Latest / The Stan R. Mitchell Show / The latest podcast episode of The View from the Front. This is the 4-25-24 edition.

Transcript

The latest podcast episode of The View from the Front. This is the 4-25-24 edition. · The Stan R. Mitchell Show

0:08
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the view from the front.
0:11
SPEAKER_00: My name is Stan and I'm a prior Marine and a proud Moderate.
0:16
SPEAKER_00: Each week, I cover our military and defense news happening around the world.
0:22
SPEAKER_00: In fact, in every episode, I do three things.
0:26
SPEAKER_00: First, I cover hot spots happening that could affect our country.
0:31
SPEAKER_00: Secondly, I present news in a non-scary way.
0:34
SPEAKER_00: So many news outlets today try to scare you so that you'll tune in and talk about the show to others.
0:41
SPEAKER_00: They're trying to grow the size of their audience.
0:44
SPEAKER_00: I'm not like that.
0:45
SPEAKER_00: not even close.
0:47
SPEAKER_00: In fact, in most cases, I downplay news.
0:51
SPEAKER_00: From Y2K to bird flu, we've all read and heard stories that had us scared and worried.
0:57
SPEAKER_00: Most of the time, those stories are overhyped and wrong.
1:02
SPEAKER_00: So I'll dig deep on every topic and show you that in most situations,
1:06
SPEAKER_00: things aren't as bad as you've been hearing.
1:09
SPEAKER_00: Finally,
1:10
SPEAKER_00: at the end of each episode,
1:11
SPEAKER_00: I share some motivation and encouragement,
1:13
SPEAKER_00: and also share about one Medal of Honor winner,
1:16
SPEAKER_00: because we need some motivation,
1:18
SPEAKER_00: given how hard life is.
1:19
SPEAKER_00: And we all need to remember the sacrifices of those who came before us,
1:23
SPEAKER_00: because there are far too many people trying to tear this country down and rip us apart.
1:29
SPEAKER_00: I'm hoping this show will prove to be an antidote to all the bad happening out there.
1:34
SPEAKER_00: I want both left and right to come together,
1:38
SPEAKER_00: to remember that more unites than divides,
1:42
SPEAKER_00: and to see that our country has faced many challenges before,
1:45
SPEAKER_00: and we're going to meet the hurdles that are staring at us in the current time.
1:49
SPEAKER_00: I hope and pray that by the end, I have lowered your blood pressure and inspired you.
1:55
SPEAKER_00: I hope and pray that I've done just a little to help unite this country.
2:00
SPEAKER_00: I'm not a big name or a big show or a big-time influencer,
2:05
SPEAKER_00: but I'm serious about how much I love this country.
2:08
SPEAKER_00: And I know I might just be a silly dreamer,
2:10
SPEAKER_00: but there's never been anything big accomplished in this world that didn't first
2:15
SPEAKER_00: start with a dream.
2:17
SPEAKER_00: How is everyone doing out there?
2:20
SPEAKER_00: I probably sound pretty happy or pleased, and that's because I am.
2:26
SPEAKER_00: Because,
2:26
SPEAKER_00: thankfully,
2:28
SPEAKER_00: both the House and the Senate have now passed aid to Ukraine,
2:34
SPEAKER_00: as well as Taiwan and Israel,
2:35
SPEAKER_00: but it was mostly Ukraine in the short term that I've been most focused on,
2:39
SPEAKER_00: as you guys know.
2:41
SPEAKER_00: It has finally been passed, and I am so glad that in the last episode...
2:47
SPEAKER_00: I basically made the whole show about four reasons on why I thought it might finally pass the House.
2:55
SPEAKER_00: And as you guys know, I'm sure you heard lots of headlines about it.
2:58
SPEAKER_00: It's been pretty big news going back Thursday, Friday, Saturday, into the beginning part of this week.
3:05
SPEAKER_00: But it has finally passed.
3:08
SPEAKER_00: which is obviously great news for ukraine it's great news for a lot of americans in
3:15
SPEAKER_00: our defense industry i think it's great news honestly for the world or what what
3:20
SPEAKER_00: you might call the civilized world because i think it's an important statement to
3:25
SPEAKER_00: many dictators out there that the western world in particular is not going to allow
3:32
SPEAKER_00: madmen to invade their neighbors so big win
3:37
SPEAKER_00: Let me share what President Biden said about the bill.
3:42
SPEAKER_00: He in part says it's going to make the world and America safer.
3:45
SPEAKER_00: Let me just kind of quote him real quick here.
3:49
SPEAKER_00: Quote, it's going to make America safer.
3:52
SPEAKER_00: It's going to make the world safer.
3:54
SPEAKER_00: And it continues America's leadership in the world.
3:58
SPEAKER_00: President Biden said during a briefing following the signing ceremony.
4:02
SPEAKER_00: Let me just read a little more.
4:05
SPEAKER_00: It gives vital support to America's partners so they can defend themselves against
4:09
SPEAKER_00: threats to their sovereignty and the lives and freedom of their citizens.
4:15
SPEAKER_00: Let's see, let me just share one other part from his remarks.
4:20
SPEAKER_00: He said, quote, this is directly in the United States national security interest.
4:27
SPEAKER_00: If Russia and Vladimir Putin triumph in Ukraine,
4:31
SPEAKER_00: the next move of Russian forces could very well be a direct attack on a NATO ally.
4:39
SPEAKER_00: If that happened, the United States as a NATO partner would be bound to assist.
4:48
SPEAKER_00: We'd have no choice but to come to their aid,
4:51
SPEAKER_00: just like our NATO allies came to our aid after the September 11th attacks.
4:58
SPEAKER_00: That's why we're supporting and surging support now to Ukraine,
5:02
SPEAKER_00: to stop Putin from drawing the United States into a war in Europe.
5:11
SPEAKER_00: Now, Biden did say that shipments were already beginning.
5:15
SPEAKER_00: There'll be $60 billion for support to Ukraine.
5:19
SPEAKER_00: And they were talking about that some of those flights would be beginning within hours.
5:25
SPEAKER_00: And among the items being sent, let me go over just a couple of parts.
5:32
SPEAKER_00: So this is in that first shipment.
5:35
SPEAKER_00: It's a billion dollars worth of security assistance in this first shipment of items
5:40
SPEAKER_00: that will be being sent.
5:42
SPEAKER_00: Among them are a couple of different anti-aircraft missiles, the RIM-7 and AIM-9 missiles.
5:51
SPEAKER_00: They're anti-air missiles.
5:52
SPEAKER_00: They're also going to be sending some handheld Stinger anti-aircraft missiles,
5:56
SPEAKER_00: which of course can be used against low-flying aircraft,
5:59
SPEAKER_00: drones...
6:01
SPEAKER_00: Maybe in some instances against those low-flying cruise missiles.
6:05
SPEAKER_00: They're also going to be sending more of the anti-tank tow missiles,
6:10
SPEAKER_00: which are tube-launched,
6:12
SPEAKER_00: optically-tracked,
6:13
SPEAKER_00: wire-guided,
6:14
SPEAKER_00: but most people just call them tows.
6:16
SPEAKER_00: But they have pretty good long-range missiles.
6:18
SPEAKER_00: ground-launch missiles from anything from tanks to Humvees or trucks can fire these
6:26
SPEAKER_00: tow missiles they can also be just employed by ground troops in a defensive
6:30
SPEAKER_00: position but they are a standard anti-tank missile that the US has been using since
6:36
SPEAKER_00: back in the 90s but they are still very good also as a part of this first package
6:43
SPEAKER_00: there will be ammunition for the
6:46
SPEAKER_00: Long range multiple launch rocket systems or MLRS.
6:52
SPEAKER_00: Some people call them high Mars, high mobility artillery rocket systems.
6:57
SPEAKER_00: Those are really effective.
6:59
SPEAKER_00: As a reminder, if by chance you're new to the show, you fire these things off.
7:02
SPEAKER_00: They have more range than standard artillery.
7:06
SPEAKER_00: So we fire,
7:07
SPEAKER_00: you know,
7:07
SPEAKER_00: a vehicle fires these off and then quickly moves so that even if Russia had
7:14
SPEAKER_00: something within range to target them,
7:16
SPEAKER_00: by the time they're detected in the air and certainly by the time they hit the target,
7:21
SPEAKER_00: you've already moved the vehicle.
7:23
SPEAKER_00: So they're very difficult to target in any kind of counter battery strike.
7:28
SPEAKER_00: So there'll be...
7:29
SPEAKER_00: Ammunition, again, rockets for those HIMARS or multiple launch rocket systems.
7:34
SPEAKER_00: And then just as important,
7:35
SPEAKER_00: if not maybe more so,
7:37
SPEAKER_00: we know Ukraine's been struggling to get enough artillery ammunition,
7:41
SPEAKER_00: so there will be plenty of 155mm shells.
7:43
SPEAKER_00: Those are the most crucial.
7:48
SPEAKER_00: And probably lowest inventory ammunition that Ukraine had.
7:52
SPEAKER_00: It's partly why Russia has been advancing.
7:55
SPEAKER_00: So good old artillery shells so that Ukraine can actually fire on moving troops who are out in the open.
8:02
SPEAKER_00: And then there will also be some 105mm.
8:03
SPEAKER_00: They're a little bit smaller artillery shells.
8:06
SPEAKER_00: There's also some undisclosed,
8:09
SPEAKER_00: what this White House is calling a variety of combat vehicles,
8:12
SPEAKER_00: so not sure how many medium,
8:15
SPEAKER_00: you know,
8:16
SPEAKER_00: Bradleys,
8:17
SPEAKER_00: maybe a few tanks,
8:18
SPEAKER_00: but probably nothing too significant in that regard.
8:23
SPEAKER_00: So that's what's being announced, at least so far.
8:26
SPEAKER_00: Let me mention one other thing before I get to one other crazy story that broke today on Wednesday.
8:33
SPEAKER_00: But in that package, there was also $14 billion for Israel funding to help support Israel.
8:40
SPEAKER_00: A lot of anti-air missiles for them and some other artillery and other weapon
8:45
SPEAKER_00: systems and ammunition that they need.
8:47
SPEAKER_00: But there was also in it $9.5 billion for humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza,
8:54
SPEAKER_00: even Sudan,
8:56
SPEAKER_00: Ukraine,
8:57
SPEAKER_00: and then apparently some other populations caught in conflict zones across the globe,
9:02
SPEAKER_00: according to the announcement from the White House.
9:05
SPEAKER_00: All of this on its own was already just great news for the beleaguered defenders of Ukraine,
9:14
SPEAKER_00: for those who have been trying to support them here in the U.S.
9:18
SPEAKER_00: All of this was great news on its own.
9:21
SPEAKER_00: It's been a long time coming, going all the way back to November.
9:26
SPEAKER_00: But something kind of crazy broke today,
9:31
SPEAKER_00: which is,
9:31
SPEAKER_00: if you recall a few weeks ago,
9:33
SPEAKER_00: I mentioned a very small emergency supplemental package of weaponry being sent to
9:42
SPEAKER_00: Ukraine from the United States.
9:44
SPEAKER_00: So this very small, kind of vague package was announced.
9:49
SPEAKER_00: And then today,
9:51
SPEAKER_00: as President Biden was discussing sending this first batch of weapons,
9:57
SPEAKER_00: Politico broke the news that last month,
10:01
SPEAKER_00: the Biden administration actually
10:04
SPEAKER_00: approved sending ATACOMs.
10:07
SPEAKER_00: Now, these are the even longer range missiles that Ukraine has been dying to get for about a year now.
10:15
SPEAKER_00: They're much further range than even the long range multiple launch rocket systems or HIMARS.
10:22
SPEAKER_00: They're fired from the same vehicle, but they're a much longer range weapon system.
10:28
SPEAKER_00: Ukraine has been begging for these and the Biden administration has been very
10:33
SPEAKER_00: reluctant to send them for more than a year now.
10:37
SPEAKER_00: Politico breaks the news on Wednesday that they were actually sent last month and not announced.
10:44
SPEAKER_00: And at first I was like, man, I almost can't believe that.
10:48
SPEAKER_00: But sure enough,
10:49
SPEAKER_00: it was actually confirmed by the Biden administration,
10:52
SPEAKER_00: and I will share a little bit of video from the National Security Director,
10:58
SPEAKER_00: Jake Sullivan.
10:59
SPEAKER_00: Here's what he had to say about that.
11:01
SPEAKER_01: I'm able to confirm,
11:02
SPEAKER_01: as you've heard from others,
11:03
SPEAKER_01: that in February,
11:04
SPEAKER_01: the president directed his team to provide Ukraine with a significant number of
11:09
SPEAKER_01: ATAKMS missiles for use inside Ukraine's sovereign territory.
11:14
SPEAKER_01: This followed Russia's procurement and use of North Korea's ballistic missiles
11:18
SPEAKER_01: against Ukraine,
11:19
SPEAKER_01: as well as Russia's renewed and escalating attacks against civilian infrastructure
11:23
SPEAKER_01: in Ukraine.
11:25
SPEAKER_00: Again, those were the words of Jake Sullivan.
11:26
SPEAKER_00: He's the National Security Advisor,
11:28
SPEAKER_00: which I incorrectly called him the National Security Director a few moments ago,
11:32
SPEAKER_00: but it's actually National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
11:37
SPEAKER_00: The irony of this announcement is that in the past few weeks,
11:41
SPEAKER_00: while we have waited for the Republicans to pass the Ukraine aid,
11:47
SPEAKER_00: one thing that's been happening is that President Biden,
11:50
SPEAKER_00: and especially
11:52
SPEAKER_00: Jake Sullivan has been taking a lot of heat for being worried about escalation from Russia.
12:00
SPEAKER_00: And it's come out more and more that in almost every briefing that would happen
12:05
SPEAKER_00: between President Biden and the top security officials,
12:09
SPEAKER_00: One of the number one folks who have put the brakes on helping Ukraine has been Jake Sullivan.
12:16
SPEAKER_00: That has increasingly been getting leaked out,
12:18
SPEAKER_00: and he's been under some level of heat,
12:21
SPEAKER_00: some level of pressure,
12:23
SPEAKER_00: because he's been constantly worried about escalation with Russia.
12:27
SPEAKER_00: So he's been putting the brakes on it.
12:29
SPEAKER_00: He's been getting beat up pretty bad, if you keep up with national security news at least.
12:34
SPEAKER_00: in the past few weeks,
12:36
SPEAKER_00: but it's also been trickling up toward President Biden that he's been giving
12:42
SPEAKER_00: Ukraine just enough to not lose versus enough to win.
12:48
SPEAKER_00: So Biden and Sullivan have been taking all this heat.
12:52
SPEAKER_00: the past few weeks.
12:53
SPEAKER_00: And then today it comes out that,
12:56
SPEAKER_00: actually,
12:57
SPEAKER_00: they sent some weapons in March,
13:01
SPEAKER_00: late February,
13:02
SPEAKER_00: that weren't even fully announced and have already been used.
13:07
SPEAKER_00: So that should help relieve some of the pressure on them for looking too soft.
13:13
SPEAKER_00: So that's kind of an irony I wanted to share.
13:16
SPEAKER_00: I know this is kind of insider baseball, but I figure most of the people listening to this,
13:22
SPEAKER_00: to this podcast are kind of insider baseball folks anyway,
13:25
SPEAKER_00: so that news definitely should ease some pressure on both Jake Sullivan and
13:32
SPEAKER_00: President Biden.
13:34
SPEAKER_00: This is also a bit of insider baseball, but not completely.
13:39
SPEAKER_00: Now, in all the delays going back to November, almost six months, the one irony is
13:47
SPEAKER_00: and some folks commented on this this week that really made me think about it,
13:52
SPEAKER_00: is that as Ukraine has been desperately awaiting this U.S.
13:57
SPEAKER_00: aid that has been long delayed,
14:00
SPEAKER_00: During those intervening months,
14:02
SPEAKER_00: so many countries in Europe really,
14:07
SPEAKER_00: really stepped up and did almost stretch goals,
14:10
SPEAKER_00: so to speak.
14:11
SPEAKER_00: They did all kinds of stopgap measures,
14:16
SPEAKER_00: sending ammunition,
14:18
SPEAKER_00: buying ammunition,
14:19
SPEAKER_00: sending emergency funding,
14:20
SPEAKER_00: doing things because they knew that USAID was not coming in the short term.
14:26
SPEAKER_00: And as it was dragged out,
14:29
SPEAKER_00: More and more European countries stepped up, and then once the U.S.
14:32
SPEAKER_00: passed this bill,
14:34
SPEAKER_00: it's almost like this was,
14:36
SPEAKER_00: in a weird way,
14:38
SPEAKER_00: good for Ukraine,
14:40
SPEAKER_00: because it forced many European countries probably to give a little more than they
14:46
SPEAKER_00: could comfortably give.
14:48
SPEAKER_00: But they saw the desperate situation in Ukraine,
14:51
SPEAKER_00: and they stepped up even more than they would have already on their own,
14:55
SPEAKER_00: so that in the end...
14:57
SPEAKER_00: Europe is giving,
14:59
SPEAKER_00: obviously,
15:00
SPEAKER_00: a very large portion of the defense spending that's happening inside Ukraine,
15:05
SPEAKER_00: but they're doing more than they probably would have had we shouldered the load the
15:10
SPEAKER_00: entire way.
15:12
SPEAKER_00: Which kind of just makes my point about democracy, why I so strongly believe in America,
15:18
SPEAKER_00: is even when we get frustrated with one side or the other in a really crazy,
15:24
SPEAKER_00: complicated way,
15:26
SPEAKER_00: sometimes the push and pull of our democracy and how everything is set up works for
15:34
SPEAKER_00: the good,
15:34
SPEAKER_00: works for the better.
15:36
SPEAKER_00: In the end, it almost makes things stronger.
15:39
SPEAKER_00: And I want to talk just a bit about that,
15:41
SPEAKER_00: actually,
15:41
SPEAKER_00: because there's a few things I picked up on in regards to the Republican Party this
15:46
SPEAKER_00: past week.
15:48
SPEAKER_00: You guys know that I am not a fan of the extremes on either party.
15:57
SPEAKER_00: I clearly am a proud moderate,
15:59
SPEAKER_00: and I know there's a time and place for hard right or far left folks to draw a line
16:06
SPEAKER_00: in the sand and make loud arguments and say they will not be moved.
16:12
SPEAKER_00: I know that there is a place for people like that,
16:15
SPEAKER_00: and I know that people like that move the political dialogue in directions that are
16:20
SPEAKER_00: often beneficial.
16:22
SPEAKER_00: But I also know that in democracy you need compromise.
16:27
SPEAKER_00: And so one of the things I picked up on this week is that I think I'm seeing some clues.
16:34
SPEAKER_00: that perhaps the Republican Party is starting to go after its extreme members a bit more strongly.
16:42
SPEAKER_00: And I want to mention just a few data points on why I think this is the case.
16:49
SPEAKER_00: I want to make the argument, if you will, that I think they are.
16:55
SPEAKER_00: First, I want to play a short clip
16:58
SPEAKER_00: from the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
17:03
SPEAKER_00: And he does a good little summary, a recap if you will.
17:07
SPEAKER_00: But I want you to notice who he calls out.
17:11
SPEAKER_00: And just imagine,
17:12
SPEAKER_00: can you imagine him calling out this person six months ago,
17:16
SPEAKER_00: a year ago,
17:17
SPEAKER_00: two years ago,
17:18
SPEAKER_00: four years ago?
17:19
SPEAKER_00: Could you possibly imagine what you're about to hear?
17:22
SPEAKER_00: And I'm pretty sure your answer is going to be no.
17:25
SPEAKER_00: Let's just hear what he says first.
17:27
SPEAKER_02: Well, that's a good question.
17:29
SPEAKER_02: You already know the answer.
17:30
SPEAKER_02: I think the demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson,
17:38
SPEAKER_02: who,
17:39
SPEAKER_02: in my opinion,
17:39
SPEAKER_02: ended up where he should have been all along,
17:41
SPEAKER_02: which was interviewing Vladimir Putin.
17:45
SPEAKER_02: And so he had an enormous audience,
17:49
SPEAKER_02: which convinced a lot of rank and file Republicans that maybe this was a mistake.
17:57
SPEAKER_02: I think the former president had sort of mixed views on it.
18:04
SPEAKER_02: We all felt that border was a complete disaster, myself included.
18:10
SPEAKER_02: And Chad, you remember covering the phases we went through.
18:13
SPEAKER_02: First, there was an effort to make law, which requires you to deal with Democrats.
18:19
SPEAKER_02: And then a number of our members thought it wasn't good enough.
18:23
SPEAKER_02: And then our nominee for president,
18:27
SPEAKER_02: didn't seem to want us to do anything at all.
18:30
SPEAKER_02: That took months to work our way through it.
18:33
SPEAKER_02: So we ended up doing the supplemental that was originally proposed, which dealt with not all problems.
18:42
SPEAKER_02: It didn't solve the border problem, but certainly addressed the growing threats at the moment.
18:51
SPEAKER_00: Wow, was that crazy or what?
18:53
SPEAKER_00: So he calls out Tucker Carlson and then basically says the guy,
18:59
SPEAKER_00: you know,
18:59
SPEAKER_00: he says he ended up where he should be interviewing Vladimir Putin,
19:04
SPEAKER_00: but basically he's saying Tucker Carlson should just go to Russia.
19:09
SPEAKER_00: So he goes after Tucker Carlson,
19:11
SPEAKER_00: who was at one time one of the most powerful far-right media voices out there.
19:20
SPEAKER_00: And then...
19:22
SPEAKER_00: And we all know that Mitch McConnell's probably not the biggest fan of President
19:26
SPEAKER_00: Trump or former President Trump.
19:28
SPEAKER_00: And I'm sure it's mutual.
19:29
SPEAKER_00: I know former President Trump is not a fan of Mitch McConnell.
19:33
SPEAKER_00: But Mitch McConnell even kind of takes a dig.
19:36
SPEAKER_00: Donald Trump because he mentions,
19:39
SPEAKER_00: you know,
19:39
SPEAKER_00: we go through all these steps and we didn't get the border bill and so It's kind of
19:46
SPEAKER_00: a slight shot to that Hey guys,
19:49
SPEAKER_00: if we had voted on this in November or December,
19:51
SPEAKER_00: it would have been the same package We would have got the border bill through
19:56
SPEAKER_00: Could have had all this done.
19:58
SPEAKER_00: Everyone could have been campaigning and raising money.
20:00
SPEAKER_00: Instead, there's been absolute turmoil for six months and we still don't have the border bill.
20:05
SPEAKER_00: So there's a little bit of shot there.
20:07
SPEAKER_00: Maybe that was planned and designed.
20:09
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it wasn't.
20:11
SPEAKER_00: You can be the judge of that.
20:12
SPEAKER_00: But I've got a few other little things that were interesting and certainly worth
20:17
SPEAKER_00: pointing out and I think help make the argument that the Republican Party is going
20:21
SPEAKER_00: after its extreme members.
20:24
SPEAKER_00: The second thing that I picked up on is that former President Trump himself didn't
20:31
SPEAKER_00: seem to come out against this Ukraine aid since the past Friday when Speaker Mike
20:37
SPEAKER_00: Johnson went down to talk with him.
20:40
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like that while initially former President Trump was certainly against
20:47
SPEAKER_00: the aid and has spoken critically of it,
20:50
SPEAKER_00: I really believe that
20:53
SPEAKER_00: His almost spidey senses,
20:56
SPEAKER_00: so to speak,
20:57
SPEAKER_00: have picked up that enough of the Republican Party wanted to stand strong and
21:02
SPEAKER_00: support Ukraine.
21:04
SPEAKER_00: And so I feel like his position softened.
21:08
SPEAKER_00: And I also heard that one of the things that Mike Johnson did as his own president,
21:15
SPEAKER_00: eyes were opened and he saw some of these intelligence briefings,
21:19
SPEAKER_00: is that he made the argument to former President Trump that if you win,
21:24
SPEAKER_00: or when you win,
21:25
SPEAKER_00: or however he said it to him,
21:27
SPEAKER_00: But when you win,
21:28
SPEAKER_00: if Ukraine is in a strong position when you take office next January,
21:34
SPEAKER_00: then you will be able to negotiate a deal with Vladimir Putin.
