Episodios

  • #1718 On the Path to Destruction: Israel Attacks Iran as Support for War on Gaza Drops

    #1718 On the Path to Destruction: Israel Attacks Iran as Support for War on Gaza Drops
    Jun 25 2025

    Air Date: 6-25-2025

    We thought we were going to have an episode about the war Israel is conducting ready for you last week but then they started another war. So, it would have felt odd to release an Israel episode without the latest major updates including Iran. I can only imagine what will happen between the time I speak these words and when you hear them that will make this episode feel out of date.

    What Happens When Bereaved Israelis and Palestinians Share Their Pain?
    Listening from the Heart

    Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on the infamous 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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    KEY POINTS

    KP 1: Why Is The Media Coverage of Israel vs Iran So Skewed? - Zeteo - Air 6-16-25

    KP 2: Jon Stewart on Israel’s "Urgent" Iran Strike, Minnesota Murders & MAGA’s Blame Game - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-16-25

    KP 3: The REAL Reason Israel Attacked Iran - uncivilized - Air Date 6-18-25

    KP 4: Israeli Forces Open Fire at New Gaza “Aid” Site, as Netanyahu Rejects Ceasefire Deal Part 1 - Drop Site News - Air Date 5-27

    KP 5: Greta Thunberg Speaks to France 24 After Her Deportation From Israel - FRANCE 24 English - Air Date 6-10-25

    KP 6: Preemptive Strike or Act of War? Israel Attacks Iran Amid Sinking Global Support for Assault on Gaza - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-17-25 (END OF MAIN )

    (00:40:25.) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

    On the Parents Circle efforts for reconcilliation

    DEEPER DIVES

    (00:49:45) SECTION A: STARVATION

    (01:42:13) SECTION B: GAZA

    (02:08:26) SECTION C: NETANYAHU

    (02:30:42) SECTION D: Historical & Media Context

    (02:48:16) SECTION E: WAR WITH IRAN

    (03:13:15) SECTION F: PROTESTS

    SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

    Description:Photo of a person holding a protest sign out their car window that says “Never again to anyone” with barbed wire across the text.

    Credit: “2014/08/16 #BlocktheBoat for Gaza” by Daniel Arauz, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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    3 h y 57 m
  • SOLVED! #12 - Back to the…1980s? The Power of Nostalgia and Trump’s Reaganitis

    SOLVED! #12 - Back to the…1980s? The Power of Nostalgia and Trump’s Reaganitis
    Jun 24 2025

    Air Date: 6–23-25

    Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:

    • The long history of nostalgia in politics as we find ourselves reliving the 1980s
    • How MAGA Youth have a lot in common with Reagan Youth (a la Alex P. Keaton) without the context
    • Trump’s Reaganitis: All the ways Trump is just straight up copying Reagan and how he could fail like him too
    • The “Landlord in Chief” and how to fight back against the new feudalism

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    REFERENCES:

    Donald Trump and the ’80s Aesthetic - Jacobin

    The 1980s Are Back, and Not in a Good Way - The New York Times

    Trump’s Big Fail: Making America the 1980s Again - Mother Jones

    Trump is What Happens When You Give a Landlord Power - Current Affairs

    EXTRAS:

    “Wrestling is Drag” - Smartypants Dropout.tv

    https://youtube.com/shorts/zw9bNgKogUI

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    July 17th - National Day of Action - Good Trouble Lives On

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    Produced by:

    Jay! Tomlinson

    Thanks for listening!

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    21 m
  • #1717 Monthly-Ish Mix: Wealth Concentration, Knowledge Suppression, and Identity Exploitation: The Systems of Control of the Authoritarian Playbook

    #1717 Monthly-Ish Mix: Wealth Concentration, Knowledge Suppression, and Identity Exploitation: The Systems of Control of the Authoritarian Playbook
    Jun 21 2025

    Air Date 6/21/2025

    The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month, we're focusing on the way authoritarian movements operate across multiple fronts simultaneously to reshape society.

    Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on the infamous Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

    Full Show Notes

    BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)

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    PART 1: ECONOMIC CONTROL

    (00:01:20) #1707 Tariffied: Exposing Trump's Artless Deal

    (00:26:46) #1713 Yes, GOP Policies Really Are That Bad: Trump's Corruption and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    (00:49:50) #1716 The Fight for Workers: Oligarchy and its Bipartisan Enablers

    PART 2: INFORMATION CONTROL

    (01:12:17) #1711 How It Started, How It's Going: Assessing the Flooded Zone Full of Shit

    (01:34:36) #1714 Trump's Anti-Knowledge Agenda is Inviting the Next Authoritarian Dark Age

    PART 3: SOCIAL CONTROL

    (01:57:51) #1708 Rent Asunder: From the Moderation of Pope Francis to Extremism of JD Vance, the Catholic Church is Deeply Divided

    (02:12:57) #1710 The past is never dead. It’s not even past. Race, Religion, Culture and the Stories we Tell

    (02:30:51) #1712 Eugenics Redux: A Gilded Age Ideology Brought Back for the Second Gilded Age

    (02:53:26) #1715 The Weaponization of Antisemitism and Counterproductive Violence

    Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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    3 h y 11 m
  • #1716 The Fight for Workers: Oligarchy and its Bipartisan Enablers

    #1716 The Fight for Workers: Oligarchy and its Bipartisan Enablers
    Jun 18 2025

    Air Date 6/18/2025

    Critics of capitalism like us often advocate for the system to come to an end and be replaced with another that aligns better with human needs and continued existence. Well, it's possible that the system is close to having run its course and will be making way for something different. Unfortunately, the natural course of capitalism is to concentrate wealth and, by extension, power so that's what's happened and we're now getting close to basically reinventing feudalism. So, wrong direction.

    Full Show Notes

    Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube!

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    KEY POINTS

    KP 1: The End of Capitalism: What comes next is worse. Part 1 - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 4-18-25

    KP 2: People vs. Neoliberalism: Race, Gold, IQ, & the Capitalism of the Far Right (w Quinn Slobodian) - Bad Faith - Air Date 5-15-25

    KP 3: Musk vs. Trump Quinn Slobodian on the Risks of Billionaire Rule - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-6-25

    KP 4: Why Do Workers Need Welfare: How Billionaires TRICKED Us into Keeping Wages Low & the Poor Desperate - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-3-25

    KP 5: Capitalism's Critics w/ John Cassidy - Behind the News - Air Date 6-5-25

    KP 6: Democrats Hate Their Own Party. The People Can Take It Back. - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 6-6-25

    KP 7: Labor Movement v. Fascism Worker Organizers & Labor Educators Are Under Attack - Laura Flanders and Friends - Air Date 5-4-25

    KP 8: Shawn Fain's Radical Plan For 2028 - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-20-25

    (01:00:31) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

    DEEPER DIVES

    (01:10:12) SECTION A: NEO-LIBERALISM

    (02:06:40) SECTION B: CORPORATE DEMOCRATS

    (02:57:58) SECTION C: LABOR AND RESISTANCE

    SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

    Description: Photo of a handmade protest sign held in the air that says “CAPITALISM IS KILLING US”

    Credit: “ClimateStrike-210924-4-1140371” by Mark Dixon, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped

    Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

    Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

    Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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    3 h y 26 m
  • #1612 New Tech and the New Luddite Movement; Inequitable Distribution of Benefits from New Technology Always Sparks Demands from Labor and AI is Rekindling the Old Arguments (Throwback)

