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

Air Date 6/28/2025 The militarization of Trump's deportation regime and response to protesters is the clearest example of his desire to implement a fully authoritarian government. Pure and simple. 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!) KEY POINTS KP 1: Papers, Please: Hayes Flags New Police Tactic Trend in Trumps America - All In w Chris Hayes - Air Date 6-19-25 KP 2: David Gilbert of WIRED on Trump Demand for Ethnic Cleansing in U.S. - The BradCast - Air Date 6-17-25 KP 3: Trump, ICE, and the US War on Migrants - Red Flag Radio - Air Date 6-15-25 KP 4: Palantir Peter Thiel's Data-Mining Firm Helps DOGE Build Master Database to Surveil Immigrants - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-3-25 KP 5: Tanks On DCs Streets And A US Senator In Handcuffs - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 6-14-25 KP 6: The Military Occupation of Los Angeles - and the USA - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-13-25 KP 7: Trump Deploys Troops Against LA Protesters. Plus, Journalists Under 'Less Lethal' Fire. - On the Media - Air Date 6-13-25 KP 8: Tanks On DCs Streets And A US Senator In Handcuffs Part 2 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 6-14-25 (01:00:15) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On protesting with a theory of change DEEPER DIVES (01:07:52) SECTION A: LA PROTESTS AND CIVIL UNREST (02:01:45) SECTION B: FASCIST PLAYBOOK (03:05:41) SECTION C: IMMIGRATION CONTEXT (03:34:17) SECTION D: SURVEILLANCE SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of a protest sign held in the air depicting a colorful drawing of a happy brown-skinned family surrounded by flowers. The text “No more detention” is at the top and “No more deportations. Abolish I.C.E.” is at the bottom. Credit: “Abolish ICE protest” by Master Stever Rapport, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 Changes: Cropped and expanded background

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! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! 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 A1: “Israel Is the Rabid Dog of American Imperialism”: Gaza Surgeon Dr. Mohammed Tahir Speaks Out Part 1 - MintCast - Air Date 6-10-25 A2: When Hunger Is a Weapon - Front Burner - Air Date 6-3-25 A3: Doctors Returning From Gaza Beg Humanity to Stop the Carnage - The Marc Steiner Show - Air Date 6-10-25 A4: Mara Kronenfeld on Israel’s Aid Blockade - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-16-25 A5: “Israel Is the Rabid Dog of American Imperialism”: Gaza Surgeon Dr. Mohammed Tahir Speaks Out Part 2 - MintCast - Air Date 6-10-25 A6: Has Israel Turned Gaza Into a Starvation Camp? | Inside Story - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 5-31-25 (01:42:13) SECTION B: GAZA B1: The Israeli Government’s True Goal in Gaza - On Point - Air Date 6-5-25 B2: Mosquito Protocol: Ex-Israeli Soldier on Army's Systematic Use of Palestinians as Human Shields - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-29-25 B3: The State of the Gaza Negotiations and Ongoing Israeli Massacres - Drop Site News - Air Date 6-3-25 (02:08:26) SECTION C: NETANYAHU C1: Israel Allies With ISIS - To STARVE Gaza to Death - Owen Jones - Air Date 6-10-25 C2: Israeli Forces Open Fire at New Gaza “Aid” Site, as Netanyahu Rejects Ceasefire Deal Part 2 - Drop Site News - Air Date 5-27 C3: Israeli PM Netanyahu Confirms Arming Gaza Militia Against Hamas - FRANCE 24 English - Air Date 6-6-25 (02:30:42) SECTION D: Historical & Media Context D1: Blowback: How Israel Helped Create Hamas - The Intercept - Air Date 2-20-18 D2: How Israel, the Media, & the West Set the Stage for Gaza’s Genocide - Zeteo - Air Date 6-10-25 (02:48:16) SECTION E: WAR WITH IRAN E1: Ukraine Drone Attack, Gaza Aid Center Massacres, IAEA Suggests “Secret Nuclear Activities” in Iran - American Prestige - Air Date 6-6-25 E2: Will the US Join the War With Iran? w/ Akbar Shahid Ahmed - American Prestige - Air Date 6-18-25 E3: Israel Attacks Iran w/ Séamus Malekafzali - American Prestige - Air Date 6-13-25 (03:13:15) SECTION F: PROTESTS F1: LIVE Interview From Gaza Flotilla as Threats Escalate - Empire Files - Air Date 6-4-25 F2: Piers Morgan's DISGUSTING Attack On Greta Thunberg - Novara Media - Air Date 6-9-25 F3: The Grassroots Movements to Break the Siege on Gaza - Drop Site News - Air Date 6-10-25 F4: Why Sisi Won't Lift the Gaza Blockade - Middle East Eye - Air Date...

