Listen to Best of the Left Podcast Episodes

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…

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…

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 Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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. Be part…

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 Be part of the show! Leave us a message at…

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…

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.  Be part of the show! Leave us a…

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 Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com …

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 Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Transcript…

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. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email…

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. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email…

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 Be part of the show! Leave us a message at…

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.  Be part of the show!…

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…

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. Be part of the…

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. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com   …

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 HEAR THE REST! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content)   References: VOA News: Going…

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…

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. Be part of the show! Leave us a…

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…

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   Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at…

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. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email…

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…

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. Be part of the show!…

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.  Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email…

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…