Best Of The Left - The Best Of Progressive And Liberal Talk

Re-Air Date: 01–26-25 Unless you were a member in January of 2025, this episode of SOLVED! will be brand new to you! If you were a member back then, THANK YOU and this one is worth a re-listen. We're working on slowly increasing our production again, but, for now, enjoy this episode from our archives (and before YouTube) where Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: 00:00:00 - Ch. 1 - The mindset of collaborators 00:07:55 - Ch. 2 - Why many people turn inward and drop out - at their own risk - under authoritarianism 00:32:14 - Ch. 3 - The nature of true dissidents and what we can learn from them Leave us a message on our new system! FOLLOW US ON: YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please share!) Bluesky Instagram Facebook Mastadon REFERENCES: "People, Power, Change" by Marshall Ganz History Will Judge the Complicit - The Atlantic The Desire to Turn Inward Is a Delusion /// Don't Let Donald Trump Drive You Into Internal Exile - The New York Times How to Keep Your Moral Compass /// A Mind

Air Date: 3/7/2026  Welcome to this episode of the Award-Winning Best of the Left Podcast. Today we examine the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson civil rights icon, two-time presidential candidate and one of the most consequential political figures of the 20th century. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! TOP TAKES KP 1: Remembering Jesse Jackson - Here & Now Anytime - Air Date 2-17-26 KP 2: I Am Somebody - Jesse Jackson -Sesame Street - Air Date 2-17-26 KP 3: Why Jesse Jackson Mattered - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie -Air Date 2-23-26 KP 4: Slap in the Face. Speaker Mike Johnson Declines to Honor Rev. Jesse Jackson - Roland S. Martin - Air Date 2-21-26 KP 5:

Air Date: 3/3/2026 The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we examine the multi-front struggle for control: military force and economic coercion seizing resources abroad, institutions weaponized to constrain bodies at home, platforms and propaganda capturing minds, and the democratic resistance proving that organized people can still win. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! PART 1: TAKING WHAT THEY WANT (00:02:31) #1762 - Trump's Imperialistic Shakedown of Venezuela 1: Trump Admits Venezuela Attacks Are All About Their Oil - The Majority Report W/ Sam Seder - Air Date 12-18-25 2: USA Is the Worst Pirate

Original 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. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Introduction to Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work by Srnicek & Williams - Dank Audio Stash - Air Date 4-8-21 Introduction to Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work by Nick Srnicek and Alex Will

Original 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. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The 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 shad

Air Date: 2-17-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:   Ch. 1 - The "dual state" concept coined by German Jewish political scientist and labor lawyer Ernst Fraenkel in his 1941 book "The Dual State: A Contribution to the Theory of Dictatorship" Ch. 2 - Navigating the psychological toll of living under authoritarianism Ch. 3 - "Woke 2.0" as a movement, and dismantling conservative critiques of virtue Ch. 4 - What is actually required to build an effective, broad anti-authoritarian coalition movement SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): Deprograming Nazis and the "run the ball" football strategy for our times   Leave a message on our new system!   FOLLOW US ON: YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please subscribe and share!) Bluesky Instagram Facebook Mastadon Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e   REFERENCES Your friends are still acting like everything is normal in America. What do you do? - Vox They Were Ord

Air Date: 2/23/2026 Today we examine how the platforms that monetize your attention are merging with state power. We'll hear how TikTok's new owners include Trump ally Larry Ellison, how DHS sent hundreds of subpoenas to unmask anonymous ICE critics, how Ring's Super Bowl ad cheerfully introduced AI-powered neighborhood surveillance, and how the social media addiction trials that are being likened to the Big Tobacco settlement of the 90s, are finally exposing what these companies knew about the harmful nature of their products all along. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! TOP TAKES KP 1: Chris Hayes in Conversation with Jonathan Haidt About The Sirens Call Part 1

