrest The Police - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 4-16-21 Jared and Nick have a frank discussion on policing in America in the wake of the Adam Toledo shooting in Chicago. Plus, they dissect what it is the Republicans are embracing considering the usual tropes don't seem to hold as much weight anymore. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments TAKE ACTION! If you pay for cable, you are supporting Fox News: UnFoxMyCableBox via Media Matters Tell Congress: I Won't Pay for Hate via Free Press EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE If you have cable, you are subsidizing Fox News. It might be time to cut the cord. Here's how (Daily Kos) ‘Fox News cheats’: Twitter explains how you pay Fox even if you don’t watch it—and how you can stop (Front Page Live) Fox News Foes Face Uphill Fight to Get Cable Network Dropped (Bloomberg) Tweet from Sleeping Giants on Carlson's lack of advertisers (Sleeping Giants) Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: An artist's rendering of Fox New's host Tucker Carlson, with knitted brows, wearing a Klu Klux Klan robe and hood and pointing straight ahead. The background is a Confederate flag. Credit: "Tukkker" by Paul Lee, Flickr | Public Domain
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1413_White_Supremacy.Tucker_Carlson_Air_Date_4-21-21_General_-_4-21-21_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:26pm EDT |
Sat, 17 April 2021
Air Date 4/17/2021 Today we take a look at the surge of anti-trans legislation coming from Republican-controlled state legislatures. Being concerned that suppressing voter turnout by targeting Black and Brown voters may not be enough to keep them in power, they are resorting to targeting another vulnerable population in the next of their infinite series of attempts to create a wedge issue by pitting people's lives and wellbeing against the prejudices of their constituents. We also examine the harm being inflicted on trans people, the trans-exclusionary Radical Feminists who have partnered with conservative coalitions to limit trans rights and briefly explore the world of sex-segregated athletics. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Problem with the Focus on the Family - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 4-9-21 We talk Sophie Bjork-James' book, the Divine Institution, to demonstrate how Evangelicals use the nuclear family in order to both attack members of the LGBTQ+ community and detract away from systemic issues related to race and other Public Health issues. Ch. 2: Debunking Myths About Trans People Part 1 - The Majority Report w Sam Seder - Air Date 4-10-21 Caller clarifies misinformation of data regarding trans identified youth vs youth referred to gender clinics. “We are truly witnessing an escalation of attacks on trans people unlike anything I’ve ever seen in government,” says Chase Strangio. We also speak with journalist and activist Raquel Willis, who says higher visibility for trans people is not enough. Dr. Joshua Safer, the executive director at Mount Sinai's Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, explains why gender-affirming therapies — such as puberty blockers or hormone treatment — are safe and healthy for trans youth. Ch. 5: Debunking Myths About Trans People Part 2 - The Majority Report w Sam Seder - Air Date 4-10-21 Ch. 6: A National Wave of Anti-Trans Bills Part 1 - What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Air Date 3-3-21 The coordinated flood of legislation isn’t new. But now, it’s targeting kids. Ch. 8: The "radical feminists" working against trans rights - Post Reports - Air Date 2-26-20 Samantha Schmidt on a strain of feminism that rejects the existence of transgender identity. Ch. 9: A National Wave of Anti-Trans Bills Part 2 - What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Air Date 3-3-21 Hudson Taylor's talk offers the following thesis: If we are to end homophobia and trans-phobia in the world of sports (and in the world at large), we must end sexism and gender stereotyping in sports first. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Misconceptions about trans people can be shaped by who tells their stories. Three trans journalists weigh in on how that should be done: Imara Jones - creator of TransLash Media, Kate Sosin - reporter at The 19th, Orion Rummler reporter at Axios. Ch. 12: The Problem with the Focus on the Family Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 4-9-21 We talk Sophie Bjork-James' book, the Divine Institution, to demonstrate how Evangelicals use the nuclear family in order to both attack members of the LGBTQ+ community and detract away from systemic issues related to race and other Public Health issues. Sociolinguist Archie Crowley deconstructs three common myths around language, demonstrating how it's a fluid system that naturally evolves in the direction of inclusion. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments on the messy nature of reality TAKE ACTION PasstheEqualityAct.com: *Lobby Day April 21st & #EqualityTime Phone Banking* Learn about end-the-filibuster pressure campaigns in BOTL Episode #1411 EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE What You Need To Know About the Equality Act (Center for American Progress) Why the Equality Act Is So Important (Rolling Stone) Beautiful, sacred and powerful: Inside the roller coaster fight for trans kids in Arkansas (Reckon South) The Roots of Anti-Trans Violence - Report (Transgender Law Center) This record-breaking year for anti-transgender legislation would affect minors the most (CNN) New poll shows Americans overwhelmingly oppose anti-transgender laws (PBS) Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Protest sign that says "TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS" with two Trans Pride flags on either side of the word "ARE." Credit: "Trans Rights are Human Rights" by Marc Nozell, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, blurred edges to wide image
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1412_Anti-Trans_Laws_Air_Date_4-17-21_General_-_4-17-21_11.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:13pm EDT |
Fri, 16 April 2021
TAKE ACTION PasstheEqualityAct.com: *Lobby Day April 21st & #EqualityTime Phone Banking* Learn about end-the-filibuster pressure campaigns in BOTL Episode #1411 EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE What You Need To Know About the Equality Act (Center for American Progress) Why the Equality Act Is So Important (Rolling Stone) Beautiful, sacred and powerful: Inside the roller coaster fight for trans kids in Arkansas (Reckon South) The Roots of Anti-Trans Violence - Report (Transgender Law Center) This record-breaking year for anti-transgender legislation would affect minors the most (CNN) New poll shows Americans overwhelmingly oppose anti-transgender laws (PBS)
Posted April 16, 2021; Written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman Hear the segment in the context of Best of the Left Edition #1412: Trans People as Disposable Chess Pieces in a Despicable Political Game
Direct download: Activism-_Tell_the_Senate_to_Pass_the_EqualityAct_to_Protect_LGBTQ_Rights_and_More.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:40pm EDT |
Wed, 14 April 2021
Air Date 4/14/2021 Today we take a look at the one element of our government that, above all others, has contributed to the absolute disfunction of our democracy. The filibuster was never intended by the founders, always anti-democratic, often used for racist ends and is now being abused at a rate never before seen. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSORS: BOMBAS.COM/BEST Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Filibuster - Last Week Tonight - Air Date 9-9-19 John Oliver explains why filibusters exist, why they shouldn't, and why it's stupid to drink coffee like a cat. President Joe Biden has promised swift action on the pandemic, the economic crisis and more, but much of his agenda hinges on whether he can get enough support in the Senate. Mitch McConnell is on a warpath, and he's getting all his favorite lies lined up. Sam Seder and the Majority Report crew discuss this. Adam Jentleson, who served as a former senior aide to Sen. Harry Reid, joins Mehdi Hasan to explain the history of the filibuster and how, according to Jentleson, it helps conservatives override the nation's democratic system. Ch. 5: Is Filibuster Reform Mitch McConnell's 'Kryptonite?' - Zerlina. - Air Date 3-16-21 Rep. John Yarmuth thinks so. He explains to Zerlina Maxwell why the rule is so important to the Senate Minority Leader, and why McConnell is “scared to death” about the possibility that Democrats will abolish it. Ch. 6: What Is Manchin's Real Agenda w/ David Sirota - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-11-21 David Sirota explains the motivations and unseen pressures playing on Joe Manchin as he continuously pivots his position on the filibuster. Ch. 7: Activism: Support No Excuses PAC and W.V. Cant Wait - Best of the Left - 4-14-21 Ch. 8: Now Is the Time to End the Filibuster - Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman - Air Date 3-18-21 Amy Goodman gives a commentary explaining the need to end the filibuster. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Adam Jentleson, former deputy chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, talks with Rachel Maddow about why it's a good idea for Senate Democrats to reform the filibuster and pass popular legislation Ch. 10: Reid Calls for Filibuster Reform to End Gridlock - Nevada Senator Harry Reid - Air Date 11-22-13 On the Senate floor, Senator Reid laid out why we need to reform the rules to ensure qualified presidential nominees get up-or-down votes. Ch. 11: What Is Manchin's Real Agenda w/ David Sirota Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-11-21 VOICEMAILS Ch. 12: Wading into the discussion on the child tax credit - Dave from Olympia, WA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on racism and population TAKE ACTION! EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Parliamentarian Rules Democrats Can Officially Bypass the Filibuster (Truthout) Inside the West Virginian Movement to Push Joe Manchin to the Left (The New Republic) Progressive PAC kick-starts search for challengers to Manchin, Sinema (Politico) Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Cartoon version of Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell holding a chart that says "Republican Filibusters." The horizontal bar graph below the title shows an X axis starting with "88th term 1963-64" and ending with "110th term 2007-2008." The bar values range from 3 at the beginning of the time-line to "153 Projected for end of term" at the end. Credits: "Mitch McConnell, Filibuster King" by DonkeyHotey, Flickr | License | Changes: Increased white background to make vertical image square, smudged existing shadow to extend farther, dark blue border added
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1411_Filibuster_Air_Date_4-14-21_General_-_4-14-21_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:41pm EDT |
Sat, 10 April 2021
Air Date 4/10/2021 Today we take a look at the need for a modern assessment of the corporate monopolies who dominate our online and offline experiences, including seeing the negative consequences of monopolies through a racial justice lens. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSORS: Unf*cking the Republic Podcast Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Cory Doctorow, award-winning author, technologist, and founder, joins Azeem Azhar to explore the power of big tech monopolies and how a future wave of antitrust lawsuits could unleash innovation across the sector. Ch. 2: Google and the use and abuse of economic modeling - Follow The Money - Air Date 2-16-21 In this week's episode we unpack what the code is, what it does, why it's necessary and what happens next with Director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Responsible Technology, Peter Lewis. Ch. 4: The Facebook News Blackout and the News Media Bargaining Code - Follow The Money - Air Date 2-23-21 In this week's episode we unpack what the code is, what it does, why it's necessary and what happens next with Director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Responsible Technology, Peter Lewis. Rebecca talks to Jeremie Greer--one of Liberation in a Generation's co-founders and co-exec directors--about centering grassroots leaders of color in the anti-monopoly movement, and reimagining the antitrust movement’s work through a racial justice lens. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Google and the use and abuse of economic modeling Part 2 - Follow The Money - Air Date 2-16-21 In Anti-Monopoly Activism: Reclaiming Power through Racial Justice, Jeremie Greer and Solana Rice (co-founders and co-executive directors of Liberation in a Generation) argue for organizers of color to be embedded—and centered—in the anti-monopoly fight. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Child tax credits don't cause population booms - Erin from Philadelphia Ch. 12: Biden and China - Jonathan from New York FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on child welfare programs, birth rates and uncomfortably honest political talk MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1410_Tech_Monopolies_Air_Date_4-10-21_General_-_4-10-21_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:19pm EDT |
Thu, 8 April 2021
Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss: - The great shames of the nation - A comparison between Korean-language and English-language coverage of the Atlanta shootings - When it comes to catalyzing a will to change, seeing is believing (and motivating) - The GOP culture wars are about to go scorched-earth because they have nothing else References: Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on iTunes! |
Tue, 6 April 2021
Air Date 6/17/2020 Today we take a look at the uprising sparked by the killing of George Floyd in the context of a world in which that event was just the last straw in an innumerable series of straws. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: A Decade Of Watching Black People Die - Code Switch - Air Date 5-31-20 The last few weeks have been filled with devastating news — stories about the police killing black people. At this point, these calamities feel familiar — so familiar, in fact, that their details have begun to echo each other. Tamika Mallory: “At this point, we’re looking at a nation and a world that has decided that what we saw happen on camera … is no longer acceptable... people have taken to the streets to demand change." Ch. 3: Trevor Speaks Out About the Murder of George Floyd - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-1-20 Trevor discusses the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, the Minneapolis protests, and how racial injustice and police brutality continue to impact black Americans. Ch. 4: Why The 2020 Anti-Racism Uprisings Feel Different - News Beat - Air Date 6-5-20 A veteran of the 1967 Newark Rebellion discusses George Floyd’s death, the culture of police brutality, and whether today's movement can produce change. Ch. 5: Structural robbery, mass resistance with William C. Anderson - This Is Hell! - Air Date 6-4-20 Writer William C. Anderson on the real theft in capitalist society and the uprisings against it, and his article "Forget 'Looting.' Capitalism Is the Real Robbery" for Truthout. Ch. 6: Uprisings Against Police Killings of Black People - Sojourner Truth Radio - Air Date 6-3-20 After a week of protests, the nationwide (and now worldwide) uprising against racism and police killings of Black people in response to the murder of George Floyd continues to grow. Ch. 7: The thin blue line between looting and standard economics - The Bugle - Air Date 6-6-20 Andy, Hari and Tom react to the protests in the USA. We hear the voices of Floyd’s brother Philonise and Reverend Al Sharpton, who urged those gathered “to stand up in George’s name and say, 'Get your knee off our necks!'” Ch. 9: Protests Sweep Across the Globe - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-9-20 Americans take to the streets in historic numbers to protest police brutality, the demand for books about racism skyrockets, and meaningful police reform catches on. Ch. 10: This Is Not a Game - In The Thick - Air Date 6-12-20 Maria and Julio get into how race and activism show up in sports - historically and in the current Black Lives Matter movement - with Howard Bryant, a senior writer for ESPN and correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition. Ch. 11: NFL's Roger Goodell We Were Wrong, #BlackLivesMatter - The Young Turks - Air Date 6-5-20 NFL's commissioner has released a statement saying they were wrong to stop protests. Ch. 12: Amanpour Knows an Uprising When She Sees One - Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 6-9-20 CNN International anchor Christiane Amanpour has seen a lot of unrest around the globe. She says we have to see the George Floyd protests for what they are. An uprising. Ch. 13: The Racial Justice Uprising in the U.S. is Taking Hold Overseas - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-8-20 Many foreign leaders have condemned the killing of George Floyd, but demonstrators outside of the U.S. are also attempting to call attention to racial injustice within their own borders. Ch. 14: Protest, Pain & Hope with Karen Attiah - Stay Tuned with Preet - Air Date 6-4-20 Washington Post Global Opinions editor Karen Attiah discusses the ongoing protests sparked by police brutality, legacies of racial violence in America, and the language we use to speak about inequality. Ch. 15: Roundtable On Police Killings & Global Resistance - Sojourner Truth Radio - Air Date 6-5-20 We look at the international response to the police killing of George Floyd. Countries are now being forced to face their own racism and the inter-relationship between racism and imperialism. Ch. 17: Voices of the uprising - Sojourner Truth Radio - Air Date 6-5-20 Highlighting the voices of protesters TAKE ACTION Join The Movement for Black Lives' SixNineteen mobilization: 6/19 (Juneteenth) through 6/21 Visit SixNineteen.com to find events near you, participate virtually, join the D.C. action, or register your own event Text DEFEND to 90975 to get updates on #SixNineteen and future actions Follow @Mvmnt4BlkLives and use #DefendBlackLives , #SixNineteen , #BlackLivesMatter ,& #DefundthePolice on Twitter EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE #SIXNINETEEN: Movement For Black Lives Calls For Juneteenth Actions (Essence) An American Uprising (The New Yorker) What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police? (The Cut, NY Magazine) America, This is Your Chance (NY Times Op-Ed, Michelle Alexander) Police Erupt in Violence Nationwide (Slate) Freedom to Thrive: Reimagining Safety & Security in Our Communities (Popular Democracy) Resources for White People to Learn and Talk About Race and Racism (Fractured Atlas) A Letter to White People Engaged in Conversations Around the Phrase “Defund The Police” (Medium) Louisville police release the Breonna Taylor incident report. It's virtually blank (Louisville Courier Journal) This Is How Hard It Is to Invest in Black Neighborhoods (Bloomberg CityLabs)
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1353_George_Floyd_Uprising_Air_Date_6-17-20_-_6-17-20_20.37_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:35pm EDT |
Sat, 3 April 2021
Air Date 4/03/2021 Today we take a look at the need for reform to our gun laws through the lens of the recent mass shootings. Support for various reform measures reaches as high as 90% approval in the US, making it one of the most stark examples of our broken, unresponsive, undemocratic government. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES NBC News' Jacob Ward takes a look at the impact the coronavirus pandemic had on mass shootings and gun violence to see how those trends might change now that states begin to lift Covid-19 restrictions. As gun violence flares up once again in this country, Republicans are quick to change the subject while gun apologists roll out their standard response to calls for reform: now is not the time. Ch. 3: The gun solution we're not talking about - Vox - Air Date 9-11-19 Universal background checks won't fix America's gun crisis. But there's something else that might. Rachel Maddow looks back on how Joe Manchin, with Pat Toomey, in the wake of the Sandy Hook gun massacre, supplanted President Obama's call for universal background checks Gun safety advocate Fred Guttenberg, who lost his daughter Jamie in the Parkland school shooting, expresses his frustration with the lack of gun safety legislation, and calls to end the hold the NRA has on Republicans. Ch. 6: Igor Volsky on Ending Gun Violence - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-26-21 This week on CounterSpin: If you look, you can find reminders that the Second Amendment was forged, distressingly, with the aim of preserving “slave patrol” militias in the South. And that courts consistently interpreted it as meaning a “collective” right Ch. 7: Can You Look At The Carnage Of Gun Violence? - The Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-24-21 Could you look at the mangled bodies of Americans murdered by gun violence without demanding that guns stop being so available? Ch. 8: Ban Assault Weapons Now - Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman - Air Date 3-25-21 The massacres in Boulder, Colorado, with ten killed, and in metro Atlanta, with eight killed, are just two more instances of senseless gun violence enabled by the NRA. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: A Look Back at Colorado's History of Mass Shootings - The Takeaway - Air Date 3-26-21 A Look Back at Colorado's History of Mass Shootings Lt. Joe Kenda (ret.) was a detective with the Colorado Springs Police Department for twenty years. During that time, he solved 356 of the 387 murder cases he investigated. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Maintaining beliefs and cognitive dissonance - Nick from California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the cognitive biases related to aquiring new information TAKE ACTION! MFOL Aid and Alliance - A resource sharing program that will distribute nearly $500k to support anti-violence work led by BIPOC youth organizations and activists on the ground. Directly supporting communities most impacted by gun violence and decentering whiteness in the movement. MFOL Policy Demands for Biden-Harris Administration EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Violence Against Women Act Runs Into GOP Objections on Guns and Trans Rights (Mother Jones) $5 Billion For Violence Prevention Is Tucked Into Biden Infrastructure Plan (NPR) Can New Gun Violence Research Find a Path Around the Political Stalemate? (NY Times) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Young woman holds a sign at a rally that has the crossed-out words "Thoughts and Prayers." Underneath, it says "REFORM." Credit: "March for Our Lives, NYC" by mathiaswasik, Flickr | License | Changes: cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1409_Gun_Control_Air_Date_4-02-21_General_-_4-2-21_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:26am EDT |
Wed, 31 March 2021
Air Date 3/31/2021 Today we take a look at the history of anti-Asian hate in America dating back to the very first racially discriminatory immigration law, the ramifications of our imperial exploits in the Philippines, the pattern of lynchings, the myth of the "model minority" and the role of White Supremacy to keep everyone in their roles and White people ignorant of it all. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft
SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Missing History of Asian America Part 1 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 3-22-21 Helen Zia, author of Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People and other books about the Asian American community. She tells the story of that era’s scapegoating of Asian Americans, and draws a line all the way back to the 18th century. The crew speaks with professors Jane Junn and Karthick Ramakrishnan about the context of the Atlanta attacks and how Asian-American political participation has evolved in recent decades. Ch. 3: A History of Hate - In The Thick - Air Date 3-23-21 Maria and Julio unpack the root causes that led to this tragedy with Sung Yeon Choimorrow, ED of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, and Kristine Villaneuva, a journalist and project editor at Resolve Philly’s “Equally Informed” initiative. Ch. 4: The Missing History of Asian America Part 2 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 3-22-21 Helen Zia, author of Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People and other books about the Asian American community. She tells the story of that era’s scapegoating of Asian Americans, and draws a line all the way back to the 18th century. Anti-Asian hate in the United States is “not anything new,” says Viet Thanh Nguyen, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Vietnamese American writer. “The history of anti-Asian violence in this country goes back to as long as we’ve had Asian immigrants in this country Talking About the Atlanta Shooting, Purity Culture, & Anti-Asian American Violence. Ch. 7: Take Action to #StopAsianHate & Protect APPI Communities via @StopAAPIHate Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/activism. Ch. 8: Reacting to the Atlanta Shootings - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 3-28-21 Imani and Jess talk about the increasing violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, the importance of allyship in its wake, and how racist stereotypes against the AAPI community are also fueling new anti-choice legislation Ch. 9: A History of Pandemic Xenophobia & Racism - Social Distance - Air Date 3-24-21 Jim and Maeve speak with Alexandre White, a sociologist and medical historian at Johns Hopkins University. He shares his views on how a legacy of prejudice tied to disease should lead us to reexamine how we respond when outbreaks occur. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: The Missing History of Asian America Part 3 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 3-22-21 Arun Venugopal, senior reporter in WNYC’s Race and Justice Unit, shares his reporting on the community in New York City, which has emerged as an epicenter of day to day reports of harassment and violence. Talking About the Atlanta Shooting, Purity Culture, & Anti-Asian American Violence VOICEMAILS Ch. 12: Preferring guaranteed jobs and universal social safety net - Craig from Ohio Ch. 13: Further thoughts on the child tax credit - Rich FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments on White Ignorance and White Supremacy TAKE ACTION Stop AAPI Hate Calls to Action: Donate to 40 local U.S. AAPI organizations via Movement Hub Ask your elected officials what they are doing to combat anti-Asian hate Advocate for expanded civil rights protections safeguarding Asian Americans and others Support Ethnic Studies in your local school districts and educational institutions Support local Asian-owned businesses EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE How to stop the dangerous rise in hatred targeted at Asian Americans (USA Today) A Tense Lunar New Year for the Bay Area After Attacks on Asian-Americans (NY Times) Hundreds of volunteers are escorting elderly Asian Americans to keep them safe (The Hill) The history of fetishizing Asian women (Vox) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Three women at a rally against anti-Asian racism. An Asian woman in the middle holds a hand-written cardboard sign that says "We are not the virus. Hate is." Another sign to the right says "Stop Asian Hate." Credit: "Stop Asian Hate Rally @ Art Gallery" by GoToVan, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, increased brightness &. contrast
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1408_Anti-Asian_Hate_Air_Date_3-31-21_General_-_3-31-21_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:38pm EDT |
Sun, 28 March 2021
Air Date 3/28/2021 Today we take a look at the progress being made on the effort to reform and defund the police in America as well as the reignited campaign to make society safe for women in the wake of the Sarah Everard murder in the UK. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Austin’s Plan To Defund The Police - In The Loop - Air Date 2-22-21 Another Grim Milestone & Austin’s Plan To Defund The Police House Democrats passed a landmark bill Wednesday that would expand voting rights and another key piece of legislation on police reform through the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act -- something Democrats have been pushing for since the death of Floyd. The House passed the sweeping George Floyd Justice in Policing Act this week. But as long as partisan politics remains the status quo, lawmakers will continue to fail Black Americans. MTV News correspondent Dometi Pongo explains. Ch. 4: Fight to Pass the George Floyd Act, BREATHE Act, & Take LOCAL Action! - Best of the Left Activism Ch. 5: Republicans Vote Against Protecting Women - The Rational National - Air Date 3-18-21 172 members of the house Republican caucus voted against the renewal of the VAWA. Ch. 6: The Problem With the Violence Against Women Act; - Ring of Fire Radio - Air Date 3-26-21 This week on Ring of Fire, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University and Abigail Higgins, a journalist covering inequality health and gender join us to discuss their piece in The Nation. Despite the High Court rejecting a challenge against the police’s ban of Sarah Everard's vigil, Telegraph Columnists Bryony Gordon and Claire Cohen said they will still attend. Ch. 8: Sarah Everard & Violence Against Women - TyskySour - Air Date 3-12-21 The disappearance and death of Sarah Everard has shone a spotlight on the epidemic of violence against women in Britain, and has provoked an outpouring from women on social media sharing their own experience of harassment, threats and violence Ch. 9: Why women feel unsafe on Britain's streets - Channel 4 News - Air Date 3-11-21 "We are tired of having to pre-empt possible violence. Of having to risk assess every ordinary action every day, every hour of our lives". Ch. 10: Sarah Everard's vigil aggressively broken up by London police - CNN UK - Air Date 3-14-21 The British government is calling for an investigation after police aggressively broke up a vigil being held for Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old woman whose alleged murder while walking home in South London has reignited a national debate in Britain MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 11: The Economics of Abolition - The Laura Flanders Show - Air Date 12-24-20 “Defund the police” became a rallying cry in the summer of 2020 as demonstrators flooded streets across the United States to demand an end to police brutality in the wake of the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd at the hands of the police. Ch. 12: Into Defunding the LAPD - Into America - Air Date 6-11-20 ‘Defund the police’ has become a familiar rallying call at protests across the country. It’s a push to reduce the size of police department budgets, in order to reallocate resources to other parts of the community. And a few cities leaders are listening. VOICEMAILS Ch. 13: Taking kids from parents and the racism of anti-immigration - Bud from Boise FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments on how to report the truth while lying to the high heavens TAKE ACTION! Fight to improve & pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act Fight to pass the BREATHE Act (Movement for Black Lives) (BOTL segment from last summer) Join a local organization or chapter fighting police brutality: some suggestions Explore the ACLU's FIGHTING POLICE ABUSE: A COMMUNITY ACTION MANUAL EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE George Floyd Justice in Policing Act Explained (Note: Headline updated) (Vox) Now is the time to revolutionize policing (BREATHE Act) (Vox) Movement for Black Lives opposes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (PBS) Why Police Brutality Is a Public Health Issue (Self) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Memorial for Sarah Everard in the U.K. Photo of a tree in a park with flowers and candles at the base and a sign tied to the trunk that reads "#ReclaimTheseStreets!". A woman with a face mask is bending over to add flowers to the memorial. Credit: "Vigil for Sarah Everard in Sheffield" by Tim Dennell, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped and increased contrast and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1407_Police_Reform.Sarah_Everard_Air_Date_3-28-21_General_-_3-28-21_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:19pm EDT |
Fri, 26 March 2021
Air Date: 3-26-21 Sign up for a membership to hear the full show! Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss: Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by:
Direct download: Bonus_Show_227_Sample_-_3-26-21_2329.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:28pm EDT |
Tue, 23 March 2021
