Stay ConnectedExpertly-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!
Air Date 11/2/2024
The cult of Trump isn't just about Trump, it's religion and patriarchy reacting to a moment of global economic and climactic instability. But those organizing the religious right aren't just reacting to their environment, they've also been planning for a very long time.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation - Ideas - Air Date 10-18-24
KP 3: MAGA's 'Young Male Voter' Plan Hits Bottom Of The Barrel - The Majority Report - Air Date 10-22-24
KP 7: Unfcking Flashback The American Propaganda Machine. - UNFTR - Air Date 10-12-24
(54:31) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On susceptibility to manipulation
DEEPER DIVES
(59:43) SECTION A - THE MOVEMENT
(1:18:09) SECTION B - TRUMP AND ELECTION
(1:36:04) SECTION C - PATRIARCHY AND RACE
(1:55:36) SECTION D - AMERICAN CHRISTIAN
SHOW IMAGE
Description: A woman with blonde hair wears a Trump campaign flag as a cape while praying on her knees with both arms in the air.
Credit: “Fascism Worship”, 2016, by Johnny Silvercloud, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Increased brightness and contrast
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 10-31-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How neoliberalism is fucking up renewable energy transitions - Marketing and why the viral Stanley Cup never should have gone viral - How big tech is heavily surveilling school kids without any oversight - How the fossil fuel industry has infiltrated higher education
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REFERENCES: Germany’s Green Transition Is Faltering
This $23 Stanley Cup Accessory Fixes Your Biggest Complaint About the Tumbler
How the ex-marketing whiz behind Crocs helped turn Stanley into the "it" cup
How the Stanley Cup Went Viral
School Surveillance Earns Tech Companies Billions. Students Pay the Price.
Here’s How the Fossil Fuel Industry Infiltrates and Influences Higher Education
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Air Date 10/29/2024
Trump has only come close to perfecting the grift of the American conservative, he certainly didn't invent the strategy. Today we look at some current and past grifts and explore why they work.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: The "Dirtbag of the Internet" and Trump's Crypto Project - Bloomberg Technology - Air Date 9-13-24
KP 4: Down the Rabbit Hole w/ Naomi Klein - The Dig - Air Date 10-8-24
KP 5: Media Literacy Can't Save Us Part 1 - Dummy - Air Date 10-7-24
KP 6: How did grifters like Trump take over the GOP? - The Bunker - Air Date 9-25-24
(48:03) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the scam of political fundraising
DEEPER DIVES
(56:06) SECTION A - GRIFT
A1: Russell Brand Has A New Grift - Novara Media - Air Date 10-16-24
A2: GRIFTER-CON Morons Did Not Disappoint - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 10-1-24
A3: Russell Brand And The Conspiracy Grift - Media Matters - Air Date 1-2-24
A4: Some Grifters Who Finally Faced Consequences – SOME MORE NEWS -Air Date 9-25-24
(1:28:27) SECTION B - SCAMS
(1:50:18) SECTION C - CONSPIRACY
(2:19:48) SECTION D - MISINFORMATION
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Graphic showing a large pile of triangular warning signs with the word “SCAM” inside.
Credit: “traffic-signs-attention-notice” by Gerald, Pixabay | License: Pixabay
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 2/14/20223
Today, we take a look at some origins, alternatives and misunderstandings of capitalism from the Dutch East India Company, to Adam Smith and up through the planned obsolescence and marketing that have tricked us all into working far harder than necessary while failing to make us happy.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Indigenous Economics with Tyson Yunkaporta (In Conversation) - Upstream - Air Date 11-10-21
Ch. 3: We don't understand Capitalism. Part One - UNFTR - Air Date 1-27-23
Ch. 4: Your Work Is Not Your Worth - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 10-21-22
Ch. 5: We don't understand Capitalism. Part Two. - UNFTR - Air Date 1-27-23
Ch. 6: Economics for a New Year - Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Air Date 1-19-23
Ch. 7: Indigenous Economics with Tyson Yunkaporta (In Conversation) Part 2 - Upstream - Air Date 11-10-21
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 10/22/2024
This is your one-stop reference guide to every issue that is being wrongly blamed on immigrants as the Trump campaign rhetoric turns evermore fascist and xenophobic.
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KEY POINTS
KP 3: The Real Reason Trump Is Demonizing Immigrants - The Lever - Air Date 10-11-24
KP 4: 'Villains nor victims' Why immigration is good for our economy - Velshi - Air Date 6-2-24
KP 6: Prof Richard Wolff A FUTURE WITHOUT FEAR OF IMMIGRANTS - The Zero Hour - Air Date 10-12-24
(38:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Giving a quick list of immigration lies
DEEPER DIVES
(42:07) SECTION A - MIS/DISINFORMATION
A1: How is Trump winning the US immigration debate - Anywhere but Washington - Air Date 10-10-24
(50:26) SECTION B - REALITY CHECK
(1:08:30) SECTION C - OTHERING
(1:26:35) SECTION D - SOLUTIONS
SHOW IMAGE CREDIT
Description: Trump, with a serious expression, stands at a lectern and points out into the crowd.
Credit: “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 10-20-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Yet another GOP animal abuse horror - Why weather machine conspiracy theories took off so easily - The questionable UAE organization trying to control rain with cloud seeding - Why more extreme weather isn't swaying certain voters on climate change - Talking about climate change through a patriotic lens - Bonus Segment: The surprising origins of Don't Mess with Texas
REFERENCES: New NRA Chief Once Tortured a Cat to Death
MTG Implies Dems Created Hurricane Helene: ‘They Can Control the Weather’
The New Gods of Weather Can Make Rain on Demand—or So They Want You to Believe
Extreme Weather Has Had a Surprising Impact on Voters’ Attitudes About Climate Change
Kamala Harris Framed Climate Action as a Patriotic Duty. New Research Shows Why That’s Effective.
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Original Air Date: 5/27/2022
Today we take a look at the disruptions to society that can unfold in times of economic distress such as high inflation, price gouging, wage stagnation and income inequality as well as some policy ideas for turning things around.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 2: You Are Being Lied to About Inflation - Robert Reich - Air Date 2-28-22
Ch. 9: Elon Musk’s Billionaire Games - The Daily Show with Trevor Noah - Air Date 5-7-22
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 10/15/2024
Just as COVID tended to expose the preexisting fractures and inequalities in our society causing undue harm, supercharged by disinformation, so do natural disasters. And the impact of disinformation and conspiracy has only grown in recent years.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: Election Denials, Asheville, Israel & Inequality. - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 10-25-24
KP 2: Meteorologist Guy Walton on Hurricane Milton's threat to Florida - The Bradcast - Air Date 10-8-24
(54:00) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On how to work with distrust in government
DEEPER DIVES
(58:58) SECTION A - NATURAL DISASTERS
(1:09:28) SECTION B - INTERSECTIONAL ISSUES
(1:31:26) SECTION C - POLITICS
(1:45:45) SECTION D: TRUMP AND DISINFORMATION
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS
Description: Watercolor-style illustration of people of all abilities on a Main St. with houses and trees, and smaller groups of people sitting together.
Credit: “ai generated inclusion community” by Franz26, Pixabay | License: Pixabay
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 10-14-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - A member voicemail about autopilot cars - Some call backs, including JD Vance being unsurprisingly weird with his dog - The frustrating shift in the Kamala Harris campaign - Biden's continuous blundering of Israel's war on Gaza - The historical precedent for Harris to depart from Biden on Israel war policy ASAP
REFERENCES: Finally, The New York Times Is Getting Real About Trump's Mental...Status
An Entirely Necessary Investigation Into JD Vance's Relationship With His Dog, Atlas
Professional Dog Walkers Aren’t Sure JD Vance Has Ever Walked—or Even Met—His Dog Before
Kamala Harris Is Taking a Big Risk by Playing It Safe
Joe Biden Chose This Catastrophic Path Every Step of the Way
Netanyahu Doesn't Care About His Friendship With Biden
Biden Gives Shocking Answer on Potential Israeli Election Interference
Biden May Be the President Who Kills the Two-State Solution
Biden’s Gaza policy is a liability for Kamala Harris. She must break with Biden now
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Air Date 10/11/2024
Humans insatiable need for increasing amounts of energy and our tendency to want to at least have the option to wipe entire populations off the map has led to a renewed age of risks related to nuclear power, nuclear weapons, nuclear waste, and nuclear fallout.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: Can clean energy handle the AI boom? - Vox - Air Date 10-1-24
KP 2: Why Nuclear Energy Is On The Verge Of A Renaissance - CNBC - Air Date 6-7-22
KP 3: Is Nuclear Energy the solution? - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 5-10-19
KP 6: Are we facing a new nuclear arms race? - This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler - Air Date 9-17-24
(47:23) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the nature of humans and energy use
DEEPER DIVES
(54:59) SECTION A - ENERGY
(1:31:22) SECTION B - CLIMATE
(1:56:40) SECTION C - RISK
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS
Description: A photo of two, active nuclear power plant towers on the bank of a river at sunset.
Credit: “nuclear power plant, Rhine, flow” by distelAPPArath, Pixabay | License: Pixabay
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Presenting an episode of 'To See Each Other,' a show that complicates the narrative about small town Americans in our most misunderstood, and often abandoned, communities. This season, host George Goehl travels to Lincoln County, Wisconsin to follow a small town battle for the last remaining public nursing home in the community. It’s a heart-pounding roller coaster of a fight - in a swing state that could determine the election. Over the course of the show, a universal truth emerges: That in every complicated set of politics, when we refuse to give up on each other, we can build a better future.
You can listen to more episodes of To See Each Other at https://link.chtbl.com/toseeeachother?sid=bestoftheleft
Air Date 10/8/2024
Immigration dominates our politics in the worst way because one side benefits from lying about it and the other can't get their messaging together to create an effective rebuttal. Opposing immigration and stoking blatantly racist arguments doesn't just make the right bad or unsavory, it also makes them wrong on literally all of the facts.
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KEY POINTS
KP 4: Did Donald TRUMP Make Germany RACIST Again - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-27-24
KP 6: Trump's rhetoric on immigrants gets even darker - The ReidOut - Air Date 9-27-24
(55:21) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On what Democrats need to do on immigration messaging
Articles:
The Democrats’ Shameful, Foolish Surrender on Immigration
Kamala Harris Needs to Meet the Moment and Reframe Our Poisonous Immigration Debate
DEEPER DIVES
(1:01:12) SECTION A - DISINFORMATION
(1:14:11) SECTION B - WHITE SUPREMACY
(1:37:38) SECTION C - LATINO ANTI-IMMIGRATION VIEWS
SHOW IMAGE CREDIT
Description: A stenciled image on a metal trailer structure shows the words “I stand with immigrants” in the shape of a rectangle.
Credit: “Stand with immigrants” by Quinn Dombrowski, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Added lower metal space and increased contrast.
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Air Date: 10-7-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The Today Show's take on viral phenom Moo Deng - The GOP's obsession with killing animals - How the media made a mess of Rashida Tlaib's comments and missed the key point - How some Nazi language is infiltrating left wing spaces & what to do about it - How to solve antisemitism
REFERENCES: Meet Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo taking the internet by storm
How the GOP Became the Party of Pet Slaughter
Anatomy of a Smear Campaign Against Rashida Tlaib
Fact-check: Tlaib did not say Nessel charged pro-Palestinian protesters because she’s Jewish
Normalizing Nazi Rhetoric Won’t Further the Goal of Palestinian Liberation
A Leftist Analysis of Antisemitism
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Air Date 10/4/2024
When women's value is seen only in relation to their ability to bear and raise children, you get policies that strip them of the right to choose whether that is something they actually want for themselves - the lived consequences are devastating.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: Where Did MAGA's 'Post-Birth' Abortion Claim Come From? - NowThis Impact - Air Date 9-12-24
KP 3: Woman Shares 'Trauma' of Abortion Bans During Senate Hearing - NowThis Impact - Air Date 9-24-24
KP 6: Texas Republicans ARE KILLING WOMEN!!! - Brittany Page - Air Date 9-26-24
KP 7: Everyone Loves Someone Who's Had an Abortion - The Defenders - Air Date 12-30-23
(48:52) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the further demands for reproductive justice
Articles:
We Need Better Than a Return to the Roe Status Quo
National Abortion Rights Groups Have the Wrong Priorities for Our Movement
Abortion Access Right Now Fund
DEEPER DIVES
(56:49) SECTION A: THE CASUALTIES
(1:32:58) SECTION B: RELIGION
(2:00:00) SECTION C: THE PUNISHMENT IS THE POINT
(2:26:03) SECTION D: BLACK WOMEN
(2:42:41) SECTION E: THE PUSHBACK
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS
Description: A protestor holds a hand-painted sign that says “Justices Lie. Women Die!” with a drawing of a coat hanger.
Credit: “220503_RoeVWade_Rally_Pittsburgh-100103” by Mark Dixon, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0
Air Date 10/1/2024
There's still no end in sight to Israel's war on its neighbors and the US continues its toothless efforts to de-escalate while maintaining seemingly unconditional support in spite of standing laws that should prevent our sale of weapons to any country committing war crimes - which Israel certainly it.
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KEY POINTS
(55:08) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the ease of misunderstanding when discussing Israel
Article: A Leftist Analysis of Antisemitism - Jacobin
DEEPER DIVES
(1:01:15) SECTION A: STATE TERRORISM
(1:27:44) SECTION B: GLOBAL COMPLICITY
(2:00:10) SECTION C: PROTESTS AND INDOCTRINATION
(2:14:13) SECTION D: RESISTANCE
SHOW IMAGE CREDIT
Description: A black and white photo of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu making a speech with the flags of Israel and the United States behind him.
Credit: “Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III participates in a joint press briefing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, April 12, 2021” by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders / U.S. Secretary of Defense, Wikimedia Commons | License: Public Domain
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Air Date: 9-29-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Why Cards Against Humanity is fighting Elon Musk - How car-related deaths have soared in the US - How partial automation tech in cars is making driving more dangerous - Why truck bloat(or C.O.U.S.s, if you prefer)is deadly - Surveillance CARpitalism that will blow your mind - The electric school bus fleets sweeping the nation - The fratzonic sound of the electric Dodge Charger
REFERENCES: "Cards Against Humanity Sues Elon Musk’s SpaceX “With Great Vengeance and Furious Anger” For Trespassing"
"Cards Against Humanity Sues Elon Musk for 15 million dollars"
The Stubborn Problem of Cars Killing People
Tesla and Volvo drivers using partial automation tech were studied. Here are the results
The US finally takes aim at truck bloat
It’s Official: Cars Are the Worst Product Category We Have Ever Reviewed for Privacy
Electric school buses are the future we deserve
Here’s what the new Dodge Charger Daytona’s fake engine sounds like
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Air Date 9/27/2024
Let's just say that it's not a coincidence that right-wing authoritarians are on the rise at the same time as people around the world are having a harder time than ever figuring out what's true. That said, society is beginning to fight back.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-project-2025-will-lay-groundwork-for-second-term
KP 3: Streaming is Changing Politics...Is That A Good Thing? - Wisecrack - Air Date 9-20-24
KP 4: YouTube and the Death of Media Literacy - Zoe Bee - Air Date 9-2-24
KP 5: A Citizen's Guide to Disinformation - TechTank - Air Date 9-3-24
KP 6: Enshittification Part 3: Saving The Internet - On the Media - Air Date 5-19-23
(45:53) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On bad media diets and brain worms
Article: Welcome to the Era of ‘Deep Doubt’
DEEPER DIVES
(54:23) SECTION A: SOCIAL MISINFORMATION
(1:23:18) SECTION B: LIVE BY THE ALGORITHM
(1:55:54) SECTION C: SOLUTIONS
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS
Description: Graphic of two profiles back to back, one red, one blue. A white question mark is in the middle.
Credit: “face-question mark-disoriented” by geralt| License: Pixabay
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 9/24/2024
The positive dad vibes of Tim Walz came onto the national scene in the middle of an ongoing crisis of masculinity that stretches from the youngest generations to the oldest. Both positive and negative aspects of masculinity tie in with the general election, basically divided right down the partisan line, and the next generation of voters (not to mention humans) are often feeling stuck between the two with insufficient guidance from the men in their lives.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: Are Men Okay – SOME MORE NEWS - Air Date 5-22-24
KP 3: Dating Amid Gender Differences in Politics - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 7-30-24
KP 5: We Love Some BDE Part 2 - Big Dad Energy - Dear Old Dads - Air Date 8-23-24
KP 7: That's My Gus Walz - Dear Old Dads - Air Date 8-30-24
(54:39) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the 3 top takeaways on and for boys and men
Article: CONSIDER THE BOOR
DEEPER DIVES
(1:00:56) SECTION A: TIM WALZ
(1:17:49) SECTION B: JD VANCE BRANDED MASCULINITY
(1:41:18) SECTION C: THE FALL OUT OF STOICISM
(1:46:43) SECTION D: DATING LIFE
(2:07:48) SECTION E: SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
SHOW IMAGE CREDIT
Description: Image of a man in a flannel shirt in free fall against a gray cloud background.
Credit: “man-fall” by Pexels | License: Pixabay
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 9-23-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Musk's latest - J.D. Vance's war on truth and brown people - The super villains who spread lies - Sane Washing Trump - Correcting the Left - Right-wing lies as a matter of course
REFERENCES: Musk Claims ‘Joke’ About Assassinating Harris Was Funnier in Person
J.D. Vance’s War on American Life Starts in Springfield
JD Vance Thinks He Can Sell His Nationalism With Cat Memes
J.D. Vance’s Admission Shouldn’t Shock You—They’ve Done This for Years
How the Media Sanitizes Trump’s Insanity
Trump Has Not Been ‘Sane-Washed’
The Sound of One MAGA Attacking (Retracted)
“He’s one of us”: Trump defends political violence against the press, while the press remains silent
Man arrested at Trump rally in Pa. wanted to hang a protest banner, police say
How Right-Wingers Manufacture Scandal
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Original Air Date: 3/21/2023
Today, we take a look at how GOP-controlled states are subverting democracy with a form of "competitive autocracy" and some of the horrifying legislation these states then pass after they are no longer subject to the opinions of the general public.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 2: Republicans Are Staging A Legislative Coup - More Perfect Union - Air Date 1-5-22
Ch. 4: The Fight for Fair Maps - The Takeaway - Air Date 7-18-22
Ch. 5: Failing (Red)States - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 3-4-23
Ch. 10: How Moore v. Harper Could Reshape Democracy - The Takeaway - Air Date 12-8-22
Ch. 13: Tennessee legislator shocks with lynching suggestion - Alex Wagner Tonight - Air Date 3-3-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 15: Final comments on how to fix the states
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date: 9-19-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the fallout from the debate, Trump's lies, and how his incoherence is being sanitized - The inadequacy of workplace protections, even in unionized shops - how worker stress and consumer misery are actually features, not bugs - the hope of Philosopher Obama and Trump's Power of Positivity® - people's need to feel like they're getting their money's worth at the expense of all else
REFERENCES: UPS Drivers Won “Historic Heat Protections.” They Say the Company Hasn’t Lived Up to That Promise
In Fast Food, Worker Stress Is the Business Model
Why Airlines Want to Make You Suffer
Barack Obama Is the Last American Transcendentalist
The True Source of Trump’s Delusions: The Gospel of Positive Thinking
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Air Date 9/17/2024
It's not just the threat of the electoral college handing the presidency to the loser of the popular vote, nor the specter of a repeat of a January 6th-like event hanging over the election - there's also copious lies and disinformation including a new and improved nazi-to-Republican-talking-point-pipeline, and fresh new intimidation and voter suppression tactic experiments underway in the laboratories of democracy.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: Trump Admits He Lost 2020 Election?!? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-5-24
KP 4: What Does “Election Interference” Even Mean Anymore? - The Political Scene Podcast - Air Date 9-4-24
KP 7: Republicans caught in BOMBSHELL lie - Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 9-9-24
(49:26) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On what puts democracies at risk
DEEPER DIVES
(1:01:09) SECTION A: INTIMIDATION
(1:15:27) SECTION B: INTERFERENCE
(1:54:14) SECTION C: LIES
(2:08:49) SECTION D: ELECTION INTEGRITY
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Photo of a woman holding a sign above her head that says “Voting Rights are Human Rights”. She is wearing a bucket hat that says “Good Trouble.”
Credit: “210828 - voting rights-6” by Johnny Silvercloud | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 9/13/2024
We've been living through the modern equivalent of the oil boom, back when poking a hole in the ground would make one of the world's most valuable substances, upon which entire economies would be built. But in our case, it's not oil, it's data. Now we are at a pivotal moment as the old unchallenged master of data, Google, has been found guilty of illegal anti-competitive behavior at the same time as generative AI companies are in a new desperate rush to stake claims on every last piece of data they can find.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: The New Colonialism of Big Tech - Andrewism - Air Date 9-3-24
KP 4: This Moment in AI How We Got Here and Where Were Going - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 8-12-24
KP 5: Newsoms AI dilemma To sign or not to sign - POLITICO Tech - Air Date 9-6-24
KP 6: At Last Big Tech's Free Ride May Be Over - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 9-4-24
(1:00:18) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On a possible future for humanity
DEEPER DIVES
(1:07:35) SECTION A: THE THREAT
(1:20:31) SECTION B: BIG TECH LOBBYING
(1:39:26) SECTION C: REGULATION
(1:56:17) SECTION D: THINKING THROUGH SOLUTIONS
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Photo of a giant wall-sized screen displaying data numbers and a hand touching a finger to it.
Credit: “ai analyzing data” via mimpori01, Pixabay | Pixabay License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 9/10/2024
It's said that we live in a melting pot here in the United States. Perhaps it's more of a salad bar, who knows? In any case, there are a lot of people coming from a lot of different backgrounds, cultures, histories, and geographies all about to vote in a few weeks. Today, we try to understand, at least roughly, how people’s backgrounds influence their vote.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: The Gender Gap Is Widening In The 2024 Election - What A Day - Air Date 9-4-24
KP 4: What Will Black Male Voters Do In 2024? - AJ+ - Air Date 7-7-24
KP 6: How Michigan explains American politics - Vox - Air Date 1-11-24
(50:47) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the nature of demographic cohorts and the movement of the Democratic Party
DEEPER DIVES
(57:01) SECTION A: THE MIXED BAG
(1:28:15) SECTION B: LATINO AND BLACK VOTERS
(2:03:35) SECTION C: WHITE AND RURAL VOTERS
SHOW IMAGE
Description: A composite image showing red and blue silhouettes of men and women yelling at each other, two with megaphones. A faded diptych of V.P. Harris and D. Trump are in the background.
Credit: Composite Design: A. Hoffman.
Photo 1: “Kamala Harris” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, faded
Photo 2: “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, faded
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 9-8-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - labor unions fighting for time off when it's too hot - cooling tech - electric trains - and the corporations running our national parks into the ground
REFERENCES: Greek Unions Want Paid Time Off When It’s Too Hot to Work
To keep workers going in the heat, companies try fledgling cooling tech
Please Do Not Make Fun of My Neck Fan
Is the US finally getting all-aboard with electric trains?
Yosemite National Park Is a Mess
Aramark Stock Hits All-Time High Amid Triple-Digit Profit Growth
OpenAI won’t watermark ChatGPT text because its users could get caught
The Case for Public Rail Ownership
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Air Date 9/6/2024
We're living in the world that dark money in politics and Citizen's United built. But since that Supreme Court ruling in 2010, we've invented cryptocurrency that promises to be a brand new source of opacity and financial power built on smoke and mirrors.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: Steve Macek on Dark Money - CounterSpin - Air Date 8-23-24
KP 2: Why Big Money Supports Trump - Robert Reich - Air Date 8-27-24
KP 4: Silicon Valley's Impact on the 2024 Elections - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 7-31-24
KP 5: Dem Donors Want Harris To Bail On Biden's Best Decision - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-29-24
KP 8: We need to move to the public funding of elections - Bernie Sanders - Air Date 8-29-24
(49:16) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the changing sense of urgency to address money in politics
DEEPER DIVES
(52:47) SECTION A: THE SYSTEM
A1: Trump and the Billionaires Part 2 - The Socialist Program with Brian Becker - Air Date 7-16-24
A2: Steve Macek on Dark Money Part 2 - CounterSpin - Air Date 8-23-24
(1:10:02) SECTION B: FUNDING REPUBLICANS
(1:26:54) SECTION C: FUNDING DEMOCRATS
(1:34:05) SECTION D: SOLUTIONS
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS
Description: A composite image showing a Bitcoin in front of a pile of US cash, and a dark American flag in the background.
Credit: Composite Design: A. Hoffman. Photo 1: “Cash on table” via Pexels | License | Photo 2: American flag via Pixabay | License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Original Air Date: 10/16/2018
Today we take a look at the distant and recent history of conservatism in America and beyond and follow the steps that have led to their rejection of science at a moment in history when it has never been more critical to heed the warnings of scientists
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Corey Robin on the right from Burke to Trump - Jacobin Radio (@jacobinmag) - Air Date 12-3-17
Corey Robin on the Right from Burke to Trump. While most people on the Left fear and demonize the Right, they aren't interested in its ideas. Robin, however, takes them very seriously and analyzes their ideas for us.
The state of the conservative movement and where it goes from here.
Ch. 3: Kurt Andersen: How religion turned American politics against science - Big Think - Air Date 1-18-28
In the last 30 years, religion has radicalized American politics and seriously harmed the perception of science, says journalist and author Kurt Andersen. This can be directly tied to the rise of the Christian Right in the 20th century.
Ch. 4: The fall of family values - Past/Present - Air Date 6-25-18
Explaining how we came to the end of “family values” conservatism
Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment.
Yascha Mounk discusses how to cover the Trump presidency; the complicity of the Republican party; and the future of the right with proud conservative and staunch Never Trumper Jennifer Rubin.
Amy Goodman began by asking Noam Chomsky about the catastrophically destructive tendencies of the Republican Party.
Ch. 8: America: The Farewell Tour (with Guest Chris Hedges) - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 10-2-18
Chris Hedges on the erosion of democratic infrastructure, imperialist leanings, and the widening gap between the morbidly rich and the working class, a sign of America's farewell?
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 9-1-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The ever-stranger headlines about RFK Jr. ...and dead animals - The political philosophies and missteps behind unipolar, bipolar or multipolar world views - The dogmatic history of the American Communist Party - The deeper reasons having kids is on the decline - The impacts of our bizarre online world on kids and teens
REFERENCES: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Admits He Falls for Online Misinformation “All the Time”
RFK Jr. Whale-Beheading Story Gives RFK Jr. Bear-Murder Story a Run for Its Money
Environmental Group Wants Answers About RFK Jr. Chainsawing a Whale’s Head Off
RFK Jr. in Hot Water With Environmental Group Over That Wild Whale Story
As Eurasia Awakes Our World Will Shake
The “Multipolar World”: A Euphemism to Support Multiple Imperialisms
The Real Reason People Aren’t Having Kids
The Big Problem Faced by Teens Isn’t Caused by Phones. It’s Deeper.
What Tweens Get from Sephora and What They Get from Us
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Air Date 8/30/2024
Israel's assault on Gaza is fueled by pain, rage, trauma... a desire for safety, a desire for revenge, the hope for the safe return of hostages. It's a complicated mix of all of the above and more and it will be different for each person. However, there's also a deep well of denial and delusion about the decades-old status quo between Israel and Palestine that made the current conflict all but inevitable and the pursuit of genocide by some decision-makers in the Israeli government - as well as the support of the US government - possible.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: Substance vs Vibes in VP Kamala Harris' Gaza PR Reboot - Citations Needed - Air Date 8-2-24
KP 4: Torture Is Systemic in Israel's Prisons / Shai Parnes - This Is Hell! - Air Date 8-21-22
KP 5: EXPOSED- Netanyahu's Plan to Set World on Fire - Double Down News - Air Date 8-23-24
(50:37) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the deep denial at the heart of Zionism
My Father and the Withering of Liberal Zionism - New York Mag
DEEPER DIVES
(1:02:24) SECTION A - UNCOMMITTED
(1:28:38) SECTION B - TORTURE
(1:56:35) SECTION C - ARMS EMBARGO
(2:26:17) SECTION D - JOURNALISM
SHOW IMAGE
Description: A young woman in the middle of a protest in Washington, DC holds up a sign in front of her that says “End the Siege On Gaza Now”
Credit: “March on Washington for Gaza” https://www.flickr.com/photos/perspective/53463705757/ by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode.en | Changes: Cropped
Air Date 8/27/2024
People feel lots of ways about immigration. Sometimes it's fear of the other, other times it's not about the people but just dismay over a broken system. The validity of these concerns and others certainly exist on a spectrum, some are utter bullshit and others aren't. Left-wing political parties tend to do a terrible job creating immigration policy - in that they just don't do it at all - while the right wing is all too happy to create and implement terrible policy. And given a choice between action and inaction, regardless of how misguided the proposed action is, people with concerns will choose action.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: The UK's Far Right Riots - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 8-8-24
KP 2: Riots in the UK - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-7-24
KP 3: Introducing 'Battle of 187' week! - The Times Essential news from the L.A. Times - Air Date 7-19-21
KP 5: RNC & ”Migrant Crime”- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 7-25-24
(50:32) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the electoral politics of immigration policy
DEEPER DIVES
(58:41) SECTION A - THE UK RIOTS
(1:13:16) SECTION B - CA PROPOSITION 187
(1:26:59) SECTION C - TRUMP VS HARRIS
(1:49:23) SECTION D - MIGRANTS
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Two young women stand amidst a protest in London showing their signs to the camera that say "No human is illegal."
Credit: "No Human is Illegal" by Alisdare Hickson, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Air Date 8/23/2024
The vibes of this election are nothing anyone could have predicted a month ago. And yet, some of the details have played out as though by a script. Democrats drink hope like ambrosia from the gods; Trump, when confronted with reality initiates a full blown meltdown; and everyone is doing their best to ignore the genocide in Gaza being carried out with our weapons.
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KEY POINTS
KP 6: Democrats, Republicans, and the Meaning of Life - Steve Shives - Air Date 8-19-24
(48:45) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
on the vibes and archetypes of the election
Kamala Harris Is Providing a Very Specific Kind of Psychological Relief to America - Slate
Tim Walz is the dad that we lost - TikTok
DEEPER DIVES
(1:03:02) SECTION A - HARRIS'S POSITIVE VIBES
(1:33:14) SECTION B - GAZA WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN
(1:54:55) SECTION C - REALITY OVER VIBES
(2:25:41) SECTION D - TRUMP MELTDOWN
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Composite triptych graphic showing Kamala Harris smiling with her hands in the air at a podium, the flag of Palestine in vertical, and Trump in profile stepping off the stage with his head down.
Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Image 1: “Kamala Harris” by Marc Nozell, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped ; Image 3: “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Original Air Date: 8/23/2023
For decades, we have rightly been focused on dialing back endemic misogyny and poking holes in the patriarchy in the hopes of a new normal of gender relations emerging that would be genuinely healthier for everyone, not just women. But, with so much of the focus on the type of masculinity men and boys shouldn't embrace, we may have fallen short on giving positive direction to boys about what they should be and do.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Andrew Tate & Re-examining Masculinity - Long Story Short The Daily Show - Air Date 4-21-23
Jordan Klepper looks at Andrew Tate and breaks down how a void of role models has harmful consequences for young boys.
Ch. 2: The new crisis of masculinity - The Gray Area - Air Date 8-7-23
What does masculinity mean these days? Sean Illing speaks with Christine Emba, a columnist at The Washington Post who wrote the piece “Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness.”
Ch. 3: The New Masculinity - ON BOYS podcast - Air Date 4-27-23
Boys and men, Manley says, are caught between traditional definitions and understandings of masculinity, and a future definition that hasn’t been fully defined.
Host Roy Wood Jr. sits down with the co-founder of “A Call to Men,” Ted Bunch, and developmental psychology professor at NYU, Niobe Way, to chat about boys' friendships and how therapy could be transformative for a lot of men.
Ch. 5: What Does Positive Masculinity Look Like? - Paging Dr. NerdLove - Air Date 4-12-18
Toxic masculinity doesn’t mean that being a man is toxic, bad, or even undesirable. At the same time, non-toxic or positive masculinity doesn’t mean apologizing for being a man or trying to be as gender-neutral as possible.
Ch. 6: What is Positive Masculinity: How Patriarchy Oppresses Men - Swolesome - Air Date 12-2-22
Looking at what patriarchy teaches boys to do
Ch. 8: The New Masculinity Part 2 - ON BOYS podcast - Air Date 4-27-23
Ch. 9: Why Allan Energy Is The New “Big D_CK Energy” - Barbie Movie - Fashionistas - Air date 8-4-23
Examining positive masculinity through Allen from The Barbie Movie
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on why emotionally stunted men are a social, not individual, problem
Air Date: 8-19-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How we likely all have COVID and can't believe we did a Bonus Show - The bizarre ways AI is already part of our political systems - Strong feelings on AI-generated art in a hyper-capitalist world - The ups, downs and side effects of so-called AI friends - AI in our love lives (P.S. Audiophiles Beware: We had some technical difficulties, so this show may sound a little strange in spots.)
REFERENCES:
RFK Jr. Doubles Down on Dead Bear Cub With Bonkers Brag
The A.I. Influencer Ads Are Coming
There’s an AI Candidate Running for Parliament in the UK
An AI Bot Is (Sort of) Running for Mayor in Wyoming
OpenAI Imprisons AI That Was Running for Mayor in Wyoming
‘We have to adapt or die’: Daniel Bedingfield says AI is music’s future
Wear This AI Friend Around Your Neck
Can an AI friend make you less lonely?
What If Your AI Girlfriend Hated You?
Computer says yes: how AI is changing our romantic lives
In the Age of A.I., What Makes People Unique?
The Big AI Risk Not Enough People Are Seeing
Bonus: Opinion: The problem with calling Trump and Vance weird
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Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 8/17/2024
James Baldwin's 100th birthday passed by recently and we're using the occasion to draw on his moral clarity and eloquence while we assess the state of race in America
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: Celebrating James Baldwin's 100th Birthday - 1A - Air Date 7-30-24
KP 2: James Baldwin's Fire - Throughline - Air Date 9-17-20
KP 5: Truth, Privilege, and James Baldwin - Woke AF Daily - Air Date 10-3-23
KP 6: Celebrating James Baldwin's 100th Birthday Part 2 - 1A - Air Date 7-30-24
(49:08) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the need for national self-reflection
DEEPER DIVES
(56:50) SECTION A - BALDWIN THE WRITER
A2: Celebrating James Baldwin's 100th Birthday Part 3 - 1A - Air Date 7-30-24
(1:08:50) SECTION B - RACE IN AMERICA
(1:35:59) SECTION C - THE WHITE LIE
(2:00:40) SECTION D - GLOBAL CONNECTIONS
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Portrait of author and civil rights activist James Baldwin, an African American man, leaning against a tree with arms folded in a park and smiling, looking away from the camera.
Credit: “James Baldwin taken in Hyde Park London” by Allan Warren, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC BY-SA 3.0 | Changes: Cropped
Air Date 8/13/2024
Spirits among Kamala Harris supporters, Democrats, and anyone opposing Trumpism are at an all-time high right now. That's both fortuitous and crucial to the upcoming election. By the very nature of Trumpism, this election will be the most flagrantly contested in history with far more Trump loyalists in place ready to throw wrenches in the works wherever they can. Nothing short of overwhelming victory for the Harris/Waltz ticket is necessary to stave off constitutional crisis.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: How Trump (Allegedly) Tried to Steal the Election - LegalEagle - Air Date 8-12-23
KP 4: Why Millions Won't Be Able To Vote In 2024? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 8-8-24
KP 5: In The Hands Of The Voters with Marc Elias - Justice by Design - Air Date 8-2-24
KP 6: Resisting Minority Rule - Brennan Center for Justice - Air Date 5-30-24
(52:11) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the importance of happy warriors
DEEPER DIVES
(54:53) SECTION A - THE MECHANICS OF MINORITY RULE
(1:22:28) SECTION B - THE PROPONENTS OF MINORITY RULE
(1:44:21) SECTION C - THE HISTORY OF MINORITY RULE
(2:01:34) SECTION D - A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
(2:38:53) SECTION E - ACTIVISM
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A cardboard sign taped to a street poll shows an American flag image and a short arrow pointing toward it. Underneath is the word "VOTE".
Credit: "Vote!" by Kristin Ausk, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
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Air Date: 8-11-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: - Understanding the New Right - JD Vance's mangled metaphor - The best headline about RFK Jr. - Where the anti-trans movement has taken us - What Star War controversies through the years can teach us
REFERENCES: Watch: J.D. Vance Makes an Unfortunate Couch Joke at Nevada Rally
This Is Why J.D. Vance Hates “Childless Cat Ladies”
How JD Vance Thinks About Power
JD Vance Just Blurbed a Book Arguing That Progressives Are Subhuman
Read J.D. Vance’s Violent Foreword to Project 2025 Leader’s New Book
RFK Jr is an always sunny in Philadelphia character
The Insidious Scrutiny of Female Athletes’ Bodies
The misleading controversy over an Olympic women’s boxing match, briefly explained
The Right-Wing Campaign to Purge Women From Women’s Sports
This Olympics Moment Shows Where Anti-Trans Calls to “Protect Women” Have Brought Us
Every Star Wars Backlash I've Ever Seen Has Really Been About The Same Thing
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Original Air Date: 2/8/2019
Amid the ongoing fallout of a contested presidential election, we take a look back, briefly, at the last 100 years of Venezuelan history to understand how they went from oil riches and inequality to revolution and social progress only to run afoul of American imperialism
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 2: How Did Venezuela Go From So Rich To So Poor - The Inquiry - Air Date 5-10-17
Ch. 4: Is Donald Trump waging a coup in Venezuela? - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date 1-25-19
Ch. 9: Many Countries at UN Oppose Trump Interference in Venezuela - @TheRealNews - Air Date 1-29-19
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 8/6/2024
After the recent Supreme Court ruling that allowed governments to constitutionally purge unhoused people from public spaces, we are getting an immediate lesson in the difference between addressing systemic problems with solutions and using the police to clean up after governments that failed to act.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: Criminalizing homelessness - Today, Explained - Air Date 7-2-24
KP 2: Sotomayor TORCHES Oregon Town Trying To Ban Homeless People - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-23-24
KP 5: Myths about Homeless People with Dr. Margot Kushel - Factually! - Air Date 5-8-24
KP 6: White House takes new action to lower housing costs - Morning Joe - Air Date 7-16-24
(45:37) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the layers of problems and solutions for addressing homelessness
Article:
With Sacramento’s robust water infrastructure, why are homeless residents still dying of thirst?
DEEPER DIVES
(51:59) SECTION A - THE SUPREME COURT
(1:02:06) SECTION B - DEMONIZATION
(1:19:15) SECTION C - DIGITALIZATION OF RENTING
(1:33:27) SECTION D - SOLUTIONS
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A photograph of a group of multicolored camping tents on a plaza outside City Hall in Los Angeles.
Credit: "Unhoused in Los Angeles" by Ron Reiring, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date: 8-4-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The use of strategic ambiguity as a way to ensure everyone hears what they want to hear - How weird Republicans are now - How the joke about JD Vance having sex with a couch is viewed as plausible because his inability to deal with generational trauma has made him a bizarre person - How the right's bigotry runs so deep, they can't escape it even when they try their hardest - Seriously, the Trump era of the Republican Party is really weird!
REFERENCES: Those magic half-hours at Lozano Car Wash, where my dad was all mine
The Real Origin of Trump’s Hannibal Lecter Obsession The deeper you go, the less sense it makes.
J.D. Vance didn’t have sex with a couch. But he’s still extremely weird.
Critics Question JD Vance's 'Weird' Defense Of Wife Usha After White Supremacist Attacks
JD Vance's Response to White Supremacist Attacks on His Wife Seen as Lacking Strength and Conviction
J. D. Vance’s Sad, Strange Politics of Family
Trump: People who like family will support JD Vance
Trump faces backlash for ‘in four years, you don’t have to vote again’ remark
Trump asked to clarify his remarks about how Christians won't need to vote again
Dems Go All-In on Blasting Trump and MAGA as ‘Sick Freaks Who Everyone Hates’
How Trump and Vance went from a ‘threat to democracy’ to ‘weird’
Inside the “Big Weirdo” Political Strategy That Democrats Are Using to Taunt Republicans
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Air Date 8/2/2024
The Kamala Harris presidential campaign has been on a wild ride since it unexpectedly began less than two weeks ago. Record fund raising, organic enthusiasm not seen since Obama, and the ugly pushback to match.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: Political Plot Twists - Bad Queers - Air Date 7-29-24
KP 3: Israel Furious With Harris Over This Speech - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 7-28-24
KP 4: Share & Rizz & Tell with Mina Kimes and Dan Le Batard - PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT - Air Date 7-26-24
KP 5: Black Women Lead - Woke AF Daily - Air Date 7-24-24
(48:51) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the power of excitement
DEEPER DIVES
(56:51) SECTION A: MISOGYNOIR DEFINED
A1: Misogynoir by Dr. Moya Bailey #Jubilee21 - Black Feminist Future - Air Date 12-11-21
A2: Digital Misogynoir - The Anti-Dystopians - Air Date 9-8-23
(1:10:32) SECTION B: MISOGYNOIR IN ACTION
(1:41:14) SECTION C: TALK OF THE TOWN
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Vice President Kamala Harris stands on stage holding a microphone with one hand on her hip in front of the stars of the U.S. flag.
Credit: “Kamala Harris” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Slight crop
Air Date 7/30/2024
The Republican Party is making it sound like they're trying to transform themselves into the party of working people. There's a mountain of evidence suggesting that you shouldn't believe them but there's also plenty of reason to sit up and take notice of the situation.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: Trump, Vance, and the New Right at the RNC - Deconstructed - Air Date 7-19-24
KP 5: Why Hiking Tariffs Actually Protects Americans - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 5-14-24
(43:44) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the shifting political epoch toward pro-worker policies we're witnessing
Clip: Let's adopt the GOP's national platform - Jim Hightower - Air Date- 3-6-13
Article: Biden’s labor report card: Historian gives ‘Union Joe’ a higher grade than any president since FDR
DEEPER DIVES
(54:05) SECTION A: TEAMSTER SPEECH AND FALSE POPULISM
(1:17:09) SECTION B: PRO-WORKER LEGISLATION
(1:28:24) SECTION C: JD VANCE AND THE "CENTER" RIGHT
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: J.D. Vance scowls with his face in partial shadow while standing at a podium.
Credit: "J.D. Vance" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 7-29-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - All of our hope-y, fearful feelings about this political moment - The sexist, racist insults already being hurled at Harris - The perceived threat of a woman's laugh - Men's deep-seeded struggle with masculinity
REFERENCES: Trump campaign finally reveals why ex president continues to profess love for Hannibal Lecter in speeches
What people mean when they call Kamala Harris a ‘DEI candidate’
Kamala Harris and the Threat of a Woman’s Laugh
‘It is a train that is never late’: Trump, GOP escalate racist and predictable attacks on VP Harris
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Air Date 7/26/2024
It's clear where the vast majority of violent rhetoric is coming from in the country and it's clear which party is a cult of personality and which puts country before personal power. This is the state of play in our politics.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: Who Really is Stoking Violence in America? - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 7-15-24
KP 3: The Long Simmer of Political Violence in America - The Atlantic - Air Date 7-15-24
KP 5: Jon Stewart on Biden 2024: It Is What It Is? - The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart - Air Date 7-11-24
KP 6: You did it, Joe - Today, Explained - Air Date 7-22-24
(51:48) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On why it's OK to have a bit of hope even if it's uncomfortable
DEEPER DIVES
(57:02) SECTION A: BIDEN STEPS DOWN
A2: Fox News MELTS DOWN Over Kamala Harris - The Rational National - Air Date 7-22-24
(1:12:23) SECTION B: VIOLENCE AND VIOLENT RHETORIC
(1:21:33) SECTION C: THE RNC
(1:57:29) SECTION D: CONSPIRACY
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Composite image: In background, a photo from the RNC with image of Trump making a fist after the assassination attempt on every screen. In the foreground, Biden's letter telling America he is not running for reelection. Beside it, a photo of a smiling Vice President Kamala Harris.
Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Photo: "Kamala Harris" by Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped around subject
Original Air Date: 11/15/2022
Today, we take a look at our extremely steady history of political violence from the Revolution, through the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow, into the Civil Rights era, the Militia Movement and domestic terrorism, and now to our current once-again-radicalized, right-wing movement willing to use and tacitly condone violence as a political tactic.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Capitol Attack Wasn't the 1st Violent Incident in Congress - Inside Edition - Air Date 1-20-22
Ch. 2: A history of US political violence Part 1 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22
Ch. 4: Political Violence Is No Anomaly in American History - System Check - Air Date 1-8-21
Ch. 5: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22
Ch. 8: Paul Pelosi attacked with hammer in his home - ABC News - Air Date 10-29-22
Ch. 9: A history of US political violence Part 2 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22
Ch. 10: Political Violence - In the Thick - Air Date 11-4-22
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Show Image:
Description: A newspaper cartoon/drawing of Senator Sumner being beaten on the floor of the Senate with a cane by Sen. Preston Brooks in 1856.
Credit: “Southern Chivalry - Argument vs. Clubs” by J.L. Magee, 1856 | Public Domain
Air Date: 7-21-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin couldn't join us) discuss: - Deon's hatred of old people - How the media industry's failing state led to ineffective coverage of the Biden age story - Amanda's excellent sports analogy - The factors that have lead to America's worsening gerontocracy
REFERENCES: Did the media botch the Biden age story?
Jon Stewart Examines Biden’s Future Amidst Calls For Him to Drop Out | The Daily Show
Inside the Complicated Reality of Being America’s Oldest President
Biden, turning 80, faces renewed age questions as he weighs reelection
Our U.S. Gerontocracy Needs to Go (and Biden Isn’t Even the Worst)
Why American politicians are so old
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Air Date 7/20/2024
Extremism comes in many forms and we live in an era in which way too many of them are on display simultaneously, but it's not coincidence. The far right has been working toward an extremist Supreme Court for decades. Christian Nationalists have similarly been trying to impose their rigid view of far-right Christianity on the rest of us for a very long time. The far-right Heritage Foundation now deems this to be the time to attempt to radicalize the federal bureaucracy, and far-right calls for political violence and lax gun laws resulted in an environment where no one was really all that surprised about the assassination attempt against Donald Trump.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: Opinionpalooza The Supreme Court End-of-Term Breakfast Table - Amicus - Air Date 7-6-24
KP 3: Just Decide the EMTALA Case Already, You Cowards - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-27-24
KP 4: What is Project 2025 - Today, Explained - Air Date 7-11-24
KP 6: Republicans issue vile reaction to Trump shooting - No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 7-15-24
(57:30) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On what should come next for the Democrats
DEEPER DIVES
(1:05:02) SECTION A: SUPREME COURT
(1:51:47) SECTION B: PROJECT 2025
(2:07:10) SECTION C: POLITICAL VIOLENCE
(2:16:21) SECTION D: CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Composite. Photo of Trump giving a speech at a podium with the overlaid words "The Plot Against America" next to him against the black background.
Credit: Composite by A. Hoffman. Photo: "Donald Trump" by Matt Johnson, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, overlaid text added
Air Date 7/17/2024
Recent elections in the UK, France and Mexico spanned the spectrum from confirming inevitabilities to completely upending expectations but they each have lessons for politics in the US
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: The UK Election Results Explained - TLDR News - Air Date 7-5-24
KP 2: Shocking French election results- What you need to know - Zeteo - Air Date 7-8-24
KP 4: Labour Wins Massive Majority On Low Vote Share, Gaza Costs Starmer - Novara Media - Air Date 7-5-24
KP 5: France’s leftwing alliance beat the far right, but what now? - Today in Focus - Air Date 7-8-24
(1:00:32) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On how to react to the current political moment and all of the many moments to come
Article: The Democratic Party’s Strange Attraction to Defeatism
DEEPER DIVES
(1:10:16) SECTION A: FRANCE
(1:44:54) SECTION B: GREAT BRITAIN
(1:59:28) SECTION C: MEXICO
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Graphic of a partially transparent ballot box with the UK flag, the French flag and the Mexican flag visible in composite in the background.
Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Images from Pixabay.
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Air Date: 7-14-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin couldn't join us) discuss: - How we're feeling - The philosophy of liberal patriotism - The positive policies Democrats should be running on to inspire voters - The reckoning the current Democratic Party desperately needs
REFERENCES: Liberal Patriotism Is About More Than Flag-Waving
How to Beat Trump in a World of Unreason
Democrats don’t just need a new candidate. They need a reckoning.
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Air Date 7/12/2024
From solar scams to controversial congestion pricing and the smart grid that's needed to connect it all, we look at the messy and difficult path to a low-carbon future.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: When solar power leaves you feeling burned - Today, Explained - Air Date 1-2-24
KP 3: This is what's REALLY holding back wind and solar - DW Planet A - Air Date 6-2-23
KP 4: How to fix clean energy’s storage problem - VOX - Air Date 4-27-23
KP 6: The Lost Subways of North America - 99% Invisible - Air Date 5-21-24
KP 8: Comptroller on Congestion Pricing's Indefinite Pause - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 6-17-24
(54:25) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On how to make the case to Biden to step aside
DEEPER DIVES
(1:01:35) SECTION A: ENERGY POLICIES
(1:20:31) SECTION B: THE INTENTIONAL SOLAR SCAM
(1:36:14) SECTION C: PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a smoggy traffic jam on a highway, taken from the middle of the lane behind the cars. Cars' brake lights are visible.
Credit: “World Class Traffic Jam: Jersey Turnpike Version” by b k, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Slight crop
Original Air Date: 2/5/2019
Today we take a look at the history of FDR's "Four Freedoms" and "Economic Bill of Rights" that laid the groundwork for the fight for economic freedom for all that continues to this day.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Harvey Kaye, "The Fight for the Four Freedoms" - Book TV - Air Date 5-11-14
Harvey Kaye examines the progressivism of the Roosevelt-era and argues that a reminder of the "four freedoms" could address today's political and social issues.
Ch. 2: What Ted Cruz Doesn't Get About 'Freedom' - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 7-21-16
Thom talks about Ted Cruz's speech at the Republican Convention and compares his definition of 'freedom' with the way it was described by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Ch. 3: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 1 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18
F.D.R. recognized that the original bill of rights would not be enough to make all American’s truly free and proposed an economic bill of rights. Of the eight amendments he proposed in 1944, seven are still waiting to be implemented.
Ch. 4: Fighting for the Four Freedoms - @BillMoyersHQ And Company - Air Date 4-15-14
Historian Harvey J. Kaye talks about how FDR was able to mobilize Americans to create "the strongest and most prosperous country in human history."
Explaining that libertarian thinking doesn't incorporate the existence of economic coercion
Ch. 6: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 2 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18
Ch. 7: Bernie Sanders & FDR's Second Bill of Rights - Berniementum - Air Date 8-12-15
President FDR's Second Bill of Rights speech - January 11, 1944 Sen. Bernie Sanders speech at the National Press Club - Mar. 9, 2015 Music - "There is Romance" by Imcompetech
University of Wisconsin Professor Harvey J Kaye author of Fight for the Four Freedoms: What Made FDR and the Greatest Generation Truly Great, explains Ronald Reagan and the great pushback against a progressive America
Ch. 9: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 3 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18
Air Date: 7-7-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Some stuff that we planned and A LOT more that we did not.
REFERENCES: The Cause That Turned Idealists Into Authoritarian Zealots
The Baffling Disaster Unfolding at the Washington Post
The Democratic Governor Whose Message Can’t Be Beat
Best of the Left #1247 The Fight for the Four Freedoms (FDR vs. Libertarianism)
The Fight for the Four Freedoms
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Air Date 7/5/2024
China is an undeniable force in the world relating to several major political issues and to address their influence without a deep understanding of the history, context, and current dynamics would be to invite 100 years of humiliation.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: Joe Biden's Radical Worldview - More Perfect Union - Air Date 6-27-24
KP 2: Why China Doesn't Identify with the West, Explained - Siming Lan - Air Date 9-23-22
KP 3: Has China's Belt and Road Initiative been a success? - Financial Times - Air Date 10-30-23
KP 4: Why China Isn't the Problem - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 5-5-23
KP 6: Why China's Economy is Finally Slowing Down - Wendover - Air Date 3-21-24
KP 7: Our New Global Economy - Johnny Harris - Air Date 12-20-23
(1:04:13) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On how Joe Biden can become a hero in the wake of his debate with Trump
DEEPER DIVES
(1:12:51) SECTION A: CHINA'S ECONOMIC FOREIGN POLICY
A2: Has Africa gained from China's infrastructure plans? - Focus on Africa - Air Date 10-20-23
(1:37:10) SECTION B: THE EV WARS
(1:59:44) SECTION C: TECH AND SPACE RACE
(2:14:44) SECTION D: ESCALATING TENSIONS
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: An illustration of a darkened, draped Chinese flag, with its 5-star pattern, close up.
Credit: "China flag" by The Digital Artist, Pixabay | Pixabay License |Changes: Added dark overlay
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.
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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.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: EU Border Enforcement, Part 1 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 6-4-24
KP 3: Migrants & Refugees, the Pope & Volkswagen - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 5-26-24
KP 6: EU Border Enforcement, Part 2 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 6-5-24
(52:45) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On our summer membership drive
DEEPER DIVES
(57:32) SECTION A: POLITICIZATION OF THE BORDER
(1:19:47) SECTION B: BRUTAL BORDER ENFORCEMENT
(1:36:40) SECTION C: BORDER INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
(1:48:14) SECTION D: MIGRANT STORIES
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Composite graphic showing a deep blue ocean with the gold stars of the EU flag. On the horizon, a faded US flag is behind concertina wire fencing. In the center, a long boat full of refugees floats on the water.
Credit: Composite Design by A. Hoffman. | Composite imagery via Pixabay | Photo: “P52 Migrants 19 July 2015 03” by Oglaigh na hEireann, Flickr. License: CC BY 2.0 Changes: Cropped and reduced opacity
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 about longterm repercussions of technology before we put something into use
REFERENCES: What Is 'Torment Nexus?' The 'Man-Made Horrors' Trope Explained
Author of cautionary tale about Torment Nexus creates tech company to build Torment Nexus
‘Snow Crash’ Author Neal Stephenson Is Building a ‘Free Metaverse’ Called Lamina1
The Age of the Drone Police Is Here
Watch a swarm of cyborg cockroaches controlled by computers
Are We Doomed? Here’s How to Think About It
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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.
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KEY POINTS
1: We’re already using AI more than we realize - Vox - Air Date 2-28-24
2: AI is a Lie. - Linus Tech Tips - Air Date 6-13-24
3: What Is an AI Anyway? | Mustafa Suleyman - TED - Air Date 4-22-24
5: How Much AI Regulation Is The Right Amount? - FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast - Air Date 6-13-24
8: Big Tech AI Is A Lie - Tina Huang - Air Date 4-30-24
(1:07:12) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the nature of misalignment between AI and human wellbeing
Article: This article is OpenAI training data
DEEPER DIVES
(1:16:18) SECTION A: MORE CURRENT USES OF AI
(1:44:54) SECTION B: POTENTIAL USES OF AI AND THE ETHICS WE NEED TO CONSIDER
(2:08:00) SECTION C: REGULATING AI
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Graphic showing a human hand and a digital pixilated hand reaching out toward each other with arching digital lines coming from the center of each hand.
Credit: “Digitization Particles Hand” via geralt, Pixabay | Pixabay License | Changes: Expanded
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.
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SHOW NOTES
Donald Trump has ramped up his violent rhetoric in recent weeks. Meanwhile, a Fox host has urged the U.S. towards civil war and claimed that voting does not work.
Pat Buchanan was ahead of his time. He used the KKK’s David Duke to breed a new nativist religious nationalism, based on fear of liberalization. On this show, political science professor Joseph Lowndes sheds light on how the Republican Party got here
Emma hosts John S. Huntington, professor of history at Houston Community College, to discuss his recent book Far-Right Vanguard: The Radical Roots of Modern Conservatism.
Ch. 4: How Often Do YOU Think About the Roman Empire? - Wisecrack - Air Date 10-16-23
The real reason TikTok is crazy for ancient Rome If you’re even a little bit online, you know that the men love ancient Rome. This isn’t new: The civilization has loomed large in the Western imagination ever since its catastrophic collapse.
Ch. 5: The Conservative Plan to Take Over the Country Part 1 - Leeja Miller - Air Date 9-26-23
Project 2025 is the terrifying plan set out by conservatives to take over the government. But it's radical, and it doesn't align with what most Americans want. Which is why we have to make sure this plan never happens.
A Trump supporter just displayed exactly how stochastic terrorism works.
Ch. 7: The Conservative Plan to Take Over the Country Part 2 - Leeja Miller - Air Date 9-26-23
Ch. 8: Think Tanks: How Fake Experts Shape the News - Tom Nicholas - Air Date 5-13-23
A video about how billionaire-funded right-wing “think tanks” such as the Heritage Foundation, Adam Smith Institute, Manhattan Institute, and Institute of Economic Affairs manipulate the news to spread their propaganda
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?
'Gus Plus Us' Offers a Glimpse of Texas Filmmaking’s Conservative Future
'She Is the Icon of All That Is Joyful in the World
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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.
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KEY POINTS
KP 2: Europe Slides to the Right Unpacking the EU Parliamentary elections. - UNFTR - Air Date 6-15-24
KP 3: How the EU Parliament Voted This Year - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 6-12-24
KP 4: Does the economy matter to the far right? - Business Beyond - Air Date 5-31-24
KP 6: What is behind the rise of the far-right in Europe - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 6-11-24
KP 7: Far Right Surges in European Elections - Pod Save The World - Air Date 6-12-24
(49:23) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the snowball effect of factors leading to a rightward shift in politics
DEEPER DIVES
(56:56) SECTION A: THE EU STRUCTURE AND ELECTION RESULTS
(1:05:58) SECTION B: IMMIGRATION AND THE CULTURE WAR
(1:24:12) SECTION C: THE PLAYBOOK AND MESSAGING OF THE FAR RIGHT
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of European Parliament off-center, shifted right.
Credit: “European Parliament Strasbourg Hemicycle” by Diliff, Wikimedia | License: CC BY-SA 3.0 | Cropped
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.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 2: Why Wyoming Has More Power Than California in the Senate - AJ+ - Air Date 10-14-20
Ch. 5: Andrew Perez on the Filibuster - CounterSpin - Air Date 6-18-21
Ch. 6: A To-Do List for Senate Democrats - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 7-17-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on public policy, human nature and Cold War talking points
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
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
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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.
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KEY POINTS
1: Opinionpalooza A Bad June Rising At SCOTUS Part 1 - Amicus
2: How The Mifepristone Case Reached SCOTUS - Amicus
3: Way Too Close Insane SCOTUS Case Could've Sunk The Country w Mark Joseph Stern - The Majority Report
4: Fact-Checking the Supreme Court - 99% Invisible
5: The IVF Decision We Should Have Seen Coming - Amicus
6: SCOTUS Flag Neighbor Exposes Alito’s BS Story- The Majority Report
7: Delegitimize The Court - Contempt of Court
(1:03:35) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On some of Alito's finer absurdity
Articles:
Alito says the Supreme Court’s fake ethics code allows him to be unethical
The Republican Party's man inside the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court's new voting rights decision is a love letter to gerrymandering
DEEPER DIVES
(1:14:19) SECTION A: DO FACTS MATTER?
(1:45:47) SECTION B: POLICING MEDICAL CARE
(2:15:48) SECTION C: THE REPUBLICAN COURT WE’VE ALL WAITED FOR
(2:42:24) SECTION D: SCOTUS IS A FLAWED SYSTEM
Description: Photo of the U.S. Supreme Court building with an ominous red filter. An image of golden, uneven scales of justice sits on top.
Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. / Photo: “The Supreme Court” by Glenn Beltz, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Overlaid with red and imagery as part of composite. / Illustration: “Uneven scales of justice” via TheDigitalArtist, Pixabay.
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.
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KEY POINTS
1: Why and Where is Democracy in Decline? - TLDR News
2: Is Democracy Under Threat? - Tufts University
3: The decline of American democracy won't be televised - Vox
4: How Republicans are fueling Russia and China_s global effort to undermine democracy - Velshi
5: How Republican Attorneys General are Undermining Voting Rights - Democracy Docket
6: Democracy vs. Autocracy: An Unproductive Dichotomy - Marxist Project
8: Protecting Voting Rights with Eric Holder - Why Is This Happening?
10: "The President of Forgetting" - Dastardly Cleverness in the Service of Good
(1:03:29) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Those who defend authoritarians against criticism during D-Day commemoration
Conservatives Angry at Biden’s Anti-Nazi D-Day Speech
DEEPER DIVES
(1:09:52) SECTION A: DISSECTION OF DEMOCRACY
(1:31:56) SECTION B: INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRACY
(2:09:54) SECTION C: THE CULT OF TRUMP
(2:36:47) SECTION D: DEMOCRACY IN ACTION
IMAGE:
Description: Black and white photo of a person holding a homemade sign that says “Fighting for Democracy”
Credit: “For Democracy” by Alisdare Hickson, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Change: Cropped
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 as the emergency it is - the difference between symbolic beliefs vs factual beliefs
REFERENCES: Why Americans Hate the Media
The Media Still Doesn’t Grasp the Danger of Trump
Don’t Believe What They’re Telling You About Misinformation
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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.
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KEY POINTS
1: Abortion and Reproductive Rights - Lectures in History
2: Abortion and the erosion of privacy - The Weeds
3: Digital surveillance and reproductive rights - Technically Optimistic
4: Anti-abortion hardliners want restrictions to go farther. It could cost Republicans - Consider This
5: Abortion and Reproductive Rights Part 2 - Lectures in History
6: Rakeen Mabud on Greedflation, Rachel K. Jones on Mifepristone - CounterSpin
7: Abortion and the erosion of privacy Part 2 - The Weeds
8: Digital surveillance and reproductive rights Part 2 - Technically Optimistic
(57:00) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the abuse produced by abortion restrictions
DEEPER DIVES
(1:02:40) SECTION A: CRIMINALIZING ABORTION
(1:21:07) SECTION B: ABORTION EXTREMISM OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
(1:36:40) SECTION C: ABORTION IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM
(1:53:45) SECTION D: WHAT IS THERE TO DO?
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A person dressed in a red cape and white conical bonnet with a red sash over their nose and mouth (referencing the Handmaid's Tale) stands outside the U.S. Supreme Court at dusk holding a cardboard sign with the words "This is NOT fiction."
Credit: Photo by Tyler Merbler, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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.
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KEY POINTS
KP 1: Pay for Play Part 1 - University of Iowa
KP 3: Pay for Play Part 2 - University of Iowa
KP 4: Sports Media has changed forever. - Brett Kollmann
KP 6: Report Finds That Sports Owners Use Their Teams To Avoid Millions In Taxes - MSNBC Reports
KP 7: The Sports Stadium Scam - Robert Reich
KP 8: The gambling problem in sports - The Current
(1:01:43) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the value of sports to building community
DEEPER DIVES
(1:06:18) SECTION A: PAY FOR PLAY
A1: Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger: What NCAA Suit Settlement Means for Paying Players - The Rich Eisen Show
A2: "Amateurism Is Dead" - The Rich Eisen Show
A3: Pay for Play Part 3 - University of Iowa
(1:23:57) SECTION B: STADIUMS, OUR GREAT FOLLY
(1:40:18) SECTION C: SPORTS JOURNALISM
(1:59:15) SECTION D: SPORTS GAMBLING
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A grocery store display of Coca-Cola soft drinks stacked in the shape of a basketball and “NCAA!”.
Credit: “Coca Cola NCAA Cases Display” by Mike Mozart, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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
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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 Korea Has a Warning About Donald Trump’s Trial
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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
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Show NotesAct 3: Breaking News Consumer's Handbook: U.S. Storm Edition - On The Media - Air Date 9-1-17
Act 5: Preventing future floods with data and regulation - @DecodeDC - Air Date: 09-14-2017
Act 6: The Human Causes of Natural Disasters - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 12-8-16
(Music from Blue Dot Sessions)
EDUCATE YOURSELF:
We will not be silenced. Stand up for a strong NEPA! (Earth Justice)
Trump CEQ rolls out plans for swift NEPA reviews (Governors' Wind & Solar Energy Coalition)
US people of color still more likely to be exposed to pollution than white people (The Guardian)
Christine Todd Whitman: How Not to Run the E.P.A. (New York Times)
Boston Communities Unite to Democratize Their Economy (Next City)
Written by BOTL Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman
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.
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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 | The Class Room ft. Second Thought
3: Google's Sundar Pichai on AI-powered search and the future of the web
4: Elon's Reputation is Hurting Tesla
5: Crypto’s crown prince in court
6: The Entire OpenAI Chaos Explained
7: Scarlett Johansson's Open AI voice fight shows the need for consent in tech
8: Fascism and the Failure of Imagination
1:03:38 NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the misplaced excitement in private corporations pushing big technological advancements
1:09:33 DEEPER DIVE A: THAT WORD YOU KEEP USING…
1:36:58 B: SiliCON VALLEY, emphasis on the CON
1:53:05 C: MICROSOFT THE DESTROYER
2:10:35 D: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Composite image where the faces of Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Elon Musk are seen through an overlay of stock prices and a growth chart arrow.
Credits: Composite by A. Hoffman. Photos: 1) "Open AI co-founder & CEO Sam Altman" by TechCrunch, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 ; 2) "Peter Thiel" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 ; 3) "Sam Bankman-Fried" by Cointelegraph, Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 3.0 ; 4) "Elon Musk Presenting Tesla's Fully Autonomous Future" by Steve Jurvetson, Wikimedia Commons | CC BY 2.0
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
REFERENCES: WELCOME TO PRICING HELL
The Gap Between the Price You See and What You Pay Is Getting Worse
Welcome to the Golden Age of User Hostility
Bought a Model Y? Tesla may charge you to use the battery’s full range
Corporate America Knows We’re Miserable. Is a Toilet Bomb the Answer?
Billy Bragg - Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted
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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
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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
KP 5: Body Neutrality - What The Actual Fork Podcast - Air Date 8-11-23
KP 7: What Ozempic can't fix - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-26-34
(56:10) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the metaphor of the new show format
(1:01:22) DEEPER DIVE A: BUSINESS OF DESIRE
A1: Examining America's Unhealthy Obsession... Part 2
A2: The Ozempic economy Part 2
(1:20:48) DEEPER DIVE B: BIAS AND RISK
B1: What Ozempic can't fix Part 2
B3: What Ozempic can't fix Part 3
(1:31:00) DEEPER DIVE C: BODY NEUTRALITY
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Overhead photo of a bunch of Ozempic pens in a plastic pharmacy basket.
Credit: "Bundle of Ozempic Pens" by Chemist4U, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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.
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FRONTPAGE
FP 1: US Leads Global Arms Sales - American Prestige - Air Date 3-15-24
FP 2: How Washington Plays Matchmaker For The US Gun Industry Part 1 - Big Take - Air Date 10-30-23
FP 3: Can a lawsuit stop Mexico’s ‘iron river’ of guns? - The Take - Air Date 8-13-21
(1:02:19) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the problems with looking for good or bad intentions
(1:08:24) SECTION A:
A1: Inside Biden's Secret Arms Deal - Deconstructed - Air Date 9-22-23
(1:30:10) SECTION B:
B1: Can Mexico win... Part 2 - The Inquiry - Air Date 3-7-24
(1:42:43) SECTION C:
C1: Why America's police look like soldiers - Vox - Air Date 6-25-20
C2: Why US gun laws get looser after mass shootings - Vox - Air Date 7-28-22
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A square version of the American flag with silhouettes of guns and bombs in place of white stars. Three bombs are falling from the pattern across the red and white stripes.
Credit: Pixabay image modified by A.Hoffman
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
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
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Is Marijuana Harmful to Health? - Healthcare Triage (@HCTriage) - Air Date: 04-19-14
Ch. 2: Man Gets 13 Years in Prison for 2 Joints Worth of Pot - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 03-13-15
Ch. 3: Legalized Marijuana = Millions For Public Schools In Colorado - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 03-16-15
Ch. 6: Rand Paul & Others Introduce National Medical Marijuana Bill - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 03-11-15
Ch. 7: Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders Talk Drugs - Majority Report (@majorityfm) - Air Date: 06-01-15
Ch. 8: Marijuana Shows Medical Value, Feds Don't Give A Sh*t - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 04-12-15
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 5-16-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How mega drive-throughs are ruining American towns and cities - Why giant car washes are popping up across the country and what we could have instead - How Tokyo's beautiful public toilets are an inspiration - The impact boring and ugly buildings are having on our mental health
REFERENCES: RFK Jr. revealed he had a parasitic brain worm. Here’s what to know.
Social Media is Not What Killed the Web
Mega drive-throughs explain everything wrong with American cities
Car Washes are proliferating across the U.S. Here’s why
Why are they building so many car washes? And storage facilities?
Tokyo’s Public Toilets Will Leave New Yorkers Sobbing
The Global Danger of Boring Buildings
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Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 5/15/2024
In an age of cultish in-group/out-group politics and media, we seek to find messaging for progressive partisans to achieve electoral success
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FRONTPAGE
FP 1: Everything's a cult now - The Gray Area
FP 2: Examining how U.S. politics became intertwined with personal identity - PBS NewsHour
FP 3: Jason Stanley on the Politics of Language - Amanpour and Company
FP 4: A Conversation About How Dems Can Win in November with Rachel Bitecofer - Deep State Radio
FP 5: Employ Negative Partisanship w. Rachel Bitecofer - Future Hindsight
FP 6: Everything's ... Part 2
FP 7: Hit 'Em Where It Hurts ... Part 2
FP 8: Employ Negative ... Part 2
(59:24) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
On the importance of finding common-but-adaptable messaging
(1:02:14) SECTION A: IDENTITY
A2: Examining how U.S. ... Part 2
(1:10:14) SECTION B: POLITICAL RHETORIC
B1: 'Hit 'Em Where It Hurts' urges Dems to go on attack - Morning Joe
B2: 'Our message resonated with voters' - Morning Joe
B3: Watch VP Harris slams Trump over abortion access - MSNBC
(1:26:17) SECTION C: MESSAGING
C2: Republican Policies VERY Unpopular With Voters - The Majority Report
C4: Employ Negative ... Part 3
(1:50:33) SECTION D: INDEPENDENTS
Air Date 5/11/2024
The effort to turn theory into practice that will open up new ways of thinking about antitrust lawsuits attempting to rein in big tech and other mega-corporations, which are operating in a new phase of capitalism.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: FTC Chair Lina Khan on Antitrust in the age of Amazon - Planet Money - Air Date 11-3-23
On today's show, a conversation with FTC Chair Lina Khan on what it's like to try to turn audacious theory into bureaucratic practice, the FTC's new lawsuit against Amazon, and what it all means for business as usual.
Ch. 2: Apple's Antitrust Problem - Professor Talha Syed - The BTLJ Podcast - Air Date 3-10-24
Professor Syed reveals his thoughts and assessment of the new Brandeis movement, headed by Lina Khan and Jonathan Kanter of the FTC and DOJ.
Ch. 3: FTC Chair Lina Khan on Antitrust in the age of Amazon Part 2 - Planet Money - Air Date 11-3-23
Ch. 4: How to Fight Monopoly Power with FTC Chair Lina Khan - Factually! - Air Date 11-8-23
Lina Khan, appointed chair of the Federal Trade Commission by President Biden, has become the foremost voice of this movement and has engaged in high-profile battles to reshape how America deals with monopolies.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Real Estate Fees Crushed By Anti-Trust w David Dayen - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-26-24
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the new show format tried out in the campus protesters episode as well as a retraction
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A court document with “Antitrust” at the top sits on a desk with a gavel and block on top.
Credit: “Antitrust” by Nick Youngson via Pix4free | License: CC BY-SA 3.0 | Changes: Added solid background
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 5/7/2024
Civil resistance on campuses across the country against Israeli genocide in Gaza calling for cease fire and divestment, university administrations up to the Biden administration respond, often with overwhelming violence and claims of antisemitism.
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FRONTPAGE
FP 1: The US college protests... - Today in Focus - Air Date 4-25-24
FP 2: Behind Columbia... - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 4-24-24
(47:13) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
(50:54) SECTION A: POLICE RESPONSES
A1: Atlanta Police Violently Arrest Emory... - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-26-24
A2: Juan González, Veteran of '68 Columbia Strike... - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-1-24
(1:06:59) SECTION B: INSIDE THE PROTESTS
B1: Pro-Israel THUGS Attack... - Owen Jones - Air Date 5-1-24
B2: Live from the Encampments - CODEPINK Radio - Air Date 5-1-24
(1:34:52) SECTION C: BIDEN'S POLITICS AND ACCUSATIONS OF ANTISEMITISM
C1: Nicholas Kristof ... Part 2 - Brian Lehrer - Air Date 4-26-24
C2: Manufactured Panic Over Peaceful... - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-23-24
(1:57:05) SECTION D: UNIVERSITY ADMINS AND ENDOWMENTS
D1: Why Colleges Have No Idea... - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 4-23-24
D2: Columbia University President ... - The Bitchuation Room - Air Date 4-27-24
(2:37:42) SECTION E: MEDIA CRITICISM
IMAGE
Description: A photo of a lawn in front of a university building at Vassar College showing students standing near tents, a sign that reads "Liberation," and a Palestinian flag along a walkway.
Credit: "Liberation Lawn at Vassar College (cropped)" by Found5dollar, Wikimedia | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped
Air Date: 5-5-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Jerry Seinfeld blaming the "extreme left" and "PC culture" for the death of sitcoms - how Poe's Law (and the Amanda Principle) makes creating and identifying satire difficult - how TV shows trying to satirize the left for the left struggle to land the jokes
Jerry Seinfeld Is a Lazy Hack Out of Touch with the Real World—And Who Can Blame Him?
‘In the Know’ Showrunners Unpack Its Loving Evisceration of Public Radio, Progressive Politics
Zach Woods, NPR Fan, Reads NPR Fans for Filth
Exclusive: In the Know's Zach Woods and Brandon Gardner on Satirizing Liberals with Mike Judge
The Cleaner - S2 E5 The Statue (Acorn)
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Air Date 5/3/2024
A look back at previous coverage of criminalizing protests, weaponizing civility, and violent responses to peaceful dissent.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Problem with Civility - On the Media - Air Date 6-30-18
Ch. 2: Criminalizing Protest - @USNewsBeat - Air Date 6-14-18
Ch. 3: Civility as a cudgel - Trumpcast - Air Date 6-30-18
Ch. 4: Protests Sweep Across America and Beyond Part 2 - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-9-20
Ch. 6: Anti-Protest Bills Popping Up Everywhere - David Pakman Show - Air Date 8-19-20
Ch. 7: Elly Page on Anti-Protest Bills - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-23-21
Ch. 8: Not Ready For That Conversation - On The Media - Air Date 4-23-21
Ch. 9: GOP States Are Pushing for Stricter Penalties for Protesters - The Takeaway - Air Date 4-27-21
Ch. 10: How Corporate Media Protects Violent Cops - Carlos Maza - Air Date 6-4-20
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 5/1/2024
The past, present, and future of tackling the uselessness of extreme wealth by exposing and closing tax avoidance loopholes and pushing for a culture change to embrace the need for a more equal society.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: What Happens When You Tax Billionaires at 90 Percent? - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 6-3-23
We did it before, and the result was the creation of the world’s first and largest middle class and a level of peace and prosperity that held its own until Ronald Reagan took a meat-axe to it…
If you think school teachers shouldn't pay a higher tax rate than billionaires, join us to learn how you can join in on the fight to #TaxBillionaires!
Ch. 3: Wealth Tax Part 1 - Pullback - Air Date 4-11-23
Should we be taxing Scrooge-McDuck wealth? Can we? We talk with friend of the pod Fariya Mohiuddin, a Senior Program Officer with the International Budget Partnership's Tax Equity Program, and our favourite tax justice researcher and activist.
If you're serious about alleviating poverty, as most liberals claim to be, should there be a cap on how wealthy one person can be?
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on anger and irrationality in war and politics
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A protester holds a sign that says “Tax the Rich”
Credit: “We have a right to the city. Tax the rich.” by dignidadrebelde, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 4-29-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - how the film 'Civil War' intentionally avoids any specifics about the "why", and in doing so becomes a perfect encapsulation of the Amanda Principle™
- how "the view from nowhere" journalism is supposed to be straight down the middle and fact-based, but is actually rife with bias and ends up representing the dominant culture - that America and its culture has been steeped in war and violence since it's inception - the similarities between modern America and Germany in 1933
REFERENCES: Americans Have Enjoyed Imagining Civil War for a Long, Long Time
How to Both-Sides a “Civil War”
Alex Garland's Civil War Plays Both Sides
Opinion: Is the US on the brink of another civil war?
‘Civil War’ and the Dangerous Myth of ‘Unbiased’ Journalism
America Isn’t Nazi Germany, but It Looks a Little Like 1933
Modern Mathematics Confronts Its White, Patriarchal Past
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Original Air Date 9/14/2022
Today, we take a look at the history and hysteria behind debt and debt forgiveness while Biden is canceling student debt and opponents of the idea are reacting in the most predictable way possible because they misunderstand the relationship between debt and morality.
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SHOW NOTES
We speak to Astra Taylor, writer, filmmaker, and co-director of the Debt Collective, a union for debtors and one of the original advocates for a debt jubilee that would cancel all student debt.
Ch. 2: Freedom Dreams: Black Women and the Student Debt Crisis - The Intercept - Air Date 8-22-22
The Intercept’s new documentary, “Freedom Dreams: Black Women and the Student Debt Crisis,” profiles Black women educators and activists struggling under the weight of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, in student loan debt.
Ch. 3: Hidden History of Student Debt - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 8-25-22
Many woke up to find news that $10k of their student debt would be forgiven, Thom Hartmann and Jefferson Smith break down what this means and what happens next.
Max breaks down the politics, the details, and biggest misses of the Biden student debt relief plan and why it’s in danger of being PITOTWIU
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on morality and money
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A dark gray, 3D image of the word "DEBT" sits in a white void, a connected chain and open shackle with an open padlock lie in front of it.
Credit: "3D Shackled Debt" by Chris Potter, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Enlarged with more white background
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 4/24/2024
Only by understanding the past can we understand the present and the histories of Cuba and Haiti have very stark lessons to impart about the cruelty of the Cuba embargo, the repercussions of imperial exploitation, and the dangers that arise amid dysfunctional democracy.
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SHOW NOTES
Musa Springer, Erica Caines, & Onyesonwu Chatoyer from Hood Communist discuss their participation in The Second International Meeting of Theoretical Publications of Left Parties and Movements and discuss history and present events playing out in Haiti.
Ryan Grim delves into the complexities of Cuba’s current economic crisis with Andrés Pertierra, a historian of Latin America and the Caribbean.
"The root of this crisis is not last week, it's not this week, it's not even Ariel Henry. But we have to go back to 2004 with the coup-d'état," says Pierre.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the dangers of unrepresentative, unresponsive government
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a protester in 2007 holding a large cloth sign that says “Solidarity…Haiti YES! Occupation NO. Canada-US-U.N. OUT of Haiti”
Credit: “Solidarity - Haiti Yes - Occupation No” by Robert Thivierge, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date: 4-22-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How Israeli citizens and government officials use of the US's settler-colonialist past, westward expansion, and religious fundamentalism to justify their own settler expansion - How the members of the extreme right are put in positions of power within the Israeli government, which is then used to validate the settler's actions - The role racist propaganda and intergenerational trauma play in convincing Israelis of the righteousness of their settler-colonialist actions - The societal dangers of living in an ethnostate combined with feeling of specialness that comes from generations of victimhood
REFERENCES: The Israeli Settlers Attacking Their Palestinian Neighbors
The grandmother who wants to lead Israelis back to a Gaza without Palestinians
A debate over Israel-Palestine curriculum flares at Berkeley schools
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Air Date 4/20/2024
Old habits die hard and the American establishment's unquestioning support for Israel is a very old habit indeed. Israel's government drifts farther and farther to the right, culminating in a genocidal push into Gaza. Meanwhile, President Biden, standard-bearer of the old establishment, seems destined to be the very last Democrat to see the need for a change.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Jon Stewart Interrogates America's Support of Israel - The Daily Show - Air Date 4-8-24
Jon Stewart checks in on the war in Gaza and interrogates how America's purported values stack up against its support of Israel. Plus, Ronny Chieng and Grace Kuhlenschmidt report from the eclipse's path of totality with startling different reports.
Roth tells host Steve Clemons that US President Joe Biden is engaging in “cynical” election politics by refusing to enforce the UN resolution calling for a ceasefire, or the World Court ruling ordering Israel to allow more food into Gaza
In this video, we’ll look at comments from both Youssef and Stewart, examples of “performative” outrage from politicians, and demands from voters that the Democratic Party and Joe Biden are refusing to meet.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the words we've heard and the actions we've seen from Israel's government
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a protest outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC in honor of Airman Aaron Bushnell’s self-sacrifice. Protestors kneel behind a banner that says “Stop U.S. Support of Genocide.”
Credit: “50.Gather.AaronBushnellVigil.WDC.26February2024” by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date: 4-18-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - how a tech start-up is trying to sell a shortcut to bliss - the world of drug-free psychedelic experiences - the capitalists trying to solve the loneliness epidemic
REFERENCES: The Meditation Start-Up That’s Selling Bliss on Demand
What’s it like to take a $249 drug-free psychedelic trip? We found out
Can You Solve Loneliness? These Startups Are Betting On It.
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Original Air Date 2/12/2019
Today we take a look at both the BDS movement and the backlash response to it resulting in firings and legislation in many states (and pending federally) to restrict employment and business opportunities from those who fail to pledge in writing to not support of the boycott of Israel
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Explaining BDS - The Katie Halper Show - Air Date 10-11-17
We speak to art critic and writer Kareem Estefan, co-editor of “Assuming Boycott: Resistance, Agency, and Cultural Production,” about Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS)
Legendary activist and scholar Angela Davis speaks out after the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute rescinded a human rights award for her, reportedly due to her activism for Palestinian rights.
Ali Abunimah discusses a leaked report from Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), a front for Israel government-backed lobby group StandWithUs, which admits the cultural boycott is "constantly growing" and "innovative."
Ch. 4: Josh Ruebner on BDS Bans - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 1-31-19
We’ll hear about so-called “anti-BDS” laws, and their context, from Josh Ruebner, policy director at the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights.
Ch. 5: Senators Sneak Amendment to Make Israel Boycott Illegal - @TheRealNews - Air Date 12-19-18
While Senators Cardin and Portman are trying to sneak a last-minute amendment into the budget bill to make BDS illegal - violating free speech - 26 states are also moving to make boycotts of Israel illegal. We speak to IPS’s Phyllis Bennis.
Tim discusses CNN’s firing of contributor Marc Lamont Hill (a former guest on the show), for comments he made in favor of full equality and justice for the Palestinian people.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 4/12/2024
The forces of capitalism and deregulation loom large as industrial transport disasters continue to pile up with new focus brought to the issue by the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and the series of dangerous and deadly failures from Boeing.
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SHOW NOTES
Two full days after the disastrous collapse of a bridge in Baltimore, little is known about six construction workers who went missing—and are now presumed dead.
The Real News convened a panel of journalists working all sides of this story to get a sense of what we know about the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, what key questions still need to be answered, and what happens next.
Ch. 3: Cars, Bridges, Ships and Planes - The Zero Hour - Air Date 04-06-24
Discussing the Baltimore disaster in the context of infrastructure investment more broadly
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the threat to society of runaway corporate executive pay
References:
The failure of Bill Clinton's CEO pay reform - Politico
The Executive Pay Cap That Backfired - ProPublica
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo taken from inside the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 Boeing plane that lost its door mid-flight. A rectangular hole in the side of the plane reveals a wall of white clouds. The nearby seats are empty and oxygen masks hang from the ceiling.
Credit: Photo taken by unidentified passenger and provided to the public by the National Transportation Safety Board(NTSB) as part of their investigation. | License: Public Domain
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Air Date 4/9/2024
The neoliberal legacy of the New Democrats continues to loom large but it really does seem like the progressive wing of the party and the broader demand for populist economic policies has had an impact. Now people just need to know that it's happening.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: American Socialism - Prospect: Generations - Air Date 4-6-23
In this episode of the Prospect’s Generations podcast, editor at large Harold Meyerson, who joined the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee in 1975, and writing fellow Luke Goldstein, who was attracted to socialism by Bernie Sanders
Ch. 2: The Legacy of the New Democrats - KPFA - Against the Grain - Air Date 8-17-22
Historian Lily Geismer looks at how the the Democratic Leadership Council and Clinton-era Democratic Party increased inequality, through development zones, charter schools, welfare “reform”, and microfinance.
Ch. 3: Clinton’s ‘Fabulous Failure’ Part 1 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 10-4-23
Our politics today is haunted by the failures of Bill Clinton—the “centrist” who “triangulated” with Republicans, lost on healthcare, and proclaimed that “the era of big government is over.” Nelson Lichtenstein explains Clinton’s turn to the right
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Ch. 7: Price Controls: An Inflation Solution That Doesn't Screw Workers - Deconstructed - Air Date 7-7-23
CENTRIST AND RIGHT-WING economists continue to advocate for laying off workers and engineering a recession to address inflation. But why not set price controls instead?
Ch. 8: Clinton’s ‘Fabulous Failure’ Part 2 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 10-4-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the way we think about political criticism
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of President Joe Biden shaking hands with a hard-hat-and-safety-vest clad union worker during a campaign event in Pennsylvania.
Credit: “President Biden greeting union workers” by Governor Tom Wolf Flickr account | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date: 4-7-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Many facets of our society are clearly broken by capitalism, and bizarrely for some, chaos is the only thing that beings agency to their life - The delusion of RFK Jr. voters, the understandable desire to vote third party, and the age-old cry of the 'uniparty' - The trend of conservative voters among communities of color and where they find themselves in Trump's Republican Party - And that one of the Democrats main stumbling blocks is they're only interested in keeping things exactly as they are
REFERENCES: The Americans Who Need Chaos
Andrew Tate on why he doesn’t read books
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Targets a Generation of Politically Disaffected, Extremely Online Men
Forget Kennedy Democrats. Here Comes the 2024 Kennedy Voter.
The Strange History of the ‘Uniparty’
The unexpected dynamic that could decide the Trump-Biden rematch
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Original Air Date: 11/10/2020
Today we take a look at the long and shifting history of the myth of democracy in America. We've never had it since the beginning but the reasons have shifted, ebbed and flowed over time. Now, in the midst of an attempted slow-motion coup, we look back at this most central American myth.
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SHOW NOTES
Two of the last three presidents — George W. Bush and Donald Trump — came to office after losing the popular vote. "The Framers who met at the Constitutional Convention really had no idea what they were doing when they established how to pick a president"
Ch. 2: The Second Revolution - Scene On Radio - Air Date 2-19-20
After the Civil War, a surprising coalition tried to remake the United States into a real multiracial democracy for the first time. Reconstruction, as the effort was called, brought dramatic change to America. For a while.
Ch. 3: Democracy: Past, Present... and Future? - The Laura Flanders Show - Air Date 6-26-19
Don't remember the past? Does that mean you're condemned to repeat it? What does our country's past tell us about our present— and how can it help us imagine a better future? This week, two leading thinkers on the tricky challenges of democracy.
Ch. 4: More Democracy - Scene on Radio - Air Date 6-10-20
What will it take to make the United States a more fully functioning democracy, and how can we, as citizens, bring about that change? By host and producer John Biewen, with series collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika.
TAKE ACTION
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 4/3/2024
As the country gears up for the election in November, we look at a variety of ways the GOP and their election-denialist supporters are preparing to subvert the democratic process to get the result they want.
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SHOW NOTES
A question remains among most American, and specifically Arizonan, voters: how can we make elections better? David Becker is a co-founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research to improve elections through technology and reliance on data.
A federal jury in Washington ordered Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s former campaign attorney, to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers for distress caused by lies he spread following the 2020 election.
Ch. 3: Charlie Kirk Lackey Gets Humiliated By Election Official - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-3-24
Ch. 4: Far Right Plan Chaos Ahead of 2024 Election - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-22-24
Donald Trump and the far right want the 2024 election to be so chaotic they can make the case that Trump won, even if he goes down in flames losing by spectacular numbers.
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Ch. 10: Exposing Secret Fascist Plan To ‘Win’ 2024 Election - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 2-26-24
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the backfire effect of lies about mail-in voting
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A photo of a protestor, wearing a mask, and holding a sign up that says “When we count, democracy wins.”
Credit: “40a.BLM.Plaza.WDC.7November2020” by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date: 4-1-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - how Trump uses humor to normalize his behavior and engage his supporters - how humor is not always a great weapon against fascism and autocracy
REFERENCES: Can Parents Prevent Their Sons From Sliding to the Right?
In on the Joke: The Comedic Trick Trump Uses to Normalize His Behavior
Laughing All the Way to Autocracy
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Air Date 3/30/2024
We are living through an age of protest from the opposition to the Iraq war, the Arab Spring uprisings, Occupy Wall Street, through to marches against Trump, and now the war in Gaza. So, we thought we should take a look at the art and science of protest itself.
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SHOW NOTES
The 2010s saw a new era of mass protest, from Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Syria, to Occupy Wall Street, EuroMaidan and Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement. Many of these movements shared a “horizontalist” or leaderless approach
Ch. 2: The Uncommitted Movement feat. Layla Elabed & Waleed Shahid - Chapo Trap House - Air Date 3-8-24
Organizers Layla Elabed and Waleed Shahid join us to discuss their recent successes with the movement to vote uncommitted against Joe Biden in the ongoing democratic primaries. They lay out their goals
Ch. 3: Why Peaceful Protest Won't Solve Anything - Second Thought - Air Date 8-12-22
Ch. 4: Gaza Protesters SHUT DOWN Schiff's Victory Speech - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-6-24
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the importance of building momentum over time with protest
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A photo of a handmade protest sign taped to a chainlink fence that says "This is a movement not a moment." Taped to the bottom of the sign is a smaller sign that says "Jacob Blake" with hearts around it.
Credit: "18a.StreetArtFence.BLM.Plaza.WDC.27August2020" by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, slightly increased brightness, contrast and saturation.
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Air Date: 3-28-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - how the wealthy use psilocybin to deal with stress and break the rules of time - the working class get bath time and training on how to self-care their stress away - the
REFERENCES: It’s Time to Give Up on Email
The Working Woman’s Newest Life Hack: Magic Mushrooms
How America Became Addicted to Therapy
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Original Air Date: 12/23/2021
Today we take a look at some of the history of labor struggles in America and the current wave of strikes that is giving renewed energy to the labor union movement and the struggle for better working conditions for all.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Lessons from the Luddites - On the Media - Air Date 12-10-21
Gavin Mueller [@gavinmuellerphd], assistant professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, on what modern lessons can be learned from the Luddite workers of 19th century England.
Ch. 2: Victory at Starbucks, Struggle at Kellogg's Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 12-13-21
Suzi talks with John Logan about the unionization victory at Starbucks in Buffalo, and the continuing Kellogg Co. strike.
Ch. 3: Strike Wave Workers Flex Their Muscle in Tight Labor Market Part 1 - Intercepted - Air Date 11-10-21
We hear from Kaiser Permanente workers, and then Labor Notes’ Jonah Furman joins The Intercept’s Washington Editor Nausicaa Renner to discuss this year’s strike wave.
The episode includes a blow-by-blow analysis of a recent interview with the CEO of Kellogg's to translate Wall Street speak for “how to fuck workers and influence inflation.”
Ch. 5: Victory at Starbucks, Struggle at Kellogg's Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 12-13-21
Suzi talks with John Logan about the unionization victory at Starbucks in Buffalo, and the continuing Kellogg Co. strike.
Ch. 6: Class Struggles in the US Today - Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 12-2-21
The "labor shortage" isn't, "Build Back Better" does not begin to approach what Europe already has.
