Best Criminal Discourse Podcasts (2025)

1
SOLVED! #12 - Back to the…1980s? The Power of Nostalgia and Trump’s Reaganitis 20:30

1d ago20:30

20:30

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 …

1
#1717 Monthly-Ish Mix: Wealth Concentration, Knowledge Suppression, and Identity Exploitation: The Systems of Control of the Authoritarian Playbook 3:11:29

3d ago3:11:29

3:11:29

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 hand…

1
#1716 The Fight for Workers: Oligarchy and its Bipartisan Enablers 3:26:08

7d ago3:26:08

3:26:08

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 capitali…

1
#1612 New Tech and the New Luddite Movement; Inequitable Distribution of Benefits from New Technology Always Sparks Demands from Labor and AI is Rekindling the Old Arguments (Throwback) 58:19

12d ago58:19

58:19

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! Leav…

1
#1715 The Weaponization of Antisemitism and Counterproductive Violence 2:36:28

12d ago2:36:28

2:36:28

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…

1
SOLVED! #11 - Culture War Distractions While the Oligarchs Rob You Blind 24:25

15d ago24:25

24:25

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…

1
#1714 Trump's Anti-Knowledge Agenda is Inviting the Next Authoritarian Dark Age 3:50:49

18d ago3:50:49

3:50:49

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 …

1
#1597 The rise of fascism around the world driven by economic insecurity (Throwback) 1:03:12

22d ago1:03:12

1:03:12

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 prec…

1
SOLVED! #10 - The Old Guard is Dying 23:26

22d ago23:26

23:26

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 …

1
#1713 Yes, GOP Policies Really Are That Bad: Trump's Corruption and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act 3:12:04

26d ago3:12:04

3:12:04

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 Repu…

1
“Individual Acts of Resistance Can Lead to New Terrains of Struggle” Garrett Felber on the Life of Martin Sostre 1:46:13

27d ago1:46:13

1:46:13

In this conversation we talk with Garrett Felber about their latest book A Continuous Struggle: The Revolutionary Life of Martin Sostre. In discussing this new political biography, we cover Sostre’s ideological and political journey, history as a jailhouse lawyer, his forms of organizing practice, and the ways that people supported his campaign for…

1
#1712 Eugenics Redux: A Gilded Age Ideology Brought Back for the Second Gilded Age 3:25:11

28d ago3:25:11

3:25:11

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 [email protected] Full Show Notes BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our…

1
SPECIAL MEMBERS EDITION! Myths, Vampires, and Sinners (the movie!) - SPOILERS! 17:13

29d ago17:13

17:13

Air Date: 5-26-25 *CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE “SINNERS”* You thought you were going to listen to SOLVED! today, and you're not alone. We also thought we were going to make an episode of SOLVED!, but this turned into something a little bit different. So, we're calling it a “special” in which Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss storytelling and …

1
#1355 I Can't Breathe, The Three Words That Define an Era (Throwback) 1:11:28

1M ago1:11:28

1:11:28

Original Air Date: 6/29/2020 From 2020: Today we take a look deeper at the concept of "I can't breathe," going beyond the literal utterances by victims of police brutality and COVID-19 sufferers to the metaphorical epidemic of exhaustion, burnout, depression and disaffection in the US and around the world. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or…

1
“There Has to Be Some Consequences for These Horrors” - Tariq Khan on Settler Colonial Violence and Antileft Repression 1:38:09

1M ago1:38:09

1:38:09

This is the conclusion of our two part conversation with Tariq Khan on his book The Republic Shall Be Kept Clean: How Settler Colonial Violence Shaped Antileft Repression. In part one of the conversation we laid out many of the general dynamics between anti-indigenous settler colonial violence in the 19th Century and the development of the earliest…

1
#1711 How It Started, How It's Going- Assessing the Flooded Zone Full of Shit 3:05:15

1M ago3:05:15

3:05:15

Air Date: 5-21-2025 A popular MAGA refrain is, "promises made, promises kept." The key is having known which promises to take seriously. Weaponizing the government against his enemies and attempting to wield dictatorial power, sure. Benefit his supporters or the working class more broadly, or rid the government of waste, fraud, or corruption... not…

1
SOLVED! #9 - A Pale Blue Dot of Anxiety 19:00

1M ago19:00

19:00

Air Date: 5-19-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, and Deon (Erin was on vacation) discuss: The origins of and problems with “the one way” Christian mindset Why Finland’s happiest country title and happiness itself are terribly misunderstood by Americans How our globalized world is messing with perceptions of our cultural similarities and differences The link …

