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

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. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript | Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Jeff Sharlet on Trump Assassination Attempt, Authoritarian Violence & Project 2025 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 7-15-24 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 4: In "Unity" Speech, Trump Demonizes Migrants, Spreads Lies & Embraces Authoritarianism - Democracy Now! - Air Date 7-19-24 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 A1: "Beating Donald Trump Is Vital": Mehdi Hasan on Joe Biden Dropping Out, Kamala Harris, Gaza & More - Democracy Now! - Air Date 7-22-24 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. Transcript Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! 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. 3: Storm of White Right Wing Violence Isn't Coming... It's Here Featuring Luke Mogelson Part 1 - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-15-22 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. 6: Storm of White Right Wing Violence Isn't Coming... It's Here Featuring Luke Mogelson Part 2 - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 9-15-22 Ch. 7: Some Democrats call on McCarthy to resign after comment 'hard not to hit' Pelosi with speaker's gavel - ABC News - Air Date 8-2-21 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) Ch. 11: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s Part 2 - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22 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 Join our Discord Server 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 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. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Opinionpalooza The Supreme Court End-of-Term Breakfast Table - Amicus - Air Date 7-6-24 KP 2: Opinionpalooza This SCOTUS Decision Is Actually Even More Devastating Than We First Thought - Amicus - Air Date 7-13-24 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 5: Project 2025 would allow Trump to target his enemies through the judicial system - The ReidOut - Air Date 7-10-24 KP 6: Republicans issue vile reaction to Trump shooting - No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen - Air Date 7-15-24 KP 7: Project 2025 would allow Trump to target his enemies through the judicial system Part 2 - The ReidOut - Air Date 7-10-24 KP 8: What is Christian nationalism and why it raises concerns about threats to democracy - PBS Newshour - Air Date 2-1-24 (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 Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (20% off in July! Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! 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 3: The biggest problems Mexico's first female president Claudia Sheinbaum is facing - DW News - Air Date 6-3-24 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 KP 6: "The North Needs to Learn from the South": Mexico Poised to Elect First Woman President - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-29-24 KP 7: Who Broke Britain- Part 4- The Tories Are Out - If You_re Listening - ABC News In-depth - Air Date 7-5-24 KP 8: First Woman President- Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum Faces Border And Drug Cartel Challenges - The Hill - Air Date 6-16-24 (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.

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) 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. Join our Discord Server 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 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. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: When solar power leaves you feeling burned - Today, Explained - Air Date 1-2-24 KP 2: How can we develop new energy technologies and get them deployed at scale - The Energy Gang - Air Date 3-5-24 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 5: How can we develop new energy technologies and get them deployed at scale Part 2 - The Energy Gang - Air Date 3-5-24 KP 6: The Lost Subways of North America - 99% Invisible - Air Date 5-21-24 KP 7: NYC Congestion Pricing Advocates Slam Hochul for Halting Plan to Reduce Emissions, Fund Transit - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-25-24 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

Harvey Kaye, a University of Wisconsin professor and author, dives into FDR's Four Freedoms and their relevance today. Thom Hartmann contrasts Roosevelt's vision of freedom with modern libertarian views, advocating for a broader definition that includes economic rights. Rev. Dr. Roger Ray discusses the need for a second Bill of Rights and reaffirms the importance of community responsibility in achieving social justice. Together, they explore how historical principles can inspire a more equitable future.

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 'Extreme wealth as power must be regulated’: 31-year-old heiress is letting 50 strangers give her $27 million fortune away 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 Join our Discord Server 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 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. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS 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 5: The Escalating Sino-Philippine South China Sea Dispute Explained - TLDR News Global - Air Date 6-26-24 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 A1: Kidnappings and ghost towns on China’s Belt and Road: 10 years of Xi Jinping’s masterplan | Dispatch - The Telegraph - Air Date 9-7-23 A2: Has Africa gained from China's infrastructure plans? - Focus on Africa - Air Date 10-20-23 A3: China-Africa Relations in the Era of Great Power Competition - The China in Africa Podcast - Air Date 5-9-24   SEE FULL SHOW NOTES (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