The BS Filter

Cameron and Ray crack open the popcorn for a free-wheeling hour on the sudden Musk-Trump bromance breakup and the “one big beautiful bill” (HR 1).  They riff on Roman triumvirates, oligarch knife-fights, and the sneaky Section 70302 that could neuter America's courts overnight.  Along the way they detour through the Byrd Rule, unleash dystopian what-ifs about AI, and ask whether the U.S. can out-collapse ancient Rome for speed.  It's equal parts history lesson, constitutional autopsy, and late-night pub rant—served with extra swearing and zero deference.  The post #134: Section 70302: The Quiet Coup appeared first on The BS Filter.

The post BS 129 – It's The Stupid, Stupid appeared first on The BS Filter.

The media coverage, and Western government commentary, of Israel's pager and walkie-talkie attacks in Lebanon have studiously avoided the use of the word "terrorism", even though that's what all of the world's human rights organisations are calling it and what we all know the media and governments would be calling if it any other single country did it. Today on the show we break down why. The post BS 128 – Israel's Terrorism appeared first on The BS Filter.

The post BS 127 – Kamala and Lichtman's 13 Keys appeared first on The BS Filter.

In this episode of 'The Bullshit Filter,' we discuss the US's selective adherence to international laws, the complex US-Saudi relationship, and evolving power dynamics involving China. Discussions include potential ICC arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, the US's opposition to ICC jurisdiction over Israel, and the historical context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Additionally, the conversation explores US energy policy, Chinese and Russian competition, Boris Johnson's alleged role in derailing a Russia-Ukraine peace deal, and China's dominance in green technology markets. The episode concludes with a speculative look at the upcoming US presidential election, highlighting the strategic interests and long-term consequences of these geopolitical maneuvers. The post BS 126 – The Global Rules-Based Order appeared first on The BS Filter.

The controversies and hypocrisies clouding the US's dance with TikTok and its awkward stance at the UN over Palestine, the US's veto power against Palestine's UN bid and the complex support web for Israel, parallel discussions tear into Australia's online safety efforts and the biased battleground of global news. The post BS 125 – Come On Feel the Noise appeared first on The BS Filter.

Today we delve into the ACTUAL reasons behind the US attempts to ban / force a sale of TikTok. And we also look at some newspaper headlines and break them apart. The post BS 124 – The Truth About The TikTok Ban appeared first on The BS Filter.

My guest co-host today is Tony Kynaston from the QAV Investing Podcast. We're talking about the Tucker Carlson interview with Putin and breaking down the lies, distortions and misinformation ABOUT the interview that we're reading in the mainstream media, and asking why there is a need to distort Putin's words in the West. The post BS 123 – The Carlson / Putin Interview appeared first on The BS Filter.

This episode we're looking at South Africa's case against Israel in the World Court, accusing them of committing genocide in Gaza, the reasons for the cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Iran in Baluchistan, and why the Houthi are attacking ships in the Red Sea. The post BS 122 – Israel Genocide, Houthi, Pakistan, Iran appeared first on The BS Filter.

My old friend and colleague J. David Markham joined me today to talk about Russia and Ukraine. We planned to get to other topics, but ran out of time. Although we agree on most things related to Napoleon, David and I disagree on nearly everything else related to geopolitics, so this was a fun episode. The post BS 121 – J. David Markham / Ukraine appeared first on The BS Filter.

The post BS 120 – Gaza, The Voice, and The Speaker appeared first on The BS Filter.

On this episode, we're fact checking the claims that Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and earlier annexation of Crimea, are all about getting their hands on Ukraine's gas and oil reserves. We also talk about how to use ChatGPT to de-bias a news article, "The Blob", Chris Hedges' analysis of "the pimps of war", and Alessandro Gagaridis' analysis of Prigozhin's Mutiny. The post BS 119 – Ukraine's Energy Reserves appeared first on The BS Filter.

This month we are looking into the following stories: Economic coercion is BAD if it comes from China, but great if it comes from the USA (AFR) John Mearsheimer can't see any room for peace talks in Ukraine as all sides see it as an existential threat (Youtube) The Russian economy continues to flout Western expectations (The Guardian) US Continues Dangerous Escalations in Ukraine, Sprinting Toward Catastrophe (Glenn Greenwald)  Obama's views on Ukraine in 2016 (The Atlantic) Niall Ferguson on US strategy to bleed Russia dry in Ukraine  (Bloomberg) Jeffrey Sachs on Nord Stream (YouTube) Skepticism about Bellingcat (Glenn Greewald) FBI lacked evidence for alleged Trump-Russia collusion probe, US Special Counsel finds (ABC Australia, Seymour Hersh) Olver Stone's interviews with Putin (Youtube)   The post BS Filter 117 – Economic Coercion appeared first on The BS Filter.

In this two hour episode, we're looking at the current war in Sudan - who and what is behind it, and the history of the region, going back to the good ol' days of British colonialism, US sanctions, Clinton's Wag The Dog bombing of a medicine factory, Obama's invention of South Sudan, Russia's Wagner Group extracting Sudanese gold to pay for the war in Ukraine, and more.  The post BS 116 – The War in Sudan appeared first on The BS Filter.

Finland joins NATO; Maidan expose suppressed; Trump charged; Putin arrest warrant; Hersh on the Cover Up; Meta v TikTok; ABC headline tricks The post BS 115 – The Balls of NATO appeared first on The BS Filter.

- Chinese Spy Balloons Over America! - How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline - Columbia Journalism Review on Russiagate - The Howard Gov & East Timor The post BS 114 – Spy Balloons! appeared first on The BS Filter.

Today we talk about the US midterms, the Twitter Files, ChatGPT and the attempted Reichsbürger coup in Germany. The post BFTN 112 – The Twitter Files appeared first on The BS Filter.

Who is responsible for the terrorist attack on the Russian Nord pipelines? Why did Boris Johnson stopped Ukraine from peace talks with Russia in April 2022? Does it have anything to do with the two largest US oil companies have earned more than $30bn in three months? Why did "Progressive Democrats" withdraw their letter calling for more diplomatic efforts with Russia? Can you tell someone is a psychopath by the way they engage in contagious yawning? Americans - stop complaining about violence against your politicians. The post BFTN 111 – Nord Cui Bono appeared first on The BS Filter.

Today we talk about the Western media's coverage of Gorbachev - his successes and failures - and which aspects the media deliberately ignores, such as his views on NATO expansion, Crimea, Ukraine and the role of the US in Putin's rise to power. The post BFTN #110 – Gorbachev appeared first on The BS Filter.

Today we discuss the Trump "Raid" and his 5th amendment deposition, the legality of the Al-Zawahiri assassination, and the deliberate provocation of China by Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. The post BFTN #109 – Provocation appeared first on The BS Filter.

Bolton says it out loud; Ukraine's pro-fascist Ambassador; banning abortion to produce more white babies; Colombia's new President; Christmas comes early for the military industrial complex. The post BFTN 108 – We Survived COVID appeared first on The BS Filter.

I was musing, in the last episode, about whether or not sanctions have ever worked. Are they even legal? Over the last two decades, international economic sanctions have become a central instrument in global governance. Today we explore the success rate and the real intentions of sanctions as a tool of Total War. The post BFTN 107 – Do Economic Sanctions Work? appeared first on The BS Filter.

The war continues, 60 plus days. The US and EU and their allies, eg Australia, continue to “support” Ukraine by giving them some kind of military aid. But the question is whether or not this is going to result in less Ukrainian deaths... or more? The post BFTN 106 – Pimps Of War appeared first on The BS Filter.

Today we talk about "Offensive Realism", the theory put forward by John Mearsheimer in his 2001 book “The Tragedy of Great Power Politics", and how it might explain the current Russia/Ukraine/NATO/USA situation. The post Bullshit Filter 105 – Offensive Realism 101 appeared first on The BS Filter.

Yesterday Putin announced he was starting a “special military operation” in Ukraine. He said his goal was to “demilitarize” but not occupy the country, and that any countries that intervene in Ukraine invasion will face consequences. He also gave an hour long speech the day before, explaining his thinking behind they invasion. As usual, his speech has been completely misrepresented by the Western media. Today we're joined by Trevor Bell to break down the events of the last week. The post BFTN 104 – Russia and Ukraine P2 appeared first on The BS Filter.

If you only get your news from the mainstream media, you've probably heard that the world's about to end because of "Russian aggression". Of course, as always, that's a highly filtered version of the story. To understand what's happening with Russia and Ukraine, we really need to understand what happened at the end of the Cold War, with Russia, NATO and the United States. On this episode, we delve into the history to we can understand the present. We talk about the infamous "one inch" promise and the how the USA has slowly increased pressure on Russia. As always, this isn't a story about the good guys versus the bad guys. It's a story about history and nations trying to protect their interests. The post BFTN 103 – Russia and Ukraine appeared first on The BS Filter.

Lots of stuff in this episode about Assange, China, Russia and Christianity, but the main theme is a theory I've been trying to flesh out about how tribalism and identity converge to create a mind virus that stops people from being able to focus on facts and evidence. The post BFTN 102 – Mind Virus appeared first on The BS Filter.

The Russians attack Amin's palace without him realising what is happening. He still thinks they are on his side, right up until the moment they put a bullet in him. But before they storm the palace, they first try poison. The post BFTN 101 – (Afghanistan part 4) appeared first on The BS Filter.

Continuing on from our last episodes about Afghanistan, we look at the first days of the Russian invasion in December 1979 and dispel some common myths about the Soviet's intentions. The post BFTN 100 – RUSSIANSPLAINING (Afghanistan part 3) appeared first on The BS Filter.

Part two of our look at the history of American involvement in Afghanistan since the late 1970s. We continue the story of the internal collapse of the PDPA's power in 1979, while the United States started pouring money into supporting the Mujahideen. The post BFTN 99 – Afghanistan (part 2) appeared first on The BS Filter.

