Resistance is a beautiful word. It is a Romantic word. It is the word of the moment. But what does resistance really mean? Are you a resister if you simply say you are? Anyone can call themselves a resister and put a hashtag in front of it. Does that make them part of the “#resistance?”
Real resistance has an objective and it comes at a price.

This FRDH podcast tells several stories of resistance from recent history to see if they have something to teach those who want to resist President Trump.

French resistance: Almost from the moment the German Army overran France in June 1940 there was resistance: acts of non-cooperation with German orders or scrawling anti-Nazi graffiti on walls. It was spontaneous and uncoordinated and it had little effect. The new administration of the country took shape: a zone of occupation run by the Germans in the north headquarted in Paris. A French run government based in Vichy oversaw the south. Very quickly this new normal became established fact.
From the beginning, the resistance – think of it as being written without a capital “r” at that point – was as disparate as French society. All manner of people and groups “resisted’ without any central coordination. The resisters came from the right and the left, men and women. They were catholics, protestants and jews.

Vietnam War resistance: Non-cooperation with the draft was called resistance. An organization named “Resistance” was started by David Harris. Harris served time in a Federal Prison for his anti-draft activities.

Artistic resistance from the 1930’s in America.

Resistance is a beautiful word … but it is just a word. It is a name for something, it is not the thing itself. It is not action. If it helps people get over the shock of change to add hashtagresistance to their messages … fine but more important than the word is this question: What is a meaningful way to act in a political order you find wicked or shameful? Should you act as an individual or be part of an organization? Is speaking out resistance? or just a first step towards it?

Give FRDH 15 minutes and I will give you the past as prologue to the present.

Resistance is a beautiful word. It is a Romantic word. It is the word of the moment. But what does resistance really mean? Are you a resister if you simply say you are? Anyone can call themselves a resister and put a hashtag in front of it. Does that make them part of the “#resistance?”
Real resistance has an objective and it comes at a price.

This FRDH podcast tells several stories of resistance from recent history to see if they have something to teach those who want to resist President Trump.

French resistance: Almost from the moment the German Army overran France in June 1940 there was resistance: acts of non-cooperation with German orders or scrawling anti-Nazi graffiti on walls. It was spontaneous and uncoordinated and it had little effect. The new administration of the country took shape: a zone of occupation run by the Germans in the north headquarted in Paris. A French run government based in Vichy oversaw the south. Very quickly this new normal became established fact.
From the beginning, the resistance – think of it as being written without a capital “r” at that point – was as disparate as French society. All manner of people and groups “resisted’ without any central coordination. The resisters came from the right and the left, men and women. They were catholics, protestants and jews.

Vietnam War resistance: Non-cooperation with the draft was called resistance. An organization named “Resistance” was started by David Harris. Harris served time in a Federal Prison for his anti-draft activities.

Artistic resistance from the 1930’s in America.

Resistance is a beautiful word … but it is just a word. It is a name for something, it is not the thing itself. It is not action. If it helps people get over the shock of change to add hashtagresistance to their messages … fine but more important than the word is this question: What is a meaningful way to act in a political order you find wicked or shameful? Should you act as an individual or be part of an organization? Is speaking out resistance? or just a first step towards it?

Give FRDH 15 minutes and I will give you the past as prologue to the present.

This is a meditation on PTSD and Donald Trump and does the shock from PTSD make it impossible to see Trump and his actions clearly. In this FRDH podcast, Michael Goldfarb analyzes whether his experience of war and reporting from societies that slipped from stability to civil war affect his judgment about the state of America in the Age of Trump.

He asks whether committing journalism in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq has left him with PTSD. Does his knowledge of how quickly well-established societies can disintegrate into Civil War render it impossible to see the Trump effect clearly.

What percentage of a society wanting to fight is necessary for a civil war to start? In Northern Ireland and Bosnia, Goldfarb learned that civil war is a minority occupation. How many people on each side are willing to fight – not metaphorically, but physically fight – for their vision of what their country should be? Is there a critical mass at which point violence becomes inevitable?

There is no data set on this question, of course, so it’s a matter of speculation. Listen for nine minutes and 48 seconds and you will hear how the past can provide a meditation for the present on American Society, PTSD and Donald Trump.

This is a meditation on PTSD and Donald Trump and does the shock from PTSD make it impossible to see Trump and his actions clearly. In this FRDH podcast, Michael Goldfarb analyzes whether his experience of war and reporting from societies that slipped from stability to civil war affect his judgment about the state of America in the Age of Trump.

He asks whether committing journalism in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq has left him with PTSD. Does his knowledge of how quickly well-established societies can disintegrate into Civil War render it impossible to see the Trump effect clearly.

What percentage of a society wanting to fight is necessary for a civil war to start? In Northern Ireland and Bosnia, Goldfarb learned that civil war is a minority occupation. How many people on each side are willing to fight – not metaphorically, but physically fight – for their vision of what their country should be? Is there a critical mass at which point violence becomes inevitable?

There is no data set on this question, of course, so it’s a matter of speculation. Listen for nine minutes and 48 seconds and you will hear how the past can provide a meditation for the present on American Society, PTSD and Donald Trump

President Trump’s travel ban has now seen more than 100,000 people lose visas to travel to the US. In this FRDH special, Michael Goldfarb discusses the ban with Iranian, Syrian and Iraqi journalists who have long experience of living and working in the US.

Today, thanks to the Executive Order issued January 27th by President Donald Trump: “PROTECTING THE UNITED STATES FROM FOREIGN TERRORIST ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES” these three journalists cannot visit the country because Iran, Syria and Iraq are among the seven countries from which travel is banned.

In a wide ranging conversation, Mina al-Oraibi, columnist for Asharq al Awsat newspaper, Nazenin Ansari, managing editor of Kayhan London, the global Iranian newspaper, and Mustapha Kharkouti, columnist for Gulf New discuss frankly how the ban affects them and how it affects the people in their home countries.

All are veteran journalists, authors of FRDH, the First Rough Draft of History. All have long experience of living and reporting from America and all have been affected by the ban. Visas obtained and paid for legally have all been rendered useless. The trio reflect on the personal price to them, and the price the United States will pay in the long run for this policy. They question the Trump Administration’s obsession with Iran and look at the absurdity of its geo-political strategy. They discuss their views on Trump foreign policy in Syria and, finally, what long term effect the Trump Ban will have on people from a region in turmoil who look to America as a shining city on a hill.
In a conversation that is by turns thoughtful and passionate, these journalists speak truth to the new people in power in America. An FRDH podcast special an Iranian, a Syrian and an Iraqi sit in a radio studio to talk about Trump’s travel ban. Give us 48 minutes and we will give you the recent past as context for the present.