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

#1761 Monthly-ish Mix: The Machine Cracks—Empire, Exploitation, and the Crumbling Facade

Dec 30, 2025
Guest
Political Reporters / Panel Guests (congressional / GOP chaos segments)
Guest
Litigation Representative (Democracy Forward / legal guest)
Guest
Kyla or Financialization Reporter
Guest
Epstein Files Segment Reporter
Guest
Sudan Analyst / Reporter
Guest
Nuclear Policy Expert (interviewee)
Guest
John Nichols
Join John Nichols, journalist and author, as he digs into Dick Cheney's controversial legacy and its impact on U.S. foreign policy, particularly in Iraq. A nuclear policy expert discusses the escalating global nuclear arms race and potential regional risks, while a Sudan analyst provides harrowing insights into the ongoing civil war and humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, a reporter unpacks the tangled web of Epstein's connections and legislative movements. The conversation wraps up with a look at financial exploitation in the casino economy and the fragile state of authoritarianism.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Cheney's Lasting Architecture Of Power

  • Dick Cheney reshaped modern Republican power by concentrating executive authority and linking political power with economic interests.
  • John Nichols warns that Cheney's legacy normalized secrecy, preemptive war, and policies benefiting corporate allies at great human cost.
INSIGHT

Marshall Islands: Living Test-Bed For Nukes

  • The Marshall Islands experienced the equivalent of sustained nuclear-scale destruction from US testing between 1946–1958.
  • The thermonuclear tests caused long-term health, environmental, and cultural devastation that still shapes Marshallese life today.
INSIGHT

New Weapons, New Strategic Fragility

  • Fast-growing Chinese and existing Russian arsenals reshape strategic confidence and regional deterrence.
  • Experts warn AI, cyber, and new delivery concepts add unpredictable risk to nuclear command-and-control systems.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app