Professor Buzzkill: History 101

Income tax is a troubling issue in American politics and history. We explain its long history, and delve into the even more complicated history of how personal income tax has related to the question of equality and inequality in US society. Professor Nash tells us how the American government has raised funds for peacetime needs and, of course, in times of war. It’s not a simple tale of taxes rising as the country grew and the US government grew. Taxation is perhaps the most difficult thing to explain in American governmental history, but we make it easy to understand.

The Essentials That Make Culture What it Is, and Has Been.Dr. Martin Puchner joins us to talk about his new book, Culture: the Story of Us from Cave Art to K-Pop. It’s a very important discussion about some of the crucial elements in creating culture: “storage,” “circulation,” and “mixture.” We talk about lots of cultural history, including cave paintings, art and literature “traveling” during imperial and colonial times, and the melange that has become modern pop culture. A real brainiac discussion! Episode 505.

Dr. Joel Cabrita tells us about Regina Twala, one of the most important intellectuals and activists of 20th-century South Africa and Eswatini. A leading writer, critic, and liberation leader in both countries, Twala’s life is too important to be ignored or suppressed any longer. This Woman Crush Wednesday episode explains her life, and also discusses how important and impactful people can have their work buried by others. This damages our understanding of history. Maybe by studying Twala, we can help stop that. Episode 504.

Was the north the promised land for southern African-Americans during the Depression, or was it more complicated than that? Dr. Melissa Ford tells us how African American working-class women, many of whom had just migrated to “the promised land” only to find hunger, cold, and unemployment, forged a region of revolutionary potential. She also connects the activism of black women who championed justice during the Great Depression to those involved in the Ferguson Uprising and the Black Lives Matter movement. A great show! Episode 503.

The John Birch Society is one of the most extreme right-wing groups in American history. It has strongly influenced libertarian and Republican politics since its founding in 1958. Dr. Matthew Dallek tells us the story of the Society’s founding, growth, and impact on American life. We discuss his new book, “Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right.” Brutal history, but essential to know. Episode 502.

This is the most important person we’ve ever featured on a Woman Crush Wednesday. Henrietta Lacks was a cancer patient in the early 1950s. Her cancer cells were studied, analyzed, and found to be “immortal” under laboratory conditions. They formed the famous “HeLa” cell line, the first immortalized cell line, which helped create the polio vaccine and hundreds of other medical advances. But the story is more complex than that.

The Professor seems to want to make enemies in this episode. He shows that many things central to Irish culture and identity are actually British in origin -- St. Patrick, “the craic,” and “Danny Boy” come under his withering analytical gaze. But he may surprise you with the ultimate conclusions he reaches. Maybe he’s not that much of a buzzkill after all.

White supremacy has been rising at an alarming rate in the last few years. The “Irish Slaves” myth has been given new life by these extremists. The famous “Irish: the Forgotten White Slaves” email has been unearthed and promoted heavily again during the St. Patrick’s season. It’s an abuse of history, as well as being reprehensible politically. Listen to our encore analysis of this myth.

Dr. Matthew Delmont explains the complicated and distressing history of African-American participation in World War II at home, and in the war theaters. Discrimination was rampant and inexcusable. African-Americans had to fight for the right to fight in the military. And war industry jobs were just as segregated (sometimes more so) than during peacetime. Episode 501.

1865. The Civil War is over. Slavery has been abolished. The country is “reconstructing” itself. This should have meant that the lives of African-Americans improved during this period. But it didn’t. 1865-1930 is often called the “nadir of African-American life.” Not only did they gain very little economic or social benefit from the end of slavery, but white Southerners also built up a system of racial oppression that still stains American consciousness. Listen as Professor Phil Nash explains it all! Encore episode!

Professors Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway explain how and why Americans came to believe that the “free market” was not only natural, but also moral, and the highest form of human interaction. Their deep archival research shows how the rise of free market fundamentalism was artificially created by business elites, trade associations, and allies in the media over the 20th century. Only by understanding this history can we imagine a future where markets will serve, not stifle, democracy. Episode 500.

Dr. Kathleen Belew explains the history and myth behind insurrections in recent American history. She dismantles the “lone wolf” myth about political violence, as well as the myth of “it’s not who we are as Americans.” She shows us how insurrectionists have created their ideologies, promoted them through fiction and educational materials, and crafted organizational structures. Frightening but important history! Episode 499!

Dr. Vernon Burton tells the many amazing stories that make up the life of Robert Smalls, a genuine Civil War hero, and a man who deserves far more fame and glory than he’s received! From piloting a Confederate States ship out of Charleston Harbor and turning it over to the United States Navy, to becoming an important Reconstruction-era politician, to being a publisher and an educator, Smalls was an American Renaissance man. And yet there is no movie or novel about him. Let’s correct that! Episode 498.

Dr. Natalia Mehlman Petrzela provides an excellent overview of the debates about how feminism has been discussed in terms of varieties of “family values” in modern American history. From the early suffragists, through the Progressives, through the Second Wave, and up to the 21st Century, Professor Petrzela shows the emphasis that feminists have put on parenting and family. And they did all this in the face of nasty opposition and abusive characterizations of their ideals by opponents of women’s rights! Episode 497.

Dr. David Bell relates the long and strange history of the concept of “American Exceptionalism,” analyzing various interpretations of the phrase from the Puritan John Winthrop to President (and non-Puritan) Donald Trump. We wrestle with: the true meaning of the phrase; to what extent it has meant American “difference” and/or American “superiority;” and everything in between. And you’ll get the shock reveal of who actually coined “American Exceptionalism.” A totally gripping analysis! Episode 496.

Dr. Carol Anderson talks about her “Voter Fraud” chapter in “Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past.” Her work is based on the most solid research imaginable. And she gives us shocking new information about the extent of voter suppression in many American states. You won’t be to listen to election night coverage again without mentally fact-checking lies about fraudulent voters running rampant across the country. Episode 495.

Dr. Karen Cox shows us the complex history of Confederate Monuments in the US, and what has actually happened during this recent period of removal. Professor Buzzkill himself was floored to hear how many monuments still exist, and about the complicated ways in which some monuments have been removed. Her work as part of the new book, Myth America, is not to be missed! Episode 494.

Drs. Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer introduce “Myth America,” one of the most consequential books to address myths and misunderstandings of American history. They talk about the genesis of the book and its purpose, and the problems historians now face in a time of frenetic social media. Finally, they address their own specific chapters (Kruse on “The Southern Strategy” and Zelizer on “The Reagan Revolution”) in this edited collection. One of our very best shows! Episode 493.

“Should old acquaintance be forgot”? What? Should we forget old friends? What does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Why do we sing it every New Year’s Eve? Join the Professor as he waxes lyrical and sentimentally about Auld Lang Syne, Scotland, and good auld Robert Burns!

I mentioned on the show the other day that "It's a Wonderful Life" was re-done as a radio play a couple of times. Lots of Buzzkillers have asked me to find the best version and play it. So here it is! This version is from 1947 on the Lux Radio Theater, and stars Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed (as well as supporting actors). Enjoy this encore!