1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: To night. Michael Brown joins me here, the former FEMA 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: director of talk. 3 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 2: Show host Michael Brown. Brownie, no, Brownie, You're doing a 4 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 2: heck of a job The Weekend with Michael Brown broadcasting 5 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 2: from Denver, Colorado. 6 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: You've joined The Weekend with Michael Brown. Glad to have 7 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: you joined the program today. Hope everybody had a great 8 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving and you're now ready for the holiday season where 9 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: nobody does anything. Nobody works until after the first of 10 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: the year. I'm always fascinated by this time of the 11 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: year when you know people are taking off work or 12 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: they're traveling and doing things, and everything just seems to 13 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,240 Speaker 1: kind of slow down, and then January one comes around, 14 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: everybody gets hung over, and then boom, January two. Right 15 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 1: back to work. Now, misrecognize there are a lot of 16 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: people that still work during the holidays, and I appreciate 17 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: those that do. All the first responders, the military and 18 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: everybody else. Thank you for everything that you do. We 19 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,319 Speaker 1: appreciate it. Why the rest of you know, everybody else 20 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: goes around and goose off. So you know, we have 21 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: some rules of engagement for the program. The most important 22 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: one is if you want to text me, tell me anything, 23 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: or ask me anything. The text lines always open. That's 24 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: three three one zero three on your message app three 25 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 1: to three one zero three. Use the keyword Mike or Michael, 26 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: and you can TMA or ama, and then do me 27 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: a favor. You know, our podcast numbers are really good, 28 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: but I'm always looking for more. So I'd like for 29 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: you to subscribe to the podcast on your podcast app. 30 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: Simply search for the Situation with Michael Brown, the Situation 31 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: with Michael Brown, hit that subscribe button, leave, of course 32 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: to leave a five star review because that helps up 33 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: with the algorithm, and then that will download all five 34 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 1: days of the weekday program, because it will get you 35 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: the weekend program too, so you get all of the 36 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: Michael Brown. So I want to talk about Orwell, George Orwell. 37 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: Eighty years ago he wrote an incredible essay Politics and 38 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: the English Language, and I think that it still is 39 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: a quintessential piece of writing, and quite frankly, it's a 40 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: pretty good instruction manual. There's a strang kind of a 41 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: strange liturgy to American politics right now. I don't mean 42 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: liturgy in the religious sense, though it may tap into 43 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 1: that same kind of instinct, but in the way that 44 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: people you know use specific phrases, and they use these 45 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: phrases with absolute confidence and generally no understanding at all. 46 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: There was a recent calling by Peggy Noonan. She had 47 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 1: read Kamala Harris's book One hundred and seven Days, and 48 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: she noted that Harris referred to illegal immigration, which I 49 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: refer to as well illegal immigration, but those who commit 50 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: illegal immigration I refer to as illegal aliens. And the 51 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: reason I do that is that's the actual language in 52 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:54,799 Speaker 1: the federal statute that designates people that cross our borders 53 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: without authorization. Those are referred to in federal law as 54 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: illegal alien. Well, Peggy Noonan's column, and look, I've got 55 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: great respect for Peggy Noonan. She was a speech writer 56 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,959 Speaker 1: for Ronald Reagan. She does a weekly call him in 57 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: the Wall Street Journal. I read it religiously and I 58 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: agree with it. I was going to say half the time, 59 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: but as scotten now to where I agree with her 60 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:19,920 Speaker 1: maybe a third of the time, and two thirds of 61 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: the time, I'm like, no, I think, Peggy, your way 62 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 1: off here. But when she wrote this particular article, as 63 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: I said, she noted that Kamala Harris had referred to 64 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: illegal immigration as irregular migration, irregular migration. Now, that's a 65 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: euphemism that is so gently ridiculous that it practically dissolves, 66 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: like you put you know, you poured salt on a 67 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: snail or something. But I think that's the point. I 68 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: think that's why Kamala Harris. Harris uses language like that. 69 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: The irregular migration doesn't have any sort of harshness to 70 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: it at all, does it. It's kind of like oatmeal pablum. 71 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: It's kind of like, you know, mushed up baby food 72 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: irregular migration. But I think that's her point. I think 73 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: that's exactly why Kamala Harris uses that phrase. It sounds softer, safer, 74 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: less politically radioactive. It's not going to tick off people 75 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 1: except why. I think what she doesn't understand is those 76 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: of us who use our words a lot it is. 77 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: It does tick me off. I see it constantly. The 78 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: public vocabulary is just full of words and phrases that 79 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: signal some sort of urgency or righteousness or moral sophistication, 80 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 1: and it doesn't ever require anybody to say something concrete. 81 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 1: And George Orwell warned about this nearly eighty years ago, 82 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: calling them meaningless words. What he said, quote is designed 83 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:12,039 Speaker 1: to make lies sound truthful, and murder respectable, and to 84 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. Get that 85 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 1: calling them meaningless words designed to make lies sound truthful, 86 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to 87 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: pure win. That's from Orwell's nineteen forty six essay Politics 88 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: and the English Language. Now, I know that most people 89 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 1: have a casual knowledge of George Orwell in his novels, 90 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: especially nineteen eighty four and probably Animal Farm. But and 91 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: he was, don't get me wrong, he was an absolute 92 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: wonderful novelist. But he was an amazing essayist. And if 93 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,480 Speaker 1: you have a chance, you can pick up a book 94 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: of his essays, or you can go to the Orwell 95 00:05:56,279 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: Foundation and read those essays online totally free. But politics 96 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: in the English language is primarily about writing. But still 97 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: what he says goes beyond how somebody might write, and 98 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: describes how words and phrases used in politics have really 99 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: kind of become pointless and tedious, to the extent that 100 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: the words don't have any real meaning. They merely appear 101 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: to have great profundity. It's why when I refer to 102 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 1: Democrats as Marxists or fascists, because we'll get into that 103 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: in a second. I try to explain why what is 104 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 1: it they are saying or doing that is Marxist or 105 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: fascist or socialist. When I refer to, for example, we're 106 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:45,479 Speaker 1: going to talk if we have time today, we're going 107 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: to talk later about Bill Gates and his kind of 108 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: one one hundred and eighty degree turn about on climate. 109 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,720 Speaker 1: And so I use the phrase about the congreants in 110 00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: the church of the climate activists. And I chose those 111 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: words very specifically because it conveys that I believe that 112 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: climate change for many people has become a religion. Doesn't 113 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: make any difference. You know, I could talk to a 114 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:17,679 Speaker 1: climate activist till I'm blue in the face about you know, facts, facts, facts, study, 115 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: study study peer reviewed, peer review, peer reviewed, or real 116 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: world temperature readings, whatever. It doesn't make any difference to 117 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 1: them because they believe what they believe, and no amount 118 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: of facts poured onto faith is going to change their belief. 119 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: So it does appear to me to be a religion. 120 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: But back to Orwell's essay Politics and the English Language, 121 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: because it holds value even in twenty twenty five, he 122 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: writes the following, many political words are similarly abused the 123 00:07:55,440 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: word fascism. The word fascism has now no meaning except 124 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: insofar as it signifies something not desirable. The words democracy, socialism, freedom, patriotic, realistic, 125 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: justice have each of them several different meanings which cannot 126 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: be reconciled with one another. In the case of a 127 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: word like democracy, not only is there no degree definition, 128 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: but the attempt to make one to make one is 129 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: resisted from every side. It is almost universally felt, and 130 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: when we call a country democratic, we are praising it. Consequently, 131 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: the defenders of every kind of regime claim that it 132 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: is a democracy, and fear that they might have to 133 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: stop using the word if it were tied down to 134 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: any one singular meaning. Words of this kind often used 135 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: in a consciously dishonest way. That is, the person who 136 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 1: uses them has his own private definition, but allows us 137 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: here to think he means something quite different by definition. 138 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: You've had conversation with people like that, right, Or I've 139 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: heard news stories where they'll say one thing and I 140 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:10,199 Speaker 1: just intuitively know they really mean something else. Orwell continues 141 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: in just a minute, I'll be right back. Hey, welcome 142 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: back the Weekend with Michael Brown. Glad and have you 143 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: with me. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I know 144 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,560 Speaker 1: I certainly did. It's good to be back with you, 145 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: and I appreciate you joining in this weekend. We're talking 146 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: about George Orwell and his essay about politics and words 147 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 1: politics in the English language. Now, I was describing one 148 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,959 Speaker 1: paragraph in which he's talking about how words really don't 149 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: have any particular meaning. So we'll get back to that 150 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 1: in one second, but I want to remind you the 151 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: rules of engagement. Text lines always open three three one 152 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 1: zero three keyword micro Michael, go follow me on x 153 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,199 Speaker 1: at Michael Brown USSA, and then I would suggest this, 154 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 1: if you're traveling about you've heard this program for the 155 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 1: first time, you kind of like what we're doing, you 156 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: can also hear what we do Every weekday. I broadcast 157 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,200 Speaker 1: out of Denver Monday through Friday from nine to noon 158 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: Mountain Time on this station, which you should go set 159 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: as a preset on your iHeart app or on your computer. 