Part Two: Former CIA Spies on America’s Decline, The Potential of WW3, & What’s Really Happening Behind the Scenes in the US Government

Mayim Bialik's Breakdown

Mayim Bialik

Comedy, Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.8 • 5.9K Ratings

🗓️ 17 September 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What’s REALLY Going On Behind the Scenes of the CIA, the Media, and the U.S. Government? On Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown, former CIA agents and intelligence officers Andrew & Jihi Bustamante (creators of the EverydaySpy podcast, authors of Shadow Cell: An Insider Account of America’s New Spy War & popular guests on Diary of a CEO & The Joe Rogan Experience) pull back the curtain in this explosive, no-holds-barred conversation. From the moment you marry a spy (can you ever truly trust your partner?) to the shocking 4 categories of lies the CIA teaches—Mayim & Jonathan dive deep into the secretive world of espionage, national security, and the collapse of trust in modern institutions. Andrew and Jihi break down the shrinking middle class caused by American politics post-Trump, what it means for our future, whether the U.S. is moving closer to dictatorship (and if so, can we stop it?), and why the wealthy elite are leaving the U.S. (and which countries they’re fleeing to). These whistleblowers expose what the CIA doesn’t want you to know: - The 4 categories of lies every CIA officer is trained to tell - The agency’s current use of psychics and Cold War-era remote viewing programs - The loneliness and psychological toll of living a covert life - How the news & media is manipulated—and why even “trusted” outlets are failing us - Post-Trump politics: is the U.S. sliding toward dictatorship or already in it? - Why wealthy elites are fleeing America (and where they’re going) - The global fallout if a U.S. president is jailed, and what it means for our standing - The CIA’s take on Israel, rising global conflicts, and the risk of world war - How AI is dehumanizing warfare and reshaping the battlefield - Why Epstein’s case continues to expose cracks in our institutions Andrew and Jihi also reveal how influence, persuasion, and dialogue can still be used productively—even in a fractured society. From Venezuela’s collapse as a warning sign to the everyday challenge of separating real news from propaganda, this is more than an interview—it’s a wake-up call. Get the truth behind headlines, corruption, and the secret machinery of the U.S. government & change the way you see everything! Find your Spy Superpower: ⁠https://yt.everydayspy.com/4mjywCV⁠ Andrew & Jihi Bustamante's book, Shadow Cell: ⁠https://geni.us/ShadowCellBook⁠ Andrew Bustamante's YouTube Channel: ⁠https://youtube.com/@Andrew-Bustamante⁠ Explore Spy School: ⁠https://everydayspy.com/⁠ Andrew Bustamante's Podcast: ⁠https://youtube.com/@EverydaySpyPodcast⁠ Follow us on Substack for Exclusive Bonus Content: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bialikbreakdown.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BialikBreakdown.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube.com/mayimbialik⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm I'm Bialik.
0:05.5	And I'm Jonathan Cohen.
0:06.4	And welcome to part two of our conversation with Everyday Spy Andy Bustamante and Ghee Bustamante,
0:12.7	authors of Shadow Cell, an insider account of America's new spy war.
0:17.0	We spoke to Andrew Bustamante a bit over a year ago on the podcast, but this time we have him and his wife, both former CIA operatives, in the studio.
0:26.5	We're going to talk about their book, but in part two, we get into some very heavy-hitting questions about World War III, about Iran, about complacency as the biggest problem facing the United States and ways to titrate
0:40.4	your energy and your time and your attention so that you're functioning optimally, something
0:46.0	that Ji talks about learning from Andy as part of their journey into the CIA.
0:50.9	We also talk about practical ways to influence people, how to use dialogue
0:56.7	to bridge the gap and to get your points across to people that you want to have influence
1:02.7	over, how to ensure that you're constantly growing, learning, otherwise you're dying,
1:08.8	and how to ensure that you're getting the real news, not just what the
1:13.6	social media algorithms are promoting. And we really hope you enjoy part two of our conversation with
1:19.4	Andrew and Ghi Bustamante.
1:21.7	Break it down. Are we on the verge or already moving into a third world war?
1:31.4	I want your opinion on this because I know my opinion on this.
1:35.6	I would say no. Do I think China is going to take Taiwan? Yes. Do I think Russia's and Ukraine is going to end up the way everybody would like it to? No. But the World
1:47.0	War where we are all involved? No, I don't think so. I think there are certain countries that
1:52.5	will take other countries, but I think, especially right now, I don't think, I don't think
1:57.8	the former allies will get involved the way they did a World War II. And I would agree with Jehe's answer in terms of traditional World War conceptual thinking. People think of a World War as access and allies. People think of it like World War I and World War II. I mean, we're done with trench warfare. We would hope, although... We're not at all. It's in Ukraine. Alive and well in your well. But that's what I thought, you know. Isn't that crazy? And the reason I'm asking is because I think a lot of people, myself included, thought we were sort of beyond these hot wars with trench warfare and sort of some of the, what feels almost medieval that you see only in World War II movies. And yet there have been these hotspots that have sprung up around the world that make
2:37.7	people feel like we're increasingly unstable.
2:41.0	So I'm of the opinion that World War III will look nothing like World War II.
	...

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