Roundup

Why Politicians Need Science

by Michael Shermer

Remember: Before the triumph of science, we burned witches at the stake and thought that kings ruled by divine right.  

Why All the Republican Party’s Presidential Candidates Believe the Same Thing

by Michael Kazin

Nearly every nationally prominent Republican politician owes his ideas to Barry Goldwater.

The strangest alliance ever — The Black Panther Party and North Korea

by Benjamin R. Young

“From its inception, the BPP saw the conditions of blacks within an international context, for it was the same racist imperialism that people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America were fighting against that was victimizing blacks in the United States.”

“One nation under God”? Not when it comes to distributing Gideon Bibles to public schools

by Kevin M. Kruse

Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms? No problem. But public schools were another story, as the Gideon salesmen discovered

Homeopathy: How 200-Year-Old Junk Science Created Junk Medicine and Lasted Until This Day

by Larry Schwartz

A recent study in Australia would seem to put the final nail in homeopathy’s coffin.

Forty Years to the Zionism Equals Racism Resolution

by Dr. Yoav Tenembaum

Forty years ago this year, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) adopted a resolution equating Zionism with racism and racial discrimination.

Do GOP Frontrunners have an Iran policy besides Sanctions and Bombs?

by Juan Cole

The Republican presidential field is not ready for prime time regarding the Iran deal.

Egypt’s Vietnam

by Jesse Ferris

Lessons from the last time Cairo waded into war in Yemen.

MLK’s Radicalism Speaks to Contemporary Protests

by Peniel E. Joseph

On this anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assassination, we look to his speeches of 1967 and 1968, when he attacked America’s militarism, materialism and racism.

How the Slave Trade Built America

by Maurie D. McInnis

The slave trade is not merely a footnote or a side story in the history of American slavery, but was central to its modernization and continuation.

Our national pastime past its time, deserves renewal

by Jonathan Zimmerman

What the game really needs is a new connection with the nation itself.

Buried in George Washington’s papers is the surprising story of women’s expanding role in the 18th century

by Julie Miller

The story is in the invoices for nails, files, knives, locks, hinges, and other goods Washington purchased.

Mosul is an Endangered Historic City!

by Ihsan Fethi

"There are many lessons to be learnt by the world from this new type of conflict where it involves the high jacking of a historic city by terrorists with fierce disregard for history."

The von Moltke Fallacy and avoiding another World War, with Iran

by Juan Cole

After a century, surely von Moltke and preemptive war thinking, which polished off 16 million people and wounded 20 million, should have a worse reputation than they do.

Nasser’s Ghost Hovers Over Yemen

by Jesse Ferris

In 1962 Egypt invaded Yemen and Saudi Arabia intervened. Is history repeating itself?

Roundup Top 10!

This week's broad sampling of opinion pieces found on the Internet, as selected by the editors of HNN.

The one-dot theory of history

by Louis Menan

Predicting the present is nearly as hard as predicting the future.

History of Apple: how Apple came to lead the tech industry

by Nik Rawlinson

Our History of Apple begins with a look at Apple's not so humble beginnings...

Syria: ISIL Conquest of Yarmouk Palestinian Camp refutes Israeli Propaganda

by Juan Cole

On Wednesday, the extremist Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) group, known for its brutal beheadings and mass murder, took over the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp inside Damascus city limits.

Undeveloped World War II Film Discovered

The Rescued Film Project discovers and processes 31 rolls of film shot by an American WWII soldier over 70 years ago.