160 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: It's KOA. It's at eight point fifty AM or ninety 161 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: four point one FM nine to noon, and it's the 162 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: situation with Michael Brown. So set that as a preset 163 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:24,079 Speaker 1: and go stream us live Monday through Friday. Nine to 164 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:27,679 Speaker 1: noon Mountain time. So back to George Orwell, and I 165 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: was talking about how people have their own private definition 166 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: of a word, and that private definition means you can 167 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 1: use the word, but the here, just the person you're 168 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: speaking to, just here's what they want to hear. So 169 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: they think what they want to think, and it may 170 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: be quite different from what you're trying to convey. He writes. 171 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: Statements like Marshall Pataine was a true patriot. The Soviet 172 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: press is the freest in the in the world. The 173 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: Catholic Church is opposed to persecution. Are all always made 174 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: with intent to deceive. Other words used in variable meanings, 175 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: in most cases more or less dishonestly are class, totalitarian, science, progressive, reactionary, 176 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: bourgeois equality. I think democracy, let's pick on democracy for 177 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,640 Speaker 1: a second, is probably the critical word here, because I've 178 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: likely heard the phrase uttered in some form or other 179 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 1: in the last I don't know particularly ten years. I've 180 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 1: heard I've obviously heard of my entire life, but in 181 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: particularly I've heard it a lot in the last ten years, 182 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: probably a gazillion times. It has become entirely synonymous with 183 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: Donald Trump. You know, we got to save the democracy 184 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: you got to save our democracy from Donald Trump and 185 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 1: for all. For the longest time, it was all about 186 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:58,439 Speaker 1: Donald Trump and the threat that he was to democracy. 187 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:03,959 Speaker 1: But go back just ten years. Since twenty fifteen, threat 188 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: to democracy or threat to our democracy has come to 189 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: apply to whatever political niche that anybody chooses. You could 190 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: pick from a hat all the threats, well, the Supreme 191 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,199 Speaker 1: Court is a threat to democracy. Certain types of laws 192 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: are threats to democracy. E. Long Musk buying Twitter and 193 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,959 Speaker 1: turning it into X. That's a threat to democracy. Climate 194 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: change threat to democracy, Fox News threat to democracy. The 195 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:34,559 Speaker 1: Weekend with Michael Brown a threat to democracy. The makeup 196 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: of the Senate when it's controlled by the Republicans a 197 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: threat to democracy. The Electoral College always a threat to democracy. 198 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: AI a threat to democracy, while elections themselves having an 199 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,839 Speaker 1: election is a threat to democracy. It kind of gets 200 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: to the point where it really doesn't have much meaning 201 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:57,319 Speaker 1: to most people, who we should remember, don't spend a 202 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:01,199 Speaker 1: good chunk of their time in any given day, any week, 203 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: a month, or a year immersed in politics. Like you 204 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: and I are thirty percent of Americans, a third let's 205 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 1: just say, can I just say a third? A third 206 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: of Americans cannot name all three branches of government. That's 207 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 1: way too high. Can you let's say, all count to three, 208 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: you name all three, the first one, the second one, Okay, 209 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: do you get the third one? All right? How many 210 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 1: have you got it? And while seventy percent can name 211 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: all three, the problem is that's just basic civics. That's 212 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: not an indicator of your proclivity as it relates to 213 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 1: daily political life. If only a third know what the 214 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 1: three branches of government are, what percentage do you think 215 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 1: know what a discharge petition is? And I choose discharge 216 00:13:55,600 --> 00:14:01,200 Speaker 1: petition because that was a huge phrase used during the 217 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: government shutdown. Remember they had to get to sixty votes 218 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:09,719 Speaker 1: to invoke cloture. Do you remember what invoking culture meant? Well, 219 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: in the Senate, there's a rule that you can just debate, debate, 220 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: debate until you can get sixty votes to stop debate. 