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Ch. 9: Lessons from the Luddites Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 12-10-21
Gavin Mueller [@gavinmuellerphd], assistant professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, on what modern lessons can be learned from the Luddite workers of 19th century England.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 3/23/2024
Equality has been at the heart of civil rights movements for decades but what we have failed to see is that in striving for equality we cannot help but reinforce the unquestioned preexisting structures of society which, themselves, may be at fundamental odds with true freedom for all.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Marcie Bianco — Breaking Free - with Charlotte Clymer - Politics and Prose - Air Date 9-23-23
Watch author Marcie Bianco's book talk and reading at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C.
Ch. 2: Angela Saini The Patriarchs 'How Men Came to Rule' - The Overpopulation Podcast - Air Date 2-6-24
By detailing the diversity of human arrangements, including the prevalence of egalitarian and matrilineal societies around the world – past and present – Angela reveals that male-supremacy is neither natural nor immutable.
Ch. 3: The Fraud Of 'White Feminism' w/ Kyla Schuller - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-20-22
Emma hosts Kyla Schuller, Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, to discuss her recent book The Trouble With White Women: A Counterhistory of Feminism.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: The Fraud Of 'White Feminism' w Kyla Schuller Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-20-22
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on what the path beyond equality and toward freedom looks like
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A photo of a protest in a city street. A person holds up a neon pink sign that says “Smash Patriarchy. Smash Capitalism.” Part of a Starbucks logo can be seen behind the sign.
Credit: “Smash patriarchy smash capitalism” by Peter, Flickr | License: CC By 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness, contrast and saturation.
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Air Date: 3-21-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - how AI became a tool in the gender culture war - the real reasons "soft girls" and "tradwives" are a thing
REFERENCES: You Will Not Believe the Dumb Reason My Son Gave Me for Refusing to Wipe His Butt
AI has come to the gender culture war, yielding some truly dumb content
The False Escapism of Soft Girls and Tradwives
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Air Date 3/19/2024
We break down some of the pseudoscience the trans panic is built on, look at the political drive to erase trans people, understand how language of panic shifts over time, and present and alternate view of societal healing for a healthier humanity.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Anatomy of a Moral Panic Ft. Dr. Julia Serano - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 2-21-24
Mia and Gare are once again joined by Dr, Julia Serano to discuss how the concept of contagious stigma drives moral panics against cis and trans people alike
Ch. 2: Are Red States 100 Committed to Erasing Trans People - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 1-8-24
Just a week into 2024 and Red State Republicans have already introduced over 150 bills targeting the transgender community. Journalist Erin Reed, host of 'Erin in the Morning,' updates us on the sorry parade.
ALOK sits down with Jamie Lee Curtis to explore themes of gender, race, trauma, belonging and the human condition.
Ch. 4: How the Media Gets Trans Coverage Wrong - Medium - Air Date 8-19-23
A panel discussion centered on the representation of trans issues in the media. Moderated by Katherine Cross.
Ch. 5: The Anatomy of a Moral Panic Ft. Dr. Julia Serano Part 2 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 2-21-24
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Ch. 9: How the Media Gets Trans Coverage Wrong Part 2 - Medium - Air Date 8-19-23
Ch. 10: The Anatomy of a Moral Panic Ft. Dr. Julia Serano Part 3 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 2-21-24
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on a new reframing of the right to the freedom of sex
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A colorful, hand-drawn protest sign says “Protect Trans Youth” with the trans pride flag.
Credit: “Protect Trans Youth” by Taymaz Valley, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 3/15/2024
Republicans have been trending toward Putin fandom for more than a decade but with each passing year the stakes get higher, the propaganda gets more brazen, and what they're willing to support gets more grotesque.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Chris Wallace DESTROYS former colleague Tucker Carlson - Bryan Tyler Cohen - Air Date 2-10-24
Ch. 2: Trump voters tell NBC Reporter that ‘Russia is not our enemy’ - MSNBC - Air Date 2-27-24
Vaughn Hillard discusses meeting with Trump voters who have started to echo the rhetoric from Putin and Russia when it comes to that country’s war on Ukraine and how the base of the MAGA movement has leaned into authoritarian rhetoric.
Ch. 3: American Patriots Support... Vladimir Putin - On the Media - Air Date 3-4-22
Casey Michel joins to discuss why white nationalists like David Duke, Richard Spencer, and Matthew Heimbach have long since looked to Putin's Russia as inspiration for their far-right movements in this country
Ch. 4: The Dark and Destructive Vision of Putin's GOP - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 2-27-24
Author and reporter Heidi Siegmund Cuda has the dirt that ties Mike Johnson to President Putin. Does Mr Johnson want to follow Russia's example and become an authoritarian pseudo-theocracy?
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Ch. 8: Trump Backers Kill Navalny - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 2-20-24
Andrea and Terrell Starr of the Black Diplomats Podcast and Substack discuss the assassination of Navalny and the work ahead to build a meaningful opposition.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the global view of autocratic propaganda
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Protestors in a major city at night hold up cutouts of Putin’s head and Trump’s head. Large cutouts of open hands are on either side of Trump.
Credit: “2I4A7393” by rob walsh, Flickr | License: Public Domain | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date: 3-11-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - mascuzynity and the conservative male ethos - talking to young men to prevent their slide to the right - and that brutal man camps that are more a symptom and cry for help than a solution
REFERENCES: Mascuzynity: How a nicotine pouch explains the new ethos of young conservative men
Can Parents PreventTheir Sons From Sliding to the Right?
Men are going to brutal boot camps to reclaim their masculinity. How did we get here?
Do You Need a Visit to the Confident Man Ranch?
Outro song courtesy of Supergoldfl
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Original Air Date 2-17-2018
We hear from activists and advocates to get a sense of the life, land, and walls that divide occupied Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza
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Show NotesCh. 1: Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
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Original Air Date 2/7/2018
Looking at Israel from a variety of angles including what they do to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and why White supremacists, of all people, support them
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Show NotesCh. 1: Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
Ch. 2: Breaking down Trump's moves on Israel - Intercepted (@theintercept) - Air Date 1-31-18
Ch. 5: What Israel has to do with local policing in the US - Intercepted (@theintercept) - Air Date 9-20-17
Ch. 7: Ilan Pappé: The Myths of Israel - @TheRealNews - Air Date 3-30-17
Ch. 8: Final comments addressing some of the concerns about the #MeToo movement
(Music from Blue Dot Sessions, Free Music Archive)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 3-3-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - why men struggle with friendship - why men and boys are lonelier than ever - the impact of different masculine identities on relationships - something The Beatles apparently did that no one seems to talk about
REFERENCES: Why Men Struggle With Friendship
Boys and men are lonelier than ever. What can we do about it?
3 ‘Masculine Identities’ Men Take On In Relationships
Release the Beatles Jerk-off Cut
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Air Date 3/1/2024
We don't have to think too hard to understand the fears of a world in which work, and the ability of millions to support themselves, are lost to automation and artificial intelligence. But that is only a capitalist future in which the benefits of technological advancement are hoarded by the already-wealthy. Today we imagine a different path.
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SHOW NOTES
Introduction to Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work by Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams
Since the demise of the USSR, the mantle of the largest planned economies in the world has been taken up by the likes of Walmart, Amazon and other multinational corporations.
Ch. 3: The Two Futures Of Automation Capitalism VS Socialism - Second Thought - Air Date 12-15-21
With jobs being automated and handed off to machines at an ever-increasing pace, it's only natural to consider what our future will look like.
Ch. 4: Planet of the Robots: Four Futures of AI (Documentary) - 1Dime - Air Date 10-15-21
In this video we will be discussing automation, which is often confused with being the ‘technological revolution’ in it of itself as it is what the mainstream focuses on, and for good reason, as how we handle automation will determine the trajectory or co
Ch. 5: Universal Basic Income Explained (An Automation Solution) - Futurology - Air Date 5-28-24
With jobs being automated and handed off to machines at an ever-increasing pace, it's only natural to consider what our future will look like.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on living our values and stepping away from work
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a patch on a backpack that says "What would you do if your income were taken care of?"
Credit: "Berlin UBI March" by Patrick Maynard, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 2/28/2024
AI-generated deepfakes, entirely fabricated audio and video of recognizable people, are here. They have been on the horizon for years but they have finally arrived during the biggest global election year in history which may prove to be a make of break year for democracy itself as we struggle to separate fact from fiction and autocracy is on the rise around the world.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Deepfaking Democracy: Why AI Threatens News And Global Elections In 2024 - Forbes - Air Date 2-6-24
Deepfaked news segments that appear to be delivered by well-known journalists and TV networks are going viral on social media. Oftentimes, the view counts of deepfaked segments largely outnumber those of real news stories.
Ch. 2: AI Deepfakes Are Everywhere and Congress is Completely Out of Their Depth - CYBER - Air Date 2-9-24
An AI-generated Biden called voters in New Hampshire ahead of the primary and told them to stay home. X locked down the search term “Taylor Swift” after AI-generated nudes of the pop giant flooded the platform.
Tech giants including Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, X, OpenAI and TikTok unveiled an agreement on Friday aimed at mitigating the risk that artificial intelligence will disrupt elections in 2024.
Ch. 4: Deepfake Adult Content Is a Serious and Terrifying Issue - Aperture - Air Date 5-1-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on even more dangers from news sites populated with AI-generated content
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Computer-generated image of a silhouetted man standing in front of a large wall-sized image of the profile of a middle-aged man with digitized lines and cracks running through it.
Credit: "ai-generated-man-computer-science" by NickyPe, Pixabay | License
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Air Date: 2-25-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon discuss: - authoritarian Technocracy - and why interoperability may be one of the best weapons against it
REFERENCES: THE RISE OF TECHNO-AUTHORITARIANISM
Big Tech Won’t Let You Leave. Here’s a Way Out
The Great Interoperability Convergence: 2023 Year in Review
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Air Date 2/23/2024
2024 is already shaping up to be even more of a disaster than expected. The causes for anxiety are many and varied, leaving many of us with questions. We generally try to avoid topics and commentaries that lean into the realm of pure speculation but today we decided to lean all the way in to answer your most pressing questions. What about Biden's support of Israel? What about his age? Should he be replaced at the Democratic Convention? How likely is Trump to do the horrible things he promises? And what about his court cases?
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Biden GENOCIDE COMPLICITY US Court Backs ICJ - Breaking Points - Air Date 2-1-24
Krystal and Emily discuss a US court ruling Biden may be complicit in genocide after the ICJ's ruling against Israel.
Ch. 2: Moral Failure Democrats Urge Biden to Change Gaza Policy - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-21-24
"The administration needs to change course in foreign policy in the Middle East to gain the trust of people who we have lost," says California Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna.
Did the media convince you that Biden is losing his touch? Thom Hartmann explains why you can’t trust this false narrative.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the presidential age debate and what we're really voting for
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Graphic design composite featuring a large pile of red, triangular traffic attention/warning signs. Every sign has a question mark in the middle with the exception of two, which show the faces of President Biden and Donald Trump, respectively.
Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Composite components: “Joe Biden” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr (License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped). “The Swearing-in Ceremony of the Honorable Brett M. Kavanaugh” via Trump White House Archive, Flickr (Public domain). “Traffic-signs-attention-right-of-way” via Pixabay (Public domain).
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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.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The New Luddites - SHIFT - Air Date 2-14-24
Activists are fighting back against generative AI and reclaiming a misunderstood label in the process, says Brian Merchant in a new piece for The Atlantic.
Ch. 2: Being a Luddite Is Good, Actually ft. Jathan Sadowski - Left Reckoning - Air Date 5-29-21
Jathan Sadowski (@jathansadowski) of the This Machine Kills (@machinekillspod) podcast repairs our sabotaged understanding of the legacy of the Luddites.
Lauded for his groundbreaking work in reverse-engineering OpenAI's large language model, GPT-2, AI expert Connor Leahy tells Imran Garda why he is now sounding the alarm.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the fork in the road and a look at our options
References:
Rethinking the Luddites in the Age of A.I.
A Scottish Jewish joke - Things Fall Apart - Air Date 1-25-22
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
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Air Date: 2-19-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda and Deon discuss: - how augmented reality and the Apple Vision Pro affects the human brain - how algorithms are changing and flattening our culture - how to take back your life from algorithmic choices
REFERENCES: The Vision Pro's scary side effect
Why Tim Cook Is Going All In on the Apple Vision Pro
We’ve Forgotten How to Use Computers
Have Algorithms Ruined Our Culture?
How to Take Back Your Life From Algorithms
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Air Date 2/17/2024
The debate over education has been derailed from the legitimate concerns of the past focused on the downfalls of No Child Left Behind and Common Core policies into a cul-de-sac of ignorance over opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion programs and the teaching of critical race theory. Not to mention the new McCarthyism that has sprung up to squash any criticism of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: How to Dismantle the Anti-DEI Machine - At Liberty Podcast - Air Date 2-9-24
Free speech on campus, book bans, education gag orders, the overturn of affirmative action, the resignation of former Harvard president Claudine Gay. All of these issues center on one hot-button topic: DEI.
Author Bradford Vivian joins Emma to discuss his book Campus Misinformation: The Real Threat to Free Speech in American Higher Education.
Ch. 3: Wadie Said on the New McCarthyism - CounterSpin - Air Date 12-22-23
Powerful institutions, including the media, combine a selective understanding of free expression with a vehement desire to enforce it.
Sam and Emma host Jon Shelton, professor at the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay, to discuss his recent book The Education Myth: How Human Capital Trumped Social Democracy.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the tradeoffs we make when we allow culture wars to dominate the education debate
Articles:
The Loss of Things I Took for Granted - Slate
In the Fight Over How to Teach Reading, This Guru Makes a Major Retreat - NYTimes
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of the gothic facade of a university with dark clouds overhead.
Credit: "Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana", Pixabay | License
Air Date 2/13/2024
The entire political system has lurched to the right on immigration as Democrats adopt the talking points of the Republicans and the MAGA Republicans put Trump's election chances over the policies they claim to support.
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SHOW NOTES
MAGA Republicans have vowed to block the latest immigration reform bill, while also saying immigration is a crisis and immediate threat. Donald Trump’s influence over MAGA Republican elected officials regarding immigration is discussed
Republican Chip Roy goes off on a fiery rant against his own party, explicitly calling out Donald Trump for posting false claims on Truth Social over the border deal he plotted to destroy. John Iadarola and Sharon Reed break it down on The Damage Report.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the incentives for our politicians to fail at governing
Related Articles:
How Texas officials stymied nonprofits' efforts to help migrants they bused to northern cities
Half of Republicans say California isn’t really American
Commentary: If only Congress would listen to the CBO on immigration
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of detained migrants - adults and children - lined up against the US-Mexico border fence as a border patrol officer walks by.
Credit: "U.S. Border Patrol agent apprehends a group of migrants" via Picryl | License: Public Domain
Air Date 2/10/2024
Continuing to tell the stories of those directly impacted by abortion bans is important to demonstrate the extreme stances taken by anti-choice politicians but we also look ahead to potential ways the situation could be made even worse as well as efforts to relieve the suffering.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Texas Abortion Laws Cruel Outcomes - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 12-16-23
The results of overturning Roe have reached their awful, logical conclusion.
Ch. 2: Post-Roe America 5. Culture of Silence - The Nocturnists - Air Date 10-19-23
In episode 5 of The Nocturnists: Post-Roe America we talk about the culture of silence around reproductive health in medical spaces, and how breaking that silence is our only hope for reclaiming our reproductive freedom.
Ch. 3: Texas Abortion Laws Cruel Outcomes Part 2 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 12-16-23
Ch. 4: Did Kate Cox Expose GOP Plan To Turn Women into Property - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-14-23
The saga of Kate Cox in Texas is making it clear to every American that GOP opposition to abortion isn’t just about abortion: it’s ultimately about controlling every aspect of women’s bodies and lives.
...
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on addressing concerns regarding the 15-minute city concept of walkable towns
TAKE ACTION!
Support repro rights orgs doing vital work, such as:
National Network of Abortion Funds
Center for Reproductive Rights
Abortion Access Legal Defense Fund
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a protestor holding a handmade sign that reads "You can't ban abortion. You can only ban safe abortion."
Credit: "Defend Abortion Rights - Maintain the Rage" by Matt Hrkac, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 2/7/2024
Loneliness is an epidemic that long-predates the COVID lockdowns that only made things worse but it's not primarily cultural or even technological in origin. The issue largely has to do with how our built environment is designed and then social and technological aspects compound the problem.
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SHOW NOTES
The U.S. Surgeon General declared a new public health epidemic in America, loneliness. A new report finds loneliness can have profound effects on mental health as well as heart disease, stroke and dementia.
Ch. 2: Our Loneliness Epidemic is Infrastructuralized - Studio Leonardo - Air Date 6-2-22
The infrastructure in the US is one of the main culprits for our loneliness. In this video, we deep-dive into why that is and how it has come to be this way. So, what can we do to fix this?
Ch. 3: Original Barcelona video - @The Happy Urbanist TikTok - Air Date 12-15-23
Ch. 4: How cohousing can make us happier (and live longer) | Grace Kim - TED - Air Date 8-7-17
Loneliness doesn't always stem from being alone. For architect Grace Kim, loneliness is a function of how socially connected we feel to the people around us -- and it's often the result of the homes we live in. She shares an age-old antidote to isolation
....
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photograph taken from behind a woman in a dark room who is leaning out an open window. She looks out at a brick apartment building across the way.
Credit: "Woman looking out the window" by Jon Eric Marababol, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC0 1.0 Universal
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 2-6-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The impacts of the myth of the model minority - Haley and Ramaswamy Denying America's racism as they both experience and use racism during the Republican primary race
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REFERENCES: Vivek Ramaswamy and the lie of the “model minority”
Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy Can’t Escape GOP Racism
Scholars worry Haley and Ramaswamy's race-blindness helps GOP advance "white supremacist worldview"
Jake Tapper Confronts Nikki Haley About Saying U.S. Is Not ‘Racist’
Nikki Haley, MAGA and the Confederacy: Time to purge these myths
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Air Date 2/3/2024
We attempt to understand as many of the interlocking elements as possible in the current Middle East conflicts sparked most prominently by the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: From Red Sea to Iran, Will Israel's Gaza Assault Spark Wider War - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-17-24
For a look at where all this is headed, we speak with journalist Spencer Ackerman, who says it's "the most dangerous moment for the Middle East" he has witnessed in over 20 years of covering war and security.
Helen Lackner, author of several books on Yemen, describes the history of the Houthis, the political landscape in Yemen, and debunks the idea the group is controlled by Iran.
Ch. 3: What does Iran want - The Inquiry - Air Date 1-25-24
After months of tension and hostility in the Middle East over the Gaza-Israel conflict, Iran has publicly stated its desire to avoid a regional conflict. It has however displayed its military force on several fronts.
After years of attempting to pivot away from the region, the Biden administration now looks set to deepen its military involvement in the Middle East as it fights the Houthis in Yemen and squares off in an escalating proxy war with Iran.
"There will be more of these attacks, for sure," says Palestinian American journalist Rami Khouri, who lays out the simmering regional conflict and questions U.S. foreign policy running counter to American opinion and strategic goals.
.......
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A satellite image of the Middle East.
Credit: "Satellite relief map of Middle East" by Merikanto, Wikimedia | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped
Air Date: 1-28-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Boardgames Ritual - Making kids cry buy taking their phones away at school - Making kids sad by never buying them phones in the first place
REFERENCES: It Sure Looks Like Phones Are Making Students Dumber
Schools don't want kids on cellphones. Is banning them the solution?
Birmingham head calls for ban after pupils 'in tears' when phones confiscated
The Schools That Ban Smartphones
I Won’t Buy My Teenagers Smartphones
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Air Date 1/26/2024 In an election year where, more than ever before, democracy itself is on the ballot, there is less democracy happening in the lead-up to the election than at any time in recent memory. And with two profoundly disliked candidates running, the supporters of democratic ideals have a hard uphill push ahead of them. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Democratic Strategists Have Their Heads In The Sand - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-24-24 Semaphor's Dave Weigel talks to Sam about what happened during the 2024 Iowa Caucus. Ch. 2: Bidenomics Continue To Worsen For Young Adults - The Ring of Fire - Air Date 1-21-24 The Biden administration keeps telling us that the economy is humming along, but for young Americans, things are getting worse. Ch. 3: Is Biden Trying to Lose - The Humanist Report - Air Date 1-18-24 Ch. 4: Maddow on Trump-Biden rematch 'Not very much democracy in an election about saving democracy' - MSNBC - Air Date 1-24-24 Rachel Maddow discusses the looming 2024 general election clash with President Biden possibly taking on Donald Trump again. Maddow points out that there has been little democracy so far in the race for the White House. Ch. 5: 2024 Election Is About The Fight For Democracy - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 1-25-24 President Biden used his first campaign event of 2024 to call out his likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, for the threat he poses to American democracy, calling the issue a 'sacred cause' for the race ahead. Ch. 6: Iowa, New Hampshire, and No Fair Remembering 2012 - The Professional Left Podcast - Air Date 1-24-24
.... SHOW IMAGE: Description: A photograph with bokeh edges of glossy, red-white-and-blue-striped "VOTE" buttons on a table. Credit: "2012 U.S. Presidential Election Gala" by U.S. Embassy Dakah, Flickr | License: Public Domain Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 1/23/2024
The recent discovery of hundreds of bodies buried behind a jail in unmarked graves sparks a renewed discussion about the futility and counter-productiveness of our system of incarceration and the context of our history that has brought us to this point.
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Related Episodes:
#1313 Why Prison Abolition is not Nearly as Scary as it Sounds
SHOW NOTES
The discovery of 215 bodies buried in unmarked graves behind a jail outside of Jackson, Mississippi, has left a community in disbelief. The families are angry they were never notified of the deaths and how their loved ones are buried
Ch. 2: The Most Infamous Jail in America - Olurinatti - Air Date 3-29-23
Bail reform is essential in the fight to close horrible pre-trial detention centers like Rikers Island.
....
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
8 Ways You Can Advocate for Justice Reform in 2024 (Vera)
Prison and Jail Reform (Brennan Center for Justice)
Criminal Justice Reform (Equal Justice Initiative)
Cutting Jail and Prison Populations (Brennan Center for Justice)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photograph of the outside of Coyote Ridge Corrections Center. Barbed wire lines the fences of the entrance in front of the dark gray cement building with tinted windows.
Credit: "A sagebrush sea change from behind barbed wire" by U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Original Air Date 12/3/2022
Today, we take a look at the mega-companies that touch all of our lives and the monopolistic practices that have been developed to keep power and wealth concentrated with the few while the rest of us get screwed.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Tech Monopolies - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 6-13-22
John Oliver discusses tech monopolies, and how to address the hidden harm they can do.
Ch. 2: How Ticketmaster Is Destroying Live Music - More Perfect Union - Air Date 10-19-22
Ticketmaster is destroying live music. Their scam fees now cost as much as 78% of a ticket. They control the events, the venues, and even the artists. There’s a movement pushing the Justice Department to take on its monopoly. Cory Doctorow breaks it down.
Not since the Great Depression have corporate profits soared so high. But it is not enough to satisfy them. More than 54% of the inflation America is experiencing is caused by record-setting corporate profits.
Safeway, Ralphs, Smiths, Harris Teeters, Shaws, Kings, Randalls, and about 25 other brands, will all be owned by a single company if the Kroger-Albertsons merger goes through. And that’s really bad news for the prices you pay.
Novelist Cory Doctorow and intellectual property expert Rebecca Giblin discuss their new book, Chokepoint Capitalism, which documents the increasing tensions between extractive corporations and creative laborers.
Ch. 6: Making The Case For Abolishing Billionaires - MSNBC - Air Date 11-21-22
"One after another, four of our best-known billionaires laid waste to the image of benevolent saviors carefully cultivated by their class," Anand Giridharadas writes in a recent New York Times column.
Ch. 7: Elon Musk Is An Idiot (and so are Zuck and SBF) - Adam Conover - Air Date 11-23-22
Tech CEOs aren't geniuses, and here's the proof.
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FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on how regulation helps stop financial scams
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 1/17/2024
It is evident that the immigration debate is more about acquiring raw power than about immigration as demands from the Republican Party change along with whatever strategies they feel are most likely to get Republicans elected and in the age of Trump, that means the most draconian, harmful and, ultimately, pointless demands to date.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Beginning Monroe and Migration Part 1 - Under the Shadow - Air Date 1-9-24
In the second half of the episode, we meet migrants walking North toward the United States on the edge of Central America. A very real manifestation, right now, of the never-ending impact of US intervention in Latin America.
As negotiations on the emergency funding request continue, we speak with Democratic Congressmember Greg Casar of Texas about how he and other lawmakers oppose “some of the worst changes to our immigration system in decades.”
Ch. 3: The Migrant Crisis On The Border And The Hill - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 1-11-24
The stream of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border hit record numbers at the end of 2023. Guests: political correspondent Ashley Lopez, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd.
Ch. 4: GOP Bets It All on the Border - What Next - Air Date 11-8-23
A partial government shutdown is just 10 days away.
Ch. 5: The Beginning Monroe and Migration Part 2 - Under the Shadow - Air Date 1-9-24
Ch. 6: Trump Plans to Declare War on Who? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 1-9-24
If re-elected, will Trump dredge up an archaic 18th-century law as a de-facto anti-immigration policy? Just how far will he go…?
It's very clear that we are under attack. … We have targets on our backs," says Marisa Limón Garza, executive director of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in El Paso, which is challenging the new Texas law along with other rights groups.
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Ch. 8: Fox Host Admits GOP Doesn’t Give A Sh— About Immigration - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-12-24
Laura Ingham gives the conservative game away
Ch. 9: AOC Dismantles GOP Immigration Lies - The Majority Report - Air Date 9-25-23
When interviewed, AOC "...sanctions that were originally authored by Marco Rubio took a large part in the driving of populations to our southern border, shortly after those sanctions were enacted, we started seeing dramatic increases."
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the naked power grab behind the immigration debate and Trump's long-held fascination with Hitler
Bonus:
Articles:
House Republican Admits He’ll Kill Border Deal If It Helps Biden
Donald Trump's ex-wife once said Trump kept a book of Hitler's speeches by his bed
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A photograph taken during a "Reform Immigration March" in D.C. A man holds a homemade sign that says "Militarized Border = A Failed Policy." Other protestors in background hold American flags.
Credit: "Reform Immigration March on Washington" by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, increase in contrast and brightness.
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 1-15-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - why one of the last isolated tribes in the world desperately wants to stay that way - why we know that women also hunted, counter to what all the male archeologists would have us believe
REFERENCES: Why Uncontacted Tribes Want to Stay Uncontacted
They choose to live in isolation—but the world won’t leave them alone
The Theory That Men Evolved to Hunt and Women Evolved to Gather Is Wrong
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Air Date 1/13/2024
The Supreme Court began to lose its legitimacy in the eyes of many when President Obama wasn't allowed to fill the open seat left by the death of Antonin Scalia but, in truth, the scandal and manipulation of the nation's highest court go back much, much farther than that. However, in a bygone age, scandal was handled much differently than today, putting our current state of disfunction and hyper-partisanship into sharp focus.
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SHOW NOTES
I think they are reaching a point—the six-justice majority— of getting a huge backlash… I don't call for the impeachment of Justices very easily. In case after case these Justices come down on the side of artificial entities called corporations
Ch. 2: Astonishing Corruption at The Supreme Court? - LegalEagle - Air Date 5-6-23
Ethics? Never heard of it
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) used a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Supreme Court ethics on Tuesday to discuss the financial ties between Justice Clarence Thomas and conservative billionaire Harlan Crow.
Ch. 4: EXPOSED: Supreme Court Corruption CAUGHT Red Handed - The Kyle Kulinski Show - Air Date 4-27-23
Looking at Neil Gorsuch's questionable property sale and Clarence Thomas' refusal to answer to congress
Ch. 5: Clarence Thomas Grifting - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 12-19-23
They shift to another bombshell report about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's taking advantage of his position to enrich his lifestyle.
The nine Supreme Court justices handed down a surprise unanimous decision binding themselves to a new code of ethics. It comes after criticism over undisclosed perks for some of the justices.
Ch. 7: How to Fix a Broken Supreme Court - Robert Reich - Air Date 7-18-23
Justice Roberts refused to testify in a hearing on SCOTUS ethics. Thomas and Alito accepted luxury vacations from GOP megadonors. Gorsuch sold property to the CEO of a law firm that argues cases before the Court.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
New York Times investigative reporter Jodi Kantor joins Chris Hayes to discuss her behind-the-scenes look into the dismantling of Roe
Ch. 9: Supreme Court Scandals: A Story of Justice - Now & Then - Air Date 4-26-23
Samuel Chase’s impeachment over his pronounced Federalist leanings, Stephen J. Field’s 1880s relationships with railroad magnates, and Abe Fortas’ 1969 resignation following the revelation of his acceptance of consulting fees from a felonious financier
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on John Roberts' year-end report and the slide away from the possibility of accountability
Article: Chief Justice John Roberts’ AI Report Reads Like an Old Robot Wrote It
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A close-up photograph of the entrance of the U.S. Supreme Court building. White stone columns partly lit by sun slightly obscure the dark wooden entryway door at the center in shadow.
Credit: "Supreme Court of the United States Facade" by Leandro Paes Leme, Pexels | License | Changes: Cropped
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Original Air Date 1/7/2023
Today, we take a look at the criminal charges against Donald Trump that the January 6th Committee has referred to the DOJ but examine them through the lens of past presidential crimes that have gone unpunished from Nixon to George W. Bush
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SHOW NOTES
We speak with Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a scholar of fascism and authoritarianism, and Robert Weissman, president of the advocacy group Public Citizen.
Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and Jill Wine-Banks, MSNBC legal analyst and former Watergate special prosecutor look to lessons from Watergate for what needs to happen with the Jan. 6th committee report.
Ch. 3: Lisa Gilbert on the January 6 Report - CounterSpin - Air Date 12-23-22
We spoke with Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of Public Citizen and co-founder of the forged-for-purpose Not Above the Law Coalition, about what the hearings found and why it can’t end there.
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnston, who has covered Trump for decades, says the new documents show "absolutely brazen" tax fraud. "Donald Trump has been a criminal his whole life," says Johnston.
Ch. 6: Obama on Investigating Bush Crimes: "Need to Look Forward" - This Week - Air Date 1-11-09
Barack Obama on This Week, January 11, 2009
Ch. 7: Obama Admin: Torture Not Illegal, Just A "Disagreement" - The Young Turks - Aired 3-27-10
Speaking of hangovers... Look forward, not backward. We don't do truth and reconciliation in this country.
We’re joined by John Nichols, The Nation’s national affairs correspondent, to discuss the full report.
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Ch. 9: Ginni Thomas not mentioned in Jan. 6 Committee report - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 1-3-23
Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern and political strategist Rina Shah join Mehdi to discuss.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date: 1-7-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the little bit of Paganism that's in all of us - the Christian priests who want to reform the church through psychedelic mushrooms
REFERENCES: The Return of the Pagans
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Air Date 1/5/2024
As the war in Gaza drags on, accusations of genocide by Israel have been filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice and we are reminded that the tactics and technology that Israel develops and tests against Palestinians are sold around the world.
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Related Episodes:
#1592 Israel and Palestine are less complicated than you think
SHOW NOTES
Introduction: In Gaza and Israel, side with the child over the gun
Ch. 1: Israels Push to Expel Residents of Gaza - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-3-24
Dutch Palestinian policy analyst Mouin Rabbani says Israel is using the Hamas attack of October 7 as a pretext to carry out its “long-standing ambition” to push Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip.
"I believe South Africa will win an order against Israel to cease and desist from committing all acts of genocide against the Palestinians," says Francis Boyle, an international human rights lawyer
Intercept co-founder Jeremy Scahill and journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous discuss the U.S. role in Israel’s scorched-earth campaign to annihilate Gaza.
Ch. 4: Disease In Gaza - Up First - Air Date 12-28-23
The World Health Organization warns that disease could kill more people in Gaza than the bombings.
Ch. 5: Gaza, Solidarity, and the Movement for Palestinian Liberation - Making Contact - Air Date 11-29-23
We uncover the military corporations profiting from the war.
Antony Loewenstein, journalist and author of The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World, joins The Chris Hedges Report for a deep dive.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Christian Zionism - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 12-30-23
Ralph welcomes Rev. Dr. Donald Wagner, National Program Director of Friends of Sabeel—North America, to discuss the ongoing violence in Palestine, the influence that Christian Zionists have on America's Israel policy, and more.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the impacts of the antisemitism that is felt by the Jewish diaspora in the wake of the Hamas attack and war in Gaza
Articles referenced:
California lawmakers ‘pull the fire alarm’ on antisemitism
Anti-Defamation League staff decry ‘dishonest’ campaign against Israel critics
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Black and white photo of a woman at a protest in the city. She stares straight into the camera while holding a cardboard sign that reads "Bombing refugee camps, hospitals, ambulances, children is not self defence."
Credit: "Bombing Refugee camps, Hospitals, Ambulances, Children - is not self defence" by Alisdare Hickson, Flickr | License: CC BY SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, increased contrast
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Air Date 1/2/2024
Trump's greatest impact has been to bring the fringes of the conservative movement into the center and, by strongly courting the Evangelical Christian vote, helped accelerate the Christian Nationalist movement to merge religion with patriotism
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: A Threat to Church and State - Confronting Christian Nationalism - Air Date 9-9-23
In this episode, we’ll hear from experts, authors, and theologians who will help articulate what Christian Nationalism is, what it’s not, and why it’s a a threat to both the church and democracy.
Ch. 2: How Trump Is Dividing The Evangelical Church - Fresh Air - Air Date 11-29-23
Journalist Tim Alberta grew up in a conservative, republican, evangelical church, where his father was the pastor. He wanted to know why so many evangelical Christians had become extremists, and ardent supporters of Trump.
Ch. 3: How Trump Has Transformed Evangelicals - Radio Atlantic - Air Date 12-14-23
How did evangelical Christians shift from being reluctant supporters of Trump to among his most passionate defenders? How did some evangelicals, historically suspicious of politicians, develop a “fanatical cult-like attachment” to Donald Trump?
Ch. 4: Will MAGA Mike Inflict a Religious Crusade on America? - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 11-2-23
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is closely tied to Christian groups that want to make America a theocracy. So why does he support policies that are so contrary to Christ's teachings? Plus - Handmaiden Tale Alert!
In an interview with Kristen Welker on Meet the Press, author and writer Tim Alberta discusses the role of white evangelical Christians in building support for Donald Trump’s presidency and the “uneasy alliance” the community established with him.
Jeff Sharlet has spent two decades covering the intersection of extreme Christian nationalism and the far-right. In his new book, Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, he gives snapshots of a country rapidly devolving into a Christian fascist state.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
As the 2024 presidential election campaign heats up, Republican front-runner Donald Trump is escalating his racist rhetoric, repeatedly saying in recent days that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country,” drawing comparisons to Hitler.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the idolatry at the heart of Christian Nationalism
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The image of a cross leans into the frame over a representation of the American flag.
Credit: "Cross banner USA flag cross sign" by Kalhh, Pixabay | License: Creative Commons (CC0)
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Air Date: 12-31-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon discuss: - how Italy is making it harder for same-sex partners to have children by making it harder for everyone to have children - how well-meaning advocates in the US are putting same-sex families at risk - why Christian homophobia may just be based on a mistranslation of the Bible
REFERENCES: ‘The state says our kids don’t exist’ - how LGBT life is changing in Italy
Why Anonymous Sperm Donation Is Over, and Why That Matters
Did Christian homophobia come from a mistranslation of the Bible?
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Original Air Date 12/17/2022
Today, we take a look at the fringe philosophy of accelerationism that is having a bigger impact on society than you will likely have realized as it's been behind some of the worst terror attacks in recent years and is likely behind attacks on infrastructure targeting society as a whole.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Dystopian Philosophy You've Never Heard Of - Philion - Air Date 6-26-22
Explaining the origins of Accelerationism
Matt Kriner is an intelligence analyst with almost a decade of experience researching and analyzing US domestic violent extremists, transnational far-right extremism, and radicalization.
Ch. 3: “It only takes a few” - White Hot Hate - Air Date 11-28-21
Some members of The Base are planning deadly attacks that they hope will spark a race war. Will they be stopped, before it's too late?
Ch. 4: Proud Boys, January 6, and When a U-Haul Is a Clown Car - Angry Planet - Air Date 6-17-22
So, it’s time to look again at what this group — and related groups — did on January 6, and just how dangerous they really are. We’ll also talk about accelerationism, what it is and what accelerationists want.
Rachel Maddow looks at a mysterious gun attack on electricity infrastructure in North Carolina and how it lines up with a past attack in California in 2013 and a DOJ case this year against white supremacists in Ohio.
Accelerationism is a doctrine of revolutionary violence that holds that society is irreparably broken and must be destroyed. In recent years it has caught on among a variety of disparate movements throughout the world.
Ch. 7: The seductive dangers of speed - RSA Podcasts - Air Date 7-5-17
The accelerating pace of political and economic change can be disorienting – but, for some, change isn’t happening fast enough. Matthew Taylor is joined by the journalist Andy Beckett and philosophers Benjamin Noys and Nina Power
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Ch. 8: Why We’re All Rooting for the Apocalypse - Wisecrack - Air Date 4-8-22
The apocalypse has never been more omnipresent in the cultural zeitgeist. But why are we all so convinced that the world is going to end, and do we have a moral obligation to prevent this gnarly fate?
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments giving some helpful advice to White supremacists looking to start a race war
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A young white man dressed in a black hoodie with the hood over his hat is looking away from the camera while wearing a black mask with the image of the lower half of a skull on it. A lit torch is next to him in the foreground. A lit structure and a crowd of people are visible in the background.
Credit: “Face of the streets” by spoilt.exile, Flickr | License CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Original Air Date 12/24/2022
We compare the far-right religious extremists who are fighting to gain power in the US with the protests against the theocratic regime in Iran supporting women's rights in the country.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: How a new Christian right is changing US politics - BBC News - Air Date 11-28-22
A new battle of faith is being driven by some pastors and politicians in the United States. Their central message is that the country's conservative Christian way of life is under threat, and American society is moving in the wrong direction.
"Iranians voted multiple times for over two decades for some process of reform … but the state has not given in to those demands," she says. "What we're seeing now is the result." Tahmasebi is the director of FEMENA
Ch. 3: The Taliban’s Far-Right Fan Base - VICE - Air Date 10-18-21
In chat rooms and message boards on the darker corners of the web - far-right groups have been praising the Taliban’s takeover, lauding their religious fundamentalism, execution of opponents, and hatred of so-called liberalism.
"Today's movement is not calling for reform. Today's movement is calling for a new vision of politics … with women at the helm of it," says Narges Bajoghli, professor of anthropology and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University
Far Right, Anti-Democratic Extremist groups are not slowing down. Some even have connections with ‘mainstream’ Republican politicians. Peter Montgomery joins Thom Hartmann to discuss the threat the far right still poses.
Sam and Emma host Nahid Siamdoust, Assistant Professor of Middle East and Media Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, to discuss the recent political protests in Iran.
Rachel Maddow shares some of the fringe perspectives of the racist, Christian fascist who Donald Trump hosted for dinner at Mar-a-Lago
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Joseph Kennedy, a football coach, pressured his students to pray with him. He was asked not pressure students into religion during Public School activities. but he refused. Rachel Laser joined Thom to discuss the case and the pressure on students.
“Because the conservative majority has tossed away all pretense of being anything other than, essentially, a high council of Fox News viewers, they decided her case should be heard before the Supreme Court,” says Chris Hayes
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on why Christian Nationalists would be better off not installing a dictatorship
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 12/23/2023
The housing crisis is at a worse point than at any time in recent history. Solutions are available and require political will to bring into reality but because the problem is now so widespread, we may actually be able to take action that would have been untenable before.
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Related Episodes:
#1496 Home Is Where The Hardship Is
#1565 Co-Housing Builds Community and Fights Loneliness
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Housing is a Moral Issue w Shaun Donovan - Future Hindsight - Air Date 12-7-23
Shaun Donovan is the CEO and President of Enterprise Community Partners. We discuss how the deeply entrenched housing crisis has become worse in recent years and the multiple strategies to make home and community places of pride, power, and belonging.
On this week’s show, Fanta — a reporter for WNYC’s Radio Rookies — speaks with residents, organizers and officials as she tries to find out what this program means for families like hers.
Ch. 3: Biden In Trouble With Voters Over Inequality And Housing - The Majority Report - Air Date 11-28-23
President Joe Biden’s approval ratings surrounding the economy are not good! What, if anything, can Biden and the Democrat do to improve on those poll numbers (maybe…run on something? Anything?)
Ch. 4: Housing is a Moral Issue w Shaun Donovan Part 2 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 12-7-23
Ch. 6: Why The US Is Failing At Housing And How To Fix It - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-9-23
Rachel Cohen describes how the US housing crisis came to be and how it can be solved.
Ch. 7: Housing is a Moral Issue w Shaun Donovan Part 3 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 12-7-23
Is Paris more gentrified than New York? Gentrification is the process where beloved cities & towns price out residents with rents ‘too damn high’ to pay & failing infrastructure.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: How to build beautiful social housing in a crisis - Channel 4 News - 9-7-23
The architect Peter Barber has been winning awards for turning tiny patches of land into innovative estates and houses, designed not just to be beautiful – but to foster a sense of community too.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on why North America Can't Build Nice Apartments
Bonus: Why North America Can't Build Nice Apartments (because of one rule)
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photograph of newly built, colorful single-family row houses.
Credit: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development archive, License: Public Domain
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Air Date 12/20/2023
AI needs to be regulated by governments even though politicians don't understand computers just as the government regulates the manufacture and operation of aircraft even though your average politician doesn't know their ass from an aileron. That's why expert advisory panels are for.
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Related Episodes:
#1547 Shaping the Future of the Internet
#1578 A.I. is a big tech airplane with a 10% chance of crashing, should society fly it?
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: How are governments approaching AI regulation - In Focus by The Hindu - Air Date 11-16-23
Dr Matti Pohjonen speaks to us about the concerns revolving around AI governance, and if there are any fundamental principles that an AI regulatory regime needs to address.
Ch. 2: A First Step Toward AI Regulation with Tom Wheeler - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 11-2-23
President Biden released a sweeping executive order that addresses many risks of artificial intelligence. Tom Wheeler, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, shares his insights on the order and what's next for AI regulation.
We host a roundtable discussion with three experts in artificial intelligence on growing concerns over the technology’s potential dangers: Yoshua Bengio, Max Tegmark, and Tawana Petty.
European Union member states and lawmakers reached a preliminary agreement on what they touted as the world's first comprehensive AI legislation on Friday.
Ch. 5: EU vs. AI - Today, Explained - Air Date 12-18-23
The EU has advanced first-of-its-kind AI regulation. The Verge’s Jess Weatherbed tells us whether it will make a difference, and Columbia University’s Anu Bradford explains the Brussels effect.
Ch. 7: How to Keep AI Under Control | Max Tegmark - TEDTalks - Air Date 11-2-23
Scientist Max Tegmark describes an optimistic vision for how we can keep AI under control and ensure it's working for us, not the other way around.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Giant tech firms are meeting secretly to deregulate Artificial Intelligence technologies in the most undemocratic ways possible. Can profit really take over and corrupt progress?
Ch. 9: How are governments approaching AI regulation Part 2 - In Focus by The Hindu - Air Date 11-16-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the need to understand the benefits and downsides of new technology
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date: 12-15-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon discuss: - why humans need rituals for mental health and community - what happens when corporations try to adopt rituals - what happens when squishy-blob humans are allowed to drive cars that somewhat drive themselves a little bit
REFERENCES: Rituals are important to human life — even when they seem meaningless
Can Rituals Fix Our Soulless Corporate Culture? A Ritual Designer Says Yes
THE INSIDE STORY OF MICROSOFT’S PARTNERSHIP WITH OPENAI
The Way We Talk About Self-Driving Cars Is Going To Get People Killed
Self-Driving Cars Won’t Save Us Anytime Soon
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Air Date 12/12/2023
Henry Kissinger, it turns out, was actually a pretty good representative of the United States, the foreign policy actions we took, and the reasonings we gave for them over the past century. He embodied the idea that the US is always on the side of right, the world and its inhabitants are merely a game board and pieces for us to manipulate for our own ends, and that lives, particularly foreign lives, lost in pursuit of our interests are not of much concern.
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SHOW NOTES
Henry Kissinger, America’s most consequential and controversial Secretary of State, died Wednesday at the age of 100. He reached the peak of his power in the 1970s and remained highly influential until the very end. reports.
Ch. 2: Henry Kissinger's Huge but Deeply Problematic Legacy - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 11-30-23
Henry Kissinger has died at 100 years old. Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many books, including The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War examines the diplomat's impact on U.S. foreign policy
Ch. 3: Kissinger: An Architect of Genocide - The Majority Report - Air Date 12-5-23
Tim Shorrock then gives his initial reflections on Kissinger’s passing and the myriad lies he told for the ends of US primacy. Shorrock and Emma trace Kissinger’s bloody footprints from Vietnam and East Timor to Argentina
Ch. 4: Henry Kissinger and the Moral Bankruptcy of U.S. Elites - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-30-23
Henry Kissinger is dead at the age of 100. The former U.S. statesman served as national security adviser and secretary of state at the height of the Cold War and wielded influence over U.S. foreign policy for decades afterward.
Former U.S. secretary of state and national security adviser Henry Kissinger has died at the age of 100. He leaves behind a legacy of American statecraft that brought war and mass atrocities to Southeast Asia, South Asia and South America
Ch. 6: The world Henry Kissinger built - The Take (Al Jazeera English) - Air Date 12-1-23
Henry Kissinger was a giant of our world order for half a century. The former US secretary of state died at the age of 100 on Wednesday. He left a mark on every region – often not for the better of those left in the wake of his controversial policies.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Henry Kissinger's Reactionary Idealism - Against the Grain - Air Date 10-11-17
Historian Greg Grandin reflects on the ideology and practice of Henry Kissinger.
Ch. 8: Amb. Martin Indyk Pens Kissinger Book - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 11-12-21
Former envoy to Israel, Martin Indyk, is out with a new book that details Henry Kissinger’s legacy in the Middle East.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on our year-end membership drive
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE
Description: A photo of the profile of an elderly Henry Kissinger with a solemn expression. His hair is white and he wears glasses and a dark suit.
Credit: "Dr. Henry Kissinger listens..." by U.S. Secretary of State, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Horizontal crop
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Original Air Dates 12-3-23 and 12-10-23
We discuss in episode #281:
- the impacts of a stratified wealth disparity - the anti-social habit we're adopting that will make us more anti-social - the desperation many feel to just put life on hold for a few days
REFERENCES: Infants Are Born With Syphilis in Growing Numbers, a Sign of a Wider Epidemic
Behind the Gates of a Private World for Only the Wealthiest New Yorkers
Hungry (but Not for Human Contact), Americans Head for the Drive-Through
Let’s unpack the hospital fantasy
We discuss in episode #282:
- the relationship between religion and AI - the probably results of uploading your mind to a computer - an idea for helping to disconnect from your technology a bit
REFERENCES: Silicon Valley’s vision for AI? It’s religion, repackaged.
Uploading your consciousness will never work, a neuroscientist explains
Uploading Our Consciousness To a Computer. But Should We?
In a future of mind uploading, will you still be you, and who will own your mind?
This Ancient Ritual Is Key to How I Run a Company of 500 People. Harvard Research Shows Why.
Everything You Need to Enjoy One Tech-Free Day a Week
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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.
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Related Episodes:
#1491 Mismanaging Capitalism Can Lead to Fascism (Inflation and the Working Class)
#1519 International Fascist Movement on the Move
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Far-right extremism on the rise around the globe - The ReidOut with Joy Reid - Air Day 11-28-23
A troubling sign of the rise of far-right extremists being elected around the world, as anti-Islamic populist Geert Wilders is newly elected in the Netherlands.
Populism is rather a specific form of discontent. Discontent is the umbrella term. It's this vague sense that the way things are being done is not working. That democracy is not effective.
Far-right libertarian Javier Milei has been elected president of Argentina. Franco Metaza, the director of international relations for the Argentine Senate, joins to discuss.
Ch. 5: Media Coverage of the Trump Movement is Missing Vital Context - On the Media - Air Date 11-29-23
Jeff Sharlet, author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, argues that Trump's narratives of martyrdom, a persecuted in-group, a mysterious out-group, and a rhetoric of violence are all hallmarks of fascism.
Ultra-conservative former federal Judge Michael Luttig warns: 'American democracy [is] on a knife's edge...in greater peril today than it's ever been in American history.
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FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on preparing for the 2024 election
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A photo triptych of Donald Trump, Geert Wilders president-elect of The Netherlands, and Javier Milei president-elect of Argentina. Trump is smiling and looking toward Wilders and Milei.
Credits: “Trump at CPAC” by Kingofthedead, Wikimedia Commons; License: CC BY SA 2.0; Changes: Cropped | “Geert Wilders during a political campaign” by Peter van der Sluijs, Wikimedia Commons; License: CC BY SA 2.0; Changes: Cropped | “Javier Milei in VIVA22” by Vox España, Wikimedia Commons; License: Public Domain; Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 12/5/2023
It's important to focus on positive visions and not only get stuck in doom cycles of complaining about what's going wrong. So, we're looking at a variety of positive visions including rethinking human nature, reimagining our relationship with consumerism, considering how design can work with nature instead of against it, and understanding why cooperation is better than individualistic competition from an evolutionary point of view.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: What We Get Wrong About Human Nature - Andrewism - Air Date 1-11-23
What does it mean to be human? Join me as I explore the many interpretations of human nature across various philosophies and delve into the true breadth of human possibilities.
North Americans are sick, stressed, and alienated, a state of affairs accentuated in recent years by Covid. Gabor Maté argues that capitalism engenders illness, while the medical system blindly ignores the lives of its patients.
Ch. 3: Imagining a Solarpunk Education - Human Restoration Project - Air Date 5-11-23
Do we have the willingness to challenge the predominant social, economic, & political structures & systems that need to be challenged? To change the very nature of humanity's relationship to the planet? What role does education play in all of this?
Time and again, guests on this season of Rethinking Humanitarianism have called for systemic changes to the humanitarian system and global governance – from alternatives to the UN to revolutionized global climate financing.
Ch. 5: Elon Musk Has Become the Very Thing He Hates Most - The New Abnormal - Air Date 11-20-23
A conversation with award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor about her transformational Africanfuturism and the importance of inclusive visions of science fiction.
In this Our Changing Climate climate change video essay, I look at ways in which we can build a Solarpunk future right now. Solarpunk envisions a world in which nature and humanity are seamlessly intertwined
Ch. 7: The Race to Cooperation - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-2-23
David Sloan Wilson's work shows that humans can and have chosen values like cooperation, altruism and group success – versus individual competition and selfishness
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Ch. 8: The Race to Cooperation - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-2-23
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Geoengineering concerns - Bud from Idaho
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments clarifying some details about using Solar Radiation Management as a geoengineering strategy
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Original Air Date: 10/8/2022
Today, we take a look at the recent elections in Italy, Brazil and Sweden where far-right parties are either taking power or looking to maintain it as well as the parallels to our own politics including moderate conservatives helping to legitimize the far-right while delegitimizing elections.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Fascist Brothers of Italy Party takes power in Italy - The Mehdi Hassan Show - Air Date 10-2-22
Why the American right wing is racing to embrace Italy's next prime minister.
Ch. 2: Italian Fascism w/ David Broder - Jacobin Show - Air Date 9-30-22
Our own European editor David Broder explains what Giorgia Meloni and the Brothers of Italy's victory means for Italy.
Why the American right wing is racing to embrace Italy's next prime minister.
Ch. 4: Fascism scores another victory with Italian election - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 9-26-22
Conservatives in the US have been courting the extreme right on and off all along
Ch. 5: The Stakes Are High - In The Thick - Air Date 10-4-22
"The candidates and their vision for Brazil’s future could not be more different, but the trends underpinning this election are an echo of global experiences,” reports Roberta S. Braga for the ISPI.
Noam Chomsky joins us from Brazil with Vijay Prashad just back from Brazil to discuss Sunday’s Brazilian election between Brazil’s far right president Jair Bolsonaro and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Ch. 7: Brazil Votes For Democracy While SCOTUS Does Not - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 9-4-22
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss the ramifications of the Brazilian election for president, as Bolsonaro loses by 5 points and is priming the country to reject the second round election later this month.
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Ch. 8: Rise of the Swedish far right w/ David Broder - Jacobin Show - Air Date 9-30-22
Jonas Pontusson joins us to unpack the strong electoral showing of the Swedish far right.
Ch. 9: Fascism scores another victory with Italian election - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 9-26-22
A history lesson on the rise and fall of fascism in Europe and what it says about the path we're all on today.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the big problem with small misunderstandings
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MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022 - Installment #2:
Today’s focus is on toss-up Senate races in GA, NV, PA, and WI, and Senate races (precariously) leaning Democrat or Republican: GET FULL DETAILS AND ACTION LINKS
Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo from 2014. Far-right Italian politician (and newly elected Prime Minister) Giorgia Meloni stands in front of a backdrop with the Italian tricolor flame, a symbol of the neo-fascist political party in Italy. She is a white woman with straight blond hair. She is wearing a leather jacket and smiling with her arms crossed.
Credit: “Giorgia Melone 2014” by Jose Antonio, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC Attribution 4.0 International | Changes: Black vignette
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Air Date 11/29/2023
The movement for universal health care is still underway, though it rarely gets recognized in mainstream discourse. The death of Medicare For All (M4A) activist Ady Barkan is an occasion worth using to look at the progress being made to improve our system of promoting the health of all people in the United States as well as efforts to rein in the power of big Pharma that's used to gouge the American people with exorbitant prices. So, that's what we're doing.
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SHOW NOTES
Healthcare activist Ady Barkan has died at the age of 39 of the neurodegenerative disease ALS. His story is told in the documentary Not Going Quietly. In 2021, Democracy Now! spoke with Ady Barkan just ahead of the film’s premiere.
Ch. 2: Why your health insurance is tied to work - The Weeds - Air Date 10-18-23
The wartime policy that changed health insurance forever
Ch. 3: Rethinking the path to winning single payer - Code WACK! - Air Date 4-10-23
Winning Medicare for All in the U.S. may be at a standstill at the federal level, but it's a different story In the states. In 2021 alone, 18 single-payer bills were introduced in states such as Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Oregon.
If Medicare Advantage, the profit-driven entity that is decidedly NOT part of REAL Medicare, could be summed up in three words, they might be: deny, deny, deny.
Peter Maybarduk joins us to discuss how the new negotiation process aims to break up drug monopolies and disband the pharmaceutical industry’s profit incentive.
Interview with Dr. Stephen Bezruchka on how economic inequality connects to stress, health problems, and inadequate healthcare."
Today's three integral guests (listed below) join the Laura Flanders Show to discuss the pharmaceutical industry and how to end Big Pharma companies' monopoly.
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Ch. 8: The Challenge of Caring for Our Elders - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 11-15-23
Reed Abelson, New York Times reporter, talks about the financial challenges of caring for our elders since the United States does not have a comprehensive system to help pay for long-term care as the population ages.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on more good news from the fight against climate change
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE
Description: A photo of Ady Barkan wearing a “Be A Hero” shirt while sitting in his specialized wheelchair and smiling at someone off-camera.
Credit: “Elizabeth Warren & Ady Barkan”, Elizabeth Warren, Flickr | License: CC By 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 11/26/2023
As the hottest year in 125,000 years or so begins to come to a close, we turn to two projects still in their infancy that have big plans to decarbonize our electricity generation on one hand and give us a bit more time to turn our climate futures around on the other. The first is a reinvigoration of the geothermal power industry with the hopes of scaling up globally and the second is geo-engineering which aims to reduce the solar radiation hitting the planet to reduce devastating climate impacts while the world finishes up the work of going carbon neutral. Both ideas are a little scary, either or both could be brilliant or disastrous. The two things that are clear to me are that failure in the face of climate chaos will definitely be disastrous and any ideas with a reasonable chance of helping deserve further study.
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SHOW NOTES
Tune into this episode of Weathered to see where we’ve been in our race against the clock, where we’re going, and how the RCP scenarios can help us understand this story as well as our future on this planet.
Ch. 2: Batteries are dirty. Geothermal power can help. - Vox - Air Date 11-1-22
Lithium-ion batteries are a transformative technology in the fight against climate change. Most notably, they power electric vehicles, which have the potential to replace emissions produced by road transportation. But there’s a problem.
Deep beneath your feet is a molten ball of energy the same temperature as the surface of the sun -- an immense clean energy source that could power the world thousands of times over, says technologist and climate activist Jamie C. Beard. How do we tap it?
Ch. 4: A Messy and Unhinged Introduction to Geoengineering - vlogbrothers - Air Date 10-4-23
Describing the most dangerous way to save the world
Ch. 5: Smog Cloud Silver Lining - Radiolab - Air Date 9-22-23
Summer 2023 was a pretty scary one for the planet. Global temperatures in June and July reached record highs. And over in the North Atlantic Sea, the water temperature spiked to off-the-chart levels.
Ch. 6: How to think about solar radiation management - Volts - Air Date 2-24-23
Even if greenhouse gas emissions halted entirely right now, we would continue to feel climate change effects for decades due to existing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — and warming could accelerate
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 7: Final comments and interview with Mike Tidwell about the arguments for and against geo-engineering
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Original Air Date 10-5-2022
Today, we take a look at the life and legacy of President Ronald Reagan, the last transformational U.S. president who's regime we are still living in. Between his neoliberal economics, anti-government ideology and white supremacist appeal to authoritarians, he did more to shape the last 40 years of the politics of the country and conservative movement than anyone else.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: 40 years later, is this the end of Reaganomics? - Make Me Smart - Air Date 12-14-21
It’s been just over 40 years since newly elected President Ronald Reagan declared, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem.”
Ch. 2: The Democracy We Think We Live In - On the Media - Air Date 8-9-19
Adam Serwer [@AdamSerwer], staff writer at The Atlantic, on the catastrophic, deadly idea that "only white people are fit for self-government."
General Motors admits what we all know, after receiving a massive tax cut, the auto maker is laying off thousands of American employees and closing it's plants.
Prof. Joseph McCartin and former PATCO spokesperson Elliot Simons discuss the anniversary of the firing and Ronald Reagan's betrayal
Ch. 5: When American Presidents Go to Trial - On the Media - Air Date 9-9-22
Rick Perlstein [@rickperlstein], a journalist and author of The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan, explains the continuing impact of Gerald Ford's decision to pardon Richard Nixon for his crimes.
We scrutinize Reagan's famous quote "the nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help’” in today's episode. Where and when was it coined? What is its broader meaning?
Ch. 7: How Ronald Reagan's Regime Led To The Jan 6th Capitol Riot - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-17-21
The Capitol insurrection on January 6th was a long time coming. Back in 1980, Ronald Reagan's campaign was laying the groundwork for what would become Donald Trump's platform.
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Ch. 8: America’s Right Turn with Rick Perlstein - Why Is This Happening? - Air Date 9-1-20
How did America’s modern conservative movement come to power? Historian and author Rick Perlstein’s prolific work has traced the arc of modern electoral politics, and specifically has laid out how modern conservatism arose.
Ch. 9: Why the "Reagan Regime" Endures - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 3-7-22
Presidencies are rarely transformational, and neither Biden nor Trump have lived up to their supporters’ dreams. So what does it take to really change our politics? Host Kai Wright is joined by political theorist Corey Robin to confront that question.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on my first debate about Reagan
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A large portrait of former American President Ronald Reagan in a dark suit and red tie is framed on a wall in a dim, museum-like room. His smiling face is softly lit with a spotlight.
Credit: “President Ronald Re[a]gan” by LunchboxLarry, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
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Air Date: 11-17-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - The internet culture of putting people on blast, - a reexamination of kids who want their parents to track their movements, - trying to learn about the human condition but getting tricked into watching poverty porn, - and using AI to talk to whales and save all life on earth
REFERENCES: Teens Want Parents to Track Their Phones and Monitor Their Every Move - Wall Street Journal
Whoever staves lease wins - Vulture
How to Use AI to Talk to Whales—and Save Life on Earth - Wired
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Air Date 11/14/2023
The Supreme Court turned the table on average, working people back in the 70s when they empowered wealthy individuals and corporations to have an outsized role in our politics. Now we're trapped in the reality that shift in power created and are dreaming of a better way to manage our economic and political systems for the benefit of all people.
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Related Episodes:
#1247 The Fight for the Four Freedoms (FDR vs. Libertarianism)
SHOW NOTES
If America is to recover any semblance of meaningful democracy in our country, we have to cut out the cancer of big money in our political system. We MUST overturn Citizens United.
Ch. 2: How Things Work Congress's Revolving Door - Jim Hightower's Lowdown - Air Date 11-9-23
Hear it? What’s that sound? “Whoop-whoop-whoop.” Oooo, it’s Washington’s revolving door, allowing corporate interests to come directly inside Congress to pervert public policy.
Ch. 3: Corporate Bullsh*t Legal Bullsh*t - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 11-11-23
Donald Cohen discusses the long history of corporate propaganda covering for corporate greed, and his new book Corporate Bullsh*t: Exposing the Lies and Half-Truths That Protect Profit, Power, and Wealth in America.
Ch. 4: What Socialism Needs to Succeed - Economic Update - Air Date 10-32-23
This week's episode covers the crisis of today's left, the need to build upon and go beyond successful socialism of the 19th and 20th century, the state and micro focus on the workplace, and democratizing workplaces.
Ch. 5: Redefining Wealth–with Aisha Nyandoro - OFF-KILTER - Air Date 11-2-23
As Aisha Nyandoro—CEO of Springboard to Opportunity and architect of the Magnolia Mother’s Trust—argues in her recent Tedx Talk, it’s time to redefine wealth in the United States.
Ch. 6: Prof. Richard Wolff Why Not Democratize Big Auto Companies - The Zero Hour - Air Date 10-28-23
Prof Wolff joins Zero Hour with RJ Eskow to discuss the recent agreement between the Ford Motor Company and the United Auto Workers and how it relates to the larger issues of labor, capitalism, and democratizing workplaces.
For this week’s episode, Rebecca sat down with Troy N. Miller, who’s long served as the Off-Kilter podcast’s beloved “man behind the curtain,” aka executive producer.
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Ch. 8: How Media's Use of 'The Economy' Flattens Class Conflict - Citations Needed - Air Date 11-1-23
Kim Kelly joins to discuss the term "the economy," how and why metrics reflect interest of capital- GDP, the DOW - which are positioned as more important indicators of economic strength versus the needs of the average person.
Ch. 9: Redefining Wealth–with Aisha Nyandoro Part 2 - OFF-KILTER - Air Date 11-2-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on how a shifting baseline obscures the inequity of our economic system
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A photo of a protest banner depicting a drawn human figure with its arms out standing on top of the symbol for dollars ($). The words “People Over Profits” are written across the middle.
Credit: “World Bank/IMF demonstration [06]” by Ben Schumin, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 11/10/2023
Violence and oppression are destructive and corrosive to both the victim and perpetrator and this goes a long way toward explaining many of the dynamics at play in the holy land between Israelis and Palestinians.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why Hamas Attacked Israel - And What's Next For Gaza - AJ+ - Air Date 10-13-23
On October 7th, Hamas launched one of the deadliest attacks on Israel in years. But why? And what does this mean for the 2.3 million people trapped in Gaza, often called the largest open-air prison on Earth?
Omer Bartov, an Israeli-American professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University, joins Mehdi to discuss Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. Bartov tells Mehdi, “I don’t think that what is happening there right now is genocide…
Ch. 3: Shock Doctrine Israel with Naomi Klein - The Bitchuation Room - Air Date 10-31-23
Weaponizing trauma to inflict more trauma is Israel's forte. Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine, No Logo, and the new book Doppelganger, joins Francesca to discuss the all out assault on the people of Gaza in retaliation for Hamas' attack.
Ch. 4: Antisemitism: An Evil, An Enemy Of Peace - Owen Jones - Air Date 10-31-23
Antisemitism is an evil in itself - it is the cause of terrible horrors over many centuries - and it is also a mortal enemy of peace in Palestine.
Shane Burley on his writing at Waging Nonviolence on white nationalists manipulating the Gaza crisis. Plus 'Rotten History.'
Ch. 6: Naomi Klein on 'Selective Information' About Israel and Gaza - Inside the Hive - Air Date 11-2-23
Host Brian Stelter joins Naomi Klein to discuss the challenges of understanding what’s happening on the ground in Israel and Gaza as an information war plays out alongside the carnage.
The October 7th attack by Hamas and Israel's subsequent response has left the world in shock. To better understand the context behind this moment, Adam is joined by Nathan Thrall, one of the leading experts on the conflict in Gaza.
Ta-Nehisi Coates joins us to discuss his journey to Palestine and Israel and learn about the connection between the struggle of African Americans and Palestinians.
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Ch. 9: Beyond Settler-Colonialism - Against the Grain - Air Date - 10-31-23
Mahmood Mamdani, the acclaimed scholar of colonialism and anti-colonialism, reflects on the United States, Nazi Germany, South Africa, and Israel — settler-colonial societies built on internment and ethnic cleansing.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on an extraordinary case of looking the find the humanity in the inhumane attacks on Israel of October 7th
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A black and white photo of a street protest in London. An older man holds a large handmade protest sign, which reads "Hamas targetting civilians = war crimes. Israel targetting civilians = war crimes." The greeting "Shalom" is written in Hebrew next to the greeting "Salam" written in Arabic. At the bottom, "End the occupation!"
Credit: "No Excuses for War Crimes under any Pretext." by Alisdare Hickson, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped and slightly increased contrast
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Air Date 11/6/2023
Media literacy is a basic requirement for understanding the war in Gaza, as propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation are being distributed for both ideological and financial reasons.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Breaking News Consumer's Handbook Israel-Gaza Edition - On the Media - Air Date 10-27-23
Discussing how to navigate your social media feed in the midst of the war in Gaza.
Ch. 2: Hearts, minds, and likes - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-23-23
False information about what is happening in Israel and Gaza is taking over SM faster than journalists like BBC Verify’s Shayan Sardarizadeh can check it.
Ch. 3: US Media, Washington Rush Head First into 9-11 2.0 - Citations Needed - Air Date 10-11-23
In this public News Brief, we discuss the recent escalation in violence in "the Middle East" and the quickly forming bipartisan consensus to jam the issue into a simplistic, dehumanizing War on Terror narrative
Ch. 4: Fog of War The Media and the Israel–Palestine Conflict - Deconstructed - Air Date 10-13-23
Ryan Grim is joined by Intercept reporter Alice Speri, who has frequently reported from occupied Palestinian territory, and Palestinian American writer and political analyst Yousef Munayyer.
Ch. 5: Hate Crimes, American Media & the 'Free Palestine' Movement - NowThisNews - Air Date 11-1-23
As attacks on Gaza continue, so do violent acts in the U.S., and this researcher is breaking down our media's narratives.
Sherif Mansour of the Committee to Protect Journalists says it is one of the highest death tolls for journalists covering the conflict since 1992 and calls today it the "deadliest time for journalists in Gaza."
Ch. 7: Breaking News Consumer's Handbook Israel-Gaza Edition Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 10-27-23
The media lens—the points of view that they show us day after day, those they obscure or ridicule—affects the way we understand the world, our neighbors, and what’s politically possible. Guest Maya Schenwar, author and editor at large of Truthout.
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Ch. 9: Gaza Siege and the Liberal Handwringing Industrial Complex - Citations Needed - Air Date 10-18-23
We break down the latest efforts by Democrats to support Israel's brutal bombing and collective punishment of Gaza while still looking "deeply concerned" about the logical outcomes of this bombing and collective punishment.
We bring you the voices of Jewish Voice for Peace and their allies who shut down the main terminal of Grand Central Station during rush hour Friday in one of New York's largest acts of civil disobedience in 20 years to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: The influence of calling Congress - Craig from Ohio
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on a case study in war media manipulation
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Composite image of an illustrated hand holding a phone with "LIVE" and "BREAKING" on the screen, along with the much-maligned initial NY Times headline "Israel Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say". A finger is pressing an invisible button at the bottom of the screen. Many "share" arrows point out away from the phone.
Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. News image credit: "Gaza" by Marcin Monko, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 DEED | Changes: Cropped
Original Air Date: 8/31/2022
Today, as the news of Trump's various trials continues to drop out, we take a look back at this episode covering the long and illustrious history of powerful people avoiding prosecution in the United States.
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SHOW NOTES
Why is right now the easiest time in modern history for the wealthy to get away with whatever they want? HuffPost reporter and fellow Seattleite Michael Hobbes join Zach in the studio for a deep dive into his most recent article about white-collar crime.
Eight years after the deadly Flint water crisis began, the state’s Supreme Court has thrown out charges against former Governor Rick Snyder and eight other former officials for their complicity in the public health emergency.
Obama's DOJ has requested that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Paul Wolfowitz be granted immunity in a case that is alleging that they violated international law with the Iraq War...
Ch. 4: Obama on Investigating Bush Crimes: "Need to Look Forward" - This Week - Air Date 1-11-09
Barack Obama on This Week, January 11, 2009
In 1992, when Bush Sr. was president, he pardoned several Iran-Contra defendants, including Caspar Weinberger, Robert McFarlane, and Elliott Abrams. We speak with Greg Grandin, prize-winning author, and professor of Latin American history at New York Univ.
Ch. 6: Pardon Me - Reveal - Air Date 7-6-19
Presidential pardons grab the headlines each time Donald Trump grants clemency to a controversial person. We tell the untold story of a pardon system that is completely broken and a pardon attorney’s office that is being ignored by the White House.
Ch. 7: Bryan Stevenson on the racial terrorism of lynching - Cape Up - Air Date 4-24-18
Bryan Stevenson wants us to confront our country’s racial terrorism and then say, ‘Never again’
Ch. 8: Justice Department Weighs Whether Or Not To Prosecute Trump - MSNBC - Air Date 8-29-22
New York Times Justice Department Reporter Katie Benner and former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman discuss how the inquiry into Trump’s handling of classified documents poses an unparalleled test for DOJ
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
"Restoring the Brotherhood of Union: Confederate Pardon and Amnesty Records, 1865-1877" Archives specialist John Deeben provides a brief legislative history of amnesty activity during and after the Civil War.
Ch. 10: The power of presidential pardons - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 12-25-20
Pardons are among the most powerful tools a president has. While pardons can be politically motivated, drawing criticism, they can also change lives.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the nature of pardons, accountability and hurt feelings
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Original Air Date: 8/16/2022
Today, we take a look at the strategies underway to systematically dismantle democracy in the United States including installing Big-Lie™ believers in elected and poll-working positions, preventing state-level Supreme Courts from holding GOP-dominated state legislators to the state constitutions, and wiping out tens of thousands of career civil servants from the federal government to be replaced by right-wing extremists.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Republicans Caught Planning MASSIVE Voter Fraud - David Pakman Show - Air Date 6-2-22
Republicans are caught planning massive voter fraud in a mindblowing new report from Politico
Now, reporting by POLITICO details GOP efforts on the local level to challenge and potentially overturn elections. Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine and the author of "Cheap Speech" joins William Brangham to discuss.
Trump’s top allies are prepping a plan to purge the federal government. They want to remove thousands of key decision-makers and replace them with MAGA loyalists, all through an Executive Order called "Schedule F."
Many of the possible 2024 Republican contenders have told Axios that they support the plan being put together by Trump's allies to purge career government workers and replace them with their own loyalists.
Ch. 5: Fake Electors, Real Crimes and Much More - The Bradcast - Air Date 7-26-22
Explaining the plan to election 2020 election deniers into positions of power to influence the 2024 election.
Across the country, dark money is pouring into Secretary of State races to promote election-denying candidates. This money is mostly untraceable, thanks to our absurd campaign finance laws.
Carolyn Shapiro says a ruling in favor of North Carolina Republicans would be "extremely problematic from the perspective of democracy" and "could cause enormous chaos."
Ch. 8: The Supreme Court Case That Could Upend U.S. Elections - All In w/ Chris Hayes - Air Date 7-5-22
"I always counsel against assuming that any one court decision is going to dramatically change the landscape. But this case is different," says Marc Elias on the Supreme Court taking up a case on state legislatures' authority over elections.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Fake Electors, Real Crimes and Much More Part 2 - The Bradcast - Air Date 7-26-22
Previously undisclosed emails between top associates and aides of Donald Trump expose how they coordinated their plot to present 'fake' electors in seven states to steal the 2020 election from the American people.
TAKE ACTION:
Become a Poll/Election Worker:
How to Be A Poll Worker Where you Live (US Election Assistance Commission)
WorkElections.org (Fair Elections Center)
Defeat MAGA Secretaries of State in Midterms:
Help People Get Voter IDs:
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A voter crouches by a folding table, his head is obscured by the white voter privacy box decorated with an American flag on each side. Other tables and privacy boxes can be seen in the large building foyer. Glass entrance doors can be seen in the distance.
Credit: “Election Day 2020” by Phil Roeder, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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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.
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SHOW NOTES
Donald Trump has ramped up his violent rhetoric in recent weeks. Meanwhile, a Fox host has urged the U.S. towards civil war and claimed that voting does not work.
Pat Buchanan was ahead of his time. He used the KKK’s David Duke to breed a new nativist religious nationalism, based on fear of liberalization. On this show, political science professor Joseph Lowndes sheds light on how the Republican Party got here
Emma hosts John S. Huntington, professor of history at Houston Community College, to discuss his recent book Far-Right Vanguard: The Radical Roots of Modern Conservatism.
Ch. 4: How Often Do YOU Think About the Roman Empire? - Wisecrack - Air Date 10-16-23
The real reason TikTok is crazy for ancient Rome If you’re even a little bit online, you know that the men love ancient Rome. This isn’t new: The civilization has loomed large in the Western imagination ever since its catastrophic collapse.
Ch. 5: The Conservative Plan to Take Over the Country Part 1 - Leeja Miller - Air Date 9-26-23
Project 2025 is the terrifying plan set out by conservatives to take over the government. But it's radical, and it doesn't align with what most Americans want. Which is why we have to make sure this plan never happens.
A Trump supporter just displayed exactly how stochastic terrorism works.
Ch. 7: The Conservative Plan to Take Over the Country Part 2 - Leeja Miller - Air Date 9-26-23
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Think Tanks: How Fake Experts Shape the News - Tom Nicholas - Air Date 5-13-23
A video about how billionaire-funded right-wing “think tanks” such as the Heritage Foundation, Adam Smith Institute, Manhattan Institute, and Institute of Economic Affairs manipulate the news to spread their propaganda.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments discussing the Red Caesar movement and our strange allies opposing it
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A white marble bust of Julius Caesar in armor and robes wears a red MAGA hat.
Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Source images of bust and hat are copyright-free from Pixabay.
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Air Date: 10-21-23
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss:
- the complainers at The Atlantic
- why a mindful workforce is an oxymoron
- the myriad problems with creeping on people
- how Taylor Swift is going to solve anti-native racism
REFERENCES:
The Microwave Makes No Sense - The Atlantic
Real mindfulness would transform the economy - Vox
Maybe think twice before making an innocent stranger go viral? - NPR
The Very Common, Very Harmful Thing Well-Meaning Parents Do - The Atlantic
The 7 Best Conspiracies About Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce - Wired
Native Americans hope Taylor Swift can help get tomahawk chop banned from Chiefs games - USA Today
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Air Date 10/17/2023
There is absolutely no understanding of the conflict in Israel and Gaza without deep context, history, and human psychology. Those who attempt to find moral clarity through simplification of the situation will only find themselves supporting atrocities by one side or the other and demonstrate themselves to be fools in the process.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Israel and Palestine A Difficult Discussion Part 1 - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 10-10-23
Andrea is joined by Terrell Starr, host of the Black Diplomats podcast, who recently visited the West Bank.
Israel has declared war on Hamas after Hamas fighters launched a surprise coordinated attack over the militarized border, the largest in decades.
Ch. 3: Phyllis Bennis on Gaza - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-13-23
“War is not the time for context” still seems to be the mantra for many in the US press. We’ll talk with Phyllis Bennis from the New Internationalism project at the Institute for Policy Studies.
From Tel Aviv, we hear from award-winning Israeli journalist and author Gideon Levy, whose recent column for Haaretz is headlined “Israel Can’t Imprison Two Million Gazans Without Paying a Cruel Price.”
Ebro in the Morning sits down with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to discuss the conflicts in the Israel-Hamas war, the role of the United States in the conflict, the conversation, and the next steps.
Ch. 6: Israel and Palestine A Difficult Discussion Part 2 - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 10-10-23
We speak with journalist and Palestine News Director for Mondoweiss Yumna Patel from Bethlehem about the events of the past week
As the humanitarian crisis worsens, we get an update from Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch, who says conditions in Gaza are dire.
The unfolding crisis in Gaza, where relentless Israeli bombardment has killed more than 1,500 people since Saturday, is “a humanitarian catastrophe,” says Palestinian American human rights attorney Noura Erakat.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Palestinian National Initiative leader Mustafa Barghouti discusses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Russian invasion of Ukraine with CNN's Fareed Zakaria.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Calling Congress about the latest war - Andrew
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments with even more notes of nuance from the conflict
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo. In the foreground, piles of broken concrete and twisted metal line a section of the coast of Gaza. The sea and tall buildings are visible in the distance. The sky is cloudy and ominous.
Credit: "Gaza" by Marcin Monko, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 DEED | Changes: Tightly cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 10/13/2023
Understanding the historical context of the civil war within the GOP as they have just fought their way out of being able to govern at all with an empty Speakership in the house that is grinding congress to a halt.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Shutshow - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-2-23
The US government is open for business at the cost of Ukraine aid. Semafor’s Jordan Weissmann explains how we got here. And White House communications director Ben LaBolt explains how the Biden administration is justifying the compromise.
“It’s a crisis entirely of Kevin McCarthy’s own making,” says our guest Sasha Abramsky, the West Coast correspondent for The Nation.
At a virtual town hall, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) spoke about the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the Speaker role, which every Democratic lawmaker in the House voted for.
Ch. 4: The House that Newt Built: The Rise of Matt Gaetz Part 1 - UNFTR - Air Date 10-7-23
Max struggles to understand exactly what Matt Gaetz is after, but has his suspicions. Regardless of the right-wing endgame, this week’s fiasco was made possible by Newt Gingrich in the 1990s.
Ch. 5: Through the Gaetz of Hell - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 10-6-23
Brad begins with an analytical discussion of political nihilism in order to provide a window into the chaos in Congress created by the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Ch. 6: The House that Newt Built: The Rise of Matt Gaetz Part 2 - UNFTR - Air Date 10-7-23
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Why Our Politics Are Stuck In 2016 - FiveThirtyEight Politics - Air Date 9-25-23
In this installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, Galen Druke speaks with American politics professor Lynn Vavreck to help make sense of how we got here.
Ch. 8: Who Will Replace Kevin McCarthy - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 10-6-23
Since a faction of far-right Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy as speaker, Luke Broadwater, congressional reporter for The New York Times, talks about the candidates vying to replace him.
Ch. 9: It's Now Or Never For The GOP Candidates - FiveThirtyEight Politics - Air Date 9-28-23
The crew reacts to the second Republican presidential primary debate in this late-night podcast.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on what divides the parties from each other and from within
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A caricature of former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy standing in front of the seal of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Credit: “Kevin McCarthy - Caricature” by DonkeyHotey, Flickr | License: CC By 2.0 DEED | Changes: Cropped
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Original Air Date: 2/22/2023
Today, we take a look at some of the work of the chaotic wrecking crew that is the GOP of the 118th Congress including their plan to hold the world economy hostage and weaponize the government against Democrats all while infighting their way to the 2024 presidential election.
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SHOW NOTES
His dramatic victory came after a series of concessions that will give hardline conservatives greater influence in the House. Sarah Binder, a political scientist at George Washington University, joins John Yang to discuss.
Ch. 2: GOP is playing with U.S. prosperity in fight over debt ceiling - MSNBC - Air Date 1-14-23
McCarthy and the House GOP are threatening to not raise the debt ceiling. That would be a huge mistake. Ali Velshi explains why.
Senator Warren joined Jon Keller to discuss the debt ceiling which she called a "manufactured crisis" that Republicans don't care enough about, and that wealthy corporations need to pay more in taxes.
Ch. 4: Joe: Debt ceiling fight is just a lose-lose for McCarthy - Morning Joe - Air Date 1-18-23
The Republican-controlled House has planted the seeds for a debt-ceiling showdown. The Morning Joe panel discusses.
Ch. 5: Right-Wingers FINALLY Exposed For Crushing Plot In Real Time - The Damage Report - Air Date 2-12-23
Right-wingers, including Matt Gaetz, Lindsey Graham and Kevin McCarthy, get caught for their blatant lies over social security on camera while ABC Johnathan Karl runs cover. John Iadarola and Ben Carollo break it down on The Damage Report.
Then, Republican infighting keeps going public, as even Fox News pans their hearings. Guests: Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Stacey Plaskett, Yurii Hundych, Alfie Williams, Gov. George Pataki
The awaited GOP-led House hearings are now underway, and as predicted, they are not going well. Republicans intended a hearing on Twitter's content moderation policies to bolster their bogus claims of alleged federal government censorship of social media.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: Is America broken? - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 2-2-23
Sean Illing speaks with Alana Newhouse, the editor-in-chief of Tablet magazine. They discuss her recent essay on "brokenism," a term she coined in an effort to redefine political divisions in America.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 10/7/2023
Spanning the gamut of terrible policy choices and their impacts on children, we look today at the perverse reality at odds with conservatives' claim to be standing up for "family values" and saving children from the abuse of Democrats.
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Related Episodes:
#1479 Torturing Children and Families in the Name of Protecting Them (Trans Rights)
#1563 Putting Our Kids to Work for Corporate Profits
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: What "Parents' Rights" REALLY Means - Zoe Bee - Air Date 9-26-23
"Parents' Rights" has been a rallying cry for several political and social groups in the past few years. But what does it really mean? Let's find out.
In 2021, as the economy reeled from the pandemic, a one-year expansion of the child tax credit led to a historic 46 percent decline in the child poverty rate. But new census data shows a dramatic reversal with the rate of children in poverty skyrocketing
Ch. 3: Why Child Labor in America is Skyrocketing - Robert Reich - Air Date 5-16-23
Corporations are now using the “labor shortage” as an excuse to bring back child labor. It’s part of a horrifying trend: Since 2015, child labor violations have risen nearly 300%.
Ch. 4: America First 2.0 & A Defense of Child Marriage - Head in the Office - Air Date 4-19-23
The boys highlight a slurry of bad news coming from states like Florida and Ohio, the Missouri GOP defends child marriage, a GOP presidential contender drops a 25 point plan for America First 2.0, many people might lose Medicaid
Ch. 5: Having A Baby In America – SOME MORE NEWS - Air Date 9-27-23
Conservatives sure want Americans to have more children, but they don't seem to like children at all or want to support them in society! In today's episode, we look at the many challenges Americans face if they want to become parents
Ch. 6: How Inequality Fuels Child Abuse - One in Ten - Air Date 9-5-23
How do we come alongside and stand with families in poverty who are struggling with child abuse and neglect? How do we examine our own policies and procedures to ensure that we’re being genuinely helpful and not just adding to families’ burdens?
Sen. Cory Booker on the child poverty rate doubling after Republicans let the expanded child tax credit expire: “We have now proved something pretty phenomenal and at the same time, pretty obscene.
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Ch. 8: Why It Sucks To Be Young - Andrewism - Air Date 2-3-21
We don't talk enough about how our society treats young people and children. Let's change that.
Leaked videos and recordings uncovered by investigative watchdog Documented expose the Alliance Defending Freedom’s plot to wipe out public schools in America.
Their goal is to take down the entire system of education
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the article that inspired today's episode and more examples of abusing children through policy New
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 10/3/2023
The Stop Cop City movement in Atlanta is the current tip of the spear of the police accountability movement but the instinct of elected officials to lean into building more and bigger policing facilities is likely to spread as part of the backlash to the backlash against police violence which calls for defunding and redistributing resources to programs that actually help people.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 2: The Struggle to Stop Cop City - On the Nose - Air Date 6-22-23
Joining to discuss Stop Cop City, Micah Herskind, a community organizer and writer; Keyanna Jones, a reverend and organizer; and Josie Duffy Rice, a writer who covers criminal justice.
Ch. 3: Is America becoming Cop City - The Police Accountability Report - Air Date 4-10-23
We went on the ground in Atlanta, GA to find the truth behind the Cop City protests, the police shooting death of Manuel "Tortuguita" Tehran and the dark money funding the creation of the Atlanta Public Safety Center.
Ch. 4: The Struggle to Stop Cop City Part 2 - On the Nose - Air Date 6-22-23
Joining to discuss Stop Cop City, Micah Herskind, a community organizer and writer; Keyanna Jones, a reverend and organizer; and Josie Duffy Rice, a writer who covers criminal justice.
These new and unprecedented arrests are a clear attack on “the infrastructure of the movement,” says Kamau Franklin, founder of the organization Community Movement Builders and a vocal Cop City opponent.
Ch. 6: Stop Cop City with Atlanta DSA - Revolutions Per Minute - Air Date 8-23-23
Tonight we’ll hear from Atlanta DSA member Gabriel Sanchez about the chapter's effort to stop Cop City through a ballot referendum and the terrifying tactics police, the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia have used to in order to crush opposition.
"They are choosing to use the legal process in an essentially violent way to target protesters," says attorney Devin Franklin with the Southern Center for Human Rights, which is organizing legal representation for the defendants in the case.
Ch. 8: Stop Cop City - Keyanna Jones - Air Date 9-17-23
Sam talks with Keyanna Michelle Jones, an organizer with Community Movement Builders. They discuss the ominous and illegitimate RICO indictments "Cop City" opponents face and the fascist assault on the right to protest there.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Stop Cop City Part 2 - Keyanna Jones - Air Date 9-17-23
Ch. 10: Stop Cop City with Atlanta DSA Part 2 - Revolutions Per Minute - Air Date 8-23-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments Final comments on understanding the movement cycle
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Protesters walking in the street in NYC hold a large banner that says “Stop Cop City: NYC Supports Atlanta Forrest Defenders” with images of trees.
Credit: “36 Stop Cop City” by Felton Davis, Flickr | License: CC BY 4.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date: 9-29-23
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss:
- The economics of witch trials
- The creation of content for capital
- Layers and layers of bullshit obscure reality
- Post script: visit to the Salem museum
REFERENCES:
How Social Turmoil Has Increased Witch Hunts throughout History - Scientific American
To Be a Consumer of Culture Means Living in a Hostage Situation - Slate
WE’VE LOST THE PLOT - The Atlantic
Dance, I Said — Dance! And Leave the Package on the Porch. - NYTimes
The Salem Witch Trials: Restoring Justice - Peabody Essex Museum; Salem, Mass
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Air Date 9/26/2023
Rays of hope for the worker's struggle against unfettered, exploitative capitalism are coming from multiple angles as strikes from creatives in Hollywood and autoworkers in Detroit are striking to demand wages, benefits, and protections while executives make arguments for why workers should be made to feel the threat of poverty to keep them in line.
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Related Episodes:
#1463 People Are Waking Back Up To The Need For Labor Unions
#1557 Tactics and Counter-Tactics of the Struggle for Labor Rights
SHOW NOTES
On day 1 of the UAW strike, CNN questioned CEO of General Motors Mary Barra over why she has seen a 34% increase in her pay while GM workers haven't. I break down how ridiculous her response here is.
Ch. 2: Far-Right Anti-Science Conspiracies Are Literally Killing Us - The New Abnormal - Air Date 9-18-23
Dr. Peter Hotez joins The New Abnormal this week to discuss his new book, “The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science”—and why anti-vaccine conspiracies are so dangerous. Plus! An interview with labor reporter and author Kim Kelly about the UAW strike.
Ch. 3: Sociopath Businessman Tells The Truth About Capitalism - Novara Media - Air Date 9-14-23
A CEO says the quiet part out loud about the inhuman fundamentals of capitalism
In this public News Brief, we break down recent attempts by Politico, Axios, New York Times and faux populist Republicans to pit autoworkers against climate mandates.
UC Santa Barbara labor historian Dr. NELSON LICHTENSTEIN explains the specific concerns of autoworker unions, how 2023's summer of unionization compares to prior waves of union organizing in the US and the political implications of unionization
Harold Meyerson, editor-at-large at The American Prospect, discusses the recent decisions made at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Ch. 7: Workers Fighting Back: The UAW Goes on Strike! - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 9-19-23
Teddy Ostrow and Maximillian Alvarez from The Real News Network join Breht to discuss the recent "stand up" strike launched by the United Auto Workers labor union. Teddy and Max discuss the strike and explain the causes
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Every worker deserves a union — including strippers! Recently, strippers at the Star Garden in North Hollywood became the first strippers in decades to unionize. On this week’s Factually, Charlie and Lilith from Equity Strippers Noho join Adam
The workers who power the biggest superhero movies on the planet voted unanimously to unionize with VFX-IATSE. This is a major first step for the industry, and Disney is next.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on Biden's visit to the picket line and the importance of how moral questions are framed
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 9/24/2023
Israel's politics have been upended by the return of Netanyahu as Prime Minister, put in office with the help of extremely far-right factions who have now pushed through reforms to the Israeli Supreme Court that fundamentally undermine their democracy. All this while they were already a farce of a democracy due to the maintenance of an apartheid-like system of differing rules applying to different residents based on ethnicity.
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Related Episodes:
#1447 Settler Colonialist Structures Around the World
#1542 Despair and violence in Israel's illiberal and exclusionary "democracy"
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The U.S. should not reward Israel’s bad behavior - Velshi - Air Date 9-3-23
Israel’s internal politics has been upended, with indicted Prime Minister Netanyahu returning to office and, in a situation echoing American politics, trying to use his power and influence to remain in power to avoid prosecution.
We speak with two Israeli journalists in Tel Aviv after lawmakers in Israel passed a highly contested bill Monday weakening the power of the Supreme Court by preventing it from blocking government decisions it deems unreasonable.
Ch. 3: Protests in Israel: The Rights Further Consolidation of Power - Intercepted - Air Date 7-26-23
Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain are joined by Mairav Zonszein, an Israeli American journalist and a senior analyst on Israel-Palestine at the International Crisis Group.
Ch. 4: Congress Melts Down Over Israel Again - Deconstructed - Air Date 7-21-23
The House overwhelmingly passed a resolution on Tuesday pledging "the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel” and that Israel is “not a racist or apartheid state.” Guest Beth Miller
The visits from Israeli leadership are an attempt to "normalize apartheid," says Palestinian human rights attorney Noura Erakat, who compares today's U.S. support of Israel to the nation's support for South African apartheid.
We speak with journalist and author Antony Loewenstein about his new book, The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the circular Supreme Court case sending Israel into a spiral of chaos
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Israeli flags fly around a crowd of people standing on a sidewalk holding signs that say "Saving Israeli Democracy" and "Democracy for All" with a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Netenyahu behind bars.
Credit: "Democracy for All" by Alisdare Hickson, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0) | Changes: Cropped
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Original Air Date: 8/8/2020
Today we take a look at the concept of defunding the police; what it means, what it doesn't and what the goals of the movement are.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Race, Police, & The Pandemic - FRONTLINE - Air Date 6-2-20
Jelani Cobb describes how the relationship between black Americans and the police has become a “barometer” for race relations in the country and that explosive tensions are “overwhelmingly” in response to an issue of police use of force.
Ch. 2: Panel Discussion on Radical Police Reform - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-10-20
Trevor hosts a panel on movements to radically reimagine policing in the U.S. with Patrisse Cullors, Josie Duffy Rice, Sam Sinyangwe, Mychal Denzel Smith and Alex S. Vitale.
Ch. 3: The Racial Justice Uprising in the U.S. is Taking Hold Overseas - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-8-20
Explaining that an overburdened police system that takes on way too much, including much that is outside the realm of their training, is something that no one should want.
Ch. 4: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale - The Bastani Factor, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20
Aaron Bastani interviews author of ‘The End of Policing’, Alex Vitale, to ask just how bad law enforcement is in the United States, and what can be done about it.
Ch. 5: Defunding the Police Is Only the Beginning - The Mother Jones Podcast - Air Date 6-17-20
Josie Duffy Rice joins Jamilah King for a discussion about the recent police killing of Rayshard Brookes in Atlanta, the deep racist and classist structural issues with policing in America, and why defunding the police is only step one.
