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

Chas Freeman: Why The Israel-Iran War Leaves America Weaker

The fastest way to lose a war is to start one without a plan to end it. Former US diplomat Ambassador Chas Freeman joins us to unpack why the Israel-Iran conflict exposes a deeper crisis in American strategy, from unclear objectives to shrinking freedom of maneuver. We talk about the real tension between Netanyahu and Trump, what Israel is trying to achieve, and why US leaders keep claiming “wins” that do not match battlefield reality or long-term US national interests.  We also dig into the regional consequences that are already reshaping Middle East geopolitics and West Asia security: pressure campaigns in southern Lebanon, the expanding footprint in Gaza, and the way international law gets treated as optional when consequences never arrive. Freeman draws sharp distinctions between criticizing a government and blaming a people, and we discuss how smear politics and Islamophobia warp US decision-making while pushing the country into conflicts that generate long-term blowback.  From there, we zoom out to the strategic map. The Strait of Hormuz, Gulf basing, and denied overflight permissions all signal that key partners are recalculating. China’s role looks less like a cartoon villain and more like a power that benefits when the US exhausts munitions and credibility, especially as drone warfare and precision strikes redefine what “military superiority” actually buys. We close with a hard question: after torn-up agreements and broken trust, what first steps could rebuild US credibility over the next five years.  Subscribe for more long-form, no-spin conversations, share this with someone who cares about US foreign policy, and leave a review with the biggest takeaway you agreed or disagreed with. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:55 Thanks, Milestones, And Guest Intro * 4:37 Israel’s Goals Versus US Interests * 9:49 Lebanon Pressure And Greater Israel * 17:30 Forever War Logic And Iraq Parallels * 22:32 China’s Angle And Drone Warfare Shift * 32:34 Gulf States Recalculate US Bases * 36:55 Media Blind Spots And Terror Blowback * 42:55 Breaking The Grip Of The Israel Lobby * 50:24 Conditioning Aid And The Leahy Law * 52:48 Can America Regain Trust Abroad * 58:31 Closing Thanks And Next Week Preview 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]

What if the biggest driver of war is access, not “better intel”? / JOE KENT

War isn’t an abstract debate when you’ve watched it up close and then sat in the rooms where the next one gets sold. Joe Kent returns to Dad News to unpack why he spoke at the Rage Against the War Machine rally and why he thinks the fastest way to fix America’s domestic problems is to stop bleeding blood and treasure overseas. We talk about the moral line that hits so many veterans: when you know a war is needless, staying silent becomes a choice.  From there, we get practical. Joe lays out how to build a real anti-war coalition across left and right without letting culture-war fights blow it up. We dig into why presidents gravitate to foreign policy, how movements get co-opted inside the two-party system, and whether a serious third party is more realistic now as more voters identify as independents. The goal is simple: unify at the top of the ticket around a proven non-interventionist record, then debate everything else down ballot where those offices actually have control.  We also go deep on the mechanics of influence: donor money, staffing pipelines, media repetition, and how foreign governments can gain extraordinary access that shapes what leaders hear and believe. Joe explains why transparency about the origin of intelligence matters, why permanent US bases in the Middle East can turn into strategic liabilities during a fragile Iran ceasefire, and why “declare victory and leave” can be framed as adapting to the modern battlefield. We close with a hard look at counterterrorism priorities and why talk of military action in Cuba could create a drone-era quagmire 90 miles from home. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00 Welcome And Rally Backstory * 4:30 A Promise To Stop Needless Wars * 11:00 Building A Coalition That Holds * 16:30 Calling A Truce On Culture Wars * 20:40 Does A Third Party Make Sense * 23:30 How Foreign Influence Gains Access * 30:30 Money, Hiring Screens, And Intel Transparency * 35:30 Iran Ceasefire Risks And Base Vulnerability * 40:20 Sunni Vs Shia Threats And Smart Counterterrorism * 43:30 Cuba Talk And Closing Requests 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. Lawrence Wilkerson : War With Iran And The Ghost Of Iraq

