Latest / The Stan R. Mitchell Show / The 5-30-24 edition of The View from the Front podcast.

Transcript

The 5-30-24 edition of The View from the Front podcast. · The Stan R. Mitchell Show

• 0:09
  SPEAKER_02: What is going on guys?
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_02: I hope everyone is doing great out there.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks so much for joining us.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_02: I'm honored that you're here and I can say it is truly a beautiful day in our
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_02: country no matter where you are listening to us from and no matter what day of the
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_02: week you're listening to us on because it
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_02: If you don't believe me, just travel the world some.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_02: I think it will open your eyes.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: Now,
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_02: if by chance this is the first time you've ever joined us,
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_02: just know up front that I am a very proud moderate.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_02: I served four years in the Marine Corps.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_02: And every week, I do three things.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: First,
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_02: I discuss politics,
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_02: defense news,
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: and looming hot spots around the world that might affect our country.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: Secondly,
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_02: I work to unite us and remind us of how lucky we are to live here,
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_02: because I do believe our country's division is its greatest threat.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: And finally,
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: always share some motivation and inspiration at the end of each episode,
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_02: because who doesn't need that,
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_02: right?
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_02: I should mention up front, I do try to put timestamps in, so you will find timestamps for each section.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_02: If there's some section you want to skip past,
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_02: just look at the episode notes,
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_02: jump to the next timestamp.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: Easy to do.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_02: Before we get to the news,
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_02: let me make one quick announcement about a small logistical change in the show.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_02: Up to this point,
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: I have been almost exclusively focused on defense news,
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_02: but I am going to start including some political news for just a couple of reasons.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_02: First, you can't completely talk about the defense problems
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: the budgets, everything that affects our military without talking about politics some.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm going to keep it fairly to a minimum, but I am going to discuss it some.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_02: But secondly,
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_02: I do want to broaden the appeal of the show,
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_02: and so I am going to start including some of it.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_02: It won't be much, and I will try to handle it as even-handedly as
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_02: As I try to handle everything, making sure that I try to represent both views, etc.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_02: You guys know how I am, but did want to mention that.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_02: If that's not your thing,
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_02: if you don't like politics,
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_02: as I said before this discussion about the show,
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_02: just jump to the next timestamp.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_02: It's no big deal.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_02: But I do want to try this for a while and see how it fits.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's going to be pretty seamless and I think it should fit in quite well.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: If it doesn't,
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_02: I'll change back to the format we were following,
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_02: but there won't be any real noticeable change.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_02: With that out of the way, let's get to the news itself.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_02: This episode is going to be pretty heavy on China news.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_02: I know a lot of our episodes,
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: we've been going pretty deep on Ukraine news,
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_02: but this episode will be heavier on the threat from China,
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: and that's for a couple of reasons.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_02: One, there have been some pretty significant drills
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_02: from the Chinese military around Taiwan in regards to the recent election.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_02: So the threat has been ramped up, you might say.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_02: Secondly, I recently finished an incredible book about the threat from China, and I want to go over that.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_02: and go into that in a little bit of detail.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_02: So it's kind of both of those things together just make that,
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_02: for me anyway,
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_02: that's what I'm mainly going to focus on with this show.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: I will, of course, still get into some Ukraine news and maybe some other things if we have time.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_02: But the episode is definitely going to be a bit of a deep dive on the threat from China.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_02: We begin with the why.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_02: Why a deep dive on China?
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: Why do it this week?
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: Well,
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: the larger picture is that Taiwan is a pretty large-sized island off the coast of
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_02: China that China claims as its own and has repeatedly threatened to invade decade
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_02: after decade after decade.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_02: The only difference is that China is increasingly coming up with the capability to
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_02: pull off such an invasion.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: And in fact,
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: most of the intelligence agencies in the United States predict that China could
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_02: attempt this by 2027,
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_02: 2028,
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_02: depending on which report you read.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_02: So there's a looming threat that we've been covering for weeks and weeks and months
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_02: and months on this show,
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_02: and you can find that in all of the news.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_02: But the reason I'm going to focus on it this week is that Taiwan swore in a new president,
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_02: and that president made some remarks that most certainly upset China.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_02: And so China reacted by...
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_02: launching what it called punishment military drills.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_02: They were drills that were intended to intimidate and to try to coerce Taiwan to get back into line.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_02: I will say that one,
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_02: and if you have no idea where Taiwan is,
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_02: or if you'd like to see a map,
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_02: I have that in the episode notes.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: But I will say,
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: one analyst made an interesting point,
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_02: which is that the new president of Taiwan did not speak in his remarks about,
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_02: quote,
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_02: one China in his inauguration speech.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_02: And so.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_02: By not doing that,
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_02: which has been basically a consensus going back to 1992,
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_02: that's almost 30 years,
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_02: a little bit more than 30 years in fact,
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_02: by not making the remarks of one China,
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_02: it greatly upset China.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_02: And so China felt like it had to react because essentially it's almost as if the
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_02: new president is speaking of Taiwan as already being independent.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_02: china was obviously infuriated by this and so they launched large military
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_02: exercises including dozens of warplanes several navy destroyers frigates all of
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_02: them encircled taiwan
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_02: And I do have an image put together by Derek Grossman,
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_02: who's an analyst who keeps up with it,
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_02: that kind of shows how they encircled the island of Taiwan.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_02: And it also does a good job of showing just how close some of the outlier islands
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_02: of Japan and the Philippines are to Taiwan and why this is just such a messy
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: situation for all the countries around Taiwan.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_02: Now,
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: partly as a result of these aggressive actions by China,
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: there was a bipartisan congressional delegation from the United States that visited
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_02: Taiwan in just the past few days,
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_02: and they again vowed to help Taiwan stand up to what they called China's
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: intimidation tactic to punish democracy.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_02: Those visitors included the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee,
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_02: a gentleman by the name of Michael McCaul.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: He's a pretty powerful congressman.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_02: I've mentioned him in some previous episodes,
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_02: but this was a pretty important and impressive delegation to go and to serve.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_02: help Taiwan feel a little bit more comfortable about the situation and these
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_02: lawmakers did say they will do everything in their power to expedite some of the
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_02: weapon systems that Taiwan has purchased but which have been delayed in delivery
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_02: simply because our military production capacity is not what it used to be and so
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_02: there's just delays in
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_02: on missiles and items that Taiwan has purchased that have not been delivered yet.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_02: That is something that needs to get fixed and fixed quickly, but that is just a reality.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_02: you may wonder, well, Stan, is China going to invade?
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_02: What are the chances of that happening sooner?
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe in a few months, maybe within a year or so.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_02: Well, let me share this answer from an analyst who's far more, far more eminent than me.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: This comes from Ian Brimmer.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_02: It's about a two-minute answer, but it's a great answer.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_02: And I should say that the acronym he uses in the beginning part of his answer is...
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: He's talking about a very large production facility that produces semiconductor chips,
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_02: which China needs just as does the U.S.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_02: and the rest of the world.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_02: So when he mentions TSMC, that's what he's referring to.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_02: But again, this is Ian Brimmer.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_02: He's a longtime foreign analyst who covers this stuff in depth.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_02: He was asked about this in a recent forum.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: One of the big concerns in India is whether China will make a go for the Taiwan Straits, right?
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_01: Now, how does that change if Donald Trump actually wins the election later this year?
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_01: Does that make China more likely to try and scramble for Taiwan?
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: Does that make China more wary about the U.S.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: 's reaction?
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: How does that impact India?
