JB Shreve presents the End of History

Reading Time: 3 minutesIt is called the “great compression period” by economists and historians who study inequality in American history. It is the period during and following World War II when the Greatest Generation returned home from the war. I personally think this title is a bit misleading and understanding what caused the great compression will explain my thoughts here. The great compression period was extremely necessary for the American economy but it was not sustainable. History proved this.   As the Greatest Generation returned from World War II many of the leaders and policy makers within the American government were unsure what would take shape. When the war began America was still struggling with the Great Depression. The war ended the Great Depression but as tens of thousands of soldiers returned home in need of jobs – would that trigger a return to the conditions of the Great Depression? To combat this the US government went to unprecedented lengths so they could be certain the Greatest Generation would have every chance for success. Prior to the New Deal policies in the 1930s (the era when the Greatest Generation came of age) the government was very hands off in American’s daily lives. That changed in the course of the New Deal’s efforts to end the depression. These efforts were largely unsuccessful but it did help reshape the image and role of the federal government in the eyes of the Greatest Generation. Due to this, it was not difficult to for the US government to resume its active role in the lives of its citizens after World War II.   This was what caused the great compression. From the GI bill, to housing assistance, to job training, the American government poured money into the economy to lift up the Greatest Generation. In the course of the next couple of decades they also poured money into defense and technology spending, which created jobs for the Greatest Generation. The period of the great compression is known as this long period when American wages were brought in line to one another. Inequality faded away. There were still rich and poor classes but there separation from one another were nothing like what we experience today or what was seen prior to the depression. This great compression period was when the ideas of the American dream became firmly rooted into American society and culture. It was the belief that any American, if he or she worked hard enough and played by the rules, could make a better life for themselves and their children. Few people realized it at the time but the American dream was subsidized by massive spending from the American government. This was what caused the great compression. All of this sounds great right? Many left leaning economists and historians explain how this period of the great compression proves how we should and could end economic inequality. Income distribution managed by government taxation and spending leads to greater economic equality and greater economic production. These were hugely productive decades for the American economy after all in the 1950s and 60s. There is a problem to this line of thinking however and I will talk about this in a future episode in the series. There came a price to pay for all of this spending and government involvement with the economy.     ↑ Grab this Headline Animator   This is part of my Complete Guide to Understanding Inequality in America. Check it out for more podcast episodes, infographics and articles and on this topic. Check out all of my

Reading Time: 1 minuteThis podcast episode looks at the continuing story of the History of Terrorism and The Anarchists. the End of History Episode 184. The Anarchists   Additional Reading: * The Hysteria They Provoke Stays With Us * Anarchism and Domestic Terrorism * For Jihadists, Read Anarchism

Reading Time: 2 minutesWhen studying economic inequality in America you will often come across a statistic or statement that says something to this effect: “Inequality in America is greater now than at any point in American history since the start of the Great Depression.” The inference is that Inequality before the Great Depression was huge – but then something happened. Few of these articles that I have come across ever talk too much about what happened. The Great Depression served as a massive reboot to the American economic system. It reshaped the nature of inequality in America. Although enormously painful for Americans at the time, the Great Depression course corrected the pathway to destruction that was being set by the sweeping inequality that existed within the American system. * In 1929 the top 1% of America’s rich took home 19.6% of America’s income * The income of the top 0.1% was equal to the bottom 42% of Americans * The roaring 20s saw massive industrial advance and growth in the stock market – but wages did not rise for workers. As a result consumer spending did not rise with the rest of the economy. * There was also a massive growth of debt prior to the Great Depression as wages could not keep up with the rising standards and costs of living The Greatest Generation and Inequality Before the Great Depression To my knowledge Tom Brokaw was the person who coined the phrase “The Greatest Generation.” His book described the men and women who grew up in the inequality of the 1920s. They saw the great crash and the Great Depression. Unemployment rates surpassed 25% at the height of the Great Depression. Few people and homes were left untouched by this massive economic downturn over the course of the 1930s. Then, the thing that finally ended it, was World War II which the Greatest Generation fought and won. This podcast episode looks at this period of history and the impact of the Greatest Generation. It also compares the inequality before the Great Depression to that which we are living in the midst of today. The story of the Greatest Generation continues in the next episode in this series as well.   ↑ Grab this Headline Animator   This is part of my Complete Guide to Understanding Inequality in America. Check it out for more podcast episodes, infographics and articles and on this topic. Check out all of my expert topic guides on other topics as well. 

Reading Time: 2 minutesSaddam Hussein promised it would be the “mother of all wars.” This is the war that most Americans know as the Persian Gulf War of 1990-91. It was also called Operation Desert Storm. The Mother of All Wars   This episode looks at the so called “mother of all wars.” We examine how it came about and its after effects. This war calibrated American foreign policy in the Middle East throughout the 1990s as it bolstered American confidence and perhaps also American hubris. As we will see in this podcast episode on the mother of all wars, the beginning of the resentment that unleashed in the 9/11 attacks of the following decade were stored up here. Keep an eye out for the frustrations among other Arab nations as the US entered Iraq in 1991. Also watch for the post war realities from no fly zones to sanctions. The results of the mother of all wars was a boom to US confidence in the post Cold War era. This was key to the ideas that we will talk about in the next episode and also to the ideas that inspired the name of this podcast and web site.   ↑ Grab this Headline Animator If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it here at my SoundCloud page or click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site. You might also enjoy my Guide to Understanding the Middle East.

Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Suez Crisis of 1956 can be seen as the final nail in the coffin for European imperialism in the Middle East. This crisis involved the confrontation between Britain, France and Israel against Gamal Abdul Nasser in Egypt. It also provoked the involvement of the world’s new superpowers, the US and Soviet Union. Some believe the world approached the edge of nuclear war on account of the Suez Crisis of 1956. The Suez Crisis of 1956   The post World War II Middle East was looking for a hero to unite behind. Gamal Abdul Nasser stepped forward to be that man. The Suez Crisis of 1956 was influential in lifting Nasser head and shoulders above any other national or political leader in the Middle East. It allowed him to boast of credentials for standing up not only to Israel but also to the European powers. He also managed to play the super powers against one another. This event was so effective for Nasser that a philosophy of Middle Eastern political thought known as “Nasserism” resulted and endured until the end of the 1960s. Meanwhile the Suez Crisis of 1956 managed to confirm the worst suspicions about the new state of Israel to the local Arab nations and political leaders. Israel was portrayed as a puppet state of the Europeans and an expansion of colonial conquest by proxy of these same European powers. From a public opinion perspective the Suez Crisis of 1956 was a disaster for Israel. Finally for the US, the Suez Crisis of 1956 began to convince the Eisenhower administration and the post World War II foreign policy establishment that the Middle East could not be ignored. If they left the Middle East to their own devices then war would result. In this way the Suez Crisis of 1956 served as an open door inviting the United States in to fill the vacuum left by the withdrawal of the European powers. If the US did not go into the Middle East with a greater footprint of political influence and power, then the Soviet Union would. This podcast episode tells the story of the rise of Nasser and the unfolding of the Suez Crisis of 1956.   If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it here at my SoundCloud page or click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site. You might also enjoy my Guide to Understanding the Middle East.   ↑ Grab this Headline Animator Show Notes: The Arrogance of Power by J. William Fulbright

Reading Time: 1 minuteThere is a history to protest and unrest in the Middle East. When America and the west looked at the Arab Spring unfolding in 2011 and 2012 they imagined it within the framework of their own ideals and history. Remember the 24 hour coverage in Tahrir Square?   Arab Spring The reality is that protests are not uncommon to the Middle East. And historically they have not ended in a surge of democracy. They have ended with power plays and manipulations from the elite and the powerful. From Egypt to Syria to Saudi Arabia and Palestine. Protests are seldom a sign of promise for the Middle East, if we look at the events from a historical perspective. They are usually a sign of darker times ahead. This podcast episode looks at the Arab Spring and counters the way it was being reported at the time of its unfolding. It also offers the historical perspective to explain why we should have seen what it would become all along.     ↑ Grab this Headline Animator   If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it here at my SoundCloud page or click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site. You might also enjoy my Guide to Understanding the Middle East.

Reading Time: 2 minutesA sequence of cause and effect events flowed through the 1970s in the Middle East. This sequences started with the end of the Six Days War, continued through the Yom Kippur War and concluded with the Camp David Accords. The death of Gamal Abdul Nasser resulted in the rise of Anwar Sadat in Egypt. Sadat was expected to be a pushover when he became the new ruler of Egypt. He ended up surprising the world with the mark he left on world history and the Middle East. Sadat recognized what was obvious but also impossible for many other Arab leaders to believe. Israel was a reality and there was nothing they could do to counter that reality. Since this was the case, he opted for the alternative to war – If you can’t beat them, join them. Through the early 70s he reached out to Israel in hopes of peace. The problem? Israel was not interested in peace. Israel had proven itself as the regional power house in the Middle East. Peace at this time did not have a lot of incentive for them. To that end, Sadat’s efforts to build a bridge with the Israeli government kept stalling out. This led to the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Sadat allied with Egypt’s traditional enemies against Israel for one final major Arab-Israeli War in the 20th century. This one would be different though. The Arabs would launch their attack against Israel as a surprise. Most importantly, for Sadat, total victory in the war was not necessary. He only had to prove Egypt as a threat to Israel in order to move them to the peace and negotiation table. The Yom Kippur War changed the shape of the Middle East – AGAIN!  Its success resulted in the steps that would lead to Israel and Egypt doing the unexpected. They made peace at Camp David Accords in 1978, with President Jimmy Carter acting as the arbiter.   ↑ Grab this Headline Animator If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on how we arrived at the Camp David Accords in the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it here at my SoundCloud page or click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site. You might also enjoy my Guide to Understanding the Middle East.  

Reading Time: 1 minuteSeventeen children were massacred in the Parkland shooting but we are too busy yelling at one another to consider what this means for us as a society. This podcast episode invites listeners to move beyond the politics and the arguments and consider the deeper issues leading to these tragedies. the End of History Episode 183: Parkland USA   Links mentioned in this episode: No, there haven’t been 18 school shootings in 2018. That number is flat wrong (Washington Post)   Song at the intro to this episode:  

Reading Time: 3 minutesThe history of inequality in the world is not new. It has existed for millennia. The history of inequality crosses every cultural, political and national line. Today the US and the world have massive inequalities in our income and wealth distributions but also in our economic system as a whole. We can learn from history how dangerous this is. This also helps to explain much of the division and polarization currently rising within American culture today.   The great catastrophes and crises of history are usually preceded by massive scales of inequality in the societies that are undergoing the crisis. The French Revolution captured the state of mind among the elite of France with Marie Antoinette’s apocryphal statement, “Let them eat cake” when she heard of the unrest among the poor of France. The rich did not understand the state of being for the poor. All through the story of world history and the history of inequality in the world we can usually identify major social upheavals preceded by sweeping scales of inequality. This imbalance within the system cannot be sustained and either the system or the people within the system forces a violent and tumultuous course correction.   The History of Inequality in the World as a Present Day Problem and Issue We look at this reality of the history of inequality in the world in the course of world history in this introductory podcast episode in my series on economic inequality. If this premise is true then what does it suggest for our current state of affairs. * According to the 2010 census, the top earning 20% of Americans, those making more than $100K each year capture 49.4% of all income generated in the US, compared to just 3.4% of all income generated going to those below the poverty line. * The US has the greatest disparity of income among ALL Western Industrialized nations. * The poorest of the poor are reaching record highs. In 2009 the poverty rate among  American families was at its highest level since it began to be tracked in 1975 * As of 2007 the top 1% of all households owned 34.6% of all privately held wealth. The next 19% had 50.5% of the privately held wealth. So doing the math…20% owned 85% of all US privately held wealth. * This leaves 15% that is held by the remaining 80% of the population.   The 1% and the 99%, rising foreclosures and consumer debt levels, high unemployment and record stock market returns. How does this all fit together? This is the introductory episode of our new series from the End of History focusing on Economic Inequality in the US. We will be following the history of the issue since the 1920’s and uncover where it is at today.  No political agenda here but just a straight look at the facts and realities of one of the most significant economic issues of our generation.     ↑ Grab this Headline Animator This is part of my Complete Guide to Understanding Inequality in America. Check it out for more podcast episodes, infographics and articles and on this topic. Check out all of my expert topic guides on other topics as well. 

Reading Time: 2 minutesIn the 1980s a conflict took place that is not covered very effectively in our history books or popular recollection of the Middle East. It did not fit into the narratives of the Cold War or even the Israeli-Arab conflict. Never the less the Iran-Iraq War was the bloodiest conventional war of the 20th century since the end of World War II. And although it did not fit the narratives of history as we knew it at the time, the Iran-Iraq War did fit the narrative of a history that was about to unfold. This podcast episode is an Iran-Iraq War summary that is necessary for understanding the history of the Middle East today.   Iran-Iraq War Summary The Iran-Iraq War was not caused by the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Iran and Iraq nearly went to war several times before the 1980s due to border disputes. The Islamic Revolution set the stage however that allowed this to be the perfect timing for the war. The leaders of the revolution in Iran needed a distraction from the chaos unfolding under their new reign. The leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, saw a rare opportunity. He thought that by attacking Iran while they were in the turmoil of revolution he could quickly gain the upper hand. The results of the Iran-Iraq War set the stage for the event more Americans are familiar with – the Persian Gulf War that would follow in the 1990s. This Iran-Iraq War summary and podcast offer a glimpse and overview into this major event of the history of the Middle East. If you would like to go deeper into this topic I suggest chapter 8 of my Essential Guide to Understanding Modern Iran.   ↑ Grab this Headline Animator If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it here at my SoundCloud page or click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site. You might also enjoy my Guide to Understanding the Middle East.

