Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonus Edition #332 Transgressive Thoughts in a Villain Era | 06 Jan 2025 | 00:20:38 | |
Air Date: 1-6-24 FOLLOW US ON: REFERENCES: Democracy Is Not a Customer Loyalty Program
Produced by: | |||
| #1676 The Incompetence of Authoritarians: Trump's cabinet picks are all loyalty, no ability | 13 Dec 2024 | 02:31:12 | |
Air Date 12/13/2024 The most important thing to understand about authoritarian and dictatorial governance is that it is neither efficient nor competent, contrary to the myth. The problem lies with the need to hire people based on their unquestioning loyalty rather than any kind of demonstrated ability to do the jobs they're tasked with. The results are, unsurprisingly, chaos. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) KEY POINTS KP 2: MAGA 2.0 w Quinn Slobodian & Wendy Brown - The Dig - Air Date 11-29-24 KP 3: A Slew Of A$$hole Nominations...- The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 11-15-24 KP 5: Trump goes off the deep end with Cabinet pick - No Lie w Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 12-1-24 KP 6: The Trump Trials... Cases Closed - Americast - Air Date 11-29-24 KP 7: MAGA 2.0 w Quinn Slobodian & Wendy Brown - The Dig - Air Date 11-29-24 (54:37) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why it's important to stay engaged Don’t Let Donald Trump Drive You Into Internal Exile - NYTimes DEEPER DIVES (58:44) SECTION A: THE LINEUP (1:27:56) SECTION B: THE PLAYBOOK (1:52:28) SECTION C: GLOBAL REFERENCE (2:12:50) SECTION D: CRACKS IN AUTHORITY SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite graphic of Trump giving the double thumbs up over black silhouettes of people in suits with the clown face emoji on their heads and “MAGA” on their chests. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Various images via Pixabay.
| |||
| Bonus Sample #302 Satire requires a clarity of purpose and target lest it be mistaken for and contribute to that which it intends to criticize. | 05 May 2024 | 00:17:34 | |
Air Date: 5-5-24 Jerry Seinfeld Is a Lazy Hack Out of Touch with the Real World—And Who Can Blame Him? ‘In the Know’ Showrunners Unpack Its Loving Evisceration of Public Radio, Progressive Politics Zach Woods, NPR Fan, Reads NPR Fans for Filth Exclusive: In the Know's Zach Woods and Brandon Gardner on Satirizing Liberals with Mike Judge The Cleaner - S2 E5 The Statue (Acorn)
Produced by: | |||
| #1626 Remix - Protest Crackdown: Power Concedes Nothing Without a Demand and the Response is Predictable | 03 May 2024 | 01:14:57 | |
Air Date 5/3/2024 A look back at previous coverage of criminalizing protests, weaponizing civility, and violent responses to peaceful dissent. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Problem with Civility - On the Media - Air Date 6-30-18 Ch. 2: Criminalizing Protest - @USNewsBeat - Air Date 6-14-18 Ch. 3: Civility as a cudgel - Trumpcast - Air Date 6-30-18 Ch. 4: Protests Sweep Across America and Beyond Part 2 - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-9-20 Ch. 6: Anti-Protest Bills Popping Up Everywhere - David Pakman Show - Air Date 8-19-20 Ch. 7: Elly Page on Anti-Protest Bills - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-23-21 Ch. 8: Not Ready For That Conversation - On The Media - Air Date 4-23-21 Ch. 9: GOP States Are Pushing for Stricter Penalties for Protesters - The Takeaway - Air Date 4-27-21 Ch. 10: How Corporate Media Protects Violent Cops - Carlos Maza - Air Date 6-4-20 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 | |||
| #1625 Society of Extreme Wealth and its Discontents: Tax avoidance, wealth inequality and the detrimental effects felt by us all | 01 May 2024 | 00:58:08 | |
Air Date 5/1/2024 The past, present, and future of tackling the uselessness of extreme wealth by exposing and closing tax avoidance loopholes and pushing for a culture change to embrace the need for a more equal society. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: What Happens When You Tax Billionaires at 90 Percent? - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 6-3-23 We did it before, and the result was the creation of the world’s first and largest middle class and a level of peace and prosperity that held its own until Ronald Reagan took a meat-axe to it… If you think school teachers shouldn't pay a higher tax rate than billionaires, join us to learn how you can join in on the fight to #TaxBillionaires! Ch. 3: Wealth Tax Part 1 - Pullback - Air Date 4-11-23 Should we be taxing Scrooge-McDuck wealth? Can we? We talk with friend of the pod Fariya Mohiuddin, a Senior Program Officer with the International Budget Partnership's Tax Equity Program, and our favourite tax justice researcher and activist. If you're serious about alleviating poverty, as most liberals claim to be, should there be a cap on how wealthy one person can be?
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on anger and irrationality in war and politics MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A protester holds a sign that says “Tax the Rich” Credit: “We have a right to the city. Tax the rich.” by dignidadrebelde, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| Bonus Sample #301 War Is the Continuation of Policy with Other Means | 29 Apr 2024 | 00:14:17 | |
Air Date: 4-29-24 - how "the view from nowhere" journalism is supposed to be straight down the middle and fact-based, but is actually rife with bias and ends up representing the dominant culture REFERENCES: How to Both-Sides a “Civil War” Alex Garland's Civil War Plays Both Sides Opinion: Is the US on the brink of another civil war? ‘Civil War’ and the Dangerous Myth of ‘Unbiased’ Journalism America Isn’t Nazi Germany, but It Looks a Little Like 1933 Modern Mathematics Confronts Its White, Patriarchal Past
Produced by: | |||
| #1513 The Morality of Debt and Forgiveness (Throwback) | 26 Apr 2024 | 01:13:16 | |
Original 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 or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) 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
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 Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| #1624 Island Fervor: Cuba and Haiti Struggle for Economic and Political Self-Determination in the Face of Respective Histories of Exploitation and Embargo | 24 Apr 2024 | 00:59:33 | |
Air Date 4/24/2024 Only by understanding the past can we understand the present and the histories of Cuba and Haiti have very stark lessons to impart about the cruelty of the Cuba embargo, the repercussions of imperial exploitation, and the dangers that arise amid dysfunctional democracy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Musa Springer, Erica Caines, & Onyesonwu Chatoyer from Hood Communist discuss their participation in The Second International Meeting of Theoretical Publications of Left Parties and Movements and discuss history and present events playing out in Haiti. Ryan Grim delves into the complexities of Cuba’s current economic crisis with Andrés Pertierra, a historian of Latin America and the Caribbean. "The root of this crisis is not last week, it's not this week, it's not even Ariel Henry. But we have to go back to 2004 with the coup-d'état," says Pierre.
