Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

Air Date 2/18/2025 Democracies slide into dictatorship in two ways, first slowly and then all of a sudden. We have been sliding in this direction for at least as long as I have been paying attention to politics and we're finally at the moment where that slow slide shifts into full speed. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership 20% off for the Holiday! Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: Is America Broken - The Gray Area - Air Date 2-10-25 2: Musk's 'DOGE' is spiraling U.S. into a constitutional crisis - The ReidOut - Air Date 2-7-25 3: Trump's latest target the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 2-10-25 4: Trumps American Takeover - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-1-25 5: Musk's Coup and Trump's Christian Zionist Gaza Takeover - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 2-7-25 6: Media Continues Painting Musk's Far Right Coup as Good Faith _Cost-Cutting Effort - Citations Needed - Air Date 2-5-25 7: Why Are Dems Surprised - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 2-7-25 (55:58) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the long slide to dictatorship Clip: O'Connor Decries Republican Attacks on Courts - NPR DEEPER DIVES (1:03:06) SECTION A: GOVERNMENT AGENCIES (1:29:34) SECTION B: CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS (2:00:04) SECTION C: THE PLAYBOOK (2:22:46) SECTION D: WHAT TO DO SHOW IMAGE Composite image of the US Capitol building, surrounded by symbols of justice, treasury, international aid, and education, with a large brick smashing into the center with the acronym "MAGA" on the end. Credit: Composite images from Pixabay | License: Pixabay

Air Date: 2-16-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Why we may be forced to bring back bullying - The impact of algorithms and what we can do about it - Democrats and the meaning of 'the medium is the message' - The unbelievable stupidity of techbro dweebs and their followers - The sociopathic reasons why Musk is doing this Not a member? BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: The Algorithmic Cage The Big Tech Takeover of American Politics I knew one day I'd have to watch powerful men burn the world down – I just didn't expect them to be such losers Remedial Civics for Tech Bros (Middle article) Why Is Elon Musk So Hell-Bent on Bulldozing the Government? Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 5 Calls app Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Original Air Date: 8/4/2015 The dysfunctional state of the US immigration system and the political fight brewing over what to do about it Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Show Notes Act 1: Coming Out As An Undocumented Immigrant - Latino Voices - AJ+ (@ajplus) - Air Date: 03-20-15 Act 2: Donald Trump WRONG About 'Immigrant Crime' - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 07-08-15 Act 3: Scott Walker Now Bashing Any and All Immigrants - @majorityfm - Air Date: 04-22-15 Act 4: La Raza Annual Conference Will Be Skipped By EVERY 2016 Republican Candidate - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 07-12-15 Act 5: 'OITNB' actress (@dianeguerrero__) speaks out about family's deportation - CNN - Air Date: 11-17-14 Act 6: Mass Graves of Immigrants Found in Texas, But State Says No Laws Were Broken - @democracynow - Air Date: 07-16-15 Act 7: Did You Know Jesus Was Against Immigration? - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 07-16-15 Act 8: Hold Border Patrol Responsible via @ACLU — Best of the Left Activism Act 9: Let Them All In? How Immigration Can Help the Economy - @LearnLiberty - Air Date: 01-13-15 Act 10: The Migrant Manifesto by Musa Okwonga (@Okwonga) - @migrants_rights Network - Air Date: 11-26-12 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 2/11/2025 The very rich, as has been noted before, are not on the side of regular people. And even if you think that the federal government needs a major reboot, no one but the ultra-wealthy are going to be happy with what they build in the aftermath of the administrative coup currently underway. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! ACTIVISM ROUNDUP KEY POINTS KP 1: How Oligarchs Took Over The World - Double Down News - Air Date 1-9-25 KP 2: Is Elon Musk Staging a Coup? Unelected Billionaire Seizes Control at Treasury Dept. & Other Agencies - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-3-25 KP 3: The Oligarchy's Power is Waking America Up - Velshi - Air Date 1-27-25 KP 4: DARK GOTHIC MAGA: How Tech Billionaires Plan to Destroy America Part 1 - Blonde Politics | The Silly Serious - Air Date 11-13-24 KP 5: Why the Tech Bros Allied with Trump - Zeteo - Air Date 2-2-25 KP 6: President Trump and the Power of the Purse - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 2-5-25 (51:21) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the dream of the accelerationists DEEPER DIVES (56:16) SECTION A: HISTORICAL CONTEXT (1:40:21) SECTION B: GOVERNMENT DESTRUCTION (2:25:04) SECTION C: THE BROS SHOW IMAGE Description: A composite image showing a wrecking ball - with Elon Musk's face on it - smashes a white wall. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Image sourced from Pixabay. | License: Pixabay Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected]

Air Date: 2-10-25 Today, Jay! and Amanda (Deon and Erin were sick) discuss: - Why you should be using an RSS reader - The danger of Mystification as humans try to cope - Musk and Trump's flagrant law breaking - What Dems and you can do, with some tips from our own experience FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: You should be using an RSS reader Doppelgänger by Naomi Klein Q & A: Jared Yates Sexton on the 'Weaponized Abuse' of Authoritarianism Brian Schatz on How Democrats Can 'Start Kicking Ass Again' All the ways Elon Musk is breaking the law, explained by a law professor Five Things Dems Must Do to Fight Trump Now Find your Indivisible group - or start one: Indivisble.org Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 5 Calls app: https://5calls.org/ Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 2/7/2025 Trump came in with a plan to subdue the media and large swaths of the media came in with a plan to acquiesce. But it's important to understand why because it's not a conspiracy or people wanting to do harm, it's structural to the system. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Revenge- Trump throws lawsuits at the media and demands compliance - The ReidOut w Joy Reid - Air Date 12-17-24 KP 2: Fox News is Back at the White House. Plus, No Joke, The Onion Buys Infowars. - On the Media - Air Date 11-15-24 KP 3: Trump SECRET Meeting with Media before Payoff EXPOSED - The MeidasTouch Podcast - Air Date 12-16-24 KP 4: Mickey Huff The Mainstream Media is [CENSORED] - The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow - Air Date 1-11-25 KP 5: Why Is Mainstream Media Still So Bad At This - The Majority Report - Air Date 2-2-25 KP 6: Public Broadcasting Is In Danger (Again) - On the Media - Air Date 1-10-25 KP 7: Attention pays (with Chris Hayes) - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 1-27-25 KP 8: Jim Acosta's powerful last words as he leaves CNN- -It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant - Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 1-28-25 KP 9: Fox News is Back at the White House. Plus, No Joke, The Onion Buys Infowars. Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 11-15-24 (53:40) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the liberatory power of the humble RSS feed reader DEEPER DIVES (1:00:23) SECTION A: MONEY (1:20:46) SECTION B: ATTENTION (1:34:24) SECTION C: FREE PRESS SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of a TV in a living room with a Breaking News graphic. A person can be partially seen sitting on the couch eating a bowl of popcorn in their lap. Credit: "Breaking news journalism press" by Tumisu, Pixabay | License: Pixabay