21:38
SPEAKER_00: And so I think he presented it as a,
21:40
SPEAKER_00: if we don't do this,
21:41
SPEAKER_00: it's going to be bad news in the press for six months,
21:45
SPEAKER_00: it might hurt your chances of getting re-elected,
21:48
SPEAKER_00: and it leaves Ukraine in a weak position.
21:50
SPEAKER_00: So he kind of sold this deal to former President Trump, and then...
21:55
SPEAKER_00: Obviously,
21:56
SPEAKER_00: Trump didn't seem to say a whole lot about it,
21:59
SPEAKER_00: that I saw at least,
22:00
SPEAKER_00: and so it managed to get through both the House and then the Senate.
22:06
SPEAKER_00: The final thing that I wanted to present as evidence that there's starting to be
22:10
SPEAKER_00: some pushback against the far-right part of the Republican Party is that in this
22:16
SPEAKER_00: final Ukraine vote in the Senate...
22:20
SPEAKER_00: There were eight Republican senators who flipped their votes and actually voted in
22:25
SPEAKER_00: favor of Ukraine aid after initially being against it.
22:29
SPEAKER_00: These had all voted no.
22:32
SPEAKER_00: Now, some of these names you may not recognize, but some of them you will.
22:36
SPEAKER_00: One of them was Tom Cotton.
22:37
SPEAKER_00: One of them was Lindsey Graham, which is probably the biggest name of them.
22:41
SPEAKER_00: Even James Lankford of Oklahoma voted.
22:44
SPEAKER_00: Katie Britt, who's a senator out of Alabama.
22:47
SPEAKER_00: But of these eight,
22:50
SPEAKER_00: it's just interesting that they had been against it,
22:54
SPEAKER_00: and I think they,
22:55
SPEAKER_00: just like former President Trump,
22:57
SPEAKER_00: could sense that there was a shift in the party.
23:02
SPEAKER_00: Regardless of the reasons,
23:04
SPEAKER_00: it was,
23:05
SPEAKER_00: for me,
23:05
SPEAKER_00: a good sign to see,
23:07
SPEAKER_00: and it's certainly a good sign to see for the people inside Ukraine,
23:12
SPEAKER_00: for folks who might be in Taiwan watching as China looms as a very large threat.
23:19
SPEAKER_00: This was a good thing to see.
23:21
SPEAKER_00: And then also here in America,
23:23
SPEAKER_00: it's always a good thing to see larger votes inside the Senate when there's
23:28
SPEAKER_00: bipartisan agreement on something that's important,
23:31
SPEAKER_00: that's a
23:32
SPEAKER_00: That's a good sign for America to see that we see enough of the extremes on both
23:39
SPEAKER_00: sides who are constantly throwing bombs and trying to fundraise with contentious interviews.
23:45
SPEAKER_00: But those aren't the kind of things that keep markets stable.
23:49
SPEAKER_00: They're not the kind of things that help deter dictators from making ambitious moves.
23:55
SPEAKER_00: Our country appears stronger when we speak in a mostly unified voice.
24:02
SPEAKER_00: Before we move away from Ukraine,
24:05
SPEAKER_00: let me mention one final bit of news that is certainly worth mentioning and that is
24:11
SPEAKER_00: that the United Kingdom announced this week a large
24:18
SPEAKER_00: additional aid package now the UK has already announced over 12 billion in aid
24:25
SPEAKER_00: since 2022 and so they had drawn down on their most recent aid and they surprised a
24:31
SPEAKER_00: lot of people with a massive aid package announced this week of almost half a
24:39
SPEAKER_00: billion in US dollars anyway it's about 620 million
24:45
SPEAKER_00: But the list of items in that aid package is pretty impressive.
24:51
SPEAKER_00: It includes additional storm shadow missiles.
24:54
SPEAKER_00: Those are very long range missiles that are very effective.
24:57
SPEAKER_00: More than 4 million rounds of ammunition.
25:02
SPEAKER_00: 1,600 air defense and air-to-ground missiles,
25:06
SPEAKER_00: or basically anti-tank missiles and some air-to-air missiles,
25:09
SPEAKER_00: or,
25:09
SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry,
25:11
SPEAKER_00: surface-to-air missiles.
25:12
SPEAKER_00: I need to clean up what I'm saying.
25:14
SPEAKER_00: They're also sending some patrol vehicles.
25:16
SPEAKER_00: These are called Husky patrol vehicles.
25:18
SPEAKER_00: 160 of those.
25:19
SPEAKER_00: 162 armored carriers.
25:19
SPEAKER_00: 78 all-terrain vehicles.
25:20
SPEAKER_00: 60 boats.
25:27
SPEAKER_00: including offshore raiding craft,
25:30
SPEAKER_00: rigid raiding craft,
25:31
SPEAKER_00: and some dive boats,
25:32
SPEAKER_00: as well as some maritime guns,
25:35
SPEAKER_00: which the strategist in me wonders,
25:37
SPEAKER_00: that's a lot of amphibious stuff,
25:39
SPEAKER_00: so I don't know if there's future plans for Crimea or what,
25:43
SPEAKER_00: but
25:45
SPEAKER_00: Again,
25:45
SPEAKER_00: it was a pretty big aid package announced,
25:49
SPEAKER_00: and the leader of the United Kingdom says that he believes Russia won't stop at
25:55
SPEAKER_00: Poland's border,
25:56
SPEAKER_00: and so they are ramping up their defense industry.
26:00
SPEAKER_00: And also,
26:01
SPEAKER_00: the Prime Minister was traveling to Poland and Germany to rally even more European
26:07
SPEAKER_00: countries to give more aid to Ukraine and also ramp up their defense industries because...
26:15
SPEAKER_00: It sure seems like that enough of these leaders in Europe are seeing intelligent
26:20
SPEAKER_00: signs that must have them pretty wary of what Russia's plans are in the next few years.
26:27
SPEAKER_00: So Europe is moving toward a war footing to try to deter Vladimir Putin,
26:35
SPEAKER_00: who seems to only understand force,
26:38
SPEAKER_00: but they sure seem to be moving toward
26:42
SPEAKER_00: helping him see that this would not be in Russia's best interest, nor would it be successful.
26:49
SPEAKER_00: We're going to take a short break,
26:51
SPEAKER_00: but when we come back,
26:53
SPEAKER_00: I'm going to do a brief update about the situation in Haiti and also about the pier
27:02
SPEAKER_00: that the United States is going to build off the coast of Gaza to help bring in
27:08
SPEAKER_00: humanitarian aid.
27:10
SPEAKER_00: They're going to build this on the northern Gaza Strip.
27:13
SPEAKER_00: And then, of course, we'll also do the motivation section where we talk
27:18
SPEAKER_00: honor some Medal of Honor recipients, as well as share some motivation for you.
27:26
SPEAKER_00: So stick around.
27:26
SPEAKER_00: A lot of good stuff left.
27:37
SPEAKER_00: If you enjoy what you're listening to, you can help support the show.
27:41
SPEAKER_00: For $5 per month, you can help me grow this into something bigger.
27:46
SPEAKER_00: I will be completely honest and transparent here.
27:49
SPEAKER_00: I work a full-time job that I actually do enjoy, but I feel almost compelled to do this.
27:56
SPEAKER_00: I feel like we need to unify this country.
27:59
SPEAKER_00: I feel like there are people that need some optimism,
28:04
SPEAKER_00: some motivation,
28:05
SPEAKER_00: some inspiration on a weekly basis.
28:09
SPEAKER_00: And I honestly feel like there are some people that need God.
28:12
SPEAKER_00: I don't want to push that too much, but I also don't want to shy away from that.
28:17
SPEAKER_00: In all honesty,
28:18
SPEAKER_00: I do feel called to try to unify this country,
28:22
SPEAKER_00: to try to inspire people,
28:24
SPEAKER_00: to reach out to people.
28:25
SPEAKER_00: And so that's what I enjoy most.
28:27
SPEAKER_00: It's what I find myself being drawn to when I'm not working or, you know, doing family things.
28:35
SPEAKER_00: I would love in a perfect world to devote myself to this full time, but there's absolutely no pressure.
28:41
SPEAKER_00: I'm going to continue doing this, whether there are a ton of supporters or not, just in my free time.
