REDACTED Culture Cast

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While the Antihero Podcast has gone through great journalistic lengths to investigate the claims made by Tim Kennedy in his book, this episode is to probe the question of how someone could have gotten so far without someone noticing. The Special Operations community is small, and everyone knows each other or at least has a pretty short chain of connection. When someone claims to have an award or to have graduated some prestigious course, it's relatively easy to verify if you know the right channels. 

With this being the case, one m...

Duration: 00:43:50

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After some time away from the desk, the REDACTED Culture Cast returns with a review of the Brave Castle Chest Rig. Having an opportunity to attend a course at DARC that required a chest rig, this one was selected for its inherent "features." While others tend to silo into either the sewn together or modular categories, Brave Castle did something a little different with theirs. 

In the episode, we cover:

A brief history of Chest Rigs

Why this one was chosen

Testing Criteria

L...

Duration: 00:30:50

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The first six months of 2025 have displayed a roller coaster of events, many of which presented as catastrophes, or great victories depending on political affiliation. At the same time, the Gun Culture has witnessed the end of an era, where names that once led companies and held the attention of millions slip away in disgrace. Not all kingdoms are built to last. 

Whether it's Military action in Iran, or Riots in LA, or Parliamentarians getting in the way of a long awaited curbing of the NFA, it's easy to look at w...

Duration: 00:28:29

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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 and non-military setting, some of the history of these self-proclaimed peacekeepers, and the moral behind training that...

Duration: 00:48:51

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Adventure, what a marketing term. We grew up on Lord of the Rings and watched as beloved characters embarked on a great journey. Ivan Loomis of Kit Badger joins the show to talk about spending a whole year shooting left handed, and balancing risk in thrill seeking. Join us in this episode as we talk about discerning good training, challenging the status quo on advanced skill, and turning to the mountains for a sense of adventure. 

Ivan Loomis can be found on Youtube at @kitbadger

Instagram: @kit_badger

Duration: 02:07:44

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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. 

Or at least that's my thoughts on the m...

Duration: 01:41:21

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Both Army Rangers and Special Forces call back to Robert Rogers in their lineage. Today, the missions of the Green Beret and the Tan Beret are vastly different, so who is right? Zach Masek joins the show again to go deep into the history of Robert Rogers starting with his rise to fame and his fall from grace. 

If you ask the soldiers of fortune, you'll find out they don't really do it for the money. This common thread was reflected in the life and tragedy of Robert Rogers. The man w...

Duration: 03:04:13

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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 they n...

Duration: 00:27:03

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The acronym TTP refers to Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures. While these terms are most at home in military situations, we're seeing more than just soldiers implement them. In this episode we break down the definition of tactics, and take a look at the Siege of the 3rd Precinct in Minneapolis back in 2020 to identify the TTPs of anarchist groups present at the time. 

What about Citizens? What does the Second Amendment concern itself about Tactics? The episode carries on to address these questions.

Stick around, 

Go Forth an...

Duration: 00:34:37

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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 himself, and the Spartans. 

This sets the stage for his critique of the Green Beret mission, an...

Duration: 02:12:49

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Is it immoral for a brand to sell a Bible? 
Does our answer change within the context of Gun Culture? 

As we witness a revival of Faith in this loosely-bordered community, we watch as the imagery, iconography, and storefronts shift from the nihilistic, to the Christian. Instead of tap-rack-bang morale patches featuring lewd imagery, we see a cross, a Bible verse, a call to conviction. 

But with the newfound presence of Christianity on the front page of the Gun Culture, is it wrong, or dishonoring to the Word of...

Duration: 00:51:04

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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 refinement or Delicacy. 

In this e...

Duration: 00:22:16

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Beyond the bottom line, the latest statements by SIG Sauer regarding the P320 failed to reduce talk around the pistol, instead inviting more criticism. While there may be another story taking place, vocal characters on social media received the statement to suggest that the noteworthy firearms manufacturer was accusing its critics of being "anti-gun" or anathema when it comes to the Gun Culture. 

Does this accusation stick? Is SIG resorting to an ad hominem to get out of a sticky situation? Or, could there be more at play here?

U...

Duration: 00:24:41

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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 case we are looking at it in a more narrow sense to improve t...

Duration: 00:15:36

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Beneath the surface, there's a battle between light and dark. Those on the surface feel the consequences, without knowing what is going on beneath. But there comes a time when men must leave the mundane and enter into the world of light and darkness, where good is good and evil is evil. Those who reject this render themselves prone to PTSD, where a contradiction commands their mind, in conflict with their conscience. 

This episode of the REDACTED Culture Cast delves into the dregs of pseudo-philosophy to leave you with the tools t...

Duration: 00:29:21

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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 at the show told a different story: optimism...

