Air Date: 2-25-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon discuss: - authoritarian Technocracy - and why interoperability may be one of the best weapons against it REFERENCES: THE RISE OF TECHNO-AUTHORITARIANISM Big Tech Won’t Let You Leave. Here’s a Way Out The Great Interoperability Convergence: 2023 Year in Review 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.co...
Feb 25, 2024•14 min•Ep. 292
Air Date 2/23/2024 2024 is already shaping up to be even more of a disaster than expected. The causes for anxiety are many and varied, leaving many of us with questions. We generally try to avoid topics and commentaries that lean into the realm of pure speculation but today we decided to lean all the way in to answer your most pressing questions. What about Biden's support of Israel? What about his age? Should he be replaced at the Democratic Convention? How likely is Trump to do the horrible th...
Feb 23, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 1613
Air Date 2/20/2024 "Luddite" should never have become the epithet that it is as the Luddites were never afraid of or opposed to technological advancement, they only opposed the exploitation of workers and the degradation to society that came with the unfair distribution of the benefits of the targeted technology. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join ou...
Feb 20, 2024•59 min•Ep. 1612
Air Date: 2-19-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda and Deon discuss: - how augmented reality and the Apple Vision Pro affects the human brain - how algorithms are changing and flattening our culture - how to take back your life from algorithmic choices REFERENCES: The Vision Pro's scary side effect Why Tim Cook Is Going All In on the Apple Vision Pro We’ve Forgotten How to Use Computers Have Algorithms Ruined Our Culture? How to Take Back Your Life From Algorithms Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 2...
Feb 19, 2024•12 min•Ep. 291
Air Date 2/17/2024 The debate over education has been derailed from the legitimate concerns of the past focused on the downfalls of No Child Left Behind and Common Core policies into a cul-de-sac of ignorance over opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion programs and the teaching of critical race theory. Not to mention the new McCarthyism that has sprung up to squash any criticism of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay...
Feb 17, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1611
Air Date 2/13/2024 The entire political system has lurched to the right on immigration as Democrats adopt the talking points of the Republicans and the MAGA Republicans put Trump's election chances over the policies they claim to support. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: ‘Basically a cult’: Trump's MAGA Rep...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 1610
Air Date 2/10/2024 Continuing to tell the stories of those directly impacted by abortion bans is important to demonstrate the extreme stances taken by anti-choice politicians but we also look ahead to potential ways the situation could be made even worse as well as efforts to relieve the suffering. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Texas Abortion Laws Cruel Outcomes - Amicus Wit...
Feb 10, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 1609
Air Date 2/7/2024 Loneliness is an epidemic that long-predates the COVID lockdowns that only made things worse but it's not primarily cultural or even technological in origin. The issue largely has to do with how our built environment is designed and then social and technological aspects compound the problem. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Di...
Feb 07, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 1608
Air Date: 2-6-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The impacts of the myth of the model minority - Haley and Ramaswamy Denying America's racism as they both experience and use racism during the Republican primary race BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the full Bonus Shows! + No Ads!) REFERENCES: Vivek Ramaswamy and the lie of the “model minority” Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy Can’t Escape GOP Racism Scholars worry Haley and Ramaswamy's race-blindness helps GOP advance "white supremac...
Feb 06, 2024•12 min•Ep. 289
Air Date 2/3/2024 We attempt to understand as many of the interlocking elements as possible in the current Middle East conflicts sparked most prominently by the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: From Red Sea to Iran, Will Israel's Gaza Assault Spark Wider War - Democracy Now! - Air ...
Feb 03, 2024•59 min•Ep. 1607
Air Date: 1-28-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Boardgames Ritual - Making kids cry buy taking their phones away at school - Making kids sad by never buying them phones in the first place REFERENCES: It Sure Looks Like Phones Are Making Students Dumber Schools don't want kids on cellphones. Is banning them the solution? Birmingham head calls for ban after pupils 'in tears' when phones confiscated The Schools That Ban Smartphones I Won’t Buy My Teenagers Smartphones Join our Disco...
Jan 28, 2024•12 min•Ep. 288
Air Date 1/26/2024 In an election year where, more than ever before, democracy itself is on the ballot, there is less democracy happening in the lead-up to the election than at any time in recent memory. And with two profoundly disliked candidates running, the supporters of democratic ideals have a hard uphill push ahead of them. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows +...
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1606
Air Date 1/23/2024 The recent discovery of hundreds of bodies buried behind a jail in unmarked graves sparks a renewed discussion about the futility and counter-productiveness of our system of incarceration and the context of our history that has brought us to this point. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript Join our Discord community ! Related Episodes: #1313 Why Prison Abolition is not Nearly as Scary as it Sounds SHOW NOTES ...
Jan 23, 2024•52 min•Ep. 1605
Original Air Date 12/3/2022 Today, we take a look at the mega-companies that touch all of our lives and the monopolistic practices that have been developed to keep power and wealth concentrated with the few while the rest of us get screwed. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Tech Monopolies - Last Week Tonight with J...
Jan 20, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 1529
Air Date 1/17/2024 It is evident that the immigration debate is more about acquiring raw power than about immigration as demands from the Republican Party change along with whatever strategies they feel are most likely to get Republicans elected and in the age of Trump, that means the most draconian, harmful and, ultimately, pointless demands to date. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get B...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 1604
Air Date: 1-15-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - why one of the last isolated tribes in the world desperately wants to stay that way - why we know that women also hunted, counter to what all the male archeologists would have us believe REFERENCES: Why Uncontacted Tribes Want to Stay Uncontacted They choose to live in isolation—but the world won’t leave them alone The Mission Documentary The Theory That Men Evolved to Hunt and Women Evolved to Gather Is Wrong Join our Discord Serve...