Reading Time: 2 minutesThe post World War II era in the Middle East changed not only how the region was organized and ruled, but also how the greater powers of the world interacted with the Middle East. It was also was an era when who those great powers were changed significantly. The story of the 1953 Iranian coup d’état is the story of America’s first big entrance onto the stage of greater power politics in the Middle East. * You can take a deep dive on this story of the 1953 Iranian coup d’état here or learn more about the modern history of Iran at my guide: The Essential Guide to Understanding Modern Iran. The 1953 Iranian Coup d’état For those who enjoy the history of the Middle East like myself, you are probably no stranger to this story. It is strange to believe there was a time when most Americans and even many Iranians were not aware of what actually unfolded in the 1953 Iranian coup d’état. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979 the Iranian revolutionaries uncovered all sorts of evidence of the CIA involvement in the coup. The story has since been made famous in various movies, documentaries and books. The 1953 Iranian coup d’état is the story of the ouster of the democratically elected leader of Iran, Mohammad Mosaddeq and the installation of the man who was more friendly to the west, the Shah of Iran. The Shah ruled Iran after the 1953 coup until a home grown revolution overthrew him in 1979. He was known as a tyrant and a dictator. He had special forces trained by the Americans who operated as thugs and secret police to enforce his will and loyalty to the Shah among the populace of Iran. This is the story of the 1953 Iranian coup d’état. ↑ Grab this Headline Animator   If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it here at my SoundCloud page or click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site. You might also enjoy my Guide to Understanding the Middle East.   Show Notes: All the Shah’s Men by Stephen Kinzer Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution by Nikki R. Keddie The Oil Kings by Andrew Scott Cooper

Reading Time: 3 minutesThe consequences of the Six Days War were immense. The states of the Middle East began gaining their independence in the 1930s. More than any event since that time the consequences of the Six Days War reverberated for decades and across the borders of every nation. The Consequences of the Six Days War Among the first victims to the consequences of the Six Days War were the Palestinians. It was after 1967 that the term “occupied territories” entered the lexicon of the Middle East politics. Israel held the West Bank and Gaza. Both of these territories were loaded with Palestinian people who now saw themselves living in land where an occupying power had taken over. Gamal Abdul Nasser was next in line to suffer the consequences of the Six Days War. His influence in the Middle East was permanently weakened. The philosophy of Nasserism was finished.  Nasser even resigned from office in Cairo. The people of Egypt demanded h return and he did so, but he was never the same. He died shortly after the Six Days War. States and leaders throughout the Middle East were similarly affected. Jordan and Lebanon were drenched with new Palestinian refugee populations. In Syria the government was overthrown not long after the Six Days War. The competence of the Syrian leadership was no longer trusted. A new leader rose here. His name was Hafiz al Assad. Israel was now seen as a powerhouse in the Middle East. US policy shifted dramatically to support Israel. Prior to this time the special relationship between Israel and the US was not firmly established. The 1967 Six Days War changed that. Another and very important item among the consequences of the Six Days War was the rise of Palestinian political organizations. Prior to 1967 the Palestinians had entrusted their cause, or perhaps were exploited for their cause, with the Arab states in the Middle East. The failure of these Arab states in 1967 changed everything. The Palestinians were no longer a priority. Any hope of a rescue by an Arab state or leader for the Palestinian people was now extinguished. Throughout the late 1960s and into the first half of the 1970s more and more Palestinian organizations began to spring up. Once again, these were not religious organizations. They were political. They were communist, democrat, socialist, anarchist…name it and it was there. And unfortunately they began to effectively boost the cause of the Palestinian plight through terrorism. Palestinian terrorist acts dotted the news and landscape of this time period as these new terrorist and political organizations rose up out the mire and consequences of the Six Days War. ↑ Grab this Headline Animator   If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it here at my SoundCloud page or click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site. You might also enjoy my Guide to Understanding the Middle East.

