#1780 Cynicism Is a Scab: Hope, Solidarity, and the Labor Fight That Never Stopped

#1780 Cynicism Is a Scab: Hope, Solidarity, and the Labor Fight That Never Stopped

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics March 28, 2026 Duration: 3:30:17

Air Date: 3/27/2026

Today we examine the relationship between labor education, moral ambition, and the possibility of a better world. We'll hear about IWW members building a "Philosophy 101" for organizers, a historian's argument that humanity is fundamentally cooperative rather than selfish, and why getting labor history into public schools may be one of the most important organizing projects of our time.

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Full Show Notes

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TOP TAKES

KP 1: A Case for Human Decency (by Rutger Bregman) Part 1 - Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso - Air Date 10-25-20

KP 2: 73 Ben Fletcher, Part 1 - Working Class History - Air Date 6-5-23

KP 3: Striking At Kings Part 1 - Labor Heritage Power Hour - Air Date 2-12-26

KP 4: The Unsung Women of the Labor Movement with Jenny Kaplan Part 1 - The Bright Side - Air Date 9-2-24

KP 5: Climate Justice Through Collective Liberation Mikaela Loach Part 1 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 8-6-25

KP 6: Are We Trapped In Meaningless Jobs (With Rutger Bregman) Part 1 - Lever Time - Air Date 12-18-25


(00:49:56) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Solidarity Isn't a Feeling — It's a Structure (And Bosses Know It)

Requiem for the Wagner Act


DEEPER DIVES

(01:01:40) SECTION A: HISTORY

A1: Restoration, Revolution and English Enlightenment - The History of England - Air Date 11-9-25

A2: 73 Ben Fletcher, Part 1 Part 2 - Working Class History - Air Date 6-5-23

A3: UNLOCKED Overtime Episode 43 - The General Strike in US History Pt 3 - Work Stoppage - Air Date 1-23-26

A4: The Unsung Women of the Labor Movement with Jenny Kaplan Part 2 - The Bright Side - Air Date 9-2-24

A5: UNLOCKED Overtime Episode 43 - The General Strike in US History Pt 3 Part 2 - Work Stoppage - Air Date 1-23-26


(01:40:45) SECTION B: ORGANIZING

B1: Eugene Debs' Winning a World Speech, 1904 - Bucckeyye Historin - Air Date 9-28-24

B2: What Does It Mean To Be Member Run Part 1 - One Big Podcast - Air Date 6-6-21

B3: Revisiting the Legacy of the Fight for $15 (with Yannet Lathrop and Dr. T. William Lester) Part 1 - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 8-27-24

B4: What Does It Mean To Be Member Run Part 2 - One Big Podcast - Air Date 6-6-21

B5: Are We Trapped In Meaningless Jobs (With Rutger Bregman) Part 2 - Lever Time - Air Date 12-18-25


(02:24:47) SECTION C: EDUCATION

C1: IWW Education and Organizing in Higher Ed Part 1 - One Big Podcast - Air Date 1-17-26

C2: Striking At Kings Part 2 - Labor Heritage Power Hour - Air Date 2-12-26

C3: Revisiting the Legacy of the Fight for $15 (with Yannet Lathrop and Dr. T. William Lester) Part 2 - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 8-27-24

C4: IWW Education and Organizing in Higher Ed Part 2 - One Big Podcast - Air Date 1-17-26


(02:55:10) SECTION D: VISION

D1: A Case for Human Decency (by Rutger Bregman) Part 2 - Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso - Air Date 10-25-20

D2: Cornel West Hope Is Spiritual Armor Against Modern Society's Spiritual Warfare - Big Think - Air Date 7-27-17

D3: The Importance Of Revolutionary Optimism - Second Thought - Air Date 10-8-21

D4: Climate Justice Through Collective Liberation Mikaela Loach Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 8-6-25


SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

Description: Photo of a worker at a Fight for $15 rally calling into a megaphone while the crowd behind her holds protest signs.

Credit: "Fast food workers on strike for higher minimum wage and better benefits" by Fibonacci Blue, Flickr | CC BY 2.0 | Changes: Cropped

 

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

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