Two Crusty Old Combat Soldiers with a Microphone

I chose the name Foggy Bottom Line years ago while working on a doctorate at George Washington University. I studied international relations and security there and it’s in Foggy Bottom in DC, so it made sense at the time. The Foggy Bottom Line brand focuses on the idea that the bottom line answer to most questions is rarely completely clear. A bit of fog always clouds the truth, and I don’t deal in absolutes. Background may or may not give credibility, and we have no desire to argue from authority or experience (which is always, after all, anecdotal). We're either right or wrong and will always endeavor to provide evidence – or at least logical reasoning – that supports our views and policy recommendations. But for the record Scott and I are both retired combat soldiers (tanks and intelligence) with broad military, academic, economic, political, and management training and experience. I have worked defense contracting and Scott served as a local election official

Two Crusty Old Combat Soldiers with a Microphone is a government podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 46 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Two Crusty Old Combat Soldiers with a Microphone, a government show with 46 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #30

  Trump to Iran: Deal or Die

  Oct 2, 202646 minS2

  Trump spoke at the UN General Assembly on the Iran war and US foreign policy with a clear message to the Iranian government: Make a deal or "I'll annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly." A not so subtle threat to use nuclear weapons. Trump also bragged about stealing Venezuelan oil reserves. Domestic and international reactions were immediate: this is a breakdown of the international rules-based order the US constructed after World War I. French President Macron: it's a return to the "law of the jungle." Scott and I briefly discuss the history of the international order, how this threatens it, and the implications of a threat to nuke Iran, including the further hit to America's reputation as a trusted partner, how this actually makes Iran more defiant and likely to seek nuclear weapons, and how this pushes long-time allies even further away. Tune in for a lively conversation between two crusty old combat soldiers with academic credentials in international relations and decades of military experience. And don't forget to subscribe. Follow us on Socials: https://linktr.ee/FoggyBottomLine Politics VLog #Politics #Economics #Trump #Iran #OilPrices #Nukes #NuclearWar #Hormuz #France #foreignpolicy

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #29

  Two Crusty Old Combat Soldiers: The War in Iran is a No Win Scenario

  Oct 2, 202644 minS2

  We've seen a lot of developments in the Iran War over the last few weeks. Iran fired a ballistic missile at the USS George Washington, a Ford class aircraft carrier. Didn't hit it, but did the effort help Iran build the technology needed? Did Russian and/or China help? Iran also claimed to have captured a US drone submarine...quite the technology find...and attacked ten vessels attempting to move through the strait. The US destroyed five Iranian tankers in response. Houthis attacked the civilian airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the US declined a request for help because of low munitions inventories. Most recently, Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US eases military pressure and ends it's blockade of Iran's ports. Meanwhile at home, oil prices topped $100 a barrel, gas averages $4.50 a gallon, and diesel fuel is almost $7 a gallon, which hits farmers and shippers where it hurts. And as the GAO reports the war's high costs and the Pentagon tries to hide casualties while avoiding intense warfare to save precious munitions. What does all this mean about who is winning? This week we revisit the Iran war and discuss victory conditions and what each side needs to do if they want to claim a win. Spoiler: Iran doesn't have to win. They just have to keep bleeding us. Follow us on Socials: https://linktr.ee/FoggyBottomLine Politics VLog #Politics #economics #Iran #Trump #Hormuz #SaudiArabia #Houthis #OilPrices #Oil #Drones #Missiles #Israel

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #28

  Two Crusty Old Combat Soldiers Get Optimistic: Boring Governance is Good!

  Sep 18, 202648 minS2

  Even while the entire US is pretty much on fire we still see the occasional good governance...and this is a good sign. This week we try to find examples of government actually...governing. Passing legislation. Completing reports. Doing its job. Starting with the SCOTUS ruling that blocked Trump's effort to use the Postal Service to disrupt the midterm elections, we discuss some of the boring things government still does but we don't see in the media - and why our media ignores them. Check it out, and don't forget to subscribe to the channel and check out our Patreon page. Follow us on Socials: https://linktr.ee/FoggyBottomLine #Politics VLog #Politics #Economics #Trump #Congress #midterms # governance #GAO

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #27

  Tragic Farce: How Clown Politics Breaks the Republic

  Sep 16, 202641 minS2

  This week we take a look at the Trump clown show presidency and how this farce could turn tragic pretty quickly. All the silliness we see from the Trump Administration, from AI generated memes on Truth Social to mocking the rule of law to claiming Trump is the only person in the world who can resolve any problems. Too bad he seems to have no interest in doing so. We even have an academic article on the subject, Aidan Tynan's "Clown Politics: History, Populism, and Tragic Farce," published by ORCA/Cardiff University. You can download the PDF here: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/161384/3/Clown%20Politics%20final%20%281%29.pdf Follow us on Socials: https://linktr.ee/FoggyBottomLine #Politics VLog #Politics #Economics #Trump #Clown Show Presidency #Cardiff #MAGA #TragicFarce

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #26

  Two Crusty Old Combat Soldiers: Trump Acts and Dares Congress to Stop Him

  Sep 16, 202653 minS2

  Today we’re digging into a question that’s been building for years: Is Donald Trump’s governing strategy — the “fait accompli” strategy — finally approaching a tipping point? Trump acts first. Everyone else reacts later. He creates a new reality, then forces Congress, courts, states, agencies, and opponents to scramble. And he uses delay, appeals, bureaucratic inertia, and political intimidation to keep that reality in place. This is not just a political strategy. It tracks with Trump's behavioral style. He lives to intimidate, and he loves to punch down. That makes it look like bullying, scaled up to the level of constitutional governance. So today we’re asking: What does this strategy look like, and how does it work? What happens when Trump's strategy stops working, and how will we know we've reached this tipping point? Follow us on Socials: https://linktr.ee/FoggyBottomLine Politics VLog #Politics #Economics

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Two Crusty Old Combat Soldiers with a Microphone. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.