Trump Teases Boots on the Ground in Iran. Six Troops Now KIA. Israel, US Bases and Embassies Hit.

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Episode 454: Trump Teases Boots on the Ground in Iran. Six Troops Now KIA. Israel, US Bases and Embassies Hit.
Date: March 3, 2026
Host: Paul Rieckhoff
Guest: Barbara Starr, Journalist and Former CNN Pentagon Correspondent

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Overview

This urgent episode dives into the rapidly escalating U.S.–Iran conflict, analyzing the mounting costs of war, failures in political and military planning, the dangers of political posturing, and the new realities of drone warfare. Host Paul Rieckhoff marshals his signature blend of unsparing honesty, military insight, and dark humor to break down the latest news—highlighting inadequate troop protection, mounting American casualties, Congress’s inaction, and President Trump’s suggestion of “boots on the ground” in Iran. Veteran journalist Barbara Starr joins to illuminate the realities behind Pentagon briefings, the fragility of the current news media, and the enduring courage of American service members.

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Key Topics and Insights

1. The Regional War: Escalation and Costs

(Starts at 03:25)

• The conflict has breached Iran’s borders, now threatening the entire region—“It is now a regional war that is unfolding.” (Paul Rieckhoff, 04:00)
• American casualties have increased: six Americans killed in Kuwait after a rapid drone/missile strike with inadequate warning and protection.
• Recent attacks highlight the shift in warfare from IEDs to drones, showing America's defenses are outdated:
  • “Drones are the new IEDs or VBIED’s car bombs.” (Paul Rieckhoff, 05:10)

2. Military Readiness and Troop Protection

(05:10 – 11:00; 37:21 - 42:00)

• U.S. forces in Kuwait were under-protected—only concrete barriers designed for past wars.
  • “These defenses built for the last war… In the age of drone warfare, the threat comes from above. Yes. That kind of defense is not adequate.” (Paul Rieckhoff, 06:00)
• Barbara Starr stresses the importance of protecting troops as the “true north” for military and political decision-making:
  • “I think most presidents have found since Vietnam that if Americans do not feel that the troops are being treated effectively in combat…that's when Americans begin rapidly to lose support for a war.” (Barbara Starr, 36:20)

3. Congressional Inaction and Political Posturing

(07:30 – 11:30)

• Congress is criticized for lagging behind events, acting as “mall cops of our democracy”—not serious oversight.
  • “Congress is the mall cops of our democracy and it’s full of cowards and dummies from both parties.” (Paul Rieckhoff, 08:16)
• Trump openly considers boots on the ground in Iran, facing little resistance from Congress.
• Rieckhoff lambasts “chicken hawks”—politicians who have not served but talk tough on war:
  • “The loudest Chicken Hawks are usually not veterans themselves... The only war they've ever been a part of is the one against truth and common sense, and they are continuing to lose it spectacularly.” (Paul Rieckhoff, 10:47)
  • Founds the “2026 Chicken Hawk Club”: “Marco Rubio, Tommy Tuberville, Senator Mark Mullen—you are the founding members...” (11:27)

4. U.S. Bases and Embassies Under Attack

(12:00 – 20:00)

• U.S. Marines opened fire on demonstrators storming the Karachi consulate; embassies across the region are now vulnerable.
• State Department tells Americans to depart 14 countries, often without means or clear plans.
  • “This is how half-cooked and unprepared their plan is. You feel safer, everybody?” (Paul Rieckhoff, 14:50)
• Comparison to Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal failures—Trump is repeating mistakes, leaving Americans at risk.

5. Where Is the Uranium?

(16:30 – 17:30)

• Raises alarm that the location of Iran’s enriched uranium is unknown after strikes—parallels with Iraq WMD worries pre-2003 invasion.
  • “Where is the uranium? That’s a question they should be asking Hegseth in any press briefing…” (Paul Rieckhoff, 17:15)

6. Civilians and Veterans: Advice and Support

(21:00 – 29:00)

• Shares Ukrainian practical advice for civilians facing missile/drone attacks:
  • “Rule number one: go underground… stay inside, away from windows… Most people die from shrapnel, not direct hits.” (Timofi Malovanov, read by Paul Rieckhoff, 24:35)
• Addresses the mental health toll on service members, families, and veterans.
  • “Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It is a step towards strength.” (Dan Kaepernick, Headstrong Project, 28:40)

7. Media and Pentagon Briefings: Trust and Transparency

(33:44 – 56:00)

• Barbara Starr reflects on the historic lack of press briefings. Recent Pentagon briefing saw “legacy” journalists in the back; still little press access.
  • “Maybe he’ll get some media training.” (Barbara Starr on Secretary Hegseth, 50:58)
• The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, was seen as bombastic and undisciplined, failing to project calm or reassurance—crucial traits in a crisis.
• Starr and Rieckhoff both warn the U.S. needs trusted, experienced voices:
  • “In true contingency emergency… when a four star or a secretary comes out to brief, they get calmer and calmer and calmer… that's the message they want to send—We got this.” (Barbara Starr, 49:40)
• Concerns about weakened media institutions (CBS, CNN, PBS, etc.) at a time of deep crisis.
  • “So much of the institutional knowledge that's been lost in this driving out of good people.” (Paul Rieckhoff, 54:47)

8. Women in Combat: Representation and Resilience

(56:00 – 57:00)

• Viral video of a female American F-15 pilot shot down over Kuwait becomes a symbol of resilience and proof against sexist arguments.
  • “Women are in combat. They're gonna continue to be in combat. And they're doing just fine.” (Barbara Starr, 56:44)

9. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• [03:35] Paul Rieckhoff: “The intersection of politics, national security and culture… all coming together in what is undoubtedly our top story, Iran. And it’s much bigger than Iran. It is now a regional war that is unfolding.”
• [10:47] Paul Rieckhoff: “The loudest Chicken Hawks are usually not veterans themselves... The only war they've ever been a part of is the one against truth and common sense, and they are continuing to lose it spectacularly.”
• [36:20] Barbara Starr: “…most presidents have found since Vietnam that if Americans do not feel that the troops are being treated effectively in combat…that’s when Americans begin rapidly to lose support for a war.”
• [39:00] Barbara Starr: “You’re going to tell these American families that they lost their loved ones because they were not protected against the threat—the very specific threat from Iran that everybody knew was coming?”
• [49:40] Barbara Starr: “In true contingency emergency…when a four star…comes out to brief, they get calmer and calmer and calmer…they do that because that’s the message first they want to send—to the American people, to the world, and to America’s adversaries. We got this.”
• [56:44] Barbara Starr: “Women are in combat. They’re gonna continue to be in combat. And they’re doing just fine.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:35 | Rieckhoff intro and setting the regional war context | | 05:10 | Shift from IED to drone threats; troop protection failures | | 08:16 | Critique of Congress as "mall cops" | | 10:47 | “Chicken Hawk Club” segment; Eisenhower quote on war | | 13:00 | U.S. embassy threats and evacuations | | 16:30 | Where is the uranium? Unanswered questions | | 24:35 | Ukrainian advice: How to survive missile/drone strikes | | 28:40 | Veterans’ mental health and support | | 36:20 | Starr: how America loses support for war | | 39:00 | Starr: failure to protect troops/Kuwait strike | | 49:40 | Pentagon press briefing analysis; importance of calm | | 54:47 | Decline of media institutions / need for independent voices | | 56:44 | Women in combat: pilot story |

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Tone and Style

Rieckhoff’s tone is passionate, punchy, and unsparing—combining military grit with relentless independence and a dose of gallows humor ("Senator Tuberville…Iran is not a city, dumbass"). Barbara Starr’s analysis is sharp, sober, and rooted in decades of field experience.

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Closing Reflection

• The episode underscores the terrifying “new normal” wrought by technological change in warfare, unpreparedness, and America’s fractured political/media environment.
• Both host and guest stress the need for vigilance, trusted information, veteran voices, and mutual support—urging listeners to stay connected and active, not just “doom scroll,” and to look out for fellow Americans, especially military families.
• Ultimately, the show functions as a lifeline for the “angry middle” and those disillusioned with political binaries: “Country over party, people over politics, light over heat, challenging the status quo, especially now.” (Paul Rieckhoff, 58:10)

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To hear more voices like Barbara Starr, Rieckhoff urges: stay independent, stay vigilant, and support independent media.

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End of Summary

Transcript

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No problem. I'll be with you every step of the way. One in four was a fraud paying American. Not anymore. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com Specialoffer terms apply a KFC tale in the Pursuit of Flavor the greatest insult the Colonel ever suffered was being served a wrap that was just a snack by a friend. So he took two crispy tenders, lettuce, tomatoes and pepper mayo and wrapped them in a soft tortilla. It wasn't a snack, it was a meal. He called it a Twister and never called that friend again. The colonel lived so we could chicken the Twister. Now back at kfc. Classic or with bacon. Also try it spicy. It's finger licking. Good. Prices and participation may vary. Senator Mullen is not because he's not a veteran of any military service. He has no idea what war sounds like or smells like. It hasn't been in his nostrils. He worked on a farm. What was in his nostrils is bullshit. And what's coming out of his mouth now is. Welcome to Independent Americans. Welcome to episode 454. I am your host, Paul Rykoff, coming to you from New York City, usa, where the weather is dark and cold and rainy. And we had hail this morning. Hail. Because the last few weeks of this terrible winter are going to throw everything at us. It is Tuesday, March 3rd, and we are deep in the most aggressive forms of March. Coming in like a lion. And as I told you, this week, I'm going to pick a different artist every day. And today's artist is Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, one of my favorite bands of all time. Eight brothers from Chicago who I once saw years ago playing on the streets of New York City. I'm picking them because their single most popular song is war. And that's what we've got, folks. Lots of war. You should check out that song. Check out all their music, including Flipside Space Balicky Bond is a great song, but it is about war because the war is on. And I'm going to bring you the five eyes to help you navigate this battlefield of information is going to include independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. You know the deal if you are a regular here, if not welcome. And our guest today coming up is going to bring all that it is a returning champion, a voice you can count on to help you understand war and how it's covered by the news, the politics behind it. The great and powerful Barbara Starr is back. She is like a professor on all these things and she is back to help us break it down. We're also going to talk about the Pentagon for finally doing a press briefing. Yes, that actually happened. We're going to dig into that and what you should be looking for next. But before we get to Barbara Star, there is a ton happening, a ton of reasons during this new unfolding war to stay vigilant. All right, My voice might permanently sound like this because we are going to have a lot to cover and a lot to talk about and a lot that are right at the crosshairs of what this show is all about. The intersection of politics, national security and culture. And it's of course, all coming together in what is undoubtedly our top story, Iran. And it's much bigger than Iran. It is now a regional war that is unfolding. And I want to start by telling you that the casualties will continue to rise. I told you the American casualty numbers will rise. And tragically they have. Six American service members are now dead. There was a strike in Kuwait that hit a makeshift operations center that was basically described as a triple wide trailer. The strike came in so quickly. There were no sirens or warnings to allow the troops to evacuate to a bunker in time. And six of them are now dead. Haley Britsky is one of the many reporters that have covered this and now there is unfolding information about how she shitty the defenses were for these troops. According to cbs, three military officials have posted basically concrete barriers were all there was, just concrete barriers that had no overhead cover. And these are the primary defenses we saw after Iraq and Afghanistan when the threat was very different when I was in Iraq. And Jim Scudo from cnn, who's an excellent reporter, especially on these issues, posted something on X. He said these defenses built for the last war when VBIEDs vehicle borne improvised explosive device or car bombs were the primary threat in the age of drone warfare. The threat comes from above. Yes. That kind of defense is not adequate. As we discussed in our episode yesterday with Nolan Peterson. If you didn't hear it, you need to check it out. Nobody else is really breaking down what the new drone warfare looks like and how it's a threat to to U.S. forces in the region and frankly, how it could be a threat to you. But that kind of protection is not adequate for our troops. And America and Trump are not doing enough to protect our troops, our assets or our homeland. America is not ready for the drone war. Drones are the new IEDs or VBIED's car bombs. We covered it with Nolan Peterson and we will continue to cover it on this show. And it must remain a top topic because Ukraine knows all too well that this is what modern warfare looks like. Now back in Washington, they might finally vote on Iran and a War Powers act tomorrow. Maybe. Well, nice of them to finally get around to it. It's like Congress is writing a speeding ticket to a driver who is doing 100 miles an hour and slamming into everyone along the way and they're actually not even getting him to stop. It's like Congress is driving along next to him and writing him a ticket and throwing the ticket into the car and Trump throws it back in their face and is not even slowing down Congress. Your votes are too late and you are always behind him. Trump is throwing the middle finger up to you. He's keeping the pedal to the metal and he's leaving you in the dust. He's already on to the next town, which is probably Cuba. So if you're going to have a spine and step up, maybe you should have a spine and vote to impeach him for declaring an illegal war and for blowing past you. Maybe you can go ahead to the next town and have a War Powers act vote on Cuba, since it's obviously where he wants to focus next. Maybe you can be ahead of him for once. That would be nice, Congress, but I'm not holding my breath. You're not highway patrol for our democracy. You're like mall cops. Congress is the mall cops of our democracy and it's full of cowards and dummies from both parties. So much of what they say is grandstanding and obvious and just too little, too late. And now Trump is continuing to be all gas, no brakes, and he's saying out loud that he might put boots on the ground. He is saying so. He's saying he won't rule it out. And we should believe him. We should definitely believe him. But don't believe everything they say, especially not his many minions and especially folks like Senator Mullen. Check this out. We gave them an opportunity to force it to work, and it didn't.

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Is this not a war of choice? The president ran. And did the president not run on not starting a war with Iran? He ran on two things. Ending wars. He's ended eight of them. And he also ran America safe.

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This isn't a war.

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We haven't declared war. Everybody wants to say, hold on, I want to play.

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The secretary of.

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The Secretary of Defense, who calls himself the Secretary of War, said today, this is a war. Let's watch.

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We set the terms of this war from start to finish. We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it.

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Is it really not a war?

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What he declared on us was war,

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meaning us as ayatollah. He declared war on us.

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We are not at war with the Iranian people. So Senator Mullen is one of many who are saying this isn't a war now. This isn't a war is a bad and stupid talking point. It's like a mission accomplished moment. For those of you who are too young to remember, George Bush once stood on an aircraft carrier that said mission accomplished right around the time I got to Baghdad and experienced a year of war. But this is not working, especially with Trump's base, to say it's not a war, but it's part of a kind of cacophony of voices that are all sort of saying the same thing. And the chicken hawks, because that's what they are, chicken hawks. People who haven't served themselves, who aren't sending their kids to die. The chicken hawks are out in force. And what Mullen is saying is very, very important. He went on to say more. Check this out. And direct on what we could expect. War is ugly. It smells bad. And if anybody's ever been there and been able to smell the war that's happened around you and taste it and feel it in your nostrils and hear it, it's something that you'll never forget. And it's ugly. And fortunately, you have President Hagseth, or I say President Hagseth, Secretary Hegseth, that has got a great relationship with President Trump. And President Hagseth's been there, he's done that. He said, war is ugly. It smells bad. If anybody has ever been there and able to smell the war and taste it, fills your nostrils and hear it, it's Something you'll never forget. And then he goes on to call Hegseth President Hegseth, and he says, president Hegseth has been there. President Hegseth has been there. But Senator Mullen is not, because he's not a veteran of any military service. He has no idea what war sounds like or smells like. It hasn't been in his nostrils. He worked on a farm. What was in his nostrils is bullshit. And what's coming out of his mouth now is bullshit. The loudest Chicken Hawks are usually not veterans themselves. And Mullen is one of many that have been particularly loud right now. He, of course, Tommy Tuberville, Senator redneck from Alabama, Marco Rubio, who also has never served, and many others. Don't listen to them. The only war they've ever been a part of is the one against truth and common sense, and they are continuing to lose it spectacularly. Cue, of course, one of our favorite folks to focus on, Senator Tuberville. Check this out.

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President Trump isn't ruling out sending ground troops into Iran. What is your reaction to that?

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Yeah, you can't blame him. You know, this is not your Democrat war. This is President Trump's war. And he's not going in to be politically correct. He's going in to protect, first of all, Americans first, and then our allies and the people around the world. Iran has been the city of terrorism as long as I can remember. I want to make sure you heard that part at the end. Iran is not a city, dumbass. I mean, the level of stupidity is so high and nothing reveals how stupid and full of shit people are than when they don't know war and try to talk about it every single time. Tuberville is a founding member of the 2026 Chicken Hawk Club. They don't know the real cost of war. So I'm going to start by naming them. Marco Rubio, Tommy Tuberville, Senator Mark Mullen. You are the founding members of the 2026 Chicken Hawk Club. I'm sure there are others who will be joining you, and I will be sure to name them. But you don't know the real cost of war. But General Eisenhower did. And I want to share with you a quote that General Eisenhower is famously quoted for saying. I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity. That is what it sounds like when you've seen and smelled and experienced war, because the cost is high, immeasurably high, and you can never predict how high it will be. That's why, especially when it comes to issues of casualties and humanities, humanity and Americans fallen sons and daughters, we all, especially no matter what your party affiliation, Democrat, Republican, and especially independents, we must all stay vigilant. We also have to understand that the overflow costs of Trump's war on Iran has continued and it is continuing to expand. So does the blowback for Americans. If you didn't see over the weekend, it's now been confirmed that U.S. marines opened fired on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate over the weekend. This has now been confirmed. At least 10 people were killed when protesters tried to breach the compound after the Ayatollah was killed in the strikes on Iran. This is very, very important because every embassy is now a target. Every American inside is now a target. Every Marine or service member on every gate is now a target. And check this out. Yesterday the government was good enough to send a security update for Americans in the Middle East. They said that Americans should now depart via commercial means due to serious safety risks. And they listed a bunch of countries. This came from the State Department. This came yesterday. Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. They are letting people know now that they should leave. And they're telling you you should find your own way out. This is how half cooked and unprepared their plan is. You feel safer, everybody. Is this making you feel safer? That's a question you should ask yourself and ask Trump every opportunity you get. And by the way, the markets are down now, too. Global markets have tumbled. Oil prices are through the roof. The S and P fell at least 1.5% as global concern now starts to really comprehend how bad and how damaging and how extensive this now regional war can be. And the chaos and carnage is expanding now. At least they did a press briefing. Hooray. More on that coming up with Barbara Starr next. But J.D. check that. Sorry, Hegseth. And Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Cain finally did a press conference. That is noteworthy. That is important. Hegseth was very bombastic and Kaine was very precise. But here's what you also need to know. That now Trump is saying that we should expect frequent, if not daily briefings from the Pentagon. Now that would be good. It would be good to have an opportunity to ask them more questions and to see if they actually have a plan to do things like get Americans out of harm's way and protect our troops from what should have been anticipated. But there's a question not enough people are asking Trump, Hegseth and all the others, where's the uranium? Uranium? You know, the stuff they use to make nukes. Where is the uranium? There's been thousands of strikes, lots of degraded assets, but no sign yet and no reporting yet around the uranium. Now there's a guy I've been following on X that I found to be really interesting, Shanaka Aslam Pereira. He is the author of the Ascent Begins and he's an independent analyst. I've been finding his stuff very interesting and he had a line posted on X. He said because degraded is not destroyed. The IAEA confirms no nuke facilities were hit. 404.440.9 kg and 60% of enriched uranium remains unaccounted for. Now Iran is not just hitting back. It has also so far been able to keep the uranium away from Americans. So this should be a question that everyone should be asking in the same way they asked, I don't know, where are the weapons of mass destruction? Where is that yellow cake, all that stuff they talked about in Iraq when they sent me and hundreds of thousands of others to war. Where is the uranium? That's a question they should be asking Hegseth in any press briefing he does and asking Trump any chance they get.