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: It would be more the latter, more concerned about the uncertainty of the U.S.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: reaction.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: But the likelihood of China invading Taiwan in the near to medium term is close to zero.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's close to zero.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: For the reasons I suggested,
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: this would be a massive risk for the Chinese economically,
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: militarily,
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: and therefore politically.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: TSMC still matters a lot to China.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: They invade Taiwan.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: TSMC is gone.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's toast, right?
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: So how is China going to have semiconductors?
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: They're going to have to rely on their own.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: The reaction of the international community to a Chinese invasion would be like the
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: reaction of the international community to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: Well, how has Russia done economically since the invasion of Ukraine?
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: Not so well, except Russia is a gas station.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: The future of Russia's economy comes from the fact that you need the stuff they pull out of the ground.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: They've had a million talented young men flee the country and give their human
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: capital to Georgia and the UAE and other countries.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: But China, they're not a gas station.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: They're not about resources you pull out of the ground.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: They need stability.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: They need access to international markets.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: This would be a freaking disaster for China.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: So they're not about to do it.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: And so I don't think it matters.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: I think there are a lot of things that China can do that incrementally over time
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: improve their leverage diplomatically,
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: economically and militarily over Taiwan slowly without risking the entire stability
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: of the future of the China experiment.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: But invasion is not there.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_02: So there you have it in the short term.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_02: Invasion of Taiwan, not likely, hardly at all.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_02: But it gets more complicated if you start to stretch out that length of time.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_02: In fact, there is lots of...
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_02: public reporting that the President of China,
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_02: Xi Jinping,
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_02: has asked his military to be prepared to invade Taiwan by 2027.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_02: And I have a link in the episode notes where the CIA Director William Burns
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_02: discusses this,
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_02: that the President does want the military to be ready to invade by 2027,
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_02: but there's two caveats to that.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: First,
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: that does not mean that he's decided to invade in 2027 or any other year as well,
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_02: Burns told a interviewer on CBS.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_02: Also,
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_02: Burns,
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_02: the CIA director,
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_02: said that President Xi and his military leadership do have some doubts about
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_02: whether they could accomplish that invasion.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_02: All of this brings me to World on the Brink.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: What is World on the Brink?
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: Well,
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: not only is it a reality of the looming and growing tensions and probably future
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_02: crisis that we will have with China,
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_02: World on the Brink is also the name of an outstanding book by the authors Dmitry
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_02: Alperovitch and Garrett Graff.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_02: Honestly, it's hard for me to try to compress with the time that I have how great this book is.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_02: But as you guys know, I've done more than 100 plus episodes of this podcast.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_02: I have never reviewed a book.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_02: I have no connection to either of the authors.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: I bought this copy as I saw some various analysts talking about how good it was.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_02: And it is a page turner.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_02: And it is...
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_02: I'll just say,
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_02: instead of saying what I think it is,
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: the subhead perfectly describes what the book is about.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_02: It's how America can beat China in the race for the 21st century.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_02: And it discusses the looming potential invasion of Taiwan.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_02: But it does so,
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_02: it's not like a textbook,
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_02: it's not like most books,
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_02: it is just a gripping read that it begins with
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_02: a very detailed hypothetical example of the invasion of Taiwan.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_02: You read the first 10 or 12 pages and you're almost scared because the invasion is
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_02: so well described by these two very well versed analysts that it feels absolutely real.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_02: Then they go into the background of how we got here, they talk a bit
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_02: You go from being scared to seeing the weaknesses of China.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_02: You see they remind us of the strengths of America.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_02: And then from there, they talk about ways that the U.S.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: can help avoid having China invade Taiwan.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_02: Essentially, how the United States, aligned with other countries, can help prevent a catastrophe here.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_02: of proportions that's almost impossible to wrap your arms around.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_02: One view of mine that these authors helped change is that they make a strong case
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_02: that the United States cannot totally isolate China.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_02: That as China continues to act out and try to coerce neighbors,
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_02: that you might as a country and our allied countries might be tempted to push more
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_02: boldly toward isolation trading less with China etc and that's always been kind of
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_02: my view is that you do the carrot and the stick and you show them that let's keep
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_02: trade going let's not go down this road that has lots of uncertainty and
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_02: and that there will be no real winners should the worst come to pass but they make
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_02: the case that if you start to isolate china too much then you are incentivizing
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_02: china to act out
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: and to go after Taiwan in a more aggressive fashion because,
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_02: after all,
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: if China does not have plenty of trade with the West and the United States,
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_02: then they have fewer incentives not to be more aggressive.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_02: And I found that a pretty compelling point that helped change my view.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_02: Again,
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_02: I can't reiterate enough how well a job they do,
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_02: both scaring you in the beginning,
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_02: but also reassuring you as you go through life.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_02: Just how much more powerful the United States is and how we can effectively manage this.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_02: But what I thought I would share as just one final good teaser for why you probably should buy this book.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_02: And by the way, I'll put in the episode notes a link to purchase the book.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_02: is I know there are people out there who say, why do we have to get involved?
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_02: Why even worry about Taiwan?
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_02: This is the isolationist position, if you will.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_02: Let's just pull back to our borders.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_02: It's not worth it.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I want to address that because they do a great job of tackling that toward the end in their summary.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_02: First, they make clear that we have to, as our strategy,
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_02: it has to be to convince china that it's going to be better off working within the
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_02: existing global order respecting territorial sovereignty engaging fairly in global
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_02: trade
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_02: and putting an end to the practice of economic and military coercion of other nations,
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_02: which,
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_02: of course,
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_02: they've been doing and I've been detailing for the past couple of years.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_02: That's the overall strategy or goal that the U.S.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_02: and all of the aligned nations against China should try to push.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_02: And they do a great job of saying the overall strategy...
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_02: is every morning we should try to make sure that President Xi wakes up and thinks,
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_02: today is not the day to invade Taiwan.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_02: Do that day after day after day until he eventually wakes up in 5,
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_02: 7,
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_02: or 10 years and says,
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_02: the window to invade Taiwan has closed.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_02: And so our goal should be to make them stall their invasion until at some point
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_02: they realize it's not a possibility.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_02: The reasons they argue that we should be engaged and that we should help Taiwan and
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_02: those other countries around Taiwan
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_02: deter Chinese aggression is that if China were to invade Taiwan,
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_02: it would do to Taiwan what it has done to Tibet,
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_02: to Hong Kong.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_02: They would violently suppress the people there.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_02: There would be disappearings.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_02: There would be arrests without juries and convictions.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_02: There would be the absolute worst
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_02: crimes that you can possibly imagine so it would be horrific if they were to do
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_02: this so that's kind of the moral argument but from a larger perspective they make
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_02: the case that the dominance and the influence of the united states would
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: drastically diminish and that many nations who have their faith in our security
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_02: guarantees that their faith in us would be greatly rocked
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_02: And these nations would,
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_02: out of necessity,
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_02: have to rebalance their relationship with us and also become basically more aligned
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_02: with China.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_02: So it would increase China's power as they begin to push out and expand throughout the Pacific.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_02: This new China would then emerge as a preeminent regional superpower with almost no rival.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_02: they make the case that China would be more confident and that when we think of how
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_02: China is already demanding that the rest of the world not criticize it,
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_02: whether it's about genocide or the origins of COVID-19,
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_02: think of how aggressive China is already and then imagine how they would be
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_02: After a successful invasion of Taiwan,
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_02: they make the case that if China were able to take control of Taiwan,
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: that the world would be less free and that China would be emboldened.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_02: And after succeeding in Taiwan,
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_02: they may push its luck with other countries such as Japan,
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_02: the Philippines,
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_02: India,
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_02: Vietnam.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_02: Some of these we actually have treaties to defend.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_02: So...
