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  Did you know, that the Republican Party’s populist style of politics championed by Pres. Trump is not rooted in the Republican Party? 

It certainly was not practiced by Abraham Lincoln - the Republican Party’s first president. 

Rather, Pres. Trump's style of populism was planted, promoted and practiced by Andrew Jackson - the first President of the Democratic Party. 

In this interview, my guest, Prof. Joel Paul - historian and legal scholar, tells the history of the genesis of the Republican and Democratic parties, and how over the years the two parties have essentially switched their platforms. 

  Did you know that Jordan is "forever on the brink"? 

Pres. Trump just threatened to cut aid to Jordan and Egypt if those countries don't accept Palestinians from Gaza. 

As a reminder, both countries are American allies. 

In this post, I want to talk about the case of Jordan - because its case is particularly precarious. 

1st, Jordan essentially sets it national budget in lockstep with U.S. assistance. So, if US aid is cut, that will cause major financial crisis in Jordan. 

2nd, Jordan already has a huge Palestinian population. Even Jordan's Queen Rania is of Palestinian descent. So, it is unlikely that Jordan will take any steps to undermine Palestinian claim to Gaza. 

3rd, the United States runs a major international counterterrorism training center in Jordan. So, query as to what will happen to that significant and important program once U.S. aid is cut off. 

4th, Jordan is a country that experts call "forever on the brink" - meaning that it often feels like a revolution is about to happen there. Additionally, some experts, half-jokingly, describe Jordan as an American protectorate. So, America's aid is essential for the survival of Jordan's Hashemite royal family, and any disruption of U.S. aid may destabilize Jordan and the region. 

In my program, I interviewed Dr. Jillian Schwedler about the history of Jordan and about her latest book "Protesting Jordan: Geographies of Power and Dissent". Dr. Schwedler has spent a great deal of time in Jordan, attended protests there and has even had brushes with the Jordanian security forces. 

In this conversation, she explains how for many Jordanians, Jordan's ruling family are essentially foreigners. 

  Trudeau once said that living next to America is like "sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt". 

Clarification: that was Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau in 1969. 

This week, Justin Trudeau, the current Canadian PM, told business leaders that Pres. Trump might actually be serious about annexing Canada. 

Annexing Canada is an idea that has been seriously proposed in the U.S. multiple times. William Seward, Pres. Andrew Johnson's Secretary of State (and before that Lincoln's), wanted to surround Canada by purchasing Greenland, Iceland and, of course, Alaska, and then annexing Canada. 

In the same decade - the 1860s, the U.S. turned a blind eye as Irish and Irish-Americans conducted serious raids on Canada (this was called the Fenian raids). 

America's interest in incorporating Canada, in some fashion, is as old as our Republic. 

Recently I spoke with Dr. Patrick James, a Canadian-American USC scholar of Candanian-American relations. In this podcast, Dr. James talks about the important differences between Canada and America, and explains "Canadian anti-Americanism". We also talk about Canada's foreign policy and how climate change is dramatically changing Canada's geopolitical importance in the world - this all about the Northwest Passage! 

  Pres. Trump wants to deny birthright citizenship to U.S.-born children whose parents are here illegally or temporarily. 

In 1873, Wong Kim Ark (pictured here) was born in San Francisco. 

In 1894, Wong left the U.S. for China. When he returned to San Francisco in 1895, he was denied re-entry because even though he was born in the United states, he was, nevertheless, a Chinese subject. 

The law that was the basis of his re-entry was the Chinese Exclusion Act (effective 1882), which prevented immigration of Chinese citizens into the U.S. and prohibited naturalization of Chinese immigrants already in the U.S. 

In 1898, the U.S. Supreme Court held that although Mr. Wong's parents were "subjects of the Emperor of China", they were, nevertheless, permanents residents of the United States. Therefore, under the 14th Amendment, Mr. Wong was an American. 

This 1898 Supreme Court decision has never been seriously challenged. And, for the record, Pres. Trump doesn't seem to be challenging it either. Rather, he has specifically limited his Executive Order to children whose parents are here illegally or temporarily, which is different than the parents of Mr. Wong - they were permanent residents of the U.S. 

In relevant part, Section 1 of the 14th Amendment reads as follows: 

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

In this sentence, the real legal fight is about the meaning and scope of "subject to the jurisdiction thereof". 

At the end, politics may win out. 

A Republican U.S. Representative from Florida submitted a bill in Congress to carve Pres. Trump's image into Mount Rushmore. 

