REDACTED Culture Cast

Talk Back to MeThe U.S. Army Ranger Battalion demands a constant pursuit of excellence and it comes at a cost to the individual. Few will know the cross pressure of desiring to go back to the aggressive lifestyle of a Ranger and the reality that one cannot keep up the level of performance indefinitely. Mike Meegan walks through the differences between living on "the line" and Ranger School. His tenure training in Small Unit Ranger Tactics and now as a leader of Rudder's Rangers at Texas A&M, brings a valuable perspective to the table when it comes to training mentality. Follow Mike Meegan on Instagram at @R.A.N.G.E.R.UUse Code 2025deaddrop10 for 10% off your order at obsidianarms.comThis episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

Talk Back to MeThe subject of Gun Control easily misses the mark on more than one occasion. Politically unpopular, economically damaging, and culturally disruptive, one should begin to wonder why it comes back into conversation time and time again. We might be quick to describe supporting gun control as merely virtue signaling, but if we really believed that, we would treat it like a dangerous idea that it is. Do we really want a conversation on gun control, or are we truly interested in preventing harm? If we look at the subject holistically, we see that short sighted solutions often lead to grave results, and no, there's no getting off the tyranny train once you've committed to disarming a population. In this episode we look at politics, economics, and philosophy to narrow down on what are the factors that might motivate a person to engage in self harm, or the harm of others. It's not the tool that makes the tragedy, but isolation. Use Code 2025deaddrop10 for 10% off your order at obsidianarms.comThis episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

Talk Back to MeIt's not the elephant in the room, the Las Angeles fires dominates the news cycle. Time Selbrede joins the show to talk about the reality of wild land firefighting and debunk myths about the current situation. As we sort fact from fiction a pattern emerges: that some people just want to see the world burn, and others would rather be entertained at someone else's misfortune than solve the problem. Directed Energy Weapons, Dry Fire Hydrants, and Controlled Burns: get out of the noise and see what good you can do, and what media might be worth cutting out. Follow Tim Selbrede on Instagram @revere275And on X at @Hsolo275 as Ralph the Airborne RangerUse Code 2025deaddrop10 for 10% off your order at obsidianarms.comThis episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

Talk Back to MeWhat makes something a conspiracy theory? We already know we cannot trust every power that be, every narrative, every explanation. The further down the rabbit hole you go, the worse it gets and the more madness it imparts. On the one hand, calling something a conspiracy theory dismisses the legitimacy of an individual's beliefs. On the other hand, we've likely witnessed the spiral into madness that they can cause in others. In this model, we reintroduce the concept of a Straw Lord Fallacy: a model which can be used to decipher a ideology which captures a person's need for meaning and purpose, driving it into the depths of inactive despair. In their worst light, these things are a dark manipulation, but in their best what good do we find?This episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

Talk Back to MeToo often, public conversations about EDC resort to shaming in order to produce a reaction. Instead, we are going to look at scaleability as a continuum that we can control. When it comes to every day carry, we think about self defense, first aid, and disaster response. These are the backbone of the subject, but not alone the answer. In light of recent events, we take a look at a few items and ways of carrying them that meet the adage of not "doing them the first time in combat" and fit them into what reasonably consists of our every-day life. Scaleability doesn't mean having a train of gear to work toward, but a few, small things that we can add with ease because they are practiced. Mentioned in the show: (No Affiliate Links)Snake Staff Systems Everyday Tourniquet: https://www.snakestaffsystems.com/ Cloaked Entry Co. : https://www.cloakedentryco.com/Flipper Zero: https://flipperzero.one/ Gridbasedotnet: https://www.gridbase.net/?srsltid=AfmBOorRTghLBQPp0sTNT8JfZT2zrGrxn34O6Bx77RJkC72z6ixE3vAIThis episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

Talk Back to MeNarrow is the gate to the Kingdom of Heaven, and many are the paths to hell. We've heard the phrase "rules for thee, but not for me," and in this episode we cover how the weak turn themselves into killers. When we exclude ourselves from moral culpability by using twisted definitions, we do not make ourselves into saints by playing tricks on terminology. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.This episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

Talk Back to MeDespite public successes, the Gun Culture faced challenges in 2024. Scandal swept across much of our community as dark accusations addressed household names. Instead of digging in to the depths of these potential falls from grace, we look at the bigger picture and how it affects our own lives. The problem with heroes, is that they are mere mortals. When faced with criticism, we have at least 2 options: we can try to survive the loss of public perception, or we can correct our immoral ways. At times, when the accusations are false, the prior is often the best we can do, but if the concern of our fellow men is grounded in truth, the latter is the right path. This episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

Talk Back to MeThe United Healthcare CEO shooting has remained on the front page of both traditional and social media for weeks now, and with all the talk, something remains missing. While people argue back and forth over if the shooter knew what he was doing based on his firearm manipulation skills, the potential scale of the operation goes unnoticed. Do we really believe this what the actions of a single individual or is there more going on here?Dig in as we discuss the difference between access to information and the evaluation of information, what is missing from the CEO shooting, and a brief dive into vigilante justice and the ethics around it, or lack thereof. This episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

Talk Back to MeFew novels of the 1900's are more controversial than Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. That hasn't stopped the sophists from trying to make a statement about it. Rather the opposite. This spoiler free episode of the REDACTED Culture Cast delves into some things you might want to know, or look for when reading Rand's Magnum Opus. Ever heard of Rearden, who is John Galt? Why do these names matter? This isn't a book review, but a primer, to get you started on a journey into Objectivism, the ideas and circumstances of Atlas Shrugged, and how it is one of the best books at challenging the legitimacy of that black pill you might be trying to hawk. Part Dystopian, part Fable, get ready for a roller coaster on blue-green rails. This episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc

Talk Back to MeWhat does leadership look like in a decentralized future? Whether we're talking about different generations of warfare or how it appears to be shifting before our very eyes, the target is no longer just a government or its military, but the very people. In this episode, we trace through a series of books, arguments, and ideas to get a picture of what leadership looks like and what things it must hold in tension with one another to succeed. Books Mentioned: Brave New War by John RobbWhy Young Men by Jamil JivaniExtreme Ownership by Jocko WillinkSkin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas TalebLeadership and Emotional Sabotage by Joe RigneyThis episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out of U.S.-sourced materials. Their gunsmith tools, custom firearms, and capabilities can be found at www.obsidianarms.comSupport the REDACTED Culture Cast at redactedculture.locals.comSSP and boutique products at redactedllc.comFollow us on Instagram at @redactedllc