The Politics of History

Did you know that Soviet spies will turn into ash like vampires if forced to say the words “under God”?

Sean’s monologue topic: Reparations for Africa Americans

Fayge Horesh is a public historian, tour guide, and freelance writer. They have always wanted to share their passion for history with others, so they created the podcast “D Listers of History,” where Fayge brings their research skills, curiosity, and irreverence to discuss important but mostly forgotten historical figures.

Fayge begins the interview by admitting that “‘Facts’ in history are tough, because what we ‘know’ is from whatever sources we have, and what are those sources?” They tell us stories of their tour guide experiences and how guests in recent years are more prone to disagree with the established narrative…or to not even want to talk about certain subjects at all! How has America’s newfound access to learning about history changed our overall attitudes?

During the episode, Sean and Fayge explore misunderstood historical topics of their Philadelphia base city - such as how taxation worked in colonial America, the full story of the Boston Tea Party, the fascinating life of Betsy Ross, and good and bad sides of founding father George Washington.

When discussing how the history of marginalized groups is gaining attention amidst both celebration and backlash, Fayge’s message to our audience is that everyone should be allowed to have their culture, and new traditions don’t negate or detract from our old traditions. Sean and Fayge go on to talk about how dehumanizing any group of people can (and will) lead to catastrophe. Genocide doesn’t just happen; it’s a slow process. Is Trump the next Adolf Hitler?

What do you know about American hero Tunis Campbell? French engineer Augustin-Jean Fresnel? Probably nothing, but you can learn about them right here on Coup Save America!

In all the work Fayge does, their primary goal is to make both historical stories and the study of history accessible to everyone. History is crucial to understanding where we are now and how we can build a better world in the future.

Other topics include: Nikki Haley, Juneteenth, who pays for Holocaust museums, the FBI tweeting about MLK, and what Bill Clinton should really be famous for.