#1720 Building an Organized Left, the Eternal Oxymoron

Air Date 7/2/2025 The militarization of Trump's deportation regime and response to protesters is the clearest example of his desire to implement a fully authoritarian government. Pure and simple. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on the infamous Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email [email protected] 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: America Hates The Left & We Need A Plan - Olurinatti - Air Date 12-8-24 KP 2: America Has No Left Wing with Vivek Chibber - Factually! with Adam Conover - Air Date 6-18-25 KP 3: What's 'Left' in America?: The Moral Apathy of Liberal Optimism - Cheyenne Lin - Air Date 9-2-24 KP 4: Ralph Nader’s Message to Doomers: "Stop Making Excuses!" - Current Affairs - Air Date 6-22-25  KP 5: The Worst People in Politics Are LOSING IT Over Zohran Mamdani - Current Affairs - Air Date 6-25-25 KP 6: “We Fight for Working People with No Apology”: Zohran Mamdani Beats Cuomo in NYC Mayoral Primary - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-25-25 (00:45:01) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how to fund the politics we need DEEPER DIVES (00:56:26) SECTION A: PROTESTS (01:25:24) SECTION B: HISTORY & INFIGHTING (02:01:22) SECTION C: SUBVERSION & THE RIGHT (02:38:02) SECTION D: ORGANIZING (03:24:46) SECTION E: THEORY SHOW IMAGE CREDITS  Description: Photo of a grid of multi-colored Zohran Mamdani political posters that say “Zohran For Mayor” and a photo of Zohran. Credit: “Zohran for Mayor” by Eden, Janine and Jim, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 Changes: Cropped and expanded background Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Contact me directly at [email protected]

Air Date: 6–30-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: Shifting the way we think and talk about the benefits of peaceful nonviolence at anti-fascist protests  The unlimited patience for capitalism vs. the knee-jerk “Impossible!” for left-wing ideas The centrists Democrats (and their consultants) missing the forest for the trees An antidote to decades of neoliberal approaches to policy (and we reject Ezra Klein’s “Abundance”)   FOLLOW US ON:  Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e   REFERENCES: Trump's Manufactured Crisis and the Urgency of Strategic Nonviolence - In These Times A Song of “Full Self-Driving”: Elon Isn’t Tony Stark. He’s Michael Scott. - The Bulwark They Always Call You Unrealistic - Current Affairs The Gobs of Money and Lack of Vision at the Heart of Centrism - In These Times Red Tape Isn’t the Only Reason America Can’t Build - The Atlantic SOLVED! SONG! Concepts: Human Intelligence * Song: Artificial Intelligence: “Make Some Enemies” inspired directly by SOLVED! #13: “How to Make Enemies and Influence People” (June 30, 2025)     TAKE ACTION: Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials about stopping the Big Stupid Cruel Bill Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 July 17th - National Day of Action - Good Trouble Lives On Find your Indivisible group - or start one Write to the DNC   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 [email protected]  Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 6/28/2025 The militarization of Trump's deportation regime and response to protesters is the clearest example of his desire to implement a fully authoritarian government. Pure and simple. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on the infamous Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email [email protected] Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: Papers, Please: Hayes Flags New Police Tactic Trend in Trumps America - All In w Chris Hayes - Air Date 6-19-25 KP 2: David Gilbert of WIRED on Trump Demand for Ethnic Cleansing in U.S. - The BradCast - Air Date 6-17-25 KP 3: Trump, ICE, and the US War on Migrants - Red Flag Radio - Air Date 6-15-25 KP 4: Palantir Peter Thiel's Data-Mining Firm Helps DOGE Build Master Database to Surveil Immigrants - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-3-25 KP 5: Tanks On DCs Streets And A US Senator In Handcuffs - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 6-14-25 KP 6: The Military Occupation of Los Angeles - and the USA - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-13-25 KP 7: Trump Deploys Troops Against LA Protesters. Plus, Journalists Under 'Less Lethal' Fire. - On the Media - Air Date 6-13-25 KP 8: Tanks On DCs Streets And A US Senator In Handcuffs Part 2 - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 6-14-25 (01:00:15) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On protesting with a theory of change DEEPER DIVES (01:07:52) SECTION A: LA PROTESTS AND CIVIL UNREST A1: Trump Deploys Troops Against LA Protesters. Plus, Journalists Under 'Less Lethal' Fire. Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 6-13-25 A2: The Military Occupation of Los Angeles - and the USA Part 2 - Straight White American Jesus - Air Date 6-13-25 A3: Trump Can Command California National Guard for Now, Appeals Court Rules - Morning Joe - Air Date 6-13-25 A4: ICE Raids Continue As LA Fights Back - The Insurgents - Air Date 6-13-25 A5: A Medical Perspective On Protest Safety - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 6-23-25 A6: Trump Deploys Troops Against LA Protesters. Plus, Journalists Under 'Less Lethal' Fire. Part 2 - On the Media - Air Date 6-13-25 A7: A Medical Perspective On Protest Safety Part 2 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 6-23-25 (02:01:45) SECTION B: FASCIST PLAYBOOK B1: Covering the Military Parade and a No Kings Rally on the Same Day - Consider This from NPR - Air Date 6-21-25 B2: Protests in LA Posse Comitatus is Long Over. - UNFTR - Air Date 6-14-25 B3: The Brainless Propaganda of Stephen Miller - Current Affairs - Air Date 6-25-25 B4: David Gilbert of WIRED on Trump Demand for Ethnic Cleansing in U.S. Part 2 - The BradCast - Air Date 6-17-25 B5: How ICE Raids Are Terrorizing Farmworkers and Threatening the Food Supply - Breakthrough News - Air Date 6-21-25  B6: Protests in LA Posse Comitatus is Long Over. Part 2 - UNFTR - Air Date 6-14-25 B7: The Brainless Propaganda of Stephen Miller Part 2 - Current Affairs - Air Date 6-25-25 B8: Trump is Close to Ending Democracy - How to Stop Him Before It's Too Late! - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-23-25 (03:05:41) SECTION C: IMMIGRATION CONTEXT C1: Michael Galant on Sanctions & Immigration, LaToya Parker on Budgets Racial Impacts - CounterSpin - Air Date 6-20-25 C2: Trump, ICE and the US War on Migrants Part 2 - Red Flag Radio - Air Date 6-15-25 C3: Private Prisons and Local Jails Are Ramping Up as ICE Detention Exceeds Capacity - Morning Edition - Air Date 6-6-25 C4: How White Fear Fuels The Age of Trump - The Truth Report - Air Date 6-13-25 (03:34:17) SECTION D: SURVEILLANCE D1: How Student Protesters and Immigrants Became Targets of Trumps Surveillance Tech - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 5-30-25 D2: Trump's Plan To Surveil America - Leeja Miller - Air Date 6-3-25 D3: How Student Protesters and Immigrants Became Targets of Trumps Surveillance Tech Part 2 - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 5-30-25 D4: Trump's Plan To Surveil America Part 2 - Leeja Miller - Air Date 6-3-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of a protest sign held in the air depicting a colorful drawing of a happy brown-skinned family surrounded by flowers. The text “No more detention” is at the top and “No more deportations. Abolish I.C.E.” is at the bottom. Credit: “Abolish ICE protest” by Master Stever Rapport, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 Changes: Cropped and expanded background   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected]

Air Date: 6-25-2025 We thought we were going to have an episode about the war Israel is conducting ready for you last week but then they started another war. So, it would have felt odd to release an Israel episode without the latest major updates including Iran. I can only imagine what will happen between the time I speak these words and when you hear them that will make this episode feel out of date. What Happens When Bereaved Israelis and Palestinians Share Their Pain? Listening from the Heart Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on the infamous Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email [email protected] 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: Why Is The Media Coverage of Israel vs Iran So Skewed? - Zeteo - Air 6-16-25  KP 2: Jon Stewart on Israel’s "Urgent" Iran Strike, Minnesota Murders & MAGA’s Blame Game - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-16-25  KP 3: The REAL Reason Israel Attacked Iran - uncivilized - Air Date 6-18-25  KP 4: Israeli Forces Open Fire at New Gaza “Aid” Site, as Netanyahu Rejects Ceasefire Deal Part 1 - Drop Site News - Air Date 5-27 KP 5: Greta Thunberg Speaks to France 24 After Her Deportation From Israel - FRANCE 24 English - Air Date 6-10-25 KP 6: Preemptive Strike or Act of War? Israel Attacks Iran Amid Sinking Global Support for Assault on Gaza - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-17-25 (END OF MAIN ) (00:40:25.) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On the Parents Circle efforts for reconcilliation DEEPER DIVES (00:49:45) SECTION A: STARVATION A1: “Israel Is the Rabid Dog of American Imperialism”: Gaza Surgeon Dr. Mohammed Tahir Speaks Out Part 1 - MintCast - Air Date 6-10-25 A2: When Hunger Is a Weapon - Front Burner - Air Date 6-3-25  A3: Doctors Returning From Gaza Beg Humanity to Stop the Carnage - The Marc Steiner Show - Air Date 6-10-25  A4: Mara Kronenfeld on Israel’s Aid Blockade - CounterSpin - Air Date 5-16-25  A5: “Israel Is the Rabid Dog of American Imperialism”: Gaza Surgeon Dr. Mohammed Tahir Speaks Out Part 2 - MintCast - Air Date 6-10-25 A6: Has Israel Turned Gaza Into a Starvation Camp? | Inside Story - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 5-31-25  (01:42:13) SECTION B: GAZA B1: The Israeli Government’s True Goal in Gaza - On Point - Air Date 6-5-25  B2: Mosquito Protocol: Ex-Israeli Soldier on Army's Systematic Use of Palestinians as Human Shields - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-29-25 B3: The State of the Gaza Negotiations and Ongoing Israeli Massacres - Drop Site News - Air Date 6-3-25  (02:08:26) SECTION C: NETANYAHU C1: Israel Allies With ISIS - To STARVE Gaza to Death - Owen Jones - Air Date 6-10-25  C2: Israeli Forces Open Fire at New Gaza “Aid” Site, as Netanyahu Rejects Ceasefire Deal Part 2 - Drop Site News - Air Date 5-27 C3: Israeli PM Netanyahu Confirms Arming Gaza Militia Against Hamas - FRANCE 24 English - Air Date 6-6-25  (02:30:42) SECTION D: Historical & Media Context D1: Blowback: How Israel Helped Create Hamas - The Intercept - Air Date 2-20-18  D2: How Israel, the Media, & the West Set the Stage for Gaza’s Genocide - Zeteo - Air Date 6-10-25  (02:48:16) SECTION E: WAR WITH IRAN E1: Ukraine Drone Attack, Gaza Aid Center Massacres, IAEA Suggests “Secret Nuclear Activities” in Iran - American Prestige - Air Date 6-6-25  E2: Will the US Join the War With Iran? w/ Akbar Shahid Ahmed - American Prestige - Air Date 6-18-25 E3: Israel Attacks Iran w/ Séamus Malekafzali - American Prestige - Air Date 6-13-25 (03:13:15) SECTION F: PROTESTS F1: LIVE Interview From Gaza Flotilla as Threats Escalate - Empire Files - Air Date 6-4-25 F2: Piers Morgan's DISGUSTING Attack On Greta Thunberg - Novara Media - Air Date 6-9-25  F3: The Grassroots Movements to Break the Siege on Gaza - Drop Site News - Air Date 6-10-25  F4: Why Sisi Won't Lift the Gaza Blockade - Middle East Eye - Air Date 6-11-25 F5: “A Show of Human Solidarity”: Ex-U.S. Diplomat to Join Global March to Gaza to Break Israel’s Siege - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-10-25  SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description:Photo of a person holding a protest sign out their car window that says “Never again to anyone” with barbed wire across the text. Credit: “2014/08/16 #BlocktheBoat for Gaza” by Daniel Arauz, Flickr | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 | Changes: Cropped   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected]

