Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen

Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen

By Burt CohenSociety & CultureNewsPolitics
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Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen episodes

  • The Christmas Truce of 1914: Not So Isolated

    You’ve heard of the famous Christmas Truce of 1914 between the trenches of the British and German soldiers. These were indeed brave men. But that was not the only such event: there were desertions, mutinies, and fraternizations. Today it seems anyone with a uniform is dubbed a hero, but what about the peacemakers? On this show Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold’s Ghost, To End All Wars, Spain in Our Hearts, and 2022’s American Midnight talks about those genuine heroes who risked all to oppose that insane first world war, and the relevance to today’s acceptance of permanent war and near silence of calls for peace.
    59 min
  • The High Price Paid for Ignoring the Midwest
    No one likes to be ignored. We saw what happened when the 2016 Democratic nominee skipped those states. The truth is it was a liberal heartland: McGovern, Wellstone, Mondale, etc. Our guest is historian and author of the new book The Good Country: a History of the American Midwest 1800-1900 Jon K. Lauck who sheds light on the realities, not the elitist bi-coastal cliches and stereotypes we’ve been fed about this huge region, which has a long commitment to educating the masses. Give a listen!
    1 hr
  • The Danger of Nostalgia
    Of all the motivations for war, nostalgia is at the top. Restoring lost glory. We see it not only in Putin’s Russia but in many former empires. Nostalgia is a factor in racist nationalist bloodletting everywhere. On this show History Professor Lawrence Wittner talks about the power of nostalgia. The Trumpist right taps into it and we all know people who perceive a decline of America’s past glory. But the climate crisis may help steer the world away from the longing to retrieve an imagined better past. Listen in.
    1 hr
  • Slave States and Today’s Gun Culture
    So many mass shootings; how did the gun culture become so powerful? Look to the Civil War. Militarily devastated, the Confederate culture transformed guns into a totem. In this revealing discussion, U of Wisconsin-Madison professor Nick Buttrick reveals the roots of America’s mass shootings and says kids today offer real hope for change.
    59 min
  • The Self-Serving Purpose of Philanthropy

    At this time of year, we all think about giving. But what are philanthropists all about? To launder a plutocrat’s reputation, preserving great wealth and maintaining dominance and control. Our guest Edgar Villanueva has a new book, a second edition of Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance. Instead of hoarding power and wealth, foundations should address the source of the money. And boards of foundations need to reflect the communities they serve. And it works; there is evidence of positive change. Give a listen.
    1 hr
  • The Struggle to Rule American Democracy
    Democracy and oligarchy: since our founding it’s been a long balancing act. In his new book Realigners: Partisan Hacks, Political Visionaries, and the Struggle to Rule American Democracy, author historian Timothy Shenk tells of how very diverse people like Mark Hanna and Phyllis Schlafly helped hammer out what makes capitalism and democracy coexist. This history provides tools useful today.
    1 hr
  • Profitable Panic: Busting Sex Workers at Qatar World Cup
    At the World Cup and other global sporting events, all kinds of workers are exploited. And under the guise of rescue and saving souls involved in the sex trade, evangelical, business interests, politicians, and police make out quite well. Harm to the sex workers is unaddressed if not worsened. Give a listen as the games kick off.
    1 hr
  • An American Tradition of Christian Left
    Though the angry white supremacist right grabs today’s news, the truth is the Christian Left has much deeper roots in American history. According to the Reverend Quardricos Bernard Driskell, the religious left has always been part of the fabric of America. Counter to the right’s practices, Jesus was about justice, compassion, and empathy. As the intolerant right keeps shedding believers, there’s a renewal starting on the religious left.
    1 hr
  • 11/11 Armistice? Germans Ambushed, A Peace That Ended Peace
    With renewed interest in the first world war, November 11 is celebrated as the end of “the war to end all wars.” But in reality it was a peace that ended peace. The German negotiators at that famous train car were ambushed, those who signed the trick surrender were assassinated. The causes of the war were not resolved and the rage of the vanquished led directly to Hitler and other fascists. And WWII.  The never ending wars in the Middle East are another direct result. Listen in as acclaimed author Adam Hochshild tells about the armistice we now celebrate. His new book is American Midnight on Woodrow Wilson’s war against dissent in America.
    1 hr
  • Instead of a Red Wave, One of Common Sense?
    It’s echoing everywhere: Trump was the biggest loser of the 2022 elections. Recorded two days after the votes, our guest today, veteran political news person John Kosinski sees what so unexpectedly happened as a wake up call. Could it be that what Lincoln called “the better angels of our nature” may be breaking through the recent times of manipulated fear and hate? Caring about democracy as you do, you’ll want to listen to this discussion.
    59 min

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