476 episodes

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!

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

    • News
    • 4.5 • 3.3K Ratings

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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!

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Bonus Sample - Coping: Magic Mushrooms, Bath Time, Perpetual Therapy, and Pain Killers

    Bonus Sample - Coping: Magic Mushrooms, Bath Time, Perpetual Therapy, and Pain Killers

    Air Date: 3-28-24
    Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss:
    - how the wealthy use psilocybin to deal with stress and break the rules of time  
    - the working class get bath time and training on how to self-care their stress away
    - the 
    REFERENCES:
    It’s Time to Give Up on Email
    The Working Woman’s Newest Life Hack: Magic Mushrooms
    Stress Less
    Had a bath. still stressed.
    How America Became Addicted to Therapy
    Life Under the Algorithm
     
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    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!

    • 14 min
    People Are Waking Back Up To The Need For Labor Unions (Throwback)

    People Are Waking Back Up To The Need For Labor Unions (Throwback)

    Original Air Date: 12/23/2021
    Today we take a look at some of the history of labor struggles in America and the current wave of strikes that is giving renewed energy to the labor union movement and the struggle for better working conditions for all.
    Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
    BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content)
    SHOW NOTES
    Ch. 1: Lessons from the Luddites - On the Media - Air Date 12-10-21
    Gavin Mueller [@gavinmuellerphd], assistant professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, on what modern lessons can be learned from the Luddite workers of 19th century England.
    Ch. 2: Victory at Starbucks, Struggle at Kellogg's Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 12-13-21
    Suzi talks with John Logan about the unionization victory at Starbucks in Buffalo, and the continuing Kellogg Co. strike.
    Ch. 3: Strike Wave Workers Flex Their Muscle in Tight Labor Market Part 1 - Intercepted - Air Date 11-10-21
    We hear from Kaiser Permanente workers, and then Labor Notes’ Jonah Furman joins The Intercept’s Washington Editor Nausicaa Renner to discuss this year’s strike wave.
    Ch. 4: Labor Unions From Pullman to Kelloggs. Labors long, hard road. - Unf*cking The Republic (UNFTR) - Air Date 12-18-21
    The episode includes a blow-by-blow analysis of a recent interview with the CEO of Kellogg's to translate Wall Street speak for “how to fuck workers and influence inflation.”
    Ch. 5: Victory at Starbucks, Struggle at Kellogg's Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 12-13-21
    Suzi talks with John Logan about the unionization victory at Starbucks in Buffalo, and the continuing Kellogg Co. strike.
    Ch. 6: Class Struggles in the US Today - Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 12-2-21
    The "labor shortage" isn't, "Build Back Better" does not begin to approach what Europe already has.
     
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    MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
    Ch. 9: Lessons from the Luddites Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 12-10-21
    Gavin Mueller [@gavinmuellerphd], assistant professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, on what modern lessons can be learned from the Luddite workers of 19th century England.
    Ch. 10: Labor Unions From Pullman to Kelloggs. Labors long, hard road. Part 2 - Unf*cking The Republic (UNFTR) - Air Date 12-18-21
    MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
     
    Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
    Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

    • 1 hr 9 min
    Forget Equality, Embrace the Feminism of Freedom - Breaking entirely free from the structures of White supremacy and heteropatriarchy

    Forget Equality, Embrace the Feminism of Freedom - Breaking entirely free from the structures of White supremacy and heteropatriarchy

    Air Date 3/23/2024
    Equality has been at the heart of civil rights movements for decades but what we have failed to see is that in striving for equality we cannot help but reinforce the unquestioned preexisting structures of society which, themselves, may be at fundamental odds with true freedom for all.
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    Transcript
    BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!)
    Join our Discord community!
    SHOW NOTES
    Ch. 1: Marcie Bianco — Breaking Free - with Charlotte Clymer - Politics and Prose - Air Date 9-23-23
    Watch author Marcie Bianco's book talk and reading at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C.
    Ch. 2: Angela Saini The Patriarchs 'How Men Came to Rule' - The Overpopulation Podcast - Air Date 2-6-24
    By detailing the diversity of human arrangements, including the prevalence of egalitarian and matrilineal societies around the world – past and present – Angela reveals that male-supremacy is neither natural nor immutable.
    Ch. 3: The Fraud Of 'White Feminism' w/ Kyla Schuller - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-20-22
    Emma hosts Kyla Schuller, Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, to discuss her recent book The Trouble With White Women: A Counterhistory of Feminism.
     
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    MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
    Ch. 8: The Fraud Of 'White Feminism' w Kyla Schuller Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-20-22
    Ch. 9: Angela Saini The Patriarchs 'How Men Came to Rule' Part 3 - The Overpopulation Podcast - Air Date 2-6-24
    FINAL COMMENTS
    Ch. 10: Final comments on what the path beyond equality and toward freedom looks like
    MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
    SHOW IMAGE:
    Description: A photo of a protest in a city street. A person holds up a neon pink sign that says “Smash Patriarchy. Smash Capitalism.” Part of a Starbucks logo can be seen behind the sign.
    Credit: “Smash patriarchy smash capitalism” by Peter, Flickr | License: CC By 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness, contrast and saturation.
    Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
    Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

    • 55 min
    Bonus Sample: Cause it's all about control

    Bonus Sample: Cause it's all about control

    Air Date: 3-21-24
    Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss:
    - how AI became a tool in the gender culture war
    - the real reasons "soft girls" and "tradwives" are a thing
    REFERENCES:
    You Will Not Believe the Dumb Reason My Son Gave Me for Refusing to Wipe His Butt
    AI has come to the gender culture war, yielding some truly dumb content
    The False Escapism of Soft Girls and Tradwives

    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!

    • 16 min
    The Profitable and Political Moral Panic Around Trans People: Debunking Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, Groomers, and Detransitioning Misconceptions

    The Profitable and Political Moral Panic Around Trans People: Debunking Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, Groomers, and Detransitioning Misconceptions

    Air Date 3/19/2024
    We break down some of the pseudoscience the trans panic is built on, look at the political drive to erase trans people, understand how language of panic shifts over time, and present and alternate view of societal healing for a healthier humanity.
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    Transcript
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    SHOW NOTES
    Ch. 1: The Anatomy of a Moral Panic Ft. Dr. Julia Serano - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 2-21-24
    Mia and Gare are once again joined by Dr, Julia Serano to discuss how the concept of contagious stigma drives moral panics against cis and trans people alike
    Ch. 2: Are Red States 100 Committed to Erasing Trans People - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 1-8-24
    Just a week into 2024 and Red State Republicans have already introduced over 150 bills targeting the transgender community. Journalist Erin Reed, host of 'Erin in the Morning,' updates us on the sorry parade.
    Ch. 3: Jamie Lee Curtis Interviews ALOK on the World Beyond the Gender Binary - Upfront Ventures - Air Date 3-9-23
    ALOK sits down with Jamie Lee Curtis to explore themes of gender, race, trauma, belonging and the human condition.
    Ch. 4: How the Media Gets Trans Coverage Wrong - Medium - Air Date 8-19-23
    A panel discussion centered on the representation of trans issues in the media. Moderated by Katherine Cross. 
    Ch. 5: The Anatomy of a Moral Panic Ft. Dr. Julia Serano Part 2 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 2-21-24
     
    SEE FULL SHOW NOTES
    MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
    Ch. 9: How the Media Gets Trans Coverage Wrong Part 2 - Medium - Air Date 8-19-23
    Ch. 10: The Anatomy of a Moral Panic Ft. Dr. Julia Serano Part 3 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 2-21-24
    FINAL COMMENTS
    Ch. 12: Final comments on a new reframing of the right to the freedom of sex
    MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
    SHOW IMAGE: 
    Description: A colorful, hand-drawn protest sign says “Protect Trans Youth” with the trans pride flag.
    Credit: “Protect Trans Youth” by Taymaz Valley, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
     
    Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
    Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

    • 1 hr 3 min
    The Party of Putin and the Propaganda Leading the GOP to Trump and the US to Russian-Style Autocracy

    The Party of Putin and the Propaganda Leading the GOP to Trump and the US to Russian-Style Autocracy

