Wed, 29 March 2023
Original Air Date 3/16/2022 Today we take a look at the dynamics of mis- and disinformation as well as the history of those, primarily Russia, who are actively using it as a weapon of information warfare against the US, The West, and democracies around the world. Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Are you Disinformed or Misinformed? - Harvard Data Science Review Podcast - Air Date 6-17-21 Harvard Data Science Review digs into the world of disinformation and misinformation, and the difference between them. Ch. 2: Moving beyond news deserts and misinformation - Democracy Works - Air Date 2-14-22 Victor Pickard is the C. Edwin Baker Professor of Media Policy and Political Economy at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Democracy Without Journalism? Ch. 3: Why "Cheap Speech" Threatens Democracy - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 3-5-22 Dahlia talks to Rick Hasen about his new book Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics–and How to Cure It. Ch. 4: The Firehose of Falsehood Effect - The Propwatch Project - Air Date 4-4-21 Dr. Christopher Paul, senior social scientist of the Pardee RAND Graduate School, discusses his seminal work on the "Firehose of Falsehood" propaganda model, going through its key components and explaining how each exploits facets of human heuristics. Ch. 5: The long history of Russian disinformation targeting the U.S. - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 11-22-18 A recent New York Times video series explores the long history of Russian disinformation Ch. 6: Post-Truth: Lee C. McIntyre - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-14-20 Authoritarians use post-truth to corrupt our faith in the truth. The end goal is not to make citizens believe lies, but to make them so cynical and uncertain, they think they can never know the truth. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Inside Estonia's approach in combating Russian disinformation - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 1-15-22 Russian disinformation is rife in countries formerly ruled from Moscow. Some ex-Soviet states have tried to suppress it altogether by banning Russian television stations and even limiting the use of the Russian language on their own domestic channels. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Seeking power from the right and left - Alex from Maryland Old FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on avoiding the nihilism strategy of the Underpants Gnomes TAKE ACTION! Media Literacy Now - Advocate for U.S. Media Literacy Bills at State Level (See Existing Media Literacy Bills and Laws) Tools to Fight Disinformation: List: Tools That Fight Disinformation Online (RAND.org) InVID - Browser plug in to help identify and verify shared videos and images Hamilton 2.0 Dashboard - War in Ukraine (Disinformation tracker) Orgs Fighting Disinformation: Content Authenticity Initiative Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity Alliance for Securing Democracy EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Short Docuseries: Operation InfeKtion (New York Times) Book: “The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread” by Calin O’Connor and James Owen Weatherall Video Series: Crash Course Media Literacy Training: First Draft News - Training Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman SHOW IMAGE: Description: In graphic form, the word "TRUTH" is angled and textured in red. A magnifying glass hovers over most of the letter "U" and the word "LIES" can be seen repeated in rows through the circular glass. Credit: Original design on Pixabay / Changes: angled, text color, background color / Final by Amanda Hoffman
Direct download: 1476_Disinformation_Air_Date_3-16-22_Members__Ads_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:39pm EDT |
Sun, 26 March 2023
Air Date 3/26/2023 Today, we take a look at the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the debate over continuing to support Ukraine heats up, an arrest warrant is issued for Putin and China makes a state visit to Moscow. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! SHOW NOTES Matt Dust discusses Biden's trip to Ukraine and the symbolism. CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin speaks on why she believes this is a propaganda move to increase support for a senseless war. Ch. 2: Russias Total War on Ukraine One Year Later - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 2-22-23 We discuss what’s changed since February 2022, what Ukraine still needs to win, Biden’s recent visit, and the geopolitical consequences of the war for the rest of the world. Ch. 3: Unwinnable War Calls Grow for Negotiated End to Ukraine War - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-2-23 To talk about possible peace talks, we are joined by two guests: Vladislav Zubok, a Russian professor of international history at the London School of Economics, and Wolfgang Sporrer, a conflict manager and adjunct professor at the Hertie School in Berlin Nuclear weapons policy analyst and historian STEPHEN SCHWARTZ unpacks the implications of Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a unilateral suspension of participation in the New START treaty. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleging that he oversaw the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow Monday for a three-day state visit to Russia.Sasha Gabuev of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussed the visit with Nick Schifrin. The Eurasia Group's Ian Bremmer joins Morning Joe to discuss Turkey and Hungary clearing way for Finland to join NATO, Vladimir Putin's recent trip to Mariupol and the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Putin for war crimes. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Russias Total War on Ukraine One Year Later Part 2 - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 2-22-23 Are recent attacks by Russia just the beginning of what could be a bloody year for both Ukraine & Russia? Veteran War Correspondent Phil Ittner joins Thom Hartmann to discuss. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the debate on the left about the future of the war in Ukraine MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a soldier standing with their back to the camera wearing a helmet, tactical gear, and a gun on their back. A distressed Ukrainian flag flies in the distance on the battlefield. Credit: “Ukraine-war-soldier-weapon” LukasJohnns, Pixabay | Pixabay License Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1551_Ukraine_War_1_Year_Air_Date_3-26-23_General_-_3-26-23_20.27.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:43pm EDT |
Fri, 24 March 2023
Original Air Date: 3-23-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - giving credit where due - the mysteries of right-wing comedy through the ages - the dream of freedom from cars and trapping people in cities
REFERENCES: Is the right winning the comedy wars? - Vox Fifteen Minutes of Blame - Slate
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_267_Sample_-_3-24-23_15.48.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:03pm EDT |
Tue, 21 March 2023
Air Date 3/21/2023 Today, we take a look at how GOP-controlled states are subverting democracy with a form of "competitive autocracy" and some of the horrifying legislation these states then pass after they are no longer subject to the opinions of the general public. Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Watch/Listen: The Laura Flanders Show SHOW NOTES David Pepper, former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, author of the book "Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call from Behind the Lines." Ch. 2: Republicans Are Staging A Legislative Coup - More Perfect Union - Air Date 1-5-22 Republicans are now carrying out a legislative coup by rigging a decade of elections. The former Ohio Democratic State Chair on how state legislatures are dismantling democracy. Ch. 4: The Fight for Fair Maps - The Takeaway - Air Date 7-18-22 After each census every 10 years, a fight for redistricting ensues. Ch. 5: Failing (Red)States - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 3-4-23 Ralph welcomes William Kleinknecht, author of “States of Neglect: How Red-State Leaders Have Failed Their Citizens and Undermined America” Mississippi's Republican majority in the state Legislature has put forth a slew of bills in recent months to put the majority-Black capital of Jackson under a white-led superstructure. Iowa Republicans are proposing a new bill that would change Iowa's child labor law to allow teens to work more dangerous jobs. Ch. 10: How Moore v. Harper Could Reshape Democracy - The Takeaway - Air Date 12-8-22 The Supreme Court began hearing arguments on Moore v. Harper this week, a case that involves North Carolina’s Republican-led-state legislatures' efforts to pass gerrymandered maps. BONUS CLIP(S) Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law that would make it significantly easier for children to work extremely hard jobs. Missouri has some of the most permissive gun laws in the nation. A state law passed in 2021 is making it harder for police to enforce federal gun laws. Ch. 13: Tennessee legislator shocks with lynching suggestion - Alex Wagner Tonight - Air Date 3-3-23 Jelani Cobb talks with Alex Wagner about a Tennessee legislator suggesting that lynching be added as an option in new state death penalty legislation. VOICEMAILS Ch. 14: Re-indigenization - VoicedMailer Daniel FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 15: Final comments on how to fix the states SHOW IMAGE: Description: Partial illustrated map of the U.S. "Red states" are black. A hollow-eyed elephant is overlaid on top of them. Blue and purple states are visible. Credit: Composite by A. Hoffman, License: CC By-SA 4.0. Map image credit: “Last 2 Election Red States and Blue States and Purple States” by BobWyatt07, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped, color-filled red states to black
Direct download: 1550_Red_States_Air_Date_3-21-23_General_-_3-21-23_21.05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:49pm EDT |
Sat, 18 March 2023
Air Date 3/18/2023 Today, we take a look at how Fox News is being exposed as the alleged liars-for-pay we always suspected they were by the defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Fox News based on evidence from the Dominion lawsuit. "All the way from Rupert Murdoch on down to the show producers, they knew what they were saying was not true, that it was actually a lie, and they did it anyway," says Carusone. Former Obama spokesperson Tommy Vietor and political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen draft the biggest bombshells and revelations from Dominion's Lawsuit against Fox News. MSNBC's Ayman Mohyeldin talks to SiriusXM radio's Dean Obeidallah about the recent revelations that Fox News anchors and Rupert Murdoch knew the 2020 election fraud claims that Fox News was broadcasting were a lie Jonathan Mahler (@jonathanmahler), staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, joins us to discuss his article, 'Planet Fox: How Rupert Murdoh's Empire of Influence Remade the World.' White House correspondent Scott Detrow, media correspondent David Folkenflik, and Colorado Public Radio reporter Bente Birkeland. Ch. 6: See Tucker Carlson demolished on TV by his own words - The Beat - Air Date 3-14-23 Before hosting a Fox News show, Tucker Carlson warned against "conspiracy theories.” Now, Mr. Carlson is involved in a case alleging lies, where some of the most damning evidence comes from Fox hosts including Carlson. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Fox News Faces ANOTHER Election Fraud Defamation Lawsuit - The Young Turks - Air Date 12-30-21 Venezuelan businessman Majed Khalil is suing Fox News, Lou Dobbs, and Sidney Powell for defamation regarding conspiracy theories about the 2020 election being rigged against Donald Trump. Ch. 8: The OTHER Lawsuit Involving the Murdochs - On the Media - Air Date 3-1-23 Guest host David Folkenflik speaks with Lachlan Cartwright, the Editor at Large of the Daily Beast where he covers power, crime, celebrity and justice, to get a look into the lawsuits and what they mean for the future of the Fox empire. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Criticizing Culture - VoicedMailer Dr. Wiskers FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on our national multiculturalism American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (Affiliate links: Physical, Audiobook) MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1549_Fox_News_Air_Date_3-18-23_General_-_3-18-23_17.23.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:55pm EDT |
Thu, 16 March 2023
Original Air Date: 3-10-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - Nick being a liar - The competing values behind editing and banning books - Why tech leaders are like 8-year-olds
REFERENCES: Equating the Roald Dahl edits to book banning is living in a Willy Wonka fantasy world Biden talks to Anthony Fontana about 90s rap
Connect your Discord to Patreon Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_266_Sample_-_3-10-23_18.25.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:37am EDT |
Tue, 14 March 2023
Air Date 3/14/2023 Today, we take a look at the rise of "woke capitalism" as the cudgel now being wielded against any corporations who dare to seek profits by appealing to the majority of potential customers who prefer progressive social positions to that of Republicans. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: https://BOMBAS.COM/BEST BUY ONE/GIVE ONE TO SOMEONE IN NEED SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Dissecting the War on Woke | Part One - Shanspeare - Air Date - Air Date 1-13-23 Republicans are at war with Woke Ch. 2: CRT, ESG: Don't fall for the Right's pretend 'Culture Wars' - The Bradcast - Air Date 3-2-23 We debunk Republicans' new fake culture war outrage attacking a mundane, decades-old investment framework known as ESG in which corporations and investment managers consider factors like the environment when making business decisions. Ch. 3: Who Is Afraid of Woke Capitalism? - After Hours - Air Date 11-2-22 Mihir, Felix and NYU’s Dolly Chugh discuss the pressure on business leaders to conform to the demands of woke capitalism. Should you give in? Push back? What are the risks and rewards? In the last few years, Republicans have been increasingly concerned about a “woke” corporate agenda, but they're missing the real problem. It’s not that corporations and establishment politicians care too much about racial or gender justice. Jesse talks about the pathetic Republican response to the entirely predictable failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). James Comer substituted leadership and policy acumen for the expected deflection and blamed the bank's collapse on being WOKE Greg Walters explains the current conflict between the Republican Party and corporate America. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: BlackRock: The Devil's Banker. Do as I say, not as I do. - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 9-17-22 BlackRock is at the center of a storm in conservative media for pushing companies too hard toward sustainability. That he’s too woke. Liberals think he’s behind the housing crisis. Conspiracy theorists believe he’s in the pocket of the Chinese government. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on how the left really brought about woke capitalism MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1548_Woke_Capitalism_Air_Date_3-14-23_General_-_3-14-23_20.46.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:51pm EDT |
Wed, 8 March 2023
Air Date 3/8/2023 Today, we take a look at some of the emerging elements of technology and regulation that will likely shape the next era of the internet and our relationship to it. For today, these will include synthetic relationships with artificial intelligence, fake audio and video virtually indistinguishable from reality that will facilitate disinformation, reinterpreting Section 230 for a new era of internet content and the ongoing struggle to regulate social media platforms. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Watch/Listen: The Laura Flanders Show SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: What is ChatGPT, the AI software taking the internet by storm - BBC News - Air Date 1-15-23 While its popularity is soaring amid reports that OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is closing in on a $10bn investment from Microsoft, there are fears the technology could cause more harm than good. Ch. 2: Synthetic Humanity AI & Whats At Stake - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-16-23 In this episode of Your Undivided Attention, Tristan and Aza reach beyond the moment to talk about this powerful new AI, and the new paradigm of humanity and computation we’re about to enter. Ch. 3: What are deepfakes and are they dangerous? - Start Here, Al Jazeera English - Air Date 6-21-21 What are deepfakes? How are they made? And should they worry us? Ch. 4: Creating a lie detector for deepfakes - CBS Sunday Morning - Air Date 1-29-23 Adobe and Microsoft have teamed up to develop new tools for verifying the attributes and history of images and videos on the web. We speak with Aaron Mackey, senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who says Section 230 “powers the underlying architecture” of the internet. Ch. 6: SCOTUS on the Internet Its Complicated Part 1 - Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-25-23 Two big tech cases before the US Supreme Court this week promised justices tackling the thorny issues of content moderation, liability, and internet platforms, but instead delivered confusion and dodges. Ch. 7: Why Some See Web 3.0 as the Future of the Internet - WSJ - Air Date 2-15-22 Some see Web 3.0 as the next generation of the internet, a decentralized version of the web-based on the blockchain. Here are the key principles behind it, and why skeptics are unconvinced it could scale globally. Tristan sits with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, a friend of Center for Humane Technology, to discuss the harm caused to our mental health and global democracy when platforms lack accountability and transparency. Ch. 9: SCOTUS on the Internet It's Complicated Part 2 - Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-25-23 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: Synthetic Humanity AI & Whats At Stake Part 2 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-16-23 Ch. 11: Ban TikTok? - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-21-23 Politicians across the United States are calling for an outright ban on the popular social media platform. Alex Heath, deputy editor at The Verge, explains how TikTok hopes to pre-empt one from ever passing. VOICEMAILS Ch. 13: What does re-Indigenization mean for White folks and racial tribalism? - Pat from Chicago FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 14: Final comments on what re-Indigenization means for the rest of us MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A dark, abstract image with the appearance of staining or mildew. In the center, there is a dark silhouette of hands holding the outline of a smartphone. A dark question mark is on the phone screen. Credit: "Phone-question-screen-online" by ChenSpec | License
Direct download: 1547_Future_Internet_Air_Date_3-8-23_General_-_3-8-23_20.33.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:03pm EDT |
Sat, 4 March 2023
Air Date 3/4/2023 Today, we tell a story of colonialism, dispossession and cultural renaissance as a lens through which to understand alienation, a primary condition of modernity Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The annexation of Hawaii The dark history of the overthrow of Hawaii - TED-Ed - Air Date 2-17-22 U.S. Apology Bill to Hawaiian People - EarthWorldSolutions - Air Date 11-02-12 Ch. 2: Scottish clearances and economic displacement The Highland Clearances of Scotland - Pilgrim Kat - Air Date 1-22-23 Why Can’t Hawaiians Afford To Live In Hawaii? - AJ+ - Air Date 1-20-22 Ch. 3: White people, Indians and Highlanders White People, Indians, and Highlanders: Tribal People and Colonial Encounters in Scotland and America (Affiliate link) Ch. 4: Cultural and linguistic erasure The Banning of the Hawaiian Language - Noʻeau Woo-O'Brien - Air Date 12-07-19 Aloha Aina - Indigenous Life in Hawaii - Captain Potter - Air Date 11-26-21 Two Worlds - weRnative - Air Date 11-22-19 Ch. 5: Red Power, the American Indian Movement and the Siege of Wounded Knee What is the Red Power Movement? - Fusion - Air Date 6-2-17 Wounded Knee siege - Witness History - Air Date 2-27-23 Ch. 6: Cultural renaissance of Hokulea Papa Mau: The Wayfinder - OiwiTV - Air Date 4-14-17 Ch. 7: Cultural renaissance of GalGael Birdman of Pollok/Curaidh na Coille - BBC - Air Date 12-28-19 The Highland Clearances of Scotland - Pilgrim Kat - Air Date 1-22-23 The Fight To Take Back Hawaii - Foreign Correspondent - Air Date 5-11-22 Hawaiian Language Ban - Barry Shell - Air Date 5-17-08 Ch. 8: re-Indigenization in Scotland Alastair McIntosh - The Lesley Riddoch Podcast - Air Date 1-3-23 Ch. 9: Connecting with Aina in Hawaii Aloha Aina - Indigenous Life in Hawaii - Captain Potter - Air Date 11-26-21 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the single story of the values that drove colonialism and continue to shape our world MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: The words “exist & resist & indigenize & decolonize” on top of each other in white, lowercase letters on a black background. Credit: “exist & resist & indigenize & decolonize” by dignidadrebelde, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped and increased size of credit watermark
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1546_Re-Indigenization_Air_Date_3-4-23_Members_-_3-4-23_17.45.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:55pm EDT |
Wed, 1 March 2023
Original Air Date 1/15/2022 Today we take a look at tradeoffs that are becoming ever more evident between the advancement of mass communication and social media technologies and the ways in which those advancements contribute to the degradation of social cohesion. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Re-musing Ourselves - On the Media - Air Date 3-3-06 The late media critic Neil Postman argued in his seminal book "Amusing Ourselves to Death," that as TV prevailed over the printed word, it impaired our ability to make sense of a world of information. Jay Rosen writes the blog, PressThink. Ch. 2: Neil Postman Technopoly - C-Span Book TV - Air Date 7-10-92 Neil Postman, author of Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology published by Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, spoke on the theme of his book which noted the dependence of Americans on technological advances for their own security. Ch. 3: Prescient Predictions 1984; Brave New World; and Network Part 1 - Future Tense - Air Date 7-7-19 The dystopian best-seller 1984 was published exactly seventy years ago. Its influence has been profound. But does it really speak to today’s politico-cultural environment? Scott Stephens believes Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is a closer match. Ch. 4: The Trouble With Reality - On The Media - Air Date 5-17-17 This is a conversation between Brooke Gladstone, author of "The Trouble with Reality: A Rumination on Moral Panic in Our Time," and WNYC morning show host Brian Lehrer. Ch. 5: Prescient Predictions 1984; Brave New World; and Network Part 2 - Future Tense - Air Date 7-7-19 Ch. 6: Neil Postman on Cyberspace - The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour - Air Date 7-25-95 Charlene Hunter-Gault interviews media theorist and cultural critic Neil Postman on PBS' The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour in 1995. Postman discusses new media and the "Faustian bargain" of technological change in the context of the "Information Superhighway." Ch. 7: Alexa, What's Amazon Doing Inside My Home? - Land of the Giants - Air Date 7-30-19 What’s the downside to letting Alexa run your entire home? And why is Amazon making a microwave oven powered by Alexa? FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on Faustian Bargains MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1466_The_Faustian_Bargain_of_Technological_Advancement_and_Societal_Degradation_Repost_Original.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:07pm EDT |
Sat, 25 February 2023
Original Air Date: 2-23-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - Briefly celebrating a Super Bowl victory - Extinguishing empathy for profit - Manifesting disaster through film - The Ohio derailment - The value of ownership - Reducing workplace stressors
REFERENCES: ‘You unleash hell on your kids’: Central Texas mom warns parents about ‘Hocus Pocus 2′ After East Palestine derailment, a resident reflects on Ohio movie "White Noise" Norfolk Southern is giving $25,000 to an Ohio town where it caused a life-or-death evacuation
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_265_Sample_-_2-25-23_16.49.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:55pm EDT |
Wed, 22 February 2023
Air Date 2/22/2023 Today, we take a look at some of the work of the chaotic wrecking crew that is the GOP of the 118th Congress including their plan to hold the world economy hostage and weaponize the government against Democrats all while infighting their way to the 2024 presidential election. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES His dramatic victory came after a series of concessions that will give hardline conservatives greater influence in the House. Sarah Binder, a political scientist at George Washington University, joins John Yang to discuss. Ch. 2: GOP is playing with U.S. prosperity in fight over debt ceiling - MSNBC - Air Date 1-14-23 McCarthy and the House GOP are threatening to not raise the debt ceiling. That would be a huge mistake. Ali Velshi explains why. Senator Warren joined Jon Keller to discuss the debt ceiling which she called a "manufactured crisis" that Republicans don't care enough about, and that wealthy corporations need to pay more in taxes. Ch. 4: Joe: Debt ceiling fight is just a lose-lose for McCarthy - Morning Joe - Air Date 1-18-23 The Republican-controlled House has planted the seeds for a debt-ceiling showdown. The Morning Joe panel discusses. Ch. 5: Right-Wingers FINALLY Exposed For Crushing Plot In Real Time - The Damage Report - Air Date 2-12-23 Right-wingers, including Matt Gaetz, Lindsey Graham and Kevin McCarthy, get caught for their blatant lies over social security on camera while ABC Johnathan Karl runs cover. John Iadarola and Ben Carollo break it down on The Damage Report. Then, Republican infighting keeps going public, as even Fox News pans their hearings. Guests: Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Stacey Plaskett, Yurii Hundych, Alfie Williams, Gov. George Pataki The awaited GOP-led House hearings are now underway, and as predicted, they are not going well. Republicans intended a hearing on Twitter's content moderation policies to bolster their bogus claims of alleged federal government censorship of social media. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: Is America broken? - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 2-2-23 Sean Illing speaks with Alana Newhouse, the editor-in-chief of Tablet magazine. They discuss her recent essay on "brokenism," a term she coined in an effort to redefine political divisions in America. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the complication of the ideological dividing lines through societal change MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson 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: 1545_GOP_Congress_Air_Date_2-22-23_General_-_2-22-23_19.42.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:45pm EDT |
Fri, 17 February 2023
Air Date 2/17/2023 Today, we take a look at the importance of teaching a full and unflinching version of Black history and why the campaign to block it is reaching a peak at this moment in time. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BOMBAS.COM/BEST BUY ONE/GIVE ONE TO SOMEONE IN NEED ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The fight over AP African American Studies - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-7-23 The College Board piloted an AP course on African American Studies. Then, after conservative pushback, it debuted a revised curriculum. But the group insists it’s not caving to political pressure. Ch. 2: How Florida’s School Censorship Spreads - What Next - Air Date 2-9-23 Governor Ron DeSantis canceling the rollout of AP African-American Studies course in Florida is more than just another salvo in the culture war. It has implications across public education, across the country—and its chilling effect is already evident. Ch. 3: Erasing History - Counter Stories - Air Date 6-4-21 On this episode, we tackle how new efforts aim to limit or erase important history and context. From bodies discovered in a former Indian Boarding school in Canada to new legislation banning Critical Race theory Ch. 4: Combating Anti-History - Latino Rebels Radio - Air Date 2-9-23 While the fight for African American studies continues in Florida, Sean Arce draws parallels to the current battle with Arizona's ethnic studies battle over a decade ago. In response to a recent post on my Instagram account, I’m talking about going beyond teaching children about slavery, racism, oppression, and struggle during Black History Month or anytime of the year. “I take it as a sign of strength for where the movement is right now,” says Ta-Nehisi Coates on anti-CRT policies and the backlash from the right. “It doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous—but it’s also a statement of how threatened they feel..." MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: The Movement to Erase Black History and Culture - At Liberty - Air Date 2-3-22 February marks Black History Month, a time to recognize the significant achievements and culture of Black Americans–from bell hooks to Beyonce–and also to honor an accurate history about them, a history that we know is rife with discrimination and abuse Ch. 8: Why Our Idea of History is a Poison - Then & Now - Air Date 12-1-22 Why Our Idea of History is a Poison FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the Streisand Effect MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: On a black background, scattered historic images of famous Black Americans, including Sojourner Truth, Thurgood Marshall, and Josiah Thomas Walls, as well as images of slavery, the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement. The shape of Florida is centered and filled in with part of the Florida state flag (including red crossed bars of the Confederate flag). A black horizontal banner in forefront reads “Black History is American History”. Credit: Composite designed by Amanda Hoffman. Historic images are in the public domain, except for the Negro League patch (credit: David, Flickr, License) and the Navy Band sign (Gerry Dincher, Flickr, License) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1544_Black_History_Air_Date_2-18-23_General_-_2-17-23_21.29.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:14pm EDT |