221 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: That's called invoking cloture. Once you invoke cloture and you 222 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: stop debate, you still need another vote before you can 223 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 1: even vote on the bill, and that is to have 224 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: a discharge petition, meaning that it just comes out of committee, 225 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: goes straight to the floor for a vote, and nobody 226 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: can interfere with that. I would guess that the majority 227 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: of Americans have no clue what a discharge petition is. 228 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: And I would even go one step further. I'm not 229 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: sure they need to know. I certainly wish they knew, 230 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: because the more they understood about the minutia of politics, 231 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: the minutia of our legislative process, then they would understand 232 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: why it is, for example, that some people vote for 233 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: something and then when it you know, initially, and then 234 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: as it gets amended, they vote against it. You know, 235 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: maybe they voted for it because they wanted to get 236 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: to the floor where it could be amended so they 237 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: could try to get their amendment in. They fail to 238 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: get their amendment in, and so they vote against the bill. 239 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: So remember, I think it was John Kerry who once 240 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 1: famously said something about I think it was like a 241 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: climate bill, or or maybe it was the I think 242 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: it was the war in Iraq that you know, I voted, 243 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: I voted you know, for it before I voted against it. 244 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: It's that kind of thing. So when the average person 245 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: does tune in, which is usually getting close to an election, 246 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: or there's some big crisis or controversy going on, and 247 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:53,080 Speaker 1: they become inundated with the phrase threat to democracy at 248 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: every turn. Have you ever thought about what impact that has, 249 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: because I think about it a lot. 250 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 2: Trump. 251 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: After all, despite everything that went down on January sixth, 252 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: the investigations, all the indictments, the convictions, the promise to 253 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 1: be the retribution for his voters, he still won. He 254 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 1: went back all the states that he lost in twenty 255 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 1: twenty that he won in twenty sixteen, and then picked 256 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: up Nevada as well, while convincing seventy seven million people 257 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: to vote for him, three million more than voted for 258 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 1: him back in twenty twenty, and a whopping fifteen million 259 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 1: more than in twenty sixteen. And one could say, but 260 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: Michael Trump, Trump is a threat to democracy. Well, wait 261 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: a minute, isn't everything I just described isn't that a 262 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: democratic process? It may not be democracy as we might 263 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 1: define the term, but it was a democratic process, and 264 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 1: he won that democratic process. Read what Orwell said about 265 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: the word fascism, as noted. People have chosen to apply 266 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 1: that phrase, as Orwell Orwell said, that's something not desirable. 267 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: Go look up any of the examples and you'll find 268 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: a lot of examples, and not among the fever swamps 269 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:12,120 Speaker 1: of the far left, but from even mainstream journalists, think 270 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:16,160 Speaker 1: tanks other institutions. The electoral college is the greatest threat 271 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 1: to our democracy. The electoral colleges a threat to twenty 272 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 1: first democracy That comes from the Aspen Institute. The electoral 273 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: college is a ticking time bomb. William Galston for the 274 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: Brookings Institute. The nationalist right, the new right, whatever you 275 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: want to call the right side of the political spectrum 276 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 1: does something similar. When they talk about a Republican politician 277 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 1: they don't like, they become a neo con. Have you 278 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: thought about what a neo con is? Tyler Bauer of 279 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:47,680 Speaker 1: Talking Point USA. I'm sorry, Turning Point USA playing white 280 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:51,400 Speaker 1: Knight for JD. Vance, who he says is getting attacked 281 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:56,919 Speaker 1: and that means criticism for some people. The anti Trump 282 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: movement wants to nominate someone other than Jdvans for president. 283 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 1: Them the most likely outcome of attacking JD. Evans is 284 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 1: far more neo con, terrible candidate, useful idiots. What does 285 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,360 Speaker 1: that really mean? Has anybody ever really stopped to think 286 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: about what does that really mean? I'm not sure they have. 287 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 1: It's the weekend with Michael Brown. Hang tight, I'll be 288 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: right back. 289 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 2: Tonight. Michael Brown joins me here, the former FEMA director 290 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 2: of talk show host Michael Brown. Brownie, no, Brownie, You're 291 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 2: doing a heck of a job the Weekend with Michael Brown. 292 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 1: Hey, welcome back to the Weekend with Michael Brown. Happy Thanksgiving. 293 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 1: I hope everybody's having a great holiday. Appreciate you tuning 294 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: in as you do on the weekend. I always appreciate 295 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:42,679 Speaker 1: the audience turn it tuning in on a Saturday. If 296 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:44,919 Speaker 1: you like the program, be sure let other people know 297 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: about the program too. Don't forget text lines always open. 298 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:50,679 Speaker 1: I read them all the time, even when I you know, 299 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: sometimes when i'm just you know, having I'm grabbing a 300 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:56,479 Speaker 1: diet coke or something, I'll kind of glance down at 301 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 1: my phone because I keep this on a separate message JAT, 302 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 1: and I'll just read through the messages. So three three 303 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 1: one zero three keyword Mike or Michael. So the nationalists right, 304 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 1: the new right, conservative right. I