Journalist Carlos Berríos Polanco talks with James, outlining the United States' overseas colonial empire and how it was started by a quest for bird poop. 

Sources:

How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr

Colonial Crucible: Empire in the Making of the Modern American State edited by Alfred W. McCoy and Francisco A. Scarano

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23780231241274187

https://fortune.com/2026/07/27/hormuz-fertilizer-guano-islands-act-fertilizer-empire/ 

https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/navassa-island-the-uss-160-year-forgotten-tragedy

https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-09-26/almost-half-of-americans-dont-know-puerto-ricans-are-us-citizens-poll 

https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/politicatypes 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/30/puerto-rico-independence-movement 

https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-CARIBBEAN/MILITARY-BUILDUP/egpbbnzyrpq/ 

https://www.nminewsservice.com/cnmi-covenant-united-states-50th-anniversary-explainer-timeline/ 

https://apnews.com/article/american-samoa-voting-citizenship-alaska-trump-eda6c32ce0fcdca6edb22efac26e403d 

https://www.nminewsservice.com/cnmi-covenant-united-states-50th-anniversary-explainer-timeline/ https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/how-us-controls-iraqs-oil-revenues-2026-01-23/ 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/magazine/venezuela-empires-colony.html 

https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-state-trump-rodriguez-chavismo-silence-634203c885803b018ecd8ac012bb249d 

https://time.com/article/2026/06/02/trump-annex-canada-51st-state-rhetoric-carney-us-partnership-message/ 

https://theconversation.com/us-territories-have-a-voice-in-congress-but-no-vote-heres-why-283547

https://www.usace.army.mil/Media/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheets-View/Article/4463352/154-the-longe
st-blackout-in-us-history-hurricane-maria/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-was-serious-about-trading-hurricane-stricken-puert
o-rico-greenland-n1237336

https://www.democracynow.org/2001/8/3/as_navy_pounds_vieques_with_largest
“Nationals” but not “Citizens”

https://www.aclu.org/news/voting-rights/nationals-but-not-citizens-how-the-u-s-denies-citizenship
-to-american-samoans

