1 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: Ah, Beautfuce. If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. 2 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: You're listening to software radio, special Operations, military news and 3 00:00:26,520 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: straight talk with the guys and the community sufferep dot 4 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,759 Speaker 1: com on Time on Target Bend a debt to argument 5 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: at the areas in studio who it's been a while. 6 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: The last time that we had you on. You and 7 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 1: Jack were engaged and we were officially married for quite 8 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: some time, quite a few months. But as I said 9 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: to Jack, was a great wedding. I was glad to 10 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: be there. Um. I feel like I should mentioned I 11 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: feel like some of your family members during um Jim 12 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: West's best best man's speech, we're like, all right, this 13 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: guy gonna end this soon because it went on pretty long. Yeah, 14 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: I did. But they were yeah, puzzled, I would say, 15 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: did he didn't really understand what he was saying. So 16 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: it was good. Yeah. Some of them were even turning 17 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: to me. I don't know if they were your friends 18 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: or family, and they were like, who is this guy? Um, 19 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: which I remember Richard turned to them and Richard is 20 00:01:58,120 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: telling them he's like, this guy has been and I 21 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: don't know, he was stret fights and probably so. And 22 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: actually now I have to wonder with that best man speech, 23 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: what did you do with this huge rock that he 24 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: gave you? Because during the speech he was like, I 25 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: want this to we haven't at home. We We'm still 26 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: looking for a place to put it. Yeah, because my 27 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: feeling was, what does he expect Benny to do with 28 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: this rock that he brought? Well, I mean if we 29 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: had a garden or something, that would be okay. But 30 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: we live in New York, so like where am I? Yeah? Yeah, 31 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: but you're not going to carry this around on your 32 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: wedding And no, it's still sort of waiting for a home. 33 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: I think you know, we'll figure out a points for 34 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: it eventually. Yeah, we would find a place. Well getting 35 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: into everything um. The last time we had you on, 36 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: you were talking about our War UM, which spotlighted three 37 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: Westerners who joined the Courage in northern Syria. At the time, 38 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: when we were asking like where could people see this, 39 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: there wasn't really anywhere they could see it. But now, 40 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: and I didn't realize this until I was just like 41 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 1: looking this up. You could see it on an Amazon 42 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: Prime if you're on Amazon. But if you're an Amazon 43 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: Prime member, it's for free on there, which is great. Correct, Yes, 44 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: it was. It's good because at least we have some 45 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 1: distribution and people can go and watch it. We're happy 46 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 1: about it. What's the feedback been like? Because I think 47 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 1: once something's on Amazon Prime and it's free, you're seeing 48 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: a whole audience that probably wouldn't necessarily watch this, who 49 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: are learning about a subject that they're not really familiar with. 50 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,079 Speaker 1: I would say that the feedbacks are kind of good 51 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: and it's interesting to see, but in general, we always 52 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: had the five stars, so it's fine. And I wasn't 53 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: really tracking that. I haven't been tracking, you know, the 54 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: development too much because I'm so busy with the new documentary, 55 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: so you know, and the new documentary should say is 56 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: I am the revolution Um? And I remember this made 57 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: me wonder so the the film company that you're now 58 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: the co founder of his possible film. I was wondering 59 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: if the name came from when we had you on 60 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: and you said you were with these women, uh doing 61 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: some filming in Syria, in Iraq and Syria and Afghanistan. 62 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: We were like, is this going to be a documentary? 63 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: And I think you were like, possibly, is that the 64 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 1: origin of the name, like a possible film? And then 65 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: I wondered if that's how the name came about. Now 66 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: the name actually the name is possible but possibile in Italian, 67 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: because we make the impossible possible. This is basically what 68 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:35,239 Speaker 1: you know, what's the idea behind this um the company's brand, 69 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: and yeah, that it comes from that, but it comes 70 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: from the first movie because we found ourselves in very 71 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 1: awkward the situations and then we kind of joked around 72 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: and said, okay, we made it impossible possible, so here 73 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 1: it is makes sense. I'm glad the documentary is finally 74 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: available for people to see. So many people have asked 75 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: me because probably because we've been on the show before 76 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: and they're always asking me, We're can we see Benny's documentary. 77 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: I'm like, for the longest time, it's like you can't. Yeah. 78 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: Sometimes these things have their kind of own life, so 79 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: it takes a little bit of times once the film 80 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: is released to actually end up in a distribution or 81 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 1: in the platform where people can see it, because you know, 82 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 1: he has kind of its own cycle. But I'm really 83 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: glad that he kind of ended up on Amazon because 84 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 1: it's also worldwide by the way, so you actually can 85 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: watch it from anywhere and at least people have a 86 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: way to watch it, you know, absolutely, so talk about 87 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: I am the Revolution. I just want to hear what 88 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: it's about and how it had the whole idea came about, 89 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: so they it is something that I've been sitting on 90 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: for a kind of a long time since I started, 91 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: I think since fifteen, and when I was on the 92 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: front lines with all the woman guerillas and stuff, and 93 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: I realized that that they were like a lot of 94 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: women picking new roles, especially in conflict areas, and it's 95 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: not just about fighting per se, but like activism or politicians, 96 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: that they were aiming to empowering women in these areas 97 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:16,160 Speaker 1: where you know, rights and women's rights are non existence basically. 98 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: And I thought it was very interesting and and then 99 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: you know, like straight after we've finished and presented the 100 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: previous movie Our War, we were like, okay, what should 101 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: we do? And then I think, I want another time 102 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: to Syria again. And then I said, okay, this is 103 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: it could be a good movie. And to explain to 104 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 1: people that sometimes you know, uh, the image of women 105 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: presented by the media, mainstreams, it's not necessarily you know, 106 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 1: the reality on the ground, because if you think about 107 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: any news feed or you know, the things about talking 108 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: about women are usually about how you know they were 109 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 1: badly raped or violent or you know, or they were 110 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:05,359 Speaker 1: subject to violence and everything, and you always have this 111 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: image of veiled woman crying offen in refugee camps with 112 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: children and not much more. Instead, this film challenges like 113 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: our preconception of woman in the Middle East, and it 114 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: is shows another reality that it is on the ground 115 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: and it's shot and in it is shot in Syria, 116 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: Iraqi and Afghanistan by an old woman crew and it 117 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: was such a great fun, you know, an important job 118 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: that we did also because by being an old woman 119 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: crew allowed us to have unprecedented access to a lot 120 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: of people. So when we spent some times with rugdaff 121 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: a lot that maybe is one of the person that 122 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: your listeners might know better because she is the general, 123 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: she's the commanding main commander of the RACKA operation. She 124 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: was like very generous with her time and she was 125 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: puzzled by the fact that we're all, you know, woman 126 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: going on the front lines with her and it was 127 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: actually quite fun. Yeah, I can imagine you see the 128 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: expression on her face of the footage is but it's 129 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: also she's carrying the burden of being, you know, the 130 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: commander for that entire theater. Absolutely, I mean she she 131 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: was commanding six men and women and it's a lot 132 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: of people, plus coordinating with the US Army on the ground. 133 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: She she's quite a character, I have to say. But 134 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: anyway to you know, go back to your original question. 135 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: So we have rushed up a lot. Who is the commander? 