The BS Filter
The BS Filter is a news and current affairs podcast hosted by Cameron Reilly and Ray Harris. Each episode dissects the biggest stories in the news to try to get to the core of what is going on. The hosts promise no bias, no agenda, and no BS, offering instead a brutal examination of the facts and the history behind them.
Episodes
The Grand Chessboard Part 2: America’s Playbook for World Domination – BS Filter #150
Today we continue to pick apart Zbigniew Brzezinski’s 1997 geopolitical playbook – The Grand Chessboard – and how America’s blueprint for world domination is currently falling apart in real time.
If you would like to listen to the full episode, sign up and become a supporter of the show! It’s less than the cost of a single coffee a week.
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The Grand Chessboard: America’s Playbook for World Domination – BS Filter #149
Today we crack open Zbigniew Brzezinski’s 1997 playbook – The Grand Chessboard – and find out it basically predicted every war the US has picked since, and why that was always the point.If you would like to listen to the full episode, sign up and become a supporter of the show! It’s less than the cost of a single coffee a week.The post The Grand Chessboard: America’s
Havel’s Power of the Powerless – BS Filter #148
Today we pick apart Václav Havel’s “Power of the Powerless” – with guest Michael Romahn – and why going along to get along is exactly how every rotten system keeps itself alive.If you would like to listen to the full episode, sign up and become a supporter of the show! It’s less than the cost of a single coffee a week.
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The Precariat Trap: Why America Can’t Rise Up – BS Filter #147
Today we have guest Scotty B to pick apart America’s slow-motion slide into fascism – the Precariat Trap – and why the 99% can’t afford to pick up a pitchfork even when they probably should.If you would like to listen to the full episode, sign up and become a supporter of the show! It’s less than the cost of a single coffee a week.The post The Precariat Trap: Why Am
Nine Grievances, One Con Man – BS Filter #146
Today we cut through the spin on why people actually support Trump – nine real grievances, zero good excuses for picking the worst possible guy to fix them.
If you would like to listen to the full episode, sign up and become a supporter of the show! It’s less than the cost of a single coffee a week.
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Iran, Lies, and the Pentagon Slush Fund – BS Filter #145
Today we dig deep into the US-Israel attack on Iran - Operation Epic Fury - and what's actually going on beneath the spin.
Sharks with Laser Beams – BS Filter 144
In this episode of *The Bullshit Filter*, Cameron and Ray dissect a world seemingly gone mad under the pressure of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” foreign policy. The duo explores the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Cuba, where a modern fuel blockade has pushed the island’s socialist experiment to the brink of collapse and triggered a “mini Bay of Pigs” sk
The Rupture – BS Filter 143
In this episode of *The Bullshit Filter*, Cameron and Ray navigate a global landscape defined by “ruptures” rather than transitions. The duo begins with a sobering look at Australia’s first mass shooting in 30 years and the subsequent rapid-fire passage of controversial anti-hate and migration legislation. The conversation then shifts to the world stage, dissecting Canadian Prime Mini
#142 – Fascism Goes Corporate
In this final instalment of the Fascism miniseries, Cameron and Ray trace how fascism didn’t die after 1945 but simply changed its wardrobe. Once openly discredited, fascist ideology went underground, hiding behind anti-communism, Catholic conservatism, Cold War geopolitics, and the language of “law and order.” The pair outline how the same structural anxieties that fuelled Mussolini and Hitler f
#139 – Make Italy Great Again: The Birth of Fascism (Fascism #3)
In this episode of The Bullshit Filter, Cameron and Ray continue their deep dive into the history of fascism — tracing its emergence from the ashes of World War I to Mussolini’s rise in Italy. They unpack how the trauma of the war radicalised millions, creating fertile ground for authoritarian movements that promised strength, unity, and a return to national glory. Through sharp wit and historica
#138 – Fascism: The Remix of History’s Worst Ideas (Fascism part 2)
In this second episode of our fascism series, Cameron and Ray trace the roots of fascism from the French Revolution through the 19th century and into the early 20th century. They explore how nationalism, the Enlightenment and Counter-Enlightenment, industrial upheaval, social Darwinism, Nietzsche’s philosophy, Bismarck’s realpolitik, futurism, and mass psychology all fed into the eventual rise of
