In this episode, we tackle war crimes. Please note that we record episodes in the month before they are posted—just in case you are wondering why we aren’t talking about one big event in particular.

REFERENCES

People have desecrated corpses throughout history:

Breed, Allen G. “Desecration of the Dead is as Old as War Itself.” January 13, 2012. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/nation-world/2012/01/14/desecration-dead-old-war-itself/15184013007/

Like a flag of truce:

Little, Becky. “How Did the White Flag Become a Symbol of Surrender?” Updated May 27, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/when-did-the-white-flag-become-associated-with-surrender

Don’t kill the messenger:

Frank, David. “Chapter 19 – The Classical Origins and Modern Expressions of ‘Don’t Shoot the Messenger’.” September 4, 2025. Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/dont-shoot-the-journalists/classical-origins-and-modern-expressions-of-dont-shoot-the-messenger/97A99431730AA8701715ECB376467643

The Defenestration of Prague:

Britannica Editors. “Defenestration of Prague.” May 16, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/Defenestration-of-Prague-1618

One of the things that began the Thirty Years’ War in Europe:

Britannica Editors. “Thirty Years’ War.” Updated January 6, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/event/Thirty-Years-War

It ends with the treaty called the Peace of Westphalia:

Gesley, Jenny. “The Peach of Westphalia.” October 24, 2017. Library of Congress. https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2017/10/the-peace-of-westphalia/

The world today is composed of nation states:

Comstock, Nancy. W. “Nation State.” 2024. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/politics-and-government/nation-state

Basically, at some point Europe colonized almost the entirety of the world:

Becker, Bastian. “European Overseas Colonies and Their Colonizers Over Time [Interactive map].” September 18, 2023. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/european-overseas-colonies-and-their-colonizers?time=earliest

This is probably not the video Steve was referencing, but it illustrates the point that everyone goes to war:

ABC News (Australia). “Dozens Killed in Tribal Fighting in Papua New Guinea [Video].” August 23, 2023. https://youtu.be/EhVpKBJESB8?si=3pIXT2kaNlcmKxQp

The most famous being the Hauge conventions:

HCCH. “Conventions and Other Instruments.” https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions

Most of the modern war crimes were as a result of World War II:

Penrose, Mary Margaret. “Post-World War II Developments: Genevea Conventions.” December 10, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/war-crime/Post-World-War-II-developments

The Napoleonic Wars gave rise to some:

Britannic Editors. “Napoleonic Wars.” November 24, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Napoleonic-Wars

The Geneva Convention in 1864:

International Committee of the Red Cross. “Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field. Geneva, 22 August 1864.” https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/gc-1864

A list of war crimes, right now:

BBC. “War Crimes.” https://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/war/overview/crimes_1.shtml

How to treat prisoners of war:

United Nations. “Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.” August 12, 1949. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/geneva-convention-relative-treatment-prisoners-war

Respecting flags of truce:

Arnold, Roberta. “Flags of Truce.” May 2006. Oxford Public International Law. https://opil.ouplaw.com/display/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/law-9780199231690-e297

In ’49, Geneva conventions:

International Committee of the Red Cross. “Geneva Conventions of 1949, Additional Protocols and Their Commentaries.” https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/geneva-conventions-1949additional-protocols-and-their-commentaries

A lot of rules about treatment of noncombatants:

United Nations. “Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.” August 12, 1949. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/geneva-convention-relative-protection-civilian-persons-time-war

The idea of total war:

Britannica Editors. “Total War.” December 5, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/total-war

Dresden:

Dawsey, Jason. “Apocalypse in Dresden, February 1945.” February 13, 2020. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/apocalypse-dresden-february-1945

Fire bombing of Tokyo:

History.com Editors. “Firebombing of Tokyo.” Updated January 31, 2025. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-9/firebombing-of-tokyo

Hamburg:

Curatola, John. “Operation Gomorrah: The First of the Firestorms.” July 10, 2023. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/operation-gomorrah-first-firestorms

The Blitz:

Curatola, John. “The Blitz of 1940.” August 27, 2025. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/blitz-1940

Not attacking hospitals:

International Committee of the Red Cross. “The Protection of Hospitals During Armed Conflicts: What the Law Says.” June 11, 2023. https://www.icrc.org/en/document/protection-hospitals-during-armed-conflicts-what-law-says

It’s a horrible thing that Israelis bombed a hospital in the Gaza strip:

United Nations. “Pattern of Israeli Attacks on Gaza Hospitals Raises Grave Concerns – Report.” December 31, 2024. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/12/pattern-israeli-attacks-gaza-hospitals-raises-grave-concerns-report

Who wrote them:

Shaw, Malcolm. “Geneva Conventions.” December 3, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Geneva-Conventions

The Kellog-Briand pact:

Office of the Historian. “The Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/kellogg

The Weimar Republic:

Britannica Editors. “Weimar Republic.” December 19, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/place/Weimar-Republic

You had, clearly, violation of international law when Iraq goes into Kuwait:

Hensel, Howard M. “Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait.” 2023. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/military-history-and-science/iraqi-invasion-kuwait

What George H. Bush’s administration did:

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “Address to the Nation Announcing Operation Desert Storm, 1991.” https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/address-nation-announcing-operation-desert-storm-1991

Whereas the second Gulf War was sort of a counterpoint:

Doherty, Carroll and Kiley, Jocelyn. “A Look Back at How Fear and False Beliefs Bolstered U.S. Public Support for War in Iraq.” March 14, 2023. Pew Research. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/03/14/a-look-back-at-how-fear-and-false-beliefs-bolstered-u-s-public-support-for-war-in-iraq/

There’s also crimes against humanity:

Legal Information Institute. “Crime Against Humanity.” Reviewed August 2022. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/crime_against_humanity

The history of Gaza being a protectorate of Israel:

United Nations. “The Question of Palestine.” https://www.un.org/unispal/history/

Like in Africa:

United Nations. “Rwanda: A Brief History of the Country.” https://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/historical-background.shtml

If one of the nations is run by a terrorist organization:

Robinson, Kali and Merrow, Will. “What is Hamas?” Updated October 6, 2025. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hamas

In Article I, Section 8, Clause 10:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S8.C10.1 Historical Background on Maritime Crimes.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C10-1/ALDE_00001070/

And the next clause:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S8.C11.1.1 Overview of Congressional War Powers.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C11-1-1/ALDE_00013587/

Like Sarajevo:

Lampe, John R. “Bosnian War: War Crimes and Trials.” Reviewed January 5, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Bosnian-War/War-crimes-and-trials

The International Criminal Court:

https://www.icc-cpi.int/

Why aren’t we a party to it (article from the time):

Bradley, Curtis A. “U.S. Announces Intent Not to Ratify International Criminal Court Treaty.” May 11, 2002. American Society of International Law. https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/7/issue/7/us-announces-intent-not-ratify-international-criminal-court-treaty

Why aren’t we a party to it (more recently):

Hansler, Jennifer. “Trump Administration Sanctions Two More International Criminal Court Judges for Investigating Israel.” December 18, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/18/politics/trump-international-criminal-court-sanctions

Much like the landmine treaty:

United Nations. “Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention.” https://disarmament.unoda.org/en/our-work/conventional-arms/anti-personnel-landmines-convention

Or the Law of the Sea:

International Maritime Organization. “United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.” https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/legal/pages/unitednationsconventiononthelawofthesea.aspx

We could not find a source to support Anne’s claim that the U.S. is the most prolific user of landmines in the world. Here is a more accurate description of the country’s usage:

Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. “Mine Ban Policy—United States.” https://the-monitor.org/country-profile/united-states/mine-ban-policy?year=2023

There are massive landmine fields between North and South Korea:

Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. “Mine Ban Policy—Korea, South.” https://www.the-monitor.org/country-profile/korea-south/mine-ban-policy?year=2023

In the past few years, no people have been maimed in Vietnam from U.S. landmines, largely due to organizations like the following that teach children how to avoid them:

PeaceTrees. “Humanitarian Mine Action.” https://www.peacetreesvietnam.org/what-we-do/mine/explosive-ordnance-risk-education.html

It’s like mustard gas:

CDC. “Mustard Gas.” September 6, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/chemical-emergencies/chemical-fact-sheets/mustard-gas.html

Princess Diana—that was a major cause of hers:

Burke, Myles. “Princess Diana’s 1997 Landmine Walk: ‘I come with my heart’.” January 15, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240112-princess-dianas-1997-landmine-walk-i-come-with-my-heart

At least we’re not the ones that make cool little fluttery landmines that are brightly colored like children’s toys:

Hsu, Jeremy. “Drones Used to Find Toylike ‘Butterfly’ Land Mines.” December 28, 2018. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/drones-used-to-find-toylike-butterfly-land-mines/

They train rats to sniff out the landmines:

APOPO. “A Typical Morning for a Mine Sniffing Rat [Video].” https://youtu.be/BX7LnsZU8Nw

They were awarded medals and stuff:

BBC. “Magawa, the Landmine-Sniffing Hero Rat, Dies Aged Eight.” January 11, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59951255

Our complex relationship with cluster munitions:

Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. “Cluster Munition Ban Policy—United States.” https://the-monitor.org/country-profile/united-states/cluster-munition-ban-policy?year=2023

We did, in fact, give some to the Ukraine:

Cancian, Mark F. “Cluster Munitions: What Are They, and Why is the United States Sending Them to Ukraine?” Center for Strategic & International Studies. https://www.csis.org/analysis/cluster-munitions-what-are-they-and-why-united-states-sending-them-ukraine

It’s also a World War I problem:

Coe, Joshua. “‘Iron Harvest’: A Belgian Team Unearths Unexploded Ammunition From WWI.” August 4, 2023. https://theworld.org/stories/2023/08/04/iron-harvest-belgian-team-unearths-unexploded-ammunition-wwi

Ukraine fighting back against Russia:

The Guardian. “Ukraine War Briefing: Kremlin Denounces European Troops Plan as Kyiv Warns of ‘Massive Russian Attack’. January 8, 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/09/ukraine-war-briefing-kremlin-denounces-european-troops-plan-as-kyiv-warns-of-massive-russian-attack

Have you read George Orwell’s essay on pacificism:

Orwell, George. “Pacifism and the War.” Originally published 1942. https://www.orwell.ru/library/articles/pacifism/english/e_patw

We tried to stop that with the U.N.:

https://www.un.org/en/

The idea for the League of Nations:

Britannica Editors. “League of Nations.” December 29, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/League-of-Nations

Wilson may have been foolish:

Cooper, John Milton. “Woodrow Wilson.” Review December 24, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Woodrow-Wilson

The building still exists (alas, it is not a bar and grill):

Genève Internationale. “Chapter 2: Palais Wilson, The Memory and Hostage of Geneva.” https://www.geneve-int.ch/chapter-2-palais-wilson-memory-and-hostage-geneva

Sort of like the Articles of Confederation:

National Archives. “Articles of Confederation (1777).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/articles-of-confederation

Who’s on the permanent Security Council:

United Nations. “Security Council.” https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/current-members

The Abu Ghraib prison scandal:

Shamim, Sarah. “What Happened in Abu Ghraib and Why Did a Court Award Damages?” November 14, 2024. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/14/what-happened-in-abu-ghraib-and-why-did-a-us-court-award-damages

Uniform Code of Military Justice:

Absher, Jim. “The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).” March 25, 2022. https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/the-uniform-code-of-military-justice-ucmj.html

We could not find a source for Steve’s statement that the last person prosecuted for war crimes, per se, was during the Civil War. Though, someone was certainly prosecuted for their crimes at Andersonville:

 National Park Service. “History of the Andersonville Prison.” https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/camp_sumter_history.htm

Here’s a recent story about U.S. soldiers and war crimes:

Shane III, Leo; Myers, Meghann; and Prine, Carl. “Trump Grants Clemency to Troops in Three Controversial War Crimes Cases.” Military Times. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/11/16/trump-grants-clemency-to-troops-in-three-controversial-war-crimes-cases/

Calley:

Linder, Douglas O. “Charges Against Lt. William Calley.” UMKC School of Law. https://www.famous-trials.com/mylaicourts/1627-myl-ctchar

There was a canine handler at Abu Ghraib:

The Associated Press. “Abu Ghraib Dog Handler Sentenced to 6 Months.” March 21, 2006. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna11943182

ICJ:

https://www.icj-cij.org/home

It was court-martial:

Legal Information Institute. “Court-Martial.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/court-martial

The whole lawful/unlawful order thing:

Pereira, Ivan. “What the Military Oath of Enlistment Says About Legal and Illegal Orders.” November 20, 2025. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/military-oath-enlistment-legal-illegal-orders/story?id=127725085

The My Lai massacre, the short version:

American Experience. “The My Lai Massacre.” PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/vietnam-my-lai-massacre/

Seymour Hersh, who broke the story:

Brooks, Xan. “‘He’s a son of a bitch–but he’s usually right’: Why Did Seymour Hersh Quit the Film About His Earth-Shattering Exposés?” December 8, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/08/seymour-hersh-earth-shattering-exposes-my-lai-abu-ghraib-cover-up

The fishing boats:

Angell, Katie. “2025 U.S. Strikes on Venezuelan Vessels: When Washington’s War on Drugs Reaches Venezuela’s Shores.” January 1, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/2025-US-Strikes-on-Venezuelan-Vessels

We also just seized an oil tanker:

Reuters. “U.S. Seizes Olina Tanker in Caribbean, Fifth Vessel Taken in Venezuela Blockade.” January 9, 2026. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-process-seizing-olina-tanker-caribbean-us-official-says-2026-01-09/

We have a previously good Coast Guard that does this all the time:

Breen, Kerry. “Coast Guard Offloads 27,000 Pounds of Cocaine as it Uses ‘Disabling Fire’ to Stop Some Alleged Drug Boats.” Updated December 16, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coast-guard-cocaine-seizure-eastern-pacific-ocean-disabling-fire/

They have clear rules of engagement:

Britannica Editors. “Rules of Engagement.” January 2, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/rules-of-engagement-military-directives

They were in international waters:

United Nations. “International Waters.” https://archive.unescwa.org/international-waters

An example in a guide for the military of an unlawful order is bombing people who have been shipwrecked due to an attack:

Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Experts Explain What the Law Says About Killing Survivors of a Boat Strike.” December 1, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642

Horrific chapter in our history:

Office of the Historian. “Indian Treaties and the Removal Act of 1830.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/indian-treaties

Like in Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy:

Tom Clancy. Clear and Present Danger. Berkley. July 1, 1990.

That’s how it ends:

https://youtu.be/sWwN-yDCjOM?si=QNzS-e2CdSodY8XU

So, I’m going to mention Pearl Harbor:

Scanlon, Sean. “U.S. Intelligence Failures at Pearl Harbor.” September 18, 2025. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/us-intelligence-failures-pearl-harbor

There was a war warning issued by General Marshall:

Brewer, Delaney. “The Attack on Pearl Harbor.” National Museum of the United States Army. https://www.thenmusa.org/articles/attack-on-pearl-harbor/

Kimmel got relieved:

History.com Editors. “Commander at Pearl Harbor Relieved of His Duties.” Updated January 31, 2025. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-17/commander-at-pearl-harbor-canned

We let an awful lot of drugs into our country:

U.S. Government Accountability Office. “Fentanyl Continues to Be the Leading Cause of Overdose Deaths. What’s Being Done to Combat Trafficking into the United States?” September 4, 2025. https://www.gao.gov/blog/fentanyl-continues-be-leading-cause-overdose-deaths.-whats-being-done-combat-trafficking-united-states

Doctors prescribe an awful lot of drugs in this country that kill people all the time:

