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

Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics
  • 4.5 (3.3K)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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!

  1. Monthly-ish Mix: Who's in Charge?—The Scramble for Control of Nations, Bodies, and Minds

    3D AGO

    Monthly-ish Mix: Who's in Charge?—The Scramble for Control of Nations, Bodies, and Minds

    Air Date: 3/3/2026 The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we examine the multi-front struggle for control: military force and economic coercion seizing resources abroad, institutions weaponized to constrain bodies at home, platforms and propaganda capturing minds, and the democratic resistance proving that organized people can still win. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! 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! PART 1: TAKING WHAT THEY WANT (00:02:31) #1762 - Trump's Imperialistic Shakedown of Venezuela 1: Trump Admits Venezuela Attacks Are All About Their Oil - The Majority Report W/ Sam Seder - Air Date 12-18-25 2: USA Is the Worst Pirate on Earth: Trump Boasts of Stealing Venezuela's Oil - Geopolitical Economy Report - Air Date 12-26-25 3: Trump's Piracy in the Caribbean - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 12-23-25 (00:29:28) #1768 - The End of an Era: The International Rules-Based Order Gives Way to Trump's Might-Makes-Right Plutocracy 4: Gaza, Venezuela, and Greenland Mark End of World Legal Order Set up in 1945 - Redeye - Air Date 1-19-26 5: "Empire in Decline": Historian Alfred McCoy on U.S. Aggression in Venezuela, Iran & Beyond - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-13-26 6: Mark Carney and the New World Order - Front Burner - Air Date 1-20-26 (00:53:33) #1764 - Wealth Inequality is Bad for Society and There's No Good Counterargument 7: The Capitalist Mindset - The Market Exit - Air Date 12-9-25 8: Where Are Americas Leaders? - Robert Reich and Inequality Media Civic Action - Air Date 1-6-26 PART 2: CONTROLLING BODIES (01:04:42) #1766 - The Fragility of State Violence: The ICE Occupation, Renee Good, and the Minneapolis Uprising 9: Abolish ICE - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-7-26 10: ICE Is a Way to Deal With Surplus Males - Therese - Air Date 1-9-25 11: ICE Can Hack Your Phone Without You Knowing - Taylor Lorenz - Air Date 9-5-25 (01:30:58) #1763 - It's Not a Health Care System, it's a Wealth Extraction System 12: 20M Americans Set to Lose Healthcare Coverage Jan. 1 After Congress Goes on Recess - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-30-25 13: Agonizing Choices on ACA Deadline Day Part 1 - Brian Lehrer_ A Daily Podcast - Air Date 12-15-25 14: Medicare For All Non-Negotiable #3 Part 1 - UNFTR - Air Date 2-8-25 (01:57:14) #1767 - Wars Are Won By Teachers and Trump is Attacking Them Like a Foreign Adversary 15: 'Abandoning' Kids' Futures AFT Pres. Slams Trump Dept. of Education Changes - MS NOW - Air Date 11-19-25 16: How Trumps Agenda Hurts College Students - Right Now With Perry Bacon - Air Date 11-19-25 17: Trump Set to Garnish Wages for Student Loan Defaults - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-30-25 PART 3: CONTROLLING MINDS (02:20:20) #1773 - How Big Tech Captured Attention, Kids, and Democracy 18: Trouble at TikTok Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-4-26 19: Is Social Media Having Its Big Tobacco Moment Part 1 - The Global Story - Air Date 2-16-26 20: DMs! My Kingdom For DMs! - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 2-17-26 (02:46:22) #1765 - AI Capitalism Will Not Deliver an AI Utopia 21: The AI Bubble Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-28-25 22: Desperate OpenAI Turns To Erotica - Novara Media - Air Date 10-16-25 23: Trump Considers Order to Override State Regulations on Artificial Intelligence - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 11-20-25 (03:09:13) #1772 - From Fragile to Fascist: How Broken Masculinity Feeds Authoritarianism 24: The Terrifying Rise of "Vice Signalling" - JimmyTheGiant - Air Date 1-28-26 25: The Incel to ICE Pipeline (with F.D Signifier and Caroline Kwan) Part 1 - Matt Bernstein - Air Date 2-6-26 26: The Rise of the Authoritarian-Curious - Then & Now - Air Date 2-9-26 (03:35:07) #1769 - Politics Beyond the Ballot Box: Elections and the Movements that Power Them 27: Donald Trump Wants to Cancel the Midterm Elections Part 1 - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-16-26 28: The Next Socialist In Congress with Claire Valdez Part 1 - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-22-26 PART 4: THE PEOPLE PUSH BACK (03:48:36) #1770 - Getting in the Fight Against ICE and Authoritarianism 29: What I've Learned From Reading History - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-28-26 30: Americans Flex Democratic Muscles to Show That, Together, They're Stronger Than Trump - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 1-27-26 31: ICE Out of Minnesota: Unions & Churches Lead Economic Blackout in "Day of Truth and Freedom" - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-23-26 (04:04:47) #1771 - They Need You in the Dark: Information, Journalism, and the Fight Against Fascism 32: AG Bondi Confirms FBI Executed Search Warrant at WaPo Reporter's Home - MS Now - Air Date 1-13-26 33: Why Trump Arresting Journalists Is a Sign of Weakness - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-30-26 34: Humor Can Topple Dictators Part 1 - Why, America with Leeja Miller - Air Date 10-18-25   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 Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

    4h 30m
  2. Envisioning a Leftist Economic Future of Postcapitalism, High-Tech Automation, Universal Basic Income and a World (Mostly) Without Work (Throwback)

    6D AGO · BONUS

    Envisioning a Leftist Economic Future of Postcapitalism, High-Tech Automation, Universal Basic Income and a World (Mostly) Without Work (Throwback)

    Original Air Date: 3-1-2024 We don't have to think too hard to understand the fears of a world in which work, and the ability of millions to support themselves, are lost to automation and artificial intelligence. But that is only a capitalist future in which the benefits of technological advancement are hoarded by the already-wealthy. Today we imagine a different path. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! 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: Introduction to Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work by Srnicek & Williams - Dank Audio Stash - Air Date 4-8-21 Introduction to Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work by Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams Ch. 2: The People's Republic of Walmart Interview with Leigh Phillips and Michal Rozworski - Novara Media - Air Date 6-13-19 Since the demise of the USSR, the mantle of the largest planned economies in the world has been taken up by the likes of Walmart, Amazon and other multinational corporations. Ch. 3: The Two Futures Of Automation Capitalism VS Socialism - Second Thought - Air Date 12-15-21 With jobs being automated and handed off to machines at an ever-increasing pace, it's only natural to consider what our future will look like. Ch. 4: Planet of the Robots: Four Futures of AI (Documentary) - 1Dime - Air Date 10-15-21 In this video we will be discussing automation, which is often confused with being the 'technological revolution' in it of itself as it is what the mainstream focuses on, and for good reason, as how we handle automation will determine the trajectory or co Ch. 5: Universal Basic Income Explained (An Automation Solution) - Futurology - Air Date 5-28-24 With jobs being automated and handed off to machines at an ever-increasing pace, it's only natural to consider what our future will look like. Ch. 6: The Two Futures Of Automation Capitalism VS Socialism Part 2 - Second Thought - Air Date 12-15-21 In this video we will be discussing automation, which is often confused with being the 'technological revolution' in it of itself as it is what the mainstream focuses on, and for good reason, as how we handle automation will determine the trajectory or co Ch. 7: Universal Basic Income Explained (An Automation Solution) Part 2 - Futurology - Air Date 5-28-24 Since the demise of the USSR, the mantle of the largest planned economies in the world has been taken up by the likes of Walmart, Amazon and other multinational corporations. Ch. 8: The People's Republic of Walmart Interview with Leigh Phillips and Michal Rozworski Part 2 - Novara Media - Air Date 6-13-19 Ch. 9: The People's Republic of Walmart Interview with Leigh Phillips and Michal Rozworski Part 3 - Novara Media - Air Date 6-13-19 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS:  Description: Photo of a patch on a backpack that says "What would you do if your income were taken care of?" Credit: "Berlin UBI March" by Patrick Maynard, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

    1h 2m
  3. The Grift of Life (Scam Culture™ and the Economy it has built) (Throwback)

    FEB 26 · BONUS

    The Grift of Life (Scam Culture™ and the Economy it has built) (Throwback)

    Original Air Date: 1/31/2023 Today, we take a look at just some of the nearly infinite ways in which our society, culture and economy are infused from top to bottom with Scam Culture™ that is bleeding us dry both financially and mentally. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! 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 Grift Economy: Everything is a scam, always. - Thought Slime - Air Date 11-5-21 For those that need to read this: you aren't a capitalist. You're capital. Ch. 2: Power and Corruption: The Devos Family - iilluminaughtii - Air Date 1-20-23 Betsy DeVos and her family have been important figures in the business world for decades. They're involved in a massive MLM, invest in shady businesses, and have put their money toward politics for as long as anyone can remember. Ch. 3: Bill Black: The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One - theAnalysis.news - Air Date 5-31-21 How does a corrupt mortgage scam by brokers in California become a massive national fraud that puts the whole economy into a deep crisis? Bill Black on theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay. Ch. 4: Why FTX's Crypto Scam Is A Tale As Old As Time - The Problem With Jon Stewart Podcast - Air Date 12-7-22 "Whatever fun name you wanna put on it, it's the same damn thing we've seen over and over again." David Dayen, Executive Editor of The American Prospect, joins us to talk through the spectacular rise and fall of crypto exchange FTX Ch. 5: The Gig Economy Was Always A Scam - Wisecrack - Air Date 8-8-22 The gig economy has revolutionized how we think about work, but not necessarily for the better. How have a bunch of multi-billion-dollar companies like Uber or Instacart so fundamentally changed our economy? Ch. 6: Why Spotify Will Ultimately Fail - Benn Jordan - Air Date 1-9-23 An investor's guide to breaking the thing you're trying to sell. Ch. 7: James O'Brien caller wrote his dissertation on 'incel' culture - LBC - Air Date 1-27-23 Explaining the appeal of Andrew Tate and his accolites to young, insecure men Ch. 8: TikToker Exposes New A.I. Scam That Is Absolutely TERRIFYING - Rebel HQ - Air Date 1-13-23 TikToker @benno56 shares his family's experience with a terrifying new A.I. voice-mimicking scam. Max Burns breaks it down. Ch. 9: Mark Rober's Prank And The Truth About Scammers And Capitalism - Second Thought - Air Date 6-17-22 Scam call centers are just one cancerous offshoot of bureaucracy under capitalism, and while pranking these places may be cathartic, it's not enough to tackle the root cause. Ch. 10: Is all money just a ponzi scheme? | Vicki Robin - Big Think - Air Date 7-22-18 "Money, it's a gas," wrote Pink Floyd's Roger Waters for their hit 'Money'. Author, speaker, and social innovator Vicki Robin would probably agree: she posits that most people don't understand the true, human, working value of money.   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 Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

    1h 10m
  4. SOLVED! SAMPLE! #34 - Understanding The Dual State: Life Under Authoritarianism and Your Role in Fighting It

    FEB 25 · BONUS

    SOLVED! SAMPLE! #34 - Understanding The Dual State: Life Under Authoritarianism and Your Role in Fighting It

    Air Date: 2-17-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:   Ch. 1 - The "dual state" concept coined by German Jewish political scientist and labor lawyer Ernst Fraenkel in his 1941 book "The Dual State: A Contribution to the Theory of Dictatorship" Ch. 2 - Navigating the psychological toll of living under authoritarianism Ch. 3 - "Woke 2.0" as a movement, and dismantling conservative critiques of virtue Ch. 4 - What is actually required to build an effective, broad anti-authoritarian coalition movement SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): Deprograming Nazis and the "run the ball" football strategy for our times   Leave a message on our new system!   FOLLOW US ON: YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please subscribe and share!) Bluesky Instagram Facebook Mastadon Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e   REFERENCES Your friends are still acting like everything is normal in America. What do you do? - Vox They Were Ordinary Germans. We Are Ordinary Americans. - The New York Times How to Survive the Information War - The Atlantic Galaxy Brain podcast: How to Be A Citizen in the Information War (And Stay Sane) - Galaxy Brain (The Atlantic) Can Woke 2 Go IRL? Even Thomas Chatterton Williams Thinks It's Possible - Vanity Fair Why Hannah Arendt and the Banality of Evil Still Matter Today - Philosopedia The Popular Front Isn't Foreign — It's American /// Want to Fight Fascism? Look to U.S. History. - In These Times As Congress Begins to Grapple With Restrictions on ICE, States Take Matters Into Their Own - Talking Points Memo Lawmakers visit Minnesota for inspiration — and to warn the nation - Minnesota Reformer   BACKSTAGE We Must Establish The Run Against Authoritarianism - Bad Faith Times   EXTRAS: 00:13:27 Best of the Left #1770 - Getting in the Fight Against ICE and Authoritarianism 00:19:42 Best of the Left Bonus Edition #334 - "Collaborators, Internal Exiles, and Dissidents" from Jan. 26, 2025 (pre-YouTube) SAMPLE | MEMBERS Prosecutor Fired After Voicing Frustration With Immigration Caseload - The New York Times F Minus Comics   TAKE ACTION: How to Support Minneapolis Communities In a blue state? Help stop ICE overreach Free DC Project: FOR ALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY No Kings Next Steps One Million Rising Trainings 5calls.org Find your Indivisible group - or start one   Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message   Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

    23 min
  5. SOLVED! #35 - Democracy on the Ropes (Part 1): Do Americans Still Care About Democracy?

    FEB 24 · BONUS • MEMBERSHIP ONLY

    SOLVED! #35 - Democracy on the Ropes (Part 1): Do Americans Still Care About Democracy?

    Air Date: 2-24-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: ⁃ Ch. 1 - How democratic engagement has declined since the 1940s and why a renewal of engagement may be on the horizon ⁃ Ch. 2 - Calling in “political hobbyists” who are consuming political news but not involved in real world political organizing ⁃ Ch. 3 - America's constitutional flaws stemming from the founders' anti-democratic design, and the possibility of democratic transformation ⁃ SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): Sick and tired! Leave us a message on our new system! - https://podline.fm/best-of-the-left FOLLOW US ON: YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please subscribe and share!) Bluesky Instagram Facebook Mastadon Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES Public Support for Democracy in the United States Has Declined Generationally - PubMed Report: How Does Gen Z Really Feel about Democracy? - Tufts University Politics Is for Power, Not Consumption - Boston Review Remake America - The Baffler EXTRAS: “The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding” by Osita Nwanevu https://bookshop.org/a/13356/9780593449929 (Buying this book, or another book, after clicking this link helps support indie bookstores and this show!) TAKE ACTION: How to Support Minneapolis Communities In a blue state? Help stop ICE overreach Free DC Project: FOR ALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY No Kings Next Steps One Million Rising Trainings 5calls.org Find your Indivisible group - or start one Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

    1h 14m
  6. How Big Tech Captured Attention, Kids, and Democracy

    FEB 24

    How Big Tech Captured Attention, Kids, and Democracy

    Air Date: 2/23/2026 Today we examine how the platforms that monetize your attention are merging with state power. We'll hear how TikTok's new owners include Trump ally Larry Ellison, how DHS sent hundreds of subpoenas to unmask anonymous ICE critics, how Ring's Super Bowl ad cheerfully introduced AI-powered neighborhood surveillance, and how the social media addiction trials that are being likened to the Big Tobacco settlement of the 90s, are finally exposing what these companies knew about the harmful nature of their products all along. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! 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! TOP TAKES KP 1: Chris Hayes in Conversation with Jonathan Haidt About The Sirens Call Part 1 - All In W Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-10-26 KP 2: Trouble at TikTok Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-4-26 KP 3: Is Social Media Having Its Big Tobacco Moment Part 1 - The Global Story - Air Date 2-16-26 KP 4: The Social Media Addiction Trials Begin Part 1 - On The Media - Air Date 2-13-26 KP 5: Ring's Lost Pet Ad Fetching a Surveillance State - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 2-10-26 KP 6: DMs! My Kingdom For DMs! - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 2-17-26 (00:53:14) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Big Tech is the New Big Tobacco - Here's what that means for our future DEEPER DIVES (01:01:11) SECTION A: LAWSUITS A1: Predatory Tech Silicon Valley on Trial in Landmark Youth Social Media Addiction Case Part 1 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-19-26 A2: Why New Mexico Is Taking Meta to Court - Here & Now Anytime - 2-5-26 A3: The Social Media Addiction Trials Begin Part 2 - On The Media- Air Date 2-13-26 A4: Is Social Media Having Its Big Tobacco Moment Part 2 - The Global Story - Air Date 2-16-26 A5: Trouble at TikTok Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-4-26 A6: Predatory Tech Silicon Valley on Trial in Landmark Youth Social Media Addiction Case Part 2 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-19-26 (01:44:53) SECTION B: TIKTOK B1: TikTok, Gen Z's Move to Social Media and Elite Panic Over Unsanctioned News Part 1 - Citations Needed - Air Date 2-4-26 B2: TikTok's New Trump-Approved US Owners Part 1 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-28-26 B3: TikTok, Gen Z's Move to Social Media and Elite Panic Over Unsanctioned News Part 2 - Citations Needed - Air Date 2-4-26 B4: TikTok's New Trump-Approved US Owners Part 2 - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-28-26 (02:19:50) SECTION C: PLATFORM POWER C1: Tech Giants Are Nothing But Middlemen, with Tim Wu Part 1 - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 2-18-26 C2: The Plan Is to Make the Internet Worse Forever with Cory Doctorow Part 1 - Downstream - Air Date 12-8-25 C3: Let's Talk About Ring, Lost Dogs, and the Surveillance State - Decoder with Nilay Patel - Air Date 2-16-26 C4: Tech Giants Are Nothing But Middlemen, with Tim Wu Part 2 - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 2-18-26 (02:56:37) SECTION D: ATTENTION HARMS D1: Chris Hayes in Conversation with Jonathan Haidt About The Sirens Call Part 2 - All In W Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-10-26 D2: AI Chatbots Upended Their Lives. Then They Turned to Each Other - Consider This - Air Date 2-4-26 D3: The Plan Is to Make the Internet Worse Forever with Cory Doctorow Part 2 - Downstream - Air Date 12-8-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of a pre-teen girl leaning on a table holding a phone in her hands that she looks at so closely it covers her entire face. Credit:"teen iphone smartphone girl" by cyndidyoder83, Pixabay | Pixabay License   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 Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

    3h 26m
  7. From Fragile to Fascist: How Broken Masculinity Feeds Authoritarianism

