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StocktonAfterClass

334 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 39 ratings

Ron Stockton was a professor of political science at the University of Michigan-Dearborn for 48 years. His specialty was non-western politics and political change. He taught classes on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Religion and Politics, the Politics of Revolution, Non-Western politics, and American politics. He also taught in the Honors Program, focusing upon foundational readings from the 18th and 19th centuries. He has an interest in religion and politics and in the role of religio-ethnic groups in the political system. The listener can anticipate talks on Arab-Americans, Jews, African-Americans, the Scots-Irish, and Evangelicals. He has lectured and written on American politics, public opinion, and voting behavior and on the role of religious organizations and ideologies in the political system. There will be occasional discussions of books and films that address serious issues. And he has lectured and published and even taught a class on gravestones, especially those of different ethnic and religious groups such as Muslims, African-Americans, Jews, and Native Americans. The goal of the podcast series is to provide analysis and commentary by a political scientist to explain and make accessible political, historical, and cultural developments in the United States and around the world, and to give the listener analytical tools to understand those developments. It is also to entertain the listener.

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Episodes

An English Vacation in the Lake District: Meeting the Queen (well, almost), Visiting Wordsworth's Grave and a Stone Circle, and Climbing the Mighty Helvelyn

September 01, 2021 11:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MB

This podcast is just for fun.  It is about a vacation we took in England, in the Lake District.  We went with our dear German friend, Sibylle Laurischk.  It was a special vacation.  We met the Queen.  (Well, sort of.  She came while we were there and we were able to see her and Princess Anne).  We also climbed the mighty Helvelyn and avenged an earlier defeat when we had tried to climb it,  and failed.  We also learned the story of the Faithful Dog, who, as it turns out, was not all that fai...

An English Vacation in the Lake District: Meeting the Queen (well, almost), Visiting Wordsworth's Grave and a Stone Circle, and Climbing The Mighty Helvelyn

September 01, 2021 11:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MB

This podcast is just for fun.  It is about a vacation we took in England, in the Lake District.  We went with our dear German friend, Sibylle Laurischk.  It was a special vacation.  We met the Queen.  (Well, sort of.  She came while we were there and we were able to see her and Princess Anne).  We also climbed the mighty Helvelyn and avenged an earlier defeat when we had tried to climb it,  and failed.  We also learned the story of the Faithful Dog, who, as it turns out, was not all that fai...

Afghanistan: A Background Briefing

August 26, 2021 20:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MB

Afghanistan:  A Background Briefing  This is the first podcast Briefing, focusing upon something in the headlines.  I would often do briefings such as this in a class, when some major event occurred.  Some of those classroom briefings were fairly short, maybe 15 minutes.  Others would last over an hour.   Students liked these.  The briefings linked analysis with the headlines.  The goal of this podcast is to give you some context for what is happening in Afghanistan.  My version of context...

Afghanistan: A Background Briefing

August 26, 2021 20:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MB

Afghanistan:  A Background Briefing  This is the first podcast Briefing, focusing upon something in the headlines.  I would often do briefings such as this in a class, when some major event occurred.  Some of those classroom briefings were fairly short, maybe 15 minutes.  Others would last over an hour.   Students liked these.  The briefings linked analysis with the headlines.  The goal of this podcast is to give you some context for what is happening in Afghanistan.  My version of context...

Religion and Politics 8. Marx on Religion. Not What You Think

August 24, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 52.3 MB

Marx on Religion   In my class on Religion and Politics, I had three lectures on the Marxian model.  One was on Marx’s view of religion; one was how Marx analyzed the situation of the Jews in Europe; and one was on a fascinating person named Abram Leon.  He was a Zionist and a Trotskyite.  In 1944 he wrote a book trying to make sense of what was happening to the Jews in Europe.   If you are seriously interested in this analysis, then these three talks are made for you.  I think they are fa...

Religion and Politics 8. Marx on Religion. Not What You Think

August 24, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 52.3 MB

Marx on Religion   In my class on Religion and Politics, I had three lectures on the Marxian model.  One was on Marx’s view of religion; one was how Marx analyzed the situation of the Jews in Europe; and one was on a fascinating person named Abram Leon.  He was a Zionist and a Trotskyite.  In 1944 he wrote a book trying to make sense of what was happening to the Jews in Europe.   If you are seriously interested in this analysis, then these three talks are made for you.  I think they are fa...

