Wide Left

By Arif Hasan and Ben Natan

What's Wide Left about?

Two football writers—Arif Hasan and Ben Natan—with some political experience attempt to dissect a pair of issues each week through their fairly far left political lenses. This can't possibly go wrong.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Wide Left episodes:

01.22.2021
Episode 035: Biden's Bare Cupboard
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,...
01.15.2021
Episode 034: Coups Light
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.
11.09.2020
Episode 033: JoeJoe's Bizarre Election
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,...
06.23.2020
Episode 032: Statues and Their Limitations
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...
06.05.2020
Episode 031: The Murder of George Floyd
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.
05.18.2020
Episode 030: Randemic
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...
08.13.2019
Episode 028: What is Neoliberalism
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...
08.06.2019
Episode 027: Aftermath
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...
08.01.2019
Episode 026: Fascism From Concentrate
Arif Hasan and Ben Natan talk about immigration and fascism in the United States. Check out the full show notes at WideLeftPodcast.com; .
01.12.2018
Episode 025: Fire and Rouhani
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...
12.07.2017
Episode 024: The Donor Ransom Act
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...
11.07.2017
Episode 023: Chair of the DoNna C
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...
09.27.2017
Episode 022: Tackling Patriotism (Never Sticking to Sports)
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...
08.31.2017
Episode 021: The Moment Trump Truly Became a Colonialist
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...
08.16.2017
Episode 020: Tired and Exhausted
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...
07.29.2017
Episode 019: The Lion's Purr of the Senate
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...
07.06.2017
Episode 018: A Free Press and Korean Mess
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...
06.28.2017
Episode 017: Pride Protest and the Broken BCRA
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...
06.21.2017
Episode 016: Sanctioned Slaughter and Misery in the Middle East
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...
06.14.2017
Episode 015: Covert Congress and Overt Pride with Guest Katelyn Burns
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...
06.06.2017
Episode 014: Paris Climate Discords
Arif Hasan and Ben Natan discuss the President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords and what it means for the United States and the world when it comes to climate change. A quick rundown on the...
06.01.2017
Episode 013: High-Skilled Immigration and Low-Skilled Advisors
Arif Hasan and Ben Natan talk about the most recent Jared Kushner revelations with attempting to establish a backchannel with Russia and then delve into the largely successful H-1B visa program that is now under fire. After that, they briefly...
05.24.2017
Episode 012: All the News That's Fit to Miss
Arif Hasan and Ben Natan do a quick rundown on all the updates with the Trump scandal, but they also cover a bevy of news that's been easy to miss over the past week, including updates in health care news,...
05.17.2017
Episode 011: The Russians Are Comey
Arif Hasan and Ben Natan review a particularly hectic week for the Trump administration that includes three separate (at least) scandals, including a new one involving Israeli intelligence and the old bogey, Russia. That also means talking about the new...
05.09.2017
Episode 010: Cool From ACA
Arif Hasan and Ben Natan return to talk about the AHCA, single-payer and the French elections. Once again, a deep dive into policy analysis for the health care bill is interspersed with a larger philosophical discussion about the nature of...
05.02.2017
A Brief, One-Week, Hiatus
There's no podcast this week! Arif Hasan and Ben Natan have been swamped covering the NFL Draft in their other job, so they won't be able to provide you with the fully-researched, detailed podcast you deserve. If you missed it,...
04.26.2017
Episode 009: Strategic Purity
This week, Arif and Ben talk about the controversy surrounding the late-breaking Bernie Sanders endorsement for Jon Ossof and how it contrasts with the easy endorsement he gave Heath Mello. From there, they engage in a wider discussion about the...
04.18.2017
Episode 008: The Violence Inherent in the System
Arif Hasan and Ben Natan use the Berkeley protests as a jumping off point to discuss the place violence has in politics and how the lens with which we should view violence should start at the structure of politics. Is it...
04.11.2017
Episode 007: Syria-s Business
Arif and Ben once again return to the Middle East to talk about the gas attacks by Bashar al-Assad and the retaliatory strikes authorized by Donald Trump at Shayrat airfield. We go through the timeline of the civil war, the nature...
04.04.2017
Episode 006: Drone Baby Drone
Arif and Ben open with a discussion on the bizarre Mike Pence controversy and then move into a discussion about drone strikes and civilian casualties in Iraq, Syria and other theaters in the War on Terror. Also, a brief discussion...
03.29.2017
Episode 005: Russia, Russia, Russia
Ben Natan and Arif Hasan decide to delve deep into the heart of the talk about Russia, and examine not just all of the connections built between Trump, his associates and Russia but the risks the Democrats may incur by...
03.20.2017
Episode 004: Bad Budgets and Nuclear North Korea
Ben Natan and Arif Hasan break down a bad budget and dig deep on a nuclear North Korea. We figure out the significance of arts and sciences funding to the fabric of a nation and check out congressional testimony and...
03.14.2017
Episode 003: The Right Outbabies the Left
In this week's episode, Ben and Arif devote the entire hour to a tweet sent out from representative Steve King of Iowa, about "restoring civilization with someone else's babies." We talk about the concepts of civilization, culture and boundaries, as...
03.07.2017
Episode 002: Who Knew It Could Be So Complicated
Arif Hasan and Ben Natan take on the repeal-and-replace debate with health care and go deep in the weeds when it comes to health care law. After that, they take on the US-Iranian relationship and it's complicated but important history—especially...
02.28.2017
So Much For the Tolerant Left
In the inaugural episode for Wide Left, Ben Natan and Arif Hasan not only introduce themselves, they also tackle the recent DNC chair elections featuring Tom Perez and Keith Ellison. After that they have a broad discussion about the refugee...

What's Wide Left about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Wide Left episodes:

Episode 035: Biden's Bare Cupboard

Episode 034: Coups Light

Episode 033: JoeJoe's Bizarre Election

Episode 032: Statues and Their Limitations

Episode 031: The Murder of George Floyd

Episode 030: Randemic

Episode 028: What is Neoliberalism

Episode 027: Aftermath

Episode 026: Fascism From Concentrate

Episode 025: Fire and Rouhani

Episode 024: The Donor Ransom Act

Episode 023: Chair of the DoNna C

Episode 022: Tackling Patriotism (Never Sticking to Sports)

Episode 021: The Moment Trump Truly Became a Colonialist

Episode 020: Tired and Exhausted

Episode 019: The Lion's Purr of the Senate

Episode 018: A Free Press and Korean Mess

Episode 017: Pride Protest and the Broken BCRA

Episode 016: Sanctioned Slaughter and Misery in the Middle East

Episode 015: Covert Congress and Overt Pride with Guest Katelyn Burns

Episode 014: Paris Climate Discords

Episode 013: High-Skilled Immigration and Low-Skilled Advisors

Episode 012: All the News That's Fit to Miss

Episode 011: The Russians Are Comey

Episode 010: Cool From ACA

A Brief, One-Week, Hiatus

Episode 009: Strategic Purity

Episode 008: The Violence Inherent in the System

Episode 007: Syria-s Business

Episode 006: Drone Baby Drone

Episode 005: Russia, Russia, Russia

Episode 004: Bad Budgets and Nuclear North Korea

Episode 003: The Right Outbabies the Left

Episode 002: Who Knew It Could Be So Complicated

So Much For the Tolerant Left