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

• #1714 Trump's Anti-Knowledge Agenda is Inviting the Next Authoritarian Dark Age

  Air Date 6/6/2025 Today, Trump's administration is doing everything in its power to end the era of educational dominance the US has enjoyed for decades. The simple fact that explains the change is that democracy used to be valued across the political spectrum while todays Republican Party is authoritarian and understands that an educated public is a public that demands democracy while an uneducated public is much easier to manipulate and oppress. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes   Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) KEY POINTS KP 1: How Trump has reshaped the federal workforce - The NPR Politics Podcast - Air Date 5-29-25 KP 2: As Trump cuts funding, researchers look for opportunities outside the U.S. - Soundside - Air Date 4-21-25 KP 3: Anti-Science Mugging on the Right and the Ascent of American Anti-Intellectualism - Citations Needed - Air Date 5-28-25 KP 4: Trump's Dark Age Admin is 'attacking the foundations of empirical knowledge', journalist says - MSNBC Reports - Air Date 5-28-25 KP 5: Trumps Rants about Harvard Get Darker as He Loses a Big One in Court - The Daily Blast - Air Date 5-29-25 KP 6: Prof Jason Stanley Trump is targeting the three pillars of democracy as he follows fascist playbook - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 6-1-25 KP 7: Worse Than McCarthyism Historian Ellen Schrecker on Trumps War Against Universities & Students - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-30-25 KP 8: Tanya Clay House on Freedom to Learn, Danaka Katovich on Attacks on Activists - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-2-25 (01:00:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR  On what will fill the gap left by anti-intellectualism DEEPER DIVES (01:07:27) SECTION A: ANTI-SCIENCE (02:27:53) SECTION B: ANTI-HIGHER EDUCATION  (02:56:38) SECTION C: ANTI-PUBLIC GOODS  SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: An illustrated image of an arm and hand holding up a protest sign with an image of a brain on it. Credit: “brain icon mind thinking” via Mohamed_hasan, Pixabay | Pixabay license

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• #1597 The rise of fascism around the world driven by economic insecurity (Throwback)

  Original Air Date: 12-8-2023 Neoliberalism has created a lot of economic suffering and insecurity in addition to weakened social ties over the past few decades. And now, in what may be the most devastating result of the ideology yet, neoliberalism may be leading much of the world toward fascism bolstered by legitimate grievances about economic precarity which are coopted by the false promises of right-wing populism. Direct Download Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Far-right extremism on the rise around the globe - The ReidOut with Joy Reid - Air Day 11-28-23 Ch. 2: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23 Ch. 3: Argentina's Trump? Far-Right Javier Milei Wins Presidency with Echoes of Past Dictatorship - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-21-23 Ch. 4: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 2 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23 Ch. 5: Media Coverage of the Trump Movement is Missing Vital Context - On the Media - Air Date 11-29-23 Ch. 6: 'Democracy on a Knife's Edge' Far-right electoral victories in Argentina, Holland; Trump threatens Insurrection Act - The Bradcast - Air Date 11-28-23 Ch. 7: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 3 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23 Ch. 8: Media Coverage of the Trump Movement is Missing Vital Context Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 11-29-23 Ch. 9: How Can Democracy Survive in an Age of Discontent Rachel Navarre and Matthew Rhodes-Purdy on Populism and Political Extremism Part 4 - Democracy Paradox - Air Date 11-28-23

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• SOLVED! #10 - The Old Guard is Dying

  Air Date: 6–2-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: The role of art in political movements and moments under capitalism The problems with the Democratic Party that go far beyond Biden The Democrats’ gerontocracy that is literally dying and allowing Trump legislation to pass Our response to the latest DNC Executive Committee Meeting (held May 29th in Little Rock, AR)   FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube   REFERENCES: Don’t Expect Art To Save Us - Current Affairs To Be a Consumer of Culture Means Living in a Hostage Situation - Slate (from 2023) The Problem Goes Well Beyond Biden - Current Affairs The Democratic Party Is Literally Dying - The Nation Inside the Democrats’ Reboot - Time The DNC Executive Committee Meeting via Progressive Hub   SOLVED! SONG! “Push” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #10: “The Old Guard is Dying” (June 2nd)     TAKE ACTION: Write to the DNC June 14th - “No Kings” Nationwide Day of Action Find your Indivisible group - or start one Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121     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!

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• #1713 Yes, GOP Policies Really Are That Bad: Trump's Corruption and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

  Air Date 5/30/2025 Given the overwhelming weirdness of Trump and his malfeasant style of governance, it would be perfectly understandable for casual observers to believe that his signature piece of legislation, weirdly named in reality the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," was itself also likely to be pretty weird; a potential departure from usual Republican Party policy priorities. In reality, what's weird is how deeply normal it is: take from the poor and give to the rich while letting corporations get away with murder. Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: All the president's side hustles - Today, Explained - Air Date 5-15-25 KP 2: 'Met Gala of pay-for-play' Trump crypto dinner is brazenly corrupt, says Hayes - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-22-25 KP 3: Historian Julian Zelizer Trump's corruption is the worst ever seen in the White House! - The Dean Obeidallah Show - Air Date 5-13-25 KP 4: Analyst Trump's Middle East Trip Isn't For Peace. It's a Turn Towards Fighting China - BreakThrough News - Air Date 5-16-25 KP 5: Trump's Big Beautiful Bill is Baloney - The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich - Air Date 5-17-25 KP 6: Trump-GOP Tax Bill Cuts Medicaid, SNAP To Give Handouts To Billionaires Part 1- The Majority Report - Air Date 5-20-25 KP 7: Trump Castrated the Courts! Big Beautiful Bill ENDS Constitutional Protection Against Dictatorship - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 5-20-25 (00:55:49) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why seeing is not believing and how that helps Republicans DEEPER DIVES (01:02:25) SECTION A: CORRUPTION (01:45:05) SECTION B: BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL (02:19:13) SECTION C: IMPACT SHOW IMAGE CREDITS  Description: Composite image depicting Trump giving a speech at a podium with his hands out and an image of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s face in a circle over his shoulder. Text over the image reads “THE BIG CRUEL STUPID BILL” Credits: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Photo credit: “President of the United States Donald J. Trump at CPAC 2017 February 24th 2017” by Michael Vadon, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Darkened overlay and text and image overlays | “Mike Johnson”  by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped into circle with darker overlay

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• #1712 Eugenics Redux: A Gilded Age Ideology Brought Back for the Second Gilded Age

  Air Date 5/27/2025 Slippery slope arguments persist because good ideas taken to extremes become bad ones. Eugenics exemplifies this—often starting with good intentions. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The movement that inspired the Holocaust - Alexandra Minna Stern and Natalie Lira - TED-Ed - Air Date 3-10-22 KP 2: MAHA's Soft Eugenics - Conspirituality - Air Date 3-8-25 KP 3: It Must Be Eugenics - I Must Be BUG'N - Air Date 4-24-25 KP 4: Hayek's bastards w/ Quinn Slobodian - Politics Theory Other - Air Date 3-30-25 KP 5: Even More News: Grok's Meltdown, Donald Trump's Rampant Corruption, and Ms. Rachel w/ Mehdi Hasan - Some More News - Air Date 5-16-25 KP 6: Undercover inside a ‘scientific racism’ network - Today in Focus - Air Date 10-25-24 (00:49:40) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the likely future of gene editing ethics DEEPER DIVES (01:02:09) SECTION A: HISTORICAL CONTEXT (01:44:19) SECTION B: RFK JR. ON AUTISM (01:59:39) SECTION C: TECH BROS (02:46:44) SECTION D: PRONATALISM (03:05:05) SECTION E: MAGA SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite image depicting HHS Secretary RFK Jr. at a microphone in the center of an overlay of repeating, identical “people” icons. A handful of icons are different, bright neon colors and have a red X in a box over them. Credits: Composite design by A. Hoffman. Elements from Pixabay. Photo credit: “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” by Gage Skidmore, Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped, background color change, and added overlay   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

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