5-Minute Videos | PragerU

What caused the Civil War? Did the North care about abolishing slavery? Did the South secede because of slavery? Or was it about something else entirely...perhaps states' rights? Colonel Ty Seidule, Professor of History at the United States Military Academy at West Point, settles the debate. For more information on the Civil War, check out The West Point History of the Civil War, an interactive e-book that brings the Civil War to life in a way that's never been done. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran a good or bad deal? Would it be harder or easier for Iran to develop nuclear weapons? Would it make Iran and its terror proxies stronger or weaker? Should the U.S. Congress support or defeat the deal? Dennis Prager answers these questions and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patrick Moore explains why he helped to create Greenpeace, and why he decided to leave it. What began as a mission to improve the environment for the sake of humanity became a political movement in which humanity became the villain and hard science a non-issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everybody loves trees, so why are they so controversial? Patrick Moore untangles the knotty issue of "deforestation" and shows how, from a purely environmental perspective, it is possible and desirable to grow more trees and use more wood products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Global Warming activists will tell you that CO2 is bad and dangerous. The EPA has even classified it as a pollutant. But is it? Patrick Moore provides some surprising facts about the benefits of CO2 that you won't hear in the current debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are GMOs really the dangerous experimental foods that activists claim? Patrick Moore cuts through the hype and gives you the facts: how GMOs improve our lives, and how they can save millions of people in the developing world from hunger and disease -- if we only let them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since time immemorial, our climate has been and will always be changing. Patrick Moore explains why "climate change," far from being a recent human-caused disaster, is, for a myriad of complex reasons, a fact of life on Planet Earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Religious tolerance is a given in the West. But it's a historical aberration -- an ideological revolution created by the Puritans and pre-1776 Americans. What was it that led to the religious tolerance revolution? Was there something unique in Protestantism and Americanism? Or would tolerance have eventually arisen elsewhere, perhaps in Europe? Larry Schweikart, best-selling author and professor of history at the University of Dayton, explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is America really that great? Or is the United States just like any other nation? Outsiders tend to be the best judge of character, and Nick Adams, a best-selling Australian author and political commentator, gives an outsider's view of the USA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should the government bail out big banks that may otherwise go bankrupt? Or should it let them go under, as it did with Lehman Brothers in 2008? Economist Nicole Gelinas, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, has the answer, and it will have big implications for policymakers when they grapple with the next economic crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes someone become an Islamic extremist? Is it poverty? Lack of education? A search for meaning? Haroon Ullah, a senior State Department advisor and a foreign policy professor at Georgetown University, shares what he discovered while living in Pakistan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who poses the biggest threat to America's economy by striking deals with crooked politicians? Big Oil, Big Pharma, or Big Unions? Daniel DiSalvo, political science professor at the City College of New York, gives the answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There were thousands of college commencement speeches around the country this year for the Class of 2015. But there was one missing -- one very truthful, funny and witty speech that graduates should've heard, but didn't. Well, here it is, spoken by George Will, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist at the Washington Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should America be the world's policeman? Does the world even need a policeman? Or would humanity be better off if America weren't the dominant military superpower? Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and foreign affairs expert Bret Stephens weighs in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Right now, there's a well-organized, below-the-radar effort to render the Electoral College effectively useless. It's called the National Popular Vote, and it would turn our presidential elections into a majority-rule affair. Would this be good or bad? Author, lawyer, and Electoral College expert Tara Ross explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you understand what the Electoral College is? Or how it works? Or why America uses it to elect its presidents instead of just using a straight popular vote? Author, lawyer and Electoral College expert Tara Ross does, and she explains that to understand the Electoral College is to understand American democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there an equation that can accurately predict how happy you will be? There is. Can you control the inputs of that equation, and thus your own happiness? You can. How? Dennis Prager, author of the best-selling book, "Happiness is a Serious Problem", explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans today place enormous pressure on presidents to "do something"...anything, to get the economy going. There was one president, though, Calvin Coolidge, who did "nothing" -- other than shrink government. What happened? America's economy boomed. Is there a lesson to be learned? Award-winning author, historian, and biographer Amity Shlaes thinks so. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does race trump truth? In a confrontation between police and perpetrators, what is more important? Facts or skin color? When protests morph into riots, do we excuse bad behavior based on race? If we do, how are we ever going to end racism? Chloe Valdary, a student at the University of New Orleans, confronts these critical questions and offers a compelling answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year on Earth Day we learn how bad humanity's economic development is for the health of the planet. But maybe this is the wrong message. Maybe we should instead reflect on how human progress, even use of fossil fuels, has made our environment cleaner and healthier. Alex Epstein of the Center for Industrial Progress explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is profit a dirty word? Would the world be better off without them? Or are profits progressive -- the only thing that can move potatoes from Idaho to Manhattan and medicine from America to Africa? Professor and economist Walter Williams explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do humans have free will or are our decisions entirely products of chemistry, physics, and genetics? Is there a difference between the brain and the mind? Could a neuroscientist with enough knowledge of our brains know every decision that we'll make? The answers to these questions cut to the heart of what it means to be human. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America's campuses, particularly those in California, spend tens of millions of dollars on administrators and programs to combat issues like sexism, homophobia, and racism on campus. But are these problems in any way prevalent at our universities? Or is this diversity bureaucracy a big waste of money? Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What was perhaps the most determinative date in American history? July 4, 1776? Pearl Harbor? September 11? How about...July 28, 1588. Richard McMillan, Professor of History at Pierce College, explains why that seemingly random date is so important. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why did America invade Iraq in 2003? Was it for oil? Or was it because Saddam Hussein was a mass-murdering dictator who harbored terrorists and threatened the region with Weapons of Mass Destruction? If it was the former, wouldn't it have been a lot easier to just buy Iraq's oil on the open market? And if it was the latter, why did Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and John Kerry support President Bush? Noted British historian, Andrew Roberts, has the answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Men look at pretty women. That goes for men who are married, men who are dating, and men who are single. That's their nature. But is this built-in attraction with the female body a threat to their spouse, girlfriend, or partner? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the state of Israel was founded in 1948, it was done so with the approval of the United Nations. But today, Israel's enemies routinely challenge the legitimacy of its very existence. So, under international law, who's right? Israel? Or its enemies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do the rich pay their fair share of taxes? It's not a simple question. First of all, what do you mean by rich? And how much is fair? What are the rich, whoever they are, paying now? Is there any tax rate that would be unfair? UCLA Professor of Economics, Lee Ohanian, has some fascinating and unexpected answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are we here? Literally. The latest science says we shouldn't be. It says that the chance life exists at all is less than zero. So, is science the greatest threat to the idea of Intelligent Design or is science its greatest advocate? Best-selling author and lecturer, Eric Metaxas, poses this intriguing question and comes up with a very unexpected and challenging answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you care about the race of your doctor, or the gender of the person who built the bridge you drive across? The latest trend across STEM fields claims you should. Heather Mac Donald, Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of The Diversity Delusion, explains where these destructive ideas are coming from. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pakistan is the world's fifth largest democracy. It is also deeply influenced by Islamic law (Sharia). Can these two traditions, Western Liberal democracy and Sharia, co-exist? If so, how? And if not, what are the consequences? Haroon Ullah, foreign policy professor at Georgetown University, has some fascinating and sobering answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Were the Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, characterized by oppression, ignorance, and backwardness in areas like human rights, science, health, and the arts? Or were they marked by progress and tolerance? Anthony Esolen, an English Literature professor at Providence College, explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does free enterprise hurt the poor? Is it unfair and driven by greed? Did it cause the Great Recession? In five minutes, Arthur Brooks answers these questions and more about capitalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Israel's policy of building civilian communities in the West Bank the reason there's no peace agreement with the Palestinians? Or would there still be no peace even if Israel removed all of its settlements and evicted Israeli settlers, as it did in Gaza in 2005? Renowned Harvard professor and legal scholar Alan Dershowitz explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humanity has everything it needs to create a good world. We've had it for 3,000 years. It's the Ten Commandments -- ten basic, yet profound instructions for how to lead a moral life. If everyone followed the Ten Commandments, we would not need armies or police; marriages and families would be stronger; truth would be a paramount value. Dennis Prager explains how the Ten Commandments led to the creation of Western Civilization and why they remain relevant to your life today. This video course introduces a ten-part series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is only one commandment that prohibits a thought, and it is this: "Do Not Covet." Why does the Bible, which is preoccupied with behavior, legislate a thought? Because to covet, to want what belongs to someone else, is the root of the preceding four commandments and often leads to evil. Before someone murders, steals, lies, or commits adultery, the desire to take what is rightly someone else's usually comes first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most important ingredient to building a moral society is