Break It Down Show

Pete A Turner

Pete A Turner explores great conversations across a vast array of topics and personalities. The Break It Down Show is over 10 years old and has published over 2000 episodes. Find Pete at @peteaturner on most social media sites.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Bill Conroy - The Great Pretense

    Bill Conroy, M.A. in Mass Communications/Journalism (Marquette University), is a veteran journalist with 40 years of experience working as a staff reporter, editor-in-chief, and freelance correspondent at print and online publications across the United States and in Mexico. Get Bill's book The Great Pretense on Amazon at amzn.to/4cF89pG His journalism has been cited in more than 35 books to date. Conroy also is the author of the nonfiction books The Great Pretense: A Tour Through the Boneyard of the CIA's War for Drugs; Dispatches from the House of Death: A Juarez Cartel informant, a DEA whistleblower, mass murder and a coverup on the edge of the Empire; and Borderline Security: A Chronicle of Reprisal, Cronyism and Corruption in the U.S. Customs Service.

    1h 8m

  2. 6 DAYS AGO

    Brad Hutchings - AI Hype vs Real Reliability

    In this Break It Down Show episode, host Pete A Turner and guest Brad Hutchings discuss AI's promises versus realities. They critique overhyped tools that fail at simple tasks (mic switching, reliable outputs), "vibe coding" creating technical debt, AI-generated spam eroding trust, and lack of accountability when automation fails. They emphasize human effort in communication, ethical responsibility, and skepticism toward exaggerated claims, while acknowledging AI's value for mundane work when used thoughtfully. (89 words) Brad Hutchings - AI Hype vs Real Reliability

    1h 7m

  3. 5 MAR

    Mike Cote and Amber Brittain-Hale - Iran, Israel and the US

    With the current situation in Iran between the US and Israel. Beyond this, the 5 EYES relationship is also interesting to examine. Let's get Mike Cote and Amber Brittain-Hale on the Break It Down Show with Pete A Turner Here's Amber's site for all of her work brainstatesinc.com Here's Mike Cote's substack rationalpolicy.com

    1h 20m

  4. 26 FEB

    Amber Brittain-Hale - Munich, Policy and Tulsi Gabbard

    Amber Brittain-Hale joins Pete A Turner on the Break It Down Show to discuss current events and foreign policy. The Trump administration's foreign policy approach, fronted by Marco Rubio remains on the cutting edge of world events. Rubio gave a house busting speech in Munich. His speech urged Europe to reject the same mistakes the US has made in the recent past. He acknowledged the link between Europe and the US as being an unbreakable history of success. Rubio's speech stood out from the recent messages from President Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Their more forceful tone was not received in the same way as Sec Rubio's. This sets the stage for an interesting conversation between Pete and Amber.

    1h 7m

  5. 25 FEB

    Dan Gerstein - War Without Humanity

    Dr. Daniel Gerstein is a national security professional who has served as a senior government civilian, in uniform, in industry, in think tanks and in academia. As a senior government civilian, he served in the Department of Homeland Security as Under Secretary (Acting) and Deputy Under Secretary in the Science and Technology Directorate, where he directed the organization's over $1 billion annual budget. Get Gerstin's War Without Humanity on Amazon at amzn.to/4b5ULJR During his service in the U.S. Army, he served on four continents while participating in combat, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and homeland security and served for more than a decade in the Pentagon in various high-level staff assignments. Dr. Gerstein also has extensive experience in international negotiations having served on the Holbrooke Delegation that negotiated the peace settlement in Bosnia. He is a frequent national security contributor and has published numerous books, articles and commentaries on a wide variety of national and homeland security issues. He serves as a member of several corporate boards and advisory committees. Pete A Turner and Brad Hutchings welcome Dan Gerstein to the Break It Down Show

    1h 2m

  6. 18 FEB

    Sebastian Junger – In My Time of Dying

    Sebastian Junger nearly died. It was close. Along the way, a bunch of decisions happened to go his way. At one point, during his near death experience, a dark void opened up on his left, it was drawing him closer. His father, who had died years ago, was encouraging him to move towards the void. He, survived, and wrote his latest book about the experience. In his style, Junger teaches us about near death experiences, the science that confounds the scientists and what he thinks about death and dying. This is Sebastian's third visit to the Break It Down Show with Pete A Turner Get Sebastian's book on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3Vo5C95 Joining Pete and Sebastian is Josh Mantz. Josh was shot and killed in Iraq. He was dead for over 10 minutes. When he came back, everything had changed. Josh's understanding of the world beyond the veil is leading towards a PhD. This conversation is something you won't find on any other platform. Josh doesn't speak publicly. Pete was able to convince Josh to sit with him and Sebastian because there is something special in this conversation. Get ready this is going to be good.

    1h 1m

  7. 16 FEB

    Ramses Patino – The Philosophy of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

    Ramses Patino teaches folks in Orange County the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Ramses is the lead instructor at the dojo where Pete A Turner trains. Pete and Ramses sit down to explore the world of BJJ and how it informs people. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has exploded in popularity over the past 30 years. Gracie Barra, the school to which Pete and Ramses belong is the largest in the world with 1000s of locations across the planet. More than a way to beat people up, BJJ is a way to live, train and improve. Pete A Turner is proud to present Ramses Patino on the Break It Down Show More on Ramses head to gbsantaana.com and read below Ramses Patino is a multi-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the head instructor at Gracie Barra Santa Ana, a premier Gracie Barra school in Orange County, California. With deep roots in the Gracie lineage, he trains students in the art and philosophy of BJJ, emphasizing technique, discipline, and personal growth. Featured on podcasts like the Break It Down Show, Ramses shares insights into Jiu-Jitsu's mental and physical benefits. As a dedicated professor, he leads a vibrant community at GB Santa Ana, fostering skill development for practitioners of all levels in a supportive environment.

    1 hr

  8. 13 FEB

    Amber Brittain-Hale - Venezuela, Tulsi Gabbard and Transition Operations

    Amber Brittain Hale joins Pete A Turner on the Break It Down Show to discuss current events in the world of policy. In this episode of the Break It Down Show, host Pete A Turner interviews Amber Brittain-Hale on policy-focused current events. They differentiate politics from policy, stressing objective analysis over bias and the need for ground-truth insights in decision-making.The core discussion explores transition operations and stabilization in unstable regions, contrasting successful post-WWII cases (Germany, Japan, South Korea) with failures (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya). Key lessons: adapt to local context, prioritize security and basic services, avoid top-down Western impositions, and secure local buy-in.They apply these to Venezuela—a narco-state needing corruption cleanup—discussing potential U.S.-backed economic levers like oil sector reform, asset recovery, and light-footprint stabilization under figures like Secretary Rubio. Tulsi Gabbard is mentioned in the title but deferred for a future talk.The episode advocates pragmatic, adaptive approaches over hubris for effective transitions.

    1h 12m
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About

Pete A Turner explores great conversations across a vast array of topics and personalities. The Break It Down Show is over 10 years old and has published over 2000 episodes. Find Pete at @peteaturner on most social media sites.

Information

  • Creator
    Pete A Turner
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    299
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Break It Down Show

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