    #1612 New Tech and the New Luddite Movement; Inequitable Distribution of Benefits from New Technology Always Sparks Demands from Labor and AI is Rekindling the Old Arguments (Throwback)
    Jun 13 2025
    Original Air Date: 2-20-2024 "Luddite" should never have become the epithet that it is as the Luddites were never afraid of or opposed to technological advancement, they only opposed the exploitation of workers and the degradation to society that came with the unfair distribution of the benefits of the targeted technology. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on the infamous Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The New Luddites - SHIFT - Air Date 2-14-24 Ch. 2: Being a Luddite Is Good, Actually ft. Jathan Sadowski - Left Reckoning - Air Date 5-29-21 Ch. 3: Why this top AI guru thinks we might be in extinction-level trouble | The InnerView - TRT World - Air Date 1-22-24 Ch. 4: This is not good - jstoobs (TikTok) - Air Date 2-16-24 Ch. 5: The ACTUAL Danger of A.I. with Gary Marcus Part 1 - Factually! - Air Date 7-2-23 Ch. 6: The Left Luddites and the AI Accelerationists - torres - Air Date - 5-15-23 Ch. 7: Luddites Show Us The Politics Of Technology | Brian Merchant - The Majority Report - Air Date 11-21-23 Ch. 8: The ACTUAL Danger of A.I. with Gary Marcus Part 2 - Factually! - Air Date 7-2-23 Ch. 9: The anti-tech movement is back. - Alice Cappelle - Air Date 6-15-22 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: An 1812 block print of “The Leader of the Luddites” depicting a man in disheveled early 1800s clothing and missing one shoe leading other men up a hill while a building burns in the background. Credit: “The Leader of the Luddites”, Messrs | Working Class Movement Library catalog | Public Domain Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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    58 m
  • #1715 The Weaponization of Antisemitism and Counterproductive Violence

    #1715 The Weaponization of Antisemitism and Counterproductive Violence
    Jun 11 2025
    Air Date: 6-11-2025 Following the 2023 attack and counterattack between Israel and Hamas which brought the simmering conflict into the mainstream of American politics, we're now living with the opportunistic weaponization of antisemitism being used as a pretext to crack down on anti-Israel protests and universities that just aren't teaching a Trump-aligned curriculum. Meanwhile, genuinely inexcusable antisemitism is being either condemned or excused by Israel supporters based more on political affiliation than the danger posed to Jews. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: I Am Not Your Pawn - Rabbi Sharon Brous | Purim 5785 - IKAR - Air Date 3-8-25 KP 2: U.S. Jewish Anti-Zionism - Against the Grain - Air Date 4-2-25 KP 3: Who Are ‘JINO Jews’ and Why Do Conservatives Hate Them? - Zeteo - Air Date 3-6-25 KP 4: “Nothing Can Justify It”: Journalist Gideon Levy Reacts to Killing of Israeli Embassy Staffers in D.C. - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-22-25 KP 5: CNN Attempts To Make 'Free Palestine' Offensive - The Rational National - Air Date 5-23-25 KP 6: The Antisemitism Panic Part 1 - matt bernstein - Air Date 5-30-25 (00:50:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why violence makes for a terrible theory of change DEEPER DIVES (00:59:36) SECTION A: FREE SPEECH A1: He Helped Define Antisemitism; Now He Says the Term Is Being Weaponized - Amanpour and Company - Air Date 5-1-24 A2: Noem Makes WILD Claims About "Hamas Agents" At Harvard - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 5-23-25 A3: Harvard professor hits back at Trump administration - LBC - Air Date 5-24-25 (01:28:03) SECTION B: WEAPONIZATION B1: How the weaponization of antisemitism is becoming a grave threat to freedom of speech in America - AYMAN - Air Date 4-26-25 B2: Ex-Education Dept. Official: Trump Is Dismantling Agency as He Weaponizes It Against Gaza Protesters - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-13-25 B3: Why the U.S. is pausing all student visa interviews - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 5-28-25 B4: The Antisemitism Panic Part 2 - matt bernstein - Air Date 5-30-25 (01:59:28) SECTION C: INDEFENSIBLE C1: Palestinian BABIES are the ENEMY - Israeli politician - Owen Jones - Air Date 5-23-25 C2: Investigators say man used makeshift flamethrower in attack on pro-Israel group in Boulder - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 6-3-25 (02:11:29) SECTION D: BACKFIRE D1: The ‘Bullsh*t’ of Bill Maher — Gianmarco Soresi on Israel, Antisemitism, and ‘Anti-Woke’ Comedy Part 1- Zeteo - Air Date 5-5-25 D2: The Redefining of Antisemitism | Gianmarco Soresi | Stand Up Comedy - Gianmarco Soresi - Air Date 10-20-24 D3: The ‘Bullsh*t’ of Bill Maher — Gianmarco Soresi on Israel, Antisemitism, and ‘Anti-Woke’ Comedy Part 2 - Zeteo - Air Date 5-5-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: A metal placeholder with the Star of David on it resting between two pages of the Torah. Credit: “Star of David emblem” via Ri_Ya, Pixabay | Pixabay license Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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    2 h y 36 m
  • SOLVED! #11 - Culture War Distractions While the Oligarchs Rob You Blind

