Ralph Nader Radio Hour – January 25, 2026

Main Theme:
This episode features historian Daniel Immerwahr, author of How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States, in a wide-ranging discussion about the hidden history of U.S. overseas expansion, the consequences of empire for democracy at home, and the political, economic, and cultural techniques the U.S. has used to project power beyond its continental borders. The conversation delves into the erasures and myths of mainstream history education, the evolution of U.S. imperial tactics (from overt colonization to subtler forms of control), and the implications for present-day American politics, especially under the Trump administration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Hidden Geography of U.S. Empire

• Textbook Myths vs. Reality (04:00–06:36)

  • Immerwahr explains his motivation: to expand the definition of “the United States” beyond the contiguous states and make the empire’s presence on maps and in consciousness more visible. Territories like the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and others were central to U.S. history but treated as peripheral.
    • "A lot of US History... has actually taken place outside of the part of the country that we normally think of as the United States." (05:21, Daniel Immerwahr)

• Contemporary Relevance (06:36–08:26)

  • The U.S. today still oversees territories where millions lack voting rights. Immerwahr connects this to larger themes of colonialism and disenfranchisement.
    • "...colonialism hovers in the background of politics at the highest level." (03:30–04:10, Ralph Nader quoting Immerwahr)

2. Imperialism and Domestic Democracy

• The Imperial Presidency (07:25–08:26)
  • Acts of aggression overseas have fostered secrecy and executive overreach at home, leading to a militarized and less democratic society.
    • "I think that dynamic has been prevalent and really continues up to today." (08:05, Immerwahr)

3. Economic Drivers of Empire

• Guano Islands and Fertilizer (09:06–10:03)

  • U.S. expansion was initially driven by economic needs like fertilizer: the Guano Islands Act let the U.S. claim uninhabited islands rich in bird excrement.
    • "...U.S. agriculture depended on these small bird-inhabited overseas territories from which the United States was scraping feces and carrying it back..." (09:42, Immerwahr)

• Resource Crisis and Innovation in WWII (10:03–13:25)

  • Rubber shortages led to rubber conservation measures and synthetic alternatives. Similar innovations with plastic and nylon replaced colonial resource dependence.
    • "That's actually a really important moment in world history. It's a moment when chemistry starts to replace colonies..." (11:32–11:55, Immerwahr)

4. Challenging the Myths: Hawaii and Puerto Rico

• Hawaii Annexation (13:25–14:42)

  • Clear evidence from local sources shows Hawaiians overwhelmingly opposed U.S. annexation, contradicting textbook narratives.
    • "...absolutely clear that the annexation of Hawaii was done over popular protest, not happy invitation..." (14:04, Immerwahr)

• Puerto Rico: The Invisible Colony (14:45–15:37)

  • Puerto Rico’s history is full of nationalist resistance and dramatic events often omitted from U.S. history classes.
    • "It's often been the source of some of its most stark anti-imperialism..." (15:06, Immerwahr)

5. Why U.S. Histories Exclude Empire

• Historiographical Blind Spots (15:37–16:54)
  • Immerwahr clarifies it's not historians’ ignorance, but textbook conventions and state standards that exclude stories of overseas territory.
    • "What has rather been the case is that as the textbook authors have kind of decided what US History is... they think of it as the sort of geographically contiguous part of the United States, not the whole part." (16:05, Immerwahr)

6. U.S. Imperial Practices: From Colonies to Control

• Dollar & Gunboat Diplomacy (19:50–22:25)

  • The U.S. shifted from annexation to forms of indirect control: military interventions, financial leverage, and client states.
    • "...there was a time when the US preferred control and military threats to annexing territory." (21:49, Nader)

• Global De-Colonization and Empire’s New Face (22:25–24:41)

  • By mid-20th-century, direct colonization was less viable; the U.S. turned to military bases, coups, and influencing local power brokers.

7. Comparison to Other Histories & Domestic Flashpoints

• Howard Zinn vs. Immerwahr (24:41–26:21)

  • Zinn's People’s History focuses on domestic injustices; Immerwahr’s book foregrounds the structures and techniques of empire and their global effects.
    • "My book is just kind of interested in how power gets exerted and how territory gets used and what things substitute for it." (25:53, Immerwahr)

• Slavery and Indigenous Dispossession (26:21–28:06)

  • Nader urges for more focus on slavery and genocide; Immerwahr acknowledges these are foundational, though not the main focus of his book.

8. Language and Attitudes Toward the Word “Empire”

• The Return of the “E-word” in Public Discourse (28:06–30:09)
  • There’s a noticeable shift in elite and public willingness to describe the U.S. as an empire, driven in part by the Bush and Trump years.

