Renowned Historian Ken Burns: The Conditions of the Country are as Bad as They Were Before the Civil War



Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey-based politics and technology writer.…
Not too many people know more about American history than Ken Burns. He has produced legendary documentaries on jazz and baseball, two unique American inventions.

But Burns is, perhaps, most well known for his documentary on the Civil War. The opus, released in 1990, received countless awards and was watched by millions.
Burns recently appeared on the SmartLess podcast. And during the show, he explained to hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes the seriousness of the country’s current divide.
“It’s really serious,” he explained. “There are three great crises before this: the Civil War, the Depression, and World War II. This is equal to it.”
We are beyond honored to have documentary filmmaker, Ken Burns, sit down with us this week. Ken clears up the rumors about George Washington’s wooden teeth and discusses his upcoming series, “Muhammed Ali”. @SmartLess @SeanHayes @batemanjason @arnettwill @KenBurns pic.twitter.com/D5gXarGsg6
— Sean Hayes (@SeanHayes) September 20, 2021
Burns ended the conversation with a famous 1838 quote from an Abraham Lincoln speech:
“From whence shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall some trans-Atlantic military giant step the earth and crush us at a blow? Never. All the armies of Europe, Asia, and Africa could not by force take a drink from the Ohio River or make a track on the Blue Ridge in the trial of a thousand years. No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men, we will live forever or die by suicide.”
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Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey-based politics and technology writer. His work has been featured in psfk.com, foxsports.com, and PoliticusUSA. An avid pet lover, he has been known to contribute to Pet Lifestyles Magazine. He enjoys sports, politics, technology, and spending time at the shore with his family.