Tue, 14 February 2023
Air Date 2/14/2023 Today, we take a look at some origins, alternatives and misunderstandings of capitalism from the Dutch East India Company, to Adam Smith and up through the planned obsolescence and marketing that have tricked us all into working far harder than necessary while failing to make us happy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! BestOfTheLeft.com/Bookshop BotL BOOKSTORE SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Indigenous Economics with Tyson Yunkaporta (In Conversation) - Upstream - Air Date 11-10-21 We speak with Tyson Yunkaporta of the Apalech Clan in far north Queensland, Australia, about the connections between Indigenous economics, complexity theory, and systems thinking. Professor of Philosophy and author, Graham Priest, joins Breht to discuss his latest book Capitalism - it's Nature and Replacement: Buddhist and Marxist Insights. Ch. 3: We don't understand Capitalism. Part One - UNFTR - Air Date 1-27-23 How we no longer seem to understand Capitalism. Adam Smith was so much more than the figurehead we associate with Capitalism. He was a true innovator and we use many of his concepts to measure economies to this day Ch. 4: Your Work Is Not Your Worth - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 10-21-22 Dorian Warren is co-president of Community Change and co-chair of the Economic Security Project, and Aisha Nyandoro is CEO of Springboard to Opportunities and founder of the Magnolia Mother’s Trust. Ch. 5: We don't understand Capitalism. Part Two. - UNFTR - Air Date 1-27-23 Adam Smith was a social theorist who was greatly concerned with improving lives and creating a balanced economic system. He created several crucial concepts that remain relevant to this day and believed in the power of the free market. Ch. 6: Economics for a New Year - Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Air Date 1-19-23 US spending for war in Ukraine paid for by higher interest rates; a rational transport system is NOT electric cars; an appreciation of the "degrowth" impulse with a critique of the degrowth movement's focus. Ch. 7: Indigenous Economics with Tyson Yunkaporta (In Conversation) Part 2 - Upstream - Air Date 11-10-21 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Stolen children and native cultures - Alan from Connecticut Ch. 10: Thoughts on the reasons for Cop City - V from Central New York FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the value of being open to understanding indigenous thinking MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1543_Capitalism_Air_Date_2-14-23_General_-_2-14-23_19.16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:45pm EDT |
Fri, 10 February 2023
Air Date 2/10/2023 Today, we take a look at the recent rise in tensions in the wake of Israel electing what may be their most right-wing government to date. Literal fascists are now in the governing coalition, violence is rising and reforms are being considered to effectively remove judicial review from the governing process all while the US continues to give its support. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: A look at the violence and unrest in the West Bank - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-2-23 A look at the violence and unrest in the West Bank. Ch. 2: Israel and the Progressives - Against the Grain - Air Date 1-25-23 Why do so many people who see themselves as progressive nonetheless support the state of Israel, considered an apartheid state for its treatment of the native Palestinian population? Far-right Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Tuesday visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem is being roundly condemned across the Middle East. Ben-Gvir is a key part of Benjamin Netanyahu’s new far-right government Ch. 4: Protests in Israel over proposed judicial reform Part 1 - The Current - Air Date 1-19-23 Proposed judicial reform in Israel has prompted thousands to take to the streets in protest. We talk to Dahlia Scheindlin and Diana Buttu, a lawyer and former adviser to the negotiating team of the Palestine Liberation Organization. U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken is in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories amid an alarming rise in violence, with Israel killing at least 35 Palestinians since the beginning of January. Ch. 6: An Escalating Cycle of Violence in Israel and Palestine - Global Dispatches - Air Date 2-1-23 We are in the midst of an escalating cycle of violence in Israel and Palestine. On Thursday, January 26 Israeli forces killed at least 9 people in a raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Ch. 7: Protests in Israel over proposed judicial reform Part 2 - The Current - Air Date 1-19-23 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) House Republicans use a tweet by Rep. Ilhan Omar containing anti-Semitic tropes as an excuse to remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alex notes when Republican leaders were not only untroubled by anti-Semitic tropes but perpetuated by them. Ch. 9: Israel and the Progressives Part 2 - Against the Grain - Air Date 1-25-23 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments to wrap up MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1542_Israel_Air_Date_2-10-23_General_-_2-10-23_17.49.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:46pm EDT |
Wed, 8 February 2023
Air Date: 2-8-23 REFERENCES: Words Matter by Sally McConnell-Ginet (Affiliate link)
Join our Discord Server
Produced by: |
Sun, 5 February 2023
Air Date 2/5/2023 Today, we take a look at the threat to the lives of environment protectors around the world with a special focus on the first environmental activist in the U.S. to lose their life at the hands of police while defending the environment and the people who depend on it as part of the Defend the Atlanta Forest movement against the construction of what they have dubbed "Cop City." Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Record number of environmental activists murdered - BBC News - Air Date 9-13-21 227 people were killed around the world in 2020, the highest number for a second consecutive year. The victims were called "environmental defenders" by the report – killed for protecting natural resources that need to be preserved, Ch. 2: Cop City - The Takeaway - Air Date 1-17-23 Digital producer Zachary Bynum reports from Atlanta, talking with activists, organizers, and elected officials from the city to determine what this all means about race, land stewardship, and power. According to Global Witness’ report titled ‘Decade of Defiance’, 1733 activists were killed between 2012 and 2021. 227 of them were killed in the year 2020. Last year, 200 environmental defenders were murdered. Nearly 4 people a week! SWAT teams and other armed police officers from eight different federal, state, county, and city police agencies conducted a raid on those camping out in the Atlanta forest Six people in Atlanta have been charged with domestic terrorism for taking part in protests against a massive new police training facility known as Cop City. Ch. 6: Environmentalists in danger Part 1 - DW Documentary - Air Date 10-29-22 Around the globe, people are risking their lives to protect the environment and climate. When environmentalists’ activities disrupt organized crime and other illegal profiteers, they are sued, threatened and even murdered. Just weeks ago, law enforcement officers — including a SWAT team — were violently evicting protesters who had occupied a wooded area outside the center, when they shot and killed a longtime activist and charged 19 with domestic terrorism. Ch. 8: Environmentalists in danger Part 2 - DW Documentary - Air Date 10-29-22 Ch. 9: Cop City: Forest Defender Killed by Police in Forest Raid - The Takeaway - Air Date 1-25-23 We checked in with Founder of Community Movement Builders Kamau Franklin and Sean, a participant in the Defend the Atlanta Forest movement, for an update on the situation. Former energy executive Roberto David Castillo has been sentenced in Honduras for orchestrating the murder of environmental activist Berta Cáceres in 2016. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 11: Cop City Part 2 - The Takeaway - Air Date 1-17-23 Glasgow memorial honors 1,005 land and environmental defenders who have been murdered since the 2015 Paris Agreement. One in three of those defenders killed was an Indigenous person. 2020 was the most dangerous year on record for environmental defenders. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments and conversation with Ben about his fallen friend Bonus clip: More training not enough to reform police culture says whistleblower - MSNBC - Air Date 1-31-23 Whistleblower Katie Sponsler, former National Park Service ranger, U.S. Air Force veteran, and advocate for police reform, joins Joy Reid on why more training alone is not enough to reform police culture. MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1541_Killing_Environmentalists_Air_Date_2-5-23_General_-_2-5-23_14.30.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:35pm EDT |
Tue, 31 January 2023
Air Date 1/31/2023 Today, we take a look at just some of the nearly infinite ways in which our society, culture, and economy are infused from top to bottom with Scam Culture™ that is bleeding us dry both financially and mentally. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Grift Economy: Everything is a scam, always. - Thought Slime - Air Date 11-5-21 For those that need to read this: you aren’t a capitalist. You’re capital. Ch. 2: Power and Corruption: The Devos Family - iilluminaughtii - Air Date 1-20-23 Betsy DeVos and her family have been important figures in the business world for decades. They’re involved in a massive MLM, invest in shady businesses, and have put their money toward politics for as long as anyone can remember. Ch. 3: Bill Black: The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One - theAnalysis.news - Air Date 5-31-21 How does a corrupt mortgage scam by brokers in California become a massive national fraud that puts the whole economy into a deep crisis? Bill Black on theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay. “Whatever fun name you wanna put on it, it’s the same damn thing we’ve seen over and over again.” David Dayen, Executive Editor of The American Prospect, joins us to talk through the spectacular rise and fall of crypto exchange FTX Ch. 5: The Gig Economy Was Always A Scam - Wisecrack - Air Date 8-8-22 The gig economy has revolutionized how we think about work, but not necessarily for the better. How have a bunch of multi-billion-dollar companies like Uber or Instacart so fundamentally changed our economy? Ch. 6: Why Spotify Will Ultimately Fail - Benn Jordan - Air Date 1-9-23 An investor's guide to breaking the thing you're trying to sell. Ch. 7: James O'Brien caller wrote his dissertation on 'incel' culture - LBC - Air Date 1-27-23 Explaining the appeal of Andrew Tate and his acolytes to young, insecure men Ch. 8: TikToker Exposes New A.I. Scam That Is Absolutely TERRIFYING - Rebel HQ - Air Date 1-13-23 TikToker @benno56 shares his family's experience with a terrifying new A.I. voice-mimicking scam. Max Burns breaks it down. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Mark Rober's Prank And The Truth About Scammers And Capitalism - Second Thought - Air Date 6-17-22 Scam call centers are just one cancerous offshoot of bureaucracy under capitalism, and while pranking these places may be cathartic, it's not enough to tackle the root cause. Ch. 10: Is all money just a ponzi scheme? | Vicki Robin - Big Think - Air Date 7-22-18 "Money, it's a gas," wrote Pink Floyd's Roger Waters for their hit 'Money'. Author, speaker, and social innovator Vicki Robin would probably agree: she posits that most people don't understand the true, human, working value of money. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Response to the Stolen Children episode FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on radical criticism of the true sources of Scam Culture and other ails of our society MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1540_Scam_Culture_Air_Date_1-31-23_General_-_1-31-23_21.02.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:15pm EDT |
Sat, 28 January 2023
Original Air Date: 1-17-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - The updated dress code in the Missouri legislature - One-Way Empathy - Andrew Tate and Capitalism Culture - The management and labor of modern conveniences
REFERENCES: Outrage after Missouri lawmakers' new dress code for women in the state House Andrew Tate: The Arrest, Greta Thunberg Feud and Everything Else You Need to Know Modern Conveniences - 1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_263_Sample_-_1-28-23_14.55.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT |
Wed, 25 January 2023
Air Date 1/25/2023 Today, we take a look at the long, global history of invading peoples stealing the children of native families to be acculturated into the population of the invading force. Reasons can range from a tactic of war and an intention to commit genocide, usually based on an ideology of racial superiority, to concerns over shifting national demographics, simple economic dispossession, or all of the above. We end with a discussion of ICWA, the Indian Child Welfare Act, which is currently being challenged in the US Supreme Court to the detriment of native children and sovereignty. Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The kidnapping campaign of Nazi Germany - DW Documentary - Air Date 3-11-20 On orders from Heinrich Himmler, the Nazis abducted children from Poland for forced Germanization. Ch. 2: Claims of Russia kidnapping Ukrainian children throughout the region - ABC News - Air Date 11-22-22 Amid the war in Ukraine, children have been caught in the middle, with claims of some being kidnapped. A brief history of Australia's Stolen Generations Ch. 4: 10th Anniversary since the Apology to the Stolen Generations - Behind the News - Air Date 2-12-18 The 13th of February 2018 marks 10 years since former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said sorry to the Stolen Generations. Nick Estes says the institutions were part of a “genocidal process” of “dispossession and theft of Indigenous people’s lands and resources.” Ch. 6: Canadian government announces $2B in compensation settlement - TRT World - Air Date 1-24-23 Canada has announced it will pay more than 2 billion dollars to hundreds of Indigenous communities to settle a lawsuit seeking compensation for the loss of language and culture caused by residential schools. Ch. 7: How the US stole thousands of Native American children - VOX - Air Date 10-14-19 Ranjani Chakraborty revisits underreported and often overlooked moments from the past to give context to the present. Ch. 8: Jen Deerinwater on Indian Child Welfare Act - Counterspin - Air Date 12-9-22 Opposing the actual mission of those who want to eliminate the Indian Child Welfare Act is just…reality: the reality that made the Act necessary in the first place The case that seeks to strike down the Indian Child Welfare Act is about colonialism, not civil rights. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the opposing world views of apologies TAKE ACTION! Follow @ProtectICWA on Twitter and check out their resources ACLU: “Native Families' Right to Stay Together is at Stake at the Supreme Court” ACLU: “Keep Our Families Together”: A Law That Protects Native Families is at Risk” EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE “Why Are Right-Wing Groups Targeting a Law Aimed at Protecting Native Families?” (Mother Jones) “Supreme Court case on adoption of Indigenous children could threaten Native American sovereignty” (San Diego Tribune) “The fight over American Indian children“ (Politico - Newsletter) “Experts say 2 lawsuits pose greatest threat to tribal sovereignty in decades” (Anchorage Daily News) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman SHOW IMAGE: Description: Black and white photo of hundreds of Native American children in uniform settler clothing posed in front of Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania (c. 1900). Credit: “Pupils at Carlisle Native Industrial School” by Unknown author - Unknown source | License: Public Domain
Direct download: 1539_Stolen_Children_Air_Date_1-25-23_General_-_1-31-23_15.42.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:21pm EDT |
Sat, 21 January 2023
Air Date 1/21/2023 Today, we take a look beyond our shores to other examples of anti-democratic forces seeking to take control of governments in Germany, Brazil, and Peru, all of which echo, in some form or fashion, the coup attempt on January 6th, 2021 by pro-Trump insurrectionists. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BOMBAS.COM/BEST BUY ONE/GIVE ONE TO SOMEONE IN NEED SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: ‘Barbarism’ by mob of ‘fascists’ - The World - Air Date 1-9-23 Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had harsh words for those who stormed his country’s parliament, its Supreme Court and presidential palace this past weekend. “If the U.S. can export this model of attempted authoritarian coup to Brazil, well then perhaps Brazil can export back a model of real accountability for the perpetrators and the planners,” says Chris Hayes on the January 6-style riot in Brazil. Timothy Snyder, author of "On Tyranny," talks with Rachel Maddow about the similarities between Saturday's attack on the government buildings in Brazil's capital and the importance of swift, transparent and equitable accountability. Ch. 4: German police raids nix far-right coup plot - The World - Air Date 12-7-22 German police conducted raids all across the country on Wednesday, making arrests, and attempting to dismantle a plot aimed at overthrowing the government. Ch. 5: What's behind the political unrest in Peru - DW News - Air Date 1-13-23 Anti-government protests erupted after Dina Boluarte was sworn in as Peru's president in early December. Now, just over a month after her inauguration, the police response to protests has led to the deaths of more than 40 people, with hundreds injured. A major contributor to the current crisis is "the extreme weakness of the political system in Peru" in which many politicians lack any real connection to their constituents, adds Peruvian sociologist Eduardo González Cueva. Ch. 7: Swift coup foreign arrests abroad a contrast to Garland's Trump probe - The Beat - Air Date 12-12-22 Swift arrests of coup plotters in Peru and Germany are contrasts to the U.S. response to the insurrection. There are new lessons and a new push for accountability. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Brazil's fight against Fascism / Brian Mier - This Is Hell! - Air Date 1-16-23 Chuck welcomes friend of the show Brian Mier to talk about Brazil's January 6 knockoff event and the differences in how Brazil fights fascism to how the US refuses to. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the different forms that authoritarianism takes MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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: 1538_Coups_Air_Date_1-21-23_General_-_1-21-23_18.35.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:03pm EDT |
Wed, 18 January 2023
Original Air Date 12/15/2021 Today we take a look at the cracks and fissures appearing ever more quickly in the neoliberal order that was already widely criticized before the pandemic stripped it bare, exposing all of the inherent inequality and inhumanity baked right into the system. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows, Bonus Content and limited release wallpaper!) SHOW NOTES Part 1, where we examine the most popular cliches, jargon, etc that economists, economic reports, and pundits use to sanitize, obscure, and provide a little science-ism to what is little more than power-flattering cruel, racist, austerity ideology. Sam and Emma host Jonathan Levy, professor of History at the University of Chicago, to discuss his recent book Ages of American Capitalism: A History of the United States. Ch. 3: Noam Chomsky Part 1 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 11-20-21 Noam Chomsky discusses a whole raft of issues, including the climate crisis, the military budget, healthcare, challenging the corporate structure, reforming both the tax system and our elections, and how the Democrats have abandoned the working class Ch. 5: Noam Chomsky Part 2 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 11-20-21 Ch. 6: Reagan on Employee Ownership Ch. 7: Ecology, Co-ops, and Profit - Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 12-8-21 Prof. Wolff interviews Prof. Melissa Scanlan on her new book showing how coops are a better bet than traditional capitalist corporations to solve current ecological crises. Sam and Emma host Jonathan Levy, professor of History at the University of Chicago, to discuss his recent book Ages of American Capitalism: A History of the United States. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Many blue states are actually doing worse in some areas than red states. It is in blue states where affordable housing is often hardest to find, there are some of the most acute disparities in education funding and economic inequality. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Personal disability experience - Jade from Upstate New York Ch. 11: Thoughts on human nature and systems - Quai from North Carolina FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the nature of laws and morality MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson 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: 1461_Neoliberalism_Air_Date_12-15-21_Members_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:48pm EDT |
Sat, 14 January 2023
Air Date 1/14/2023 This Martin Luther King Day weekend, we take a look at a wider range of Black radicals who all helped build the unfinished Civil Rights Movement and who our history either whitewashes or demonizes to fit the narrative of American Exceptionalism™ marching us inexorably toward perfection. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The dangers of whitewashing black history | David Ikard - TEDxNashville - Air Date 6-18-22 Equipped with the real story of Rosa Parks, professor David Ikard highlights how making the realities of race more benign and digestible harms us all -- and emphasizes the power and importance of historical accuracy. This talk was filmed at TEDxNashville. Thomas Ricks is the guest on this special January 2023 fundraising episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show. Ch. 3: #ilovemalcolm: Tariq Ali on Malcolm X at Oxford - rosaluxnyc - Air Date 3-23-15 At "I Love Malcolm: Legacies of Love and Liberation" on February 14, 2015, organized by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung—New York Office, Tariq Ali discusses the impact of Malcolm X's debate at Oxford University in 1964. Ch. 4: The Radicalism of Martin Luther King Jr. and W.E.B. Du Bois - Communist Party USA - Air Date 2-26-20 WEB Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr are two 20th-century giants in both the struggle for African American equality and the liberation of oppressed people worldwide. Ch. 5: The Socialist Anti-Imperialism of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Left Anchor - Air Date 1-18-21 Today we are hoisting up an episode from the archives in celebration of MLK Day. We discuss King's advocacy of democratic socialism and his argument that civil rights were inadequate without an equal share of economic production. Ch. 6: Whitewashing 101: How To Rewrite Black History - Second Thought - Air Date 2-18-22 It's Black History Month, so it's about time we talked about the recuperation of Black radicals like Dr. King and Nelson Mandela. Everyone and their mother likes to claim MLK as their own, and use his words as a rhetorical weapon. Ch. 7: Why the US government murdered Fred Hampton - Vox - Air Date 6-2-21 What we aren't taught about the Black Panther Party. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Frederick Douglass' journey from slave to leading figure of 19th-century American thought. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the producers who made this week's topics come to life MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE:
Credit: MLK and Malcom X; W.E.B. Du Bois; Rosa Parks; Fred Hampton button | License All Images in Public Domain
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1537_Black_Radicals_Air_Date_1-14-23_General_-_1-14-23_10.51.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:31pm EDT |
Wed, 11 January 2023
Air Date 1/11/2023 Today, we take a look at the way unscientific guidelines, government subsidies, corporate propaganda, cultural context, capitalism, community stigma, and many actively and loudly wallowing in ignorance have shaped your personal food choices. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: 'Healthy' Food, Nutrition and Access - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 10-12-22 The FDA has proposed new standards for food to qualify for its "healthy" seal of approval. Marion Nestle, professor emerita of nutrition, food studies, and public health at NYU talks about the changes, plus food insecurity and access to healthy food. Chuck Mertz speaks with science writer Spencer Roberts and political economist Jan Dutkiewicz about their New Republic Article, "How the Meat Industry Undermines Effective Climate Policy". Ch. 3: The Politics of Meat ft. Jan Dutkiewicz - Our Hen House - Air Date 8-28-21 Political economist Jan Dutkiewicz, PhD, joins the podcast for a fascinating conversation about the ethical, political, legal, social, and environmental intersections of meat consumption. Ch. 4: Which food future will you choose? - Jim Hightower's Radio Lowdown - Air Date 11-25-22 As the eminent farmer-poet-activist Wendell Berry tells us, eating is a profound political act. Lisa Dumas is on a mission to make the world a better place. This week she joins us on the podcast for a conversation about how she’s working toward expanding access to plant-based food options to those in need. Ch. 7: High-End Veganism and the Rise of Plant-Based Eating - Past Present - Air Date 10-5-21 In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of veganism in light of an eviscerating review of the new plant-based menu at the New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park. Ch. 8: Animal Agriculture is the New Oil w/ George Monbiot - Downstream - Air Date 6-8-22 In his new book Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet, George Monbiot warns that we’re approaching a tipping point in the fight to protect the planet. Ch. 9: A (Mostly) Vegan World Plantf*ckers Can Save Us All - UNFTR - Air Date 1-8-22 It’s finally time to unf*ck our food system and talk about veganism. We decided not to pursue this topic from a moral or ethical perspective, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a story about justice. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: The Politics of Meat ft. Jan Dutkiewicz Part 2 - Our Hen House - Air Date 8-28-21 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on our emotional attachment to our perspective on food MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE Description: A woman with short gray hair and glasses stands in front of the brightly lit meat section at a grocery store. She looks down at a package of meat in her hands. Credit: "d2590-1" by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1536_Food_Choices_Air_Date_1-10-23_General_-_1-10-23_21.03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:11am EDT |
Sat, 7 January 2023
Air Date 1/7/2023 Today, we take a look at the criminal charges against Donald Trump that the January 6th Committee has referred to the DOJ but examine them through the lens of past presidential crimes that have gone unpunished from Nixon to George W. Bush Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) CHECK OUT THE FUTURE HINDSIGHT PODCAST! SHOW NOTES We speak with Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a scholar of fascism and authoritarianism, and Robert Weissman, president of the advocacy group Public Citizen. Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and Jill Wine-Banks, MSNBC legal analyst and former Watergate special prosecutor look to lessons from Watergate for what needs to happen with the Jan. 6th committee report. Ch. 3: Lisa Gilbert on the January 6 Report - CounterSpin - Air Date 12-23-22 We spoke with Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of Public Citizen and co-founder of the forged-for-purpose Not Above the Law Coalition, about what the hearings found and why it can’t end there. Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnston, who has covered Trump for decades, says the new documents show "absolutely brazen" tax fraud. "Donald Trump has been a criminal his whole life," says Johnston. Ch. 6: Obama on Investigating Bush Crimes: "Need to Look Forward" - This Week - Air Date 1-11-09 Barack Obama on This Week, January 11, 2009 Ch. 7: Obama Admin: Torture Not Illegal, Just A "Disagreement" - The Young Turks - Aired 3-27-10 Speaking of hangovers... Look forward, not backward. We don't do truth and reconciliation in this country. We’re joined by John Nichols, The Nation’s national affairs correspondent, to discuss the full report. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Ginni Thomas not mentioned in Jan. 6 Committee report - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 1-3-23 Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern and political strategist Rina Shah join Mehdi to discuss. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: The upside of TikTok - James FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the good and bad of tech and the structural nature of media MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1535_Presidential_Accountability_Air_Date_1-7-23_General_-_1-7-23_09.55.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:07am EDT |