    FEB 21

    From Fragile to Fascist: How Broken Masculinity Feeds Authoritarianism

    Air Date: 2/19/2026 Today we trace the pipeline from masculine grievance to fascism. We'll hear how ICE agents' own family members describe them as low-IQ bullies chasing signing bonuses, why a former white nationalist explains that the alternative to unpacking discomfort is becoming overtly racist, how incel culture evolved from lonely forums into a MAGA recruitment tool, and what researchers found about why men socialized to equate violence with manhood end up joining state-sanctioned death squads. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! 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! TOP TAKES KP 1: White Men, We Have A Problem - Swolesome - Air Date 1-7-26 KP 2: Do You Get It Now, Ben? - SOME MORE NEWS - Air Date 2-11-26 KP 3: ICE Agents' Own Family Members Expose How They're "Low IQ" and "Racist" Losers - The Humanist Report - Air Date 2-5-26 KP 4: The Terrifying Rise of "Vice Signalling" - JimmyTheGiant - Air Date 1-28-26 KP 5: Who's We? - PissedMagistus - Air Date 1-17-26 KP 6: The Incel to ICE Pipeline (with F.D Signifier and Caroline Kwan) Part 1 - Matt Bernstein - Air Date 2-6-26 (00:49:13) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR The Manosphere Correctly Diagnoses Some Problems but Their Solutions are a Con DEEPER DIVES (01:04:19) SECTION A: FRAGILE MASCULINITY A1: The Patriarchy Is Fracturing… - Dr. Deneen Speaks - Air Date 1-17-26 A2: Are Women Responsible For Fixing Broken Men? - The Speech Prof - Air Date 2-9-26 A3: Masculinity Isn't Real | The History They Won't Teach - Therese - Air Date 1-27-26 A4: "Any Woman Who Doesn't Find Me Attractive Is LYING!!!" - The Speech Prof - Air Date 1-27-26 (01:27:11) SECTION B: PIPELINE TO HELL B1: The Incel to ICE Pipeline (with F.D Signifier and Caroline Kwan) Part 2 - Matt Bernstein - Air Date 2-6-26 B2: The Masculine Urge to Join a Fascist Death Squad - Signified B Sides - Air Date 1-26-26 B3: Here's Why Tim Pool LOVES ICE - Luke Thomas Gets Political (LTGP) - Air Date 1-27-26 B4: Syril Karn in Andor Is The PERFECT Representation of Fascism! - Film Obsessed - Air Date 1-22-26 B5: Everything Is Gender - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-11-26 (02:07:49) SECTION C: THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE C1: Political Meme Propaganda Machine - Harland Spinks - Air Date 1-25-26 C2: Exposing the Far Right - Against the Grain - Air Date 2-4-26 (02:26:50) SECTION D: AUTHORITARIAN CURIOUS D1: The Contradiction That Exposes Scott Galloway's Real Agenda - Therese - Air Date 12-4-25 D2: The Rise of the Authoritarian-Curious - Then & Now - Air Date 2-9-26 D3: Shirley, He Can't Be This Stupid - We Gon Be Alright - Air Date 1-19-26 D4: America's Nazi Influencers - Novara Media - Air Date 1-20-26 D5: The CRAZY Thing That Connects Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, Jordan Peterson, and Nick Fuentes - Science Fiction with Damien Walter - Air Date 12-23-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite image of photos of a white man looking sad facing away from the camera, and then enraged looking toward the camera. Credit: Internal composite design. Images by Engin_Akyurt, Pixabay | Pixabay License   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 Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

    3h 16m
  8. They Need You in the Dark: Information, Journalism, and the Fight Against Fascism

    FEB 15

    They Need You in the Dark: Information, Journalism, and the Fight Against Fascism

