StocktonAfterClass
StocktonAfterClass
Ronald Stockton
Ron Stockton was a professor of political science at the University of Michigan-Dearborn for 48 years. His specialty was non-western politics and political change. He taught classes on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Religion and Politics, the Politics of Revolution, Non-Western politics, and American politics. He also taught in the Honors Program, focusing upon foundational readings from the 18th and 19th centuries. He has an interest in religion and politics and in the role of religio-ethnic groups in the political system. The listener can anticipate talks on Arab-Americans, Jews, African-Americans, the Scots-Irish, and Evangelicals. He has lectured and written on American politics, public opinion, and voting behavior and on the role of religious organizations and ideologies in the political system. There will be occasional discussions of books and films that address serious issues. And he has lectured and published and even taught a class on gravestones, especially those of different ethnic and religious groups such as Muslims, African-Americans, Jews, and Native Americans. The goal of the podcast series is to provide analysis and commentary by a political scientist to explain and make accessible political, historical, and cultural developments in the United States and around the world, and to give the listener analytical tools to understand those developments. It is also to entertain the listener.
Pope Leo XIII. Rerum Novarum (an inspiration for Pope Leo XIV).    A  Reposting
Send us a text Are you interested in why the new pope took the name of an old pope? Is he sending us a message? Leo XIII was a modernizing pope whose most famous encyclical (1891) was called Rerum Novarum (New Things). This is a class lecture that I delivered on that encyclical. I discussed key passages and why it was so important.
May 8, 2025
1 hr 11 min
I Am Running for Pope.  (Seriously.  Don't Laugh)
Send us a text Back in 2013, when Pope Benedict stepped down, I was concerned for the future of the Church and threw my hat into the ring. I am not sure how many votes I got but the vigorous insistence of the Vatican that they had never heard of me convinced me that my impact was real. There were even rumors that my candidacy had been received better than some had expected. At that point I thought my religious career was over but when I heard that President Trump had declare...
May 2, 2025
9 min
Interview with Adel Bsesio regarding his family archive of property held in southern Palestine, confiscated by the Israelis in 1948.
Send us a text This is interview three on this remarkable project. The frist interview was with Amine Zreikh who made me familiar with this historical cache of documents -- deeds, maps, contracts, etc. Adel Bsesio is the posessor of his family archive. It is now in an archive in Columbia University, universally accessible to anyone who wants to use it for research or educational purposes. This interview focuses upon the archive itself, and the rich store of materials t...
Apr 17, 2025
52 min
Pope urges American Bishops to pursue Christian policies towards immigrants, not Trump policies.
Send us a text Just after being released from the hospital, where he nearly died, the Pope issues a pastoral letter to the American Bishops. He urged them to focus upon Christian principles, and to support immigrants as they face the actions of the Trump administration (which they did not identify by name). He said that a policy not rooted in proper values will start badly and end badly. This is a short letter, just 2 and 1/2 pages long. I offer some explanatory commen...
Apr 10, 2025
16 min
Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing, 1983
Send us a text There is a new book on the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983. 241 people were killed as they slept. It was the greatest single-day death toll for the Marines since Iwo Jima. The decision to put these Marines in Lebanon in the middle of a civil war was veery controversial. The Joint Chiefs and the National Security Council were on opposite sides. Jane and I attended a talk on this incident by the author of the book. I was...
Apr 2, 2025
13 min
"Defeated and Overrun"  The Israeli Military (IDF) Report on the Hamas Attack of October 7
Send us a text This is an IDF assessment of what happened on October 7, 2023, what went wrong, and why. It is a military report, not a political assessment, but it is very interesting.
Mar 13, 2025
21 min
Ukraine War (Reflections at the Start)  A Reposting
Send us a text My colleagues and I held a Faculty Forum when the Ukraine War started. It was done soon after Russia grabbed some provinces and the Crimean peninsula in 2014. This is my contribution. I listened to it when the current war started and found it still worth the time. With the current confrontation, and the Trump shift towards Russia, it may be of interest to see some of the long-term issues. This was reposted once before, about a year or so ago,...
Mar 1, 2025
25 min
Should America Annex Gaza?  President Trump's serious proposal
Send us a text President Trump has proposed annexing Gaza, clearing it of Palestinians, and turning it into a resort area. He seems to be deadly serious. This is a discussion of what would be involved in such a development. Note: There was a slight disconnect with the sound. After the introductory music, you may have to turn up your volume. Also a Glitch: When I was discussing a public opinion poll 15 or 20 minutes into the podcast, I said 46 to 31 w...
Feb 21, 2025
24 min
Darn it, Kamala.  I told you there was an iceberg just ahead.  I even told you how to avoid it.  Why the heck did you not listen to me?
Send us a text After struggling for three months to try to figure out why Kamala lost to Trump, I finally figured it out. Is this explanation too simple, or is it exactly on target? If you are willing to devote 20 some minutes of you life, you can judge for yourself.
Feb 6, 2025
22 min
Classified Documents Taken By Trump.  Case dropped by Trump Administration.  Reposting.
Send us a text The Mara-Lago Classified Documents Case seemed to me to be the strongest of all the cases against Trump. Those were highly sensitive documents. Some were so sensitive that even their classifications were classified. As a private citizen Trump had no right to any of those. Moreover, he had tried to hide them, had urged others to deny they were there, and and had lied to the FBI when they came to collect them. In late January, 2025, the new Trump ad...
Jan 30, 2025
43 min
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