The United States of Amnesia
Welcome to The United States of Amnesia, a podcast exploring the lessons we’ve forgotten, misunderstood, or never learned. As the saying goes, history repeats itself. Mark Twain allegedly refined this: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.” But Ecclesiastes said it best: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Yet over time, history, politics, and religion have been distorted by bias, oversimplification, and myth. Misunderstanding the past means misreading the present and misstepping into the future. This podcast aims to cut through the fog, reconnecting past and present to help us think more clearly about the world we’re in, and the one we're heading toward. Join us as we delve into the great struggle of humanity: to reconcile who we were with who we are becoming.
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The United States of Amnesia
Welcome to The United States of Amnesia, a podcast exploring the lessons we've forgotten, misunderstood, or never learned. We examine history, politics, and religion beyond the myths and oversimplifications, connecting past and present to better understand the world we live in, and the one we're shaping.
New episodes every other Wednesday. Explore our blog for sources and episode materials, leave a review, and stay up to date on what's coming next.
Recent
Sept. 30, 2026
The U.S. and Iran: What Went Wrong? - The Third Way
Intelligence professional and Substack author Sharon Bibee joins us for this episode, which kicks off our new series "The U.S. and Iran: What Went Wrong." We begin with a discussion of the U.S. response to events in what was then Qajar Persia from 1800 to 1920, a time when Iran was a pawn in the struggle for dominance in the region between the British and Russia Empires. American missionaries play a positive role in our story, and we meet two Americans -- missionary and teacher Howard Baskervill
Sept. 30, 2026
"Redacted No More" by Sharon Bibee on Substack
Sharon Bibee joins us for our latest series, "The U.S. and Iran: What Went Wrong." For more from Sharon, read her column, "Redacted No More," in which she explores history, politics, travel, culture, and whatever else sparks her curiosity. You can f…
Sept. 30, 2026
Upcoming Episodes!
Episode 502: "Meet the Pahlavis" (coming October 14!) As we discuss the events of 1920 to 1953, we see Reza Pahlavi become the Shah of Iran as Reza Shah, establishing the Pahlavi dynasty. With the United Kingdom and Soviet Union still eying his coun…
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Sept. 29, 2026
The U.S. and Iran: What Went Wrong? - The Third Way
Intelligence professional and Substack author Sharon Bibee joins us for this episode, which kicks off our new series "The U.S. and Iran: What Went Wrong." We begin with a discussion of the U.S. response to events in what was then Qajar Persia from 1800 to 1920, a time when Iran was a pawn in the struggle for dominance in the region between the British and Russia Empires. American missionaries play a positive role in our story, and we meet two Americans -- missionary and teacher Howard Baskervill
Sept. 23, 2026
Population Expansion Under Internal Improvements
The map below features 4 snapshots of the American population and density from 1790 (Top Left) 1800, 1810, and 1820. This is immediately before the country invested heavily in domestic transportation infrastructure, to connect to their massive terri…
Sept. 23, 2026
Internal Improvements: A Look Back
When John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay talked about “Internal Improvements” and the “American System” in the 1820s, they were imagining an America that did not really exist yet, and was very difficult for most to conceptualize. The country had enormo…
Sept. 23, 2026
Gilding The Lily
From an A-Cup to a D Cup and in Gold! 'Great nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts: the book of their deeds, their words and their art.” John Ruskin “St Mark’s Rest: A History of Venice” (1885) One of the more outrageous “improv…
Sept. 16, 2026
403: Internal Improvements - Enter Lincoln
For obvious reasons, Abraham Lincoln's presidency is best remembered for his emancipation of America's slaves, determination to preserve the Union in the face of Southern secession, and leadership in the American Civil War. But an often-overlooked aspect of his administration was its promotion of the United States Government as an active, positive actor in such matters as infrastructure improvement and economic affairs. In this conclusion to the series, Marshall leads our discussion of how the f
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