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PODCAST

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

Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics

Expertly-curated progressive politics, news, and culture produced by leftist humans, not algorithms or AI. This is an award-winning podcast that dives deeply into a wide range of national and international issues facing society and governments. We draw from hundreds of sources of progressive news and commentary. Est. 2006. Save time by listening to a range of perspectives on a focused topic in each episode and be introduced to new sources you will not have come across on your own!

news politics

All Episodes

02:06:35

#1639 Migrants and Refugees on Fortress Earth: Our...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/07/02

Air Date 7/2/2024 Border security around the world continues to take turns for the dark and dystopian as right-wing sentiment against migrants and refugees continues to escalate to the extreme. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript Air Date 7/2/2024 Border security around the world continues to take turns for the dark and dystopian as right-wing sentiment against migrants and refugees continues to escalate to the extreme. Be part of

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14:56

Bonus Sample #310 - The Torment Nexus

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/30

Air Date: 6-30-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the baffling trend of tech companies using cautionary tales from dystopian fiction as a blueprint for what to create next - how the people who build or champion tools of oppression never think those same tools will inevitably be turned on them - the use of drones as first responders, and the long term effects this has had on the residents - a different perspective on how to think about the end - humanity's seeming inability to think

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02:21:19

#1638 AI: From Killer Apps to Killer Robots, the...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/28

Air Date 6/28/2024 AI, like all new technologies, won't be all good or all bad. In fact, my favorite understanding of emerging technologies is that they often bring simultaneous utopia and dystopia, though many tend to focus on the benefits while only discovering the drawbacks later. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: We’re

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01:01:44

#1590 Red Caesar and Project 2025: A fascist fever...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/25

Original Air Date: 10/23/2023 The people who want to pull the country in directions that are only supported by a small minority of the population have to develop very intricate plans to have any hope of succeeding. This is the story of the latest plan to establish unchecked rule to implement unpopular policies supported only by the far right. 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!)

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23:26

Bonus Sample #309 Of Kidults and Puppets

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/23

Air Date: 6-23-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The Kidult trend in depth (since we had to cut it short last time) - A right-wing attempt at a puppet-based kids show to draw in young viewers early - How Nanalan' - a kids puppet show from the 90s - is helping some Millennials with reparenting REFERENCES: Adults Are Spending Big on Toys and Stuffed Animals—for Themselves Kidults - do you have one in your life? PLAYBACK The UK’s adults-only soft play, ball pits, Lego nights, museum

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01:48:30

#1637 Shifting Populations, Shifting Politics: The...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/21

Air Date 6/21/2024 The European elections could have been worse but they weren't great. Shifting politics among mainstream parties is legitimizing far-right policies at the same time as people's concerns over immigration is being reflected in a willingness to vote for far-right parties. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) SEE FULL SHOW NOTES Join our Discord

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01:07:14

#1460 The Growing Threat of Minority Rule (Throwback)

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/18

Original Air Date: 12/11/2021 Today we take a look at the many structures of American government that tilt to favor minority rule and conservatism which, in our case, is one and the same. Some structures like the Senate and the filibuster were intentionally designed to give extra weight to the minority while others like gerrymandering and the influence of large-dollar political donors were, well, I suppose they were designed for about the same reason but just in a different way. Be part of the show

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17:59

Bonus Sample #308 Let the Kids (and Adults) Play

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/16

Air Date: 6-16-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The importance of unsupervised playtime for children and why it's disappearing - The roots and consequences of over-scheduling kids and why it's so hard to cut back - The rise of the "Kidult" REFERENCES: Parents: Keep Out! - Hidden Brain The Fine Art of Underscheduling Adults Are Spending Big on Toys and Stuffed Animals— For Themselves Let Grow Play Club Chasing Childhood documentary Join our Discord Server Leave a message at

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03:06:04

#1636 The Supreme Court Is In Bad Shape. Like, Really...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/14

Air Date 6/14/2024 We're in the middle of Supreme Court opinion season, which is not going well for non-extreme conservatives in the country, at the same time as scandal, corruption, and justices Thomas and Alito's refusal to recuse in the face of clear bias is reaching a modern peak. Call or text 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: Opinionpalooza A Bad June Rising At SCOTUS Part 1 - Amicus 2: How The

