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Radio War Nerd EP #123 — Interview With A YPG Combat Medic Volunteer (Part 1) (Patreon)

Published:
2018-02-28 22:29:05
Edited:
2018-03-04 17:17:25
Imported:
2026-06

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Content

Guest: Patrick Kasprik

Recorded February 25, 2018

One of our Radio War Nerd subscribers put us in touch with Patrick Kasprik, an American from Florida who went to Syria in 2016 to volunteer for the Syrian Kurdish YPG against Islamic State. Throughout most of 2016, Patrick served in the YPG's Combat Medical Unit team, in a series of battles culminating in the battle for Manbij in the summer of 2016. We spoke to Patrick about his experiences: how he joined, his training, and the battles he served in...

See Patrick and his team in the excellent 2-part documentary film "The Volunteers" on DirectTV.

Note: This is Part One. Next episode, we'll interview Patrick about his experiences after the battle of Mosul and in Iraq. We'll also find out what his former YPG comrades in Rojava are saying about Turkey's invasion of Afrin, and the latest developments in the Syria war... 

Total time: 1:54:34

Direct link to this episode's mp3 here 

Files

Comments

A.C.G.F.

Thanks, interesting discussion. Can't wait for part 2, I'll listen to anything y'all can get about Rojava/YPG. Also super interested in the podcast he mentioned, the other volunteer guy Bos(?) interviewing people there, if he has website or something by the next time please share :)

Doug Cartel

I wonder what happened to PissPigGrandDad? He's the first I knew of that went to Syria.

A.C.G.F.

That's spelled Baz, I just finished the documentary. Much more about River himself and his journey than about YPG or Rojava, still totally worth watching. Some intense stuff in there, so be prepared.

A.C.G.F.

He is around, his Twitter account got banned so not much public facing anymore. Did an interview on this podcast Hound Tall about a month ago, hosts are comedians but most of the time they shut up and let him talk.

Nick

What the hell guys. How could you not push back against some of the awful things this dipshit said. Starting off with his whole motivation for joining the YPG, attributed to reading about the war on reddit and a feeling of "somebody has to do something". He tries to come off as non-ideological, as if that gives him more of a right to be there, but between the incessant praise of US soldiers and his barely veiled disdain for socialism and Marxists, it's obvious he's far closer to cowboy adventurer than internationalist revolutionary. The issue of US support for YPG/SDF is wholly unchallenged, and Patrick talks about it as a given and an unequivocal good, not at all like those evil, meddling Russians. The guy is even using State Department language like 'Assad's forces', ’regime’, and 'Free Syrian Army' for fuck's sake. Dude wore an American patch on his YPG uniform and talked about posing for pictures while splashing around in a river with an American flag. And speaking fondly of "General Mattis"! I just about puked. This wannabe army boy is a fucking war tourist, plain and simple. If he was born 10 years earlier, he’d have been in Fallujah. Then there’s that weird story he told about the German ML volunteers who refused to fight the Turks, which he attributes to their cowardice and, bizarrely, reluctance to go against a fellow NATO member nation. What a stunning display of ignorance. Does this thick-headed moron even know what NATO is? Honestly, I’m let down by you two. Mark, the dick bragged about how he wouldn’t speak to Russian media on patriotic principle, and you just let it go. John, he told you his cluster bomb hero former SAS buddy had been in Northern Ireland, and you just let it go. I understand that you value having different perspectives on your show and don’t want to antagonize your guest, but come on. I’m highly sympathetic to the Rojava revolution, and I know not all of their foreign volunteers are like Patty here, but they’re not immune to criticism, and the part that makes me most uncomfortable is the kind of people they’ll take help from. Would have been worth bringing up here. One last thing: He did the Dril "gotta hand it to them" bit about ISIS, but without the apology! What a titanic shithead.

Jordan Snow

He commented, "Came to Rojava a socialist and left a national...socialist. That's the way she goes."

Nick

Christ, I didn't even see that. Can't even call him a crypto-fascist, there's nothing secret about it

realBriannaWu

Can't say I like or agree with the guy on a lot of the stuff he said, but it was interesting hearing about his experience.

A.C.G.F.

I totally agree with all of this. Didn't want to get too aggro, I'm new here and also sympathetic to the Rojava revolution so thought I might be defensive, but there was some weird shit said. Had never seen that Facebook, that's uh enlightening. Was getting strange vibe and that cements it. I do still think it's useful to hear, if only to figure out why those types even go/what they take away(apparently fucking fascism for this dude). But I do hope for some actual pushback against this crap if there is a part 2. And please, next time interviews with people who went because they believed in the cause, not just to kill ISIS.

Nick

really, the first warning sign should have been when he said he was from Florida and spoke fluent German

Travis Fast

gotta say he did sound rather salted in.

etienne

why can't The War Nerd do like PPG and go on Chapo

Factory Troll

So, my fellow commenters don't "agree" with this guy, huh? Don't agree that he went by a harrowing taxi ride to a safe house in Sulaymaniyah? Don't agree that he was a medic in the battle of Manbij? Don't agree that some guy picking up a cluster bomb with a blanket was a good story, because that "some guy" used to be a param in NI? FFS, this was never meant to be some display of ideological purity (and by god it wasn't), these where war stories, from a contemporary and highly relevant WAR (war in all caps, because it seems like some people mistake it for being a study-group picnicking in the Kurdish mountains). Why not start the interview by scolding his motivation for going to Syria? Right, thats how every conversation on Twitter would start ... and end. Why not scold him for being too fond of US support of YPG/SDF (btw, I can think of at least one reason why someone getting US air support in a fight against IS would be above average fond of the US military involvement in Rojava)? Because the purity and virtue of his opinions (or lack thereof) wasn't the goddamn point.

Mark

Stomach turning, but not too surprising when I think about it. The growing desire for alternative politics among American Millennials is neither inherently left nor right. It's an antipathy towards a political status quo that has seen fit to never address the anxieties and problems facing said generation. At risk of invoking the fishhook theory, this abstract sentiment can skew wildly either way depending on the individual's surroundings and socialization. Hence, why alt-light groups like the "Proudboys" can be growing at the same time that the DSA is seemingly rising from the dead and putting up very young candidates in local elections. I imagine it might be why both PissPigGrandad and guys like this can both end up in the YPG, which, regardless of its real-world praxis, is an iconoclastic presence in the region and in many First World imaginations.

Factory Troll

A confused millennial being a pseudo-nazi on Facebook and reaping 5 likes for his efforts... yaaaaawn. It would be indeed be preferable if this wasn't the case, but I guess most RWN-listeners are "mature" enough to distill valuable info from meaningless blustering anyway. No, what pisses me off is the criticism raised against Ames and Dolan for not being sufficiently dimwit and pedantic. Calling them out for not being concerned enough with their own sensibilities (Irish or Russian) to continuously disrupt Kasprik's great ramblings with petty "push back" on minor and superficial details, like some offended teenagers or CNN-casters. Their handling was exemplary, even if the guests opinions weren't. Not sure how sensible your stomachs are, but I personally am looking forward to part 2 (then again, I do look forward to every RWN-episode)

Nick

Doesn't it say 'Interview' in the title there? Isn't Ames a journalist? It's not too much to ask for them to interrupt or take a critical position on the ramblings of a cryptofascist asshole they invited on their show. (Apparently without so much as googling his name.) Instead they just laughed at all his stories and happily plugged his buddy's direct tv documentary.

mark

Yeah I'm just halfway through the podcast and I thought some things didn't click. I wonder does he mention getting locked up and interrogated when he goes back home? The Europeans usually do. Thanks for clearing up some points there. Although I wouldn't hold it against John and Mark. The show isn't about promoting certain ideologies and the man had interesting stories to tell.

Michael Jochum

If he’s actually some sort of genuine alt-right believer, and I’m not claiming to know what he believes - I see the same evidence as you all - I’m glad that he’s listening to radio war nerd. John and Mark have ideological views very similar to my own, so if he is finding himself interested in what they have to say, maybe his misguided fascist views can start to be challenged and replaced by something less reactionary. Same goes for any of his buddies that tune in, it might be the first time they are exposed to a left viewpoint that they can sympathize with. Wishful thinking? Probably. But I have a strong belief that a lot of right wingers only ended up where they are because they are upset and anxious about the world (just like the rest of us) and they found a a right wing reactionary ideology before they were ever exposed to (for lack of a better description) the dirtbag left point of view. You gotta make sense of the world somehow...and unfortunately for people in many places in the country, you end up getting a right wing explanation without really encountering a formidable leftist explanation. I don’t think Jonn and Mark erred in having him on for the interview nor do I think they mishandled the interview. I don’t think anyone listening to the interview is going to come away with increased fascist sympathies.

