A war most Americans never hear about just broke a grim record: 111 U.S. airstrikes in Somalia this year. We open by mapping how a post‑9/11 intervention hardened into a permanent battlefield, why the targets now include both al‑Shabaab and an ISIS affiliate, and how secrecy shields civilian casualties and strategic drift. Dave DeCamp explains the feedback loop of raids, retaliations, and local blowback that makes “victory” a slogan rather than a plan, and why honest casualty reporting and oversight are essential if we’re serious about ending forever wars.
From East Africa, we pivot to the Caribbean, where Washington just seized a Venezuelan tanker reportedly bound for Cuba. The counternarcotics narrative collapses under scrutiny—most cocaine transiting Venezuela sails out to Europe—yet maritime interdictions are expanding anyway. We dig into the politics: oil calculations, a Florida hardline led by Marco Rubio, and the temptation to turn sanctions into a de facto naval blockade that punishes civilians while dodging a coherent endgame. If strikes come next, they won’t be about “drug boats” so much as regime pressure, with all the familiar risks of escalation without a landing zone.
Ukraine rounds out the hour. Competing “peace plans” are multiplying—28 points, then 19, now a touted 20—while core sticking points remain unchanged: territory, NATO guarantees, and financing. Zelensky’s sudden openness to holding elections within 60 to 90 days reads as a response to mounting U.S. pressure, but funding, security, and political will could still stall progress. We ask the hard question: if the White House wants the war to end, why hasn’t it used its leverage to push for a realistic settlement, rather than chasing maximalist aims that prolong the fight?
This is a clear‑eyed tour through Somalia’s hidden war, Venezuela’s risky maritime gambit, and Ukraine’s muddled diplomacy—three flashpoints linked by one thread: policy that moves faster than public debate. If you want fewer surprises and fewer forever wars, tune in, share this with a friend, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.
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Published on 4 days, 22 hours ago
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