Ch. 6: Defund Police What It Means & How It Would Really Work - News Beat - Air Date 6-16-20
In the wake of the police slaying of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protesters have not only flooded the streets, but they're actively pushing reforms that go well beyond traditional solutions.
Ch. 7: How to Defund the Police - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-11-20
Racism is baked into the U.S. model of policing. More and more people are starting to believe that no amount of "reform" will help; a full tear-down is required. But what does "defunding the police" actually mean?
Ch. 8: Is It Time To Defund the Police? - Deconstructed with Mehdi Hasan - Air Date 6-11-20
Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors joins Mehdi Hasan to discuss the future of policing and community-oriented systems of public safety in the United States.
Ch. 9: The Politics of "Defund the Police" - Politics with Amy Walter, The Takeaway - Air Date 6-12-20
Congress is reckoning with how to respond to the protests and calls for police accountability. Two national reporters join to discuss the Justice in Policing Act of 2020.
Ch. 10: We Can't Let The Uprising Get Co-opted - The Michael Brooks Show - Air Date 6-10-20
Notes on the uprising and how we move forward without allowing the forces of neoliberalism to co-opt the movement.
Amid a worldwide uprising against police brutality and racism, we discuss the historic moment with legendary scholar and activist Angela Davis.
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
The Movement for Black Lives Introduces the BREATHE Act (Colorlines)
What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police? (The Cut, NY Mag,)
What Does It Mean to Invest in Black Communities? (The Nation)
How to Defund the Police (The New Yorker)
How to Make Defunding the Police a Reality (The Nation)
Defunding the Police Will Actually Make Us Safer (ACLU)
Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 9/18/2023
Exploring the captivating world of conspiracy theories! We are all wired to believe misinformation to some degree, but not all to the same degree. With help from Naomi Klein, and other experts, discover why people are drawn to conspiracies, the psychology behind belief and ideas about the best way to prevent conspiratorial thinking.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why we are all attracted to conspiracy theories - The Guardian - Air Date 3-10-21
Belief in conspiracy theories is far more widespread than the stereotypes that dominate pop culture.
When Naomi Klein discovered that a woman who shared her first name, but had radically different, harmful views, was getting chronically mistaken for her, it seemed too ridiculous to take seriously. Then suddenly it wasn't.
Ch. 3: Why Do Conservatives Fall For Fake News? - Leeja Miller - Air Date 6-28-23
Why do conservatives fall for fake news? Is it just them, or are we all culpable? How did Americans become so susceptible to falling for disinformation? And what can we do about it??
Klein explains her initial motivation for the book was her own alter-ego, the author Naomi Wolf, for whom she has often been mistaken.
Ch. 5: How Conspiracy Theories Capture the Mind - UChicago Institute of Politics - Air Date 4-8-22
Journalisms role in solving the spread of misinformation
This past year, COVID-19 and the U.S. elections have provided fertile ground for conspiracy theories—with sometimes disastrous consequences. Karen Douglas, PhD discusses psychological research on how conspiracy theories start & why they persist.
Ch. 8: Birds Aren’t Real? How a Conspiracy Takes Flight | Peter McIndoe - TEDTalks - Air Date 9-13-23
Peter McIndoe isn't a fan of birds. In fact, he has a theory about them that might shock you. Listen along to this eye-opening talk as it takes a turn and makes a larger point about conspiracies, truth and belonging in divisive times.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
MAGA supporters not only believe that Donald Trump is still president, but that he's in charge of the military.
Like millions of Americans, Karen Robertson of Iuka, Mississippi believed in conspiracy theories. But one day she had an experience that convinced her to challenge her beliefs. She spoke about that moment with student reporter Makenna Mead
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the importance of making connections while avoiding conspiratorial thinking
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 6/15/2018
The high toll Puerto Rico is paying, in both money and lives, for the triple disasters of colonialism, Hurricane Maria and disaster capitalism
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 2: Colonialism during hurricane season - On the Media - 6-6-18
Ch. 5: Naomi Klein on Puerto Rico and Disaster Capitalism - Touré Show - Air Date 4-25-18
Ch. 9: Final comments on the lessons of Mister Rogers that we could use right now
TAKE ACTION
Get involved with/support Mutual Aid Disaster Relief
MARD Skillshare Trainings (Links for request forms are at the bottom of the blog post)
Read more about MARD ongoing work in Puerto Rico
FOR FURTHER READING/SHARING
FEMA Blamed Delays In Puerto Rico On Maria; Agency Records Tell Another Story (NPR/Frontline)
About a quarter of Puerto Rico’s schools are shutting down. Here’s a look inside one. (Vox)
"Justice was served": Judge halts school closures in Puerto Rico (CBS)
New bill pushes for commission to investigate federal response to Puerto Rico hurricanes (NBC)
At Issue In Florida Senate Campaign: Who's Fighting For Puerto Rico? (NPR)
Hurricane Maria Casts Shadow Over Puerto Rican Parade (NY Times)
Puerto Rico's Push For Food Independence Intertwined With Statehood Debate (NPR)
The Shame in Puerto Rico (NY Times)
Fighting for Those Who Can No Longer Speak (SocialistWorker.org)
Resisting Disaster Capitalists and Building Solidarity in Puerto Rico (Grassroots International)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 9/13/2023
This eye-opening episode will explore the complex web of colonialism, disaster capitalism, and climate change is ravaging Native Hawaiian communities. We explore how corporations and privatization going back to annexation have exacerbated wildfires, water scarcity and housing issues in Hawaii. We also discuss the role of tourism and its impact on local culture and resources and learn how community-led mutual aid efforts are offering a glimmer of hope for the unhoused and those struggling to reclaim their ancestral lands.
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Related Episodes:
#1401 That is a Texas-Sized Climate Disaster You Got There
SHOW NOTES
We speak with Hawaiian law professor Kapuaʻala Sproat about the conditions that made the fires more destructive and what’s yet to come for residents looking to rebuild their lives.
Ch. 2: Why Maui burned - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-15-23
Hawaii’s landscape has been rapidly changing for the last 200 years thanks to plantations, tourism, and climate change. A reporter and climatologist explain how those factors fueled one of the worst wildfires in US history.
Ch. 3: We are concerned for you. - Read Choi - Air Date 8-4-23
A skit imagining a discussion between an elite property owner and a Native Hawaiian
Ch. 4: Disasters at every turn - Native America Calling - Air Date 8-28-23
Officials are still sorting out the human and financial toll of the unprecedented fire on Maui. Many Native Hawaiians remain missing, hundreds more sustained serious damage to their homes and businesses.
We speak with Kaniela Ing, national director of the Green New Deal Network and seventh-generation Kanaka Maoli, Native Hawaiian, about the impact of this week’s devastating wildfires and their relationship to climate change.
In Lahaina, the area in west Maui that is of historical importance to Indigenous people, entire neighborhoods were wiped out by this week’s historic wildfires, including the Na 'Aikane o Maui Cultural Center
Janine Jackson takes a quick look back at recent press coverage of the Maui fires and the climate crisis.
Ch. 8: Wildfires - This is Democracy - Air Date 9-5-23
This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by guests Randy Denzer and Dr. Alison Alter to discuss the increasing incidence of wildfires in the United States and what efforts have been made to mitigate them.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Relationships, Money, and Maui Tourism - The Amanda Seales Show - Air Date 8-18-23
Is Tourism helpful to the Hawaiian Islands? Is the tourism industry a byproduct of the colonization of Hawaii?
Ch. 10: How Native Hawaiians have been pushed out of Hawai'i - Bianca Graulau - Air Date 2-7-23
Native Hawaiians are struggling to afford to live on the land that was once stolen from their ancestors.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the need for better systems to respond to predictable disasters
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date: 9-8-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - The need for good structures of society, not scripture - Jesus is too liberal for Christians - Amateur anthropology - Technology and humanity - Drugs and alcohol
REFERENCES: Report: Record Number Of People Following Their Hearts - Babylon Bee
The Misunderstood Reason Millions of Americans Stopped Going to Church - The Atlantic
Evangelicals Are Now Rejecting 'Liberal' Teachings of Jesus - Newsweek
Doug Rushkoff Is Ready to Renounce the Digital Revolution - Wired
A philosopher's psychedelic encounter with reality - The Gray Area with Sean Illing
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 9/6/2023
The first GOP presidential debate happened without the frontrunner, Donald Trump, being present for the event but rather hanging over the proceedings like a specter. Meanwhile, Trump's legal troubles continue to mount and we examine what it is that is keeping Republican voters and presidential candidates alike, with minor exceptions, firmly defending the former president.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Party of Authoritarianism - In The Thick - Air Date 8-23-23
As the GOP presidential debates make their premiere in Milwaukee, Jeanne Whalen reports on Donald Trump’s failure to make good on a promise of bringing a manufacturing boom to Wisconsin
Ch. 2: Trickle Down Trumpism - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 8-26-23
The GOP debate, where Trump was somehow both absent and present.
Highlights from the first Republican presidential debate of the 2023 race and analysis from John Nichols
Ch. 4: Why top Republicans want to bomb Mexico - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-29-23
Long-shot presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said he would send US forces into Mexico “on day one.” Longer-shot presidential candidate Will Hurd explains why that’s a bad idea.
Ch. 5: Trickle Down Trumpism Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 8-26-23
Ch. 6: The Party of Authoritarianism Part 2 - In The Thick - Air Date 8-23-23
Ch. 7: Is America Run By A Psychopathic Cult w Seth D. Norrholm - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 8-24-23
Will America’s Democracy be a memory before Trump’s cult wakes up?
Ch. 8: Trickle Down Trumpism Part 3 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 8-26-23
Ch. 9: Ticking Bomb Inside GOP’s Plan To Defund Trump Prosecution - Thom Hartmann - Air Date 8-31-23
Far-Right lawmakers want to defund Fani Willis without settling for legal means to stop the persecution of Donald Trump.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Discussing the 14th Amendment option
Discussing the GOP debate on support for Ukraine
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the need to ban Trump from office in the right way
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A four-quadrant layout of photos of GOP presidential candidates, including Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy. At the intersection of the images is a red circle around a photo of Donald Trump’s face, mid-speech, pointing a finger at the camera.
Credit: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Individual image credits: Chris Christie by Michael Vadon, Flickr (License: CC BY-SA 2.0), Changes: Cropped; Photos of Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Donald Trump all by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 9/3/2023
Sports gambling through smartphones has become widely available and wildly addictive but the effects are being felt beyond the individual gambler's bank account and anxiety levels. Partnerships between gambling companies and colleges, influencers, and even journalistic institutions like ESPN are changing the fundamentals of the sports themselves and how they're understood by fans - all for the worse.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: How the Sports Betting Industry Quietly Consumed America - Wendover Productions - Air Date 12-13-22
How the Sports Betting Industry Quietly Consumed America
Ch. 2: The Explosion of Online Sports Betting with Eric Lipton - Why Is This Happening? - Air Date 5-9-23
You’ve probably encountered an advertisement for sports betting in one form or another. In the past few years, there’s been a marked rise in the number of online sports betting ads from companies like DraftKings and FanDuel.
On the Domonique Foxworth Show, Domonique dives into the latest news of NFL players suspended for gambling violations and how everything revolves around money.
Ch. 4: ESPN Will NEVER be the Same After This Major Decision - TYT Sports - Air Date 8-12-23
Now that legal sports betting has become normalized and adopted nationwide, ESPN is trying to wedge themselves into the market, which is something that should worry anyone who cares about sports. Rick Strom breaks it down.
Ch. 5: The Toxic Normalization of Online Gambling - Cara Nicole - Air Date 9-30-22
In this video, we're dissecting the rise of sports betting apps, gambling shows on Twitch and ESPN, casino streams by celebrities like Drake, and how we're creating widespread gambling addictions
We are weeks away from college basketball’s March Madness and billions of dollars worth of wagers on the games. As more states legalize sports betting, Paul Solman reports on the increasing concern that some colleges are too involved in its promotion.
Ch. 7: What Happened to Black Activism in Professional Sports? - Edge of Sports - Air Date 7-26-23
Later in the show, we have Choice Words about the social cost of smartphone sports gambling becoming the economic lifeblood of sports.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: The Puppets of Online Gambling - Philion - Air Date 4-7-23
Stake.com is the world's largest crypto casino valued at over 1 billion dollars. It is licensed in Curacao and operates out of Australia. Stake.com is infiltrating pop culture via Twitch streamers celebrities & coporate sponsors
Ch. 9: How Australian sports make money from gambling - Full Story - Air Date 5-10-23
As the online gambling industry grows, at least one Australian football league is taking a greater share of its revenue. Reporter Henry Belot tells Jane Lee why this is a problem for fans, punters and even some players
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Buddhist teachings and A.I. - Craig from Ohio
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the outsized influence of impetuous billionaires
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Original Air Date: 12/15/2017
The history and current state of rich people seeking to undermine democratic rule by the people in favor of oligarchy for the rich
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Show NotesCh. 1: Why The Koch Brothers Despise The Constitution - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 07-26-17
Ch. 2: Jane Mayer on the Rise of Conservative Orthodoxy - On The Media - Air Date 5-5-17
Ch. 3: The complicated reality of corruption rules. @BackStory - Air Date: 11-24-17
Ch. 4: Millionaire Donor Threatens Democrats - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 11-14-17
Ch. 5: Why our democracy in is danger - Belabored (@DissentMag) - Air Date 5-13-16
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date 8/10/2022
Origins of the European colonial land-grab, the need for the #Landback movement, and the benefits to society and the environment in the context of the climate crisis to return stewardship of the land to native peoples.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why It’s Time To Give Native Americans Their Land Back - AJ+ - Air Date 10-9-20
For some reason, Oct. 12th is still Columbus Day in a lot of the United States. Fortunately, more and more cities and states are adopting that day as Indigenous Peoples Day
Ch. 2: Canada, it's time for Land Back - The Breach - Air Date 6-2-21
Since its inception, Canada has been stealing Indigenous lands — by the barrel of a gun, by starvation tactics & by tearing children from their families.
Ch. 3: Mark Charles: An Indigenous Liberation Theology - A People's Theology - Air Date 7-7-21
Mason chats with Mark Charles about his book, Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery. We chat all about the Doctrine of Discovery, Mark's theology of land and water, and much more.
Ch. 4: Can Indigenous People Lead the Fight Against Climate Change? - Above the Noise - Air Date 4-20-22
Indigenous communities across the globe are experts at managing and protecting land. Is it time the U.S. finally returned STOLEN parklands back to them?
Ch. 5: LandBack: The Indigenous Liberation Movement - Andrewism - Air Date 1-6-21
LandBack isn’t about deporting white people. It’s a path to a better future.
Native American representation in film and TV used to be confined to Westerns and storylines of defeat. Today, a new wave of Native American comedies, written and created by Native peoples, are taking back their narratives.
Bonus: Landback cold open - Reservation Dogs S1 E3 Uncle Brownie - Air Date 8-16-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Meet the native Hawaiians fighting U.S. occupation - AJ+ - Air Date 3-3-17
In 1893, armed U.S. naval forces helped American sugar plantation owners illegally overthrow Hawaii’s constitutional monarchy. 100 years later, the U.S. apologized and admitted in a resolution that Native Hawaiians had never relinquished their sovereignty
From 1877 to 1934, under a range of laws and reneged-upon treaties, the U.S. government appropriated tens of millions of acres of Native American land. In recent years there has been a growing movement known as “land back” to reclaim their lands.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Definition of power and organizing - Pat from Chicago
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on why the left doesn't fight hard enough for political power
TAKE ACTION / EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Yellowhead Institute (@Yellowhead_): "Land Back - A Yellowhead Institute Red Paper" (Includes tools and resources. Canadian-based, but broadly applicable.)
NDN Collective (@ndncollective): LandBack.org (U.S.-based)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A red "Land Back" flag waves outside the front of a courthouse. An American flag flies above it against a blue sky at the top of the courthouse.
Credit: "A Land Back flag flies under the US Flag outside Aitkin County Courthouse in Aitkin, Minnesota" by Lorie Shaull | License CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, increased contrast, decreased brightness
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date 8/2/2022
Explaining neurodiversity and why it should be seen as a strength and benefit to society when accommodated properly rather than a problem to be solved or, worse, ignored. Autism, ADHD and other examples of neurodiversity all have positive attributes that rarely get talked about which blinds society to those benefits but also perpetuates stigma.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: What Exactly is Neurodiversity? - How to ADHD - Air Date 1-18-22
The neurodiversity movement has been around for some time, but what exactly is it? In this video, we talk about what the neurodiversity movement is and how it's linked to the autistic community.
In this talk, Adriana discusses the idea of neurodiversity. Many people are labeled incorrectly because their brains are wired differently. Adriana offers awareness and an alternative way to see people as unique and valuable.
Ch. 3: Giftedness is Not Achievement with Aurora Remember Holtzman - ADHD Essentials - Air Date 12-11-21
Today, we’re talking to Aurora Remember Holtzman. Aurora is a school psychologist, neurodivergence coach, and host of the Embracing Intensity podcast. And her focus is giftedness and twice exceptionality.
Ch. 4: Creating a Neurodiversity-Affirming World - Neurodiversity Podcast - Air Date 8-10-21
Emily Kircher-Morris and Joel Schwartz talk about what it would take to create a neurodiversity-affirming world where old stereotypes and perceptions are shed.
Ch. 5: Elaine Halligan: Neurodiversity is a super power, not a problem - TEDx Talks - Air Date 11-25-19
We have to break the stigma around mental health and children. Most of the time the signals are quite subtle and can be often overlooked by parents, so many children may be suffering behind closed doors.
Ch. 6: The Utility (or Futility) of Labels - The Neurodiversity Podcast - Air Date 7-7-22
The reality of working within a system in flux. The meaning or usefulness of the term “gifted.” The utility (or futility) of labels. The confusion of overlapping diagnoses.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Neurodivergence and Queerness with Leela Sinha - Embracing Intensity - Air Date 5-23-22
Today’s episode is a recording of our talk with Leela Sinha on the intersection of neurodivergence and gender. This is definitely not an “inside-the-box” topic.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the hyper-focus ability of ADHD
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The neurodiversity awareness symbol - an infinity symbol (a horizontal elongated number 8) in a rainbow of overlapping colors - is against a white background.
Image Credit: “Neurodiversity Symbol” by MissLunaRose12, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC by-SA 4.0 | Changes: White background added
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Original Air Date 9-11-2018
Strategies to, and reasons why we need to, have better political conversations. As the first GOP debate signals the beginning of a new election cycle with the country divided as ever, we could always use a refresher on better ways to communicate.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Robb Willer: How to have better political conversations - @TEDTalks - Air Date 2-9-17
Robb Willer studies the forces that unite and divide us. As a social psychologist, he researches how moral values -- typically a source of division -- can also be used to bring people together.
Ch. 2: Understanding the backfire effect Part 1 - You are not so smart - Air Date 2-10-17
Stephan Lewandowsky takes us step-by-step through The Debunking Handbook, a guide he and John Cook wrote for avoiding the backfire effect when confronting vaccine and climate change deniers.
Ch. 3: THE MIDTERMS MINUTE: California’s Battleground Races! - Best of the Left Activism
Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment.
The amount of political disagreement in the nation is matched only by righteous indignation. But in order to disagree without disrespecting each other, we need to look hard at our own positions, and Van Jones does just that.
Explaining the key takeaway regarding the backfire effect. Always replace a faulty idea with a valid one. Never debunk a claim only to leave a void.
Explaining why saying the things you may want to say to your political adversaries is more likely to exacerbate the problems in our political divide further, making you part of the problem.
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 8/23/2023
For decades, we have rightly been focused on dialing back endemic misogyny and poking holes in the patriarchy in the hopes of a new normal of gender relations emerging that would be genuinely healthier for everyone, not just women. But, with so much of the focus on the type of masculinity men and boys shouldn't embrace, we may have fallen short on giving positive direction to boys about what they should be and do.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Andrew Tate & Re-examining Masculinity - Long Story Short The Daily Show - Air Date 4-21-23
Jordan Klepper looks at Andrew Tate and breaks down how a void of role models has harmful consequences for young boys.
Ch. 2: The new crisis of masculinity - The Gray Area - Air Date 8-7-23
What does masculinity mean these days? Sean Illing speaks with Christine Emba, a columnist at The Washington Post who wrote the piece “Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness.”
Ch. 3: The New Masculinity - ON BOYS podcast - Air Date 4-27-23
Boys and men, Manley says, are caught between traditional definitions and understandings of masculinity, and a future definition that hasn’t been fully defined.
Host Roy Wood Jr. sits down with the co-founder of “A Call to Men,” Ted Bunch, and developmental psychology professor at NYU, Niobe Way, to chat about boys' friendships and how therapy could be transformative for a lot of men.
Ch. 5: What Does Positive Masculinity Look Like? - Paging Dr. NerdLove - Air Date 4-12-18
Toxic masculinity doesn’t mean that being a man is toxic, bad, or even undesirable. At the same time, non-toxic or positive masculinity doesn’t mean apologizing for being a man or trying to be as gender-neutral as possible.
Ch. 6: What is Positive Masculinity: How Patriarchy Oppresses Men - Swolesome - Air Date 12-2-22
Looking at what patriarchy teaches boys to do
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: The New Masculinity Part 2 - ON BOYS podcast - Air Date 4-27-23
Ch. 9: Why Allan Energy Is The New “Big D_CK Energy” - Barbie Movie - Fashionistas - Air date 8-4-23
Examining positive masculinity through Allen from The Barbie Movie
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on why emotionally stunted men are a social, not individual, problem
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 8/20/2023
Big tech is currently scrambling to bring untested A.I. products to market, over-promising, under-delivering, and working hard obscure and ignore any possible downsides for society. Big tech needs A.I. regulation now before we all suffer the easily foreseeable consequences as well as some unforeseeable ones.
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Transcript
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: A.I. is B.S. - Adam Conover - Air Date 3-31-23
The real risk of A.I. isn't that some super-intelligent computer is going to take over in the future - it's that the humans in the tech industry are going to screw the rest of us over right now.
What does it look like to align technology with humanity’s best interests? Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin discuss how existing A.I. capabilities already pose catastrophic risks to a functional society
Ch. 3: Tech's Mask Off Moment - What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Air Date 8-13-23
When conservative writer Richard Hanania’s old posts, originally published under a pseudonym, came to light people were shocked at just how racist and reactionary they were. Perhaps less shocking were the tech moguls who were revealed to be supporting him
A shocking story of wrongful arrest in Detroit has renewed scrutiny of how facial recognition software is being deployed by police departments, despite major flaws in the technology.
Ch. 5: Princeton University's Ruja Benjamin on Bias in Data and A.I. - The Data Chief - Air Date - 2-3-21
Joining Cindi today is Ruha Benjamin, a professor of African American Studies at Princeton University and the founding director of the IDA B. WELLS Just Data Lab. She has studied the social dimensions of science, technology, and medicine for over 15 years
Timnit Gebru was fired by Google in a cloud of controversy, now she's making waves beyond Big Tech's pervasive influence
Ch. 8: Can We Govern AI? - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 4-21-23
Our guest Marietje Schaake was at the forefront of crafting tech regulations for the EU. In spite of AI’s complexity, she argues there is a path forward for the U.S. and other governing bodies to rein in companies that continue to release these products
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Buddhism in the Age of AI - Soryu Forall - Monastic Academy - Air Date 6-21-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the difference between Microsoft's marketing and the realities of capitalism
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Original Air Date 12-7-2019
In the context of the devastating fire on Maui, we are replaying this throwback episode to look at the reaction to decades of the fetishization of privatization in the form of a reinvigorated movement for public ownership of institutions meant to serve the public such as utilities, banks, train systems and so on. But this isn't your grandfather's top-down public ownership, the new movement has bottom-up, accountable, democratic control of institutions at the very core of its mission.
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SHOW NOTES
PG&E declared bankruptcy amid a number of lawsuits related to the wildfires. We speak with California Congressmember Ro Khanna, who is calling for the California state government to take over control of PG&E.
Ch. 2: When Power Goes Out, Who Is Held Accountable? - Building Local Power - Air Date 10-31-19
PG&E’s negligence and how a distributed energy system could avoid future outages and detrimental fire damage.
Ch. 3: Public Ownership 2.0 - Weekly Economics - Air Date 2-18-19
Public ownership is back on the agenda. But if privatization has failed, what kind of public ownership should replace it?
Ch. 4: From Private Profits to Public Alternatives - The Next System Podcast - Air Date 1-24-19
The conversation runs the gamut from the pitfalls of the privatization of goods and services to the social benefits of public ownership and envisioning democratic governance thereof.
Ch. 5: The Future of Banking - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 6-29-19
Ralph welcomes Walt McRee President of Public Banking Associates, who explains how public banks should be the future of banking.
Ch. 6: Trinity Tran on Public Banking - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-11-19
Trinity Tran, co-founder and lead organizer for Public Bank LA and a founding member of the California Public Banking Alliance.
Ch. 7: Who’s Afraid of Public Ownership? - The Laura Flanders Show - Air Date 1-28-19
Laura in conversation with Thomas Hanna, research director at The Democracy Collaborative and author of “Our Common Wealth: The Return of Public Ownership in the United States”.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date: 8-15-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - The Internet, it turns out, is bad - Musk and Zuckerberg cage fight - The "Dopamine Detox" movement
REFERENCES: The Ugly Honesty of Elon Musk’s Twitter Rebrand
The ‘Dopamine Detox’ Is Having a Moment
Dopamine fasting: Misunderstanding science spawns a maladaptive fad
#dopamine #dopamineaddiction #classpolitics #disabilitystudies - slug.town on TikTok
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Air Date 8/12/2023
Today, we take a look at the most consequential case against Trump which summarizes his direct involvement in using allegedly illegal means to contest the 2020 election while making knowingly false claims about the legitimacy of election process while directing a conspiracy of followers to do the same.
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SHOW NOTES
We speak with Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, and former federal prosecutor Dennis Aftergut on the new criminal charges against Donald Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Ch. 2: A Special Reading Of The Special Counsel's Trump Indictment Part 1 - Brian Lehrer - Air Date 8-4-23
We present longform readings of key excerpts from the Trump indictment, plus analysis from legal experts.
House Democrats: The Trump trials should be televised.
Ch. 4: Charges to Overturn an Election - Prosecuting Donald Trump - Air Date 8-2-23
Donald Trump has been indicted for a third time, twice now at the federal level. Jack Smith’s indictment lays out the chilling details of his alleged plot to overturn the 2020 election.
We speak with Author Carol Anderson about Trump's attempt to wipe out the votes of Americans of color and the intimidation of Black voters and election workers.
Ch. 8: A Protective Order - Prosecuting Donald Trump - Air Date 8-7-23
Trump and team spent the weekend unleashing defenses across social media and major news networks. This, along with the former president’s record of revealing private information, led prosecutors to seek a protective order from Judge Chutkan.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: A Special Reading Of The Special Counsel's Trump Indictment Part 3 - Brian Lehrer - Air Date 8-4-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the possibility of accountability for Trump at last
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Original Air Date 11-1-2016
Today we dive deeply into the world of conservatives as described in the new book “Strangers in their own Land” by Arlie Russel Hochschild in an attempt to understand how some non-deplorable people in the country could be supporting Donald Trump.
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Show NotesCh. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill
Ch. 6: Act 3: How Our Stone-Age Brain Gets in the Way of Smart Politics Part 1 - @BillMoyersHQ in Conversation - Air Date 4-15-16
Ch. 10: Act 5: The Deep Story of conservatives and the rise of Trump - Economic Update w/ @profwolff - Air Date 9-29-16
Ch. 12: Act 6: How Our Stone-Age Brain Gets in the Way of Smart Politics Part 2 - @BillMoyersHQ in Conversation - Air Date 4-15-16
Ch. 14: Act 7: Where shame is the companion to need - @thisishellradio - Air Date 10-22-16
Ch. 16: Act 8: The Media That Created Trump - United States of Anxiety - Air Date 10-13-16
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Original Air Date 6/25/2022
Today we take a look at some of the takeaways from the hearings investigating the January 6th insurrection. Most notably: they knew, they knew, they knew, they knew from the very beginning that their fraud claims were nonsense and they pushed ahead anyway.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Jan. 6 Insurrection Understanding The Big Picture Part 1 - Fresh Air - Air Date 6-9-22
New York Times Congressional reporter Luke Broadwater says the effort to overturn the 2020 election results was a "sprawling and diffuse" one that involved local governments as well as White House insiders.
Ch. 2: January 6th Goes Primetime Part 1 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-10-22
Brad is joined by guest co-host Dr. Leah Payne. They begin by discussing the first primetime hearing of the J6 Select Committee. They then focus on Tucker Carlson's response to hearings.
Ch. 3: Special coverage of House J6 Hearing, Day 3 Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-16-22
RANDALL D. ELIASON, and HEATHER DIGBY offer important insights into today's hearing, which was focused on Donald Trump's corrupt pressure campaign to induce former Vice President Mike Pence to violate his oath to the Constitution
Ch. 4: The Jan. 6 Insurrection Understanding The Big Picture Part 2 - Fresh Air - Air Date 6-9-22
Ch. 5: January 6th Goes Primetime Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-10-22
Ch. 6: Special coverage of House J6 Hearing, Day 3 Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-16-22
This week on Intercepted, investigative reporter Trevor Aaronson is joined by Margot Williams, research editor for The Intercept, and Michael Loadenthal, founder and executive director of the Prosecution Project.
These retired Generals fought to defend Democracy abroad, now they are warning that America's Democracy needs to be defended from threats inside the country.
Six Republican members of Congress who supported Donald Trump's lies sought broad presidential pardons for their involvement in the campaign to discredit the election results
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Republican Speaker of the Arizona House "Rusty" Bowers described how he was pushed by Trump, John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani to call the Arizona Legislature back into session to investigate claimed illegal votes.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on turning anger into election action
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The logo of the House January 6th Commission sits on a background image of the interior ceiling of the U.S. Capitol dome. The logo is a white illustration of the U.S. Capitol dome and below it are the words "Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol".
Credit: January6th.house.gov
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Air Date 8/6/2023
Today, we take a look at the education curriculum reforms currently being pushed through in Florida through the lens of the long pattern of choosing to see our history in a way that comforts the comfortable and afflicts the afflicted.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Meet the Man Driving the Right’s Culture War Panic - Deconstructed - Air Date 7-28-23
The Republican Party’s full embrace of the culture war as a political tactic — from drag queen story hour to critical race theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives — has been chiefly guided by activist and polemicist Christopher Rufo
Rachel Chapman, who teaches AP Psychology in Florida, talks with Alex Wagner about being an educator in Florida why psychology can't pick and choose which people to consider.
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman had to break down why the new curriculum in Florida that requires teachers to explain how slaves benefitted from slavery is racist
Ch. 4: PragerU in Florida Schools - I Doubt It Podcast - Air Date 7-28-23
Jesse and Brittany discuss the heat wave wreaking havoc on the nation as well as their recent adventures engaged in tourist activities in DC, listener communication related to Biden's re-election and the new Florida education guidelines
Highlighting some of the gentle pushback from Black Republicans to the new Florida education curriculum
Ch. 6: Fox News BUSTED For Rewriting History Of Slavery - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-26-23
Jesse Watters spoke with William Allen, one of the authors of Florida's revised Black History curriculum, about Vice President Harris's representation that one of the standards outlined implies teaching that slavery in some ways benefitted Black Americans
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is trying to control the type of education that Florida students can receive, most recently rejecting an advanced placement course in African-American studies, claiming it was “contrary to Florida law”
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
If the average American were to learn about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training through its discussion in the political arena alone, suspicion of it should be expected, and hostility toward it would be understandable. Duh.
Andrew Spar, President of the Florida Education Association, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the fight over African American studies in Florida’s curriculum
Ch. 10: The Court Room of History - Why Now? A Political Junkie Podcast - Air Date 7-29-23
In this episode, we are talking about her most recent book, Sisters and Rebels: A Struggle for the Soul of America (W.W. Norton, 2019), which tells the story of three sisters, women from the slave-holding Lumpkin family of Georgia.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on how education curriculum is helping maintain power imbalances
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date: 8-4-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - Barbie, Black Mirror and corporations in on the joke - The Extended Mattel Cinematic Universe - The alternate conservative commerce universe - The alternate conservative entertainment universe
REFERENCES: Sorry Netflix, Streamberry isn't funny - Mashable
Matt Gaetz Can’t Say Margot Robbie Is Hot Without Being Transphobic - Rolling Stone
Can the Daily Wire Become a Right-Wing Entertainment Machine? - Bloomberg
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Air Date 8/2/2023
Today, we take a look at the status of the war in Ukraine and the decision made recently for the US to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine, a munition that Biden's Press Sec. referred to as a potential war crime when it was reported that Russia had used them.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Is Russia Headed Towards Collapse - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 6-27-23
Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman joins Andrea to discuss where things are headed in Russia’s escalating power struggle, what it means for Ukraine, and how the world needs to start preparing for a post-Putin Russia.
Ch. 2: Tim Mak on the Ukrainian Counteroffensive - The Good Fight - Air Date 7-1-23
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Tim Mak discuss the slow progress of Ukraine’s counteroffensive and how a big breakthrough might come about.
Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison hosts of the American Prestige Podcast join the program to discuss the problematic origins behind the formation of NATO and its continued role in the world today.
We're joined on the show by the author of the investigation, William Arkin, a national security reporter and senior editor at Newsweek, who says that the CIA has "got its hand in a little bit of everything" in Ukraine.
Ch. 5: Cluster Bomb Fight in the House - Deconstructed - Air Date 7-15-23
Ryan Grim is joined by Erik Sperling to discuss how a bipartisan bill to prevent the Biden administration from sending cluster bombs to Ukraine went from gaining momentum to being undermined by another bill.
Ch. 6: The Indiscriminate Rain of Cluster Bombs Part - Intercepted - Air Date 7-18-23
Marc Garlasco joins Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain to discuss how cluster munitions kill civilians during war and long after, and why their use should be considered a war crime.
Ch. 7: Cluster Bomb Fight in the House Part 2 - Deconstructed - Air Date 7-15-23
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: The Indiscriminate Rain of Cluster Bombs Part 2 - Intercepted - Air Date 7-18-23
Ch. 10: Tim Mak on the Ukrainian Counteroffensive Part 2 - The Good Fight - Air Date 7-1-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the coming civic renewal of 2024
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Two unexploded cluster bomblets (cylindrical metal canisters) lay on the ground amongst dirt, rocks and leaves.
Credit: "Cluster bombs in fig orchard in Yaroun, Lebanon" by Cluster Munition Coalition, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Original Air Date 6/17/2022
Today we take a look at many intertwining realizations that are beginning to permeate society which include but are not limited to the dead-end mentality of infinite growth, the uselessness of growth past a certain point for wellbeing, and the deepening alienation being felt in response to consumerism in place of community.
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SHOW NOTES
“Infinite growth on a finite planet is a recipe for catastrophe”
Some economists have long argued that to really save the planet – and ourselves – from the climate crisis, we need a fundamental overhaul of the way our economies work.
Ch. 3: Degrowth: liberation from growthism - The Taxcast - Air Date 9-23-21
In this episode, Naomi Fowler explores degrowth and how we liberate ourselves from ‘growthism’ with economic anthropologist Jason Hickel.
Standing Rock was a pivotal moment in regards to Indigenous resistance — but it was just one in a long line of battles that Indigenous peoples have been fighting against the twin forces of colonialism and capitalism since first contact.
Ch. 5: Eco-Socialist Degrowth? w/ Paul Murphy - Rupture Radio - Air Date 5-2-22
Capitalist growth is destroying our life support systems. Every single year the material taken from the Earth to feed the insatiable capitalist appetite for profits grows larger and the waste spewing into the atmosphere, land, rivers, and sea grows bigger
We talked about the concept of 'green growth', and why the notion of decoupling growth from intensive resource use is ultimately unconvincing. We also chatted about the Green New Deal and whether it is compatible with the politics of degrowth.
Tim Jackson, ecological economist, professor, and author of the book "Post Growth: Life After Capitalism," joins David to discuss consumption, growth, macroeconomics, the modern economy, and more.
Some economists have long argued that to really save the planet – and ourselves – from the climate crisis, we need a fundamental overhaul of the way our economies work.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: How We End Consumerism - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 6-4-21
How we end consumerism, explained.
We spoke with him about international capitalism during the pandemic, new opportunities for degrowth economics, and how to fundamentally move to a post-capitalist world — which will take more than just a shift in economic policy
We explored some alternative societal and economic models such as degrowth, living well within limits, permacircularity and we continue our quest by looking into post-growth.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Original Air Date: 2/15/2019
Today we take a look at recent teachers union strike in the Los Angeles school district and see it as another event in an emerging pattern of progressive uprisings that have been stirring for the last decade, fighting back against the status quo, neoliberal instinct to privatize everything for the ultimate benefit of billionaires.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why Teachers Are Striking in Los Angeles - NowThis - Air Date 1-20-19
‘This strike is a strike to save public education.’ — Here’s why Los Angeles teachers are striking in their own words.
Caputo-Pearl talks about a wide range of issues that led to the strike. Building up to the strike as a leader in the union. UTLA received criticism for being too bold but with an issue this large, it's important to be bold.
The people in power are all about privatization. Public education attacks are compared to citizens united. Public schools have become a competing marketplace instead of educational services.
Ch. 4: A surge in strikes! - Past Present - Air Date: 1-28-2019
Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the Los Angeles teachers’ strike. Enthusiasm for collective action since the election of '45. Fighting for the very existence of public schools. Charter makes things better for some, public makes things better for all (when properly funded and supported). Charter squirms around Unions.
Sarah Jaffe discusses why the parents agreed with the strike. Librarians who have to travel to different schools every day of the week. Will austerity reign, or can they turn it around. Fight for a society that actually provides what people need.
Ch. 6: LA Teachers Striking For All Of Us - The Michael Brooks Show - 01-07-2019
While the LA Teachers Union strikes, their demands are referred to as shiny distractions. Increased privatization by charter schools reduces the effectiveness of public education.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 7/25/2023
Today, we take a look at the impact of the rise of streaming video services and the potential for AI-written scripts on the future of show business and those trying to earn a living from it.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Writers Guild Strikes Back | Adam Conover Part 1 - The Majority Report - Air Date 6-11-23
Adam Conover then talks Sam through updates on the writers’ strike as it reaches its fifth week, tackling the scope of the issues – from the gigification of the job to the labor threat of AI
Ch. 2: Why Actors Are Striking For The First Time In 40 Years - More Perfect Union - Air Date 6-23-23
Hollywood actors have joined writers on strike and shut down the TV and film industry. Streaming has broken the industry. Successful actors are working second jobs. Some received $0 in residuals from Netflix shows with millions of viewers.
Ch. 3: Why the Supreme Court Broke Up Hollywood's Studio System - On the Media - Air Date 7-5-23
The dominance of giant streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus has led to the current strike by television writers, who say their ubiquity has led to lower pay, shakier job security, and perhaps even worse writing.
Ch. 4: How streaming caused the TV writers strike - Vox - Air Date 6-7-23
The way scripted television gets made today has transformed the careers of writers.
Ch. 5: Why Are Studio Executives Like This? - Steve Shives - Air Date 7-17-23
Donate to support the striking members of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA!
Ch. 6: How AI Took Center Stage In The Hollywood Writers' Strike - CNBC - Air Date 6-30-23
As streaming companies scramble to nourish their bottom line, content is being removed from platforms, cutting off creators from being compensated.
Ch. 7: Writers Guild Strikes Back | Adam Conover Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 6-11-23
Ch. 8: Hollywood On Strike: Who Cares? - Wisecrack - Air Date 6-2-23
Screenwriters are on strike, which means a lot less new television for our greedy consumption. And understandably, nobody’s excited about Hollywood shutting down. But what if the writers’ strike can actually teach us about how labor movements function
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
For some people that’s a dystopian vision. But for Cristóbal Valenzuela, it’s a mission statement: Valenzuela is the co-founder and CEO of Runway, an AI startup that wants to radically change the way movies and TV are made.
Ch. 10: 'We Know Where He F***ing Lives' - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-17-23
Hollywood star Ron Pearlman delivers a serious response to Disney CEO Bob Iger’s comments about using the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes to force writers and actors into homelessness.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on closing in on the end of our membership drive
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE
Description: A person holds a large sign in a crowd of protestors that says “Writers Guild of America ON STRIKE!”
Credit: “WGA Strike 6.21.2023 032” by ufcw770, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 7/22/2023
Today, we take a look at the action needed to curb and adapt to the extreme weather that climate change is already delivering
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SHOW NOTES
The planet last week registered its hottest day ever recorded and then broke it four different times on four consecutive days. Our climate is in crisis, from the U.S. to Canada to Spain to India. Andrew Freedman joins us to discuss.
"We can't stop global warming at this point," says Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org. "All we can do is try to stop it short of the place where it cuts civilizations off at the knees."
Emily Sanders discusses the article “How (Not) to Interview an Oil CEO”. Johanna Bozuwa joined us during 2019’s California wildfires and power outages, to explain the potential role of public utilities in the climate crisis.
Sam and Emma talk to Bill McKibben, contributing writer at The New Yorker and founder of ThirdAct.org, to discuss the recent climate disasters across the country.
Ch. 6: To Be Forewarned The Historical Record on Climate Change - WhoWhatWhy - Air date 7-14-23
Climate change shapes history, says historian Peter Frankopan. Civilizations thrive or fall on environmental stewardship and adaptability.
Ch. 7: Disaster unpreparedness - Today, Explained - Air Date 7-13-23
Vermont just got slammed with flash floods, road closures, and evacuations. Harvard’s Juliette Kayyem says the storm reveals how unprepared the US is for the present moment when natural disasters are more frequent and more intense than ever before.
By taking inspiration from ancient cities, they can prioritize public transportation and foster human connection, resulting in reduced emissions and more accessibility.
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Ch. 10: Rep. AOC Reintroduces the Green New Deal on its 4th Anniversary - RepAOC - Air Date 4-20-23
“First they laugh at you, then they fight you, then we win.”
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments giving a hopeful perspective on climate action
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Original Air Date: 10/16/2019
Today we take a look at the literally depressing truth about our economy, our work and the culture that surrounds it. We work too hard to be perfect, we don't get enough time off, many of us don't have enough control over the work we do and too many know their jobs are completely worthless.
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SHOW NOTES
One in eight young people have a mental health problem. One big problem is access to treatment. Mental health services are underfunded, leaving many people stuck on waiting lists.
Ch. 2: From Stigma to Oppression - Off-Kilter with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 5-31-19
Mental Illness is very common in the US, from burnout to anxiety to depression to suicide, and our systems don't support proper care.
Ch. 3: Neoliberalism Is Creating a Mental Health Crisis - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 02-08-18
Neoliberalism, the belief that markets are democratic and that what works for them, works for all parts of society, isn't working for working people. Neoliberalism is creating a mental health crisis in America and around the world!
Ch. 4: David Graeber Bullshit Jobs - Novara Media with James Butler - Air Date 2-1-19
David Graeber discusses neoliberalism, bullshit jobs, capitalism and the value of labor.
Ch. 5: On Bullshit Jobs with David Graeber - This Is Hell - Air Date 5-14-18
David Graeber and Chuck discuss bullshit jobs, financial feudalism, the ruling class and human instinct.
Ch. 6: Uncovering the Causes of Depression with Johann Hari - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-19-19
The biological makeup of humans has not changed for many centuries, but depression, anxiety and addiction are on the rise. Sam and Johann discuss.
Ch. 7: Why You Are Depressed and Anxious with Johann Hari - TED Talks Daily - Air Date 9-18-19
Johann Hair discusses the causes of rising depression and anxiety because of the modern capitalist neoliberal world.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 7/16/2023
Today, we take a look at the problems of overconsumption and some policy solutions for reducing waste through a circular, rather than linear, approach to the economy.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Is capitalism actually broken? - TED-Ed - Air Date 11-1-22
People have become increasingly worried that the threats we face today, like climate change and rising inequality, can’t be solved by a capitalist economic system. So, is that true? And if it is, can we fix capitalism or do we need to tear the system down
The United Nations (UN) opened its first conference on water security in almost half a century on Wednesday, with a plea to governments to better manage one of humanity's shared resources.
We have a major “stuff” problem. With everything we want just a click away, we bring new things into our homes every day just to toss them out. Excessive consumption has led to an alarming statistic: The average American produces 4.5 pounds of trash daily
Ch. 4: How do we create a better economy? - TED-Ed - Air Date 11-29-22
Can we call any economy “healthy” in the face of dwindling resources and growing inequality? What if we cut off our addiction to endless growth, and used a new compass for modern prosperity?
Ch. 5: Europe's Circular Economy Action Plan - euronews - Air Date 11-24-20
Business Planet takes a look at Europe's plans for a Circular Economy and examines what this transition might mean for both businesses and consumers.
Ch. 6: Amsterdam's "doughnut economy" puts climate ahead of GDP - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 4-24-21
Amsterdam is the first city in the world to adopt a radical economic theory that suggests economic growth shouldn’t be the ultimate measure of success. Instead, “doughnut economics” focuses on protecting the environment while meeting citizens’ basic needs
The current fashion system is broken. Every year the fashion industry misses out on hundreds of billions of dollars and contributes significantly to waste and pollution through the linear take-make-waste economy.
Ch. 8: We Need A Library Economy - Andrewism - Air Date 10-5-22
The library has been a long-standing institution in our society, but what if we applied its philosophy more broadly? Let's imagine what it would mean to realise the possibilities of this proto-socialist concept and reintroduce free access to the commons.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
How do you convince work colleagues that your bright idea isn’t just another burden to their existing workload? Working with policymakers at the regional and city level in Italy, Luigi Acquaviva has had to learn a few tricks
What if there were no bad choices in your shopping basket? What if every bite of food had been designed in a way that helped to regenerate nature?
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments giving an update on the membership drive
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 7-14-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - A bad take on smartphones - Eating alone - Lunches of suffering - The failure of Instant Pot
REFERENCES: What Did People Do Before Smartphones?
A Brief History of the 'Sad Desk Lunch'
Party Of 1: We Are Eating A Lot Of Meals AloneParty Of 1: We Are Eating A Lot Of Meals Alone
‘Lunch of suffering’: plain ‘white people food’ goes viral in China
The Instant Pot Failed Because It Was a Good Product
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
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Air Date 7/11/2023
Today, we take a look at the history and unceremonious end of affirmative action for college admissions that were an attempt to correct the compounded impact of hundreds of years of systemic racism.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Affirmative Reactions Part 1 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 7-1-23
What does the SCOTUS decision on affirmative action have to do with the Don't Say Gay bills, book bans, and attacks on school curricula all over the country? How is is part and parcel of a certain White supremacist libertarianism?
Ch. 2: The Architect Part 1 - More Perfect - Air Date 12-7-17
More Perfect profiled Edward Blum in season one of the show. We catch up with him to hear about his latest effort to end affirmative action at Harvard.
Ch. 3: What Does Color-Blind Really Mean - Notes From America - Air Date 7-10-23
Affirmative action is gone. Ibram X. Kendi tells us the history leading up to this moment and what could be next.
Ch. 4: MAGA SCOTUS Is Back - Amicus - Air Date 7-1-23
The Supreme Court’s conservatives return to form, stripping protections for same-sex couples, striking down student loan relief, and ending race-conscious college admissions.
Ch. 5: The Architect Part 2 - More Perfect - Air Date 12-7-17
Ch. 6: Asian Americans + Affirmative Action - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 7-5-23
Myths, Data, Predictions
Ch. 7: What Does Color-Blind Really Mean Part 2 - Notes From America - Air Date 7-10-23
Ch. 8: Affirmative Reactions Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 7-1-23
“Shadow docket.” This refers to cases that are decided quickly, without written opinions or oral arguments. In his new book, Vladeck traces the transformation of the Supreme Court. He explains all to Hari Sreenivasan.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: Elie Mystal's Court Packing Plan - Contempt of Court - Air Date 7-10-23
When most people talk about expanding the Supreme Court, they're talking about adding a few justices. Two or four to the bench. But I am not most people.
Ch. 11: Weekly Roundup Affirmative Reactions Part 3 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 7-1-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the need for a new solution to the old problem that affirmative action was trying to solve
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE
Description: The angled shadow of a student in a cap and gown stretches across white concrete.
Credit: "Graduation_Future_University_Cap" by Csparks, Pixabay
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Air Date 7/8/2023
Today, we take a look at the dubious, ideologically-driven debate between overpopulation being a danger to the future of humanity and it being a dangerous myth obscuring the real issue of over-consumption
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Is Overpopulation Killing the Planet? - Ideas - Air Date 6-12-23
In the fall of 2022, humanity entered unprecedented territory when, according to the United Nations, the world’s population reached eight billion people. Journalist Bruce Livesey explores the complex issues around population growth
We discuss how we might deliberately rein in our power, starting with an urgent transition away from fossil fuels, and move from a culture of unabated growth toward a culture of sufficiency, simplicity, and resilience.
Ch. 3: Could Everything You Know About Global Population Growth Be Wrong? - WhoWhatWhy - Air Date 4-5-19
Contrary to popular and long held assumptions, global population is declining. The environmental consequences are good, the economic consequences are bad, says this podcast guest.
Ch. 4: The Dubious Overpopulation Debate - Acclimated - Air Date 8-12-20
Is overpopulation driving environmental collapse? Nope. But that hasn't stopped politicians, filmmakers, and comic book villains from making the claim. We consider the real-world consequences of two centuries of overpopulation concerns
Ch. 5: Overpopulation or overproduction? Marx vs. Malthus - International Marxist Radio - Air Date 5-31-23
Is human population growth to blame for poverty and climate change? Plenty of pundits and politicians on the right and left alike seem to think so. Knowingly or not, they repeat the reactionary ideas of the Reverend Thomas Malthus
Overpopulation and pronatalism, the role of humane education in turning the tide on human population issues, the effects of overpopulation on people, wildlife, and wild places, and simple, practical, humane solutions to the population crisis
Ch. 7: The Dangerous Myth of Overpopulation - The Wild Life - Air Date 4-8-21
Welcome to part 1 of Us, an ongoing series examining our connections and impact on the environment, sustainability, and our changing climate.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
We discuss the role that libertarian, techno-fundamentalist, anti-choice think tanks have played in fueling anti-Science propaganda on overpopulation denialism, and why these forces must be vehemently opposed for a more just and sustainable planet.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the philosophical question behind the overpopulation debate
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 1/2/2018
Today we take a look at a few different visions of what the future holds for our labor market and some policies we should be putting in place to set the scene for the coming evolution of work
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Show NotesAct 1: The future of work in a world of artificial intelligence - Ideas - Air Date 9-12-17
Act 2: Robots Causing Wealth Inequality? - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date: 04-28-17
Act 3: A 15 Hour Work Week Would Save the Planet - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 07-26-17
Act 4: Demanding a future of full automation and a post-work world - Ideas - Air Date 9-26-17
Act 5: Designing the future of jobs and economics - Freakonomics - Air Date 4-20-17
Act 6: Ai-jen Poo on the caretaker jobs of the future - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 11-13-17
(Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions & Free Music Archive)
Action Resources/Further Reading
Public Predictions for the Future of Workforce Automation (Pew Research Center, 2016)
A World Without Work (The Atlantic, 2015)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 7/4/2023
Today, we take a look at the difference between the kind of political messaging that feels like the right thing to say and the reframed messages that actually get political results that allow for progressive policies to get passed.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why Behind The What with Gretchen Barton - How We Win - Air Date 6-21-23
Gretchen Barton, founder of Worthy Strategy Group, is a researcher and strategist who spends most of her time going inside the minds of American voters, and shares her unique perspective and insights with us!
Ch. 2: Winning a Trifecta with Mike Lux - How We Win - Air Date 5-31-23
And joining us for our interview to urge us all into action to win in 2024, is a democratic campaign veteran and progressive media trailblazer, the one and only Mike Lux!
Ch. 3: Winning Messages Anat Shenker-Osorio - Future Hindsight - Air Date 4-13-23
Anat Shenker-Osorio is a renowned communications researcher and campaign advisor, the host of Words to Win By, and the Principal of ASO Communications.
Why can't the Democratic Party message as well as the Republican Party? Ken Weber and his son Daryl Weber explain how the left can finally win if they use these rules on messaging that the GOP uses every single time.
Ch. 5: A Dmitri Rebuttal by Messaging Expert Anat Shenker-Osorio - Deconstructed - Air Date 6-2-23
Grim and Shenker-Osorio discuss why certain messages do well and others fail, why reframing the debate is essential, and how to craft messages that resonate and win.
Ch. 6: How Democrats can win Working-Class Voters - Start Making Sense - Air Date 6-21-23
Katie Rader joins the Start Making Sense podcast to discuss the issues that are most likely to mobilize them.
Ch. 7: Winning Messages Anat Shenker-Osorio - Future Hindsight - Air Date 4-13-23
Anat Shenker-Osorio is a renowned communications researcher and campaign advisor, the host of Words to Win By, and the Principal of ASO Communications.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Why Behind The What with Gretchen Barton Part 2 - How We Win - Air Date 6-21-23
Discussing the politics of Florida
Ch. 9: Why Behind The What with Gretchen Barton Part 3 - How We Win - Air Date 6-21-23
Looking at the messaging hurdles women face when running for president
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments launching our overdue membership drive
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a three-dimensional museum sign hanging on a wrought iron bracket that reads “The People’s Story.” A sculpted person holding a rolled-up newspaper and calling out with one hand cupped to his mouth sits above the words.
Credit: “People’s Story” by Alan Levine, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Original Air Date 6/11/2022
Today we take a look at the reasons why Democrats lost rural America and why it's important to make gains outside urban centers through working-class coalitions and a focus on the policy failures of unchecked Republicanism.
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SHOW NOTES
Democrats used to win elections in rural areas, but that seems like a distant memory now. This week, Zach is joined by Bill Hogseth, a political organizer from rural Wisconsin, to talk about the difference between making promises and delivering change
Ch. 2: Can Democrats Win in Rural America? - Deconstructed - Air Date 6-4-22
Maine state Sen. Chloe Maxmin tackles one of the most pressing problems confronting the modern Democratic Party: how to reverse its decades-long backslide in rural support. Maxmin and her co-author and campaign manager Canyon Woodward join Ryan Grim
Ch. 3: How Democrats Lost Rural America w/ Anthony Flaccavento Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-24-22
Anthony Flaccavento, Virginia-based farmer, author, and co-founder of the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative, joins the Jacobin Show to discuss rural America—and why the Democrats lose so consistently in rural elections.
Ch. 4: Joe Shepherd of United Rural Democrats - The Rick Smith Show - Air Date 5-9-22
By working people. For working people. Welcome to The Rick Smith Show.
Ch. 5: How Democrats Lost Rural America w/ Anthony Flaccavento Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-24-22
Anthony Flaccavento, Virginia-based farmer, author, and co-founder of the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative, joins the Jacobin Show to discuss rural America—and why the Democrats lose so consistently in rural elections.
Former OHIO Democratic party chair David Pepper On Why We Need to Focus on State Capitols to Save Democracy, and why we all need to do our part to lift it up.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank, author of “What’s the Matter with Kansas” and “Listen, Liberal”, tells host Paul Jay that the Democratic Party serves the professional class and the top 10% and no longer cares about the poor or working class.
Ch. 8: The New Democrats w/ Lily Geismer - The Dig - Air Date 6-5-22
Dan’s second episode with historian Lily Geismer, who he interviewed in 2019 about Don’t Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party. This interview is on Left Behind: The Democrats’ Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the ignoring the middle class and poor open the door to right-wing populism of the worst sort
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a blue, dented, and rusted mailbox on a spike leaning against an old wooden fence. Its flag is down, indicating no mail. Thick, golden tall grass grows behind it against a blue sky.
Credit: "Rural America" by Kris Notaro, Flickr | License CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness and saturation
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Air Date 6/25/2023
Today, we take a look at the state of the religious right as declining religiosity and the looming 2024 election put a strain on the movement.
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SHOW NOTES
Brad and Dan being by discussing Trump's indictment on federal charges. They then break down the life and death of Pat Robertson - an architect of the Religious Right and someone whose influence resounds in American Christian nationalism today
Ch. 3: How Rapture Theology Shaped America (Part 2) - The Holy Post - Air Date 5-10-23
How did a theological system that rejected Christian participation in politics eventually give birth to the Religious Right? Phil talks to historian Daniel Hummel about the spread of rapture theology in the 20th century
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss a rally Donald Trump hosted over the weekend, where he mixes the rapture of fervent religious followers with the QAnon conspiracy set to lure people with the sweet siren sounds of fascism.
Ch. 5: DeSantis Tries To Attack Trump on Abortion - The Damage Report - Air Date 6-19-23
Ron DeSantis attacks Trump on his abortion stance. John Iadarola and Brett Erlich break it down on The Damage Report.
About 20 years ago, 70 percent of Americans belonged to one of those houses of worship. Today, it’s 47 percent. While that doesn’t mean a majority of Americans are areligious, the share of religiously unaffiliated Americans has also been increasing
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Is Religion Dead? - Wisecrack - Air Date 6-9-23
Philosophy and religion might seem as incompatible as peanut butter and raw garlic. But what if understanding religion from a philosophical perspective could actually illuminate some of our deepest cultural and social values?
Ch. 8: How My Christian Faith Fell Apart | A Case Study of DECONSTRUCTION - Sara Martin - Air Date 8-26-20
How does someone go from a faith-filled follower of Jesus to no longer identifying as a Christian? In this video, I share my personal story of how my faith fell apart and demonstrate how, step by step, a person’s relationship with Jesus can unravel.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the enduring support for Trump by the evangelical right
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
God's Playground - Nathanael Christy
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Original Air Date 2-5-2019
Today we take a look at the history of FDR's "Four Freedoms" and "Economic Bill of Rights" that laid the groundwork for the fight for economic freedom for all that continues to this day.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Harvey Kaye, "The Fight for the Four Freedoms" - Book TV - Air Date 5-11-14
Harvey Kaye examines the progressivism of the Roosevelt-era and argues that a reminder of the "four freedoms" could address today's political and social issues.
Ch. 2: What Ted Cruz Doesn't Get About 'Freedom' - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 7-21-16
Thom talks about Ted Cruz's speech at the Republican Convention and compares his definition of 'freedom' with the way it was described by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Ch. 3: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 1 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18
F.D.R. recognized that the original bill of rights would not be enough to make all American’s truly free and proposed an economic bill of rights. Of the eight amendments he proposed in 1944, seven are still waiting to be implemented.
Ch. 4: Fighting for the Four Freedoms - @BillMoyersHQ And Company - Air Date 4-15-14
Historian Harvey J. Kaye talks about how FDR was able to mobilize Americans to create "the strongest and most prosperous country in human history."
Explaining that libertarian thinking doesn't incorporate the existence of economic coercion
Ch. 6: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 2 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18
Ch. 7: Bernie Sanders & FDR's Second Bill of Rights - Berniementum - Air Date 8-12-15
President FDR's Second Bill of Rights speech - January 11, 1944 Sen. Bernie Sanders speech at the National Press Club - Mar. 9, 2015 Music - "There is Romance" by Imcompetech
University of Wisconsin Professor Harvey J Kaye author of Fight for the Four Freedoms: What Made FDR and the Greatest Generation Truly Great, explains Ronald Reagan and the great pushback against a progressive America
Ch. 9: An Overdue Second Bill of Rights Part 3 - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 10-7-18
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 6/20/2023
Today, we take a look at the story of how neoliberalism was born, how corporations were organized to help push it into the mainstream, and how the courts were reshaped to permanently tilt the rules in favor of corporate power.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Chile, Neoliberalism and the CIA - AJ+ - Air Date 11-29-19
This is the story of how Chile came to be called the “neoliberal laboratory of the world’ ... and it even involves the CIA.
Ch. 2: The Powell Memo. Corporate America's Call to Arms. - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 2-9-23
Today’s episode discusses the nature of the memo, the inspiration for it and details its prescriptive elements.
Ch. 3: How the Corporate Takeover of American Politics Began - Robert Reich - Air Date 12-13-22
In 1976, I watched as thousands of corporate lobbyists descended on Washington. Fast forward to today, and lobbying has become a $3.7 billion dollar industry.
It all began with the Powell Memo.
Ch. 4: Greed Is Rotting America From The Inside Out - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 7-29-22
The GOP has become a rotting corpse, politically, infested with maggots & defended by wealthy vultures. It has only one true principle, greed, & is determined to reinvent America in greed’s image
Ch. 5: Economic False Prophets Part 1 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 6-10-23
Ralph welcomes New York Times reporter, Binyamin Applebaum, author of “The Economists' Hour: False Prophets, Free Markets, and the Fracture of Society”
Ch. 6: What has Greed Cost America - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 10-28-14
Thom Hartmann begins a conversation about how greed has destroyed the American economy.
Ch. 7: Economic False Prophets Part 2 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 6-10-23
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Wall Street's ESG Scam EXPLAINED - Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar - Air Date 6-16-22
Krystal and Saagar are joined by researcher and policy analyst Ron Ivey to better understand the wall street ESG scam being investigated by regulators for its deceptive practices
Ch. 9: Anti-Capitalist Investing Is... Absurd — Jen Pan - Jacobin - Air Date 6-11-22
Jen Pan explains why the new trend of "anti-capitalist investing" is just elite charity with another name, and only helps maintain the power of elites over everyone else's lives.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the next revolution in values we need
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date: 6-17-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon discuss: - Hoopy Froods - Other people with diarrhea - The lack of civil engineers to manage the waste water - Neoliberal pay scales of business professors - How billionaires became our gurus
REFERENCES: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The billionaire’s guide to self-help
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Original Air Date 4/13/2022
Today we take a look at the mainstreaming of crypto and NFTs by celebrity endorsements, why they're terrible by nearly any metric and why they are emblematic of our broken culture.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Line Goes Up – The Problem With NFTs - Folding Ideas - Air Date 1-21-22
If someone pitches you on a "great" Web3 project, ask them if it requires buying or selling crypto to do what they say it does.
Ch. 2: NFTS and Celebrities: A Match Made in Hell? - Wisecrack - Air Date 4-4-22
How did NFTs become the new Coca-Cola? NFTs are everywhere, nowhere more so than on the lips of celebrities. But why are celebrities getting into the world of crypto? And what can the rise of celebrities endorsing NFTs tell us about our society?
Bennett and Cas are joined by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman who discuss the ideas behind their upcoming book about cryptocurrency, their issues with celebrity shilling of speculative assets, and how it really feels like corporate greed
Ch. 4: Why Scams Are Inherent To Cryptocurrency - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 3-27-22
Explaining the systemic reasons why the features of crypto are so amenable to scams
Ch. 5: Can Our Climate Survive Bitcoin? - Reveal - Air Date 3-25-22
Bitcoin’s demand for electricity is so great that it’s giving new life to the dirtiest type of power plants: ones that burn coal. In Hardin, Montana, the coal-fired power plant was on the verge of shutting down until bitcoin came to town.
Crypto specialist, Dan Olson, shares his takes on NFTs and explains pieces from his insanely popular video, "Line Goes Up – The Problem With NFTs." John Iadarola and Dan Olson break it down on The Damage Report.
Ch. 7: The Crypto Grift Descends on Ukraine - Scam Economy - Air Date 3-17-22
Matt Binder breaks down how grifting cryptocurrency founders, entrepreneurs, investors, and hustlers are trying to pump their money-making schemes for a profit and generate good PR for the crypto industry under the guise of charity for Ukraine.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on how people, myself included, get scammed
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date 2-2-2020
Today we take a look at the relationship between fear, anger and how to deal with the structural forces of harm in our society. To help us, we examine two of the greatest thinkers of the past 65 years, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mister Rogers, and go beyond the nonviolence of King and interrogate Mr. Roger's insistence on liking everyone just the way they are.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: W. Kamau Bell on coming face to face with white supremacists - Finding Fred - Air Date 11-26-19
Empathy can be found when you understand what circumstances people came from
Reformed neo-Nazi and author Christian Picciolini explains how white nationalists target vulnerable online communities
Ch. 3: The dubious luxury of anger - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 6-24-17
Understanding the fear that underlies anger.
Ch. 4: Help the Helpers: Evil cannot withstand forgiveness - Finding Fred - Air Date 12-17-19
On being your best self. On the least of these. On the virtues of a cup of tea.
Ch. 5: Help the Helpers: But forgiveness can be complicated - Finding Fred - Air Date 12-17-19
You can't be nice to everyone because being nice to certain people is inherently cruel to others.
Ch. 6: Anger and forgiveness as a survival strategy - In The Thick - Air Date 10-4-19
Discussing the conviction and sentencing of Amber Guyger, the Dallas police officer who shot and killed her black neighbor, Botham Shem Jean
Ch. 7: Forgiveness in the #MeToo era - Interfaith Voices - Air Date 6-24-18
Many faith traditions emphasize the importance of forgiveness. But in the context of the #MeToo movement, can forgiveness silence women who have been abused?
Ch. 8: Why Do Black People Always Have to Forgive? - The Real News - Air Date 10-4-19
As Botham Jean’s brother makes headlines for “forgiving” Amber Guyger, Real News hosts Jacqueline Luqman and Lisa Snowden-McCray to discuss what Christian forgiveness in the face of oppression means.
Ch. 9: Why accountability matters for faith-based forgiveness - Interfaith Voices - Air Date 7-13-18
Serene Jones says deep forgiveness is actually part of a larger process of seeking justice and accountability.
Ch. 10: The art and science of apologies and forgiveness Commentary - Best of the Left - Air Date 3-23-19
Final comments on strength, power, fragility, apologies, forgiveness and the legacy of the Confederacy
Ch. 11: Help the Helpers: Grace - Finding Fred - Air Date 12-17-19
Grace is to focus on the humanity of others than to see them as monsters.
Ch. 12: Help the Helpers: The fear and hurt that gets in the way - Finding Fred - Air Date 12-17-19
The difficulty of focusing on helping the needy rather than punishing the dangerous
Ch. 13: Van Jones: Why Casting “Bigots” Out Doesn’t Move America Forward - Big Think - Air Date 12-6-17
There is a limit to empathy, you cannot tolerate the intolerant for too long—but having empathy for those who interpret change as scary, and understanding why they think that way, maybe the only inroad to untying this great mess.
Ch. 14: The birth of the Black Power Movement - King in the Wilderness (HBO) - Air Date 4-2-18
The story of King's reaction to the rise of the Black Power movement and the roles of anger, fear and sickness
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 15: Final comments on the various sicknesses infecting our society
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 6/13/2023
Today, we take a look at the struggle to act ethically, at least by our own measure if there's not a universally-agreed standard to compare with, relating to the purchase of both the necessities of life we all need as well as the more luxury items that get added on top.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: No ethical consumption under capitalism: short deep dive - @professor_neil - Air Date 4-13-23
Origin of "no ethical consumption under capitalism"
What once was a statement of fact, now has been taken as an excuse to essentially be a consumer without even thinking about the ethics involved of what you were buying.
Ch. 3: "Separating Art vs. the Artist" doesn't work for Harry Potter - Kuncan Dastner - Air Date 4-14-22
Secrets of Dumbledore and Hogwarts Legacy aren't enough to save this franchise
Alternate thoughts on the ethics of consumption within capitalism
Ch. 5: Ethical Consumption - Pullback - Air Date 3-7-23
So, there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism. Does that mean there’s no value to movements like slow fashion, eating local, and Fairtrade?
This is a conversation about how and why The Good Place exists and what it reflects about The Odd Place in which we actually live. Unlike a lot of conversations about moral philosophy, this one is a lot of fun.
Ch. 7: Ethical Capitalism: Is It Possible? - Wise Crack - Air Date 7-19-21
We live in an era of increased skepticism towards capitalism. But is participating in capitalism inherently antithetical to living an ethical life? Or is it possible to act ethically within a capitalist system?
A video essay on modern day ethics as discussed in the Netflix show The Good Place. Focusing in particular on the notion of ethical consumerism and individuality from a sociological perspective.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Conscious Consumerism: Does it make a difference - Roundtable - Air Date 7-10-19
Conscious consumerism focuses on making positive decisions throughout the buying process, with the intention of helping to balance some of the negative impacts that consumerism has on the planet.
My 17 yr-old and I have noticed an unsettling trend on social media: folks choosing to take the concept of "No ethical consumption under capitalism" as a license to give up when it comes to trying to make ethical purchases for our bodies and our homes.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Response to cohousing episode
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on why people being misled into unethical behavior gives me hope
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: White text in a funky font says “There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.” in quotation marks on a black background.
Credit: Design by A. Hoffman using "BM Kirang Haerang" font.
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 6/10/2023
Today, we take a look at the emerging trend of various community housing styles people are using to build community, fight loneliness and lighten the load of everyday chores and tasks.
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SHOW NOTES
Trish is the owner of StorySpring Consulting and Director of Community Engagement at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work.
Ch. 2: Katie McCamant of CoHousing Solutions Part 1 - Transforming Cities - Air Date 8-24-22
On this episode, I’m speaking with Katie McCamant, President at CoHousing Solutions. Katie brings the depth and diversity of her 35 years of experience as a developer, architect, and cohousing resident to benefit her clients.
Ch. 3: Cohousing communities help prevent social isolation - PBS Newshour - Air Date 2-12-17
Groups in Denmark and the U.S. are choosing to live in intentionally intergenerational communities, which emerged to strengthen social ties between aging seniors and their younger counterparts who are balancing work and family.
Ch. 4: Katie McCamant of CoHousing Solutions Part 2 - Transforming Cities - Air Date 8-24-22
Cohousing communities are collaborative neighborhoods created with intention and a little ingenuity.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Jack Kerouac's boarding house now co-living for creatives - Kirsten Dirksen - Air Date 11-7-20
Sara McEre bought the former 19th-century boarding house in San Luis Obispo (CA), it was rundown. Instead of converting it to apartments for a profit, she turned it into a communal living residence for 19 like-minded individuals.
Ch. 8: Microgrid energy and community cohousing - Local Zero - 5-4-22
We hear from Andy O’Brien from the Bristol Energy Cooperative, and Monica King from Bridport Cohousing in Dorset.
Ch. 9: Katie McCamant of CoHousing Solutions Part 3 - Transforming Cities - Air Date 8-24-22
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on a couple of undervalued benefits of cohousing
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A photograph of a winding path through a colorful, close-together neighborhood of houses with children's toys and flowers on the grass.
Credit: "Cohousing" by Joy Cross, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, increased saturation and contrast
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date 1-22-2019
Today we take a look at socialism in America from our often violent response to the concept in the wake of the Russian Revolution through the recent revival in interest, driven primarily by the younger generation today
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Red Dawn Americans and the Bolshevik Revolution - @BackStory - Air Date 11-9-17
One hundred years ago, Vladimir Lenin and his Bolshevik Party seized power in a revolution that would change the world. Today we explore how that distant revolution had an immediate impact in the United States.
Ch. 2: What the Russian Revolution Proved Possible - Empire Files - Air Date 12-18-17
To understand the context of this first socialist experiment, how it happened and what caused the many problems it faced, Abby Martin sits down with Brian Becker, a long-time socialist organizer.
Ch. 3: America’s Unofficial Religion - The War On An Idea Part 1 - Empire Files - Air Date 11-27-17
Everyone in the United States knows that “socialist” or “communist” is considered a bad word. How did things get that way? Abby Martin explores the history of anti-communism in America and the heavy repression of an idea that became an unofficial religion
Ch. 4: "Socialism" in the Air - On the Media - Air Date 7-27-18
The word "socialism" has been trending, appearing on op-ed pages, FOX News, ABC's The View and beyond. In this word watch, Bob speaks with another self-described socialist, Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan Robinson
Ch. 5: Americans are ready for socialism - @ThisIsHellRadio - Air Date 3-13-18
Columnist Elizabeth Bruenig looks beyond the failures of liberalism, to the possibilities of socialism. Elizabeth wrote the op-ed “It’s time to give socialism a try” at the Washington Post.
In this interview with Professor of Economics Emeritus (University of Massachusetts), Marxist economist and founder of Democracy at Work, Richard D. Wolff, we talk to him about Capitalism and Socialism.
Ch. 7: Why Are People Talking About Socialism? with Paul Jay - @TheRealNews - Air Date 1-2-19
Explaining why socialisms time may have come - the failures of capitalism
Prof. Richard Wolff explains some tenets of how a modern socialists system could work
Ch. 9: America’s Unofficial Religion The War On An Idea Part 2 - Empire Files - Air Date 11-27-17
Capitalism can no longer compare itself with the dysfunctional Soviet Union but can only be compared to itself and it's failures
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 6/6/2023
Today, we take a look at the widespread impact of marketing on culture, consumerism, transportation, food, gender roles, and gun ownership in the United States.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Our Consumer Society - Then & Now - Air Date 6-9-22
I explore our consumer society, looking at the history, philosophy, psychology, and sociology of what consumerism really means. Is it a useful concept? Where did it appear from? Are there alternatives?
Ch. 2: Would You Fall for It? - Not Just Bikes - Air Date 1-9-23
In the 1950s, the US automobile industry was lobbying hard to get more funding for roads and highways. Part of this effort included propaganda targeted to the general public.
Ch. 3: How The Auto Industry Carjacked The American Dream - Climate Town - Air Date 4-8-21
Based on an article by Spencer R. Scott P.h.D.
Ch. 4: How Backyard Grilling Conquered America - Cheddar Explains - Air Date 5-19-20
Backyard grilling is an American institution. But have you ever wondered where it came from? You might be surprised to learn that the history of your weekend barbecue twists and turns back through the earliest years of America’s past.
Ch. 5: WOKE BRANDS - hbomberguy - Air Date 2-22-19
Can a product be truly progressive? How can I free my skin? Let's discuss!
Ch. 6: Men Eat Red Meat, Women Eat Salads –– But Why? - Cool Stuff Ride Home - Air Date 10-26-22
How and why did food become so gendered? Y’know, men eat red meat and women eat salads. When did those associations begin?
Just like tobacco companies targeted kids to create a market of “replacement smokers,” so do gun manufacturers. Boys as young as 6 are targeted with ads conflating guns with masculinity so that by the time they turn 18, the seed has been planted.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us - Not Just Bikes - Air Date 3-6-23
Engineers, planners, politicians, and advocates all around the world are trying to improve their cities and build more great walkable places with viable alternatives to driving. But there's a looming trend that could undo all of that hard work
"Beef. It’s what’s for dinner," the baritone voices of actors Robert Mitchum and Sam Elliott told us in the 1990s. "We’re not gonna let Joe Biden and Kamala Harris cut America’s meat!" cried Mike Pence during a speech in Iowa last year.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the counterweight to the power of marketing
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A 1930s print car ad shows an illustration of a large silver Pontiac car with nicely dressed couples admiring the outside. The tagline reads “If you want to ride in luxury and save your money, too… Pontiac’s the Answer”. Some ad copy is visible below the image in small unreadable text.
Credit: “Pontiac Car 1938 Ad” by Indiana Ivy Nature Photographer, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, some left-side color extended
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 5-31-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - Towel Day - Adults liking things made for kids - What it means for something to be suitable for kids or adults - Bronson Pinchot - The decline in students studying the humanities
REFERENCES: The Real Reason Young Adults Seem Slow to ‘Grow Up’
This writer brilliantly explains to Bill Maher why millennials refuse to grow up
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Air Date 6/3/2023
Today, we take a look at the dynamics at play between our immigration and labor policies that lead to the exploitation of children in dangerous and deadly jobs.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why Child Labor in America is Skyrocketing Part 1 - Robert Reich - Air Date 5-16-23
Corporations are now using the “labor shortage” as an excuse to bring back child labor. It’s part of a horrifying trend: Since 2015, child labor violations have risen nearly 300%.
Iowa’s extreme child labor bill began in the office of Gov. Kim Reynolds and was written by top corporate lobbyists.
Ch. 3: The Child Labor Crisis In America Part 1 - Fresh Air - Air Date 5-4-23
Tonya Mosley spoke with New York Times investigative reporter Hannah Dreier, who has been reporting on the children, and Washington Post business reporter Jacob Bogage, who has been reporting on conservative campaign to weaken child labor laws
NBC News Reporter Julia Ainsley reports on the accusation of PSSI using child migrant labor in Nebraska meatpacking plant.
Ch. 5: Inside the Conservative Campaign to Relax Child Labor Laws - Amanpour and Company - Air Date 4-27-23
In a recent article, Washington Post reporter Jacob Bogage explains how campaigners are cloaking these rollbacks under cover of "parental rights." Bogage joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss why conservatives appear willing to put children at risk.
We detail how uncritical acceptance by centrist––and even liberal––media that the US is seeing an unprecedented "labor shortage" is helping justify repealing child labor protections in roughly a dozen states.
Ch. 7: The Child Labor Crisis In America Part 2 - Fresh Air - Air Date 5-4-23
Our guest Hannah Dreier, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at _The New York Times_, has published a bombshell new investigation headlined "As Migrant Children Were Put to Work, U.S. Ignored Warnings."
We speak with the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Hannah Dreier, We are also joined by Gregory Chen, senior director of government relations for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Ch. 10: Why Child Labor in America is Skyrocketing Part 2 - Robert Reich - Air Date 5-16-23
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on what child labor shows us about the ongoing debate within the GOP
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Colorized historic photo of Addie Card, a 12-year-old blonde girl in a smock with bare feet posing in front of machinery at a textile mill in 1910 where she worked. Her expression is neutral.
Credit: “Addie Card, 12 years old. Spinner in cotton mill, North Pownal, Vermont, 1910” by by Lewis W. Hine via the Metropolitan Museum of New York. Processed and colorized by Kelly Short using Gimp 2.6.11 | License: Public Domain
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date 2/17/2017
Today we look at the state of the corporate-controlled media in the age of Trump, how you can navigate those murky waters, and what we can do to make it better.
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Show NotesCh. 1: Diversify your news - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 11-24-16
Ch. 2: Spicer vs. the Interns - On the Media - Air Date 1-27-17
Ch. 3: Is Donald Trump good for journalism? - The Inquiry - Air Date 2-13-17
Ch. 4: Keep Going Back to Substance and the Truth - On the Media - Air Date 1-27-17
Ch. 5: Is 'Biased News' More Destructive Than Fake News? - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 12-23-16
Ch. 6: Ned Beatty's NETWORK speech-by Paddy Chayefsky
Activism:
TAKE ACTION
Go to FAIR.org to get Action Alerts and become a “media activist”
Check out FAIR’s Media Activism Kit
Subscribe to FAIR’s CounterSpin podcast
Member of the media? Check out FAIR’s Media Advisories
EDUCATE YOURSELF
NYT’s False Choice for Democrats: Move to the Right or Divide by Race (FAIR)
Jessica Gonzalez on FCC Chair Ajit Pai (FAIR's CounterSpin)
Scrutiny for Supreme Court Pick Fails to Focus on Rights of Disabled (FAIR)
ACTION ALERT: WaPo’s Post Live Series Is a Love Letter to Corporate Conflicts of Interest (FAIR)
Trump’s Inauguration and the Legitimacy Fetish (FAIR)
Daily Kos Founder Gleefully Celebrates Coal Miners Losing Health Insurance (FAIR)
Written by BOTL Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 5/16/2023
Today, we take a look at the current state and deep context for why our immigration and asylum system broken, and why our policies have made it worse rather than better, all while stoking anti-immigrant hatred.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The law that broke US immigration - Vox - Air Date 8-9-21
Why the US has so many undocumented immigrants.
Ch. 2: Biden & The Border - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 5-1-23
Explaining the lackluster immigration policy of the Biden administration in contrast to the disaster of the Trump administration
President Joe Biden has said that changing immigration law remains an important piece of his agenda. But the path to new legislation is complex and hardly clear. One of the biggest flashpoints in this debate is questions about undocumented workers
We get an update from South Texas, where eight people were killed and at least 10 more injured Sunday in Brownsville after a driver rammed his SUV into a group of people near a shelter for migrants.
We continue to unpack the expiration of Title 42 and the impact on those entering the U.S. illegally. Bianna speaks to journalist Caitlin Dickerson, who recently won a Pulitzer Prize for her extensive reporting on immigration.
Ch. 6: A Nation of Hating Immigrants - Latino Rebels Radio - Air Date 5-11-23
Amid a wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric and violence, Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Roberto Lopez to discuss the circumstances around the tragedy in Brownsville, Texas, and how the country has become a nation of hating immigrants.
Ch. 7: The Abuse of Migrant Workers - In The Thick - Air Date 4-26-23
Fernanda Santos leads a discussion with Fernanda Echavarri and Tina Vasquez about their explosive two-part investigation, “Head Down,” which examines the abuse of migrant workers under the H-2A visa program.
Ch. 8: The case for immigration - The David McWilliams Podcast - Air Date 2-6-23
Immigrants are used to having it hard, both in life and in the public eye where they are often vilified. This lambasting though is based on nothing more than lies - the truth is that immigrants help society grow and prosper.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: The law that could bring Florida's economy to a halt - Make Me Smart - Air Date 5-12-23
As the Title 42 immigration policy ends at the border, a new immigration law that aims to crack down on employers who hire undocumented workers has been signed in Florida. We get into the economic implications of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new immigration policy.
Ch. 10: Florida's New Immigration Bill Is A DISASTER! - Law Firm of Moumita Rahman - Air Date 5-12-23
I share insights into the new anti-immigration bill signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The recently signed Florida immigration law has raised serious concerns, primarily due to its potential implications for undocumented immigrants.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on Republicans cynically supporting and abhorring child labor exploitation
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a section of the U.S. border fence in Tijuana, Mexico with people visible on the opposite side. A concrete building stands on a hill in the near distance.
Credit: “Tijuana Through the Fence” by Tony Webster, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 5/13/2023
Today, we take a look at the history and resurgent idea of the company town, sometimes described by other names to obscure the reality, and the problem of affordable housing they are trying to solve.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Un-American and yet, totally American Company Towns - Knowing Better - Air Date 1-23-22
There's a tendency to think about company towns as a quaint relic of the past, something that disappeared a century ago. But company towns aren't just some quirk of American history, they are American history.
The neighborhood we know today as Pullman was the first industrial planned community in the U.S., explicitly built for the Pullman Palace Car Company employees.
Ch. 3: The Coal Town System - PBS - Air Date 1-13-16
West Virginia coal operators built small, company-owned towns for their miners to live in. The coal towns were almost always unincorporated; there were no elected officials, no independent police forces.
In the almost 200 years that company towns have existed in the U.S., rarely do these planned communities live up to their creator’s utopian vision. WSJ explores why Musk is looking to the company town model for his properties in Texas.
Ch. 5: Un-American and yet, totally American Company Towns 2 - Knowing Better - Air Date 1-23-22
Ch. 6: Elon Musk Wants To Build DYSTOPIAN Company Town - Breaking Points w James Li - Air Date 5-6-23
James Li breaks down the dystopian dreams of Elon Musk to build a modern-day company town.
Ch. 7: The Housing Crisis Is So Bad Disney Is Building Housing For Workers - TYT - Air Date 11-26-22
Workers are struggling with the high cost of living near Disney World, so the corporate giant will build 1,300 affordable housing units near the park.
Ch. 8: Seattle’s Social Housing Initiative Camille Gix - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-14-23
Camille Gix then joins to walk through Seattle’s I-135 initiative, what “Social Housing” implies, and why this model can bolster the reclamation of housing from the financial world to the public realm.
Ch. 9: Vishaan Chakrabarti: A vision of sustainable housing for all of humanity - TED - Air Date 2-20-22
Architect Vishaan Chakrabarti wants us to start thinking about how we'll house all these people -- and how new construction can fight climate change rather than make it worse
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: Un-American and yet, totally American Company Towns 3 - Knowing Better - Air Date 1-23-22
Ch. 11: Arizona schools build tiny homes for teachers - CNN - Air Date 5-1-23
School districts in Arizona are building their own affordable housing for teachers, hoping to recruit a bigger and better batch of educators to address the ongoing shortage.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the right to repair and why we all live in a company town
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Black and white photo of simple, identical concrete row houses fading off into the distance.
Credit: “Deutsch: "Schweizer Häuschen" in der Bayreuther Sozialsiedlung Burg” by Röhrensee, 1972 | License: CC BY SA-3.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date 9/15/2017
Today we look at the history and structures of authoritarianism and explore how they relate to the Trump campaign and administration
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Show NotesAct 1: It can't happen here Part 1 - Ideas from the CBC - Air Date 1-17-17
Act 3: Opposing conservative policies and authoritarianism - Who. What. Why. - Air Date 2-11-17
Act 4: It can't happen here Part 2 - Ideas from the CBC - Air Date 1-17-17
Act 5: Historian Timothy Snyder on the prospect of tyranny in America - This is Hell - Air Date 4-29-17
Act 6: Why Arpaio's Pardon Could Trigger Constitutional Crisis - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 08-29-17
Act 7: Full Frontal Is Scared: Masha Gessen Edition - Full Frontal with Samantha Bee - Air Date 1-18-17
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Air Date: 5-10-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - Self-Love and Loneliness - Friends - Commercialized Coitus - Why men are perfectly fine
REFERENCES: Self-Love Is Making Us Lonely - Time
‘When people can talk about sex, they flourish’: the rise of sexual wellness - The Guardian
Chad Daniels | Twelfth Night | Daddy Issues
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Air Date 5/9/2023
Today, we take a look at the hyper-polarization of our era and the anti-democratic instincts of the right taking hold in state legislatures. Building on a decade of gerrymandering and voter suppression within a structurally undemocratic American system that has helped Republicans create minority rule in many places and unearned super-majorities in others, they have now turned to simply ejecting their elected political opponents from fully representing their constituents.
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SHOW NOTES
America’s Congress may be gridlocked, but its state legislatures certainly aren’t.
Ch. 2: GOP legislatures gaming elections, suppressing voting - The BradCast - Air Date 5-4-23
In Ohio, Republicans are pushing a scheme to raise the qualification threshold for ballot initiatives before voters can mobilize to stop them.
MSNBC's Ali Velshi reports on the vote Wednesday by Montana House Republicans to ban Democratic State Rep. Zooey Zephyr, who is trans, after she spoke out against anti-trans legislation.
Ch. 4: Have State Legislatures Gone Rogue? - The New Yorker Radio Hour - Air Date 5-5-23
The story of two lawmakers expelled from the Tennessee legislature captured headlines across the country.
Ch. 5: Deciding the Fate of Democracy in North Carolina - The Laura Flanders Show - Air Date 5-7-23
So far, 27 people in North Carolina have been indicted in connection with the effort to overturn the 2020 election on January 6th.
Tennessee’s Justin Jones and Montana’s Zooey Zephyr, two Democratic state lawmakers who were both punished by their Republican-led legislatures for peaceful protests, say the only way to fight such anti-democratic moves is through broad solidarity.
"This is a woman who spoke movingly about her own abortion on the floor of the North Carolina statehouse in 2015 when she was arguing against abortion restrictions," says Chris Hayes on State Rep. Tricia Cotham.
The largely white Tennessee House of Representatives, with its heavily gerrymandered Republican supermajority, expelled two members, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, the two youngest Black representatives in the House.
Steven Levitsky is David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government at Harvard University.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: The Polarization Of State Legislatures - Not Another Politics Podcast - Air Date 3-1-23
Are state legislatures polarizing as well? And, if they are, what can that tell us about the state of our democracy?
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Thoughts on big ideas to redistribute wealth - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on an analogy that explains the dangers of poorly framed arguments
SHOW IMAGE
Description: A distorted, high-contrast photo of an American flag on a flag pole against a dark red sky.
Credit: "redflag" by AK Rockerfeller, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Air Date 5/5/2023
Today, we take a look at the history and present of the labor movement to demonstrate how times may change but the fundamental struggle, including many of the exact tactics, remains the same. Plus, get ready to get excited about salts, the secret ingredient in labor movement.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: May Day and the Haymarket Massacre Part 1 - Rattling the Bars, Real News Network - Air Date 5-1-23
RNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez joins Rattling the Bars for a discussion on the history of May Day, and how the persecution of organizers in the wake of the Haymarket Massacre highlights the importance of extending solidarity
Ch. 2: The History of May Day - The Young Turks - Air Date 5-2-23
The Young Turks discuss the history of May Day.
Ch. 3: Labor in America Part 1 - The Zero Hour - Air Date 1-21-23
Heidi Shierholz is President of the Economic Policy Institute
Ch. 4: Secret Union Tactic Fuels Unprecedented Labor Wins - Bloomberg Originals - Air Date 4-3-23
Bloomberg's Josh Eidelson explains the tactic's recent revival after exclusive visits to undercover training sessions over the past year.
Ch. 5: Donna Murch on Rutgers Labor Action - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-21-23
We’ll get an update from Donna Murch, associate professor of history at Rutgers, and New Brunswick chapter president of Rutgers AAUP-AFT.
Ch. 6: Labor in America Part 2 - The Zero Hour - Air Date 1-21-23
Ch. 7: Union Organizing 101 Building Class Solidarity Every Day - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-22-18
Jane McAlevey on strengthening the union movement.
Ch. 8: May Day and the Haymarket Massacre Part 2 - Rattling the Bars, Real News Network - Air Date 5-1-23
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Ch. 9: May Day and the Haymarket Massacre Part 3 - Rattling the Bars, Real News Network - Air Date 5-1-23
Ch. 10: Jane McAlevey on Deep Organizing - Jacobin - Air Date 12-10-18
Unions are the weakest they have been in a century. But, as Jane McAlevey explains, the story of a group of Philadelphia nurses shows that deep organizing and a willingness to strike can still win.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Nuances to add to the JK Rowling episode - Soph
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on framing arguments in defense of trans lives
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Labor protesters march on a city sidewalk. The person in the front holds a placard that says “Support Amazon Labor Union.” The person behind them holds a sign that says “Starbucks: Union Busting is Disgusting.” A third person in the line wears a sign that says “Safety & Unions For All Workers.”
Credits: “Philly Solidarity with Starbucks, Amazon & all workers organizing!” By Joe Piette, Flickr | License: CC BY- SA 2.0 | Changes: Slight increase in contrast
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Air Date 5/2/2023
Today, we take a look at the intertwining of oil wealth, philanthropy, and culture washing from John Rockefeller to the sheiks of the Middle East.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Who Were the Robber Barons? - Brain Blaze - Air Date 10-29-19
The Robber Barons were some dudes who got rich and were pretty sketchy about it all, but then founded a bunch of universities and stuff like that, so I guess we're cool?
Why is America living in an age of profound economic inequality? Why, despite the desperate need to address climate change, have even modest environmental efforts been defeated again and again?
We speak with author Jules Boykoff about the climate and political implications of the 2022 World Cup.
Ch. 4: How One Industry Controls Football - Athletic Interest - Air Date 11-5-21
Who controls football?
Ch. 5: Why Billionaire Philanthropy Won't Solve Anything - Second Thought - Air Date 2-25-22
You ever notice how oligarchs like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are cast as these uber-wealthy saviors who are singlehandedly raising the world out of poverty? That doesn't happen by accident.
Ch. 6: What Is Sportswashing (and Does It Work)? - Freakonomics - Air Date 6-8-22
In ancient Rome, it was bread and circuses. Today, it’s a World Cup, an Olympics, and a new Saudi-backed golf league that’s challenging the P.G.A. Tour.
Ch. 7: Why Billionaires Won't Save Us - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 5-21-21
I look at how the elite philanthropy of Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk function as more of a billionaire preservation of wealth and self than as an act of altruism.
Anand Giridharadas believes we should be a bit more skeptical about embracing billionaires as the change-makers of our era.
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Christian Bryant explores why sporting events are and can be held in countries with authoritarian regimes in this segment of "Scoreboard."
Ch. 10: Fixing the Economy - Garys Economics - Air Date 11-27-22
After having opened up the publics eyes to the problem of Wealth Inequality, Gary reveals to the Channel his own idea for a possible Wealth Tax.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Reaching a conclusion on understanding the J.K Rowling episode - Boris from Belgium
Ch. 12: The is/ought malfunction in our pattern recognition - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on the is/ought problem of politics
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE
Description: A diptych of photos of Mohammad bin Salman and a painting of John. D. Rockefeller. A drop of black oil falls into a splash over the center of the image.