136 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: Then we have your Mohammed who is an activist in Baghdad, 137 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: and then Sligafer who is a politician and the first 138 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: woman spokesperson for the Solidarity Party of Afghanistan. And the 139 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: three of them, although they do not actually know each 140 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: other personally, they know of each other and they are 141 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: all a thing that you know, this is the new 142 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 1: momentum and if women do not, you know, fight for 143 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: the rights now, they will basically be slaved forever. In 144 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:15,679 Speaker 1: the situation for women in places like Afghanistan is really 145 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 1: really bad. I mean I was shocked because I knew 146 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: it's very different when you see data from like the 147 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: U N or whatever organizations that tells you that one 148 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: bride out of two they are forced and underage to 149 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: get married, or you know, the seven percent of women 150 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: in Afghanistan, they are subject to violent and it's a 151 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 1: huge number. But then you see the reality. You see 152 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 1: how you know little they have or like just you know, 153 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 1: fourteen percent of women in Afghanistan can actually read, and 154 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 1: it's crazy, it's insane, especially if you think, you know 155 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: that international coalition and there are in Afghanistan since two 156 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 1: thousand and one, and so little has been done. And 157 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: this is one of the main points that billions of 158 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: dollars have been poured into Afghanistan to actually try and 159 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:16,199 Speaker 1: help the condition of women. But because of the corruption 160 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,679 Speaker 1: of not just the Afghani people but also the organizations 161 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: that get this money, nothing has been done on the ground. 162 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,439 Speaker 1: And you wonder. I know that, you know, Jack is 163 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: not very keen on Afghanistan as a country, probably because 164 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:32,959 Speaker 1: of his own experience on the ground. But you go 165 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 1: around and there is nothing in Cable, there is no 166 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 1: paved streets, and it's like and again the Americans spent 167 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: like more than Martian plants after World War two and 168 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: there is nothing. It's it's incredible, incredible Where the money go? 169 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:56,679 Speaker 1: The same question we have with Iraq where did all 170 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: the money go? But you see in Iraq, i think 171 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: it's different. I think that the huge difference is the 172 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: oil lobby. I'm sorry, I'm being very cynical here, but 173 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 1: you know, the oil industry in order to work, they 174 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: need infrastructure such as roads or airports or anything you 175 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:17,199 Speaker 1: can think of sports exact, Afghanistan is not going to 176 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: have many of those though, no of course, but you 177 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: know if you don't, if you don't have like a 178 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 1: lobby in Washington saying hey guys, we paid for you know, 179 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 1: this high road from I don't know Baghdad to Basra 180 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: and where is it? And the reason you know, we 181 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:36,439 Speaker 1: did try to build a railroad in Afghanistan. I know, 182 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: I know interesting story behind that. It is actually this 183 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: But anyway, so because people I want to hear, I 184 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,199 Speaker 1: don't have the whole all the information at my fingertips. 185 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:49,839 Speaker 1: I wrote an article on software about how we not 186 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: built but we helped restore the railroad in Iraq after 187 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 1: the invasion in two thousand three, and that was like 188 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: army um army railroaders and engineers. They did a really 189 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: good job up with that. But they also tried to 190 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,959 Speaker 1: build a railroad in Afghanistan. Previously, there's just a small 191 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: little railroad I think it went. It was like for 192 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 1: the presidential palace or something. It was like a couple 193 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: of kilometers long, um, but these guys they wanted to 194 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,199 Speaker 1: build um. I don't know if it's like seventy or 195 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:18,719 Speaker 1: eighty kilometers of railroad, but I think most of it 196 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: was ended. It ended up being built um by like 197 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 1: Central Asian engineers from like uz Pekistan or something like that. 198 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: And I don't I don't know how much it even 199 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: runs at the moment, so I'm sorry, I don't have 200 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: all my facts at my fingertips right now. But there 201 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 1: is a very interesting story about how all that came together. Yeah, 202 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,599 Speaker 1: the idea was to actually build a railroad in the 203 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: mining too, Yes, in order to connect all the main 204 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: cities of like in central Afghanistan. And because of the 205 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,679 Speaker 1: way it was a railroad that he's been there for 206 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 1: like centuries bad because of the war and railroad for centuries. Yeah, 207 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:58,199 Speaker 1: it was like because of the Silk Road and everything 208 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 1: you kind of needed, you know, after Aniston was a 209 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,080 Speaker 1: part of the Silk Road for a very very long time. 210 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: And so the idea was to connect all the main 211 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:11,080 Speaker 1: like cities like Helm and the Cable and everything the 212 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 1: problem is that each of this like um this cities, 213 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: they're controlled by different tribes or different you know, like 214 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: I don't know what, how would you call thems large 215 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 1: drug lords and everything. And my understanding, I actually read 216 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 1: something on vox about it, like not long ago, but 217 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: it was must have been like a month ago, and 218 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: but because of the corruptions and everything, it was like 219 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: literally impossible to build. Afghanistan has to say, it's a 220 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: very very interesting country and it's one of the most 221 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 1: beautiful places. I think I've said it before. You know, 222 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: if you took away the automobile, the cell phone and 223 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: the a K forty seven, Afghanistan would be literally like 224 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: the times of Jesus. I've been into places like Jelalabad 225 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: in Lachman Province, which is like very close to Pakistan. 226 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: It's like another area. They're living like they're in the 227 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: first century. I d yeah, I was like, actually we 228 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: were sleeping in it's like compound and it was the 229 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: only place with electricity and running water in the area. 230 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: Because actually a Spanish engineer when they're with an organization 231 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: to actually build the electricity and the water through like 232 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: solar system and panel. And this is another thing and 233 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 1: then I'll stuff about Afghanistan is that they are really 234 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: keen on putting like solar panel for electricity because some 235 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: areas are so rural and so remote that it is very, 236 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 1: very difficult to get electricity there. So they're buying the 237 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 1: panels from the Chinese, and the Chinese into in the 238 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: past three or four years, they increase the price of 239 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: each solar punnel from seventy to two d make it 240 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 1: very difficult for anybody to have it. Well, I mean, 241 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, I think China is 242 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: going to be the big winner in both Afghanistan in Iraq. 243 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,480 Speaker 1: They're gonna have a long term plan. They're gonna sit back, 244 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 1: They're going to get all the oil contracts and mineral extraction, 245 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: and we're the ones that foot the bill for and 246 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: all that and all the bills, all the money we pay, 247 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: and it ends up going into corruption, we end up 248 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: funding war words. I wonder, you know, like I haven't 249 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: been tracking that much lately, that story be Trump. President 250 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: Trump wanted to do this reconle for reconstruction for Iraq, 251 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: and I don't know where they are at. So basically 252 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 1: buying really really cheap oil from Iraq and in exchange 253 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 1: and was probably the World Bank or whoever build again 254 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: rebuild the rock after the war, anizes it's hard not 255 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: to laugh, Like I don't want to laugh because like 256 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: the amount of like people that touches and pacts and 257 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: how horrible it is. But it's hard not to laugh 258 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 1: after we've sunk billions and billions and billions of dollars 259 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: into that country. Yeah, what's possibly going to come out 260 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: of that? Throw another few billion at it? What's what's Yeah, 261 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: it's not that you know, like the plan is, yes, 262 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: to draw a couple of billions, but then you have 263 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: thousands of barrels for a quarter of the prize, so 264 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: it kind of it's worth well yeah, but I mean 265 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: at that point it's really just a bribe. But I mean, 266 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 1: let's call it what it is. Well, they are actually 267 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: selling the oil for a quarter of the prize. So 268 