Threat & Theory

In a stunning escalation, the United States used military force to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and bring him to face federal charges - blurring the lines between war, law enforcement, and regime change. In this episode, we break down what actually happened, why the decision was made now, and how intelligence, military power, and geopolitics converged in a way rarely seen in the modern era.

Beyond the headlines, we examine the strategic risks, legal implications, and what comes next when a leader is gone, but the system that sustained him remains.

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Duration: 00:19:42

In Episode 3 of Threat and Theory, we step away from today’s headlines and go deep into the personal journey behind the analysis. Former U.S. Navy intelligence officer, Captain Howard Hart walks us through his 30-year career—from a college graduate with no clear plan, to serving on watch floors around the world during some of the most consequential moments in modern history.

We explore how someone actually gets into intelligence, what life is like aboard ships and aircraft carriers, how watch floors operate under real pressure, and how intelligence officers grow by rotating through wildly diff...

Duration: 00:24:21

In Episode 2 of Threat and Theory, former U.S. Navy intelligence officer Howard Hart takes us inside how modern military and intelligence decisions are actually made - using Venezuela as a real-world case study.

We break down the Joint Operations Planning Process step by step, explore how the intelligence cycle feeds commanders and policymakers, and examine how economic pressure, financial intelligence, and targeting decisions shape outcomes long before any shots are fired. From the rise of Hugo Chávez to the current rule of Nicolás Maduro, this episode traces how a once-wealthy nation became a narco-state...

Duration: 01:00:53

What does the intelligence community actually do when the headlines stop? In the debut episode of The Watch Floor, former U.S. Navy intelligence officer Howard Hart takes you inside the real nerve center of global decision-making.

We break down how intelligence officers think, why major events like October 7th and 9/11 are sometimes missed, and how assumptions, bias, and human limitations shape outcomes as much as technology does. From Gaza and Israel to shifting Middle East alliances, U.S. influence, and the realities behind conspiracy theories, this episode demystifies intelligence as both an art and a science.<...

Duration: 00:44:09