#137 – What is Fascism? Part 1
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#136 – 20 Years of Napoleon and Friendship
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#135 – Unprovoked or Preemptive? Iran, the Media & Manufactured Consent
In this fiery and no-holds-barred episode, Cam and Ray dive into the geopolitics of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, calling out the hypocrisy and propagandistic media coverage that frames these attacks as “preemptive” rather than “unprovoked” — a word the media reserved exclusively for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They draw sharp historical parallels, from the 1953 CIA-led coup in Iran to th
#134: Section 70302: The Quiet Coup
Cameron and Ray crack open the popcorn for a free-wheeling hour on the sudden Musk-Trump bromance breakup and the “one big beautiful bill” (HR 1). They riff on Roman triumvirates, oligarch knife-fights, and the sneaky Section 70302 that could neuter America’s courts overnight. Along the way they detour through the Byrd Rule, unleash dystopian what-ifs about AI, and ask whether the U.S. can out-c
BS 129 – It’s The Stupid, Stupid
As I've been saying for years - Trump isn't the problem. He's just a symptom of the problem. The actual problem is stupid people. And they are justifiably angry. But to think billionaires are going to solve the problem is just stupid. It's billionaires and the politicians they control that got the U.S. into this situation in the first place.
Welcome to late stage capitalism.
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BS 128 – Israel’s Terrorism
The media coverage, and Western government commentary, of Israel's pager and walkie-talkie attacks in Lebanon have studiously avoided the use of the word "terrorism", even though that's what all of the world's human rights organisations are calling it and what we all know the media and governments would be calling if it any other single country did it. Today on the show we break down why.
The pos
BS 127 – Kamala and Lichtman’s 13 Keys
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BS 126 – The Global Rules-Based Order
In this episode of 'The Bullshit Filter,' we discuss the US's selective adherence to international laws, the complex US-Saudi relationship, and evolving power dynamics involving China. Discussions include potential ICC arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, the US's opposition to ICC jurisdiction over Israel, and the historical context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Additionally, the
BS 125 – Come On Feel the Noise
The controversies and hypocrisies clouding the US's dance with TikTok and its awkward stance at the UN over Palestine, the US's veto power against Palestine's UN bid and the complex support web for Israel, parallel discussions tear into Australia's online safety efforts and the biased battleground of global news.
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BS 124 – The Truth About The TikTok Ban
Today we delve into the ACTUAL reasons behind the US attempts to ban / force a sale of TikTok. And we also look at some newspaper headlines and break them apart.
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BS 123 – The Carlson / Putin Interview
My guest co-host today is Tony Kynaston from the QAV Investing Podcast. We're talking about the Tucker Carlson interview with Putin and breaking down the lies, distortions and misinformation ABOUT the interview that we're reading in the mainstream media, and asking why there is a need to distort Putin's words in the West.
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BS 122 – Israel Genocide, Houthi, Pakistan, Iran
This episode we're looking at South Africa's case against Israel in the World Court, accusing them of committing genocide in Gaza, the reasons for the cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Iran in Baluchistan, and why the Houthi are attacking ships in the Red Sea.
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BS 121 – J. David Markham / Ukraine
My old friend and colleague J. David Markham joined me today to talk about Russia and Ukraine. We planned to get to other topics, but ran out of time. Although we agree on most things related to Napoleon, David and I disagree on nearly everything else related to geopolitics, so this was a fun episode.
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BS 120 – Gaza, The Voice, and The Speaker
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BS 119 – Ukraine’s Energy Reserves
On this episode, we're fact checking the claims that Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and earlier annexation of Crimea, are all about getting their hands on Ukraine's gas and oil reserves. We also talk about how to use ChatGPT to de-bias a news article, "The Blob", Chris Hedges' analysis of "the pimps of war", and Alessandro Gagaridis' analysis of Prigozhin’s Mutiny.
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BS Filter 117 – Economic Coercion
This month we are looking into the following stories:
Economic coercion is BAD if it comes from China, but great if it comes from the USA (AFR)
John Mearsheimer can't see any room for peace talks in Ukraine as all sides see it as an existential threat (Youtube)
The Russian economy continues to flout Western expectations (The Guardian)
US Continues Dangerous Escalations in Ukraine, Sprinting Toward
BS 116 – The War in Sudan
In this two hour episode, we're looking at the current war in Sudan - who and what is behind it, and the history of the region, going back to the good ol' days of British colonialism, US sanctions, Clinton's Wag The Dog bombing of a medicine factory, Obama's invention of South Sudan, Russia's Wagner Group extracting Sudanese gold to pay for the war in Ukraine, and more.
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BS 115 – The Balls of NATO
Finland joins NATO; Maidan expose suppressed; Trump charged; Putin arrest warrant; Hersh on the Cover Up; Meta v TikTok; ABC headline tricks
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BS 114 – Spy Balloons!
- Chinese Spy Balloons Over America!
- How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline
- Columbia Journalism Review on Russiagate
- The Howard Gov & East Timor
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BFTN 112 – The Twitter Files
Today we talk about the US midterms, the Twitter Files, ChatGPT and the attempted Reichsbürger coup in Germany.
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BFTN 111 – Nord Cui Bono
Who is responsible for the terrorist attack on the Russian Nord pipelines? Why did Boris Johnson stopped Ukraine from peace talks with Russia in April 2022? Does it have anything to do with the two largest US oil companies have earned more than $30bn in three months? Why did "Progressive Democrats" withdraw their letter calling for more diplomatic efforts with Russia? Can you tell someone is a psy
BFTN #110 – Gorbachev
Today we talk about the Western media's coverage of Gorbachev - his successes and failures - and which aspects the media deliberately ignores, such as his views on NATO expansion, Crimea, Ukraine and the role of the US in Putin's rise to power.
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BFTN #109 – Provocation
Today we discuss the Trump "Raid" and his 5th amendment deposition, the legality of the Al-Zawahiri assassination, and the deliberate provocation of China by Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
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BFTN 108 – We Survived COVID
Bolton says it out loud; Ukraine’s pro-fascist Ambassador; banning abortion to produce more white babies; Colombia’s new President; Christmas comes early for the military industrial complex.
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BFTN 107 – Do Economic Sanctions Work?
I was musing, in the last episode, about whether or not sanctions have ever worked. Are they even legal? Over the last two decades, international economic sanctions have become a central instrument in global governance. Today we explore the success rate and the real intentions of sanctions as a tool of Total War.
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BFTN 106 – Pimps Of War
The war continues, 60 plus days. The US and EU and their allies, eg Australia, continue to “support” Ukraine by giving them some kind of military aid. But the question is whether or not this is going to result in less Ukrainian deaths... or more?
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Bullshit Filter 105 – Offensive Realism 101
Today we talk about "Offensive Realism", the theory put forward by John Mearsheimer in his 2001 book “The Tragedy of Great Power Politics", and how it might explain the current Russia/Ukraine/NATO/USA situation.
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BFTN 104 – Russia and Ukraine P2
Yesterday Putin announced he was starting a “special military operation” in Ukraine. He said his goal was to “demilitarize” but not occupy the country, and that any countries that intervene in Ukraine invasion will face consequences. He also gave an hour long speech the day before, explaining his thinking behind they invasion. As usual, his speech has been completely misrepresented by the Western
BFTN 103 – Russia and Ukraine
If you only get your news from the mainstream media, you've probably heard that the world's about to end because of "Russian aggression". Of course, as always, that's a highly filtered version of the story. To understand what's happening with Russia and Ukraine, we really need to understand what happened at the end of the Cold War, with Russia, NATO and the United States. On this episode, we delve
BFTN 102 – Mind Virus
Lots of stuff in this episode about Assange, China, Russia and Christianity, but the main theme is a theory I’ve been trying to flesh out about how tribalism and identity converge to create a mind virus that stops people from being able to focus on facts and evidence.
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BFTN 101 – (Afghanistan part 4)
The Russians attack Amin's palace without him realising what is happening. He still thinks they are on his side, right up until the moment they put a bullet in him. But before they storm the palace, they first try poison.
