#1219 How the GOP became the most destructive force in the world
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 16 October 2018
⏱️ 82 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date: 10/16/2018
Today we take a look at the distant and recent history of conservatism in America and beyond and follow the steps that have led to their rejection of science at a moment in history when it has never been more critical to heed the warnings of scientists
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Corey Robin on the right from Burke to Trump - Jacobin Radio (@jacobinmag) - Air Date 12-3-17
Corey Robin on the Right from Burke to Trump. While most people on the Left fear and demonize the Right, they aren't interested in its ideas. Robin, however, takes them very seriously and analyzes their ideas for us.
The state of the conservative movement and where it goes from here.
Ch. 3: Kurt Andersen: How religion turned American politics against science - Big Think - Air Date 1-18-28
In the last 30 years, religion has radicalized American politics and seriously harmed the perception of science, says journalist and author Kurt Andersen. This can be directly tied to the rise of the Christian Right in the 20th century.
Ch. 4: The fall of family values - Past/Present - Air Date 6-25-18
Explaining how we came to the end of “family values” conservatism
Take action! Click the title and/or scroll down for quick links and resources from this segment.
Yascha Mounk discusses how to cover the Trump presidency; the complicity of the Republican party; and the future of the right with proud conservative and staunch Never Trumper Jennifer Rubin.
Amy Goodman began by asks Noam Chomsky about the catastrophically destructive tendencies of the Republican Party.
Ch. 8: America: The Farewell Tour (with Guest Chris Hedges) - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date 10-2-18
Chris Hedges on the erosion of democratic infrastructure, imperialist leanings and the widening gap between the morbidly rich and the working class, a sign of America's farewell?
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 9: Make election day a national holiday - Aaron from Anderson, SC
Ch. 10: We need a military attitude toward politics - Jason from Chicago
Ch. 11: Final comments on an Election Day holiday and the moral implications of laws
THE MIDTERMS MINUTE
REGISTER TO VOTE: RocktheVote.org/register-to-vote/
CONFIRM VOTER REGISTRATION: HeadCount.org/verify-voter-registration/
CHECK VOTING DATES & POLICIES: RocktheVote.org/voting-information/
VOTER ID INFO/HELP: VoteRiders & 866ourvote.org
Get Involved/Resources: THE MIDTERMS MINUTE H.Q.
TOSS UP BATTLEGROUND DEMOCRATIC SENATE SEATS
FL-Sen: Bill Nelson (D)
IN-Sen: Joe Donnelly (D)
MO-Sen: Claire McCaskill (D)
MT-Sen: Jon Tester(D)
ND-Sen: Heidi Heitkamp (D)
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman
MUSIC:
- Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
- Astrisx - Bodytonic (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Santre - K2 (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Color Country - The Balloonist (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Neil Takes Two - Studio J (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Yarrow and Root - The Bulwark (Blue Dot Sessions)
- The Envelope - Aeronaut (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Bitter Roll - Crab Shack (Blue Dot Sessions)
- Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
- Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This program is made possible by the members and donors to the show. |
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| 0:10.5 | plus the chance to vote on upcoming topics, while full members get all that plus members |
| 0:15.5 | only bonus episodes. |
| 0:17.1 | Sign up at patreon.com slash best of left or visit the contribute tab at bestofleft.com. |
| 0:23.6 | Now welcome to this episode of the award-winning best of left podcast in which we shall learn |
| 0:28.2 | about the distant and recent history of conservatism in America and follow the steps that have |
| 0:33.0 | led to their rejection of science, leading the GOP to become one of the most dangerous groups |
| 0:38.2 | in the history of humanity, if only that were hyperbole. |
| 0:42.3 | Clips today come from Jacobin Radio, the diet-ream show, Big Think, Past Present, The Good Fight, |
| 0:49.7 | Democracy Now, and The Tom Hartman Program. |
| 0:58.2 | So of course it's been a few years since we did an interview about reaction in general, |
| 1:08.2 | but let's just review your overarching thesis about reaction and as being a reaction to the |
| 1:15.0 | left, that reactionary really means reaction, right? |
| 1:18.2 | Yeah. |
| 1:19.2 | So reactionary politics, reactionary thought is always a response to emancipatory movements |
| 1:27.5 | of the left, so not just the existence of the left, but a particular kind of left, a |
| 1:32.5 | left that's moving, that's aiming for acts of dispossession and those movements can change |
| 1:38.9 | across time. |
| 1:39.9 | The French Revolution is the original one. |
| 1:43.3 | As abolition was another, the labor movement was another, the black freedom struggle, the |
| 1:48.1 | women's movement, the movements change. |
... |
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