    Air Date 3/15/2024
    Republicans have been trending toward Putin fandom for more than a decade but with each passing year the stakes get higher, the propaganda gets more brazen, and what they're willing to support gets more grotesque.
    Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
    Transcript
    BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!)
    Join our Discord community!
    SHOW NOTES
    Ch. 1: Chris Wallace DESTROYS former colleague Tucker Carlson - Bryan Tyler Cohen - Air Date 2-10-24
    Ch. 2: Trump voters tell NBC Reporter that ‘Russia is not our enemy’ - MSNBC - Air Date 2-27-24
    Vaughn Hillard discusses meeting with Trump voters who have started to echo the rhetoric from Putin and Russia when it comes to that country’s war on Ukraine and how the base of the MAGA movement has leaned into authoritarian rhetoric.
    Ch. 3: American Patriots Support... Vladimir Putin - On the Media - Air Date 3-4-22
    Casey Michel joins to discuss why white nationalists like David Duke, Richard Spencer, and Matthew Heimbach have long since looked to Putin's Russia as inspiration for their far-right movements in this country
    Ch. 4: The Dark and Destructive Vision of Putin's GOP - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 2-27-24
    Author and reporter Heidi Siegmund Cuda has the dirt that ties Mike Johnson to President Putin. Does Mr Johnson want to follow Russia's example and become an authoritarian pseudo-theocracy?
     
    SEE FULL SHOW NOTES
    MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
    Ch. 8: Trump Backers Kill Navalny - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 2-20-24
    Andrea and Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack discuss the assassination of Navalny and the work ahead to build a meaningful opposition.
    FINAL COMMENTS
    Ch. 9: Final comments on the global view of autocratic propaganda
    MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
    SHOW IMAGE:
    Description: Protestors in a major city at night hold up cutouts of Putin’s head and Trump’s head. Large cutouts of open hands are on either side of Trump.
    Credit: “2I4A7393” by rob walsh, Flickr | License: Public Domain | Changes: Cropped
    Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
    Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

    • 57 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
3.3K Ratings

3.3K Ratings

Trypeacenow ,

Excellent doesn’t quite say it.

Great content, wonderful music, various voices that are not necessarily on TV, and in fact, usually are not on the daily news. You need this information to understand the chaos around you.
Subscribe if you can. Lack of funding makes good people use horrible companies to survive. It’s money well spent. Lots of diverse voices.

womanbyherradio ,

Tired

I have tried to like this podcast because of progressivism. But, the constant push of advertising, joining to donate, and “special” content when this podcast is a compilation of other shows without the cost of original journalism. It begins to feel like platform for the host.

The last straw, though, is it’s one-sided, hostile coverage of Israel, the attack by Hamas, and the War in Gaza. Living in the range of a Pacifica station, I heard decades of programming that devoted most of its evening news coverage to blaming Israel for all ills. I think the Left has too often found an easy target Israel, backed by a lazy intellectual framework that reflects Western history, and not Jewish history. I have protested for peace in Israel for decades. The moral stance is not to oppose the existence of Israel, but to join with Israeli movements for peace.

Unfollowing.

Mojopie19 ,

Dear Mr. Coates

Kindly refresh my memory, I seem to have forgotten - when was it that slaves or freed slaves were offered 50-60% of the land mass of the United States to form a nation - refused it - moved to Canada and Mexico and supported an invasion of the US with intent of claiming the entire nation and killing all of the present inhabitants - failed and were shuttled into refugee camps by their own people who didn’t really want to have anything to do with them if they didn’t have a nation of their own. When were African Americans offered their own nation three more times - refused and instead led terrorist attacks against the US bobbing innocent civilians.
Drawing blind moral equivalence based on a visceral reaction to an unpleasant conflict is racist, hateful, disgusting and beneath you. This construct and perversion of reality has been the objective of Palestinians and the Arab world for hundreds of years. Deliberately creating an image of your people as oppressed in the service of genocide is an old trick. They have just dressed it up and updated it by oppressing their own and blaming others for their pain. I thought you were smarter than that but as usual when it’s Jews they have always been fair game. I’m sure there’s a nice uniform you can don when you guard the gates of genocide with insipidly reasoned arguments of one sided ethics.

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