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the dangers of unrepresentative, unresponsive government MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a protester in 2007 holding a large cloth sign that says “Solidarity…Haiti YES! Occupation NO. Canada-US-U.N. OUT of Haiti” Credit: “Solidarity - Haiti Yes - Occupation No” by Robert Thivierge, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| Bonus Sample #300 My People are Humans | 23 Apr 2024 | 00:14:10 | |
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 4-22-24 REFERENCES: The grandmother who wants to lead Israelis back to a Gaza without Palestinians A debate over Israel-Palestine curriculum flares at Berkeley schools
Produced by: | |||
| #1623 Burning American Credibility on Support for Israel's Genocidal War in Gaza - Biden, Netanyahu, and the double standards of the rules-based order | 20 Apr 2024 | 00:57:39 | |
Air Date 4/20/2024 Old habits die hard and the American establishment's unquestioning support for Israel is a very old habit indeed. Israel's government drifts farther and farther to the right, culminating in a genocidal push into Gaza. Meanwhile, President Biden, standard-bearer of the old establishment, seems destined to be the very last Democrat to see the need for a change. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Jon Stewart Interrogates America's Support of Israel - The Daily Show - Air Date 4-8-24 Jon Stewart checks in on the war in Gaza and interrogates how America's purported values stack up against its support of Israel. Plus, Ronny Chieng and Grace Kuhlenschmidt report from the eclipse's path of totality with startling different reports. Roth tells host Steve Clemons that US President Joe Biden is engaging in “cynical” election politics by refusing to enforce the UN resolution calling for a ceasefire, or the World Court ruling ordering Israel to allow more food into Gaza In this video, we’ll look at comments from both Youssef and Stewart, examples of “performative” outrage from politicians, and demands from voters that the Democratic Party and Joe Biden are refusing to meet.
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the words we've heard and the actions we've seen from Israel's government MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a protest outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC in honor of Airman Aaron Bushnell’s self-sacrifice. Protestors kneel behind a banner that says “Stop U.S. Support of Genocide.” Credit: “50.Gather.AaronBushnellVigil.WDC.26February2024” by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| Bonus Sample #299 Selling Bliss | 18 Apr 2024 | 00:18:28 | |
Air Date: 4-18-24 REFERENCES: What’s it like to take a $249 drug-free psychedelic trip? We found out Can You Solve Loneliness? These Startups Are Betting On It.
Produced by: | |||
| #1249 Understanding the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israeli mistreatment of Palestinians (Throwback) | 16 Apr 2024 | 01:03:22 | |
Original Air Date 2/12/2019 Today we take a look at both the BDS movement and the backlash response to it resulting in firings and legislation in many states (and pending federally) to restrict employment and business opportunities from those who fail to pledge in writing to not support of the boycott of Israel Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Explaining BDS - The Katie Halper Show - Air Date 10-11-17 We speak to art critic and writer Kareem Estefan, co-editor of “Assuming Boycott: Resistance, Agency, and Cultural Production,” about Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) Legendary activist and scholar Angela Davis speaks out after the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute rescinded a human rights award for her, reportedly due to her activism for Palestinian rights. Ali Abunimah discusses a leaked report from Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), a front for Israel government-backed lobby group StandWithUs, which admits the cultural boycott is "constantly growing" and "innovative." Ch. 4: Josh Ruebner on BDS Bans - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 1-31-19 We’ll hear about so-called “anti-BDS” laws, and their context, from Josh Ruebner, policy director at the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. Ch. 5: Senators Sneak Amendment to Make Israel Boycott Illegal - @TheRealNews - Air Date 12-19-18 While Senators Cardin and Portman are trying to sneak a last-minute amendment into the budget bill to make BDS illegal - violating free speech - 26 states are also moving to make boycotts of Israel illegal. We speak to IPS’s Phyllis Bennis. Tim discusses CNN’s firing of contributor Marc Lamont Hill (a former guest on the show), for comments he made in favor of full equality and justice for the Palestinian people.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| Bonus Edition #329 - This Is Really Happening | 12 Dec 2024 | 00:19:50 | |
Air Date: 12-12-24 FOLLOW US ON: REFERENCES: Confessions of a Former Carnivore For Our Movements to Win, We Must Learn How Not to Let Our Grief Destroy Us
Produced by: | |||
| #1622 Capitalism Culture Catastrophes On Land, Sea, And In The Sky - Baltimore Bridge Collapse, Boeing Blowout, and the Continuing Threat to Railway Workers | 12 Apr 2024 | 01:07:54 | |
Air Date 4/12/2024 The forces of capitalism and deregulation loom large as industrial transport disasters continue to pile up with new focus brought to the issue by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and the series of dangerous and deadly failures from Boeing. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Two full days after the disastrous collapse of a bridge in Baltimore, little is known about six construction workers who went missing—and are now presumed dead. The Real News convened a panel of journalists working all sides of this story to get a sense of what we know about the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, what key questions still need to be answered, and what happens next. Ch. 3: Cars, Bridges, Ships and Planes - The Zero Hour - Air Date 04-06-24 Discussing the Baltimore disaster in the context of infrastructure investment more broadly
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the threat to society of runaway corporate executive pay References: The failure of Bill Clinton's CEO pay reform - Politico The Executive Pay Cap That Backfired - ProPublica MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo taken from inside the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 Boeing plane that lost its door mid-flight. A rectangular hole in the side of the plane reveals a wall of white clouds. The nearby seats are empty and oxygen masks hang from the ceiling. Credit: Photo taken by unidentified passenger and provided to the public by the National Transportation Safety Board(NTSB) as part of their investigation. | License: Public Domain Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| #1621 How Democrats Lost Their Way On Economics And Are Starting To Find It Again | 09 Apr 2024 | 01:01:19 | |
Air Date 4/9/2024 The neoliberal legacy of the New Democrats continues to loom large but it really does seem like the progressive wing of the party and the broader demand for populist economic policies has had an impact. Now people just need to know that it's happening. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: American Socialism - Prospect: Generations - Air Date 4-6-23 In this episode of the Prospect’s Generations podcast, editor at large Harold Meyerson, who joined the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee in 1975, and writing fellow Luke Goldstein, who was attracted to socialism by Bernie Sanders Ch. 2: The Legacy of the New Democrats - KPFA - Against the Grain - Air Date 8-17-22 Historian Lily Geismer looks at how the the Democratic Leadership Council and Clinton-era Democratic Party increased inequality, through development zones, charter schools, welfare “reform”, and microfinance. Ch. 3: Clinton’s ‘Fabulous Failure’ Part 1 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 10-4-23 Our politics today is haunted by the failures of Bill Clinton—the “centrist” who “triangulated” with Republicans, lost on healthcare, and proclaimed that “the era of big government is over.” Nelson Lichtenstein explains Clinton’s turn to the right
