What were the core principles of the republic and how were those moral principles of natural law subverted over the course of a 260 year struggle to establish on this earth a system of representative government founded upon the consent of the governed, unalienable rights of all mankind, and the General Welfare? How do the ideas of Plato, Cicero, St Augustine, Dante Alighieri, and Nicholas of Cusa play a direct role in the creation of modern international law via the Peace of Westphalia and revolution of 1776?
In this first of a series of historical video shorts inspired by the audiobook of Clash of the Two Americas vol 1 (the Unfinished Symphony), written by Matthew Ehret and Cynthia Chung, narrated by Hugh Patrick Trudeau and produced by Jason Dahl, we are introduced to the terms of this history as you've never seen it.
Was the US revolution as planned, steered and executed by the grand vision of Benjamin Franklin over the course of 4 decades merely a pragmatic fight between 13 colonies and an overbearing British Empire, or was something much greater at play during the years 1776-1783's signing of the Peace of Paris? Could the revolution have been successful without the international cooperation of republican leaders around the world stretching from France, Poland, Prussia, Ireland, Russia, and even India and Morocco? How about the influence of Chinese Confucian thought on the formation of the young republic and why did the Continental Congress choose the name of Muslim freedom fighter Hydar Ali as the name of the first US naval flag ship? How did Ben Franklin's discoveries in electricity play a role in recruiting the best minds of Eurasia to the cause of liberty? What was the role of Morocco in securing victory for American ships against barbary pirates allied to the British East India Company and why was Morocco the first nation to recognize American independence in 1777?
Why was the success of the American Revolution not replicated across the world after 1783 despite the fact that leading republican revolutionaries from France, Prussia, Italy, Germany, Poland, Ireland and even India worked tirelessly to ensure both the success of 1776 within the 13 colonies as well as in their home countries? Why did the new age of reason and win-win cooperation fail to manifest in the late 18th century while the archaic system of Hobbesianism and hereditary institutions kept its claws firmly into its human host.
In this 4th of a series you will be introduced to a side of Benjamin Franklin which has been suppressed by 250 years of revisionist history. This involves seeing him as a scientist, statesmen, poet and cultural warrior operating on a very long wave of history.
In this 5th segment we are introduced to the real reasons that Canada failed to become the 14th colony to break free of the British Empire in 1776.
In this 6th episode we are introduced to the founding of the British Fifth Column in North America that has come to be known as the 'Deep State' in modern times.
Cynthia Chung is the President of the Rising Tide Foundation and author of the book “The Empire on Which the Black Sun Never Set,” consider supporting her work by making a donation and subscribing to her substack page Through A Glass Darkly.
Also watch for free our RTF Docu-Series “Escaping Calypso’s Island: A Journey Out of Our Green Delusion” and our CP Docu-Series “The Hidden Hand Behind UFOs”.
Slightly off-topic, so apologies in advance:)
For some time now I’ve been meaning to compile a list of authors who’ve had the most influence on my thinking with the aim of sharing that list with others in the hope of convincing them to follow my example. This not-so-original idea came about as a result of noticing that none of the various internet writers I follow have done this. Writers will often refer to an author in the context of the subject they’re writing about, which gives you a clue to their underlying philosophy, but a comprehensive list of what they consider to be their most influential authors always seems to be missing. It’s unfortunate because something like that would go a long way towards understanding the foundations of their thoughts and motivation.
I’m keeping the list short so people have a chance to investigate it without being overwhelmed by the number of authors. The basic idea is to encourage others to compose their own list to see how much we share in common, while at the same time providing new works to explore which we might otherwise not find on our own. There’s no particular hierarchy here which would be difficult, as each of these authors provides fundamental insights towards understanding the world we live in. Obviously there are far more authors of interest than what I’ve presented, I’ve simply focused on the ones that have had the greatest impact on my own thinking, which I’m hoping others will take the time to emulate, possibly as a separate page on their site, or perhaps as part of their ‘about' page.
Glancing through this list you’ll notice that the overarching theme is ‘epistemology’ - the discipline which asks the question “how do we know, and how do we know that we know?” What immediately follows from this question is more questions: “what is the source of my ideas, and why should I believe the things I do?” I am all about asking questions (as opposed to providing answers) which I feel these authors do a much better job of than I could ever do. Issac Newton in a letter to Robert Hooke wrote "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” That’s the basic idea here. Who are the Giants in your own investigation of the world we live in? Whose shoulders are you standing on?
This is a preliminary list. The final version will have a summary of the key points raised by the various authors. In the interim, each of them has a fairly accurate Wikipedia page which serves the same purpose.
Marshal Mcluhan - All, but esp. Gutenberg Galaxy & Understanding Media
Alfred Korzybski - Science and Sanity
Stuart Chase - The Tyranny of Words. (an introduction to A. Korzybski)
Douglas Hofstadter - Gödel, Escher, Bach
James Grier Miller - Living Systems
Marvin Harris - Cultural Materialism
Thomas Kuhn - The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Karl Popper - The Open Society and its Enemies.
Lao Tsu - Tao Te Ching (R.L. Wing Translation)
***
I can thoroughly and wholeheartedly recommend all four volumes of The Clash of the Two Americas. This magisterial series is nothing short of a tour de force — a sweeping, eye-opening journey through history that illuminates the grand battle between two contending visions for humanity.
On one side: the noble, open system envisioned by the Founding Fathers — a world where liberty, creativity, and reason chart the course of human progress. On the other: the closed, zero-sum system of hereditary oligarchies, whose power hinges on scarcity, division, and perpetual control. These books bring this battle to life not as abstract theory, but as the lived reality behind the events that have shaped our world.
Volume One invites you to wet your toes in the exhilarating story of America's successful war of independence from British colonial rule. But don't expect a dry retelling — this is history charged with purpose. It will leave you clamouring for more, and early on, you’ll grasp the deeper truth behind the haunting phrase: “America is greater than what it is and less than what it was meant to be.” The title The Unfinished Symphony could not be more apt. This is not just a chronicle of the past — it is a call to action for the future.
Across the four volumes, we witness the real-world epic of good vs evil. Forget Star Wars — this is the true rebel saga. These pages are packed with revelations and hidden gems that will make the force strong in you, opening your eyes to why the Death Star of empire is headed for a reckoning — not from a lone Jedi, but from the rising Rebel Alliance of a multipolar world.
The battle between closed and open systems is the central drama of our age, and The Clash of the Two Americas tells it with clarity, depth, and passion. History, geopolitics, economics, and philosophy all converge here, and the result is electrifying.
May the Open System Be With You.
Cue the resounding Star Wars theme.
This is the history you didn’t know you needed — and won’t forget once you’ve read it.