The Great Purple State

(Factual correction from Conall: I misspoke and said the census is taken every year. I meant to say every decade!)  In this episode, Emerson and Conall discuss the history and function of that much-discussed institution, the Electoral College. We analyze why it was adopted as a compromise measure by the Constitutional Convention of 1787 (and how the most important author of the Constitution, James...

CORRECTION: Conall misspeaks and says the Nazi T4 program targeting disabled people ended in 1949. He meant to say 1941. However, the program did continue in less centralized  fashion until the end of the war until 1945. In this final episode of a 3 part series on the history of concentration camps and the Holocaust (also known as the Shoah in Hebrew, meaning “catastrophe”), Conall and Emerson ana...

Conall and Emerson break down the initial years of the Nazi camp system. We discuss at length the political trajectory and worldview of Adolf Hitler, the first 8 or so years of Hitler being in power, and how the Nazi regime he oversaw expanded the usage and purposes of the concentration camp system as the years passed. We also analyze how the agenda of the Nazi state morphed from persecuting the J...

In the first episode of a two part series on concentration camps, Emerson and Conall discuss the history of concentration camps from their origins in Spanish-ruled Cuba during the 1890s to their adaptation by various European states over the next several decades, including the British in the Boer War (1899-1902) and the Ottoman Empire in the Armenian Genocide of 1915. We emphasize that concentrati...

In this episode, Emerson and Conall discuss the decisive role Wisconsin will play in the 2020 presidential election, along with Wisconsin's storied political history, both recent and not so recent. In particular, we discuss the electoral and political legacy of former governor Scott Walker, and we dive into the numbers behind why Wisconsin is likely to be the tipping point state in 2020. We h...

CONTENT NOTE: discussions of racist language and ideas, extremist violence  In this episode, Conall and Emerson discuss the upsurge of white nationalist - that is, white supremacist - extremism and how the alt right uses memes and “irony” to spread their message and radicalize people. In addition, we discuss white nationalism in the context of American history to see where it falls (hint: it’s wel...

Conall and Emerson discuss the issues that trans people encounter as a result of the abuse and discrimination they face, at both individual and institutional levels. We also talk about the political reasons as to why the Republican Party and the Trump administration have been attacking trans people so aggressively. Finally, we emphasize actions that can be taken to support the trans people in your...

Conall and Emerson dive into the relationship (or lack thereof) between Iran and the United States and its tense history. We explore why the Obama admin ultimately decided to seek a nuclear arms control agreement with Iran, and why this was so controversial. Finally, we explore the future of the agreement in light of recent hostilities between Iran and the US and President Trump’s withdrawal from...

Conall and Emerson FINALLY wrap up the 2016 Presidential Election... like.... FINALLY. We discuss how Trump was able to defeat Hillary Clinton in an upset. Although we also observe that the polling in 2016 was not nearly as off as the media portrayed it and that Trump had a significant chance of winning the election. **Guest appearance from "Bernie Sanders"** Minor fact check: Brazil and...

Conall and Emerson discuss the 2016 Democratic primary between Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. We cover the rifts that were developing within the Democratic Party that allowed Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist, to mount such a strong challenge to establishment favorite Hillary Clinton. We also explore the growing anger in the American electorate i...

Conall and Emerson discuss the 2016 Republican primary and the forces and rifts within America that allowed outsider Donald Trump to seize the Republican nomination for president. We explore his history around things like race and racism, including his promotion of the birther conspiracy theory about Obama's citizenship and his aggressive stance against the Central Park Five. We also explore...

Conall and Emerson discuss gerrymandering - the history, what it is, what it looks like, the first "gerrymanderer," modern-day gerrymandering, and potential solutions. Emerson forgets the name of the Three-Fifths Compromise and Conall says a salty goodbye. 

Conall and Emerson dive into the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the history that led to its creation, as well as modern-day implications. Not using the best mic. Some background noise. And our friend Cvikota drops in.  FACTUAL CORRECTION: Lynching is STILL not, as of writing this correction in 2020, a federal hate crime. The bills mentioned in the podcast to make it so have gotten stalled in Congre...