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BFTN 100 – RUSSIANSPLAINING – (Afghanistan part 3)
Continuing on from our last episodes about Afghanistan, we look at the first days of the Russian invasion in December 1979 and dispel some common myths about the Soviet’s intentions.
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BFTN 99 – Afghanistan (part 2)
Part two of our look at the history of American involvement in Afghanistan since the late 1970s. We continue the story of the internal collapse of the PDPA's power in 1979, while the United States started pouring money into supporting the Mujahideen.
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BFTN 98 – Afghanistan (part 1)
In the aftermath of the US finally removing its troops from Afghanistan, it's time we take look at the history of American involvement in that part of the world and try to dispel some of the myths.
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BFTN 97 – COVID 2021 (part 3)
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BFTN 96 – COVID 2021 (part 2)
I'm joined again by Trevor Bell from The Iron Fist & The Velvet Glove podcast to talk about the state of COVID as of August 2021. Today Trevor and I look at lockdowns. Do they work? What do we mean by 'work'? What's the evidence for and against?
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BFTN 95 – COVID 2021 (part 1)
I'm joined by Trevor Bell from The Iron Fist & The Velvet Glove podcast to talk about the state of COVID as of August 2021. This is the first part of several upcoming episodes where we look at the state of the global pandemic, as well as explore the various theories about the effectiveness of lockdowns and vaccinations.
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BFTN 94 – Wrong On Democracy
Long-time listener Hugo Mathieu joins me to explain how and why I'm wrong about democracy. He says we don't have one. I say we have one - albeit in a corrupt and limited form. Who's right? You be the judge.
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BFTN 93 – Wrong On China?
Long-time listener and former China resident Liam Bussell joins me for a chat about why I am, in his opinion, "wrong on China".
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BFTN 89 – Aus Gov v Facebook
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BFTN 88 – NYT Spinning WHO in China
We look at the obviously biased reporting in the Western media about the WHO's recent trip to China to investigate the origins of COVID.
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BFTN 87 – China’s Uighur Camps part 2
We continue our look at the media coverage of China's Uighur camps with an examination of the contradictions and the problems with, and funding of, the sources.
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BFTN 86 – China’s Uighur Camps
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BFTN 85 – The Role Of Violence
Left v Right Wing Violence. Billionaire Ray Dalio on the coming US Civil War. QAnon and the problem of epistemology and heuristics. Let’s evolve Australia Day. And Taylor Guitars goes 100% ESOP.
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BFTN 84 – The Straw That Breaks
Navalny medical data. Washington troops. Trump rape.
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BFTN 83 – The Diet Coup
Let's talk about the attempted US coup and about what might happen next. We also talk about Brisbane's "snap lockdown", how to handle a pandemic properly, and why we don't have absolute freedom of speech.
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BFTN 82 – Quasimodo
BFTN 81 – The GOP After Trump
What will the GOP look like after January 20? I see three main scenarios.
Trump remains as the leader and it’s business as usual.
Trump retires from the position gracefully and they search for new leadership.
Trump is pushed out.
Trump sets up his own political party.
Let’s talk about what might happen.
Meanwhile:
Trump intervening with SCOTUS
Mike Pence – The Decider
BFTN 80 – Message In A Podcast
Cam and Ray talking about the US election, the Australian government's illegal activities, the Murdoch enquiry, US hate crimes, mass shootings and Trump's desire to bomb Iran.
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BFTN 79 – Hunter Biden
Hunter Biden's laptop; The American Insurgency; US COVID - Red or Blue?; OPCW cover-up; Fake Green billionaires; Bolivia decides; and the CIA get attacked in Australia... by Russians?
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BFTN 78 – RIP EVH
Eddie Van Halen is playing with Jimi in Elysium tonight. In other stories, we talk about the "debate", Trump and covid, mutually exacerbating catastrophes, Middle East “peace” and scenarios that could lead to a new US Civil War.
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BFTN 77 – NOVICHOK
The Australian government is trying to force Facebook and Google to pay Australia news organisations free money; compare the narrative around Aussie journalists in China versus Assange; No, the CDC did *not* say only 6% of people died from COVID; Senate Report about Trump and Russia contains nothing new; who put the poison in Navalny's tea?; the Khashoggi trial concludes but what's happening with
BFTN 76 – Post Growth
My old mate Donnie Maclurcan is the CEO of the Post Growth Institute and Affiliate Professor of Economics at Southern Oregon University. He’s one of the smartest and nicest guys I know. I invited him on to chat about his views on the current state of the United States, where he has lived for the […]
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BFTN 75 – Is The USA a Failed State?
