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

Air Date 4/22/2025 George W. Bush proposed privatizing Social Security and didn't succeed. But, as with appointing Justices that would eventually overturn Roe V. Wade, groundwork was being laid as part of a multi-decade effort that would, they hoped, pay off in the future. So don't be surprised when they come for your earned benefits programs just as they came for the fundamental right to bodily autonomy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: What few people know about the program that saved America - Meg Jacobs - TED-Ed - Air Date 6-17-21 KP 2: Trump is coming for Social Security. And he has a new 'Big Lie' to justify it. - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-5-25 KP 3: What DOGE could mean for Medicare and Medicaid? - Consider This - Air Date 2-10-25 KP 4: Food banks feel the pain from higher prices and cuts to government programs - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 4-10-25 KP 5: Important HHS services _will grind to a halt_ with cuts, former Secretary Sebelius says - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 4-2-25 KP 6: Trumps Butchering Social Security to Feed His Starving Billionaires w/ Alex Lawson - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 3-12-25 KP 7: 'The federal workforce feels tormented': Federal employees on the consequences of losing their jobs Part 1 - On Point - Air Date 4-1-25 KP 8: INTERVIEW: Tim Faust on Defending Medicaid - The Worst of All Possible Worlds Part 1 - Air Date 3-31-25 (00:51:58) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the false moral arguments for cutting social safety nets DEEPER DIVES (01:02:18) SECTION A: SOCIAL SECURITY (01:51:24) SECTION B: GENERAL CUTS (02:34:52) SECTION C: MEDICAID & HHS SHOW IMAGE Description: Photo of a homemade protest sign that says “Hands Off My Social Security” from the Hands Off nationwide rallies. Credit: Private permission photo Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!

Air Date 4/18/2025 Before the election, I heard interviews and statistics about Trump supporters responding to his stated desire to weaponize the government against his political enemies. Their response was that 1) they didn't want him to do that and 2) didn't think he would. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Free Mahmoud Khalil with Ben Wizner and Baher Azmy - At Liberty - Air Date 3-26-25 KP 2: News Brief Dem Leaders, 'Free Speech' Warriors Mostly Shrug as Trump Disappears Political Dissidents - Citations Needed - Air Date 4-2-25 KP 3: Trump's Revenge - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-1-25 KP 4: Trump Pauses Tariffs, Businesses Welcome Relief, Trump Targets Former Officials - Up First - Air Date 4-10-25 KP 5: Mahmoud Khalil and a New Red Scare. Plus, Press Freedom Under Threat. - On The Media - Air Date 3-14-25 KP 6: Trumps Attacks on Law Firms, Lawyers, and the Law - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 3-20-25 KP 7: Trump and the Courts w Samuel Moyn - Behind the News - Air Date 3-7-25 (00:52:02) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how racism and anti-intellectualism are a self-inflicted injury to society DEEPER DIVES (00:59:09) SECTION A: COMPLYING ENTITIES (01:46:29) SECTION B: GOVERNMENT WEAPONIZATION (03:01:33) SECTION C: JUDGES AND LEGISLATORS Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Air Date 4/14/2025 Everything, it turns out, is a double-edged sword. Democracy and freedom are great but it also contains the keys to its own destruction. Love is pretty good but it turns out that only love can break your heart. And technology, which has freed people from countless hours of menial labor also has the power to subsume our economy, our politics, and much of our everyday lives. It may even be said to have supplanted capitalism itself. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! ACTIVISM ROUNDUP KEY POINTS KP 1: The Broligarchy Pt 2: Is this Techno-Fascism? Part 1 - Close All Tabs - Air Date 4-2-25 KP 2: Capitalism Has Mutated Into Something Worse with Yanis Varoufakis - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 2-7-24 KP 3: How Technofacism is Rooted in Silicon Valley / Becca Lewis Part 1 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 2-11-25 KP 4: We Went To Georgia Facebooks Data Center Took This Town Hostage - More Perfect Union - Air Date 3-27-25 KP 5: The Rise of Techno-Authoritarianism - Radio Atlantic - Air Date 2-26-24 KP 6: What does Palantir actually do? - Good Work - Air Date 3-28-25 (00:52:52) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the faustian bargain of the internet's walled gardens DEEPER DIVES (01:02:20) SECTION A: FALLOUT (01:45:41) SECTION B: ORIGINS (02:10:50) SECTION C: TECH BROS (02:37:42) SECTION D: APARTHEID Technofeudalism Description: A composite image of Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Jeff Bezos wearing tiny golden crowns with dollar signs on them. An illustration of tiny replication of workers at desks in cubicles is in the background. Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Original Air Date: 3/5/2019 From 2019: Today we take a look at how the illiberalism of the Israeli government has alienated the vast majority of democratic nations and individuals who support human rights, leaving the country with some of the most far-right, fascist, white-supremacist, anti-Semitic people in the world as their only remaining allies. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes 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: Peter Beinart on anti-Semitism in America and illiberalism in Israel - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 11-28-18 Ch. 2: Inequality and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism Q&A with Paul Jay (2/5) - @TheRealNews - Air Date 11-1-18 Ch. 3: Advocates: Israel’s Jewish Nation-State Law Constitutionally Enshrines Racism Against Palestinians - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 7-23-18 Ch. 4: Canada's Trudeau Attacks BDS, Joins Trump & Israel Blaming 'Both Sides' for Anti-Semitism - @TheRealNews - Air Date 11-12-18 Ch. 5: Noam Chomsky Condemns Israel’s Shift to Far Right & New “Jewish Nation-State” Law - @DemocracyNow - Air Date 7-30-18 Ch. 6: The Last Temptation of Evangelicals - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 5-21-18 Ch. 7: Saudi Crown Prince Tells Palestinians to 'Shut up' as He Cozies up to Israel - @TheRealNews - Air Date 5-3-18 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

Air Date 4/5/2025 Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. And with Trump in place, the Christian Nationalists are looking to rewrite history to their liking in order to create the dystopian future they desire. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript 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: Donald Trump is Rewriting the Past. Plus, the Christian Groups Vying for Political Power - On The Media - Air Date 2-17-25 KP 2: Trumps Vision for America I Am God - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 3-7-25 KP 3: How to Stand Up to Project 2025 and Save Public Education - Assembly Required - Air Date 12-12-24 KP 4: How School Integration Failed Black Students w Noliwe Rooks - This Is Hell! - Air Date 3-19-25 KP 5: Trump Can't Destroy The Dept. Of Education But He Will - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 3-7-25 KP 6: Trump orders 'restoring' American history through Smithsonian overhaul - Trump's Terms - Air Date 3-28-25 KP 7: Make America Great Again means segregation - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 3-25-25 KP 8: Does Trump Have A Mandate - Stop Christian Nationalism - Air Date 11-20-24 (00:54:50) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the power of repetition DEEPER DIVES (01:00:41) SECTION A: PUBLIC EDUCATION (01:45:37.350) SECTION B: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM (02:35:29) SECTION C: RELATED TOPICS SHOW IMAGE CREDITS for #1702 - White nationalism Description: A composite image of an illustration of Trump holding up a white cross against a dark background of a brick wall painted with the American flag. Credit: Custom composite design. | Components License: Pixabay Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!