Tue, 3 January 2023
Air Date 1/3/2023 Today, we take a look at the emerging implementation of facial recognition technology in public and commercial spaces along with the tracking and "amplifagandizing" capabilities of TikTok Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Twitter, Facial Recognition and the First Amendment - The Lawfare Podcast - Air Date 4-15-21 This week on Arbiters of Truth, the Lawfare Podcast’s miniseries on our online information ecosystem, Evelyn Douek and Quinta Jurecic spoke with Jameel Jaffer and Ramya Krishnan of the Knight First Amendment Institute. Ch. 2: Addressing the TikTok Threat Part 1 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 9-8-22 TikTok, the flagship app of the Chinese company Bytedance, recently surpassed Google and Facebook as the most popular site on the internet in 2021, and is expected to reach more than 1.8 billion users by the end of 2022. Ch. 3: Privacy, your face and the rise of facial recognition - Life Matters from ABC - Air Date 7-26-22 Several large retailers, including Kmart and Bunnings, already use facial recognition technology in their stores – collecting biometric data that is as unique as a fingerprint – but are customers aware of how their facial data is being captured and used? Ch. 4: NJ Legal Rights & NYPD's Facial Recognition Technology - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-30-22 Alexander Shalom, senior supervising attorney and director of Supreme Court advocacy at the ACLU-NJ, talks about the implications of a case in Hudson County, NJ, where a suspect was identified using the NYPD's facial recognition technology. Ch. 5: The problem with banning TikTok - Vox - Air Date 8-29-20 TikTok’s in trouble. But so is the internet as we know it. Ch. 6: Are You Feeding a Powerful Facial Recognition Algorithm? - NOVA PBS Official - Air Date 4-23-21 Facial recognition technology has great potential to help law enforcement identify suspects. But collecting and storing data from online photos has raised concern among critics. Ch. 7: Addressing the TikTok Threat Part 2 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 9-8-22 Ch. 8: Why Facial Recognition Technology Is So Dangerous - Second Thought - Air Date 7-3-20 Government crackdowns, hyper-personalized ads, real-time location tracking of citizens. Mass surveillance is a growing threat in the modern world. In this episode, we'll take a look at why it's so dangerous. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: The Real Danger Of ChatGPT - Nerwriter1 - Air Date 12-30-22 The Nerdwriter is a series of video essays about art, culture, politics, philosophy and more. Ch. 10: Hustle / Grind Alpha Bro vs. Random ChatGPT Guy - Andrew Rousso - Air Date 12-13-22 Inside everyone, there are two wolves but inside me... there are three. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the new ad system for the show MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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: 1534_Facial_Recognition_and_TikTok_Air_Date_1-3-23_General_-_1-3-23_16.20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:07pm EDT |
Sat, 31 December 2022
Original Air Date: 12-15-22 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin, and Deon discuss: - Why framing corporations are moral actors is a step on the path to conspiratorial thinking - Conservative framing that doesn't make them look as good as they think it does - Indoctrination as a scare word - Defining political topics that are beyond the scope of civil debate
References: Tucker Carlson: Apple is covering for the Chinese government Apple is willing to engage in global censorship: David Sack Apple CEO confronted over China protests Kanye STORMS OUT On Tim Pool After Claiming Jewish Cabal Is Targeting Him - The Majority Report MAHER: ‘Don’t Say Gay Law’ Could Have Been Called ‘Let’s Do Things the Way We Did 5 Years Ago Law’
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_261_Sample_-_12-28-22_10.27.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:27am EDT |
Tue, 27 December 2022
Original Air Date 10/27/2021 Today we take a look at some of the ways that 25 years of Fox News has reshaped our media and political landscape. Crucially, understanding Fox isn't just about their influence on their conservative viewers but how they manage to hack the political conversation for the rest of us. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The War On Fox Is Over - The Young Turks - Air Date 12-22-13 Archive clip from A parody of itself (Media) - Best of the Left - Archives - Air Date 2-17-14 Ch. 2: Losing Relatives to Fox News - You're Wrong About - Air Date 12-7-20 Mike tells Sarah what makes older Americans more vulnerable to misinformation — and who is delivering it to them. Ch. 3: Kevin Drum on how Fox 'News' broke America - The Bradcast - Air Date 9-17-21 Data journalist and longtime Mother Jones columnist KEVIN DRUM explains his exhaustive analysis of the madness of this political moment, and how and why we arrived at it. The Right has seemingly gone mad due to the spread of conspiracy theories. Ch. 4: You're watching Fox News. You just don't know it. - Vox - Air Date 5-24-19 Fox News was created to push right-wing nonsense to the mainstream, and now there’s no escape. Ch. 5: Conspiracy Network OAN 90% Funded by AT&T - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 10-7-21 Right wing conspiracy network OAN turns out to be 90% funded by AT&T Ch. 6: How Fox News Made Every Moment of the Last 25 Years Worse - The New Abnormal - Air Date 10-7-21 Yes, it’s been 25 years since Fox News came on the air—25 years of “refracting the absolute most absurd and destructive and deadly disinformation and misinformation from the right wing fever swamps,” Carusone tells co-hosts Molly and Jesse. Ch. 7: What 25 Years Of Fox News Poison Have Done To America - All In - Air Date 10-8-21 Chris Hayes marks 25 years of dangerous lies from Fox News: “There is a direct pipeline from what appears on Fox News to the absolute worst manifestations, worst behavior, worst elements of our politics and society.” MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Former Fox News Reporter Tells All - David Pakman Show - Air Date 2-05-13 Archive clip from Ridiculing Fox isn't just fun, it's important (Media) - Best of the Left - Archives - Air Date 2-28-13 Nicole Hemmer, the brilliant historian of conservative media, joins to discuss how Fox News and the larger conservative media-verse protects Trump but also lures him into disaster. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the multi-decade victim mentality of conservatives about the media MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: A slightly distorted Fox News logo sits askew at the center of a hypnotic spiral. Credits: “Fox News” by Johnny Silvercloud, Flickr | License | Changes: Added hypnotic swirl background, cropped, faded edges || Hypnosis Spiral via 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: 1451_Fox_News_25_Years_Air_Date_10-27-21_Members_-_10-26-21_repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT |
Sat, 24 December 2022
Air Date 12/24/2022 Today, we compare the far-right religious extremists who are fighting to gain power in the US with the protests against the theocratic regime in Iran supporting women's rights in the country. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/HOLIDAY (BOTL GIFT GUIDE!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: How a new Christian right is changing US politics - BBC News - Air Date 11-28-22 A new battle of faith is being driven by some pastors and politicians in the United States. Their central message is that the country's conservative Christian way of life is under threat, and American society is moving in the wrong direction. "Iranians voted multiple times for over two decades for some process of reform … but the state has not given in to those demands," she says. "What we're seeing now is the result." Tahmasebi is the director of FEMENA Ch. 3: The Taliban’s Far-Right Fan Base - VICE - Air Date 10-18-21 In chat rooms and message boards on the darker corners of the web - far-right groups have been praising the Taliban’s takeover, lauding their religious fundamentalism, execution of opponents, and hatred of so-called liberalism. "Today's movement is not calling for reform. Today's movement is calling for a new vision of politics … with women at the helm of it," says Narges Bajoghli, professor of anthropology and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University Far Right, Anti-Democratic Extremist groups are not slowing down. Some even have connections with ‘mainstream’ Republican politicians. Peter Montgomery joins Thom Hartmann to discuss the threat the far right still poses. Sam and Emma host Nahid Siamdoust, Assistant Professor of Middle East and Media Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, to discuss the recent political protests in Iran. Rachel Maddow shares some of the fringe perspectives of the racist, Christian fascist who Donald Trump hosted for dinner at Mar-a-Lago MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Joseph Kennedy, a football coach, pressured his students to pray with him. He was asked not pressure students into religion during Public School activities. but he refused. Rachel Laser joined Thom to discuss the case and the pressure on students. “Because the conservative majority has tossed away all pretense of being anything other than, essentially, a high council of Fox News viewers, they decided her case should be heard before the Supreme Court,” says Chris Hayes FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on why Christian Nationalists would be better off not installing a dictatorship MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1533_Christian_Nationalism_Air_Date_12-14-22_General_-_12-24-22_16.07.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:23pm EDT |
Tue, 20 December 2022
Original Air Date: 12-1-22 Today, Jay!, Amanda and Deon discuss: - That the youth are doing away with "You're welcome" - Words Matter: Building solidarity or maintaining power structures through vocatives - The power play of intentional misnaming - Ye's name, ego and run for president
References: A scorching hot take on why younger people say 'no problem' instead of 'you're welcome.' Words Matter by Sally McConnell-Ginet HOW TO PRONOUNCE YE AND MEANING OF KANYE’S NEW NAME EXPLAINED Trump faulted for dinner with white nationalist, rapper Ye
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_260_Sample_-_12-20-22_13.04.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:16pm EDT |
Sat, 17 December 2022
Air Date 12/17/2022 Today, we take a look at the fringe philosophy of accelerationism that is having a bigger impact on society than you will likely have realized as it's been behind some of the worst terror attacks in recent years and is likely behind attacks on infrastructure targeting society as a whole. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/HOLIDAY (BOTL GIFT GUIDE!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Dystopian Philosophy You've Never Heard Of - Philion - Air Date 6-26-22 Explaining the origins of Accelerationism Matt Kriner is an intelligence analyst with almost a decade of experience researching and analyzing US domestic violent extremists, transnational far-right extremism, and radicalization. Ch. 3: “It only takes a few” - White Hot Hate - Air Date 11-28-21 Some members of The Base are planning deadly attacks that they hope will spark a race war. Will they be stopped, before it's too late? Ch. 4: Proud Boys, January 6, and When a U-Haul Is a Clown Car - Angry Planet - Air Date 6-17-22 So, it’s time to look again at what this group — and related groups — did on January 6, and just how dangerous they really are. We’ll also talk about accelerationism, what it is and what accelerationists want. Rachel Maddow looks at a mysterious gun attack on electricity infrastructure in North Carolina and how it lines up with a past attack in California in 2013 and a DOJ case this year against white supremacists in Ohio. Accelerationism is a doctrine of revolutionary violence that holds that society is irreparably broken and must be destroyed. In recent years it has caught on among a variety of disparate movements throughout the world. Ch. 7: The seductive dangers of speed - RSA Podcasts - Air Date 7-5-17 The accelerating pace of political and economic change can be disorienting – but, for some, change isn’t happening fast enough. Matthew Taylor is joined by the journalist Andy Beckett and philosophers Benjamin Noys and Nina Power MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Why We’re All Rooting for the Apocalypse - Wisecrack - Air Date 4-8-22 The apocalypse has never been more omnipresent in the cultural zeitgeist. But why are we all so convinced that the world is going to end, and do we have a moral obligation to prevent this gnarly fate? VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Sign that union card and support striking unions! - Nick From California UAW-UC Academic Workers Strike Support and Hardship Fund FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments giving some helpful advice to White supremacists looking to start a race war MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A young white man dressed in a black hoodie with the hood over his hat is looking away from the camera while wearing a black mask with the image of the lower half of a skull on it. A lit torch is next to him in the foreground. A lit structure and a crowd of people are visible in the background. Credit: “Face of the streets” by spoilt.exile, Flickr | License CC by 2.0 | 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: 1532_Accelerationism_Air_Date_12-17-22_General_-_12-17-22_18.17.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:34pm EDT |
Tue, 13 December 2022
Air Date 12/13/2022 Today, we take a look at the labor dispute within our freight rail industry as well as other unionization fights that corporations are vehemently opposing while the Democrats and Biden, the "most pro-labor president ever" are doing precious little to help. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/HOLIDAY (BOTL GIFT GUIDE!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Railroaded - Bad Faith - Air Date 12-1-22 Union train engineer Ross Grooters returns to the podcast along with The Real News' Maximilian Alvarez, and Bad Faith newbie and co-host of Well There's Your Problem Justin Roczniak. Ch. 2: The People's Guide To Power - The Power Of Labor - The Brain Lehrer Show - Air Date 10-23-22 Labor unions represent workers in conversations with their employers. Can a political party represent workers in our government? Sochie Nnaemeka talks about some of the policies and politics behind the party's agenda. We are joined by Real News' Mel Buer and Max Alvarez to discuss the media campaign to obscure Biden and Congressional Dems selling out rail workers. Ch. 4: Railroaded Part 2 - Bad Faith - Air Date 12-1-22 Union train engineer Ross Grooters returns to the podcast along with The Real News' Maximilian Alvarez, and Bad Faith newbie and co-host of Well There's Your Problem Justin Roczniak. Ch. 5: John Logan on Amazon & Starbucks Organizing - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-7-22 With tens of thousands of workers walking out around the country, the notion that this is somehow not meaningful should be hard to maintain. Ch. 6: Instability - Capitalism's Constant - Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Air Date 12-1-22 Prof. Wolff presents updates on the Twitter-Musk scandals, critique of profit as a return on risk, and mass European union-led strikes against inflation. Ch. 7: How to show solidarity with railroad workers - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 11-16-22 In a special panel co-hosted by The Real News and Haymarket Books, Railroad Workers United members speak about their struggle, the situation on the rails, and how you can get involved in efforts to support them. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Maximilian Alvarez interviews Matt Parker, a full-time locomotive engineer who’s worked on the railroads for 19 years. Parker also serves part-time as Chairman on the Nevada State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the hot mess of the fight for labor rights 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: 1531_Railroad_Labor_Fight_Air_Date_12-13-22_General_-_12-13-22_17.28.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:59pm EDT |
Sat, 10 December 2022
Original Air Date 11/9/2021 Today we take a look at the Facebook business model that is driving hate, lies, violence, extremism, and the breakdown of democracy around the world as well as some of the regulatory ideas geared toward reigning it in and mitigating the damage. 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/HOLIDAY (BOTL GIFT GUIDE!) SHOW NOTES UCLA professor Ramesh Srinivasan, who says the papers confirm what many critics have warned about for years. “This new form of digital capitalism that I believe Facebook is trailblazing is one that is playing with our intimate emotions on every level." Tristan and Aza go behind the headlines with Frances herself. We go deeper into the problems she exposed, discuss potential solutions, and explore her motivations — along with why she fundamentally believes change is possible. We've been hearing about revelations from the leaked 'Facebook Papers.' What has the social media giant been doing, and what they haven't been doing, around the world? Guest: Sheera Frenkel, New York Times technology reporter. Ch. 4: Zuckerberg's Metaverse - TyskySour - Air Date 10-29-21 Facebook is now Meta, and Mark Zuckerberg says our future is in the Metaverse. Is virtual reality the future of the internet, or Zuckerberg’s latest gimmick? With Michael Walker and Aaron Bastani. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: The Science Fiction Origins of the Metaverse - On the Media - Air Date 11-5-21 Jill Lepore, Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer; Gene Seymour culture critic with work in Newsday, the Nation, etc; and Annalee Newitz science fiction author and science journalist, on the makings (and potential mishaps) of the metaverse. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on Facebooks treatment of nonprofits and the actions you can take to call for regulation TAKE ACTION! Take part in The Facebook Logout, Nov. 10th-13th via Kairos & coalition - Read the demands Call on DOJ, SEC, and FTC to Open Criminal Investigations into Facebook Execs via American Economic Liberties Project & MoveOn.org Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A cardboard cutout of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wearing a black shirt that says "FACEBOOK" and holding a flag (referencing his infamous July 4th video where he rode a hydrofoil on a lake while holding a giant American flag). The flag is dark blue with white text that says "I know we harm kids, but i don't care." with a Facebook icon. A roadway with cars and a building with scaffolding can be seen in the background. Credit: "Zuckerberg_Sum_Of_Us_2" by SumOfUs, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, enhanced brightness, contrast and saturation Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1454_Facebook_Papers_Air_Date_11-9-21_Members_-_11-9-21_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:18pm EDT |
Tue, 6 December 2022
Air Date 12/6/2022 Today, we take a look at some of the factors driving hyper-partisanship in the US right now along with multiple arguments to not give up on the power of persuasion. 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 and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/HOLIDAY (BOTL GIFT GUIDE!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: What If We Don't Need To 'Fix' Polarization? - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 3-20-21 NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben interviews Lilliana Mason, associate professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, about her book Uncivil Agreement. Ch. 2: Getting Past Polarization: Anand Giridharadas - Ideas - Air Date 11-23-22 The extremes are extreme in U.S. politics. But Anand Giridharadas and some other progressives are convinced that there are uncompromising approaches that can move up to 60 percent of voters to value democracy and human rights. Is your family, community, or even your country more divided than ever? Today’s guest Robb Willer is here to share some compelling insights on how we might bridge the ideological divide and offer some intuitive advice on ways to be more persuasive. Ch. 4: Can persuasion bridge the political divide? - Front Burner - Air Date 11-25-22 In his book, Giridharadas speaks with experts on reaching people — organizers, activists, politicians, cognitive scientists, and even a cult deprogrammer — and takes a critical look at his fellow American progressives. Ch. 5: Why We're So Polarized - The Truth of the Matter - Air Date 10-25-21 Johns Hopkins University professor Dr. Lillianna Mason joins the podcast for a discussion of political polarization in the U.S. and how politics have become central to the identities of many Americans across racial, religious and cultural lines. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) A Stanford professor explains how the deliberative polling model can get people to listen to one another and even compromise on some of society’s most complex policy issues. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 7: Final comments on hyper-partisanship in the ballot box 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: 1530_Hyper-Partisanship_Air_Date_12-6-22_General_-_12-6-22_21.00.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:26pm EDT |
Sat, 3 December 2022
Air Date 12/3/2022 Today, we take a look at the mega-companies that touch all of our lives and the monopolistic practices that have been developed to keep power and wealth concentrated with the few while the rest of us get screwed. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BestOfTheLeft.com/HOLIDAY (BOTL GIFT GUIDE!) ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Tech Monopolies - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 6-13-22 John Oliver discusses tech monopolies, and how to address the hidden harm they can do. Ch. 2: How Ticketmaster Is Destroying Live Music - More Perfect Union - Air Date 10-19-22 Ticketmaster is destroying live music. Their scam fees now cost as much as 78% of a ticket. They control the events, the venues, and even the artists. There’s a movement pushing the Justice Department to take on its monopoly. Cory Doctorow breaks it down. Not since the Great Depression have corporate profits soared so high. But it is not enough to satisfy them. More than 54% of the inflation America is experiencing is caused by record-setting corporate profits. Safeway, Ralphs, Smiths, Harris Teeters, Shaws, Kings, Randalls, and about 25 other brands, will all be owned by a single company if the Kroger-Albertsons merger goes through. And that’s really bad news for the prices you pay. Novelist Cory Doctorow and intellectual property expert Rebecca Giblin discuss their new book, Chokepoint Capitalism, which documents the increasing tensions between extractive corporations and creative laborers. Ch. 6: Making The Case For Abolishing Billionaires - MSNBC - Air Date 11-21-22 "One after another, four of our best-known billionaires laid waste to the image of benevolent saviors carefully cultivated by their class," Anand Giridharadas writes in a recent New York Times column. Ch. 7: Elon Musk Is An Idiot (and so are Zuck and SBF) - Adam Conover - Air Date 11-23-22 Tech CEOs aren't geniuses, and here's the proof. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on how regulation helps stop financial scams 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: 1529_Monopolies_Air_Date_12-3-22_General_-_12-3-22_16.38.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:24pm EDT |
Fri, 2 December 2022
Original Air Date: 11-5-22 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The Neverending Story - Instilling distrust through abuse - More on collectivist storytelling - Joseph Campbell and the myth of the monomyth - The politics of public toilets and potty training References: Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_259_Sample_Holiday_-_12-2-22_17.45.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:52pm EDT |
Wed, 30 November 2022
Air Date 11/30/2022 Today, we take a look at the context of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar including the labor abuses endemic in the construction of the facilities, the authoritarianism and anti-LGBTQ policies of the Qatari government, and the corruption fundamental to the inner working of FIFA that brought the tournament to Qatar in the first place. 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 and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/HOLIDAY (BOTL GIFT GUIDE!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Qatar and a World Cup controversy - Front Burner - Air Date 11-10-22 In the decade since Qatar won its bid to host this year's tournament, allegations of bribery, discrimination and human rights abuses have threatened to overshadow the game. Ch. 2: What Does Qatar Want? - Pro Revolution Soccer - Air Date 11-25-22 Tom speaks to Lebanese writer and activist Ali Reda about why Gulf petrostates are investing billions into football – particularly in the north of England – and what the British state gets out of the deal. Ch. 3: Qatar and the World Cup of Shame - Burn It All Down - Air Date 4-20-21 We discuss the (longstanding) controversy around the Qatar 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup including the ongoing inhumane working conditions and indentured servitude for migrant laborers building stadiums that have led to at least 6,500 deaths Ch. 4: World Cup: Welcome to Qatar! - Today, Explained - Air Date 11-4-22 Soccer is sometimes called “the second religion of the Arab World,” and Qatar is the region’s first country to host the World Cup. FIFA's President Gianni Infantino gave an extraordinary speech in which he railed against Western hypocrisy over migrant workers Ch. 6: 'One Love' campaign hit by threat of FIFA sanctions - DW News - Air Date 11-21-22 The threat of sanctions has resulted in the seven European nations who had signed up to the One Love campaign, including England and Germany, announcing their decision to abandon plans to wear the rainbow-themed captain’s armbands. Ch. 7: Boom in demand for 'One Love' arm bands banned by FIFA - FRANCE 24 English - Air Date 11-24-22 The "One Love" armbands that captains of some teams at the World Cup had been intending to wear to show support for the LGBTQ+ community are seeing a boom in demand among the general public after FIFA decided to ban players from wearing the armbands. Ch. 8: Qatar World Cup - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 11-21-22 John Oliver discusses the Qatar World Cup, the human rights violations happening in the sporting event’s host country, and what perfection really means to David Beckham. In this episode, we speak with Michael Page, deputy director in the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch We discuss how and why migrant workers were exploited in Qatar and then have a conversation about human rights MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: How FIFA corrupted the World Cup - Vox - Air Date 11-23-22 FIFA announced the 2022 World Cup would take place in a surprising country, Qatar. At that same meeting, they also announced that the 2018 World Cup would take place in Russia. These selections set off a new chapter in FIFA’s history FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the propaganda master class put on by the president of FIFA Reference: FIFA President Gianni Infantino Press conference MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1528_World_Cup_Qatar_Air_Date_11-30-22_General_-_11-30-22_20.05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:49pm EDT |
Sat, 26 November 2022
Original Air Date 11/27/2018 Today we take a look at the literal and figurative bloody messes of the history of Thanksgiving and the identities of native peoples. This episode is the second in an ongoing series focusing on Native Peoples in North America. Other episodes include #1216 on Christopher Columbus, #1252 on Westward Expansion, #1265 on native peoples adapting to the modern world, and #1283 on (mis)representation of native peoples in popular culture. 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 and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/HOLIDAY (BOTL GIFT GUIDE!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: A Code Switch Thanksgiving Feast - Code Switch - Air Date 11-21-17 Exploring the conflicting narratives of American Thanksgiving. We speak with indigenous historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. She is the author of "An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States" and co-author of "All the Real Indians Died Off: And 20 Other Myths About Native Americans." Ch. 3: The stolen sisters Part 1 - In the Thick - Air Date 9-18-18 Maria and Julio speak about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement with Annita Lucchesi, a Southern Cheyenne cartographer who has built the largest database of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Ch. 4: Indigenous DNA - Science for the People - Air Date 1-5-17 Kim TallBear, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples Technoscience, on her book "Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science." Ch. 5: The stolen sisters Part 2 - In the Thick - Air Date 9-18-18 Maria and Julio speak about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement with Annita Lucchesi, a Southern Cheyenne cartographer who has built the largest database of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Ch. 6: It's not just about the blood - Code Switch - Air Date 2-6-18 If you're Native American, who or what gets to define your identity? We dive into an old system intended to measure the amount of "Indian blood" a person has. Native Americans across the country are criticizing Senator Elizabeth Warren’s decision to use a DNA test to assert her Native American heritage. We host a roundtable discussion of Native American activists and journalists to respond. Indigenous historian Nick Estes discusses the ongoing attacks on native people, voter disenfranchisement, the Red Power movement and the latest on the fight against major oil and gas pipelines.
VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: The dangers of over-secrecy - Abdul from DC
Ch. 10: Final comments on #StandWithMashpee
TAKE ACTION! Tell your members of Congress to support the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act (H.R. 5244 / S. 2628) Learn more and find out how to support the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Share the tribe’s video on social media Amplify the #StandwithMashpee hashtag EDUCATE YOURSELF The true story of the first Thanksgiving and what it meant (Opinion | Boston Globe) Mashpee Wampanoag Confront 'Loss Of Self-Governance' After Interior Department Reversal (WBUR, Here & Now) This Thanksgiving, The Trump Administration Is Taking Land From The Tribe That Welcomed The Pilgrims (Huffington Post) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1230_Thanksgiving_and_cultural_heritage_Repost_22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:15pm EDT |
Tue, 22 November 2022
Air Date 11/22/2022 Today, we take a look at three recent incidents of celebrities using their platforms to spread antisemitic tropes all in the context of greater openness to antisemitism within the Republican Party in the age of Trumpism. 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 and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/HOLIDAY (BOTL GIFT GUIDE!) SHOW NOTES Chris Hayes: "Right-wing politics as currently embodied by MAGAism—which is the dominant ethos of one of two of America's major parties—has always been and will always be fundamentally a threat to tolerance and pluralism that will inevitably target Jews." Ch. 2: Anti-Semitism - This is Democracy - Air Date 11-9-22 This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Peter Beinart to discuss the history of antisemitism in The United States and around the world. Ch. 3: Legacy Media Problems - In The Thick - Air Date 10-28-22 Maria and Julio talk about the mainstream media’s coverage of the election, the consequences of Kanye West’s antisemitic and anti-Black comments, and voter intimidation efforts in Arizona. Ch. 4: Conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism and fun - The Philosopher's Zone - Air Date 5-29-22 You don’t have to be stupid to be a conspiracy theorist. Many people who buy into paranoid fantasies about stolen Presidential elections and sinister global Jewish cabals are perfectly sane, well-educated individuals. So why do they fall for these myths? Ch. 5: Unpacking Kyrie Irving - Edge of Sports - Air Date 11-7-22 ‘Choice Words’ about Kyrie Irving, anti-Semitism, and his frightening new allies. Ch. 6: A historic look at the ties between Black and Jewish communities - CBS Mornings - Air Date 7-22-20 Jericka Duncan took a deep dive into the history of anti-Semitism, and the rich history between the Black and Jewish communities. Why "positive" stereotypes about Jewish people are promoted by White Supremacists Ch. 8: Nick reacts to Kyrie Irving’s promotion of antisemitic film - What’s Wright? - Air Date 10-31-22 Nick weighs in on Irving’s recent promotion of antisemitic film before Jewish-owned team visited Nets. Nick reacts to Irving’s actions involving his past controversies with off-the-court issues. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Pogroms and Prejudice - Arts & Ideas - Air Date 8-24-22 New Generation Thinker Brendan McGeever traces the links between anti-Semitism now and pogroms in the former Soviet Union and the language used to describe this form of racism. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Policing gender norms - VoicedMailer John FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on Jon Stewart discussing antisemitism and Dave Chapelle Articles: Jon Stewart is right about how to fight antisemitism — and should maybe be our ‘spokesjew’ Jon Stewart is not our ‘spokesjew’ — he normalized hate speech Original Interview: MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Horizontally split image. The top half is a black and white photo of Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) performing at a concert. The bottom half is a close-up, profile photo of Kyrie Irving on the basketball court holding a basketball near his face about to shoot. Credit 1: “Kanye West Central Hall” by Daniel Cruz Valle, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Credit 2: “Kyrie Irving” by Erik Frost, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1527_Antisemitism_Air_Date_11-22-22_General_-_11-22-22_17.15.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:50pm EDT |
Sat, 19 November 2022
Original Air Date 4/16/2019 Today we take a look at just a few of the aspects of modern life for Native Peoples that we can see as stemming from the racism and colonialism that have been endemic in post-contact America. This episode is the fourth in an ongoing series focusing on Native Peoples in North America. Previous episodes are, in order, #1216 on Christopher Columbus, #1230 on Thanksgiving, and #1252 on Westward Expansion. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com HOLIDAY SHOPPING - BOOKS AND MORE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: American Indians Confront “Savage Anxieties” - Moyers and Company - Air Date 12-26-14 Bill speaks with Robert A. Williams Jr., a professor specializing in American Indian law, about how deals such as the one with Rio Tinto are a part of American Indian’s tragic history of dispossession. Ch. 2: What we inherit: Explaining intergenerational trauma - Code Switch - Air Date 6-6-18 The story of one family's struggle to end a toxic cycle of inter-generational trauma from forced assimilation. Getting back to their Native Alaskan cultural traditions is key. Ch. 3: Sexual Violence and Native American Genocide - @Making_Contact - Air Date 11-26-13 Andrea Smith, author of “Conquest: Sexual Violence and Native American Genocide” explains the connection between violence against women, and the colonization of native lands and bodies. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women is a major issue because of racism. Acquittals for murdering Native people occur because of racism. Racism is systemic, historic and the norm in the US and Canada. Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. Ch. 6: Jenni Monet on Indigenous Journalism - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 1-24-19 Corporate media’s lack of interest in indigenous issues, and their ahistorical, distorted view of them when they do cover them, are long overdue for a change. Ch. 7: Beyond Tragedy: The living history of Native America - Ideas from CBC Radio - Air Date 2-20-19 This idea of history as tragedy is something that Ojibwe writer David Treuer tries to undo in The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee. He argues that Indigenous peoples have always found ways to adapt, and that's exactly what they're doing now. VOICEMAILS Ch. 8: Disagreeing on arguments against a female presidential candidate - Stacy from San Francisco Bay Area FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments sharing some voices of Native people giving their perspective on the burning of Notre Dame cathedral TAKE ACTION! Tell Congress to Pass/Reauthorize: Learn more at MontanaMMIW.com & on Twitter: #MMIW #MMIWG EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE A missing sweater tells the story of missing Indigenous women (Indian Country Today) Savanna's Act is Back (Splinter) States weigh bills addressing Native deaths, disappearances (AP) House Passes Bill Protecting Domestic Abuse Victims; GOP Split Over Gun Restrictions (NPR) Montana Senate Betrays Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (Splinter) Tester reintroduces “Securing Urgent Resources Vital to Indian Victim Empowerment” Act (KRTV) Lisa Murkowski Revives Bill Targeting Missing And Murdered Native Women (Huffington Post) Researched & written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Episode Image: Slowking4 via commons.wikimedia.org
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1265_Moving_beyond_tragedy_by_surviving_and_adapting_Native_Peoples_Repost_22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:52pm EDT |
Tue, 15 November 2022
Air Date 11/15/2022 Today, we take a look at our extremely steady history of political violence from the Revolution, through the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow, into the Civil Rights era, the Militia Movement and domestic terrorism, and now to our current once-again-radicalized, right-wing movement willing to use and tacitly condone violence as a political tactic. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Capitol Attack Wasn't the 1st Violent Incident in Congress - Inside Edition - Air Date 1-20-22 According to Yale historian Joanne Freeman, “The caning of Charles Sumner, which happened in 1856, is pretty much the most famous violent incident in the US Congress.” Ch. 2: A history of US political violence Part 1 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22 The Americast team looks at how the attack has led to the sharing of disinformation on social media and Justin and Sarah speak to author Josh Zeitz about the history of political violence in the US. Right-wing violence isn't just sporadic it is a war against American values. The most startling details on right-wing militias, violence, and Trump are coming from Luke Mogelson, an award-winning war reporter. Ch. 4: Political Violence Is No Anomaly in American History - System Check - Air Date 1-8-21 Our guest and guide this week is Hasan Kwame Jeffries, associate professor of history at The Ohio State University. He reminds us that the violence we saw at the Capitol this week is not an anomaly—in fact, political violence is what birthed this nation. Ch. 5: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22 Sean Ililing talks with author Nicole Hemmer, who shows how the GOP became what it is today An aide to McCarthy said "he was obviously joking" without commenting further. Ch. 8: Paul Pelosi attacked with hammer in his home - ABC News - Air Date 10-29-22 Officials say the suspect was targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Ch. 9: A history of US political violence Part 2 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22 Ch. 10: Political Violence - In the Thick - Air Date 11-4-22 “The political violence in our nation’s history is organized and purposeful. It is normalized by rhetoric that justifies it, and often encourages it,” writes Jeremi Suri on the attack on Paul Pelosi, in this piece for Time Magazine. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) VOICEMAILS Ch. 12: Not just winning, defeating - V from Central New York FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the bipartisan uses of Rules for Radicals MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Show Image: Description: A newspaper cartoon/drawing of Senator Sumner being beaten on the floor of the Senate with a cane by Sen. Preston Brooks in 1856. Credit: “Southern Chivalry - Argument vs. Clubs” by J.L. Magee, 1856 | Public Domain
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1526_History_of_Violence_Air_Date_11-15-22_General_-_11-15-22_17.12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:40pm EDT |
Sat, 12 November 2022
Air Date 11/12/2022 Today, we take a look at a few types of panic that regularly strike within communities or across the nation including various satanic panics, Halloween candy panics, and panic over kids being too inclusive and welcoming of all types of people. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Why Satanic Panic never really ended | What's the Story? - Vox Quick Hits - Air Date 4-7-21 One of the most famous moral panics in history, the Satanic Panic, may have been at its peak in the 80s, but did it ever really go away? Vox culture writer Aja Romano walks up through the history of this fear of the occult Ch. 2: Rainbow Fentanyl for Halloween? - The Politics of Everything - Air Date 10-19-22 Are evil-minded strangers trying to hook your kids on candy-colored fentanyl? As Halloween approaches, a dire story is making the rounds about the threat to children of so-called rainbow fentanyl. Ch. 3: Satanic Panic: Part One - American Hysteria - Air Date 12-10-18 This episode is part one of our two-part series on perhaps the most mystifying moral panic in US history, the 1980s and early 90s 'Satanic Panic.' For this episode, Chelsey covers the rise of organized Satanism beginning in the late 60s In this Halloween-themed News Brief, we debunk the idea drug dealers are handing out fentanyl candy to our children. But we also examine why these copaganda panics are able to take hold: namely the failure of liberals to provide an alternative Ch. 5: Satanic Panic — Dungeons & Dragons and Harry Potter - Soul Search - Air Date 9-22-22 The Satanic Panic was a time of incredible anxiety in the United States and Australia. This feature examines how games like Dungeons and Dragons and books like Harry Potter became unlikely villains in a war over religion, politics and imagination. Michigan high school student defends her mural which parents called satanic and anti-Christian because it contained a Genshin Impact character and a person wearing a transgender flag t-shirt. The Majority Report crew discusses parents. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Our annual Halloween hysteria - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-28-22 This year’s fear of rainbow fentanyl in kids’ trick-or-treat bags is just the latest unfounded Halloween candy freakout. But the yearly panic has its roots in a very real crisis: the 1982 Tylenol murders. Ch. 8: Satanic Panic: Part Two - American Hysteria - Air Date 1-7-19 Two characters, Stranger Danger’s murderous pedophile and the Satanist, blurred into a new villain and psychological archetype FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on policing gender norms through the ages References: A Brief History of Men Today Are Too Feminine and Women Too Masculine A Brief History of Nobody Wants to Work Anymore 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: 1525_Panic_Air_Date_11-12-22_General_-_11-12-22_23.01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:26pm EDT |
Tue, 8 November 2022
Air Date 11/8/2022 Today, we take a look at the life and times of China's president, Xi Jinping, and his rise to be China's first non-term-limited president who also, not coincidentally, has a bit of an authoritarian streak. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: MINTMOBILE.COM/BEST CUT YOUR WIRELESS BILL TO $15 A MONTH BOMBAS.COM/BEST BUY ONE/GIVE ONE TO SOMEONE IN NEED SHOW NOTES Chinese President Xi Jinping has begun a historic third term. We speak with Yaqiu Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch and Johns Hopkins University professor Ho-fung Hung. Ch. 2: Made in China Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-14-22 Chinese President Xi Jinping is a product of Mao Zedong’s revolution. On Sunday, he'll become the most powerful Chinese leader since the Communist Party’s founder — and maybe the most powerful person in the world. Ailsa Chang speaks with Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, about the global implications of a third term for Xi Jinping and how this signals a new era for China. Ch. 5: Made in China Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-14-22 China's Communist party sees a shake-up of leadership but President Xi Jinping is set to remain at the helm. It comes amid growing fears about what a return to one-man politics might mean for the future of the country. Special correspondent Patrick Fok. Ch. 7: Xi Jinping - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 6-18-18 Chinese president Xi Jinping is amassing an alarming amount of political power. If only his propaganda videos made the idea of unrestricted authority seem as troubling as the concept of singing children. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Made in China Part 3 - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-14-22 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on misinformation in the mirror universe MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Graffiti portrait of Xi Jinping in profile on a concrete wall. His face is outlined in black on a red background. Weeds grow up from the ground under the portrait. Credit: “Xi Jinping, painted portrait_DDC2205” by Thierry Ehrmann, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | 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: 1524_Xi_Jinping_Air_Date_11-8-22_General_-_11-8-22_17.06.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:07pm EDT |
Fri, 4 November 2022
Original Air Date: 10-24-22 Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss: - The rise of AI-powered therapy bots
Connect to our Discord community!
References: Therapy for People Who Can’t Go to Therapy
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_258_Sample_-_11-4-22_15.25.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:57pm EDT |
Tue, 1 November 2022
Air Date 11/1/2022 Today, we take a look at the corporate price-gouging and massive profits happening under the cover of widespread inflation, all in the run-up to the midterm elections in which the GOP is running cover for corporations and blaming Democrats for price hikes. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Economics correspondent Paul Solman explores whether concentrated market power is contributing to inflation. Ch. 2: Why Gas Prices Are So High Right Now | Ft. Jessica Burbank - More Perfect Union - Air Date 10-30-22 What explains the oil industry's historically massive profits? A price gouging scheme that oil companies freely acknowledge. How inflation—at its highest since the early Reagan era—is affecting people’s lives and their voting intentions. Rep Katie Porter brings attention to statistics revealing the huge role corporate greed has on inflation. Corporate price gouging concerning big oil companies and inflation, Jessica Burbank breaks it down on The Damage Report. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Rep. Jamie Raskin join Chris Hayes to discuss what’s at stake ahead of the midterm elections. Democrats hoping to keep control of Congress and make gains in state governments are facing significant political headwinds Ch. 8: Liberal Redneck - Inflation and the GOP - Trae Crowder - Air Date 10-27-22 Republicans harp on and on about inflation, but what are they actually going to DO about it? Not much, prolly. I holler bout it herein. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Mike Levin joins to discuss what the Inflation Reduction Act actually does for climate VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: UK could well go fascist - Anonymous FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the quickness with which anger can turn to fascism TAKE ACTION! MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022: Persuade someone to vote: - Jay's final comments from episode #1365 (Transcript) on using your vote as a theory of change tool. - "Ask the Experts: How to Inspire People to Vote for Their Values" (ACLU) - "This is How to Convince Your Friends to Vote" (Lemonade.com) Short on time? Donate once to... - Secretary of State Races: MoveOn.org's "America for All" midterm election campaign - Senate Races: SwingLeft Hold the Senate Fund, or SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (Senate & House) - House races: SwingLeft Hold the House Fund, or SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (House & Senate) - Governors: SwingLeft Governor Fund - State Legislative Races: SwingLeft Legislative Fund MIDTERMS MINUTE Segments: #1 , #2 , #3, #4 Researched and written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a long shopping receipt that lays across a background of various groceries. Credit: “Shopping spending till slip” by Stevepb, Pixabay
Direct download: 1523_Inflation_Election_Air_Date_11-1-22_General_-_11-1-22_17.56.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:06pm EDT |
Sat, 29 October 2022
Air Date 10/29/2022 Today, we take a look at the destruction accomplished over decades by adherents to a libertarian, neoliberal ideology in the UK which culminated recently in the tanking value of the British pound sterling and the resignation of the shortest-serving Prime Minister ever 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Why The United Kingdom Is In A Big Mess - AJ+ - Air Date 1-5-22 Why is post-Brexit Britain such a mess? Rising food and energy prices, empty shelves in stores and worker shortages. But could Brexit lead to something even bigger: the breakup of the United Kingdom? Ch. 2: What's wrong with Great Britain? - Financial Times - Air Date 4-19-22 The FT's chief economics commentator Martin Wolf says the UK is facing six interlocking crises, from stagnant living standards to a lack of political leadership Ch. 3: Thatcherism: What We Get Wrong About Neoliberalism - Kay and Skittles - Air Date 10-1-22 Differentiating between neoliberal ideology and how it plays out in practice Ch. 4: Liz Truss: The Oligarch's Prime Minister | George Monbiot - Double Down News - Air Date 10-4-22 What happens when libertarian ultras get everything they ever wanted all at once? Welcome to Oligarch Island British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned Thursday after just 45 days in office, the shortest term in the nation’s history. Her low-tax, low-regulation financial policies were widely criticized after they sent the pound plummeting Explaining trickle-down economics for what it is and condemning the big lie that makes it palatable to the masses Ch. 7: Does Economics Drive All Politics? - WhoWhatWhy - Air Date 10-20-22 Financial Times economic analyst Martin Wolf gives an overview of global economic forces, and looks at Britain’s economic and political chaos. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: The Brexit effect: how leaving the EU hit the UK | FT Film - Financial Times - Air Date 10-18-22 The UK's recent disastrous "mini" Budget can trace its origins back to Britain's decision to leave the European Union. The economic costs of Brexit were masked by the Covid-19 pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the destabilization of neoliberalism TAKE ACTION! MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022: Installment #4: The Rest of the Toss-Up House Races Short on time? Donate once... - Secretary of State Races: MoveOn.org's "America for All" midterm election campaign - Senate Races: SwingLeft Hold the Senate Fund, or SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (Senate & House) - House races: SwingLeft Hold the House Fund, or the SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (House & Senate) - Governors: SwingLeft Governor Fund - State Legislative Races: SwingLeft Legislative Fund MIDTERMS MINUTE Segments: Installment #1 , Installment #2 , Installment #3 Researched and written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: The Union Jack flag of the United Kingdom with black charred edges on a black background. Credit: Union Jack
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1522_UK_Neoliberalism_Air_Date_10-29-22_General_-_10-29-22_08.28.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:52am EDT |
Wed, 26 October 2022
Air Date 10/26/2022 Today, we take a look at the 2022 election and the political dynamics at play as the GOP continues on its path of ideological anti-democracy and Democrats work to register new voters and get out the vote. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! BestOfTheLeft.com/Bookshop BotL BOOKSTORE SHOW NOTES We speak to law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw and civil rights attorney Barbara Arnwine, who are on an Arc of Voter Justice bus tour of 26 cities across the country to increase Black voter turnout at critical midterm elections in November. Ch. 2: Battling the Big Liars with Dan Pfeiffer - How We Win - Air Date 10-19-22 Biden is making it clear that abortion rights are on the ballot, as early voting kicks off in many states. New polls are worrying Democrats, but don’t worry… keep working! Democrats need a strategy to win the upcoming midterm election and Senator Bernie Sanders has a strategy to win. Ch. 4: Battling the Big Liars with Dan Pfeiffer Part 2 - How We Win - Air Date 10-19-22 Ch. 5: Senate Races That Could Tip The Balance - Deconstructed - Air Date 10-14-22 Journalists Jon Ralston and George Chidi join Ryan Grim to discuss two potentially pivotal states, Nevada and Georgia, where tight races for the Senate are underway. Ch. 7: How We Vote! with Andrea Hailey - How We Win - Air Date 9-21-22 A conversation with the woman who is leading the charge for the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan voting registration and get-out-the-vote technology platform in America, the CEO of Vote.org, Andrea Hailey! Ch. 8: Julie Hollar and Jim Naureckas on 2022 Midterms - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-21-22 This midterm is a big-picture election. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: How Midterm Campaigns are Framing Crime - The Takeaway - Air Date 10-20-22 We're joined by Rena Karefa-Johnson, Director of National programming at FWD.us, and Ames Grawert, Senior Counsel at the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU. Ch. 10: Julie Hollar and Jim Naureckas on 2022 Midterms Part 2 - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-21-22 VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: The prolonged fight - V from Central New York Ch. 11: Doing the work - Wendy FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on doing the work to normalize all humans TAKE ACTION! MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022: Short on time? Donate once... - Secretary of State Races: MoveOn.org's "America for All" midterm election campaign - Senate Races: SwingLeft Hold the Senate Fund, or SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (Senate & House) - House races: SwingLeft Hold the House Fund, or the SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (House & Senate) - Governors: SwingLeft Governor Fund - State Legislative Races: SwingLeft Legislative Fund MIDTERMS MINUTE Segments: Installment #1 , Installment #2 , Installment #3 Researched and written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a yellow sticker with black writing that says “Resist the NAZI-GOP Coalition” on a cross walk sign. The red hand “stop” symbol on the sign is visible below the sticker. Credit: “Resist the NAZI-GOP Coalition Sticker” by Amanda Hoffman | License: CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1521_Election_2022_Air_Date_10-26-22_General_-_10-26-22_13.41.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:39pm EDT |
Tue, 25 October 2022
Original Air Date: 10-12-22 Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss: - The new fascist party running Italy and their love of Lord of the Rings - "The Jay Principle" which has something to do with people liking stories they shouldn't - How to write progressive stories
References: Hobbits and the Hard Right: How Fantasy Inspires Italy’s Potential New Leader Why liberals love "Downton Abbey" - Salon Downton Abbey–Why We Love Rich Aristocrats "50 Fantasy & Science Fiction Works That Socialists Should Read" by China Miéville
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_257_Sample_-_10-25-22_5.40_PM.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:59pm EDT |
Fri, 21 October 2022
Original Air Date 9/8/2021 Today we take a look at the legacy of red-lining, the building and subsequent destruction of Black communities and the health and environmental impacts of segregation. The concept of “Structural Racism” is often a metaphor, not something physical that you can touch, but that is not the case when it comes to environmental racism. 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) SHOW NOTES We're making a deadly mistake if we don't talk about environmental justice when we discuss racism and Black liberation. Ch. 2: Redlining & Climate Change: A Deadly Combination - News Beat - Air Date 4-27-21 Although the Fair Housing Act of 1968 banned redlining and housing discrimination in general, three out of four redlined communities rated "hazardous" 80 years ago are struggling economically today. Guests: Catherine Flowers founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice and Amy Stelly, a designer and board member of the Urban Conservancy. Ch. 4: Environmental Racism is Real Part 1 - Tamarindo Podcast - Air Date 6-16-21 We talk to Environmental justice lawyer Claire Woods about how black and brown communities face the brunt of many environmental justice issues, the connection to racism, and what we can do to help. Ch. 5: Biden Promises To Grapple With Environmental Racism - Short Wave - Air Date 2-4-21 NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher talks about the history of environmental racism in the United States, and what Biden's administration can do to avoid the mistakes of the past. Ch. 6: Environmental Racism is Real Part 2 - Tamarindo Podcast - Air Date 6-16-21 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Summary + reading from The Sum of Us on pollution in segregated cities VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Post-Civil War Reconstruction and the occupation of Afghanistan - Dave from Olympia, WA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on how structural racism becomes personal racism and comparing Reconstruction with the occupation of Afghanistan MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: An official, rectangular metal sign bolted to a telephone poll displays the image of a cropped city map with a red outlined area. Below, the sign reads "Portland's Historic Redline District." Smaller text below reads "In Portland's past, 'redlining' practices created exclusionary zones for 'Negroes and Orientals' by real estate, banking and insurance companies. Agents could lose their licenses for crossing this color barrier. Now, urban gentrification displaces low-income families, as the remaining affordable housing stock in this area disappears." Credit: "Redlining" by radcliffe dacanay, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1440_Environmental_Racism_Air_Date_9-7-21_Members_-_10-21-22_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:00pm EDT |
Tue, 18 October 2022
Original Air Date 8/18/2021 Today we take a look at history of white people deciding to get their way through violence and the tradition of having the government look the other way 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) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The KKK: History and Myth - Professor Buzzkill History Podcast - Air Date 8-24-17 Practically nothing in the history of the United States has suffered from myth-making and misunderstanding as much as the history of race relations and racist violence. The history Ku Klux Klan is no exception. This is ironic. Ch. 2: Remembering a White Supremacist Coup - Reveal - Air Date 10-23-20 On the eve of a contentious election, Reveal looks back to the nearly forgotten election of 1898 in Wilmington, North Carolina. A coup d’etat gave birth to much of the structural racism that still plagues our nation today. Ch. 3: Voices: Children ‘stripped of innocence’ - Cape Up - Air Date 4-11-19 A member of the Little Rock Nine and a survivor of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing both lost the illusion of safety in their young lives. Ch. 4: Armed and Dangerous - On the Media - Air Date 9-24-20 Armed right-wingers are stoking violence in cities across the country. On this week’s On the Media, a look at the origins of the American militia movement. Plus, as things heat up, Facebook is fanning the flames. Ch. 5: The Evolution of All-American Terrorism - Reveal - Air Date 6-27-20 The Trump years have seen an increase in domestic terrorist attacks linked by hateful ideologies that thrive online. Reveal teams up with Type Investigations to track each case and determine what the government has done to fight them. Ch. 6: Radical Caucasian Extremism - News Beat - Air Date 1-9-21 This hugely important episode highlighted the threat posed by such extremists, even as many in the media and government engaged in Islamophobic rhetoric about Muslim Americans. Former FBI agent Mike German says "Unfortunately their policies have actually masked how they use their domestic terrorism resources to make it harder for the Congress to understand how many of those resources are going toward white supremacist violence," MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) The Atlantic's Adam Serwer and Mehdi discuss Carlson's history of promulgating racist rhetoric on prime time television and its real-life consequences. Ch. 9: Southern Shame Culture & How to Fight Racism w/Jemar Tisby - The Holy Post - Air Date 1-20-21 Jemar Tisby (The Color of Compromise) rejoins Phil to discuss his new book, How to Fight Racism. Actual, real steps to be part of the solution, not part of the problem! VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Response on remix climate episode - Alan from Connecticut FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the arguments against individual climate action MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Black and white photo taken during "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, AL on March 7th 1965. A young John Lewis has fallen on the grass, lifting one hand, while a police officer stands over him wielding a billy club. More chaos fills the background. Credit: "12 - Civil Rights Movement" (low resolution). Original from the Library of Congress (via U.S. Embassy The Hague on Flickr) | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1435_White_Violence_Air_Date_8-18-21_Members_-_11-18-22_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:00pm EDT |
Fri, 14 October 2022
Air Date 10/14/2022 Today, we take a look at the women-led protests roiling Iran in response to violent crackdowns from the so-called morality police that have led to the deaths of young women demanding rights and freedom. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BOMBAS.COM/BEST AND USE CODE: BEST - BUY ONE/GIVE ONE TO SOMEONE IN NEED SHOW NOTES For nearly three weeks, Iranians have marched in the streets to denounce the Islamic regime that has ruled for more than 40 years. What started as a response to the killing of a young woman by the "morality police," this uprising is now nationwide. Ch. 2: What Iranian Protesters Need Now - What Next - Air Date 9-28-22 What began as a revolt in the wake of an overstep by Iran’s morality police has evolved into a mass movement calling for “death to the dictator.” Protests in Iran are nothing new, but these demonstrations strike at the heart of the repressive regime. Protesters in Iran are continuing to demand justice for Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died in the hands of the so-called morality police, as well as envisioning a political future beyond the Islamic Republic. Ch. 4: 'Woman, Life, Freedom' - On the Media - Air Date 9-30-22 Large-scale protests took over the streets of Iran after twenty-two-year-old Mahsa Amini died on September 16 while in custody of the morality police. She had been arrested her for wearing her headscarf improperly. Iranians protest brutal repression and why U.S. statements of solidarity are empty without a reversal of crushing sanctions. Assal Rad joins Talia Baroncelli on theAnalysis.news. Ch. 6: What’s Happening in Iran and Why? with Reza Aslan - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 9-28-22 Iran is currently being rocked by protests against the oppressive theocratic regime that rules the country. What is happening there, and what brought us to this point? MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Revolutions - Power Corrupts - Air Date 4-2-20 When revolutions happen, everything changes. In this episode, we'll look at how Teddy Roosevelt's son led a CIA-backed coup in 1953 that contributed to the Iranian revolution FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on the beneficial discomfort of diversity TAKE ACTION! MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022 - Installment #3: How to defend State Governor and Secretary of State races from anti-democracy MAGA extremists. Past Installments: Installment #2 - Toss-up Senate Races in GA, NV, PA & WI, & Senate Races Leaning D or R Installment #1 - Toss-up House Races in CA, NY, & OH, & Open Seats Leaning D or R Researched and written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A woman stands in the midst of a protest in London wearing full face paint in the color and pattern of the Iranian flag. She holds up both arms and in each hand is a photo of Mahsa Amini, the Iranian woman who died in the custody of the Iranian "Morality Police". Credit: "Mahsa Amini #1" by Alisdare Hickson, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1520_Iran_Air_Date_10-14-22_General_-_10-12-22_21.43.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:00pm EDT |
Wed, 12 October 2022
Original Air Date: 9-27-22 Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss: - Nazis using The Amanda Principle on Uncle Tom's Cabin - Societal instability driven by businesses always "disrupting" everything - The anti-social nature of gratitude
Connect your Discord to Patreon
References: Germany's strange nostalgia for the antebellum American South Forget Disruption. Tech Needs to Fetishize Stability Debt: The First 5000 Years (Affiliate link)
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_256_Sample_-_10-11-22_19.07.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:00pm EDT |
Tue, 11 October 2022
Original Air Date 10/9/2021 Today we take a look at structures and specifics of settler colonialism from around the world including the US, Caribbean, Australia, Israel and Mexico 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) SHOW NOTES Ben Norton was invited to give this talk on US imperialism in Latin America, for the Workers' Party of Ireland. He discusses the history from European settler colonialism, through the Monroe Doctrine, the first cold war, and the three revolutions. Ch. 2: Slavery, race and capital in the sixteenth century / Gerald Horne - This Is Hell! - Air Date 7-21-20 Gerald Horne discusses the relationship between racism and expansionist foreign policies Ch. 3: Settler Colonialism Is Behind Climate Denial - Novara Media - Air Date 1-5-20 Australia is on fire. So why do so many of its politicians seem intent on denying the cause? Ch. 4: Pearls for empire / Molly A. Warsh - This Is Hell! - Air Date 9-20-21 Historian Molly A. Warsh on her book "American Baroque: Pearls and the Nature of Empire, 1492-1700" from UNC Press. Ch. 5: Rewriting resistance: how Black rebellion shapes world events - People's Republic - Air Date 8-20-20 This week, we continue our commemoration of Black August with Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history and author of over 40 books, including The Counter-Revolution of 1776. A 2017 lecture by Ilan Pappé titled "The Value of Viewing Israel-Palestine Through the Lens of Settler-Colonialism" hosted by the WRMEA. Ch. 7: Crimes of Apartheid - In The Thick - Air Date 5-14-21 Maria is joined by guest co-host and ITT All-star Jamilah King to discuss the continued violence and attacks against Palestinians by Israeli settlers and forces in Gaza. We hear from Gaza-based journalist Hana Salah about what she is seeing on the ground. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Marc talks with Rick Perlstein about growing up Jewish in Milwaukee, the process of unlearning Zionist indoctrination, and how the United States' support of an Israeli ethno-state foments continued violence. Did racism and white supremacy arise as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in the 17th century, or did these concepts exist prior to the mass enslavement of Africans and the genocide of the indigenous peoples on what is now called America? The boys speak with Alexander Aviña, an assistant professor of history at Arizona State University, about the history of Mexico and U.S.-Mexican Relations from the 1810 Mexican War of Independence to the "drug war" of today. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: No velvet glove - Nick From California Ch. 12: Followup on conspiracy theory hot take - Nick from California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 13: Final comments on how conspiracy theorists are like timeshare sales people MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1447_Settler_Colonialism_Air_Date_10-9-21_Members_-_10-11-22_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:29am EDT |
Sat, 8 October 2022
Air Date 10/8/2022 Today, we take a look at the recent elections in Italy, Brazil and Sweden where far-right parties are either taking power or looking to maintain it as well as the parallels to our own politics including moderate conservatives helping to legitimize the far right while delegitimizing elections. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Fascist Brothers of Italy Party takes power in Italy - The Mehdi Hassan Show - Air Date 10-2-22 Why the American right wing is racing to embrace Italy's next prime minister. Ch. 2: Italian Fascism w/ David Broder - Jacobin Show - Air Date 9-30-22 Our own European editor David Broder explains what Giorgia Meloni and the Brothers of Italy's victory means for Italy. Why the American right wing is racing to embrace Italy's next prime minister. Ch. 4: Fascism scores another victory with Italian election - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 9-26-22 Conservatives in the US have been courting the extreme right on and off all along Ch. 5: The Stakes Are High - In The Thick - Air Date 10-4-22 "The candidates and their vision for Brazil’s future could not be more different, but the trends underpinning this election are an echo of global experiences,” reports Roberta S. Braga for the ISPI. Noam Chomsky joins us from Brazil with Vijay Prashad just back from Brazil to discuss Sunday’s Brazilian election between Brazil’s far right president Jair Bolsonaro and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Ch. 7: Brazil Votes For Democracy While SCOTUS Does Not - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 9-4-22 Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss the ramifications of the Brazilian election for president, as Bolsonaro loses by 5 points and is priming the country to reject the second round election later this month. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Rise of the Swedish far right w/ David Broder - Jacobin Show - Air Date 9-30-22 Jonas Pontusson joins us to unpack the strong electoral showing of the Swedish far right. Ch. 9: Fascism scores another victory with Italian election - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 9-26-22 A history lesson on the rise and fall of fascism in Europe and what it says about the path we're all on today. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the big problem with small misunderstandings TAKE ACTION! MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022 - Installment #2: Today’s focus is on toss-up Senate races in GA, NV, PA, and WI, and Senate races (precariously) leaning Democrat or Republican: GET FULL DETAILS AND ACTION LINKS Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo from 2014. Far-right Italian politician (and newly elected Prime Minister) Giorgia Meloni stands in front of a backdrop with the Italian tricolor flame, a symbol of the neo-fascist political party in Italy. She is a white woman with straight blond hair. She is wearing a leather jacket and smiling with her arms crossed. Credit: “Giorgia Melone 2014” by Jose Antonio, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC Attribution 4.0 International | Changes: Black vignette
Direct download: 1519_International_Fascism_Air_Date_10-8-22_General_-_10-7-22_19.04.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00pm EDT |
Wed, 5 October 2022
Air Date 10/5/2022 Today, we take a look at the life and legacy of President Ronald Reagan, the last transformational U.S. president who's regime we are still living in. Between his neoliberal economics, anti-government ideology and white supremacist appeal to authoritarians, he did more to shape the last 40 years of the politics of the country and conservative movement than anyone else. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: MintMobile.com/Best PAY ONLY $15/MO FOR PREMIUM WIRELESS SERVICE! ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: 40 years later, is this the end of Reaganomics? - Make Me Smart - Air Date 12-14-21 It’s been just over 40 years since newly elected President Ronald Reagan declared, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem.” Ch. 2: The Democracy We Think We Live In - On the Media - Air Date 8-9-19 Adam Serwer, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the catastrophic, deadly idea that "only white people are fit for self-government." Reagan didn't invent trickle down economics and the original metaphor was even more demeaning. Prof. Joseph McCartin and former PATCO spokesperson Elliot Simons discuss the anniversary of the firing and Ronald Reagan's betrayal Ch. 5: When American Presidents Go to Trial - On the Media - Air Date 9-9-22 Rick Perlstein, a journalist and author of The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan, explains the continuing impact of Gerald Ford's decision to pardon Richard Nixon for his crimes. We scrutinize Reagan's famous quote "the nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’” Ch. 7: How Ronald Reagan's Regime Led To The Jan 6th Capitol Riot - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-17-21 The Capitol insurrection on January 6th was a long time coming. Back in 1980, Ronald Reagan's campaign was laying the groundwork for what would become Donald Trump's platform. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: America’s Right Turn with Rick Perlstein - Why Is This Happening? - Air Date 9-1-20 How did America’s modern conservative movement come to power? Historian and author Rick Perlstein’s prolific work has traced the arc of modern electoral politics, and specifically has laid out how modern conservatism arose. Ch. 9: Why the "Reagan Regime" Endures - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 3-7-22 Presidencies are rarely transformational, and neither Biden nor Trump have lived up to their supporters’ dreams. So what does it take to really change our politics? Host Kai Wright is joined by political theorist Corey Robin to confront that question. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on my first debate about Reagan TAKE ACTION! MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022 - Installment #1: Today’s focus is on toss-up House races in California, New York, and Ohio, and OPEN or NEW seats that are *leaning* Democrat or Republican: GET FULL DETAILS AND ACTION LINKS Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A large portrait of former American President Ronald Reagan in a dark suit and red tie is framed on a wall in a dim, museum-like room. His smiling face is softly lit with a spotlight. Credit: “President Ronald Re[a]gan” by LunchboxLarry, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
Direct download: 1518_Reagan_Bad_Air_Date_10-5-22_General_-_10-5-22_11.38.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:49pm EDT |
Fri, 30 September 2022
Air Date 9/30/2022 Today, we take a look at the attention-grabbing stunt of transporting asylum seekers from Texas to Martha's Vineyard and other politically-liberal destinations and the White supremacist inspirations for this policy. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: DeSantis, Fox News, and the Martha's Vineyard 'Stunt' - On the Media - Air Date 9-23-22 Philip Bump [@pbump], national correspondent The Washington Post, on the manipulative plan for 48 Venuzulean migrants sent to Martha’s Vineyard. Ch. 2: DeSantis' kidnapping 'stunt' - The BradCast - Air Date 9-19-22 New documents show that the asylum-seekers were lured onto the flights with false promises, providing hard documentary evidence that DeSantis' obscene political stunt may have violated the law. This week, we're taking a look at the cruelty and shamelessness of when Ron DeSantis human trafficked a bunch of migrants to Martha's Vineyard. This did not go how the GOP thought it would, so they spent the last few weeks lying and pretending it did. Taylor Levy talks about the situation on the border as one of the most knowledgable attorneys when it comes to what is actually happening on the U.S./Mexico border. Professor Mwalim Peters, recounts the little-known story of the Reverse Freedom Rides and says the strategy to humiliate liberals is "basically identical to what's happening now in Martha's Vineyard". Ch. 6: Immigration Defining Us and Them - Now & Then - Air Date 9-27-22 Heather and Joanne discuss the politics and prejudices surrounding the two 1790s Naturalization Laws, the Immigration Act of 1924, the 1965 Hart-Celler Act, and the current Republican rhetoric about migrants at the Southern border. Professor Mwalim Peters, recounts the little-known story of the Reverse Freedom Rides and says the strategy to humiliate liberals is "basically identical to what's happening now in Martha's Vineyard". MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Immigration Defining Us and Them Part 2 - Now & Then - Air Date 9-27-22 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on how laws are used to manipulate our sense of justice to support injustice TAKE ACTION! National Immigrant Justice Center (specific call for donations to help those being trafficked) National Immigration Law Center Chicago: City of Chicago "Donation and Volunteer Support for New Arrivals from Texas" New York: South Bronx Mutual Aid (Seeking lawyers, mental health professionals, etc. for migrants) Washington, DC: Sanctuary DMV's "Texas Migrant Solidarity Donation and Volunteer Links" Inside The Local Mutual Aid Effort Supporting The Migrants Texas Bused To D.C. (DCist, May 2022) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: The words “The Cruelty is the Point” are overlayed on a black and white image of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ face in a black vignette. Credit: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis” by Matt Johnson, Flickr | License CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Black and white, black vignette, text overlay
Direct download: 1517_Immigrant_Trafficking_Air_Date_9-30-22_General_-_9-30-22_21.45.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00pm EDT |
Tue, 27 September 2022
Original Air Date: 9-8-22 Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss: - Dystopian longtermism - Why the Man-O-Sphere won’t get you a girlfriend - Cultural commodification
References: Salon - Understanding "long-termism": Why this suddenly influential philosophy is so toxic Psychology Today - The Rise of Lonely, Single Men In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial Affiliate Links:
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_255_Sample_-_9-26-22_17.42.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:40am EDT |
Sat, 24 September 2022
Air Date 9/24/2022 Today, we take a look at the decades-long scheme to funnel conservative activist judges into the judiciary to support Republican policy goals and the resulting legal bulwark defending Trump against prosecution and supporting his future election efforts. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES About half the world has prosecuted a former leader, so why doesn’t the U.S.? Seth takes a closer look at the FBI seizing the phones of two Trump aides and issuing 40 subpoenas as the Justice Department intensifies its various investigations of Trump and his allies, including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. You may not have heard of Judge Aileen Cannon at the start of her lifetime appointment. But Trump's court pick just ruled in favor of a special master in the Mar-a-Lago probe. Ch. 4: The Law v Lawless Edition - Amicus - Air Date 9-10-22 A single Trump-appointed judge’s attempt to stick a fork in the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into potential mishandling of classified materials is part of a systemic story about American justice. When you see the news about a 10-year-old forced to flee her state to terminate a pregnancy from her rapist, think about Leonard Leo as the man who brought that state of affairs about. He is the guy pulling the strings in the background. A federal judge on Monday agreed with Donald Trump’s lawyers to appoint an independent arbiter known as a special master to review top-secret documents seized during an FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate. Ch. 7: The Scheme Speech 1: The Powell Report - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse - Air Date 5-27-21 Sen. Whitehouse delivers his first speech on court capture MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) “It was a very unusual transaction, the likes of which I have not seen in my years of covering money in politics,” says New York Times reporter Ken Vogel. Ch. 9: Lock Him Up? - On The Media - Air Date 9-9-22 James D. Long [@prof_jameslong], associate professor of political science at the University of Washington, on the consequences of modern democracies across the globe prosecuting — or choosing not to prosecute — their former leaders FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on defeating authoritarianism with action, not news following 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: 1516_Trump_Investigations.Judiciary_Air_Date_9-24-22_General_-_9-23-22_15.36.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:46pm EDT |
Wed, 21 September 2022
Air Date 9/21/2022 Today, we take a look at the history and legacy of British imperialism and slavery through the lens of the divergent views on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the growing movement of former colonies to achieve full independence. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES You can't expect people to show respect for something that never respected them. #BetweenTheScenes on the mixed reaction to the Queen’s death. Kehinde Andrews describes the brutal legacy of the British slave trade and the British Empire, which makes the monarchy a symbol of white supremacy that should not be mourned, but rather abolished. Ch. 3: The royal family: Slavery, colonialism and race - Sky News - Air Date 6-23-22 In the Caribbean, some people are calling for the Queen to be removed as head of state, and for the royal family to pay reparations for their role in slavery. Wongel Zelalem reports on Julius Malema telling Africans to not mourn Queen Elizabeth II. Breaking down the legacy of British colonialism through the lens of controversy over online reactions Ch. 6: Slavery, Colonisation and the Crown - TRT World In 2022, Britain celebrated 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s rule with street parties and festivities. But many critics say that the British monarchy should not be celebrated because of its legacy of slavery, looting and colonialism. Ch. 7: Who needs the monarchy? - It's Been a Minute - Air Date 8-16-22 Guest host Elise Hu talks to Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, lawyer, activist and author of This Is Why I Resist about this new era for the British royals, the power they hold and the potential opportunities for the new monarch. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) "There's a degree of psychosis that you can go to another people's land, colonize them, and then expect them to honor you at the same time," says Kenyan American author Mukoma Wa Ngugi. We also speak with Harvard historian Caroline Elkins. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: An old postage stamp depicts a 3-mast schooner ship on the water and an airplane above it with a young Queen Elizabeth II to the right wearing a crown and a crown symbol over her head. The text at the edges reads “JAMAICA” “West Indies” “2d Postal Centenary, 1860-1960”. Credit: “Jamaica Postal Centenary” by Bill Smith, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped and added pieces of image to top and bottom of stamp.
