Episodes
-
Air Date: 5-21-2025
A popular MAGA refrain is, "promises made, promises kept." The key is having known which promises to take seriously. Weaponizing the government against his enemies and attempting to wield dictatorial power, sure. Benefit his supporters or the working class more broadly, or rid the government of waste, fraud, or corruption... not so much.
Direct Download
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: 100 Perfect Days - Pod Save America - Air Date 4-29-25
KP 2: 100 Daze of Trump's 'Fascist Death Spiral' with Heather Digby Parton of Salon, 'Driftglass' of 'Pro Left Podcast' - The BradCast - Air Date 4-30-25
KP 3: There is no president, really - Takesâą by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 4-26-25
KP 4: 100 days of payback - Today, Explained - Air Date 4-29-25
KP 5: Trump Is Losing A Lot In Court. Plus, the First Episode of The Divided Dial (S2). - On The Media - Air Date 5-9-25
KP 6: 100 Days of Hypocrisy - Main Justice - Air Date 4-29-25
KP 7: A Trumped Up Police State Is Coming Part 1 - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 5-8-25
KP 8: 100 Days of Chaos Skye Perryman - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-1-25
(52:39) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the upcoming No Kings protest on June 14
DEEPER DIVES
(57:36) SECTION A: EXECUTIVE POWER
(1:35:05) SECTION B: IMMIGRATION & FORCE
(1:58:20) SECTION C: INCOMPETENCY AND SELF ENRICHMENT
(2:40:49) SECTION D: RESISTANCE
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS for #1711 - Trump 100 days
Description: Black and white photo of Trump at a podium at the White House looking stern, with a policeman standing behind him.
Credit: âP20250519JB-0425P20250519JB-0425â by The White House, Flickr | Government work, Public Domain
Produced by Jay!
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
-
Air Date: 5-19-25
Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin was on vacation) discuss:
The origins of and problems with âthe one wayâ Christian mindset Why Finlandâs happiest country title and happiness itself are terribly misunderstood by Americans How our globalized world is messing with perceptions of our cultural similarities and differences The link between genocides, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories Naomi Kleinâs analysis on the problems with how we talk about the Holocaust How we get back to humanization and recognizing our core similarities as beings floating on a rock in space Some Finnish wisdom that encapsulates life, the universe, and everythingFOLLOW US ON:
Bluesky
Mastadon
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
REFERENCES:
My Miserable Week in the Happiest Country on Earth - The New York Times
DoppelgÀnger by Naomi Klein (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!)
The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!)
A Wilder Shore: The Romantic Odyssey of Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson by Camille Peri (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!)
âPale Blue Dotâ - An excerpt from Carl Saganâs book âPale Blue Dotâ (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!)
SOLVED! SONG! âPale Blue Dotâ - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence.
TAKE ACTION:
June 14th - âNo Kingsâ Nationwide Day of Action
Join our Discord Server
Signal:
Bestoftheleft.01
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
-
Missing episodes?
-
Air Date 5/18/2025
The full quote from today's title is from one of the most celebrated writers of Southern American literature, William Faulkner, who said, "The past is never dead. Itâs not even past. All of us labor in webs spun long before we were born, webs of heredity and environment, of desire and consequence, of history and eternity.â The new film, Sinners, set in the Jim Crow South, attempts to take on some of the subjects that make up that web of history and consequence. The theme of today's episode is an attempt to dig into many of the subjects of the film.
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: Sinners: Director Ryan Coogler on His Latest Hit, Delta Blues, His Mississippi Roots & Vampires Part 1 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-25-25
KP 2: Sinners and the General State of Things - The Morbid Zoo - Air Date 5-10-25
KP 3: Western Christianity and White Supremacy Part 1 - Meant For This - Air Date 3-23-22
KP 4: How Do You Put A Price On America's Original Sin? - Consider This - Air Date 3-27-23
KP 5: Storm and Stress: Jim Crow America Part 1 - History is US - Air Date 6-5-22
KP 6: Trump's first 100 days, but it's just the racism - Garrison Hayes - Air Date 5-2-25
(48:29) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On how to talk about the interplay between economics and identity politics
DEEPER DIVES
(57:48) SECTION A: CHRISTIANITY
(1:33:29) SECTION B: RACE
(2:18:56) SECTION C: CULTURE
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS
Description: Portion of the 1830s painting âSlave Marketâ (Brazil) depicting two white men discussing the sale of enslaved, black Brazilian men with a church with steeple and cross in the background and the iconography of the Virgin Mary on the wall above.
