True lies, power pop, and strategic airpower.

A cavalcade of content on Mexican cartels, LatAm crisis, American historical memory, and 1990s pop.

We have an embarrassment of riches this morning, with two episodes of The Hard Country for your viewing / listening delight, plus an episode of National Review’s Political Beats, plus my essay in The Blaze on where Masters of the Air went wrong. I know it’s been a while since the last Armas, so let’s dive in.

First up is this week’s episode of The Hard Country, in which we discuss the bizarre and escalating crisis between Mexico and Ecuador, and also AMLO’s mendacity-strewn interview with 60 Minutes. Have a watch:

There was an episode of The Hard Country last week as well, with a special guest from Mexican think tank Patria Unida, discussing the narcopresidente affair — American reporting on the Mexican president’s ties to Mexican cartels — past and present:

And more: the hosts of National Review’s Political Beats graciously invited me on to discuss the 1990s work of power-pop legend Matthew Sweet, which I was only too happy to do. This is a Gen-X nostalgia trip, and you’re invited.

Finally, as mentioned, I have a piece in The Blaze on where Masters of the Air went wrong, and why we care.

The Hard Country can be found on YouTube, quite obviously, and also at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, and no doubt elsewhere.