JIM WEBB PODCAST

CPT. MATT HOH : What Memorial Day Means After Wars Built On Lies

A ceasefire can be a talking point while people keep dying and Matt Ho doesn’t let us hide behind the word. Matt is a former Marine Corps captain and State Department official who resigned over Afghanistan and later won the Ridenhour Prize, and he joins me on Memorial Day weekend to unpack what “status quo” really means in the Iran conflict. We walk through why Iran may be negotiating from strength, why Washington still needs a victory story for domestic politics, and why Israel’s internal pressures make it harder to lock in any durable outcome. We also connect geopolitics to the stuff you actually feel: the Strait of Hormuz, shipping risk, oil inventories, gas prices, and the kind of inflation that turns foreign policy into an election problem. From there we pivot to Cuba and the history of U.S. sanctions, asking the blunt question most leaders avoid: if sanctions predictably crush hospitals and families, how is that meaningfully different from targeting infrastructure in war? Then we get into the defense budget and the military industrial complex. A $1.5 trillion Pentagon request raises a simple problem: how do we spend more than ever and still struggle to produce basic capacity? We talk munitions, surge production, “exquisite systems” like the F-35, and the reality that cheap drones and fast adaptation are reshaping 21st century warfare. We close on veterans’ realities: PTSD, traumatic brain injury, moral injury, and what Memorial Day carries when the wounds are invisible. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What part of this conversation hit you hardest? CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00. No Intro And Newborn Chaos * 3:33 Iran And The Ceasefire Illusion * 11:27 Israel’s Domestic Politics As Spoiler * 22:52 Oil Prices Midterms And U.S. Pressure * 15:33 Can Washington Pivot To Cuba * 19:38 Why Sanctions Fail And Kill * 26:44 The $1.5 Trillion Pentagon Request * 36:24 Exquisite Weapons And Empty Supply Lines * 44:04 Drones And The End Of Safe Rear Areas * 48:28 PTSD TBI Moral Injury And Memorial Day * 57:14 Closing Thanks And Weekend Sendoff Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations [https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

LARRY JOHSON : AIPAC Pressure, Iran Tensions, And The Real Cost At Home

A $34 million primary challenge. A Congress that looks bought and paid for. And a country that keeps drifting toward new wars while veterans keep dying at home. I sit down with former CIA analyst Larry Johnson, co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity and the voice behind Sonar 21, to sort through what’s real, what’s theater, and what the incentives are behind the noise. We start with the Thomas Massie fight and why “don’t cross AIPAC” has become a quiet rule in Washington. From there, we move into the part of this conversation that hits hardest: veteran suicide, moral injury, and the rage that comes from watching endless conflicts produce political careers and defense profits, but not real closure for the people who fought. Then we pivot to Iran and the practical constraints most pundits skip. Larry breaks down why Saudi Arabia, basing, and air refueling logistics like KC-135 tankers can decide whether escalation is even feasible, and why air power has limits when the political end state is unclear. We also zoom out to Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, the changing media landscape, and the bigger global shift toward a Russia China partnership, BRICS, and alternatives to the US dollar system. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review. What part of this story do you think most Americans are still missing? Chapter Markers 0:00. Welcome And Larry Johnson’s Background 3:40. The Massey Primary And AIPAC Power 5:45. Veteran Suicide And Moral Injury 10:05. Why Iran Matters And Who Benefits 14:50. Saudi Airspace And War Logistics Reality 26:55. Predictable Tactics And Yes Men Culture 30:40. Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, And Leverage 35:30. New Media Breaks The Old Gatekeepers 42:50. Russia China Partnership And BRICS Future 50:00. Religion, War Limits, And Civilian Protection 54:30. Final Thoughts And What’s Next Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations [https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

COL. DOUG MACGREGOR : Thomas Massie's Loss And The Money Behind US Foreign Policy

