
Mike Ritland is a former Navy SEAL, founder of the Warrior Dog Foundation, and host of the Mike Drop Podcast, known for his combat deployments and work with elite military working dogs.In this episode, Mike breaks down U.S. foreign intervention, post-9/11 warfare, and the unintended consequences of nation-building, with firsthand insight from Iraq and Afghanistan. The conversation explores modern threats including drone warfare, artificial intelligence, cyber vulnerabilities, and rising global tensions involving Venezuela, Iran, and China.Mike also dives deep into Special Operations culture, SEAL training, counterinsurgency warfare, and skepticism surrounding official government narratives. In the final stretch, he explains how military working dogs are selected and trained for combat, bomb detection, and special operations—and what civilians get wrong about training their own dogs.Support Mike:https://mikeritland.com/https://www.instagram.com/mritland/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNZR15cy3w1fzGXgI5oy5aA00:00 — Global Tensions, Venezuela & Why This Matters Now04:00 — U.S. Intervention Patterns Across Administrations07:30 — Nation-Building Failures & Unintended Consequences10:55 — Venezuela, Financial Ties & Hidden Motivations30:40 — America’s Domestic Priorities vs Foreign Wars46:20 — Social Media, Big Tech & Narrative Control50:55 — AI, Education & Falling Behind Strategically1:10:15 — Manufacturing, Energy & National Security1:21:50 — Power Grid Vulnerabilities & Cyber Threats1:34:45 — AI, Drones & the Future of Warfare2:05:25 — Espionage, China & the Next Cold War2:22:35 — Special Operations, SEAL Training & Combat Reality2:35:45 — 9/11, Deployments & Insurgency Warfare2:54:10 — Military Working Dogs: Selection & Training3:22:05 — Dog Training for Civilians & Real-World Takeaways