National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. “Prescription Drug Abuse Statistics.” https://drugabusestatistics.org/prescription-drug-abuse-statistics/

They ordered the survivors to be bombed:

Pigliucci, Cai; FitzGerald, James; and Drenon, Brandon. “Admiral Testified Hegseth Did Not Give ‘Kill them all’ order, U.S. lawmakers say.” December 4, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyxjd6pxzro

Including several Republicans:

Blake, Aaron. “Republicans Are Covering Their Backsides on the Double-tap Strike.” December 2, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/02/politics/republicans-double-tap-strike-trump

As far as drugs go, they aren’t the biggest importer:

Singer, Jeffrey A. “Trump’s Venezuela Gambit: An Incoherent Encore in a Failed Drug War.” December 3, 2025. CATO Institute. https://www.cato.org/blog/trumps-venezuela-gambit-incoherent-encore-failed-drug-war

A lot of people in the past few years have been coming from Venezuela:

United Nations Refugee Agency. “Venezuela Situation.” https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/venezuela-situation

Ooh, evil socialist, we can combat him:

Jeyaretnam, Miranda and de Guzman, Chad. “What’s Happening With the U.S. and Venezuela, Explained.” January 8, 2026. Time. https://time.com/7344628/us-venezuela-trump-maduro-oil-drugs-war-explainer-questions-answered/

There’s also the oil angle:

Roy, Diana and Cheatham. “Venezuela: The Rise and Fall of a Petrostate.” Updated July 31, 2024. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/venezuela-crisis

We’re a net exporter of oil:

U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Oil and Petroleum Products Explained.” Updated January 19, 2024. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/imports-and-exports.php

They could just seize Citgo stations:

Weber, Natalie. “Judge Approves Sale of Houston-Based Citgo to Amber Energy.” December 3, 2025. Houston PBS. https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/business/2025/12/02/537526/judge-approves-sale-of-citgo-to-amber-energy

The Trump administration have identified an enemy, Tren de Aragua:

Roston, Aram. “Maduro Indictment Attempts to Link Venezuelan Leader to Tren de Aragua.” January 4, 2026. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/04/maduro-indictment-trump-tren-de-aragua

A lot of things are happening right now in African countries:

Le Poidevin, Olivia. “Women Bearing the Brunt of Sudan’s Acute Hunger Crisis, UN Says.” January 9, 2026. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/women-bearing-brunt-sudans-acute-hunger-crisis-un-says-2026-01-09/

Anne was incorrect. The Trump administration does seem to care about some things happening in African countries:

Okafor, Makuochi and Otalor, Jean. “Trump Warns of More Nigeria Strikes if Christians ‘Continue to be killed’.” January 9, 2026. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly3vl3yp2do

They keep talking about rare earth minerals:

American Geosciences Institute. “What are Rare Earth Elements, and Why are They Important?” https://profession.americangeosciences.org/society/intersections/faq/what-are-rare-earth-elements-and-why-are-they-important/

Monroe Doctrine:

National Archives. “Monroe Doctrine (1823).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/monroe-doctrine

Also, incidentally, sort of welcomed Russia:

Boersner-Herrera, Adriana. “What the Capture of Nicolás Maduro Means for Russia’s Influence in Latin America.” January 8, 2026. London School of Economics. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2026/01/08/russia-influence-latin-america-venezuela-maduro-capture/

Rusty Nails:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/rusty-nail/

Red Cross, Red Crescent, Red Crystal:

Canadian Red Cross. “The Red Crystal.” https://www.redcross.ca/about-us/about-the-canadian-red-cross/red-cross-emblem/the-red-crystal

The one that Thanos talked to Red Skull about:

https://youtu.be/I0r9s8mfeWc?si=4gvlFqzrSFSP6G9L

Red star—one group ruined it for everybody:

Political Symbols.net. “Red Star.” https://politicalsymbols.net/red-star.html

Oh, Japan:

The Government of Japan. “National Flag and Anthem.” https://www.japan.go.jp/japan/flagandanthem/index.html

Not a rhomboid:

SplashLearn. “Rhomboid Shape: Definition, Formulas, Properties Examples, Facts.” https://www.splashlearn.com/math-vocabulary/rhomboid

What Mack is reading:

John U. Bacon. The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Schuler Books. 2026.

In fact, it’s really popular:

Rosenberg, Allegra. “Why is TikTok Obsessed With a 50-Year-Old Shipwreck.” November 7, 2025. Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/edmund-fitzgerald-tiktok-trend

If you don’t know about the Great Lakes:

Great Lakes Commission. “About the Lakes.” https://www.glc.org/lakes/

There’s a term for this—it’s like water sloshing around in a bathtub:

National Ocean Service. “What is a Seiche?” https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/seiche.html

Through the Soo Locks:

Visit Sault Ste. Marie. “Soo Locks.” https://saultstemarie.com/attractions/soo-locks/

Zug Island, River Rouge:

Detroit Historical Society. “Zug Island.” https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/zug-island

Including Ford:

Detroit Historical Society. “Ford Motor Company.” https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/ford-motor-company

It’s called taconite:

Department of Natural Resources. “Taconite.” https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/education/geology/digging/taconite.html

Great Lake freighters:

Great Lakes Now. “Freighters on the Move [Video].” Detroit PBS. https://youtu.be/q8qUcW8iY2E?si=zVV6kW801T33KKWl

Just like Panama Canal:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics. “Vessel Draft Restrictions on the Panama Canal by Locks: February 2022–August 2024.” https://www.bts.gov/browse-statistical-products-and-data/info-gallery/vessel-draft-restrictions-panama-canal-locks

The U.S. could practice naval maneuvers in the Great Lakes:

Chicago Navy Memorial. “Navy Training Vessels of WWII.” https://chicagonavymemorial.org/chicagos-role-in-navy-history/training-ships-aircraft-carriers-lake-michigan

Captain McSorley:

Marrin, Doug. “Ernest McSorley: The Last Captain of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” September 30, 2025. The Sun Times News. https://thesuntimesnews.com/edmund-fitzgerald-50th-anniversary-john-bacon/

The 29:

S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online. “The Crew.” https://ssedmundfitzgerald.org/crewtribute

Listen to the song if you haven’t heard it:

https://youtu.be/FuzTkGyxkYI?si=8ZORl77irRERpP0w

They rang it 30 times:

Detroit Free Press. “Mariners’ Church of Detroit Honors Gordon Lightfoot With Tuesday Ringing of Bells [Video].” https://youtu.be/PIq1ELxH2do?si=64c3Ce8l3znglwgS

The Sea Legs was the only good way to drink Laphroaig in a cocktail:

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/34393/sea-legs

The whiskey we drank:

https://www.bahnbrecker.com/hefeweizen-whiskey

We did that to the Japanese:

Scott, James M. “America’s Undersea War on Shipping.” December 2014. U.S. Naval Institute. https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2014/december/americas-undersea-war-shipping

What has been called the Liberal World Order:

Council on Foreign Relations. “What is the Liberal World Order? [Video].” https://education.cfr.org/learn/video/what-liberal-world-order

Pax Americana:

Smith, Danielle T. “Inflection Points: Pax Americana at a Crossroad.” June 30, 2024. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2024/06/30/inflection-points-pax-americana-at-a-crossroad/

During that period, there were a lot of people lifted out of poverty throughout the world:

Yonzan, Nishant; Friedman, Jed; Hill, Ruth; Jolliffe, Dean Mitchell; Lakner, Christoph; and Gerszon Mahler, Daniel. “Estimates of Global Poverty From WWII to the Fall of the Berlin Wall.” November 23, 2022. World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/estimates-global-poverty-wwii-fall-berlin-wall

Democracy spread widely:

Shapiro, Ian. “The Spread of Democracy  in the 20th Century.” December 29, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy/The-spread-of-democracy-in-the-20th-century

And the Borg were a cybernetic race from Star Trek. But you already knew that.