Air Date: 4–18-2026

Today we examine how the U.S. war with Iran has exposed the deep structural rot at the heart of American power, the global economic catastrophe quietly building beneath the surface, and the cuts felt at home in order to pay for it all.

Direct Download

Transcript

Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube!

Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email [email protected]

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)

Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience!

Join our Discord community!

---

TOP TAKES

KP 1: Excerpt, "Cross of Iron" Speech, 1956 - Dwight D. Eisenhower

KP 2: White House Accidentally Releases Video of Trump Saying the Truth About War's Priority - The Briefing with Jen Psaki - Air Date 4-2-26

KP 3: Lets Talk About Fertilizer - Paul Krugman - Air Date 3-21-26

KP 4: Why Israels Bombing of Lebanon Means All Our Futures Are at Stake - The Independent - Air Date 4-9-26

KP 5: Will There Even Be a “Ceasefire”? - Drop Site News - Air Date 4-9-26

KP 6: The TV War That Backfired - Brendan Miller - Air Date 3-20-26

KP 7: Why the US Couldnt Force a Deal with Iran - LBC - Air Date 4-12-26

KP 8: Hormuz Crisis _Only Going to Get More Horrific Before It Gets Any Better__ Prof. Laleh Khalili - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-16-26

KP 9: Dwight D Eisenhower - Farewell Speech - Address to the Nation - Military Industrial Complex Warning - War and Military Documentaries - Air Date 1-17-61

---

(00:52:25) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Eisenhower Warned Us: Trump's $1.5T Military Budget Is Gutting America

---

DEEPER DIVES

(01:03:57) SECTION A: LEBANON UNDER ATTACK

A1: SHOCKING Interview Reveals Israel Unleashing HELL On Lebanon - Novara Media - Air Date 4-9-26

A2: 10 Minutes, 100 Air Strikes: Israel Rejects Ceasefire for Lebanon, Kills 250+ in Massive Attack - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-9-26

A3: Israel Wants to Annex South Lebanon — But Hezbollah Isn’t Defeated, with Karim Makdisi - Rania Khalek Dispatches - Air Date 3-27-26

---

(01:29:29) SECTION B: THE WORLD DEDOLLARISES

B1: The End of the Petrodollar? How Iran War Is Reshaping the Global Economy: Author Laleh Khalili - Democracy Now! - Air Date 3-19-26

B2: The BRICS Unit: The Beginning of the End for Dollar Dominance? - Unf*cking The Republic - Air Date 1-26-26

B3: Iran Challenges US Dollar, Says Oil Must Be Sold in Chinese Yuan, as It Targets US Corporations - Geopolitical Economy Report - Air Date 3-17-26

---

(01:49:40) SECTION C: WORLD ECONOMY IN PERIL

C1: How the Iran War Could Tank the US Economy - BreakThrough News - Air Dater 3-21-26

C2: Iran War Could Wreck the Entire World Economy - UNFTR Media - Air Dater 3-13-26

C3: The Iran Oil Shock Is About to Hit - Max Fisher - Air Date 4-3-26

C4: Iran War Energy Spike and the Inflation Perfect Storm - UNFTR Media - Air Date 3-18-26

---

(02:21:45) SECTION D: THE MORAL ROT OF WAR PROFITEERING

D1: Insider Trading on War - Voidzilla - Air Date 3-24-26

D2: How the Military-industrial Complex Captured US Democracy | Business of War - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 8-9-25

D3: The Parasites Have Overtaken the Host! - PissedMagistus - Air Date 4-12-26

D4: How Insiders Are Making Millions Gambling On the War - GEN - Air Date 3-20-26

---

(02:46:42) SECTION E: THE DAMAGE OUR MILITARY DOES

E1: "A Moral Obscenity": White House Demands $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Budget, Largest Increase Since WWII - Democracy Now! - Air Date 4-7-26

E2: The US Military Is 'Earth's Greatest Enemy': Abby Martin - The Real News Network - Air Date 3-27-26

E3: The Art Of The Deal - EVEN MORE NEWS - Some More News - Air Date 4-10-26

---

(03:06:15) SECTION F: MAKING CHINA GREAT AGAIN

F1: Trump Is Wishcasting Victory in Iran - Radio Atlantic - Air Date 4-9-26

F2: How China Plays the Long Game Against Trump - Bloomberg Originals - Air Date 3-27-26

F3: Why We're at War with Iran! (with' Col. Larry Wilkerson) - The Chris Hedges YouTube Channel - Air Date 4-7-26

---

SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

Description: A composite image showing a satellite image of the Straight of Hormuz  behind a screenshot of Trump’s post that says “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again….”

Credit: Internal composite design. Image: “Satellite image of the Strait of Hormuz.” by Jacques Descloitres, NASA | Public Domain

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!

Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at [email protected]