Welcome to The United States of Amnesia, a podcast bringing history to the present!

Videos

March 13, 2026

An Idealized U.S. View of China #shorts #podcast #history #china

An Idealized U.S. View of China #shorts #podcast #history #china

In an excerpt from Episode 205 — "The Soong Dynasty" — of the United States of America podcast series "Tea, Drugs, and Jesus," Mike provides a brief thesis of the series, outlining how the information given to the American people regarding China was romanticized and idealized time and time again.…

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March 13, 2026

Repeated U.S. Behavior in China #shorts #podcast #history #china

Repeated U.S. Behavior in China #shorts #podcast #history #china

In this excerpt from Episode 204 — "The Harmonious Fists" — of the United States of Amnesia podcast series "Tea, Drugs, and Jesus," Blake quotes historian Barbara Tuchman as he notes that the United States has persistently misunderstood China — and many other countries around the world. For much more,…

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March 12, 2026

The Trap of America First #podcast #shorts #history #politics #culture #podcastshorts

The Trap of America First #podcast #shorts #history #politics #culture #podcastshorts

In this excerpt from Episode 106 — "America First Part 6" — of the United States of Amnesia podcast series, Mike warns of the real meaning — and the dangers — of "America First." For much more, visit our YouTube channel @USAAmnesia and our Web site at www.usofamnesia.com. Email us…

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March 9, 2026

American Literature Misrepresenting China in 1912

American Literature Misrepresenting China in 1912

In this excerpt from Episode 205 - 'The Soong Dynasty,' Marshall gives us a personal example of misunderstanding and misinformation from his younger days, and a look into what resources were available and what information was being represented regarding the First Republic of China and its president, Sun Yat-sen. Listen…

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March 9, 2026

What was the perception of China like in the bulk of the 20th, if not into the 21st, century?

What was the perception of China like in the bulk of the 20th, if not into the 21st, century?

This excerpt from Episode 202 - Conflict Follows Trade sets the stage for the rest of the series. The perception of China by the outside world was based mostly on artwork: porcelain pots seemingly depicting everyday life, fanciful literature, because accurate information was in very short supply, and this initial…

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March 9, 2026

An Idealized View of China Reinforced by Roosevelt

An Idealized View of China Reinforced by Roosevelt

Mike provides a brief thesis of our series, 'Tea, Drugs, and Jesus,' in Episode 205, outlining how the information given to the American people regarding China was romanticized and idealized time and time again. Listen to the full episode and series on all major platforms; check us out on www.usofamnesia.com…

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March 9, 2026

Patterns of Repeated Behavior between the US and China

Patterns of Repeated Behavior between the US and China

An excerpt from Episode 204 - The Harmonious Fists that highlights one of the theses of our series on the history of America and China, 'Tea, Drugs, and Jesus.' China has often been the subject of misinformation and misunderstanding in American media throughout history, and the US approach to foreign…

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March 6, 2026

The Trap of "America First"

The Trap of "America First"

@USAAmnesia Mike wraps up our intellectual debate series on the history of "America First" with a solemn reminder of the dangers associated with this term and ideology that are often forgotten due to revisionist history. Check out our channel for the entire series on America First, an ongoing series on…

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March 4, 2026

206: Tea, Drugs, and Jesus - Vinegar Joe and the Generalissimo

206: Tea, Drugs, and Jesus - Vinegar Joe and the Generalissimo

Mike leads our discussion of the American experience in China during World War II. Chiang Kai-shek, Franklin Roosevelt, and General “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell are the central figures in this episode, which explores many aspects of the war's often-overlooked China-Burma-India Theater and introduces us to the Flying Tigers, the Burma Road,…

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Feb. 18, 2026

205: Tea, Drugs, and Jesus - The Soong Dynasty

205: Tea, Drugs, and Jesus - The Soong Dynasty

Marshall, Blake, and Mike discuss America’s view of China from the 1920s through the early 1940s and the strong influence Americans raised by missionaries in China, notably Henry Luce and Pearl Buck, had on that view. Chiang Kai-shek emerges as the leader of the Republic of China, and Americans contribute…

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Feb. 4, 2026

204: Tea, Drugs, and Jesus - The Harmonious Fists

204: Tea, Drugs, and Jesus - The Harmonious Fists

Mike walks us through the events of the Boxer Rebellion, a conflict in which Chinese rebels attempted to slaughter all foreigners and Chinese Christians in China. Marshall then explains how this drove missionaries into isolated compounds, from which they could look out on the Chinese — and judge them —…

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Jan. 21, 2026

203: Tea, Drugs, and Jesus - Rebellion Follows Faith

203: Tea, Drugs, and Jesus - Rebellion Follows Faith

As the Manchu dynasty weakens during the 19th century, U.S. missionaries arrive. Christian evangelization leads to the outbreak of the long, bloody, brutal, and genocidal Taiping Rebellion, whose leader claims to be the younger brother of Jesus, and (not for the last time) an American official gets fired for assessing…

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