Angry Planet

Listen to this episode commercial free at https://angryplanetpod.comThis week on Angry Planet we’re taking a break from the horrors of the present to explore horrors of a past distant enough now that they’re entertaining. But then, America found those horrors pretty entertaining at the time, too. Even when it was still a thriving community and a going concern, the town of Deadwood, South Dakota, was the subject of dimestore novels and tall tales.Peter Cozzens is here with us to talk about his new book Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West. Cozzens is a historian who has written 17 books that focus on the U.S. Civil War, the Wild West, and the American Indian Wars. His latest work is all about Deadwood and the wild cast of characters who inhabited it. Come sit with us a spell and learn about the real Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickok, and Al Swearengen.“Power comes to any man who has the color.”Black Elk and how the West Was LostConflicting perceptions of Wild Bill HickockProfessional gamblersCreating Calamity JaneSoftening George Hearst“In the West, women didn’t wear underwear.”Deadwood burnsHow history becomes a dime store novel“The most diabolical town on the face of the earth.”Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American WestSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is your Empire feeling less than fresh? Does it feel like the modern world’s best days are behind it? Do conquest and global power politics not hit as good as they used to? Welcome to the Age of Stagnation, a time when the fruits of the Industrial Revolution can be enjoyed but not replicated.It’s making us all a little crazy, especially world leaders. With us today on the show is Michael Beckley, a political science professor at Tufts University and his career includes stretches at the Pentagon, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the RAND Corporation. To hear Beckley tell it, stagnation might not be such a bad thing. If we can avoid repeating the worst mistakes of the 20th century and let go of a “number go up” mind set, then maybe we can all learn to enjoy a long age of stabilization.The diminishing returns of the Industrial RevolutionWinners and losers in the Age of AscentMoore’s Law sputters outStabilization isn’t so bad. “We’re some of the luckiest people who’ve ever lived.”Shenanigans and shithouseryAI isn’t “ready” yetWhy conquest doesn’t work anymoreChina as a paper tiger in the age of stabilizationAmerica’s unique advantages“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” - Mike TysonThe Stagnant OrderI Tried the Robot That’s Coming to Live With You. It’s Still Part Human.Michael BeckleySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re obsessed with apocalypses, big and small. We fantasize about what the future might look like after the fall of society and fear the coming tribulation. Rome fretted about decline until its end. Stories of the Sea Peoples terrified the monarchs of the Late Bronze Age. During the 30 Years’ War, Europeans imagined Armageddon had finally begun.But a funny thing happens after the collapse: things tend to get a little better for everyone.Luke Kemp is here to hold our hands through the end of the world as we know it. Kemp is a researcher at Cambridge’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk and the author of the book Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse.Beauty in collapseMatthew’s AI testThe Doctor Doom mask“Collapse was good for most people.”Sea People’s mentionedWhy a Goliath and not a Leviathan?Down with Thomas HobbesFear of a mass panic driving collapse“Emergency powers have a very funny tendency to stick around”The problem with guns, germs, and steelThe Tree of EvilOn the purpose of human sacrificeDoctor Doom is the belle of the ballAre we ending on a high note?Buy Goliath’s CurseCentre for the Study of Existential RiskThe rewards of ruinSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Maurer, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and former JAG officer now teaching law, dives deep into the controversial legality of U.S. strikes against alleged drug traffickers. He discusses the impact of military legal advisors being sidelined under the Trump administration and the troubling trend of repurposing JAGs as immigration judges. Maurer argues that while these strikes might be deemed unlawful, they are framed as necessary by authorities, raising significant moral and legal dilemmas for military justice and public trust.

