COL. Lawrence Wilkerson : War With Iran And The Ghost Of Iraq

War doesn’t usually start with a single moment. It starts with a story that gets repeated, a process that gets bent, and a handful of people who learn they can act first and justify later. That’s why this conversation with retired Colonel Larry Wilkerson hit so hard. Larry served as Colin Powell’s chief of staff at the State Department, and he’s seen up close how the Iraq War era decision machine worked, who dominated it, and what happens when the National Security Council system becomes a formality instead of a guardrail.We talk through the parallels he sees in today’s tensions with Iran, including the dangers of war powers drift and the way Congress can get sidelined. Then we pull the thread into domestic stability: what political intimidation looks like in practice, why trust in institutions matters, and how policing, ICE, and military culture can be shaped during a national stress test. Some of Larry’s warnings are blunt, including what conditions can make civil conflict feel less like a metaphor and more like a possibility.From there, we zoom out to the geopolitical chessboard: China’s long game, the growing weight of BRICS, the strategic limits of sanctions, and why the collapse of nuclear arms control treaties should terrify anyone paying attention. We also connect climate change to mass migration and security planning, because the next crisis won’t respect borders or slogans.Subscribe for more long-form conversations, share this with a friend who still thinks “it can’t happen here,” and if you got something from it, leave a rating and review so more people can find the show.Chapter Markers0:00 Welcome And Larry Wilkerson’s Story3:24 How The Iraq War Took Shape9:26 War Powers And A Divided America18:04 Oligarchs Then And Now28:59 Nukes Climate And Global Survival30:25 ICE Tactics And Election Fears39:34 15-6 Investigations And Pat Tillman45:04 Lebanon Escalation And Iran Fallout55:15 Closing Thoughts And Next GuestsSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy