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

DARRYL COOPER aka Martyr Made : Populism’s First President Andrew Jackson

Checkout our sponsor: KillerInstinctCoffee.com A lot of people use “populism” like a slur, but the older American meaning is blunt and practical: the will of the people pushing back on concentrated power. Darrell Cooper joins me to map that fight across US history, starting with Andrew Jackson as the first true national populist figure and asking why he still triggers strong reactions today. We talk about honor, accountability, and why some leaders connect because they embody the class and culture that feels ignored, not because they deliver perfect policy papers.  From there we get into the money question. Jackson’s battle with the Second Bank of the United States isn’t just a trivia fact, it’s a clear case study in how central banking, credit, and insider access can concentrate wealth. We connect those early struggles to modern arguments about the Federal Reserve and the way financial systems reward scale. Along the way we unpack how the cotton economy once underwrote banks, shipping, and infrastructure, and why the Civil War creates a sharp “before and after” that supercharges industrial capitalism and tariff politics.  The second half moves into the Gilded Age and the Industrial Revolution: immigration, tenement life, and the transition from semi-independent producers to wage laborers who can’t survive a downturn. We trace the populist uprising around William Jennings Bryan, the gold standard fight, and the uneasy but real cooperation between farmers and the labor movement, including Eugene Debs. We also talk about Teddy Roosevelt and trust busting as an elite attempt to keep private empires from dwarfing the state itself.  If you care about American history, working class politics, central banking, and why populist movements keep getting co-opted, this one will stick with you. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review, what part of the populist story do you think gets most misunderstood today? CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00. Why Talk Populism Right Now * 2:44 Meeting Andrew Jackson’s America * 6:59 Honor Culture And Political Identity * 10:06 Charisma As The People’s Weapon * 14:40 Breaking The Second National Bank * 23:46 Civil War Aftershocks And Tariffs * 28:51 From Workshops To Wage Dependence * 36:35 Bryan, Gold, And Producer Politics * 41:35 Organizing Lessons From Bryan To Trump * 46:27 Why Teddy Roosevelt Takes On Trusts * 53:23 Tenements, Brutal Work, And Replacement Labor * 57:02 A Baltimore Row House Reality Check * 59:09 Mine Wars Next And Where To Follow 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]

Dave Smith: Trump is LYING About the Iran Deal

The fastest way to understand American power is to watch where it mysteriously stops. We start with Trump’s constant “deal with Iran is coming” talk, his public back-and-forth over Netanyahu, and the recurring promise that a ceasefire is always just days away. Then we ask the uncomfortable question out loud: if Israel is a US-backed client state that depends on American money, weapons, and diplomatic cover, why does Washington behave like it can’t apply basic pressure behind closed doors? Dave Smith joins me to break down the real mechanics: war powers that flow easily toward escalation, a political current that punishes restraint, and the role of the Israel lobby in shaping what’s “allowed” in US foreign policy. We talk about why leaders perform toughness for the cameras, why that performance can look like humiliation, and why so many people are left speculating about leverage when outcomes don’t match the supposed balance of power. From there we get concrete about the stakes: the Greater Israel project, settlement expansion, the risk of a wider Iran conflict, and the Strait of Hormuz as the most obvious economic lever. We also dig into reports of Israeli espionage, the backlash to a client state spying on its patron, and fears around deeper military integration and data sharing through measures like NDAA Section 224. Finally, we look for political upside in a bleak landscape, including what Thomas Massie’s rise with younger voters signals for anti-war politics and what 2028 could look like if the old narratives keep collapsing. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00 Trump’s Claims And Ceasefire Theater * 1:55 Welcoming Dave Smith And Setup * 4:05 Who Actually Calls The Shots * 11:10 Leverage Over Presidents And “Why” * 16:45 Butler Security Questions And Pressure * 24:35 Greater Israel And Open Defiance * 33:10 Iran War Endgame And Hormuz * 40:55 Israeli Espionage And Data Sharing Fears * 49:10 Thomas Massie And The Youth Shift * 54:20 2028 Politics And The Rubio Lane * 56:05 Final Thoughts And Closing Plugs 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]

ROBERT BARNES - Section 224 Is About To Explode

Thanks to our channel sponsor, KillerInstinctCoffee.com. Grab some great coffee today! A foreign ally allegedly spying at the highest levels, a ceasefire track that keeps getting derailed, and Washington looking like it cannot steer its own policy. That’s the knot we try to untangle with returning guest Robert Barnes as we react to reporting about a Defense Intelligence Agency leak on Israeli espionage and attempts to undermine U.S. Iran negotiations, followed almost immediately by strikes that practically guarantee an Iranian response. We walk through the unsettling optics of Netanyahu publicly posturing that an Israeli prime minister must be able to tell a U.S. president “no,” and what that does to American credibility on the world stage. From there, we debate the hardest question: is Trump actually being boxed in by Israel’s actions, or is he letting the chaos play out because it serves him? Barnes connects that to negotiation failures, decision-making concerns, and why perception alone can make the United States look responsible for escalation even when it claims it is trying to stop it. Then we get specific and practical: the Houthis, shipping pressure, and how economic choke points can shape U.S. choices faster than battlefield wins. We also dig into Iran’s internal politics and regional Shia dynamics, arguing that “regime collapse” assumptions are a repeat strategic error that leads to bad forecasts and worse wars. Finally, we break down the policy grenade: NDAA Section 224 and why deeper intelligence sharing could be unprecedented in U.S. history, especially amid espionage allegations. We close on Congress, War Powers, enforcement, and what happens if the executive branch escalates after lawmakers say no. Subscribe, share the show, and leave a review, then tell us your take: who’s really driving U.S. Middle East policy right now? CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00. Weekend Escalation And A New Crisis * 2:30 Netanyahu Says “No” To Washington * 9:20 Who Is Really Steering U.S. Policy? * 15:00 Trump’s Negotiation Failures And Instability * 25:50 Israel’s Spy Track Record And DIA Leak * 34:10 NDAA Section 224 And Permanent Access * 41:40 War Powers Limits And Impeachment Risk * 49:10 Midterms, Anti-War Politics, And Corruption Claims * 54:10 Conference Plug, Sponsor, And Sign-Off 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]

DANIEL McADAMS : Trump, Iran, And The Exit Ramp

Trump says he “didn’t want to be Jimmy Carter” and then talks long enough to raise a bigger question: was he explaining a plan, or explaining away a failure. We sit down with Dan McAdams of the Ron Paul Institute to read the tells in the public story around Iran, the wreckage that never gets real press scrutiny, and the contradictions that appear when leaders claim an adversary is nearly defeated while still warning that a limited mission would be too risky. If you care about US foreign policy, military credibility, and how wars expand through half-truths, this conversation lands hard. We also pull apart the leak-driven reporting around an alleged Trump Netanyahu blowup and why anonymous-source narratives can act like propaganda even when they contain a sliver of truth. From there, the “ceasefire” question gets real: continued strikes, expanding evacuation orders, and the simple fact that Iran holds meaningful leverage in the region, including through the Strait of Hormuz and the vulnerability of US forces spread across multiple bases. Then we get into Congress and the National Defense Authorization Act, focusing on NDAA Section 224 and what deeper US Israel defense and data-sharing integration could mean. We talk regular order, conference committee games, and why so many major decisions get made when everyone just wants to catch a flight home. If you found this useful, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:05. A Wild Week Sets The Stage * 2:12. Sponsor Shout And Dan Joins * 2:47. Trump’s Jimmy Carter Comment * 5:29. Tells Of A Botched Iran Operation * 10:12. Did Trump Just Admit Limits * 10:19 Netanyahu Rift And Stenography Journalism * 14:12 Lebanon Strikes And Ceasefire Reality * 17:54 Trump’s Exit Options And Neocon Blowback * 20:53. NDAA Section 224 And Israel Access * 27:10. Data Sharing Risks And Tech Leakage * 32:23. Conference Committee And Poison Pills * 38:06. Massey’s Loss And Movement Building * 44:52. What MAGA Means After Broken Promises * 47:44. How Congress Regains Its Power * 50:15. Ron Paul Institute Conference Plug * 52:08. Subscribe, Coffee, And Weekend Signoff 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]

PETER MAGUIRE : America Needs A Stress Test For Power! Washington is broken!

Calls for “purges” and “Nuremberg-style tribunals” might feel like moral clarity, but they can also be gasoline on a political fire. We dig into that tension with historian and author Peter Maguire, whose work spans the Nuremberg trials, the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia, and the messy reality of what accountability looks like after a society breaks. We talk about why Americans across the spectrum feel shut out of the real story of government power, and why rebuilding public trust may require something closer to a truth and reconciliation commission than a victory-lap prosecution. Peter challenges the popular myths: denazification was widely judged a failure in the 1950s, Nuremberg did not magically “re-educate” a nation, and “therapeutic legalism” can promise healing that courts cannot deliver. Cambodia adds a harder lesson: vengeance breeds vengeance, and imported justice models can miss the culture they are meant to serve. From there we broaden the lens to government transparency and accountability in the United States: classified 9/11 files, the legacy of Iraq’s WMD claims, black sites and torture memos, and the way officials and pundits recycle back into power without consequences. We also address modern gatekeepers like big tech, deplatforming, and why credibility at home and abroad depends on due process, honest diplomacy, and leaders who have actually paid a price. If you want a grounded conversation about political polarization, government reform, and how to open the books without tearing the country apart, listen now, then subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review with the biggest question you want answered. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00. Krugman, Purges, And Public Trust * 2:19. Meet Peter Maguire And Nuremberg * 7:35. Khmer Rouge Atrocities And Missing Justice * 14:53. Why Denazification Stories Mislead * 20:18. Amnesty, Shame, And Big Tech Power * 27:51. New Leaders And A Third Party Push * 32:39. Hollywood, Media Capture, And Misinformation * 38:16. International Law, Torture, And Lost Credibility * 46:46. America’s Empire Problem And Endless Recycles * 52:32. How To Break Through Without Quitting * 56:00. Final Plugs And Closing Thanks 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]