"WhatifAlthist" | World History, Philosophy, Culture

World events keep derailing my civilization series! As a professional historian, I felt compelled to address the recent Rogan/Cooper podcast pushing the revisionist claim that Churchill was the villain of WWII who caused millions of deaths by refusing Hitler's peace offer. Let's examine what the historical evidence actually shows about this controversial take. -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Click here to make some cash for giving your opinion with YouGov: https://www.inflcr.co/SHLCl Thanks, YouGov, for sponsoring this video! -- LINKS: Link to my second podcast on world history and interviews:    / @history102-qg5oj   Link to my Twitter-https://twitter.com/whatifalthist?ref... Link to my Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlyn... -- Bibliography: Liddle Hart's the Second World War 2 Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by Shirer World War 2 by Childers My Early Life by Winston Churchill A History of the English Speaking Peoples after 1900 by Andrew Roberts A Military History of the Western World by JFC Fuller The Dictators by Richard Overy The Rule of Empires by Parsons Tragedy and Hope by Carroll Quiggley War in Human Civilization by Azar Gat The World at War by Forster If the Allies had Fallen by Showalter History's Greatest Wars by Cummins A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia by David Christian Honor by Bowman Cynical Theories by James Lindsay Fire in the Minds of Men by Billington Atrocities by Matthew White The First World War 1 by John Keegan The Second World War by John Keegan The History of the English Speakings Peoples by Winston Churchill Albion's Seed by David Hackett Fischer 15 Battles of History by Creasy

21 Apr 1h 1min

We're living through a historic inflection point where the left lost the presidency but still dominates virtually every Western institution. Despite their electoral defeat, they control the bureaucracy, UN, Big Tech, media, academia, and even the Catholic Church—while the right has built no alternative power structures. The burning question is what the left will actually DO with this paradoxical position, as their own leadership seems unsure following Trump's victory. Their next moves will inevitably shape our historical trajectory as history is carved into stone before our eyes. -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Surfshark: Go to https://surfshark.com/whatdeal for 4 extra months of Surfshark -- LINKS: Link to my second podcast on world history and interviews:    / @history102-qg5oj   Link to my Twitter-https://twitter.com/whatifalthist?ref... Link to my Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlyn... Bibliography: The Righteous Mind by Jon Haidt Ages of Discord by Peter Turchin End Times by Peter Turchin The Master and His Emissary by Ian McGhilchrist The Storm before the Calm by George Friedman On Grand Strategy by John Lewis Gaddis The True Believer by Eric Hoffer Woke Racism by John McWhorter Leviathan and its Enemies by Sam Francis Regime Change by Patrick Deneen The Origins of Woke by Richard Hanania The Unabomber's Manifesto The Revolt of the Elites by Lasch The Total State by Auron Macintyre A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell Seeing like a State by James Scott After Liberalism by Paul Gottfried Japan and the Shackles of the Past by Taggart Murphy Destined for War by Graham Allison Envy by Helmut Schoeck Cynical Theories by James Lindsay Spiral Dynamics by Don Beck Forgotten Truth by Houston Smith The Economics of Discontent by Jean Michel Paul

17 Mars 57min

Beyond the Big Four Eurasian civilizations (Europe, India, Middle East, China) that dominated 90% of humanity, there existed a fifth major player—not a civilization, but its opposite. The Steppe produced history's greatest conquerors despite having 1/100th the population and no cities or formal religions. These nomadic warriors influenced world history as much as any civilization, creating an anti-civilization power that repeatedly brought empires to their knees. The ultimate historical paradox: how could Mongolia conquer China with 1% of its population? -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Go to https://ground.news/whatif to stay fully informed on every side of every story. Save 50% on unlimited access with their Vantage Plan through my link. It's their biggest sale of the year! -- LINKS: Link to my second podcast on world history and interviews:    / @history102-qg5oj   Link to my Twitter-https://twitter.com/whatifalthist?ref... Link to my Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlyn... -- Bibliography: A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia by David Christian The Invention of Yesterday by Tamim Ansary Europe's Steppe Frontier 1500-1800 by McNeil Plagues and Peoples by McNeil Rise of the West by McNeil Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world by Jack Weatherford The Khan Trilogy by Khan Iggulden (fiction but is the best intro to Mongol history for lay people since the author does the research really well) A History of Warfare by John Keegan A History of Religious Ideas v 3 by Mircea Eliade War and Peace and War by Peter Turchin Fighting Techniques of the Oriental World by Rice War in Human Civilization by Azar Gat The Soul of China by Amaury de Riencourt Nomads and Crusaders by Archibald Lewis War! What is it Good for by Ian Morris The Evolution of Civilizations by Carroll Quiggley Who We Are and How We Got Here by David Reich The Tree of Culture by Ralph Linton The Silk Road by Frankopan

