The Survival Podcast Blood in the Streets, History Repeats – Epi-3575
Oct 29, 2025
C.J. Kilmer, a recovering academic and host of the Dangerous History Podcast, dives into the complex history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He argues that this conflict, rather than the Civil War, offers a clearer lens to view today's political tensions in the U.S. Kilmer explores key events like Bloody Sunday, daily life during the Troubles, and the psychological impacts on civilians. He warns of modern media's role in escalating violence and shares practical advice for navigating potential unrest.
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Troubles Not Civil War
- The U.S. is more likely to follow the Northern Ireland Troubles model than a 19th-century civil war.
- Modern breakdowns look like localized, low-intensity, neighbor-against-neighbor insurgency rather than uniform armies.
Partition Created Structural Grievances
- Partition after WWI left a Protestant majority in Northern Ireland that institutionalized discrimination.
- That structural inequality set the stage for civil-rights protests and later violent escalation.
Bloody Sunday Radicalized People
- Bloody Sunday (Jan 30, 1972) was a peaceful Derry march where British paratroopers opened fire on unarmed protesters.
- That massacre massively increased IRA recruitment and radicalized many previously peaceful citizens.