Duration: 00:27:36

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In his book, Leadership and Emotional Sabotage, Dr. Joe Rigney states that one of the first responsibilities of a leader is to determine what is and what is not the mission. In this world, a man is responsible for his family, whether he chooses to fulfill that role, or abdicate from it.
The world is in crisis, sure, but how we describe said crisis will determine how we go about solving it, if we can. As much as we hear the call for strong men in the Church, or the country, or...

Duration: 00:55:30

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The U.S. Army Ranger Battalion demands a constant pursuit of excellence and it comes at a cost to the individual. Few will know the cross pressure of desiring to go back to the aggressive lifestyle of a Ranger and the reality that one cannot keep up the level of performance indefinitely. Mike Meegan walks through the differences between living on "the line" and Ranger School. His tenure training in Small Unit Ranger Tactics and now as a leader of Rudder's Rangers at Texas A&M, brings a valuable perspective to the table...

Duration: 01:10:15

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The subject of Gun Control easily misses the mark on more than one occasion. Politically unpopular, economically damaging, and culturally disruptive, one should begin to wonder why it comes back into conversation time and time again. We might be quick to describe supporting gun control as merely virtue signaling, but if we really believed that, we would treat it like a dangerous idea that it is.

Do we really want a conversation on gun control, or are we truly interested in preventing harm? If we look at the subject holistically, we...

Duration: 00:38:40

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It's not the elephant in the room, the Las Angeles fires dominates the news cycle. Time Selbrede joins the show to talk about the reality of wild land firefighting and debunk myths about the current situation. As we sort fact from fiction a pattern emerges: that some people just want to see the world burn, and others would rather be entertained at someone else's misfortune than solve the problem.

Directed Energy Weapons, Dry Fire Hydrants, and Controlled Burns: get out of the noise and see what good you can do, and...

Duration: 02:04:13

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What makes something a conspiracy theory? We already know we cannot trust every power that be, every narrative, every explanation. The further down the rabbit hole you go, the worse it gets and the more madness it imparts.

On the one hand, calling something a conspiracy theory dismisses the legitimacy of an individual's beliefs. On the other hand, we've likely witnessed the spiral into madness that they can cause in others.

In this model, we reintroduce the concept of a Straw Lord Fallacy: a model which can be used...

Duration: 00:28:01

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Too often, public conversations about EDC resort to shaming in order to produce a reaction. Instead, we are going to look at scaleability as a continuum that we can control. When it comes to every day carry, we think about self defense, first aid, and disaster response. These are the backbone of the subject, but not alone the answer.

In light of recent events, we take a look at a few items and ways of carrying them that meet the adage of not "doing them the first time in combat" and...

Duration: 00:28:32

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Narrow is the gate to the Kingdom of Heaven, and many are the paths to hell. We've heard the phrase "rules for thee, but not for me," and in this episode we cover how the weak turn themselves into killers.

When we exclude ourselves from moral culpability by using twisted definitions, we do not make ourselves into saints by playing tricks on terminology. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.

This episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as...

Duration: 00:28:25

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Despite public successes, the Gun Culture faced challenges in 2024. Scandal swept across much of our community as dark accusations addressed household names. Instead of digging in to the depths of these potential falls from grace, we look at the bigger picture and how it affects our own lives. The problem with heroes, is that they are mere mortals.

When faced with criticism, we have at least 2 options: we can try to survive the loss of public perception, or we can correct our immoral ways. At times, when the accusations are false...

Duration: 00:27:49

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The United Healthcare CEO shooting has remained on the front page of both traditional and social media for weeks now, and with all the talk, something remains missing. While people argue back and forth over if the shooter knew what he was doing based on his firearm manipulation skills, the potential scale of the operation goes unnoticed. Do we really believe this what the actions of a single individual or is there more going on here?

Dig in as we discuss the difference between access to information and the evaluation of...

Duration: 00:29:31

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Few novels of the 1900's are more controversial than Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. That hasn't stopped the sophists from trying to make a statement about it. Rather the opposite. This spoiler free episode of the REDACTED Culture Cast delves into some things you might want to know, or look for when reading Rand's Magnum Opus. Ever heard of Rearden, who is John Galt? Why do these names matter?

This isn't a book review, but a primer, to get you started on a journey into Objectivism, the ideas and circumstances of...

Duration: 00:29:19

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What does leadership look like in a decentralized future? Whether we're talking about different generations of warfare or how it appears to be shifting before our very eyes, the target is no longer just a government or its military, but the very people. In this episode, we trace through a series of books, arguments, and ideas to get a picture of what leadership looks like and what things it must hold in tension with one another to succeed. 

Books Mentioned: 

Brave New War by John RobbWhy Young Men by Jamil Ji...

Duration: 00:29:09

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The thing is, we like to see what we're good at represented in film. The problem with Hollywood, is that just that is so rare. Cory Haynes, aka Tacticooldork, has taken military experience, the high end of airsoft in Milsim, and filmmaking to just that level. Whether it was work on SCP: Overlord, Ten of Swords, or STALKER: Shadow of the Zone, he has brought the tactics, techniques, and procedures we look for in fantasy and depicted reality to the screen.