Air Date: 6–23-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube 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 TAKE ACTION: Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials about stopping the Big Stupid Cruel Bill Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 July 17th - National Day of Action - Good Trouble Lives On Find your Indivisible group - or start one Write to the DNC 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 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!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! 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 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 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! Join our Discord community! 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

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

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!) 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 (01:28:03) SECTION B: WEAPONIZATION (01:59:28) SECTION C: INDEFENSIBLE (02:11:29) SECTION D: BACKFIRE 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: 6-8-25 BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube 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 Find your Indivisible group - or start one Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 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 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

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. Direct Download Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Far-right extremism on the rise around the globe - The ReidOut with Joy Reid - Air Day 11-28-23 Ch. 2: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23 Ch. 3: Argentina's Trump? Far-Right Javier Milei Wins Presidency with Echoes of Past Dictatorship - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-21-23 Ch. 4: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 2 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23 Ch. 5: Media Coverage of the Trump Movement is Missing Vital Context - On the Media - Air Date 11-29-23 Ch. 6: 'Democracy on a Knife's Edge' Far-right electoral victories in Argentina, Holland; Trump threatens Insurrection Act - The Bradcast - Air Date 11-28-23 Ch. 7: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 3 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23 Ch. 8: Media Coverage of the Trump Movement is Missing Vital Context Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 11-29-23 Ch. 9: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 4 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23

Air Date: 6–2-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube REFERENCES: Don’t Expect Art To Save Us - Current Affairs To Be a Consumer of Culture Means Living in a Hostage Situation - Slate (from 2023) The Problem Goes Well Beyond Biden - Current Affairs The Democratic Party Is Literally Dying - The Nation Inside the Democrats’ Reboot - Time The DNC Executive Committee Meeting via Progressive Hub SOLVED! SONG! “Push” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #10: “The Old Guard is Dying” (June 2nd) TAKE ACTION: Write to the DNC June 14th - “No Kings” Nationwide Day of Action Find your Indivisible group - or start one Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 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 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. Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: All the president's side hustles - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-15-25 KP 2: 'Met Gala of pay-for-play' Trump crypto dinner is brazenly corrupt, says Hayes - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-22-25 KP 3: Historian Julian Zelizer Trump's corruption is the worst ever seen in the White House! - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 5-13-25 KP 4: Analyst Trump's Middle East Trip Isn't For Peace. It's a Turn Towards Fighting China - BreakThrough News - Air Date 5-16-25 KP 5: Trump's Big Beautiful Bill is Baloney - The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich - Air Date 5-17-25 KP 6: Trump-GOP Tax Bill Cuts Medicaid, SNAP To Give Handouts To Billionaires Part 1- The Majority Report - Air Date 5-20-25 KP 7: Trump Castrated the Courts! Big Beautiful Bill ENDS Constitutional Protection Against Dictatorship - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 5-20-25 (00:55:49) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why seeing is not believing and how that helps Republicans DEEPER DIVES (01:02:25) SECTION A: CORRUPTION (01:45:05) SECTION B: BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL (02:19:13) SECTION C: IMPACT SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite image depicting Trump giving a speech at a podium with his hands out and an image of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s face in a circle over his shoulder. Text over the image reads “THE BIG CRUEL STUPID BILL” Credits: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Photo credit: “President of the United States Donald J. Trump at CPAC 2017 February 24th 2017” by Michael Vadon, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Darkened overlay and text and image overlays | “Mike Johnson” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped into circle with darker overlay

