S9 Ep27: Espresso Martini | Trump’s FBI Shake-Up, China’s Military Buildup, and James Bond’s Future

Chris and Matt discuss Dan Bongino’s appointment as FBI deputy
director, signaling a dramatic shift in federal law enforcement
and raising alarms about political loyalty over experience while
Trump’s broader FBI purge faces internal resistance. Meanwhile,
as the war in Ukraine enters its third year, polling challenges
assumptions about the Global South’s stance on the conflict,
revealing a divide between government policies and public
sentiment. In the Indo-Pacific, a new report warns that China’s
military modernization may be more about political control than
combat readiness, despite its growing arsenal. And finally,
former CIA officer John Sipher takes aim at Hollywood’s spy
fantasies, arguing that real intelligence work is more about
trust and tradecraft than rooftop chases—just as Amazon’s
billion-dollar takeover of James Bond raises new questions about
the franchise’s future.

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Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/9H2nB56zRwQ
Articles discussed in today’s episode

"How Dan Bongino Went From Infowars to FBI Deputy Director" by
David Gilbert | Wired:
https://www.wired.com/story/dan-bongino-fbi-deputy-director-infowars/


"Inside Patel’s first week: Internal upheaval at the FBI – some
of his own making" by Even Perez | CNN:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/27/politics/kash-patel-first-week-fbi/index.html


"The Global South’s Views on Ukraine Are More Complex Than You
May Think" by Michael Karadjis | New Lines Magazine:
https://newlinesmag.com/argument/the-global-souths-views-on-ukraine-are-more-complex-than-you-may-think/


"Is China’s military really built for war? New report questions
Beijing’s arms buildup" by Brad Lendon | CNN:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/16/china/china-military-readiness-rand-report-intl-hnk-ml/index.html


"The Chinese Military's Doubtful Combat Readiness" by Timothy R.
Heath | RAND Corporation:
https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA830-1.html

"The Car Chase to Nowhere: Hollywood & Spies" by John Sipher
| Tomorrow’s Affairs:
https://tomorrowsaffairs.com/the-car-chase-to-nowhere-hollywood-spies


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Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence,
covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a
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events through the lens of intelligence and geopolitics,
featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and
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