Podcasts about communists

The 19th Century wasn't a good one for China. It was marked by the nation being taken advantage of by foreign powers and the signing of lopsided treaties.  The 20th Century started out promising, but eventually devolved into a series of warlords and a civil war between two major forces for control of the country, on top of the Japanese occupation of most of the country.  When the dust settled in 1949, the victors were the Communists. China and the world haven't been the same since. Learn more about the Chinese Communist Revolution, why it happened, and how the Communists won on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. ***5th Anniversary Celebration RSVP*** Sponsors Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Jerry Compare quotes and coverages side-by-side from up to 50 top insurers at jerry.ai/daily American Scandal Follow American Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Update your podcast app at newpodcastapps.com Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Brian McWilliams, John Odermatt, Lou Perez and Brian Nichols every other week for the newest show on the Lions of Liberty Network, the Politicks Podcast! Each episode we'll dig through the top news stories in the disgusting, slimy political world and of course we'll make you laugh along the way. This week on Politicks: New bizarre revelation about what the CIA allegedly knows about Aliens UPenn to apologize about men swimming against women Musk & Massie v. Trump (and WILL Elon join the LP?) Zohran Mamdani the Communist Amy Poehler apologizes for inappropriate appropriating on SNL Follow the Lions of Liberty: Twitter Rumble YouTube Instagram Telegram Get access to all of our bonus audio content, livestreams, behind-the-scenes segments and more for as little as $5 per month by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride on Patreon OR support us on Locals! Check out our merchandise at the Lions of Liberty Store for all of our awesome t-shirts, mugs and hats! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we present a crossover of Guerrilla History and the Adnan Husain Show.  Here, Dr. Gerald Horne joins Adnan and Henry to discuss his recent book, Armed Struggle?: Panthers and Communists, black Nationalists and Liberals in Southern California, Through the Sixties and Seventies. As ever, Professor Horne connects the histories of organizing and resistance against racial capitalism to the contemporary situation, including the LA uprisings against ICE raids and developments against neocolonialism and imperialism in West Asia. A wide-ranging conversation with the inimitable Dr. Horne ranged across the histories of class politics, struggles against racism, and geopolitics to consider the prospects for resistance locally and internationally in contemporary movements for justice. Gerald Horne is the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston.  His research interests are unbelievably varied, encompassing biographies of W.E.B. Du Bois and Paul Robeson, to The Haitian Revolution, to Hollywood in the '30s-'50s, to Jazz and Justice.  Be sure to check out his bibliography, you're certain to find something that interests you! Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory  We also have a (free!) newsletter you can sign up for, and please note that Guerrilla History now is uploading on YouTube as well, so do us a favor, subscribe to the show and share some links from there so we can get helped out in the algorithms!! *As mentioned, you will be able to find Tsars and Commissars: From Rus to Modern Russia soon on YouTube.

