Podcast Episode 5-18-23

Hey guys! Welcome to the show! In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, which you probably haven’t seen in the news. As I always say, our media does a terrible job covering our military and potential hotspots, so I’m hoping to fill this void. But, in addition to ending the podcast with some awesome motivation and wisdom, we’ll cover: Timestamp: 1:32. Trump won’t commit to backing Ukraine in war with Russia. Timestamp: 11:30. The lure of isolationism, and why it’s wrong. Timestamp: 17:01. Biden forced to cut foreign trip short because of failed negotiations regarding the debt ceiling. Timestamp: 20:50. Turkey’s longtime president to face down main rival in runoff as uncertainty looms. Timestamp: 25:05. A far-right nationalist politician may decide Erdogan’s political fate. Timestamp: 25:45. Why is Erdogan still popular? Timestamp: 29:23. Ukraine achieving some success in besieged Bakhmut. Timestamp: 32:45. Germany to supply Ukraine with largest aid package yet, worth nearly $3 billion. Timestamp: 34:41. Wagner chief offered to give Russian troop locations to Ukraine, leak says. Timestamp: 37:14. Russia may have just lost four aircraft in one day. Here’s what we know. Timestamp: 38:54. Strikes in Russian-held Luhansk showcase Ukraine’s longer-range missiles. Timestamp: 40:08. A former U.S. Army general predicts 'successful' Ukrainian offensive. Timestamp: 41:35. Opinion | I’ve never seen the Kremlin so rattled. Timestamp: 45:46. Russian attack damages Patriot system and Russia agrees to extend Ukraine grain deal in a boost for global food security. Timestamp: 49:10. China sentences 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison on spying charges. Timestamp: 50:38. Iran’s leaders are asking for trouble. Timestamp 52:05. Attack on U.S. convoy in Nigeria. Timestamp: 53:30. The best part of the show. The motivation and wisdom part. Hey guys, Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here. For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist. Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast: * Work to highlight what our military troops are doing around the world, while also trying to better educate Americans about looming hotspots and foreign policy news you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...) * Attempt to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. Our division and animosity toward each other is dangerous, and I want to do my small part to remind us that more unites us than divides us, and that most Americans are good and not screaming, crazy extremists like you see on the news all the time. (My thoughts on the division in this country...) * Finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of the episode, because I want to do my small part to help encourage you and lift you up. Life is certainly hard, and I think it’s fair to say all of us need all the motivation and encouragement that we can possibly get. In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news! The work I do each week is primarily a podcast. You can listen to it from the player above, or from whatever podcast you listen to it from. And if you love what I’m doing here, please sign up for email notifications. It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month should you choose that option, and you can cancel at any time. Subscribing also gets you The View from the Front Extended. This is a Monday update that comes out as a newsletter and is a way to provide value and thank my paying subscribers. Also, people are always asking me on social media how to best support my dreams, including getting out future books sooner. Believe me, the best way to support me is by signing up for a paid subscription here. Or, you can sign up at Patreon or at Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell). But you don’t have to do any of these things. I’ve already had incredible support and feel called to do this. As long as I’m making enough to cover the time I invest each week, I’m not going anywhere. Why paid subscriptions help, and what they’d help me do more of... Enough of the sales pitch, I hope you enjoy today’s edition. Again, you should listen to it from the player above. Source notes: U.S. news: Trump won’t commit to backing Ukraine in war with Russia Former President Donald Trump would not say Wednesday night who he thinks should prevail in Russia’s war against Ukraine, instead telling New Hampshire GOP primary voters that he wants “everybody to stop dying.” “I want everybody to stop dying. They’re dying. Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying,” Trump said at CNN’s town hall moderated by “CNN This Morning” anchor Kaitlan Collins. “And I’ll have that done in 24 hours.” Biden forced to cut foreign trip short because of failed negotiations regarding the debt ceiling. The three-nation trip had been meant as a triumphant global leadership showcase, and instead threatened to become a truncated reminder of how partisan disagreements have undercut U.S. standing on the global stage. “I’ve cut my trip short in order to be here for the final negotiations and sign the deal with the majority leader,” Biden said in remarks before departing the White House. “I’ve made clear America is not a deadbeat nation, we pay our bills.” Turkey election news: Turkey’s longtime president to face down main rival in runoff as uncertainty looms Conservative Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces a runoff with his main rival in two weeks that will decide who leads a country struggling with sky-high inflation and hosting Syrian refugees as it plays a key role in the Middle East and in NATO expansion. Election officials said Monday that the May 28 second round will allow Turks to decide if their nation remains under the increasingly authoritarian president’s firm grip for a third decade, or if it can embark on the more democratic course that Kemal Kilicdaroglu has claimed he can deliver. … Erdogan faced electoral headwinds due to a cost-of-living crisis and criticism over the government’s response to a devastating February earthquake. But with his alliance retaining its hold on the parliament, Erdogan is now in a good position to win in the second round. A far-right nationalist politician may decide Erdogan’s political fate Until Sunday, Sinan Ogan was a fringe, ultranationalist Turkish politician virtually unknown outside Turkey. But for the next two weeks, he may become the most important figure in Turkish politics, potentially deciding President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s political fate. … Ogan, the third candidate, received 5.17%, enough to swing the runoff vote in favor of either of the candidates. With that, he found himself as the kingmaker in the most important elections in modern Turkey’s history. Why is Erdogan still popular? By many measures, things aren’t great in Turkey right now. Inflation is at 44% (down from 85% in October), and analysts say it’s likely higher than official numbers suggest. Meanwhile, the lira, Turkey’s currency, is tanking, having fallen 76% during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest term in office (since 2018). That’s to say nothing of the 1.5 million people left homeless by February’s devastating earthquake, which killed 50,000 in the country’s south and exposed the depths of Ankara’s cronyism and corruption. The list goes on. But Gabrielle Debinski writes in GZero * Offered cheap housing loans. * Implemented a debt-relief program for millions * Passed a law allowing more than 2 million Turks to retire immediately. * Raised the minimum wage for the private sector by 94% year-on-year in Jan. 2023. * Managed to appeal to Islamic conservatives, while also not imposing harsh Islamic laws on non-religious Turks. Russia and Ukraine news: Ukraine achieving some success in besieged Bakhmut, Russia says Russian and Ukrainian forces are engag… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe