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

The Jordan Harbinger Show

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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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