The blue-blood families that made fortunes in the opium trade: Amitav Ghosh recounts the origins of much of the wealth for the 19th century New England elite on this episode of the Start Making Sense podcast. He wrote the cover story for The Nation's latest print issue. His new book is called Smoke and Ashes.
Also on this episode: The latest US moves in Haiti are framed in democratic rhetoric but are deeply anti-democratic in their effect. Amy Wilentz is on the podcast to explain. She’s written two books about Haiti, most recently the award-winning Farewell Fred Voodoo.
Edge of Sports: Aaron Maybin: "Athletes aren't superheroes, we're human beings"
Time of Monsters: The State of the Left in Chile, El Salvador and Nicaragua
Welcome to Contempt of Court with Elie Mystal!
Start Making Sense: How Democrats can win Working-Class Voters; how Doctors are Fighting—against Hospitals
Edge of Sports: W. Kamau Bell, the reluctant optimist
Time of Monsters: Establishment Economics Under Siege
Start Making Sense: Cornel West Should Not Be Running for President; plus the GOP vs. Divorce
Pat Robertson’s Terrible Legacy
Start Making Sense: The Far Right’s Takeover of Shasta County, plus the Enslaved Black Family: Sasha Abramsky on politics, Brenda Stevenson on history
Time of Monsters: Car Dealers Versus Electric Vehicles
Start Making Sense: D.D. Guttenplan on Biden and the Vision Thing; plus Disappearing Islands
Time of Monsters: How Ron DeSantis Botched His Launch
Edge of Sports: Shine On, Denver Nuggets
Start Making Sense: Is Planned Parenthood Too Cautious? Plus: Writing and Politics
Time Of Monsters: Biden, The Republicans, and The Debt Ceiling
Start Making Sense: Jeffrey Toobin on the Roots of Jan. 6; Adam Hochschild on Anti-Woke History
Time of Monsters: Slaying the Debt Ceiling Dragon
Start Making Sense: Bhaskar Sunkara on Biden in 2024, plus Josh Gondelman on the Writers Strike
Time of Monsters: Can the Corrupt Courts Be Fixed?
Start Making Sense: Impeach Clarence Thomas; plus Joe Biden, the GOP, and 'Freedom'
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