Air Date 3/23/2021 Today we take a look at the American Rescue Plan and discuss what it does, where it falls short and whether it could signal the end of an era. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSORS: Unf*cking the Republic Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES President Biden today signed his American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion COVID rescue and relief package that history may someday regard as the long-overdue end of the four-decade old Reagan Era. Zero Republicans in the House or Senate voted for it. We speak with economist Stephanie Kelton, author of "The Deficit Myth," about how the bill could help cut child poverty in half and provide a historic economic boost to the poorest people in the United States. Ch. 3: End of Conservative Era? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-15-21 Are we leaving Reagan and Nixon behind for a new FDR era? Is America waking up to the horrors of Reagan and Nixon? President Biden today signed his American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion COVID rescue and relief package that history may someday regard as the long-overdue end of the four-decade old Reagan Era. Zero Republicans in the House or Senate voted for it. Ch. 5: Help Is On the Way - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 3-12-21 To break down the major income-boosting elements in the ARP Act, and a look at what families can expect to receive in economic relief— Seth Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and a former advisor to President Obama for tax policy. Biden has signed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, Democrats are hailing as the largest anti-poverty bill in a generation. “This is transformational,” says economist Joseph Stiglitz. “It says, 'We are actually going to live up to our aspirations" Ch. 7: What's In Biden's Relief Bill - The Majority Report w Sam Seder - Air Date 3-13-21 Highlighting the change in political philosophy that this relief bill demonstrates as well as understanding the 'stickiness' of good policy that helps people Prof. Richard Wolff explains that this relief bill is not a giant giveaway, it's a small downpayment on returning what is owed to the poor and working classes for the upward redistribution of wealth over the past 50 years Ch. 9: Stimulate This Beyotch - Unf*cking the Republic - Air Date 3-19-21 An analysis of the outcome of the relief bill and what it says about our country's ability to govern itself thoughtfully. And alsop swearing. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Moderate Democrats and Republicans alike repeated one common criticism—that infusing so much money into the economy would cause inflation. Austan Goolsbee, past Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, explains why those fears are misplaced. Prof. Richard Wolff explains concierge doctors and the privatization of everything. VOICEMAILS Ch. 12: Universal earned income benefits - Scott Ch. 13: No Payments to Families with Children - Rich FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments on child welfare programs and perverse incentives EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE The goal is "Improved Medicare for All" and we must keep pushing for it, but if you need help right now, you should know... NY Times: "The American Rescue Plan [...] would increase government subsidies to health insurers for covering recently laid-off workers and those who purchase their own coverage." NY Times: "The first step of the federal upgrade should be ready by April 1: Healthcare.gov, where people sign up for insurance in 36 states, will start showing prices that reflect the new policy." Need Health Insurance? A Guide to New Options Under the Stimulus. (NY Times) Obamacare’s About to Get a Lot More Affordable. These Maps Show How. (NY Times) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Image Description: In foreground, a gravestone with the words "R.I.P. Reaganism" and in the background, part of a stimulus check from the U.S. Department of Treasury. Credit: Composite design & text by Amanda Hoffman. Grave image (Pixabay), Stimulus check image (Pixabay)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1406_American_Rescue_Plan_Air_Date_3-23-21_General_-_3-23-21_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:39pm EDT |
Sat, 20 March 2021
Air Date 3/19/2021 Today we take a look at the decades-old problems with our immigration system, what changes are being made under the new administration, and some of the underlying causes for the massive disfunction we have in addressing the issue. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSORS: The New Yorker Magazine Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Biden Eyes Sweeping Immigration Reform Legislation - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 2-18-21 Deputy White House Communications Director Pili Tobar joins Mehdi Hasan to discuss the Biden administration's immigration reform agenda, and how the president plans to get the votes necessary to pass the most comprehensive immigration reform bill in years Overflowing ICE detention centers. Families separated at the border. A multi-billion-dollar border wall. Over the course of his four-year presidency, Donald Trump used executive power to wage war on the United States’ immigration system Ch. 3: The First 100: Joy Olson - Only in America with Ali Noorani - Air Date 1-27-21 Among President Biden's immigration actions is a $4 billion four-year plan to address root causes of migration in Central America. But when lawmakers talk about addressing migration's “root causes,” what do they really mean? The Biden administration is struggling to address the flow of migrant children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents, many fleeing extreme violence, poverty and natural disasters in their home countries Ch. 5: Biden's Immigration Agenda Tested at the Border - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 3-9-21 With the number of unaccompanied migrant kids in U.S. custody tripling in recent weeks, Florida Immigration Coalition Spokesperson Melissa Taveras joins Mehdi Hasan to discuss the implications for Biden's immigration policy. Join Detention Watch Network's #FirstTen to #CommunitiesNotCages Week of Action - March 22nd-26th Ch. 7: The business of immigrant labor w/ Ruth Milkman - This Is Hell! - Air Date 3-10-21 Sociologist Ruth Milkman on the dynamics of immigration law and low-wage work, and her new book "Immigrant Labor and the New Precariat" for Polity Books. Ch. 8: The Democrats' Long War on Immigrants - Intercepted - Air Date 2-17-21 As Joe Biden took the oath of office this January, Guatemalan security forces at the Honduran border thwarted thousands of U.S.-bound migrants. Decades-long American imperialism has facilitated displacement throughout the region MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: The Democrats' Long War on Immigrants Part 2 - The Intercept - Air Date 2-17-21 Ch. 10: Separating Children: Laura Briggs - Future Hindsight - Air Date 2-18-21 Laura Briggs is the author of Taking Children: A History of American Terror. We discuss the history of child separation for political ends, ranging from the enslaved and Native children, to the children of the poor and Central American refugees. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Biden needs media training but isn't aggressively evil - Dave from Olympia, WA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the mental drain of media BS and the need for small victories TAKE ACTION: Join Detention Watch Network's #FirstTen to #CommunitiesNotCages Week of Action - March 22nd-26th Follow @DetentionWatch Support anti-detention state legislation in Maryland, New Mexico, & Washington EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE: ‘Like an Experimental Concentration Camp’: Whistleblower Complaint Alleges Mass Hysterectomies at ICE Detention Center (Law & Crime) “A SILENT PANDEMIC”: Nurse at ICE Facility Blows the Whistle on Coronavirus Dangers (The Intercept) COVID-19 Outbreak Reported at Otero County Prison Facility (US News & World Report) New Report Documents Systemic Abuse at a New Mexico Immigrant Detention Center (Innovation Law Lab) Thousands of immigrants suffer in solitary confinement in U.S. detention centers (NBC News) Op-Ed: Why abuse and neglect of immigrants proliferate in ICE detention (LA Times) A Cage is Still a Cage: President Biden Must End U.S. Detention of Children and Families (TIME) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Image Description: Close up of a protest sign that reads "Immigration is inevitable. Cruelty is optional.' in hand-written, multi-colored lettering. A smaller sign is held in the background that says "END DETENTION." Credit: "Protesting ICE and Deportation Raids Chicago Illinois 7-13-19_1836" by Charles Edward Miller, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped and increased contrast
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1405_Biden_Immigration_Air_Date_3-19-21_General_-_3-19-21_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:00am EDT |
Fri, 19 March 2021
TAKE ACTION: Join Detention Watch Network's #FirstTen to #CommunitiesNotCages Week of Action - March 22nd-26th Follow @DetentionWatch Support anti-detention state legislation in Maryland, New Mexico, & Washington EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE: ‘Like an Experimental Concentration Camp’: Whistleblower Complaint Alleges Mass Hysterectomies at ICE Detention Center (Law & Crime) “A SILENT PANDEMIC”: Nurse at ICE Facility Blows the Whistle on Coronavirus Dangers (The Intercept) COVID-19 Outbreak Reported at Otero County Prison Facility (US News & World Report) New Report Documents Systemic Abuse at a New Mexico Immigrant Detention Center (Innovation Law Lab) Thousands of immigrants suffer in solitary confinement in U.S. detention centers (NBC News) Op-Ed: Why abuse and neglect of immigrants proliferate in ICE detention (LA Times) A Cage is Still a Cage: President Biden Must End U.S. Detention of Children and Families (TIME) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
Direct download: ACTIVISM__Shut_Down_Detention_Centers__Join_the_FirstTen_to_CommunitiesNotCages_Week_of_Action_March_22-26_via_DetentionWatch.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:36pm EDT |
Tue, 16 March 2021
Air Date 7/30/2019 Today we take a look at the ongoing debate about socialism between socialists and non-socialists alike, including discussion of tactical strategies on where to set our goals and how to get from here to there Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: John Nichols on Bernie and Socialism - Start Making Sense - Air Date 6-19-19 Bernie Sanders gave an important speech on socialism last week, and our John Nichols spoke with him about it -- beforehand. Socialism has grown a lot because of demonization. The Left has a war to lose - left policies are the direction of progress and the world is leaning that way - but without proper education and fighting it will take a lot longer. In the long run, democratic socialism wants to end capitalism - to empower working people. It's not just New Deal liberals - its pushing further. Massive momentum is on the Democratic Socialist side and collective action will win. The main alternative to neoliberalism is the proposed renewal of social democracy, such as in the form of Bernie Sanders' proposals. But to move forward we need to discuss the limits of a welfare state that ultimately does not change class relations Was the New Deal socialist? Yes and no. Bernie is pointing to the central model of most democratic socialist-style governments - he points to the good policies of democratic socialism instead of strict definitions. Bernie's solutions, while admirable and helpful, are merely reforms of a fundamentally broken and contradictory system. Reforms set us up for inevitable roll-back by the powerful as we've seen since FDR. Ch. 7: Bhaskar Sunkara on the possibilities of socialism in America - This is Hell - Air Date 5-21-19 Bhaskar Sunkara explores a path to socialism in America - as capitalism collapses and pulls politics towards the right, the promise of a worker-driven, democratic society built on equality and justice can be won by a broad, working-class movement Bernie is calling out the massive power disparities in the US and what policies we can work towards - an Economic Bill of Rights. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Fighting climate change means fighting capitalism - Jesse from Boston FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the connection between political debates and parenting advice MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE Lorie Shaull , Flickr | License (Modifications: Cropped)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1293_Democratic_Socialism_Air_Date_7-30-19_Ad_Free_-_7-30-19_18.01_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:24pm EDT |
Fri, 12 March 2021
Air Date 3/12/2021 Today we take a look at the multiple tactics being implemented in an attempt to undermine the entire concept of democracy because adhering to the will of the majority and allowing for unfettered protests is currently working to the distinct disadvantage of the Republican Party. Most people see the right to vote and to protest as foundational to a functioning democracy, others see them as impediments to their divine right to rule. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy!
EPISODE SPONSORS: UnF*cking the Republic Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft
SHOW NOTES Sarah Repucci explains the factors that have helped drive the grim decline in freedoms and democracy in the U.S. and other areas of the world in recent years, which countries are most at risk and why the United States has dropped in the rankings. Ch. 2: Republicans Launch 253 Voter Suppression Bills - David Pakman Show - Air Date 3-2-21 Republicans launch 253 voter suppression bills across the country, realizing they didn't suppress enough votes in the 2020 election. Ch. 3: The coming anti-protest laws w/ Alleen Brown + Akela Lacy Part 1 - This is Hell! - Air Date 2-12-21 Journalists Alleen Brown and Akela Lacy on their report "State Legislatures Make “Unprecedented” Push on Anti-Protest Bills" for The Intercept, and in a Moment of Truth, Jeff Dorchen empathizes with savages and samurai. Ch. 4: RED ALERT: Anti-Protest Bills Popping Up Everywhere - David Pakman Show - Air Date 8-19-20 Anti-protest bills of all kinds are popping up in numerous states across the United States. Ch. 5: The coming anti-protest laws w/ Alleen Brown + Akela Lacy Part 2 - This is Hell! - Air Date 2-12-21 Ch. 6: Ari Berman on the Attack on Voting Rights - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-12-21 Do elite media think that whether or not the US, in 2021, under pressure from racists, goes back on the whole “one person one vote” thing is a legitimate topic for debate? Across the U.S., Republican lawmakers have introduced more than 250 bills in 43 states aimed at restricting voting access. Ari Berman, author and reporter for Mother Jones, says Republicans are “breaking democracy” with their push to restrict voting. Larry Lessig speaks with Representative John Sarbanes, the architect of the For The People Act (H.R. 1). The two dive into the provisions of this critically important piece of legislation to fix our democracy and what to expect in the months ahead. Ch. 9: Fight GOP Voter Suppression Laws - Best of the Left Activism Stand up against efforts to suppress the vote and subvert our democracy! Democracy strikes back against the anti-democracy GOP, because every democracy story these days includes Republican fraud or attempted voter suppression. House Democrats passed H.R.1 -- the 'For the People Act' -- with zero Republican votes. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Sarah Repucci explains the factors that have helped drive the grim decline in freedoms and democracy in the U.S. and other areas of the world in recent years, which countries are most at risk and why the United States has dropped in the rankings. VOICEMAILS Ch. 13: Critiquing charitable giving - Maureen from Boston FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments on the deep humanity of patronizing patriotism TAKE ACTION! Common Cause H.R. 1 Campaign - Text & Phonebank & Resources Demand Elimination of the Filibuster Follow Your State Legislature & Contact State Reps, Senators and Governor Support Opponents of Suppressionists in Public Office Vote Riders - Help Fight Suppression & Help Voters Get IDs They Need EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE For the People Act Is Needed to Stop New GOP Voter Suppression Bills (Teen Vogue) Annotated Guide to the For the People Act of 2021 (Brennan Center for Justice) How to Restore and Strengthen the Voting Rights Act (Brennan Center for Justice) Blue States Suppress the Vote, Too (The New Republic) Republicans Are Taking Their Voter Suppression Efforts to New Extremes (Mother Jones) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Circular protest sign held in the air by a pair of hands with the words "Voting is a Human Right. Stand for Freedom. Join the Fight!" Credits: "December 10 march for voting rights" (2011) by Michael Fleshman (Flickr) | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1404_War_on_Democracy_Air_Date_3-12-21_General_-_3-12-21_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:18pm EDT |
Tue, 9 March 2021
Air Date 3/9/2021 Today we take a look at the current goings on around the world regarding our foreign policy under the new but not-so-new-feeling leadership of Joe Biden. We check in on Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and a couple of assorted arms sales to authoritarian leaders who support our foreign policy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSORS: BOMBAS.COM/BEST Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Biden Administration Should Strike a Deal with Iran - World Class - Air Date 2-18-21 Abbas Milani — an expert on U.S.-Iran relations — discusses the Iranian economy, the future of Iran’s leadership, and what a potential nuclear deal could mean for the U.S. The Biden administration is facing intense criticism from U.S. progressives after carrying out airstrikes on eastern Syria said to be targeting Iranian-backed militia groups. Ch. 3: Biden's First Act Of War Hits 3 Countries - Empire Files - Air Date 3-3-21 Biden's Feb. 26 strike in Syria was a crime, and risks major war with three countries. Abby Martin explains. Ch. 4: Whither the Antiwar Left - Empire Has No Clothes - Air Date 2-25-21 This week on Empire Has No Clothes, Kelley, Dan, and I discussed the war in Afghanistan and why it's lost. We also talked with journalist James Carden about the state of the antiwar left and whether Joe Biden might do some good on foreign policy. Ch. 5: What's Next For The War In Afghanistan - NPR Fresh Air - Air Date 3-4-21 America's 19-year war in Afghanistan may soon be coming to an end. The Trump administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban, in which the U.S. agreed to withdraw all its troops by May 1. But the Afghan government was not included in those talks. Ch. 6: Can Joe Biden Save Yemen - Empire Has No Clothes - Air Date 2-11-21 This week on Empire Has No Clothes, Kelley, Dan, and I discussed Joe Biden's announcement that he would withdraw all American support for the war in Yemen. Joe Biden once vowed to hold Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for Jamal Khashoggi's murder. Now, it looks like he's letting him off the hook. Emma Vigeland and the Majority Report crew discuss this. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: The future of the US-Saudi relationship (ft. Sen. Chris Murphy) - Worldly - Air Date 3-4-21 Zack, Jenn, and Alex debate whether the US should continue to treat Saudi Arabia as a close partner given its atrocious human rights abuses and the declining US dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Abby Martin covers Biden's first arms deals to major human rights abusers Chile & Egypt; another US military base in Okinawa, opposed by majority of residents, threatens unique biodiversity; militia puts US at crossroads of a new Iraq war Ch. 10: Can Biden remake Trump's Middle East - The Bunker - Air Date 11-25-20 From Israel to Iran, Donald Trump thought he could reset the Middle East. His fixation on the region defined the last four years of US foreign policy. But what will Biden’s presidency mean for America and the Middle East? VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Introduction to our caste system - Roy from Washington State FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on Biden attempting to talk about Afghanistan and China BONUS CLIPS: CNN Official interview Joe Biden on Afghanistan 'Making progress' - CNN - Air Date 11-28-10 What Biden Said About Uyghurs - CNN Presidential Town Hall MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Image Description: Close up photo of the words "War is Peace" on the page of the book "1984". Credit: "War is Peace" by Mark Hillary | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1403_Biden_Foreign_Policy_Air_Date_3-9-21_General_-_3-9-21_21.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:40pm EDT |
Sat, 6 March 2021
Air Date 3/6/2021 Today we take a look at the origins of race and the building of a caste system in the US based largely on the lessons from Isabel Wilkerson, author of "Caste: The Origins of our Discontent" Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSORS: BOOKSHOP: BESTOFTHELEFT.COM/CASTE BLINKIST: BESTOFTHELEFT.COM/BLINKIST Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: John Biewen: The lie that invented racism - TED - Air Date 11-1-20 To understand and eradicate racist thinking, start at the beginning. That's what journalist and documentarian John Biewen did, leading to a trove of surprising and thought-provoking information on the "origins" of race. Ch. 2: Made in America (Seeing White, Part 3) - Scene on Radio - Air Date 3-16-17 Chattel slavery in the US, with its distinctive · and strikingly cruel · laws and structures, took shape over many decades in colonial America. The innovations that built American slavery are inseparable from the construction of Whiteness as we know it. Ch. 3: The Invention of Race - Throughline - Air Date 11-19-20 During a time when race-based science and the eugenics movement were becoming mainstream, anthropologist Franz Boas actively sought to prove that race was a social construct, not a biological fact. Ch. 4: Caste in America with Isabel Wilkerson - Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes - Air Date 8-11-20 Does the United States have a caste system? In her research on the Jim Crow South, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist/author Isabel Wilkerson found that the word ·racism· fell far short in capturing the depth and totality of oppression people existed under Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson says racism is an insufficient term for the systemic oppression of Black people in America. Instead, she prefers to refer to America as having a "caste" system. This brief video presents three of Theodore W. Allen’s theses related to the invention of the “white race” and his important analysis of the white supremacy’s role in beating back struggles from below in three great crises in U.S. history. A new way of thinking about race and class with Isabel Wilkerson. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: The Invention of Race Part 2 - Throughline - Air Date 11-19-20 During a time when race-based science and the eugenics movement were becoming mainstream, anthropologist Franz Boas actively sought to prove that race was a social construct, not a biological fact. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson says racism is an insufficient term for the systemic oppression of Black people in America. Instead, she prefers to refer to America as having a "caste" system. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Thoughts on the bonus material - Kim from Montana FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments TAKE ACTION! Fight for $15 in the Senate: 202-224-3121 (voice) or 202-224-3091 (tty) Fight for H.R. 1 - For the People Act in the Senate: 202-224-3121 (voice) or 202-224-3091 (tty) Fight for George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in the Senate: 202-224-3121 (voice) or 202-224-3091 (tty) Fight to pass the BREATHE Act (read our activism segment): Email members of Congress and more Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Black chalkboard background with the word "CASTE" written in white
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1402_Caste_Air_Date_3-6-21_General_-_3-6-21_17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:28pm EDT |
Wed, 3 March 2021
Air Date 6/21/2019 Today we take a look at the ways that Native Peoples are represented in white society and pop culture, how some are working to take back their own narratives and some insight into the profound effects, both positive and negative, of how peoples are represented. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com SHOW NOTES The Washington Post conducts a flawed survey resulting in a misleading conclusion that most native peoples don't consider Redskins to be an offensive term Racist representation of native peoples in sports and culture supports the anti-native sentiment that drives the MMIWG epidemic Ch. 3: A Native perspective for museums - Native America Calling - Air Date 4-9-19 Native peoples have had their stories told form them by white people for centuries, working in museums and cultural centers create the opportunities to tell their own stories W Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu step in a pile of native cultural appropriation and then slowly, messily wade their way out of it Discussing cultural appropriation in many forms including the legal trademarking of one of the terms most central to native Hawaiian culture, Aloha Ch. 6: 'Reel' Indians and the invention of Hollywood Indian English - Backstory - Air Date 11-22-14 A history lesson on the Hollywood creation of all of the stereotypes we reflexively think of when we think about how native peoples speak Ch. 7: On Native American Loss and Triumph - On the Media - Air Date 10-5-18 David Treuer discusses the means by which Indians have been fighting for social and political change for centuries. VOICEMAILS Ch. 8: Changed my mind in favor of impeachment - Nick from California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the Canadian TV show “First Contact” and what it teaches us about how people do and don’t change their mind EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Native American imagery is all around us, while the people are often forgotten (National Geographic) The Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women Epidemic Is Inseparable From Native Appropriation(Bustle) ‘It’s called a genocide’: Gavin Newsom apologizes to California’s Native Americans (San Francisco Chronicle) MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: Rerun_1283_Native_MisRepresentation_Native_Peoples_Series_Part_5_-_3-3-21_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:42pm EDT |
Sun, 28 February 2021
Air Date 2/27/2021 Today we take a look at the climate-fueled disaster in Texas from almost every angle; from the strictly scientific to the purely political and all of the disaster capitalism in between. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSOR: UnF*cking The Republic Podcast Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Why on Earth are Winters Getting Worse if the Planet is Getting Warmer - Weathered - Air Date 2-1-21 Weathered is a show hosted by meteorologist Maiya May and produced by Balance Media that helps explain the most common natural disasters, what causes them, how they’re changing, and what we can do to prepare. Ch. 2: Power Outages Becomes Propaganda Nexus - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 2-17-21 Many Republicans, including Tucker Carlson, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and others, falsely claim that the Texas power outages are a direct result of Texas being too reliant on "unreliable" wind power Ch. 3: Chris Hayes To Ted Cruz: Governance Is Not Just ‘Performative Trolling’ - All In - Air Date 2-18-21 There are a million things that a senator can do in the middle of a disaster, none of which interests a politician like Ted Cruz, who sees himself as basically Rush Limbaugh with a Senate office Millions of people in Texas were plunged into freezing cold and darkness as a major winter storm overwhelmed the state's power grid. More than 12 million Texans face water disruptions and have been ordered to boil tap water for safe consumption Naomi Klein, senior correspondent at The Intercept and a professor at Rutgers University, says Republicans’ reaction is “because of panic” over their own culpability. This episode of Warm Regards focuses on two more facets of decision making based on data about how the climate is changing. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: How to Prepare for Climate Change Part 1 - Strange Days with Fernand Amandi - Air Date 2-5-21 Ch. 8: How to Prepare for Climate Change Part 2 - Strange Days with Fernand Amandi - Air Date 2-5-21 Ready for the coming impact of climate change? Fear not as CBS Sunday science expert David Pogue tells #StrangeDaysPodcast how to get ready + Frank Schaeffer warns how radicalized evangelical Christians threaten Biden’s agenda & democracy. Ch. 9: Tara Houska and Ruth Breech on Divesting from Toxic Capitalism - For The Wild - Air Date 8-21-19 Climate disaster is unfolding before our eyes every day, and yet banks have poured $1.9 trillion into maintaining and expanding the fossil fuel industry since the Paris Agreement was adopted. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: The divide is more religious than political - V from Central New York FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on cancel culture MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1401_Texas.Climate_Air_Date_2-27-21_General_-_2-28-21_17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00am EDT |
Wed, 24 February 2021
Air Date 6/28/2019 Today we take a look at the ways that extreme inequality and many of the worst instincts and repercussions of capitalism are being upheld and perpetuated by our culture of philanthropy. It turns out that what we see as the rich giving back is really more of a purchase on their part, a purchase of our acceptance of inequality and the right of the wealthy to rule. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content: Support our show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Gilded Rage - Future Perfect - Air Date 5-21-19 To put our new age of extreme inequality in perspective, we look back at Andrew Carnegie, who gave America a huge number of libraries so they’d forgive him for his brutal steel mills. We ask: Is the same thing happening in 2019? Ch. 2: Anand Giridharadas: Winners take all Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 9-27-18 Anand Giridharadas, author of Winners Take All, on the win-win business- and plutocrat-friendly philanthropy of today’s nouveau riche. Ch. 3: Rob Reich: Is big philanthropy destroying democracy? - Tiny Spark - Air Date 11-7-18 Stanford professor Rob Reich’s new book Just Giving: Why Philanthropy Is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better investigates how charity can undermine democratic values and explores the ways federal policies help to facilitate greater inequality. Ch. 4: Could billionaires solve global poverty? - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 4-25-19 Time editor at large, Anand Giridharadas, discusses whether billionaires can put an end to global poverty if they had the will to do so, and talks about his recent book, Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World Ch. 5: Rob Reich on whether philanthropy is bad for democracy - Rationally Speaking - Air Date 11-12-18 This episode features political scientist Rob Reich, author of "Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy, and How it Can Do Better". Does it deserve to be tax-deductible? And do philanthropists have too much power in society? Ch. 6: Anand Giridharadas: Winners take all Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 9-27-18 Anand Giridharadas, author of Winners Take All, on the win-win business- and plutocrat-friendly philanthropy of today’s nouveau riche. VOICEMAILS Ch. 7: Inequality is the #1 issue - James from Sacramento, CA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on covering inequality and presenting a bonus clip on two manifestations of racism BONUS CLIP: Myths of the ruling class with Anand Giridharadas - Why is this happening? - Air Date 10-8-18 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1285_Philanthropy.Inequality_Air_Date_6-28-19_-_2-24-21_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:11pm EDT |
Sat, 20 February 2021
