#107 Legend - Biden Admin Sends Your Tax Dollars to the Taliban

A Promised Land is Barack Obama’s memoir of his early political career and the first two years of his presidency. Obama takes us on his journey from relative obscurity as a biracial kid from Hawaii to becoming a transformative figure as the nation’s first African-American president. At every step of his career, Obama was guided by a deep faith in the fundamental unity of Americans; the potential and promise of America; the necessity of compromise and seeking common ground; and above all, the power of the democratic system to heal our divisions and effect real change for ordinary people.

What’s it like to grow up in a society where women and girls have few rights, and a terrorist group is trying to take away the only freedoms they do have? What can one person do to combat violent extremism that is destroying everything she loves?

In I Am Malala, Nobel Peace Prize winner and girls’ education activist Malala Yousafzai answers these questions by recounting her life story—from her origins in poverty to her campaign for girls’ education in Pakistan to her eventual shooting at the hands of the Taliban. Part memoir, part history of the Taliban’s rise to power and attacks on women’s and girls’ rights, I Am Malala is above all a chronicle of bravery in the face of great risk.

Our guide provides historical, political, and religious context for the events in Malala's life. We also examine the research and data behind issues such as gender according to Islam, the origins of terrorist organizations, the link between misogyny and violent extremism, and girls’ education worldwide.

In this gripping episode of the Shawn Ryan Show, former CIA intelligence analyst Sarah Adams offers an unfiltered glimpse into the clandestine world of intelligence operations, counter-terrorism, and geopolitical chess. Shawn Ryan, a veteran himself, navigates the conversation through Adams' startling entry into the CIA in 2006 and the high-stakes operations that punctuated her career. With Adams sharing frank experiences of bias, internal agency politics, and the repercussions of skewed intelligence—such as the Camp Chapman incident—the podcast illuminates the often fine line between national security and the perils of misinformation.

As the episode unfolds, Adams and Ryan dissect the rigorous and sometimes controversial roles of analysts versus targetters, revealing the intense processes behind critical captures like that of Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. Diving deeper, the duo explores the U.S. government’s response to the Benghazi attacks and President Obama’s handling of concurrent crises. The show also touches on the geopolitical reverberations of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, China’s strategic moves to secure valuable resources like lithium, and the Belt and Road Initiative's implications. With Ryan's call to his audience for financial independence and engagement, this episode sets the stage for a series of in-depth interviews and analysis that promise to both inform and provoke thought.

If you’ve ever noticed that history seems to repeat itself over the course of centuries, you may be wondering what causes that pattern—and how it may play out in the future. In The Fourth Turning, historian William Strauss and consultant Neil Howe explain how Anglo-American history follows a pattern of four 15 to 25-year periods, called Turnings, and how the behaviors of different generations define these Turnings.

In our guide, we’ll explore the authors’ theories on the Four Turnings, as well as the generational archetypes and their respective roles in the Turnings. We’ll also discuss the authors’ descriptions of the past three Turnings and their predictions for the Fourth. Finally, we’ll examine the authors’ theories in the context of history and modern society, as well as how their predictions about the Fourth Turning have played out in the years since the book’s publication in 1997.

Dive into the heart-wrenching yet hopeful accounts of sacrifice and solidarity in REAL ONES with Jon Bernthal, featuring Travis Ervin, an ex-Marine who served in Afghanistan, and Mohammed Hamdard, an Afghan interpreter. This episode unravels the raw emotions and experiences of serving on the front lines, as Travis recalls his deployment to the Taliban hotbeds and Mohammed speaks to the terror imposed by the extremists, shining a light on the devastating psychological impacts of war and the deep bonds that can form in the heat of battle.

From harrowing frontline memories to the desperate U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, this discussion explores the profound effect of left-behind allies and their compromised safety. Bernthal presents the inspiring tale of how, from the safety of Tennessee, Travis orchestrated a daring escape plan for Mohammed's family, demonstrating the power of determination and community support. Mohammed's journey doesn't end with his flight from conflict; listen as he and his family embrace American life, knitting themselves into the fabric of their new homeland with resilience and hope. This compelling narrative personified by Travis’s unwavering loyalty and determination, along with Jon Bernthal's platform, underscores the transformative impact of steadfast camaraderie and human courage.

In Confidence Man, New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman explores the remarkable public life and career of real estate developer, reality TV star, and former President of the United States Donald Trump.

Haberman's book explores the people, experiences, and environments that shaped the singular personality that would define his presidency, focusing on his prowess as a consummate showman and salesman and his deep-seated desires for fame, attention, dominance, power, and leverage over others.

