It Could Happen Here Weekly 246
Summary
This compilation episode features a deep dive into American imperialism with guest James, exploring how the U.S. hides its colonial status through legal frameworks like the Guano Islands Act. They discuss the history of uninhabited outlying islands, the exploitation of labor for resources like guano, and the lasting military and political impacts on inhabited territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam. The conversation highlights how these overseas possessions shaped the U.S. state while remaining largely invisible to the American public.
Topics discussed
Introduction to the weekly compilation episode
Defining US insular areas and territories
US colonial history and the myth of exceptionalism
Military bases, gunboat diplomacy, and Puerto Rico
Silicosis epidemic in coal fields and California
Ad break and silica in food products
Nurses unions and prison strike resistance
Survivor Files promo with Elizabeth Smart
AI intimacy, data privacy, and tech regulation
Loneliness epidemic and AI companions
IWOC interview: Prison conditions and solidarity
Legal defense, parole politics, and third strike laws
Self-defense laws and 2027 Prison Strike plans
BookTok ad and CBP construction pause
Market crashes, SC election, and DHS surveillance
Navy ship crisis and Iran-Israel conflict updates
Steel mill robots and Electric Boat fraud probe
Bond market distress and Treasury buybacks
Florida and Texas election results analysis
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