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03:09:59

#1635 Democracy on the Decline: The US is not alone...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/11

Air Date 6/11/2024 Democracies don't break all of a sudden in a moment of crisis, they fail slowly over time and only by knowing the warning signs and responding effectively to the threat before it's too late can the worst be averted. Call or text at 202-999-3991, email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: Why and Where is Democracy in Decline? - TLDR News 2: Is Democracy Under Threat? - Tufts

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13:06

Bonus Sample #307 Uncertain and Powerless

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/09

Air Date: 06-09-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - how focusing 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 prioritization of profits forces has on news coverage - how keeping news coverage light and ignoring the effects of neoliberalism leaves desperate people vulnerable to fascism - the way history is repeating itself when it comes to news media not treating a demagogue's rhetoric

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02:23:12

#1634 Abortion as the Tip of the Iceberg: the fight...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/07

Air Date 6/7/2024 Banning abortion is wildly unpopular and also one of the primary motivators for the group most strongly supporting the Republican Party and Donald Trump, the Christian Right, which has transformed both the party and politicians into extremists made in their own image, threatening the lives and health of millions and sacrificing democracy in the process. Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus

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02:22:03

#1633 Fights for Fair Pay, Journalism vs...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/04

Air Date 6/4/2024 The problems that arise within the systems of sports are the same problems we all face everywhere which makes them a good lens through which to understand the mechanisms of broader society. Fair pay, both journalism and addictive games functioning under capitalism, and benefits for billionaires all resonate far beyond the bounds of the players, owners and fans of sports clubs. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript

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17:42

Bonus Edition #305 Solved It! Conspiracy Theorists,...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/06/02

Air Date: 6-2-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How one MIT study used AI to reduce belief in conspiracy theories - How a new AI tool is attempting to make comments sections less awful - Some advice from Korea's litigious political environment on how to deal with Trump BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) REFERENCES: America’s Worst Time Zone Chatbots can persuade conspiracy theorists their view might be wrong The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet South

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54:42

#1134 Unnatural Disasters (Hurricanes and Humans)...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/05/31

Original Air Date: 9/19/2017 Today we look not so much at hurricanes and the climate science behind them (though we touch on that as well) but focus more on what we can see more clearly when it’s illuminated by so-called “natural” disasters, the structural inequality and legacies of decision-making that make these disasters worse than they need to be BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email

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02:21:32

#1632 SiliCON Valley: The False Promises,...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/05/28

Air Date 5/28/2024 Today we look at the most disappointing yet most idolized false heroes of our day, the titans of tech and the zany hijinks they've been getting up to recently. Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 1: When a tech company like OpenAI doesn't get the dark message at the heart of science fiction 2: How Peter Thiel Got Rich |

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16:32

Bonus Sample #304 Not everything that counts can be...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/05/26

Air Date: 5-26-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the con of supply and demand economics being about distributing goods with the greatest efficiency, and is instead nothing more than predatory greed - what we value as humans goes far beyond the price of commodities - even more examples of the enshitification of life via hostile experiences from things we've already paid for - how companies restrict functionality to create artificial price points as a way to extract even more from us

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02:00:04

#1631 Body Neutrality in the World of Ozempic:...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/05/24

Air Date 5/24/2024 Assessing the impacts of new diet drugs on physical and mental health in the context of our unhealthy food system and societal fat phobia Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The world after Ozempic - The Gray Area - Air Date 5-13-24 KP 2: The Ozempic economy - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-23-24

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01:59:07

#1630 Unrivaled Global Arms Dealer: Officially and...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/05/21

Air Date 5/21/2024 Whether by the US government playing matchmaker for the domestic weapons industry or through the illegal trade of the 'iron river,' the US is the leading seller of weapons around the world, fueling violence and conflict, oppression and rights abuses. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! FRONTPAGE FP 1: US Leads

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46:34

#929 Looking to avert further tragedy (War on Drugs™)...

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on... ·

2024/05/19

Original Air Date: 5/9/2015 Today we take a look at the continuing failure that is the War on Drugs™ as well as some of the signs of hope that we may be making progress toward shutting it down 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 Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Is Marijuana Harmful to Health? - Healthcare Triage (@HCTriage) - Air Date: 04-19-14 Ch. 2: Man

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703 results

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