Books with Burt

An entire generation has been misinformed about communism and Russia. Communist countries have always been ruthless dictatorships, yet surveys show that about 1/3 to 1/2 of Millennials sympathize with socialism and sometimes even communism. In this episode, Burt breaks down the callous and seemingly deliberate errors made by  mainstream textbooks like The American Pageant and

Popular textbooks used by many American history classes often make tragic errors and important omissions when discussing President FDR's record during World War II. For example, did you know Roosevelt was warned by the Commander of the US Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor that the Japanese had the potential to attack? Or that Roosevelt was largely responsible for the internment of loya

Do you think FDR was a great president, a good president, or a dreadful president? Most historians insist FDR was a great president, but the evidence suggests he was actually a dreadful president. In this episode, Dr. Folsom explains why. This episode is based on Dr. Burt Folsom’s book, New Deal or Raw Deal?: How FDR's Economic Legacy Has Damaged America. Learn more about YAF at

We often hear how FDR was one of the most successful presidents in American history and his presidential win in 1936 is often used as evidence to support this argument. No president prior to Roosevelt had ever won a partisan election by such large margins. But in this episode, Burt explains exactly why Roosevelt was able to secure his victory. Hint: it has nothing to do with the su

During the Great Depression, unemployment hit 25% under Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt. In 1932, Congress passed the first federal welfare program in American history. For many historians, such federal spending was not only justified, but it was a wonderful use of tax-payer dollars. But there is much more to the federal welfare story.  In today’s episode, Dr. Folsom will re

The New Deal was designed by FDR to create programs to reduce the unemployment rate during the Great Depression. Although it was sold to Americans as a well-intentioned effort to curb the depression, the New Deal programs such as the AAA and the NRA only provided avenues for corruption and exacerbated the misery for all Americans. For every problem the programs sought out to solve,

A lot of history books credit President Franklin D. Roosevelt for leading the US out of the Great Depression. But is this correct? In this episode, Burt shines the light on the New Deal policies, and what we actually find is a grab for power but not a gain for the American economy or the American people. This episode is based on Dr. Burt Folsom’s book, New Deal or Raw Deal?: How

The Great Depression is universally considered one of the darkest times in modern history, but what actually caused this global economic downslide? In this episode, Burt details the four main causes of the Great Depression, and helps listeners understand how the actions of President Franklin D. Roosevelt dramatically changed the role of government in the lives of Americans forever.

The fur trade was a major industry in the early years of the United States and was a worldwide enterprise. America’s first President, George Washington, sought to use this as a tool to prevent the recently defeated British from building alliances with American Indians and restarting another war. President Washington also wanted to secure America’s foothold in global markets. Un

All throughout history, governments have attempted to use subsidies to advance their interests, essentially picking winners and losers. The race to be the first in flight is no exception. The United States government decided to select Samuel Langley to create the first airplane as he appeared to be the most capable and well-credited person. Yet, as we know from history, Langley was