The Stephen Mansfield Podcast

It’s very likely that water will be a significant crisis in the United States and around the world in the coming years. We’re seeing a decrease of potable water, especially in the Western United States, where many lakes and reservoirs are dropping down to as low as 10% of capacity. We have to get serious about technologies that will ensure the world has the water it needs. Let’s use our American common sense to save lives and build a great land.

Stephen tackles one of the latest controversial topics in our politically-charged environment: critical race theory. He explains what it is, where it comes from, and provides his balanced take that sees the nuances in both sides. There have been horrible injustices in African-American history, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment and the Tulsa race massacre. But is the blanket application of the lens of critical race theory the right way to teach history?

The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment is a critical part of American history, and it may have something to do with why many African Americans are hesitant to get the vaccine. Tune in as Stephen describes how this six-month long program stretched out into 40 years of abuse. Medical researchers purposely misdiagnosed hundreds of black men and failed to treat them properly – even when there was a remedy. Let’s remember: we’re not all living out of the same history. Let’s be compassionate about each other’s experiences.

Image credit: Credit: Finding your Roots

Between 1865 and 1920, African Americans built almost 50 townships in Oklahoma. Many flourished, especially Tulsa’s “Greenwood District,” which became known as “Black Wall Street.” Soon it was the envy of whites in Tulsa. On May 31, 1921 tragedy struck. The city erupted into violence and fire in the infamous Tulsa race massacre. Black Wall Street was destroyed. To add insult to injury, the insurance companies didn’t even pay out to black owners after all of this painful death and destruction. Stephen tells this important tale and urges our great nation to ponder the opportunity now available to these insurance companies. Will the wrongs be addressed? Will this one hundred year anniversary mark a point of healing?

Image via Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

A stunning 27% of white evangelicals believe in the QAnon conspiracy theory – the idea that the government, media, and financial worlds are in league together to run a global child-trafficking ring. Though there absolutely is trafficking in the world – as many as 48 million people, we’re being told – there is zero evidence for QAnon. This QAnon obsession is ripping up families and churches and damaging the soul of our nation. If you really care about trafficking, stop griping about QAnon and instead get involved with an organization like Uncaged, which is actually doing something about the problem.

The statue version of history omits flaws. This view perpetuates a false belief that the great men and women of history had relatively little existence outside of the great acts for which they are known. The story of the university that wanted to remove a Lincoln statue because the Great Emancipator once said he would allow slavery to continue if it would preserve the Union tells us as much. Our society is waking up to the idea that great figures of history can be mixed. Not all aspects of their lives are “statue-worthy.”

This episode originally aired on January 17, 2018.

There’s been a trend of recent decades toward trying to personally destroy the people that we cannot defeat politically. In this episode, Stephen discusses why this trend is toxic to democracy. He also shares a story about the first time he saw it happen in 1987, as well as how the politics of personal destruction affected one of his friends.

This episode originally aired on May 9, 2018.

We have all seen photos and videos of the events of January 6 in Washington, D.C. We witnessed the violence and desecration of the U.S. Capitol. (We must also acknowledge that well-intended people went to pray peacefully for our nation on that day.) The violence, however, should anger any American patriot. Now there is a call for a Congressional commission, which will create a classic D.C. crisis that Stephen explains in this episode. How did the Republicans react to the Democrats’ call for a commission? How should they have reacted? Stephen shares his analysis of the situation… tune in!

Many experts believe we may be heading toward a massive military engagement with China. “Cold War 2.0,” some are calling it. Watch the budget and you will observe Washington, D.C. shifting focus from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific. The Navy, for example, has ordered 850 anti-ship missiles – compared to 88 the year before. President Biden wants to move 60% of US seapower to the Indo-Pacific. Australia and Japan are making preparations. One thing is certain: China is on the move. We must be ready.

The Republican Party needs unity. Instead, it’s eating itself alive, setting itself up for unbelievable defeat if it doesn’t change course. As of this recording, the GOP will likely remove Liz Cheney from her party leadership role. Representative Cheney is the third highest ranking Republican in the House of Representatives and the highest ranking Republican woman in the House. She is a woman of principle. She has voted with Donald Trump 98% of the time. And yet she has run afoul of Republican leadership and, more importantly, apparently, Donald Trump, by finding the former President’s actions on January 6 to be unconscionable. This all raises the question: Is the GOP a big enough tent to include both Trump supporters and critics? Or will the GOP tear itself apart by punishing those who aren’t deemed “pure” or “right” enough?