4 Mars 37min

As a Zoomer, I process World Wars as ancient history despite their recent shadow. The 20th century stands in opposition to ALL previous human experience, rejecting thousands of years of shared wisdom. Our unprecedented wealth and technological power convinced us to believe things previous generations would find INSANE—that men and women are identical, money can be printed infinitely, and culture doesn't matter. Most shocking: we've built a totalitarian democracy so pervasive we don't even recognize it. -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Link to Black Forest Supplements and Turkestrone: https://blackforestsupplements.com/?s... More information here: https://blackforestsupplements.com/bl... -- LINKS: Link to my second podcast on world history and interviews:    / @history102-qg5oj   Link to my Twitter-https://twitter.com/whatifalthist?ref... Link to my Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlyn... -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod -- Bibliography: The True Believer by Eric Hoffer 1984 by George Orwell On Grand Strategy by John Lewis Gaddis Why Nations Fail by Acemoglu Intellectuals and Society by Thomas Sowell The Dictator's Handbook by Mesquita Woke Racism by John McWhorter Leviathan and Its Enemies by Sam Francis Origins of Woke by Richard Hananai The Unabomber's Manifesto The Total State by Auron Macintyre A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell Seeing Like a State by James Scott Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder Tragedy and Hope by Carroll Quiggley On Power by Bertrand de Jouvenal On Politics by Aristotle The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu The Origins of Ideology by Todd Immanuel Sex and Power in History by Amaury de riencourt Rise of the West by William McNeill

13 Feb 49min

Reality operates through paradox—simultaneously everything and nothing, connected yet divided. The most revealing truth? People project their own nature onto their enemies. The left accuses the right of exactly what it does itself: institutional control, hatred, and power obsession. Modern civilization's greatest hypocrisy? Proudly championing "human rights" while systematically dehumanizing its population into interchangeable cogs. This isn't a bug—it's industrial society's primary function and underlying purpose. SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive LINKS: Link to my second podcast on world history and interviews:    / @history102-qg5oj   Link to my Twitter-https://twitter.com/whatifalthist?ref... Link to my Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlyn... RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod Bibliography: The Lonely Crowd by David Riesman Thus Spake Zarathustra by Nietzche Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler The Gulag Archipelago by Solzenitsyn Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker Humanity's Ascent by Charles Eisenstein The Unabomber's Manifesto Man and His Symbols by Carl Jung Das Kapital by Karl Marx Universe 65 by Calhoun Sex and Power in History by Amaury de Riencourt Nihilism by Seraphim Rose The Passion of the Western Mind by Tarnas A Secular Age by Charles Taylor Seeing like a State by James Scott The Leviathan and Its Enemies by Sam Francis The Managerial Revolution by James Burnham The Master and His Emissary by Ian McGhilchrist Atrocities by Matthew White The Decline of the West by Oswald Spengler The History of Philosophy by Will Durant The History of Philosophy by Bertrand Rusell The Web of Meaning by Jeremy Lent Envy by Helmut Schoeck The Happiness Hypothesis by John Haidt

8 Feb 49min

Why are people SHOCKED by the obvious consequences of their actions? We print money and act surprised at inflation. We pursue godless lives and wonder why we feel empty. I've spent years asking the most accomplished people I know—CEOs, politicians, artists—how to live happily as a young man, and received NO satisfying answers. This episode identifies the 12 toxic cultural assumptions driving our collective misery and offers the only path forward: shattering these illusions completely. SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Go to https://ground.news/whatif to stay fully informed on every side of every story. Save 50% on unlimited access with their Vantage Plan through my link. It's their biggest sale of the year! RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod -- LINKS: Link to HIstory 102: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0NCSdGglnmdWg-qHALhu1w Link to my cancellation insurance: https://becomepluribus.com/creators/20 Link to my Twitter - https://x.com/whatifalthist Link to my Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlynch/?hl=en -- Bibliography: Lost Connections by Johann Hari A Secular Age by Charles Taylor The Myth of Disenchantment by Storm A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell The Master and His Emissary by McGhilChrist The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker The Happiness Hypothesis by Jon Haidt Maps of Meaning by Jordan Peterson A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell Envy by Helmut Schoeck Cynical Theories by James Lindsay Intellectuals and Society by Thomas Sowell The Righteous Mind by Jon Haidt How to Know a Person by David Brooks The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate The Elephant in the Brain by Kevin Simler Culture of Narcissism by Lasch The True Believer by Eric Hoffer The Body Keeps the Score by Van Der Kolk Dominion by Tom Holland

29 Dec 202450min

In this episode of Whatifalthist, host Rudyard is joined by Samo Burja, founder of Bismarck Analysis and Palladium Magazine. They engage in a wide-ranging discussion covering political dynamics, the impact of technology on society, and the historical parallels that can be drawn from current events. For full shownotes, visit highlight: https://highlightai.com/share/35528506-03e8-4ef2-84b2-5424f7f2fc7b SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod

15 Nov 20241h 2min

Growing up with Catholic/Protestant parents showed me how ideas shape reality—and why people throughout history die for them. As a child, I couldn't understand why someone would sacrifice their life for beliefs. Now I realize justice isn't just an abstract concept—it's what separates America from Argentina. Reading Orwell's 1984 as a teenager horrified me, watching its predictions materialize around us as wokeness creates the perfect pathway to totalitarianism. -- SPONSORS: NetSuite:  More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify:  Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive

1 Nov 20241h 17min