Podcasts about Gunboat

Gavin landed back in Australia just the day before recording, and he and Ken settle in for a full debrief on WDC 2026 in Athens. From the venues and the social activities to all four of Gavin's games and the top board, this one covers it all. Intro Ken sets up the episode – this one is going to be almost entirely about WDC 2026 Athens, because Gavin was there and has only just landed back in Australia (as at the time of recording) (15 secs) He notes the DBN coverage gave a strong account of the boards and Ed's player interviews, but plenty of the magic from Spyros Dovas and his organising team didn't make it to the stream (45 secs) Drinks are introduced: Ken is on one of his home-brew lagers with a kick, and Gavin is working through a leftover Sicilian Nero d'Avola that has turned a little sour – a fitting metaphor, he suggests, for how his first round went (1 min 45 secs) The tournament in aggregate Ken asks Gavin to give a broad overview – location, numbers, facilities, atmosphere (2 mins 45 secs) Around 106 players registered, though some didn't show due to last-minute issues. Approximately 5 Australian players couldn't attend because their original flights were routed through the Middle East (3 mins 30 secs) The geopolitical context: as of recording, the Middle East airspace situation was in week nine of its shutdown, forcing Australian travellers to reroute via Singapore, Hong Kong, or Malaysia. Some also baulked at the US transit option due to the documentation requirements (4 mins 30 secs) Despite the drop-outs, the turnout was excellent and genuinely representative – a heavy European component split between the UK and the rest of Europe, a strong French contingent, players from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland, and Norway, a good number of Americans and a couple of Canadians (including Chris Brand), around 10 Australians, and a couple of Kiwis (Dominick Stephens and Craig Purcell). The local Greek contingent, given the Athens club had only been running for about 18 months, was especially impressive (3 mins 30 secs) Tournament format: three regular rounds followed by a fourth round of tiered top boards. Rather than a single top board, the format featured seven simultaneous top boards – the top 7 players went to the premier board, players 8–14 played the second tier, 15–21 the third, and so on down through the field. Crucially, players who volunteered to sit out for round four to help with numbers kept their ranking position (7 mins) Ken and Gavin discuss how the tiered format means the fourth round is never a dead rubber – every board is still competing for something meaningful (8 mins 15 secs) Discussion of the central clock arrangement: effectively federation-based rather than a literal single clock, with the two main venues coordinating their start times by communication (9 mins 30 secs) The venues The main venue was the upstairs function space of a beachside restaurant operation – excellent location right on the waterfront, but somewhat cramped for negotiations once all the boards were in (9 mins 45 secs) As a result, boards were redistributed to the secondary venue: the Anchor bar, about 150–200 metres down the road. Gavin played two games in each location and considered the Anchor the better play space – more open, well ventilated, and with a large covered outdoor area next to a (drained) pool (11 mins) The colour-coded sash system made it easy to identify players by country but created the amusing challenge of locating your specific Italy in a room full of Italys from different boards (13 mins) The third venue – an outdoor shaded area – was reserved for the premier top board. Unlike Milan's car park, this one had good shade and plenty of room for spectators around the giant shadow board (13 mins 30 secs) Pre-tournament social activities Gavin outlines the structure: you could do as much or as little as you liked. He landed well due to a useful 5.5-hour Singapore layover that helped reset his body clock, and flew over on the same flight as tournament director Jamal Blakkarly (16 mins) They were met at Athens airport by Spyros, his wife, and daughter, who drove them to breakfast at a beautiful harbour-side restaurant in one of the small inlet bays east of Piraeus (18 mins 15 secs) Pre-tournament island stay: Gavin spent two days on Serifos, the island Spyros recommended and which has personal significance to his family (his grandfather was christened there). Spyros provided a detailed Google Map of the best spots. With the tourist season barely starting, Gavin got excellent last-minute accommodation at a family-run hotel and had the beaches almost entirely to himself (18 mins 45 secs) The island was so off-season that locals were literally still painting their furniture and kerbs in preparation. Gavin did the recommended hikes and swims, and the hotel gifted him a dry-bag left behind by a previous guest (20 mins 30 secs) Back in Athens overnight, Gavin caught up with a multinational squad of players including Shane, Brandon, Max, Zoe, Justin Law, Bradley Grace, and Karthik. They had dinner at an Italian restaurant with the Acropolis lit up above them (22 mins 30 secs) Hydra day trip (Wednesday): players caught the fast ferry from Piraeus out to Hydra (about 1.5 hrs). The island has a refined Venetian-Greek port feel, with rustic paths and rock beaches beyond. The group visited the Museum of the 1821 Greek Revolution, full of local history and artefacts. Gavin wore one of his Diplomacy shirts and ended up being an ambassador for the hobby to an American grandmother and her debate-champion granddaughter from North Carolina – and pointed them towards David Hood and the local hobby there (24 mins 15 secs) The water temperature at the beach was about 4–5 degrees colder than Australia, which meant the Europeans loved it and Gavin did not go in (26 mins 30 secs) Acropolis and Athens tour (Thursday): guided tour of the Acropolis by what Spyros described as the best guides operating there, followed by a walk through the Plaka and past the Panathenaic Stadium (venue of the first modern Olympics in 1896), then a seafood lunch at a beautiful harbourside restaurant (30 mins) Temple of Poseidon (Thursday evening): the most popular activity – the bus was packed. About halfway there, Spyros took everyone on an unannounced detour to a beach bar where they had the place to themselves, a wonderful surprise. The Temple itself sits on a peninsula with 270-degree sea views. Spyros told the story of how the Aegean got its name from that location, and a huge group photo was taken (31 mins 15 secs) Tournament production values Gavin describes the production as setting new high-water marks for tournament organisation – high enough that the Chicago 2027 organising team would be wondering how to match it. Every player had a colour-coded sash matching their country, a branded WDC Athens notepad in their country colour, and a matching pen for every round (33 mins) The awards were 3D-printed Greek god statues for the podium finishers, complemented by a full suite of themed awards for the top players in each country and for notable gameplay (34 min) Special awards included: the Ajax Award for 8th place overall (the brilliant fighter who just missed out); the Archimedes Award for the most innovative play; the Leonidas Award for the player who fought on against insurmountable odds; and professionally screen-printed awards for best performance as each of the seven Great Powers (35 mins 45 secs) Gavin's games Round 1 – France – Board: Agkystri (View game) Gavin introduces his first game and the board composition: he played France, with Danae Stamataki (Austria-Hungary, local Greek player who topped the board on 10 supply centres and won best Austria), Sabrina Ahuja "Sabi" as England, Brian Ecton as Germany, Jean-Louis Delattre as Italy, Teo Ananiadis as Russia, and Frank Oosterom from the Netherlands as Turkey (37 mins 15 secs) The plan was a Western Triple working with England and Germany, with the goal of neutralising a strong-looking Italy early. It didn't come together as intended (37 mins 45 secs) The infamous mis-order: Gavin had two builds and intended fleet Brest plus a second build. Instead he built fleet Brest and placed the build directly in MAO, effectively waiving his second build. The DBN commentators interpreted this as a genius strategic waive; Ken's interpretation was somewhat more grounded. Gavin confirms Ken was correct (39 mins) The other players on the board didn't share DBN's generous reading of the situation. Germany immediately moved into Burgundy and kept flipping between fronts as his position allowed. Italy kept pressing France throughout. Gavin found himself squeezed down to a single unit in the English Channel (40 mins 30 secs) Final turn plan: England agreed to convoy an army across to Picardy to support Gavin back into Brest. Instead, Sabi walked into an open Paris. Gavin ended the game with zero supply centres and was eliminated (42 mins 15 secs) Gavin notes he made his disappointment known professionally, and that he subsequently had a drink with Sabi – but not that night (44 mins 15 secs) Round 2 – England – Board: Lemnos Not covered by DBN. Gavin played England; the board included Dominick Stephens (New Zealand) as Germany, Chris Brand (Canada) as Russia, Ruben Sanchez as Italy, Roberto Perego (Italy) as France, Robert Schuppe as Turkey, and Anastasia "Nastja" Styles as Austria-Hungary (46 mins) The plan was a Northern Alliance of England, Germany, and Russia. It unravelled immediately when Chris opened Moscow to Livonia and Dominick interpreted it as aggressive – resulting in a Germany-Russia war from the outset (46 mins 15 secs) Gavin adapted: knowing Germany was occupied in the east, he gave Russia some space and opened into Belgium, with Dominick and Chris both honouring his request to take Norway unopposed via fleet (46 mins 45 secs) Dominick and Gavin worked to grind down Roberto Perego's France, who ground out a hard-fought game staying alive on 2 centres. Ruben Sanchez's Italy played a deft game, flipping between alliances with Turkey and Austria (49 mins 15 secs) Dominick topped the board on 10; Ruben came in at 9; Gavin finished at 7. The game was meant to run to 1909 but drew earlier when the position stabilised. Gavin reflects he may have drawn too early, with both Dominick and Ruben suggesting he had room to push for another two centres (50 mins) Round 3 – Germany – Board: Symi (View game) Gavin played Germany. The board included Shane Armstrong (Australia) as France, Mikalis Kamaritis as Italy, Alex Maslow (USA) as Russia, Steven Hogue (USA) as Austria, Alex Lebedev (Russia) as England, and Jack Johns as Turkey (51 mins 15 secs) The strategic context: only Mikalis Kamaritis and Alex Lebedev were realistically in contention for the top board from this game. Shane and Gavin identified this early and committed to supporting the player they believed deserved to be there (52 mins 45 secs) Shane and Gavin opened with a Sealion against England, while Gavin also walked a careful line with Alex Lebedev, who initially felt more threatened by France than Germany. Austria was eliminated in 1903, and England in 1904 (53 mins 45 secs) A notable moment: Gavin slipped an army from the North Sea into an unoccupied London – a move he acknowledged was unnecessary, created friction with Alex Lebedev, and which he would not make again. He apologised on the day (56 mins 15 secs) Mikalis told Gavin and Shane to wait until 1905 – and delivered. He launched from his eastern position, took two dots off Russia and one off Turkey in a single year, then steamrolled from there. Alex Maslow was a strong and enjoyable player who nearly flipped the alliance but ultimately couldn't (56 mins 15 secs) The game agreed to a draw of 10-10-14 (Shane-Gavin-Mikalis), which the three felt would get Mikalis comfortably onto the top board. In the final adjudication Mikalis took one extra dot away