In this guide, we’ll explore:

• Trump’s career as a real estate developer and public symbol of capitalist success
• His second act as a right-wing firebrand and promoter of conspiracy theories
• His victory in the 2016 presidential election
• His presidency and attempts to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election

Throughout this guide, we’ll supplement Haberman’s account with commentary from outside sources to both support her critical portrayal of Trump’s life and career, as well as to bring in perspectives that offer a more favorable view of the 45th president.

In this gripping episode of the Shawn Ryan Show, former CIA intelligence analyst Sarah Adams offers an unfiltered glimpse into the clandestine world of intelligence operations, counter-terrorism, and geopolitical chess. Shawn Ryan, a veteran himself, navigates the conversation through Adams' startling entry into the CIA in 2006 and the high-stakes operations that punctuated her career. With Adams sharing frank experiences of bias, internal agency politics, and the repercussions of skewed intelligence—such as the Camp Chapman incident—the podcast illuminates the often fine line between national security and the perils of misinformation.

As the episode unfolds, Adams and Ryan dissect the rigorous and sometimes controversial roles of analysts versus targetters, revealing the intense processes behind critical captures like that of Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. Diving deeper, the duo explores the U.S. government’s response to the Benghazi attacks and President Obama’s handling of concurrent crises. The show also touches on the geopolitical reverberations of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, China’s strategic moves to secure valuable resources like lithium, and the Belt and Road Initiative's implications. With Ryan's call to his audience for financial independence and engagement, this episode sets the stage for a series of in-depth interviews and analysis that promise to both inform and provoke thought.

According to Gen. H.R. McMaster, the United States views the world through a self-centered lens, assuming that its policy decisions are the main driving force behind global events. Because of this distorted perspective, the US has lost influence on the global stage at a time when authoritarian aggression is on the rise. In Battlegrounds, McMaster, who was US national security adviser in 2017-18, contends that American leaders must learn to see the world through the eyes of the US's adversaries in order to defend against foreign threats and compete in the modern global landscape.

In this guide, we’ll explore McMaster’s criticism of the assumptions driving US foreign policy, his assessment of the threats America faces, and the steps he believes the US must take. We’ll compare McMaster’s views with those of other experts on diplomacy, while placing his assessments in their larger context and updating some of his information based on events since the book’s publication.

Join Shawn Ryan and Erik Prince in the heavyweight conversation on the "Shawn Ryan Show". This episode paints a vivid picture of America's political landscape, domestic issues and geopolitical challenges. Prince candidly voices his concerns over potential candidates for the 2024 Presidential Election, the expanding federal bureaucracy, and growing Chinese infiltration into U.S sectors. He also shares his disappointment over the dismissal of his Afghanistan strategy and the state of affairs within the U.S military.

In addition to discussing international politics, Prince takes a deep dive into societal challenges. With a lens on wealth disparity, the opioid crisis, and property rights, this episode highlights need for critical reform from multiple angles. Whether it's advocating for stricter penalties for illicit activities, emphasizing the importance of property ownership rights or criticizing the lack of adequate care for veterans, Prince leaves no stone unturned in giving listeners a thought-provoking perspective on a myriad of topics.

According to Gen. H.R. McMaster, the United States views the world through a self-centered lens, assuming that its policy decisions are the main driving force behind global events. Because of this distorted perspective, the US has lost influence on the global stage at a time when authoritarian aggression is on the rise. In Battlegrounds, McMaster, who was US national security adviser in 2017-18, contends that American leaders must learn to see the world through the eyes of the US's adversaries in order to defend against foreign threats and compete in the modern global landscape.

In this guide, we’ll explore McMaster’s criticism of the assumptions driving US foreign policy, his assessment of the threats America faces, and the steps he believes the US must take. We’ll compare McMaster’s views with those of other experts on diplomacy, while placing his assessments in their larger context and updating some of his information based on events since the book’s publication.

In 2004, General Stanley McChrystal took over as commander of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Task Force fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq. The sprawling organization—encompassing strategists, analysts, and elite special forces from every branch of the U.S. military—was struggling to make headway against an unconventional enemy and environment.

In Team of Teams, McChrystal describes how he transformed the slow-moving bureaucratic task force into an agile, adaptable network of teams united by a “shared consciousness”, trust, and decentralized decision-making. After years of being outmaneuvered by Al Qaeda, the reinvented task force pulled together to eliminate terrorist leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi and began winning the fight against terrorism in Iraq. These accomplishments hold lessons for all kinds of organizations struggling with unconventional challenges and environments today.