Religion and Politics 6. Marx on Religion. Not What You Think

August 24, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 52.3 MB

Marx on Religion   In my class on Religion and Politics, I had three lectures on the Marxian model.  One was on Marx’s view of religion; one was how Marx analyzed the situation of the Jews in Europe; and one was on a fascinating person named Abram Leon.  He was a Zionist and a Trotskyite.  In 1944 he wrote a book trying to make sense of what was happening to the Jews in Europe.   If you are seriously interested in this analysis, then these three talks are made for you.  I think they are fa...

A Black President. Thoughts the Day After Obama's Election, 2008.

August 15, 2021 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MB

Reflections on Obama’s Election.  The Day After For someone of my generation, it was hard to believe that we would ever have a Black President.  And then we had one.  I realized that this was a historic event and decided I should put my thoughts down in writing.  These are reflections written the day after that amazing election.  They are very personal, especially about my engagement with race and racism, and how that evolved over time.  But these thoughts are also analytical.  I try to do ...

A Black President. Thoughts the Day After Obama's Election, 2008.

August 15, 2021 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MB

Reflections on Obama’s Election.  The Day After For someone of my generation, it was hard to believe that we would ever have a Black President.  And then we had one.  I realized that this was a historic event and decided I should put my thoughts down in writing.  These are reflections written the day after that amazing election.  They are very personal, especially about my engagement with race and racism, and how that evolved over time.  But these thoughts are also analytical.  I try to do ...

The Satanic Verses: Salman Rushdie, Ayatollah Khomeini, and the Fatwa to Kill Rushdie

August 09, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 49.5 MB

Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie Salman Rushdie is one of the great English language literary figures.  He has won the Brooker Prize for the best Novel in English and was a finalist twice.  The focus of this talk is on the Rushdie novel, the Islamic traditions around the most controversial passages, comparisons with Christian traditions, and the reaction of Ayatollah Khomeini.  But a core focus is upon how we interpret texts, especially religious texts.  Consider an incident in the gospel...

The Satanic Verses: Salman Rushdie, Ayatollah Khomeini, and the Fatwa to Kill Rushdie

August 09, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 49.5 MB

Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie Salman Rushdie is one of the great English language literary figures.  He has won the Brooker Prize for the best Novel in English and was a finalist twice.  The focus of this talk is on the Rushdie novel, the Islamic traditions around the most controversial passages, comparisons with Christian traditions, and the reaction of Ayatollah Khomeini.  But a core focus is upon how we interpret texts, especially religious texts.  Consider an incident in the gospel...

Six Months and Counting. A Report to Podcast Listeners

August 06, 2021 18:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MB

Six Months of Stocktonafterclass, and Counting. August 6, 2021 is the six month anniversary of the beginning of this podcast series.  This is a short description of how this podcast got started, the philosophy and approach of the series,  some of the themes followed, and some data on the downloads, including where they are occurring.   There is also a discussion of feedback, including one very positive and one not.  Thanks for your interest in this series.  It is far more fun and far mor...

Six Months and Counting. A Report to Podcast Listeners

August 06, 2021 18:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MB

Six Months of Stocktonafterclass, and Counting. August 6, 2021 is the six month anniversary of the beginning of this podcast series.  This is a short description of how this podcast got started, the philosophy and approach of the series,  some of the themes followed, and some data on the downloads, including where they are occurring.   There is also a discussion of feedback, including one very positive and one not.  Thanks for your interest in this series.  It is far more fun and far mor...

Gilead. My Favorite Novel. Suggestion: Listen to the podcast, then read the book.

August 02, 2021 14:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MB

My favorite novel is Gilead by Marilynn Robinson.  It is up there in my pantheon with Les Miserables and Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters.  Spoon River Anthology is a dialogue from the grave, short one-page, free-verse statements from the deceased about their lives.  After a while you realize they are interacting with each other, in death as they did in life.  It is one of the most creative books I have ever read.  All three of these are books I have read more than once.  Each time...

Gilead. My Favorite Novel. Suggestion: Listen to the podcast, then read the book.

August 02, 2021 14:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MB

My favorite novel is Gilead by Marilynn Robinson.  It is up there in my pantheon with Les Miserables and Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters.  Spoon River Anthology is a dialogue from the grave, short one-page, free-verse statements from the deceased about their lives.  After a while you realize they are interacting with each other, in death as they did in life.  It is one of the most creative books I have ever read.  All three of these are books I have read more than once.  Each time...