    Air Date 2/15/2026 Today we explore the gap between free speech rhetoric and the reality of arrested reporters. We'll hear how a decade of cancel culture panic over college students gave way to actual government suppression of journalists, why the DOJ is perverting a law designed to fight the Ku Klux Klan to prosecute Black journalists, how the administration that promised to "bring back free speech" is maintaining lists of forbidden words, and what history teaches about humor as a weapon against authoritarianism. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! 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! TOP TAKES KP 1: AG Bondi Confirms FBI Executed Search Warrant at WaPo Reporter's Home - MS Now - Air Date 1-13-26 KP 2: Why Trump Arresting Journalists Is a Sign of Weakness - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-30-26 KP 3: The Justice Department Tries to Prosecute Black Journalists Part 1 - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 2-3-26 KP 4: Stars and Stripes in Peril Part 1 - On The Media - Air Date 1-28-26 KP 5: Humor Can Topple Dictators Part 1 - Why, America with Leeja Miller - Air Date 10-18-25 KP 6: The Effectiveness of Nonviolent Activism - Inside International Affairs - Air Date 2-28-24 (00:52:02) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why authoritarians are so afraid of the media DEEPER DIVES (01:02:13) SECTION A: STATE REPRESSION A1: One Authoritarian's Playbook - Rights & Wrongs - Air Date 6-2-25 A2: Following Independent Journalists Fighting for Free Press in Russia - Fresh Air - Air Date 2-5-26 A3: Stars and Stripes in Peril Part 2 - On The Media - Air Date 1-28-26 A4: FBI Searches Reporter's Home, Raising Concerns About Intimidation of Free Press - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 1-14-26 (01:26:49) SECTION B: LEGAL ATTACKS B1: Trump Lashes Out at Reporter, Highlighting a Pattern of Attacking Press He Dislikes - Trump's Terms - Air Date 11-20-25 B2: Trump Continues Series of Verbal Attacks on Female Reporters - Anderson Cooper 360 - Air Date 12-9-25 B3: Deportation of Reporter Mario Guevara's Is Attack on Free Speech and Journalism - Democracy Now! - Air Date 10-3-25 B4: Don Lemon Arrested for Reporting on Minneapolis, 12 States Are Suing HHS, and Queer Artists Win Big at the Grammy's - Queer News - Air Date 2-2-26 B5: Journalism Is Not a Crime: Georgia Fort & Don Lemon Arrested for Covering St. Paul Church Protest - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-2-26 B6: The Justice Department Tries to Prosecute Black Journalists Part 2 - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 2-3-26 (02:03:30) SECTION C: MEDIA INSTITUTIONS C1: Will Journalists Choose to Save or Sink Democracy with Joy Reid & Dean Obeidallah Part 1 - Laura Flanders and Friends - Air Date 1-23-26 C2: The Washington Post Cuts and the Role of the Foreign Correspondent - The Monocle Daily - Air Date 2-5-26 C3: 'If You Can Keep It' The Future Of The Free Press Part 1 - 1A - Air Date 2-2-26 C4: Will Journalists Choose to Save or Sink Democracy with Joy Reid & Dean Obeidallah Part 2 - Laura Flanders and Friends - Air Date 1-23-26 C5: 'If You Can Keep It' The Future Of The Free Press Part 2 - 1A - Air Date 2-2-26 C6: Setareh Ghandehari on ICE Violence, Jon Schleuss on Pittsburgh Paper Shutdown - CounterSpin - Air Date 1-16-26 (02:56:52) SECTION D: LAUGHTIVISM D1: Humor Can Topple Dictators Part 2 - Why, America with Leeja Miller - Air Date 10-18-25 D2: Biology!, Jokes About Death & Humor as a Practice of Resistance with ALOK - The Daily Show - Air Date 1-15-25 D3: The Power of Laughtivism | Srdja Popovic at TEDxBG - TEDx Talks - Air Date 2-14-13 D4: ICE Agents Can't Keep It Together When Protester Trolls Them - The Majority Report - Air Date 10-12-25 D5: A Message From The Frog Resistance - The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - Air Date 10-13-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite design of a photo of a press pass on a lanyard on a table overlaying a photo of an ICE protest in Minneapolis. Credit: Internal design. Photo 1: "Standard Press Credentials - Minneapolis Civil Unrest" by Tony Webster, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 | Cropped & blended | Photo 2: "Protest against ICE in downtown Minneapolis" by Fibonacci Blue, Flickr | CC BY 4.0 | Cropped & blended   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 Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

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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!

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