Sam Virden

History is Not Neutral

History EN ↓ 2 episodes

History and books about history not only show us where we've been - they can show us where we are going, and how we as a society can be on the right side of history one day. It brings context to current social and political events, which means history is not neutral. Find us on Instagram @historyisnotneutral

Author

Sam Virden

Episodes

Tyranny on Repeat 26.03.2026 24:56

In his book, On Tyranny , Timothy Snyder gives us 20 lessons from the 20th century about fascism, communism, and authoritarianism, and adapts those lessons to the circumstances surrounding the 2024 election. Historical events mentioned in the show: - 1923 Beer Hall Putsch: November 8-9, a targeted act of violent in an attempt to overthrow the German government. There was a march to Berlin and even...

America's Framework in Nazi Germany 20.02.2026 33:25

James Whitman detailed how American laws and legal precedent set the groundwork for Nazi raced based laws that targeted Jews and other groups in the 1930's in his book Hitler's American Model . It didn't start out with the Holocaust, it was limitations to freedoms and determining who was German and who wasn't. We talk about the examples Whitman lays out, as well as how those same l...