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The Martyr Made Podcast (private feed for martyrmade@gmail.com) podcast cover art

The Martyr Made Podcast (private feed for [email protected])

ByDarryl Cooper
105 episodes

Podcast Summary

Dive into "The Martyr Made Podcast," a captivating exploration of history, culture, and the human experience through a lens that challenges the mainstream narrative. This subscription-only series features in-depth conversations with thought-provoking guests, including historians, cultural critics, and authors who share their insights on pivotal moments in history and the complexities of modern society. With episodes covering topics such as the psychological impact of war, the nuances of propaganda, and the intricate dance between power and resistance, the podcast invites listeners to question accepted truths and engage in meaningful discourse. The unique format blends storytelling with critical analysis, making history accessible and relevant. Listeners will appreciate the nuanced perspectives as guests delve into their areas of expertise, offering fresh insights that provoke thought and inspire deeper understanding. Join the conversation and challenge your worldview with every episode of "The Martyr Made Podcast."

#1

Enemy: The Germans' War *NEW TRAILER*

Hi everyone. Check out the trailer for the new Martyr Made series, Enemy: The Germans’ War.As I embark on this project, I’m more thankful than ever for your support. I’ve taken on controversial topics in the past, but as we saw from the reaction to my appearance on The Tucker Carlson Show last year, World War 2 is the ultimate third rail. The series will not be an apologia for the Third Reich, but an attempt to understand the war through the eyes of the people who lost it. Still, I know I’ll be attacked, not only by individuals, but by the same large, well-funded organizations that came after me last year. Fortunately, I have confidence that Substack means what they say about supporting free speech. They had my back after the Tucker interview, and I know they’ll have it now. But you guys are the reason I don’t have to be afraid. I work for you, and only you, and yours is the only opinion I really care about. Gratitude doesn’t begin to capture what I feel for you guys, but just know how much I appreciate it.To those of you who are not yet paid subscribers, help me weather the storm that’s coming for just $5 p/month or $50 p/year. In addition to supporting the podcast through what promise to be some heavy seas, you get access to tons of exclusive podcasts, essays (with audio versions), and more. People in my position like to say that $5 is just the cost of a cup of coffee at Starbucks, but I know from experience what it’s like for every cent to count. So if the subscription fee is tough to swing, but you’d like to subscribe, shoot me an email (martyrmade @ gmail) and I’ll get you set up. If all you’re able to give is your attention, I’m happy and humbled by it.Next episode should be ready by the end of March.Thanks everybody. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2025-02-24•1mins
#2

Roosevelt, Churchill, and the end of the British Empire (Audio Version)

Here’s the audio version of my earlier post Catching Up (with a different title so people know what it is on their podcast apps). Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2025-02-22•20mins
#3

The Peculiar Institution, pt. 14 (Audio Version)

Hey everybody. So here is the audio version for this episode, finally. Apologies for the delay. The weather is quickly turning inhospitable, and I’ve been trying hard to get everything around here ready for a long winter. I’ll tell you all about it someday. The good news: I’m going to be snowed, rained, and frozen inside for most of the next few months, with nothing to do except wrap up this series and get you the first episode of my upcoming series on World War 2. It’s been a long summer, and I know I’ll be crying about the weather by February, but I’ve never looked forward to subzero temperatures as much as I am right now. OK, here we go.Oh, to all of you unpaid subscribers out there, what better time to become a paid member now that I’m about to be locked indoors with nothing else to do but pump out subscribers-only content? It’s just $5 p/month or $50 p/year, and it’s how I can do this without worrying about pleasing anyone but you.Enjoy. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2024-10-31•38mins
#4

To the Perplexed (w/audio)