mean, it's just it 305 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: goes by so many different names, and when when the 306 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: new right, the nationalists right, the conservative right, it just 307 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,120 Speaker 1: doesn't make any difference, because again, even those words are 308 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: losing their meaning. But they start using the word neocon, 309 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 1: or they'll use the term rhino republican in name only. 310 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: And some people can be a Rhino one day, and 311 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: then the next day they vote or say something, and 312 00:19:35,359 --> 00:19:40,400 Speaker 1: suddenly they're they're God's gift to conservatism again, whatever conservatism 313 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:43,360 Speaker 1: means to that individual, and then the next day they're 314 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:46,479 Speaker 1: a neocon. And they just go from one label to another, 315 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 1: to another to another. And I think that's the point 316 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:54,200 Speaker 1: that George Orwell is trying to make, is we use 317 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 1: the terms, but we don't really define the terms, so 318 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: that whatever we're saying people get to hear whatever it 319 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 1: is they want to hear. I find it fascinating in 320 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 1: radio that now, when I'm doing, you know, when I'm 321 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 1: doing three hours a day like I do, there's obvious 322 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: times that I mis state something, or I mispronounced something, 323 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: or I use the wrong word. The other day this 324 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 1: past week, I was talking about Thomas Jefferson the Barbary 325 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 1: Pirates and how the Barbary Pirates was very much like 326 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: what's going on with the drug dealers coming out of Venezuela, 327 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 1: and I just, without even thinking, I said, you know, 328 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 1: and Thomas Jefferson, I think, I think I was joking 329 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 1: and said Tommy Jefferson was our second commander in chief. Huh. 330 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,960 Speaker 1: I didn't even realize I'd said it until somebody called 331 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 1: me out on the text line and said Jefferson wasn't 332 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 1: the second commander in chief, he was the third commander 333 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: in chief. And I looked at it and I thought 334 00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: to myself, well, I know that Washington had Jefferson Madison Rowe. Yeah, yeah, oh, 335 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:09,120 Speaker 1: I did say number two. We often get, at least 336 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:12,639 Speaker 1: I do, get so wound up in what I'm talking 337 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 1: about that my mouth, my brain's like four steps ahead 338 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 1: of where my mouth is because I'm already thinking about 339 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 1: the next thing I'm about to say, following on what 340 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:25,199 Speaker 1: I'm saying right now, and sometimes I missstate things. The 341 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: other the inverse of that is I'll say something exactly 342 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:32,879 Speaker 1: the way that I want to say it, mean exactly 343 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 1: what it is that I think I'm conveying, and then 344 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: I'll get a text message or an email or somebody 345 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 1: I'll post something on Twitter or x and I'll be like, 346 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: you said X Y Z, and I'll think, yeah, that's 347 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,679 Speaker 1: exactly what I said, and then the response will be 348 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 1: you are totally wrong about X, Y z Now. I 349 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 1: always take fills with a grain assault, and by that 350 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: I mean I read them because I really want to know. 351 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: Did I miss something, did I say something wrong? Did 352 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:02,879 Speaker 1: I miss a fact? Did I leave something yet that 353 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 1: I didn't mean to leave out. But I'll go back 354 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: and I'll read what it is as they say I said, 355 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: and I'll think to myself, yeah, I think I said 356 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:12,439 Speaker 1: exactly that, And then i'll read what they say the 357 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: thing is wrong about it, and I can't. I can't 358 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: connect the two. I simply can't connect them at all. 359 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: And that's because people heard what they wanted to hear, 360 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:25,440 Speaker 1: not what was actually said. And you have to learn 361 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 1: in radio, for example, that I don't know, for example, 362 00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:32,119 Speaker 1: right now, don't I have no clue what you're doing 363 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 1: at this very moment. You could send me a text 364 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: message and lie that you know. I'm listening to while 365 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: I'm taking a shower. I'm listening to while I'm decorating 366 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: the Christmas tree, I'm cleaning up the Thanksgiving dinner leftovers 367 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:48,160 Speaker 1: and throwing out the dressing that has gotten bad. I'm 368 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 1: doing whatever. When you're doing that, whatever it is you're doing, 369 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: there will be a split second, a micro second where 370 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: your brain goes to something else. I know everybody thinks 371 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:07,679 Speaker 1: that they can multitask. Everybody thinks they can multitask, But 372 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: what you're really doing is you are micro secing. In microseconds. 