Wiser World: Recent Episodes
Alli Roper
A world studies refresher course for busy, curious people who forgot it all. Here we explore different regions of the world, giving you the facts and context you need to think historically when considering current events. The goal? Re-build your foundation of world knowledge so you can be more informed and confident. Multiple episodes drop the 3rd Wednesday of every month.
Part 2 of 3: A brief historical introduction to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This episode covers from 1917 to the beginning of 1967. This episode is designed for those who know little to nothing about the conflict and are looking for an approachable way to learn about it. For extra resources to further your study, head to my Patreon.
Support the podcast on PATREON. Thank you so much for helping me to continue the podcast and keep it ad/sponsorship free!
Sources used in making this episode. Special thanks for Rachel Cox for her assistance in research for this episode.
For more information on Wiser World:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there.
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
Part 1 of 3: A brief historical introduction to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This episode covers from 4,000 years ago until 1917 with the Balfour Declaration. This episode is designed for those who know little to nothing about the conflict and are looking for an approachable way to learn about it. For resources to further your study, head to my Patreon.
Support the podcast on PATREON. Thank you so much for helping me to continue the podcast and keep it ad/sponsorship free!
Sources used in making this episode. Special thanks for Rachel Cox for her assistance in research for this episode.
For more information on Wiser World:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there.
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
A brief historical and cultural recap of Hawaii, for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this incredible place.
Support the podcast on PATREON. Thank you so much for helping me to continue the podcast and keep it ad/sponsorship free!
I always try to look into the history and culture of a place before I go there. There are many travel bloggers and podcasts who tell us where to go and what to eat and what to do. And I love using those resources! But what about the context, the history, the backstory? I know that when I know a bit of history, I ask better questions to locals, I understand my surroundings better, and I feel far more connected to the place and its people. This is why I began the Know Before You Go episodes.
Sources used in making this episode. Special thanks for Rachel Cox for her assistance in research for this episode.
For more information on Wiser World:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there.
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
A brief historical and cultural recap of Hawaii, for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this incredible place.
Support the podcast on PATREON. Thank you so much for helping me to continue the podcast and keep it ad/sponsorship free!
I always try to look into the history and culture of a place before I go there. There are many travel bloggers and podcasts who tell us where to go and what to eat and what to do. And I love using those resources! But what about the context, the history, the backstory? I know that when I know a bit of history, I ask better questions to locals, I understand my surroundings better, and I feel far more connected to the place and its people. This is why I began the Know Before You Go episodes.
Sources used in making this episode. Special thanks for Rachel Cox for her assistance in research for this episode, the McQuiveys for insights, and Kailea for help with pronunciation.
For more information on Wiser World:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there.
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
Note: I simplify the Iran Nuclear Deal way down in these episodes; it is obviously much more complex. Please do your research into this controversial deal—in my studies I have found some Iranians in favor of President Donald Trump removing the USA from the deal, and others who are against it. I failed to mention this in the episode.
A concise, foundational history of Iran from 1980 to 2022.
What are the rights given to women in Iran? How is the government set up? What happened during the Iran-Iraq War? Why is the Iran Nuclear Deal so controversial? How do Iranians express discontent with the government, and what happens when they do? What is life like in Iran today and what are some of the current issues Iranians are facing? We will learn the answers to these questions and more in this episode.
Sources used in the making of this episode: Source List
Special thanks to my research assistant, Rachel Cox, for her incredible work on these episodes.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there.
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
Note: I make an error in stating that there are 10,000 Jews that whittle down to 9,000. The actual number is 100,000 (not 10,000).
A concise, foundational history of Iran from 1950s through the 1979/1980 Revolution.
How did Iran change under the rule of Mohammed Reza Shah? Who is Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and how did he change Iran? What happened during the Revolution in Iran in 1978 to 1979, and how did Iran become an Islamic Republic? How did this change the lives of Iranians? What is the Iranian Hostage Crisis and how did it end? We will learn the answers to these questions and more in this episode.
Sources used in the making of this episode: Source List
Special thanks to my research assistant, Rachel Cox, for her incredible work on these episodes.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there.
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
A concise, foundational history of Iran from the late 1800s to mid-1950s.
What is the difference between Persia and Iran? What is a shah? Who were the major leaders from the late 1800s until 1953? When was oil discovered in Iran? How did the British and Russians influence Iran? Who was Mohammed Mossadegh and how did he affect the Iran we know today? We will learn the answers to these questions and more in this episode.
Sources used in the making of this episode: Source List
Special thanks to my research assistant, Rachel Cox, for her incredible work on these episodes.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there.
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
A concise, foundational history of North Korea from the the 1990s to present day (2022).