Air Date: 6–23-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: The long history of nostalgia in politics as we find ourselves reliving the 1980s How MAGA Youth have a lot in common with Reagan Youth (a la Alex P. Keaton) without the context Trump’s Reaganitis: All the ways Trump is just straight up copying Reagan and how he could fail like him too The “Landlord in Chief” and how to fight back against the new feudalism   FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube   REFERENCES: Donald Trump and the ’80s Aesthetic - Jacobin The 1980s Are Back, and Not in a Good Way - The New York Times Trump’s Big Fail: Making America the 1980s Again - Mother Jones Trump is What Happens When You Give a Landlord Power - Current Affairs   EXTRAS: “Wrestling is Drag” - Smartypants Dropout.tv https://youtube.com/shorts/zw9bNgKogUI   TAKE ACTION: Use the 5 Calls app for scripts and to reach all your elected officials about stopping the Big Stupid Cruel Bill Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 July 17th - National Day of Action - Good Trouble Lives On Find your Indivisible group - or start one Write to the DNC     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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

Air Date 6/21/2025 The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month, we're focusing on the way authoritarian movements operate across multiple fronts simultaneously to reshape society.  Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on the infamous Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email [email protected] Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! PART 1: ECONOMIC CONTROL (00:01:20) #1707 Tariffied: Exposing Trump's Artless Deal (00:26:46) #1713 Yes, GOP Policies Really Are That Bad: Trump's Corruption and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (00:49:50) #1716 The Fight for Workers: Oligarchy and its Bipartisan Enablers PART 2: INFORMATION CONTROL (01:12:17) #1711 How It Started, How It's Going: Assessing the Flooded Zone Full of Shit (01:34:36) #1714 Trump's Anti-Knowledge Agenda is Inviting the Next Authoritarian Dark Age PART 3: SOCIAL CONTROL (01:57:51) #1708 Rent Asunder: From the Moderation of Pope Francis to Extremism of JD Vance, the Catholic Church is Deeply Divided (02:12:57) #1710 The past is never dead. It’s not even past. Race, Religion, Culture and the Stories we Tell (02:30:51) #1712 Eugenics Redux: A Gilded Age Ideology Brought Back for the Second Gilded Age (02:53:26) #1715 The Weaponization of Antisemitism and Counterproductive Violence   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected]

Air Date 6/18/2025 Critics of capitalism like us often advocate for the system to come to an end and be replaced with another that aligns better with human needs and continued existence. Well, it's possible that the system is close to having run its course and will be making way for something different. Unfortunately, the natural course of capitalism is to concentrate wealth and, by extension, power so that's what's happened and we're now getting close to basically reinventing feudalism. So, wrong direction. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, or email [email protected] Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The End of Capitalism: What comes next is worse. Part 1 - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 4-18-25 KP 2: People vs. Neoliberalism: Race, Gold, IQ, & the Capitalism of the Far Right (w/ Quinn Slobodian) - Bad Faith - Air Date 5-15-25 KP 3: Musk vs. Trump Quinn Slobodian on the Risks of Billionaire Rule - Democracy Now! - Air Date 6-6-25 KP 4: Why Do Workers Need Welfare: How Billionaires TRICKED Us into Keeping Wages Low & the Poor Desperate - Thom Hartmann Program - Air Date 6-3-25 KP 5: Capitalism's Critics w John Cassidy - Behind the News - Air Date 6-5-25 KP 6: Democrats Hate Their Own Party. The People Can Take It Back. - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 6-6-25 KP 7: Labor Movement v. Fascism Worker Organizers & Labor Educators Are Under Attack - Laura Flanders and Friends - Air Date 5-4-25 KP 8: Shawn Fain's Radical Plan For 2028 - The Majority Report - Air Date 7-20-25 (01:00:31) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On how to snowball progressive policies DEEPER DIVES (01:10:12) SECTION A: NEO-LIBERALISM A1: Who Will Likely Win and Lose the U.S.-China Trade War - Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Air Date 5-27-25 A2: Daily Take The Great American Tariff Scam Starring Donald Trump as the Savior Who Sells You Out - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 6-5-25 A3: Quinn Slobodian - The Neoliberal Roots of the Populist Right - How To Academy Podcast - Air Date 6-6-25 A4: The End of American Empire (w/ Richard Wolff) - Current Affairs - Air Date 6-3-25 A5: The next stage of capitalism Yanis Varoufakis on technofeudalism and the fall of democracy - The Institute of Art and Ideas - Air Date 2-13-25 A6: The End of American Empire (w/ Richard Wolff) Part 2 - Current Affairs - Air Date 6-3-25 A7: People vs. Neoliberalism Race, Gold, IQ, & the Capitalism of the Far Right (w/ Quinn Slobodian) - Bad Faith - Air Date 5-15-25 (02:06:40) SECTION B: CORPORATE DEMOCRATS B1: How the Democrats Abandoned Workers - Confronting Capitalism - Air Date 5-7-25 B2: The End of Capitalism: What comes next is worse. Part 2 - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 4-18-25 B3: Abundance Gang Wants To Crush Unions - The Majority Report - Air Date 6-7-25 B4: How the Democrats Abandoned Workers Part 2 - Confronting Capitalism - Air Date 5-7-25 B5: Abundance Gang Wants To Crush Unions Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 6-7-25 B6: Democrats Hate Their Own Party. The People Can Take It Back. Part 2 - The Intercept Briefing - Air Date 6-6-25 (02:57:58) SECTION C: LABOR AND RESISTANCE C1: An update on the longest ongoing strike in the US - Working People - Air Date 5-28-25 C2: Labor Movement v. Fascism Worker Organizers & Labor Educators Are Under Attack Part 2 - Laura Flanders and Friends - Air Date 5-4-25 C3: Arizona Dems Say NO To Billionaire-Bought Primaries - The Majority Report - Air Date 6-11-25 C4: An update on the longest ongoing strike in the US Part 2 - Working People - Air Date 5-28-25 C5: Who Will Likely Win and Lose the U.S.-China Trade War Part 2 - Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Air Date 5-27-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Photo of a handmade protest sign held in the air that says “CAPITALISM IS KILLING US” Credit: “ClimateStrike-210924-4-1140371” by Mark Dixon, Flickr | License: CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Original Air Date: 2-20-2024 "Luddite" should never have become the epithet that it is as the Luddites were never afraid of or opposed to technological advancement, they only opposed the exploitation of workers and the degradation to society that came with the unfair distribution of the benefits of the targeted technology. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on the infamous Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email [email protected] Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: The New Luddites - SHIFT - Air Date 2-14-24 Ch. 2: Being a Luddite Is Good, Actually ft. Jathan Sadowski - Left Reckoning - Air Date 5-29-21 Ch. 3: Why this top AI guru thinks we might be in extinction-level trouble | The InnerView - TRT World - Air Date 1-22-24 Ch. 4: This is not good - jstoobs (TikTok) - Air Date 2-16-24 Ch. 5: The ACTUAL Danger of A.I. with Gary Marcus Part 1 - Factually! - Air Date 7-2-23 Ch. 6: The Left Luddites and the AI Accelerationists - torres - Air Date - 5-15-23 Ch. 7: Luddites Show Us The Politics Of Technology | Brian Merchant - The Majority Report - Air Date 11-21-23 Ch. 8: The ACTUAL Danger of A.I. with Gary Marcus Part 2 - Factually! - Air Date 7-2-23 Ch. 9: The anti-tech movement is back. - Alice Cappelle - Air Date 6-15-22 MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE:  Description: An 1812 block print of “The Leader of the Luddites” depicting a man in disheveled early 1800s clothing and missing one shoe leading other men up a hill while a building burns in the background.  Credit: “The Leader of the Luddites”, Messrs | Working Class Movement Library catalog | Public Domain Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected]

Air Date: 6-11-2025 Following the 2023 attack and counterattack between Israel and Hamas which brought the simmering conflict into the mainstream of American politics, we're now living with the opportunistic weaponization of antisemitism being used as a pretext to crack down on anti-Israel protests and universities that just aren't teaching a Trump-aligned curriculum. Meanwhile, genuinely inexcusable antisemitism is being either condemned or excused by Israel supporters based more on political affiliation than the danger posed to Jews. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email [email protected] Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: I Am Not Your Pawn - Rabbi Sharon Brous | Purim 5785 - IKAR - Air Date 3-8-25 KP 2: U.S. Jewish Anti-Zionism - Against the Grain - Air Date 4-2-25 KP 3: Who Are ‘JINO Jews’ and Why Do Conservatives Hate Them? - Zeteo - Air Date 3-6-25 KP 4: “Nothing Can Justify It”: Journalist Gideon Levy Reacts to Killing of Israeli Embassy Staffers in D.C. - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-22-25 KP 5: CNN Attempts To Make 'Free Palestine' Offensive - The Rational National - Air Date 5-23-25 KP 6: The Antisemitism Panic Part 1 - matt bernstein - Air Date 5-30-25 (00:50:04) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why violence makes for a terrible theory of change DEEPER DIVES (00:59:36) SECTION A: FREE SPEECH A1: He Helped Define Antisemitism; Now He Says the Term Is Being Weaponized - Amanpour and Company - Air Date 5-1-24 A2: Noem Makes WILD Claims About "Hamas Agents" At Harvard - The Majority Report w/ Sam Seder - Air Date 5-23-25 A3: Harvard professor hits back at Trump administration - LBC - Air Date 5-24-25 (01:28:03) SECTION B: WEAPONIZATION B1: How the weaponization of antisemitism is becoming a grave threat to freedom of speech in America - AYMAN - Air Date 4-26-25 B2: Ex-Education Dept. Official: Trump Is Dismantling Agency as He Weaponizes It Against Gaza Protesters - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-13-25 B3: Why the U.S. is pausing all student visa interviews - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 5-28-25 B4: The Antisemitism Panic Part 2 - matt bernstein - Air Date 5-30-25 (01:59:28) SECTION C: INDEFENSIBLE C1: Palestinian BABIES are the ENEMY - Israeli politician - Owen Jones - Air Date 5-23-25 C2: Investigators say man used makeshift flamethrower in attack on pro-Israel group in Boulder - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 6-3-25 (02:11:29) SECTION D: BACKFIRE D1: The ‘Bullsh*t’ of Bill Maher — Gianmarco Soresi on Israel, Antisemitism, and ‘Anti-Woke’ Comedy Part 1- Zeteo - Air Date 5-5-25 D2: The Redefining of Antisemitism | Gianmarco Soresi | Stand Up Comedy - Gianmarco Soresi - Air Date 10-20-24 D3: The ‘Bullsh*t’ of Bill Maher — Gianmarco Soresi on Israel, Antisemitism, and ‘Anti-Woke’ Comedy Part 2 - Zeteo - Air Date 5-5-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: A metal placeholder with the Star of David on it resting between two pages of the Torah. Credit: “Star of David emblem” via Ri_Ya, Pixabay | Pixabay license Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [email protected]

Air Date: 6-8-25 BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss: The right’s attack on free speech and academic freedom Trumponomics, men, and tradwives The lessons to learn about culture wars from the fight for gay marriage How the internet and Trump force us to live in and re-litigate the past How the left can avoid Trump’s culture war traps FOLLOW US ON: Bluesky Mastadon Instagram Facebook YouTube   REFERENCES: Trump’s Attack on Harvard Marks a New Phase in the Culture War - New York Magazine There’s No Trumponomics Without the Tradwife - New York Magazine To Stop Losing the Culture Wars, Learn From Gay Marriage - Jacobin I Can’t Believe We’re Still Arguing About This - The New York Times Democrats Can Avoid Trump’s Culture-War Traps - Jacobin   SOLVED! SONG! “Rob You Blind” - Concepts: Human Intelligence. Song: Artificial Intelligence. Based on SOLVED! Ep. #11: “Culture War Distractions While the Oligarchs Rob You Blind” (June 8, 2025)   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 [email protected] Review the show on Apple Podcasts!