Star-spangled blowup? A divided United States commemorates 250 years
About this episode
The episode discusses the significance of the United States' 250th anniversary and its implications for national identity and global perception.
The world’s longest-running democracy is celebrating its 250th anniversary. It is a milestone for a United States that still seems like a new world to many Europeans. Since 1789, the US has been governed under the same constitution while in France, there have been five republics, three monarchies and three dictatorships – including the Nazi occupation. In this edition, we ask: what is the significance of this Fourth of July? What does this celebration really mean? Is it about 1776 and the birth of a nation, or remembering 250 years of events that shaped a common present? Perhaps it is a celebration of the world’s premier superpower that won the Cold War , has dominated trade and finance and gave the world so much music, movies and literature? At a time when the current president is loosening traditional alliances, where global admiration for democracy in America is plummeting, we look at why the US seems to have changed so suddenly – and so much. Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.
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