Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy Best of the Left
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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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Bonus Sample #300 My People are Humans
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Air Date: 4-22-24
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss:
- How Israeli citizens and government officials use of the US's settler-colonialist past, westward expansion, and religious fundamentalism to justify their own settler expansion
- How the members of the extreme right are put in positions of power within the Israeli government, which is then used to validate the settler's actions
- The role racist propaganda and intergenerational trauma play in convincing Israelis of the righteousness of their settler-colonialist actions
- The societal dangers of living in an ethnostate combined with feeling of specialness that comes from generations of victimhood
REFERENCES:
The Israeli Settlers Attacking Their Palestinian Neighbors
The grandmother who wants to lead Israelis back to a Gaza without Palestinians
A debate over Israel-Palestine curriculum flares at Berkeley schools
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Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
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#1623 Burning American Credibility on Support for Israel's Genocidal War in Gaza - Biden, Netanyahu, and the double standards of the rules-based order
Air Date 4/20/2024
Old habits die hard and the American establishment's unquestioning support for Israel is a very old habit indeed. Israel's government drifts farther and farther to the right, culminating in a genocidal push into Gaza. Meanwhile, President Biden, standard-bearer of the old establishment, seems destined to be the very last Democrat to see the need for a change.
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Transcript
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Jon Stewart Interrogates America's Support of Israel - The Daily Show - Air Date 4-8-24
Jon Stewart checks in on the war in Gaza and interrogates how America's purported values stack up against its support of Israel. Plus, Ronny Chieng and Grace Kuhlenschmidt report from the eclipse's path of totality with startling different reports.
Ch. 2: Biden’s 'double talk' on Gaza: Cynical election politics? | The Bottom Line - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 3-31-24
Roth tells host Steve Clemons that US President Joe Biden is engaging in “cynical” election politics by refusing to enforce the UN resolution calling for a ceasefire, or the World Court ruling ordering Israel to allow more food into Gaza
Ch. 3: Jon Stewart & Bassem Youssef Call Out “Performative” Outrage Over Israel’s War Crimes - The Humanist Report - Air Date 4-12-24
In this video, we’ll look at comments from both Youssef and Stewart, examples of “performative” outrage from politicians, and demands from voters that the Democratic Party and Joe Biden are refusing to meet.
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FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the words we've heard and the actions we've seen from Israel's government
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a protest outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC in honor of Airman Aaron Bushnell’s self-sacrifice. Protestors kneel behind a banner that says “Stop U.S. Support of Genocide.”
Credit: “50.Gather.AaronBushnellVigil.WDC.26February2024” by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Bonus Sample: Selling Bliss
Air Date: 4-18-24
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss:
- how a tech start-up is trying to sell a shortcut to bliss
- the world of drug-free psychedelic experiences
- the capitalists trying to solve the loneliness epidemic
REFERENCES:
The Meditation Start-Up That’s Selling Bliss on Demand
What’s it like to take a $249 drug-free psychedelic trip? We found out
Origin of the Dreamachine
Can You Solve Loneliness? These Startups Are Betting On It.
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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
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Understanding the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israeli mistreatment of Palestinians (Throwback)
Original Air Date 2/12/2019
Today we take a look at both the BDS movement and the backlash response to it resulting in firings and legislation in many states (and pending federally) to restrict employment and business opportunities from those who fail to pledge in writing to not support of the boycott of Israel
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Explaining BDS - The Katie Halper Show - Air Date 10-11-17
We speak to art critic and writer Kareem Estefan, co-editor of “Assuming Boycott: Resistance, Agency, and Cultural Production,” about Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS)
Ch. 2: Exclusive: Angela Davis Speaks Out on Palestine, BDS & More After Civil Rights Award Is Revoked - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-11-19
Legendary activist and scholar Angela Davis speaks out after the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute rescinded a human rights award for her, reportedly due to her activism for Palestinian rights.
Ch. 3: Pro-Israel Lobby Groups Secretly Admits Cultural Boycott Is Effective, Leaked Report Shows - @TheRealNews - Air Date 12-10-18
Ali Abunimah discusses a leaked report from Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), a front for Israel government-backed lobby group StandWithUs, which admits the cultural boycott is "constantly growing" and "innovative."
Ch. 4: Josh Ruebner on BDS Bans - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 1-31-19
We’ll hear about so-called “anti-BDS” laws, and their context, from Josh Ruebner, policy director at the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights.
Ch. 5: Senators Sneak Amendment to Make Israel Boycott Illegal - @TheRealNews - Air Date 12-19-18
While Senators Cardin and Portman are trying to sneak a last-minute amendment into the budget bill to make BDS illegal - violating free speech - 26 states are also moving to make boycotts of Israel illegal. We speak to IPS’s Phyllis Bennis.
Ch. 6: Palestine/Israel, the Firing of Marc Lamont Hill & the Limits of Open Inquiry Part 1 - Speak out with Tim Wise - Air Date 12-3-18
Tim discusses CNN’s firing of contributor Marc Lamont Hill (a former guest on the show), for comments he made in favor of full equality and justice for the Palestinian people.
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MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
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Capitalism Culture Catastrophes On Land, Sea, And In The Sky - Baltimore Bridge Collapse, Boeing Blowout, and the Continuing Threat to Railway Workers
Air Date 4/12/2024
The forces of capitalism and deregulation loom large as industrial transport disasters continue to pile up with new focus brought to the issue by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and the series of dangerous and deadly failures from Boeing.
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Transcript
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Horror in Baltimore: Awful New Info Emerges About Six Missing Workers - THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent - Air Date 3-28-24
Two full days after the disastrous collapse of a bridge in Baltimore, little is known about six construction workers who went missing—and are now presumed dead.
Ch. 2: Everything we know about the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 4-4-24
The Real News convened a panel of journalists working all sides of this story to get a sense of what we know about the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, what key questions still need to be answered, and what happens next.
Ch. 3: Cars, Bridges, Ships and Planes - The Zero Hour - Air Date 04-06-24
Discussing the Baltimore disaster in the context of infrastructure investment more broadly
Ch. 4: Everything we know about the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse Part 2 - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 4-4-24
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FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the threat to society of runaway corporate executive pay
References:
The failure of Bill Clinton's CEO pay reform - Politico
The Executive Pay Cap That Backfired - ProPublica
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo taken from inside the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 Boeing plane that lost its door mid-flight. A rectangular hole in the side of the plane reveals a wall of white clouds. The nearby seats are empty and oxygen masks hang from the ceiling.
Credit: Photo taken by unidentified passenger and provided to the public by the National Transportation Safety Board(NTSB) as part of their investigation. | License: Public Domain
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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How Democrats Lost Their Way On Economics And Are Starting To Find It Again
Air Date 4/9/2024
The neoliberal legacy of the New Democrats continues to loom large but it really does seem like the progressive wing of the party and the broader demand for populist economic policies has had an impact. Now people just need to know that it's happening.
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Transcript
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: American Socialism - Prospect: Generations - Air Date 4-6-23
In this episode of the Prospect’s Generations podcast, editor at large Harold Meyerson, who joined the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee in 1975, and writing fellow Luke Goldstein, who was attracted to socialism by Bernie Sanders
Ch. 2: The Legacy of the New Democrats - KPFA - Against the Grain - Air Date 8-17-22
Historian Lily Geismer looks at how the the Democratic Leadership Council and Clinton-era Democratic Party increased inequality, through development zones, charter schools, welfare “reform”, and microfinance.
Ch. 3: Clinton’s ‘Fabulous Failure’ Part 1 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 10-4-23
Our politics today is haunted by the failures of Bill Clinton—the “centrist” who “triangulated” with Republicans, lost on healthcare, and proclaimed that “the era of big government is over.” Nelson Lichtenstein explains Clinton’s turn to the right
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MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Price Controls: An Inflation Solution That Doesn't Screw Workers - Deconstructed - Air Date 7-7-23
CENTRIST AND RIGHT-WING economists continue to advocate for laying off workers and engineering a recession to address inflation. But why not set price controls instead?
Ch. 8: Clinton’s ‘Fabulous Failure’ Part 2 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 10-4-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the way we think about political criticism
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of President Joe Biden shaking hands with a hard-hat-and-safety-vest clad union worker during a campaign event in Pennsylvania.
Credit: “President Biden greeting union workers” by Governor Tom Wolf Flickr account | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Customer Reviews
Expert curation of a huge number of podcasts
Each episode brings a variety of progressive perspectives (yes, there are different ones within the broad left). Expert curation drawing from a huge number of podcasts -- well known and more obscure.
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.
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.