Left Face

The episode covers a range of topics including local candidate forums, the Iran situation, the importance of educated voters, and the potential impact of federalizing elections. It also delves into the recent conflict with Iran, the Epstein files, and the absurdity of current political events.TakeawaysLocal candidate forums are an important platform for discussing key issues and evaluating candidates.The conflict with Iran raises concerns about the potential impact on the region and the world.The federalization of elections and its potential implications for democracy is a topic of significant concern.Chapters00:00 Local Candidate Forums and Political Engagement08:47 The Conflict with Iran and its Implications15:22 Federalizing Elections and Concerns for Democracy27:25 The Absurdity of Current Political Events

The Left Face podcast discusses the dramatic week in veterans news, focusing on the interim rule that impacts veterans' benefits. The conversation delves into the responsibility, reaction, and details of the rule, as well as its insulting nature and political affiliations. It also covers the Supreme Court ruling, potential conflict with Iran, and the formation of new alliances. Additionally, it addresses the lack of oversight and accountability in the administration, as well as advocacy efforts at the Capitol and the role of veterans in political advocacy.TakeawaysVeterans' reaction to the interim rule was swift and overwhelmingly unanimous.The lack of accountability in the current administration is a cause for concern.Chapters00:00 Discussion with the Adjutant General and Advocacy Opportunities

The conversation covers community activism and hope, military appreciation day at the Capitol, the Minnesota situation and Second Amendment, response to attack, and government shutdown. It also highlights the importance of veterans' political engagement and the impact of community activism on political change. The conversation covers topics related to government funding and potential shutdowns, the impact of political pressure on funding decisions, the influence of education and qualification standards on government officials, and the long-term impact of social media regulation. These themes are explored in depth, providing insights into the current political and social landscape.TakeawaysCommunity activismVeterans' political engagement Government funding and shutdownsImpact of political pressureEducation and qualification standardsSocial media regulation and its long-term impactChapters00:00 Community Activism and Hope06:55 Minnesota Situation and Second Amendment20:32 Government Funding and Shutdowns26:02 Social Media Regulation and Long-Term Impact

The conversation covers a range of topics, including the military grand jury ruling, the impact of the halftime show, and the role of the DCCC in campaign support. It also delves into the use of ICE administrative warrants and the accountability of political figures. The discussion provides valuable insights into these key themes and their implications.TakeawaysMilitary Grand Jury RulingICE Administrative WarrantsPolitical Outbursts and AccountabilityHalftime Show ImpactDCCC and Campaign SupportChapters00:00 Military Grand Jury Ruling18:41 Halftime Show Impact29:30 DCCC and Campaign Support

The conversation covers a range of topics including the ICE occupation in Minnesota, the concept of perfidy in warfare, and the impact of the pacifist movement. It also delves into discussions about the Davos economic forum, Trump's Greenland agenda, and the resistance in Minnesota. The conversation highlights the potential impact of peaceful resistance and the challenges of international conflict and political tactics.TakeawaysICE Occupation in MinnesotaPerfidy in WarfareResistance and Impact of Pacifist MovementChapters00:00 Positive Impact of Resistance in Minnesota

The conversation covers a range of topics including VA healthcare frustrations, Minneapolis protests, the Trump administration's use of the Insurrection Act, civil rights movements, crowd control, ICE operations, the Epstein files, foreign relations, global power dynamics, Greenland and international relations, and the UN and global governance. The discussion delves into the complexities of these issues and their implications for national and international affairs.TakeawaysVA wait timesMinneapolis protestsGlobal order and power dynamicsUN and global governanceChapters00:00 VA Wait Times and Healthcare Frustrations05:26 Crowd Control and Law Enforcement Behavior13:24 Foreign Relations and Global Power Dynamics19:21 Greenland and International Relations28:23 UN and Global Governance

