1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Cable news is ripping us apart, dividing the nation, making 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: it impossible to function as a society and to know 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,720 Speaker 1: what is true and what is false. The good news 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: is that they're failing and they know it. That is 5 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: why we're building something new. Be part of creating a new, better, healthier, 6 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: and more trustworthy mainstream by becoming a Breaking Points Premium 7 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: member today at breakingpoints dot com. Your hard earned money 8 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: is going to help us build for the midterms and 9 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: the upcoming presidential election so we can provide unparalleled coverage 10 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: of what is sure to be one of the most 11 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: pivotal moments in American history. So what are you waiting for? 12 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: Go to Breakingpoints dot com to help us out. Good morning, everybody, 13 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: Happy Thursday. We have an amazing show for everybody today. 14 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: What do we have Crystal, Indeed, we do truly a 15 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: lot that is breaking this morning. First of all, it 16 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: is do or die for the Congressional stock trading ban, 17 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:04,839 Speaker 1: at least if something is going to get passed before 18 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: the midterm elections. That is looking increasingly unlikely. But we 19 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 1: do have details of the Democratic proposal, so we will 20 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: get into all of that. In addition, as you guys, 21 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: certainly know. Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida yesterday, made landfall 22 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 1: as a category four storm, massive power outages, millions without electricity. 23 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 1: This morning, it has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, 24 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: still very dangerous, huge amounts of flooding, just a lot 25 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: of devastation and destruction down there. So we will take 26 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: a look at that latest from Russia. We now have 27 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: numbers about how many Russians, mostly military age men, are 28 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: trying to flee the country. This comes as Putin is 29 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: set to announce the official, in his view, annexation of 30 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: those territories that had the sham referendums. We also have 31 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: the official results of those referendums, very credible, very credible 32 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: numbers coming out of there. Seems like it was really free, fair, 33 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: and above four. We also have the first attempt legal 34 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: attempt to take down Biden's student loan debt relief. Questions 35 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: over whether or not the individual who is suing the 36 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: administration over this actually has standing to do so, so 37 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: we'll get into the nitty gritty of that. And boy, 38 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,679 Speaker 1: do we have a Biden moment for you, classic classic 39 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: Biden moment where he seemingly asked for a congresswoman who 40 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: has just recently been killed in a car accident. And 41 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: then the cleanup from Korean Pierre, if you could call it, 42 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: that was perhaps even worse than admit that he didn't 43 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: know she was dead. It's wild. There's no option but 44 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: to take the L on this one. I mean, just 45 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: take the L. Admit like, listen, it's a shock, he's 46 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: still process it whatever. But anyway, we'll get into all 47 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:45,519 Speaker 1: of that. I'm also very excited about our guest today, 48 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 1: Richard Reeves. We heard him on a podcast with Derek 49 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 1: Thompson talking about the crisis for men and boys and 50 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: in a really really thoughtful way and with a sort 51 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: of like positive affirmative critique of the manisphere and all 52 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 1: this sort of thing. So really excited to talk to 53 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: him as well. Before we do any of that, though, 54 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: Live show administrative two things. Number one Live show. Put 55 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: it up there on the screen, guys, VIC Theater, Chicago, 56 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: October fifteenth. You guys know the deal. Their link is 57 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: going to be in their in description. We are actively 58 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: planning it now. It's gonna be very fun and it's 59 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: going to be very engaging. Number two Tomorrow is Friday, 60 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: which means it's going to be the third show of Counterpoints. 61 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: They've got some interesting stuff slated for tomorrow. Let's just 62 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 1: I'm not going to give it away, but it's going 63 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: to be fun. They're going to be breaking some news 64 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: that I think we think they're going to be breaking 65 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: for you guys. Are going to be interesting. We won't 66 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: give it all away. I just think some people will 67 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: enjoy it. Looks we have the we have the discount 68 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: going on right now, ten percent off on our annual 69 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: discount to celebrate Counterpoints to fund our continued expansion. By 70 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: the way, nearing the end of the hiring process, so 71 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: thank you all very much for helping us with those 72 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: annual subscriptions because you are funding the ability to expand 73 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: hiring the partnership manager, all of that. I'm really really 74 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: excited in order to debut and honestly just see what 75 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: some of these new folks can do for us. Yeah. Absolutely, 76 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: because I mean, you know, we're very stretched then at 77 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: this point, I think the show has expanded faster than 78 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,839 Speaker 1: we ever anticipated. I mean, building out Counterpoints wasn't really 79 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: something that we had and plans for this year. It 80 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: just kind of came together and that has obviously created 81 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: a huge burden on everybody here, especially on James. So 82 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: it's going to be it's going to be exciting to 83 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: get another person in here and fresh ideas and all 84 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: of that sort of stuff. So thank you guys for 85 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: making all of that possible. All right, let's get to 86 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: the news. So I wanted to start with the potential 87 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 1: passage of a congressional stock trading band. This is obviously 88 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 1: something we have been covering here extensively. It is insane 89 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: that members of Congress who are taking votes that have 90 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 1: direct impact, that can move markets directly and have direct 91 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 1: impact on industry, are also allowed to buy and sell stocks. 92 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: Huge potential conflicts of interest here, of course, with highlighted 93 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: issues in a bipartisan basis, you know, whether it's Dan 94 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,719 Speaker 1: Crenshaw or Nancy Pelosi or anyone else where, this is 95 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: a major, major problem. So Pelosi, after initially resisting passing 96 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: any sort of congressional stock trading man, famously saying like, oh, well, 97 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: people should be allowed to participate in the free market. 98 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: She backpedaled, and she said, all right, we are going 99 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: to try to get this done. We're going to try 100 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: to get it done before the midterm elections, and Zoe 101 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: Lofgrin on the Democratic side, I think Zoe and not 102 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: sure Joey. I think. I don't know. Anyway, Congresswoman's Lofgrin 103 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: Yeh was tasked with coming up with the text of 104 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: this bill. And now we are really getting down to 105 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: the wire. Why because this is the last week where 106 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: they're doing anything before the midterm elections. And they also 107 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: had this like government shutdown situation they had to deal 108 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: with as well, so there's a lot going on. So 109 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: it really is they have to pass it this week 110 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,919 Speaker 1: or it ain't happening, at least not before the midterm elections. 111 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: Punch Bull has been doing the reporting on this. Let's 112 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: go ahead and put this up on the screen. This 113 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: is from a couple of days ago. They say that 114 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: House Democrats new bill to ban stock trading will be expansive, 115 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: applying to members of Congress, their spouse's, independent children, senior aids, 116 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: federal judges including the Supreme Court, and senior executive branch officials, 117 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 1: according to sources involved in the discussion. So the number 118 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: of people who would be involved in this, which in 119 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,559 Speaker 1: my opinion is great, is very wide. So we're talking 120 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: about both the legislative branch, and the executive branch and 121 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: the judicial branch, so all three branches of government would 122 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: be involved in this. They say, lawmakers, judges, and all 123 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 1: of their government officials covered by the ban will have 124 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 1: to choose between divesting their investment portfolios or putting their 125 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: assets in a qualified blind trust. Put a pin in 126 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: that for a minute. We're going to come back to 127 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: that qualified blind trust in just a moment. I wanted 128 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: to take the time to actually get into the details 129 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:40,479 Speaker 1: of this because I know this has been important to 130 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: you guys. They also say members of the judicial branch 131 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: will have to file more detailed financial disclosures. Current incoming 132 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: public officials they'd have to divest or put their investments 133 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: into that qualified blind trust. The financial disclosure reports, you know, 134 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 1: the stocksack that we already that we already have in place, 135 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 1: they would include more information, especially on spousal assets. They'd 136 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: be filed electronically across all three branches of government, and 137 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: the penalties for failing to file disclosure reports would be strengthened. 138 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: So right now, it's really a slap on the risk. 139 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: It's like two hundred bucks if you violate the stocks Act. 140 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 1: They would up that penalty to one thousand dollars. Still 141 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: not that much, but I guess it's an improvement over 142 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 1: where things stand today. However, there are a lot of 143 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: butts and ifs and question marks right now about what 144 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: is in the bill and also whether it will ultimately pass. 145 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: Punchable again in this report says House leadership does not 146 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: currently have the votes to pass the bill. Republicans are 147 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: unanimously opposed. They probably will not get a single Republican 148 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: vote on this, and they're saying, oh, we weren't involved 149 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 1: in the process. Whatever. I think you can judge the 150 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: seriousness with which they take this issue by the fact 151 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: they are. I think they want to hold it for themselves. 152 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: Every single one of them wants to vote against it. Okay, 153 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: So there's that. But you also have a number of 154 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: rank and file Democrats who are actively opposed. And it 155 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: looks like Stenny Hoyer, who is not just rank and 156 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: file but high up in Democratic leadership, also appears to 157 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: be opposed to this. So lo and behold, when it 158 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: comes down to it, brass tacks, You've got quite a few, 159 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: all the Republicans, quite a few Democrats like yeah, are 160 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: not so sure about that. So there's that question of 161 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: whether they even have the votes in order to get 162 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: this thing across. We do have the text of the bill, 163 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: so we do have all the specifics. Now, go ahead 164 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: and put this up on the screen. That's what it 165 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: looks like. I want to get people a little preview. 166 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: I mean, I did actually read through a little bit 167 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 1: of it, and I got bogged down about page four. 168 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: So I'm relying on others analysis who are better at 169 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: interpreting or legislative speak. Okay, so here are some of 170 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: the critiques of what is actually in this bill. Let's 171 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: start with Walter Shaub. He is an ethics expert, and 172 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 1: he is very serious about actually having a real congressional 173 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: stock trading band with teeth, and he hates this thing. 174 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: In particular, the part of it he hates has to 175 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: do with those blind trust what I remember I mentioned before, Basically, 176 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: their choices are either to divest everything that seems like 177 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: a good option or to put it in these quote 178 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: qualified blind trusts. However, within the text of the bill, 179 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: they provide a gigantic loophole where basically Congress gets to 180 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 1: say what qualifies as a blind trust. Typically, qualified blind 181 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: trusts are sort of legislated. The definition of it is 182 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 1: set by an Ethics and Government Act of nineteen seventy eight. 183 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: The text of this bill specifically says that actually that 184 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 1: doesn't apply Congress to decide for themselves what is a 185 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: qualified blind trust. Obviously, that is a gigantic loophole, and 186 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 1: that seems to be the biggest There are other concerns 187 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: as well, but that seems to be the sort of 188 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: biggest concern with regards to this bill and whether it's 189 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,079 Speaker 1: actually going to have teeth and actually do what it's 190 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 1: supposed to do. Yeah, I mean, as usual, there the 191 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 1: ones who police themselves and that's why you have to 192 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: really dig. And I'm really glad that you laid it 193 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: out exactly this way on paper. Sounds great. You're like, hey, 194 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 1: you have to divest or put into a blind trust. 195 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,320 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, okay, well that could work. Well, here's 196 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: the issue. Some of our most corrupt presidents have actually 197 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: had blind trusts, which we also know to have been 198 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: influences of corruption. One of them was actually Lynnon B. Johnson, 199 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: who fake had a blind trust when he was in there, 200 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: and history now tells us he was actively managing the 201 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,439 Speaker 1: trust by calling the guy who was in charge literally 202 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: while he was president in order to manage his estate. 203 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:35,839 Speaker 1: Now Trump basically the exact same thing. You can claim 204 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: all you want that he had no control over his business. 205 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: As I've said to me, the most objectionable part of 206 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 1: the perfect phone call with Zelenski at the time is 207 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: when Zelenski was like, and by the way, mister President, 208 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: we were staying in Trump Tower whenever we visited New York, 209 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: and it was the greatest hotel the world has ever seen, 210 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,839 Speaker 1: on top of the Kuwaitis and all the Saudi's and 211 00:10:57,880 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: all those other people who would hold all these magical 212 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 1: events at the Trump hotel, which by the way, just 213 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 1: happened to flow into the blind trust and maybe have 214 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:07,719 Speaker 1: made their way back to Trump. They claimed that they 215 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: took the foreign money and took it separately out again 216 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,839 Speaker 1: never been verified by actual accounting. The point is is 217 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: that if you even know and it can intimate that 218 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,719 Speaker 1: about what you have that's in the blind trust, how 219 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: are you not going to then legislate Like, sure, it's 220 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 1: better you're not actively day trading, I guess, but you 221 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: can still make policy that if you have an asset 222 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,719 Speaker 1: that you know is in said trust, then you can 223 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: make policy in order to benefit that. So I think 224 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: Waltshaup put it perfectly, which is that if we all accept, 225 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: which I think most good people would, that the Trump 226 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 1: blind trust was fake and toothless. Even if you like Trump, 227 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 1: you should admit that all presidents should not be able 228 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: to do that. Well, then you have to accept that 229 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: if Congress is going to quote unquote verify these trusts themselves. 230 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: Look at the Ethics Committee too. Bob Menendez is still 231 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: a Senator. Okay, the guy's guiltyest sin, I don't care. 232 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:04,080 Speaker 1: You know what this how we exactly he got off 233 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 1: at the very basics. There was like a Charlie wrangle. 234 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: I mean, there's so many of these guys who all 235 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,719 Speaker 1: survived quote unquote ethics inquiries. I mean the idea that 236 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 1: they can effectively police themselves is ludicris and that's why 237 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 1: we need a law with some actual teeth. So anyway, 238 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: I think that that just shows you why why this 239 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 1: particular one, if it does even get the votes, which 240 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: is already objectionable. This is why. Because they put in 241 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: such lack of enforcement and a ability, especially for the 242 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: people who are the richest members of Congress this is 243 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:35,679 Speaker 1: the best thing that's ever happened to them. They just 244 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: punt it all over to their investment advisors, but they 245 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: know at the end of the day what type of 246 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: assets that they're going to have in there. Well. And 247 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,679 Speaker 1: it would be one thing if they were going to 248 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: abide by like what is laid down in the requirements 249 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: in that nineteen seventy eight law of like what qualifies 250 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: as a qualified blind trust, because at least that has 251 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: some like, it has some stringent checks on it, et cetera. 252 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:57,200 Speaker 1: You could look at that and go, Okay, well that's 253 00:12:57,240 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 1: not everything I want, but at least it's something. The 254 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 1: fact that they can then just totally circumvent that and 255 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:07,000 Speaker 1: set the rules for themselves of what a qualified blind 256 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: trust is that should make you, i mean more than skeptical. 257 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:14,440 Speaker 1: You should just say, basically, this is garbage. So on 258 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: the one hand, you have not enough the Republicans are 259 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: all out not enough Democrats probably to pass this thing. 260 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: And you can also ask yourself how serious Nancy Pelos 261 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: you really was about getting this done when we know 262 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: that she was reticent from the beginning that she didn't 263 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,839 Speaker 1: actually want to do this. And lo and behold it's 264 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,839 Speaker 1: been engineered, so it's ultimately probably not going to happen 265 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: this week. I mean, there's still a possibility, but it 266 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: looks pretty much like a long shot at this point. 267 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: And then you have let's go out and put this 268 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: next piece up on the screen. So you've got Steady 269 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:50,439 Speaker 1: Hoyer and this other Conrerson Murphy, Stephanie Murphy quietly trying 270 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: to kill the bill. And they don't really you know, 271 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: they're so skeazy, like they don't actually even say what 272 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: they're opposed to. They just say, we need to spend 273 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: a little more time working on the specifics of the bill, 274 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: socializing the specifics, and then taking another swing at it 275 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: when we have a bit more time. This week's play 276 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: is already full legislative we would legislatively with the need 277 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: to fund the government. And also this, Stephanie Murphy, this 278 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: was just grotesque, she says. As always, vulnerable members are 279 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: grateful to mister Horror for standing up and reflecting their 280 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: concerns and taking the public stance for positions that they 281 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: share with him privately. Acting like passing a congressional stock 282 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: trading band would be bad for candidates and swing districts. 283 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: When we all know that this is like one of 284 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: the most popular, totally bipartisan, like popular support that issue 285 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 1: that you could possibly get, and she's out here pretending like, oh, 286 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: we got to protect our frontline members. It's just completely absurd. 287 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: And again they don't even give specifics. I would respect 288 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: it more if they would give some specific of like, 289 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: you know, I think it's too far to apply to 290 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 1: the dependent children or I think it's too much to 291 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: is it, But like I would at least respect it. 292 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 1: But if they made some argut, it's just like, oh, 293 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 1: is this going too so fast? We have to take 294 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: our time here, So that's absurd. Let me just put 295 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 1: this last piece up on the screen from Unusual Whales 296 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 1: with their breakdown of the what they considered to be 297 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: the valid criticisms against the bill. They say, number one, 298 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: current wording suggests it allows creation of unverified blind trust's 299 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: what we've been talking about. Number two, the Ethics Committee 300 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: can waive penalties, another good issue there. And number three 301 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 1: it can cover so many anyone related to politicians that 302 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: is too broad to be realistic. I don't really agree 303 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: with that one one thing that I saw. I'm fine 304 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: with it being you know, broad's coverage. To me, that 305 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 1: was one of the good things about this bill. One 306 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: thing I saw is that because it applies to the 307 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: Supreme Court, this was sort of like a poison pill 308 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: for Senate Republicans. I don't know, I mean personally, I 309 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,200 Speaker 1: feel like it should apply to them as well, and 310 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: what should apply to the entire federal judiciary, And we 311 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: covered that great story. We looked at the trades of 312 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: federal judges who have in many cases ruled that where 313 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: they had direct financial interests, and they were like, oh, 314 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: I had no idea, Like, yeah, you didn't have any idea, 315 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: right exactly. There is a clear demonstrated need for this 316 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: apply to apply to the judicial branch as well. So 317 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 1: in my mind, the idea that that's a poison pill, well, 318 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: that says more about like the Republicans who would be 319 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 1: opposed to that than it does about the provision itself. 320 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: So to put it all together, there is a bill. 321 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: There is some small chance it would pass this week, 322 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: but it looks like the bill has some major problems 323 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: in terms of what we would actually want it to do. 324 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: And then it looks like even with those problems, it 325 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: doesn't even have enough support to get it across the 326 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 1: finish line. So that's kind of where things stand. Yeah, 327 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 1: I mean, look, it would it be better? Yeah? Probably? 328 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: Is it actually what they're saying and promising? No, absolutely, 329 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: not to be real, I'm not even sure. I'm not 330 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 1: sure it would be better. I guess it depends on 331 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: the implementation only because it would really be terrible if 332 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: you had this like fig leaf of pretend anti corruption 333 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: but the problems still really remained. Yeah, that's a good point. 334 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: I don't know. Yeah, you're right, all four hundred and 335 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 1: thirty five members just create blind trusts, you know, within 336 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: like five years, and then we're just right back to 337 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,360 Speaker 1: where we started. Yeah. Maybe, actually that might be worse 338 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: because then we wouldn't they wouldn't have to comply with 339 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: the Stock Act, right, and then what does that do? 340 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: What is that that's true too? And what does that 341 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: do for public trust? If they pass some like fake 342 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 1: bullshit thing and then it becomes completely apparent that this 343 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: was some fake bullshit thing. So anyway, it's in my 344 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: view of mixed bag. But I guess it's a point anyway, 345 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: because it probably doesn't look like it's going to happen, 346 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: but we will certainly keep you posted. Okay, we also 347 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: just wanted to give you a little update here on 348 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 1: the need for legislation with some teeth. The very latest 349 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: about how our members of Congress are doing complying with 350 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 1: the Stock Act is not heartening a business insider taking 351 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 1: a look here and they found that seventy two members 352 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: of Congress have violated that law, which is designed to 353 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: prevent insider trading and stop conflicts of interest. You go 354 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 1: down the list you've got, you know, you got lots 355 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:03,440 Speaker 1: of bipartisan issues here. This is definitely not a one 356 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 1: sided issue. Both member both parties violating this act routinely. 357 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: And the issue here, as I sort of alluded to before, 358 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,120 Speaker 1: is that you know, they're violating this law that they 359 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: passed back in twenty twelve, and all they do is 360 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:23,080 Speaker 1: they face a small fine two hundred dollars, and even 361 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 1: that can be waived by the House or Senate ethics officials. 362 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: So you can see why, like, not complying is so rampant, 363 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: and until basically this year, no one even paid attention 364 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 1: or noticed when they didn't comply and list, you know, 365 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 1: the trades and what they were doing. The new bill 366 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: would up that fine to one thousand dollars, still not 367 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: that much teeth, but at least a little bit better 368 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 1: than how it is today. But yeah, I mean it's 369 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: it's pathetic, and you can see how seriously these people 370 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: take anti corruption in spite of all the rhetoric about 371 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: like democracy and all of these sorts of things. I mean, 372 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: when you look at the size of some of these trades. 373 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 1: You're talking about trades in between half a million into 374 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: one point three million. So if you have to pay 375 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:03,879 Speaker 1: a thousand dollars fine as opposed to fifty it's like 376 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,479 Speaker 1: who cares? You know. It's like, especially if you make 377 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: a million dollar trade and you get twenty percent, who 378 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: cares about a thousand dollar fine? That's cost of doing business? 379 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 1: You know, That's that's what they Yes, they need to 380 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,959 Speaker 1: be able to better themselves. Oh my god, it's ours. 381 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 1: I encourage people to go look at this list where 382 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 1: it's like Diane Feinstein, Tommy Tubberville, Roger Marshall, John hick 383 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: and Looper, Rand Paul Sheldon White House, Rick Scott, Tom Carper, 384 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 1: Bill Haggerty, Cynthia Loomis, Gary Peters, Mark Kelly, It's like 385 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 1: Tom Milanosco Democrat from It's like New Jersey republics all 386 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: over that this is as bipartisan as if possibly could get, 387 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:46,639 Speaker 1: not just about Lauren Bobert, Madison Cawthorne, like all the 388 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 1: way up and down the leadership, to the so called 389 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 1: like Centrists, to the bomb throwers on the left, the right, 390 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:55,879 Speaker 1: Rocanna's in there. You know, it's like all these people, uh, 391 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 1: they are clearly benefiting from this system, and at the 392 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 1: very least we should have some teeth in a bill 393 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: to make sure that this doesn't happen. I had a 394 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 1: friend of mine recently telling me, he's like, unless you 395 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,120 Speaker 1: got proof that you actually didn't know, you're just guilty. 396 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:09,920 Speaker 1: And I think that in the eyes of the public, 397 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 1: that's how it should be, like, unless you can literally 398 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: prove to us so you actually had no idea, your 399 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: guiltiest sin. In my eyes, the appearance of corruption is 400 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: a problem in and of itself, because then people feel, 401 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,680 Speaker 1: because they're seeing it with their own eyes, like, oh, 402 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: you're not doing this because you think it's the right 403 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 1: thing to do, like you have direct financial interest here, 404 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: and so of course, and let's also keep in mind, 405 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:35,160 Speaker 1: like these are human beings who are capable of deceiving 406 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: themselves too into, you know, convincing themselves that it's the 407 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:40,959 Speaker 1: right thing to do on a certain bill, and all 408 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,399 Speaker 1: it just so happens that I also benefit, Isn't that nice? 409 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:46,679 Speaker 1: So anyway, the reason we continue to cover it is 410 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: because the only reason that this became an issue and 411 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: came to the forefront anyway is because of public pressure. 412 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 1: That's the only reason they even have a bill drafted. 413 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: That's the only reason either party feels any sort of 414 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: pressure to get anything done on this. So if we 415 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:02,399 Speaker 1: don't continue you to talk about it, continue to expose 416 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: their corruption and where they fall far short of their rhetoric, 417 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: then they're going to be happy to let this drop 418 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: the moment that we stop focusing on it. So that's 419 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:12,640 Speaker 1: why we thought it was important to continue to dig 420 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: in the details here and give you the update about 421 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:18,119 Speaker 1: what's going on here in DC this week. Absolutely right, Okay, 422 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 1: At the same time, as you guys know, Hurricane Ian 423 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: slammed into Florida's southwestern coast yesterday. It was a Category 424 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,520 Speaker 1: four hurricane. What it made landfall, So go ahead and 425 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:31,919 Speaker 1: put this first piece from the AP up on the screen. 