1
#1710 The past is never dead. It’s not even past. Race, Religion, Culture and the Stories we Tell 2:54:03

1M ago2:54:03

2:54:03

Air Date 5/18/2025 The full quote from today's title is from one of the most celebrated writers of Southern American literature, William Faulkner, who said, "The past is never dead. It’s not even past. All of us labor in webs spun long before we were born, webs of heredity and environment, of desire and consequence, of history and eternity.” The ne…

1
The Obscurant Function of 'Artificial Intelligence' with Edward Ongweso Jr 1:13:11

1M ago1:13:11

1:13:11

In this episode, we speak with Edward Ongweso Jr about "artificial intelligence" and its implications, particularly concerning corporate interests and historical parallels with labor control. Edward critiques the term “artificial intelligence” for obscuring the underlying digital technologies and algorithmic systems that serve corporate agendas, em…

1
#1493 Marketing, Messaging and Mass Shootings (Throwback) 1:20:11

1M ago1:20:11

1:20:11

Original Air Date 6/4/2022 Today we take a look at some of the obvious steps we need to take to reduce gun violence in the United States, debunk some of the favored propaganda supporting unfettered gun ownership and explore the origins of how Gun Culture™ was invented by corporations as the frontier era need for guns began to vanish pushing them to…

1
#1275 So, Marxism. What is that all about? (Throwback) 54:37

2M ago54:37

54:37

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 [email protected] BestOfTheLeft.com/Su…

1
#1709 Monthly-ish Mix: Government Power, Vulnerable Communities, Transformations, Opposition & Resistance 3:13:04

2M ago3:13:04

3:13:04

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 movem…

1
SOLVED! #8 - PART 2: Drowning Men Will Clutch at Straws: Masculinity in a MAGA world 18:01

2M ago18:01

18:01

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 b…

1
#1708 Rent Asunder: From the Moderation of Pope Francis to Extremism of JD Vance, the Catholic Church is Deeply Divided 2:50:47

2M ago2:50:47

2:50:47

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 [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOf…

1
Rejecting Neoliberalism & Neo-McCarthyism at US Universities with Charles HF Davis III 47:38

2M ago47:38

47:38

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III about the increasingly repressive conditions on university campuses, particularly in the context of Columbia University's caving in to federal pressures under the thumb of Trump’s administration. We explore the broader implications of these concessions at the expense of liberalized notions o…

1
#1707 Tariffied: Exposing Trump's Artless Deal 3:18:59

2M ago3:18:59

3:18:59

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 [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Su…

1
SOLVED! #8 - PART 1: Drowning Men Will Clutch at Straws: Masculinity in a MAGA world 23:43

2M ago23:43

23:43

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 charact…

1
#1706 Trump's Kafkaesque Deportation Nightmare is the Shame of the Nation 3:38:23

2M ago3:38:23

3:38:23

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@Be…

1
#1705 Threatened Social Safety Nets Are Foundational to Healthy Societies 3:06:26

2M ago3:06:26

3:06:26

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 …

1
"Like We're at War with a Foreign Nation" - How Settler Colonial Violence Shaped Anti-Left Repression with Tariq Khan 1:49:09

2M ago1:49:09

1:49:09

In this episode we interview Tariq Khan on his book The Republic Shall Be Kept Clean: How Settler Colonial Violence Shaped Antileft Repression. We’ll be releasing this conversation as a two part episode on this excellent book which studies how anticommunism within the US is deeply intertwined with settler colonialism, anti-indigenous thought, and g…

1
#1704 Weaponization and Capitulation: Trump vs Immigrants, Universities, and Media 3:57:14

2M ago3:57:14

3:57:14

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 …

1
#1703 The Broligarchy and the Rise of Techno-Feudalism 2:54:05

2M ago2:54:05

2:54:05

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, o…

1
Against Western/Imperial Feminisms with Khadija Haynes 2:02:39

2M ago2:02:39

2:02:39

In this episode, we speak with Khadijah Haynes about her recent piece, "A Fetus on the Dirt Road” which offers a sharp critique of Western feminism's complicity in imperialism and its historical roots in racial violence. Haynes argues that Western feminism often obscures the struggles of both Black women and men, relying on colonial and anti-Black …

1
#1254 Israeli right-wing politics has lead to some strange, fascist bedfellows (Throwback) 1:02:45

3M ago1:02:45

1:02:45

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…

1
#1702 Destroying Education, Boosting Christian Nationalism: Rewriting the Past and Hamstringing the Future 3:06:00

