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

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

BestOfTheLeft.comwww.bestoftheleft.com
Expertly-curated progressive politics, news, and culture produced by leftist humans, not algorithms or AI. This is an award-winning podcast that dives deeply into a wide range of national and international issues facing society and governments. We draw from hundreds of sources of progressive news and commentary. Est. 2006. Save time by listening to a range of perspectives on a focused topic in each episode and be introduced to new sources you will not have come across on your own!

Episodes

#TBT #1333 An Examination of Fear, Anger, Forgiveness and Grace (Also, Mr. Rogers) (Throwback)

Original Air Date 2-2-2020 Today we take a look at the relationship between fear, anger and how to deal with the structural forces of harm in our society. To help us, we examine two of the greatest thinkers of the past 65 years, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mister Rogers, and go beyond the nonviolence of King and interrogate Mr. Roger's insistence on liking everyone just the way they are. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] BestOfTheLeft.c...

Jun 15, 20231 hr 15 minEp. 1333

#1566 Wrestling with Ethical Consumption Under Capitalism

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] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES ...

Jun 14, 20231 hr 9 minEp. 1566

#1565 Co-Housing Builds Community and Fights Loneliness

Air Date 6/10/2023 Today, we take a look at the emerging trend of various community housing styles people are using to build community, fight loneliness and lighten the load of everyday chores and tasks. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Cohousing The Future of Community and Human Connection Part 1 | Trish Becker-Ha...

Jun 10, 202353 minEp. 1565

#TBT #1243 The story of Socialism in America (Throwback)

Original Air Date 1-22-2019 Today we take a look at socialism in America from our often violent response to the concept in the wake of the Russian Revolution through the recent revival in interest, driven primarily by the younger generation today 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: Red Dawn Americans and the Bolshevik Revolution...

Jun 09, 20231 hr 3 minEp. 1243

#1564 How Marketing Has Shaped Our World for the Worse

Air Date 6/6/2023 Today, we take a look at the widespread impact of marketing on culture, consumerism, transportation, food, gender roles, and gun ownership in the United States. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Our Consumer Society - Then & Now - Air Date 6-9-22 I explore our consumer society, looking at the histo...

Jun 07, 20231 hr 4 minEp. 1564

Bonus Sample #271 Infantile Engineers

Original Air Date: 5-31-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - Towel Day - Adults liking things made for kids - What it means for something to be suitable for kids or adults - Bronson Pinchot - The decline in students studying the humanities REFERENCES: The Real Reason Young Adults Seem Slow to ‘Grow Up’ This writer brilliantly explains to Bill Maher why millennials refuse to grow up We're All Babies Now Everyone needs to grow up The End of the English Major Join our Discord Server Lea...

Jun 05, 202317 minEp. 271

#1563 Putting Our Kids to Work for Corporate Profits

Air Date 6/3/2023 Today, we take a look at the dynamics at play between our immigration and labor policies that lead to the exploitation of children in dangerous and deadly jobs. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Why Child Labor in America is Skyrocketing Part 1 - Robert Reich - Air Date 5-16-23 Corporations are now...

Jun 04, 20231 hr 13 minEp. 1563

#TBT #1080 Corporate media’s fight for legitimacy in the age of Trump (Throwback)

Original Air Date 2/17/2017 Today we look at the state of the corporate-controlled media in the age of Trump, how you can navigate those murky waters, and what we can do to make it better. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] ​Show Notes Ch. 1: Diversify your news - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 11-24-16 Ch. 2: Spicer vs. the Interns - On the Media - Air Date 1-27-17 Ch. 3: Is Donald Trump good for journalism? - The Inquiry - Air ...

May 18, 202348 minEp. 1080

#1560 Immigration Crisis: Biden vs. Trump, Undocumented Workers, Anti-Immigrant Hate, Migrant Abuse, and the Economic Fallout of Florida's New Law

Air Date 5/16/2023 Today, we take a look at the current state and deep context for why our immigration and asylum system broken, and why our policies have made it worse rather than better, all while stoking anti-immigrant hatred. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The law that broke US immigration - Vox - Air Date 8-...

