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Best of the Left Podcast 🎙️ Expertly curated podcast of progressive politics, news & culture produced by leftist humans, not algorithms or A.I. Est. 2006.

(Est. 2006): www.bestoftheleft.com/listen
▶️ And now presenting SOLVED! on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ An award-winning, expertly-curated podcast of progressive politics and culture. Diving deeply on a wide range of topics, we draw from more than 150 sources of progressive news and commentary. This page is moderated by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman. Comment p

olicy: the goal is to contribute to our cultural discourse by promoting the constructive discussion of a wide range of issues. You need not agree with us or each other to participate. You are expected to be respectful and contribute to the thread on which you post. Spamming, trolling, slander, ridicule, non sequiturs, blatant talking points and monopolizing the feed in order to derail the conversation will result in hidden comments and, if necessary, banning from the page. (Note: editing content does not indicate an infringement on your First Amendment rights as no one at BOTL -- to our knowledge -- is an agent of the government.)

05/01/2026

Jay! explains that imperialism is a "wealth pump." Hear the full commentary in edition #1762: "Trump's Imperialistic Shakedown of Venezuela" or on YouTube at https://youtu.be/NI2fqD2RFcc
🎙️ Get Best of the Left, expertly curating the best of progressive politics, news, and culture (via humans, not A.I. or algorithms) since 2006, wherever you get your podcasts, and at BestoftheLeft.com

Edition #1762: "Trump's Imperialistic Shakedown* of Venezuela" (*Published just before the full-scale invasion)Imperi...
03/01/2026

Edition #1762: "Trump's Imperialistic Shakedown* of Venezuela" (*Published just before the full-scale invasion)

Imperialism is best thought of as a "Wealth Pump," extracting wealth from one country and depositing it in another. Since Venezuela has wealth, and wealth is the only thing Trump cares about, his willingness to break his promise of being the peace president and go along with traditional Republican hawks is not a complicated mystery.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at https://www.bestoftheleft.com/1762

🎙 EDITOR’S NOTE: On the structure of imperialism

💙🥳🎂💙 It's Best of the Left's *20TH BIRTHDAY* this month! To celebrate, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP…this includes Gift Memberships, too! Get ad-free shows, an early and extended audio version of SOLVED! (https://www.youtube.com/), convenient chapter markers, and the warm and fuzzy feeling of supporting indie media! Details at bestoftheleft.com/20


Image Description: Composite graphic showing Trump looking proudly at strikes on a small, alleged “drug runner” boat while the corner of the image is flipped up, revealing his arm grabbing barrels of Venezuelan oil. | Credit: Elements from Pixabay | Pixabay License

#1761: "The Machine Cracks—Empire, Exploitation, and the Crumbling Facade"The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you c...
31/12/2025

#1761: "The Machine Cracks—Empire, Exploitation, and the Crumbling Facade"

The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we start with the infrastructure of imperial violence—from Dick Cheney's legacy to the arms race to Sudan's genocide. Then we expose how power exploits ordinary people through predation and financialized desperation. But here's the thing: resistance is working and the facade is crumbling. From courtroom wins to Mamdani's victory to young Republicans fleeing and conspiracies consuming the right, we end on the insight that authoritarian control is far more fragile than it pretends.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at https://www.bestoftheleft.com/1761

💙🥳🎂💙 Right now, get 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP in honor of Best of the Left's upcoming 20th birthday! bestoftheleft.com/support

The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we start with the infrastructure of imperial violence—from Dick Cheney's legacy to the arms race to Sudan's genocide. Then we expose how power exploits ordinary people through predation and fi...

NEW SOLVED! #30 - “Everything is Ugly: How Convenience Killed Beauty & How We Can Bring It Back,” in which the team dis...
31/12/2025

NEW SOLVED! #30 - “Everything is Ugly: How Convenience Killed Beauty & How We Can Bring It Back,” in which the team discusses why everything is so ugly these days and how it affects society, the story of “Millennial Gray” and how our personal spaces are impacted by beauty, how government intervention and regulation does (and could) impact the beauty in our surroundings, how beauty impacts sustainability as well as our very important feelings of belonging, and more.
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Best of the Left Podcast Presents: SOLVED! Ep. #30 in which Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:- 00:00:00 Why everything is so ugly these days- 00:24:27 Th...

BIG NEWS! podcast will mark its *20TH BIRTHDAY* in January! 💙🥳🎂💙 It's kind of a big deal, so we are starting the celeb...
19/12/2025

BIG NEWS! podcast will mark its *20TH BIRTHDAY* in January! 💙🥳🎂💙 It's kind of a big deal, so we are starting the celebration early. From now through January, we're giving new Members *20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP*…this includes Gift Memberships, too! Get ad-free shows, an early and extended audio version of our YouTube commentary show SOLVED!, convenient chapter markers, and the warm and fuzzy feeling of supporting indie media! For details and more ways to celebrate this milestone with us, visit https://www.bestoftheleft.com/20

📚🎁 Holiday shopping? Check out our list of gifts that keep on giving, and support our independent show and do-gooder org...
16/12/2025

📚🎁 Holiday shopping? Check out our list of gifts that keep on giving, and support our independent show and do-gooder orgs at the same time! BTW, right now, we're giving *20% OFF MEMBERSHIPS & GIFT MEMBERSHIPS* for LIFE in honor of our upcoming 20TH BIRTHDAY! Learn more at

Holiday shopping? Support Best of the Left Podcast at the same time with gift memberships, merch, books and audiobooks!

📚🎁 Holiday shopping? Check out the Bookshop "shelf" of curated books for the curious and politically minded people in ...
16/12/2025

📚🎁 Holiday shopping? Check out the Bookshop "shelf" of curated books for the curious and politically minded people in your life! Links for this & more holiday gift ideas that keep on giving and support our independent show at the same time at https://www.bestoftheleft.com/holiday

‼️SHIPPING DEADLINES‼️

Shop last minute gifts before 12/17 and you’re automatically entered to win a $250 gift card!! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. US only, 18+. Ends 12/17. See the full rules at the 🔗 in our bio.

NEW SOLVED! Check out Ep. #29 - “'Don’t Be Cringe': Is Gen Z’s Humor a Political Warning Sign?,” in which the team disc...
13/12/2025

NEW SOLVED! Check out Ep. #29 - “'Don’t Be Cringe': Is Gen Z’s Humor a Political Warning Sign?,” in which the team discusses generational humor, why might need a little , the positive social side effects of Mamdani's campaign on volunteers, the movement, what comes after the death of social media, & more! ▶️WATCH & SUBSCRIBE: https://youtu.be/Pz7XTLVpNxc

💙🥳🎂💙 will mark its *20TH BIRTHDAY* in January! To celebrate this milestone, from now through January, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP…this includes Gift Memberships, too! Get ad-free shows, an early and extended audio version of SOLVED!, convenient chapter markers, and the warm and fuzzy feeling of supporting indie media! To sign up, and for more ways to celebrate this milestone with us, visit bestoftheleft.com/20

Best of the Left Podcast Presents: SOLVED! Ep. #29 in which Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin was off this week) discuss:00:00:00 Generational humor, and analysis...

NEW SOLVED! BEFORE YOUTUBE: Check out "Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted" (recorded in May 2024) for an enraging...
05/12/2025

NEW SOLVED! BEFORE YOUTUBE: Check out "Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted" (recorded in May 2024) for an enraging, still-very-relevant discussion about "personalized" pricing, our deeply flawed economic system, companies increasingly demanding access and control after we buy their products, & more.

NEW TO YOUTUBE, FROM THE ARCHIVES: "Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted" (Originally aired May 26, 2024 on the Best of the Left Members-only feed)We’re...

Maybe ditch the shopping and learn about the BIG WHITE LIE of supremacy instead? Our brand new episode of SOLVED! prem...
28/11/2025

Maybe ditch the shopping and learn about the BIG WHITE LIE of supremacy instead? Our brand new episode of SOLVED! premieres today at 4:30pm ET! https://youtu.be/6vZsZPI6OdQ

🎁 And if you need gifts, try some that keep on giving. Check out our gift memberships, Bookshop, & more: www.bestoftheleft.com/support

Best of the Left Podcast Presents: SOLVED! Ep. #28 in which Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:- 00:00:00 The extremists trying to create race-based neighb...

19/11/2025

NEW SOLVED! OUT NOW! Check out Ep. #27: "Watch what you say! How Weaponized Language Changes Our Reality" in which the team discusses how language, and its evolution and weaponization, impacts both personal and society-wide perspectives, while supporting the systems that have helped bring us to the brink of fascism. Oh, and we'll point the way forward!

▶️ WATCH AND SUBSCRIBE! https://youtu.be/gSHdOVCsMOY

⭐ SOLVED! is brought to you by the podcast team. Get Best of the Left, expertly curating the best of progressive politics, news, and culture (via humans, not A.I. or algorithms) since 2006, wherever you get your podcasts, or at https://www.bestoftheleft.com/listen

💙 Become a member to get ad-free shows, and to get the audio version of SOLVED! a week earlier than the YouTube community at https://www.bestoftheleft.com/support

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For over 14 years and more than 1,300 editions, the multi-award winning Best of the Left Podcast has aggregated and amplified the best of the truly liberal and independent media. The show is a beautifully executed blend of political news, commentary, occasional comedy, and activism opportunities, with carefully selected music to pull it all together.

Each edition offers a deep and thoughtful dive into political themes around topics related to social justice, economics, human rights, the justice system, foreign policy, political corruption, culture shifts, environmental justice, and more, delivering a variety of stories and perspectives from an array of sources. The host, Jay Tomlinson, engages in an on-going conversation with listeners at the end of the show through a voicemail line, providing a chance for further reflection, respectful dialogue and debate with multiple ideologies represented. The curated activism segments give listeners a chance to positively direct their frustrations about the issues discussed, encouraging them to make a difference and resist apathy by engaging in and changing our political system and communities for the better. Listeners can share the clips from the show, browse recent activism opportunities, and more at BestoftheLeft.com.

Support our work by becoming a member on Patreon and get ad-free shows, bonus content, and more! And don’t forget to write a review on iTunes and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to help us share the best progressive ideas and voices!