Last time we spoke about the Oyama Incident and decision to fight at Shanghai. In July 1937, escalating tensions between Japan and China erupted into war after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. As conflict spread, Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek, believing in his nation's resilience, called for unity to resist Japanese aggression. A pivotal moment occurred on August 9 at Hongqiao Airport, where a violent confrontation left several Japanese soldiers dead. The circumstances remained murky, with both sides blaming each other, further inflaming hostilities. Despite attempts at negotiation, the military standoff intensified, leading to a consensus that war was imminent. Chiang mobilized troops to Shanghai, a crucial city for both strategic and symbolic reasons, determined to demonstrate that China could defend its sovereignty. The Chinese forces, under Generals Zhang Fukai and Zhang Zhizhong, faced logistical challenges but aimed to strike first against the increasingly aggressive Japanese military. On August 12, both nations prepared for conflict, leading to a drastic escalation.  #157 The Battle of Shanghai Part 2: Black Saturday and Operation Iron Fist Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On Friday, August 13 of 1937, the residents of Shanghai began enduring the sounds of rifle fire and machine gun salvos, punctuated by the distant booms of artillery.  Members of the Japanese marines, disguised in civilian clothes and posing as rowdy thugs, boisterous ronin, arrived at barricades manned by the Peace Preservation Corps at the northern edge of Yangshupu around 9:15 a.m. They began to provoke the Chinese guards with loud taunts and jeers. When the Chinese fired a warning shot into the air, the Japanese retaliated with deadly intent. The Chinese responded in kind, resulting in a lethal exchange. From that moment on, the situation was beyond control. As the day progressed, nervous skirmishes continued throughout the northern part of Shanghai. Chinese commanders dispatched patrols to conduct probing attacks, hoping to identify weak points in the Japanese defenses and push them back wherever possible. Meanwhile, their Japanese counterparts rushed to occupy key positions outside their main line of defense, aiming to gain an advantageous position should their adversaries launch a larger offensive. Small bands of soldiers from both sides maneuvered along narrow alleys to minimize the risk of detection; however, whenever they encountered each other, the results were deadly. In the western sector of the front line, where the Chinese Army's newly arrived 88th Infantry Division was preparing its positions, the center of activity was the headquarters of the Japanese marines near Hongkou Park. This location resembled a fortress, featuring a massive four-story structure shielded from air and artillery bombardment by a double roof of reinforced concrete. The building, which encompassed a large inner courtyard, occupied two city blocks and could accommodate thousands of troops at once. Highly visible, it represented both a significant military threat and a symbol of Japan's presence in Shanghai. The Chinese were acutely aware of their objective: they had to eradicate it. The Sichuan North road lies south between the marine headquarters and the Japanese section of the International Settlement. This road became the scene of frantic activity from the first day of battle. Japanese armored cars and motorcycle patrols, with machine guns mounted on sidecars, sped up and down the otherwise deserted street, while trench mortars positioned along the pavement lobbed grenades into Zhabei to the west. As columns of smoke rose into the sky from buildings in the Chinese district, Japanese officers squeezed into a narrow conning tower atop the marine headquarters, watching the bombardment's results through field glasses. Reports of Chinese snipers stationed in the upper floors of buildings along the road prompted Japanese squads, led by sword-wielding officers, to carry out door-to-door searches. Suspects were unceremoniously dragged away to an uncertain fate. Not a single civilian was visible in the area; everyone stayed indoors, behind closed windows and drawn curtains. On the afternoon of August 13, the Eight Character Bridge, located west of the marine headquarters, became the site of one of the battle's first major engagements. The bridge, measuring just 60 feet in length and spanning a minor creek, was deemed by both sides to have significant tactical importance. The Chinese commanders viewed it as a crucial route for advancing into the Hongkou area, believing that if the bridge fell into Japanese hands, it would be like a "piece of bone stuck in the throat." At around noon, Major Yi Jin, a battalion commander of the 88th Infantry Division, led a couple of hundred men from around the North Railway Station toward Eight Character Bridge. When the soldiers reached their objective at about 3:00 p.m., they spotted a small Japanese unit that had just arrived across the creek and was setting up defensive positions. The Chinese opened fire and managed to secure the bridge, prompting the Japanese to launch a brief artillery bombardment that resulted in several Chinese casualties. Gunfire near the bridge continued intermittently until 9:00 p.m., when a fragile silence fell over the area. Further to the east, in the 87th Infantry Division's sector, the day was also characterized by frantic maneuvering, punctuated by lengthy bursts of violence. Chinese reconnaissance parties infiltrated enemy-held areas, making their way to the Japanese Golf Club near the Huangpu River, where they began shooting at workers busy preparing the makeshift airfield. As the first volleys from the Chinese snipers rang out, clouds of dust filled the air, causing the workers to hastily seek cover. Japanese soldiers stationed in the clubhouse immediately returned fire, throwing off the snipers' aim. After about an hour, two Japanese vessels moored in the Huangpu River, the destroyer Run and the gunboat Seta were called in to assist the Japanese marines facing the 87th Infantry Division on land. Four- and six-inch shells screamed across the sky, exploding in the Chinese districts to the north. Shanghai University was also shelled, as the Japanese troops on land believed it had been occupied by Chinese soldiers. Ultimately, the last remaining staff members, two Americans, were forced to flee the campus. The naval artillery had come to the aid of the beleaguered infantry onshore, a scene that would be repeated continually in the days and weeks to come. Late that evening, Chiang Kai-shek finally ordered his military commanders to “divert the enemy at sea, block off the coast, and resist landings at Shanghai” Even before the mobilization of troops began, panic swept through Shanghai. Meanwhile, the city's waterfront took on an increasingly ominous tone. The China Daily News wrote “Arms, ammunition, and supplies streamed from several Japanese cruisers and destroyers onto the O.S.K. wharf in what appeared to be an unending flow. Additionally, a large detachment of soldiers in full marching gear disembarked, while a cruiser, the Idzumo, two destroyers, and nine gunboats arrived shortly before.” Zhang Zhizhong, the commander of the left wing, finally received the orders he wished to hear. Zhang intended to deploy all available troops in a bold effort to eliminate the Japanese presence once and for all, following the strategy recommended by the Germans. However, the plan had a significant weakness. The assault was to focus on the marine headquarters and the rest of the Hongkou salient while deliberately avoiding combat within the formal borders of the International Settlement. This decision was made as a concession to international public opinion and was politically sound. However, from a military perspective, it was nearly suicidal and greatly increased the risks associated with the entire operation. The Hongkou area represented the most heavily fortified position along the entire front. The marine headquarters was at the center of a dense network of heavy machine gun positions, protected by barbed wire, concrete emplacements, and walls of sandbags. On Saturday, August 14th, the Nationalist military command decided to target one of the most significant Japanese naval assets in Shanghai: the Izumo, anchored with support ships on the Huangpu River in the city center. Shortly before 11:00 a.m., five Chinese planes appeared over the rooftops, flying toward the river and the Japanese vessels. The aircraft released their bombs, but all missed their target, with several detonating on the wharves, demolishing buildings and sending shrapnel flying through the air. In response, the Japanese battleships unleashed a massive barrage, further endangering those unfortunate enough to live or work in the area as shell fragments rained down with deadly force. At 11:20 a.m., another Chinese air raid occurred, this time involving three planes, once again targeting the Izumo. However, for two of the pilots, something went horribly wrong. “From one of the four monoplanes, four aerial torpedoes were seen to drop as they passed over the Bund, far from their intended target... Two others fell on Nanking Road.” Either the pilot misjudged the target, or there was a malfunction with the release mechanism. Regardless of the cause, the bombs landed in one of the city's busiest civilian areas, where thousands were walking, shopping, and enjoying a hot August Saturday. At 4:46 p.m., the public health department's work diary noted, “Palace Hotel hit! Many injured and dead in street! Nanking Road opposite Cathay Hotel.” A reporter vividly captured the horror of the scene: “A bomb arced through the air, struck the Palace Hotel with a glancing blow, and unleashed indescribable carnage. As the high explosive fumes slowly lifted, a scene of dreadful death emerged. Flames from a blazing car danced over distorted bodies. Bodies wrapped in coolie cloth lay in shapeless heaps at the entrances to the main doorways and arcades of the Palace and Cathay hotels, their heads, legs, and arms separated from smashed masses of flesh. The corpse of a Chinese policeman lay dead in his tracks, shrapnel lodged in his head, and a disemboweled child was nearby.” To make matters worse, another pilot mistakenly released his bomb over Avenue Edward VII, another major shopping street. When the numbers were finally tallied, over 1,000 people, both Chinese and foreign had been killed. The bombs struck the International Settlement, a zone that was politically neutral and presumed safe. Hundreds of civilians were killed culminating in what would soon be referred to as “Black Saturday” or “Bloody Saturday.” By the time these tragedies unfolded, the Battle of Shanghai had already entered its second day.  Zhang Zhizhong's men prepared their positions for most of the day, then launched their attack late in the afternoon. Intense fighting erupted in the few hours before sunset, and it quickly became clear that the 88th Infantry Division was encountering resistance that was tougher than expected. In addition to the direct fire from entrenched Japanese positions, the attackers were bombarded by the Third Fleet's powerful artillery, which was awe-inspiring even when it employed only a fraction of its total strength of 700 pieces. However, the Chinese infantry lacked proper training in the use of heavy weaponry against fortified enemy positions. Their heavier guns, which could have made a significant difference, were held too far in the rear and missed their targets too easily, as inexperienced crews used flawed coordinates from observers who were not close enough to the action. Additionally, some of the Japanese positions had such thick defensive walls that it was questionable whether even the most powerful weaponry in the Chinese arsenal, the 150 mm howitzers, could do more than merely dent them. These tactics resulted in extraordinarily heavy losses for the Chinese, including among senior ranks. Around 5:00 p.m., Major General Huang Meixing, the 41-year-old commander of the 88th Infantry Division's 264th Brigade, was leading an attack near the marine headquarters. His divisional commander, Sun Yuanliang, attempted to reach him via field phone, but he was forced to wait. When he finally managed to get through to Huang, he cracked a rare joke: “It took so long, I thought you were dead.” Just minutes later, as if fate wanted to punish Sun Yuanliang for his black humor, Huang Meixing's command post was struck by an artillery shell, killing him instantly. Shock spread through the ranks as the news circulated, recalled Wu Ganliao, a machine gunner in the 88th Division. “Brigade Commander Huang was a fair-minded person, and he showed real affection for his troops. It was sad new”. Huang was by no means an exceptional case; Chinese officers died in large numbers from the very first day. One regiment lost seven company commanders in a single short attack. Several factors contributed to the high incidence of death among senior ranks. One reason was the ethos among some officers to lead from the front in an effort to instill courage in their men. However, leading from the rear could also be highly risky in urban combat, where opposing forces were often just yards apart, and the maze-like environment created by multi-story buildings and narrow alleys led to a fluid situation where the enemy could be just as likely behind as in front. Moreover, soldiers on both sides deliberately targeted enemy officers, perhaps more so than in other conflicts, because rigid leadership hierarchies placed a premium on decapitating the opposing unit's command. However, the massive fatality rates among officers, and even more so among the rank and file, were primarily the result of Chinese forces employing frontal assaults against a well-armed, entrenched enemy.The men who were dying by the hundreds were China's elite soldiers, the product of years of effort to build a modern military. They represented the nation's best hope for resisting Japan in a protracted war. Nevertheless, on the very first day of battle, they were being squandered at an alarming and unsustainable rate. After just a few hours of offensive operations with minimal gains, Chiang Kai-shek decided to cut his losses. In a telegram, he commanded Zhang Zhizhong: “Do not carry out attacks this evening. Await further orders.”In the weeks leading up to the outbreak of the battle of Shanghai, Chiang Kai-shek received a parade of leaders from various provinces eager to participate in the upcoming fight. After years of the Warlord nonsense , a new sense of unity began to emerge among them for the first time. All of these factions proclaimed they would lend their troops to his leadership if he pledged them against Japan. As a sign of his sincerity, Chiang decided to appoint the position of overall commander in Shanghai to one of his longest-standing rivals, our old friend, the finger nails inspector, Feng Yuxiang. This was a political savvy move directed at the Communists, trying to earn their favor.  Feng Yuxiang did not hesitate when offered the command. “As long as it serves the purpose of fighting Japan, I'll say yes, no matter what it is.” His appointment was announced just as the first shots were fired in Shanghai. Feng was about a decade older than his direct subordinates, which Chiang considered an advantage. He desired someone who was both composed and prudent to counterbalance the fiery tempers of the frontline commanders, as Chiang put it“ The frontline commanders are too young. They've got a lot of courage, but they lack experience.” Feng moved his command post to a temple outside Suzhou in mid August. Almost immediately afterward, he visited Zhang Zhizhong, who had established his command near the Suzhou city wall. At that time, Zhang was just beginning to realize how formidable the Japanese resistance in Shanghai truly was. His staff started to notice troubling signs of his deteriorating health, sensing that sickness and exhaustion were taking a toll on his ability to stay upright and effectively lead the battle. Perhaps this feeling of being overwhelmed was why he failed to undertake basic tasks, such as providing adequate protection from air attacks. Meanwhile, Shanghai society responded to the sudden outbreak of war. In July, the city's residents worked, ate, drank, and played as they had for decades. Beginning in August, however, they had to entirely remake their lives. Local institutions began to relocate; by late September, it was announced that four local universities would open joint colleges with institutions in China's interior. In the country's premier commercial city, business was being devastated. “Like a nightmare octopus flinging cruel tentacles around its helpless victims,” the North-China Daily News reported, “the local hostilities are slowly strangling Shanghai's trade.” A shopkeeper lamented, “We obtain a lot of business, of course, from tourists who visit Shanghai. What tourists are there these days?” For the foreigners in Shanghai, the war was seen as a violent diversion, but nothing truly dangerous, at least, that's what they thought. For the Chinese, however, life was unraveling. As the fighting intensified around the Japanese district, thousands of refugees poured into the streets, heading for Suzhou Creek and the Garden Bridge, the only link to the International Settlement that remained open. It was a chaotic and merciless stampede, where the weak were at a severe disadvantage. “My feet were slipping… in blood and flesh,” recalled Rhodes Farmer, a journalist for the North China Daily News, as he found himself in a sea of people struggling to escape Hongkou. “Half a dozen times, I knew I was walking on the bodies of children or old people sucked under by the torrent, trampled flat by countless feet.” Near the creek, the mass of sweating and panting humanity was nearly uncontrollable as it funneled toward the bridge, which was a mere 55 feet wide. Two Japanese sentries were almost overwhelmed by the crowd and reacted as they had been trained, with immediate, reflexive brutality. One of them bayoneted an old man and threw the lifeless body into the filthy creek below. This act of violence did not deter the other refugees, who continued to push toward the bridge, believing they were heading toward the safety of the International Settlement. Little did they know, they were moving in the wrong direction, towards the horrific slaughter of innocent civilians that would mark the entire Shanghai campaign. The American advisor Claire Chennault had been in the air since the early hours of August 14. After only a few hours of sleep at his base in Nanjing, he jumped into a lone, unarmed fighter to observe the Chinese air raid as a neutral party. The night before, he had been at the Nanjing Military Academy, in the company of Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong Mei-ling. That night, as war loomed, Soong Mei-ling in tears said “They are killing our people!” Chennault asked “what will you do now?”. She replied “We will fight,”. Chennault was the one who suggested bombing the ships on the Huangpu River because of the artillery support they provided to the Japanese infantry. Since there was no Chinese officer with the expertise to prepare such an operation, Soong Mei-ling had asked Chennault to take over. Although he was completely unprepared for this new role, he felt a growing affinity for China, fueled by excitement at the prospect of contributing to their fight. Eleanor B. Roosevelt, the wife of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was in Shanghai at the time of the bombing and was horrified by the loss of innocent life. She sent a letter to Japan's premier, Prince Konoye, urging him to seek ways to minimize the risk of Chinese air raids, which she argued were caused by the presence of Japan's military in the Shanghai area. The Japanese did not respond. However, the day after her letter, the Izumo was moved from its anchorage near the Japanese Consulate to the middle of the Huangpu River. The cruiser remained close enough to contribute its artillery to the fighting inland, but far enough away to significantly reduce the danger to civilians in the city. The 15th was surreal, even after thousands had been killed in battle, the fighting in China remained an undeclared war as far as the Japanese government was concerned, and it committed forces only in a piecemeal fashion. The Japanese Cabinet continued to refer to events in Shanghai and further north near Beijing as “the China Incident.” However, euphemisms were not enough to disguise the reality that Shanghai was becoming a significant problem. In the early hours of the 15th, a Japanese Cabinet meeting decided to send army reinforcements to the hard-pressed marines in Shanghai, leading to the deployment of the 3rd and 11th Divisions. The two divisions were to form the Shanghai Expeditionary Force, a unit resurrected from the hostilities of 1932. Many of the soldiers sent to war were reservists in their late twenties and early thirties who had long since returned to civilian life and were poorly disciplined. In their habitual disdain for the Chinese, Japanese leaders figured that this would be more than enough to deal with them. Underestimating the foe would soon prove to be a mistake they would repeat again and again in the coming weeks and months. To lead the force, the Japanese leaders brought out of retirement 59-year-old General Matsui Iwane, a veteran of the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War. Matsui was a slight man, weighing no more than 100 pounds, with a large 19th century mustache and a palsy affecting his right side. He was not an accidental choice; he knew China well and had been an acquaintance of Sun Yat-sen.  Hongkou or “Little Tokyo” had become an area under siege. Surrounded by hostile Chinese troops on three sides, its only link to the outside world was the dock district along the Huangpu River. From the first day of the battle, the area was bombarded with Chinese mortar shells, prompting an exodus among Japanese residents, some of whom had lived in Shanghai for years. An increasingly common sight was kimono-clad women carrying heavy loads as they made their way to the wharfs to board ferries taking them back to Japan. Hongkou, said visiting Japanese correspondent Hayashi Fusao, “was a dark town. It was an exhausted town.” Those who remained in “Little Tokyo,” mostly men forced to stay behind to look after their businesses, tried to continue their lives with as little disruption to their normal routines as possible. However, this was difficult, given the constant reminders of war surrounding them: rows of barbed wire and piles of sandbags, soldiers marching from one engagement to another, and the sounds of battle often occurring just a few blocks away. “Every building was bullet-marked, and the haze of gunpowder hung over the town,” wrote Hayashi. “It was a town at war. It was the August sun and an eerie silence, burning asphalt, and most of all, the swarm of blue flies hovering around the feet.” It seemed Vice Admiral Hasegawa Kiyoshi, the commander of the Japanese 3rd Fleet, had bitten off more than he could chew in aggressively expanding operations in the Shanghai area. August 16th saw repeated Chinese attacks, placing the Japanese defenders under severe pressure, stretching their resources to the limit. Rear Admiral Okawachi Denshichi, who headed the Shanghai marines, had to hastily commit reserves, including irreplaceable tanks, to prevent a Chinese breakthrough. That day Hasegawa sent three telegrams to his superiors, each sounding more desperate than the last. After his second telegram, sent around 7:00 pm,  warning that his troops could probably hold out for only 6 more days, the Naval Command ordered the marine barracks at Sasebo Naval Base in southern Japan to dispatch two units of 500 marines each to Shanghai. Following Hasegawa's 3rd telegram later that night, the navy decided to send even more reinforcements. Two additional marine units, consisting of a total of 1,400 soldiers waiting in Manchuria for deployment at Qingdao, were ordered to embark for Shanghai immediately. The Chinese, however, did not feel that things were going their way. The battle continued to be much bloodier than anyone had anticipated. Throwing infantry en masse against fortified positions was the only feasible tactic available to an army rich in manpower confronting an adversary with a clear technological advantage. Yet, this approach turned the battle into a contest of flesh against steel, resulting in tremendous loss of life. Chiang Kai-shek was losing patience. After several days of fighting, his troops had still not succeeded in dislodging the Japanese from the streets of Shanghai. The Japanese marines entrenched in the Hongkou and Yangshupu areas proved to be a harder nut to crack than he or his generals had expected. At a meeting with his divisional commanders, Chiang ordered a massive attack to be launched in the early morning of August 17. The troops were to utilize more firepower and be better prepared than they had been for the assault three days earlier. Codenamed Operation Iron Fist, it was the most ambitious Chinese offensive in the first critical week of the Shanghai campaign. Colonel Hans Vetter, the advisor assigned to the 88th Division, played a key role in planning the offensive. He aimed to employ “Stosstrupp” or “stormtrooper” shock troop tactics that the Germans had effectively used during the Great War. After an intense artillery bombardment, a small, elite group of determined, well-armed men was to punch through the Japanese lines and fight their way deep into the enemy camp before the defenders had a chance to recover from the initial surprise. This procedure was to be followed by both the 88th Division moving in from the west, targeting the area south of Hongkou Park, and the 87th Division conducting a parallel operation from the east. Zhang Zhizhong recognized a window of opportunity while he still enjoyed a significant, but likely temporary, advantage against the Japanese. This opportunity had to be seized before reinforcements arrived. However, the odds were not favorable. Urban combat with modern weaponry of unprecedented lethality was a costly affair, especially when the enemy had the upper hand in the sky. Japanese airplanes constantly threatened the Chinese positions, carrying out relentless sorties throughout the day. The Chinese Air Force remained a factor, but it was uncertain how much longer it would hold out against the more experienced Japanese pilots and their superior, more maneuverable aircraft. The growing Japanese presence overhead, supported by both shipborne planes and aircraft based on airstrips on Chongming Island in the Yangtze Delta, greatly complicated any major movements on the ground. Despite these challenges, the Chinese Army continued its troop build-up in the Shanghai area. The 98th Infantry Division arrived on August 15 and placed one brigade, half its strength, at the disposal of the 87th Infantry Division, ensuring that the division's rear area was covered during Operation Iron Fist. Operation Iron Fist kicked off as planned at 5:00 am on the 17th. Utilizing all available firepower, the 87th and 88th Infantry Divisions launched simultaneous assaults against stunned and bewildered Japanese defenders. In line with the Stosstrupp approach of rapid penetration, Zhang Zhizhong introduced a new tactical principle, prompted by the severe losses during the first few days of fighting. Forces under his command were to identify gaps in the Japanese defenses and exploit them, rather than launch massive, costly, and most likely futile attacks on heavily fortified positions. Once an enemy stronghold was spotted, the main forces would circumvent it and leave just enough troops to keep it pinned down. Chen Yiding, a regimental commander of the 87th Infantry Division, played a pivotal role in the assault. His soldiers, each equipped with provisions for two days, made good progress during the first hours of Iron Fist, leveraging their local knowledge and moving with the slippery dexterity of alley cats. They would enter a building on one street, knock down the wall inside, and exit onto the next street, or they would throw down beams from rooftop to rooftop, sneaking as quietly as possible from one block to another without being noticed by those on the ground. They proved elusive targets for the Japanese, who expected them to come from one direction, only to be attacked from another. Nevertheless, changing the tactical situation from the previous days was not enough. The attackers encountered well-prepared defenses that sometimes could not be circumvented, resulting in significant losses from the outset of the assault. An entire battalion of the 88th Division was wiped out while trying to take a single building. Despite their sacrifices, there was no major breakthrough anywhere along the Japanese defense lines. This was partly due to strong support from Japanese naval artillery stationed along the Huangpu River and partly a reflection of poor coordination between Chinese infantry and artillery.Equally detrimental to the Chinese cause was their careful avoidance, during the first days of combat in Shanghai, of fighting inside the International Settlement or even in the predominantly Japanese part of the settlement, in order to avoid angering the outside world and swaying international opinion against them. This approach frustrated their German advisors. “It was obvious that the attacking troops had been told to engage only enemies standing on Chinese territory, not the ones inside the international areas,” the Germans wrote, with an almost audible sigh of regret in their after-action report. This frustration was shared by several Chinese officers at the frontline. “We are much handicapped by the demarcation of the foreign areas,” the adjutant to a divisional commander told a Western reporter. “We could have wiped out the enemy if it had not been for orders from the Central Government and our commander to avoid causing damage to foreign lives and to give them adequate protection.” The presence of the large foreign community primarily played into Japanese hands. Many of Chiang Kai-shek's officers believed that if the Chinese had been able to move through the French Concession and the International Settlement to attack the Japanese from the rear, they could have won easily. Zhang Fakui would later say “Without the protection provided by the foreign concessions, they would have been wiped out,”. At the end of the day, the Japanese emerged victorious. Their defense proved stronger, as it had for four long years on the Western Front during the Great War. The challenge facing the Japanese was tough, but at least it was straightforward and uncomplicated: they had to hold on to Hongkou and Yangshupu while waiting for reinforcements to arrive. They proved adept at this task. In many cases, Chinese soldiers found themselves fighting for the same objectives they had targeted when the battle for Shanghai began several days earlier. By August 18, the Chinese attack had been called off. Operation Iron Fist had proven to be a costly endeavor for the Chinese, who endured heavy casualties in the vicious urban fighting. The Japanese, on the other hand, suffered approximately 600 casualties, of which 134 were fatalities, according to the Official Gazette. The Japanese marine units dispatched from Manchuria on August 16, the day of crisis for their compatriots in Shanghai, arrived in the city during the morning of August 18 and were immediately thrown into battle. A few hours later, the Japanese Cabinet announced the formal end of its policy of non-expansion in China, which, by that time, had already been a hollow shell for several weeks. “The empire, having reached the limit of its patience, has been forced to take resolute measures,” it stated. “Henceforth, it will punish the outrages of the Chinese Army, thereby spurring the Chinese government to self-reflect.” I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. On August 13, Japanese marines, disguised as civilians, provoked Chinese guards, leading to mutual gunfire. The fierce urban fighting escalated, especially at the strategically vital Eight Character Bridge. Despite determined Chinese assaults, heavy losses ensued as they struggled against well-fortified Japanese positions. As artillery and air strikes rained down, civilian casualties soared, culminating in the infamous "Black Saturday," followed by the failed Operation Iron Fist.    

