Hey, everybody, welcome to another episode of IS on Geopolitics. I'm here today with mc mulroy, Jason Lyons, I'm Dimitric Tacos. Thanks for joining us. To us a favor like subscribe. If you're listening to us on audio, click click five stars. Tell your friend about it, you know what I mean, Do what you can. What's up, guys? Happy Mother's Day to everybody.
Same, Make sure you call your mom.
Call your mom, Yeah, definitely don't.
Don't.
Don't waste them in it. Do it right now, Pause this right now and call your mom.
Absolutely so.
A lot happening as usual, First and foremost back and forth with Indian Pakistan. It was announced yesterday that there was a ceasefire, and then a couple hours later there was a bit of an exchange of fire between Indian Pakistan. But let's kick off with the ceasfire and what it looks like. Mick, what what are you tracking with that?
Well, obviously the cease far is a good thing for everybody. Right, you got two major powers, both nuclear equipped, everybody. You want to see this de escalate, not escalate, to state the obvious. The fact that the US played a role I think is great, you know. I mean it was a little mixed messages. You know, this wasn't US concerned, and then there's ceasefire. Now we're kind of taking credit for the ceasfire. It's like, Okay, I guess it was good concern, but you know, other than that, I think
it's a good thing. The US has relationships with both India and Pakistan, so a lot of countries had good relationships with one or the other, but not both. So that's why I think the US was critical. And this hats off the Secretary of Rubio and his team for
the role they played in getting this. But I do think both sides were looking for an offer, right because it's like, I'm sure everybody's you know, General staff is sitting around going how does this end if it's not, you know, an immediate seaspire, because if it's tick for tack until ground forces are involved, there's an issue. You know. I think sometimes we talk too much about doctrine, like it can't be changed. But the Indian doctrine is a
no first use, so they won't use it first. The Pakistani doctrine doesn't have that, so they can use it first, and they've already decided that and they don't consider like Russia, they don't consider tackle nukes to be nukes really, but most countries would if you had a tackle nuke laub that you so under their doctrine. Pakistan, if if their armies loses a key position, they can use a tactle nuclear weapon. So that could have been the triggering for
an escalation to a full knowrategic level nuclear war. So that that was the biggest concern I think for everybody. And you know, we were just talking about before we came on air, Jay should let fill us in on this. There's still been stuff, but ultimately, if it holds long term good thing, perhaps this would be a time to transition into long term negotiations with the US leading in
because they still haven't. You know, the Indus River Treaty is still old, there's still no diplomatic presence in each country. I think airspace is still there's still stuff that needs to be done other than there's not shooting at each other.
Yeah, I agree, that's the key is you know, great, we got this short term ceasefire, but when we need to now start working on the long term, I think it would be a mistake for our administration to say, Okay, we got the ceasefire. Now we can let you guys handle it all. Not that they're not capable, but it's like when kids are fighting, when everybody's hot headed, nobody wants to, you know, talk it out until somebody's in a neutral party and is able to calmer heads prevail.
So I'm hoping that we will stay in for the long run. It's uh, there's some pretty significant events that happened in the short this short conflict, one of which, if the rumors are true about the aircraft that were shot down and things like that, this would be the largest air battle between two countries in since I believe it was Vietnam. So the rumors are that, you know, I think it was eight Indian aircraft were shot down and a couple of Pakistani ones. The big thing being
that in Chinese made. I think it's a J twenty I believe if that's correct, J ten. J ten shot down a Raphael, a French made Rafael on the Indian side, which is pretty significant because that's a first I believe
combat loss of a rufl. If it's all true, I know that there's been a lot of misinformation, disinformation some of the videos that were being shown in the initial stages of the conflict were actually videos shipped from Gaza from a year or two ago, things like that, and then wreckage that was shown was purported to be from a different conflict, So we don't know exactly what's what. I don't believe, and Mick, maybe you can refute or
say that this is true. There's not a big Western media presence in that area to report on this stuff, so we're basically going by whatever side is talking first.
So I think that's fair. I've seen very few Western media reporting, some CNN, but it seems like they're out in Kashmere. But right now Kashmir is essentially a no go zone for anybody, So I think you're right having to rely on a lot of reports that could be seriously biased based on you know, where they're coming from.
Absolutely, and I'm sure that US and other Western intelligences, if they're not in the region already, which I'm sure there are, are trying to get into the region. But that's still stuff. SOT has to be vetted, whatever information comes out and then scrubbed if it's going to get leaked to the press. You know about what is known.
So I think for now we're just gonna have to rely on, you know, both sides, and to be honest with the probably the most truthful reporting would be from the average citizen tweeting on X, Hey I'm here and this is what I'm seeing kind of stuff.
So mm hmmm. Yeah, you can validate where the person was when they shot at yep.
Absolutely, and the that the ceasefire supposed violations. There was a an explosion. There were explosions reported in Shrinegar, the Cernagard region, and but nobody's been allowed to report from there, so we can verify that.
So yeah, okay, well let's hope it holds.
Yeah, definitely a little bit more on the aviation side, if it's true that they did down a rafile, it's the first time the Peel fifteen air to air missile that's a Chinese missile has been used in combat and has shot down. And it's the export variant too, so it's not even the variant that like China actually has on their fighters and stuff like. That's a medium to long range air to air missile that out that for
all intensive purposes, does outrange our aim one twenties. I mean, we're still waiting for the aim to sixty that's supposed to like you know, beat everybody. But that's been in development for like the last few years and we still haven't seen it on a picture like on a plane or anything.
So and it's oh, go ahead.
I think the French validated that it was shut down, right.
I believe so, I think the Rafel, Yeah, but they mentioned that they said that they shot down way more of them, and they said they also shot down to suey.
Nine as well. Yeah.
Yeah, but the the Rafel, I've seen pictures of like the tail number and stuff like that. I've seen the pictures of the actual PL fifteen supposedly, but I would the thing that I'm questioning about that wouldn't the PL fifteen explode like that?
They had one almost completely intact, yeah.
Just like they have a fragmentation warheads.
So yeah, would probably.
Yeah.
There was also a picture of like the PL fifteen's like uh acer radar and stuff like that, their own like little seeker and stuff that was like relatively intact, and I would think, like, isn't that going headlong like into a plane that's exploding?
Like I don't know how most of the time they're proximity. So is it when it gets to a certain ranger within the aircraft it'll go off. So maybe, you know, maybe parts may have ve it, But.
So aviation, like the aviation world is like, I'll like spinning off because of this.
Now I'm sure.
Alex Hollins is locked in a room somewhere right now.
Oh yeah.
And what's crazy is I mean, it sucks because it's loss of life, but this is a good quote unquote good battlefield laboratory for us and for the Chinese and for the Russians because we're letting someone else take the heat and while we sit back and you know, hey, that worked, you know, and the Chinese are like, okay, that works. So it's it's a benefit, but it's not necessarily a great one.
But yeah, well that's a good point, Jay, because there's a lot of conflicts going around in the world right now. I think we're trying to end them the best we can, but we need to get the lessons learned from them, because the other way to get those lessons is to be involved in conflicts. So you might as well take the opportunity to learn from others. That's that's where the real smarts come at.
Absolutely, I wonder there's a US taking serious like the uh, the level of drone warfare that's been going on, like especially in Ukraine and stuff like that, like where we're going to like develop our own whether it's the defensive or or offensive drones to like I think, God.
Yeah, I think we're heavily involved in those for one, to support for example, for the Ukrainians, but also because we're smart enough to say this is the future of warfare. It's happening right in front of it. It's not just happening, it's involving right in front of us, right there, right now. And the you know, warfare is the mother of all necessity, and necessity is a mother of all invention. Right, So I think we're we need to be taken all of this and maybe that's part of the things we get
out of supporting Ukraine. It's not just you know, these raw earth materials, it's we want to have all of the you know, intellectual property that comes out of what are you doing with drone warfare? And because we don't want it just to be out there for everybody, because this is they've proven to take very inexpensive oftentimes commercial off the shelf material and lethalize it to a point of it's just staggering. Yeah, and that can be spread
quickly to our adversary, so we need to control it. Yeah.
Yeah, I believe Raytheon it might be raith On, one of the Primes, was testing out an anti drone kind of I don't want to call it artillery because I don't think they shoot actual projectiles. I think it's more like electromagnetic. But they've been testing it and they've they've started production on it, like for for us and I'm assuming probably Ukraine as well.
That's defensive.
We also had a great former guest on Teamhouse and Eyes On, Chad McCoy, former twenty fourth Sts operator, who is the CTO and founder of Firestorm Labs, which is a drone company. I think they just signed a big deal with the DoD and stuff to develop like drone stuff for them.
Yeah.
It's pretty interesting how it's involved because it's artillery and it's also drones. It's like old school and like new stuff. Yeah, all mixed in one area. Like, it's pretty interesting to like see play.