Air Date 2/4/2025 The era of unquestioned US hegemony is undoubtedly on the decline but the future is much more complicated and uncertain than the straightforward idea of China rising to take our place that we've been told. Though Trump is not the cause of US decline, he may send us out in a tragic blaze of glory. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Things Fall Apart - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 1-28-25 KP 2: The end of America's global dominance Part 1 - The New Statesman - Air Date 1-8-25 KP 3: Will France and Germany's woes affect the rest of Europe? | Counting the Cost - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 12-12-24 KP 4: Putin faces 'economic dilemma' amid Trump sanctions threats | World in 10 - Times Radio - Air Date 1-25-25 KP 5: Goodnight, Pax Americana: Neoliberalism and the decline of the US Empire w/ Radhika Desai Part 1 - The Red Nation Podcast - Air Date 9-22-23 KP 6: Yanis Varoufakis on Cloud Capital vs AI: DeepSeek, Technofeudalism, Capitalism and the New Cold War - DiEM25 - Air Date 1-26-24 (46:57) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On soft landings vs crash landings DEEPER DIVES (52:56) SECTION A: AMERICAN DECLINE (1:26:09) SECTION B: CHINA (1:49:01) SECTION C: RUSSIA (2:15:18) SECTION D: FRANCE (2:35:47) SECTION E: CORPORATE CONTROL (2:59:56) SECTION F: WHAT COMES NEXT SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite image of a crystal ball with Earth floating in its center and a white question mark on top of it. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Images from Pixabay. | License: Pixabay Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Air Date: 2-2-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: - How the resistance is transforming, not over - What actually worked when resisting Trump's first term - A curation of good advice on being effective and staying sane this time around FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: Goodbye, 'Resistance.' The Era of Hyperpolitics Is Over. How to Take Heart From What Really Worked in the First Resistance The Authoritarian Regime Survival Guide, VerfBlog Here's What You Can Do to Keep Democracy Alive During Trump's Second Term Trump Will Overplay His Hand. Here's How to Be Ready. A Message From the Future With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 1/31/2025 The genocide and subsequent ceasefire in Gaza is only the latest horrifying consequence of botched military misadventures in the Middle East and if the history of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons can teach us anything it's that atrocities have long shadows. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Gaza Ceasefire Explained Reading Between The Lines - The Socialist Program - Air Date 1-16-25 KP 2: The Ceasefire in Gaza w Mohammad Alsaafin - American Prestige - Air Date 1-19-25 KP 3: Trump's Middle East Plans w Mouin Rabbani - Behind the News - Air Date 1-23-25 KP 4: On the Situation in Syria and its Implications for the Region - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 1-6-25 KP 5: Katherine Gallagher on Abu Ghraib Verdict - CounterSpin - Air Date 11-29-24 KP 6: Trump's Middle East Plans w Mouin Rabbani Part 2 - Behind the News - Air Date 1-23-25 KP 7: Egypt, Jordan Reject Trump Plan to Clean Out Gaza; Palestinians Return to N. Gaza in Historic Day - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-27-25 KP 8: Gaza Ceasefire Explained Reading Between The Lines Part 2 - The Socialist Program - Air Date 1-16-25 (51:16) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the echos of atrocities DEEPER DIVES (1:02:15) SECTION A: THE DEAL (1:24:41) SECTION B: CEASEFIRE POLITICS (1:46:00) SECTION C: THE EMPIRE (2:28:35) SECTION D: NOW WHAT? SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of Palestinians walking through a street of rubble and debris with collapsed buildings on either side. Credit: "Damage in Gaza Strip during the October 2023 - 27" by WAFA, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC-SA 3.0 | Changes: Cropped Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Air Date 1/28/2025 The existence of out-of-control wildfires in Los Angeles amid the rising climate crisis is not confusing or strange. How to deal with such an emergency during our ongoing political and information crisis is a completely different story. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Untold Stories of L.A. Fires: Incarcerated Firefighters, Black Altadena & Octavia Butler's Warning - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-13-25 KP 2: Water Wars - Sustainable Minimalists - Air Date 12-14-23 KP 3: Climate Scientist Debunks L.A. Wildfire Myths with Dr. Daniel Swain - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 1-19-25 KP 4: Wildfire Conspiracies And Reinvigorating Black Male Voters with Mondale Robinson & Trae Crowder (Ep 263) Part 1- The Bitchuation Room - Air Date 1-15-25 KP 5: The Politics of Fire - The Keith Boykins Channel - Air Date 1-12-25 KP 6: Fires, Liars, and Oligarchy Rising; Garland nixes execution drug - The Bradcast - Air Date 1-16-25 (47:06) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why progressive visions are interconnected DEEPER DIVES (55:26) SECTION A: WATER (1:18:36) SECTION B: INSURANCE (1:38:09) SECTION C: POLITICAL FAILURE (2:21:29) SECTION D: CLIMATE SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of downtown Los Angeles at night with the Pacific Palisades fire burning on the mountains in the background. Credit: "Palisades Fire from downtown" by Toastt21, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped, time stamp in lower right corner removed Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Air Date: 1-26-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: - The mindset of collaborators - Why many people turn inward and drop out - at their own risk - under authoritarianism - The nature of true dissidents and what we can learn from them FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: History Will Judge the Complicit The Desire to Turn Inward Is a Delusion How to Keep Your Moral Compass Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Original Air Date: 3/7/2017 Today we look at the dangerous myths of individualism and the American Dream™, some of their origins and some of their consequences Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes ​Show Notes Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill Act 1: Cultural influences on our perspective of self w/Gish Jen - Think Again - Air Date 3-4-17 Act 2: You are not as free as you think you are w/Raoul Martinez - @thisishellradio - Air Date 2-24-17 Act 3: Individualism in the prosperity gospel brand of Christianity - Ideas from CBC - Air Date 1-8-17 Act 4: The Cold War propaganda of anti-collectivism w/Gish Jen - Think Again - Air Date 3-4-17 Act 5: The myths of the autonomous individual and free markets w/Raoul Martinez - @thisishellradio - Air Date 2-24-17 Act 6: Training is all that matters - A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain Act 7: An ignorance of history bolsters acceptance of anti-regulation individualism - You are not so smart - Air Date 2-24-17 Act 8: The Dangerous Myth of the American Dream w/Raoul Martinez - @thisishellradio - Air Date 2-24-17 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 1/21/2025 Decades ago, the conscious decision was made to exacerbate inequality for the sake of economic growth that would supposedly lift all boats. What probably wasn't understood at the time is that the logical conclusion of that choice would be to break democracy and usher in oligarchy. Now working people are left with only bad choices and empty promises. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Workers Without a Party - Confronting Capitalism - Air Date 12-11-24 KP 2: Democrats Bungled The 2024 Election WAY Worse Than We Thought - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-8-25 KP 3: The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order (with Gary Gerstle) - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 1-14-25 KP 4: How Democrats Can Win Back The Working Class - Lever Time - Air Date 11-8-24 KP 5: Why Elites Love Identity Politics - Confronting Capitalism - Air Date 1-1-25 KP 6: The failures of liberals and the Left have helped Trump's rise - The Marc Steiner Show - Air Date 10-30-24 KP 7: Democratic Dealignment w Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor - The Dig - Air Date 11-9-24 KP 8: Why Elites Love Identity Politics Part 2 - Confronting Capitalism - Air Date 1-1-25 (54:01) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the path Democrats have charted DEEPER DIVES (1:02:38) SECTION A: PARTY RECKONING (1:23:40) SECTION B: NEOLIBERAL STRANGLEHOLD (1:39:24) SECTION C: CROSSED WIRES (2:08:27) SECTION D: SOLUTIONS SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite image of multi-colored people outlines crossing over each other with arrows in the background pointing two different directions. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman, Images from Pixabay | License: Pixabay Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!