Trevor Loudon joins David Fiorazo to talk about China's behind the scenes influence on transforming American policies and politics over the decades.Trevor Loudon's site: https://www.trevorloudon.com/‘Comrade' book: https://www.trevorloudon.com/shop/#bookwww.worldviewmatters.tv© FreedomProject 2025See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A far-left candidate shocks New York, beating Andrew Yang and openly calling for socialism and “seizing the means of production.” The PBD Podcast breaks down the communist rhetoric, Trump's fiery response, media complicity, and how a disillusioned youth is fueling radical momentum in the city.

The Diddy Verdict is in... Alligator Alcatraz triggers media, CBS Settles 60 Minutes Lawsuit with Trump, Alan Dershowitz, Lil Rod, Monica Crowley and Liz Crokin   join the show. Check Out Our Partners: Advantage Gold: Get your FREE wealth protection kit https://www.abjv1trk.com/F6XL22/4MQCFX/?sub1=Youtube American Financing: Save with https://www.americanfinancing.net/benny NMLS: 182334, http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org Patriot Mobile: Go to https://www.PatriotMobile.com/Benny and get A FREE MONTH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mamdani mania has hit New York and all of America! But it’s not a good thing. The self-described democrat-socialist is a communist in sheep’s clothing. Get caught up on how this guy sees himself, and how common-sense Americans view him. Also, Caitlin Clark, Alligator Alcatraz, and Bob Vylan. Thank you to our sponsor, SleepCreme. Use the code HOMERUN at checkout for free standard shipping on your first order. Try it! And if you’re not completely satisfied, return it within 30-days for a full refund, guaranteed! SleepCreme.com Michele Tafoya is a four-time Emmy award-winning sportscaster turned political and cultural commentator. Record-setting, four-time Sports Emmy Award winner Michele Tafoya worked her final NBC Sunday Night Football game at Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, her fifth Super Bowl. She retired from sportscasting the following day. In total, she covered 327 games — the most national primetime TV games (regular + postseason) for an NFL sideline reporter. Learn More about “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” here: https://linktr.ee/micheletafoya Subscribe to “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” here: https://apple.co/3nPW221 Follow Michele on twitter: https://twitter.com/Michele_Tafoya Follow Michele on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realmicheletafoya/ Learn more about the Salem Podcast network: https://salempodcastnetwork.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this eye-opening segment, Tara and Lee react to shocking proposals from Zohran Mamdani, the Democrat who won the NYC mayoral primary and openly advocates government seizure of private property to create massive “social housing” complexes. From grocery stores to department stores and entire apartment buildings, Mamdani envisions forcibly redistributing property through eminent domain—policies straight out of communist regimes. They highlight warnings from Peter Lamage, an immigrant who fled Albania's communism after his own father was killed for resisting forced redistribution. Despite the radical agenda, Democratic leaders like Chris Murphy, Hakeem Jeffries, and Chuck Schumer refuse to condemn Mamdani—signaling this ideology could be the party's future. Plus, Tara and Lee discuss declining patriotism among Democrats, the hypocrisy of wealthy progressives who expect others to sacrifice, and Ron DeSantis' new immigration enforcement facilities. It's a candid look at how fringe ideas are becoming mainstream—and what it could mean for America.

In these searing back-to-back segments, Tara and Lee expose the radical left's escalating assault on America's foundations. First, Tara uncovers the shocking rise of Zohran Mamdani, the openly socialist New York City mayoral candidate vowing to seize private property, create government-run housing, and end capitalism itself—policies hailed as the “future of the Democratic Party.” Drawing chilling parallels to Albania, Cuba, and Venezuela, Tara warns this communist blueprint will destroy freedom if not stopped. Next, she reveals explosive new evidence showing FBI Director Christopher Wray committed multiple felonies—destroying evidence of Chinese election interference in 2020 and perjuring himself before Congress while blaming nonexistent “Russian bots.” From massive illegal immigrant voter fraud to state-level cowardice in confronting the crisis, Tara underscores how Trump and DeSantis are virtually alone in fighting to preserve American sovereignty. Together, these reports detail a coordinated campaign to erase the rule of law, weaponize government power, and replace American values with socialist tyranny.

Well, Lee, fear has broken out among the neocons. This is terrifying because as I've demonstrated over the years, in order to have enemies to fight and profit from fighting, you have to fund them because they can't afford to fight us on their own, and it wouldn't be fair anyway. So we pay them to kill us. In fact, we did it this week. $30,000,000 in aid going to Gaza. Okay? Nobody physically walks in there unless they're with Hamas. It's impossible to do. So you send aid $30,000,000, you're funding Hamas so they can rearm. That's what you're doing. There's no other way to look at that. I mean, look. We tried to build that floating dock so we could literally hand them supplies. Right? Yeah. And they bombed it. That was the story. Yeah. They bombed it. Injured, one person in the process, and we had to disassemble it. So you don't even get to build a dock to hand them free stuff if they'll vomit. Just to recap where we are here, we're, the we we're watching this this rescission bill. It's already passed in the house to defund USAID USAID a little. They're gonna get the rest of it later, but it's a nice start. It's $9,000,000,000, 7,000,000,000 of it out of USAID. Obama and Bush are freaking out, criticizing Trump. As you know, we have to continue to let the pink haired people with the rainbow pride flags who run USAID fund all our enemies because they hate America. I mean, we need the money for national security. So let's just revisit some of USAID's greatest hits. Just, since October 7, we paid $97,000,000 in reward payments, USAID did, to the Hamas terrorists who raped and slaughtered innocent Israelis Israelis. How do we do that? We gave it to the Palestinian authority. And if you are killed or injured, killing an Israeli or a Jew, they will pay you for life. No. I'm sorry. We will pay you for life. And the shocking thing about this, disperse with the $97,000,000 in aid to the Palestinian Authority is that that's illegal. Trump actually got a bill passed in his last term. Saying no. We can't nope. We cannot disperse any money to the Palestinian Authority. They didn't care. They did it anyway. This was after October 7. This is what Obama and Bush wanna keep. So but, you know, we need a good enemy. We need a good enemy. We need to have enemies, so we'll play them. How about the Taliban? This is my favorite. This is one of my favorite. As reported by Reuters, $40,000,000 in cash. Would you like to have that? On a tarmac for the Taliban. Wait. Was that after the murder of the 13? Yes. It was. At Abigail. Yeah. We paid them. USAID did specifically. It was an aid scheme. Listen to how it worked. To keep the Taliban in power, USAID provided $1,700,000,000 in funding in multiple tranches to the UN, and then the UN shipped the cash to Afghanistan. And what they did was they helped the Taliban to print their own currency. Think monopoly money because it's useless. And then they let the Taliban trade it for our money. You paid. Do I have your attention now? $40,000,000 a tranche, and they they you should see the look on their faces as they receive the money. This picture is great. I mean, this guy looks like it's Christmas. And they're sitting there, Lee, and there's piles of cash. Because if I mean, who how would we have enemies? And then what would we need a military industrial complex for? Big problem. Let's keep going. Shall we? Because it goes on and on and on. A total of $3,700,000,000 to the Taliban, including $200,000,000 when Trump was in office last time, shuffled in there by USAID. Because, you know, they funded you know, when they blow our troops' limbs off, what they pay for that by growing poppies. So we went, you know what? You can make so much more money if we modernize your system. So we sent them $200,000,000, for the poppy fields. That was cool. While they were fighting us. So you see, you gotta fund both sides of the war. You can see why Bush is upset here being, like, the original warmonger. Her ...

