Best Ronald Stockton Podcasts (2024)

1
If I tell you, I have to Kill You. A True Story 9:27

3d ago9:27

9:27

This is what can happen when you get out of the neighborhood In fact, I did once encounter a situation where some security issues were at risk. A friend in intelligence told me how many nuclear weapons the Israelis had. This was probably 30 years ago. He said I could never repeat what he told me because he could be imprisoned for revealing such sec…

1
The Gaza Dilemma: Abandon the Treacherous Democrats, or Engage Them? 16:24

4h ago16:24

16:24

Some of the people involved in the Uncommitted movement, especially Arab-Americans, feel betrayed by the Democrats and are planning to abandon them. Many will vote for Jill Stein. Others are trying to engage the Democrats to see what leverage they can use to extract concessions. These are not easy choices. This is a discussion of some of the issues…

1
Is Israel Committing Genocide? The South African Document. A Reposting (in case you missed it the first time, or need a refresher) 51:37

3d ago51:37

51:37

Just yesterday the Israelis bombed a mosque with a school. It was filled with refugees who had hoped that Israel would not bomb such a place. They may have killed 90 people, although they say the numbers are fabricated and anyway that was a terrorist command and control center, and anyway why were all those people there, and anyway we had warned th…

1
Netanyahu Conquers Congress. His Talk of July 24,2024 26:11

1M ago26:11

26:11

Clarification: Under international law the Golan Province is Syrian territory. It was conquered in 1967. The Israelis consider it a part of Israel itself. They claimed it, and then Donald Trump recognized it. They even created a settlement called Trump Heights to show their appreciation. The population of that province (apart from Jewish settlers) …

1
Who Shot Trump. And Why? 6:20

1M ago6:20

6:20

This was written three days after Trump was lightly wounded in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. It is based on patterns of violence rather than hard knowledge. I hope it helps.By Ronald Stockton

1
What Happens When You Get Old? Joe and Donald, Listen Up! 15:31

2M ago15:31

15:31

By Ronald Stockton

1
John Mearsheimer on the Gaza War. Israel: Loser; America: Loser; Iran:Winner. Ouch! 14:04

3M ago14:04

14:04

John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago is one of the very top strategic analysts in this country. He is of the Realist School. He thinks we should look at the reality of power, and that each country should look after its own interests. Earlier in this month, he delivered a talk in Australia on the Gaza War. He came up with data I had never h…

1
Visiting Palestine During A Time of War and Genocide, Part II 30:14

3M ago30:14

30:14

This is the second of two podcasts on my visit to Palestine in early June, 2024. If you have not listened to the first podcast, please do so before listening to this one.By Ronald Stockton

1
Palestine during a Time of War and Genocide, Part I. 36:50

3M ago36:50

36:50

In early June, 2024, I visited Palestine. It was a visit that changed my way of thinking. As someone who had taught a course on the Israeli-Palestine Conflict for 40 years this surprised me. This is Part I of a two-part podcast. The second part is not this long and has a different focus.By Ronald Stockton

1
Request for Warrants to Arrest Netanyahu, Sinwar, and others for War Crimes trials 29:12

3M ago29:12

29:12

On May 20, the War Crimes Prosecutor Karim Khan asked the International Criminal Court for warrants to arrest the leaders of Hamas and Israel, and three others. This was a stunning development. This podcast is a discussion of what is included in that document. Later in the week, South Africa asked the High Court of Justice for additional Provisiona…

1
Roe V Wade Overturned. A Reposting two years after the event of the Alito decision. 40:53

4M ago40:53

40:53

Two years ago we learned that the Supreme Court would reverse Roe v Wade. I worked through the leaked draft and tried to extract the logic of the decision. It was painful to see such tortured analysis. Some of those Trump justices had actually said that Roe was "settled law" during their hearings. That is a phrase that means, everyone agrees and it…

