The Dangerous History Podcast

By CJSociety & Culture Education History Philosophy

The Dangerous History Podcast episodes

August 31Ep. 0253 Reissue: Academia is a Racket
The centerpiece of this episode is DHP Episode 253: Academia is a Racket, which CJ produced back in late-February 2023, only about 6 months after he walked away from academia, after spending 22 years of his life in it (6 as a student & 16 as a teacher.)
In this episode, CJ mostly avoided the lowest-hanging & widely understood defects of academia in recent decades — ie, the rise to hegemony of once-fringe (even in academia) “Woke” ideology, & the exorbitant costs to the students of getting a college “education.”
Instead, drawing from his 22 years inside academia, he mostly focuses on structural (in the true sense of the word) problems inherent in the nature of the institution & the perverse incentives created thereby, which minimize the amount of education (in the true sense of the word) that takes place.
Join CJ as he discusses the following problems with modern conventional academia:
No real market feedback mechanism to indicate whether a “good education” is being provided.
Overspecialization.
Rigid credentialism.
Too many courses online (especially at the intro/gen-ed level.)
Excessive disability accommodations.
Private-sector profiteering (off a captive audience & cartelized, non-competitive system.)
Administrative bloat.
A focus on arbitrary metrics that can be juked/gamed.
Degree inflation.
The accreditation agencies functioning as a cartel enforcer to artificially restrict entry & reduce competition.
Ideology baked into most (if not all) disciplines, in many cases for over a century.
The adversarial relationship often automatically created between student & teacher.
State & corporate influence & control.
Like this episode?
Support the DHP on Patreon!
Through Labor Day (9/7) of 2026, CJ’s running a Back to (Dangerous History) School Special: There will be a 25% discount on the first year of an annual membership at any level of support, or 25% off the first month of a monthly membership (also at any level of support)!
If you want to get access to the upcoming multi-hour DHP Bonus Episode “Wooden Walls on the Water,” covering just about everything we know about ancient Greek warships & naval warfare, sign up as one of his Patreon supporters at the Journeyman Scholar-Warrior Level (or higher) — if you’re not already one of those excellent individuals who keeps the DHP a going concern, of course!
Just use coupon code 826 when signing up!
You can also throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here:
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Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING – not just these specific items – from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!)
The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto
War is a Racket by Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler
CJ’s PO Box Address
(For Sending Him Items — Including, but not Limited to — Sacks of Gold Doubloons, Pieces of Eight, Freeze-Dried Flapjacks, etc. )
CJ Killmer
Dangerous Media Productions
704 E Moody Blvd #43
Bunnell, FL 32110
The post Ep. 0253 Reissue: Academia is a Racket first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.
3 hr 1 min
August 24Ep. 0291: “Farted Upon & Showered with Excrement” (A Sneak Preview of “Wooden Walls on the Water”)
This episode is a segment from the big Patreon Supporters-Only Bonus DHP episode CJ is currently working on, “Wooden Walls on the Water,” which will be a multi-hour deep-dive into virtually everything we know about Greek navies (especially the Athenian navy, about which we know the most) in the 5th century BC, including – but not limited to: the design & construction of triremes, the logistical & financial burdens of building & maintaining a large fleet of them, the experience of the crew, & the tactics & experience of battle, with some historical examples of important Greek naval engagements.
This particular segment focuses on the oarsmen, who usually comprised more than 3/4 of a trireme’s total complement of 200 men.
Join CJ as he discusses the three levels of rowers on an Athenian trireme — thalamites, zygites, & thranites — and the uncomfortable, exhausting, dangerous, & often downright disgusting conditions they dealt with when deployed on a trireme, even before they faced the hazards of battle.
Like this episode?
Support the DHP on Patreon!
Through Labor Day (9/7) of 2026, CJ’s running a Back to (Dangerous History) School Special: There will be a 25% discount on the first year of an annual membership at any level of support, or 25% off the first month of a monthly membership (also at any level of support)!
If you want to get access to the full, multi-hour Patreon Bonus Episode “Wooden Walls on the Water,” from which this little segment was excerpted, sign up as one of his Patreon supporters at the Journeyman Scholar-Warrior Level (or higher), if you’re not already one of those excellent individuals who keeps the DHP a going concern.
Just use coupon code 826 when signing up!
You can also throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here:
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Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here:
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Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING – not just these specific items – from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!)
A Naval History of the Pelopponesian War by Marc DeSantis
A War Like No Other by Victor Davis Hanson
Syracuse 415-413 BC by Nic Fields
Links
Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon
Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel
Follow CJ on Twitter/X
CJ’s PO Box Address
(For Sending Him Items — Including, but not Limited to — Sacks of Gold Doubloons, Pieces of Eight, Freeze-Dried Flapjacks, etc. )
CJ Killmer
Dangerous Media Productions
704 E Moody Blvd #43
Bunnell, FL 32110
The post Ep. 0291: “Farted Upon & Showered with Excrement” (A Sneak Preview of “Wooden Walls on the Water”) first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.
56 min
August 10Ep. 0290: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. III
Here it is, FINALLY — the third installment of ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest’ series, about the Athenian expedition to Sicily during the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century BC. Enjoy!
Join CJ as he discusses:
The Syracusan reaction to news of a huge, inbound Athenian expeditionary force, including the wise advice of Hermocrates (that wasn’t sufficiently heeded at first)
The arrival of the Athenians in the area, & initial difficulties & disappointments they began to encounter
The debate among the 3 Athenian strategoi (Nicias, Lamachus & Alcibiades) over how to proceed, the strategy adopted, & the lack of significant progress
The recall of Alcibiades to Athens for trial, & his subsequent escape
Athenian successes in Sicily that they failed to capitalize upon sufficiently to defeat Syracuse prior to the onset of the winter of 414/415
Athenian & Syracusan diplomatic efforts during that first winter
The success of Syracusan diplomacy (with the help of Alcibiades) in securing aid from Corinth & Sparta
Gylippus, the Spartan strategos sent to take command of the Syracusan war effort against Athens
Initial Athenian successes during the campaign season of 414 that (despite the death of Lamachus) drove the Syracusans to the brink of surrender
The arrival of Gylippus in the nick of time, & his stunning successes in turning the tide of the war against Athens & nullifying their efforts to circumvallate & besiege Syracuse
Nicias’ extremely downtrodden & pessimistic report back to Athens, sent during the winter of 414/413, in which he demanded that the Athenian Assembly either authorize the evacuation of his expeditionary force, or send him significant reinforcements (men, supplies, & money), along with a strong request that he (Nicias) be relieved of command if they chose the latter option
As promised, here’s a zoomed out map of the expedition to Sicily, showing 1) how far the Athenians traveled, & 2) the relative locations of significant cities on Sicily & on the adjacent ‘toe’ of Italy , plus a more zoomed-in map of Syracuse, its harbors, & the surrounding territory.
Like this episode?
Support the DHP on Patreon!
Through Labor Day (9/7) of 2026, CJ’s running a Back to (Dangerous History) School Special: There will be a 25% discount on the first year of an annual membership at any level of support, or 25% off the first month of a monthly membership (also at any level of support)!
Just use coupon code 826 when signing up!
You can also throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L
Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here:
https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia
Or throw CJ a BTC tip here:
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Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING – not just these specific items – from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!)
The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War
Sparta’s Sicilian Proxy War by Paul Rahe
The Rise & Fall of Athens by Plutarch
Syracuse, 415-413 BC: Destruction of the Athenian Imperial Fleet by Nic Fields
A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson
Links
Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon
Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel
Follow CJ on Twitter/X
Follow the DHP on Instagram
Follow the DHP on Facebook
Hire CJ to speak to your group or at your event
CJ’s PO Box Address
(For Sending Him Items — Including, but not Limited to — Sacks of Gold Doubloons, Pieces of Eight, Freeze-Dried Flapjacks, etc.
CJ Killmer
Dangerous Media Productions
704 E Moody Blvd #43
Bunnell, FL 32110
The post Ep. 0290: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. III first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.
6 hr 28 min
July 03Ep. 0289: A Dangerous Dozen: 12 H.L. Mencken Quotes for the DHP’s 12th Anniversary
Believe it or not, CJ has been doing the Dangerous History Podcast for 12 years now! Despite many trials & tribulations that have caused him to be slowed down or even knocked down, he has always staggered back up to his feet, wiped the blood out of his eyes, and resumed fighting the good fight of spreading brushfires of freedom via historical samizdat; and, with your help, he intends to keep doing it for at least another dozen (or couple dozen) years more!
To commemorate this anniversary, in this episode, CJ shares & expounds upon a dozen of his many favorite quotes from the early 20th century American writer & social critic H.L. Mencken, including the quote that inspired the title of the DHP. (He also opens & closes the episode with inspirational poems by Edgar Albert Guest that encourage perseverance.)
Like this episode?
Please consider supporting the show via Patreon!
You can also throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here:
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Support the DHP via Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!)
The Collected Works of Edgar A. Guest (“Don’t Quit” & “See it Through,” the poems that CJ read at the beginning & end of this episode, respectively, are by Edgar Albert Guest, who is one of CJ’s favorite poets & who is tragically underappreciated today)
Notes on Democracy by H.L. Mencken
A Mencken Chrestomathy: His Own Selection of His Choicest Writings
The Vintage Mencken: The Finest and Fiercest Essays of the Great Literary Iconoclast
The Underground History of American Education: An Intimate Investigation into the Prison of Modern Schooling by John Taylor Gatto
Falling Down (1993, starring Michael Douglas)
Additional Links
Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon!
Other ways to support the show (including CJ’s PO Box address)
Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel
“The Ultimate History Lesson: A Weekend with John Taylor Gatto” (an extended, in-depth interview of the late, great critic of institutional schooling, conducted by Richard Grove of Tragedy & Hope)
The post Ep. 0289: A Dangerous Dozen: 12 H.L. Mencken Quotes for the DHP’s 12th Anniversary first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.
1 hr 44 min
June 11Ep. 0288: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. II
Here it is — the 2nd installment of CJ’s already-epic mini-series, ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ set in the Peloponnesian War in 5th-century BC Greece.
Join CJ as he shares an overview of some of the events of the first half of the Peloponnesian War, including:
Spartan-led Peloponnesian invasions of Attica (the countryside around Athens), which used the traditional Greek tactic of ‘ravaging’ farms in order to try to provoke the Athenians to confront them in a decisive hoplite battle
Athens’ refusal to do so, as they followed Pericles’ strategy of being purely defensive on land while waging naval & amphibious warfare against the coastal strongholds of the Peloponnesian League
The horrific plague that afflicted Athens for the first few years of the war, which likely killed 20-30% of Athens, including, eventually, Pericles himself
The leadership void left by Pericles, which was filled by men of much less competence, none of whom ever enjoyed the supermajority support that Pericles had
The ‘Peace of Nicias,’ concluded in 421 BC, which was never fully adhered to & wouldn’t last long
The growing political feud between Nicias & the Athenian doves vs. Alcibiades & the Athenian hawks
The appeal for Athenian assistance from a few Sicilian poleis against Syracuse, the most powerful polis on that island, & the Athenian debates over the wisdom of intervening there, dominated by debates between Nicias & Alcibiades
The decision of a majority of the Athenian Assembly to intervene on a massive scale
Religious/political scandals that created serious potential problems for the Athenian expedition to Sicily on the eve of its departure
The departure, to great fanfare, of a massive Athenian & allied force to Sicily
Like this episode?
Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon!
You can also throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here:
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Other ways to support the show (including CJ’s PO Box)
Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!)
The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War
A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson
The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan
The Life of Greece: The Story of Civilization, Vol. II by Will Durant
Links
Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon
Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel
Follow CJ on Twitter/X
Follow the DHP on Instagram
Follow the DHP on Facebook
Hire CJ to speak to your group or at your event
The post Ep. 0288: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt. II first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.
4 hr 5 min
May 31Ep. 0287: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt I
CJ decided he needed a break from modern US history as he continues to recover & reset his life, so this is the first episode of a new DHP miniseries set during the Peloponnesian War in 5th century BC Greece. The series will primarily focus on a famous Athenian military expedition to Sicily that occurred right in the middle of that conflict, an expedition that, to CJ, is eerily similar in some ways to the current war with Iran.
This first episode, though, is backstory & world-building, setting the stage for the massive, complex & costly Peloponnesian War of 431-404 BC during which the Sicilian expedition occurred.
Join CJ as he discusses:
A brief overview of ancient Greek history, from the Bronze Age through the Persian invasions of 490 & 480 BC.
The growing rivalries & tensions between the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta) & the Delian League (led by Athens) in the aftermath of the Persian Wars, including Athens’ increasingly aggressive & destabilizing imperialism, & Sparta’s fears about it
The rise of Pericles & the construction of the Athenian Long Walls
The ‘first’ Peloponnesian War of ~460 BC-445 BC, which ended with a treaty known as “The Thirty Years’ Peace”
The rising tensions & conflicts that caused the Thirty Years’ Peace to only last about half as long as it was intended to
The ancient Greek historian Thucydides
The escalating conflicts that led, in 431 BC, to the outbreak of the Second Peloponnesian War (sometimes just referred to as “The Peloponnesian War”), a conflict that would end up dwarfing the previous war in duration, cost, death & destruction
Like this episode?
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Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!)
The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War
A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson
The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan
The Life of Greece: The Story of Civilization, Vol. II by Will Durant
Links
Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon
Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel
Follow CJ on Twitter/X
Follow the DHP on Facebook
Hire CJ to speak to your group or at your event
Other ways to support the show
The post Ep. 0287: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt I first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.
3 hr 3 min
May 16Ep. 0286: Braving This Dystopian Timeline (w/Matt Carano)
Good news — things have finally stabilized for CJ & his family, & he has finally fully recovered from the illnesses that caused him to be hospitalized in March!
He’s now back at the podcasting game full-force, hard at work on upcoming Dangerous History material, & this week he also returned Brave the New World, the weekly current events & media analysis show that he cohosts with Matt Carano. This DHP episode features the audio of CJ’s triumphant return to BTNW after a few months’ absence.
Join CJ & Matt as they discuss the low- & even-lower-lights of current events in recent months, & try to come to grips with the insanity that the 2nd Trump administration is inflicting on the world.
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BTNW on Youtube
BTNW on Spotify
BTNW on Apple Podcasts
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The post Ep. 0286: Braving This Dystopian Timeline (w/Matt Carano) first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.
1 hr 32 min
April 28“Rise, and Fight Again”
The hits have just kept on coming! (And not in a good way.)
For anyone who cares and/or is curious why CJ has been mostly incommunicado the past 2 months (other than angrily ranting against the insanity of current events on Twitter): In this special DHP episode he gives an update on the most recent trials & tribulations he & his family have been through, including (but not limited to) his wife being hospitalized twice, another major death in the family, & finally, CJ himself being hospitalized for almost a full week while being the sickest & in the worst pain he’s ever had in his entire life. (Fun times!)
On the brighter side, the redemption in the third act is that CJ is still alive, still sober, & is (once again) getting back up to keep on fighting the good fight, so look for more Dangerous History coming your way as long as (knock on wood!) he can get a little bit of a respite from the near-constant dumpster-fires!
Like this episode?
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The post “Rise, and Fight Again” first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.
46 min
April 16DHP Ep. 74 Reissue: The Western Way of War vs The Eastern Way of War
(*This is a reissue of a Dangerous History Episode first published in Aug. 2015)
In this episode, CJ discusses two different paradigms of what war is supposed to be and how it is supposed to be fought. One is the Western (or European) Way, which originated in Greece and from there filtered through the Romans to become the dominant paradigm among Westerners to this day. The other is the Eastern (or Asian) Way, which originated in China and from there filtered to other parts of the Asian world and beyond, and which forms the intellectual basis of much of modern unconventional tactics and strategy.
Join CJ as he discusses:
The origins of the Western Way and how it has evolved over the centuries
The origins of the Eastern Way and how it has evolved over the centuries
Why this matters to understanding the modern world in general, and the history of modern unconventional warfare in particular
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The post DHP Ep. 74 Reissue: The Western Way of War vs The Eastern Way of War first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.
1 hr 6 min
February 17Ep. 0285: Braving the New World
This DHP episode features the audio of the third episode of Brave the New World, a new weekly current events & media analysis show that CJ is cohosting with his friend Matt Carano.
Join CJ & Matt as they discuss some of the recent Epstein-related revelations & their implications for the past, present, & future of the US (& the world.)
Like this episode?
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Links
Brave the New World on Youtube
Brave the New World on Apple Podcasts
Brave the New World on Spotify
The Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel
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The post Ep. 0285: Braving the New World first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.
1 hr 12 min