Air Date: 1-20-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: - Our new show name! - Getting over hurdles to find and form local community as a form of resistance and preparation - The study groups teachers are forming to teach and learn real history - How Citizen Assemblies could transform American politics for the better FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: A New Year's resolution for an Uncertain Future (The New Republic) Teachers Turn to Study Groups for Anti-Racist Learning as History is Whitewashed (TruthOut) What Could Citizens' Assemblies Do for American Politics? (The New Yorker) Join our Discord Server 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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 1/18/2025 We are looking back on Jimmy Carter's life and legacy as a lens through which to more clearly see and understand the current state of our politics, our incoming president, the Middle East, the climate, and more. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Jimmy Carter Part 1 - Past Present - Air Date 2-28-23 KP 2: From the Archives: Former President Jimmy Carter on Women's Rights, Religion and Power - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 12-30-24 KP 3: Jimmy Carter's "Decency & Humanity" Came with Deadly U.S. Policies in Latin America_ Greg Grandin - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-7-25 KP 4: The Faith of Jimmy Carter - Facepalm America - Air Date 4-12-23 KP 5: The Jimmy Carter Cudgel & Preparing for Mass Deportations with Gabriel Salguero - Holy Post - Air Date 1-8-25 KP 6: When Carter called out America - Today, Explained - Air Date 12-30-24 (46:27) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the supposed desire for truth DEEPER DIVES (52:22) SECTION A: HISTORICAL CONTEXT (1:33:23) SECTION B: FOREIGN POLICY (2:07:22) SECTION C: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM (2:25:30) SECTION D: REPUBLICAN RATFUCKING SHOW IMAGE Description: Black and white photo of President Jimmy Carter in front of the White House in 1977. Credit: "President Jimmy Carter and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat at the White House, Washington, D.C." by Marion S. Trikosko, Library of Congress | License: Public Domain Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Air Date 1/15/2025 Elon Musk is leading the way for his class of tech broligarchs anxious to take over the MAGA movement and shape it to their own ends of deregulation, tax cuts, and lucrative government contracts. The disappointment that is inevitable for the MAGA populists is coming even faster than expected. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership, Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The long con of America's ultra-wealthy elites - The ReidOut - Air Date 1-2-25 KP 2: Crack-Up Capitalism- How Billionaire Elon Musk's Extremism Is Shaping Trump Admin & Global Politics - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-6-24 KP 3: GOP Already At Each Other's Throats While Musk Gloats - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-24-24 KP 4: MAGA civil war explodes between Elon & Trump faithful - No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 12-29-24 KP 5: Elon & Vivek's H1-B Crash Out - Bad Faith - Air Date 1-2-25 KP 6: Our Moment is Approaching - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-31-24 KP 7: Weekly Roundup Jimmy Carter vs Elon Musk - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 1-3-25 KP 8: The Oligarch Class - Left Anchor - Air Date 1-3-25 (55:27) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the rehashing of the anti-democratic argument for extreme wealth for the benefit of humanity DEEPER DIVES (1:07:40) SECTION A: OLIGARCHS (1:35:23) SECTION B: THE MAGA FRACTURE (1:51:04) SECTION C: GLOBAL INFLUENCE (2:21:44) SECTION D: ORGANIZING

Air Date: 1/11/2025 Today, we look back to the warnings we gave ourselves at the beginning of the first Trump administration. In 2017 there was concern about corruption and his business dealings, ethics around his nominees, and the inability of the media to cover him properly. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: What should Trump do to resolve his conflicts of interest? - @DecodeDC - Air Date 1-11-17 KP 2: SHOCKING: The GOP Doesn't Care That the Office of Govt. Ethics Can't Fully Vet Trump Nominees - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 01-10-17 KP 3: Zephyr Teachout on Trump and the emoluments clause - Amicus from @Slate - Air Date 12-24-16 KP 4: Trump's team exhibits classic abuser behavior - Bradcast from @TheBradBlog - Air Date 1-23-17 KP 5: We Need To Talk About That Donald Trump Press Conference - Jay Smooth (@jsmooth995) - Air Date 1-12-17 KP 6: A Taxonomy of Trump Tweets - On the Media - Air Date 1-13-17 KP 7: Masha Gessen on the rules for surviving autocracy - Trumpcast from @Slate - Air Date 11-14-16 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected]