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: it's not that you know, the winner here is the 269 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: United States, not Iraq. I wasn't. I don't know. Well, 270 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 1: it's debatable who really wins in that situation. But what's 271 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: interesting to me, you know, just look from the outside 272 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: looking in at people who have expertise on the subject, 273 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: and people that we've had on this show. There's a 274 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: lot of conflict on what we do. You know, because 275 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: we've had guys on who I would say are experts 276 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: on both ends. You say that we need to be 277 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 1: there long term, possibly centuries, and there's other people we've 278 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: had on who were like, you know, there's nothing we 279 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 1: could further do it at this point. I mean, right now, 280 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:16,560 Speaker 1: what we're trying to do is strike the balance, right, 281 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: We're trying to fight war on the cheap. You know, 282 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: we're not having our entire military deployed over there. We're 283 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:24,159 Speaker 1: not fighting like large scale battles. We're just trying to 284 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: have a smaller troop commitment to try to stop the 285 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,200 Speaker 1: entire region from you know, slipping in the chaos, which 286 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: ends up affecting us. So, I mean, the other the 287 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: other extreme of like just not engaging with that part 288 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:37,680 Speaker 1: of the world. I mean, I don't think that's gonna 289 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:39,680 Speaker 1: work either. I mean, that's that's what you know, we 290 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 1: ended up with nine eleven the last time we did that. 291 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:44,680 Speaker 1: I would agree with you, But then you look at Afghanistan. 292 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: And in Afghanistan now, the latest figures from BBC persion 293 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: is that the Taliban control Afghanistan and there is a 294 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:59,919 Speaker 1: dismal failure. There's no question. What's the point? And you know, 295 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 1: don't you think that I don't know, like troops in Afghanistan. 296 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: Of course, they Afghani government that would not agree with 297 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: me in any ways because they want Americans to stay. 298 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 1: But you know, what is the point? And in in 299 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 1: any way, I was hearing this rumor that now the 300 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: Taliban's are trying to negotiate with the us A, saying 301 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,239 Speaker 1: why don't we go back to where we were like 302 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: in two thousand and one. At the end of the day, 303 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 1: you know, you don't control anything anymore. I mean, and 304 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,919 Speaker 1: it's crazy, it's insane. And if you think about seventeen 305 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 1: years of war and nothing has changed, literally nothing's now 306 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: we're fighting the same war we were seventeen years ago. 307 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 1: So I mean, like a lot of debatable again, you know, 308 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: but a lot of Afghanis say, well, at this point 309 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:54,440 Speaker 1: you might as well go, what's the point of having 310 00:18:54,440 --> 00:19:00,600 Speaker 1: you here? Yeah, I agree with pop Smoke, just like, 311 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 1: maintain a small counter terrors and presence. You know, when 312 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:05,880 Speaker 1: you get to you know, groups like al Qaeda coming 313 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:07,919 Speaker 1: in there, just drop some smart bombs on him. And 314 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: walk away. Also, by the way, Isis and the Talibans 315 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 1: are fighting like crazy in a lot of areas in 316 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:18,919 Speaker 1: order to have the Germany you know, on the population. 317 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: And it's not that they don't have their own problems, 318 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: that they do very much so well. The Isis thing 319 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:27,400 Speaker 1: is weird though, because a lot of those Isis dudes 320 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 1: are like rebranded Taliban elements because Isis became the cool 321 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 1: new thing, and it was also a way to brand um, 322 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 1: well rebrand themselves, but to like get the Americans to 323 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: come fight them. Sure, but there is also an element 324 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: of ideology which is very different into the interpretation of 325 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:49,880 Speaker 1: the Quran, in which you know, Isis. It's really weird 326 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:53,919 Speaker 1: to say Isis is more extreme than the Taliban certain things, 327 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: and and therefore is the question of yes, and a 328 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 1: lot of people on the Talibans just became and turned 329 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:05,679 Speaker 1: into ices. But nonetheless it's a question of you know, 330 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 1: who is going to control this or that area? And 331 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: there were we passed it through like a ballet in 332 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: which you know, our drivers said, okay, we're a little bit. 333 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:19,159 Speaker 1: Lady was four thirty and we should be out, you know, 334 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: over year by five o'clock. Because once dark comes, so 335 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: they start fighting each other on the same mountain support 336 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: the control of this road. I was like, okay, let 337 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,920 Speaker 1: him have at it, you know. At the moment. The 338 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: latest development in Syria is the Turkish military encircling it 339 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:46,240 Speaker 1: seems uh Afrin. You know Afrin. We've talked about it 340 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:50,120 Speaker 1: on the show many times. But there are three cantons 341 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:54,439 Speaker 1: of you know, Kurdish Syria in northern Syria, Uh, you know, 342 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: there's Kobani what is it, giz Era, Sisera uh and 343 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: Um and Affront and Anfrin was always kind of like 344 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 1: the one that was isolated. It was like an enclave. 345 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: It was you know, throughout the war. I mean, it's 346 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: been like incredibly difficult to get in and out of 347 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:15,159 Speaker 1: that place. Um, you know, because we looked at potentially 348 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,159 Speaker 1: going there at some point, like the only solution I 349 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 1: could figure out was like charter a plane in parachute 350 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:24,399 Speaker 1: in because you yes, well you don't remember those conversations, do. 351 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 1: I just wanted to make it sure, you know, that 352 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 1: the listeners knew what they were. So anyway, my my 353 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:34,199 Speaker 1: only point there was that it's always been this like 354 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:38,159 Speaker 1: isolated um canton and the Curds tried really hard, and 355 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: they wanted to connect Kobani to afron Um, but the 356 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 1: Turks had always maintained this corridor. I mean, it was 357 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: like the Jihadi corridor going down through the through the 358 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: center in between the two um where they could you know, 359 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: run isis guys back and forth, run guns back and forth. 360 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 1: And there was some really vicious fighting going back back 361 00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 1: and forth for that little stretch of land because that 362 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,639 Speaker 1: is like the corridor that connects Syria to Turkey UM. 363 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 1: And the Kurds have controlled everything else along the Turkish 364 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: Syrian border except for that little stretch of land UM. 365 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,199 Speaker 1: But now we're seeing the Turks move in much more 366 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: aggressively than they had in the past. Yeah, I mean 367 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 1: it's a very interesting situation. As you said, you know, 368 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:24,680 Speaker 1: we tried to go there, and they were always ways 369 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:28,960 Speaker 1: because to get there somehow, smuggling tunnels, you know, that 370 00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: kind of things. And the interesting thing about offering that 371 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: for the longest time, I mean, let's just reminder that 372 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: our listeners that we are entering into the eight year 373 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:46,880 Speaker 1: of the Syrian conflict. It's eight year is really long 374 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 1: time now, and for the longest time, offering was like 375 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: a safe place for literally one million refugees. So all 376 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: the people coming from Aleppo and you know, from the 377 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 1: ESCO stuff, the west coast, west coast of Syria, from 378 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:09,040 Speaker 1: the I mean I'm talking Latakia, huh, all that kind 379 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:15,680 Speaker 1: of you know part that there's been under regime attack 380 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: and everything. They all flooded to Offering, and Offering is 381 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 1: a place, you know, apparently extremely beautiful, with a lot 382 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:29,120 Speaker 1: of olive olive olive trees and with the internal kind 383 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:33,120 Speaker 1: of economy, and people were able to stay there and 384 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:37,800 Speaker 1: live more or less in peace, you know. And and 385 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: then the Turks decided on January I think fifteen to 386 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: start this operation called the Olive Branch Operation, and they 387 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:50,800 Speaker 1: basically wanted to retake offering from the Kurds. But in Harry, 388 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 1: like over one million people. Because you have one million 389 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: refugees plus a three people of offering and it's up 390 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: fly like nobody from the international community really stood up 391 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 1: and said, hey, what are you doing? And just a 392 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 1: little bit of like background information. So the other two 393 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: cantons in Syria are kind of under the United States 394 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,399 Speaker 1: protective umbrella because we have troops there. Um, we maintain 395 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:21,640 Speaker 1: a presence there. Afrian we have never really had has 396 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: never really been under that umbrella. And if you recall 397 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 1: um during the Manbage offensive, Joe Biden even said something 398 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 1: like that. He's like, look, the deal was, we make 399 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,679 Speaker 1: the offensive, we retake those areas, and then the Curds 400 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 1: have to withdraw back across the river. There was a 401 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: was a policy decision that was made, and that's why 402 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 1: you also saw in the past it seemed like Um 403 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: and the Curds made some statements to the effect that 404 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,399 Speaker 1: they were coordinating air strikes with the Russians around a 405 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: fren rather than with the United States because we wouldn't 406 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,920 Speaker 1: provide our support in that area. Yeah, I think that more. 407 00:24:56,440 --> 00:25:00,159 Speaker 1: I think that especially for offering the Kurds rely is 408 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:04,359 Speaker 1: that because of the U S policy as it just said. Also, 409 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: you know, it's like they kind of had to deal 410 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 1: with the people on the ground and on this side, 411 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,639 Speaker 1: on that side of Syria, that side of Syria is 412 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 1: controlled by Russia. And it is true, you know, now 413 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: you have all the west coast of Assyria that is 414 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:32,120 Speaker 1: being retaken because of the Russian intervention. Otherwise, as sad 415 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:35,720 Speaker 1: than the Syrian regime would have never been able to 416 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 1: retake that side and meanwhile possible Meanwhile, the Turkish government 417 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 1: is never going to accept the Kurdish state on their 418 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:47,400 Speaker 1: southern border. I mean, that's just unacceptable for this government 419 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: and the Urdlewuan regime as it stands today. For sure, 420 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 1: for sure it is, but it is also you know, 421 00:25:54,480 --> 00:26:00,080 Speaker 1: it's like I think it it raises questions about the 422 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: legality quote unquote of disintervention by Turkey that is still 423 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:10,200 Speaker 1: a NATO member, and of invading another country because no 424 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: matter what, you know, anybody else's like the Americans and Russia's, 425 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: they haven't really invaded the country, nobody, and that the 426 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:23,159 Speaker 1: Russians were invited by the Syrian regime. And now the 427 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 1: Syrian regime finds itself with the quote unquote invader in 428 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:32,119 Speaker 1: it on its own thing, but with the we theck 429 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 1: knowledge that they do not have the troops to send 430 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: to Offering in order to quote unquote protect their people 431 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 1: because all the army is in Guta on the at 432 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:47,680 Speaker 1: the door of Damascus and trying to retake that part, 433 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,960 Speaker 1: and the Syrian army is just so shaky after eight years. 434 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: I mean, it's like we've we've all heard the stories 435 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 1: about you know, they pulled the bus up to the 436 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 1: university the first day of class and put all the 437 00:26:57,760 --> 00:26:59,959 Speaker 1: eighteen year olds on there, like welcome to the arm 438 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:02,959 Speaker 1: me guys. So I mean, the Syrian army is not 439 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: like really in any shape to go and duke it 440 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 1: out with the Turkish military. I don't think no. And 441 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:10,679 Speaker 1: also there are a lot of rumors and you know, 442 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:19,919 Speaker 1: um documented news about Turkey deploying a former isis people 443 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 1: in two day. Well yeah, they're they're using ice. Those 444 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,640 Speaker 1: Islamists and the f s A are all like proxy 445 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 1: say but sham like Nusra people and all their proxy 446 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: forces and everything. But a good thing or you know, yes, 447 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 1: the good thing is all the Arabs that have been 448 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:42,400 Speaker 1: fighting with the Curds to retake Rocca, the former capital 449 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,640 Speaker 1: of the Islamic State, are now moving to offering in 450 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 1: order to help out the Curds, saying okay, you helped 451 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:52,120 Speaker 1: us to retake Rocca because Rocca is not part of Rajaba, 452 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:55,280 Speaker 1: is not part of the Cantons. It was like in Arabia. 453 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: It's and you will continue to stay in Arab control 454 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,200 Speaker 1: and they're gonna help out. But in the meantime, at 455 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,480 Speaker 1: least by the way, like hundreds of people have died. 456 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 1: We saw the video that the software published yesterday. How 457 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 1: you know, Turkey is just showing civilians in the city 458 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:20,400 Speaker 1: center of offering and an air strike anything. So, I mean, 459 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 1: and it's amazing. How also, in general public opinion is 460 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 1: very focused on gooda and rightly so, but nothing is 461 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 1: being sad about you know, offering and what's going on, 462 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: and it's incredible. Well that's why I was making a 463 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: comment that like when Aleppo was going down, we were 464 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 1: just bombarded with these al Qaeda activists that were like 465 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,479 Speaker 1: having they were appearing on CNN stuff every day. It was. 466 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: It was incredible. But with Afrin, we're here in very 467 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 1: little you know. Yeah, sorry, you know, I was just 468 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: gonna ask and we'll get back to it. But how 469 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: long has it been since you were in Syria and 470 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:00,440 Speaker 1: it was started like two or three years? No, it 471 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: was like it was twenty sixteen that we were there 472 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: in Damascus, in damasc Yeah, so it's about two two 473 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: years year. I'm wondering if so when you got to 474 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 1: meet with a Sad along with a few other select journalists, 475 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: I'm wondering if your opinion has changed and like the 476 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: past couple of years, from what you how you originally 477 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:25,160 Speaker 1: felt at that time about the war in general, Yeah, 478 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 1: about the war, about chemical weapons, about what needs to 479 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 1: be done with a SAD. I wouldn't say my opinion 480 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: has really changed about it. I mean I think it's 481 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 1: it's it's an uncomfortable, incredibly difficult situation and there aren't 482 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 1: any clear answers. Um. I mean I still think that, 483 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 1: you know, Assad is really all Syria has in a sense. 484 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 1: I mean, you can, I I said at the time 485 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: when I was over there, you can remove a SAD, 486 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:56,040 Speaker 1: But okay, great, you know what what now? Um? And 487 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: in a time you're not gonna remove him or remove 488 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:03,160 Speaker 1: his government and build like some sort of like progressive 489 00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:07,680 Speaker 1: you know, the you know, Jeffersonian democracy in Syria in 490 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 1: the middle of a civil war. I mean, it's just 491 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 1: not going to happen. Um. And you know, some people 492 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 1: I think that's probably the difference between between my opinion 493 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: and that of an activist. UM. But I mean that's 494 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:23,480 Speaker 1: kind of my thoughts on it. It's but I mean, 495 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:26,960 Speaker 1: the war is so incredibly complicated. It's like my opinion 496 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: on which aspect of which front and which groups. I mean, 497 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 1: it's it goes back and forth. I think the big 498 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: challenge is for the Syrian government to figure out how 499 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,960 Speaker 1: to reintegrate all of these areas into you know, back 500 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 1: into the country that we used to know as Syria. 501 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:47,640 Speaker 1: In two thousand and twelve, that country died. It doesn't 502 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:49,760 Speaker 1: exist anymore. And how you piece it back, how you 503 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:53,320 Speaker 1: piece something some new country back together, is really the 504 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 1: um the important question. And it's like, you know, we 505 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: tried to I mean, I know I was talking about it, 506 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:03,960 Speaker 1: and I'm sure some others were too. You know, we 507 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 1: got so fixated on isis people didn't ask themselves a 508 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 1: question of what comes after that? Yeah? Sorry, So what 509 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: were you going to say, Benny, because I don't know, 510 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: I don't remember. I think, you know, it's like I 511 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 1: was looking at some new you know, Syria is a 512 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 1: very is a black hole of information in so many ways. 513 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 1: You know, the latest data we have about how many 514 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:35,960 Speaker 1: people died, for instance, it's from two fifteen, so we're 515 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 1: talking about three years and three years ago it was 516 00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 1: half a million people. So now we know that. I 517 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:44,560 Speaker 1: absolutely agree with Jack when he said that the country 518 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: that we have known as a Syria doesn't exist anymore. Also, 519 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 1: bear in mind that right now there are more Syrian 520 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 1: refugees outside the country than inside the country. So and everything, 521 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: you know, the main places have been destroyed, the economy 522 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: is crippled. I have no idea. And this is very 523 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: interesting because in twenty eleven the projection of growth for 524 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 1: Syria was the best throughout the Middle East, you know, 525 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 1: and it's very interesting to to to see how things 526 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 1: can change and can rapidly change. Now you can remove 527 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,120 Speaker 1: us out, of course, you know, something has been has 528 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 1: to be done somehow, but you can remove us out, 529 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: but the regime is going to be very much there. 