Matthew C

I feel like the John doesnt quite fit with how Chapo works. Not that they'd disagree but just in terms of how they approach a conversation as well as the sort of topics they get in depth on wouldnt work that well. Maybe one of the episodes where its just Matt or Felix having a conversation about foreign policy or history, that could be interesting

Avery

I doubt he is alt right, because of the obvious fact that he fought alongside Muslims and Marxists and was disdainful of the Islamophobe volunteers who showed up. Maybe he is a cultural conservative who is a genuine believer in the “democratic pluralism” of the YPG. I think every variety of weirdo can benefit hugely from listening to RWN.

Factory Troll

"I will register my puny complaint here that I believe out-and-out Nazis should be a redline." That’s fair enough. Maybe I’m just overly concerned about this virus, currently making its rounds around the world, which appears to infect the brain and cause bleeding from the ears and foaming at the mouth whenever spoken to by someone with a disagreeable world-view, but I would opt not to draw redlines (also known as “Kerry Lines”) for what RWN-guest can and can’t do on Facebook, or which ideologies they adhere to. Kind of like refusing to read Céline for being a Nazi (a real Nazi, as opposed to a once-awhile-a-Facebook-nazi) or tossing a good war-memoir out the window because the author fought for the wrong side, heck he even fought for the right side.

Nick

yeah, the guy who can't pronounce 'stipend' is just like Céline

Factory Troll

And here is me thinking that it was the nazi remarks you objected to. Oh well, I'm sure we can ask him to change his way, so you won't be so offended by his pronunciation the next time.

Michael Jochum

Maybe Mark and John will be able to find a person who went to fight with the Kurds in the name of marxism to balance out the narrative.

Rathindra Kuruwita

The YPG are US allies and are playing an important part in destabilizing Syria. Right now I have no sympathy for these fellows and this guy is a perfect example of what they have become. Also I have found Mark and John's worldview becoming infantalized in recent years. This is just sad

Sérgio Teixeira da Silva

With all the immense respect due Yasha, Carl, and so many other guests, this was the best and most important episode of RWN thus far. No, a Rightist wouldn't have been my first choice of Rojava volunteer either (although it *would* be at least *one* of my choices), but it's not necessarily the case that any of them can be found easily - if more volunteers of more different ideologies can be found, so much the better (best of all, a Socialist female Kurd, of whom I hear some can be found in Sweden). The SJW haters around here don't seem to understand that Kasprick is a much better Voltairian than them; screw them. You finally got someone from the most important discrete, current event, far less than fully understood even by those Westerners who *are* paying attention; congratulations.

Sérgio Teixeira da Silva

Why "dirtbag"? Is Leftism something without a place for sane, decent, clean, productive people? (I'm a Leftist - wanting to know whether I should excuse myself, as past years have been suggesting.)

Avery

The accusations in the OP of that thread are nonsense. The OP may be an actual disabled Kurdish vet, but he admits he only did an investigation of Kasprik because he was bored, and the people he knew on the ground only said that they hadn't heard of him, which is hardly damning. Now there is a documentary showing Kasprik's involvement in the ground; not only that, but Kasprik asked Mark and John to have his comrade Baz on the show. If Kasprik was a "liar and druggie" he wouldn't want other people exposing him on this podcast, would he? Really that thread just shows how forums like the /r/syriancivilwar subreddit are a terrible place for learning about war in depth. Kasprik shared stories about modern war on this podcast that would not have been possible if he was getting a Hardball-style poliitical interrogation. I don't think Kasprik's politics are coherent exactly but they are much easier to understand when you hear what he experienced as a medic in a multicultural unit, and he wasn't preachy about it either. If you just want to hear people tell you how correct your own political views are, you can listen to Chapo.

Sérgio Teixeira da Silva

GN: not saying Kasprik can't have done anything wrong, but you know who sounds like a liar to me? You do. You sound like you'll pick whichever of "he wasn't even there", "he was there, but never in the frontline", and "he was there, and behaved badly" you think is more likely to stick. Also, I have a strong "people who want others silenced probably want to spread their lies instead" prior - this would be about you. And the seeming PKK member provided nothing substantial and generally behaved exactly as you'd expect of a member of Leninist-derived cell. Note also that all the former fighters still having names in that thread are extremely civil to each other despite political disagreement: "But there is neither Right nor Left, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth, When two strong persons stand together, though they come from the ends of the earth!"

Patrick Kasprik

Sorry the guy whose Twitter name is filled with X‘s and hammer and sickles is a guy I can‘t please. I can‘t say that I‘m too upset, nor surprised. I see the hammer and sickle in the exact same light as the swastika, so you arent much above them in my eyes, Nick. Also Florida has one of the highest percentages of German-born immigrants, and tourist rates in the US. But logic be damned, right? Sorry I hurt your feelings bud, but I am not sorry you can‘t distinquish sarcasm from a serious comment. But then again, I don‘t much care how you feel as this rounds right about to you using the hammer and sickle while whinning about Nazis.

Nick

thanks, Pat! You're right, you're never going to be able to please me, I don't really care for your type. Go back to r/fuckoff

Patrick Kasprik

I tried but reddit keeps redirecting me to the fullcommunism subreddit. Thanks for listening, Nick. Maybe some of my real life insight might help if you apply it to the video games about war you play. Take care.

Sérgio Teixeira da Silva

I'm quite skeptical. Of you. Your real motive: "An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded.". We must not listen to the ... 50% of the US that happens to be somewhat Conservative, we must not listen to those who talk like *normal people* (imagine if a *vastly* more Conservative typical Kurdistan native was interviewed - wait, that one would get a pass from you if brown enough, and we'd be told it's "their culture" for women to be treated as cattle), we might find we're both human and have common ground after all; we might find we can fight together. Hell, we might even find common cause against your totalitarianism. You wouldn't ask for him to be "de-briefed" if he was a Clintonite or Trotskyist (BTW, "Nazi" is your strawman - do you know you're lying, or just too blinkered to notice the difference?) . About the possibility of his lying his ass off, I guess waiting for some actual evidence might be good.

Michael Jochum

@ Sergio - I use the term “dirtbag left” in accordance with the meaning it’s been given in association with Chapo Trap House (<a href="https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/07/chapo-trap-house-are-the-vulgar-brilliant-demigods.html)." rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/07/chapo-trap-house-are-the-vulgar-brilliant-demigods.html).</a> I use it somewhat reluctantly because it doesn’t exactly capture what I want, and I’m not a huge fan of chapo, but it is also the best descriptor I’ve seen for all us that see centrist liberalism and neoliberalism as the enemy in addition to the right. If someone has a better descriptor, I’d be happy to consider it.

Paul Vd

He's not alt right. Most of the alt right is pro Russia. He is a liberal internationalist

Paul Vd

And Michael.. Anti imperialism, anti neocon & liberal intlism is not just a left wing view. I am a palio conservative. Many conservatives are against imperialism too. And we can all get along.

Paul Vd

I just laugh now at the glaring ironies that this war constantly serves up. He's an anti Russian cold warrior. Yet he's fighting for the Kurds b/c they are secular. Why are they secular ? B/c Russia under the USSR made them that way. "no way I'm not talking to you. You are state controlled" Facepalm. Isis expanded in Syria for 2 years while the US was supposedly bombing them. Yet he's there to fight isis. He's just a young guy though. He will learn a lot about how the world works in the next few years.

Paul Vd

ISIS is not effective because they are professional. That was a dumb comment. ISIS is effective b/c they were one big poor man's nuclear bomb. Watch some videos of isis fight. They are not pros. They were getting good weapons, they were the most fanatic and the US spent most of the war being their air force.

Patrick Kasprik

Were you there? Or did you just watch videos? Sounds like the latter.