Air Date 1/8/2025 Trump's first term was marked by all of the friendships he built with some of the world's worst, most oppressive leaders. His second term is getting an early start as he has begun making threats toward traditional allies and friends including Canada, Mexico, Greenland, and Panama. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Make US imperialism great again: Trump threatens to colonize Panama, Canada, Greenland, Mexico - Geopolitical Economy Report - Air Date 12-27-24 KP 2: Donald Trump's New Manifest Destiny - WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch - Part 1 - Air Date 12-26-24 KP 3: Why Elon Musk interferes in politics around the world - DW News - Air Date 1-3-25 KP 4: Is Musk Flirting With Fascism? - Politics unpacked - Air Date 1-3-24 KP 5: Imperialist Fantasy: Historian Greg Grandin on Trump Threat to Retake Panama Canal, Invade Mexico - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-27-24 KP 6: The Weekender: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Destruction Part 1 - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-27-24 (49:09) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the baby-brained ideas of the far right DEEPER DIVES (54:40) SECTION A: PANAMA (1:16:10) SECTION B: MANIFEST DESTINY (1:35:47) SECTION C: MUSK (1:48:38) SECTION D: TRUMP 2.0 SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite image of a vector drawing of a confused-looking Trump leaning on a podium with a globe and dice being rolled. A risk dial is on the front of the podium showing an increasing threat level. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman | Images from Pixabay | License: Pixabay Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Air Date: 1-6-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: - Why people love villains - How plutocracy kills - Why the path forward is through membership organizations FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: The Year Villainy Won Plutocracy Kills Democracy Is Not a Customer Loyalty Program Join our Discord Server 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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 1/4/2025 The murder of a health insurance CEO being met with widespread approval and the risk of going backward on life-saving vaccines pretty much sums up the current state of our approach to health care in this country. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Weekly Roundup Luigi Mangione and the End of Civilization - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 12-13-24 KP 2: You Don't Actually Need to Condemn the Murder of the CEO Guy - Serious Inquiries Only - Air Date 12-12-24 KP 3: The Dark History Behind RFK Jr.'s Health Policies - The Majority Report - Air Date 12-11-24 KP 4: Vaccine skepticism Will the new Trump admin axe the polio vaccine - The ReidOut - Air Date 12-13-24 KP 5: Weekly Roundup Luigi Mangione and the End of Civilization Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 12-13-24 KP 6: The Health Care Crisis Is The Democracy Crisis - The Lever - Air Date 12-17-24 (48:31) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the racist history of opposing universal health care DEEPER DIVES (53:28) SECTION A - RFK Jr. (1:07:08) SECTION B - Luigi Mangione (1:22:43) SECTION C - United Health Care (1:41:01) SECTION D - Health Care History SHOW IMAGE Description: A cropped photo of two people holding a handmade sign that says "Healthcare for people NOT for profit!" Credit: "Demand SINGLE PAYER Expanded & Improved Medicare for All HR 676 Now Protest" by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Original Air Date: 4/19/2023 Today, we take a look at the history and present of the interconnected movements to privatize education and dismantle democracy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership 20% off for the Holiday! Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Segrenomics: The Long History of Cashing In On Unequal Education - Have You Heard - Air Date 1-3-18 Ch. 2: Democracy and Public Education: A Future in Peril - Have You Heard - Air Date 8-12-21 Ch. 3: The Hidden Agenda of Privatization with Jessica Piper (pt.1) - Teach Me, Teacher - Air Date 10-31-21 Ch. 4: Betsy DeVos Is Still Making Moves to Destroy Public Schools - The New Abnormal - Air Date 4-1-23 Ch. 5: The Surprising History Behind Charter Schools - WBUR - Air Date 11-4-16 Ch. 6: The Segrenomics of American Education w/ Dr. Noliwe Rooks - Human Restoration Project - Air Date 2-11-23 Ch. 7: The War on Public Education Is Escalating – with Jennifer Berkshire - Is This Democracy - Air Date 3-16-23 Ch. 8: Diane Ravitch on Pandemic School Privatization - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-22-20 Ch. 9: Racism-High-Stakes Disaster Education | Dr. Ricardo Rosa - TEDxCCSU - Air Date 11-24-15 Ch. 10: The Secret Power of Homeschoolers - VICE NEWS - Air Date 10-12-22 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 12/28/2024 Decades of dictatorial rule in Syria have come to an end, leading to something else to be determined. Israel sprang into action taking control of Syrian land on their border. And no one seems to care what the US thinks of all this, which is telling. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership 20% off for the Holiday! Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Assad Ousted From Syria - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-10-24 KP 2: Assad downfall: Is the Arab Spring back from the dead? - Middle East Eye - Air Date 12-14-24 KP 3: Syria's Transition, Biden Migrant Detention Facilities Part 1 - American Prestige - Air Date 12-13-24 KP 4: Why is Israel bombing Syria? - The Take - Air Date 12-17-24 KP 5: "Lawless": Marwan Bishara on Israel Bombing Syria 800 Times & Expanding Occupation of Golan Heights - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-16-24 KP 6: Syria: Western Hypocrisy, Israeli Expansion & The Fall of Assad - Double Down News - Air Date 12-20-24 (53:44) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On closing out the year DEEPER DIVES (56:35) SECTION A - THE SYRIAN PEOPLE (1:38:56) SECTION B - ISRAEL (2:03:38) SECTION C - HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND THE PROXY WAR SHOW IMAGE Description: The sun shining through a Syrian flag flying in the breeze against a clear sky. Credit: "Close up of Syrian flag" by Ahmed akasha, Pexels | License: Pexels Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Original Air Date: 6/13/2023 Today, we take a look at the struggle to act ethically, at least by our own measure if there's not a universally-agreed standard to compare with, relating to the purchase of both the necessities of life we all need as well as the more luxury items that get added on top. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership 20% off for the Holiday! Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: No ethical consumption under capitalism: short deep dive - @professor_neil - Air Date 4-13-23 Ch. 2: Hasan and The Left's Paradoxical Relationship with Consumer Capitalism - The Kavernacle - Air Date 5-26-23 Ch. 3: "Separating Art vs. the Artist" doesn't work for Harry Potter - Kuncan Dastner - Air Date 4-14-22 Ch. 4: There are many forms of ethical consumption under capitalism, you just have to understand ethics - poppysaw - Air Date 2-11-23 Ch. 5: Ethical Consumption - Pullback - Air Date 3-7-23 Ch. 6: The moral philosophy of The Good Place (with Mike Schur and Pamela Hieronymi) - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 12-9-19 Ch. 7: Ethical Capitalism: Is It Possible? - Wise Crack - Air Date 7-19-21 Ch. 8: Ethical Behavior in Modern Society – Can We Still Get Into The Good Place? - Like Stories of Old - Air Date 4-30-19 Ch. 9: Conscious Consumerism: Does it make a difference - Roundtable - Air Date 7-10-19 Ch. 10: "No Ethical Consumption" is Not License for Nihilism & Hedonism. So What Is It? (Hausfrau Friday) Parkrose Permaculture - Air Date 6-3-22 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

