Wide Left

Arif and Ben talk about Biden's cabinet, which is to say they talked about the potential cabinet back in December and are publishing the episode in late January. It's all relevant information and covers topics ranging from the overall budget, health care, climate change, foreign policy, "national security," immigration and more.

Arif Hasan and Ben Natan take a look at the insurrection at the Capitol and what it tells us about the challenges posed by fascists, white supremacists as well as how to frame the events in the larger political environment.

The first solo episode of Wide Left -- Arif Hasan goes into detail about his thoughts on what the 2020 election means for leftism, the limits of our joy, how compromise is being weaponized and why "normalcy" is a curse, not a goal.

Arif Hasan and Ben Natan take on the statue debate, in particular discussing their function in society, the history of history, the way history is taught and the specific historical legacies of Christopher Colombus, Robert E. Lee, John Brown, Ulysses S. Grant and more.

In this 3-hour-long episode, Minneapolis resident Arif Hasan talks to co-host Ben Natan about living in Minneapolis while it captures national headlines and they discuss the state of policing in the United States, systemic racism, "politics" and more.

Ben Natan and Arif Hasan discuss the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of their leftism, whatever that means. We discuss the intersection of race and class in this pandemic and how the social factors of the pandemic are even more important than the raw science. Check out full show notes . Quick cites: in COVID-19 mortality in COVID-19 contraction New York spread Worries about Racism and Vietnam's Kerala's FEMA

Arif and Ben talk about a term we've been seeing a lot over the past few years -- Neoliberalism. What does it mean and has the term been bandied about too loosely? If not, how can a term like that still have meaning? How is neoliberalism distinct from "liberalism" in all its different meanings and can it be meaningfully be disassociated from "capitalism"? As always, full show notes at wideleftpodcast.com

Arif Hasan and Ben Natan talk recent shootings, with a particular focus on the El Paso shooting and its relationship to white nationalist extremism. There's a discussion about modern radicalization, as well as a discussion about the intractability of gun culture and the obstacles it creates politically to reduce violence. . Ben mentioned two organizations. One is JFREJ, . He also mentioned PSL and their GoFundMe for migrant children, .

Arif Hasan and Ben Natan talk about immigration and fascism in the United States. Check out the full show notes at WideLeftPodcast.com; .

Arif Hasan and Ben Natan take on a cavalcade of topics and try to look past the political theatre of the news cycle surrounding he "explosive" revelations like Michael Wolff's book Fire and Fury. We also look at the Iranian protests from the perspective of the domestic triggers and American culpability for some of those triggers. They also take on Raw Water, because once you hear about it, you have to vent about it at least once.

Arif and Ben break down the Senate and House versions of the tax bill — the "Donor Relief Act" — and go into detail about what's in it and why it represents a threat to governance and provides the basis for GOP donor payback in a year without many legislative victories. After that, they discuss the rampant problem of sexual harassment and assault in the halls of power.

Arif and Ben are back with takes on the Donna Brazile "revelations" about the DNC and potential rigging of the Democratic Primary, as well as more words on gun violence in the United States. They talk about the role of the DNC, what people might mean by the word "rigging" and fundraising loopholes. After that, they talk about the Texas shooting and the history of the second amendment.

Ben and Arif talk about the "kneeling" controversy brewing in the NFL, a rare opportunity to mix their two passions of sports and politics. Colin Kaepernick's kneeling (or having had kneeled) has intersected with one of Donald Trump's rallies, where he asked owners to fire the "sons of bitches" who kneel for the anthem. The NFL responded with what seemed to be repudiation but is a lot more complicated than that.

In this episode of the Wide Left Podcast, Ben Natan and Arif Hasan talk about the relief efforts of Hurricane Harvey, discuss the clear connection to climate change and discuss what it means for a government to be understaffed in that scenario. After that, they talk about the troop deployments in Afghanistan and what the Trump administration could possibly hope to accomplish with it.

Ben Natan and Arif Hasan talk about the only thing dominating the news cycle right now, the Charlottesville demonstration and the administration's poor response. We talk about what can be done, how these things can begin and the thread of white supremacy that runs through American culture and politics.

Arif Hasan and Ben Natan return from a two-week break to talk about the ongoing ridiculousness surrounding the health care debate, as well as discuss the hastily constructed ban against trans service members in the military. Then they talk about the least controversial subject of all, Israel.

Arif Hasan and Ben Natan talk about the nature of a free press and how it's eroding in both structural ways and through deterrence. We discuss different types of press infringements and freedoms before moving onto the recent escalation of words and missiles in North Korea.

Arif and Ben talk about their experiences at their respective cities' Pride parades as well as some of the issues that have made their way into the headlines when it comes to Pride. After that, they talk about the clearly broken Senate health care bill and it's odds of passing as they see it today.

Arif Hasan and Ben Natan discuss legalized slaughter from law enforcement officers on people of color and how modern valorization of police leads to holding them to lower standards while holding blacks up to impossible standards. We also discuss the complex divisions forming among the gulf states in the Middle East and how that informs the conflict in Syria.

Arif Hasan and Ben Natan discuss the nefarious acts the Senate and House have been up to while the country has had their attention focused on the Comey and Sessions hearings, including a budget reconciliation strategy for health care in the Senate and a repeal of Dodd-Frank having already passed the House. We also cover Labour's surprisingly positive showing in the United Kingdom before we invite our special guest, Katelyn Burns, to talk about the history of pride, what issues come with organizing pride and what issues face the trans and queer community today beyond the headlines.