History Is Relevant

Presently we are witnessing an extraordinary transformation in military weaponry. Drones and other UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are having a huge impact on military conflicts. Examples of their growing importance can be seen in the wars involving Ukraine and Iran.  Is the United States military prepared to deal with the new challenges??  The United States, which benefits from technical expertis...

When looking at the current U.S. war against Iran, discussions in the mass media usually focus on events of the past year or, at most, the past 5, 10, or 15 years.   Those short-term views of the relevance of Iranian history are helpful, but there is another way to draw insights about the region, one that illuminates events stretching back over 2000 years. From the period of the Roman Empire to mo...

If you watched television on July 29, 2026, and saw Republican lawmakers grilling Dr. Anthony Fauci at a Senate committee hearing, you might believe Fauci was one of the most notorious villains in recent American history. The ugly criticisms of Fauci were the culmination of a multi-year Republican assault on one of the most accomplished medical scientists in the United States and the world.  In re...

Does it really matter if President Donald Trump threatens countries all over the world, and sometimes acts like he wants to take control? Are these just negotiating tactics – efforts to squeeze concessions? Or is Trump serious? Does he really want the United States to dominate those countries?  President Trump’s actions on the world stage have alienated allies, damaged the United States’ reputatio...

The Jungle , a novel published in 1906 about terrible conditions in Chicago’s meatpacking plants, created a sensation about unhealthy meat products. Congress reacted by passing legislation that regulated production of food and medicine. Congress also established the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  This history is relevant. In 2026 there was an outbreak of cyclospora traced to iceberg lettuce f...

President Donald Trump wields enormous power, but he doesn’t operate in a vacuum. He has a green light to engage in reckless actions. Presently, Trump encounters few stop signs or red lights.  Especially during Trump’s second term in the White House, there has been little or no pushback from key institutions, namely the Supreme Court, The Republican Party, and Right-wing Mass Media. Those institut...

Globalization is the idea that progress comes when countries, economies, cultures, and peoples become more connected and dependent on each other.  Of course, many people are not gung-ho about this idea. Anti-globalism inspired Donald Trump’s trade and tariff wars, and resistance has been strong in other countries, as well. Protests grew because globalization brought rapid change. It created unempl...

Presidents of the United States typically refer kindly to their predecessors, but Trump frequently denigrates Barack Obama. Trump has been doing this for years. He was the most outspoken proponent of the false Birth Certificate conspiracy theory. Trump's Truth Social account posted a video that featured a clip showing the faces of Barack and Michelle Obama superimposed onto the bodies of apes...

June 2026 marked the tenth anniversary of Brexit -- a vote that eventually pulled the United Kingdom out of the European Union.  Numerous economists and political analysts discussed Brexit’s impact on that tenth anniversary. Most of their opinions were sharply negative. They said Brexit had been a political and economic disaster. At first glance this comparison sounds flattering for the USA. If Mi...

How did Trump, a deeply flawed candidate who stumbled often during the 2016 campaign, win the presidential election? There are familiar explanations for the outcome. Analysts point out that Trump blamed China for the decline of manufacturing in the USA and he criticized immigration. Trump excited voters with promises to create new jobs and “Make America Great Again.” Also, Clinton failed to give a...

The Supreme Court ‘s 2010 ruling in Citizens United v FEC declared the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent financial contributions. In subsequent years wealthy individuals, large corporations, and special interest groups poured billions of dollars into political campaigns. Candidates that received those hefty donations often dominated political communications. The...

The guest is Steve Bevis. He is a communications professional who met and worked with presidents, senators, representatives, governors, and corporate executives.  Bevis recalls the racial injustices he saw growing up in Alabama. He discusses important changes in race relations in the South from the Civil War to the present. There was considerable progress in the 1960s and later, he notes, but setb...

Lord Acton gave us a memorable sentence that you’ve heard many times. He said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Lord Acton’s statement resonates now, because it pretty much describes Donald Trump’s modus operandi. President Trump cannot get everything he wants in America’s constitutional political system, but he’s certainly trying hard to dominate America’s domestic...

Many conservatives in the GOP are disillusioned with the direction of the country under President Trump. They support the Republican Party and its values but are troubled by the party’s growing extremism. Is there a path back toward mainstream politics in Republican affairs? President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s philosophy and governance may offer a way forward. There are lessons from Eisenhower’s pres...

Will the Electoral College continue to undermine American democracy? Perhaps. But efforts to reform the system are continuing. A new effort is gaining support to do an end run around the Electoral College and achieve reform without a constitutional amendment. That program is called the National Popular Vote, or NPV. It might create a solution. 

Right-wing commentators and politicians frequently portray billionaire philanthropist George Soros as a dangerous figure, often casting him as a "puppet master" behind global events and liberal causes. They describe him as a shadowy force that manipulates politics, economics, and the mass media.  Others praise Soros, pointing out that he gave away most of his fortune to support humanitar...

How did the United States stumble into a war that led to missile and drone strikes by Iran that produced enormous damage throughout the Middle East? Oil and gas prices spiraled, creating huge economic problems in America and the world. And, of course, the war produced a vast humanitarian crisis. Why did President Trump launch that controversial war? Many Americans are frustrated because they have...

Back in 2013 a moderate candidate won Iran’s presidential election. That leader proceeded to work a deal that significantly limited Iran’s nuclear development. The United Nations supported that agreement and six major countries signed on, including the United States. The settlement was effective. Inspectors made several site visits and reported the Iranians honored terms of the agreement. If negot...

President Trump often loses focus and goes off on a tangent. A notable example occurred on March 2, 2026. Trump briefly and vaguely mentioned his decision to order attacks on Iran and then commented in detail about construction of a new ballroom and his selection of drapes for the White House. Numerous mental health professionals have expressed concern about the President’s bizarre speech patterns...

The United States’ economy has grown enormously in recent decades, yet many Americans are not cheerful and confident. Polls in early 2026 reported consumer confidence in the United States was at the lowest point in a dozen years. Furthermore, the 2025 World Happiness Report showed the American people’s contentment dropped to 24th in the world. That was the lowest level ever recorded for the USA in...

Critics worry that President Trump has threatened a federal takeover of voting activities throughout the USA. That is a significant danger, but another risk is getting much less attention. Americans stirred by false charges about voter fraud might try to take matters into their own hands and try to shape the outcome of an election.  That behavior was evident in a small but significant case of hiji...

There have been many shocking news stories recently about aggression by uniformed, masked, and armed ICE agents, but none excited as much public outrage as the shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis. That tragedy was sadly predictable. When armed paramilitary agents confront protesters complaining about injustices, there is potential for bloodshed. One of the most notable examples of that combustib...

Why has socialism, which failed to attract many voters throughout American history, gained popularity in recent years? How did a Democratic Socialist, Zohran Mamdani, manage to win a mayoral election in New York City, the hub of American capitalism?  This podcast identifies the sources of Mamdani’s popularity and examines the historical record of socialism in the USA. It also highlights the ideas...

One of the current best-selling books is about excessive risk-taking that preceded the meltdown on Wall Street in 1929 and the Great Depression that followed in the 1930s. The author warns that similar practices are putting economies at risk today. He notes that financiers are encouraging the public to invest in private equity, crypto, and other chancy products. They are hawking dangerous investme...

  In the 1850s stories about desperate runaway slaves trying to evade capture in the northern states aroused sympathy for the fugitives and stoked anti-slavery sentiment. A related impact seems to be taking shape in our times. Videos showing the tragic experiences of undocumented immigrants grabbed by ICE agents are provoking negative responses from the American public. Polls register growing crit...