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!
Episodes
Original Air Date 5/24/2019
As the neoliberal order collapses from the pressure of its failures to provide for working people, we take a look at the much-maligned, rarely-understood field of economic and social study known as Marxism.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)
Air Date 5/6/2025
The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we look at government surveillance overreach, challenges facing immigrant and refugee communities, the shifting landscape of American culture brought on by Christian Nationalism and the emerging broligarchy, and grassroots movements challenging institutional power.
Air Date: 5-5-25
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin continue our discussion on masculinity and dive into:
- The dangers of the online obsession with Patrick Bateman from American Psycho
- John Adams’ famous quote that could give some insight into today’s incels
- The Matt Walsh/Megan Kelly skirmish that exposes Walsh’s siloed world-view
- A small bu...
Air Date 5/2/2025
We're taking the passing of Pope Francis as an opportunity to explore the deeper political implications of the extremist, rightward turn for some in the Catholic Church, including many recent converts.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members ...
Air Date 4/29/2025
The economic and political fallout of Trump’s misguided tariffs, exposing his self-proclaimed deal-making prowess as a fraud and his grasp of the relevant issues to be childlike at best.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Show...
Air Date: 4-28-25
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss:
- Why the “manly” manufacturing jobs Trump and MAGA want are never coming back
- Why incels love Trump’s tariffs
- The sad flails of the “Make America Manly Again” movement
- The “Sigma grindset” guys’ obsession with - and complete misunderstanding of - disturbing fictional movie characte...
Air Date 4/26/2025
For those of us who knew that Trump was lawless and deeply racist in his desire for mass deportations of brown people, we're getting exactly what we expected. For others, at least the lawlessness is coming as a bit of a surprise, and yet, here we are.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 4/22/2025
George W. Bush proposed privatizing Social Security and didn't succeed. But, as with appointing Justices that would eventually overturn Roe V. Wade, groundwork was being laid as part of a multi-decade effort that would, they hoped, pay off in the future. So don't be surprised when they come for your earned benefits programs just as they came for the fundamental right to bodily autonomy...
Air Date 4/18/2025
Before the election, I heard interviews and statistics about Trump supporters responding to his stated desire to weaponize the government against his political enemies. Their response was that 1) they didn't want him to do that and 2) didn't think he would.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 4/14/2025
Everything, it turns out, is a double-edged sword. Democracy and freedom are great but it also contains the keys to its own destruction. Love is pretty good but it turns out that only love can break your heart. And technology, which has freed people from countless hours of menial labor also has the power to subsume our economy, our politics, and much of our everyday lives. It may even ...
Original Air Date: 3/5/2019
From 2019: Today we take a look at how the illiberalism of the Israeli government has alienated the vast majority of democratic nations and individuals who support human rights, leaving the country with some of the most far-right, fascist, white-supremacist, anti-Semitic people in the world as their only remaining allies.
Air Date 4/5/2025
Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. And with Trump in place, the Christian Nationalists are looking to rewrite history to their liking in order to create the dystopian future they desire.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 4/2/2025
Love them or loathe them, the Democratic Party is the political institution available to the left to structurally take on Trumpism but we need a whole lot of new energy and new commitments to the fight to turn them into an opposition worthy of the moment we face.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
Air Date 3/28/2025
You might not be trans yourself but that's just like how coal miners aren't canaries because when they saw that the canaries were under threat, they knew the danger was all around them. Fascists always start with those who are the easiest to dehumanize but they never stop there.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch, like, subscribe & comment on our newly-launched YouTube show, SOLVED!
Original Air Date: 3/29/2022
Today we take a look at the current iteration of the cynical culture wars being waged by conservative Republicans against LGBTQ kids for political gain. The current wave of anti-trans and anti-gay legislation sprouting across the country is not about protecting kids and is absolutely nothing new.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or...
Air Date: 3–24-25
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss:
- Our new game Satire Showdown
- The authoritarian takeover of the term common sense
- How Americans actually feel about DEI initiatives
- The right’s turn on Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett
- A deep dive on the theory of a multiracial Right and how Democrats should ...
Air Date 3/21/2025
If you've been paying attention, the weaponization of the government against Trump's political and ideological enemies is exactly what you would have seen coming and now it's here.
Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com
BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No...
Air Date: 3–19-25
Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss:
- A special little ditty Jay put together
- The legitimate problems that helped birth the damaging MAHA movement
- Sherrod Brown’s OpEd on how the Democrats lost their way
- What Jay learned from India’s railway engineers
- An interview with Ro Khanna that sparked some hope
...#1698 Resistance is Not Futile: Support the collective revolt against Trumpism (Special Podcasthon!)
Air Date 3/18/2025
In this special Podcasthon episode, we're joining thousands of podcasts around the world in taking the opportunity this week to support a cause or organization that we believe in. In this time of fighting fascism, Best of the Left has chosen to support Indivisible, the grassroots organizing team that's working to resist Trumpism and pressure Democrats to do the same. Follow the link in...
Air Date 3/15/2025
It always bears repeating that the progressive perspective on the state of the world is not that everything was going just fine before Trump showed up but there's a world of difference between the leftist desire to improve things and Trump's bull-in-a-china-shop foreign and economic policies. Allow us to list the ways.
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.