Mark Ames

These shitty personal attacks against Patrick depress me to no end—thankfully it's only a few of our subscribers, but really the Nazi monster smear bar is so goddamn low these days, god forbid you should make a stupid facebook joke in your twenties, or spend your days doing anything but telegraphing your virtuous politics, or you're doomed for life in this century. Patrick's war stories are interesting and relevant as hell, and that's why we interviewed him. He's a great narrator about his experiences, as this episode shows and as you'll see again in the next episode. No one who listens to the episode should live in fear that they or others might become infected with the Nazi entryist zombie virus. You really need to learn what a Nazi is ffs. In the next episode (that should go up in a day or two) John and I, and then Patrick, respond to some of these comments. And don't be surprised if some lazy shitty smears against Patrick are deleted.

Paul Vd

6 nominally "private" corporations hold a monopoly (a real monopoly) on the news media in the US. This monopoly eats out of the hand of the US state department. The pieces are arranged somewhat differently but the end result is the exact same. CNN is to the US what RT & Sputnik are to Russia.

Cody Roach

tbh it would be kind of cruel to subject john to full-cast chapo riffing; plus they mostly talk about domestic politics anyways. Mark might fit their style better (plus they're all already in brooklyn).

Nick

I don't know where you set that bar for being a fascist, but an American fan of AfD writing "Deutschland bliebt Deutsch" on a picture of black immigrants clears it well enough in my book. And I'm not ready to excuse it just cause Patrick's in his twenties, he's the same age as me and posted that less than a year ago. Semantics aside, you've got to admit that he is at least right-of-center. Isn't that important context for his story about joining a socialist militia?

Paul Vd

That's f-ing ridiculous Nick. Is there anyone who opposes the migration anarchy policy that doesn't go on your Nazi list ? The left wing govt in Czech republic is 100% against migration anarchy. Are they fascist leftists ? These are mainly men from subsistance farming communities in Africa. They are the backbone of the workforce in these communities. Without them, these communities are going to suffer. The young & the old are going to have to work way harder to make ends meet. They are being lied to and told that big opportunities await them in Europe. Reality is, there is no work. They are dumped in the streets. Stop pretending that this is an easy issue. Get off your virtue signalling high horse.

Sérgio Teixeira da Silva

"Semantics aside, you've got to admit that he is at least right-of-center. Isn't that important context for his story about joining a socialist militia?" You mean that political disagreement he *did* mention (besides, you know, not being Muslim) quickly, without derailing the main subject?

Michael Jochum

Of course, I don’t mean to paint such a broad stroke that the left owns a monopoly on any of those things, I was just trying to make the point that I think everyone can enjoy RWN and have their horizons broadened, despite whatever their initial position may be

Winterborn

I like the 'dirtbag left' label. Far better than that Bernie Bro shit. As for Chapo I think they do good work but I often find the podcast itself... um, repetitive? I can't put my finger on it but I often laugh out loud when listening to the first ten minutes of a new Chapo but have tuned it out completely by the end. Eh, I'm probably the problem. I still support the Mark Ames on Chapo movement.

Sérgio Teixeira da Silva

From all I've seen about Chapo, wasting John's (or Mark's) time with them would be worse than a crime, it'd be a mistake. For a long time, the "Left" has been long on humor and short on any social change beyond identity politics. It's not even best at the first any more. Wanna continue down that path? <a href="https://jacobitemag.com/2017/05/26/chapo-traphouse-will-never-be-edgy/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://jacobitemag.com/2017/05/26/chapo-traphouse-will-never-be-edgy/</a>

Sérgio Teixeira da Silva

Michael: thanks, but we can just call ourselves "Old Left" - it might even imply work is one of our values, which I hope it is.

Erik Wehler

Mark I for one am glad that you are addressing this issue head on, and am looking foreword to the next RWN episode. I found the interview in question insightful and interesting. Ideology, or in this case perceived ideology is insufficient grounds to shutting down a conversation. Sadly, discourse seems to have become nothing more than a game of smear the other persons reputation in the hopes of getting a few likes or retweets. And I appreciate the push-back on RWN. Keep up the good work.

Mario

You're being as disingenuous as Mark, and that's saying a lot. What has proclaiming "Deutschland bleibt Deutsch" to do with caring about the plight of African migrants stranded in Europe or about their communities at home? It's utterly childish straw men like these that represent the worst about Radio War Nerd and is such a mainstay of the propaganda of Nazi parties like the AFD and their adjacent internet warriors. At least have the courage of your believes.