Credits: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Photo of “Defense Secretary Jim Mattis stands with Deputy Crown Price of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud” by U.S. Secretary of Defense, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0) | Changes: Cropped / Photo of painting of J.D. Rockefeller by John Singer Sargent, Flickr | License: Public Domain | Changes: Cropped / Oil drop and splash from Pixabay.
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Air Date 4/26/2023
Today, we take a look at the trials and tribulations facing the youth today as men and boys are being surpassed academically by women and girls and girls are suffering disproportionately under the weight of the toxic forces of social media.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Senator Josh Hawley on masculinity - Axios on HBO - Air Date 11-7-21
Axios’ Mike Allen sits down with Missouri Senator Josh Hawley to discuss the senator's comments on masculinity.
Ch. 2: Male inequality, explained by an expert | Richard Reeves - Big Think - Air Date 1-4-23
Modern males are struggling. Author Richard Reeves outlines the three major issues boys and men face and shares possible solutions.
Ch. 3: Liz Plank & Richard Reeves Debate Gender Inequality - The Man Enough Podcast - Air Date 4-5-23
Brookings Institution scholar and acclaimed author Richard Reeves tackles the pressing issue of young men falling behind, on a mission to uplift them without jeopardizing women's rights.
In 2021, the CDC saw an increase in mental health challenges across the board, but it’s girls in the U.S. that are engulfed in a wave of sadness, violence, and trauma.Stephanie Sy spoke with Sharon Hoover about the survey.
Scott Galloway, or ‘Prof G’ to his fans, is one of the most influential business thought leaders in the world. Host of The Prof G Show, one of the most popular business podcasts in America
A national survey by the CDC sounded a new alarm about teens in crisis. It shows nearly 30% of teenage girls said they considered dying by suicide, and three out of five girls said they felt persistently sad or hopeless.
Ch. 8: Are the Kids Alright — with Jonathan Haidt Part 1 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 10-27-20
NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has spent the last few years trying to figure out why, working with fellow psychologist Jean Twenge, and he believes social media is to blame.
Ch. 10: Are the Kids Alright — with Jonathan Haidt Part 2 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 10-27-20
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Ch. 11: Spotlight — Addressing the TikTok Threat - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 9-8-22
This week on Your Undivided Attention, we bring you a bonus episode about TikTok. Co-hosts Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin explore the nature of the TikTok threat, and how we might address it.
Ch. 12: Male inequality, explained by an expert | Richard Reeves Part 2 - Big Think - Air Date 1-4-23
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 13: Continuing discussion of J.K. Rowling episode - VoiceMailer Boris
Ch. 14: Marking an isolating Black leaders - V from Central New York
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 15: Final comments on the fundamental disconnections that tend to drive modern debate
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date: 4-21-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - How you’re seen by others is important - Jokes are learning - Injecting money into morality breaks people’s brains - Remembering the labor movement - Another frustrating Atlantic article, this time about France
REFERENCES: Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World (Affiliate: Book, Audio)
The French are in a Panic over Le Wokisme - The Atlantic
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Air Date 4/19/2023
Today, we take a look at the history and present of the interconnected movements to privatize education and dismantle democracy.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Segrenomics: The Long History of Cashing In On Unequal Education - Have You Heard - Air Date 1-3-18
Education reform is often referred to as the "civil rights issue of our time." But what would have happened if "edupreneurs" had used their money, influence, connections and access to solve the riddle of why we can't integrate schools?
Ch. 2: Democracy and Public Education: A Future in Peril - Have You Heard - Air Date 8-12-21
Why are the same states that are rolling back democracy also intent on dismantling public education? We assembled an all-star cast to get some answers.
Ch. 3: The Hidden Agenda of Privatization with Jessica Piper (pt.1) - Teach Me, Teacher - Air Date 10-31-21
Jessica Piper, a previous middle and high school English teacher and now candidate for Missouri state representative, believes there's a far bigger agenda behind the outrage we are currently hearing about.
Ch. 4: Betsy DeVos Is Still Making Moves to Destroy Public Schools - The New Abnormal - Air Date 4-1-23
Betsy DeVos is no longer wreaking havoc as former President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Education, but even without the title, the Republican donor is still actively making moves to “destroy” the public school system.
Ch. 5: The Surprising History Behind Charter Schools - WBUR - Air Date 11-4-16
Today, teachers' unions are among the fiercest opponents of charter schools in the United States. The fact that a legendary union president was maybe the key champion of the idea tells you how much things have changed in 30 years.
Because it is so well researched and presented, Cutting School: The Segrenomics of American Education, is a frustrating read. To tell the story of privatization, segregation, & the end of public education requires a massive cast.
We are in the midst of an escalating rightwing assault on public education in America. It comes in the form of an attempted authoritarian takeover of schools and universities, in hundreds of bills establishing state censorship, banning books, ect.
Ch. 8: Diane Ravitch on Pandemic School Privatization - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-22-20
We talk with Diane Ravitch about the latest scheme for rich folks to decide what's best for schools their children don't attend.
Ch. 9: Racism-High-Stakes Disaster Education | Dr. Ricardo Rosa - TEDxCCSU - Air Date 11-24-15
Dr. Rosa is a member of Save Our Schools, United Opt-Out and the Badass Teachers Association. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, an activist, writer, and researcher.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: The Secret Power of Homeschoolers - VICE NEWS - Air Date 10-12-22
VICE News investigates why families are opting out, and what happens to the institution of public school when people abandon it.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Thanks for the Rowling episode - VoicedMailer Roland
Ch. 12: Regarding Puberty Blockers - VoicedMailer J
Ch. 13: Thoughts on the J.K. Rowling episode - VoicedMailer Boris
Ch. 14: Something to add to the JK Rowling episode - VoicedMailer Daniel
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 15: Final comments on responses to the trans rights and authoritarianism episode
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 4/16/2023
Today, we take a look at some of the arguments of the anti-trans feminist movement, known by its most prominent proponent, J.K. Rowling, all in the shadow of the anti-trans fervor of the right wing which is checking off the stages of genocide like a to-do list.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 2: Understanding The 'Logic' Of TERFs - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 2-13-22
Why do TERFs think the way they do? The history of TERFs goes way back before JK Rowling. In the 1980s TERF Janice Raymond ran a successful campaign to push Sandy Stone out of Olivia Records.
Ch. 3: Comments 1: Introducing Authoritarianism
Ch. 5: Transphobia In A Suit - The Anti-Trans Hate Machine: A Plot Against Equality - Air Date 7-22-21
Imara investigates the influence the Heritage Foundation had in infusing anti-trans ideology into the government during Trump’s presidency—a legacy the Biden administration is still trying to unravel.
Ch. 6: Comments 2: Reasons for the extreme defense of trans rights
Ch. 8: American Fascism And The Groomer Panic Part 1 - Second Thought - Air Date 2-24-23
We've seen a number of moral panics over the decades, and this one is no different. Come learn how the same old tropes are being recycled to animate this latest strain
Ch. 9: Comments 3: Just asking questions
Ch. 11: American Fascism And The Groomer Panic Part 2 - Second Thought - Air Date 2-24-23
Ch. 12: Comments 4: Straw men and moderates
Ch. 14: Can We Stop the GOP From “Eradicating” Trans People? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-8-23
Pastor Martin Niemöller’s famous poem begins, “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist.” But, in fact, first they came for the queer people. A year before Nazis began attacking union leaders and socialists
Ch. 15: Comments 5: Who understands Harry Potter?
Ch. 16: Comments 6: Misogyny in the movement
Ch. 17: Comments 7: Fueling anger and emboldening action
Ch. 18: TERFs and the Fascist Roots of Anti-Trans Movements - Jessie Gender - Air Date 3-22-23
At a gender-critical TERF rally in Melbourne, Australia, Neo-Nazis showed up to support the anti-trans rhetoric... and this shouldn't surprise anyone.
Ch. 19: Comments 8: If nazis are supporting your movement...
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 20: Final comments on reimagining reality
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE
Description: The sentence “Trans Rights Are Human Rights” is repeated in alternating colors of the transgender pride flag. The UN Free & Equal logo is on the bottom right corner.
Credit: "#TransRightsAreHumanRights" UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) initiative UN Free & Equal (@free_equal)
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Original Air Date 4/20/2022
Today we take a look at the bizarre halo effect that seems to surround Elon Musk and then thoroughly puncture it by just explaining a few things about him and his companies.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Myth Of The "Self-Made" Billionaire - Second Thought - Air Date 9-10-21
It’s no secret that Americans love to hear about billionaires. You’ll find them everywhere. They’re on the news [Bezos space launch], have their own TV shows, movies, and even make their way to elected office.
Ch. 2: Is Elon Musk a Fraud - Deconstructed - Air Date 5-14-20
Over the weekend, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to voice his frustrations about the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown in Alameda County, California. The billionaire entrepreneur threatened that he would take his auto factory to another state
Ch. 3: Tesla SUED Over Racial Discrimination In The Workplace - The Young Turks - Air Date 2-12-22
Elon Musk and Tesla are coming under fire as the state of California is suing the company for allegedly running a “racially segregated” workplace. Black workers are reportedly concentrated in certain parts of the factory and are constantly berated
Ch. 4: Elon Musk Is Not Your Friend - Some More News - Air Date 5-10-21
Hi. Elon Musk will not save us. Sorry.
Billionaire memelord Elon Musk has dropped yet another batcrap Libertarian rant for his adoring fans, this time regarding the bloodthirsty government and how he hates the pesky electric vehicle subsidies that he would (and already does) benefit from.
Ch. 6: Elon Trolls the SEC - What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Air Date 4-8-22
With 9.1% ownership of Twitter—and a board seat—Elon Musk is the new master of Twitter's future. Why did the wealthiest man in the world just take over the world's most influential platform?
Ch. 7: Elon, Segregationist & Culture War in Colorado w/ Chase Woodruff - Left Reckoning - Air Date 2-23-22
The real reason Elon Musk fleed California: incredible racism and animal cruelty charges. Also, how he's giving marching orders to Texas cops.
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Ch. 9: Elon Musk Isn’t Saving Humanity w/ Manu Saadia - Tech Won't Save Us - Air Date 3-25-21
Paris Marx is joined by Manu Saadia to discuss the roots of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos’ visions for space, and why they serve the billionaires’ need for control, not the betterment of humanity.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Back on the path - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on foundational ideas that help explain politics
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date: 4-6-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - Reactions to the Half Hour News Hour - A layered conservative joke? - Romance bots for all - Tech bros are 8-year-olds - How to teach American history
REFERENCES: Half Hour News Hour Snipits
Time to take biden to the train station
What Happens When Sexting Chatbots Dump Their Human Lovers
Super League: The War for Football
Elon Musk Sets Poop Emoji as an Autoreply to Twitter’s Press Email
A view of American History that Leads to One Conclusion
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Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Original Air Date 4/2/2022
Today we take a look at the modern reality of cyber war. It's not the mass destruction of attacks that were imagined to look like a "Cyber Pearl Harbor" but the much more subtle cyber attacks that often fly under the radar and live in the grey area in attempts to inflict harm without provoking counterattack.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Andy Greenberg - Longform - Air Date 12-11-19
Andy Greenberg is a senior writer for Wired. His new book is Sandworm. “I kind of knew I was never going to get access to Sandworm, which is the title of the book - so it was all about drawing a picture around this invisible monster.”
Ch. 2: How America’s gas got hacked - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-12-21
The largest-known ransomware attack on American energy infrastructure is driving up gas prices and creating shortages. Wired's Lily Hay Newman says Colonial Pipeline might be a turning point for cybersecurity.
Ch. 3: Is Russia at War with the West? Part 1 - The Inquiry - Air Date 11-21-18
There are currently a number of serious allegations made in the West against Russia. They include the attempted murder of the former spy Sergei Skripal on British soil; interference in the 2016 US election; the hacking of the American electricity grid.
Sanger joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the threats and realities, how the U.S. wages cyber warfare, and how prepared the U.S. is to stop attacks.
Ch. 5: Is Russia at War with the West? Part 2 - The Inquiry - Air Date 11-21-18
Russia has been practicing cyberwar in a real-life test lab — Ukraine. Andy Greenberg, author of 'Sandworm', recounts how Russia went from repeatedly shutting down Ukraine's infrastructure to unleashing worms that caused billions of dollars in damage.
Ch. 7: Is World War III Already Here? - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 1-3-22
Warfare has changed so fundamentally, that we're currently in a war we don't even recognize. It's the war that Russia, China, and other hostile foreign actors are fighting against us — weaponizing social media to undermine our faith in each other
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Last week, a hacker group called DarkSide shut down the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies 45 percent of the fuel consumed on the East Coast. Gas prices skyrocketed, people started hoarding gas, and DarkSide walked away with over $4 million in Bitcoin.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Puberty blockers experimental? - Maria in Pennsylvania
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the deception and logical fallacies at the heart of critiques of gender affirming care
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 3/31/2023
Today, we take a look at the history and legacy of the invasion of Iraq by the United States under George W. Bush and his administration with the support of the vast majority of Americans who had been systematically mislead by falsified evidence used to make the case for war.
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SHOW NOTES
We spend today's show with two Iraqis looking back at how the unprovoked U.S. invasion devastated Iraq and helped destabilize much of the Middle East.
Ch. 2: How To Start A War And Get Away With It Part 1 - AJ+ - Air Date 3-16-23
Twenty years ago the U.S. began its invasion of Iraq. What came next is a story well tread— a bloody, brutal and senseless war— but what lead up to the invasion deserves just as much scrutiny
20 years after the launch of the disastrous invasion of Iraq, Mehdi is asking: Isn’t it finally time to hold George W. Bush accountable for the brutal war and the lies he told us about it?
Ch. 4: How To Start A War And Get Away With It Part 2 - AJ+ - Air Date 3-16-23
Ch. 5: Norman Solomon on the Iraq Invasion, 20 Years Later - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-24-23
We’ll talk about it with author, critic and longtime friend of FAIR Norman Solomon. What passes for debate about why we must remain at some kind of war—cold, hot, corporate, stealth, acknowledged, denied has roots worth studying in 2003.
Ch. 7: “To Start a War” by Robert Draper - PBS - Air Date 8-7-20
On the Washington Week Extra, New York Times Magazine writer at large and National Geographic contributing writer Robert Draper discusses his latest book, "To Start a War: How the Bush Administration Took America into Iraq.”
“The story of the past 20 years is a story of destruction, devastation, corruption, incompetence, but also a story of resilience,” says Nadje Al-Ali, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at Brown University
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Sam hosts Spencer Ackerman, columnist for The Nation and author of the Forever Wars newsletter on Ghost, to discuss his recent piece “The Unlearned Lessons From the War in Iraq”.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 12: Leftists are now war mongers - Ronald Bruce Meyer
Ch. 13: Senseless war - VoicedMailer Marg
Comment on your recent Ukraine podcast - VoicedMailer Trevor
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 14: Final comments on the moral responsibility of inaction in Ukraine
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date 3/16/2022
Today we take a look at the dynamics of mis- and disinformation as well as the history of those, primarily Russia, who are actively using it as a weapon of information warfare against the US, The West, and democracies around the world.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Are you Disinformed or Misinformed? - Harvard Data Science Review Podcast - Air Date 6-17-21
Harvard Data Science Review digs into the world of disinformation and misinformation, and the difference between them.
Ch. 2: Moving beyond news deserts and misinformation - Democracy Works - Air Date 2-14-22
Victor Pickard is the C. Edwin Baker Professor of Media Policy and Political Economy at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Democracy Without Journalism?
Ch. 3: Why "Cheap Speech" Threatens Democracy - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 3-5-22
Dahlia talks to Rick Hasen about his new book Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics–and How to Cure It.
Ch. 4: The Firehose of Falsehood Effect - The Propwatch Project - Air Date 4-4-21
Dr. Christopher Paul, senior social scientist of the Pardee RAND Graduate School, discusses his seminal work on the "Firehose of Falsehood" propaganda model, going through its key components and explaining how each exploits facets of human heuristics.
Ch. 5: The long history of Russian disinformation targeting the U.S. - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 11-22-18
A recent New York Times video series explores the long history of Russian disinformation
Ch. 6: Post-Truth: Lee C. McIntyre - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-14-20
Authoritarians use post-truth to corrupt our faith in the truth. The end goal is not to make citizens believe lies, but to make them so cynical and uncertain, they think they can never know the truth.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Inside Estonia's approach in combating Russian disinformation - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 1-15-22
Russian disinformation is rife in countries formerly ruled from Moscow. Some ex-Soviet states have tried to suppress it altogether by banning Russian television stations and even limiting the use of the Russian language on their own domestic channels.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Seeking power from the right and left - Alex from Maryland Old
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on avoiding the nihilism strategy of the Underpants Gnomes
TAKE ACTION!
Media Literacy Now - Advocate for U.S. Media Literacy Bills at State Level (See Existing Media Literacy Bills and Laws)
Tools to Fight Disinformation:
List: Tools That Fight Disinformation Online (RAND.org)
InVID - Browser plug in to help identify and verify shared videos and images
Hamilton 2.0 Dashboard - War in Ukraine (Disinformation tracker)
Orgs Fighting Disinformation:
Content Authenticity Initiative
Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity
Alliance for Securing Democracy
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Short Docuseries: Operation InfeKtion (New York Times)
Book: “The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread” by Calin O’Connor and James Owen Weatherall
Video Series: Crash Course Media Literacy
Training: First Draft News - Training
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: In graphic form, the word "TRUTH" is angled and textured in red. A magnifying glass hovers over most of the letter "U" and the word "LIES" can be seen repeated in rows through the circular glass.
Credit: Original design on Pixabay / Changes: angled, text color, background color / Final by Amanda Hoffman
Air Date 3/26/2023
Today, we take a look at the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the debate over continuing to support Ukraine heats up, an arrest warrant is issued for Putin and China makes a state visit to Moscow.
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SHOW NOTES
Matt Dust discusses Biden's trip to Ukraine and the symbolism. CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin speaks on why she believes this is a propaganda move to increase support for a senseless war.
Ch. 2: Russias Total War on Ukraine One Year Later - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 2-22-23
We discuss what’s changed since February 2022, what Ukraine still needs to win, Biden’s recent visit, and the geopolitical consequences of the war for the rest of the world.
Ch. 3: Unwinnable War Calls Grow for Negotiated End to Ukraine War - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-2-23
To talk about possible peace talks, we are joined by two guests: Vladislav Zubok, a Russian professor of international history at the London School of Economics, and Wolfgang Sporrer, a conflict manager and adjunct professor at the Hertie School in Berlin
Nuclear weapons policy analyst and historian STEPHEN SCHWARTZ unpacks the implications of Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a unilateral suspension of participation in the New START treaty.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleging that he oversaw the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow Monday for a three-day state visit to Russia.Sasha Gabuev of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussed the visit with Nick Schifrin.
The Eurasia Group's Ian Bremmer joins Morning Joe to discuss Turkey and Hungary clearing way for Finland to join NATO, Vladimir Putin's recent trip to Mariupol and the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Putin for war crimes.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Russias Total War on Ukraine One Year Later Part 2 - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 2-22-23
Are recent attacks by Russia just the beginning of what could be a bloody year for both Ukraine & Russia? Veteran War Correspondent Phil Ittner joins Thom Hartmann to discuss.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the debate on the left about the future of the war in Ukraine
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a soldier standing with their back to the camera wearing a helmet, tactical gear, and a gun on their back. A distressed Ukrainian flag flies in the distance on the battlefield.
Credit: “Ukraine-war-soldier-weapon” LukasJohnns, Pixabay | Pixabay License
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Original Air Date: 3-23-23
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss:
- giving credit where due
- the mysteries of right-wing comedy through the ages
- the dream of freedom from cars and trapping people in cities
REFERENCES:
Is the right winning the comedy wars? - Vox
Fifteen Minutes of Blame - Slate
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
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Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 3/21/2023
Today, we take a look at how GOP-controlled states are subverting democracy with a form of "competitive autocracy" and some of the horrifying legislation these states then pass after they are no longer subject to the opinions of the general public.
Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Watch/Listen: The Laura Flanders Show
SHOW NOTES
David Pepper, former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, author of the book "Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call from Behind the Lines."
Ch. 2: Republicans Are Staging A Legislative Coup - More Perfect Union - Air Date 1-5-22
Republicans are now carrying out a legislative coup by rigging a decade of elections.
The former Ohio Democratic State Chair on how state legislatures are dismantling democracy.
Ch. 4: The Fight for Fair Maps - The Takeaway - Air Date 7-18-22
After each census every 10 years, a fight for redistricting ensues.
Ch. 5: Failing (Red)States - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 3-4-23
Ralph welcomes William Kleinknecht, author of “States of Neglect: How Red-State Leaders Have Failed Their Citizens and Undermined America”
Mississippi's Republican majority in the state Legislature has put forth a slew of bills in recent months to put the majority-Black capital of Jackson under a white-led superstructure.
Iowa Republicans are proposing a new bill that would change Iowa's child labor law to allow teens to work more dangerous jobs.
Ch. 10: How Moore v. Harper Could Reshape Democracy - The Takeaway - Air Date 12-8-22
The Supreme Court began hearing arguments on Moore v. Harper this week, a case that involves North Carolina’s Republican-led-state legislatures' efforts to pass gerrymandered maps.
BONUS CLIP(S)
Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law that would make it significantly easier for children to work extremely hard jobs.
Missouri has some of the most permissive gun laws in the nation. A state law passed in 2021 is making it harder for police to enforce federal gun laws.
Ch. 13: Tennessee legislator shocks with lynching suggestion - Alex Wagner Tonight - Air Date 3-3-23
Jelani Cobb talks with Alex Wagner about a Tennessee legislator suggesting that lynching be added as an option in new state death penalty legislation.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 14: Re-indigenization - VoicedMailer Daniel
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 15: Final comments on how to fix the states
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Partial illustrated map of the U.S. "Red states" are black. A hollow-eyed elephant is overlaid on top of them. Blue and purple states are visible.
Credit: Composite by A. Hoffman, License: CC By-SA 4.0. Map image credit: “Last 2 Election Red States and Blue States and Purple States” by BobWyatt07, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped, color-filled red states to black
Air Date 3/18/2023
Today, we take a look at how Fox News is being exposed as the alleged liars-for-pay we always suspected they were by the defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems.
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SHOW NOTES
Fox News based on evidence from the Dominion lawsuit. "All the way from Rupert Murdoch on down to the show producers, they knew what they were saying was not true, that it was actually a lie, and they did it anyway," says Carusone.
Former Obama spokesperson Tommy Vietor and political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen draft the biggest bombshells and revelations from Dominion's Lawsuit against Fox News.
MSNBC's Ayman Mohyeldin talks to SiriusXM radio's Dean Obeidallah about the recent revelations that Fox News anchors and Rupert Murdoch knew the 2020 election fraud claims that Fox News was broadcasting were a lie
Jonathan Mahler (@jonathanmahler), staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, joins us to discuss his article, 'Planet Fox: How Rupert Murdoh's Empire of Influence Remade the World.'
White House correspondent Scott Detrow, media correspondent David Folkenflik, and Colorado Public Radio reporter Bente Birkeland.
Ch. 6: See Tucker Carlson demolished on TV by his own words - The Beat - Air Date 3-14-23
Before hosting a Fox News show, Tucker Carlson warned against "conspiracy theories.” Now, Mr. Carlson is involved in a case alleging lies, where some of the most damning evidence comes from Fox hosts including Carlson.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Fox News Faces ANOTHER Election Fraud Defamation Lawsuit - The Young Turks - Air Date 12-30-21
Venezuelan businessman Majed Khalil is suing Fox News, Lou Dobbs, and Sidney Powell for defamation regarding conspiracy theories about the 2020 election being rigged against Donald Trump.
Ch. 8: The OTHER Lawsuit Involving the Murdochs - On the Media - Air Date 3-1-23
Guest host David Folkenflik speaks with Lachlan Cartwright, the Editor at Large of the Daily Beast where he covers power, crime, celebrity and justice, to get a look into the lawsuits and what they mean for the future of the Fox empire.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Criticizing Culture - VoicedMailer Dr. Wiskers
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on our national multiculturalism
American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (Affiliate links: Physical, Audiobook)
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 3-10-23
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss:
- Nick being a liar
- The competing values behind editing and banning books
- Why tech leaders are like 8-year-olds
REFERENCES:
Equating the Roald Dahl edits to book banning is living in a Willy Wonka fantasy world
Biden talks to Anthony Fontana about 90s rap
Connect your Discord to Patreon
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Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 3/14/2023
Today, we take a look at the rise of "woke capitalism" as the cudgel now being wielded against any corporations who dare to seek profits by appealing to the majority of potential customers who prefer progressive social positions to that of Republicans.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Dissecting the War on Woke | Part One - Shanspeare - Air Date - Air Date 1-13-23
Republicans are at war with Woke
Ch. 2: CRT, ESG: Don't fall for the Right's pretend 'Culture Wars' - The Bradcast - Air Date 3-2-23
We debunk Republicans' new fake culture war outrage attacking a mundane, decades-old investment framework known as ESG in which corporations and investment managers consider factors like the environment when making business decisions.
Ch. 3: Who Is Afraid of Woke Capitalism? - After Hours - Air Date 11-2-22
Mihir, Felix and NYU’s Dolly Chugh discuss the pressure on business leaders to conform to the demands of woke capitalism. Should you give in? Push back? What are the risks and rewards?
In the last few years, Republicans have been increasingly concerned about a “woke” corporate agenda, but they're missing the real problem. It’s not that corporations and establishment politicians care too much about racial or gender justice.
Jesse talks about the pathetic Republican response to the entirely predictable failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). James Comer substituted leadership and policy acumen for the expected deflection and blamed the bank's collapse on being WOKE
Greg Walters explains the current conflict between the Republican Party and corporate America.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: BlackRock: The Devil's Banker. Do as I say, not as I do. - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 9-17-22
BlackRock is at the center of a storm in conservative media for pushing companies too hard toward sustainability. That he’s too woke. Liberals think he’s behind the housing crisis. Conspiracy theorists believe he’s in the pocket of the Chinese government.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on how the left really brought about woke capitalism
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 3/8/2023
Today, we take a look at some of the emerging elements of technology and regulation that will likely shape the next era of the internet and our relationship to it. For today, these will include synthetic relationships with artificial intelligence, fake audio and video virtually indistinguishable from reality that will facilitate disinformation, reinterpreting Section 230 for a new era of internet content and the ongoing struggle to regulate social media platforms.
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Watch/Listen: The Laura Flanders Show
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: What is ChatGPT, the AI software taking the internet by storm - BBC News - Air Date 1-15-23
While its popularity is soaring amid reports that OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is closing in on a $10bn investment from Microsoft, there are fears the technology could cause more harm than good.
Ch. 2: Synthetic Humanity AI & Whats At Stake - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-16-23
In this episode of Your Undivided Attention, Tristan and Aza reach beyond the moment to talk about this powerful new AI, and the new paradigm of humanity and computation we’re about to enter.
Ch. 3: What are deepfakes and are they dangerous? - Start Here, Al Jazeera English - Air Date 6-21-21
What are deepfakes? How are they made? And should they worry us?
Ch. 4: Creating a lie detector for deepfakes - CBS Sunday Morning - Air Date 1-29-23
Adobe and Microsoft have teamed up to develop new tools for verifying the attributes and history of images and videos on the web.
We speak with Aaron Mackey, senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who says Section 230 “powers the underlying architecture” of the internet.
Ch. 6: SCOTUS on the Internet Its Complicated Part 1 - Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-25-23
Two big tech cases before the US Supreme Court this week promised justices tackling the thorny issues of content moderation, liability, and internet platforms, but instead delivered confusion and dodges.
Ch. 7: Why Some See Web 3.0 as the Future of the Internet - WSJ - Air Date 2-15-22
Some see Web 3.0 as the next generation of the internet, a decentralized version of the web-based on the blockchain. Here are the key principles behind it, and why skeptics are unconvinced it could scale globally.
Tristan sits with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, a friend of Center for Humane Technology, to discuss the harm caused to our mental health and global democracy when platforms lack accountability and transparency.
Ch. 9: SCOTUS on the Internet It's Complicated Part 2 - Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-25-23
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: Synthetic Humanity AI & Whats At Stake Part 2 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 2-16-23
Ch. 11: Ban TikTok? - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-21-23
Politicians across the United States are calling for an outright ban on the popular social media platform. Alex Heath, deputy editor at The Verge, explains how TikTok hopes to pre-empt one from ever passing.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 13: What does re-Indigenization mean for White folks and racial tribalism? - Pat from Chicago
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 14: Final comments on what re-Indigenization means for the rest of us
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A dark, abstract image with the appearance of staining or mildew. In the center, there is a dark silhouette of hands holding the outline of a smartphone. A dark question mark is on the phone screen.
Credit: "Phone-question-screen-online" by ChenSpec | License
Air Date 3/4/2023
Today, we tell a story of colonialism, dispossession and cultural renaissance as a lens through which to understand alienation, a primary condition of modernity
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The annexation of Hawaii
The dark history of the overthrow of Hawaii - TED-Ed - Air Date 2-17-22
U.S. Apology Bill to Hawaiian People - EarthWorldSolutions - Air Date 11-02-12
Ch. 2: Scottish clearances and economic displacement
The Highland Clearances of Scotland - Pilgrim Kat - Air Date 1-22-23
Why Can’t Hawaiians Afford To Live In Hawaii? - AJ+ - Air Date 1-20-22
Ch. 3: White people, Indians and Highlanders
White People, Indians, and Highlanders: Tribal People and Colonial Encounters in Scotland and America (Affiliate link)
Ch. 4: Cultural and linguistic erasure
The Banning of the Hawaiian Language - Noʻeau Woo-O'Brien - Air Date 12-07-19
Aloha Aina - Indigenous Life in Hawaii - Captain Potter - Air Date 11-26-21
Two Worlds - weRnative - Air Date 11-22-19
Ch. 5: Red Power, the American Indian Movement and the Siege of Wounded Knee
What is the Red Power Movement? - Fusion - Air Date 6-2-17
Wounded Knee siege - Witness History - Air Date 2-27-23
Ch. 6: Cultural renaissance of Hokulea
Papa Mau: The Wayfinder - OiwiTV - Air Date 4-14-17
Ch. 7: Cultural renaissance of GalGael
Birdman of Pollok/Curaidh na Coille - BBC - Air Date 12-28-19
The Highland Clearances of Scotland - Pilgrim Kat - Air Date 1-22-23
The Fight To Take Back Hawaii - Foreign Correspondent - Air Date 5-11-22
Hawaiian Language Ban - Barry Shell - Air Date 5-17-08
Ch. 8: re-Indigenization in Scotland
Alastair McIntosh - The Lesley Riddoch Podcast - Air Date 1-3-23
Ch. 9: Connecting with Aina in Hawaii
Aloha Aina - Indigenous Life in Hawaii - Captain Potter - Air Date 11-26-21
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the single story of the values that drove colonialism and continue to shape our world
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The words “exist & resist & indigenize & decolonize” on top of each other in white, lowercase letters on a black background.
Credit: “exist & resist & indigenize & decolonize” by dignidadrebelde, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped and increased size of credit watermark
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Original Air Date 1/15/2022
Today we take a look at tradeoffs that are becoming ever more evident between the advancement of mass communication and social media technologies and the ways in which those advancements contribute to the degradation of social cohesion.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Re-musing Ourselves - On the Media - Air Date 3-3-06
The late media critic Neil Postman argued in his seminal book "Amusing Ourselves to Death," that as TV prevailed over the printed word, it impaired our ability to make sense of a world of information. Jay Rosen writes the blog, PressThink.
Ch. 2: Neil Postman Technopoly - C-Span Book TV - Air Date 7-10-92
Neil Postman, author of Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology published by Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, spoke on the theme of his book which noted the dependence of Americans on technological advances for their own security.
Ch. 3: Prescient Predictions 1984; Brave New World; and Network Part 1 - Future Tense - Air Date 7-7-19
The dystopian best-seller 1984 was published exactly seventy years ago. Its influence has been profound. But does it really speak to today’s politico-cultural environment? Scott Stephens believes Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is a closer match.
Ch. 4: The Trouble With Reality - On The Media - Air Date 5-17-17
This is a conversation between Brooke Gladstone, author of "The Trouble with Reality: A Rumination on Moral Panic in Our Time," and WNYC morning show host Brian Lehrer.
Ch. 5: Prescient Predictions 1984; Brave New World; and Network Part 2 - Future Tense - Air Date 7-7-19
Ch. 6: Neil Postman on Cyberspace - The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour - Air Date 7-25-95
Charlene Hunter-Gault interviews media theorist and cultural critic Neil Postman on PBS' The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour in 1995. Postman discusses new media and the "Faustian bargain" of technological change in the context of the "Information Superhighway."
Ch. 7: Alexa, What's Amazon Doing Inside My Home? - Land of the Giants - Air Date 7-30-19
What’s the downside to letting Alexa run your entire home? And why is Amazon making a microwave oven powered by Alexa?
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on Faustian Bargains
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Original Air Date: 2-23-23
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss:
- Briefly celebrating a Super Bowl victory
- Extinguishing empathy for profit
- Manifesting disaster through film
- The Ohio derailment
- The value of ownership
- Reducing workplace stressors
REFERENCES:
‘You unleash hell on your kids’: Central Texas mom warns parents about ‘Hocus Pocus 2′
After East Palestine derailment, a resident reflects on Ohio movie "White Noise"
Norfolk Southern is giving $25,000 to an Ohio town where it caused a life-or-death evacuation
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Produced by:
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Air Date 2/22/2023
Today, we take a look at some of the work of the chaotic wrecking crew that is the GOP of the 118th Congress including their plan to hold the world economy hostage and weaponize the government against Democrats all while infighting their way to the 2024 presidential election.
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SHOW NOTES
His dramatic victory came after a series of concessions that will give hardline conservatives greater influence in the House. Sarah Binder, a political scientist at George Washington University, joins John Yang to discuss.
Ch. 2: GOP is playing with U.S. prosperity in fight over debt ceiling - MSNBC - Air Date 1-14-23
McCarthy and the House GOP are threatening to not raise the debt ceiling. That would be a huge mistake. Ali Velshi explains why.
Senator Warren joined Jon Keller to discuss the debt ceiling which she called a "manufactured crisis" that Republicans don't care enough about, and that wealthy corporations need to pay more in taxes.
Ch. 4: Joe: Debt ceiling fight is just a lose-lose for McCarthy - Morning Joe - Air Date 1-18-23
The Republican-controlled House has planted the seeds for a debt-ceiling showdown. The Morning Joe panel discusses.
Ch. 5: Right-Wingers FINALLY Exposed For Crushing Plot In Real Time - The Damage Report - Air Date 2-12-23
Right-wingers, including Matt Gaetz, Lindsey Graham and Kevin McCarthy, get caught for their blatant lies over social security on camera while ABC Johnathan Karl runs cover. John Iadarola and Ben Carollo break it down on The Damage Report.
Then, Republican infighting keeps going public, as even Fox News pans their hearings. Guests: Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Stacey Plaskett, Yurii Hundych, Alfie Williams, Gov. George Pataki
The awaited GOP-led House hearings are now underway, and as predicted, they are not going well. Republicans intended a hearing on Twitter's content moderation policies to bolster their bogus claims of alleged federal government censorship of social media.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: Is America broken? - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 2-2-23
Sean Illing speaks with Alana Newhouse, the editor-in-chief of Tablet magazine. They discuss her recent essay on "brokenism," a term she coined in an effort to redefine political divisions in America.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the complication of the ideological dividing lines through societal change
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 2/17/2023
Today, we take a look at the importance of teaching a full and unflinching version of Black history and why the campaign to block it is reaching a peak at this moment in time.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The fight over AP African American Studies - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-7-23
The College Board piloted an AP course on African American Studies. Then, after conservative pushback, it debuted a revised curriculum. But the group insists it’s not caving to political pressure.
Ch. 2: How Florida’s School Censorship Spreads - What Next - Air Date 2-9-23
Governor Ron DeSantis canceling the rollout of AP African-American Studies course in Florida is more than just another salvo in the culture war. It has implications across public education, across the country—and its chilling effect is already evident.
Ch. 3: Erasing History - Counter Stories - Air Date 6-4-21
On this episode, we tackle how new efforts aim to limit or erase important history and context. From bodies discovered in a former Indian Boarding school in Canada to new legislation banning Critical Race theory
Ch. 4: Combating Anti-History - Latino Rebels Radio - Air Date 2-9-23
While the fight for African American studies continues in Florida, Sean Arce draws parallels to the current battle with Arizona's ethnic studies battle over a decade ago.
In response to a recent post on my Instagram account, I’m talking about going beyond teaching children about slavery, racism, oppression, and struggle during Black History Month or anytime of the year.
“I take it as a sign of strength for where the movement is right now,” says Ta-Nehisi Coates on anti-CRT policies and the backlash from the right. “It doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous—but it’s also a statement of how threatened they feel..."
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: The Movement to Erase Black History and Culture - At Liberty - Air Date 2-3-22
February marks Black History Month, a time to recognize the significant achievements and culture of Black Americans–from bell hooks to Beyonce–and also to honor an accurate history about them, a history that we know is rife with discrimination and abuse
Ch. 8: Why Our Idea of History is a Poison - Then & Now - Air Date 12-1-22
Why Our Idea of History is a Poison
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the Streisand Effect
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: On a black background, scattered historic images of famous Black Americans, including Sojourner Truth, Thurgood Marshall, and Josiah Thomas Walls, as well as images of slavery, the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement. The shape of Florida is centered and filled in with part of the Florida state flag (including red crossed bars of the Confederate flag). A black horizontal banner in forefront reads “Black History is American History”.
Credit: Composite designed by Amanda Hoffman. Historic images are in the public domain, except for the Negro League patch (credit: David, Flickr, License) and the Navy Band sign (Gerry Dincher, Flickr, License)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 2/14/2023
Today, we take a look at some origins, alternatives and misunderstandings of capitalism from the Dutch East India Company, to Adam Smith and up through the planned obsolescence and marketing that have tricked us all into working far harder than necessary while failing to make us happy.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Indigenous Economics with Tyson Yunkaporta (In Conversation) - Upstream - Air Date 11-10-21
We speak with Tyson Yunkaporta of the Apalech Clan in far north Queensland, Australia, about the connections between Indigenous economics, complexity theory, and systems thinking.
Professor of Philosophy and author, Graham Priest, joins Breht to discuss his latest book Capitalism - it's Nature and Replacement: Buddhist and Marxist Insights.
Ch. 3: We don't understand Capitalism. Part One - UNFTR - Air Date 1-27-23
How we no longer seem to understand Capitalism. Adam Smith was so much more than the figurehead we associate with Capitalism. He was a true innovator and we use many of his concepts to measure economies to this day
Ch. 4: Your Work Is Not Your Worth - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 10-21-22
Dorian Warren is co-president of Community Change and co-chair of the Economic Security Project, and Aisha Nyandoro is CEO of Springboard to Opportunities and founder of the Magnolia Mother’s Trust.
Ch. 5: We don't understand Capitalism. Part Two. - UNFTR - Air Date 1-27-23
Adam Smith was a social theorist who was greatly concerned with improving lives and creating a balanced economic system. He created several crucial concepts that remain relevant to this day and believed in the power of the free market.
Ch. 6: Economics for a New Year - Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Air Date 1-19-23
US spending for war in Ukraine paid for by higher interest rates; a rational transport system is NOT electric cars; an appreciation of the "degrowth" impulse with a critique of the degrowth movement's focus.
Ch. 7: Indigenous Economics with Tyson Yunkaporta (In Conversation) Part 2 - Upstream - Air Date 11-10-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Stolen children and native cultures - Alan from Connecticut
Ch. 10: Thoughts on the reasons for Cop City - V from Central New York
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the value of being open to understanding indigenous thinking
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 2/10/2023
Today, we take a look at the recent rise in tensions in the wake of Israel electing what may be their most right-wing government to date. Literal fascists are now in the governing coalition, violence is rising and reforms are being considered to effectively remove judicial review from the governing process all while the US continues to give its support.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: A look at the violence and unrest in the West Bank - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-2-23
A look at the violence and unrest in the West Bank.
Ch. 2: Israel and the Progressives - Against the Grain - Air Date 1-25-23
Why do so many people who see themselves as progressive nonetheless support the state of Israel, considered an apartheid state for its treatment of the native Palestinian population?
Far-right Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Tuesday visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem is being roundly condemned across the Middle East. Ben-Gvir is a key part of Benjamin Netanyahu’s new far-right government
Ch. 4: Protests in Israel over proposed judicial reform Part 1 - The Current - Air Date 1-19-23
Proposed judicial reform in Israel has prompted thousands to take to the streets in protest. We talk to Dahlia Scheindlin and Diana Buttu, a lawyer and former adviser to the negotiating team of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken is in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories amid an alarming rise in violence, with Israel killing at least 35 Palestinians since the beginning of January.
Ch. 6: An Escalating Cycle of Violence in Israel and Palestine - Global Dispatches - Air Date 2-1-23
We are in the midst of an escalating cycle of violence in Israel and Palestine. On Thursday, January 26 Israeli forces killed at least 9 people in a raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.
Ch. 7: Protests in Israel over proposed judicial reform Part 2 - The Current - Air Date 1-19-23
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
House Republicans use a tweet by Rep. Ilhan Omar containing anti-Semitic tropes as an excuse to remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alex notes when Republican leaders were not only untroubled by anti-Semitic tropes but perpetuated by them.
Ch. 9: Israel and the Progressives Part 2 - Against the Grain - Air Date 1-25-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments to wrap up
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date: 2-8-23 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss: - Using emotional intelligence to talk about sports - Uncomfortable conversations and circular logic - Nouning The French - Political Spam
REFERENCES: The French Want to Remain the French - New York Times
Words Matter by Sally McConnell-Ginet (Affiliate link)
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Air Date 2/5/2023
Today, we take a look at the threat to the lives of environment protectors around the world with a special focus on the first environmental activist in the U.S. to lose their life at the hands of police while defending the environment and the people who depend on it as part of the Defend the Atlanta Forest movement against the construction of what they have dubbed "Cop City."
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Record number of environmental activists murdered - BBC News - Air Date 9-13-21
227 people were killed around the world in 2020, the highest number for a second consecutive year. The victims were called "environmental defenders" by the report – killed for protecting natural resources that need to be preserved,
Ch. 2: Cop City - The Takeaway - Air Date 1-17-23
Digital producer Zachary Bynum reports from Atlanta, talking with activists, organizers, and elected officials from the city to determine what this all means about race, land stewardship, and power.
According to Global Witness’ report titled ‘Decade of Defiance’, 1733 activists were killed between 2012 and 2021. 227 of them were killed in the year 2020. Last year, 200 environmental defenders were murdered. Nearly 4 people a week!
SWAT teams and other armed police officers from eight different federal, state, county, and city police agencies conducted a raid on those camping out in the Atlanta forest
Six people in Atlanta have been charged with domestic terrorism for taking part in protests against a massive new police training facility known as Cop City.
Ch. 6: Environmentalists in danger Part 1 - DW Documentary - Air Date 10-29-22
Around the globe, people are risking their lives to protect the environment and climate. When environmentalists’ activities disrupt organized crime and other illegal profiteers, they are sued, threatened and even murdered.
Just weeks ago, law enforcement officers — including a SWAT team — were violently evicting protesters who had occupied a wooded area outside the center, when they shot and killed a longtime activist and charged 19 with domestic terrorism.
Ch. 8: Environmentalists in danger Part 2 - DW Documentary - Air Date 10-29-22
Ch. 9: Cop City: Forest Defender Killed by Police in Forest Raid - The Takeaway - Air Date 1-25-23
We checked in with Founder of Community Movement Builders Kamau Franklin and Sean, a participant in the Defend the Atlanta Forest movement, for an update on the situation.
Former energy executive Roberto David Castillo has been sentenced in Honduras for orchestrating the murder of environmental activist Berta Cáceres in 2016.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 11: Cop City Part 2 - The Takeaway - Air Date 1-17-23
Glasgow memorial honors 1,005 land and environmental defenders who have been murdered since the 2015 Paris Agreement. One in three of those defenders killed was an Indigenous person. 2020 was the most dangerous year on record for environmental defenders.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments and conversation with Ben about his fallen friend
Bonus clip: More training not enough to reform police culture says whistleblower - MSNBC - Air Date 1-31-23
Whistleblower Katie Sponsler, former National Park Service ranger, U.S. Air Force veteran, and advocate for police reform, joins Joy Reid on why more training alone is not enough to reform police culture.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 1/31/2023
Today, we take a look at just some of the nearly infinite ways in which our society, culture, and economy are infused from top to bottom with Scam Culture™ that is bleeding us dry both financially and mentally.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Grift Economy: Everything is a scam, always. - Thought Slime - Air Date 11-5-21
For those that need to read this: you aren’t a capitalist. You’re capital.
Ch. 2: Power and Corruption: The Devos Family - iilluminaughtii - Air Date 1-20-23
Betsy DeVos and her family have been important figures in the business world for decades. They’re involved in a massive MLM, invest in shady businesses, and have put their money toward politics for as long as anyone can remember.
Ch. 3: Bill Black: The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One - theAnalysis.news - Air Date 5-31-21
How does a corrupt mortgage scam by brokers in California become a massive national fraud that puts the whole economy into a deep crisis? Bill Black on theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay.
“Whatever fun name you wanna put on it, it’s the same damn thing we’ve seen over and over again.” David Dayen, Executive Editor of The American Prospect, joins us to talk through the spectacular rise and fall of crypto exchange FTX
Ch. 5: The Gig Economy Was Always A Scam - Wisecrack - Air Date 8-8-22
The gig economy has revolutionized how we think about work, but not necessarily for the better. How have a bunch of multi-billion-dollar companies like Uber or Instacart so fundamentally changed our economy?
Ch. 6: Why Spotify Will Ultimately Fail - Benn Jordan - Air Date 1-9-23
An investor's guide to breaking the thing you're trying to sell.
Ch. 7: James O'Brien caller wrote his dissertation on 'incel' culture - LBC - Air Date 1-27-23
Explaining the appeal of Andrew Tate and his acolytes to young, insecure men
Ch. 8: TikToker Exposes New A.I. Scam That Is Absolutely TERRIFYING - Rebel HQ - Air Date 1-13-23
TikToker @benno56 shares his family's experience with a terrifying new A.I. voice-mimicking scam. Max Burns breaks it down.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Mark Rober's Prank And The Truth About Scammers And Capitalism - Second Thought - Air Date 6-17-22
Scam call centers are just one cancerous offshoot of bureaucracy under capitalism, and while pranking these places may be cathartic, it's not enough to tackle the root cause.
Ch. 10: Is all money just a ponzi scheme? | Vicki Robin - Big Think - Air Date 7-22-18
"Money, it's a gas," wrote Pink Floyd's Roger Waters for their hit 'Money'. Author, speaker, and social innovator Vicki Robin would probably agree: she posits that most people don't understand the true, human, working value of money.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Response to the Stolen Children episode
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on radical criticism of the true sources of Scam Culture and other ails of our society
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date: 1-17-23
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin and Deon discuss:
- The updated dress code in the Missouri legislature
- One-Way Empathy
- Andrew Tate and Capitalism Culture
- The management and labor of modern conveniences
REFERENCES:
Outrage after Missouri lawmakers' new dress code for women in the state House
Andrew Tate: The Arrest, Greta Thunberg Feud and Everything Else You Need to Know
Modern Conveniences - 1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story
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Air Date 1/25/2023
Today, we take a look at the long, global history of invading peoples stealing the children of native families to be acculturated into the population of the invading force. Reasons can range from a tactic of war and an intention to commit genocide, usually based on an ideology of racial superiority, to concerns over shifting national demographics, simple economic dispossession, or all of the above. We end with a discussion of ICWA, the Indian Child Welfare Act, which is currently being challenged in the US Supreme Court to the detriment of native children and sovereignty.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The kidnapping campaign of Nazi Germany - DW Documentary - Air Date 3-11-20
On orders from Heinrich Himmler, the Nazis abducted children from Poland for forced Germanization.
Ch. 2: Claims of Russia kidnapping Ukrainian children throughout the region - ABC News - Air Date 11-22-22
Amid the war in Ukraine, children have been caught in the middle, with claims of some being kidnapped.
A brief history of Australia's Stolen Generations
Ch. 4: 10th Anniversary since the Apology to the Stolen Generations - Behind the News - Air Date 2-12-18
The 13th of February 2018 marks 10 years since former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said sorry to the Stolen Generations.
Nick Estes says the institutions were part of a “genocidal process” of “dispossession and theft of Indigenous people’s lands and resources.”
Ch. 6: Canadian government announces $2B in compensation settlement - TRT World - Air Date 1-24-23
Canada has announced it will pay more than 2 billion dollars to hundreds of Indigenous communities to settle a lawsuit seeking compensation for the loss of language and culture caused by residential schools.
Ch. 7: How the US stole thousands of Native American children - VOX - Air Date 10-14-19
Ranjani Chakraborty revisits underreported and often overlooked moments from the past to give context to the present.
Ch. 8: Jen Deerinwater on Indian Child Welfare Act - Counterspin - Air Date 12-9-22
Opposing the actual mission of those who want to eliminate the Indian Child Welfare Act is just…reality: the reality that made the Act necessary in the first place
The case that seeks to strike down the Indian Child Welfare Act is about colonialism, not civil rights.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the opposing world views of apologies
TAKE ACTION!
Follow @ProtectICWA on Twitter and check out their resources
ACLU: “Native Families' Right to Stay Together is at Stake at the Supreme Court”
ACLU: “Keep Our Families Together”: A Law That Protects Native Families is at Risk”
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
“Why Are Right-Wing Groups Targeting a Law Aimed at Protecting Native Families?” (Mother Jones)
“Supreme Court case on adoption of Indigenous children could threaten Native American sovereignty” (San Diego Tribune)
“The fight over American Indian children“ (Politico - Newsletter)
“Experts say 2 lawsuits pose greatest threat to tribal sovereignty in decades” (Anchorage Daily News)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Black and white photo of hundreds of Native American children in uniform settler clothing posed in front of Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania (c. 1900).
Credit: “Pupils at Carlisle Native Industrial School” by Unknown author - Unknown source | License: Public Domain
Air Date 1/21/2023
Today, we take a look beyond our shores to other examples of anti-democratic forces seeking to take control of governments in Germany, Brazil, and Peru, all of which echo, in some form or fashion, the coup attempt on January 6th, 2021 by pro-Trump insurrectionists.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: ‘Barbarism’ by mob of ‘fascists’ - The World - Air Date 1-9-23
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had harsh words for those who stormed his country’s parliament, its Supreme Court and presidential palace this past weekend.
“If the U.S. can export this model of attempted authoritarian coup to Brazil, well then perhaps Brazil can export back a model of real accountability for the perpetrators and the planners,” says Chris Hayes on the January 6-style riot in Brazil.
Timothy Snyder, author of "On Tyranny," talks with Rachel Maddow about the similarities between Saturday's attack on the government buildings in Brazil's capital and the importance of swift, transparent and equitable accountability.
Ch. 4: German police raids nix far-right coup plot - The World - Air Date 12-7-22
German police conducted raids all across the country on Wednesday, making arrests, and attempting to dismantle a plot aimed at overthrowing the government.
Ch. 5: What's behind the political unrest in Peru - DW News - Air Date 1-13-23
Anti-government protests erupted after Dina Boluarte was sworn in as Peru's president in early December. Now, just over a month after her inauguration, the police response to protests has led to the deaths of more than 40 people, with hundreds injured.
A major contributor to the current crisis is "the extreme weakness of the political system in Peru" in which many politicians lack any real connection to their constituents, adds Peruvian sociologist Eduardo González Cueva.
Ch. 7: Swift coup foreign arrests abroad a contrast to Garland's Trump probe - The Beat - Air Date 12-12-22
Swift arrests of coup plotters in Peru and Germany are contrasts to the U.S. response to the insurrection. There are new lessons and a new push for accountability.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Brazil's fight against Fascism / Brian Mier - This Is Hell! - Air Date 1-16-23
Chuck welcomes friend of the show Brian Mier to talk about Brazil's January 6 knockoff event and the differences in how Brazil fights fascism to how the US refuses to.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the different forms that authoritarianism takes
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date 12/15/2021
Today we take a look at the cracks and fissures appearing ever more quickly in the neoliberal order that was already widely criticized before the pandemic stripped it bare, exposing all of the inherent inequality and inhumanity baked right into the system.
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SHOW NOTES
Part 1, where we examine the most popular cliches, jargon, etc that economists, economic reports, and pundits use to sanitize, obscure, and provide a little science-ism to what is little more than power-flattering cruel, racist, austerity ideology.
Sam and Emma host Jonathan Levy, professor of History at the University of Chicago, to discuss his recent book Ages of American Capitalism: A History of the United States.
Ch. 3: Noam Chomsky Part 1 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 11-20-21
Noam Chomsky discusses a whole raft of issues, including the climate crisis, the military budget, healthcare, challenging the corporate structure, reforming both the tax system and our elections, and how the Democrats have abandoned the working class
Ch. 5: Noam Chomsky Part 2 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 11-20-21
Ch. 6: Reagan on Employee Ownership
Ch. 7: Ecology, Co-ops, and Profit - Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 12-8-21
Prof. Wolff interviews Prof. Melissa Scanlan on her new book showing how coops are a better bet than traditional capitalist corporations to solve current ecological crises.
Sam and Emma host Jonathan Levy, professor of History at the University of Chicago, to discuss his recent book Ages of American Capitalism: A History of the United States.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Many blue states are actually doing worse in some areas than red states. It is in blue states where affordable housing is often hardest to find, there are some of the most acute disparities in education funding and economic inequality.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Personal disability experience - Jade from Upstate New York
Ch. 11: Thoughts on human nature and systems - Quai from North Carolina
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the nature of laws and morality
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 1/14/2023
This Martin Luther King Day weekend, we take a look at a wider range of Black radicals who all helped build the unfinished Civil Rights Movement and who our history either whitewashes or demonizes to fit the narrative of American Exceptionalism™ marching us inexorably toward perfection.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The dangers of whitewashing black history | David Ikard - TEDxNashville - Air Date 6-18-22
Equipped with the real story of Rosa Parks, professor David Ikard highlights how making the realities of race more benign and digestible harms us all -- and emphasizes the power and importance of historical accuracy. This talk was filmed at TEDxNashville.
Thomas Ricks is the guest on this special January 2023 fundraising episode of The Chauncey DeVega Show.
Ch. 3: #ilovemalcolm: Tariq Ali on Malcolm X at Oxford - rosaluxnyc - Air Date 3-23-15
At "I Love Malcolm: Legacies of Love and Liberation" on February 14, 2015, organized by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung—New York Office, Tariq Ali discusses the impact of Malcolm X's debate at Oxford University in 1964.
Ch. 4: The Radicalism of Martin Luther King Jr. and W.E.B. Du Bois - Communist Party USA - Air Date 2-26-20
WEB Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr are two 20th-century giants in both the struggle for African American equality and the liberation of oppressed people worldwide.
Ch. 5: The Socialist Anti-Imperialism of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Left Anchor - Air Date 1-18-21
Today we are hoisting up an episode from the archives in celebration of MLK Day. We discuss King's advocacy of democratic socialism and his argument that civil rights were inadequate without an equal share of economic production.
Ch. 6: Whitewashing 101: How To Rewrite Black History - Second Thought - Air Date 2-18-22
It's Black History Month, so it's about time we talked about the recuperation of Black radicals like Dr. King and Nelson Mandela. Everyone and their mother likes to claim MLK as their own, and use his words as a rhetorical weapon.
Ch. 7: Why the US government murdered Fred Hampton - Vox - Air Date 6-2-21
What we aren't taught about the Black Panther Party.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Frederick Douglass' journey from slave to leading figure of 19th-century American thought.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the producers who made this week's topics come to life
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Composite image of black and white photos. Top: Martin Luther King Jr. talks with Malcom X. Bottom left: Portrait of W.E.B. Du Bois. Bottom Center: Rosa Parks’ mug shot. Bottom right: Button with the words “All Power to the People” surrounding Fred Hampton’s head.
Credit: MLK and Malcom X; W.E.B. Du Bois; Rosa Parks; Fred Hampton button | License All Images in Public Domain
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Air Date 1/11/2023
Today, we take a look at the way unscientific guidelines, government subsidies, corporate propaganda, cultural context, capitalism, community stigma, and many actively and loudly wallowing in ignorance have shaped your personal food choices.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: 'Healthy' Food, Nutrition and Access - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 10-12-22
The FDA has proposed new standards for food to qualify for its "healthy" seal of approval. Marion Nestle, professor emerita of nutrition, food studies, and public health at NYU talks about the changes, plus food insecurity and access to healthy food.
Chuck Mertz speaks with science writer Spencer Roberts and political economist Jan Dutkiewicz about their New Republic Article, "How the Meat Industry Undermines Effective Climate Policy".
Ch. 3: The Politics of Meat ft. Jan Dutkiewicz - Our Hen House - Air Date 8-28-21
Political economist Jan Dutkiewicz, PhD, joins the podcast for a fascinating conversation about the ethical, political, legal, social, and environmental intersections of meat consumption.
Ch. 4: Which food future will you choose? - Jim Hightower's Radio Lowdown - Air Date 11-25-22
As the eminent farmer-poet-activist Wendell Berry tells us, eating is a profound political act.
Lisa Dumas is on a mission to make the world a better place. This week she joins us on the podcast for a conversation about how she’s working toward expanding access to plant-based food options to those in need.
Ch. 7: High-End Veganism and the Rise of Plant-Based Eating - Past Present - Air Date 10-5-21
In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of veganism in light of an eviscerating review of the new plant-based menu at the New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park.
Ch. 8: Animal Agriculture is the New Oil w/ George Monbiot - Downstream - Air Date 6-8-22
In his new book Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet, George Monbiot warns that we’re approaching a tipping point in the fight to protect the planet.
Ch. 9: A (Mostly) Vegan World Plantf*ckers Can Save Us All - UNFTR - Air Date 1-8-22
It’s finally time to unf*ck our food system and talk about veganism. We decided not to pursue this topic from a moral or ethical perspective, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a story about justice.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: The Politics of Meat ft. Jan Dutkiewicz Part 2 - Our Hen House - Air Date 8-28-21
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on our emotional attachment to our perspective on food
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE
Description: A woman with short gray hair and glasses stands in front of the brightly lit meat section at a grocery store. She looks down at a package of meat in her hands.
Credit: "d2590-1" by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 1/7/2023
Today, we take a look at the criminal charges against Donald Trump that the January 6th Committee has referred to the DOJ but examine them through the lens of past presidential crimes that have gone unpunished from Nixon to George W. Bush
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SHOW NOTES
We speak with Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a scholar of fascism and authoritarianism, and Robert Weissman, president of the advocacy group Public Citizen.
Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and Jill Wine-Banks, MSNBC legal analyst and former Watergate special prosecutor look to lessons from Watergate for what needs to happen with the Jan. 6th committee report.
Ch. 3: Lisa Gilbert on the January 6 Report - CounterSpin - Air Date 12-23-22
We spoke with Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of Public Citizen and co-founder of the forged-for-purpose Not Above the Law Coalition, about what the hearings found and why it can’t end there.
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnston, who has covered Trump for decades, says the new documents show "absolutely brazen" tax fraud. "Donald Trump has been a criminal his whole life," says Johnston.
Ch. 6: Obama on Investigating Bush Crimes: "Need to Look Forward" - This Week - Air Date 1-11-09
Barack Obama on This Week, January 11, 2009
Ch. 7: Obama Admin: Torture Not Illegal, Just A "Disagreement" - The Young Turks - Aired 3-27-10
Speaking of hangovers... Look forward, not backward. We don't do truth and reconciliation in this country.
We’re joined by John Nichols, The Nation’s national affairs correspondent, to discuss the full report.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Ginni Thomas not mentioned in Jan. 6 Committee report - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 1-3-23
Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern and political strategist Rina Shah join Mehdi to discuss.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: The upside of TikTok - James
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the good and bad of tech and the structural nature of media
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 1/3/2023
Today, we take a look at the emerging implementation of facial recognition technology in public and commercial spaces along with the tracking and "amplifagandizing" capabilities of TikTok
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Twitter, Facial Recognition and the First Amendment - The Lawfare Podcast - Air Date 4-15-21
This week on Arbiters of Truth, the Lawfare Podcast’s miniseries on our online information ecosystem, Evelyn Douek and Quinta Jurecic spoke with Jameel Jaffer and Ramya Krishnan of the Knight First Amendment Institute.
Ch. 2: Addressing the TikTok Threat Part 1 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 9-8-22
TikTok, the flagship app of the Chinese company Bytedance, recently surpassed Google and Facebook as the most popular site on the internet in 2021, and is expected to reach more than 1.8 billion users by the end of 2022.
Ch. 3: Privacy, your face and the rise of facial recognition - Life Matters from ABC - Air Date 7-26-22
Several large retailers, including Kmart and Bunnings, already use facial recognition technology in their stores – collecting biometric data that is as unique as a fingerprint – but are customers aware of how their facial data is being captured and used?
Ch. 4: NJ Legal Rights & NYPD's Facial Recognition Technology - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-30-22
Alexander Shalom, senior supervising attorney and director of Supreme Court advocacy at the ACLU-NJ, talks about the implications of a case in Hudson County, NJ, where a suspect was identified using the NYPD's facial recognition technology.
Ch. 5: The problem with banning TikTok - Vox - Air Date 8-29-20
TikTok’s in trouble. But so is the internet as we know it.
Ch. 6: Are You Feeding a Powerful Facial Recognition Algorithm? - NOVA PBS Official - Air Date 4-23-21
Facial recognition technology has great potential to help law enforcement identify suspects. But collecting and storing data from online photos has raised concern among critics.
Ch. 7: Addressing the TikTok Threat Part 2 - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 9-8-22
Ch. 8: Why Facial Recognition Technology Is So Dangerous - Second Thought - Air Date 7-3-20
Government crackdowns, hyper-personalized ads, real-time location tracking of citizens. Mass surveillance is a growing threat in the modern world. In this episode, we'll take a look at why it's so dangerous.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: The Real Danger Of ChatGPT - Nerwriter1 - Air Date 12-30-22
The Nerdwriter is a series of video essays about art, culture, politics, philosophy and more.
Ch. 10: Hustle / Grind Alpha Bro vs. Random ChatGPT Guy - Andrew Rousso - Air Date 12-13-22
Inside everyone, there are two wolves but inside me... there are three.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the new ad system for the show
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 12-15-22
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Erin, and Deon discuss:
- Why framing corporations are moral actors is a step on the path to conspiratorial thinking
- Conservative framing that doesn't make them look as good as they think it does
- Indoctrination as a scare word
- Defining political topics that are beyond the scope of civil debate
References:
Tucker Carlson: Apple is covering for the Chinese government
Apple is willing to engage in global censorship: David Sack
Apple CEO confronted over China protests
Kanye STORMS OUT On Tim Pool After Claiming Jewish Cabal Is Targeting Him - The Majority Report
MAHER: ‘Don’t Say Gay Law’ Could Have Been Called ‘Let’s Do Things the Way We Did 5 Years Ago Law’
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Original Air Date 10/27/2021
Today we take a look at some of the ways that 25 years of Fox News has reshaped our media and political landscape. Crucially, understanding Fox isn't just about their influence on their conservative viewers but how they manage to hack the political conversation for the rest of us.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The War On Fox Is Over - The Young Turks - Air Date 12-22-13
Archive clip from A parody of itself (Media) - Best of the Left - Archives - Air Date 2-17-14
Ch. 2: Losing Relatives to Fox News - You're Wrong About - Air Date 12-7-20
Mike tells Sarah what makes older Americans more vulnerable to misinformation — and who is delivering it to them.
Ch. 3: Kevin Drum on how Fox 'News' broke America - The Bradcast - Air Date 9-17-21
Data journalist and longtime Mother Jones columnist KEVIN DRUM explains his exhaustive analysis of the madness of this political moment, and how and why we arrived at it. The Right has seemingly gone mad due to the spread of conspiracy theories.
Ch. 4: You're watching Fox News. You just don't know it. - Vox - Air Date 5-24-19
Fox News was created to push right-wing nonsense to the mainstream, and now there’s no escape.
Ch. 5: Conspiracy Network OAN 90% Funded by AT&T - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 10-7-21
Right wing conspiracy network OAN turns out to be 90% funded by AT&T
Ch. 6: How Fox News Made Every Moment of the Last 25 Years Worse - The New Abnormal - Air Date 10-7-21
Yes, it’s been 25 years since Fox News came on the air—25 years of “refracting the absolute most absurd and destructive and deadly disinformation and misinformation from the right wing fever swamps,” Carusone tells co-hosts Molly and Jesse.
Ch. 7: What 25 Years Of Fox News Poison Have Done To America - All In - Air Date 10-8-21
Chris Hayes marks 25 years of dangerous lies from Fox News: “There is a direct pipeline from what appears on Fox News to the absolute worst manifestations, worst behavior, worst elements of our politics and society.”
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Former Fox News Reporter Tells All - David Pakman Show - Air Date 2-05-13
Archive clip from Ridiculing Fox isn't just fun, it's important (Media) - Best of the Left - Archives - Air Date 2-28-13
Nicole Hemmer, the brilliant historian of conservative media, joins to discuss how Fox News and the larger conservative media-verse protects Trump but also lures him into disaster.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the multi-decade victim mentality of conservatives about the media
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A slightly distorted Fox News logo sits askew at the center of a hypnotic spiral.
Credits: “Fox News” by Johnny Silvercloud, Flickr | License | Changes: Added hypnotic swirl background, cropped, faded edges || Hypnosis Spiral via Pixabay
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Air Date 12/24/2022
Today, we compare the far-right religious extremists who are fighting to gain power in the US with the protests against the theocratic regime in Iran supporting women's rights in the country.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: How a new Christian right is changing US politics - BBC News - Air Date 11-28-22
A new battle of faith is being driven by some pastors and politicians in the United States. Their central message is that the country's conservative Christian way of life is under threat, and American society is moving in the wrong direction.
"Iranians voted multiple times for over two decades for some process of reform … but the state has not given in to those demands," she says. "What we're seeing now is the result." Tahmasebi is the director of FEMENA
Ch. 3: The Taliban’s Far-Right Fan Base - VICE - Air Date 10-18-21
In chat rooms and message boards on the darker corners of the web - far-right groups have been praising the Taliban’s takeover, lauding their religious fundamentalism, execution of opponents, and hatred of so-called liberalism.
"Today's movement is not calling for reform. Today's movement is calling for a new vision of politics … with women at the helm of it," says Narges Bajoghli, professor of anthropology and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University
Far Right, Anti-Democratic Extremist groups are not slowing down. Some even have connections with ‘mainstream’ Republican politicians. Peter Montgomery joins Thom Hartmann to discuss the threat the far right still poses.
Sam and Emma host Nahid Siamdoust, Assistant Professor of Middle East and Media Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, to discuss the recent political protests in Iran.
Rachel Maddow shares some of the fringe perspectives of the racist, Christian fascist who Donald Trump hosted for dinner at Mar-a-Lago
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Joseph Kennedy, a football coach, pressured his students to pray with him. He was asked not pressure students into religion during Public School activities. but he refused. Rachel Laser joined Thom to discuss the case and the pressure on students.
“Because the conservative majority has tossed away all pretense of being anything other than, essentially, a high council of Fox News viewers, they decided her case should be heard before the Supreme Court,” says Chris Hayes
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on why Christian Nationalists would be better off not installing a dictatorship
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
What if California seceded from the United States? If it did, what would happen? Would it usher in a new era of peace and prosperity? Or plunge the US into a new civil war? This is The Last Resort, a new documentary podcast following the rise, fall, and rebirth of CAL EXIT: the campaign for Californian Independence. It’s a story about a dream for a new progressive utopia on the West Coast. It’s about the fight for America’s future. And it’s also a tale of two friends who started on the political fringe and ended up in the middle of a still-unfolding global criminal conspiracy involving the FBI and Russian Intelligence. Coming October 18th from Interval Presents and Awfully Nice. Narrated by Xiuhtezcatl.
Binge all episodes of The Last Resort available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts!
Original Air Date: 12-1-22
Today, Jay!, Amanda and Deon discuss:
- That the youth are doing away with "You're welcome"
- Words Matter: Building solidarity or maintaining power structures through vocatives
- The power play of intentional misnaming
- Ye's name, ego and run for president
References:
A scorching hot take on why younger people say 'no problem' instead of 'you're welcome.'
Words Matter by Sally McConnell-Ginet
HOW TO PRONOUNCE YE AND MEANING OF KANYE’S NEW NAME EXPLAINED
Trump faulted for dinner with white nationalist, rapper Ye
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Air Date 12/17/2022
Today, we take a look at the fringe philosophy of accelerationism that is having a bigger impact on society than you will likely have realized as it's been behind some of the worst terror attacks in recent years and is likely behind attacks on infrastructure targeting society as a whole.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Dystopian Philosophy You've Never Heard Of - Philion - Air Date 6-26-22
Explaining the origins of Accelerationism
Matt Kriner is an intelligence analyst with almost a decade of experience researching and analyzing US domestic violent extremists, transnational far-right extremism, and radicalization.
Ch. 3: “It only takes a few” - White Hot Hate - Air Date 11-28-21
Some members of The Base are planning deadly attacks that they hope will spark a race war. Will they be stopped, before it's too late?
Ch. 4: Proud Boys, January 6, and When a U-Haul Is a Clown Car - Angry Planet - Air Date 6-17-22
So, it’s time to look again at what this group — and related groups — did on January 6, and just how dangerous they really are. We’ll also talk about accelerationism, what it is and what accelerationists want.
Rachel Maddow looks at a mysterious gun attack on electricity infrastructure in North Carolina and how it lines up with a past attack in California in 2013 and a DOJ case this year against white supremacists in Ohio.
Accelerationism is a doctrine of revolutionary violence that holds that society is irreparably broken and must be destroyed. In recent years it has caught on among a variety of disparate movements throughout the world.
Ch. 7: The seductive dangers of speed - RSA Podcasts - Air Date 7-5-17
The accelerating pace of political and economic change can be disorienting – but, for some, change isn’t happening fast enough. Matthew Taylor is joined by the journalist Andy Beckett and philosophers Benjamin Noys and Nina Power
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Why We’re All Rooting for the Apocalypse - Wisecrack - Air Date 4-8-22
The apocalypse has never been more omnipresent in the cultural zeitgeist. But why are we all so convinced that the world is going to end, and do we have a moral obligation to prevent this gnarly fate?
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Sign that union card and support striking unions! - Nick From California
UAW-UC Academic Workers Strike Support and Hardship Fund
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments giving some helpful advice to White supremacists looking to start a race war
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A young white man dressed in a black hoodie with the hood over his hat is looking away from the camera while wearing a black mask with the image of the lower half of a skull on it. A lit torch is next to him in the foreground. A lit structure and a crowd of people are visible in the background.
Credit: “Face of the streets” by spoilt.exile, Flickr | License CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 12/13/2022
Today, we take a look at the labor dispute within our freight rail industry as well as other unionization fights that corporations are vehemently opposing while the Democrats and Biden, the "most pro-labor president ever" are doing precious little to help.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Railroaded - Bad Faith - Air Date 12-1-22
Union train engineer Ross Grooters returns to the podcast along with The Real News' Maximilian Alvarez, and Bad Faith newbie and co-host of Well There's Your Problem Justin Roczniak.
Ch. 2: The People's Guide To Power - The Power Of Labor - The Brain Lehrer Show - Air Date 10-23-22
Labor unions represent workers in conversations with their employers. Can a political party represent workers in our government? Sochie Nnaemeka talks about some of the policies and politics behind the party's agenda.
We are joined by Real News' Mel Buer and Max Alvarez to discuss the media campaign to obscure Biden and Congressional Dems selling out rail workers.
Ch. 4: Railroaded Part 2 - Bad Faith - Air Date 12-1-22
Union train engineer Ross Grooters returns to the podcast along with The Real News' Maximilian Alvarez, and Bad Faith newbie and co-host of Well There's Your Problem Justin Roczniak.
Ch. 5: John Logan on Amazon & Starbucks Organizing - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-7-22
With tens of thousands of workers walking out around the country, the notion that this is somehow not meaningful should be hard to maintain.
Ch. 6: Instability - Capitalism's Constant - Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Air Date 12-1-22
Prof. Wolff presents updates on the Twitter-Musk scandals, critique of profit as a return on risk, and mass European union-led strikes against inflation.
Ch. 7: How to show solidarity with railroad workers - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 11-16-22
In a special panel co-hosted by The Real News and Haymarket Books, Railroad Workers United members speak about their struggle, the situation on the rails, and how you can get involved in efforts to support them.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Maximilian Alvarez interviews Matt Parker, a full-time locomotive engineer who’s worked on the railroads for 19 years. Parker also serves part-time as Chairman on the Nevada State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the hot mess of the fight for labor rights
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date 11/9/2021
Today we take a look at the Facebook business model that is driving hate, lies, violence, extremism, and the breakdown of democracy around the world as well as some of the regulatory ideas geared toward reigning it in and mitigating the damage.
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SHOW NOTES
UCLA professor Ramesh Srinivasan, who says the papers confirm what many critics have warned about for years. “This new form of digital capitalism that I believe Facebook is trailblazing is one that is playing with our intimate emotions on every level."
Tristan and Aza go behind the headlines with Frances herself. We go deeper into the problems she exposed, discuss potential solutions, and explore her motivations — along with why she fundamentally believes change is possible.
We've been hearing about revelations from the leaked 'Facebook Papers.' What has the social media giant been doing, and what they haven't been doing, around the world? Guest: Sheera Frenkel, New York Times technology reporter.
Ch. 4: Zuckerberg's Metaverse - TyskySour - Air Date 10-29-21
Facebook is now Meta, and Mark Zuckerberg says our future is in the Metaverse. Is virtual reality the future of the internet, or Zuckerberg’s latest gimmick? With Michael Walker and Aaron Bastani.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: The Science Fiction Origins of the Metaverse - On the Media - Air Date 11-5-21
Jill Lepore, Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer; Gene Seymour culture critic with work in Newsday, the Nation, etc; and Annalee Newitz science fiction author and science journalist, on the makings (and potential mishaps) of the metaverse.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on Facebooks treatment of nonprofits and the actions you can take to call for regulation
TAKE ACTION!
Take part in The Facebook Logout, Nov. 10th-13th via Kairos & coalition - Read the demands
Call on DOJ, SEC, and FTC to Open Criminal Investigations into Facebook Execs via American Economic Liberties Project & MoveOn.org
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A cardboard cutout of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wearing a black shirt that says "FACEBOOK" and holding a flag (referencing his infamous July 4th video where he rode a hydrofoil on a lake while holding a giant American flag). The flag is dark blue with white text that says "I know we harm kids, but i don't care." with a Facebook icon. A roadway with cars and a building with scaffolding can be seen in the background.
Credit: "Zuckerberg_Sum_Of_Us_2" by SumOfUs, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, enhanced brightness, contrast and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 12/6/2022
Today, we take a look at some of the factors driving hyper-partisanship in the US right now along with multiple arguments to not give up on the power of persuasion.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: What If We Don't Need To 'Fix' Polarization? - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 3-20-21
NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben interviews Lilliana Mason, associate professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, about her book Uncivil Agreement.
Ch. 2: Getting Past Polarization: Anand Giridharadas - Ideas - Air Date 11-23-22
The extremes are extreme in U.S. politics. But Anand Giridharadas and some other progressives are convinced that there are uncompromising approaches that can move up to 60 percent of voters to value democracy and human rights.
Is your family, community, or even your country more divided than ever? Today’s guest Robb Willer is here to share some compelling insights on how we might bridge the ideological divide and offer some intuitive advice on ways to be more persuasive.
Ch. 4: Can persuasion bridge the political divide? - Front Burner - Air Date 11-25-22
In his book, Giridharadas speaks with experts on reaching people — organizers, activists, politicians, cognitive scientists, and even a cult deprogrammer — and takes a critical look at his fellow American progressives.
Ch. 5: Why We're So Polarized - The Truth of the Matter - Air Date 10-25-21
Johns Hopkins University professor Dr. Lillianna Mason joins the podcast for a discussion of political polarization in the U.S. and how politics have become central to the identities of many Americans across racial, religious and cultural lines.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
A Stanford professor explains how the deliberative polling model can get people to listen to one another and even compromise on some of society’s most complex policy issues.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 7: Final comments on hyper-partisanship in the ballot box
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 12/3/2022
Today, we take a look at the mega-companies that touch all of our lives and the monopolistic practices that have been developed to keep power and wealth concentrated with the few while the rest of us get screwed.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Tech Monopolies - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 6-13-22
John Oliver discusses tech monopolies, and how to address the hidden harm they can do.
Ch. 2: How Ticketmaster Is Destroying Live Music - More Perfect Union - Air Date 10-19-22
Ticketmaster is destroying live music. Their scam fees now cost as much as 78% of a ticket. They control the events, the venues, and even the artists. There’s a movement pushing the Justice Department to take on its monopoly. Cory Doctorow breaks it down.
Not since the Great Depression have corporate profits soared so high. But it is not enough to satisfy them. More than 54% of the inflation America is experiencing is caused by record-setting corporate profits.
Safeway, Ralphs, Smiths, Harris Teeters, Shaws, Kings, Randalls, and about 25 other brands, will all be owned by a single company if the Kroger-Albertsons merger goes through. And that’s really bad news for the prices you pay.
Novelist Cory Doctorow and intellectual property expert Rebecca Giblin discuss their new book, Chokepoint Capitalism, which documents the increasing tensions between extractive corporations and creative laborers.
Ch. 6: Making The Case For Abolishing Billionaires - MSNBC - Air Date 11-21-22
"One after another, four of our best-known billionaires laid waste to the image of benevolent saviors carefully cultivated by their class," Anand Giridharadas writes in a recent New York Times column.
Ch. 7: Elon Musk Is An Idiot (and so are Zuck and SBF) - Adam Conover - Air Date 11-23-22
Tech CEOs aren't geniuses, and here's the proof.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on how regulation helps stop financial scams
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 11-5-22 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The Neverending Story - Instilling distrust through abuse - More on collectivist storytelling - Joseph Campbell and the myth of the monomyth - The politics of public toilets and potty training Connect to our Discord References: The Martin Beck Police Mystery Series Joseph Campbell's Myth of the Monomyth | Part 1 - Maggie May Fish The Weird History of Gender-Segregated Bathrooms - Live Science The Powerful History of Potty Training - The Atlantic How an urban myth about litter boxes in schools became a GOP talking point Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 11/30/2022
Today, we take a look at the context of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar including the labor abuses endemic in the construction of the facilities, the authoritarianism and anti-LGBTQ policies of the Qatari government, and the corruption fundamental to the inner working of FIFA that brought the tournament to Qatar in the first place.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Qatar and a World Cup controversy - Front Burner - Air Date 11-10-22
In the decade since Qatar won its bid to host this year's tournament, allegations of bribery, discrimination and human rights abuses have threatened to overshadow the game.
Ch. 2: What Does Qatar Want? - Pro Revolution Soccer - Air Date 11-25-22
Tom speaks to Lebanese writer and activist Ali Reda about why Gulf petrostates are investing billions into football – particularly in the north of England – and what the British state gets out of the deal.
Ch. 3: Qatar and the World Cup of Shame - Burn It All Down - Air Date 4-20-21
We discuss the (longstanding) controversy around the Qatar 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup including the ongoing inhumane working conditions and indentured servitude for migrant laborers building stadiums that have led to at least 6,500 deaths
Ch. 4: World Cup: Welcome to Qatar! - Today, Explained - Air Date 11-4-22
Soccer is sometimes called “the second religion of the Arab World,” and Qatar is the region’s first country to host the World Cup.
FIFA's President Gianni Infantino gave an extraordinary speech in which he railed against Western hypocrisy over migrant workers
Ch. 6: 'One Love' campaign hit by threat of FIFA sanctions - DW News - Air Date 11-21-22
The threat of sanctions has resulted in the seven European nations who had signed up to the One Love campaign, including England and Germany, announcing their decision to abandon plans to wear the rainbow-themed captain’s armbands.
Ch. 7: Boom in demand for 'One Love' arm bands banned by FIFA - FRANCE 24 English - Air Date 11-24-22
The "One Love" armbands that captains of some teams at the World Cup had been intending to wear to show support for the LGBTQ+ community are seeing a boom in demand among the general public after FIFA decided to ban players from wearing the armbands.
Ch. 8: Qatar World Cup - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 11-21-22
John Oliver discusses the Qatar World Cup, the human rights violations happening in the sporting event’s host country, and what perfection really means to David Beckham.
In this episode, we speak with Michael Page, deputy director in the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch We discuss how and why migrant workers were exploited in Qatar and then have a conversation about human rights
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: How FIFA corrupted the World Cup - Vox - Air Date 11-23-22
FIFA announced the 2022 World Cup would take place in a surprising country, Qatar. At that same meeting, they also announced that the 2018 World Cup would take place in Russia. These selections set off a new chapter in FIFA’s history
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the propaganda master class put on by the president of FIFA
Reference: FIFA President Gianni Infantino Press conference
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Original Air Date 11/27/2018
Today we take a look at the literal and figurative bloody messes of the history of Thanksgiving and the identities of native peoples. This episode is the second in an ongoing series focusing on Native Peoples in North America. Other episodes include #1216 on Christopher Columbus, #1252 on Westward Expansion, #1265 on native peoples adapting to the modern world, and #1283 on (mis)representation of native peoples in popular culture.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: A Code Switch Thanksgiving Feast - Code Switch - Air Date 11-21-17
Exploring the conflicting narratives of American Thanksgiving.
We speak with indigenous historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. She is the author of "An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States" and co-author of "All the Real Indians Died Off: And 20 Other Myths About Native Americans."
Ch. 3: The stolen sisters Part 1 - In the Thick - Air Date 9-18-18
Maria and Julio speak about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement with Annita Lucchesi, a Southern Cheyenne cartographer who has built the largest database of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Ch. 4: Indigenous DNA - Science for the People - Air Date 1-5-17
Kim TallBear, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples Technoscience, on her book "Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science."
Ch. 5: The stolen sisters Part 2 - In the Thick - Air Date 9-18-18
Maria and Julio speak about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement with Annita Lucchesi, a Southern Cheyenne cartographer who has built the largest database of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Ch. 6: It's not just about the blood - Code Switch - Air Date 2-6-18
If you're Native American, who or what gets to define your identity? We dive into an old system intended to measure the amount of "Indian blood" a person has.
Native Americans across the country are criticizing Senator Elizabeth Warren’s decision to use a DNA test to assert her Native American heritage. We host a roundtable discussion of Native American activists and journalists to respond.
Indigenous historian Nick Estes discusses the ongoing attacks on native people, voter disenfranchisement, the Red Power movement and the latest on the fight against major oil and gas pipelines.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: The dangers of over-secrecy - Abdul from DC
Ch. 10: Final comments on #StandWithMashpee
TAKE ACTION!
Tell your members of Congress to support the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act (H.R. 5244 / S. 2628)
Learn more and find out how to support the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
Share the tribe’s video on social media
Amplify the #StandwithMashpee hashtag
EDUCATE YOURSELF
The true story of the first Thanksgiving and what it meant (Opinion | Boston Globe)
Mashpee Wampanoag Confront 'Loss Of Self-Governance' After Interior Department Reversal (WBUR, Here & Now)
This Thanksgiving, The Trump Administration Is Taking Land From The Tribe That Welcomed The Pilgrims (Huffington Post)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 11/22/2022
Today, we take a look at three recent incidents of celebrities using their platforms to spread antisemitic tropes all in the context of greater openness to antisemitism within the Republican Party in the age of Trumpism.
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SHOW NOTES
Chris Hayes: "Right-wing politics as currently embodied by MAGAism—which is the dominant ethos of one of two of America's major parties—has always been and will always be fundamentally a threat to tolerance and pluralism that will inevitably target Jews."
Ch. 2: Anti-Semitism - This is Democracy - Air Date 11-9-22
This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Peter Beinart to discuss the history of antisemitism in The United States and around the world.
Ch. 3: Legacy Media Problems - In The Thick - Air Date 10-28-22
Maria and Julio talk about the mainstream media’s coverage of the election, the consequences of Kanye West’s antisemitic and anti-Black comments, and voter intimidation efforts in Arizona.
Ch. 4: Conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism and fun - The Philosopher's Zone - Air Date 5-29-22
You don’t have to be stupid to be a conspiracy theorist. Many people who buy into paranoid fantasies about stolen Presidential elections and sinister global Jewish cabals are perfectly sane, well-educated individuals. So why do they fall for these myths?
Ch. 5: Unpacking Kyrie Irving - Edge of Sports - Air Date 11-7-22
‘Choice Words’ about Kyrie Irving, anti-Semitism, and his frightening new allies.
Ch. 6: A historic look at the ties between Black and Jewish communities - CBS Mornings - Air Date 7-22-20
Jericka Duncan took a deep dive into the history of anti-Semitism, and the rich history between the Black and Jewish communities.
Why "positive" stereotypes about Jewish people are promoted by White Supremacists
Ch. 8: Nick reacts to Kyrie Irving’s promotion of antisemitic film - What’s Wright? - Air Date 10-31-22
Nick weighs in on Irving’s recent promotion of antisemitic film before Jewish-owned team visited Nets. Nick reacts to Irving’s actions involving his past controversies with off-the-court issues.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Pogroms and Prejudice - Arts & Ideas - Air Date 8-24-22
New Generation Thinker Brendan McGeever traces the links between anti-Semitism now and pogroms in the former Soviet Union and the language used to describe this form of racism.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Policing gender norms - VoicedMailer John
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on Jon Stewart discussing antisemitism and Dave Chapelle
Articles:
Jon Stewart is right about how to fight antisemitism — and should maybe be our ‘spokesjew’
Jon Stewart is not our ‘spokesjew’ — he normalized hate speech
Original Interview:
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Horizontally split image. The top half is a black and white photo of Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) performing at a concert. The bottom half is a close-up, profile photo of Kyrie Irving on the basketball court holding a basketball near his face about to shoot.
Credit 1: “Kanye West Central Hall” by Daniel Cruz Valle, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Credit 2: “Kyrie Irving” by Erik Frost, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Original Air Date 4/16/2019
Today we take a look at just a few of the aspects of modern life for Native Peoples that we can see as stemming from the racism and colonialism that have been endemic in post-contact America. This episode is the fourth in an ongoing series focusing on Native Peoples in North America. Previous episodes are, in order, #1216 on Christopher Columbus, #1230 on Thanksgiving, and #1252 on Westward Expansion.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: American Indians Confront “Savage Anxieties” - Moyers and Company - Air Date 12-26-14
Bill speaks with Robert A. Williams Jr., a professor specializing in American Indian law, about how deals such as the one with Rio Tinto are a part of American Indian’s tragic history of dispossession.
Ch. 2: What we inherit: Explaining intergenerational trauma - Code Switch - Air Date 6-6-18
The story of one family's struggle to end a toxic cycle of inter-generational trauma from forced assimilation. Getting back to their Native Alaskan cultural traditions is key.
Ch. 3: Sexual Violence and Native American Genocide - @Making_Contact - Air Date 11-26-13
Andrea Smith, author of “Conquest: Sexual Violence and Native American Genocide” explains the connection between violence against women, and the colonization of native lands and bodies.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women is a major issue because of racism. Acquittals for murdering Native people occur because of racism. Racism is systemic, historic and the norm in the US and Canada.
Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment.
Ch. 6: Jenni Monet on Indigenous Journalism - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 1-24-19
Corporate media’s lack of interest in indigenous issues, and their ahistorical, distorted view of them when they do cover them, are long overdue for a change.
Ch. 7: Beyond Tragedy: The living history of Native America - Ideas from CBC Radio - Air Date 2-20-19
This idea of history as tragedy is something that Ojibwe writer David Treuer tries to undo in The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee. He argues that Indigenous peoples have always found ways to adapt, and that's exactly what they're doing now.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 8: Disagreeing on arguments against a female presidential candidate - Stacy from San Francisco Bay Area
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments sharing some voices of Native people giving their perspective on the burning of Notre Dame cathedral
TAKE ACTION!
Tell Congress to Pass/Reauthorize:
Learn more at MontanaMMIW.com & on Twitter: #MMIW #MMIWG
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
A missing sweater tells the story of missing Indigenous women (Indian Country Today)
Savanna's Act is Back (Splinter)
States weigh bills addressing Native deaths, disappearances (AP)
House Passes Bill Protecting Domestic Abuse Victims; GOP Split Over Gun Restrictions (NPR)
Montana Senate Betrays Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (Splinter)
Tester reintroduces “Securing Urgent Resources Vital to Indian Victim Empowerment” Act (KRTV)
Lisa Murkowski Revives Bill Targeting Missing And Murdered Native Women (Huffington Post)
Researched & written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Episode Image: Slowking4 via commons.wikimedia.org
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 11/15/2022
Today, we take a look at our extremely steady history of political violence from the Revolution, through the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow, into the Civil Rights era, the Militia Movement and domestic terrorism, and now to our current once-again-radicalized, right-wing movement willing to use and tacitly condone violence as a political tactic.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Capitol Attack Wasn't the 1st Violent Incident in Congress - Inside Edition - Air Date 1-20-22
According to Yale historian Joanne Freeman, “The caning of Charles Sumner, which happened in 1856, is pretty much the most famous violent incident in the US Congress.”
Ch. 2: A history of US political violence Part 1 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22
The Americast team looks at how the attack has led to the sharing of disinformation on social media and Justin and Sarah speak to author Josh Zeitz about the history of political violence in the US.
Right-wing violence isn't just sporadic it is a war against American values. The most startling details on right-wing militias, violence, and Trump are coming from Luke Mogelson, an award-winning war reporter.
Ch. 4: Political Violence Is No Anomaly in American History - System Check - Air Date 1-8-21
Our guest and guide this week is Hasan Kwame Jeffries, associate professor of history at The Ohio State University. He reminds us that the violence we saw at the Capitol this week is not an anomaly—in fact, political violence is what birthed this nation.
Ch. 5: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22
Sean Ililing talks with author Nicole Hemmer, who shows how the GOP became what it is today
An aide to McCarthy said "he was obviously joking" without commenting further.
Ch. 8: Paul Pelosi attacked with hammer in his home - ABC News - Air Date 10-29-22
Officials say the suspect was targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Ch. 9: A history of US political violence Part 2 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22
Ch. 10: Political Violence - In the Thick - Air Date 11-4-22
“The political violence in our nation’s history is organized and purposeful. It is normalized by rhetoric that justifies it, and often encourages it,” writes Jeremi Suri on the attack on Paul Pelosi, in this piece for Time Magazine.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 12: Not just winning, defeating - V from Central New York
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the bipartisan uses of Rules for Radicals
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Show Image:
Description: A newspaper cartoon/drawing of Senator Sumner being beaten on the floor of the Senate with a cane by Sen. Preston Brooks in 1856.
Credit: “Southern Chivalry - Argument vs. Clubs” by J.L. Magee, 1856 | Public Domain
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 11/12/2022
Today, we take a look at a few types of panic that regularly strike within communities or across the nation including various satanic panics, Halloween candy panics, and panic over kids being too inclusive and welcoming of all types of people.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why Satanic Panic never really ended | What's the Story? - Vox Quick Hits - Air Date 4-7-21
One of the most famous moral panics in history, the Satanic Panic, may have been at its peak in the 80s, but did it ever really go away? Vox culture writer Aja Romano walks up through the history of this fear of the occult
Ch. 2: Rainbow Fentanyl for Halloween? - The Politics of Everything - Air Date 10-19-22
Are evil-minded strangers trying to hook your kids on candy-colored fentanyl? As Halloween approaches, a dire story is making the rounds about the threat to children of so-called rainbow fentanyl.
Ch. 3: Satanic Panic: Part One - American Hysteria - Air Date 12-10-18
This episode is part one of our two-part series on perhaps the most mystifying moral panic in US history, the 1980s and early 90s 'Satanic Panic.' For this episode, Chelsey covers the rise of organized Satanism beginning in the late 60s
In this Halloween-themed News Brief, we debunk the idea drug dealers are handing out fentanyl candy to our children. But we also examine why these copaganda panics are able to take hold: namely the failure of liberals to provide an alternative
Ch. 5: Satanic Panic — Dungeons & Dragons and Harry Potter - Soul Search - Air Date 9-22-22
The Satanic Panic was a time of incredible anxiety in the United States and Australia. This feature examines how games like Dungeons and Dragons and books like Harry Potter became unlikely villains in a war over religion, politics and imagination.