Air Date: 2/19/2026 Today we trace the pipeline from masculine grievance to fascism. We'll hear how ICE agents' own family members describe them as low-IQ bullies chasing signing bonuses, why a former white nationalist explains that the alternative to unpacking discomfort is becoming overtly racist, how incel culture evolved from lonely forums into a MAGA recruitment tool, and what researchers found about why men socialized to equate violence with manhood end up joining state-sanctioned death squads. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! TOP TAKES KP 1: White Men, We Have A Problem - Swolesome - Air Date 1-7-26 KP 2: Do You Get It Now, Ben? - SOME MORE NEWS - Air Date

Air Date 2/15/2026 Today we explore the gap between free speech rhetoric and the reality of arrested reporters. We'll hear how a decade of cancel culture panic over college students gave way to actual government suppression of journalists, why the DOJ is perverting a law designed to fight the Ku Klux Klan to prosecute Black journalists, how the administration that promised to "bring back free speech" is maintaining lists of forbidden words, and what history teaches about humor as a weapon against authoritarianism. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! TOP TAKES KP 1: AG Bondi Confirms FBI Executed Search Warrant at WaPo Reporter's Home - MS Now - Air Date 1-13-26 KP 2

Air Date: 2-3-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:  Ch. 1 - Trump's Pillars of Support, and plugging into community building & local support networks Ch. 2 - Case studies in success: Avelo Airlines & Spotify and why they matter Ch. 3 - Pressure campaigns at home and abroad and why they are important Ch. 4 - The new cracks in MAGA, and building up the political opposition party we need SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): The second amendment folks' weird moment after ICE murdered Alex Pretti FOLLOW US ON:  YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please subscribe and share!) Bluesky Instagram Facebook Mastadon Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e REFERENCES DISCUSSED Why Nonviolent Resistance Doesn't Require Your Opponent to Have a Conscience - Tim Hjersted, Films for Action  Think There's Nothing You Can Do to Stop ICE? Think Again. - The Nation Here's How We Pressured an Airline to End Its Cont

Air Date 2/10/2026 Today we explore what effective resistance actually looks like. We'll hear why Jamelle Bouie says the panic of those in power signals that opposition is working, what abolitionists teach us about fighting without knowing the ending, and how Minneapolis proved that democratic force can overwhelm physical force. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! TOP TAKES KP 1: What I've Learned From Reading History - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 1-28-26 KP 2: Five Ways to Fight Trumps Fascism - Robert Reich - Air Date 8-19-25 KP 3: Abolish ICE! No Brainer. Then What? Also, How? - Matthew Cooke - Air Date 1-27-26 KP 4: "They Have Agency In This Moment. They

Original Air Date: 8-25-2017 Today we look at the constant struggle between the freedom to speak and the necessary limits placed on that freedom due to the rights of others to not be substantially harmed by that speech Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! Show Notes Ch. 1: WSJ Reports: ACLU Rethinks Defending Hate Groups Protesting with Guns - Wochit News - Air Date 8-17-17 Ch. 2: ACLU Will No Longer Defend Hate Groups Protesting With Firearms - MSNBC Ch. 3: Understanding the line between free speech and hate speech - BackStory - Air Date 8-23-17 Ch. 4: I was a prominent neo-Nazi. Ignoring white extremists is a mistake. - Vox - Air Date 4-14-17 Ch. 5: Nazis Don't G

Air Date: 01-28-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:   Ch 1 - Why it's not actually "fun" to be right too early (despite being called 'insufferable') Ch 2 - The political elites and neoliberals who are frantically changing their tune now that a left-wing populist movement is here Ch 3 - The Cassandras of the Left who knew and tried to warn that Trump would be a fascist Ch 4 - The Anti-Alarmists who stifled the Cassandras warnings Ch 5 - What if we actually listened to the Left next time? SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): That one time progressives were very wrong   FOLLOW US ON: YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please subscribe and share!) Bluesky Instagram Facebook Mastadon Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e   REFERENCES The Left is Always Right Too Early - Current Affairs Well, It's Time for Populism, They Guess - Slate The Trump Backers Who Have Buyer's Remorse - The Atlantic The Vibe Shifts Ag