from Shane, making the final scores 15-10-9 (58 mins 15 secs) Round 4 – Austria – Board: Myconos (View game) Gavin made it onto the fourth round, placed into the 6th top board. The board featured Shane Armstrong again as Turkey, Emmett Wainwright as England, Patrick Jacobson as France, Nathan Lester as Germany, Cameron Taylor as Italy, and Richard Bolton as Russia (59 mins 30 secs) The standout introduction: Nathan Lester, son of Dan Lester (who Gavin played against at Bangkok WDC). Same voice, same playing style, same persuasive meta-game arguments – but with a mullet and dressed like he's in an 80s rock video, and without the beard-stroking (1 hr 0 mins 45 secs) Gavin and Shane, having just played together in Round 3, ended up as Austria and Turkey respectively – not a natural alliance. Gavin didn't trust it but it held. Italy and France both kept fighting hard throughout (59 mins 45 secs) The game drew in 1906, with Shane and Emmett both finishing on 8, Gavin on 6 as Austria. Everyone then rushed across the road to watch the top board (1 hr 3 mins 45 secs) The top board Ken asks about Mikalis's diplomatic style. Gavin: exceptional situational awareness, communicates clearly and directly, asked and answered the "what do you want from this game?" question in a way that built immediate trust, and was good to his word on timing (1 hr 4 mins) Gavin arrived at the top board mid-1906 (his own game had just drawn). The top board was played outdoors under a well-shaded tree with plenty of room for negotiations, guarded by two or three people ensuring other players and passing members of the public couldn't crowd the board (1 hr 5 mins) The giant shadow board: a massive life-size replica board was set up nearby so all spectators could follow the game without approaching the real board. Andrew Goff read out the orders and the shadow board was updated after each adjudication – the same setup used at Milan WDC (1 hr 7 mins 45 secs) When Gavin arrived, he felt Bradley Grace had the game. The shift came late – Mikalis made a decisive move in the endgame that separated him from a closely matched France/Germany contest (1 hr 9 mins) Congratulations to Mikalis Kamaritis – well deserved, Gavin says. And to Bradley Grace: so close, but it will happen (1 hr 9 mins) The awards ceremony included Mikalis receiving both the championship belt and a traditional olive laurel wreath – a detail that was not captured in the DBN stream. Ken flags this as something future broadcasts should consider covering (1 hr 11 mins 15 secs) A Best Shane Cubis Award was also created – won by a Greek player who loudly lobbied Spyros for an award on the basis of how much he'd helped out. An AI-generated image of Shane Cubis in 1901 attire featured on the award, to the complete bafflement of the European and American contingents (1 hr 12 mins 50 secs) Game hobby and future WDCs The Chicago Windy City Weasels delivered a presentation promoting WDC 2027, enthusiastically received by the assembled players (1 hr 13 mins 15 secs) The 2028 bid: Melbourne was the only bid, and it was unanimously approved. Andrew Goff (Goffy) presented it. WDC 2028 Melbourne will be held at the MCG – the Melbourne Cricket Ground – with the conference rooms used for regular play, and the premier top board played on the MCG wicket itself. The countdown timer will run on the MCG scoreboard. Notionally scheduled for the last weekend of February 2028 – the weekend after the Formula One Grand Prix and the weekend before the first AFL round (1 hr 14 mins 30 secs) For international context: roughly equivalent to playing at Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden, the Camp Nou, or Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. English players will recognise the MCG as where English cricket hopes traditionally come to die (1 hr 15 mins 15 secs) Also at the game hobby: a unanimous vote to amend and modernise the WDC charter, which dates from around 2000–2001 and doesn't reflect current online play, email communication, or the organisational structures of the Asia-Pacific and European hobbies. Four representatives (from NADF, the Asia-Pacific Diplomacy Association, and the European and UK hobbies) will draft amendments to be presented at WDC 2027 Chicago, with ratification at WDC 2028 Melbourne (1 hr 18 mins) Wrap up Gavin acknowledges the full organising effort: approximately 10 people working behind the scenes alongside Spyros and Jamal to make everything run. The Greek hobby and Athens Diplomacy Club can be enormously proud (1 hr 20 mins 30 secs) The Armistice Party: held between rounds three and four in the venue near the pool area. A DJ with a custom app allowed all attending players to nominate up to 10 songs each, with the crowd then voting in real time from four options for what came next. Gavin describes it as stunningly well thought through (1 hr 22 mins) Ken summarises: meticulously planned, wonderful venue, brilliant location, great games, fantastic people. Gavin: you got it in one. Thank you to Spyros, Jamal, and everyone they played with (1 hr 23 mins) Addendum – recorded one week later Ken and Gavin explain the addendum: a few things were either forgotten or lost in the original recording, so they've caught up a week later to cover them (1 hr 25 mins 45 secs) The Cane Toad The Cane Toad tournament will not run in 2026 – Gavin has made the decision to rest it for the year and bring it back bigger and better in 2027 (1 hr 26 mins 30 secs) Reasons: Gavin no longer lives in Brisbane where the tournament has historically been based, and several attempts to get a local game going have been completely unsuccessful. He feels it would be unfair to interstate players to travel to Queensland only to play mostly other interstate players rather than a meaningful proportion of locals (1 hr 27 mins 30 secs) He also flags cost-of-living pressures and fuel costs as factors, noting that the fuel excise which had been removed is about to be reinstated (1 hr 28 mins 45 secs) Ken and Gavin have a brief riff on whether cane toads actually hibernate, and whether the tournament might one day move to a different Queensland location (1 hr 28 mins 45 secs) Gavin shares a long-held dream of running the Cane Toad on the beach under a sun-safe setup. Council regulations require public liability insurance – but the Asia Pacific Diplomacy Association is in the process of organising exactly that for tournament directors, which may open the door in future (1 hr 29 mins 15 secs) Tournament news The Sydney Cup is on the weekend of 4–5 July. Gavin would love to go but has used up his diplomacy credits between Greece and starting a new job – it'll have to stay in the bank for now (1 hr 30 mins 45 secs) A New Zealand tournament is being discussed for the week before WDC 2028 Melbourne (late February 2028). Three New Zealand players who attended WDC 2026 in Athens have flagged interest in hosting something, on the logic that if you're travelling all the way from Europe or the US, a short hop across the Tasman to New Zealand is well worth building into the itinerary (1 hr 32 mins) Ken enthusiastically endorses the idea and encourages anyone planning for WDC 2028 Melbourne to factor in a week in New Zealand beforehand (1 hr 33 mins 30 secs) Challenge for next episode Over his birthday lunch, Gavin's son surprised him with an accurate recall of his WDC result. This leads Gavin to issue a challenge for the next episode: both Ken and Gavin will do some homework and come back with three or four online diplomacy resources that people may not know about, to raise awareness of what the community has put together over the years (1 hr 34 mins 45 secs) Around the grounds VDiplomacy gets an introduction for any listeners who aren't familiar: a sibling platform to WebDiplomacy, it hosts classic games but is particularly known for its range of variants (1 hr 36 mins 30 secs) The Dionysus Reimagined game recap – the ancient Greece variant Ken and Gavin set up in the lead-up to WDC Athens. Ken soloed, eliminating Gavin in the final year. Gavin notes that technically his last dot was taken so late that his result registers as a survive rather than an elimination (1 hr 38 mins 45 secs) Gavin played Athens and found himself defending on all fronts from early on: Sparta (who built only armies and had nowhere to go but north), the Macedonians pressing from the north, Byzantium late in the game, and Rhodes. Ken played Byzantium and credits his early token luck as a key advantage, picking up all his bid supply centres including one he expected to bounce – giving him fleet dominance in the Aegean from the start (1 hr 40 mins) The bid mechanics are recapped for any listeners unfamiliar with the variant: each player has 4 tokens to bid on non-core supply centres; outbid or bounce and you don't get the build. Ken's fortunate opening bids gave him a decisive early position (1 hr 40 mins 30 secs) A practical tip for vDiplomacy players: always open the large map after adjudication. The small map can omit orders that didn't go through, making moves look different from what was actually played. Ken noted several instances in the Dionysus game where support orders that failed simply weren't visible on the small map (1 hr 45 mins 45 secs) Ken congratulates himself on the win and notes the ratings gap between the two has now closed to around 100 points (1 hr 47 mins 30 secs) New game announced: Gavin has set up a Pirates game titled Ahoy Mateys on vDiplomacy. Gunboat, 2-day 2-hour phase length. Ken explains the extra 2 hours: it gradually shifts the adjudication time back toward Australian time zones in games where everyone readies up early (1 hr 48 mins) Pirates variant overview: a 13-player variant set in the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean, created by Gavin in collaboration with Ollie (the vDiplomacy site administrator). The 13 players are broken into three factions (1 hr 51 mins 45 secs): Europeans – Spain, England, France, and Holland, who nominally control supply centres across the map but must capture them to make them count Pirates – five pirates, four historical (Montbas, Brasiliano, de la Cueva, and Johnson) and one fictitious: El Guapo, borrowed from the movie The Three Amigos Privateers – one per European power, operating as private navies with letters patent. They can attack anyone except their sponsoring power (and vice versa). The Dunkirkers serve Spain, Henry Morgan serves England, François Le Jones serves France, and the Rocherson serves Holland Unit rules: all units are fleets, but there are two types – Clippers (move up to two spaces, standard attack strength) and Frigates (move one space, attack at 1.5x strength). A single clipper cannot defend against an attacking frigate, but a clipper supported by another clipper can. Five marked spots on the board allow transformation between unit types (1 hr 57 mins 45 secs) Special rules: a voodoo witch's hut in Cuba allows a fleet on the north coast to teleport to the south coast and vice versa. And a 14th non-playing character – a Hurricane – spins up each storm season in a random sea territory, moves randomly in the fall turn, and destroys anything in its path with an effectively unstoppable attack strength, also resetting any supply centre it passes through to neutral (1 hr 59 mins) Ken commits to reading the full rules before play begins, notes Pirates has a genuine following on vDiplomacy with games regularly in progress, and suspects he may get slaughtered (2 hr 1 min 15 secs) Gavin and Ken wrap up the show (2 hr 2 mins 15 secs) Venue: At home Drinks for the interview: Ken: One of his home brews – a lager with a bit of a kick Gavin: A Baliamo Nero d'Avola from Sicily – opened two weeks prior, which he noted had become a little sour and bitter compared to its fresh opening, much like his first round at the tournament Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment… or get the guys more drunk, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

If America wants peace and Israel wants war, then the decision to stop fighting rests with Iran. Why do they call people on the right all sorts of dehumanizing names. Carol Roth on some potential economic easing. The dumbest person in congress giving another press conference about the ‘dignity act’. Follow The Jesse Kelly Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJesseKellyShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And we're back with the exciting tales of Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police! This week: An Octopus Gunboat Outside! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And we're back with the exciting tales of Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police! This week: An Octopus Gunboat Outside! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US aircraft carrier groups were in place to threaten Iran as talks were still happening - and they helped launch the war when Donald Trump felt the negotiations were not going as he hoped. Iran's foreign minister said Trump ‘bombed the negotiating table'. So is this the new pattern in big power geopolitics? Talk, but have a big stick waiting to ensure concessions. Or is it a return to a nineteenth century imperial style of big-power domination and intimidation? Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science at Macalester College, and Senior Washington Fellow at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy, talks to Phil and Roger about the return of gunboat diplomacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The "Black Ships" are back on the horizon!

"Gunboat diplomacy" seems to be Trump's plan to persuade Iranian authorities to "make a deal" regarding nuclear resource limitations. US military assets in the region are posied to launch strikes against Iran if they don't accede within Trump's arbitrarily imposed 10-day timeline expressed at the inaugual "Board of Peace" meeting.

AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports Iran and the US lean into gunboat diplomacy as nuclear talks hang in balance.

The Smithsonian Institution is restoring a gunboat that sank in a 1776 Revolutionary War battle. As part of a series with the Smithsonian Institution presenting 25 objects that tell the story of America, Jennifer Jones, a curator at the National Museum of American History, talks about the story of the vessel, its recovery and its restoration. Then, Young People's Records was a popular mail-order subscription club in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Smithsonian Folkways director and curator Maureen Loughran talks about why the music became such a hit, how the record club works and why it's important for telling the story of America.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

From tariff-funded refunds to tough talk with allies, trade has once again become a central theme of Donald Trump's White House. One year into Trump's second mandate, economist Gerald Friedman walks RFI through the reality behind the rhetoric and looks to how the administration may ultimately be judged. One year after Donald Trump returned to the White House, his second administration has wasted little time putting trade at the forefront of policy. Tariffs, the US president insists, are delivering an economic renaissance. Inflation has supposedly all but vanished. The stock market is booming. Trillions of dollars are said to be pouring into the Treasury, with the promise of tariff-funded cheques soon landing in American letterboxes. Critics, Trump has declared, are "fools". Strip away the slogans, however, and the picture looks far less flattering. According to Gerald Friedman, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Trump's tariff-driven revival is built on shaky foundations – economically incoherent, politically vindictive and geopolitically destabilising. EU readies response to new US tariffs, France braces for fallout The numbers don't add up From an economist's perspective, Friedman says, Trump's claims barely survive contact with reality. “Almost nothing” in the president's upbeat assessment is true. Yes, the stock market is high, but only because a small group of technology giants dominates the indices. Remove them, and the wider market is essentially flat. The idea that tariffs are generating vast new revenues is equally illusory. Tariffs face an unavoidable contradiction: set them high enough to block imports and they raise little money; set them low enough to generate revenue and they fail to protect domestic industry. Either way, the notion that they are filling federal coffers with “trillions” is "fantasy". Friedman notes that “virtually no economists outside of those being paid through Donald Trump … support his tariff regime”, particularly given its random and unsystematic application. What is billed as strategic economic policy looks more like improvisation. Trump's first 100 days: Trade, diplomacy and walking the transatlantic tightrope Illusion of tariff-funded cheques The administration's proposal to issue tariff-funded “refunds” – between $1,000 and $2,000 per household in early 2026 – has clear populist appeal. Economically, Friedman argues, it makes little sense. The US already runs a federal deficit of roughly $1.7 trillion a year, around 6 per cent of GDP. Washington does not need tariffs to send out cheques; it can simply borrow more. The real question is whether it should, particularly after extending large tax cuts for the wealthy that continue to inflate the deficit. There is a deeper irony. Tariffs, Friedman points out, already constitute “the biggest tax increase as a share of GDP that this country has had since the early 1990s”, adding roughly $1,500 a year to household costs through higher prices. Refunding some of that money would merely hand back what had just been taken – while leaving the underlying economic damage untouched. Inflation, eggs and everyday living Trump has repeatedly pointed to falling egg prices as proof that inflation is under control. Friedman underlines that egg prices surged because of bird flu, not economic policy, and fell as the outbreak eased. They are down by about half, not by the 85 per cent the president boasts about – “one of the smaller lies”, as Friedman puts it. Elsewhere, tariffs are doing exactly what economists expect: pushing prices up. Imports such as coffee and bananas cannot realistically be replaced by domestic production. Taxing them feeds directly into the cost of living. Households are paying more, not less. The impact does not stop at consumer prices. Retaliation and uncertainty are quietly undermining export industries. China has cut back on US soybean imports, hurting farmers. Canada is actively reducing its reliance on the US market, deepening ties with Europe and China. Even sectors untouched by tariffs are suffering. Higher education – one of America's largest export earners – is losing foreign students as visas tighten and the country's tourism has also slumped. The combined effect, Friedman warns, is “higher prices and a reduction in employment and wages… ultimately, devastating to the US economy”. Europe's 'Truman Show' moment: is it time to walk off Trump's set? Gunboat diplomacy, with grudges attached For Friedman, Trump's economic policy cannot be separated from his personality. Tariffs have become instruments of pressure and punishment, often driven by personal vendettas rather than strategic calculation. Hostility towards Canada's former prime minister Justin Trudeau, for example, owed as much to personal dislike as to trade policy. This is where economics merges with geopolitics. The US, Friedman argues, is drifting away from the postwar, rules-based order it once championed towards something far older and harsher – “pre-1940”, rather than merely pre-1945. Trade policy is wielded like a weapon, diplomacy reduced to threat and coercion. “Nobody wants to be the one who sticks his head up,” to speak out, Friedman says. Corporate leaders and officials see what happens to dissenters and keep their heads down for fear of investigations, legal costs and political retaliation.  Occupy Wall Street protestors clash with police outside New York Stock Exchange A symptom of deeper failures None of this, Friedman stresses, emerged from nowhere. Echoing arguments made by Greek economist and former left-wing finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, he sees Trump as both cause and symptom. Decades of rising inequality, deindustrialisation and attacks on unions hollowed out large parts of the working class, particularly in the US and Europe. The 2008 financial crisis was explosive. Banks were rescued, executives kept their bonuses, and almost nobody went to jail. The lesson, Friedman says, was clear: the powerful play by different rules. Regions once loyal to centre-left parties – coal country in West Virginia, manufacturing towns across the Midwest – became some of Trump's strongest supporters. Trump did not invent these grievances, but he has channelled them into a politics driven less by repair than by ego and confrontation. Trump says Venezuela's Maduro captured in 'large scale' US strike Judging Trump in 2026 So how should Trump's second presidency be judged as it heads into 2026? Friedman offers a stark metric. Ignore the rhetoric and watch the behaviour of those with real power. Do Republican lawmakers rediscover a spine? Do corporate leaders decide that long-term stability matters more than short-term fear? If they do not, the outlook is bleak. “It's not only the America First agenda,” Friedman says, “it's Trump's personal, ego-driven agenda.” Protests may continue to swell, but without resistance from political and economic elites, the consequences will stretch far beyond the US. In 2026, the results will be difficult to spin away. Tariffs promise strength and sovereignty. What they are delivering, Friedman argues, is higher prices, weaker alliances and a dangerous slide towards a world the US once helped consign to history.

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) European Union leaders will hold an emergency meeting in the coming days to discuss President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat as they explore possible retaliatory measures.(2) Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent amplified President Donald Trump’s message to European allies that the US won’t back down on taking over Greenland, saying the continent is too weak to ensure its security.(3) US President Donald Trump’s trade threats toward European governments over Greenland raise the possibility the latter may trim their holdings of US assets, supporting the euro, according to a Deutsche Bank AG strategist.(4) Gunboat capitalism. MAGA Marxism. Techno-feudalism — whatever you call it, Donald Trump is upending the global economy as it has been viewed from Davos, the Swiss summit synonymous with wealth and power.(5) China’s economy lost more momentum last quarter even as it met the government’s target in 2025, in another year of lopsided growth that will be hard to sustain in an era of protectionism around the world.(6) Across the western world, governments are turning toward a familiar source of funds to address their fiscal challenges: the wealthy.Podcast Conversation: Europe Has the Weapons for Greenland Tariff War See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group experts Renata Segura and Stephen Pomper about the fallout from the U.S. operation capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Washington's push for oil concessions, and the future U.S. Western hemisphere policy.In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard talks with Renata Segura, Crisis Group's Latin America & Caribbean director, and chief of policy Stephen Pomper, about the fallout from the U.S. operation last weekend seizing Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. They unpack how the Chavista government is holding together under pressure from the Trump administration to give up control of Venezuelan oil. They examine what's driving the Trump administration's action in Venezuela and whether a democratic transition is realistically on the horizon. They also explore what precedent the operation sets for Cuba and countries across Latin America, the administration's sharpening rhetoric around Greenland, and what all this signals about a more openly revisionist U.S. approach to the post–World War II order.Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.For more, check out our statement “Venezuela after Maduro: Transaction or Transition?”, this week's special episode “What Next for Venezuela?” and our Venezuela page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States has a long history of intervening in the internal affairs of Latin American and Caribbean countries. From Cuba to Chile, from Grenada to Panama, the U.S. has invaded, occupied, staged coups, carried out assassinations, and imposed sanctions. Today, Washington has oil-rich Venezuela in its gunsights. It has deployed an armada of warships, including the world's biggest aircraft carrier, near Venezuela. It's blowing boats out of the water, which legal experts call extra-judicial killings. It's threatening Caracas with regime change. The White House justifies its saber-rattling rhetoric and aggressive military actions by calling Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a “narco-trafficker.” As Noam Chomsky has often said, to best understand U.S. foreign policy, use the mafia model. Very simply, if you obey the master, you're safe. Step out of line? Look out.

Why hasn't Trump decided to keep US boots on the ground? Let us count the reasons. Hint, it's not because it would be a bad look.

U.S. markets slipped from fresh all-time highs this week, with financials and energy — two of 2026’s early winners — suddenly losing momentum. Beneath the day-to-day volatility, a bigger question is emerging: are markets being driven by fundamentals, or simply by liquidity? Alex Morris, CEO of F/m Investments, unpack why geopolitics barely registers for investors, whether markets are misreading the risks around inflation and a more political Federal Reserve, and why the much-debated AI “bubble” may still be in its early innings. We also dive into the less obvious inflationary pressures created by the AI build-out and what a “boring but smart” portfolio actually looks like as we head deeper into 2026. Produced/Presented: Ryan HuangSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Firas covers the capture of Nicolas Maduro and the return of gunboat diplomacy, Trump style.

The US government is seizing oil tankers and stealing Venezuela's crude. Donald Trump boasted that the USA will "keep" the oil and the ships. This is piracy. Ben Norton explains how Washington is blatantly violating international law in its imperialist war on Venezuela. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_pxZ-Rl6DM Topics 0:00 USA is stealing Venezuela's oil 0:58 (CLIP) Trump: "We're keeping" the oil 1:22 Worst piracy on Earth 2:33 Trump's war plans 3:51 US blockade & sanctions are illegal 5:19 UN experts: US bombing is illegal 6:57 (CLIP) Trump: Venezuela's oil is ours 7:41 US laws don't apply worldwide 9:06 Maduro asks UN for action 9:59 China supports Venezuela 11:46 Trump threatens Maduro 12:08 María Corina Machado 12:19 (CLIP) Machado vows to privatize oil 14:25 Gunboat diplomacy 14:58 Colonial Monroe Doctrine 15:28 Trump & Roosevelt Corollary 17:29 US colonialism in Latin America 20:43 Big Stick policy 21:12 US National Security Strategy 22:26 Anti-imperialist General Smedley Butler 24:46 US imperialism in China 27:23 War for Wall Street 28:53 Criminality of US empire 29:39 Outro

Gunboat Diplomacy Trump Declares Full Naval Blockade Of Venezuela by Ron Paul Liberty Report

What if you could build a yacht that combined the speed and efficiency of a racing craft with the grandeur of a floating villa? That was the vision founder Peter Johnstone brought to life when he launched Gunboat in 2002, creating an entirely new category of high-performance cruising catamaran. Gunboat's twin-hull design provides remarkable stability compared to traditional monohulls, allowing the deck to stay flat and maintain pace even in challenging sea conditions. Carbon fiber is used to construct the catamarans for extreme lightness and exceptional durability that lasts forever. The lightweight design isn't just about speed, but also sustainability. Lighter boats sail more and motor less. With solar integration, electric systems, and ongoing research into recycled composites and bio-resilient materials, these vessels represent responsible seamanship for the future. We traveled to Gunboat's purpose-built shipyard in La Grande-Motte in southern France to meet Rodolphe Cadoret, Marketing Director at Gunboat. Rodolphe walks us through every stage of the building process, from the composite workshop through to assembly, carpentry, and the meticulous painting rooms where flawless metallic finishes emerge. He gives us a full picture of how, supported by PTC partner 4CAD, Gunboat uses digital precision to transform physical performance on the water. PTC's Brian Thompson then joins us to explain how Creo's model-based approach and integrated surfacing capabilities enable Gunboat to accelerate time to market dramatically. Find out more about Gunboat here.Find out more about Creo here.Your host is Paul Haimes from industrial software company PTC.Episodes are released bi-weekly. Follow us on LinkedIn and X for updates.This is an 18Sixty production for PTC. Executive Producer is Jacqui Cook. Location recording by Mat Eric Hart. Sound design and editing by Louise Morris. Music by Rowan Bishop.

U.S. Gunboat Diplomacy: Venezuela Negotiations and Exile Arrangements — Evan Ellis — Ellis evaluates American military pressure against Venezuela, including threatened lethal strikes and special operations to forcibly remove Maduro from power. Ellis documents that Maduro is desperately negotiating for personal survival and comprehensive presidential pardons from potential prosecution. Ellis notes that Brazilian President Lula da Silvapossesses severely limited diplomatic leverage and capacity to broker exile asylum arrangements for Venezuelanleadership without risking domestic political backlash from Brazilian constituencies. 1909 VENEZUELA

Michael McLaren raises the alarm over a massive US naval build-up off Venezuela's Caribbean coast, including an aircraft carrier, arguing it signals the Trump Administration's determination for regime change.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The USS Gerald R. Ford and Gunboat Diplomacy in the Caribbean Guest: Rebecca Grant Rebecca Grant affirmed that the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford supercarrier in the Caribbean is the "top symbol of American power," providing significant strike and surveillance options, with the rapid deployment being unusual and signaling a large strategic shift to reassert U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere, pressure Maduro, and push back against Chinese and Russian influence, and Grant agreed with China's label of the action as "gunboat diplomacy," noting that it is strategically effective in signaling America's seriousness about the region. 1904

Frank and David discuss the situation in Venezuela and the history of gunboat diplomacy. Last Drops Frank: Chris Brown slavery lecture David: cancelled Assassin's Creed Reconstruction game

In Episode 426 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Stephen Walt, Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, about American grand strategy, the Trump Doctrine of Coercive Primacy, and the implications of Washington's new Gunboat Diplomacy in the Middle East. Stephen is a prominent member of the realist school in international relations. He's been a long-time critic of American adventurism and an advocate for a more restrained approach to U.S. foreign policy. In the first hour, Stephen provides his assessment of recent events in the Middle East, how U.S. policy in the region improves or worsens America's global position, and what we can say with certainty about the Trump administration's approach to foreign policy. In the second hour, he and Demetri discuss: (1) America's policy in the Middle East (2) Iranian intentions and the potential for regime change (3) Solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (4) American grand strategy (5) The long-awaited U.S. pivot to Asia that has failed to fully materialize Subscribe to our premium content—including our premium feed, episode transcripts, and Intelligence Reports—by visiting HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you'd like to join the conversation and become a member of the Hidden Forces Genius community—with benefits like Q&A calls with guests, exclusive research and analysis, in-person events, and dinners—you can also sign up on our subscriber page at HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you enjoyed today's episode of Hidden Forces, please support the show by: Subscribing on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, CastBox, or via our RSS Feed Writing us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify Joining our mailing list at https://hiddenforces.io/newsletter/ Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Subscribe and support the podcast at https://hiddenforces.io. Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas Episode Recorded on 06/25/2025

Ronnie Simpson is a 40-year-old professional racing sailor from the United States of America who aims to sail in the 2027 Global Solo Challenge race. Recently, Ronnie was the skipper of the Open 50 Shipyard Brewing which competed in the first-ever Global Solo Challenge in 2023-24. Sailing in a strong third place for most of the race, Ronnie unfortunately dismasted off of Argentina in February 2024 and Shipyard Brewing was lost at sea. Having completed 80% of a singlehanded racing circumnavigation and rounding all of the three great capes including Cape Horn, Ronnie's resolve to race in and complete the Global Solo Challenge is now only stronger. To that effect, Ronnie purchased Class 40 #15 ‘Koloa Maoli' in early 2025 to mount another campaign for the Global Solo Challenge. As a combat-wounded and medically retired US Marine and Iraq war veteran who has sailed more than 175,000 miles at sea, Ronnie is proud to use his sailing efforts to raise both funds and awareness for US Patriot Sailing, a 501c3 Veterans' sailing non-profit organization. Ronnie credits sailing with saving his life and believes in the inspirational and therapeutic benefit of finding purpose through sailing. We talk about his new Class 40 sailboat Koloa Maoli, preparing the boat for the GSC, sailing the boat, the mast, the keel, comparing Class 40 boats to cruising boats, safety of Class 40 boats, building the GSC campaign, other races, sailing in Maine and Canada, destinations, how to win a long ocean race, the motivation and drive to race sailboats, cruising vs racing, delivering a Hanse with Elliot Smith, sailing a Hobie 18 in Maine, sailing a Gunboat 60, dream boats, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Sustainability Maine, Remoran hydrogenerators, and more. Links and photos are here. Support the show here.

Talking all about multi-aspect heroes! In this episode, Boomguy and AndyR explore the theme of multi-aspect heroes in Marvel Champions, discussing various deck archetypes and showcasing specific decks centered around characters like Adam Warlock, Spider-Woman, Cable, Gamora, and Cyclops. They delve into listener comments, the dynamics of different player archetypes, and the unique challenges and strategies involved in building multi-aspect decks. We highlight the creativity and fun that can arise from these unique deck-building opportunities while also acknowledging the complexities they introduce. 1. Children of the Atom (Warlock): https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/44735/children-of-the-atom-warlock-1.0 2. Jess & Carol Kill the Marvel Universe: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/39819/jess-and-carol-kill-the-marvel-universe-1.0 3. Maria Maria (Do your friends love cards?): https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/45479/maria-maria-do-your-friends-love-cards-1.0 4. Psy-Kickin' It: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/44648/psy-kickin-it-1.0 5. Rogue+Pete=8+ Gunboat every time!: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/44997/rogue-pete-8-gunboat-every-time-1.0 6. What if we used 100% of Gamora's ability? [True Solo]: https://marvelcdb.com/decklist/view/45030/what-if-we-used-100-of-gamora-s-ability-true-solo-1.0 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Winning Hand and Deck Building 01:07 Understanding Spike, Johnny, and Timmy Players 04:19 The Timmy Player Dilemma in Marvel Champions 09:06 Nomenclature for Deck Archetypes 13:10 Exploring Multi-Aspect Heroes 17:43 Deck Showcase: Adam Warlock 23:46 Deck Showcase: Spider-Woman 29:29 Deck Showcase: Cable 32:13 Exploring Psionic Strategies 34:46 Deck Building Insights and Recommendations 37:02 Maria Hill: The Card Draw Engine 39:58 Gamora's Solo Deck: A Unique Approach 50:34 Cyclops and Gunboat Diplomacy 01:02:52 Reflections on Multi-Aspect Heroes

Join @DanGriffin21 & @UTTRob as they continue their journey through every surviving match Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks have on their road to Wembley '81 and a TV audience of 18 million viewers. This week, we are in the garden city of Oldham for a tag team contest between Big Daddy and Bobby Ryan vs. Mal King Kong Kirk and Gunboat Harris. If you want to watch the match along with us, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/wrWN7qkV5Q0?si=f4E3lBberhbMS60Y Follow @UTTPODCAST for updates on the series, our main show, and other projects.

Join Stephen and Jason as the pair take up arms in this brand new review discussion to talk all about Team Ninja's Rise Of The Ronin! Follow the team on Twitter: Stephen Jason Please visit www.player2.net.au for more awesome content, subscribe to the youtube channel and consider becoming a Player2 patron, www.patreon.com/player2au

You've heard of Neo-Confederates, but what about Nepo-Confederates. Here's the story of the USS Underwriter and her loss during a Confederate attempt to re-capture New Bern, NC in February 1864. Sources:Coddington, Ronald S. "Civil War Sailors: From the Collections Of Our Readers." Military Images, vol. 30, no. 3, Nov - Dec 2008, pp. 25 - 37. Duppstadt, Andrew. "USS Underwriter." North Carolina History Project, 2016. https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/uss-underwriter/Green, John B. "The Underwriter rises from the deep." The Kellenberger Room, 21 Mar 2015. https://kellenbergerroom.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-underwriter-rises-from-deep.htmlPowles, James M. "John Taylor Wood, Hero of the Confederacy." June 2004, https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/john-taylor-wood-hero-of-the-confederate-navy/Sullivan, David L. "The Few, the Forgotten: The Confederate States Marines." Military Images, vol. 3, no. 3, Nov - Dec 1981, pp. 16 -21. "Underwriter I (Side-wheel Gunboat)." Naval History and Heritage Command, 20 Apr 2018. https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/u/underwriter-i.htmlSupport the show

Josh Axler will be sailing in the 2026 Golden Globe Race. We talk about racing boats both fast and slow, carbon fiber vs fiberglass and steel in boat construction, racing a Gunboat, why he wants to do the Golden Globe Race, books, managing Elliot Smith's 2022 GGR campaign, the NOR, solitude, selecting his boat for the race - an Endurance 35, sailing a ketch, getting the boat ready for the race, setting the boat up for singlehanding, long passages, instant coffee, writing, a favorite sailing memory, a scary sailing memory, sailing alone in fog, and much more!

Today, we're diving into the incredible story of Gunboat Judy, the courageous dog who became a hero during wartime. Join us as we discover how Judy's loyalty and bravery saved lives at sea and why she'll always be remembered as a true four-legged hero. Get ready for an inspiring tale of courage and loyalty that will leave you in awe of man's best friend.Get $10 off StoryButton, a podcast player for kids!

In this week's BOAT Briefing, Sophia is joined by Online Yachts Editor Katia Damborsky to discuss recent trips to Monaco. Sophia was in the Principality to host a roundtable event, in partnership with Cookson Adventures, while Katia was reporting on the engineering prowess of students at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. In the news is an exclusive scoop by Katia on a new-build CRN 70-metre called Project Thunderball, as well as Gunboat's red-hulled maxi-cat, Baltic's futuristic foil-assisted Raven, and 111.8-metre Renaissance on sea trials. The data this week looks at June's brokerage figures, which saw the market normalise after a record-breaking May. https://www.boatinternational.com/boat-pro/news/monaco-energy-boat-challenge-10th-edition https://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/news/70m-crn-superyacht-thunderball https://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/news/gunboat-80-highland-fling-catamaran https://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/news/baltic-111-raven-sailing-yacht https://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/news/freire-nb274-explorer https://www.boatinternational.com/boat-pro/superyacht-insight/brokerage-report-june-2023

Why don't the Panamanians hate us? We sliced their country in two to build the Panama Canal, owned and controlled the Canal Zone, disallowed Panamanians from visiting the Canal Zone, and even attacked Panama in 1989, drawing condemnation from the UN and the Organization of American States.  So how is it a good thing to throw our July 4th party on a gunboat right smack in the Canal? We ask Amb. John Feeley, who did exactly that.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow 1904 Port Arthur #PRC:  Gunboat diplomacy in the South China Sea.  Colonel Jeff McCausland , USA (retired) @mccauslj @CBSNews @dickinsoncol https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-warning-us-philippines-stage-largest-ever-drills https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-warning-us-philippines-stage-largest-ever-drills.amp

Episode: 2462 The Mississippi Delta: Rewriting Geography.  Today, geography shifts before our eyes.

Claremont Senior Fellow Christopher Caldwell joins Spencer to discuss Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and America's involvement in it. Caldwell's brief outline of Ukraine's history with Russia leads them to a broader discussion of why Ukraine became the flash point for Russia's ire, and how Americans are inclined to narrativize the war. As the conflict rages on in new and ill-defined ways, what position are everyday Americans left in?

Pull the Pin Already (WAR ROOM Ep 108): Jim and Nate discuss various headlines found in today's media. Opinions are based on personal experience and not from the content of the article, unless someone has happened to read it. What's your take on the opinions and concerns expressed during the show? Let them know by discussing your own views in the comments below. If you like what they have to say click the like button below and share this video with your friends. Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell for future episodes. **Subscribe on Rumble or one of our other media platforms and forget ScrewTube** www.pullthepinalready.com VIDEO CHANNELS Youtube www.youtube.com/channel/UCfUOkihz4MloQUyWWYypPGw Rumble https://rumble.com/c/PullThePinAlready Bitchute https://www.bitchute.com/accounts/referral/pullthepinalready/ UGE tube https://ugetube.com/@Pull%20The%20Pin%20Already

  One hundred eight-five years ago, at Camp Monroe, the Seminole nearly scored a second rout of soldiers akin in decisiveness to the Dade Battle of late December 1835. Nearly. But the fierce battle on February 8, 1837, produced a more favorable outcome to the Army.  The Seminoles amassed a huge armed contingent to attack the U.S. encampment on Lake Monroe. It was a close-run battle. Had the troops obeyed their commander to replace their flints with wooden chips for training purposes the next day, had the troops NOT obeyed their commander to construct a breastworks the day before, had the men shown less discipline in their firing, had an Army lieutenant not manned a six-pound gun on a nearby Navy riverboat, the day might have belonged to the Seminole. Instead, the U.S. Army repulsed the Seminole for one of its rare clear-cut victories in the Second Seminole War. The Museum of Seminole County History is commemorating the 185th anniversary of the Battle of Camp Monroe. Bennett Lloyd, museum director described the commemoration for us in a previous podcast. In this podcast, he rejoins to narrate a chronology of the battle and how the Army fought off the Seminole advance.   (Above) The innovative Cochran Repeating Turret Gun kept Seminole at bay in this battle. But design flaws causing an accidental chain-firing from all chambers with one pull of the trigger led the Army to adopt the Colt revolving chamber gun over the repeating turret gun. (Below) Three books and pamphlets cover the battle and forts at Lake Monroe: Camp Monroe, Camp Mellon, Fort Mellon.    Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!  

Author Barbara Tomblin joins Kentucky Focus to tell us about her book "The Civil War on the Mississippi: Union Sailors, Gunboat Captains and the Campaign to Control the River"

Episode 1677: Our article of the day is Yugoslav gunboat Beli Orao.

00:00 clip from within - are we the ones who should again?00:30 theme song - We've got to do something01:30 come on in and get to know us - Utopia is shit now05:00 Driving forward as a lifestyle - Domination mentality11:00 Hi Russia it's Jason and Jeffrey from America 24:00 Should we be the world police again - Join NATO and face aggression28:00 Gunboat diplomacy - That's what the pilgrims did so Happy Thanksgiving29:37 Insertion point - Russia looks aggressive because Russia is being aggressive32:00 Democracy is better than none - All the versions34:00 American exceptionalism - A melting pot of smart39:00 The grocery store model of democracy - The Russia Ukraine relationship - guns over diplomates41:00 State your case for communism - Make Ukraine a deal45:00 Trying to retract our military presence - expanding diplomacy50:00 tricky dicky Belarus - They're pawns not illegal 55:00 Not every Democracy is not inclusionary Public Access America Sunday A.M #LiveStream Noon Eastern 9 A.M Pacific 11 A.M Centralhttps://youtu.be/PgQ38hm8_EsApple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/public-access-america/id1118000423?i=1000515737702@Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/589U8kzclmVd3Ny3Dyh3t2?si=q5AWhmzSRX23_AL4mI8Jpg@Stitcherhttps://www.stitcher.com/show/public-access-america@RadioPublichttps://radiopublic.com/public-access-america-WPD3XR@AmazonMusichttps://music.amazon.com/podcasts/36eeac72-@RedCirclehttps://redcircle.com/shows/public-access-americaSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/public-access-america/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Battleships, warplanes, brinkmanship, and geopolitics on the high seas. What actually happened when Britain's HMS Defender sailed from the Ukrainian port of Odessa to the Georgian port of Batumi? How did what appears to have been a routine mission to assert navigation rights in the Black Sea escalate into a military and diplomatic incident between Russia and the West? With Russia and NATO conducting dueling naval exercises in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Seas tensions are rising. On this week's Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks to military analyst Michael Kofman of the CNA Corporation about what it all means. Enjoy…

A new episode

Yacht crew, Pete Clapp and Nikki Payne, are in lockdown, looking after a Gunboat 66 catamaran that they run for a private owner. The owner is locked down in Australia and the Gunboat is in New Zealand. The pair of intrepid charmers are doing their best to stay sane whilst chillaxing and maintaining their beautiful floating home. Things are looking good in Australasia at the moment as the absolute luck of being the last part of the world to be stricken with the Corona virus meant that the authorities in both countries were able to watch what worked elsewhere and apply it to their own situations. Soon they may create a new South Pacific Bubble of the two countries and perhaps a couple of Pacific Island groups into a free-travel zone that would exclude citizens of Outside the Bubble--though I'm sure a few billionaires are revving their Gulfstreams in the hope of getting to their hideaways in Kiwiland before the rest of the world devolves into snarling dystopian devilry. But we'll find out soon.....

Video 66 in the series "A History of the Navy in 100 Objects" presented by the United States Naval Academy. This is about the the ship model.

Video 58 in the series "A History of the Navy in 100 Objects" presented by the United States Naval Academy. This is about the USS Panay Incident.

    In this episode, we feature our trip to the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD.  We have some more adventure sailing news and our products of the week will help you keep your boat fresh and mold free. Intro Chat We are back after an extended break from doing the podcast.  We have been very busy with work, travel and a couple big life events. After we got back from the Annapolis show, we decided to fit in a week long sailing trip in the Florida Keys before year end.  We had a blast and we will feature that trip on a future show. I was able to fix our broken throttle cable on our MacGregor 26M with a  50hp Honda engine.  It was not too difficult, the trickiest part was getting the throttle control out and back in the pedestal as it was a very tight fit.   Here is the cable I bought that has a 4" minimum bend radius to help avoid the wear that happened to the old cable from raising the engine all the way up.  I bought a 12ft cable, but it ended up being a little long and I think 11ft would have worked a little better. We also decided recently to buy a new house!  We found a place with a half acre lot so that we can keep our boat at the house instead of a local storage lot.  We will move in late December. Steve also decided he was not busy enough so he started to build his first boat.  It will hopefully be a Storer Quick Canoe that he hopes to turn into a sailing canoe and possibly a sailing trimaran. Check out these great sailing documentaries we watched recently, both are free to watch.  The first is Chasing Bubbles about a young sailor Alex Rust and his circumnavigation.  If you watch it, please give some support to his charity, it is great karma to support something that gives you enjoyment for free.  The second documentary is about App Applegate and his building of an 80 foot sailboat in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. The password is on the screen, FreeRoam.  Both are great. We imagine that most sailors in the northern climates have put their boats in storage for the winter so we will do our best to get you through the winter with some interesting sailing and cruising interviews and podcasts. Our Trip to the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis We attended the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis October 6th-10th, 2016.  It is a great show with a very large selection of boats and vendors. We nearly cancelled the trip due to Hurricane Matthew targeting Florida as we were nervous about being away from the house during the storm.  It turned out that the storm stayed far enough off the Florida coast to avoid any damage in Orlando and the weather in Annapolis was great Thursday and Friday.  It rained all day Saturday and was overcast and windy on Sunday, but we still had a great trip. We got the chance to meet Paul and Sheryl Shard of the Distant Shores video series.   They are in the process of building a Discovery 48 that will have a lifting keel similar to their last boat a Southerly 49.   Keep their awesome sailing / cruising  videos in mind for Christmas gifts, they are great to watch and fuel your cruising dreams. We will eventually release a YouTube video on our visit to the Annapolis show, but for now we will share some links to the boats we thought were unique. Catalina 385 & 425 Pair of Jeanneau 54s different layouts, Jeanneau 58 new boat of 2017 dinghy dock under cockpit. Amel 55, awesome boat Gozzard 41, beautiful light blue hull, high quality woodwork, unique layout living room salon layout in vberth area. Southerly 57, made famous by distant shores, went out of business, but back in production. Lifting keel, 10ft9in down, 3ft6in up. Wauquiez 48 pilot saloon. Brandy did not like this one, strange layout and orange leather seats.  Very modern look and feel, would fit in well in Miami Beach Solaris 50 – James Bond grey, sleek low deck. Allures 45 and Garcia Exploration 45 – Jimmy Cornell owns a Garcia 45, aluminum, lifting keel, super tough boat. Dragonfly trimarans – 32 and 28ft. Similar to our boat but as a multi-hull and much faster! Probably sails faster than we can motor. Outbound 46 – ultimate monohull cruising boat, very high quality. Halberg-Rassey 372 and 40 MK II great cruising boats very comfortable. Passport 470 – Brandys favorite monohull for our needs. Center cockpit. Gunfleet 58 – fancy cruising, lifting keel, draft 12ft down, 6ft up Want a smaller boat but still have lots of money to spend – Alerion 33 express, beautiful boat, about as much room as our Macgregor 25 had below. Beautiful day sailer. Ventura 23 sport boat concept – similar to our Macgregor 26 Rhodes 22 – well built trailer sailor, but like the comfort of our boat better.   The Fleet Reserve Club became the official meeting spot for The Sailing Rode. Great patio upstairs with a view of the whole show. Run by retired military volunteers, usually just open to military, but open to public during the show. Got to know Pat, Charlie and the rest of the guys well through out the show. Met up with listeners each day at the show. Some just starting to sail who we could offer advice and some that have a lot of sailing experience who gave us great advice. The Chesapeake Light Craft teardrop camper was really cool.  Check out all their boat kits.     Andy Schell's swan 48, 59 north offshore adventures, On the Wind podcast. Great position at front of Ego alley, they barely fit boat due to the 8ft draft. Outremer 51 catamaran – The is same brand that Sailing la Vagabonde will be getting in 2017, great boat, fast and comfortable cruiser,  we think Riley and Elayna will be very happy with their new boat. Bali catamarans – garage door / open floorplan Gunboat 57 – simply awesome, very modern but still comfortable Get together with other sailing podcasters and youtubers, Jeffrey Wetting – Shooting the Breeze podcast, Teddy J from Sail Loot podcast, Kamau from iandiboats YouTube, and Vince from Sailing Nervous YouTube.  We coined it The first Sailing Multimedia Creators summit, or something like that. It was great to meet everyone.  Check out their content and give them some support. Vendors – great selection, we bought some Kent / Onxy PFDs, with integrated harnesses. Around $100 & new Maui Jim sunglasses for Brandy and Costa sunglasses for Steve. Brandy also bought a beautiful compass rose necklace from Maggie Lee Designs.  Maggie has a lot of nautical jewelry that would make great Christmas gifts.   Caught up with Greg Kutson, owner of Mantus Anchors, we gushed about how much we love our Mantus anchor that we bought last December. Greg showed us his newest products a portable scuba system and a waterproof rechargeable head light. We got to meet the US Olympic sailing team medalists!   We also had some great food while were were in the Annapolis / Baltimore area.  Check these places out if you are nearby  - Willys Kitchen near Baltimore airport had the best breakfast we have ever had! VIN909 Wine Cafe has great local sourced ingredients and is just over the bridge from the show. The Iron Rooster just outside the show entrance had great homey cooking with interesting recipes.  Davis' Pub great socializing with other sailors and good food too – all these places are amazing. We also enjoyed a few painkillers at Pussers, very tasty. We had late flight home on Sunday so we decided to take a sail on the Schooner Woodwind that morning,  We signed up Saturday afternoon and was told it would be Sporty on Sunday.  It was overcast and 15-20kn winds, I took a turn at the wheel, and we had a great sail!  Captain Jen and her crew were fun and did a great job.     Sailing / Cruising News Sailor, 74, sets sights on being oldest to sail solo non-stop around world WA yachting legend Jon Sanders sets sail on final circumnavigation of globe Matt Kent plans to set world record for smallest boat to cross the Atlantic Ocean Lindsey Lohan lost part of finger in boating accident Products of the Week Kanberra Odor and Mold prevention Gel Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag  We recently bought these two products to prevent mold, mildew and orders on our boat.  They were recommended by sailing friends and have great ratings on Amazon.   Amazon Store Please use our Amazon Affiliate links below for anything you buy on Amazon or look at over 90 items we have in our TSR Amazon store.  We use all the items on our boat and include notes of why we like them.  We also added over 40 sailing and cruising books we recommend.  You pay the same low Amazon price and we get a small commission. USA Amazon Store Canada Amazon Store UK Amazon Store France Amazon Store Germany Amazon Store Spain Amazon Store Italy Amazon Store Please help us Support Podcast We need your help to spread the word about the Podcast.  Please share the podcast with your sailing & cruising friends and ask them to subscribe on iTunes, stitcher, or Google Play Music.  You can send them these links: iPhone iTunes link Android Stitcher link Google Play Music link It also helps when you share the podcast links on social media and sailing forums. Please like or follow us on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram  We will follow you too! Remember to tag your Instagram sailing related pictures with #thesailingrode Send us your feedback on the show and any show topic ideas to Crew@TheSailingRode.com Patreon If you enjoy the podcast, you can support us on our Patreon site and get some special rewards. Check it out at this link: https://www.patreon.com/TheSailingRode How it works:  Patreon is designed for you to support your favorite content creators.  You can support our podcast creations by signing up for various levels of support.  You can set a maximum monthly amount so if we release a lot of podcasts in one month, you still only pay your maximum amount.  In return, you get some rewards for your support.  It is kind of like giving us a tip or buying us a drink after a good show. Thanks for listening and all your support!  We wish you fair winds and hope to see you on the water soon. –  Steve & Brandy The Sailing Rode / The Sailing Road

Video 10 in the series "A History of the Navy in 100 Objects" presented by the United States Naval Academy. This is discusses a turreted gunboat model designed by Commodore Preble.