Michigan high school student defends her mural which parents called satanic and anti-Christian because it contained a Genshin Impact character and a person wearing a transgender flag t-shirt. The Majority Report crew discusses parents.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Our annual Halloween hysteria - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-28-22
This year’s fear of rainbow fentanyl in kids’ trick-or-treat bags is just the latest unfounded Halloween candy freakout. But the yearly panic has its roots in a very real crisis: the 1982 Tylenol murders.
Ch. 8: Satanic Panic: Part Two - American Hysteria - Air Date 1-7-19
Two characters, Stranger Danger’s murderous pedophile and the Satanist, blurred into a new villain and psychological archetype
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on policing gender norms through the ages
References:
A Brief History of Men Today Are Too Feminine and Women Too Masculine
A Brief History of Nobody Wants to Work Anymore
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 11/8/2022
Today, we take a look at the life and times of China's president, Xi Jinping, and his rise to be China's first non-term-limited president who also, not coincidentally, has a bit of an authoritarian streak.
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SHOW NOTES
Chinese President Xi Jinping has begun a historic third term. We speak with Yaqiu Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch and Johns Hopkins University professor Ho-fung Hung.
Ch. 2: Made in China Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-14-22
Chinese President Xi Jinping is a product of Mao Zedong’s revolution. On Sunday, he'll become the most powerful Chinese leader since the Communist Party’s founder — and maybe the most powerful person in the world.
Ailsa Chang speaks with Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, about the global implications of a third term for Xi Jinping and how this signals a new era for China.
Ch. 5: Made in China Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-14-22
China's Communist party sees a shake-up of leadership but President Xi Jinping is set to remain at the helm. It comes amid growing fears about what a return to one-man politics might mean for the future of the country. Special correspondent Patrick Fok.
Ch. 7: Xi Jinping - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 6-18-18
Chinese president Xi Jinping is amassing an alarming amount of political power. If only his propaganda videos made the idea of unrestricted authority seem as troubling as the concept of singing children.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Made in China Part 3 - Today, Explained - Air Date 10-14-22
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on misinformation in the mirror universe
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Graffiti portrait of Xi Jinping in profile on a concrete wall. His face is outlined in black on a red background. Weeds grow up from the ground under the portrait.
Credit: “Xi Jinping, painted portrait_DDC2205” by Thierry Ehrmann, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Original Air Date: 10-24-22
Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss:
- The rise of AI-powered therapy bots
Connect to our Discord community!
References:
Therapy for People Who Can’t Go to Therapy
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 11/1/2022
Today, we take a look at the corporate price-gouging and massive profits happening under the cover of widespread inflation, all in the run-up to the midterm elections in which the GOP is running cover for corporations and blaming Democrats for price hikes.
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SHOW NOTES
Economics correspondent Paul Solman explores whether concentrated market power is contributing to inflation.
Ch. 2: Why Gas Prices Are So High Right Now | Ft. Jessica Burbank - More Perfect Union - Air Date 10-30-22
What explains the oil industry's historically massive profits? A price gouging scheme that oil companies freely acknowledge.
How inflation—at its highest since the early Reagan era—is affecting people’s lives and their voting intentions.
Rep Katie Porter brings attention to statistics revealing the huge role corporate greed has on inflation.
Corporate price gouging concerning big oil companies and inflation, Jessica Burbank breaks it down on The Damage Report.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Rep. Jamie Raskin join Chris Hayes to discuss what’s at stake ahead of the midterm elections.
Democrats hoping to keep control of Congress and make gains in state governments are facing significant political headwinds
Ch. 8: Liberal Redneck - Inflation and the GOP - Trae Crowder - Air Date 10-27-22
Republicans harp on and on about inflation, but what are they actually going to DO about it? Not much, prolly. I holler bout it herein.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Mike Levin joins to discuss what the Inflation Reduction Act actually does for climate
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: UK could well go fascist - Anonymous
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the quickness with which anger can turn to fascism
TAKE ACTION!
MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022:
Persuade someone to vote:
- Jay's final comments from episode #1365 (Transcript) on using your vote as a theory of change tool.
- "Ask the Experts: How to Inspire People to Vote for Their Values" (ACLU)
- "This is How to Convince Your Friends to Vote" (Lemonade.com)
Short on time? Donate once to...
- Secretary of State Races: MoveOn.org's "America for All" midterm election campaign
- Senate Races: SwingLeft Hold the Senate Fund, or SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (Senate & House)
- House races: SwingLeft Hold the House Fund, or SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (House & Senate)
- Governors: SwingLeft Governor Fund
- State Legislative Races: SwingLeft Legislative Fund
MIDTERMS MINUTE Segments: #1 , #2 , #3, #4
Researched and written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a long shopping receipt that lays across a background of various groceries.
Credit: “Shopping spending till slip” by Stevepb, Pixabay
Air Date 10/29/2022
Today, we take a look at the destruction accomplished over decades by adherents to a libertarian, neoliberal ideology in the UK which culminated recently in the tanking value of the British pound sterling and the resignation of the shortest-serving Prime Minister ever
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why The United Kingdom Is In A Big Mess - AJ+ - Air Date 1-5-22
Why is post-Brexit Britain such a mess? Rising food and energy prices, empty shelves in stores and worker shortages. But could Brexit lead to something even bigger: the breakup of the United Kingdom?
Ch. 2: What's wrong with Great Britain? - Financial Times - Air Date 4-19-22
The FT's chief economics commentator Martin Wolf says the UK is facing six interlocking crises, from stagnant living standards to a lack of political leadership
Ch. 3: Thatcherism: What We Get Wrong About Neoliberalism - Kay and Skittles - Air Date 10-1-22
Differentiating between neoliberal ideology and how it plays out in practice
Ch. 4: Liz Truss: The Oligarch's Prime Minister | George Monbiot - Double Down News - Air Date 10-4-22
What happens when libertarian ultras get everything they ever wanted all at once? Welcome to Oligarch Island
British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned Thursday after just 45 days in office, the shortest term in the nation’s history. Her low-tax, low-regulation financial policies were widely criticized after they sent the pound plummeting
Explaining trickle-down economics for what it is and condemning the big lie that makes it palatable to the masses
Ch. 7: Does Economics Drive All Politics? - WhoWhatWhy - Air Date 10-20-22
Financial Times economic analyst Martin Wolf gives an overview of global economic forces, and looks at Britain’s economic and political chaos.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: The Brexit effect: how leaving the EU hit the UK | FT Film - Financial Times - Air Date 10-18-22
The UK's recent disastrous "mini" Budget can trace its origins back to Britain's decision to leave the European Union. The economic costs of Brexit were masked by the Covid-19 pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the destabilization of neoliberalism
TAKE ACTION!
MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022:
Installment #4: The Rest of the Toss-Up House Races
Short on time? Donate once...
- Secretary of State Races: MoveOn.org's "America for All" midterm election campaign
- Senate Races: SwingLeft Hold the Senate Fund, or SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (Senate & House)
- House races: SwingLeft Hold the House Fund, or the SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (House & Senate)
- Governors: SwingLeft Governor Fund
- State Legislative Races: SwingLeft Legislative Fund
MIDTERMS MINUTE Segments: Installment #1 , Installment #2 , Installment #3
Researched and written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The Union Jack flag of the United Kingdom with black charred edges on a black background.
Credit: Union Jack
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 10/26/2022
Today, we take a look at the 2022 election and the political dynamics at play as the GOP continues on its path of ideological anti-democracy and Democrats work to register new voters and get out the vote.
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SHOW NOTES
We speak to law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw and civil rights attorney Barbara Arnwine, who are on an Arc of Voter Justice bus tour of 26 cities across the country to increase Black voter turnout at critical midterm elections in November.
Ch. 2: Battling the Big Liars with Dan Pfeiffer - How We Win - Air Date 10-19-22
Biden is making it clear that abortion rights are on the ballot, as early voting kicks off in many states. New polls are worrying Democrats, but don’t worry… keep working!
Democrats need a strategy to win the upcoming midterm election and Senator Bernie Sanders has a strategy to win.
Ch. 4: Battling the Big Liars with Dan Pfeiffer Part 2 - How We Win - Air Date 10-19-22
Ch. 5: Senate Races That Could Tip The Balance - Deconstructed - Air Date 10-14-22
Journalists Jon Ralston and George Chidi join Ryan Grim to discuss two potentially pivotal states, Nevada and Georgia, where tight races for the Senate are underway.
Ch. 7: How We Vote! with Andrea Hailey - How We Win - Air Date 9-21-22
A conversation with the woman who is leading the charge for the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan voting registration and get-out-the-vote technology platform in America, the CEO of Vote.org, Andrea Hailey!
Ch. 8: Julie Hollar and Jim Naureckas on 2022 Midterms - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-21-22
This midterm is a big-picture election.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: How Midterm Campaigns are Framing Crime - The Takeaway - Air Date 10-20-22
We're joined by Rena Karefa-Johnson, Director of National programming at FWD.us, and Ames Grawert, Senior Counsel at the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU.
Ch. 10: Julie Hollar and Jim Naureckas on 2022 Midterms Part 2 - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-21-22
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: The prolonged fight - V from Central New York
Ch. 11: Doing the work - Wendy
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on doing the work to normalize all humans
TAKE ACTION!
MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022:
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- Secretary of State Races: MoveOn.org's "America for All" midterm election campaign
- Senate Races: SwingLeft Hold the Senate Fund, or SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (Senate & House)
- House races: SwingLeft Hold the House Fund, or the SwingLeft Immediate Impact Fund (House & Senate)
- Governors: SwingLeft Governor Fund
- State Legislative Races: SwingLeft Legislative Fund
MIDTERMS MINUTE Segments: Installment #1 , Installment #2 , Installment #3
Researched and written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a yellow sticker with black writing that says “Resist the NAZI-GOP Coalition” on a cross walk sign. The red hand “stop” symbol on the sign is visible below the sticker.
Credit: “Resist the NAZI-GOP Coalition Sticker” by Amanda Hoffman | License: CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Original Air Date: 10-12-22
Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss:
- The new fascist party running Italy and their love of Lord of the Rings
- "The Jay Principle" which has something to do with people liking stories they shouldn't
- How to write progressive stories
References:
Hobbits and the Hard Right: How Fantasy Inspires Italy’s Potential New Leader
Why liberals love "Downton Abbey" - Salon
Downton Abbey–Why We Love Rich Aristocrats
"50 Fantasy & Science Fiction Works That Socialists Should Read" by China Miéville
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft
Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft
Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Original Air Date 9/8/2021
Today we take a look at the legacy of red-lining, the building and subsequent destruction of Black communities and the health and environmental impacts of segregation. The concept of “Structural Racism” is often a metaphor, not something physical that you can touch, but that is not the case when it comes to environmental racism.
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SHOW NOTES
We're making a deadly mistake if we don't talk about environmental justice when we discuss racism and Black liberation.
Ch. 2: Redlining & Climate Change: A Deadly Combination - News Beat - Air Date 4-27-21
Although the Fair Housing Act of 1968 banned redlining and housing discrimination in general, three out of four redlined communities rated "hazardous" 80 years ago are struggling economically today.
Guests: Catherine Flowers founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice and Amy Stelly, a designer and board member of the Urban Conservancy.
Ch. 4: Environmental Racism is Real Part 1 - Tamarindo Podcast - Air Date 6-16-21
We talk to Environmental justice lawyer Claire Woods about how black and brown communities face the brunt of many environmental justice issues, the connection to racism, and what we can do to help.
Ch. 5: Biden Promises To Grapple With Environmental Racism - Short Wave - Air Date 2-4-21
NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher talks about the history of environmental racism in the United States, and what Biden's administration can do to avoid the mistakes of the past.
Ch. 6: Environmental Racism is Real Part 2 - Tamarindo Podcast - Air Date 6-16-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Summary + reading from The Sum of Us on pollution in segregated cities
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Post-Civil War Reconstruction and the occupation of Afghanistan - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on how structural racism becomes personal racism and comparing Reconstruction with the occupation of Afghanistan
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: An official, rectangular metal sign bolted to a telephone poll displays the image of a cropped city map with a red outlined area. Below, the sign reads "Portland's Historic Redline District." Smaller text below reads "In Portland's past, 'redlining' practices created exclusionary zones for 'Negroes and Orientals' by real estate, banking and insurance companies. Agents could lose their licenses for crossing this color barrier. Now, urban gentrification displaces low-income families, as the remaining affordable housing stock in this area disappears."
Credit: "Redlining" by radcliffe dacanay, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Original Air Date 8/18/2021
Today we take a look at history of white people deciding to get their way through violence and the tradition of having the government look the other way
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The KKK: History and Myth - Professor Buzzkill History Podcast - Air Date 8-24-17
Practically nothing in the history of the United States has suffered from myth-making and misunderstanding as much as the history of race relations and racist violence. The history Ku Klux Klan is no exception. This is ironic.
Ch. 2: Remembering a White Supremacist Coup - Reveal - Air Date 10-23-20
On the eve of a contentious election, Reveal looks back to the nearly forgotten election of 1898 in Wilmington, North Carolina. A coup d’etat gave birth to much of the structural racism that still plagues our nation today.
Ch. 3: Voices: Children ‘stripped of innocence’ - Cape Up - Air Date 4-11-19
A member of the Little Rock Nine and a survivor of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing both lost the illusion of safety in their young lives.
Ch. 4: Armed and Dangerous - On the Media - Air Date 9-24-20
Armed right-wingers are stoking violence in cities across the country. On this week’s On the Media, a look at the origins of the American militia movement. Plus, as things heat up, Facebook is fanning the flames.
Ch. 5: The Evolution of All-American Terrorism - Reveal - Air Date 6-27-20
The Trump years have seen an increase in domestic terrorist attacks linked by hateful ideologies that thrive online. Reveal teams up with Type Investigations to track each case and determine what the government has done to fight them.
Ch. 6: Radical Caucasian Extremism - News Beat - Air Date 1-9-21
This hugely important episode highlighted the threat posed by such extremists, even as many in the media and government engaged in Islamophobic rhetoric about Muslim Americans.
Former FBI agent Mike German says "Unfortunately their policies have actually masked how they use their domestic terrorism resources to make it harder for the Congress to understand how many of those resources are going toward white supremacist violence,"
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
The Atlantic's Adam Serwer and Mehdi discuss Carlson's history of promulgating racist rhetoric on prime time television and its real-life consequences.
Ch. 9: Southern Shame Culture & How to Fight Racism w/Jemar Tisby - The Holy Post - Air Date 1-20-21
Jemar Tisby (The Color of Compromise) rejoins Phil to discuss his new book, How to Fight Racism. Actual, real steps to be part of the solution, not part of the problem!
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Response on remix climate episode - Alan from Connecticut
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the arguments against individual climate action
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Black and white photo taken during "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, AL on March 7th 1965. A young John Lewis has fallen on the grass, lifting one hand, while a police officer stands over him wielding a billy club. More chaos fills the background.
Credit: "12 - Civil Rights Movement" (low resolution). Original from the Library of Congress (via U.S. Embassy The Hague on Flickr) | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 10/14/2022
Today, we take a look at the women-led protests roiling Iran in response to violent crackdowns from the so-called morality police that have led to the deaths of young women demanding rights and freedom.
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SHOW NOTES
For nearly three weeks, Iranians have marched in the streets to denounce the Islamic regime that has ruled for more than 40 years. What started as a response to the killing of a young woman by the "morality police," this uprising is now nationwide.
Ch. 2: What Iranian Protesters Need Now - What Next - Air Date 9-28-22
What began as a revolt in the wake of an overstep by Iran’s morality police has evolved into a mass movement calling for “death to the dictator.” Protests in Iran are nothing new, but these demonstrations strike at the heart of the repressive regime.
Protesters in Iran are continuing to demand justice for Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died in the hands of the so-called morality police, as well as envisioning a political future beyond the Islamic Republic.
Ch. 4: 'Woman, Life, Freedom' - On the Media - Air Date 9-30-22
Large-scale protests took over the streets of Iran after twenty-two-year-old Mahsa Amini died on September 16 while in custody of the morality police. She had been arrested her for wearing her headscarf improperly.
Iranians protest brutal repression and why U.S. statements of solidarity are empty without a reversal of crushing sanctions. Assal Rad joins Talia Baroncelli on theAnalysis.news.
Ch. 6: What’s Happening in Iran and Why? with Reza Aslan - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 9-28-22
Iran is currently being rocked by protests against the oppressive theocratic regime that rules the country. What is happening there, and what brought us to this point?
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Revolutions - Power Corrupts - Air Date 4-2-20
When revolutions happen, everything changes. In this episode, we'll look at how Teddy Roosevelt's son led a CIA-backed coup in 1953 that contributed to the Iranian revolution
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on the beneficial discomfort of diversity
TAKE ACTION!
MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022 - Installment #3:
How to defend State Governor and Secretary of State races from anti-democracy MAGA extremists.
Past Installments:
Installment #2 - Toss-up Senate Races in GA, NV, PA & WI, & Senate Races Leaning D or R
Installment #1 - Toss-up House Races in CA, NY, & OH, & Open Seats Leaning D or R
Researched and written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A woman stands in the midst of a protest in London wearing full face paint in the color and pattern of the Iranian flag. She holds up both arms and in each hand is a photo of Mahsa Amini, the Iranian woman who died in the custody of the Iranian "Morality Police".
Credit: "Mahsa Amini #1" by Alisdare Hickson, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Original Air Date: 9-27-22
Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss:
- Nazis using The Amanda Principle on Uncle Tom's Cabin
- Societal instability driven by businesses always "disrupting" everything
- The anti-social nature of gratitude
Connect your Discord to Patreon
References:
Germany's strange nostalgia for the antebellum American South
Forget Disruption. Tech Needs to Fetishize Stability
Debt: The First 5000 Years (Affiliate link)
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft
Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft
Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Original Air Date 10/9/2021
Today we take a look at structures and specifics of settler colonialism from around the world including the US, Caribbean, Australia, Israel and Mexico
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SHOW NOTES
Ben Norton was invited to give this talk on US imperialism in Latin America, for the Workers' Party of Ireland. He discusses the history from European settler colonialism, through the Monroe Doctrine, the first cold war, and the three revolutions.
Ch. 2: Slavery, race and capital in the sixteenth century / Gerald Horne - This Is Hell! - Air Date 7-21-20
Gerald Horne discusses the relationship between racism and expansionist foreign policies
Ch. 3: Settler Colonialism Is Behind Climate Denial - Novara Media - Air Date 1-5-20
Australia is on fire. So why do so many of its politicians seem intent on denying the cause?
Ch. 4: Pearls for empire / Molly A. Warsh - This Is Hell! - Air Date 9-20-21
Historian Molly A. Warsh on her book "American Baroque: Pearls and the Nature of Empire, 1492-1700" from UNC Press.
Ch. 5: Rewriting resistance: how Black rebellion shapes world events - People's Republic - Air Date 8-20-20
This week, we continue our commemoration of Black August with Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history and author of over 40 books, including The Counter-Revolution of 1776.
A 2017 lecture by Ilan Pappé titled "The Value of Viewing Israel-Palestine Through the Lens of Settler-Colonialism" hosted by the WRMEA.
Ch. 7: Crimes of Apartheid - In The Thick - Air Date 5-14-21
Maria is joined by guest co-host and ITT All-star Jamilah King to discuss the continued violence and attacks against Palestinians by Israeli settlers and forces in Gaza. We hear from Gaza-based journalist Hana Salah about what she is seeing on the ground.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Marc talks with Rick Perlstein about growing up Jewish in Milwaukee, the process of unlearning Zionist indoctrination, and how the United States' support of an Israeli ethno-state foments continued violence.
Did racism and white supremacy arise as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in the 17th century, or did these concepts exist prior to the mass enslavement of Africans and the genocide of the indigenous peoples on what is now called America?
The boys speak with Alexander Aviña, an assistant professor of history at Arizona State University, about the history of Mexico and U.S.-Mexican Relations from the 1810 Mexican War of Independence to the "drug war" of today.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: No velvet glove - Nick From California
Ch. 12: Followup on conspiracy theory hot take - Nick from California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on how conspiracy theorists are like timeshare sales people
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 10/8/2022
Today, we take a look at the recent elections in Italy, Brazil and Sweden where far-right parties are either taking power or looking to maintain it as well as the parallels to our own politics including moderate conservatives helping to legitimize the far right while delegitimizing elections.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Fascist Brothers of Italy Party takes power in Italy - The Mehdi Hassan Show - Air Date 10-2-22
Why the American right wing is racing to embrace Italy's next prime minister.
Ch. 2: Italian Fascism w/ David Broder - Jacobin Show - Air Date 9-30-22
Our own European editor David Broder explains what Giorgia Meloni and the Brothers of Italy's victory means for Italy.
Why the American right wing is racing to embrace Italy's next prime minister.
Ch. 4: Fascism scores another victory with Italian election - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 9-26-22
Conservatives in the US have been courting the extreme right on and off all along
Ch. 5: The Stakes Are High - In The Thick - Air Date 10-4-22
"The candidates and their vision for Brazil’s future could not be more different, but the trends underpinning this election are an echo of global experiences,” reports Roberta S. Braga for the ISPI.
Noam Chomsky joins us from Brazil with Vijay Prashad just back from Brazil to discuss Sunday’s Brazilian election between Brazil’s far right president Jair Bolsonaro and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Ch. 7: Brazil Votes For Democracy While SCOTUS Does Not - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 9-4-22
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss the ramifications of the Brazilian election for president, as Bolsonaro loses by 5 points and is priming the country to reject the second round election later this month.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Rise of the Swedish far right w/ David Broder - Jacobin Show - Air Date 9-30-22
Jonas Pontusson joins us to unpack the strong electoral showing of the Swedish far right.
Ch. 9: Fascism scores another victory with Italian election - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 9-26-22
A history lesson on the rise and fall of fascism in Europe and what it says about the path we're all on today.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the big problem with small misunderstandings
TAKE ACTION!
MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022 - Installment #2:
Today’s focus is on toss-up Senate races in GA, NV, PA, and WI, and Senate races (precariously) leaning Democrat or Republican: GET FULL DETAILS AND ACTION LINKS
Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo from 2014. Far-right Italian politician (and newly elected Prime Minister) Giorgia Meloni stands in front of a backdrop with the Italian tricolor flame, a symbol of the neo-fascist political party in Italy. She is a white woman with straight blond hair. She is wearing a leather jacket and smiling with her arms crossed.
Credit: “Giorgia Melone 2014” by Jose Antonio, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC Attribution 4.0 International | Changes: Black vignette
Air Date 10/5/2022
Today, we take a look at the life and legacy of President Ronald Reagan, the last transformational U.S. president who's regime we are still living in. Between his neoliberal economics, anti-government ideology and white supremacist appeal to authoritarians, he did more to shape the last 40 years of the politics of the country and conservative movement than anyone else.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: 40 years later, is this the end of Reaganomics? - Make Me Smart - Air Date 12-14-21
It’s been just over 40 years since newly elected President Ronald Reagan declared, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to the problem, government is the problem.”
Ch. 2: The Democracy We Think We Live In - On the Media - Air Date 8-9-19
Adam Serwer, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the catastrophic, deadly idea that "only white people are fit for self-government."
Reagan didn't invent trickle down economics and the original metaphor was even more demeaning.
Prof. Joseph McCartin and former PATCO spokesperson Elliot Simons discuss the anniversary of the firing and Ronald Reagan's betrayal
Ch. 5: When American Presidents Go to Trial - On the Media - Air Date 9-9-22
Rick Perlstein, a journalist and author of The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan, explains the continuing impact of Gerald Ford's decision to pardon Richard Nixon for his crimes.
We scrutinize Reagan's famous quote "the nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”
Ch. 7: How Ronald Reagan's Regime Led To The Jan 6th Capitol Riot - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-17-21
The Capitol insurrection on January 6th was a long time coming. Back in 1980, Ronald Reagan's campaign was laying the groundwork for what would become Donald Trump's platform.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: America’s Right Turn with Rick Perlstein - Why Is This Happening? - Air Date 9-1-20
How did America’s modern conservative movement come to power? Historian and author Rick Perlstein’s prolific work has traced the arc of modern electoral politics, and specifically has laid out how modern conservatism arose.
Ch. 9: Why the "Reagan Regime" Endures - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 3-7-22
Presidencies are rarely transformational, and neither Biden nor Trump have lived up to their supporters’ dreams. So what does it take to really change our politics? Host Kai Wright is joined by political theorist Corey Robin to confront that question.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on my first debate about Reagan
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MIDTERMS MINUTE 2022 - Installment #1:
Today’s focus is on toss-up House races in California, New York, and Ohio, and OPEN or NEW seats that are *leaning* Democrat or Republican: GET FULL DETAILS AND ACTION LINKS
Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A large portrait of former American President Ronald Reagan in a dark suit and red tie is framed on a wall in a dim, museum-like room. His smiling face is softly lit with a spotlight.
Credit: “President Ronald Re[a]gan” by LunchboxLarry, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
Air Date 9/30/2022
Today, we take a look at the attention-grabbing stunt of transporting asylum seekers from Texas to Martha's Vineyard and other politically-liberal destinations and the White supremacist inspirations for this policy.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: DeSantis, Fox News, and the Martha's Vineyard 'Stunt' - On the Media - Air Date 9-23-22
Philip Bump [@pbump], national correspondent The Washington Post, on the manipulative plan for 48 Venuzulean migrants sent to Martha’s Vineyard.
Ch. 2: DeSantis' kidnapping 'stunt' - The BradCast - Air Date 9-19-22
New documents show that the asylum-seekers were lured onto the flights with false promises, providing hard documentary evidence that DeSantis' obscene political stunt may have violated the law.
This week, we're taking a look at the cruelty and shamelessness of when Ron DeSantis human trafficked a bunch of migrants to Martha's Vineyard. This did not go how the GOP thought it would, so they spent the last few weeks lying and pretending it did.
Taylor Levy talks about the situation on the border as one of the most knowledgable attorneys when it comes to what is actually happening on the U.S./Mexico border.
Professor Mwalim Peters, recounts the little-known story of the Reverse Freedom Rides and says the strategy to humiliate liberals is "basically identical to what's happening now in Martha's Vineyard".
Ch. 6: Immigration Defining Us and Them - Now & Then - Air Date 9-27-22
Heather and Joanne discuss the politics and prejudices surrounding the two 1790s Naturalization Laws, the Immigration Act of 1924, the 1965 Hart-Celler Act, and the current Republican rhetoric about migrants at the Southern border.
Professor Mwalim Peters, recounts the little-known story of the Reverse Freedom Rides and says the strategy to humiliate liberals is "basically identical to what's happening now in Martha's Vineyard".
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Immigration Defining Us and Them Part 2 - Now & Then - Air Date 9-27-22
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on how laws are used to manipulate our sense of justice to support injustice
TAKE ACTION!
National Immigrant Justice Center (specific call for donations to help those being trafficked)
National Immigration Law Center
Chicago: City of Chicago "Donation and Volunteer Support for New Arrivals from Texas"
New York: South Bronx Mutual Aid (Seeking lawyers, mental health professionals, etc. for migrants)
Washington, DC: Sanctuary DMV's "Texas Migrant Solidarity Donation and Volunteer Links"
Inside The Local Mutual Aid Effort Supporting The Migrants Texas Bused To D.C. (DCist, May 2022)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The words “The Cruelty is the Point” are overlayed on a black and white image of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ face in a black vignette.
Credit: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis” by Matt Johnson, Flickr | License CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Black and white, black vignette, text overlay
Original Air Date: 9-8-22
Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss:
- Dystopian longtermism
- Why the Man-O-Sphere won’t get you a girlfriend
- Cultural commodification
References:
Salon - Understanding "long-termism": Why this suddenly influential philosophy is so toxic
Psychology Today - The Rise of Lonely, Single Men
In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial
Affiliate Links:
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft
Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft
Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 9/24/2022
Today, we take a look at the decades-long scheme to funnel conservative activist judges into the judiciary to support Republican policy goals and the resulting legal bulwark defending Trump against prosecution and supporting his future election efforts.
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SHOW NOTES
About half the world has prosecuted a former leader, so why doesn’t the U.S.?
Seth takes a closer look at the FBI seizing the phones of two Trump aides and issuing 40 subpoenas as the Justice Department intensifies its various investigations of Trump and his allies, including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.
You may not have heard of Judge Aileen Cannon at the start of her lifetime appointment. But Trump's court pick just ruled in favor of a special master in the Mar-a-Lago probe.
Ch. 4: The Law v Lawless Edition - Amicus - Air Date 9-10-22
A single Trump-appointed judge’s attempt to stick a fork in the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into potential mishandling of classified materials is part of a systemic story about American justice.
When you see the news about a 10-year-old forced to flee her state to terminate a pregnancy from her rapist, think about Leonard Leo as the man who brought that state of affairs about. He is the guy pulling the strings in the background.
A federal judge on Monday agreed with Donald Trump’s lawyers to appoint an independent arbiter known as a special master to review top-secret documents seized during an FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Ch. 7: The Scheme Speech 1: The Powell Report - Senator Sheldon Whitehouse - Air Date 5-27-21
Sen. Whitehouse delivers his first speech on court capture
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
“It was a very unusual transaction, the likes of which I have not seen in my years of covering money in politics,” says New York Times reporter Ken Vogel.
Ch. 9: Lock Him Up? - On The Media - Air Date 9-9-22
James D. Long [@prof_jameslong], associate professor of political science at the University of Washington, on the consequences of modern democracies across the globe prosecuting — or choosing not to prosecute — their former leaders
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on defeating authoritarianism with action, not news following
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 9/21/2022
Today, we take a look at the history and legacy of British imperialism and slavery through the lens of the divergent views on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the growing movement of former colonies to achieve full independence.
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SHOW NOTES
You can't expect people to show respect for something that never respected them. #BetweenTheScenes on the mixed reaction to the Queen’s death.
Kehinde Andrews describes the brutal legacy of the British slave trade and the British Empire, which makes the monarchy a symbol of white supremacy that should not be mourned, but rather abolished.
Ch. 3: The royal family: Slavery, colonialism and race - Sky News - Air Date 6-23-22
In the Caribbean, some people are calling for the Queen to be removed as head of state, and for the royal family to pay reparations for their role in slavery.
Wongel Zelalem reports on Julius Malema telling Africans to not mourn Queen Elizabeth II.
Breaking down the legacy of British colonialism through the lens of controversy over online reactions
Ch. 6: Slavery, Colonisation and the Crown - TRT World
In 2022, Britain celebrated 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s rule with street parties and festivities. But many critics say that the British monarchy should not be celebrated because of its legacy of slavery, looting and colonialism.
Ch. 7: Who needs the monarchy? - It's Been a Minute - Air Date 8-16-22
Guest host Elise Hu talks to Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, lawyer, activist and author of This Is Why I Resist about this new era for the British royals, the power they hold and the potential opportunities for the new monarch.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
"There's a degree of psychosis that you can go to another people's land, colonize them, and then expect them to honor you at the same time," says Kenyan American author Mukoma Wa Ngugi. We also speak with Harvard historian Caroline Elkins.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: An old postage stamp depicts a 3-mast schooner ship on the water and an airplane above it with a young Queen Elizabeth II to the right wearing a crown and a crown symbol over her head. The text at the edges reads “JAMAICA” “West Indies” “2d Postal Centenary, 1860-1960”.
Credit: “Jamaica Postal Centenary” by Bill Smith, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped and added pieces of image to top and bottom of stamp.
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Air Date 9/17/2022
Today, we take a look at the way terrible patterns of the past like colonialism, racism, propaganda, feudalism, and abuse of corporate monopoly power are recreating and re-entrenching themselves in the digital world
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Rise Of Digital Oligarchy w/ Jillian York - The Majority Report - Air Date 8-4-22
Emma hosts Jillian York, Director of International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, to discuss her recent book Silicon Values: The Future of Free Speech Under Surveillance Capitalism.
Ch. 2: How Social Media Profits Off Your Anger - Wisecrack - Air Date 8-26-22
Does the internet run on rage? If you’ve spent any time online, you know that anger is to the internet as cake is to a birthday party. But why have the interwebs become a place of such division and rage? It’s complicated, but we’ll explain
Ch. 3: Using AI to Say the Word - This Machine Kills - Air Date 9-2-22
We discuss a new startup doing the rounds called Sanas that uses AI “accent translation” to make "non-white" call center workers speak English with a white American accent. This is some real retro throwback tech solutionism
Ch. 4: Addressing the TikTok Threat - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 9-8-22
This week on Your Undivided Attention, we bring you a bonus episode about TikTok. Co-hosts Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin explore the nature of the TikTok threat, and how we might address it.
We conclude our conversation with Vice's Edward Ongweso Jr. by looking at Peter Thiel's role in bankrolling Uber as the 'Tip of the Spear' for rolling back labor laws, workers' rights and Unions.
Ch. 6: Break Up Monopolies: Zephyr Teachout - Future Hindsight - Air Date 8-11-22
Zephyr Teachout is Senior Counsel for Economic Justice for the New York AG and law professor at Fordham University. We revisit our conversation with her about her book, Break 'Em Up: Recovering Our Freedom from Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big Money.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: The Digital Self, Web3 and reclaiming your online identity - Future Tense - Air Date 7-23-22
How is our sense of identity changing as our online and offline experiences increasingly merge? What grounds a person’s online persona (or personas) to the physical world? And is such a tie important?
We are joined by Dan McQuillan to discuss his great new book Resisting AI. “With analytical and moral clarity, McQuillan makes the case for recognizing the radical politics of AI and meeting its goose step march head-on.”
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on how to fix the internet for yourself
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 9/14/2022
Today, we take a look at the history and hysteria behind debt and debt forgiveness while Biden is canceling student debt and opponents of the idea are reacting in the most predictable way possible because they misunderstand the relationship between debt and morality.
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SHOW NOTES
We speak to Astra Taylor, writer, filmmaker, and co-director of the Debt Collective, a union for debtors and one of the original advocates for a debt jubilee that would cancel all student debt.
Ch. 2: Freedom Dreams: Black Women and the Student Debt Crisis - The Intercept - Air Date 8-22-22
The Intercept’s new documentary, “Freedom Dreams: Black Women and the Student Debt Crisis,” profiles Black women educators and activists struggling under the weight of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, in student loan debt.
Ch. 3: Hidden History of Student Debt - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 8-25-22
Many woke up to find news that $10k of their student debt would be forgiven, Thom Hartmann and Jefferson Smith break down what this means and what happens next.
Max breaks down the politics, the details, and biggest misses of the Biden student debt relief plan and why it’s in danger of being PITOTWIU
Florida Representative Michael Waltz believes the military recruiting crisis will worsen with President Biden’s student loan forgiveness. He also believes it is unfair to those who have not incurred debt.
Ch. 6: Forgiving (and Unforgiving) Debts - Now & Then - Air Date 9-6-22
Heather and Joanne discuss the history of debtors’ prisons in early America, the rise of bankruptcy laws after the Civil War, and the Cold War origins of federal student loans.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: Forgiving (and Unforgiving) Debts Part 2 - Now & Then - Air Date 9-6-22
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on morality and money
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A dark gray, 3D image of the word "DEBT" sits in a white void, a connected chain and open shackle with an open padlock lie in front of it.
Credit: "3D Shackled Debt" by Chris Potter, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Enlarged with more white background
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Air Date 9/9/2022
Today, we take a look at platforms, goods, and business models in the modern landscape of the digital marketplace. We start by questioning the morality of engaging in given platforms that cause harm - cryptocurrencies' role in crime and Facebook's role in destabilizing society, for instance - and then examine virtual products and virtual talents, the movement demanding the right to repair, and the coming world of digital art produced by artificial intelligence.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Digital Life Is a Moral Mess - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 8-22-22
Then, Shirin Ghaffary, senior reporter at Recode and co-host of the podcast Land of The Giants, shares the story of Facebook, and why it has been so hard of them to respond to the damage their technology has created.
"AI rapper" FN Meka isn't human - he's a digital creation of a company. But that didn't stop him from getting a record deal! He briefly became the first digital rapper to sign a deal with a major recording company.
Ch. 3: The Right to Repair with Aaron Perzanowski - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 5-10-22
Do we really own the devices we buy? ‘The Right to Repair’ author Aaron Perzanowki joins Adam to explain how companies are using their power to control the products we buy from them, even after they’ve left the store, and prevent us from repairing them.
Ch. 4: The Streaming TV Bloodbath - What Next - Air Date 8-28-22
Shows are disappearing. Staff are getting axed. Is It greed, or necessary for the networks' survival?
Ch. 5: CAN THEY DO THAT? | PlayStation to Remove "Owned" Movies - Hoeg Law - Air Date 7-7-22
Buying digital content has never been easier. Between Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo and more, your favorite game, song, or movie is just a click (and charge) away.
Ch. 6: Rethinking ownership in the digital age | Siân Lindley - TEDxEastEnd - Air Date 2-20-15
When George Orwell wrote 1984, there was nothing simpler than the idea of owning a paperback book. The more the digital world he foreshadowed becomes real, the more complex the idea of ownership becomes. Do you own your digital books? Your photographs?
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: The AI that creates any picture you want, explained - Vox - Air Date 6-1-22
How programmers turned the internet into a paintbrush. DALL-E 2, Midjourney, Imagen, explained.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on how the world was lost and the Dream Machine
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 9/6/2022
Today, we take a look at the precarious state of our immigration and asylum system, the legacy of neoliberalism and imperialism in South and Central America, the inhumanity practiced by both of our political parties (though not equally), and the ever-present possibility that things could get worse.
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SHOW NOTES
We speak to attorney and activist Efrén Olivares with the Southern Poverty Law Center's Immigrant Justice Project about the impact of this policy, as well as ongoing efforts to reunite families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border
Ch. 2: The Lasting Impacts of Family Separation - The Takeaway - Air Date 8-18-22
Caitlin Dickerson whose latest investigative piece “The Secret History of Family Separation,” chronicles the full scope of the policy, its legacy, and how similar, future iterations may be adopted.
“What we’re seeing happening right now is Governor Abbott using asylum seekers as political pawns to merely help increase his polling numbers down in Texas,” says Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition
Ch. 4: Capital's migration policy: Daniel Melo Part 1 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 2-28-22
Immigration lawyer Daniel Melo on his article "The Capitalist Imperative Driving Cruel and Bipartisan US Migration Policies" for Black Agenda Report.
Azadeh Shahshahani is legal and advocacy director at Project South. She joins us to raise some questions about the US government’s claim that this time, they’re really bringing stability and security to northern Central America.
Ch. 6: The Democrats Long War on Immigrants - Intercepted - Air Date 2-17-21
The activist and writer Harsha Walia joins Intercepted to discuss the Democratic Party’s fundamental role in shaping the long arc of U.S. border policy
Ch. 7: Capital's migration policy: Daniel Melo Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 2-28-22
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: The Democrats Long War on Immigrants Part 2 - Intercepted - Air Date 2-17-21
The activist and writer Harsha Walia joins Intercepted to discuss the Democratic Party’s fundamental role in shaping the long arc of U.S. border policy
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the amorality of economics
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A sign with a red background and white lettering is taped to a piece of cardboard and lies on the concrete ground; it reads “Seeking Asylum is a Human Right”.
Credit: “Advocates disrupt transfer of asylum seekers from Villawood” by Kate Ausburn, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Original Air Date 8/21/2021
Today we take a look at the history of bipartisanship and appeasement in the US dating back to before the Civil War and tracking it all the way up to the current negotiations over the infrastructure bill.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Unnatural Endurance of Bipartisanship Part 1 - The Politics of Everything - Air Date 3-4-21
Joe Biden ran for president promising to “revive” the spirit of bipartisanship, put an end to factional battles, and bring Americans together after an era of painful division.
Biden often speaks about bipartisanship as a cherished value that he would restore to Washington, but Ocasio-Cortez is dubious.
Ch. 3: The Unnatural Endurance of Bipartisanship Part 2 - The Politics of Everything - Air Date 3-4-21
Ch. 4: Exhaustion of Bipartisanship - In The Thick - Air Date 6-25-21
Maria and Julio discuss remarks from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the 38th annual NALEO Conference, and they get into the vice president’s visit to El Paso and the US-Mexico border.
Sam and Emma host Ari Rabin-Havt, the former Legislative Director and Chief Policy Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, to discuss the prospects of the Senate bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Ch. 6: Manchin Capitol Riots Made Me MORE Bipartisan - The Young Turks - Air Date 4-9-21
In a recent interview, Senator Joe Manchin claimed that the Capitol Riots changed him, and made him double down on bipartisanship.
Ch. 7: Why Appeasement Won't Work This Time Around - On the Media - Air Date 1-8-21
White southerners called it “redemption.” To Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, founder and executive director of the African American Policy Forum, it was a catastrophe of appeasement and an object lesson in the politics of reconciliation.
Ch. 8: Keri Leigh Merritt on the New Lost Cause - CounterSpin - Air Date 1-15-21
Historians are shaking their heads as media talk about January 6 as "unprecedented"; while shocking and dispiriting, it has layers and layers of precedent that need to be learned and engaged, if we are ever to actually have a racial reckoning.
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Ch. 9: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational - Vox Conversations - Air Date 1-21-19
For most of American history, American politics has been under one-party rule. For decades, that party was the Republican Party. Then, for decades more, it was the Democratic Party.
Ch. 10: What a More Responsible Republican Party Would Look Like - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 3-2-21
This is the modern G.O.P.: a post-policy party obsessed with symbolic fights and curiously uninterested in the actual work of governing. But does it have to be that way?
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the merits of taking liars at face value
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 8/31/2022
Today, as we wait to see if Trump will ever be indicted for any of his many, many, many crimes, we take a look at the long and illustrious history of powerful people avoiding prosecution in the United States.
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SHOW NOTES
HuffPost reporter and fellow Seattleite Michael Hobbes join Zach in the studio for a deep dive into his most recent article about white-collar crime.
Eight years after the deadly Flint water crisis began, the state’s Supreme Court has thrown out charges against former Governor Rick Snyder and eight other former officials for their complicity in the public health emergency.
Ch. 3: Obama Requests Immunity for War Criminal George W. Bush - The Majority Report - Air Date 8-22-13
Obama's DOJ has requested that George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Paul Wolfowitz be granted immunity in a case that is alleging that they violated international law with the Iraq War...
Ch. 4: Obama on Investigating Bush Crimes: "Need to Look Forward" - This Week - Air Date 1-11-09
Barack Obama on This Week, January 11, 2009
In 1992, when Bush Sr. was president, he pardoned several Iran-Contra defendants, including Caspar Weinberger, Robert McFarlane, and Elliott Abrams. We speak with Greg Grandin.
Ch. 6: Pardon Me - Reveal - Air Date 7-6-19
We tell the untold story of a pardon system that is completely broken and a pardon attorney’s office that is being ignored by the White House.
Ch. 7: Bryan Stevenson on the racial terrorism of lynching - Cape Up - Air Date 4-24-18
Bryan Stevenson wants us to confront our country’s racial terrorism and then say, ‘Never again’
Ch. 8: Justice Department Weighs Whether Or Not To Prosecute Trump - MSNBC - Air Date 8-29-22
New York Times Justice Department Reporter Katie Benner and former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman discuss how the inquiry into Trump’s handling of classified documents poses an unparalleled test for DOJ
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Archives specialist John Deeben provides a brief legislative history of amnesty activity during and after the Civil War.
Ch. 10: The power of presidential pardons - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 12-25-20
Pardons are among the most powerful tools a president has. While pardons can be politically motivated, drawing criticism, they can also change lives.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the nature of pardons, accountability and hurt feelings
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The word “Accountability” is in all caps in white, cracked marblized text above a long rectangle of a computer “loading” bar. The white lines in the loading bar are being drawn in by a hand holding a marker and only fill the bar half-way. Two caution symbols fill in the rest of the bar.
Credit: “Handwriting Text Accountability Loading. Concept meaning Forecasting the future event” by Jernej Furman, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Enlarged, addition of yellow and black caution symbols and “sleeve” to the arm of the hand.
Air Date 8/27/2022
Today, we take a look at the tensions between China and Taiwan, the tensions between China and the U.S. vis-a-vis Taiwan, the tensions between Russia, Europe and the U.S. vis-a-vis China and Taiwan and the tension between these small-minded struggles for global power and the dangers posed to the human race by nuclear weapons.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why China and the US are at odds over Taiwan Start Here - Al Jazeera - Air Date 11-8-21
Taiwan is caught in the middle of a tug-of-war between China and the US. What’s it all about? And where could it end up? #AJStartHere with Sandra Gathmann explains.
Ch. 2: Pelosi in Taiwan - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-2-22
China didn’t want Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan. Neither did the White House. Politico’s Alex Ward explains why she went anyway.
The Quincy Institute's Michael Swaine and Taiwanese American journalist Brian Hioe join to discuss Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and the growing tensions between China and the US.
Ch. 4: Pelosi in Taiwan Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-2-22
China didn’t want Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan. Neither did the White House. Politico’s Alex Ward explains why she went anyway.
Ch. 5: George Beebe of the Quincy Institute on the Russia-Ukraine war - The BradCast - Air Date 8-2-22
George Beebe on the impact of the tensions between the U.S. and China on Russia and the war in Ukraine.
Ch. 6: Fallout From Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan Visit - The Majority Report - Air Date 8-4-22
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi reacts to the aftermath of her visit to Taiwan, saying a big fuss was made. The Majority Report crew discusses how the United States is escalating conflict with China.
The Quincy Institute's Michael Swaine and Taiwanese American journalist Brian Hioe join to discuss Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and the growing tensions between China and the US.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Hong Kong's Rewritten Histories - On the Media - Air Date 7-6-22
This fall, students in Hong Kong will learn a new version of history — one that erases the fact the region was ever a British colony. Guest Louisa Lim, author of the new book Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong,
The U.N. warned this week that humanity is "one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation" as tensions escalate globally. We speak with Ira Helfand and Zia Mian.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date: 7-8-22 Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin.
We discuss: - Collections of Guns - Identity and Consumerism - Educating Worker Drones - The Amanda Principle Revisited - George Carlin vs Bill Maher
VoicedMails: We define what we wear - Zach the Theologian
Passion is exploited by capital - Heather
References: The Strange Afterlife of George Carlin
George Carlin's American Dream - HBO
BecomLeave a message at 202-999-3991
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Air Date 8/20/2022
Today, we take a look at the history of NATO and its role in the world after the fall of the Soviet Union which has come back into focus due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, sparking previously neutral countries to request NATO membership, all while an eye to a future causes speculation on how NATO should respond to the growing geopolitical influence of China. You got all that?
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Nato and China: A new rivalry? Part 1 - The Real Story - Air Date 10-22-21
This week in an interview with a British newspaper the Secretary General of Nato repeated his desire to widen its mandate to include China. His comments coincide with reports that Beijing has tested a hypersonic missile.
Ch. 2: The History of NATO Expansion w/ Joshua Shifrinson - American Prestige - Air Date 3-18-22
Danny and Derek speak with Joshua R. Itzkowitz Shifrinson, associate professor of international relations at Boston University, about the history of NATO expansion from 1989 until 2008.
Finland's president and prime minister say they plan to end decades of neutrality and join NATO. Sweden is also expected to seek NATO membership. The Kremlin says Russia sees the expansion of NATO on its borders as a threat.
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine heading towards its fifth month, Europe correspondent Ido Vock speaks to the former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The United States announced at a NATO summit in Madrid plans to build a permanent military base in Poland, as it formally invited Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance after they applied for membership.
Ch. 6: NATO and China: A new rivalry? Part 2 - The Real Story - Air Date 10-22-21
This week in an interview with a British newspaper the Secretary General of Nato repeated his desire to widen its mandate to include China. His comments coincide with reports that Beijing has tested a hypersonic missile.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Why is China supporting Russia on NATO? - The Real Story - Air Date 2-18-22
This month President Putin of Russia was the star guest at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. But his trip to China was not just about showing support for the host country.
Ch. 8: Finland and Sweden have entered the chat - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-23-22
Their admission to NATO would further isolate Russia, leaving it the only Arctic country outside the alliance.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the systemic reasons that NATO still exists and how we should replace it
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 8/16/2022
Today, we take a look at the strategies underway to systematically dismantle democracy in the United States including installing Big-Lie™ believers in elected and poll-working positions, preventing state-level Supreme Courts from holding GOP-dominated state legislators to the state constitutions, and wiping out tens of thousands of career civil servants from the federal government to be replaced by right-wing extremists.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Republicans Caught Planning MASSIVE Voter Fraud - David Pakman Show - Air Date 6-2-22
A mindblowing new report from Politico
Now, reporting by POLITICO details GOP efforts on the local level to challenge and potentially overturn elections. Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine and the author of "Cheap Speech" joins William Brangham to discuss.
Trump’s top allies are prepping a plan to purge the federal government. They want to remove thousands of key decision-makers and replace them with MAGA loyalists, all through an Executive Order called "Schedule F."
Many of the possible 2024 Republican contenders have told Axios that they support the plan being put together by Trump's allies to purge career government workers and replace them with their own loyalists.
Ch. 5: Fake Electors, Real Crimes and Much More - The Bradcast - Air Date 7-26-22
Explaining the plan to elect 2020 election deniers into positions of power to influence the 2024 election.
Across the country, dark money is pouring into Secretary of State races to promote election-denying candidates.
Carolyn Shapiro says a ruling in favor of North Carolina Republicans would be "extremely problematic from the perspective of democracy."
Ch. 8: The Supreme Court Case That Could Upend U.S. Elections - All In w/ Chris Hayes - Air Date 7-5-22
"I always counsel against assuming that any one court decision is going to dramatically change the landscape. But this case is different," says Marc Elias on the Supreme Court taking up a case on state legislatures' authority over elections.
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Ch. 9: Fake Electors, Real Crimes and Much More Part 2 - The Bradcast - Air Date 7-26-22
Previously undisclosed emails between top associates and aides of Donald Trump expose how they coordinated their plot to present 'fake' electors in seven states to steal the 2020 election.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Power is the ability to act - Pat from Chicago
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on building movement power
Become a Poll/Election Worker:
How to Be A Poll Worker Where you Live (US Election Assistance Commission)
WorkElections.org (Fair Elections Center)
Defeat MAGA Secretaries of State in Midterms:
Help People Get Voter IDs:
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A voter crouches by a folding table, his head is obscured by the white voter privacy box decorated with an American flag on each side. Other tables and privacy boxes can be seen in the large building foyer. Glass entrance doors can be seen in the distance.
Credit: “Election Day 2020” by Phil Roeder, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
Original Air Date 8/10/2021
Today we take a look at the mechanisms by which the legacy of White Supremacy is harmful to the health and wellbeing of individuals and society as a whole.
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SHOW NOTES
This week, author Heather McGhee breaks down the driving force of American economic exclusion via the swimming pool. Baratunde asks Heather about all she has learned traveling across the country to write her book, The Sum of Us.
Ch. 2: The Role 'Nice White Parents' Play in School Segregation - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-9-20
Chana Joffe-Walt, producer for This American Life and host of the new podcast Nice White Parents, and Dr. Rachel Lissy, senior Program Officer at Ramapo for Children, talk about investigating the relationship between white parents and segregation
Ch. 3: The NFL's Race-Norming Problem Is All Over Medicine - What Next - Air Date 6-7-21
The NFL recently announced it would stop using “race norming” when assessing who would receive a share of their recent $1 billing settlement for former players. The practice assumes Black players started with lower cognitive function.
Researchers say facial recognition software is up to 100 times more likely to misidentify people of color than white people. This week, Boston voted to end its use in the city.
Ch. 5: People Like Us, Education - Hidden Brain - Air Date 6-3-19
Generations of Americans have struggled against segregation. Most of us believe in the ideal of a colorblind society. But what happens when that ideal come up against research that finds colorblindness sometimes leads to worse outcomes?
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 6: Can We Finally End School Segregation? - The New Yorker Radio Hour - Air Date 5-21-21
By many accounts, American schools are as segregated today as they were in the nineteen-sixties, in the years after Brown v. Board of Education. WNYC’s podcast “The United States of Anxiety” chronicled the efforts of one small school district.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 7: Patriotism and the culture wars - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on the nature of airing dirty laundry
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Color photograph of a corner of an old public pool that has been filled in. Where there was once water is now green grass. The railing of a metal ladder is still intact, but a weed grows around its base. Blue square tiles still edge the concrete corner.
Photo Credit: "The Memorial Pool in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, MD, by artist Joyce J. Scott" by Graham Coreil-Allen (Pool/Park History) | License | Changes: Slightly cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 8/10/2022
Today, we take a look at the origins of the European colonial land-grab, the need for the #Landback movement, and the benefits to society and the environment in the context of the climate crisis to return stewardship of the land to native peoples.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why It’s Time To Give Native Americans Their Land Back - AJ+ - Air Date 10-9-20
For some reason, Oct. 12th is still Columbus Day in a lot of the United States. Fortunately, more and more cities and states are adopting that day as Indigenous Peoples Day
Ch. 2: Canada, it's time for Land Back - The Breach - Air Date 6-2-21
Since its inception, Canada has been stealing Indigenous lands — by the barrel of a gun, by starvation tactics & by tearing children from their families.
Ch. 3: Mark Charles: An Indigenous Liberation Theology - A People's Theology - Air Date 7-7-21
Mason chats with Mark Charles about his book, Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery. We chat all about the Doctrine of Discovery, Mark's theology of land and water, and much more.
Ch. 4: Can Indigenous People Lead the Fight Against Climate Change? - Above the Noise - Air Date 4-20-22
Indigenous communities across the globe are experts at managing and protecting land. Is it time the U.S. finally returned STOLEN parklands back to them?
Ch. 5: LandBack: The Indigenous Liberation Movement - Andrewism - Air Date 1-6-21
LandBack isn’t about deporting white people. It’s a path to a better future.
Native American representation in film and TV used to be confined to Westerns and storylines of defeat. Today, a new wave of Native American comedies, written and created by Native peoples, are taking back their narratives.
Bonus: Landback cold open - Reservation Dogs S1 E3 Uncle Brownie - Air Date 8-16-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Meet the native Hawaiians fighting U.S. occupation - AJ+ - Air Date 3-3-17
In 1893, armed U.S. naval forces helped American sugar plantation owners illegally overthrow Hawaii’s constitutional monarchy. 100 years later, the U.S. apologized and admitted in a resolution that Native Hawaiians had never relinquished their sovereignty
From 1877 to 1934, under a range of laws and reneged-upon treaties, the U.S. government appropriated tens of millions of acres of Native American land. In recent years there has been a growing movement known as “land back” to reclaim their lands.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Definition of power and organizing - Pat from Chicago
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on why the left doesn't fight hard enough for political power
TAKE ACTION / EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Yellowhead Institute (@Yellowhead_): "Land Back - A Yellowhead Institute Red Paper" (Includes tools and resources. Canadian-based, but broadly applicable.)
NDN Collective (@ndncollective): LandBack.org (U.S.-based)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A red "Land Back" flag waves outside the front of a courthouse. An American flag flies above it against a blue sky at the top of the courthouse.
Credit: "A Land Back flag flies under the US Flag outside Aitkin County Courthouse in Aitkin, Minnesota" by Lorie Shaull | License CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, increased contrast, decreased brightness
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 8/5/2022
Today, we take a look at the politics of energy and climate in a world addicted to fossil fuels but full of people striving to push us past the tipping point toward a clean energy future
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Biden Fist Bumps A Pariah - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 7-19-22
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss the hypocrisy of President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia, and how the Saudis are trying to buy their legitimacy through sports.
This episode features a live conversation co-hosted by Evergreen Action, featuring Senator Ed Markey, Representative Pramila Jayapal, and Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Jr.
We speak with Jean Su, energy justice director and senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, who co-wrote a report detailing how the president can use emergency powers to address the climate crisis.
Ch. 4: Did Joe Manchin just save the planet? - Today, Explained - Air Date 8-3-22
Probably not, but he did finally compromise on the Inflation Reduction Act (née Build Back Better), which could be the most significant climate spending bill in US history. Vox’s Li Zhou and Rebecca Leber explain.
There’s a way to tell the story that connects to policy and planning, but that centers human beings. We talked about that during last year’s heat wave with Portland State University professor Vivek Shandas.
Ch. 7: What If The Fed Bought Out The Oil Industry - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 7-18-22
Progressive economist, Robert Pollin, gives us his take on the causes and remedies of the current inflationary spiral, and what both the Fed and the Biden Administration can do about it.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Dirty World - Gaslit Nation with Andrea Chalupa and Sarah Kendzior - Air Date 7-19-22
This week we take on shady internal affairs (the enormous number of people in the Trump crime cult circle who died violent or mysterious deaths) and burning external affairs (the horrors of climate change and Joe Manchin’s role in destroying the planet).
Progressives care about climate change and we care about the environment. So it is great to know that with Democratic leadership action is being taken to move us forward in the effort to protect ourselves from the consequences of global warming.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Response to neurodivergence episode - Bill from St. Petersburg, FL
Ch. 11: Neurodiversity - Larry
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the range of normal
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Among a crowd of protestors, a man holds up a sign that reads “DECLARE CLIMATE EMERGENCY” in hand-painted black letters on a red background.
Credit: “United Climate Rally - Melbourne” by Matt Hrkac, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0) | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness, contrast and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 8/2/2022
Today, we take a look at what neurodiversity is and why it should be seen as a strength and benefit to society when accommodated properly rather than a problem to be solved or, worse, ignored.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: What Exactly is Neurodiversity? - How to ADHD - Air Date 1-18-22
The neurodiversity movement has been around for some time, but what exactly is it? In this video, we talk about what the neurodiversity movement is and how it's linked to the autistic community.
In this talk, Adriana discusses the idea of neurodiversity. Many people are labeled incorrectly because their brains are wired differently. Adriana offers awareness and an alternative way to see people as unique and valuable.
Ch. 3: Giftedness is Not Achievement with Aurora Remember Holtzman - ADHD Essentials - Air Date 12-11-21
Today, we’re talking to Aurora Remember Holtzman. Aurora is a school psychologist, neurodivergence coach, and host of the Embracing Intensity podcast. And her focus is giftedness and twice exceptionality.
Ch. 4: Creating a Neurodiversity-Affirming World - Neurodiversity Podcast - Air Date 8-10-21
Emily Kircher-Morris and Joel Schwartz talk about what it would take to create a neurodiversity-affirming world where old stereotypes and perceptions are shed.
Ch. 5: Elaine Halligan: Neurodiversity is a superpower, not a problem - TEDx Talks - Air Date 11-25-19
We have to break the stigma around mental health and children. Most of the times the signals are quite subtle and can be often overlooked by parents, so many children may be suffering behind closed doors.
Ch. 6: The Utility (or Futility) of Labels - The Neurodiversity Podcast - Air Date 7-7-22
The reality of working within a system in flux. The meaning or usefulness of the term “gifted.” The utility (or futility) of labels. The confusion of overlapping diagnoses.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Neurodivergence and Queerness with Leela Sinha - Embracing Intensity - Air Date 5-23-22
Today’s episode is a recording of our talk with Leela Sinha on the intersection of neurodivergence and gender. This is definitely not an “inside-the-box” topic.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the hyper-focus ability of ADHD
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The neurodiversity awareness symbol - an infinity symbol (a horizontal elongated number 8) in a rainbow of overlapping colors - is against a white background.
Image Credit: “Neurodiversity Symbol” by MissLunaRose12, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC by-SA 4.0 | Changes: White background added
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Original Air Date 6/9/2021
Today we take a look at the motivations behind legislation being introduced in statehouses around the country to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory, criminalize the right to protest and limit the right to vote. Now if only there were some theory we could look to to understand the complicated interconnectedness of these subtly racist ideas...
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SHOW NOTES
Most students in America are only taught about a handful of important Black Americans in history class. Here’s a look at why schools should teach students about race and why certain parents are opposed to that shift.
Ch. 2: Critical Race Theory - Past Present - Air Date 5-25-21
In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the current controversy over critical race theory.
Ch. 3: Elly Page on Anti-Protest Bills - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-23-21
If the Chauvin verdict is testament to the power of protest, so too are the vigorous efforts to squelch that power. Plus: Right-wing legislators target trans kids at the state level.
Ch. 4: Not Ready For That Conversation - On The Media - Air Date 4-23-21
Tami Abdollah [@latams], national correspondent for USA Today, on how Republican-controlled legislatures across the country have been introducing bills to criminalize protests — or as they put it, to stop the rioting.
Ch. 5: GOP States Are Pushing for Stricter Penalties for Protesters - The Takeaway - Air Date 4-27-21
The Takeaway spoke with Nora Benavidez, the director of U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America, and Elly Page, senior legal advisor at the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, working with the U.S. Protest Law Tracker.
Extreme voting restrictions have advanced in several Republican-led states across the U.S., including in Florida. Mother Jones reporter Ari Berman says these efforts are an extension of former President Trump’s “big lie” about voter fraud.
This “Trump grip” narrative is nonsense and it needs to stop —the Republican Party has made it crystal clear with their voter suppression efforts that they no longer believe in democracy. They are doing this because they want to.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Trey Martinez Fischer says the legislation would have “a tremendous impact” on ballot access in the state. “Just like every bad policy, Hispanics, Latinos and Asian Americans will be disproportionately impacted," "the time for a national response is now."
Ch. 9: How Corporate Media Protects Violent Cops - Carlos Maza - Air Date 6-4-20
Police departments across America have declared war on unarmed protesters. They get away with it thanks to a corporate media ecosystem that helps shield cops from criticism and discredit the people protesting police brutality.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Lesson #3 The Value Proposition
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Iconography of a person speaking into a bullhorn with an arm up and other people icons listening to represent "protesting" with a red circle with a line through it over the image.
Credit: "No protesting" by David Pursehouse | Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, enhanced contrast, saturation and brightness
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 7/26/2022
Today, we take a look at recent Supreme Court rulings aside from overturning abortion rights and how all signals are that they are going full steam ahead on a conservative authoritarian deconstruction of the past 100 years of progress
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: A Supreme Court Term Like No Other - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 7-9-22
Dahlia Lithwick hosts Amicus’ annual term-ending breakfast table conversation, featuring Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern, Professor Katherine Franke and Professor Nikolas Bowie. They dig into the biggest decisions of the term
The U.S. Supreme Court announced Thursday it will hear oral arguments in a case experts warn could be one of the greatest threats to U.S. democracy since the deadly January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. In October, the court will hear Moore v. Harper.
Ch. 3: Just how bad is the Supreme Court's EPA decision - Strict Scrutiny - Air Date 6-30-22
Kate and Leah break down the "free-wheeling, free association analysis" of the Supreme Court's opinion in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. Basically, it's bad! And not just because of the impending climate apocalypse!
Ch. 4: The Supreme Court Needs an Upgrade - What Next - Air Date 7-6-22
The Supreme Court treated its most recent term like the opening salvo in a conservative revolution, approving prayer in schools, establishing a constitutional right to conceal and carry a firearm, and eliminating the constitutional right to abortion.
Ch. 5: The Outrage Continues - In The Thick - Air Date 7-19-22
Julio is joined by Errin Haines, editor at large for The 19th, and Elie Mystal, justice correspondent and columnist for The Nation. They discuss the Supreme Court and the impact of their decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Writer Mark Joseph Stern joins the MR crew to talk about the recent SCOTUS opinions and rulings on Carson v Makin and Kennedy v Bremerton which continue to blur the lines between church and state.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the political philosophy that increases suffering
Bonus clip: Because of Texas abortion law, her wanted pregnancy became a medical nightmare - NPR - Air Date 7-26-22
New, untested abortion bans have made doctors unsure about treating some pregnancy complications, which has led to life-threatening delays and trapped families in a limbo of grief and helplessness.
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Sign up through wren.co/best to make a difference in the climate crisis, and Wren will plant 10 extra trees in your name!
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Global Food Prices Are at A Record High - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-22-22
We speak with Ukrainian-American Anna Nagurney, Chair in Integrative Studies at the Isenberg School of Management at The University of Massachusetts - Amherst about the latest on Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian food exports.
Ch. 2: Why War in Ukraine is Causing Apocalyptic Famine - RealLifeLore - Air Date 6-30-22
Explaining why the geopolitical destabilization of the war in Ukraine may be part of Russia's plan and what actions the world can take to reduce the famine
Joining us from Mogadishu, Somalia, Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, says poorer countries in Africa aren't able to financially compete with richer countries to afford basic staples like wheat.
Ch. 4: For Bread: On capitalism's global food crisis - Prolekult - Air Date 7-2-22
An overview of the fundamental factors driving the global food crisis. The piece looks at the way fertilizer has shaped agriculture, the composition of agricultural capital, and the environmental crisis' impact on agriculture globally.
We speak with food systems experts Sofía Monsalve Suárez and Rachel Bezner Kerr about how to prevent a looming global food shortage.
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli lays out what it would take to build a more equitable, sustainable food system that nourishes all people and asks us to widen our perspectives before eating our next meal.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Are Food Shortages Coming to the United States? - David Pakman Show - Air Date 4-20-22
Are food shortages really coming to the United States, as some are claiming?
Ch. 8: Why War in Ukraine is Causing Apocalyptic Famine Part 2 - RealLifeLore - Air Date 6-30-22
Explaining the slow-moving famine already underway before the start of the war in Ukraine
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Requesting a Culture Wars episode - Phil from California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on our coverage of the culture wars
Referenced:
#1479 Torturing Children and Families in the Name of Protecting Them (Trans Rights)
#1470 Distorting History and Banning Books is a Power Play of Exclusion
#1453 The Tea Party Too (School Board Backlash and the Dark Money Behind It)
#1501 Navigating Post-Roe America
#1374 Tell Stories, Not Myths - Columbus and the Centrality of Colonialism
#1431 Stealing Native Children and Their Future
#1492 The Great Replacements (Conspiracy vs Reality)
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photograph of a cluster of golden wheat grains on a white surface. A small, colorful figurine of a globe rests on top of the grains.
Credit: "Globe and wheat. Global wheat shortage." by Jernej Furman, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date 4/16/2020
Today, Amanda and I discuss a few of the aspects of life during a pandemic that's causing mental fog and affecting our work.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: We all make mistakes but we’re making a lot more of them right now
Ch. 2: The Burnout Generation
Ch. 3: Survival Mode
Ch. 4: Hidden Mental Health Toll of Coronavirus with Alisa Kriegel - WhoWhatWhy - Air Date 3-22-20
The COVID-19 pandemic is going to have a huge toll on mental health, what can we do to mitigate the damage?
Ch. 5: Soft Launch of my secret project
Ch. 6: Showing the ShowSharer™
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Support the show via Patreon
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more
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Review the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Facebook!
Air Date 7/13/2022
Today, we take a look at how the Supreme Court stripped abortion rights for half the country, what life will look like for those seeking abortions and what we can do both personally and politically to fight back.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Aimee Arrambide of Avow Texas with Abortion Resources - Burn It All Down - Air Date 6-29-22
Jessica Luther talks with Aimee Arrambide who provides information and abortion resources related to the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
Computer scientist and social media expert Dr. Jen Golbeck has been running a popular TikTok series educating people on how to be more secure while navigating abortion online.
Ch. 3: The Day 'Roe' Died - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-24-22
For the first time in this country's history, an unelected majority of Supreme Court justices have taken away a fundamental constitutional right.
Ch. 4: When Pregnancy becomes Crime - This Is Hell! - Air Date 7-5-22
Writer and philosophy scholar at Cornell University, Kate Manne talks about her Substack article "Criminalizing Pregnant People: A Brief Retrospective."
We speak with two leading legal scholars. Kathryn "Kitty" Kolbert is co-founder of the Center for Reproductive Rights
Ch. 6: Just Doing The Job They Were Put On The Court To Do - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 6-25-22
Roe v Wade has been swept away and Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lays out the case for what Democrats need to do in response to the Dobbs decision
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: How The Supreme Court Killed Roe v. Wade - LegalEagle - Air Date 6-29-22
This is a sea change at the Supreme Court
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the importance of state judicial elections
TAKE ACTION!
Start Paying Attention to State Judicial Elections:
Ballotpedia: ALL State Judicial Elections 2022 (scroll down for state links & maps)
Quick Links: Texas (18 appellate | 6 supreme); Florida (28 appellate | 5 supreme); Ohio (28 appellate | 3 supreme); Lousiana (22 appellate | 1 supreme); Tennesee (24 appellate | 5 supreme) ...and more.
Your State-by-State Guide to the 2022 Supreme Court Elections (via Bolts Magazine)
Share BOTL's Twitter Thread on this Subject
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
State Judge Elections Are About to Become Decisive for Abortion Rights (via Slate - July 6, 2022)
We Need to Reclaim State Courts From Big Money and Hateful Agendas (via TRUTHOUT - May 2019)
The Politics of Judicial Elections, 2019–20 (via Brennan Center - Jan. 25, 2022)
Gerrymandering or Creating New Courts (Dec 2021)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A black and white photo showing a large crowd of people protesting in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building on the day Roe v. Wade was overturned, amidst ominous dark clouds in the sky.
Credit: "2022.06.24 Roe v Wade Overturned - SCOTUS, Washington, DC USA 175 143207" by Ted Eytan, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Slightly cropped
Original Air Date: 6-6-22 Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss: - The Dawn of Everything - Capitalism Culture - Hit and Run Work Ethic - Necropolitics - W.E.B. DuBois on Colonialism - Sacrifices of Cultural Assumptions
References: The Dawn of Everything (Affiliate Link!)
Daycare late fees no deterrent, study finds
Prosecutor: Driver In Hit-And-Run Death Left For Job Interview
What Is Necropolitics? The Political Calculation of Life and Death
When W. E. B. Du Bois Was Un-American
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Air Date 7/4/2022
Today, for this milestone episode, I attempted to squeeze in as many clever and interesting ideas as I could and ended up writing a starter guide to understand the United States. Plus, there are jingles!
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Political Structures of Our Country
Tracking the political eras that proceeded our current situation and looking at what may come next.
Jingle 1: Strawman
Ch. 2: Progressives and Progress
Looking at a progressive perspective of the last 20 years and the process of progress itself
Jingle 2: Defer to Authority
Ch. 3: Understanding Race, Gender, Privilege and Power
Understanding why our understanding of the world is often insufficiently complicated
Jingle 3: Just Asking Questions
Ch. 4: Progressives in Politics
Tracing the fissures on the political left from Bush to Biden
Jingle 4: Manipulating Data
Ch. 5: Republican Transformation
Tracing conservatism from mid-century Republicans to 21st-century insurrectionists
Jingle 5: Appeal to Emotion
Ch. 6: Foreign/Power
Looking at various forms of power and how they play out on the international stage
Jingle 6: Passive Voice
Ch. 7: The Progress Trap
The progress traps of new technology and why we're not defending against them
Jingle 7: Clickbait
Ch. 8: Structural Thinking and the Alternative
What happens when an individualist thinker is faced with problems that only structural thinking can handle?
Jingle 8: Conspiracy Theories
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Conclusion
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Jingles: Concept and Some Lyrics by Jay Tomlinson, Music and Most Lyrics by Jonathan Mann
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date 6/19/2021
Today we take a look at the politics of obstruction in service to big donors' interests while sacrificing the ability to run a functioning democracy in the process.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: West Virginia's Robyn Kincaid on the maddening Joe Manchin - The BradCast - Air Date 6-9-21
Robyn Kincaid explains the mysteries of Manchin, the history of his family's political dynasty in the state, and key factors that may be at work in Manchin's inexplicable obstruction of Biden and the Democrats' agenda.
Ch. 2: How Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out w/ Aída Chávez - Start Making Sense - Air Date 3-31-21
The political transformation of Kyrsten Sinema, the new senator from Arizona: She’s one of the two most conservative Democrats in the Senate—but Aida Chavez explains that she started out to the left of the Party.
Breaking down the conflict-averse nature of the Democratic Party.
Ch. 4: Breaking Down President Biden's $6 Trillion 2022 Budget - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-28-21
The president's budget attempts to incorporate plans on infrastructure, housing, and healthcare, and is likely to receive conservative backlash for raising the federal deficit.
Ch. 5: What Does Joe Manchin Want? John Nichols on Filibuster Reform - Start Making Sense - Air Date 6-9-21
Congressional action could block voter law changes—but that requires filibuster reform, and Joe Manchin says he won’t vote for filibuster reform. What does Joe Manchin want? John Nichols comments.
Ch. 6: Joe Manchin Gets Candid With Billionaire Donors in Leaked Audio - Deconstructed - Air Date 6-16-21
Sen. Joe Manchin reveals his thoughts on the filibuster in a leaked Zoom call with fundraisers.
Ch. 7: Does America Have a Chance At Democracy? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-12-21
When a political party is more obsessed with identity than issues - America is in trouble. Can America function as a multi-racial, ethnic, religious democracy?
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: How Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out w/ Aída Chávez Part 2 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 3-31-21
The political transformation of Kyrsten Sinema, the new senator from Arizona: She’s one of the two most conservative Democrats in the Senate—but Aida Chavez explains that she started out to the left of the Party.
Explaining Manchin's love of being the center of attention and those who love to use him as a shield against criticism
BONUS
Ch. 10: Curation Lesson #4
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on Bo Burnham's "Inside"
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Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Composite image. Photo of Sen. Kristen Sinema (D-AZ) on the left and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on the right. More than half of their images are overlaid with red, the rest with blue. A vector image of the U.S. Capitol is in the foreground, a rope is coiled around the dome being pulled at each end out of view.
Credit: Composite image designed by Amanda Hoffman
Image 1: "Kyrsten Sinema" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with overlays
Image 2: "FAA REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION" by Senate Democrats, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with overlays
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Original Air Date 7/5/2019
Today we take an unflinching look at Mitch McConnell and what a bad, bad man he is for basically all of the reasons.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Money Money Money Part 1 - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-6-19
Mitch fully embraces the 'evil' of raising money in politics, and truly believes money is free speech.
Ch. 2: Voting Machine Lobbyists Pay Mitch McConnell - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 6-13-19
Lobbyists for both major voting machine companies have started contributing to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's re-election campaign as McConnell is blocking election security bills.
McConnell, a longtime opponent of campaign finance reform who battled the late Sen. McCain over the issue, made clear in December that the House proposal would never see floor time in the Senate.
Ch. 4: Money Money Money Part 2 - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-6-19
McCain and Mitch fought each other over money in politics for years. Mitch wasn't ever going to lose, McCain saw the corruption and tried to call it out.
Ch. 5: Mitch Is the Biggest Monster In Politics - The Majority Report with Sam Seder - Air Date 3-8-19
Mitch has been packing the courts, it is monopolization of our judiciary by far right extremists / conservatives.
McConnell sees what the progressives are doing, and is dedicated to stopping them at all costs.
Ch. 7: Darth Vader Has Arrived - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Tom Dreisbach - Air Date 6-13-19
Mitch fought endlessly to ensure corporate money in politics. Citizens United and Mitch McConnell completely overturned democracy and legalized corruption.
Mitch is manipulating our judicial system - Trumps court appointments are pushing terrorism on the people. Mitch is the most productive and destructive GOP in modern history.
Mitch blocked Merrick Garland under Obama, and now will indiscriminately fill any SCOTUS opening.
Ch. 10: Not A Happy Choice - Embedded with Kelly McEvers and Eric Mennel - Air Date 6-20-19
Mitch rose to fame during the Obama administration, for refusing to work with Obama on anything, which paved the way for Trump
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Christians thrive on oppression - (Another) Heather
Ch. 12: The Christian Right's Persecution Boner - Ani from Florida
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on why it’s safe to say that Mitch McConnell is an extortionist
TAKE ACTION! (Cut for time)
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Researched & written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
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Air Date 6/25/2022
Today we take a look at some of the takeaways from the hearings investigating the January 6th insurrection. Most notably: they knew, they knew, they knew, they knew from the very beginning that their fraud claims were nonsense and they pushed ahead anyway.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Jan. 6 Insurrection Understanding The Big Picture Part 1 - Fresh Air - Air Date 6-9-22
New York Times Congressional reporter Luke Broadwater says the effort to overturn the 2020 election results was a "sprawling and diffuse" one that involved local governments as well as White House insiders.
Ch. 2: January 6th Goes Primetime Part 1 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-10-22
Brad is joined by guest co-host Dr. Leah Payne. They begin by discussing the first primetime hearing of the J6 Select Committee. They then focus on Tucker Carlson's response to hearings.
Ch. 3: Special coverage of House J6 Hearing, Day 3 Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-16-22
HEATHER DIGBY offers important insights into today's hearing
Ch. 4: The Jan. 6 Insurrection Understanding The Big Picture Part 2 - Fresh Air - Air Date 6-9-22
Ch. 5: January 6th Goes Primetime Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-10-22
Ch. 6: Special coverage of House J6 Hearing, Day 3 Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-16-22
Investigative reporter Trevor Aaronson is joined by Margot Williams, research editor for The Intercept, and Michael Loadenthal, founder and executive director of the Prosecution Project.
These retired Generals fought to defend Democracy abroad, now they are warning that America's Democracy needs to be defended from threats inside the country.
Six Republican members of Congress who supported Donald Trump's lies sought broad presidential pardons for their involvement in the campaign to discredit the election results
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Republican Speaker of the Arizona House "Rusty" Bowers described how he was pushed by Trump, John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani to call the Arizona Legislature back into session to investigate claimed illegal votes.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on turning anger into election action
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Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
Air Date 6/22/2022
Today we take a look at the complicated evolution of Pride Month in an era of much greater LGBTQ acceptance and the simultaneous resurgence of anti-LGBTQ energy that, in many ways, mirrors the arguments of 40 years ago.
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SHOW NOTES
Throughout the month of June, LGBTQ communities in the U.S. have been celebrating Pride in cities and states around the country. And corporate America has made itself a part of that, too, by increasingly tapping into Pride Month
Ch. 2: Anti-trans legislation - It's Been a Minute - Air Date 4-29-22
Ari discusses how this wave of law-making differs from so-called "moral panics" of past decades — and why that matters — with historian Jules Gill-Peterson, of Johns Hopkins University.
Ch. 3: Is Pride Too Commercialized? - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-15-22
Today, Pride Month gatherings are more likely to be described as parades than marches. And with rainbow flags adorning the storefronts of big corporations, it might be easy to think the struggle is over.
Ch. 4: Disney vs. Itself vs. The Right - Recode Media - Air Date 4-13-22
Within the past few months, Disney CEO Bob Chapek managed to piss off his shareholders, the LGBT community, and right-wing conservatives. Today we talk about how he did it, why it happened, and what’s next.
Ch. 5: Don't Rainbow-Wash On My Parade - What A Day - Air Date 6-2-22
June is Pride Month, the unfortunate time when many corporations claim they support LGBTQ+ people, but also support politicians who actively work against LGBTQ+ rights. It’s not a new phenomenon – even before June, for example, activists called out Disney
Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law is part of a nationwide push by Republicans to score political points by attacking gay and transgender students.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Chris Southcote-Want: It’ll all come out in the rainbow wash - TEDx Talks - Air Date 11-18-21
The impact of rainbow washing and why creating inclusive and equitable cultures is the responsibility of us all.
Ch. 8: State Farm Gives Up on LGBTQ Rights - Charlotte's Web Thoughts - Air Date 5-24-22
You may have been doom-scrolling yesterday and caught the latest hysteria of anti-LGBTQ extremists in the conservative movement.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the lessons we must relearn generation after generation
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 6/17/2022
Today we take a look at many intertwining realizations that are beginning to permeate society which include but are not limited to the dead-end mentality of infinite growth, the uselessness of growth past a certain point for wellbeing, and the deepening alienation being felt in response to consumerism in place of community.
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SHOW NOTES
“Infinite growth on a finite planet is a recipe for catastrophe”
Some economists have long argued that to really save ourselves from the climate crisis, we need a fundamental overhaul of the way our economies work.
Ch. 3: Degrowth: liberation from growthism - The Taxcast - Air Date 9-23-21
Naomi Fowler explores degrowth and how we liberate ourselves from ‘growthism’ with economic anthropologist Jason Hickel.
Standing Rock was just one in a long line of battles that Indigenous peoples have been fighting against the twin forces of colonialism and capitalism since first contact.
Ch. 5: Eco-Socialist Degrowth? w/ Paul Murphy - Rupture Radio - Air Date 5-2-22
Capitalist growth is destroying our life support systems.
We talked about why the notion of decoupling growth from intensive resource use is ultimately unconvincing.
Tim Jackson joins David to discuss consumption, growth, macroeconomics, the modern economy, and more.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: How We End Consumerism - Our Changing Climate - Air Date 6-4-21
How we end consumerism, explained.
We spoke with him about international capitalism during the pandemic and how to fundamentally move to a post-capitalist world
We continue our quest by looking into post-growth.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the climate legislation currently in negotiations and how to win a Rivian EV
TAKE ACTION!
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Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: An illustration of a green Earth, with a small plant sprout growing out of it. Green arrows encircle the earth against a pale green abstract background.
Credit: Nature-Earth-Sustainability | License
Air Date 6/15/2022
Today we take a look at 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.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Housing Market - If You Don't Know, Now You Know - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-8-21
Why has it become so hard to buy a home in America? If you don’t know, now you know.
Ch. 2: How Foreign Companies Are Raising Housing Prices - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-27-21
Should corporations be allowed to buy houses and raise the housing price in your neighborhood?
Ch. 3: John and Ana React to Bonkers Housing Story - The Damage Report - Air Date 3-12-22
The housing market has reached frightening heights which has people looking elsewhere for home buying.
Ch. 4: How Socialists Solved The Housing Crisis - The Gravel Institute - Air Date 1-29-21
Zohran Mamdani, New York State assemblyman, talks about how Austrian socialists in the 1920s and ‘30s pioneered an approach that offered better, cheaper, and safer homes for everyone.
What happens when the housing bubble bursts? It is easy to see when it has happened but spotting a collapse ahead of time is difficult.
Ch. 6: Eviction Rates Are Rising - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-13-22
Discussing the need for tenants to have a right to counsel in eviction proceedings
Ch. 7: Why Dems Have Abandoned Public Housing - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-9-22
The Democratic Party has no plan to address the homeless crisis the United States is facing today. One way to fix it would be to provide public housing to people.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
George Clarke visits a council estate in Vienna and is shocked by what he finds.
Ch. 9: Short-term rental housing is hurting Ouray residents - Rocky Mountain PBS - Air Date 7-19-21
Increasing housing prices, rent, construction costs, and short-term rental (STR) properties have created an environment that fewer and fewer people are able to thrive in.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on supporting affordable housing through the Build Back Better bill
TAKE ACTION!
Demand Targeted Affordable Housing Investments Stay in Any Reconciliation Package!
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EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Resurrected budget package no slam dunk as negotiations heat up (June 6th via RollCall)
Affordable housing in the US is increasingly scarce, making renters ask: Where do we go? (March 14th via The Conversation)
Housing Investments in Build Back Better Would Address Pressing Unmet Needs (Feb. 10th via Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)
A growing share of Americans say affordable housing is a major problem where they live (Jan. 18th via Pew Research Center)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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.
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 6/11/2022
Today we take a look at the reasons why Democrats lost rural America and why it's important to make gains outside urban centers through working-class coalitions and a focus on the policy failures of unchecked Republicanism.
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SHOW NOTES
Democrats used to win elections in rural areas, but that seems like a distant memory now. This week, Zach is joined by Bill Hogseth, a political organizer from rural Wisconsin, to talk about the difference between making promises and delivering change
Ch. 2: Can Democrats Win in Rural America? - Deconstructed - Air Date 6-4-22
Maine state Sen. Chloe Maxmin tackles one of the most pressing problems confronting the modern Democratic Party: how to reverse its decades-long backslide in rural support. Maxmin and her co-author and campaign manager Canyon Woodward join Ryan Grim
Ch. 3: How Democrats Lost Rural America w/ Anthony Flaccavento Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-24-22
Anthony Flaccavento, Virginia-based farmer, author, and co-founder of the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative, joins the Jacobin Show to discuss rural America—and why the Democrats lose so consistently in rural elections.
Ch. 4: Joe Shepherd of United Rural Democrats - The Rick Smith Show - Air Date 5-9-22
By working people. For working people. Welcome to The Rick Smith Show.
Ch. 5: How Democrats Lost Rural America w/ Anthony Flaccavento Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 3-24-22
Anthony Flaccavento, Virginia-based farmer, author, and co-founder of the Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative, joins the Jacobin Show to discuss rural America—and why the Democrats lose so consistently in rural elections.
Former OHIO Democratic party chair David Pepper On Why We Need to Focus on State Capitols to Save Democracy, and why we all need to do our part to lift it up.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank, author of “What’s the Matter with Kansas” and “Listen, Liberal”, tells host Paul Jay that the Democratic Party serves the professional class and the top 10% and no longer cares about the poor or working class.
Ch. 8: The New Democrats w/ Lily Geismer - The Dig - Air Date 6-5-22
Dan’s second episode with historian Lily Geismer, who he interviewed in 2019 about Don’t Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party. This interview is on Left Behind: The Democrats’ Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the ignoring the middle class and poor open the door to right-wing populism of the worst sort
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of a blue, dented, and rusted mailbox on a spike leaning against an old wooden fence. Its flag is down, indicating no mail. Thick, golden tall grass grows behind it against a blue sky.
Credit: "Rural America" by Kris Notaro, Flickr | License CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 6/8/2022
Today we take a look at progressive victories in primary elections around the country and explain why moderates are not much more than allies of conservatism.
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SHOW NOTES
“What you’ve seen is a surprising backlash at the voter level to all of the money that flooded in,” says investigative journalist David Sirota of The Lever. “It’s been a pretty good night for progressive candidates, despite all that money.”
Ch. 2: Howie Klein of 'Down With Tyranny' on midterm primaries - The Bradcast - Air Date 5-27-22
Howie Klein delivers lively analysis on primary victories (and losses) for progressive Democrats so far in the 2022 midterm election cycle, and a preview of important races coming up in seven states in the Super Tuesday primary on June 7.
Ch. 3: Voting, Primaries and Redistricting in the South Part 1 - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-28-22
We take a look at the latest primary election results from this past week. We’re joined by Maya King, politics reporter for The New York Times, and Stephen Fowler, state and local politics reporter for Georgia Public Radio.
Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief, talks about the latest in national politics, including recent polling on midterm issues and President Biden's statement on Taiwan.
Ch. 5: Voting, Primaries and Redistricting in the South Part 2 - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-28-22
We take a look at the latest primary election results from this past week. We’re joined by Maya King, politics reporter for The New York Times, and Stephen Fowler, state and local politics reporter for Georgia Public Radio.
Ch. 6: How "Moderates" Serve The Right - Second Thought - Air Date 12-17-21
This week we're talking about everyone's favorite grillpilled neighbor - the American "centrist" or "moderate". As much as they like to see themselves as enlightened arbiters of progress, centrists are little more than spoilers for actual progress.
What progressives should be focusing on in the 2022 midterm elections is clear. It's economics. That's what people are worried about the most and that is what they should run on. Whether they focus on that or not is a different story.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Turner says the corporate wing of the Democratic Party seeks to consolidate the existing leadership’s power while shutting down champions of progressive policies like Medicare for All.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Should Justice Sotomayor retire this year? - Woody from Washington DC
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the extreme measures needed to stabilize our political system
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 5-16-22
Connect with our Discord community!
Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss:
- The power of Indigenous stories
- Elite panic
- Panic at the dinner table
- Quantification and who counts
- Stoking civil war
- Fear is the heart of love
References:
Southern Living: Why Is It Rude to Eat with Your Elbows on the Table?
Beware Prophecies of Civil War
I will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
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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.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Igor Volsky on Ending Gun Violence - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-27-22
We revisit some conversations about gun violence and gun culture this week on the show. In March of last year we spoke with Igor Volsky, executive director of Guns Down America
In addition to the police response being an unfathomable failure, it is also proof that the ‘good guy with a gun’ theory doesn't work.
Ch. 3: Jordan Klepper Debunks The "Good Guy with a Gun" Argument - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-11-15
Jordan Klepper sets out to determine the likelihood of another gun owner stopping an active shooter.
The far-right wants you to think the Second Amendment is about average Americans taking up arms against a tyrannical government. But none of that is true... The real history of the second amendment is far more interesting and unsettling.
Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger speaking to Charlayne Hunter-Gault, PBS News Hours, 12/16/1991
Ch. 6: How the Gun Industry Used Marketing to Change a Culture - Letters and Politics - Air Date 8-7-19
Today, we are in conversation with Pamela Haag about American gun culture and its influence on policy and gun market. Guest: Pamela Haag is an award-winning nonfiction writer, essayist, cultural commentator, and historian.
“Together we rise,” reads the motto on a wall of the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The school serves about 600 students in the second thru fourth grades. Over ninety percent are Latinx.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
In this public News Brief, we discuss the phoned-in, cynical response by Republicans to mass shooting and how they've devolved into a dark, meta self-parody.
Guest: Robert J. Spitzer is Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Political Science Department at the State University of New York, College at Cortland. He is the author of 15 books including Guns across America: Reconciling Gun Rules and Rights.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the bonus episode in which we explain the cultural foundations of capitalism, guns and beyond
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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
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Air Date 6/1/2022
Today we take a look at the current conspiracy theory known as "The Great Replacement" which posits that a cabal of elites is conspiring to eradicate Whiteness as a culture and as a people in Europe, North America and other countries colonized by White Europeans. We also look at the history of the cabal of elites that conspired to eradicate Native peoples and culture from colonized lands in a pattern of genocide and dispossession.
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SHOW NOTES
Imagine for a moment a breaking news story that more than 500 bodies of white children were found buried in unmarked graves at some of the most prestigious boarding schools in New England…That we discovered a federal plot to steal children
Ch. 2: The “Great Replacement” Conspiracy Theory - Past Present - Air Date 5-24-22
In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory.
Nick Estes says the institutions were part of a “genocidal process” of “dispossession and theft of Indigenous people’s lands and resources.”
Ch. 4: No Lone Wolves - What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Air Date 5-18-22
A shooting Saturday at a supermarket in a predominantly-Black neighborhood in Buffalo left at least 10 people dead and three more injured. The suspected shooter left a manifesto riddled with racist ideology
Ch. 5: Haaland's Boarding School Report - Let's Talk Native with John Kane - Air Date 5-12-22
Discussing native residential schools as textbook genocide and the new, insufficient report on them.
What’s the right-wing answer to the complicated governing issue of the nationwide baby formula shortage? Just stop feeding migrant babies.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Tim Wise counsels that we must remain persistent in the anti-racism struggle and not surrender to exhaustion or otherwise be worn down by repetition.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on those who see themselves in a demographic war for White superiority
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: An historic photograph from 1922 North West Territories, Canada of four Indigenous children in front of a schoolhouse holding paper letters and wearing Western formal dress - including dresses, suits, and top hats. All have serious and sad expressions.
Credit: "Children at Fort Simpson Indian Residential School holding letters that spell 'Goodbye'" by Libraries and Archives Canada, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 5/27/2022
Today we take a look at the disruptions to society that can unfold in times of economic distress such as high inflation, price gouging, wage stagnation and income inequality as well as some policy ideas for turning things around.
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SHOW NOTES
"Germany's capitalists drove it into WW1" Warns Richard Wolff. Could America's capitalist lead us into fascism? "Learn from history"
Ch. 2: You Are Being Lied to About Inflation - Robert Reich - Air Date 2-28-22
The underlying problem is not inflation. It’s corporate power. The entire American economy is concentrated into the hands of a few greedy, corporate giants with the power to raise prices.
Jayati Ghosh, who says prices of essentials are soaring much higher than can be explained by oil prices and supply shortages alone, because of what she calls "feverish speculation" in financial markets and corporate profiteering.
Professor Wolff joins to discuss the situation for workers in the US today.
OMAR OCAMPO of the Institute for Policy Studies Program on Inequality and the Common Good explains how it happened, and what actions can and must be taken to reverse this obscene trend.
An overhaul to the system where the government subsidizes only a few formula brands can help combat the monopolization that has caused this crisis, says David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect.
