Episodes

A string of odd coincidences has Brandon posing some interesting hypotheticals about what might be happening behind the scenes in Moscow as Putin's bloody invasion seems to be scratching some unusual itches. There's the occasional fire at one or two or three (who's counting?) top secret Russian facilities, and a handful of strange murder-suicides among Russia's retired oligarch community.Also, are you a useful idiot? If so, congratulations! At least you're not an unuseful idiot like me. I ki...

News of President Kennedy’s assassination sent shockwaves around the world. And at the epicenter of those shockwaves sat one Jim Angleton. His actions following Kennedy’s death would help stoke tales of conspiracies that, perhaps, people within the U.S. government had killed their own Commander-In-Chief, a concern the President himself expressed just before his untimely death.Angleton played a key role in the investigation of President Kennedy’s murder, though what that role was is still hard ...

We discuss the sinking of the Moskva and Moscow's PR two-step. Plus, are things looking up for the people of Yemen? And Nigeria gets some shiny new American helicopters. Pakistan is getting a little missile-happy in Afghanistan, testing how easy-going the Taliban really are now. Russia reminds Japan that they're still in the neighborhood, so Japan better not get any funny ideas about those contested islands. Ukrainian richy-rich Viktor Medvedchuk gets tossed in jail. Finland and Sweden move clos...

We discuss more claims of Russian war crimes, of course. Plus, a Russian "humanitarian" group announces it'll soon be easier than ever for Russian citizens to adopt Ukrainian orphans. Isn't that nice? We also give an update on the dire situations in Yemen and Ethiopia.And we also get a peek behind the curtain of the CIA as we review a formerly top-secret document containing the very best in anti-Soviet comedy. I bet you can't wait.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/09/world/europe/putin-russia-...

Jim Angleton was not an ignorant man – he hoarded information the way some unhealthy people hoard newspapers and broken kitchen appliances. Neither was he unintelligent nor unsophisticated – he was a keenly critical and thoughtful individual schooled in literary criticism and spycraft.But James Jesus Angleton, convinced of his own suspicions, which were reinforced by great personal betrayal, became a tyrant of sorts – working within a private world that he constructed – ending up lost, confuse...

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/apr/01/first-food-aid-for-100-days-enters-tigray-under-humanitarian-trucehttps://news.yahoo.com/saudi-offered-rebel-rejected-cease-030832024.htmlhttps://www.businessinsider.com/great-translation-movement-twitter-account-blowing-up-russia-ukraine-2022-3https://twitter.com/TGTM_Officialhttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-asks-putin-release-info-hunter-biden-rcna22117https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/03/30/video-shows-europe...

For a brief time within the history of the United States, its citizens trusted that their country’s best and brightest were in charge – competent leaders who knew how to navigate the complex, often treacherous, paths of diplomacy and global conflict. This trust, like most things, would not endure.In the decades immediately following the Second World War, the political mandate engendered by the public’s trust would be squandered by a cadre of self-important men who each believed fervently that ...

This week on Raw File News (that’s what we’re calling the news now. What do you think?) –Some progress in Ethiopia as a ceasefire has the potential to end the deadly conflict in Tigray…Plus, Houthi rebels claim responsibility for a massive explosion that rocked an oil field in Saudi Arabia…And mixed signals from Moscow as the bloody Russian invasion of Ukraine continues…Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright dies, and Guantanamo Bay gives her a strange send-off.This is Raw File N...

Guy Burgess was perhaps the most unlikely spy in history, which is probably why he ended up being one of the best spies in history.Guy pulled off incredible feats of espionage without ever being caught. He accomplished this work with a staggering level of audacity and aplomb, all while drinking enough alcohol to kill two or three tortured musicians. Not only did Guy not hide his true self, he was utterly incapable of it.To meet Guy Burgess was to know Guy Burgess: unkempt, opinionated, inebr...

Humans are being terrible to each other all over the world. So we talk about a few places that aren't being invaded by Russia. And of course we also talk about places that ARE being invaded by Russia. Also, don't Google "methane cascade." Not if you want to enjoy your week.

Russian disinformation, taking a point from George W Bush's playbook. Putin in a thong. And we play a fun yet horrifying game.

Russia, Russia, Russia! Do you think China's starting to feel like Jan Brady yet, or are they glad to have a break from all the attention?

Chris and Brandon discuss the current Russian invasion into Ukraine and what's next for Russia. They also dive a little into Putin's past. Where did this guy come from? What's his driving motivation? Let's find out.

Chris and Brandon talk Russia, China, and Civ 5. And some other stuff, but that's most of it.

Chris and Brandon discuss a handful of stories, including strategic intelligence leaks, same old, same old from the CIA, and Battlebots In Space!

After secretly committing himself to the cause of Communism and to serving the Soviet Union, Kim Philby worked as a reporter in the time preceding WWII. But once the War started, he decided to look for better ways to fight off Fascism and to gain access to the inner workings of his homeland. He'd been casting about for an invitation into British intelligence when fellow Trinity College alum Guy Burgess introduced him to the chief of staff of MI6 Section D's training school for propaganda, Marjor...

Chris and Brandon discuss a few things happening around the world.

Brandon and I go over the rising tensions between Russia, Ukraine, and the West. Brandon gives us some historical context for where things are at now, and he makes a prediction or two.

After having lived and worked in Kazakhstan for some time, Brandon gives us a breakdown of what led to the recent mass protests and subsequent violence. What caused the uprising? Were the protests started by outside agitators? Did foreign terrorists take advantage of national unrest to attempt a coup? And if so, were key government officials involved in some way?

Toward the end of the Second World War, many Americans had rather strong feelings about Fascists, mostly, that Fascists were evil and tyrranical, fueled by hatred and a total disregard for human life.But there were some who didn’t feel that the Fascists were all that bad. Some Americans actually thought that perhaps the Fascists actually had some good points, if you didn’t get too hung up on the violent anti-semitism.Jim Angleton fell solidly in the latter category. As a young man, he was in...

Were it not for a handful of loud, persistent voices shouting “Fire” about Stalin’s intentions toward Western Values, the Cold War may well have never occurred, or may at least have been less brutal, less deadly. And maybe the United States wouldn’t have compromised its stated moral codes so egregiously in the decades following the end of the Second World War.A liberal Southern lawyer was one of those few, loud voices. Frank Wisner, a man socially ahead of his time, did what he thought was nec...

Kim Philby was born into peculiar circumstances at a pivotal moment in world history, and he played his part in the struggle between ideologies that shaped our modern world. But to ask who he was is perhaps too big a question to ever fully understand.It can be said of Philby that he was a genial man -- pleasant and inquisitive. People tended to trust him instinctively, and he was always a willing confidant to anyone with something to get off of their chest.He suffered from a slight stutter e...

Sadly, we had to postpone this week's episode. But I do discuss a man who deserves his own episode somewhere down the road: St John Philby, father of notorious double-agent Kim Philby. We thought this might help understand Kim Philby, whom we will be covering with the next episode. See you soon! (Well, not literally "see you soon," but we'll have a new episode out soon and we hope you listen to it!)

Somebody had to teach Americans how to conduct espionage, and British spymaster William Samuel Stephenson was just the man for the job. He taught American spies how to lie, cheat, and use the media to manipulate the populace. He laid the groundwork for practices that would ultimately undermine public trust in the government, leading to where we are today.