This week Kevin Gosztola joined me to discuss the Trump-Ukraine whistleblower case and the possibility of a presidential impeachment. Kevin started by laying out what we know about the CIA whistleblower in question and what is in his complaint. Kevin described how the whistleblower went through the proper channels, and how this was handled by the Director of National Intelligence. We also discussed the allegations in the complaint and discussed why government employees blow the whistle in the first place. We argued that people who blow the whistle tend to believe very strongly in the construct of government and feel strongly about corruption. We also touched on how this whistleblower, as an employee of the CIA, may have viewed this conversation as an affront to the CIA’s stated goals in Ukraine. Kevin and I also looked at some of the secondary figures named in the complaint like Kurt Volker whose connections to Raytheon and NATO might have more to do with this story than meets the eye. We also discussed the possibility of impeachment and the political nature of impeachment and how this could backfire for the Democrats in the future.
Tom Secker joins e today for our mid season breakdown of Homeland Season 7. We start off by discussing the first major arc of the season, the Ruby Ridge/Waco standoff between O’Keefe and and the FBI. Tom and I discuss the surprisingly balanced approach Homeland has taken to this topic. We discuss the idea that this is a clever attempt at portraying the CIA as the adults in the room willing to negotiate, as opposed to the psychotic gun totting FBI. We also explore the historical events Homeland is touching on: Ruby Ridge and Waco. Tom also mentions the recent shows on the Uni-bomber and Waco which were also quiet sympathetic to Kaczynski and the Branch Davidians. Of course we also talk about our favorite agent provocateur Brett O’Keffe. Later we move onto the second major arc of the season, fake news and Russian Active Measures. Tom and I discuss how this is woven into the story line and the way in which Homeland discusses it. We dissect the new character Yevgeny Gromov, the mysterious head of Russian ops in the US, and talk about how he represents a widely held viewpoint within Russian intelligence.
In the second hour Tom and I dive into the very covert ways in which the CIA are portrayed as the heroes. We again touch on Saul and Carrie as our surrogates for the agency even though neither of them works for the CIA anymore. We ponder if this is a new method for the CIA’s entertainment liaison office. Tom and I also explore several real life parallels that seem to line up with Homeland. We look at the Skripal poisoning and the recent report that Mikhail Lesin was murdered on orders from Putin. We also touch on Saul’s ability to run his own operations with zero oversight while National Security Adviser. We finish off by complaining about the Frannie story-line, our love of the 4chan episode, and our hope that O’Keefe and Dar Adal escape from prison and get their own spin off series.
Good friend and frequent guest Stephen Singular joins me today to discuss his latest book and first novel In the Cards. The book deals with the 2000 election and one journalists effort to expose the corruption and manipulation of the results by the GOP. Stephen begins by giving us an overview of the novel and what led him to write it. He also discusses the setting and the circumstances around the rigged 2000 election. We then talk about the novels protagonist, freelance journalist Jimmy Iverson. Stephen talks about the sort of person that Jimmy is and the journalistic ideals that he holds. We also talk about Jimmy’s current job as a ghostwriter for larger than life oil executive Bart Simmons. Stephen touches on the issue of ghostwriting and the reality of doing that work. Stephen and I talk about Bart’s veiled hints to Jimmy about voting manipulation, and how this and Jimmy’s engineer friend Tony lead him into uncovering the truth of the 2000 election. We also talk about Bart as a character and the complex way Stephen writes about him. Neither a hero nor a villain, Bart is a complex individual who does what he does for the good of the nation. We then explore Jimmy’s investigation into the company that produces the voter cards and electronic voting machines. Stephen and I discuss the real life problem of having a handful of powerful corporations in charge of voting here in the US and around the world. We also talk about how the voter cards could be manipulated to 1/5000 of an inch. We also touch on the many roadblocks that Jimmy facing in his pursuit of the truth. Stephen discusses the issues surrounding the media coverage of the election in both the novel and in real life. He talks about how and why the media completely fell asleep at the wheel and decided that this was not a story worth exploring. Stephen explains how this has led us to the situation we find ourselves in today. We also talk about how 9/11 and the Iraq war shifted the media and political narrative so quickly that the 2000 election was all but forgotten.