War doesn’t usually start with a single moment. It starts with a story that gets repeated, a process that gets bent, and a handful of people who learn they can act first and justify later. That’s why this conversation with retired Colonel Larry Wilkerson hit so hard. Larry served as Colin Powell’s chief of staff at the State Department, and he’s seen up close how the Iraq War era decision machine worked, who dominated it, and what happens when the National Security Council system becomes a formality instead of a guardrail. We talk through the parallels he sees in today’s tensions with Iran, including the dangers of war powers drift and the way Congress can get sidelined. Then we pull the thread into domestic stability: what political intimidation looks like in practice, why trust in institutions matters, and how policing, ICE, and military culture can be shaped during a national stress test. Some of Larry’s warnings are blunt, including what conditions can make civil conflict feel less like a metaphor and more like a possibility. From there, we zoom out to the geopolitical chessboard: China’s long game, the growing weight of BRICS, the strategic limits of sanctions, and why the collapse of nuclear arms control treaties should terrify anyone paying attention. We also connect climate change to mass migration and security planning, because the next crisis won’t respect borders or slogans. Subscribe for more long-form conversations, share this with a friend who still thinks “it can’t happen here,” and if you got something from it, leave a rating and review so more people can find the show. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00 Welcome And Larry Wilkerson’s Story * 3:24 How The Iraq War Took Shape * 9:26 War Powers And A Divided America * 18:04 Oligarchs Then And Now * 28:59 Nukes Climate And Global Survival * 30:25 ICE Tactics And Election Fears * 39:34 15-6 Investigations And Pat Tillman * 45:04 Lebanon Escalation And Iran Fallout * 55:15 Closing Thoughts And Next Guests 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]

Darryl Cooper : Populism Vs The Machine

A politician can have the voters, the polling, and the moral high ground and still get steamrolled. That tension sits at the center of our conversation with Daryl Cooper as we ask a blunt question: if most Americans oppose another war and distrust the current foreign-policy consensus, why does almost nobody in power act like it? We start with Thomas Massey and the mechanics of political discipline. Daryl argues that modern American politics isn’t mainly about speeches and floor votes, it’s about a system that makes elected officials the sales team for decisions made off camera. Once you see how outsiders get sidelined, why populist rhetoric is so magnetic starts to make sense: people don’t just want a platform, they want someone visibly on their side when the institutions signal contempt. From there we run the story backward through the history of American populism. We talk about England’s enclosure acts and the destruction of the commons, the harsh labor reality of early Virginia built on indentured servitude, and why Bacon’s Rebellion terrified the ruling class. We connect frontier independence, Appalachian identity, and Jacksonian democracy to modern politics, then land on the labor movement and the uncomfortable truth that many basic workers’ rights were won through risk, organizing, and sometimes outright violence. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00 Welcome And The Political Disconnect * 2:10 Why Outsiders Get Sidelined * 8:45 Politicians As Frontmen For Power * 15:10 What Populism Really Means * 20:20 How Campaign Control Works On The Ground * 26:50 Massey’s Loss As Proof * 32:10 Populism Before America Existed * 40:55 Enclosure Acts And The Birth Of Dispossession * 47:15 Virginia As A Work Camp * 51:55 Bacon’s Rebellion And The Turn To Slavery * 58:55 Labor Wars And The Closing Pitch 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]

Memorial Day: Grill The Burger, They'd want you to! Honor The Fallen By Living Fully

Memorial Day can feel like two holidays fighting each other: a summer kickoff on one side and a day of mourning on the other. Memorial Day also hits differently when you’ve watched friends stay young forever. Jim shares a raw, personal Memorial Day message from the perspective of a combat veteran, not to preach and not to drag you into a dark place, but to tell the truth about what remembrance feels like when it never really turns off. We talk about why the fallen would want you to have a good time: grill the hot dog, eat the burger, go to the baseball game, and laugh with the people you love. But we also talk about what sits underneath that normal summer weekend energy, the waves of memory, the list of names veterans carry, and the strange mix of love, distance, and survivor’s guilt that comes with repeated loss in war. We pull from Worth Parker’s writing and a quote that captures the scale of combat death, from statistic to “a gaping wound in the soul.” From there, we get into the unglamorous reality of war trauma and emotional armor: how you learn to swallow feelings to stay effective, and what that can do to you when you come home. We also reflect on parenthood, the fear in a parent’s eyes before deployment, and the civil-military divide that can leave decision-makers detached from the true cost of sending people to fight. * Finally, we say four names out loud and share who they were: Corporal Andy Anderson, Lance Corporal Cliff Collinsworth, Myles Sebastian, and William Justin Cooper. If this moved you, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can remember with purpose. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00 Memorial Day From A Combat Veteran * 4:00 Joy And Remembrance Can Coexist * 7:50 Carrying The List And Survivor's Guilt * 13:40 War’s Reality And Emotional Armor * 20:50 Parenthood, Fear, And The Civil Military Divide * 28:20 Four Names We Refuse To Forget * 35:40 Celebrate Them And Say Their Names 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]