Journalist Carlos Berr&iacute;os Polanco talks with James, outlining the United States' overseas colonial empire and how it was started by a quest for bird poop.&nbsp;
Sources:
How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr
Colonial Crucible: Empire in the Making of the Modern American State edited by Alfred W. McCoy and Francisco A. Scarano
<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23780231241274187" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23780231241274187&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3xCNKFICrgdO9ZmPWVLQyw">https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23780231241274187</a>
<a href="https://fortune.com/2026/07/27/hormuz-fertilizer-guano-islands-act-fertilizer-empire/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fortune.com/2026/07/27/hormuz-fertilizer-guano-islands-act-fertilizer-empire/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1pgyCNVE5BsSQ_wleftfYe">https://fortune.com/2026/07/27/hormuz-fertilizer-guano-islands-act-fertilizer-empire/</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/navassa-island-the-uss-160-year-forgotten-tragedy" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/navassa-island-the-uss-160-year-forgotten-tragedy&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2uvGY-4o_xpwEnRahHm8HH">https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/navassa-island-the-uss-160-year-forgotten-tragedy</a>
<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-09-26/almost-half-of-americans-dont-know-puerto-ricans-are-us-citizens-poll" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-09-26/almost-half-of-americans-dont-know-puerto-ricans-are-us-citizens-poll&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ymStmx-Osy2jsXl-C8bYw">https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-09-26/almost-half-of-americans-dont-know-puerto-ricans-are-us-citizens-poll</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/politicatypes" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/politicatypes&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw36hkJ9BndmpMj3sWzeVwhp">https://www.doi.gov/oia/islands/politicatypes</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/30/puerto-rico-independence-movement" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/30/puerto-rico-independence-movement&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2MHs2JeW5iZ80upB2YK0Yy">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/30/puerto-rico-independence-movement</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-CARIBBEAN/MILITARY-BUILDUP/egpbbnzyrpq/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-CARIBBEAN/MILITARY-BUILDUP/egpbbnzyrpq/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw29xepVF-7zhLE7fqcs9ire">https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-CARIBBEAN/MILITARY-BUILDUP/egpbbnzyrpq/</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nminewsservice.com/cnmi-covenant-united-states-50th-anniversary-explainer-timeline/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nminewsservice.com/cnmi-covenant-united-states-50th-anniversary-explainer-timeline/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0kNdeT5uXz6ZBzKr6RFr80">https://www.nminewsservice.com/cnmi-covenant-united-states-50th-anniversary-explainer-timeline/</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/american-samoa-voting-citizenship-alaska-trump-eda6c32ce0fcdca6edb22efac26e403d" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apnews.com/article/american-samoa-voting-citizenship-alaska-trump-eda6c32ce0fcdca6edb22efac26e403d&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw30Uy1JdkPz3-QflltzBllO">https://apnews.com/article/american-samoa-voting-citizenship-alaska-trump-eda6c32ce0fcdca6edb22efac26e403d</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nminewsservice.com/cnmi-covenant-united-states-50th-anniversary-explainer-timeline/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nminewsservice.com/cnmi-covenant-united-states-50th-anniversary-explainer-timeline/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0kNdeT5uXz6ZBzKr6RFr80">https://www.nminewsservice.com/cnmi-covenant-united-states-50th-anniversary-explainer-timeline/</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/how-us-controls-iraqs-oil-revenues-2026-01-23/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/how-us-controls-iraqs-oil-revenues-2026-01-23/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2df8vMfYkCKJAElupqVGfY">https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/how-us-controls-iraqs-oil-revenues-2026-01-23/</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/magazine/venezuela-empires-colony.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/magazine/venezuela-empires-colony.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1SGzqa5qcjaHJb_-DDTbng">https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/magazine/venezuela-empires-colony.html</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-state-trump-rodriguez-chavismo-silence-634203c885803b018ecd8ac012bb249d" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-state-trump-rodriguez-chavismo-silence-634203c885803b018ecd8ac012bb249d&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw22q-8DAaUYmaxYu7J_ik23">https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-us-state-trump-rodriguez-chavismo-silence-634203c885803b018ecd8ac012bb249d</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://time.com/article/2026/06/02/trump-annex-canada-51st-state-rhetoric-carney-us-partnership-message/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://time.com/article/2026/06/02/trump-annex-canada-51st-state-rhetoric-carney-us-partnership-message/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1786734345995000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1y_dF_MWcpnPRSNasMjOYF">https://time.com/article/2026/06/02/trump-annex-canada-51st-state-rhetoric-carney-us-partnership-message/</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://theconversation.com/us-territories-have-a-voice-in-congress-but-no-vote-heres-why-283547">https://theconversation.com/us-territories-have-a-voice-in-congress-but-no-vote-heres-why-283547</a>
<a href="https://www.usace.army.mil/Media/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheets-View/Article/4463352/154-the-longe%20st-blackout-in-us-history-hurricane-maria/">https://www.usace.army.mil/Media/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheets-View/Article/4463352/154-the-longe</a> <a href="https://www.usace.army.mil/Media/Fact-Sheets/Fact-Sheets-View/Article/4463352/154-the-longe%20st-blackout-in-us-history-hurricane-maria/">st-blackout-in-us-history-hurricane-maria/</a> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-was-serious-about-trading-hurricane-stricken-puert%20o-rico-greenland-n1237336">https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-was-serious-about-trading-hurricane-stricken-puert</a> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-was-serious-about-trading-hurricane-stricken-puert%20o-rico-greenland-n1237336">o-rico-greenland-n1237336</a> <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2001/8/3/as_navy_pounds_vieques_with_largest%20&ldquo;Nationals&rdquo;%20but%20not%20&ldquo;Citizens&rdquo;">https://www.democracynow.org/2001/8/3/as_navy_pounds_vieques_with_largest</a> <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2001/8/3/as_navy_pounds_vieques_with_largest%20&ldquo;Nationals&rdquo;%20but%20not%20&ldquo;Citizens&rdquo;">&ldquo;Nationals&rdquo; but not &ldquo;Citizens&rdquo;</a>
<a href="https://www.aclu.org/news/voting-rights/nationals-but-not-citizens-how-the-u-s-denies-citizenship%20-to-american-samoans">https://www.aclu.org/news/voting-rights/nationals-but-not-citizens-how-the-u-s-denies-citizenship</a> <a href="https://www.aclu.org/news/voting-rights/nationals-but-not-citizens-how-the-u-s-denies-citizenship%20-to-american-samoans">-to-american-samoans</a>

It Could Happen Here started as an exploration of the possibility of a new civil war. Now a daily show, it's evolved into a chronicle of collapse as it happens, and an exploration of how we might build a better future. Every day Robert Evans, Garrison Davis, Mia Wong, and James Stout take you on a jaunty walk through the burning ruins of the old world and towards a better one that lays just on the horizon.

It Could Happen Here started as an exploration of the possibility of a new civil war. Now a daily show, it's evolved into a chronicle of collapse as it happens, and an exploration of how we might build a better future. Every day Robert Evans, Garrison Davis, Mia Wong, and James Stout take you on a jaunty walk through the burning ruins of the old world and towards a better one that lays just on the horizon.

It Could Happen Here

How the United States Built its Colonial Empire, Pt. 1

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/56516eb4-21c3-478e-8738-b4a801510ba2/transcript