530 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: The point here right now is that Syria doesn't have 531 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 1: the capacity anymore to manage and control the whole territory 532 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: as as a whole. So you know, the point, even 533 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 1: the areas that they say they've reclaimed, as we experienced ourselves, 534 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 1: they're not really under government authority, like the way New 535 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 1: York City is under US government control. And you know, 536 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,600 Speaker 1: the institutions of the state are asent here. It's like okay, 537 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 1: they you know, on paper that area of Syria might 538 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,560 Speaker 1: belong to the government again, but in reality there's a 539 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 1: militia on the ground that they cut some sort of 540 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 1: deal with. Yeah, but I think that this was common 541 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 1: so for before that, there were like certain areas controlled 542 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 1: and managed by the local tribes. I'm sure I'm not 543 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 1: talking about the big cities, but I'm talking about like 544 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:27,680 Speaker 1: very rural areas. So now the point now is how 545 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: do you outsource something? And I listened to this very 546 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: interesting talk about how you know, it's like right now 547 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 1: the Kurds are the only group. You know, it's that 548 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 1: we're able not just to regain control and take the 549 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 1: territories that we're interesting in, but to actually manage it. 550 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 1: And if you go to Rojava, you know it's a 551 00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:58,920 Speaker 1: place in which you with a lot of problems. Don't 552 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:01,320 Speaker 1: get me wrong, there are problems. There is not that 553 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 1: it's like Heaven on Earth and everything. There are a 554 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,320 Speaker 1: lot of contradictions. I mean, you're still at war and 555 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 1: you know, there is no position, which is something that 556 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:14,400 Speaker 1: I've been very, very vocal about. But at the end 557 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:16,400 Speaker 1: of the day, they live more or less in peace. 558 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:20,880 Speaker 1: They have a bureaucracy going on, there is a legal system, 559 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: and there is an inclusion system. So now I think 560 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:27,040 Speaker 1: that the main challenge for the Syrian regime is how 561 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:31,720 Speaker 1: can we outsource you know, the bureaucracy of the state. 562 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:35,360 Speaker 1: How can we because of course you have places like Italy, 563 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:40,799 Speaker 1: it has been a stronghold of chi artists, you know, 564 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 1: in any single any in different groups have been pushed 565 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 1: there and you still need to manage it because you 566 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 1: cannot just leave it like this. How do you manage it? 567 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:56,480 Speaker 1: I think that the democratic confederalism, this third as they 568 00:34:56,520 --> 00:35:01,520 Speaker 1: call it, a third way of democratis, could be a 569 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 1: way to still have Assyria as a whole, but at 570 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:11,439 Speaker 1: the same times have different groups managing It's it's kind 571 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 1: of a certain territory, if this makes sense, because there 572 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 1: is there is no you know, I mean, I don't 573 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:20,080 Speaker 1: see any other ways. And I think that there is 574 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:23,279 Speaker 1: a time, after eight years of war that we the 575 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:28,320 Speaker 1: international community, has the obligation to find solutions and this conflict. 576 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:31,920 Speaker 1: I think even the regime acknowledges that that they're going 577 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,759 Speaker 1: to have to They're they're going to have to you 578 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:37,919 Speaker 1: know sort of. I mean, like in America we would 579 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,200 Speaker 1: call it the notion of states rights, that you know, 580 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:43,360 Speaker 1: individual provinces are going to have some sort of autonomy 581 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:46,960 Speaker 1: in exchange for also submitting themselves to a federated system. 582 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: So I think they understand that, um, but you know 583 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:55,520 Speaker 1: how it shakes out practically, you know that this I 584 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: don't think that people are understanding beside you know, what 585 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 1: we could personally think about, you know, the Kurds and everything, 586 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:07,799 Speaker 1: but how you know, important and and game changing this 587 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:13,359 Speaker 1: olive branch operation is because let's say right now, let's 588 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 1: say that the church as you know, will be able 589 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:19,640 Speaker 1: to retake offering, and I think they will because they 590 00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:23,240 Speaker 1: have the manpower, they have the you know, the aerial 591 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:27,880 Speaker 1: power to do so they'll make massacre. But they and 592 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:30,760 Speaker 1: then what shall we do after that? Are they gonna 593 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:33,919 Speaker 1: be in control of that area? That Does that mean 594 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:37,120 Speaker 1: that Syria, as you know, the state is going to 595 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: give up offering and just you know, that's it. I 596 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:44,920 Speaker 1: don't think so. I don't think that the regime, especially 597 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 1: you have a lot of people within the regime that 598 00:36:47,719 --> 00:36:51,880 Speaker 1: they are ultra nationalist and say no, Syria has to 599 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 1: be you know, protected, and we'll have to continue as 600 00:36:56,719 --> 00:37:02,120 Speaker 1: it is. Turkey's Neo Ottoman ambition. You know, I heard 601 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 1: that the Greek military was on a work because they're 602 00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:08,840 Speaker 1: really worried about the Turks trying to take over some 603 00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:13,040 Speaker 1: of those islands that like archipelago that stretches through between 604 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:16,359 Speaker 1: the two countries like that there. I mean, maybe it's 605 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:18,399 Speaker 1: just an a rational fear, but I mean no, no no, 606 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:22,160 Speaker 1: it's not. Actually, there's been like a several speech by 607 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:26,799 Speaker 1: President Urga and like really stating that they should go 608 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 1: back to the Ottoman Empire territory. And you're like, we're inen, 609 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: what are you talking about? And there is Yes, it's 610 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:40,120 Speaker 1: new Ottoman ambition. This is what it was trying to 611 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:43,719 Speaker 1: do in a rock with Tali far and also claiming 612 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:48,719 Speaker 1: that you know, you should be his but no, you know, 613 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:54,160 Speaker 1: the word has gone forward and more than a hundred 614 00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:57,839 Speaker 1: years passed from you gotta wonder about him, Like it's like, 615 00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:01,239 Speaker 1: you know, is his brain being eaten by syphilis? Like 616 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 1: why are you why are you thinking like this? Well, 617 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:07,839 Speaker 1: there's a lot of world leaders just currently who say 618 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:10,719 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff that sounds interactional with the rest 619 00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 1: of us. Yeah, we've i mean completely different part of 620 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:16,799 Speaker 1: the world. What we've talked about to terry day. Who 621 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:20,839 Speaker 1: always comes up, who's who's made crazy statements? And yeah, 622 00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:23,279 Speaker 1: and of course you have Kim Jong Moon and it's like, 623 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:28,240 Speaker 1: how do you find uh, diplomatic relations or or anything 624 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:31,839 Speaker 1: with people who make statements like this. Yeah, I mean, 625 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:34,719 Speaker 1: and and then of course there's a putin and we 626 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:37,359 Speaker 1: talked about with when Jack Divine came on, you know, 627 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:40,799 Speaker 1: about how he's trying to rewrite the rules, um, trying 628 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:44,200 Speaker 1: to rewrite you know, our our accepted notion of you know, 629 00:38:44,239 --> 00:38:47,399 Speaker 1: what world order is. So how do you you know, 630 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:50,279 Speaker 1: in this situation, how do we have diplomacy and how 631 00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:53,959 Speaker 1: the countries interact with one another. And that's that's really 632 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:56,360 Speaker 1: the question of the next one years, I think. And 633 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:59,200 Speaker 1: that also goes to the discussion of like, what's America's 634 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,319 Speaker 1: role in this? Do America have to continue being the 635 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: world police? Is that? Is that a realistic thing? With 636 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:07,799 Speaker 1: the amount of money that we've spent, and as you've 637 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:11,480 Speaker 1: talked about with Afghanistan, what results have we seen from this? Yeah, 638 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:13,399 Speaker 1: I mean that's the main thing. What I mean, I'm 639 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:16,120 Speaker 1: a patient guy. If it takes fifty years to have 640 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:18,719 Speaker 1: a program in place or something like that, and so 641 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:22,120 Speaker 1: be it. But I mean we can see from seventeen years, 642 00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:24,719 Speaker 1: I mean, we really haven't had any impact. I think 643 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:27,279 Speaker 1: it's very interesting. There's been a number of articles on 644 00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:31,080 Speaker 1: China and the new role and because of the new 645 00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:36,240 Speaker 1: White House policy is being basically stepping back from certain 646 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:41,240 Speaker 1: kind of rights of inclusion, of democracy. And then how 647 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:45,600 Speaker 1: China in the past year is being able to reshape 648 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:51,160 Speaker 1: and rebrand their own like kind of democracy