World-class historian and Hoover Institution senior fellow Victor Davis Hanson joins Jillian for a masterclass on how crony capitalism, socialism, communism, and religion are intertwined — and why the stakes right now could not be higher A renowned classicist who has spent his life studying war, empires, and the rise and fall of civilizations takes us inside the mind of Karl Marx — who he was, what he believed, and how his theories morphed into the socialist and communist movements that reshaped the world and still haunt us today. We examine the deadly pendulum swing between crony capitalism and communism: how unrestrained, corrupt capitalism breeds the resentment that fuels Marxist revolutions, and how those revolutions inevitably give rise to regimes just as oppressive — if not worse.
Victor then takes us back to the teachings of Christ and the religious roots of Western morality to reveal how our concepts of justice, equality, the individual, and the state all began as religious ideals — and how religion itself has been weaponized throughout history for both extraordinary good and staggering harm. From the early church to medieval Europe… from the French and Russian Revolutions, to Mao, the Cold War, Mamdani and the cultural battles of today… Victor walks us through the entire arc of history to explain how we arrived at this moment: a West that is exhausted, divided, and once again flirting with ideologies that have already burned the world down.
- She needs to get@WesleyLHuff on! I wish VDH had broken down the Council of Nicea better. And how being a Christian was not a step up for Constantine. They were not bringing him any power. But so glad she is hearing some good history. – Valie R
- This is coping. Pilate was reluctant to kill Christ, but feared Jewish revolution breaking out in his province. Roman persecution came later as the Christians refused to worship the Roman pantheon etc, threatening the “pax romana”. St Paul clearly says “the Jews” killed Jesus. – matter I
- I can’t believe she didn’t know Jesus was a real person and the authors of the new testament’s writings are referenced as early as 1 year after the crucifixion. We have documents and letters that reference the New Testament text all throughout the very early church years 0 ~ 15. Then actual copies of the NT copied from the originals starting at around 14 years after – and the later you look the more copies there are – a steady build up to today where over 7 billion copies currently exist. And they all check out nearly word for word with the very earliest. A historian or documentarian might even think such a feat required divine intervention. – Tessalator
- How about citing the Roman edicts or anything connected to Jesus from the time this happened, there are no Roman records during the time of this event only about a 100 years later – RJ
- Why would Pilate risk letting this “revolutionary” go for the Barabbas trade if Pilate saw the chance to kill Jesus and blame it on the jews? Sorry, you lose, thank you come again. – Nov
- VDH’s opening comment regarding traveling magicians in the time of Jesus Christ is consistent with Acts 8:4-25 wherein Luke presents Philip, a member of the Seven, evangelizing the margins of Israel among the Samaritans and specifically converting the pagan magician Simon Magnus. Interestingly, our word “simony”denoting the purchase or sale of spiritual things, derives from Simon Magnus, alluding to his misguided attempt to buy the power to mediate the Holy Spirit. – Fenius F
- Most historians agree that Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical figure who lived in the 1st century CE. While debates continue over theological claims, the evidence for his existence as a person is strong and widely accepted in academic circles
- It’s highly unlikely that so many would be willing to be martyred over a non existent person. Archeological evidence is constantly proving the Bible accurate. There was a monument found with Pontus Pilate’s name after critics said he was fictional also. – Little Greek
- It’s great but even deeper is to reject the canon as “religious texts” therefore not historically trustworthy. Actually the reason they carry so much weight is because they are the best and closest source material, not simply a “religious text” – Matt
- Roman historians like Tacitus (c. 56–120 AD) mention Jesus in the context of Nero’s persecution of Christians. Jewish historian Josephus (c. 37–100 AD) wrote about Jesus in Antiquities of the Jews. The NT Gospels, provide detailed narratives of Jesus’s life – GK Thompson
Victor Davis Hanson speaks of Roman references of Jesus, yet I can’t find any at the time Jesus was alive or just killed. I searched all over. Asked ChatGPT as well as Grok. Here are the details from Grok from those who like the extra info
There are no surviving Roman historical records or sources that mention Jesus from during his lifetime (c. 4 BCE–30/33 CE) or immediately after his death. The Romans were meticulous record-keepers for administrative, military, and legal matters, but Jesus—a relatively obscure Jewish preacher in a remote province like Judea—did not attract attention at the imperial level until Christianity began spreading decades later. No contemporary Roman documents, such as official reports, letters, or inscriptions, reference him specifically.
Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judea who oversaw Jesus’ crucifixion according to the Gospels, is confirmed as a historical figure via a 1st-century limestone inscription discovered in Caesarea Maritima (dated to 26–36 CE), but it makes no mention of Jesus or any specific trials.
The earliest non-Christian references to Jesus come from Jewish and Roman sources in the late 1st to early 2nd century CE—roughly 60–90 years after his death—which is beyond what most historians consider “contemporary” or “not many years after.” These include:
- Flavius Josephus (c. 93–94 CE): A Jewish-Roman historian who mentions Jesus twice in his Antiquities of the Jews. One passage (the “Testimonium Flavianum”) describes Jesus as a wise teacher executed by Pilate, but it’s widely suspected of later Christian interpolations. The other briefly notes James as “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.” While Josephus wrote in the 1st century, his work postdates Jesus by about 60 years and relies on secondhand information.
- Tacitus (c. 116 CE): In his Annals, this Roman historian refers to “Christus” as the founder of Christianity, executed under Pontius Pilate during Emperor Tiberius’ reign (14–37 CE). He describes Christians as followers of a “pernicious superstition” blamed for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE. This is the earliest direct Roman mention of Jesus’ execution but comes about 80 years later and is based on reports rather than firsthand records.
- Suetonius (c. 121 CE): In The Twelve Caesars, he mentions Emperor Claudius expelling Jews from Rome in 49 CE due to disturbances “at the instigation of Chrestus” (possibly a misspelling or reference to Christ). This may indirectly allude to early Christian conflicts but doesn’t name Jesus explicitly and is nearly 90 years after his death.
- Pliny the Younger (c. 112 CE): As a Roman governor, he wrote to Emperor Trajan about interrogating Christians, noting they worshiped “Christus” as a god. This confirms early Christian practices but doesn’t provide details on Jesus himself, and it’s about 80 years post-death.
Scholars generally agree these sources corroborate Jesus’ existence and crucifixion under Roman authority, but they are not contemporary and draw from oral traditions or earlier reports rather than direct records. The lack of earlier mentions isn’t surprising, as Jesus’ movement was small and localized until after his death.
Regarding the YouTube video you linked (titled “Victor Davis Hanson: The Civilizational Crisis No One Expects”), it briefly touches on Roman views of Jesus as a “radical” insurrectionist executed to maintain order, referencing Tacitus and Pilate, but it doesn’t cite new or contemporary sources—it’s more a discussion of broader historical and cultural themes.
For HOURS of fun – Steve Inman as well as other humor, quick smile clips , more – Whatfinger’s collection
Whatfinger – The Wellness Company – Get 10% discount on all products – CLICK HERE
- Is Ivermectin the Key to Fighting Cancer? …. – Wellness (Dr. McCullough’s company) Sponsored Post 🛑 You can get MEBENDAZOLE and Ivermectin from Wellness 👍
- Did you take the Vax, or any boosters? Well… you can get help. Please get your heart checked ASAP – CLICK HERE for Wellness’ proven Ultimate Spike Detox – for anyone over 50 and DEFINITELY for those who took the vax – Wellness
- Be prepared for anything, including lockdowns with your own Emergency Med kit – see Wellness Emergency Kit (includes Ivermectin and other essential drugs, guide book, much more… peace of mind for you and your family) 🛑 – Dr. McCullough’s company! – Sponsor
- How can you move your 401K to Gold penalty free? Get the answer and more with Goldco’s exclusive Gold IRA Beginner’s Guide. Click here now! – Goldco
- Facebook doesn’t want you reading most sites we link to or any vids or features that we post. Their algorithm hides our pages and humor too as best it can. The way to stick it to Zuckerberg? Sign up for our 3x a week newsletter. Takes 6 seconds. We send out the best – most popular links daily, no spam, plus a splash of honesty even beyond Whatfinger’s homepage…. – CLICK HERE
- Tackle Your Credit Card Debt by Paying 0% Interest Until 2027 – Sponsored
- Whatfingers Health Vids to help you live longer. DO NOT let Big Pharma and any Doctor kill you slowly because that is what their higher-ups want for $. Remember: Bad doctors live by this: ‘Every patient cured is a patient lost’ – get it? The establishment, like RFK Jr says, wants to keep you sick and getting sicker for maximum profit. FIGHT – get the knowledge – CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE FOR COMMENTS