Podcast / American Prestige / May 6, 2025

White American Liberals, Part 1

On this episode of American Prestige, Kevin Schultz on his new book.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

White American Liberals, Pt 1 w/ Kevin Schultz | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Kevin Schultz, Chair of the Department of History at the University of Illinois Chicago, joins the program to talk about his new bookWhy Everyone Hates White Liberals (Including White Liberals): A History. In this first part of the discussion, they get into liberalism’s consistent spirit yet inconsistent character, the transition from progressivism to liberalism in America in the early 20th century, FDR’s use of the word “liberal” as a sort of marketing tool, the height of the “white liberal,” William F. Buckley and the modern American conservative movement, the New Left’s opposition to “the liberal order,” the perception of white liberals in the civil rights movement, and more. 

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882 – 1945) sits at a desk in front of a series of microphones (two labelled NBC and two CBS) as he delivers a ‘Fireside Chat’ radio broadcast, 1930s.

(Stock Montage / Getty Images)

On this episode of American Prestige, Kevin Schultz, chair of the Department of History at the University of Illinois Chicago, joins the program to talk about his new book, Why Everyone Hates White Liberals (Including White Liberals): A History. In this first part of the discussion, we get into liberalism’s consistent spirit yet inconsistent character, the transition from progressivism to liberalism in America in the early 20th century, FDR’s use of the word “liberal” as a sort of marketing tool, the height of the “white liberal,” William F. Buckley Jr. and the modern American conservative movement, the New Left’s opposition to “the liberal order,” the perception of white liberals in the civil rights movement, and more. 

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

War Breaks in Tigray, Brazil Elections, Houthi/Ansar Allah Attacks Hit Saudi Airports / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Derek has returned, but he keeps trying to get Danny to go to some seminar led by a charismatic “mentor” he encountered in his travels. In this week’s news: war breaks out in Ethiopia’s Tigray region (0:43); Flavio Bolsonaro wins the first round of Brazil’s presidential election as the right makes major gains (6:46); in Yemen, the government’s counteroffensive against Ansar Allah stalls (9:51), the group attacks airports in Saudi Arabia and Yemen (12:40), and Saudi Arabia seeks outside military support (13:42); the U.S. prepares to resume its war against Iran as the Islamic Republic intensifies attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz (17:44); in Japan, a U.S. Marine’s arrest for alleged murder sparks protests against the American military presence on Okinawa (22:18); Sudan’s military advances in North Kordofan (25:20) and Sudanese military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan rejects peace talks (28:06); in Mali, Tuareg rebels withdraw from Kidal as government forces retake the town (29:54); the U.S. and the WHO seek information about suspected plague cases at a Russian lab (29:54); Russian attacks across Ukraine kill at least 25 (32:57); Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calls a snap election (35:00); the U.S. bombs another alleged drug boat in the Caribbean (37:12); and Trump creates a new AI task force called the Super Intelligence Force (38:12).

Note: Since recording, Trump has said that the U.S. will not attack Iran before the November midterm elections.

Watch a replay of last night’s livestream with journalist Michael Fox about Brazil’s elections.

Subscribe and check out our History of Modern Palestine series with Rashid Khalidi.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Daniel Bessner

Daniel Bessner is a historian of US foreign relations and is the author of, among other books, Imperialist Realism.

Derek Davison

Derek Davison is a writer and analyst specializing in international affairs and US foreign policy. He is the publisher of the Foreign Exchanges newsletter, cohost of the American Prestige podcast, and former editor of LobeLog.

More from The Nation

Presidential candidate for the Brazilian Liberal Party Flavio Bolsonaro during a press conference with representatives that declared their support for the runoff election in Brasília, on October 7, 2026.

War Breaks in Tigray, Brazil Holds Elections, Houthi/Ansar Allah Attacks Hit a Saudi Airport War Breaks in Tigray, Brazil Holds Elections, Houthi/Ansar Allah Attacks Hit a Saudi Airport

Derek has returned, but he keeps trying to get Danny to go to some seminar led by a charismatic “mentor” he encountered in his travels.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

The Scala Data Centers facility in Barueri, São Paulo state, Brazil, on March 9, 2026.

Brazil’s Data Center Boom Is Enabled by Renewables Firms—With Laís Martins Brazil’s Data Center Boom Is Enabled by Renewables Firms—With Laís Martins

Paris Marx and a tech reporter for The Intercept Brazil discuss how Brazil’s renewable energy industry is fueling data center expansion, greenwashing, and harm to local communitie...

Paris Marx

The WNBA, Past and Present and Irish Sport for Palestine

The WNBA, Past and Present and Irish Sport for Palestine The WNBA, Past and Present and Irish Sport for Palestine

Tamryn Spruill joins the show to talk about her new book on the WNBA, and we discuss Palestine and Irish politics with Rebecca O’Keefe.

Dave Zirin

A Palestinian flag in the Mashrou' Beit Lahia area of Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, on October 6, 2026.

Palestine Three Years After October—With Rashid Khalidi Palestine Three Years After October—With Rashid Khalidi

Rashid Khalidi joins Danny and Derek to discuss Gaza, October 7, US policy toward Israel, regional shifts, and the future of Palestinian resistance.

Podcast / American Prestige

Demonstrators against the rapid expansion of AI data centers in the UK and the environmental and social impact of Artificial Intelligence in London, UK, on February 28, 2026.

AI: What Is to Be Done? Plus Protest Under Assault AI: What Is to Be Done? Plus Protest Under Assault

On this episode, Garrison Lovely argues that the real threat of AI is making human labor obsolete, and Annie Leonard says we need to defend and use our right to protest.

Jon Wiener

Staten Island seen on August 5, 2026.

Does Staten Island Explain the Trump Age?—With Ben Naddaff-Hafrey Does Staten Island Explain the Trump Age?—With Ben Naddaff-Hafrey

Ben Naddaff-Hafrey joins Fighting Fascism to revisit Staten Island’s 1990s secession movement—and what the borough can teach us about resentment, politics, and Wu-Tang.

Jonathan Smucker, Aaron Regunberg, and Matt DaSilva

x