A newborn comes home from the hospital and, minutes later, we’re back on the hardest question in American life: who actually has power in Washington when a high-profile incumbent can be drowned under tens of millions in outside money? We start with Thomas Massey’s primary loss and talk candidly about donor influence, lobbying pressure, and why it feels like some foreign policy positions are effectively “off limits” if you want to keep your seat. If you’ve ever wondered why Congress struggles to reflect what voters say they want, this is the uncomfortable incentive structure behind it. From there, we connect the political story to the economic one. We dig into runaway spending, entitlement promises no one wants to reform, and the slow-motion danger of a weakening dollar. The theme is simple: meaningful change rarely arrives because of speeches or think pieces, it arrives when households feel real pain through inflation, shortages, or job loss. That’s when public opinion stops being theoretical and starts becoming political force. Then Col. Doug McGregor walks through the escalating risk of war with Iran and why the Persian Gulf is not a place where the US can assume dominance. We talk modern surveillance and strike networks, missile saturation, lessons from Ukraine’s battlefield, and how a wider conflict could hit oil infrastructure and desalination plants with knock-on effects that ripple through energy markets, shipping, fertilizer, and food prices. We also zoom out to BRICS, gold settlement, and the growing China Russia Iran alignment, ending on what we should prioritize first: defending North America and rebuilding real capacity at home. If this conversation sharpens your thinking, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a rating or review so more people can find the show. Chapter Markers 0:00. Baby News And Guest Welcome 1:47. Massey’s Defeat And Foreign Influence 4:17. Debt, Entitlements, And Dollar Decline 10:13. Pain Before Political Change 11:31. Congress For Sale And Corruption 15:11. Scarcity, Jobs, And Social Unrest 20:04. Cromwell’s Legacy And American Values 22:34. Home Front First And Cohesion 24:15. Why War With Iran Backfires 33:26. Ukraine Lessons And Modern Firepower 37:38. Gulf Infrastructure And Energy Shock 39:54. BRICS, Gold, And Eurasian Alignment 47:55. Defending North America And Closing Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations [https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

The China Trip That Delivered No Wins. w/ ALEX CHRISTOFROU

The strangest part of the US China summit is how little it clarifies. After two days of praise and photo ops, we’re left asking what Washington actually went to get, and what Beijing was happy to let it take home. With Alex Christophorou of The Duran, we unpack why the trip reads more like a high-level business roadshow with top CEOs than a fully prepared superpower negotiation, and why that distinction matters when global markets are already on edge. From there, we move straight into the real pressure point: Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. We talk through how a blockade strategy can shrink your leverage instead of expanding it, especially when China has deeper ties with Tehran and a direct stake in keeping energy flows stable to Asia. The bigger story isn’t only whether ships move or don’t move, it’s what that signals to US-aligned countries in Asia about who can actually protect energy supply in a crisis. That’s where BRICS diplomacy and parallel negotiations start to look less like background noise and more like a competing center of gravity. We also dig into what could come next, including a potential Putin visit to China and the energy realignment implications of Power of Siberia 2 for Europe’s long-term gas and LNG outlook. On the US side, we connect foreign policy swings to domestic pain: high prices at the pump, strategic petroleum reserve drawdowns, and the political blowback that follows. We close with the growing focus on Cuba, why “easy win” thinking can be dangerous, and how escalation risk creeps in when sanctions and ship seizures become the main tools. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00. Welcome And Guest Setup * 2:00 Why The China Summit Felt Empty * 10:25 Iran Leverage And The Hormuz Blockade * 18:45 China Signals Power To US Allies * 24:40 BRICS Diplomacy And A Saudi Proposal * 30:50 Putin’s China Visit And Energy Realignment * 38:55. US Energy Prices And Reserve Drawdowns * 43:55 Ground War Talk And Lebanon’s Ongoing Fight * 50:55 Market Timing Claims And Cuba Pressure * 54:05 Final Thoughts And What’s Next Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations [https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

ALEXANDER MERCOURIS : Hormuz Blockade And Global Shock

The Strait of Hormuz closes and suddenly the whole world feels it. Who’s blamed abroad, and why do China and Iran hold more cards than US headlines admit? Listen now and tell me who miscalculated? CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00. Welcome And Stakes Of The Day * 1:35 Hormuz Blockade And Global Blame * 5:55 China Runs The Blockade Anyway * 11:55 Let Your Opponent Make Mistakes * 17:20 Trump Xi Goals And Missing Leverage * 24:45 Why Summit Prep Really Matters * 31:50 Thucydides Trap And Taiwan Warnings * 37:55 British Empire Overreach As A Warning * 43:55 China Iran Support And US Weaknesses * 49:05. Britain’s Political Crisis And Farage * 50:55 Final Thoughts And Subscribe Request Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations [https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]