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PODCAST

On the Fringe

Slightly scripted. Slightly edited. And at times, slightly unhinged. Welcome to On The Fringe!

This is the podcast you need to understand under-the-radar big events, major players, technologies, and places that need more light in our rapidly changing world. onthefringepodcast.substack.com

news news commentary

All Episodes

34:30

Season 3, Episode 23: Kyrgyzstan, land of mountains,...

On the Fringe ·

2025/12/14

This week, Dave and Gav brought back Joe Barnes, friend of the pod and guest on our episode about neighboring Kazakhstan to talk about Kyrgyzstan. Joe dives into a deep backstory about the Kyrgyz Republic, and why the country has taken off economically in the last few years. One reason—it’s absolutely beautiful and an incredible value for your money.We also discuss what has changed in Kyrgyz civil society and how important gold is (and mining) to the country.If you’ve got an inkling to explore

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13:52

Bonus Episode: A Tale of Two Airstrikes

On the Fringe ·

2025/12/12

Hey all! We’ve got a quick episode for you and two events we will likely be covering in our next season in greater depth. In the first part, Dave and Gav talk about what’s going on between Thailand and Cambodia. In the second part, Gavin goes on a tear and gets to the bottom of a murky situation in Benin. As always, thanks for listening and joining us On the Fringe!All the best,Dave and Gav This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus

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18:41

Season 3, Episode 22: IndiGone. IndiGo's epic...

On the Fringe ·

2025/12/07

Hey all! We are not coming at you as “Moody in Mumbai” or “Desperate in Delhi,” but we feel for those who are.Over the last couple of weeks, IndiGo, India’s largest airline has suffered from major operational setbacks. We’re diving into the most recent one, a change in the law for crew rest, that caused the airline to cancel thousands of flights in the last week as well as why these events may have occurred.If you’re interested in India, don’t miss this episode—and if you’re flying to or within

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37:03

Season 3, Episode 21: On the Edge of Everything- the...

On the Fringe ·

2025/12/04

This week, Dave and Gav talk with Derek ‘DC’ Crager, the CEO of Practical AI. Derek is at the forefront of building what he describes as ‘human-first’ AI and makes the pitch that AI has to be tailored to human needs. We talk about the uses and misuses of AI technology, where it could make a real difference in people’s lives, and not only for improving productivity.If you’re curious about future technology and the impact on life as we know it, don’t miss this episode. For more information about

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46:51

Season 3, Episode 20: Why the state of African...

On the Fringe ·

2025/11/29

On this episode, we brought back Stuart Bolus from last season to talk about the state of African democracy. You’ll learn what it looks like, why it is fragile, and how it differs from country to country, along with local insight (including how illiterates can legitimately vote and how they work as elected officials—yes, that’s not a typo!) Shoot us a message, leave us a comment, or send us your favorite emoji if you enjoyed the ep! We love hearing from our On the Fringe community.Thanks as always

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12:44

Bonus: American women have a problem with America

On the Fringe ·

2025/11/26

For this bonus episode, Gav and Dave talk about a real interesting response to a recent Gallup poll in which 40% of American women between the ages of 15-44 declared their interest in leaving the United States permanently. If this doesn’t cause you some concern, you might be looking at a different number. Share below or shoot us an email about what you think means and if we’re off base here. We’d love to hear your opinions.As always, thanks for listening and joining us On the Fringe. Happy

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19:26

Season 3, Episode 18: The Twisting and Turning Tales...

On the Fringe ·

2025/11/23

This week Gav and Dave return to one of the first stories we covered here on On the Fringe, the story of Alice Guo, one-time mayor of Bamban in the northern Philippines, erstwhile inmate in the Filipino prison system. We dive into the bare bones of who she is, how she wound up as mayor, and why she just got sentenced to life in prison, along with diving into how this informs larger narratives playing out in Southeast Asia. For very SERIOUS allegations that She and Alice worked for the MSS:She

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7:20

Bonus Episode: One Bear of a Problem in Japan

On the Fringe ·

2025/11/20

This week, Gav and Dave talk about a major issue facing Japan, rampaging bears. Wild bears are causing whole areas of Japan to be declared no-go zones for civilians, and even the Japanese Self-Defense Forces are being called into assist in keeping people and bears at a safe distance. We’re diving into why exactly this is becoming an issue and why Japan’s ongoing struggle with a rapidly aging and decreasing population is playing a key role in this whole issue. As always, thanks for bearing with us

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14:49

Season 3, Episode 15: Bamako on the brink

On the Fringe ·

2025/11/02

Hey all! This week, we are taking you back to West Africa and building on our last episode about a growing jihadist influence in this corner of the world. Bamako is a city running out of time. With little fuel, the city is entering an existential crisis as neighboring countries and major powers realize the ruling military junta’s days may be numbered, as does Gavin. Whatever comes after though will likely be worse as this region continues to spiral. For more on what is happening in this part of the

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8:09

This is a country you don't want to visit now

On the Fringe ·

2025/10/30

Our map can be found here, courtesy of julesdhl on Reddit. Thank you, Stuart!We’ve got a short, spontaneous (and timely!) bonus episode! This time, Gav and Dave yak and spitball about a map comparing different foreign ministry’s threat assessments of Burkina Faso, a small but critically important country in West Africa. They all bear bad news, but they’re all just a little bit different. We talk about what this means, and what it portends for the country of upright men. To hear more about Burkina

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19:33

Season 3, Episode 14: A Christian missionary was...