Air Date 4/2/2025 Love them or loathe them, the Democratic Party is the political institution available to the left to structurally take on Trumpism but we need a whole lot of new energy and new commitments to the fight to turn them into an opposition worthy of the moment we face. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript New Format Notes Code 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: 'Now is the time to break glass’: Chris Hayes reacts to Schumer interview 'Now is the time to break glass’: Chris Hayes reacts to Schumer interview - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 3-19-25 KP 2: Why Are Some Democrats Trying To Be Republicans？- Kat Abughazaleh - Air Date 3-3-25 KP 3: WATCH: Crowd ROARS As AOC Lays Out Fighting Strategy For Democratic Party - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 3-23-25 KP 4: Why Democrats Are Failing Us - Bean Thinking - Air Date 3-19-25 KP 5: Why Im Running For Congress - Kat Abughazaleh - Air Date 3-24-25 KP 6: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D-IL) Speaks at the 2025 HRC Los Angeles Dinner - Human Rights Campaign - Air Date 3-24-25 (00:48:03) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR With a VM on trans kids and a sneek peek at SOLVED! DEEPER DIVES (00:58:17) SECTION A: (01:37:40) SECTION B: (02:19:15) SECTION C: (02:35:50) SECTION D: (02:55:46) SECTION E: Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Air Date 3/28/2025 You might not be trans yourself but that's just like how coal miners aren't canaries because when they saw that the canaries were under threat, they knew the danger was all around them. Fascists always start with those who are the easiest to dehumanize but they never stop there. ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch, like, subscribe & comment on our newly-launched YouTube show, SOLVED! Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! Activism Roundup KEY POINTS KP 1: The Threat of Project 2025 on LGBTQ+ Rights - The Blueprint with Jen Psaki - Air Date 9-16-24 KP 2: The fight to protect LGBTQ+ rights from Trump - Politics Weekly America - Air Date 1-31-25 KP 3: Ezra Young on Trans Rights Law, Anne Sosin on RFK Jr. and Rural Health - CounterSpin - Air Date 2-7-25 KP 4: The Rights About-Turn on Parental Rights - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 11-30-24 KP 5: Humanizing Trans People Laverne Cox - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-23-25 KP 6: Imperialism and Totalitarianism Go Hand in Hand M. Gessen on Trumps Policies at Home & Abroad - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-14-25 KP 7: The Fight for Trans Futures - In The Thick - Air Date 12-12-24 KP 8: Know Your LGBTQIA+ Rights with Chase Strangio - At Liberty - Air Date 2-13-25 (01:02:12) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the launch of SOLVED! DEEPER DIVES (01:10:48) SECTION A: POLICY ROLLSBACKS (01:47:25) SECTION B: DEHUMANIZATION (02:25:13) SECTION C: HISTORICAL ATTACKS (02:59:41) SECTION D: STORIES (03:29:55) SECTION E: TRANS JOY AND RESISTANCE Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Original Air Date: 3/29/2022 Today we take a look at the current iteration of the cynical culture wars being waged by conservative Republicans against LGBTQ kids for political gain. The current wave of anti-trans and anti-gay legislation sprouting across the country is not about protecting kids and is absolutely nothing new. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript 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: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 Ch. 2: Andy Marra on Trans Youth Rights - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-4-22 Ch. 3: The Anti-Trans Agenda (w/ Gillian Branstetter) - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 3-20-22 Ch. 4: Chase Strangio on the GOPs Push in Florida, Texas, Idaho to Eradicate Trans Youth & Trans Lives - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-9-22 Ch. 5: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 2 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 Ch. 6: Don't Say Gay - Today, Explained - Air Date 3-17-22 Ch. 7: Behind the Transphobic Hate Campaigns (and Steven Crowder) on College Campuses in Texas (w/ Steven Monacelli) Part 1 - DOOMED with Matt Binder - Air Date 3-23-22 Ch. 8: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 3 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 Ch. 9: Behind the Transphobic Hate Campaigns (and Steven Crowder) on College Campuses in Texas (w/ Steven Monacelli) Part 2 - DOOMED with Matt Binder - Air Date 3-23-22 Ch. 10: Andy Marra on Trans Youth Rights Part 2 - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-4-22 Ch. 11: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 4 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!