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 7: Price Controls: An Inflation Solution That Doesn't Screw Workers - Deconstructed - Air Date 7-7-23 CENTRIST AND RIGHT-WING economists continue to advocate for laying off workers and engineering a recession to address inflation. But why not set price controls instead? Ch. 8: Clinton’s ‘Fabulous Failure’ Part 2 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 10-4-23 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the way we think about political criticism MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of President Joe Biden shaking hands with a hard-hat-and-safety-vest clad union worker during a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Credit: “President Biden greeting union workers” by Governor Tom Wolf Flickr account | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| Bonus Sample #292 Someone is Wrong on the Internet | 07 Apr 2024 | 00:14:00 | |
Air Date: 4-7-24 REFERENCES: Andrew Tate on why he doesn’t read books Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Targets a Generation of Politically Disaffected, Extremely Online Men Forget Kennedy Democrats. Here Comes the 2024 Kennedy Voter. The Strange History of the ‘Uniparty’ The unexpected dynamic that could decide the Trump-Biden rematch
Produced by: | |||
| #1379 Tell Stories, Not Myths: Democracy in America (Throwback) | 05 Apr 2024 | 01:08:13 | |
Original Air Date: 11/10/2020 Today we take a look at the long and shifting history of the myth of democracy in America. We've never had it since the beginning but the reasons have shifted, ebbed and flowed over time. Now, in the midst of an attempted slow-motion coup, we look back at this most central American myth. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Two of the last three presidents — George W. Bush and Donald Trump — came to office after losing the popular vote. "The Framers who met at the Constitutional Convention really had no idea what they were doing when they established how to pick a president" Ch. 2: The Second Revolution - Scene On Radio - Air Date 2-19-20 After the Civil War, a surprising coalition tried to remake the United States into a real multiracial democracy for the first time. Reconstruction, as the effort was called, brought dramatic change to America. For a while. Ch. 3: Democracy: Past, Present... and Future? - The Laura Flanders Show - Air Date 6-26-19 Don't remember the past? Does that mean you're condemned to repeat it? What does our country's past tell us about our present— and how can it help us imagine a better future? This week, two leading thinkers on the tricky challenges of democracy. Ch. 4: More Democracy - Scene on Radio - Air Date 6-10-20 What will it take to make the United States a more fully functioning democracy, and how can we, as citizens, bring about that change?
TAKE ACTION Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| #1620 Threatening the 2024 Election to Subvert Democracy, from Legal Maneuvers in Congress and Unconstitutional Congressional Maps to Violent Threats Against Election Workers | 03 Apr 2024 | 00:56:56 | |
Air Date 4/3/2024 As the country gears up for the election in November, we look at a variety of ways the GOP and their election-denialist supporters are preparing to subvert the democratic process to get the result they want. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES A question remains among most American, and specifically Arizonan, voters: how can we make elections better? David Becker is a co-founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research to improve elections through technology and reliance on data. A federal jury in Washington ordered Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s former campaign attorney, to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers for distress caused by lies he spread following the 2020 election. Ch. 3: Charlie Kirk Lackey Gets Humiliated By Election Official - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-3-24 Ch. 4: Far Right Plan Chaos Ahead of 2024 Election - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-22-24 Donald Trump and the far right want the 2024 election to be so chaotic they can make the case that Trump won, even if he goes down in flames losing by spectacular numbers.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 10: Exposing Secret Fascist Plan To ‘Win’ 2024 Election - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 2-26-24 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the backfire effect of lies about mail-in voting MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A photo of a protestor, wearing a mask, and holding a sign up that says “When we count, democracy wins.” Credit: “40a.BLM.Plaza.WDC.7November2020” by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| Bonus Sample #297 No Laughing Matter | 01 Apr 2024 | 00:16:25 | |
Air Date: 4-1-24 REFERENCES: In on the Joke: The Comedic Trick Trump Uses to Normalize His Behavior Laughing All the Way to Autocracy
Produced by: | |||
| #1619 A Guide to Protests Against Injustice from the Peaceful to the Deadly | 30 Mar 2024 | 00:54:36 | |
Air Date 3/30/2024 We are living through an age of protest from the opposition to the Iraq war, the Arab Spring uprisings, Occupy Wall Street, through to marches against Trump, and now the war in Gaza. So, we thought we should take a look at the art and science of protest itself. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES The 2010s saw a new era of mass protest, from Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Syria, to Occupy Wall Street, EuroMaidan and Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement. Many of these movements shared a “horizontalist” or leaderless approach Ch. 2: The Uncommitted Movement feat. Layla Elabed & Waleed Shahid - Chapo Trap House - Air Date 3-8-24 Organizers Layla Elabed and Waleed Shahid join us to discuss their recent successes with the movement to vote uncommitted against Joe Biden in the ongoing democratic primaries. They lay out their goals Ch. 3: Why Peaceful Protest Won't Solve Anything - Second Thought - Air Date 8-12-22 Ch. 4: Gaza Protesters SHUT DOWN Schiff's Victory Speech - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-6-24
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the importance of building momentum over time with protest MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A photo of a handmade protest sign taped to a chainlink fence that says "This is a movement not a moment." Taped to the bottom of the sign is a smaller sign that says "Jacob Blake" with hearts around it. Credit: "18a.StreetArtFence.BLM.Plaza.WDC.27August2020" by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, slightly increased brightness, contrast and saturation. Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
| |||
| Bonus Sample #296 Coping: Magic Mushrooms, Bath Time, Perpetual Therapy, and Pain Killers | 28 Mar 2024 | 00:14:09 | |
Air Date: 3-28-24 REFERENCES: The Working Woman’s Newest Life Hack: Magic Mushrooms How America Became Addicted to Therapy
Produced by: | |||
| #1463 People Are Waking Back Up To The Need For Labor Unions (Throwback) | 26 Mar 2024 | 01:09:50 | |