Credit: âSlave Marketâ by Johann Moritz Rugendas, New York Public Library Digital Collections | Copyright status undetermined by NYPL | Changes: Cropped with increased contrast and brightness
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
-
Original Air Date 6/4/2022
Today we take a look at some of the obvious steps we need to take to reduce gun violence in the United States, debunk some of the favored propaganda supporting unfettered gun ownership and explore the origins of how Gun Cultureâą was invented by corporations as the frontier era need for guns began to vanish pushing them to convert guns from tools that were needed but not loved into items that were loved though no longer needed.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message 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!
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Igor Volsky on Ending Gun Violence - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-27-22
Ch. 2: NRA's "Good Guy With A Gun" Theory Failed In Real Time In Uvalde - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-27-22
Ch. 3: Jordan Klepper Debunks The "Good Guy with a Gun" Argument - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-11-15
Ch. 4: The Second Amendment Isn't About Killing Politicians or Overthrowing Democracy - The Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 5-31-22
Ch. 5: Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger speaking to Charlayne Hunter-Gault - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 12-16-1991
Ch. 6: How the Gun Industry Used Marketing to Change a Culture - Letters and Politics - Air Date 8-7-19
Ch. 7: Mass Shootings: American Exceptionalism of the Worst Kind - Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman - Air Date 5-26-22
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A pencil sketch of a larger-than-life hand gun on the shoulders of a weary man, in the image of Jesus carrying the cross. He stands in a pool of red blood.Credit: âGun Cultureâ by Christopher Dombres, Flickr | Public Domain | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
-
Original Air Date 5/24/2019
As the neoliberal order collapses from the pressure of its failures to provide for working people, we take a look at the much-maligned, rarely-understood field of economic and social study known as Marxism.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected]
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!
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Contributions of Karl Marx Part 1 - Economic Update - Air Date 5-25-18
Professor Wolff takes a deeper look at the life and work of Karl Marx in celebration of the 200th anniversary of his birth.
Ch. 2: Marxism Today - Analysis - Air Date 6-19-16
Robin who was a BBC reporter for 25 years thinks Marx was always in the background discourse of politics, an influence he partly feared and didn't fully understand. He takes a walk through central London in the footsteps of the great revolutionary.
Ch. 3: David Harvey on Marx, Capital, and the Madness of Economic Reason - Left Out - Air Date 11-5-17
David Harvey is arguably the most influential living geographer, as well as one of the worldâs leading Marxist scholars. He is among the most cited intellectuals of all time across the humanities and social sciences.
Ch. 4: This Ruthless Criticism of All That Exists Marxism as Science - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 2-2-19
J. Moufawad-Paul, a Marxist philosopher and author of "Continuity and Rupture", "The Communist Necessity", and "Austerity Apparatus", joins Breht to discuss his most recent essay "This Ruthless Criticism of All That Exists: Marxism as Science".
Ch. 5: Erosion of Consumer Choices - David Harvey's Anti-Capitalist Chronicles - Air Date 4-24-19
Prof. Harvey discusses Marx's theory of Capital and its relevance today. Consumers have less and less autonomy. Their choices, even how they will spend their leisure time, are increasingly influenced by capitalists.
Ch. 6: The Contributions of Karl Marx Part 2 - Economic Update - Air Date 5-25-18
Professor Wolff takes a deeper look at the life and work of Karl Marx in celebration of the 200th anniversary of his birth.
Produced by Jay!
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
â
â
â
-
Air Date 5/6/2025
The Monthly-ish Mixâą is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we look at government surveillance overreach, challenges facing immigrant and refugee communities, the shifting landscape of American culture brought on by Christian Nationalism and the emerging broligarchy, and grassroots movements challenging institutional power.
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!)
PART 1: GOVERNMENT POWER & ITS MISUSE
#1697 The Trump World Order: Are we the Baddies?