In this episode we talk about the challenge of bringing...

Duration: 02:05:01

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We desire Honor, but exist in a system of dignity. These two concepts overlap, yet the consequences of neglect turn dire. Men give their lives to one and are cast off to another, with no anchor to hold on to.

Honor can be earned. Dignity can only be lost.

This episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop builds and cuts parts out...

Duration: 00:28:26

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What does Ontology have to do with training? While we might fall into the trap of thinking that Military Training is similar to what is available to civilians, only on a greater level. If that were the case, wouldn't we seen more capabilities opening up for the discerning citizen? We've come a long way, but where's the limit?

Ontology is the philosophical study of being, which deals with categories. Through this lens, we can look at the types of courses and schools military and law enforcement attend exist in a different...

Duration: 00:26:34

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What good is it if you win the war, but loose the very things worth fighting for? Nathan Spearing has lived a life of adventure and military achievement, only to put the uniform away to lead his family. The transition from the intensity of Special Operations to the urgency of financially supporting a wife and five kids sets an example that we can all learn from.

In this episode we talk about living in faith, enduring through hard work, and the importance of taking risks.

Follow Nathan Spearing on...

Duration: 01:13:13

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Detachment from reality is most often described as a symptom of suffering. But what if we looked at it as the desired effect of some malicious action? What if, instead of the individual as a victim of their circumstances, they could be better described as a casualty of some form of warfare?

Examples of our detachment are illustrated in our fantasies. From video games to holidays where we speak of spirits and the dead, only to go about our daily lives evaluating individuals, information, and our circumstances more and more from...

Duration: 00:29:32

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With tensions high and a sense of meaning low in the West, we're witnessing a revival of Faith in various sub cultures and communities. Gypsy Walters returns to talk about his first 'zine: "The Gospel of St. Rattlecan" sharing his testimony. In this episode we address the hazy way Spiritual Warfare is marketed, the difference between being doing and appearances, and how the never ending war is one for the soul.

Follow Ethan "Gypsy" Walters on Instagram @gypsywalters
Pick up the Gospel of St. Rattlecan at houseofwolvesslc.com

...

Duration: 01:13:21

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Have you ever heard someone say "you don't need to train for that" and think that something is wrong, but not sure what? The subject of what you should prepare for, whether its training or otherwise, comes with plenty of baggage. Decades (squared) of experience on self defense training, CQB training, and marksmanship available are available at this time, yet we still find detractors saying that we don't need to be able to solve a difficult problem simply because it is rare.
Let's solve the problem.
Instead of what you should...

Duration: 00:20:01

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Have you ever heard men complain about Rites of Passage missing from our contemporary world? What if you learned they existed, just men weren't expected to go through them any more? Kohlton Anderson of Black Canyon Systems introduces us to the world of the rodeo, and how it shares with the gun culture in more ways than one.

Follow Black Canyon Systems on Instagram at: @blackcanyonsystems

This episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop...

Duration: 01:22:04

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No bureaucracy is immune from becoming polluted with false metrics and nebulous buzzwords. Just as it falls on the leadership to define what victory looks like, so they bear the responsibility of clearly defining the qualities they are in search of. Chris Sizelove, a Veteran of the U.S. Army Ranger Regiment, argues that it's time to redefine lethality as a metric of performance. Instead of a nebulous objective, a solid end state can be achieved through taxonomy.


This episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools...

Duration: 02:13:25

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Don't let the haters fool you, if we step back and look at the overall state of firearms ownership, we're seeing suppressors become so common and available that they are starting to specialize. Enter the JK Armament CCX Suppressor, or can if you prefer. So small and light that it can be used on a pistol without a booster, and still puts in the work when it comes to performance.

Typically, when we look at a suppressor, we are stuck in a "pick 2 on the menu" situation. If the choices are...

Duration: 00:33:55

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A Common Thread Across Multiple Disparate Topics.

What does the CIA have to do with the crisis in Appalachia? The history of the CIA includes many stories of individuals succeeding where a bureaucracy failed. From WWII through Korea and Vietnam, the boogeyman of secretive government organizations sure has plenty of publicly available failures. So, which is it? Secret Deep State Controller or Incompetent Bureaucrat?

Which is it? A necessary Intelligence Agency that counters terrorism worldwide regardless of the status of war? Or a twisted, self-serving group of unelected, permanent...

Duration: 00:29:50

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The phrase "I got mine" manifests in various ways. It might be a team leader who quits at building his team after he's attained some achievement or completed some deployment. It might be a man abdicating from his community. It might be a concerned citizen who's only care extends to the end of his driveway while he complains about how the community is going to hell.

