Kentucky Caliber

This is our first episode in the new format, and fittingly it is dedicated to exposing and disposing of some of the more egregious lies told during the 2024 elections. Facts matter, and this program is dedicated to preserving facts and the use of reason, because in an age of disinformation, reason is resistance. The lies of Donald Trump will not go unchallenged. A big thank you to the Jack Pattie Show on WVLK 590 AM in Lexington, KY for having me on the show for a full hour the day before the 2024 elections. Here is a link to that program: https://omny.fm/shows/newstalk590wvlk/jason-belcher-20

This week we will explore two separate events, Hurricane Helene in the U.S and the escalating conflict in the Middle East.Part one explores the role of private disaster and relief organizations such as Team Rubicon have playing in delivering aid to those in the path of the storm.Second we will examine the Israeli ground incursion into Lebanon, and how the Biden Administration has arguably done more for Israel than any other Presidency in American history.

This week we explore the context of political violence and why a peaceful transition of power is so critical to the success of democratic societies.

This week we discuss the twenty-third anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, how they changed the United States and how we're still wrestling with those changes.

What should Vice President Kamala Harris focus on in the upcoming Presidential debate with former President Trump? That's the main topic for this week's show.

This week we expand on the Substack piece I published entitled "Russia's Uncertain Future" to explain what happened in Russia last weekend and what it means for the Russia - Ukraine war, as well as Europe and the United States.

This week we take a look at the historical similarities between the 1920s and 2020s, from the influenza pandemic to the covid pandemic, the end of WWI to the end of the global war on terrorism, and several other parallels between the two decades, and what it means for the future.

This week marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, and in this episode we take a look at how the war in Ukraine has evolved over the past year and what the implications might be for Europe and the United States.

This will be our first show of 2023, and in this episode we will look at trends and current events that will shape the new year, from the contentious vote for Congress to elect a new Speaker of the House to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

This week, ahead of the US national elections, we talk about why democracy is superior to authoritarianism. China and Russia today claim that their authoritarian model of governance is superior to democracy, and in this episode, I explain why they are wrong.

This week we focus on assessing the risks of nuclear war between Russia and the United States/NATO. Specifically, what do we know about Russia's nuclear arsenal and their political willingness to use it, how the current conflict in Ukraine could hypothetically bring about the use of nuclear weapons, and what the repercussions would be if that happened.

This week I review The Story of Russia, a book written by Orlando Figes, a timely work which illustrates how Russian culture, history, and language developed into the modern nation we know today as Russia. By illustrating the underlying forces shaping Russia's past, we can better understand present situations like the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

After a break in September, Kentucky Caliber is back to discuss the flooding in Eastern Kentucky, the war in Ukraine, and the recent protests in Iran.

In this episode we are pleased to have with us Mr. T.J. Litafik to discuss the dangers of political extremism, not just in the United States, but globally. T.J. has over twenty years of experience in Kentucky politics and government. He has been a consultant for dozens of political campaigns from local offices to Governor. T.J. holds a Juris Doctor degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, and is the owner of Solon Strategies.

This week our guest is Mr. Johnathan Gay, who is an Army veteran and attorney. We will be discussing the war in Ukraine, what the situation is on the ground in Ukraine right now, and what we expect to see in the near future in terms of outcomes.

This week we talk about the importance of the rule of law, and what happens when the rule of law gets eroded by factions in society. Specifically, we talk about the current situation in India, and an excellent book on the state of democracy in India called Azadi: Freedom, Fascism, Fiction. The example in India of one ethnic group trying to gain political power to use the machinery of the state to punish and persecute minorities should be a cautionary tale for all the world's democracies.

We're back from summer break to discuss the historic flooding that hit Eastern Kentucky and how neighbors helped each other, and communities came together in the face of disaster.

This week we will discuss the launch of the James Webb Telescope by NASA and how it will usher in an exciting new era in astronomy.

This week we take a look at why our election systems work so well, and why voter fraud is so rare in the United States.

In this episode we will go through the Supreme Court ruling in the Dobbs vs Jacksons Women's Health Organization, which is the case that overturned Roe v Wade. We will examine the underlying rationale the court used, the substantial legal and logical flaws in that rationale, and what can be done to begin the work of reversing the Dobbs decision.

This week we will look at the growing effort to monetize disinformation, specifically the forthcoming 2000 Mules, a dishonest video that charges viewers a fee to watch a retelling of former President Trump's lies about the 2020 elections. We will also talk about a growing trend of political violence, and those who are now openly calling for it, including Eric Greitens in the Missouri Senate race.

This week we will look at how disinformation is being used to make big bucks, including the forthcoming 2000 Mules, a dishonest video which charges viewers a fee to see and hear a retelling of former President Trump's lies about the 2020 elections. We also talk about political violence and those who are now openly calling for it, including former Governor of Missouri and US Senate candidate Eric Greitens.

The evidence shared by the 1/6 committee proves that former President Trump knew he lost the election and there was no widespread voter fraud, but that he continued to lie to the American people about both. This week we will explore in more detail the committee's findings and what it means.

This week we will examine why the January 6th Congressional hearings are so important to America's future. For over two hundred years, through world wars, civil war, depressions, and natural disasters, the U.S. had a peaceful transition of power for the office of the President. That two-hundred-year tradition came to an end on January 6, 2021. The American people deserve to know what happened, who was responsible, and to receive the fullest possible accounting of the events of that day. That is the purpose of the January 6th committee in Congress, which follows a long tradition of history making Congressional investigations.

This week following the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas we take a look at the data on mass shootings, what it tells us, and what we as a nation can do to try to prevent more of these type of attacks from happening.

This week we focus on Memorial Day and remembering the sacrifices of the fallen. We will look at examples throughout history of how remembrance of the fallen played a role in public affairs, from the Funeral Oration of Pericles to the Gettysburg Address by American President Lincoln.

This week we're going to talk about the great upheaval, which is how I describe living through a pandemic, a new war in Europe, mass shootings, rising inequality, more frequent natural disasters, and above all, widespread uncertainty. Uncertainty leads to fear, and as Frank Herbert wrote "fear is the mind killer." Upheavals are often used by extremists to recruit new members to their ranks, and this is something we need to guard against. This episode focuses on what the great upheaval is, what it means, and what we can do about it.

In the first week of May 2022, a Washington Post - ABC News Poll indicated 80% of Americans were concerned about the possibility of the conflict in Ukraine escalating into a nuclear war. Which raises a lot of questions. What are the chances of a nuclear war between Russia and the United States? Do the old rules of "MAD" still apply? In this show we provide the answers.

This week we will dive into new technologies on the battlefield in Ukraine and how modern war zones are being used as testing grounds for new weapons systems. Specifically, we will look at how drones and cyber-attacks are being used in novel ways to fight off a larger invasion force by Ukrainians. We will also address the need for international treaties governing the use of drones and cyber-attacks.

For our end of month show we take a look at some new inventions in the field of energy science that could revolutionize solar power, the sale of Twitter to Elon Musk and what impact that could have on social media platforms, the presidential election in France, the war and Ukraine, and we end on a positive note with good news about Kentucky basketball.

Today's show provides an excerpt from my forthcoming book Invasion Z: Russia's Onslaught, Ukraine's Heroic Resistance, and the Brink of WWIII. A portion of the first chapter will be read by me in today's show, ahead of the full book publication 0n May 30, 2022. This excerpt is available for free.

This week we talk with guest Mr. Johnathan Gay, an attorney and U.S. Army veteran about the new phase of the war in Ukraine.

Why is inflation so high in the United States? In this show we examine three interrelated root causes: supply chain disruption, rising energy prices, and federal stimulus plans, all three of which were caused by the pandemic. We also take a look at what can be done to ease inflation, including action by the Fed.

This will be the first of a series called around the world in 80 minutes, modeled on one of my favorite books by Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days. Instead of taking a trip around the world in 80 days, this show will provide a snapshot of important world events and analysis in 80 minutes. In this episode we will cover the war in Ukraine, China's secret deal with the Solomon Islands, in the US the Supreme Court confirmation hearings, South Korea's new "deep-fake President," renewable building construction in Sweden, as well as the latest developments on self-driving cars, virtual reality, and medical research.

In this episode we will examine how Russia's attack on Ukraine is also an attack on the very idea of truth itself, and we will examine the philosophical roots of how totalitarian regimes crush dissent. We will discuss George Orwell's book 1984, Hannan Arendt's book On the Origins of Totalitarianism, and add in a dash of history from Thucydides.

What should the United States do to help Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion? This episode responds to the request for more assistance to Ukraine from Ukrainian President Zelensky during his address to the U.S. Congress.

We will discuss how the Russian invasion of Ukraine has changed the world, specifically how it has changed attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs of both the public and elected officials in Ukraine, Europe, and Russia. Today's show is a follow up to the discussion on Talk Radio590 AM yesterday on the Jack Pattie Show, and we will be addressing some of the issues raised during that discussion in more detail.

Today we will be analyzing the Russian invasion of Ukraine by breaking the situation into four components: the ground war in Ukraine itself, the response of the European Union, the public response to the war inside Russia, and the position of the United States. Our guest is Mr. Johnathan Gay, a U.S. Army veteran, attorney, and administrator of the Facebook page Cold War Redux.

Why did Russia invade Ukraine? The role of history, and specifically of Putin's understanding of the history of Russia and Ukraine, is absolutely central to the Russian invasion. In this episode we will see how Putin's regime has attempted to use history as a weapon, but in the case of the Ukrainian invasion, the weapon has misfired. Explaining how and why that happened, and why it matters, is the focus of this episode.

Today's guest is Mr. Johnathan Gay, and we will be discussing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what potential courses of action the United States and our allies should take in response. Our goal is to provide a fact-based discussion for listeners because there is already a lot of misinformation and disinformation being put out on this situation.

Thank you to BarbiAnn Maynard for joining us this week to talk about the Kentucky House of Representatives race in 2022, the challenges facing district 97, and what can be done to meet those challenges.

In 2022 Kentucky, like many states, has proposed legislation that would dictate how history should be taught. In this episode we take a look at why such legislation should be opposed and why those proposed laws would harm not only the study of history, but the state and country as well.

What are the roots of the current crisis in Ukraine and how did we get here? Our guest, Dr. Max Kovalov, a native of Ukraine and a professor of international studies at the College of Charleston, will help us find answers to these questions.

Justin Hall from Awesome Inc. in Lexington, Kentucky joins us to discuss how our use of technology during the pandemic has changed the economy, our daily lives, and our society. We'll be discussing what those changes are, whether they are likely to last, and most importantly, which of the new changes have been beneficial or harmful.

As we kick off 2022, we first look back and try to make sense of the tumultuous events of the past two years, then we look ahead to the national elections and challenges of the new year. We believe the biggest challenge facing the country is the danger of factions, as James Madison explained in Federalist No. 10, and in this show we will explain how the United States can begin to fight and overcome these dangers.

Two military veterans discuss 9/11 on the 20th anniversary, including the recent US withdrawal from Afghanistan. We talk about how 9/11 has changed the US in the past 20 years, and where we go from here.

Kentucky's proposed mask ban would put kids in danger, and its up to parents to protect their children, from the coronavirus and the state legislature

This week we have two guests who share their backgrounds and experiences in fitness, and how the growing fitness community in eastern Kentucky is changing lives for the better.

What caused the collapse of the Afghan government in Kabul and what does it mean for the future, tune in to find out.

This week Kentucky Caliber has our first guest, Mr. Johnathan Gay, an attorney with Addiction Recovery Care, who shares his organizations contributions to the fight against drug addiction in Eastern Kentucky

Why we can't let billionaire space travel become what we think of as space travel...