LOOKING FOR HOLIDAY GIFTS? bestoftheleft.com/holiday Air Date: 12-23-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin was again missed) discuss: - The Realignment of the right-wing toward economic populism and government programs - The need for a different kind of government efficiency than DOGE is offering - The future of the left working to fix government FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: The New Pro-Life Playbook - The New Yorker The American People Deserve DOGE - The Atlantic In This House, We're Angry When Government Fails - The New York Times Join our Discord Server 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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 12/20/2024 There's no denying that things are about to get bad, Trump and company have had years to prepare for their next turn in office, but those preparing to resist also have the benefit of past experience resulting in a response to Trumpism that looks very different this time around. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership 20% off for the Holiday! Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The Shallow, Power-Flattering Appeal of High Status #Resistance Historians - Citations Needed - Air Date 12-3-24 KP 2: Can Trump Really End Birthright Citizenship? - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 12-12-24 KP 3: Rep. Delia Ramirez- Trump's Immigration Plans Are -Un-American, Unconstitutional & Undemocratic - Democracy Now! - Air Table 12-11-24 KP 4: Can Trump Really End Birthright Citizenship? Part 2 - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 12-12-24 KP 5: Centrists Signal Capitulation After Trump's Victory - The Majority Report - Air Date 12-16-24 KP 6: Trumps Rage at FBI Takes Dark Turn as GOPers Signal They Wont Resist - The Daily Blast - Air Date 12-13-24 (53:43) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the importance of scheduled maintenance for democracy Reference article: Reviving the American Tradition of Fusion Voting DEEPER DIVES (1:00:59) SECTION A - IMMIGRATION INTIMIDATION (1:19:46) SECTION B - BENDING THE KNEE (1:40:16) SECTION C - RESISTANCE SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite image of Trump with his arm out admiring a lit match in his hand in front of a burning U.S. Constitution. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman using multiple images from Pixabay | License: Pixabay

Air Date 12/17/2024 Changing the direction of a political party doesn't happen overnight and it usually takes a major disrupting event to shake it out of its well-wore groove. The loss of the Harris campaign to Trump and the evident desperation people have for a new economics that works for people might finally be enough to put Democrats on track to a more full-throated support of economic populism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership 20% off for the Holiday! Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Jon Stewart On What Went Wrong For Democrats - The Daily Show - Air Date 11-11-24 KP 2: The Democratic Party Is A Rudderless Ship - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 11-21-24 KP 3: 'BERNIE WAS RIGHT!': Corporate Democrat ADMITS DEFEAT - The Kyle Kulinski Show - Air Date 11-18-24 KP 4: Assad Ousted From Syria - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-10-24 KP 5: Can Ben Wikler Fix The Democratic Party? - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 12-4-24 KP 6: "Get These Incels to Work" (feat. Hasan Piker) Part 1 - Pod Save America - Air Date 11-27-24 (49:33) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the Democrats perception gap and Ben Wikler for the DNC DEEPER DIVES (1:00:11) SECTION A - WHY DEMOCRATS LOST (1:32:40) SECTION B - TIME TO FIGHT (1:56:05) SECTION C - MOVING FORWARD SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of billionaire Mark Cuban speaking into a microphone at a Harris Walz campaign event. Credit: "Mark Cuban" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Give the gift of membership! (Standard or Patreon) Air Date: 12-15-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin was missed) discuss: - Why many people want a village, but most don't act like they do - Some proposed solutions to loneliness and building community - How politicians on both sides lack vision on how to improve peoples lives FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: I'm Starting to Think You Guys Don't Really Want a "Village" Stephanie Harrison - The New Happy: To build the communities that we long for, we must change our worldview Stephanie Harrison - The New Happy: How to stop being lonely Americans Are Hoarding Their Friends On Family Policy, Neither Party Has a Vision of the Good Life Join our Discord Server 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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

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 [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Fight Trump With Everything You Have! Shocking Warning From Hungarian Democracy Movement - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 11-25-24 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 4: What Pete Hegseth Has Said About Civil War and Whiteness - Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast - Air Date 11-27-24 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. Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Air Date: 12-12-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - What the orcas are up to - Confronting the truth about eating meat - How to not let grief destroy leftist movements - Living a better life by accepting our own mortality FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: Confessions of a Former Carnivore For Our Movements to Win, We Must Learn How Not to Let Our Grief Destroy Us You Are Going to Die Join our Discord Server 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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

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 [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Membership 20% off for the Holiday! Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Send the Gift of Membership! (Or on Patreon) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The Tragic Optimist's Guide to Surviving Capitalistic Nihilism - Dasia Sade Part 1 - Air Date 11-29-24 KP 2: Where Do We Go From Here? Featuring Kali Akuno - Millennials Are Killing Capitalism - Air Date 11-10-24 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 KP 6: The Tragic Optimist's Guide to Surviving Capitalistic Nihilism - Dasia Sade Part 2 - Air Date 11-29-24 (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 A2: The Quest for the Offline Left with Cecilia Guerrero: Organizing the South - Fucking Cancelled - Air Date 11-3-24 (1:11:16) SECTION B - COPING MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) uxnpfz6i Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

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 [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Healthcare Activist Ady Barkan Dies of ALS; Watch His 2021 Interview on Demanding Medicare for All - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-27-23 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. Ch. 4: How Can This Predatory Exploitation Be Considered Health Care - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 11-15-23 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. Ch. 5: Biden vs. Big Pharma Medicare to Begin Negotiations to Lower Price of 10 Costly Drugs & Insulin - Democracy Now! - Air Date 8-30-23 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. 6: Inequality Undermines Health & Healthcare in the U.S. - Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 11-14-23 Ch. 7: Big Pharma Explained Why Are Meds So Expensive [& The Solution] - The Laura Flanders Show - Air Date 6-12-23 Ch. 8: The Challenge of Caring for Our Elders - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 11-15-23