Well, that was interesting. I say “was,” even though it’s still ongoing, because I figure that being officially denounced by the White House must be the peak of an experience like this, but who knows… I’ve been surprised more than once this week. I have been very gratified that all of you have chosen to stick with me through this time, and that many of you have joined us since it happened. Martyr Made has been the ranked podcast in all categories for several days now. We live in a new world. No official White House denunciation, or hit piece in a national newspapers, or rabid Twitter mob, can change the fact that I work for you guys, and only you guys. Today, more than most days, I am very grateful for that. Most of the invective lobbed my way this week has been either uninformed or simply in bad faith, but there are good faith people I respect, including some of you, who have questions, and this message is to you.This will be my final word on the matter until the first episode of my upcoming series, Enemy: The Germans’ War.When I was nearing the end of the Jonestown series, I asked a friend who is a private investigator to help me get my hands on some police reports about a certain kind of incident. I don’t know if he was allowed to do that, but he came through more than I’d hoped, and I was able to read about dozens of incidents involving someone - usually a husband or father - holding his family hostage in a standoff with police. Most of the incidents involved drugs, and the overwhelming majority of those involved methamphetamines (which is what I had asked my friend to help me find). For each incident I read about in the police reports, I found what I could in newspapers and other media reports, and for the federal cases I read whatever I could find on the PACER website. Some of the incidents ended peacefully, others ended with the death of the hostage-taking husband/father at the hands of police. But nearly half ended when the man murdered his family and kil...

2024-09-07•58mins
#5

My response to the mob

Hey guys, anything interesting happen lately?I would like to say welcome to all the new subscribers, and to express my appreciation for the old ones. I will give you all a much fuller response to the recent kerfuffle soon, but for now I hope this clip from Fear & Loathing in the New Jerusalem is sufficient. We’ll talk soon. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2024-09-06•27mins
#6

Martyr Made Unscripted #3 - Tech and Social Change

Here is the third episode of Martyr Made Unscripted, which is really part 2 of the previous conversation about the radical transformation wrought by technological change. The first discussion ended up focusing on politics, warfare, and geopolitics, while this one zooms in to communities and the individual psyche. Enjoy. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2024-08-09•1hr 28mins
#7

The Peculiar Institution / Antisemitism Crossover (audio version)

Hi everyone. Here is the audio version of The Peculiar Institution, part… what, 12, I guess we’re at now? Sorry it took a minute to get this out. I’ve been zeroing in on finishing the next Whose America episode, and it’s been tough to devote time to other things. Thanks for hanging in there. The next essay will be along in the next couple days, and I’ll try to release the audio version at the same time. Oh, and you know what, I still owe you guys answers to the non-religion Q&A… tell you what, I’ll get that done tomorrow.To my unpaid subscribers reading this: Did you know that for $5 p/month or just $50 p/year, you could not only help feed the cat of your favorite podcaster, but also get access to a subscribers-only podcast feed that contains dozens of audio essays and podcasts? This is the 12 episode on a series about the history of slavery and the leadup to the US Civil War, and each one is 30-45 minutes long, so that’s a six or seven hour podcast you’re missing out on… and we haven’t even reached the American Revolution yet. You should check it out. My cat has a sensitive stomach and requires expensive af food, please don’t make him eat any more Meow Mix. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2024-07-22•56mins
#8

Martyr Made Unscripted #2: Technology and Identity

Hi everyone. Here’s the second Unscripted episode. I recorded this a week or two ago, so no, it’s not about the recent Trump assassination attempt. I’m not sure I have anything to say about it that isn’t already being said, and I don’t want to flood your inbox with stuff you could get just anywhere. If you guys have anything specific about Trump, the shooting attempt, or the election in general that you’d like me to address, put it in the comments and I’ll put something together. For now, you’ll have to settle for my extended soliloquies about how technology is warping our world, and accelerating the rate of change to a point that might just be too much for many of us to handle. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2024-07-18•56mins

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#9

MartyrMade Birthday Fundraiser + Special Offer

If you sign up for an annual subscription between today (July 4) and Sunday (July 7), you get a 20% discount ($40 instead of $50 for the year), and half of that will go to Kristina’s House of Hope, a women’s shelter in upstate New York - the only one in its area.*Note* To take advantage of the special offer, you have to sign up by following this link. It’s how Substack knows to activate the offer.KHOH is not some random charity I drew out of a hat. The house was founded and run by my best friend’s mother after experiencing the tragic loss of her daughter. She’s not rich, she’s not some businesswoman doing this as a side-project, she’s a regular person who’s thrown herself into this project full-time, and helped dozens of women turn away from the edge of the cliff and get their lives together. When people say, “we need more people like that,” this is who they’re talking about - someone who has stepped up and done the thing that we don’t have the time, or energy, or inclination to do, but we all agree has to be done. So let’s help her do it.You guys have really come through the last two years, allowing KHOH to serve more women, improve the house, and expand the services provided. And now, in large part thanks to your help, they’re on the verge of being able to open a second shelter to serve homeless men as well. We don’t always know the outcome when we click to round up to donate to cancer research at the grocery store, but I’m telling you from direct knowledge, your donations to KHOH have saved the lives of dozens of women who were staring over the edge of the abyss.After last year’s fundraiser, the ladies who’ve been helped by KHOH got together and took a group photo with a banner expressing their appreciation. It’s sitting here on my desk, and always will be because it’s probably the single thing for which I’m most grateful to have used this podcast and platform. Let’s come through for them again. Thanks guys, for this and for everything.Here’s a link to the GoF...

2024-07-04•5mins
#10

MartyrMade Unscripted #1: Why I Don't Like Talking About the Gaza War

Hey everyone. Well, here it is, the first unscripted episode, with my buddy, Raj Lulla. As you can imagine, since last October I’ve been asked again and again to go on other shows to discuss the crisis in Gaza. I’ve been invited to several very prominent outlets to participate in debates with well-known people. I’ve turned almost all of them down because, truth be told, I don’t really like discussing the issue. It makes me more emotional than is fitting for live content. Comedian and political commentator Dave Smith is a big fan of the show, and I’ve learned I can send him out into battle as my champion with reliably great results. I’m glad for that. I’m not a media professional, and usually when I’m across the table from someone saying barbaric shit against Israelis or Palestinians, I spend all my time struggling to keep from strangling them rather than focusing on what they’re saying or my rebuttal. In this episode, Raj and I will discuss why I feel that way, and why I’ve disappointed some people by not doing a day-by-day running commentary on the progress of Israel’s assault on Gaza.In the next episode we’re gonna go deep into the effects of media technology on society, politics, and our individual psyches. We’ve got a few of these episodes already in the hopper, which is allowing me to buckle down and finish this slavery series and the next Whose America.The video is for subscribers only, so if you’re not a paid subscriber yet, what’re you waiting for? You guys are the only reason I’m able to do this, so help keep it going for just $5 p/month or $50 p/year. For those of you who are already paid subscribers, I hope you enjoy these, and thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2024-07-04•1hr 2mins
#11

Martyr Made Unscripted

🚨 New Series! 🚨 Introducing a new kind of content from Martyr Made. *Martyr Made Unscripted* is a more conversational series that dives into current events, topics like media and communication, and Darryl’s personal experiences. Martyr Made Unscripted is only available for paid subscribers. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you!If you have yet to upgrade to a paid subscription, get started today to access the entire archive of subscriber-only content and get the first Unscripted episode as soon as it’s available.In addition to providing some off-the-cuff thoughts and audience interaction, these episodes will let me bring you content while I buckle down and pound out the last bit of the next Whose America. Thanks for everything! Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2024-06-27•4mins
#12

A Few Thoughts About World War 1

Hi everyone. I did an interview spot on The Jesse Kelly Show today, as part of a series he’s doing on the First World War. I figured since I had already written down some notes to prep for the interview, I might as well write it up for you guys. The next slavery installment will be out in the next day or two.The First World War was, in many ways, the great turning point in the modern history of the West. That statement won’t surprise most of you, and will sound trite to any Great War afficionados. Yet most Americans think of the Second World War as such a turning point, the main event to which WW1 was a mere preliminary bout. I suppose that makes sense, since World War 2 was the turning point for America’s role in the world, but for Europe and the Middle East, it was WW1 that marked the death of one world, and the birth of another. The old world plunged into the trenches in 1914, and the new one crawled out four years later.You can see it just by looking at pictures of the officers and men in those respective years. In the early battles of 1914, you’ll find French officers in fancy uniforms and bright red pantaloons defending against the advance of German soldiers who, like the soldiers of every other army in the war, didn’t even wear helmets as they charged into a storm of shrapnel and bullets. In 1918, the soldiers of every belligerent country looked more or less like soldiers did for the rest of the 20th century. None of the armies of 1914 had much use for automobiles, and none had ever used aircraft in war; by 1918, the Entente Powers were using tanks to crack German lines, and both sides were awarding military decorations to their ace pilots.The First World War provides a prime example of a war where warfighting technology had developed dramatically since the last time major powers met in prolonged conflict, while battle tactics had not been adapted to the new reality. Not one of the major powers who marched to war in 1914 expected the conflict to last long,...

2024-03-22•22mins
#13

The Peculiar Institution, pt. 7 (w/audio)

Hi everybody. Sorry this one took longer than usual to get out. About a week ago I babysat the festering buckets of disease my friend calls children, and was down for the count for a while. If it shows on the audio, I’m sorry about that, but I’m on the upswing, so have no fear for the future.That’s right, all you FREE SUBSCRIBERS looking at this preview: Paid subscribers have access to a private podcast feed so that instead of reading, they get to listen to my sultry voice read it for them. Well, my voice is currently not so sultry, maybe I better think of a new sales pitch. How’s this: Martyr Made is a one-man show, entirely funded by you guys. I don’t have any sponsors, and I like it that way. I work for you, and nobody else. If you can spare $5 p/month or $50 p/year, you not only get access to this whole essay, but the audio version, and tons of other content as well. Oh, and you get a discount at the Martyr Made store, which is currently being updated with new products that will be online soon. So, if you can swing it, read an essay or two about slavery and help feed a hungry podcaster.OK, here we go.It’s time to talk about America. Finally. Well, it’s not America yet, it’s still just British colonies. Actually, it’s not even British colonies just yet. Let’s start in the mid-16th century. Spain is the dominant power in Europe. Her conquistadors have subdued the Aztec and Incan Empires, claiming vast territories stretching from modern-day Argentina to Florida and Southern California. By 1565, Spain had conquered the Philippines, which served as a base for trading expeditions shipping gold and silver mined in the New World to China, India, and soon, Japan, in exchange for tea, silk, spices, and other goods. Treasure-galleons streamed between Spain and her New World possessions each year, carrying gold and silver to Spain, and returning to the New World with more soldiers, priests, colonists, and supplies. The only other relevant player was Portugal, and by 1580...

2024-03-06•47mins
#14

The Prodigal Sons

This is the audio version of the talk I gave at last year’s inaugural Novitate Conference in Washington, DC. A video is available here, but I’m uploading the audio so that it appears in the podcast feed. The Novitate Conference was created by Luke Burgis, author of Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life, to explore and celebrate the work of French scholar Rene Girard. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2024-01-26•1hr 23mins
#15

The Peculiar Institution, pt. 2 (Audio Version)

Hi everyone. Here’s the audio version of the recent installment of The Peculiar Institution, pt. 2, my ongoing series about the history of slavery and the leadup to the US Civil War. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2024-01-19•35mins
#16

Confrontation, pt. 3 - The Book of Job (Audio Version)

Hi everyone. I hope everyone is having a great holiday season, and, for my listeners in the northern hemisphere, I hope you’re not letting the short days get you down too much. I’m really looking forward to MartyrMade in 2024. I’ve got several pots on boil that you will be really excited about. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-12-23•18mins
#17

War All the Time: Israel vs Palestine, 1948-82 (Bonus Episode)

Hi everybody. So, many of you will have already heard a version of this episode (called The Administration of Savagery, released about a year or two ago), but this version is updated with new information and cleaned up a bit. I thought it was worth re-upping due to the current crisis in Gaza.To those of you who are non-paying subscribers to the MartyrMade Substack, please consider supporting the podcast by becoming a paid subscriber for just $5 p/month or $50 p/year. The show is 100% listener-supported, so your generosity is the only way I’m able to keep doing this. Thanks. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-11-11•4hr 20mins
#18

Letter from a young girl in Palestine

Hi everybody. I recently got an email from a young Palestinian girl. It was maybe the most beautiful, and most rewarding, email I’ve ever gotten from doing this podcast, and I wanted to share it with all of you. Sometimes, it seems near impossible, at a time of heightened tension and polarization, to cut through the noise and get people to see that most of the people affected by a conflict like the one between Israelis and Palestinians are normal, innocent people no different from you or me. But I’m going to keep banging that drum anyway. Thanks for listening.If you’re an unpaid subscriber, or someone just finding the Substack, please consider supporting the show by becoming a paid subscriber. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-10-30•29mins
#19

We Should Record This, w/Daniele Bolelli

Hi everyone. My good friend Daniele Bolelli and I recorded this when I visited a week or so before the crisis erupted in Gaza. We start off talking about paleolithic man, the invention of grandparents, tribalism and community… and then I bust out my hammer and sickle and start complaining about capitalism. Hopefully, you need a break from the news out of the Middle East as much as I do. Enjoy.If you don’t know, Daniele is the host of a top 3 history podcast, History on Fire. He and I have collaborated on episodes in the past - the short episode I did about the Japanese Red Army was part of an anthology he put out, and my My Lai episode was a two-parter with his episode on the massacre at Sand Creek. Anyway, I love DB, and you will too. Check out his Substack. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-10-25•1hr 5mins
#20

Short lecture by Israeli journalist Gideon Levy (27 mins)

Hi everyone. I know, what with all the chaos in the Middle East, many of you have been wondering where I’ve been. Life has been imposing itself on me in ways I couldn’t wriggle out of, but that’s about over now. I’ve got a couple interviews scheduled this week, and will release an expanded an updated version of The Administration of Savagery (on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from 1948-82) soon. After that, I will release another long-form episode on the post-1982 period, with a focus on Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas.In the meantime, I wanted to share this lecture by Israeli journalist Gideon Levy. I hope everyone will listen to it.Thanks again for your patience. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-10-23•27mins
#21

The God of Myth - A Meandering Detour from the Book of Job (Audio Version)

This is the audio version of my recent essay, The God of Myth - A Meandering Detour from the Book of Job. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-09-04•48mins
#22

Confrontation - The Book of Job, pt. 2 (Audio Version)

This is the audio version of the second installment of my recent essay series on the Book of Job. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-08-19•36mins
#23

Confrontation - The Book of Job, pt. 1 (Audio Version)

This is the audio version of my recent essay on the Book of Job. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-08-19•38mins

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#24

MartyrMade #23 - Whose America?, ep. 2: Inner City Blues

The Great Migration of 1915-1960 saw over six million African Americans move from the rural South to the big cities of the North and West. It was one of the largest mass migrations in human history, and one whose consequences defined American domestic politics throughout the 20th century. But it wasn’t the first time the industrial cities of America had experienced massive demographic transformation, and the black migrants would run smack into the immigrants of previous generations. In the 1960s, frustration and anger turned to conflict, as race riots drove what was left of the white ethnics out of the inner cities. Today we tell the story of the battle for control of the Ocean Hill-Brownsville school district in New York City - a topic which might sound a bit dull, but was one of the most intense periods of racial conflict in recent American history. The conflict captured the attention of the country for months, and led to a split in the alliance between American blacks and American Jews that had powered the civil rights movement until the late 1960s.To the unpaid subscribers of the Substack: Sign up to become paid members for just $5 p/month or $50/year and you’ll get access to the new episode now. Otherwise, it will be released to the public in a week or so. Thanks for your support!Sidenote: Guys, trust me, I KNOW I have been neglecting you all for the last little while, but I had no choice. I finally just realized that I was never going to get this episode finished unless I just isolated myself, shut out the world, and focused on nothing but that, which is what I’ve been doing for about the last month and a half. Hopefully not too many of you have abandoned me over the last month or two (although I understand if you did), but I promise, now that this is done, to give the Substack my full attention. THANK YOU again for your patience. I really mean that. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-06-16•6hr 41mins
#25

Gods of the Field (Audio Version)

Hi everyone. This is the audio version of my recent essay, Gods of the Field.A quick update: I made some mistakes overscheduling myself for various projects that came due at the end of May. I thought for sure I would be finished with the history episode, and so allowed myself to accept a few other projects, but the history episode is a difficult one to get right and for the last month I have been pulled in all directions. The good news: the two main projects I had to finish on deadline (two print articles) are now done, and I am back to being fully focused on you, and on the history podcast. Thanks again for your patience. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-05-28•35mins
#26

Notes on Immigration (Audio Version)

This is the audio version of my recent post about mass immigration. Thanks for listening. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-03-31•21mins
#27

St. Patrick's Day toast to America's Irish (Audio Version)

This is the audio version of my recent post about the travails faced by Irish immigrants as they made their way in America. Thanks for listening. Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

2023-03-31•30mins

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