#1820 Science and Public Health Under Attack by Our Own Government

#1820 Science and Public Health Under Attack by Our Own Government

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics September 3, 2026 Duration: 3:01:51

Air Date: 9/2/2026

Today we look at how public health is being gutted by a system that took ordinary parental worry and organized, radicalized and monetized it into an anti-science "wellness" movement large enough to seize real political power.

Full Show Notes

Transcript

Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)

Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience!

Join our Discord community!


TOP TAKES

KP 1: We Need to Accept That We Elected an Actual Madman to Be President - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 8-11-26

KP 2: The 'Anti-Science Disinformation Ecosystem': Experts Decode Trump's War on Health and C Limate - Zeteo - Air Date 10-22-25

KP 3: Welcome to the Vaccine Free-for-All - Radio Atlantic - Air Date 9-4-25

KP 4: Fauci Takes the 5th Amendment While MAGA Cracks His Diary Open & Calls Him Hitler - The Daily Show - Air Date 7-30-26

KP 5: The Infodemic — and the Scientists Fighting Against It | Jessica Malaty Rivera Part 1 - TED Talks Daily - Air Date 8-7-26

KP 6: The Anti-Vaccine Movement Part 1 - Throughline - Air Date 9-25-25

KP 7: Skepticism of Science in Health Care: Who Doesn't Trust Whom and Why? | Robert Field - Fondation Brocher - Air Date 12-16-24


(00:59:02) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

In 1955 Newspapers Announced the Polio Vaccine Like a War Victory

My commentaries on YouTube - Share them!


DEEPER DIVES

(01:09:24) SECTION A: THE CURRENT DAMAGE

A1: Fauci, RFK Jr., and the Latest in American Health Part 1 - Reveal - Air Date 8-11-26

A2: Sick Boy – How RFK's Crank Health Agenda Is Making America Ill Again - The Bunker – News Without the Nonsense - Air Date 4-13-26

A3: Fauci, RFK Jr., and the Latest in American Health Part 2 - Reveal - Air Date 8-11-26


(01:35:53) SECTION B: HOW WE GOT HERE

B1: The Anti-Vaccine Movement Part 2 - Throughline - Air Date 9-25-25

B2: Peter Hotez: Mapping the Anti-Science Machine - Yale Insights - Air Date 11-27-25

B3: To Be a Trump Republican You Have to Dare to Be Stupid - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie - Air Date 8-27-26


(01:59:55) SECTION C: WHY IT WORKS

C1: Fall Of The House Of Misinformation: Science At Work Part 1 - Unbiased Science - Air Date 4-17-24

C2: Social Influence: Crash Course Psychology #38 - CrashCourse - Air Date 11-11-14

C3: Fall Of The House Of Misinformation: Science At Work Part 2 - Unbiased Science - Air Date 4-17-24


(02:23:55) SECTION D: RESPONDING TO THE MOMENT

D1: One Crisis After Another | Jessica Malaty Rivera Part 1 - Pandemic and Emergency Readiness Lab - Air Date 5-13-26

D2: Why Doctors Are Mad at Me for My Debate - Doctor Mike - Air Date 12-17-25

D3: One Crisis After Another | Jessica Malaty Rivera Part 2 - Pandemic and Emergency Readiness Lab - Air Date 5-13-26

D4: The Infodemic — and the Scientists Fighting Against It | Jessica Malaty Rivera Part 2 - TED Talks Daily - Air Date 8-7-26


 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen

Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com


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: 50

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