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It's tax season, and at Lifelock, we know you're tired of numbers, but here's a big one you need to hear. Billions. That's the amount of money and refunds the IRS has flagged for possible identity fraud. Now here's another big number. 100 million. That's how many data points LifeLock monitors every second. If your identity is stolen, we'll fix it. Guaranteed. One last big number. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com specialoffer for the threats you can't control. Terms apply. It's one way we can all stay vigilant. Now, keep in mind, they are not ready. They are not ready for what's happening as the US Embassies around the region continue to be targeted. And keep in mind, they are not ready. And there is no more glaring example than how unprepared they are to get people out. This is becoming like their Biden Afghanistan moment. A group of people who pounded Joe Biden, I think appropriately for failing to anticipate the fall of Afghanistan. We covered it on this show. Those of you who've been listening for years remember that we predicted that Afghanistan will fall and we held Biden and others accountable for their failures. They were many. But it looks like Trump is repeating those failures. And there's breaking news that the embassy in Iraq has ordered all non emergency government personnel to leave and prohibited the use of the Baghdad airport. So how the hell are they supposed to get out? Our friend Mark. Sorry, Mark Polymeriapoulos. Mark's name. I'm sorry, dude. It's a tough one. Poly Mariopolis, who's a really important voice on national security, wrote on X today. It's stunning to me, having worked in embassies for years, how late this order has come. Absolute negligence by Rubio. Lack of planning and assessment by state. Nothing like previous conflicts. A first grader could have told you the embassy would be under significant threat from the onset of hostilities. My first grader could tell you that my fourth grader is studying the Revolutionary War right now and military conflict. And he definitely would have told you that this could have been anticipated. And this is very, very True, Those orders should have been given before the attack on Iran that everyone in the world knew was coming. And Trump should have been scrambling everything to get Americans out of the region before the bombs started dropping. This is a huge strategic planning failure, and the risks to lives of countless Americans and American troops is very high and rising. The scope and scale of attacks and American casualties in the next few weeks could make the 2021 fall of Kabul look small in comparison. And now the drones, of course, are going to be at the forefront of much of this. We talked about it yesterday with Nolan Peterson. We talked about it on Friday with Joe Sarancione. Check out those two episodes. I think we're covering this in a way that nobody is because we're not just talking about what's happening now. We are talking about what's happening next. And as drones and missiles rain down on more and more countries, some of you tune into this show, you listen or you watch from the Middle east and other places. And I want to share with you and everyone some good advice from the people of Ukraine. Timothy Malivanov is the president of the Kyiv School of Economics. He's a Minister of Economy in Ukraine. He's an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh and a very smart guy. And he posted something on X that I want to share with you. How to hide from missiles. People keep asking me because they are now not a threat only in Ukraine, but over Israel, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Bahrain and the uae. Here's what Ukrainians learned after constant shahed and missile attacks. Number one rule number one, go underground. The best option is a proper shelter or a deep metro station. If not underground parking or a solid basement. Better with 2 exits. Most people die from shrapnel, not direct hits. This is what we need to start learning, folks, in the same way our kids have to learn about school shootings. This could be a reality, definitely to our friends in the Middle east and to our friends in Israel and potentially here at home. No shelter nearby. Use the two walls rule. This is one more of the world's about to get familiar with. Stay inside, away from. Away from windows. Put two solid walls between you and the street. Sit low, cover your head. Avoid balconies, glass facades, top floors. This is very important. React immediately. Ballistic missiles give you minutes, sometimes seconds. Don't wait to see what's happening. Move. If you're outside and there's no shelter, lie down in a depression near a curb. Cover your head. Stay away from open squares, cars, gas stations, glass buildings. Don't jump into your car. During mass panic, traffic jams trap you in the open. If you must drive, avoid main roads. Keep a small bag ready near the door. Documents, water, essential medicines, flashlight, power bank, warm layer, simple food for eight to 12 hours. And in apartment buildings, as people are now finding out across the Middle east and of course, in Tel Aviv and other places, use stairs. Never elevators. Power cuts and structural damage trap people inside. Lifts or elevators. Main rule that Ukrainians live by. Don't ignore the alarm. Move fast. And to really help terrify you in reality, think about how many American cities even have alarms. This is from Timofi Malovanov, who is from Ukraine. A great voice. It is a time to remember and learn the lessons of what's happening in Ukraine, because what the Middle east is experiencing now has been Ukraine's reality for years. And it is a time to keep your head down in the war zone and stay vigilant. But don't keep your head down in America, because, of course, ICE continues to run rampant as this all unfolds. Every day, more bad shit. Don't forget about that. And Kristi Noem testified today, don't forget that they left a blind man to die in the cold, that they shot Renee Goode, that they shot other Americans, and they've left them to die. They shot Alex Preddy, and there's still been no accountability. And there's video. We have all this video stacking up. But here's a question. Kristi Noem is testifying again before Congress, and she lies. How many times are we gonna do this? Are we gonna do this every week where she comes into Congress and she lies and pushes propaganda and Democrats get outraged and everybody gets their social media and cable news clips and they go back at it, and then it just continues. Now, DHS funding has been blocked and is being held up, which is, of course important, but also problematic now that we have more threats on US Soil. Of course, Cash Patel, the guy who was chugging beers with the Olympic hockey team, is leading the FBI, which is supposed to keep us safe from attacks here at home. Look, this is not working, America. These people are failing spectacularly, and not a single cabinet secretary has gone down, has been impeached. Cash Patel, Kristi Noem. Let's talk about Kristi Noem specifically, because it seems like Republicans are finally getting there. If your elected leader has not called for Kristi Noem to be removed, then that person should be removed and you should call for it, because we have to all mobilize and be active. Now. You can't depend on Congress, they're not even a speed bump. They're the mall cops of our democracy. And it's why we have to try to take as much control and power as we can, no matter what your political affiliation, especially now, as Americans, we can be united and stay vigilant. All right. At least our troops are brave and awesome. I want to remind everybody to always separate the people from the policy and remember how awesome our troops are. We saw that with the spectacular demonstration of American courage with the female American F15 pilot that was shot down over Kuwait. You're fine. Really. You need something to help you? No problem. You save, you save. You save. Everything good?