1
Nelson Mandela Freed, 1990 A Reposting 15:14

4M ago15:14

15:14

Back in February of 1990 Nelson Mandela was freed from 27 years in prison. When he walked out of prison that Sunday morning, the whole world was watching. At least everyone in our house was watching. Mandela quickly became the world's greatest statesman. This is my assessment of his life and contribution. And of the two times Jane and I crossed pat…

1
Comments to the Graduating Class 6:58

5M ago6:58

6:58

I prepared this podcast last year (2023) but did not get around to posting it until now (2024). It focuses upon the time a few years ago when I was asked to speak to the graduating class. The students were there and their parents. Plus the Chancellor and Deans and other luminaries. It was a really nice event. I did make one mistake. When I came to …

1
Ottoman Perspectives on Zionism (and on Jews). A reposting 21:05

6M ago21:05

21:05

This summarizes the main findings of a book on this topic. The Ottomans had experts in Zionism who monitored writings and developments very carefully. This podcast has surprising findings. Note: This was recorded during covid times as a class lecture (when we were not allowed to go live).By Ronald Stockton

1
Evangeline. A Poem of Love and Loss by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 24:25

6M ago24:25

24:25

Evangeline was a standard assignment in the 8th grade when I was a kid. It was long and had big words but we read it because it made us better people. This is the story of this poem, and of my experience with it. It is also the story of Longfellow, the most popular poet of his age, and of his poems. The Village Smith, Paul Revere's Ride, Haiwatha, …

1
Hamas Narrative on the events of October 7. What we did; Why we did it; What we want; What we did not do. 34:51

7M ago34:51

34:51

In January, 2024 Hamas published a paper called "Our Narrative . . . Operation Al -Aqsa Flood." It is an 18 page document discussing their perspective on the events of October 7. I had not read any Hamas explanations, beyond short statements quoted by people not friendly to their side, so I immediately printed this out and read it. More than once. …

1
High Court in The Hague Preliminary Ruling on the Genocide Case against Israel. 27:22

7M ago27:22

27:22

This is a summary of the main points in the ICJ ruling. Below is a summary of other International Humanitarian Laws. These definine various crimes that occur within the context of war. They are distinct from genocide but could be a part of genocide. They would be heard by the International Criminal Court rather than by the High Court of Justice. Th…

1
Israel on Trial for Genocide. The South African Document 51:37

8M ago51:37

51:37

In December, 2023 South Africa filed a document before the High Court of Justice in the Hague accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza. This was for its actions against Gaza in the wake of the blood-chilling Hamas attack on Israeli military positions, towns, and a music festival on October 7. Those attacks killed near…

1
Hard Right Jewish Religio-Ethnic Nationalism. Rabbi Meir Kahane. Reposting. 34:56

8M ago34:56

34:56

The Israeli election of November, 2022 brought into the Knesset some of the most extreme individuals in that country's history. To bring himself back into office, Netanyahu brought them into his cabinet. (Smotrich and Bin Gvir get the most attention, but there are others). These were people who had been brought up in the shadow of Rabbi Meir Kahane…

1
Genocide: A Reposting 1:17:48

9M ago1:17:48

1:17:48

To destroy "in whole or in part" the ability of a people to function. I delivered this talk in 2020 for a unit on Armenia. It was well before the fall of 2023 and the horrible Gaza War. As I am writing (December 2023) 20,000 Palestinians have been killed. The Israelis say the number of Hamas combatants killed is around 1700+ Gaza is no longer funct…

1
Suppressing Dissent. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. A Reposting 57:12

9M ago57:12

57:12

In December, 2023 House Republicans summoned the Presidents of Harvard, MIT and University of Pennsylvania to a hearing about Anti-Semitism on their campuses. They were asked if calling for Genocide against Jews would be an offense. Knowing that Republicans consider the word “intifada” (“shaking off”) and the phrase “from the river to the sea” to b…

1
Three Narratives on Israel. Evangelical Christian, Jewish Nationalist, Arab Nationalist. A Reposting. 22:32

9M ago22:32

22:32

Are you getting frustrated with argumentation? Does it irritate you that so many people just seem to repeat tired old arguments that any reasonable person can see are not true? Well, maybe you need to listen to this podcast. Each of us carries around a narrative of logical and irrefutable arguments on this topic. Except for the fact that people out…

1
Sabra and Shatilla Massacre and Kahan Commission Report. A Reposting 42:30

9M ago42:30

42:30

For those of you watching the mass killings in Gaza (nearly 14,000 dead in seven weeks, over 2/3 of them women and children) you might find it helpful to think back to an earlier time when Israel was once again implicated in a mass killing. This was what happened in September, 1982 during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. The Israelis are quick to p…

1
Shall we Chat on Zoom? How About December 2 at 2:00 Eastern Standard Time. 1:29

10M ago1:29

1:29

Would anyone out there like to have a chat on Zoom? It is now the end of November, 2023 and I just passed 50,000 total downloads so I am thinking I should do something to honor that event. What beter thing than to talk to those of you who helped make that number possible. And I almost never get feedback from you so I really don't know who you are. …

1
The Palestinians After 1948 (Reposting of an Earlier Podcast) 1:02:50

10M ago1:02:50

1:02:50

What happened after the armistice in January of 1949? Of course, the major consequence was the Palestinian refugees. Thinking only of what we consider the internationally recognized boundaries of Israel, probably 80% or more of all the Palestinians inside of that area on January 1, 1948 were gone by December 31, 1948. This is the real “catastrophe,…

1
The Palestinian Refugees of 1948: Reposting of an Earlier Podcast 1:02:35

10M ago1:02:35

1:02:35

It has occurred to me that there is great interest in the background to the current conflict. Here is a discussion of the Palestinian Refugees of 1948. This is an extremely important topic surrounded by false narratives and inflammatory rhetoric. I have put off preparing a podcast for some time, but not because it is sensitive. I deal with quite a …

1
Israel-Gaza War. Podcast 2. Israel Invades Gaza 33:07

10M ago33:07

33:07

This is the second podcast on this war. I have posted it a second time because Buzzsprout had technical problems andthe first posting may not have reached everyone. It was written November 1. It is written in the early stages of the Israeli invasion. Much of it has to do with implications and reactions. As I post this update on November 5, there ar…

1
Israel-Gaza War. Israel Invades. Podcast Two 33:07

10M ago33:07

33:07

This was written November 1. Much of it deals with the reaction to the war and the implications of the war. Note: There are approximatley 10,000 casualties. 40% are children.By Ronald Stockton

1
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Hamas-Israel War of 2023 43:19

11M ago43:19

43:19

On October 7, 2023, the anniversary of the 1973 War, Hamas began a massive missile barrage at key Israeli cities. Hamas soldiers crashed through the barriers that enclosed Gaza and struck at 22 different Israeli cities. They also attacked a Music Festival going on just near the Gaza border. By the time they were driven back, over a thousand Israeli…

1
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. 1973 October War. The Fiftieth Anniversary. Egypt, Syria, and Israel. (Also the US and USSR) 1:04:18

11M ago1:04:18

1:04:18

1973 October War, 50th anniversary October 6. October 6, 2023 is the 50th anniversary of the 1973 October War. This war lasted three long weeks and took the great powers (the US and the USSR) to the brink of nuclear war. It also cleared the sinuses, so to speak. Nixon and Kissinger realized that unless there was progress in working out some kind of…

1
Understanding Impeachment (On the first day of the impeachment "investigation" of Joe Biden) What our founders meant by the concept. A reposting. 1:01:26

11M ago1:01:26

1:01:26

Today (September 28) I watched the first hearing of the impeachment investigation (or whatever they are calling it) of Joe Biden. Not that this podcast on what the Founders meant by impeachment will be of much use to the Republican Caucus Even their three expert witnesses told them there were no grounds for their investigation. Unless they just wan…