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_02: If China takes Taiwan,
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_02: they make the case that a conflict with the United States becomes more likely
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_02: further down the road,
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_02: but it will be against a China that is much stronger than they are right now.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_02: So again, they make the case that we need to delay, delay, delay.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_02: They further make the case,
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_02: as I said earlier,
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_02: that this is not about decoupling from China because a complete disconnection of
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_02: our economies is not only unrealistic but it increases the risk of danger that
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_02: China would feel.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_02: because China is going to feel less connected to the West,
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_02: and China is going to feel more free to disregard our interests and to pursue an invasion.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_02: Again,
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_02: this is a great book that I do highly recommend,
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_02: something I've actually never done before,
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_02: but you will come away from it so much better informed.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_02: So I've got the link in the episode notes if you do want to check it out.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_02: But even if you don't read it, definitely give them a follow on social media.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_02: They're both very well informed, the two authors are.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_02: But just this book, guys, it is something else.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_02: And I hope just even sharing what I've shared from the book has helped inform you
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_02: some because I learned so much reading this book.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_02: And I won't lie, it was a little humbling because I like to think that I keep up with foreign affairs.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_02: I like to think I study and report on this stuff on a weekly basis.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_02: But the way that some of the details that they pull out,
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: including how much of just a stronghold Taiwan is,
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_02: I've talked about that some in the past,
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: but they go into way more detail there.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_02: about why Taiwan is one of the best places you could possibly want to defend.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_02: It has shallow seas on one side,
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_02: it has high cliffs on the other,
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_02: the water around it has terrible weather,
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_02: for much of the year, so there's only a short window for invasions to even happen.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: There's mountainous terrain that would be very difficult to attack and assault.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_02: There are fast-flowing rivers.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_02: There are dense urban areas.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_02: Taiwan is the perfect place to try to contain the
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_02: China from and they make that case in detail as well but again it's a great book
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_02: I'm going to stop talking about it but it's it's hard to not be excited when you
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_02: talk about how good this book is and you can just see if you even look online all
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_02: the folks who've read it if you just kind of search some of the hashtags or the
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_02: title it is it's a it's a standout book for sure
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_02: Hey guys, just a quick reminder.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_02: If you enjoy the show,
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_02: you've been listening to it for a while,
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_02: and you'd like to support what I'm doing,
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_02: there's a few ways you can do so.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_02: You can sign up on my Substack page, support the show at $5 per month.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_02: You can also do it through Patreon,
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_02: I've got a link to that in the episode notes.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_02: And then finally, you can even just send a tip through Venmo.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_02: I've got a link to that as well.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_02: I really appreciate all of y'all's support.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_02: It helps me justify the time to do this.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_02: And I really am excited about where this show might end up going and how many
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_02: people it might actually end up helping.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_02: This next story I want to cover is probably no coincidence.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_02: Between those drills that China has been doing around Taiwan,
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_02: the release of this book I've been just talking about,
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_02: essentially this looming threat that is clearly on the horizon has led to a top
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_02: Republican on the Armed Services Committee
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_02: is pushing a very aggressive plan to increase the Pentagon's budget.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_02: In fact, he is proposing a $55 billion increase above what even President Joe Biden has requested.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_02: This is an amount that blows past...
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_02: All of the caps that the Pentagon budget set for last year under a bipartisan debt deal.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_02: This Republican is Senator Roger Wicker.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_02: He is a top Republican on the Armed Services Committee.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I've got a link to this in the episode notes.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_02: But he says that with the world events happening,
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_02: including increasing cooperation between China and Russia...
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_02: There's just a demand for more spending on missiles,
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_02: air defenses,
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_02: accelerating our shipbuilding to grow the Navy,
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_02: expanding the Air Force's aircraft inventory.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_02: And he said in a quote,
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_02: that we don't need to spend this much indefinitely,
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_02: but we do need a short-term generational investment to help us prevent another
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_02: world war.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_02: And he has this quote that I thought was pretty good.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_02: He says,
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_02: "...regaining American strength will be expensive,
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_02: but fighting a war,
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_02: and worse,
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_02: losing one,
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_02: is far more costly."
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_02: We need to begin a national conversation today on how we achieve a peaceful,
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_02: prosperous,
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_02: and American-led 21st century.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_02: The first step is a generational investment in the U.S.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_02: military.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_02: I've got the link in the episode notes so that you can go get into the details,
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_02: which includes everything from more warships,
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_02: submarines.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_02: There's quite a bit of detail in that Politico article.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_02: It's a really good one.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_02: So I've got a link in the sub stack notes so that you can go take a look at that.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_02: But again, there are people starting to talk about...
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_02: This threat from China and how we move and ramp up our forces to help prevent this
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_02: from ever happening because that's what everyone's really aiming for.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_02: Let's move from China news to news about Ukraine,
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_02: and there's just a couple of stories that I want to cover in this week's episode.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_02: The first story I want to talk about is kind of a story we've been hammering on for
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_02: the last few weeks,
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_02: which is
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_02: The United States is not allowing Ukraine to use U.S.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_02: weapons against Russian targets inside Russia.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_02: A couple of weeks ago, I started covering this story.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_02: Actually, I've probably been talking about it for more than a year.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of analysts have been frustrated by this passive posture that the administration has had.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_02: It's almost a reluctant,
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_02: almost,
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_02: you know,
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_02: I don't want to say intimidated,
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_02: but just a very careful posture.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_02: And the pressure has been mounting,
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_02: particularly in recent weeks as countries inside Europe have started saying,
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_02: hey,
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_02: you can use our weapons.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_02: And so the U.S.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_02: is one of the last countries to agree to do this.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_02: But it is starting to get closer and closer.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I reported three weeks ago, or I shouldn't say reported, I aired the comments that
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_02: of the Secretary of State,
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_02: Antony Blinken,
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_02: who came out and said that the weapons could be used wherever Ukraine wanted.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_02: Since then,
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_02: Ukraine has been more and more publicly saying,
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_02: and saying so with much more force and volume,
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_02: that even though those comments have been made,
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_02: that is not the case.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_02: And so, as I record this episode on Wednesday night,
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_02: There was actually a New York Times piece that President Biden is moving toward
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_02: what could be one of his most consequential decisions in the Ukraine war,
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_02: which is whether to reverse a ban on shooting American weapons into Russian territory.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_02: I've got a link to this in the episode notes.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_02: But they think,
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_02: according to advisers who are speaking off the record,
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_02: that President Biden will reverse his position,
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_02: that it is inevitable,
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_02: and that it will likely come with severe restrictions on
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_02: stating that Ukraine can only use them on military targets that are just inside
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_02: Russia's border,
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_02: and that they expect this actually to happen within probably the next week or two.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_02: They also expect that the decision will not be announced publicly.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_02: That it will be greenlit and we will know that it has been greenlit when American
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_02: weapons start landing inside Russia.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_02: So a good little piece on that that I've got a link to that was from the New York Times.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_02: I've got a link to that in the episode notes.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_02: So wanted to update that story first.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_02: The second big news coming out of Ukraine is that Sweden has announced it will send
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_02: two new jets,
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_02: unique jets,
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_02: to Ukraine.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_02: Sweden has announced that it will give Ukraine two airborne surveillance and control aircraft.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_02: These are a big deal because currently this is something that Ukraine is struggling
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: with is tracking Russian missiles,
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_02: helicopters,
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_02: planes,
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_02: and these aircraft because these radars,
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_02: it's kind of,
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_02: they're somewhat similar to what America calls the AWACS.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_02: These radars in the sky allow Ukraine,
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_02: they will allow them to see up to 200 to 300 kilometers into Russia above the front line,
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_02: which will provide a much earlier warning to incoming missiles,
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_02: aircraft,
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_02: etc.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_02: This was a surprise announcement.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_02: As many analysts were saying and talking about in social media,
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_02: Sweden is punching way above its weight on what it's giving to Ukraine.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_02: This is a very technical,
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_02: top-level piece of military equipment,
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_02: and they're giving not one,
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_02: but two of these planes to Ukraine.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_02: It is going to help them a lot, especially...
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_02: once the F-16s arrive.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_02: But even with their current air defense, these two planes are going to help tremendously.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_02: And I think as people have tried to find solutions to the air defense problems that
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_02: Ukraine is trying to make stronger,
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think anyone ever mentioned that
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_02: these air AWACS or these air control aircraft because no one expected anyone to
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_02: provide these type of aircraft to Ukraine.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_02: These are very expensive, very valuable.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_02: They're limited in nature on how many each country could even offer, even if they wanted to.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_02: So for Sweden to offer two of these aircraft
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_02: It's almost monumental for Ukraine.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_02: So that is some great news for Ukraine.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's a great bit of news to end the show with.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_02: Alright, let's get to the best part of the show.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_02: I call this the Never Ever Give Up segment.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_02: And I call it the Never Ever Give Up segment because we must never ever give up as a country.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_02: Though we face great division,
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_02: a massive debt burden,
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_02: and probably future problems that none of us could even predict.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_02: But we must never give up as a country.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_02: And I believe we must stay united.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_02: And also, as individuals, we must never, ever give up.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_02: We've got family and friends counting on us.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_02: So in this section, I'm going to share some motivation to help encourage you.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_02: I'd like to begin by honoring a Medal of Honor recipient.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_02: If you don't know,
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_02: the Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration you can possibly earn in the military.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_02: And it's awarded to service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_02: The medal is typically awarded by the President of the United States upon the
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_02: recommendation of the armed services.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_02: One final footnote before I read this week's.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_02: As I said when I first began this back in April,
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_02: I am just going in alphabetical order because I could not possibly decide which
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_02: wars to begin with,
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_02: which services,
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_02: etc.
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_02: And since there's more than 3,000 of these awards,
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_02: It was just too much, so I'm just going very simplistic alphabetical order.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_02: This week, I want to honor Leonard Alvarado.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_02: Leonard Alvarado served in the U.S.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_02: Army during the Vietnam War and will now read his citation.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_02: Specialist 4 Leonard L.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_02: Alvarado distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and outstanding courage above
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_02: and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman with Company D,
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_02: 2nd Battalion,
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_02: 12th Cavalry,
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_02: 1st Cavalry Division,
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_02: Air Mobile,
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_02: during combat operations against an armed enemy in the province of Phuc Long,
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_02: Republic of Vietnam,
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_02: on August 12,
• 35:51
  1969.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_02: On that day, a Specialist Alvarado and a small reaction force moved through dense jungle
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_02: en route to a beleaguered friendly platoon specialist alvarado detected enemy
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_02: movement and opened fire despite his quick reaction specialist alvarado and his
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_02: comrades were soon pinned down by the hostile force that blocked the path to the
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_02: trapped platoon
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_02: specialist alvarado quickly moved forward through the hostile machine-gun fire in
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_02: order to engage the enemy troops suddenly an enemy grenade exploded nearby wounding
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_02: and momentarily stunning him
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_02: Retaliating immediately, he killed the enemy grenadier just as another enemy barrage wounded him again.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_02: Specialist Alvarado crawled forward through the machine gun fire to pull several
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_02: comrades back within a hastily formed perimeter.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_02: Realizing his element needed to break away from the hostile force,
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_02: Specialist Alvarado began maneuvering forward alone.
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_02: though repeatedly thrown to the ground by exploding satchel charges he continued
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_02: advancing and firing silencing several emplacements including one enemy machine-gun
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_02: position from his dangerous forward position he persistently laid suppressive fire
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_02: on the hostile forces
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_02: and after the enemy troops had broken contact,
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_02: his comrades discovered that he had succumbed to his wounds.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_02: Specialist Alvarado's extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life,
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_02: above and beyond the call of duty,
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_02: are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_02: credit upon himself,
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_02: his unit,
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_02: and the United States Army.
• 37:55
  SPEAKER_02: Wow, what a testimony there to his courage.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't know about you guys,
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_02: but I can't read one of those and not just be inspired and not be just,
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_02: man,
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_02: just moved,
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_02: really.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_02: And just also, just putting in perspective the pettiness and the way that people complain these days.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_02: Every week when I read these,
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_02: these are often very young soldiers or sailors or marines that are 18,
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_02: 19,
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_02: 20 years old,
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_02: and they,
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_02: without hesitation...
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_02: not only move into the line of fire, they run toward the line of fire.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_02: They run toward the enemy to save their friends, to accomplish the mission.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_02: And so these are people whose lives were cut short often,
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_02: or their lives were,
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_02: almost all of these winners were wounded pretty seriously.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_02: except in very rare instances and these are people who literally put it all on the
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_02: line and so that's why i share these because i hope that these stories move you the
• 39:06
  SPEAKER_02: way they move me as i say every week i share these medal of honor stories to remind
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_02: us of the sacrifices that have been made through the nearly two hundred and fifty
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_02: years of american history
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_02: through so many major wars more than one million americans have sacrificed their
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_02: lives and died getting us to this time and place in our history in wars such as the
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_02: american revolution the war of eighteen twelve the civil war
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_02: world war i world war two the korean war the vietnam war desert shield desert storm
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_02: then following september eleventh operation enduring freedom in afghanistan
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_02: operation iraqi freedom
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_02: And these were only the major wars that I've listed.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_02: And I know I overlooked so many smaller conflicts.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_02: In all, more than 41 million Americans have served over the course of our nation's history.
• 40:07
  SPEAKER_02: And as I said earlier, more than a million have died.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_02: Tens of millions have been wounded or had their lives shattered.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's always important that we remember these facts,
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_02: particularly when we have people regularly saying that we face a potential civil
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_02: war or that we should split up our country because of whatever the latest culture
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_02: war is or any other number of silly reasons.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_02: I think our grandparents and our great-grandparents and those who came before them
• 40:37
  SPEAKER_02: would be dumbfounded to think we could rip apart this great nation over such
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_02: trifling issues.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_02: Now, let's share some motivation to make sure that we never, ever give up in our own personal lives.
• 40:49
  SPEAKER_02: And,
• 40:49
  SPEAKER_02: of course,
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_02: if you're a regular listener,
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_02: you know,
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_02: I also speak about never giving up when I discuss PTSD at the end of the show.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_02: But for now, let's just talk about some motivation, and we've got some great ones this week.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_02: Here is the first one.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_02: And this first one isn't just motivation.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_02: This is ways to improve our communication, which I had come across and which I thought was pretty good.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_02: And so I want to just share these.
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_02: So these are ways of saying things in a more effective way.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_02: So instead of saying, you'll be fine, try saying, I understand.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_02: Again, instead of saying, you'll be fine, try saying, I understand.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_02: Instead of saying, you should, replace that with, what makes you feel supported?
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_02: Again, don't just say, you should.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_02: What makes you feel supported is a better way of saying that.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_02: Instead of saying, it's okay, try saying, I'm listening.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_02: I'm pretty bad on you should and it's okay.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_02: I gotta be honest.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_02: But again, instead of saying it's okay, try saying I'm listening.
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_02: Instead of saying I once,
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_02: we all know some people are horrible about this,
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_02: but you tell them a story and then they have to up you.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_02: And they say, well, I once did this and their story's always better than yours.
• 42:12
  SPEAKER_02: At least in their words, but, or their minds, I should say.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_02: So instead of I once, something we can all do is just say, well, tell me more.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_02: Tell me more about whatever that thing is they're telling you.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_02: And then this last one,
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_02: instead of just a how are you,
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_02: after you do a brief hello,
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_02: you can say,
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_02: what made you smile today?
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_02: Tell me something good that's happened in the past week.
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_02: So those are some good communication ones.
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_02: I thought I'd share those.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_02: Let's move to some regular just motivation ones.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_02: Here's the first one of those.
• 42:40
  SPEAKER_02: Success takes time.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_02: Keep grinding.
• 42:45
  SPEAKER_02: Next one.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_02: Live your life in such a way that when your name is mentioned, people will smile.
• 42:51
  SPEAKER_02: That's a good one.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_02: Next one's a quote from an unknown person.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_02: Don't limit your challenges.
• 43:01
  SPEAKER_02: Challenge your limits.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_02: Again, don't limit your challenges.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_02: Challenge your limits.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_02: Next one.
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_02: You have the power to become anything you dream of.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_02: Not only today, but every day.
• 43:16
  SPEAKER_02: This is not done by luck, but through your actions and mindset.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_02: Actions and mindset.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_02: Those are two good ones, right?
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_02: What are you doing?
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_02: How are you keeping yourself mentally motivated and mentally strong to keep going?
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_02: Actions and mindset.
• 43:34
  SPEAKER_02: Those are good ones.
• 43:35
  SPEAKER_02: Next one actually mentions mindset,
• 43:37
  SPEAKER_02: coincidentally,
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_02: but create a mindset where you think everything is happening in your favor.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's a good one.
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_02: Create a mindset where you think everything is happening in your favor.
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_02: Just imagine if you had to make a sales call or something,
• 43:53
  SPEAKER_02: or you're going for that interview,
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_02: and in your mind,
• 43:56
  SPEAKER_02: you're going into it not nervous,
• 43:58
  SPEAKER_02: but you're saying,
• 43:59
  SPEAKER_02: I'm going to make this call,
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_02: and they want to hear from me.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_02: Or, I'm going into this interview, they haven't had good interviews, they want me there.
• 44:08
  SPEAKER_02: Such a different attitude, isn't it?
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_02: This next one is kind of a tricky quote.
• 44:14
  SPEAKER_02: It's from the great Russian author Leo Tolstoy.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_02: But I'm going to read it a couple of times because it's so good.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_02: And I've definitely found this to be true in my short life of 46 years.
• 44:26
  SPEAKER_02: But the quote is this.
• 44:29
  SPEAKER_02: No matter how old or how sick you are,
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_02: how much or little you have done,
• 44:36
  SPEAKER_02: your business and life not only isn't finished,
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_02: but hasn't yet received its final,
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_02: decisive meaning until your very last breath.
• 44:50
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's a good one, isn't it?
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_02: You got to chew on it.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_02: But no matter how old or how sick you are,
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_02: how much or little you have done,
• 44:58
  SPEAKER_02: your business and life not only isn't finished,
• 45:02
  SPEAKER_02: but hasn't yet received its final decisive meaning until your very last breath.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_02: That one is deep.
• 45:14
  SPEAKER_02: I know in my short life,
• 45:16
  SPEAKER_02: as I was saying,
• 45:17
  SPEAKER_02: I have definitely had those moments where,
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_02: you know,
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_02: if you'd asked me while I was in the Marine Corps,
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_02: what's your goal?
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_02: What's your life all about?
• 45:26
  SPEAKER_02: It was all about the military and I had these really ambitious dreams and then
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_02: later it was, oh, I'm going to get out.
• 45:33
  SPEAKER_02: I'm going to go to college.
• 45:34
  SPEAKER_02: And then later it was some family stuff.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_02: And then later it was,
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_02: oh,
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_02: I'm running this business as weekly newspapers is so important to the community.
• 45:42
  SPEAKER_02: And maybe I'm going to eventually grow it into launching other newspapers.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_02: I had these just crazy dreams.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_02: I did that for nine years and then it was gone.
• 45:50
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, man, like what was the point of all that?
• 45:52
  SPEAKER_02: And then it was writing books and
• 45:55
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sure in your own life,
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_02: you've gone through just different stages where if you'd been asked,
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_02: if you'd been put on a lie detector test,
• 46:02
  SPEAKER_02: what is the point of your life?
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_02: What's the most important thing in your life?
• 46:05
  SPEAKER_02: You would absolutely just tell the truth.
• 46:09
  SPEAKER_02: It is A, B, C, D. It is this.
• 46:12
  SPEAKER_02: It is absolutely this. 100%.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, it ain't always that.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_02: It is at that point.
• 46:20
  SPEAKER_02: But you hit curves in the road.
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_02: Sometimes the road forks.
• 46:25
  SPEAKER_02: Sometimes life takes a turn you don't expect.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_02: And I certainly know that my life has been that way, and I'm betting yours has too.
• 46:35
  SPEAKER_02: But again,
• 46:35
  SPEAKER_02: the quote is,
• 46:35
  SPEAKER_02: no matter how old or how sick you are,
• 46:37
  SPEAKER_02: how much or little you have done,
• 46:39
  SPEAKER_02: your business and life is not over yet.
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_02: It not only isn't finished, it hasn't received its final decisive meaning until your very last breath.
• 46:48
  SPEAKER_02: Alright, here's the next one.
• 46:50
  SPEAKER_02: This is just a regular quote.
• 46:54
  SPEAKER_02: Wise men are not always silent, but they know when to be.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_02: That's pretty good.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_02: Wise men are not always silent, but they know when to be.
• 47:03
  SPEAKER_02: This next one's a quote from Confucius.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_02: Here it is.
• 47:07
  SPEAKER_02: It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
• 47:11
  SPEAKER_02: I feel like every week I read one that's somewhat similar to that because so much
• 47:16
  SPEAKER_02: about achieving your goals is about never giving up.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_02: But again, the quote is, it does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
• 47:27
  SPEAKER_02: This next one's kind of a deep quote.
• 47:29
  SPEAKER_02: Some of life's best lessons are learned at the worst time.
• 47:34
  SPEAKER_02: Again, some of life's best lessons are learned at the worst times.
• 47:39
  SPEAKER_02: We all know that is very true.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_02: Not a good thing.
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_02: It's just how it is sometimes.
• 47:45
  SPEAKER_02: Here's the next one.
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_02: Don't give up when things get rough.
• 47:49
  SPEAKER_02: Fight harder.
• 47:51
  SPEAKER_02: Remember, it always works out in due time.
• 47:55
  SPEAKER_02: Don't give up when things get rough, or I would have said tough.
• 47:59
  SPEAKER_02: Fight harder.
• 48:01
  SPEAKER_02: It always works out in due time.
• 48:05
  SPEAKER_02: This last one is about endurance.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_02: It's a good one.
• 48:08
  SPEAKER_02: The quote is,
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_02: Do your thing.
• 48:25
  SPEAKER_02: Focus on the process.
• 48:27
  SPEAKER_02: Work hard.
• 48:28
  SPEAKER_02: Don't quit.
• 48:30
  SPEAKER_02: Results will take care of themselves.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_02: That's pretty good.
• 48:37
  SPEAKER_02: I feel like that would be one that was good 50 years ago or 100 years ago.