In the aftermath of the US finally removing its troops from Afghanistan, it's time we take look at the history of American involvement in that part of the world and try to dispel some of the myths. The post BFTN 98 – Afghanistan (part 1) appeared first on The BS Filter.

The post BFTN 97 – COVID 2021 (part 3) v2 appeared first on The BS Filter.

I'm joined again by Trevor Bell from The Iron Fist & The Velvet Glove podcast to talk about the state of COVID as of August 2021. Today Trevor and I look at lockdowns. Do they work? What do we mean by 'work'? What's the evidence for and against?  The post BFTN 96 – COVID 2021 (part 2) appeared first on The BS Filter.

I'm joined by Trevor Bell from The Iron Fist & The Velvet Glove podcast to talk about the state of COVID as of August 2021. This is the first part of several upcoming episodes where we look at the state of the global pandemic, as well as explore the various theories about the effectiveness of lockdowns and vaccinations. The post BFTN 95 – COVID 2021 (part 1) appeared first on The BS Filter.

Long-time listener Hugo Mathieu joins me to explain how and why I'm wrong about democracy. He says we don't have one. I say we have one - albeit in a corrupt and limited form. Who's right? You be the judge. The post BFTN 94 – Wrong On Democracy appeared first on The BS Filter.

Long-time listener and former China resident Liam Bussell joins me for a chat about why I am, in his opinion, "wrong on China". The post BFTN 93 – Wrong On China? appeared first on The BS Filter.

The post BFTN 89 – Aus Gov v Facebook appeared first on The BS Filter.

We look at the obviously biased reporting in the Western media about the WHO's recent trip to China to investigate the origins of COVID. The post BFTN 88 – NYT Spinning WHO in China appeared first on The BS Filter.

We continue our look at the media coverage of China's Uighur camps with an examination of the contradictions and the problems with, and funding of, the sources. The post BFTN 87 – China's Uighur Camps part 2 appeared first on The BS Filter.

The post BFTN 86 – China's Uighur Camps appeared first on The BS Filter.

Left v Right Wing Violence. Billionaire Ray Dalio on the coming US Civil War. QAnon and the problem of epistemology and heuristics. Let's evolve Australia Day. And Taylor Guitars goes 100% ESOP. The post BFTN 85 – The Role Of Violence appeared first on The BS Filter.

Navalny medical data. Washington troops. Trump rape. The post BFTN 84 – The Straw That Breaks appeared first on The BS Filter.

Let's talk about the attempted US coup and about what might happen next. We also talk about Brisbane's "snap lockdown", how to handle a pandemic properly, and why we don't have absolute freedom of speech. The post BFTN 83 – The Diet Coup appeared first on The BS Filter.

What will the GOP look like after January 20? I see three main scenarios. Trump remains as the leader and it's business as usual. Trump retires from the position gracefully and they search for new leadership. Trump is pushed out. Trump sets up his own political party. Let's talk about what might happen. Meanwhile: Trump intervening with SCOTUS Mike Pence – The Decider Hunter Biden investigation Iran assassination The UN commission reclassifies cannabis Meanwhile in Australia – the cops are going nuts busting marijuana importers and dealers In Colorado – legal since 2014 – weed brings in about 1% of the state's budget The post BFTN 81 – The GOP After Trump appeared first on The BS Filter.

Cam and Ray talking about the US election, the Australian government's illegal activities, the Murdoch enquiry, US hate crimes, mass shootings and Trump's desire to bomb Iran. The post BFTN 80 – Message In A Podcast appeared first on The BS Filter.

Hunter Biden's laptop; The American Insurgency; US COVID - Red or Blue?; OPCW cover-up; Fake Green billionaires; Bolivia decides; and the CIA get attacked in Australia... by Russians? The post BFTN 79 – Hunter Biden appeared first on The BS Filter.

Eddie Van Halen is playing with Jimi in Elysium tonight. In other stories, we talk about the "debate", Trump and covid, mutually exacerbating catastrophes, Middle East “peace” and scenarios that could lead to a new US Civil War. The post BFTN 78 – RIP EVH appeared first on The BS Filter.

The Australian government is trying to force Facebook and Google to pay Australia news organisations free money; compare the narrative around Aussie journalists in China versus Assange; No, the CDC did *not* say only 6% of people died from COVID; Senate Report about Trump and Russia contains nothing new; who put the poison in Navalny's tea?; the Khashoggi trial concludes but what's happening with the US lawsuit against KSA?. The post BFTN 77 – NOVICHOK appeared first on The BS Filter.

My old mate Donnie Maclurcan is the CEO of the Post Growth Institute and Affiliate Professor of Economics at Southern Oregon University. He's one of the smartest and nicest guys I know. I invited him on to chat about his views on the current state of the United States, where he has lived for the […] The post BFTN 76 – Post Growth appeared first on The BS Filter.

Is the United States a failed state? Or is it just failing? Today we break down some of the various definitions of a "failed state" and try to work out how the USA rates against them. And why it matters, even to non-Americans. The post BFTN 75 – Is The USA a Failed State? appeared first on The BS Filter.