Velshi Remember This Moment
Jan 18, 2026
Join Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer John Meacham, known for his deep insights on American democracy, and Ali Vaez, the Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group, as they explore critical moments in history. They discuss the U.S. struggle against state violence in protests and the implications of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal on current tensions. Meacham highlights the fragility of democracy, while Vaez analyzes the fallout from sanctions and the complexities of Iran's future, emphasizing that quick fixes are unrealistic.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Progress Built Through Violent Struggles
- Many freedoms were won through long, often violent struggles against state power across U.S. history.
- Ali Velshi argues current federal policing in Minneapolis echoes past state crackdowns and threatens civil liberties.
Suffragists' 'Night Of Terror' Recounted
- John Meacham recounts the Night of Terror where suffragists at Occoquan Workhouse were beaten and tortured.
- He uses this episode to show how state violence tried to crush the suffrage movement yet ultimately failed.
Private Firms Equipped Police Against Strikers
- Meacham describes the 1937 Memorial Day steel strike where police, armed with equipment supplied by companies, attacked protesters.
- He highlights private business collusion with police to suppress labor organizing and cause casualties.