The Left Face podcast discusses the Colorado Democratic Veterans Council, legislative efforts, and the tragic shooting of Renee Good. It also delves into the response to the incident, authoritarian behavior, misinformation, and the increase in the military budget. The conversation highlights the government's control of private industry and the deployment of authoritarianism.TakeawaysLegislative advocacy and planning are crucial for the Colorado Democratic Veterans CouncilMisinformation and bias in media coverage impact public perceptionThe increase in the military budget raises concerns about government control of private industryChapters00:00 Introduction to Left Face Podcast05:16 Building Relationships and Legislative Impact11:30 Tragic Incident: Shooting of Renee Good17:26 Villainization and Misinformation23:07 Defense Industrial Base and Military Budget28:21 Increase in Military Budget and Justification

The conversation covers a range of topics including veterans issues and politics, the impact of the cannabis industry on veterans, US foreign policy, and international relations. The discussion delves into the outlook for 2026, the cannabis industry's influence on veterans' access to products, CIA operations in Venezuela, and the strategic importance of Greenland and Nigeria's oil. The conversation provides insights into the intersection of these themes and their implications for veterans and global affairs.TakeawaysVeterans issues and politicsCannabis industry and its impact on veteransUS foreign policy and international relationsChapters00:00 2026 Outlook and Forward-Looking Mood17:12 CIA Operations in Venezuela and US Foreign Policy26:07 Strategic Importance of Greenland and Nigeria's Oil

In this episode of Left Face, Adam Gillard and Dick Wilkinson delve into the complexities of recent political maneuvers, including the reclassification of marijuana, the evolving hemp industry, and the geopolitical intrigue surrounding Greenland. Join us as we explore the implications of these changes and what they mean for the future.

In this episode of "Left Face," hosts Adam Gillard and Dick Wilkinson delve into the complex world of international oil trade and sanctions. They explore the mysterious "ghost fleet" of oil tankers that operate under the radar, moving commodities between sanctioned countries. The discussion covers the recent seizure of an oil tanker linked to Venezuela, the legal implications under international law, and the broader geopolitical ramifications. Tune in for an insightful conversation on how these covert operations impact global politics and economies.

Inside the Sausage of Democracy

In this episode of Left Face, hosts Adam Gillard and Dick Wilkinson discuss a range of topics, including the political shifts of Congress members like Marjorie Taylor Greene, the power dynamics within the military, and the media's role in shaping public perception. They delve into the implications of these issues on society and explore the ethical responsibilities of those in power.

A friend is gone and we refuse to speak in euphemisms. We start with the raw reality of veteran suicide—how access turns intent into tragedy within minutes, how survivor guilt lingers, and what it looks like to build “friction” into crisis moments: locked layers between you and a weapon, one more call, and a circle that actually answers.From there we widen the lens to power and consequence. The historically long shutdown didn’t just stall paychecks; it rewarded a politics of brinkmanship. We unpack why senators safe from re-election cave first, why there’s no federal recall to correct bad actors, and how performative policy—like slapping a new name on health care—ignores costs families can’t absorb. The SNAP episode lays the stakes bare: trying to claw back food already on kitchen tables is both unworkable and inhumane, especially while gilded rooms and junk science steal headlines.Accountability makes a rare appearance with a push to release more Epstein files. We trace the surprising Republican defections, the personal pressure applied to peel names off, and the moment a few chose conscience over party. The road ahead is procedural and steep—House, Senate, possible veto—but daylight matters. Survivors deserve more than whispers and sealed boxes, and the public deserves a government that doesn’t default to secrecy when the vulnerable paid the price.We close with action, not just analysis. An “empty chair” town hall gathers stories, names, and community resolve on the eve of the vote. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to get involved, this is it: show up, call someone who needs you, and tell your representatives that compassion and transparency aren’t negotiable. If this resonates, follow the show, share with a friend, and leave a review—your voice helps others find ours.Send us a text https://bsky.app/profile/leftfaceco.bsky.socialhttps://www.facebook.com/epccpvwww.EPCCPV.org or info@epccpv.org