28:47
SPEAKER_00: So if you would like to grow this into something better,
28:49
SPEAKER_00: if you would like to support,
28:50
SPEAKER_00: if you think what I'm doing is important,
28:53
SPEAKER_00: you would like to see this effort flourish,
28:56
SPEAKER_00: then definitely sign up.
28:58
SPEAKER_00: I know that I could make these better with more time and with better quality and more preparation.
29:05
SPEAKER_00: Perhaps I can reach more people.
29:08
SPEAKER_00: So there you have it.
29:09
SPEAKER_00: We are in a public square.
29:10
SPEAKER_00: I am performing as best I can with the instrument that I have and with the amount
29:17
SPEAKER_00: of time that I've been able to devote to this.
29:20
SPEAKER_00: And there is a bucket sitting in front of me.
29:23
SPEAKER_00: If you want to throw a few dollars in, that would be awesome.
29:26
SPEAKER_00: If you don't, I will be here next week performing again.
29:32
SPEAKER_00: All the details for how to do this are in the episode notes on my Substack page,
29:37
SPEAKER_00: or you can also do so through Patreon.
29:49
SPEAKER_00: Let's do a brief update on the situation in Haiti.
29:54
SPEAKER_00: If you've been listening to the show for a couple of months,
29:58
SPEAKER_00: you know that I said that Haiti was,
30:02
SPEAKER_00: in my opinion,
30:04
SPEAKER_00: one of the more likely places that U.S.
30:07
SPEAKER_00: troops would have to deploy soon, relatively soon.
30:11
SPEAKER_00: Honestly, I half expected them to already be deployed.
30:15
SPEAKER_00: And I mentioned how we had sent some additional Marines down there to help defend the embassy.
30:20
SPEAKER_00: But since then,
30:21
SPEAKER_00: I don't know that things are any calmer,
30:23
SPEAKER_00: but our news environment has been so just overwhelmed with the Trump trials in New York,
30:33
SPEAKER_00: the protests happening at various campuses across the country,
30:41
SPEAKER_00: the situation in Israel and Gaza,
30:44
SPEAKER_00: which is no better than,
30:46
SPEAKER_00: I mean it's probably worse than it's been.
30:50
SPEAKER_00: And so there's just been a lot of things happening to gain public attention.
31:00
SPEAKER_00: And so the media has not gone all in with the Haiti story, which was one of the things I said.
31:06
SPEAKER_00: If that happens, I just don't believe the U.S.
31:08
SPEAKER_00: will turn its eyes or avert its gaze from Haiti,
31:12
SPEAKER_00: since historically we have numerous times gone down there for humanitarian aid.
31:18
SPEAKER_00: or operations to help stabilize the country.
31:23
SPEAKER_00: Well,
31:23
SPEAKER_00: this week there was spotted a large Air Force aircraft,
31:28
SPEAKER_00: what's called a C-130,
31:30
SPEAKER_00: if you know what those are.
31:31
SPEAKER_00: They're pretty good-sized transport aircraft.
31:34
SPEAKER_00: And so one of those were spotted in Haiti, and instantly the rumors started flying that U.S.
31:40
SPEAKER_00: forces were being sent down there.
31:44
SPEAKER_00: The rumors were enough that, in fact, the U.S.
31:48
SPEAKER_00: military,
31:49
SPEAKER_00: CENTCOM in fact,
31:50
SPEAKER_00: which is Central Command,
31:51
SPEAKER_00: had to put out a short announcement and tamp down those rumors.
31:57
SPEAKER_00: And so Central Command put out a short announcement just saying that it was a
32:01
SPEAKER_00: regular rotation of personnel,
32:03
SPEAKER_00: that it had been pre-planned,
32:06
SPEAKER_00: and that the U.S.
32:08
SPEAKER_00: Embassy would remain open, and that the U.S.
32:10
SPEAKER_00: government continues to try to support the Haitian people,
32:14
SPEAKER_00: including mobilizing support for the Haitian National Police,
32:18
SPEAKER_00: the armed forces of Haiti,
32:20
SPEAKER_00: and attempting to create conditions for free and fair elections.
32:25
SPEAKER_00: So,
32:27
SPEAKER_00: All of the stuff on social media where people initially were overreacting turned
32:33
SPEAKER_00: out to be,
32:34
SPEAKER_00: as so often is the case on social media,
32:36
SPEAKER_00: unless you really get into the weeds and know what accounts to follow,
32:40
SPEAKER_00: the ones that don't freak out.
32:42
SPEAKER_00: But it proved to be false,
32:45
SPEAKER_00: and so,
32:46
SPEAKER_00: at least as of now,
32:46
SPEAKER_00: the situation is still stable enough that the United States is not sending
32:51
SPEAKER_00: additional troops to Haiti.
32:55
SPEAKER_00: The final news story that I wanted to make sure I covered,
32:59
SPEAKER_00: and we went into some detail into this a couple of months ago,
33:02
SPEAKER_00: but all of the ships and the forces that are necessary to construct a floating pier
33:09
SPEAKER_00: off the coast of Gaza have arrived.
33:12
SPEAKER_00: So that's good news for those folks who are in desperate situations inside Gaza who,
33:17
SPEAKER_00: of course,
33:18
SPEAKER_00: need large amounts of humanitarian aid.
33:21
SPEAKER_00: This floating pier will allow...
33:24
SPEAKER_00: Far more aid to get inside Gaza versus just the airdrops or the limited amount that
33:30
SPEAKER_00: they have been going through Israeli checkpoints.
33:34
SPEAKER_00: This should help alleviate some of that.
33:37
SPEAKER_00: And so that's great news for really all around.
33:41
SPEAKER_00: I think both for obviously the people inside Gaza...
33:45
SPEAKER_00: Probably,
33:46
SPEAKER_00: privately,
33:47
SPEAKER_00: Israel will be glad about this as well because it might help relieve some of the
33:52
SPEAKER_00: pressure on the Israeli government to wrap up its operations.
33:57
SPEAKER_00: So, either way, I'm not going to make a political comment one way or the other, but the U.S.
34:03
SPEAKER_00: military has announced that the ships have arrived,
34:06
SPEAKER_00: the forces are there,
34:07
SPEAKER_00: and so the construction of that ship
34:09
SPEAKER_00: is going to begin happening very quickly, and that's good news, certainly for the people inside Gaza.
34:18
SPEAKER_00: Alright, let's get to the best part of the show.
34:22
SPEAKER_00: I call this the Never Ever Give Up segment.
34:25
SPEAKER_00: And I call it the Never Ever Give Up segment because we must never ever give up as a country.
34:32
SPEAKER_00: Though we face great division,
34:33
SPEAKER_00: a massive debt burden,
34:36
SPEAKER_00: and probably future problems that none of us could even predict.
34:40
SPEAKER_00: But we must never give up as a country.
34:42
SPEAKER_00: And I believe we must stay united.
34:45
SPEAKER_00: And also, as individuals, we must never, ever give up.
34:49
SPEAKER_00: We've got family and friends counting on us.
34:51
SPEAKER_00: So in this section, I'm going to share some motivation to help encourage you.
34:56
SPEAKER_00: I'd like to begin by honoring a Medal of Honor recipient.
34:59
SPEAKER_00: If you don't know,
35:00
SPEAKER_00: the Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration you can possibly earn in the military.
35:07
SPEAKER_00: And it's awarded to service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor.
35:13
SPEAKER_00: The medal is typically awarded by the President of the United States upon the
35:17
SPEAKER_00: recommendation of the armed services.
35:20
SPEAKER_00: One final footnote before I read this week's.
35:24
SPEAKER_00: As I said when I first began this back in April,
35:27
SPEAKER_00: I am just going in alphabetical order because I could not possibly decide which
35:32
SPEAKER_00: wars to begin with,
35:33
SPEAKER_00: which services,
35:35
SPEAKER_00: etc.
35:36
SPEAKER_00: And since there's more than 3,000 of these awards,
35:39
SPEAKER_00: It was just too much, so I'm just going very simplistic alphabetical order.
35:45
SPEAKER_00: Last week,
35:45
SPEAKER_00: we had the two John Adams that I honored by reading their citations,
35:52
SPEAKER_00: and in my research this week looking it up,
35:55
SPEAKER_00: it looks like there's actually three more individuals with the last name of Adams.
36:01
SPEAKER_00: So there's a James Adams, a Stanley Adams...
36:05
SPEAKER_00: and William Adams.
36:09
SPEAKER_00: We'll just begin with the first one, James Adams.
36:11
SPEAKER_00: This is another short one.
36:12
SPEAKER_00: It's a single sentence.
36:15
SPEAKER_00: James Adams was awarded the Medal of Honor.
36:19
SPEAKER_00: He was a private in the U.S.
36:21
SPEAKER_00: Army who served during the Civil War, and he captured a state flag of the 14th Virginia Cavalry.
36:31
SPEAKER_00: So James Adams was awarded probably for incredible heroism in running forward to capture that.
36:39
SPEAKER_00: As you know, back then especially, no unit or regiment wanted to lose its standard or its flag.
36:47
SPEAKER_00: And so to lose one, you've really got to do something pretty brave.
36:50
SPEAKER_00: So James Adams was awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing the state flag of the 14th Virginia Cavalry.
36:59
SPEAKER_00: Let's move to Stanley Adams,
37:01
SPEAKER_00: and this is one that actually has a little bit of a write-up in regards to what
37:08
SPEAKER_00: Master Sergeant Stanley Adams did.
37:10
SPEAKER_00: He served in the U.S.
37:11
SPEAKER_00: Army during the Korean War, and I would love to read his citation.
37:18
SPEAKER_00: Master Sergeant Adams,
37:19
SPEAKER_00: who served with Company A,
37:21
SPEAKER_00: distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and courage above and beyond the
37:26
SPEAKER_00: call of duty in action against an enemy.
37:30
SPEAKER_00: At approximately 0-100 hours, which if you're a civilian and you're not real good on time, that's 1 a.m.
37:36
SPEAKER_00: in the morning,
37:38
SPEAKER_00: Master Sergeant Adams was on duty in action,
37:42
SPEAKER_00: holding an outpost some 200 yards ahead of his company,
37:47
SPEAKER_00: They come under a determined attack by an estimated 250 enemy troops.
37:53
SPEAKER_00: Intense small arms,
37:56
SPEAKER_00: machine gun,
37:57
SPEAKER_00: and mortar fire from three sides press the platoon back against the main line of resistance.
38:04
SPEAKER_00: Now, as a reminder, a platoon is usually 20 or 30 soldiers, so it's 20 or 30 trying to stop 250 soldiers.
38:12
SPEAKER_00: Observing approximately 150 troops silhouetted against the skyline advancing
38:18
SPEAKER_00: against his platoon,
38:19
SPEAKER_00: Master Sergeant Adams leaped to his feet,
38:23
SPEAKER_00: urged his men to fix bayonets,
38:26
SPEAKER_00: and he,
38:26
SPEAKER_00: with 13 members of his platoon,
38:28
SPEAKER_00: charged this hostile force with indomitable courage.
38:34
SPEAKER_00: Within fifty yards of the enemy,
38:36
SPEAKER_00: Master Sergeant Adams was knocked to the ground when pierced in the leg by an enemy bullet.
38:43
SPEAKER_00: He jumped to his feet and,
38:44
SPEAKER_00: ignoring his wound,
38:46
SPEAKER_00: continued on to close with the enemy when he was knocked down four times from the
38:51
SPEAKER_00: concussion of grenades which had bounced off his body.
38:56
SPEAKER_00: Shouting orders,
38:57
SPEAKER_00: he charged the enemy positions and engaged them in hand-to-hand combat where man
39:02
SPEAKER_00: after man fell before his terrific onslaught with bayonet and rifle buttstock.
39:09
SPEAKER_00: After nearly an hour of vicious action,
39:12
SPEAKER_00: Master Sergeant Adams and his comrades routed the fanatical foe,
39:18
SPEAKER_00: killing over 50 and forcing the remainder to withdraw.
39:22
SPEAKER_00: Upon receiving orders that his battalion was moving back,
39:25
SPEAKER_00: he provided covering fire while his men withdrew.
39:29
SPEAKER_00: Master Sergeant Adams' superb leadership,
39:32
SPEAKER_00: incredible courage,
39:33
SPEAKER_00: and consummate devotion to duty so inspired his comrades
39:38
SPEAKER_00: that the enemy attack was completely thwarted, saving his battalion from possible disaster.
39:45
SPEAKER_00: His sustained personal bravery and indomitable fighting spirit against overwhelming
39:51
SPEAKER_00: odds reflect the utmost glory upon himself and uphold the finest traditions of the
39:57
SPEAKER_00: infantry and the military service.
40:01
SPEAKER_00: And for the final one in this episode, we will honor Major William Adams.
40:08
SPEAKER_00: He served in the Vietnam War in the U.S.
40:10
SPEAKER_00: Army, and I will read his citation.
40:15
SPEAKER_00: Major Adams distinguished himself on 25 May 1971 while serving as a helicopter
40:26
SPEAKER_00: pilot in Khon Tum province in the Republic of Vietnam.
40:31
SPEAKER_00: On that date,
40:32
SPEAKER_00: Major Adams volunteered to fly a lightly armed helicopter in an attempt to evacuate
40:37
SPEAKER_00: three seriously wounded soldiers from a small fire base which was under attack by a
40:43
SPEAKER_00: large enemy force.
40:45
SPEAKER_00: He made the decision with full knowledge that numerous anti-aircraft weapons were
40:52
SPEAKER_00: positioned around the base and that the clear weather would afford the enemy
40:57
SPEAKER_00: gunner's unobstructed view of all routes into the base.
41:02
SPEAKER_00: As he approached the base,
41:04
SPEAKER_00: the enemy gunners opened fire with heavy machine guns,
41:07
SPEAKER_00: rocket-propelled grenades,
41:09
SPEAKER_00: and small arms.
41:11
SPEAKER_00: Undaunted by the onslaught of enemy fire,
41:14
SPEAKER_00: he continued his approach,
41:16
SPEAKER_00: determined to accomplish the mission.
41:20
SPEAKER_00: Displaying tremendous courage under fire,
41:23
SPEAKER_00: he calmly directed the attacks of supporting gunships while maintaining absolute
41:28
SPEAKER_00: control of the helicopter he was flying.
41:31
SPEAKER_00: He landed the aircraft at the firebase despite the ever-increasing enemy fire and
41:37
SPEAKER_00: calmly waited until the wounded soldiers were placed on board.
41:41
SPEAKER_00: As his aircraft departed from the firebase,
41:44
SPEAKER_00: it was struck and seriously damaged by enemy anti-aircraft fire and began descending.
41:50
SPEAKER_00: Flying with exceptional skill,
41:53
SPEAKER_00: he immediately regained control of the crippled aircraft and attempted a controlled landing.
42:00
SPEAKER_00: Despite his valiant efforts,
42:02
SPEAKER_00: the helicopter exploded,
42:04
SPEAKER_00: overturned,
42:05
SPEAKER_00: and plummeted to earth amid the hell of enemy fire.
42:09
SPEAKER_00: Major Adams' conspicuous gallantry,
42:12
SPEAKER_00: resolute courage,
42:14
SPEAKER_00: and humanitarian regard for his fellow man were in keeping with the most cherished
42:19
SPEAKER_00: traditions of the military service and reflected utmost credit on him and the U.S.
42:26
SPEAKER_00: Army.
42:28
SPEAKER_00: Man, sometimes I read these each week and it's just almost overwhelming and it's that way tonight.
42:33
SPEAKER_00: But just as a reminder,
42:35
SPEAKER_00: I do share these Medal of Honor stories each week to remind us of the sacrifices
42:39
SPEAKER_00: that have been made through the nearly 250 years of American history.
42:46
SPEAKER_00: More than one million Americans have died in war getting us to this place and time
42:51
SPEAKER_00: in our country's history.
42:53
SPEAKER_00: And I think it's always important that we remember it,
42:56
SPEAKER_00: particularly when we have people regularly saying we face a potential civil war,
43:02
SPEAKER_00: or that we should split because of a cultural war,
43:05
SPEAKER_00: or what tax rate we should have,
43:07
SPEAKER_00: or any other number of,
43:09
SPEAKER_00: frankly,
43:09
SPEAKER_00: silly reasons.
43:11
SPEAKER_00: I think our forefathers and our foremothers would be dumbfounded to think we could
43:16
SPEAKER_00: rip apart this great nation over such trifling issues.
