1238: Ken Burns | What If the American Revolution Isn't Over?

The American Revolution isn't over — it just changed uniforms. Documentary legend Ken Burns explains why we're still debugging an experiment from 1776.

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1238

What We Discuss with Ken Burns:

America's origin was born from division, not unity. • Ken Burns argues the US was born from violence and division, not unity. The Revolutionary War was a brutal civil war with brother fighting brother, not a clean myth of freedom and fireworks. The Revolution is an ongoing experiment. • Ken sees the Revolution as the start of a political experiment still being debugged 250 years later. It's not a finished story but a continuous process of living up to founding ideals. Contradictions compose the country's core. • The Revolution's hypocrisy is staggering: freedom built on slavery, liberty denied to women and Native peoples, idealism mixed with self-interest. These contradictions remain eerily familiar today. Good storytelling transcends politics. • Ken found that compelling narratives neutralize binary thinking. His Vietnam documentary avoided expected backlash because a good story makes people say "I didn't know that" rather than taking sides. History is an active conversation. • History isn't fixed answers, but an ongoing dialogue with the past. By listening closely, we can ask ourselves if we're living up to the promises made — and continue writing that unfinished story. • And much more...

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