What was life like in North Korea during the 1990s for the average person? How do people defect from North Korea and where do they go? How did the current leader, Kim Jong-Un rise to power? How does North Korea’s nuclear weapons program affect the future of the international community? We will learn the answers to these questions in this episode.
PLAN FOR AWESOME Affiliate Information
Use code WISERWORLD25 to 25% off anything the Quick & Easy Preparedness eBook, Quick & Easy Preparedness Course, and 72-Hour Kit Guide at Plan For Awesome. Links below.
https://planforawesome.com/quickandeasy/
https://planforawesome.com/72hourkits/
Sources used in the making of this episode: Source List
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
A concise, foundational history of North Korea from the the 1950s to 1990s.
What kind of lifestyle have the Kim leaders lived, and how do they pull it off? How did North Korea do economically after the Korean War? What is the Songbun caste system and how did it affect all lives in North Korea? What is Juche and why did Kim Il Sung believe in it? Why did the economy collapse in the late 1980s? How did widespread famine affect nearly every person in North Korea? We learn the answers to these questions and more in this episode.
PLAN FOR AWESOME Affiliate Information
Use code WISERWORLD25 to 25% off anything the Quick & Easy Preparedness eBook, Quick & Easy Preparedness Course, and 72-Hour Kit Guide at Plan For Awesome. Links below.
https://planforawesome.com/quickandeasy/
https://planforawesome.com/72hourkits/
Sources used in the making of this episode: Source List
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
A concise, foundational history of North Korea from the early 1900s to mid-1950s.
What was the Korean peninsula like before it split into two countries? How did Japan rule Korea from 1910 to 1945? How do many Koreans feel about Japan as a result? How did Korea become divided, and how did the United States and the Soviet Union play into that? What happened during the Korean War? Who is Kim Il-Sung and how did he create a personality cult that’s still alive in North Korea today? We learn the answers to these questions and more in this episode.
PLAN FOR AWESOME Affiliate Information
Use code WISERWORLD25 to 25% off anything the Quick & Easy Preparedness eBook, Quick & Easy Preparedness Course, and 72-Hour Kit Guide at Plan For Awesome. Links below.
https://planforawesome.com/quickandeasy/
https://planforawesome.com/72hourkits/
Sources used in the making of this episode: Source List
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
How do some Taiwanese feel about reunifying with China? Do they live in fear of an invasion? What is filial piety and how does it affect the young people of Taiwan today? What is it like to get an education in Taiwan? How do Taiwanese treat outsiders?
Today I have two guests living in Taiwan answering all these questions and more. Thank you to my friends Jessica Lu and Cassia (last name withheld) for their insights and perspectives.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wiserworldpodcast
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
A brief, concise history of Taiwan from 1970 to 2022. This episode covers:
- Chinese/Taiwanese/US relations from 1970 to 2022
- The end of martial law and transition to a multi-party democratic system
- The transfer of power from a mainlander (Chiang Ching-kuo) to a native islander (Lee Teng-hui)
- The first free elections and subsequent back and forth between KMT and DPP parties
- The future of Taiwan—possibilities and concerns
-
- more
Notes:
- I make the mistake a time or two of calling the "Republic of China (ROC)" as the same as the KMT. The KMT is a political party, while the Republic of China is the name they often call the country of Taiwan, as they moved the headquarters of the ROC over to Taiwan in 1949. The KMT and ROC are different entities, though very intertwined.
- I also failed to clarify that some pre-1949 Taiwanese people did indeed join the KMT. Not all KMT members are "mainlanders."
Sources used in the making of this episode: Source List
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
A brief, concise history of Taiwan from the late 1800s to 1970. This episode covers:
- Colonial rule in Taiwan (Portuguese & Dutch, Chinese, Japanese... etc)
- Sub-ethnicities within the Taiwanese people — Native Indigenous (many tribes), Hokkien, Hakka, and mainlander
- Japanese rule of Taiwan from 1895 to 1945.
- Post-WII change from Japanese rule back to Chinese rule
- 228 Incident in 1947
- KMT exile to the island of Taiwan and the repercussions, White Terror
- Relations with US, China, and Taiwan
-
- more
Notes:
- I make the mistake a time or two of calling the "Republic of China (ROC)" as the same as the KMT. The KMT is a political party, while the Republic of China is the name they often call the country of Taiwan, as they moved the headquarters of the ROC over to Taiwan in 1949. The KMT and ROC are different entities, though very intertwined.
- I also failed to clarify that some pre-1949 Taiwanese people did indeed join the KMT. Not all KMT members are "mainlanders."
Sources used in the making of this episode: Source List
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
A brief, concise history of China from 1972 to 2022.