Gutzon Borglum, Mount Rushmore's sculptor, named this project the "Shrine of Democracy" and specifically selected the four presidents (you know who they are) because, to him, they represented America's birth, growth, development and preservation. 

Do you think that Pres. Trump's likeness should be added to Mount Rushmore? And if so, what would he represent? Making America great again? 

Before you answer that question, consider this: 

The land on which Mount Rushmore is build was taken from the Sioux Nation - illegally! 

In "United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians", a 1980 Supreme Court case, the High Court held that the Sioux must be compensated for the taking of their land. 

As valued in 2018, that compensation amounts to over $1 billion. 

The Sioux have refused the money. 

Give this background, now do you think Pres. Trump's image should be added to Mount Rushmore? 

  As Pres. Trump imposes tariffs on Mexico, I w  

That's George Washington - our first president. 

And guess what? 

The 2nd bill he signed into law was The Tariff Act of 1789. 

This bill, which was introduced by none other than James Madison (a congressman then), had three purposes: 

1. To support government (I know, this sounds broad), 
2. To protect America's      manufacturers, and
3. Generate revenue to pay the      public debt. 

Read numbers 2 and 3 again. 

Don't they sound like Pres. Trump's stated reasons for his tariffs? 

In my program tomorrow, I'll discuss the history of tariffs in America, and share my take on how the geopolitics and economics of present tariffs are similar and different than our past tariffs. 

By the way, Pres. Trump conceded that tariffs may hurt Americans for a while, but then… "IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID". In my podcast, I'll tell you what Alexander Hamilton had to say about this. 

  As Pres. Trump imposes tariffs on Mexico, I want to highlight a major part of our history with Mexico. Why is this important? Because while for us Americans this history is... well, it's in the past (most of us don't know about it anyway), for Mexicans, this history is very much present. 

Virtually every Mexican knows about the Mexican-American War (April 1846 - Feb. 1848), in which Mexico lost a huge chunk of its territory to the United States (circled in red). 

►Is it a coincidence that the California gold rush began in 1848? 

►About the map: 

In white (also circled in red), is Mexican territorial claims relinquished in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on Feb. 2, 1848. 

►For those of you who want to learn this history, I like to suggest this book (which I have read): "A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent" by Robert W. Merry. 

Now the reason I suggest this particular book is that it tells the story of America's consciousness in that time - our fears about British invasion from the North and our President's determination for America to reach its manifest destiny, which includes this: from sea to shining sea. It also describes Americans' opposition to our country's invasion of Mexico, which many believed was unprovoked and unjust. As this book (and many others) explains, the Mexican-American War was essentially an unabashed land grab by the U.S. 

►FYI: I am not affiliated with any programs or publishers. So, if I make a book suggestion, I merely do it because I enjoyed the book. 

 Which one do you think is the more important technological innovation in human history?   

This week, China's DeepSeek AI app shocked the markets. Nvidia's stock tanked by 17% and the Nasdaq decreased by 3%. And Pres. Trump called DeepSeek a wake-up call for American tech companies. 

At first quietly, but then quickly AI has become the next technological frontier of humanity. Many fear it. Others welcome it. 

Regardless of how you feel, my position is that AI is not the most important tech innovation in human history. 

Yes. We had many big inventions before the movable type printing press (see image below). We learned how to start and maintain fires and we invented the wheel. But what the movable type printing press did was equally profound in human history. For the first time, ideas could be communicated to a large audience. For example, in the 15th century, less than 50,000 books were printed in Europe. By the year 1800, that number shot up to 1 million books. And the result was, predictably, profound. By the mid-19th century, Americans and Western Europeans came to 'expect' technological innovation. 

One of the guest scholars in my program, Dr. Robert Friedel (former historian at the Smithsonian Institution and at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), compares artificial innovation with prior technology advances, and tells us what the term disruptive technology means. 

Did you know that the Mona Lisa gained its worldwide renown only 'after' it was stolen in 1911? 

►News: The French President, Emmanuel Macron, announced that the Mona Lisa will be move from its current location in the Louvre to a new room, for its exclusive display. 

►History Behind News: In its long history, the Mona Lisa has moved several times - all prestigious sites. 

For some time, it was kept at Palace of Fontainebleau, a royal chateau for several French monarchs. Later, Louis XIV moved it to the Versailles (of course, he would!). After the French Revolution, it was moved to the Louvre (which was originally intended as a fortification before it became a palace). 

