Secular Left - Progressive Religion Free View of the News

There is a well organized and well funded effort to gut the Bill of Rights in this country and in the age of Trump, secular people seem to taking it on the chin more often. Secular Left is meant to be the light in the fog of Christian Nationalism supporting the idea that toxic religious belief is the root of most social justice issues today.

Secular Left - Progressive Religion Free View of the News is a news podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 130 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 82. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Secular Left - Progressive Religion Free View of the News, a news show with 130 episodes published.

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  Episode #130

  They Built the Surveillance State for Them, Now It's Pointed at Us

  Sep 16, 202659 min

  We reflect on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 by revisiting live news coverage from that day. We discuss the amount of misinformation, speculation, and confusion that appeared in early reporting, and we contrast that with later coverage and memorial material. We then turn to the security and surveillance systems expanded after 9/11, including Homeland Security, the TSA, the Patriot Act, surveillance courts, and rendition. We argue that these measures did not keep people safe in the way they were presented at the time, and we connect that to how those tools are being used by President Trump today against his political opponents. A local television report about a deadly crash in Ohio involving an undocumented driver with a Connecticut driver’s license exposes the continued racist attacks on undocumented people by the Republicans panicking over election losses in November. We fact check a National Republican Senatorial Committee mailer attacking Sherrod Brown over transgender issues and drag story time. The claims not only misrepresent Brown’s record and a community event at Harmony Project and the mailer uses falsehoods and culture-war messaging instead of addressing policy issues. Full show notes & links used Send us Fan Mail Support the show Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our Merch Follow us on Bluesky Find us on Twitter (for now) Find us on Instagram Find us on Counter Social Find us on Mastadon

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  Episode #129

  Inside the GOP's Honesty Crisis: DEI for Idiots

  Aug 25, 202648 min

  We start by debunking a PragerU video about why people believe lies and use it to examine how political media frames public health measures. The claim that pandemic masking and six-foot distancing were examples of manipulation is missing how science actually works. We note that the distancing guidance was based on reducing risk, even if the exact number was not fixed by a single clear standard. LifeWise Academy setup a booth at a school open house in Rossford, Ohio. We explain that since LifeWise is a religious release-time program and schools must remain neutral under the relevant Supreme Court ruling from 1952 and related state rules. Recruiting students at school events can raise legal concerns and school districts often avoid challenges because of the cost of lawsuits. Comments from Trump administration officials and House speaker Mike Johnson show that Republicans lie as a matter of course. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s claims about the relationship of immigration and rent, AG Secretary Brooke Rollins’ comments about SNAP recipients and luxury cars, and Speaker Mike Johnson’s defense of Republican economic policy is just some examples of the honest crisis in Washington DC. These arguments rely on scapegoating and proven failed economic policy that they do not match the evidence on housing costs, food assistance, or trickle-down economics. Full Show Notes & Links Used Send us Fan Mail Support the show Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our Merch Follow us on Bluesky Find us on Twitter (for now) Find us on Instagram Find us on Counter Social Find us on Mastadon

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  Episode #128

  Rand Paul And The GOP Still Blaming Fauci

  Aug 2, 202653 min

  Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where Rand Paul and other Republicans were trying to trap him into statements they could use against him. The hearing was a political witch hunt and going on six years now. There is a broader anti-science movement in conservative politics, including opposition to gender-affirming care, abortion rights, vaccines, and public health guidance. There is also misinformation, snake-oil products, and claims made by social media influencers and some television ads that are more about profit over health of people. Trump's Religious Liberty Commission was sued for lack of diversity. Contrary to federal law, the commission was dominated by conservative Christians and evangelicals, with no representation from other faiths and atheists. The court dismissed the case by redefining what is meant by diversity. We look at the backlash to progressive and Democratic Socialist wins in some Democratic primaries recently. We hear examples of the criticism from establishment Democrats and media figures, and we argue that voters chose these candidates directly. We say the panic over the DSA is overstated and that Democrats should focus more on fighting Trump and less on attacking progressives. Full Show Notes & Links Used Send us Fan Mail Support the show Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our Merch Follow us on Bluesky Find us on Twitter (for now) Find us on Instagram Find us on Counter Social Find us on Mastadon

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  Episode #127

  'Told You So' Culture Ignores PTSD: The Platner Pile-On

  Jul 13, 202656 min

  While Graham Platner needed to end his campaign after being accused of rape some progressive commentators handled the story badly, especially the tendency to ignore Platner's PTSD and trauma as part of the context for his earlier behavior. We supported him based on the information available at the time, and we explain why the final set of revelations made continued support for him impossible. We are just disappointed that Platner's trauma was ignored by others. Also in Maine, another legal fight over public funds for religious schools reached federal court. The state changed its Human Rights Act after the Carson v. Makin US Supreme Court decision in 2022. All schools receiving public money must follow nondiscrimination requirements for students. Religious schools filed a lawsuit. We re-visit the topic of LifeWise Academy and note that its student enrollment is far below its stated goal. The group’s push for release-time Bible instruction during the school day is not impressing parents who have concerns about the program. Public attention appears to be reducing family participation in the program. Finally the Trump administration and Fox News framing democratic socialists as communists is a reboot of the cold war. We argue that democratic socialism is not the same as communism, and we point to the DSA’s own stated goals, including Medicare for All, expanded democracy, and public ownership of key sectors - they don't support or demand revolution. We end by saying voters should evaluate candidates on their actual proposals rather than on scare labels. We are also disappointed that establishment Democrats are jumping on the bandwagon over the DSA. Full Show Notes & Links Used Send us Fan Mail Support the show Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our Merch Follow us on Bluesky Find us on Twitter (for now) Find us on Instagram Find us on Counter Social Find us on Mastadon

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  Episode #126

  Socialist Wins, GOP Spin, and the Fight Over Who Gets to Be Free

  Jun 27, 202642 min

  We look at Ohio politics, a federal religious-liberty commission, and the reaction to recent Democratic Socialist primary wins in New York City. Ohio Republicans repeat false claims about Dr. Amy Acton and COVID-era county fair restrictions, trying to use that issue to help Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign. They don't explain that in 2020 Ramaswamy supported the lock downs and even mandatory vaccinations. Trump administration’s Religious Liberty Commission, which we say was built around Christian nationalist complaints rather than broad religious liberty is being sued arguing that the commission violated federal requirements for inclusiveness because it was dominated by evangelical voices. We also discuss concern that its report would push the idea that church-state separation is a problem. Finally, we discuss the New York City primary results and the panic they caused among MAGA figures and some establishment Democrats. We argue that Democratic Socialist wins in a heavily Democratic city are being overstated as a national warning sign. We say the issues driving those campaigns are affordability, housing, health care, and wages, and that voters are responding to candidates who seem more willing to challenge Trump-era politics. Full Show Notes & Links Used Send us Fan Mail Support the show Subscribe to our free newsletter Check out our Merch Follow us on Bluesky Find us on Twitter (for now) Find us on Instagram Find us on Counter Social Find us on Mastadon

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