Air Date: 3–24-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Our new game Satire Showdown - The authoritarian takeover of the term common sense - How Americans actually feel about DEI initiatives - The right’s turn on Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett - A deep dive on the theory of a multiracial Right and how Democrats should respond FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: How populist leaders like Trump use ‘common sense’ as an ideological weapon to undermine facts - The Conversation The Age of Anti-Woke Overreach - The Atlantic ‘She is evil’: Amy Coney Barrett under attack by right wing after USAid ruling - The Guardian Trump and the Rise of the Multiracial Right - In These Times “Common Sense” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #342: Common Sense Is Not So Common (March 25th) Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 3/21/2025 If you've been paying attention, the weaponization of the government against Trump's political and ideological enemies is exactly what you would have seen coming and now it's here. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript 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: Special - The Arrest of Mahmoud Khalil w/ Spencer Ackerman - American Prestige - Air Date 3-12-25 KP 2: Trump Invokes Wartime Alien Enemies Act, Then Ignores Judicial Order to Turn Around Deportation Flights - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-17-25 KP 3: Are Non-Violent Protestors Now Labeled "Terrorists?" - Thom Hartmann - Air Date 6-20-13 KP 4: John Harwood on Trump's attack on free speech: ‘Everyone in civil society needs to stand up' - Velshi - Air Date 3-6-24 KP 5: Trump Hates Science - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 3-14-25 KP 6: Fascism is Officially Here | Hasanabi reacts - Hasanabi Productions - Air Date 3-17-25 (48:46) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the need for us to protect each other DEEPER DIVES (53:17) SECTION A: FREE SPEECH CAN BE TERRORISM (1:25:56) SECTION B: OPPOSING TRUMP CAN BE TERRORISM (1:43:42) SECTION C: DOJ, FBI, & THE JUDICIARY (2:20:30) SECTION D: GOVERNMENT FUNCTION SHOW IMAGE Description: Protestors in New York City hold signs that say “Release Mahmoud Khalil - Hands off our students” and “Release Mahmoud Khalil” with the activist’s photo. Credit: “Mahmoud Khalil NYC detention protest 013” by SWinxy, Wikimedia | License: CC BY 4.0 Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Air Date: 3–19-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - A special little ditty Jay put together - The legitimate problems that helped birth the damaging MAHA movement - Sherrod Brown’s OpEd on how the Democrats lost their way - What Jay learned from India’s railway engineers - An interview with Ro Khanna that sparked some hope FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: “Like a Flame in the Night” - Based on SOLVED! Ep. #340: Prophetic Voices from the Past and Hope for the Future (March 9th) Health Paranoia and the Politics of MAHA Democrats Must Become the Workers’ Party Again Ro Khanna Is Doing More Than Voting 'No' Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

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 Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! Activism Roundup 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 KP 6: Gov. Pritzker SLAMS Trump and Musk in closing remarks of State of the State address - NBC Chicago - Air Date 2-19-25 (50:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Giving the call to join the fight at Indivisible.org DEEPER DIVES (52:46) SECTION A: STRATEGY & GOALS (1:16:30) SECTION B: HUMOR AS A TACTIC (1:35:34) SECTION C: PROTEST (1:54:57) SECTION D: BOYCOTT (2:13:48) SECTION E: RESOURCES (2:37:09) SECTION F: POWER STRUCTURES SHOW IMAGE Description: A protestor holds a Trans Pride flag with the word RESIST (with an equals sign in the E) in front of a state capitol building. Credit: Private permission photo

Air Date 3/15/2025 It always bears repeating that the progressive perspective on the state of the world is not that everything was going just fine before Trump showed up but there's a world of difference between the leftist desire to improve things and Trump's bull-in-a-china-shop foreign and economic policies. Allow us to list the ways. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: Project 2025 Foreign Policy America Last - The Tristan Snell Show - Air Date 8-15-25 2: March 6, 2025 Full Show - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-6-25 3: Trump's Foreign Policy - It Could Happen Here - 11-14-24 4: Ukraine's Fight for Self-Determination w/ Howie Hawkins - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-3-25 5: Russia, Ukraine, US The Global Chessboard - WhoWhatWhy's Podcasts - Air Date 3-4-25 6: After restarting aid to Ukraine, U.S. will present ceasefire proposal to Russia - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 3-11-25 7: Trump's tariff tumult - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 3-6-25 8: Trumps On-and-Off-Again Tariffs, and Decoding Make America Healthy Again - On the Media - Air Date 3-7-25 9: Global Chess Europe's Unity Strengthens While American Trade Policy Falters - The Tristan Snell Show - Air Date 3-6-25 (59:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On Monthly-ish Recaps and the week of activism DEEPER DIVES (1:02:33) SECTION A: RUSSIA AND UKRAINE (1:44:50) SECTION B: TRADE WARS AND TARIFFS (2:27:43) SECTION C: USAID (3:03:26) SECTION D: US REALIGNMENT & NATO SHOW IMAGE Description: Rendering of Donald Trump handing Vladimir Putin the world while they stand at podiums with the American and Russian flags behind them. Credit: “trump-putin-russia-usa-politics” by Lola4556677, Pixabay | License: Pixabay

Air Date 3/12/2025 The (Approximately) Monthly Mix is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we look at the future for Gaza, Trump's plans for mass deportations, the decline of the US on the international stage, the wrecking crew dismantling the federal government, RFK Jr. and the threat to public health, and Trump's endemic corruption. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! PART 1: ETHNIC CLEANSING AT HOME AND ABROAD #1687 Respite: Ceasefire in Gaza and the Legacy of Imperial Folly in the Middle East 1: Gaza Ceasefire Explained Reading Between The Lines Part 2 - The Socialist Program - Air Date 1-16-25 2: On the Situation in Syria and its Implications for the Region - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 1-6-25 3: Egypt, Jordan Reject Trump Plan to Clean Out Gaza; Palestinians Return to N. Gaza in Historic Day - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-27-25 (25:13) #1693 Empowering Ethnostates: Ethnically cleansing Gaza and Trump's South Africa fixation 4: Trump's Insane Plan To Own Gaza - Pod Save the World - Air Date 2-12-25 5: West Bank Annexation Inevitable - The Majority Report - Air Date 2-6-25 6: Trump's South Africa Fixation - What Next - Air Date 2-12-25 (49:33) #1692 Ethnically Cleansing America (1:16:02) #1688 International Decline: The Old Is Dying and the New Cannot Be Born PART 2: TRUMP AND THE WRECKING CREW (1:41:55) #1689 The Media and the Moguls (2:02:34) #1691 Breaking the Government (2:25:26) #1690 Oligarchy Unmasked- Why Billionaires Hate Democracy and How They're Dismantling It (2:45:15) #1694 Unhealthy Discourse - RFK Jr. and the Anti-Science Movement Endangering Global Health (3:02:31) #1695 Trump's Corruption As A Matter Of Course

Air Date: 3–9-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The Founding Fathers’ prophetic concerns that we don’t ever talk about - FDR VP Harry Wallace’s op-ed on American fascism from 1944 - Philosopher Richard Rorty’s chilling predictions from 1998 - A few reasons - with caveats - why U.S. Democracy might make it through Trump 2.0 - Some hope and advice from a country that recently defeated their authoritarian regime BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: Benjamin Franklin to the Federal Convention The Other Fear of the Founders - The Atlantic Vice President Henry A. Wallace on ‘The Danger of American Fascism’ in 1944 - Brewminate An eerie prophecy of Trump’s second term - Vox Three reasons why American democracy will likely withstand Trump - Vox Poland just showed the world how democracy wins Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 3/7/2025 Corruption, for those who indulge, isn't just a perk of power, it can also be a method of maintaining it. Trump is not bothering to hide the corruption he's working to facilitate or how it's geared toward supporting his desire for unchecked power. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript 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: President Trump's Second Administration and Project 2025 - Trump's Terms - Air Date 2-11-25 KP 2: The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau was protecting you from corporate greed. It's gone now. - The Real News Network - Air Date 2-18-25 KP 3: The Gangster Presidency - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-15-25 KP 4: Trump's Theory of Power - Brennan Center for Justice - Air Date 2-5-25 KP 5: See Trump's blatant quid pro quo with Eric Adams play out live on Fox News - All In w Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-14-25 KP 6: The Billionaires Government Branko Marcetic on Trumps Complete Betrayal of His Base - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-27-25 KP 7: D.C. Gutted. Grassroots Galvanized. - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 2-22-25 KP 8: Elie Mystal On The Peoples Checks and Balances - Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast - Air Date 2-21-25 (56:17) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the impact of corruption DEEPER DIVES (1:05:38) SECTION A: THE CABINET OF GREED (1:48:28) SECTION B: QUID-PRO-QUO (2:10:58) SECTION C: CORPORATE INTERESTS (2:48:08) SECTION D: KING TRUMP SHOW IMAGE Description: A protestor holds up a sign that says “Stop The Billionaire Grift!” Credit: “HANDS OFF THE CFPB RALLY at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau” by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen

Air Date 3/4/2025 An old proverb says that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and we're all about to see how dangerous as know-nothings and science skeptics take over the government agencies staffed by doctors and scientists with the goal of keeping the population healthy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript 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: U.S. health agencies hit with mass layoffs by Trump administration - Way Too Early with Ali Vitali - Air Date 2-18-25 KP 2: Department of Health and Holy Sh*t: RFK Jr.’s MAHA Movement and What It Means for America Part 1 - Inside the Hive - Air Date 2-5-25 KP 3: Psychiatric Struggle w/ Danielle Carr - The Dig - Air Date 2-17-25 KP 4: MAHA Forever - The Dream - Air Date 2-16-25 KP 5: Republicans are Proposing Bills SO F***ing Stupid They’ll Make Your Head Explode - The Humanist Report - Air Date 2-18-25 KP 6: Samoa's Health Chief Says RFK Jr. Spread Anti-Vax Misinformation Before Deadly Measles Outbreak - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-31-25 (48:15) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the tragedy of the mirror world DEEPER DIVES (57:25) SECTION A: HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS (1:15:51) SECTION B: RFK JR. (1:30:48) SECTION C: ANTI-SCIENCE DANGERS (1:55:19) SECTION D: PREDATORS AND PREY SHOW IMAGE Description: RFK Jr. speaks at the podium at a Trump-Vance rally while an out-of-focus Donald Trump watches him in the background. Credit: “Donald Trump & Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Air Date: 3-2-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How “entrepreneurialism” has gained unearned adoration and disempowered labor organizing - The 100-year-old “New Thought” era and how it shaped our current culture of work - The social critic Theodore Roszak’s accurate predictions about the dark turn of tech and work - What Democrats should learn from Steve Bannon’s approach to Musk FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES: The Cult of the Entrepreneur - The New Republic The Social Critic Who Predicted Big Tech’s Dark Turn - The Nation What Anti-Musk Democrats Can Learn From Steven Bannon - NY Magazine Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 5 Calls app Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Original Air Date: 615/2022 The many reasons why we are experiencing a housing crisis in the US and beyond but it mostly comes down to treating housing as a commodity to be profited from rather than a basic human need or, if you're feeling radical, a basic human right. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript 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 Housing Market - If You Don't Know, Now You Know - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-8-21 Ch. 2: How Foreign Companies Are Raising Housing Prices - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-27-21 Ch. 3: John and Ana React to Bonkers Housing Story - The Damage Report - Air Date 3-12-22 Ch. 4: How Socialists Solved The Housing Crisis - The Gravel Institute - Air Date 1-29-21 Ch. 5: Is the Housing Bubble About to Burst Featuring Prof. Richard Wolff - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-1-22 Ch. 6: Eviction Rates Are Rising - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-13-22 Ch. 7: Why Dems Have Abandoned Public Housing - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-9-22 Ch. 8: Does Vienna Have the World's Best Council Housing? Swimming Pools, Private TV Channels & More - Channel 4 Documentaries - Air Date 8-8-19 Ch. 9: Short-term rental housing is hurting Ouray residents - Rocky Mountain PBS - Air Date 7-19-21 SHOW IMAGE: Description: An illustration of a simple green house with a "$" symbol incorporated into it. The vertical line of the symbol is also the shape of the chimney and the front door. Small dollar signs flow out of the chimney, getting smaller as they go up. Credit: Household | License Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 2/25/2025 Racism is at the core of most of what Trump believes so it should be no surprise when he aligns himself and the country with explicitly supremacist projects like the perceived Jewish superiority over Palestinians and the assumed "reverse racism" against White South Africans Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript 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: Trumps Insane Plan To Own Gaza - Pod Save the World - Air Date 2-12-25 KP 2: Elon's African roots - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-13-25 KP 3: Trumps South Africa Fixation - What Next - Air Date 2-12-25 KP 4: American Jews, Israel, and Palestine w Peter Beinart - American Prestige - Air Date 2-11-25 KP 5: West Bank Annexation Inevitable - The Majority Report - Air Date 2-6-25 KP 6: Israelis and Palestinians Standing Together - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 2-15-25 KP 7: On The Ground in Gaza Serving the People in Palestine - Rev Left Radio - Air Date 2-11-25 (51:08) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why Israel and Gaza are not are complicated as you may think DEEPER DIVES (56:45) SECTION A: TRUMP’S GAZA PROPOSAL (1:10:39) SECTION B: AFRIKANERS AND TRUMP (1:35:00) SECTION C: WEST BANK VIOLENCE (1:59:33) SECTION D: HISTORICAL CONTEXT (2:25:09) SECTION E: RESISTANCE SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite showing Netanyahu and Trump with their heads close looking down on a Palestinian flag flying out of the rubble on Gaza. Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X