Ep 413 - Comanches in Gaza (PREVIEW)

Ep 413 - Comanches in Gaza (PREVIEW)

Author: David Parsons May 21, 2025 Duration: 6:57

What is "settler colonialism" and how is it different from other forms of imperialism? In this episode I share excerpts from S.C. Gwynne's bracing, controversial book Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History, and reflect on the historical lines between the American project of removal and Israel's current genocidal campaign in Gaza. How is Zionism related to Manifest Destiny? And what can we learn from each of these tremendously disturbing eras?

Listen to the full episode

Check out Louis Theroux's documentary on the radical Israeli settlement movement, The Settlers.

Join the Culture Warrior tier and access our new SCREENSHOTZ news chat. 

 


The conversations on Nostalgia Trap move beyond simple reminiscence, probing the powerful and often misleading pull of the past on our present. Hosted by historian and writer David Parsons, this podcast carefully untangles the threads connecting American history, contemporary politics, and the shared stories of pop culture. Each episode is built around a deep dive conversation, where the familiar narratives we tell ourselves about who we are are examined and challenged. You’ll hear how yesterday’s policy decisions echo in today’s headlines and how a forgotten film or a hit song can reveal the anxieties of its era. The goal isn’t just to inform, but to question the comforting allure of a supposedly simpler time, revealing how nostalgia itself can be a trap that shapes our collective understanding. This is a space for thoughtful, nuanced discussion that respects the complexity of the past while critically engaging with its legacy. For anyone interested in the forces that have shaped the American experience, from its founding ideals to its latest cultural moments, Nostalgia Trap offers a necessary and compelling perspective. Tune in for a podcast that consistently demonstrates how history is never truly behind us.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Nostalgia Trap
Podcast Episodes
2 Legit 2 Quit (Livestream Preview) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:04
The Supreme Court is scared of crossing Trump; Stephen Miller wants to declare the Democratic Party a terrorist organization; an ICE raid in Chicago lays the groundwork for a new era of authoritarianism; late night TV sa…
Digital Wolf Pack (Livestream Preview) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:57
This week on the Nostalgia Trap Livestream: Conspiracy theory mind-melt reaches the upper echelons of power, AI-generated savagery plunges further into the toilet, Chuck Schumer and Zohran Mamdani flirt with the limits o…
The Pendulum Swings (Livestream Preview) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
On this week's livestream I talk about the deceptive power of the Kirk memorial, the postmodernity of conspiracy culture, the ironic twist of right-wing cancel campaigns and, of course, Jimmy Kimmel. Plus I share some ju…
Ep 421 - First They Came for Jimmy Kimmel w/ Judd Legum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:09
The fallout from Charlie Kirk's assassination continues to mutate into an escalation of the right's multi-front authoritarian campaign. On this episode, I talk with Judd Legum, journalist and creator of two of the most i…
HATE F#CK NATION (Livestream Preview) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:20
America is taking a turn into a dark cul-de-sac, and many liberals are hoping that Stephen Colbert and John Oliver's sunnier version of the national id will somehow, magically, win the day. But will it? Has it ever? List…
Ep 420 - All That Jazz w/ Monte Montgomery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:16
Like many hip youngsters of my generation, at some point in my twenties I got Jazz-pilled by Beat literature, with writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg name-dropping bop-era musicians like Miles Davis, Thelonious…