But that's not the end of her journey. For a short while, she was in Napoleon's bedroom in the Tuileries Palace. And during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871, in which France suffered a humiliating defeat) it was moved to a military complex in the south of France. 

In 1911, an Italian, Vincenzo Peruggia, stole the portrait painting and took it to Italy, because he believe it belonged there - since it was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. The Louvre was closed for a week and, for a brief period, Pablo Picaso was implicated (but later exonerate). 

For two agonizing years, Peruggia kept the Mona Lisa hidden in his apartment. He was finally caught when he tried to sell it to the Uffizi in Florence. It was displayed there for two weeks and returned to the Louvre in January 1914. From that point on, the Mona Lisa began its meteoric rise to fame among the common people. 

I should also mention that it was moved several times during WWII, and then later to accommodate renovations. 

►Image description: 

The image to the right is Mona Lisa's vacant spot in the Louvre from the time it was stolen in 1911. The dotted circle is my addition to highlight the missing painting. 

Did you know that before the polio vaccine, parents - American moms and dads - were crying out for help to fight polio? 

►News: Today, Robert F Kennedy Jr. was grilled in Congressional hearings about his views on vaccines. He is Pres. Trump's nominee for HHS. And if you recall, back in December 2024, RFK's lawyer had petitioned the U.S. government to revoke its approval of the polio vaccine. 

►Images: Right: FDR in California, 1932. He couldn't walk, because he contracted paralytic polio in 1921, when he was 39 years old. 

Left: Staff in a Rhode Island hospital examine a patient in an iron lung tank respirator during a polio epidemic in 1960.

►History Behind News: The 1952 polio epidemic was the worst outbreak in our nation's history - 3,145 died and 21,269 were disabled. For me, this raises an interesting question: why wasn't polio a bigger issue in prior decades and centuries? 

To be sure, evidence of polio dates back to ancient times. Egyptian hieroglyphs showed images of children with withered limbs and canes. And the earliest evidence of polio is of a teenage girl who lived 4,000 years ago (burial site in the UAE). 

The reason polio did not explode into a pandemic in earlier centuries is, perhaps ironically, insanitary conditions. 

You see, poor sanitation exposed people (including children) to constant and small doses of the polio virus (does this sound like a vaccine to you?), which, in turn, created a natural immunity within the population. But in the 20th century, better sanitation and healthcare eliminated this exposure and… cases of polio exploded. 

Another interesting point about polio is that research for polio vaccine and polio rehabilitation were driven - not necessarily or entirely by the government - by grassroots movement - moms and dads crying out for help to fight polio! 

One of the guests in my program is Meredith Wadman, MD - author of "The Vaccine Race" (winner of several book prizes). In addition to speaking with me about her years in vaccine clinics in Asia and Africa, Dr. Wadman describes how in the 1950s and '60s American parents lined up to get their kids' vaccine shots and how pregnant mothers were affected most by the Rubella epidemic. 

She also makes this interesting statement: "Making vaccines isn't rocket science. It's harder."

When I asked her what she means, she answered that meds and med devices - such as diabetes pills and heart valves - are given to sick patients, who need them then and there. But vaccines are given to healthy people, who do not need them immediately. 

So, there is a different risk benefit question for vaccines. And that's where history comes in. Amazingly, this history is quite accessible. Not just online and in libraries. But also within your families. Just ask your grandparents, and they'll tell you, how glad they were for vaccines. 

Did you know that in August 2019, Pres. Trump cancelled his state visit to Denmark after that country's prime minister, Ms. Mette Frederiksen, told him Greenland is not for sale? 

This London NATO meeting between the two leaders took place about four months after. And, for obvious reasons, it must have been an awkward meeting. 

This week, PM Frederiksen has been on the offensive, touring European capitals to rally support against Pres. Trump's bid to purchase/take Greenland. 

But did you know, that tiny little Denmark, was once a major European power? 

In a fascinating interview, one of my guest scholars, explains how Denmark's king was the richest monarch in Europe, and that Denmark was a formidable military power with an advanced and sizeable naval fleet. So what happened? 

This is the story of how Denmark lost its power in a flash - diminishing in status from Europe's leading Christian state to a has-been in just 20 years! 

My guest, Dr. Paul Douglas Lockhart, was elected to membership in the Royal Society for Danish History, in recognition of his contributions to the study of Danish history, which is a rare accolade for a foreign scholar.