• 48:41
  SPEAKER_02: But in 2024,
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_02: when we live in such an impatient society with phones and apps and instant order
• 48:51
  SPEAKER_02: and delivery within a day or so...
• 48:55
  SPEAKER_02: It just is so hard to be patient.
• 48:58
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think that's one of those deeper parts of wisdom that we just struggle with these days.
• 49:04
  SPEAKER_02: We do not know how to be patient and we all give up on our goals and dreams way too soon.
• 49:11
  SPEAKER_02: We are impatient.
• 49:13
  SPEAKER_02: It's just almost humorous to me how we can all name people who are successful,
• 49:19
  SPEAKER_02: who just basically outlasted those around them.
• 49:23
  SPEAKER_02: They just didn't give up.
• 49:25
  SPEAKER_02: They were just bull stubborn.
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_02: Keep pounding the wall.
• 49:29
  SPEAKER_02: Keep going.
• 49:30
  SPEAKER_02: Ignore the people telling you to stop.
• 49:33
  SPEAKER_02: You just keep going and you stay patient.
• 49:37
  SPEAKER_02: That's like probably 80 or 90 percent of the formula of success.
• 49:41
  SPEAKER_02: But we don't want to do that.
• 49:43
  SPEAKER_02: We want to find like the easy way, the shortcut, the hack, the app that will tell you how to do this.
• 49:49
  SPEAKER_02: We just don't want to do the work and we don't want to be patient.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_02: And so we take shortcuts, we get frustrated and resentful, and eventually we get impatient and we quit.
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_02: Patience.
• 50:03
  SPEAKER_02: Such a simple concept, but so hard to do, especially in the time that we live in.
• 50:11
  SPEAKER_02: I always like to share a few from the Bible because this book has become such a
• 50:15
  SPEAKER_02: source of strength and wisdom and calm for me during the past year.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_02: And I hope by sharing a few verses,
• 50:23
  SPEAKER_02: it might help encourage you to get into the Bible yourself because I think it will
• 50:28
  SPEAKER_02: really help you.
• 50:29
  SPEAKER_02: And honestly,
• 50:30
  SPEAKER_02: if you were like me,
• 50:31
  SPEAKER_02: and you'd spent years and years reading self-help books,
• 50:35
  SPEAKER_02: meditating,
• 50:36
  SPEAKER_02: Buddhism,
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_02: whatever it was that you've been doing,
• 50:39
  SPEAKER_02: and it's still not working,
• 50:41
  SPEAKER_02: then I say why not try something else?
• 50:43
  SPEAKER_02: We know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over,
• 50:47
  SPEAKER_02: expecting a different result.
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_02: So if you've never cracked open the Bible, I invite you to try it.
• 50:53
  SPEAKER_02: In fact, I almost double-dog dare you to try it.
• 50:56
  SPEAKER_02: Because if it's all fake, if it's all not real, then it should have absolutely no effect on you.
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_02: If it's just another lame self-help book, then you have nothing to worry about.
• 51:07
  SPEAKER_02: You've tried everything else, so why not try this?
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_02: And I think if you do, you'll see that the Bible is the handbook for your life.
• 51:14
  SPEAKER_02: I think you'll find it speaking to you, because it's not just ancient words, it's the wisdom of God.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_02: And if you need hope...
• 51:22
  SPEAKER_02: and purpose.
• 51:24
  SPEAKER_02: If you're really drowning and feeling lost, then you need more than the self-help quotes I shared above.
• 51:30
  SPEAKER_02: You need God, and one of the best ways to find Him is in the Bible.
• 51:35
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have to go to some church you're nervous to visit.
• 51:38
  SPEAKER_02: You can start learning about Him from the safety of your home by simply reading the Bible,
• 51:43
  SPEAKER_02: either in print or on your phone through a Bible app.
• 51:47
  SPEAKER_02: This week I'm going to share three small parts of the Bible.
• 51:53
  SPEAKER_02: First reading will come from Psalms chapter 62.
• 51:56
  SPEAKER_02: I'm going to start with verse 5.
• 52:01
  SPEAKER_02: Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
• 52:09
  SPEAKER_02: He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
• 52:17
  SPEAKER_02: My victory and honor come from God alone.
• 52:21
  SPEAKER_02: He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
• 52:26
  SPEAKER_02: O my people, trust in him at all times.
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_02: Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
• 52:37
  SPEAKER_02: The next one I want to read is from Ephesians chapter 4.
• 52:41
  SPEAKER_02: I'm going to start at verse 31 and read just two short verses.
• 52:49
  SPEAKER_02: Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_02: Instead,
• 53:01
  SPEAKER_02: be kind to each other,
• 53:04
  SPEAKER_02: tenderhearted,
• 53:05
  SPEAKER_02: forgiving one another,
• 53:07
  SPEAKER_02: just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
• 53:12
  SPEAKER_02: And then the final one I'm going to read is from Proverbs chapter 3.
• 53:17
  SPEAKER_02: I am going to start with verse 3.
• 53:22
  SPEAKER_02: Never let loyalty and kindness leave you.
• 53:27
  SPEAKER_02: Tie them around your neck as a reminder.
• 53:31
  SPEAKER_02: Write them deep within your heart.
• 53:36
  SPEAKER_02: Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.
• 53:44
  SPEAKER_02: And again, you can earn a good reputation and find favor by keeping loyalty and kindness.
• 53:52
  SPEAKER_02: Loyalty and kindness, that's what it's talking about.
• 53:54
  SPEAKER_02: Let's move to verse 5.
• 53:57
  SPEAKER_02: Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
• 54:00
  SPEAKER_02: Do not depend on your own understanding.
• 54:04
  SPEAKER_02: Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
• 54:10
  SPEAKER_02: Don't be impressed with your own wisdom.
• 54:13
  SPEAKER_02: Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
• 54:17
  SPEAKER_02: Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.
• 54:24
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, before we leave this section, let me include one small teaser.
• 54:29
  SPEAKER_02: I decided in this episode to record the prayer that I prayed prior to recording this episode.
• 54:38
  SPEAKER_02: I try to pray before every episode, but for whatever reason this week, I felt led to record it.
• 54:45
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's kind of bonus content.
• 54:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's buried.
• 54:48
  SPEAKER_02: It's at the very,
• 54:49
  SPEAKER_02: very end of the show,
• 54:50
  SPEAKER_02: which most people don't get through the kind of closing credits and everything anyway.
• 54:54
  SPEAKER_02: But I did want to mention to you,
• 54:55
  SPEAKER_02: if you're one of those people that want to hear it,
• 54:57
  SPEAKER_02: this week it is there.
• 55:00
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks so much for joining us this week.
• 55:02
  SPEAKER_02: I hope as you go through this week that you act a little nicer on social media and in the world as well.
• 55:08
  SPEAKER_02: Smile at folks in the grocery store.
• 55:10
  SPEAKER_02: Do small acts of kindness.
• 55:12
  SPEAKER_02: And remember that most Americans are good,
• 55:14
  SPEAKER_02: and they will help you in an emergency,
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_02: even if you don't agree politically.
• 55:19
  SPEAKER_02: Now, I have to finish with two things.
• 55:21
  SPEAKER_02: I want to say a bit about myself and my books in case you're new to the show,
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_02: and then I need to say some words for those struggling with PTSD or mental illness,
• 55:30
  SPEAKER_02: especially since veterans are at a 57% higher risk of suicide.
• 55:35
  SPEAKER_02: First, a bit about myself and my books.
• 55:37
  SPEAKER_02: I am a military vet.
• 55:39
  SPEAKER_02: I spent four years in the Marine Corps, all of that time in the infantry.