373 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,760 Speaker 1: You're going from one task to another. Your brain is 374 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: thinking about this, and then your brain says, oh, reach 375 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 1: over here and pick up your diet coke. And as 376 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 1: you reach over to pick up your diet coke, you 377 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: miss one word, two words, three words, depends on how 378 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: long it takes you pick up your diet coke of 379 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,719 Speaker 1: what I said, And so you miss something and the 380 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 1: interpretation becomes entirely different. It's why when and I know 381 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 1: this drives my friends crazy, but when I sit down 382 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 1: with people at dinner, or we're having a lunch meeting, 383 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: or I'm in a meeting, and I'm not bored to death, 384 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: I truly try to be an active listener. And I 385 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: think that's just my training as a lawyer, to listen 386 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 1: to what people actually say, because oftentimes they don't really 387 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:01,239 Speaker 1: mean what they say, and they don't really say what 388 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: they mean, or they themselves aren't really sure about what 389 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,400 Speaker 1: they are saying. And so I try to listen intently 390 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 1: to what people say. But even when I'm doing that, 391 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:16,720 Speaker 1: something something makes me get distracted. I'm in a conference 392 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:20,679 Speaker 1: room in this building at iHeart and something happens outside 393 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 1: the window and I look out for a brief second 394 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 1: that takes my mind, even for a microsecond, off what 395 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: that person is saying that I'm listening to. And I 396 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 1: think this fills in or fits in with what George 397 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:39,880 Speaker 1: Orwell is saying about. We hear what we want to hear, 398 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 1: and we use words that we don't really know what 399 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:46,920 Speaker 1: we mean by them. Or if people want to be 400 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: really disingenuous, they know what they mean by the word, 401 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 1: but they know what somebody else thinks about the word, 402 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: so they use that word to convince them to their side, 403 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: knowing that you're really not really not communicating, You're really 404 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: not being persuasive, You're just arguing. Go back to the 405 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: term neo con. A lot of people use the term 406 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:17,680 Speaker 1: neo con as a pejority, But do they really have 407 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,919 Speaker 1: an idea what it actually means, because neo con is 408 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:26,560 Speaker 1: just a short version of neo conservative, And you could 409 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:29,400 Speaker 1: probably ask, I don't know ten people twenty people aligned 410 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 1: with Tyler Bauer from Turning Point USA the person who's 411 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 1: tweet I told you about JD Vance earlier. You could 412 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:42,639 Speaker 1: ask ten or twenty different people align with him politically 413 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 1: to define neo conservatism, and you'd probably get ten different answers. 414 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 1: Just like our tax returns. You can take one set 415 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: of facts to ten different accountants and you'll get ten 416 00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: different tax returns, and all of them might be wrong. 417 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,400 Speaker 1: They might claim that a neo conservative he's a warmonger. 418 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,879 Speaker 1: I hear that a lot, or your pro war or 419 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 1: your pro interventionist likely to be the constant thread among 420 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: the responses if you ask somebody what a neo con means. 421 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 1: They use the term to describe any Republican who holds 422 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:20,959 Speaker 1: an interventionist philosophy and foreign policy. But does that make 423 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 1: them a neo conservative or a neo con Now. I 424 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:26,679 Speaker 1: don't want to get into all of what it means, 425 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: but you might go listen to Jonah Goldberg, who I 426 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: don't necessarily agree with a lot. He has a podcast 427 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: from I think maybe a year ago called The New 428 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: Neo cons and he goes into detail about the origin 429 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,439 Speaker 1: of the term, how it evolved, and essentially how it 430 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: became as Orwell says, a term for just something I 431 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:52,160 Speaker 1: do not like. The ultimate goal of using particular words 432 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: and phrases, as Orwell said, is an intent to deceive. 433 00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 1: When people say, for example, which drives me crazy, that 434 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:03,160 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court is a threat to democracy, what are 435 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 1: they really saying? You know what they're really saying, Well, 436 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 1: I don't like the rulings of the current makeup of 437 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,400 Speaker 1: the court and how they're issuing it. You know, when 438 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: the War in Court was around, I didn't necessarily like 439 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 1: the decisions from the War in Court, but I didn't 440 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: think they were a threat to democracy. I thought, Oh, 441 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 1: this is a bad decision. We've got to get Congress 442 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 1: to figure out a way to overrule that decision with legislation, 443 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 1: or we've got to change the laws, or we've got 444 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:33,440 Speaker 1: to somehow appeal this, or at some point they'll they'll 445 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: reverse the decision whatever. I didn't think it was going 446 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:39,679 Speaker 1: to be the end of civilization. But many people, and 447 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:42,720 Speaker 1: sometimes I'm prone to that too. I think, oh, this 448 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: next step that we'd take in our politics might be 449 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 1: the end of the country. But is it really Probably not. 450 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 1: So we came with Michael Brown hang type, I'll be 451 00:27:53,080 --> 00:28:02,440 Speaker 1: right back, Welcome back to the Weekend. With Michael Brown. 