[B]

No problem.

[A]

Thank you for helping us. Everything perfect. This video has gone viral. I'm going to talk to Barbara Star about that as well. Despite headsets, continue attacks on women in combat. This was a demonstration of how exceptionally well our women perform in combat and have been for generations. Our troops represent the best of us, especially now. Kind of like our Olympians did last month. But now it's our troops. And a reminder, the Paralympics will be starting at the end of this week. Another spectacular example of American courage that will include many American veterans. But I also want to get some perspective from American veterans, especially the older generation, which we should always lean on. And I saw something posted from a lady named Diane Wall on Threads. Yes, some of us are still over on Threads. If you are, give me a shout. But she shared something that I thought was really important. She said, just a thought I would share. Just thought I would share my father's advice as we are all fed all the horror. Dad was a Korean War vet, and as we watched the raid in Iraq, he said, war has always been horrible. Now with the Internet, we're going to see every heartbreaking moment. Dad never spoke of Korea. It was so bad. Just remember, you don't have to watch it, especially when it's against everything we believe in. I think that's important. You don't have to scroll and watch every single video. You don't have to scroll and watch every single attack. You don't have to have your heart broken over and over again. You do have to stay vigilant. You do have to pay attention to what's happening, but you don't have to lose yourself in it. And I encourage you to remember that, especially from the men and women who've served in previous generations who know about things like the Holocaust, who know about things like the Depression, who know about things like World War II. And we need you older folks now more than Ever and vets especially. Something else I want to put out there. Look out for yourselves and for each other. Everybody look out for yourselves and look out for each other. But I want to post something that was written by our friends at Head Strong that do great military and veterans mental health support. This has been a very difficult few days for many in our military community. The events unfolding in the Middle east have significantly impacted our forward deployed service members. As updates continue to come in, we're learning of service members killed in action and others wounded. We grieve with the families facing that loss. Their sacrifice deserves the gratitude and respect of a nation they have sworn to defend. Right now, members of our military are operating overseas in uncertain conditions. Families are waiting at home for clarity. Service members here in the US Know they could be called forward without much notice. And the reality is part of the profession and it carries a cost to every service member and every military family carrying that burden. Today, you have our respect and our steadfast support. For many veterans, especially those who have served in the region, the news coming out of the Middle east can resurface memories, emotions and stress that can feel close to the surface. Moments like this can reawaken experiences that never fully fade. If recent events have affected you, we encourage you to reach out for help. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It is a step towards strength. That's from Dan Kaepernick, USMC retired, who is now the CEO of the Head Strong Project. I want to thank them for their work. I'll link to Head Strong Project in the show notes. I encourage veterans to reach out to nonprofits out there like Headstrong like Tragedy Assistance Program for survivors, including your va. I am extremely critical of the VA Secretary, but VA support is there for veterans who have earned it and it continues to be high quality. If you need it, reach out. If you know someone, reach out. Look out for your buddies. And remember, just like Dan said, seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It is a step towards strength. And we're going to need that strength now more than ever. All of us together, because it's going to keep coming at us. This is our new normal. Brace yourself for a new normal. It's not going to end this weekend. It is going to continue and we need to steel ourselves and get stronger to meet this moment. And it's never been more important to look for trusted, experienced voices, people who can guide us through this, people who've been through tough things before that can help us also make sense of it. And I've got another one for you now. Professor Barbara Starr is back to help us all, to guide us through it, to show us what right looks like to be a role model, to be a pathfinder and to help us all in this time of war, especially stay vigilant. All right, folks, in times like this, we need to go to our most trusted voices, our most trusted friends, our most trusted teachers to help us unpack and understand all of what's happening and stay vigilant. And we've got that person back, a returning champion, one of the most popular guests we have. She is a renowned journalist, Emmy award winning producer, former CNN Pentagon correspondent. You know her for her decades of reporting on hotspots ranging from Afghanistan to Yemen to the North Korean border. I think that she is one of the most clear, thoughtful, experienced voices in the world, especially of national security and foreign policy. And she has been a very generous friend to this show. The great and powerful Barbara Starr is back on Independent Americans. Welcome back, Barbara.

[B]

I don't know about how powerful, but you know, as always when I talk

[A]

to you, I have opinions and we need them now more than ever. I want to get into your take on the latest from Iran, the region. I'm really anxious to hear your thoughts on the press coverage and the Hexeth briefing with Kaine we had yesterday. But I always want to start with the basics. Where are you in the world and how are you as we enter this new phase of chaos and war?

[B]

Well, you know, it's a funny thing. Not so funny really. I feel like what did we have this week? I think 35 years or something since Operation Desert Storm, essentially the first Gulf War. And I feel like we're all back talking basically about the same military questions, the use of air power against a regime. And what can air power actually militarily achieve? And the answer that we're all going to come to very fast is perhaps very little. You know, there's nowhere in the world that you can really kill your way to victory, if you will, as horrible a construct as that is. So I think we're at the beginning of the beginning and then some. All right.

[A]

I want to go deeper into that, but I want to start with something that I know you love talking about. Spring training has started. So at least we have that right. I just came back from Yankee spring training. You're a huge Dodger fan. I mean, the war is daunting, but you got to be very optimistic about your Dodgers, right?

[B]

I am very optimistic. You know, Dodgers rule. What can I say?

