Episodios

  • S8 Ep280: CONSTANTINOPLE AS HELM'S DEEP AND THE LATIN-GREEK SCHISM Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The final segment eulogizes Constantinople as a "perfect," intentionally designed city that served as "Helm's

    S8 Ep280: CONSTANTINOPLE AS HELM'S DEEP AND THE LATIN-GREEK SCHISM Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The final segment eulogizes Constantinople as a "perfect," intentionally designed city that served as "Helm's
    Jan 5 2026
    CONSTANTINOPLE AS HELM'S DEEP AND THE LATIN-GREEK SCHISM Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The final segment eulogizes Constantinople as a "perfect," intentionally designed city that served as "Helm's Deep" for Western civilization, preserving law, credit, and military organization when the rest of the West was atomized. The speakers detail the tragic sack of the city in 1204 by Latin Crusaders, describing it as a betrayal driven by the enduring envy and "bipolar tension" between the Latin West and the Greek East. This event stripped the city of its "divine" status and gold, ending its role as a sanctuary. They conclude by linking this ancient schism to the modern world, positing that the current geopolitical conflict between the US (the inheritor of the Latin West) and Russia (centered in Moscow, the successor to the Greek East) is a continuation of this unresolved cultural and religious struggle. NUMBER 3
    1954
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    17 m
  • S8 Ep280: TRUMP'S MORTALITY, EUROPEAN ALARM, AND THE BEAR TRAP Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. Focusing on "Emperor" Trump, the speakers argue his recent threats against Venezuelan leadership display the "mort

    S8 Ep280: TRUMP'S MORTALITY, EUROPEAN ALARM, AND THE BEAR TRAP Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. Focusing on "Emperor" Trump, the speakers argue his recent threats against Venezuelan leadership display the "mort
    Jan 5 2026
    TRUMP'S MORTALITY, EUROPEAN ALARM, AND THE BEAR TRAP Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. Focusing on "Emperor" Trump, the speakers argue his recent threats against Venezuelan leadership display the "mortality" and "incoherence" of age, exacerbated by the office's "transmogrification" of the individual which detaches them from reality. This aggression alarms European allies, who view the extraction operation as "kidnapping" and a crime. The speakers warn that this behavior exposes the US to a "bear trap" set by Russia and China, who can inflict damage without direct escalation. Contrasting Putin's calculated "restraint" and "legalism" with Trump's "bull in a china shop" approach, they suggest the US is rapidly losing international authority. Consequently, the crisis may force a "quid pro quo," where the US might have to trade influence in Ukraine to resolve the situation in the Western Hemisphere, effectively accepting a bargain to escape the "brier patch." NUMBER 2
    1953
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    17 m
  • S8 Ep280: VENEZUELA AS A POTENTIAL SINKHOLE AND THE END OF AMERICAN OMNIPOTENCE Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The speakers analyze a failed US "decapitation" strike in Venezuela intended to replace Maduro wi

    S8 Ep280: VENEZUELA AS A POTENTIAL SINKHOLE AND THE END OF AMERICAN OMNIPOTENCE Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The speakers analyze a failed US "decapitation" strike in Venezuela intended to replace Maduro wi
    Jan 5 2026
    VENEZUELA AS A POTENTIAL SINKHOLE AND THE END OF AMERICAN OMNIPOTENCE Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The speakers analyze a failed US"decapitation" strike in Venezuela intended to replace Maduro with Delcy Rodriguez, a move that resulted in confusion regarding the loyalty of Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino. They argue that the "omnipotence" the US displayed in Panama or during Desert Storm has vanished, leaving the empire unable to easily topple regimes. Venezuela is described as a potential "sinkhole" defined by complex terrain and heavily armed, "uncontrollable" guerrilla groups that would make intervention a "gigantic mess." The discussion concludes that the US is "hoist by its own petard," having relied on "military theater"—the illusion that waving a wand creates authority—which is now failing against a fractious reality. Unlike the 1990s, the US lacks the force capacity to manage such a conflict without facing an "impossible guerrilla war" that could destroy its remaining reputation. NUMBER 1
    1954
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    24 m
  • S8 Ep279: THE HOSTAGE RELEASE TIMING AND A LEGACY OF ELECTORAL INTERFERENCE Colleague Craig Unger. The final segment addresses the suspicious timing of the hostage release on January 20, 1981. Unger notes that while Carter stayed up all night negotiating, the host