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: 1515_British_Empire_Air_Date_9-21-22_General_-_9-21-22_17.05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:23pm EDT |
Sat, 17 September 2022
Air Date 9/17/2022 Today, we take a look at the way terrible patterns of the past like colonialism, racism, propaganda, feudalism, and abuse of corporate monopoly power are recreating and re-entrenching themselves in the digital world 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Rise Of Digital Oligarchy w/ Jillian York - The Majority Report - Air Date 8-4-22 Emma hosts Jillian York, Director of International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, to discuss her recent book Silicon Values: The Future of Free Speech Under Surveillance Capitalism. Ch. 2: How Social Media Profits Off Your Anger - Wisecrack - Air Date 8-26-22 Does the internet run on rage? If you’ve spent any time online, you know that anger is to the internet as cake is to a birthday party. But why have the interwebs become a place of such division and rage? It’s complicated, but we’ll explain Ch. 3: Using AI to Say the Word - This Machine Kills - Air Date 9-2-22 We discuss a new startup doing the rounds called Sanas that uses AI “accent translation” to make "non-white" call center workers speak English with a white American accent. This is some real retro throwback tech solutionism Ch. 4: Addressing the TikTok Threat - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 9-8-22 This week on Your Undivided Attention, we bring you a bonus episode about TikTok. Co-hosts Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin explore the nature of the TikTok threat, and how we might address it. We conclude our conversation with Vice's Edward Ongweso Jr. by looking at Peter Thiel's role in bankrolling Uber as the 'Tip of the Spear' for rolling back labor laws, workers' rights and Unions. Ch. 6: Break Up Monopolies: Zephyr Teachout - Future Hindsight - Air Date 8-11-22 Zephyr Teachout is Senior Counsel for Economic Justice for the New York AG and law professor at Fordham University. We revisit our conversation with her about her book, Break 'Em Up: Recovering Our Freedom from Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big Money. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: The Digital Self, Web3 and reclaiming your online identity - Future Tense - Air Date 7-23-22 How is our sense of identity changing as our online and offline experiences increasingly merge? What grounds a person’s online persona (or personas) to the physical world? And is such a tie important? We are joined by Dan McQuillan to discuss his great new book Resisting AI. “With analytical and moral clarity, McQuillan makes the case for recognizing the radical politics of AI and meeting its goose step march head-on.” FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on how to fix the internet for yourself 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: 1514_Digital_Dystopia_Air_Date_9-17-22_General_-_9-16-22_20.12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:00pm EDT |
Wed, 14 September 2022
Air Date 9/14/2022 Today, we take a look at the history and hysteria behind debt and debt forgiveness while Biden is canceling student debt and opponents of the idea are reacting in the most predictable way possible because they misunderstand the relationship between debt and morality. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: BOMBAS.COM/BEST BUY ONE/GIVE ONE TO SOMEONE IN NEED ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES We speak to Astra Taylor, writer, filmmaker, and co-director of the Debt Collective, a union for debtors and one of the original advocates for a debt jubilee that would cancel all student debt. Ch. 2: Freedom Dreams: Black Women and the Student Debt Crisis - The Intercept - Air Date 8-22-22 The Intercept’s new documentary, “Freedom Dreams: Black Women and the Student Debt Crisis,” profiles Black women educators and activists struggling under the weight of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, in student loan debt. Ch. 3: Hidden History of Student Debt - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 8-25-22 Many woke up to find news that $10k of their student debt would be forgiven, Thom Hartmann and Jefferson Smith break down what this means and what happens next. Max breaks down the politics, the details, and biggest misses of the Biden student debt relief plan and why it’s in danger of being PITOTWIU Florida Representative Michael Waltz believes the military recruiting crisis will worsen with President Biden’s student loan forgiveness. He also believes it is unfair to those who have not incurred debt. Ch. 6: Forgiving (and Unforgiving) Debts - Now & Then - Air Date 9-6-22 Heather and Joanne discuss the history of debtors’ prisons in early America, the rise of bankruptcy laws after the Civil War, and the Cold War origins of federal student loans. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: Forgiving (and Unforgiving) Debts Part 2 - Now & Then - Air Date 9-6-22 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on morality and money MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: A dark gray, 3D image of the word "DEBT" sits in a white void, a connected chain and open shackle with an open padlock lie in front of it. Credit: "3D Shackled Debt" by Chris Potter, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Enlarged with more white background
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: 1513_Cancel_Student_Debt_Air_Date_9-14-22_General_-_9-14-22_21.52.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:35pm EDT |
Fri, 9 September 2022
Air Date 9/9/2022 Today, we take a look at platforms, goods, and business models in the modern landscape of the digital marketplace. We start by questioning the morality of engaging in given platforms that cause harm - cryptocurrencies' role in crime and Facebook's role in destabilizing society, for instance - and then examine virtual products and virtual talents, the movement demanding the right to repair, and the coming world of digital art produced by artificial intelligence. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/Libro SUPPORT INDIE BOOKSHOPS, GET YOUR AUDIOBOOK FROM LIBRO! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Digital Life Is a Moral Mess - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 8-22-22 Then, Shirin Ghaffary, senior reporter at Recode and co-host of the podcast Land of The Giants, shares the story of Facebook, and why it has been so hard of them to respond to the damage their technology has created. "AI rapper" FN Meka isn't human - he's a digital creation of a company. But that didn't stop him from getting a record deal! He briefly became the first digital rapper to sign a deal with a major recording company. Ch. 3: The Right to Repair with Aaron Perzanowski - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 5-10-22 Do we really own the devices we buy? ‘The Right to Repair’ author Aaron Perzanowki joins Adam to explain how companies are using their power to control the products we buy from them, even after they’ve left the store, and prevent us from repairing them. Ch. 4: The Streaming TV Bloodbath - What Next - Air Date 8-28-22 Shows are disappearing. Staff are getting axed. Is It greed, or necessary for the networks' survival? Ch. 5: CAN THEY DO THAT? | PlayStation to Remove "Owned" Movies - Hoeg Law - Air Date 7-7-22 Buying digital content has never been easier. Between Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo and more, your favorite game, song, or movie is just a click (and charge) away. Ch. 6: Rethinking ownership in the digital age | Siân Lindley - TEDxEastEnd - Air Date 2-20-15 When George Orwell wrote 1984, there was nothing simpler than the idea of owning a paperback book. The more the digital world he foreshadowed becomes real, the more complex the idea of ownership becomes. Do you own your digital books? Your photographs? MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: The AI that creates any picture you want, explained - Vox - Air Date 6-1-22 How programmers turned the internet into a paintbrush. DALL-E 2, Midjourney, Imagen, explained. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on how the world was lost and the Dream Machine 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: 1512_Digital_Ownership_Air_Date_9-9-22_General_-_9-9-22_19.04.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:54pm EDT |
Tue, 6 September 2022
Air Date 9/6/2022 Today, we take a look at the precarious state of our immigration and asylum system, the legacy of neoliberalism and imperialism in South and Central America, the inhumanity practiced by both of our political parties (though not equally), and the ever-present possibility that things could get worse. 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 and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES We speak to attorney and activist Efrén Olivares with the Southern Poverty Law Center's Immigrant Justice Project about the impact of this policy, as well as ongoing efforts to reunite families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border Ch. 2: The Lasting Impacts of Family Separation - The Takeaway - Air Date 8-18-22 Caitlin Dickerson whose latest investigative piece “The Secret History of Family Separation,” chronicles the full scope of the policy, its legacy, and how similar, future iterations may be adopted. “What we’re seeing happening right now is Governor Abbott using asylum seekers as political pawns to merely help increase his polling numbers down in Texas,” says Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition Ch. 4: Capital's migration policy: Daniel Melo Part 1 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 2-28-22 Immigration lawyer Daniel Melo on his article "The Capitalist Imperative Driving Cruel and Bipartisan US Migration Policies" for Black Agenda Report. Azadeh Shahshahani is legal and advocacy director at Project South. She joins us to raise some questions about the US government’s claim that this time, they’re really bringing stability and security to northern Central America. Ch. 6: The Democrats Long War on Immigrants - Intercepted - Air Date 2-17-21 The activist and writer Harsha Walia joins Intercepted to discuss the Democratic Party’s fundamental role in shaping the long arc of U.S. border policy Ch. 7: Capital's migration policy: Daniel Melo Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 2-28-22 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: The Democrats Long War on Immigrants Part 2 - Intercepted - Air Date 2-17-21 The activist and writer Harsha Walia joins Intercepted to discuss the Democratic Party’s fundamental role in shaping the long arc of U.S. border policy FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the amorality of economics MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: A sign with a red background and white lettering is taped to a piece of cardboard and lies on the concrete ground; it reads “Seeking Asylum is a Human Right”. Credit: “Advocates disrupt transfer of asylum seekers from Villawood” by Kate Ausburn, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | 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: 1511_Immigration_Air_Date_9-6-22_General_-_9-6-22_19.37.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:06pm EDT |
Sun, 4 September 2022
Original Air Date 8/21/2021 Today we take a look at the history of bipartisanship and appeasement in the US dating back to before the Civil War and tracking it all the way up to the current negotiations over the infrastructure bill. 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) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Unnatural Endurance of Bipartisanship Part 1 - The Politics of Everything - Air Date 3-4-21 Joe Biden ran for president promising to “revive” the spirit of bipartisanship, put an end to factional battles, and bring Americans together after an era of painful division. Biden often speaks about bipartisanship as a cherished value that he would restore to Washington, but Ocasio-Cortez is dubious. Ch. 3: The Unnatural Endurance of Bipartisanship Part 2 - The Politics of Everything - Air Date 3-4-21 Ch. 4: Exhaustion of Bipartisanship - In The Thick - Air Date 6-25-21 Maria and Julio discuss remarks from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the 38th annual NALEO Conference, and they get into the vice president’s visit to El Paso and the US-Mexico border. Sam and Emma host Ari Rabin-Havt, the former Legislative Director and Chief Policy Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, to discuss the prospects of the Senate bipartisan infrastructure bill. Ch. 6: Manchin Capitol Riots Made Me MORE Bipartisan - The Young Turks - Air Date 4-9-21 In a recent interview, Senator Joe Manchin claimed that the Capitol Riots changed him, and made him double down on bipartisanship. Ch. 7: Why Appeasement Won't Work This Time Around - On the Media - Air Date 1-8-21 White southerners called it “redemption.” To Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, founder and executive director of the African American Policy Forum, it was a catastrophe of appeasement and an object lesson in the politics of reconciliation. Ch. 8: Keri Leigh Merritt on the New Lost Cause - CounterSpin - Air Date 1-15-21 Historians are shaking their heads as media talk about January 6 as "unprecedented"; while shocking and dispiriting, it has layers and layers of precedent that need to be learned and engaged, if we are ever to actually have a racial reckoning. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational - Vox Conversations - Air Date 1-21-19 For most of American history, American politics has been under one-party rule. For decades, that party was the Republican Party. Then, for decades more, it was the Democratic Party. Ch. 10: What a More Responsible Republican Party Would Look Like - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 3-2-21 This is the modern G.O.P.: a post-policy party obsessed with symbolic fights and curiously uninterested in the actual work of governing. But does it have to be that way? FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the merits of taking liars at face value 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: 1436_The_Long_Legacy_of_Making_Deals_with_the_Devil_Bipartisanship_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:14am EDT |
Wed, 31 August 2022
Air Date 8/31/2022 Today, as we wait to see if Trump will ever be indicted for any of his many, many, many crimes, we take a look at the long and illustrious history of powerful people avoiding prosecution in the United States. 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 and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES HuffPost reporter and fellow Seattleite Michael Hobbes join Zach in the studio for a deep dive into his most recent article about white-collar crime. Eight years after the deadly Flint water crisis began, the state’s Supreme Court has thrown out charges against former Governor Rick Snyder and eight other former officials for their complicity in the public health emergency. Ch. 3: Obama Requests Immunity for War Criminal George W. Bush - The Majority Report - Air Date 8-22-13 Obama's DOJ has requested that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Paul Wolfowitz be granted immunity in a case that is alleging that they violated international law with the Iraq War... Ch. 4: Obama on Investigating Bush Crimes: "Need to Look Forward" - This Week - Air Date 1-11-09 Barack Obama on This Week, January 11, 2009 In 1992, when Bush Sr. was president, he pardoned several Iran-Contra defendants, including Caspar Weinberger, Robert McFarlane, and Elliott Abrams. We speak with Greg Grandin. Ch. 6: Pardon Me - Reveal - Air Date 7-6-19 We tell the untold story of a pardon system that is completely broken and a pardon attorney’s office that is being ignored by the White House. Ch. 7: Bryan Stevenson on the racial terrorism of lynching - Cape Up - Air Date 4-24-18 Bryan Stevenson wants us to confront our country’s racial terrorism and then say, ‘Never again’ Ch. 8: Justice Department Weighs Whether Or Not To Prosecute Trump - MSNBC - Air Date 8-29-22 New York Times Justice Department Reporter Katie Benner and former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman discuss how the inquiry into Trump’s handling of classified documents poses an unparalleled test for DOJ MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Archives specialist John Deeben provides a brief legislative history of amnesty activity during and after the Civil War. Ch. 10: The power of presidential pardons - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 12-25-20 Pardons are among the most powerful tools a president has. While pardons can be politically motivated, drawing criticism, they can also change lives. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the nature of pardons, accountability and hurt feelings MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: The word “Accountability” is in all caps in white, cracked marblized text above a long rectangle of a computer “loading” bar. The white lines in the loading bar are being drawn in by a hand holding a marker and only fill the bar half-way. Two caution symbols fill in the rest of the bar. Credit: “Handwriting Text Accountability Loading. Concept meaning Forecasting the future event” by Jernej Furman, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Enlarged, addition of yellow and black caution symbols and “sleeve” to the arm of the hand.
Direct download: 1510_Accountability_Air_Date_8-31-22_General_-_8-31-22_21.45.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:57pm EDT |
Sat, 27 August 2022
Air Date 8/27/2022 Today, we take a look at the tensions between China and Taiwan, the tensions between China and the U.S. vis-a-vis Taiwan, the tensions between Russia, Europe and the U.S. vis-a-vis China and Taiwan and the tension between these small-minded struggles for global power and the dangers posed to the human race by nuclear weapons. 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 and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Why China and the US are at odds over Taiwan Start Here - Al Jazeera - Air Date 11-8-21 Taiwan is caught in the middle of a tug-of-war between China and the US. What’s it all about? And where could it end up? #AJStartHere with Sandra Gathmann explains. Ch. 2: Pelosi in Taiwan - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-2-22 China didn’t want Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan. Neither did the White House. Politico’s Alex Ward explains why she went anyway. The Quincy Institute's Michael Swaine and Taiwanese American journalist Brian Hioe join to discuss Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and the growing tensions between China and the US. Ch. 4: Pelosi in Taiwan Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-2-22 China didn’t want Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan. Neither did the White House. Politico’s Alex Ward explains why she went anyway. Ch. 5: George Beebe of the Quincy Institute on the Russia-Ukraine war - The BradCast - Air Date 8-2-22 George Beebe on the impact of the tensions between the U.S. and China on Russia and the war in Ukraine. Ch. 6: Fallout From Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan Visit - The Majority Report - Air Date 8-4-22 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi reacts to the aftermath of her visit to Taiwan, saying a big fuss was made. The Majority Report crew discusses how the United States is escalating conflict with China. The Quincy Institute's Michael Swaine and Taiwanese American journalist Brian Hioe join to discuss Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and the growing tensions between China and the US. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Hong Kong's Rewritten Histories - On the Media - Air Date 7-6-22 This fall, students in Hong Kong will learn a new version of history — one that erases the fact the region was ever a British colony. Guest Louisa Lim, author of the new book Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong, The U.N. warned this week that humanity is "one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation" as tensions escalate globally. We speak with Ira Helfand and Zia Mian. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments 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: 1509_Taiwan_Air_Date_8-26-22_General_-_8-27-22_10.46.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:20am EDT |
Wed, 24 August 2022
Become a member to hear the full show and support our work! Original Air Date: 7-8-22 We discuss: VoicedMails: Passion is exploited by capital - Heather References: George Carlin's American Dream - HBO BecomLeave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by:
Direct download: Bonus_Show_253_Sample_-_8-24-22_14.03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:28am EDT |
Sat, 20 August 2022
Air Date 8/20/2022 Today, we take a look at the history of NATO and its role in the world after the fall of the Soviet Union which has come back into focus due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, sparking previously neutral countries to request NATO membership, all while an eye to a future causes speculation on how NATO should respond to the growing geopolitical influence of China. You got all that? 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 and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Nato and China: A new rivalry? Part 1 - The Real Story - Air Date 10-22-21 This week in an interview with a British newspaper the Secretary General of Nato repeated his desire to widen its mandate to include China. His comments coincide with reports that Beijing has tested a hypersonic missile. Ch. 2: The History of NATO Expansion w/ Joshua Shifrinson - American Prestige - Air Date 3-18-22 Danny and Derek speak with Joshua R. Itzkowitz Shifrinson, associate professor of international relations at Boston University, about the history of NATO expansion from 1989 until 2008. Finland's president and prime minister say they plan to end decades of neutrality and join NATO. Sweden is also expected to seek NATO membership. The Kremlin says Russia sees the expansion of NATO on its borders as a threat. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine heading towards its fifth month, Europe correspondent Ido Vock speaks to the former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The United States announced at a NATO summit in Madrid plans to build a permanent military base in Poland, as it formally invited Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance after they applied for membership. Ch. 6: NATO and China: A new rivalry? Part 2 - The Real Story - Air Date 10-22-21 This week in an interview with a British newspaper the Secretary General of Nato repeated his desire to widen its mandate to include China. His comments coincide with reports that Beijing has tested a hypersonic missile. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Why is China supporting Russia on NATO? - The Real Story - Air Date 2-18-22 This month President Putin of Russia was the star guest at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. But his trip to China was not just about showing support for the host country. Ch. 8: Finland and Sweden have entered the chat - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-23-22 Their admission to NATO would further isolate Russia, leaving it the only Arctic country outside the alliance. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the systemic reasons that NATO still exists and how we should replace it 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: 1508_NATO_Air_Date_8-20-22_General_-_8-19-22_19.32.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:33pm EDT |
Tue, 16 August 2022
Air Date 8/16/2022 Today, we take a look at the strategies underway to systematically dismantle democracy in the United States including installing Big-Lie™ believers in elected and poll-working positions, preventing state-level Supreme Courts from holding GOP-dominated state legislators to the state constitutions, and wiping out tens of thousands of career civil servants from the federal government to be replaced by right-wing extremists. Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Republicans Caught Planning MASSIVE Voter Fraud - David Pakman Show - Air Date 6-2-22 A mindblowing new report from Politico Now, reporting by POLITICO details GOP efforts on the local level to challenge and potentially overturn elections. Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine and the author of "Cheap Speech" joins William Brangham to discuss. Trump’s top allies are prepping a plan to purge the federal government. They want to remove thousands of key decision-makers and replace them with MAGA loyalists, all through an Executive Order called "Schedule F." Many of the possible 2024 Republican contenders have told Axios that they support the plan being put together by Trump's allies to purge career government workers and replace them with their own loyalists. Ch. 5: Fake Electors, Real Crimes and Much More - The Bradcast - Air Date 7-26-22 Explaining the plan to elect 2020 election deniers into positions of power to influence the 2024 election. Across the country, dark money is pouring into Secretary of State races to promote election-denying candidates. Carolyn Shapiro says a ruling in favor of North Carolina Republicans would be "extremely problematic from the perspective of democracy." Ch. 8: The Supreme Court Case That Could Upend U.S. Elections - All In w/ Chris Hayes - Air Date 7-5-22 "I always counsel against assuming that any one court decision is going to dramatically change the landscape. But this case is different," says Marc Elias on the Supreme Court taking up a case on state legislatures' authority over elections. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Fake Electors, Real Crimes and Much More Part 2 - The Bradcast - Air Date 7-26-22 Previously undisclosed emails between top associates and aides of Donald Trump expose how they coordinated their plot to present 'fake' electors in seven states to steal the 2020 election. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Power is the ability to act - Pat from Chicago FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on building movement power Become a Poll/Election Worker: How to Be A Poll Worker Where you Live (US Election Assistance Commission) WorkElections.org (Fair Elections Center) Defeat MAGA Secretaries of State in Midterms: Help People Get Voter IDs: MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A voter crouches by a folding table, his head is obscured by the white voter privacy box decorated with an American flag on each side. Other tables and privacy boxes can be seen in the large building foyer. Glass entrance doors can be seen in the distance. Credit: “Election Day 2020” by Phil Roeder, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Direct download: 1507_Loyalists_Air_Date_8-16-22_General_-_8-16-22_18.57.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:51pm EDT |
Sat, 13 August 2022
Original Air Date 8/10/2021 Today we take a look at the mechanisms by which the legacy of White Supremacy is harmful to the health and wellbeing of individuals and society as a whole. 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) SHOW NOTES This week, author Heather McGhee breaks down the driving force of American economic exclusion via the swimming pool. Baratunde asks Heather about all she has learned traveling across the country to write her book, The Sum of Us. Ch. 2: The Role 'Nice White Parents' Play in School Segregation - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-9-20 Chana Joffe-Walt, producer for This American Life and host of the new podcast Nice White Parents, and Dr. Rachel Lissy, senior Program Officer at Ramapo for Children, talk about investigating the relationship between white parents and segregation Ch. 3: The NFL's Race-Norming Problem Is All Over Medicine - What Next - Air Date 6-7-21 The NFL recently announced it would stop using “race norming” when assessing who would receive a share of their recent $1 billing settlement for former players. The practice assumes Black players started with lower cognitive function. Researchers say facial recognition software is up to 100 times more likely to misidentify people of color than white people. This week, Boston voted to end its use in the city. Ch. 5: People Like Us, Education - Hidden Brain - Air Date 6-3-19 Generations of Americans have struggled against segregation. Most of us believe in the ideal of a colorblind society. But what happens when that ideal come up against research that finds colorblindness sometimes leads to worse outcomes? MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 6: Can We Finally End School Segregation? - The New Yorker Radio Hour - Air Date 5-21-21 By many accounts, American schools are as segregated today as they were in the nineteen-sixties, in the years after Brown v. Board of Education. WNYC’s podcast “The United States of Anxiety” chronicled the efforts of one small school district. VOICEMAILS Ch. 7: Patriotism and the culture wars - Dave from Olympia, WA FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on the nature of airing dirty laundry MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Color photograph of a corner of an old public pool that has been filled in. Where there was once water is now green grass. The railing of a metal ladder is still intact, but a weed grows around its base. Blue square tiles still edge the concrete corner. Photo Credit: "The Memorial Pool in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, MD, by artist Joyce J. Scott" by Graham Coreil-Allen (Pool/Park History) | License | Changes: Slightly 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: 1433_Structural_Racism_Air_Date_8-9-21_Members_-_8-9-21_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:03pm EDT |
Wed, 10 August 2022
Air Date 8/10/2022 Today, we take a look at the origins of the European colonial land-grab, the need for the #Landback movement, and the benefits to society and the environment in the context of the climate crisis to return stewardship of the land to native peoples. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: Check out BOMBAS.COM/BEST for 20% off! Internet Privacy with ExpressVPN! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Why It’s Time To Give Native Americans Their Land Back - AJ+ - Air Date 10-9-20 For some reason, Oct. 12th is still Columbus Day in a lot of the United States. Fortunately, more and more cities and states are adopting that day as Indigenous Peoples Day Ch. 2: Canada, it's time for Land Back - The Breach - Air Date 6-2-21 Since its inception, Canada has been stealing Indigenous lands — by the barrel of a gun, by starvation tactics & by tearing children from their families. Ch. 3: Mark Charles: An Indigenous Liberation Theology - A People's Theology - Air Date 7-7-21 Mason chats with Mark Charles about his book, Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery. We chat all about the Doctrine of Discovery, Mark's theology of land and water, and much more. Ch. 4: Can Indigenous People Lead the Fight Against Climate Change? - Above the Noise - Air Date 4-20-22 Indigenous communities across the globe are experts at managing and protecting land. Is it time the U.S. finally returned STOLEN parklands back to them? Ch. 5: LandBack: The Indigenous Liberation Movement - Andrewism - Air Date 1-6-21 LandBack isn’t about deporting white people. It’s a path to a better future. Native American representation in film and TV used to be confined to Westerns and storylines of defeat. Today, a new wave of Native American comedies, written and created by Native peoples, are taking back their narratives. Bonus: Landback cold open - Reservation Dogs S1 E3 Uncle Brownie - Air Date 8-16-21 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Meet the native Hawaiians fighting U.S. occupation - AJ+ - Air Date 3-3-17 In 1893, armed U.S. naval forces helped American sugar plantation owners illegally overthrow Hawaii’s constitutional monarchy. 100 years later, the U.S. apologized and admitted in a resolution that Native Hawaiians had never relinquished their sovereignty From 1877 to 1934, under a range of laws and reneged-upon treaties, the U.S. government appropriated tens of millions of acres of Native American land. In recent years there has been a growing movement known as “land back” to reclaim their lands. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Definition of power and organizing - Pat from Chicago FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on why the left doesn't fight hard enough for political power TAKE ACTION / EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Yellowhead Institute (@Yellowhead_): "Land Back - A Yellowhead Institute Red Paper" (Includes tools and resources. Canadian-based, but broadly applicable.) NDN Collective (@ndncollective): LandBack.org (U.S.-based) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A red "Land Back" flag waves outside the front of a courthouse. An American flag flies above it against a blue sky at the top of the courthouse. Credit: "A Land Back flag flies under the US Flag outside Aitkin County Courthouse in Aitkin, Minnesota" by Lorie Shaull | License CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, increased contrast, decreased brightness
