Arsenal for Democracy
A casual material history of the United States.
Episodes
Oct 15, 2023: After a dozen years, this show is ending. But it’s for some very cool and exciting reasons described herein, and we would love to hear from our loyal listeners as we bid this project farewell and move on to new things.
The post Update for Our Listeners appeared first on Arsenal For Democracy.
Unlocked from our Patreon (paused this summer): Bill and Rachel discuss Louis F. Post, an early Assistant US Labor Secretary with some radical leanings, who ended up blocking thousands of post-WWI deportations. Links and notes for ep. 379 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Bonus-AFD-Ep-379-Links-and-Notes-Louis-F-Post.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
Unlocked from our Patreon (paused this summer): Bill and Rachel discuss the present-day influences of the momentous 1920 US Census, which grappled with trends in urbanization and the recent breakup of several major home countries of immigrants. Links and notes for ep. 375 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Bonus-AFD-Ep-375-The-1920-Census.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
The post [Unlocked] May 18, 2021 ...
Unlocked from our Patreon (on pause this summer): Bill and Rachel take a look at the Alien Registration (Smith) Act of 1940, still on the books today, which prohibits advocating the violent overthrow of the US government. Links and notes for ep. 371 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Bonus-AFD-Ep-371-Links-and-Notes-The-Alien-Registration-Act-_-Smith-Act-of-1940.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
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Unlocked from our Patreon (on pause this summer): Bill and Rachel discuss the failed IWW strike at the Port of Los Angeles in 1923, including Upton Sinclair getting arrested and the Klan menacing strikers. Links and notes for ep. 361 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Bonus-AFD-Ep-361-Links-and-Notes-1923-San-Pedro-Maritime-Strike.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
The post [Unlocked] Mar 23, 2021 – The 19...
Unlocked from our Patreon (on pause this summer): Bill and Rachel discuss dropped ceilings and the rise and fall of the mid-century office. It’s an area that could probably use some academic study. Links and notes for ep. 355 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Bonus-AFD-Ep-355-Links-and-Notes-Dropped-Ceilings.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
The post [Unlocked] Mar 2, 2021 – Dropped Ceilings – Arsenal Fo...
A mini-episode from Bill and Rachel on how a major defense contract led to the iconic KitchenAid stand mixer, followed by some announcements about the podcast for the summer months ahead. Links and notes for ep. 471 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/AFD-Ep-471-Links-and-Notes-KitchenAid-Mini-episode.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
The post May 28, 2023 – KitchenAid – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 471 appea...
150 years ago, in May 1873, work began on developing the breakthrough design for mass-produced barbed wire, with wide-ranging (pun intended) implications for agriculture, society, and warfare. Links and notes for ep. 470 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/AFD-Ep-470-Links-and-Notes-Barbed-Wire.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
The post May 14, 2023 – Barbed Wire – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 470 appeared fi...
After a quick chat about the ongoing 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, we look back at a few of the noteworthy strikes in Hollywood of years past. (Bill and Rachel) Links and notes for ep. 469 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/AFD-Ep-469-Links-and-Notes-Hollywood-Strikes.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
The post May 7, 2023 – Hollywood Strikes – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 469 appeared first on Arsena...
This week we are talking about the field of home economics or domestic science. Was it really a science? To what extent was it a marketing exercise? Can it ever really overcome its founding racist and classist overtones? Does home economics even exist anymore? Links and note for ep. 468 … Read more
The post Apr 30, 2023 – Home Economics/Domestic Science – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 468 appeared first on Arsenal For Democracy.
The non-profit Council on Books in Wartime (from US publishers) during World War II single-handedly made a bunch of books like The Great Gatsby into major American texts by providing specialized paperback copies free to the troops. (Bill and Rachel) Links and notes for ep. 467 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/AFD-Ep-467-Links-and-Notes-Council-on-Books-in-Wartime.pdf Theme music … Read more
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From 1934 to 1936, the US Senate’s Nye Committee examined the role of the private defense industry (and capitalism more broadly) in fomenting global conflict and dragging the US into WWI. (Bill and Rachel) Links and notes for ep. 466 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/AFD-Ep-466-Links-and-Notes-The-Nye-Committee.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
The post Apr 15, 2023 – The Nye Committee – Arsenal For Demo...
The recent failure of Silicon Valley Bank and federal intervention to protect its previously uninsured accounts has brought renewed focus to Federal Deposit Insurance. Contrary to popular belief, it was not part of the New Deal and was not championed by FDR. (Bill and Rachel) Links and notes for ep. … Read more
The post Apr 9, 2023 – Federal Deposit Insurance – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 465 appeared first on Arsenal For Democracy.
The failed anthracite coal mine workers strike of 1887-88 in eastern Pennsylvania illustrates some of the fault lines and contradictions within capitalism and highlight some of the ways our 21st century economy is devolving back toward older patterns. (Bill and Rachel) Links and notes for ep. 464 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/AFD-Ep-464-Links-and-Notes-Anthracite-Coal-Strike-of-1887-88.pdf Theme …...
Unlocked from our Patreon: Have you ever wondered what the absolute peak example of neoliberal policy is? Bill and Rachel submit to you that it might be the tradable Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) in effect since 1986. Links and notes for ep. 381 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Bonus-AFD-Ep-381-Links-and-Notes-The-Low-Income-Housing-Tax-Credits-of-1986.pdf Theme music by Stunt … Read more
Unlocked from our Patreon: Bill and Rachel discuss the Red Ark (or Soviet Ark) deportations of Russian-born American anarchists in 1919. (Don’t miss our two part series from 2019 on American anarchist history!) Links and notes for ep. 377 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Bonus-AFD-Ep-377-Links-and-Notes-The-Red-Ark.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
At the start of the 20th century, eccentric inventor and utopian theorist King C. Gillette developed the disposable blade for safety razors, launching one of the most influential, trend-setting American corporations of all time, for good or ill. (Bill and Rachel) Links and notes for ep. 463 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/AFD-Ep-463-Links-and-Notes-Gillette.pdf Theme … Read more
The post Mar 12, 202...
150 years ago last week, on March 3rd, 1873, the Comstock Laws on obscenity, including birth control and abortion supplies or information, became part of the US Criminal Code. (Bill and Rachel.) Links and notes for ep. 462 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/AFD-Ep-462-Links-and-Notes-March-1873_-Comstock-Laws.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
The post March 1873: The Comstock Laws – Arsenal For Democracy ...
In 1972, some employees made a leveraged buyout of the Chicago and North Western Railway and re-branded it as “Employee-Owned.” The reality was much more complicated and reveals a lot about railroading and American capitalism generally in the 1970s and 1980s. (Bill and Rachel) Links and notes for ep. 461 … Read more
The post The “Employee-Owned” Chicago and North Western Railway: Hype vs Reality – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 461 appe...
A quick look at the evolution of car starter and ignition technology, from hand-crank disasters to viral video car theft trends. (Bill and Rachel.) Links and notes for ep. 460 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/AFD-Ep-460-Links-and-Notes-Car-Starters-and-Ignitions.pdf Theme music by Stunt Bird.
The post Feb 20, 2023 – Car Starters and Ignitions – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 460 appeared first on Arsenal ...
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