The Biden Administration’s 2023 budget proposal includes a Billionaire Minimum Income Tax and a rewrite of stock buyback practices. Will these changes actually take effect? Niko Lusiani is the Director of Corporate Power at the Roosevelt Institute.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Elon Musk’s Billionaire Games - The Daily Show with Trevor Noah - Air Date 5-7-22
Trevor’s no finance expert, but the details of Elon Musk’s Twitter buy seem a little weird.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the culture of distrust of the poor
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 4-26-22 Today, I am talking with Amanda, Deon and Erin. We discuss: - Libertarians proving themselves wrong - All we ever do is tell stories - The benefits of forgetting some stories - The stories society tells hide the form of community that we prefer
References: Seder DEBATES Ayn Rand Institute Libertarian Yaron Brook - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-8-21
Excerpt from interview, MARK FERRARI interview (Behind The Scenes) - The Making of Monkey Island
Forgetting, not memory, moves us forward - Future Tense - Air Date 3-27-22
A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster by Rebecca Solnit
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Original Air Date 5/8/2021
Today we take a look at the culture that Disney has helped create and how they did it, using cuteness as a weapon to push ideas from racist stereotypes and segregation to the masterful use of hollow nods toward progressivism while reinforcing the ethics of individualism in order to give systemic injustice a pass.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Racial Politics of Disney Animals Part 1 - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 8-28-15
Scholar, writer, and activist Walidah Imarisha is someone who’s been thinking hard about what stories Disney tells and why. She teaches a class on race and Disney films at Portland State University.
Ch. 2: 40 Acres and a Movie - Still Processing - Air Date 4-8-21
Disney owns a piece of every living person’s childhood. Now it owns Marvel Studios, too. Jenna and Wesley look at depictions of racist tropes and stereotypes in Disney’s ever-expanding catalog. The company has made recent attempts to atone for its past.
Ch. 3: The Racial Politics of Disney Animals Part 2 - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 8-28-15
Ch. 4: Woke Disney - Lindsay Ellis - Air Date 9-30-21
Nodding to progressive ideas while just proping up capitalism is just marketing.
Ch. 5: Disneyfication of American History - American Hysteria - Air Date 1-25-21
Disney has been presenting a fairytale reality within a reality since the 1920s, a far cuter reality that mimics our reality until reality is no longer reality at all. Make sense?
Ch. 6: How Disney Ruined Culture - Wisecrack - Air Date 11-9-20
It's no surprise that Disney has an absolute stranglehold on the culture we consume today. But the joys of the Magic Kingdom aside, what if it's actually kind of really bad for art? We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition: How Disney Ruined Culture.
Ch. 7: The (Not So) Wonderful World of Disney - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 2-16-18
Sam talks to filmmaker and activist Abigail Disney, daughter of Roy E. Disney, about her views on inequality in the U.S., corporate greed and why, despite her last name, she's become one of the more vocal and prominent critics of The Walt Disney empire.
Ch. 8: DED Talks: Why Walt Disney is Nothing Like You Think He Was - Cracked - Air Date 1-19-15
Disney tell's his story
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Disneyfication Of Cuteness - American Hysteria - Air Date 1-25-21
Disney has been presenting a fairytale reality within a reality since the 1920s, a far cuter reality that mimics our reality until reality is no longer reality at all. Make sense?
Ch. 10: Copyright: Why We Can't Have Nice Things - Wisecrack - Air Date 4-23-21
This video, like everything else in the world, is copyrighted. But what does that really mean? Copyright laws started out as a way to protect creators from having their hard work stolen, but it's turned into something else entirely.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Ableism in the show - Alyson from Colorado
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on Woke Disney and Ableist language
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date 4/14/2021
Today we take a look at the one element of our government that, above all others, has contributed to the absolute disfunction of our democracy. The filibuster was never intended by the founders, always anti-democratic, often used for racist ends and is now being abused at a rate never before seen.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Filibuster - Last Week Tonight - Air Date 9-9-19
John Oliver explains why filibusters exist, why they shouldn't, and why it's stupid to drink coffee like a cat.
President Joe Biden has promised swift action on the pandemic, the economic crisis and more, but much of his agenda hinges on whether he can get enough support in the Senate.
Mitch McConnell is on a warpath, and he's getting all his favorite lies lined up.
Adam Jentleson, who served as a former senior aide to Sen. Harry Reid, joins Mehdi Hasan to explain the history of the filibuster and how, according to Jentleson, it helps conservatives override the nation's democratic system.
Ch. 5: Is Filibuster Reform Mitch McConnell's 'Kryptonite?' - Zerlina. - Air Date 3-16-21
Rep. John Yarmuth explains to Zerlina Maxwell why the rule is so important to the Senate Minority Leader, and why McConnell is “scared to death” about the possibility that Democrats will abolish it.
Ch. 6: What Is Manchin's Real Agenda w/ David Sirota - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-11-21
David Sirota explains the motivations and unseen pressures playing on Joe Manchin as he continuously pivots his position on the filibuster.
Ch. 7: Activism: Support No Excuses PAC and W.V. Cant Wait - Best of the Left - 4-14-21
Ch. 8: Now Is the Time to End the Filibuster - Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman - Air Date 3-18-21
Amy Goodman gives a commentary explaining the need to end the filibuster.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Adam Jentleson, talks about why it's a good idea for Senate Democrats to reform the filibuster and pass popular legislation
Ch. 10: Reid Calls for Filibuster Reform to End Gridlock - Nevada Senator Harry Reid - Air Date 11-22-13
On the Senate floor, Senator Reid laid out why we need to reform the rules to ensure qualified presidential nominees get up-or-down votes.
Ch. 11: What Is Manchin's Real Agenda w/ David Sirota Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-11-21
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 12: Wading into the discussion on the child tax credit - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on racism and population
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Inside the West Virginian Movement to Push Joe Manchin to the Left (The New Republic)
Progressive PAC kick-starts search for challengers to Manchin, Sinema (Politico)
Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Cartoon version of Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell holding a chart that says "Republican Filibusters." The horizontal bar graph below the title shows an X axis starting with "88th term 1963-64" and ending with "110th term 2007-2008." The bar values range from 3 at the beginning of the time-line to "153 Projected for end of term" at the end.
Credits: "Mitch McConnell, Filibuster King" by DonkeyHotey, Flickr | License | Changes: Increased white background to make vertical image square, smudged existing shadow to extend farther, dark blue border added
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 5/14/2022
Today we take a look at the options and actions still available after the Supreme Court overturns Roe for those seeking abortions and Reproductive Justice more widely. Plus, an obligatory explanation of how we got to now.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Learning from Pre-Roe to Navigate Post-Roe - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 5-5-22
Law professor and podcast host Melissa Murray, journalist and bestselling author Jessica Bruder, and Slate’s news director Susan Matthews—host of the upcoming Season 7 of Slow Burn focusing on the road to Roe v Wade
Ch. 2: Producer Sebastian on the anti-abortion right in the United States - This is Hell! - Air Date 5-5-22
Sebastian gets on his soapbox and lectures about the history of abortion rights and the anti-abortion right in the United States.
Looking at the intertwining fights for reproductive and voting rights.
Frank Schaeffer once produced propaganda films that helped launch the Christian right. Now he feels regret for what he calls an 'anti-family' movement.
Ch. 5: Lindsey Shares Her Abortion Story - Serious Inquiries Only - Air Date 5-5-22
Our own Dr. Lindsey Osterman has had an abortion, does not regret it, and wants to tell us why this basic healthcare right matters not just for those in extreme circumstances.
Ch. 6: Amy Littlefield on the fight for Abortion Rights - Start Making Sense - Air Date 5-12-22
Progressive faith communities are learning how to support reproductive justice
Ch. 7: Resisting attacks on abortion rights in the US with Emma Norton - Red Flag Radio - Air Date 5-9-22
Roz talks to socialist activist Emma Norton about the history of abortion rights, the limitations of looking to the Democrats to protect the right to choose, and the struggles that are needed to win.
David Daley writing for the Boston Globe writes the thought-provoking article "Your Vote Won't Help Restore Abortion Rights"
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: The Turnaway Study What The Research Says About Abortion - Short Wave - Air Date 5-9-22
We turned to Dr. Diana Greene Foster, the lead researcher on the interdisciplinary team behind The Turnaway Study. For over a decade, she and her fellow researchers followed just under a thousand women who sought an abortion across 21 states.
Ch. 9: Lindsey Shares Her Abortion Story Part 2 - Serious Inquiries Only - Air Date 5-5-22
Dr. Lindsey Osterman discusses the idea of being made to carry a pregnancy to term before offering the baby for adoption.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on how to make sure your efforts to support abortion access are well spent
Get Involved/Support/Volunteer for Abortion Funds & Learn State Laws:
Twitter thread - Getting Involved with Local Abortion Funds (Read on Thread Reader)
Find your local Practical Support Organization
Abortion Access in Your State: A Quiz (with resources) (Lilith.org)
Check out the hashtag #FundAbortionBuildPower
Abortion Pills Stand to be Next Battleground in a Post-Roe America (NY Times)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The words "WHAT NOW?" in white are overlayed on a faded image of the U.S. Supreme Court. Below the words, is a faded portion of the top of Justice Alito's leaked draft majority opinion indicating Roe v. Wade will be struck down.
Credit: Composite design by Amanda Hoffman using images in the public domain.
Air Date 5/10/2022
Today we take a look at the impacts of media ownership on society including legacy newspapers and social media platforms owned by billionaires and the consolidation of our news and entertainment corporations through mega mergers.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Who Rules America: The Power of The Media | Propaganda - ENDEVR Documentary - Air Date 1-3-21
Who Rules America? takes a comprehensive look into the governing system of the United States of America and reveals the behind-the-scene powers that rule the nation.
Ch. 2: Billionaires Control The Media - and Its Destroying Democracy - Novara Media - Air Date 11-20-19
Billionaires control the media, and it's undermining our democracy. The broadcast media amplify the right-wing print media meaning the political agenda is always set by, you guessed it, billionaires.
The Washington Post announced on Monday the paper had been sold to Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos for $250 million. Bezos, one of the world’s wealthiest men, now controls one of the most powerful newspapers in the country.
Ch. 4: Elon Musk, Twitter, and the History of Media Oligarchs - Past Present - Air Date 5-2-22
Niki referred to this Los Angeles Times article about the limits of Elon Musk’s “free speech absolutism.” Natalia referenced this New York Times article about billionaire investors in the press.
I spoke before FTC Chair Lina Khan and Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Jonathan Kanter this week about how corporate mergers are devastating working conditions, access to diverse voices, and artistic freedom in media.
Elon Musk reaching a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion is discussed by Anand Giridharadas. "This future in which there would actually be more abundant and equitable speech terrifies the crap out of people like Elon Musk,” Giridharadas tells Joy Reid.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: How William Randolph Hearst Made The Media - KERA's Think - Air Date 9-27-21
He was one of the wealthiest men in America – and his media empire granted him unprecedented influence. Stephen Ives joins host Krys Boyd to tell the story of William Randolph Hearst and the template he created for the media business.
Ch. 8: Is Free Speech Online Just a Myth? - What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Air Date 5-8-22
A conversation with one of the smartest First Amendment lawyers in the country.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the propaganda of building faulty assumptions into questions
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The front page of a newspaper is held up by a reader. The newspaper is called “The Media” and the large text headline is a quotation that reads “We Own This, Too" above black and white photos of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Rupert Murdoch.
Credit: Composite design by Amanda Hoffman. Images include: “newspaper, world is changing”; "Jeff Bezos" by NASA Robotics Competition, Flickr (Public Domain); "Elon Musk" by Tesla Owners Club Belgium, Flickr (CC BY 2.0); "Rupert Murdoch" by Eva Rinaldi, Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) | Changes: Cropped and black and white
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 5/7/2022
Today we take a look at the jockeying for position that is happening among GOP politicians, both incumbents and hopefuls, in this murky Trump/post-Trump political era in which the path to victory for Republicans is to support Trump unquestioningly while also keeping an eye on the long game for which one should attempt to out-Trump Trump to gain the support of his cultish masses.
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SHOW NOTES
GOP politicians who formerly rejected QAnon and Trumpism are now joining the choir in pursuit of power
Next month starts a wave of primaries in Ohio, Georgia, and Pennsylvania that will provide the strongest clues yet on just how much of a hold on Republican voters that Trump still has.
Ch. 3: Greg Abbott's Border Shutdown Backfires Spectacularly - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-16-22
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has effectively shut down the US/Mexico border in his state. He did this in the name of stopping the flow of drugs and migrants into the US, but really it was a theatrical stunt to appeal to the far-right.
Ch. 4: The Trump Variants Part 1 - Some More News - Air Date 11-9-21
Here's a video about Ron DeSantis, Marjorie Taylor Green, and Matt Gaetz and how they all want to be the next Donald Trump.
Ch. 5: The Fight Between Florida and Disney - The Takeaway - Air Date 4-25-22
We speak with Carlos Ball, law professor at Rutgers University, and Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, about how what’s happening with Disney connects to other recent examples of corporations weighing in on LGBTQ issues.
Ch. 6: The Trump Variants Part 2 - Some More News - Air Date 11-9-21
How fascism starts and what happens to the masses when the authoritarian leader goes away.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
DeSantis' anti-gay agenda is all about winning over the conservative entertainment wing
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 8: The down side of fulfilling jobs - VoicedMail from Discord Community Member
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on creating workplaces that are conducive to human needs
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Against a black background, an illustration of Donald Trump’s head, and one hand pointing straight ahead, hovers over the shape of the United States filled in with the American flag. Three large, illustrated coronavirus molecules float out in front of Trump, each one encompassing the image of a Republican politician. Smallest to largest: J.D. Vance (Senate nominee in Ohio), Marjorie Taylor Green (Congressperson in Georgia), and Ron DeSanits (Governor of Florida).
Credit: Composite design by Amanda Hoffman. Image layers used include: “Trump and U.S. Image”, Images of politicians all by Gage Skidmore, Flickr and Wikimedia Commons: “J.D. Vance”, “Marjorie Taylor Greene", "Ron DeSanits” | Changes: Cropped and orange filter added
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 5/4/2022
Today we take a look at the tectonic shifts in the geopolitics happening under our feet; the long, slow decline of the US empire and the neoliberal order, the role of the war in Ukraine in hastening the end of globalization, and the rise of both China in the east and of the oceans around us all.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Ukraine and an Empire's Decline - Economic Update - Air Date 4-16-22
Wolff talks with host and journalist Chris Hedges about Ukraine and the end of the US empire.
Ch. 2: A World to Win Imperialism and the Energy Crisis w/ David Wearing - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 4-1-22
Grace chats to David Wearing, post-doctoral researcher at SOAS and author of AngloArabia: Why Gulf Wealth Matters to Britain.
The new war in Europe has been described as a turning point in human history. It's been more than a month since Russia invaded Ukraine - causing death and destruction across much of the country.
President Biden reportedly warned Chinese President Xi Jinping via video call Friday that China would face “consequences” if it provided material support to Russia amid the war in Ukraine.
Alfred McCoy argues that American global hegemony will end around 2030 replaced by China as world leader but Chinese hegemony will last only for about 20 years and that by 2050, climate change will have brought environmental catastrophe to both countries.
Ch. 6: Climate Catastrophe, the Fall of America, and a New World Order - WhoWhatWhy - Air Date 1-14-22
A bleak but fascinating look across five continents and seven centuries points to climate and political destruction ahead.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Oil & Disorder ft. Helen Thompson - Bungcast - Air Date 3-29-22
Helen Thompson, podcaster and professor of political economy at Cambridge and author of Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century, joins us to talk about the geopolitics of oil, stretching from the 1956 Suez Crisis to the Fracking Revolution of today.
Alexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon are the authors of Exit from Hegemony: The Unraveling of the American Global Order. We had a 90-minute conversation on some important topics for the study of international relations.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Pyramid scheme sticker club - Alan from Connecticut
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on how people find math so hard that many pyramid schemes likely get started by accident
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 4/29/2022
Today we take a look at the rising wave of successful unionization efforts and the corporate tactics being leveled against them, including the propaganda that surrounds the culture of labor.
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SHOW NOTES
Around the country, workers are rising up, demanding more, and winning important victories, even though the deck is stacked against them. The question is: Where will the reinforcements come from?
Ch. 2: Apple Store employee explains why he's fighting to unionize - ABC News - Air Date 4-26-22
Genius Bar technician Derrick Bowles explains why he and his coworkers are making the move to unionize their Apple Store
We speak with the two best friends who led a drive to organize workers at Amazon's warehouse in Staten Island, New York, and made history Friday after a majority voted to form the first Amazon union in the U.S.
Ch. 4: Unions And Strikes Are Good - Some More News - Air Date 3-30-22
Hi. In today’s episode, Cody, who is still on strike against the News Lord, discusses the importance of Unions, Co-Ops, and the future of work.
Ch. 5: Why Work Won't Love You Back - On The Media - Air Date 4-22-22
In 2021, a record-breaking number of workers quit their jobs, leading to the phenomenon deemed the "Great Resignation." To understand how that happened, it helps to unpack how work has shifted over the past several decades
Around the country, workers are rising up, demanding more, and winning important victories, even though the deck is stacked against them.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: The Holiday You May Have Missed - On The Media - Air Date 4-20-22
International Workers' Day is celebrated with rallies and protests all over the world on May 1, but it's not a big deal in the United States. Back in 2018, Brooke spoke with Donna Haverty-Stacke of Hunter College, CUNY about the American origin of May Day
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on the intrinsic human needs that, when fulfilled, give meaning to any work
TAKE ACTION!
Call your members of Congress today and demand the $94 million increase in funds to The National Labor Relations Board: US Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Find Your Senator and Representative
House Lawmakers Demand More Labor Board Funds As Workplace Organizing Spreads (Huffington Post)
Lawmakers Urge NLRB Budget Boost Amid 'Dramatic Increase' in Unionization (Common Dreams)
The Labor Board Is Withering Away, And That's Bad News For The Labor Movement (Huffington Post)
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Bernie Sanders Wants Democrats to Make Unions Their Biggest Message (Vanity Fair)
Sanders pressures Biden on Amazon unions: ‘The time for talk is over’ (Politico)
Starbucks May Soon Face Legal Consequences for Union Busting (Truthout)
The Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class (NY Times)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Amazon Labor Union logo - a black outline of an open box with three fists coming out of the top - against Amazon corporate orange. A heart encircles the logo and is surrounded by black.
Credit: Amazon Labor Union logo (artist not found upon search). Additional heart border design by Amanda Hoffman.
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
From critically acclaimed podcast studios Pineapple Street and Wondery comes a new 8-part series called Will Be Wild that shines a light on the human stories left out of the headlines. It goes deep into the lives of people who took part in that day, people who saw it coming, and people who fear that January 6th was just the beginning of something, not the end.
Follow Will Be Wild wherever you get your podcasts, or you can listen early on Amazon Music or early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app.
Listen Here: wondery.fm/BotL_WillBeWild
Air Date 4/23/2022
Today we take a look at how we got to the form of toothless liberalism we are living with today and begin to reimagine what a more muscular state apparatus could do in the face of the climate crisis.
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SHOW NOTES
Emma hosts Luke Savage, staff writer at Jacobin Magazine, to discuss his new book The Dead Center: Reflections On Liberalism And Democracy After the End Of History.
Ch. 2: Nationalizing Oil It's About Saving the World - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 4-11-22
Squeals of “socialism!” aside, we know how to do this and have done it before, repeatedly - This time it’s not just about saving our banks or fighting a war. This time, it’s about saving the world.
Luke Savage on his collection of essays about the abandoned hopes of the Obama era, the rise of Trumpism and the inability—or unwillingness—of Liberalism to offer a moral and more just vision for the world.
Matt Bruenig, returning to the podcast, is the founder of the People's Policy Project think tank. Johanna Bozuwa, Executive Director at the Climate and Community Project, has written a detailed paper on how we can actually "nationalize this."
Ch. 6: Climate Incrementalism is the New Denial w/ Kate Aronoff - Bad Faith - Air Date 5-15-21
Tired of defeatist, nihilistic conversations about climate change? Same. That's why this week, we invited climate journalist and author of Overheated: How Capitalism Broke the Planet, Kate Aronoff.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Emma hosts Luke Savage, staff writer at Jacobin Magazine, to discuss his new book The Dead Center: Reflections On Liberalism And Democracy After the End Of History.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Thoughts on doing psychology right - Nick from California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on talking about psychology done wrongly... wrongly
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 4/20/2022
Today we take a look at the bizarre halo effect that seems to surround Elon Musk and then thoroughly puncture it by just explaining a few things about him and his companies.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Myth Of The "Self-Made" Billionaire - Second Thought - Air Date 9-10-21
It’s no secret that Americans love to hear about billionaires. You’ll find them everywhere. They’re on the news [Bezos space launch], have their own TV shows, movies, and even make their way to elected office.
Ch. 2: Is Elon Musk a Fraud - Deconstructed - Air Date 5-14-20
Over the weekend, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to voice his frustrations about the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown in Alameda County, California. The billionaire entrepreneur threatened that he would take his auto factory to another state
Ch. 3: Tesla SUED Over Racial Discrimination In The Workplace - The Young Turks - Air Date 2-12-22
Elon Musk and Tesla are coming under fire as the state of California is suing the company for allegedly running a “racially segregated” workplace. Black workers are reportedly concentrated in certain parts of the factory and are constantly berated
Ch. 4: Elon Musk Is Not Your Friend - Some More News - Air Date 5-10-21
Hi. Elon Musk will not save us. Sorry.
Billionaire memelord Elon Musk has dropped yet another batcrap Libertarian rant for his adoring fans, this time regarding the bloodthirsty government and how he hates the pesky electric vehicle subsidies that he would (and already does) benefit from.
Ch. 6: Elon Trolls the SEC - What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - Air Date 4-8-22
With 9.1% ownership of Twitter—and a board seat—Elon Musk is the new master of Twitter's future. Why did the wealthiest man in the world just take over the world's most influential platform?
Ch. 7: Elon, Segregationist & Culture War in Colorado w/ Chase Woodruff - Left Reckoning - Air Date 2-23-22
The real reason Elon Musk fleed California: incredible racism and animal cruelty charges. Also, how he's giving marching orders to Texas cops.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Elon Musk Isn’t Saving Humanity w/ Manu Saadia - Tech Won't Save Us - Air Date 3-25-21
Paris Marx is joined by Manu Saadia to discuss the roots of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos’ visions for space, and why they serve the billionaires’ need for control, not the betterment of humanity.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Back on the path - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on foundational ideas that help explain politics
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 4/16/2022
Today we take a look at the coming wave of attacks on abortion and the foundational concept of privacy more broadly that are making their way to the Supreme Court for likely rubber-stamping by at least 5 of the deeply conservative current justices. Undermining the established precedent of privacy that abortion rests on can, and likely will, have ramifications far beyond reproductive rights.
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SHOW NOTES
“Abortion rights don’t fall within that framework of constitutional rights that the Supreme Court feels that it has an obligation to uphold,” says Imani Gandy, senior editor of law and policy for Rewire News Group.
Ch. 2: The GOP Is Now Coming For Birth Control - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-21-22
The more Republicans come out against the Supreme Court’s Griswold v. Connecticut ruling on contraception access, the more the public should be worried that they will lose the legal right to birth control.
Ch. 3: Fundamental Rights Doublespeak Part 1 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 4-9-22
History proves that “unenumerated” does not equal “invented” rights. Joined by David Gans, director of the Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Citizenship Program at the Constitutional Accountability Center.
Michele Goodwin speaks on about the links between current conflicts between state and federal law and their historic precedents, such as Brown v. Board of Education and the Fugitive Slave Acts.
MARK JOSEPH STERN, legal journalist from Slate, explains the latest news out of the US Supreme Court, beginning with the Senate confirmation hearings last week for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Joe Biden's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ch. 6: Fundamental Rights Doublespeak Part 2 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 4-9-22
History proves that “unenumerated” does not equal “invented” rights. Joined by David Gans, director of the Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Citizenship Program at the Constitutional Accountability Center.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
“The very party that claims to be very concerned with protecting children—that’s accusing their enemies of being literal pedophiles—wrote a bill that apparently would have allowed children to get married,” says Chris Hayes.
Ch. 8: The Latest Battles over Marriage - Past Present - Air Date 4-12-22
In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss recent developments in the politics of sex and marriage.
Ch. 9: Fundamental Rights Doublespeak Part 3 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 4-9-22
History proves that “unenumerated” does not equal “invented” rights. Joined by David Gans, director of the Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Citizenship Program at the Constitutional Accountability Center.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the upcoming milestone for the show
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 4/13/2022
Today we take a look at the mainstreaming of crypto and NFTs by celebrity endorsements, why they're terrible by nearly any metric and why they are emblematic of our broken culture.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Line Goes Up – The Problem With NFTs - Folding Ideas - Air Date 1-21-22
If someone pitches you on a "great" Web3 project, ask them if it requires buying or selling crypto to do what they say it does.
Ch. 2: NFTS and Celebrities: A Match Made in Hell? - Wisecrack - Air Date 4-4-22
How did NFTs become the new Coca-Cola? NFTs are everywhere, nowhere more so than on the lips of celebrities. But why are celebrities getting into the world of crypto? And what can the rise of celebrities endorsing NFTs tell us about our society?
Bennett and Cas are joined by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman who discuss the ideas behind their upcoming book about cryptocurrency, their issues with celebrity shilling of speculative assets, and how it really feels like corporate greed
Ch. 4: Why Scams Are Inherent To Cryptocurrency - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 3-27-22
Explaining the systemic reasons why the features of crypto are so amenable to scams
Ch. 5: Can Our Climate Survive Bitcoin? - Reveal - Air Date 3-25-22
Bitcoin’s demand for electricity is so great that it’s giving new life to the dirtiest type of power plants: ones that burn coal. In Hardin, Montana, the coal-fired power plant was on the verge of shutting down until bitcoin came to town.
Crypto specialist, Dan Olson, shares his takes on NFTs and explains pieces from his insanely popular video, "Line Goes Up – The Problem With NFTs." John Iadarola and Dan Olson break it down on The Damage Report.
Ch. 7: The Crypto Grift Descends on Ukraine - Scam Economy - Air Date 3-17-22
Matt Binder breaks down how grifting cryptocurrency founders, entrepreneurs, investors, and hustlers are trying to pump their money-making schemes for a profit and generate good PR for the crypto industry under the guise of charity for Ukraine.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on how people, myself included, get scammed
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 3-15-22 Today, I am talking with Erin (not from Philly), Deon and Erin from Philly. We discuss: - Whether or not to capitalize the B in black - What it means when the B is capitalized - How all of this relates to the rapid expansion of identity labels - Why the solution to segregation and stereotypes is more segregation - And why we think it's worth spending time talking about things like this CONNECT ON DISCORD How to Use Discord: A Beginner’s Guide Join our Discord community References: Case Sensitive - The Drift Magazine 'Whistling Vivaldi' And Beating Stereotypes - Talk of the Nation - Air Date 4-12-10 Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 4/6/2022
Today we take a look at the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, what her confirmation would mean for representation on the court and what the hearing tells us about the state of our politics.
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Check out Democracy Decoded where you get your podcasts!
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: By Any Measure, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is Qualified - David Pakman Show - Air Date 3-24-22
By any objective measure, Joe Biden's Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, is eminently qualified to be a Supreme Court Justice
Ch. 2: Anita Hill on the Supreme Court’s Future Part 1 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 3-12-22
The upcoming confirmation, and what it means for the court’s future—and for America’s future.
MARK JOSEPH STERN, legal journalist from Slate, explains the latest news out of the US Supreme Court, beginning with the Senate confirmation hearings last week for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Joe Biden's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Jessica Mason Pieklo and Imani Gandy are following the lead of Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and celebrating joy in this historic nomination.
Speaking with legal analysts Imani Gandy and Dahlia Lithwick about Republican embrace of disinformation.
Ch. 6: Anita Hill on the Supreme Court’s Future Part 2 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 3-12-22
The upcoming confirmation, and what it means for the court’s future—and for America’s future.
Ch. 7: ITT Sound Off: Saving the Supreme Court - In The Thick - Air Date 3-25-22
Elie Mystal writes in The Nation: “It was emotionally affecting to watch Jackson, a ridiculously accomplished Black woman, be forced to dance to the tune of these mediocre white senators who were trying to reduce her to a caricature.”
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Cory Booker speaks out about the hope he feels about Ketanji Brown Jackson joining the Supreme Court
Black listeners call in to talk about what it meant to see the judge up there, and react to more of Sen. Booker's words and Judge Brown Jackson's tearful reaction.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Response to Maria on puberty blockers - Sophia from Texas
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on motivated reasoning, wild guesses and edge cases
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 4/2/2022
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.
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Check out Democracy Decoded where you get your podcasts!
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Andy Greenberg - Longform - Air Date 12-11-19
Andy Greenberg is a senior writer for Wired. His new book is Sandworm. “I kind of knew I was never going to get access to Sandworm, which is the title of the book - so it was all about drawing a picture around this invisible monster.”
Ch. 2: How America’s gas got hacked - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-12-21
The largest-known ransomware attack on American energy infrastructure is driving up gas prices and creating shortages. Wired's Lily Hay Newman says Colonial Pipeline might be a turning point for cybersecurity.
Ch. 3: Is Russia at War with the West? Part 1 - The Inquiry - Air Date 11-21-18
There are currently a number of serious allegations made in the West against Russia. They include the attempted murder of the former spy Sergei Skripal on British soil; interference in the 2016 US election; the hacking of the American electricity grid.
Sanger joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the threats and realities, how the U.S. wages cyber warfare, and how prepared the U.S. is to stop attacks.
Ch. 5: Is Russia at War with the West? Part 2 - The Inquiry - Air Date 11-21-18
Russia has been practicing cyberwar in a real-life test lab — Ukraine. Andy Greenberg, author of 'Sandworm', recounts how Russia went from repeatedly shutting down Ukraine's infrastructure to unleashing worms that caused billions of dollars in damage.
Ch. 7: Is World War III Already Here? - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 1-3-22
Warfare has changed so fundamentally, that we're currently in a war we don't even recognize. It's the war that Russia, China, and other hostile foreign actors are fighting against us — weaponizing social media to undermine our faith in each other
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Last week, a hacker group called DarkSide shut down the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies 45 percent of the fuel consumed on the East Coast. Gas prices skyrocketed, people started hoarding gas, and DarkSide walked away with over $4 million in Bitcoin.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Puberty blockers experimental? - Maria in Pennsylvania
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the deception and logical fallacies at the heart of critiques of gender affirming care
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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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.
Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
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Check out Democracy Decoded!
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22
This weaponization of white womanhood and femininity has deep roots in this country’s history, and is prompting unprecedented consequences for the trans community. Nikita Shepard joins to discuss the history and what we can do about it.
Ch. 2: Andy Marra on Trans Youth Rights - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-4-22
Texas state leadership is staking a position on that, but humans everywhere are pushing back, and we talk about that with Andy Marra.
Ch. 3: The Anti-Trans Agenda (w/ Gillian Branstetter) - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 3-20-22
Matt and Sam talk to Gillian Branstetter, press secretary for the National Women’s Law Center, about the spate of anti-trans laws sweeping the country.
We speak with Chase Strangio of the ACLU about recent anti-LGBTQ legislation in Florida, Texas, and Idaho, and pending bills in other states.
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
The furor over Florida’s latest culture-war legislation has Disney, among the state’s largest employers, turning red.
Journalist Steven Monacelli joins to discuss how he actually debated Steven Crowder earlier in the day on a college campus in Texas. Why was Crowder there? Because trans people are playing sports.
Ch. 8: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 3 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22
Ch. 10: Andy Marra on Trans Youth Rights Part 2 - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-4-22
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 11: Protecting Women and Children Is a Shield for Transphobia Part 4 - At Liberty - Air Date 3-17-22
Ch. 12: The Anti-Trans Agenda (w/ Gillian Branstetter) Part 2 - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 3-20-22
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 13: Dynamics of our political parties - Craig from Ohio
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 14: Final comments on the divides within American political parties
TAKE ACTION!
Contact your Senators to pass the Equality Act via passtheequalityact.com/act
Join Lambda Legal's #DontEraseUs campaign to fight anti-LGBTQ+ curriculum (especially if you’re a student or teacher).
EDUCATE YOURSELF
Read BOTL’s activism segment on the Equality Act from last March (*2021*) for more context
Lambda Legal Transgender Rights Toolkit (Lambda Legal)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
Image Description: A white protest sign is held in the air with the words “YOU WILL NOT ERASE OUR KIDS” drawn on it. The word “NOT” is underlined and colored in red. Each letter in the word “KIDS” is colored in with red, blue, yellow, and orange, respectively. A small blue sticker in the top right corner says “I [heart sign] My Trans Child”.
Credit: “2018.10.22 We Won't Be Erased - Rally for Trans Rights, Washington, DC USA 06817” by Ted Eytan, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 License | Changes: Cropped, slightly increased brightness, contrast, and saturation
Air Date 3/24/2022
Today we take a look at the desperate state of refugees fleeing war, strife and climate disruption as well as the response of governments around the world that espouse liberal platitudes of humanitarianism while hardening their borders against those seeking refuge.
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Check out Democracy Decoded wherever you get your podcasts!
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Fortress Europe: Who gets to come in? - The Real Story - Air Date 11-9-21
The European Union is at loggerheads with Belarus over the arrival of thousands of migrants. It alleges that President Lukashenko has created a deliberate crisis by facilitating the migrants' travel into Belarus and onwards to the country's borders
Ch. 2: War in Ukraine - Humane Ukrainians & A Major Refugee Crisis - The Daily Show - Air Date 3-4-22
As Russia's war on Ukraine continues, compassionate Ukrainians come to the aid of Russian soldiers, and Trevor weighs in on the implications of how European countries are welcoming refugees.
As Afghanistan faces a dire humanitarian crisis, we look at how more Afghans may die from U.S. sanctions than at the hands of the Taliban. The U.S.'s attempts to block support for the new de facto government have prevented vital funding from flowing
It’s been more than six months since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Since the withdrawal, more than 76,000 Afghans have resettled across the U.S. We check in on resettlement efforts, the challenges facing Afghan refugees, and more
Ch. 5: Fortress Europe - Declarations: The Human Rights Podcast - Air Date 2-2-22
In this week’s episode, host Maryam Tanwir and panelist Yasmin Homer discuss the role of technology in the securitization of European borders with MEP Patrick Breyer and researcher Ainhoa Ruiz.
Ch. 6: Border walls and the climate crisis w/ Nick Buxton - This Is Hell! - Air Date 11-3-21
The Transnational Institute's Nick Buxton on the report "Global Climate Wall"
As the U.S. considers a ban on importing Russian oil as part of sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine, senior advisers to President Biden are reportedly planning to visit Saudi Arabia to secure more oil to make up the shortfall.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Border walls and the climate crisis w/ Nick Buxton Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 11-3-21
Discussing the connection between climate policy and the entities who stand to profit the most by fortifying against climate refugees
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on small-government conservatives' authoritarian tendencies
TAKE ACTION!
New way to help defeat fossil fuel allied politicians, no matter their party: Jane Fonda PAC
Help Refugees Around the World:
International Rescue Committee
Anera (Middle East focus)
House Refugees in Your Home:
Room for Refugees (US, UK, Canada)
Refugees at Home (UK only)
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
8 Ways to Solve the World's Refugee Crisis (Amnesty International)
The Great Climate Migration Has Begun (NYTimes, 2020)
Climate Change Refugees - the world's forgotten victims (World Economic Forum)
#AfricansinUkraine (Twitter hashtag)
Climate Change and Disaster Displacement (UNHCR)
Refugee Environmental Protection Fund (UNHCR)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 3/19/2022
Today we take a look at the details of the planned coup that had its culmination in the form of a violent insurrection at the US Capitol Building on January 6th, 2021 as well as the ongoing efforts to undermine and dismantle the structures of our election system.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: January 6th Planning Was WAY More Detailed Than We Thought - The Majority Report - Air Date 2-5-22
In some ways, the attack on the Capitol looked haphazard but the answer is far scarier. There was much more planning by the group involved.
National columnist Will Bunch says there is growing evidence that links Trump and his inner circle to the Capitol attack.
Michael Schmidt, Washington correspondent for the New York Times; David Wilson.
Former Pentagon adviser Ryan Goodman says former President Trump could have used the Insurrection Act to hold onto power onJanuary 6, 2021.
Rep. Pete Aguilar, member of the January 6th Committee
It took decades to build our system of non-partisan, professional election administration, but the entire system is now under persistent attack by Trump's MAGA Mob.
Michael Schmidt, Washington correspondent for the New York Times
Ch. 8: Trump Facing CRIMINAL Charges Per Trump Riot Committee - David Pakman Show - Air Date 3-3-22
The January 6 Trump riot committee has released a list of possible criminal charges committed by former President Donald Trump.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Thoughts on the Ukraine context episode - Alan from Connecticut
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on our new Discord community server and how to join
TAKE ACTION!
Become a Poll Worker or Election Official: WorkElections.org
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Expert fears partisan actors may replace election workers who quit over threats (PBS News Hour)
1 in 5 local election officials say they're likely to quit before 2024 (NPR)
Researchers warn that Christian nationalists are becoming more radical and are targeting voting (Washington Post)
One in five U.S. election workers may quit amid threats, politics (Reuters)
Local election officials are exhausted, under threat and thinking about quitting (Politico)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Black and white photo from a rally. A hand holds up a sign that says "Remember Jan. 6th, Senators. Protect Our Democracy Now".
Credit: "January 6th Vigil for Democracy" by Becker1999, Wikimedia Commons | License | Changes: Cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 3/16/2022
Today we take a look at the dynamics of mis- and disinformation as well as the history of those, primarily Russia, who are actively using it as a weapon of information warfare against the US, The West, and democracies around the world.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Are you Disinformed or Misinformed? - Harvard Data Science Review Podcast - Air Date 6-17-21
Harvard Data Science Review digs into the world of disinformation and misinformation, and the difference between them.
Ch. 2: Moving beyond news deserts and misinformation - Democracy Works - Air Date 2-14-22
Victor Pickard is the C. Edwin Baker Professor of Media Policy and Political Economy at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Democracy Without Journalism?
Ch. 3: Why "Cheap Speech" Threatens Democracy - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 3-5-22
Dahlia talks to Rick Hasen about his new book Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics–and How to Cure It.
Ch. 4: The Firehose of Falsehood Effect - The Propwatch Project - Air Date 4-4-21
Dr. Christopher Paul, senior social scientist of the Pardee RAND Graduate School, discusses his seminal work on the "Firehose of Falsehood" propaganda model.
Ch. 5: The long history of Russian disinformation targeting the U.S. - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 11-22-18
From Pizzagate to George Soros conspiracies, “fake news” has become a noxious presence in public discourse, especially since the 2016 presidential election.
Ch. 6: Post-Truth: Lee C. McIntyre - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-14-20
Authoritarians use post-truth to corrupt our faith in the truth. The end goal is not to make citizens believe lies, but to make them so cynical and uncertain, they think they can never know the truth.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Inside Estonia's approach in combating Russian disinformation - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 1-15-22
Russian disinformation is rife in countries formerly ruled from Moscow. Some ex-Soviet states have tried to suppress it altogether by banning Russian television stations and even limiting the use of the Russian language on their own domestic channels.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Seeking power from the right and left - Alex from Maryland Old
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on avoiding the nihilism strategy of the Underpants Gnomes
TAKE ACTION!
Media Literacy Now - Advocate for U.S. Media Literacy Bills at State Level (See Existing Media Literacy Bills and Laws)
Tools to Fight Disinformation:
List: Tools That Fight Disinformation Online (RAND.org)
InVID - Browser plug in to help identify and verify shared videos and images
Hamilton 2.0 Dashboard - War in Ukraine (Disinformation tracker)
Orgs Fighting Disinformation:
Content Authenticity Initiative
Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity
Alliance for Securing Democracy
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Short Docuseries: Operation InfeKtion (New York Times)
Book: “The Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spread” by Calin O’Connor and James Owen Weatherall
Video Series: Crash Course Media Literacy
Training: First Draft News - Training
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: In graphic form, the word "TRUTH" is angled and textured in red. A magnifying glass hovers over most of the letter "U" and the word "LIES" can be seen repeated in rows through the circular glass.
Credit: Original design on Pixabay / Changes: angled, text color, background color / Final by Amanda Hoffman
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Original Air Date: 2-8-22 Today, I am talking with Amanda, Erin and Deon. We discuss: - Tragic Optimism - Don't Look Up - Simulacra and Simulation - That Funny Feeling References: The Opposite of Toxic Positivity An Introduction to Baudrillard Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 3/11/2022
Today we take a look at the intertwining oil interests that underlie many of the decisions about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and how others are responding to it. It is a tangled mess that the US, Europe and other nations are currently attempting to extract themselves from but it will be a long process.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Bombas.com/Best Shop for 20% off!
SHOW NOTES
Gas prices are going up, but it's not Biden's fault. Thom exposes Trump, Saudi Arabia and Putin's connection to raise gas prices.
We speak to energy and climate investigative reporter Antonia Juhasz, author of "The Tyranny of Oil: The World's Most Powerful Industry," about growing calls for a green energy revolution amid the climate crisis and rising prices for fossil fuels.
As the horrors of Russia's war on Ukraine continue, we continue focusing on efforts to counter it. Shell Oil apologizes for getting caught secretly buying cheap Russian oil.
The MR crew discusses how increasing oil production domestically is being talked about as a solution, but no one is talking about the importance of nationalizing energy.
Ch. 6: Banning Russian oil - Today, Explained - Air Date 3-8-22
Gas prices hit a record high in the United States today. Then the White House put an embargo on Russian oil. The Atlantic's Robinson Meyer explains.
The prolific author has said that kleptocratic actions are an “existential threat facing our generation.”
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Peak Oil- It's a Crude, Crude World. - Unf*cking The Republic (UNFTR) - Air Date 2-5-22
We tie in good ol’ Milton Friedman again to discuss how trading this ubiquitous fuel went from commodity to casino.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the rising demand for clean energy action in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine
TAKE ACTION!
Find Your Local:
Mothers Out Front* (*not just for mothers) Chapters
League of Conservation Voters Affiliates
Local Politics:
Find Your State Legislators and Write and Call Them
Find out if your local legislators and candidates have taken the “No Fossil Fuel Money” Pledge
Learn how to get your local candidates/legislators to sign the “No Fossil Fuel Money” pledge
National Politics:
Find out Which Members of Congress are Taking Oil and Gas Money via Open Secrets
League of Conservation Voter Environment Scorecard
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Climate Hawks Join the Debate on Ukraine (New York Times)
Newsletter: Heat Pumps for Peace and Freedom (Bill McKibben on Substack)
Editorial: What’s better than a ban on Russian oil imports? Ending our dependence on fossil fuels (LA Times)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Close up of a white sign that says "War Sized Climate Action Now!" in black, military-style text. To the right, a silhouette of the Iwo Jima memorial shows soldiers raising a wind turbine (instead of a flag).
Credit: "CleanEnergyMarch-5-1470274" by Mark Dixon, Flickr | CC by 2.0 License | Changes: Cropped, slight increase in brightness and contrast
Original Air Date 3/10/2021
Today we take a look at the current goings-on around the world regarding our foreign policy under the new but not-so-new-feeling leadership of Joe Biden. We check in on Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and a couple of assorted arms sales to authoritarian leaders who support our foreign policy.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
MEMBERSHIP, Gift Memberships and Donations! (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content)
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Biden Administration Should Strike a Deal with Iran - World Class - Air Date 2-18-21
Abbas Milani — an expert on U.S.-Iran relations — discusses the Iranian economy, the future of Iran’s leadership, and what a potential nuclear deal could mean for the U.S.
The Biden administration is facing intense criticism from U.S. progressives after carrying out airstrikes on eastern Syria said to be targeting Iranian-backed militia groups.
Ch. 3: Biden's First Act Of War Hits 3 Countries - Empire Files - Air Date 3-3-21
Biden's Feb. 26 strike in Syria was a crime, and risks major war with three countries. Abby Martin explains.
Ch. 4: Whither the Antiwar Left - Empire Has No Clothes - Air Date 2-25-21
This week on Empire Has No Clothes, Kelley, Dan, and I discussed the war in Afghanistan and why it's lost. We also talked with journalist James Carden about the state of the antiwar left and whether Joe Biden might do some good on foreign policy.
Ch. 5: What's Next For The War In Afghanistan - NPR Fresh Air - Air Date 3-4-21
America's 19-year war in Afghanistan may soon be coming to an end. The Trump administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban, in which the U.S. agreed to withdraw all its troops by May 1. But the Afghan government was not included in those talks.
Ch. 6: Can Joe Biden Save Yemen - Empire Has No Clothes - Air Date 2-11-21
This week on Empire Has No Clothes, Kelley, Dan, and I discussed Joe Biden's announcement that he would withdraw all American support for the war in Yemen.
Joe Biden once vowed to hold Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for Jamal Khashoggi's murder. Now, it looks like he's letting him off the hook. Emma Vigeland and the Majority Report crew discuss this.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: The future of the US-Saudi relationship (ft. Sen. Chris Murphy) - Worldly - Air Date 3-4-21
Zack, Jenn, and Alex debate whether the US should continue to treat Saudi Arabia as a close partner given its atrocious human rights abuses and the declining US dependence on Middle Eastern oil.
Abby Martin covers Biden's first arms deals to major human rights abusers Chile & Egypt; another US military base in Okinawa, opposed by a majority of residents, threatens unique biodiversity; militia puts US at crossroads of a new Iraq war
Ch. 10: Can Biden remake Trump's Middle East - The Bunker - Air Date 11-25-20
From Israel to Iran, Donald Trump thought he could reset the Middle East. His fixation on the region defined the last four years of US foreign policy. But what will Biden’s presidency mean for America and the Middle East?
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Introduction to our caste system - Roy from Washington State
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on Biden attempting to talk about Afghanistan and China
BONUS CLIPS:
CNN Official interview Joe Biden on Afghanistan 'Making progress' - CNN - Air Date 11-28-10
What Biden Said About Uyghurs - CNN Presidential Town Hall
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Air Date 3/4/2022
Today we take a look at the history of Ukraine as a Soviet state, war-torn state, famished state, westernizing state, energy-exploring state, annexed state, and invaded state. We also look at the role of the west and NATO as well as Putin's history and possible motivations.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The real and imagined history of Ukraine - Today Explained - Air Date 2-25-22
Vladimir Putin says Ukraine isn’t a country. He’s wrong.
Timothy Snyder is the Bird White Housum Professor of History at Yale University, specializing in the history of central and eastern Europe.
Ch. 3: From spy to president: The rise of Vladimir Putin - Vox - Air Date 3-23-17
Putin’s intent on pushing back against the Western world order... and it appears to be working.
Ch. 4: What Russia And Putin Actually Want With Ukraine - AJ+ - Air Date 2-17-22
Troops are being deployed, harsh words have been said, and there is potential for an all-out war.
Snyder says the focus on NATO ignores the agency of leaders in Ukraine and elsewhere who have the right to seek their own arrangements.
Ch. 6: Is the West to Blame for Russia's Invasion? (no) - TLDR News - Air Date 2-27-22
Some have suggested that the West is the blame for Russia's invasion into Ukraine, we'll explain that argument and why it's fundamentally wrong.
Ch. 7: Why Russia is Invading Ukraine - RealLifeLore - Air Date 2-26-22
Explaining the oil interests in Ukraine that may be a motivating factor to Russia.
Ch. 8: America, Russia, and Ukraine's Far-Right - The Gravel Institute - Air Date 2-18-22
This video is about American funding for the Azov Battalion. It explicitly condemns Russian propaganda that Ukraine is a "neo-Nazi country."
Ch. 9: Putin's Bogus Claim To "Denazify" Ukraine - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 2-25-22
Steven Pifer, the former ambassador to Ukraine under Bill Clinton, and Jason Stanley, author of “How Fascism Works,” join Mehdi Hasan to discuss the Russian propaganda narrative.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: A Young Country With An Old History - WorldAffairs - Air Date 1-31-22
Historians Katherine Younger and Emily Channell-Justice tell Ray Suarez the story of modern Ukraine, and why embracing Western values has made Ukraine a threat to Vladimir Putin.
Ch. 11: Ukraine: Questions for the Anti-War Movement - Empire Files - Air Date 2-27-22
An analysis of Putin's anti-communist speech
Ch. 12: The Crimean War, Putin, and the War Over Reality - The Muckrake Podcast - Air Date 3-1-22
Jared Yates Sexton traces how the New World Order conspiracy theory led to this mess.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on why you should probably listen to all that again
TAKE ACTION!
Ways to Help Ukrainians, Protest War, Etc. (*Please always do your own research before giving*):
CODEPINK Global Day of Action, Sunday, March 6th: "Stop the War in Ukraine. Russian Troops Out. No to NATO expansion." (CODEPINK)
Support Ukraine's Independent Media Organizations and Journalists (Campaign endorsed by The Kyiv Independent)
Here’s How You Can Help LGBTQ+ and Black Ukrainian Refugees (Self)
25 Meaningful Ways You Can Help Ukraine (GlobalCitizen)
Linkt.ree of Resources/Ways to Help Ukrainians Curated by the nonprofit @RazomforUkraine (Razom for Ukraine)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A blue and yellow Ukrainian flag is waved in the air in front of a cloudy sky above a protest to show solidarity with Ukrainians.
Credit: Amanda Hoffman, February 2022
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Air Date 3/2/2022
Today we take a look at the not-so-slow transformation of Republicans from a Bush/McCain/Romney party to a Trump/DeSantis/Putin party complete with cultish devotion and a dependence on a near-total dismissal of truth replaced by propaganda.
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SHOW NOTES
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, professor of history at NYU and author of "Strongmen," talks about right-wing assault on democracy in the United States and familiar patterns between the Trump movement and other authoritarian movements around the world an in history.
Ch. 2: Legitimate Political Discourse - Political Gabfest - Air Date 2-10-22
The GOP embrace of Jan. 6 rioters
Explaining the seeming anomaly of Trump in the line of Republican presidential nominees
Ch. 4: Republicans in complete disarray - The Bradcast w/ Brad Friedman - Air Date 2-7-22
Trump's Republican National Committee labeled the violent, deadly Capitol Insurrection 'legitimate political discourse, and censured conservative Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger for participating in the bipartisan House Jan. 6 Select Committee.
Ch. 5: Rick Scott: The Man With The Plan? - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 2-23-22
What does the Republican Party really stand for — besides attacking liberals? One Republican senator is giving a masterclass in his plan to save America. David Jolly joins to discuss.
Ch. 6: How Vladimir Putin won Republicans' approval - Vox - Air Date 1-13-17
He's an authoritarian strongman, and he's never been more popular with GOP voters.
Alex Wagner: “The shocking thing is when these Republicans look at Russia—its repression and flouting of democratic norms and restriction of essential freedom—when they look at all that they may not see a cautionary tale, but an aspirational one.”
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: How Jan 6th Changed Extremism - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 1-5-22
Brandy Zadrozny talks about the landscape of extremism since January 6th and her new investigation that finds some militia and white supremacist groups have shifted tactics, going from protesting to putting energy into local politics and school boards.
Ch. 9: The America We Deserve - In The Thick - Air Date 2-8-22
They get into the latest on the January 6th insurrection, and the connection between voter suppression and anti-Black racism.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on sheep-dogging, coalition governments and power dynamics
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 2/26/2022
Today we take a look at the slow but important progress that's been made in the last ten years of efforts toward sensible gun control and accountability for gun manufacturers as well as the activists pushing the issue.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Path to the Sandy Hook Settlement - What Next - Air Date 2-22-22
A deft legal strategy led to the largest payout by a gun manufacturer in a mass shooting case. Guest: @NicoleHockley is co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise Foundation.
Ch. 2: Sandy Hook families achieve major victory over gun maker - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 2-16-21
Tonight's guests are Joshua Koskoff, attorney representing Sandy Hook families.
Survivors and families of the victims of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida, have launched a new online tool called the “Shock Market” to track the occurrence of U.S. gun violence.
Ch. 4: A New Kind of Gun Control Part 1 - What Next - Air Date 2-3-22
San Jose is trying to pioneer a fresh way to address gun violence. Will it survive all the lawsuits? Guest: Sam Liccardo, mayor of San Jose, California.
Gun violence in America has remained high throughout the pandemic. By some early estimates, 2020 is one of the worst years for homicides in recent times. Amna Nawaz speaks to The Trace's Champe Barton about efforts to change gun laws.
Ch. 6: A New Kind of Gun Control Part 2 - What Next - Air Date 2-3-22
Valentine’s Day is when we’re supposed to give heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and flowers to those we love. For Manuel “Manny” Oliver, Valentine’s Day is something different.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Woman Accidentally Fires Purse Gun at Basketball Game - David Pakman Show - Air Date 11-6-21
A woman "accidentally" fires her gun, which was in her purse, during a basketball game
Mayor Adams's new public safety agenda, guests Anthonine Pierre, leader of Communities United for Police Reform, Richard Aborn, president of the Citizens Crime Commission of NYC and Elise White, deputy research director at the Center for Court Innovation
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the news from the invasion of Ukraine by Russia
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A woman walks during the March on Washington for Gun Control in 2013 holding a sign that says "Sandy Hook Chooses LOVE". A red 'no' symbol is over the silhouette of a semi-automatic rifle. Next to this, are two, gray child's hand prints with a red heart between them.
Credit: "March on Washington for Gun Control 032" by Slowking4, Wikimedia Commons | Creative Commons License | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 2/22/2022
Today we take a look at the new right-wing protest tactic sweeping the world, truck convoy siege tactics in capital cities. Their causes are nonsensical, their tactics harmful but cracking down on them too harshly may boomerang on progressive protests down the road.
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SHOW NOTES
Canada’s anti-vax protest comes to a new head as truckers block off a major bridge connecting Canada and the U.S.
Timothy Snyder, author of "On Tyranny," looks at how the U.S. has become a bad actor in the global community as its antigovernment right-wing, inflamed by Fox News and social media, is triggering political and economic disruption by fringe extremists.
Ch. 3: Tucker Uses Convoy To Cosplay As Working-Class Ally - The Rational National - Air Date 2-8-22
Fox News host Tucker Carlson used the Canadian 'Freedom Convoy' to cosplay as a working-class ally.
Ch. 4: Trucker protests energize Canada’s far-right movement - The World - Air Date 2-4-22
Actions have energized a small but growing far-right movement in Canada. And similar protests have popped up in Europe, where people are trying to convene in a convoy in Brussels to protest against pandemic restrictions
Ch. 5: What the truck is happening in Canada? - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-15-22
A convoy of truckers angry over Covid-19 mandates is disrupting life in Canada’s capital city. Their movement is gaining traction in cities around the globe.
Ch. 6: Vaccine protests in Canada - World Review from the New Statesman - Air Date 2-3-22
Thousands have joined the so-called “Freedom Convoy” in Canada, which has spiraled from truckers’ frustrations over Covid-19 vaccine mandates into calls to overthrow the government.
As the Convoy occupation expanded beyond choking a single major city, the blocking of supply lines and border crossings raised more questions regarding how the government's reaction might affect political movements in the future.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: What the truck is happening in Canada? Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-15-22
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on a successful vacation and the weak allure of the internet
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date 2/16/2021
Today we take a look at the competing histories fighting for dominance in the minds of Americans; the mythologized and romanticized history as represented by the "patriotic" framing of history from the 1776 Commission report and the much more fact-based approach that doesn't skirt the issue of race from the 1619 Project.
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SHOW NOTES
Nikole Hannah-Jones, the architect behind "The 1619 Project," and Ibram X. Kendi, author of “How To Be an Antiracist,” joined Chris Hayes to examine the 400 year legacy of slavery in America.
Prof. Eddie Glaude Jr. joins Mehdi Hasan to explain why the Trump administration's 1776 Report is an attempt to stoke a culture war via historical nonsense.
Ch. 3: Eric Foner on The 1619 Project - Start Making Sense - Air Date 11-21-19
Historian Eric Foner talks about The New York Times’ “1619 Project,” which argues that the legacy of slavery is central to all of the American past and present—including the White House today.
Ch. 4: The 1776 Report - Past Present - Air Date 1-26-21
In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss ·The 1776 Report· issued by the outgoing Trump administration.
Ch. 5: The Original Sin of 1619 - In The Thick - Air Date 8-20-19
Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones led a team of black journalists, writers and poets to create The 1619 Project, a deep and thoughtful look into the 400th anniversary of the beginning of slavery in this country. But a lot of the response has been predictable
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 6: Midnight in the Garden of American Heroes - Know Your Enemy - Air Date 2-11-21
Matt and Sam explain West Coast Straussianism, the school of thought behind one of the last acts of the Trump administration: its publication of the "1776 Report," the Right's shabby response to the 1619 Project and blueprint for the American Founding
Ch. 7: Adolph Reed Critiques The 1619 Project - The Michael Brooks Show - Air Date 5-14-20
Adolph Reed talks about the 1619 project through the lens of anti-essentialism.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 8: Proper attribution for vaccines - Dr. Gay
Ch. 9: Financial health of the show? - Nick from California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on framing vaccine manufacturers properly
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date 2/5/2021
Today we take a look at the role that social media plays in the radicalization of discontented communities and engage in the debate over content moderation and de-platforming of individuals.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why everyone hates Big Tech, with The Verge's Nilay Patel - The Weeds - Air Date 7-19-19
Verge editor-in-chief and Vergecast host Nilay Patel joins Matt in this special crossover episode to explain what Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which allows platforms to circumnavigate liability for user content, really means.
Ch. 2: Let’s Break Up Facebook, Google, Amazon - Newsbroke - Air Date 1-30-21
Trump has been removed from the nation’s capital and the nation’s social media feeds. And while it was fun to watch him and other far-right accounts “getting owned” by Twitter, Facebook, Google and other platforms, it does pose an important question
Ch. 3: Solving the Facebook Problem at Home and Abroad - On The Media - Air Date 5-22-19
When former Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes penned a New York Times op-ed calling for the breakup of the platform, he was lauded by anti-corporate politicians and the press. Then came a series of hard questions
Ch. 4: Zephyr Teachout on "Break 'Em Up" - Off-Kilter - Air Date 8-4-20
Rebecca talks to Zephyr Teachout about her new book "Break 'Em Up: Recovering our Freedom from Big Tech, Big Ag, and Big Money" and why we need an antitrust movement for our time.
Sacha Baron Cohen is the well-deserved recipient of ADL’s International Leadership Award, which goes to exceptional individuals who combine professional success with a profound personal commitment to community involvement and to crossing borders
Ch. 6: Joan Donovan on how platforms enabled the capital hill riot Part 1 - Big Tech - Air Date 1-21-21
Joan Donovan studies social movements and their use of media and technology to spread their message.
Recode’s Peter Kafka speaks with New York Times’s Tech columnist Kevin Roose about big tech’s power and responsibility - and whether it is going to have accountability.
Former Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos joins Mehdi Hasan to explain how Facebook is tackling radicalization on its platform, and where the company is still falling short.
Ch. 9: Joan Donovan on how platforms enabled the capital hill riot Part 2 - Big Tech - Air Date 1-21-21
Joan Donovan studies social movements and their use of media and technology to spread their message.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 10: Your Nation's Attention for the Price of a Used Car - Your Undivided Attention - Air Date 10-6-20
Today’s extremists don’t need highly produced videos like ISIS. They don’t need deep pockets like Russia. With the right message, a fringe organization can reach the majority of a nation’s Facebook users for the price of a used car.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on Social Media Externalities
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 2/12/2022
Today we take a look at the recent uptick in banning and removing educational subjects and books from school curricula as well as specifically who is being harmed and who is being privileged by these decisions.
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SHOW NOTES
Despite claiming that the left wants to stifle "free speech," Republicans are increasingly banning books, including from school libraries
Ch. 2: Is Big Money Behind Book Banning Frenzy? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 2-8-22
What's behind the right-wing book-ban frenzy? Is it big money with a long-term plan? We do know it's not a "grassroots" or spontaneous.
Ch. 3: The Movement to Erase Black History and Culture Part 1 - At Liberty - Air Date 2-3-22
We believe that the first amendment is fundamental because it should stop this kind of erasure in its tracks. That’s why we’re meeting this surge of censorship with new litigation and fierce advocacy. Joined by Emerson Sykes, Senior Staff Attorney w/ ACLU
Education has always mattered to Black people. Our enslaved ancestors risked their lives to learn what white oppressors withheld. Because those oppressors understood the important role knowledge of ones history and oneself plays in Black liberation.
Ch. 5: The Movement to Erase Black History and Culture Part 2 - At Liberty - Air Date 2-3-22
Ch. 7: Bans & Schools Book Panics - Now & Then - Air Date 2-8-22
Book bans are back. What’s causing this resurgence? What have similar acts of censorship meant throughout American history? And how should concerned citizens respond?
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Bans & Schools Book Panics Part 2 - Now & Then - Air Date 2-8-22
Ch. 9: The Movement to Erase Black History and Culture Part 3 - At Liberty - Air Date 2-3-22
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: A message to Nick and Quai on anger and what to do with it - Alyson from Boulder, CO
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on perhaps only thinking I have let go of my anger
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of the graphic novel book “Maus I” laying on top of the graphic novel book “Maus II”. The covers show anthropomorphized mice under a white circle with a black swastika and a graphic depiction of a Hitler-ized mouse with whiskers in its center.
Credit: “Maus I and II” by Bill Smith, Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/byzantiumbooks/51845556207/in/photolist-2n2epPd-2mZq2A8-2n1Mj1g-XYhG-2TmUhq-55feBS-avJJH3-Tjp4gY-SBWLR9-SBWLHd-TExp9E-8WwJM
| License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ | Changes: cropped and tilted left
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Air Date 2/9/2022
Today we take a look at the simmering geopolitical crisis in Ukraine as Russia amasses military forces along the border. In particular, we hear from those who do not predict the imminent outbreak of war and analyze the various motives at play.
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SHOW NOTES
In which John discusses the crisis in Ukraine, and how the influence of Russia and Europe have shaped Ukrainian politics for centuries. REMINDER: Educational videos are allowed to be more than four minutes long.
On the Ukraine crisis, there was a sharp juxtaposition Friday as the Pentagon warned that Russian troops could invade at any time, while Ukraine’s president accused the West of sowing panic.
To speak about the key role NATO is playing in the Ukraine crisis, we speak with Ludo De Brabander, spokesperson of the peace organization Vrede vzw in Belgium, where NATO is headquartered.
Ch. 4: Sanctions Sanctions Everywhere w/ Yar Batmanghelidj - American Prestige - Air Date 2-4-22
Danny and Derek speak about the attempted coup in Guinea-Bissau, North Korea's missile test, Ukraine, the U.S. operation that killed an Isis leader in Syria, and recent reports about Iran's nuclear breakout capability.
Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin continuing to deny accusations of a planned invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration ordered the deployment of 3,000 additional troops to Eastern Europe on Wednesday to supposedly protect Ukraine.
Ch. 6: Ukraine w/ Volodymyr Ishchenko - The Dig - Air Date 1-28-22
An in-depth interview on the historical and political-economic context of the Ukraine crisis with Ukrainian sociologist Volodymyr Ishchenko.
The United States and Russia sparred on Monday over the crisis in Ukraine at the United Nations Security Council. Meanwhile, U.S. senators are preparing to unveil a bill that would target Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian banks and other entities
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Explaining the US-Russia Saber-Rattling - Jacobin Radio w/ Suzi Weissman - Air Date 2-1-22
Hillel Ticktin also joins to continue the discussion about the escalating tensions on the Russian/Ukrainian border. Ticktin argues that the long downturn and economic stagnation are the backdrop to understanding both Russia and the US in this crisis.
Ch. 9: Putin's Terrorism and What to Do About It - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 2-1-22
We dig deep into this complex conflict, examining the humanitarian toll it takes on Ukraine, Putin’s ambitions for other regions of the world and the American exploitation of the conflict for partisan purposes.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Value of curation regarding the recent Israel/Palestine episode - Craig from Ohio
Ch. 11: Maybe Neil Postman is actually the devil - Nick from California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on Russia plans besides war and their new agreement with China
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date: 1-13-22 Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss: - Don't trust engineers - We were all assholes - Is Deon parenting wrongly? - It only takes two hours of talking - Words Matter: Nouning people into groups
References: Words Matter by Sally McConnell-Ginet
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Air Date 2/4/2022
Today we take a look at several vignettes of recent victories against conservative governments implementing exploitative, neoliberal policies that inspired the people to fight back. We will hear from the recent elections in Chile and Honduras, the massive farmer protests in India and the protest movement against deregulation or petroleum prices in Kazakhstan. Activists, take note.
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SHOW NOTES
Socialist Gabriel Boric takes the majority of the vote in Chile, changing the politics of the country. Socialism won over fascism. Now we wonder what will the imperialist countries do about a socialist country in South America?
Ch. 2: Two Interviews on Chile - Behind the News - Air Date 12-28-21
Doug speaks with Antonia Mardones Marshall on the recent presidential election and its winner, Gabriel Boric. Plus: Antonia Atria, in an interview from October 2020, on that country's constitutional referendum.
“It’s brought hope to the entire country,” says Faridd Sierra. Years of corruption and conservative law-making “showed the Honduras people just how cruel the [National] Party was and … they voted in response,” adds Suyapa Portillo.
Ch. 4: India's huge farmer protests, explained - Vox - Air Date 12-30-20
Thousands of India’s farmers have set up camp in Delhi.
I'm joined by Navyug Gill from William Paterson University to talk about the historic victory of the Indian Farmers who, after demonstrating for a whole year at the cost of 750 lives, succeeded in forcing the repeal of three farming reform laws.
Ch. 6: Kazakhstan's Oyan protest movement w/ Paolo Sorbello - This is Hell! - Air Date 1-20-22
Journalist Paolo Sorbello on his article "‘Our activism won't stop': The Oyan movement recounts the January protests in Kazakhstan" for Global Voices, and in a Moment of Truth, Jeff Dorchen tangles with all-pervasive networks.
Ch. 7: Has Socialism Broken The Chains of Neoliberalism? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-21-21
In these days of dark news from the rise of militarism to a new wave of Covid, there are green shoots: neoliberalism is finally being replaced by social democracy around the world & in America.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Humanize but don't fall asleep at the wheel - Zelda from Minnesota
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on getting focused on effective politics
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Three elderly Indian men with white beards, wearing turbans (pagri) and a jacket, vest, and sweater (respectively), sit on wall. Each man has one fist raised in the air. The man in the middle holds a long bamboo staff with his other hand.
Credit: "Three protestors at the 2020-2021 Indian Farmers' Protest" by Ravan Khosa, Wikimedia Commons | License | Changes: Cropped to square
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Air Date 1/31/2022
Today we take a look at the new buzz around the "metaverse" and why it is not only fairly dystopian in and of itself but also seems to require that the real world be a dystopia in order for the concept to fully succeed.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Neil Postman Technopoly - C-Span Book TV - Air Date 7-10-92
Neil Postman, author of Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology published by Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, spoke on the theme of his book which noted the dependence of Americans on technological advances for their own security.
Ch. 2: Enter the metaverse! - Today in Focus - Air Date 11-3-21
Mark Zuckerberg changed Facebook’s name to Meta last week – and launched a vision for his company that he claims will transform the way we interact with the internet and each other. So what exactly is the metaverse?
Ch. 3: Prof. Wolff: New Metaverse, Same Old Capitalist BS - The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow - Air Date 12-3-21
Ch. 4: Why the Metaverse Must Be Stopped w/ Brian Merchant Part 1 - Tech Won't Save Us - Air Date 11-4-21
Brian Merchant discusses Mark Zuckerberg’s big plans for the metaverse, everything that’s wrong with it, the concept’s scifi origins, and why Silicon Valley is desperate to make it happen.
Ch. 5: Why Metaverse Real Estate Is Selling For Millions - Cheddar Explains - Air Date 10-29-21
How much real money would you pay for a virtual plot of land? Developing technology is introducing everyone in the real world to new, virtual worlds, like Decentraland.
Ch. 6: Why Chris Hayes thinks we're all famous now - Vox Conversations - Air Date 11-15-21
They discuss his recent essay in the New Yorker about fame and the internet, why we seek attention from strangers online, and how some German philosophers might offer guidance for our predicament.
Ch. 7: Why the Metaverse Must Be Stopped w/ Brian Merchant Part 2 - Tech Won't Save Us - Air Date 11-4-21
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Ch. 8: Why You Should Be Worried About Facebook's Metaverse - Vice News - Air 12-7-21
On December 6, Facebook was sued for its role in facilitating the genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. The Facebook Papers revealed how the company chased profits - often at the expense of safety.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: I don't want to tier people but I think I do - Nick From California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the humanizing impact of examining people structurally
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date 1/26/2021
Today we take a look at our long history of ignoring domestic, right-wing terrorism from the Oklahoma City bombing through to the predictable actions of militia groups in 2020 and beyond.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Tracing the roots of the America's biggest domestic terror attack - PBS News Hour - Air Date 2-17-20
The 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing was the largest act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. A new documentary on the PBS series American Experience takes a fresh look at the events and motivations that led to the attack by Timothy McVeigh
Ch. 2: The Dangers of White Supremacy - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 10-2-20
Sam talks with Kathleen Belew, assistant professor of history at the University of Chicago, about what we get wrong when we talk about the white power movement.
While working as a senior analyst in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2009, Daryl Johnson authored a report warning about the increasing dangers of violent right-wing extremism in the United States, sparking a political firestorm in the process
Ch. 4: How the Oklahoma City Bombing Changed the U.S. - AJ+ - Air Date 2-26-19
In the almost 25 years since explosives killed 168 adults and children, what has the United States learned from the Oklahoma City bombing? And what can it tell us about the future of far-right extremism in the U.S.?
Ch. 5: Most Violence is Right Wing. Period. Stop Lying - David Pakman Show - Air Date 8-22-19
Most violence is right wing, and it's important not to be distracted from that undeniable reality.
The government must wake up to the threat of domestic terrorism before it's too late, says former Homeland Security counterterrorism analyst Daryl Johnson.
Ch. 7: What’s Fueling Far-Right Hate in America? - AJ+ - Air Date 2-19-19
The number of far-right extremist groups prone to violence is increasing in the U.S. It's a threat the government was warned about a decade ago. But what's fueling the rise of hate, and what's the nation doing to combat it?
Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson discusses what the Biden administration's national security team will have to undertake.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
To talk about the rise of white supremacist violence and the Trump administration’s response, we speak to Daryl Johnson, a former senior analyst in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
No one listened when the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI sounded the alarm about the rise of white supremacist and far-right domestic terrorism, says former DHS intelligence analyst Daryl Johnson and Greg Huffman of Facing South.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: We made it! (But not all of us) - Nick from California
Ch. 12: The cause and result of moral panic - Paul from Vermont
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on moral panic and the shifting eras of white supremacist violence
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Composite design by Amanda Hoffman. Original images: "Proud Boy - Jan 6th" Elvert Barnes on Flickr, License | "Before the Siege" by Elvert Barnes on Flickr, License | "Tree of Life building at sunset" by David Fulmer on Flickr, Lincese | "Charleston Church" (Mother Emmanuel) by Zack Carlson on Flickr, Public Domain | "20th Anniversary - Oklahoma City Bombing" by US Army Corps of Engineers - Tulsa, License
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Original Air Date 1/10/2021
Today, in our 15th-anniversary episode, we take a look at the years and years of warning signs we have been highlighting since 2006 that collectively predict the armed insurrection against the government as the natural endpoint for a radicalized, conspiratorial, White/Christian-supremacist, permanently-minoritarian political movement that has lost its ability to win power by legitimate means.
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: American Fascists, Chris Hedges - Ring of Fire - Air Date 2-12-07
Chris Hedges explains the decades-old prediction of the rise of Christian fascism
Ch. 2: Ginsberg and O'Connor death threats - Rachel Maddow - Air Date 2006
Ginsberg and O'Connor deal with detailed death threats as part of the effort to take over the judiciary
Ch. 3: O'Connor Decries Republican Attacks on Courts - NPR Morning Edition - Air Date: 3-10-2006
Sandra Day O'Connor warns of creeping dictatorial tendencies referencing efforts to control the courts
Ch. 4: Avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings - The Young Turks - Air Date 3-22-2006
Cenk Uygur highlights the need to prevent dictatorship by avoiding the first steps that can lead to it
Ch. 5: Tim Wise on How Donald Trump Legitimizes Racist Ideas - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date 01-07-16
Tim Wise explains what drives Trump supporters and the burgeoning Trumpism movement
Sasha Abramsky speaks with Trump supporters, many of whom ask him his ethnicity before being willing to speak with him
Ch. 7: Thirty Black People Booted From Trump Rally - @theyoungturks - Air Date 03-02-16
Secret Service agent choke-slams a journalist at a Trump rally. What will Trump do if he actually wins?
Ch. 8: CNN's morally bankrupt hiring of former Trump campaign staffer - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 7-1-16
CNN profits from the Trump campaign to the detriment of the country
Ch. 9: Trump Victory Inspires Acts Of Hate Against Minorities - @RingOfFireRadio - Air Date 11-11-16
Post-election rash of hate-crimes spike after Trump victory.
Ch. 10: You Will Not Believe This Insane Antisemitic Email - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date 11-14-16
David Pakman shares an email he recieved and vandilism he witnessed in the wake of Trump's victory
Ch. 11: A White Nationalist Will Be Advising Trump's Administration - @RingOfFireRadio - Air Date 11-14-16
Steve Bannon tapped to join the Trump administration
Ch. 12: How to fight our enemies, the blacks and jews - A real-life White supremacist podcast - Air Date 11-10-16
Clips from an unabashedly White-nationalist podcast in the wake of Trump's election win
Ch. 13: It can't happen here - Ideas from the CBC - Air Date 1-17-17
A look at the long history of racial grivance that fuels fascist tendencies in the US
Trump issues an executive order effectively banning Muslims from several countries
Trump's treatment of the media is precisely in line with the strategies of dictators around the world
Trump doubles down when criticized for his comments in the wake of the Charlottesville White supremacists rally
Ch. 17: Donald Trump Puts Our Democracy and Our Lives in Serious Danger - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 01-13-18
Not a single president has met more than one of the four qualities identified by political scientists as warning signs of an authoritarian or fascist leader. Trump meets them all. Is this how our Democracy dies?
Scott Crow explains why the rise of progressive-left movements are always countered by a rise in right-wing conspiracy theories and why fascism downright requires conspiracies to survive.
Donald Trump is "stoking and inciting - for the purposes of political power - the worst amongst us to take action in his name," says Steve Schmidt.
Ch. 20: Violent Extremism in the U.S. - NowThis World - Air Date 11-4-18
White supremacist and other right-wing violence are currently the deadliest active domestic extremist movements in the U.S., according to data from several civil rights groups that track hate crimes and extremist violence.
Ch. 21: Corruption of Department of Justice Sets Off Alarm Bells - Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 2-12-20
Rachel discusses the crisis in the justice department and the authoritarian actions of Trump.
President Trump claims without evidence that anti-fascists are inciting riots at protests against police brutality, but has downplayed groups like the “boogaloo” movement, which are using the protests as cover to carry out violence, even murder.
Ch. 23: Marjorie Cohn on Portland Secret Police - CounterSpin - Air Date 7-24-20
While we wait to see if corporate media can decide which optic is an optic too far, we talk about the legal, constitutional elements of the fight for our right to protest, including against the forces that are sent to police the protesting. Marjorie Kohn.
Ch. 24: Trump Caravans and the Threat of Sectarian Violence - The Muckrake Podcast - Air Date 9-1-20
Right Wing vigilantism turns to roving bands of MAGA supporters driving into cities and doling out violence.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 25: Final comments to wrap up this anniversary episode
Air Date 1/15/2022
Today we take a look at tradeoffs that are becoming ever more evident between the advancement of mass communication and social media technologies and the ways in which those advancements contribute to the degradation of social cohesion.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Re-musing Ourselves - On the Media - Air Date 3-3-06
The late media critic Neil Postman argued in his seminal book "Amusing Ourselves to Death," that as TV prevailed over the printed word, it impaired our ability to make sense of a world of information. Jay Rosen writes the blog, PressThink.
Ch. 2: Neil Postman Technopoly - C-Span Book TV - Air Date 7-10-92
Neil Postman, author of Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology published by Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, spoke on the theme of his book which noted the dependence of Americans on technological advances for their own security.
Ch. 3: Prescient Predictions 1984; Brave New World; and Network Part 1 - Future Tense - Air Date 7-7-19
The dystopian best-seller 1984 was published exactly seventy years ago. Its influence has been profound. But does it really speak to today’s politico-cultural environment? Scott Stephens believes Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is a closer match.
Ch. 4: The Trouble With Reality - On The Media - Air Date 5-17-17
This is a conversation between Brooke Gladstone, author of "The Trouble with Reality: A Rumination on Moral Panic in Our Time," and WNYC morning show host Brian Lehrer.
Ch. 5: Prescient Predictions 1984; Brave New World; and Network Part 2 - Future Tense - Air Date 7-7-19
Ch. 6: Neil Postman on Cyberspace - The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour - Air Date 7-25-95
Charlene Hunter-Gault interviews media theorist and cultural critic Neil Postman on PBS' The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour in 1995. Postman discusses new media and the "Faustian bargain" of technological change in the context of the "Information Superhighway."
Ch. 7: Alexa, What's Amazon Doing Inside My Home? - Land of the Giants - Air Date 7-30-19
What’s the downside to letting Alexa run your entire home? And why is Amazon making a microwave oven powered by Alexa?
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on Faustian Bargains
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 12-21-21
Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss:
- Empathy and the In-Group/Out-Group dichotomy
- Santa's new side hustles
- Races vs Racialized Groups
- Representation: Who is allowed to do what to, or take what from, whom?
References:
YouTube burnout is real. Creators are struggling to cope
Words Matter: Meaning and Power bySally McConnell-Ginet
NFB pulls Michelle Latimer's documentary Inconvenient Indian from Sundance festival
The Jews Are Tired: The Royal Court, Rare Earth Mettle, and Why Enough is Enough
No, Jewish characters do not need to be played by Jewish actors
Pok Pok Changed Portland. But Its Era Was Over Before the Pandemic Toppled the Thai Food Empire.
How To Negotiate Away From Cultural Appropriation With A Powerful Apology
Lionel Shriver's full speech: 'I hope the concept of cultural appropriation is a passing fad'
Writing the Other writing class
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 1/9/2022
Today we take a look at a few of the recent failures and challenges facing the Democratic Party in the face of an oncoming wave of anti-democratic forces bent on establishing an entrenched, minority-rule government through aggressive gerrymandering and voter suppression.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why Is The GOP So Anti-Science Part 1 - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 10-14-21
Science historian Naomi Oreskes joins Mehdi to examine the Republican party’s anti-science trend.
Noam Chomsky, the world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author, just turned 93 years old. Chomsky spoke to Democracy Now! prior to the discovery of the Omicron coronavirus variant, but he predicted new variants would emerge.
Ch. 3: Why Is The GOP So Anti-Science Part 2 - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 10-14-21
Ch. 4: Alpha Male Anti Vaxxers Part 1 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 1-1-22
Brad and Dan kick off this New Year's Day roundup with a look at the false binary anti-vaxxers use to criticize the COVID vaccine and put forth a bad argument as to why they shouldn't get it.
Ch. 5: Bill Gates and monopoly medicine Alexander Zaitchik Part 1 - This is Hell! - Air Date 4-15-21
Journalist Alexander Zaitchik on his article "How Bill Gates Impeded Global Access to Covid Vaccines" for The New Republic, and in a Moment of Truth Jeff Dorchen foils another dictatorship before it can start.
Ch. 6: Alpha Male Anti Vaxxers Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 1-1-22
Ch. 7: Bill Gates and monopoly medicine Alexander Zaitchik Part 2 - This is Hell! - Air Date 4-15-21
Dr. Robert Malone appears on the Joe Rogan Podcast and uses the term "mass formation psychosis," which instantly becomes the meme of the month for the American right-wing.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Viral Lies - Reveal - Air Date 1-1-22
Reporter and guest host Ike Sriskandarajah looks into one reason people aren’t getting the COVID-19 vaccine: conspiracy theories. The World Health Organization calls it “an infodemic,” where dangerous medical misinformation sows chaos and mistrust.
As COVID cases skyrocket, we speak to Dr. Peter Hotez at Texas Children’s Hospital about the Omicron surge, as well as his groundbreaking work developing an affordable patent-free coronavirus vaccine.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Distinctions without ascribing meaning - Abdul from Charleston, NC
Ch. 12: Continuing to value people with opinions that have no value - Quai from North Carolina
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on the difference between goals and tactics to explain why libertarians are so often wrong
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 1/5/2022
Today we take a look at a few of the recent failures and challenges facing the Democratic Party in the face of an oncoming wave of anti-democratic forces bent on establishing an entrenched, minority-rule government through aggressive gerrymandering and voter suppression.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Julie Hollar on Moving Democrats to the Right - CounterSpin - Air Date 11-13-20
Blaming the left has been the practice of elite Democrats and their media abettors for decades.
President Biden’s signature $1.75 trillion Build Back Better package appears to be dead after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced on Fox News this Sunday he would not support the plan to expand the social safety net
Ch. 3: Nancy Pelosi DEFENDS Stock Trading In Congress - The Young Turks - Air Date 12-6-21
Congress has been noticeably inconsistent when it comes to enforcing the STOCK Act, a law that is supposed to stop insider trading and conflicts of interest for Congress members and high-ranking staffers.
Ch. 4: Remembering the legacy of Sen. Harry Reid - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 12-28-21
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has died at the age of 82. Faiz Shakir, a senior adviser to Sen. Reid joins Chris Hayes to discuss his legacy.
Political lines are changing, as states across the country redraw their congressional maps — a process with huge implications for the balance of power in Washington, especially heading into 2022 elections. Lisa Desjardins explores.
Ch. 6: What Can Biden Do For Voting Rights - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 7-14-21
Ari Berman recaps President Biden's major speech on voting rights which comes at the same time as some GOP-controlled legislatures have pushed ahead new state laws restricting ballot access.
Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock talks with Rachel Maddow about the need for Democrats to take it upon themselves to prevent the continued dismantling of democracy in the United States before there is too much damage to repair.
Ch. 8: Activism: Demand Democrats Pass Voting Rights and Election Protection Legislation
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Remembering the legacy of Sen. Harry Reid Part 2 - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 12-28-21
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Thanks for making me coherent - Nick from California New
Ch. 11: To essentialize or not - Scott from Canada
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on why essentializing race or sexual attraction is not good or even correct
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital/51396502460/in/photolist-2kEB8fi-fTRP7-2miJvy9 | License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode | Changes: Cropped, increased brightness and increased contrast
Original Air Date 3/6/2021
Today we take a look at the origins of race and the building of a caste system in the US based largely on the lessons from Isabel Wilkerson, author of "Caste: The Origins of our Discontent"
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: John Biewen: The lie that invented racism - TED - Air Date 11-1-20
To understand and eradicate racist thinking, start at the beginning. That's what journalist and documentarian John Biewen did, leading to a trove of surprising and thought-provoking information on the "origins" of race.
Ch. 2: Made in America (Seeing White, Part 3) - Scene on Radio - Air Date 3-16-17
Chattel slavery in the US, with its distinctive · and strikingly cruel · laws and structures, took shape over many decades in colonial America. The innovations that built American slavery are inseparable from the construction of Whiteness as we know it.
Ch. 3: The Invention of Race - Throughline - Air Date 11-19-20
During a time when race-based science and the eugenics movement were becoming mainstream, anthropologist Franz Boas actively sought to prove that race was a social construct, not a biological fact.
Ch. 4: Caste in America with Isabel Wilkerson - Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes - Air Date 8-11-20
Does the United States have a caste system? In her research on the Jim Crow South, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist/author Isabel Wilkerson found that the word ·racism· fell far short in capturing the depth and totality of oppression people existed under
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson says racism is an insufficient term for the systemic oppression of Black people in America. Instead, she prefers to refer to America as having a "caste" system.
This brief video presents three of Theodore W. Allen’s theses related to the invention of the “white race” and his important analysis of the white supremacy’s role in beating back struggles from below in three great crises in U.S. history.
A new way of thinking about race and class with Isabel Wilkerson.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: The Invention of Race Part 2 - Throughline - Air Date 11-19-20
During a time when race-based science and the eugenics movement were becoming mainstream, anthropologist Franz Boas actively sought to prove that race was a social construct, not a biological fact.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson says racism is an insufficient term for the systemic oppression of Black people in America. Instead, she prefers to refer to America as having a "caste" system.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Thoughts on the bonus material - Kim from Montana
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Black chalkboard background with the word "CASTE" written in white
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date 12/15/2020
Today we take a look at the current state of hyper-partisanship and its origins. The system seems broken because it is broken and it was never designed to work this way in the first place. And what about that bygone era of bipartisanship? It's likely that was a fluke and the result of one-party dominance in the New Deal era, it is not the norm throughout history.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Changes in American Political Parties Part 1 - Professor Buzzkill History Podcast - Air Date 7-2-20
We explain why the Democratic and Republican political parties have the same names, but totally different attitudes and policies over the decades.
Ch. 2: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational Part 1 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 12-3-20
This is a conversation about that question, about how the system we have incentivizes a politics of confrontation we don’t seem to want and makes steady, stable governance a thing of the past. Princeton political scientist Frances Lee.
Ch. 3: Trump, Evangelicals, Fascism, Torture, Propaganda Q + A Part 1 - FrameLab Podcast - Air Date 3-17-18
Dr. Lakoff and Gil Duran answer listener questions. Topics include: Trump Evangelicals; Conservatism's #1 Rule; Fascism; Capitalism vs. Socialism; the American Idea; Biconceptualism; How the Government Frames Issues Like Torture, and more.
Ch. 4: Changes in American Political Parties Part 2 - Professor Buzzkill History Podcast - Air Date 7-2-20
We explain why the Democratic and Republican political parties have the same names, but totally different attitudes and policies over the decades.
Ch. 5: Trump, Evangelicals, Fascism, Torture, Propaganda Q + A Part 2 - FrameLab Podcast - Air Date 3-17-18
Dr. Lakoff and Gil Duran answer listener questions. Topics include: Trump Evangelicals; Conservatism's #1 Rule; Fascism; Capitalism vs. Socialism; the American Idea; Biconceptualism; How the Government Frames Issues Like Torture, and more.
Ch. 6: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational Part 2 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 12-3-20
This is a conversation about that question, about how the system we have incentivizes a politics of confrontation we don’t seem to want and makes steady, stable governance a thing of the past. Princeton political scientist Frances Lee.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational Part 3 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 12-3-20
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Sharing in misery - Zeke from Steamboat Springs, CO
Ch. 11: Another Dave from Olympia shares the wealth - Eric from Portland
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on where your money to the show goes
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date 1/5/2021
Today we take a look at the often-overlooked decade of Reconstruction in the wake of the Civil War. After hundreds of years of slavery, Reconstruction was a brief moment of relative democracy and equality before the white power structure reasserted itself and instated the policies that would be known as "Jim Crow Laws" which would last another 80 years.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Second Revolution Part 1 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 2-19-20
After the Civil War, a surprising coalition tried to remake the United States into a real multiracial democracy for the first time. Reconstruction, as the effort was called, brought dramatic change to America. For a while.
Sam hosts Pulitzer Prize-winning Yale Historian David Blight to discuss his recent biography of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, and how the Reconstruction era lives on in our contemporary politics.
Ch. 3: The Second Revolution Part 2 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 2-19-20
After the Civil War, a surprising coalition tried to remake the United States into a real multiracial democracy for the first time. Reconstruction, as the effort was called, brought dramatic change to America. For a while.
Ch. 4: Slavery, Race, and the Confederate Army - Professor Buzzkill History Podcast - Air Date 8-14-18
Professor Colin Woodward joins us to discuss the importance of slavery in the minds of Confederate soldiers, as well as its effects on military policy and decision making. He tells us about the Rebels’ persistent belief in the need to defend slavery
Ch. 5: The Second Revolution Part 3 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 2-19-20
After the Civil War, a surprising coalition tried to remake the United States into a real multiracial democracy for the first time. Reconstruction, as the effort was called, brought dramatic change to America. For a while.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 6: The Second Revolution Part 4 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 2-19-20
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 7: Experiment with Refer-o-Matic - Nick From California New
Ch. 8: Power and defining the marginalized - Pat from Chicago
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the epic Refer-o-Matic program and why we should be messaging to rural America
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
"Statue of 'Robert Smalls, U.S. Congressman' -- The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) Washington (DC) October 2016" by Ron Cogswell, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 12/22/2021
Today we take a look at some of the history of labor struggles in America and the current wave of strikes that is giving renewed energy to the labor union movement and the struggle for better working conditions for all.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Lessons from the Luddites - On the Media - Air Date 12-10-21
Gavin Mueller [@gavinmuellerphd], assistant professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, on what modern lessons can be learned from the Luddite workers of 19th century England.
Ch. 2: Victory at Starbucks, Struggle at Kellogg's Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 12-13-21
Suzi talks with John Logan about the unionization victory at Starbucks in Buffalo, and the continuing Kellogg Co. strike.
Ch. 3: Strike Wave Workers Flex Their Muscle in Tight Labor Market Part 1 - Intercepted - Air Date 11-10-21
We hear from Kaiser Permanente workers, and then Labor Notes’ Jonah Furman joins The Intercept’s Washington Editor Nausicaa Renner to discuss this year’s strike wave.
The episode includes a blow-by-blow analysis of a recent interview with the CEO of Kellogg's to translate Wall Street speak for “how to fuck workers and influence inflation.”
Ch. 5: Victory at Starbucks, Struggle at Kellogg's Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 12-13-21
Suzi talks with John Logan about the unionization victory at Starbucks in Buffalo, and the continuing Kellogg Co. strike.
Ch. 6: Class Struggles in the US Today - Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 12-2-21
The "labor shortage" isn't, "Build Back Better" does not begin to approach what Europe already has.
Ch. 7: Can Child Labor Solve Labor Shortage The GOP Thinks So... - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-2-21
Republican-controlled legislatures in several states have come up with a novel way to stem the effects of an ongoing labor shortage: loosen child labor laws governing the number of hours and times that teenagers are allowed to work.
Ch. 8: Strike Wave Workers Flex Their Muscle in Tight Labor Market Part 2 - Intercepted - Air Date 11-10-21
We hear from Kaiser Permanente workers, and then Labor Notes’ Jonah Furman joins The Intercept’s Washington Editor Nausicaa Renner to discuss this year’s strike wave.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Lessons from the Luddites Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 12-10-21
Gavin Mueller [@gavinmuellerphd], assistant professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, on what modern lessons can be learned from the Luddite workers of 19th century England.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Fear that Democrats will lose the House - Alan from Connecticut
Ch. 12: Thoughts on multiple tiers of humans - Nick From California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on how progressive thinking embraces equality while conservative thinking often requires division
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Original Air Date: 12-7-21
Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss:
- Old and new usages of "White"
- A little-known version of class mobility in Spanish colonial America
- The Great Resignation
References:
Loving Your Job Is a Capitalist Trap - The Atlantic
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Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 12/18/2021
Today we take a look at the roadmap to authoritarianism we are currently following including the detailed and multifaceted roadmap to a coup that was practiced leading up to January 6, 2021 and is being refined in preparation for the 2024 election.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: How To Dismantle A Democracy - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 8-3-21
If you’re curious about why Tucker Carlson is doing his show from Budapest, Hungary all week, so is Mehdi. Especially given that country’s recent history of doing away with democracy and rise of autocracy.
Ch. 2: Will There Be Accountability for Treason On Jan 6th? - The Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-14-21
The January 6th Conspiracy is clearer to everyone even Congress. Trump initiated a coup attempt, Donald Trump and many others committed treason.
The U.S. House voted to recommend the Department of Justice charge former President Trump's former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows with criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack.
Ch. 4: American Democracy Is Under Attack - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 12-10-21
President Biden hosted a WH summit on protecting democracies against rising autocracies when the U.S. is itself on the list of ‘backsliding democracies.’ Jason Stanley joins Mehdi to talk about it.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a professor of history and Italian studies at New York University and an expert on fascism and authoritarianism.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
A new "smoking gun" document spells out the road map for the broad criminal conspiracy launched by Donald Trump and his minions to steal the 2020 election from the American people.
Today’s youth are overwhelmingly left-wing. So who are the young conservatives? On Episode 40 of The Politics of Everything, hosts Laura Marsh and Alex Pareene talk to Sam Adler-Bell, a writer and the host of the podcast Know Your Enemy.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 8: Conservatives are self-appointed arbiters of human nature - Abdul from South Carolina
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the nature of social audio vs other internet communication
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 12/15/2021
Today we take a look at the cracks and fissures appearing ever more quickly in the neoliberal order that was already widely criticized before the pandemic stripped it bare, exposing all of the inherent inequality and inhumanity baked right into the system.
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SHOW NOTES
Where we examine most popular cliches, jargon, etc that economists, economic reports, and pundits use to sanitize, obscure and provide a little science-ism to what is little more than power-flattering cruel, racist, austerity ideology.
Sam and Emma host Jonathan Levy, professor of History at the University of Chicago, to discuss his recent book Ages of American Capitalism: A History of the United States.
Ch. 3: Noam Chomsky Part 1 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 11-20-21
Noam Chomsky to discuss a whole raft of issues, including the climate crisis, the military budget, healthcare, challenging the corporate structure, reforming both the tax system and our elections, and how the Democrats have abandoned the working class
Ch. 5: Noam Chomsky Part 2 - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 11-20-21
Ch. 6: Reagan on Employee Ownership
Ch. 7: Ecology, Co-ops, and Profit - Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 12-8-21
Prof. Wolff interviews Prof. Melissa Scanlan on her new book showing how coops are a better bet than traditional capitalist corporations to solve current ecological crises.
Sam and Emma host Jonathan Levy, professor of History at the University of Chicago, to discuss his recent book Ages of American Capitalism: A History of the United States.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Many blue states are actually doing worse in some areas than red states. It is in blue states where affordable housing is often hardest to find, there are some of the most acute disparities in education funding and economic inequality.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Personal disability experience - Jade from Upstate New York
Ch. 11: Thoughts on human nature and systems - Quai from North Carolina
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the nature of laws and morality
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 12/12/2021
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.
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SHOW NOTES
Lawrence Lessig gives a talk on Unrepresentative Democracy
Ch. 2: Why Wyoming Has More Power Than California in the Senate - AJ+ - Air Date 10-14-20
The United States Senate is one of the least democratic institutions in the Federal Government. It shuts out millions of Americans and dilutes the votes of most of the country. And yet every law has to go through the Senate, and so do most federal judges.
Political scientist David Faris joins Amanda and Faiz to discuss how Republicans are using extreme gerrymandering, combined with their structural advantages in the Senate and electoral college, to subvert democracy.
The Humanist Report (THR) is a progressive political podcast that discusses and analyzes current news events and pressing political issues. Our analyses are guided by humanism and political progressivism.
Ch. 5: Andrew Perez on the Filibuster - CounterSpin - Air Date 6-18-21
The filibuster is the crucial backdrop to any conversation about the Biden agenda, though media don't always bring that point home.
Ch. 6: A To-Do List for Senate Democrats - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 7-17-21
Dahlia Lithwick tackles one of the major challenges of this moment: how to fix American democracy. Dahlia is joined by the Nation’s Elie Mystal and former chief of staff for Sen. Harry Reid and author of Kill Switch, Adam Jentleson.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman welcome politics writer for Salon Chauncey DeVega on the show to discuss a wide range of topics including the media's coverage of Biden, the Democrats' poor messaging, and what is happening to our democracy.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on public policy, human nature and Cold War talking points
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 12/8/2021
Today we take a look at the state of disability rights and reexamine what we thought we knew about what it means to be disabled in a society that is not built to accommodate various physical and mental disabilities. Is one inherently disabled by their condition or do they become disabled when they bump up against unnecessary barriers in society?
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SHOW NOTES
Rebecca Vallas is a Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation
Rebecca talks with four of the disabled women leaders who've been making history on the front-lines of the ongoing fight for disability economic justice: Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Judy Heumann, Rebecca Cokley, and Mia Ives-Rublee.
Ch. 3: Disability Justice (w Lateef McLeod) Part 1 - Srsly Wrong - Air Date 11-23-21
This week Lateef Mcleod joins the Wrong Boys to discuss the principles of Disability Justice, why accessibility is important for everyone, and how capitalism systematically reduces people to our labor power, denying our wholeness as human beings.
Ch. 5: The Capitalist War Being Waged on Disabled People w Ellen Clifford - Downstream - Air Date 11-22-21
Ellen speaks about her book, The War on Disabled People: Capitalism, Welfare and the Making of Human Catastrophe, discussing the social model of disability, the history of the Disabled People’s Movement, and consequences of austerity policies.
Ch. 7: Disability Justice (w Lateef McLeod) Part 2 - Srsly Wrong - Air Date 11-23-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Disability Justice (w Lateef McLeod) Part 3 - Srsly Wrong - Air Date 11-23-21
Ch. 9: Why Are All The Baddies Disabled w/ Amanda Leduc - DownStream - Air Date 11-25-21
Ash Sarkar is joined by disability rights advocate Amanda Leduc, author of Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space, to discuss how depictions of disability have impacted the lives of disabled people and why Bruce Wayne isn't a hero.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Human nature - David from Los Angeles
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the Christian moralizing of economics and poverty
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of an empty accessible parking space with an accessibility symbol (person in wheelchair) painted in yellow on the ground in the space. The words "Is this the only time you put yourself in my place?" are painted underneath.
Credit: Origin unknown, but earliest reference found is from 2014 on Twitter from the accounts @bengilchrist and @IsNoPrincess.
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Air Date 12/2/2021
Today we take a look at the state of White Supremacy in the US through the lens of three recent trials; Kyle Rittenhouse's acquittal for his role in the deaths of two and injury of one in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the conviction of the three men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery during what they claimed was a citizen's arrest, and a civil suit filed against White Supremacists for their role in the death and injuries during the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally and counter-protest.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: White Violence on Steroids - In The Thick - Air Date 11-16-21
Julio is joined by Elie Mystal, justice correspondent at The Nation, and Michael Harriot, senior writer at The Root, to talk about white supremacy and anti-Black racism in the criminal justice system.
Ch. 2: Kyle Rittenhouse and the “self-defense” defense - Today, Explained - Air Date 11-22-21
Legal scholar Eric Ruben explains how “self-defense” can apply to shooting unarmed people in public.
We discuss the details of these two cases, how they differ, and the questions they raise about the normalization of violence in the U.S.
Ch. 4: “Why Are Ahmaud Arbery’s Killers So Scared?” - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-24-21
We speak with Nicole Lewis, Senior editor of Jurisprudence at Slate. She says claims of self-defense from armed white people serve as a “racist dog whistle”
Tonight's guest is Gwen Keyes Fleming, former DeKalb County, Georgia district attorney.
A civil trial seeks to hold white supremacists accountable for organizing the deadly “Unite the Right” rally there in 2017 and conspiring to commit racially motivated violence
Ch. 8: Can You Bankrupt White Supremacy? - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-24-21
A federal jury has ordered a group of white supremacists to pay over $26 million in damages for their role in organizing the deadly 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Kyle Rittenhouse is being welcomed by a society that was partly created using racialized terrorism.
Human rights advocates are calling for charges to be dropped in the case of Chrystul Kizer, who faces homicide and other charges for killing her white sex trafficker in 2018
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Surviving to turn the tide - Eric from Portland
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the status of our government responsiveness to public sentiment
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Black text on a white sign held during a protest says "The system isn't broken it was built this way". Protestors wearing masks walk in the background.
Credit: "21-4-17 Black Unity" by David Geitgey Sierralupe, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, increased contrast and brightness
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Original Air Date 12/09/2020
Today we take a look in real-time at the construction of the world's newest Lost Cause narrative, the failed re-election of Donald Trump. This is not our country's first experience with Lost Causes and it's not, contrary to popular opinion, even our second connection to a Lost Cause narrative because we didn't invent the first one, we borrowed it from somewhere else and I will tell that story today.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Jay's Opening Comments
Ch. 2: Reading Harry Potter In Scots
Ch. 3: Jay’s comments: the history of a Lost Cause
Ch. 4: Sir Walter Scott, The Old South and The Lost Cause - Who Put The Klan Into Klu Klux Klan?
In this documentary, archaeologist and historian Neil Oliver examines racism in the Deep South and the Scots who first occupied it who influenced where we are today.
Ch. 5: How Southern socialites rewrote Civil War history - Vox - Air Date 10-25-17
The United Daughters of the Confederacy altered the South's memory of the Civil War.
Ch. 6: How the 'Lost Cause' narrative became American history - Washington Post - Air Date 3-5-20
How the 'Lost Cause' narrative became American history - Washington Post - Air Date 3-5-20
Ch. 7: Monumental Lies - Reveal - Air Date 12-8-18
Myths of the Civil War and slavery are being kept alive at Confederate monuments, where visitors hear stories of “benevolent slave owners” and enslaved people “contented with their lot.” We team up with The Investigative Fund
Kevin Levin Exposes the Lie and Whitewashed History of So-Called "Black Confederate Soldiers" and the American Civil War - The Chauncey DeVega Show - Air Date 10-18-20
Ch. 9: MAGA, the New Confederate Lost Cause Part 1 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 11-16-20
White supremacist myths turn defeated leaders into heroic victors. Will Donald Trump now get the same transfiguration as Robert E. Lee? If history is our guide then there’s reason to worry about the answer to that question.
Ch. 10: MAGA, the New Confederate Lost Cause Part 2 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 11-16-20
White supremacist myths turn defeated leaders into heroic victors. Will Donald Trump now get the same transfiguration as Robert E. Lee? If history is our guidethen there’s reason to worry about the answer to that question.
MEMBERS BONUS CLIPS
Ch. 11: MAGA, the New Confederate Lost Cause Part 3 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 11-16-20
White supremacist myths turn defeated leaders into heroic victors. Will Donald Trump now get the same transfiguration as Robert E. Lee? If history is our guide then there’s reason to worry about the answer to that question.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Jay’s comments: the last few connections
Ch. 13: Final comments on our ongoing campaigns
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 11/24/2021
Today we take a look at the state of the ever-increasingly authoritarian Republican Party as they hack the media by being too terrible to hold to account, hack the democratic process through gerrymandering and endlessly rebrand because in their core they stand for nothing.
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SHOW NOTES
A Denver journalist is taking on the incredibly low standards the media has set for GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), focusing on the “the cruel, false, and bigoted things she says for attention and fundraising.”
As the world grapples with the humanitarian fallout in Afghanistan, former four-star U.S. General Stanley McChrystal is watching it unfold knowing all too well what's on the line.
Ch. 3: The Unmistakable Drumbeat of Authoritarianism - The BradCast - Air Date 11-16-21
The drumbeat of rising authoritarianism in the U.S. is getting ever louder. Republican-controlled state legislatures employ extreme partisan gerrymandering in Ohio and Georgia, robbing minority voters of representation and positioning the GOP to take over
“The elites are out to get you and your hard-earned pay.” “We’re spending too much on protecting foreign nations and not enough defending our own borders against immigrant invaders.” “China is taking your job and will soon take over your phone.”
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton & Nick Hauselman discuss Steven Bennon turning himself in to the FBI briefly before holding a press conference to threaten Democratic leadership.
“We should be concerned about what it means in terms of the safety of members of Congress and the nature of the modern Republican Party. But what it means for the very health of our American democracy,” says Chris Hayes in the wake of Rep. Gosar’s censure
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
"Presidents are not kings, and the plaintiff is not president." These were the words of a U.S. Federal judge rejecting former President Donald Trump's request to withhold records about the January 6th insurrection.
Republican Senator John Kennedy made a complete fool of himself while attempting to hammer Saule Omarova, Joe Biden's pick to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), which regulates banks.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Aging and Conservatism - Quai from North Carolina
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on toughness philosophy vs the ever-raising baseline
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 11/20/2021
Today we take a look at the state of international climate negotiations and the intersection of capitalism and colonialism in the role of indigenous peoples around the world in stewarding the lands in a climate-friendly way.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Promises to Help the Climate Keep Breaking Part 1 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 11-15-21
We talk to journalist Elizabeth Kolbert about this history the COP
Ch. 2: Is COP26 Set To End in Failure? Part 1 - TyskySour - Air Date 11-12-21
Negotiations in Glasgow are going down to the wire, yet few believe world leaders will get us anywhere near limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. Is COP26 heading for failure? We speak to Simon Lewis. With Michael Walker and Aaron Bastani.
Ch. 3: Promises to Help the Climate Keep Breaking Part 2 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 11-15-21
Coming off of COP26, we talk to journalist David Wallace-Wells about the real cost of the climate crisis and who is paying the price.
Ch. 4: COP26 Closes Out What Comes Next - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 11-15-21
Negotiations at COP26 have been formalized into the Glasgow Climate Pact and already faces criticism. Julian Brave NoiseCat, climate activist, writer and fellow at New America and the Type Media Center, discusses disappointment in the agreement.
Ch. 5: Is COP26 Set To End in Failure? Part 2 - TyskySour - Air Date 11-12-21
Thousands of youth activists from all over the world gathered in Scotland this week for the COP26 UN climate summit. They say climate change is already transforming their countries and that their generation has the most to lose.
Ch. 7: Promises to Help the Climate Keep Breaking Part 3 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 11-15-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Is COP26 Set To End in Failure? Part 3 - TyskySour - Air Date 11-12-21
Ch. 9: Border walls and the climate crisis Nick Buxton - This is Hell! - Air Date 11-3-21
The Transnational Institute's Nick Buxton on the report "Global Climate Wall" and in a Moment of Truth, Jeff Dorchen judges a costume contest.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments with an update on shifting conservative baseline syndrome
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: At night, a white light projection on a stone monument in Glasgow, Scotland (UK) reads “Reject False Solutions”.
Credit: “COP26 light projection in Glasgow by Backbone and friends” by Backbone Campaign, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
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Original Air Date: 11-2-21
Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss:
- Te deths of the Red Scare™
- Why some Christians think that empathy is a sin
- Why those Christians are wrong about empathy being a sin
- Why those Christians are probably just narcissists
- Why we can all empathize with those Christians war on empathy (sort of)
References:
Strange Sound with Joseph Perry
Umberto Eco: A Practical List for Identifying Fascists
Have you heard the one about empathy being a sin? - BaptistNews.com
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Original Air Date 11/10/2020
Today we take a look at the long and shifting history of the myth of democracy in America. We've never had it since the beginning but the reasons have shifted, ebbed and flowed over time. Now, in the midst of an attempted slow-motion coup, we look back at this most central American myth.
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SHOW NOTES
Two of the last three presidents — George W. Bush and Donald Trump — came to office after losing the popular vote. "The Framers who met at the Constitutional Convention really had no idea what they were doing when they established how to pick a president"
Ch. 2: The Second Revolution - Scene On Radio - Air Date 2-19-20
After the Civil War, a surprising coalition tried to remake the United States into a real multiracial democracy for the first time. Reconstruction, as the effort was called, brought dramatic change to America. For a while.
Ch. 3: Democracy: Past, Present... and Future? - The Laura Flanders Show - Air Date 6-26-19
Don't remember the past? Does that mean you're condemned to repeat it? What does our country's past tell us about our present— and how can it help us imagine a better future? This week, two leading thinkers on the tricky challenges of democracy.
Ch. 4: More Democracy - Scene on Radio - Air Date 6-10-20
What will it take to make the United States a more fully-functioning democracy, and how can we, as citizens, bring about that change? By host and producer John Biewen, with series collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika.
Ch. 5: Our democracy no longer represents the people. Here's how we fix it - TEDx - Air Date 10-20-15
Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig makes the case that our democracy has become corrupt with money, leading to inequality that means only 0.02% of the United States population actually determines who's in power.
Ch. 6: The Right's Long History of Ignoring the Will of the People - On the Media - Air Date 11-6-20
Rick Perlstein, historian of American conservatism and author, most recently, of Reaganland: America's Right Turn 1976-1980, has tracked this anti-majoritarian current in the American right for centuries.
Ch. 7: The Republicans' War on Voting Rights, Protesting and Democracy - Some More News - Air Date 10-22-18
In this week's episode of Some More News, we do a deep dive on the Republicans' attacks on our voting rights, our right to protest and, well, Democracy. Which is bad and not good.
Ch. 8: Schooled for Democracy - Scene on Radio - Air Date 5-13-20
In most American schools, children *hear about *democracy, but don’t get to *practice *it. What would a more engaged brand of civics education look like?
Sam hosts Cornell Professor of American Institutions Suzanne Mettler to discuss her latest book, Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy and what we can learn from history to understand American democracy's vulnerabilities.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Changing the caucus party - Erin from Philly
Ch. 11: What happens if they somehow steal the election? - Nick from California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on action being the only antidote to anxiety
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 11/12/2021
Today we take a look at the current state of homelessness in America and the best solution we currently know of to tackle the problem. Surprisingly simple, the best way to end homelessness is to give people homes.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Homelessness - Last Week Tonight - Air Date 11-1-21
With homelessness increasing nationwide, John Oliver takes a look at the way we discuss the unhoused, what policy failures are making the problem worse, and how we can help.
Ch. 2: Should America Outlaw Homelessness - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-8-21
Homelessness is an epidemic in America “Housing First” is a the solution that has been embraced by countries around the world. Time to repudiate the failed Reaganomics experiment and take homelessness seriously again here in America.
Ch. 3: Housing First - 99% Invisible - Air Date 12-8-20
In the 1980's, a psychologist named Sam Tsemberis was working with mentally ill homeless people on the streets of New York. Sometimes, when he thought it was necessary to keep someone safe, Sam would have people committed to a psychiatric hospital.
We’re seeing massive homelessness in cities across America because a handful of Wall Street billionaires want to make a killing - Will America remove housing from their clutches?
Ch. 5: How Finland Ended Homelessness - Second Thought - Air Date 9-3-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 6: The Criminalization of Poverty - Justice In America - Air Date 1-23-19
On this episode, we explore the countless ways the criminal justice system criminalizes poverty—and homelessness in particular. From what is considered criminal to how it is punished, people that are poor or in America are punished more.
Correction: The introduction to this story stated that 35,000 people are without a place to live in San Francisco. In fact, that figure refers to the greater San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose, Oakland and surrounding counties.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on the panicked flail of those who used to be ahead of the curve but have now been left behind
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 11/9/2021
Today we take a look at the Facebook business model that is driving hate, lies, violence, extremism, and the breakdown of democracy around the world as well as some of the regulatory ideas geared toward reigning it in and mitigating the damage.
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SHOW NOTES
UCLA professor Ramesh Srinivasan, who says the papers confirm what many critics have warned about for years. “This new form of digital capitalism that I believe Facebook is trailblazing is one that is playing with our intimate emotions on every level."
Tristan and Aza go behind the headlines with Frances herself. We go deeper into the problems she exposed, discuss potential solutions, and explore her motivations — along with why she fundamentally believes change is possible.
We've been hearing about revelations from the leaked 'Facebook Papers.' What has the social media giant has been doing, and what they haven't been doing, around the world? Guest: Sheera Frenkel, New York Times technology reporter.
Ch. 4: Zuckerberg's Metaverse - TyskySour - Air Date 10-29-21
Facebook is now Meta, and Mark Zuckerberg says our future is in the Metaverse. Is virtual reality the future of the internet, or Zuckerberg’s latest gimmick? With Michael Walker and Aaron Bastani.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: The Science Fiction Origins of the Metaverse - On the Media - Air Date 11-5-21
Why the tech moguls love science fiction so much, the perils of reading these "world-building" novels too literally, and how new forms of the genre today are already making the Metaverse look obsolete.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on Facebooks treatment of nonprofits and the actions you can take to call for regulation
TAKE ACTION!
Take part in The Facebook Logout, Nov. 10th-13th via Kairos & coalition - Read the demands
Call on DOJ, SEC, and FTC to Open Criminal Investigations into Facebook Execs via American Economic Liberties Project & MoveOn.org
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A cardboard cutout of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wearing a black shirt that says "FACEBOOK" and holding a flag (referencing his infamous July 4th video where he rode a hydrofoil on a lake while holding a giant American flag). The flag is dark blue with white text that says "I know we harm kids, but i don't care." with a Facebook icon. A roadway with cars and a building with scaffolding can be seen in the background.
Credit: "Zuckerberg_Sum_Of_Us_2" by SumOfUs, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, enhanced brightness, contrast and saturation
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Original Air Date: 10-21-21
Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss:
- Why "Blacks Rule"
- Hostile Architecture vs human needs
- The Amanda Principle as relates to Paul Ryan
- How the Right Wing Convinces Itself That Liberals are Evil
- That Conservatives are dying to own the libs and still blaming liberals
- The benefits of playing with kids
References:
"Blacks Rule" and "Left is Best"
Hostile Architecture is making more and more people uncomfortable
Tom Morello: ‘Paul Ryan Is the Embodiment of the Machine Our Music Rages Against’
How the Right Wing Convinces Itself That Liberals Are Evil
Opinion: Conservatives are dying to own the libs.
Neuroscientist: "First Hour of The Morning is CRUCIAL" | Andrew Huberman
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by:
Jay! Tomlinson
oOriginal Thanks for listening!
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Air Date 11/6/2021
Today we take a look at the raucous school board meetings where parents have been expressing their displeasure with protecting one another from a deadly pandemic or making children aware of the existence of systemic racism in America. Just as with the Tea Party, the Dark Money behind the movement didn't light the fire but is very adept at fanning the flames.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: School board brawl - Today, Explained - Air Date 11-2-21
It's Election Day in the USA. This time around, the nasty political fights and insurrections are going local. NPR's Anya Kamenetz explains.
Ch. 2: School Board Members Face Violent Threats - Zerlina. - Air Date 10-6-21
Angry parents have been flooding local school board meetings to protest critical race theory, school diversity initiatives, and mask mandates. Dr. Uché Blackstock and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya Wiley join Zerlina to discuss the latest threats.
Ch. 3: Why Are School Board Officials Getting Death Threats? - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 10-19-21
School boards are the latest frontier in the culture wars, as incensed community members and right-wing activists protest mask mandates and anti-racist curricula.
“These things that were considered non-partisan, just the administration of schools are now being charged and really put under a magnifying glass in a way that is intended to extract maximum political benefit,” says Judd Legum
Judd Legum explains how Virginia school boards are being weaponized to elect a republican governor.
America’s lack of media literacy and historical affinity for conspiracy theories have allowed QAnon to move from the dark corners of the web to violence at the US Capitol.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: GOP’s Critical Race Theory Crusade Is The New Tea Party Movement - Zerlina. - Air Date 6-28-21
The GOP’s tea party had success in the 2010 midterms with its low-key racist rhetoric. But now, conservatives have pivoted to more overt racism with their grandstanding on critical race theory. MSNBC columnist Hayes Brown breaks it down.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Complicated feelings on policing - Maureen from Boston
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the nature of the debate over the present and future of policing
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 11/3/2021
Today we take a look at the current wave of strikes and labor movements through the lens of pandemic economics and the history of businesses abuse of the worker.
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SHOW NOTES
Jacobin writer Alex Press says the averted strike is part of a “broader moment” of labor militancy across the United States, including workers at Amazon, Kellogg’s and elsewhere. “Workers are willing to fight back,” she says.
Ch. 2: Take Your Job and Shove It Part 1 - In The Thick - Air Date 10-26-21
Maria and Julio are joined by Luis Feliz Leon, writer and educator with Labor Notes, and Lauren Kaori Gurley, labor reporter for Vice Magazine’s Motherboard to talk about the labor strikes happening across the country.
Ch. 3: A Look at the Worker Shortage in the Food Service Industry - The Takeaway - Air Date 10-28-21
The Takeaway also looks at how Covid exposed the systemic inequalities in the restaurant industry with Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley.
Ch. 4: Take Your Job and Shove It Part 2 - In The Thick - Air Date 10-26-21
Maria and Julio are joined by Luis Feliz Leon, writer and educator with Labor Notes, and Lauren Kaori Gurley, labor reporter for Vice Magazine’s Motherboard to talk about the labor strikes happening across the country.
Ch. 5: Nice work week, if you can get it - Planet Money - Air Date 10-27-21
The 40 hour work week has been the standard for 80 years. What will it take to lower that?
Shane Larson from CWA joins Goldy to explain why right-to-work laws are so harmful, how they came to be, and why it’s so important to pass the PRO Act to fight for workers’ rights.
We speak with Dutch Merrick, prop master and armorer for over 25 years. Despite safety protocol and expertise, he says, Hollywood crews are getting “worked to death” with 80- to 100-hour workweeks, which he suggests played into the accidental shooting.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
While undeniably gruesome and tragic, the black plague had a silver lining: the unprecedented lost of life made labour scarce, while infrastructure and other capital were left relatively unharmed.
Ch. 9: Nice work week, if you can get it Part 2 - Planet Money - Air Date 10-27-21
Origins of the 40 hour work week.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Please clarify various stats on law enforcement and incarceration - Bud from Boise New
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the details behind the stats of criminal injustice and incarceration plus why flat-earthers haven't trekked to the edge and looked over
TAKE ACTION
5 Ways to Support Workers on Strike (Teen Vogue)
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Photo of men holding blue and white protest signs in the air that say "UAW On Strike". The photo is from a recent strike by John Deere workers.
Credit: "20211020-OSEC-LSC-1195" by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Flickr | Public Domain
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 10/21/2020
Today we take a look at some of the many zany foreign misadventures the United States has had over the past 100 years. And by "zany misadventures" I mean the naked pursuit of capitalism at any cost, the support of military coups and other undemocratic overthrows of foreign governments and wars for oil and resources in an unabashed attempt to keep America wealthy and the rest of the world less so - all while maintaining an anti-imperial, pro-democracy, pro-freedom, live-and-let-live poker face.
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SHOW NOTES
Trump lies all the time but he's also continuing one of the great lies of America
Ch. 2: Empire Unhinged with Aslı Bâli & Aziz Rana - The Dig - Air Date 6-11-20
Dan interviews returning guests Aslı Bâli and Aziz Rana on the long history behind the crisis of American imperial legitimation that has become so manifest amid the pandemic.
Ch. 3: American Empire Part 1 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 4-29-20
“America” and “empire.” Do those words go together? If so, what kind of imperialism does the U.S. practice, and how has American empire changed over time? By host and producer John Biewen, with series collaborator Chenjerai Kumanyika.
The Intercept’s investigative series The Iran Cables offers historical insight into Iran’s operations in neighboring Iraq, which are informed by the bloody history of the Iran-Iraq War, the U.S. invasion, and subsequent occupation of Iraq
Ch. 5: 2020 Hindsight on Iraq - Open Source with Christopher Lydon - Air Date 1-9-20
America's "original sin" in the Middle East: the CIA's (and Britain's) coup d'etat in Iran in 1953.
Ch. 6: American Empire Part 2 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 4-29-20
Ch. 7: Voting Is Not Enough - 2 WEEKS LEFT, GET OUT THE VOTE - Best of the Left
Ch. 8: American Empire Part 3 - Scene on Radio - Air Date 4-29-20
Ch. 9: The Always Stumbling US Empire - Citations Needed - Air Date 10-25-17
"Stumbling", "sliding", "drawn into" war––the media frequently assumes the US is bumbling its way around the world. The idea that the United States operates in “good faith” is taken for granted for most of the American press.
Ch. 10: The Other 9/11: Part One - Making Contact - Air Date 9-3-13
Before 2001, there was another 9/11. In 1973, a military coup backed by the United States, overthrew the Chilean government and ushered in seventeen years of brutal dictatorship. In the first of a two part series; we hear stories of the Chilean 9/11.
Ch. 11: Empire Unhinged with Aslı Bâli & Aziz Rana Part 2 - The Dig - Air Date 6-11-20
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 12: Domestic focus is about setting a good example - Chris from San Diego
Ch. 13: Thoughts on right-wing vs left-wing anarchism - Alex
Ch. 14: Fighting for legitimacy - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 15: Final comments on the dangers and paranoia that come with illegitimate power
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 10/27/2021
Today we take a look at some of the ways that 25 years of Fox News has reshaped our media and political landscape. Crucially, understanding Fox isn't just about their influence on their conservative viewers but how they manage to hack the political conversation for the rest of us.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The War On Fox Is Over - The Young Turks - Air Date 12-22-13
Archive clip from A parody of itself (Media) - Best of the Left - Archives - Air Date 2-17-14
Ch. 2: Losing Relatives to Fox News - You're Wrong About - Air Date 12-7-20
Mike tells Sarah what makes older Americans more vulnerable to misinformation — and who is delivering it to them.
Ch. 3: Kevin Drum on how Fox 'News' broke America - The Bradcast - Air Date 9-17-21
Data journalist and longtime Mother Jones columnist KEVIN DRUM explains his exhaustive analysis of the madness of this political moment, and how and why we arrived at it. The Right has seemingly gone mad due to the spread of conspiracy theories.
Ch. 4: You're watching Fox News. You just don't know it. - Vox - Air Date 5-24-19
Fox News was created to push right-wing nonsense to the mainstream, and now there’s no escape.
Ch. 5: Conspiracy Network OAN 90% Funded by AT&T - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 10-7-21
Right wing conspiracy network OAN turns out to be 90% funded by AT&T
Ch. 6: How Fox News Made Every Moment of the Last 25 Years Worse - The New Abnormal - Air Date 10-7-21
Yes, it’s been 25 years since Fox News came on the air—25 years of “refracting the absolute most absurd and destructive and deadly disinformation and misinformation from the right wing fever swamps,” Carusone tells co-hosts Molly and Jesse.
Ch. 7: What 25 Years Of Fox News Poison Has Done To America - All In - Air Date 10-8-21
Chris Hayes marks 25 years of dangerous lies from Fox News: “There is a direct pipeline from what appears on Fox News to the absolute worst manifestations, worst behavior, worst elements of our politics and society.”
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Former Fox News Reporter Tells All - David Pakman Show - Air Date 2-05-13
Archive clip from Ridiculing Fox isn't just fun, it's important (Media) - Best of the Left - Archives - Air Date 2-28-13
Nicole Hemmer, the brilliant historian of conservative media, joins to discuss how Fox News and the larger conservative media-verse protects Trump but also lures him into disaster.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the multi-decade victim mentality of conservatives about the media
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A slightly distorted Fox News logo sits askew at the center of a hypnotic spiral.
Credits: “Fox News” by Johnny Silvercloud, Flickr | License | Changes: Added hypnotic swirl background, cropped, faded edges || Hypnosis Spiral via Pixabay
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Air Date 10/23/2021
Today we take a look at a few of the ways that enormous corporate and personal and family wealth is being hidden around the world, most prominently in the United States.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Pandora Papers Reveal a Shadow Economy - On the Media - Air Date 10-8-21
Gerard Ryle [@RyleGerard], director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, on how the Pandora Papers unmask hidden owners of offshore companies. Plus, what the papers might mean for the future of cooperative journalism.
Ch. 2: Pandora Papers, Explained Part 1 - Fresh Air - Air Date 10-14-21
We talk with 'Washington Post' reporter Greg Miller about what the some 12 million documents of the Pandora Papers tell us about these hidden assets.
Ch. 3: We set up an offshore company in a tax haven - Planet Money - Air Date 10-6-21
The Pandora Papers released this week reveal how many world leaders allegedly hold wealth through the use of shell companies. We listen back to when we set up our very own Planet Money shell companies.
Ch. 4: Pandora Papers, Explained Part 2 - Fresh Air - Air Date 10-14-21
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has called for a global corporate minimum tax. Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and GZero Media, talks about how that would affect the US economy, and looks abroad to who it would help, and who it would hurt.
Ch. 6: On dynastic wealth in America w Chuck Collins Part 1 - This is Hell! - Air Date 10-12-21
Chuck Collins on the IPS report "Silver spoon oligarchs: How America’s 50 Largest Inherited-Wealth Dynasties Accelerate Inequality."
The Pandora Papers have revealed how the super-wealthy shaft the rest of us. but why aren't billionaires from US in the papers? Chuck Collins joins Thom to reveal the secrets of the super rich.
Ch. 8: On dynastic wealth in America w Chuck Collins Part 2 - This is Hell! - Air Date 10-12-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
On this episode, originally recorded and released in October 2019, Anand joins Nick and Goldy to explain how do-gooding can perpetuate inequality.
Ch. 10: On dynastic wealth in America w Chuck Collins Part 3 - This is Hell! - Air Date 10-12-21
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments giving a mental health update
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The words "Tax the Rich" are written in black and red marker on a manila folder. A protester, whose hands can be seen on each side of the folder, holds up the folder to the camera.
Credit: "Tax the rich at Occupy Wall Street" by Timothy Krause, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, increased contrast and saturation
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Original Air Date: 10-3-21 Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss: - Collective trauma for various groups and individuals in the wake of 9/11 - Collective trauma that is leading to vaccine hesitancy in groups not prioritized by our health system References: Collective trauma and going to war: From Ancient Greece and Rome to September 11 I’m a Black Doctor. My Mom Still Won’t Get Vaccinated. Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!
Air Date 10/20/2021
Today we take a look at the flip side of the so-called "Missing White Woman Syndrome" and highlight the structural legacies of colonialism that have put indigenous communities in North America at the greatest at risk of murder and rape among all demographics in the US and Canada.
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SHOW NOTES
Indigenous women in the United States experience some of the highest rates of violence and murder in the country, according to federal data. Tribes and advocates attribute this to a confluence of factors - institutional racism, a lack of resources.
While Gabby Petito's death has captured national attention, tens of thousands of people are reported missing or murdered every year in the U.S. Native women are murdered at rates 10 times the national average.
As the disappearance and later confirmed murder of Gabby Petito has grabbed headlines, many observers have pointed to the thousands of other cases – many of them women of color – that have never garnered national attention.
Ch. 4: MMIW Day 2021 - Let's Talk Native with John Kane - Air Date 5-5-21
May 5th has been designated as MMIW Day since 2017 but 2021 is ushering in "MMIW National Week of Action!"
Ch. 5: Canada's missing and murdered Indigenous women - AJ+ - Air Date 10-16-18
AJ+'s Dena Takruri visits Winnipeg, Manitoba, where more Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been murdered than anywhere else in the country.
Ch. 6: MMIWG2S+: No more red hand prints! - The Red Nation Podcast - Air Date 5-10-21
Guests Jennifer Marley (@JenMarley1680) and Cheyenne Antonio join RPH co-hosts Elena Ortiz (@spiritofpopay) and Melanie Yazzie (@melanie_yazzie) to discuss efforts to end MMIWG2+ from a left Indigenous feminist perspective.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
5500 Indigenous women and girls go missing or murdered every year. We need to change the laws that govern the Indigenous Tribes because they make it easier for people to attack indigenous people.
We continue our look at Indigenous Peoples’ Day with Jennifer Marley, a citizen of San Ildefonso Pueblo and a member of the grassroots Indigenous liberation organization The Red Nation.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: r/Antiwork: Unemployment for all, not just the rich! - Anonymous
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the impacts of pandemics on labor through the centuries
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A young, Native American woman looks toward the camera. She has a red paint hand print over her mouth. She wears a gray beanie, burgundy jacket and her dark hair is in braids.
"A participant in the Greater Than Fear Rally & March in Rochester Minnesota. The rally & march were held in response to President Trump's Rally at the Mayo Civic Center in downtown Rochester." by Lorie Shaull, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 10/16/2021
Today we take a look at some of the structures of "copaganda," from misreported stats and coverups to propagandistic opinion articles and police procedurals that flood the pop culture landscape.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Alec Karakatsanis on "Crime Surge" Copaganda - CounterSpin - Air Date 10-1-21
We hear from Alec Karakatsanis, executive director of Civil Rights Corps, and author of the book Usual Cruelty: The Complicity of Lawyers in the Criminal Injustice System.
Today we break down a new study that shows police killings were undercounted by MORE THAN HALF. This confirms what many of us have suspected about the "official data" on police violence, and it's only the tip of the iceberg.
Ch. 3: Downstream: Is Line of Duty 'Copaganda'? Part 1 - Novara Media - Air Date 5-5-21
From Paul Blart: Mall Cop to A Touch of Frost, ‘copaganda’ has our pop culture bang to rights. What impact does the ubiquity of police dramas on our screens have on the real criminal justice system?
Derecka Purnell draws from her experience as a human rights lawyer in her new book, “Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom,” to argue that police reform is an inadequate compromise to calls for abolition.
Democrats and Democratic Party-aligned media have allied with conservatives and right-wing media are rehashing the same tired responses: more police, longer sentences, and tougher laws. Guests Alec Karakatsanis and sociologist Tamara K. Nopper.
Ch. 6: Downstream: Is Line of Duty 'Copaganda'? Part 2 - Novara Media - Air Date 5-5-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: What the Hell Happened to Police and Criminal Justice Reform - WhoWhatWhy - Air Date 10-8-21
The dean of UC Berkeley’s Law School looks at how the courts have prioritized criminal control over civil rights for suspects and defendants.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Thank you for the quality of the show and to all medical workers - V from Central New York
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the comparison between police work and conspiracy cults
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 10/13/2020
Today we take a look at the myths of Columbus and American Exceptionalism™ that we cling to and turn our gaze to some of the less-understood but more accurate and important aspects of our collective history
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SHOW NOTES
This is a heavy episode of our show. Discussions include Blood quantum and its use in Tribal Enrollment, American·s false love affair with President Abraham Lincoln and Christopher Columbus.
Ch. 2: Why the US celebrates Columbus Day - Vox - Air Date 10-8-20
For centuries, the destruction and disease he ushered into the Americas have been set aside, allowing the myth of a pioneering sailor who discovered America and proved the world was round to embed itself in US culture.
Ch. 3: Columbus In His Own Words - Let's Talk Native TV - Air Date 10-12-19
On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on a small island in the Caribbean... these are his words.
Ch. 4: In Search of a Better American Myth - Progressive Faith Sermons, Dr. Roger Ray - Air Date 10-11-20
A civilization’s shared myths account for why things are the way they are. They can bolster loyalty to a religion or a nation, and they can excuse class and race privilege.
Jon Schwarz on social silence and hidden history.
Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action.
Ch. 7: City Upon A Hill: A History Of American Exceptionalism - BackStory - Air Date 1-22-16
Tracing the origin and misappropriation of the idea of America as a "City upon a hill."
Ch. 8: The American Exceptionalism Mythology - Loud & Clear - Air Date 7-5-19
Exploring the origins and falsity of the idea of "American Exceptionalism™"
Ch. 9: Columbus redux! - Let's Talk Native - Air Date 7-17-19
The irony of telling dissatisfied progressives of color to "Go back where they came from" is that America is only so full of white people because they left their old countries rather than staying and trying to improve them.
Ch. 10: Why The Right Is So Dishonest About American History - Cracked (Some More News) - Air Date 11-21-17
Happy almost-Thanksgiving. What could be better than football and turkey? Well, there·s genocide and stuff, but we don·t want to ruin your holidays. We·ll leave that to the disingenuous folks who would like to pretend that there is nothing wrong.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: In response to Craig from OH about the progressive myth - Dave from Olympia, WA
Ch. 12: Conservative blindspot on climate - Craig from Ohio
Ch. 13: Is 'kids in cages' really a conservative blindspot? - Larry from Minnesota
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 14: Final comments on the blindspots from the right and left including the family separation policy, foreign policy and the climate emergency
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE
"Christopher Columbus Statue Torn Down at Minnesota State Capitol" by Tony Webster, Flickr | License | Modifications: Cropped
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Air Date 10/9/2021
Today we take a look at structures and specifics of settler colonialism from around the world including the US, Caribbean, Australia, Israel and Mexico
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SHOW NOTES
Ben Norton was invited to give this talk on US imperialism in Latin America, for the Workers' Party of Ireland. He discusses the history from European settler colonialism, through the Monroe Doctrine, the first cold war, and the three revolutions.
Ch. 2: Slavery, race and capital in the sixteenth century / Gerald Horne - This Is Hell! - Air Date 7-21-20
Gerald Horne discusses the relationship between racism and expansionist foreign policies
Ch. 3: Settler Colonialism Is Behind Climate Denial - Novara Media - Air Date 1-5-20
Australia is on fire. So why do so many of its politicians seem intent on denying the cause?
Ch. 4: Pearls for empire / Molly A. Warsh - This Is Hell! - Air Date 9-20-21
Historian Molly A. Warsh on her book "American Baroque: Pearls and the Nature of Empire, 1492-1700" from UNC Press.
Ch. 5: Rewriting resistance: how Black rebellion shapes world events - People's Republic - Air Date 8-20-20
This week, we continue our commemoration of Black August with Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history and author of over 40 books, including The Counter-Revolution of 1776.
A 2017 lecture by Ilan Pappé titled "The Value of Viewing Israel-Palestine Through the Lens of Settler-Colonialism" hosted by the WRMEA.
Ch. 7: Crimes of Apartheid - In The Thick - Air Date 5-14-21
Maria is joined by guest co-host and ITT All-star Jamilah King to discuss the continued violence and attacks against Palestinians by Israeli settlers and forces in Gaza. We hear from Gaza-based journalist Hana Salah about what she is seeing on the ground.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Marc talks with Rick Perlstein about growing up Jewish in Milwaukee, the process of unlearning Zionist indoctrination, and how the United States' support of an Israeli ethno-state foments continued violence.
Did racism and white supremacy arise as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in the 17th century, or did these concepts exist prior to the mass enslavement of Africans and the genocide of the indigenous peoples on what is now called America?
The boys speak with Alexander Aviña, an assistant professor of history at Arizona State University, about the history of Mexico and U.S.-Mexican Relations from the 1810 Mexican War of Independence to the "drug war" of today.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: No velvet glove - Nick From California
Ch. 12: Followup on conspiracy theory hot take - Nick from California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on how conspiracy theorists are like timeshare sales people
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 10/6/2021
Today we take a look at what precipitated Occupy Wall Street and the legacy it left behind as we can see it now from 10 years after the encampment at Zuccotti Park in the heart of the financial district in NYC.
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SHOW NOTES
This program is devoted to Occupy Wall Street (OWS) on its 10th anniversary. Prof. Wolff discusses OWS as a historic turning point, as legacy for the US left, and his personal experience.
Ch. 2: Occupy at 10 with Astra Taylor Part 1 - The Dig - Air date 9-25-21
It’s Occupy Wall Street’s tenth anniversary. Dan interviews Astra Taylor.
We discuss Occupy's ramifications for organizing and class consciousness with Ruth Milkman, labor scholar at City University of New York's School of Labor and Urban Studies and Nastaran Mohit, Organizing Director of NewsGuild of New York.
Ch. 5: Occupy at 10 with Astra Taylor Part 2 - The Dig - Air date 9-25-21
Ch. 7: Keith Olbermann reads first collective statement of Occupy Wall Street - Countdown
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Glenn Greenwald in 2011 gives analysis of the political dynamics that led to Occupy
Ch. 9: Prophetic article calling for the occupation - Majority Report - Air Date 10-25-11
Speaking with Christopher Ketcham about his article calling for destain for bankers and discussing the progressive movement of the 1880s
Ch. 10: Occupy at 10 with Astra Taylor Part 3 - The Dig - Air date 9-25-21
The legacy of Occupy live on, even in Joe Biden
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: A response for Alyson from Boulder - Scott from Canada
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the ideological splits on the left dating back to Occupy Wall Street
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Occupy Wall St. protesters in New York march down the street holding a large white sign that says "OCCUPY" in black letters. Other protesters behind them hold smaller protest signs of cardboard and poster board and wave flags.
Credit: "Occupy_12_17_DSC_0334" by Michael Fleshman, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date: 9-15-21
Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss:
- Top-Down and Bottom-Up processing that leads to biased interpretation of information
- Dying of individualism and federalism failures amid COVID
- The legacy of Vietnamese refugees following the Vietnam War
- What happens when attraction is stronger than any code of ethics or social pressure
References:
Google/Apple exposure notification API saved thousands of lives, but apps largely flopped in US
Spanish bishop quits church after falling in love with writer of Satanic erotica
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Air Date 9/29/2021
Today we take a look at the so-called "crisis" on the border involving Haitians attempting to cross into the United States. Some say it's a crisis the US is dealing with, others say it's inappropriate to call human beings a crisis. We humbly suggest that these human beings, not the US, are EXPERIENCING a crisis and the US is exacerbating it. And Biden, by following Trump’s policies, is creating a political crisis for himself.
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SHOW NOTES
Thousands of Haitan migrants who were camping out under a bridge in a Texas border town seeking to cross the Rio Grande and find refuge in the US are now being forced back to their home country.
Psaki cites title 42, a Trump administration rule program allowing the government to expel refugees under the cover of preventing Covid-19 from spreading in the US. The MR crew discusses how disingenuous it is of the Biden Administration
Ch. 3: Not a Humane System - In The Thick - Air Date 9-24-21
Maria and Julio dive deep into the violent border enforcement we witnessed in Del Rio, Texas where thousands of Haitian refugees were being held and turned away. They discuss the horrifying images of Border Patrol agents attacking Haitian iimmigrants.
Ch. 4: Coronavirus-fuelled racism adds to Haitians' plight in Chile - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 5-7-20
Haitians in Chile - the largest migrant community in Latin America - are underpaid and often live in dire conditions.
Ch. 5: What Does Haiti Actually Need? Part 1 - What Next - Air Date 8-25-21
The compounding crises in Haiti aren’t a product of bad luck. They are the result of hundreds of years of international interference and poorly-designed aid programs.
Ch. 6: Haiti Needs a New Narrative - On the Media - Air Date 8-4-21
In the wake of the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse on July 7th, international media rushed to cover Haiti’s latest political crisis—painting a familiar picture of a nation in turmoil, Haitians in need.
Ch. 7: What Does Haiti Actually Need? Part 2 - What Next - Air Date 8-25-21
The compounding crises in Haiti aren’t a product of bad luck. They are the result of hundreds of years of international interference and poorly-designed aid programs.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Haiti and International Aid - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 8-23-21
After a 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti’s southwestern region, many of us were left wondering -- what does it mean to best support Haiti through disaster? And if the global community has donated so much humanitarian aid, why does it keep happening?
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on viral images from the border and why truth is at a structural disadvantage
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 9/25/2021
Today we take a look at the continuing efforts of Trump and his supporters to subvert and ultimately destroy democracy through conspiracy theories, gerrymandering and harassment campaigns
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SHOW NOTES
Donald Trump sends a delusional letter to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger requesting Trump be declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election in the state
Analysis of the CA recall as a giant waste of time and money
Ch. 3: Agents of White Supremacy - In The Thick - Air Date 9-17-21
Nathalie Baptiste writes about the flaws of California’s recall election process in this piece for Mother Jones.
Tonight's guests are Charles Stewart III, professor of political science at M.I.T.; and Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University.
Sam Seder discusses gerrymandering with David Daley.
Mary Trump explains why so many Americans are still in deep denial about Donald Trump’s enduring power and his ability to cause destruction and other harm to American society and the world.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Redistricting Battle Heats Up Across the U.S. - The Takeaway - Air Date 9-21-21
Ari Berman, senior reporter at Mother Jones, joined The Takeaway to talk redistricting and gerrymandering around the country, as well as the districts and states to watch in the coming months.
Ch. 8: How Will the Ongoing Trump Coup End - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 8-5-21
Trump's slow coup is setting off a nuclear bomb at the heart of our Republic, but the scariest part no one knows if Democracy will survive?
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Safe, legal, and rare bullshit - Alyson from Boulder, CO
Ch. 10: 9/11 and inevitable slide/leap into wars - Maureen from Boston
Ch. 11: The war prayer - Maureen from Boston
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on how to avoid conspiratorial thinking
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A group of middle-aged and older men stand under a hand-written protest sign that says "Stop the Steal", some wearing camouflage, some wearing masks, all wearing varying baseball caps. Location: Minnesota State Capitol.
Credit: "Stop the Steal" by Chad Davis, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 9/21/2021
Today we take a look at the parallel legacies of 9/11 including the war on terror and military spending, the casual acceptance of Islamophobia, the adoption of ever-wilder conspiracy theories, and the acceleration of the political divide in America culminating, so far, in the January 6th Insurrection.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: 9/11: A Story in Three Parts. - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 9-10-21
We were tempted to let the 20th anniversary of 9/11 pass given it will be oversaturated with remembrances and armchair punditry as well as the usual tragedy porn imagery.
Ch. 2: Endless militarization has bled US society dry - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 9-14-21
It’s been 20 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Since then, the US has channeled an unfathomable amount of its resources into the military-industrial complex.
According to the Costs of War Project, the wars launched by the United States following 9/11 have killed an estimated 929,000 people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere.
Ch. 4: 20 Years Later: How 9/11 Changed Being Muslim in America - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-10-21
Rowaida Abdelaziz, national reporter for HuffPost where she focuses on immigration, Islamophobia, and social justice issues, joins to discuss how being Muslim in the United States changed after the September 11th attacks.
Ch. 5: 20 Years Since 9/11, 20 Years of Conspiracy Theories - Doomed - Air Date 9-10-21
Matt looks at the conspiracies, hoaxes, and urban legends that surround the day and the Bush administration.
Ch. 6: The road from 9/11 to Donald Trump - Vox Conversations - Air Date 9-12-21
Sean Illing talks with national security reporter Spencer Ackerman, author of the new book Reign of Terror. They discuss the staggering changes to our country in the 20 years since 9/11
Ch. 7: America, 20 years after 9/11 - World Review from the New Statesman - Air Date 9-10-21
Jeremy Cliffeand Sarah Manavis are joined by New Yorker columnist and author Evan Osnos to discuss his new book, Wildland: The Making of America’s Fury and how America has changed since the attacks on New York and Washington.
Ch. 8: The Direct Line From 9/11 to January 6th - WhoWhatWhy - Air Date 9-10-21
Award-winning journalist Spencer Ackerman examines how 9/11 opened the door to America’s worst historical impulses and led directly to Donald Trump and January 6th.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Rescue 9/11 w/ Jim Lobe and Laila Ujayli - American Prestige - Air Date 9-11-21
The boys interview Laila Ujayli, associate editor at Inkstick Media, about growing up as a young Muslim in post-9/11 America.
Congressmember Lee courageously voted no against the AUMF twenty years ago.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on Brian Williams and the campaigns we can win vs the campaigns worth winning
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The camera looks up at a young Muslim woman, wearing a black hoodie with the hood up over her black head covering, as she stands outside a glass entryway looking out into the distance. An American flag is wrapped around her shoulders.
Credit: "Protest against Donald Trump's Muslim ban" by Fibonacci Blue | License | Changes: Cropped and very slight increase in contrast, brightness and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 9/18/2021
Today we take a look at the new Texas abortion restrictions and the response from the Supreme Court along with lots of contextualizing commentary taking us back to the Fugitive Slave Act and all the way through to the strain of patriarchal White terrorism that is at the core of the current conservative movement.
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SHOW NOTES
We’ll talk with Marjorie Cohn, professor emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, former president of the National Lawyers Guild and author of, among other titles, Drones and Targeted Killing: Legal, Moral and Geopolitical Issues.
SB 8 is unconstitutional and good to go in Texas (and probably a bunch of other states too).
The most restrictive ever abortion rights laws in the U.S. went into effect in the Lone Star state. Called SB8, it bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before most people even know they’re pregnant.
Texas Republicans are creating a real life Handmaid's Tale, does Elie Mystal know how to fight it? Elie Mystal is the justice correspondent for The Nation and author of the forthcoming book, Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution.
Ch. 9: FURY - Gaslit Nation - Air Date 9-7-21
This week’s episode is devoted to the Texas state attack on reproductive rights and civil rights and its ramifications – not just for Texans, but for all Americans.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
The Jane Collective was a group that operated out of Chicago and performed thousands of abortions between 1969 and 1973. Guest Laura Kaplan, author of a book about the collective, The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 12: Theory of change; a sub-theory - Scott from Canada
Ch. 13: Paying congress less is a bad idea - Nick From California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 14: Final comments on the virtues of militaristic messaging
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Image Credit: “The Burden is Undue”
by Lorie Shaull, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, slightly enhanced contrast
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Air Date 10/09/2020
Today we take a look at the future of abortion rights and the broader reproductive justice movement in the face of a conservative super-majority on the Supreme Court
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: How The GOP Ended Up Hating Abortion - AJ+ - Air Date 8-4-19
Republicans and their base used to be more supportive of abortion rights than Democrats. Now, they’re pushing for abortion restrictions with an aim to overturn Roe v. Wade. Why did the GOP turn its back on abortion rights?
Ch. 2: Body of Law Beyond Roe - On the Media - Air Date 12-13-19
Activist and scholar Loretta Ross explains the tenets of reproductive justice and how they expand the frame beyond Roe and abortion; Reva Siegel of Yale Law School describes the framework of ProChoiceLife.
Ch. 3: Everyone Loves Someone Who Had an Abortion - National Network of Abortion Funds - Air Date 4-16-20
Access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, largely depends on where you live and how much money you have. Abortion funds are taking the hassle and harassment out of healthcare by helping people all across our network access and fund abortions.
Candidates weigh in on current abortion laws and President Donald Trump's campaign promise to shift the Supreme Court to the right.
Ch. 5: What Happens When You Restrict Abortion? - AJ+ - Air Date 10-8-19
Restricting abortion access doesn’t have the same impact on everyone. It adversely affects people of color and low-income residents more. But why and how? We traveled to the place with the largest percentage of Black residents in the U.S. to find out.
Lost abortion rights and no paid maternity or family leaves keep women from advancing at work as they take time to care for children. Abortion and family leaves are sites of the revolutionary struggle for America's personal and family life.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 7: "One Person, One Vote" is our saddest and scariest myth - Lance
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on the zombie talking point of us living in a republic rather than a democracy
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Original Air Date: 9-1-21
Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss:
- How dynastic billionaires are destroying democracy
- The mass psychosis induced by discussing mass psychosis
Reference:
You Can Have Billionaires or You Can Have Democracy
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Produced by:
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Air Date 9/11/2021
Today we dig through the archives to give deeper context to the current wave of right-wing extremists threatening violence against the government, our election system, mask and vaccine COVID measures and anyone not agreeing with their conspiratorial worldview.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Killing By Numbers: The history of April 19th and 20th - On The Media - Air Date 8-24-10
From Hitler’s birth to the killings at Waco, Columbine and Oklahoma City, each event echoes or evokes the anniversary of the last.
Ch. 2: Gun marches - The Rachel Maddow Show - Air Date 4-24-10
Reporting from 2010 on the anti-government, armed rallies in and around Washington, DC
The FBI announced Thursday that it had thwarted a plan by far-right militia members to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and charged six men in relation to the plot. The plot began as talk on social media sites.
As COVID-19 cases surge in the United States, anti-mask and anti-vaccine protests are continuing nationwide, with some turning violent. In a shocking story out of California, at least one person was stabbed and two journalists were attacked.
Radical Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn threatens "bloodshed" if elections remain "rigged"
A rundown of recent right-wing would-be Capitol Bombers.
In an extended conversation with Spencer Ackerman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning national security reporter, he examines the connection he sees between the rise of right-wing extremism in the United States and the so-called war on terror.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: How The FBI Got Inside The Hutaree Militia - All Things Considered - Air Date 4-24-10
Ch. 9: The Truth Behind The Alleged Michigan Kidnapping Case - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 7-22-21
According to the FBI, a group of men in Michigan hatched a plan to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last year. But a Buzzfeed News investigative report has revealed new details—particularly the role that FBI informants played in it.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: The downsides of term limits - Jonathan from NY
Ch. 11: Term Limits, congressional pay and corruption - Nick from California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on term limits and congressional pay
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: The U.S. Capitol building dome is outlined by a wooden gallows and a noose, which was erected on January 6th on the lawn of the Capitol by right-wing insurrectionists on January 6th, 2021.
Credit: "Gallows V" by Tyler Merbler, Flickr | License | Changes: Slightly cropped
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Air Date 9/8/2021
Today we take a look at the legacy of red-lining, the building and subsequent destruction of Black communities and the health and environmental impacts of segregation. The concept of “Structural Racism” is often a metaphor, not something physical that you can touch, but that is not the case when it comes to environmental racism.
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SHOW NOTES
We're making a deadly mistake if we don't talk about environmental justice when we discuss racism and Black liberation.
Ch. 2: Redlining & Climate Change: A Deadly Combination - News Beat - Air Date 4-27-21
Although the Fair Housing Act of 1968 banned redlining and housing discrimination in general, three out of four redlined communities rated "hazardous" 80 years ago are struggling economically today.
Guests: Catherine Flowers founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice and Amy Stelly, a designer and board member of the Urban Conservancy.
Ch. 4: Environmental Racism is Real Part 1 - Tamarindo Podcast - Air Date 6-16-21
We talk to Environmental justice lawyer Claire Woods about how black and brown communities face the brunt of many environmental justice issues, the connection to racism, and what we can do to help.
Ch. 5: Biden Promises To Grapple With Environmental Racism - Short Wave - Air Date 2-4-21
NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher talks about the history of environmental racism in the United States, and what Biden's administration can do to avoid the mistakes of the past.
Ch. 6: Environmental Racism is Real Part 2 - Tamarindo Podcast - Air Date 6-16-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Summary + reading from The Sum of Us on pollution in segregated cities
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Post-Civil War Reconstruction and the occupation of Afghanistan - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on how structural racism becomes personal racism and comparing Reconstruction with the occupation of Afghanistan
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: An official, rectangular metal sign bolted to a telephone poll displays the image of a cropped city map with a red outlined area. Below, the sign reads "Portland's Historic Redline District." Smaller text below reads "In Portland's past, 'redlining' practices created exclusionary zones for 'Negroes and Orientals' by real estate, banking and insurance companies. Agents could lose their licenses for crossing this color barrier. Now, urban gentrification displaces low-income families, as the remaining affordable housing stock in this area disappears."
Credit: "Redlining" by radcliffe dacanay, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 9/4/2021
Today we take a look at the slow motion disaster that is the worldwide refugee crisis. We start with the recent focus on Afghan refugees fleeing their country in the wake of America's 20-year war before expanding the view to American and European policies toward asylum-seekers from around the world.
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SHOW NOTES
President Joe Biden has allocated $500 million in new funds for relocating Afghan refugees following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. The U.S. had already vowed to help evacuate over 80,000 Afghan civilians
We speak with Minnesota Congressmember Ilhan Omar about her memoir “This Is What America Looks Like,” the Biden administration’s recent airstrikes in her birth country of Somalia and why the U.S. must remain a country of refuge for people fleeing war
Ch. 3: ‘Desperation And Frustration’: Rep. Omar Reacts To The Biden Refugee Cap - All In - Air Date 4-19-21
“It’s with desperation and frustration that we are speaking out against the Biden administration in their backtracking on this. We do applaud them for changing course, and we just want to make sure they follow through with clear communication.”
Ch. 4: Why seeking asylum in America is so difficult - Vox - Air Date 7-12-18
America has led the world in refugee resettlement for 15 years, but asylum cases have pushed political tempers to a tipping point.
Ch. 5: Green Thinking: Climate and Refugees - Arts & Ideas - 6-15-21
What role do museums and heritage organisations have to play in the climate emergency? How do we stop cultural and historical landmarks from falling into the sea, or is it time to learn to say goodbye?
Ch. 6: This is the worlds deadliest border - Vox - Air Date 5-14-15
Nearly 2,000 migrants have perished in the Mediterranean so far this year. Vox's Dara Lind explains why.
Ch. 7: Death toll surges as migrants try to reach Europe - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 11-27-20
There’s been a surge in the numbers of people drowning in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean as migrants from Africa try to reach Europe. Activist groups are blaming European Union policies for their deaths.
In which John Green discusses the Syrian refugee crisis and the growing number of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, and Eritrea crossing the sea with the help of smugglers to seek refuge in European Union nations.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Red State Refugees - The Documentary Podcast - Air Date 8-25-20
President Trump has dramatically reduced the numbers of refugees arriving in the United States, vowing to protect native-born Americans’ interests. But there’s a catch - some of the nation’s reddest communities may not survive without them.
Ch. 10: The Cycles of Trauma for Vietnamese Americans - In The Thick - Air Date 7-23-19
More than forty years after the Vietnam war, Vietnamese refugees are being deported under Trump's immigration policies.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: New listener - Mike from Texas
Ch. 12: Misplaced focus on Manchin - Dan from Greenville, SC
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on theories of change whether you want them or not
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Air Date 9/11/2020
Today we take a look at the easily predictable, yet growing, eviction crisis in America that is entirely thanks to a political and economic system that is structurally incapable of functioning for the benefit of people over profit.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Ali Velshi Explains The Looming Eviction Crisis - MSNBC - Air Date 7-21-20
Ali Velshi breaks down why millions of Americans could be forced out of their homes
Ch. 2: The Evictions Cliff Part 1, The Cost of Housing - Off Kilter - Air Date 7-18-20
Dan Threet of the National Low Income Housing Coalition and Jay Willis, senior contributor for The Appeal.
Ch. 3: There Is An Eviction Crisis, How Can We Fight Back? - The Michael Brooks Show - Air Date 7-11-20
There Is An Eviction Crisis, How Can We Fight Back?
Ch. 4: Heartbreaking CNN Segment Highlights Eviction Crisis - The Rational National - Air Date 9-3-20
CNN puts a face to the eviction crisis that could hit 30-40 million Americans by the end of 2020.
Tara Raghuveer, director of the campaign for a Homes Guarantee and founding director of KC Tenants.
Ch. 6: Voting Is Not Enough: Help Unhoused, Poor and Low-Income Voters Access the Ballot - Best of the Left
Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/2020Action.
Ch. 7: Elizabeth Warren Talks Pending Eviction Crisis in America - NowThis - Air Date 7-25-20
‘This coming eviction crisis is a racial justice crisis’ — Sen. Elizabeth Warren explains why the looming eviction crisis could be devastating for communities of color.
Ch. 8: Can Trump Really ‘Stop Evictions?’ - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-2-20
A Trump administration order could allow many renters to avoid eviction through Dec. 31
Ch. 9: There Is No Ethical Capitalism - The Michael Brooks Show - Air Date 9-4-20
Understanding the amorality of capitalism through a structural lens
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Thoughts on the frames through which we see the world - Naomi from Canada
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the dominant culture, national myths and the dominance of whiteness
TAKE ACTION!
Join The Poor People's Campaign's "We Must Do M.O.R.E." Effort
"We Must Do M.O.R.E" Digital Toolkit
Watch the "We Must Do M.O.R.E." Moral Monday Mass Assembly on 9/14 at 7pm ET on Facebook
National Low Income Housing Coalition: National Federal Eviction Moratorium & Toolkit
Nonprofit VOTES: Voting information pertaining to unhoused people
National Coalition for the Homeless
"You Don't Need A Home to Vote" Manual
Get involved in the "You Don't Need a Home to Vote" Project
National Housing Law Project Resources for People Facing Eviction During the Pandemic
National Homelessness Law Center 2020 Election Guide
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
How the COVID-19 housing crisis could affect voter participation (Fast Company)
Evictions Across US Raise Concerns About Voting Process (Voice of America)
How The Eviction Crisis Could Compound Voter Suppression Come November (Huffington Post)
Housing advocate on what to do if you’re being evicted: ‘You have rights’ (CNBC)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE
"IMG_0344" from Chicago Right to Recovery Caravan Rally by Ervin Lopez on Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, increased contrast, brightness and saturation
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Air Date 8/28/2021
Today we take a look at our departure from Afghanistan, how the decisions were made to leave in this fashion and what we should go going forward to prevent similar foreign escapades in the future
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Afghans Try to Flee U.S.-Caused Crisis Part 1 - The Intercept - Air Date 8-18-21
The Taliban have taken over Afghanistan, forcing the U.S.-backed Afghan government out. The Intercept Vanessa Gezari, who also reported from Afghanistan for years after the U.S. war began, breaks down the historical trajectory that led to this moment.
Ch. 2: Phyllis Bennis on Afghanistan Withdrawal - CounterSpin - Air Date 8-20-21
We’ll prepare ourselves with insights on Afghanistan from Phyllis Bennis, director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, and from Matthew Hoh, senior fellow with the Center for International Policy.
Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief, talks about the latest in national politics, including the Afghanistan withdrawal and the infrastructure and budget bills in the House.
Ch. 4: Afghans Try to Flee U.S.-Caused Crisis Part 2 - The Intercept - Air Date 8-18-21
Ch. 5: America's Failed Mission In Afghanistan Intentions & Mistakes - Fresh Air - Air Date 8-19-21
The stunning collapse of the government of Afghanistan following President Biden's decision to remove U.S. troops from the country has led to chaotic scenes in Afghanistan, including at the airport in Kabul. Guest: New Yorker' staff writer Steve Coll.
Ch. 6: When We Leave Afghanistan Tomorrow and Forever. - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 8-21-21
Today’s episode explores our national amnesia, examines the Vietnam comparison, talks about what happens when our occupations end and questions the continuation of a wartime military budget.
We look at the situation in Afghanistan, and pressure on Biden to stay longer, with CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin, who for years has called for an end to the longest war in U.S. history.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: America's Failed Mission In Afghanistan Intentions & Mistakes Part 2 - Fresh Air - Air Date 8-19-21
The death toll from twin suicide bomb attack outside the airport has topped 110 people, including 13 U.S. troops.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Term limits, revolving door and inexperience - Bud from Boise
Ch. 12: Individual, collective, ceremony and thanks - Jeff from the Mountains of California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on the ups and downs of term limits and the benefits of a ceremony mindset
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 8/25/2021
Today we take a look at the history of the war in Afghanistan. First of all, do you think that it's been going on for 20 years? Think again, it's been a lot longer than that. From British Empire Building to Cold War gamesmanship, Afghanistan has been a center of conflict since long before American citizens bothered to take notice.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Afghans Try to Flee U.S.-Caused Crisis - The Intercept - Air Date 8-18-21
The Taliban have taken over Afghanistan, forcing the U.S.-backed Afghan government out. The Intercept Vanessa Gezari, who also reported from Afghanistan for years after the U.S. war began, breaks down the historical trajectory that led to this moment.
Ch. 2: Matthew Hoh on Afghanistan Withdrawal - CounterSpin - Air Date 8-20-21
We’ll prepare ourselves with insights on Afghanistan from Phyllis Bennis, director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, and from Matthew Hoh, senior fellow with the Center for International Policy.
Michael Brooks breaks down the history of the modern military establishment.
Ch. 4: War presidents - Rachel Maddow Show
We speak with Washington Post investigative reporter Craig Whitlock, author of the new book “The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War,” which reveals how multiple U.S. presidents deceived the public about progress in the war.
Ch. 6: The Pentagon Papers Of Our Time with Craig Whitlock - On the Media - Air Date 12-20-19
Bob Garfield talks with Craig Whitlock about the Afghanistan Papers and the comparison to the Pentagon Papers.
As thousands of Afghans try to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control, we look at the roots of the longest U.S. war in history and spend the hour with Pulitzer Prize-winning national security reporter Spencer Ackerman.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: 30,000 speech - The Daily Show
President Obama channels George W. Bush in his speech announcing the deployment of an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.
We speak with Washington Post investigative reporter Craig Whitlock, author of the new book “The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War,” which reveals how multiple U.S. presidents deceived the public about progress in the war.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: No bipartisanship for now - Rich from Oregon
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on questioning a theory of change before supporting an idea
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 8/21/2021
Today we take a look at the history of bipartisanship and appeasement in the US dating back to before the Civil War and tracking it all the way up to the current negotiations over the infrastructure bill.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Unnatural Endurance of Bipartisanship Part 1 - The Politics of Everything - Air Date 3-4-21
Joe Biden ran for president promising to “revive” the spirit of bipartisanship, put an end to factional battles, and bring Americans together after an era of painful division.
Biden often speaks about bipartisanship as a cherished value that he would restore to Washington, but Ocasio-Cortez is dubious.
Ch. 3: The Unnatural Endurance of Bipartisanship Part 2 - The Politics of Everything - Air Date 3-4-21
Ch. 4: Exhaustion of Bipartisanship - In The Thick - Air Date 6-25-21
Maria and Julio discuss remarks from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the 38th annual NALEO Conference, and they get into the vice president’s visit to El Paso and the US-Mexico border.
Sam and Emma host Ari Rabin-Havt, the former Legislative Director and Chief Policy Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, to discuss the prospects of the Senate bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Ch. 6: Manchin Capitol Riots Made Me MORE Bipartisan - The Young Turks - Air Date 4-9-21
In a recent interview, Senator Joe Manchin claimed that the Capitol Riots changed him, and made him double down on bipartisanship.
Ch. 7: Why Appeasement Won't Work This Time Around - On the Media - Air Date 1-8-21
White southerners called it “redemption.” To Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, founder and executive director of the African American Policy Forum, it was a catastrophe of appeasement and an object lesson in the politics of reconciliation.
Ch. 8: Keri Leigh Merritt on the New Lost Cause - CounterSpin - Air Date 1-15-21
Historians are shaking their heads as media talk about January 6 as "unprecedented"; while shocking and dispiriting, it has layers and layers of precedent that need to be learned and engaged, if we are ever to actually have a racial reckoning.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Frances Lee on why bipartisanship is irrational - Vox Conversations - Air Date 1-21-19
For most of American history, American politics has been under one-party rule. For decades, that party was the Republican Party. Then, for decades more, it was the Democratic Party.
Ch. 10: What a More Responsible Republican Party Would Look Like - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 3-2-21
This is the modern G.O.P.: a post-policy party obsessed with symbolic fights and curiously uninterested in the actual work of governing. But does it have to be that way?
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the merits of taking liars at face value
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 8/18/2021
Today we take a look at history of white people deciding to get their way through violence and the tradition of having the government look the other way
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The KKK: History and Myth - Professor Buzzkill History Podcast - Air Date 8-24-17
Practically nothing in the history of the United States has suffered from myth-making and misunderstanding as much as the history of race relations and racist violence. The history Ku Klux Klan is no exception. This is ironic.
Ch. 2: Remembering a White Supremacist Coup - Reveal - Air Date 10-23-20
On the eve of a contentious election, Reveal looks back to the nearly forgotten election of 1898 in Wilmington, North Carolina. A coup d’etat gave birth to much of the structural racism that still plagues our nation today.
Ch. 3: Voices: Children ‘stripped of innocence’ - Cape Up - Air Date 4-11-19
A member of the Little Rock Nine and a survivor of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing both lost the illusion of safety in their young lives.
Ch. 4: Armed and Dangerous - On the Media - Air Date 9-24-20
Armed right-wingers are stoking violence in cities across the country. On this week’s On the Media, a look at the origins of the American militia movement. Plus, as things heat up, Facebook is fanning the flames.
Ch. 5: The Evolution of All-American Terrorism - Reveal - Air Date 6-27-20
The Trump years have seen an increase in domestic terrorist attacks linked by hateful ideologies that thrive online. Reveal teams up with Type Investigations to track each case and determine what the government has done to fight them.
Ch. 6: Radical Caucasian Extremism - News Beat - Air Date 1-9-21
This hugely important episode highlighted the threat posed by such extremists, even as many in the media and government engaged in Islamophobic rhetoric about Muslim Americans.
Former FBI agent Mike German says "Unfortunately their policies have actually masked how they use their domestic terrorism resources to make it harder for the Congress to understand how many of those resources are going toward white supremacist violence,"
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
The Atlantic's Adam Serwer and Mehdi discuss Carlson's history of promulgating racist rhetoric on prime time television and its real-life consequences.
Ch. 9: Southern Shame Culture & How to Fight Racism w/Jemar Tisby - The Holy Post - Air Date 1-20-21
Jemar Tisby (The Color of Compromise) rejoins Phil to discuss his new book, How to Fight Racism. Actual, real steps to be part of the solution, not part of the problem!
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Response on remix climate episode - Alan from Connecticut
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the arguments against individual climate action
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Black and white photo taken during "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, AL on March 7th 1965. A young John Lewis has fallen on the grass, lifting one hand, while a police officer stands over him wielding a billy club.
Credit: "12 - Civil Rights Movement" (low resolution). Original from the Library of Congress (via U.S. Embassy The Hague on Flickr) | License | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 8/13/2021
Today we dig through the archives to give context to the news of the 2021 IPCC report ringing the alarm bells for the climate crisis
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The IPCC's new report - @greennewsreport - Air Date 4-3-14
Ch. 2: Green News Report w/ Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen - Air Date 8-10-21
New U.N. climate report described as 'code red for humanity'; California's Dixie Fire now the largest in the U.S. and in state history; PLUS: Apocalyptic scenes from wildfires around the world demonstrate climate change is already here...
Ch. 3: Global Water Shortages Pose Threat of Terror & War - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date 02-16-14
Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman dive into a troubling UN climate report and discuss how capitalism prevents humanity from saving itself while undermining democracy.
Ch. 5: Why humans are so bad at thinking about climate change - Vox - Air Date 4-19-17
The biggest problem for the climate change fight isn’t technology – it’s human psychology.
Ch. 6: Report confirms the effect of climate change happening today, spurs action - @greennewsreport - Air Date 5-6-14
Ch. 7: When Republicans believed in climate change - @allinwithchris Hayes - Air Date 04-22-14
Geoff Mann, professor of geography at Simon Fraser University and co-author of the book, Climate Leviathan, discusses the authoritarian dangers ahead, as the world tried to cope with climate change.
Ch. 9: Climate crisis and jobs with Naomi Klein - What Comes After What Comes Next - Air Date 6-11-20
Naomi has spent two decades documenting the transformations that take place under the cover of disaster. She has also written extensively about how tackling the climate crisis can both create jobs and make the economy much fairer and more equitable.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Doug talks extreme heat with Dr. Ladd Keith, Assistant Professor in Planning and Chair of Sustainable Built Environments at the University of Arizona. Ladd and Doug discuss the media coverage of the recent pacific NW heat wave.
Ch. 11: Putting the Freeze on Global Warming - @BillMoyersHQ And Company - Air Date 4-25-14
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the benefits of taking pride in work and country
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Fire engulfs trees in a forest at night. Smoke billows in the dark sky above the flaming, skeletal black trees.
Credit: "The Rim Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest near in California began on Aug. 17, 2013 and is under investigation. The fire has consumed approximately 149, 780 acres and is 15% contained. U.S. Forest Service photo." by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 8/10/2021
Today we take a look at the mechanisms by which the legacy of White Supremacy is harmful to the health and wellbeing of individuals and society as a whole.
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SHOW NOTES
This week, author Heather McGhee breaks down the driving force of American economic exclusion via the swimming pool. Baratunde asks Heather about all she has learned traveling across the country to write her book, The Sum of Us.
Ch. 2: The Role 'Nice White Parents' Play in School Segregation - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-9-20
Chana Joffe-Walt, producer for This American Life and host of the new podcast Nice White Parents, and Dr. Rachel Lissy, senior Program Officer at Ramapo for Children, talk about investigating the relationship between white parents and segregation
Ch. 3: The NFL's Race-Norming Problem Is All Over Medicine - What Next - Air Date 6-7-21
The NFL recently announced it would stop using “race norming” when assessing who would receive a share of their recent $1 billing settlement for former players. The practice assumes Black players started with lower cognitive function.
Researchers say facial recognition software is up to 100 times more likely to misidentify people of color than white people. This week, Boston voted to end its use in the city.
Ch. 5: People Like Us, Education - Hidden Brain - Air Date 6-3-19
Generations of Americans have struggled against segregation. Most of us believe in the ideal of a colorblind society. But what happens when that ideal come up against research that finds colorblindness sometimes leads to worse outcomes?
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 6: Can We Finally End School Segregation? - The New Yorker Radio Hour - Air Date 5-21-21
By many accounts, American schools are as segregated today as they were in the nineteen-sixties, in the years after Brown v. Board of Education. WNYC’s podcast “The United States of Anxiety” chronicled the efforts of one small school district.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 7: Patriotism and the culture wars - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on the nature of airing dirty laundry
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Color photograph of a corner of an old public pool that has been filled in. Where there was once water is now green grass. The railing of a metal ladder is still intact, but a weed grows around its base. Blue square tiles still edge the concrete corner.
Photo Credit: "The Memorial Pool in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, MD, by artist Joyce J. Scott" by Graham Coreil-Allen (Pool/Park History) | License | Changes: Slightly cropped
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Air Date 9/13/2019
Today we take a look at the history and the process of the building of an American empire that currently spans the globe but allows as few people of color to vote as possible.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Daniel Immerwahr: Empire State of Mind Part 1 - On the Media - Air Date 8-22-19
The history of US imperialism — and why the familiar US map hides the true story of our country. With Northwestern University historian Daniel Immerwahr, author of How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States.
Ch. 2: Doctrine of Christian Discovery - Let’s Talk Native - Air Date 3-18-19
I learned that most educators know nothing about the Doctrine of Christian Discovery. How can you teach about colonization, slavery, the American genocide, Westward expansion or imperialism without teaching the origins of it all?
Ch. 3: Harvest of Empire Part 1 - Making Contact - Air Date 6-25-19
It's not just jobs and prosperity that draw immigrants to the United States. Many Latin American’s were brought here, or forced to come by dangerous or deadly conditions. And the US often had a role in creating those crises.
Journalist Todd Miller (@memomiller) joins Sam to discuss his new book, "Empire of Borders: The Expansion of the U.S. Border Around the World."
Ch. 5: Harvest of Empire Part 2 - Making Contact - Air Date 6-25-19
It's not just jobs and prosperity that draw immigrants to the United States. Many Latin American’s were brought here, or forced to come by dangerous or deadly conditions. And the US often had a role in creating those crises.
Ch. 6: Daniel Immerwahr: Empire State of Mind Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 8-22-19
The history of US imperialism — and why the familiar US map hides the true story of our country. With Northwestern University historian Daniel Immerwahr, author of How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States.
Ch. 7: Blood, lies and the American empire - This is hell - Air Date 5-13-19
Black Agenda Report's Danny Haiphong traces a 300 year history of fake news in America. Danny is author of the book American Exceptionalism and American Innocence: A People's History of Fake News—From the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 8: Gun responsibility vs naked evil - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on this weeks topics poll
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 7/10/2020
Today we take a look at the origins and legacy of Manifest Destiny, the historical term most closely tied to our most toxic version of nostalgia: the one longing for America's golden age of genocide
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Intro contemplating conservative thinking applied to genocide
Native American historian Nick Estes explains the crimes against Indigenous people committed by the four presidents whose faces are carved into Mount Rushmore.
Ch. 3: The Interest of the White Man demands their extinction - @BackStory - Air Date: 01-19-18
Ed talks with historian Benjamin Madley about the devastating impact of the Gold Rush on California’s native tribes – and how both government officials and everyday citizens justified enslaving and killing native peoples.
Ch. 4: Doctrine of Christian Discovery Part 1 - Let’s Talk Native - Air Date 3-18-19
I learned that most educators know nothing about the Doctrine of Christian Discovery. How can you teach about colonization, slavery, the American genocide, Westward expansion or imperialism without teaching the origins of it all?
Native American historian Nick Estes explains the crimes against Indigenous people committed by the four presidents whose faces are carved into Mount Rushmore.
Ch. 6: Doctrine of Christian Discovery Part 2 - Let’s Talk Native - Air Date 3-18-19
I learned that most educators know nothing about the Doctrine of Christian Discovery. How can you teach about colonization, slavery, the American genocide, Westward expansion or imperialism without teaching the origins of it all?
Ch. 7: Paul Frymer on the building of an American empire - The Dig from @jacobinmag - Air Date 1-30-18
We are living on land from which indigenous people, over hundreds of years, have been violently removed. Almost everyone knows this — yet it’s rarely mentioned in stories that Americans tell themselves about who we are as a country and how we got here.
Native American historian Nick Estes explains the crimes against Indigenous people committed by the four presidents whose faces are carved into Mount Rushmore.
Ch. 9: Understanding the origins of scalp hunting and "redskins" - Empire Files - Air Date 11-25-15
Abby Martin interviews Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, renowned indigenous scholar and activist, about her most recent book "An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States."
We call up brilliant scholar Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz to dig into her work, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the pain caused by the breaking of your shell of understanding
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Air Date 8/1/2021
Today we take a look at the anti-government protests in Cuba in the context of decades of anti-communist propaganda in the US and our punishing embargo intended to destabilize Cuba to the point of governmental collapse.
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We go to Havana, Cuba, to look at what is behind protests that brought thousands of people into the streets of Havana and other cities in rare anti-government protests denouncing the island’s economic crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The restrictions put in place by Trump Admin rollback of Obama admin's policies toward Cuba have created significant restrictions that are in the way of providing aid. Emma's suggestion is simple: Circumvent those restrictions immediately.
Ch. 3: The Protests in Cuba Part 1 - Past Present - Air Date 7-20-21
In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the mass protests in Cuba.
Ch. 4: What is McCarthyism And how did it happen - TED-ED - Air Date 3-14-17
In the 1950s, part of a campaign to expose suspected Communists, thousands of individuals were aggressively investigated and questioned by government panels. Named after its most notorious practitioner, the phenomenon known as McCarthyism destroyed lives.
Ch. 5: A New Red Scare Is Coming - Second Thought - Air Date 7-9-21
If you thought McCarthyism was gone...well, no such luck. In this episode, we'll discuss the US' newest wave of reactionary, anti-communist rhetoric and legislation.
Ch. 6: The Protests in Cuba Part 2 - Past Present - Air Date 7-20-21
In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the mass protests in Cuba.
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Ch. 8: Investigating Democracy - Now & Then - Air Date 6-8-21
On the second episode of Now & Then, “Investigating Democracy,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss the history of congressional commissions. We discuss the 1954 back-and-forth between Senator Joseph McCarthy and the Army.
We go to Havana, Cuba, to look at what is behind protests that brought thousands of people into the streets of Havana and other cities in rare anti-government protests denouncing the island’s economic crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Abortion terminology - William in Charlottesville, Virginia
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the terms we use to explain our support of abortion rights
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Air Date 7/28/2021
Today we take a look at the legacy of residential schools for native children in the US and Canada. We hear some of the voices of victims, from those looking to establish truth and reconciliation and some thoughts on what it would really take to get a full accounting of this genocide and its impact through generations.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Boarding School Healing - Native American Rights Fund - Air Date 1-25-17
The Native American Rights Fund is pursuing strategies to support the healing of boarding school survivors; Native American children, families, and communities; and tribal nations.
Ch. 2: Stealing Children to Steal the Land - Intercepted - Air Date 6-16-21
The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation uncovered a mass grave of 215 children on the grounds of a former residential school in British Columbia, Canada. Naomi Klein discusses the relationship between stolen children and stolen land.
Ch. 3: How the US stole thousands of Native American children - Vox - Air Date 10-14-19
The long and brutal history of the US trying to “kill the Indian and save the man”.
Ch. 4: What We Inherit - Code Switch - Air Date 6-5-18
On this episode, the story of one family's struggle to end a toxic cycle of inter-generational trauma from forced assimilation. Getting back to their Native Alaskan cultural traditions is key.
Like Canada, America has a painful history of creating boarding schools to assimilate Native American children, leading to trauma, abuse and death. For more than 150 years Indigenous children were taken from their families and forced into boarding schools
Ch. 6: No Apologies, Land Back - The Red Nation Podcast - Air Date 7-5-21
Red Power Hour is back! The Red Nation podcast host Nick Estes (@nickwestes) joins RPH co-hosts Elena Ortiz (@spiritofpopay) and Melanie Yazzie to discuss justice for boarding and residential schools.
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The recent discovery of 215 bodies at the Kamloops Residential School in British Columbia, Canada surprised everyone except Native people. For several decades survivors of these genocidal institutions have told stories of the abuse, neglect and violence
Ch. 8: Unapologetically Indigenous w/ Sarah Pierce and Amy Sazue - Future Hindsight - Air Date 2-25-21
Championing Indigenous students to be successful in school systems starts with school curriculums – telling the accurate history of the United States – and leadership that represents the Indigenous Americans they serve.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition and patriotism
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Air Date 7/24/2021
Today we take a look at the messaging wars over abortion and reproductive justice more broadly as well as the politics of supporting full abortion rights and the likely restrictions coming at the hands of the Supreme Court.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Changing the Way We Talk About Abortion Part 1 - Ordinary Equality - Air Date 4-7-21
How do we dismantle the anti-choice movement? We’re talking through what needs to change on our side, and how we can unify our message towards the anti-abortion crowd. Strap in, folks-- it’s the grand finale.
The Supreme Court is set to review a MS law banning abortion after 15 weeks that intends to challenge Roe v. Wade, raising concern for advocates about how reproductive rights can be preserved without the landmark ruling. Kathryn Kolbert and Julie Kay.
Ch. 3: Changing the Way We Talk About Abortion Part 2 - Ordinary Equality - Air Date 4-7-21
Ch. 4: Does Roe v. Wade Stand A Chance Part 1 - Whats Next - Air Date 5-26-21
The fight over abortion access is far from settled.
Ch. 5: Preston Mitchum on Roe and Reproductive Justice - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-21-21
We’ll talk about the Supreme Court’s potential overturning of Roe v. Wade with Preston Mitchum, director of policy at URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, and adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center.
Ch. 6: Changing the Way We Talk About Abortion Part 3 - Ordinary Equality - Air Date 4-7-21
Ch. 7: Does Roe v. Wade Stand A Chance Part 2 - Whats Next - Air Date 5-26-21
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Ch. 8: This City Wants Your Racist Uncle to Enforce Their Abortion Ban - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-10-21
Lubbock, Texas, passed a “sanctuary city for the unborn” ordinance, a so-called heartbeat ban that would ban abortion at around six weeks. The ban would allow anyone to sue to enforce the ban—and not just anyone in Lubbock or Texas, anyone in the country.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Consequences of Everyday Racism - Alan from Connecticut
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the Podcast Awards
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Activists of varying ages standing on the side of a road hold up a red canvas banner that says "Abortion on Demand and Without Apology" in bold black letters.
"Abortion on Demand and Without Apology" by Debra Sweet, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, enhanced saturation and contrast, extended the road for formatting purposes
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Air Date 2/4/2020
Today we take a look at the past, present and future of behavior modification from worms to pigeons to prisoners, and finally, internet users.
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SHOW NOTES
Kai and Amanda talk with several experts about how humans are persuaded and the modern psychology of persuasion.
Ch. 2: Team Human with Douglas Rushkoff Part 1 - You Are Not So Smart - Air Date 1-13-19
Douglas Rushkoff explains why we should revolt against the algorithms so we can get back to our essential human messiness.
Ch. 3: Yuval Noah Harari and Tristan Harris - Wired Magazine - Air Date 12-3-18
Discussing the unsettling fact that humans have far less agency over their thoughts and actions as we desperately want to believe
Ch. 4: Team Human with Douglas Rushkoff Part 2 - You Are Not So Smart - Air Date 1-13-19
Douglas Rushkoff explains why we should revolt against the algorithms so we can get back to our essential human messiness.
Kai and Amanda talk with several experts about how humans are persuaded and the modern psychology of persuasion.
Ch. 6: Team Human with Douglas Rushkoff Part 3 - You Are Not So Smart - Air Date 1-13-19
Douglas Rushkoff explains why we should revolt against the algorithms so we can get back to our essential human messiness.
Ch. 7: Buying Attention - Hidden Brain - Air Date 1-1-18
In the internet age, viral stories and fake news have grown more powerful - algorithms give us exactly what pushes our buttons, and gave Trump his power.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 8: Iowa caucus - Alan from Connecticut
Ch. 9: The positive uses of anger - Chris from San Diego
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on my neoliberal nightmare of a day
Limerick of the day from @Limerick_News
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Air Date: 7-2-21
Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss:
- Why the right wing, and many others, fetishize native tribes in the US
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References:
VOA News: Going 'Native': Why Are Americans Hijacking Cherokee Identity?
https://www.voanews.com/usa/going-native-why-are-americans-hijacking-cherokee-identity
HuffPost: Why White Americans Love To Claim Native Ancestry
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/opinion-warren-cherokee-dna_n_5bc63a69e4b0a8f17ee6ba9a
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Air Date 7/13/2021
Today we take a look at the costs of the Olympic Games including financial, ethical, moral and social. Private profits come at the hands of public investment, disruption of communities, curtailing of rights and, this year, extensive health risks.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: How The Olympics Became So Expensive For Host Cities - CNBC - Air Date 6-21-21
Cities incurring overrun costs when hosting the Olympics is not just unique to just Rio; according to the Council on Foreign Relations, since 1960, every Olympics saw high overrun costs. As overrun costs become a growing concern, several cities withdrew
Ch. 2: The 2020* Olympics - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-18-21
*Are being held this summer in Tokyo. And it’s a mess.
It's a scam to extract resources from local governments in hopes they can "win" corporate cash, headquarters, facilities, and, of course, the promise of "jobs". Cities around the world debase themselves to compete for the "honor" of hosting the Olmpics.
Jules Boykoff, Pacific University professor of politics and government, former US Olympian and author of NOlympians: Inside the Fight Against Capitalist Mega-Sports in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Beyond, discusses the Olympics industrial complex.
In a development that shocked and saddened fans of track and field, and the Olympics, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Friday morning that Richardson had accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for cannabis.
Runner Sha'Carri Richardson was not named to the U.S. relay team and will officially not compete in the Tokyo Olympics following her positive test result for marijuana.
Ch. 7: Olympic Athletes Not Allowed To Protest - TYT Sports - Air Date 4-30-21
Athletes are being warned about protesting at the 2021 Olympics. Rick Strom breaks it down.
Ch. 8: Anne Orchier of NOlympics LA on Tokyo 2020 Olympic Opposition - Burn It All Down - Air Date 7-8-21
Lindsay Gibbs interviews Anne Orchier of NOlympics LA about opposition to the Toyko 2020 Olympics from on-the-ground organizers in Japan, which is largely led by unhoused people and those who will be displaced by the games.
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Ch. 9: Olympic racism is being exposed - By Any Means Necessary - Air Date 7-6-21
The racist and transphobic history behind disqualification of Olympic women runners due to “naturally high testosterone” levels, as Nambian sprinters Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi are kept from competing in the Tokyo Olympics.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Names - Alyson from Boulder, CO
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on why we all, including Sha'Carri Richardson, are victims of White Supremacy
Bonus: The Racist Origins of Marijuana Prohibition - Business Insider - Air Date 3-1-18
How did marijuana become illegal in the first place? As it turns out, it has some roots in racist rhetoric pushed by politicians and the media in the 1930s, when it first became illegal.
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Air Date 8/12/2020
Today we take a look at Restorative Justice as an antidote to a wide range of injustices we face, from mass incarceration to having a toddler throw a cheerio at your forehead and much of what lies in between.
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SHOW NOTES
Prison abolitionist Mariame Kaba wants us to explore some truly radical notions. Hear her dismantle what she calls the current "criminal punishment system" and instead employ the ideology of restorative justice.
Ch. 2: The transformative power of restorative justice Part 1 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-18-20
Studies show restorative justice programs leave survivors more satisfied, cut recidivism rates, and cost less. sujatha baliga is the director of the Restorative Justice Project at Impact Justice.
Prison abolitionist Mariame Kaba wants us to explore some truly radical notions. Hear her dismantle what she calls the current "criminal punishment system" and instead employ the ideology of restorative justice.
Bob discusses the problems with prisons and the alternatives to mass incarceration with Danielle Sered
Ch. 5: The transformative power of restorative justice Part 2 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-18-20
Studies show restorative justice programs leave survivors more satisfied, cut recidivism rates, and cost less. sujatha baliga is the director of the Restorative Justice Project at Impact Justice.
Bob discusses the problems with prisons and the alternatives to mass incarceration with Danielle Sered
Danielle discusses the alternative options to a violent prison system with community interactions over punishment.
When people feel responsible and connected it really changes their lives. Restorative justice works in schools. Our system is a goliath, but we are a million sparks to break it down.
Ch. 9: The transformative power of restorative justice Part 3 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-18-20
Studies show restorative justice programs leave survivors more satisfied, cut recidivism rates, and cost less. sujatha baliga is the director of the Restorative Justice Project at Impact Justice.
Bob discusses the problems with prisons and the alternatives to mass incarceration with Danielle Sered
What does restorative justice look like? Community-driven repair, making sure the victims and perpetrators work together, rather than punishing both parties.
