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#1698 Resistance is Not Futile: Support the collective revolt against Trumpism (Special Podcasthon!)

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

Release Date: 03/18/2025

#1714 Trump's Anti-Knowledge Agenda is Inviting the Next Authoritarian Dark Age

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

Air Date 6/6/2025 Today, Trump's administration is doing everything in its power to end the era of educational dominance the US has enjoyed for decades. The simple fact that explains the change is that democracy used to be valued across the political spectrum while todays Republican Party is authoritarian and understands that an educated public is a public that demands democracy while an uneducated public is much easier to manipulate and oppress. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Check out our new show, SOLVED! on ! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No...

#1597 The rise of fascism around the world driven by economic insecurity (Throwback)

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

Original Air Date: 12-8-2023 Neoliberalism has created a lot of economic suffering and insecurity in addition to weakened social ties over the past few decades. And now, in what may be the most devastating result of the ideology yet, neoliberalism may be leading much of the world toward fascism bolstered by legitimate grievances about economic precarity which are coopted by the false promises of right-wing populism. Check out our new show, SOLVED! on ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Ch. 2: Ch. 3: Ch. 4: Ch. 5: Ch. 6: Ch. 7: Ch. 8: Ch. 9:

SOLVED! #10 - The Old Guard is Dying

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

Air Date: 6–2-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: The role of art in political movements and moments under capitalism The problems with the Democratic Party that go far beyond Biden The Democrats’ gerontocracy that is literally dying and allowing Trump legislation to pass Our response to the latest DNC Executive Committee Meeting (held May 29th in Little Rock, AR) FOLLOW US ON: REFERENCES: - Current Affairs - Slate (from 2023) - Current Affairs - The Nation - Time SOLVED! SONG! “Push” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial...

#1713 Yes, GOP Policies Really Are That Bad: Trump's Corruption and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

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

Air Date 5/30/2025 Given the overwhelming weirdness of Trump and his malfeasant style of governance, it would be perfectly understandable for casual observers to believe that his signature piece of legislation, weirdly named in reality the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," was itself also likely to be pretty weird; a potential departure from usual Republican Party policy priorities. In reality, what's weird is how deeply normal it is: take from the poor and give to the rich while letting corporations get away with murder. Check out our new show, SOLVED! on ! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) !...

#1712 Eugenics Redux: A Gilded Age Ideology Brought Back for the Second Gilded Age

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

Air Date 5/27/2025 Slippery slope arguments persist because good ideas taken to extremes become bad ones. Eugenics exemplifies this—often starting with good intentions. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) ! KEY POINTS KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: (00:49:40) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the likely future of gene editing ethics DEEPER DIVES (01:02:09) SECTION A: HISTORICAL CONTEXT (01:44:19) SECTION B: RFK JR. ON AUTISM (01:59:39) SECTION C: TECH BROS (02:46:44) SECTION D: PRONATALISM (03:05:05) SECTION...

SPECIAL MEMBERS EDITION! Myths, Vampires, and Sinners (the movie!) - SPOILERS!

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

Air Date: 5-26-25 *CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE “SINNERS”* You thought you were going to listen to SOLVED! today, and you're not alone. We also thought we were going to make an episode of SOLVED!, but this turned into something a little bit different. So, we're calling it a “special” in which Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss storytelling and mythology in general, and the extremely relevant and fascinating themes of the new Ryan Coogler film “Sinners,” in particular. Because storytelling is the process by which humans attempt to understand ourselves, it is, by its nature,...

#1355 I Can't Breathe, The Three Words That Define an Era (Throwback)

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

Original Air Date: 6/29/2020 From 2020: Today we take a look deeper at the concept of "I can't breathe," going beyond the literal utterances by victims of police brutality and COVID-19 sufferers to the metaphorical epidemic of exhaustion, burnout, depression and disaffection in the US and around the world. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Ch. 2: Ch. 3: Ch. 4: Ch. 5: Ch. 6: Ch. 7: Ch. 8: Ch. 9: Ch. 10: ...

#1711 How It Started, How It's Going- Assessing the Flooded Zone Full of Shit

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

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. (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! ! KEY POINTS KP 1: KP 2: KP 3: KP 4: KP 5: KP 6: KP 7: KP 8: (52:39) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the upcoming...

SOLVED! #9 - A Pale Blue Dot of Anxiety

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

Air Date: 5-19-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin was on vacation) discuss: The origins of and problems with “the one way” Christian mindset Why Finland’s 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 Klein’s 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...

#1710 The past is never dead. It’s not even past. Race, Religion, Culture and the Stories we Tell

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

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. It’s 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.” 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!...

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Air Date 3/18/2025

In this special Podcasthon episode, we're joining thousands of podcasts around the world in taking the opportunity this week to support a cause or organization that we believe in. In this time of fighting fascism, Best of the Left has chosen to support Indivisible, the grassroots organizing team that's working to resist Trumpism and pressure Democrats to do the same. Follow the link in the description of this episode to make a donation but also take a moment to find and join your local Indivisible chapter to stay engaged.

SUPPORT INDIVISIBLE WITH A DONATION AND SIGN UP WITH YOUR LOCAL CHAPTER!

Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected]

Full Show Notes | Transcript

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: Bernie Response Does Huge Numbers｜One Democrat Defies Trump - The Rational National - Air Date 3-5-25

KP 2: How to Rebuild the Left as the Far Right Floods the Zone - UNFTR Media - Air Date 2-5-25

KP 3: How to Really Resist - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 2-28-25

KP 4: Republicans finally go NUCLEAR over town hall disasters - Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 3-5-25

KP 5: How Leftists Can Win in 2025 - Harper O'Conner - Air Date 1-3-25