Black Political Leaders. A Profile of Nine Different Personalities and Nine Different Styles

July 29, 2021 15:00 - 41 minutes - 28.4 MB

Black Political Leaders                      There are two talks on Black leadership, one on Political Leaders, one on Intellectual Leaders.  This is the talk on Political Leaders.   The focus is upon nine key leaders.  There are others who are worthy of inclusion. I thought of Rosa Parks, far more significant than the demeaning image as a simple woman with tired feet who sat down rather than stand. Parks was a defiant activist who moved to Detroit to keep from being assassinated.  Without ...

Black Political Leaders. A Profile of Nine Different Personalities and Nine Different Styles

July 29, 2021 15:00 - 41 minutes - 28.4 MB

Black Political Leaders                      There are two talks on Black leadership, one on Political Leaders, one on Intellectual Leaders.  This is the talk on Political Leaders.   The focus is upon nine key leaders.  There are others who are worthy of inclusion. I thought of Rosa Parks, far more significant than the demeaning image as a simple woman with tired feet who sat down rather than stand. Parks was a defiant activist who moved to Detroit to keep from being assassinated.  Without ...

When Ron met Jane. A Story of Courtship in the 1960s

July 25, 2021 19:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MB

When our 50th anniversary rolled around, I decided to write up a reflection on how we came to become a couple.  That occurred back in the 1960s when dating practices were a bit different from today, to say the least.  I wrote this with an idea of entertaining my family members.  I also shared it with friends and colleagues and even with some students.  Most people thought it was worth their time.  I hope you also find it worth your time.  For those who didn't catch the joke, the title is bo...

When Ron met Jane. A Story of Courtship in the 1960s

July 25, 2021 19:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MB

When our 50th anniversary rolled around, I decided to write up a reflection on how we came to become a couple.  That occurred back in the 1960s when dating practices were a bit different from today, to say the least.  I wrote this with an idea of entertaining my family members.  I also shared it with friends and colleagues and even with some students.  Most people thought it was worth their time.  I hope you also find it worth your time.  For those who didn't catch the joke, the title is bo...

Religion and Politics 7. Osama bin Laden's 1996 Declaration of War on the United States.

July 20, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 54.3 MB

Osama issued two declarations of war on the United States, one in 1996 and one in 1998.  The one in 1996 was more lengthy and more filled with passion.  The one in 1998 was in the name of a collection of leaders, some of whom were religious leaders.  Both were called "fatwa," a term much misunderstood to most Americans.  A fatwa is a an advisory opinion by a religious leader explaining how to apply a principal of faith in a specific situation.  I recently saw an opinion by a local religious ...

Religion and Politics 7. Osama bin Laden's 1996 Declaration of War on the United States.

July 20, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 54.3 MB

Osama issued two declarations of war on the United States, one in 1996 and one in 1998.  The one in 1996 was more lengthy and more filled with passion.  The one in 1998 was in the name of a collection of leaders, some of whom were religious leaders.  Both were called "fatwa," a term much misunderstood to most Americans.  A fatwa is a an advisory opinion by a religious leader explaining how to apply a principal of faith in a specific situation.  I recently saw an opinion by a local religious ...

Israeli-Palestine Conflict 20: The Holocaust

July 14, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 41.9 MB

The Holocaust was an effort by the Nazi government to exterminate the total Jewish population of Europe.  It is a form of genocide but perhaps the most extreme form of genocide.  There is a separate talk on that topic which you can listen to if you wish.   This talk will walk you through the Holocaust in eight steps.  There is nothing in this talk that is meant to be argumentative.  There are complex issues upon which serious scholars may disagree.  There are also points upon which there is...

Israeli-Palestine Conflict 20: The Holocaust. Eight Key Points

July 14, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 41.9 MB

The Holocaust was an effort by the Nazi government to exterminate the total Jewish population of Europe.  It is a form of genocide but perhaps the most extreme form of genocide.  There is a separate talk on that topic which you can listen to if you wish.   This talk will walk you through the Holocaust in eight steps.  There is nothing in this talk that is meant to be argumentative.  There are complex issues upon which serious scholars may disagree.  There are also points upon which there is...

Religion and Politics 6. The Catholic Church. Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask. .

July 09, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 42.8 MB

Background to Catholicism.  Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask. This is an introduction to the Catholic Church.  We start at 1868 when Italy became a country and the pope was stripped of his “temporal” power, i.e., he stopped being the ruler of a state.  He got very irritated and renounced the very existence of Italy and Germany.  Not good.  The Church shifted to a very right wing position during those decades.  This withdrawal from the world was reversed in 1891 with the...