Air Date 2/1/2026 Today we examine what's actually working against the Trump regime and the role of this year's elections. Unsurprisingly, his own voter fraud investigation just proved him a liar, Democrats are overperforming expectations in House special elections, and Zohran Mamdani's campaign based on having fun in community needs to be a model for every movement against authoritarianism. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! In honor of our 20th birthday, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP...this includes Gift Memberships! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! TOP TAKES KP 1: Trump Admin's Endless Waste, Fraud, Abuse in Elections Part 1 - The BradCast - Air Date 1-20-26 KP 2: Donald Trump Want

Air Date 1/29/2026 Today we examine the collapse of the American-led, rules-based world order (such as it was) in real time. Canada's Prime Minister pointed out that the emperor has no clothes and declared US hegemony over while Europe called Trump's bluff on Greenland... all the more reason why he would prefer a fake "Board of Peace" that he can rule over as a worldwide plutocracy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! In honor of our 20th birthday, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP...this includes Gift Memberships! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: TACO Returns: Trump 'isolated and Humiliated' by Greenland Saga Says Hayes - All In with Chris Hayes - Air

Re-Air Date: 01–26-26 Original Air Date: 06-09-24 Unless you were a member in June of 2024, this episode of SOLVED! will be brand new to you! If you were a member back then, THANK YOU and this one is worth a re-listen. We're slowing down production for a little bit to reorganize our production processes, so enjoy this episode from our archives (and before YouTube) where Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:   - How the media focus 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   FOLLOW US ON: YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - ple

Air Date: 1/25/2026 Today we examine education as the battleground for democracy itself. We'll hear how authoritarians erase history to maintain power, why liberal arts colleges don't exist in authoritarian societies, how the administration is punishing universities for their political views, and what the detention of student protesters reveals about the cost of dissent in Trump's America. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! In honor of our 20th birthday, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP...this includes Gift Memberships! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Rewriting Reality How the Battle for History Shapes the Future - WhoWhatWhy's Podcasts - Air Date 9

Air Date: 1/21/2026 Today we look at ICE's reign of terror as a paramilitary occupation force and the communities pushing back. We'll hear about Renee Goode, an unarmed woman shot dead by federal agents, and Keith Porter, killed by an off-duty agent on New Year's Eve, in addition to historical parallels from Civil-Rights Era Selma, Alabama and the Boston Massacre. The signs of hope here are that the oppressed won those fights and the oppressors were forced to retreat - there's every reason to believe that the same pattern can repeat today. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! In honor of our 20th birthday, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP...this includes Gift Memberships! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing exper

Air Date: 01-12-26 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:   Ch. 1 - Why it's actually NOT a "Male Loneliness Epidemic (TM)" and even the non-crazy male influencers aren't helping Ch. 2 - Why loneliness is better understood by age, and how society has not emotionally equipped men for struggle Ch. 3 - Why American-style capitalism is the root cause of loneliness epidemic and is stranding women and mothers Ch. 4 - Why the solutions for societal loneliness don't align with fascist governments, and calling out those who would rather you stay lonely and buy stuff SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!):  "Looks Maxing" & our initial thoughts on the invasion of Venezuela"   FOLLOW US ON: YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please subscribe and share!) Bluesky Instagram Facebook Mastadon Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e   REFERENCES Does Anyone Care That Young Women Are Just as Lonely as Men Are? - Cosmopolitan What

Air Date: 1/17/2026 There's a lot to be concerned about with AI but the biggest concern is the economic system we have in place at the moment when AI is being introduced. Capitalism is not a good steward of new and potentially dangerous technology, as we've seen from Zuckerberg's move-fast-and-break-things era of social media that he later recognized as having triggered a genocide. When the profit drive necessitates light-speed growth, ethical and safety considerations are the first things to be jettisoned and things get broken. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! In honor of our 20th birthday, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP...this includes Gift Memberships! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join