Air Date 2/20/2021 Today we take a look at the fight to create and maintain workable and humane economic and social floors, beneath which people are not allowed to fall. The fetishization of market forces embraced by decades of neoliberals and weaponized by authoritarians have left millions desperate for basic standards. To draw the connection, we look at the protests by Indian farmers against proposed deregulation and the fight for $15 in the US. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSORS: NEWYORKER.COM/BEST Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Your four talking points for $15-an-Hour minimum wage - Working Life Podcast - Air Date 2-17-21 Right before our eyes, in these very days and at this time of crisis, you can see so clearly this bankrupt system, defended and promoted by greedy CEOs and spineless politicians, but a system people are trying to rebel against and take down. Rebecca sits down with the Economic Policy Institute's David Cooper for a deep dive into Democrats' Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025. The big news in the minimum wage world this week is the new CBO report—which, among many benefits, also found that a $15 federal minimum wage would cost jobs, increase the deficit, and raise prices. Goldy and Paul explain how CBO arrived at their numbers. Rebecca sits down with the Economic Policy Institute's David Cooper for a deep dive into Democrats' Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025. This week, journalist and Washington Post columnist, Rana Ayyub, joins to discuss the protest movement and how Modi·s reaction to it fits his pattern of illiberalism and nationalism that marches India away from democracy. P. Sainath, an Indian journalist and the founder of People’s Archive of Rural India, or PARI, who describes why working-class Indians are standing up against “absolutely vicious” new rules that were rammed through Parliament, and show no sign of stopping. Ch. 7: All walls must fall w/Harsha Walia - The Red Nation Podcast - Air Date 2-15-21 Harsha Walia discusses her new book, Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism, the Indian farmers' movement, and how she became an organizer. Professor Richard Wolff joins RJ Eskow to discuss the historic strike taking place in India and possible influence on other countries. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) The big news in the minimum wage world this week is the new CBO report—which, among many benefits, also found that a $15 federal minimum wage would cost jobs, increase the deficit, and raise prices. Goldy and Paul explain how CBO arrived at their numbers. Ch. 10: Amazon Workers Organize! - Working Life Podcast - Air Date 2-10-21 Thousands of workers are trying to get a union at Amazon's huge warehouse in Bessemer Alabama. The ballots have just been mailed and we get an update on the organizing campaign from a good friend of the show Dave Mertz FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the results of our disinformation headline contest TAKE ACTION! Call Your Senators to Pass a $15 Federal Minimum Wage: 888-639-5155 Stay engaged with @fightfor15 & #fightfor15 on Twitter Tell Sen. Joe Manchin how you feel, too! EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE The Fight for a $15 Minimum Wage Is Our Selma (Time, Op-Ed) Sanders confident of raising minimum wage as part of $1.9tn Covid package (The Guardian) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Image Description: Image of a young Black woman holding sign that says "Fighting for $15" next to an image of a young Indian man holding a sign that says "If you ate today, thank a farmer". Composite Design by Amanda Hoffman. Images include: “FightFor15-1330695 - #Fightfor15 Protest in Pittsburgh, PA - April 2015” by Mark Dixon, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped and rotated *and* “052 Indian Farmers Protest” by Felton Davis, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, enhanced brightness and contrast
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1400_India.15_Minimum_Air_Date_2-20-21_General_-_2-20-21_21.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:58pm EDT |
Tue, 16 February 2021
Air Date 2/16/2021 Today we take a look at the competing histories fighting for dominance in the minds of Americans; the mythologized and romanticized history as represented by the "patriotic" framing of history from the 1776 Commission report and the much more fact-based approach that doesn't skirt the issue of race from the 1619 Project. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Nikole Hannah-Jones, the architect behind "The 1619 Project," and Ibram X. Kendi, author of “How To Be an Antiracist,” joined Chris Hayes to examine the 400 year legacy of slavery in America. Prof. Eddie Glaude Jr. joins Mehdi Hasan to explain why the Trump administration's 1776 Report is an attempt to stoke a culture war via historical nonsense. Ch. 3: Eric Foner on The 1619 Project - Start Making Sense - Air Date 11-21-19 Historian Eric Foner talks about The New York Times’ “1619 Project,” which argues that the legacy of slavery is central to all of the American past and present—including the White House today. Ch. 4: The 1776 Report - Past Present - Air Date 1-26-21 In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss ·The 1776 Report· issued by the outgoing Trump administration. Ch. 5: The Original Sin of 1619 - In The Thick - Air Date 8-20-19 Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones led a team of black journalists, writers and poets to create The 1619 Project, a deep and thoughtful look into the 400th anniversary of the beginning of slavery in this country. But a lot of the response has been predictable MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 6: Midnight in the Garden of American Heroes - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 2-11-21 Matt and Sam explain West Coast Straussianism, the school of thought behind one of the last acts of the Trump administration: its publication of the "1776 Report," the Right's shabby response to the 1619 Project and blueprint for the American Founding Ch. 7: Adolph Reed Critiques The 1619 Project - The Michael Brooks Show - Air Date 5-14-20 Adolph Reed talks about the 1619 project through the lens of anti-essentialism. VOICEMAILS Ch. 8: Proper attribution for vaccines - Dr. Gay Ch. 9: Financial health of the show? - Nick from California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on framing vaccine manufacturers properly MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1399_1619_vs_1776_Air_Date_2-16-21_General_-_2-16-21_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:08pm EDT |
Sat, 13 February 2021
Air Date 2/13/2021 Today we take a look at the fallout from the January 6th insurrection, the case for impeachment and/or punishment for every single person involved and discussions for why this process is so important to the stability of the country. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSOR: Unf*cking the Republic Podcast Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: AOC shares harrowing personal story from January 6th attack - The BradCast - Air Date 2-2-21 AOC relates her experience in the capitol and explains why the enablers of the insurrection total lack of remorse is a problem. We air excerpts from speeches by Democratic Congressmembers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. "Some are already demanding that we move on or, worse, attempting to minimize, discredit or belittle the accounts of survivors" With former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial set to begin in the Senate this week, we feature the speech Democratic Congressmember Cori Bush of Missouri made Thursday on the floor of the House of Representatives to demand accountability for the Ch. 4: Dem House Managers submit pre-Impeachment Trial briefs - The BradCast - Air Date 2-2-21 House Democrats submit their pre-trial filings, detailing a graphic, detailed, painstakingly-documented argument for Trump's conviction for inciting the insurrection. Trump's lawyers filed a largely limp legal brief in response, filled with false claims. Elie Honig, CNN legal analyst and host of the CAFE daily impeachment podcast Third Degree, talks about the ongoing Senate impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump. Eight hundred people stormed the Capitol building on January 6, but fewer than 200 have been charged with crimes. Why so few? Elie Mystal, The Nation's Justice correspondent, says every one of the 800 committed crimes that day and should be prosecuted. Ch. 7: Life After Fascism: A Brief History - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 1-21-21 Timothy Snyder, professor of history at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna, offers historical context for the attack on our democracy. Healing, On its face these concepts sound fine enough: after all, who doesn't like peace? Unity sounds great! But in the majority of political contexts, these warm and fuzzy buzzwords rush past the work of justice and reparations. Seth takes a closer look at former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial being a chance to hold Trump accountable for his crimes and to shine a national spotlight on the decay of the GOP and our democratic institutions. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene - Past Present - Air Date 2-9-21 In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the controversial tenure of freshman Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Ch. 11: Incitement - What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law - Air Date 1-30-21 With the trial looming, we look at whether Trump has a good argument against the charge he incited a riot on Capitol Hill, and whether or not it's constitutional to impeach someone after they leave office. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on a new game I just invented Game Headlines: Biden to Begin Allowing Asylum Seekers Waiting in Mexico to Enter U.S. Biden to Rescind Medicaid Work Requirements Biden administration launches review aimed at closing Guantanamo prison MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Composite by Amanda Hoffman. Image Includes: "Donald Trump" by Gage Skidmore on Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped/blurred with red overlay *and* "Hats" by Tyler Merbler on Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with red overlay
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1398_Insurrection_Accountability_Air_Date_2-13-21_General_-_2-13-21_11.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:55pm EDT |
Wed, 10 February 2021
Air Date 2/10/2021 Today we take a look at the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in the US and around the world. Between White and Black in the US, Israeli and Palestinian in Israel and the Global North and Global South broadly, the legacies of colonialism and racism predictably play themselves out. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSORS: BOMBAS.COM/BEST | C-Span Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Elisabeth Rosenthal on Troubled Vaccine Rollout - CounterSpin - Air Date 1-15-21 Many could and did predict that the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine would be marred by the Trump administration being the Trump administration, and the hollowing out of public health infrastructure. Zeynep Tufecki [@zeynep], associate professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, explains why public health officials send mixed messages on everything from masks to variants. Ch. 3: Racial Disparities Already Taking Shape In Covid Vaccination Rates - MSNBC - Air Date 2-6-21 Rachel Maddow looks at how even though people of color suffer disproportionately more from Covid-19, vaccination statistics are already showing disproportionately fewer people of color being inoculated The Rev. Paul Abernathy on his work addressing vaccine skepticism in Black communities, starting by earning trust and recruiting vaccine trial volunteers in predominantly Black neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. "Israel actually is violating international law because it is denying its responsibility as an occupying power," says Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, member of the Palestinian Parliament "Israelis are getting the vaccines, and Palestinians are getting nothing." As COVID-19 raged and pharmaceutical companies raced to develop a vaccine, Western media routinely asserted the premise that vaccine 'intellectual property' is a zero-sum possession that's been 'stolen' by malicious foreign actors & blackmarket criminals. Ch. 7: Who Owns the COVID-19 Vaccines? - On the Media - Air Date 1-29-21 Dean Baker [@DeanBaker13], senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, on why intellectual property may be getting in the way of vaccine distribution. As COVID-19 raged and pharmaceutical companies raced to develop a vaccine, Western media routinely asserted the premise that vaccine 'intellectual property' is a zero-sum possession that's been 'stolen' by malicious foreign actors & blackmarket criminals. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Vaccine priorities: political and ethical questions about who comes first, after health care workers. Gregg Gonsalves considers the arguments. 40+ African countries have been hit by second wave, and just six have received relatively small vaccine shipments. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa CDC and Prevention, says the world faces "a moral catastrophe" without vaccine equity. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Thoughts on "moral panic" - Christina FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on corporations resisting reasonable regulation to avoid setting precedents MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1397_Vaccine_Rollout_Air_Date_2-9-21_General_-_2-10-21_12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:36pm EDT |
Fri, 5 February 2021
Air Date 2/5/2021 Today we take a look at the role that social media plays in the radicalization of discontented communities and engage in the debate over content moderation and de-platforming of individuals. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Why everyone hates Big Tech, with The Verge's Nilay Patel - The Weeds - Air Date 7-19-19 Verge editor-in-chief and Vergecast host Nilay Patel joins Matt in this special crossover episode to explain what Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which allows platforms to circumnavigate liability for user content, really means. Ch. 2: Let’s Break Up Facebook, Google, Amazon - Newsbroke - Air Date 1-30-21 Trump has been removed from the nation’s capital and the nation’s social media feeds. And while it was fun to watch him and other far-right accounts “getting owned” by Twitter, Facebook, Google and other platforms, it does pose an important question Ch. 3: Solving the Facebook Problem at Home and Abroad - On The Media - Air Date 5-22-19 When former Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes penned a New York Times op-ed calling for the breakup of the platform, he was lauded by anti-corporate politicians and the press. Then came a series of hard questions Ch. 4: Zephyr Teachout on "Break 'Em Up" - Off-Kilter - Air Date 8-4-20 Rebecca talks to Zephyr Teachout about her new book "Break 'Em Up: Recovering our Freedom from Big Tech, Big Ag, and Big Money" and why we need an antitrust movement for our time. Sacha Baron Cohen is the well-deserved recipient of ADL’s International Leadership Award, which goes to exceptional individuals who combine professional success with a profound personal commitment to community involvement and to crossing borders Ch. 6: Joan Donovan on how platforms enabled the capital hill riot Part 1 - Big Tech - Air Date 1-21-21 Joan Donovan studies social movements and their use of media and technology to spread their message. Recode’s Peter Kafka speaks with New York Times’s Tech columnist Kevin Roose about big tech’s power and responsibility - and whether it is going to have accountability. Former Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos joins Mehdi Hasan to explain how Facebook is tackling radicalization on its platform, and where the company is still falling short. Ch. 9: Joan Donovan on how platforms enabled the capital hill riot Part 2 - Big Tech - Air Date 1-21-21 Joan Donovan studies social movements and their use of media and technology to spread their message. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: Your Nation's Attention for the Price of a Used Car - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 10-6-20 Today’s extremists don’t need highly produced videos like ISIS. They don’t need deep pockets like Russia. With the right message, a fringe organization can reach the majority of a nation’s Facebook users for the price of a used car. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on Social Media Externalities MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1396_Social_Media_Radicalization_Air_Date_2-5-21_General_-_2-5-21_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:32pm EDT |
Wed, 3 February 2021
Air Date 11/12/2019 Today we take a look at some of the ways that conservative policies, willed into existence almost exclusively by white people, measurably hurt people and shorten life expectancies, including those who most fervently support the self-destructive policies. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES ‘People are voting for these policies that are shortening their own life spans.’ — Author of 'Dying of Whiteness' Jonathan Metzl argues that the politics of racial resentment is killing Americans in the heartland. Ch. 2: Slavery and the Lack of Universal Healthcare - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 8-20-19 Jeneen Interlandi, New York Times editorial board member and staff writer for the New York Times Magazine, talks about the intersection of race and lack of universal healthcare in America. Ch. 3: An Incredible Con - Slate Presents: The Queen - Air Date 5-20-19 For presidential candidate Ronald Reagan, Linda Taylor epitomized the brokenness of the federal bureaucracy and the broader trend of poor people getting rich off the public dime. Ch. 4: Dying of Whiteness with Jonathan Metzl - Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes - Air Date 3-26-19 Jonathan Metzl writes that the policies promising to Make America Great Again, policies rooted in centering and maintaining the power of whiteness, are shortening the lives of the white Americans who vote for them. Ch. 5: Greater than Fear - Brave New Words - Air Date 9-6-19 In 2018, progressives in Minnesota won across races, defining what it means to be “Minnesotan” through an aspirational narrative of multi-racial populism. Tim speaks with Dr. Jonathan Metzl, a professor of sociology and psychiatry at Vanderbilt University, and the author of the new book, Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland. Ch. 7: People seeking asylum - Brave New Words - Air Date 9-6-19 Over the last few years, facing a conservative and openly xenophobic administration, human rights advocates mounted and won four campaigns challenging offshore detention of people seeking asylum. VOICEMAILS Ch. 8: What was I thinking back then, gosh what am I thinking now? - Alan from Connecticut Ch. 9: Pre-recorded bullshit ads - Dave from Olympia, WA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on learning to be wrong and the sad future of podcasting MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1318_Why_We_Cannot_Have_Nice_Things_How_Racism_Hurts_Everyone_Including_White_People.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:05pm EDT |
Sun, 31 January 2021
Air Date 1/31/2021 Today we take a look back at the year 2011 in our annual 10-years-past retrospective to see what we may learn. 2010 was an enormous year of news which included the death of Osama Bin Laden, the manufactured budget crisis in Wisconsin, the shooting of Gabby Giffords, Occupy Wall Street, the birth of Trump's Birtherism and much more. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Dumb new congress - Rachel Maddow - Air Date 1-6-11 Ch. 2: Single-Payer Plan - Bernie Sanders Ch. 3: An insiders account of the GOP official strategy - Citizen Radio Ch. 4: Crisis in the Dairyland - For Richer and Poorer (Economics - Wisconsin, Public Unions) - The Daily Show - Air Date 3-3-11 Ch. 5: The survival of the Democratic party in Wisconsin - Rachel Maddow - Air Date 2-17-11 Ch. 6: Scott Walker's Koch Bro. Prank Call - The Young Turks - Air Date 2-23-11 Ch. 7: Evil People Have Plans - Lee Camp Ch. 8: Obama's Wrong-Headed Libyan War - The Progressive Ch. 9: ACLU: Obama Continues Bush Abuses - The Young Turks - Air Date 7-9-11 Ch. 10: Drones not always precise in real world - CounterSpin Ch. 11: A Triumph of Nonviolence in Egypt! - The Progressive Ch. 12: Social Media Allowing Revolutions (Egypt result) - The Young Turks Ch. 13: Osama Bin Laden Dead... What Happens Now? - The David Pakman Show Ch. 14: Activist McKibben: Tar Sands pipeline is climate game over - Countdown Ch. 15: Supporting the EPA and the Koch Bros accidentally fund accurate climate research - Green News Report - Air Date 10-25-11 Ch. 16: Fox News makes you less informed - The Majority Report Ch. 17: The HuffPo buyout and the future of journalism - On the Media Ch. 18: Giffords Shooting 911 Tapes Police Audio First word of Tucson, Arizona shooting, attack on Gabrielle Giffords Ch. 19: FLASHBACK: Right-Wing Media Downplays Threats Toward Democrats - Media Matters Minute Ch. 20: Sarah Palin, Sharron Angle, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck_ Are You Happy Now_ - The Progressive Ch. 21: Oslo Norway Shooter Right Winger...Who's Telling You the Truth? - David Pakman - Air Date 7-26-11 Ch. 22: Congress' Budget-Cutting Immorality - Jim Hightower Ch. 23: Armadebtdon 2011: National Bullshit Ceiling - The Daily Show - Air Date 7-18-11 Ch. 24: Legalized Corruption of Government Exposed by Abramoff - Young Turks - Air Date 11-7-11 Ch. 25: Good news for the big guys - Rachel Maddow - Air Date 4-1-11 Ch. 26: Keith Olbermann reads first collective statement of Occupy Wall Street - Countdown Ch. 27: We stand as one - Joseph Arthur Ch. 28: What the Occupy Wall St movement wants - Planet Money Ch. 29: Occupy my Heart - Ben and Fritz Ch. 30: Cenk Announces Wolf-PAC.com at Occupy Wall Street Ch. 31: Fox News Falsehood: Half of Americans Don't Pay Any Taxes - Media Matters Minute - Air Date 7-18-11 Ch. 32: Trump 2012 - Media Matters Ch. 33: Donald Trump Polls 2012 Presidential Candidate Or Clown_ - The Young Turks - Air Date 4-13-11 Ch. 34: The Trump Inc. Podcast Made a Time Capsule - Trump Inc. - Air Date 1-19-21 Ch. 35: Final comments MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1395_2011_Retrospective_Air_Date_1-31-21_Members_-_1-31-21_11.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:48pm EDT |
Tue, 26 January 2021
Air Date 1/26/2021 Today we take a look at our long history of ignoring domestic, right-wing terrorism from the Oklahoma City bombing through to the predictable actions of militia groups in 2020 and beyond. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSORS: Unf*cking the Republic CALL TO ACTION: Join the CCAN Polar Plunge to fight Climate Change: KeepWinterCold.org Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Tracing the roots of the America's biggest domestic terror attack - PBS News Hour - Air Date 2-17-20 The 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing was the largest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. A new documentary on the PBS series American Experience takes a fresh look at the events and motivations that led to the attack by Timothy McVeigh Ch. 2: The Dangers of White Supremacy - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 10-2-20 Sam talks with Kathleen Belew, assistant professor of history at the University of Chicago, about what we get wrong when we talk about the white power movement. While working as a senior analyst in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2009, Daryl Johnson authored a report warning about the increasing dangers of violent right-wing extremism in the United States, sparking a political firestorm in the process Ch. 4: How the Oklahoma City Bombing Changed the U.S. - AJ+ - Air Date 2-26-19 In the almost 25 years since explosives killed 168 adults and children, what has the United States learned from the Oklahoma City bombing? And what can it tell us about the future of far-right extremism in the U.S.? Ch. 5: Most Violence is Right Wing. Period. Stop Lying - David Pakman Show - Air Date 8-22-19 Most violence is right wing, and it's important not to be distracted from that undeniable reality. The government must wake up to the threat of domestic terrorism before it's too late, says former Homeland Security counterterrorism analyst Daryl Johnson. Ch. 7: What’s Fueling Far-Right Hate in America? - AJ+ - Air Date 2-19-19 The number of far-right extremist groups prone to violence is increasing in the U.S. It's a threat the government was warned about a decade ago. But what's fueling the rise of hate, and what's the nation doing to combat it? Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson discusses what the Biden administration's national security team will have to undertake. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) To talk about the rise of white supremacist violence and the Trump administration’s response, we speak to Daryl Johnson, a former senior analyst in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. No one listened when the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI sounded the alarm about the rise of white supremacist and far-right domestic terrorism, says former DHS intelligence analyst Daryl Johnson and Greg Huffman of Facing South. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: We made it! (But not all of us) - Nick from California Ch. 12: The cause and result of moral panic - Paul from Vermont FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on moral panic and the shifting eras of white supremacist violence MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Composite design by Amanda Hoffman. Original images: "Proud Boy - Jan 6th" Elvert Barnes on Flickr, License | "Before the Siege" by Elvert Barnes on Flickr, License | "Tree of Life building at sunset" by David Fulmer on Flickr, Lincese | "Charleston Church" (Mother Emmanuel) by Zack Carlson on Flickr, Public Domain | "20th Anniversary - Oklahoma City Bombing" by US Army Corps of Engineers - Tulsa, License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1394_Ignoring_Right-Wing_Terror_Air_Date_1-26-21_General_-_1-26-21_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:06pm EDT |
Sat, 23 January 2021
Air Date 4/2/2019 Today we take a look at the so-called "Algorithms of Oppression." Not that they're made to be that way on purpose but that it is a natural outcome of a profit-based system that incentivizes people to post the most click-baity content while the system learns the viewer's weaknesses to ruthlessly feed them whatever will keep them engaged. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content: Support our show on Patreon! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Social Media Propagates Hate - Brian Lehrer - Air Date 3-21-19 YouTube will keep playing until you stop it, and it pushes extremes regardless of ideology. It is ruthlessly optimized to keep humans engaged, and YouTube can't possibly police their own content. Ch. 2: Algorithms of Oppression with Dr. Safiya Noble - Delete Your Account - Air Date 4-11-18 Dylan Roof was radicalized through Google - searching one thing gives you further items down the rabbit hole - not the opposing viewpoint. What's worse, is big tech has no accountability for their actions. Ch. 3: The Algorithm with Adam Conover - Point of Inquiry - Air Date 1-10-19 We are all falling for the YouTube slot machine of instant gratification Ch. 4: Fighting White Supremacy on Social Media - Brian Lehrer - Air Date 3-19-19 Are tech companies trying to crack down on hate speech? Those articles are super profitable for social media, and it creates a sensation, so they're not incentivized to change. Ch. 5: Yuval Noah Harari on Hacking Humanity - Ideas from CBC Radio - Air Date 9-5-18 Yuval Harari joins to discuss the human animal and our irrelevance in the digital age. At least when we were being exploited we were still needed. Ch. 6: Is the Press Finally Learning How to Cover White Supremacy? - On the Media - Air Date 3-22-19 Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google are still light years away from developing an enforceable code of ethics for dealing with hate groups but Bob and Joan Donovan discuss why she believes that stymieing the spread of hate online is possible. EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Facebook is finally banning white supremacy that goes by other names (TechCrunch) Google’s algorithms are keeping us in a political bubble, study finds (MarketWatch) How to Escape Your Political Bubble for a Clearer View (The New York Times, 2017) Echo chambers are dangerous – we must try to break free of our online bubbles (The Guardian, 2017) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: Rerun_1261_Algorithms_of_extremism_Air_Date_4-2-19_Ad_Free_-_1-23-21_13.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:59pm EDT |
Tue, 19 January 2021
MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Air Date 1/19/2021 Today we take a look at the historical roots and modern manifestations of how white supremacy has turned the GOP base into Frankenstein's monster which cannot be controlled and has finally turned on its creator Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES As the House votes to impeach President Trump, the FBI warns there could be a repeat of the violent insurrection he encouraged on January 6, with Trump loyalists planning to hold armed protests nationwide ahead of Joe Biden·s inauguration. Ch. 2: ACLU Responds to Events at the U.S. Capitol Part 2 - At Liberty - Air Date 1-8-21 We wanted to come together to respond to the moment: focusing on moving forward with electoral integrity and a deeper commitment to racial justice. Today you’ll hear experts from the ACLU in conversation: Monica Hopkins, Jeffrey Robinson, and Dale Ho. Ch. 3: Confederate Offspring - Strange Days with Fernand Amandi - Air Date 1-14-21 Jared Yates Sexton & Tim Wise Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared her 'close encounter' during the Capitol riots, and ripped apart Republican 'cowards' during an IG Live. Ch. 5: We've Had Insurrections Before Part 2 - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 1-12-21 Sam revisits this history with Jamelle Bouie, columnist at The New York Times. They explore why the path toward political unity in our time might actually be through division. Ch. 6: The January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol - Past Present - Air Date 1-12-21 In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Ch. 7: Debunking the Pro-Trump Economic Anxiety Myth - The Choice - Air Date 1-14-21 The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer joins Mehdi Hasan to explain why the Capitol insurrectionists are part of the tradition of painting Trump's supporters as poor and uneducated when they are anything but. Ch. 8: Why Republicans Must Rebuke Trump's Big Lie - All In - Air Date 1-14-21 “If people like Jim Jordan really want to help, they can go on Fox News and tell people there was no election fraud, that this was a free and fair vote. And their side lost,” says Chris Hayes. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) TOM PERRIELLO, now Executive Director of the Open Society Foundation-U.S., explains how the country might be able to carve a path forward to reconciliation and healing after Trump leaves office. Donald Trump riotous insurrection is not merely about economic oppression and class, as some have argued over the last week. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: The importance of the work of this show - V from Central New York Ch. 12: Flying the flag on January 20 - Bud from Boise Ch. 13: Sharing the show - Rainer from Cuba FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments introducing FDR's Second Inaugural Speech Ch. 15: Second Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1393_GOP_Frankensteins_Monster_Air_Date_1-19-21_General_-_1-19-21_19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:16pm EDT |
Sat, 16 January 2021
Air Date 1/16/2021 Today we take a look at the underlying fears and motivations for the insurrection that go beyond the Big Lie™ of a stolen election to the bedrock of white supremacy that has driven white riots for more than 100 years. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: ACLU Responds to Events at the U.S. Capitol - At Liberty - Air Date 1-8-21 We wanted to come together to respond to the moment: focusing on moving forward with electoral integrity and a deeper commitment to racial justice. Today you’ll hear experts from the ACLU in conversation: Monica Hopkins, Jeffrey Robinson, and Dale Ho. Ch. 2: Dorothee Benz on January 6 Insurrection - CounterSpin - Air Date 1-8-21 We talk about coverage of the January 6 attack on the Capitol with political scientist Dorothee Benz. Ch. 3: We've Had Insurrections Before - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 1-12-21 Sam revisits this history with Jamelle Bouie, columnist at The New York Times. They explore why the path toward political unity in our time might actually be through division. As the House votes to impeach President Trump, the FBI warns there could be a repeat of the violent insurrection he encouraged on January 6, with Trump loyalists planning to hold armed protests nationwide ahead of Joe Biden·s inauguration. Ch. 5: Governor Schwarzenegger's Message Following this Week's Attack on the Capitol "This is my message to my fellow Americans and my friends around the world after January 6, 2021." As the House votes to impeach President Trump, the FBI warns there could be a repeat of the violent insurrection he encouraged on January 6, with Trump loyalists planning to hold armed protests nationwide ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration. Donald Trump made history yet again on Wednesday by becoming the first President to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans joined Democrats in the U.S. House to charge the soon-to-be-former President with "Incitement of Insurrection". Constitutional attorney John Bonifaz says the House “did its duty” and that the Senate must move to take up impeachment proceedings. “Those who did not vote to convict last time are responsible, in part, for allowing this president to stay in office..." VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Fear-anger and the capital - Alan from Connecticut Ch. 11: Conversing respectfully and the ammo shortage - Beth from Seattle Ch. 12: The joys of sharing - Jon from Omaha, NE FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on anger, conspiratorial thinking and secret artwork MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE "BEFORE THE SIEGE" by Elvert Barnes on Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, Black Vignette, Increased contrast & saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1392_Insurrection_Air_Date_1-16-21_Members_-_1-16-21_22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:58pm EDT |