Bob discusses the problems with prisons and the alternatives to mass incarceration with Danielle Sered
Ch. 13: The transformative power of restorative justice Part 4 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-18-20
Studies show restorative justice programs leave survivors more satisfied, cut recidivism rates, and cost less. sujatha baliga is the director of the Restorative Justice Project at Impact Justice.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 14: Even the clip out of context gave enough context - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 15: Final comments on the one thing I know about all of your friends
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Air Date 7/6/2021
Today we take a look at the talking points and policy pushes that have kept wages in America artificially low for decades. The circumstances today are almost entirely new with unprecedented, COVID-related upheaval shocking the economy and labor market but the tactics used the demean workers and undermine their rights are as old as the hills.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Michael Hiltzik on No One Wants to Work! Part 1 - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-14-21
Data doesn’t support a connection between unemployment benefits and difficulty in hiring is beside the point. That work “ethic” equals the willingness to work in whatever conditions at whatever wage is an unchallenged with Michael Hiltzik.
Industry lobbying groups constantly whine about "labor shortages," knowing the media will mindlessly repeat these claims without any skepticism as to why they're reporting the exact same "labor shortages" each year for 40 years. Guest CEPR's Kevin Cashman
Ch. 3: Why Do We Work So Damn Much - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-29-21
This is a conversation with James Suzman about the past, present and future of humanity’s relationship to work and to want.
Ch. 4: Michael Hiltzik on No One Wants to Work! Part 2 - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-14-21
Data doesn’t support a connection between unemployment benefits and difficulty in hiring is beside the point. That work “ethic” equals the willingness to work in whatever conditions at whatever wage is an unchallenged with Michael Hiltzik.
Larry Mishel and Josh Bivens, explain how their work reveals that massive upward redistribution of income our nation has suffered these past four decades can largely be attributed to policies intentionally designed to suppress wages of American workers.
An important part of a counter-narrative is provided by worker co-operatives: the way they treat workers, and productivity, and the balance of worker health and company success, in a pandemic and every day. Today we speak with Jaisal Noor.
Ch. 7: Insurgent Working Class and Organization - Economic Updates with Richard D. Wolff - Air Date 6-17-21
Wolff is joined by Professor Manny Ness to discuss worker insurgencies and political organizations in the global South today.
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Ch. 10: Why Do We Work So Damn Much Part 2 - The Ezra Klein Show - Air Date 6-29-21
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Blog renaissance - Dave from Olympia, WA
Ch. 12: On the etiquette of difficult names - Bud from Boise
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on the etiquette of difficult names
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE: Description: Close up photograph of a tip jar on a counter. A handwritten sign taped to the jar says "Tips are how we make a living wage! xoxo".
Credit: "Tips are how we make a living wage" by Tony Webster, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped and enhanced brightness and contrast
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Air Date: 6-17-21
Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss:
- Exploitation of the poor carefully explained away
- Increasing wealth of the ungodly wealthy raucously celebrated
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Air Date 6/29/2021
Today we take a look at racism on a more personal level than usual with a focus on individual lived experiences that still speak to the systemic nature racism more broadly.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: What kind of Asian are you? - Helpmefindyourparents - Air Date 5-23-13
In this video, What Kind of Asian are you? Scott plays a friendly jogger who is very interested in guessing the heritage of Stella.
In today's episode, we're discussing forever wars, never-ending police violence, and vaccines. Wow, you guys, it's a lot.
Ch. 3: The Struggles Of Being An Asian American - Refinery29 - Air Date 5-31-18
In honor of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, we wanted to close out this time with a discussion on what it means to grow up Asian American. We speak with several women who share their experiences and wisdom gained from it.
Police murder is so constant and consuming forcing us to find ways to mitigate the trauma response in our own bodies. one unfortunate way we do that is to pretend there is something the person could have done that would have kept them from being killed.
Ch. 5: 'Where We Come From': By Any Other Name - Code Switch - Air Date 6-26-21
Anyone with a name that isn't super common in the United States will tell you that the simple act of introducing yourself can lead to a whole interrogation: Where are you from? What does your name mean? Help me pronounce it using words I understand!
Ch. 6: Is Racism Making People Sick - Glad You Asked - Air Date 4-3-21
After the events of 2020, we are no strangers to stress and anxiety. But for Black and brown Americans, that stress was nothing new. Racial health gaps have always existed within the medical system.
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Ch. 7: People Like Us - Hidden Brain - Air Date 6-3-19
Generations of Americans have struggled against segregation. Most of us believe in the ideal of a colorblind society. But what happens when that ideal come up against research that finds colorblindness sometimes leads to worse outcomes?
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on removing the hyphen from hyphenated Americans
Article: Drop the Hyphen in Asian American - Conscious Style Guide
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Air Date 6/26/2021
Today we take a look at the mainstreaming of Pride in recent decades and what that is doing to the liberatory origins of the Pride movement. Corporatization and "pink washing" highlight the wide-but-shallow support for LGBTQ liberation while debate over inclusion of LGBTQ police marching in uniform highlight the remaining oppressions that are still ignored by large swaths of the more mainstream-friendly LGBTQ community.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Are Corporations Taking Advantage of Pride - Hysteria - Air Date 6-17-21
Tien Tran and Shaniqua McClendon stop by to discuss cause marketing and why pride is feeling more pink washed than year’s past. Finally, why Batman is actually the worst boyfriend...in Sanity Corner.
Ch. 2: Pride - PFLAG National What Makes Pride - Air Date 6-1-21
Viewers get to know two BIPOC Pride organizations and their organizers: Jay Walker, Co-Founder of Reclaim Pride Coalition, and Taylor Alxndr, Executive Director of Southern Fried Queer Pride.
Ch. 3: The History of LGBTQ+ Pride Part 1 - Past Present - Air Date 6-15-21
In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of LGBTQ+ Pride.
Ch. 4: Kink, Cops And Corporations At Pride - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 6-4-21
When Pride comes around every June, the same arguments start up again— should there be kink, cops and corporations at Pride? And who is Pride for? Sam talks to writer and author Roxane Gay.
Ch. 5: The History of LGBTQ+ Pride Part 2 - Past Present - Air Date 6-15-21
Ch. 6: The Status of Laws and Policies Targeting the Transgender Community - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-1-21
Across the country, state legislators have introduced bills that target members of the transgender community.
Ch. 7: Chasten Buttigieg Blasts Hypocrisy Of RNC Chair, Stresses The Equality Act - MSNBC - Air Date 6-9-21
Chasten Buttigieg blasts the RNC chairwoman for claiming her party is supportive of LGBTQ Americans
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Ch. 8: Progress on voting rights, filibuster, SCOTUS upholds Obamacare - The BradCast - Air Date 6-17-21
The Republicans' stolen-and-packed Supreme Court approved discrimination against same-sex couples by a Philadelphia foster care group, but LGBTQ advocacy groups say the very narrow ruling could have been much worse.
Ch. 9: Pride 2021 has set a record in anti-trans bills in America - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 6-6-21
Ivette Feliciano spoke with Chase Strangio, Deputy Director for Transgender Justice for the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project, about this record setting year in state legislation aimed at the transgender community.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: American Rescue Plan, Equality Payment - Rich
Ch. 11: Curation - Amy
Ch. 12: Corporatocracy - Christian
Ch. 13: Pumping up Twitter - Alan from Connecticut
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 14: Final comments on @WhoWroteBetter on Twitter (https://twitter.com/WhoWroteBetter)
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Air Date 6/23/2021
Today we take a look at the purposeful effort to erase the history of anti-Black terrorism in America and the renewed efforts expose our true history in order to learn from it and create the opportunity for healing.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The massacre of Tulsa's "Black Wall Street" - Vox - Air Date 2-27-19
100 years ago, a white mob destroyed an American neighborhood called “Black Wall Street,” murdering an estimated 300 people in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Ch. 2: Joseph Torres on Media & Tulsa Massacre - CounterSpin - Air Date 6-4-21
Janine Jackson interviewed Free Press’s Joseph Torres about media and the Tulsa Massacre for the June 4, 2021, episode of CounterSpin.
Ch. 3: Blood on Black Wall Street - Excavating the Past - Into America - Air Date 6-3-21
100 years ago this week, a white mob burned down Tulsa's Greenwood District, a bustling business district. For decades, the government refused to acknowledge the Tulsa Race Massacre ever happened.
Ch. 4: The Tulsa massacre, 100 years later - Today, Explained - Air Date 6-1-21
It was one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American history, but for a long time very few Americans learned what happened to the Black residents of the Greenwood district in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
As President Biden signs legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday to mark the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation we speak to the writer Clint Smith
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Al talks to Michael Harriot, Senior writer at The Root online newspaper
Sam and Emma host author Clint Smith, staff writer at the Atlantic, to discuss his new book, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America on how the legacy of slavery has been passed down and obscured through generations
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 8: University athletics - Alyson from Boulder, CO
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on Deadline for Democracy marches and Harriet Tubman's lifespan
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Historic, black and white photograph of the aftermath of the Greenwood Massacre (Tulsa, OK). A man in overalls and a hat walks through rubble, his face in silhouette. All around him is destruction, downed power lines, and the remnants of building facades.
Credit: "Greenwood Massacre", Flickr | License | Changes: cropped
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Air Date 6/19/2021
Today we take a look at the politics of obstruction in service to big donors' interests while sacrificing the ability to run a functioning democracy in the process.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: West Virginia's Robyn Kincaid on the maddening Joe Manchin - The BradCast - Air Date 6-9-21
Robyn Kincaid explains the mysteries of Manchin, the history of his family's political dynasty in the state, and key factors that may be at work in Manchin's inexplicable obstruction of Biden and the Democrats' agenda.
Ch. 2: How Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out w/ Aída Chávez - Start Making Sense - Air Date 3-31-21
The political transformation of Kyrsten Sinema, the new senator from Arizona: She’s one of the two most conservative Democrats in the Senate—but Aida Chavez explains that she started out to the left of the Party.
Breaking down the conflict-averse nature of the Democratic Party.
Ch. 4: Breaking Down President Biden's $6 Trillion 2022 Budget - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-28-21
The president's budget attempts to incorporate plans on infrastructure, housing, and healthcare, and is likely to receive conservative backlash for raising the federal deficit.
Ch. 5: What Does Joe Manchin Want? John Nichols on Filibuster Reform - Start Making Sense - Air Date 6-9-21
Congressional action could block voter law changes—but that requires filibuster reform, and Joe Manchin says he won’t vote for filibuster reform. What does Joe Manchin want? John Nichols comments.
Ch. 6: Joe Manchin Gets Candid With Billionaire Donors in Leaked Audio - Deconstructed - Air Date 6-16-21
Sen. Joe Manchin reveals his thoughts on the filibuster in a leaked Zoom call with fundraisers.
Ch. 7: Does America Have a Chance At Democracy? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-12-21
When a political party is more obsessed with identity than issues - America is in trouble. Can America function as a multi-racial, ethnic, religious democracy?
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: How Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out w/ Aída Chávez Part 2 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 3-31-21
The political transformation of Kyrsten Sinema, the new senator from Arizona: She’s one of the two most conservative Democrats in the Senate—but Aida Chavez explains that she started out to the left of the Party.
Explaining Manchin's love of being the center of attention and those who love to use him as a shield against criticism
BONUS
Ch. 10: Curation Lesson #4
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on Bo Burnham's "Inside"
TAKE ACTION!
June 21st in D.C. & Virtual: Poor People's Campaign: March to Demand a 3rd Reconstruction | TW: @UniteThePoor
Pressure Manchin & Sinema via No Excuses PAC | TW: NoExcuses_PAC
Pressure Manchin via West Virginia Can’t Wait |TW: @WVCantWait
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Composite image. Photo of Sen. Kristen Sinema (D-AZ) on the left and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on the right. More than half of their images are overlaid with red, the rest with blue. A vector image of the U.S. Capitol is in the foreground, a rope is coiled around the dome being pulled at each end out of view.
Credit: Composite image designed by Amanda Hoffman
Image 1: "Kyrsten Sinema" by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with overlays
Image 2: "FAA REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION" by Senate Democrats, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped with overlays
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Do you feel valued by your health insurance company? Because they are definitely working to extract as much value out of you as they can.
Air Date: 6-4-21 Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss: - The native residential schools
- Broken health insurance exchanges
- Health insurance company meddling
- Health insurance companies using surveillance capitalism
- Feeble efforts to resist commodification
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 6/12/2021
Today we take a look at the politics of sports including racism, sexism, capitalism, media and mental health. So, pretty much just like regular politics but with the one group of rich people who society broadly thinks don't have a right to be heard.
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SHOW NOTES
Professional sports are never more than an inch away from the deepest core of what's happening in America. They are an amazing crucible of politics and culture that manage to reflect the issues we are working through as a country.
On this episode, we parse the racist, anti-labor characterization of athletes in media, how they are both scary threatening men and tiny children who shouldn't be paid and breakdown how this topic has cultural implications to other labor struggles.
Ch. 3: Absurdly Racist NFL Scandal EXPOSED In New Pledge - The Damage Report - Air Date 6-3-21
The NFL pledged to halt the use of “race-norming”. John Iadarola and Dr. Rashad Richey break it down on The Damage Report.
Jackie MacMullan made an inexcusable comment to Kyrie Irving. Rick Strom breaks it down.
Ch. 5: Why College Athletes Don't Get Paid - Vice News - Air Date 12-29-19
College sports have become a multi-billion dollar industry, but the NCAA's regulations prohibit amateur athletes from profiting off their abilities to go pro. But a new lawsuit could completely uped the NCAA and the college athletic business model.
Ch. 6: Hope Solo Wants Soccer Justice - Edge of Sports - Air Date 5-24-21
This week we speak to legendary goalkeeper Hope Solo about her 20 year career in USA Soccer and what she would do if she was in charge of the Federation. We get into issues concerning equal pay and the pushback.
Ch. 7: Naomi Osaka, Athletes, and Mental Health - Past Present - Air Date 6-8-21
In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the controversy over tennis champion Naomi Osaka’s decision not to participate in post-match press conferences.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Sole By The Pound: Sonny Vaccaro on NCAA Sham Amateurism - Edge of Sports - Air Date 11-30-16
Today we speak to the most influential person in basketball who never laced up sneakers or coached on a sideline: former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro – the guy who connected sneaker money to so-called amateur hoops.
Ch. 9: Megan Rapinoe - The Old Man and the Three with JJ Redick and Tommy Alter - Air Date 11-25-20
As a soccer superstar, Megan Rapinoe is beloved and admired worldwide. But as her millions of fans know, it's not just because of what she does on the pitch. A well known activist, she has been outspoken and a leading voice on several topics
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Critical Race Theory and objective facts - Christian from Arkansas
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the future continued breakdown of shared realities
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Cropped photo of four, African American, San Francisco 49ers football players kneeling on the side lines before a game during the national anthem, two with hands over their hearts. Other people of various races stand around them, one woman looks over at the kneeling players.
Credit: "San Francisco 49ers National Anthem Kneeling" by Keith Allison | Wikimedia Commons | License | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 6/9/2021
Today we take a look at the motivations behind legislation being introduced in statehouses around the country to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory, criminalize the right to protest and limit the right to vote. Now if only there were some theory we could look to to understand the complicated interconnectedness of these subtly racist ideas...
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SHOW NOTES
Most students in America are only taught about a handful of important Black Americans in history class. Here’s a look at why schools should teach students about race and why certain parents are opposed to that shift.
Ch. 2: Critical Race Theory - Past Present - Air Date 5-25-21
In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the current controversy over critical race theory.
Ch. 3: Elly Page on Anti-Protest Bills - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-23-21
If the Chauvin verdict is testament to the power of protest, so too are the vigorous efforts to squelch that power. Plus: Right-wing legislators target trans kids at the state level.
Ch. 4: Not Ready For That Conversation - On The Media - Air Date 4-23-21
Tami Abdollah [@latams], national correspondent for USA Today, on how Republican-controlled legislatures across the country have been introducing bills to criminalize protests — or as they put it, to stop the rioting.
Ch. 5: GOP States Are Pushing for Stricter Penalties for Protesters - The Takeaway - Air Date 4-27-21
The Takeaway spoke with Nora Benavidez, the director of U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America, and Elly Page, senior legal advisor at the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, working with the U.S. Protest Law Tracker.
Extreme voting restrictions have advanced in several Republican-led states across the U.S., including in Florida. Mother Jones reporter Ari Berman says these efforts are an extension of former President Trump’s “big lie” about voter fraud.
This “Trump grip” narrative is nonsense and it needs to stop —the Republican Party has made it crystal clear with their voter suppression efforts that they no longer believe in democracy. They are doing this because they want to.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Trey Martinez Fischer says the legislation would have “a tremendous impact” on ballot access in the state. “Just like every bad policy, Hispanics, Latinos and Asian Americans will be disproportionately impacted," "the time for a national response is now."
Ch. 9: How Corporate Media Protects Violent Cops - Carlos Maza - Air Date 6-4-20
Police departments across America have declared war on unarmed protesters. They get away with it thanks to a corporate media ecosystem that helps shield cops from criticism and discredit the people protesting police brutality.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Lesson #3 The Value Proposition
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Iconography of a person speaking into a bullhorn with an arm up and other people icons listening to represent "protesting" with a red circle with a line through it over the image.
Credit: "No protesting" by David Pursehouse | Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, enhanced contrast, saturation and brightness
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Air Date 6/6/2021
Today we take a look at the tensions building between the US and China with an emphasis on understanding the context in which China has grown from a Cold War afterthought into a force capable of challenging American hegemony.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Graham Allison: Is war between China and the US inevitable - TEDTalks - Air Date 11-20-18
Taking lessons from a historical pattern called "Thucydides's Trap," political scientist Graham Allison shows why a rising China and a dominant United States could be headed towards a violent collision no one wants.
Ch. 2: The world's great powers - Worldly - Air Date 2-18-21
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down one of the DC foreign policy world’s hottest new catchphrases: “great power competition.” It’s the idea that international politics in the 21st century will be dominated by a struggle for influence between the US & China.
Ch. 3: The Century of Humiliation w/ Carl Zha - The East is a Podcast - Air Date 6-12-20
Carl Zha is the host of the Silk and Steel podcast.
Ch. 4: Why Is China Investing Billions in Africa - NowThis World - Air Date 12-16-18
China has invested billions of dollars into the continent of Africa to build massive infrastructure projects in African countries.
Ch. 5: China's trillion dollar plan to dominate global trade - Vox - Air Date 4-5-18
It's about more than just economics.
Beijing has accused the U.S. of perpetuating a Cold War mentality as President Joe Biden and senior administration officials shore up alliances in the Pacific region to counter China’s growing influence
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Industrial Policy: How the Green New Deal's Architects Would Do IP - ChinaTalk - Air Date 5-13-21
Saikat and Zack take us inside the creation of the Green New Deal, lay out how bold leadership can change a nation's economic trajectory, lament Democrats' lukewarm appetite for industrial policy, and offer up their vision for a American developmental
Rodney Jones, a long-time Asia analyst, colleague of Rob Johnson's, and currently Principal of Wigram Capital Advisors in New Zealand, discusses how China and other Pacific Rim countries succeeded in containing the Covid-19 pandemic
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Don't forget all the work that goes into the show - Nick From California
Ch. 10: #1358 and explaining the systems of power - Quai from North Carolina
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the Center for Humane Technology as a response to Surveillance Capitalism
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A Chinese flag waves just above an American flag in front of a background of trees.
Image Credit: "American and Chinese flags" by futureatlas.com | Flickr
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Air Date 6/1/2021
Today we take a look at the world of surveillance capitalism and the current age of techno-optimism that is just the newest iteration of the age-old effort to consolidate power and wealth by undermining individual freedom and democratic self governance.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Surveillance Capitalism: Shoshana Zuboff Part 1 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 7-16-20
Shoshana Zuboff discusses a world in which technology users are neither customers, employees, nor products. Instead, the raw material for new procedures of manufacturing and sales that define an entirely new economic order: a surveillance economy.
From microscopic "smart dust" tracking devices to DNA-tracing tech and advanced facial recognition software, journalist Sharon Weinberger leads a hair-raising tour through the global, unregulated bazaar of privatized mass surveillance.
Ch. 3: Surveillance Capitalism: Shoshana Zuboff Part 2 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 7-16-20
Shoshana Zuboff discusses a world in which technology users are neither customers, employees, nor products. Instead, the raw material for new procedures of manufacturing and sales that define an entirely new economic order: a surveillance economy.
Ch. 4: Alexa, What's Amazon Doing Inside My Home? - Land of the Giants - Air Date 7-30-19
What’s the downside to letting Alexa run your entire home? And why is Amazon making a microwave oven powered by Alexa?
Ch. 5: Surveillance Capitalism: Shoshana Zuboff Part 3 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 7-16-20
Shoshana Zuboff discusses a world in which technology users are neither customers, employees, nor products. Instead, the raw material for new procedures of manufacturing and sales that define an entirely new economic order: a surveillance economy.
Ch. 6: That Time Disney Built a Creepy Government - Wisecrack - Air Date 1-15-21
Disney World is beloved all over the globe for the pure escapism it offers. But the story behind this fantasy world is a lot weirder, and a whole lot less magical than it might seem.
In Stephen's unfortunate new segment "Uh-Oh," he takes a look at the dangers posed by a Nevada bill that would allow big tech companies to build and govern their own cities without state oversight. What could go wrong?
What does the digital acceleration in this pandemic mean for our future? Shoshana Zuboff spoke with Anthony Gooch.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Steve Durbin — Identity Is Weaponized - ISF Podcast - Air Date 3-29-21
ISF CEO Steve Durbin and producer Tavia Gilbert discuss the ISF’s latest report, Threat Horizon 2023: Security at a Tipping Point. Today, we dig deeper into the report’s second threat: Identity is weaponised.
Ch. 10: Rana Foroohar: The Surveillance Economy - New Economic Thinking - Air Date 8-22-20
Financial Times columnist Rana Foroohar talks to Rob Johnson about how the pandemic opens the door to more surveillance technology from Silicon Valley, but also to a growing consensus on reigning in Wall Street excess.
BONUS:
Ch. 11: Curation Lesson #2: Alternative option explained
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 12: Mere aggregation - Diana
Ch. 13: Use It or Lose It copyrights - Jonathan from Florida
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments to say thanks
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Close-up of a single human eye with the faded pattern impression of a microchip around the edges.
Credit: Spying eye | Pixabay
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Air Date 7/2/2019
Today we take a look at the ways in which Christians are being rallied to see themselves as the true victimized minority in America, a key component to stoking right-wing nationalism
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Rise of the Christian Taliban - The Intercept with Mehdi Hasan - Air Date 6-20-18
Mehdi Hasan is here to warn you about a growing threat to the laws and values of the United States from a group of religious extremists and fanatics.
Ch. 2: Reverse Discrimination Isn't A Thing - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 4-11-19
The religious right claims reverse discrimination in that they are being unfairly required to exist in the same world as trans people
Ch. 3: Is Mike Pence Christian? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 4-15-19
Mike Pence argues that to be a Christian one must discriminate against gay people, prevent women from getting abortions or birth control, support tearing refugee children from their parents and prevent the working poor from having access to healthcare.
Mike Pence insists that it's the Christians who are being discriminated against.
Ch. 5: Educating and Engaging with Lyra McKee - This Way Out - Air Date 4-29-19
Lyra McKee (full TEDx talk) shares her experiences transforming lives with conversations in religious spaces
Ch. 6: Master Plan to Dismantle LGBTQ Rights - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 4-25-19
What are the LGBTQ cases heading to the Supreme Court? It's 2019 and people can be fired for not adhering to heteronormative gender ideas. Corporate, Christian, Conservative resistance is damaging and disgusting.
Ch. 7: House Passes the Equality Act - This Way Out - Air Date 5-20-19
The House passes the Equality Act in an effort to stop LGBTQ discrimination and ensuring their freedoms. GOP is pushing back with the fallacious idea that white Christians are being discriminated against.
Ch. 8: Demand the Senate Pass the Equality Act & Protect Trans Health Rights - Best of the Left Activism
Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment.
Republicans are always claiming that everything progressives do is an attack on religious liberty, even sometimes just existing by some people is seen as an attack on "religious freedom'... in the meantime, Republican speaker Paul Ryan fires a religious leader fires a Chaplain over politics?
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: From depression to anxiety - Corey from New Jersey
Ch. 11: Prisoners dilemma and the presidential election - Heather
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the overthinking many do during primary elections
TAKE ACTION!
Tell the Senate to Pass the Equality Act
Protect Trans Health: Comment on Trump’s Discriminatory Rule
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
7 maps show the mess LGBT laws are in the USA (USA Today)
The Senate should stand up for all Americans and pass the Equality Act (Rep. Patrick Maloney in The Hill)
A History of Federal Non-Discrimination Legislation (93rd - 114th Congress) (Human Rights Campaign)
Why Trump Is Rolling Back LGBTQ Health-Care Protections (The Atlantic)
The Trump Administration Will Allow Health Workers To Refuse Abortion And Sex Reassignment Services (Buzzfeed)
Researched & written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 5/25/2021
Today we take a look through a wide-angle lens at the current flareup of the conflict in Israel and Palestine including a discussion of disparate power dynamics, lived experience in Palestine, the creation story of Hamas, understanding the definition of apartheid and recognizing how the reactions in American politics and media are shifting.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Michael Brooks takes a question on Israel - The Mill Series - Air Date 3-9-20
The Mill Series hosted Michael Brooks at Lafayette College on Thurs Feb 27, 2020.
Ch. 2: Life and Death in Occupied Palestine - Deconstructed - Air Date 5-21-21
On May 7, Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem during the evening prayer. Hamas responded a few days later by launching rockets from Gaza into Israel. Israel retaliated with its own strikes, and the violence escalated.
Ch. 3: Blowback: How Israel Helped Create Hamas - The Intercept - Air Date 2-20-18
Did you also know that Hamas — which is an Arabic acronym for “Islamic Resistance Movement” — would probably not exist today were it not for the Jewish state?
Ch. 4: Is Israel Guilty Of Apartheid Against Palestinians - AJ+ - Air Date 5-14-21
Although it’s most famously associated with the white supremacist regime that used to rule South Africa, apartheid is actually a crime with specific conditions. In this explainer, we look at what those conditions are and whether they truly apply to Israel
Ch. 5: Focus on Palestine feat. Mohammad Alsaafin - Chapo Trap House - Air Date 5-20-21
Felix is joined by journalist for AJ+ Mohammad Alsaafin for a wide ranging discussion on Palestinian resistance and the future of Zionism and the Palestinian cause.
Heather Digby Parton will be here to run down the biggest stories of the week.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Debunking Israel's Human Shield Defense in Gaza Massacre - Empire Files - Air Date 5-19-21
Abby Martin gives 5 points that evaporate Israel's assertion that the civilians it kills in Gaza were "human shields."
Ch. 8: The U.S. Media Has A Palestine Problem - AJ+ - Air Date 5-22-21
Israeli occupation of Palestine tends to be a touchy subject for news media, so much so that they break journalistic standards and writing etiquette just to avoid implicating one party another
BONUS
Ch. 9: Curation Lesson #1: Definitions
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments playing a logical deduction guessing game in celebration of Towel Day
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 5/22/2021
Today we take a look at the global struggle to acquire and distribute sufficient doses of vaccine in an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. It is not going as well as one might hope.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Pandemic Immunoprivilege - In The Thick - Air Date 4-27-21
Ranna Ayyub writes for Time Magazine about the COVID-19 crisis in India and the Prime Minister’s failure to lead during this second wave.
Dean Baker, a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, joined host Jamilah King on the podcast to talk about the impact this decision could have on bringing the pandemic to an end.
The international disparity in vaccine access between rich and low-income countries highlights “the irrationality of global capitalism,” says acclaimed Filipino scholar and activist Walden Bello.
Refuting the hollow arguments made by the likes of Bloomberg News against waiving the vaccine patents.
We breakdown the anti-TRIPS waiver corporate and ideological forces behind the seemingly good-hearted #VaxLive concert on May 8th.
Ch. 6: Covid Vaccines - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 5-3-21
John Oliver explains why some people don’t want to get the Covid-19 vaccine and how they might be reassured.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: James Love on Bill Gates & Vaccine Politics - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-7-21
How we navigate that has to do with media’s elevation of “experts” like Bill Gates raise serious questions about why we allow billionaires to set policy on something as important as public health. We talk about that with James Love.
Ch. 9: Pandemic Immunoprivilege Part 2 - In The Thick - Air Date 4-27-21
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Disney IP and copyright law - Nick From California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on our recent bonus episode about surveillance capitalism
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 5/18/2021
Today we take a look at the potential of the end of American involvement in the war in Afghanistan as well as some of our recent actions related to Yemen and Syria as well as our relationship with Saudi Arabia.
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SHOW NOTES
President Biden announced a complete troop withdrawal from what he called the “forever war” in Afghanistan, by September 11th. “Only the Afghans have the right and responsibility to lead their country,” Biden said from the White House.
Ch. 2: America is finally leaving Afghanistan - Worldly - Air Date 4-15-21
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about President Joe Biden’s announcement that all remaining US troops will withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021 — the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that launched the war.
Ch. 3: Let's End the War in Yemen - Deconstructed - Air Date 2-12-21
In his first significant foreign policy announcement since taking office, President Biden broke with both former presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama and declared an end to U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is deepening amid the pandemic and cuts to international aid from the United States and its allies, leaving millions of Yemenis facing famine after years of a brutal U.S.-backed, Saudi-led bombing campaign
Ch. 5: Biden Bombs Syria - Empire Has No Clothes - Air Date 3-17-21
This week on Empire Has No Clothes, Kelley, Dan, and Matt discussed Joe Biden's decision to bomb Syria and what it means for his foreign policy going forward. We also talked with David Sterman of New America about what it means to have an endless war.
Ch. 6: The Art of Fake-Ending Wars - Citations Needed - Air Date 4-14-21
In this episode, we discuss the United States' history of fake-ending wars, who these pronouncements are meant to please, why troops levels are often impossible to know, and why so many of our so-called "wars" are not really wars at all, but occupations
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: Joe Biden's War Powers - Intercepted - Air Date 4-28-21
If you went back and looked at every foreign policy decision Joe Biden made — every single one — would you be any closer to understanding him?
Ch. 8: Samantha Nutt: The real harm of the global arms trade - TEDTalks - Air Date 6-23-16
In some parts of the world, it's easier to get an automatic rifle than a glass of clean drinking water. Is this just the way it is? Samantha Nutt, doctor and founder of the international humanitarian organization War Child, explores the global arms trade
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Disney, racism and capitalism - Sasha
Ch. 10: Recommending "Somebody" podcast for example of DARVO - Pat from Chicago
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on DARVO from the police in the Somebody podcast
Bonus clip: Somebody
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 7/20/2020
Systems maintain themselves through the efforts of many moving parts that need not understand their roles in maintaining the system as a whole, only their specialized task. Today, I use a case study incident to show how the system of racism defends itself against attack. Many separate parts, none of which understand how their individual actions connect to the larger system, work in complicated yet predictable ways to carry out this defense of racism much like the many specialized antibodies of an immune system work together to isolate and eradicate threats to the host.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Introduction to the story of a story
Ch. 2: Yascha Mounk on antiracism in America - The Good Fight - Air Date 7-10-20
Ch. 3: Jay explains the fraught nature of interracial relationships
Ch. 4: Introducing the Education Council Meeting incident - The Good Fight - Air Date 7-10-20
Ch. 5: Edward Irizarry speaks about the privilege and racial dynamics of the council
Ch. 6: Explaining DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender
Ch. 7: Robin Brochi responds to Edward
Ch. 8: Tom demands to know what’s racist about holding a brown baby
Ch. 9: Additional input from other council members
Ch. 10: The story of the story
Ch. 11: Recap and wrap up
Original meeting video: CEC D2 Working Business Meeting June 29, 2020
16:55 - Edward Irizarry Speech
22:50 - Robin Brochi's Apology
26:25 - Tom Wrocklage asks what about his actions were racist
39:20 - Beginning of segment that is ultimately clipped out of context
Tom's I-have-a-black-friend video: My friend from my living room on the June 11th CECD2 meeting
Tucker Carlson on 'White Fragility'
Tucker Carlson segment mentioning CEC Meeting incident
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date: 5-11-21
Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss: #NotAllEngineers Hoping to remake the culture with the power of government is optimistic Corporate virtue signaling while upholding the status quo injustice Gender and fish are bullshit Who put the T into LGBTQ? Addendum: just don’t make me think.
References: On Tyranny - Timothy Snyder
Red Bull, Elon Musk, and Matt Gaetz - The Bulwark
Brooke speaks with Lulu Miller about her new book, "Why Fish Don't Exist"
Billy Bragg - Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted
Commentary: I love Disney World, but wokeness is ruining the experience
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Air Date 5/8/2021
Today we take a look at the culture that Disney has helped create and how they did it, using cuteness as a weapon to push ideas from racist stereotypes and segregation to the masterful use of hollow nods toward progressivism while reinforcing the ethics of individualism in order to give systemic injustice a pass.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Racial Politics of Disney Animals Part 1 - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 8-28-15
Scholar, writer, and activist Walidah Imarisha is someone who’s been thinking hard about what stories Disney tells and why. She teaches a class on race and Disney films at Portland State University.
Ch. 2: 40 Acres and a Movie - Still Processing - Air Date 4-8-21
Disney owns a piece of every living person’s childhood. Now it owns Marvel Studios, too. Jenna and Wesley look at depictions of racist tropes and stereotypes in Disney’s ever-expanding catalog. The company has made recent attempts to atone for its past.
Ch. 3: The Racial Politics of Disney Animals Part 2 - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 8-28-15
Ch. 4: Woke Disney - Lindsay Ellis - Air Date 9-30-21
Nodding to progressive ideas while just proping up capitalism is just marketing.
Ch. 5: Disneyfication of American History - American Hysteria - Air Date 1-25-21
Disney has been presenting a fairytale reality within a reality since the 1920s, a far cuter reality that mimics our reality until reality is no longer reality at all. Make sense?
Ch. 6: How Disney Ruined Culture - Wisecrack - Air Date 11-9-20
It's no surprise that Disney has an absolute stranglehold on the culture we consume today. But the joys of the Magic Kingdom aside, what if it's actually kind of really bad for art? We'll explain in this Wisecrack Edition: How Disney Ruined Culture.
Ch. 7: The (Not So) Wonderful World of Disney - It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders - Air Date 2-16-18
Sam talks to filmmaker and activist Abigail Disney, daughter of Roy E. Disney, about her views on inequality in the U.S., corporate greed and why, despite her last name, she's become one of the more vocal and prominent critics of The Walt Disney empire.
Ch. 8: DED Talks: Why Walt Disney is Nothing Like You Think He Was - Cracked - Air Date 1-19-15
Disney tell's his story
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Disneyfication Of Cuteness - American Hysteria - Air Date 1-25-21
Disney has been presenting a fairytale reality within a reality since the 1920s, a far cuter reality that mimics our reality until reality is no longer reality at all. Make sense?
Ch. 10: Copyright: Why We Can't Have Nice Things - Wisecrack - Air Date 4-23-21
This video, like everything else in the world, is copyrighted. But what does that really mean? Copyright laws started out as a way to protect creators from having their hard work stolen, but it's turned into something else entirely.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Ableism in the show - Alyson from Colorado
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on Woke Disney and Ableist language
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 5/5/2021
Today we take a look briefly at the trial of Derek Chauvin itself before moving on to various responses, a wide-angle lens on some of the forces at play in policing and the work still to be done.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Chauvin Found Guilty on All Counts - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 4-21-21
Introducing the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin
Ch. 2: Chauvin Guilty - Criminal (In)justice - Air Date 4-22-21
A Minneapolis jury has found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd. What does it mean for criminal justice reform?
We go to Minneapolis to speak with Kandace Montgomery, co-executive director of Black Visions Collective, about their response to the guilty verdict for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.
Staff writer for The New Republic, Osita Nwanevu, joins the show to share his thoughts on the conviction of Derek Chauvin. Sam Seder and the Majority Report crew discuss this.
Ch. 5: What have we learned - Dr. Roger Ray Part 1 - Progressive Faith Sermons - Air Date 4-25-21
While we want to show respect and support for public servants generally, such respect must also be met, especially now, with a willingness to question authority and to challenge the racism and classism that is so deeply embedded in policing.
Ch. 6: Live Event Announcement
Join Jay and Roger Ray in a live discussion on
Ch. 7: Why Cops Don't Change - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 4-19-21
A retired NYPD detective says the force’s stubborn, insular culture was built to last. And Elie Mystal explains a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that made killing “reasonable.”
Ch. 8: What have we learned - Dr. Roger Ray Part 2 - Progressive Faith Sermons - Air Date 4-25-21
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Why Cops Don't Change Part 2 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 4-19-21
The guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin came as a relief to many nationwide, but the number of people killed by police since his trial began underscores the broader issues that remain.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: A rant for Patrons - Andy from New Orleans
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the business of progressive media
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 8/22/2020
Today we take a look at the long history and motivations for voter suppression, explain why it tends to help one party over the other and why vote-by-mail is the best solution to the majority of our voting problems.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Jay explains that voter suppression is like pointillism in that it can only be understood by taking a wide enough view
Ch. 3: The pointillism of voter suppression (continued)
Ch. 4: Victoria Bassetti of the Brennan Center on the myth of widespread voter fraud - @DecodeDC - Air Date 10-20-16
Ch. 7: Carol Anderson on the Realities of Voter Suppression - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 9-12-18
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments
TAKE ACTION!
Know Your Voting Rights & Make a Plan (ACLU)
Let People Vote - State-by-State Rules & Options (ACLU)
Volunteer for a 2020 Voter Protection Team (FairFight)
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
"December 10 March for Voting Rights" by Michael Fleshman |Changes: cropped | License
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Air Date 4/24/2021
Today we take a look at the major infrastructure investment plan proposed by the Biden administration, progressive perspectives arguing to make it better and the need to democratize the institutions that constitute our infrastructure.
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SHOW NOTES
Financial journalist and Exec Editor of The American Prospect, DAVID DAYEN, on Biden's infrastructure and public investment bill, how it will be funded, how it addresses economic inequality and the US social welfare infrastructure, what to expect next.
Megan Cassella, Politico reporter covering Biden administration economic policy, talks about the big infrastructure proposal from President Biden.
Ch. 3: Is America big enough to Go Big again? - Jim Hightower's Radio Lowdown - Air Date 4-13-21
It’s time for America to go back to the future – a future of true greatness created by a people united to build a strong nation for the Common Good.
Ch. 4: Infrastructure, mobilization, survival w/ Laleh Khalili - This Is Hell! - Air Date 4-14-21
Political scientist Laleh Khalili on her article "Apocalyptic Infrastructures" for Noēma Magazine.
Ch. 5: Infrastructure, Jobs, and More - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 4-5-21
Catherine Rampell, syndicated opinion columnist at The Washington Post, political/economic commentator at CNN and special correspondent at PBS NewsHour, runs through the latest in national politics and news.
We’ll hear about the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act (AAIA) from Ernesto Falcon, senior legislative counsel at Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Ch. 7: Live Event Announcement
On this week's show, Prof. Wolff discusses how the US home rental market is failing over 20% of all renters, and the basic flaws in Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure proposal.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Financial journalist and Exec Editor of The American Prospect, DAVID DAYEN, on Biden's infrastructure and public investment bill, how it will be funded, how it addresses economic inequality and the US social welfare infrastructure, what to expect next.
Ch. 10: Infrastructure, mobilization, survival w/ Laleh Khalili Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 4-14-21
Political scientist Laleh Khalili on her article "Apocalyptic Infrastructures" for Noēma Magazine.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Further thoughts on public welfare programs - Craig from Ohio
Ch. 12: More thoughts U.S. complicity - Jonathan from New York
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on the new propaganda paradigm leading the charge at Fox News
Bonus clip: THE QUESTION MARK - THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART - Air Date 9-13-06
Bonus clip: Tucker Carlson Jeopardy - The Daily Social Distancing Show - Air Date 2-15-21
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE
Description: Worker in a hard hat installing fiber optiic internet cable lines from a giant spool into a concrete hole in the ground.
Credit: "SRNL Fiber Optic Cable Installation" by Savannah River Site, Flickr | License
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Air Date 4/21/2021
Today we take a look at the insurrection and police violence through the lens of White Supremacy and the rise of the likes of Tucker Carlson who has become the leading spokesman for laundering White Supremacist talking points through a marginally respectable facade.
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SHOW NOTES
"It is very hard not to see some fundamental contradictions in how our country, the state, wields force against its citizens," says Chris Hayes, comparing police responses in Black Lives Matter protests and the Capitol riot.
Ch. 2: Black, White, and Blue - Progressive Faith Sermons - Air Date 4-18-21
While many are uncomfortable with calling for defunding the police, there is no way around the need for massive reform of our nation’s police force (and military) to root out the systemic racism that makes encounters between white police and black citizen
Ch. 3: Tucker Carlson - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Air Date 3-15-21
Tucker Carlson is admired by white nationalists, elected officials, and maybe some of your relatives or coworkers. Given that he has the ear of so many Americans, John Oliver explains where Tucker came from and what his rhetorical tactics are
Trevor reflects on the ever-present occurrence of deadly police violence against Black people in the U.S. and the seeming lack of cops willing to rise up and take a stand against it.
Ch. 5: Did Tucker Carlson Order Insurrection - The Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-26-21
The last broadcaster to suggested something like this against the United States government, was Axis Sally. Worse it was all based on a lie that you might believe about the second amendment.
According to reports, a group of House Republicans including Georgia's Marjorie Taylor Green and Arizona's Paul Gosar are forming an "America First Caucus" to protect "Anglo-Saxon political traditions."
The Atlantic's Adam Serwer and Mehdi discuss Carlson's history of promulgating racist rhetoric on prime time television and its real-life consequences.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Arrest The Police - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 4-16-21
Jared and Nick have a frank discussion on policing in America in the wake of the Adam Toledo shooting in Chicago. Plus, they dissect what it is the Republicans are embracing considering the usual tropes don't seem to hold as much weight anymore.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments
TAKE ACTION!
If you pay for cable, you are supporting Fox News:
UnFoxMyCableBox via Media Matters
Tell Congress: I Won't Pay for Hate via Free Press
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
If you have cable, you are subsidizing Fox News. It might be time to cut the cord. Here's how (Daily Kos)
‘Fox News cheats’: Twitter explains how you pay Fox even if you don’t watch it—and how you can stop (Front Page Live)
Fox News Foes Face Uphill Fight to Get Cable Network Dropped (Bloomberg)
Tweet from Sleeping Giants on Carlson's lack of advertisers (Sleeping Giants)
Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: An artist's rendering of Fox New's host Tucker Carlson, with knitted brows, wearing a Klu Klux Klan robe and hood and pointing straight ahead. The background is a Confederate flag.
Credit: "Tukkker" by Paul Lee, Flickr | Public Domain
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Air Date 4/17/2021
Today we take a look at the surge of anti-trans legislation coming from Republican-controlled state legislatures. Being concerned that suppressing voter turnout by targeting Black and Brown voters may not be enough to keep them in power, they are resorting to targeting another vulnerable population in the next of their infinite series of attempts to create a wedge issue by pitting people's lives and wellbeing against the prejudices of their constituents.
We also examine the harm being inflicted on trans people, the trans-exclusionary Radical Feminists who have partnered with conservative coalitions to limit trans rights and briefly explore the world of sex-segregated athletics.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Problem with the Focus on the Family - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 4-9-21
We talk Sophie Bjork-James' book, the Divine Institution, to demonstrate how Evangelicals use the nuclear family in order to both attack members of the LGBTQ+ community and detract away from systemic issues related to race and other Public Health issues.
Ch. 2: Debunking Myths About Trans People Part 1 - The Majority Report w Sam Seder - Air Date 4-10-21
Caller clarifies misinformation of data regarding trans identified youth vs youth referred to gender clinics.
“We are truly witnessing an escalation of attacks on trans people unlike anything I’ve ever seen in government,” says Chase Strangio. We also speak with journalist and activist Raquel Willis, who says higher visibility for trans people is not enough.
Dr. Joshua Safer, the executive director at Mount Sinai's Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, explains why gender-affirming therapies — such as puberty blockers or hormone treatment — are safe and healthy for trans youth.
Ch. 5: Debunking Myths About Trans People Part 2 - The Majority Report w Sam Seder - Air Date 4-10-21
Ch. 6: A National Wave of Anti-Trans Bills Part 1 - What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Air Date 3-3-21
The coordinated flood of legislation isn’t new. But now, it’s targeting kids.
Ch. 8: The "radical feminists" working against trans rights - Post Reports - Air Date 2-26-20
Samantha Schmidt on a strain of feminism that rejects the existence of transgender identity.
Ch. 9: A National Wave of Anti-Trans Bills Part 2 - What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Air Date 3-3-21
Hudson Taylor's talk offers the following thesis: If we are to end homophobia and trans-phobia in the world of sports (and in the world at large), we must end sexism and gender stereotyping in sports first.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Misconceptions about trans people can be shaped by who tells their stories. Three trans journalists weigh in on how that should be done: Imara Jones - creator of TransLash Media, Kate Sosin - reporter at The 19th, Orion Rummler reporter at Axios.
Ch. 12: The Problem with the Focus on the Family Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 4-9-21
We talk Sophie Bjork-James' book, the Divine Institution, to demonstrate how Evangelicals use the nuclear family in order to both attack members of the LGBTQ+ community and detract away from systemic issues related to race and other Public Health issues.
Sociolinguist Archie Crowley deconstructs three common myths around language, demonstrating how it's a fluid system that naturally evolves in the direction of inclusion.
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 14: Final comments on the messy nature of reality
TAKE ACTION
PasstheEqualityAct.com: *Lobby Day April 21st & #EqualityTime Phone Banking*
Learn about end-the-filibuster pressure campaigns in BOTL Episode #1411
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
What You Need To Know About the Equality Act (Center for American Progress)
Why the Equality Act Is So Important (Rolling Stone)
Beautiful, sacred and powerful: Inside the roller coaster fight for trans kids in Arkansas (Reckon South)
The Roots of Anti-Trans Violence - Report (Transgender Law Center)
This record-breaking year for anti-transgender legislation would affect minors the most (CNN)
New poll shows Americans overwhelmingly oppose anti-transgender laws (PBS)
Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Protest sign that says "TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS" with two Trans Pride flags on either side of the word "ARE."
Credit: "Trans Rights are Human Rights" by Marc Nozell, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, blurred edges to wide image
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TAKE ACTION
PasstheEqualityAct.com: *Lobby Day April 21st & #EqualityTime Phone Banking*
Learn about end-the-filibuster pressure campaigns in BOTL Episode #1411
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
What You Need To Know About the Equality Act (Center for American Progress)
Why the Equality Act Is So Important (Rolling Stone)
Beautiful, sacred and powerful: Inside the roller coaster fight for trans kids in Arkansas (Reckon South)
The Roots of Anti-Trans Violence - Report (Transgender Law Center)
This record-breaking year for anti-transgender legislation would affect minors the most (CNN)
New poll shows Americans overwhelmingly oppose anti-transgender laws (PBS)
Posted April 16, 2021; Written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman
Hear the segment in the context of Best of the Left Edition #1412: Trans People as Disposable Chess Pieces in a Despicable Political Game
Air Date 4/14/2021
Today we take a look at the one element of our government that, above all others, has contributed to the absolute disfunction of our democracy. The filibuster was never intended by the founders, always anti-democratic, often used for racist ends and is now being abused at a rate never before seen.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Filibuster - Last Week Tonight - Air Date 9-9-19
John Oliver explains why filibusters exist, why they shouldn't, and why it's stupid to drink coffee like a cat.
President Joe Biden has promised swift action on the pandemic, the economic crisis and more, but much of his agenda hinges on whether he can get enough support in the Senate.
Mitch McConnell is on a warpath, and he's getting all his favorite lies lined up. Sam Seder and the Majority Report crew discuss this.
Adam Jentleson, who served as a former senior aide to Sen. Harry Reid, joins Mehdi Hasan to explain the history of the filibuster and how, according to Jentleson, it helps conservatives override the nation's democratic system.
Ch. 5: Is Filibuster Reform Mitch McConnell's 'Kryptonite?' - Zerlina. - Air Date 3-16-21
Rep. John Yarmuth thinks so. He explains to Zerlina Maxwell why the rule is so important to the Senate Minority Leader, and why McConnell is “scared to death” about the possibility that Democrats will abolish it.
Ch. 6: What Is Manchin's Real Agenda w/ David Sirota - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-11-21
David Sirota explains the motivations and unseen pressures playing on Joe Manchin as he continuously pivots his position on the filibuster.
Ch. 7: Activism: Support No Excuses PAC and W.V. Cant Wait - Best of the Left - 4-14-21
Ch. 8: Now Is the Time to End the Filibuster - Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman - Air Date 3-18-21
Amy Goodman gives a commentary explaining the need to end the filibuster.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Adam Jentleson, former deputy chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, talks with Rachel Maddow about why it's a good idea for Senate Democrats to reform the filibuster and pass popular legislation
Ch. 10: Reid Calls for Filibuster Reform to End Gridlock - Nevada Senator Harry Reid - Air Date 11-22-13
On the Senate floor, Senator Reid laid out why we need to reform the rules to ensure qualified presidential nominees get up-or-down votes.
Ch. 11: What Is Manchin's Real Agenda w/ David Sirota Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-11-21
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 12: Wading into the discussion on the child tax credit - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on racism and population
TAKE ACTION!
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Parliamentarian Rules Democrats Can Officially Bypass the Filibuster (Truthout)
Inside the West Virginian Movement to Push Joe Manchin to the Left (The New Republic)
Progressive PAC kick-starts search for challengers to Manchin, Sinema (Politico)
Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Cartoon version of Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell holding a chart that says "Republican Filibusters." The horizontal bar graph below the title shows an X axis starting with "88th term 1963-64" and ending with "110th term 2007-2008." The bar values range from 3 at the beginning of the time-line to "153 Projected for end of term" at the end.
Credits: "Mitch McConnell, Filibuster King" by DonkeyHotey, Flickr | License | Changes: Increased white background to make vertical image square, smudged existing shadow to extend farther, dark blue border added
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 4/10/2021
Today we take a look at the need for a modern assessment of the corporate monopolies who dominate our online and offline experiences, including seeing the negative consequences of monopolies through a racial justice lens.
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SHOW NOTES
Cory Doctorow, award-winning author, technologist, and founder, joins Azeem Azhar to explore the power of big tech monopolies and how a future wave of antitrust lawsuits could unleash innovation across the sector.
Ch. 2: Google and the use and abuse of economic modeling - Follow The Money - Air Date 2-16-21
In this week's episode we unpack what the code is, what it does, why it's necessary and what happens next with Director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Responsible Technology, Peter Lewis.
Ch. 4: The Facebook News Blackout and the News Media Bargaining Code - Follow The Money - Air Date 2-23-21
In this week's episode we unpack what the code is, what it does, why it's necessary and what happens next with Director of the Australia Institute's Centre for Responsible Technology, Peter Lewis.
Rebecca talks to Jeremie Greer--one of Liberation in a Generation's co-founders and co-exec directors--about centering grassroots leaders of color in the anti-monopoly movement, and reimagining the antitrust movement’s work through a racial justice lens.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Google and the use and abuse of economic modeling Part 2 - Follow The Money - Air Date 2-16-21
In Anti-Monopoly Activism: Reclaiming Power through Racial Justice, Jeremie Greer and Solana Rice (co-founders and co-executive directors of Liberation in a Generation) argue for organizers of color to be embedded—and centered—in the anti-monopoly fight.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Child tax credits don't cause population booms - Erin from Philadelphia
Ch. 12: Biden and China - Jonathan from New York
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on child welfare programs, birth rates and uncomfortably honest political talk
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date: 4-8-21 BECOME A MEMBER TO HEAR THE FULL VERSION Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss: - The great shames of the nation - A comparison between Korean-language and English-language coverage of the Atlanta shootings - When it comes to catalyzing a will to change, seeing is believing (and motivating) - The GOP culture wars are about to go scorched-earth because they have nothing else References: Rolling Stone: Atlanta Spa Shootings: What Korean-Language Media Told Us That the Mainstream Media Didn’t WaPo: 'Reclaiming the Public Narrative': A fundraising proposal from the American Culture Project Heather Cox Richardson hbomberguy: WOKE BRANDS Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on iTunes!
Air Date 6/17/2020
Today we take a look at the uprising sparked by the killing of George Floyd in the context of a world in which that event was just the last straw in an innumerable series of straws.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: A Decade Of Watching Black People Die - Code Switch - Air Date 5-31-20
The last few weeks have been filled with devastating news — stories about the police killing black people. At this point, these calamities feel familiar — so familiar, in fact, that their details have begun to echo each other.
Tamika Mallory: “At this point, we’re looking at a nation and a world that has decided that what we saw happen on camera … is no longer acceptable... people have taken to the streets to demand change."
Ch. 3: Trevor Speaks Out About the Murder of George Floyd - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-1-20
Trevor discusses the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, the Minneapolis protests, and how racial injustice and police brutality continue to impact black Americans.
Ch. 4: Why The 2020 Anti-Racism Uprisings Feel Different - News Beat - Air Date 6-5-20
A veteran of the 1967 Newark Rebellion discusses George Floyd’s death, the culture of police brutality, and whether today's movement can produce change.
Ch. 5: Structural robbery, mass resistance with William C. Anderson - This Is Hell! - Air Date 6-4-20
Writer William C. Anderson on the real theft in capitalist society and the uprisings against it, and his article "Forget 'Looting.' Capitalism Is the Real Robbery" for Truthout.
Ch. 6: Uprisings Against Police Killings of Black People - Sojourner Truth Radio - Air Date 6-3-20
After a week of protests, the nationwide (and now worldwide) uprising against racism and police killings of Black people in response to the murder of George Floyd continues to grow.
Ch. 7: The thin blue line between looting and standard economics - The Bugle - Air Date 6-6-20
Andy, Hari and Tom react to the protests in the USA.
We hear the voices of Floyd’s brother Philonise and Reverend Al Sharpton, who urged those gathered “to stand up in George’s name and say, 'Get your knee off our necks!'”
Ch. 9: Protests Sweep Across the Globe - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-9-20
Americans take to the streets in historic numbers to protest police brutality, the demand for books about racism skyrockets, and meaningful police reform catches on.
Ch. 10: This Is Not a Game - In The Thick - Air Date 6-12-20
Maria and Julio get into how race and activism show up in sports - historically and in the current Black Lives Matter movement - with Howard Bryant, a senior writer for ESPN and correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition.
Ch. 11: NFL's Roger Goodell We Were Wrong, #BlackLivesMatter - The Young Turks - Air Date 6-5-20
NFL's commissioner has released a statement saying they were wrong to stop protests.
Ch. 12: Amanpour Knows an Uprising When She Sees One - Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 6-9-20
CNN International anchor Christiane Amanpour has seen a lot of unrest around the globe. She says we have to see the George Floyd protests for what they are. An uprising.
Ch. 13: The Racial Justice Uprising in the U.S. is Taking Hold Overseas - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-8-20
Many foreign leaders have condemned the killing of George Floyd, but demonstrators outside of the U.S. are also attempting to call attention to racial injustice within their own borders.
Ch. 14: Protest, Pain & Hope with Karen Attiah - Stay Tuned with Preet - Air Date 6-4-20
Washington Post Global Opinions editor Karen Attiah discusses the ongoing protests sparked by police brutality, legacies of racial violence in America, and the language we use to speak about inequality.
Ch. 15: Roundtable On Police Killings & Global Resistance - Sojourner Truth Radio - Air Date 6-5-20
We look at the international response to the police killing of George Floyd. Countries are now being forced to face their own racism and the inter-relationship between racism and imperialism.
Ch. 17: Voices of the uprising - Sojourner Truth Radio - Air Date 6-5-20
Highlighting the voices of protesters
TAKE ACTION
Join The Movement for Black Lives' SixNineteen mobilization: 6/19 (Juneteenth) through 6/21
Visit SixNineteen.com to find events near you, participate virtually, join the D.C. action, or register your own event
Text DEFEND to 90975 to get updates on #SixNineteen and future actions
Follow @Mvmnt4BlkLives and use #DefendBlackLives , #SixNineteen , #BlackLivesMatter ,& #DefundthePolice on Twitter
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
#SIXNINETEEN: Movement For Black Lives Calls For Juneteenth Actions (Essence)
An American Uprising (The New Yorker)
What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police? (The Cut, NY Magazine)
America, This is Your Chance (NY Times Op-Ed, Michelle Alexander)
Police Erupt in Violence Nationwide (Slate)
Freedom to Thrive: Reimagining Safety & Security in Our Communities (Popular Democracy)
Resources for White People to Learn and Talk About Race and Racism (Fractured Atlas)
A Letter to White People Engaged in Conversations Around the Phrase “Defund The Police” (Medium)
Louisville police release the Breonna Taylor incident report. It's virtually blank (Louisville Courier Journal)
This Is How Hard It Is to Invest in Black Neighborhoods (Bloomberg CityLabs)
Researched and Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | +more
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Air Date 4/03/2021
Today we take a look at the need for reform to our gun laws through the lens of the recent mass shootings. Support for various reform measures reaches as high as 90% approval in the US, making it one of the most stark examples of our broken, unresponsive, undemocratic government.
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SHOW NOTES
NBC News' Jacob Ward takes a look at the impact the coronavirus pandemic had on mass shootings and gun violence to see how those trends might change now that states begin to lift Covid-19 restrictions.
As gun violence flares up once again in this country, Republicans are quick to change the subject while gun apologists roll out their standard response to calls for reform: now is not the time.
Ch. 3: The gun solution we're not talking about - Vox - Air Date 9-11-19
Universal background checks won't fix America's gun crisis. But there's something else that might.
Rachel Maddow looks back on how Joe Manchin, with Pat Toomey, in the wake of the Sandy Hook gun massacre, supplanted President Obama's call for universal background checks
Gun safety advocate Fred Guttenberg, who lost his daughter Jamie in the Parkland school shooting, expresses his frustration with the lack of gun safety legislation, and calls to end the hold the NRA has on Republicans.
Ch. 6: Igor Volsky on Ending Gun Violence - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-26-21
This week on CounterSpin: If you look, you can find reminders that the Second Amendment was forged, distressingly, with the aim of preserving “slave patrol” militias in the South. And that courts consistently interpreted it as meaning a “collective” right
Ch. 7: Can You Look At The Carnage Of Gun Violence? - The Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-24-21
Could you look at the mangled bodies of Americans murdered by gun violence without demanding that guns stop being so available?
Ch. 8: Ban Assault Weapons Now - Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman - Air Date 3-25-21
The massacres in Boulder, Colorado, with ten killed, and in metro Atlanta, with eight killed, are just two more instances of senseless gun violence enabled by the NRA.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: A Look Back at Colorado's History of Mass Shootings - The Takeaway - Air Date 3-26-21
A Look Back at Colorado's History of Mass Shootings This week, a gunman in Boulder, Colorado killed ten people while they were shopping in a local grocery store.
Lt. Joe Kenda (ret.) was a detective with the Colorado Springs Police Department for twenty years. During that time, he solved 356 of the 387 murder cases he investigated.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Maintaining beliefs and cognitive dissonance - Nick from California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the cognitive biases related to aquiring new information
TAKE ACTION!
MFOL Aid and Alliance - A resource sharing program that will distribute nearly $500k to support anti-violence work led by BIPOC youth organizations and activists on the ground. Directly supporting communities most impacted by gun violence and decentering whiteness in the movement.
MFOL Policy Demands for Biden-Harris Administration
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Violence Against Women Act Runs Into GOP Objections on Guns and Trans Rights (Mother Jones)
$5 Billion For Violence Prevention Is Tucked Into Biden Infrastructure Plan (NPR)
Can New Gun Violence Research Find a Path Around the Political Stalemate? (NY Times)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Young woman holds a sign at a rally that has the crossed-out words "Thoughts and Prayers." Underneath, it says "REFORM."
Credit: "March for Our Lives, NYC" by mathiaswasik, Flickr | License | Changes: cropped
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date 3/31/2021
Today we take a look at the history of anti-Asian hate in America dating back to the very first racially discriminatory immigration law, the ramifications of our imperial exploits in the Philippines, the pattern of lynchings, the myth of the "model minority" and the role of White Supremacy to keep everyone in their roles and White people ignorant of it all.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The Missing History of Asian America Part 1 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 3-22-21
Helen Zia, author of Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People and other books about the Asian American community. She tells the story of that era’s scapegoating of Asian Americans, and draws a line all the way back to the 18th century.
The crew speaks with professors Jane Junn and Karthick Ramakrishnan about the context of the Atlanta attacks and how Asian-American political participation has evolved in recent decades.
Ch. 3: A History of Hate - In The Thick - Air Date 3-23-21
Maria and Julio unpack the root causes that led to this tragedy with Sung Yeon Choimorrow, ED of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, and Kristine Villaneuva, a journalist and project editor at Resolve Philly’s “Equally Informed” initiative.
Ch. 4: The Missing History of Asian America Part 2 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 3-22-21
Helen Zia, author of Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People and other books about the Asian American community. She tells the story of that era’s scapegoating of Asian Americans, and draws a line all the way back to the 18th century.
Anti-Asian hate in the United States is “not anything new,” says Viet Thanh Nguyen, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Vietnamese American writer. “The history of anti-Asian violence in this country goes back to as long as we’ve had Asian immigrants in this country
Talking About the Atlanta Shooting, Purity Culture, & Anti-Asian American Violence.
Ch. 7: Take Action to #StopAsianHate & Protect APPI Communities via @StopAAPIHate
Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment. For more, visit Bestoftheleft.com/activism.
Ch. 8: Reacting to the Atlanta Shootings - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 3-28-21
Imani and Jess talk about the increasing violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, the importance of allyship in its wake, and how racist stereotypes against the AAPI community are also fueling new anti-choice legislation
Ch. 9: A History of Pandemic Xenophobia & Racism - Social Distance - Air Date 3-24-21
Jim and Maeve speak with Alexandre White, a sociologist and medical historian at Johns Hopkins University. He shares his views on how a legacy of prejudice tied to disease should lead us to reexamine how we respond when outbreaks occur.
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Ch. 10: The Missing History of Asian America Part 3 - The United States of Anxiety - Air Date 3-22-21
Arun Venugopal, senior reporter in WNYC’s Race and Justice Unit, shares his reporting on the community in New York City, which has emerged as an epicenter of day to day reports of harassment and violence.
Talking About the Atlanta Shooting, Purity Culture, & Anti-Asian American Violence
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 12: Preferring guaranteed jobs and universal social safety net - Craig from Ohio
Ch. 13: Further thoughts on the child tax credit - Rich
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 14: Final comments on White Ignorance and White Supremacy
TAKE ACTION
Stop AAPI Hate Calls to Action:
Donate to 40 local U.S. AAPI organizations via Movement Hub
Ask your elected officials what they are doing to combat anti-Asian hate
Advocate for expanded civil rights protections safeguarding Asian Americans and others
Support Ethnic Studies in your local school districts and educational institutions
Support local Asian-owned businesses
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
How to stop the dangerous rise in hatred targeted at Asian Americans (USA Today)
A Tense Lunar New Year for the Bay Area After Attacks on Asian-Americans (NY Times)
Hundreds of volunteers are escorting elderly Asian Americans to keep them safe (The Hill)
The history of fetishizing Asian women (Vox)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Three women at a rally against anti-Asian racism. An Asian woman in the middle holds a hand-written cardboard sign that says "We are not the virus. Hate is." Another sign to the right says "Stop Asian Hate."
Credit: "Stop Asian Hate Rally @ Art Gallery" by GoToVan, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped, increased brightness &. contrast
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Air Date 3/28/2021
Today we take a look at the progress being made on the effort to reform and defund the police in America as well as the reignited campaign to make society safe for women in the wake of the Sarah Everard murder in the UK.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Austin’s Plan To Defund The Police - In The Loop - Air Date 2-22-21
Another Grim Milestone & Austin’s Plan To Defund The Police
House Democrats passed a landmark bill Wednesday that would expand voting rights and another key piece of legislation on police reform through the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act -- something Democrats have been pushing for since the death of Floyd.
The House passed the sweeping George Floyd Justice in Policing Act this week. But as long as partisan politics remains the status quo, lawmakers will continue to fail Black Americans. MTV News correspondent Dometi Pongo explains.
Ch. 4: Fight to Pass the George Floyd Act, BREATHE Act, & Take LOCAL Action! - Best of the Left Activism
Ch. 5: Republicans Vote Against Protecting Women - The Rational National - Air Date 3-18-21
172 members of the house Republican caucus voted against the renewal of the VAWA.
Ch. 6: The Problem With the Violence Against Women Act; - Ring of Fire Radio - Air Date 3-26-21
This week on Ring of Fire, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University and Abigail Higgins, a journalist covering inequality health and gender join us to discuss their piece in The Nation.
Despite the High Court rejecting a challenge against the police’s ban of Sarah Everard's vigil, Telegraph Columnists Bryony Gordon and Claire Cohen said they will still attend.
Ch. 8: Sarah Everard & Violence Against Women - TyskySour - Air Date 3-12-21
The disappearance and death of Sarah Everard has shone a spotlight on the epidemic of violence against women in Britain, and has provoked an outpouring from women on social media sharing their own experience of harassment, threats and violence
Ch. 9: Why women feel unsafe on Britain's streets - Channel 4 News - Air Date 3-11-21
"We are tired of having to pre-empt possible violence. Of having to risk assess every ordinary action every day, every hour of our lives".
Ch. 10: Sarah Everard's vigil aggressively broken up by London police - CNN UK - Air Date 3-14-21
The British government is calling for an investigation after police aggressively broke up a vigil being held for Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old woman whose alleged murder while walking home in South London has reignited a national debate in Britain
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 11: The Economics of Abolition - The Laura Flanders Show - Air Date 12-24-20
“Defund the police” became a rallying cry in the summer of 2020 as demonstrators flooded streets across the United States to demand an end to police brutality in the wake of the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd at the hands of the police.
Ch. 12: Into Defunding the LAPD - Into America - Air Date 6-11-20
‘Defund the police’ has become a familiar rallying call at protests across the country. It’s a push to reduce the size of police department budgets, in order to reallocate resources to other parts of the community. And a few cities leaders are listening.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 13: Taking kids from parents and the racism of anti-immigration - Bud from Boise
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 14: Final comments on how to report the truth while lying to the high heavens
TAKE ACTION!
Fight to improve & pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
Fight to pass the BREATHE Act (Movement for Black Lives) (BOTL segment from last summer)
Join a local organization or chapter fighting police brutality: some suggestions
Explore the ACLU's FIGHTING POLICE ABUSE: A COMMUNITY ACTION MANUAL
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
George Floyd Justice in Policing Act Explained (Note: Headline updated) (Vox)
Now is the time to revolutionize policing (BREATHE Act) (Vox)
Movement for Black Lives opposes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (PBS)
Why Police Brutality Is a Public Health Issue (Self)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Memorial for Sarah Everard in the U.K. Photo of a tree in a park with flowers and candles at the base and a sign tied to the trunk that reads "#ReclaimTheseStreets!". A woman with a face mask is bending over to add flowers to the memorial.
Credit: "Vigil for Sarah Everard in Sheffield" by Tim Dennell, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped and increased contrast and saturation
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Air Date: 3-26-21
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Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss: - Traumatizing Nick from CA's child - The unfounded universal expertise of engineers - The toxicity and profitability of nostalgia - How the threat of cannibalism disproves slippery slope arguments - Our national return to the normalcy of mass casualty events - Why lefties are getting guns too - The psychology of feeling like our country generally opposes gun reform - Our violent culture - The culture wars - Surviving the future
Leave a message at 202-999-3991
Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on iTunes!
Air Date 3/23/2021
Today we take a look at the American Rescue Plan and discuss what it does, where it falls short and whether it could signal the end of an era.
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SHOW NOTES
President Biden today signed his American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion COVID rescue and relief package that history may someday regard as the long-overdue end of the four-decade old Reagan Era. Zero Republicans in the House or Senate voted for it.
We speak with economist Stephanie Kelton, author of "The Deficit Myth," about how the bill could help cut child poverty in half and provide a historic economic boost to the poorest people in the United States.
Ch. 3: End of Conservative Era? - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 3-15-21
Are we leaving Reagan and Nixon behind for a new FDR era? Is America waking up to the horrors of Reagan and Nixon?
President Biden today signed his American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion COVID rescue and relief package that history may someday regard as the long-overdue end of the four-decade old Reagan Era. Zero Republicans in the House or Senate voted for it.
Ch. 5: Help Is On the Way - OFF-KILTER with Rebecca Vallas - Air Date 3-12-21
To break down the major income-boosting elements in the ARP Act, and a look at what families can expect to receive in economic relief— Seth Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and a former advisor to President Obama for tax policy.
Biden has signed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, Democrats are hailing as the largest anti-poverty bill in a generation. “This is transformational,” says economist Joseph Stiglitz. “It says, 'We are actually going to live up to our aspirations"
Ch. 7: What's In Biden's Relief Bill - The Majority Report w Sam Seder - Air Date 3-13-21
Highlighting the change in political philosophy that this relief bill demonstrates as well as understanding the 'stickiness' of good policy that helps people
Prof. Richard Wolff explains that this relief bill is not a giant giveaway, it's a small downpayment on returning what is owed to the poor and working classes for the upward redistribution of wealth over the past 50 years
Ch. 9: Stimulate This Beyotch - Unf*cking the Republic - Air Date 3-19-21
An analysis of the outcome of the relief bill and what it says about our country's ability to govern itself thoughtfully. And alsop swearing.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Moderate Democrats and Republicans alike repeated one common criticism—that infusing so much money into the economy would cause inflation. Austan Goolsbee, past Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, explains why those fears are misplaced.
Prof. Richard Wolff explains concierge doctors and the privatization of everything.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 12: Universal earned income benefits - Scott
Ch. 13: No Payments to Families with Children - Rich
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 14: Final comments on child welfare programs and perverse incentives
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
The goal is "Improved Medicare for All" and we must keep pushing for it, but if you need help right now, you should know...
NY Times: "The American Rescue Plan [...] would increase government subsidies to health insurers for covering recently laid-off workers and those who purchase their own coverage."
NY Times: "The first step of the federal upgrade should be ready by April 1: Healthcare.gov, where people sign up for insurance in 36 states, will start showing prices that reflect the new policy."
Need Health Insurance? A Guide to New Options Under the Stimulus. (NY Times)
Obamacare’s About to Get a Lot More Affordable. These Maps Show How. (NY Times)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Image Description: In foreground, a gravestone with the words "R.I.P. Reaganism" and in the background, part of a stimulus check from the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Credit: Composite design & text by Amanda Hoffman. Grave image (Pixabay), Stimulus check image (Pixabay)
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Air Date 3/19/2021
Today we take a look at the decades-old problems with our immigration system, what changes are being made under the new administration, and some of the underlying causes for the massive disfunction we have in addressing the issue.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Biden Eyes Sweeping Immigration Reform Legislation - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 2-18-21
Deputy White House Communications Director Pili Tobar joins Mehdi Hasan to discuss the Biden administration's immigration reform agenda, and how the president plans to get the votes necessary to pass the most comprehensive immigration reform bill in years
Overflowing ICE detention centers. Families separated at the border. A multi-billion-dollar border wall. Over the course of his four-year presidency, Donald Trump used executive power to wage war on the United States’ immigration system
Ch. 3: The First 100: Joy Olson - Only in America with Ali Noorani - Air Date 1-27-21
Among President Biden's immigration actions is a $4 billion four-year plan to address root causes of migration in Central America. But when lawmakers talk about addressing migration's “root causes,” what do they really mean?
The Biden administration is struggling to address the flow of migrant children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents, many fleeing extreme violence, poverty and natural disasters in their home countries
Ch. 5: Biden's Immigration Agenda Tested at the Border - The Mehdi Hasan Show - Air Date 3-9-21
With the number of unaccompanied migrant kids in U.S. custody tripling in recent weeks, Florida Immigration Coalition Spokesperson Melissa Taveras joins Mehdi Hasan to discuss the implications for Biden's immigration policy.
Join Detention Watch Network's #FirstTen to #CommunitiesNotCages Week of Action - March 22nd-26th
Ch. 7: The business of immigrant labor w/ Ruth Milkman - This Is Hell! - Air Date 3-10-21
Sociologist Ruth Milkman on the dynamics of immigration law and low-wage work, and her new book "Immigrant Labor and the New Precariat" for Polity Books.
Ch. 8: The Democrats' Long War on Immigrants - Intercepted - Air Date 2-17-21
As Joe Biden took the oath of office this January, Guatemalan security forces at the Honduran border thwarted thousands of U.S.-bound migrants. Decades-long American imperialism has facilitated displacement throughout the region
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: The Democrats' Long War on Immigrants Part 2 - The Intercept - Air Date 2-17-21
Ch. 10: Separating Children: Laura Briggs - Future Hindsight - Air Date 2-18-21
Laura Briggs is the author of Taking Children: A History of American Terror. We discuss the history of child separation for political ends, ranging from the enslaved and Native children, to the children of the poor and Central American refugees.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Biden needs media training but isn't aggressively evil - Dave from Olympia, WA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the mental drain of media BS and the need for small victories
TAKE ACTION:
Join Detention Watch Network's #FirstTen to #CommunitiesNotCages Week of Action - March 22nd-26th
Follow @DetentionWatch
Support anti-detention state legislation in Maryland, New Mexico, & Washington
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE:
‘Like an Experimental Concentration Camp’: Whistleblower Complaint Alleges Mass Hysterectomies at ICE Detention Center (Law & Crime)
“A SILENT PANDEMIC”: Nurse at ICE Facility Blows the Whistle on Coronavirus Dangers (The Intercept)
COVID-19 Outbreak Reported at Otero County Prison Facility (US News & World Report)
New Report Documents Systemic Abuse at a New Mexico Immigrant Detention Center (Innovation Law Lab)
Thousands of immigrants suffer in solitary confinement in U.S. detention centers (NBC News)
Op-Ed: Why abuse and neglect of immigrants proliferate in ICE detention (LA Times)
A Cage is Still a Cage: President Biden Must End U.S. Detention of Children and Families (TIME)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Image Description: Close up of a protest sign that reads "Immigration is inevitable. Cruelty is optional.' in hand-written, multi-colored lettering. A smaller sign is held in the background that says "END DETENTION."
Credit: "Protesting ICE and Deportation Raids Chicago Illinois 7-13-19_1836" by Charles Edward Miller, Flickr | License | Changes: Cropped and increased contrast
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TAKE ACTION:
Join Detention Watch Network's #FirstTen to #CommunitiesNotCages Week of Action - March 22nd-26th
Follow @DetentionWatch
Support anti-detention state legislation in Maryland, New Mexico, & Washington
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE:
‘Like an Experimental Concentration Camp’: Whistleblower Complaint Alleges Mass Hysterectomies at ICE Detention Center (Law & Crime)
“A SILENT PANDEMIC”: Nurse at ICE Facility Blows the Whistle on Coronavirus Dangers (The Intercept)
COVID-19 Outbreak Reported at Otero County Prison Facility (US News & World Report)
New Report Documents Systemic Abuse at a New Mexico Immigrant Detention Center (Innovation Law Lab)
Thousands of immigrants suffer in solitary confinement in U.S. detention centers (NBC News)
Op-Ed: Why abuse and neglect of immigrants proliferate in ICE detention (LA Times)
A Cage is Still a Cage: President Biden Must End U.S. Detention of Children and Families (TIME)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
Air Date 7/30/2019
Today we take a look at the ongoing debate about socialism between socialists and non-socialists alike, including discussion of tactical strategies on where to set our goals and how to get from here to there
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: John Nichols on Bernie and Socialism - Start Making Sense - Air Date 6-19-19
Bernie Sanders gave an important speech on socialism last week, and our John Nichols spoke with him about it -- beforehand.
Socialism has grown a lot because of demonization. The Left has a war to lose - left policies are the direction of progress and the world is leaning that way - but without proper education and fighting it will take a lot longer.
In the long run, democratic socialism wants to end capitalism - to empower working people. It's not just New Deal liberals - its pushing further. Massive momentum is on the Democratic Socialist side and collective action will win.
The main alternative to neoliberalism is the proposed renewal of social democracy, such as in the form of Bernie Sanders' proposals. But to move forward we need to discuss the limits of a welfare state that ultimately does not change class relations
Was the New Deal socialist? Yes and no. Bernie is pointing to the central model of most democratic socialist-style governments - he points to the good policies of democratic socialism instead of strict definitions.
Bernie's solutions, while admirable and helpful, are merely reforms of a fundamentally broken and contradictory system. Reforms set us up for inevitable roll-back by the powerful as we've seen since FDR.
Ch. 7: Bhaskar Sunkara on the possibilities of socialism in America - This is Hell - Air Date 5-21-19
Bhaskar Sunkara explores a path to socialism in America - as capitalism collapses and pulls politics towards the right, the promise of a worker-driven, democratic society built on equality and justice can be won by a broad, working-class movement
Bernie is calling out the massive power disparities in the US and what policies we can work towards - an Economic Bill of Rights.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Fighting climate change means fighting capitalism - Jesse from Boston
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 10: Final comments on the connection between political debates and parenting advice
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE
Lorie Shaull , Flickr | License
(Modifications: Cropped)
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Air Date 3/12/2021
Today we take a look at the multiple tactics being implemented in an attempt to undermine the entire concept of democracy because adhering to the will of the majority and allowing for unfettered protests is currently working to the distinct disadvantage of the Republican Party. Most people see the right to vote and to protest as foundational to a functioning democracy, others see them as impediments to their divine right to rule.
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SHOW NOTES
Sarah Repucci explains the factors that have helped drive the grim decline in freedoms and democracy in the U.S. and other areas of the world in recent years, which countries are most at risk and why the United States has dropped in the rankings.
Ch. 2: Republicans Launch 253 Voter Suppression Bills - David Pakman Show - Air Date 3-2-21
Republicans launch 253 voter suppression bills across the country, realizing they didn't suppress enough votes in the 2020 election.
Ch. 3: The coming anti-protest laws w/ Alleen Brown + Akela Lacy Part 1 - This is Hell! - Air Date 2-12-21
Journalists Alleen Brown and Akela Lacy on their report "State Legislatures Make “Unprecedented” Push on Anti-Protest Bills" for The Intercept, and in a Moment of Truth, Jeff Dorchen empathizes with savages and samurai.
Ch. 4: RED ALERT: Anti-Protest Bills Popping Up Everywhere - David Pakman Show - Air Date 8-19-20
Anti-protest bills of all kinds are popping up in numerous states across the United States.
Ch. 5: The coming anti-protest laws w/ Alleen Brown + Akela Lacy Part 2 - This is Hell! - Air Date 2-12-21
Ch. 6: Ari Berman on the Attack on Voting Rights - CounterSpin - Air Date 3-12-21
Do elite media think that whether or not the US, in 2021, under pressure from racists, goes back on the whole “one person one vote” thing is a legitimate topic for debate?
Across the U.S., Republican lawmakers have introduced more than 250 bills in 43 states aimed at restricting voting access. Ari Berman, author and reporter for Mother Jones, says Republicans are “breaking democracy” with their push to restrict voting.
Larry Lessig speaks with Representative John Sarbanes, the architect of the For The People Act (H.R. 1). The two dive into the provisions of this critically important piece of legislation to fix our democracy and what to expect in the months ahead.
Ch. 9: Fight GOP Voter Suppression Laws - Best of the Left Activism
Stand up against efforts to suppress the vote and subvert our democracy!
Democracy strikes back against the anti-democracy GOP, because every democracy story these days includes Republican fraud or attempted voter suppression. House Democrats passed H.R.1 -- the 'For the People Act' -- with zero Republican votes.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Sarah Repucci explains the factors that have helped drive the grim decline in freedoms and democracy in the U.S. and other areas of the world in recent years, which countries are most at risk and why the United States has dropped in the rankings.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 13: Critiquing charitable giving - Maureen from Boston
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 14: Final comments on the deep humanity of patronizing patriotism
TAKE ACTION!
Common Cause H.R. 1 Campaign - Text & Phonebank & Resources
Demand Elimination of the Filibuster
Follow Your State Legislature & Contact State Reps, Senators and Governor
Support Opponents of Suppressionists in Public Office
Vote Riders - Help Fight Suppression & Help Voters Get IDs They Need
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
For the People Act Is Needed to Stop New GOP Voter Suppression Bills (Teen Vogue)
Annotated Guide to the For the People Act of 2021 (Brennan Center for Justice)
How to Restore and Strengthen the Voting Rights Act (Brennan Center for Justice)
Blue States Suppress the Vote, Too (The New Republic)
Republicans Are Taking Their Voter Suppression Efforts to New Extremes (Mother Jones)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Circular protest sign held in the air by a pair of hands with the words "Voting is a Human Right. Stand for Freedom. Join the Fight!"
Credits: "December 10 march for voting rights" (2011) by Michael Fleshman (Flickr) | License | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 3/9/2021
Today we take a look at the current goings on around the world regarding our foreign policy under the new but not-so-new-feeling leadership of Joe Biden. We check in on Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and a couple of assorted arms sales to authoritarian leaders who support our foreign policy.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Biden Administration Should Strike a Deal with Iran - World Class - Air Date 2-18-21
Abbas Milani — an expert on U.S.-Iran relations — discusses the Iranian economy, the future of Iran’s leadership, and what a potential nuclear deal could mean for the U.S.
The Biden administration is facing intense criticism from U.S. progressives after carrying out airstrikes on eastern Syria said to be targeting Iranian-backed militia groups.
Ch. 3: Biden's First Act Of War Hits 3 Countries - Empire Files - Air Date 3-3-21
Biden's Feb. 26 strike in Syria was a crime, and risks major war with three countries. Abby Martin explains.
Ch. 4: Whither the Antiwar Left - Empire Has No Clothes - Air Date 2-25-21
This week on Empire Has No Clothes, Kelley, Dan, and I discussed the war in Afghanistan and why it's lost. We also talked with journalist James Carden about the state of the antiwar left and whether Joe Biden might do some good on foreign policy.
Ch. 5: What's Next For The War In Afghanistan - NPR Fresh Air - Air Date 3-4-21
America's 19-year war in Afghanistan may soon be coming to an end. The Trump administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban, in which the U.S. agreed to withdraw all its troops by May 1. But the Afghan government was not included in those talks.
Ch. 6: Can Joe Biden Save Yemen - Empire Has No Clothes - Air Date 2-11-21
This week on Empire Has No Clothes, Kelley, Dan, and I discussed Joe Biden's announcement that he would withdraw all American support for the war in Yemen.
Joe Biden once vowed to hold Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for Jamal Khashoggi's murder. Now, it looks like he's letting him off the hook. Emma Vigeland and the Majority Report crew discuss this.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: The future of the US-Saudi relationship (ft. Sen. Chris Murphy) - Worldly - Air Date 3-4-21
Zack, Jenn, and Alex debate whether the US should continue to treat Saudi Arabia as a close partner given its atrocious human rights abuses and the declining US dependence on Middle Eastern oil.
Abby Martin covers Biden's first arms deals to major human rights abusers Chile & Egypt; another US military base in Okinawa, opposed by majority of residents, threatens unique biodiversity; militia puts US at crossroads of a new Iraq war
Ch. 10: Can Biden remake Trump's Middle East - The Bunker - Air Date 11-25-20
From Israel to Iran, Donald Trump thought he could reset the Middle East. His fixation on the region defined the last four years of US foreign policy. But what will Biden’s presidency mean for America and the Middle East?
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 11: Introduction to our caste system - Roy from Washington State
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on Biden attempting to talk about Afghanistan and China
BONUS CLIPS:
CNN Official interview Joe Biden on Afghanistan 'Making progress' - CNN - Air Date 11-28-10
What Biden Said About Uyghurs - CNN Presidential Town Hall
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Image Description: Close up photo of the words "War is Peace" on the page of the book "1984".
Credit: "War is Peace" by Mark Hillary | License | Changes: Cropped
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Air Date 3/6/2021
Today we take a look at the origins of race and the building of a caste system in the US based largely on the lessons from Isabel Wilkerson, author of "Caste: The Origins of our Discontent"
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: John Biewen: The lie that invented racism - TED - Air Date 11-1-20
To understand and eradicate racist thinking, start at the beginning. That's what journalist and documentarian John Biewen did, leading to a trove of surprising and thought-provoking information on the "origins" of race.
Ch. 2: Made in America (Seeing White, Part 3) - Scene on Radio - Air Date 3-16-17
Chattel slavery in the US, with its distinctive · and strikingly cruel · laws and structures, took shape over many decades in colonial America. The innovations that built American slavery are inseparable from the construction of Whiteness as we know it.
Ch. 3: The Invention of Race - Throughline - Air Date 11-19-20
During a time when race-based science and the eugenics movement were becoming mainstream, anthropologist Franz Boas actively sought to prove that race was a social construct, not a biological fact.
Ch. 4: Caste in America with Isabel Wilkerson - Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes - Air Date 8-11-20
Does the United States have a caste system? In her research on the Jim Crow South, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist/author Isabel Wilkerson found that the word ·racism· fell far short in capturing the depth and totality of oppression people existed under
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson says racism is an insufficient term for the systemic oppression of Black people in America. Instead, she prefers to refer to America as having a "caste" system.
This brief video presents three of Theodore W. Allen’s theses related to the invention of the “white race” and his important analysis of the white supremacy’s role in beating back struggles from below in three great crises in U.S. history.
A new way of thinking about race and class with Isabel Wilkerson.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: The Invention of Race Part 2 - Throughline - Air Date 11-19-20
During a time when race-based science and the eugenics movement were becoming mainstream, anthropologist Franz Boas actively sought to prove that race was a social construct, not a biological fact.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson says racism is an insufficient term for the systemic oppression of Black people in America. Instead, she prefers to refer to America as having a "caste" system.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Thoughts on the bonus material - Kim from Montana
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments
TAKE ACTION!
Fight for $15 in the Senate: 202-224-3121 (voice) or 202-224-3091 (tty)
Fight for H.R. 1 - For the People Act in the Senate: 202-224-3121 (voice) or 202-224-3091 (tty)
Fight for George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in the Senate: 202-224-3121 (voice) or 202-224-3091 (tty)
Fight to pass the BREATHE Act (read our activism segment): Email members of Congress and more
Curated by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Black chalkboard background with the word "CASTE" written in white
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Air Date 6/21/2019
Today we take a look at the ways that Native Peoples are represented in white society and pop culture, how some are working to take back their own narratives and some insight into the profound effects, both positive and negative, of how peoples are represented.
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SHOW NOTES
The Washington Post conducts a flawed survey resulting in a misleading conclusion that most native peoples don't consider Redskins to be an offensive term
Racist representation of native peoples in sports and culture supports the anti-native sentiment that drives the MMIWG epidemic
Ch. 3: A Native perspective for museums - Native America Calling - Air Date 4-9-19
Native peoples have had their stories told form them by white people for centuries, working in museums and cultural centers create the opportunities to tell their own stories
W Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu step in a pile of native cultural appropriation and then slowly, messily wade their way out of it
Discussing cultural appropriation in many forms including the legal trademarking of one of the terms most central to native Hawaiian culture, Aloha
Ch. 6: 'Reel' Indians and the invention of Hollywood Indian English - Backstory - Air Date 11-22-14
A history lesson on the Hollywood creation of all of the stereotypes we reflexively think of when we think about how native peoples speak
Ch. 7: On Native American Loss and Triumph - On the Media - Air Date 10-5-18
David Treuer discusses the means by which Indians have been fighting for social and political change for centuries.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 8: Changed my mind in favor of impeachment - Nick from California
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the Canadian TV show “First Contact” and what it teaches us about how people do and don’t change their mind
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Native American imagery is all around us, while the people are often forgotten (National Geographic)
The Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women Epidemic Is Inseparable From Native Appropriation(Bustle)
‘It’s called a genocide’: Gavin Newsom apologizes to California’s Native Americans (San Francisco Chronicle)
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Thanks for listening!
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Air Date 2/27/2021
Today we take a look at the climate-fueled disaster in Texas from almost every angle; from the strictly scientific to the purely political and all of the disaster capitalism in between.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why on Earth are Winters Getting Worse if the Planet is Getting Warmer - Weathered - Air Date 2-1-21
Weathered is a show hosted by meteorologist Maiya May and produced by Balance Media that helps explain the most common natural disasters, what causes them, how they’re changing, and what we can do to prepare.
Ch. 2: Power Outages Becomes Propaganda Nexus - The David Pakman Show - Air Date 2-17-21
Many Republicans, including Tucker Carlson, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and others, falsely claim that the Texas power outages are a direct result of Texas being too reliant on "unreliable" wind power
Ch. 3: Chris Hayes To Ted Cruz: Governance Is Not Just ‘Performative Trolling’ - All In - Air Date 2-18-21
There are a million things that a senator can do in the middle of a disaster, none of which interests a politician like Ted Cruz, who sees himself as basically Rush Limbaugh with a Senate office
Millions of people in Texas were plunged into freezing cold and darkness as a major winter storm overwhelmed the state's power grid. More than 12 million Texans face water disruptions and have been ordered to boil tap water for safe consumption
Naomi Klein, senior correspondent at The Intercept and a professor at Rutgers University, says Republicans’ reaction is “because of panic” over their own culpability.
This episode of Warm Regards focuses on two more facets of decision making based on data about how the climate is changing.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: How to Prepare for Climate Change Part 1 - Strange Days with Fernand Amandi - Air Date 2-5-21
Ch. 8: How to Prepare for Climate Change Part 2 - Strange Days with Fernand Amandi - Air Date 2-5-21
Ready for the coming impact of climate change? Fear not as CBS Sunday science expert David Pogue tells #StrangeDaysPodcast how to get ready + Frank Schaeffer warns how radicalized evangelical Christians threaten Biden’s agenda & democracy.
Ch. 9: Tara Houska and Ruth Breech on Divesting from Toxic Capitalism - For The Wild - Air Date 8-21-19
Climate disaster is unfolding before our eyes every day, and yet banks have poured $1.9 trillion into maintaining and expanding the fossil fuel industry since the Paris Agreement was adopted.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: The divide is more religious than political - V from Central New York
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on cancel culture
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
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Air Date 6/28/2019
Today we take a look at the ways that extreme inequality and many of the worst instincts and repercussions of capitalism are being upheld and perpetuated by our culture of philanthropy. It turns out that what we see as the rich giving back is really more of a purchase on their part, a purchase of our acceptance of inequality and the right of the wealthy to rule.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Gilded Rage - Future Perfect - Air Date 5-21-19
To put our new age of extreme inequality in perspective, we look back at Andrew Carnegie, who gave America a huge number of libraries so they’d forgive him for his brutal steel mills. We ask: Is the same thing happening in 2019?
Ch. 2: Anand Giridharadas: Winners take all Part 1 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 9-27-18
Anand Giridharadas, author of Winners Take All, on the win-win business- and plutocrat-friendly philanthropy of today’s nouveau riche.
Ch. 3: Rob Reich: Is big philanthropy destroying democracy? - Tiny Spark - Air Date 11-7-18
Stanford professor Rob Reich’s new book Just Giving: Why Philanthropy Is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better investigates how charity can undermine democratic values and explores the ways federal policies help to facilitate greater inequality.
Ch. 4: Could billionaires solve global poverty? - The Brian Lehrer Show - Air Date 4-25-19
Time editor at large, Anand Giridharadas, discusses whether billionaires can put an end to global poverty if they had the will to do so, and talks about his recent book, Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World
Ch. 5: Rob Reich on whether philanthropy is bad for democracy - Rationally Speaking - Air Date 11-12-18
This episode features political scientist Rob Reich, author of "Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy, and How it Can Do Better". Does it deserve to be tax-deductible? And do philanthropists have too much power in society?
Ch. 6: Anand Giridharadas: Winners take all Part 2 - Jacobin Radio - Air Date 9-27-18
Anand Giridharadas, author of Winners Take All, on the win-win business- and plutocrat-friendly philanthropy of today’s nouveau riche.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 7: Inequality is the #1 issue - James from Sacramento, CA
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 8: Final comments on covering inequality and presenting a bonus clip on two manifestations of racism
BONUS CLIP: Myths of the ruling class with Anand Giridharadas - Why is this happening? - Air Date 10-8-18
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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