SOLVED! SAMPLE! #34 - Understanding The Dual State: Life Under Authoritarianism and Your Role in Fighting It

SOLVED! SAMPLE! #34 - Understanding The Dual State: Life Under Authoritarianism and Your Role in Fighting It

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics February 25, 2026 Duration: 22:40

Air Date: 2-17-26

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

 

  • Ch. 1 - The "dual state" concept coined by German Jewish political scientist and labor lawyer Ernst Fraenkel in his 1941 book "The Dual State: A Contribution to the Theory of Dictatorship"
  • Ch. 2 - Navigating the psychological toll of living under authoritarianism
  • Ch. 3 - "Woke 2.0" as a movement, and dismantling conservative critiques of virtue
  • Ch. 4 - What is actually required to build an effective, broad anti-authoritarian coalition movement
  • SOLVED! BACKSTAGE: Beyond the Algorithm (Members Only!): Deprograming Nazis and the "run the ball" football strategy for our times

 

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REFERENCES

Your friends are still acting like everything is normal in America. What do you do? - Vox

They Were Ordinary Germans. We Are Ordinary Americans. - The New York Times

How to Survive the Information War - The Atlantic

Galaxy Brain podcast: How to Be A Citizen in the Information War (And Stay Sane) - Galaxy Brain (The Atlantic)

Can Woke 2 Go IRL? Even Thomas Chatterton Williams Thinks It's Possible - Vanity Fair

Why Hannah Arendt and the Banality of Evil Still Matter Today - Philosopedia

The Popular Front Isn't Foreign — It's American /// Want to Fight Fascism? Look to U.S. History. - In These Times

As Congress Begins to Grapple With Restrictions on ICE, States Take Matters Into Their Own - Talking Points Memo

Lawmakers visit Minnesota for inspiration — and to warn the nation - Minnesota Reformer

 

BACKSTAGE

We Must Establish The Run Against Authoritarianism - Bad Faith Times

 

EXTRAS:

00:13:27 Best of the Left #1770 - Getting in the Fight Against ICE and Authoritarianism

00:19:42 Best of the Left Bonus Edition #334 - "Collaborators, Internal Exiles, and Dissidents" from Jan. 26, 2025 (pre-YouTube)

SAMPLE | MEMBERS

Prosecutor Fired After Voicing Frustration With Immigration Caseload - The New York Times

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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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