    SOLVED! #11 - Culture War Distractions While the Oligarchs Rob You Blind
    Jun 10 2025

    Air Date: 6-8-25

    BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)

    Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:

    • The right’s attack on free speech and academic freedom
    • Trumponomics, men, and tradwives
    • The lessons to learn about culture wars from the fight for gay marriage
    • How the internet and Trump force us to live in and re-litigate the past
    • How the left can avoid Trump’s culture war traps

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    REFERENCES:

    Trump’s Attack on Harvard Marks a New Phase in the Culture War - New York Magazine

    There’s No Trumponomics Without the Tradwife - New York Magazine

    To Stop Losing the Culture Wars, Learn From Gay Marriage - Jacobin

    I Can’t Believe We’re Still Arguing About This - The New York Times

    Democrats Can Avoid Trump’s Culture-War Traps - Jacobin

    SOLVED! SONG! “Rob You Blind” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #11: “Culture War Distractions While the Oligarchs Rob You Blind” (June 8, 2025)

    TAKE ACTION:

    Write to the DNC

    June 14th - “No Kings” Nationwide Day of Action

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    Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

    Join our Discord Server

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    Bestoftheleft.01

    Leave a message at 202-999-3991

    Produced by:

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    Thanks for listening!

    Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

    Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

    Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
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    24 m
  • #1714 Trump's Anti-Knowledge Agenda is Inviting the Next Authoritarian Dark Age

    #1714 Trump's Anti-Knowledge Agenda is Inviting the Next Authoritarian Dark Age
    Jun 6 2025

    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 Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

    Full Show Notes

    Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube!

    BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)

    KEY POINTS

    KP 1: How Trump has reshaped the federal workforce - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 5-29-25

    KP 2: As Trump cuts funding, researchers look for opportunities outside the U.S. - Soundside - Air Date 4-21-25

    KP 3: Anti-Science Mugging on the Right and the Ascent of American Anti-Intellectualism - Citations Needed - Air Date 5-28-25

    KP 4: Trump's Dark Age Admin is 'attacking the foundations of empirical knowledge', journalist says - MSNBC Reports - Air Date 5-28-25

    KP 5: Trumps Rants about Harvard Get Darker as He Loses a Big One in Court - The Daily Blast - Air Date 5-29-25

    KP 6: Prof Jason Stanley Trump is targeting the three pillars of democracy as he follows fascist playbook - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 6-1-25

    KP 7: Worse Than McCarthyism Historian Ellen Schrecker on Trumps War Against Universities & Students - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-30-25

    KP 8: Tanya Clay House on Freedom to Learn, Danaka Katovich on Attacks on Activists - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-2-25

    (01:00:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

    On what will fill the gap left by anti-intellectualism

    DEEPER DIVES

    (01:07:27) SECTION A: ANTI-SCIENCE

    (02:27:53) SECTION B: ANTI-HIGHER EDUCATION

    (02:56:38) SECTION C: ANTI-PUBLIC GOODS

    SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

    Description: An illustrated image of an arm and hand holding up a protest sign with an image of a brain on it.

    Credit: “brain icon mind thinking” via Mohamed_hasan, Pixabay | Pixabay license
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    3 h y 51 m