Sun, 10 January 2021
Air Date 1/10/2021 Today, in our 15th-anniversary episode, we take a look at the the years and years of warning signs we having been highlighting since 2006 that collectively predict the armed insurrection against the government as the natural end point for a radicalized, conspiratorial, White/Christian-supremacist, permanently-minoritarian political movement that has lost its ability to win power by legitimate means. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSOR: The New Yorker Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: American Fascists, Chris Hedges - Ring of Fire - Air Date 2-12-07 Chris Hedges explains the decades-old prediction of the rise of Christian fascism Ch. 2: Ginsberg and O'Connor death threats - Rachel Maddow - Air Date 2006 Ginsberg and O'Connor deal with detailed death threats as part of the effort to take over the judiciary Ch. 3: O'Connor Decries Republican Attacks on Courts - NPR Morning Edition - Air Date: 3-10-2006 Sandra Day O'Connor warns of creeping dictatorial tendencies referencing efforts to control the courts Ch. 4: Avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings - The Young Turks - Air Date 3-22-2006 Cenk Uygur highlights the need to prevent dictatorship by avoiding the first steps that can lead to it Ch. 5: Tim Wise on How Donald Trump Legitimizes Racist Ideas - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date 01-07-16 Tim Wise explains what drives Trump supporters and the burgeoning Trumpism movement Sasha Abramsky speaks with Trump supporters, many of whom ask him his ethnicity before being willing to speak with him Ch. 7: Thirty Black People Booted From Trump Rally - @theyoungturks - Air Date 03-02-16 Secret Service agent choke-slams a journalist at a Trump rally. What will Trump do if he actually wins? Ch. 8: CNN's morally bankrupt hiring of former Trump campaign staffer - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 7-1-16 CNN profits from the Trump campaign to the detriment of the country Ch. 9: Trump Victory Inspires Acts Of Hate Against Minorities - @RingOfFireRadio - Air Date 11-11-16 Post-election rash of hate-crimes spike after Trump victory. Ch. 10: You Will Not Believe This Insane Antisemitic Email - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date 11-14-16 David Pakman shares an email he recieved and vandilism he witnessed in the wake of Trump's victory Ch. 11: A White Nationalist Will Be Advising Trump'��s Administration - @RingOfFireRadio - Air Date 11-14-16 Steve Bannon tapped to join the Trump administration Ch. 12: How to fight our enemies, the blacks and jews - A real-life White supremacist podcast - Air Date 11-10-16 Clips from an unabashedly White-nationalist podcast in the wake of Trump's election win Ch. 13: It can't happen here - Ideas from the CBC - Air Date 1-17-17 A look at the long history of racial grivance that fuels fascist tendencies in the US Trump issues an executive order effectively banning Muslims from several countries Trump's treatment of the media is precisely in line with the strategies of dictators around the world Trump doubles down when criticized for his comments in the wake of the Charlottesville White supremacists rally Ch. 17: Donald Trump Puts Our Democracy and Our Lives in Serious Danger - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 01-13-18 Not a single president has met more than one of the four qualities identified by political scientists as warning signs of an authoritarian or fascist leader. Trump meets them all. Is this how our Democracy dies? Scott Crow explains why the rise of progressive-left movements are always countered by a rise in right-wing conspiracy theories and why fascism downright requires conspiracies to survive. Donald Trump is "stoking and inciting - for the purposes of political power - the worst amongst us to take action in his name," says Steve Schmidt. Ch. 20: Violent Extremism in the U.S. - NowThis World - Air Date 11-4-18 White supremacist and other right-wing violence are currently the deadliest active domestic extremist movements in the U.S., according to data from several civil rights groups that track hate crimes and extremist violence. Ch. 21: Corruption of Department of Justice Sets Off Alarm Bells - Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 2-12-20 Rachel discusses the crisis in the justice department and the authoritarian actions of Trump. President Trump claims without evidence that anti-fascists are inciting riots at protests against police brutality, but has downplayed groups like the “boogaloo” movement, which are using the protests as cover to carry out violence, even murder. Ch. 23: Marjorie Cohn on Portland Secret Police - CounterSpin - Air Date 7-24-20 While we wait to see if corporate media can decide which optic is an optic too far, we talk about the legal, constitutional elements of the fight for our right to protest, including against the forces that are sent to police the protesting. Marjorie Kohn. Ch. 24: Trump Caravans and the Threat of Sectarian Violence - The Muckrake Podcast - Air Date 9-1-20 Right Wing vigilantism turns to roving bands of MAGA supporters driving into cities and doling out violence. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 25: Final comments to wrap up this anniversary episode MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1391_Fascism_Remix_Air_Date_1-9-21_General_-_1-10-21_12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:30pm EDT |
Tue, 5 January 2021
MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft Air Date 1/5/2021 Today we take a look at the often-overlooked decade of Reconstruction in the wake of the Civil War. After hundreds of years of slavery, Reconstruction was a brief moment of relative democracy and equality before the white power structure reasserted itself and instated the policies that would be known as "Jim Crow Laws" which would last another 80 years. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Second Revolution Part 1 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 2-19-20 After the Civil War, a surprising coalition tried to remake the United States into a real multiracial democracy for the first time. Reconstruction, as the effort was called, brought dramatic change to America. For a while. Sam hosts Pulitzer Prize-winning Yale Historian David Blight to discuss his recent biography of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, and how the Reconstruction era lives on in our contemporary politics. Ch. 3: The Second Revolution Part 2 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 2-19-20 After the Civil War, a surprising coalition tried to remake the United States into a real multiracial democracy for the first time. Reconstruction, as the effort was called, brought dramatic change to America. For a while. Ch. 4: Slavery, Race, and the Confederate Army - Professor Buzzkill History Podcast - Air Date 8-14-18 Professor Colin Woodward joins us to discuss the importance of slavery in the minds of Confederate soldiers, as well as its effects on military policy and decision making. He tells us about the Rebels’ persistent belief in the need to defend slavery Ch. 5: The Second Revolution Part 3 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 2-19-20 After the Civil War, a surprising coalition tried to remake the United States into a real multiracial democracy for the first time. Reconstruction, as the effort was called, brought dramatic change to America. For a while. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 6: The Second Revolution Part 4 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 2-19-20 VOICEMAILS Ch. 7: Experiment with Refer-o-Matic - Nick From California New Ch. 8: Power and defining the marginalized - Pat from Chicago FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the epic Refer-o-Matic program and why we should be messaging to rural America MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: "Statue of 'Robert Smalls, U.S. Congressman' -- The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) Washington (DC) October 2016" by Ron Cogswell, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1390_Reconstruction_Air_Date_1-5-21_General_-_1-5-21_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:30pm EDT |
Sat, 2 January 2021
MEMBERSHIP and Gift Memberships! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Air Date 6/29/2020 Today we take a look deeper at the concept of "I can't breathe," going beyond the literal utterances by victims of police brutality and COVID-19 sufferers to the metaphorical epidemic of exhaustion, burnout, depression and disaffection in the US and around the world. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com SHOW NOTES Matt Binder discusses the Black Lives Matter protests, the police killing of George Floyd, the media's narrative on the protests, riots, and looting, the "outside agitator" trope, and the looming cloud of the coronavirus pandemic. Writer William C. Anderson on the real theft in capitalist society and the uprisings against it, and his article "Forget 'Looting.' Capitalism Is the Real Robbery" for Truthout. Ch. 3: George Floyd, you, me… us - Jim Hightower - Air Date 6-9-20 There’s a growing understanding that we really are “all in this together,” so we’ve got to stand up for George Floyd, each other… and the America we want. Ch. 4: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 1 - Tysky Sour, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20 Aaron Bastani interviews author of ‘The End of Policing’, Alex Vitale, to ask just how bad law enforcement is in the United States, and what can be done about it. Boston College History Professor Heather Cox Richardson joins Preet to discuss the evolution of the Republican Party, the utility of historical parallels in this time of protest, and the policies that might help heal our nation. Ch. 6: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 2 - Tysky, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20 Aaron Bastani interviews author of ‘The End of Policing’, Alex Vitale, to ask just how bad law enforcement is in the United States, and what can be done about it. “These are not just repeats of past events,” says scholar Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. “These are the consequences of the failures of this government and the political establishment … to resolve these crises.” Ch. 8: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 3 - Tysky, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20 Aaron Bastani interviews author of ‘The End of Policing’, Alex Vitale, to ask just how bad law enforcement is in the United States, and what can be done about it. The Uprising and Its Leadership: What Does it Look Like in This Moment? How can leadership lead a social movement to victory? Professor Cornel West calls the U.S. a “predatory capitalist civilization obsessed with money, money, money.” He also makes connections between U.S. violence abroad and at home. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on how we all push ourselves until we can't breathe MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1355_The_Three_Words_That_Define_an_Era_I_Cant_Breathe_repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:46pm EDT |
Wed, 30 December 2020
Air Date 2/20/2020 Today we take a look at the relationship between fear, anger and how to deal with the structural forces of harm in our society. To help us, we examine two of the greatest thinkers of the past 65 years, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mister Rogers, and go beyond the nonviolence of King and interrogate Mr. Roger's insistence on liking everyone just the way they are. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: W. Kamau Bell on coming face to face with white supremacists - Finding Fred - Air Date 11-26-19 Empathy can be found when you understand what circumstances people came from Reformed neo-Nazi and author Christian Picciolini explains how white nationalists target vulnerable online communities Ch. 3: The dubious luxury of anger - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 6-24-17 Understanding the fear that underlies anger. Ch. 4: Help the Helpers: Evil cannot withstand forgiveness - Finding Fred - Air Date 12-17-19 On being your best self. On the least of these. On the virtues of a cup of tea. Ch. 5: Help the Helpers: But forgiveness can be complicated - Finding Fred - Air Date 12-17-19 You can't be nice to everyone because being nice to certain people is inherently cruel to others. Ch. 6: Anger and forgiveness as a survival strategy - In The Thick - Air Date 10-4-19 Discussing the conviction and sentencing of Amber Guyger, the Dallas police officer who shot and killed her black neighbor, Botham Shem Jean Ch. 7: Forgiveness in the #MeToo era - Interfaith Voices - Air Date 6-24-18 Many faith traditions emphasize the importance of forgiveness. But in the context of the #MeToo movement, can forgiveness silence women who have been abused? Ch. 8: Why Do Black People Always Have to Forgive? - The Real News - Air Date 10-4-19 As Botham Jean’s brother makes headlines for “forgiving” Amber Guyger, Real News hosts Jacqueline Luqman and Lisa Snowden-McCray to discuss what Christian forgiveness in the face of oppression means. Ch. 9: Why accountability matters for faith-based forgiveness - Interfaith Voices - Air Date 7-13-18 Serene Jones says deep forgiveness is actually part of a larger process of seeking justice and accountability. Ch. 10: The art and science of apologies and forgiveness Commentary - Best of the Left - Air Date 3-23-19 Final comments on strength, power, fragility, apologies, forgiveness and the legacy of the Confederacy Ch. 11: Help the Helpers: Grace - Finding Fred - Air Date 12-17-19 Grace is to focus on the humanity of others than to see them as monsters. Ch. 12: Help the Helpers: The fear and hurt that gets in the way - Finding Fred - Air Date 12-17-19 The difficulty of focusing on helping the needy rather than punishing the dangerous Ch. 13: Van Jones: Why Casting “Bigots” Out Doesn’t Move America Forward - Big Think - Air Date 12-6-17 There is a limit to empathy, you cannot tolerate the intolerant for too long—but having empathy for those who interpret change as scary, and understanding why they think that way, maybe the only inroad to untying this great mess. Ch. 14: The birth of the Black Power Movement - King in the Wilderness (HBO) - Air Date 4-2-18 The story of King's reaction to the rise of the Black Power movement and the roles of anger, fear and sickness FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 15: Final comments on the various sicknesses infecting our society MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1333_Anger_Forgiveness_Grace_Air_Date_2-1-20_Ad_Free_-_12-30-20_18.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:18pm EDT |
Sat, 26 December 2020
MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Air Date 11/20/2019 Today we take a look at several topics that, at first glance, may seem to be unrelated but that I think are all tied together with a thread that runs through all of them and points the way toward The Great Transition we are currently in the middle of. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com SHOW NOTES Nick and his guests discuss the history, the cultural and economic impact of neoliberalism. Ch. 2: Too Hot For School with Jane McAlevey - On the Media - Air Date 9-20-19 The climate protests and collective action of today mirror the same crises and protests of the FDR era. Nick and his guests discuss the history, the cultural and economic impact of neoliberalism. Ch. 4: How whiteness distorts our democracy, with Eddie Glaude Jr. - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 4-4-19 Glaude is the chair of Princeton University’s department of African American studies, the president of the American Academy of Religion, and the author of the powerful book Democracy in Black. Nick and his guests discuss the history, the cultural and economic impact of neoliberalism. Chuck and Adam discuss neoliberal policy, culture and systems that keep us in massive inequality and divided from each other. Talk on how Neoliberalism will come to an end Chuck and Adam discuss neoliberal policy, culture and systems that keep us in massive inequality and divided from each other. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: SAD Solidarity - Jesse from Boston Ch. 10: I feel it too - Erin from Philadelphia Ch. 11: Sunshine policy - Alan from Connecticut Ch. 12: Take a walk! - Linda from New Jersey FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on emotional vomiting MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1320_End_of_Neoliberalism_Air_Date_11-19-19_Ad_Free_-_12-26-20_20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:38pm EDT |
Tue, 22 December 2020
MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Air Date 12/22/2020 Today we take a look at the origins of the War on Christmas™ and the Christian Persecution Complex™ more broadly but with a particular focus on how that sense of persecution has been funneled and focused into support for Republican politicians. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com EPISODE SPONSOR: Physical Attraction Podcast Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Myth of the Christian Nation - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 10-17-19 Dan speaks with author and constitutional lawyer Andrew Seidel. They discuss his new book, "The Founding Myth," and dissect the idea that the USA is a Christian nation. Andrew Seidel is author of the new book, The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism is Un-American. He speaks with Seth Andrews and takes listener calls. Brad speaks with Paul Djupe to discuss Djupe's findings that those Christians who live in homogenous Christian communities are most likely to believe that Democrats, atheists, and others are trying to take their rights away. Explaining the Trayvon Martin Effect whereby the victim and perpetrators are reversed to defend the indefensible and perpetuate the power structure. Brad speaks with Paul Djupe to discuss Djupe's findings that those Christians who live in homogenous Christian communities are most likely to believe that Democrats, atheists, and others are trying to take their rights away. Andrew Whitehead, a religion sociologist from Clemson University, talks about Christian nationalism. Why is it so embedded in some people's idea of the United States? Ch. 7: Bill O'Reilly and John McCain on Immigration and the White Christian Male Power Structure Classic clip from the golden age of The O'Reilly Factor Ch. 8: The Man Who Mobilized The Evangelical Vote - AJ+ - Air Date 4-15-18 The religious right is seen as a political force today, but it wasn't always. Paul Weyrich arrived in Washington, DC, in the 1960s, determined to shake things up by winning evangelical voters over to the Republican Party. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: The Myth of the Christian Nation Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 10-17-19 Dan speaks with author and constitutional lawyer Andrew Seidel. They discuss his new book, "The Founding Myth," and dissect the idea that the USA is a Christian nation. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Upped membership pledge and referring friends - Nick from California Ch. 11: Where's Amanda? - Zach the Theologian FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on health care administration, GA activism and communist Christmas recommendations TAKE ACTION! GA SENATE RUNOFF ELECTIONS ON JAN. 5th: White People: Call White GA Voters with Gaining Ground (SURJ & Southern Crossroads) 5 Ways to Help in the GA Senate Runoffs (BOTL Activism from Nov. 10th) How to Help with the Georgia Senate Runoff Elections (Comprehensive list from Mashable) MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1389_Christian_Nationalism.Persecution_Complex_Air_Date_12-22-20_General_-_12-22-20_22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00pm EDT |
Fri, 18 December 2020
MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! Air Date 12/18/2020 Today we take a look at the abysmal response to the pandemic in the US, the unavoidable racial overtones inherent in that failed response, the lasting trauma the pandemic has inflicted and why nothing short of systemic change will suffice. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: AOC Calls Out McConnell's B***S**T Stimulus Excuse - The Damage Report - Air Date 12-11-20 Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls out Mitch McConnell's BS excuse for holding the stimulus package from the American people. John Iadarola and Brett Erlich break it down on The Damage Report. Tonight: America's leadership vacuum and the unrest it's breeding across the states. Then, Donald Trump strongarms Republicans to join his last, desperate push to overturn his election loss. In the nine months that the coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the U.S., the most vulnerable Americans have struggled to keep up with monthly expenses. Eight million Americans have fallen into poverty since May and today there are 10 million fewer employed Ch. 4: Electoral College Votes, Trump STILL Won't Stop - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 12-14-20 The United States continues to be the shame of the world when it comes to rich countries completely failing to deal with the coronavirus pandemic under the guidance of the Donald Trump administration Ch. 5: Check Your Blindspot - Air Date 12-18-20 Seth takes a closer look at President Trump live-tweeting Fox News and trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election while the coronavirus pandemic hits a new grim milestone. Prisons across the U.S. are facing their greatest swell in COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Nearly a quarter-million incarcerated people in the U.S. have been infected with COVID-19, according to the Marshall Project. The Humanist Report (THR) is a progressive political podcast that discusses and analyzes current news events and pressing political issues. Our analyses are guided by humanism and political progressivism. Ch. 9: Tell It To Me Straight, Doc - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 12-14-20 When Dr. Brittani M. James “rage Tweeted” that she totally gets why her patients are skeptical of the medical system, her thread went viral. She joins Kai to offer insights on the apprehension that many Black Americans are feeling. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Sam and Dr. Farmer discuss the history of epidemics in the global south and how the coronavirus pandemic response in America has shown the west's failures to invest in public health and the medical resources necessary to combat a pandemic diseases. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Followup on the structures of right and left-wing populist movements - Lynda from Illinois FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the difference between politics and economics MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1388_COVID-19_Response_Air_Date_12-18-20_General_-_12-18-20_21.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:41pm EDT |
Tue, 15 December 2020
MEMBERSHIP and Gift Memberships! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy!
Air Date 12/15/2020 Today we take a look at the current state of hyper-partisanship and its origins. The system seems broken because it is broken and it was never designed to work this way in the first place. And what about that bygone era of bipartisanship? It's likely that was a fluke and the result of one-party dominance in the New Deal era, it is not the norm throughout history. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Changes in American Political Parties Part 1 - Professor Buzzkill History Podcast - Air Date 7-2-20 We explain why the Democratic and Republican political parties have the same names, but totally different attitudes and policies over the decades. Ch. 2: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational Part 1 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 12-3-20 This is a conversation about that question, about how the system we have incentivizes a politics of confrontation we don’t seem to want and makes steady, stable governance a thing of the past. Princeton political scientist Frances Lee. Ch. 3: Trump, Evangelicals, Fascism, Torture, Propaganda Q + A Part 1 - FrameLab Podcast - Air Date 3-17-18 Dr. Lakoff and Gil Duran answer listener questions. Topics include: Trump Evangelicals; Conservatism's #1 Rule; Fascism; Capitalism vs. Socialism; the American Idea; Biconceptualism; How the Government Frames Issues Like Torture, and more. Ch. 4: Changes in American Political Parties Part 2 - Professor Buzzkill History Podcast - Air Date 7-2-20 We explain why the Democratic and Republican political parties have the same names, but totally different attitudes and policies over the decades. Ch. 5: Trump, Evangelicals, Fascism, Torture, Propaganda Q + A Part 2 - FrameLab Podcast - Air Date 3-17-18 Dr. Lakoff and Gil Duran answer listener questions. Topics include: Trump Evangelicals; Conservatism's #1 Rule; Fascism; Capitalism vs. Socialism; the American Idea; Biconceptualism; How the Government Frames Issues Like Torture, and more. Ch. 6: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational Part 2 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 12-3-20 This is a conversation about that question, about how the system we have incentivizes a politics of confrontation we don’t seem to want and makes steady, stable governance a thing of the past. Princeton political scientist Frances Lee. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational Part 3 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 12-3-20 VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Sharing in misery - Zeke from Steamboat Springs, CO Ch. 11: Another Dave from Olympia shares the wealth - Eric from Portland FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on where your money to the show goes MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1387_Partisanship_Air_Date_12-15-20_General_-_12-15-20_19.05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:57pm EDT |
Sat, 12 December 2020
MEMBERSHIP and Gift Memberships! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy!
Air Date 12/12/2020 Today we take a look at the prospects for Biden's foreign policy looking forward which seems to be mostly looking backward to an era of American over-confidence and self-ascribed "exceptionalism" that may never have been warranted, the fact of which becomes clearer with every passing year, something people living outside the US have known for decades. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES As Biden builds his Cabinet, his national security team is looking a lot like a replay of the Obama-Biden militarist coterie. Biden’s nominees include notorious hawks who were central to the genocidal war in Yemen andthe weapons sales to Saudi Arabia. Ch. 2: What if the U.S. Just Didn’t? Part 1 - What Next - Air Date 12-10-20 America has an opportunity to take a back seat and embrace global collaboration, Peter Beinart discusses. Ch. 3: Check Your Blindspot - Air Date 12-12-20 The Ground News app features The Blindspot which highlights news stories that just aren’t being covered by one end of the political spectrum or the other so I use The Blindspot to quiz contestants on theirs. As Biden builds his Cabinet, his national security team is looking a lot like a replay of the Obama-Biden militarist coterie. Biden’s nominees include notorious hawks who were central to the genocidal war in Yemen andthe weapons sales to Saudi Arabia. Sam hosts Stephen Wertheim deputy director of research and policy at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, to discuss Joe Biden's foreign policy appointees and why the president-elect should resist the Washington establishment. Ch. 6: What if the U.S. Just Didn’t? Part 2 - What Next - Air Date 12-10-20 America has an opportunity to take a back seat and embrace global collaboration, Peter Beinart discusses. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Iran’s top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated Friday while driving on a highway outside Tehran. Iran accuses Israel of orchestrating the killing, which is the latest in a string of assassinations targeting Iranian scientists VOICEMAILS Ch. 8: Fan of Outlander - Cara Ch. 9: Jacobite Uprising/Confederacy Episode - Marc from London (Scotland Originally!) FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on why it's ok to watch Outlander MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1386_Biden_Foreign_Policy_Air_Date_12-12-20_General_-_12-13-20_09.59.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT |
Wed, 9 December 2020
Air Date 12/9/2020 Today we take a look in real-time at the construction of the world's newest Lost Cause narrative, the failed re-election of Donald Trump. This is not our country's first experience with Lost Causes and it's not, contrary to popular opinion, even our second connection to a Lost Cause narrative because we didn't invent the first one, we borrowed it from somewhere else and I will tell that story today. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP and Gift Memberships! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) REFER-O-MATIC! Click here--> bestoftheleft.com/refer Sign up, share widely, get rewards. It's that easy! EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Jay's Opening Comments Ch. 2: Reading Harry Potter In Scots Ch. 3: Jay’s comments: the history of a Lost Cause Ch. 4: Sir Walter Scott, The Old South and The Lost Cause - Who Put The Klan Into Klu Klux Klan? In this documentary, archaeologist and historian Neil Oliver examines racism in the Deep South and the Scots who first occupied it who influenced where we are today. Ch. 5: How Southern socialites rewrote Civil War history - Vox - Air Date 10-25-17 The United Daughters of the Confederacy altered the South's memory of the Civil War. Ch. 6: How the 'Lost Cause' narrative became American history - Washington Post - Air Date 3-5-20 How the 'Lost Cause' narrative became American history - Washington Post - Air Date 3-5-20 Ch. 7: Monumental Lies - Reveal - Air Date 12-8-18 Myths of the Civil War and slavery are being kept alive at Confederate monuments, where visitors hear stories of “benevolent slave owners” and enslaved people “contented with their lot.” We team up with The Investigative Fund Kevin Levin Exposes the Lie and Whitewashed History of So-Called "Black Confederate Soldiers" and the American Civil War - The Chauncey DeVega Show - Air Date 10-18-20 Ch. 9: MAGA, the New Confederate Lost Cause Part 1 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 11-16-20 White supremacist myths turn defeated leaders into heroic victors. Will Donald Trump now get the same transfiguration as Robert E. Lee? If history is our guide then there’s reason to worry about the answer to that question. Ch. 10: MAGA, the New Confederate Lost Cause Part 2 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 11-16-20 White supremacist myths turn defeated leaders into heroic victors. Will Donald Trump now get the same transfiguration as Robert E. Lee? If history is our guide then there’s reason to worry about the answer to that question. MEMBERS BONUS CLIPS Ch. 11: MAGA, the New Confederate Lost Cause Part 3 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 11-16-20 White supremacist myths turn defeated leaders into heroic victors. Will Donald Trump now get the same transfiguration as Robert E. Lee? If history is our guide then there’s reason to worry about the answer to that question. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Jay’s comments: the last few connections Ch. 13: Final comments on our ongoing campaigns MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1385_Lost_Cause_Air_Date_12-9-20_General_-_12-9-20_22.38.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00am EDT |
Tue, 8 December 2020
Today's short announcement explains the financial hit the show unexpectedly took recently and lays out all of the ways you can help us get through it, one of which will cost you no money at all.