452 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 1: Glad to have you with me. Appreciate you tuning in 453 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 1: on Thanksgiving weekend. Hope everybody a great holiday. Text line 454 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:09,960 Speaker 1: as usual was always open three three one zero three 455 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,680 Speaker 1: three three one zero three on your messy japp keyword 456 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:14,720 Speaker 1: Mike ro Michael, do me a favor, go follow me 457 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:19,639 Speaker 1: except Michael Brown USA. We're talking about Orwell's essay from 458 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 1: almost eighty years ago entitled Politics and the English Language, 459 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: and one of those stories I kind of wanted to 460 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 1: do on a weekend like this because it gives me 461 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,920 Speaker 1: a chance to just talk about something other than specific 462 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: issues in politics, because the ultimate goal of using particular 463 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 1: words and phrases, according to Orwell, is an intent to deceive. 464 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 1: How many times do you, in response to your kids, 465 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:52,720 Speaker 1: or your spouse, or a coworker or somebody else, you 466 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 1: phrase something so that you kind of mislead but you're 467 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: not actually lying to the I mean, I hope you 468 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 1: don't just outright lie to them, but I understand that 469 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,719 Speaker 1: sometimes you just don't want to deal with the issue, 470 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 1: or you don't want to hurt somebody's feelings. You're just 471 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 1: not in the mood to get into the middle of 472 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: a debate, So you just say, yeah, that's interesting. That 473 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 1: tends to be my phrase. Oh well, that's interesting. That's 474 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: by way of saying, I need to really think about that, 475 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: or I think you might be absolutely nuts, But let 476 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 1: me think about that and give me time to come 477 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 1: up with a good retort to That's that's kind of 478 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 1: my go to phrase occasionally. So it really is. And 479 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 1: am I trying to deceive? I suppose in the actual 480 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: term term deceive, I probably am trying to be deceitful. 481 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:48,840 Speaker 1: It's true. I find it interesting, But is that the 482 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 1: entire context of what I'm what I mean, No, I'm 483 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: trying to get you to just drop the issue. Let 484 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 1: me think about what you said and when and the 485 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 1: time is appropriate. If I have a rebuttal or retort 486 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: or an agreement, then I'll tell you. But I'm tired, 487 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:10,840 Speaker 1: i'm busy, i'm distracted, whatever it might be. So I'm 488 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 1: not going to tell you exactly what I think. Oh 489 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 1: so that's interesting. Yeah, that's interesting. And sometimes I'll do 490 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 1: that when I'm just like not interested. So think about 491 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 1: doing that. Someone's talking to you about something and you're 492 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 1: really you're at a party. It's the time for office parties. Right, 493 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:31,400 Speaker 1: you're at a party and you get cornered by somebody 494 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: that's a coworker or maybe it's a client or who 495 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: knows what it is, and they're droning on and on 496 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 1: about something that just doesn't interest you, like you might 497 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: be see, this is what's hilarious about this topic, is like, 498 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 1: right now, some of you may have zero interest in 499 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 1: this topic. Now you may have already tuned out other 500 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,280 Speaker 1: people who do have an interest in this topic because 501 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 1: it applies to them too, and they're thinking to themselves, yeah, 502 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 1: I've done exactly what you've done. They're listening. But am 503 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:05,920 Speaker 1: I upset with the people who got bored and tuned out? No, 504 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: because I'm talking about what I wanted to talk about 505 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:14,080 Speaker 1: and I find it interesting, but you may not. But 506 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:16,920 Speaker 1: I would never say to someone I shouldn't say never, 507 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,360 Speaker 1: that's probably a little harsh, but I would never say 508 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: to somebody in casual conversation who's trying to tell me 509 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:25,040 Speaker 1: a story about something I'm not interested in that, you know, 510 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 1: basically telling somebody, hey, shut up, I don't want to 511 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: talk about that. I'm not interested. It's our words that 512 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 1: we use trying to convey something that may be a 513 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:41,080 Speaker 1: little deceitful, maybe by omission or comission, but we're being 514 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: slightly deceitful about something if you can, if deceitful is 515 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:49,240 Speaker 1: something that you can either be slightly deceitful or fully deceitful. 516 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:54,000 Speaker 1: I love words. So go back to the court. The 517 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 1: Supreme Court is a threat to democracy. No, it's actually not, 518 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 1: because if the Supreme Court were indeed a threat to democracy, 519 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: this country would have gone down the crapper, you know, 520 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: one hundred years ago, or probably within the first ten years, 521 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: or with the very first decision in Marbury versus Madison. 522 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 1: The Court makes decisions based upon the makeup and the 523 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 1: judicial philosophy of the nine justices at the time that 524 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 1: a case comes before them, and that case may remain 525 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:27,640 Speaker 1: on the books and may remain precedent for decades, if 526 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:32,400 Speaker 1: not a century, and then eventually gets overturned. For example, 527 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 1: separate but equal was seen as non racist. So the 528 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 1: Court said, as long as schools are desegregated but are segregated, 529 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,959 Speaker 1: as long as the segregated schools are equal, well that's okay. 530 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 1: So you can put all the black kids over here, 531 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:56,720 Speaker 1: and that's okay. And the Asian kids over here and 532 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: the Caucasian kids over here, but as long as they 533 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 1: have the same education, then that's okay. And then comes 534 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 1: along Brown versus Board of Education, and the court says, 535 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:13,360 Speaker 1: that's crazy, that's absolutely crazy. No, that is that is segregation. 