(00:27:13) #1699 A Government Of the People, By the People, and Weaponized Against the People
(00:41:10) #1704 Weaponization and Capitulation: Trump vs Immigrants, Universities, and Media
(01:05:30) #1706 Trump's Kafkaesque Deportation Nightmare is the Shame of the Nation
PART 2: VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES & CIVIL RIGHTS
(01:29:29) #1700 Dehumanizing Trans People is Always the First Step for Fascists
(01:49:55) #1705 Threatened Social Safety Nets Are Foundational to Healthy Societies
PART 3: CULTURAL & SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION
(02:03:47) #1702 Destroying Education, Boosting Christian Nationalism: Rewriting the Past and Hamstringing the Future
(02:24:21) #1703 The Broligarchy and the Rise of Techno-Feudalism
PART 4: OPPOSITION & RESISTANCE
(02:39:54) #1698 Resistance is Not Futile: Support the collective revolt against Trumpism (Special Podcasthon!)
(02:53:32) #1701 Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: Installing the Backbone Democrats Need
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
-
Air Date: 5-5-25
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin continue our discussion on masculinity and dive into:
- The dangers of the online obsession with Patrick Bateman from American Psycho
- John Adamsâ famous quote that could give some insight into todayâs incels
- The Matt Walsh/Megan Kelly skirmish that exposes Walshâs siloed world-view
- A small but interesting group of former Trumpers who seem to have woken up to the bullshit of traditional gender roles
- The studies that show women have better sex under socialism
- SOLVED! SONG! âLoveâs Not a Gameâ (Directly inspired by this episode!)
FOLLOW US ON:
Bluesky
Mastadon
Instagram
YouTube
REFERENCES:
Sigma grindset: TikTok's toxic worshipping of Patrick Bateman is another sign young men are lost - GQ Magazine
John Adams Writes to Abigail: âI must study politicks and warâ
Megyn Kelly Rebukes Matt Walsh for Saying Women Should Be âTraditionally Feminineâ: Men Find Working Wives âSmokin Hotâ - Mediaite
Daily Wire's Matt Walsh: âMen are generally not attracted to ambitious career-driven womenâ - Media Matters
The Vibe Shifts Against the Right - The New York Times
Why Women Had Better Sex Under Socialism - The New York Times (August 2017)
SOLVED! SONG! âLoveâs Not a Gameâ - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #8: Part 2
EXTRAS
âThe Will to Change: Men, Masculinity and Loveâ by bell hooks (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!)
Join our Discord Server
Reach us via Signal:
Bestoftheleft.01
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
-
Air Date 5/2/2025
We're taking the passing of Pope Francis as an opportunity to explore the deeper political implications of the extremist, rightward turn for some in the Catholic Church, including many recent converts.
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 Pope Francis successor could have great influence on U.S. politics - MSNBC Reports - Air Date 4-23-25
KP 2: Trump Purges Military Leaders And Angela Denker On The Radicalization Of White Men - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 2-25-25
KP 3: The Meaning of Pope Francis - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 4-25-25
KP 4: Weekly Roundup The Pope, JD Vance, and Anti-Christian Bias - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 4-25-25
KP 5: Opus Dei A Catholic Cult with Gareth Gore - Free Thought Matters - Air Date 2-20-25
KP 6: To Understand JD Vance, You Need to Meet the TheoBros - Mother Jones - Air Date 10-2-24
KP 7: The Radical Catholic Right from Paul Weyrich to JD Vance Part 1 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 9-23-24
(53:23) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the benefits of democracy
DEEPER DIVES
(1:04:00) SECTION A: THE POPE
(1:22:49) SECTION B: IN POLICY
(1:43:34) SECTION C: POST-LIBERAL CATHOLICS
(2:17:50) SECTION D: MEN
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS
Description: Composite image. Showing a disgruntled looking JD Vance looking toward an image of Pope Francis smiling while blessing a child in a crowd. A quote in a box says âWhat is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly, and will end badly.â
Credit: Design by A. Hoffman | Components: âJD Vanceâ Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, used in composite | âBlessing of children popeâ by ansehen, Pixabay | License: Pixabay
Produced by Jay!
Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
-
Air Date 4/29/2025
The economic and political fallout of Trumpâs misguided tariffs, exposing his self-proclaimed deal-making prowess as a fraud and his grasp of the relevant issues to be childlike at best.
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: The Lost History of Trump's Tariff War Part 1 - Lever Time - Air Date 4-4-25
KP 2: What we can learn from a past tariff tiff - Make Me Smart - Air Date 2-11-25
KP 3: Who Got Rich? The Trump Tariffs, Explained by MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle - PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT- Air Date 4-11-25
KP 4: From âLiberation Dayâ to Chaos: Trump Pauses Most Tariffs While Escalating Trade War with China - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-10-25
KP 5: Is Trump (Already) Giving Up On Tariffs? - TLDR News - Air Date 4-25-25
KP 6: The tariffs are just stupid. - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 4-18-25
(00:48:40) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the related topics of masculinity and labor
DEEPER DIVES
(00:53:39) SECTION A: MOTIVATION
(01:17:08) SECTION B: DOMESTIC EFFECT
(01:57:28) SECTION C: INTERNATIONAL EFFECT
(02:43:36) SECTION D: HISTORY
Tariffied: Exposing Trump's Artless Deal
Description: Composite image. An illustrated outline of Trumpâs bust, including hair and suit and tie, with overlapping tariff stamps where the eyes and nose should be, and a wide open mouth with a globe between his teeth.
Credit: Design by A. Hoffman | Components License: Pixabay
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft
Contact me directly at [email protected]
-
Air Date: 4-28-25
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss:
- Why the âmanlyâ manufacturing jobs Trump and MAGA want are never coming back
- Why incels love Trumpâs tariffs
- The sad flails of the âMake America Manly Againâ movement
- The âSigma grindsetâ guysâ obsession with - and complete misunderstanding of - disturbing fictional movie characters
- Cliffhanger! Jay explains our upcoming schedule
- SOLVED! SONG! âBlindedâ (Directly inspired by this episode!)
FOLLOW US ON:
Bluesky
Mastadon
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
REFERENCES:
Manufacturing jobs are never coming back - Vox
The strange link between Trumpâs tariffs and incel ideology - Vox
Trumpâs Tariff Pause Sets Back the âMake Men Manly Againâ Movement - The Nation
Sigma grindset: TikTok's toxic worshipping of Patrick Bateman is another sign young men are lost - GQ
SOLVED! SONG! âBlindedâ - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #8: âPart 1: Drowning Men Will Clutch at Straws: Masculinity in a MAGA worldâ (April 26th)
TAKE ACTION:
May Day nationwide action - May 1st
Find your Indivisible group - or start one
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials
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!
-
Air Date 4/26/2025
For those of us who knew that Trump was lawless and deeply racist in his desire for mass deportations of brown people, we're getting exactly what we expected. For others, at least the lawlessness is coming as a bit of a surprise, and yet, here we are.
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: Mr. Abrego Garcia - Main Justice - Air Date 4-15-25
KP 2: Dara Lind on Criminalizing Immigrants - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-11-25
KP 3: Are Trump Administration Officials in Criminal Contempt - Strict Scrutiny - Air Date 4-21-25
KP 4: Bukele Goes To Washington w. Roberto Lovato - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-20-25
KP 5: What a photojournalist saw as Venezuelan migrants arrived in El Salvador - 60 Minutes - Air Date 4-6-25
KP 6: Dictator Behind Trump's Notorious El Salvadorian Prison Deportations Wants U.S. Dissents Locked Up - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 4-16-24
KP 7: Trump's Real Plan With El Salvador Revealed - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 4-15-25
KP 8: Sen. Van Hollen on Meeting Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador & Escalating Constitutional Crisis - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-21-25
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On finding glimmers of hope for the future
DEEPER DIVES
SECTION A: DEPORTATION PRACTICES
SECTION B: VICTIMS OF REGIME
SECTION C: VENEZUELA AND EL SALVADOR
SECTION D: RESISTANCE
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Composite image. An illustration of ghost-like man, woman, and child walking into a dark, complex maze with the I.C.E. logo and Trumpâs mug shot at the entrance.
Credit: Design by A. Hoffman | Components License: Pixabay
Produced by Jay!
