Below is the readable transcript of the Mac and Mike Show discussion, organized by topic for clarity.
Introduction
Mac: Hey folks, welcome back to the Mac and Mike Show. He’s Mike, I’m Mac. We haven’t been together for a while, so it’s good to see Mike in person. We spent the day riding around trying to find something I could eat, and we ended up with pizzas from a place with an unusual name—something like Boom Bombos. The pizza was actually pretty good; next time we’re here, we’ll have to try different varieties.
Anyway, Mike and I were talking about a bunch of stuff today. We aren’t on the back porch; we’re in the kitchen because it’s a bit brisk out there. We’re going to jump around to a few subjects.
The War in Iran and Pilot Recovery
Mac: First, the Iran war is ongoing. Yesterday or today, we lost an F-15. Two operators ended up in southwestern Iran. We recovered one, but the other is still missing.
I want to give kudos to my brother Mike here. He was the guy who used to teach these pilots what to do when they were shot down—how to escape, evade, and survive without getting captured. Mike, what is that missing person doing right now?
Mike: Well, if they’ve been captured, they’re trying to resist interrogation. That’s the first thing. You go through a “field interrogation” first, which is usually where people beat you up. Later, you’re taken to a central command where they want intelligence, so they’re a bit craftier.
If they haven’t been captured, the first thing you do after ejecting is understand the terrain. I was in Afghanistan once, looking at a live satellite feed to plan ingress and egress routes for bombers and intel people. Looking at the Iranian landscape from the south, it was just a “moonscape.” There’s no place to hide and no water, except for maybe some moisture in a wadi (a dry riverbed) if you dig.
Mike’s Survival Tips:
- The Canopy: Pilots have a C9 canopy with multiple colors. Orange for signaling/peacetime, white for arctic/snow, desert colors, and foliage colors. You’re supposed to bury the parachute and cut out the parts that match the terrain to use as camouflage.
- The Descent: After bailing out, you discard the oxygen mask, pull your four-line modification to steer into the wind, and deploy an ML4 kit for stabilization.
- On the Ground: You have a survival vest with a radio, flares, a knife, a water bag, and a first aid kit. You just “book it” to find shelter.
- Navigation: You use GPS or a map to reach a predetermined waypoint for recovery.
- Avoidance: Avoid people, waterways, and population centers. Even if a route looks easy, you go the opposite way to stay away from potential enemies.
- Authentication: We use specialized satellite uplinks now. To prevent “luring” (a tactic used in Vietnam to trap rescue helicopters), there are specific challenge questions only the pilot would know.
Political Perspectives on the Iran Conflict
Mac: Regarding the decision to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon: from a political perspective, this was a difficult choice. James Carville suggested that after the midterms, Democrats might take the majority and go after the President for impeachment.
Historically, the party in the White House loses seats during the midterms. With narrow margins in the House and Senate, the “politically astute” move would have been to “not rock the boat.” The economy was moving well—gas prices were down, and job numbers were strong.
By attacking Iran, the President opened himself up to higher grocery prices, higher gas prices, and an uncertain stock market. It might be “politically stupid,” but it was the right decision for the safety of the world to prevent a state sponsor of terrorism from having nuclear weapons or funding proxies like the Houthies, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
Mike: I agree. You have to do the right thing. If we had waited five more years, Iran would have hundreds of thousands of drones and missiles. It would have been much harder then.
NATO and International Cooperation
Mac: Secretary of State Rubio and the President indicated that when we asked NATO allies for minimal help—not even bombing, just using their airspace or landing at their bases—not a single ally stepped up. What do you think about that?
Mike: You have to look through their lens. Many feel slighted because the President has been critical of NATO. They also argue they weren’t consulted. However, the President was dealing with highly sensitive intelligence shared with Israel; consulting a large coalition leads to leaks, and the element of surprise is paramount.
- Italy (Sigonella): We have an agreement from 1954 where we must consult before landing munitions (like loaded B-52s) during wartime.
- Spain: They wouldn’t even allow an overflight. There is no 1954 agreement there.
- The UK (Gibraltar): Iran shot missiles toward Gibraltar, which is a joint UK/US base. Isn’t that an act of war against the UK? You would think so.
Mac: If we cannot expect cooperation, what is the purpose of NATO? Why are we supporting them? It’s like a friend who won’t help you out when you’re short on cash but asks you for a loan the next week.
Look at the 35,000 troops we have at the DMZ in Korea. They are essentially a “tripwire.” If they get attacked, we go to war. But if we can’t depend on NATO to have our back, we need to re-examine our participation. When the UK ran out of jet fuel, they asked for help, and the President basically told them to buy it from us or get their own.
The Uranium Negotiation
Mac: I don’t think this war will last long. By the end of April, offensive operations will likely be over because there aren’t many targets left.
It’s important to remember that we tried to negotiate. We offered Iran enough nuclear rods to power their energy requirements for eternity, for free, as long as they stopped enriching uranium. They said no. That proves the only reason they want uranium is for a nuclear weapon.
The Threat of “Suitcase” Nukes
Mac: People say Iran isn’t a direct threat. They wouldn’t send an ICBM because we could intercept it. But you could smuggle a nuclear weapon in a suitcase across the border, put it in the trunk of a car, and park it outside a building—just like the Oklahoma City bombing. We don’t have the political will to completely close our borders, and that’s a real danger.
Warfare Ethics and the Electrical Grid
Mike: Carolyn Leavitt was recently asked about the legitimacy of bombing an electrical grid. I’m not a big fan of the Geneva Convention—practically speaking, you don’t want to kill civilians anyway because it doesn’t help you win. The argument against hitting electricity is that it affects hospitals or causes people to freeze in winter. However, electricity is a “dual-use resource,” meaning it powers the military, too.
End of Transcript
Recent Comments