They have become such a ubiquitous tool used by the UN and NATO to intervene in international crises, that it seems like no-fly zones have been around forever. But it was only the 1990s that the first one was enacted and they've only be used twice more since then. Learn about this peculiar military tool with Chuck and Josh in this classic episode.
AI Summary
# Summary
In this rerelease episode, Chuck and Josh break down no-fly zones—a surprisingly recent invention in military strategy that was first used in 1991 to protect Kurdish civilians in Iraq. The guys explore all three major no-fly zone operations (Iraq, Bosnia, and Libya), explaining how they work, what enforcement actually looks like, and why establishing one requires UN Security Council approval and careful rules of engagement. They dig into whether these interventions are actually effective at protecting civilians, using real examples like Scott O'Grady's dramatic downing over Bosnia and the tragic massacre at Srebrenica that a no-fly zone failed to prevent.
Behind Enemy Lines
2001
1h 46m
★ 6.4
"Scott McGrady. Remember him? Yeah. Owen Wilson. Yeah. During the Balkan war, during that no fly zone, he was shot down. — Josh references Owen Wilson's character Scott O'Grady from Behind Enemy Lines, a film about a pilot shot down during the Bosnian no-fly zone."
— Josh
"He's mad as heck and he's not going to take it anymore. I said heck. I revised the classic movie quote into heck. — Josh references the famous quote from Network, modifying it to say 'heck' instead of the original word."
— Josh
Silver Linings Playbook
2012
2h 2m
★ 7.1
"Silver Lining's Playbook he didn't like. I thought it was okay. — Chuck mentions Silver Linings Playbook as another David O. Russell film, noting Josh didn't like it."
— Chuck
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
2006
★ 7.4
"I'm not kidding, Chuck. I'm telling you, this is somebody who didn't like Studio 60, who doesn't like Newsroom. — Josh mentions Studio 60 as an example of Aaron Sorkin work that he didn't like, contrasting it with The West Wing."
— Josh
"What's that? Aaron Sorkin show. NewsHour. Yeah, that show stinks. Is that what it's called? NewsHour. Newsroom. — Josh and Chuck discuss Aaron Sorkin's Newsroom, with Josh mentioning it guest starred Paul Schneider."
— Josh
"I liked West Wing. I didn't watch it. You never watched West Wing? Not one episode. — Josh recommends The West Wing to Chuck, saying it was Sorkin's masterpiece and that Chuck would like it despite not enjoying other Sorkin work."
— Josh
This American Life
2007
★ 8.7
"Although the actual content of the show is more like this American Life, because we are required to have Collins. — A listener email references This American Life as a comparison for their podcast project about Supreme Court cases."
Three Kings
1999
1h 54m
★ 6.6
"If you're interested in this kind of thing, check out Three Kings. Great, man. There was a lot to do about that. — Josh recommends Three Kings as a film about the 1991 Iraq uprising and the failure of U.S. support for the Shiite Muslims."
— Josh
Uncommon Valor
1983
1h 40m
"Gene Hackman was like, we're going to get you out of there. Yeah, uncommon Valor, man. I was referencing. — Josh references Uncommon Valor, noting Gene Hackman's role in rescue missions and comparing it to the Owen Wilson film."
— Josh
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