• 55:43
  SPEAKER_02: And yes, that does matter.
• 55:44
  SPEAKER_02: After my enlistment, I went to college at the University of Tennessee.
• 55:47
  SPEAKER_02: I became a journalist.
• 55:49
  SPEAKER_02: I spent more than 10 years in the news business.
• 55:51
  SPEAKER_02: Besides all of that, I've also written 12 books.
• 55:54
  SPEAKER_02: Those books include a series about a Marine Corps sniper,
• 55:57
  SPEAKER_02: several novels about a police detective and a private investigator,
• 56:01
  SPEAKER_02: and a few books about war,
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_02: such as World War II and Afghanistan.
• 56:05
  SPEAKER_02: Basically,
• 56:05
  SPEAKER_02: these are all fast-moving books with lots of action and plot twists,
• 56:10
  SPEAKER_02: because those are the kind of books I've always enjoyed reading.
• 56:12
  SPEAKER_02: You can find all of those books in the link in the episode notes,
• 56:17
  SPEAKER_02: or you can look on Amazon by just searching my name,
• 56:20
  SPEAKER_02: Stan R.
• 56:20
  SPEAKER_02: Mitchell.
• 56:21
  SPEAKER_02: Buying a book,
• 56:23
  SPEAKER_02: telling a friend about a book,
• 56:24
  SPEAKER_02: or buying one as a gift for someone,
• 56:26
  SPEAKER_02: friend or loved one,
• 56:27
  SPEAKER_02: is a great way to help support the show.
• 56:30
  SPEAKER_02: And in all seriousness,
• 56:32
  SPEAKER_02: they're pretty highly rated,
• 56:33
  SPEAKER_02: and I've been very fortunate to have sold 70,000 copies to date.
• 56:37
  SPEAKER_02: And I promise you, even though I live in Tennessee, I do not have that many cousins.
• 56:42
  SPEAKER_02: The second thing I need to talk about is PTSD and suicide for just a moment.
• 56:47
  SPEAKER_02: This isn't just for our veterans,
• 56:49
  SPEAKER_02: although I know PTSD does seem to affect veterans at a much higher rate.
• 56:53
  SPEAKER_02: But it's for anyone.
• 56:55
  SPEAKER_02: We can all get in a really low situation.
• 56:58
  SPEAKER_02: Spot.
• 57:00
  SPEAKER_02: But we have to remember that it's a season.
• 57:02
  SPEAKER_02: It's a valley.
• 57:04
  SPEAKER_02: If you're having serious issues, please call 988-SELECT-1.
• 57:08
  SPEAKER_02: You can talk to a crisis line responder anytime, day or night.
• 57:12
  SPEAKER_02: Whether you're a civilian or a veteran, it doesn't matter.
• 57:16
  SPEAKER_02: 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.
• 57:21
  SPEAKER_02: The fact is that when we had a drill instructor in boot camp pushing us or maybe a
• 57:26
  SPEAKER_02: tough coach back in high school,
• 57:29
  SPEAKER_02: you know that you can go further than when it's just yourself pushing you.
• 57:33
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm going to be that person.
• 57:34
  SPEAKER_02: I'm going to be mean for just a moment.
• 57:36
  SPEAKER_02: And I have to remind you that you cannot give up.
• 57:39
  SPEAKER_02: Do not lose this fight.
• 57:41
  SPEAKER_02: Do not make your parents or your family have to plan your funeral.
• 57:45
  SPEAKER_02: Don't make them feel guilty that they did not check on you, that they could not reach you.
• 57:50
  SPEAKER_02: You can hold on another day.
• 57:52
  SPEAKER_02: And if you do, I promise the next day will be a little easier.
• 57:56
  SPEAKER_02: Now, again, if you're in a fight that you worry you may lose, call someone.
• 57:59
  SPEAKER_02: Call a friend or a family member.
• 58:02
  SPEAKER_02: Please, just do that.
• 58:04
  SPEAKER_02: Or call 988-SELECT-1.
• 58:06
  SPEAKER_02: But whatever you do, do not quit.
• 58:09
  SPEAKER_02: You're in a valley, and this world needs you.
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_02: Probably, your parents need you.
• 58:13
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, seriously.
• 58:14
  SPEAKER_02: Who's going to take care of your parents in 30 years?
• 58:17
  SPEAKER_02: I'm being dead serious here.
• 58:19
  SPEAKER_02: I just helped take care of my mom while she fought with cancer before she passed.
• 58:23
  SPEAKER_02: I'm helping take care of my dad now.
• 58:25
  SPEAKER_02: But who's going to do it for you?
• 58:27
  SPEAKER_02: Are you going to let the system take care of them?
• 58:29
  SPEAKER_02: How horrible is that?
• 58:31
  SPEAKER_02: So you cannot quit.
• 58:33
  SPEAKER_02: And believe me, there's something you're meant to do.
• 58:36
  SPEAKER_02: You just can't see it because you're in this immediate fog and pain.
• 58:39
  SPEAKER_02: You can't see that end result.
• 58:41
  SPEAKER_02: But there's a mission for you to do.
• 58:43
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe it's to coach Little League.
• 58:45
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe it's to help others with PTSD.
• 58:48
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe it's to run for office.
• 58:49
  SPEAKER_02: But there's some calling for you.
• 58:51
  SPEAKER_02: You just haven't found it.
• 58:52
  SPEAKER_02: But you need to get involved.
• 58:54
  SPEAKER_02: You need to stop isolating yourself.
• 58:56
  SPEAKER_02: Go visit a veterans group, the VFW.
• 58:59
  SPEAKER_02: Visit a church near you.
• 59:01
  SPEAKER_02: Talk to some family that you have lost touch with.
• 59:04
  SPEAKER_02: Or maybe reach out to that friend that you've grown apart from.
• 59:07
  SPEAKER_02: They're probably dying to talk to you.
• 59:09
  SPEAKER_02: But seriously, if you're struggling...
• 59:11
  SPEAKER_02: call the hotline 988 and select one or you can also start moving toward god if
• 59:17
  SPEAKER_02: you're not willing to make that phone call read the bible if you never have i think
• 59:21
  SPEAKER_02: it will help read some of psalms or proverbs or start with the new testament i
• 59:27
  SPEAKER_02: would suggest the book of john i think you'll find that the bible will start
• 59:31
  SPEAKER_02: drawing you in and changing your life
• 59:34
  SPEAKER_02: If you don't have a Bible, you can download a Bible app on your phone, or you can look it up online.
• 59:39
  SPEAKER_02: There are dozens of sites with it.
• 59:41
  SPEAKER_02: Even simpler, I have a link in the episode notes that I think can help you.
• 59:45
  SPEAKER_02: I write a faith-based blog about the Bible and God,
• 59:48
  SPEAKER_02: and I have a link in my episode notes to a pretty powerful story about my dog,
• 59:53
  SPEAKER_02: who is a stray that we adopted from the shelter.
• 59:56
  SPEAKER_02: The title of the article is Be Like Ozzie.
• 59:58
  SPEAKER_02: Go Near Your Master.
• 1:00:01
  SPEAKER_02: I've had a lot of people tell me that story really helped move them.
• 1:00:04
  SPEAKER_02: that it was very impactful.
• 1:00:06
  SPEAKER_02: So it's free to read.
• 1:00:08
  SPEAKER_02: You got nothing to lose by going to read it.
• 1:00:11
  SPEAKER_02: Now, I always like to end each show by reminding people that you can comment anytime.
• 1:00:14
  SPEAKER_02: I try to monitor those.
