We consider some of the major events of this year in light of their historical roots, from the abortion ruling to the Ukraine war; in particular, we consider the Twitter controversy in light of the history of media monopolies beginning with the telegraph, and the crisis over railroad labor in light of the railways strike of 1922, exactly one century ago.

First video segment of my appearance on the Katie Halper Show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh8ZKcL8SHE&t=3s&ab_channel=KatieHalper

Relevant articles:

On the history of abortion as invoked in the Dobbs debate:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/04/arts/roe-v-wade-abortion-history.html

On the roots and history of the anti-abortion movement:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12340403/

https://www.oah.org/tah/issues/2016/november/abolishing-abortion-the-history-of-the-pro-life-movement-in-america/

On Western Union and its choke-hold on the telegraph system:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2011/05/how-the-robber-barons-hijacked-the-victorian-internet/

Book sources on railway labor history: Rebecca Edwards, "New Spirits: Americans in the Gilded Age"; Joseph McCartin, "Labor's Great War" and "Labor in America"

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