Send us a textJust an update about a change or two and where we are headed. Support the show
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12:55
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12:55
5.05 The Long March
Send us a textOver the past four episodes, we've traced how American political discourse became weaponized, how both parties learned to delegitimize elections, how political violence gets selectively remembered, and how two incompatible constitutional orders came to govern American life simultaneously. Today we're exploring how this transformation happened—not just through laws and court decisions, but through a systematic ideological takeover of American institutions.Support the show
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39:39
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39:39
5.04 The Two Constitutions
Send us a textCivil rights vs. civil liberties—what happens when rights collide? Today we discuss. Support the show
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54:13
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54:13
5.03 Fiery But Mostly Forgotten
Send us a textOver the past two episodes, we've traced how American political discourse became weaponized decades before Trump, and how both parties learned to delegitimize elections they don't win. Today we're examining something even more fundamental: how Americans think about political violence.The story we tell ourselves about political violence in America goes something like this: We're a peaceful democracy where political disagreements are settled through debate and voting, not riots and bloodshed. When violence does occur, it's an aberration—a breakdown of our democratic norms that shocks the conscience and brings the country together in condemnation. This is another fairy tale.Support the show
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41:26
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41:26
5.02 Selected Not Elected
Send us a textToday we dive into the election of 2000. This is when both parties learned to delegitimize elections they don't win. Want to support the show and gain access to bonus episodes? Follow the link below:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1169162/supporters/newSupport the show
Empire, Republic & Shadow Wars connects the battles you know to the battles you’re not supposed to notice. I’m Shawn—teacher and historian (B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. coursework in U.S. military history & empire). You’ll still get cinematic arcs on the Pacific War and Vietnam—and we’ll dive into the shadow wars: the war on terror, the war on drugs, covert finance, BCCI, and alleged/Documented intersections of intelligence services and the drug trade. We follow the paper trails, declassified files, and institutional incentives that move power.