536 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: You are segregating based upon immutable characteristics. So in Brown 537 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 1: versus Board of Education nineteen fifty four, they overturned the 538 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: previous ruling and said, no, you cannot do that. But 539 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 1: guess what happened in the meantime. Yes, it was awful 540 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:33,040 Speaker 1: and there was still segregation, but the republic continued. So 541 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:37,320 Speaker 1: was the original decision truly a threat to democracy? I mean, 542 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 1: it was a horrible decision. I disagree with the decision. 543 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 1: I think brown board Brown versus Board of Education put 544 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 1: it back where it should be. But during that interim, 545 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 1: whatever it was, maybe one hundred years, it was like, Okay, 546 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 1: we still survived. We may have been pretty bigoted and 547 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: pretty racist about it, but we survived, and we survived 548 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 1: to what become better. The point being that people agree 549 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,920 Speaker 1: or disagree with court decisions at all levels all the time. However, 550 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,680 Speaker 1: claiming the decisions that one doesn't like is a threat 551 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:16,960 Speaker 1: to democracy is just bad faith, just as it is 552 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,360 Speaker 1: in describing, say the makeup of the Senate, the electoral College, 553 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:25,200 Speaker 1: or legislation, or any one political party. Do I like 554 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:29,360 Speaker 1: the Marxist Party? Do I like the Democrat Socialists of America? 555 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:29,560 Speaker 2: No? 556 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:32,359 Speaker 1: I can't stand them, and I actually think they are 557 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:37,919 Speaker 1: a threat to democracy. But are they today? Maybe not? 558 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:42,240 Speaker 1: Only if they become a majority party and they actually 559 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 1: change us into a socialist state, well then it's too late. 560 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:49,440 Speaker 1: So at what point on that timeline do they become 561 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:54,080 Speaker 1: a threat to democracy? To think about Senator Chris Murphy 562 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: and the latest Continuing Resolution passed and signed by the 563 00:34:57,719 --> 00:35:00,279 Speaker 1: President when he reopened the government a few weeks ago. 564 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 1: His message on the spending bill during the shutdown was that, quote, 565 00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:09,560 Speaker 1: none of us have an obligation to vote for a 566 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: budget that funds the destruction of democracy. Close quote Oh, 567 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 1: I would like to ask Senator Murphy what do you 568 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 1: mean by that? Because it's been several weeks now. The 569 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:28,160 Speaker 1: Continuing Resolution only goes through I think the first week 570 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:30,839 Speaker 1: or so of January, and we're going to go through 571 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:35,240 Speaker 1: this same charade, this same ballee who all over again 572 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:40,560 Speaker 1: over government spending and will probably survive, so I don't 573 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:45,120 Speaker 1: think that the last Continuing Resolution indeed was the destruction 574 00:35:45,239 --> 00:35:48,359 Speaker 1: of democracy, but they won't let up on that kind 575 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 1: of phrase. The point would be simply this. I would 576 00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 1: challenge you, as we enter into the holidays and enter 577 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:00,800 Speaker 1: into the new year, that every time you come across 578 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:04,200 Speaker 1: a word or a phrase, or you hear someone saying something, 579 00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:08,120 Speaker 1: including yours, truly that says something that is maybe too generalized, 580 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:11,399 Speaker 1: or is without a definition, or you're not quite sure 581 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:13,879 Speaker 1: what I mean when I say that that is a 582 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 1: Marxist policy, you should challenge me. Challenge yourself. How is 583 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:23,080 Speaker 1: it a Marxist policy? How is that fascism? How is 584 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 1: that socialism? How is that small R republicanism? How is 585 00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:33,320 Speaker 1: that a representative government piece of legislation? For example? Because 586 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:36,560 Speaker 1: if we don't do that, if we just allow ourselves 587 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 1: to just let the words mean what people mean and 588 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:42,319 Speaker 1: never challenge them or even ask them what you mean 589 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:44,680 Speaker 1: by that, for example, I would just say, the next 590 00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 1: time you run into you in particularly those who are 591 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:49,680 Speaker 1: left of center, and they say, oh my gosh, Donald 592 00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:52,520 Speaker 1: Trump is a threat to democracy, I'd love to see 593 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:56,560 Speaker 1: somebody like on MS now or CNN or any of 594 00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: the liberal outlets, you know, National Public Radio. Would you explain, 595 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:04,400 Speaker 1: please explain to the audience how it is that Donald 596 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:08,920 Speaker 1: Trump or Republicans are a threat to democracy. And by 597 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:11,800 Speaker 1: the way, could I have specifics because I'm really interested 598 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 1: in the specifics. Try it, see how that goes. Since 599 00:37:15,239 --> 00:37:17,560 Speaker 1: the weekend with Michael Brown, text line as usual as 600 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:19,560 Speaker 1: always open, hang tight, I'll be right back.