Original Air Date: 12/23/2021 Today we take a look at some of the history of labor struggles in America and the current wave of strikes that is giving renewed energy to the labor union movement and the struggle for better working conditions for all. 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: Lessons from the Luddites - On the Media - Air Date 12-10-21 Gavin Mueller [@gavinmuellerphd], assistant professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, on what modern lessons can be learned from the Luddite workers of 19th century England. Ch. 2: Victory at Starbucks, Struggle at Kellogg's Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 12-13-21 Suzi talks with John Logan about the unionization victory at Starbucks in Buffalo, and the continuing Kellogg Co. strike. Ch. 3: Strike Wave Workers Flex Their Muscle in Tight Labor Market Part 1 - Intercepted - Air Date 11-10-21 We hear from Kaiser Permanente workers, and then Labor Notes’ Jonah Furman joins The Intercept’s Washington Editor Nausicaa Renner to discuss this year’s strike wave. The episode includes a blow-by-blow analysis of a recent interview with the CEO of Kellogg's to translate Wall Street speak for “how to fuck workers and influence inflation.” Ch. 5: Victory at Starbucks, Struggle at Kellogg's Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 12-13-21 Suzi talks with John Logan about the unionization victory at Starbucks in Buffalo, and the continuing Kellogg Co. strike. Ch. 6: Class Struggles in the US Today - Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 12-2-21 The "labor shortage" isn't, "Build Back Better" does not begin to approach what Europe already has.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: Lessons from the Luddites Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 12-10-21 Gavin Mueller [@gavinmuellerphd], assistant professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, on what modern lessons can be learned from the Luddite workers of 19th century England. MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| #1618 Forget Equality, Embrace the Feminism of Freedom - Breaking entirely free from the structures of White supremacy and heteropatriarchy | 23 Mar 2024 | 00:55:42 | |
Air Date 3/23/2024 Equality has been at the heart of civil rights movements for decades but what we have failed to see is that in striving for equality we cannot help but reinforce the unquestioned preexisting structures of society which, themselves, may be at fundamental odds with true freedom for all. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Marcie Bianco — Breaking Free - with Charlotte Clymer - Politics and Prose - Air Date 9-23-23 Watch author Marcie Bianco's book talk and reading at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C. Ch. 2: Angela Saini The Patriarchs 'How Men Came to Rule' - The Overpopulation Podcast - Air Date 2-6-24 By detailing the diversity of human arrangements, including the prevalence of egalitarian and matrilineal societies around the world – past and present – Angela reveals that male-supremacy is neither natural nor immutable. Ch. 3: The Fraud Of 'White Feminism' w/ Kyla Schuller - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-20-22 Emma hosts Kyla Schuller, Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, to discuss her recent book The Trouble With White Women: A Counterhistory of Feminism.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: The Fraud Of 'White Feminism' w Kyla Schuller Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-20-22 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on what the path beyond equality and toward freedom looks like MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A photo of a protest in a city street. A person holds up a neon pink sign that says “Smash Patriarchy. Smash Capitalism.” Part of a Starbucks logo can be seen behind the sign. Credit: “Smash patriarchy smash capitalism” by Peter, Flickr | License: CC By 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness, contrast and saturation. Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| #1675 Fighting Nihilism to Organize For Freedom Against Fascism | 10 Dec 2024 | 01:37:21 | |
Air Date 12/10/2024 In a moment of darkness, it's important to not only look for light but also understand how to create your own. Today we're exploring the philosophy of Tragic Optimism, the differing frameworks of freedom-from and freedom-to, and the slow progress of democracy but also the organizing strategies that are themselves the best coping mechanisms and path to progress. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership 20% off for the Holiday! Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) KEY POINTS KP 3: How To Fight Fascism In America - Why, America? with Leeja Miller - Air Date 11-20-24 KP 4: Timothy Snyder: Is Freedom Misunderstood? - The Agenda - Air Date 10-9-24 KP 5: Neoliberalism Borrowed From Lenin, Why Can’t We? - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 11-22-24 (49:55) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On holiday memberships DEEPER DIVES (52:31) SECTION A - ORGANZING A1: Organizing in Rural America (w/ Luke Mayville) - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 11-27-24 (1:11:16) SECTION B - COPING MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) uxnpfz6i Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| Bonus Sample #295 Cause it's all about control | 21 Mar 2024 | 00:16:42 | |
Air Date: 3-21-24 REFERENCES: AI has come to the gender culture war, yielding some truly dumb content The False Escapism of Soft Girls and Tradwives
Produced by: | |||
| #1617 The Profitable and Political Moral Panic Around Trans People: Debunking Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, Groomers, and Detransitioning Misconceptions | 19 Mar 2024 | 01:03:09 | |
Air Date 3/19/2024 We break down some of the pseudoscience the trans panic is built on, look at the political drive to erase trans people, understand how language of panic shifts over time, and present and alternate view of societal healing for a healthier humanity. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Anatomy of a Moral Panic Ft. Dr. Julia Serano - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 2-21-24 Mia and Gare are once again joined by Dr, Julia Serano to discuss how the concept of contagious stigma drives moral panics against cis and trans people alike Ch. 2: Are Red States 100 Committed to Erasing Trans People - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 1-8-24 Just a week into 2024 and Red State Republicans have already introduced over 150 bills targeting the transgender community. Journalist Erin Reed, host of 'Erin in the Morning,' updates us on the sorry parade. ALOK sits down with Jamie Lee Curtis to explore themes of gender, race, trauma, belonging and the human condition. Ch. 4: How the Media Gets Trans Coverage Wrong - Medium - Air Date 8-19-23 A panel discussion centered on the representation of trans issues in the media. Moderated by Katherine Cross. Ch. 5: The Anatomy of a Moral Panic Ft. Dr. Julia Serano Part 2 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 2-21-24
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: How the Media Gets Trans Coverage Wrong Part 2 - Medium - Air Date 8-19-23 Ch. 10: The Anatomy of a Moral Panic Ft. Dr. Julia Serano Part 3 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 2-21-24 FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on a new reframing of the right to the freedom of sex MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A colorful, hand-drawn protest sign says “Protect Trans Youth” with the trans pride flag. Credit: “Protect Trans Youth” by Taymaz Valley, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| #1616 The Party of Putin and the Propaganda Leading the GOP to Trump and the US to Russian-Style Autocracy | 15 Mar 2024 | 00:57:55 | |
Air Date 3/15/2024 Republicans have been trending toward Putin fandom for more than a decade but with each passing year the stakes get higher, the propaganda gets more brazen, and what they're willing to support gets more grotesque. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Chris Wallace DESTROYS former colleague Tucker Carlson - Bryan Tyler Cohen - Air Date 2-10-24 Ch. 2: Trump voters tell NBC Reporter that ‘Russia is not our enemy’ - MSNBC - Air Date 2-27-24 Vaughn Hillard discusses meeting with Trump voters who have started to echo the rhetoric from Putin and Russia when it comes to that country’s war on Ukraine and how the base of the MAGA movement has leaned into authoritarian rhetoric. Ch. 3: American Patriots Support... Vladimir Putin - On the Media - Air Date 3-4-22 Casey Michel joins to discuss why white nationalists like David Duke, Richard Spencer, and Matthew Heimbach have long since looked to Putin's Russia as inspiration for their far-right movements in this country Ch. 4: The Dark and Destructive Vision of Putin's GOP - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 2-27-24 Author and reporter Heidi Siegmund Cuda has the dirt that ties Mike Johnson to President Putin. Does Mr Johnson want to follow Russia's example and become an authoritarian pseudo-theocracy?