Sign Up or Manage Your Membership Air Date: 12-6-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The political origins of SimCity and how capitalism warps our choices - A new video game offering a very different vision of societal management - Naomi Klein's insights on the Left's missteps responding to the Mirror World - Applying cynicism and skepticism in moderation FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bestoftheleft.bsky.social Mastadon: https://mastodon.social/@[email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bestoftheleft/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BestOfTheLeft/ Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: SimCity Isn't a Model of Reality. It's a Libertarian Toy Land Build-a-Brrr Naomi Klein on her doppelganger (and yours) Be Like Claud Cockburn: Tell Truths to the Masses Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! ugf9dzuv Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 12/3/2024 At a time when there are very legitimate concerns about men's place in society, the Manosphere has stepped in to fill the gap in the cultural discussion to give an answer, not a good answer but an answer, to young men about modern masculinity which included a strong push to vote Trump. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The Role of the Press in This Moment with Matt Pearce - Why Is This Happening - Air Date 11-19-24 KP 2: The #MenToo Election Catholics, Latinos, and the Manosphere - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 11-11-24 KP 3: Inside Elon's Twitter Takeover with Ryan Mac and Kate Conger - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 11-13-24 KP 4: The #MenToo Election Catholics, Latinos, and the Manosphere Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 11-11-24 KP 5: Make America Male Again Fifteen years of aggrieved men - It's Been a Minute - Air Date 11-19-24 KP 6: Misinformation, Disinformation, Malinformation ( Feat Esosa Osa)- Gettin' Grown - Air Date 11-12-24 KP 7: How the Fediverse can make social fun again - WordPress - Air Date 8-12-24 (56:23) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the slow process of fixing our broken internet DEEPER DIVES (1:02:00) SECTION A - MEDIA LANDSCAPE (1:22:06) SECTION B - MEN ARE NOT OKAY (1:52:03) SECTION C - WHAT WE CAN DO SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of the back of a young man standing on a subway platform putting headphones on as a silver train whizzes past. Credit: "People guy man sound music" by StockSnap, Pixabay | License: Pixabay Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Air Date 11/29/2024 Today's episode is a remix of a 5-part series of episodes we did several years ago about telling native stories beyond what the US tends to share about its history. The series stretched all the way from Columbus to modern day and today we're sharing the highlights reel of what stuck out to us looking back. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! Ch 1: Historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz on Thanksgiving: "It Has Never Been About Honoring Native Americans" - @DemocracyNow - Air Date: 11-29-16 Ch 2: American expansion and violence against Native Americans - @BackStory - Air Date: 01-19-2018 Ch 3: The legal structures that uphold violence against Indigenous people #MMIW - Let's Talk Native... with John Kane - Air Date 2-14-19 Ch 4: Doctrine of Christian Discovery Part 1 - Let's Talk Native - Air Date 3-18-19 Ch 5: Beyond Tragedy: The Living History of Native America - Ideas from CBC Radio - Air Date 2-20-19 Ch 6: Hawaiian Indigeneity and the theft of Aloha with W. Gerry Ebalaroza - Breakdances With Wolves - Air Date 8-21-18 Ch 7: Confederacy Inc. Donald Trump, Racist Police, and the Whitewashing of History Part 1 - Intercepted with Jeremy Scahill - Air Date 7-1-20 Ch 8: Indigenous historian Nick Estes discusses the trivializing of native people - @Intercepted w @JeremyScahill - Air Date 10-23-18 Ch 9: Sexual Violence and Native American Genocide - @Making_Contact - Air Date 11-26-13 Ch 10: 'Reel' Indians and the invention of Hollywood Indian English - Backstory - Air Date 11-22-14 Ch 11: The moral narratives of colonization as relates to the Western Frontier and Israel - Citations Needed (@CitationsPod) - Air Date 8-22-17 Ch 12: Confederacy Inc. Donald Trump, Racist Police, and the Whitewashing of History Part 2 - Intercepted with Jeremy Scahill - Air Date 7-1-20 Ch 13: What we inherit: Explaining intergenerational trauma - Code Switch - Air Date 6-6-18 MORE CLIPS IN FULL SHOW NOTES Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Air Date 11/26/2024 In a world of infinite information but a finite amount of time to check your facts, we're living the logical conclusion of an online environment that favors false information over truth and the most popular online media reflects that reality perfectly. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Aaron Rodgers moment perfectly sums up how fake information spreads - All In with Chris Hayes - 11-14-24 KP 2: Why is everyone suddenly an expert? (Even when they're not) - The Bunker - Air Date 5-20-24 KP 3: How Right-Wing Media Took Over America Part 1 - Why America? with Leeja Miller - Air Date 11-18-24 KP 4: The Manosphere Celebrates a Win. Plus, M. Gessen on How to Survive an Autocracy - On The Media - Air Date 11-8-24 KP 5: We DON'T need a LEFTIST Joe Rogan - The Kavernacle - Air Date 11-14-24 KP 6: Stop Having an "Open Mind" - Breaking In The Habit - Air Date 5-31-24 KP 7: Birds Aren't Real? How a Conspiracy Takes Flight | Peter McIndoe - TED - Air Date 9-13-23 (49:25) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the nature of skepticism and open-mindedness DEEPER DIVES (55:48) SECTION A - THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE AND THE MEDIA (1:27:00) SECTION B - TRUST AND BELIEF (1:53:40) SECTION C - CENTRISM (2:23:47) SECTION D - ROOTS SHOW IMAGE Description: A graphic depicting a silhouette of the Thinking Man statue with a chaotic swarm of letters coming from the top of his head. The word "Heterodoxy" is written along the curve of his back. Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman | "thinker words thoughts mind white" image by Convegni_Ancisa via Pixabay (Pixabay license) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X

Air Date: 11-24-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Erin discuss: - A few sort of fun-ish news things because it's very necessary right now - A clear-eyed but concise take on why people voted the way they did - Why the hard right political philosophy and their lies are catching on, and what the left can do to stop the appeal FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: Here's Why I Decided To Buy 'InfoWars' Alex Jones Is Trying to Halt the Sale of Infowars. Elon Musk's X Just Got Involved in the Case. American Kakistocracy Yes, Trump's Defense Secretary Pick Pete Hegseth Once Said 'Germs Are Not a Real Thing' Americans Didn't Vote for What Donald Trump is About to Give Them A Modest Proposal: Let Trump Be Trump Steve Bannon Has Called His "Army" to Do Battle—No Matter Who Wins in November Join our Discord Server 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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 11/20/2024 We're in the phase where prejudice still exists but it has become socially unacceptable to openly express it - but to deny the impact on our politics just because people don't admit to their prejudice would be to completely misunderstand the nature of the issue. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The Racism of MAGA Is as American as Apple Pie Nina Turner on Trump & 2024 Election - Democracy Now! - Air Date 10-31-24 KP 2: Some Americans Are Already Living in Trump's Purge - The New Abnormal - Air Date 10-1-24 KP 3: Why You Shouldn't Buy the Election Narrative About Black Men - Reveal - Air Date 10-23-24 KP 4: Trumps Nazi Rally at MSG Perfectly Reflected Republican Values - The New Abnormal - Air Date 10-29-24 KP 5: "The Confederacy Won" Why Donald Trump's Reelection Is a Win for White Supremacy, Xenophobia & Hate - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-6-24 KP 6: Trump campaign was built on 'hate' which has contributed to 'racial terror' NAACP exec - MSNBC - Air Date 11-8-24 KP 7: The Hard Truth About Why Harris Was the Wrong Choice for America Part 1 - The New Abnormal - Air Date 11-6-24 (51:52) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the shifting landscape of social media Follow BotL: Bluesky, Mastadon, Threads Our Bluesky Starter Pack Sky Follower Bridge: Find accounts that have migrated from Twitter to Bluesky The OpenVibe app for cross-network access to new social sites DEEPER DIVES (56:28) SECTION A - A MIRROR FOR AMERICA (1:25:17) SECTION B - WHITE SUPREMACY FOR THE WIN (1:49:19) SECTION C - REVERBERATION (2:09:22) SECTION D - WHAT NOW Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 11/15/2024 Today's episode is a remix of multiple past episodes but was inspired by one in particular from just back in July of this year, #1645, when we were making a point of demonstrating what a sham the idea of conservative economic populism is. Well, now that Trump has been reelected - seemingly because regular folks were hoping he'd fix the economy for them - we thought we'd take this moment to highlight the difference between right wing and left wing economic populism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! CHAPTERS 1: How progressives need to frame their economic message - @theLFshow w: @GRITlaura Flanders - Air Date 12-29-14 2: It's time to stop relying on crisis legislation (with Lindsay Owens) - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 8-4-20 3: "He's a Fake" Robert Kuttner on How J.D. Vance Disguises His Anti-Worker Views as Economic Populism - Democracy Now! - Air Date 7-16-24 4: JD Vance, Phony Populism on the Right, the Republican National Convention, and Democratic Party Messaging w Ben Burgis - Parallax Views - Air Date 7-22-24 5: Europe's Circular Economy Action Plan - euronews - Air Date 11-24-20 6: What is Economic Democracy? - The Next System Project - Air Date: 3-1-16 7: Responding to Tim Scott & J.D. Vance on Poverty - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 7-16-24 8: The Tragic Cost of American Child Poverty w: Jeff Madrick - The Majority Report w: Sam Seder - Air Date 10-7-20 9: Dispelling some myths about worker coops - Economic Update w: @profwolff - Air Date 6-12-16 10: Sean O'Brien faces criticism from Teamsters Vice President for RNC appearance - The Real News Network - Air Date 7-19-24 11: Amsterdam's "doughnut economy" puts climate ahead of GDP - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 4-24-21 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 11/12/2024 It's easy enough to look into one industry at a time to see what's going wrong, but today we're looking at what is so often lurking in the background of higher prices, lower quality goods and services, and, ultimately, many failing businesses: Private Equity. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Why Does Everyone Hate Private Equity? - The Plain Bagel - Air Date 9-20-24 KP 2: How Private Equity Consumed America - Wendover Productions - Air Date 5-7-24 KP 3: How private equity conquered America - The Chris Hedges Report - Air Date 3-1-24 KP 4: Warren Calls for Ownership Transparency for Private Equity in Health Care - Senator Elizabeth Warren - Air Date 7-12-24 KP 5: BlackRock: The Conspiracies You Don't Know - More Perfect Union - Air Date 9-15-24 (48:16) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On getting through this together DEEPER DIVES (53:11) SECTION A - HOW IT WORKS (1:30:42) SECTION B - POWER (2:03:28) SECTION C - SOLUTIONS SHOW IMAGE Description: The words "Private Equity" are typed out on paper on a clipboard, surrounded by $20 and $100 bills and a pair of glasses. Credit: "Private Equity" by Nick Youngson, Pix4free.org | License: CC BY-SA 3.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 11/8/2024 The Best of the Left team holds a special post-election discussion available to all listeners to present the initial takes on the election as well as our own reactions and suggestions for how to move forward. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] To hear all of our team discussion episodes, become a member! A few worthwhile reads that gave inspiration for some of our discussion: Democrats Blow Their Chance to Block Trump's Resurgence - The Intercept (Discussing the Genocide in Gaza) Harris and the Democrats Committed to a Rightward Lurch — and Lost Big Time - Truthout (Courting moderate Republicans) Donald Trump's Second Term Is Joe Biden's Real Legacy - The New Yorker I'm a Gen Z man. Here's why so many of my peers supported Donald Trump - Fast Company (Revenge of the Bros) This Time We Have to Hold the Democratic Party Elite Responsible for This Catastrophe - The Nation 10 Ways We Can Prepare for Another Trump Presidency - Truthout

Air Date 11/5/2024 There's big money in politics, and then there's 2024. The role and influence of billionaires have taken on new shapes and patterns as the threat of fascism has made itself undeniably known. From the candidate and campaigners to those acquiescing to the mere threat of power, billionaires are everywhere you look at this election season. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Why Elon Musk Went Full MAGA - Reveal - Air Date 10-30-24 KP 2: Elon Musks War on Workers - 5-4 - Air Date 10-29-24 KP 3: Elon Musk Is SO Bad At This - The Majority Report - Air Date 11-3-24 KP 4: The Trump White Supremacy Festival and Hootenanny - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 10-29-24 KP 5: Ballots Burn in WA, OR; Billionaire WaPo, LATimes owners 'Obey in Advance - The BradCast - Air Date 10-28-24 KP 6: The Trump White Supremacy Festival and Hootenanny Part 2 - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 10-29-24 KP 7: How Trump could steal the election - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-29-24 (00:54:26.000) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how to feel about the road ahead DEEPER DIVES (00:59:57.000) SECTION A - DEMOCRACY DYING IN DAYLIGHT A1: Ballots Burn in WA, OR; Billionaire WaPo, LATimes owners 'Obey in Advance Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 10-28-24 A2: TYT Explodes Over Calling Trump 'Fascist' - The Majority Report - Air Date 11-1-24 (01:17:32.000) SECTION B - ACTUAL ELECTION INTERFERENCE (01:39:40.000) SECTION C - ELON MUSK THE BILLIONAIRE (02:04:16.000) SECTION D - TRUMP THE FASCIST MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 11/2/2024 The cult of Trump isn't just about Trump, it's religion and patriarchy reacting to a moment of global economic and climactic instability. But those organizing the religious right aren't just reacting to their environment, they've also been planning for a very long time. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Extremist White Christian Nationalists Prepping For War w Brad Onishi - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-16-24 KP 2: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation - Ideas - Air Date 10-18-24 KP 3: MAGA's 'Young Male Voter' Plan Hits Bottom Of The Barrel - The Majority Report - Air Date 10-22-24 KP 4: JD Vance Joins Lance Wallnau in Spiritual Warfare - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 10-14-24 KP 5: Ziklag Exposed Secretive Christian Nationalist Network Tries to Purge Voters in Battleground States - Democracy Now! - Air Date 7-30-24 KP 6: Spirit & Power Episode 4 Take Back that Which Was Stolen from Us The Charismatic Rituals of the Religious Right - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 10-17-24 KP 7: Unfcking Flashback The American Propaganda Machine. - UNFTR - Air Date 10-12-24 (54:31) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On susceptibility to manipulation DEEPER DIVES (59:43) SECTION A - THE MOVEMENT (1:18:09) SECTION B - TRUMP AND ELECTION (1:36:04) SECTION C - PATRIARCHY AND RACE (1:55:36) SECTION D - AMERICAN CHRISTIAN SHOW IMAGE Description: A woman with blonde hair wears a Trump campaign flag as a cape while praying on her knees with both arms in the air. Credit: "Fascism Worship", 2016, by Johnny Silvercloud, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Increased brightness and contrast Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date: 10-31-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How neoliberalism is fucking up renewable energy transitions - Marketing and why the viral Stanley Cup never should have gone viral - How big tech is heavily surveilling school kids without any oversight - How the fossil fuel industry has infiltrated higher education BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) REFERENCES: Germany's Green Transition Is Faltering This $23 Stanley Cup Accessory Fixes Your Biggest Complaint About the Tumbler How the ex-marketing whiz behind Crocs helped turn Stanley into the "it" cup How the Stanley Cup Went Viral School Surveillance Earns Tech Companies Billions. Students Pay the Price. Here's How the Fossil Fuel Industry Infiltrates and Influences Higher Education Join our Discord Server 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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 10/29/2024 Trump has only come close to perfecting the grift of the American conservative, he certainly didn't invent the strategy. Today we look at some current and past grifts and explore why they work. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: GRIFT-GOBLIN Donald Trump is Selling HILARIOUSLY CRAPPY Gold Watches Now!!! - Jesse Dollemore - Air Date 9-27-24 KP 2: The "Dirtbag of the Internet" and Trump's Crypto Project - Bloomberg Technology - Air Date 9-13-24 KP 3: Controlling the Weather and Eating Pets: Expert Breaks Down Disinformation - Amanpour and Company - Air Date 10-18-24 KP 4: Down the Rabbit Hole w/ Naomi Klein - The Dig - Air Date 10-8-24 KP 5: Media Literacy Can't Save Us Part 1 - Dummy - Air Date 10-7-24 KP 6: How did grifters like Trump take over the GOP? - The Bunker - Air Date 9-25-24 (48:03) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the scam of political fundraising DEEPER DIVES (56:06) SECTION A - GRIFT A1: Russell Brand Has A New Grift - Novara Media - Air Date 10-16-24 A2: GRIFTER-CON Morons Did Not Disappoint - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 10-1-24 A3: Russell Brand And The Conspiracy Grift - Media Matters - Air Date 1-2-24 A4: Some Grifters Who Finally Faced Consequences – SOME MORE NEWS -Air Date 9-25-24 (1:28:27) SECTION B - SCAMS (1:50:18) SECTION C - CONSPIRACY (2:19:48) SECTION D - MISINFORMATION SHOW IMAGE Description: Graphic showing a large pile of triangular warning signs with the word "SCAM" inside. Credit: "traffic-signs-attention-notice" by Gerald, Pixabay | License: Pixabay Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Original Air Date: 2/14/20223 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 [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Indigenous Economics with Tyson Yunkaporta (In Conversation) - Upstream - Air Date 11-10-21 Ch. 2: Transcending Capitalism Insights from Buddhism and Marxism - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 1-3-23 Ch. 3: We don't understand Capitalism. Part One - UNFTR - Air Date 1-27-23 Ch. 4: Your Work Is Not Your Worth - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 10-21-22 Ch. 5: We don't understand Capitalism. Part Two. - UNFTR - Air Date 1-27-23 Ch. 6: Economics for a New Year - Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Air Date 1-19-23 Ch. 7: Indigenous Economics with Tyson Yunkaporta (In Conversation) Part 2 - Upstream - Air Date 11-10-21 Ch. 8: Transcending Capitalism Insights from Buddhism and Marxism Part 2 - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 1-3-23 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 10/22/2024 This is your one-stop reference guide to every issue that is being wrongly blamed on immigrants as the Trump campaign rhetoric turns evermore fascist and xenophobic. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Deportation First Trump and Harris Compete for Latinx Votes While Pushing Anti-Immigrant Policies - Democracy Now! - Air Date 10-16-24 KP 2: Escaping Otherism Why Dr. Seuss Could Never Find a Rhyme for Genocide - Crazy Town - Air Date 6-12-24 KP 3: The Real Reason Trump Is Demonizing Immigrants - The Lever - Air Date 10-11-24 KP 4: 'Villains nor victims' Why immigration is good for our economy - Velshi - Air Date 6-2-24 KP 5: Escaping Otherism Why Dr. Seuss Could Never Find a Rhyme for Genocide Part 2 - Crazy Town - Air Date 6-12-24 KP 6: Prof Richard Wolff A FUTURE WITHOUT FEAR OF IMMIGRANTS - The Zero Hour - Air Date 10-12-24 (38:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Giving a quick list of immigration lies DEEPER DIVES (42:07) SECTION A - MIS/DISINFORMATION A1: How is Trump winning the US immigration debate - Anywhere but Washington - Air Date 10-10-24 A2: FEMA is running low on disaster money, but not because funds went to housing undocumented migrants - Verify - Air Date 10-7-24 (50:26) SECTION B - REALITY CHECK (1:08:30) SECTION C - OTHERING (1:26:35) SECTION D - SOLUTIONS SHOW IMAGE CREDIT Description: Trump, with a serious expression, stands at a lectern and points out into the crowd. Credit: "Donald Trump" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 10-20-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Yet another GOP animal abuse horror - Why weather machine conspiracy theories took off so easily - The questionable UAE organization trying to control rain with cloud seeding - Why more extreme weather isn't swaying certain voters on climate change - Talking about climate change through a patriotic lens - Bonus Segment: The surprising origins of Don't Mess with Texas REFERENCES: New NRA Chief Once Tortured a Cat to Death MTG Implies Dems Created Hurricane Helene: 'They Can Control the Weather' Marjorie Taylor Greene - U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene cited patents as proof of weather control. That's Pants on Fire! The New Gods of Weather Can Make Rain on Demand—or So They Want You to Believe Extreme Weather Has Had a Surprising Impact on Voters' Attitudes About Climate Change Kamala Harris Framed Climate Action as a Patriotic Duty. New Research Shows Why That's Effective. Join our Discord Server 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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Original 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 or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Will America's Capitalists Pull Us Into War & Fascism? Featuring Richard Wolff - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 5-18-22 Ch. 2: You Are Being Lied to About Inflation - Robert Reich - Air Date 2-28-22 Ch. 3: Prices Soar as Corporate Profiteers & Speculators Drive Inflation; It Hurts the Developing World - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-13-22 Ch. 4: Prof. Richard Wolff Do Workers Have It Too Good Nowadays - The Zero Hour w RJ Eskow - Air Date 5-14-22 Ch. 5: Omar Ocampo of Inequality.org on corporate billionaire greed Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 5-11-22 Ch. 6: David Dayen on the Baby Formula Shortage & Monopolies in the Age of Corporate Power - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-17-22 Ch. 7: Omar Ocampo of Inequality.org on corporate billionaire greed Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 5-11-22 Ch. 8: How Biden's budget proposal takes on corporate power (with Niko Lusiani) - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 5-10-22 Ch. 9: Elon Musk's Billionaire Games - The Daily Show with Trevor Noah - Air Date 5-7-22 Ch. 10: Prof. Richard Wolff Do Workers Have It Too Good Nowadays Part 2 - The Zero Hour w RJ Eskow - Air Date 5-14-22 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com