Letters and Politics – March 25, 2019
A look at burning political issues and debates and their historical context within the US and worldwide, hosted by Mitch Jeserich.
Upcoming Episode
Letters and Politics
10:00 AM Pacific Time: Monday-Thursday
Letters & Politics seeks to explore the history behind today’s major global and national news stories. Hosted by Mitch Jeserich.
A conversation with Ojibwe author and anthropologist David Treuer about the alternative narratives he has uncovered on the struggles of his people. Treuer presents a counter narrative to the history we have been told about Native Americans. He points out about native life: “…we are not dead, life is not awful, it’s also not wonderful, it’s … Continued
As Chelsea Manning spends her second week in prison for her refusal to testify to a grand jury for a case that seems to be about Wikileaks Julian Assange over the release of top secret documents back in 2010. These cables were leaked by Chelsea manning when she was in the military. Manning was granted clemency … Continued
A conversation on the transnational white power movement and its history behind the massacre in New Zealand last week with Professor Kathleen Belew. Guest: Kathleen Belew is Professor of History at the University of Chicago. She is the author of Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America. Her latest piece (Dissent Magazine) can be found … Continued
A conversation on the history and constitutionality of the veto. And Donald Trump using a national emergency declaration in order to achieve a policy outcome of what it may mean for the future. Guest: Michael J. Gerhardt is the scholar-in-residence at the National Constitution Center. He is also the Samuel Ashe Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law … Continued
A conversation on democracy with writer and filmmaker Astra Taylor author of the new book Democracy May Not Exist, but We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone. Guest: Astra Taylor is the author of The People’s Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age (winner of the American Book Award) and made two documentary films, Zizek! and Examined Life. Taylor’s writing has appeared in … Continued
Today, we are in conversation with Professor Mike Gonzalez about how left-wing elected governments in Latin America have been under assault from reactionary forces and the U.S. government. We also discuss how the so called Pink Tide has come short in its socialist promises and what are the prospects for Latin American politics. Guest: Mike Gonzalez is … Continued
National Security adviser John Bolton invokes the Monroe Doctrine of 1823 to justify the United States meddling in Venezuelan affairs. Today we are in conversation about the history of the Monroe Doctrine, what it is, and how it has changed throughout the years. Guest: Grace Livingstone is a journalist and academic, specializing in Latin American affairs … Continued
Marking the eight anniversary of the devastating earthquake that rocked Japan and subsequent tsunami that created a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, we are in conversation with Gregory Jackzo, head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission at the time the Fukushima disaster occurred. He recounts the role he played in the American government’s response … Continued
A conversation with Mike Duncan about his book The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic. He explains how the accumulation of inequalities, social prejudice and corruption led the Roman Republic to its fall. Guest: Mike Duncan is one of the foremost history podcasters in the world. His award winning series The History … Continued
A conversation on the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest complete story that we have in the planet, it dates nearly back 5,000 years. It is from Sumer, the southernmost region of ancient Mesopotamia, or modern Iraq today. We talk to Kent H. Dixon about how the stories of Gilgamesh can be found in the old … Continued