Today's Top Episodes
Scott Bessent: Fixing the Fed, Tariffs for National Security, Solving Affordability in 2026
Ever wondered how to truly fix the Fed and use tariffs strategically? This episode lays out a bold vision for America's economic future.
Why Americans Are Falling Behind on Auto Loans At Their Highest Level Ever
Your car loan might be riskier than you think. Discover why Americans are falling behind on auto payments at historic levels and what it means for the economy.
Transform Pain & Trauma Into Creative Expression | David Choe
Can pain truly be transformed into power? Explore how trauma can fuel profound creative expression and personal healing in this captivating conversation.
How to get rich with stocks (without math, charts or models)
Forget the charts and complex models. Learn a radical new way to get rich in stocks by simply observing the world around you.
OpenAI’s Potential, Google’s Speedy Model, Copilot Hits Turbulence
The AI race is heating up! Discover OpenAI's next big move, Google's game-changing model, and why Microsoft's Copilot is struggling against the competition.
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Part Two: Lord Haw-Haw: Hitler's Favorite Anglo Propagandist
Duration: 01:03:34
December 18, 2025
- The episode details the early life and radicalization of William Joyce, tracing his Irish roots and developing anti-British sentiment into extreme loyalty to England and a burgeoning interest in fascism.
- Joyce's formative years were marked by a strong embrace of British imperialism and a deep-seated hatred for Irish nationalism, fueled by his upbringing and education in a pro-British Catholic school system.
- The discussion highlights Joyce's early involvement with pro-British paramilitary groups in Ireland, where he acted as an informant and showed an early aptitude for extremist ideologies, foreshadowing his later embrace of fascism.
Part One: Lord Haw-Haw: Hitler's Favorite Anglo Propagandist
Duration: 00:51:34
December 16, 2025
- The podcast episode features a reverse "Behind the Bastards" format where a guest researcher discusses historical figures who embody extreme malevolence.
- The primary subject of this episode is the early life and development of William Joyce, a figure who, from a young age, displayed intense loyalty to the British Empire and a fervent hatred of Irish republicanism and other minority groups.
- The discussion highlights Joyce's formative years in Ireland, his early involvement with British paramilitary forces, and his burgeoning fascination with fascism as he transitioned into adulthood.
Part Five: The Men Who Might Have Killed Us All
Duration: 01:06:40
December 11, 2025
- The current global nuclear threat is as potent as during the Cold War, with systems designed for launch-on-warning and imperfect information posing a constant risk of accidental escalation.
- The development of strategic bombing theory, stemming from WWI's flawed assumptions, paved the way for the concept of mutually assured destruction and the targeting of civilian populations.
- Early nuclear strategists, influenced by the perceived necessity of deterring enemy powers, grappled with the moral implications of creating and deploying weapons of planetary destruction, a debate that continues today.
Part Four: The Men Who Might Have Killed Us All
Duration: 00:48:05
December 10, 2025
- The development and evolution of strategic bombing theory, particularly the theories of Giulio Douhet and their implementation by figures like Curtis LeMay, significantly shaped twentieth-century warfare, leading to devastating firebombing campaigns in both Europe and the Pacific.
- The creation and use of nuclear weapons, while initially perceived by some military leaders as a decisive resolution to traditional strategic bombing's limitations, solidified the grim concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) as a cornerstone of global security.
- The podcast critically examines the logic of pre-emptive strikes and deterrence, arguing that the "first strike" mentality, evident from Pearl Harbor to contemporary nuclear strategy, is a dangerous and flawed approach that escalates conflict.
Part Three: The Men Who Might Have Killed Us All
Duration: 01:08:07
December 9, 2025
- The current global nuclear arsenal is a "planetary killing doomsday device" that has not been made safer since the Cold War and could wipe out civilization in minutes due to escalating tensions and imperfect information.
- The development of strategic bombing theories, starting with Giulio Douhet and evolving through actions like area bombing, laid the groundwork for the concept of mutually assured destruction and the systematic targeting of civilian populations.
- The creation of the atomic bomb and subsequent nuclear strategies were influenced by a complex mix of perceived necessity in the face of existential threats (like Nazi Germany), scientific advancements, and military deterrence theories that have, in retrospect, proven to be flawed.
Part Two: The Men Who Might Have Killed Us All
Duration: 01:19:06
December 4, 2025
- The discussion highlights that nuclear doomsday devices, largely co-created with Russia, are still a current threat, with no significant safety improvements since the Cold War, and are even more dangerous due to "launch on warning" policies.
- The conversation explores the historical development of strategic bombing theory, largely influenced by Giulio Douhet, and its flawed assumptions that continued into nuclear war planning, particularly regarding the effectiveness of area bombing and the invulnerability of air power.
- The podcast delves into the complex moral landscape of the Manhattan Project and the development of nuclear weapons, where individuals with sympathetic motivations, like refugees fleeing Nazism, were instrumental in creating a system capable of planetary annihilation.
Part One: The Men Who Might Have Killed Us All
Duration: 01:15:10
December 2, 2025
- The podcast explores the historical development of technologies and theories that could lead to planetary annihilation, emphasizing that the systems leading to nuclear doomsday are still relevant and more dangerous now than during the Cold War.
- It delves into the concept of "mutually assured destruction" and strategic bombing theories, tracing how ideas about warfare evolved from World War I to inform the development of nuclear strategy and the potential for accidental escalation.
- The discussion highlights the complex and often morally ambiguous motivations of individuals involved in creating these destructive technologies, from scientists and engineers to military strategists, questioning whether they were acting as heroes or villains.
Part Two: Behind the Bastards Live Show: The Ballad of Bo Gritz
Duration: 00:41:54
November 20, 2025
- The discussion focuses on James "Bo" Gritz, a controversial figure in right-wing circles, exploring his early life, military career, and alleged inspirations for the character John Rambo.
- Bo Gritz's time as a Green Beret in Vietnam is detailed, including accounts of his supposed bravery, alleged war crimes, and his role in the mission to retrieve a crashed spy plane's black box.
- The podcast delves into Bo Gritz's post-military career, his influence on the POW/MIA conspiracy theories, and his history of making false claims, including fabricating stories about fallen comrades.
Part One: Behind the Bastards Live Show: The Ballad of Bo Gritz
Duration: 00:58:10
November 18, 2025
- The podcast episode explores the life of Bo Gritz, focusing on his early life, military career in Vietnam as a Green Beret, and his controversial involvement in post-war conspiracy theories.
- Bo Gritz's military service involved highly dangerous missions in Vietnam known for extensive war crimes, including the execution of prisoners and the use of a prisoner as a human shield with explosives.
- After his military career, Bo Gritz became a prominent figure in the "POW/MIA" conspiracy movement, traveling and giving speeches to promote the false narrative that American servicemen were still being held captive in Vietnam, which fueled a lucrative grift.
Part Two: Thomas Thistlewood: Slave Plantation Owner and Diarist
Duration: 00:59:08
November 13, 2025
- The podcast focuses on the life of Thomas Thistlewood, a plantation owner in Jamaica whose detailed diaries provide a brutal, day-to-day account of the slave system.
- Thistlewood's diaries offer insights not only into the horrors of slavery but also into 18th-century Jamaican climate and early scientific documentation practices.
- The discussion highlights how Thistlewood, though a significant source of information due to his detailed note-taking, was not an exceptionally cruel slave owner by the standards of his time, but rather a "normal" perpetrator within a brutal system.
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