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
-
Air Date 4/22/2025
George W. Bush proposed privatizing Social Security and didn't succeed. But, as with appointing Justices that would eventually overturn Roe V. Wade, groundwork was being laid as part of a multi-decade effort that would, they hoped, pay off in the future. So don't be surprised when they come for your earned benefits programs just as they came for the fundamental right to bodily autonomy.
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: What few people know about the program that saved America - Meg Jacobs - TED-Ed - Air Date 6-17-21
KP 2: Trump is coming for Social Security. And he has a new 'Big Lie' to justify it. - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-5-25
KP 3: What DOGE could mean for Medicare and Medicaid? - Consider This - Air Date 2-10-25
KP 4: Food banks feel the pain from higher prices and cuts to government programs - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 4-10-25
KP 5: Important HHS services _will grind to a halt_ with cuts, former Secretary Sebelius says - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 4-2-25
KP 6: Trumps Butchering Social Security to Feed His Starving Billionaires w/ Alex Lawson - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 3-12-25
KP 7: 'The federal workforce feels tormented': Federal employees on the consequences of losing their jobs Part 1 - On Point - Air Date 4-1-25
KP 8: INTERVIEW: Tim Faust on Defending Medicaid - The Worst of All Possible Worlds Part 1 - Air Date 3-31-25
(00:51:58) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the false moral arguments for cutting social safety nets
DEEPER DIVES
(01:02:18) SECTION A: SOCIAL SECURITY
(01:51:24) SECTION B: GENERAL CUTS
(02:34:52) SECTION C: MEDICAID & HHS
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Photo of a homemade protest sign that says âHands Off My Social Securityâ from the Hands Off nationwide rallies.
Credit: Private permission photo
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
-
Air Date 4/18/2025
Before the election, I heard interviews and statistics about Trump supporters responding to his stated desire to weaponize the government against his political enemies. Their response was that 1) they didn't want him to do that and 2) didn't think he would.
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: Free Mahmoud Khalil with Ben Wizner and Baher Azmy - At Liberty - Air Date 3-26-25
KP 2: News Brief Dem Leaders, 'Free Speech' Warriors Mostly Shrug as Trump Disappears Political Dissidents - Citations Needed - Air Date 4-2-25
KP 3: Trump's Revenge - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-1-25
KP 4: Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials - Up First - Air Date 4-10-25
KP 5: Mahmoud Khalil and a New Red Scare. Plus, Press Freedom Under Threat. - On The Media - Air Date 3-14-25
KP 6: Trumps Attacks on Law Firms, Lawyers, and the Law - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 3-20-25
KP 7: Trump and the Courts w Samuel Moyn - Behind the News - Air Date 3-7-25
(00:52:02) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On how racism and anti-intellectualism are a self-inflicted injury to society
DEEPER DIVES
(00:59:09) SECTION A: COMPLYING ENTITIES
(01:46:29) SECTION B: GOVERNMENT WEAPONIZATION
(03:01:33) SECTION C: JUDGES AND LEGISLATORS
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
-
Air Date 4/14/2025
Everything, it turns out, is a double-edged sword. Democracy and freedom are great but it also contains the keys to its own destruction. Love is pretty good but it turns out that only love can break your heart. And technology, which has freed people from countless hours of menial labor also has the power to subsume our economy, our politics, and much of our everyday lives. It may even be said to have supplanted capitalism itself.
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!
ACTIVISM ROUNDUP
KEY POINTS
KP 1: The Broligarchy Pt 2: Is this Techno-Fascism? Part 1 - Close All Tabs - Air Date 4-2-25
KP 2: Capitalism Has Mutated Into Something Worse with Yanis Varoufakis - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 2-7-24
KP 3: How Technofacism is Rooted in Silicon Valley / Becca Lewis Part 1 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 2-11-25
KP 4: We Went To Georgia Facebooks Data Center Took This Town Hostage - More Perfect Union - Air Date 3-27-25
KP 5: The Rise of Techno-Authoritarianism - Radio Atlantic - Air Date 2-26-24
KP 6: What does Palantir actually do? - Good Work - Air Date 3-28-25
(00:52:52) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the faustian bargain of the internet's walled gardens
DEEPER DIVES
(01:02:20) SECTION A: FALLOUT
(01:45:41) SECTION B: ORIGINS
(02:10:50) SECTION C: TECH BROS
(02:37:42) SECTION D: APARTHEID
Technofeudalism
Description: A composite image of Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Jeff Bezos wearing tiny golden crowns with dollar signs on them. An illustration of tiny replication of workers at desks in cubicles is in the background.
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
-
Original Air Date: 3/5/2019
From 2019: Today we take a look at how the illiberalism of the Israeli government has alienated the vast majority of democratic nations and individuals who support human rights, leaving the country with some of the most far-right, fascist, white-supremacist, anti-Semitic people in the world as their only remaining allies.
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!
Show Notes
Ch. 1: Peter Beinart on anti-Semitism in America and illiberalism in Israel - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 11-28-18
Ch. 2: Inequality and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism Q&A with Paul Jay (2/5) - @TheRealNews - Air Date 11-1-18
Ch. 3: Advocates: Israelâs Jewish Nation-State Law Constitutionally Enshrines Racism Against Palestinians - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 7-23-18
Ch. 4: Canada's Trudeau Attacks BDS, Joins Trump & Israel Blaming 'Both Sides' for Anti-Semitism - @TheRealNews - Air Date 11-12-18
Ch. 5: Noam Chomsky Condemns Israelâs Shift to Far Right & New âJewish Nation-Stateâ Law - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 7-30-18
Ch. 6: The Last Temptation of Evangelicals - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 5-21-18
Ch. 7: Saudi Crown Prince Tells Palestinians to 'Shut up' as He Cozies up to Israel - @TheRealNews - Air Date 5-3-18
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft
Contact me directly at [email protected]
-
Air Date 4/5/2025
Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. And with Trump in place, the Christian Nationalists are looking to rewrite history to their liking in order to create the dystopian future they desire.
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: Donald Trump is Rewriting the Past. Plus, the Christian Groups Vying for Political Power - On The Media - Air Date 2-17-25
KP 2: Trumps Vision for America I Am God - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 3-7-25
KP 3: How to Stand Up to Project 2025 and Save Public Education - Assembly Required - Air Date 12-12-24
KP 4: How School Integration Failed Black Students w Noliwe Rooks - This Is Hell! - Air Date 3-19-25
KP 5: Trump Can't Destroy The Dept. Of Education But He Will - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 3-7-25
KP 6: Trump orders 'restoring' American history through Smithsonian overhaul - Trump's Terms - Air Date 3-28-25
KP 7: Make America Great Again means segregation - Takesâą by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 3-25-25
KP 8: Does Trump Have A Mandate - Stop Christian Nationalism - Air Date 11-20-24
(00:54:50) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the power of repetition
DEEPER DIVES
(01:00:41) SECTION A: PUBLIC EDUCATION
(01:45:37.350) SECTION B: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM
(02:35:29) SECTION C: RELATED TOPICS
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS for #1702 - White nationalism
Description: A composite image of an illustration of Trump holding up a white cross against a dark background of a brick wall painted with the American flag.
Credit: Custom composite design. | Components License: Pixabay
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
-
Air Date 4/2/2025
Love them or loathe them, the Democratic Party is the political institution available to the left to structurally take on Trumpism but we need a whole lot of new energy and new commitments to the fight to turn them into an opposition worthy of the moment we face.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected]
Full Show Notes | Transcript
New Format Notes Code
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: 'Now is the time to break glassâ: Chris Hayes reacts to Schumer interview 'Now is the time to break glassâ: Chris Hayes reacts to Schumer interview - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 3-19-25
KP 2: Why Are Some Democrats Trying To Be RepublicansïŒ- Kat Abughazaleh - Air Date 3-3-25
KP 3: WATCH: Crowd ROARS As AOC Lays Out Fighting Strategy For Democratic Party - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 3-23-25
KP 4: Why Democrats Are Failing Us - Bean Thinking - Air Date 3-19-25
KP 5: Why Im Running For Congress - Kat Abughazaleh - Air Date 3-24-25
KP 6: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D-IL) Speaks at the 2025 HRC Los Angeles Dinner - Human Rights Campaign - Air Date 3-24-25
(00:48:03) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
With a VM on trans kids and a sneek peek at SOLVED!