they're trying 649 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:54,439 Speaker 1: because you know, for the longest time America has been 650 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:59,480 Speaker 1: you know, the the champions of exporting democracy, on helping 651 00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:02,759 Speaker 1: you know, peoples and again of inclusion and stuff. And 652 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:08,279 Speaker 1: this has changed, seeince, and that gave room not just 653 00:40:08,320 --> 00:40:11,760 Speaker 1: to China but also to Russia to move more freely 654 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:16,960 Speaker 1: and convince you know that their policy is the best. 655 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:20,359 Speaker 1: So it's not just about policing the world, but the 656 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:24,640 Speaker 1: whole package that comes with the policing the world. People 657 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:27,520 Speaker 1: have criticized that whole package for a long time is 658 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:30,960 Speaker 1: being neo colonialism and all this other sort of stuff, 659 00:40:31,239 --> 00:40:35,480 Speaker 1: imperialistic ambitions of the United States. The second we step away, 660 00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:40,160 Speaker 1: you have communists China jumping in there. You have this uh, 661 00:40:40,239 --> 00:40:44,319 Speaker 1: you know, kleptocratic Russian state jumping in there. So I mean, 662 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:47,640 Speaker 1: are these countries going to be better for I'm not 663 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:51,200 Speaker 1: saying that ability rating. You know that what's going on 664 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:55,080 Speaker 1: on international level because you know, the United States stepping 665 00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:58,720 Speaker 1: out from the Paris Accord, that there are all little 666 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:04,640 Speaker 1: things you know, that are just bringing to isolation. Is 667 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:09,360 Speaker 1: the US is becoming more and more and more isolated. 668 00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:12,239 Speaker 1: And that also means that that role that has been 669 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:15,839 Speaker 1: you know, fulfilled by the American for the longest time 670 00:41:16,239 --> 00:41:21,440 Speaker 1: after World War Two, now it's becoming vacant. And then 671 00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:24,840 Speaker 1: of course you have other you know, you have other 672 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:30,480 Speaker 1: countries stepping up superpowers and the superpowers our does China, 673 00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:35,239 Speaker 1: America and Russia. You know, there's only one global superpower. 674 00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:39,239 Speaker 1: There are other rising powers. Yeah, but still, you know, 675 00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:45,799 Speaker 1: if you're not anymore that kind of country, yeah, for sure. 676 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 1: China is a country that they see themselves that they 677 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:53,440 Speaker 1: should be the predominant hedgemon in the world, and they should. 678 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:56,480 Speaker 1: Then they their plan is to displace the United States 679 00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:58,560 Speaker 1: and kick us out of that role. And is it 680 00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:01,239 Speaker 1: unrealistic when you will get the amount of exports, when 681 00:42:01,239 --> 00:42:04,160 Speaker 1: you look at the amount of money that we owe, uh, 682 00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:07,200 Speaker 1: you know, oh, it's not unrealistic. And this is the 683 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:10,160 Speaker 1: I mean, this is the really I know, I've talked 684 00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:12,400 Speaker 1: about it many times. I mean, this is the issue 685 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:14,120 Speaker 1: that keeps me up at night. I mean, you look 686 00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:17,200 Speaker 1: at what's going on in China and these like insane 687 00:42:17,440 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 1: social experiments. I mean, it's not any exaggeration to say 688 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:26,120 Speaker 1: that it's Orwellian their social credit system. Uh, they're creating 689 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:31,080 Speaker 1: this like nightmare dictatorship um that wants to harmonize and 690 00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:36,800 Speaker 1: homogenize the population of the entire world into into one. Uh. 691 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:39,279 Speaker 1: It's the ideology of the human ant hill And I 692 00:42:39,280 --> 00:42:43,280 Speaker 1: mean that's probably the most concerning thing for me. Yeah, 693 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:45,959 Speaker 1: just as we were saying on the last episode that 694 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:48,200 Speaker 1: when people ask me what is the biggest threat to 695 00:42:48,239 --> 00:42:50,880 Speaker 1: the US, you have said for many years that it's China. 696 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:53,360 Speaker 1: It's not a bunch of dudes wearing flip flops with 697 00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:56,239 Speaker 1: Rusty a K forty seven's out in the desert. It 698 00:42:56,360 --> 00:42:59,759 Speaker 1: just isn't. It never has been. But but it's understandable 699 00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:02,520 Speaker 1: why people would feel this way. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, 700 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:05,200 Speaker 1: China didn't blow up the World Trade Center, so I 701 00:43:05,239 --> 00:43:08,280 Speaker 1: mean that people don't see it that way. Yeah. Yeah, 702 00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:11,560 Speaker 1: there's not the same visual evidence out right. Yeah, but 703 00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:16,000 Speaker 1: the visual evidence sometimes are just visual evidence, meaning you know, yes, 704 00:43:16,080 --> 00:43:18,680 Speaker 1: of course, you know the World Trade Center. Don't get 705 00:43:18,719 --> 00:43:22,400 Speaker 1: me wrong, it was you know, disturbing a terrorist act 706 00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:25,919 Speaker 1: and everything, but two to two thousand people have died, 707 00:43:26,560 --> 00:43:29,640 Speaker 1: and it was a symbol. It's a symbol of the 708 00:43:29,719 --> 00:43:33,760 Speaker 1: word changing. But then you know, al Qaida is not 709 00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:36,239 Speaker 1: the biggest threat and it hasn't been, not even in 710 00:43:36,239 --> 00:43:40,600 Speaker 1: two thousand one. For US national China. China is a 711 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:44,839 Speaker 1: smarter adversary. And their policy, I mean, and they've even 712 00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:48,040 Speaker 1: said this openly, it's not to confront the United States 713 00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:53,840 Speaker 1: openly militarily. It's about slowly incrementally pushing the United States 714 00:43:53,840 --> 00:43:56,239 Speaker 1: out of places that they want to dominate. It's not 715 00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:58,320 Speaker 1: they do not want an open shooting world with the 716 00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:01,880 Speaker 1: United States. And they're very be careful about calibrating their 717 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:05,640 Speaker 1: their foreign policy and their military policies that were that 718 00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:08,719 Speaker 1: they're not going to trigger something like you know, like 719 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:11,279 Speaker 1: Pearl Harbors, and you know, that's an extreme example. They're 720 00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:13,160 Speaker 1: not they're not going to go to those lines because 721 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:15,800 Speaker 1: that would be counterproductive for them. I know, you guys, 722 00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:17,879 Speaker 1: you don't want to maybe talk about this, but I 723 00:44:17,880 --> 00:44:20,719 Speaker 1: still think that the biggest shrud for national security is 724 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:24,440 Speaker 1: Russia is not China. I'm sorry, Russia. Russia is failing. 725 00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:27,120 Speaker 1: I mean, they have a crap economy. They're falling apart, 726 00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:32,279 Speaker 1: they have their per capita um growth rate is dismal. No, no, 727 00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:36,240 Speaker 1: I'm not talking about economically wise. I'm talking about national security, 728 00:44:36,320 --> 00:44:40,000 Speaker 1: the disrupting the stuff. And I found it extremely troubling 729 00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:44,759 Speaker 1: now the latest news of these target assassinations that you 730 00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:49,600 Speaker 1: know have happened before. And we all remember Littlenenko and 731 00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:53,319 Speaker 1: all the pictures of me, of him, you know, being 732 00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:57,200 Speaker 1: completely bold in the hospital, bad in the UK. But 733 00:44:57,320 --> 00:45:00,719 Speaker 1: now you know, I the fact that they keep on 734 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:05,800 Speaker 1: doing and this meddling of elections and shaping public opinion, 735 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:09,640 Speaker 1: I think that is extremely troubling. And I think they're 736 00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:13,880 Speaker 1: succeeding regardless or not their six And I feel also 737 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:19,279 Speaker 1: that the rays of extreme right wing throughout Europe is 738 00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:23,400 Speaker 1: part of the Russian strategies to this rock Western democracy 739 00:45:24,680 --> 00:45:29,560 Speaker 1: and I feel that that is more troubling than china 740 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:34,359 Speaker 1: economic rise in so many different ways. And well that's 741 00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:37,600 Speaker 1: my humble opinion, but I think that we should really 742 00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:42,640 Speaker 1: take this Russian trap way way more seriously than we 743 00:45:42,719 --> 00:45:46,760 Speaker 1: are right now, because obviously, you know, like social media 744 00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:49,560 Speaker 1: open up a new world for all of us, you know, 745 00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:53,200 Speaker 1: I remember, like Facebook reminded me just a couple of 746 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:56,080 Speaker 1: days ago that I've been on Facebook for ten years 747 00:45:56,160 --> 00:46:00,239 Speaker 1: and I'm thinking, and I tried to remember, how did 748 00:46:00,239 --> 00:46:03,400 Speaker 1: I use Facebook when I first opened account? And what 749 00:46:03,560 --> 00:46:07,840 Speaker 1: happens now and now? How you know? Facebook is able 750 00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:11,920 Speaker 1: to shape rightly or wrongly, so, you know, public opinion 751 00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:14,640 Speaker 1: in a way that I've never We've never seen a 752 00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:17,680 Speaker 1: never in compax. That's actually one positive thing I think 753 00:46:17,719 --> 00:46:20,640 Speaker 1: that came out of this last election is that people 754 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:24,560 Speaker 1: have finally woken up to the notion of how easy 755 00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:28,200 Speaker 1: it is to manipulate public opinion, how to manipulate your 756 00:46:28,239 --> 00:46:31,279 Speaker 1: emotions using social media, and people are just at the 757 00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:34,319 Speaker 1: very i I feel like, the very first stages of 758 00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:37,040 Speaker 1: like I don't want to say unplugging themselves, but like 759 00:46:37,080 --> 00:46:42,399 Speaker 1: inoculating themselves to electronic propaganda. Although you know, I think 760 00:46:42,440 --> 00:46:44,960 Speaker 1: it's right now, the way that the people who run 761 00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:48,040 Speaker 1: these websites are combating it is kind of interesting and 762 00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:51,440 Speaker 1: in a scary way because they have their own agendas. 763 00:46:51,480 --> 00:46:55,040 Speaker 1: I think Mark Zuckerberg, for example, feels in some way 764 00:46:55,120 --> 00:46:58,040 Speaker 1: guilty for Trump getting elected because of the amount of 765 00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:01,560 Speaker 1: like Russian propaganda and stuff. And you know, for example, 766 00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:04,680 Speaker 1: now I saw on Twitter, Um, they just suspended Stephen 767 00:47:04,760 --> 00:47:08,759 Speaker 1: Crowder for posting some right wing video. Uh, you know, 768 00:47:09,520 --> 00:47:12,120 Speaker 1: it's no. I think when these sites first open, people 769 00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:14,879 Speaker 1: saw them as this like beacon of free speech, and 770 00:47:14,960 --> 00:47:18,080 Speaker 1: now they're controlling certain things and saying like, we don't 771 00:47:18,080 --> 00:47:20,680 Speaker 1: want this type of speech on our website. We're going 772 00:47:20,719 --> 00:47:23,800 Speaker 1: to stay away from these kinds of ads. And it 773 00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:26,839 Speaker 1: doesn't fall under free speech because these are companies are 774 00:47:27,040 --> 00:47:31,320 Speaker 1: private companies owned by individuals. And if Mark Zuckerberg says, 775 00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:35,000 Speaker 1: for example, Fox News is fake news, we want to 776 00:47:35,040 --> 00:47:37,240 Speaker 1: put a warning before any of those links are posted, 777 00:47:37,560 --> 00:47:40,480 Speaker 1: he has every right too. And then he and this 778 00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:46,120 Speaker 1: organization could um influenced public opinion based on their own agendas. 