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1506_Landback_Air_Date_8-10-22_General_-_8-10-22_14.52.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:21am EDT |
Fri, 5 August 2022
Air Date 8/5/2022 Today, we take a look at the politics of energy and climate in a world addicted to fossil fuels but full of people striving to push us past the tipping point toward a clean energy future 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 and Bonus Content) Internet Privacy with ExpressVPN! Get your audiobooks from Libro! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Biden Fist Bumps A Pariah - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 7-19-22 Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss the hypocrisy of President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia, and how the Saudis are trying to buy their legitimacy through sports. This episode features a live conversation co-hosted by Evergreen Action, featuring Senator Ed Markey, Representative Pramila Jayapal, and Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Jr. We speak with Jean Su, energy justice director and senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, who co-wrote a report detailing how the president can use emergency powers to address the climate crisis. Ch. 4: Did Joe Manchin just save the planet? - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-3-22 Probably not, but he did finally compromise on the Inflation Reduction Act (née Build Back Better), which could be the most significant climate spending bill in US history. Vox’s Li Zhou and Rebecca Leber explain. There’s a way to tell the story that connects to policy and planning, but that centers human beings. We talked about that during last year’s heat wave with Portland State University professor Vivek Shandas. Ch. 7: What If The Fed Bought Out The Oil Industry - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 7-18-22 Progressive economist, Robert Pollin, gives us his take on the causes and remedies of the current inflationary spiral, and what both the Fed and the Biden Administration can do about it. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Dirty World - Gaslit Nation with Andrea Chalupa and Sarah Kendzior - Air Date 7-19-22 This week we take on shady internal affairs (the enormous number of people in the Trump crime cult circle who died violent or mysterious deaths) and burning external affairs (the horrors of climate change and Joe Manchin’s role in destroying the planet). Progressives care about climate change and we care about the environment. So it is great to know that with Democratic leadership action is being taken to move us forward in the effort to protect ourselves from the consequences of global warming. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Response to neurodivergence episode - Bill from St. Petersburg, FL Ch. 11: Neurodiversity - Larry FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the range of normal MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Among a crowd of protestors, a man holds up a sign that reads “DECLARE CLIMATE EMERGENCY” in hand-painted black letters on a red background. Credit: “United Climate Rally - Melbourne” by Matt Hrkac, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0) | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness, contrast and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1505_Climate_bill_Air_Date_8-5-22_General_-_8-5-22_19.05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:17pm EDT |
Tue, 2 August 2022
Air Date 8/2/2022 Today, we take a look at what neurodiversity is and why it should be seen as a strength and benefit to society when accommodated properly rather than a problem to be solved or, worse, ignored. 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 and Bonus Content) OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: What Exactly is Neurodiversity? - How to ADHD - Air Date 1-18-22 The neurodiversity movement has been around for some time, but what exactly is it? In this video, we talk about what the neurodiversity movement is and how it's linked to the autistic community. In this talk, Adriana discusses the idea of neurodiversity. Many people are labeled incorrectly because their brains are wired differently. Adriana offers awareness and an alternative way to see people as unique and valuable. Ch. 3: Giftedness is Not Achievement with Aurora Remember Holtzman - ADHD Essentials - Air Date 12-11-21 Today, we’re talking to Aurora Remember Holtzman. Aurora is a school psychologist, neurodivergence coach, and host of the Embracing Intensity podcast. And her focus is giftedness and twice exceptionality. Ch. 4: Creating a Neurodiversity-Affirming World - Neurodiversity Podcast - Air Date 8-10-21 Emily Kircher-Morris and Joel Schwartz talk about what it would take to create a neurodiversity-affirming world where old stereotypes and perceptions are shed. Ch. 5: Elaine Halligan: Neurodiversity is a superpower, not a problem - TEDx Talks - Air Date 11-25-19 We have to break the stigma around mental health and children. Most of the times the signals are quite subtle and can be often overlooked by parents, so many children may be suffering behind closed doors. Ch. 6: The Utility (or Futility) of Labels - The Neurodiversity Podcast - Air Date 7-7-22 The reality of working within a system in flux. The meaning or usefulness of the term “gifted.” The utility (or futility) of labels. The confusion of overlapping diagnoses. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Neurodivergence and Queerness with Leela Sinha - Embracing Intensity - Air Date 5-23-22 Today’s episode is a recording of our talk with Leela Sinha on the intersection of neurodivergence and gender. This is definitely not an “inside-the-box” topic. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the hyper-focus ability of ADHD MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: The neurodiversity awareness symbol - an infinity symbol (a horizontal elongated number 8) in a rainbow of overlapping colors - is against a white background. Image Credit: “Neurodiversity Symbol” by MissLunaRose12, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC by-SA 4.0 | Changes: White background added
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: 1504_Neurodivergency_Air_Date_8-2-22_General_-_8-2-22_20.24.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:41pm EDT |
Sat, 30 July 2022
Original 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) 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
Direct download: 1422_CRT_Protest_Voting_Air_Date_6-9-21_Members_-_6-9-21_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:03am EDT |
Tue, 26 July 2022
Air Date 7/26/2022 Today, we take a look at recent Supreme Court rulings aside from overturning abortion rights and how all signals are that they are going full steam ahead on a conservative authoritarian deconstruction of the past 100 years of progress 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 and Bonus Content) Get your audiobooks from Libro! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: A Supreme Court Term Like No Other - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 7-9-22 Dahlia Lithwick hosts Amicus’ annual term-ending breakfast table conversation, featuring Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern, Professor Katherine Franke and Professor Nikolas Bowie. They dig into the biggest decisions of the term The U.S. Supreme Court announced Thursday it will hear oral arguments in a case experts warn could be one of the greatest threats to U.S. democracy since the deadly January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. In October, the court will hear Moore v. Harper. Ch. 3: Just how bad is the Supreme Court's EPA decision - Strict Scrutiny - Air Date 6-30-22 Kate and Leah break down the "free-wheeling, free association analysis" of the Supreme Court's opinion in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. Basically, it's bad! And not just because of the impending climate apocalypse! Ch. 4: The Supreme Court Needs an Upgrade - What Next - Air Date 7-6-22 The Supreme Court treated its most recent term like the opening salvo in a conservative revolution, approving prayer in schools, establishing a constitutional right to conceal and carry a firearm, and eliminating the constitutional right to abortion. Ch. 5: The Outrage Continues - In The Thick - Air Date 7-19-22 Julio is joined by Errin Haines, editor at large for The 19th, and Elie Mystal, justice correspondent and columnist for The Nation. They discuss the Supreme Court and the impact of their decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Writer Mark Joseph Stern joins the MR crew to talk about the recent SCOTUS opinions and rulings on Carson v Makin and Kennedy v Bremerton which continue to blur the lines between church and state. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the political philosophy that increases suffering Bonus clip: Because of Texas abortion law, her wanted pregnancy became a medical nightmare - NPR - Air Date 7-26-22 New, untested abortion bans have made doctors unsure about treating some pregnancy complications, which has led to life-threatening delays and trapped families in a limbo of grief and helplessness. 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: 1503_Extreme_SCOTUS_Air_Date_7-26-22_General_-_7-26-22_18.31.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:20pm EDT |
Fri, 22 July 2022
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Sign up through wren.co/best to make a difference in the climate crisis, and Wren will plant 10 extra trees in your name! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Global Food Prices Are at A Record High - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-22-22 We speak with Ukrainian-American Anna Nagurney, Chair in Integrative Studies at the Isenberg School of Management at The University of Massachusetts - Amherst about the latest on Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian food exports. Ch. 2: Why War in Ukraine is Causing Apocalyptic Famine - RealLifeLore - Air Date 6-30-22 Explaining why the geopolitical destabilization of the war in Ukraine may be part of Russia's plan and what actions the world can take to reduce the famine Joining us from Mogadishu, Somalia, Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, says poorer countries in Africa aren't able to financially compete with richer countries to afford basic staples like wheat. Ch. 4: For Bread: On capitalism's global food crisis - Prolekult - Air Date 7-2-22 An overview of the fundamental factors driving the global food crisis. The piece looks at the way fertilizer has shaped agriculture, the composition of agricultural capital, and the environmental crisis' impact on agriculture globally. We speak with food systems experts Sofía Monsalve Suárez and Rachel Bezner Kerr about how to prevent a looming global food shortage. Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli lays out what it would take to build a more equitable, sustainable food system that nourishes all people and asks us to widen our perspectives before eating our next meal. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Are Food Shortages Coming to the United States? - David Pakman Show - Air Date 4-20-22 Are food shortages really coming to the United States, as some are claiming? Ch. 8: Why War in Ukraine is Causing Apocalyptic Famine Part 2 - RealLifeLore - Air Date 6-30-22 Explaining the slow-moving famine already underway before the start of the war in Ukraine VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Requesting a Culture Wars episode - Phil from California FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on our coverage of the culture wars Referenced: #1479 Torturing Children and Families in the Name of Protecting Them (Trans Rights) #1470 Distorting History and Banning Books is a Power Play of Exclusion #1453 The Tea Party Too (School Board Backlash and the Dark Money Behind It) #1501 Navigating Post-Roe America #1374 Tell Stories, Not Myths - Columbus and the Centrality of Colonialism #1431 Stealing Native Children and Their Future #1492 The Great Replacements (Conspiracy vs Reality) MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photograph of a cluster of golden wheat grains on a white surface. A small, colorful figurine of a globe rests on top of the grains. Credit: "Globe and wheat. Global wheat shortage." by Jernej Furman, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Slightly 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: 1502_Famine_Air_Date_7-22-22_General_-_7-22-22_19.26.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:56pm EDT |
Sun, 17 July 2022
Original Air Date 4/16/2020 Today, Amanda and I discuss a few of the aspects of life during a pandemic that's causing mental fog and affecting our work. 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: We all make mistakes but we’re making a lot more of them right now Ch. 2: The Burnout Generation Ch. 3: Survival Mode Ch. 4: Hidden Mental Health Toll of Coronavirus with Alisa Kriegel - WhoWhatWhy - Air Date 3-22-20 The COVID-19 pandemic is going to have a huge toll on mental health, what can we do to mitigate the damage? Ch. 5: Soft Launch of my secret project Ch. 6: Showing the ShowSharer™ 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: Bonus_Show_203_-_4-16-20_Repost_2022.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:25am EDT |
Wed, 13 July 2022
Air Date 7/13/2022 Today, we take a look at how the Supreme Court stripped abortion rights for half the country, what life will look like for those seeking abortions and what we can do both personally and politically to fight back. 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 and Bonus Content) Nominate us for the Podcast Awards by July 31st! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Aimee Arrambide of Avow Texas with Abortion Resources - Burn It All Down - Air Date 6-29-22 Jessica Luther talks with Aimee Arrambide who provides information and abortion resources related to the overturning of Roe V. Wade. Computer scientist and social media expert Dr. Jen Golbeck has been running a popular TikTok series educating people on how to be more secure while navigating abortion online. Ch. 3: The Day 'Roe' Died - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-24-22 For the first time in this country's history, an unelected majority of Supreme Court justices have taken away a fundamental constitutional right. Ch. 4: When Pregnancy becomes Crime - This Is Hell! - Air Date 7-5-22 Writer and philosophy scholar at Cornell University, Kate Manne talks about her Substack article "Criminalizing Pregnant People: A Brief Retrospective." We speak with two leading legal scholars. Kathryn "Kitty" Kolbert is co-founder of the Center for Reproductive Rights Ch. 6: Just Doing The Job They Were Put On The Court To Do - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 6-25-22 Roe v Wade has been swept away and Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lays out the case for what Democrats need to do in response to the Dobbs decision MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: How The Supreme Court Killed Roe v. Wade - LegalEagle - Air Date 6-29-22 This is a sea change at the Supreme Court FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the importance of state judicial elections TAKE ACTION! Start Paying Attention to State Judicial Elections: Ballotpedia: ALL State Judicial Elections 2022 (scroll down for state links & maps) Quick Links: Texas (18 appellate | 6 supreme); Florida (28 appellate | 5 supreme); Ohio (28 appellate | 3 supreme); Lousiana (22 appellate | 1 supreme); Tennesee (24 appellate | 5 supreme) ...and more. Your State-by-State Guide to the 2022 Supreme Court Elections (via Bolts Magazine) Share BOTL's Twitter Thread on this Subject EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE State Judge Elections Are About to Become Decisive for Abortion Rights (via Slate - July 6, 2022) We Need to Reclaim State Courts From Big Money and Hateful Agendas (via TRUTHOUT - May 2019) The Politics of Judicial Elections, 2019–20 (via Brennan Center - Jan. 25, 2022) Gerrymandering or Creating New Courts (Dec 2021) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A black and white photo showing a large crowd of people protesting in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building on the day Roe v. Wade was overturned, amidst ominous dark clouds in the sky. Credit: "2022.06.24 Roe v Wade Overturned - SCOTUS, Washington, DC USA 175 143207" by Ted Eytan, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
Direct download: 1501_Post-Roe_Air_Date_7-13-22_General_-_7-13-22_12.16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:39am EDT |
Fri, 8 July 2022
Original Air Date: 6-6-22
References: Daycare late fees no deterrent, study finds Prosecutor: Driver In Hit-And-Run Death Left For Job Interview What Is Necropolitics? The Political Calculation of Life and Death When W. E. B. Du Bois Was Un-American
Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: |
Mon, 4 July 2022
Air Date 7/4/2022 Today, for this milestone episode, I attempted to squeeze in as many clever and interesting ideas as I could and ended up writing a starter guide to understand the United States. Plus, there are jingles! 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 and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Political Structures of Our Country Tracking the political eras that proceeded our current situation and looking at what may come next. Jingle 1: Strawman Ch. 2: Progressives and Progress Looking at a progressive perspective of the last 20 years and the process of progress itself Jingle 2: Defer to Authority Ch. 3: Understanding Race, Gender, Privilege and Power Understanding why our understanding of the world is often insufficiently complicated Jingle 3: Just Asking Questions Ch. 4: Progressives in Politics Tracing the fissures on the political left from Bush to Biden Jingle 4: Manipulating Data Ch. 5: Republican Transformation Tracing conservatism from mid-century Republicans to 21st-century insurrectionists Jingle 5: Appeal to Emotion Ch. 6: Foreign/Power Looking at various forms of power and how they play out on the international stage Jingle 6: Passive Voice Ch. 7: The Progress Trap The progress traps of new technology and why we're not defending against them Jingle 7: Clickbait Ch. 8: Structural Thinking and the Alternative What happens when an individualist thinker is faced with problems that only structural thinking can handle? Jingle 8: Conspiracy Theories FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Conclusion MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Jingles: Concept and Some Lyrics by Jay Tomlinson, Music and Most Lyrics by Jonathan Mann
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: 1500_Everything_Air_Date_7-4-22_General_-_7-4-22_22.10.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:46pm EDT |
Sat, 2 July 2022
Original 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) 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! 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
Direct download: 1424_Fighting_with_at_least_two_hands_tied_Conservative_Democrats_Manchin_and_Sinema_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:52pm EDT |
Tue, 28 June 2022
Original Air Date 7/5/2019 Today we take an unflinching look at Mitch McConnell and what a bad, bad man he is for basically all of the reasons. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content: Become a member! Get your audiobooks from Libro! 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 Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!
Direct download: 1287_Mitch_McConnel_Air_Date_7-5-19_Ad_Free_-_7-4-19_21.28_Repost2022.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:37pm EDT |
Sat, 25 June 2022
Air Date 6/25/2022 Today we take a look at some of the takeaways from the hearings investigating the January 6th insurrection. Most notably: they knew, they knew, they knew, they knew from the very beginning that their fraud claims were nonsense and they pushed ahead anyway. 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 and Bonus Content) Get three months free of ExpressVPN! Switch and get your audiobooks from Libro! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Jan. 6 Insurrection Understanding The Big Picture Part 1 - Fresh Air - Air Date 6-9-22 New York Times Congressional reporter Luke Broadwater says the effort to overturn the 2020 election results was a "sprawling and diffuse" one that involved local governments as well as White House insiders. Ch. 2: January 6th Goes Primetime Part 1 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-10-22 Brad is joined by guest co-host Dr. Leah Payne. They begin by discussing the first primetime hearing of the J6 Select Committee. They then focus on Tucker Carlson's response to hearings. Ch. 3: Special coverage of House J6 Hearing, Day 3 Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-16-22 HEATHER DIGBY offers important insights into today's hearing Ch. 4: The Jan. 6 Insurrection Understanding The Big Picture Part 2 - Fresh Air - Air Date 6-9-22 Ch. 5: January 6th Goes Primetime Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-10-22 Ch. 6: Special coverage of House J6 Hearing, Day 3 Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-16-22 Investigative reporter Trevor Aaronson is joined by Margot Williams, research editor for The Intercept, and Michael Loadenthal, founder and executive director of the Prosecution Project. These retired Generals fought to defend Democracy abroad, now they are warning that America's Democracy needs to be defended from threats inside the country. Six Republican members of Congress who supported Donald Trump's lies sought broad presidential pardons for their involvement in the campaign to discredit the election results MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Republican Speaker of the Arizona House "Rusty" Bowers described how he was pushed by Trump, John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani to call the Arizona Legislature back into session to investigate claimed illegal votes. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on turning anger into election action TAKE ACTION: Become a Poll Worker Where you Live 2022 Midterms Lay of the Land: Remaining Midterm Primaries and Runoff Elections by Date (270toWin) 2022 Election Maps (270toWin) Find SwingLeft Races in a Target State Near You SwingLeft’s State-Level Target Races (*Scroll down*) The States Project’s Targeted States Volunteer: Virtual SwingLeft Volunteer Orientations - Next one is June 29th! All SwingLeft Events (Virtual and In-Person) Field Team 6 (Virtual and In-Person) VoteRiders: Help People Get Voter IDs Donate Strategically: SwingLeft - House, Senate & States Plan VoteRiders: Give to Help People Get Voter IDs Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
Direct download: 1499_Jan_6_Hearings_Air_Date_6-25-22_General_-_6-25-22_20.58.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:52pm EDT |
Wed, 22 June 2022
Air Date 6/22/2022 Today we take a look at the complicated evolution of Pride Month in an era of much greater LGBTQ acceptance and the simultaneous resurgence of anti-LGBTQ energy that, in many ways, mirrors the arguments of 40 years ago. 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 and Bonus Content) Get your audiobook from Libro! Check out The Politics of Everything podcast! SHOW NOTES Throughout the month of June, LGBTQ communities in the U.S. have been celebrating Pride in cities and states around the country. And corporate America has made itself a part of that, too, by increasingly tapping into Pride Month Ch. 2: Anti-trans legislation - It's Been a Minute - Air Date 4-29-22 Ari discusses how this wave of law-making differs from so-called "moral panics" of past decades — and why that matters — with historian Jules Gill-Peterson, of Johns Hopkins University. Ch. 3: Is Pride Too Commercialized? - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-15-22 Today, Pride Month gatherings are more likely to be described as parades than marches. And with rainbow flags adorning the storefronts of big corporations, it might be easy to think the struggle is over. Ch. 4: Disney vs. Itself vs. The Right - Recode Media - Air Date 4-13-22 Within the past few months, Disney CEO Bob Chapek managed to piss off his shareholders, the LGBT community, and right-wing conservatives. Today we talk about how he did it, why it happened, and what’s next. Ch. 5: Don't Rainbow-Wash On My Parade - What A Day - Air Date 6-2-22 June is Pride Month, the unfortunate time when many corporations claim they support LGBTQ+ people, but also support politicians who actively work against LGBTQ+ rights. It’s not a new phenomenon – even before June, for example, activists called out Disney Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law is part of a nationwide push by Republicans to score political points by attacking gay and transgender students. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Chris Southcote-Want: It’ll all come out in the rainbow wash - TEDx Talks - Air Date 11-18-21 The impact of rainbow washing and why creating inclusive and equitable cultures is the responsibility of us all. Ch. 8: State Farm Gives Up on LGBTQ Rights - Charlotte's Web Thoughts - Air Date 5-24-22 You may have been doom-scrolling yesterday and caught the latest hysteria of anti-LGBTQ extremists in the conservative movement. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the lessons we must relearn generation after generation MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1498_Pride_and_Prejudice_Air_Date_6-22-22_General_-_6-22-22_19.56.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00pm EDT |
Fri, 17 June 2022
Air Date 6/17/2022 Today we take a look at many intertwining realizations that are beginning to permeate society which include but are not limited to the dead-end mentality of infinite growth, the uselessness of growth past a certain point for wellbeing, and the deepening alienation being felt in response to consumerism in place of community. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Get your audiobooks from Libro! Enjoy online privacy and digital globetrotting with ExpressVPN! SHOW NOTES “Infinite growth on a finite planet is a recipe for catastrophe” Some economists have long argued that to really save ourselves from the climate crisis, we need a fundamental overhaul of the way our economies work. Ch. 3: Degrowth: liberation from growthism - The Taxcast - Air Date 9-23-21 Naomi Fowler explores degrowth and how we liberate ourselves from ‘growthism’ with economic anthropologist Jason Hickel. Standing Rock was just one in a long line of battles that Indigenous peoples have been fighting against the twin forces of colonialism and capitalism since first contact. Ch. 5: Eco-Socialist Degrowth? w/ Paul Murphy - Rupture Radio - Air Date 5-2-22 Capitalist growth is destroying our life support systems. We talked about why the notion of decoupling growth from intensive resource use is ultimately unconvincing. Tim Jackson joins David to discuss consumption, growth, macroeconomics, the modern economy, and more. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: How We End Consumerism - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 6-4-21 How we end consumerism, explained. We spoke with him about international capitalism during the pandemic and how to fundamentally move to a post-capitalist world We continue our quest by looking into post-growth. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the climate legislation currently in negotiations and how to win a Rivian EV TAKE ACTION! LAST CHANCE FOR BOLD CLIMATE LEGISLATION: Demand the Full $555 Billion in Climate Investments in the Budget Reconciliation Package and get it passed ASAP!
SUPPORT Grassroots Climate Action: Enter the CCAN fundraiser raffle and win a Rivian Electric Truck (or a Tesla up to a Plaid Model S)! Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: An illustration of a green Earth, with a small plant sprout growing out of it. Green arrows encircle the earth against a pale green abstract background. Credit: Nature-Earth-Sustainability | License
Direct download: 1497_Wellness_Economy_Air_Date_6-18-22_General_-_6-17-22_17.52.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:04pm EDT |
Wed, 15 June 2022
Air Date 6/15/2022 Today we take a look at the many reasons why we are experiencing a housing crisis in the US and beyond but it mostly comes down to treating housing as a commodity to be profited from rather than a basic human need or, if you're feeling radical, a basic human right. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Check out Bombas.com/Best! Support independent bookstores through Libro! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Housing Market - If You Don't Know, Now You Know - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-8-21 Why has it become so hard to buy a home in America? If you don’t know, now you know. Ch. 2: How Foreign Companies Are Raising Housing Prices - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-27-21 Should corporations be allowed to buy houses and raise the housing price in your neighborhood? Ch. 3: John and Ana React to Bonkers Housing Story - The Damage Report - Air Date 3-12-22 The housing market has reached frightening heights which has people looking elsewhere for home buying. Ch. 4: How Socialists Solved The Housing Crisis - The Gravel Institute - Air Date 1-29-21 Zohran Mamdani, New York State assemblyman, talks about how Austrian socialists in the 1920s and ‘30s pioneered an approach that offered better, cheaper, and safer homes for everyone. What happens when the housing bubble bursts? It is easy to see when it has happened but spotting a collapse ahead of time is difficult. Ch. 6: Eviction Rates Are Rising - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-13-22 Discussing the need for tenants to have a right to counsel in eviction proceedings Ch. 7: Why Dems Have Abandoned Public Housing - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-9-22 The Democratic Party has no plan to address the homeless crisis the United States is facing today. One way to fix it would be to provide public housing to people. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) George Clarke visits a council estate in Vienna and is shocked by what he finds. Ch. 9: Short-term rental housing is hurting Ouray residents - Rocky Mountain PBS - Air Date 7-19-21 Increasing housing prices, rent, construction costs, and short-term rental (STR) properties have created an environment that fewer and fewer people are able to thrive in. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on supporting affordable housing through the Build Back Better bill TAKE ACTION! Demand Targeted Affordable Housing Investments Stay in Any Reconciliation Package! - Call your Senators and Reps at 202-224-3121 and use the NLIHC Call Script (and email them) - Use NLIHC's Advocacy Toolkit to help spread the word - Read and share the NLIHC's Inflation Fact Sheet - Follow @NLIHC EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Resurrected budget package no slam dunk as negotiations heat up (June 6th via RollCall) Affordable housing in the US is increasingly scarce, making renters ask: Where do we go? (March 14th via The Conversation) Housing Investments in Build Back Better Would Address Pressing Unmet Needs (Feb. 10th via Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) A growing share of Americans say affordable housing is a major problem where they live (Jan. 18th via Pew Research Center) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: An illustration of a simple green house with a "$" symbol incorporated into it. The vertical line of the symbol is also the shape of the chimney and the front door. Small dollar signs flow out of the chimney, getting smaller as they go up.
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1496_Housing_Crisis_Air_Date_6-15-22_General_-_6-15-22_11.34.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:59am EDT |
Sat, 11 June 2022
Air Date 6/11/2022 Today we take a look at the reasons why Democrats lost rural America and why it's important to make gains outside urban centers through working-class coalitions and a focus on the policy failures of unchecked Republicanism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Get 3 Months free of ExpressVPN! Check out the American Prestige podcast! SHOW NOTES Democrats used to win elections in rural areas, but that seems like a distant memory now. This week, Zach is joined by Bill Hogseth, a political organizer from rural Wisconsin, to talk about the difference between making promises and delivering change Ch. 2: Can Democrats Win in Rural America? - Deconstructed - Air Date 6-4-22 Maine state Sen. Chloe Maxmin tackles one of the most pressing problems confronting the modern Democratic Party: how to reverse its decades-long backslide in rural support. Maxmin and her co-author and campaign manager Canyon Woodward join Ryan Grim Ch. 3: How Democrats Lost Rural America w/ Anthony Flaccavento Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-24-22 Anthony Flaccavento, Virginia-based farmer, author, and co-founder of the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative, joins the Jacobin Show to discuss rural America—and why the Democrats lose so consistently in rural elections. Ch. 4: Joe Shepherd of United Rural Democrats - The Rick Smith Show - Air Date 5-9-22 By working people. For working people. Welcome to The Rick Smith Show. Ch. 5: How Democrats Lost Rural America w/ Anthony Flaccavento Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-24-22 Anthony Flaccavento, Virginia-based farmer, author, and co-founder of the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative, joins the Jacobin Show to discuss rural America—and why the Democrats lose so consistently in rural elections. Former OHIO Democratic party chair David Pepper On Why We Need to Focus on State Capitols to Save Democracy, and why we all need to do our part to lift it up. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank, author of “What’s the Matter with Kansas” and “Listen, Liberal”, tells host Paul Jay that the Democratic Party serves the professional class and the top 10% and no longer cares about the poor or working class. Ch. 8: The New Democrats w/ Lily Geismer - The Dig - Air Date 6-5-22 Dan’s second episode with historian Lily Geismer, who he interviewed in 2019 about Don’t Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party. This interview is on Left Behind: The Democrats’ Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the ignoring the middle class and poor open the door to right-wing populism of the worst sort MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a blue, dented, and rusted mailbox on a spike leaning against an old wooden fence. Its flag is down, indicating no mail. Thick, golden tall grass grows behind it against a blue sky. Credit: "Rural America" by Kris Notaro, Flickr | License CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1495_Rural_America_and_Democrats_Air_Date_6-11-22_General_-_6-11-22_14.33.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:29am EDT |
Wed, 8 June 2022
Air Date 6/8/2022 Today we take a look at progressive victories in primary elections around the country and explain why moderates are not much more than allies of conservatism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Get your audiobooks from LIBRO! Use Promo Code: BEST Check out Bombas.com/BEST for all your clothing essentials! SHOW NOTES “What you’ve seen is a surprising backlash at the voter level to all of the money that flooded in,” says investigative journalist David Sirota of The Lever. “It’s been a pretty good night for progressive candidates, despite all that money.” Ch. 2: Howie Klein of 'Down With Tyranny' on midterm primaries - The Bradcast - Air Date 5-27-22 Howie Klein delivers lively analysis on primary victories (and losses) for progressive Democrats so far in the 2022 midterm election cycle, and a preview of important races coming up in seven states in the Super Tuesday primary on June 7. Ch. 3: Voting, Primaries and Redistricting in the South Part 1 - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-28-22 We take a look at the latest primary election results from this past week. We’re joined by Maya King, politics reporter for The New York Times, and Stephen Fowler, state and local politics reporter for Georgia Public Radio. Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief, talks about the latest in national politics, including recent polling on midterm issues and President Biden's statement on Taiwan. Ch. 5: Voting, Primaries and Redistricting in the South Part 2 - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-28-22 We take a look at the latest primary election results from this past week. We’re joined by Maya King, politics reporter for The New York Times, and Stephen Fowler, state and local politics reporter for Georgia Public Radio. Ch. 6: How "Moderates" Serve The Right - Second Thought - Air Date 12-17-21 This week we're talking about everyone's favorite grillpilled neighbor - the American "centrist" or "moderate". As much as they like to see themselves as enlightened arbiters of progress, centrists are little more than spoilers for actual progress. What progressives should be focusing on in the 2022 midterm elections is clear. It's economics. That's what people are worried about the most and that is what they should run on. Whether they focus on that or not is a different story. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Turner says the corporate wing of the Democratic Party seeks to consolidate the existing leadership’s power while shutting down champions of progressive policies like Medicare for All. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Should Justice Sotomayor retire this year? - Woody from Washington DC FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the extreme measures needed to stabilize our political system MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1494_Election_primaries_Air_Date_6-8-22_General_-_6-8-22_15.48.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:03pm EDT |
Tue, 7 June 2022
Original Air Date: 5-16-22 Connect with our Discord community!
Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss: - The power of Indigenous stories - Elite panic - Panic at the dinner table - Quantification and who counts - Stoking civil war - Fear is the heart of love
References: Southern Living: Why Is It Rude to Eat with Your Elbows on the Table? Beware Prophecies of Civil War I will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Direct download: Bonus_Show_251_Sample_-_6-7-22_14.05.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:13am EDT |
Sat, 4 June 2022
Air Date 6/4/2022 Today we take a look at some of the obvious steps we need to take to reduce gun violence in the United States, debunk some of the favored propaganda supporting unfettered gun ownership and explore the origins of how Gun Culture™ was invented by corporations as the frontier era need for guns began to vanish pushing them to convert guns from tools that were needed but not loved into items that were loved though no longer needed. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Igor Volsky on Ending Gun Violence - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-27-22 We revisit some conversations about gun violence and gun culture this week on the show. In March of last year we spoke with Igor Volsky, executive director of Guns Down America In addition to the police response being an unfathomable failure, it is also proof that the ‘good guy with a gun’ theory doesn't work. Ch. 3: Jordan Klepper Debunks The "Good Guy with a Gun" Argument - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-11-15 Jordan Klepper sets out to determine the likelihood of another gun owner stopping an active shooter. The far-right wants you to think the Second Amendment is about average Americans taking up arms against a tyrannical government. But none of that is true... The real history of the second amendment is far more interesting and unsettling. Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger speaking to Charlayne Hunter-Gault, PBS News Hours, 12/16/1991 Ch. 6: How the Gun Industry Used Marketing to Change a Culture - Letters and Politics - Air Date 8-7-19 Today, we are in conversation with Pamela Haag about American gun culture and its influence on policy and gun market. Guest: Pamela Haag is an award-winning nonfiction writer, essayist, cultural commentator, and historian. “Together we rise,” reads the motto on a wall of the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The school serves about 600 students in the second thru fourth grades. Over ninety percent are Latinx. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) In this public News Brief, we discuss the phoned-in, cynical response by Republicans to mass shooting and how they've devolved into a dark, meta self-parody. Guest: Robert J. Spitzer is Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Political Science Department at the State University of New York, College at Cortland. He is the author of 15 books including Guns across America: Reconciling Gun Rules and Rights. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on the bonus episode in which we explain the cultural foundations of capitalism, guns and beyond MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Credit: “Gun Culture” by Christopher Dombres, Flickr | Public Domain | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1493_Mass_Shootings_Air_Date_6-4-22_General_-_6-4-22_10.03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:44am EDT |
Wed, 1 June 2022
Air Date 6/1/2022 Today we take a look at the current conspiracy theory known as "The Great Replacement" which posits that a cabal of elites is conspiring to eradicate Whiteness as a culture and as a people in Europe, North America and other countries colonized by White Europeans. We also look at the history of the cabal of elites that conspired to eradicate Native peoples and culture from colonized lands in a pattern of genocide and dispossession. 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 and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Store BotL MERCHANDISE! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Imagine for a moment a breaking news story that more than 500 bodies of white children were found buried in unmarked graves at some of the most prestigious boarding schools in New England…That we discovered a federal plot to steal children Ch. 2: The “Great Replacement” Conspiracy Theory - Past Present - Air Date 5-24-22 In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory. Nick Estes says the institutions were part of a “genocidal process” of “dispossession and theft of Indigenous people’s lands and resources.” Ch. 4: No Lone Wolves - What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Air Date 5-18-22 A shooting Saturday at a supermarket in a predominantly-Black neighborhood in Buffalo left at least 10 people dead and three more injured. The suspected shooter left a manifesto riddled with racist ideology Ch. 5: Haaland's Boarding School Report - Let's Talk Native with John Kane - Air Date 5-12-22 Discussing native residential schools as textbook genocide and the new, insufficient report on them. What’s the right-wing answer to the complicated governing issue of the nationwide baby formula shortage? Just stop feeding migrant babies. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Tim Wise counsels that we must remain persistent in the anti-racism struggle and not surrender to exhaustion or otherwise be worn down by repetition. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on those who see themselves in a demographic war for White superiority MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: An historic photograph from 1922 North West Territories, Canada of four Indigenous children in front of a schoolhouse holding paper letters and wearing Western formal dress - including dresses, suits, and top hats. All have serious and sad expressions. Credit: "Children at Fort Simpson Indian Residential School holding letters that spell 'Goodbye'" by Libraries and Archives Canada, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com 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: 1492_Great_Replacements_Air_Date_6-1-22_General_-_6-1-22_20.00.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:17pm EDT |
Fri, 27 May 2022
Air Date 5/27/2022 Today we take a look at the disruptions to society that can unfold in times of economic distress such as high inflation, price gouging, wage stagnation and income inequality as well as some policy ideas for turning things around. 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 and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES "Germany's capitalists drove it into WW1" Warns Richard Wolff. Could America's capitalist lead us into fascism? "Learn from history" Ch. 2: You Are Being Lied to About Inflation - Robert Reich - Air Date 2-28-22 The underlying problem is not inflation. It’s corporate power. The entire American economy is concentrated into the hands of a few greedy, corporate giants with the power to raise prices. Jayati Ghosh, who says prices of essentials are soaring much higher than can be explained by oil prices and supply shortages alone, because of what she calls "feverish speculation" in financial markets and corporate profiteering. Professor Wolff joins to discuss the situation for workers in the US today. OMAR OCAMPO of the Institute for Policy Studies Program on Inequality and the Common Good explains how it happened, and what actions can and must be taken to reverse this obscene trend. An overhaul to the system where the government subsidizes only a few formula brands can help combat the monopolization that has caused this crisis, says David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect. The Biden Administration’s 2023 budget proposal includes a Billionaire Minimum Income Tax and a rewrite of stock buyback practices. Will these changes actually take effect? Niko Lusiani is the Director of Corporate Power at the Roosevelt Institute. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Elon Musk’s Billionaire Games - The Daily Show with Trevor Noah - Air Date 5-7-22 Trevor’s no finance expert, but the details of Elon Musk’s Twitter buy seem a little weird. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the culture of distrust of the poor 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: 1491_Inflation_Economics_Air_Date_5-28-22_General_-_5-27-22_15.34.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:06pm EDT |
Wed, 25 May 2022
Original Air Date: 4-26-22 References: Excerpt from interview, MARK FERRARI interview (Behind The Scenes) - The Making of Monkey Island Forgetting, not memory, moves us forward - Future Tense - Air Date 3-27-22 A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster by Rebecca Solnit Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by:
Direct download: Bonus_Show_250_Sample_-_5-25-22_22.36.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:33pm EDT |
Fri, 20 May 2022
Original 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) 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_Members_-_5-8-21_12_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00pm EDT |
Tue, 17 May 2022
Original 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. 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com MEMBERSHIP (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) 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. 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 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, talks 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 EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE 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
Direct download: 1411_Filibuster_Air_Date_4-14-21_Members_-_4-14-21_20_Repost.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT |
Sat, 14 May 2022
Air Date 5/14/2022 Today we take a look at the options and actions still available after the Supreme Court overturns Roe for those seeking abortions and Reproductive Justice more widely. Plus, an obligatory explanation of how we got to now. 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 and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Learning from Pre-Roe to Navigate Post-Roe - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 5-5-22 Law professor and podcast host Melissa Murray, journalist and bestselling author Jessica Bruder, and Slate’s news director Susan Matthews—host of the upcoming Season 7 of Slow Burn focusing on the road to Roe v Wade Ch. 2: Producer Sebastian on the anti-abortion right in the United States - This is Hell! - Air Date 5-5-22 Sebastian gets on his soapbox and lectures about the history of abortion rights and the anti-abortion right in the United States. Looking at the intertwining fights for reproductive and voting rights. Frank Schaeffer once produced propaganda films that helped launch the Christian right. Now he feels regret for what he calls an 'anti-family' movement. Ch. 5: Lindsey Shares Her Abortion Story - Serious Inquiries Only - Air Date 5-5-22 Our own Dr. Lindsey Osterman has had an abortion, does not regret it, and wants to tell us why this basic healthcare right matters not just for those in extreme circumstances. Ch. 6: Amy Littlefield on the fight for Abortion Rights - Start Making Sense - Air Date 5-12-22 Progressive faith communities are learning how to support reproductive justice Ch. 7: Resisting attacks on abortion rights in the US with Emma Norton - Red Flag Radio - Air Date 5-9-22 Roz talks to socialist activist Emma Norton about the history of abortion rights, the limitations of looking to the Democrats to protect the right to choose, and the struggles that are needed to win. David Daley writing for the Boston Globe writes the thought-provoking article "Your Vote Won't Help Restore Abortion Rights" MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: The Turnaway Study What The Research Says About Abortion - Short Wave - Air Date 5-9-22 We turned to Dr. Diana Greene Foster, the lead researcher on the interdisciplinary team behind The Turnaway Study. For over a decade, she and her fellow researchers followed just under a thousand women who sought an abortion across 21 states. Ch. 9: Lindsey Shares Her Abortion Story Part 2 - Serious Inquiries Only - Air Date 5-5-22 Dr. Lindsey Osterman discusses the idea of being made to carry a pregnancy to term before offering the baby for adoption. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on how to make sure your efforts to support abortion access are well spent Get Involved/Support/Volunteer for Abortion Funds & Learn State Laws: Twitter thread - Getting Involved with Local Abortion Funds (Read on Thread Reader) Find your local Practical Support Organization Abortion Access in Your State: A Quiz (with resources) (Lilith.org) Check out the hashtag #FundAbortionBuildPower Abortion Pills Stand to be Next Battleground in a Post-Roe America (NY Times) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: The words "WHAT NOW?" in white are overlayed on a faded image of the U.S. Supreme Court. Below the words, is a faded portion of the top of Justice Alito's leaked draft majority opinion indicating Roe v. Wade will be struck down. Credit: Composite design by Amanda Hoffman using images in the public domain.
Direct download: 1490_SCOTUS_Roe_Air_Date_5-14-22_General_-_5-13-22_18.47.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:15am EDT |
Tue, 10 May 2022
Air Date 5/10/2022 Today we take a look at the impacts of media ownership on society including legacy newspapers and social media platforms owned by billionaires and the consolidation of our news and entertainment corporations through mega mergers. 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 and Bonus Content) Check out Bombas.com/Best BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Who Rules America: The Power of The Media | Propaganda - ENDEVR Documentary - Air Date 1-3-21 Who Rules America? takes a comprehensive look into the governing system of the United States of America and reveals the behind-the-scene powers that rule the nation. Ch. 2: Billionaires Control The Media - and Its Destroying Democracy - Novara Media - Air Date 11-20-19 Billionaires control the media, and it's undermining our democracy. The Washington Post announced on Monday the paper had been sold to Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos for $250 million. Bezos, one of the world’s wealthiest men, now controls one of the most powerful newspapers in the country. Ch. 4: Elon Musk, Twitter, and the History of Media Oligarchs - Past Present - Air Date 5-2-22 Niki referred to this Los Angeles Times article about the limits of Elon Musk’s “free speech absolutism.” Natalia referenced this New York Times article about billionaire investors in the press. I spoke before FTC Chair Lina Khan and Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Jonathan Kanter this week about how corporate mergers are devastating working conditions, access to diverse voices, and artistic freedom in media. Elon Musk reaching a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion is discussed by Anand Giridharadas. "This future in which there would actually be more abundant and equitable speech terrifies the crap out of people like Elon Musk,” Giridharadas tells Joy Reid. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: How William Randolph Hearst Made The Media - KERA's Think - Air Date 9-27-21 He was one of the wealthiest men in America – and his media empire granted him unprecedented influence. Stephen Ives joins host Krys Boyd to tell the story of William Randolph Hearst and the template he created for the media business. Ch. 8: Is Free Speech Online Just a Myth? - What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Air Date 5-8-22 A conversation with one of the smartest First Amendment lawyers in the country. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the propaganda of building faulty assumptions into questions MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: The front page of a newspaper is held up by a reader. The newspaper is called “The Media” and the large text headline is a quotation that reads “We Own This, Too" above black and white photos of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Rupert Murdoch. Credit: Composite design by Amanda Hoffman. Images include: “newspaper, world is changing”; "Jeff Bezos" by NASA Robotics Competition, Flickr (Public Domain); "Elon Musk" by Tesla Owners Club Belgium, Flickr (CC BY 2.0); "Rupert Murdoch" by Eva Rinaldi, Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) | Changes: Cropped and black and white
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1489_Media_Ownership_Air_Date_5-10-22_General_-_5-10-22_16.59.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:08pm EDT |
Sat, 7 May 2022
Air Date 5/7/2022 Today we take a look at the jockeying for position that is happening among GOP politicians, both incumbents and hopefuls, in this murky Trump/post-Trump political era in which the path to victory for Republicans is to support Trump unquestioningly while also keeping an eye on the long game for which one should attempt to out-Trump Trump to gain the support of his cultish masses. 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 and Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES GOP politicians who formerly rejected QAnon and Trumpism are now joining the choir in pursuit of power Next month starts a wave of primaries in Ohio, Georgia, and Pennsylvania that will provide the strongest clues yet on just how much of a hold on Republican voters that Trump still has. Ch. 3: Greg Abbott's Border Shutdown Backfires Spectacularly - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-16-22 Texas Governor Greg Abbott has effectively shut down the US/Mexico border in his state. He did this in the name of stopping the flow of drugs and migrants into the US, but really it was a theatrical stunt to appeal to the far-right. Ch. 4: The Trump Variants Part 1 - Some More News - Air Date 11-9-21 Here's a video about Ron DeSantis, Marjorie Taylor Green, and Matt Gaetz and how they all want to be the next Donald Trump. Ch. 5: The Fight Between Florida and Disney - The Takeaway - Air Date 4-25-22 We speak with Carlos Ball, law professor at Rutgers University, and Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, about how what’s happening with Disney connects to other recent examples of corporations weighing in on LGBTQ issues. Ch. 6: The Trump Variants Part 2 - Some More News - Air Date 11-9-21 How fascism starts and what happens to the masses when the authoritarian leader goes away. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) DeSantis' anti-gay agenda is all about winning over the conservative entertainment wing VOICEMAILS Ch. 8: The down side of fulfilling jobs - VoicedMail from Discord Community Member FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on creating workplaces that are conducive to human needs MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE:
Credit: Composite design by Amanda Hoffman. Image layers used include: “Trump and U.S. Image”, Images of politicians all by Gage Skidmore, Flickr and Wikimedia Commons: “J.D. Vance”, “Marjorie Taylor Greene", "Ron DeSanits” | Changes: Cropped and orange filter added
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Direct download: 1488_GOP_Hopefulls_Post_Trump_Air_Date_5-7-22_General_-_5-7-22_16.13.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:17pm EDT |
Wed, 4 May 2022
Air Date 5/4/2022 Today we take a look at the tectonic shifts in the geopolitics happening under our feet; the long, slow decline of the US empire and the neoliberal order, the role of the war in Ukraine in hastening the end of globalization, and the rise of both China in the east and of the oceans around us all. 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 and Bonus Content) Check out Will Be Wild wherever you get your podcasts! BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Ukraine and an Empire's Decline - Economic Update - Air Date 4-16-22 Wolff talks with host and journalist Chris Hedges about Ukraine and the end of the US empire. Ch. 2: A World to Win Imperialism and the Energy Crisis w/ David Wearing - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 4-1-22 Grace chats to David Wearing, post-doctoral researcher at SOAS and author of AngloArabia: Why Gulf Wealth Matters to Britain. The new war in Europe has been described as a turning point in human history. President Biden reportedly warned Chinese President Xi Jinping via video call Friday that China would face “consequences” if it provided material support to Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Alfred McCoy argues that American global hegemony will end around 2030 replaced by China as world leader but Chinese hegemony will last only for about 20 years and that by 2050, climate change will have brought environmental catastrophe to both countries. Ch. 6: Climate Catastrophe, the Fall of America, and a New World Order - WhoWhatWhy - Air Date 1-14-22 A bleak but fascinating look across five continents and seven centuries points to climate and political destruction ahead. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Oil & Disorder ft. Helen Thompson - Bungcast - Air Date 3-29-22 Helen Thompson, podcaster and professor of political economy at Cambridge and author of Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century, joins us to talk about the geopolitics of oil, stretching from the 1956 Suez Crisis to the Fracking Revolution of today. Alexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon are the authors of Exit from Hegemony: The Unraveling of the American Global Order. We had a 90-minute conversation on some important topics for the study of international relations. VOICEMAILS Ch. 9: Pyramid scheme sticker club - Alan from Connecticut FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on how people find math so hard that many pyramid schemes likely get started by accident 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: 1487_New_World_Order_Air_Date_5-4-22_General_-_5-4-22_16.53.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:40pm EDT |
Fri, 29 April 2022
Air Date 4/29/2022 Today we take a look at the rising wave of successful unionization efforts and the corporate tactics being leveled against them, including the propaganda that surrounds the culture of labor. 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 and Bonus Content) Check out Will Be Wild wherever you get your podcasts! SHOW NOTES Around the country, workers are rising up, demanding more, and winning important victories, even though the deck is stacked against them. The question is: Where will the reinforcements come from? Ch. 2: Apple Store employee explains why he's fighting to unionize - ABC News - Air Date 4-26-22 Genius Bar technician Derrick Bowles explains why he and his coworkers are making the move to unionize their Apple Store We speak with the two best friends who led a drive to organize workers at Amazon's warehouse in Staten Island, New York, and made history Friday after a majority voted to form the first Amazon union in the U.S. Ch. 4: Unions And Strikes Are Good - Some More News - Air Date 3-30-22 Hi. In today’s episode, Cody, who is still on strike against the News Lord, discusses the importance of Unions, Co-Ops, and the future of work. Ch. 5: Why Work Won't Love You Back - On The Media - Air Date 4-22-22 In 2021, a record-breaking number of workers quit their jobs, leading to the phenomenon deemed the "Great Resignation." To understand how that happened, it helps to unpack how work has shifted over the past several decades Around the country, workers are rising up, demanding more, and winning important victories, even though the deck is stacked against them. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: The Holiday You May Have Missed - On The Media - Air Date 4-20-22 International Workers' Day is celebrated with rallies and protests all over the world on May 1, but it's not a big deal in the United States. Back in 2018, Brooke spoke with Donna Haverty-Stacke of Hunter College, CUNY about the American origin of May Day FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 8: Final comments on the intrinsic human needs that, when fulfilled, give meaning to any work TAKE ACTION! Call your members of Congress today and demand the $94 million increase in funds to The National Labor Relations Board: US Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Find Your Senator and Representative House Lawmakers Demand More Labor Board Funds As Workplace Organizing Spreads (Huffington Post) Lawmakers Urge NLRB Budget Boost Amid 'Dramatic Increase' in Unionization (Common Dreams) The Labor Board Is Withering Away, And That's Bad News For The Labor Movement (Huffington Post) EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE Bernie Sanders Wants Democrats to Make Unions Their Biggest Message (Vanity Fair) Sanders pressures Biden on Amazon unions: ‘The time for talk is over’ (Politico) Starbucks May Soon Face Legal Consequences for Union Busting (Truthout) The Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class (NY Times) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Amazon Labor Union logo - a black outline of an open box with three fists coming out of the top - against Amazon corporate orange. A heart encircles the logo and is surrounded by black. Credit: Amazon Labor Union logo (artist not found upon search). Additional heart border design by Amanda Hoffman. Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Direct download: 1486_Labor_Organizing_Air_Date_4-29-22_General_-_4-29-22_21.04.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:28pm EDT |
Best of the Left Podcast
Put a description of your podcast here.
The Podcasts
Syndicate This Site:
Archives:
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
