#1500 America, A Beginner's Guide (Throwback)

<p><strong>Original Air Date: 7/4/2022</strong></p> <p><em>Today, for this milestone episode, I attempted to squeeze in as many clever and interesting ideas as I could and ended up writing a starter guide to understand the United States. Plus, there are jingles!</em></p> <p>Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email <a href="mailto:Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com">Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/1500_throwback">Full Show Notes</a></p> <p><strong>Check out our new show, SOLVED! on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BestOfTheLeft">YouTube</a>!</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/20">In honor of our 20th birthday, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP...this includes Gift Memberships! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)</a></strong></p> <p><strong>Use our links to shop <a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/bookshop">Bookshop.org</a> and <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=262399&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Fswitch"> Libro.fm</a> for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience!</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://discord.gg/dhyZE3WMJn" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Join our Discord community</a>!</strong></p> <hr /> <p><strong>SHOW NOTES</strong></p> <p>(00:01:30) Ch. 1: Political Structures of Our Country</p> <p>Tracking the political eras that proceeded our current situation and looking at what may come next.</p> <p>Jingle 1: Strawman</p> <p>(00:13:09) Ch. 2: Progressives and Progress</p> <p>Looking at a progressive perspective of the last 20 years and the process of progress itself</p> <p>Jingle 2: Defer to Authority</p> <p>(00:24:25) Ch. 3: Understanding Race, Gender, Privilege and Power</p> <p>Understanding why our understanding of the world is often insufficiently complicated</p> <p>Jingle 3: Just Asking Questions</p> <p>(00:37:06) Ch. 4: Progressives in Politics</p> <p>Tracing the fissures on the political left from Bush to Biden</p> <p>Jingle 4: Manipulating Data</p> <p>(00:46:45) Ch. 5: Republican Transformation</p> <p>Tracing conservatism from mid-century Republicans to 21st-century insurrectionists</p> <p>Jingle 5: Appeal to Emotion</p> <p>(00:59:32) Ch. 6: Foreign/Power</p> <p>Looking at various forms of power and how they play out on the international stage</p> <p>Jingle 6: Passive Voice</p> <p>(01:08:52) Ch. 7: The Progress Trap</p> <p>The progress traps of new technology and why we're not defending against them</p> <p>Jingle 7: Clickbait</p> <p>(01:19:07) Ch. 8: Structural Thinking and the Alternative</p> <p>What happens when an individualist thinker is faced with problems that only structural thinking can handle?</p> <p>Jingle 8: Conspiracy Theories</p> <hr /> <p><strong>Jingles:</strong> Concept and Some Lyrics by Jay Tomlinson, Music and Most Lyrics by Jonathan Mann</p> <p> </p> <p>Produced by Jay! Tomlinson</p> <p>Visit us at <a href="http://www.bestoftheleft.com/">BestOfTheLeft.com</a></p> <p>Listen Anywhere! <a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/listen">BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen</a> Listen Anywhere!</p> <p>Follow BotL: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/bestoftheleft.bsky.social">Bluesky</a> | <a href="https://mastodon.social/@bestoftheleft">Mastodon</a> | <a href="https://www.threads.net/@bestoftheleft">Threads</a> | <a href="https://x.com/BestOfTheLeft">X</a></p> <p>Like at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft</a></p> <p>Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com</p>