Is the United States a failed state? Or is it just failing? Today we break down some of the various definitions of a "failed state" and try to work out how the USA rates against them. And why it matters, even to non-Americans.
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BFTN 74 – Riots #4 – Sean
Sean from St Paul joins me for a chat about protests, riots, police brutality and why he has a huge SPQR matt across his chest.
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BFTN 73 – Riots #3 – Andrew
Andrew Hout has a degree in history and lives just outside of Columbus in Ohio. We talk about why Americans are so angry and entitled.
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BFTN 72 – Riots #2 – Gary
The world's best travel photographer, Gary Arndt (https://everything-everywhere.com/) has seen more of the world than most of us ever will. He joins me from his home in Minneapolis to talk about the protests, riots, America and how it is different from the rest of the world.
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BFTN 71 – Riots #1 – Chrissy
I want to focus for a few weeks on the current US protests and riots which started with the death by cop of George Floyd. I’ve invited a number of American friends and fans who live in riot hotspots to come on and share with me their experiences and views on how the country can […]
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BFTN 70 – New World Order
Mike Snyder, long-time podcast listener, security professional and self-confessed libertarian, Fox News watcher and conspiracy theorist, joined us for a two hour chat today about his fears around the coming of the One World Government, the New World Order, Covid conspiracies, and many other fun topics.
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BFTN 69 – 5G Conspiracies Part 2
On this episode, we get into the conspiracies about 5G and the coronavirus – which may have started with Dr. Kris Van Kerckhoven (a Mormon) – then got connected to the new £20 note in the UK – then disgraced American physician, Thomas Cowan, talked about it at a pseudo-science conference – then there was […]
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BFTN 68 – 5G Conspiracies Part 1
There are a lot of conspiracy theories going around about 5G – it gives you cancer, autism, changes your DNA, and gives you coronavirus! So in this episode, we look into the 5G conspiracies as well as the technology itself and the geopolitical battles going on around it.
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BFTN 67 – China COVID Conspiracies
There are a lot of conspiracy theories going around about the idea that China withheld information about COVID-19 from the global community and punished their own whistleblowers. Today we look at the evidence to support those theories (or lack thereof).
At times like of crisis like this, even more than usual, it's important to be have a fact-based mindset and not take the easy route into confirmat
BFTN 66 – Unfunded Empathy
On BS 65 (24 March) we predicted there could be 20,000 - 50,000 American deaths within the next few weeks. The Trump Administration are now estimating 100 - 240,000.
Guo Wengai - is claiming that China's virus death toll is still rising, they are hiding it, and burning bodies in mobile mass incinerators. But can he be believed?
Last week a Venezuelan defector is caught trying to smuggle a shipment
BFTN 65 – The Inflection Point
Our take on the coronavirus, the lockdown and what happens next.
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BFTN 64 – The Greatest Threat
On this week's show: Assange's trial is a farce.
The US pulls out of Afghanistan.
Coronavirus.
"Sodomite" is a bad word.
No fraud in Bolivian election.
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BFTN 63 – Friends Don’t Spy On Friends
Talking about the Iowa caucus (Shadow, ACRONYM, Buttgieg, etc) and the new evidence the CIA spying on US allies since the end of WWII.
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BFTN 6.5 – China part 5
John Pabon from strategic advisory firm Fulcrum22 joins me to give his perspective on China - business, political and social. John's an American who currently lives in Melbourne, and spent the last ten years living in Shanghai. We talk about the ol' Communism v Capitalism debate, the treatment of the Uyghurs, working conditions in factories, IP theft, and how most Chinese view their government.
T
BFTN 62 – Venezuela and Iran Update
Alan MacLeod joins me again to discuss the latest news about Venezuela and Iran.
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BFTN 61 – Fires and Assassinations
We talk about Australia's bushfires and America's assassination of Soleimani.
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