Relevant links discussed: Membership/Gift Memberships (The lifeblood of the show!) New Merch Store! (Our first-ever merch availability!) Refer-O-Matic (Earn gifts for sharing the show!)
Thanks in advance for your support!
|
Sat, 5 December 2020
Air Date 12/5/2020 Today we take a look at what's behind Trump and his autocratic instincts. The enablers, the supporters and the long lineage of authoritarianism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP and Gift Memberships! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The crisis isn’t Trump. It’s the Republican Party - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 11-11-20 If the past week — and past four years — have proven anything, it’s that we are not as different as we believed. No longer is the question, "Can it happen here?" It’s happening already. Dahlia Lithwick of Slate and Ian Bassin of Protect Democracy discuss Trump's sickening lurch toward autocracy post-impeachment with the cooperation of Bill Barr. Ch. 3: Trump's Authoritarian Lineage w/ Ruth Ben-Ghiat - The Majority Report - Air Date 11-12-20 Sam speaks with Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat), professor of History and Italian studies at New York University, about her new book "Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present." Ch. 4: Check Your Blindspot 12-4-20 Today's episode of America's favorite political game show! Ch. 5: From Dictator to Demigod - Power Corrupts - Air Date 8-1-19 We explore the strategic logic of cults of personality with stories that you won’t believe but are all too real. “How come none of the experts are asking why white voters underperformed the Democratic Party?” Ch. 7: How Trump Hacked the Presidency - Trumpcast - 11-13-20 Why Donald Trump’s violation of norms come with more social or political penalties than legal ones Ch. 8: The Secret Code of the Proud Boys - Trumpcast - Air Date 10-1-20 Virginia Heffernan talks to historian Nicole Hemmer about the Proud Boys—breaking down their hazing and hyper-masculinity, how to be initiated, conservative cults, and how Trump incites them. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Call to increase existing membership pledges - Josh from Wilmington, DE Ch. 11: Responding to Rutger Bregman - Linda from Illinois FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on utopian thinking and criticizing ideas and implementation separately MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1384_Authoritarianism_Air_Date_12-5-20_General_-_12-5-20_18.46.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00am EDT |
Tue, 1 December 2020
Air Date 12/2/2020 Today we take a look at some of the highlights of how the 2020 election was won, the people doing the work and what's still at stake. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP and Gift Memberships! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST | MACKWELDON.COM/BEST Want to advertise/sponsor the show? Details -> advertisecast.com/BestoftheLeft SHOW NOTES Juan González says "a false narrative" is taking root that Latinx voters were primarily to blame for the weak Democratic result. "The main story is that people of color, especially Latinos, flocked to the polls in numbers that far exceeded expectations. Ch. 2: The Myth Of The 'Latino Vote' - Latino USA - Air Date 11-13-20 President Trump won Florida, including nearly half of all Latinx-identifying voters in the state. But across the country in Arizona, grassroots groups led a wave of younger Latinx voters to flip the state blue for President-elect Joe Biden. We speak with Allie Young, a citizen of the Navajo Nation and founder of Protect the Sacred, who organized a horseback trail ride to the polls. She says it was important to her to motivate Indigenous youth to turn out. Ch. 4: Georgia's Senate Runoffs - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 11-20-20 Georgia's Senate runoffs have become national races as control of the Senate depends on who wins. Tia Mitchell, Washington correspondent for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on if Georgia voters are looking at the runoffs the same as rest the country is. Ch. 5: The Power of Black Women at the Ballot Box - The Takeaway - Air Date 11-9-20 Black women have long been the backbone of the Democratic Party, and this year is no different. Exit polls are showing that more than 90 percent of Black women cast their ballots for the Democratic ticket. Georgia residents wishing to vote might be out of luck if they don't have a car thanks to Brian Kemp's new rule which amounts to a poll tax, any voter without a car registered in Georgia, could be blocked from voting! Laying out the importance of engaging with the Georgia Senate runoff elections. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on memberships and merch MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: "Volunteer registers a new voter at Comic Con, hosted by Emily Pearson and Matt Pizzolo comic Emmie-X", 2018 by Black Mask Studios via Wikipedia | License | Changes: Cropped & increased contrast
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1383_Election_Organizing_Air_Date_12-2-20_General_-_12-2-20_19.52.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00pm EDT |
Fri, 27 November 2020
Air Date 5/3/2019 Today we take a look at several topics that, at first glance, may seem to be unrelated but that I think are all tied together with a thread that runs through all of them and points the way toward The Great Transition we are currently in the middle of. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content: Support our show on Patreon! SHOW NOTES Cultural critic Henry Giroux examines the slow, steady rise of cruelty in American culture - as the logic of neoliberalism strips our politics of anything besides self-regard, and the right capitalizes on the anger caused by its own policies An extended conversation with Johann Hari, author of a controversial new book, “Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression—and the Unexpected Solutions.” Ch. 3: Roots of Extremism with Deeyah Khan - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 3-11-19 Deeyah Khan is a British documentary filmmaker and human rights activist. She’s the creator of two extraordinary films airing on Netflix right now, White Right: Meeting the Enemy and Jihad: A Story of the Others. Ch. 4: The Cure To Loneliness - Sustainable Human - Air Date 2-3-18 Loneliness is almost baked into the cake as far as a modern society with the kind of social setup and infrastructure and economic system that we have today. Laura talks with author/activist Gar Alperovitz. From the gloom of today, he sees the principles of a Pluralist Commonwealth emerging. Ch. 6: Gar Alperovitz on the economic movement already underway - @RalphNader Radio Hour - Air Date 6-24-17 It’s time to build new economic institutions that are democratic but also–critically–give us a new power base as well in the communities around the country. Ch. 7: Utopias in history and the need to rekindle utopian thinking - History Extra - Air Date 3-16-17 Rutger Bregman discusses some of his ideas that recently caused a global sensation and the role of a historian in the modern world VOICEMAILS Ch. 8: Progressives have always had to drag liberals along - V from Central New York FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the need to spread the word about our failing institutions to bolster support for fundamental reform MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1269_Great_Transition_Air_Date_5-3-19_Ad_Free_-_11-27-20_17.15.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:52pm EDT |
Tue, 24 November 2020
Air Date 11/23/2019 Today we take a look at just a few forms the decolonization movement is taking from finance to cartography to the internet and beyond. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Laura speaks to Edgar Villanueva, about being one of the very few indigenous people working in grant-making, and ask what he thinks Native American traditions have to teach philanthropy. His latest book is "Decolonizing Wealth" Ch. 2: Decolonizing philanthropy - Native America Calling - Air Date 12-13-18 Edgar Villanueva, author of “Decolonizing Wealth,” questions the wisdom of accepting funds from philanthropic endeavors built by corporate giants whose business is in direct conflict with Native sovereignty and sustainability. Ch. 3: Decolonize the Internet - Tiny Spark - Air Date 3-8-19 The internet is very white male-biased, it's important to find and prop up all other voices. Ch. 4: Decolonizing Maps - Native America Calling - Air Date 8-28-19 Indigenous Map making is a greatly different experience from what western colonialism forces people to use. Maps can tell a story, and engage with people. Ch. 5: Decolonization Is For Everyone with Nikki Sanchez - TEDx Talks - Air Date 3-12-19 Nikki Sanchez shares her vision of a world where we listen and care and stop dehumanizing people. VOICEMAILS Ch. 6: Hoping to save a life - James from Sacramento, CA Ch. 7: Wealth tax for the children - Chris from San Diego FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on the tragedy of wealth and the difference between aggregation and curation Limerick of the day from @Limericking MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE dignidadrebelde | Flickr | License | Changes: Added credit
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1321_Native_Decolonization_Air_Date_11-23-19_-_11-23-19_18.11_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:53pm EDT |
Fri, 20 November 2020
Air Date 11/20/2020 Today we take a look at the results of the elections beyond the presidency and find that progressive policies did well which should be a lesson to Democrats currently looking to find their bearings and choose a direction. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Finding hope in America’s progressive core - Jim Hightower's Radio Lowdown - Air Date 11-12-20 The hope that resides in these progressive policy positions is the prospect that a truly great American majority might yet be forged – not around some mega-politician – but around our people’s basic values of fairness and justice for all. Ch. 2: Mike Davis: Biden's Big Mistake - Start Making Sense - Air Date 11-11-20 Mike Davis on the Trump voters: Latinos in south Texas and white workers in the rust belt—and Biden’s big mistake: allowing Trump to claim "the economy" as his issue, instead of connecting jobs to controlling the pandemic. DANIEL NICHANIAN, Editor of 'The Appeal: Political Report' explains how last week's election delivered victories for advocates of criminal justice reform in local and county races for District Attorney and County Sheriff, as well as ballot initiatives. Ch. 4: Check Your Blindspot (Sponsored by Ground News) - 11-20-20 America's favorite political game show that uses the Blindspot feature of Ground News to test contestants' political blindspots and media literacy. Eddie Glaude, author and chair of Princeton University's Department of African American Studies. "It makes no sense that we would go back to the politics that produced Trump in the first place." We also speak to artist and antiracist activist Bree Newsome Anu Joshi, vice president of policy at the New York Immigration Coalition, talks about the NYIC's hopes for the Biden administration, and takes calls from immigrant listeners who are ready for the new administration. Ch. 7: Biden Time: Banking - Planet Money - Air Date 11-13-20 Four things Joe Biden can do as president — even if the Democrats don't control Congress. Ch. 8: Biden Won. Now He Needs to Save the Planet - The Mother Jones Podcast - Air Date 11-11-20 Jamilah King is joined by Mother Jones· climate and environment reporter Rebecca Leber to discuss what we can expect from an incoming Biden administration that has claimed climate action as central to its governing mandate. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on how Harmony Square can teach you about online manipulation TAKE ACTION! Read, sign & share the People's Charter (Working Families Party) EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE At the City Level, Progressives Flex New Power (City Lab) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Biden’s Win, House Losses, and What’s Next for the Left (NY Times) Progressive Criminal Justice Ballot Initiatives Won Big in the 2020 Election (Center for American Progress) The $15 Minimum Wage Wasn’t the Only Progressive Ballot Measure That Passed in Conservative States (Mother Jones) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: "sign of the times" by Mitchell Haindfield, Flickr | License | Changes: Filled in lower half of 2nd "E", cropped to square
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1382_Democrats_forward_Air_Date_11-20-20_General_-_11-20-20_18.09.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:41pm EDT |
Tue, 17 November 2020
Air Date 11/17/2020 Today we take a look at the Republican Party and that which is hath wrought. The deeply racist and conspiratorial constituency has been part of the party for decades but it wasn't always the dominant strain. Today it clearly is and in an age of hyper-polarization and with enthusiastic stoking from Trump, that branch of the party is perfectly primed to splinter from shared reality completely in a spectacular, violent way. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST | MackWeldon.com/Best IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: A devastating indictment of the Republican Party - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 10-10-20 The problem, Stuart Stevens believes, is not that the GOP became something it wasn’t; it’s that many of those within it — including him — failed to see what it actually was. Ch. 2: Is Trumpism the New Conservatism? - The Atlantic - Air Date 7-20-17 Goldwater's conservative movement ended up dominating Republican politics for 50 years. Trump·s takeover of the Republican party looks a lot like Goldwater's, so could an ideological movement resembling Trumpism dominate the next 50 years? Ch. 3: The crisis isn’t Trump. It’s the Republican Party Part 1 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 11-12-20 Anne Applebaum, staff writer for the Atlantic, discusses why the GOP ultimately took the path of Sarah Palin and Donald Trump, not John McCain and Mitt Romney and why what separates Never Trumpers from Trump enablers is a steadfast commitment to democracy Ch. 4: The Good Germans - Gaslit Nation with Andrea Chalupa and Sarah Kendzior - Air Date 9-8-20 The phrase “Good Germans” refers to the Germans living in the Third Reich who enabled Hitler and his Nazi regime yet remained in denial that they were doing so. Or they did know, but they put on a show of respectability. They were “just following orders.” We discuss why the beltway wants to call it Trumpism and why we must never do so. And the difference between a coastal D+20 district and a Midwest R+5 district reminds us that all politics is local. Ch. 6: The crisis isn’t Trump. It’s the Republican Party Part 2 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 11-11-20 If the past week — and past four years — have proven anything, it’s that we are not as different as we believed. No longer is the question, "Can it happen here?" It’s happening already. Ch. 7: WHOA: 86% of Trumpists Think Biden Didn't Really Win - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 11-13-20 86% of Trumpists believe that Joe Biden didn't really win the election, stealing it from Donald Trump through fraud of some kind. Ch. 8: Trump Tries A Suplex On The American People - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 11-13-20 As Donald Trump and his enablers, the Republicans continue this farcical half-serious coup, Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss how the complicated grift that is professional wrestling explains this slow-moving disaster. Ch. 9: The crisis isn’t Trump. It’s the Republican Party Part 3 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 11-11-20 If the past week — and past four years — have proven anything, it’s that we are not as different as we believed. No longer is the question, "Can it happen here?" It’s happening already. Ch. 10: The crisis isn’t Trump. It’s the Republican Party Part 4 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 11-11-20 If the past week — and past four years — have proven anything, it’s that we are not as different as we believed. No longer is the question, "Can it happen here?" It’s happening already. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: More nuance about legitimacy - Dave from Olympia, WA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the high likelihood of violence and death between now and Biden's inauguration MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1381_Trumpism_Air_Date_11-17-20_General_-_11-17-20_17.48.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:17pm EDT |
Fri, 13 November 2020
Air Date: 11–13-2020 Direct Download Today we take a look at the slow-motion coup that we've known was coming since 2016. The baseless lawsuits, the absurd claims and the perpetual grift. Always the grift. BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Chris Hayes on Trump and the GOP trying to pretend Biden didn’t win: "At a certain point, if you are just trollingly pretending to be engaged in a coup, when do you cross over to actually trying for a coup?". Richard Hasen, professor of law and political science at the University of California, talks about the current Trump campaign challenges to the vote counting -- and why he's not expecting the Biden victory to be overturned in the courthouse. Ch. 3: Steven Rosenfeld on Vote Counting - CounterSpin - Air Date 11-6-20 Corporate media headlines would have you think it’s still a legitimately tight race for president because they’re holding up Biden’s larger number of votes and delegates alongside Trump’s efforts to huff and puff and blow the House down. Ch. 4: Check Your Blindspot - Air Date 11-13-20 America's favorite political game show that uses the Blindspot feature of Ground News to test contestants' political blindspots and media literacy. Ch. 5: Last Grasp, Last Gasp - On the Media - Air Date 11-6-20 With Joe Biden approaching victory, Donald Trump and his political allies flooded the internet with conspiracy theories. This week, we examine the misinformation fueling right-wing demonstrations across the country with Professor John Mark Hansen. Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. Donald Trump is attempting to overturn the results of the election and install himself into power overriding the will of the American people. Ch. 8: Mass protests may need to force Trump from office - The Bugle - Air Date 11-4-20 Nato Green explains the particulars of a protest strategy that can force an unpopular government from power Jesse discusses Donald Trump's latest scam to soak his supporters for MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, all while he's effectively stopped being President of the United States VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: The progressive spark is beginning to smoke - V from Central New York Ch. 11: Pay to Play, the velvet rope economy - Alan from Connecticut FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the Velvet Rope Economy Bonus: The 'Velvet Rope Economy' and the virus - CNN - Air Date 3-14-20 As the virus expands worldwide, while millions are put under duress, the 1% can take advantage of their access to the 'Velvet Rope Economy.' TAKE ACTION Protests on Sat., Nov. 14th - RefuseFascism.org Protests Nov. 14th & Beyond - ProtecttheResults.com 10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup (Waging Nonviolence) EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Now We Have To Fight Trump’s Tin-Pot Coup - And Biden’s Worst Instincts (The Intercept) This is no conventional coup. Trump is paving the way for a 'virtual Confederacy' (Opinion - The Guardian) A political scientist explains why the GOP is a threat to American democracy (Vox) Tantrum and Theater: Trump's Desperation After Election Loss Isn't Yet a Coup (The Intercept) The Damage of Trump’s Voter-Fraud Allegations Can’t Be Undone (The Atlantic - June 2020) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1380_Slow-Motion_Coup_Air_Date_11-13-20_General_-_11-13-20_20.48.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:45pm EDT |
Tue, 10 November 2020
Air Date 11/10/2020 Today we take a look at the long and shifting history of the myth of democracy in America. We've never had it since the beginning but the reasons have shifted, ebbed and flowed over time. Now, in the midst of an attempted slow-motion coup, we look back at this most central American myth. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST | System Check Podcast IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Two of the last three presidents — George W. Bush and Donald Trump — came to office after losing the popular vote. "The Framers who met at the Constitutional Convention really had no idea what they were doing when they established how to pick a president" Ch. 2: The Second Revolution - Scene On Radio - Air Date 2-19-20 After the Civil War, a surprising coalition tried to remake the United States into a real multiracial democracy for the first time. Reconstruction, as the effort was called, brought dramatic change to America. For a while. Ch. 3: Democracy: Past, Present... and Future? - The Laura Flanders Show - Air Date 6-26-19 Don't remember the past? Does that mean you're condemned to repeat it? What does our country's past tell us about our present— and how can it help us imagine a better future? This week, two leading thinkers on the tricky challenges of democracy. Ch. 4: More Democracy - Scene on Radio - Air Date 6-10-20 What will it take to make the United States a more fully-functioning democracy, and how can we, as citizens, bring about that change? Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. Ch. 6: Our democracy no longer represents the people. Here's how we fix it - TEDx - Air Date 10-20-15 Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig makes the case that our democracy has become corrupt with money, leading to inequality that means only 0.02% of the United States population actually determines who's in power. Ch. 7: The Right's Long History of Ignoring the Will of the People - On the Media - Air Date 11-6-20 Rick Perlstein, historian of American conservatism and author, most recently, of Reaganland: America's Right Turn 1976-1980, has tracked this anti-majoritarian current in the American right for centuries. Ch. 8: The Republicans' War on Voting Rights, Protesting and Democracy - Some More News - Air Date 10-22-18 In this week's episode of Some More News, we do a deep dive on the Republicans' attacks on our voting rights, our right to protest and, well, Democracy. Which is bad and not good. Ch. 9: Schooled for Democracy - Scene on Radio - Air Date 5-13-20 In most American schools, children *hear about *democracy, but don’t get to *practice *it. What would a more engaged brand of civics education look like? Sam hosts Cornell Professor of American Institutions Suzanne Mettler to discuss her latest book, Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy and what we can learn from history to understand American democracy's vulnerabilities. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Changing the caucus party - Erin from Philly Ch. 12: What happens if they somehow steal the election? - Nick from California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on action being the only antidote to anxiety TAKE ACTION EDUCATE YOURSELF 'The Rise Of The New South': Black Women Organizers Turn Georgia Bluish (WBUR) Activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham’s Post-Election Road Map (W) #15: If We’re Not Organizing White People, Somebody Else Is (Organizing Upgrade - SURJ) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1379_Myth_of_Democracy_Air_Date_11-10-20_General_-_11-10-20_20.48.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:52pm EDT |
Fri, 6 November 2020
Air Date 11/6/2020 Today, Amanda and I process the election, explain hyper-polarization, and why Black women are saving the country again. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
VoicedMail™:
Produced by: |
Tue, 3 November 2020
Air Date 11/2/2020 Today we brace for the election, consider what may come after it and prepare for the role we may need to play in the coming weeks. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Get System Check from The Nation Magazine wherever you get your podcasts! IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: What if a US presidential candidate refuses to concede after an election? - TED - Air Date 10-26-20 Van Jones explains why concession speech is one of the most important safeguards for democracy, exposes legal loopholes that could enable a candidate to grab power even if they lose the popular vote and the electoral college -- and what citizens can do! Ch. 2: The American Contest - Law, justice, and the courts: Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 10-24-20 Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Heather Cox Richardson for a big-picture conversation about what that means: minority rule and the court’s role, past and present, in changing visions of democracy. Joshua Kahn Russell joins us to talk about the worst case scenario: what if Trump refuses to accept the election results? Timothy Snyder warns that the United States is in the midst of a years-long slow-motion Reichstag Fire emergency that Election Day 2020 may not resolve. 'Let this moment radicalize you’ — AOC inspires in this new ad by the @Sunrise Movement Former FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann and Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold discuss new reports that reveal more on Trump’s financial situation and how they could turn into bigger legal problems for him if he becomes private citizen again. Ch. 7: Hope for the best, prepare for the worst - Strange Days with Fernand Amandi - Air Date 10-12-20 Frank Figliuzzi and Leonard Pitts Jr. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Busting myths above and below the 49th - Orrett from Vancouver, BC Ch. 11: Blindspots on the left - Mike from Toronto FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on you not being more radical than Angela Davis and a new frame for coalition governments in the US TAKE ACTION! GOTV: Swing Left | Field Team 6 | Sunrise Movement | Vote Save America | Indivisible's Windivisible Campaign TALK TO FRIENDS/FAMILY ABOUT VOTING: How to Talk about Voting With Friends Who Don't Vote (HeadCount) How I Convinced My Dad Not to Vote for Trump (The Cut) Convince leftist friends to use their vote as a tool: Use Jay's final comments from episode #1365 (Transcript). (This listener tweeted it out) PROTECT THE RESULTS: 6 Steps to Save the Vote (RepresentUs) Protect the Results (Coalition) #CountOnUs: How to Defeat Trump and Defend the Election (Sunrise Movement) 10 Things You Need to Know to Stop A Coup (Waging Nonviolence) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1378_Coup_Air_Date_11-2-20_General_-_11-3-20_07.19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:40am EDT |
Fri, 30 October 2020
Air Date 2/25/2020 Today we take a look at a post-acquittal, power-mad Trump taking advantage of his thoroughly-confirmed ability to do whatever he wants without repercussion and the work Bill Barr is doing to completely subvert the Justice Department in favor of using it as a tool to favor the President's friends and harm his enemies. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Corruption of Department of Justice Sets Off Alarm Bells - Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 2-12-20 Rachel discusses the crisis in the justice department and the authoritarian actions of Trump. Ch. 2: Trump Tears Democracy To Messes: Is It Too Late? - Thom Hartmann - Air Date 2-13-20 Thom discusses Trump and Barr dismantling justice and democracy. Ch. 3: The Fragility of American Justice with Dahlia Lithwick - On The Media - Air Date 2-14-20 On The Media explores the ways that American justice is cracking under pressure of the Trump administration. Brad discusses Trump's power madness after impeachment. Ch. 5: Justice And Trump with Quinta Jurecic - Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 2-19-20 Brian talks with Quinta Jurecic about the crisis in the justice department under Trump and Barr. Ch. 6: Trump Hush Money Case - Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 2-18-20 Rachel Maddow discusses the corruption of Trump and Bill Barr Ch. 7: Pardonpalooza with Anne Milgram - Stay Tuned with Preet - Air Date 2-20-20 Preet and Anne Milgram discuss Trump's pardoning spree. Ch. 8: Has Trump Taken Down Our Democratic Republic? - Thom Hartmann - Air Date 2-15-20 Fascism has taken down democratic Republics multiple times in the past, will this happen to the United States under Trump? VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Solidarity with one, solidarity with all - Eammon from Orange County, California Ch. 10: How America can avoid hypocrisy on Israel - Erin from Philadelphia FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on solidarity with threatened communities and strategies to avoid hypocrisy Bonus: Rep. Peter King's (R-NY) IRA Ties - The Daily Show MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: Rerun_1339_Trump_Power-Mad_Air_Date_2-25-20_Members_-_10-31-20_11.49.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:00pm EDT |
Tue, 27 October 2020
Air Date 10/27/2020 Today we take a look at some idea for rebuilding our economy and our society in a way that will help everyone recover from the pandemic and make us more ready for the next emergency we face. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: What it would take to end child poverty in America - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 8-20-20 Lee and I discuss the psychological impact that poverty has on kids, why investing in children is one of the best investments a society can make, what other countries do right on this front that we can learn from, what it would take to end child poverty. Jessyn and Nick tackle the value of care work, the impossibility of finding affordable child care, and the importance of feminist economics with economist Kate Bahn. Economist and author Jeff Madrick joins Sam to discuss his latest book, Invisible Americans: The Tragic Cost of Child Poverty and how coronavirus austerity will further strip the US welfare system. What people should understand about child poverty. US economy was spiraling out of control in 2008 and 2009, economist James Galbraith predicted that an insufficiently large stimulus would lead to a prolonged recession; he was right, Today he has a set of economic prescriptions for COVID-19 crisis relief Ch. 5: Check Your Blindspot 10-27-20 America's favorite political game show that uses the Blindspot feature of Ground News to test contestants' political blindspots and media literacy. Ch. 6: Voting Is Not Enough: FINAL PUSH! GOTV & DONATE STRATEGICALLY! - Best of the Left Activism Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action. Economist Lindsay Owens proposes an alternative plan: a standing, off-the-shelf program to stabilize the economy in the event of an economic emergency. Rev. William Barber says the 2020 election debates have steadfastly ignored the subject of poverty, even though it affected almost half the United States population before the COVID-19 pandemic and millions more people are struggling since then. Ch. 9: Homelessness on the Rise Amid Coronavirus Pandemic - The Takeaway - Air Date 10-1-20 According to the Eviction Lab, in 17 cities that they tracked, there have been more than 53,000 evictions since the pandemic began. Paul talks to Groundwork Collaborative strategic advisor Kitty Richards about how states can act now to invest in their residents, bolster their economies, and push back against skyrocketing inequality. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Be aware and prepared but not panicked - Erin from Philly Ch. 12: American power - Aaron from New Zealand Ch. 13: Are there episodes on explaining socialism? - Alfredo from Frankfort, KY FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments on the completely separate issues of political and economic systems TAKE ACTION! GOTV: Swing Left | Field Team 6 | Vote Save America | Indivisible Swing Left Immediate Impact Fund & Super States (White House, Senate & State Level) DCCC Frontline Fund (Protect Vulnerable House Dems) DCCC Red to Blue (Flip More Red House Seats) EveryDistrict (Flip state legislatures) Democratic Governors Association (Support Incumbents & Flip Red Governorships) EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE The Battleground States Biden and Trump Need to Win 270 (The NY Times) How Biden — or Trump — could win 270 electoral votes (Vox) Stop giving your money to presidential campaigns, donate to local races instead (Business Insider) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Research: Deon Clark, Erin Clayton Transcripts: Ben, Dan & Ken Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1377_Solidarity_Economy_Air_Date_10-27-20_General_-_10-26-20_21.11.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT |
Sat, 24 October 2020
Air Date 7/5/2019 Today we take an unflinching look at Mitch McConnell and what a bad, bad man he is for basically all of the reasons. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Money Money Money Part 1 - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-6-19 Mitch fully embraces the 'evil' of raising money in politics, and truly believes money is free speech. Ch. 2: Voting Machine Lobbyists Pay Mitch McConnell - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 6-13-19 Lobbyists for both major voting machine companies have started contributing to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's re-election campaign as McConnell is blocking election security bills. McConnell, a longtime opponent of campaign finance reform who battled the late Sen. McCain over the issue, made clear in December that the House proposal would never see floor time in the Senate. Ch. 4: Money Money Money Part 2 - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-6-19 McCain and Mitch fought each other over money in politics for years. Mitch wasn't ever going to lose, McCain saw the corruption and tried to call it out. Ch. 5: Mitch Is the Biggest Monster In Politics - The Majority Report with Sam Seder - Air Date 3-8-19 Mitch has been packing the courts, it is monopolization of our judiciary by far right extremists / conservatives. McConnell sees what the progressives are doing, and is dedicated to stopping them at all costs. Ch. 7: Darth Vader Has Arrived - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-13-19 Mitch fought endlessly to ensure corporate money in politics. Citizens United and Mitch McConnell completely overturned democracy and legalized corruption. Mitch is manipulating our judicial system - Trumps court appointments are pushing terrorism on the people. Mitch is the most productive and destructive GOP in modern history. Mitch blocked Merrick Garland under Obama, and now will indiscriminately fill any SCOTUS opening. Ch. 10: Not A Happy Choice - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Eric Mennel - Air Date 6-20-19 Mitch rose to fame during the Obama administration, for refusing to work with Obama on anything, which paved the way for Trump VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Christians thrive on oppression - (Another) Heather Ch. 12: The Christian Right's Persecution Boner - Ani from Florida FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on why it’s safe to say that Mitch McConnell is an extortionist TAKE ACTION! (Cut for time) SEGMENT: Support the Fight to Oust McConnell in 2020 - Best of the Left Activism Support End Citizens United Support Indivisible Kentucky Support the Ditch Mitch Fund Support Steven Cox Support Amy McGrath (if she announces) Support Matt Jones (if he announces) Researched & written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Spotify | Alexa Devices | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: Rerun_1287_Mitch_McConnel_Air_Date_7-5-19_Ad_Free_-_10-23-20_17.58.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:37pm EDT |
Wed, 21 October 2020
Air Date 10/21/2020 Today we take a look at some of the many zany foreign misadventures the United States has had over the past 100 years. And by "zany misadventures" I mean the naked pursuit of capitalism at any cost, the support of military coups and other undemocratic overthrows of foreign governments and wars for oil and resources in an unabashed attempt to keep America wealthy and the rest of the world less so - all while maintaining an anti-imperial, pro-democracy, pro-freedom, live-and-let-live poker face. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: MACK WELDON | GROUND.NEWS/BEST IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Trump lies all the time but he's also continuing one of the great lies of America Ch. 2: Empire Unhinged with Aslı Bâli & Aziz Rana - The Dig - Air Date 6-11-20 Dan interviews returning guests Aslı Bâli and Aziz Rana on the long history behind the crisis of American imperial legitimation that has become so manifest amid the pandemic. Ch. 3: American Empire Part 1 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 4-29-20 “America” and “empire.” Do those words go together? If so, what kind of imperialism does the U.S. practice, and how has American empire changed over time? By host and producer John Biewen, with series collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika. The Intercept’s investigative series The Iran Cables offers historical insight into Iran’s operations in neighboring Iraq, which are informed by the bloody history of the Iran-Iraq War, the U.S. invasion, and subsequent occupation of Iraq Ch. 5: 2020 Hindsight on Iraq - Open Source with Christopher Lydon - Air Date 1-9-20 America's "original sin" in the Middle East: the CIA's (and Britain's) coup d'etat in Iran in 1953. Ch. 6: American Empire Part 2 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 4-29-20 “America” and “empire.” Do those words go together? If so, what kind of imperialism does the U.S. practice, and how has American empire changed over time? By host and producer John Biewen, with series collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika. Ch. 7: Voting Is Not Enough - 2 WEEKS LEFT, GET OUT THE VOTE - Best of the Left Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action. Ch. 8: American Empire Part 3 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 4-29-20 “America” and “empire.” Do those words go together? If so, what kind of imperialism does the U.S. practice, and how has American empire changed over time? By host and producer John Biewen, with series collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika. Ch. 9: The Always Stumbling US Empire - Citations Needed - Air Date 10-25-17 "Stumbling", "sliding", "drawn into" war––the media frequently assumes the US is bumbling its way around the world. The idea that the United States operates in “good faith” is taken for granted for most of the American press. Ch. 10: The Other 9/11: Part One - Making Contact - Air Date 9-3-13 Before 2001, there was another 9/11. In 1973, a military coup backed by the United States, overthrew the Chilean government and ushered in seventeen years of brutal dictatorship. In the first of a two part series; we hear stories of the Chilean 9/11. Ch. 11: Empire Unhinged with Aslı Bâli & Aziz Rana Part 2 - The Dig - Air Date 6-11-20 VOICEMAILS Ch. 12: Domestic focus is about setting a good example - Chris from San Diego Ch. 13: Thoughts on right-wing vs left-wing anarchism - Alex Ch. 14: Fighting for legitimacy - Dave from Olympia, WA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 15: Final comments on the dangers and paranoia that come with illegitimate power TAKE ACTION! Voting problems? Call 866-OUR-VOTE or 866OurVote.org EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE The Billion-Dollar Disinformation Campaign to Reelect the President (The Atlantic) Behind in the Polls, Republicans See a Silver Lining in Voter Registrations (The New York Times) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1376_Myths_Foreign_Air_Date_10-21-20_General_-_10-21-20_23.09.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:39pm EDT |
Fri, 16 October 2020
Air Date 10/16/2020 Today we take a look at the history and origins of the American militia movement right up to the recent plot to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, the likelihood of more violence and the high probability that they will show up at polling places on Election Day. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Just months after President Trump tweeted for his supporters to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" the FBI has foiled an alleged plot to kidnap and take hostage Democratic Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer. Ch. 2: Ohio has long history with militias; 2020 saw a surge in activity - WBNS 10TV - Air Date 10-9-20 A group of men plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan met in Dublin. Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, and Daryl Johnson, owner of DT Analytics and former senior analyst at the Department of Homeland Security, discuss the implications for the upcoming election. Ch. 4: Check Your Blindspot 10-16-20 America's favorite political game show that uses the Blindspot feature of Ground News to test contestants' political blindspots and media literacy. Ch. 5: Mary McCord on Unlawful Militias - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-9-20 Mary McCord, a law professor at Georgetown University & legal director at the school's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection and an expert on unlawful militias that manage to be part of the political landscape while somehow escaping media. Ch. 6: Great Replacement Theory - RE-EDUCATION - Air Date 8-16-19 This theory has become mainstream. Ch. 7: Voting Is Not Enough - Protect the Election Results - Best of the Left Activism Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action. Armed vigilantes and militia groups are showing up to Black Lives Matter protests across the country. Ch. 9: Robert Evans Are We In a Second Civil War? - The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow - Air Date 10-13-20 Robert Evans explains what we need to do to avoid a second Civil War Belew explains white supremacy is a cultural, social and political problem not just the pathology of a small number of people, what "white power" means, and how white supremacist and other right-wing foot soldiers preparing for various forms of "race war" Donald Trump told his followers to "liberate Michigan". They answered by attempting to kidnap Governor Whitmer. VOICEMAILS Ch. 12: In response to Craig's progressive myth and identity politics - Alex Ch. 13: VOTE on what you know about, VoicedMails™ - Stacy from San Francisco Bay Area FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments on the interesting wrinkle of two Trump-haters being involved in the kidnapping plot Article: 13 men charged in alleged kidnapping plot, many with troubled pasts - Detroit Free Press TAKE ACTION! 6 Steps to Save the Vote via RepresentUs Protect the Results via Indivisible, Stand Up America & more Count On Us via Sunrise Movement 10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup (Waging Nonviolence) EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE The Election That Could Break America (The Atlantic) Is Trump Planning a Coup d’État? (The Nation) What Happens If Trump Won't Step Down? (Slate) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: "aIMG_0841" & "cIMG_1169b" & "01IMG_7336" by Becker1999 (Paul and Cathy), Flickr | License | Changes: Composite of 3 different images, cropped, added black background and red design
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1375_Militias_Air_Date_10-16-20_General_-_10-16-20_22.53.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:38pm EDT |
Tue, 13 October 2020
Air Date 10/13/2020 Today we take a look at the myths of Columbus and American Exceptionalism™ that we cling to and turn our gaze to some of the less-understood but more accurate and important aspects of our collective history Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: GROUND.NEWS/BEST IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES This is a heavy episode of our show. Discussions include Blood quantum and its use in Tribal Enrollment, American·s false love affair with President Abraham Lincoln and Christopher Columbus. Ch. 2: Why the US celebrates Columbus Day - Vox - Air Date 10-8-20 For centuries, the destruction and disease he ushered into the Americas have been set aside, allowing the myth of a pioneering sailor who discovered America and proved the world was round to embed itself in US culture. Ch. 3: Columbus In His Own Words - Let's Talk Native TV - Air Date 10-12-19 On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on a small island in the Caribbean... these are his words. Ch. 4: In Search of a Better American Myth - Progressive Faith Sermons, Dr. Roger Ray - Air Date 10-11-20 A civilization’s shared myths account for why things are the way they are. They can bolster loyalty to a religion or a nation, and they can excuse class and race privilege. Jon Schwarz on social silence and hidden history. Ch. 6: City Upon A Hill: A History Of American Exceptionalism - BackStory - Air Date 1-22-16 Tracing the origin and misappropriation of the idea of America as a "City upon a hill." Ch. 7: The American Exceptionalism Mythology - Loud & Clear - Air Date 7-5-19 Exploring the origins and falsity of the idea of "American Exceptionalism™" Ch. 8: Columbus redux! - Let's Talk Native - Air Date 7-17-19 The irony of telling dissatisfied progressives of color to "Go back where they came from" is that America is only so full of white people because they left their old countries rather than staying and trying to improve them. Ch. 9: Why The Right Is So Dishonest About American History - Cracked (Some More News) - Air Date 11-21-17 Happy almost-Thanksgiving. What could be better than football and turkey? Well, there·s genocide and stuff, but we don·t want to ruin your holidays. We·ll leave that to the disingenuous folks who would like to pretend that there is nothing wrong. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: In response to Craig from OH about the progressive myth - Dave from Olympia, WA Ch. 11: Conservative blindspot on climate - Craig from Ohio Ch. 12: Is 'kids in cages' really a conservative blindspot? - Larry from Minnesota FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on the blindspots from the right and left including the family separation policy, foreign policy and the climate emergency TAKE ACTION! Call: 866-OUR-VOTE | Visit 866OurVote.org Native American Voting Rights Act (2019-2020) EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE The State of Native American Voting Rights (Brennan Center) Native Vote Infographic (National Congress of American Indians) The 5 Million Americans that the 2020 Candidates Refuse to Talk About (Vox - First Person) How the Native American Vote Continues to be Suppressed (American Bar Association) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE "Christopher Columbus Statue Torn Down at Minnesota State Capitol" by Tony Webster, Flickr | License | Modifications: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1374_Myths_Columbus_American_Exceptionalism_Air_Date_10-13-20_General_-_10-13-20_21.51.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:16pm EDT |
Fri, 9 October 2020
Air Date 10/9/2020 Today we take a look at the future of abortion rights and the broader reproductive justice movement in the face of a conservative super-majority on the Supreme Court Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Ground News IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: How The GOP Ended Up Hating Abortion - AJ+ - Air Date 8-4-19 Republicans and their base used to be more supportive of abortion rights than Democrats. Now, they’re pushing for abortion restrictions with an aim to overturn Roe v. Wade. Why did the GOP turn its back on abortion rights? Ch. 2: Body of Law Beyond Roe - On the Media - Air Date 12-13-19 Activist and scholar Loretta Ross explains the tenets of reproductive justice and how they expand the frame beyond Roe and abortion; Reva Siegel of Yale Law School describes the framework of ProChoiceLife. Ch. 3: Check Your Blindspot - Powered by Ground News America's favorite political gameshow that uses the Blindspot feature of Ground News to test contestants' political blindspots and media literacy. Ch. 4: Everyone Loves Someone Who Had an Abortion - National Network of Abortion Funds - Air Date 4-16-20 Access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, largely depends on where you live and how much money you have. Abortion funds are taking the hassle and harassment out of healthcare by helping people all across our network access and fund abortions. Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action. Candidates weigh in on current abortion laws and President Donald Trump's campaign promise to shift the Supreme Court to the right. Ch. 7: What Happens When You Restrict Abortion? - AJ+ - Air Date 10-8-19 Restricting abortion access doesn’t have the same impact on everyone. It adversely affects people of color and low-income residents more. But why and how? We traveled to the place with the largest percentage of Black residents in the U.S. to find out. Lost abortion rights and no paid maternity or family leaves keep women from advancing at work as they take time to care for children. Abortion and family leaves are sites of the revolutionary struggle for America's personal and family life. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: "One Person, One Vote" is our saddest and scariest myth - Lance FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the zombie talking point of us living in a republic rather than a democracy TAKE ACTION! Volunteer with FieldTeam6.org/actions EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Right-Wing Group Seeks to Purge Up to 800,000 Voters in Pennsylvania, A Key Battleground State (The Intercept) Republicans Are Trying to Kick Thousands of Voters Off the Rolls During a Pandemic (Mother Jones) Block the Vote: Voter Suppression in 2020 (ACLU) Wisconsin Supreme Court Hears Arguments In Voter Purge, Mail-In Ballot Cases (WPR) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1373_Repro_Justice_Air_Date_10-9-20_General_-_10-9-20_19.36.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:18pm EDT |
Tue, 6 October 2020
Air Date 10/6/2020 Today we take a look at the legacy of RBG from her time before and as Justice of the Supreme Court as well as the fight ahead against the threat of an unbreakable, extreme conservative majority on the court. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SEE THROUGH MEDIA BIAS WITH GROUND.NEWS/BEST IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Julie Cohen, co-director of the documentary "RBG," speaks on Ginsburg's early years and leadership in fighting for equal rights for women, including arguing a case before the Supreme Court with nine male justices who were condescending to her. Ch. 2: Dahlia Lithwick: How to understand RBG's complicated legacy - Democracy Now! - Air Date 9-21-20 Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a champion of gender equality in the U.S. justice system. Despite Ginsburg's status as a progressive icon late in life, Slate senior editor Dahlia Lithwick says that it's important to understand the full context of her legacy. Ch. 3: Justice Ginsburg's Replacement Could Change Everything - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-21-20 Ruth Bader Ginsberg has died, and while everybody is focusing on abortion, the Supreme Court, if it falls into hard-core conservative hands, could do massive damage to the entire spectrum of life in America. Ch. 4: Voting Is Not Enough: Help Flip the Senate via @swingleft - Best of the Left Activism Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action. President Trump nominates conservative federal judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, we look at how an emboldened 6-3 conservative majority could dramatically loosen gun laws, hurt immigrant communities and role on a close presidential election. Ch. 6: How To Pack The Supreme Court - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 3-22-20 In this Majority Report clip, Brian Fallon on Supreme Court packing. Thoughts on why the Democrats aren't fighting harder and one major missed opportunity to save the ACA that's already gone by. Ch. 8: The Supreme Court: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - LastWeekTonight - Air Date 9-27-20 In the wake of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, John Oliver discusses the future of the Supreme Court, why the government doesn't always represent the political leanings of the electorate, and how those issues will impact the next generation of Americans. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: #SaveOurChildren - Tyler from Minneapolis FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the emergency of legitimacy our country is facing TAKE ACTION! Volunteer with SwingLeft.org Donate to the Swing Left Immediate Impact Fund or a Super State Learn about the Super State Strategy Tight Races in Other Red States: AK: Unseat Sullivan. Give to Dr. Al Gross. (tied) SC: Unseat Graham. Give to Jaime Harrison. (down by 1% points) MS: Unset Hyde-Smith. Give to Mike Espy. (down by 1% points) MT: Unseat Daines. Give to Steve Bullock. (down by 1% point) KS: Open seat. Give to Bollier. (down by 7% points) Vulnerables Dems: MI: Help Sen. Gary Peters. (up by 7% points) EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Democrats Will Be Lost Without the Senate (The Nation) Mitch McConnell has done grave damage to all three branches of government (CNN) Mitch McConnell is destroying the Senate – and American government (The Guardian) Mitch McConnell: The Man Who Sold America (Rolling Stone) McConnell Is on the Losing Side of History — And He Knows It (Politico) Mitch McConnell Assaulted the Constitution (and Got Away With It) (The Nation) The Other Way Trump Could Destroy the Next Presidency (The Atlantic) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: "Vote" by Dennis Sparks, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1372_RBG.SCOTUS_Air_Date_10-6-20_General_-_10-6-20_21.03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:27pm EDT |
Thu, 1 October 2020
Air Date 10/1/2020 Today we take a look at the phenomenon of pro-Trump conspiracy cult: QAnon, what it is and why so many people are getting sucked into it. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: QANON Is Antisemitism Hiding In Dangerous Conspiracy Theory? - Thom Hartmann - Air Date 9-15-20 What would happen if a far-right Nazi cult gained power in the United States, infecting your neighbors, friends, family and even your elected officials. Thom Hartmann exposes QANON. Ch. 2: Team Human with Douglas Rushkoff - You Are Not So Smart with David McRaney - Air Date 1-13-19 Douglas Rushkoff explains why we should revolt against the algorithms so we can get back to our essential human messiness. Ch. 3: QAnon is totally true - The Topical, The Onion - Air Date 9-29-20 Turns out, QAnon is totally true and backed up by evidence (if you read between the lines). Ch. 4: QAnon Makes Human Trafficking Worse feat Michael Hobbes - QAnon Anonymous - Air Date 9-15-20 The 1980's Satanic Panic has many similarities to the 2020 "Save the children" QAnon movement. We explore how these religious freakouts and conspiracy theories harm efforts to combat trafficking. Ch. 5: Mothers For QAnon w: Annie Kelly - QAnon Anonymous - Air Date 9-23-20 Women tied to the QAnon movement have recently achieved sizable electoral victories. Our UK Correspondent (Doctor) Annie Kelly (PhD) drops by to expand on her recent piece for the New York Times. We examine how the movement has made such inroads online. Ch. 6: QAnon News - The Last Post - Air Date 9-22-20 Don't care when your child goes to bed? More concerned when they will wake the f--k up? Wil Anderson - the Don ADman of the advertising world - has spotted a synergy in the QAnon hashtag #savethechildren, and taking children's savings: kids toys. Ch. 7: Reformed Neo-Nazi Explains How People Fall Prey to QAnon Online - MSNBC - Air Date 9-6-20 Shannon Foley-Martinez, a former violent white supremacist now working to extract others from extremist groups, says QAnon attracts people looking for a meaningful connection and a way to navigate a world that feels unsafe. Ch. 8: In Search Of A Flat Earth - Folding Ideas - Air Date 9-11-20 QAnon supporters, like flat-earthers, are looking for a way to dramatically simplify a terrifyingly complex world. Members' Bonus Clips: Ch. 1*: Is QAnon the Future of the Republican Party? - Deconstructed with Mehdi Hasan - Air Date 8-28-20 QAnon is a far-ranging conspiracy theory that alleges, among other things, that a patriotic Trump supporter (or supporters) embedded in the highest levels of the U.S. government has been using internet forums to send coded messages to the American public. Ch. 9: Conspiracy Theories - Power Corrupts - Air Date 5-1-19 We speak to a diehard believer in the bogus QAnon conspiracy Ch. 10: The Rise of "Conspirituality" - On the Media - Air Date 9-25-20 In this moment of growth, one community, in particular, has found itself prey to QAnon: the yoga, wellness, and spirituality world, where skepticism about vaccines has intersected with the rapid spread of disinformation online to create a toxic stew known as "conspirituality." VOICEDMAILS™ Ch. 11: Re: Episode on Post Office and Census - Scott Ch. 12: Biden vs Howie Hawkins - Lars from Brooklyn FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on why Democracy is built on a foundation of human perception rather than laws. Also, resources to keep you away from conspiratorial and magical thinking MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1371_QAnon_Air_Date_9-30-20_General_-_10-1-20_13.26.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:22pm EDT |
Fri, 25 September 2020
Air Date 9/26/2020 Today we present, instead of what was intended to be a rerun episode, Senator Bernie Sanders' major speech on the threat Donald Trump poses to democracy. Plus, new voice messages and a bonus clip in conversation with one of those messages. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Sen Bernie Sanders Addresses the Nation: Trump's Threat to Our Democracy VOICEMAILS Ch. 2: The Progressive Myth - Craig from Ohio Ch. 3: The Nature of the Internet - Jonathan from Florida New bonus clips and voices - Jonathan from Florida Bonus Clip MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1370_Bernie_Speech_Air_Date_9-25-20_General_-_9-26-20_00.05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00pm EDT |
Tue, 22 September 2020
Air Date 9/22/2020 Today we take a look at the rising concern over Facebook as more and more negative impacts of the site become evident to an ever-expanding group of concerned people and, more specifically, we show how it is the fundamental business model of Facebook that is at the heart of its problems. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Early Facebook investor Roger McNamee talks about big tech companies are amplifying hate speech and disinformation. He also talks more about his book, ·Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe.· Ch. 2: The Covid Conspiracy Boom on Facebook - On the Media - Air Date 8-19-20 Bob speaks to Fadi Quran about the "superspreader" pages that are amassing these page views, the most popular health conspiracies on Facebook, and whether there's any hope that Facebook will address the proliferation of disinformation on its site. Ch. 3: Beyond the Boycott - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 7-10-20 #StopHateforProfit is an important first step, but we need to go much further. Ch. 4: The Business Model - The Social Dilemma Clip from the docudrama "The Social Dilemma" from the Center for Humane Technology (available on Netflix). Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action. Ch. 6: When Attention Went on Sale - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 4-28-20 Information system that relies on advertising was not born w/ the Internet. But social media platforms have taken it to an entirely new level, becoming a major force in how we make sense of ourselves and the world around us. Columbia Law Professor Tim Wu. Ramesh Srinivasan (@RameshMedia), Bernie Sanders surrogate and Professor at the UCLA Department of Information Studies, joins us to discuss the politics of technology. Why conversations about technology need to be conversations about power. Ch. 8: Yaël Eisenstat: Dear Facebook, this is how you're breaking democracy - TEDTalks - Air Date 9-8-20 In this bold talk, Yaël Eisenstat explores how social media companies like Facebook incentivize inflammatory content, contributing to a culture of political polarization and mistrust -- and calls on governments to hold these platforms accountable. VOICEMAILS: Ch. 10: Mythology - Alan from Connecticut VOICYMAILS: Ch. 11: Response to Zach the theologian - Nicole Ch. 12: Your argument convinced me - Zach the theologian Ch. 13: White Male Privilege - Heidi FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments on the two major changes happening to the show TAKE ACTION! Fight Systemic Voter Suppression: 1) Confirm Voter Registration & Talk to Purged Voters: National Voter Registration Day Toolkit Call purged voters: Field Team 6 Actions (with Grassroots Democrats HQ) 2) Help People Get Necessary IDs to Vote: 3) Increase Black Voter Turnout: NAACP Black Voices Change Lives 4) Become a Poll Worker: React to Ginsburg's Passing with Action: Volunteer with SwingLeft to Flip the Senate & Target Super States Donate to Targeted Super States via SwingLeft Special Elections (Winner sworn-in in November!): AZ: Unseat McSally. Give to Mark Kelly. (leading by 9% points) (CPR Rating: Leans D) GA: Unseat Loeffler. Give to Rev. Raphael Warnock. (down by 4% points) (CPR Rating: Lean R) Tightening Polls Toss Ups: MT: Unseat Daines. Give to Steve Bullock. (down by 1% point) GA: Unseat Perdue. Give to Jon Ossoff. (down by 2% points) IA: Unseat Ernst: Give to Theresa Greenfield. (leading by 3% points) ME: Unseat Collins. Give to Sara Gideon. (leading by 5-7% points) NC: Unseat Tillis. Give to Cal Cunningham. (leading by 6% points) CO: Unseat Gardener. Give to John Hickenlooper. (leading by 7% points) Close Polls Lean R & Likely R: AK: Unseat Sullivan. Give to Dr. Al Gross. (tied) SC: Unseat Graham. Give to Jaime Harrison. (down by 1% points) TX: Unseat Cornyn. Give to MJ Hegar. (down by 2% points) KS: Open seat. Give to Bollier. (down by 2% points) EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE 7 Years of Gutting Voting Rights (Brennan Center for Justice) In 2013 the supreme court gutted voting rights – how has it changed the US? (The Guardian) Here's *exactly* how Democrats win the Senate (CNN) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1369_Facebook_Air_Date_9-22-20_General_-_9-22-20_21.55.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:23pm EDT |
Fri, 18 September 2020
Air Date 9/18/2020 Today we take a look at some of the dynamics at play for some of the most vulnerable people in America who are doing much of the most essential work under the most precarious circumstances Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Essential and Unprotected Part 1 - FRONTLINE, PBS - Air Date 7-22-20 They've been keeping America fed throughout the pandemic · and they say they·ve had to choose between their health and their jobs. Ch. 2: COVID-19 Presents Major Economic Burden for Domestic Workers - The Takeaway - Air Date 7-7-20 COVID-19 Presents Major Economic Burden for Domestic Workers In recent months, even as some industries have gradually reopened, many domestic workers are still losing jobs and wages due to the pandemic. Ch. 3: Essential and Unprotected Part 2 - FRONTLINE, PBS - Air Date 7-22-20 They've been keeping America fed throughout the pandemic · and they say they·ve had to choose between their health and their jobs. Millions of Americans who are out of work don·t receive unemployment benefits. That·s by design. Today, we·ll look at the history of the United States· unemployment insurance system Ch. 5: Why “essential” workers are treated as disposable - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 5-20-20 We call them heroes, we label them ·essential,· and we clap for their brave efforts -- even tho with doctors and nurses, these are the people who are putting their own lives at risk to keep our society functioning day in and out amid the worst crisis Ch. 6: Voting Is Not Enough: Take Part in National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 22nd via @NatlVoterRegDay @SEIU - Best of the Left Activism Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action. Millions of Americans who are out of work don·t receive unemployment benefits. That·s by design. Today, we·ll look at the history of the United States· unemployment insurance system How Labor Organizing Can Help Women and People of Color Unemployed Due to COVID-19 The economic crisis has disproportionately hurt women and people of color VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Moving beyond the myth of the melting pot - Erin from Philadelphia Ch. 10: Moving beyond the 'empirical' point of view - Chris from Littleton, CO FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the ironic origins of two of America's most cherished cultural pillars TAKE ACTION Table of voter registration deadlines by state & type (Business Insider) Visit NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org (@NatlVoterRegDay) for details on the Sept. 22nd day of action / Watch the kick off event Visit SEIU2020.org to join the union's 2020 election activities Get the VoteJoe relational voting app: Text APP to 30330 EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE How to Vote in the 2020 Election Project (FiveThirtyEight) Labor union unveils $150M campaign to help defeat Trump (AP) Barack Obama Stars in Snapchat PSA Aimed at Younger and First-Time Voters (AdWeek) Pandemic upends traditional voter registration efforts ahead of November election (CBS) Voter Registrations Are Way, Way Down During The Pandemic (FiveThirtyEight) What you need to know about voting absentee in Alabama (Al.com) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1368_COVID_Labor_Air_Date_9-18-20_-_9-18-20_19.02.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:47pm EDT |
Tue, 15 September 2020
Air Date 9/15/2020 Today we take a look at two of America's oldest institutions which are both under attack, the US Post Office and the Census. The clear through-line of the attacks on both is a classic struggle over power. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Long, Slow Chipping Away of the USPS - On the Media - Air Date 8-21-20 According to New Republic staff writer Alex Shephard, when journalists start talking about public sector programs like the postal service, they tend to be sucked into a partisan, ideological narrative. Ch. 2: A wildcat strike in 1970 solved the last crisis at USPS - The Real News - Air Date 8-24-20 Labor activist Paul Prescod gives context to the fight over the future of the post office. Historian Philip Rubio, who teaches at North Carolina A&T State University and worked as a mail carrier for two decades, says decades of political interference have caused a "manufactured crisis" at the U.S. Postal Service. "The damage has been done," Ch. 4: Crisis At The Post Office - Planet Money - Air Date 8-21-20 The fight over the US Postal Service is a lot bigger and goes back a lot further than the appointment of Louis DeJoy. It's a fifty-year-old battle between public service and private enterprise. Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action. Ch. 6: Liz OuYang on Census Sabotage - CounterSpin - Air Date 8-14-20 We’ll talk about the White House’s transparent campaign to sabotage the census with civil rights attorney Liz OuYang. Ch. 7: Census Suppression & Why It Matters - The Daily Show with Trevor Noah - Air Date 7-15-20 Dulcé Sloan meets voter suppression’s nasty cousin, census suppression, and talks to Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean, Stacey Abrams’s sister, about the 2020 census and the fight to get Black folks accurately represented via the Fair Count organization. Ch. 8: Why The Census Matters - Another Way, by Lawrence Lessig - Air Date 1-30-20 Adam Eichen is joined by Beth Huang, executive director of Massachusetts Voter Table. The two discuss how the decennial census works, why it is so important, the difficulties involved in enumeration, and what groups are doing to ensure an accurate count. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: White people are tired of living up to the myth - Scott from Arizona Ch. 10: Voicemail Description – Person from City, State FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the importance of a racial understanding of economic policy and contrasting two foundational myth TAKE ACTION Explore and share the "How to Vote in the 2020 Election" Project (FiveThirtyEight) Remember & Share These Voting Best Practices: 1. Request your absentee ballot ASAP! RIGHT NOW! 2. When you have your ballot, vote ASAP but follow ballot rules to the letter to avoid rejection! 3. If you don't want to mail your ballot, find local ballot drop boxes through your state's Secretary of State website or by calling your local election office. Find my state or local election office 4. Track your ballot online to ensure it was received and accepted! To find the tracker, first find your state or local election office Voting in person is still an option, but be prepared for people to disobey health rules, and for long lines and reduced polling places. Find your polling place
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Voter Registration Deadlines (Vote.org) Voting by mail in a pandemic: A state-by-state scorecard (Brookings) How to Vote by Mail in All 50 States (Vice) The Most Important Mail You'll Ever Send: A Ballot (NPR) In battlegrounds, absentee ballot rejections could triple (AP) If You Can Grocery Shop in Person, You Can Vote in Person (The Atlantic) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1367_Post_Office.Census_Air_Date_9-15-20_-_9-15-20_20.00.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:01pm EDT |
Fri, 11 September 2020
Air Date 9/11/2020 Today we take a look at the easily predictable, yet growing, eviction crisis in America that is entirely thanks to a political and economic system that is structurally incapable of functioning for the benefit of people over profit. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 BECOME A MEMBER! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Ali Velshi Explains The Looming Eviction Crisis - MSNBC - Air Date 7-21-20 Ali Velshi breaks down why millions of Americans could be forced out of their homes Ch. 2: The Evictions Cliff Part 1, The Cost of Housing - Off Kilter - Air Date 7-18-20 Dan Threet of the National Low Income Housing Coalition and Jay Willis, senior contributor for The Appeal. Ch. 3: There Is An Eviction Crisis, How Can We Fight Back? - The Michael Brooks Show - Air Date 7-11-20 There Is An Eviction Crisis, How Can We Fight Back? Ch. 4: Heartbreaking CNN Segment Highlights Eviction Crisis - The Rational National - Air Date 9-3-20 CNN puts a face to the eviction crisis that could hit 30-40 million Americans by the end of 2020. Tara Raghuveer, director of the campaign for a Homes Guarantee and founding director of KC Tenants. Ch. 6: Voting Is Not Enough: Help Unhoused, Poor and Low-Income Voters Access the Ballot - Best of the Left Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action. Ch. 7: Elizabeth Warren Talks Pending Eviction Crisis in America - NowThis - Air Date 7-25-20 ‘This coming eviction crisis is a racial justice crisis’ — Sen. Elizabeth Warren explains why the looming eviction crisis could be devastating for communities of color. Ch. 8: Can Trump Really ‘Stop Evictions?’ - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-2-20 A Trump administration order could allow many renters to avoid eviction through Dec. 31 Ch. 9: There Is No Ethical Capitalism - The Michael Brooks Show - Air Date 9-4-20 Understanding the amorality of capitalism through a structural lens VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Thoughts on the frames through which we see the world - Naomi from Canada FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the dominant culture, national myths and the dominance of whiteness TAKE ACTION! Join The Poor People's Campaign's "We Must Do M.O.R.E." Effort "We Must Do M.O.R.E" Digital Toolkit Watch the "We Must Do M.O.R.E." Moral Monday Mass Assembly on 9/14 at 7pm ET on Facebook National Low Income Housing Coalition: National Federal Eviction Moratorium & Toolkit Nonprofit VOTES: Voting information pertaining to unhoused people National Coalition for the Homeless "You Don't Need A Home to Vote" Manual Get involved in the "You Don't Need a Home to Vote" Project National Housing Law Project Resources for People Facing Eviction During the Pandemic National Homelessness Law Center 2020 Election Guide EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE How the COVID-19 housing crisis could affect voter participation (Fast Company) Evictions Across US Raise Concerns About Voting Process (Voice of America) How The Eviction Crisis Could Compound Voter Suppression Come November (Huffington Post) Housing advocate on what to do if you’re being evicted: ‘You have rights’ (CNBC) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE "IMG_0344" from Chicago Right to Recovery Caravan Rally by Ervin Lopez on Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, increased contrast, brightness and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1366_Eviction_Crisis_Air_Date_9-11-20_-_9-11-20_19.01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00pm EDT |
Tue, 8 September 2020
Air Date 9/8/2020 Today we take a look at the dynamics of the white nationalist movement, authoritarian psychology, the legacy of Richard Nixon and the uncertainty of a peaceful election. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Chauncey and Tim Wise discuss the rise of white supremacy and fascism in America. Black grew up in a family of white nationalists, with David Duke as his godfather. But he renounced those views in college and recently has been involved in Black Lives Matter protests. "Everyone has a moral choice to decide," he says. Ch. 3: Trump Caravans and the Threat of Sectarian Violence Part 1 - The Muckrake Podcast - Air Date 9-1-20 Right Wing vigilantism turns to roving bands of MAGA supporters driving into cities and doling out violence. Ch. 4: Can We Stop Trump From Playing Dictator? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 8-11-20 The single most consistent defining characteristic of an emerging dictatorship in a country that started as a democracy is that the dictator regularly holds elections and always wins, because he uses the instruments of government to make sure he wins. Ch. 5: Voting is Not Enough - Get Involved In The Ground Game NOW - Best of the Left Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action. As President Trump is set to accept the Republican Party's formal renomination for president amid ongoing scandals and multiple crises, we speak with John Dean, who served as the White House counsel for President Richard Nixon from 1970 to 1973. Ch. 7: Trump Caravans and the Threat of Sectarian Violence Part 2 - The Muckrake Podcast - Air Date 9-1-20 Right Wing vigilantism turns to roving bands of MAGA supporters driving into cities and doling out violence. Ch. 8: Democracy Is On The Ballot - Strange Days with Fernand Amandi - Air Date 8-21-20 Will fascism + white supremacy be the new normal if Joe Biden loses the election? Jason Stanley explains to #StrangeDaysPodcast, How Fascism Works. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the debate between voting emotionally or as a tool toward a theory of change TAKE ACTION! GOTV! Grab some friends & get involved with: NAACP's Black Voices Changes Lives EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE The pandemic is forcing Democrats to ask: How important is door-knocking, anyway? (Vox) The Shocking Upset That Shows How Democrats Can Crush Trump (Daily Beast) It’s a lot harder to get out the vote during a pandemic (Marketplace) Swing Left: The 2020 Super States (Swing Left) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1365_Authoritarian_Election_Air_Date_9-8-20_-_9-8-20_19.41.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:51pm EDT |
Sat, 5 September 2020
Air Date 9/5/2020 Today we take a look at the protests and counter-protests roiling the nation and recognize the conspiracy-laden fundamentalism of the far-right that is fueling the violence. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Marjorie Cohn on Portland Secret Police - CounterSpin - Air Date 7-24-20 While we wait to see if corporate media can decide which optic is an optic too far, we talk about the legal, constitutional elements of the fight for our right to protest, including against the forces that are sent to police the protesting. Marjorie Kohn. Ch. 2: Kenosha - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 08-30-20 John Oliver discusses a week that saw the Republican National Convention, a horrific series of shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and a strike in professional sports -- three stories that are really one story, about race in America. President Trump claims without evidence that anti-fascists are inciting riots at protests against police brutality but has downplayed groups like the “boogaloo” movement, which are using the protests as cover to carry out violence, even murder. Ch. 4: Trump Cheers On Violent Terror - The Young Turks - Air Date 9-1-20 Trump is promoting violence in the United States. Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur discuss on The Young Turks. Ch. 5: Voting is Not Enough: Become a Poll Worker - Best of the Left Activism Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action. Ch. 6: Trump Caravans and the Threat of Sectarian Violence - The Muckrake Podcast - Air Date 9-1-20 Right-Wing vigilantism turns to roving bands of MAGA supporters driving into cities and doling out violence. The way white moms in Portland are being treated has long been the norm for BIPOC people. VOICEMAILS Ch. 8: Rewriting the American myth - Erin from Philadelphia FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments asking for your thoughts on our national myths and origin stories or about the stories that other cultures tell themselves TAKE ACTION! Become a Poll Worker: WorkElections.com Spread the word/join the recruitment campaigns: Power the Polls (@powerthepolls): Help recruit the next generation of poll workers to power the November Election. The Poll Workers Project (@PollProject): Volunteer to be a poll worker and become part of the movement to help everyone vote this November The Poll Hero Project (@pollheroproject): Recruiting thousands of college and high school students to be paid poll workers to make the 2020 election a success! More Than A Vote (@morethanavote): Fighting against voter suppression. Recruiting poll workers in heavily Black districts across the country. EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE States scramble to recruit thousands of poll workers amid pandemic shortage (CNN) Coronavirus creates election worker shortage ahead of November (Politico) Wanted: Young People To Work The Polls This November (NPR) The Poll Workers Project is seeking younger generation to work at the polling precincts (The State News) NBA star LeBron James' group plans effort to recruit poll workers for November (NBC News) Poll Worker Shortages and Potential Solutions (Canvass from NCSL) Florida Hit by Poll Worker Shortage (WFLA) Want to Help Our Community Vote This Year? Be a Poll Worker (HRC, Advocate) From 47 Primaries, 4 Warning Signs About the 2020 Vote (NY Times) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE "March for Justice" Springfield, OR by David Geitgey Sierralupe, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, increased brightness & contrast
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1364_Sectarian_Violence_in_the_Streets_Air_Date_9-5-20_-_9-5-20_16.08.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:05am EDT |
Tue, 1 September 2020
Air Date 9/1/2020 Today we take a look at the concerns being weighed in the debate over returning to in-person learning as the beginning of the school year gets underway. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES There are a bunch of problems that have to be solved in order to open schools safely. But the president is incapable of solving them. He just wants them open, so that people can go back to work, and so things can be "normal,” so he can get reelected. As the world and the United States shatter the daily records of COVID-19 infections, President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos continue to push for public schools to reopen in the fall without a plan to adhere to CDC guidelines. Ch. 3: D.C. Teachers Fight for Distance Learning in the Pandemic - The Intercept - Air Date 8-3-20 After city officials in Washington D.C. weighed a plan to send teachers back to the classroom as part of a hybrid learning plan, the Washington Teachers Union mobilized a week of actions to push for virtual learning in the fall. Ch. 4: COVID-19 Will Devastate Schools... And Already Is... - Thom Hartmann Program - 8-4-20 After thinking they had COVID-19 under control, Israel reopened only to find out that schools are the perfect playground for such an insidious virus, schools spread to homes, to businesses, and created new epicenters. In America, it could be worse. Ch. 5: Kids Positive for Coronavirus After ONE DAY in School - David Pakman Show - Air Date 8-7-20 Kids start testing positive for coronavirus after one day back in school as the entire school year is now in question. Ch. 6: The Long-Brewing Crisis in Higher Education - On the Media - Air Date 8-28-20 Over the past few weeks, colleges and universities across the United States have re-opened for the fall, despite the public health risks associated with doing so. And the risks have borne out Ana Kasparian and new co-host Nando Vila dunk on the ludicrous arguments for reopening schools. VOICEMAILS Ch. 8: Mail-in ballots in Washington don't require a stamp anymore - Kate from Spokane, WA Ch. 9: The importance of understanding systems protecting themselves - V from Central New York FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on Yascha Mounk’s incredibly ironic article preaching the importance of defending the falsely accused MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE "Iowa Teacher Drive for Lives" by Phil Roeder, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped & increased contrast
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1363_Back_to_school_Air_Date_9-1-20_-_9-1-20_21.14.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:04pm EDT |
Tue, 25 August 2020
Air Date 8/25/2020 Today we take a look at the long history and motivations for voter suppression, explain why it tends to help one party over the other and why vote-by-mail is the best solution to the majority of our voting problems. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Jay explains that voter suppression is like pointillism in that it can only be understood by taking a wide enough view
Ch. 3: The pointillism of voter suppression (continued)
Ch. 4: Victoria Bassetti of the Brennan Center on the myth of widespread voter fraud - @DecodeDC - Air Date 10-20-16
Ch. 7: Carol Anderson on the Realities of Voter Suppression - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-12-18
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments TAKE ACTION! Know Your Voting Rights & Make a Plan (ACLU) Let People Vote - State-by-State Rules & Options (ACLU) Volunteer for a 2020 Voter Protection Team (FairFight) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: "December 10 March for Voting Rights" by Michael Fleshman |Changes: cropped | License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1362_Politics_is_Pointallism_Back_Up_to_See_Things_Clearly_Voter_Suppression_-_8-23-20_01.03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT |
Wed, 12 August 2020
Air Date 8/12/2020 Today we take a look at Restorative Justice as an antidote to a wide range of injustices we face, from mass incarceration to having a toddler throw a cheerio at your forehead and much of what lies in between. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Prison abolitionist Mariame Kaba wants us to explore some truly radical notions. Hear her dismantle what she calls the current "criminal punishment system" and instead employ the ideology of restorative justice. Ch. 2: The transformative power of restorative justice Part 1 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-18-20 Studies show restorative justice programs leave survivors more satisfied, cut recidivism rates, and cost less. sujatha baliga is the director of the Restorative Justice Project at Impact Justice. Prison abolitionist Mariame Kaba wants us to explore some truly radical notions. Hear her dismantle what she calls the current "criminal punishment system" and instead employ the ideology of restorative justice. Bob discusses the problems with prisons and the alternatives to mass incarceration with Danielle Sered Ch. 5: The transformative power of restorative justice Part 2 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-18-20 Studies show restorative justice programs leave survivors more satisfied, cut recidivism rates, and cost less. sujatha baliga is the director of the Restorative Justice Project at Impact Justice. Bob discusses the problems with prisons and the alternatives to mass incarceration with Danielle Sered Danielle discusses the alternative options to a violent prison system with community interactions over punishment. When people feel responsible and connected it really changes their lives. Restorative justice works in schools. Our system is a goliath, but we are a million sparks to break it down. Ch. 9: The transformative power of restorative justice Part 3 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-18-20 Studies show restorative justice programs leave survivors more satisfied, cut recidivism rates, and cost less. sujatha baliga is the director of the Restorative Justice Project at Impact Justice. Bob discusses the problems with prisons and the alternatives to mass incarceration with Danielle Sered What does restorative justice look like? Community-driven repair, making sure the victims and perpetrators work together, rather than punishing both parties. Bob discusses the problems with prisons and the alternatives to mass incarceration with Danielle Sered Ch. 13: The transformative power of restorative justice Part 4 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-18-20 Studies show restorative justice programs leave survivors more satisfied, cut recidivism rates, and cost less. sujatha baliga is the director of the Restorative Justice Project at Impact Justice. VOICEMAILS Ch. 14: Even the clip out of context gave enough context - Dave from Olympia, WA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 15: Final comments on the one thing I know about all of your friends MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1361_Restorative_Justice_Air_Date_8-12-20_-_8-12-20_20.37.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:25pm EDT |
Sat, 8 August 2020
Air Date 8/8/2020 Today we take a look at the concept of defunding the police; what it means, what it doesn't and what the goals of the movement are. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Race, Police, & The Pandemic - FRONTLINE - Air Date 6-2-20 Jelani Cobb describes how the relationship between black Americans and the police has become a “barometer” for race relations in the country and that explosive tensions are “overwhelmingly” in response to an issue of police use of force. Ch. 2: Panel Discussion on Radical Police Reform - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-10-20 Trevor hosts a panel on movements to radically reimagine policing in the U.S. with Patrisse Cullors, Josie Duffy Rice, Sam Sinyangwe, Mychal Denzel Smith and Alex S. Vitale. Ch. 3: The Racial Justice Uprising in the U.S. is Taking Hold Overseas - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-8-20 Explaining that an overburdened police system that takes on way too much, including much that is outside the realm of their training, is something that no one should want. Ch. 4: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale - The Bastani Factor, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20 Aaron Bastani interviews author of ‘The End of Policing’, Alex Vitale, to ask just how bad law enforcement is in the United States, and what can be done about it. Ch. 5: Defunding the Police Is Only the Beginning - The Mother Jones Podcast - Air Date 6-17-20 Josie Duffy Rice joins Jamilah King for a discussion about the recent police killing of Rayshard Brookes in Atlanta, the deep racist and classist structural issues with policing in America, and why defunding the police is only step one. Ch. 6: Defund Police What It Means & How It Would Really Work - News Beat - Air Date 6-16-20 In the wake of the police slaying of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protesters have not only flooded the streets, but they're actively pushing reforms that go well beyond traditional solutions. Ch. 7: How to Defund the Police - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-11-20 Racism is baked into the U.S. model of policing. More and more people are starting to believe that no amount of "reform" will help; a full tear-down is required. But what does "defunding the police" actually mean? Ch. 8: Is It Time To Defund the Police? - Deconstructed with Mehdi Hasan - Air Date 6-11-20 Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors joins Mehdi Hasan to discuss the future of policing and community-oriented systems of public safety in the United States. Ch. 9: The Politics of "Defund the Police" - Politics with Amy Walter, The Takeaway - Air Date 6-12-20 Congress is reckoning with how to respond to the protests and calls for police accountability. Two national reporters join to discuss the Justice in Policing Act of 2020. Ch. 10: We Can't Let The Uprising Get Co-opted - The Michael Brooks Show - Air Date 6-10-20 Notes on the uprising and how we move forward without allowing the forces of neoliberalism to co-opt the movement. Call on Local Officials to #DefundthePolice via Indivisible Amid a worldwide uprising against police brutality and racism, we discuss the historic moment with legendary scholar and activist Angela Davis. VOICEMAILS Ch. 13: Taken on a journey - Nick from California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments puncturing the myth of the individuality of whiteness TAKE ACTION LOCAL: DEFUND THE POLICE Call on Local Officials to #DefundthePolice via Indivisible Indivisible Black Lives Solidarity Action NATIONAL: PASS THE BREATHE ACT Learn about and support the BREATHE Act Spread the word about the BREATHE Act Sign on as Community Sponsor of the BREATHE Act ELECTORAL: SUPPORT PROGRESSIVE RACIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE The Movement for Black Lives Introduces the BREATHE Act (Colorlines) What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police? (The Cut, NY Mag,) What Does It Mean to Invest in Black Communities? (The Nation) How to Defund the Police (The New Yorker) How to Make Defunding the Police a Reality (The Nation) The Cities Taking Up Calls to Defund the Police (Bloomberg) Defunding the Police Will Actually Make Us Safer (ACLU) The Black Lives Matter Protests Are Working. Here’s Proof. (HuffPost) Why We’re Demanding No Cops for Veep (The Nation) Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE “Justice for George Floyd - We Demand Change Now” by Fibonacci Blue (Flickr) | Changes: Cropped | License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1360_Defund_the_Police_Air_Date_8-7-20_-_8-8-20_14.24.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:30am EDT |
Wed, 5 August 2020
Air Date 8/5/2020 Today we take a look at the life and legacy of Congressman John Lewis at a moment in time when the lessons he has to teach us are as important as when he first learned them himself during the dawn of the civil rights era. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Honoring C.T. Vivian & Congressman John Lewis - Sojourner Truth Radio - Air Date 7-21-20 Today on Sojourner Truth, we honor the lives and legacies of two icons of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States: C.T. Vivian and Congressman John Lewis. Ch. 2: #GoodTrouble ft. John Lewis Part 1 - Lift Every Voice - Air Date 1-15-18 Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis & U.S. Senator Cory Booker talk about the struggle for equality and his integral role in helping bring about the end of segregation in the United States. Ch. 3: CT Vivian What kind of people are you? - Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 7-20-20 Tape of C.T. Vivian, a top lieutenant of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who died on the same day as Lewis, standing up to a sheriff in Selma, Alabama to defend the right to register Black voters. Ch. 4: Into Remembering John Lewis - Into America - Air Date 7-21-20 Over the years, Lafayette watched Lewis grow into a national figure, from leading the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and being the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington, to becoming the ‘conscience of Congress.' Ch. 5: Remembering Rep. John Lewis - Fresh Air - Air Date 7-20-20 Lewis grew up the son of sharecroppers and later became an associate of Martin Luther King Jr. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2009. Ch. 6: #GoodTrouble ft. John Lewis Part 2 - Lift Every Voice - Air Date 1-15-18 Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis & U.S. Senator Cory Booker talk about the struggle for equality and his integral role in helping bring about the end of segregation in the United States. The legacy of John Lewis — the tireless civil rights leader and longtime representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district, who died Friday after a battle with pancreatic cancer — won't die with him. Ch. 8: John Lewis - The Politicrat - Air Date 7-19-20 Omar Moore speaks about Lewis, his leadership, his days at SNCC, his Congressional leadership, Bloody Sunday in Selma in 1965, the Coting Rights Act, the March on Washington, that Bridge, and what we must do to honor Lewis. Ch. 9: Remembering John Lewis - On Point - Air Date 7-20-20 We look back on the life of John Lewis, the civil rights icon and congressman who dedicated himself to the fight for racial equality. Ch. 10: Barack Obama's eulogy at John Lewis's funeral Mr. Obama praised Mr. Lewis, saying “he as much as anyone in our history brought this country a little bit closer to our highest ideals.” Ch. 11: #GoodTrouble ft. John Lewis Part 3 - Lift Every Voice - Air Date 1-15-18 Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis & U.S. Senator Cory Booker talk about the struggle for equality and his integral role in helping bring about the end of segregation in the United States. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the passing of Michael Brooks and my thoughts on the impact of COVID-19 on the movement for racial justice MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1359_John_Lewis_Air_Date_8-4-20_-_8-5-20_13.09.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:42am EDT |