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Trump Backers Kill Navalny - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 2-20-24 Andrea and Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack discuss the assassination of Navalny and the work ahead to build a meaningful opposition. FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 9: Final comments on the global view of autocratic propaganda MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Protestors in a major city at night hold up cutouts of Putin’s head and Trump’s head. Large cutouts of open hands are on either side of Trump. Credit: “2I4A7393” by rob walsh, Flickr | License: Public Domain | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| Bonus Sample #294 Answering men's cry for help | 11 Mar 2024 | 00:12:44 | |
Air Date: 3-11-24 REFERENCES: Can Parents PreventTheir Sons From Sliding to the Right? Men are going to brutal boot camps to reclaim their masculinity. How did we get here? Do You Need a Visit to the Confident Man Ranch?
Outro song courtesy of Supergoldfl
Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: | |||
| #1165 To Exist is to Resist: Life and Activism in Occupied Palestine Working Toward Rights and Democracy For All in Israel (Throwback) | 08 Mar 2024 | 00:58:32 | |
Original Air Date 2-17-2018 We hear from activists and advocates to get a sense of the life, land, and walls that divide occupied Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Show NotesCh. 1: Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon 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 | |||
| #1163 Strange Bedfellows: Looking at why Ethno-Nationalists Admire Israel and the Violence Inflicted on Gaza (Throwback) | 05 Mar 2024 | 00:47:43 | |
Original Air Date 2/7/2018 Looking at Israel from a variety of angles including what they do to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and why White supremacists, of all people, support them Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Show NotesCh. 1: Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr Ch. 2: Breaking down Trump's moves on Israel - Intercepted (@theintercept) - Air Date 1-31-18 Ch. 5: What Israel has to do with local policing in the US - Intercepted (@theintercept) - Air Date 9-20-17 Ch. 7: Ilan Pappé: The Myths of Israel - @TheRealNews - Air Date 3-30-17 Ch. 8: Final comments addressing some of the concerns about the #MeToo movement (Music from Blue Dot Sessions, Free Music Archive) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon 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
| |||
| Bonus Sample: #293 I love you, man | 03 Mar 2024 | 00:16:13 | |
Air Date: 3-3-24 REFERENCES: Boys and men are lonelier than ever. What can we do about it? 3 ‘Masculine Identities’ Men Take On In Relationships Release the Beatles Jerk-off Cut
Produced by: | |||
| #1615 Envisioning a Leftisț Economic Future of Postcapitalism, High-Tech Automation, Universal Basic Income and a World (Mostly) Without Work | 01 Mar 2024 | 00:59:45 | |
Air Date 3/1/2024 We don't have to think too hard to understand the fears of a world in which work, and the ability of millions to support themselves, are lost to automation and artificial intelligence. But that is only a capitalist future in which the benefits of technological advancement are hoarded by the already-wealthy. Today we imagine a different path. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Introduction to Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work by Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams Since the demise of the USSR, the mantle of the largest planned economies in the world has been taken up by the likes of Walmart, Amazon and other multinational corporations. Ch. 3: The Two Futures Of Automation Capitalism VS Socialism - Second Thought - Air Date 12-15-21 With jobs being automated and handed off to machines at an ever-increasing pace, it's only natural to consider what our future will look like. Ch. 4: Planet of the Robots: Four Futures of AI (Documentary) - 1Dime - Air Date 10-15-21 In this video we will be discussing automation, which is often confused with being the ‘technological revolution’ in it of itself as it is what the mainstream focuses on, and for good reason, as how we handle automation will determine the trajectory or co Ch. 5: Universal Basic Income Explained (An Automation Solution) - Futurology - Air Date 5-28-24 With jobs being automated and handed off to machines at an ever-increasing pace, it's only natural to consider what our future will look like.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 10: Final comments on living our values and stepping away from work MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a patch on a backpack that says "What would you do if your income were taken care of?" Credit: "Berlin UBI March" by Patrick Maynard, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| #1614 Deep-Fakery and Deep Consequences for Democracy: AI-generated fake news threatens elections around the world and makes people question the ability to know what is real | 28 Feb 2024 | 00:56:26 | |
Air Date 2/28/2024 AI-generated deepfakes, entirely fabricated audio and video of recognizable people, are here. They have been on the horizon for years but they have finally arrived during the biggest global election year in history which may prove to be a make of break year for democracy itself as we struggle to separate fact from fiction and autocracy is on the rise around the world. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Deepfaking Democracy: Why AI Threatens News And Global Elections In 2024 - Forbes - Air Date 2-6-24 Deepfaked news segments that appear to be delivered by well-known journalists and TV networks are going viral on social media. Oftentimes, the view counts of deepfaked segments largely outnumber those of real news stories. Ch. 2: AI Deepfakes Are Everywhere and Congress is Completely Out of Their Depth - CYBER - Air Date 2-9-24 An AI-generated Biden called voters in New Hampshire ahead of the primary and told them to stay home. X locked down the search term “Taylor Swift” after AI-generated nudes of the pop giant flooded the platform. Tech giants including Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, X, OpenAI and TikTok unveiled an agreement on Friday aimed at mitigating the risk that artificial intelligence will disrupt elections in 2024. Ch. 4: Deepfake Adult Content Is a Serious and Terrifying Issue - Aperture - Air Date 5-1-23