- Deng Xiaoping leadership, Four Modernizations
- Economic reform, Special Economic Zones
- Tiananmen Square, 1989
- Hong Kong returns to China
- 90s - 2010s general basics
- 2014 Umbrella Revolution
- Uyghur Genocide
- Censorship
- Chinese militarization of man made islands, military potential
- Disappearances
- Chinese yuan
-
- more
Note: I pronounced the Chinese currency "yuan" incorrectly. It is supposed to be pronounced something like "you-en".
Additional Learning:
One Perspective: This podcast episode on disappearances in China
Frontline Documentary on Tank Man
Source List
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
A brief, concise history of China from 1949 to 1976. Covers:
- First steps of CCP/Mao Zedong consolidating power in PRC
- Purges
- Great Leap Forward (Mao’s Great Famine)
- Cultural Revolution (Red guards, little red book, propaganda, violence, Cult of Mao)
- Mao Zedong leadership, legacy, opinions
- Beginning of Deng Xiaoping leadership
Source List
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
A brief, concise history of China from the 1850s to 1949. Covers:
- Qing Dynasty
- Opium Wars / Relationships with Western nations in late 1800s-early 1900s
- Sino-Japanese Wars
- Establishment of ROC (Republic of China), Sun Yat-sen, Nationalist Party, Chiang Kai-shek
- WWI, Warlord Era, WWII
- Rise of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Mao Zedong, Long March
- Civil War between Nationalist & Communists
- Nationalists leave for Taiwan
- PRC (People’s Republic of China) born, 1949
Source List
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
This episode is a very concise and basic review of Ukraine’s history in the past 100-ish years: Part 1 covers the late 1800s to 1945, and Part 2 covers 1945 - early 2022. In the U.S., we aren’t taught much at all about Eastern European countries, like Ukraine, in school. They are largely mysteries. My hope is that these episodes change that.
Albert Einstein said, “The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.” I am no genius, but I definitely tried to do the genius thing here. It was a challenge. Obviously, I leave a LOT out and I gloss over tons of things we could spend days and weeks learning about. But I did my best to share historical facts as we know them currently.
Not all of my episodes will be this date and history-heavy—many will share more personal stories. But this moment in history demands context and background, so I went for it. I hope it helps.
Sources
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
This episode is a very concise and basic review of Ukraine’s history in the past 100-ish years: Part 1 covers the late 1800s to 1945, and Part 2 covers 1945 - early 2022. In the U.S., we aren’t taught much at all about Eastern European countries, like Ukraine, in school. They are largely mysteries. My hope is that these episodes change that.
Albert Einstein said, “The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.” I am no genius, but I definitely tried to do the genius thing here. It was a challenge. Obviously, I leave a LOT out and I gloss over tons of things we could spend days and weeks learning about. But I did my best to share historical facts as we know them currently.
Not all of my episodes will be this date and history-heavy—many will share more personal stories. But this moment in history demands context and background, so I went for it. I hope it helps.
Sources
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website: https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
This episode is a VERY concise and basic review of Russia’s history in the past 100-ish years: Part 1 covers pre-1917 to 1949, and Part 2 covers 1949 - early 2022. Albert Einstein said, “The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.” I am no genius, but I definitely tried to do the genius thing here. It was a challenge, for sure. Obviously, I leave a LOT out and I gloss over tons of things we could spend days and weeks learning about. But I did my best to share historical facts as we know them currently.
Not all of my episodes will be this date and history-heavy—many will share more personal stories. But this moment in history demands context and background, so I went for it. I hope it helps.
Sources
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website: https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
This episode is a VERY concise and basic review of Russia’s history in the past 100-ish years: Part 1 covers pre-1917 to 1949, and Part 2 covers 1949 - early 2022. Albert Einstein said, “The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.” I am no genius, but I definitely tried to do the genius thing here. It was a challenge, for sure. Obviously, I leave a LOT out and I gloss over tons of things we could spend days and weeks learning about. But I did my best to share historical facts as we know them currently.
Not all of my episodes will be this date and history-heavy—many will share more personal stories. But this moment in history demands context and background, so I went for it. I hope it helps.
Sources
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website: https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
Why do we need to know about countries, culture, governments, economies different from our own? In this episode I give you four reasons for why having a regular diet of world material in your life benefits not just you, but everyone. *CORRECTION: At the end of this episode, I say I will launch in Season 1 on the Middle East in Episode 3. Instead, I'll be doing a 4-episode mini-series on four major countries and their history so we can follow our current events situation a little more easily. Then I'll do Season 1.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website: https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics
Everything you need to know about the podcast! How it came to be, how the seasons and episodes will work, and what you need to know before you start listening.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/
Website: https://wiserworldpodcast.com/
To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there!
Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics