30 episodes
Spartan Spirit Leadership Bill Kourelakos
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- Society & Culture
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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The Spartan Spirit Leadership podcast series is on hold until 2025.Season 2 of Spartan Spirit looked at Western Society's Leadership presenting you a perspective on which of them is best for Western society as a whole, or put another way, those which have the Spartan Spirit.The balance between individual rights, democracy and national power is a difficult balance to maintain, but that balance and the way of life we have are worth fighting for and it’s up to all of us to remember that our Western values must be defended, first and foremost and even ahead of individual rights at times. And, it’s up to our leaders to enact that defense.Thus, on Spartan Spirit Leadership you heard about a leader’s background, their affiliations, something they’ve said about the topic of the episode, and what other leaders have said about that topic. This will give you some insight into who the leaders of Western society are, how well they are looking after your rights, your democracy, and importantly, your state and the West’s ability to defend Western values. Season 1 of ‘Best for the West’ presented you with a stoic, pragmatic and nation-first (i.e., Spartan) view of what you can do to challenge policies and practices that are not in Western society's best interests.
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Spartan Spirit Leadership - E29 - Chris Wray - Cyberwarfare
This episode looks at the war raging all around you in cyberspace.Cyberwarfare is everywhere. Are you prepared for a 'Cyber Pearl Harbor'?This episode covers the what cyberspace is; who is active in cyber attacks; and features comments from NATO, Andrew Hastie (Australian MP) and the Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray. Chris Wray's words about battling cyberwarfare demonstrate true Spartan Spirit Leadership - well worth paying attention to - by everyone.
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Spartan Spirit Leadership - E28 - Julianne Smith - Defense Spending
Donald Trump said "“No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay.” This was said in reference to defense spending, with particular reference to NATO nations that are not achieving the bench mark of 2% Gross Domestic Product on defense. NATO's existence depends on mutual self-defense, thus Trump's comments can be construed as an existential issue for NATO. This episode delves into defense spending by West...
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Spartan Spirit Leadership - E27 - Nikki Haley - Foreign Aid
Although Nikki Haley dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination only days before this episode was published, her stance on US Foreign Aid was informative; particularly given the debate raging in the US over immigration and foreign aid. This episode explores the issue of foreign aid provided by Western nations, including: What is foreign aid?Historical examples.The UN's Sustainable Development GoalsUS aid to Israel and Ukraine
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Spartan Spirit Leadership - E26 - Joe Biden - Legalizing Marijuana
Significant portions of Western society's citizens support legalization of marijuana. Some countries (e.g., Canada) have legalized widespread marijuana use. Many others have not. This episode details the facts around marijuana use, including societal views and medical research about the effects of marijuana use. Interestingly, very few Western leaders take a definitive stand on how to deal with the legalization of marijuana. US President Joe Biden is an exception in that he has a publicl...
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Spartan Spirit Leadership - E25 - David Cameron - Ukraine-Russia War
In late 2023 and early 2024, the Ukrainian-Russian war settled into a stalemate, leading some to ponder whether Ukraine should seek a peace settlement with Russia. Alongside those musings, the US was unable to pass much-needed funding for Ukraine's war effort.Put another way, it appears that some elements of Western Society are already waning in their support for Ukraine. David Cameron is one of the voices countering this defeatist attitude, and this podcast covers his views along with a...
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Spartan Spirit Leadership - E24a - Lloyd Austin - Rules Based Order
This episode describes the Global Rules Based Order, its history, and how it is functioning in modern society. Lloyd Austin is the US Secretary of Defense, and he gave a speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum in December 2023 in which he argued in favor of the Rules Based Order and the US's role in defending that order. Also covered are views about the Rules Based Order from: Japan’s PM Kishida, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, retired Australian Navy Commodore Richard Men...