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

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

  1. #MenToo: The Make America Male Again Election and the Media Driving the Message

    1 DAY AGO

    #MenToo: The Make America Male Again Election and the Media Driving the Message

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

    2h 8m
  2. Beyond Thanksgiving: Telling Native Stories (Remix)

    5 DAYS AGO

    Beyond Thanksgiving: Telling Native Stories (Remix)

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

    2h 41m
  3. Keep an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out

    NOV 26

    Keep an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out

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

    2h 55m
  4. Bonus Sample: You Say You Want a Revolution

    NOV 24 · BONUS

    Bonus Sample: You Say You Want a Revolution

    Air Date: 11-24-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Erin discuss: - A few sort of fun-ish news things because it's very necessary right now - A clear-eyed but concise take on why people voted the way they did - Why the hard right political philosophy and their lies are catching on, and what the left can do to stop the appeal FOLLOW US ON:  Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: Here’s Why I Decided To Buy ‘InfoWars’ Alex Jones Is Trying to Halt the Sale of Infowars. Elon Musk’s X Just Got Involved in the Case. American Kakistocracy Yes, Trump's Defense Secretary Pick Pete Hegseth Once Said 'Germs Are Not a Real Thing' Americans Didn't Vote for What Donald Trump is About to Give Them A Modest Proposal: Let Trump Be Trump  Steve Bannon Has Called His “Army” to Do Battle—No Matter Who Wins in November   Join our Discord Server Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft  Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

    17 min
  5. The Non-Exclusive Impact of White Supremacy and Misogyny on the Election

    NOV 20

    The Non-Exclusive Impact of White Supremacy and Misogyny on the Election

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

    2h 23m
  6. A Refresher on the Sham of Conservative Economic Populism and the Left Alternatives (Remix)

    NOV 15 · BONUS

    A Refresher on the Sham of Conservative Economic Populism and the Left Alternatives (Remix)

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

    1h 19m
  7. Private Equity: The worst of capitalism, amplified

    NOV 12

    Private Equity: The worst of capitalism, amplified

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

    2h 32m
  8. We Are Going Back: Team post-election analysis

    NOV 8

    We Are Going Back: Team post-election analysis

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

    1h 25m
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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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