DEEPER DIVES
(00:58:17) SECTION A:
(01:37:40) SECTION B:
(02:19:15) SECTION C:
(02:35:50) SECTION D:
(02:55:46) SECTION E:
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
-
Air Date 3/28/2025
You might not be trans yourself but that's just like how coal miners aren't canaries because when they saw that the canaries were under threat, they knew the danger was all around them. Fascists always start with those who are the easiest to dehumanize but they never stop there.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch, like, subscribe & comment on our newly-launched YouTube show, SOLVED!
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!
Activism Roundup
KEY POINTS
KP 1: The Threat of Project 2025 on LGBTQ+ Rights - The Blueprint with Jen Psaki - Air Date 9-16-24
KP 2: The fight to protect LGBTQ+ rights from Trump - Politics Weekly America - Air Date 1-31-25
KP 3: Ezra Young on Trans Rights Law, Anne Sosin on RFK Jr. and Rural Health - CounterSpin - Air Date 2-7-25
KP 4: The Rights About-Turn on Parental Rights - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 11-30-24
KP 5: Humanizing Trans People Laverne Cox - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-23-25
KP 6: Imperialism and Totalitarianism Go Hand in Hand M. Gessen on Trumps Policies at Home & Abroad - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-14-25
KP 7: The Fight for Trans Futures - In The Thick - Air Date 12-12-24
KP 8: Know Your LGBTQIA+ Rights with Chase Strangio - At Liberty - Air Date 2-13-25
(01:02:12) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the launch of SOLVED!
DEEPER DIVES
(01:10:48) SECTION A: POLICY ROLLSBACKS
(01:47:25) SECTION B: DEHUMANIZATION
(02:25:13) SECTION C: HISTORICAL ATTACKS
(02:59:41) SECTION D: STORIES
(03:29:55) SECTION E: TRANS JOY AND RESISTANCE
Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X
-
Original Air Date: 3/29/2022
Today we take a look at the current iteration of the cynical culture wars being waged by conservative Republicans against LGBTQ kids for political gain. The current wave of anti-trans and anti-gay legislation sprouting across the country is not about protecting kids and is absolutely nothing new.
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!
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22
Ch. 2: Andy Marra on Trans Youth Rights - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-4-22
Ch. 3: The Anti-Trans Agenda (w/ Gillian Branstetter) - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 3-20-22
Ch. 4: Chase Strangio on the GOPs Push in Florida, Texas, Idaho to Eradicate Trans Youth & Trans Lives - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-9-22
Ch. 5: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 2 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22
Ch. 6: Don't Say Gay - Today, Explained - Air Date 3-17-22
Ch. 7: Behind the Transphobic Hate Campaigns (and Steven Crowder) on College Campuses in Texas (w/ Steven Monacelli) Part 1 - DOOMED with Matt Binder - Air Date 3-23-22
Ch. 8: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 3 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22
Ch. 9: Behind the Transphobic Hate Campaigns (and Steven Crowder) on College Campuses in Texas (w/ Steven Monacelli) Part 2 - DOOMED with Matt Binder - Air Date 3-23-22
Ch. 10: Andy Marra on Trans Youth Rights Part 2 - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-4-22
Ch. 11: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 4 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!
-
Air Date: 3â24-25
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss:
- Our new game Satire Showdown
- The authoritarian takeover of the term common sense
- How Americans actually feel about DEI initiatives
- The rightâs turn on Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett
- A deep dive on the theory of a multiracial Right and how Democrats should respond
FOLLOW US ON:
Bluesky
Mastadon
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e
REFERENCES:
How populist leaders like Trump use âcommon senseâ as an ideological weapon to undermine facts - The Conversation
The Age of Anti-Woke Overreach - The Atlantic
âShe is evilâ: Amy Coney Barrett under attack by right wing after USAid ruling - The Guardian
Trump and the Rise of the Multiracial Right - In These Times
âCommon Senseâ - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #342: Common Sense Is Not So Common (March 25th)
Find your Indivisible group - or start one
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials
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!
- Show more