History Behind News

Why is America's Jewish community so successful? Why have Jewish diaspora communities been so successful throughout history and across many countries and cultures?

What is Decoration Day? Did the South celebrate the 4th of July? As it turns out, the history of the 4th of July is not that straightforward. For example, it took about a century for the recognition of our Independence Day as a federal holiday. And for some 80 years after the Civil war, some parts of the South, including Vicksburg, did not celebrate the 4th of July. It took WWII to create a new sense of nationalism, including the national celebration of the 4th of July.  To better understand the history of our Independence Day, I spoke with Dr. Thomas Balcerski, a professor of history at Eastern Connecticut StateUniversity. For the academic year of 2022-2023, Dr. Balcerski was the Ray Allen Billington Visiting Professor in U.S. History at Occidental College and a Long-Term Fellow at the Huntington Library. Dr. Balcerski has taught courses on early American history, U.S. Presidents and First Ladies, and the history of the Democratic Party, from Thomas Jefferson toJoe Biden. To learn more about Dr. Balcerski, you can visit his academic home page at ⁠⁠⁠Eastern CT⁠⁠. By the way, be sure to listen to my conversation in S3E1 with Prof. Joel Richard Paul, he told me something very interesting about the 4th of July - that the reason we celebrate 4th of July is because Thomas Jefferson made it a national holiday, in a self-serving way, to elevate the Declaration of Independence. He added that it was Chief Justice Marshall, President Jefferson's chief detractor and also first cousin, who elevated the Constitution over the Declaration of Independence... But the 4th of July's celebration continued and grow in prominence in our culture. This fascinating episode is available here: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/HbN-S3E1⁠⁠I hope you enjoy these episodes. AdelHost of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History Behind News⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠ and join⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.

For America, 1979 was one of the coldest years of the Cold War. The U.S. lost a friend. Gained a foe. And then its nightmare scenario for the Middle East began to come true. This is the history of how and why the U.S. military now has a permanent presence in the Middle East.

Alone in the Middle East! Imperial Iran… Safavids, Qajars, and even the Pahlavis - alone in the Middle East. And then, the Ayatollahs. Again, Iran alone in the Middle East.

Civilian supremacy over the military remains inviolate in our history and constitution. But what happens when a civilian Commander in Chief, such as Pres. Washington or Pres. Trump, legally deploy the U.S. military or federalized National Guard on American soil? This story is as old as our democracy. One could even argue that the use of militia to crush rebellion in America was a major contributing factor in the founding of the United States. In this interview, we discuss the history and evolution of the civil-military relations in the United States and draw comparisons to and lessons from other countries.

Bismarck built an empire. His Emperor destroyed it. The German Empire's swift rise to world power status frightened Europe and threatened the balance of power. So Bismark convinced Germany's neighbors and other world powers that while Germany was prosperous and powerful, it was peaceful. Wilhelm II, however, flexed his empire's muscles, frightened his neighbors and insulted other world leaders. The brief history of the German Empire hold lessons for the United Sates (the incumbent superpower) and China (the rising world power). In this interview, we discuss the following:►The term Reich - First Reich, Second Reich and Third Reich. And why this term is no longer used in Germany. ►The year of three emperors ►The term 48ers (not to be confused with the 49ers)►Bismarck: a giant statesman of European history►Wilhelm II: the man who destroyed what Bismarck had meticulously built ►In the 19th century, did Germans call themselves German? ►Why did Bismarck say to build a German state, you need blood and iron? ►How German wars led to the creation of the German Empire? ►Why was the German Empire founded in Paris, and not in Germany? ►How did Darwinism figure into the history of the German Empire? ►How did Wilhelm II make enemies for the German Empire? ►How did Wilhelm II interact with the media?

80% of South Africa's people own only 4% of the land. These are Black South Africans. In contrast, 75% of the land is privately owned by white South Africans, who comprise about 7% of the population. But apartheid ended in 1994. So why hasn't land been more equitably distributed since then? In this interview, we discuss the following: ►How colonial era Christianity ended the fluidity of societal and power relations among Blacks in South Africa. ►How colonial-imposed land boundaries changed South Africa's culture and allegiances. ►Do white South Africans experience higher crime than Black South Africans? ►How English South Africans supported Afrikaners - their former enemies - and lifted them up in society so that together they could maintain white supremacy. ►Why do Indians of South Africa call themselves Black? ►What happened after the end of apartheid to South Africa's economy and race relations? ►Why did some historians claim that South Africa's decade of 1970s was lost to history? ►Why did it take so long for apartheid to end? ►How did corruption become so pervasive in South Africa? ►Is South Africa a failed state?Read History Behind News blog post on South Africa.