    S8 Ep279: THE HOSTAGE RELEASE TIMING AND A LEGACY OF ELECTORAL INTERFERENCE Colleague Craig Unger. The final segment addresses the suspicious timing of the hostage release on January 20, 1981. Unger notes that while Carter stayed up all night negotiating, the host
    Jan 5 2026
    THE HOSTAGE RELEASE TIMING AND A LEGACY OF ELECTORAL INTERFERENCE Colleague Craig Unger. The final segment addresses the suspicious timing of the hostage release on January 20, 1981. Unger notes that while Carter stayed up all night negotiating, the hostages were not released until minutes after Ronald Reagan took the oath of office. This precise timing suggests a pre-arranged deal, as Reagan had no presidential authority to negotiate prior to that moment. Unger points out that recent biographers and international sources have increasingly accepted the October Surprise as fact. He concludes by contextualizing this event within a broader history of Republican interference in foreign policy to win elections, drawing parallels to Nixon's sabotage of Vietnam peace talks in 1968 and allegations regarding the Trump campaign and Russia. The files suggest that political treason has been used repeatedly to "steal the White House." NUMBER 8
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    7 m
  • S8 Ep279: INSIDE IRAN: CONFRONTING REVOLUTIONARY FIGURES AND UNCOVERING THE DOUBLE COUP Colleague Craig Unger. Unger describes his 2014 trip to Tehran to find Iranian corroboration for the October Surprise. He visited the former US Embassy, now a "Den of Spies" mus

    S8 Ep279: INSIDE IRAN: CONFRONTING REVOLUTIONARY FIGURES AND UNCOVERING THE DOUBLE COUP Colleague Craig Unger. Unger describes his 2014 trip to Tehran to find Iranian corroboration for the October Surprise. He visited the former US Embassy, now a "Den of Spies" mus
    Jan 5 2026
    INSIDE IRAN: CONFRONTING REVOLUTIONARY FIGURES AND UNCOVERING THE DOUBLE COUPColleague Craig Unger. Unger describes his 2014 trip to Tehran to find Iranian corroboration for the October Surprise. He visited the former US Embassy, now a "Den of Spies" museum documenting the 1953 CIA coup against Mossadegh, which remains a source of deep grievance. Unger secured a rare interview with Mohsen Rafighdoost, a founder of the Revolutionary Guards and Khomeini's driver. During the interview, Rafighdoost slipped, saying "If we met with the Republicans..."—a moment Unger captured on video. Unger also interviewed Abolhassan Banisadr, the ousted first president of the Islamic Republic, in Versailles. Banisadr provided documents confirming the plot, describing it as a "double coup": it removed Carter in the US and allowed hardliners to consolidate power in Iran by undermining moderates like himself. NUMBER 7
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    13 m
  • S8 Ep279: CONFIRMING THE MADRID MEETING AND EXAMINING GEORGE H.W. BUSH'S ALLEGED ROLE Colleague Craig Unger. This section focuses on verifying the specific meetings where the alleged treason occurred. Unger asserts certainty that Bill Casey met with Iranian cleric

    S8 Ep279: CONFIRMING THE MADRID MEETING AND EXAMINING GEORGE H.W. BUSH'S ALLEGED ROLE Colleague Craig Unger. This section focuses on verifying the specific meetings where the alleged treason occurred. Unger asserts certainty that Bill Casey met with Iranian cleric
    Jan 5 2026
    CONFIRMING THE MADRID MEETING AND EXAMINING GEORGE H.W. BUSH'S ALLEGED ROLEColleague Craig Unger. This section focuses on verifying the specific meetings where the alleged treason occurred. Unger asserts certainty that Bill Casey met with Iranian cleric Mehdi Karrubi in Madrid in July 1980 to outline the deal: arms for Iran in exchange for delaying the hostage release until after the election. Unger notes that Israeli military intelligence (AMAN) confirmed the channel of arms sales. The segment also addresses the controversial allegation that George H.W. Bush flew to Paris in October 1980 to seal the deal. While alibis involving Secret Service details and a visit to Justice Potter Stewart were punctured by Bob Parry's reporting, Unger remains "agnostic" but leans toward the meeting having happened. The Iranians reportedly required a high-level figure like Bush to guarantee the agreement before they would release the "frozen assets" of undelivered weaponry needed for their war with Iraq. NUMBER 6
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    6 m
  • S8 Ep279: THE SECRET NETWORK: THE SAFARI CLUB, JOHN SHAHEEN, AND DOUBLE AGENTS Colleague Craig Unger. Unger explains the infrastructure used to execute the alleged conspiracy, specifically the "Safari Club," a group of off-the-books intelligence operatives formed a

    S8 Ep279: THE SECRET NETWORK: THE SAFARI CLUB, JOHN SHAHEEN, AND DOUBLE AGENTS Colleague Craig Unger. Unger explains the infrastructure used to execute the alleged conspiracy, specifically the "Safari Club," a group of off-the-books intelligence operatives formed a
    Jan 5 2026
    THE SECRET NETWORK: THE SAFARI CLUB, JOHN SHAHEEN, AND DOUBLE AGENTS Colleague Craig Unger. Unger explains the infrastructure used to execute the alleged conspiracy, specifically the "Safari Club," a group of off-the-books intelligence operatives formed after the CIA was restricted by the Church Committee in the 1970s. This network allowed covert operations to bypass congressional oversight. A crucial figure identified is John Shaheen, Bill Casey's close friend and former OSS colleague, who acted as a "cutout" to insulate Casey from direct involvement. Unger reveals that the Hashim brothers, Iranian arms dealers who offered to help Carter, were actually double agents working for Casey. FBI wiretaps eventually confirmed that the Hashims communicated with Shaheen before conducting arms deals, providing a direct link between the Reagan campaign's orbit and the delay of the hostage release. NUMBER 5
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    12 m
  • S8 Ep279: MEDIA SUPPRESSION, POLITICAL WHITEWASHING, AND THE DISCOVERY OF BURIED EVIDENCE Colleague Craig Unger. This segment recounts the suppression of the October Surprise story by major media and government institutions. After initially hiring Unger to investig

    S8 Ep279: MEDIA SUPPRESSION, POLITICAL WHITEWASHING, AND THE DISCOVERY OF BURIED EVIDENCE Colleague Craig Unger. This segment recounts the suppression of the October Surprise story by major media and government institutions. After initially hiring Unger to investig
    Jan 5 2026
    MEDIA SUPPRESSION, POLITICAL WHITEWASHING, AND THE DISCOVERY OF BURIED EVIDENCEColleague Craig Unger. This segment recounts the suppression of the October Surprise story by major media and government institutions. After initially hiring Unger to investigate, Newsweek abruptly pivoted, publishing articles denying the events took place, which Unger calls a "disgrace." A subsequent House investigation led by Lee Hamiltonwas characterized as a "whitewash" that accepted weak alibis for Bill Casey. Investigative legend Seymour Hershwarned Unger that he would be "crushed" for pursuing the story, and indeed, Unger faced lawsuits and professional isolation. However, the investigation was revived when reporter Bob Parry discovered 23 gigabytes of documents hidden in an abandoned ladies' room in the House office building. These documents, found under a tampon dispenser, contained evidence that contradicted the official exonerations of the Reagan campaign. NUMBER 4
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    9 m