Topic: Private Military

NPR reports that rebuilding Venezuela's broken oil infrastructure will be a massive, long-term project requiring billions in private investment. While President Trump claims U.S. oil companies will foot the bill, he also indicated that U.S. troops might be necessary to protect these assets. This marks a significant departure from his previous stance against "boots on the ground" military interventions.

The discussion anticipates that the military will mandate COVID-19 vaccines once they receive full FDA licensure. In the private sector, employers are expected to require vaccination for high-contact roles, which the hosts compare to "freedom papers" and historical segregation policies.

A Reuters report reveals the eccentric background of Haruna Yukawa, who traveled to Syria on a "hardship course in self-discovery." Yukawa had previously lost his wife and business, attempted suicide by self-mutilation, and believed he was the reincarnation of a cross-dressing Manchu princess. He established a "Private Military Company" that existed only on the internet before being captured by militants.

President Obama and Senator Carl Levin discuss the deployment of 300 "non-military" advisors to Iraq. The segment claims these are private contractors funded by a new $5 billion counterterrorism partnership, and questions reports of ISIS stealing $400 million in gold from a Mosul bank.

John C. Dvorak recounts a conversation with a hedge fund investor regarding the private military company Blackwater, now known as Xe Services. The investor claims the name change to "Xe" was a deliberate search engine optimization (SEO) strategy intended to make the company harder to find in search results. The discussion also touches on the company's alleged activities in Pakistan.

The investigation into the American Police Force (APF) and its leader, Michael Hilton, reveals a history of criminal felonies and aliases. Hilton, who attempted to take over a prison in Hardin, Montana, is linked to Serbian paramilitary symbols and is described as a "warlord" from the former Yugoslavia. The hosts express alarm at how a convicted con man could lead a private military organization.

European audiences and media editors, particularly in the United Kingdom, show a surprising lack of awareness regarding the private military firm Blackwater. A PR campaign involving a Ron Paul interview revealed that 40% of high-brow political editors were unfamiliar with the congressman or the significance of private contractors in Iraq. Domestic issues in the UK often drown out news regarding the American military-industrial complex.