Did you know that up to the Partition of India in 1947, Kashmiri Muslims lived in conditions that very much resembled serfdom? Exploitation of Kashmiri Muslims was particularly notable during the Dogra Dynasty, which ruled the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1846 to 1947.Since their partition in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought four wars: in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999. Based on research and information, three of these wars were specifically about the Kashmir region. In this interview, I bring historical perspective to conflicts and crises about Kashmir by asking my guest scholar the following questions: ►Is Jammu and Kashmir different than Kashmir?►Who are Kashmiris?►Why did Persian missionaries visit Kashmir?►What happened to Kashmir after the Mughal Empire?►What does it mean that Kashmir was a princely state?►Did the British introduce a more egalitarian system in Kashmir? If so, why?►Why Kashmir was an autonomous region under British rule and until recently in the Republic of India?►Why is Kashmir called the Indian Administered Kashmir?►How did Kashmir become a part of India?►What was the Kashmir massacre that happened in 1947?►How are Kashmiris 'othered' in India?►What is it about Kashmir that makes it different from all other Indian states?►Is Kashmir an integral part of India?►Would my guest scholar be able to freely talk about Kashmir's history in India?

Did you know that all of the growth in federal spending as a percentage of the national income is due to the growth of "uncontrollables"? In this interview, we discuss the following: ►What are "uncontrollables"? Why are they 'mandatory'? ►What are entitlements? How are they treated differently than discretionary budget spending? ►What was the Budget Resolution Process that was introduced in the 1970s? ►How did Pres. Cleveland, Roosevelt (FDR), Reagan and Clinton control government budget? ►Which president reduced our entitlement programs the most? ►What was FDR's biggest mistake, the consequences of which still impacts us? ►What are the 3 requirements for reducing the budget deficit? ►How would my guest advise a U.S. president in reducing our budget deficit?

Gang membership in El Salvador has a common theme, which is also a potential solution for reducing gang membership and gang violence there. In this interview, I discuss the following with my guest: ►How did El Salvador become the world's most violent country? ►Why is crime so high in El Salvador? ►What are deferred vengeance and retaliation? ►What kinds of crimes are committed in El Salvador? What's the extent of violence? ►Is MS-13 essentially an international gang? ►What is like to interview gang members in El Salvador? ►What is the common theme among gang members in El Salvador? ►How are crime and politics related in El Salvador? ►Has Pres. Bukele really reduced crime? ►Was the Carter Administration involved in the 1979 coup d'etat? ►Was the U.S. involved in this Civil War? ►During the last two decades, has the U.S. been involved in El Salvador politics? ►If you wanted our audience to remember just one point about “El Salvador”, what would it be?

What are tariffs really used for? For economic protection? For political gain? For enforcing foreign policy? In this interview, I discuss the following with my guest scholar: ►Why James Madison foresaw tariffs as an inevitable source of conflict? ►In U.S. history, did Americans ever complain that tariffs are really a tax on the people? ►What was the first instance in which tariffs were used as a foreign policy tool? ►What is the Tariff of Abominations? ►How did tariffs backfire on Southern politicians? ►How are tariffs and secession movements related? ►Were tariffs part of Civil War's history? ►What powers did Congress grants to FDR over tariffs? ►What part of U.S. history does Pres. Trump point to as justification for his tariff policy? ►What was Pres. Reagan's tariff policy? ►How is tariff policy with the USSR different than our tariff policy toward China?

How long was the longest conclave? Was St. Peter actually buried in the Vatican? Has the papacy always been in Rome? In this interview, we discuss the following: ►secret excavations in the Vatican►an ancient Roman cemetery under St. Peter's Basilica ►How did Rome remain the center of Christianity? The answer is not that simple! ►In early Christianity, was the See of Rome superior to other Patriarchies? ►How did the Great Schism happen? ►What was Charlemagne's role in the split between the Western Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church? ►How did language barrier contribute to the divide between East and West? ►What was the Reformed Papacy? ►What was the Byzantine Papacy? ►What was the Avignon Papacy? ►Why did kings and emperors kidnap popes? ►What was the Donation of Constantine - the forgery with huge geopolitical ramifications?

