S8 Ep211: ROME VS. CARTHAGE: DESTINY, TRAGEDY, AND THE CONSENSUS FOR WAR Colleague Professor Edward J. Watts. The conflict between Rome and Carthage is symbolized by the tragedy of Dido, representing the incompatibility of their powers. Despite Hannibal's devastati

S8 Ep211: APPIUS CLAUDIUS CAECUS: INFRASTRUCTURE AND POLITICAL GENIUS Colleague Professor Edward J. Watts. Appius Claudius Caecus transformed the Roman censorship office into a power base by building the Appian Way and appointing wealthy Italians to the Senate. As

S8 Ep211: ROMAN KINGSHIP: FROM CITIZEN SELECTION TO THE IDEAL OF SERVICE Colleague Professor Edward J. Watts. Early Roman kings were selected by citizens based on merit rather than heredity, but figures like Servius Tullius began bypassing this consent. Conversely,

S8 Ep211: ARGENTINA'S CREDIT RATING RISES AS BRAZIL FACES POLITICAL POLARIZATION Colleague Professor Evan Ellis. S&P upgraded Argentina's credit rating following Javier Milei's austerity measures, which have stabilized the currency and reduced inflation despite soc

S8 Ep211: ELECTIONS IN CHILE, PERU, AND HONDURAS SIGNAL REGIONAL SHIFTS Colleague Professor Evan Ellis. In Chile, José Antonio Kast's rise reflects a rejection of progressive policies and crime, favoring order and investment. Meanwhile, Peru faces political fragmen

S8 Ep211: VENEZUELA'S TRAGIC DECLINE FROM PROSPERITY TO AUTHORITARIANISM Colleague Professor Evan Ellis. Historical imagery reveals Venezuela's transformation from a prosperous, modern nation in the 1950s to a ruined state today. Deep inequality and corruption in t

S8 Ep211: CHINA'S SURREPTITIOUS SUPPORT KEEPS THE MADURO REGIME AFLOAT Colleague Professor Evan Ellis. China sustains the Maduro regime through loans, surveillance technology, and military equipment while bypassing sanctions to import Venezuelan oil. The state oil

S8 Ep211: SPAIN'S GOVERNMENT MAINTAINS TIES WITH VENEZUELA DESPITE OPPOSITION Colleague Mary Anastasia O'Grady. The Spanish government under Pedro Sanchez maintains ideological and economic alliances with the Maduro regime, prioritizing political agendas over democ

S8 Ep211: CALIFORNIA JOB LOSSES AND CHINA'S ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN AMID RETAIL SEASON Colleague Chris Riegel. California's new wage mandates have triggered significant job losses in the fast-food sector, forcing operators to move to lower-tax states. Internationally, wh

S8 Ep211: NATO AND EU SEEK DEFENSE FUNDS AMID FEARS OF RUSSIAN AGGRESSION Colleague Anatol Lieven. European nations like Finland are demanding funds to counter perceived Russian threats, despite a lack of historical aggression toward them. Lieven argues that plans

S8 Ep211: CRUNCH EU SUMMIT DISCUSSES USING FROZEN RUSSIAN ASSETS FOR UKRAINE Colleague Anatol Lieven. The European Union is internally divided over seizing frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine's war effort and reconstruction, a move requiring rule changes that som

S8 Ep210: PREVIEW Guest: Michael Bernstam Summary: Michael Bernstam analyzes declining oil prices, noting a global glut that has pushed prices under $60 per barrel. He explains that because Russia loses roughly $2.7 billion for every $10 price drop and sells at a d

S8 Ep210: PREVIEW Guest: Professor Evan Ellis Summary: Professor Ellis discusses Venezuela's tragic fall from 1950s oil wealth to current dysfunction, attributing it to the "resource curse" and corruption. He explains how Hugo Chavez appealed to the forgotten poor

S8 Ep210: PREVIEW Guest: Anatol Lieven Summary: Anatol Lieven critiques NATO defense spending, arguing that while Germany prioritizes tanks to support its auto industry, effective defense against Russia requires cheaper solutions like drones and mines. He warns tha

S8 Ep210: PREVIEW Guest: Professor Ed Watts Summary: Professor Watts details the historical inevitability of conflict between Rome and Carthage, driven by Mediterranean geography and control over trade routes between the wealthy East and resource-rich West. He expl

S8 Ep209: PREVIEW Guest: Mary Anastasia O'Grady. O'Grady discusses Jose Zapatero, Spain's former prime minister, acting as a lobbyist for Venezuelan dictator Maduro. Zapatero mediates talks that buy Maduro time, while Spain opposes Venezuela's elected leadership. T

S8 Ep209: PREVIEW Guest: Chris Riegel. Riegel analyzes the "K economy," where lower-tier consumers are spending less at quick-service restaurants due to high overhead and inflation. With brands reintroducing value products and people eating at home, Riegel question

S8 Ep208: SHOW 12-17-25 THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT THE US CONFLICT WITH VENEZUELA... 1926 USS OMAHA IN THE PANAMA CANAL. Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses the US "blockade" of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers and the potential for escalation into a regiona

S8 Ep207: Turkel outlines his collaboration with US leaders, including Matt Pottinger and Nancy Pelosi, to secure sanctions and a formal genocide designation. He highlights the bipartisan consensus against Beijing's abuses, noting that his effective advocacy on the

S8 Ep207: Turkel describes the genocidal targeting of women through forced sterilization and sexual violence, comparing these atrocities to the Holocaust. He also exposes how the Chinese state exploits Uyghur slave labor for global exports, implicating Western cons