Mamdani mania has hit New York and all of America! But it’s not a good thing. The self-described democrat-socialist is a communist in sheep’s clothing. Get caught up on how this guy sees himself, and how common-sense Americans view him. Also, Caitlin Clark, Alligator Alcatraz, and Bob Vylan. Thank you to our sponsor, SleepCreme. Use the code HOMERUN at checkout for free standard shipping on your first order. Try it! And if you’re not completely satisfied, return it within 30-days for a full refund, guaranteed! SleepCreme.com Michele Tafoya is a four-time Emmy award-winning sportscaster turned political and cultural commentator. Record-setting, four-time Sports Emmy Award winner Michele Tafoya worked her final NBC Sunday Night Football game at Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, her fifth Super Bowl. She retired from sportscasting the following day. In total, she covered 327 games — the most national primetime TV games (regular + postseason) for an NFL sideline reporter. Learn More about “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” here: https://linktr.ee/micheletafoya Subscribe to “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” here: https://apple.co/3nPW221 Follow Michele on twitter: https://twitter.com/Michele_Tafoya Follow Michele on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realmicheletafoya/ Learn more about the Salem Podcast network: https://salempodcastnetwork.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more coverage on the issues that matter to you, download the WMAL app, visit WMAL.com or tune in live on WMAL-FM 105.9 from 9:00am-12:00pm Monday-Friday  To join the conversation, check us out on X @WMAL and @ChrisPlanteShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's podcast we talk about the year 1983 - called by some “the most dangerous year” in modern history. In the fall of that year, Western and Communist powers may have nearly stumbled into the one thing that neither side wanted - all-out nuclear war. How might the world be different if that close call went another way?

Here are the 3 Big things you need to know this hour—   Number One— Another victim has died from that anti-jewish attack on innocent people—in Colorado—an 82 year old woman has finally died—a month after the gruesome attack—the illegal alien now faces murder charges—   Number Two— The United States Senate is a disgrace today—failing to pass an amendment that would have removed 1.5 million illegals from cashing in on Medicaid coverage—which we cannot afford!   Number Three— In the last hour we discussed the ripping back of the curtain on the very biased judiciary—and this hour we will continue to focus on the threat of Zohran Mamdani—and the threat of the spreading communist movements in America!

Megyn Kelly is joined by Walter Kirn, editor of the "Unbound" Substack, to discuss Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's flashy and tacky Venice wedding, the PR-curated guest list full of celebrities who have no actual connection to the couple, why the public has turned against this gross display in our culture, the hypocrisy of leftist celeb flying private to the Bezos–Sanchez wedding, the critiques about the "oligarchy" while they celebrate oligarch Bezos, the ridiculous "pajama party" that happened, NYC Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's revolutionary socialist posturing despite his elitist upbringing, his new comment that there should be "no billionaires," his racially divisive messaging and Communist comments in the past, the growing and disturbing appeal of socialism among young Americans, the broken promises of higher education and massive increases in student debt, AOC falsely claiming she grew up in the Bronx despite being raised in affluent Westchester, her rebranding from Sandy Cortez to AOC, graphic and inappropriate displays at Pride parades in New York and beyond, whether the LGB community is hurt by these ongoing antics, and more.More from Walter: https://walterkirn.substack.com/Home Title Lock: Go to https://hometitlelock.com/megynkelly and use promo code MEGYN to get a FREE title history report and a FREE TRIAL of their Triple Lock Protection! For details visit https://hometitlelock.com/warrantyByrna: Go to https://Byrna.com or your local Sportsman's Warehouse today.Riverbend Ranch: Visit https://riverbendranch.com/ | Use promo code MEGYN for $20 off your first order.Tuttle Twins: Go to https://TuttleTwins.com/history today

As history repeats itself, we dissect Zohran Mamdani's stunning Democratic primary victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo in NYC's mayoral race—a win that sent shockwaves through Wall Street and sparked what hedge fund CEO Dan Loeb dubbed "Hot Commie Summer." How did the Democratic Socialist candidate pull of one of the biggest political upsets in recent New York history? And what potentials does the win provide outside political spectacle? For the second half of the episode, including discussion Thiel and Zuckberg's leaked emails plotting to kill the millennial left, support the show at http://patreon.com/theantifadaLinks:ICE Update in LAZohran wins "Broad Middle"NYT Commie Corridor AnalysisBillionaire Meltdown CompilationChris Hayes with Ezra KleinWall Street ReactionsPeter Thiel's Millennial LetterRoss Douthat on ThielSong: Childish Gambino - Feels Like Summer

BUY CAST BREW COFFEE TO SUPPORT THE SHOW - https://castbrew.com/ Become A Member And Protect Our Work at http://www.timcast.com Host: Tim Pool @Timcast (everywhere) Guest: Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn @GenFlynn (X) My Second Channel - https://www.youtube.com/timcastnews Podcast Channel - https://www.youtube.com/TimcastIRL Democrats Go FULL COMMUNIST, Fake Fact Check Says Zohran IS NOT A COMMIE ft. LTG Michael Flynn

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: Man who is alleged to have fallen asleep and rammed his 18-wheeler into others, killing five and injuring more, on I-20 near Terrell this weekend appears to be a communist who likely obtained his place here illegally, reports Current Revolt. Given what is know about this guy, his being here is an indictment of our immigration system.Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.Another coveted Texas Senate seat will be open next year as Sen. Birdwell will not seek reelection. Also, Abbott calls Special Election for Texas Senate District 9, Schatzline drops out of race as Wambsganss jumps in.Verbal sniping on the Lubbock County Commissioners Court has been going on for a long time and it is due to two simple things I explain.Dallas Fed says Texas manufacturing sector mostly unchanged from May survey.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com

Steve Gruber discusses news and headlines 

The Dean's List with Host Dean Bowen – The disseminating process takes place through “Communist training and then adopted by labor unions, which in turn influence the Democratic Party.” Loudon says that the “Democratic Party has shifted from being a moderate left party to one that is increasingly implementing Communist policies, a process that has been ongoing for the past 25 to 30 years.”

Calls for Democrat NY Mayor Nominee to be denaturalized and deported over Communist past grow, Trump Speaks Live on Supreme Court Wins, America's Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Rep. Andy Ogles joins the show. Check Out Our Partners: 120Life: Save 20% off With Code “BENNY”: http://120life.com Patriot Mobile: Go to https://www.PatriotMobile.com/Benny and get A FREE MONTH Blackout Coffee: http://www.blackoutcoffee.com/benny and use coupon code BENNY for 20% OFF your first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the story of a Communist family in East Germany whose world was turned upside down by the implosion of the GDR. The story is told by Katja Hesse, whose father was a Vice Admiral in the Volksmarine, the East German Navy. We start the episode with Katja crossing into West Berlin on the night of 9th November 1989 and journey through the emotional landscape of certainties overturned by the opening of the Berlin Wall. Using her father's diaries Katja shares in detail her memories and reflections. From her father's shock upon learning she crossed into West Berlin, to the complexities of navigating a new reality in a reunified Germany. It's an intimate glimpse into the struggles of her family as she recounts the legacy of the GDR and the profound impact it had on her upbringing and identity. Buy Katja's book here https://www.engelsdorfer-verlag.de/Belletristik/Romanhafte-Biografien/Ostprinzessinnen-tragen-keine-Krone::7605.html Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode409/ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on BlueSky ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Threads ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love history? Join Intohistory ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the Communist era in Bulgaria, anyone who opposed the government could be arrested, sent to the Gulag. For 20 years, Lilia Topouzova has been collecting the stories of those who survived. She recreated a Bulgarian room where her conversations with survivors can be heard, a space about the absence of memory and what that does to a people.

What can JD Vance's arguments with Pope Francis teach us about selfishness, altruism, and the morality of the modern world?Join the team at the IAI for four articles about egoism, self-sacrifice, and everything in between, analysing a range of subjects, including: Friedrich Nietzsche and his rivalry with former maestro Arthur Schopenhauer; the 10 Commandments and their relationship to jealousy; why God might be "stupid, indifferent, and evil"; and of course the aforementioned showdown between JD and the Pope.These articles were written by Slavoj Žižek, Steven D. Hales, Kristján Kristjánsson, and Guy Elgat.Slavoj Žižek is a Hegelian philosopher, a Lacanian psychoanalyst, and a Communist. He is the author of 'Christian Atheism: How to Be a Real Materialist'. Steven D. Hales is Professor of Philosophy at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, and author of 'The Myth of Luck: Philosophy, Fate and Fortune'. Kristján Kristjánsson is Professor of Character Education and Virtue Ethics at the University of Birmingham. His work spans topics in moral philosophy, moral psychology, and moral education. He is also the editor of the Journal of Moral Education. Guy Elgat is a lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is the author of 'Nietzsche's Psychology of Ressentiment' and 'Being Guilty: Freedom, Responsibility, and Conscience in German Philosophy from Kant to Heidegger'.And don't hesitate to email us at podcast@iai.tv with your thoughts or questions on the episode!To witness such debates live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/And visit our website for many more articles, videos, and podcasts like this one: https://iai.tv/You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We lay it on thick with a complete anlaysis of the Israel/US/Iran conflict, dissect Zohran Mamdani, the grotesque far left Democratic candidate for New York mayor, CCN's attempt to refute Trump's stunning military success, and review the year 2023 ----- for a long, long time.  Thank you for listening and subscribing and liking the hell out of us! Politics. Culture. Society. Science. Comedy (both intentional and unintentional). General ranting from two self-righteous and overly-educated ex-Army guys. You could call them relics. You could call them #wokeless. You could call them agitators. But be careful, they may call you an ambulance. And..... one of them is an actual bastard Podcasts are edited for YouTube, you can find the entire Two Grumpy Bastards Podcast on all podcast outlets. Please rate us! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfHvtEMQD7iIsFA9S2sEq7g You can support the Two Grumpy Bastards at: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/twogrumpybastards Merchandise: http://www.twogrumpybastardsmerchandise.com Etsy: (Yes, Etsy) https://www.etsy.com/shop/TwoGrumpyBastardsPod You can also find us on Instagram and Twitter (2GrumpyBastards) and come join us on Facebook at the Two Grumpy Bastards Podcast Facebook Group To contact us message us on Social Media, or email twogrumpybastards@gmail.com