Where do our presidents get their powers? Are those powers enumerated in the Constitution? Or are those powers bestowed by Congress? For our Founders, was the presidency essentially an instrument of legislative agenda? Or did they believe that the president possesses some sovereign right distinct and separate from Congress? In this interview, I discuss the following with my guest: ►Is it possible to compare a modern president, e.g., Pres. Trump, with one of our Founding presidents, e.g., Pres. Washington? Would this be like comparing apples to oranges? ►What was George Washingtons' presidency like? ►Is studying America's founding period important for history's sake, or does it provide some legal structure for our current constitutional framework? ►If the past truly is a foreign country, i.e., so different than our present, then what values can we derive from studying it? ►What is originalism? ►What is pluralism? ►What are a president's process powers? ►What are president's enumerated powers? ►What are the clear exceptions to the president's Article II powers? ►Do statutes increase presidential power? Can they take away presidential power? ►What is a unitary executive? ►What agency and institutional hurdles do presidents face? ►Why is terminating federal employees such an important and controversial issue? ►Do statutes empower presidents or constrain them?

Politically speaking, is America a Christian nation? Is there any country that you would define as a “Christian Nation”? In this interview, I discuss the following with my guest scholar: ►Did Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison believe that America is a Christian nation? ►Is Canada a Christian nation? ►Is Britain a Christian nation? ►What is America's 'Civil Religion'? ►What does the term 'secular' mean? No. It's not that simple!►Has America experienced a secular surge? ►We have the Religious Right in our politics. So, why don't have a Secular Left? ►Is it true that until about the 1970s, religion was not a partisan issue? ►Is religion in America a zero-sum game? ►Is it possible to secular and religious at the same time? ►What does it mean that the decline of Christianity in America has stopped?

Taxes and wars go hand in hand. And as much as our current partisan politics suggest otherwise, it wasn't a Democratic U.S. president that ushered in the income tax. It was a Republican president - Honest Abe! And later, it was during another Republican president's term that the income tax became permanent - William Taft. The irony of it is that the poor masses and the progressive middle class pushed for the income tax to get the rich to pay their fair share. Now, the poor and the middle American families seem to shoulder most of the income tax burden. In this interview, I discuss the following with my guest scholar: ►British taxes on American colonies - justified or not?►"No Taxation Without Representation"►Shays' Rebellion - America's first uprising against taxes►Hamilton's controversial plan for America's debt ►How the federal government paid for itself all those years before the income tax ►How the Civil War changed tariffs and taxes►Why the U.S. Supreme Court struck down income taxes►Why the masses pushed for an income tax amendment - did we do this to ourselves! ►How WWI and WWII affected tariffs and income taxes ►Capitalism and Correlation between lower taxes and higher economic activity and investment

"Crisis of Historical Subjectivity" - my guest, Dr. Namhee Lee, used this phrase to describe the Korean people's experience of 'failed history' and their collective effort to overcome that past. This is the story of "disguised employees" - South Korea's intellectuals who left high-paying jobs to instead work on the factory floor with the aim of bringing about democratic change.

I start this interview with a super simple question: where is the Arctic? As it turns out, the answer may not be so simple. In fact, it's a serious question that invokes geopolitical conflicts that seem to be undermining the "exceptionalism" of the Arctic. ►In this interview, I discuss the following with Dr. Troy Bouffard: Countries in the Arctic - the Arctic 8, 5 & 3. China - a "Near Arctic Country" Russia and China joint show of force in the Arctic - a wakeup call for America! Can/could Russia embarrass the U.S. with its Arctic forces? Is America prepared to enforce Arctic security? Is Canada prepared to enforce Arctic security? How have supersonic weapons changed Arctic security? Why don't satellites and lasers work in the Arctic? Why role does Greenland play in Arctic security?