On the Fringe ·

2025/10/26

On this episode, Gavin takes a stroll down memory lane and talks in depth about Niger, a key country in the Sahel region of West Africa. Since October 21, Niger has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Just 100 yards from the Presidential Palace in Niamey, the country’s capital, Kevin Rideout, an American missionary and bush pilot was kidnapped by jihadist terrorists and is currently being held for ransom. Our hearts, thoughts, and sincerest prayers go out to Kevin Rideout, his family, and

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17:04

Season 3, Episode 13: Why is Gen Z revolting...

On the Fringe ·

2025/10/21

This week, Gav and Dave dive into the Gen Z protests/revolutions/unrest that are currently unfolding across the world and analyze some of the driving factors to this transformative moment that the mainstream media may be missing out on. We also look into how the death of traditional political and economic institutions (accelerated by the emergence of AI, amongst other things) is creating a social environment where large classes of the population increasingly feel that they have nothing left to lose

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43:16

Season 3, Episode 12: The front lines of the AI...

On the Fringe ·

2025/10/16

Approximate Timestamps:0:21 — Episode Starts1:15 — Sherman’s Intro and his Podcast, Friends and Fellow Citizens4:37 — The context of George Washington’s 6 core values, then vs. now 10:15 — Institutional flexibility as a core to America’s foundation13:50 — Personal identity in America 24:00 — Is technology cryptonite when put to institutions? 26:40 — Where does the battle to save institutions start? 30:10 — Why here first? 33:10 — The key traits and skills needed to protect society’s values39:10 —

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16:03

Season 3, Episode 11: How the Chinese Communist Party...

On the Fringe ·

2025/10/12

Hey all! We have another episode piggybacking off our last episode. Season 3, Episode 10: How Scam farms are crippling Thailand’s tourism industry.In this episode, Dave and Gav return to the Golden Triangle to talk about an unlucky (crime) family. In the last week, members of the Ming Organized Crime Group have been sentenced to death in the People’s Republic of China. Among the long list of crimes, their biggest sin was running one of the regions biggest scam centers…and one that made most of its

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11:21

Season 3, Episode 9: What you need to know about...

On the Fringe ·

2025/09/28

Hey all! Apologies for taking a couple of extra days to get this one out—it’s worth the wait, though! We cover the recent protests in Nepal, and dive into what is really going on behind the scenes in the heart of South Asia. Nepal might be far off the radar for most people, but for On the Fringe, it’s front and center. Listen to hear what Nepali youth in Kathmandu are fighting for, what drove them to a boiling point, and why they got off Discord and decided to set their world on fire—literally. If

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28:16

Season 3, Episode 8: We don't need no education. We...

On the Fringe ·

2025/09/18

Hey all! This week we’re tackling a BIG issue that you do not want to miss—the use of AI as a counseling service in public schools in the United States.If you are or know an educator, policy maker, or work with schools, share this episode with them.Both of us (Gavin and Dave) have years of experience as educators in different countries and share our genuine fears and concerns with news that U.S. public schools will lean more on AI chatbots to fill in for human counselors. Yes, Mr. Mackey might be

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47:53

Season 3, Episode 7: Questions anyone using AI needs...

On the Fringe ·

2025/09/14

This week, we’re back at it with another wide-ranging conversation on AI and its effects in our lives. John Otwell returns to the pod, and he’s joined by Kevin Wong, a seasoned educator and an old friend from Peace Corps. Together, they bring different perspectives to the discussion, balancing curiosity and skepticism as we unpack what more AI integration means for education, society, and how we navigate change. We begin with the sensational, push past the hubbub, and focus our chat on how AI is

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18:24

Season 3, Episode 6, Part 2: A disaster in Afghanistan

On the Fringe ·

2025/09/09

Scroll down for a link to part 1.Here is part 2 of the episode. We curl up next to our Ouija boards and slap on our thinking caps (we will never tell you if they’re made out of tin foil though!) and dive into the implications of giving aid, the unique moral hazard in this situation of coming to the aid of local Afghans when they need it most, and what might come out of this messy situation.If you are watching the region, don’t miss this episode that ties together a LOT of things that your usual diet

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18:15

Season 3, Episode 6, Part 1: A disaster in Afghanistan

On the Fringe ·

2025/09/09

Hey all! We have broken up this episode into two parts. We are doubling down on Afghanistan this week.Last week, we talked about a $540 million Chinese investment into Afghanistan gone wrong. Have a listen to it if you haven’t to get up to speed.If you’ve watched what is happening in the news you have maybe seen the words “commitment” “disbursement” “multilateral” and “bilateral” in the news when countries and NGOs are talking about relief packages. We do a quick dive into what foreign aid is and

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10:56

How the Taliban does business

On the Fringe ·

2025/09/04

First and foremost, we feel dearly for the poor Afghanis who are now recovering after a 6.0 earthquake that hit east of Jalalabad. Thousands have died and more have been displaced, and from what we can see, help is very slow or nonexistent. We recorded this before the earthquake struck, and we will definitely be keeping the country on our radar, even though it’s gone off the front pages. This quick pod takes you through a story that’s flown under the radar between China and Afghanistan—and it will

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