[A]

Well, I hope that, that our military can be as effective over the next couple of months as the Dodgers have been in the off season. You're usually in Los Angeles where you're doing your good work. Let's go with what I think is the top topic. And as we ease into this, let me ask you something. You are an expert on understanding the landscape and interpreting it for people. This is a moment where it can be overwhelming for everybody, right? We've got Epstein, we've got Kristi Noem testifying today. You've got this barrage of information coming in from, from, from, from the war space. How do you make sense of it? How do you navigate that? How do you process information in a way that might be helpful to other folks who don't have that experience from the Gulf War and the Iraq War and now?

[B]

Well, I guess what I would say my instinct drives me to this point, which is, I think, sadly, the very positive thing here is Americans continue to care about the troops and they want the troops to be safe and well equipped, ready to do their jobs. But I am optimistic that Americans don't want political message points and workout videos from the Secretary of Defense about the troops. They are much more sober minded about it. And I think most presidents have found since Vietnam that if Americans do not feel that the troops are being treated effectively in combat, that they don't have what they need and they're not as protected as they should be. That's when Americans begin rapidly to lose support for a war. Nothing will drive an American president to, you know, low poll ratings faster than if Americans feel the troops aren't being looked after. And that's what people are focused on, thankfully, to a very large extent.

[A]

Is that a true north for you, Barbara, when you're thinking about how to make sense of all of this, do you go back to that as a question? You know, you've been a great advocate for veterans and troops and survivors. I've known you for decades and everybody in the community knows how dedicated you are. But when you're trying to sift through all of it that's incoming, does that become like a true north for you?

[B]

Well, I think it always has to be. I found myself the other day looking up the latest literature on whether or not there is still an effective so called golden hour for medevacing troops, wounded troops out of a war zone. How do you get them to the best medical care as fast as you can? It's a new world out there. This is not where you have a couple hundred thousand troops in a war Zone, a contained war zone with field hospitals and all of that. And just the other day, you know, I think the most telling thing is we saw the first American fatalities in Kuwait. And at least some of these six killed in action and 15 wounded were apparently in a makeshift trailer in Kuwait, in a makeshift command center that was not protected by all accounts at this point against missile or drone threats coming from above. It had t walls, those side concrete walls that are, you know, what, 35 years old in their technology to protect against truck bombs and roadside bombs and that sort of thing. So these American, you're going to tell these American families that they lost their loved ones because they were not protected against the threat, the very specific threat from Iran that everybody knew was coming. I think, I think that's something everybody needs to pay much more attention to.

[A]

I think that's really important. And at least for this show and for today, I think needs to be the top topic because I think it reveals how unprepared they are. Right. I think right now you're talking about the HESCO barriers in this Kuwaiti base. Right. That all of us know were built to withstand IEDs, improvised explosives and VBIEDs vehicle exposed improvised. And yesterday we talked to Nolan Peterson very smartly about how much of our defenses are prepared for what happened in the last war, not the current war, which is drones. Right. There aren't underground bunkers, there aren't anti drone defenses. Even our national posture is not ready for this new drone warfare that is our new normal. Are there other things that you see that underscore how not ready they are? I would point to, for example, they haven't evacuated people from the embassies, which would have seemed like a basic thing to do if we were protecting our people. But are there other things that you're seeing unfolding that reveal that they haven't prioritized our people and they're not ready for all the ways this could go sideways?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, just to go back to, you know, evacuate countries, you know, the list of more than a dozen countries they say Americans should get out of, but in fact, there's no air transportation. Flights are canceled, airspace is closed. Interestingly, many countries are running some flights and some overland convoys to get their people out. But the best advice that the US Embassy in Israel offered today was apparently get an Israeli tour bus to Egypt and try and cross into Egypt and then get to Cairo and get a flight home. You know, this. What can you and I say about this? The fundamental obligation of a president of the United States is to protect Americans. I mean, just parenthetically not to tell war stories. In 2006, I was on Marine amphibious ships going into Beirut to evacuate. Americans stuck in Beirut during the Israeli bombing campaign at that time, and they were super prepared. That evacuation ran very, very smoothly because it was something they had planned for. It's unclear to me how much actual planning has gone into this and how much it has been complicated by the reduction in federal workers in key areas in the State Department, in the FBI. On counterterrorism. I think most sensible military commanders would tell you, you simply cannot plan too much. Nothing against central command. Those folks, I think, are doing a remarkable job. But this is very different, if for no other reason than you have a president who's constantly just shifting a little bit from here to there on what his strategy and goals are.

[A]

And part of that he talked to Jake Tapper yesterday. He's talked to other people in these phone calls. And I want to get to the press component in a second, but one party said out loud is he hasn't ruled out boots on the ground. You've been all around the world, you've seen conflict. You know, there's a limit to air power. You also have great contacts across the military and in the Pentagon. I assume there are scenarios that involve boots on the ground. We should assume there are at least intelligent assets that have been on the ground. They never call those boots on the ground. But we got to assume that there are some kind of intelligence gathering people from America and from Israel. But can you address, you know, that point? I think that especially coming out of Venezuela, people think that boots on the ground is not on the table. Trump has said it is. What does your experience tell you about the. I think some of the dangers are obvious. But can you expand on the dangers, not just of the reality, but even the talk that he has right now of, yeah, we might throw some boots on the ground, it's not off the table.

[B]

I'm judging back in my mind, was it Bob Gates, who, after serving or at the end of his term, was reflecting upon Iraq and Afghanistan and basically said, and I am paraphrasing, and I think it was Gates, you know, if you want to engage in ground combat in the Middle east, you're out of your mind. This is a country. All right, let's start with this. Iran is a country of 90 million people with vast territory once again, hot desert, unforgiving climates in many areas, multiple ports up and down its borders, multiple populations of various backgrounds. What are you going to do with Boots on the ground. Are you going to, you know, we never really controlled Iraq, we never controlled Afghanistan. Are you going to control Iran? And if you're talking just, oh, a handful in Tehran to secure whatever personnel you might get to possibly overthrow the regime, although overthrow is a pretty loaded word. I think regime remnants will stick around for many years to come. I just don't see what you think you're going to accomplish. And this loose talk of doing this, I don't see that there's any benefit to it. And I would come back to the point, not to disparage what anybody is saying and using the term boots on the ground, but you know better than anybody, Paul, what that equates to are once again US Troops, US Military families, and the nobody does selling better than Shopify. Shopify is the home of the number one checkout on the planet and the not so secret secret with shop pay that boosts conversions up to 50%, meaning way less carts go abandoned and way more sales going through. So if you're into growing your business, your commerce platform better be ready to sell wherever your customers are scrolling, scrolling or strolling on the web, in your store, in their feed and everywhere in between. Businesses that sell more sell on Shopify. Upgrade your business and get the same checkout that Skims uses. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period for three months at shopify.com Westwood One all lowercase go to shopify.com Westwood One to upgrade your selling today. Shopify.com Westwood One

[A]

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[B]

Real possibility of significant casualties.

