meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

(2017/05/19) The Surge comes to the War on Drugs

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

Jay Tomlinson

Politics, News Commentary, News

4.5 β€’ 3.4K Ratings

πŸ—“οΈ 19 May 2017

⏱️ 83 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Edition #1105

Today we look at the impact Jeff Sessions and the entire Republican government is having on drug policy in America and how we should be addressing destructive drug addiction instead

Be part of the show! Leave a message at 202-999-3991

Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: Jeff Sessions Pushes New War on Drugs While Killing Obama-Era Police Reform Measures - @DemocracyNow - Air Date: 04-11-17

Ch. 3: Song 1: ​Cold Hearts / Closed Minds - Nanci Griffith


Ch. 4: Act 2: What Jeff Sessions means for the drug war - Fake the Nation - Air Date 4-20-17

Ch. 5: Song 2: ​High Demand - The Haymarket Squares


Ch. 6: Act 3: Jeff Sessions Demands "Strongest Possible Charges" For Drug Users - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 05-13-17

Ch. 7: Song 3: ​War On Drugs - Fifteen


Ch. 8: Act 4: Opiate Overdoses Drop in States with Legal Marijuana - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date: 04-08-17

Ch. 9: Song 4: ​Needle in the Hay - Elliott Smith


Ch. 10: Act 5: Drug Addicts Should Be Treated Like Patients, Not Criminals - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 08-26-16

Ch. 11: Song 5: ​Winning the War On Drugs - Asylum Street Spankers


Ch. 12: Act 6: Call Congress to Support the Justice Safety Valve Act of 2017 via @DrugPolicyOrg - Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 13: Song 6: ​This Fickle World - Theo Bard


Ch. 14: Act 7: A Man Had Two Sons (One Was Addicted to Heroin) - Progressive Faith Sermons w/ @RevDrRay - Air Date 3-6-16


Voicemails

Ch. 15: The Democratic Party is there for the taking - Erica from Seattle, WA

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics


Ch. 16: Final comments on how to take over the Democratic Party

Bonus Clip: You Too can Take Over a Political Party! - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 03-15-16

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone


Activism:

TAKE ACTION

Call your Reps and Senators and tell them to support the Justice Safety Valve Act of 2017

Get involved with Drug Policy Alliance and follow them @DrugPolicyOrg

EDUCATE YOURSELF

Sessions Tells Prosecutors To Seek 'Most Serious' Charges, Stricter Sentences (NPR)

Senate Moves Forward with Bipartisan Bill to Rein in Jeff Sessions (Rolling Stone)

I prosecuted drug offenders in the ’80s. It was a disaster. Why is Sessions taking us back? (Vox)

Drug War Part 2: When the sequel is as bad as the original (The Hill, Opinion)

Report: Aide says Nixon's war on drugs targeted blacks, hippies (CNN, 2016)

Written by BOTL Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman


Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

The underlying philosophy of this for the people that truly believe in the drug war is

0:04.5

we need to lock people in cages for doing a nonviolent action in their own home.

0:12.0

This program is made possible by the members and donors to the show to support the work we do

0:15.8

get commercial free versions of every episode and a members only bonus content.

0:19.9

Please visit the Contribute tab at bestofaleth.com.

0:23.2

Now, welcome to the award winning Best of the Left podcast with clips today from Democracy Now,

0:27.9

Fake the Nation, The Young Turks, The David Pakman Show, The Tom Hartman program,

0:32.7

and a progressive faith sermon from Reven Roger Way.

0:41.0

Well, we turn now to look at how Attorney General Jeff Sessions is attempting to shake up

0:45.3

policing in the country by limiting federal oversight of police departments with a history

0:49.9

of civil rights violations while calling for an escalation of the war on drugs.

0:54.7

Last week Sessions ordered a wide-ranging review of the federal government,

0:59.3

of the federal consent decrees with local law enforcement agencies that have been accused

1:03.7

of brutality and violating civil rights laws.

1:07.0

The review signals the justice department intends to shift away from monitoring and forcing

1:12.1

changes within police departments such as the police department of Ferguson, Missouri,

1:16.7

where systematic racial discrimination by the police and the police killing of unarmed 18-year-old

1:22.1

African-American Michael Brown sparked an uprising in 2014.

1:26.5

This comes after Attorney General Jeff Sessions openly express concerns about efforts at police

1:33.5

reform in a recent speech.

1:36.1

Unfortunately, in recent years, law enforcement as a whole, I think, has been unfairly

1:42.6

maligned and blamed for unacceptable deeds of a few bad actors.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jay Tomlinson, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Jay Tomlinson and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright Β© Tapesearch 2026.