Jan 15, 2024•12 min•Ep. 286
Air Date 1/13/2024 The Supreme Court began to lose its legitimacy in the eyes of many when President Obama wasn't allowed to fill the open seat left by the death of Antonin Scalia but, in truth, the scandal and manipulation of the nation's highest court go back much, much farther than that. However, in a bygone age, scandal was handled much differently than today, putting our current state of disfunction and hyper-partisanship into sharp focus. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at ...
Jan 13, 2024•54 min•Ep. 1603
Original Air Date 1/7/2023 Today, we take a look at the criminal charges against Donald Trump that the January 6th Committee has referred to the DOJ but examine them through the lens of past presidential crimes that have gone unpunished from Nixon to George W. Bush Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: No One Is Above T...
Jan 09, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 1535
Air Date: 1-7-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the little bit of Paganism that's in all of us - the Christian priests who want to reform the church through psychedelic mushrooms REFERENCES: The Return of the Pagans God, Magic Mushrooms, and Me 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 Jay@BestOf...
Jan 08, 2024•13 min•Ep. 285
Air Date 1/5/2024 As the war in Gaza drags on, accusations of genocide by Israel have been filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice and we are reminded that the tactics and technology that Israel develops and tests against Palestinians are sold around the world. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community ! Related Epi...
Jan 05, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 1602
Air Date 1/2/2024 Trump's greatest impact has been to bring the fringes of the conservative movement into the center and, by strongly courting the Evangelical Christian vote, helped accelerate the Christian Nationalist movement to merge religion with patriotism Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: A Threat to C...
Jan 02, 2024•56 min•Ep. 1601
Air Date: 12-31-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon discuss: - how Italy is making it harder for same-sex partners to have children by making it harder for everyone to have children - how well-meaning advocates in the US are putting same-sex families at risk - why Christian homophobia may just be based on a mistranslation of the Bible REFERENCES: ‘The state says our kids don’t exist’ - how LGBT life is changing in Italy Why Anonymous Sperm Donation Is Over, and Why That Matters Did Christian homoph...
Jan 01, 2024•17 min•Ep. 284
Original Air Date 12/17/2022 Today, we take a look at the fringe philosophy of accelerationism that is having a bigger impact on society than you will likely have realized as it's been behind some of the worst terror attacks in recent years and is likely behind attacks on infrastructure targeting society as a whole. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Dis...
Dec 29, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 1532
Original Air Date 12/24/2022 We compare the far-right religious extremists who are fighting to gain power in the US with the protests against the theocratic regime in Iran supporting women's rights in the country. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: How a new Christian right is changing US politics - BBC News - Air Da...
Dec 26, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 1533
Air Date 12/23/2023 The housing crisis is at a worse point than at any time in recent history. Solutions are available and require political will to bring into reality but because the problem is now so widespread, we may actually be able to take action that would have been untenable before. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript WINTER SALE! 20% Off Memberships (including Gifts) in December ! Join our Discord community ! Related ...
Dec 23, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 1600
Air Date 12/20/2023 AI needs to be regulated by governments even though politicians don't understand computers just as the government regulates the manufacture and operation of aircraft even though your average politician doesn't know their ass from an aileron. That's why expert advisory panels are for. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Transcript WINTER SALE! 20% Off Memberships (including Gifts) in December ! Join our Discord communi...
Dec 20, 2023•57 min•Ep. 1599
Air Date: 12-15-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon discuss: - why humans need rituals for mental health and community - what happens when corporations try to adopt rituals - what happens when squishy-blob humans are allowed to drive cars that somewhat drive themselves a little bit REFERENCES: Rituals are important to human life — even when they seem meaningless Can Rituals Fix Our Soulless Corporate Culture? A Ritual Designer Says Yes THE INSIDE STORY OF MICROSOFT’S PARTNERSHIP WITH OPENAI The Way...
Dec 16, 2023•17 min•Ep. 283
Air Date 12/12/2023 Henry Kissinger, it turns out, was actually a pretty good representative of the United States, the foreign policy actions we took, and the reasonings we gave for them over the past century. He embodied the idea that the US is always on the side of right, the world and its inhabitants are merely a game board and pieces for us to manipulate for our own ends, and that lives, particularly foreign lives, lost in pursuit of our interests are not of much concern. Be part of the show...
Dec 13, 2023•57 min•Ep. 1598
WINTER SALE! 20% Off Memberships (including Gifts) in December ! Original Air Dates 12-3-23 and 12-10-23 We discuss in episode #281: - the impacts of a stratified wealth disparity - the anti-social habit we're adopting that will make us more anti-social - the desperation many feel to just put life on hold for a few days REFERENCES: Infants Are Born With Syphilis in Growing Numbers, a Sign of a Wider Epidemic Behind the Gates of a Private World for Only the Wealthiest New Yorkers Hungry (but Not ...
Dec 11, 2023•32 min•Ep. 281
Air Date 12/8/2023 Neoliberalism has created a lot of economic suffering and insecurity in addition to weakened social ties over the past few decades. And now, in what may be the most devastating result of the ideology yet, neoliberalism may be leading much of the world toward fascism bolstered by legitimate grievances about economic precarity which are coopted by the false promises of right-wing populism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft...
Dec 08, 2023•58 min•Ep. 1597
