My History Can Beat Up Your Politics

Author: Bruce Carlson Language: English Episodes: 50

Since 2006, this podcast has been using history to elevate today's political debates. "The perfect antidote to bloviating talking heads, My History is thoughtful, nuanced, and highly engaging." -Columbia Journalism Review

Episodes

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IMMIGRATION: SCOTUS BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP DECISION Plus Kavanaugh and Gorsuch's Takes

July 6, 2026

Duration: 24:09

not a surprise in my book, but the SCOTUS recently ruled on Trump's executive order of 2025 denying citizenship by birth in the United States. We look at the arguments, and the two takes by Kavanaugh (on the concurring s…

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PATRIOTISM: "WHY BRITAIN LOST" Whitelaw Reid 1906 London Speech Explaining The American Revolution

July 3, 2026

Duration: 1:00:05

Forgotten but once famous, Whitelaw Reid was a top journalist and politician of his time. In 1906, as ambassador to Britain, the former vice-presidential candidate was asked by Cambridge University to explain why the Bri…

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GUNS: THE WORD "INFRINGE": History of a Word and The Gun Debate

June 30, 2026

Duration: 51:28

What's in a word? Lots, maybe, when its a key word in the most contentious debate in America. The word "infringe" determines the threshold of how the Constitution should be enforced. But do we understand the word, and if…

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WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DECLARATION after Signing? Also: Playing Cards With the Signers of The Declaration w/ Jason Petri

June 29, 2026

Duration: 1:11:57

First - The history of the Declaration -- the actual document, and how it was saved from British capture. Then we speak with listener Jason Petri about his Signers Playing Card project. Learn more about your ad choices.…

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A SECOND LOOK AT THE EVENTS of 1776 w/ Tom McMillan, Author of "The Year That Made America"

June 27, 2026

Duration: 41:22

With Tom McMillan, we take a look at some of the assumptions of 1776 in the history books. First of all, why July 4th and Not July 2nd? And what about May 15th, when Adams got delegates to move and issued his own Declara…

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DEMOCRACY AND FASCISM: THOMAS WOLFE TURNS AGAINST TOTALITARIANISM

June 26, 2026

Duration: 41:53

The writer Thomas Wolfe, known for his large novels and spewing prose, was a fan of Germany. On a trip there for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he found joy, and worry. Initially he admired the changes, but would soon change…

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PRESIDENTS IN PEACE AND WAR: Snack, Dessert, Dinner, Supper: Vietnam War Negotiations

June 22, 2026

Duration: 1:11:06

Nixon's first bombing campaigns had the names of mealtimes which seem to also correspond with the years of his first term: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972. In this ( 2021) episode we look at Nixon, Kissinger and the Paris Peace A…

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WAS WATERGATE A BIG DEAL?: Part III: Grand Jury Anger

June 17, 2026

Duration: 33:49

Average Americans, in the form of a DC jury, get the evidence. They hear the tapes, and they are shocked. But what will shock them more is what happens when Nixon testifies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph…

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ARTICLE ONE GUY: Listener Talk with Page Brousseau

June 16, 2026

Duration: 45:13

Congress should be doing a lot more, and they would in Listener Page Brousseau's world. He and Bruce talk about Michigan, Article I, tariffs, and partisanship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic…

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WAS WATERGATE A BIG DEAL?:- Part 2 The Nixon Shove, The Other Break-in

June 12, 2026

Duration: 30:37

Nixon shoves, Bob Strauss declines money, and another break-in happens, and no one talks about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices