History Is Relevant

If you watched television on July 29, 2026, and saw Republican lawmakers grilling Dr. Anthony Fauci at a Senate committee hearing, you might believe Fauci was one of the most notorious villains in recent American history. The ugly criticisms of Fauci were the culmination of a multi-year Republican assault on one of the most accomplished medical scientists in the United States and the world. 

In recent years President Trump, MAGA influencers in the national media, and GOP senators and congressmen slammed Dr. Fauci with numerous undocumented claims. Most significantly, they said Fauci played a key role in starting the Covid -19 pandemic.

What’s the meaning of this long-term assault on Dr. Fauci, whose medical research and management saved millions of lives in the United States and the world? An examination of this controversy reveals intriguing insights on the state of American politics in recent times. 

Does it really matter if President Donald Trump threatens countries all over the world, and sometimes acts like he wants to take control? Are these just negotiating tactics – efforts to squeeze concessions? Or is Trump serious? Does he really want the United States to dominate those countries? 

President Trump’s actions on the world stage have alienated allies, damaged the United States’ reputation as a trusted global leader, and provided examples that can inspire tyrants in other countries to try their hand at territorial aggression by word or by deed.

Yet Trump’s popularity is declining fast in the United States, and leaders in many nations have been inspired by the backbone Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney displayed when he resisted Trump’s bullying. There are growing opportunities to change the direction of global affairs.

The Jungle, a novel published in 1906 about terrible conditions in Chicago’s meatpacking plants, created a sensation about unhealthy meat products. Congress reacted by passing legislation that regulated production of food and medicine. Congress also established the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

This history is relevant. In 2026 there was an outbreak of cyclospora traced to iceberg lettuce from Mexico. Thousands of Americans fell ill. Two people died. The Food and Drug Administration’s reaction to the outbreak was inadequate, in part because the Trump administration had made significant cutbacks at the FDA.

President Donald Trump wields enormous power, but he doesn’t operate in a vacuum. He has a green light to engage in reckless actions. Presently, Trump encounters few stop signs or red lights. 

Especially during Trump’s second term in the White House, there has been little or no pushback from key institutions, namely the Supreme Court, The Republican Party, and Right-wing Mass Media. Those institutions are not restricting Trump; they are emboldening him. 

Why have those institutions failed the public? This program suggests answers.

Globalization is the idea that progress comes when countries, economies, cultures, and peoples become more connected and dependent on each other. 

Of course, many people are not gung-ho about this idea. Anti-globalism inspired Donald Trump’s trade and tariff wars, and resistance has been strong in other countries, as well. Protests grew because globalization brought rapid change. It created unemployment and uprooted communities. 

Why has globalization expanded greatly in recent years, despite this resistance? Which lessons can we draw from the historical record of progress and problems?

Globalization will remain a powerful force, because technological progress is constant. Resisting technology-driven change is not an effective strategy. Adjusting to changing conditions has greater potential for producing satisfactory outcomes. 

Presidents of the United States typically refer kindly to their predecessors, but Trump frequently denigrates Barack Obama. Trump has been doing this for years. He was the most outspoken proponent of the false Birth Certificate conspiracy theory. Trump's Truth Social account posted a video that featured a clip showing the faces of Barack and Michelle Obama superimposed onto the bodies of apes.

What explains this outrageous behavior?

There is considerable evidence that prejudice toward African Americans generally and Barack Obama specifically influences Trump’s behavior. Much of Donald Trump’s flawed, dangerous, consequential decision-making in domestic and foreign affairs appears to be generated by racial prejudice.

June 2026 marked the tenth anniversary of Brexit -- a vote that eventually pulled the United Kingdom out of the European Union.  Numerous economists and political analysts discussed Brexit’s impact on that tenth anniversary. Most of their opinions were sharply negative. They said Brexit had been a political and economic disaster.

At first glance this comparison sounds flattering for the USA. If Mississippi is in better economic condition than most of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Americans have a lot to boast about. 

But American society isn’t immune to forces that motivated the British to leave the EU. Important political and cultural factors that energized support for Brexit are present in the USA as well.

How did Trump, a deeply flawed candidate who stumbled often during the 2016 campaign, win the presidential election?

There are familiar explanations for the outcome. Analysts point out that Trump blamed China for the decline of manufacturing in the USA and he criticized immigration. Trump excited voters with promises to create new jobs and “Make America Great Again.” Also, Clinton failed to give adequate attention to voters in the northern “Rust Belt.” 

But you hear almost nothing about the point explored in this podcast – that just five men effectively undermined Hillary Clinton’s campaign. They played major roles in delivering the 2016 election to Donald Trump.

The Supreme Court ‘s 2010 ruling in Citizens United v FEC declared the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent financial contributions. In subsequent years wealthy individuals, large corporations, and special interest groups poured billions of dollars into political campaigns. Candidates that received those hefty donations often dominated political communications. They overwhelmed the voices of ordinary citizens.

What ‘s the story behind that decision? How did five justices in the majority and four in the minority argue their case? 

This personality-based history focuses on the role of a few key individuals whose ideas and actions played major roles in the leadup to Citizens United v FEC. The program also shows how that controversial ruling made an impact in recent elections.

The guest is Steve Bevis. He is a communications professional who met and worked with presidents, senators, representatives, governors, and corporate executives. 

Bevis recalls the racial injustices he saw growing up in Alabama. He discusses important changes in race relations in the South from the Civil War to the present. There was considerable progress in the 1960s and later, he notes, but setbacks in recent years are concerning. Bevis points especially to the recent Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v Callais that significantly weakened the 1965 Voting Rights Act. That controversial ruling can made it difficult for blacks to win elections in the South, even though African Americans constitute a large portion of the population in many southern states. After the Court’s ruling, leaders in several Republican-led southern states moved quickly to redraw congressional maps through partisan gerrymandering.