Since the Mayflower sidled up to Plymouth Rock, cult ideology has been ingrained in the DNA of the United States. It turns out that Puritan doomsday belief never went away; it just went secular and became American culture. From our fascination with cowboys and superheroes to our allegiance to influencers and self-help, susceptibility to advertising, and undying devotion to the self-made man, Americans remain particularly vulnerable to a specific brand of cult-like thinking.With in-depth research and compelling insight, journalist Jane Borden uncovers the American history you didn’t learn in school, including how we are still being brainwashed, making us a nation of easy marks for con artists and strong men. Along the way, she also revisits some of the most fascinating cults in this country—including, the Mankind United and Love Has Won—presenting them as integral parts of our national psyche rather than aberrations. Join the author live for a night of pop history that contextualizes the current rise in far-right extremism as a natural result of our latent indoctrination, and proposes that the United States is the largest cult of all.(Sounds effects for sketch provided by freesound_community from Pixabay)

Episode was recorded live February 26, 2026.

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