779 00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:48,960 Speaker 1: This is like the bigger conversation that's been around really. 780 00:47:49,320 --> 00:47:52,640 Speaker 1: I mean I remember reading about this in the nine nineties. 781 00:47:52,760 --> 00:47:56,120 Speaker 1: Is just like the rise of transnational corporations, and like 782 00:47:56,440 --> 00:47:58,640 Speaker 1: when you have these corporations that are so big and 783 00:47:58,680 --> 00:48:02,040 Speaker 1: so powerful, it ray This is the question of like okay, Ian, great, 784 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:04,200 Speaker 1: you have a freedom of speech, but you have no voice, 785 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:06,440 Speaker 1: Like you can't say, you know, you have to ask 786 00:48:06,520 --> 00:48:12,600 Speaker 1: some massive corporation, um, you know, for permission and it 787 00:48:12,640 --> 00:48:14,680 Speaker 1: brings up the question of like how much room is 788 00:48:14,719 --> 00:48:18,480 Speaker 1: there in society for individual choice, free will you know 789 00:48:18,560 --> 00:48:20,680 Speaker 1: things like this? Yeah, but it's also true. I mean, 790 00:48:20,719 --> 00:48:23,960 Speaker 1: if you think about the trajectory of Facebook again, I 791 00:48:24,000 --> 00:48:26,640 Speaker 1: remember when I first opened the account, it was mainly 792 00:48:26,719 --> 00:48:29,840 Speaker 1: to be in contact with people that were living far away. 793 00:48:29,880 --> 00:48:32,040 Speaker 1: Ye see photos of your kid, to talk to your aunt, 794 00:48:32,560 --> 00:48:36,000 Speaker 1: talked to my aunt or my family or whatever. You know. 795 00:48:36,560 --> 00:48:39,840 Speaker 1: Right now, the reality is that there has been a 796 00:48:40,239 --> 00:48:46,000 Speaker 1: major failure from media organizations and and it's also true 797 00:48:46,080 --> 00:48:50,080 Speaker 1: that I think that we developed these things that if 798 00:48:50,120 --> 00:48:53,600 Speaker 1: we believe that the moon spink, Okay, hey, there's people 799 00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:56,880 Speaker 1: believe the earth is flat, where the earth is flat, exactly, 800 00:48:57,080 --> 00:48:59,320 Speaker 1: You're gonna go on the Internet and you're gonna find 801 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:02,960 Speaker 1: some thing that is going to support your ideo. So 802 00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:06,160 Speaker 1: this is the part I think that it really kind 803 00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:10,200 Speaker 1: of the game changer is like there is I don't 804 00:49:10,239 --> 00:49:14,160 Speaker 1: feel that, you know, it's like Facebook or Twitter of that, 805 00:49:14,360 --> 00:49:17,960 Speaker 1: which is mainly used by journalists and politicians by the way, 806 00:49:18,080 --> 00:49:22,360 Speaker 1: But it's true, and you know, it's like it's not 807 00:49:22,400 --> 00:49:26,080 Speaker 1: a question of influence, it's just you're gonna find whatever 808 00:49:26,320 --> 00:49:30,800 Speaker 1: you want to find. And then Facebook works with an algorithm. 809 00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:32,759 Speaker 1: I don't know if you're not yes, you you know, 810 00:49:32,800 --> 00:49:35,359 Speaker 1: it's like you're you're gonna see over and over and 811 00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:39,520 Speaker 1: over again the same people that you interrupt with. And 812 00:49:39,920 --> 00:49:43,640 Speaker 1: I think that that is what's wrong with it. That's 813 00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:47,920 Speaker 1: an echo chamber. Then yeah, and also, you know, they 814 00:49:47,960 --> 00:49:51,640 Speaker 1: did talk about post election because of the results, because 815 00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:54,200 Speaker 1: of the influence on social media. Like I said, this 816 00:49:54,239 --> 00:49:56,920 Speaker 1: whole idea of we're going to crack down in fake news, Well, 817 00:49:56,920 --> 00:49:59,239 Speaker 1: then who's the arbiter of what is and it's not 818 00:49:59,360 --> 00:50:02,920 Speaker 1: fake news? Yeah, I don't want someone deciding that. And 819 00:50:02,960 --> 00:50:06,200 Speaker 1: there's plenty of fake news that's posted. But I'm just 820 00:50:06,520 --> 00:50:09,520 Speaker 1: I'm wondering who decides. I mean, there's there's stuff that 821 00:50:09,560 --> 00:50:11,880 Speaker 1: you've posted before, the people have said fake news that 822 00:50:11,920 --> 00:50:13,960 Speaker 1: didn't turn out to be fake news, you know, So 823 00:50:14,520 --> 00:50:17,239 Speaker 1: I mean any news you don't like, it's fake news, 824 00:50:17,400 --> 00:50:22,759 Speaker 1: right of course, yeah, according to our Yeah, but you know, 825 00:50:22,800 --> 00:50:28,359 Speaker 1: but do you remember like the pizza thing, pizza gay 826 00:50:28,520 --> 00:50:31,000 Speaker 1: then that got completely viral and it wasn't true. It 827 00:50:31,120 --> 00:50:35,719 Speaker 1: was like it was actually untrue, And how do you 828 00:50:35,800 --> 00:50:38,600 Speaker 1: do that? I don't think there is a real solution 829 00:50:38,680 --> 00:50:41,960 Speaker 1: for it beside people getting smarter or maybe read something 830 00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:46,080 Speaker 1: else beside their Facebook and annoying. And I agree with that. 831 00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:48,000 Speaker 1: But then, for example, and I talked about this on 832 00:50:48,000 --> 00:50:51,360 Speaker 1: the show with Daniel Bezer. Al Right, wester Holt from NBC. 833 00:50:51,880 --> 00:50:54,160 Speaker 1: Most people, you know, although they might say left wing, 834 00:50:54,320 --> 00:50:59,040 Speaker 1: consider NBC a good source for news for the most part. 835 00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:01,880 Speaker 1: He went you what he thought was some North Korea 836 00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:05,600 Speaker 1: training camp Olympics, and it turns out he was completely dooped. 837 00:51:06,000 --> 00:51:08,360 Speaker 1: That was fake news from a mainstream media. Yeah, but 838 00:51:08,400 --> 00:51:11,960 Speaker 1: I mean that people, yeah, people through up. Any journalist 839 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:14,520 Speaker 1: that's going to make mistakes over their career, I mean, 840 00:51:14,840 --> 00:51:17,000 Speaker 1: that's going to happen. I mean you're looking for like 841 00:51:17,040 --> 00:51:20,279 Speaker 1: a perfect know what I mean. I just from my 842 00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:22,640 Speaker 1: only point is like who decides what is fake? Yeah, 843 00:51:22,880 --> 00:51:25,919 Speaker 1: but it's different because I think that now the main 844 00:51:26,400 --> 00:51:31,280 Speaker 1: wariness is that you can you have evidence of Russian 845 00:51:31,480 --> 00:51:36,799 Speaker 1: just putting out like staff that are not real in 846 00:51:36,880 --> 00:51:40,080 Speaker 1: order to meddle with elections, And that is I think 847 00:51:40,200 --> 00:51:43,960 Speaker 1: the troubling part. And it's not you know, everybody makes mistakes. 848 00:51:43,960 --> 00:51:46,080 Speaker 1: If you work, you do make mistakes, then it's going 849 00:51:46,120 --> 00:51:49,239 Speaker 1: to happen that you know, exactly. You know, as Jack said, 850 00:51:49,320 --> 00:51:52,839 Speaker 1: you know, journalists, we're all human after all, after all, 851 00:51:52,880 --> 00:51:56,160 Speaker 1: and we can make a mistake. But then you know, 852 00:51:56,320 --> 00:52:00,279 Speaker 1: like it's different because you hopefully as a journey it's 853 00:52:00,360 --> 00:52:04,320 Speaker 1: not necessarily you want to manipulate, you know, public compinion 854 00:52:04,400 --> 00:52:06,600 Speaker 1: in there in your own way in order to have 855 00:52:06,719 --> 00:52:09,480 Speaker 1: your candidate we or not your candidate or whatever it is. 856 00:52:09,640 --> 00:52:13,080 Speaker 1: You know, I think that that is troubling. So cut 857 00:52:13,160 --> 00:52:17,239 Speaker 1: the long story short. Do not believe what everything you'll 858 00:52:17,280 --> 00:52:20,160 Speaker 1: read on Facebook because it might be faking. Check other sources, 859 00:52:20,239 --> 00:52:24,680 Speaker 1: Check other sources, as they believe almost none of it. Yeah. Um, 860 00:52:25,040 --> 00:52:27,279 Speaker 1: you know, I know that we're wrapping things up here, 861 00:52:27,320 --> 00:52:29,840 Speaker 1: but I wanted to get into a completely different topic 862 00:52:29,920 --> 00:52:32,200 Speaker 1: real quick. And I know that this is neither of 863 00:52:32,239 --> 00:52:35,319 Speaker 1: your area of expertise, but being that it's like a 864 00:52:35,440 --> 00:52:37,279 Speaker 1: big topic right now, I'd kind of like to hear 865 00:52:37,320 --> 00:52:40,520 Speaker 1: both your opinions of just our president or administration meeting 866 00:52:40,520 --> 00:52:45,040 Speaker 1: with Kim Jong hoon. It's completely unprecedented and people are 867 00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:48,719 Speaker 1: very opinionated on it, while it remains to be seen 868 00:52:48,760 --> 00:52:50,960 Speaker 1: if it's even going to happen, because we've seen how 869 00:52:51,040 --> 00:52:53,759 Speaker 1: much foot flopping is happening, and you know in our 870 00:52:53,760 --> 00:52:59,600 Speaker 1: government right now, UM, I would not do it. UM. 871 00:52:59,640 --> 00:53:02,880 Speaker 1: I think it just lends credibility to to the regime 872 00:53:03,160 --> 00:53:08,160 Speaker 1: UM and Kim, the Kim regime, it is a criminal regime. UM. 873 00:53:08,280 --> 00:53:12,760 Speaker 1: And I'm open to diplomatic UM communications with that regime, 874 00:53:12,880 --> 00:53:17,200 Speaker 1: because I mean, I support diplomacy with any country. But 875 00:53:17,320 --> 00:53:20,160 Speaker 1: I don't think there's any reason why our president has 876 00:53:20,200 --> 00:53:22,680 Speaker 1: to meet with our president. Do you think we're being 877 00:53:22,719 --> 00:53:26,640 Speaker 1: played for a photo op of some stor Kim Jong 878 00:53:26,719 --> 00:53:29,759 Speaker 1: Ill met with Bill Quinton when there were two journalists 879 00:53:29,760 --> 00:53:33,839 Speaker 1: over there. No, yeah, no they never met. No, no, no, 880 00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:38,160 Speaker 1: it wasn't non American president. It posted three decades I've 881 00:53:38,239 --> 00:53:41,640 Speaker 1: ever met, not while he was president, not while he 882 00:53:41,719 --> 00:53:44,239 Speaker 1: was president. We are talking a completely different thing. But 883 00:53:44,320 --> 00:53:46,759 Speaker 1: I'm saying that that. My point was that so when 884 00:53:46,760 --> 00:53:49,799 Speaker 1: the true journalists it was Laureling, right, not Lesa Ling. 885 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:54,440 Speaker 1: Jimmy Carter went over there to Kim Jong Ill at 886 00:53:54,480 --> 00:53:57,320 Speaker 1: the time, wanted to get a photo op with former 887 00:53:57,360 --> 00:54:00,640 Speaker 1: President Quinton. And like I'm just saying, this is what 888 00:54:00,680 --> 00:54:02,960 Speaker 1: they do. They like to get a photo of. But 889 00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:04,839 Speaker 1: you know why they want to have a photo because 890 00:54:04,840 --> 00:54:08,360 Speaker 1: it gives legitimacy to the regime. Once Donald Trump is 891 00:54:08,360 --> 00:54:12,760 Speaker 1: gonna meet Kim yongon, that means that he recognizes him 892 00:54:12,800 --> 00:54:16,160 Speaker 1: as a head of state. And that is what's danger here. 893 00:54:16,200 --> 00:54:20,719 Speaker 1: It's about because once you've recognize the regime, then you know, 894 00:54:21,080 --> 00:54:24,200 Speaker 1: you have to start negotiating and you know the outcome. 895 00:54:24,680 --> 00:54:28,600 Speaker 1: Let's say that Donald Trump is going to meet Kim yongan, 896 00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:32,960 Speaker 1: Like the United States doesn't have an ambassador in South Korea, 897 00:54:33,400 --> 00:54:39,040 Speaker 1: he hasn't feeled the post. The highest official force for 898 00:54:39,160 --> 00:54:43,759 Speaker 1: the Korean peninsula resigned two weeks ago, so there is 899 00:54:44,000 --> 00:54:48,919 Speaker 1: no how official being able to guide the president through 900 00:54:49,200 --> 00:54:54,080 Speaker 1: very complicated meeting. And Trump obviously isn't prepared for Obviously 901 00:54:54,200 --> 00:54:58,520 Speaker 1: Trump based and prepared according to you know, reports about 902 00:54:58,600 --> 00:55:02,400 Speaker 1: what happened in the gist of this meeting, it's incredible. 903 00:55:02,480 --> 00:55:05,440 Speaker 1: So basically he walked in and meeting. It wasn't supposed 904 00:55:05,480 --> 00:55:08,319 Speaker 1: to be there. There was a succoreine officials, you know, 905 00:55:08,719 --> 00:55:13,080 Speaker 1: trying you know, to negotiate and understand what could be 906 00:55:13,160 --> 00:55:15,920 Speaker 1: the four steps, and they said something like, ah, ask 907 00:55:16,000 --> 00:55:18,279 Speaker 1: him you younger and wants to meet you. And he 908 00:55:18,400 --> 00:55:21,360 Speaker 1: was like, okay, let's do it. And everybody was like, whoa, 909 00:55:21,880 --> 00:55:27,120 Speaker 1: without even consulting anybody. And that's trubling because let's say that, 910 00:55:27,200 --> 00:55:31,359 Speaker 1: you know, they meet and and they do not get 911 00:55:31,360 --> 00:55:35,560 Speaker 1: along or they say whatever, then could that could escalate things. 