Jim and Mike dig into David Kilcullen’s The Dragons and the Snakes to explore how modern adversaries—from rogue states to criminal networks—are adapting faster than ever to Western tactics, tech, and psychology. Drawing from Kilcullen’s insights and a CIA review of the book, they unpack the idea that our enemies are evolving because of us—we’re shaping their strategy, and sometimes not in the way we want.
From guerrilla warfare and liminal conflict to use-of-force doctrine and law enforcement tactics, this episode connects military theory to street-level realities. Are we in a new kind of war without even knowing it? And what are we teaching our opponents every time we act?
The Dragons and the Snakes by David Kilcullen - https://amzn.to/3Td5CrM
CIA review of the book - https://bit.ly/TheDragonsAndTheSnakes
Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube) @TacTangents. You can join the conversation in our Facebook Discussion Group.
Find all of our episodes, articles, some reading list ideas, and more on our website www.tacticaltangents.com
Like what we’re doing? Head over to Patreon and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make a one-time contribution at GoFundMe.
Intro music credit Bensound.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.