May 17, 20231 hr 3 minEp. 1560

#1559 Company Towns are a Bad Solution to a Real Problem

Air Date 5/13/2023 Today, we take a look at the history and resurgent idea of the company town, sometimes described by other names to obscure the reality, and the problem of affordable housing they are trying to solve. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRES...

May 14, 202359 minEp. 1559

#TBT #1133 Understanding Authoritarianism (Throwback)

Original Air Date 9/15/2017 Today we look at the history and structures of authoritarianism and explore how they relate to the Trump campaign and administration Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Show Notes Act 1: It can't happen here Part 1 - Ideas from the CBC - Air Date 1-17-17 Act 2: Evan McMullin on spotting the dangers of authoritarianism - Primary Concerns from @NewRepublic - Air Date 1-4-17 Act 3: Opposing conservative policies ...

May 11, 202358 minEp. 1133

Bonus Edition #270 I'd Like to Phone a Friend

Air Date: 5-10-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - Self-Love and Loneliness - Friends - Commercialized Coitus - Why men are perfectly fine REFERENCES: Self-Love Is Making Us Lonely - Time ‘When people can talk about sex, they flourish’: the rise of sexual wellness - The Guardian Straight Male Friend - SNL What’s the Matter with Men? Chad Daniels | Twelfth Night | Daddy Issues Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Vi...

May 11, 202318 minEp. 270

#1558 States of Hate, Right-Wing Legislatures Go Full-Tilt While the Courageous Fight Back

Air Date 5/9/2023 Today, we take a look at the hyper-polarization of our era and the anti-democratic instincts of the right taking hold in state legislatures. Building on a decade of gerrymandering and voter suppression within a structurally undemocratic American system that has helped Republicans create minority rule in many places and unearned super-majorities in others, they have now turned to simply ejecting their elected political opponents from fully representing their constituents. Leave ...

May 10, 20231 hr 13 minEp. 1558

#1557 Tactics and Counter-Tactics of the Struggle for Labor Rights

Air Date 5/5/2023 Today, we take a look at the history and present of the labor movement to demonstrate how times may change but the fundamental struggle, including many of the exact tactics, remains the same. Plus, get ready to get excited about salts, the secret ingredient in labor movement. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! SHOW N...

May 06, 20231 hr 4 minEp. 1557

#1556 Oil Wealth and Oligarchy, Over 100 Years of Polishing Unredeemable Reputations

Air Date 5/2/2023 Today, we take a look at the intertwining of oil wealth, philanthropy, and culture washing from John Rockefeller to the sheiks of the Middle East. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Who Were the Robber Barons? -...

May 02, 20231 hr 6 minEp. 1556

#1555 The Kids Are Not Alright (Boys, Girls, Culture and Social Media)

Air Date 4/26/2023 Today, we take a look at the trials and tribulations facing the youth today as men and boys are being surpassed academically by women and girls and girls are suffering disproportionately under the weight of the toxic forces of social media. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestO...

Apr 27, 20231 hr 10 minEp. 1555

Bonus Sample #269 Tell Good Stories and Jokes

Air Date: 4-21-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - How you’re seen by others is important - Jokes are learning - Injecting money into morality breaks people’s brains - Remembering the labor movement - Another frustrating Atlantic article, this time about France REFERENCES: Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World (Affiliate: Book , Audio ) The French are in a Panic over Le Wokisme - The Atlantic Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for list...

Apr 22, 202317 minEp. 269

#1554 Destroying Education and Democracy for Fun and Profit

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] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Segrenomics: The Long History of Cashing In On...

Apr 20, 20231 hr 9 minEp. 1554

#1553 The Nuremberg Trials of J.K. Rowling: Misogyny and Authoritarianism in the Bizarro World

Air Date 4/16/2023 Today, we take a look at some of the arguments of the anti-trans feminist movement, known by its most prominent proponent, J.K. Rowling, all in the shadow of the anti-trans fervor of the right wing which is checking off the stages of genocide like a to-do list. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: St...

Apr 17, 20231 hr 18 minEp. 1553

#1484 Elon Musk is Not Your Savior and He Is Actually Awful (Repost)

Original Air Date 4/20/2022 Today we take a look at the bizarre halo effect that seems to surround Elon Musk and then thoroughly puncture it by just explaining a few things about him and his companies. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Myth Of The "Self-Made" Billionaire - Second Thought - Air Date 9-10-21 It’s ...