Out, and I think something that we would be smart to do if we're not already doing it, and I would think we would, but would be to have a mini operation paper clip type thing where we take some of the battlefield tested drone operators and designers from Ukraine, bring them here and say what works, what doesn't help us with this? And I'm sure that in some way
we're doing that already. I mean we have, you know, we've bought some of their fighter pilots over here to train them, you know, fly the F sixteen, things like that. It wouldn't take much to get some of them over here to help us with our development.
Yeah, there's actually they call it tech Rodeo. It's down in Sheridan, Montana, this place called Granite Creek. It's a giant ranch. We went, me and Eric Ah, Eric my business partner, went. I think it was like five years ago and it was maybe, I don't know, thirty five forty people. Apparently, now it's it's way bigger and they are it is a drone, counter drone, air ground ground drone dogs going into mine shafts. I mean, it's apparently it's insane now. It's just it is just exploded and
they use it as one. It's so far out there that there's no concern when it comes to like the clearances for the drones to fly and out of sight and all this other stuff. So that's why it's there. But we plan on going back this year, and we're here. It's just packed and it's to be able to test your drone against counter drone technology and all that stuff. So it's a competition. It's a lot of fun, I suppose. So we're heading down there. It should be something interesting to see.
Nice.
Oh yeah, I just wanted to. There was a report I believe by CNN, I can't remember, don't quote me, But the reason why the Trump administration got involved with India Pakistan is because on Friday night they got alarming intelligence that kind of made them like just put the foot on the gas and started talking with Indian Pakistan and engaging us at least moving them towards the sea,
towards a ceasefire. The funny thing was like Secretary of Rubio posted something about it where like Dave agreed to do further talks and the Indian, uh, the Indian if I believe, Foreign Minister said yeah, no, we haven't agreed to talk. The ceasefire is yes, but we talks, we have not agreed to yet.
Right, and that's needed to actually resolve the sort of situation. Right, Yeah, yeah, that's how intelligence plays a big part.
What do you think they heard like they're putting nukes in command and control, like on command and control into like generals or kernels whatever, like strapping nukes to like artillery, because that's scary.
I mean it's just speculation. But something to be that concerned about would be repositioning nuclear voice, even tactical ones. Yeah right, I mean a tactical one they say it obviously has yes, less yield, so that's how they distinguished the two. But people here in nuclear you shot a nuclear or anything at somebody else, it's you know, stand by, yeah right, Uh, escalation is going to happen pretty quickly.
Mm hmm.
I don't know.
I assume India has tactical nuclear weapons. If they don't, then they're going and respond with what they have, which is like high yield, and then there you go.
I mean you got to assume in the it's got tactical nukes, right if they know Pakistan does, right, Yeah.
They actually have a new the whole nuclear triad. They have sea land obviously in air launched, so they're way more sophisticated nuclear in the military than Pakistan. But yeah, I mean we did a study we had to do. Me and Eric did a talk on it. So we looked at all the stuff on a limited exchange between India and Pakistan on a nuclear front. It's like catastrophic crown. Yeah, yeah, I mean, it's way way more impactful than you think.
Yeah.
You know, it's like the global temperature drops three degrees. It doesn't sound like too much, but it is, and like crop productions plummets, people start starving, melts down, and it's it's it sounds hyperbolic, but every everywhere we looked and then validated, people are like, oh, yeah, that's what's gonna I mean, it's just so it's not just going to be Wow, it sucks to be over in any of Pakistan's or here it comes, it's just a wave.
You know, it's going to get dark, dim, cold, produce goes way down.
Yeah.
Louis Reeda mentioned it, and when we had a mom Me and Jack on aizon that they did like models that if Indian Pakistan used twenty five percent of their arsenal against each other, these things would happen, and it would affect the United States in terms of crops, millions of people, Like millions of people die in the United States, right like because we think, oh, Indian Pakistan, it's you know, ten thousand miles away or whatever, like we don't even
think about it, like, oh, it won't nothing will affect us, but it most obviously certainly would. Yeah, hopefully they do bring them both back from the brink and cooler heads prevail and we can start worrying about you know, other stuff.
All right, As it's Jack, I just want to talk to you for a moment about how you can support the show. If you've been watching it, enjoying it, but you'd like to get a little bit more involved and help us continue to do this. You can check out our Patreon It is patreon dot com slash the Teamhouse, and for five dollars a month you can get access to all of these episodes of The Teamhouse ad free.
The same goes with.