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on even more dangers from news sites populated with AI-generated content MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Computer-generated image of a silhouetted man standing in front of a large wall-sized image of the profile of a middle-aged man with digitized lines and cracks running through it. Credit: "ai-generated-man-computer-science" by NickyPe, Pixabay | License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| Bonus Sample #292 Techno Authoritarians vs Interoperabilities | 25 Feb 2024 | 00:14:19 | |
Air Date: 2-25-24 REFERENCES: Big Tech Won’t Let You Leave. Here’s a Way Out The Great Interoperability Convergence: 2023 Year in Review
Produced by: | |||
| #1595 Pushing for Medicare For All in the Laboratories of Democracy (Throwback) | 08 Dec 2024 | 01:03:10 | |
Original Air Date: 11/29/2023 The movement for universal health care is still underway, though it rarely gets recognized in mainstream discourse. The murder of United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson is an occasion worth using to look at the progress being made to improve our system of promoting the health of all people in the United States as well as efforts to rein in the power of big Pharma that's used to gouge the American people with exorbitant prices. So, that's what we're doing. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Healthcare activist Ady Barkan has died at the age of 39 of the neurodegenerative disease ALS. His story is told in the documentary Not Going Quietly. In 2021, Democracy Now! spoke with Ady Barkan just ahead of the film’s premiere. Ch. 2: Why your health insurance is tied to work - The Weeds - Air Date 10-18-23 The wartime policy that changed health insurance forever Ch. 3: Rethinking the path to winning single payer - Code WACK! - Air Date 4-10-23 Winning Medicare for All in the U.S. may be at a standstill at the federal level, but it's a different story In the states. In 2021 alone, 18 single-payer bills were introduced in states such as Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Oregon. If Medicare Advantage, the profit-driven entity that is decidedly NOT part of REAL Medicare, could be summed up in three words, they might be: deny, deny, deny. Peter Maybarduk joins us to discuss how the new negotiation process aims to break up drug monopolies and disband the pharmaceutical industry’s profit incentive. Ch. 8: The Challenge of Caring for Our Elders - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 11-15-23 | |||
| #1613 Breathless Speculation: Biden's Baggage, Trump's Tyranny, Misleading Media, Courts and Criminality | 23 Feb 2024 | 01:01:46 | |
Air Date 2/23/2024 2024 is already shaping up to be even more of a disaster than expected. The causes for anxiety are many and varied, leaving many of us with questions. We generally try to avoid topics and commentaries that lean into the realm of pure speculation but today we decided to lean all the way in to answer your most pressing questions. What about Biden's support of Israel? What about his age? Should he be replaced at the Democratic Convention? How likely is Trump to do the horrible things he promises? And what about his court cases? Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Biden GENOCIDE COMPLICITY US Court Backs ICJ - Breaking Points - Air Date 2-1-24 Krystal and Emily discuss a US court ruling Biden may be complicit in genocide after the ICJ's ruling against Israel. Ch. 2: Moral Failure Democrats Urge Biden to Change Gaza Policy - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-21-24 "The administration needs to change course in foreign policy in the Middle East to gain the trust of people who we have lost," says California Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna. Did the media convince you that Biden is losing his touch? Thom Hartmann explains why you can’t trust this false narrative.
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the presidential age debate and what we're really voting for MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Graphic design composite featuring a large pile of red, triangular traffic attention/warning signs. Every sign has a question mark in the middle with the exception of two, which show the faces of President Biden and Donald Trump, respectively. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Composite components: “Joe Biden” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr (License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped). “The Swearing-in Ceremony of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh” via Trump White House Archive, Flickr (Public domain). “Traffic-signs-attention-right-of-way” via Pixabay (Public domain). Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| #1612 New Tech and the New Luddite Movement; Inequitable Distribution of Benefits from New Technology Always Sparks Demands from Labor and AI is Rekindling the Old Arguments | 20 Feb 2024 | 00:59:00 | |
Air Date 2/20/2024 "Luddite" should never have become the epithet that it is as the Luddites were never afraid of or opposed to technological advancement, they only opposed the exploitation of workers and the degradation to society that came with the unfair distribution of the benefits of the targeted technology. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The New Luddites - SHIFT - Air Date 2-14-24 Activists are fighting back against generative AI and reclaiming a misunderstood label in the process, says Brian Merchant in a new piece for The Atlantic. Ch. 2: Being a Luddite Is Good, Actually ft. Jathan Sadowski - Left Reckoning - Air Date 5-29-21 Jathan Sadowski (@jathansadowski) of the This Machine Kills (@machinekillspod) podcast repairs our sabotaged understanding of the legacy of the Luddites. Lauded for his groundbreaking work in reverse-engineering OpenAI's large language model, GPT-2, AI expert Connor Leahy tells Imran Garda why he is now sounding the alarm.