Religion and Politics 6. The Catholic Church. Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask. .

July 09, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 42.8 MB

Background to Catholicism.  Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask. This is an introduction to the Catholic Church.  We start at 1868 when Italy became a country and the pope was stripped of his “temporal” power, i.e., he stopped being the ruler of a state.  He got very irritated and renounced the very existence of Italy and Germany.  Not good.  The Church shifted to a very right wing position during those decades.  This withdrawal from the world was reversed in 1891 with the...

Black Intellectual Leaders

July 06, 2021 04:00 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MB

Black Intellectual leaders .    Because I think race is the single most critical and most divisive issue in American politics, I always included a unit on Black politics in my course on American government.  And in my course on Revolution.   And in my Honors course.  The approaches in these three courses were very different but they all followed a theme:  resistance to injustice.     There are two podcasts on Black leaders. One is on Political leaders, one on intellectual leaders.  This is...

Black Intellectual Leaders

July 06, 2021 04:00 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MB

Black Intellectual leaders .    Because I think race is the single most critical and most divisive issue in American politics, I always included a unit on Black politics in my course on American government.  And in my course on Revolution.   And in my Honors course.  The approaches in these three courses were very different but they all followed a theme:  resistance to injustice.     There are two podcasts on Black leaders. One is on Political leaders, one on intellectual leaders.  This is...

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 19. Paradigm Lost by Ian Lustick. Why Israel threw away the possibility of a Two-State Solution.

July 01, 2021 02:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MB

Ian Lustick is a prominent political scientist at the University of Pennsylvania.  He is known for his analysis of intractable conflicts:  South Africa, Algeria, Northern Ireland, and Israel-Palestine. I discussed some of his ideas in the podcast on The Black Swan.    In his book Paradigm Lost Lustick discusses why the option of a two-state solution is no longer possible.  He says there is now a single state reality containing Israel and Palestine.   He also discusses how Israeli thinking ...

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 19. Paradigm Lost by Ian Lustick. Why Israel threw away the possibility of a Two-State Solution.

July 01, 2021 02:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MB

Ian Lustick is a prominent political scientist at the University of Pennsylvania.  He is known for his analysis of intractable conflicts:  South Africa, Algeria, Northern Ireland, and Israel-Palestine. I discussed some of his ideas in the podcast on The Black Swan.    In his book Paradigm Lost Lustick discusses why the option of a two-state solution is no longer possible.  He says there is now a single state reality containing Israel and Palestine.   He also discusses how Israeli thinking ...

Religion and Politics 5. Background to Osama bin Laden and his Declaration of War on the U. S.

June 26, 2021 03:00 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MB

This is part one of a two part lecture on Osama bin Laden. Part Two  will focus on his Declaration of War on the United States (1996).  Osama issued two Declarations of War, in 1996 and in 1998.  The second was called a “fatwa.” Both are available on the internet.  I suggest that you download the 1996 declaration so you can follow along as we discuss it.     My goal is to show bin Laden’s background and view of world conflict.  I am not arguing with him.   I tell students that if their think...

Religion and Politics 5. Background to Osama bin Laden and his Declaration of War (Jihad) on the U. S.

June 26, 2021 03:00 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MB

This is part one of a two part lecture on Osama bin Laden. Part Two  will focus on his Declaration of War on the United States (1996).  Osama issued two Declarations of War, in 1996 and in 1998.  The second was called a “fatwa.” Both are available on the internet.  I suggest that you download the 1996 declaration. so you can follow along as we discuss it.     My goal is to show bin Laden’s background and view of world conflict.  I was not arguing with him.   I told students that if their thi...

Religion and Politics 5. Background to Osama bin Laden and his Declaration of War on the U. S.

June 26, 2021 03:00 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MB

This is part one of a two part lecture on Osama bin Laden. Part Two  will focus on his Declaration of War on the United States (1996).  Osama issued two Declarations of War, in 1996 and in 1998.  The second was called a “fatwa.” Both are available on the internet.  I suggest that you download the 1996 declaration so you can follow along as we discuss it.     My goal is to show bin Laden’s background and view of world conflict.  I am not arguing with him.   I tell students that if their think...