truth, both inside and outside a courtroom. The prohibition against "bearing false witness" does not only demands that truth reign supreme in a trial, but that it is a societal value throughout the culture. Bad things happen when people believe lies. With truth, we can build a decent society. Without it, even the other nine commandments won't help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is one commandment that, if followed by all of humanity, would instantly create a peaceful world: Do not steal. The Eighth Commandment implicitly prohibits murder (stealing a life), slavery (stealing a person's freedom), adultery (stealing a spouse), humiliation (stealing dignity), and so many other sins laid out in the Bible. If there is one commandment that summarizes the other nine, this one is it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do the Ten Commandments single out adultery as particularly harmful? Because adultery can destroy the foundational unit of a society -- the family. If exposed, adultery leads to a sense of betrayal. If hidden, it forces the offending spouse to lie. Children are often the unintended victims. This may be one of the most difficult Biblical laws to follow, but it's also one of the most important. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If asked to state this commandment, most people would say "Do Not Kill." This is understandable because the classic King James Bible translates it this way. But the English language has changed since 1610. Furthermore, Hebrew has two words for killing, just as English does. The correct translation, as Dennis Prager explains, is "Do Not Murder." Once you grasp this, the meaning of the commandment changes entirely. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Children owe their parents one thing. And no, it's not love. The Fifth Commandment understands that sometimes it's difficult or even impossible to love your parents. But it's almost always possible to honor them. Dennis Prager explains what that means and why it's so important. And consider this: if your children see you honoring your parents they are much more likely to honor you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Setting aside of day of rest each week was a revolutionary concept when it was first introduced as the Fourth Commandment. But this commandment does more: it extends that day of rest to slaves and animals, and thus set in motion the slow process of ending slavery, and the compassionate treatment of animals. As Dennis Prager explains, the power of the Fourth Commandment to change your life is no less real today than it was for our ancient ancestors. Just ask the spouse of a workaholic how she would feel if her husband took off a day each week to spend with family and friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not all sins are equal. Some are worse than others. The worst one of all? Committing evil in the name of God. This commandment is often misunderstood because it's mistranslated. It's not concerned with saying God's name "in vain" like "God, did I have a terrible day at the office!" It's about using God's name in the commission of evil. We see this today when Islamists invoke God's name while they murder innocent people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, the idea of idol worship feels ancient and remote to many people. Thus, the Second Commandment, "You shall have no other gods," doesn't seem applicable in modern society. But the opposite is true. We have more false gods than ever -- art, education, fame, money, to name just a few. Over the past century, the worship of false gods has led to massive evil; Communism and Nazism are just two examples. On a personal level, the worship of false gods leads to unhappiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although the First Commandment ("I am the Lord your God") appears simple at first glance, it actually set into motion the most revolutionary idea in human history -- ethical monotheism, the belief that there is one God whose main wish is that people treat each other decently. Dennis Prager explains that without this commandment, the following nine mean little. With it, the Ten Commandments become world-changing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The customer is always right" is a motto we hear often, and it suggests that consumers only have rights, and businesses only have obligations. That is wrong. Dennis Prager explains that customers, too, have obligations, and should never take up a salesperson's time to inquire about an item they know they'll purchase elsewhere. In 5 minutes, learn how to shop ethically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most persecuted and victimized people in the world today are Christians in the Middle East. The perpetrators of the widespread destruction of that region's Christian community? Islamists. Middle East expert Raymond Ibrahim lays out the grim details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The Progressive Income Tax" is one of those economic terms that gets bandied about, but few actually know what it means or how it works. This tale of three similar brothers with three different incomes (but one shared expense) helps explain the tax system under which we live. Adapted from an article by noted investor and economist, Kip Hagopian, and narrated by actress Carolyn Hennesy of "General Hospital" and "True Blood" fame, this animated story will change the way you think about how you pay your taxes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's the perfect minimum wage: is it $10 an hour? $15? $20? How about zero? That's right. Zero. While Congress discusses a minimum wage hike, economist David Henderson shows that any minimum wage makes it harder for unemployed people (particularly young people) to find work, and forces business owners to cut the hours of lower-skilled employees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To call someone a racist is a serious charge. A racist is someone who believes that one person is superior (or inferior) to another person simply based on their skin color. It's a belief that is both foolish and stupid. But conservatives are accused by progressives of being racist on an almost daily basis. Is it a fair accusation? Or, is it just political posturing? And, if it is political posturing, what does it say about the people making the charge? Derryck Green of Project 21 has some provocative answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices