Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Expertly-curated progressive politics, news, and culture produced by leftist humans, not algorithms or AI. This is an award-winning podcast that dives deeply into a wide range of national and international issues facing society and governments. We draw from hundreds of sources of progressive news and commentary. Est. 2006.
Save time by listening to a range of perspectives on a focused topic in each episode and be introduced to new sources you will not have come across on your own!
- Update frequency
- every 2 days
- Average duration
- 76 minutes
- Episodes
- 580
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
#1446 Occupy Wall Street is Part of a Very Long Continuum
Air Date 10/6/2021
Today we take a look at what precipitated Occupy Wall Street and the legacy it left behind as we can see it now from 10 years after the encampment at Zuccotti Park in the heart of …
Bonus Sample: You Probably Need an Exorcism
Air Date: 9-15-21
Today, I am joined by Amanda, Erin and Deon to discuss:
- Top-Down and Bottom-Up processing that leads to biased interpretation of information
- Dying of individualism and federali…
#1445 A Crisis For Haitians, Not the US, on the Border
Air Date 9/29/2021
Today we take a look at the so-called "crisis" on the border involving Haitians attempting to cross into the United States. Some say it's a crisis the US is dealing with, others sa…
#1444 The Ongoing Coup and Other Ways to Destroy Democracy
Air Date 9/25/2021
Today we take a look at the continuing efforts of Trump and his supporters to subvert and ultimately destroy democracy through conspiracy theories, gerrymandering and harassment ca…
#1443 Legacies of 9/11: War on Terror, Islamophobia and Conspiracy Theories
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 conspira…
#1442 Health, Race, Class, Gender and Gaslighting at Work (Texas Abortion Law and SOCTUS)
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 Sla…
#1373 Post-Roe: The Next Phase in the Fight for Reproductive Justice (Repost)
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 th…
Bonus Sample: Constant Vigilance!
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
Refe…
#1441 There is Nothing New About Right-Wing Extremist Violence
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 vac…
#1440 The Physical Structures of Structural Racism and the Fight for Environmental Justice
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 o…
#1439 Power, Policies and Prejudice in a World of Refugees
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…
#1366 The Great Unhousing of America (Repost)
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…
#1438 Afghanistan: Where We Go From Here
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 escapade…
#1437 Afghanistan: The Long Road to Now (Remix)
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 …
#1436 The Long Legacy of Making Deals with the Devil (Bipartisanship)
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 …
#1435 A History of White Violence in Policy and Practice
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
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#1434 Confronting Climate Chaos Through Time (Remix)
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
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#1433 The legacy of White Supremacy in schools, health care and public pools
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.
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#1305 How to Build an Empire (A History of American Expansion) (Repost)
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 p…
#1357 What Trump is Invoking When He Invokes Manifest Destiny (Repost)
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 gold…