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the fork in the road and a look at our options References: Rethinking the Luddites in the Age of A.I. A Scottish Jewish joke - Things Fall Apart - Air Date 1-25-22 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: An 1812 block print of “The Leader of the Luddites” depicting a man in disheveled early 1800s clothing and missing one shoe leading other men up a hill while a building burns in the background. Credit: “The Leader of the Luddites”, Messrs | Working Class Movement Library catalog | 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 | |||
| Bonus Sample #291 Recommendations and Manipulations | 19 Feb 2024 | 00:12:17 | |
Air Date: 2-19-24 REFERENCES: Why Tim Cook Is Going All In on the Apple Vision Pro We’ve Forgotten How to Use Computers Have Algorithms Ruined Our Culture? How to Take Back Your Life From Algorithms
Produced by: | |||
| #1611 Higher Education: the Myths, McCarthyism, and Change Makers at a time when education is under attack for free speech, DEI and CRT but arguably needs changes to meet a changing world | 17 Feb 2024 | 01:04:04 | |
Air Date 2/17/2024 The debate over education has been derailed from the legitimate concerns of the past focused on the downfalls of No Child Left Behind and Common Core policies into a cul-de-sac of ignorance over opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion programs and the teaching of critical race theory. Not to mention the new McCarthyism that has sprung up to squash any criticism of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: How to Dismantle the Anti-DEI Machine - At Liberty Podcast - Air Date 2-9-24 Free speech on campus, book bans, education gag orders, the overturn of affirmative action, the resignation of former Harvard president Claudine Gay. All of these issues center on one hot-button topic: DEI. Author Bradford Vivian joins Emma to discuss his book Campus Misinformation: The Real Threat to Free Speech in American Higher Education. Ch. 3: Wadie Said on the New McCarthyism - CounterSpin - Air Date 12-22-23 Powerful institutions, including the media, combine a selective understanding of free expression with a vehement desire to enforce it. Sam and Emma host Jon Shelton, professor at the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay, to discuss his recent book The Education Myth: How Human Capital Trumped Social Democracy.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the tradeoffs we make when we allow culture wars to dominate the education debate Articles: The Loss of Things I Took for Granted - Slate In the Fight Over How to Teach Reading, This Guru Makes a Major Retreat - NYTimes SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of the gothic facade of a university with dark clouds overhead. Credit: "Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana", Pixabay | License | |||
| #1610 The Border, and Our Border Politics, Are a Mess - As Trump and MAGA-driven misunderstanding and panic about the nature of immigration dominates election concerns. | 14 Feb 2024 | 01:02:30 | |
Air Date 2/13/2024 The entire political system has lurched to the right on immigration as Democrats adopt the talking points of the Republicans and the MAGA Republicans put Trump's election chances over the policies they claim to support. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES MAGA Republicans have vowed to block the latest immigration reform bill, while also saying immigration is a crisis and immediate threat. Donald Trump’s influence over MAGA Republican elected officials regarding immigration is discussed Republican Chip Roy goes off on a fiery rant against his own party, explicitly calling out Donald Trump for posting false claims on Truth Social over the border deal he plotted to destroy. John Iadarola and Sharon Reed break it down on The Damage Report.
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the incentives for our politicians to fail at governing Related Articles: How Texas officials stymied nonprofits' efforts to help migrants they bused to northern cities Half of Republicans say California isn’t really American Commentary: If only Congress would listen to the CBO on immigration
SHOW IMAGE: Credit: "U.S. Border Patrol agent apprehends a group of migrants" via Picryl | License: Public Domain | |||
| #1609 The Post-Roe World is Bad But it Could Still Get Worse - Abortion Bans in the US Are Causing Widespread Suffering for Both Patients and Doctors Attempting to Navigate the New Normal | 10 Feb 2024 | 01:14:10 | |
Air Date 2/10/2024 Continuing to tell the stories of those directly impacted by abortion bans is important to demonstrate the extreme stances taken by anti-choice politicians but we also look ahead to potential ways the situation could be made even worse as well as efforts to relieve the suffering. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Texas Abortion Laws Cruel Outcomes - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 12-16-23 The results of overturning Roe have reached their awful, logical conclusion. Ch. 2: Post-Roe America 5. Culture of Silence - The Nocturnists - Air Date 10-19-23 In episode 5 of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America we talk about the culture of silence around reproductive health in medical spaces, and how breaking that silence is our only hope for reclaiming our reproductive freedom. Ch. 3: Texas Abortion Laws Cruel Outcomes Part 2 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 12-16-23 Ch. 4: Did Kate Cox Expose GOP Plan To Turn Women into Property - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-14-23 The saga of Kate Cox in Texas is making it clear to every American that GOP opposition to abortion isn’t just about abortion: it’s ultimately about controlling every aspect of women’s bodies and lives.
...
FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on addressing concerns regarding the 15-minute city concept of walkable towns TAKE ACTION! Support repro rights orgs doing vital work, such as: National Network of Abortion Funds Center for Reproductive Rights Abortion Access Legal Defense Fund Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of a protestor holding a handmade sign that reads "You can't ban abortion. You can only ban safe abortion." Credit: "Defend Abortion Rights - Maintain the Rage" by Matt Hrkac, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| #1608 Widespread Loneliness is a Solvable Social Problem - Urban Design, Architecture, Co-housing, and Community Action and Support Can Make Our Towns Better | 07 Feb 2024 | 00:59:51 | |
Air Date 2/7/2024 Loneliness is an epidemic that long-predates the COVID lockdowns that only made things worse but it's not primarily cultural or even technological in origin. The issue largely has to do with how our built environment is designed and then social and technological aspects compound the problem. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES The U.S. Surgeon General declared a new public health epidemic in America, loneliness. A new report finds loneliness can have profound effects on mental health as well as heart disease, stroke and dementia. Ch. 2: Our Loneliness Epidemic is Infrastructuralized - Studio Leonardo - Air Date 6-2-22 The infrastructure in the US is one of the main culprits for our loneliness. In this video, we deep-dive into why that is and how it has come to be this way. So, what can we do to fix this? Ch. 3: Original Barcelona video - @The Happy Urbanist TikTok - Air Date 12-15-23 Ch. 4: How cohousing can make us happier (and live longer) | Grace Kim - TED - Air Date 8-7-17 Loneliness doesn't always stem from being alone. For architect Grace Kim, loneliness is a function of how socially connected we feel to the people around us -- and it's often the result of the homes we live in. She shares an age-old antidote to isolation
....
