The Best of 2017

In the past, but not so much with the more recent of years, I appreciated year-end “Best-of” lists by critics—from print publications—for what they considered stood out in film, television, music, etc.

We are now at that time of the year when one can look back at a year in review.

Since Progressives Chat readers and I commonly posted videos to possibly alert each other for some must-viewing, I have decided to compile a “Best of 2017” citing five videos which really stood out. 

I encourage readers to offer their pick[s].

#01: The Jimmy Dore Show “Ex-MSNBC Host: Democrats Are NOT The Solution To Trump!” (06.29.2017). While a special salute deserves to also go to Jimmy Dore’s accounting of Hillary Clinton’s I Refuse to Take a Look Into a Mirror tour, as she was promoting her book What Happened, in Dore’s “Signs Hillary Clinton Is Having a Mental Breakdown” (09.13.2017), this one gives us Dylan Ratigan nailing the Democratic Party as the biggest reason why the nation now has Donald Trump as its 45th president. (“Think about how bad, how unappealing, how offensive Barack Obama and, ultimately, Hillary Clinton had to be to the American population in order for them to remotely begin to choose someone like Donald Trump as a better alternative.”)

#02: TYT Politics “DNC Unity Member LOVES Superdelegates” (10.20.2017). Although now-disgraced and ex-The Young Turks reporter Jordan Chariton would seem to stick out the most for what he brought to TYT, what was revealed in this video angered me. It had the most impact from TYT. In this video, Emma Vigeland interviews superdelegate Elaine Kamarck, from the Brookings Institution, to discuss superdelegates. Kamarck not only loves them. Kamarck tells Vigeland what she thinks of voters and how, according to Kamarck, they may handle their voting. 

#03: The Ring of Fire “Papantonio: Corporate Sociopaths Are Clearly In Charge Of American Businesses” (04.14.2017). After United Airlines came under fire for having brutally dragged a passenger off one of its flights, Thom Hartmann interviewed attorney Mike Papantonio. Now, one other video had Papantonio describe the Democratic Party [Establishment] as “a party of Martha’s Vineyard.” That was brief. This video, in its entirety, is better. It is about corporate culture. My favorite quote from Papantonio: “They’re graduating more sociopaths from MBA schools nowadays. And those sociopaths go to work as CEOs. Now, add to that, that a CEO typically is moving through a company quickly. It’s about a three-year program. [It used] to be a CEO would stay for a company for 20 years. But, now, it’s quick profits, big risks, [the] hell with everybody else—if we kill somebody in the process, as long as I can report that I made a half of a penny more in this 10k, life is good. I would really like to see a study where they do an MNPI, personal profile, on some of these kids coming through MBA schools now. It would be terrifying.…”

#04: The Humanist Report “Democrat Who Rejected A Mother’s Single-Payer Plea Now Being Primaried by Her” (07.19.2017). Mike Figueredo’s follow-up video was powerful and inspired. U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen (D–Nevada #04)—who has since come under fire as one of a number of men accused of sexual misconduct—said no to a constituent who lost her daughter and asked Kihuen to support H.R. 676 Medicare For All. Rather than remain heartbroken and betrayed by her congressman, citizen Amy Vilela made the decision to not accept it. She is going after Kihuen to try to unseat him at least with the 2018 Democratic primaries.

#05: The Rational National “Liberal Voters Trash the Democratic Party on ‘Face the Nation’” (05.09.2017). The CBS program had an excellent panel discussion on the problems with the Democratic Party. One citizen, in the front row and in a blue shirt, did not hold back. The Rational National’s David Doel picks up from that man’s points and adds some more insight explaining what has become of the Democratic Party.