Pete Seeger, one of the great protest singers, and what happened when he sang "Knee Deep in The Big Muddy" on national television just after the Tet Offensive

June 21, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.56 MB

Pete Seeger was one of the great social justice protest singers.  His songs ("If I had a hammer" for example) were legendary.  Pete believed that music could change societies.  He never gave up, even during the long period of time when he was blacklisted.  Then in 1968 he appeared on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and introduced a new anti-Vietnam war song.  It was "Knee deep in the Big Muddy."  This is the story of Pete's life, and of what happened when he sang that song on the Number On...

Pete Seeger, one of the great protest singers, and what happened when he sang "Knee Deep in The Big Muddy" on national television just after the Tet Offensive

June 21, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.56 MB

Pete Seeger was one of the great social justice protest singers.  His songs ("If I had a hammer" for example) were legendary.  Pete believed that music could change societies.  He never gave up, even during the long period of time when he was blacklisted.  Then in 1968 he appeared on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and introduced a new anti-Vietnam war song.  It was "Knee deep in the Big Muddy."  This is the story of Pete's life, and of what happened when he sang that song on the Number On...

Religion and Politics 4. The Book of Daniel. A Biblical Critique of Religious Uprisings.

June 18, 2021 15:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MB

The Book of Daniel was written about the same time as Maccabees II.  It would be best to listen to the Maccabees podcast before this one.  Remember that Maccabees II was a response to the Maccabees uprising, described in Maccabees I.  Daniel was placed in a much earlier time to conceal its contents as not being contemporary, even though it was.  This was a time when the literary style of the day was filled with poetry and metaphors and mystical symbolism.  For example, a domestic animal such...

Religion and Politics 4. The Book of Daniel. A Biblical Critique of Religious Uprising.

June 18, 2021 15:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MB

The Book of Daniel was written about the same time as Maccabees II.  It would be best to listen to the Maccabees podcast before this one.  Remember that Maccabees II was a response to the Maccabees uprising, described in Maccabees I.  Daniel was placed in a much earlier time to conceal its contents as not being contemporary, even though it was.  This was a time when the literary style of the day was filled with poetry and metaphors and mystical symbolism.  For example, a domestic animal such...

Religion and Politics 4. The Book of Daniel. A Biblical Critique of Religious Uprisings.

June 18, 2021 15:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MB

The Book of Daniel was written about the same time as Maccabees II.  It would be best to listen to the Maccabees podcast before this one.  Remember that Maccabees II was a response to the Maccabees uprising, described in Maccabees I.  Daniel was placed in a much earlier time to conceal its contents as not being contemporary, even though it was.  This was a time when the literary style of the day was filled with poetry and metaphors and mystical symbolism.  For example, a domestic animal such...

Religion and Politics 3. The Maccabees Uprising

June 12, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 58.8 MB

The Maccabees Uprising . 167-160 B. C.  In my class on Religion and Politics I had students study two uprisings rooted in religious communities.  One was the Maccabeean uprising against the Seleucid Empire and the other was Osama bin Laden.  This podcast is on the Maccabees.  There will soon be a podcast on Osama bin Laden. Thinking of these two uprisings in comparative and analytical terms, leaving aside your preferences, yields valuable insights.  A word about these texts.  The word “can...

Religion and Politics 3. The Maccabees Uprising

June 12, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 58.8 MB

The Maccabees Uprising . 167-160 B. C.  In my class on Religion and Politics I had students study two uprisings rooted in religious communities.  One was the Maccabeean uprising against the Seleucid Empire and the other was Osama bin Laden.  This podcast is on the Maccabees.  There will soon be a podcast on Osama bin Laden. Thinking of these two uprisings in comparative and analytical terms, leaving aside your preferences, yields valuable insights.  A word about these texts.  The word “can...

How to Write. Lessons Learned Along the Way

June 09, 2021 12:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MB

Somehow I went from being an 18-year-old writing instructor’s nightmare to a being a good writer.  There were a lot of steps along the way to that achievement, not all of them easy.   In this podcast, I am going to share some of my struggles, and my secrets, with you.  I always told my students that writing was a skill that one could learn.   I have seen students go from C to B in a few months after they adopted some of these ideas, so I know what I am saying.   When I was teaching in Kenya...

How to Write. Lessons Learned Along the Way

June 09, 2021 12:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MB

Somehow I went from being an 18-year-old writing instructor’s nightmare to a being a good writer.  There were a lot of steps along the way to that achievement, not all of them easy.   In this podcast, I am going to share some of my struggles, and my secrets, with you.  I always told my students that writing was a skill that one could learn.   I have seen students go from C to B in a few months after they adopted some of these ideas, so I know what I am saying.   When I was teaching in Kenya...