Mark

Thanks for responding, Mark, and for allowing Patrick to respond. I'm glad the show doesn't adhere to only only inviting extremely online leftists on air, but the sentiments that were dug up combined with the lack of any mention of them in the interview made me worry that the wool had been pulled over someone's eyes. Thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case. While no one should be flogged for dumb online posts, I think one of the aspects of an interview is to find out what motivated someone to do what they did, especially something as extraordinary as volunteering with a foreign milutia. Seeing those posts after Part 1 made me wonder, uncomfortably, about those motivations, but I feel that's been resolved now. I hope you don't feel that's an attempt to get RWN to self-censor, or that concerns like these are categorically BS.

Shawn van Leeuwen

ty troll man. fuck these tankies, they getting on my nerves ;)

Mat K

I listen to Chappo and will admit I laugh pretty often at their stuff but… They are pre teen adolescents making fart jokes compared to real left wing commentators and activists. It would be a bad move for John or Mark to be too closely associated with them.

Mat K

"FFS, this was never meant to be some display of ideological purity" Bingo. If we only talk to people who are 100 percent in our own camp then we know nothing of the world outside our camp. This bloke is many things and personally his open disdain for RT because of "state control" sent the boggle metre in my head to 100 but... I am not judging this guy. He believes in something and took a stand. He put everything on the line. I cannot and will not judge him. I wish more people (myself included) had his courage.

Travis Fast

wow i know German and hes a salt

Sabo

I don't know what you mean by "pre-teen adolescents"; Felix is quietly a foreign policy expert and they've done excellent interviews on the subject, especially the ones with Scahill and Chase Madar

Rathindra Kuruwita

Sérgio For example read Ames's early work on immigration and his stance on it now. Or how he supports the Kurds. I admit that the Kurds have suffered immensely but if you are going to support US intervention and CIA when they support tribes they like, while denouncing the same institutions when they supports groups they don;t like, is it not infantalization? The inability to see glaring incoherence in the world view

Rathindra Kuruwita

@Sergio I also remember John writing critically about Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia" in the Exiled. Why should Kasper be any different?'' another example of the increasing suckiness of Ames and John

Rathindra Kuruwita

man you fought for a CIA sponsored psyop. I don't trust anything you would say. I am not calling you a Nazi, because you are an obvious liberal. I am just calling you a tool

Rathindra Kuruwita

@Mark. I am not calling him a Nazi because he is not. He is a liberal. But you have to admit that your said you are a fan of Antifa who calls everyone a Nazi or a Fascist, imagine talking about Fascism without at least reading Giovanni Gentile. Now you can't say you are 'depressed'

Darryl Cooper

In this episode: Radio War Nerd fans turn out to be a bunch of hyper sensitive whiny bitches.

Patrick Kasprik

Oh my feelings! Never mind that’s you’re factually incorrect - given the CIA’s opposition to the pentagon supporting YPG and SDF, I just really can’t say I’m terribly upset that some guy whose tinfoil hat rating in this comment is breaking my ability to comprehend how much mental gymnastics a human being is willing to put on in order to sound “woke”.

Sérgio Teixeira da Silva

Rathindra: first, thanks. Second, I'd rather Russia was the patron of all Kurds (better: Kurds joining an officially multilingual Iran, but I'm not waiting for that any time soon), but I want Kurds to have a country (come on, nobody *actually* believes they *like* this "democratic confederalism" thing, right?), and it makes sense for them to take whatever help presents itself; you're talking about ideological coherence, but that's (at most) something you owe your own nation - you grab whichever allies currently share goals with you if have the slightest idea what you're doing. Third: I don't really remember Ames talking about immigration, recently or not - I'd like to see that, actually.

Sérgio Teixeira da Silva

In an *interview*, and one the interviewed didn't make about his personal ideology, the interviewers shouldn't waste time heckling the interviewed - for more than one reason. If you want a later "Review: Patrick Kasprik is an asshole" episode (or part of), that makes somewhat more sense, but ... don't John and Mark have better things to do? Ultimately, Patrick Kasprik doesn't actually matter - he just happened to have a report about a place (and *that* matters) to hand in. Or: stop charging the red cloth.