1
Why I Killed Gandhi. The Public Statement of his Assassin 25:17

12M ago25:17

25:17

Why I Killed Gandhi by Nathuram Godse Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. In most movies, the assassin is portrayed as a deranged bearded scary-looking fanatic. (In one, Horst Buchholz played the role. His character was closer to the real assassin). Some of those words might well be justified, but we are never told that the assassin was an exceptional…

1
Falling Man. An Iconic Story About September 11 13:02

1y ago13:02

13:02

Falling Man: A story of September 11 Let me be a Time Traveler and take you back to that terrible day. For those of us who remember September 11, the image of the “Falling Man” is iconic. As the flames engulfed the upper stories of the towers, there were several people who decided they would not wait to be burned alive. They jumped to their deaths.…

1
Biden Will Be a One-Term President. 8:52

1y ago8:52

8:52

Biden Will Be a One Term President I came up with this insight nearly three years ago. If I had posted it back then, you could have thought about it all this time and looked for little signs here and there. With Joe creating a campaign structure, it may look a bit different in late 2023. Still, it is only 8 minutes or so long so you will not sacrif…

1
Trump On Trial. The Georgia Indictments. A Briefing. 32:57

1y ago32:57

32:57

This is the third indictment of Donald Trump relevant to the election of 2020. I have done podcasts on each of these. The Mara-Lago Documents case The January 6 indictments. Now the Atlanta/Fulton County, Georgia Indictments. I also did a podcast on the Dominion Voting Machine defamation case against Fox News, which was settled out of court. If you…

1
The January 6 Indictments. Trump On Trial. A Briefing 45:06

1y ago45:06

45:06

This is a discussion of the January 6 Indictment for Insurrection handed down in early August. There is an earlier podcast on the Mara-Lago stolen documents case, and one on the Dominion Voting Machine defamation lawsuit against Fox News. There were some glitches in this podcast. The Vice President is President of the Senate, not Speaker. Giuliani …

1
Israel Seriously Polarized, and in Trouble, 2023 24:30

1y ago24:30

24:30

This is the kind of podcast I try to avoid. a discussion of an issue that is ongoing. The problem is that it might evolve in a different direction and I would be exposed as someone who had seriously misunderstood the issues or missed key points. I remember writing a podcast on the Ukraine-Russia controversy. The next morning when I went into my off…

1
In Praise of the Ku Klux Klan. The Clansman (1903). A Book that Shaped American Thinking, Then and Maybe Even Now 30:24

1y ago30:24

30:24

Let's start with a Trigger Warning: Not only am I going to tell you about this book, and about its impact on American society. I am also going to read excerpts to you. You will not find these passages easy to hear. This is about Reconstruction in South Carolina where the author (Thomas Dixon Jr.) lived. He was a prominent minister, actor, author, a…

1
Gandhi's Concept of Non-Violent Resistance, a. k. a. Satyagraha or Soul Force 25:44

1y ago25:44

25:44

I have a two-part podcast on Gandhi. This is Part I. It focuses on Gandhi's concept or strategy of Satyagraha. He invented that term himself. It means Soul Force. We might say non-violent resistance. It is pacifist, but not passive. it is definitely confrontational. It was rooted in deep moral concepts, but also in Indian culture and history. Maybe…

1
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: The Black Swan. An alternate Ending . A Reposting. 49:24

1y ago49:24

49:24

This was the final lecture in my class on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, the last time I taught that class. The thesis is that none of the main political science models for how this conflict will end are correct. But History (capital H) does not like intractable conflicts. SOMETHING will happen. And History (capital H) will not ask us what we th…

1
Rape and Repentence. A Wrongful Conviction. A 28 Year Sentence. A Story that Will Chill Your Bones and Challenge your Soul. At least it did mine. 31:52

1y ago31:52

31:52

How can a totally innocent man be unequivocally identified as a rapist? And be sentenced to 28 years in prison? And when the false conviction is exposed and the case thrown out, is there any way for the person who made the false identification to find peace? This is the story of Alice Sebold, whose famous books, The Lovely Bones, and Lucky tell the…

1
The Mara-Lago Indictments. Trump On Trial. A Briefing 43:14

1y ago43:14

43:14

This is a discussion of the indictments in the Mara-Lago documents case. If you are confused, and don't want to read the 60 page indictment with its 37 counts, this may be a short cut for you. It addresses some context, some points of law, some background issues. There are a couple of glitches in this podcast. A fine would be $250,000, not $250. An…

1
Waco. Not the City in Texas. The Waco of the Mind. The Call for a New Civil War 32:47

1+ y ago32:47

32:47

In 1993, 30 years ago on April 19, the totalitarian government in Washington, the New Babylon, the entity that must be destroyed, exposed its true nature. What happened on that day became an inflection point, a call to action. This podcast is a followup on my earlier podcast on Violent White Nationalism. It explains the logic of those who agree wit…

1
Legacy Lecture: My Life, My Career, My Classes, My Research, My Projects, My Students. 50:13

1+ y ago50:13

50:13

On March 30, 2023 I delivered my farewell Legacy Lecture to the UM-Dearborn community. There were 70 plus people present. The event had four stages. First, two colleagues (Don Anderson and Elias Baumgarten) reflected on my career and their interactions with me; then I delivered my talk; then five memorable students were on a panel to discuss their …

1
Israel at 75. The Palestine War of 1948. Liberation or Catastrophe, or both? 58:55

1+ y ago58:55

58:55

On May 14, 1948 (on the American calendar) the Zionist forces in Palestine declared the arrival of the state of Israel. 2023 is the 75th anniversary of that event. Israelis and Jewish nationalists in general consider this to be a day of liberation. To Palestinians it is a day of catastrophe (Nakba) when they lost not only their farms and homes and …

1
Les Miserables. Why I swore I would never read this novel. And why it is now one of my top two favorites. 41:01

1+ y ago41:01

41:01

In 1862 Victor Hugo wrote what may be the greatest novel of the 19th century. He wrote this masterpiece in 14 months, while he was in exile. It is about Jean Valjean who was sentenced to the galleys for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his widowed sister and her chidren. Many people have seen the film or stage version of this novel, but the written…

1
Dominion Defeats Fox. The Parties Settled Today. What Happened, and Why? An 8 minute summary. 8:48

1+ y ago8:48

8:48

The Dominion Lawsuit Against Fox News, April 18, 2023 As a part of the Big Lie conspiracy theory, that Donald Trump had won the 2020 Presidential election but it had been stolen from him, Fox News began to feature attacks on Dominion Voting Machines. They said that Dominion machines had “flipped” millions of votes from Trump to Biden, thus stealing…

1
A Palestinian Reflects on His Life in Ramallah, and His Life in Ann Arbor. A New Memoir. 1:01:50

1+ y ago1:01:50

1:01:50

A Palestinian Reflects on life in Ramallah and Life in Ann Arbor Last year, Ramsey Hanhan published a slightly fictionalized memoir of his life. It was called Fugitive Dreams: A Personal Memoir. Ramsey grew up in Ramallah, nine miles north of Jerusalem. His parents were 1948 refugees. In those days Ramallah was predominately a Christian town. Today…

1
Christopher Robin Poems: A Delightful Selection 30:28

1+ y ago30:28

30:28

Almost everyone knows about Winnie the Pooh, but not as many know about the Christopher Robin Poems. There were two collections of these poems, later gathered into a single book, The World of Christopher Robin. These are poems that my sons and my grandkids know very well because Jane and I read them over and over. (Recently we mentioned this collec…

1
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Why there will be no negotiated solution. The Perspectives of Ian Lustick. A Reposting. 38:39

1+ y ago38:39

38:39

With Israel being led by the most extreme government in its history, and with violence escalating on the West Bank, I thought it might be useful to repost this podcast. Ian Lustick is a significant political scientist. He specializes in intractable ethnic and colonial conflicts, and how they end. This is his discussion of why Israel is incapable to…

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