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 Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The movement that inspired the Holocaust - Alexandra Minna Stern and Natalie Lira - TED-Ed - Air Date 3-10-22 KP 2: MAHA's Soft Eugenics - Conspirituality - Air Date 3-8-25 KP 3: It Must Be Eugenics - I Must Be BUG'N - Air Date 4-24-25 KP 4: Hayek's bastards w/ Quinn Slobodian - Politics Theory Other - Air Date 3-30-25 KP 5: Even More News: Grok's Meltdown, Donald Trump's Rampant Corruption, and Ms. Rachel w/ Mehdi Hasan - Some More News - Air Date 5-16-25 KP 6: Undercover inside a ‘scientific racism’ network - Today in Focus - Air Date 10-25-24 (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 E: MAGA SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite image depicting HHS Secretary RFK Jr. at a microphone in the center of an overlay of repeating, identical “people” icons. A handful of icons are different, bright neon colors and have a red X in a box over them. Credits: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Elements from Pixabay. Photo credit: “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, background color change, and added overlay Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

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, never ending. FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube REFERENCES: Humans are not the only animals that create their own culture - Earth.com Ancient Myths in Modern Times: Illuminating Bygone Legends Through Technology - Connolly Cove The Vampire in Mythology: Analyzing the Symbolic Meanings and Archetypes of Vampire Figures - Mythology Worldwide “Sinners” - A film by Ryan Coogler starring Michael B. Jordan TAKE ACTION: June 14th - “No Kings” Nationwide Day of Action Find your Indivisible group - or start one Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 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: 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 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: Black Lives Matter Protests, "Outside Agitators," and the Coronavirus - DOOMED with Matt Binder - Air Date 5-30-20 Ch. 2: Structural robbery, mass resistance with William C. Anderson Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 6-4-20 Ch. 3: George Floyd, you, me… us - Jim Hightower - Air Date 6-9-20 Ch. 4: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 1 - Tysky Sour, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20 Ch. 5: America, Racism & Patterns of Change (with Heather Cox Richardson)- Stay Tuned with Preet - Air Date - 6-11-20 Ch. 6: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 2 - Tysky, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20 Ch. 7: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor on how racism & racial terrorism fueled nationwide anger - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-1-20 Ch. 8: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale Part 3 - Tysky, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20 Ch. 9: The Uprising and Its Leadership: What Does it Look Like in This Moment? - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-10-20 Ch. 10: Cornel West: Nationwide uprisings herald "America's moment of reckoning" - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-1-20 Produced by Jay! Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

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. Direct Download 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: 100 Perfect Days - Pod Save America - Air Date 4-29-25 KP 2: 100 Daze of Trump's 'Fascist Death Spiral' with Heather Digby Parton of Salon, 'Driftglass' of 'Pro Left Podcast' - The BradCast - Air Date 4-30-25 KP 3: There is no president, really - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 4-26-25 KP 4: 100 days of payback - Today, Explained - Air Date 4-29-25 KP 5: Trump Is Losing A Lot In Court. Plus, the First Episode of The Divided Dial (S2). - On The Media - Air Date 5-9-25 KP 6: 100 Days of Hypocrisy - Main Justice - Air Date 4-29-25 KP 7: A Trumped Up Police State Is Coming Part 1 - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 5-8-25 KP 8: 100 Days of Chaos Skye Perryman - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-1-25 (52:39) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the upcoming No Kings protest on June 14 DEEPER DIVES (57:36) SECTION A: EXECUTIVE POWER (1:35:05) SECTION B: IMMIGRATION & FORCE (1:58:20) SECTION C: INCOMPETENCY AND SELF ENRICHMENT (2:40:49) SECTION D: RESISTANCE SHOW IMAGE CREDITS for #1711 - Trump 100 days Description: Black and white photo of Trump at a podium at the White House looking stern, with a policeman standing behind him. Credit: “P20250519JB-0425P20250519JB-0425” by The White House, Flickr | Government work, Public Domain Produced by Jay! Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Air Date: 5-19-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin was on vacation) discuss: and FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube REFERENCES: My Miserable Week in the Happiest Country on Earth - The New York Times Doppelgänger by Naomi Klein (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!) The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!) A Wilder Shore: The Romantic Odyssey of Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson by Camille Peri (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!) “Pale Blue Dot” - An excerpt from Carl Sagan’s book “Pale Blue Dot” (If you buy via this link, you can support indie bookstores and SOLVED! at the same time!) SOLVED! SONG! “Pale Blue Dot” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. TAKE ACTION: June 14th - “No Kings” Nationwide Day of Action Join our Discord Server Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