Listen to this episode commercial free at https://angryplanetpod.comThe episode is about Vanessa Guillén, a US soldier who was murdered at Fort Hood in 2020. She also experienced sexual harassment while in the military. I spoke with ABC Special Correspondent John Quiñones about his new podcast, Vanished. It’s a good podcast that covers Guillén’s case in-depth and highlights the reforms the Pentagon instituted after.We recorded the show on September 30, Guillén’s birthday. That morning, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered a long speech about his own military reforms. Many of the changes Hegseth has pushed through conflict with the changes that Guillén’s death ushered in.As such, I thought it was important to get John’s reaction to Hegseth’s speech. Before we began recording,I told him I planned to ask him about this and he agreed to talk about it.When I asked the question during recording, a public relations person from ABC jumped on the line and asked me to stop talking about Hegseth. I pushed back, but not hard enough.The next day, ABC PR reached out via email to ask if I would cut this moment from the show.I will not. It’s included here in full. Further, I want to take a moment at the top to highlight the reasons why I brought up Hegseth’s speech. There’s a lot to it and, honestly, it demands its own episode. Here are Hegseth’s thoughts on toxic leaders.“Today, at my direction, we’re undertaking a full review of the Department’s Definitions of so-called toxic leadership, bullying and hazing, to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second guessing. Of course, you can’t do, like nasty bullying and hazing. We’re talking about words like bullying and hazing and toxic. They’ve been weaponized and bastardized inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs. No more. Setting, achieving, and maintaining high standards is what you all do. And if that makes me toxic, then so be it.”Guillén’s case also changed the way the Army investigates sexual harassment. Here are the secretary’s thoughts on the current state of official internal military investigations:“We are overhauling an inspector-general process, the IG that has been weaponized, putting complainers, ideologues and poor performers in the driver’s seat. We’re doing the same with the Equal Opportunity and Military Equal Opportunity policies, the EO and MEO, at our department. No more frivolous complaints, no more anonymous complaints, no more repeat complaints, no more smearing reputations, no more endless waiting, no more legal limbo, no more side-tracking careers, no more walking on eggshells. “Of course, being a racist has been illegal in our formation since 1948. The same goes for sexual harassment. Both are wrong and illegal. Those kinds of infractions will be ruthlessly enforced.”After the speech, Hegseth signed 11 memos that detailed these changes. I’ll link them in the show notes. The memos say that the military’s definition of “harassment” is overly broad, calls for the end of “anonymous complaints”—something Hegesth also said in his speech, and asks that investigations be completed quickly with the assistance of artificial intelligence.I believe that is all important context for this episode. I also believe that Hegseth’s speech and the policy directives represent a regression in the American armed services. I will not pretend otherwise.Listen to the All-New ‘Vanished: What Happened to Vanessa’ PodcastSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this intriguing discussion, Michael Senters, a PhD candidate at Virginia Tech specializing in online culture's influence on politics, dives into the peculiarities of political violence and internet memes. He unpacks the bizarre inscriptions found on shell casings from a recent assassination, revealing the layers of irony and significance behind them. Senters explores the crossover of gaming culture with political messaging, and how online communities have warped perceptions, ultimately questioning the disturbing implications of memes in violent acts.

Mike LaSusa, Deputy Director of Content at InSight Crime and expert on organized crime, sheds light on America's evolving War on Drugs, particularly its recent adoption of War on Terror tactics. He discusses the legality and morality of a drone strike in Venezuela that killed 11 alleged terrorists, unpacking the implications for U.S. drug interdiction methods. LaSusa critiques labels like 'narco-terrorist,' the sustainability of violent approaches, and the challenges of addressing addiction as a public health concern in a system rife with contradictions.

Listen to this episode commercial free at https://angryplanetpod.comThe Pacific Northwest is known for its startling natural beauty, precocious rainfall, and propensity to birth serial killers. Why? Caroline Fraser has a theory and it’s a good one.This week on Angry Planet, Fraser takes us on a journey through the American past and into the dark heart of the PNW. Her new book Murderland weaves together memoir, true crime, history, and science into a compelling narrative that’s as beautiful and deadly as the forests around Tacoma.Lead in the time of serial killersCrazywall as mapAmerica’s ultra-leaded 1970sThe killer hubristic roadways of the Pacific NorthwestThe unique draw of Ted BundyThe beauty and horror of the PNW’s woodsLead poisoned psychos become pop culture geniusesAnne Rule and the different eras of true crime writingThe Olympic–Wallowa lineamentThe current state of the true crime genreMurdlerand: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial KillersTacoma Smelter Plume projectHouses of ButterfliesA look back at the I-90 floating bridges before light-rail work beginsThe Domesday BookSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tyler Jost, an assistant professor at Brown University specializing in China’s political landscape, shares intriguing insights about the future of leadership in China. He discusses the complexities of succession in an authoritarian regime, influenced by Xi Jinping’s concentrated power. Jost delves into how personal connections impact the political hierarchy, the pervasive nature of corruption, and the atmosphere of fear within the Communist Party. His analysis offers a fascinating look at the potential paths for China's governance as it considers life after Xi.

Listen to this episode commercial free at https://angryplanetpod.comIf the internet is a battlefield, does that mean the United States needs a new military force to dominate it?On this episode of Angry Planet, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Edward Charles Cardon and former House Armed Services Committee staffer Joshua Stiefel make the case for spinning off the Cyber Force into an independent branch. Both are part of a new commission at the Center for Strategic and International Studies — partnered with Jason’s new bosses at Foundation for Defense of Democracies — with the goal of preparing for a new branch that both feel is inevitable.It’s a wild and wandering conversation that touches on Neuromancer, AI, and fighting a cyber war against the Islamic State.“A Cyber Force is inevitable”How cyber works nowFrom Army Air Service to Air Force to Space ForceVolt Typhoon as warningIt’s hard to recruit hackersThe Goldwater-Nichols Act mentioned, drinkBasic training for hackers?A retired Lt. General at DefconThe weird nebulous thinking of AI and cyberThe Army has soldiers, the Space Force has Guardians, what about Cyber Force?Neuromancers? Hackers?“The leaders of this domain have to understand the people they’re talking to.”Change is only possible in the aftermath of something cataclysmic“AI is gonna put the offense on steroids”Glowing SymphonyIslamic State as the model conflictCSIS Launches Commission on Cyber Force Generation in Partnership With Cyber SolariumUnited States Cyber Force: A Defense ImperativeVolt TyphoonGoldwater-Nichols Act of 1986The Rise of ‘Vibe Hacking’ Is the Next AI NightmareRussia Is Suspected to Be Behind Breach of Federal Court Filing SystemOperation Glowing SymphonySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.