My History Can Beat Up Your Politics

Latest Episodes:

THE ARK OF COMMERCE - MAKE IT STOP (Stopping Commerce with Embargoes, Takeovers and Other Methods)- Feb 03, 2025

Show notes

In our series on American commerce, a look at three instances of when U.S. commerce was stopped, for a variety of reasons. The embargo of 1807 is an important part of the Presidency of Thomas Jefferson, not often examined in detailed compared to other events. It brought serious economic problems, but was held up by Jefferson as an experiment by a peaceful power. We also examine his Treasury Secretary Gallatin, who had to implement the plan.

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NIXON AND IMPOUNDMENT, NOT SPENDING FUNDS, CONGRESS AND COURTS Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

In the 1970's a President, seeking to reduce inflation, tried a new tactic. Simply not spending the money that congress appropriated. OK, it wasn't entirely new, but it had been used in defense spending after the war where demand was needed or in very small amounts. This was billions of collars.

As we discuss impoundment could be considered unfair - because a President could technically pass nice sounding bills and then later, kill the funding, thus getting credit for the good image of legislation without having to execute.

As President Trump is using a similar technique, we look at impoundment and what Congress did in reaction (myriad steps from creating a new Budget Office to legislation to monitoring like hawks, to going to the press). We also look at the Supreme Court.

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THE ARK OF COMMERCE: MEASURE EVERYTHING Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

Business must be measured. An unknown man in a forgotten office develops a number that makes and breaks Presidents. A poet turns his song away from beautiful pastures and towards a metal object. Two 19th century men tire themselves out making machines. They can't know their work will one day put us on the Moon And a man tries to invent an un-commerce, but may have built the 21st century economy instead. In the fifth episode of our series on American commerce, we look at the appraisal and measuring and counting of business.

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THE ARK OF COMMERCE - DOLLARS IN THE AIR Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

Air commerce is covered in this episode. Not only those airship vehicles that imitate naval travel in the skies, which seemed to be the future of travel. But also, putting waves into the air and changing the air's temperature. Plus, building large buildings that touch the sky.

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THE ARK OF COMMERCE: SHOPPING WITH MRS. LINCOLN Jan 06, 2025

Show notes

The history of American retail, from Mrs. Lincoln's shopping trips and the innovator who accommodated her, to the price salvationists and tea servers, and finally the Socialist concept that gets the shopping mall going, and the possible death of the shopping mall. Plus the movies, and more.

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ARK OF COMMERCE: LOCO -A HISTORY OF LAND COMMERCE Jan 03, 2025

Show notes

A mysterious crash. A strange contraption. A fateful race, an outbreak of violent activity and a crafty watch-seller. A look at the railroad history of America and the changes the railroad brought.

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THE ARK OF COMMERCE: TERRIBLE TUESDAY 1987 ("It Was Almost as Bad as Black Monday") THE ARK OF COMMERCE Dec 27, 2024

Show notes

For Wall Street Insiders, Black Monday was not the worst day. The next day, Terrible Tuesday was an agonizing test of the financial system. As part of our series on the commercial history of the United States, we examine the events of Tuesday the 20th. And we look at the history of insurance in America, the reasons there is a stock market, what was learned and not learned from 1987 and a few other things. A Note - We are pleased to be part of the Airwave Media Network.

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THE ARK OF COMMERCE - IF BY SEA Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

Water commerce. A unique boat is built to overcome a powerful challenge in interstate water commerce. a revolution is fed by fish. A writer turns commerce into words. A well known Revolutionary figure finds an agreeable industry, while young workers take a stand. A new high tech monopoly is broken, and a young boy gets his dream.

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ARK OF COMMERCE: BLACK MONDAY Dec 19, 2024

Show notes

What's the stock market crash of 1987 got to do with the price of eggs/ Plenty, in a historical context. We look at the infamous crash of 1987 and how the computers did not save us. Nor did insurance which has a lot do with eggs, and eggs have a lot do with feeding Americans and making Americans a little money, and they have a lot do with needing markets - and sophisticated markets - so we'll talk about that.

Those who listened to this series in 2019 may notice that I am changing the order. With time, i've found placing the two stock market crashes together works. In the fourth episode of the revised order, we'll get to the next day of the crash - Terrible Tuesday.

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THE "ARK" OF COMMERCE - CRASH PARTY 1929 Dec 17, 2024

Show notes

We are replaying our series on American business history with an eye to its inseparable effect on politics. In this look at American commercial history we discuss the Black Thursday Stock market crash, the early career of Thomas Edison, how a popular game evolved from a anticorporate activist, and how Wall Street was once in Philadelphia, so to speak.

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