REDACTED Culture Cast

Talk Back to Me When was the last time you heard someone talk about a bright future? Not just for themselves, but for the United States, or the West? Chances are, if you are like me, you cannot remember a time in adulthood where any source of optimism really shined through the darkness. And although that may be a bleak outlook, it isn't the end. Fatalism is a worldview, less about pessimism, and more about fate, where something, be it God, Science, or demographics ultimately determine t...

Talk Back to Me This weekend, a so-called Peacekeeper opened fire, shooting and killing a bystander at a No Kings protest this weekend. The presence of these armed individuals at left-wing protests has increased since the summer of love in 2020. Generally identifiable by loose, barely used gear, they present a specific type of danger to themselves and those present, similar to conscripted soldiers. In this episode we cover how to identify low-skill, low-intelligence threats in both a military...

Talk Back to Me The media will tell you that Soldiers are trained to dehumanize their enemy in order to become more efficient fighters. The propaganda sacrifices our own soldiers on the alter of efficiency, leaving them later to pay the price in the form of PTSD and trauma. And while we can be critical of the military, and of media, and of our politicians, none of this really matters if we don't take responsibility for our own thoughts and actions. Turns out, Dehumanization makes you Weak.&nb...

Talk Back to Me The Flux Defense Raider has been on the scene for a few years now. This Flux Raider review is less about the Chassis alone, and more about how, with the right parts and a little bit of garage engineering, one can make the tool sing. Is it worth the attention or is there more to it than meets the eye? The Flux Raider has garnered attention, and for good reason: it challenges the status quo. Still, one might need to make a few adjustments to hone the platform into what th...

Talk Back to Me Both Rangers and Green Berets point to Robert Rogers as a figurehead of their history. But in today's conflicts, they perform considerably different roles. Where the current Ranger Battalion focuses on direct action, Green Berets point to Unconventional Warfare as their primary task. Zach Masek of the Dead Warrior Society, a Green Beret Veteran and Columbia graduate draws out misconceptions that prevail to this day about the history of special operations, Robert Rogers h...

Talk Back to Me The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis presents the interaction between demons and humans from the point of view of a senior devil in Hell's administration. The novel consists of a series of letters from one Screwtape to Wormwood, who has been assigned to an unnamed human for the purpose of winning the poor man over to the clutches of the wicked. In the 17th Chapter, our senior devil speaks on the subject of Gluttony, pointing out that he should focus not on excess, but on refin...

Talk Back to Me I find it unabashedly funny when people argue passionately over what they should or shouldn't train, especially when we all know neither party is practicing what they preach. The drama over such low hanging fruit cannot be allowed to go to waste, so in this episode we are addressing one formula for ensuring that you're excellent at the fundamentals, and capable in rare, but potentially disastrous situations. The 80/20 rule applies to more than just training, but in this ...

Talk Back to Me SHOT SHOW: Where those not at the show want to be, and those at the show want to go home. Not really, but it's funny. Laugh with me. This year at SHOT SHOW 2025, we noticed a different tone than the years prior. Instead of retrenchment and celebrating surviving another year, the industry displayed a refreshing sense of optimism and a willingness to venture into new things. While new products made small steps towards innovation and new frontiers, the attitude of the people a...