Pres. Trump is not the first U.S. president to have strained relations with America's courts, including our Highest Court - the Supreme Court of the United States. In fact, more than U.S. president has opened expressed his personal animosity toward one or more Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. In this interview, I discuss the following with Dr. Barabara Perry: ►Our Founding Years: -U.S. Constitution, Washington & Adams -Jefferson and Chief Justice Marshall-Marbury v. Madison►The Jackson Era: -Jackson & Marshall-Jackson & Taney ►The Civil War: -Lincoln & Taney ►The New Deal: -FDR & Court-packing►Watergate:-Nixon and his tapes►The Trump Era: -historical perspective to what's happening now►The Miller Center:-its mission and activities ►The White House Historical Association: -its mission and activities

Chairman Powell gave a much anticipated press conference this week. Did you know that most developed countries had central banks before we did? If so, then how did our financial system function? And did you know, that for much of our history, we've hated big banks (some still do)? If that's the case, then how was the Fed created? This is a story that takes us from the Founding of our Republic to 1913, the year in which the Fed was created through secrecy and via subterfuge.

Immigration Exceptionalism! ►Is there something about immigration law and policies that distinguishes it from all other legal issues and policy matters? ►Does the Constitution carve out an exception for immigration law? And if so, what is that exception? ►As for the title of this podcast, what power has Pres. Trump used that no other U.S. president has previously exercised?

Pres. Trump admires Pres. Polk and Pres. McKinley - two presidents who expanded America's territories in an age when territorial expansion was a measure of national success. In this interview, my guest compares Pres. Trump with Pres. Polk and Pres. McKinley. He also explains Manifest Destiny, and indulges my questions about what I term 'America's Manifest Destiny 2.0'. Mr. Merry also talks about America's Men of Destiny. So I ask him this: Is Pres. Trump a Man of Destiny?

Do you think Russia would have dared to attack Ukraine when Ukraine had the third largest nuclear arsenal? And why is there a picture of President Zelensky hanging on the side of an overpass in Tehran, Iran? And no, this episode is neither about Ukraine nor about Iran. This is my take about America and American assurances.

Elon Musk is different than prior American business tycoons. Arguably, he is more powerful. More poignantly, as my guest argues, he is less dedicated to democracy, and that makes him frighteningly more dangerous. In this interview, I discuss the following with my guest scholar: ►Who was Andrew Carnegie? ►How was he similar to Musk? ►How was Carnegie - once the richest man in the world - different than Musk? ►What was Carnegie's political relationship with Washington and his outlook for America? ►Who was William Randolph Hearst? ►How was his promotional reach bigger than Musk's?►Was Hearst a Nazi? ►How was Hearst's relationship with politics and Washington different than Musk's? ►How did Hearst finally get into trouble with the people? ►Who was Joseph P. Kennedy? ►How did he make his money? In what aspects was he similar to Musk? ►Was Kennedy a Nazi sympathizer? ►How was Kennedy's relationship with FDR different than Musk's relationship with Pres. Trump?

Did you know that Helmut Kohl, the German Chancellor (1982-99), implemented a planto deport Turkish immigrant back to Türkiye?Mr. Elon Musk & Vice Pres. JD Vance have endorsed the AfD - Germany's anti-immigrant, Islamophobic, far-right party. And although the AfD commands 20% of the German vote, other parties refuse to form a coalition government with it. In this interview, I discuss the following with my guest: ►Germany's economic headwinds and growing budget challenges ►the rise of the AfD in German elections►Why is the AfD being investigated by German authorities? ►What is JAfD? ►How Germany's unification was more like an acquisition than a merger ►For Germans, does the Berlin Wall still exist? ►Roots of racism in East Germany compared to West Germany►Was the post-WWII de-Nazification a success? ►What is PEGIDA? ►Which ethnic groups commit the most crime in Germany? ►Who is Gerhard Rex Lauck? ►How did America export Nazi propaganda back to Germany? ►What is Ausländer? ►What was Helmut Kohl's plan for exporting Turks? ►Why were Turks called "guest" workers? ►What is Almanci?

Japan's PM Ishiba wanted to visit Pres. Trump soon after Nov. 5. But President-elect Trump didn't grant him an audience until last week. Back in 2016, Japan PM Abe visited President-elect Trump at the Trump Tower. But why have Japanese leaders rushed to meet with Mr. Trump? Because America is important to Japan's economy and security. And vice versa. . In this interview, we discuss the following: ►Japan's longest running political party and its loss of power►How Japan's government structure compares to America's ►How protectionism and restrictive business practices helped Japan's economy►1980s' anti-Japanese sentiments in America ►Populism in Japan (and perhaps its lessons for America) ►Japan's formidable bureaucracy and how it shaped Japan's economic planning (and at times political landscape) ►Japan's constitution and America's role in writing it ►Japan's challenge with its constitutional limits on increasing its military power ►Japan military: from pacificism to realism ►An Asian NATO?

