To break our cycle of chaos, we need to understand how we got here.
Sean’s Monologue: Free Speech Arrests Via Anti-Terrorism Laws
Our guest today is Matthew Warshauer, professor of history at Central Connecticut State University and author of the book Creating and Failing the 9/11 Generation: The Real Story of September 11. Matthew begins the interview by talking about the history of the 9/11 attacks and how the aftermath of this event affected Generation Z, more aptly called “The 9/11 Generation.”
Matthew goes on to talk about The Patriot Act, George W. Bush’s infamous “Axis of Evil” State of the Union Address, and other American reactions to 9/11 that blew our nation’s opportunity to improve international relations at a time when the whole world was reaching out to embrace us. He and Sean discuss what led up to the 9/11 attacks and Matthew shares the current reactions of his university students when they read the Declaration of Jihad. Do other countries have a right to exist and to reasonably defend themselves? How does the US project its power? How does “othering” and xenophobia fuel the extreme right?
Matthew shares the story behind writing his book and talks about the tightrope of examining such a difficult topic with honesty, but also with respect for the American people who were harmed in so many ways. His book strives to delve past “the tragedy and triumph narrative of 9/11” which only covers what Matthew refers to as the “102 minutes” – from the time that the first plane struck the first tower to the time when that tower fell – which is only a small fraction of the full story.
Sean and Matthew talk about the pervasive distrust that young people feel toward government, the upcoming presidential election, and how the Republican Party will look after Trump - ultimately ending the conversation on an optimistic note for the future.
To learn more about Matthew Warshauser, his books, and his fantastic Halloween decorations, visit: www.themindfulprofessor.org
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.