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photograph taken from behind a woman in a dark room who is leaning out an open window. She looks out at a brick apartment building across the way. Credit: "Woman looking out the window" by Jon Eric Marababol, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC0 1.0 Universal
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
| |||
| Bonus Sample #289 A Cul-de-Sac of Ignorance | 06 Feb 2024 | 00:11:40 | |
Air Date: 2-6-24 BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the full Bonus Shows! + No Ads!) REFERENCES: Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy Can’t Escape GOP Racism Scholars worry Haley and Ramaswamy's race-blindness helps GOP advance "white supremacist worldview" Jake Tapper Confronts Nikki Haley About Saying U.S. Is Not ‘Racist’ Nikki Haley, MAGA and the Confederacy: Time to purge these myths
Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: | |||
| #1607 The Tangled, Flammable Web of War in the Middle East | 03 Feb 2024 | 00:58:41 | |
Air Date 2/3/2024 We attempt to understand as many of the interlocking elements as possible in the current Middle East conflicts sparked most prominently by the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: From Red Sea to Iran, Will Israel's Gaza Assault Spark Wider War - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-17-24 For a look at where all this is headed, we speak with journalist Spencer Ackerman, who says it's "the most dangerous moment for the Middle East" he has witnessed in over 20 years of covering war and security. Helen Lackner, author of several books on Yemen, describes the history of the Houthis, the political landscape in Yemen, and debunks the idea the group is controlled by Iran. Ch. 3: What does Iran want - The Inquiry - Air Date 1-25-24 After months of tension and hostility in the Middle East over the Gaza-Israel conflict, Iran has publicly stated its desire to avoid a regional conflict. It has however displayed its military force on several fronts. After years of attempting to pivot away from the region, the Biden administration now looks set to deepen its military involvement in the Middle East as it fights the Houthis in Yemen and squares off in an escalating proxy war with Iran. "There will be more of these attacks, for sure," says Palestinian American journalist Rami Khouri, who lays out the simmering regional conflict and questions U.S. foreign policy running counter to American opinion and strategic goals.
....... SHOW IMAGE: Description: A satellite image of the Middle East. Credit: "Satellite relief map of Middle East" by Merikanto, Wikimedia | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped | |||
| Bonus Sample #288 Make the Children Cry in Order to Save Them | 28 Jan 2024 | 00:11:57 | |
Air Date: 1-28-23 REFERENCES: Schools don't want kids on cellphones. Is banning them the solution? Birmingham head calls for ban after pupils 'in tears' when phones confiscated The Schools That Ban Smartphones I Won’t Buy My Teenagers Smartphones
Produced by: | |||
| Bonus Edition #328 The Truth Shall Set Us Free | 06 Dec 2024 | 00:22:33 | |
Sign Up or Manage Your Membership Air Date: 12-6-24 FOLLOW US ON: REFERENCES: Naomi Klein on her doppelganger (and yours) Be Like Claud Cockburn: Tell Truths to the Masses
Produced by: ugf9dzuv Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com | |||
| #1606 Biden's Barriers and Boons to Reelection | 26 Jan 2024 | 01:03:37 | |
Air Date 1/26/2024 BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES ....
| |||
| #1605 Our Prison System is a Demonstrable Failure | 23 Jan 2024 | 00:52:06 | |
Air Date 1/23/2024 The recent discovery of hundreds of bodies buried behind a jail in unmarked graves sparks a renewed discussion about the futility and counter-productiveness of our system of incarceration and the context of our history that has brought us to this point. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Related Episodes: #1313 Why Prison Abolition is not Nearly as Scary as it Sounds SHOW NOTES The discovery of 215 bodies buried in unmarked graves behind a jail outside of Jackson, Mississippi, has left a community in disbelief. The families are angry they were never notified of the deaths and how their loved ones are buried Ch. 2: The Most Infamous Jail in America - Olurinatti - Air Date 3-29-23 Bail reform is essential in the fight to close horrible pre-trial detention centers like Rikers Island. .... EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE 8 Ways You Can Advocate for Justice Reform in 2024 (Vera) Prison and Jail Reform (Brennan Center for Justice) Criminal Justice Reform (Equal Justice Initiative) Cutting Jail and Prison Populations (Brennan Center for Justice) Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photograph of the outside of Coyote Ridge Corrections Center. Barbed wire lines the fences of the entrance in front of the dark gray cement building with tinted windows. Credit: "A sagebrush sea change from behind barbed wire" by U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
| |||
| #1529 Monopolies Run By Morons (Repost) | 20 Jan 2024 | 01:10:42 | |
Original 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 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: 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 | |||
| #1604 The Border Crisis is Manufactured for Political Opportunity | 17 Jan 2024 | 01:00:22 | |
Air Date 1/17/2024 It is evident that the immigration debate is more about acquiring raw power than about immigration as demands from the Republican Party change along with whatever strategies they feel are most likely to get Republicans elected and in the age of Trump, that means the most draconian, harmful and, ultimately, pointless demands to date. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Beginning Monroe and Migration Part 1 - Under the Shadow - Air Date 1-9-24 In the second half of the episode, we meet migrants walking North toward the United States on the edge of Central America. A very real manifestation, right now, of the never-ending impact of US intervention in Latin America. As negotiations on the emergency funding request continue, we speak with Democratic Congressmember Greg Casar of Texas about how he and other lawmakers oppose “some of the worst changes to our immigration system in decades.” Ch. 3: The Migrant Crisis On The Border And The Hill - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 1-11-24 The stream of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border hit record numbers at the end of 2023. Guests: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd. Ch. 4: GOP Bets It All on the Border - What Next - Air Date 11-8-23 A partial government shutdown is just 10 days away. Ch. 5: The Beginning Monroe and Migration Part 2 - Under the Shadow - Air Date 1-9-24 Ch. 6: Trump Plans to Declare War on Who? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 1-9-24 If re-elected, will Trump dredge up an archaic 18th-century law as a de-facto anti-immigration policy? Just how far will he go…? It's very clear that we are under attack. … We have targets on our backs," says Marisa Limón Garza, executive director of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in El Paso, which is challenging the new Texas law along with other rights groups. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Fox Host Admits GOP Doesn’t Give A Sh— About Immigration - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-12-24 Laura Ingham gives the conservative game away Ch. 9: AOC Dismantles GOP Immigration Lies - The Majority Report - Air Date 9-25-23 When interviewed, AOC "...sanctions that were originally authored by Marco Rubio took a large part in the driving of populations to our southern border, shortly after those sanctions were enacted, we started seeing dramatic increases." FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on the naked power grab behind the immigration debate and Trump's long-held fascination with Hitler Bonus: Articles: House Republican Admits He’ll Kill Border Deal If It Helps Biden Donald Trump's ex-wife once said Trump kept a book of Hitler's speeches by his bed MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: A photograph taken during a "Reform Immigration March" in D.C. A man holds a homemade sign that says "Militarized Border = A Failed Policy." Other protestors in background hold American flags. Credit: "Reform Immigration March on Washington" by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, increase in contrast and brightness.
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com | |||