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! 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! KEY POINTS KP 1: Sinners: Director Ryan Coogler on His Latest Hit, Delta Blues, His Mississippi Roots & Vampires Part 1 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-25-25 KP 2: Sinners and the General State of Things - The Morbid Zoo - Air Date 5-10-25 KP 3: Western Christianity and White Supremacy Part 1 - Meant For This - Air Date 3-23-22 KP 4: How Do You Put A Price On America's Original Sin? - Consider This - Air Date 3-27-23 KP 5: Storm and Stress: Jim Crow America Part 1 - History is US - Air Date 6-5-22 KP 6: Trump's first 100 days, but it's just the racism - Garrison Hayes - Air Date 5-2-25 (48:29) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how to talk about the interplay between economics and identity politics DEEPER DIVES (57:48) SECTION A: CHRISTIANITY (1:33:29) SECTION B: RACE (2:18:56) SECTION C: CULTURE SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Portion of the 1830s painting “Slave Market” (Brazil) depicting two white men discussing the sale of enslaved, black Brazilian men with a church with steeple and cross in the background and the iconography of the Virgin Mary on the wall above. Credit: “Slave Market” by Johann Moritz Rugendas, New York Public Library Digital Collections | Copyright status undetermined by NYPL | Changes: Cropped with increased contrast and brightness Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!

Original Air Date 6/4/2022 Today we take a look at some of the obvious steps we need to take to reduce gun violence in the United States, debunk some of the favored propaganda supporting unfettered gun ownership and explore the origins of how Gun Culture™ was invented by corporations as the frontier era need for guns began to vanish pushing them to convert guns from tools that were needed but not loved into items that were loved though no longer needed. 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: Igor Volsky on Ending Gun Violence - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-27-22 Ch. 2: NRA's "Good Guy With A Gun" Theory Failed In Real Time In Uvalde - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-27-22 Ch. 3: Jordan Klepper Debunks The "Good Guy with a Gun" Argument - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-11-15 Ch. 4: The Second Amendment Isn't About Killing Politicians or Overthrowing Democracy - The Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 5-31-22 Ch. 5: Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger speaking to Charlayne Hunter-Gault - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 12-16-1991 Ch. 6: How the Gun Industry Used Marketing to Change a Culture - Letters and Politics - Air Date 8-7-19 Ch. 7: Mass Shootings: American Exceptionalism of the Worst Kind - Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman - Air Date 5-26-22 SHOW IMAGE: Description: A pencil sketch of a larger-than-life hand gun on the shoulders of a weary man, in the image of Jesus carrying the cross. He stands in a pool of red blood. Credit: “Gun Culture” by Christopher Dombres, Flickr | Public Domain | Changes: Cropped Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!

Original Air Date 5/24/2019 As the neoliberal order collapses from the pressure of its failures to provide for working people, we take a look at the much-maligned, rarely-understood field of economic and social study known as Marxism. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 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 Contributions of Karl Marx Part 1 - Economic Update - Air Date 5-25-18 Professor Wolff takes a deeper look at the life and work of Karl Marx in celebration of the 200th anniversary of his birth. Ch. 2: Marxism Today - Analysis - Air Date 6-19-16 Robin who was a BBC reporter for 25 years thinks Marx was always in the background discourse of politics, an influence he partly feared and didn't fully understand. He takes a walk through central London in the footsteps of the great revolutionary. Ch. 3: David Harvey on Marx, Capital, and the Madness of Economic Reason - Left Out - Air Date 11-5-17 David Harvey is arguably the most influential living geographer, as well as one of the world’s leading Marxist scholars. He is among the most cited intellectuals of all time across the humanities and social sciences. Ch. 4: This Ruthless Criticism of All That Exists Marxism as Science - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 2-2-19 J. Moufawad-Paul, a Marxist philosopher and author of "Continuity and Rupture", "The Communist Necessity", and "Austerity Apparatus", joins Breht to discuss his most recent essay "This Ruthless Criticism of All That Exists: Marxism as Science". Ch. 5: Erosion of Consumer Choices - David Harvey's Anti-Capitalist Chronicles - Air Date 4-24-19 Prof. Harvey discusses Marx's theory of Capital and its relevance today. Consumers have less and less autonomy. Their choices, even how they will spend their leisure time, are increasingly influenced by capitalists. Ch. 6: The Contributions of Karl Marx Part 2 - Economic Update - Air Date 5-25-18 Professor Wolff takes a deeper look at the life and work of Karl Marx in celebration of the 200th anniversary of his birth. Produced by Jay! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com ​ ​ ​