Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of the Left Podcast in which we come to

understand the neoliberal legacy of the new Democrats, which continues to loom large, but also see that it really does seem like the

progressive wing of the party and the broader demand for populist economic

policies has had a positive effect. Now people just need to know that it's happening.

Sources today include prospect generations, against the grain, start making sense,

the majority report, the national rational, and the Bituation Room, with additional members-only clips

from deconstructed and start making sense.

But before we dive in, a quick note, we are talking a lot about the Democratic Party and some specific Democrats today

which may bring up feelings for people. You may feel particularly hostile

towards Democrats. You may feel defensive of them or somewhere in between.

I have more thoughts that I'll share at the end of the show, but I'll leave you now with the suggestion that you set

emotional feelings aside and think of these clips as I've intended them, not to pinpoint

a place for blame, but to learn from the past so that we can do better going forward.

Criticism has two definitions. Expression of disapproval is the one we most

often think of related to politics, but the other is the analysis and judgment of the merits and

faults of something. This is more often used in relation to

literary works or art. I think we'd all be better off if we more often applied the

latter to politics rather than the former.

The view of the Biden administration on the left is is understandably complicated.

He certainly has adopted some of the Bernie platform, but he is not Bernie he is not even the most articulate

representative of of his own approach there there are others who can do that better.

And so even when he, you know, is fighting,

...