SOLVED! SAMPLE! #33 - Be a Mosquito in a Swarm: How to Put Cracks in Authoritarian Power

SOLVED! SAMPLE! #33 - Be a Mosquito in a Swarm: How to Put Cracks in Authoritarian Power

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics February 14, 2026 Duration: 24:04

Air Date: 2-3-26

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

  • Ch. 1 - Trump's Pillars of Support, and plugging into community building & local support networks

  • Ch. 2 - Case studies in success: Avelo Airlines & Spotify and why they matter

  • Ch. 3 - Pressure campaigns at home and abroad and why they are important

  • Ch. 4 - The new cracks in MAGA, and building up the political opposition party we need

  • SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): The second amendment folks' weird moment after ICE murdered Alex Pretti

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REFERENCES DISCUSSED

Why Nonviolent Resistance Doesn't Require Your Opponent to Have a Conscience - Tim Hjersted, Films for Action 

Think There's Nothing You Can Do to Stop ICE? Think Again. - The Nation

Here's How We Pressured an Airline to End Its Contract With ICE - TruthOut

Want to Stop ICE? Go After Its Corporate Collaborators. - The Nation

CEOs of major Minnesota businesses finally speak out, sign meek call for 'deescalation' - Bring Me The News

'Tariff for Oligarchs': Top Economist Urges Europe to Fight Trump by Punishing US Billionaires - Common Dreams

Some Conservatives Veer Off Party Line After DHS Agents Kill Another US Citizen - Mother Jones

Here's Your Damn Playbook, Democrats - The New Republic

This Could Be the Moment MAGA Collapses - The New Republic

MORE RESOURCES

Here's How to Find Out Which Corporations Are Collaborating With ICE - Little Sis

How to Weaken ICE: Cut Off the Corporations That Make Deportations Possible: Unified Strategy to Join, Support, or Build Boycott Campaigns Against ICE Vendors and Suppliers - Herman Legal Group

We Must Establish The Run Against Authoritarianism - Bad Faith Times

BACKSTAGE

Trump is Making an Enemy of the Gun Lobby - The Intercept

EXTRAS:

Meta lays off employees across multiple teams - Tech Crunch (Oct 16, 2024)

People Think Amazon Is an E-Commerce Company, but 74% of Its Profit Comes From This Instead

Best of the Left #1769 Politics Beyond the Ballot Box: Elections and the Movements that Power Them

Fox News's Peter Doocy Confronts Kristi Noem: 'Is It the Protocol To Use Deadly Force' if Alex Pretti 'Was Disarmed?'

ICE confirms new office in College Park - Atlanta News First

Ossoff Inquires about Rumored New ICE Detention Facility - Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB)

Prominent MAGA streamer compares ICE to Gestapo after Pretti shooting

TAKE ACTION:

How to Support Minneapolis Communities

In a blue state? Help stop ICE overreach

Free DC Project: FOR ALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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5calls.org

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Produced by:

Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com 

Review the show on Apple Podcasts!


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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