9. Trump and the Re-Imperialization of U.S. Power

• Trump’s Imperial Nostalgia (28:48–30:45)

  • Trump draws on symbols and aspirations from the era of overt empire-building, e.g., praising McKinley and proposing annexation (Greenland).
    • "Trump is really taking us back to a pre-1945 age...for the United States to get more powerful, it will get larger." (29:23–29:56, Immerwahr)

• MAGA, War, and the Disillusionment Factor (30:09–32:11)

  • The endurance of Trump's base may depend on how far he strays from anti-war positions and gets entangled in new conflicts.

10. Stories Behind Empire’s Materials: Fritz Haber

• The “Bread from Air” Scientist (32:11–36:14)
  • Fritz Haber invented the process for synthetic fertilizer (and thus, explosive), forever altering agricultural and military production. His personal story is tragic, as his wife (also a scientist) likely killed herself over his role in inventing chemical weapons. Haber was also a relative of Immerwahr.
    • "He is the original inventor of weapons of mass destruction. Not only invented it, but personally deployed it..." (33:50, Immerwahr)

11. Standardization as a Vehicle of Soft Power

• Global Technical Hegemony (37:02–42:38)

  • U.S. standards for technology, measurement, and manufacturing—spread through military, industry, and culture—compel the world to adopt U.S. norms.
    • "One of the undiscussed, really important sources of US power is that it manages to create... a world that is built around it." (39:09, Immerwahr)
  • Examples: screw threads, orchestral tuning, NATO weapons, and even social media platforms (Instagram, Meta, etc.).

• Enduring Dependence (42:07–43:29)

  • Military aid is a “subscription plan”: countries become perpetually dependent on U.S. parts, standards, and support.

12. Empire by Coercion, Proxy, and Aid

• Venezuela and Old Habits (43:31–44:39)

  • Trump’s recent kidnapping of Venezuela’s president recalls past interventions (e.g., Panama 1989), with the key difference being a new brazenness and occasional interest in annexation.

• Indirect Control: Aid, Bases, and Client States (48:57–51:38)

  • U.S. powers maintain control via military bases, foreign aid as leverage, and support for autocratic “friendly” regimes.

13. The Myth of U.S. Exceptionalism

• Uniqueness Debated (45:43–46:58)

  • Immerwahr: The U.S. holds its dominant global position more from luck and opportunity than innate benevolence or evil.
    • "I don't think that the character of the United States is particularly distinctive. I think it is unusually lucky." (46:29, Immerwahr)

• Manifest Destiny, Europe, and Indigenous Injustice (46:58–47:50)

  • Westward expansion was less about preventing European-style internecine wars, more about eliminating native resistance.

14. Advice for Teaching the Full Scope of U.S. History

• Encouragement for Teachers and Parents (54:08–55:37)
  • Immerwahr: Teachers are not the problem but are caught between state-mandated standards and historical reality. He urges courage to bring fuller, truer narratives into classrooms.
    • "I would advise them to be courageous. And there might be moments when they have to make calls about what is going to help their students...and that might involve some resistance to what they're getting from on top." (55:08–55:37, Immerwahr)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “A lot of US History... has actually taken place outside of the part of the country that we normally think of as the United States.”
  — Daniel Immerwahr (05:21)

• “Imperialism abroad will lead quickly and inevitably to despotism at home.”
  — Democratic Party Platform, 1900, quoted by Ralph Nader (06:14)

• “Trump is really taking us back to a pre-1945 age...for the United States to get more powerful, it will get larger.”
  — Daniel Immerwahr (29:23–29:56)

• "My book is just kind of interested in how power gets exerted and how territory gets used and what things substitute for it."
  — Daniel Immerwahr (25:53)

• "Standards want you not to think about them...the world of standards is a world that which should just feel easy."
  — Daniel Immerwahr (37:38)

Timestamped Guide to Important Segments

• 00:59–02:17 – Introduction to Daniel Immerwahr and the focus of the episode
• 05:30–06:36 – Reframing U.S. history to include the territories
• 09:06–10:03 – The Guano Islands and the economics of expansion
• 13:25–14:42 – The true story behind Hawaii's annexation
• 19:50–22:25 – The evolution from annexation to indirect imperialism
• 28:06–30:09 – The changing use of the word “empire” in U.S. public debate
• 32:11–36:14 – The story of Fritz Haber and the intersection of science and policy
• 37:02–42:38 – Technical standards as a form of global influence
• 48:57–51:38 – U.S. military bases and foreign aid as levers of power
• 54:08–55:37 – Advice to teachers and parents about teaching real history

Tone & Language

The conversation is lively, accessible, and at points darkly humorous, with Ralph Nader drawing sharp connections between historical detail and contemporary politics, and Daniel Immerwahr offering clear, measured, and often witty explanations. There’s a sense of urgency about the importance of honest history and a deep skepticism toward official narratives and sanitized textbooks.

Summary Utility

For anyone unfamiliar with the episode, this summary provides a comprehensive overview—highlighting the major themes, detailed subject areas, representative quotes, and a roadmap for listening to the most impactful portions. It retains the conversational tone and directness of the source, making it engaging and informative for students, educators, or anyone interested in the realities of American power.