Author Donald Jeffries joined guest host Richard Syrett (Twitter) to talk about his book, American Memory Hole, which challenges established historical narratives and examines the origins of cancel culture. Jeffries highlighted the concept of "court historians" as individuals who guard and protect dominant historical narratives, often defending the status quo at the expense of alternative perspectives. He cited Professor Harry Elmer Barnes as an example of an early victim of historical gatekeeping for reassessing World War I and challenging the necessity of the war, which led to Barnes being ostracized by mainstream academic and media platforms. According to Jeffries, Barnes' experience reflects a broader issue where historians or public intellectuals who question prevailing narratives are marginalized, much like John Tolan, who faced similar consequences after questioning official accounts of Pearl Harbor.
Jeffries asserted that cancel culture, often considered a modern phenomenon, has deep historical roots, particularly in the Roosevelt administration. He argued that President Franklin D. Roosevelt systematically suppressed his political adversaries, such as John T. Flynn, by ensuring they were denied media access and employment opportunities. This form of silencing critics was an early version of what we now see as cancel culture, where individuals are excluded from major platforms, he explained.
Jeffries critiqued the legacy of figures like Senator Joe McCarthy and Richard Nixon, arguing that both have been unfairly vilified by the court historians. McCarthy, despite his aggressive and controversial methods, was genuinely concerned about communist infiltration, but his reputation was tarnished by biased narratives, particularly through media figures like Edward R. Murrow, Jeffries revealed. He also suggested that Nixon, though flawed, was the victim of a "silent coup" through the Watergate scandal, which overshadowed his significant achievements, such as opening diplomatic relations with China.
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During the second half of the program, researcher Russ Breault discussed the history of the Shroud of Turin and recent scientific findings that may support its authenticity, emphasizing the unique physical characteristics and historical mystery surrounding the artifact. He described the Shroud as a 14-foot-long, 3.5-foot-wide linen cloth bearing a faint image of a bearded, crucified man along with bloodstains that match the wounds of crucifixion. The Shroud has been analyzed extensively, and despite this scrutiny, it remains an enigma, as there is no evidence of paint or other materials that could explain the formation of the image, he noted, adding the bloodstains on the cloth have been identified as type AB, adding to the potential authenticity of the object as possibly linked to Jesus Christ.
Breault recounted the biblical story from the Gospel of John, where the linen cloth is found in Jesus' empty tomb by Peter and John. This cloth became the first evidence leading John to believe in Jesus' resurrection. Breault suggested that this narrative, along with the mysterious and unexplainable nature of the Shroud's image, supports the belief that the Shroud could be the same burial cloth mentioned in the Gospels. Despite its sacred significance, the Shroud remains hidden in the St. John's Cathedral in Turin, Italy, only occasionally brought out for public display.
Breault delved into the Shroud's historical journey and chain of custody, tracing it from Jerusalem to Edessa (modern-day Turkey), where it was hidden during periods of persecution, rediscovered, and later taken to Constantinople. He mentioned that it was stolen during the Fourth Crusade and eventually surfaced in the possession of a French knight in 1356, after which its history in Western Europe became more documented. According to Breault, evidence such as pollen samples and limestone traces from Jerusalem, along with new dating methods, suggest that the Shroud could indeed be from the first century.