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In this interview, Reza sits down with journalist, author, and filmmaker Robert Young Pelton for an unfiltered conversation about writing, conflict, survival, and truth. Pelton shares what it means to write from war zones, how publishing has changed, and why books still matter in a world of algorithms and AI.

The Origin of a Writer

Pelton learned to write by reading. With no formal training, he devoured The Odyssey at age six and finished the Hardy Boys series in first grade. That early obsession taught him structure and narrative instinct. At 17 he became a copywriter, learning to “balance words like stones.”

From Marketing to Magazines to Books

Before fame, Pelton built an Inc. 500 marketing business based on story-driven product creation. He transformed publishing models and eventually wrote The World’s Most Dangerous Places, a 1,000-page mix of firsthand reporting, survival advice, and pitch-black humor—an adventure guide that made readers laugh and stay alive.

Writing from Conflict Zones

The hardest part of writing from war, he says, isn’t danger—it’s accuracy. Exaggeration destroys trust. His rule: capture emotion without adding drama. “The less I wrote, the more powerful it became.”

An Endangered Species

Pelton was one of the first solo journalists to shoot, write, and report for ABC News online in the 1990s. His work appeared in outlets from CNN to Foreign Policy. Today, he says much of that journalism is buried or deleted in the digital churn.

The Solitude of Writing

Writing demands access and trust, yet remains solitary. Pelton works between 4–6am, then rewrites ruthlessly. Solitude, he says, is surgical: “It’s like carving away everything that isn’t your book.”

Licensed to Kill

For Licensed to Kill, Pelton traveled from Southern training camps to remote African islands, documenting the rise of private military contractors and producing a definitive record of their origins.

Magazines, Books, AI, and the Future of Truth

Though fluent in tech and imaging, Pelton writes like old-world explorers. He reflects on the collapse of print and the rise of AI content. He experiments with language models but remains skeptical: “AI seduces you. It writes to please you. But real books

Robert Young Pelton is a Canadian-American author, journalist, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his conflict reporting and for venturing alone into some of the world's most dangerous and remote areas to chronicle history-shaping events. His work often involves interviewing military and political figures in war zones and spending time embedded with various groups, including the Taliban, Northern Alliance, CIA operatives, al Qaeda, and Blackwater .

He has been present at numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to the the Battle of Grozny and from Qali Jangi in Afghanistan to the rebel siege of Monrovia in Liberia.

Pelton is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times bestselling guide, "The World's Most Dangerous Places," which provides information for navigating high-risk zones. He has also written "Come Back Alive," a survival guide, and his autobiography, "The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places". His work includes feature stories for National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Foreign Policy and Vice. He has worked as a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and has worked for major media networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC Investigative Division, and CNN.

Pelton is also the founder of DPx Gear, a company that designs rugged survival tools and knives based on his field experiences.

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In this episode of The World’s Most Dangerous Places, host Robert Young Pelton sits down with Artie McConnell — a man who’s lived on both sides of danger. After a decade as a Manhattan prosecutor, McConnell moved into global investigations, chasing terrorists, traffickers, and cybercriminals across borders. His story reveals why law and order still matter — and what happens when nations forget that.

Pelton, who’s spent years among rebels, mercenaries, and killers, turns to McConnell for insight into why the rule of law remains essential.

From the Boroughs to the Battlefields

McConnell admits he went to college mainly to play soccer, but passions for geopolitics and constitutional law changed his path. Fascinated by Russia and Afghanistan, he traveled through Central Asia as it unraveled, learning lessons no classroom could teach. Back home, he joined Manhattan’s DA’s office under Robert Morgenthau, working homicide calls and ensuring every case held up in court as New York’s underworld evolved.

The Globalization of Crime

His cases soon expanded from local murders to conspiracies linking the Italian mob, Russian syndicates, Chinese triads, and street gangs. Organized crime, he says, learned to think globally first. Later, at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, he tackled terrorism, espionage, and money laundering, showing how the U.S. dollar gives prosecutors reach worldwide. When a French company paid ISIS through New York banks, McConnell’s team helped prosecute Lafarge — resulting in a billion-dollar penalty.

The Quiet Side of National Security

Unlike Hollywood thrillers, real counterterrorism is about prevention. “You don’t know what you’ve stopped,” McConnell says. He recalls a radicalized woman bound for ISIS who already had agents’ license plate numbers. His work shows that diplomacy and trust often achieve more than threats.

Faith in the System

Despite growing cynicism, McConnell stays optimistic. “The justice system is designed to self-correct,” he tells Pelton. Solving the 20-year-old murder of Jam Master Jay reaffirmed that faith: “To hug his family and know we got justice — that’s what makes it worth it.”

The Takeaway

From New York’s boroughs to global warzones, McConnell’s journey proves that justice and order aren’t abstractions

Robert Young Pelton is a Canadian-American author, journalist, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his conflict reporting and for venturing alone into some of the world's most dangerous and remote areas to chronicle history-shaping events. His work often involves interviewing military and political figures in war zones and spending time embedded with various groups, including the Taliban, Northern Alliance, CIA operatives, al Qaeda, and Blackwater .

He has been present at numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to the the Battle of Grozny and from Qali Jangi in Afghanistan to the rebel siege of Monrovia in Liberia.

Pelton is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times bestselling guide, "The World's Most Dangerous Places," which provides information for navigating high-risk zones. He has also written "Come Back Alive," a survival guide, and his autobiography, "The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places". His work includes feature stories for National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Foreign Policy and Vice. He has worked as a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and has worked for major media networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC Investigative Division, and CNN.

Pelton is also the founder of DPx Gear, a company that designs rugged survival tools and knives based on his field experiences.

Send us a text

From Propaganda to Psychographics

Pelton traces the arc from Sigmund Freud’s nephew Edward Bernays—who pioneered “engineering consent”—to Cambridge Analytica, where psychological profiling became the core of modern political warfare.
They break down the difference between demographics (who we are) and psychographics (how we think and feel), revealing how platforms like Facebook opened the floodgates to emotional targeting and mass persuasion.

“When Bernays said civilization depends on narrative control — he wasn’t joking. We just turned that into an algorithm.”

The OCEAN Model and the Science of Manipulation

Using the OCEAN model—Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism—Pelton and Reza unpack how these traits became a digital map for influence.
Pelton examines how fear, resentment, and uncertainty became the new currency of persuasion—and how global actors exploited that data to polarize societies.

“Psychological operations used to be about tricking the enemy. Now they’re about tricking your neighbor.”

The conversation connects the dots from Brexit and 2016 election interference to January 6th, showing how tactics once used abroad are now deployed at home.

Active Measures and Cognitive Warfare

Drawing on decades inside war zones—from Afghanistan to Chechnya to Ukraine—Pelton compares PsyOps in combat to what he calls mass cognitive warfare today.
They explore how Russia’s “active measures” evolved into today’s fog of truth, half-truth, and fiction so dense that citizens lose trust in every institution.

“When everything feels unstable — that’s not an accident. That is the strategy.”

As the discussion moves to America, Pelton explains how fear, conspiracy thinking, and algorithmic outrage have replaced empathy and dialogue. His warning: the line of defense isn’t the government — it’s you.

Fighting Back: Reclaiming Agency in a Manipulated World

• Question everything that triggers strong emotions.
• Cross-check stories before sharing.
• Rebuild trust through real human connection.
• Recognize fear as the oldest, easiest manipulation tool.

Pelton reminds us that democracy is fragile but resilient — and that understanding manipulation is the first step toward defending it.

“Most

Robert Young Pelton is a Canadian-American author, journalist, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his conflict reporting and for venturing alone into some of the world's most dangerous and remote areas to chronicle history-shaping events. His work often involves interviewing military and political figures in war zones and spending time embedded with various groups, including the Taliban, Northern Alliance, CIA operatives, al Qaeda, and Blackwater .

He has been present at numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to the the Battle of Grozny and from Qali Jangi in Afghanistan to the rebel siege of Monrovia in Liberia.

Pelton is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times bestselling guide, "The World's Most Dangerous Places," which provides information for navigating high-risk zones. He has also written "Come Back Alive," a survival guide, and his autobiography, "The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places". His work includes feature stories for National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Foreign Policy and Vice. He has worked as a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and has worked for major media networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC Investigative Division, and CNN.

Pelton is also the founder of DPx Gear, a company that designs rugged survival tools and knives based on his field experiences.

Send us a text

Pelton traces propaganda’s modern roots to Sigmund Freud’s nephew, Edward Bernays, who turned psychoanalysis into a tool for mass persuasion. His early rise in advertising—and decision to leave it behind—fueled his quest to understand real conflict, not the manufactured kind.

From Psychoanalysis to Public Relations to War

Freud’s ideas on the unconscious became Bernays’ blueprint for influencing the masses. Working for President Wilson’s Committee on Public Information during World War I, Bernays learned to shape public will through emotion, not reason—convincing people to act against their own interests. His infamous campaign linking women’s freedom to cigarette smoking marked America’s first merger of psychology, propaganda, and commerce.

Advertising sells products; PR sells belief. By dressing persuasion as news, PR blurred the line between fact and fiction—and media, hungry for access, became complicit.

The Political Machine and the Psychology of Choice

Pelton and Reza question whether democracy offers real freedom—or just the illusion of it.

America’s devotion to “choice” made it the perfect playground for manipulation. Elections became brand wars, driven by fear, slogans, and falsehoods. As Bernays discovered, emotion—not truth—wins minds.

Media, War, and Manufactured Reality

Pelton exposes how the Iraq conflict was pre-engineered through media manipulation. Having worked for ABC Investigative and 60 Minutes in Baghdad, he saw firsthand how “weapons of mass destruction” narratives and “shock and awe” coverage blurred journalism with entertainment—what he calls “militainment.”

The Digital Age: Outrage as Currency

Today’s decentralized internet has turned propaganda into an algorithm. Fear, outrage, and division are monetized. Every user is both consumer and distributor—feeding a cycle of influence where attention is the new weapon.

Awareness Is Resistance

Pelton closes with a warning: propaganda thrives when unseen. Recognizing its presence in politics, media, and even pers

Robert Young Pelton is a Canadian-American author, journalist, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his conflict reporting and for venturing alone into some of the world's most dangerous and remote areas to chronicle history-shaping events. His work often involves interviewing military and political figures in war zones and spending time embedded with various groups, including the Taliban, Northern Alliance, CIA operatives, al Qaeda, and Blackwater .

He has been present at numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to the the Battle of Grozny and from Qali Jangi in Afghanistan to the rebel siege of Monrovia in Liberia.

Pelton is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times bestselling guide, "The World's Most Dangerous Places," which provides information for navigating high-risk zones. He has also written "Come Back Alive," a survival guide, and his autobiography, "The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places". His work includes feature stories for National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Foreign Policy and Vice. He has worked as a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and has worked for major media networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC Investigative Division, and CNN.

Pelton is also the founder of DPx Gear, a company that designs rugged survival tools and knives based on his field experiences.

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Once again, with political assassination back in the news, Colombia is overwhelmed with violence. Pelton knows the country well and thought it timely to revisit one of his films made 25 years ago. Not much has changed.

Creating a documentary is tough. Creating one on the fly, without a script, across a large and dangerous nation is even more challenging. When Discovery asked Robert Young Pelton to turn his bestselling book into a TV series, he drove a hard bargain: he would decide where and when to film, and Discovery would air it on the brand-new Travel Channel.

Pelton chose Colombia in spring 2000—the height of its war with leftist guerrillas, right-wing death squads, and narco-traffickers. On top of that, Men’s Journal sent famed adventure writer Tim Cahill and a photographer to profile Pelton during the shoot.

In just a few weeks, Pelton gained extraordinary access. He interviewed FARC leaders (a world exclusive), met AUC death squads, went into the jungle with smugglers, joined anti-drug operations and Marine patrols, and even immersed himself in Special Forces training. He spent time with Bogotá’s then-mayor, who cut a heart-shaped hole in his ballistic vest, and visited kidnapping victims. He also witnessed a murder firsthand—and prevented another over breakfast.

The result was a raw, multi-layered portrait of Colombia’s violence and resilience. Pelton documented morgues, funerals, and the toll of daily brutality, yet also highlighted how Colombians survive and strive to rebuild. His message remained clear: amid chaos, people fight to hold their country together.

Discovery aired the documentary uncensored, and Cahill later published his classic profile, The Most Dangerous Friend in the World. Though skeptical at first, he became close friends with Pelton—until his own near-death rafting experience “one-upped” even Pelton’s war stories.

📺 Watch the full Inside Colombia documentary

Further reading:

• Tim Cahill’s profile
• Pelton’s work

Robert Young Pelton is a Canadian-American author, journalist, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his conflict reporting and for venturing alone into some of the world's most dangerous and remote areas to chronicle history-shaping events. His work often involves interviewing military and political figures in war zones and spending time embedded with various groups, including the Taliban, Northern Alliance, CIA operatives, al Qaeda, and Blackwater .

He has been present at numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to the the Battle of Grozny and from Qali Jangi in Afghanistan to the rebel siege of Monrovia in Liberia.

Pelton is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times bestselling guide, "The World's Most Dangerous Places," which provides information for navigating high-risk zones. He has also written "Come Back Alive," a survival guide, and his autobiography, "The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places". His work includes feature stories for National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Foreign Policy and Vice. He has worked as a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and has worked for major media networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC Investigative Division, and CNN.

Pelton is also the founder of DPx Gear, a company that designs rugged survival tools and knives based on his field experiences.

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A powerful and timely conversation between Robert Young Pelton, one of America’s leading conflict experts, and interviewer Reza Allahbakshi.

They dive into the anatomy of coups, insurgencies, and the fragile state of democracy in America today. Sparked by the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, the discussion shows how violent events are manipulated into polarization and narrative warfare—a tactic used for centuries to destabilize nations and now visible at home.

Drawing on experiences in more than 50 war zones, Pelton outlines the hidden doctrines of U.S. Special Forces and the CIA’s regime-change playbook. From ideological division to tribalization, violence, and authoritarian consolidation, he maps how societies slide into chaos. A rare look at the “Robin Sage” exercise reveals how guerrilla leaders are cultivated, governments overthrown, and moral lines blurred.

The lessons are chilling: rhetoric becomes policy, chaos sparks demands for strongmen, and democracy erodes under the guise of order. Yet instead of fear, viewers are urged to take a “hilltop view”—to see manipulation clearly and resist being drawn into chaos. This is not just history; it is a warning and a call to defend democracy with awareness and resilience.

Further Reading:

• How Democracies Defend Themselves Against Authoritarianism
• Army Special Operations Forces Unconventional Warfare
• Unconventional Warfare Pocket Guide
• A Leader’s Handbook to Unconventional Warfare
• Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare
• Patterns of Regime and Leadership Change in the Third World

Robert Young Pelton is a Canadian-American author, journalist, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his conflict reporting and for venturing alone into some of the world's most dangerous and remote areas to chronicle history-shaping events. His work often involves interviewing military and political figures in war zones and spending time embedded with various groups, including the Taliban, Northern Alliance, CIA operatives, al Qaeda, and Blackwater .

He has been present at numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to the the Battle of Grozny and from Qali Jangi in Afghanistan to the rebel siege of Monrovia in Liberia.

Pelton is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times bestselling guide, "The World's Most Dangerous Places," which provides information for navigating high-risk zones. He has also written "Come Back Alive," a survival guide, and his autobiography, "The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places". His work includes feature stories for National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Foreign Policy and Vice. He has worked as a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and has worked for major media networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC Investigative Division, and CNN.

Pelton is also the founder of DPx Gear, a company that designs rugged survival tools and knives based on his field experiences.

Send us a text

Robert Young Pelton and Rory Nugent are kindred spirits. Nugent first made his name by crossing the Atlantic solo four and a half times—the “half” voyage inspiring the new book he’s now writing.

A boatbuilder, sailor, writer, and journalist, Nugent began with the perfection of open space—the union of wind, sail, boat, and sea—before steering toward darkness: African swamps, war’s deep shadows, vanishing traditions, and fragile human memory.

Pelton and Nugent explore pure adventure—the rewards, penalties, and balance between home and the unknown. They talk of McGuffins, curiosity, insanity, silence, and the tools of their trade: magazines, books, even typewriters.

Nugent’s work has appeared worldwide and in three acclaimed books: The Search for the Pink-Headed Duck (1991), Drums Along the Congo (1993), and Down at the Docks (2009). Born in New York in 1952, he studied history at Williams College, built radical boats, and at twenty-four became the youngest entrant in the Observer Singlehanded Trans-Atlantic Race. He completed four solo crossings; his fifth ended in shipwreck and rescue after five days adrift.

Turning from ocean risks, he hunted the possibly extinct pink-headed duck through India, tracked Mokele-mbembe in the Congo, and chased rare flora in Morocco. Water guided him down the Brahmaputra River, Nile, Uele River, and Sobat River; across the Great Western Erg and Great Sand Sea; and high into the Himalayas.

In 1992, Nugent shifted to journalism, covering war zones and failed states. He wrote for Spin and others, producing lauded series on the Sudanese civil war, the IRA, and the rise of radical Islam—including the widely read My Lunch with Osama bin Laden (Rolling Stone, 2001). After years in Iran and Iraq, he returned to the U.S. to chronicle America’s working class, resulting in Down at the Docks.

Today, Nugent continues writing on disappearance, survival, and the thin line between myth and reality—ever chasing what endures and what is vanishing.

More at www.rorynugent.com

Robert Young Pelton is a Canadian-American author, journalist, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his conflict reporting and for venturing alone into some of the world's most dangerous and remote areas to chronicle history-shaping events. His work often involves interviewing military and political figures in war zones and spending time embedded with various groups, including the Taliban, Northern Alliance, CIA operatives, al Qaeda, and Blackwater .

He has been present at numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to the the Battle of Grozny and from Qali Jangi in Afghanistan to the rebel siege of Monrovia in Liberia.

Pelton is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times bestselling guide, "The World's Most Dangerous Places," which provides information for navigating high-risk zones. He has also written "Come Back Alive," a survival guide, and his autobiography, "The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places". His work includes feature stories for National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Foreign Policy and Vice. He has worked as a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and has worked for major media networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC Investigative Division, and CNN.

Pelton is also the founder of DPx Gear, a company that designs rugged survival tools and knives based on his field experiences.

Send us a text

In this episode, Reza pulls a timeless list from page 83 of The World’s Most Dangerous Places and Robert Young Pelton breaks down his 7 survival rules with real stories—from New Orleans pickpocket crews to Sahara breakdowns, embassy backrooms, and negotiating Land Cruisers in Chad.

What you’ll learn:

• Be Alert: Build situational awareness, read the “flow” of crowds, and do a 360 check—especially when phones/headphones dull your senses.
• Be Sober: Why most robberies hit between midnight–4am and how alcohol turns you into easy prey.
• Use It or Lose It: Pack light, skip “shiny” gear, and carry items you could gift without stress.
• Insure & Insure: What travel/MedEvac policies really cover—and low-cost lifelines like inReach/sat comms.
• Trust No One (and Everyone): How to be friendly without being naïve in places where intel and crime ecosystems watch outsiders.
• Stay Away from Tourists: Tourist zones = mobile ATMs. How to avoid the traps and blend in.
• Prevent Opportunists: Understand the local “market” for you, negotiate smart, and don’t feed kidnapping/grift pipelines.

More info: https://www.comebackalive.com

Disclaimer: This content is educational. Use judgment and follow local laws.

Robert Young Pelton is a Canadian-American author, journalist, filmmaker, and adventurer known for his conflict reporting and for venturing alone into some of the world's most dangerous and remote areas to chronicle history-shaping events. His work often involves interviewing military and political figures in war zones and spending time embedded with various groups, including the Taliban, Northern Alliance, CIA operatives, al Qaeda, and Blackwater .

He has been present at numerous conflicts, from Ukraine to the the Battle of Grozny and from Qali Jangi in Afghanistan to the rebel siege of Monrovia in Liberia.

Pelton is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times bestselling guide, "The World's Most Dangerous Places," which provides information for navigating high-risk zones. He has also written "Come Back Alive," a survival guide, and his autobiography, "The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places". His work includes feature stories for National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Foreign Policy and Vice. He has worked as a contributing editor for National Geographic Adventure and has worked for major media networks like Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, CBS's 60 Minutes, ABC Investigative Division, and CNN.

Pelton is also the founder of DPx Gear, a company that designs rugged survival tools and knives based on his field experiences.