In the second hour Stephen and I explore how the election story affects Jimmy’s life on a personal level. We talk about Jimmy’s obsession with the truth and his deterioration when no one will take him seriously. Stephen and I talk about Jimmy’s alcohol abuse and the unraveling of his family life because of his desire to expose the reality of the rigged election. Stephen talks about how Jimmy’s convictions and lack of support leads him down a self destructive path. Stephen also talks about his own personal experience dealing with dangerous topics such as neo-nazis, and the risks that he took, and his own decisions to draw a line in the sand. We finish off the conversation by looking at the circumstances of the 2016 election and the allegations of Russian interference. I discuss my own beliefs which have evolved since reading In The Cards. We discuss how the 2000 election set the stage for subsequent voter manipulation in 2004, 2008, and 2012, and how the threat of a foreign government manipulating votes is not a far-fetched theory. I talk about the idea that the Democrats may be using the Russians as a smoke screen for GOP voter manipulation because admitting the truth exposes their own corruption, and the corruptions of the entire voting system as it exists today.
I finish off the show by talking about some new features I will be introducing on Patreon, and encouraging Patrons at the $5 level to suggest topics for the show. I also briefly touch on the launch of Scientology’s latest venture, Scientology TV.
Tom Secker and Robbie Martin join me for a very wide ranging discussion on everything from Reality Winner to Dennis Rodman. Tom and I start off the conversation by talking about the Wikileaks Twitter account tweeting about our issue on The American Journal of Economics and Sociology. We talk about the obvious divide right now between Assange and Wikileaks not just in terms of Twitter, but in terms of their media strategy. The three of us then dive into the bizarre case of NSA leaker Reality Winner. We theorize as to whether she is a true leaker, or a truly disgruntled employee. We discuss the possibility that Winner was set up to leak, and if this is really a move by the Trump administration to ward off future potential leakers. Robbie and Tom also touch on the strange behavior of The Intercept and how they mismanaged this entire story and their lack of protection of Reality Winner.
In the second hour we ponder the question as to whether Reality Winner represents a bookend to the celebrity culture of leakers and whistleblowers. We take a close look at Chelsea Manning and her recent media interviews. The three of us talk about the media’s obsession with Manning as a trans celebrity, and the ways in which they have sexualized and fetishized her since her release from prison. We discuss how the media has largely ignored or forgotten the true reasons for why she was imprisoned in the first place: leaking thousands of government documents. We talk about the notion that Bradley Manning and the actions associated with him are now dead and therefore are no longer a topic of discussion among the media. We round out the conversation by talking about Dennis Rodman’s most recent trip to North Korea. We talk about the possibility that Rodman is being used as either a back-channel or some form of intermediary between Kim Jong-Un and US intelligence. Robbie, Tom, and I also touch on the cryptocurrency Potcoin which has sponsored Rodman’s trip to the Hermit Kingdom.
Co-Host Sherri Wisdom Guest Pearse Redmond PizzaGate, Fake News, ETC.. It may not be in vogue We question the PizzaGate narrative among other things and get a bit of static for it. What is “Alternative” with the Porkins Policy Radio Host, Pearse Redmond.
Today we have a special Election Day episode of the show. We are joined by good friends Tom Secker and Aaron Franz from Transresister Radio and Themes and Memes to discuss all things presidential. We begin by discussing our general outlook and feelings on the election and the traumatic effects it has had on us. Later we discuss the occult overtones through out this election and voting in general. The three of us touch on the “Spirit Cooking” scandal surrounding John Podesta and how this is yet another example of the mainstreaming of alternative culture. We also break down the idea that this election has actually reinvigorated the public’s admiration for the office of the presidency. We also touch on the idea of the electorate being the archetypal “Willing Fool” in the magik ritual that is voting.
In the second hour Tom and I discuss the documentary film The Perfect Candidate which chronicled the failed senate race of Oliver North. The two of us also explore the recent rape scandal against Donald Trump which has now been dropped by accuser Katie Johnson. We also give our predictions for what lays in store for future presidential elections; including the possible run by Kayne West.
Porkins Policy Review 