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

In this engaging discussion, Donald Trump, the former U.S. president, shares insights on his controversial foreign and economic policies. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, dives into the dynamics of the Ukraine conflict, while Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's leader, highlights the resilience of his country amid war. The trio delves into the chaotic shifts in U.S. foreign policy, the implications of tariffs, and the urgent need for international solidarity in combating authoritarianism. They explore the delicate balance of power on the global chessboard, marked by evolving alliances and historical narratives.

Air Date 3/12/2025 The (Approximately) Monthly Mix is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we look at the future for Gaza, Trump's plans for mass deportations, the decline of the US on the international stage, the wrecking crew dismantling the federal government, RFK Jr. and the threat to public health, and Trump's endemic corruption. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! PART 1: ETHNIC CLEANSING AT HOME AND ABROAD #1687 Respite: Ceasefire in Gaza and the Legacy of Imperial Folly in the Middle East 1: Gaza Ceasefire Explained Reading Between The Lines Part 2 - The Socialist Program - Air Date 1-16-25 2: On the Situation in Syria and its Implications for the Region - Revolutionary Left Radio - Air Date 1-6-25 3: Egypt, Jordan Reject Trump Plan to Clean Out Gaza; Palestinians Return to N. Gaza in Historic Day - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-27-25 (25:13) #1693 Empowering Ethnostates: Ethnically cleansing Gaza and Trump's South Africa fixation 4: Trump's Insane Plan To Own Gaza - Pod Save the World - Air Date 2-12-25 5: West Bank Annexation Inevitable - The Majority Report - Air Date 2-6-25 6: Trump's South Africa Fixation - What Next - Air Date 2-12-25 (49:33) #1692 Ethnically Cleansing America (1:16:02) #1688 International Decline: The Old Is Dying and the New Cannot Be Born PART 2: TRUMP AND THE WRECKING CREW (1:41:55) #1689 The Media and the Moguls (2:02:34) #1691 Breaking the Government (2:25:26) #1690 Oligarchy Unmasked- Why Billionaires Hate Democracy and How They're Dismantling It (2:45:15) #1694 Unhealthy Discourse - RFK Jr. and the Anti-Science Movement Endangering Global Health (3:02:31) #1695 Trump's Corruption As A Matter Of Course

Air Date: 3–9-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The Founding Fathers’ prophetic concerns that we don’t ever talk about - FDR VP Harry Wallace’s op-ed on American fascism from 1944 - Philosopher Richard Rorty’s chilling predictions from 1998 - A few reasons - with caveats - why U.S. Democracy might make it through Trump 2.0 - Some hope and advice from a country that recently defeated their authoritarian regime   BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)   FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e   REFERENCES: Benjamin Franklin to the Federal Convention The Other Fear of the Founders - The Atlantic Vice President Henry A. Wallace on ‘The Danger of American Fascism’ in 1944 - Brewminate An eerie prophecy of Trump’s second term - Vox Three reasons why American democracy will likely withstand Trump - Vox Poland just showed the world how democracy wins   Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials   Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01   Leave a message at 202-999-3991   Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 3/7/2025 Corruption, for those who indulge, isn't just a perk of power, it can also be a method of maintaining it. Trump is not bothering to hide the corruption he's working to facilitate or how it's geared toward supporting his desire for unchecked power. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: President Trump's Second Administration and Project 2025 - Trump's Terms - Air Date 2-11-25 KP 2: The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau was protecting you from corporate greed. It's gone now. - The Real News Network - Air Date 2-18-25 KP 3: The Gangster Presidency - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 2-15-25 KP 4: Trump's Theory of Power - Brennan Center for Justice - Air Date 2-5-25 KP 5: See Trump's blatant quid pro quo with Eric Adams play out live on Fox News - All In w Chris Hayes - Air Date 2-14-25 KP 6: The Billionaires Government Branko Marcetic on Trumps Complete Betrayal of His Base - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-27-25 KP 7: D.C. Gutted. Grassroots Galvanized. - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 2-22-25 KP 8: Elie Mystal On The Peoples Checks and Balances - Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast - Air Date 2-21-25 (56:17) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the impact of corruption DEEPER DIVES (1:05:38) SECTION A: THE CABINET OF GREED (1:48:28) SECTION B: QUID-PRO-QUO (2:10:58) SECTION C: CORPORATE INTERESTS (2:48:08) SECTION D: KING TRUMP SHOW IMAGE Description: A protestor holds up a sign that says “Stop The Billionaire Grift!” Credit: “HANDS OFF THE CFPB RALLY at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau” by Elvert Barnes, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen

Air Date 3/4/2025 An old proverb says that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and we're all about to see how dangerous as know-nothings and science skeptics take over the government agencies staffed by doctors and scientists with the goal of keeping the population healthy. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: U.S. health agencies hit with mass layoffs by Trump administration - Way Too Early with Ali Vitali - Air Date 2-18-25 KP 2: Department of Health and Holy Sh*t: RFK Jr.’s MAHA Movement and What It Means for America Part 1 - Inside the Hive - Air Date 2-5-25 KP 3: Psychiatric Struggle w/ Danielle Carr - The Dig - Air Date 2-17-25 KP 4: MAHA Forever - The Dream - Air Date 2-16-25 KP 5: Republicans are Proposing Bills SO F***ing Stupid They’ll Make Your Head Explode - The Humanist Report - Air Date 2-18-25 KP 6: Samoa's Health Chief Says RFK Jr. Spread Anti-Vax Misinformation Before Deadly Measles Outbreak - Democracy Now! - Air Date 1-31-25 (48:15) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the tragedy of the mirror world DEEPER DIVES (57:25) SECTION A: HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS (1:15:51) SECTION B: RFK JR. (1:30:48) SECTION C: ANTI-SCIENCE DANGERS (1:55:19) SECTION D: PREDATORS AND PREY SHOW IMAGE Description: RFK Jr. speaks at the podium at a Trump-Vance rally while an out-of-focus Donald Trump watches him in the background. Credit: “Donald Trump & Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped   Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Air Date: 3-2-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How “entrepreneurialism” has gained unearned adoration and disempowered labor organizing - The 100-year-old “New Thought” era and how it shaped our current culture of work - The social critic Theodore Roszak’s accurate predictions about the dark turn of tech and work - What Democrats should learn from Steve Bannon’s approach to Musk   FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e   REFERENCES: The Cult of the Entrepreneur - The New Republic The Social Critic Who Predicted Big Tech’s Dark Turn - The Nation What Anti-Musk Democrats Can Learn From Steven Bannon - NY Magazine   Find your Indivisible group - or start one Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 5 Calls app   Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991   Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Original Air Date: 615/2022 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. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The Housing Market - If You Don't Know, Now You Know - The Daily Show - Air Date 12-8-21 Ch. 2: How Foreign Companies Are Raising Housing Prices - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 12-27-21 Ch. 3: John and Ana React to Bonkers Housing Story - The Damage Report - Air Date 3-12-22 Ch. 4: How Socialists Solved The Housing Crisis - The Gravel Institute - Air Date 1-29-21 Ch. 5: Is the Housing Bubble About to Burst Featuring Prof. Richard Wolff - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-1-22 Ch. 6: Eviction Rates Are Rising - The Takeaway - Air Date 5-13-22 Ch. 7: Why Dems Have Abandoned Public Housing - The Majority Report - Air Date 4-9-22 Ch. 8: Does Vienna Have the World's Best Council Housing? Swimming Pools, Private TV Channels & More - Channel 4 Documentaries - Air Date 8-8-19 Ch. 9: Short-term rental housing is hurting Ouray residents - Rocky Mountain PBS - Air Date 7-19-21 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. Credit: Household | License   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Air Date 2/25/2025 Racism is at the core of most of what Trump believes so it should be no surprise when he aligns himself and the country with explicitly supremacist projects like the perceived Jewish superiority over Palestinians and the assumed "reverse racism" against White South Africans Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Trumps Insane Plan To Own Gaza - Pod Save the World - Air Date 2-12-25 KP 2: Elon's African roots - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-13-25 KP 3: Trumps South Africa Fixation - What Next - Air Date 2-12-25 KP 4: American Jews, Israel, and Palestine w Peter Beinart - American Prestige - Air Date 2-11-25 KP 5: West Bank Annexation Inevitable - The Majority Report - Air Date 2-6-25 KP 6: Israelis and Palestinians Standing Together - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 2-15-25 KP 7: On The Ground in Gaza Serving the People in Palestine - Rev Left Radio - Air Date 2-11-25 (51:08) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why Israel and Gaza are not are complicated as you may think DEEPER DIVES (56:45) SECTION A: TRUMP’S GAZA PROPOSAL (1:10:39) SECTION B: AFRIKANERS AND TRUMP (1:35:00) SECTION C: WEST BANK VIOLENCE (1:59:33) SECTION D: HISTORICAL CONTEXT (2:25:09) SECTION E: RESISTANCE SHOW IMAGE Description: Composite showing Netanyahu and Trump with their heads close looking down on a Palestinian flag flying out of the rubble on Gaza.   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

The discussion dives into the influence of a Nazi propagandist on today's political landscape. It critiques the oversimplification of political views into friend-enemy binaries while advocating for empathy and understanding. The impact of social emotional intelligence on behavior is explored, alongside the cycle of trauma and its societal repercussions. The hosts analyze how fear shapes political rhetoric, particularly under Trump's leadership, and consider how collective trauma can lead to violence.

Air Date 2/21/2025 There is nothing other than racism at the heart of Trump's immigration policy. He wants to deport as many brown people as possible, stop as many immigrants and refugees as possible unless they're White people from South Africa or the nearly 40 million Canadians he's inviting to enjoy immediate US citizenship. This is not complicated. Trump is a disgusting, blatant racist (and always has been) who's trying to turn the US into a White ethnostate. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Trump’s Unconstitutional Rampage Against Immigration - Amicus - Air Date 1-25-25 KP 2: Guantanamo's other history Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-10-12 KP 3: Know your rights (immigration edition) - Make Your Damn Bed - Air Date 1-23-25 KP 4: Operation Wetback and the Bipartisan Legacy of US Deportations Part 1 - Letters and Politics - Air Date 1-16-25 KP 5: Extraordinary Cruelty, Ordinary Policy: Immigration and Deportation Under Trump 2.0. - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 1-31-25 (45:30) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On what we can learn from imaginary borders DEEPER DIVES (51:24) SECTION A: RIGHTS & FIGHTS (1:26:42) SECTION B: GITMO & HAITI (1:48:34) SECTION C: BIPARTISAN EXPLOITATION (2:36:28) SECTION D: REALITY ON THE GROUND SHOW IMAGE Description: A composite image showing a photograph of a sign from a protest that says “The Criminal Is In Office” blended into an illustrated depiction of the backs of people behind a chainlink fence. Credit: Composite images: private permission photo, and illustrated graphic via Pixabay | License: Pixabay   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastadon | Threads | X