Mon, 20 July 2020
Air Date 7/20/2020 Systems maintain themselves through the efforts of many moving parts that need not understand their roles in maintaining the system as a whole, only their specialized task. Today, I use a case study incident to show how the system of racism defends itself against attack. Many separate parts, none of which understand how their individual actions connect to the larger system, work in complicated yet predictable ways to carry out this defense of racism much like the many specialized antibodies of an immune system work together to isolate and eradicate threats to the host. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991
MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Introduction to the story of a story Ch. 2: Yascha Mounk on antiracism in America Ch. 3: Jay explains the fraught nature of interracial relationships Ch. 4: Introducing the Education Council Meeting incident Ch. 5: Edward Irizarry speaks about the privilege and racial dynamics of the council Ch. 6: Explaining DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender Ch. 7: Robin Brochi responds to Edward Ch. 8: Tom demands to know what’s racist about holding a brown baby Ch. 9: Additional input from other council members Ch. 10: The story of the story Ch. 11: Recap and wrap up Original meeting video: CEC D2 Working Business Meeting June 29, 2020 16:55 - Edward Irizarry Speech 22:50 - Robin Brochi's Apology 26:25 - Tom Wrocklage asks what about his actions were racist 39:20 - Beginning of segment that is ultimately clipped out of context Tom's I-have-a-black-friend video: My friend from my living room on the June 11th CECD2 meeting FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1358_White_people_talking_about_race_Air_Date_7-20-20_-_7-20-20_16.08.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT |
Fri, 10 July 2020
Air Date 7/10/2020 Today we take a look at the origins and legacy of Manifest Destiny, the historical term most closely tied to our most toxic version of nostalgia: the one longing for America's golden age of genocide Transcript Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Intro contemplating conservative thinking applied to genocide Native American historian Nick Estes explains the crimes against Indigenous people committed by the four presidents whose faces are carved into Mount Rushmore. Ch. 3: The Interest of the White Man demands their extinction - @BackStory - Air Date: 01-19-18 Ed talks with historian Benjamin Madley about the devastating impact of the Gold Rush on California’s native tribes – and how both government officials and everyday citizens justified enslaving and killing native peoples. Ch. 4: Doctrine of Christian Discovery Part 1 - Let’s Talk Native - Air Date 3-18-19 I learned that most educators know nothing about the Doctrine of Christian Discovery. How can you teach about colonization, slavery, the American genocide, Westward expansion or imperialism without teaching the origins of it all? Native American historian Nick Estes explains the crimes against Indigenous people committed by the four presidents whose faces are carved into Mount Rushmore. Ch. 6: Doctrine of Christian Discovery Part 2 - Let’s Talk Native - Air Date 3-18-19 I learned that most educators know nothing about the Doctrine of Christian Discovery. How can you teach about colonization, slavery, the American genocide, Westward expansion or imperialism without teaching the origins of it all? Ch. 7: Paul Frymer on the building of an American empire - The Dig from @jacobinmag - Air Date 1-30-18 We are living on land from which indigenous people, over hundreds of years, have been violently removed. Almost everyone knows this — yet it’s rarely mentioned in stories that Americans tell themselves about who we are as a country and how we got here. Native American historian Nick Estes explains the crimes against Indigenous people committed by the four presidents whose faces are carved into Mount Rushmore. Ch. 9: Understanding the origins of scalp hunting and "redskins" - Empire Files - Air Date 11-25-15 Abby Martin interviews Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, renowned indigenous scholar and activist, about her most recent book "An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States." We call up brilliant scholar Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz to dig into her work, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the pain caused by the breaking of your shell of understanding MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1357_Manifest_Destiny_Air_Date_7-10-20_-_7-10-20_20.23.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:24pm EDT |
Mon, 6 July 2020
Air Date 7/6/2020 Today we take a look at the problems with cops that aren't the obvious, racist problems. We're talking about the rules that help protect bad cops from accountability, the police unions that insist on those rules and the lack of state or national policies that would structurally disincentivize the hiring or continued employment of problem officers. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Race, Police, & The Pandemic - FRONTLINE - Air Date 6-2-20 Jelani Cobb describes how the relationship between black Americans and the police has become a “barometer” for race relations in the country and that explosive tensions are “overwhelmingly” in response to an issue of police use of force. Ch. 2: The Man Who Teaches Our Cops To Kill Part 1 - Behind the Bastards - Air Date 6-1-20 Robert is joined by Jack O'Brien to discuss David Grossman, director of the Killology Research Group. More than a hundred police departments, and thousands of police officers, have taken Grossman’s courses over more than twenty years. Ch. 3: Qualified Immunity and the myth of dangerous traffic stops - Pod Save the People - Air Date 5-26-20 DeRay, Brittany, Sam, and Clint discuss police accountability. Ch. 4: The Man Who Teaches Our Cops To Kill Part 2 - Behind the Bastards - Air Date 6-1-20 Robert is joined by Jack O'Brien to discuss David Grossman, director of the Killology Research Group. More than a hundred police departments, and thousands of police officers, have taken Grossman’s courses over more than twenty years. Ch. 5: Police Unions And Police Violence Part 1 - Planet Money - Air Date 6-5-20 We look at the data connecting police unions and police violence. Ch. 6: Not Just Another Protest - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 6-5-20 Sam also talks to BuzzFeed News reporter Melissa Segura on her recent reporting about police unions and what they mean for reform. Ch. 7: Police Unions And Police Violence Part 2 - Planet Money - Air Date 6-5-20 We look at the data connecting police unions and police violence. Ch. 8: What Science Says About Police (with John Rappaport) - Pod Save the People - Air Date 6-9-20 This week DeRay sits down with John Rappaport, a law professor and research scholar examining criminal procedures in the justice system. They discuss Rappaport's findings regarding police misconduct and the effects of police behavior on communities. Ch. 9: American Police: 100 years of reform - Throughline - Air Date 6-4-20 Black Americans being victimized and killed by the police is an epidemic. A truth many Americans are acknowledging since the murder of George Floyd, as protests have occurred in all fifty states calling for justice on his behalf. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the pain and sadness of being lied to by your country MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1356_The_Many_Many_Problems_with_Cops_and_Why_Reform_is_Impossible_-_Air_Date_7-6-2020.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:27pm EDT |
Mon, 29 June 2020
Air Date 6/29/2020 Today we take a look deeper at the concept of "I can't breathe," going beyond the literal utterances by victims of police brutality and COVID-19 sufferers to the metaphorical epidemic of exhaustion, burnout, depression and disaffection in the US and around the world. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON, SAVE THESE: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Matt Binder discusses the Black Lives Matter protests, the police killing of George Floyd, the media's narrative on the protests, riots, and looting, the "outside agitator" trope, and the looming cloud of the coronavirus pandemic. Writer William C. Anderson on the real theft in capitalist society and the uprisings against it, and his article "Forget 'Looting.' Capitalism Is the Real Robbery" for Truthout. Ch. 3: George Floyd, you, me… us - Jim Hightower - Air Date 6-9-20 There’s a growing understanding that we really are “all in this together,” so we’ve got to stand up for George Floyd, each other… and the America we want. Ch. 4: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 1 - Tysky Sour, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20 Aaron Bastani interviews author of ‘The End of Policing’, Alex Vitale, to ask just how bad law enforcement is in the United States, and what can be done about it. Boston College History Professor Heather Cox Richardson joins Preet to discuss the evolution of the Republican Party, the utility of historical parallels in this time of protest, and the policies that might help heal our nation. Ch. 6: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 2 - Tysky, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20 Aaron Bastani interviews author of ‘The End of Policing’, Alex Vitale, to ask just how bad law enforcement is in the United States, and what can be done about it. “These are not just repeats of past events,” says scholar Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. “These are the consequences of the failures of this government and the political establishment … to resolve these crises.” Ch. 8: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 3 - Tysky, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20 Aaron Bastani interviews author of ‘The End of Policing’, Alex Vitale, to ask just how bad law enforcement is in the United States, and what can be done about it. The Uprising and Its Leadership: What Does it Look Like in This Moment? How can leadership lead a social movement to victory? Professor Cornel West calls the U.S. a “predatory capitalist civilization obsessed with money, money, money.” He also makes connections between U.S. violence abroad and at home. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on how we all push ourselves until we can't breathe MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1355_The_Three_Words_That_Define_an_Era_I_Cant_Breathe.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:43pm EDT |
Mon, 22 June 2020
Air Date 6/22/2020 Today we take a look at the history of racist policing which flows seamlessly into our present racist policing which itself flows into Trump's authoritarian glee at the opportunity to consolidate violent, racist power in response to protests against violent, racist power. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: American Police - Throughline - Air Date 6-4-20 Black Americans being victimized and killed by the police is an epidemic. A truth many Americans are acknowledging since the murder of George Floyd, as protests have occurred in all fifty states calling for justice on his behalf. Ch. 2: From slavery to George Floyd: The racist history of U.S. policing - Democracy Now - Air Date 6-10-20 Harvard professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad, author of "The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime and the Making of Modern Urban America," walks through the history of policing from the founding of the United States to today. What if lynching never stopped... and the police took over the job? Ch. 4: Unmasking The 'Outside Agitator' Part 1 - Code Switch - Air Date 6-10-20 Whenever a protest boils up, it's a safe bet that public officials will quickly blame any violence or disruption on "outside agitators." But what, exactly, does it mean to be an agitator? And can these mysterious outsiders be a force for good? Carol Anderson, a professor of African American Studies at Emory University, discusses the Red Scare of 1919 and the echo of it we're seeing today. Ch. 6: Unmasking The 'Outside Agitator' Part 2 - Code Switch - Air Date 6-10-20 Whenever a protest boils up, it's a safe bet that public officials will quickly blame any violence or disruption on "outside agitators." But what, exactly, does it mean to be an agitator? And can these mysterious outsiders be a force for good? Ch. 7: The Man Who Teaches Our Cops To Kill - Behind the Bastards - Air Date 6-1-20 Robert is joined by Jack O'Brien to discuss David Grossman, director of the Killology Research Group. More than a hundred police departments, and thousands of police officers, have taken Grossman’s courses over more than twenty years. Ch. 8: Protests Sweep Across America and Beyond Part 2 - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-9-20 Police get violent with peaceful protesters. Ch. 9: Systemic Exhaustion - In The Thick - Air Date 6-10-20 As thousands of protestors fill the streets, Maria and Julio talk about the #BlackLivesMatter movement, performative allyship, and what it means to abolish the police with Karen Attiah and Dr. Christina Greer. With the threat of widespread military deployment in U.S. cities looming, the president is acting as an authoritarian dictator. Ch. 11: Why Ta-Nehisi Coates is hopeful - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-4-20 There is now, as there always is amidst protests, a loud call for the protesters to follow the principles of nonviolence. And that call, as Ta-Nehisi Coates says, comes from people who neither practice nor heed nonviolence in their own lives. Ch. 12: Is This Trump’s Reichstag Fire Moment? Part 1 - Deconstructed with Mehdi Hasan - Air Date 6-4-20 President Trump has seized on the nationwide protest movement that followed the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer to advance his most authoritarian political instincts. Fascism scholar Ruth Ben-Ghiat joins Mehdi Hasan to d Ch. 13: The Military Stands Up To Trump - On the Media - Air Date 6-18-20 It began with the President’s notorious bible photo-op, preceded by a military crackdown north of the White House clearing protesters from Lafayette Square. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff later publicly renounced his role in the incident. Ch. 14: Is This Trump’s Reichstag Fire Moment? Part 2 - Deconstructed with Mehdi Hasan - Air Date 6-4-20 President Trump has seized on the nationwide protest movement that followed the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer to advance his most authoritarian political instincts. Fascism scholar Ruth Ben-Ghiat joins Mehdi Hasan to d FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 15: Final comments on how things are going these days MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1354_Policing_History.Authoritarianism_Air_Date_6-22-20_-_6-22-20_20.17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:49pm EDT |
Wed, 17 June 2020
Air Date 6/17/2020 Today we take a look at the uprising sparked by the killing of George Floyd in the context of a world in which that event was just the last straw in an innumerable series of straws. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU’RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: A Decade Of Watching Black People Die - Code Switch - Air Date 5-31-20 The last few weeks have been filled with devastating news — stories about the police killing black people. At this point, these calamities feel familiar — so familiar, in fact, that their details have begun to echo each other. Tamika Mallory: “At this point, we’re looking at a nation and a world that has decided that what we saw happen on camera … is no longer acceptable... people have taken to the streets to demand change." Ch. 3: Trevor Speaks Out About the Murder of George Floyd - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-1-20 Trevor discusses the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, the Minneapolis protests, and how racial injustice and police brutality continue to impact black Americans. Ch. 4: Why The 2020 Anti-Racism Uprisings Feel Different - News Beat - Air Date 6-5-20 A veteran of the 1967 Newark Rebellion discusses George Floyd’s death, the culture of police brutality, and whether today's movement can produce change. Ch. 5: Structural robbery, mass resistance with William C. Anderson - This Is Hell! - Air Date 6-4-20 Writer William C. Anderson on the real theft in capitalist society and the uprisings against it, and his article "Forget 'Looting.' Capitalism Is the Real Robbery" for Truthout. Ch. 6: Uprisings Against Police Killings of Black People - Sojourner Truth Radio - Air Date 6-3-20 After a week of protests, the nationwide (and now worldwide) uprising against racism and police killings of Black people in response to the murder of George Floyd continues to grow. Ch. 7: The thin blue line between looting and standard economics - The Bugle - Air Date 6-6-20 Andy, Hari and Tom react to the protests in the USA. We hear the voices of Floyd’s brother Philonise and Reverend Al Sharpton, who urged those gathered “to stand up in George’s name and say, 'Get your knee off our necks!'” Ch. 9: Protests Sweep Across the Globe - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-9-20 Americans take to the streets in historic numbers to protest police brutality, the demand for books about racism skyrockets, and meaningful police reform catches on. Ch. 10: This Is Not a Game - In The Thick - Air Date 6-12-20 Maria and Julio get into how race and activism show up in sports - historically and in the current Black Lives Matter movement - with Howard Bryant, a senior writer for ESPN and correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition. Ch. 11: NFL's Roger Goodell We Were Wrong, #BlackLivesMatter - The Young Turks - Air Date 6-5-20 NFL's commissioner has released a statement saying they were wrong to stop protests. Ch. 12: Amanpour Knows an Uprising When She Sees One - Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 6-9-20 CNN International anchor Christiane Amanpour has seen a lot of unrest around the globe. She says we have to see the George Floyd protests for what they are. An uprising. Ch. 13: The Racial Justice Uprising in the U.S. is Taking Hold Overseas - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-8-20 Many foreign leaders have condemned the killing of George Floyd, but demonstrators outside of the U.S. are also attempting to call attention to racial injustice within their own borders. Ch. 14: Protest, Pain & Hope with Karen Attiah - Stay Tuned with Preet - Air Date 6-4-20 Washington Post Global Opinions editor Karen Attiah discusses the ongoing protests sparked by police brutality, legacies of racial violence in America, and the language we use to speak about inequality. Ch. 15: Roundtable On Police Killings & Global Resistance - Sojourner Truth Radio - Air Date 6-5-20 We look at the international response to the police killing of George Floyd. Countries are now being forced to face their own racism and the inter-relationship between racism and imperialism. Ch. 17: Voices of the uprising - Sojourner Truth Radio - Air Date 6-5-20 Highlighting the voices of protesters TAKE ACTION Join The Movement for Black Lives' SixNineteen mobilization: 6/19 (Juneteenth) through 6/21 Visit SixNineteen.com to find events near you, participate virtually, join the D.C. action, or register your own event Text DEFEND to 90975 to get updates on #SixNineteen and future actions Follow @Mvmnt4BlkLives and use #DefendBlackLives , #SixNineteen , #BlackLivesMatter ,& #DefundthePolice on Twitter EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE #SIXNINETEEN: Movement For Black Lives Calls For Juneteenth Actions (Essence) An American Uprising (The New Yorker) What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police? (The Cut, NY Magazine) America, This is Your Chance (NY Times Op-Ed, Michelle Alexander) Police Erupt in Violence Nationwide (Slate) Freedom to Thrive: Reimagining Safety & Security in Our Communities (Popular Democracy) Resources for White People to Learn and Talk About Race and Racism (Fractured Atlas) A Letter to White People Engaged in Conversations Around the Phrase “Defund The Police” (Medium) Louisville police release the Breonna Taylor incident report. It's virtually blank (Louisville Courier Journal) This Is How Hard It Is to Invest in Black Neighborhoods (Bloomberg CityLabs)
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1353_George_Floyd_Uprising_Air_Date_6-17-20_-_6-17-20_20.37.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:13pm EDT |
Wed, 10 June 2020
Air Date 6/10/2020 Today we take a look at the long arc of racism in America as a primer for many of the topics it would be good for you to be acquainted with as we live through yet another convulsive societal awakening regarding racism and police abuse in our country. If you only ever share one episode of this podcast with friends, family or another else, make it this one. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: Clean Choice Energy IF YOU'RE GOING TO SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Confederacy - @LastWeekTonight with @iamjohnoliver - Air Date 10-09-17 Confederate symbols are still celebrated despite the ugly history they symbolize. John Oliver suggests some representations of southern pride that involve less racism and more Stephen Colbert. Discussing the New York Times story: When Slaveowners Got Reparations Ch. 3: 40 Acres and A Mule, Today with Brian Balogh and William Darity - BackStory - Air Date 5-24-19 “40 acres and a mule” promised ex-slave families 40 acres of tillable land on the southeastern coast. However, after many families had settled on the land, the policy was reversed and the area was reinstated to white farmers and former slave owners. Ch. 4: The history of the raising of Civil War monuments - @offkiltershow - Air Date 8-18-17 Jeremy Slevin speaks with Professor Kirk Savage, an author and expert on civil war monuments, to discuss the troubling history of these monuments. Ch. 5: As Confederate Monuments Come Down, the Struggle Continues - On the Media - Air Date 5-26-17 Bob talks with Malcolm Suber, an historian and co-founder of the group Take 'Em Down NOLA, about the significance of removing monuments to white supremacy, and the work that still remains to be done. “We can’t go on. We cannot pretend that something really destructive, something really corruptive happened when communities came to celebrate this kind of violence. We have to talk about it. We have to acknowledge the wrongfulness of it.” Ch. 7: Study On The Impact Of Nazi Propaganda - @TheYoungTurks - Air Date 06-19-15 Cenk Uygur discusses the power of propaganda. A study has been released which looked into the effect of Nazi propaganda on Germany, particularly it's long-term impact. “We can’t go on. We cannot pretend that something really destructive, something really corruptive happened when communities came to celebrate this kind of violence. We have to talk about it. We have to acknowledge the wrongfulness of it.” Ch. 9: The Great Migration - @DecodeDC - Air Date 5-14-15 Isabel Wilkerson spent 15 years researching and writing her book, “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.” The book is the story of nearly 6 million African Americans who migrated out of the South. Ch. 10: A Dream Remembered? How we came to revere MLK - @Making_Contact - Air Date 1-17-17 Gary Younge, author of “The Speech” talks about Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and the story behind it. Ch. 11: MLK What They Won't Teach In School - News Beat - Air Date 1-8-18 We take an alternative look at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, examining how the civil rights icon was so much more than simply the “I Have a Dream” soundbite. Ch. 12: Michelle Alexander on The New Jim Crow - Leid Stories - Air Date 8-26-15 Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, discusses in a presentation at the University of Tennessee the policies that produced mass incarceration. Ch. 13: The True Origins of the War on Drugs - News Beat - Air Date 8-9-17 One trillion dollars. That’s how much the United States has spent in the last 40 years on the war on drugs. Currently, more than 450,000 Americans are imprisoned for drug offenses—up from 40,000 in 1980. Ch. 14: Racism vs Prejudice - Kat Blaque - Air Date 10-5-14 Ch. 15: Responding to the black-on-black-crime talking point - About Race - Air Date 9-1-15 Professor Jeanne Theoharis’s new book is titled “A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History.” It shows how the legacy of the civil rights movement has been distorted and whitewashed for public consumption. Ch. 17: When Is the Right Time for Black People to Protest? - The Daily Show - Air Date 9-25-17 Trevor unpacks the backlash that NFL players, Stevie Wonder and ESPN commentator Jemele Hill received after speaking out against racism. Ch. 18: How whiteness distorts our democracy, with Eddie Glaude Jr. - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 4-4-19 Glaude is the chair of Princeton University’s department of African American studies, the president of the American Academy of Religion, and the author of the powerful book Democracy in Black. Ch. 19: Why We Riot The language of the unheard - NewsBeat - Air Date 12-18-17 MLK, Jr. once referred to “riots” as the “language of the unheard.” The reasons for such rebellions are myriad: political, social & cultural. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1352_Racism_Remix_Air_Date_6-9-20_-_6-10-20_14.12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:10am EDT |
Fri, 5 June 2020
Air Date 6/5/2020 Today we take a look at the growing importance of China on the world stage and the growing instinct of the American Empire to confront it even while the fundamentals of the strength of the empire slip away. All that with the Coronavirus on top just to make things interesting. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 MEMBERSHIP ON PATREON (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) EPISODE SPONSORS: ExpressVPN.com/LEFT |Clean Choice Energy SHOP AMAZON: Amazon USA | Amazon CA | Amazon UK SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Janine Jackson takes a quick look back at press coverage of China - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-22-20 COVID-19 originated in China and exploded across the US. Today, a look at the leaders of those two countries: What have they done right to contain this pandemic, what have they done wrong, and what haven't they done at all? Ch. 3: Vijay Prashad on China (and Sinophobia) - Behind the News from Jacobin Radio - Air Date 4-24-20 Examining the timeline of China's response to the coronavirus and reporting to the WHO Ch. 4: Global health expert: The WHO deserves our thanks - Democracy Now - Air Date 4-30-20 WHO adviser Lawrence Gostin says the organization has actually done well in the pandemic, despite a minuscule budget and political interference. The US-China relationship will define geopolitics in the 21st century. If we collapse into rivalry, conflict, and politically opportunistic nationalism, the results could be hellish. Ch. 6: China & US relations w/ Kevin Li, Amanda Yee, & Alex Tom - The Red Nation Podcast - Air Date 5-26-20 A critical look at the US imperialist "pivot" to China in a time of pandemic. Ch. 7: US Empire Exploits Covid-19 For More War - Empire Files - Air Date 4-7-20 Abby Martin breaks down all the hidden acts of US foreign policy aggression under the cover of the COVID19 pandemic. Ch. 8: Joe Emersberger on Pandemic Sanctions - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-10-20 The US is imposing devastating economic sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, ensuring that they will have a harder time protecting their citizens from the pandemic. We’ll talk about that with writer Joe Emersberger. Historical context for the drumbeat for another Cold War Ch. 10: America The Farewell Tour w: Chris Hedges - Fortress On A Hill - Air Date 4-15-20 Chris Hedges is a columnist, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a New York Times best-selling author. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Direct download: 1351_China.US_Empire_Air_Date_6-5-20_-_6-5-20_18.51.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:48pm EDT |
Tue, 2 June 2020
Air Date 7/19/2016 Show NotesCh. 3: Song 1: Sur Le Fil - Yann Tiersen Ch. 4: Act 2: Video of and reaction to Philando Castile - Code Switch - Air Date 7-9-16 Ch. 5: Song 2: End of the World - Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin Ch. 6: Act 3: You can't reignite a fire that never stops burning - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 7-8-16 Ch. 7: Song 3: Turtle (Bonobo Remix) - Pilote Ch. 8: Act 4: Tired of being strong, it's time to fix the system - The Benjamin Dixon Show (@TheBpDShow) - Air Date 7-6-16 Ch. 9: Song 4: North bank upper - Plusplus Ch. 10: Act 5: The fatal shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile - The Daily Show - Air Date 7-7-16 Ch. 11: Song 5: Rain Begins To Fall (instrumental) - Silence Is Sexy Ch. 12: Act 6: ‘Black Lives Matter’ Protesters Respond To Dallas Shooting - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 07-09-16 Ch. 13: Song 6: Silhouette - David Ari Leon Ch. 14: Act 7: Dallas shooter was banned from black activist groups - @CitizenRadio - Air Date 7-12-16 Ch. 15: Song 7: Untitled - Zoe Keating Ch. 16: Act 8: Black Surgeon Who Treated Dallas Officers On Race Relations with Law Enforcement - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 07-13-16 Ch. 17: Song 8: A Faraway Home (instrumental) - Silence Is Sexy Ch. 18: Act 9: Scoop Jackson on the unnecessary, yet understood, killings of people and police - @EdgeofSports - w: Dave Zirin - Air Date 7-13-16 Ch. 19: Song 9: Whatchuwando - Krayzie Bone Ch. 18: Act 10: Pastor Michael McBride on what white people can do - Politically Re-Active - Air Date 7-13-16 Ch. 19: Song 10: Adventure, Darling - Gillicuddy Ch. 18: Act 11: People with privilege need to get up and stand shoulder to shoulder - The Read - Air Date 7-13-16 Voicemails Ch. 19: Response to police killing person during standoff - Colin from Cleveland, OH Ch. 20: Examining the police with an analogy with healthcare - Charlie from Cleveland Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics Ch. 21: Final comments on what white people can do to get involved in the movement for black lives Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone TAKE ACTION Find Showing Up for Justice actions near you Sign the We Are Here Movement's Racial Justice Moonshot Petition EDUCATE YOURSELF This is What White People Can Do to Support Black Lives Matter (Washington Post) Tim Wise Website (TimWise.com) It's Legal to Kill Black People (Hands Up United) Rewire News - Racism (Rewire.com) Only White People Can Save Themselves From Racism and White Supremacism (Washington Post)
Written by BOTL social media/activism director Amanda Hoffman Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: Rerun_1029_You_cant_reignite_a_fire_that_never_stops_burning_Black_and_Blue_Lives_-_6-2-20_20.37.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:07pm EDT |