• 1:00:16
  SPEAKER_02: You can also reach out privately by email to me at authorstanormitchell at yahoo.com.
• 1:00:23
  SPEAKER_02: And that's in the episode notes, by the way.
• 1:00:24
  SPEAKER_02: But again, it's authorstanrmitchell at yahoo.com.
• 1:00:28
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, here's one other thing.
• 1:00:30
  SPEAKER_02: This podcast is about defense news, but I also do a political blog.
• 1:00:35
  SPEAKER_02: So if you love my moderate, optimistic views, you might enjoy that.
• 1:00:39
  SPEAKER_02: It's called Thoughts from a Southern Gentleman.
• 1:00:41
  SPEAKER_02: You can find a link to the episode notes to that as well, or you can just search that on Google.
• 1:00:46
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, thanks for hanging with me this week.
• 1:00:49
  SPEAKER_02: It's truly an honor to talk with each of you and to know that there's a few of you
• 1:00:53
  SPEAKER_02: out there who are listening and who care about our country and our military and all
• 1:00:58
  SPEAKER_02: the issues that we face.
• 1:01:00
  SPEAKER_02: I know there are a lot of scary issues out there,
• 1:01:02
  SPEAKER_02: but we're going to get through them together,
• 1:01:04
  SPEAKER_02: the same way America's gotten through everything before this.
• 1:01:07
  SPEAKER_02: I love you all, but never forget that God loves you more than you can possibly imagine.
• 1:01:12
  SPEAKER_02: He is our true father, so I hope you spend some time with him this week.
• 1:01:16
  SPEAKER_02: If you want true peace and strength and wisdom, make sure you read your Bible some this week.
• 1:01:21
  SPEAKER_02: It'll help you a lot.
• 1:01:22
  SPEAKER_02: And also, reach out to a friend or anyone who you know is struggling, whether they are young or old.
• 1:01:28
  SPEAKER_02: Life is truly hard.
• 1:01:29
  SPEAKER_02: We know this.
• 1:01:30
  SPEAKER_02: But the true strength of this country is its people,
• 1:01:33
  SPEAKER_02: and that includes you folks listening to me right now.
• 1:01:35
  SPEAKER_02: So be a leader, be a doer, be a servant to someone.
• 1:01:40
  SPEAKER_02: With all of that being said, I'll catch you all next week.
• 1:01:42
  SPEAKER_02: You have been listening to The View from the Front.
• 1:01:45
  SPEAKER_02: I hope you enjoyed the show.
• 1:01:47
  SPEAKER_02: This is the bonus portion of the show,
• 1:01:50
  SPEAKER_02: and if you're listening to this,
• 1:01:52
  SPEAKER_02: then you are certainly someone who enjoys listening to the podcast.
• 1:01:56
  SPEAKER_02: You're probably a supporter,
• 1:01:58
  SPEAKER_02: and I am truly honored that you are listening to this part of the show,
• 1:02:01
  SPEAKER_02: because you have gutted it out and hung in there.
• 1:02:04
  SPEAKER_02: I want to just say just a short intro.
• 1:02:08
  SPEAKER_02: The part you're about to hear is the prayer that I prayed before taping this week's episode.
• 1:02:15
  SPEAKER_02: You will probably notice that my voice is a little lower and it's certainly less confident.
• 1:02:22
  SPEAKER_02: It is not nearly as certain in the words that I use.
• 1:02:27
  SPEAKER_02: I do not write any of it down.
• 1:02:29
  SPEAKER_02: All I have done is taken out some of the pauses
• 1:02:34
  SPEAKER_02: because when I prayed this prayer in some cases those pauses were 10 to 15 to 20
• 1:02:39
  SPEAKER_02: seconds because I was trying to communicate with God I did not know what I was
• 1:02:45
  SPEAKER_02: going to say I was trying to be as real and as open as
• 1:02:51
  SPEAKER_02: and genuine as I possibly can be.
• 1:02:54
  SPEAKER_02: I'm inserting this intro just because I know some will say I should not post a
• 1:02:59
  SPEAKER_02: prayer that Jesus,
• 1:03:02
  SPEAKER_02: even in the Bible,
• 1:03:04
  SPEAKER_02: puts in some words against public prayer.
• 1:03:07
  SPEAKER_02: But I will say it's a more complex picture than that.
• 1:03:10
  SPEAKER_02: He also,
• 1:03:11
  SPEAKER_02: he being Jesus,
• 1:03:13
  SPEAKER_02: prays publicly in a couple of different places in Matthew,
• 1:03:16
  SPEAKER_02: also in Mark,
• 1:03:17
  SPEAKER_02: also in Luke.
• 1:03:18
  SPEAKER_02: He also taught others to pray publicly.
• 1:03:21
  SPEAKER_02: That's in Matthew.
• 1:03:22
  SPEAKER_02: The early church prayed publicly.
• 1:03:25
  SPEAKER_02: Jesus' apostles prayed publicly.
• 1:03:28
  SPEAKER_02: You can find that in Acts chapter 27, verse 35.
• 1:03:32
  SPEAKER_02: They also even wrote down prayers for others to read.
• 1:03:35
  SPEAKER_02: You can find an example in Ephesians chapter 3, beginning at verse 14.
• 1:03:41
  SPEAKER_02: I could cite many more examples, but the reality is that people pray before sporting events.
• 1:03:48
  SPEAKER_02: before many government meetings, and I could just keep that list going.
• 1:03:53
  SPEAKER_02: And at least this week,
• 1:03:55
  SPEAKER_02: I felt led to do this,
• 1:03:56
  SPEAKER_02: and so I'm going to do this because I know that,
• 1:03:59
  SPEAKER_02: at least speaking for myself,
• 1:04:01
  SPEAKER_02: I have heard prayers that moved me,
• 1:04:04
  SPEAKER_02: and so I will share what I prayed.
• 1:04:07
  SPEAKER_02: And you've been forewarned what I'm going to do,
• 1:04:09
  SPEAKER_02: so if this is something that would bother you or offend you,
• 1:04:12
  SPEAKER_02: you've had plenty of chances to
• 1:04:14
  SPEAKER_02: Go ahead and move on to the next podcast.
• 1:04:16
  SPEAKER_02: So here is what I prayed prior to this episode.
• 1:04:23
  SPEAKER_02: Lord,
• 1:04:24
  SPEAKER_02: come to you in prayer,
• 1:04:26
  SPEAKER_02: asking for your strength,
• 1:04:28
  SPEAKER_02: your wisdom,
• 1:04:29
  SPEAKER_02: and your guidance as I try to put out something that I hope touches at least a few
• 1:04:38
  SPEAKER_02: people out there.
• 1:04:40
  SPEAKER_02: Help me say the right words.
• 1:04:43
  SPEAKER_02: Help me not offend.
• 1:04:47
  SPEAKER_02: Help me do a small part to unify the country.
• 1:04:52
  SPEAKER_02: To make us a little better informed.
• 1:04:56
  SPEAKER_02: To make us a little kinder.
• 1:04:59
  SPEAKER_02: We know that so often I feel unprepared for each episode.
• 1:05:07
  SPEAKER_02: I worry that I have not gotten it organized enough.
• 1:05:13
  SPEAKER_02: I know that I feel as though I am unworthy of attempting what we are trying to do here.
• 1:05:22
  SPEAKER_02: But give me strength.
• 1:05:24
  SPEAKER_02: Give me faith.
• 1:05:27
  SPEAKER_02: Help me as I try to do what I believe I am supposed to be doing.
• 1:05:34
  SPEAKER_02: We ask this in your name.
• 1:05:36
  SPEAKER_02: Amen.