912 00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:37,560 Speaker 1: That's the thing is that, I mean, Trump's has so 913 00:55:37,640 --> 00:55:39,759 Speaker 1: much stuff on a daily basis, and like he has 914 00:55:39,800 --> 00:55:42,040 Speaker 1: made some off the cuff comments in that meeting. He 915 00:55:42,080 --> 00:55:44,440 Speaker 1: can change his mind, you know, at the drop of 916 00:55:44,440 --> 00:55:47,160 Speaker 1: the head. And now you can't really, you know, because 917 00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:50,080 Speaker 1: also Mike Pompeo is in there. And it's very funny 918 00:55:50,200 --> 00:55:54,640 Speaker 1: how you know, the main proponent of that policy of 919 00:55:54,960 --> 00:56:00,600 Speaker 1: about talking reopened diplomacy with North Korea was the wreck Stillerson. 920 00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:03,800 Speaker 1: And then he sat there and it's incredible, it's amazing. 921 00:56:03,960 --> 00:56:07,640 Speaker 1: You know, it's like, well it he's not going to 922 00:56:07,719 --> 00:56:10,279 Speaker 1: be able to see his own policy. How he's gonna 923 00:56:10,560 --> 00:56:13,560 Speaker 1: you know, paved out. But I know that you know, 924 00:56:13,680 --> 00:56:17,280 Speaker 1: from my understanding is Mike compared the new Secretary of State, 925 00:56:18,320 --> 00:56:20,680 Speaker 1: it's gonna be there. It's gonna help him, and hopefully 926 00:56:20,680 --> 00:56:23,680 Speaker 1: it's gonna have a lot of intelligence of being you know, 927 00:56:23,800 --> 00:56:27,480 Speaker 1: former CIA director, and they'll know more or less what 928 00:56:27,600 --> 00:56:32,280 Speaker 1: to do. But my fear is besides of the political 929 00:56:32,360 --> 00:56:35,880 Speaker 1: colors of Donald Trump, is that I feel that, you know, 930 00:56:36,040 --> 00:56:38,279 Speaker 1: it really is not doesn't know what to do, and 931 00:56:38,320 --> 00:56:41,480 Speaker 1: that I feel it's very dangerous. It's interesting and I 932 00:56:41,480 --> 00:56:44,040 Speaker 1: don't want to make a direct comparison, but I mean 933 00:56:44,320 --> 00:56:47,520 Speaker 1: it reminds me of Putin in the sense that there 934 00:56:47,520 --> 00:56:50,000 Speaker 1: are like these two narratives. There's one narrative that, like, 935 00:56:50,680 --> 00:56:53,600 Speaker 1: you know, Vladimir Putin is this uh, you know, evil 936 00:56:53,680 --> 00:56:57,920 Speaker 1: like mastermind. You know, he's like Cobra commander um. But 937 00:56:57,960 --> 00:57:01,120 Speaker 1: then there's the other narrative is Putin's really just making 938 00:57:01,120 --> 00:57:03,960 Speaker 1: it upday today and just the way you know, the 939 00:57:05,520 --> 00:57:07,200 Speaker 1: you don't think he's just kind of like coming in 940 00:57:07,280 --> 00:57:09,959 Speaker 1: and kind of like and like his perception of risk 941 00:57:10,040 --> 00:57:12,400 Speaker 1: is a little bit different than you know ours is. 942 00:57:12,520 --> 00:57:15,359 Speaker 1: I think that as an officer of fit has been 943 00:57:15,440 --> 00:57:18,760 Speaker 1: highly trained to think high had It's like a chess game. 944 00:57:19,320 --> 00:57:23,360 Speaker 1: It is a chess game. Is nothing is improvised with Putting. 945 00:57:23,480 --> 00:57:26,880 Speaker 1: I don't believe that. I honestly don't. I'm not saying 946 00:57:27,040 --> 00:57:31,200 Speaker 1: improvised so much. I'm saying I think they make brass, 947 00:57:31,440 --> 00:57:36,360 Speaker 1: brash decisions that are not planned out, Like ten years 948 00:57:36,360 --> 00:57:38,720 Speaker 1: in advance that I think it could be said with 949 00:57:38,760 --> 00:57:42,160 Speaker 1: Trump for sure, because the fact that, uh, and it's 950 00:57:42,240 --> 00:57:43,800 Speaker 1: you know, I know, in this audience there's a lot 951 00:57:43,840 --> 00:57:45,880 Speaker 1: of people who are big fans of Trump, a lot 952 00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:49,640 Speaker 1: of people who don't like Trump. But being um, you know, 953 00:57:50,400 --> 00:57:55,360 Speaker 1: being objective on this, the fact that recently on Twitter, 954 00:57:55,400 --> 00:57:57,640 Speaker 1: he was saying these things like Kim Jong ouen has 955 00:57:57,680 --> 00:57:59,280 Speaker 1: a new clear button, but I have a bigger new 956 00:57:59,320 --> 00:58:02,680 Speaker 1: clear button, and Kim Jong un calling him a dotard, 957 00:58:02,680 --> 00:58:04,640 Speaker 1: which people had to look up with that meant, which 958 00:58:04,680 --> 00:58:08,000 Speaker 1: was interesting, Like this does not set the stage for 959 00:58:08,160 --> 00:58:10,160 Speaker 1: I want to have the nomatic really now, it doesn't 960 00:58:10,160 --> 00:58:13,760 Speaker 1: really seem like to you know, you know, professionals, heads 961 00:58:13,760 --> 00:58:18,040 Speaker 1: of state meeting with Kimmy. I'm going, finally, after three 962 00:58:18,080 --> 00:58:20,760 Speaker 1: decades after he's father, He's going, father tried to meet 963 00:58:20,760 --> 00:58:24,000 Speaker 1: an American president. Here we are. Can you imagine how 964 00:58:24,080 --> 00:58:31,360 Speaker 1: happy is not? You know? Yeah, you know, finally I 965 00:58:31,440 --> 00:58:36,360 Speaker 1: made it. It's wild. It is. Well, we'll see how 966 00:58:36,400 --> 00:58:39,280 Speaker 1: it plays out. Um, and I guess before we wrap 967 00:58:39,400 --> 00:58:43,080 Speaker 1: up here, um, I am the revolution. When do we 968 00:58:43,120 --> 00:58:46,720 Speaker 1: see this coming out? Any you know, we're editing right now, 969 00:58:46,840 --> 00:58:49,960 Speaker 1: so it's all shot though, Yeah, it's so shot. That's 970 00:58:50,000 --> 00:58:54,880 Speaker 1: it and hopefully by the fall of does that mean 971 00:58:54,960 --> 00:58:58,160 Speaker 1: for eighteen it'll be submitted to these film festivals and 972 00:58:58,200 --> 00:59:04,640 Speaker 1: then okay and then something hopefully Amazon Netflix, that's something, yeah, 973 00:59:04,800 --> 00:59:06,640 Speaker 1: which we hope to see of course. So you could 974 00:59:06,720 --> 00:59:10,920 Speaker 1: you could see Benny online um at Benedetta dash our 975 00:59:10,960 --> 00:59:14,040 Speaker 1: Gentieri dot com. I'll spell that out. Uh. And there's 976 00:59:14,440 --> 00:59:16,120 Speaker 1: maybe her dogs in the back ring because they do 977 00:59:16,200 --> 00:59:18,800 Speaker 1: allow dogs here at alley, which I love. I feel 978 00:59:18,800 --> 00:59:21,240 Speaker 1: like I talked to more dogs here than people, but 979 00:59:21,320 --> 00:59:24,880 Speaker 1: I love dogs. Um. And so that's b E n 980 00:59:25,000 --> 00:59:28,760 Speaker 1: E d e t t A dash a r g 981 00:59:29,080 --> 00:59:33,480 Speaker 1: e n t I e r i dot com at 982 00:59:33,640 --> 00:59:37,160 Speaker 1: ben our Gentiery on Twitter and that's just at ben 983 00:59:37,520 --> 00:59:41,360 Speaker 1: our gentier e UM and possible film. I'm saying it 984 00:59:41,400 --> 00:59:47,760 Speaker 1: with the I'm saying like the Spanish way because I've 985 00:59:47,800 --> 00:59:51,320 Speaker 1: never took Italian. There's one film that's done on there, 986 00:59:51,400 --> 00:59:53,160 Speaker 1: there's one in the works, and then there's one that 987 00:59:53,200 --> 00:59:55,800 Speaker 1: you're not involved with. From what I've seen, yes, there 988 00:59:55,920 --> 01:00:00,080 Speaker 1: is a there is um this documentary about plants and 989 01:00:00,320 --> 01:00:05,520 Speaker 1: how you know, the plans can talk to us and 990 01:00:05,600 --> 01:00:09,360 Speaker 1: understand us. It's not really my thing. But it's safe 991 01:00:09,400 --> 01:00:12,920 Speaker 1: to say that this is not, you know, just war documentaries. 992 01:00:12,960 --> 01:00:16,560 Speaker 1: It's you guys are going all across the board to say, 993 01:00:16,600 --> 01:00:19,439 Speaker 1: you wait because it's all female. No, no, no, no, 994 01:00:19,560 --> 01:00:24,080 Speaker 1: not my The co founders are both man. Got you, Okay, 995 01:00:24,240 --> 01:00:26,160 Speaker 1: I'm just thinking about I guess who was a part 996 01:00:26,200 --> 01:00:29,640 Speaker 1: of I am the Revolution. I am female female, which 997 01:00:29,680 --> 01:00:31,560 Speaker 1: is awesome. It's I think that's really cool to say. 998 01:00:31,600 --> 01:00:34,720 Speaker 1: I mean, there's been this whole um outcry, especially with 999 01:00:34,760 --> 01:00:37,920 Speaker 1: the Oscars and stuff, for more female directors, more female 1000 01:00:38,600 --> 01:00:42,360 Speaker 1: documentary filmmakers, and you're all doing it on your own. 1001 01:00:42,520 --> 01:00:45,440 Speaker 1: This is not someone saying, you know, we need to 1002 01:00:45,480 --> 01:00:48,160 Speaker 1: set this up this way. This is as grassroots. As 1003 01:00:48,160 --> 01:00:51,160 Speaker 1: a guest, yes, it is absolutely also because you know 1004 01:00:51,560 --> 01:00:55,040 Speaker 1: it was. It was never really a political move, but 1005 01:00:55,080 --> 01:00:58,720 Speaker 1: it was an access kind of question. So of course 1006 01:00:58,800 --> 01:01:02,680 Speaker 1: if you go in especially this kind of I don't 1007 01:01:02,720 --> 01:01:05,280 Speaker 1: want to use segregated, but in a way they are. 1008 01:01:05,640 --> 01:01:08,760 Speaker 1: Men and women in these countries are kind of segregated. 1009 01:01:09,480 --> 01:01:12,080 Speaker 1: And if you have a DP, a director of photography, 1010 01:01:12,120 --> 01:01:15,920 Speaker 1: and a cinematographer who is men, of course you're gonna 1011 01:01:15,960 --> 01:01:18,800 Speaker 1: have less access. You're not going to be able to 1012 01:01:18,840 --> 01:01:22,680 Speaker 1: stay with your subject of character, you know, during nine 1013 01:01:22,760 --> 01:01:25,600 Speaker 1: time during and you kind of need to be there 1014 01:01:25,600 --> 01:01:29,840 Speaker 1: in order to film a real kind of cinematographic documentary, 1015 01:01:30,080 --> 01:01:33,120 Speaker 1: otherwise it becomes very difficult. Then of course you can, 1016 01:01:33,480 --> 01:01:36,720 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's been a good fund That's why 1017 01:01:36,800 --> 01:01:38,800 Speaker 1: I think this this film is going to be interesting 1018 01:01:38,840 --> 01:01:42,360 Speaker 1: because what we the people we hear from so often, 1019 01:01:42,480 --> 01:01:46,640 Speaker 1: like the voices are these affluent white women in Hollywood 1020 01:01:47,160 --> 01:01:50,440 Speaker 1: who have way more privilege than I'll ever have, talking 1021 01:01:50,480 --> 01:01:53,520 Speaker 1: about how how bad things are. But in your documentary 1022 01:01:53,600 --> 01:01:56,640 Speaker 1: you see women who like they're dealing with some real ship, 1023 01:01:57,040 --> 01:01:59,600 Speaker 1: Like there are some serious stuff that they're that they're 1024 01:01:59,600 --> 01:02:03,720 Speaker 1: dealing with, and like they're not it's not hashtag activism. 1025 01:02:03,800 --> 01:02:06,480 Speaker 1: They're actually like going out and doing things. Yeah. And 1026 01:02:06,520 --> 01:02:09,240 Speaker 1: I know from Rajda picking up a rifle, reading a 1027 01:02:09,360 --> 01:02:13,040 Speaker 1: battle um to you know, the woman in Iraq or 1028 01:02:13,040 --> 01:02:17,320 Speaker 1: Afghanistan were like actually getting engaged. Yeah, And I think 1029 01:02:17,360 --> 01:02:20,400 Speaker 1: it's interesting. You know, we were able to film parts, 1030 01:02:20,520 --> 01:02:22,880 Speaker 1: you know, in which you could see the practicality of 1031 01:02:22,960 --> 01:02:26,200 Speaker 1: what they were preaching. So let's say, you know, especially 1032 01:02:26,640 --> 01:02:29,720 Speaker 1: like or beside you know, rush Dad that we talked 1033 01:02:29,760 --> 01:02:34,840 Speaker 1: about extensively. You see, you know, like Sally in Afghanistan. 1034 01:02:35,040 --> 01:02:38,760 Speaker 1: This woman shows up and it has a terrible story, 1035 01:02:39,000 --> 01:02:41,520 Speaker 1: very common in Afghanistan, and she says, you know what, 1036 01:02:41,640 --> 01:02:44,120 Speaker 1: can I help you? And then it brings her to 1037 01:02:44,200 --> 01:02:46,680 Speaker 1: a shelter to help her and give her like a 1038 01:02:46,760 --> 01:02:49,919 Speaker 1: lawyer to advocate her case. Although you know, I don't 1039 01:02:49,920 --> 01:02:53,240 Speaker 1: want to enter into the legal Afghanistan system, you know, 1040 01:02:53,400 --> 01:02:55,920 Speaker 1: because that it's a whole craziness things. Of course, the 1041 01:02:55,960 --> 01:02:58,240 Speaker 1: woman do not have any rights. But you know, at 1042 01:02:58,320 --> 01:03:01,080 Speaker 1: least you start doing something. You see it, and I 1043 01:03:01,120 --> 01:03:03,360 Speaker 1: think that this is the strength of this documentary. You 1044 01:03:03,440 --> 01:03:05,640 Speaker 1: actually see what they're doing is not words at all. 1045 01:03:05,760 --> 01:03:10,200 Speaker 1: Sometimes you watch documentaries and say, ah, yes we want democracy, Okay, 1046 01:03:10,240 --> 01:03:12,440 Speaker 1: how do you get there? Here we are, you know, 1047 01:03:12,600 --> 01:03:15,720 Speaker 1: and here you have the practicality. How do you actually 1048 01:03:15,760 --> 01:03:20,680 Speaker 1: struggle every day to have more rights for a women. Yeah, 1049 01:03:20,720 --> 01:03:23,080 Speaker 1: I'm looking forward to seeing it. I know you are 1050 01:03:23,120 --> 01:03:26,160 Speaker 1: as well. Um. And once again, if you want to 1051 01:03:26,240 --> 01:03:29,919 Speaker 1: check out our war that's available now. Uh, and let 1052 01:03:29,920 --> 01:03:31,720 Speaker 1: Benny know what you think of it. Thanks for coming in. 1053 01:03:31,800 --> 01:03:35,560 Speaker 1: We appreciate it. Always good having you in the studio here. Um. 1054 01:03:35,640 --> 01:03:37,520 Speaker 1: And you know, As we've always say, we don't have 1055 01:03:37,600 --> 01:03:39,160 Speaker 1: enough femails on the show, so it's like good to 1056 01:03:39,240 --> 01:03:42,200 Speaker 1: hear a female perspective on things. It's true, though, I 1057 01:03:42,200 --> 01:03:45,200 Speaker 1: can we can organize like a podcast with all the 1058 01:03:45,240 --> 01:03:47,680 Speaker 1: female team that was with me on I don't know. 1059 01:03:47,680 --> 01:03:50,120 Speaker 1: If Gun Summer Syria, I want to do it, that 1060 01:03:50,960 --> 01:03:55,280 Speaker 1: would be great. Sorry, thank you, thanks for having me. 1061 01:03:56,640 --> 01:04:00,760 Speaker 1: We've been listening to self Rep Radio. New episodes up 1062 01:04:00,760 --> 01:04:04,080 Speaker 1: every Wednesday and Friday for all of the great content 1063 01:04:04,280 --> 01:04:07,520 Speaker 1: from our veteran journalists. Join us and become a team 1064 01:04:07,560 --> 01:04:11,120 Speaker 1: room member today at soft rep dot com. Follow the 1065 01:04:11,200 --> 01:04:15,280 Speaker 1: show on Instagram and Twitter at soft Rep Radio, and 1066 01:04:15,400 --> 01:04:18,000 Speaker 1: be sure to also check out the Power of Thought 1067 01:04:18,080 --> 01:04:23,200 Speaker 1: podcast hosted by Hurricane Group CEO and Navy Seal Sniper 1068 01:04:23,200 --> 01:04:25,160 Speaker 1: instructor Brandon Webb.