[A]

Yeah, I think the central question I always think about is how are you going to provide security, right? You're asking these people to rise up. You know who will be the security apparatus that keeps free Iran safe? Will it be some remnants of the regime? Will it be some kind of new Free Iran army? Will it be an outside coalition of Israelis and Americans? I mean, there's no clarity around that, which is, I think, most egregious and irresponsible but let me shift into what is kind of below the radar. I think has been below the radar for most of the country, but is now front and center. Something I've talked about and covered at length. You have talked about openly and covered. The Pentagon press corps is gone. They're out of the building. Right. They've got this propaganda press corps that they haven't met with in months. And yesterday they finally did a press briefing. We had the Secretary of Defense and the chairman of Joint Chiefs. Like it used to be, right? Like used to be the norm in America, especially during war. I think it's very significant. Trump said today we should expect more regular press briefings, which I think is a good thing. But can you just react to what you saw? Very combative. Hegseth on brand and it seemed to be a very stoic and surgical cane. But what is your takeaway from the fact that it happened at all and the content of yesterday's refreshingly frequent now hopefully press briefing?

[B]

Well, people may not know it, but they actually let some of the so called legacy reporters back in and they had to sit in the back of the room. And he never called on any of them, though apparently one was able to shout out a question which he got very cranky about. Not clear to me. Let me start off. Do we know if Hegseth was ordered to do it and is he being ordered to do more press conferences or does he want the publicity of doing it? It's a stark contrast to see him there now. Let me stop myself. Very typically when you have a secretary of defense and a chairman briefing on the podium about an operation, it is the chairman who takes on briefing the military fine details of an operation. That's what a four star general or four star admiral knows how to do, brief an operation. So that's fine for the moment. But you also have a secretary of defense when combat is underway, when troops are at risk, sort of toning down the political rhetoric, the political messaging and talking more about the threat, the military threat, if you will, the decision making, what the president's aims and goals are. Hexith did some of that. But you know, I think the guy just can't help himself. He's. He's not comfortable doing this. I think that's very clear. As bombastic as he gets, I think that's a sign of how uncomfortable he is and so he reverts to his message points. And the other reason I think he's uncomfortable, it's been my experience in true contingency emergency, very significant national Security situations. When a four star equivalent or a secretary comes out to brief, they get calmer and calmer and calmer. I don't know a secretary of defense who didn't sort of just, you know, get that calm atmosphere going when they briefed, the deeper the crisis was. And they do that because that's the message first they want to send to the American people, to the world, and to America's adversaries. We got this. We're under control, we're moving ahead. We'll see if Hegseth is able to do that. I might have an opinion about that. But, you know, maybe he'll get some media training.

[A]

I think it's so important because the temperament is key. And he's agitated, he's easily bristled, he gets angry, and he's emotionally undisciplined, which I think everyone can see, including our enemies. And I think it's a moment that underscores the limitation of him as a character. Right. He is a culture warrior. He's a propagandist. He's very effective in communicating. But he doesn't have the stoicism. He doesn't have the experience of a Bob Gates or you think about Rumsfeld or Cheney. They had so much experience built into being ready to for the pressure of that moment. I think it looks like the pressure is getting to him. And I think that's really, really important because the whole world can see it. Let me ask you to build on this and address another point, Barbara. I don't think the coverage is great. And this is my opinion, right. I think we're at this moment where there aren't a lot of veteran reporters. We've had news agencies decimated. The Washington Post has been hobbled. The pbs, NPR and others have been hit hard. Now cnn, we don't know what's gonna happen with Warner Brothers. You know, CBS is a very different thing. All the stuff we've been talking about, about how Trump has attacked and dismantled many parts of the media, even down to X, and how Musk has taken over, that it feels like a moment where our institutions are not up for this. And I think there are intrepid reporters, but overall, this is the greatest test to our media in modern times. How do you see it? And the media is a generalization, but some of those bedrock institutions have been weakened. Cbs, cnn, you know, pbs, others. How do you think the media is up for this? Are they up for this?

[B]

Well, let me start with this. You say weekend just to share, and it's public information A dear colleague, Mary Walsh over at CBS News, veteran producer, been in combat zones for decades. Veteran Pentagon producer Mary, after 46 years, posted a note this week that she was leaving because she felt that she was being pushed at CBS News into constructing stories aimed at a certain persuasion, if you will. And we all know what CBS is, perhaps persuasion is. So it's a loss of valuable intellectual talent. That said, the difference is between like now and when we all started out in the Gulf War. I don't want to, I don't think we should hold on to the past. I don't think we should hold on to the old ways of doing business. But what I do think is the difference now is social media influencers and political persuasions at many so called news outlets that maybe we didn't have 35 years ago. So overtly, I think in the Iran situation it particularly requires people, and I don't think I'm one of them who have long years of experience in looking at Iran from a political standpoint, from a security standpoint in the region, understand Iran, understand its leadership, understand how we got here after 46, 47 years with Iran. It doesn't need, you know, the old, like the old crowd of oh, Iran is so terrible. Well, if it was so, it is terrible. I mean it's terrible what the Ayatollah has done to the country and to its people and the attacks he's launched around the world. But it does beg the question, okay, why didn't somebody do something about fundamental question, why didn't somebody do something about all this years ago, why now? And that's the question that has to be answered.

[A]

I'm glad you highlight that because I think it's a moment of opportunity for independent journalism especially. We look to, for example, the Kyiv Independent has risen to this moment for Ukraine. We've had Tim Mack from the Counteroffensive and other independent journalists on. I think it's a very important point you make that it's an opportunity for this next generation to rise to the moment. But we do have to recognize so much of the institutional knowledge that's been lost in this driving out of good people. Let me finish with something good. And I'm going to come to you in a second. I know it's something you were tracking on the brave female F15 pilot that got shot down over Kuwait. She was so cool under fire. She had hit the ground. She just went through probably the most traumatic experience of her life. She was smiling, she was unshaken, she was cool. And I think it really shows the courage and professionalism of our military at the highest level. It was also a refreshingly positive face of America to the world and underscores that despite the politics, despite Trump and Hegseth, our service members are awesome and especially our women. I think it's a great opportunity to highlight how extraordinary our women warriors are, women leaders, and in contrast to the way they've been treated by Hegseth, you posted yesterday, Sechegseth, this warrior will remind you that American women are in combat and doing just fine at carrying out their missions. But that, for me, is something good. We may or may not find out her name, but she's a role model for all young people, for Americans, and I think really something good. Over to you, Barbara. What have you got today? That's something good.

[B]

I'm going to stick with you, Paul. I mean, you know, somebody tweeted back, you know, oh, Hegseth just wants women to be qualified for their jobs. And this proves he's right and this woman was qualified, you bet. But let's get a grip. We know that Hegseth, over time, over history, has not been supportive, to put it politely, of women in the military. So I stick with, you know, get a grip. Women are in combat. They're gonna continue to be in combat. And they're doing just fine.

[A]

They are. And in these times of chaos and controversy and stress, I think we are doing fine to have your voice in the mix. I love seeing you on multiple TV networks. I encourage everybody to tune in anytime you see Barbara Starr on a television or radio program. You are a tremendous conscience and a great public servant. Now, even more that you are unrestrained, and you could add your opinions in addition to your analysis. So I thank you for your continued leadership, and we're going to need it now more than ever. Barbara, we're really going to need you now.

[B]

Thank you, Paul.

[A]

All right, folks, follow Barbara everywhere. And it's a reminder. Barbara has been doing it for decades now, especially in times of war and conflict. Stay vigilant. All right, folks, Barbara Starr, really insightful voice. I'm going to try to continue to keep bringing you these insightful voices. We're going to post shows probably around five or six east coast time each day. Sometimes it'll be later, sometimes it'll be earlier. If I do media hits, I'll try to post them as well. I'll try to get you content that will help you navigate these times. I feel like I have to be a bit of a GPS or an azimuth to help you bring leaders together, bring them to you and help us all navigate the minefield. Because there will be unexpected, there will be pain, but we are in it together and we will get through it together. And this week I'm going to continue to try to raise my voice and meet this moment, provide my analysis and my experience to raise other voices. Tonight, very late after midnight, I will be on Ms. Now for the latest on Iran. And there are elections happening today in a number of states. I will talk about that. Unfortunately not enough independents running, but if there are breakouts I will be sure to let you know. Tomorrow I will be on News Nation for my weekly Wednesday hit with Conel McShane who will be reporting live from Istanbul. I'll be here in New York and later tomorrow I will be on CNN with Aaron Burnett for my weekly hit, most likely with Gretchen Carlson or maybe someone else. And again tomorrow night, late night, I will be on Ms. Now with Stephanie Rule after 11 o'. Clock. Later this week I'll be joining the Al Franken Podcast. I've known Al for many years. Before he was a senator, he was a USO volunteer. Did a lot of good work for veterans. Al and I go way back and I'll be joining his podcast later this week and next week. On Monday, I will be on the Late show with Stephen Colbert, a man who is a true patriot. I'm going to be there to have a conversation on the latest and give you a sneak preview. I'm going to issue Stephen a challenge because you may know his show will be over in a couple of months, unfortunately, but his new chapter will begin and I've got an idea about what he can do. Tune in for that next week. And later this week we will have Sebastian Younger is back, the fantastic author, thinker, Conscience who wrote the Perfect Storm and Tribe. Check out all his books. He will be back on Thursday and on Friday, former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger will be back here. He's also a former Air Force pilot. I will ask him, especially now, why he's still a Republican. Why on earth has Adam Kinziger not left the Republican Party after all this? I'll ask him that and more. We are daily now we hit number 36 in the podcast charts. If you like what we're cooking, if you believe in what I'm putting out, please share it far and wide and follow us everywhere on all social media platforms from threads to blue sky. Subscribe wherever you're listening. Right now, hit that subscribe button. If you're watching on YouTube, we've seen about an 800% growth on YouTube. We've also got video shorts that you can share with your friends. If there's a segment that I've done that you think is especially important, share it far and wide. And you can always go to IndependentAmericans US for merchandise for all our archives and more. And you can join our Patreon community if you believe in this show. Chip in five bucks to help us keep it going. America is more divided than ever before, but there's actually unity around opposition to what's happening in Iran. Most Americans do not support this. And in every crisis there is an opportunity and this may be an opportunity for unity. And I'm going to continue to push that here at Independent Americans and work to change it. Add light to contrast the heat of all the other political shows and frankly, a lot of the shit on TV right now is repeated nonsense. And very few members of the media and very few hosts are veterans themselves. So not just me, look for the other veteran voices who can help you navigate this time. There are a lot of chicken hawks in the media too, and it's veterans voices and your voices that can push back. If you're now among the 45% of independents, this is obviously your show. Democrats, Republicans, you're all welcome here. Our independent movement is meeting this moment and bringing hope that can be the oxygen of our democracy. Country over party, people over politics, light over heat, challenging the status quo, especially now. This is a moment for independent politics, for independent thinking and for independent media. As we talked about with Barbara Starr, independent media like this will meet the moment and our movement is growing and bringing that hope that you're going to need, especially in the darkest of times which may come ahead as we continue to navigate this war. If you enjoyed this episode with Barbara Starr, share it far and wide. Share it with five friends to help us go into march and invite others to declare their independence, especially from the corporate media that's putting it all on rewind. The same old shit over and over again. And the partisan media that only shows Democrats and Republicans push back. Invite others to declare their independence and stay vigilant, my friends. Especially now, because eternal vigilance is the price of freedom and war is a time to pay it. But no, you're not alone in your vigilance. Just like in war, we're all vigilant and we're all in this together and we have to look out for each other. I'm your host, Paul Rykoff. Thank you for tuning in again to independent Americans welcome to March. Welcome to our new normal. But know that we are in this together. And I will see you tomorrow. Keep looking out for each other. Look for the helpers, especially now. And stay vigilant, America. Stay vigilant.

[B]

He tells me the left and right are dreams for those without a clue?

[A]

And when you wait it's time to grow? And it's not cool to believe in school? But if I can say one thing I've seen the children of the revolution and the good trouble they can bring? He says the red and blue I get an independent is an attitude an island in the sea of rhetoric And I can rather go?

[B]

He tells me to laugh and write Our dreams For those without a clue?

[A]

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