The phrase "I got mine" is a blight, a stain on our record, an entire generation that abdicated the responsibility of raising a child to...

Duration: 00:27:41

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What is property without privacy? The double-speak of politicians continues to ramp up as we approach another election. At the same time, California passes a new form of safe-storage law that, at best, invades on the privacy of its serfs. I'm sorry, did I say that correctly?

There is something worse than Gun Control and we're seeing it arise in the west once again. That is normalcy for political leaders to belief they have the authority to invade the homes and lives of their people in order to assure compliance the...

Duration: 00:41:48

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The Law Tactical Folder might just be one of the best pieces of gear when it comes to quality of life for the Citizen. The Law Tactical ARIC goes a step further, expanding the capabilities of the platform. But how well does it work? And, perhaps more importantly, who is it for?

The Law Tactical ARIC or AR Integrated Carrier greatly reduces the weight when compared to a traditional AR Bolt Carrier. While less weight in this space can lead reduce felt recoil, there's more at stake than one or two...

Duration: 00:36:34

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We talk about the Gun Culture like it has solid lines to determine who is in and who is out, but that's not exactly how it works. If we stand back far enough, we've seen groups come and go like trends, yet we still come back for more. Amidst all the gear, training, and skill development, it's the people that are the messy part.

So how do we go forward when our training group falls apart? How do we move forward as a community despite our tendency to self destruct?
<...

Duration: 01:45:06

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In the last 10 years we've seen a great expanse when it comes to self defense training. As much as the internet has re-invented the snake oil salesmen in a digital age, we've also seen more and more examples of good instructors across the greater Gun Culture.
Many of those teachers are veterans, who, in their own way, have their own baggage to deal with. And as cathartic as it may be, it's not always appropriate for one to air out dirty laundry mid-course.
One example of how this can go wrong...

Duration: 00:18:33

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This morning many were greeted with news that what looks like a cyber attack caused thousands of devices to explode. While it sounds like it's out of a cyberpunk novel, this attack helps us understand how technology can be used to build a pattern of life on not just individuals, but an organization or country.


This episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating as an OEM shop for those looking to bring excellence to the market. Their Minnesota-based shop...

Duration: 00:26:12

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Body armor in the form of a plate carrier has been around for longer than many of us have been alive. In that time, quite a bit has changed, not only in how it is worn, but how individuals set up their "kit." In this episode, follow along as a bit of history, lessons learned, and common practices come together in what to look for when setting up a plate carrier.

Not the ideal load bearing equipment for every scenario, the plate carrier has become a common use item amongst military...

Duration: 00:45:11

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Life in America often times feels like something is wrong, that something is going on, but we just can't see it. From this feeling people draw conspiracy theories to try to make sense of it, to give it some meaning. In this episode, "Reaper" joins the show to talk about what an insurgency looks like, and what we could expect going forward.

We are already living in the cyberpunk dystopia, we just don't know it yet. In the Fog of War, it's not just the governments that are fighting, but corporations...

Duration: 01:57:31

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Disaster! Apocalypse! Do this now and you'll be prepared! This headline and rhetoric is all to common, from marketing strategies, the news, and marketing the news to an eager audience. We know the news is poisoning us, but how, and perhaps more importantly, why?
A three chapter dig into the shift in what it meant to believe between the Medieval age and the Enlightenment. Followed by the Post-Modern or Secular age, which could be the shortest one yet. How to win a war hasn't so much changed as refined.
What does...

Duration: 01:07:45

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Returning to the Culture Cast, Paigeosity addresses the steps to getting past social cynicism. Although Gun Culture has its nuances, it serves as a setting in which we discuss the false prerequisites we put in place before building our community. When we get burned by people we trusted, do we spend the remainder of our days alone? Or do we learn the lesson and continue moving forward?

Stick around and we breach the contentious conversation about who should and shouldn't own guns. Should publicly avowed communists be encouraged to own guns...

Duration: 01:38:13

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War never changes, yet war fighting never remains the same. The tactics and strategies of the last war have been analyzed in pursuit of countermeasures. Instead, we are approaching the forever war with the individual as the target.

Like the word "tactical," these two words often get used without understanding what they mean. The Insurgent and the Sniper represent two very different roles in a 21st century war. Where the sniper focuses on one target at a time, the insurgent sets his sights on a whole population. Bother are after a...

Duration: 00:27:10

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The subject of Stolen Valor often travels through Gun Culture, and rarely reaches general politics. Recent events have drawn attention to one Vice President who was accused of Stolen Valor.
So when we consider what it means to steal valor, we are able to see how the double lie or the double fallacy should not be effective. Tim Walz has been selected as the the VP pick for the Democratic ticket. Quickly his self-proclaimed military activities were called to question. But why? Why would anyone make such a simple mistake?

...

Duration: 00:25:47

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Across Social Media, and at least western culture this can be observed: the more skilled a person is at the use of force, the less likely they are going to participate in casual violence. Jack Donovan joins the show to talk about masculine philosophy, boasting in various cultures, and where Violence is Golden. Whether it's people who write checks they can't cash, start fights without the means to resolve them, or what honor looks like between men, we discuss the relationship between violence, threats, and honor in this episode of the REDACTED Culture...

Duration: 02:03:42

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When is one morally obligated to resist one's government? With all the talk of tyranny and noncompliance, we sit down with Baret Fawbush to discuss about some of the theological considerations about resisting evil when it comes from positions of political power. 

Bump Stocks and Brace RulingsFind out the difference between a criminal and an outlaw. Delve into what tools Christians are given to resist evil in their midst. 

Baret Fawbush can be found on Instagram at @truexodus

This episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of too...

Duration: 01:54:41

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All that we know is that we can't keep going on like this. What we don't know is when to make a change, or how.

In his work the Secular Age, Charles Taylor talks about the cross pressures of the era. James K. A. Smith distills this large and technical book into a short, relevant page turner titled "The Secular Age." While the term secular has meant different things at different times, or in different contexts, we live in one where secularism has to do with the mechanism of belief. Authenticity...

Duration: 00:29:59

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What do we have here. Two American-made, gas-piston driven firearms, each with a different take. The Brownells BRN-180 may not come in a complete package, but it does offer a light weight option when it comes to piston carbines. At the same time the PSA JAKL arrives complete with an intelligent design beyond that of its operating system.

Both have appeared at our Public Land Clean ups, where volunteers got to test them out for themselves. You clean, try out new guns, and that all accumulates into more test data to...

Duration: 00:25:51

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With the release of their latest P-365 Raider, Flux Defense teamed up with REDACTED to put on our first public land clean up in Utah. Before we departed for the range, however, we took time to sit down and have a conversation on the nuances of bringing product to market in the firearms industry and gun culture.

Alex Aubrey retells some of the history of Flux Defense, lesson learned along the way, and the different influences that built the team with the problem solving in mind. In this conversation he talks...

Duration: 01:07:05

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Can one solve a skill issue with better gear? A Stepping stone to maturity in Gun Culture, this topic may come across as both eye rolling and attention gathering. On the one hand, a better ruck sack will not get you up the mountain. On the other hand, it sure helps. Parachutes, plates, and powder all come into play as we consider how and when we look at gear and when it's simply a matter of skill.

In this video, we dive deep into the age-old debate: Does top-tier gear really...

Duration: 00:29:42

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People don't believe in conspiracy theories because they find them rationally compelling. Rather, these ideas hijack an individual's need for a sense of purpose and belonging. They prey on our desire for the world to be thus regular and make sense.

However, the consequences of a conspiracy theory tend to be more personal than what the media would like you to believe, or, perhaps more importantly, what they might believe themselves.

And what is the Straw Lord Fallacy you might ask?

This episode has been sponsored by...

Duration: 00:28:26

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Should Women serve in combat roles in the military? The recent attempt on President Trump's life brings up the old debate about women in the military and women in combat roles. Framing tends to drive this conversation, and we continually get bogged down in redundant questions. Can women do the job? Are women capable of the achieving the standards? What about the non-physical elements of a protective detail?

Do we define the whole by only the deviations from the norm?

Or, is this whole debate beginning from the wrong...

Duration: 00:26:37

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From Private Military Contractors to Mall Cops, the field of security is full of misconceptions, egos, and opportunities to find yourself hung out to dry for other's safety. But when we look behind the curtain into what goes in to threat prevention, we see a much deeper picture. Rob Rawson of Rozin Security joins the show to teach us about the ideas behind effective security, from red teaming, to security breaches, to threat detection and deterrence.

Whether on the level of the nation state, a company, community, family, or the individual...

Duration: 02:11:07

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The recent debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden covered a series of topics both relevant and otherwise to the American People. Among them included abortion, the economy, and illegal migration. What didn't come up, was Gun Control. And the silence spoke volumes as this divisive topic wouldn't have helped either candidate appear reasonable or knowledgeable on the subject.

In this episode I speculate as to why Guns were absent from the debate, and move into how our rhetoric has been captured by the Hegelian dialectic. We often hear that the...

Duration: 00:24:30

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If owning and becoming proficient with a firearm continues the Second Amendment, owning and becoming proficient with radios may just be securing the First. Jake Knight of Gridbase.net reports on his first off-grid radio course and presents an argument that radios and their extension: mesh networks, strengthen our independence through the ability to speak freely to one another. In addition to selling your data, large comms companies, and chat platforms regularly throttle our ability to speak to one another.

We go into the layers of tech, different comms systems, and...

Duration: 00:54:26

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You do not have control over the circumstances that surround you. However, you may have a moral obligation to how you live through them.

Which are you? Born too late to explore the world, or born too early to explore the stars?
Which are you? One who sees your generation as the one who squandered their potential, or the generation that has to pay for the sins of their fathers and Grandfathers.

You may think that the philosophy illustrated in this episode aligns with the ancient stoics, and...

Duration: 00:27:17

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The Secular Age can be marked as one where mechanism of belief commonly assumed considers religion one option amongst many. We may find a sense of freedom in not being bound politically or nationally to a Religion, but the cost reduces the legitimacy of a belief to authenticity and thus, merely a fashion statement. What you believe about right and wrong is simply a matter of taste.

But we may be observing the end of the secular age, where this form of secularism along with its liberty and meaning-leeching properties, gets...

Duration: 00:24:00

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Many of us grew up in a world where to join the military meant to serve our country. Baked into that ideological pie was a hierarchy where, the more special your operations, the more value you might have, at least on social media. Cameron Fath tells about how he joined the Ranger Regiment, what it was like to enter and then leave that arena, and where he has been since, whether it be helping homeless veterans or building a Netflix Documentary: Toughest Forces on Earth.

In this conversation we talk about...

Duration: 01:47:09

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Why do men go off to war?
Is it for Glory? Honor? The GI Bill?

The war/violence/conflict in Ukraine illustrates how some men go to war, regardless of the big picture. While pundits and politicians opine about how America's influence, military support, and participation in Eastern Europe paints a picture of the next forever war, individuals travel to the front lines for something other than fame or money.

Imagine sweating in Basic Training in 2008. Your family is in economic shambles. Half the time your mind focuses...

Duration: 00:29:26

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Even during the 2020 Black Lives Matter Summer of Love, news agencies hesitated to report on the destruction taking place in Minnesota. Few poeple outside of Minneapolis know that the rioting continued well into 2021, and few people who live there are willing to admit it. To this day, the city of Minneapolis suffers the consequences of what took place and what followed soon after. Despite the warning signs of civil unrest and rising crime, we've only observed worsening conditions.

Elections have consequences, especially at the local level. Peter Johnson of Archway Defense...

Duration: 01:56:35

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Might Makes Right.
No Truth but Power.
History is written by the Victor.

These phrases often say one thing, but try to communicate another. When we casually say that might makes right, we aren't typically saying that morality comes from greater strength. When it comes to disputes, it often sounds like a shortcut to some form of solution, or a criticism of inaction.

But what if we were to look at the statement as an argument itself. What if we were to zoom in to a dispute...

Duration: 00:29:48

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When it comes to gear, play the long game.
When it comes to training, get what you can, when you can get it.
When it comes to practice, it's better to start with what you have, than wait for the perfect opportunity.

Gear, Training, and Practice are three sore subjects when it comes to gun culture. How is this the case for a community that is centered on the use of firearms as a potential tool for self defense? All three quickly become a point of friction between differing...

Duration: 00:29:12

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The difference between what can be called the Gun Culture, the Industry, and those in support of the Second Amendment isn't a single overlapping circle of a Venn Diagram. Instead, we have disparate groups of Gun Culture, a market space of the Firearm Industry, and the broadest term of 2nd Amendment Supporters.

Peter Ildefonsa brings all of this to the table in a grand conversation on the differences and similarities and overlaps between the three.

Follow Peter Ildefonsa on Instagram at @peterildeonsa
Or on YouTube at @peterildefonsa
...

Duration: 01:38:39

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In violence, as in war, two concept stand in tension with one another: proportionality and utility. McMahan identifies one understanding of proportionality as "a constraint on action that causes harm." (Killing in War Pg 19). Utility, on the other hand, often functions as the context for informing one part of strategy, tactics, and techniques. We prioritize actions of these sorts that produce the desired outcome.

As such, the tension that exists between them is that they both must be accomplished or accommodated for the action to be considered moral, and further, both...

Duration: 00:28:52

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Self Defense isn't what it used to be. Jiu jitsu has become mainstream. But what if you were to discover that no-gi training wasn't as realistic as you wished? Ruben Alverez traces a tale of growing up in the world of Jiu Jitsu, only to discover it wasn't all that he needed.

ECQC or Extreme Close Quarters Concepts takes the idea of a violent encounter to a more personal level. It's no longer about how fast your concealed draw time is. Rather, Ruben illustrates how a lethal weapon changes the way...

Duration: 02:02:41

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What if the true LARP is the assumption that we can be credited as being part of the community without participation? When the term LARP (Live Action Role Playing) is used as an epitaph, it accuses the target of living in a fantasy. With analysis, we look at what it is that is considered dishonorable about so-called LARP-ing.

What we find out is that many of us may be LARPing even if we're not running around in the woods in full kit with the boys.

And it begs out...

Duration: 00:28:26

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Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" often finds home on the wall and in the minds of great men. It leads the reader through a series of character traits that make a man, opening with the line 
"If you can keep your head when all about you   

    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

    But make allowance for their doubting too; "

Throughout history, mankind has asked what it is that makes a man truly a man. Some...

Duration: 00:29:30

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There's more to being a warfighter than shooting. On the US Army webpage it is stated that the Ranger Battalions encompass the "Big 5 Philosophy" of Marksmanship, Physical Training, Medical Training, Small-Unit Tactics, and Mobility. Breaking down each of these, we look at what they might entail.

In order to put to rest the cultural conversation in modern gun culture which pits one discipline of shooting against a profession, in this episode we walk through what the big 5 entails, and what might come beyond that for the individual citizen.

This...

Duration: 00:47:43

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The George Floyd Riots were a strange time. On the ground, the narrative level politics fell to the wayside. Information Warfare was not about which political party was effectively harnessing the energy of the street, but about if their house was going to be looted or burned down in the next few hours.

We live in the post information age, were it's no longer about access to information that is bottlenecked by the limitations of the printing press, publishing houses, and newspapers, but our ability to evaluate information.

Intel...

Duration: 00:27:59

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Which is better? To Bug Out or to Harden Your Position?
Which is better? Train in Recce or CQB?
Which is better? A DMR or a MK18?
Which is better? 9mm or 45acp?

These questions represent different decision that go awry when we attempt to answer them at the wrong level of analysis. There is a strange hope that, if it were to come to brass tacks, the good men would do what is right. Yet conversations like those presented above are seemingly less concerned good men doing...

Duration: 00:28:55

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Sure, we all hate name dropping and clout chasing, especially in Gun Culture, but why? what is it about this kind of activity that we find so distasteful, and should we?

It's not good enough to complain about the subject, and although it takes a little time to get into it, in this episode we compare it to writing an academic paper. It's not good enough to simply cite well respected authors, just as it's not good enough to know well respected people within the community. It is another thing entirely...

Duration: 00:21:44

Sure, we all hate name dropping and clout chasing, especially in Gun Culture, but why? what is it about this kind of activity that we find so distasteful, and should we?

It's not good enough to complain about the subject, and although it takes a little time to get into it, in this episode we compare it to writing an academic paper. It's not good enough to simply cite well respected authors, just as it's not good enough to know well respected people within the community. It is another thing entirely to be respected by them, and...

Duration: 00:21:44

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Decentralization might sound good on paper, but how does it work in the real world? When we look around, from media to the news to politics to culture in general, it looks like things are falling apart. And the just might be. But what happens when you shift your mindset away from the doom and gloom of how corrupt our politicians really are, and start building your own robust community that will survive the consequences of other's actions.

Jake Knight brings an argument to the table: The dissatisfaction in the West...

Duration: 01:43:27

Decentralization might sound good on paper, but how does it work in the real world? When we look around, from media to the news to politics to culture in general, it looks like things are falling apart. And the just might be. But what happens when you shift your mindset away from the doom and gloom of how corrupt our politicians really are, and start building your own robust community that will survive the consequences of other's actions.

Jake Knight brings an argument to the table: The dissatisfaction in the West far outweighs the level of disfunction...

Duration: 01:30:11

Decentralization might sound good on paper, but how does it work in the real world? When we look around, from media to the news to politics to culture in general, it looks like things are falling apart. And the just might be. But what happens when you shift your mindset away from the doom and gloom of how corrupt our politicians really are, and start building your own robust community that will survive the consequences of other's actions.

Jake Knight brings an argument to the table: The dissatisfaction in the West far outweighs the level of disfunction...

Duration: 01:43:27

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What makes someone a pseudo-intellectual? If we treat philosophy like a trade, what does it look like when done poorly? In this episode, we review two arguments by public intellectuals who present two different arguments regarding God. Žižek compares God to a video game developer, and Neil deGrasse Tyson brings up the Problem of Evil.

Some arguments are useful for identifying pseudo-intellectuals.  The problem of evil is one of these arguments that, besides the argument itself, is useful for determining the intellectual integrity and capability of the interlocutor.

Thi...

Duration: 00:34:30

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While it can be fun to try to analyze Gun Culture at the 20,000 league above view, Kaleb Irving brings the conversation down to earth. We look at what Gun Culture looks like on the ground level, and then rise higher into moral frameworks, and discuss what it might mean for the Church to repent. Gun Culture isn't so much politically aligned to moral philosophy, but dependent on it.

Kaleb draws on what it was like to get into gun culture among close family who related military experience and observed the transition...

Duration: 01:43:03

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Don't like a guy? Say he can't shoot. Although this will not put the argument to death, it will bring context to move past the ego game and into a professional approach. Shooting is a skill, and fighting requires a collection of skills.

One of the most uncomfortable scenes in A24's Civil War is the firefight between men in Hawaiian shirts and uniformed soldiers. The dysfunctional fighting shows a lagging stalemate, where the men in Hawaiian shirts are struggling to help one of their own. It's painful to watch as...

Duration: 00:28:23

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Gypsy Walters rejoins the show to talk about the movie "Civil War" by A24 Studios. The spoiler-free beginning covers tone and politics of the movie. After that, we dig into key scenes and take them apart both tactically and culturally. A surprisingly apolitical movie, with references to multiple sub-cultures present in America.

Follow Ethan "Gypsy" Walters on Instagram at: @gypsywalters
Find his artwork and more at https://houseofwolvesslc.com/

This Episode has been sponsored by Obsidian Arms, a manufacturer of tools, parts and firearms, as well as operating...

Duration: 00:50:03

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With Suppressor Form 4 wait times measuring in mere days, we are witnessing the further normalization of owning a silencer. Huxwrx brought a fresh take by presenting suppressors as safety equipment. Beyond sound and flash reduction, flow through cans help reduce the amount of gasses in the shooter's face.

Brett Kleypas joins the show to talk about both the science and presentation of suppressors as safety equipment with the end user in mind.

Follow Huxwrx on Instagram at @huxwrx
Check out their suppressors at www.huxwrx.com

...

Duration: 01:49:13

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Few debates within gun culture draw more ire and passion than whether a person should or should not open carry in public. The arguments back and forth, tribal and otherwise, rarely produce the satisfaction of solid victory, but why? In this episode we look at the rhetoric and logic behind two of the loudest arguments, one for each side, and see where they match up.

This sets the stage for how Gun Control arguments rarely dispatch the catharsis of victory, instead winding off until the next opportunistic event precipitates a frightfully...

Duration: 00:29:25

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Although not a hard and fast rule, a heuristic can be applied to both stolen valor claims, and individual violence. Stolen Valor, when a person claims to have held a position in the military that they never achieved, comes in a few different forms. However, in Gun Culture large cases often explode into a witch hunt for similar offenders. The amount of self-aggrandizement is inversely proportional to the likelihood of the story.
Similarly, the more skilled a person is at the use of force, the less likely they are to use it...

Duration: 00:25:21

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Two events in recent history share a common thread. The White House loudly declares the 31st of March to be the Transgender Day of Visibility, and on Easter nonetheless. Not long before, an Obama appointed Judge adheres to the Second Amendment, but for a man who entered the United States Illegally. What do these two events have in common? Strategy.

The news that a Judge appeared to side with the Second Amendment when it came to a man who entered the United States illegally divided Gun Culture. However, this is unlikely...

Duration: 00:28:27

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In this conversation with Marcus Singletary of Cloaked Entry Co, we start with inconsistencies in the culture when it comes to Chinese Optics and using your job as an excuse to act immorally. The scathing first half is contrasted by a conversation about community days, with Marcus providing an after-action review of their most recent community event, lessons learned, and how to go about it.

Cloaked Entry Co provides instruction and tools for better maneuvering the world around us.  Marcus has appeared as a guest on the REDACTED Culture Cast to t...

Duration: 01:41:44

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John Lovell, former Ranger and founder of the Warrior Poet Society has produced a book, but is it any good? After reading The Warrior Poet Way, some arguments fall flat, where others stick the landing with effective writing and a strong thesis. John Lovell is no philosopher, or at least that's what a reader might take from his chapter on philosophy. At the same time, he presents something deep and valuable, even if it arrives unannounced.

SPOILER WARNING

After providing an overall review of the book, we will dig...

Duration: 00:58:36

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Calling it a review wouldn't be sufficient, and besides, there's plenty of places to go for that, some of which I may have even had a hand in. The SABRE-10 by Palmetto State Armory deserves recognition for presenting itself as two very different concepts, pulling each of with relative success.

The first for a Sub-$2000 rifle, you get quite a bit. From Mags and a bag, to a rifle that holds a reasonable zero for what you're getting it's a good launching point for a .308 caliber rifle. Is it perfectly clone...

Duration: 00:27:55

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The history of training can be depicted like a spiral. While back and forth it looks like a flat circle with what was popular 30 years ago once again in vogue. Pull back a little, however, and that circle is going somewhere. Tim Selbrede returns to the REDACTED Culture Cast to talk about lessons learned from Night Vision instructor courses and DARC to go beyond the memes about how CQB is a good way to die.

Beyond developing skills, as we have had opportunities to consider and analyze not only what we...

Duration: 01:13:37

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Decentralization will have its consequences, and to centralized authority, it will look like collapse. This comes with a warning. A suicide deemed martyrdom on one side of the globalized country may radicalize the actions of another, who takes it out on innocent children. This is the underground precursor to holy war, only one half of the equation doesn't necessarily believe they are religious to begin with. 

The death of Nex Benedict, named Dagny by her parents, could have been the catalyst as described above, only once the details came out, they t...

Duration: 00:28:56