Didnt have Communist mayor of NYC on my bingo card for 2025. Tell your squad to follow my pod DaGrayArea Podcast STREAMING EVERYWHERE

Mission is about showing up. In today's episode I share some of the power encounters I had in the heart of a communist nation. Overwhelmed by great despair and oppression, I found some beautiful people whose powerful stories of unwavering faith have brought slivers of light to a dark nation. Join me as we uncover the faith of a priest, a homeless woman, a mechanic and a waiter in a place where every step is a testament to the human spirit's resilience to battle agains daily darkness.The chilling reality was a gut punch to witness life under a regime that stifles liberty and crushes hope. Yet, even in the deepest darkness, I was blessed to share in Christ's radiant light which emerged on Corpus Christi Sunday. This episode isn't just a tale of survival; it's a testament to how faith can pierce through the thickest gloom, illuminating paths where none seem to exist. Discover how, against all odds, love wins and overcomes, proving that even in the most challenging environments, the human heart can find its way to triumph in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tim, Phil, Brett, & Tate are joined by Matthew Faraci to discuss Trump calling Zohran Mamdani a "communist lunatic" after his NYC primary win, NYC real estate shares tank after Zohran Mamdani wins NYC mayoral primary, the NATO chief calling Trump "Daddy," and a Democrat Rep pleading not guilty to attacking police despite there being video evidence.   Hosts:  Tim @Timcast (everywhere) Phil @PhilThatRemains (X) Brett  ⁨@PopCultureCrisis⁩  (YouTube) Serge @SergeDotCom (everywhere) Guest: Matthew Faraci @MatthewFaraci (X)

It's a No Emma Emmajority Report Thursday. Matt Binder is in the host seat today as we continue basking in Zohran Mamdani's primary afterglow. Sam interviews features writer for Slate, Alex Sammon on his new piece about the history of an ICE detention center in a small town in Louisiana. Sam also interviews Claire Autorino and BB Young about their efforts to unionize Blue Bottle Coffee, a bougie coffee house chain owned by Nestle. Brandon Sutton joins MR for the Fun Half and we dive deeper into Cuomo, his backers, and the national implications of the primary The most fun of the fun half was watching Charlie Kirk spiral into a tongue tied moron as he struggles to find the right thought terminating cliched recipe to use against Zohran. African? Indian? Communist? Muslim? Zohran is their worst nightmare. All that and more, folks. Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: DELETEME: Text MAJORITY to 64000 for 20% off your DeleteMe subscription ZOCDOC: Go to Zocdoc.com/MAJORITY and download the Zocdoc app to sign-up for FREE and book a top-rated doctor. SMALLS: For a limited time only, get 60% off your first order PLUS shipping when you head to Smalls.com and use code MAJORITY.   SUNSET LAKE: Use the code LEFTISBEST to save 20% at SunsetLakeCBD.com  on all their farm fresh CBD products for people and pets. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder – https://majorityreportradio.com/

It took a day to properly process the shock and do the necessary research, but our amazing host, Mike Slater, is officially ready to talk about Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani's shocking victory in the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary and how the USA's largest population center is THIS close to basically having a full-blown Ugandan communist running the show. It's becoming a total circus and ALL Americans need to know about it.Following the opener, Slater talks to U.S. Congressman Jimmy Patronis (R-FL-01) about his recently introduced legislation to expose the true nature of the coverups of former President Joe Biden's cognitive decline while in office!

NYC might elect a Muslim, communist from Uganda as their next mayor. How is this possible? Because people want fast and free. We want something more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NYC might elect a Muslim, communist from Uganda as their next mayor. How is this possible? Because people want fast and free. We want something more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York City—a place where I grew up, since attending Public School 139 from the first grade—appears ready to hurl itself off the cliff into socialist hell by electing as its mayor a communist Muslim, Zohran Mamdani, an American citizen for a mere 7 years—and this only 24 years after 9/11.In today's show we'll take a look at the key questions around this impeding national catastrophe.  Who is Mamdani and what are his intentions? What are the likely consequences of Mamdani's policies? How did NYC find itself willing to endure these predictably catastrophic consequences? Is there any way left that NYC can avoid this impending implosion?  If not, what then? Get Your FREE Copy of Our Best-Selling Book: "The Law of Self Defense: Principles"Visit Here: https://lawofselfdefense.com/getthebook"You are wise to buy this material. I hope you watch it, internalize it, and keep it to the forefront whenever you even think of reaching for a gun"-Massad Ayoob (President of the Second Amendment Foundation) The #1 guide for understanding when using force to protect yourself is legal. Now yours for FREE! Just pay the S&H for us to get it to you.➡️ Carry with confidence, knowing you are protected from predators AND predatory prosecutors➡️ Correct the common myths you may think are true but get people in trouble​➡️ Know you're getting the best with this abridged version of our best-selling 5-star Amazon-rated book that has been praised by many (including self-defense legends!) for its easy, entertaining, and informative style.​➡️ Many interesting, if sometimes heart-wrenching, true-life examplesGet Your Free Book: https://lawofselfdefense.com/getthebook

Help us spread the Fatima Message, please donate to the Apostolate Today! » ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fatima.org/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We encourage you (and desperately need) regular monthly donors.Fatima Today, hosted by David Rodríguez and Monique Krawecki, demonstrates how Fatima remains the most important message of our time. View this episode at our website » ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fatima.org/category/fatima-today/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact Us:» WEBSITE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fatima.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠» PHONE: 1-800-263-8160» EMAIL: info@thefatimacenter.com» FACEBOOK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/Fatima-Center-95998926441⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠» RUMBLE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠//rumble.com/c/c-1081881» YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/thefatimacenter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠» TWITTER: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/TheFatimaCenter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠» INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/the_fatima_center/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fatima Center's mission is to ensure that the entire Message of Fatima is fully known, accurately understood, and deeply appreciated so that it may be followed by all.The Fatima Center has been faithful to this mission since it was founded by the late Father Nicholas Gruner in 1978.  The Message of Fatima is the ONLY solution to the crisis in the Church and the world.

In a double-feature political earthquake, the show examines two seismic developments shaking America and its global standing. First, New York City's Democratic primary shocks the nation as openly communist candidate Zoran Mamdani emerges victorious, pushing policies like abolishing the NYPD, prisons, and gun rights while vowing to align NYC with international law—even threatening to arrest Israel's PM Netanyahu. Democrats are split, unsure whether to embrace or distance themselves from this far-left shift. Meanwhile, the Biden-Trump administration's coordinated military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities is dissected in detail. Despite media spin and leaked “preliminary” assessments, military leaders and intelligence agencies confirm the strike severely set back Iran's program by years. As Trump supporters hail the operation's success, critics are accused of politicizing national defense. Together, these stories highlight a growing rift over America's identity—at home and abroad.

The Democratic Party faces an identity crisis as Zoran Mamdani, an openly socialist and self-described communist, wins the Democratic primary for New York City mayor. GOP strategist Zach Roday and others react to what many are calling the most radical candidate in U.S. mayoral history. The broadcast dives into Mamdani's extreme positions—defunding the NYPD, abolishing prisons, aligning NYC with international law, and even promising to arrest Israeli PM Netanyahu. As Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer hesitate to endorse him, the DNC congratulates him, sparking outrage. The episode also calls out AOC's misleading personal narrative and explores growing fears of a full Marxist pivot within the Democratic Party.

This week, Cody and Austin discuss the ideas they got wrong, and what they got right with the chaos that has been unfolding in the Middle East. Then, they dive into the crypto markets and explain how Bitcoin is becoming a major tool for global finance. They also talk about how crypto will be entering the US real estate market in a very big way. Finally, they wrap up the episode by debating what will happen in New York City with the possibility that the new mayor could be a communist - long Florida real estate anyone?   Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 07:56 - War Trades 13:07 - The endless war 18:19 - The Qatar issue 26:34 - Crypto markets 30:06 - Bitcoin and mortgages 39:27 - NYC Mayor race 56:26 - Outro   Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LVjXWtsrN1s   Follow us on X: Austin - https://x.com/a_brawn Cody - https://x.com/CodyShirk

Find more @ andrewmclainwho.com

Episode #92 Robert J. Wolf

The Ochelli Effect 6-25-2025 NEWS aEver consider that the timing of the Iran Strikes was meant to avoid Market flux? Also Also, what is the real agenda behind the "12-Day-WAR? PROOF Positive, Conspiracy Theorists need to, "Follow The Money", and keep an eye on the esoteric symbols if they still wish to decode the LIES of the MSM and the Puppet Regime's. The big question we all need to ask among those of us unsatisfied to be sheep on The Orange Jesus pasture or the controlled fully bogus opposition, Is the number of us who don't accept the shadows on the cave wall large enough to bother telling others the images before them are just to keep them busy? Or has everyone's desire for reality been obliterated along with alleged Nuclear Sites in the 12 Day 2 I's WAR that had no significant impact but must be restacked and restocked by the Military Industrial Complex.Big Bombs cost big BUCKS , and you gotta make sure BIG OI doesn't lose out on ripping all the little people off like the TECHNOCRASY, ELON and the many 5 families that run every sector. After all, what's wrong with you? COMMUNIST!---Willing to accept FOOD for LinksorThe World according to HAARP and anyone who figured out HOW 2 sign-up 4 Substack How High does shit stack, and are Substackers High?https://donaldjeffries.substack.com/p/the-return-of-trump-this-time-itshttps://jessicar.substack.com/p/misc-was-created-when-the-covid-19?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=516896&post_id=155546852https://thekennedybeacon.substack.com/p/our-public-health-system-is-broken?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1712557&post_id=155557981https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/will-trump-side-with-the-hardliners?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1377040&post_id=155544182https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/larry-ellison-sells-stargate-ai-driven?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1119676&post_id=155534140https://jfkfacts.substack.com/p/ask-not-what-your-country-can-do?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=315632&post_id=155391358https://deanhenderson.substack.com/p/when-the-rothschilds-dial-911-1fe?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1211836&post_id=155461900https://ken9yvonne.substack.com/p/roygbiv?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1448200&post_id=166831334https://wewereliedtoabout911.substack.com/p/nyers-and-911-first-responders-were?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1724201&post_id=166836165---The Tariff Giraffe and elephants in your HOUSES!Good Luck if you run a business and are attempting to plan for holidays. Ask your seasonal business friends NOT destroyed by Walmart and Amazon, They may have some valid ideas, If there are any of them left... If Ochelli hit the Lottery He'd change the world and make the blood money into Life-changing uplifts along with making real education exist and make the audio art of a new wave of modern talk radio be more than outrage chains and fabricated opposition support noise for the terminally stupid and the tragically ignorant---Closing Arguments begin Tomorrow in The I'll Bet Trump Pardons Him Diddy Kong Kingpin CaseUntil Then...The TV Comedy/drama/shiny shit for the mentally challenged/Biblical Bait Switch and DitchMini-Serieshttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/6/25/live-israel-iran-truce-holds-us-did-not-destroy-iranian-nuclear-programmeSeason 3https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/israel-palestine-conflict/Season 14https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/ukraine-russia-crisis/Stupid Children Programinghttps://www.youtube.com/c/LionelNationMOVIESGladiator 2 sucks actual Monkey Balls, and that's The Good PartNO VIDEO or LINK REQUIRED, Just Skip ItON THE SPECTRUMhttps://www.max.com/movies/minecraft-movie/05eee581-3112-4515-b17f-219ff6265ef8---System Of A Down- B.Y.O.B.https://youtu.be/3qBPoFFKmQk?si=bRMIWSkiM7OUrx0Z6/24/25 Hell & High Water with Meria and Chuck Ochellihttps://meria.net/2025/06/hell-high-water-with-meria-chuck-ochelli-5/---OCHELLI Dot Com is Broke!Anything is a blessing if you have the meansTHANKS TO ALL who have kept us Going over the yearsWithout YOUR support we go silent.PayPalhttps://www.paypal.com/paypalme/ochelliEmail blindjfkresearcher@gmail.comBE THE EFFECTOchelli Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/chuckochelli---NOVEMBER IN DALLAS LANCER CONFERENCEDISCOUNT FOR YOU10 % OFF code = Ochelli10https://assassinationconference.com/Coming SOON Room Discount Details The Fairmont Dallas hotel 1717 N Akard Street, Dallas, Texas 75201. situated with easy access to Dealey Plaza

On this episode we examine the strategy for the international communist movement to gain a geopolitical advantage over the West. How can they accomplish this from an ideological standpoint? What is the long term goal? Is the Iran Israel conflict actually at an end? We ask the questions. Contact and Support - https://www.subscribestar.com/dynamic-independence

Communist ne'er-do-well Zohran Mamdani is now the frontrunner for the NYC mayor's office after stunning former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic Primary; we examine the aftermath of the Israel-Iran ceasefire brokered by President Trump; and President Trump heads to the NATO Summit. Click here to join the member-exclusive portion of my show: https://bit.ly/3WDjgHE Ep.2225 - - - Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings - - - DailyWire+: Join millions of people who still believe in truth, courage, and common sense at https://DailyWirePlus.com My new book, “Lions and Scavengers,” drops September 2nd—pre-order today at https://dailywire.com/benshapiro Get your Ben Shapiro merch here: https://bit.ly/3TAu2cw - - - Today's Sponsors: Birch Gold - Text BEN to 989898 for your free information kit. ARMRA - Go to https://tryarmra.com/SHAPIRO or enter SHAPIRO at checkout to get 15% off your first order. Kikoff - Get your first month for $1. That's 80% off the normal price when you go to https://getkikoff.com/shapiro today. Helix Sleep - Go to https://helixsleep.com/ben for an exclusive offer. Zip Recruiter - Try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE: https://ZipRecruiter.com/DAILYWIRE ExpressVPN - Go to https://expressvpn.com/ben and find out how you can get 4 months of ExpressVPN free! - - - Socials: Follow on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3cXUn53 Follow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3QtuibJ Follow on Facebook: https://bit.ly/3TTirqd Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3RPyBiB - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy

President Trump live at NATO, Trump's Middle East envoy calls for investigation into 'treasonous' Iran bombing intel leak, New York Elects Socialist as Mayor Nominee, Senator Tommy Tuberville and Emily Jashinsky joins the show. Check Out Our Partners: Advantage Gold: Get your FREE wealth protection kit https://www.abjv1trk.com/F6XL22/4MQCFX/?sub1=Youtube 120Life: Save 20% off With Code “BENNY”: http://120life.com Patriot Mobile: Go to https://www.PatriotMobile.com/Benny and get A FREE MONTH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ken Liu's short story, "The Paper Menagerie," is an easy and powerful add to your curriculum. Not only does it explore family relationships, The American Dream, and identity (themes you can easily connect to other texts as you build units), it introduces - briefly, painfully, powerfully - China's Cultural Revolution. I'll admit I've never studied the history of communism in China with much depth until recently. In college, I took a Socialist-Realist literature course that kicked off a life-long interest in how people are influenced by propaganda for me. Later, I lived in Bulgaria after the fall of communism there and my interest only increased as I taught 1984 to students whose families had lived through Communism. I visited Memento Park in Budapest, home to dozens of Communist sculptures and a terrifying video exhibit about the way the government watched its citizens. I visited the Museum of Communism in Prague, which walks visitors through daily life under communism as well as showing its frightening extremes. I moved to Slovakia, where I listened to my son's best friend's father tell me how wonderful aspects of life under Communism had been years before in the very neighborhood where our family was living. Yet despite my interest in learning about Communism and propaganda, it was Ken Liu who first made me pay attention to The Cultural Revolution. When his main character reads a letter from his mother about her life in China before she escaped to The United States as a bride in a catalogue, it woke me up dramatically. None of the other books I'd ever read throughout so many years of studying and then teaching English had ever really explored this huge event in world history. I thought of the story immediately when a teacher wrote in with her request for our new "Plan My Lesson" series, asking for a bridge to help her students prepare to read Red Scarf Girl, A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution. Since then I've dipped into Red Scarf Girl (until I got so sad I had to take a break) and done a deep dive into The New York Times' exploration of The Cultural Revolution, including three particularly striking stories: one in which a small local museum remembering victims of the Cultural Revolution was wrapped in propaganda posters, one featuring memories of folks who were students in China during the Cultural Revolution (like the narrator of Red Scarf Girl), and one about current president of China's Xi Jinping's experience as a middle schooler during the Cultural Revolution. But knowing many classrooms wouldn't have access to The New York Times, I continued into resources on the BBC and Crash Course, the Asian Society and Getty Images, which I eventually built into today's curriculum. Today, I'm going to walk you through a lesson on "The Paper Menagerie" that you can use on its own, or as a transition toward Red Scarf Girl. Our goal is to help students build some understanding of The Cultural Revolution at the same time that they explore related literature. To be honest, I really fell down the rabbit hole on this one, and could easily now spend a month building curriculum around how we know what is true, how propaganda wields influence, the cultural revolution, Ken Liu's short story, and Red Scarf Girl. And because the history surrounding these stories is so painful, and the repercussions so very real in our world, it's hard not to feel a tremendous responsibility for students to explore these questions and texts. But at the moment, we're talking about one short lesson period - probably about 38 minutes of available time. So let's focus on that, starting now. Grab your copy of the agenda and webquest curriculum: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HSG6g7-a1U_j5y1ceh7jMGA_Q3pJFn-hatKW2aRYolY/copy  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Grab the free Better Discussions toolkit Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