Reading Time: 3 minutesThe different trends we have looked at in the last few episodes in this series on the history of the Middle East merged together in the occupied territories during the 1980s. The peace process between Israel and Egypt  captured the utter loss of hope in the Arab states and political systems which the Palestinian people once possessed. The atrocities in Lebanon against Palestinian refugees, along with the world’s silence as these occurred perfectly captured the sense of abandonment felt by the Palestinian people living in Gaza and the West Bank. Finally, the rise of religious fundamentalism found a perfect area and people of development among the Palestinians in the occupied territories. These are the ingredients that converged in the 1980s and brought about the first intifada. Having been abandoned in Lebanon the Palestinian people felt alone and forgotten on the world stage. The PLO and Arafat appeared to be stripped of their last vestiges of power and influence after being ousted from Lebanon. The peace process proved the real priorities of the Arab states. Egypt, once the strongest supporter of the Palestinian people had now made peace with Israel and the Palestinians were barely mentioned in those negotiations. Even if the peace process were subtracted from the equation though. The power of the Arab states in the Middle East had proven themselves incapable of delivering the Palestinian people. Their efforts, such as the 1967 Six Days War, only made the situation for the Palestinians worse.   The First Intifada This was the perfect setting for religious fundamentalism to thrive. And it did. Many of the Palestinians, like many throughout the Middle East at the time, began to believe their status was the result of abandoning the ways of Islam. This was their true identity. This was why they felt abandoned by God. Different Islamic clerics began preaching this message. The issue for the Palestinians was not to modernize but to return to their roots. Those roots included Islam. Chief among these clerics was an old man bound to a wheel chair. He would become the founder of a group known as Hamas. Through Hamas the first intifada was born. The first intifada was not about warfare. It was also not about passive or nonviolent resistance. It was a grass roots resistance to the overwhelming odds and force which the Israelis were bringing to bare on the Palestinian people. This episode in my history of the Middle East podcast series tells the story of the first intifada. We look at how it formed, what it was really about and how it helped set the stage for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process of the 1990s. We also look at the role of Hamas in the first intifada.   ↑ Grab this Headline Animator If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it here at my SoundCloud page or click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site. You might also enjoy my Guide to Understanding the Middle East.  

Reading Time: 2 minutesThis episode in my history of the Middle East podcast series looks at how the State of Israel was created in 1948. We look at ideas such as “holy lands” that were already functioning for both sides of the conflict that was developing between Israel and the Palestinians in 1948. This idea helped to increase the tensions on both sides. How the State of Israel Was Created in 1948 This is our entrance into the post World War II era in the Middle East history podcast series. I try to stay away from the trap that many fall into when then look at the history of the modern Middle East. Israel is not the central player in that story. Never the less, the story of the establishment of the State of Israel is important.   For a deep dive into the history of both Israel and the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict I recommend my guide: A Complete and Balanced Guide to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. This guide looks at the story with Israel and Palestine as the central characters. Today’s podcast episode looks at the effects of the 1948 declaration of statehood by Israel and how this impacted the wider Middle East. This was one of the issues that worked to bring about the first war in the modern Middle East. It was the beginning of the Palestinian refugee crisis. It was also the first time that terrorism began to be widely used in the new states of the Middle East – although you might be surprised who the culprits of this terrorism are. ↑ Grab this Headline Animator If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it here at my SoundCloud page or click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site. You might also enjoy my Guide to Understanding the Middle East. Show Notes: Righteous Victims by Benny Morris One Palestine Complete by Tom Segev The Question of Palestine by Edward Said

Reading Time: 2 minutesI remember first learning about the 1967 Six Days War between Israel and surrounding Arab nations. It sounded like something made of legend. This tiny country within the Middle East is surrounded on all sides by enemies who wanted to see Israel’s ultimate destruction. Against all odds Israel drives them back and not only defeats them but defeats them in less than a week. To this day many believe the Six Days War was a miraculous event proving the divine status and preference for Israel in the Middle East. The truth of the matter is a bit different from the legend. Israel possessed overwhelming military strength prior to the war and although Israel secured victory in the 1967 Six Days War faster than most expected, to the outside world this was not really in question. Just as significant to the Israeli victory in the 1967 Six Days War was the incompetence and disorganization among the Arab armies and leaders. This episode looks at the drama that unfolded in the 1967 Six Days War * See my infographic for a Timeline of the 1967 Six Days War here. * You might also enjoy this specific section of my Complete and Balanced Guide to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict that looks at the 1967 Six Days War. Show Notes 1967 by Tom Segev Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Michael B. Oren Righteous Victims by Benny Morris ↑ Grab this Headline Animator   If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it here at my SoundCloud page or click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site. You might also enjoy my Guide to Understanding the Middle East.