The United States prides itself for its maverick soul, but Sathnam Sanghera says it inherited the ambition, brutality and thinking of its empire roots. Sanghera reveals the hidden legacies and modern realities of the British empire and makes the case that to understand America, we must first understand British imperialism.

He says the pernicious legacy of imperialism is rooted in our everyday lives yet remains shockingly obscured from view. Sanghera offers a sobering appraisal of Britain and America’s political histories to help us move forward to a more just future.

SPEAKERS

Sathnam Sanghera

Author, Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain; Twitter @Sathnam

In Conversation with John Oliver

Host, "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver"; Twitter @iamjohnoliver

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on March 6th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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