Empire, Republic and Shadow Wars

Empire, Republic & Shadow Wars connects the battles you know to the battles you’re not supposed to notice. I’m Shawn—teacher and historian (B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. coursework in U.S. military history & empire). You’ll still get cinematic arcs on the Pacific War and Vietnam—and we’ll dive into the shadow wars: the war on terror, the war on drugs, covert finance, BCCI, and alleged/Documented intersections of intelligence services and the drug trade. We follow the paper trails, declassified files, and institutional incentives that move power.

Podcasting since 2017 • 168 episodes

Empire, Republic and Shadow Wars

Latest Episodes

5.06 God is Dead

Episode 6 of our mini season "The Great Unraveling" is finally here. Over the past five episodes, we've traced how American political discourse became weaponized, how both parties learned to delegitimize elections, how political violence gets s...

April 29, 2026 • Season 5 • Episode 6 • 1:02:21

State of the Podcast 2025

Today we talk about the state of the show and what's coming.

December 03, 2025 • 12:55

State of the Podcast

Just an update about a change or two and where we are headed.

December 01, 2025 • 12:55

5.05 The Long March

Over the past four episodes, we've traced how American political discourse became weaponized, how both parties learned to delegitimize elections, how political violence gets selectively remembered, and how two incompatible constitutional orders...

November 17, 2025 • Season 5 • Episode 5 • 39:39

5.04 The Two Constitutions

Civil rights vs. civil liberties—what happens when rights collide? Today we discuss.

November 13, 2025 • Season 5 • Episode 4 • 54:13

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Fan Mail

I'm considering assigning your podcast as resources for my APUSH students this year!

Tampa, Florida