43:21
SPEAKER_00: Now, let's share some motivation to make sure that we never, ever give up in our own personal lives.
43:28
SPEAKER_00: Of course,
43:28
SPEAKER_00: if you're a regular listener,
43:30
SPEAKER_00: you know I also speak about never giving up when I discuss PTSD at the end of the show.
43:35
SPEAKER_00: But for now, let's just talk about some motivation, and we've got some great ones this week.
43:41
SPEAKER_00: Here is the first one.
43:44
SPEAKER_00: Your body can stand almost anything.
43:47
SPEAKER_00: It's your mind that you have to convince.
43:51
SPEAKER_00: Again, your body can stand almost anything.
43:54
SPEAKER_00: It's your mind that you have to convince.
43:57
SPEAKER_00: It's a great one.
43:58
SPEAKER_00: Especially on those cold mornings when you need to get up and run or go for a jog
44:05
SPEAKER_00: or even just get up early to go to the gym or stay up later than you want to go to
44:09
SPEAKER_00: the gym.
44:10
SPEAKER_00: Your body can do it.
44:11
SPEAKER_00: It's your mind you've got to convince.
44:12
SPEAKER_00: That's a great one.
44:14
SPEAKER_00: Here's the next one.
44:15
SPEAKER_00: If a flower can grow in a crack in the sidewalk...
44:20
SPEAKER_00: you too can bloom exactly where you are right now.
44:25
SPEAKER_00: Again,
44:25
SPEAKER_00: if a flower can grow in a crack in the sidewalk,
44:29
SPEAKER_00: you too can grow or can bloom exactly where you are right now.
44:37
SPEAKER_00: Strength is the product of struggle.
44:40
SPEAKER_00: You must do what others don't to achieve what others won't.
44:54
SPEAKER_00: Here's the next one.
44:55
SPEAKER_00: Being motivated gets you started, but discipline keeps you moving.
45:01
SPEAKER_00: That's another great one.
45:03
SPEAKER_00: We all have those goals where sometimes when you first start on them,
45:07
SPEAKER_00: you keep it going for a week or two or a month or two,
45:10
SPEAKER_00: but then you start to just lag.
45:12
SPEAKER_00: The motivation gets you started, the discipline keeps you moving.
45:15
SPEAKER_00: Again, the quote is, being motivated gets you started, but discipline keeps you moving.
45:21
SPEAKER_00: Here's the next one.
45:22
SPEAKER_00: Look around you at all the people who support you and believe in you.
45:28
SPEAKER_00: Isn't it time you started supporting yourself and believing in yourself?
45:33
SPEAKER_00: That one hits home for me, but something I think all of us, we're so hard on ourselves.
45:38
SPEAKER_00: Look around you at the people who support you and believe in you.
45:41
SPEAKER_00: Isn't it time you started supporting yourself and believing in yourself?
45:47
SPEAKER_00: This next one's a quote as well.
45:49
SPEAKER_00: Be like a duck.
45:52
SPEAKER_00: Again, be like a duck paddling and working very hard inside the water.
45:58
SPEAKER_00: But what everyone sees is a smiling and calm face.
46:02
SPEAKER_00: That's a good one.
46:03
SPEAKER_00: Be like a duck paddling and working very hard inside the water.
46:07
SPEAKER_00: But what everyone sees is a smiling and calm face.
46:11
SPEAKER_00: Let's do just a couple more.
46:16
SPEAKER_00: You're a masterpiece, even while you're in progress.
46:21
SPEAKER_00: Keep evolving and transforming into the best, brightest version of yourself.
46:28
SPEAKER_00: Your masterpiece,
46:29
SPEAKER_00: even while you're in progress,
46:31
SPEAKER_00: keep evolving and transforming into the best,
46:34
SPEAKER_00: brightest version of yourself.
46:38
SPEAKER_00: That's another good one.
46:39
SPEAKER_00: We always get so hung up on the future, and sometimes I do that with the podcast.
46:43
SPEAKER_00: I so think of things I want to do or ways to make the show better,
46:46
SPEAKER_00: but we've got to give ourselves some credit.
46:49
SPEAKER_00: We're doing the best we can with where we are,
46:51
SPEAKER_00: and we deserve to give ourselves at least a little credit for what we're doing.
46:56
SPEAKER_00: Let's do one more quote.
46:59
SPEAKER_00: Man, that's a good one.
47:01
SPEAKER_00: I have definitely fallen for that one in the wrong way in that there have been
47:07
SPEAKER_00: times where I've thought...
47:20
SPEAKER_00: Oh,
47:20
SPEAKER_00: if I could just connect and network with this one person,
47:24
SPEAKER_00: they could help put a spotlight on the show or share the show with some of their
47:30
SPEAKER_00: people or their followers or they have a big audience.
47:33
SPEAKER_00: And I'll sometimes just chase these people for months and months or longer,
47:38
SPEAKER_00: sometimes years,
47:38
SPEAKER_00: because I'm kind of stubborn.
47:40
SPEAKER_00: And I just have to remember that you chase dreams, not people.
47:44
SPEAKER_00: The right people will be drawn to you.
47:49
SPEAKER_00: I always like to share a few from the Bible because this book has become such a
47:54
SPEAKER_00: source of strength and wisdom and even calm for me during the past year.
47:59
SPEAKER_00: And I hope by sharing a few,
48:01
SPEAKER_00: it might encourage you to get into the Bible yourself because I think it'll really
48:04
SPEAKER_00: help you.
48:05
SPEAKER_00: Here's the first one.
48:07
SPEAKER_00: It's from Philippians 4, verse 13.
48:10
SPEAKER_00: You've probably heard this one.
48:12
SPEAKER_00: I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
48:17
SPEAKER_00: Again, I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
48:22
SPEAKER_00: The next one is from Jeremiah chapter 33 verse 3.
48:25
SPEAKER_00: Again,
48:28
SPEAKER_00: call unto me and I will answer you or thee and show thee great and mighty things
48:35
SPEAKER_00: which thou knowest not.
48:48
SPEAKER_00: Let's do one more.
48:50
SPEAKER_00: This is from Isaiah chapter 54 verse 10.
48:54
SPEAKER_00: Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed,
49:00
SPEAKER_00: yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,
49:08
SPEAKER_00: says the Lord who has compassion on you.
49:11
SPEAKER_00: I'll read that one more time.
49:13
SPEAKER_00: Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed,
49:18
SPEAKER_00: Yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken,
49:22
SPEAKER_00: nor my covenant of peace be removed,
49:25
SPEAKER_00: says the Lord who has compassion on you.
49:29
SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for joining us this week.
49:31
SPEAKER_00: I hope as you go through this week that you act a little nicer on social media and in the world as well.
49:37
SPEAKER_00: Smile at folks in the grocery store,
49:39
SPEAKER_00: do small acts of kindness,
49:41
SPEAKER_00: and remember that most Americans are good,
49:43
SPEAKER_00: and they will help you in an emergency.
49:45
SPEAKER_00: even if you don't agree politically.
49:47
SPEAKER_00: Now, I have to finish with two things.
49:50
SPEAKER_00: I want to say a bit about myself and my books,
49:52
SPEAKER_00: in case you're new to the show,
49:54
SPEAKER_00: and then I need to say some words for those struggling with PTSD or mental illness,
49:59
SPEAKER_00: especially since veterans are at a 57% higher risk of suicide.
50:04
SPEAKER_00: First, a bit about myself and my books.
50:06
SPEAKER_00: I am a military vet.
50:08
SPEAKER_00: I spent four years in the Marine Corps, all of that time in the infantry.
50:12
SPEAKER_00: And yes, that does matter.
50:13
SPEAKER_00: After my enlistment, I went to college at the University of Tennessee.
50:16
SPEAKER_00: I became a journalist.
50:18
SPEAKER_00: I spent more than 10 years in the news business.
50:20
SPEAKER_00: Besides all of that, I've also written 12 books.
50:23
SPEAKER_00: Those books include a series about a Marine Corps sniper,
50:26
SPEAKER_00: several novels about a police detective and a private investigator,
50:30
SPEAKER_00: and a few books about war,
50:31
SPEAKER_00: such as World War II and Afghanistan.