Apr 12, 20231 hr 26 minEp. 1484

Bonus Sample #268 Making Corrections

Original Air Date: 4-6-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - Reactions to the Half Hour News Hour - A layered conservative joke? - Romance bots for all - Tech bros are 8-year-olds - How to teach American history REFERENCES: Half Hour News Hour Snipits Time to take biden to the train station What Happens When Sexting Chatbots Dump Their Human Lovers Super League: The War for Football Elon Musk Sets Poop Emoji as an Autoreply to Twitter’s Press Email A view of American History that Lead...

Apr 08, 202314 minEp. 268

#1480 The Cyberwar Did Not Begin with Cyber Pearl Harbor (Repost)

Original Air Date 4/2/2022 Today we take a look at the modern reality of cyber war. It's not the mass destruction of attacks that were imagined to look like a "Cyber Pearl Harbor" but the much more subtle cyber attacks that often fly under the radar and live in the grey area in attempts to inflict harm without provoking counterattack. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Co...

Apr 05, 20231 hr 19 minEp. 1480

#1552 Invasion of Iraq, 20 years later

Air Date 3/31/2023 Today, we take a look at the history and legacy of the invasion of Iraq by the United States under George W. Bush and his administration with the support of the vast majority of Americans who had been systematically mislead by falsified evidence used to make the case for war. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! Check...

Apr 01, 20231 hr 18 minEp. 1552

#1476 The Disinformation War We Are Not Fighting (Repost)

Original Air Date 3/16/2022 Today we take a look at the dynamics of mis- and disinformation as well as the history of those, primarily Russia, who are actively using it as a weapon of information warfare against the US, The West, and democracies around the world. Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Are you Disinformed or Misinformed? - Harvard Data Science Review Pod...

Mar 29, 20231 hr 30 minEp. 1476

#1551 Making sense of the senseless war in Ukraine

Air Date 3/26/2023 Today, we take a look at the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the debate over continuing to support Ukraine heats up, an arrest warrant is issued for Putin and China makes a state visit to Moscow. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN...

Mar 27, 20231 hrEp. 1551

Bonus Edition: Absurdity on top of absurdity

Original Air Date: 3-23-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - giving credit where due - the mysteries of right-wing comedy through the ages - the dream of freedom from cars and trapping people in cities REFERENCES: The 1/2 Hour News Hour Is the right winning the comedy wars? - Vox Fifteen Minutes of Blame - Slate Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestO...

Mar 24, 202317 minEp. 267

#1550 Red States, Where Democracy Goes to Die and Terrible Legislation is Born

Air Date 3/21/2023 Today, we take a look at how GOP-controlled states are subverting democracy with a form of "competitive autocracy" and some of the horrifying legislation these states then pass after they are no longer subject to the opinions of the general public. Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support Join our Discord community ! Watch/Listen: The Laura Flanders Show SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Autocratic Nightmare of State Re...

Mar 22, 20231 hr 1 minEp. 1550

#1549 Fox News is worse than we imagined or: they all knew they were lying

Air Date 3/18/2023 Today, we take a look at how Fox News is being exposed as the alleged liars-for-pay we always suspected they were by the defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: ExpressVPN.com/BestOfTheLeft GET INTERNET PRIVACY WITH EXPRESS VPN! BestOfTheLeft.com/L...

Mar 18, 202355 minEp. 1549

Bonus Sample #266 AI may destroy society and capitalism will help

Original Air Date: 3-10-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - Nick being a liar - The competing values behind editing and banning books - Why tech leaders are like 8-year-olds REFERENCES: The BFG Isn’t a BFD Equating the Roald Dahl edits to book banning is living in a Willy Wonka fantasy world Biden talks to Anthony Fontana about 90s rap Connect your Discord to Patreon Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follo...

Mar 16, 202318 minEp. 266

#1548 The War on Woke Pits the GOP Against Their Usual Allies in Big Business

Air Date 3/14/2023 Today, we take a look at the rise of "woke capitalism" as the cudgel now being wielded against any corporations who dare to seek profits by appealing to the majority of potential customers who prefer progressive social positions to that of Republicans. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! OUR AFFILIATE LINKS: https://...

Mar 15, 20231 hr 5 minEp. 1548
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