PATRICK HENNINGSEN : The Lebanon - Iran Connection Explained

PATRICK HENNINGSEN : The Lebanon - Iran Connection Explained

Lebanon isn’t a side quest, it’s the pressure point that can keep a US Iran war simmering for years. We sit down with journalist and geopolitical analyst Patrick Henningson, founder of 21st Century Wire, to unpack why Lebanon remains under covered, why the framing around Hezbollah is so politically useful in Washington, and why that framing can make diplomacy feel “impossible” by design. We break down Hezbollah’s origins in the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon, the reality of Hezbollah as both a political party and an armed force, and the uncomfortable question most headlines skip: why can’t the Lebanese Armed Forces defend their own airspace? From there, we zoom out to Israel’s longer term strategic interests in the south, including territory, resources, and water, and we talk about how post October 7 rules have shifted in ways that change the calculus for civilians and states alike. The conversation also draws parallels to Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, the war on terror’s elastic definitions, and how labels like “Iran backed” can erase local agency while lowering the threshold for violence. Finally, we tackle the big strategic picture: Iran’s rising leverage, America’s declining credibility, and what an “interregnum” between world orders looks like when no one trusts the old rules anymore. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00 Why Lebanon Is The Missing Piece * 1:55 Guest Background And Quick Housekeeping * 3:40 What Hezbollah Is And How It Formed * 13:56 Why Lebanon’s Army Stays Handcuffed * 20:44 Israel’s Goals Beyond “Security” * 22:55 Sectarian Pressure And Syria’s Spillover * 28:13 Iraq Parallels And The Terror Label * 45:41 Iran’s Leverage And America’s Decline * 1:07:36 The “Why” Question And The Interregnum Watch Patrick Henningsen, Like & Subscribe to him on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@21stCenturyWireTV Also visit Patrick's Substack here: https://patrickhenningsen.substack.com See all of Patrick Henningsen and his team's work here: https://www.21stcenturywire.com Follow Patrick’s daily shorts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/21wire_media/ 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]

Negotiating With Bombs Is Not Negotiating with/ Dan McKnight of Defend the Guard

“We’ll negotiate with bombs” is the kind of line that should stop you cold, especially when it’s paired with fresh strikes on Iran and talk of ground troops. We sit down with Dan McKnight, founder of Bring Our Troops Home and a longtime Marine, Army, and National Guard veteran, to unpack what this moment says about U.S. foreign policy and why the constant recycling of “imminent threats” and instant “victories” keeps the public numb while the war machine keeps moving. From there, we get practical. Dan breaks down how the National Guard is actually used, including state active duty, Title 32, and Title 10 federalization, and why Title 10 has become a pipeline for overseas combat deployments without a congressional declaration of war. We talk through the Defend The Guard strategy, the big Texas win that pushed it into the state GOP platform, and why state legislatures may be the best pressure point to restore constitutional war powers and protect Guard units from being treated as a “warm supply of bodies.” We also dig into the policy hooks that lock in endless intervention: NDAA Section 224 and the push to tie the U.S. defense industrial base closer to Israel, plus Intelligence Authorization Section 622 and the fear that withholding intelligence could effectively become illegal. Along the way, we hit the costs at home, the risks of escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, and why modernization for drone warfare matters more than bluster. Subscribe, share this with a friend who cares about war powers, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway: what would it take for Congress and the states to reassert control over when America goes to war? CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00. Iran Strikes And War Talk * 1:37 Meet Dan McKnight And The Mission * 5:24 Texas Win For Defend The Guard * 7:24 How National Guard Activations Work * 10:18 Overdeployment Costs At Home * 13:06 War Powers And Iran Legality * 23:05 The Off Ramp And Modern Warfare * 30:29 NDAA Section 224 And Industrial Ties * 35:10 Intel Bill 622 And Israel Sharing * 39:30 Building A Coalition That Resists War * 50:14. How To Help And Closing Notes 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 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]