Welcome to The View from the Front podcast. My name is Stan and this is the Feb 8th edition.
You can listen to the podcast by clicking the blue button above. Or, you can watch the video below on YouTube.
I really hope you get something out of it.
Please note: There is also an un-edited, AI-generated transcript, that you can find by clicking the Transcript button at upper right, under the podcast player device.
Or, you can find the podcast on your favorite channel below:
Questions? Comments? You are welcome to comment below. I read all comments and answer most of them. You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)
If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.
For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.
Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:
Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)
Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)
And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.
Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.
Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.
Let’s begin with some good news/timeline cleanser
About 1,000 manatees piled together in a Florida park, setting a breathtaking record
Their final tally – 932 – didn’t just set a record. It rocketed past previous records, even the 736 they counted on New Year’s Day. It’s a far cry from the single-day record of 49 manatees celebrated 40 years ago and more than twice as many manatees as the single day record set just 10 years ago.
U.S. news:
In case you missed it…
Ukraine gets massive funding win; also sinks Russian warship
U.S. begins its response to the death of three American soldiers by hitting more than 85 targets
Gift link: Inside the crucial mission of U.S. troops at Tower 22
Tower 22, where about 350 U.S. personnel are stationed, almost all in noncombat roles. These troops work with Jordanian forces, and Tower 22 supports a U.S. garrison with about 200 soldiers called al-Tanf just over the nearby border with Syria.
…
So why not just bring them all home? In the short term, that would give Iran exactly what it wants: to drive U.S. forces out of the region and dominate a huge swath of territory from Tehran to Beirut. And over the longer term, the United States would be abandoning the mission of Tower 22 and the other U.S. bases there: fighting the Islamic State and protecting civilians.
“The small footprint of these bases is very important. The main mission is cutting off the supply routes for weapons and fighters for ISIS between Iraq, Syria and Lebanon,” he said. “This is the best way to prevent the resurgence of ISIS in this area.”
Tower 22 and al-Tanf are part of a network of small bases that also complicate Iran’s ability to ship weapons and supplies to groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Another benefit is that the Syrian civilians living near the bases are protected from the militias and from the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
Austin apologizes for mishandling communication around his cancer treatment
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday admitted he mishandled communication around his treatment for prostate cancer and apologized to his colleagues and the American public in his first news conference since returning to work.
“I want to be crystal clear: We did not handle this right. And I did not handle this right. I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility,” Austin said. “I apologize to my teammates and to the American people.”
…
“As a rule, I don’t talk about conversations with my boss, but I can tell you I have apologized directly to President Biden. And I’ve told him that I’m deeply sorry for not letting him know immediately that I received a heavy diagnosis and was getting treatment,” Austin said. “And he has responded with a grace and warm heart that anyone who knows President Biden would expect.”
Ukraine news:
Ukrainian president confirms he’s thinking about dismissing the country’s military chief
“A reset, a new beginning is necessary,” Zelenskyy said. The review is “not about a single person but about the direction of the country’s leadership.”
“I’m thinking about this replacement, but you can’t say here we replaced a single person,” Zelenskyy said. “When we talk about this, I mean a replacement of a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military. If we want to win, we must all push in the same direction, convinced of victory. We cannot be discouraged, let our arms fall. We must have the right positive energy.”
Motivation and inspiration:
I always like to share a few from the Bible, because that book has become such a source of strength and wisdom and calm for me during the past year.
And, I always like to end with this one:
And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.
If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.
That’s it for this edition.
Dealing with PTSD? Emotionally or mentally at rock bottom? Here’s the link that I mention in each podcast: Be like Ozzie; go near your master. (The power of prayer. Part 1.)
Love my moderate, optimistic view of politics and want to know more about how I see things?
Go here:
As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.
So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.
Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.
Don’t forget: You can comment anytime — I try to monitor those. You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.
Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.
Podcast Episode 2-8-24 of The View from the Front. (Includes video.)