Author Archives: Rachel

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About Rachel

Your friendly neighborhood microbiologist in Boise, Idaho.

Nov 20, 2022 – The Great Southwest Railroad Strike of 1886 – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 449

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Bill and Rachel explore the disappointments of the Great Southwest Railroad strike of 1886 and reflect on potential lessons for present-day railroad labor relations. (Note: After we recorded this episode, the results were released for the 2022 rail worker votes on tentative agreements. The engineers narrowly approved the proposed contract, while the conductors narrowly rejected it.)

Links and notes for ep. 449 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/AFD-Ep-449-Links-and-Notes-Great-Southwest-Railroad-Strike-of-1886.pdf

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Nov 13, 2022 – The Autorack – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 448

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How the development of the autorack rail car from the 1950s to the 1980s might have contributed to the relocation of US auto industry factories inside the US. (Bill and Rachel.)

Links and notes for ep. 448 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/AFD-Ep-448-Links-and-Notes-The-Autorack.pdf

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Nov 6, 2022 – From Filing Cabinets to Xerox – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 447

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Bill and Rachel look at the arc of office document management technology from the 1886 filing cabinet to the 1959 Xerox machine and the required underlying developments that made them possible.

Links and notes for ep. 447 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/AFD-Ep-447-Links-and-Notes-From-Filing-Cabinets-to-Xerox.pdf

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Oct 30, 2022 – Horace Mann – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 446

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Bill and Rachel discuss the philosophy of the prominent antebellum public education champion (and abolitionist Congressman) Horace Mann of Massachusetts.

Links and notes for ep. 446 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AFD-Ep-446-Links-and-Notes-Horace-Mann.pdf

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Oct 23, 2022 – Mine Reclamation and Superfund – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 445

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Rachel and Bill discuss the various legislation behind so-called Mine Reclamation and Superfund cleanup sites.

Links and notes for ep. 445 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AFD-Ep-445-Links-and-Notes-Superfund-Sites-and-Mine-Reclamation.pdf

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Oct 16, 2022 – The End of American Dams – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 444

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Americans built thousands upon thousands of dams, large and small, across the US for centuries, but no longer do. In fact, dozens are being removed annually. Bill and Rachel look at the Teton Dam Collapse and the broader end of American dam-building.

Links and notes for ep. 444 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AFD-Ep-444-Links-and-Notes-The-End-of-American-Dams.pdf

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Oct 10, 2022 – Book Review: “Internet for the People” – Arsenal For Democracy Ep. 443

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Bill and Rachel review Ben Tarnoff’s intriguing materialist history/policy book “Internet for the People” (Verso Books, 2022), which offers a critique of anti-monopoly reformism in favor of de-privatization.

Notes for ep. 443 (PDF): http://arsenalfordemocracy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Book-Review-Notes-on-_Internet-for-the-People_-by-Ben-Tarnoff-2022-Verso.pdf

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