In this episode, I take you back to the foreign policy of German Empire, one of the most powerful countries at its time.My recommendations:The Post American World , a book by Fareed ZakariaDiplomacy,a book by HenryKissingerU.S.-Colombian Relations, my interview with Dr. Michael LaRosaU.S.-Jordanian Relations, my interview with Dr. Jillian Schwedler:PartI: Are Jordan's royal family foreigners inJordan?PartII: Is Jordan forever on the brink of arevolution?Adel Aalihost & producer☑️Where to find my program:Home:⁠⁠⁠https://historybehindnews.com ⁠⁠⁠Spotify:

How could the Los Angeles fires happen? We knew about Santa Ana winds. We knew about the extremely dry conditions. There were no surprises. So, how could this happen? Is California any good at wildfire management?In this interview, we talk about the following:►Native Americans' fire management►Good wildfires►Smokey Bear►American homes built close to wilderness►Coordination between state, federal and local fire management►California's wildfire management budget►the 5 Rs of fire management►Why R #4 always gets more money and attention than R #2!►$1 spent in prevention is worth $10 spent in response►Is California any good at wildfire management?►What is NIMS?►the Smelt and California wildfiress

Historically, America thrived on tariffs. In fact, we had tariffs from the very beginning - from Colonial times to the Confederation period to our Constitution, and then throughout the antebellum period, through America's industrial rise and from there up to WWII. In this episode, I'll share a brief review of this history along with my take on how Pres. Trump's tariffs may be different than previous tariffs in U.S. history.   ☑️Images from left to right: Pres. Andrew Jackson, Donald Trump and George Washington, and Sec. of Treasury Alexander Hamilton

America In Colombia is a story of secession, "School of Assassins", drugs, immigration, alliance and interference - not necessarily in that order! In this interview, we talk about the following: ►1840s: America's interest in Colombia and Panama ►How Colombia neglected Panama ►Panama's secession from Colombia with American help ►How Colombians learn about Panama's separation ►Colombian democracy, prudent administration and U.S. alliance ►Plan Lazo & the Kennedy administration ►School of the Assassins ►Colombia: this is not our drug war ►20,000 at Pablo Escobar's funeral ►FARC ►Colombia and its assistance to 1.5 million Venezuelans ►Colombian Pres. Petro vs. American Pres. Trump Visit my blog post for images and videos.  

Presidential words = action, because presidents have power. In this interview, we talk about the following: ►Why Trump's 2nd inaugural address was more like a State of the Union Address. ►How does Trump's 2nd inaugural address compare to other presidents? ►How did the indoors' inauguration setting affect the cadence of Trump's speech? Its echo? ►What was the overarching tension in Trump's inaugural address? ►How does Trump's speaking style compare to Reagan?  ►Why do presidents give inaugural speeches? ►Which president set the stage for all future inaugural speeches? ►How did Jefferson and Wilson change the State of the Union Address? ►Which presidents are ranked as the most effective speakers? ►Why did Lincoln limit the number of his speeches? ►In addition to Trump, which president gave the most extemporaneous speeches? ►What factors make a presidential speech most memorable? ►What is Bushism? ►Do presidential speaking styles and speech-making affect our values? Our behaviors?  

April 30, March 4, March 5,  January 20, & January 21. These are America's presidential inauguration days. In this brief episode, I share with you stories about our presidential inaugurations, including the one about the person who, arguably, was America's president for one day. And here is my post about this podcast, which includes photos of some of the people I talk about in this episode.

51st U.S. State! America's interest in incorporating Canada, in some fashion, is as old as our Republic. In those early days and continuing until almost the end of the 19th century, our relationship with Canada was defined by recurring borders raids and wars, our distrust of Canada and our various plans to gobble up our northern neighbor, which was then an extension of the British Empire. And even though our relationship with Canada began to slowly and positively change after 1903, WWI and certainly WWII, Canada's identity was and, arguably, continues to be shaped in opposition to America. In this interview, my guest, a dual national of U.S. and Canada, tells us about the important differences between Canada and America, and explains "Canadian anti-Americanism". We also talk about Canada's foreign policy and how climate change is dramatically changing Canada's geopolitical importance in the world - this all about the Northwest Passage!

This is a personal story about a beautiful neighborhood, with kind and supportive neighbors. A beautiful neighborhood that's no more! And this episode is also about the history of coastal Los Angeles, particularly Malibu. My guest explains the legal ramifications of the LA fires and explains how real estate investors will assess and support the huge rebuilding efforts after the fires.

Greenland, Denmark & America - a triangular relation that, per my guest, augurs benefits for Greenlanders. If that's the case, then... ►What do Greenlanders think of Mr. Trump's ideas for their island? ►What do Greenland's indigenous peoples & environmentalists think of America? ►Why did Denmark change Greenland's status from colony to province? ►Can Greenland survive economically as an independent nation? ►What is it like to live in Greenland? ►How do Greenlanders travel in Greenland? ►Who are Greenlanders anyway?

Funerals of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Harrison, Lincoln, Harding, Taft, FDR, JFK and more. What exactly does a "state fuernal" mean? And how many U.S. presidents had state funerals? I didn't get the chance to answer these question in the podcast. But I answered them in this post, and provided photos as well: https://bit.ly/HbN-Bonus-S5E1-7 I hope you my peel of the history behind America's presidential state funerals. You can connect me on social: ►https://www.facebook.com/historybehindnews/ ►https://x.com/HistBehindNews Adel Aali, host & producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History Behind News⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠ and join⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.

The Electoral Count Act of 1887 (ECA) was law for 135 years. But then, Jan. 6, 2021, happened - the cause of which some partially attributed to the ECA (more about this in the interview). So, what was to be done? In 2022, Congress passed the ECRA, which will be law on Jan. 6, 2025, when the 119th Congress counts the 2024 Electoral votes. The ECRA is the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022. The counting of the Electoral votes has pushed our country to the brink on multiple occasions. Imagine this: it's two days before the presidential inauguration, and our country still has no president-elect! This is not a hypothetical or something from a Hollywood thriller. This really happened in our history. That's what happens when the simple, boring process of counting the electoral votes - a mere formality really - goes awry! The January 6th after an election year is one of those days that usually goes unnoticed. Except, when something goes wrong. But each time something went wrong, like it seriously did on Jan. 6, 2021, Congress strove to improve the way it counts the Electoral votes. In this interview, my guest explains how Congress improved the process of counting the Electoral votes after each crisis, in 1804, 1887, 1933 and 2022.

Why Dec. 25? Why so much Christmas conflict & controversy in Christianity's history? Why is Christmas so important to Christianity? And to America? In this episode, I ask my guest, Dr. Carey Roberts, the following questions: ►Why is Christmas such a grand celebration? What does this tell us about Christianity? ►Did it take a while for Christmas to take a central role in Christianity ►What's the difference between recognition and celebration of Christmas ►Did Christmas piggyback on existing Roman pagan traditions? ►How did Christmas enter America's culture? If not the Puritans, then which immigrant group introduced Christmas to America? ►Were there any regional differences in the celebration of Christmas? ►When did U.S. businesses begin to capitalize on Christmas? ►Would President Grant have witnessed a similar Christmas celebration in Boston and Savannah? ►Would George Washington recognize our Christmas? How about Andrew Jackson? Abraham Lincoln? Teddy Roosevelt? ►What happened to Christmas after WWII? ►Is it a bad thing that non-Christians and/or non-practicing Christians celebrate Christmas? ⁠

Did you know that Syrians welcomed Bashar al-Assad as "a breath of fresh air" when he initially assumed power? My guest, Dr. David Lesch, has visited Syria 35 times. In 15 of those visits, he met with Mr. Assad to write his biography. But after the biography was published, Mr. Assad invited Dr. Lesch back for more meetings! What you may find amazing about Dr. Lesch's meetings with Mr. Assad is the wide latitude he enjoyed in his conversations with Syria's president - he could essentially ask him whatever he wanted, including whether or not Mr. Assad ordered the killing of a certain foreign leader. In this interview, Dr. Lesch tells us the story behind the story, and we also talk about the following: transition from Hafez to Bashar Bashar: Syria's hope Syria's lost hope - the turning point for Bashar The Alawites Syria's obsession with the Golan Heights A 2012 prediction that the House of Assad will fall? *****

Civil Rights Movement vs. Current-Day Climate Movement Did political movements of the 1960s and '70s have deeper roots with longer lasting positive impacts than our 21st century political movements? How would we define a political movement? Why did the Civil Rights movement achieved many tangible successes but the Climate movement has not? How has the digital age changed political movements? Please Note: The numbers for the 2024 presidential election popular vote are based on the latest count available in the morning of Dec. 5, 2024. By the evening of the same day, however, the popular vote count had slightly (not materially) changed. That change is not reflected in the podcast. *****

Prof. Silverman describes the first Thanksgiving: an accidental feast between frenemies that was never repeated.  How much is our Thanksgiving tradition based on real events that transpired sometime in the fall of 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts? And why does it matter anyway? Don't all nations have feel-good traditions that are partly based on facts, but mostly predicated on myths?  Professor David Silverman answers these questions and more. For example, he shares with us that Europeans had been in contact with the Wampanoag Native Americans, who are the "Indians" of our Thanksgiving tradition, since at least 1524. And that the Pilgrims were guided to Plymouth by at least one crew member who touted its advantage - hint: all its native inhabitants had died of disease, leaving houses and fields empty and available for the would-be English settlers. And while the turkey was certainly on the menu, so was eel!   In this episode, Professor Silvermans explains the aftermath of that first Thanksgiving. And by way of follow-up, I ask him to explain why it is that some Native Americans observe a Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving.   Professor Silverman is the author of This Land is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving, a 2019 book. Click this link for this book's Amazon page.  Professor Silverman has written several other books about the history of Native Americans, which are listed on his academic homepage is along with his other publications, projects and honors.  Here is the direct link to Professor Silverman's academic homepage: ⁠https://history.columbian.gwu.edu/david-silverman ⁠ History of Christmas: In this interview, Dr. Carey Roberts tells us the real story behind America's celebration of Christmas. I hope you enjoy this episode. Adel, host & producer ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History Behind News⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ►⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠ and join⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.

The African American elite - a history of America that we don't often hear about in our popular culture. With Ms. Kamala Harris's swift nomination and crushing defeat, in this interview my guest and I approach African American history from a different angle and with a fresh perspective - stories of their intellectual, organizational and business accomplishments in the 19th century (before and after the Civil War) and the 20th century (before the Civil Rights movement). These stories are told through Dr. Lewis's own family, who belonged to the "Talented Tenth", a term he describes in this interview. *****

Anonymous Super PACs' money has replaced the power of 19th century party bosses. Dark money doesn't stop us from voting. It just limits who we can vote for! In this interview, my guest explains how dark money controls our elections and how big money is responsible for institutional corruption in America. *****

►Where do pollsters get their participants? ►Do election polling methods and target audiences change as we get closer to Election Day? ►Do Americans vote for candidates who match their values and positions? Or do we vote for candidates with the best campaigns? ►Are there tried-and-true election polling methods? ►Do polls influence election outcomes? ►How frequently have polls completely botched their predictions? ►What is my guest's prediction for this election? *****

Has China now reached its age of complacency? To answer this question, Dr. Wang (see bio below) takes us through the history of China's economic miracle of the last 40 years. But the story starts even before that... when impoverished Chinese villagers decided to take matters into their own hands and improve their lives - in spite of their government misguided policies and restrictions. As you listen to this interview, be ready as Dr. Wang debunks much of what many of us have come to believe about the history of China. *****

Did you know there are 70 definitions of rural? This is the story of rural America. And although geography does matter for the purposes of this discussion, rural is a loaded term with a complex meaning that cannot readily be determined by looking at the map. In popular culture, rural may have a negative perception. Regardless of how the media, movies and urban folk perceive rural America, ruralness provides the basis for a strong identity - a distinct identity in a diverse nation. And since we are so close to the Election, I'll throw this at you: the rural identity is closely associated with politics. Ask yourself this: why do rural Americans predominantly vote Republican? And why Democrats keep on losing the rural vote? In this interview, my guest takes us back to 1980. As he explains it, 1980 is a pivotal year in America's rural-urban divide. He also gives us his prediction for the 2024 Election. *****

Are young American men willing to elect a woman for the highest office in our country? In this interview, I ask the following questions: What defines an American generation? Do we have a new generation every 20 to 25 years? Who are Millenials? Gen Zs? How are political movements now, by young Americans, different than prior movements by older Americans? Is human connection the answer? Is there a discernable difference in immigration attitudes of America's generations? Do Gen Z Men Think Like Old Men? What's so special about Millennials? Who will win the 2024 presidential election? *****

Hey there newspeelers, This is Adel, your host at the History Behind News podcast. We are preparing a great program for the 2nd half of our 4th season, which will start in a few weeks - just in time to cover the history behind the issues that matter for the 2024 presidential election. Here are some examples of what you can expect: ► I will be interviewing an expert who has correctly predicted US presidential elections for decades, and I'll ask him: who will win the 2024 election? President Biden or former President Trump? ► I'll also speak with the editor of a book that published in June 2024, a book that is very relevant to the 2024 presidential election: Generational Politics in the United States - From the Silents to Gen Z and Beyond. ►I'll talk to another expert about the history of polling, and why do pollsters so often get it wrong? ►Another expert will tell us about the voting history of rural America. And why Republican politicians, particularly Mr. Trump, seem to be winning the hearts and minds of America's rural voters. ►In addition, I will speak with an internationally renowned expert on China about his latest book: China's Age of Abundance - Origins, Ascendance and Aftermath. He believes that China's economic miracle has ended, and that trouble lays ahead. Of course, I'll ask him what that means for America. While the History Behind News audio podcast is on a break, you should definitely check out our YouTube channel (also visit our Scholar Unravel Middle East YouTube channel), where we are busy producing documentary-style videos of our audio podcasts. See you guys in a few weeks. I hope you enjoy your summer. Adel Host of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History Behind News⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠ and join⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.

What is Decoration Day? Did the South celebrate the 4th of July? As it turns out, the history of the 4th of July is not that straightforward. For example, it took about a century for the recognition of our Independence Day as a federal holiday. And for some 80 years after the Civil war, some parts of the South, including Vicksburg, did not celebrate the 4th of July. It took WWII to create a new sense of nationalism, including the national celebration of the 4th of July.   To better understand the history of our Independence Day, I spoke with Dr. Thomas Balcerski, a professor of history at Eastern Connecticut State University. For the academic year of 2022-2023, Dr. Balcerski was the Ray Allen Billington Visiting Professor in U.S. History at Occidental College and a Long-Term Fellow at the Huntington Library. Dr. Balcerski has taught courses on early American history, U.S. Presidents and First Ladies, and the history of the Democratic Party, from Thomas Jefferson to Joe Biden. To learn more about Dr. Balcerski, you can visit his academic home pages at ⁠Oxy⁠ and ⁠Eastern CT⁠. By the way, be sure to listen to my conversation in S3E1 with Prof. Joel Richard Paul, he told me something very interesting about the 4th of July - that the reason we celebrate 4th of July is because Thomas Jefferson made it a national holiday, in a self-serving way, to elevate the Declaration of Independence. He added that it was Chief Justice Marshall, President Jefferson's chief detractor and also first cousin, who elevated the Constitution over the Declaration of Independence... But the 4th of July's celebration continued and grow in prominence in our culture. This fascinating episode is available here: ⁠https://bit.ly/HbN-S3E1⁠ I hope you enjoy these episodes. Adel Host of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History Behind News⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠ and join⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ our other supporters in the news peeler community. Thank you.

►My guest claims that Mr. Musk's compensation is $0! How is this possible? ►What are the different components of a CEO's pay package? ►Why have CEO salaries stayed constant for decades? ►Why did CEO stock options significantly increase in the 1990s? ►Why did CEO pay for performance dramatically increase after 2006? ►Who determines CEO pay? And how? The answer and the story behind it are more complex than you might think. ►Who is driving the push to regulate CEO pay? Politicians or shareholders? My guest is intimately familiar with Mr. Musk's pay package. Not only is he an expert on executive compensation, but he also testified in Mr. Musk's Delaware trial on behalf of Telsa.

►Who will win the 2024 presidential election? ►Did my guest correctly predict the 2000 presidential election? ►What does it mean to be conservative? ►Is Donald Trump a conservative? ►How are most experts misunderstanding the history of America's conservatism? ►How are most experts misunderstanding an important part of modern Jewish American history? My guest has correctly predicted the outcome of every U.S. presidential election since 1984. In this episode, I ask him to predict the 2024 election? We also talk about FDR's record of helping or harming European Jews in the years leading up to WWII.