#political-history
173 episodes
#4959: Can Tolerance Be Taught? The Psychology of Coexistence
Is tolerance a personality trait or a skill you can learn? What Jerusalem's mixed neighborhoods reveal about coexistence.
#4947: Israel's Instant Political Parties: Serious or Startup?
Can a general with no political infrastructure win Knesset seats? A deep dive on Israel's startup party culture.
#4943: When Rome Didn't Have a Standing Army
The Roman Republic fought constantly but disbanded its army every year. So when did standing armies actually begin?
#4942: How Israeli Politics Became a Permanent Fire Drill
How security fears swallowed every other issue in Israeli politics — and why domestic problems rarely get solved.
#4936: The 4,000-Year History of International Law
From a stone treaty in Mesopotamia to the UN. How did promises between states become law?
#4908: Torah Study or Full-Time Job? The Haredi Economy
Is lifelong yeshiva study a Jewish ideal or a 200-year-old innovation? The math isn't adding up.
#4892: The Art of the Personality Dossier
How foreign ministries build personality profiles on world leaders — and what we can learn from the practice.
#4891: Decoding Diplomatic Language: What "Frank" Really Means
What does "frank" actually mean in a diplomatic readout? We decode the secret language of chairs' summaries.
#4721: New England's Puritan Legacy: Why Connecticut Feels Different
Why does Connecticut feel so different from New York? It's not just culture—it's a 400-year-old theology shaping laws, signs, and daily life.
#4659: When Companies Ruled Empires: The EIC Story
How a spice trading firm ended up governing 250 million people — and what that means for Big Tech today.
#4651: From Medici Bankrolls to 501(c)(3) Filings
Tracing the thread from Renaissance patrons funding cathedrals to the modern nonprofit sector of think tanks and foundations.
#4625: How Connecticut's Puritan DNA Drives Its Innovation
Why a state with blue laws until 2012 also birthed the helicopter, the submarine, and modern sex therapy.
#4623: Connecticut's Double Helix: Puritan Restraint and Yankee Ingenuity
Why the 3rd smallest state — with state-run liquor stores and a history of asylums — builds submarines and shapes therapy culture.
#4615: Decoding American Friendliness: A Culture Guide
Why American politeness isn't fake, how to navigate political talk, and what Irish-Israeli directness misses about the US.
#4592: When Political Parties Faceplant at the Ballot Box
From yogic flying to 40% poll mirages — why ambitious political parties crash so hard.
#4563: Unarmed Police: Noble Relic or Risky Model?
Fewer than a dozen countries still send beat cops out unarmed. Is that a noble ideal or an unfair risk?
#4516: Weaponizing Time: The Filibuster as Democracy's Strangest Hack
From ancient Rome to the US Senate to the Knesset — how endless talking became a political weapon.
#4494: When Politicians Keep Their Own Diaries
Do published ministerial diaries actually increase transparency? The data reveals a system full of intentional gaps.
#4448: The MK Claude Project: AI That Writes Political Manifestos
One citizen built a multi-agent AI to research, stress-test, and synthesize policy positions. The result? A forkable manifesto.
#4411: Who Decides What's Kosher? The Tzohar Fight
Why Israel just reversed recognition of Tzohar's kosher certification — and how we got to a world of competing hechshers.
#4372: When Patriotism Meets Criticism: Israel's Hasbara Dilemma
Can you love your country and still call out its flaws? One patriot's struggle with the line between critique and betrayal.
#4359: King Bibi vs. King David: A Biblical Reckoning
Is Netanyahu’s government modeled on King David — or a radical betrayal of biblical kingship?
#4263: When the Knesset Appears in Your Window
What happens when your apartment view includes the Israeli parliament every day?
#4249: Gender Diversity Across Millennia
Exploring transgender history across cultures and the politics of gender confirmation care.