Politics and the Past: Desert Dialogues

A Spot of British Politics

THIS WEEK: Dr. Rob Ferguson sat down with Welsh university student Tom Hodkinson to discuss UK politics. Hodkinson and Dr. Ferguson discussed the intricacies of Welsh politics, independence, and nationalism. They also chatted about the state and future of the Tory Party.

Remembering the Italian Resistance

This week, Jack Hinrichs interviews ASU history grad and Dean’s Medalist Gio Barberio about his honors thesis. Gio studied the differences between collective and individual memory by interviewing a former member of the Italian resistance to Mussolini and comparing her memories with official memorials to the Italian resistance. In doing so, he analyzed how and why Italy chose to prioritize certain places of official memory over others.

Autopsy of the DNC Autopsy

The Democratic National Committee has finally released its autopsy of the 2024 election, and Andrew, Jack, and Rob have some thoughts. While Andrew Ritter, Jack Hinrichs, and Dr. Rob Ferguson agree that the autopsy is a sloppy and superficial document, they disagree on how much weight should be accorded to both the document specifically and the DNC generally. Listen to their differing opinions on the importance of political organization on this episode of the "Politics and the Past: Desert Dialogues" podcast.

New Mexico: America's Tibet (Video Version)

New Mexico is (to Andrew Ritter, at least), America's Tibet. Both New Mexico and Tibet are politically and economically behind the remainder of their region. Both are home to majority-minority populations. And both are mountainous regions. On this episode, Andrew Ritter and Dr. Rob Ferguson discuss how New Mexico seems impervious to the immense political change that has swept across the country. In doing so, they make a case for why New Mexico is America's Tibet.

New Mexico: America's Tibet

New Mexico is (to Andrew Ritter, at least), America's Tibet. Both New Mexico and Tibet are politically and economically behind the remainder of their region. Both are home to majority-minority populations. And both are mountainous regions. On this episode, Andrew Ritter and Dr. Rob Ferguson discuss how New Mexico seems impervious to the immense political change that has swept across the country. In doing so, they make a case for why New Mexico is America's Tibet.