President Trump got another win at the NATO summit, as NATO allies pledge 5% annual increase in defense spending by 2035. NATO Chief Mark Rutte called President Trump "daddy" after he rebuked Israel and Iran for breaking the ceasefire. Despite the fake news' best efforts, Israeli intelligence has confirmed that the nuclear sites in Iran are in fact obliterated. The NYC Mayoral race just concluded with a Socialist, Communist, extreme radical Zohran Mamdani toppling Andrew Cuomo. The receipts are plentiful on where Mamdani stands on issues and Democrats now have to own this. Senator Ron Johnson is with me to discuss the big, beautiful bill. As an accountant Senator Johnson has a brand new report that addresses our deficit, annual growth and 10 year CBO projections. Sen. Johnson has been fighting to get government spending under control, preferably to pre-pandemic levels. He lays out different scenarios based on our current spending, growth and interest. Sen. Johnson is worried and frustrated by the overwhelming burden we are leaving the next generation. Featuring: Sen. Ron Johnson U.S. Senator | Wisconsin https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/ Read Senator Johnson's report here: https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/services/files/800B1EC1-4DA0-4C09-8F95-6544A9959AD1 Delta Rescue Delta Rescue is one the largest no-kill animal sanctuaries. Leo Grillo is on a mission to help all abandoned, malnourished, hurt or suffering animals. He relies solely on contributions from people like you and me. If you want to help Leo to continue his mission of running one of the best care-for-life animal sanctuaries in the country please visit Delta Rescue at: https://deltarescue.org/ Riverbend Ranch Riverbend Ranch has been around for 35 years, selecting cattle that have higher marbling and tenderness than any other beef. You cannot get this beef in your grocery store. Riverbend Ranch ages their beef for 21 days and you'll find it more tender and flavorful than even the finest restaurants. So, if you're ready to have the best steak of your life, head to https://www.riverbendranch.com. Use promo code: SEAN to get $20 of your first order. ------------------------------------------------------------- 1️⃣ Subscribe and ring the bell for new videos: https://youtube.com/seanmspicer?sub_confirmation=1 2️⃣ Become a part of The Sean Spicer Show community: https://www.seanspicer.com/ 3️⃣ Listen to the full audio show on all platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sean-spicer-show/id1701280578 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/32od2cKHBAjhMBd9XntcUd iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-sean-spicer-show-120471641/ 4️⃣ Stay in touch with Sean on social media: Facebook: https://facebook.com/seanmspicer Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanspicer Instagram: https://instagram.com/seanmspicer/ 5️⃣ Follow The Sean Spicer Show on social media: Facebook: https://facebook.com/seanspicershow Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanspicershow Instagram: https://instagram.com/seanspicershow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last time we spoke about Operation Chahar. In July 1937, the tensions between Japan and China erupted into a full-scale conflict, ignited by the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Following a series of aggressive Japanese military maneuvers, Chiang Kai-shek, then enjoying a brief respite at Kuling, learned of the escalating clashes and prepared for battle. Confident that China was primed for resistance, he rallied his nation, demanding that Japan accept responsibility and respect China's sovereignty. The Japanese launched their offensive, rapidly capturing key positions in Northern China. Notably, fierce battle ensued in Jinghai, where Chinese soldiers, led by Brigade Commander Li Zhiyuan, valiantly defended against overwhelming forces using guerrilla tactics and direct assaults. Their spirit was symbolized by a courageous “death squad” that charged the enemy, inflicting serious casualties despite facing dire odds. As weeks passed, the conflict intensified with brutal assaults on Nankou. Chinese defenses, though valiant, were ultimately overwhelmed, leading to heavy casualties on both sides. Despite losing Nankou, the indomitable Chinese spirit inspired continued resistance against the Japanese invaders, foreshadowing a long, brutal war that would reshape East Asia.   #156 The Battle of Shanghai Part 1: The Beginning of the Battle of Shanghai Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On August 9, a bullet riddled sedan screeched to an abrupt halt at the entrance to the Hongqiao airport along Monument Road. The gruesome scene on the dashboard revealed that one of the victims had died in the car. He had been dragged out and subjected to brutal slashing, kicking, and beating until his body was a mangled mess. Half of his face was missing, and his stomach had been cut open, exposing the sickly pallor of his intestines, faintly glimmering in the night. The other man had managed to escape the vehicle but only got a few paces away before he was gunned down. A short distance away lay a third body, dressed in a Chinese uniform. Investigators swiftly identified the badly mangled body as belonging to 27-year-old Sub-Lieutenant Oyama Isao, while the other deceased Japanese man was his driver, First Class Seaman Saito Yozo. The identity of the Chinese victim remained a mystery. At first glance, the scene appeared to be the aftermath of a straightforward shootout. However, numerous questions lingered: What were the Japanese doing at a military airfield miles from their barracks? Who had fired the first shot, and what had prompted that decision? The Chinese investigators and their Japanese counterparts were at odds over the answers to these questions. As they walked the crime scene, searching for evidence, loud arguments erupted repeatedly. By the time the sun began to rise, they concluded their investigation without reaching any consensus on what had transpired. They climbed into their cars and made their way back to the city. The investigators were acutely aware of the repercussions if they failed to handle their delicate task with the necessary finesse. Despite their hopes for peace, it was evident that Shanghai was a city bracing for war. As they drove through the dimly lit suburbs on their way from Hongqiao back to their downtown offices, their headlights illuminated whitewashed trees, interspersed with sandbag defenses and the silhouettes of solitary Chinese sentries. Officially, these sentries were part of the Peace Preservation Corps,  a paramilitary unit that, due to an international agreement reached a few years earlier, was the only Chinese force allowed to remain in the Shanghai area. In the hours that followed, both sides presented their versions of the incident. According to the Chinese account, the Japanese vehicle attempted to force its way through the airport gate. When members of the Peace Preservation Corps stationed at the entrance signaled for Saito, the driver, to stop, he abruptly turned the car around. Sub-Lieutenant Oyama then fired at the Chinese guards with an automatic pistol. Only then did the Chinese return fire, killing Oyama in a hail of bullets. Saito managed to jump out before he, too, was gunned down. The commander of the Chinese guards told a Western reporter that this wasn't the first time someone Japanese had attempted to enter the airport. Such incidents had occurred repeatedly in the past two months, leading them to believe that the Japanese were “obviously undertaking espionage.” The Japanese account, predictably, placed the blame for the entire incident squarely on China. It asserted that Oyama had been driving along a road bordering the airfield with no intention of entering. Suddenly, the vehicle was stopped and surrounded by Peace Preservation Corps troops, who opened fire with rifles and machine guns without warning. Oyama had no opportunity to return fire. The Japanese statement argued that the two men had every right to use the road, which was part of the International Settlement, and labeled the incident a clear violation of the 1932 peace agreement. “We demand that the Chinese bear responsibility for this illegal act,”. Regardless of either side, it seemed likely to everyone in the region, war would soon engulf Shanghai.  Meanwhile, as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident escalated into a full blown in the far north, General Zhang Fakui was attending a routine training mission at Mount Lu in southeastern Jiangxi. A short and small man, not considered too handsome either, Zhang had earned his place in China's leadership through physical courage, once taking a stand on a bridge and single handedly facing down an enemy army. He was 41 years old in 1937, having spent half his life fighting Warlords, Communists and sometimes even Nationalists. In the recent years he had tossed his lot in with a rebel campaign against Chiang Kai-Shek, who surprisingly went on the forgive him and placed him in charge of anti communist operations in the area due south of Shanghai. However now the enemy seemed to have changed.  As the war spread to Beijing, on July 16th, Zhang was sent to Chiang Kai-Shek's summer residence at Mount Lu alongside 150 members of China's political and military elites. They were all there to brainstorm how to fight the Japanese. Years prior the Generalissimo had made it doctrine to appease the Japanese but now he made grandiose statements such as “this time we must fight to the end”. Afterwards Chiang dealt missions to all his commanders and Zhang Fakui was told to prepare for operations in the Shanghai area.  It had been apparent for weeks that both China and Japan were preparing for war in central China. The Japanese had been diverting naval troops from the north to strengthen their forces in Shanghai, and by early August, they had assembled over 8,000 troops. A few days later, approximately thirty-two naval vessels arrived. On July 31, Chiang declared that “all hope for peace has been lost.” Chiang had been reluctant to commit his best forces to defend northern China, an area he had never truly controlled. In contrast, Shanghai was central to his strategy for the war against Japan. Chiang decided to deploy his finest troops, the 87th and 88th Divisions, which were trained by generals under the guidance of the German advisor von Falkenhausen, who had high hopes for their performance against the Japanese. In doing so, Chiang aimed to demonstrate to both his own people and the wider world that the Chinese could and would resist the invader. Meanwhile, Chiang's spy chief, Dai Li, was busy gathering intelligence on Japanese intentions regarding Shanghai, a challenging task given his focus in recent years. Dai, one of the most sinister figures in modern Chinese history, had devoted far more energy and resources to suppressing the Communists than to countering the Japanese. As a result, by the critical summer of 1937, he had built only a sparse network of agents in “Little Tokyo,” the Hongkou area of Shanghai dominated by Japanese businesses. One agent was a pawnshop owner, while the rest were double agents employed as local staff within the Japanese security apparatus. Unfortunately, they could provide little more than snippets, rumors, and hearsay. While some of this information sounded alarmingly dire, there was almost no actionable intelligence. Chiang did not take the decision to open a new front in Shanghai lightly. Built on both banks of the Huangpu River, the city served as the junction between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the great Yangtze River, which wound thousands of kilometers inland to the west. Shanghai embodied everything that represented modern China, from its industry and labor relations to its connections with the outside world. While foreign diplomatic presence was concentrated in nearby Nanjing, the capital, it was in Shanghai that the foreign community gauged the country's mood. Foreigners in the city's two “concession” areas nthe French Concession and the British-affiliated International Settlement often dismissed towns beyond Shanghai as mere “outstations.” Chiang Kai-shek would throw 650,000 troops into the battle for the city and its environs as well as his modest air force of 200 aircraft. Chiang, whose forces were being advised by German officers led by General Alexander von Falkenhausen, was finally confident that his forces could take on the Japanese. A German officer told a British diplomat, “If the Chinese Army follows the advice of the German advisers, it is capable of driving the Japanese over the Great Wall.”   While Chiang was groping in the dark, deprived of the eyes and ears of an efficient intelligence service, he did have at his disposal an army that was better prepared for battle than it had been in 1932. Stung by the experience of previous conflicts with the Japanese, Chiang had initiated a modernization program aimed at equipping the armed forces not only to suppress Communist rebels but also to confront a modern fighting force equipped with tanks, artillery, and aircraft. He had made progress, but it was insufficient. Serious weaknesses persisted, and now there was no time for any remedial action. While China appeared to be a formidable power in sheer numbers, the figures were misleading. On the eve of war, the Chinese military was comprised of a total of 176 divisions, which were theoretically organized into two brigades of two regiments each. However, only about 20 divisions maintained full peacetime strength of 10,000 soldiers and officers; the rest typically held around 5,000 men. Moreover, Chiang controlled only 31 divisions personally, and he could not count on the loyalty of the others. To successfully resist Japan, Chiang would need to rely not only on his military command skills but also on his ability to forge fragile coalitions among Warlord generals with strong local loyalties. Equipment posed another significant challenge. The modernization drive was not set to complete until late 1938, and the impact of this delay was evident. In every category of weaponry, from rifles to field artillery, the Chinese were outmatched by their Japanese adversaries, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Domestically manufactured artillery pieces had shorter ranges, and substandard steel-making technology caused gun barrels to overheat, increasing the risk of explosions. Some arms even dated back to imperial times. A large proportion of the Chinese infantry had received no proper training in basic tactics, let alone in coordinated operations involving armor and artillery. The chief of the German advisory corps was General Alexander von Falkenhausen, a figure hard to rival in terms of qualifications for the role. Although the 58-year-old's narrow shoulders, curved back, and bald, vulture-like head gave him an unmilitary, almost avian appearance, his exterior belied a tough character. In 1918, he had earned his nation's highest military honor, the Pour le Mérite, while assisting Germany's Ottoman allies against the British in Palestine. Few, if any, German officers knew Asia as well as he did. His experience in the region dated back to the turn of the century. As a young lieutenant in the Third East Asian Infantry Regiment, he participated in the international coalition of colonial powers that quelled the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. A decade later, he traveled through Korea, Manchuria, and northern China with his wife, keenly observing and learning as a curious tourist. From 1912 to 1914, he served as the German Kaiser's military attaché in Tokyo. He was poised to put his extensive knowledge to good use in the months ahead. Chiang believed that Shanghai should be the location of the first battle. This decision was heavily influenced by Falkenhausen and was strategically sound. Chiang Kai-shek could not hope to win a war against Japan unless he could unify the nation behind him, particularly the many fractious warlords who had battled his forces repeatedly over the past decade. Everyone understood that the territory Japan was demanding in the far north did not need to be held for any genuine military necessity; it was land that could be negotiated. The warlords occupying that territory were unpredictable and all too willing to engage in bargaining. In contrast, China's economic heartland held different significance. By choosing to fight for the center of the country and deploying his strongest military units, Chiang Kai-shek signaled to both China's warlords and potential foreign allies that he had a vested interest in the outcome.  There were also several operational reasons for preferring a conflict in the Yangtze River basin over a campaign in northern China. The rivers, lakes, and rice paddies of the Yangtze delta were much better suited for defensive warfare against Japan's mechanized forces than the flat plains of North China. By forcing the Japanese to commit troops to central China, the Nationalists bought themselves the time needed to rally and reinforce their faltering defenses in the north. By initiating hostilities in the Shanghai area, Japan would be forced to divert its attention from the northern front, thereby stalling a potential Japanese advance toward the crucial city of Wuhan. It would also help safeguard potential supply routes from the Soviet Union, the most likely source of material assistance due to Moscow's own animosity toward Japan. It was a clever plan, and surprisingly, the Japanese did not anticipate it. Intelligence officers in Tokyo were convinced that Chiang would send his troops northward instead. Again in late July, Chiang convened his commanders, and here he gave Zhang Fukai more detailed instructions for his operation. Fukai was placed in charge of the right wing of the army which was currently preparing for action in the metropolitan area. Fukai would oversee the forces east of the Huangpu River in the area known as Pudong. Pudong was full of warehouses, factories and rice fields, quite precarious to fight in. Meanwhile General Zhang Zhizhong, a quiet and sickly looking man who had previously led the Central Military Academy was to command the left wing of the Huangpu. All of the officers agreed the plan to force the battle to the Shanghai area was logical as the northern region near Beijing was far too open, giving the advantage to tank warfare, which they could not hope to contest Japan upon. The Shanghai area, full of rivers, creaks and urban environments favored them much more. Zhang Zhizhong seemed an ideal pick to lead troops in downtown Shanghai where most of the fighting would take place. His position of commandant of the military academy allowed him to establish connections with junior officers earmarked for rapid promotion. This meant that he personally knew the generals of both the 87th and 88th Divisions, which were to form the core of Zhang Zhizhong's newly established 9th Army Group and become his primary assets in the early phases of the Shanghai campaign. Moreover, Zhang Zhizhong had the right aggressive instincts. He believed that China's confrontation with Japan had evolved through three stages: in the first stage, the Japanese invaded the northeast in 1931, and China remained passive; in the second stage, during the first battle of Shanghai in 1932, Japan struck, but China fought back. Zhang argued that this would be the third stage, where Japan was preparing to attack, but China would strike first.   It seems that Zhang Zhizhong did not expect to survive this final showdown with his Japanese adversary. He took the fight very personally, even ordering his daughter to interrupt her education in England and return home to serve her country in the war. However, he was not the strong commander he appeared to be, as he was seriously ill. Although he never disclosed the true extent of his condition, it seemed he was on the verge of a physical and mental breakdown after years in high-stress positions. In fact, he had recently taken a leave of absence from his role at the military academy in the spring of 1937. When the war broke out, he was at a hospital in the northern port city of Qingdao, preparing to go abroad for convalescence. He canceled those plans to contribute to the struggle against Japan. When his daughter returned from England and saw him on the eve of battle, she was alarmed by how emaciated he had become. From the outset, doubts about his physical fitness to command loomed large. At 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 10, a group of officers emerged from the Japanese Consulate along the banks of the Huangpu River. This team was a hastily assembled Sino-Japanese joint investigation unit tasked with quickly resolving the shooting incident at the Hongqiao Aerodrome of the previous night. They understood the urgency of reaching an agreement swiftly to prevent any escalation. As they drove to the airport, they passed armed guards of the Chinese Peace Preservation Corps stationed behind sandbag barricades that had been erected only hours earlier. Upon arriving at Hongqiao, the officers walked up and down the scene of the incident under the scorching sun, attempting to piece together a shared understanding of what had transpired. However, this proved to be nearly impossible, as the evidence failed to align into a coherent account acceptable to both parties. The Japanese were unconvinced that any shootout had occurred at all. Oyama, the officer who had been in the car, had left his pistol at the marine headquarters in Hongkou and had been unarmed the night before. They insisted that whoever shot and killed the man in the Chinese uniform could not have been him. By 6:00 pm the investigators returned to the city. Foreign correspondents, eager for information, knew exactly whom to approach. The newly appointed Shanghai Mayor, Yu Hongjun, with a quick wit and proficiency in English, Yu represented the city's cosmopolitan image. However, that evening, he had little to offer the reporters, except for a plea directed at both the Japanese and Chinese factions “Both sides should maintain a calm demeanor to prevent the situation from escalating.” Mayor Yu however was, in fact, at the center of a complex act of deception that nearly succeeded. Nearly eight decades later, Zhang Fakui attributed the incident to members of the 88th Division, led by General Sun Yuanliang. “A small group of Sun Yuanliang's men disguised themselves as members of the Peace Preservation Corps,” Zhang Fakui recounted years later in his old age. “On August 9, 1937, they encountered two Japanese servicemen on the road near the Hongqiao military aerodrome and accused them of forcing their way into the area. A clash ensued, resulting in the deaths of the Japanese soldiers.” This created a delicate dilemma for their superiors. The two dead Japanese soldiers were difficult to explain away. Mayor Yu, likely informed of the predicament by military officials, conferred with Tong Yuanliang, chief of staff of the Songhu Garrison Command, a unit established after the fighting in 1932. Together, they devised a quick and cynical plan to portray the situation as one of self-defense by the Chinese guards. Under their orders, soldiers marched a Chinese death row inmate to the airport gate, dressed him in a paramilitary guard's uniform, and executed him. While this desperate ruse might have worked initially, it quickly unraveled due to the discrepancies raised by the condition of the Chinese body. The Japanese did not believe the story, and the entire plan began to fall apart. Any remaining mutual trust swiftly evaporated. Instead of preventing a confrontation, the cover-up was accelerating the slide into war.  Late on August 10, Mayor Yu sent a secret cable to Nanjing, warning that the Japanese had ominously declared they would not allow the two deaths at the airport to go unpunished. The following day, the Japanese Consul General Okamoto Suemasa paid a visit to the mayor, demanding the complete withdrawal of the Peace Preservation Corps from the Shanghai area and the dismantling of all fortifications established by the corps. For the Chinese, acquiescing to these demands was nearly impossible. From their perspective, it appeared that the Japanese aimed to leave Shanghai defenseless while simultaneously bolstering their own military presence in the city. Twenty vessels, including cruisers and destroyers, sailed up the Huangpu River and docked at wharves near "Little Tokyo." Japanese marines in olive-green uniforms marched ashore down the gangplanks, while women from the local Japanese community, dressed in kimonos, greeted the troops with delighted smiles and bows to the flags of the Rising Sun that proudly adorned the sterns of the battleships. In fact, Japan had planned to deploy additional troops to Shanghai even before the shooting at Hongqiao Aerodrome. This decision was deemed necessary to reinforce the small contingent of 2,500 marines permanently stationed in the city. More troops were required to assist in protecting Japanese nationals who were being hastily evacuated from the larger cities along the Yangtze River. These actions were primarily defensive maneuvers, as the Japanese military seemed hesitant to open a second front in Shanghai, for the same reasons that the Chinese preferred an extension of hostilities to that area. Diverting Japanese troops from the strategically critical north and the Soviet threat across China's border would weaken their position, especially given that urban warfare would diminish the advantages of their technological superiority in tanks and aircraft. While officers in the Japanese Navy believed it was becoming increasingly difficult to prevent the war from spreading to Shanghai, they were willing to give diplomacy one last chance. Conversely, the Japanese Army was eager to wage war in northern China but displayed little inclination to engage in hostilities in Shanghai. Should the situation worsen, the Army preferred to withdraw all Japanese nationals from the city. Ultimately, when it agreed to formulate plans for dispatching an expeditionary force to Shanghai, it did so reluctantly, primarily to avoid accusations of neglecting its responsibilities. Amongst many commanders longing for a swift confrontation with Japan was Zhang Zhizhong. By the end of July, he was growing increasingly impatient, waiting with his troops in the Suzhou area west of Shanghai and questioning whether a unique opportunity was being squandered. On July 30, he sent a telegram to Nanjing requesting permission to strike first. He argued that if Japan were allowed to launch an attack on Shanghai, he would waste valuable time moving his troops from their position more than 50 miles away. Nanjing responded with a promise that his wishes would be fulfilled but urged him to exercise patience: “We should indeed seize the initiative over the enemy, but we must wait until the right opportunity arises. Await further orders.” That opportunity arose on August 11, with the Japanese display of force on the Huangpu River and their public demand for the withdrawal of China's paramilitary police. Japan had sufficiently revealed itself as the aggressor in the eyes of both domestic and international audiences, making it safe for China to take action. At 9:00 p.m. that evening, Zhang Zhizhong received orders from Nanjing to move his troops toward Shanghai. He acted with remarkable speed, capitalizing on the extensive transportation network in the region. The soldiers of the 87th Division quickly boarded 300 trucks that had been prepared in advance. Meanwhile, civilian passengers on trains were unceremoniously ordered off to make room for the 88th Division, which boarded the carriages heading for Shanghai. In total, over 20,000 motivated and well-equipped troops were on their way to battle.  On August 12, representatives from the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Italy, Japan, and China gathered for a joint conference in Shanghai to discuss ceasefire terms. Japan demanded the withdrawal of Chinese troops from Shanghai, while the Chinese representative, Yu Hung-chun, dismissed the Japanese demand, stating that the terms of the ceasefire had already been violated by Japan. The major powers were keen to avoid a repeat of the January 28 Incident, which had significantly disrupted foreign economic activities in Shanghai. Meanwhile, Chinese citizens fervently welcomed the presence of Chinese troops in the city. In Nanjing, Chinese and Japanese representatives convened for the last time in a final effort to negotiate. The Japanese insisted that all Peace Preservation Corps and regular troops be withdrawn from the vicinity of Shanghai. The Chinese, however, deemed the demand for a unilateral withdrawal unacceptable, given that the two nations were already engaged in conflict in North China. Ultimately, Mayor Yu made it clear that the most the Chinese government would concede was that Chinese troops would not fire unless fired upon. Conversely, Japan placed all responsibility on China, citing the deployment of Chinese troops around Shanghai as the cause of the escalating tensions. Negotiations proved impossible, leaving no alternative but for the war to spread into Central China. On that same morning of Thursday, August 12, residents near Shanghai's North Train Station, also known as Zhabei Station, just a few blocks from "Little Tokyo," awoke to an unusual sight: thousands of soldiers dressed in the khaki uniforms of the Chinese Nationalists, wearing German-style helmets and carrying stick grenades slung across their chests. “Where do you come from?” the Shanghai citizens asked. “How did you get here so fast?” Zhang Zhizhong issued detailed orders to each unit under his command, instructing the 88th Division specifically to travel by train and deploy in a line from the town of Zhenru to Dachang village, both located a few miles west of Shanghai. Only later was the division supposed to advance toward a position stretching from the Zhabei district to the town of Jiangwan, placing it closer to the city boundaries. Zhang Zhizhong was the embodiment of belligerence, but he faced even more aggressive officers among his ranks. On the morning of August 12, he was approached by Liu Jingchi, the chief of operations at the Songhu Garrison Command. Liu argued that the battle of 1932 had gone poorly for the Chinese because they had hesitated and failed to strike first. This time, he insisted, should be different, and Zhang should order an all-out assault on the Japanese positions that very evening. Zhang countered that he had clear and unmistakable orders from Chiang Kai-shek to let the Japanese fire first, emphasizing the importance of maintaining China's image on the world stage. “That's easy,” Liu retorted. “Once all the units are deployed and ready to attack, we can just change some people into mufti and send them in to fire a few shots. We attack, and simultaneously, we report that the enemy's offensive has begun.” Zhang Zhizhong did not like this idea. “We can't go behind our leader's back like that,” he replied. Zhang Zhizhong's position was far from enviable. Forced to rein in eager and capable officers, he found himself acting against his own personal desires. Ultimately, he decided to seek the freedom to act as he saw fit. In a secret cable to Nanjing, he requested permission to launch an all-out attack on the Japanese positions in Shanghai the following day, Friday, August 13. He argued that this was a unique opportunity to capitalize on the momentum created by the movement of troops; any further delay would only lead to stagnation. He proposed a coordinated assault that would also involve the Chinese Air Force. However, the reply from Chiang Kai-shek was brief and unwavering: “Await further orders.” Even as Chiang's troops poured into Shanghai, Chinese and Japanese officials continued their discussions. Ostensibly, this was in hopes of reaching a last-minute solution, but in reality, it was a performance. Both sides wanted to claim the moral high ground in a battle that now seemed inevitable. They understood that whoever openly declared an end to negotiations would automatically be perceived as the aggressor. During talks at the Shanghai Municipal Council, Japanese Consul General Okamoto argued that if China truly wanted peace, it would have withdrawn its troops to a position that would prevent clashes. Mayor Yu responded by highlighting the increasing presence of Japanese forces in the city. “Under such circumstances, China must adopt such measures as necessary for self-defense,” he stated. Late on August 13, 1937, Chiang Kai-shek instructed his forces to defend Shanghai, commanding them to "divert the enemy at sea, secure the coast, and resist landings."  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In July 1937, tensions between Japan and China escalated into war following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Confident in his country's resolve, Chiang Kai-shek rallied the Chinese against Japanese aggression. On August 9, a deadly confrontation at Hongqiao Airport resulted in the deaths of Japanese soldiers, igniting further hostilities. As both sides blamed each other, the atmosphere became tense. Ultimately, negotiations failed, and the stage was set for a brutal conflict in Shanghai, marking the beginning of a long and devastating war.

On Friday's Mark Levin Show, there's the horseshoe theory against Israel on Iran, which says that the radical left and right political ideologies, such as radical leftists (e.g., Communists, Islamists) and far-right groups (e.g., Klansmen, white supremacists, neo-Nazis, isolationists), converge in their views and actions, forming an alliance despite apparent differences. That's why we see Bernie Sanders agree with Chatsworth Qatarlson (Tucker Carlson) and Steve Bannon. Bannon claims Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, Kayleigh McEnany, and Fox News should be investigated for supporting Israel. One would think he would be careful about saying who should be investigated after his past. Matt Gaetz is back saying that Israel doesn't allow Arabs to vote, which is a flat-out lie.  As time goes on these people all reveal themselves as the crazy people they are with no loyalty to President Trump or MAGA. Also, Trump is a historic figure leading efforts to counter Iran's nuclear ambitions. Israel's military actions, including destroying Iranian radar and weakening their defenses, make it easier for U.S. or Israeli forces to strike nuclear sites like Fordo. Americans are not warmongers or neo-cons. The American public supports these actions, rejects isolationism, and opposes being labeled warmongers by “fake MAGA” critics. Later, Gov Ron DeSantis calls in to explain Florida's efforts to evacuate Americans in Israel. The state evacuated 1,500 people, including college students and families, with two planeloads of 160-170 passengers already returned to Tampa. He emphasized the emotional relief of families, particularly those with young children, and Florida's commitment to continue the mission, utilizing resources like cruise ships to Cyprus for safe transport. DeSantis also discusses his push to reform property taxes in Florida, focusing on exempting primary residences (homesteaded properties) from property taxes. Homeowners don't truly own their homes if they must continuously pay property taxes, as failure to pay could result in government seizure. Finally, Alexander Hamilton's view of liberty and government contrasted sharply with that of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, favoring a stronger, more centralized federal authority. While Madison, in Federalist No. 45, emphasized that the Constitution granted the federal government limited, defined powers—primarily over external affairs like war and foreign commerce—leaving broad authority to the states, Hamilton advocated for a more robust national government. At the Constitutional Convention, he proposed a powerful executive and legislature with lifelong terms, reflecting his preference for centralized control, though these ideas were swiftly rejected. Despite his role in co-authoring the Federalist Papers to support the Constitution's ratification, Hamilton's vision aligns with modern proponents of an activist government, contributing to his popularity among contemporary elites in media, politics, and academia, as evidenced by Hamilton the musical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices