#1550 Red States, Where Democracy Goes to Die and Terrible Legislation is Born
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 22 March 2023
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date 3/21/2023
Today, we take a look at how GOP-controlled states are subverting democracy with a form of "competitive autocracy" and some of the horrifying legislation these states then pass after they are no longer subject to the opinions of the general public.
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Watch/Listen: The Laura Flanders Show
SHOW NOTES
David Pepper, former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, author of the book "Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call from Behind the Lines."
Ch. 2: Republicans Are Staging A Legislative Coup - More Perfect Union - Air Date 1-5-22
Republicans are now carrying out a legislative coup by rigging a decade of elections.
The former Ohio Democratic State Chair on how state legislatures are dismantling democracy.
Ch. 4: The Fight for Fair Maps - The Takeaway - Air Date 7-18-22
After each census every 10 years, a fight for redistricting ensues.
Ch. 5: Failing (Red)States - Ralph Nader Radio Hour - Air Date 3-4-23
Ralph welcomes William Kleinknecht, author of “States of Neglect: How Red-State Leaders Have Failed Their Citizens and Undermined America”
Mississippi's Republican majority in the state Legislature has put forth a slew of bills in recent months to put the majority-Black capital of Jackson under a white-led superstructure.
Iowa Republicans are proposing a new bill that would change Iowa's child labor law to allow teens to work more dangerous jobs.
Ch. 10: How Moore v. Harper Could Reshape Democracy - The Takeaway - Air Date 12-8-22
The Supreme Court began hearing arguments on Moore v. Harper this week, a case that involves North Carolina’s Republican-led-state legislatures' efforts to pass gerrymandered maps.
BONUS CLIP(S)
Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law that would make it significantly easier for children to work extremely hard jobs.
Missouri has some of the most permissive gun laws in the nation. A state law passed in 2021 is making it harder for police to enforce federal gun laws.
Ch. 13: Tennessee legislator shocks with lynching suggestion - Alex Wagner Tonight - Air Date 3-3-23
Jelani Cobb talks with Alex Wagner about a Tennessee legislator suggesting that lynching be added as an option in new state death penalty legislation.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 14: Re-indigenization - VoicedMailer Daniel
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 15: Final comments on how to fix the states
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: Partial illustrated map of the U.S. "Red states" are black. A hollow-eyed elephant is overlaid on top of them. Blue and purple states are visible.
Credit: Composite by A. Hoffman, License: CC By-SA 4.0. Map image credit: “Last 2 Election Red States and Blue States and Purple States” by BobWyatt07, Wikimedia Commons | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 | Changes: Cropped, color-filled red states to black
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | During today's episode, I'm going to be telling you about a progressive show. |
| 0:06.0 | I think you should check out the Laura Flanders show, so keep an ear out mid-episode when |
| 0:11.8 | I tell you more about it. |
| 0:13.4 | And now, welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of the Left podcast, in which we shall |
| 0:18.2 | take a look at how GOP-controlled states are subverting democracy with a form of competitive |
| 0:24.3 | autocracy and some of the horrifying legislation these states then pass after their no longer |
| 0:30.5 | subject to the opinions of the general public. |
| 0:33.6 | Clips today are from the David Pakman show, more perfect union, the Al Franken podcast, |
| 0:38.9 | the Takeaway, the Ralph Nader Radio Hour, Prince William H. Texas, and Isaiah are Martin, |
| 0:45.4 | both from TikTok, Democracy Now, and the Young Turks, with additional members only clips |
| 0:50.9 | from the Young Turks, the PBS NewsHour, and Alex Wagner tonight. |
| 0:55.5 | And stay tuned to the end where I will connect a few dots that point directly to how to fix |
| 1:01.6 | the problem in the states. |
| 1:09.3 | I'd say my biggest concern is that we focus on some of the most prominent people like Trump |
| 1:15.4 | and we should, but my biggest worry is the other side that has some of the players have |
| 1:22.6 | been at this for a long time. |
| 1:24.6 | And while we focus on the high-profile people and the things that make a lot of noise in |
| 1:29.2 | the bright shiny objects like a barge of Taylor Greene, they're focused on the institutions |
| 1:35.0 | that either support democracy or if weakened could usher in the lack of democracy or ultimately |
| 1:41.7 | something that I think is referred to often as competitive autocracy. |
| 1:46.0 | And the reason I wrote the book is to say, it reminds me of the movie Don't Look Up, |
| 1:50.1 | which I was at first afraid to watch, but then I'm glad I did. |
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