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#1128 Confronting Fascism in the Land of Free Speech (Throwback)

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

Release Date: 02/06/2026

#1128 Confronting Fascism in the Land of Free Speech (Throwback)

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

Original Air Date: 8-25-2017 Today we look at the constant struggle between the freedom to speak and the necessary limits placed on that freedom due to the rights of others to not be substantially harmed by that speech Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle , or email Check out our new show, SOLVED! on ! (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: Voicemails Ch. 19: Ch. 20: Ch....

SOLVED! #32 - How the Left is Always Right Too Soon (With Receipts)

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

Air Date: 01-28-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: Ch 1 - Why it’s not actually “fun” to be right too early (despite being called ‘insufferable’) Ch 2 - The political elites and neoliberals who are frantically changing their tune now that a left-wing populist movement is here Ch 3 - The Cassandras of the Left who knew and tried to warn that Trump would be a fascist Ch 4 - The Anti-Alarmists who stifled the Cassandras warnings Ch 5 - What if we actually listened to the Left next time? SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): That one time...

#1769 Politics Beyond the Ballot Box: Elections and the Movements that Power Them

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

Air Date 2/1/2026 Today we examine what's actually working against the Trump regime and the role of this year's elections. Unsurprisingly, his own voter fraud investigation just proved him a liar, Democrats are overperforming expectations in House special elections, and Zohran Mamdani's campaign based on having fun in community needs to be a model for every movement against authoritarianism. Be part of the show! Leave a , message us on Signal at the handle , or email Check out our new show, SOLVED! on ! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop and for a non-evil book and...

#1768 The End of an Era: The International Rules-Based Order Gives Way to Trump's Might-Makes-Right Plutocracy

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

Air Date 1/29/2026 Today we examine the collapse of the American-led, rules-based world order (such as it was) in real time. Canada’s Prime Minister pointed out that the emperor has no clothes and declared US hegemony over while Europe called Trump's bluff on Greenland... all the more reason why he would prefer a fake “Board of Peace” that he can rule over as a worldwide plutocracy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Check out our new show, SOLVED! on ! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use...

SOLVED! FROM THE ARCHIVES - “Of Horse Races and Men: The Result of Decades of Media Atrophy (aka: Uncertain and Powerless”

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

Re-Air Date: 01–26-26 Original Air Date: 06-09-24 Unless you were a member in June of 2024, this episode of SOLVED! will be brand new to you! If you were a member back then, THANK YOU and this one is worth a re-listen. We’re slowing down production for a little bit to reorganize our production processes, so enjoy this episode from our archives (and before YouTube) where Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: - How the media focus on the "politics" of an event trivializes the impact that event has on real people - The detrimental effects combining the daily news grind and the...

#1767 Wars Are Won By Teachers and Trump is Attacking Them Like a Foreign Adversary

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

Air Date: 1/25/2026 Today we examine education as the battleground for democracy itself. We'll hear how authoritarians erase history to maintain power, why liberal arts colleges don't exist in authoritarian societies, how the administration is punishing universities for their political views, and what the detention of student protesters reveals about the cost of dissent in Trump's America. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Check out our new show, SOLVED! on ! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use...

#1766 The Fragility of State Violence: The ICE Occupation, Renee Good, and the Minneapolis Uprising

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

Air Date: 1/21/2026 Today we look at ICE's reign of terror as a paramilitary occupation force and the communities pushing back. We'll hear about Renee Goode, an unarmed woman shot dead by federal agents, and Keith Porter, killed by an off-duty agent on New Year's Eve, in addition to historical parallels from Civil-Rights Era Selma, Alabama and the Boston Massacre. The signs of hope here are that the oppressed won those fights and the oppressors were forced to retreat - there's every reason to believe that the same pattern can repeat today. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at...

SOLVED! SAMPLE! #31 - There is no “Male Loneliness Crisis(TM)”: Why Patriarchy & Capitalism Are Hurting Us ALL

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

Air Date: 01-12-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: Ch. 1 - Why it’s actually NOT a “Male Loneliness Epidemic (TM)” and even the non-crazy male influencers aren’t helping Ch. 2 - Why loneliness is better understood by age, and how society has not emotionally equipped men for struggle Ch. 3 - Why American-style capitalism is the root cause of loneliness epidemic and is stranding women and mothers Ch. 4 - Why the solutions for societal loneliness don’t align with fascist governments, and calling out those who would rather you stay lonely and buy stuff SOLVED!...

#1765 AI Capitalism Will Not Deliver an AI Utopia

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

Air Date: 1/17/2026 There's a lot to be concerned about with AI but the biggest concern is the economic system we have in place at the moment when AI is being introduced. Capitalism is not a good steward of new and potentially dangerous technology, as we've seen from Zuckerberg's move-fast-and-break-things era of social media that he later recognized as having triggered a genocide. When the profit drive necessitates light-speed growth, ethical and safety considerations are the first things to be jettisoned and things get broken. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991,...

#1764 Wealth Inequality is Bad for Society and There's No Good Counterargument

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

Air Date: 1/14/2026 Being a bad person who doesn't care about others is helpful in one's pursuit of becoming wealthy. However, becoming wealthy is also helpful in becoming a bad person who doesn't care about others, not that anyone sets out with this as a goal but it is a natural byproduct of wealth and the normal functioning of our market economy. What this means is that the nature of money, market dynamics, and wealth to corrode morality is a systemic problem, not a collection of individual failings, and should be addressed as such. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at...

More Episodes

Original Air Date: 8-25-2017

Today we look at the constant struggle between the freedom to speak and the necessary limits placed on that freedom due to the rights of others to not be substantially harmed by that speech

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!

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: WSJ Reports: ACLU Rethinks Defending Hate Groups Protesting with Guns - Wochit News - Air Date 8-17-17

Ch. 2: ACLU Will No Longer Defend Hate Groups Protesting With Firearms - MSNBC

Ch. 3: Understanding the line between free speech and hate speech - BackStory - Air Date 8-23-17

Ch. 4: I was a prominent neo-Nazi. Ignoring white extremists is a mistake. - Vox - Air Date 4-14-17

Ch. 5: Nazis Don't Get Free Speech! - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 08-22-17