A 37-day shutdown shouldn’t be a theory test—it’s a stress test on real lives. We open the hood on what’s actually breaking: paychecks interrupted, SNAP benefits muddled, and a fragile FAA pushed to reduce flights right before the holidays. As veterans rooted in the Pikes Peak Region, we connect the local to the national, showing how a 15% veteran population feels every policy shock first and hardest—and how organized volunteers can still move legislation where it counts.We don’t stop at the headlines. The filibuster gets a plain-English audit: not a constitutional safeguard, but a Senate rule that too often enables cost-free obstruction. We make the case for forcing real, on-the-floor filibusters so voters can see who’s blocking what and why. Then we track the aviation crunch—controller shortages, safety oversight gaps, and cascading cancellations that turn family plans into price spikes and missed seats. When the system relies on people who aren’t being paid, the margins vanish, and risk fills the gap.Healthcare has been the banner, but it can’t be the only banner. Premium hikes matter, especially for lower-income families who spend every extra dollar twice over in their neighborhoods. Still, voters deserve a scale that fits the moment: missed wages, food security, safety regulation, and the uneasy drift toward deploying troops in American cities. If leaders ask the public to shoulder a shutdown, they must widen the case to match the harm.We wrap with practical help and a push: local restaurants and nonprofits are feeding furloughed workers, veteran groups are organizing, and resources exist if you know where to look. Listen for clear takeaways, tangible support, and a roadmap for better messaging that puts people first. If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review—then tell us what priority you want on the scale next.Send us a text https://bsky.app/profile/leftfaceco.bsky.socialhttps://www.facebook.com/epccpvwww.EPCCPV.org or info@epccpv.org

A president told reporters he wanted to “start testing nuclear weapons” while flying to meet Xi, and the timing set off alarms. We break down what it would actually take to light a test in Nevada after three decades offline, why subcritical experiments and modeling already safeguard reliability, and how treaty logic—if you test, we test—has kept a fragile peace. From the START framework to real-world launch notifications and telemetry games, we pull from lived experience in satellite monitoring to explain how quickly trust erodes when declarations and data don’t match.Then we take the conversation from megaton headlines to street-level power. A string of ICE clips shows masked agents grabbing phones and conducting chaotic stops—signs of poor identification, weak discipline, and no de-escalation. We talk about what communities can do: coordinated observation, legal observers, and local pressure that forces transparency. Sanctuary policies aren’t a cure-all, but procurement, oversight, and city leadership signal whether people or spectacle set the agenda.The shutdown sits underneath it all, amplifying executive reach while Congress trades narratives about funding and blame. We explore how stalemates turn governance into messaging, and why reopening matters to everything from inspections to courts. That leads us to money and power: defining “excessive wealth,” closing loopholes that let mega-firms chew up roads without paying for them, and reviving antitrust and procurement rules that spread opportunity to small, veteran-, and women-owned businesses. Decorporatizing doesn’t mean ditching capitalism; it means aligning profit with place, quality jobs with transit, and incentives with real community value.If you value clear-eyed analysis on nuclear policy, civil liberties, and the economics that touch your daily life, hit follow, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review with the one reform you’d prioritize first. Your take might shape our next conversation.Send us a text https://bsky.app/profile/leftfaceco.bsky.socialhttps://www.facebook.com/epccpvwww.EPCCPV.org or info@epccpv.org

A warm lunch table with veterans turns into a hard truth session about the third week of a government shutdown—and who bears the cost when politics stalls. We unpack what missed first-of-the-month payments mean for retirees and VA disability recipients, why many military families face a double hit from “non-essential” base jobs, and how a late surge of back pay could mask deeper harm in the holiday economy. Along the way, we point to real lifelines—Food to Power, Care and Share, and Mount Carmel—for food access, counseling, and community that helps people breathe when the numbers don’t add up.From the streets, a “No Kings” protest brings the question of power into focus. Forget the noise; look at the clearest signal of all: the idea of putting a sitting leader’s face on currency. Democracies honor after service; monarchs mint themselves. That simple test anchors a wider conversation about dynastic ambitions, family entanglement in core state functions, and the normalization of permanence that corrodes the rule of law.Then we head south, where small boats in international waters are being blown up at a steady clip. If you can track a vessel well enough to strike it, you can interdict it lawfully—that’s the standard the laws of armed conflict demand. An admiral at Southern Command resigns rather than carry orders he deems unlawful, even as rank downgrades compress experience and reward compliance. Meanwhile, the press is boxed into choreographed access while propagandists flood the zone, drowning out facts with noise. We connect these threads with a veteran’s practicality: help your neighbor, use the resources within reach, and keep your eye on what the law requires, not what the loudest voice demands.If this conversation helps you navigate a hard month—or see the stakes more clearly—share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave a review. What’s the one action you’re taking this week to support someone in your community?Send us a text https://bsky.app/profile/leftfaceco.bsky.socialhttps://www.facebook.com/epccpvwww.EPCCPV.org or info@epccpv.org

What if a holiday label could teach you everything about power? We start with the fight over Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day as a living lesson in how culture gets replaced, co-opted, and defended—and why nostalgia is such a potent political tool. From there, we pull back the camera (literally) on protest coverage, showing how tight frames and smoky angles turn a two-block action into a “city on fire.” When fear takes the mic, escalation becomes easy.As veterans, we talk plainly about what we’ve seen at ICE facilities: pepper rounds fired at a priest, riot lines moving to punish rather than protect, and a growing haze where impersonators mimic federal agents to harass vulnerable communities. That’s not just a policing problem—it’s a civic one. We break down how modern resistance actually works: tail-number tracking, open-source mapping of operations, and real-time alerts that keep protests visible, lawful, and effective. When platforms silence observers in the name of “safety,” the public loses a critical check on state power.Shutdown politics threads through the hour, but not as a budget parlor game. We ask what’s worth a hard stop: premium hikes—or drawing a line against active harm? With fractures showing on the right and real economic pain hitting farmers, service members, and families, pressure won’t come from sound bites; it’ll come from consequences. We also tackle the uneasy “peace” in Israel–Gaza and the profit-churn of reconstruction without accountability—another reminder that transparency is the guardrail, at home and abroad.If you’re planning to show up for No Kings Day, we’ve got you: clear de-escalation steps, how to document safely, and why discipline—not outrage—wins hearts and ground. Listen, share with a friend who’s on the fence, and tell us: where do you draw the line, and how will you help hold it? Subscribe, leave a review, and join us on the ground—peaceful, visible, and prepared.Send us a text https://bsky.app/profile/leftfaceco.bsky.socialhttps://www.facebook.com/epccpvwww.EPCCPV.org or info@epccpv.org

A community protest with porta-potty “sponsorships” shouldn’t have anything to do with a room full of stone-faced generals at Quantico—but it does. We open on real-world organizing in Colorado Springs, then trace a straight line to a stage where aesthetics and loyalty checks tried to pass for military leadership. When beards become the battleground and “look the part” outweighs mission, you can feel the culture war trying to rewrite standards from the outside.We break down what actually happened at the GOFO summit: a massive lift to move the brass, a political speech delivered to an audience trained not to clap, and a message heavy on optics but light on readiness. From shaving waivers and their racial reality to religious accommodations in the Space Force, we separate myth from operational need. We also clear the air on PT standards and combat roles: elite units already enforce tough, job-specific requirements that didn’t soften when women got a fair shot. The data is small, the standards are high, and the dog whistles are loud.Then we widen the lens. “Train in our cities,” “enemy within,” and a push to militarize police risk crossing legal lines that protect civilians from domestic force. Add a government shutdown framed by misinformation about immigrant benefits while lavish projects skate through, and the priorities come into focus. Finally, we challenge the nostalgia for “hands-on” boot camp. Draft-era fear worked when you could replace deserters with letters; in an all-volunteer force, abuse undermines trust, retention, and real readiness. Along the way, we call out the AI meme factory and the normalization of ridicule from the highest office—a propaganda loop that distracts from what actually keeps the country safe.If you care about readiness over rhetoric and mission over memes, pull up a chair. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who served (or wanted to), and leave a review to help more folks find an honest take on what really matters.Send us a text https://bsky.app/profile/leftfaceco.bsky.socialhttps://www.facebook.com/epccpvwww.EPCCPV.org or info@epccpv.org

The specter of authoritarianism looms large in this riveting discussion between veterans Dick Wilkinson and Adam Gillard as they unpack Secretary Pete Hegseth's unprecedented recall of 800 general officers to the Pentagon. What appears to be a simple administrative meeting reveals itself as potentially something far more sinister—a loyalty purge designed to reshape military leadership in the administration's image.Drawing on their military backgrounds, the hosts decode the significance behind renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War—a seemingly symbolic change that signals a fundamental ideological shift. They highlight the staggering waste of resources this rebranding represents while examining the troubling pattern of dismissals targeting women generals, painting a picture of an institution being reshaped along Christian nationalist lines.The conversation shifts to media freedom as they analyze Jimmy Kimmel's brief suspension and return to ABC following his Trump jokes. Despite his comeback, approximately 30 stations across America still refuse to air his show—a telling indicator of political pressure on media outlets. The hosts commend Kimmel for immediately hosting Gavin Newsom, who voiced the alarming concern shared by many: Will America even have elections in 2028?Most chilling is their theory about Trump's possible strategy for securing an unprecedented third term through manufacturing an international crisis. By encouraging escalation with Russia while undermining democratic institutions at home, the groundwork for emergency powers that could suspend normal constitutional processes appears to be taking shape. As veterans who've sworn to protect the Constitution, their perspective offers a uniquely informed warning about the fragility of democracy when military loyalty is redirected from the nation to an individual.Ready to join the conversation? Connect with us at the Veterans Lunch, where candidates regularly engage with our community about the issues that matter most. Your voice and perspective are essential in these critical times.Send us a text https://bsky.app/profile/leftfaceco.bsky.socialhttps://www.facebook.com/epccpvwww.EPCCPV.org or info@epccpv.org

The constitutional foundations of America are trembling, and the assault on free speech is happening with breathtaking speed. What begins with a comedian being pulled off the air for mild jokes about a politician could end with the complete dismantling of our First Amendment protections.When Jimmy Kimmel made some relatively benign jokes about Donald Trump, the response was swift and chilling. The FCC chair suggested Disney should "buckle down" on Kimmel, advertisers got nervous, and local stations threatened to drop the show. Within days, Kimmel was temporarily off the air. This wasn't about offensive content - it was about power and intimidation. The hypocrisy is stunning. For years, many on the right have decried "cancel culture" as a leftist tactic to silence opposition. Now we're seeing politicians and media figures explicitly calling for citizens to report their neighbors for social media posts, contact employers about workers' political opinions, and threaten to withhold funding from schools because of teachers' comments. What's remarkable is that even conservative voices like Ted Cruz and Ben Shapiro recognize the danger, warning that weaponizing government agencies against free speech sets a dangerous precedent regardless of which party employs such tactics.Meanwhile, corporations continue to demonstrate that their values extend only as far as their profit margins. Disney, Target, Facebook - all shift positions based on which way the political winds blow. As one host noted, "They don't care about you. They just want to sell you crap to keep you coming back."If these assaults on free expression concern you, join us for the October 18th protest as part of the national No Kings 2.0 movement. The Bill of Rights isn't a menu where those in power get to pick and choose which freedoms to respect. Stand with us before it's too late.Send us a text https://bsky.app/profile/leftfaceco.bsky.socialhttps://www.facebook.com/epccpvwww.EPCCPV.org or info@epccpv.org