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 18. Beirut's Sabra and Shatilla Massacre. Israel's Kahan Commission Report

June 06, 2021 19:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MB

In September, 1982, during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon,  the Israeli army took control  of West Beirut and the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Chatillah.  Bashir Gemayel, the leader of the Phalangist movement (Kataeb in Arabic), had just been assassinated.  He had supported the Israelis in their invasion, hoping to free his land of the PLO and of Syrian domination.  The individual convicted of the assassination was a Christian.  He claimed he had acted because of Gemayel’s support...

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 18. The Sabra and Shatilla Massacre. Israel's Kahan Commission Report

June 06, 2021 19:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MB

In September, 1982, during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon,  the Israeli army took control  of West Beirut and the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Chatillah.  Bashir Gemayel, the leader of the Phalangist movement (Kataeb in Arabic), had just been assassinated.  He had supported the Israelis in their invasion, hoping to free his land of the PLO and of Syrian domination.  The individual convicted of the assassination was a Christian.  He claimed he had acted because of Gemayel’s support...

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 18. Beirut's Sabra and Shatilla Massacre. Israel's Kahan Commission Report

June 06, 2021 19:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MB

In September, 1982, during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon,  the Israeli army took control  of West Beirut and the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Chatillah.  Bashir Gemayel, the leader of the Phalangist movement (Kataeb in Arabic), had just been assassinated.  He had supported the Israelis in their invasion, hoping to free his land of the PLO and of Syrian domination.  The individual convicted of the assassination was a Christian.  He claimed he had acted because of Gemayel’s support...

Lincoln's Greatest Speech. The Second Inaugural

June 06, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 42.6 MB

Abraham Lincoln delivered two speeches that are considered among the greatest ever delivered.  One was the Gettysburg Address and one was the Second Inaugural.  Most Americans consider the Gettysburg Address to be his greatest, but Lincoln believed his Second Inaugural was his best. I agree.  It changed the way Americans thought about their country.   This is a talk I delivered to a class in the fall of 2020.  They had in front of them the speech itself.  You should print out the speech bef...

Lincoln's Greatest Speech. The Second Inaugural

June 06, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 42.6 MB

Abraham Lincoln delivered two speeches that are considered among the greatest ever delivered.  One was the Gettysburg Address and one was the Second Inaugural.  Most Americans consider the Gettysburg Address to be his greatest, but Lincoln believed his Second Inaugural was his best. I agree.  It changed the way Americans thought about their country.   This is a talk I delivered to a class in the fall of 2020.  They had in front of them the speech itself.  You should print out the speech bef...

General William Westmoreland, U. S. Commander in Vietnam, 1964-1966.

May 28, 2021 00:00 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MB

In 1986 General Westmoreland visited the University of Michigan-Dearborn.  He had three events during the day.  One was a meeting with faculty and guests, which I chaired.  Another was a panel discussion and a third was a meeting with the public.   These are my observations and comments, written up just after the day's events.  

General William Westmoreland, U. S. Commander in Vietnam, 1964-1966.

May 28, 2021 00:00 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MB

In 1986 General Westmoreland visited the University of Michigan-Dearborn.  He had three events during the day.  One was a meeting with faculty and guests, which I chaired.  Another was a panel discussion and a third was a meeting with the public.   These are my observations and comments, written up just after the day's events.  

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 17. The Israeli Hard Right. the Kahanist Model

May 19, 2021 17:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MB

There are extremist group in Israel, even in the Knesset,  that trace their origins to Rabbi Meir Kahane.  Kahane was born in Brooklyn but moved to Israel and was elected to the Knesset.  He was later assassinated.  At the time, his views were considered shockingly extreme.  He was widely renounced by American Jews and by Israelis.   I heard Kahane speak twice in the Detroit area in the early 1980s.  I also read two of his books, Time to Go Home and They Must Go!  They were chilling  I also...

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 17. The Israeli Hard Right. the Kahanist Model

May 19, 2021 17:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MB

There are extremist group in Israel, even in the Knesset,  that trace their origins to Rabbi Meir Kahane.  Kahane was born in Brooklyn but moved to Israel and was elected to the Knesset.  He was later assassinated.  At the time, his views were considered shockingly extreme.  He was widely renounced by American Jews and by Israelis.   I heard Kahane speak twice in the Detroit area in the early 1980s.  I also read two of his books, Time to Go Home and They Must Go!  They were chilling  I also...