Our affiliated podcast eyes On with Andy Milburn, Jason Lyons mcmulroy that one you will also get all of those episodes ad free, and you support the channel and the show, and we really appreciate it. The Patreon members are literally what has helped this company, this small business survive, especially during our early years, and you are what continues to help this thing going even as we navigate the turbulent world of YouTube advertising.
So we really appreciate all of you guys.
There's going to be a link down in the description to that Patreon page, and there is also going to be a link to our new merch shop, so if you guys want to go and get some Teamhouse merchandise. We got stickers and we also have patches, and I should mention if you sign up for Patreon at ten dollars a month, we will mail you this patch as well, so we really appreciate that. But they're also for sale
on the merch shop. And additionally, they got t shirts up there, water bottles, a tote bag, coffee mugs, all that good stuff, So please go and check them out and support the show.
We really appreciate it, guys. Thank you.
Interesting what happened last night one am local time in Moscow. President Putlin had an address to the country and the basic measle scent of the address was that he wants to cease fire is open to talking to the Ukrainians more bilaterally rather than with the US, or I guess having the US there, but you know, more face to face with the Ukrainians instead of having like the mediator that runs in from one room to the other like
we've been seeing with the Iran talks. I just being the cynical person that I am, is gonna say I feel like that's bullshit and like anything that Putin said, I mean, I'm sure he wants to cease far because his army is in a meat grinder.
But uh, you know, I can't. You can't. I don't know if you can really trust exactly what Putin says.
M you cannot, Yeah, trust what Putin says. I think it's if looking at it as a positive, it shows he's getting pressure, right, he sees Now it's not just the US who seems to have shifted their position on this whole thing, particularly after the signing of the Investment Fund agreement, and now looks like and we've turned back on military aid and potentially we might increase it, which
we should absolutely hundred percent. And now they have this coalition of the willing in Europe, Germany, France, UK and Poland. Essentially saying times up, agree to a cease fire without any conditions, or they're going to impose additional sanctions. So that's what Putin understands strength, right he does. Yeah, you can kiss up to him and say all these great things about him and thanks for the lovely painting and all that stuff. None of that stuff matters to him.
It's it's just a way to manipulate people. But when he hears oh, man, so secondary sanctions would cut off potentially Indian China for buying my oil. That's going to hurt, right that, Oh, the three hundred and twenty five billion dollars worth of your Russian funding, that's certain in Brussels they're going to start giving away thirty billion dollars at a time to Ukraine. That's going to hurt. This is what needs to happen, not threatened. I mean he he
either like they should have a deadline. We I think President Zelensky just said like Monday, So like you agree by Monday to a thirty day unconditional or these things need to happen, and that's the only consequences he gets. That's why he got up at one in the morning. He wanted to throw something out there. Oh okay, maybe he really wants to do this, and then two weeks later it'll be like, oh, it never happened, or he'll declare a unilaterals he's fired.
Than violate it.
It's got to be you know, it doesn't have to be thirty days, but I think thirty days is what we should require. That's when negotiations start. Yeah, it's really hard to negotiate when you're fighting because anything could happen that we'll just completely rupture the discussion. So I think the US and Europe are coming together, which is a positive, and we need to actually do what we say we're going to do if you want to get this into meaningful negotiations.
Yeah, agreed.
It's long past time and everybody, at least on one side wants to see it stop, and I'm sure that the Russian people want to see it stop. But I think there has to be Like you said, there has to be consequences. Again, I hate using the child metaphor, but if that's what you're dealing with, Like with a child, you can say all you want. If you don't stop, you're gonna go to your room room. You know you're not eating dinner whatever. But until you actually do it,
it's not gonna mean anything. And just like a child, Putin will push his limits as far as they can go, as long as you allow it, until you don't allow it anymore, you know. And if that means we have to lose a little face, well, and by we, I say the administration has to lose a little face after we've big uped him all these years, months, whatever, and do a onet eighty and say, you know, smack the hand. Well, then that's what we have to do, because there's lives at stake here.
Yeah, well said, hopefully something does happen. I mean, I don't believe a fucking word from any Russian like and the trippiest one is Medvedev.
He's a fucking lunatic. He just tweets out crazy shit.
And it was so funny during the Obama administration when Medvedev was the president in Putin was taking you know, the president, but the actually prime minister.
Like there was like, oh there's a reset.
There's like a kind of like yeah, and this guy's actual kuck bird, he's out of his fucking mind. Yeah yeah, which, like Andy, I remember before when I've mentioned it, said like he was probably full of shit the whole time, you know what I mean, he was probably just playing the fucking role the whole entire time. And you know, this is who he really is, like an absolute savage warmonger. I don't know why they haven't done the three hundred
and twenty five bill yet. I mean, you know, at least like trickle it out, like drip it out and like, yo, this is gonna happen, and the clock's ticking and the money's going directly to Ukraine for arms, and they're gonna keep killing your soldiers, making you look like the paper targety you look like for the last three years. You know, it's like it's whoever said Russia is literally an oil field with nuclear weapons or a gas station with nuclear weapons is not wrong?
Like that's the.
Exact perfect way. John mckaye shout out rest in peace. I mean, it's not that, it's you can't even describe it better than that.
Ah.
So anyway, last bit of news.
Iran in the United States just wrapped up their fourth meeting in Oman today. No parent breakthrough in a public standoff over enrichment, but both sides confirming plans for future negotiations. I think it's a good thing that we keep negotiating for sure. What do you guys, what do you guys got on that?
Well, I agree with the negotiations are always good. I mean, it doesn't mean that you can't take action if they fall apart. But if you're not negotiating, then there's really no diplomatic path for so I think the US the issue of the US faces and there's a lot of internal disagreement on this is are we willing to accept something that is essentially twenty fifty jcpoway that there was
problems with that agreement. The biggest problem was it didn't address proxy force support by the Iranians as Malahamas boothies and now we can see, you know what those groups have been up to, causing complete chaos in the Middle East. It didn't address ballistic missiles, which obviously if you they keep working on ballistic missiles where they can deliver a warhead, right, and there was some question on whether we actually knew
what they were doing completely. But that's the negative. The positive is it did keep them at three point sixty seven percent enrichment, right, so that's far away from a nuclear weapon at sixty percent now, so you can do the math on how much more that is, and you only need to get to ninety and apparently to go from sixty to ninety, it's very quick, like a week's
or two weeks. So the question now is are we going to be complete hardliners, of which the Uranians won't agree to any kind of new agreement and we will essentially go back to the track where we'll likely take a military strike. President Trump said that numerous times. Unless he's bluffing, that's potential, that's a potential action. It really needs us to be successful. Israel might do it themselves.
The issues that are going to be sticking points, of course, or in addition to proxies and ballistic missiles, are they allowed to enrich their own uranium, even for what they're calling civilian nuclear power. It's Secretary Rubio has made it clear now though there was an issue or a confusion before, that they won't be allowed to do that. They will have to import it from Russia, I suppose, or some other country and then use it for energy if they're
not unwilling. And we'll find out soon because there's I think the deadline is still the two month deadline is still tacking. So if there's not an agreement, or at least something that's going iron clad toward an agreement, then
we'll start looking at military options. And I think once this trip that we talked about earlier is complete, and if there's no solid progression, then we should all be looking at whether this is going to end up with a military strike on Naton's and for now and all these key places that we know are instrumental and nuclear weapons productions.
Ah jeez, I mean we have to concede some stuff like they do because I feel like no enrichment in country, proxy forces, ballistic missiles.
Like they're not going for that. I mean, who would go for that? Really?
Even if you want to make a deal like you, I know that they see Israel as in that you know their their threat, the threat and stuff like that. I mean, if you can get jack POA with proxy forces, I feel like that's a win. At least overt stuff. They're always going to be covert. We know that you were in the business, Mith, like, let's be fucking real.
But if you can get some kind of like that where like the at least the the what's the the uai A like the whatever the yeah, yeah, sorry, you could go in and there's like actual stringent protocols where like they could tell what's what and then monitoring is legit. I feel like that's a win man. I feel like because game it out right. Let's say we bomb them and we use our big boy bonker busters and they we set them back three to six months. They're not
going to dig deeper and like get one done. I know if I'm them, I would yeah.
And the other thing is to play up the advantages for them, Like if they do this, I mean, sanctions, all the sanctions that they've been under for years and years come off. They're a very advanced, modern, sophisticated population country. I think they would do really well on the global economic stage, Like if you just get them to understand and it's the regime, right, So it's not the Iranian people.
It's like, so it's really that much worth it to fund groups like Hezbola that cause war rather than you know, dramatically increase the standard of living for every Iranian that's really worth it. You know, maybe the Iranian people start
to need to start putting pressure on these folks. It's because how the hell is that in the interest of the Iranian people to stay completely muzzled economically, just so they can fund some assholes that you know, the whole purpose in life is to attack Israel until they piss them off on us and then the in issuel comes and stops them into the ground, like happened you know, against Heslo for example. Like that's that I hope, and
I have no idea I would bring it up. I hope there is a concerted influence campaign inside Iran to really point to the Iranian people like this, now is the chance that the Uranian regime, your regime, your government could do great by the Iranian people and agree with many of the things that are very reasonable in the United States. And I mean there reason we talk about if they agree that the US is going to have some kind of trade agreement with or on which could
be hugely beneficial to them. So yeah, anyway, yeah, I think I hope they talk more about that. Sorry, jeah no, No, I agree with everything you just said. And I think this is President Trump's chance to be He likes to take credit for the things.
You know, the positive things, which is fine whatever, you know, it's gonna be pay but it's fine, but this is I believe his opportunity to take real credit for something positive by being the by appealing to the people. Because the regime knows, I mean, the thought of a revolution is right here in their ear. It's always in the
back of their mind. So if they allow it to get to the point where, whether it's US or Israel, or US and Israel that hit them, the devastation that could be brought by that, that could be enough to spark another revolution. And I think if President Trump appeals to them the positives that you said, Mike, you know, possible trade, clean energy, you know, a boosted economy. If he can appeal to those things, I think that might
be enough pressure. Along with the thought of hey, these people might rise up against us, might be enough to get this thing done. Going with what D said, I don't I don't also don't believe that we're going to get everything that we want. I don't believe our ballistic missiles will be off the table. I don't believe. I do believe proxies would be off the table, But temporarily I think they'll be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, put it in their back pocket to use later on. And I
also don't believe. I don't believe that they will. I think the biggest thing will be that they shut down their program completely, like nuclear power completely or nuclear energy, I should say completely. So I think if we can lock down even temporarily, taking proxies off the board and limiting their production to civilian use as well as monitoring strict monitoring, I think that's a big win. So, you know, I think this is the President's chance to shine if he does it right.
Absolutely, the first agreement was a monitoring pretty stringent and like on the level as far as you know, Nick, far.
As I know, yes, I mean you don't know what you don't know, so you see the ports of secret facilities, but certainly it have to be you know, the International Atomic Energy Agency needs to have full access. I mean these are things that I think the technical experts would know of how we can be competent that they're not going toward a nuclear weapon. And then you know, if
they're seemingly if they're integrated with the international economy. Again, why were they all yeah, I man, like they're I know, like a lot of these regimes, they like like the Huthis themselves, right, they exist to hate another country, right, that's with the you know, the Ayatola and the whole movement. It just seems like it would get pretty damn old to have a revolution that lasted for three four decades and they don't focus at all on the plight of
the people, you know. So I think we should publicly I think that the administration should be talking about the benefits to the Iranian people, not necessarily have like regime change, but it's called you know, basically the people that live there influencing the people that supposedly govern them to like, why wouldn't we agree to this? Why is it Ron's interest to go around being the pariah of the world and you know, causing all these groups that do nothing
but fight and kill people and their terrorist organizations. How is that the benefit of the Iranian people? It is not, it's not, so I think just not manipulate them, but just state the facts and explain that the positive consequences. I would hope that that's part of part of our plan to get them to an agreement.
I mean, do you think the regime just doesn't give a shit about you know, making more money, making the country more prosperous and.
Well, I mean the funny thing about you know, every country you go to that has a major conflict or has these huge sanctions because their prize, the people that govern and are still rich. Right, Yeah, it's like how the you know, yea, So do they personally care? Apparently not, because that's where we are we are. But I do think there's been a lot of pressure recently put on the regime, real legitimate internal organic, you know, just total
dissatisfaction with the regime. And that's what they know now. But if if the Trump administration and quite frankly, the Europeans and everybody else that's involved in this, because remember the JCPOA was also included, well included Russia, China, Germany, and France, right the United States, it's p five plus one, so Germany. I think maybe somebody could correct me if I'm wrong on that. But everybody should be talking about, like, this is the benefit the Iranian people, this happens, Yes,
your standard of living? Could you even show a projected trajectory on that your educational system can go up? Of course, so that what's happened when your economic system because in the positive directions, So I think they should be talking a lot about that and most of what we see is just the internal debate on what they can and can't have. And I think that's a valid those debates, but we should be talking about the positive much more.
Yeah.
I also think a positive of at least getting monitors in there would be it would might give Israel pause about military action because now you're talking about possibly killing you know, international monitors. So I think, you know, we have to at least get one of those things in there, solidified in lockdown, you know. And I think the monitor and the agreement that it would be you know, for civilian use only are two of the big things.
I'm very cynical, and I mean, it doesn't seem like that Israel really cares about smoking international Yeah, workers of any kind. Uh gonna be honest, But that's for another day. I hope they do make a deal because it makes sense. I mean you, I mean, I'm sure they're smart people gaming it out at the O, d n C. I A like, what happens if we do make a deal but Israel still fucking hits them?
What is deal's gone?
Yeah?
I don't know.
It sounds like a nightmare and I'm glad I don't have that job. Podcasting is enough. Yeah, just talking about it is stressful enough for me.
One more thing.
Trump's doing a Middle Eastern tour this week, heading towards making all the itinerary.
I think it's ri Odd first, then Alba Dab in the Emirates, so Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, and then Guitar Doha is what I'm hearing. Interesting things apart, Well, it's important for people to know we have a lot of military assets in these regions and they're there at the you know, posted by these countries. So Allo Daid for example in Qatar is our ford command post for Central Command and it has a major air component to it.
And Bahrain, for example, is the head corners of the Fifth Fleet, so the US Navy for the Middle East and Central Command. There's plenty in Saudi Arabia and the UA, so it's important for us to get out on a national security front. Economically, of course, everybody expects major deals for lack of a better term to be agreed to on trade et cetera, investment primarily as these countries, Saudi Arabia especially have a huge amount of capital that they
can infest, so we expect to see that. I'm sure they're going to play a part in the discussions on how Gaza is going to end, how the nuclear negotiation with Iran is going to go forward, all of that. They're very key of the Houthis, of course, and remember the Saudi led coalition primarily Saudi and you fought the Huthies for years and years and years for the same reason. So this idea that they're only doing this is because of Gaza. They were doing all that stuff way before
Gazo was a you know, before October seventh. So a lot of things to discuss, economically, security wise, diplomatically. Very important trip, I believe, and we'll have to see what comes from it, but I think, I think, and then the potential as a side note, I'm hearing that Ahmed al Shara, the President of Syria, well mete with President Trump on the sides of discussions in Riad. At least that's the room or I don't you know, don't take
it as fact. It's just a but it's a one that's coming from multiple different journalist friends of mine who we're talking to officials, So that would be a big, big deal, And they apparently are floating the idea of a cooperative deal with the United States on natural resources, plus potentially joining the Abraham Accords. So they these folks know how to sing President Trump's tune right now. So if that's the case, then we'll see if there's a meeting. But that could also be pretty interesting.
Yeah, and al Shara has been doing the kind of world tour thing. He met mac cron and stuff last week. I mean, I guess legitimizing his rule. I guess it's a dictator that we like.
So it's good.
Yeah, of course that's part of the list we gave them. It's gonna have real elections. Man, just because you were the strongest, you know on the block, does it mean you get to ultimately be the you know president forever. I'm not saying he's a goon, because apparently everybody that I know has met him that he's really really smart.
But he needs to do what he said he's going to do, which is incorporate all aspects does of the country and have a legitimate election so that the people of Syria can choose the leader and if he's it, great or maybe not great, but that so be.
It, right, right, and also keep smoking ices for us please.
Yeah, help us let the continue smoking isis who's the best?
Yeah? Yeah, so it's a busy week. We'll see what goes down. I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about next week. I'd love to get an Iran specialist here, like a former analyst or something like that, because I'd be very interested in like just hearing about like the demographics of what goes on in there, because I know, like I've heard that it's a relatively younger country, and I'd just love to know what, you know, like kind
of like the atmospheric's on the ground are there. Because there's no way people are happy with how this regime is doing things right, Like everybody wants to have a little bit of a better life. I wants to do a little bit better for their family and stuff like that, and it's clearly hamstringing them all the sanctions, right, So I'm sure there's got to be some kind of like
economic frustration in that country. Yeah, anything else, guys, Oh, Mick, is there any truth that the rumors are going to be the next National Security Advisor?
I don't think so. I think some of my friends were sending that rumor out to screw with me. No, I haven't been asked. I'm super happy doing I would be an honor, of course, to be asked, but I'm super happy doing what I'm doing, which is, as some know, these humanitarian enablement around the world, and we're we keep getting more and more requests. So are our dance card, unfortunately is filling up because of just the level of
continuous conflicts around the world. The precipitous cut and foreign aid not just from the United States but from many other countries happening at around the same time in the UK just about everybody. And then I was looking this morning up and you know, obviously you can tell I think we should continue our foreign aid. But the one thing I would say that's a legitimate point of discussion is the United States is one of one hundred and
ninety five countries in the world. We contribute forty percent of all international foreign aid. I think we should be proud of that. I don't think we should admit we should reduce our amount of aid, but I think we should see our percentage reduced. And what that means is other countries stepping up. So I looked up. As long as this information is accurate, the United States is about ten billion dollars a year, maybe less, maybe one point
five nine point five in four and eight. China for example, is according to this, and I chat gpt'd if you want to say, I got it twenty million really twenty million, Like that's pathetic. And Russia's right around there and India's right around there. So yes, you could say, well, we got a bigger economy. Yeah, we have about one and a half times the economy of China, yet we spend more than ten times what they contribute to international direct critical food.
Aid where you don't really expect anything back.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, because like somebody can argue that Belton road stuff, but the Belton road stuff.
Is like that's all on their finance.
Right right right, credatory in nature, Yeah, and it ends up sucking out every bit of you know, natural resources from especially in places across Africa, countries across Africa. So anyway, I'm just I know, I know we're talking about that, but I think there's a time maybe it's interesting Walls gets to the UN. He could say, okay, like we're proud of the contribution as US makes to global humanitarian crisis.
Where is everybody else at? Right? So it would be good to see that country started committing to a certain percentage of their GDP. And I'm not talking like these kind of one off programs that we hear. I don't know if true the US age was running. I'm talking about direct like there's a stage, there's a there's a catastract of the hunger going on in Sudan, Like who's contributing to that? They were talking at babies dying? So you know, I'm not to be too hyperbolic, but like,
who can't get behind saving a baby? Yeah, I mean if you might want to rethink your you know a whole lot, Like.
I don't even think that's hyperbolic, bro, Yeah, it's real simple.
Yeah.
So the United States.
Should be proud of what we do, but they we should also say, like where's everybody else?
I mean, how is?
How is?
Like?
You can look at the contributions and I lose number two. I'd have to go back to and find it. But if you google like highest contributing by you know, dollars, it'll tell you the list, and as you expect, it's a lot of the Western folks, but you looking close to the bottom. I don't know where they were on the list, but thirty plus plus. I mean some of the biggest countries in the world, to include India. I mean, Indian is the biggest country in the world, and they're
talking like fifteen and fifteen million. And yeah, I get to have a lot of poor folks, but you can still have a lot of poor folks and contribute. I mean, you're spending money on an aircraft carrier, right, so anyway, and I'm all about it, you know, spending money on defense. But anyway, you get my point. I think I think that they could get more in line with their economy. And if it's the US is ten times more on humanitarian but only one point five times more on the economy.
That's that's something these countries should have to answer for.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely right.
All right, guys, No, that was great. Guys, do us a favor? Would you like a subscribe? Check out everybody's links in the description. Mick Moulroy, fog Bow, Lobo Institute, Uh, grab the book, All the Glimmering Stars, Crazy amazing story. H Jason Lyons His links are in the description as well. What else I gotta plug stuff? Sorry, just Patreon dot com, slash the Teamhouse. You get both The Team Asks and Eyes On Geopolitics ad free. Shout out to Jay Beautiful
t shirt on. Yes, you get to two podcasts for the price of one ad free. If you pick you picked a ten dollars here you get a patch from us and Andy Milburn of course is great book.
Another book coming out about the Warren Gaza going on.
So help support the show Patreon dot com slash Teamhouse.
Guys, We'll see you next week. Thank you, Thanks sir.
Hey guys, it's Jack.
I just want to talk to you for a moment about how you can support the show. If you've been watching it, enjoying it, but you'd like to get a little bit more involved and help us continue to do this, you can check out our Patreon It is patreon dot com slash the Teamhouse, and for five dollars a month you can get access to all of these episodes of The Teamhouse ad free.
The same goes with.
Our affiliated podcast eyes On with Andy Milburn Jason Lyons mcmulroy. That one you will also get all of those episodes ad free, and you support the channel and the show and we really appreciate it. The Patreon members are literally what has helped this company, this small business survive, especially during our early years, and you are what continues to help this thing going even as we navigate the turbulent world of YouTube advertising.
So we really appreciate all of you. Guys.
There's going to be a link down in the description to that Patreon page, and there is also going to be a link to our new merch shop, so if you guys want to go and get some Team House merchandise, we got stickers and we also have patches, and I should mention if you sign up for Patreon at ten dollars a month, we will mail you this patch as well,
so we really appreciate that. But they're also for sale on the merch shop and additionally, they got t shirts up there, water bottles, a tote bag, coffee mugs, all that good stuff, So please go and check them out and support the show.
We really appreciate it, guys. Thank you,