Current History

Ed Smith

The purpose of this podcast is to trace the connection between history and current events as they unfold. I start in the past and hope to get to the present, but sometimes it just descends into geeking about history ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

  1. 06/30/2023

    American Guerrilla and Gay Communist, Bill Aalto

    It is technically still Pride Month for like, 4 more hours, so this came out on time. Meet William "Bill" Aalto, a New York Communist who fought for the Spanish Republic backed by the Soviet Union against the Nationalists backed by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Bill was involved in raids behind enemy lines and taught at a school for partisans that trained people who fought all over Europe in WW2. Bill Aalto joined the OSS, precursor to the CIA, but was kicked out after being reported by his comrades for being gay.

    46 min

  2. 02/28/2022

    Ukraine War Update: Kyiv and Zelenskyy Still Standing

    An update on the Russo-Ukrainian war, and how the battles for Ukraine are going. I also have some fact checks on the first episode. Also turns out the German paratroopers attacked Crete, not Cyprus. Whoops.

    1h 7m
  3. Ukraine Invaded By Russia, The Russo-Ukrainian War Has Begun

    02/24/2022

    Ukraine Invaded By Russia, The Russo-Ukrainian War Has Begun

    As I record and as I type this, an invasion force is being launched into Ukraine by Russia from the Donbass, Belarus, and possibly directly from Russian territory. Cities are being bombed, cyber attacks are taking down state websites, people are fleeing from Kyiv, and The Ukrainian military is putting up a ferocious fight to determine the fate of their country. Biden has said that they have intelligence indicating that if Russia takes the country, they will kill or put in concentration camps anyone who might oppose Russia, from political figures to ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community. the Russo-Ukrainian war has begun.

    18 min
  4. Is Labor Day Communist? The Haymarket Massacre, The 1894 Pullman Railroad Strike, and the Fight For the Eight Hour Workday

    10/19/2021

    Is Labor Day Communist? The Haymarket Massacre, The 1894 Pullman Railroad Strike, and the Fight For the Eight Hour Workday

    Inspired by a tweet from one of our nation's dumbest Republicans, I am investigating whether Labor Day is a Communist holiday. We will talk about the Haymarket Massacre that Inspired May Day and the political and historical factors that led to the creation of labor day. These events where closely tied to the fight for the eight hour workday and basic workplace health and safety requirements that we have come to expect in the modern day, and are loosing on the fringes of society. So come with me to find out, is labor day Communist?

    38 min
  5. Begun, The Drone Wars Have

    07/13/2021

    Begun, The Drone Wars Have

    from mall Quadrocoptors to predator drones, and from the mountains of the Caucuses to the Coast of Yemen, Drones are everywhere and the drone wars have already begun. I will be talking about US drone policy, as well as the conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh and the civil war in Yemen. all of these ingredients are critical in understanding how Drones will impact the way we fight wars in the present and in the years to come.

    31 min

  6. 06/08/2021

    Joe Manchin and the Slow Death of Democracy

    Despite all my rage, I still just want Joe Manchin to not lock all of my political dreams up like a rat in a cage.

    41 min

  7. 10/20/2020

    America's Secret Police: the FBI's COINTELPRO operation

    COINTELPRO, or Counter Intelligence Program, was an FBI program to disrupt and destroy political organizations in the United States that the government saw as subversive, dangerous, or threatening to the establishment. When it was uncovered in the 1970s, it was a massive scandal and politicians tripped over themselves to disavow and distance themselves from the program, blaming the FBI for breaking the law. The questions we will explore today are what was COINTELPRO, who did it target, and how much did the politicians really know about what was going on? This is important for anyone involved in modern protest or direct action organizations from BLM to ANTIFA to the sunrise movement, because you must understand the government playbook for disrupting and destroying political movements that threaten their power.

    49 min

  8. 07/19/2020

    Revolutionary Iran Part 2: the CIA Black Ops Mission That Toppled Iran

    Why did Iranian students storm the American Embassy in 1979? The answer can be found in American involvement in the 1953 coup In Iran, a CIA regime change mission that has had massive consequences long after the men who planned it where gone.

    46 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The purpose of this podcast is to trace the connection between history and current events as they unfold. I start in the past and hope to get to the present, but sometimes it just descends into geeking about history ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Information

  • Creator
    Ed Smith
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2023
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ed Smith
  • Show Website
    Current History