Political History
269 episodes · Page 11 of 12
#1336: The Western Wall Bill: Testing Israel's Religious Democracy
Can a democracy survive with theocratic features? We explore Israel’s legislative shifts and the battle over religious control at the Western Wall.
#1335: Can We Stop Big Tech From Breaking the Free Market?
Is bigness bad? We dive into the history of antitrust law, from Gilded Age oil tycoons to the digital gatekeepers of the 21st century.
#1319: The Dhimmi System: Life Under the Pact of Umar
Explore the complex legal reality of dhimmitude and how the Pact of Umar shaped Jewish life in the Islamic world for over a millennium.
#1296: Who Owns the Levant? DNA vs. The Settler Narrative
Explore how the label "indigenous" has become a moral trump card in global conflicts, from the Levant to North American tribal sovereignty.
#1295: The Statehood Question: History, Law, and Sovereignty
Does the lack of a historical Palestinian state invalidate modern claims to sovereignty? We debate legal realism versus inherent human rights.
#1290: The Irish Lion Hunter Who Built the Israeli Army
Discover the surreal story of John Henry Patterson, the Irish soldier who founded the first Jewish fighting force in 2,000 years.
#1289: The Prophetic Clock: The Roots of Christian Zionism
Explore how a 19th-century theology turned the State of Israel into a "prophetic clock" and a cornerstone of modern American foreign policy.
#1260: The Identity Gap: Arab Citizens of Israel
Explore the complex reality of the two million Arab citizens in Israel and the tug-of-war between their national and civic identities.
#1186: Invisible Architects: The Ghostwriters of Democracy
Behind every major bill and court ruling is a ghostwriter. Explore the "invisible architects" who shape the legal language governing our lives.
#1178: The Mechanics of Repair: Tikkun Olam in a Broken World
Discover how the ancient concept of Tikkun Olam offers a powerful framework for repairing modern systems, from social justice to tech ethics.
#1166: The Morbegs: Myth, Memory, and the Burning Tree
Explore the hidden philosophy of the Irish classic The Morbegs and why a giant orange puppet still haunts our collective memory.
#1149: The Pattern Machine: The Science of Conspiracy Theories
From ancient Rome to modern forums, why is the human brain hardwired to find patterns in chaos? Explore the science of the "secret."
#1137: The Accidental Border: How Gaza Got Its Shape
Why is the Gaza Strip shaped like that? Explore the military "glitch" that turned a 1949 armistice line into a permanent reality.
#1125: Zionism-Washing: Is Zionism Inseparable from Judaism?
Is Zionism a modern political choice or a 3,000-year-old identity? Explore the "Zionism-washing" movement and its historical implications.
#1044: Ezra the Scribe: Architect of a Portable Identity
Discover how Ezra the Scribe transformed a nation’s identity from a physical temple to a portable text, shaping the modern world.
#985: Banking on Surveillance: The Secret History of KYC
How did opening a bank account become a security clearance? Trace the evolution of KYC from the 1970s to the age of AI surveillance.
#972: When a 'Hundred Thousand Welcomes' Expires
From the closure of Cork’s last synagogue to rising political hostility, we explore why Ireland’s Jewish community is facing an uncertain future.
#970: The Limits of the State: Can a Nation Survive Anarchy?
Explore the boundaries of power as we look at stateless Somalia, private cities in Honduras, and the radical mini-state of Liechtenstein.
#931: Dismantling the IRGC: The Inside-Out Strategy for Iran
Explore the surgical strategies and "economic octopus" behind the current push for regime change in Iran and the dismantling of the IRGC.
#860: The Global Rise of Strongman Rule
Explore why the world is retreating toward authoritarianism despite an era of decentralized technology and global connectivity.
#750: The Ancient Roots of Us vs. Them
Explore the ancient roots of human prejudice, from Sumerian steles to the digital echo chambers of the modern "global village."
#735: When Time Stretched: The Magic of Proportional Hours
Before atomic clocks, time was a living thing. Discover how ancient civilizations used "flexible" hours to coordinate their lives.
#733: How Generals Learn to Think
How do modern generals use ancient history to plan for AI warfare? Explore the high-stakes world of professional military education.
#568: The Birth of the Border: How Countries Were Invented
How did we go from sprawling empires to rigid borders? Explore the history of the modern country, from Westphalia to the French Revolution.