#1761 Monthly-ish Mix: The Machine Cracks—Empire, Exploitation, and the Crumbling Facade

#1761 Monthly-ish Mix: The Machine Cracks—Empire, Exploitation, and the Crumbling Facade

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics December 30, 2025 Duration: 3:14:17
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
NewsCommentaryPolitics

Air Date 12/30/2025

The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we start with the infrastructure of imperial violence—from Dick Cheney's legacy to the arms race to Sudan's genocide. Then we expose how power exploits ordinary people through predation and financialized desperation. But here's the thing: resistance is working and the facade is crumbling. From courtroom wins to Mamdani's victory to young Republicans fleeing and conspiracies consuming the right, we end on the insight that authoritarian control is far more fragile than it pretends.

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PART 1: THE WEIGHT OF EMPIRE

(00:02:43) None - #1756 War Criminal Dick Cheney's Guide to Ethical Governance and Saving Democracy

1: "The Dark Side": Dick Cheney's Legacy From Iraq Invasion to U.S. Torture Program - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-4-25

2: Dick Cheney BLOWBACK and South Africa's Israel & Anti-COMMUNIST Connection - Jacobin - Air Date 11-21-25

3: Dick Cheney Invades Hell - Colonial Outcasts - Air Date 11-4-25

(00:26:25) None - #1752 Reigniting the Nuclear Arms Race: Fat Man, Little Boy, and Donald Trump

4: Marshall Islands: Paradise Interrupted Part 1 - At the Brink - Air Date 12-5-23

5: Are We Living Through a New Nuclear Arms Race? - The Bunker – News Without the Nonsense - Air Date 7-24-25

6: Trump's Nuclear Arms Race - 7am - Air Date 11-6-25

(00:51:53) None - #1758 Why you think the Sudanese civil war doesn't involve you

7: Will the International Community Act Preschool Massacre & Large Piles of Bodies in Sudan Part 1 - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-10-25

8: Sudan Civil War the Terrifying Escape From El Fasher - Global News Podcast - Air Date 12-1-25

PART 2: EXTRACTION AND EXPLOITATION

(01:02:44) None - #1754 The Epstein Files and Donald Trump, Our Predator-in-Chief

9: 1992 Tape Of Trump And Epstein - The Day That Was - MS Now - Air Date 7-18-19

10: Epstein's Arms Deal And Intelligence Connections With Israel W Murtaza Hussain Part 1 - The Majority Report - Air Date 11-18-25

11: Trump Welcomes Murderer to White House; Congress Votes to Release 'Epstein Files' - The BradCast - Air Date 11-18-25

(01:24:21) None - #1757 Life is But a Game (that you can now bet on)

12: Welcome to the Casino Economy - On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti - Air Date 11-13-25

13: Kalshi's Extremely Dark Vision For The Future - The Majority Report W/ Sam Seder - Air Date 12-4-25

14: Big Tech Is Betting on Gambling and Scams - Voidzilla - Air Date 12-5-25

PART 3: RESISTANCE THAT'S WORKING

(01:50:41) None - #1753 What the Shutdown and Weaponized Hunger Exposed About Our Asymmetric Morality

15: Government Shutdown or General Strike How to Fight Trumps Agenda - The Socialist Program W Brian Becker - Air Date 11-12-25

16: What Its Like Suing Trump in Court Over SNAP Funding - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 11-13-25

17: Senator Sanders Slams The Surrender Dems - What A Day - Air Date 11-11-25

(02:14:38) None - #1755 Affordability: Actual Economic Populism is the Kryptonite to Fake Populism

18: Can Zohran's NYC Win Spark a New Era for Democratic Socialism? - UNFTR Media - Air Date 11-6-25

19: "Caved Too Soon": Ro Khanna on Senate Shutdown Deal, Why Schumer Should Step Down & Epstein Files - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-12-25

20: Calls For Schumer to Step Down Grow as Democrats Cave on Healthcare to Pass Funding Bill - Democracy Now! - Air Date 11-11-25

PART 4: THE FACADE CRUMBLING 

(02:36:05) None - #1760 Hot Mess: Conservative Chaos Below the Surface of Trump's Authoritarian Regime

21: The Republicans Bucking Trump Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 12-9-25

22: Candace Owens at a Turning Point Part 1 - What Next - Air Date 12-17-25

(02:54:31) None - #1759 Why Dictators Are Lunatics and Their Followers are Fools

23: Trump Centers Himself at Kennedy Center Honors - The Beat with Ari Melber - Air Date 12-8-25

24: Trumps Ballroom Is a Lie - The Drey Dossier - Air Date 12-15-25

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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For over fifteen years, Best of the Left-Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy has served as a vital, human-curated digest of voices from across the progressive spectrum. Instead of presenting a single opinion, each episode is built around a specific theme-from economic inequality to climate policy to cultural shifts-and weaves together insightful commentary from a diverse array of journalists, activists, and thinkers. This approach allows you to efficiently grasp the nuances of complex issues by hearing multiple expert angles in one sitting, all while discovering new commentators and sources you might not have encountered otherwise. The result is a richly layered analysis that algorithms simply cannot replicate, offering depth and context often missing from the daily news cycle. Since 2006, this award-winning podcast has cut through the noise, drawing from hundreds of independent and established sources to provide a coherent, thoughtful examination of the forces shaping our society and governments. Tuning in means joining a long-running conversation dedicated to understanding and advancing democratic principles, social justice, and a more equitable economy, all through the focused lens of leftist thought.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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