Backstage at TENCROW Studios: The Vietnam War & The Cost of Miscalculation | Part 3 w/ Bob Worden

In this third installment of our ongoing series with mediator and historian Bob Worden, we explore the Vietnam War — one of the most controversial, painful, and politically complex conflicts in modern American history.

Drawing from his book How to Stop Wars and Save the World, Bob analyzes Vietnam the same way he would dissect a multi-party negotiation gone wrong: by examining motives, incentives, leadership decisions, and the points where peace was still possible.

Alongside host Mike McCoy—retired Special Operations veteran and co-founder of TENCROW Studios—we break down how the United States entered a war it never clearly defined, how political incentives outweighed strategic logic, and how an entire generation paid the price.

This conversation is not about assigning blame.
It’s about understanding how wars actually start — and why they’re so hard to stop once momentum takes over.

• How French colonial history set the stage long before American involvement

• The rise of Ho Chi Minh and why communism appealed to everyday Vietnamese citizens

• Why the U.S. backed the wrong leaders in South Vietnam

• The political fear of “looking weak” and how it drove escalation

• The Gulf of Tonkin incident and the role misinformation played

• The Tet Offensive as the breaking point for public support

• How war becomes a self-sustaining political machine

• Parallels between Vietnam and modern conflicts today

Vietnam isn’t just history.
It’s a blueprint for how wars are justified, framed, and prolonged.

This episode highlights how:

• Narrative can overtake reality

• “Strength” can be confused for wisdom

• And how everyday citizens often bear the cost of decisions made far above them

Understanding Vietnam helps us understand the world we’re living in now.

If you’re interested in geopolitical strategy, conflict resolution, military history, or just trying to make sense of current events — this conversation is worth your time.

🎧 Available wherever you listen to podcasts
📘 How to Stop Wars and Save the World — available now in print & audio
📍 Filmed at TENCROW Studios in Jacksonville, NC
🔗 https://tencrowstudios.com

#VietnamWar #ModernHistory #ForeignPolicy #ConflictResolution #Podcast #TENCROWStudios #BackstageAtTENCROW #BobWorden #Leadership #HistoryPodcast #Geopolitics #HowToStopWars

🔍 Key Themes in This Episode:💡 Why This Matters Today:

🎙️ Episode 9: Building a Horror Film Community – First Cut Productions
In this episode of Backstage at TENCROW Studios, we sit down with Mark Bellinger and Christine Golden of First Cut Productions, the creative force behind the First Cut Horror Film Festival in Wilmington, NC. 🎬

Now entering its second year, the festival has quickly become a cornerstone for indie horror filmmakers—showcasing spine-tingling shorts from around the globe while spotlighting local talent with heart and humor. Mark and Christine talk about the origins of the festival, its explosive growth, their wildly creative award design, and how they’re building a deeply connected horror film community in Eastern North Carolina.

We also explore:

• The secret sauce behind a successful horror festival 🧛‍♂️

• What it really takes to host 31 films in a single day

• Why Wilmington is becoming a magnet for indie filmmakers

• The challenges of producing passion projects with limited budgets

• Future goals and how YOU can get involved as a filmmaker or sponsor

🩸 Submissions for this year’s festival are open through August 3rd — don’t miss your chance! You can submit your film on Film Freeway here: https://filmfreeway.com/TheFirstCutFilmFest?pending=true

💀 Visit https://www.firstcutproductionsllc.com/ or follow @firstcutproductions on Instagram for more.

#FirstCutFilmFest #IndieHorror #WilmingtonNC #BackstageAtTENCROW #ShotAtTENCROW

Backstage at TENCROW Studios: How the Civil War Could’ve Been Avoided | Part 2 w/ Bob Worden

In this gripping Part 2 of our ongoing podcast series with mediator and historian Bob Worden, we dive deep into one of the most defining and misunderstood chapters in American history: the Civil War.

Using his experience as a mediator and former litigation strategist, Bob approaches history the same way he analyzes lawsuits—dissecting decisions, identifying missed opportunities for resolution, and asking: Could this war have been prevented?

Together with host Mike McCoy—retired Special Operations veteran and co-founder of TENCROW Studios—they explore the conflict not just through the lens of battlefield strategy, but through the deeply human failures of leadership, communication, and compromise.

This conversation is inspired by Bob’s book, How to Stop Wars and Save the World: Lessons in Negotiation, Settlement, and Leadership, available now in print and audiobook formats.

Purchase the book on Amazon at the link below:

https://a.co/d/dhpSJ9E

🔍 Key Themes in This Episode:

• The economic, political, and social forces leading up to the Civil War

• How Southern arrogance and poor risk assessment sealed their fate

• The untold plan for Southern expansion into Latin America

• The real impact of the Fugitive Slave Act and Uncle Tom’s Cabin

• Why the Emancipation Proclamation was both brilliant strategy and deeply controversial

• Robert E. Lee’s pivotal (and fatal) mistake at Gettysburg

• How inflation and bad fiscal decisions crippled the Confederacy

• Parallels between 1860s America and today’s polarized political climate

💡 Why This Matters Today:
History doesn’t repeat itself—but it often rhymes. This episode reveals how leadership failures, tribal thinking, and inflexible ideologies led to catastrophic conflict. As modern America navigates political division, economic strain, and culture wars, the lessons from 1860 are more relevant than ever.

If you’re interested in American history, conflict resolution, leadership, or simply want to understand how we got here—don’t miss this powerful and thought-provoking episode.

🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts.
📘 Learn more about Bob’s book at your favorite audiobook retailer.
📍 Filmed at TENCROW Studios in Jacksonville, NC.
🔗 tencrowstudios.com

#CivilWar #AmericanHistory #Leadership #ConflictResolution #Podcast #TENCROWStudios #HistoryPodcast #BackstageAtTENCROW #BobWorden #Gettysburg #EmancipationProclamation #Lincoln #HistoricalAnalysis #HowToStopWars