SOLVED! SAMPLE! #23 - ROBBING YOU BLIND: 'Buy Now Pay Later' and Mass Consumer Manipulation

SOLVED! SAMPLE! #23 - ROBBING YOU BLIND: 'Buy Now Pay Later' and Mass Consumer Manipulation

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics September 28, 2025 Duration: 19:01

Air Date: 9–24-25

Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:

  • Ch. 1 - Intro, and quick follow up on bad satire

  • Ch. 2 - The new culture of 'buy now pay later' and how these companies are manipulating the public to normalize the culture of overconsumption

  • Ch. 3 - How companies pass the environmental toll of their products on the public, and the rise of "cute" debt

  • Ch. 4 - The way heavy 'buy now pay later' marketing has dramatically changed people's impression of how they spend their money

  • Ch. 5 - Why poor voters are America's swing voters and why that's extremely important right now

  • SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm: How we should address young boy's anger

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Nostr public key: npub1tjxxp0x5mcgl2svwhm39qf002st2zdrkz6yxmaxr6r2fh0pv49qq2pem0e

REFERENCES:

Buy now, pay later usage for groceries nearly doubles as consumers struggle with food costs - Fox Business

Consumers Are Financing Their Groceries. What Does It Say About the Economy? - The New York Times

Inside the Manipulative "conspiracy" of consumption - Fast Company

The Rise of 'Cute Debt' - The Atlantic

The 'Buy Now, Pay Later' Bubble Is About to Burst - The Atlantic

Poor People Are America's Swing Voters - Time

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Child Soldiers - Slate

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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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