Thu, 4 November 2021
Emma hosts Margaret MacMillan, historian and professor at the University of Toronto, to discuss her recent book War: How Conflict Shaped Us. Emma hosts Margaret MacMillan, historian and professor at the University of Toronto, to discuss her recent book, “War: How Conflict Shaped Us,” on how the ideologies of war have been central to how our societies have progressed. First, Professor MacMillan takes a step back, looking at how warfare works in tandem with organization, perhaps the most influential force in shaping the bureaucracies we see today, just as forces such as geography, climate, and economics do. Next, she and Emma take a historical perspective on warfare, exploring how the goals and values of different societies have seen different views and organizational tactics in warfare, and the massive shifts that have gone on in warfare amidst social change. They dive into the particular influence of three revolutions on how we relate to war, starting with the French and American revolutions establishing the role of citizenship, rather than hierarchy, in bolstering nationalism and the belief in everyone’s duty to fight for their country, before they look at how the Industrial Revolution created a massive shift in the industry ad technology of warfare in the west, bolstering their power as they shifted the world into the colonial era, and how these two revolutions developed alongside each other, with Napoleon as an interesting intersection between the two. This brings the discussion to the role of war as an industry, as Professor MacMillan and Emma explore the growth of the military-industrial complex in the 20th Century, and the consolidation of power into the hands of people seeking to build on this international exploitation, and discuss how an ingrained military system in society can have massive effects on social and cultural values. They wrap up the interview by touching on anti-war movements, how they’re built and inspired, and how we can see cultures make massive shifts from pro- to very anti-warfare (and vice versa) in just decades. Emma also covers VP Kamala Harris’ promotion of the democratic agenda – or lack thereof – in the lead up to McAuliffe’s loss as a perfect representation of the state of the party. Purchase tickets for the live show in Boston on January 16th HERE! Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here. Join the Majority Report Discord! Get all your MR merch at our store https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ (Merch issues and concerns can be addressed here: majorityreportstore@mirrorimage.com) You can now watch the livestream on Twitch Check out today’s sponsor: BetterHelp gives you access to your own fully licensed and accredited therapist via phone, chat, or video. A lot of therapists elsewhere have long waitlists and it can take weeks or months before they can see you… But when you sign up with BetterHelp, they match you with a therapist based on your specific needs, and you’ll be communicating with them in less than 24 hours. BetterHelp is giving our audience 10% off their first month when you go to https://betterhelp.com/majorityreport Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/ Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/ Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein’s podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon! Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel! Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!) Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattBinder @MattLech @BF1nn @BradKAlsop |