50:34
SPEAKER_00: Basically,
50:34
SPEAKER_00: these are all fast-moving books with lots of action and plot twists,
50:38
SPEAKER_00: because those are the kind of books I've always enjoyed reading.
50:41
SPEAKER_00: You can find all of those books in the link in the episode notes,
50:45
SPEAKER_00: or you can look on Amazon by just searching my name,
50:49
SPEAKER_00: Stan R.
50:49
SPEAKER_00: Mitchell.
50:50
SPEAKER_00: Buying a book,
50:52
SPEAKER_00: telling a friend about a book,
50:53
SPEAKER_00: or buying one as a gift for someone,
50:55
SPEAKER_00: friend or loved one,
50:56
SPEAKER_00: is a great way to help support the show.
50:59
SPEAKER_00: And in all seriousness,
51:00
SPEAKER_00: they're pretty highly rated,
51:02
SPEAKER_00: and I've been very fortunate to have sold 70,000 copies to date.
51:06
SPEAKER_00: And I promise you, even though I live in Tennessee, I do not have that many cousins.
51:10
SPEAKER_00: The second thing I need to talk about is PTSD and suicide for just a moment.
51:16
SPEAKER_00: This isn't just for our veterans,
51:18
SPEAKER_00: although I know PTSD does seem to affect veterans at a much higher rate,
51:22
SPEAKER_00: but it's for anyone.
51:24
SPEAKER_00: We can all get in a really low spot.
51:28
SPEAKER_00: But we have to remember that it's a season.
51:31
SPEAKER_00: It's a valley.
51:33
SPEAKER_00: If you're having serious issues, please call 988-SELECT-1.
51:37
SPEAKER_00: You can talk to a crisis line responder anytime, day or night.
51:41
SPEAKER_00: Whether you're a civilian or a veteran, it doesn't matter.
51:45
SPEAKER_00: But I do know this is hard to do, and I know most of you won't, so I have to be a little mean here.
51:50
SPEAKER_00: The fact is that when we had a drill instructor in boot camp pushing us,
51:55
SPEAKER_00: or maybe a tough coach back in high school,
51:58
SPEAKER_00: you know that you can go further than when it's just yourself pushing you.
52:02
SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to be that person.
52:03
SPEAKER_00: I'm going to be mean for just a moment, and I have to remind you that you cannot give up.
52:08
SPEAKER_00: Do not lose this fight.
52:10
SPEAKER_00: Do not make your parents or your family have to plan your funeral.
52:14
SPEAKER_00: Don't make them feel guilty that they did not check on you, that they could not reach you.
52:19
SPEAKER_00: You can hold on another day.
52:21
SPEAKER_00: And if you do, I promise the next day will be a little easier.
52:24
SPEAKER_00: Now, again, if you're in a fight that you worry you may lose, call someone.
52:28
SPEAKER_00: Call a friend or a family member.
52:31
SPEAKER_00: Please, just do that.
52:32
SPEAKER_00: Or call 988-SELECT-1.
52:35
SPEAKER_00: But whatever you do, do not quit.
52:37
SPEAKER_00: You're in a valley and this world needs you.
52:40
SPEAKER_00: Probably your parents need you.
52:42
SPEAKER_00: I mean, seriously, who's going to take care of your parents in 30 years?
52:46
SPEAKER_00: I'm being dead serious here.
52:48
SPEAKER_00: I just helped take care of my mom while she fought with cancer before she passed.
52:52
SPEAKER_00: I'm helping take care of my dad now.
52:54
SPEAKER_00: But who's going to do it for you?
52:56
SPEAKER_00: Are you going to let the system take care of them?
52:58
SPEAKER_00: How horrible is that?
53:00
SPEAKER_00: So you cannot quit.
53:02
SPEAKER_00: And believe me, there's something you're meant to do.
53:05
SPEAKER_00: You just can't see it because you're in this immediate fog and pain.
53:08
SPEAKER_00: You can't see that end result.
53:10
SPEAKER_00: But there's a mission for you to do.
53:12
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's to coach Little League.
53:14
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's to help others with PTSD.
53:16
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's to run for office.
53:18
SPEAKER_00: But there's some calling for you.
53:20
SPEAKER_00: You just haven't found it.
53:21
SPEAKER_00: But you need to get involved.
53:23
SPEAKER_00: You need to stop isolating yourself.
53:25
SPEAKER_00: Go visit a veterans group, the VFW.
53:28
SPEAKER_00: Visit a church near you.
53:30
SPEAKER_00: Talk to some family that you have lost touch with.
53:33
SPEAKER_00: Or maybe reach out to that friend that you've grown apart from.
53:36
SPEAKER_00: They're probably dying to talk to you.
53:38
SPEAKER_00: But seriously, if you're struggling...
53:40
SPEAKER_00: Call the hotline 988 and select 1.
53:43
SPEAKER_00: Or you can also start moving toward God.
53:46
SPEAKER_00: If you're not willing to make that phone call, read the Bible if you never have.
53:50
SPEAKER_00: I think it will help.
53:51
SPEAKER_00: Read some of Psalms or Proverbs or start with the New Testament, maybe Luke.
53:57
SPEAKER_00: I think you'll find that the Bible will start drawing you in and changing your life.
54:01
SPEAKER_00: If you don't have a Bible, you can download a Bible app on your phone, or you can look it up online.
54:06
SPEAKER_00: There are dozens of sites with it.
54:08
SPEAKER_00: Even simpler, I have a link in the episode notes that I think can help you.
54:12
SPEAKER_00: I write a faith-based blog about the Bible and God,
54:16
SPEAKER_00: and I have a link in my episode notes to a pretty powerful story about my dog,
54:21
SPEAKER_00: who is a stray that we adopted from the shelter.
54:23
SPEAKER_00: The title of the article is Be Like Ozzie.
54:26
SPEAKER_00: Go Near Your Master.
54:28
SPEAKER_00: I've had a lot of people tell me that story really helped move them, that it was very impactful.
54:33
SPEAKER_00: So it's free to read.
54:35
SPEAKER_00: You got nothing to lose by going to read it.
54:38
SPEAKER_00: Now, I always like to end each show by reminding people that you can comment anytime.
54:42
SPEAKER_00: I try to monitor those.
54:43
SPEAKER_00: You can also reach out privately by email to me at authorstanrmitchell at yahoo.com.
54:50
SPEAKER_00: And that's in the episode notes, by the way.
54:52
SPEAKER_00: But again, it's authorstanrmitchell at yahoo.com.
54:56
SPEAKER_00: Hey, here's one other thing.
54:57
SPEAKER_00: This podcast is about defense news, but I also do a political blog.
55:02
SPEAKER_00: So if you love my moderate, optimistic views, you might enjoy that.
55:06
SPEAKER_00: It's called Thoughts from a Southern Gentleman.
55:08
SPEAKER_00: You can find a link to the episode notes to that as well, or you can just search that on Google.
55:14
SPEAKER_00: Hey, thanks for hanging with me this week.
55:16
SPEAKER_00: It's truly an honor to talk with each of you and to know that there's a few of you
55:20
SPEAKER_00: out there who are listening and who care about our country and our military and all
55:25
SPEAKER_00: the issues that we face.
55:27
SPEAKER_00: I know there are a lot of scary issues out there,
55:29
SPEAKER_00: but we're going to get through them together,
55:31
SPEAKER_00: the same way America's gotten through everything before this.
55:35
SPEAKER_00: I love you all, but never forget that God loves you more than you can possibly imagine.
55:39
SPEAKER_00: He is our true father, so I hope you spend some time with him this week.
55:43
SPEAKER_00: If you want true peace and strength and wisdom, make sure you read your Bible some this week.
55:48
SPEAKER_00: It'll help you a lot.
55:49
SPEAKER_00: And also, reach out to a friend or anyone who you know is struggling, whether they are young or old.
55:55
SPEAKER_00: Life is truly hard.
55:57
SPEAKER_00: We know this.
55:58
SPEAKER_00: But the true strength of this country is its people,
56:00
SPEAKER_00: and that includes you folks listening to me right now.
56:03
SPEAKER_00: So be a leader, be a doer, be a servant to someone.
56:07
SPEAKER_00: With all of that being said, I'll catch you all next week.
56:10
SPEAKER_00: You have been listening to The View from the Front.
56:12
SPEAKER_00: I hope you enjoyed the show.