426 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: They say, Ian makes landfall in southwest Florida, as a 427 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: category store form. This is one of the most powerful 428 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: storms ever recorded in the US, swamped southwest Florida on Wednesday, 429 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,159 Speaker 1: turning streets into rivers, knocking out power. The number they 430 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: have here is one point eight million. This morning, it 431 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:51,640 Speaker 1: is over two million Floridians without power and threat threatening 432 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 1: catastrophic damage for their inland. You know the thing with Ian, 433 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: which is strength. That landfall tied it for the fifth 434 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:02,119 Speaker 1: strongest hurricane when measured by windspeed to strike the US. 435 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,679 Speaker 1: I mean, this is an incredibly strong storm. And the 436 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 1: thing that made this so difficult to deal with is 437 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: it was strong. It was huge size wise, you're talking 438 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,479 Speaker 1: about an eye and actually I think we have an 439 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,600 Speaker 1: image we can show here an I that was forty 440 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 1: miles across. I heard yesterday on the Weather Channel they 441 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: said for three hundred and sixty miles. You were talking 442 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:30,119 Speaker 1: about tropical storm force winds. That's how gigantic this thing was. 443 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,919 Speaker 1: And then you were also talking about a huge amount 444 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 1: of rain, partly because it was also very slow moving, 445 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 1: so places in Florida getting a foot of rain dumped 446 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: on them. You can imagine the issues in terms of 447 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 1: flooding that you're ultimately going to have. We do have 448 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 1: some images here that we can show you from yesterday 449 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: as this was making landfall. I believe this is from 450 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,880 Speaker 1: Fort Myers. You can see, I mean, you can see 451 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: the wind, you can see the trees just whipping there, 452 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: and then massive flood waters just surging all around. So 453 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:11,640 Speaker 1: that was the scene in Fort Myers. You also had 454 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 1: you know, weather channels. Jim Canty, let's go ahead and 455 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: put this one up. He's out there trying to report 456 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: and getting blown back by this wind. He actually gets 457 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,400 Speaker 1: hit by a tree branch that you know, hits him 458 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 1: down in the legs that he appears to be fine. 459 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:29,960 Speaker 1: He's sort of stumbling around trying to grab onto a 460 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:31,920 Speaker 1: sign to keep his footing. I mean, this is what 461 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:34,360 Speaker 1: this man is famous for. This is what he does 462 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:37,160 Speaker 1: for a living. But I gotta tell you it would 463 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:38,919 Speaker 1: not be a position that I would want to be. 464 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: And you can see there just how strong those winds 465 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: were ultimately. And then the other piece of this that 466 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:49,400 Speaker 1: Soccer was pointing out yesterday is you know, everybody knew 467 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 1: this storm was coming. There were a lot of areas 468 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 1: that were told to evacuate. You still have Floridians this 469 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: morning that are now subject to it's been downgraded to 470 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:00,199 Speaker 1: a tropical storm. That are trying to flee, but or 471 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 1: you heard this on CBS News that many are riding 472 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: out the storm just they can't afford it because of 473 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:06,919 Speaker 1: how high gas prices are horrible and actually so what 474 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: the newscasters said, by the way, I wasn't intentionally watching 475 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: CBS for some reason, my TV if I turn it 476 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:17,159 Speaker 1: on CBS, CBSBAT it turns on, Blame Samsung, not me, 477 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: listen in the like storm. These are the things that 478 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,159 Speaker 1: they actually do well, right, So, but people were like, 479 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: why are you. I'm like, I'm not. I just happened 480 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 1: to turn on my television and defaults to CBS. Here's 481 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,119 Speaker 1: what he was saying, which is that the price of 482 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: gas being so high and also the price of travel, 483 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 1: most people who wanted to flee or sorry, a lot 484 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: many of the people who stayed a lot of them 485 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 1: just could not afford to actually go. And the reason 486 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 1: why this, you know, this really is so grim. Motel 487 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:45,879 Speaker 1: prices were very high. A lot of them couldn't afford shelter. 488 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 1: You need to afford food for I mean, do you 489 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: ask yourself, can you afford two straight weeks of eating 490 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: out like elsewhere do not. A lot of people have 491 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: relatives who are necessarily within the area. This is why 492 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,199 Speaker 1: most personal financial advisors are like, you should always have 493 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 1: like two weeks or whatever of expenses. But the truth 494 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 1: is we know that, you know the most, I think 495 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,439 Speaker 1: the average American cannot even afford a financial crisis of 496 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: five hundred dollars like aka a quote unquote blown tire 497 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:13,640 Speaker 1: away from bankruptcy. So this is exactly I mean, many, 498 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:16,959 Speaker 1: much many more than that, considering the scale, considering how 499 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 1: much people charge, like gas shortages as well. So he 500 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: was specifically referring to the price of gas, and it 501 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 1: just really struck me as like what a tragedy because 502 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 1: I remember that that happened in uh Katrina in New Orleans, 503 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 1: that everyone you know was going after them, like why 504 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:31,640 Speaker 1: didn't they flee? It's like, well, where are they supposed 505 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: to go? You know, and it's like, well, you really 506 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:34,879 Speaker 1: want to go to the Thunderdome And you know, we 507 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 1: saw here too, some of the shelters were filling up 508 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:40,160 Speaker 1: and all of that. I also talked to a local 509 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:43,199 Speaker 1: reporter who was down there. Actually he said something even sadder, 510 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: which is that some people just didn't believe that it 511 00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:47,199 Speaker 1: was going to be that bad. Yeah, and this always happens. 512 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: I don't know where it comes from. It's like, wouldn't 513 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 1: you rather if you have the money, would you not 514 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: rather say err on the side of caution. They were like, yeah, 515 00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: it'll just be like irma, It'll be like Charlie, it'll 516 00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:59,400 Speaker 1: be fine. I mean, you saw that picture of Fort 517 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 1: meyer Is like had what like twelve feet storm storm 518 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: Serge was insane. I saw sure there was a I 519 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:07,160 Speaker 1: don't know if it's real. I hope it was real 520 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 1: of a shark literally swimming. I don't know. I never 521 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 1: want to say if it's really not because I've been 522 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 1: duped by the shark photo. Yeah, this is a shark 523 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,959 Speaker 1: is real. It's a joke, but it was in dispute regardless. 524 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 1: There clearly was twelve feet of water in the streets 525 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 1: of Fort Myers. And I was telling you, you know, 526 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:25,680 Speaker 1: one of my good friends actually just bought a house 527 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: in the Tampa area. They have forty inches of rain 528 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: in twenty four hours. He has no idea how his 529 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:35,359 Speaker 1: house is. I'm being that is insane, absolutely insane, And 530 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 1: you know it's still it's now downgraded to a tropical storm. 531 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 1: This is still very dangerous though, I mean that means 532 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: really high winds and the water, I think is the 533 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:48,159 Speaker 1: part that is continues to be a real concern for now. 534 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: It's going to move out to hit Georgia and the 535 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: Carolinas before the track they have it on now has 536 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 1: it sort of moving inland towards Appalachia is the direct 537 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:01,119 Speaker 1: the last storm track that I saw at least, So yeah, 538 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:04,159 Speaker 1: I'm just thinking about everybody in Florida. I think just 539 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 1: this morning we'll be getting more images and more of 540 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,879 Speaker 1: a sense of what the damage in the devastation looks like. 541 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 1: This could very possibly be one of the most expensive 542 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: storm cleanups, and we just hope everybody escaped with their 543 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 1: lives because the water and the flooding was truly catastrophic 544 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,359 Speaker 1: and across such a wide swath of this state. I mean, 545 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 1: there's hardly a part of the state that ultimately wasn't 546 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 1: impacted just because of the massive size of the storm. 547 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 1: And we're all going to get a wash out here 548 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,680 Speaker 1: in the DCA at the entire eastern seaboard not nearly 549 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:34,400 Speaker 1: as bad. I'm just saying, like it's going to rain 550 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: now for the next like four days, right. I mean 551 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 1: that's just again a sense of how large this storm 552 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:42,920 Speaker 1: ultimately was. So it really packed a punch in terms 553 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,480 Speaker 1: of its strength, how fat like, how fast and hard 554 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,360 Speaker 1: the winds were, how large it was, the amount of rain, 555 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: and then on top of everything, super slow moving, so 556 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: people were just getting hit and hit and hit for 557 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:57,239 Speaker 1: hours and hours at the same time. Sagawan, and you 558 00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: give us this update on Puerto Rico. Yeah, it's actually 559 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 1: very interesting. So President Biden last night, let's put this 560 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,720 Speaker 1: up there on the screen, actually went ahead and issued 561 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: a waiver to Puerto Rico on the Jones Act. This 562 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: is something that I've talked about previously on the show. 563 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: One of the I think error instances where I would 564 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 1: find myself against organized labor, which is basically the Jones 565 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: Act requires, as I've explained previously, that goods could between 566 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,480 Speaker 1: US ports have to originate in a US port. Part 567 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:28,359 Speaker 1: of the problem with oil and with diesel is that 568 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 1: many times tankers, depending on where they originate, it can 569 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: make it much more expensive in order to have to 570 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 1: touch a US port before carrying on to another US port. 571 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: The perfect example and the true haters of the Jones 572 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: Act are Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico makes sense US 573 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 1: territories and or states which are much farther away from 574 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:48,960 Speaker 1: the mainland, so it becomes more expensive. You could conceivably 575 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,239 Speaker 1: have tankers that are from elsewhere carrying necessary supplies that 576 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: need to dock and have something that they literally need, 577 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:56,800 Speaker 1: but according to the law, literally could not do it. 578 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 1: And the idea behind it is this protects American jobs. 579 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 1: There's a good impetus behind it is from the nineteen thirties. 580 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: It's a protectionist piece. It's a protections piece of legislation. 581 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:08,880 Speaker 1: You can understand exactly why it was made at that 582 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 1: time in terms of the contest of global shipping. Even today, 583 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 1: I think some sort of law that keeps the spirit 584 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 1: of it and is updated for global shipping to updated 585 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: I completely agree. Which is I'm not saying we should 586 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 1: get rid of it and that any port anywhere should 587 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: always be allowed in the US. Absolutely not. We should 588 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 1: do everything possible to protect US shipping. There is, however, 589 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 1: very credible evidence to show that it does drive up prices, 590 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 1: especially of gas and diesel in terms of regional variability. 591 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:38,200 Speaker 1: It's part of the reason why Californians that your gas 592 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: prices are so high, and it's one of those things 593 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:42,480 Speaker 1: that could have knocked maybe twenty thirty cents off the 594 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:44,600 Speaker 1: gallon if the President was willing to do it. So 595 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: he has not been willing to do it for the 596 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: mainstream US or mainland US, but in this case it 597 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:52,680 Speaker 1: was very It was a good action that he went 598 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: ahead and waved it for right now because there was 599 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: this tanker full of diesel crystal on an island, the 600 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 1: island of Puerto Rico, which literally had no power for 601 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 1: millions of people and then was lacking necessary supplies in 602 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 1: order to power their grid. They have this tanker with 603 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:10,840 Speaker 1: diesel sitting off the coast, and according to US law, 604 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 1: it was not allowed to dock. So over the next 605 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,120 Speaker 1: couple of months they will be allowed to get diesel 606 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: and or oil from or really anything from wherever which 607 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:21,719 Speaker 1: is nearby. It depends on whether it expires. But I 608 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 1: did think it was an important thing to bring to 609 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 1: the audience, to just show you that there are these 610 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: little things like Coda's in law, which the President has 611 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 1: immense control over, which in the middle of a disaster 612 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:33,480 Speaker 1: like we shouldn't even have to wait four days, Like, 613 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 1: I don't know why it waited a week for this 614 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 1: to even happen to be the automfice. It was unconscionable 615 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 1: how long this took to ultimately get this waiver through. 616 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 1: And remember when there was that hacking and there was 617 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,040 Speaker 1: a pipeline that was shut down previously, so when that happened, 618 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 1: there was a Jonzac waiver like that. And now when 619 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: it's Puerto Rico and you know the way they're always 620 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: ignored and treated like second class citizens, then it takes 621 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: days and days and days, and it takes the governor 622 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: having to beg them. It takes Garry Summers and Jason 623 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 1: Furman actually were like chirping up with like, what the 624 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: hell is going on here? You have to ultimately get 625 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: this done, and they did. I'm glad they did. I 626 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 1: don't know why it took so long. Jeff Stein was doing. 627 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 1: He did a phenomenal job reporting on this, raising the 628 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: issue to start with. I think that helped to create 629 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,760 Speaker 1: the pressure on the administration that ultimately forces this through 630 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,479 Speaker 1: his latest report where he says that they will approve 631 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 1: that legal waiver. The way he sets it up is 632 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: he says, listen images of this ship idling off the 633 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: coast of the island circulated on social media this week 634 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 1: as Puerto Rico's governor demanded action expressed alarm about the 635 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: impact of the delay on critical facilities damaged by Hurricane Fiona, 636 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 1: including wastewater treatment plants, public hospitals, and emergency centers. Many 637 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:44,840 Speaker 1: of these facilities, lacking electricity in the storm's aftermath, need 638 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 1: fuel for generators that provide an alternate power source. Island 639 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: advocates have emphasized the administration granted a waiver to the 640 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 1: Jones Act after a colonial pipeline ransomware attack. That was 641 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: what I was just referring to. Led to onages in May, 642 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: saying there is no reason a similar way or could 643 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 1: not be granted in this case, urging officials to move 644 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:06,000 Speaker 1: more quickly than administration was like, Oh, we've got to 645 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:07,960 Speaker 1: go through a process. We got to make sure there's 646 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:09,520 Speaker 1: not another ship that can do it, and there's all 647 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 1: these boxes we can check. Yeah, if you wanted to 648 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 1: get that done, you could get it done like that, 649 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 1: which ultimately is what happened. I have no idea why 650 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: it took so long. It's sitting across the thing for 651 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,240 Speaker 1: days like just let the damn ship dock. The president 652 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:24,440 Speaker 1: has latter authority to do this. We'll have been through, 653 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 1: I mean, from the electrical grid, and then there's issues 654 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 1: with you know now sanitation, wastewater treatment plans, just clean 655 00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 1: drinking water, hospitals, all just basic basic things. If this 656 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:39,640 Speaker 1: could provide a little bit of comfort and support, I 657 00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 1: don't know why it wasn't done immediately. Yeah, I completely 658 00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:44,880 Speaker 1: agree with you. I think it's bad that it took 659 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:46,480 Speaker 1: so long, but I did at least want to give 660 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 1: They did at least make the right action in the end. 661 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 1: Thank you President Biden for doing this. Now consider doing 662 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:54,640 Speaker 1: it for everybody. And let's lower gas prices in the 663 00:32:54,680 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 1: state of California. Let's go to Russia. Viously, we can't 664 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,400 Speaker 1: take our eyes off of what is happening there. There 665 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: is just a just a heartbreaking, catastrophic scene happening across 666 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:12,520 Speaker 1: the borders crossing areas of Russia. Let's put this up 667 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,160 Speaker 1: there on the screen. US News and World Report actually 668 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 1: did a pretty good job of talking about this. Just 669 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 1: the hundreds of thousands of draft eligible men who are 670 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:23,840 Speaker 1: trying their best to just get the hell out of 671 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:26,920 Speaker 1: Dodge because they do not want to fight in this 672 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: war in Ukraine. We talked previously about the hundreds and 673 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:33,800 Speaker 1: hundreds of cars at the Kazakh Russo border, at the 674 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:37,440 Speaker 1: Russo Georgian border, at the Russo Finish border. We are 675 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 1: talking about lines that can stretch for twenty four hours. 676 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 1: And what's worse is that after the initial rush, as 677 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:48,480 Speaker 1: the backup continues, we're now getting pretty credible and good 678 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 1: reports Crystal that Russian authorities are not only I mean, 679 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:56,800 Speaker 1: everybody's grouped up right and they have everybody's identification. Well, 680 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: they're going through, going through and actually in some cases 681 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:04,160 Speaker 1: issuing draft orders to the people who were in line. 682 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 1: They're like, oh, you thought you were going to leave 683 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 1: your draft eligible, my friend go on and sign up. Yeah, 684 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:12,920 Speaker 1: it's just well, you've got this massive consolidation military aged 685 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:15,839 Speaker 1: men there for the pickings. So, I mean, this would 686 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:17,600 Speaker 1: be like the equivalent of you know, in the nineteen 687 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 1: seventies we had guys who are you going to Canada? 688 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:22,719 Speaker 1: Like literally sitting at the Canadian Boy and'll be like, hey, mister, 689 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:26,440 Speaker 1: what's your name? Okay, well, congratulations, we're going to Vietnam. 690 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 1: Going to Vietnam. I can't I mean, and imagine the 691 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:31,839 Speaker 1: turmoil that that caused in our society, and then ramp 692 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:33,759 Speaker 1: it up to this one, and let's put the next 693 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 1: one up there. We actually have a little bit of 694 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:38,360 Speaker 1: numbers from the European Union. This is just the EU. 695 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: To be clear, this does not include the former Soviet 696 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 1: republics which also share borders with Russia. Thirty percent increase 697 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 1: right now in the number of Russian citizens. Some thirty 698 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:53,240 Speaker 1: thousand Russians have arrived in Finland alone, and the overall 699 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:57,120 Speaker 1: number seems to be between three hundred to five hundred 700 00:34:57,120 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 1: thousand people who have fled Russia in the last week. 701 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:05,240 Speaker 1: That is an astounding figure now, especially when you consider 702 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:07,800 Speaker 1: the vast majority of those are going to be draft 703 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 1: eligible men. So you really shouldn't compare it to the 704 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:12,880 Speaker 1: overall population. You should compare it to the number of 705 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: people the percentage of the draft eligible population. That's a 706 00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:19,240 Speaker 1: hell of a lot of people to leave a country, 707 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:21,359 Speaker 1: and you got to consider what that means. I mean, 708 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 1: if you leave, just like in the days of the 709 00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:27,560 Speaker 1: Soviet Union, your family could face repercussions you I mean, 710 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:31,439 Speaker 1: you should your property may be gone. If you ever 711 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 1: do come back, you could face social recriminations, I mean, 712 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:36,560 Speaker 1: there's all kinds of things that the government can and 713 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:39,000 Speaker 1: probably will do over there. Just to give you an idea, 714 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:41,960 Speaker 1: put this up there on the screen. This is so sad. 715 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:45,520 Speaker 1: This is a photo from the Russo Finish border which 716 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:50,239 Speaker 1: shows a mobile draft board office right there waiting to 717 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:54,239 Speaker 1: conscript people who are trying to flee the country. So 718 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:58,640 Speaker 1: it just underscores, like how much of a complete nightmare 719 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:02,160 Speaker 1: that this is. We also had showed you before. How 720 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:06,359 Speaker 1: at first Putin actually acknowledged He was like, hey, there 721 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:09,000 Speaker 1: have been some mistakes in the draft. We have some 722 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 1: people who were disabled, some people who were too old. 723 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:14,400 Speaker 1: They shouldn't have been drafted in the first place. Well, 724 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:17,960 Speaker 1: the tune is starting to change in a very orwelly 725 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:20,640 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty four fashion. Put this up there, the 726 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:23,080 Speaker 1: head of the draft office. This is from Maxidon. He 727 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:26,640 Speaker 1: was the Financial Times correspondent in Moscow, translating it for us. 728 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:29,120 Speaker 1: The head of Russia's draft office in one of their 729 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:33,800 Speaker 1: regions says, if anyone was drafted by mistake, it's their fault. 730 00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:37,640 Speaker 1: And the reason why because the state cannot, especially at 731 00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:41,800 Speaker 1: the lower levels, admit that Putin himself has made any mistake. 732 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 1: So some of the stuff that's just coming out of 733 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:48,239 Speaker 1: here is horrific. We're talking about some intercepted messages that 734 00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:50,839 Speaker 1: have been translated. It shows they told them were going 735 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:53,880 Speaker 1: on a training exercise. A week later, they're standing in 736 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:55,960 Speaker 1: Ukraine and they're like, oh my god, I'm in the 737 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,600 Speaker 1: middle of a war zone and they're at a front 738 00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:02,160 Speaker 1: line with like a couple of days later already Apparently 739 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:05,040 Speaker 1: this is this one. You don't know. The Ukrainians claim. 740 00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:07,400 Speaker 1: I don't know if it's true that they have found 741 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 1: corpses who already have their mobilization orders on them, indicating 742 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 1: that it took less than a week for them to 743 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:14,919 Speaker 1: get to the front line and are now dead. That's 744 00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 1: very Soviet asque. I don't know if that is actually true. 745 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:20,319 Speaker 1: That photographic evidence hasn't been there, but it just, I mean, 746 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:23,160 Speaker 1: that's the bleeding edge of what reality could be in 747 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:24,640 Speaker 1: terms of what we're trying to parse. What we do 748 00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:26,600 Speaker 1: know is hundreds of thousands of people have fled and 749 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:29,760 Speaker 1: it's chaos, and that the Russian state is really cracking 750 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:32,279 Speaker 1: down on the people who are trying to leave. Yeah. Absolutely, 751 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,680 Speaker 1: and yes there may be people who are saying, all right, 752 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:36,920 Speaker 1: I'm going to do my patriotic duty and join the 753 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:39,240 Speaker 1: military and get out there. I'm not sure that people exist. 754 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 1: I'm sure those people exist, but there is just no 755 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:44,120 Speaker 1: doubt at this point that there is a mass exodus 756 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:48,360 Speaker 1: of military age Russian men who listen. That also doesn't 757 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:51,239 Speaker 1: mean they didn't quote unquote support this war. I think 758 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:54,520 Speaker 1: that's important to understand too. There's a very very different 759 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:57,520 Speaker 1: thing to say like yeah, I support it to I'm 760 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:01,399 Speaker 1: willing to actually risk my life or risk the life 761 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:04,719 Speaker 1: of my son for this purpose. Those are two very 762 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:07,960 Speaker 1: very different questions, and I think the distance between those 763 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 1: two things is what you're seeing right now. You've had 764 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:13,680 Speaker 1: some updates in terms of countries that are saying they 765 00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:16,720 Speaker 1: will take in Russian men who are trying to flee 766 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:20,480 Speaker 1: this draft because a lot of the close by European 767 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:22,799 Speaker 1: countries that actually close their borders to Russian so some 768 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 1: of them are reconsidering at this point. But we also 769 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:28,760 Speaker 1: had Koreean Jehan Pierre yesterday saying the US would welcome 770 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 1: Russian men seeking asylum after fleeing Putin's military mobilization. She 771 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:38,040 Speaker 1: indicated that they would offer political asylum to men who 772 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:42,240 Speaker 1: are fleeing the draft. However, they didn't announce the specific program, 773 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:44,120 Speaker 1: so there's a lot of details that are lacking here 774 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:46,080 Speaker 1: in terms of how serious an effort this is to 775 00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:49,520 Speaker 1: actually help these dudes who are trying to flee and 776 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:52,080 Speaker 1: try to keep themselves alive and out of prison at 777 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:54,279 Speaker 1: this point. So we'll keep an eye on that. But 778 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,160 Speaker 1: it is a pretty extraordinary thing you're witnessing here. And 779 00:38:57,200 --> 00:39:00,440 Speaker 1: I also wanted to add there are actually fairly credible 780 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:04,640 Speaker 1: reports in the Russian press that they're considering that full 781 00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:08,120 Speaker 1: mobilization in a couple months, So I mean that's part 782 00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:12,880 Speaker 1: two of why you have such a mass reaction, because 783 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:16,600 Speaker 1: number One, they're seeing like already the draft notices are 784 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:18,479 Speaker 1: not only going to the people they said they would 785 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:20,560 Speaker 1: go to, So we don't trust you that I'm not 786 00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:22,120 Speaker 1: going to end up with one of these things, because 787 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:24,120 Speaker 1: we see how slobbily this is going to be handled. 788 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:27,080 Speaker 1: Number Two, the mobilization order did not actually have the 789 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:29,879 Speaker 1: limitations that they're claiming, you know, that they're saying they're 790 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:32,400 Speaker 1: going to stick to. And then you also have these 791 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:36,120 Speaker 1: rumors and some more credible reports that there's a consideration 792 00:39:36,239 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 1: for a larger scale mobilization of full mobilization in UH 793 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:43,000 Speaker 1: later this year or early next year, which is you know, 794 00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:45,879 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's a shocking thing to contemplate. Ultimately, Yeah, 795 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:48,399 Speaker 1: I feel for these guys. I really can't imagine having 796 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:50,000 Speaker 1: to be put in that can Can you imagine being 797 00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 1: Russian from Siberia and they're like, yeah, you need to 798 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:55,640 Speaker 1: go fight and dine for the Eastern dun Boss. I'm 799 00:39:55,640 --> 00:39:58,200 Speaker 1: getting the hell out of Dodge, just like all of them. 800 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:01,960 Speaker 1: Let's move to the next one. On these referendums. We 801 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:04,480 Speaker 1: have a little bit of update on the results. So 802 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:07,279 Speaker 1: you may have remembered when I talked about the referendums 803 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:09,759 Speaker 1: last time, I said, I wonder if they're going to 804 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:12,040 Speaker 1: go with the clownish figure or if they were going 805 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:14,560 Speaker 1: to go with something a little bit more reasonable, like 806 00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:17,480 Speaker 1: a sixty or a seventy percent. So you could say, oh, well, 807 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:20,200 Speaker 1: we overwhelming won the election. But look there was allowed. 808 00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:24,120 Speaker 1: We allowed well, and now we have the results the 809 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:26,400 Speaker 1: results saw in. Let's go ahead and put it up 810 00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 1: on the screen. This is an official graphic from the Russians. 811 00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:32,640 Speaker 1: By the way, UH. Here is the so called vote totals. 812 00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:36,600 Speaker 1: So in Curson region, eighty seven percent eighty seven point 813 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 1: oh five to be exact, I'm not going to try 814 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,439 Speaker 1: and pronounce the one with the Z ninety three point 815 00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:45,520 Speaker 1: one percent. They don't actually give the dissenting figure in 816 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:48,960 Speaker 1: the Dnetsk People's Republic, the so called Dnets People's Republic 817 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:55,320 Speaker 1: ninety nine point two three percentile Lohansk People's Republics ninety 818 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:59,440 Speaker 1: eight point four to two percent. Amazing democracy at work. Now. 819 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:02,359 Speaker 1: I love this because there are Am I gonna sit 820 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 1: here and claim that in normal times people in the 821 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:07,960 Speaker 1: Dunbass region would not vote to join Russia. No, I'm 822 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:10,279 Speaker 1: not gonna claim that. In fact, it may in fact 823 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:13,320 Speaker 1: be true. I have no idea because we never actually 824 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:16,279 Speaker 1: got a real result. Am I gonna sit here and 825 00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:19,280 Speaker 1: believe that ninety nine point two people in an occupied 826 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:22,560 Speaker 1: territory just so happened to vote this way in a 827 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:26,520 Speaker 1: very very convenient direction for the occupation of a military 828 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:30,080 Speaker 1: force that has taken them with no actual choice of 829 00:41:30,120 --> 00:41:32,120 Speaker 1: their own. No, and that's why I think a lot 830 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:36,120 Speaker 1: of people are beclowning themselves. By Look, it's complicated. The 831 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:40,440 Speaker 1: Dunbass been contested now for ten years or eight years 832 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:43,320 Speaker 1: at this point. Like I said, many of these people 833 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:46,360 Speaker 1: are ethnic Russians. But that does not mean that you 834 00:41:46,400 --> 00:41:49,920 Speaker 1: get to come in and just occupy a force, occupy 835 00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:54,280 Speaker 1: the territory by force force your so called referendum process 836 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:57,320 Speaker 1: in which we know and I know that some people 837 00:41:57,320 --> 00:41:59,680 Speaker 1: have had some consternation about this, in which we know 838 00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:02,680 Speaker 1: that some people were forced to vote by gunpoint or 839 00:42:02,719 --> 00:42:06,719 Speaker 1: at the very least intimidated, that we can accept this 840 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:11,040 Speaker 1: as a credible result. This would literally be and actually 841 00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:13,880 Speaker 1: you see this all the time. Let's compare it to Israel. 842 00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:17,360 Speaker 1: So Israel addex or takes you know, some territory moves 843 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:20,360 Speaker 1: in a bunch of settlers or at least so called 844 00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:24,319 Speaker 1: like a historical area there, drives out Palestinians and then 845 00:42:24,360 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 1: pulls X amount of people and say, hey, do you 846 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:27,319 Speaker 1: want to be a part of Israel? Like, yeah, we 847 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:30,319 Speaker 1: want to be. Would we accept that in the international community? Well, 848 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:33,040 Speaker 1: I mean some people, I'll tell you I wouldn't do that, 849 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:36,360 Speaker 1: Like would we accept that for any conquering power? And 850 00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:39,200 Speaker 1: again you could accept like, okay, maybe some of these people, 851 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:42,200 Speaker 1: maybe even a majority of them leftover definitely did want 852 00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:44,120 Speaker 1: to be a part of it. But that's not how 853 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:48,560 Speaker 1: actual fair election it works. Something by force. I think 854 00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:51,520 Speaker 1: at this point the people in that region probably just 855 00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:54,600 Speaker 1: want peace above anything else, and I don't bring them. 856 00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:58,799 Speaker 1: But I thought Yegor made a good point online because 857 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:02,000 Speaker 1: he was he is tweeting about this. He was saying, listen, 858 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:04,680 Speaker 1: even if you don't buy that it was soldiers going 859 00:43:04,719 --> 00:43:08,120 Speaker 1: door to door with guns, which I do buy. But 860 00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:10,360 Speaker 1: even if you don't believe that that was the case, 861 00:43:10,920 --> 00:43:14,080 Speaker 1: you can't have a free and fair election in a 862 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:18,360 Speaker 1: time of war over land that is actively being occupied 863 00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:23,440 Speaker 1: in contest exactly, Like, that's just it's nonsensical, that's not possible. 864 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:28,520 Speaker 1: So these are definitionally sham referendums. And then if you 865 00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:31,200 Speaker 1: had any doubt about it, I think the result of 866 00:43:31,239 --> 00:43:33,880 Speaker 1: what was it, ninety nine point two percent, like this 867 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:36,680 Speaker 1: is come on, this is like Kim Jong un bullshit 868 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:39,759 Speaker 1: numbers that anyone whose series looks at and has to 869 00:43:39,800 --> 00:43:41,960 Speaker 1: be like obviously, which we can fall not a real 870 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:43,879 Speaker 1: r You can hold two things in your same which 871 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:46,160 Speaker 1: is ninety nine percent is a ludicrous What would the 872 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:48,520 Speaker 1: real result be. I don't know. Honestly, it probably would 873 00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:51,400 Speaker 1: be a majority, but let's be real about what that means. 874 00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:53,960 Speaker 1: And to the ascent that there are any dissenting people 875 00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:56,480 Speaker 1: who live in those regions, Yeah, guess what, they're driven 876 00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:59,799 Speaker 1: out by literal military force. That's not okay. I just 877 00:43:59,800 --> 00:44:01,640 Speaker 1: think it's crazy that, you know, allow unch is so 878 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:06,080 Speaker 1: called anti imperialist people think that it is okay for 879 00:44:06,239 --> 00:44:12,040 Speaker 1: Russia to invade a sovereign nation, hauled up a sham referendum, 880 00:44:12,200 --> 00:44:16,640 Speaker 1: and then claim democratic legitimacy over this occupied military territory. 881 00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:19,160 Speaker 1: You don't have to defend that in order to say 882 00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:22,000 Speaker 1: that the US should not escalate a nuclear conflict with Russia. 883 00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:24,000 Speaker 1: You know, you can say, like sometimes Russia is bad, 884 00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:26,680 Speaker 1: actually very bad. Whenever they right, well, they're they're siding 885 00:44:26,719 --> 00:44:30,319 Speaker 1: with the like hardest right wing ultnationalize Yes, you know, 886 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:32,799 Speaker 1: can you can you say what you said to me previously, like, 887 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:35,560 Speaker 1: you know, real leftists in Russia are scared out of 888 00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:41,840 Speaker 1: their minds. They are on the verge support of this war. Yes, yeah, exactly, 889 00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:44,960 Speaker 1: and they're fearing for you know, either being imprisoned or 890 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:48,120 Speaker 1: being drafted or you know, I mean, yes, it is. 891 00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:51,279 Speaker 1: It is not a good situation for people who are 892 00:44:51,280 --> 00:44:57,400 Speaker 1: dissenting from the war propaganda and yes, imperialist narrative that 893 00:44:57,520 --> 00:45:01,000 Speaker 1: is coming out of Russian State TV. So so anyway, 894 00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:04,840 Speaker 1: those are the numbers don't seem too credible to me. 895 00:45:05,160 --> 00:45:08,600 Speaker 1: And even if again, even if you imagine in your 896 00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:10,239 Speaker 1: mind that they were trying to do their development, you 897 00:45:10,280 --> 00:45:12,239 Speaker 1: can vote however you want, and here's the ballot it's 898 00:45:12,280 --> 00:45:15,240 Speaker 1: anonymous whatever, here's the ballot box. Everybody go and register. 899 00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:19,200 Speaker 1: You cannot have a free and fair election in a 900 00:45:19,239 --> 00:45:22,239 Speaker 1: time of war on contested land where the people who 901 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:24,400 Speaker 1: might have supported going in another direction have been forced 902 00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:27,759 Speaker 1: who've been killed or forced out militarily. Here's the easy 903 00:45:27,760 --> 00:45:30,200 Speaker 1: way to return it. Did Russia accept the terms of 904 00:45:30,239 --> 00:45:33,120 Speaker 1: the Iraqi elections under US occupation in two thousand and three? 905 00:45:33,160 --> 00:45:37,320 Speaker 1: The answer is no, by the way, and yes, exactly 906 00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:39,480 Speaker 1: for that time. And those were a hell of a lot. 907 00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:41,439 Speaker 1: I'm not saying they were good, but I'm just saying 908 00:45:41,440 --> 00:45:43,520 Speaker 1: those were a hell of a lot more at least 909 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:46,360 Speaker 1: had the veneer of respectability than this one. And I 910 00:45:46,400 --> 00:45:49,000 Speaker 1: still think that that was mostly fake. Okay. Now why 911 00:45:49,040 --> 00:45:51,880 Speaker 1: that matters though, is that Putin is going to sign 912 00:45:52,080 --> 00:45:55,839 Speaker 1: those quote unquote referendum agreements on Friday. That's just came 913 00:45:55,880 --> 00:45:58,440 Speaker 1: out from the Kremlin on Friday. He is going to 914 00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:02,520 Speaker 1: officially annex these you Cranian territories into the Russian Federation. 915 00:46:02,840 --> 00:46:05,000 Speaker 1: Why does that matter? That is going to be done 916 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:08,400 Speaker 1: in a speech at the Kremlin to the Russian people 917 00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:12,080 Speaker 1: to legitimize the operation and now cast this as a 918 00:46:12,120 --> 00:46:16,080 Speaker 1: war of defense. Now, why does that matter? Well, because 919 00:46:16,560 --> 00:46:21,360 Speaker 1: similarly Putin is veiling this nuclear threat of which he 920 00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:25,680 Speaker 1: recently escalated, and pinning it to these referendums. So in 921 00:46:25,719 --> 00:46:29,000 Speaker 1: the specific announcement that he actually gave, here's what he 922 00:46:29,480 --> 00:46:31,960 Speaker 1: that the Kremlin gave, here's what they say. Quote, it 923 00:46:32,080 --> 00:46:35,800 Speaker 1: is time now for people to think very carefully about 924 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:39,319 Speaker 1: what they are doing and where the path goes. As in, 925 00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:42,520 Speaker 1: now this is a war again, not I'm saying it's 926 00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:45,640 Speaker 1: legitimate in the eye of the beholder, a war of 927 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:47,719 Speaker 1: defense in the eye of the regime or in the 928 00:46:47,719 --> 00:46:50,200 Speaker 1: eye of Putin. More importantly, this is now a war 929 00:46:50,239 --> 00:46:53,720 Speaker 1: of defense, which, per their nuclear doctrine, of which Putin 930 00:46:53,760 --> 00:46:58,920 Speaker 1: has now updated, territorial integrity, is an authorization to Putin 931 00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:02,040 Speaker 1: in his mind, for first strike use of a nuclear weapon. 932 00:47:02,239 --> 00:47:04,839 Speaker 1: Am I saying that that is very likely to happen. No, 933 00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:07,000 Speaker 1: am I saying that it is more likely than it 934 00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:10,480 Speaker 1: has been ever, Yes, and I think that should be scary. 935 00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:12,200 Speaker 1: I've been talking about this with a lot of people 936 00:47:12,200 --> 00:47:15,600 Speaker 1: and everyone's like, oh, well, the Russians are bluffing. It's like, listen, 937 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:17,680 Speaker 1: you could bluff a thousand times if you don't on 938 00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:21,520 Speaker 1: the last hand, on one thousand and one, the consequences 939 00:47:21,560 --> 00:47:24,600 Speaker 1: are so catastrophic, as in, the tail risk is literally 940 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:28,080 Speaker 1: so high that you have no choice but to take 941 00:47:28,160 --> 00:47:32,200 Speaker 1: seriously the median chance that this might not be a bluff. Yeah, 942 00:47:32,239 --> 00:47:34,480 Speaker 1: if you have even five percent, that's just too damn 943 00:47:34,560 --> 00:47:37,160 Speaker 1: high in the world of nuclear weapons. That's absolutely right. 944 00:47:37,239 --> 00:47:40,680 Speaker 1: And you know, I can't stop going back to that 945 00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:46,600 Speaker 1: moment when there were actual diplomatic conversations going on, when 946 00:47:46,600 --> 00:47:49,160 Speaker 1: there was the potential outlines of a deal to at 947 00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:51,640 Speaker 1: least get to a ceasefire, if not to a piece, 948 00:47:52,200 --> 00:47:55,320 Speaker 1: and Boris Johnson, very likely at our behest, flies to 949 00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:57,799 Speaker 1: Kiev to say, yeah, we don't want you to deal, right, 950 00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:03,000 Speaker 1: I mean it, We're at a very very frightening place 951 00:48:03,200 --> 00:48:06,239 Speaker 1: because those risks. I mean, in our lifetime, has there 952 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:09,960 Speaker 1: ever been a higher risk, a more heightened risk of 953 00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:13,560 Speaker 1: nuclear war than what we're at right now? And I 954 00:48:13,719 --> 00:48:16,560 Speaker 1: just I feel like that's not being taken seriously. I 955 00:48:16,560 --> 00:48:19,280 Speaker 1: mean certainly not being taken seriously in the mainstream press. 956 00:48:19,600 --> 00:48:22,320 Speaker 1: It You know, for all Biden's rhetoric about oh, we 957 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:25,200 Speaker 1: want to avoid World War three, they keep let's I mean, 958 00:48:25,239 --> 00:48:26,920 Speaker 1: let's go and put this next piece up on the screen. 959 00:48:26,920 --> 00:48:30,880 Speaker 1: They keep shipping more military aid billion and additional security 960 00:48:30,880 --> 00:48:35,799 Speaker 1: assistance for Ukraine, so you know, continuing shipping more and 961 00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:39,080 Speaker 1: more and more and more. Like I know, he loves 962 00:48:39,120 --> 00:48:41,759 Speaker 1: to pretend like, oh, it's all just up to the Ukrainians. 963 00:48:41,840 --> 00:48:46,440 Speaker 1: Well I'm sorry, I really, I mean, I genuinely sympathize 964 00:48:46,480 --> 00:48:49,880 Speaker 1: with their cause at all, true desire for independence. But 965 00:48:49,960 --> 00:48:52,680 Speaker 1: that's just yeah, that's right, it's literally not true. And 966 00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:57,080 Speaker 1: also like we have to consider our interests, and we 967 00:48:57,160 --> 00:49:00,600 Speaker 1: have to consider the interests of like global humanity, and 968 00:49:00,880 --> 00:49:03,759 Speaker 1: the Ukrainians' interests are not exactly the same as ours, 969 00:49:03,800 --> 00:49:05,880 Speaker 1: and they're not exactly the same as the interests of 970 00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:09,760 Speaker 1: global humanity. So we have we are in a tremendous 971 00:49:09,840 --> 00:49:12,759 Speaker 1: position of power here because as I don't want to 972 00:49:12,760 --> 00:49:16,520 Speaker 1: downplay their their bravery, their courage, their savvy, their tactical 973 00:49:16,680 --> 00:49:20,200 Speaker 1: all that stuff, but the bottom line is we none 974 00:49:20,239 --> 00:49:24,239 Speaker 1: of it's possible without our arms and our intelligence and 975 00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:28,160 Speaker 1: our training. So if we want them to you know, 976 00:49:28,280 --> 00:49:31,399 Speaker 1: try to reach a cease far, if we want diplomacy 977 00:49:31,440 --> 00:49:33,760 Speaker 1: to be restarted here, we are in a tremendous position 978 00:49:33,840 --> 00:49:36,520 Speaker 1: of power to push them to do that, something that 979 00:49:36,560 --> 00:49:38,600 Speaker 1: they don't want to do and which is uncomfortable for them, 980 00:49:38,640 --> 00:49:40,760 Speaker 1: will require things that you know, I know they considered 981 00:49:40,800 --> 00:49:43,120 Speaker 1: to be out of bounds and abhorrent, but ultimately, in 982 00:49:43,120 --> 00:49:45,839 Speaker 1: the interests of keeping the world together, it would be 983 00:49:46,120 --> 00:49:48,120 Speaker 1: the right thing to do. So the fact that we 984 00:49:48,200 --> 00:49:51,280 Speaker 1: just continue to ship, continue to ship, continue to ship, yeah, 985 00:49:51,320 --> 00:49:53,680 Speaker 1: it makes it much more likely that number one, this 986 00:49:53,760 --> 00:49:55,279 Speaker 1: war is going to go on and on and on, 987 00:49:55,600 --> 00:49:58,840 Speaker 1: and number two, Putin is going to be increasingly cornered 988 00:49:59,200 --> 00:50:02,920 Speaker 1: and doing more and more insanely desperate things. Because that 989 00:50:03,480 --> 00:50:05,520 Speaker 1: sequence of events that we just had with the you know, 990 00:50:05,600 --> 00:50:10,720 Speaker 1: stupid referendums and the mass mobilization and potentially Moore coming 991 00:50:10,760 --> 00:50:13,239 Speaker 1: down the pike like that is a that is a 992 00:50:13,360 --> 00:50:15,600 Speaker 1: desperate and my back is against the wall. These were 993 00:50:15,640 --> 00:50:18,160 Speaker 1: the last things I wanted to do. Kind of a play, 994 00:50:18,320 --> 00:50:20,760 Speaker 1: So that gives you a sense of how volatile the situation, 995 00:50:20,800 --> 00:50:22,799 Speaker 1: and he's placing his regimem at risk. Let's be very 996 00:50:22,840 --> 00:50:25,120 Speaker 1: clear about what this is. If this goes bad like 997 00:50:25,239 --> 00:50:27,239 Speaker 1: it literally could be over for him, and we are 998 00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:30,719 Speaker 1: shipping these weapons there with no thought and with no 999 00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:33,680 Speaker 1: real consideration of what everybody else is doing. You know, 1000 00:50:33,760 --> 00:50:35,600 Speaker 1: I know, I'm a broken record, but this one point 1001 00:50:35,640 --> 00:50:37,640 Speaker 1: two billion, which is a casual one, that's why we're 1002 00:50:37,680 --> 00:50:40,920 Speaker 1: covering it, just casual one point two billion standard distribution. 1003 00:50:41,239 --> 00:50:44,359 Speaker 1: And to be again clear, not financial, not humanitarian aid, 1004 00:50:44,640 --> 00:50:49,000 Speaker 1: purely military aid. Is more than all but three countries 1005 00:50:49,040 --> 00:50:52,120 Speaker 1: have given in the entire war in Ukraine. Those three 1006 00:50:52,120 --> 00:50:56,840 Speaker 1: countries include the United Kingdom, Poland and EU in I 1007 00:50:56,880 --> 00:50:59,080 Speaker 1: guess it doesn't really count as a country, the European 1008 00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:01,799 Speaker 1: Union Institution as a whole, so more than all but 1009 00:51:01,840 --> 00:51:05,680 Speaker 1: two nations and one multilateral institution. That one point two 1010 00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:08,960 Speaker 1: more than all but all those other countries. Imagine that 1011 00:51:09,280 --> 00:51:13,839 Speaker 1: Germany has contributed one point so yeah, has contributed one 1012 00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:16,680 Speaker 1: point one billion, Canada point nine to three billion. You know, 1013 00:51:16,760 --> 00:51:20,040 Speaker 1: Germany is the fourth largest economy on Earth, France, which 1014 00:51:20,120 --> 00:51:22,080 Speaker 1: is the second largest economy on the continent point two 1015 00:51:22,120 --> 00:51:25,200 Speaker 1: three billion. That is the paltry level of military aid 1016 00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:27,200 Speaker 1: that these people are shipping there. You know, France is 1017 00:51:27,239 --> 00:51:29,279 Speaker 1: a good military power in its own right. They have it, 1018 00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:32,799 Speaker 1: great jets, many of these other things. Where are all 1019 00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:34,719 Speaker 1: of these things nowhere? We are the ones who are 1020 00:51:34,719 --> 00:51:36,640 Speaker 1: fitting the bill. And if that is going to be 1021 00:51:36,680 --> 00:51:38,319 Speaker 1: the case, then then we should have a tremendous say 1022 00:51:38,360 --> 00:51:40,560 Speaker 1: in how the conflict should go. I think that's only fair. 1023 00:51:41,080 --> 00:51:43,440 Speaker 1: How that would I think that's only fair. And instead 1024 00:51:43,640 --> 00:51:47,080 Speaker 1: the Biden administration flip flops on some crazy policy of 1025 00:51:47,120 --> 00:51:48,680 Speaker 1: every once in a while he'll be like, yeah, you know, 1026 00:51:48,760 --> 00:51:50,800 Speaker 1: let's not push things all the way to the nuclear brink. 1027 00:51:50,960 --> 00:51:54,799 Speaker 1: But in general, the just standard passage of pentagon one 1028 00:51:54,840 --> 00:51:57,920 Speaker 1: billion distributions, it seemed to happen every single week. There 1029 00:51:58,000 --> 00:52:01,600 Speaker 1: is no debate whatsoever thensidering the international environment. I mean, 1030 00:52:01,600 --> 00:52:03,960 Speaker 1: the game they're playing is kind of weasley because he 1031 00:52:04,480 --> 00:52:07,280 Speaker 1: always says nothing, what does this say? Nothing for Ukraine 1032 00:52:07,320 --> 00:52:10,400 Speaker 1: without the Ukrainian something like that, and it's like like 1033 00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:13,520 Speaker 1: Ukraine first, Yeah, he wants to pretend like, oh, they're 1034 00:52:13,560 --> 00:52:17,560 Speaker 1: just there, It's all them right, because that absolves us 1035 00:52:17,640 --> 00:52:20,400 Speaker 1: of having to do any hard thinking about like well, 1036 00:52:20,440 --> 00:52:22,440 Speaker 1: what do we want the endgame for this conflict to be, 1037 00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:24,200 Speaker 1: and do we want this to continue? And are there 1038 00:52:24,239 --> 00:52:27,000 Speaker 1: other directions in Hey, should we be engaging in diplomacy 1039 00:52:27,400 --> 00:52:30,400 Speaker 1: because ultimately, you know, the American people are on the 1040 00:52:30,480 --> 00:52:34,359 Speaker 1: side of let's engage in diplomacy and try to bring 1041 00:52:34,400 --> 00:52:38,080 Speaker 1: about at least a ceasefire at this point. Trita Parsi's 1042 00:52:38,800 --> 00:52:41,880 Speaker 1: group Quincy Institute, they did polling. They found half of 1043 00:52:41,960 --> 00:52:45,640 Speaker 1: respondents nearly said they want only support the continuation of 1044 00:52:45,760 --> 00:52:48,160 Speaker 1: US military a Ukraine if the US is involved in 1045 00:52:48,280 --> 00:52:51,680 Speaker 1: ongoing diplomacy to end the war. So they don't want 1046 00:52:51,760 --> 00:52:55,839 Speaker 1: just continued blank check military aid going out. But it's 1047 00:52:55,840 --> 00:52:59,040 Speaker 1: never framed this way because you know, they continued to 1048 00:52:59,200 --> 00:53:01,759 Speaker 1: foster this elluineion that like, oh, it's an arms length 1049 00:53:01,800 --> 00:53:03,799 Speaker 1: thing and it's really just their war and we're just 1050 00:53:03,840 --> 00:53:06,120 Speaker 1: helping to you know, we don't really have control over 1051 00:53:06,280 --> 00:53:10,759 Speaker 1: when obviously like obviously we have tons of say and 1052 00:53:10,760 --> 00:53:14,319 Speaker 1: sway and influence. They are really really dependent on what 1053 00:53:14,320 --> 00:53:16,080 Speaker 1: we're doing right now. So if we want things to 1054 00:53:16,080 --> 00:53:18,479 Speaker 1: go in another direction, there should at the very least 1055 00:53:18,560 --> 00:53:21,239 Speaker 1: be a massive public debate about what that should look 1056 00:53:21,280 --> 00:53:23,680 Speaker 1: like and what our involvement in that process should be 1057 00:53:23,800 --> 00:53:26,760 Speaker 1: I completely agree. All right, So we have an update 1058 00:53:26,800 --> 00:53:30,360 Speaker 1: on the Biden student loan debt relief. We have the 1059 00:53:30,400 --> 00:53:33,680 Speaker 1: first lawsuit legal challenge, which is something that Republicans have 1060 00:53:33,800 --> 00:53:36,680 Speaker 1: been telegraphing they wanted to move forward with. I think 1061 00:53:36,680 --> 00:53:39,520 Speaker 1: it's a like a libertarian aligned law firm that has 1062 00:53:39,560 --> 00:53:41,799 Speaker 1: filed this first suit. Let's go and put this up 1063 00:53:41,880 --> 00:53:44,640 Speaker 1: on the screen. Robbie Suave, I think, was among the 1064 00:53:45,200 --> 00:53:48,360 Speaker 1: journalists who broke this news. We did over a reason. 1065 00:53:48,640 --> 00:53:51,240 Speaker 1: The headline here is flagrantly a legal law firm filed 1066 00:53:51,320 --> 00:53:55,640 Speaker 1: lawsuit to stop Biden's student loan forgiveness. So let me 1067 00:53:55,680 --> 00:53:58,439 Speaker 1: break down some of the details here and I'll try 1068 00:53:58,480 --> 00:54:01,160 Speaker 1: to keep it out of the weed. But you know, 1069 00:54:01,360 --> 00:54:05,400 Speaker 1: ultimately there's a real question over the legality of this program, 1070 00:54:05,440 --> 00:54:07,840 Speaker 1: in part because of what, in my opinion, was the 1071 00:54:07,840 --> 00:54:11,160 Speaker 1: foolish way that this was drafted and the legal justification 1072 00:54:11,239 --> 00:54:13,920 Speaker 1: that the administration has done. I'm also not so foolish 1073 00:54:13,960 --> 00:54:16,200 Speaker 1: as to believe that the courts are anything other than 1074 00:54:16,239 --> 00:54:18,600 Speaker 1: basically partisan at this point. The Supreme Court, if this 1075 00:54:18,719 --> 00:54:21,480 Speaker 1: ends up in front of the Supreme Court, would be 1076 00:54:21,600 --> 00:54:24,719 Speaker 1: very likely to look askance at anything the Biden administration 1077 00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:27,320 Speaker 1: was doing here and look favorably on the conservative argument. 1078 00:54:27,440 --> 00:54:29,960 Speaker 1: So I think in terms of like the ultimate case 1079 00:54:30,000 --> 00:54:33,480 Speaker 1: against this, that's sort of the least of their issues. 1080 00:54:34,400 --> 00:54:38,279 Speaker 1: The problem has always been finding someone who quote has 1081 00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:42,640 Speaker 1: standing to sue, because you have to show that you 1082 00:54:42,840 --> 00:54:46,319 Speaker 1: have been injured by the law in order for a 1083 00:54:46,400 --> 00:54:48,880 Speaker 1: court to assess that you have standing and that you 1084 00:54:48,880 --> 00:54:52,120 Speaker 1: know you can be the plaintiff that ultimately files. So 1085 00:54:52,280 --> 00:54:57,240 Speaker 1: these this conservative group libertarian group, thought they found someone 1086 00:54:57,400 --> 00:55:02,799 Speaker 1: because of the peculiar like detail bills of Indiana tax law. 1087 00:55:03,360 --> 00:55:06,239 Speaker 1: You have this guy, his name is Frank Garrison, and 1088 00:55:06,600 --> 00:55:10,760 Speaker 1: he actually was receiving debt relief already under a different 1089 00:55:11,160 --> 00:55:16,000 Speaker 1: loan forgiveness program, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, and 1090 00:55:16,280 --> 00:55:18,840 Speaker 1: under his in the state where he lives. Under the 1091 00:55:18,880 --> 00:55:23,480 Speaker 1: tax law there, that loan forgiveness is not taxable, so 1092 00:55:23,640 --> 00:55:26,399 Speaker 1: it's not like he's getting money. They're just they just say, Okay, 1093 00:55:26,400 --> 00:55:28,200 Speaker 1: it's wipe, colleen. You don't have to pay taxes on it. 1094 00:55:28,239 --> 00:55:32,800 Speaker 1: You're all good. However, the Biden loan forgiveness, which he 1095 00:55:32,800 --> 00:55:36,640 Speaker 1: would now be eligible for, would be taxable, so he 1096 00:55:36,719 --> 00:55:39,680 Speaker 1: would have he would take a tax hit because of 1097 00:55:39,719 --> 00:55:42,879 Speaker 1: the Biden student loan program, again because of the intricacies 1098 00:55:42,920 --> 00:55:47,360 Speaker 1: of this state law. So that's why they're saying this 1099 00:55:47,520 --> 00:55:49,680 Speaker 1: individual was injured because he wasn't going to have to 1100 00:55:49,719 --> 00:55:51,920 Speaker 1: pay these taxes, and now he is going to have 1101 00:55:51,960 --> 00:55:56,680 Speaker 1: to pay these taxes. However, there is a new filing 1102 00:55:56,800 --> 00:56:00,640 Speaker 1: from the government this morning or I think think yesterday. 1103 00:56:00,680 --> 00:56:04,440 Speaker 1: Actually this came in that basically points your provision, which says, 1104 00:56:04,880 --> 00:56:07,840 Speaker 1: no problem. If you want to opt out of the 1105 00:56:07,880 --> 00:56:11,640 Speaker 1: Biden loan forgiveness, then you can, and and they go 1106 00:56:11,760 --> 00:56:15,520 Speaker 1: on to say that actually, upon receiving the lawsuit and 1107 00:56:15,520 --> 00:56:18,279 Speaker 1: receiving plaintiff's filings, the Department has already taken steps to 1108 00:56:18,280 --> 00:56:21,600 Speaker 1: effectuate plaintiffs clearly state a desire to opt out of 1109 00:56:21,640 --> 00:56:24,760 Speaker 1: the program and not receive twenty thousand dollars in automatic 1110 00:56:24,760 --> 00:56:27,400 Speaker 1: cancelation of his federal student loan debt, and so notified 1111 00:56:27,400 --> 00:56:31,160 Speaker 1: Plaintiffs Council today. So they're basically saying, like, you don't, 1112 00:56:31,520 --> 00:56:34,080 Speaker 1: you're not automatically in this thing. You can easily opt 1113 00:56:34,160 --> 00:56:36,200 Speaker 1: out of it, and we are already because you stated 1114 00:56:36,200 --> 00:56:38,200 Speaker 1: that you want to opt out, we're already opting you out, 1115 00:56:38,200 --> 00:56:41,560 Speaker 1: so guess what, no injury anymore. So just to wrap 1116 00:56:41,600 --> 00:56:42,839 Speaker 1: it all up, because I know that was a little 1117 00:56:42,840 --> 00:56:45,719 Speaker 1: bit complex. This guy was saying basically like I'm gonna 1118 00:56:45,719 --> 00:56:47,200 Speaker 1: have to pay taxes that I didn't have to pay 1119 00:56:47,200 --> 00:56:48,719 Speaker 1: because I mean put in this program. I don't even 1120 00:56:48,719 --> 00:56:50,320 Speaker 1: want to be put in this program. And the government 1121 00:56:50,400 --> 00:56:54,160 Speaker 1: came back and pointed to a specific provision that says, actually, 1122 00:56:54,160 --> 00:56:55,839 Speaker 1: you can opt out, and we have opted you out, 1123 00:56:55,880 --> 00:56:57,759 Speaker 1: so you're no longer injured. Yes, so he may not 1124 00:56:57,800 --> 00:56:59,560 Speaker 1: have standing, but I think what the reason why we're 1125 00:56:59,600 --> 00:57:01,239 Speaker 1: covering it is just shows you is that this is 1126 00:57:01,280 --> 00:57:02,600 Speaker 1: just the first of many. I mean you have to 1127 00:57:02,640 --> 00:57:05,640 Speaker 1: remember Obamacare and some of the other policies in that time. 1128 00:57:05,680 --> 00:57:08,719 Speaker 1: They hunted around for the best possible plaintiff in order 1129 00:57:08,800 --> 00:57:10,760 Speaker 1: to bring the case. So I think this is probably 1130 00:57:10,840 --> 00:57:13,800 Speaker 1: Chrystal the first of many in order to bring places 1131 00:57:13,800 --> 00:57:17,240 Speaker 1: against student debt. But this is the challenge for this 1132 00:57:17,320 --> 00:57:21,240 Speaker 1: is finding someone who can actually claim injury and probably 1133 00:57:21,280 --> 00:57:23,040 Speaker 1: need the processor. Right at the end of the day, 1134 00:57:23,120 --> 00:57:25,560 Speaker 1: it has to be one of the processing companies themselves 1135 00:57:25,920 --> 00:57:27,880 Speaker 1: to say that they were built out of x amount 1136 00:57:27,880 --> 00:57:29,720 Speaker 1: of revenue from not being able to process the debt 1137 00:57:29,880 --> 00:57:32,120 Speaker 1: maybe yeah, yeah, But from what I've said, from what 1138 00:57:32,160 --> 00:57:33,560 Speaker 1: I have read, the issue is a lot of those 1139 00:57:33,560 --> 00:57:35,280 Speaker 1: people don't want to piss off the governments, right, they 1140 00:57:35,280 --> 00:57:37,480 Speaker 1: don't want to write. You'd have to find one that 1141 00:57:37,600 --> 00:57:41,120 Speaker 1: was like very ideological, yes, that was willing to basically 1142 00:57:41,240 --> 00:57:44,560 Speaker 1: risk their business in order to be the plaintiff here. 1143 00:57:45,040 --> 00:57:48,840 Speaker 1: So you know, again, like obviously I support the student 1144 00:57:48,920 --> 00:57:51,400 Speaker 1: loan debt relief. From what I've read, I don't think 1145 00:57:51,400 --> 00:57:54,440 Speaker 1: that the legal justifications they put forward were the best ones, 1146 00:57:54,520 --> 00:57:57,280 Speaker 1: or that they're going about this in a particularly intelligent way. 1147 00:57:57,640 --> 00:58:00,520 Speaker 1: I think it is vulnerable to a court challenge because 1148 00:58:00,560 --> 00:58:02,920 Speaker 1: of the conservative makeup of the Supreme Court and how 1149 00:58:02,960 --> 00:58:06,560 Speaker 1: partisan they are at this point. But yeah, the challenge 1150 00:58:06,600 --> 00:58:09,040 Speaker 1: is going to be finding that person who's willing to 1151 00:58:09,040 --> 00:58:11,840 Speaker 1: be the plaintiff who actually can claim that they were 1152 00:58:11,880 --> 00:58:15,240 Speaker 1: injured by the student loan debt relief. And you know, 1153 00:58:15,360 --> 00:58:18,040 Speaker 1: from looking at these filings, it seems to me like 1154 00:58:18,080 --> 00:58:21,800 Speaker 1: this person is probably not gonna pass muster. Yeah, I 1155 00:58:21,840 --> 00:58:23,480 Speaker 1: think You're right, and this We're going to keep a 1156 00:58:23,560 --> 00:58:25,360 Speaker 1: very close eye on this. And this is also always 1157 00:58:25,360 --> 00:58:27,720 Speaker 1: the problem by legislative by executive order if you're going 1158 00:58:27,760 --> 00:58:31,040 Speaker 1: to claimed like the pandemic or whatever as your justification. 1159 00:58:31,120 --> 00:58:33,000 Speaker 1: They actually there were several other things that they could 1160 00:58:33,040 --> 00:58:35,480 Speaker 1: have used to try and do it. That's exactly like 1161 00:58:35,600 --> 00:58:37,800 Speaker 1: the Hero's Act of two thousand and three. There's a 1162 00:58:37,800 --> 00:58:39,920 Speaker 1: couple of other things is what they used ultimately, but 1163 00:58:39,920 --> 00:58:42,760 Speaker 1: there are many other ones legal justifications probably would have 1164 00:58:42,760 --> 00:58:45,040 Speaker 1: put them on better ground your footing. What I've heard 1165 00:58:45,080 --> 00:58:47,000 Speaker 1: is this goes down probably seven two at the Supreme 1166 00:58:47,000 --> 00:58:49,480 Speaker 1: Court if the right plaintiff brings it, which you know, 1167 00:58:49,520 --> 00:58:52,200 Speaker 1: and that means even one legal leberl justice is likely 1168 00:58:52,200 --> 00:58:56,200 Speaker 1: across over. Yeah, well, and that'll be I mean when 1169 00:58:56,240 --> 00:58:59,280 Speaker 1: that if that happens ultimately, if they're able to find 1170 00:58:59,280 --> 00:59:01,440 Speaker 1: someone with standing, and you know, I would believe that 1171 00:59:01,520 --> 00:59:03,600 Speaker 1: it would get struck down by the Supreme Court because again, 1172 00:59:03,800 --> 00:59:06,160 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm not even going to particularly care about 1173 00:59:06,160 --> 00:59:08,040 Speaker 1: the legal details because I just think the Court is 1174 00:59:08,040 --> 00:59:11,680 Speaker 1: so partisan at this point, But that would I think 1175 00:59:11,680 --> 00:59:14,200 Speaker 1: there could be a massive public reaction when you have 1176 00:59:14,240 --> 00:59:16,960 Speaker 1: people who have already benefited from this policy and had 1177 00:59:17,000 --> 00:59:19,200 Speaker 1: their debts you know, erased or nearly a race. You're 1178 00:59:19,200 --> 00:59:21,720 Speaker 1: talking about forty three million people benefiting from it, and 1179 00:59:21,720 --> 00:59:24,560 Speaker 1: then if it gets pulled back that would I think 1180 00:59:24,600 --> 00:59:26,640 Speaker 1: there'd be quite a reaction to that, certainly. Well, we 1181 00:59:26,840 --> 00:59:28,880 Speaker 1: also remember really material at hard chance to put it 1182 00:59:28,920 --> 00:59:31,480 Speaker 1: in reconciliation and they didn't do it. You know, specific 1183 00:59:31,480 --> 00:59:34,840 Speaker 1: Democratic senators are also the ones who killed it. Oh absolutely, yeah, 1184 00:59:35,160 --> 00:59:37,040 Speaker 1: we won't let that them off the hook for sure. 1185 00:59:37,080 --> 00:59:39,000 Speaker 1: All right, let's move on to Biden. This is one 1186 00:59:39,040 --> 00:59:41,919 Speaker 1: of the most insane things that I've seen with Biden yet. 1187 00:59:42,000 --> 00:59:45,240 Speaker 1: So Biden, at a recent event at the White House 1188 00:59:45,720 --> 00:59:51,280 Speaker 1: began calling out for our former Republican congresswoman who recently 1189 00:59:51,400 --> 00:59:56,880 Speaker 1: died last month in August. So it appears very clear 1190 00:59:56,920 --> 01:00:00,520 Speaker 1: from this video he believed that she was alive and 1191 01:00:00,560 --> 01:00:02,600 Speaker 1: in the audience, I want to set it up clear 1192 01:00:03,000 --> 01:00:05,080 Speaker 1: that way, so that you have the context as we 1193 01:00:05,160 --> 01:00:07,160 Speaker 1: listen to it and then the subsequent White House defense. 1194 01:00:07,240 --> 01:00:10,160 Speaker 1: Let's take a lesson, and so many of you know 1195 01:00:10,280 --> 01:00:13,640 Speaker 1: so much about this as well. In your committed I 1196 01:00:13,680 --> 01:00:16,560 Speaker 1: want to thank all of you here for including bipartisan 1197 01:00:16,600 --> 01:00:23,360 Speaker 1: elect officials like Representative Government, Senator Braun, Senator Booker, Representative Jackie. 1198 01:00:23,480 --> 01:00:27,040 Speaker 1: You here, where's Jackie? I think she was going to 1199 01:00:27,080 --> 01:00:32,960 Speaker 1: be here. Oh god, I would melt. Yeah, it's genuinely 1200 01:00:33,200 --> 01:00:36,520 Speaker 1: like just so cringe again to be one hunder percent 1201 01:00:36,560 --> 01:00:41,040 Speaker 1: Clary who was referring to that deceased Democratic congressman. Now frankly, 1202 01:00:41,440 --> 01:00:43,400 Speaker 1: you know, look, it could be an old man moment. 1203 01:00:44,080 --> 01:00:47,960 Speaker 1: Probably likely could also just be Biden saying insane stuff. 1204 01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:51,200 Speaker 1: You know the listen fat like I think you pointed 1205 01:00:51,240 --> 01:00:54,160 Speaker 1: out like telling a guy in a wheelchair to stand up. Yeah, 1206 01:00:54,160 --> 01:00:56,520 Speaker 1: these are things like he has a long history of 1207 01:00:56,560 --> 01:01:00,000 Speaker 1: saying insane stuff, calling out she was actually a Republican member. Yeah, 1208 01:01:00,080 --> 01:01:02,960 Speaker 1: I know, I'm trying to say, like by partisan Yeah, 1209 01:01:03,040 --> 01:01:06,040 Speaker 1: so he's trying to reference by partisanship by pointing to 1210 01:01:06,080 --> 01:01:08,919 Speaker 1: a congresswoman who was literally dead and died a month 1211 01:01:08,920 --> 01:01:11,640 Speaker 1: ago in a car accident. Now it should just have 1212 01:01:11,760 --> 01:01:14,800 Speaker 1: ended there, but the press, for some reason I don't 1213 01:01:14,800 --> 01:01:17,360 Speaker 1: know really why, decided to actually follow up on this 1214 01:01:17,520 --> 01:01:19,400 Speaker 1: the press conference, and I'm like, hey, like what was 1215 01:01:19,440 --> 01:01:22,160 Speaker 1: going on here? Like was he referring to a deceased 1216 01:01:22,400 --> 01:01:25,480 Speaker 1: congresswoman is alive? Like did he know that she was alive? 1217 01:01:25,800 --> 01:01:29,520 Speaker 1: And the White House refuses to admit that that that 1218 01:01:29,680 --> 01:01:32,960 Speaker 1: is what happened. They're trying to literally rewrite reality that 1219 01:01:33,000 --> 01:01:35,880 Speaker 1: you saw just then right before your eyes. Let's take 1220 01:01:35,880 --> 01:01:38,880 Speaker 1: a listen in Sorry I have to do this, but 1221 01:01:38,920 --> 01:01:41,520 Speaker 1: I capelled to ask you to go one more time 1222 01:01:41,520 --> 01:01:45,520 Speaker 1: back to the question about congresswoman or speed? Why? Why? Why? 1223 01:01:45,520 --> 01:01:48,080 Speaker 1: One more timely? Honestly, I think the memory of the 1224 01:01:48,120 --> 01:01:53,960 Speaker 1: congresswoman in history requires some fire to hear. Can you 1225 01:01:54,040 --> 01:01:56,280 Speaker 1: explain where the mistake was made? Did the president? Was 1226 01:01:56,320 --> 01:01:59,600 Speaker 1: the president confused? Was something written in the teleproperty that 1227 01:01:59,640 --> 01:02:02,800 Speaker 1: you didn't ignis? Can you just help us understand what 1228 01:02:02,880 --> 01:02:05,280 Speaker 1: I mean? You're jumping to a lot of conclusions. No, 1229 01:02:05,360 --> 01:02:08,720 Speaker 1: but you're hey, No, you're you Stephen. I'm answering the 1230 01:02:08,800 --> 01:02:11,080 Speaker 1: question that you're jumping to a lot of conclusions. I 1231 01:02:11,200 --> 01:02:13,000 Speaker 1: just answered the question. If I had said if that 1232 01:02:13,080 --> 01:02:15,480 Speaker 1: had been the case, I would have stated that right. 1233 01:02:15,520 --> 01:02:19,000 Speaker 1: I would clearly have stated what you just laid out. 1234 01:02:19,440 --> 01:02:21,919 Speaker 1: What I have said is that she was on top 1235 01:02:21,960 --> 01:02:24,880 Speaker 1: of mine and that he is going to see her 1236 01:02:24,920 --> 01:02:28,640 Speaker 1: family in just two days time, So she was on 1237 01:02:28,960 --> 01:02:30,760 Speaker 1: the top of mind. So if she was on top 1238 01:02:30,800 --> 01:02:33,720 Speaker 1: of mind, and you're using that association to say that 1239 01:02:33,760 --> 01:02:36,520 Speaker 1: he thought she was alive, that's not the events that 1240 01:02:36,600 --> 01:02:39,840 Speaker 1: you think it is. To me, it's just why can't 1241 01:02:39,840 --> 01:02:41,560 Speaker 1: they just like you said in the beginning of the show, 1242 01:02:41,640 --> 01:02:44,760 Speaker 1: take yel yeah, uh the top of mind. He made 1243 01:02:44,760 --> 01:02:48,000 Speaker 1: a mistake. The President apologized to the family and their 1244 01:02:48,400 --> 01:02:50,240 Speaker 1: brief members, and he'll be seeing them in two days. 1245 01:02:50,520 --> 01:02:52,720 Speaker 1: Next question, I mean, I don't envy her in this 1246 01:02:52,800 --> 01:02:56,320 Speaker 1: position because I've nearly been put in a horrendous physition here. 1247 01:02:57,040 --> 01:02:58,600 Speaker 1: You know, she's not the one that comes up with 1248 01:02:58,640 --> 01:03:00,720 Speaker 1: the talking. I think Biden told He's like, I didn't 1249 01:03:00,720 --> 01:03:02,160 Speaker 1: say anything wrong, and he's like, and you better not 1250 01:03:02,200 --> 01:03:03,800 Speaker 1: admit to that of the podium. I bet you that's 1251 01:03:03,800 --> 01:03:05,200 Speaker 1: what he said. I don't know what he told her, 1252 01:03:05,240 --> 01:03:07,800 Speaker 1: But this is not this is not it. This is 1253 01:03:07,840 --> 01:03:10,240 Speaker 1: not the way to handle this. There's just you know, 1254 01:03:10,440 --> 01:03:13,400 Speaker 1: it would be so much less of a story ultimately, 1255 01:03:13,440 --> 01:03:16,000 Speaker 1: it would die so much more quickly if they just 1256 01:03:16,040 --> 01:03:19,240 Speaker 1: said he's still processing it. I don't know. It's not complicated, 1257 01:03:19,280 --> 01:03:22,360 Speaker 1: and they keep digging themselves into these holes over and 1258 01:03:22,440 --> 01:03:24,960 Speaker 1: over again. The President didn't mean what he said. The 1259 01:03:25,000 --> 01:03:28,360 Speaker 1: President misspoke. The White House says the policy has not anything. 1260 01:03:28,440 --> 01:03:30,560 Speaker 1: Just admit it, and I don't know. I mean, in 1261 01:03:30,600 --> 01:03:33,959 Speaker 1: my experience. As I said before, in general, when they 1262 01:03:34,040 --> 01:03:37,000 Speaker 1: are acting like complete buffoons up there, it is a direction. 1263 01:03:37,520 --> 01:03:40,440 Speaker 1: So I think Kyle and I were debating, do you 1264 01:03:40,520 --> 01:03:43,120 Speaker 1: think that you could say this is because of old age? 1265 01:03:43,520 --> 01:03:46,920 Speaker 1: Because in some ways yes, but in other ways, I'm like, 1266 01:03:47,120 --> 01:03:49,160 Speaker 1: I also could imagine him doing this a lot about 1267 01:03:49,200 --> 01:03:52,280 Speaker 1: a mixture of both doesn't make sense. Yeah, an ornery 1268 01:03:52,320 --> 01:03:55,919 Speaker 1: comment combined yet an ornery refusal to admit that you're 1269 01:03:55,960 --> 01:03:58,120 Speaker 1: way too old to be doing what you're doing. Yeah, 1270 01:03:58,160 --> 01:04:00,640 Speaker 1: on top of a disregard for social norms is like 1271 01:04:01,160 --> 01:04:03,040 Speaker 1: does isn't that what they say about old age just 1272 01:04:03,040 --> 01:04:04,720 Speaker 1: like turns you even too more of who you are, 1273 01:04:04,800 --> 01:04:08,040 Speaker 1: but crankier, like it kind of removes like the veneers 1274 01:04:08,080 --> 01:04:11,000 Speaker 1: of sociolity in my experience with old people don't have 1275 01:04:11,080 --> 01:04:14,560 Speaker 1: the patient any war makes sense zero fs anymore. That's 1276 01:04:14,640 --> 01:04:16,320 Speaker 1: kind of yeah, kind of the deal. That's what I 1277 01:04:16,320 --> 01:04:21,360 Speaker 1: think it is. Gristle, what are you taking a look at? Well? 1278 01:04:21,800 --> 01:04:23,720 Speaker 1: And where are you going to school? Oh? I'm not Actually, 1279 01:04:23,800 --> 01:04:26,400 Speaker 1: what do you mean you already graduated? No? Oh? So 1280 01:04:26,440 --> 01:04:29,120 Speaker 1: where are you going? I'm just I'm not Oh you're 1281 01:04:29,120 --> 01:04:31,920 Speaker 1: taking a gap year? Nope, I'm just I'm not going 1282 01:04:32,360 --> 01:04:34,120 Speaker 1: I don't think I understand. So you are taking a 1283 01:04:34,120 --> 01:04:36,160 Speaker 1: gap year. Nope, just not I'm not going to college, 1284 01:04:36,200 --> 01:04:38,959 Speaker 1: just not doing it. Oh, trade school, I am not 1285 01:04:39,120 --> 01:04:42,520 Speaker 1: going to school. So you already got your degree. I'm 1286 01:04:42,560 --> 01:04:46,640 Speaker 1: just not going. So we have taken a look here 1287 01:04:46,840 --> 01:04:51,800 Speaker 1: at all sorts of pandemic work and life trends, quiet quitting, unionizing, 1288 01:04:51,840 --> 01:04:55,479 Speaker 1: the great resignation, remote work, et cetera, et cetera. Now 1289 01:04:55,520 --> 01:04:58,000 Speaker 1: we've got new data on another trend that is on 1290 01:04:58,040 --> 01:05:01,320 Speaker 1: the rise among gen z and that is out of college. 1291 01:05:01,600 --> 01:05:04,360 Speaker 1: A new Newsweek article does a deep dive into the trend, which, 1292 01:05:04,440 --> 01:05:06,479 Speaker 1: like all of these other trends we've discussed here, really 1293 01:05:06,520 --> 01:05:08,920 Speaker 1: came to the forefront during the pandemic. And it's not 1294 01:05:08,960 --> 01:05:11,800 Speaker 1: just a TikTok hit hashtag either. Here are some numbers 1295 01:05:11,840 --> 01:05:15,200 Speaker 1: behind it. The percent of zoomers even considering for your 1296 01:05:15,280 --> 01:05:17,840 Speaker 1: college has dropped to just fifty one percent. That is 1297 01:05:17,840 --> 01:05:21,160 Speaker 1: a twenty point decline since May of twenty twenty. About 1298 01:05:21,200 --> 01:05:23,520 Speaker 1: a quarter of the class of twenty twenty two says 1299 01:05:23,520 --> 01:05:27,040 Speaker 1: they've quote changed their post secondary school plans since the 1300 01:05:27,040 --> 01:05:30,560 Speaker 1: start of the pandemic. Overall college enrollment is down about 1301 01:05:30,600 --> 01:05:34,600 Speaker 1: ten points, with the trend even more pronounced among poor students. Now, 1302 01:05:34,720 --> 01:05:38,439 Speaker 1: in some ways this decision is entirely logical. College costs 1303 01:05:38,440 --> 01:05:41,160 Speaker 1: are insane, as we've of course been covering here. Per Newsweek, 1304 01:05:41,200 --> 01:05:43,800 Speaker 1: the typical graduate of a four year university is going 1305 01:05:43,840 --> 01:05:46,800 Speaker 1: to walk into their first job with twenty six thousand 1306 01:05:46,960 --> 01:05:50,040 Speaker 1: dollars in debt, and all too often that college degree, 1307 01:05:50,120 --> 01:05:52,640 Speaker 1: which was supposed to promise a stable middle class life, 1308 01:05:52,680 --> 01:05:56,360 Speaker 1: is falling far short of expectations. According to a Georgetown 1309 01:05:56,440 --> 01:05:59,760 Speaker 1: University study that was cited by Newsweek, about a third 1310 01:05:59,800 --> 01:06:03,120 Speaker 1: of the nation's colleges leave students high and dry, earning 1311 01:06:03,400 --> 01:06:07,240 Speaker 1: less after obtaining their degree than the typical high school graduate. 1312 01:06:07,320 --> 01:06:11,360 Speaker 1: Ten years after graduation, Somewhere around forty percent of college 1313 01:06:11,360 --> 01:06:13,920 Speaker 1: grads are under employed. That means they're working in jobs 1314 01:06:13,920 --> 01:06:16,840 Speaker 1: that do not actually require a four year degree. And 1315 01:06:16,880 --> 01:06:19,520 Speaker 1: while Newsweek sites of studies showing that the college wage 1316 01:06:19,560 --> 01:06:22,360 Speaker 1: premium the extra income degree holders can expect to earn 1317 01:06:22,400 --> 01:06:25,160 Speaker 1: above their high school educated peers, they show that that 1318 01:06:25,200 --> 01:06:28,880 Speaker 1: has been growing. Other research indicates that college is not 1319 01:06:28,920 --> 01:06:32,320 Speaker 1: garnering the promised return, if any at all. Saint Louis 1320 01:06:32,360 --> 01:06:34,680 Speaker 1: Fed actually made waves with the twenty twenty report that 1321 01:06:34,760 --> 01:06:37,800 Speaker 1: in terms of wealth, a more meaningful indicator than income, 1322 01:06:37,880 --> 01:06:40,080 Speaker 1: since it takes into account the massive debt students have 1323 01:06:40,160 --> 01:06:43,000 Speaker 1: to take on in order to obtain that degree, that 1324 01:06:43,320 --> 01:06:46,680 Speaker 1: in that area, college was failing. They write, among families 1325 01:06:46,720 --> 01:06:49,320 Speaker 1: whose head is white and born in the nineteen eighties, 1326 01:06:49,360 --> 01:06:51,880 Speaker 1: the college wealth premium of a terminal four year bachelor's 1327 01:06:51,920 --> 01:06:54,680 Speaker 1: degree is at a historic low. Among families whose head 1328 01:06:54,680 --> 01:06:56,720 Speaker 1: is any other race and ethnicity born in that decade, 1329 01:06:56,760 --> 01:07:01,520 Speaker 1: the premium is statistically indistinguishable from zero. So basically, if 1330 01:07:01,520 --> 01:07:04,320 Speaker 1: you're white, which America is a rough proxy for affluence, 1331 01:07:04,400 --> 01:07:07,000 Speaker 1: college probably gets you a small bump in wealth. If 1332 01:07:07,040 --> 01:07:09,680 Speaker 1: you're non white, you are likely no better off going 1333 01:07:09,680 --> 01:07:12,919 Speaker 1: to college than skipping it all together. This represents an 1334 01:07:13,040 --> 01:07:16,400 Speaker 1: astonishing betrayal of young people, and especially young black people, 1335 01:07:16,440 --> 01:07:19,320 Speaker 1: who were uniformly sold on college as a shorefire path 1336 01:07:19,360 --> 01:07:23,680 Speaker 1: to success by neoliberal politicians from Clinton to Bush to Obama. 1337 01:07:23,800 --> 01:07:26,240 Speaker 1: Now listen, I am not suggesting that these zoomers are 1338 01:07:26,240 --> 01:07:28,760 Speaker 1: all out here reading economic analyzes from the Saint Louis 1339 01:07:28,800 --> 01:07:32,440 Speaker 1: fed and performing complex calculations about their expected lifetime wealth generation. 1340 01:07:33,080 --> 01:07:35,200 Speaker 1: But they had a whole lot of time during the 1341 01:07:35,240 --> 01:07:38,200 Speaker 1: pandemic to look around and think about their lives, the world, 1342 01:07:38,360 --> 01:07:41,360 Speaker 1: their place in the world. They could see their brothers, sisters, 1343 01:07:41,400 --> 01:07:44,080 Speaker 1: and friends who were graduating college into a COVID recession, 1344 01:07:44,280 --> 01:07:46,480 Speaker 1: or who had gotten that college degree just to find 1345 01:07:46,520 --> 01:07:49,400 Speaker 1: themselves making someone's coffee at Starbucks or fetching someone's package 1346 01:07:49,440 --> 01:07:52,080 Speaker 1: at Amazon, jobs that they could have jumped right into 1347 01:07:52,280 --> 01:07:55,360 Speaker 1: on high school and not taken on that massive load 1348 01:07:55,400 --> 01:07:57,920 Speaker 1: of debt. The pandemic also took a lot of the 1349 01:07:57,960 --> 01:08:00,800 Speaker 1: shine off the college experience. What did college really amount to? 1350 01:08:00,800 --> 01:08:02,480 Speaker 1: Once it was just zoom classes with a bunch of 1351 01:08:02,480 --> 01:08:05,720 Speaker 1: strangers on subject matter that seemed disconnected from their daily lives, 1352 01:08:06,160 --> 01:08:09,000 Speaker 1: and like everyone else, young people were jolted out of 1353 01:08:09,040 --> 01:08:12,479 Speaker 1: their normal routines of classes and homecoming and SAT prep 1354 01:08:12,520 --> 01:08:14,120 Speaker 1: and had a lot more space to think about what 1355 01:08:14,120 --> 01:08:17,160 Speaker 1: their actual priorities in life might be. Days that were 1356 01:08:17,160 --> 01:08:20,519 Speaker 1: more empty and more anxious prompted a reassessment of whether 1357 01:08:20,560 --> 01:08:22,840 Speaker 1: they were really down for that lifetime twenty four to 1358 01:08:22,880 --> 01:08:25,599 Speaker 1: seven grindset that we've all been sold on since birth. 1359 01:08:26,120 --> 01:08:30,120 Speaker 1: Maybe checking the societal achievement boxes wasn't everything after all, 1360 01:08:30,600 --> 01:08:32,080 Speaker 1: But I don't want to sell this trend like it's 1361 01:08:32,200 --> 01:08:34,880 Speaker 1: just a straightforward positive. The picture is complex, even though 1362 01:08:34,920 --> 01:08:36,599 Speaker 1: in general I do think it will be better off 1363 01:08:36,760 --> 01:08:40,080 Speaker 1: for society if we reconnect with values and priorities outside 1364 01:08:40,120 --> 01:08:41,960 Speaker 1: of whatever it is we do to pay the bills. 1365 01:08:42,479 --> 01:08:45,720 Speaker 1: First of all, that college has become so expensive as 1366 01:08:45,760 --> 01:08:48,559 Speaker 1: to be not worth it in some instances, that is 1367 01:08:48,640 --> 01:08:52,000 Speaker 1: clearly a bad thing. Public college, community college, and trade 1368 01:08:52,040 --> 01:08:54,000 Speaker 1: schools should be free to anyone who wants to attend, 1369 01:08:54,040 --> 01:08:56,639 Speaker 1: so that students graduating high school have the full range 1370 01:08:56,680 --> 01:08:59,960 Speaker 1: of possibilities and choices ahead of them. Second of all, 1371 01:09:00,240 --> 01:09:04,000 Speaker 1: it's not just college zoomers are increasingly opting out of college. 1372 01:09:04,120 --> 01:09:06,320 Speaker 1: There's been an increase in young people who are neither 1373 01:09:06,400 --> 01:09:09,960 Speaker 1: in college nor working in a traditional job. Between twenty 1374 01:09:10,080 --> 01:09:12,160 Speaker 1: nineteen and twenty twenty one, the number of young people 1375 01:09:12,160 --> 01:09:15,439 Speaker 1: who are not in school or working increased by one million. 1376 01:09:15,800 --> 01:09:17,760 Speaker 1: Young men seem to be opting out of both work 1377 01:09:17,800 --> 01:09:21,120 Speaker 1: and school in the largest numbers. In twenty nineteen, twelve 1378 01:09:21,160 --> 01:09:23,400 Speaker 1: point four percent of young men were not in school 1379 01:09:23,439 --> 01:09:27,120 Speaker 1: or working. That percentage has increased now to sixteen point 1380 01:09:27,160 --> 01:09:29,760 Speaker 1: seven percent. Our guest today might have something to say 1381 01:09:29,760 --> 01:09:32,000 Speaker 1: about the trend as he is rise rating the alarm 1382 01:09:32,040 --> 01:09:34,040 Speaker 1: about a crisis among young men when it comes to 1383 01:09:34,080 --> 01:09:37,840 Speaker 1: schooling and societal disconnection. Now, these trends also coincide with 1384 01:09:37,880 --> 01:09:40,320 Speaker 1: a massive spike in mental health issues among young people 1385 01:09:40,320 --> 01:09:43,280 Speaker 1: as well. A third of high schoolers self reported quote 1386 01:09:43,320 --> 01:09:47,439 Speaker 1: poor mental health during the pandemic, and those reporting persistent 1387 01:09:47,439 --> 01:09:50,799 Speaker 1: feelings of sadness and helplessness has spiked nearly twenty percent 1388 01:09:50,920 --> 01:09:53,280 Speaker 1: in a decade. So how many of the zoomers who 1389 01:09:53,320 --> 01:09:55,600 Speaker 1: are opting out are not doing some so out of 1390 01:09:55,640 --> 01:09:59,320 Speaker 1: a self aware, affirming life decision and reprioritization of values, 1391 01:09:59,520 --> 01:10:02,320 Speaker 1: but beca because they're really depressed, a drift in a 1392 01:10:02,320 --> 01:10:04,600 Speaker 1: society that no longer offers them a certain path to 1393 01:10:04,640 --> 01:10:08,080 Speaker 1: either financial success or to basic fulfillment. Because that's the 1394 01:10:08,160 --> 01:10:10,400 Speaker 1: real problem, right. The issue is in that zoomers are 1395 01:10:10,400 --> 01:10:13,080 Speaker 1: making different choices. It's that there are no good choices 1396 01:10:13,200 --> 01:10:17,040 Speaker 1: to make. Graduate high school into listlessness and economic insecurity, 1397 01:10:17,080 --> 01:10:19,479 Speaker 1: or graduate college with the mountain of debt and possibly 1398 01:10:19,520 --> 01:10:22,919 Speaker 1: still face the same bleak landscape either way. The basics 1399 01:10:22,920 --> 01:10:25,439 Speaker 1: of the American dream, the good life, the house, the family, 1400 01:10:25,520 --> 01:10:29,280 Speaker 1: the career, those all are seeming like impossible mountains to climb, 1401 01:10:29,560 --> 01:10:32,479 Speaker 1: put aside the complete absence of a coherent cultural story 1402 01:10:32,520 --> 01:10:35,240 Speaker 1: about what constitutes a well lived life with purpose and 1403 01:10:35,320 --> 01:10:38,000 Speaker 1: meaning outside of the marketplace. To start with, if our 1404 01:10:38,040 --> 01:10:40,280 Speaker 1: young people are a drift, it's because our society is 1405 01:10:40,320 --> 01:10:43,839 Speaker 1: a drift. But fortunately, what I see more than despair 1406 01:10:43,880 --> 01:10:47,760 Speaker 1: and drift is actually determination, creativity and courage. After all, 1407 01:10:47,840 --> 01:10:50,639 Speaker 1: this is the same generation which is increasingly banding together 1408 01:10:50,680 --> 01:10:54,519 Speaker 1: in solidarity, organizing, forging their own way, forcing corporate bosses, 1409 01:10:54,560 --> 01:10:57,200 Speaker 1: elites in all of society to adapt to their values 1410 01:10:57,280 --> 01:10:59,599 Speaker 1: rather than accept things as they are. It's the trend 1411 01:10:59,640 --> 01:11:01,400 Speaker 1: that gives you the most hope of anything, that we 1412 01:11:01,479 --> 01:11:04,040 Speaker 1: will find our way through this landscape oblique choices to 1413 01:11:04,080 --> 01:11:06,920 Speaker 1: one of abundance, purpose and meaning. And I wonder what 1414 01:11:06,960 --> 01:11:09,080 Speaker 1: you make of at Saga, because it is a complex picture. 1415 01:11:09,120 --> 01:11:11,679 Speaker 1: I mean, And if you want to hear my reaction 1416 01:11:11,800 --> 01:11:15,360 Speaker 1: to Crystal's monologue, become a premium subscriber today at Breakingpoints 1417 01:11:15,400 --> 01:11:20,320 Speaker 1: dot Com. All right, Saga, what are you looking at? Well, 1418 01:11:20,479 --> 01:11:23,680 Speaker 1: something extremely weird is going on right now in the 1419 01:11:23,680 --> 01:11:26,400 Speaker 1: Baltic Sea. It's got ramifications that could have the entire 1420 01:11:26,439 --> 01:11:29,599 Speaker 1: situation on the European continent and change it forever. Early 1421 01:11:29,640 --> 01:11:32,200 Speaker 1: on Tuesday, we got the flash from news organizations across 1422 01:11:32,240 --> 01:11:35,040 Speaker 1: the world. A catastrophic drop in pressure was detected in 1423 01:11:35,080 --> 01:11:38,479 Speaker 1: the Nordstream pipeline, which run from Russia to Germany via 1424 01:11:38,560 --> 01:11:42,240 Speaker 1: the Baltic Sea. Immediately, speculation was rampant whether this was 1425 01:11:42,280 --> 01:11:45,160 Speaker 1: simply another deliberate step by Putin to squeeze the European 1426 01:11:45,200 --> 01:11:49,200 Speaker 1: economies in retaliation for sanctions and support for Ukraine. Russia 1427 01:11:49,240 --> 01:11:51,840 Speaker 1: has dramatically reduced, after all, the amount of natural gas 1428 01:11:51,920 --> 01:11:54,240 Speaker 1: flowing to Germany since the invasion of Ukraine in a 1429 01:11:54,280 --> 01:11:57,200 Speaker 1: deliberate effort to hike energy prices across the continent, and 1430 01:11:57,280 --> 01:11:59,960 Speaker 1: we can European resolve. Each of those steps was shroud 1431 01:12:00,280 --> 01:12:03,519 Speaker 1: in some official explanation, like a maintenance problem that Russia 1432 01:12:03,520 --> 01:12:06,320 Speaker 1: blames on sanctions or supply issues. It's a wink and 1433 01:12:06,360 --> 01:12:08,720 Speaker 1: a nod game. Everybody knows what's going on, but it 1434 01:12:08,760 --> 01:12:12,160 Speaker 1: is rooted still in diplomatic theater. It's important to understand 1435 01:12:12,200 --> 01:12:14,800 Speaker 1: that context to look at the specifics of the nord 1436 01:12:14,840 --> 01:12:19,760 Speaker 1: Stream crisis. Swedish seismologists have revealed, or they say that 1437 01:12:19,840 --> 01:12:22,920 Speaker 1: before the pressure drop was detected in the Nordstream pipelines. 1438 01:12:23,080 --> 01:12:27,720 Speaker 1: The two separate explosions were detected, which indicate an underwater demolition, 1439 01:12:27,960 --> 01:12:31,320 Speaker 1: causing a rupture in the pipeline. Hours later, though the 1440 01:12:31,360 --> 01:12:35,320 Speaker 1: situation was even more shocking, the Danish military dispatched fighter 1441 01:12:35,400 --> 01:12:38,400 Speaker 1: jets to the area of the explosion, off the coasts 1442 01:12:38,400 --> 01:12:41,880 Speaker 1: of their country, only a few miles into international waters. 1443 01:12:42,040 --> 01:12:44,280 Speaker 1: So what you see, for those who are just watching 1444 01:12:44,600 --> 01:12:47,960 Speaker 1: is a gargantuing bubbling mass in the middle of the ocean, 1445 01:12:48,160 --> 01:12:52,120 Speaker 1: spewing natural gas. Officials now say that could last a week, 1446 01:12:52,400 --> 01:12:55,439 Speaker 1: so obviously it's a very grave situation. Pipeline appears to 1447 01:12:55,479 --> 01:12:58,559 Speaker 1: be gravely damaged in two places. Its future operability is 1448 01:12:58,560 --> 01:13:01,240 Speaker 1: in question, leaving only a single line available to carry 1449 01:13:01,280 --> 01:13:03,840 Speaker 1: natural gas from Russia to Germany and putting a major 1450 01:13:03,960 --> 01:13:06,759 Speaker 1: choke point on the future of gas flows. So, of course, 1451 01:13:07,040 --> 01:13:09,799 Speaker 1: the trillion dollar question which could decide the fate of Europe, 1452 01:13:10,120 --> 01:13:13,280 Speaker 1: what the hell happened here? Europe already has its answer, 1453 01:13:13,520 --> 01:13:16,400 Speaker 1: they say, with the seismology evidence, sabotage is the clear 1454 01:13:16,439 --> 01:13:19,599 Speaker 1: explanation for the pipeline. While they do not blame Russia directly, 1455 01:13:19,720 --> 01:13:22,960 Speaker 1: the EU Commissioner said that if the disruption was deliberate 1456 01:13:22,960 --> 01:13:27,360 Speaker 1: by Russia, it would quote result in the strongest possible response. 1457 01:13:27,800 --> 01:13:31,040 Speaker 1: Ukraine went further. They said it was a disruption. They 1458 01:13:31,080 --> 01:13:33,800 Speaker 1: called it a quote terrorist act by the Russian state. 1459 01:13:34,280 --> 01:13:36,120 Speaker 1: It doesn't take a genius to say we are looking 1460 01:13:36,160 --> 01:13:38,840 Speaker 1: here at a powder keg situation. We're not talking about 1461 01:13:38,920 --> 01:13:41,680 Speaker 1: something that happened inside Ukraine. We are talking about a 1462 01:13:41,760 --> 01:13:46,280 Speaker 1: possible explosion just twelve nautical miles away from the territorial 1463 01:13:46,320 --> 01:13:49,400 Speaker 1: waters of a NATO country which has Article five protection. 1464 01:13:49,720 --> 01:13:52,280 Speaker 1: If this was Russia, it would mark the first expansion 1465 01:13:52,520 --> 01:13:55,679 Speaker 1: of kinetically of the Ukraine War from outside that theater, 1466 01:13:56,040 --> 01:13:59,280 Speaker 1: directly to the European allies which backed Ukraine. It would 1467 01:13:59,280 --> 01:14:01,479 Speaker 1: serve as a reminder of just how vulnerable they are, 1468 01:14:01,560 --> 01:14:04,080 Speaker 1: both in reliance on Russia and to attack on its 1469 01:14:04,080 --> 01:14:06,880 Speaker 1: most critical infrastructure supplies in the middle of their winter 1470 01:14:06,920 --> 01:14:10,360 Speaker 1: struggle with energy prices. The thing is, we just don't 1471 01:14:10,360 --> 01:14:13,400 Speaker 1: know yet. That's why it's important to wait to formulate 1472 01:14:13,479 --> 01:14:16,320 Speaker 1: a response. Officials say it will take at least a 1473 01:14:16,400 --> 01:14:19,120 Speaker 1: week for the remaining gas in the pipeline to fizzle 1474 01:14:19,160 --> 01:14:21,800 Speaker 1: out before an investigation of what happened can begin. What 1475 01:14:21,920 --> 01:14:24,879 Speaker 1: compounds the obvious explanation that this was done by Russia 1476 01:14:25,040 --> 01:14:29,200 Speaker 1: was a very bizarre reaction by Radek Sikorski. He's the 1477 01:14:29,200 --> 01:14:33,480 Speaker 1: former Minister of Foreign Affairs of European Union, current politician 1478 01:14:33,640 --> 01:14:36,479 Speaker 1: who wrote quote thank you USA with a photo of 1479 01:14:36,520 --> 01:14:41,320 Speaker 1: the bubbling mass. What stranger is Sikorski's wife is Ann Applebaum, 1480 01:14:41,560 --> 01:14:45,160 Speaker 1: perhaps the pre eminent Russia hawk of the DC Press 1481 01:14:45,160 --> 01:14:48,639 Speaker 1: Corps and a consistent drum beater for escalation in Ukraine 1482 01:14:48,680 --> 01:14:52,760 Speaker 1: and war with Russia. Sikorski appeared to imply it was 1483 01:14:52,800 --> 01:14:56,400 Speaker 1: the United States who blew up the pipeline and further said, quote, 1484 01:14:56,560 --> 01:14:59,160 Speaker 1: by the way, there's no shortage of pipeline capacity for 1485 01:14:59,200 --> 01:15:02,000 Speaker 1: taking gas from rus to Western Europe, including Germany. Nord 1486 01:15:02,040 --> 01:15:04,240 Speaker 1: Stream's only logic was for Putin to be able to 1487 01:15:04,240 --> 01:15:09,479 Speaker 1: blackmail or wage war on Eastern Europe with impunity. He continues, quote, Now, 1488 01:15:09,560 --> 01:15:11,920 Speaker 1: twenty billion dollars of scrap metal lie at the bottom 1489 01:15:11,960 --> 01:15:14,360 Speaker 1: of the sea, another cost of Russia of its criminal 1490 01:15:14,360 --> 01:15:19,240 Speaker 1: decision to invade Ukraine. Someone quote did a special maintenance operation. 1491 01:15:19,560 --> 01:15:22,160 Speaker 1: That's what he claims. Now, I guess I should say 1492 01:15:22,240 --> 01:15:24,479 Speaker 1: the obvious and say that nobody has admitted that the 1493 01:15:24,600 --> 01:15:26,960 Speaker 1: US or the West had anything to do with the attack, 1494 01:15:27,360 --> 01:15:30,720 Speaker 1: but it remains a very bizarre reaction, with no explanation, 1495 01:15:31,040 --> 01:15:34,200 Speaker 1: no walk by by the Polish government, the European Union, himself, 1496 01:15:34,439 --> 01:15:37,360 Speaker 1: or his wife. At the time of this monologue, Sikorsky's 1497 01:15:37,360 --> 01:15:40,400 Speaker 1: bravado also appeared to be bolstered by the same announcement 1498 01:15:40,439 --> 01:15:42,360 Speaker 1: on the very same day of the explosion that a 1499 01:15:42,400 --> 01:15:45,559 Speaker 1: new Baltic pipeline connecting Norway, Poland and Denmark would be 1500 01:15:45,560 --> 01:15:49,280 Speaker 1: officially opening, weeding Europe off of gas dependency on Russia 1501 01:15:49,320 --> 01:15:51,799 Speaker 1: and opening up an allied supply of energy to the continent. 1502 01:15:51,960 --> 01:15:54,599 Speaker 1: The Polish Prime Minister declared that the opening ceremony quote, 1503 01:15:54,640 --> 01:15:56,759 Speaker 1: the era of Russian domination in the field of gas 1504 01:15:56,800 --> 01:15:58,559 Speaker 1: is coming to an end, the era that was marked 1505 01:15:58,560 --> 01:16:01,439 Speaker 1: by blackmail, threats and extortion. So that's the full picture 1506 01:16:01,640 --> 01:16:04,799 Speaker 1: of where things stand. I have no idea what happened 1507 01:16:04,800 --> 01:16:07,439 Speaker 1: to the nord Stream pipeline. Unlike many so called experts, 1508 01:16:07,479 --> 01:16:09,400 Speaker 1: I will not presume to tell you. I'm just gonna 1509 01:16:09,479 --> 01:16:13,360 Speaker 1: end with this. Somebody did it right, So quibono who benefits? 1510 01:16:13,640 --> 01:16:17,519 Speaker 1: The honest answer is well, really anyone which makes it weird. 1511 01:16:17,960 --> 01:16:20,400 Speaker 1: Emma Ashford of the Stimson Center actually put out a 1512 01:16:20,479 --> 01:16:23,320 Speaker 1: variety of theories. I think they are worth sharing all 1513 01:16:23,360 --> 01:16:25,439 Speaker 1: of them with you as we try and process this. 1514 01:16:25,880 --> 01:16:29,719 Speaker 1: One possible answer Russia did it? Why? Perhaps the signal 1515 01:16:29,800 --> 01:16:32,519 Speaker 1: to Ukraine they can hit their critical energy infrastructure and 1516 01:16:32,640 --> 01:16:35,120 Speaker 1: Europe if they want to now and in the future. 1517 01:16:35,280 --> 01:16:37,960 Speaker 1: Perhaps to lock Russia into a policy where they can't 1518 01:16:38,000 --> 01:16:40,680 Speaker 1: turn back from the war in Ukraine and return to 1519 01:16:40,720 --> 01:16:44,320 Speaker 1: business as usual by intertwining their economies with Europe. Perhaps 1520 01:16:44,320 --> 01:16:46,880 Speaker 1: to create a legal basis for Russia to not be 1521 01:16:47,040 --> 01:16:49,920 Speaker 1: sued for eventually cutting off all gas supplies to Ukraine 1522 01:16:49,960 --> 01:16:53,559 Speaker 1: in European courts. Perhaps it was an extra judicial action 1523 01:16:53,920 --> 01:16:56,839 Speaker 1: taken by a branch of the Russian government without Putin's approval. 1524 01:16:57,200 --> 01:17:00,439 Speaker 1: All of those would be very colossally dumb reason, but 1525 01:17:00,520 --> 01:17:03,960 Speaker 1: of course Putin has done colossally dumb things before. The 1526 01:17:04,000 --> 01:17:06,479 Speaker 1: other option, though, is someone in the Western Allied cause 1527 01:17:06,520 --> 01:17:09,920 Speaker 1: did this, either America, as Sikorski suggested, or Ukraine, because 1528 01:17:09,920 --> 01:17:12,719 Speaker 1: there's always hated the North Stream pipeline and European reliance 1529 01:17:12,720 --> 01:17:15,240 Speaker 1: on gas, as well as European reluctance to go all 1530 01:17:15,280 --> 01:17:17,519 Speaker 1: in on the conflict. Perhaps it was Poland or the 1531 01:17:17,560 --> 01:17:20,360 Speaker 1: Baltic States, both to protect their own pipeline, to cut 1532 01:17:20,360 --> 01:17:22,679 Speaker 1: Germany off entirely from Russia, to get them to commit 1533 01:17:22,720 --> 01:17:25,080 Speaker 1: to the war forever, and to ratch up the conflict 1534 01:17:25,160 --> 01:17:27,600 Speaker 1: as they are committed to. These also, though, would be 1535 01:17:27,640 --> 01:17:31,600 Speaker 1: colossally dumb things to do. Again, watch carefully. Wars have 1536 01:17:31,680 --> 01:17:34,599 Speaker 1: been started before on high profile incidents which did not 1537 01:17:34,640 --> 01:17:36,960 Speaker 1: get the scrutiny that they deserved at the time. The 1538 01:17:37,120 --> 01:17:40,360 Speaker 1: USS main for the Spanish American War, the Lusitanian World 1539 01:17:40,439 --> 01:17:43,519 Speaker 1: War One, the Gulf of Tonkin. The list is endless. 1540 01:17:43,760 --> 01:17:46,679 Speaker 1: Pay very close attention because this is a critical time 1541 01:17:46,720 --> 01:17:49,679 Speaker 1: for the world and for Europe. So I think that's 1542 01:17:49,680 --> 01:17:52,040 Speaker 1: the key. I don't know, I have no idea. And 1543 01:17:52,120 --> 01:17:54,800 Speaker 1: if you want to hear my reaction to Sager's monologue, 1544 01:17:54,840 --> 01:18:00,880 Speaker 1: become a premium subscriber today at Breakingpoints dot com. Joining 1545 01:18:00,960 --> 01:18:03,240 Speaker 1: us now Richard Reeves. He's a senior fellow with the 1546 01:18:03,240 --> 01:18:06,000 Speaker 1: Brookings Institute and is the author of a very interesting 1547 01:18:06,040 --> 01:18:08,679 Speaker 1: new book of Boys and Men, Why the Modern Male 1548 01:18:08,760 --> 01:18:11,160 Speaker 1: is Struggling, Why it matters, and what to do about it. Richard, 1549 01:18:11,160 --> 01:18:12,599 Speaker 1: thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate 1550 01:18:12,600 --> 01:18:14,080 Speaker 1: thank you for having me on. He's also the author 1551 01:18:14,120 --> 01:18:15,960 Speaker 1: of great book Dream Hoarders. Who were just talking about 1552 01:18:15,960 --> 01:18:18,040 Speaker 1: that phenomenal book. I highly recommend well have links down 1553 01:18:18,040 --> 01:18:19,840 Speaker 1: in the description for you guys to go ahead and 1554 01:18:19,840 --> 01:18:21,920 Speaker 1: buy it. So Richard, first of all, why did you 1555 01:18:22,000 --> 01:18:25,040 Speaker 1: decide to write this book, and what were the social 1556 01:18:25,160 --> 01:18:28,040 Speaker 1: kind of impetus and why you thought it was important 1557 01:18:28,040 --> 01:18:31,360 Speaker 1: to society to have this conversation. Well, the first thing 1558 01:18:31,360 --> 01:18:34,320 Speaker 1: to say is, I've raised three boys myself to adulthood, 1559 01:18:34,360 --> 01:18:38,639 Speaker 1: and I think all scholarship is a little bit autobiographical question, 1560 01:18:38,680 --> 01:18:41,639 Speaker 1: whether we'd or not. Yeah, my last book, dream Holder, 1561 01:18:41,680 --> 01:18:43,839 Speaker 1: is partly about the experience of being in the American 1562 01:18:43,920 --> 01:18:47,080 Speaker 1: upper middle class. Right, this is the experience of raising boys. 1563 01:18:47,120 --> 01:18:49,559 Speaker 1: But actually in my day job, so I'm worried about 1564 01:18:49,640 --> 01:18:51,680 Speaker 1: boys at night because we've got three. But in my 1565 01:18:51,760 --> 01:18:54,040 Speaker 1: day job, as I was working on issues of inequality 1566 01:18:54,080 --> 01:18:57,599 Speaker 1: and education and employment in the family, I just kept 1567 01:18:57,680 --> 01:19:01,679 Speaker 1: running across this gender gap. Not the way you'd expect 1568 01:19:01,720 --> 01:19:04,080 Speaker 1: to see it. You kept seeing ways in which it 1569 01:19:04,120 --> 01:19:06,960 Speaker 1: was boys and men who are really struggling. To be clear, 1570 01:19:07,000 --> 01:19:09,760 Speaker 1: it's mostly working class boys and men, black boys and men. 1571 01:19:09,760 --> 01:19:12,360 Speaker 1: It's typically not the dream hoarders, it's not the upper 1572 01:19:12,360 --> 01:19:15,000 Speaker 1: middle class. But I don't think we can understand inequality 1573 01:19:15,120 --> 01:19:17,519 Speaker 1: in the US without understanding what's happening to boys and men. 1574 01:19:18,120 --> 01:19:19,720 Speaker 1: I also felt, frankly, there was a bit of a 1575 01:19:19,760 --> 01:19:24,080 Speaker 1: gap because both sides politically are so dug in in 1576 01:19:24,120 --> 01:19:26,479 Speaker 1: the culture wars around issues of sex and gender that 1577 01:19:26,520 --> 01:19:29,280 Speaker 1: it's even hard to have a book with that title 1578 01:19:29,400 --> 01:19:32,799 Speaker 1: without getting a reaction from yeah. And so I almost 1579 01:19:32,800 --> 01:19:35,599 Speaker 1: felt like, as a brooking scholar, given the work I've done, 1580 01:19:35,640 --> 01:19:38,720 Speaker 1: that trying to create a better conversation. We need a 1581 01:19:38,760 --> 01:19:42,960 Speaker 1: better conversation about rescripting masculinity than we're currently getting, and 1582 01:19:42,960 --> 01:19:45,439 Speaker 1: this book is my attempt to do that. Fascinating. So 1583 01:19:45,600 --> 01:19:47,960 Speaker 1: part of why you get that pushback is because when 1584 01:19:47,960 --> 01:19:50,400 Speaker 1: we look around at society, you say, all right, look 1585 01:19:50,439 --> 01:19:53,439 Speaker 1: at the US Congress, still overwhelmingly male, We've still only 1586 01:19:53,479 --> 01:19:56,439 Speaker 1: had men as presidents. You look at the CEOs, they're like, 1587 01:19:56,960 --> 01:19:59,600 Speaker 1: there's some stat there's like more CEOs named Bob than 1588 01:19:59,640 --> 01:20:02,920 Speaker 1: there are female CEOs, or something like that. I think 1589 01:20:02,960 --> 01:20:05,160 Speaker 1: you've talked about, you know, venture capital and how what 1590 01:20:05,200 --> 01:20:09,000 Speaker 1: a small proportion of that goes to female founders. So 1591 01:20:09,040 --> 01:20:10,720 Speaker 1: when you look at those things and then you're like, yeah, 1592 01:20:10,720 --> 01:20:13,519 Speaker 1: but the real problem with is with men. I can 1593 01:20:13,560 --> 01:20:15,920 Speaker 1: imagine why people are like, well, wait a second, it 1594 01:20:15,960 --> 01:20:18,160 Speaker 1: seems like the issue was on the other side. So 1595 01:20:18,200 --> 01:20:19,840 Speaker 1: how do you sort of square that circle? Yeah, well, 1596 01:20:20,000 --> 01:20:22,360 Speaker 1: it depends where you're looking. Yeah, if you're looking around 1597 01:20:22,360 --> 01:20:24,760 Speaker 1: the apex of society and you're looking at those sorts 1598 01:20:24,800 --> 01:20:27,920 Speaker 1: of institutions, then clearly there's much further to go. And 1599 01:20:27,960 --> 01:20:30,639 Speaker 1: I've written about the need to get more women into 1600 01:20:30,760 --> 01:20:33,400 Speaker 1: into Congress. The US is a real laggared on that front. 1601 01:20:33,439 --> 01:20:35,880 Speaker 1: And as for not having a female president yet, as 1602 01:20:35,920 --> 01:20:37,960 Speaker 1: you can probably tell, I come from the UK and 1603 01:20:38,000 --> 01:20:41,080 Speaker 1: we're in our third female problem. It doesn't seem to 1604 01:20:41,120 --> 01:20:44,080 Speaker 1: be working out. Well, we'll just leave that having back 1605 01:20:44,080 --> 01:20:46,600 Speaker 1: another day. Yes, but the point was like it was 1606 01:20:46,640 --> 01:20:49,240 Speaker 1: just no big deal. And so, and you're right, in 1607 01:20:49,280 --> 01:20:52,640 Speaker 1: Fortune five hundred companies, only forty four of them are 1608 01:20:52,680 --> 01:20:55,800 Speaker 1: led by women right now. Now go back twenty years 1609 01:20:55,800 --> 01:20:58,800 Speaker 1: and it was zero. So that's forty four more than 1610 01:20:58,800 --> 01:21:00,320 Speaker 1: it used to be. But it's very, very very far 1611 01:21:00,360 --> 01:21:03,280 Speaker 1: from parity. But if you look down, if we look 1612 01:21:03,320 --> 01:21:06,200 Speaker 1: down at what's happening the rest of society. Most American 1613 01:21:06,240 --> 01:21:09,720 Speaker 1: men today earn less than most American did American men 1614 01:21:09,720 --> 01:21:12,240 Speaker 1: did in nineteen seventy nine. Yes, there's a huge gender 1615 01:21:12,240 --> 01:21:16,120 Speaker 1: gap in education. Men are three times more likely to 1616 01:21:16,160 --> 01:21:20,040 Speaker 1: die from a death of despair, from alcohol suicide, drug overdose. 1617 01:21:20,080 --> 01:21:22,320 Speaker 1: And so the trouble is that people who are just 1618 01:21:22,320 --> 01:21:24,599 Speaker 1: living in these elite circles look around and go on, 1619 01:21:24,800 --> 01:21:27,680 Speaker 1: I don't see it. Well, partly, it might be there 1620 01:21:27,720 --> 01:21:29,639 Speaker 1: and you're not seeing it. Also, just look down, look 1621 01:21:29,640 --> 01:21:31,400 Speaker 1: at the rest of society. We've seen such a big 1622 01:21:31,439 --> 01:21:34,759 Speaker 1: increase in economic inequality that we have to think about 1623 01:21:34,760 --> 01:21:37,160 Speaker 1: both those things at once. And partly this book is 1624 01:21:37,640 --> 01:21:39,639 Speaker 1: a challenge to say, can we think two things at once? 1625 01:21:39,760 --> 01:21:41,400 Speaker 1: Can we think there's much more to do for women 1626 01:21:41,680 --> 01:21:44,439 Speaker 1: in certain sectors of society, But now we also need 1627 01:21:44,439 --> 01:21:46,800 Speaker 1: to look at boys and men, And right now it's 1628 01:21:46,920 --> 01:21:50,439 Speaker 1: proving very difficult to have that conversation. Even breaking into 1629 01:21:50,439 --> 01:21:52,720 Speaker 1: their paradigm is just so tremendously hard. As you said, 1630 01:21:52,720 --> 01:21:55,000 Speaker 1: without getting coded, you know, right wing, I've almost frankly 1631 01:21:55,000 --> 01:21:57,439 Speaker 1: given up. So I admire you for being able to 1632 01:21:57,479 --> 01:21:59,720 Speaker 1: try to fight a good fight. Point to some of 1633 01:21:59,720 --> 01:22:03,440 Speaker 1: the important data that you're saying there about the lifespan, 1634 01:22:03,800 --> 01:22:07,880 Speaker 1: about overall earnings, about deaths of despair, and why should 1635 01:22:07,920 --> 01:22:09,960 Speaker 1: women care about it? Why should women care about how 1636 01:22:10,000 --> 01:22:12,880 Speaker 1: men are doing a society? Yeah, So in education, I think, 1637 01:22:12,960 --> 01:22:15,400 Speaker 1: just to put a few data points on it, We've 1638 01:22:15,479 --> 01:22:18,000 Speaker 1: long worried about gender and equality and education, but it's 1639 01:22:18,240 --> 01:22:20,679 Speaker 1: typically been worrying about getting girls and women to catch 1640 01:22:20,720 --> 01:22:23,160 Speaker 1: up with boys and men. And so in nineteen seventy two, 1641 01:22:23,200 --> 01:22:26,960 Speaker 1: the US passed the famous Title nine legislation to try 1642 01:22:26,960 --> 01:22:30,080 Speaker 1: and get more girls and women into college in particular. 1643 01:22:30,120 --> 01:22:33,320 Speaker 1: And at that point, men are about thirteen percentage points 1644 01:22:33,320 --> 01:22:35,960 Speaker 1: more likely to get a college degree than women. Today, 1645 01:22:36,200 --> 01:22:39,280 Speaker 1: it's fifteen percentage points more likely that a woman will 1646 01:22:39,280 --> 01:22:41,479 Speaker 1: get it than a man. Wow, so the gender gap 1647 01:22:41,640 --> 01:22:44,360 Speaker 1: is actually bigger in college education today than when Title 1648 01:22:44,439 --> 01:22:47,040 Speaker 1: nine was passed. It's just the other way around. It's flipped. 1649 01:22:47,080 --> 01:22:49,120 Speaker 1: If we look at high school high school GPA, You've 1650 01:22:49,120 --> 01:22:52,240 Speaker 1: got a high school and I've had some recently. High 1651 01:22:52,240 --> 01:22:54,639 Speaker 1: school GPA is a really good measure because A it's 1652 01:22:54,960 --> 01:22:57,439 Speaker 1: increasingly important in college admissions, and B it's quite a 1653 01:22:57,439 --> 01:23:00,400 Speaker 1: good proxy for overall success let's look a high school GPA. 1654 01:23:00,560 --> 01:23:02,800 Speaker 1: The top performers in terms of high school GPA, those 1655 01:23:02,840 --> 01:23:05,479 Speaker 1: in the top ten percent destined for good colleges two 1656 01:23:05,520 --> 01:23:09,760 Speaker 1: thirds girls, the bottom ten percent two thirds boys. And 1657 01:23:09,840 --> 01:23:12,320 Speaker 1: that is actually found pretty much every country in the world, 1658 01:23:12,439 --> 01:23:14,559 Speaker 1: pretty much every level of the education system. So a 1659 01:23:14,680 --> 01:23:17,759 Speaker 1: massive reversal in the in the gender gap in education. 1660 01:23:17,880 --> 01:23:20,120 Speaker 1: What that means is that struggling to hit the labor 1661 01:23:20,160 --> 01:23:23,080 Speaker 1: market in the employment. And you've talked a lot about this, yes, 1662 01:23:23,400 --> 01:23:26,240 Speaker 1: in automation, free trade, like what's happened to the work 1663 01:23:26,680 --> 01:23:30,040 Speaker 1: to working classmen. Working class men can't get the jobs 1664 01:23:30,080 --> 01:23:32,600 Speaker 1: their dad got with the same level of education, and 1665 01:23:32,640 --> 01:23:35,240 Speaker 1: so this has been really difficult adjustment for men in 1666 01:23:35,240 --> 01:23:37,240 Speaker 1: the labor market. And one of the consequences of that 1667 01:23:37,600 --> 01:23:40,120 Speaker 1: is for family formations. So we see a number of 1668 01:23:40,200 --> 01:23:43,439 Speaker 1: men now who effectively get benched because they're not fulfilling 1669 01:23:43,439 --> 01:23:46,120 Speaker 1: the traditional male role. We haven't rescripted a role for them, 1670 01:23:46,120 --> 01:23:48,519 Speaker 1: and so they end up out of touch with their kids' lives, 1671 01:23:48,520 --> 01:23:50,559 Speaker 1: which is particularly bad for their sons. Actually, that's one 1672 01:23:50,600 --> 01:23:52,599 Speaker 1: of the things I think is most important is, you know, 1673 01:23:52,720 --> 01:23:55,799 Speaker 1: especially I think in American society we have this concept 1674 01:23:55,840 --> 01:23:59,840 Speaker 1: of masculinity that is central centered around being the breadwinner. Correct, 1675 01:24:00,000 --> 01:24:01,599 Speaker 1: and then when you make it more and more difficult 1676 01:24:01,640 --> 01:24:04,439 Speaker 1: to fulfill that role, it's like, okay, well what am I? Then? 1677 01:24:04,800 --> 01:24:06,560 Speaker 1: You know, what is the role that I'm supposed to in? 1678 01:24:06,760 --> 01:24:09,120 Speaker 1: Or am I just a failure? Like? Am I terrible? 1679 01:24:09,160 --> 01:24:12,240 Speaker 1: And that opens up a window for people who maybe 1680 01:24:12,280 --> 01:24:14,439 Speaker 1: don't have the best messaging to come and say, well, 1681 01:24:14,439 --> 01:24:17,120 Speaker 1: here's it's these it's these I want you. I was 1682 01:24:17,120 --> 01:24:21,880 Speaker 1: going to say these B words, but yeah, it's these 1683 01:24:21,960 --> 01:24:27,880 Speaker 1: ladies over here. It's a feminism. There you go. And 1684 01:24:28,000 --> 01:24:30,960 Speaker 1: that's exactly the debate we're having right now. And I 1685 01:24:30,960 --> 01:24:33,160 Speaker 1: think what we see what we see on the left 1686 01:24:33,320 --> 01:24:36,200 Speaker 1: is an unwillingness to acknowledge some of these issues at 1687 01:24:36,240 --> 01:24:39,160 Speaker 1: all for fear that that means betraying your commitment to women, 1688 01:24:39,200 --> 01:24:41,599 Speaker 1: which we've already talked about. But on the right, there's 1689 01:24:41,640 --> 01:24:44,000 Speaker 1: this sort of magical thinking, which is, yeah, let's go 1690 01:24:44,080 --> 01:24:45,960 Speaker 1: back to the way things used to be. Let's go 1691 01:24:46,040 --> 01:24:47,880 Speaker 1: back to the way men and women knew their place 1692 01:24:48,200 --> 01:24:51,559 Speaker 1: and to marriages based on economic dependency. We live in 1693 01:24:51,560 --> 01:24:54,120 Speaker 1: a world now where forty percent of women earn more 1694 01:24:54,200 --> 01:24:56,800 Speaker 1: than the average men, right, that was thirteen percent in 1695 01:24:56,880 --> 01:25:00,000 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine, and so we have forty one percent 1696 01:25:00,200 --> 01:25:02,759 Speaker 1: of households have a female breadwinner. This has been a 1697 01:25:03,040 --> 01:25:06,960 Speaker 1: huge change, and so and a wonderful change, arguably the 1698 01:25:07,000 --> 01:25:10,320 Speaker 1: biggest economic liberation in human history. What it means, though, 1699 01:25:10,439 --> 01:25:13,920 Speaker 1: is that that old model of masculinity, out of masculine success, 1700 01:25:14,120 --> 01:25:16,960 Speaker 1: is not coming back, and politicians on the right, who 1701 01:25:17,280 --> 01:25:19,200 Speaker 1: somehow think they can wave a magic wand to bring 1702 01:25:19,200 --> 01:25:22,840 Speaker 1: it back, are selling everyone a lie. So the left 1703 01:25:23,280 --> 01:25:26,000 Speaker 1: are effectively turning their backs on boys and men, but 1704 01:25:26,040 --> 01:25:27,920 Speaker 1: the right are trying to turn back the clock on 1705 01:25:28,000 --> 01:25:30,599 Speaker 1: women and girls. And everybody I know is just trying 1706 01:25:30,640 --> 01:25:33,600 Speaker 1: to figure this out. And we need a model of 1707 01:25:33,680 --> 01:25:36,920 Speaker 1: mature masculinity that is compatible with gender equality. One of 1708 01:25:36,960 --> 01:25:38,560 Speaker 1: the things I think is important about your book is 1709 01:25:38,560 --> 01:25:41,360 Speaker 1: you actually offer some potential solutions. So let's talk about it. 1710 01:25:41,360 --> 01:25:43,599 Speaker 1: One of some of the things that you offer societal 1711 01:25:43,640 --> 01:25:46,160 Speaker 1: wide changes that could be piloted at the very least, 1712 01:25:46,160 --> 01:25:48,720 Speaker 1: start about experiment in America. Well, first of all, thank 1713 01:25:48,760 --> 01:25:51,120 Speaker 1: you for asking that question, because I'm praty. I do 1714 01:25:51,200 --> 01:25:54,040 Speaker 1: think books suffer sometimes from they become like the book 1715 01:25:54,080 --> 01:25:56,400 Speaker 1: of lamentations, Yes, everything's wrong with the world, and then 1716 01:25:56,439 --> 01:25:58,960 Speaker 1: maybe one idea at the so I felt I did 1717 01:25:59,040 --> 01:26:01,520 Speaker 1: want to offer some such So in education, for example, 1718 01:26:02,120 --> 01:26:04,400 Speaker 1: I have three ideas. One is that we should start 1719 01:26:04,439 --> 01:26:07,120 Speaker 1: boys in school a year later than girls because their 1720 01:26:07,160 --> 01:26:09,400 Speaker 1: brains mature later. A sixteen year old boy and a 1721 01:26:09,400 --> 01:26:11,880 Speaker 1: sixteen year old girl, I think for a fourteen year old, yeah, 1722 01:26:12,320 --> 01:26:15,040 Speaker 1: and I raised them, they're not the same. We know 1723 01:26:15,120 --> 01:26:17,200 Speaker 1: that boys' brains develop more slowly, which is one of 1724 01:26:17,200 --> 01:26:19,320 Speaker 1: the reasons for those GPA gaps we've talked about. So 1725 01:26:19,360 --> 01:26:22,600 Speaker 1: start them at red shirt them is sometimes how it's described. 1726 01:26:23,040 --> 01:26:25,880 Speaker 1: We need a massive recruitment driver of male teachers. I 1727 01:26:25,920 --> 01:26:29,920 Speaker 1: think the fact that the teaching profession is becoming progressively 1728 01:26:30,080 --> 01:26:32,720 Speaker 1: more female is a problem. Twenty four percent of K 1729 01:26:32,800 --> 01:26:35,519 Speaker 1: twelve teachers now men, only one in ten elementary school 1730 01:26:35,520 --> 01:26:39,599 Speaker 1: teachers and getting fewer by the year. Interesting, and that 1731 01:26:39,680 --> 01:26:41,439 Speaker 1: does seem to have an effect on boys, especially in 1732 01:26:41,439 --> 01:26:44,559 Speaker 1: subjects like English. And then we need more vocational education, 1733 01:26:44,840 --> 01:26:48,439 Speaker 1: a big investment in apprenticeships and votech and so on, 1734 01:26:48,479 --> 01:26:50,200 Speaker 1: which do seem to help boys and men a little 1735 01:26:50,200 --> 01:26:53,080 Speaker 1: bit more So, there's always focus on college there's a 1736 01:26:53,160 --> 01:26:55,720 Speaker 1: unitary path and loan forgiveness, which again I know you've 1737 01:26:55,760 --> 01:26:58,479 Speaker 1: talked about. But meanwhile, we see for boys is that 1738 01:26:58,520 --> 01:27:00,800 Speaker 1: hands on learning seems to work better for them. And 1739 01:27:00,840 --> 01:27:02,920 Speaker 1: so just in education, those are the sorts of ideas 1740 01:27:02,920 --> 01:27:05,760 Speaker 1: that I'm offering. One thing that I thought is so 1741 01:27:05,840 --> 01:27:08,400 Speaker 1: I don't necessarily, in fact, I don't agree with this, 1742 01:27:08,680 --> 01:27:11,200 Speaker 1: But what would you say to people who are basically like, Okay, 1743 01:27:11,520 --> 01:27:13,200 Speaker 1: you omened up the education. You made it so that 1744 01:27:13,240 --> 01:27:15,639 Speaker 1: women could compete. Women are competing, and actually they're better 1745 01:27:15,680 --> 01:27:18,559 Speaker 1: at this than boys. What's the problem. This is supposed 1746 01:27:18,560 --> 01:27:20,960 Speaker 1: to be a grand meritocracy and now you want to 1747 01:27:21,000 --> 01:27:23,200 Speaker 1: do like affirmative action for boys to like tild the 1748 01:27:23,200 --> 01:27:25,400 Speaker 1: system in their favor. That doesn't seem fair. Well, it's 1749 01:27:25,439 --> 01:27:28,400 Speaker 1: actually I half agree with you, even if you don't completely, 1750 01:27:29,400 --> 01:27:32,320 Speaker 1: because that's exactly what's happened. What's happened in education is 1751 01:27:32,360 --> 01:27:35,719 Speaker 1: that we've created a playing field which is much more even. 1752 01:27:36,240 --> 01:27:38,920 Speaker 1: And what that's demonstrated is that actually women and girls 1753 01:27:38,960 --> 01:27:41,400 Speaker 1: are at a structural advantage in the education system. So 1754 01:27:41,439 --> 01:27:43,280 Speaker 1: we've created a level playing field and it turns out 1755 01:27:43,360 --> 01:27:45,439 Speaker 1: that they're women and girls are better players, but they're 1756 01:27:45,439 --> 01:27:48,679 Speaker 1: better players largely because of the developmental differences, because their 1757 01:27:48,680 --> 01:27:52,560 Speaker 1: brains develop earlier, and especially the prefrontal cortex. But the 1758 01:27:52,800 --> 01:27:55,000 Speaker 1: prefrontal cortex is a bit of your brain that says, 1759 01:27:55,000 --> 01:27:57,280 Speaker 1: do your chemistry homework rather than going out to party. 1760 01:27:57,720 --> 01:27:59,559 Speaker 1: Maybe you should care about your GPA because that will 1761 01:27:59,600 --> 01:28:01,800 Speaker 1: help you going to college. It's about future orientation, it's 1762 01:28:02,360 --> 01:28:05,120 Speaker 1: about the ability to control yourself, and it just develops 1763 01:28:05,240 --> 01:28:07,599 Speaker 1: a year or two later in boys than girls. And 1764 01:28:07,680 --> 01:28:10,640 Speaker 1: so I actually think that we're seeing One of the 1765 01:28:10,680 --> 01:28:13,439 Speaker 1: great ironies is that by taking the breaks off girls 1766 01:28:13,439 --> 01:28:16,720 Speaker 1: and women in education system, we've revealed the structural advantages 1767 01:28:16,760 --> 01:28:19,120 Speaker 1: they had all along. We couldn't see it because they 1768 01:28:19,120 --> 01:28:21,760 Speaker 1: weren't going to college right under conditions of sexism, we 1769 01:28:21,800 --> 01:28:24,320 Speaker 1: couldn't see the advantages that girls and women had in education. 1770 01:28:24,840 --> 01:28:27,120 Speaker 1: And nobody expected this overtaking. By the way, if you 1771 01:28:27,160 --> 01:28:29,000 Speaker 1: go back to the seventies, when everyone was pushing hard 1772 01:28:29,120 --> 01:28:31,880 Speaker 1: correctly for more for girls and women to do better, 1773 01:28:32,360 --> 01:28:35,080 Speaker 1: nobody said, well, wait, or what if the lines keep going? 1774 01:28:35,320 --> 01:28:38,000 Speaker 1: And does it matter? Well to the extent that education 1775 01:28:38,200 --> 01:28:41,479 Speaker 1: matters increasingly in the modern economy, I think we should 1776 01:28:41,479 --> 01:28:44,519 Speaker 1: be worried about any inequalities by group, whether that's race, gender, etc. 1777 01:28:44,880 --> 01:28:47,320 Speaker 1: So I don't think on its face, there's any reason 1778 01:28:47,360 --> 01:28:49,840 Speaker 1: to be more relaxed about the gender gap now than 1779 01:28:49,880 --> 01:28:52,599 Speaker 1: in the nineteen seventies, just because it's the other way around. Well, 1780 01:28:52,640 --> 01:28:55,519 Speaker 1: something you alluded to also is at the individual level parenting. 1781 01:28:55,720 --> 01:28:58,200 Speaker 1: What do you think if any changes need to come 1782 01:28:58,240 --> 01:29:01,400 Speaker 1: to the way that people parent, especially in either like 1783 01:29:01,439 --> 01:29:03,479 Speaker 1: a mixed gender household or in your case we have 1784 01:29:03,520 --> 01:29:06,600 Speaker 1: three boys, what should the at the individual level? You know, 1785 01:29:06,600 --> 01:29:08,439 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, we could talk about solutions. 1786 01:29:08,439 --> 01:29:09,479 Speaker 1: We have a lot, you know, a lot of people 1787 01:29:09,520 --> 01:29:11,360 Speaker 1: listening to this show, maybe they have kids. What should 1788 01:29:11,360 --> 01:29:13,960 Speaker 1: they be thinking about? And with regards to your book, well, 1789 01:29:13,960 --> 01:29:16,280 Speaker 1: I think the first thing is something not to do, 1790 01:29:16,760 --> 01:29:19,720 Speaker 1: and I think that it's not to fall into the 1791 01:29:19,720 --> 01:29:22,880 Speaker 1: trap think that it's something toxic about masculinity. I do 1792 01:29:22,920 --> 01:29:27,000 Speaker 1: think that this term toxic masculinity has become itself toxic, frankly, 1793 01:29:27,120 --> 01:29:31,120 Speaker 1: because the message that society is then sending, which I 1794 01:29:31,120 --> 01:29:33,519 Speaker 1: think parents can absorb and inadvertently we pass on, is 1795 01:29:33,600 --> 01:29:36,120 Speaker 1: there's something wrong with you. And so if you're behaving 1796 01:29:36,160 --> 01:29:38,480 Speaker 1: in a particular way, which on average is more associated 1797 01:29:38,479 --> 01:29:41,920 Speaker 1: with being male. Then I think that to pathologize that, 1798 01:29:42,120 --> 01:29:44,840 Speaker 1: say physicality or more potential for aggression and so on, 1799 01:29:45,120 --> 01:29:47,960 Speaker 1: is not the way to help boys learn to manage that. 1800 01:29:48,040 --> 01:29:51,200 Speaker 1: So recognize there are some differences between them, it's a myth. 1801 01:29:51,320 --> 01:29:54,920 Speaker 1: There are no differences. Absolutely, you want equality of opportunity 1802 01:29:54,960 --> 01:29:58,439 Speaker 1: for both. Interestingly, now there's some evidence that people are 1803 01:29:58,439 --> 01:30:00,479 Speaker 1: starting to think it's more important for their goal to 1804 01:30:00,520 --> 01:30:04,000 Speaker 1: get a good education than they're boys. And that's not true. 1805 01:30:04,080 --> 01:30:06,120 Speaker 1: And I'm very worried that in some households, and this 1806 01:30:06,160 --> 01:30:08,360 Speaker 1: seems to be particularly true in more working class households, 1807 01:30:08,439 --> 01:30:11,400 Speaker 1: that educational success itself is being seen as more feminine. 1808 01:30:11,920 --> 01:30:14,040 Speaker 1: And it's incredibly important to send a message to the 1809 01:30:14,040 --> 01:30:17,479 Speaker 1: boys that actually, you succeeding at school, you having chances 1810 01:30:17,520 --> 01:30:20,519 Speaker 1: at college or apprenticeships, is just as important as your sister. 1811 01:30:20,880 --> 01:30:24,559 Speaker 1: It feels weird to be saying this because it's so recent, 1812 01:30:24,680 --> 01:30:29,479 Speaker 1: but the educational overtaking is so fast and so recent 1813 01:30:29,520 --> 01:30:31,880 Speaker 1: that honestly, we're all, we're all our heads are spinning. 1814 01:30:31,880 --> 01:30:34,200 Speaker 1: It's like the polls on a compass reversing right, like 1815 01:30:34,280 --> 01:30:37,559 Speaker 1: North became south overnight, and so I understand why. It's 1816 01:30:37,600 --> 01:30:39,600 Speaker 1: why we're all struggling. I've struggled with it, frankly as 1817 01:30:39,640 --> 01:30:42,000 Speaker 1: I've been writing a book. But the evidence is pretty 1818 01:30:42,000 --> 01:30:44,680 Speaker 1: clear now that if we're worried about education, we need 1819 01:30:44,720 --> 01:30:48,240 Speaker 1: to worry about boys. So if the old story we've 1820 01:30:48,280 --> 01:30:50,320 Speaker 1: told about like what it means to be a man 1821 01:30:50,960 --> 01:30:54,639 Speaker 1: is not functioning well in society, what does a new 1822 01:30:54,680 --> 01:30:59,040 Speaker 1: story sound like? Yeah, we definitely need a new script 1823 01:30:59,200 --> 01:31:01,840 Speaker 1: for masculinity. I think that what's happened for women, and 1824 01:31:01,960 --> 01:31:04,200 Speaker 1: be interested to know if you agree with this. Okay, 1825 01:31:04,320 --> 01:31:07,280 Speaker 1: there was an old script which was get married, get kids, 1826 01:31:07,320 --> 01:31:10,479 Speaker 1: have a stable family, etc. I'm simplifying. Yeah, the new 1827 01:31:10,520 --> 01:31:13,600 Speaker 1: script is get educated, get yourself independent, make sure you 1828 01:31:13,640 --> 01:31:15,720 Speaker 1: can take care of yourself. You go go right, make 1829 01:31:15,760 --> 01:31:18,000 Speaker 1: sure you can stand on your own feet. Very strong script. 1830 01:31:18,040 --> 01:31:19,840 Speaker 1: So we've replaced an old script of the new script 1831 01:31:19,840 --> 01:31:22,679 Speaker 1: for women. The old script for men, become a bread winner, 1832 01:31:22,800 --> 01:31:27,080 Speaker 1: make look after your family. The new script for men, Yep, 1833 01:31:27,200 --> 01:31:30,479 Speaker 1: not sure yet. And that's the problem. And so a 1834 01:31:30,640 --> 01:31:34,599 Speaker 1: rescripted positive vision of masculinity has to be founded on. 1835 01:31:34,800 --> 01:31:36,559 Speaker 1: I think some things that sound quite old, which is, 1836 01:31:36,840 --> 01:31:39,360 Speaker 1: you do provide for your kids, but not just money, 1837 01:31:39,760 --> 01:31:42,479 Speaker 1: time and care, etc. So I think we need to 1838 01:31:42,520 --> 01:31:45,840 Speaker 1: start with fatherhood. The danger is that as the old 1839 01:31:45,880 --> 01:31:48,720 Speaker 1: model of masculinity has collapsed in the face of the 1840 01:31:48,840 --> 01:31:52,120 Speaker 1: changes that we've just mentioned, is that fathers get benched. 1841 01:31:52,760 --> 01:31:55,840 Speaker 1: The message that they get from themselves very often and 1842 01:31:55,920 --> 01:31:57,600 Speaker 1: from women and from society is if you failed as 1843 01:31:57,600 --> 01:32:00,240 Speaker 1: a breadwinner, ergo, you don't matter as a father. That's 1844 01:32:00,280 --> 01:32:02,680 Speaker 1: absolutely the opposite of the truth. And so we need 1845 01:32:02,720 --> 01:32:05,200 Speaker 1: equal paid leave for fathers. Fathers who are not married 1846 01:32:05,240 --> 01:32:07,880 Speaker 1: to mothers need much stronger rights and they currently get. 1847 01:32:08,080 --> 01:32:10,479 Speaker 1: We have to send a message through policy and through 1848 01:32:10,560 --> 01:32:13,479 Speaker 1: rhetoric that fathers matter period. Go back to the speech 1849 01:32:13,520 --> 01:32:15,280 Speaker 1: Barack Obama gave in two thousand and eight about the 1850 01:32:15,280 --> 01:32:17,920 Speaker 1: importance of father's that's right. He was actually on the money, 1851 01:32:18,120 --> 01:32:20,519 Speaker 1: absolutely on the money, and didn't really touch it again since. 1852 01:32:20,560 --> 01:32:23,439 Speaker 1: And so I don't think we're going to reconstitute marriage 1853 01:32:23,439 --> 01:32:25,720 Speaker 1: in the way that conservatives think we can. But we 1854 01:32:25,800 --> 01:32:28,320 Speaker 1: need to put fatherhood back on a pedestal, just a 1855 01:32:28,360 --> 01:32:30,240 Speaker 1: new kind of pedestal. That's why I love about your work. 1856 01:32:30,280 --> 01:32:33,160 Speaker 1: You're trying to reform and you know, recognize the realities 1857 01:32:33,160 --> 01:32:35,640 Speaker 1: the social progresses we made and not diminish them in 1858 01:32:35,640 --> 01:32:37,400 Speaker 1: any way, but just say no, we need to find 1859 01:32:37,400 --> 01:32:39,640 Speaker 1: a new equilibrium, and that isn't always rooted in like 1860 01:32:39,680 --> 01:32:42,920 Speaker 1: being in the nineteen sixties individual. I don't have to 1861 01:32:43,000 --> 01:32:45,080 Speaker 1: go back to go forward. Yes, well, and I did 1862 01:32:45,240 --> 01:32:47,679 Speaker 1: ask you one of the social trend that I actually 1863 01:32:47,720 --> 01:32:51,879 Speaker 1: did a monologue on, which is that far fewer young people, 1864 01:32:52,200 --> 01:32:57,760 Speaker 1: either Democrat or Republican or are identifying as feminists. That's right, Yes, 1865 01:32:57,840 --> 01:33:00,479 Speaker 1: I saw your thing. That's very interesting. Yeah, wait, why 1866 01:33:00,479 --> 01:33:02,120 Speaker 1: did you think that? What did you make of that? 1867 01:33:02,640 --> 01:33:04,920 Speaker 1: What's happened? I think is that there's a few things. 1868 01:33:05,000 --> 01:33:09,280 Speaker 1: One is a lot of boys are hearing the message 1869 01:33:09,439 --> 01:33:12,080 Speaker 1: that we we live in a patriarchy, we need feminism, 1870 01:33:12,080 --> 01:33:14,599 Speaker 1: et cetera, and they're looking around and going wait what Yep, 1871 01:33:14,640 --> 01:33:16,760 Speaker 1: this is not the world that they're experiencing, and so 1872 01:33:17,720 --> 01:33:22,360 Speaker 1: they're struggling to fit the rhetoric about patriarchy and gender 1873 01:33:22,360 --> 01:33:25,479 Speaker 1: equality with their own lived experience. I think that's one thing. Yeah. 1874 01:33:25,520 --> 01:33:27,320 Speaker 1: I think the other thing is that feminism has morphed 1875 01:33:27,320 --> 01:33:30,880 Speaker 1: into more of a cultural movement. Yeah, it's not just boys, 1876 01:33:31,439 --> 01:33:35,200 Speaker 1: it's women too, who younger women much less likely than 1877 01:33:35,240 --> 01:33:39,080 Speaker 1: their older counterparts to identify as feminists. Yeah, and if 1878 01:33:39,560 --> 01:33:41,920 Speaker 1: there is some polling. I can't remember if you mentioned 1879 01:33:41,920 --> 01:33:45,200 Speaker 1: this on in your monologue, but they're dug into why 1880 01:33:45,240 --> 01:33:47,680 Speaker 1: don't you say you're a feminist, and there were Feminism's 1881 01:33:47,680 --> 01:33:51,280 Speaker 1: gone too far. Today's feminism doesn't represent true feminism, and 1882 01:33:51,360 --> 01:33:54,639 Speaker 1: feminism has become anti men, and so there's I think 1883 01:33:54,720 --> 01:33:57,960 Speaker 1: that feminism at its best is an equality movement. Yes, 1884 01:33:58,040 --> 01:34:00,920 Speaker 1: it's an equality movement and liberation movement. And to the 1885 01:34:00,920 --> 01:34:02,840 Speaker 1: extent that if you ask people do you think that 1886 01:34:03,240 --> 01:34:06,080 Speaker 1: women and girls should have equal opportunities to men and boys? 1887 01:34:06,120 --> 01:34:09,639 Speaker 1: Everyone says yes. Everyone says yes. And if there are bad, 1888 01:34:09,680 --> 01:34:12,280 Speaker 1: remaining barriers to women and girls succeeding, should we take 1889 01:34:12,320 --> 01:34:16,040 Speaker 1: those barriers down? Everyone says yes. So they're clearly not 1890 01:34:16,160 --> 01:34:19,280 Speaker 1: thinking that's what feminism is, and instead they're seeing feminism 1891 01:34:19,280 --> 01:34:21,920 Speaker 1: more of this cultural movement which has taken on some 1892 01:34:22,000 --> 01:34:26,280 Speaker 1: of these the aura of anti men, toxic masculinity, etc. 1893 01:34:26,640 --> 01:34:29,160 Speaker 1: And I think has been a bit blind to some 1894 01:34:29,200 --> 01:34:30,839 Speaker 1: of the problems that boys and men are now facing. 1895 01:34:30,880 --> 01:34:33,559 Speaker 1: That creates, as you alluded to earlier, a massive opening 1896 01:34:33,920 --> 01:34:36,400 Speaker 1: for other people to come in well, I encourage everybody 1897 01:34:36,439 --> 01:34:38,240 Speaker 1: to go buy the book. It's right here. We're going 1898 01:34:38,280 --> 01:34:40,560 Speaker 1: to have linked down in the description. Go ahead and 1899 01:34:40,600 --> 01:34:42,599 Speaker 1: purchase it. And I think supporting people like you who 1900 01:34:42,680 --> 01:34:46,200 Speaker 1: do this work in a very measured way data dotfult, 1901 01:34:46,320 --> 01:34:48,280 Speaker 1: no culture war or any of that is just the 1902 01:34:48,280 --> 01:34:50,840 Speaker 1: most important thing. So go ahead and support Richard if 1903 01:34:50,840 --> 01:34:52,800 Speaker 1: you can link it is in the description. Otherwise, we 1904 01:34:52,840 --> 01:34:55,439 Speaker 1: will see you all next week. We've got the counterpoints tomorrow. 1905 01:34:55,479 --> 01:34:57,040 Speaker 1: Go ahead and take advantage of the discount if you 1906 01:34:57,080 --> 01:34:59,040 Speaker 1: can live show YadA YadA, you guys know all of that. 1907 01:34:59,200 --> 01:35:00,559 Speaker 1: We'll see you guys later. Love y'all,