WWII
The Eerie Familiarity of “Man in the High Castle”
The Man in the High Castle, the Emmy Award winning TV series, imagines a world in which the Nazi’s won WWII. Set in the 1960s, the show blends actual pop cultural imagery and artifacts with fictional interpretations of an alternative ending to the war.
When its first season debuted, the show’s ad campaign in New York City subways hit a little too close to home. And the show’s second season, which dropped last week, is resonating in a similar way, although this time not so intentionally, just as white nationalists gain exposure in the lead-up to the Trump presidency. “But if it would be hyperbole to treat the series like a documentary, it would be denial to say it plays no differently now than it did before,” says James Poniewozik the chief television critic for The New York Times. He joined Kurt in the studio to talk about his most recent article on the series which points to the parallels between fiction and reality.
History, memory & Hiroshima: Why President Obama’s visit matters
President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima in Japan will be the first ever by a sitting US president, remembering the hundreds of thousands of lives lost and scarred when the United States became the first and (thus far) only power to use nuclear weapons, dropping two in August 1945 to force Japan’s surrender, ending World War II. Critics complain that Obama’s visit makes the US look weak. Supporters call the visit inspired, a sign of respect for a close ally, recognition of pain and loss, a realization that how and what societies remember, shapes their future. They say facing history is not only a sign of strength, but of moral leadership.
A New Day in Cuba, Gender Stereotypes, A Historic Surrender
August 14, 2015: 1. How China’s Currency Crisis Could Mess With the U.S. Steel Industry | 2. Secretary Kerry Raises the U.S. Flag in Havana | 3. How Gender Stereotypes Influence Developing Brains | 4. The World War II Surrender That Almost Didn’t Happen
Jon Stewart, The 21st Century Nuclear Threat, Netflix and Parental Leave
August 06, 2015: 1. Goodbye Jon Stewart: America’s Most Trusted Newsman Signs Off | 2. 50 Years Later, Voting Rights Act Faces Challenges | 3. The 21st Century Nuclear Threat | 4. Is Netflix Leading the Revolution on Parental Leave?