3M ago3:06:00

3:06:00

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 [email protected]…

1
#1701 Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: Installing the Backbone Democrats Need 3:14:05

3M ago3:14:05

3:14:05

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 e…

1
#1700 Dehumanizing Trans People is Always the First Step for Fascists 4:10:13

3M ago4:10:13

4:10:13

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 o…

1
Counterinsurgency Urbanism with Ted Rutland 1:35:04

3M ago1:35:04

1:35:04

In this episode, recorded mid-2024, we speak with Ted Rutland about the evolution of policing from the mid-20th century's professional model to the counterinsurgency urbanism that emerged in the 1970s and 80s in Canada. Rutland discusses how community policing, initially intended to bring police closer to communities through multicultural training …

1
#1479 Torturing Children and Families in the Name of Protecting Them (Trans Rights Throwback) 1:08:36

3M ago1:08:36

1:08:36

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! Le…

1
SOLVED! #3 - Common Sense Is Not So Common 22:18

3M ago22:18

22:18

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 respond FOLLO…

1
A Look back, moving forward. Volume 1 27:06

3M ago27:06

27:06

A look back, moving forward - Volume 1 We take a look back at some previous podcasts as we prepare to move ahead into year 4 of the podcast. Volume 1 covers a few shows from our first month in soft launch mode. FREE SPEECH AND ELECTION INTEGRITY https://open.spotify.com/episode/7kdhP0tJpq9ZYm1dRj57VM?si=1ee666544acd4cc4 Let’s Talk America! https://…

1
“What Does It Mean to Be at the Table?” - Maryam Kashani on Muslim Study and Survival 1:25:27

3M ago1:25:27

1:25:27

This is the conclusion of our two part conversation with Maryam Kashani on her book Medina by the Bay: Scenes of Muslim Study and Survival Among other things, in this conversation we talk about the impact and meaning of 1492 to the Muslim world. We discuss Kashani’s concept of the Blues Adhan by way of Clyde Woods. We discuss the experiences of wom…

1
#1699 A Government Of the People, By the People, and Weaponized Against the People 3:04:48

3M ago3:04:48

3:04:48

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 [email protected] Full Show Notes | Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support …

1
Bonus Edition #341 - SOLVED! Like a Flame in the Night 25:33

3M ago25:33

25:33

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 FOLLOW US ON:…

1
#1698 Resistance is Not Futile: Support the collective revolt against Trumpism (Special Podcasthon!) 3:04:54

3M ago3:04:54

3:04:54

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 …

1
“The Dark” - D. Óg on the Writings of Irish Revolutionary Brendan Hughes 1:36:20

3M ago1:36:20

1:36:20

In this episode we interview D. Óg, an Irish Republican and Irish language activist who works with Iskra Books, and their Irish language imprint Bradán Feasa. In this discussion we talk about the Iskra Books publication The Dark: Selected Writings of Brendan Hughes. Hughes, was a former Irish Republican Army volunteer, political prisoner, and Hunge…

1
#1697 The Trump World Order: Are we the Baddies? 3:33:24

3M ago3:33:24

3:33:24

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. Be part of…

1
#1696 Monthly Mix: Ethnic Cleansing Gaza, Mass Deportations, Deconstructing the State, Trump's Corruption 3:27:43

3M ago3:27:43

3:27:43

Air Date 3/12/2025 The (Approximately) Monthly Mix is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we look at the future for Gaza, Trump's plans for mass deportations, the decline of the US on the international stage, the wrecking crew dismantling the federal government, RFK Jr. and the threat to public health, an…

1
Bonus Edition #340 - SOLVED! Prophetic Voices from the Past and Hope for the Future 32:51

4M ago32:51

32:51

Air Date: 3–9-25 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The Founding Fathers’ prophetic concerns that we don’t ever talk about - FDR VP Harry Wallace’s op-ed on American fascism from 1944 - Philosopher Richard Rorty’s chilling predictions from 1998 - A few reasons - with caveats - why U.S. Democracy might make it through Trump 2.0 - Some hop…

1
#1695 Trump's Corruption As A Matter Of Course and a Strategy to Hold Power 3:25:50

4M ago3:25:50

3:25:50

Air Date 3/7/2025 Corruption, for those who indulge, isn't just a perk of power, it can also be a method of maintaining it. Trump is not bothering to hide the corruption he's working to facilitate or how it's geared toward supporting his desire for unchecked power. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfT…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Criminal Discourse Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide