1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Hey, guys, ready or not, twenty twenty four is here 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: and we here at Breaking Points, are already thinking of 3 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: ways we can up our game for this critical election. 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 1: We rely on our premium subs to expand coverage, upgrade 5 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: the studio ad staff give you, guys, the best independent 6 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: coverage that is possible. If you like what we're all about, 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: it means the absolute world to have your support. What 8 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: are you waiting for? Become a premium subscriber today at 9 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: Breakingpoints dot com. Good morning, everybody, Happy Tuesday. We have 10 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: an amazing show for everybody today. What do we have, 11 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 1: Chrystal indeb We do. That's a big interesting news happening 12 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: this morning. First of all, looks like we might be 13 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: heading to a rail strike once again. The largest union 14 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: representing workers who work on the railroad. They have voted 15 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: down that tentative deal that was struck by the White 16 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: House and the railroad company and the union leaders. So 17 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: we'll get into all of that and what that might 18 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 1: mean for Christmas. We also have some new polling breaking 19 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: down exactly who swung and why in the midterm elections. 20 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: Very interesting granular look about exactly what took place. Also 21 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: new details about Trump's latest business deals and how they 22 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 1: may not may they how they do directly conflict with 23 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: being the president of the United States and call into 24 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,040 Speaker 1: question exactly how he would be conducting his foreign policy. 25 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: We've got some updates on the World Cup and Katar, 26 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: not good stuff about how they're banning, you know, anything 27 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: that looks like it could be in support of LGBTQ people. 28 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: So we'll break all of that down for you. And 29 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 1: also some real courage from the Iranian soccer team that 30 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: we have to bring to you and show you what 31 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: was going on there. Also, this is just amazing CBS News, 32 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: how many days years later, has finally confirmed. Oh, it 33 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: turns out the Hunter Biden laptop was real. It's been 34 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: more than two years, so shocked. Who could have seen. 35 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: I mean, you knew at the time when they didn't 36 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: even directly deny that any of the material audit was accurate. Anyway, 37 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: they've finally bothered to get around to say, yeah, yeah, 38 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: I guess I guess it was real. So went into 39 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: all of that. But before we do live show, live show, 40 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:15,679 Speaker 1: All right, let's go ahead, put that up there on 41 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: the screen. We are coming to New York City and 42 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: to Boston, back to back dates December sixth at seven 43 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: thirty pm Standard time, Great Standard time, and then December seventh, 44 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: we will be in Boston. Go ahead and buy tickets, guys, 45 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: As we said, it would definitely mean a lot to us. 46 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: We have a great show planned for everybody. I know 47 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: tickets are selling quite well, but we'd really like to 48 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: have sold out shows back to back nights, really show 49 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: the big cities on the East Coast who exactly they're 50 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: dealing with. So the links are for those are down 51 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: in the description. Yeah, that'd be fun. Let's get to 52 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: the show, all right. So big news this morning. As 53 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: I was saying, before we could be heading once again 54 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: to a real strike. This it seemed like might have 55 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: been averted previously, but we always warrant that the sort 56 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: of congratulatory celebration of yeah, we have a deal was 57 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: way premature because every union, the rank and file members 58 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: got a vote on whether what was being offered was sufficient, 59 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: and we now know that for several of them it 60 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:11,679 Speaker 1: was not. Let's go ahead and put this up on 61 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: the screen. This is from the Washington Post. The headline 62 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: here is rail union rejects contract as strike threatens US 63 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: economy before holidays, attendants and sickly policies have led to 64 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: widespread anger and frustration among rank and file railroad workers 65 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: on major freightlines. So the bottom line here is that 66 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: the union that has the largest number of rail workers 67 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: narrowly voted down the agreement that had been struck at 68 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: sort of the last minute between the Biden administration officials 69 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: were leading the negotiations, and you had the rail bosses 70 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: and you had the union leaders. But we always said, look, 71 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: first of all, this deal doesn't look that amazing on 72 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: the surface. There wasn't a lot of transparency about it 73 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: to begin with, and then we did get the details, 74 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: you saw a lot of rank and file unhappiness about 75 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: what those details were. They gave them, for example, one 76 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: more paid leave day, so it wasn't like they got 77 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: the moon and the sun and the stars here. So 78 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: there was always a question of whether the rank and 79 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: file members would accept it, and it's been a mixed bag. 80 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: I think there are twelve different unions that represent workers 81 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: who work on the railroads who would be involved in 82 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: this particular deal, and the largest one now has voted 83 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:21,799 Speaker 1: it down. There were three other smaller ones that also 84 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: voted it down. But the important thing to keep in 85 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: mind is that they all have an agreement that if 86 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: one goes on strike, they all go on strike in 87 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,840 Speaker 1: solidarity so that they can have the maximum amount of leverage. 88 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: Let me give you what the White House is saying. 89 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 1: This is from a White House official. They say, as 90 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: the President of staid at the beginning, a shutdown is 91 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 1: unacceptable because of the harm I would inflict on jobs, families, farms, businesses, 92 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: and communities across the country. A majority of unions have 93 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: voted to ratify the Tenative agreement, and the best option 94 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 1: is still for the parties to resolve this themselves. You 95 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: also have some indications here that some of the smaller 96 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: unions also voted this down. The timeline is that the 97 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: first unions could go on strike as soon as December fifth. 98 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: That would be the end of the lockout period is 99 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: what it's called. That would also be a time remember 100 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: last time around, the railroad companies actually started a lockout, 101 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: So that's sort of like the opposite of the the strike. 102 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: The strike is when the workers walk away. The lockout 103 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: is when the companies say, basically, we're shutting this down. 104 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: So in any case, we could be headed for a 105 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: strike here very shortly. Yeah, I think that's right. And 106 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,119 Speaker 1: the American Prospect actually is a really good explanation about 107 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: everything that's happening here. Let's take a listen, and of 108 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: course you come in and there is one of the 109 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: most disruptive events in the history of our supply chains, 110 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,799 Speaker 1: which is the pandemic. You know, many people have attributed 111 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: sort of the current performance issues and in freight rel 112 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: to that and the changes in goods demand and issues 113 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: with workers, and others say that, you know, this is 114 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: a legacy issue that long predates COVID and goes back 115 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: really to the core of the business model. Where do 116 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:02,719 Speaker 1: you fall on that? I think it's almost without debate. 117 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 1: That has very little to the real problems in the 118 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: freight rail network have almost nothing to do with the pandemic. 119 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: To quote one of my early political mentors, Harald Washington, 120 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:16,239 Speaker 1: that's a canard, a word he loved to throw around. 121 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 1: If you look at the history of freight rail in 122 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 1: the last six eight ten years, freight rail began to 123 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 1: disarm itself and reduce its resources long before the pandemic began. 124 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: So by the time the pandemic hit the seven class one, 125 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:33,359 Speaker 1: railroads had reduced their workforce by close to thirty percent, 126 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:36,239 Speaker 1: about forty five thousand people. You cannot run a robust 127 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: freight rail network with that much of a reduction. Some 128 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: reduction maybe I don't have a magic number. I just 129 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,479 Speaker 1: know that what they did has been way too much. 130 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: The pandemic led the railroads and then reduce the workforce 131 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: by even more and not only has exacerbated the situation. 132 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: And anybody who knows anything about freight rail and the 133 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 1: people who run the railroads certainly ought to know it, 134 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 1: would know that you can't just dump that many workers 135 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: and then expect call them all immediately when you need them. 136 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,720 Speaker 1: Does doesn't work that way. Yes, in the past years, 137 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 1: more furloughed workers came back. That was a positive experience, 138 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: but everyone knew the pandemic was something new and unique, 139 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 1: and before rushing into dumping more workers, you ought to 140 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: think think about it. And I've said so much to 141 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: the railroad CEOs, all of whom I meet with from 142 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 1: dying to time. So that was Martin Oberman. He's the 143 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: current chair of the US Surface Transportation Board, so he has, 144 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: you know, a close up look at what exactly is 145 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: going on. With the freight railroads. And this gets to 146 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: the backstory of how we got to this place. Basically, 147 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: the uh, you know, the guys who run these railroad 148 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,559 Speaker 1: companies decided, in order to squeeze as high profit margin 149 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: as they possibly could, to lay off a bunch of 150 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: workers over a long period of time. This has been 151 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: an ongoing situation. Now when the pandemic hits, that exacerbates 152 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: the situation. They lay off even more workers. And then 153 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 1: once the pandemic, you know, starts to come to a close, 154 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: and even once they realize in the pandemic that you 155 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: still have a lot of demand for a lot of 156 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: different goods and you really need these supply chains operating 157 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: in order to move goods around, and that's by conflation 158 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: and all of that. They try to recall workers and 159 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: bring them back, but it's just not that simple. And 160 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: so since they don't have the workforce through their own 161 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: doing again, what they've done instead is put the burden 162 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: on the workers who are still there. So they institute 163 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: this point system in terms of how you can take 164 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: days off, that is incredibly onerous. I mean, we have 165 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: played all kinds of worker testimony here and showed you 166 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: how arduous, how really unfair. This ultimately is people unable 167 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: to just take a day off to go to the doctor, 168 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: take care of basic things. There was someone who couldn't 169 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 1: go to the doctor ends up having a heart attack 170 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: and dying. I mean, just horrific, horrific, ownerous burden put 171 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: on them. And this was really the core issue, not 172 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: so much wages. It really was about these work life 173 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: balance conditions and that was what to go through. You know, 174 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: I know we've been covering this a lot, but just 175 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 1: to remind you, the way this worked is first you 176 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 1: had upset, you know, with the railroad workers who initially 177 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: voted to strike. Then, because railroad labor relations are governed 178 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:13,959 Speaker 1: by a separate set of law, the next thing it 179 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 1: happened is the President actually appointed a board to try 180 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: to come to some sort of resolution. Well, what they 181 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: suggested didn't deal with any of these quality of life 182 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 1: issues whatsoever, and so it was basically just siding with 183 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: the bosses. The workers again reject this, and that's how 184 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: we came down to the wire last time around, with 185 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: you know, the Labor Secretary, Marty Walsh and Biden even 186 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: intervening directly, and other I think Pete was involved other 187 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 1: Biden administration officials trying to strike this deal. They come 188 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:44,200 Speaker 1: to a tentative agreement which kicked the ball down the 189 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: road and got us through the midterm elections. That tentative agreement, 190 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: now voted down, leaves us with a question of whether 191 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: or not these workers are going to go on strike, 192 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: which would have, of course, widespread consequences, all because their 193 00:09:58,160 --> 00:09:59,839 Speaker 1: bosses don't want to give them a few days off 194 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 1: because they really screwed the pooch in terms of laying 195 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 1: off all these workers. Or the other option is that 196 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: Congress now could actually intervene and cram down a deal 197 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 1: on the workers and force them into some sort of 198 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: a capitulation. Right, and on the business side, I just 199 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: think it's really worth pulling back and considering how much 200 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: these companies have been basically working for Wall Street, and 201 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: the irony is the workers are getting screwed, and actually 202 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: the customers are getting screwed too. They're not getting cheaper 203 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: freight prices. So consider this. Last year, the seven major 204 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: railways had a combined net income of twenty seven billion dollars. 205 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 1: That's up fifteen billion from a decade earlier, and over 206 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: the past decade six of the seven railways that are 207 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: publicly traded stocks paid out. Listen to this, one hundred 208 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: and forty six billion dollars in stock buybacks and in dividends, 209 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: which is over thirty billion dollars more than cash than 210 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: they had even invested in their business. So you can 211 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: easily have work life balance if you were to just 212 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: hire more employees and cycle them in and out, but 213 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: that would be bad for the stock. And this is 214 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: the funniest thing. Whenever you can look at these numbers, 215 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: you're like, hey, one hundred and forty six billion stock 216 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 1: buy back, let's do one hundred. Just take the forty 217 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 1: six and that you keep the shareholders happy and you 218 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 1: can fill have a decent quality of life. Yeah. One 219 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: of our favorite clips on this is from a Newsmax 220 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 1: interview where one of the hosts was shocked to discover 221 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: what the actual conditions on the railroad are. Let's take 222 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: a listen, David. We did reach out to the Association 223 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: of American Railroads and they say that workers get six 224 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: days and paid time off. But what I want to 225 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: talk to you about is what does this mean for 226 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: Americans if you do go on strike? Well, whoever told 227 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,239 Speaker 1: you we get six days. Our six days is manipulating 228 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: the data. We get paid time off that we earned 229 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: the previous year. Before, before the new policy came about, 230 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,679 Speaker 1: we were allowed to take five days off and two 231 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,439 Speaker 1: weekend days off a month. Now we could take virtually 232 00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:59,679 Speaker 1: one day unpaid off a month and then the only 233 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:01,080 Speaker 1: other time and we could take off as our paid 234 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: time that we had to earn previous year. Yeah, that 235 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 1: does seem ridiculous. They would never let airline pilots do that. 236 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 1: Is that issue? Is that issue number one for members 237 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: number one? And if we go on strike, yes, it 238 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:16,320 Speaker 1: could hurt the economy, it could be bad for society, 239 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 1: but we don't want to do that. None of us 240 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: want to do that. Well, and I know Amtrak a 241 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: artists spend We're not asking We're not asking for the 242 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,560 Speaker 1: world here, We're asking for a few days off a month, 243 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: just been with our family instead of living on our train. 244 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,559 Speaker 1: We spend two hundred and forty to two hundred and 245 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: sixty hours a month sitting on these trains, are sitting 246 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 1: at the hotel rooms away from our families. Amazing moment. Yeah, 247 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:36,959 Speaker 1: I think it's great. People are like, wow, I had 248 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: no idea and you know, we were covering a lot 249 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: of this. The media was not focusing on that and 250 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: the conditions nearly at the time that all machinations and 251 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 1: it was all like one of these guys going to 252 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: go back to work, et cetera. Like, look, you know 253 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: the basic facts here, and also you know, this is 254 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: what we're setting up for our next part. It's very 255 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: likely that this doesn't actually end up in a real 256 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: strike and Congress is going to force them back to work. Unfortunately, 257 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: that is very much Yeah, what it looks like is 258 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: going to happen. So let's go ahead and get to that. 259 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 1: We've already had comments. This was a couple weeks ago. 260 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 1: It was actually right before the midterms. Why we didn't 261 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: have a chance to cover it. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, 262 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: let's put this up on the screen. He says, Congress 263 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,439 Speaker 1: needs to block rail strikes if there are not new deals. 264 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: So as I was just saying, because labor rail relations 265 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: are covered by a separate, separate legal framework, the next 266 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: step that could happen if workers and the rail bosses 267 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,119 Speaker 1: are not able to come to a deal is Congress 268 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:37,839 Speaker 1: could cram down a deal themselves. Now, this came close 269 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: to happening. Before the midterm elections, you had all the 270 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 1: Republicans ready to force on the workers the really terrible 271 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 1: deal that came from Biden's presidential board, from their recommendations 272 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 1: that basically completely sided with the rail bosses. Republicans still 273 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 1: stand ready to vote for that bad deal for workers. 274 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 1: Marty Walsh now in this statement says that without deal, 275 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: he expects Congress will step in and impose contracts on 276 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: the unhappy rank and file union members. So he is 277 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: basically saying, listen, y'all need to come to a deal 278 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:12,680 Speaker 1: or else Congress is going to force you into a deal, 279 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,920 Speaker 1: effectively siding with the Republicans and what their posture was 280 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: before the midterm elections. But even beyond that, it really 281 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 1: takes away the workers leverage. So if you have if 282 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: the rail bosses know that they're likely to get their 283 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: way through Congress anyway, then they're not going to respond to, 284 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: you know, a threat or a potential strike. Instead, they're 285 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 1: just going to wait it out because they feel that 286 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 1: Congress and the Biden administration is likely to side with 287 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 1: them and force a deal that you know, on rank 288 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: and file workers that they have rejected so very very 289 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 1: likely that is where we're headed, since you know, I mean, 290 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: the Biden administration is going to look, They're going to 291 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 1: say it's Christmas time, shopping season, all that stuff. We 292 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: can't have this disruption to the rail to the railways, 293 00:14:57,760 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: and so we're going to side with the business interest 294 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: over the workers because that sort of like efficiency and 295 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: smooth operation in everything is more important to us than 296 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 1: the lives of these workers. I think that makes it 297 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 1: effectively confirmed because we're already in the lame dock. You 298 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: would have the administration that would back it for them. 299 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: It would be a catastrophe to have any sort of 300 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 1: disruption over the holidays. Now, you know, they could pressure 301 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: the rail companies to actually give what these guys what 302 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 1: they want. How about that. That's one option, But they're 303 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: not going to go with that option, it seems as 304 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: of yet. And the companies, as you say, they have 305 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: major Republican allies, the Chamber of Commerce and others are 306 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: lobbying very hard right here in Washington. You know, for 307 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: all of the noise like this is the top of 308 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: what I would imagine that lobbyists on K Street are 309 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: working towards and it seems like they have all their 310 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: ducks in a row. Throw the next one up there 311 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 1: on the screen, please, the Politico tear sheet. This basically 312 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: lays it all out and quoting many of the top 313 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: Republicans on the committees and laying out the path through 314 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 1: which effectively forcing the strike to end if it was triggered, 315 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: if it was triggered in the first place. Yeah, that's right. 316 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: So I mean that's very likely where we're ultimately headed, 317 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 1: which is sad that the Biden administration has already signaled 318 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: they're likely to just give the rail bosses their way 319 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:10,720 Speaker 1: so that, you know, we can make sure that the 320 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 1: Christmas holiday season is not disrupted. Which, listen, I understand 321 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 1: nobody wants these sorts of economy wide shutdowns. It is 322 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: a disaster for farmers, it's a disaster for consumers. It's 323 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 1: a disaster for the country. But as you said very well, 324 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: there is another option here, which is just to you know, 325 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: pressure the companies to give these workers a few days off. 326 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: It really shouldn't be that much of an ask, and 327 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 1: I do want to underscore the fact that it has 328 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: gotten to this point I think really shows you how 329 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: unhappy and how burdensome these workers really find this new system. 330 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: And you know, we have had a lot of talk 331 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 1: about the supply chain, how important it is, how when 332 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: it goes the rails, not to use a bad pun, 333 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 1: how much everybody suffers, how it impacts prices, how all 334 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: of this is incredibly critical, how it's been taken for granted, 335 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: and yet here we have one of the most critical 336 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,360 Speaker 1: pieces of our infrastructure and our supply chain basically being 337 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 1: held hostage by a few rail bosses who want to 338 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: be able to, you know, do their stock buybacks and 339 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: reap as much of a profit as they possibly possibly could. 340 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 1: It is a very poor way to run a country. 341 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:19,639 Speaker 1: It's a very poor way to run an economy. It 342 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: creates all kinds of risks, not just for these workers, 343 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: but for people a nomination. Yeah, I think that's said, 344 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 1: and that's why I thought it was important, you know, 345 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:29,959 Speaker 1: that's why we decided to lead this show with this, 346 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,440 Speaker 1: especially going into the holiday season. Especially you know, when 347 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: we consider there are thousands of people so called temporary workers, 348 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: who are being staffed up in factories and elsewhere to 349 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 1: get stuff that we order on Amazon and to fulfill 350 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: the holiday crush. And this is a little bit of 351 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 1: you know, the cost of what that all takes, and 352 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 1: these people are really invisibilized. You know, nobody's even thought 353 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: about rail workers in this country for what like one 354 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: hundred years. This might be the literally, I think the 355 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: last major rail strike was when nineteen forty six. That's 356 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:02,359 Speaker 1: what kind of spawned. That's the laws around Congress and 357 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 1: its ability to crush the unions and anyway, it's an 358 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:08,120 Speaker 1: interesting part of American history that we used to have 359 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: like real Titanic struggles over and now they're basically invisibilized. Yeah, no, 360 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 1: that's right. I mean there was a monumental rail strike 361 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: that led to like you know, burning of all kinds 362 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 1: of like I mean, militant had to call in the 363 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:21,679 Speaker 1: National Guard, that kind of stuff in our past. The 364 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 1: other thing that I think it's worth saying is, you know, 365 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: this is part of during the pandemic, these workers became 366 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 1: a lot less invisible, and that's why we've seen reverberating 367 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,639 Speaker 1: effects not just with rail workers, but you know, service workers, 368 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: delivery workers, warehouse workers, where you know, they were sort 369 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 1: of intentionally put in the background of American society pre pandemic, 370 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 1: and then when everything shuts down, you can come to 371 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 1: realize like, oh, if these people don't keep working, we're 372 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: really host and so that, you know, I think, really 373 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:53,959 Speaker 1: elevated them in the public's eyes and why so much 374 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: of the public really has been siding with them in 375 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 1: these fights, which was not something that you could take 376 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: for granted before this period. And then the other thing 377 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:03,119 Speaker 1: that I have to say is that, you know, I 378 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 1: think the media has done obviously a very poor job 379 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:08,159 Speaker 1: of covering this whole situation case and point, as you 380 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 1: were pointing out, a lot of the coverage very slanted 381 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 1: towards the portrait that the rail bosses want to paint, 382 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: and didn't even accurately describe the fact that they basically 383 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:20,439 Speaker 1: had a lockout, that they were the ones that were 384 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: risking the economy. You'd have whole articles that went through 385 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: without mentioning any of the quality of life, really legitimate 386 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,120 Speaker 1: concerns of the workers. And then you know, when this 387 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 1: tentative deal was struck, there was very little educating of 388 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: the public of what it actually meant, and that this 389 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,920 Speaker 1: was not like, Okay, we're done, great job by an administration. 390 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:41,919 Speaker 1: Way to go, You've averted a catastrophe, that this was 391 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:44,040 Speaker 1: just the first step and that the rank and file 392 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:46,440 Speaker 1: workers were going to get to say have a say 393 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:49,679 Speaker 1: as well. So anyway, that's where we are. You know, 394 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:51,919 Speaker 1: very likely what's going to happen is Congress is going 395 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 1: to intervene. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh has already stripped these 396 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: workers basically of any leverage, So that's likely where we're heading. 397 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 1: That's right, All right, let's move on to the next one. 398 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: We're doing some fun evergreen stuff today, so let's go ahead. 399 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: Put this up there on the screen. A poll that 400 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: really struck Crystal and I posts the midterms. So we're 401 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 1: looking at verified winning swing voters who helped deliver victories 402 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 1: for Democrats, and who exactly these moderates are who disapproved 403 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 1: of Biden, don't like the MAGA GOP, how they voted 404 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 1: and why exactly. So of the winning swing voters who 405 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 1: supported Democrats in key races were the moderates who actually 406 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 1: disapproved of Biden. This is actually a common phenomenon. A 407 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: lot of these people voted for Trump also in the past. 408 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:37,680 Speaker 1: So who are they? Well. Party identification roughly split forty 409 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:41,400 Speaker 1: two percent Democrat, nineteen independent, thirty nine percent Republican, which 410 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:45,360 Speaker 1: led to a net Democratic victory of plus three. Now ideology, 411 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 1: the vast majority of these people sixty three percent consider 412 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:51,600 Speaker 1: themselves quote moderate and twenty percent conservative. They also voted 413 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: for Biden. Of them their approval rating, Biden's approval rating 414 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: was only thirty four percent. Sixty four percent disapproved, so 415 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 1: he had a minus thirty approval rating amongst these people, 416 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: and the Democrats still won their votes. Now economic approval, 417 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 1: same thing, seventy percent disagreement and twenty nine percent approval 418 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 1: on Biden's economic But and I think this is the 419 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: key favorability towards MAGA Republicans eighteen percent twenty one for independence, 420 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 1: sixty one unfavorable, a net unfavorability of minus forty three. 421 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 1: And what actually strikes me is if you compare that 422 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: to Trump, MAGA Republicans were found to be more unfavorable 423 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 1: than Trump himself. Is that interesting? Yeah? Well, actually it 424 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:38,119 Speaker 1: totally tracks. Because look, with Trump, you could say this, 425 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,399 Speaker 1: he's funny, you know, he has his own unique personal dynamism. 426 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 1: But Boldock, you know, uh Lauren Bobert, Blake Masters, Yeah, 427 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,120 Speaker 1: they're not. They're not pulling it off the same way 428 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: he does. They don't have the star power. I think 429 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: is a very kind way of saying it. So when 430 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,399 Speaker 1: I look at that, it actually shows you that these 431 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: maga type clowns really were such a massive drag on 432 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: the ticket. And I also think that if you continue down, 433 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,639 Speaker 1: we don't have necessarily on the elements on this. But 434 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:14,440 Speaker 1: the best reasons that these voters decided to back Democrats 435 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 1: were healthcare, abortion January sixth, and the environment. But the 436 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 1: Scotist ruling on abortion is one that strikes out to 437 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: me so heavily crystal because amongst these swing voters, it 438 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:31,640 Speaker 1: was winning Democrats by forty eight percent for people who 439 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 1: disapproved of the overturning of Roe versus Wade. That was 440 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 1: by and large the single biggest driving factor for a 441 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 1: lot of these people. So it proves really kind of 442 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: our snap takeaways from the election, which was bad candidates 443 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:49,920 Speaker 1: and abortion were two massive drags on the Republican Party, 444 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: and a lot of GOP people are willing to admit 445 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: the bad candidate part, but they don't want to touch abortion, 446 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 1: even though it is literally the area where they are 447 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 1: most out of step with the swing voters and mostly 448 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 1: the America. You know, it's interesting too because tied with 449 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:09,040 Speaker 1: Scotus and overturning abortion rights. For the greatest reason to 450 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 1: support Democrats was actually the cost of quality health care 451 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,200 Speaker 1: and prescription drugs. You know. Democrats didn't do a lot 452 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: on it, you know, and they didn't even tout it 453 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 1: all that much, but the fact that they even touched 454 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: on trying to lower the cost of insulin for a 455 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: subset of the public, apparently that landed with voters and 456 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:29,080 Speaker 1: it was very clear to them the Republicans were on 457 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: the other side of that. So I thought to me 458 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: that was a surprising takeaway. Future of Social Security and 459 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: medicare also ranked decently high in terms of reasons to 460 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: support Democrats over Republicans. That was kind of a late 461 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 1: push that Democrats made in terms of their messaging, and 462 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: got a little assist there from a Senator Rick Scott, 463 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 1: who of course had suggested that in his like Well plan, 464 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:52,680 Speaker 1: he put out much of the chagrin of Mitch McConnell 465 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:55,679 Speaker 1: and continued to talk about, you know, how they wanted 466 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:59,680 Speaker 1: to Their words are like preserve entitlements, which always means 467 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: us were going to court them, yeah, reform exactly, preserve 468 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:04,880 Speaker 1: them for future generations. When you hear that, that means 469 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: they want to cut it. Yeah, I don't know if 470 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,439 Speaker 1: you saw the political genius. Paul Ryan says that he 471 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,440 Speaker 1: doesn't think entitlement reform will be quote as toxic as 472 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 1: it once was. My dude, Okay, some people never learn 473 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 1: they truly they's truely. I guess in a way he 474 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: does believe it, So there's some credit to that. Let's 475 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:21,679 Speaker 1: pull the next one up there on the screen. This 476 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: is really fascinating, and this is something you and I 477 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: have been kind of obsessed with. Which is that right now? 478 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: If you look at a recent poll, this is twenty 479 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:31,880 Speaker 1: fifteen people quote corporate greed is one of the most 480 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 1: pressing issues facing our country. Our political leaders are either 481 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,640 Speaker 1: in their pockets or never get around to doing anything 482 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:44,920 Speaker 1: to changing things. Agree, seventy six percent disagree, twenty four 483 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,159 Speaker 1: like that. People. I love that. Who are you who 484 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: thinks that that is not true? Why does that matter? 485 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:53,639 Speaker 1: That is a big change. It's a big shift in 486 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:58,360 Speaker 1: the way that Americans and specifically Republicans think about enterprise. 487 00:24:58,440 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: I mean, we don't have to go back that far. 488 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: Twenty twelve The Makers and Takers Election. Paul Ryan is 489 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 1: the twenty twelve nominee bang CAPITALMI corporations are people. Corporations 490 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: are people too, my friend. I mean, there's so many 491 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:14,280 Speaker 1: classic quotes which really just dragged the GOP down in 492 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,760 Speaker 1: so many of these areas. That's how Barack Obama won 493 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 1: Ohio again, even though the economy wasn't that great, even 494 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 1: though really, if he looked at the polling like it 495 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,720 Speaker 1: wasn't nearly as big of a blowout as the electoral 496 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:29,359 Speaker 1: College would make it, he was quite vulnerable. It's just 497 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 1: that they ran so clownlessly and Obama was able to 498 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 1: paint Mitt Romney as like a corporate stooge. Yeah, I mean, 499 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:37,639 Speaker 1: I remember Obama had that website. It was like how 500 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: much more in taxis did you pay than Mitt Romney? 501 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: That stuff is devastating. Well, I mean is it is 502 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:46,439 Speaker 1: really interesting to me because I was thinking about this 503 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:49,479 Speaker 1: wasn't just a shift in attitude of like, you know, 504 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 1: the sort of like rhetorical shift that the Republican Party 505 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 1: has made with regards to corporations and working people. This 506 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 1: is a shift in the base. And what it signals 507 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 1: to me is that, you know, the base was really 508 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 1: ready after all these years of neoliberalism and the clear 509 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: like consolidation of corporate power and how really sort of 510 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 1: almost authoritarian it is, just how influential it is in 511 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,640 Speaker 1: American life. The Republican base was ready for that message. 512 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: They were ready to hear a critique of corporate power. 513 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 1: Now Trump offered a little bit of that in terms 514 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: again rhetorically. Now from a policy perspective, the only thing 515 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 1: you could really point to, and I do think this 516 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 1: is significant, is a very different posture towards trait, which 517 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 1: was a break from not just Republican orthodoxy, but you know, 518 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,879 Speaker 1: bipartisan orthodoxy in Washington. And so it almost created a 519 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 1: permission structure for the base to have their own critique 520 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:49,359 Speaker 1: of corporate power. Now, the question is, and this is 521 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:52,400 Speaker 1: what I've been thinking about with regards to these election results, 522 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:54,959 Speaker 1: and why the you know, economic message from the Republicans 523 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:59,160 Speaker 1: wasn't enough. Is it seems like it's no longer sufficient 524 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 1: for them just to say, like the economy's bad, or 525 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,639 Speaker 1: to just rhetorically sort of gesture towards a check on 526 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 1: corporate power. There's going to have to be some more 527 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 1: there there or else, you know, their own voters are 528 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:15,199 Speaker 1: going to see through what is just a like rhetorical 529 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:19,359 Speaker 1: feint and sort of like anti corporate virtue signaling, and 530 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 1: that holds for the Democratic Party as well. It's no 531 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:24,400 Speaker 1: longer going to be enough to just you know, say 532 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 1: the words. They're going to have to actually challenge corporate power. 533 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:28,639 Speaker 1: I do think the Biden administration is doing that a 534 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: little bit with their antitrust moves, in particular with their 535 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: personnel on the National Labor Relations Board. But this is 536 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: going to be a force in American politics that's going 537 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 1: to be, I think, very difficult to resist, even as 538 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:42,760 Speaker 1: of course you have all of the big money interests 539 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:45,359 Speaker 1: lined up with that twenty four percent or whatever on 540 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:47,119 Speaker 1: the other side. Yeah, I think that's right. You know. 541 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: Interestingly enough, Senator Josh Holly out with an op ed. 542 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: He's trying to retcon the GOP autopsis. Put this up 543 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:54,679 Speaker 1: there on the screen. He put out, this is, frankly, 544 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 1: in my opinion, much better than the JD. Vantages. Let's say, 545 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:02,639 Speaker 1: he says, quote the GOP is dead. A new GOP 546 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 1: must listen to working people. He says, quote the old 547 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 1: Republican Party is dead, has been wasting away for years. 548 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:10,879 Speaker 1: This month's midterms are finishing blow now. Quote many Republicans 549 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,120 Speaker 1: are primed to learn the wrong lessons. Over the past week, 550 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: we've heard this election is about nothing more than candidate quality. Wrong. 551 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,840 Speaker 1: The problem isn't principally the tactics. The problem is a substance. 552 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: For the past two years, the Republican establishment has capitulated 553 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,919 Speaker 1: on issue after issue, caving to Democrats on the Second Amendment, 554 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:28,480 Speaker 1: off the left's climate agenda. These Republican politicians sided with 555 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: big pharma on insulin and advocated lowering tariffs on our 556 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:35,679 Speaker 1: competitors overseas. They then wonder why working class independents have 557 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: little enthusiasm about voting Republicans. They have now for a 558 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 1: decade song where SMITL. Muertoon on economics, they cut taxes 559 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 1: on big corporations and talked about changing Social Security and Medicare. 560 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: George W. Bush even tried to do this in the 561 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:50,640 Speaker 1: name of growth. The same Republicans have supported ruinous trade policies. 562 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: The tax and trade agenda has haulowed out too many 563 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 1: American towns. So it's kind of a familiar script. It's interesting. 564 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: Whether it will be paired with anything is the real question. 565 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 1: And I wanted to get to this final part, and 566 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: I'm curious for your thoughts, says quote we need explicit 567 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: support in our tax code for marriage and family, a 568 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: parent tax credit for working families. We should adopt new 569 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 1: protections for parents who ensure they control their children's educations 570 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 1: and medical care. And families cannot thrive unless they are safe. 571 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: That's why we need one hundred thousand new police officers 572 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: on the streets. Right now. The Republican Party stands at 573 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 1: a crossroads. Its leaders can resurrect the dead consensus of offshoring, amnesty, 574 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: and free trade. That is just the path to further losses. So, 575 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know. It's interesting because he really 576 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: is kind of alone in the way that he's taking 577 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,880 Speaker 1: this away. That said, part of the reason why I 578 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,560 Speaker 1: have seen both JD. Josh and many others who are 579 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: very MAGA aligned not want to lean into candidate quality 580 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: is because doing that is implicitly a critique of Trump. 581 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: We haven't had a chance, I don't know chrys Over 582 00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: to even dissect Vance's autopsy, and he was like, don't 583 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 1: blame Trump. He said the problem was money. And here's 584 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 1: the thing, Okay, silly, let's accept this. Who do you 585 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 1: think stole all the money? It's Trump. Trump. He's the 586 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 1: one who during his fundraising would take eighty percent or 587 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: ninety percent, would endorse people like Blake Masters and basically 588 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: hang him out to dry and make Mitch McConnell spend 589 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: all the money. It's like, Trump, You've got one hundred 590 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: and fifty million in the bank. You can spend big time. 591 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: My man, you got all the money and fundraising apparatus 592 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 1: in the world. And yet every time he fund raises 593 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,000 Speaker 1: forherschel Walker, he takes ninety nine to nine point nine 594 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 1: percent of the dollars that are raised. It's absurd. I 595 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: think it's ninety percent, but yeah, so bad. It's it's 596 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: ridiculous if you're mad about money. Trump is actually the 597 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:32,720 Speaker 1: He's the problem. He sucks it all up. Yeah, I 598 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: mean I had to laugh at at JD's autopsy because, yeah, 599 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 1: he it was just so clearly an attempt to be 600 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:43,640 Speaker 1: Trump has nothing to do with it. Said, don't blame Trump. Yeah, like, look, 601 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,120 Speaker 1: he wanted he wanted mar A Lago to see that 602 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: little headline. I mean, it was very transparent what was 603 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 1: going on there. And then he's like, the problem is 604 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 1: Act Blue, which is literally just a platform for raising 605 00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 1: for Democrats to raise money online. Republicans have a version 606 00:30:59,920 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 1: of that too. By the way, it's called win read. 607 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: So if your grassroots base isn't excited enough to donate money, 608 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:08,560 Speaker 1: it's not because you're just like lacking the mechanics of 609 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 1: an online fundraising blob. It was ridiculous getting back to 610 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 1: the Josh Holly one, because I think it is more interesting. Listen, 611 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: some of this stuff, obviously Democrats don't agree with and 612 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,200 Speaker 1: wouldn't go along with. Some of this I definitely disagree with. 613 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: I mean, in particular, like green industrial policy is good 614 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 1: and would be good for the working class, and you know, 615 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:28,360 Speaker 1: there should be a partner there if you're actually interested 616 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,160 Speaker 1: in like building the working class whatever. Put that aside. 617 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: There are a few things here that obviously Democrats could 618 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: work with him on. I mean, some of the big 619 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: tech stuff, new anti trust laws he says for big tech. 620 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: Democrats have a by part, there are bipartisan bills that 621 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:46,040 Speaker 1: could deal with some of these issues. Does Holly or 622 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 1: any other subset of the Republican Caucus do they actually 623 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:50,840 Speaker 1: look to work with Democrats on that. You know, a 624 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 1: potential parent tax credit for working for this is something 625 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 1: that Democrats have been talking about to their credit. I 626 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 1: mean there are a few Romney Marco Rubios, that's something 627 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 1: about I mean, there have been a few Republicans who 628 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: have like floated the idea of maybe we could get 629 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,680 Speaker 1: on board with something to this effect, But do they 630 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: actually go and do they actually work with Democrats on 631 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:11,440 Speaker 1: passing something that they all could agree with. So, you know, 632 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 1: I mean, I also have to I also have to 633 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:17,880 Speaker 1: note there's no mention here whatsoever of the union fights 634 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:20,400 Speaker 1: that we cover here, the labor struggles, which are the 635 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 1: most significant thing happening for working people in the country 636 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:25,600 Speaker 1: right now arguably, So to just sort of like ignore 637 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:27,600 Speaker 1: that and put it off the table also calls for 638 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:31,920 Speaker 1: me in to question your seriousness. And ultimately, where this 639 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:36,000 Speaker 1: attempted wing of the party of the Republican Party has 640 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 1: failed is on two counts. Number one, rather than having 641 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 1: an overall systemic critique of corporate power, it's like specific 642 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,480 Speaker 1: to let's say, the CEO of Disney or, in Marker 643 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 1: Reviews case, the woke HR executive at Amazon, rather than 644 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:54,480 Speaker 1: a sweeping critique that would lead to those curbs of power, 645 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:56,680 Speaker 1: which you know, something like anti anti trust regulation that 646 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 1: he floats here would get to more of a systemic critique. 647 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: So can they get to that broader discussion rather than 648 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:05,280 Speaker 1: just focusing on like this or that executive who said 649 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 1: some woke thing that they don't like. Okay, that's number one. 650 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:11,600 Speaker 1: Number two, this is the big problem is we've heard 651 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:14,280 Speaker 1: these noises from Josh Holly before, and then what does 652 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 1: he do? He leans into January sixth. I mean, that's 653 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:19,960 Speaker 1: how he became sort of like a Maga figure and 654 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: Maga hero. And that's why he and JD. Vance aren't 655 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:27,480 Speaker 1: going to have more colleagues who might think differently than 656 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: them joining them in the Senate and joining them over 657 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 1: in the House is because they've tied themselves into this 658 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:39,320 Speaker 1: very conspiratorial part of the Republican Party, which is wildly 659 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:42,280 Speaker 1: unpopular with the general public. So as long as those 660 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:44,960 Speaker 1: two things are married together, you're really going to be 661 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 1: running into a wall in terms of your electability. I 662 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 1: would add a third element to that, which they also 663 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,000 Speaker 1: tend to be the most socially conservative members like you. 664 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:54,520 Speaker 1: That's good, that's a good pinto as well, you know. 665 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know what JD's ever said on 666 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:00,200 Speaker 1: a national abortion ban. I'm pretty sure I don't know 667 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:03,000 Speaker 1: if he's ever endorsed it necessarily, but both him and 668 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 1: Ali are like major pro life warriors. That's fine, you know, 669 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:09,120 Speaker 1: but take a look at the election results in the polling, 670 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:13,239 Speaker 1: it's an interesting amalgam. So look, we'll see. The point is, though, 671 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 1: is that somebody will eventually have to fill it, because 672 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:17,800 Speaker 1: let's go to the next one. And this just buttresses 673 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 1: the point that we were making about the change. Research 674 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 1: poll Republicans' views of banks and large corporations have become 675 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:27,799 Speaker 1: way less positive since twenty nineteen. So just in a 676 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:32,239 Speaker 1: two three year shift, we have now gone consider this 677 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 1: banks and other financial institutions. Republicans in August of twenty nineteen, 678 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 1: sixty three percent say it has a positive effect. Today 679 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:45,440 Speaker 1: thirty eight percent. Yeah, large corporations August twenty nineteen fifty 680 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 1: four percent, October twenty twenty two, twenty six percent. August 681 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:54,120 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, Technology companies fifty eight percent, today forty percent. 682 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:56,279 Speaker 1: It's actually Democrats are the only ones who still have 683 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:59,440 Speaker 1: a positive view of technology. I bet Elon's tank and 684 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:01,080 Speaker 1: that for them, and so you might be right. So 685 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,960 Speaker 1: actually maybe it's a good thing. But what other than 686 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:07,319 Speaker 1: tech companies where Dems have relatively kept a flat thing. 687 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:10,759 Speaker 1: You have banks and financial institutions and large corporations all 688 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:14,920 Speaker 1: taking a what minus twenty five at minimum, I mean 689 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 1: drop in approval rating across the board all parties. Yeah, 690 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:22,240 Speaker 1: so Republicans, Democrats, and independents. So look, we're living really 691 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,760 Speaker 1: in the anti corporate moment. You now have the large 692 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:29,880 Speaker 1: swats of the people across everyone who have no support 693 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 1: for banks in major financial institutions. And I think it's 694 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 1: also interesting to go through who actually has some support 695 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 1: within the public, and that's that graph for those who 696 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:41,799 Speaker 1: are watching. On the right, you'll see small business, the military, 697 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: k through twelve, public schools, labor unions, churches and religious organizations, 698 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:48,759 Speaker 1: colleges and universities. We'll see if we can do something 699 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:52,359 Speaker 1: about that one. Technology companies, banks and financial institutions are 700 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:54,960 Speaker 1: the ones who are negative, and large corporations. So right 701 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:59,359 Speaker 1: now two of the only places with basically no popularity 702 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:02,640 Speaker 1: in the public in terms of non governmental institutions banks 703 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:07,160 Speaker 1: and large corporations. So eventually something has to give on 704 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:08,759 Speaker 1: that front. I don't know if it will come in 705 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:11,440 Speaker 1: this iteration. And as we have now found out in politics, 706 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: like people can want something, it may take two decades 707 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:15,799 Speaker 1: to even get it. But like you look at this 708 00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:18,279 Speaker 1: and like something's going to happen, there's just simply no, 709 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:21,120 Speaker 1: there's no way to consider that it will just float 710 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:23,560 Speaker 1: off into the ether. I think things are already happening. 711 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:27,240 Speaker 1: I mean it's not enough, right, it's a little baby steps. 712 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 1: But again, the Biden administration taking a different approach on 713 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:35,560 Speaker 1: antitrust and even a handful of Republicans talking about antitrust 714 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 1: in a different way, that really represents a sea change 715 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:43,280 Speaker 1: in American politics. And it's not because Biden is great, 716 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:47,359 Speaker 1: or he's visionary or he's like done with neoliberalism. That's 717 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:51,320 Speaker 1: a response. Biden has always situated himself where he thinks 718 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:53,640 Speaker 1: the center of public opinion and the center of the 719 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:57,160 Speaker 1: Democratic Party ultimately is So if you see him move 720 00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:59,400 Speaker 1: on an issue and him going for you know, a 721 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 1: different to anti trust, is definitely him moving on an 722 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 1: issue that's a reflection of the American public being in 723 00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:09,840 Speaker 1: a very different place. So again it's baby steps. But 724 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:12,160 Speaker 1: when you talk about, you know, the type of personnel 725 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:14,640 Speaker 1: they put in place, some of the fights that they've 726 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:18,000 Speaker 1: taken on. Yesterday we covered that they're the DOJ Underbinen 727 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: is investigating Ticketmaster and the Live Nation merger that went 728 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:26,640 Speaker 1: through under Obama. So you can already see the wheels 729 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:29,919 Speaker 1: starting to turn. How quickly does it turn? Who takes 730 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:32,399 Speaker 1: advantage of it? None of this is inevitable. There can 731 00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:35,560 Speaker 1: be backsliding. All of those things are the case. But 732 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:38,560 Speaker 1: I think you're right that ultimately this level of pressure 733 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:41,280 Speaker 1: from seventy five percent of the public is not something 734 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:45,040 Speaker 1: that you can resist forever. So it's going to be 735 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:47,239 Speaker 1: you know, it's going to be interesting to see. You're 736 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:49,800 Speaker 1: going to have some interesting different characters in the Senate 737 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:53,000 Speaker 1: coming up. You could have, you know, if they chose 738 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:55,880 Speaker 1: to work together, you could have an interesting populist caucus. 739 00:37:55,920 --> 00:38:00,120 Speaker 1: You could have John Fetterman and Josh Hawlly, like I'm 740 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:02,440 Speaker 1: going to get out a child tax credit. I'm not 741 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:05,080 Speaker 1: holding my breath for that. But you never know how 742 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:07,680 Speaker 1: these things might ultimately unfold. Yeah, I think jdu actually 743 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:11,319 Speaker 1: will probably introduce some very interesting legislation. I know some 744 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:12,640 Speaker 1: of the people who are working for him, they're very 745 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:15,759 Speaker 1: very bright individuals. And look, what do you where is 746 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 1: it on trade or where do you think he's different 747 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:19,719 Speaker 1: from the like Reagan consensus. I think trade is going 748 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:21,400 Speaker 1: to be a big one. I think trade in China 749 00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:22,719 Speaker 1: are going to be like some of them, and those 750 00:38:22,719 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 1: are one of the air els of the areas with 751 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,319 Speaker 1: like the most bipartisan crossover right, especially given shared brown 752 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:29,040 Speaker 1: So I think they're going to have some smart They 753 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:30,920 Speaker 1: have two they have two tactics. A. They need to 754 00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:32,480 Speaker 1: shore up their right flank, so they're going to have 755 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:35,440 Speaker 1: some culture stuff, which probably most people won't be happy 756 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:36,839 Speaker 1: with who are on the left. But at the same time, 757 00:38:36,880 --> 00:38:39,040 Speaker 1: I think they're going to have some major fights on 758 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:43,120 Speaker 1: the corporate front, on financial institutions, regulatory That's something Marco 759 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:46,640 Speaker 1: Rubio's Mian spearheading for a long time, not just on semiconductors, 760 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:49,360 Speaker 1: but literally on like major index I've talked about some 761 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:51,640 Speaker 1: of it here over the years, like index funds and 762 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:54,799 Speaker 1: the way that they invest in major Chinese corporations, uh, 763 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:57,360 Speaker 1: the way that the State Department and all that handles that. 764 00:38:57,520 --> 00:38:59,720 Speaker 1: Some of this will be deep in the regulatory weeds, 765 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 1: but really really matters, So we'll see. Again. I will 766 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:06,160 Speaker 1: withhold judgment until we actually see it, but knowing the 767 00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:08,120 Speaker 1: people are working for him, I expect some very interesting 768 00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:09,560 Speaker 1: stuff to come out. The last thing I want to 769 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:11,960 Speaker 1: say about this that just going back to the beginning 770 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:14,360 Speaker 1: the polling that we initially showed about like the winning 771 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:17,440 Speaker 1: swing voters, and the thing that really characterized them as 772 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:19,680 Speaker 1: they were negative on Biden and they were negative on 773 00:39:19,719 --> 00:39:22,279 Speaker 1: Trump and the Republicans guardy. So these were people who 774 00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:25,440 Speaker 1: were like not happy with anyone and they ultimately swung 775 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:28,399 Speaker 1: a little bit towards Democrats, and when they went through 776 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:32,040 Speaker 1: and pulled them on Democratic accomplishments, including the Chips Act, 777 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:35,840 Speaker 1: including the inflation reduction, including the Infrastructure Bill, including the Packsack, 778 00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:39,759 Speaker 1: which was health care for veterans who were injured by 779 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:43,200 Speaker 1: toxic burn pits. All of that was really really really 780 00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:45,839 Speaker 1: popular and some of it, I mean, the Chips Act 781 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:50,000 Speaker 1: very clearly has this sort of like new industrial policy direction. 782 00:39:50,239 --> 00:39:53,880 Speaker 1: So clearly these are things that have a big bipartisan 783 00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:58,000 Speaker 1: consensus for them, even among people who are like really 784 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,080 Speaker 1: not into either one of these parties. Another thing I 785 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:02,399 Speaker 1: would say to Josh Holly here, who, Yeah, I think 786 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:04,719 Speaker 1: in partop at is an attempt to distract from like, 787 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,960 Speaker 1: you know, some really obvious blame that Donald Trump deserves. 788 00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:11,120 Speaker 1: But he's got a real point on the insulin piece, 789 00:40:11,239 --> 00:40:14,080 Speaker 1: because that was more important to voters than I mean, 790 00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:16,640 Speaker 1: this analysis says that was actually really important to voters, 791 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:19,200 Speaker 1: and they were actually paying attention about which party was 792 00:40:19,239 --> 00:40:22,200 Speaker 1: on which side. So it is kind of heartening to 793 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:25,120 Speaker 1: see this polling that some of the substance here did 794 00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:28,080 Speaker 1: ultimately matter to people, even as their continue to be 795 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:30,960 Speaker 1: disgusted with the corruption of both political classes. Oh, it's 796 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:37,080 Speaker 1: definitely correct, all right, speaking of corrotion about political classes, 797 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:39,600 Speaker 1: we have some new reporting for The New York Times 798 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:43,080 Speaker 1: about some of the latest business dealings from former President Trump, 799 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:45,440 Speaker 1: and it is really something. Let's go ahead and put 800 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:49,200 Speaker 1: this up on the screen. This is from Eric Lipton 801 00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:52,800 Speaker 1: and Maggie Haberman. The headline here says Trump families newest 802 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:55,960 Speaker 1: partners Middle Eastern governments. The government of Oman is a 803 00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:57,920 Speaker 1: partner in a real estate deal signed last week by 804 00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:01,759 Speaker 1: the former president, intensifying questions about potential conflict as he 805 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:04,960 Speaker 1: seeks the White House. Again. Let me just read you 806 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:08,319 Speaker 1: a little bit of the details here. So they say, 807 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:11,160 Speaker 1: when former President Trump returned briefly last week to his 808 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:13,439 Speaker 1: office at Trump Tower in New York, he was joined 809 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:16,319 Speaker 1: by his son Eric and the top executive of a 810 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:18,960 Speaker 1: Saudi Arabian real estate company to sign a deal that 811 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:21,719 Speaker 1: creates new conflict of interest questions for his just launch 812 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:25,520 Speaker 1: presidential campaign. Here are the specifics. The deal is with 813 00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:28,160 Speaker 1: the Saudi real estate company, which intends to build a 814 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:30,680 Speaker 1: Trump branded hotel, et cetera, etc. As part of a 815 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:35,000 Speaker 1: four billion real estate four billion dollar real estate project 816 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:39,480 Speaker 1: in Oman. But here's the real kicker. It's not just 817 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: with this Saudi company. This project is backed directly by 818 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:49,279 Speaker 1: the government of Oman itself. Now you couple this with 819 00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:54,920 Speaker 1: the live golf deals that Trump now has also directly 820 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:57,799 Speaker 1: with the Saudi government, and these are really Now you 821 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:00,400 Speaker 1: might like your eyes might glaze over or at all 822 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:02,640 Speaker 1: of the conflicts of interest that Trump has long had, 823 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:05,120 Speaker 1: including diplomats saying at his hotels, all of those things. 824 00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:08,160 Speaker 1: But I wanted to really point these out because it 825 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:12,759 Speaker 1: is very different for him to have a direct financial 826 00:42:12,880 --> 00:42:16,879 Speaker 1: interest and entanglements with a foreign government. So obviously he's 827 00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:19,759 Speaker 1: had all kinds of projects all over the world. This 828 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,200 Speaker 1: is the first time, at least in his presidential era, 829 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:24,480 Speaker 1: that we've been able to see that there is a 830 00:42:24,680 --> 00:42:28,360 Speaker 1: direct business deal now with the Saudi government and with 831 00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:31,839 Speaker 1: the government of Oman. So I mean this is as 832 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:35,560 Speaker 1: direct as it could possibly get in terms of corruption, 833 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:38,320 Speaker 1: in terms of conflict of interest, in terms of calling 834 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:41,960 Speaker 1: into question what Trump's policy is in the Middle East 835 00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:44,960 Speaker 1: and throughout the world. And I also think it's important 836 00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 1: to put this on the table at the same time 837 00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:50,879 Speaker 1: that as Counterpoints covered last week, the Republicans are all in. 838 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:53,440 Speaker 1: The very first thing that the Republicans once they took 839 00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:56,680 Speaker 1: the House announced is they're going to investigate Joe Biden 840 00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:00,320 Speaker 1: and how he was connected to Hunter. Biden's business deals overseas. Okay, 841 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:02,480 Speaker 1: that's all well and good, but if you don't have 842 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:06,600 Speaker 1: anything to say about this Trump directly having business dealings 843 00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:10,560 Speaker 1: with foreign governments, then obviously that's always the issue. And look, 844 00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:13,160 Speaker 1: lucky for us, we've got Hunter and we've got Trump 845 00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:15,040 Speaker 1: in the show. I've always thought this is the great 846 00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:18,400 Speaker 1: handle of the Trump administration, which is just the unbelievable 847 00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:21,280 Speaker 1: like foreign graft that they're willing to accept and nobody 848 00:43:21,320 --> 00:43:25,200 Speaker 1: really did any proper investigation. They did some bullshit Russiagate, 849 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:28,200 Speaker 1: you know. Instead, look even just yet last week we 850 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:32,800 Speaker 1: got a new report that the Trump hotel receipts reveal 851 00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:37,239 Speaker 1: ten five hundred dollars a night rooms for foreign officials 852 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:40,680 Speaker 1: that were trying to influence US policy. Those include the 853 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:46,239 Speaker 1: governments of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, China, and Malaysia, 854 00:43:46,280 --> 00:43:49,279 Speaker 1: who all spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at the 855 00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:52,520 Speaker 1: Trump Hotel at the same time they were literally in 856 00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:56,240 Speaker 1: town to try and influence the US government. They include 857 00:43:56,280 --> 00:43:59,600 Speaker 1: the Prime Minister of Malaysia and his delegation spent two 858 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:03,759 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty grand in a single week. You know, 859 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,000 Speaker 1: they even charged fifteen hundred dollars a day for a 860 00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:12,960 Speaker 1: personal trainer to accompany him, ten grand for quote coffee breaks. Look, 861 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:16,760 Speaker 1: all of this is clearly like there's an exchange of something. 862 00:44:17,080 --> 00:44:19,520 Speaker 1: I've always said that the most disgusting part of the 863 00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:22,880 Speaker 1: quote perfect phone call with Zelenski, back when Zelenski was 864 00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:25,040 Speaker 1: a different figure for all of us, when he's like, oh, 865 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:28,400 Speaker 1: mister President, we stayed at the Trump Hotel and I 866 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:30,759 Speaker 1: was like, that's disgusting. Then, like, really that is the 867 00:44:30,840 --> 00:44:35,120 Speaker 1: actual you know, pay to play that people really should 868 00:44:35,160 --> 00:44:38,040 Speaker 1: focus on. And look, nobody ever has anything to say. 869 00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:39,920 Speaker 1: And this is a long standing pattern now for Trump 870 00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:41,800 Speaker 1: and the officials. So if the Trump government now or 871 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:44,239 Speaker 1: the Trump organization now and a direct deal with the 872 00:44:44,280 --> 00:44:47,960 Speaker 1: foreign government and having now taken Saudi cash. Jared Kushner 873 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:51,560 Speaker 1: bailed out by the Saudi Arabians, specifically bailed out because 874 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,200 Speaker 1: we know internal Saudi documents said that his fund should 875 00:44:54,239 --> 00:44:57,600 Speaker 1: not receive the billion dollars in investment. He received it anyway, 876 00:44:57,680 --> 00:45:02,319 Speaker 1: being directly overruled by MBS and Secretary Mnution. Literally his 877 00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:05,720 Speaker 1: Treasury secretary also has a new hedge fund backed entirely 878 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:09,040 Speaker 1: almost by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. So these people 879 00:45:09,200 --> 00:45:11,560 Speaker 1: are putting down payments on because they love Trump, they 880 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:14,040 Speaker 1: love his policy towards them while he was in office, 881 00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:16,200 Speaker 1: and they hope that he wins and that he comes back. 882 00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:20,560 Speaker 1: It's like, Okay, I'm here and have done extensive monologues 883 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:23,000 Speaker 1: on the Hunter, Biden laptop, the Big Guy, about the 884 00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:30,880 Speaker 1: China dealings, about Rosemont Holdings, BHR holdings, of which hunters 885 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:33,799 Speaker 1: on board. We can go toe to toe on the details, yes, 886 00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:35,840 Speaker 1: for all that, but it's like nobody ever wants to 887 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:40,160 Speaker 1: talk about this. Yeah, I if you aren't, if your 888 00:45:40,239 --> 00:45:43,640 Speaker 1: news outlet isn't able to see corruption in the Trump 889 00:45:43,719 --> 00:45:46,759 Speaker 1: family and you talk about Hunter and the laptop and 890 00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:49,520 Speaker 1: the Biden family. They're not giving you a complete picture. 891 00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:51,200 Speaker 1: I mean, I think that's just a bottom line, like 892 00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:54,880 Speaker 1: little litmus test for you there, because this is this 893 00:45:54,960 --> 00:45:58,400 Speaker 1: is next level. I mean, imagine, just imagine what the 894 00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:02,400 Speaker 1: right would say if Joe Biden had a direct deal 895 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:06,360 Speaker 1: with the Chinese government, with the Omani government, with the 896 00:46:06,400 --> 00:46:09,640 Speaker 1: Saudi government, and these are countries that we have very 897 00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:13,440 Speaker 1: challenging and delicate relationships with. I think Ken Klippenstein is 898 00:46:13,440 --> 00:46:15,520 Speaker 1: going to be covering for us the fact that now 899 00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:18,319 Speaker 1: that the midterms are over, Saudi's like, oh, maybe we 900 00:46:18,360 --> 00:46:21,759 Speaker 1: will increase OPEC protection. They have clearly decided to be 901 00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:26,719 Speaker 1: basically like overtly partisan actors, clearly on the side of 902 00:46:26,960 --> 00:46:30,799 Speaker 1: Trump funneling money to him through livgalf funneling money into 903 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:33,960 Speaker 1: Jared Kushner two billion dollars through that fund. As you said, 904 00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:36,920 Speaker 1: MBS overruling the judgment that like, yeah, this guy's really 905 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:38,400 Speaker 1: not up to getting this kind of money. He's like, 906 00:46:38,440 --> 00:46:40,120 Speaker 1: we don't care, We're going to send it to him anyway. 907 00:46:40,600 --> 00:46:42,640 Speaker 1: And then the Omani government, I think they were the 908 00:46:42,680 --> 00:46:46,279 Speaker 1: only government in the region that did not sign onto 909 00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:49,360 Speaker 1: the Abraham Accords that were struck by Jared Kushner. So 910 00:46:49,840 --> 00:46:52,200 Speaker 1: you know, there's questions about trying to end the war, 911 00:46:52,239 --> 00:46:55,480 Speaker 1: and yeahmen, all of these countries are tangled up in 912 00:46:55,920 --> 00:46:58,759 Speaker 1: those questions of foreign policy, and the last thing you 913 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:01,680 Speaker 1: want is a press who you have to ask is 914 00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:04,600 Speaker 1: this Are you acting the best interests of the American people? 915 00:47:04,719 --> 00:47:07,000 Speaker 1: Are you acting in the best interests of your own 916 00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:11,160 Speaker 1: personal bottom line? So it is truly grotesque, and as 917 00:47:11,200 --> 00:47:13,160 Speaker 1: I said, I think it was important to highlight, in 918 00:47:13,200 --> 00:47:17,880 Speaker 1: particular as the House of Republicans start their Hunter Biden 919 00:47:18,040 --> 00:47:21,359 Speaker 1: investigations and plan to make that a real focus of 920 00:47:21,560 --> 00:47:23,880 Speaker 1: the next couple of years. Yeah, absolutely right. All right, 921 00:47:23,920 --> 00:47:25,920 Speaker 1: let's move on to the World Cup. Some interesting news 922 00:47:26,239 --> 00:47:30,120 Speaker 1: that's coming out of there. So European hypocrisy combined with 923 00:47:30,200 --> 00:47:33,799 Speaker 1: Katari hypocrisy, there really is no better juicier story for 924 00:47:33,880 --> 00:47:36,200 Speaker 1: me personally. Let's put this up there on the screen. 925 00:47:36,280 --> 00:47:38,799 Speaker 1: European team captains made a big show of how they 926 00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:42,880 Speaker 1: were going to wear these love arm bands, which showcase 927 00:47:42,920 --> 00:47:47,239 Speaker 1: support for gay rights, given the Katari government's prohibition on 928 00:47:47,280 --> 00:47:50,279 Speaker 1: homosexuality and imprisonment of people who are found to be 929 00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:53,719 Speaker 1: doing that in their country. However, after FIFA and the 930 00:47:53,760 --> 00:47:56,880 Speaker 1: World Cup said that they would give them a yellow card. 931 00:47:57,080 --> 00:48:00,520 Speaker 1: All seven of the European national soccer team said, yeah, 932 00:48:00,560 --> 00:48:03,160 Speaker 1: we're not going to wear those armbands anymore because they 933 00:48:03,160 --> 00:48:07,360 Speaker 1: would have punishment on the field and possibly affect their gameplay. 934 00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:10,839 Speaker 1: So they originally had planned for their captains to wear 935 00:48:10,880 --> 00:48:13,960 Speaker 1: these with the words quote one Love to promote gay 936 00:48:14,040 --> 00:48:19,359 Speaker 1: rights because homosexuality is illegal in guitar. But FIFA came 937 00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:21,560 Speaker 1: out basically the day before they were about to take 938 00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:25,239 Speaker 1: the stage or to take the pitch and said, look, 939 00:48:25,280 --> 00:48:27,759 Speaker 1: if you do that, we're going to punish you. Eventually, 940 00:48:27,880 --> 00:48:31,080 Speaker 1: they put out a joint statement on the one Love armband. 941 00:48:31,120 --> 00:48:33,040 Speaker 1: They said, FIFA has been very clear it will post 942 00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:36,400 Speaker 1: sporting sanctions of our captains wear these armbands. As national federations, 943 00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:38,400 Speaker 1: we can't put our players in a position where they 944 00:48:38,440 --> 00:48:41,000 Speaker 1: would face sanctions, including bookings, so we have asked the 945 00:48:41,040 --> 00:48:44,280 Speaker 1: captains to not attempt to wear them in the World 946 00:48:44,280 --> 00:48:47,120 Speaker 1: Cup games. Yeah, it is so basically, it's like we 947 00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:49,600 Speaker 1: were only willing to wear them when there was literally 948 00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:51,719 Speaker 1: no cost to it, and the moment that there was 949 00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:53,920 Speaker 1: even the hint of a cost, we're out. Let's put 950 00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:56,120 Speaker 1: the next one up there. Because the Belgians actually, and 951 00:48:56,160 --> 00:48:59,080 Speaker 1: this is how paranoid the Qataris are on the back 952 00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:03,120 Speaker 1: of the shirt, on the back like facing the crowd, 953 00:49:03,600 --> 00:49:08,160 Speaker 1: basically like the tag says love. The FIFA has demanded 954 00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:12,240 Speaker 1: that the Belgian team remove the internal tag that says 955 00:49:12,320 --> 00:49:17,360 Speaker 1: love from the collar of their away shirt. According to ESPN, 956 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:21,799 Speaker 1: why does all this matter because internally in Qatar, FIFA, 957 00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:26,520 Speaker 1: as I showed yesterday my monologue is actively covering for this, 958 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:30,640 Speaker 1: is actively covering and trying to like cover up the 959 00:49:31,040 --> 00:49:35,000 Speaker 1: insanity of what's happening there with the crackdown on wearing 960 00:49:35,160 --> 00:49:37,759 Speaker 1: a basic T shirt with rainbow on it. And that's 961 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:39,880 Speaker 1: what happened. There was an American actually on the ground. 962 00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:41,520 Speaker 1: Let's put the next one up there on the screen. 963 00:49:42,239 --> 00:49:45,640 Speaker 1: Yesterday he says, quote, just now, security guards are refusing 964 00:49:45,680 --> 00:49:48,920 Speaker 1: to let me in the stadium for the USA Whales game. Quote, 965 00:49:48,960 --> 00:49:52,160 Speaker 1: you have to change your shirt. It's not allowed. Literally, 966 00:49:52,200 --> 00:49:54,839 Speaker 1: it's just a rainbow around a soccer ball, that's it. 967 00:49:55,480 --> 00:49:58,560 Speaker 1: And you know, he's literally been banned from the stadium. 968 00:49:58,560 --> 00:50:00,080 Speaker 1: And by the way, I kind of fear for this 969 00:50:00,120 --> 00:50:02,640 Speaker 1: guy because he went ahead and deleted that tweet. Ever 970 00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:05,080 Speaker 1: since it went up, Crystal, and I think what it 971 00:50:05,120 --> 00:50:08,080 Speaker 1: shows you is that he was detained further for, according 972 00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:11,200 Speaker 1: to him, for twenty five minutes for swearing this for 973 00:50:11,280 --> 00:50:14,400 Speaker 1: wearing that shirt. He was forcibly. They took his phone 974 00:50:14,520 --> 00:50:17,960 Speaker 1: out of his hand and angrily demanded that he remove 975 00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:20,360 Speaker 1: his T shirt to enter the stadium. He was eventually 976 00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:22,680 Speaker 1: shunted off to like to some fan area, but he 977 00:50:22,719 --> 00:50:25,480 Speaker 1: was straight up banned from the grounds. Now pay attention 978 00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:27,920 Speaker 1: to everything I just laid out, and basically the cowardice 979 00:50:27,960 --> 00:50:29,719 Speaker 1: aside from the man wearing the T shirt, props to 980 00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:33,000 Speaker 1: him for refusing to chain of the European team captains, 981 00:50:33,000 --> 00:50:36,160 Speaker 1: because let's look at a country and at a team 982 00:50:36,520 --> 00:50:40,040 Speaker 1: that's willing to protest and is going to face real 983 00:50:40,160 --> 00:50:44,240 Speaker 1: consequences for doing so. The world was stunned when Iran, 984 00:50:44,400 --> 00:50:48,280 Speaker 1: at the beginning of its game, decided their entire team 985 00:50:48,480 --> 00:50:51,480 Speaker 1: to not sing the national anthem. We have some video 986 00:50:51,800 --> 00:50:54,160 Speaker 1: of that, as they basically are stoic. Let's go ahead, 987 00:50:54,200 --> 00:50:56,520 Speaker 1: put this up there on the screen. You can see 988 00:50:56,520 --> 00:50:58,560 Speaker 1: here that they are not singing. Their national anthem is 989 00:50:58,560 --> 00:51:01,399 Speaker 1: literally playing in the background. And here's the crazy part. 990 00:51:01,680 --> 00:51:05,839 Speaker 1: The Iranian crowd in the stadium is actually booing their 991 00:51:05,920 --> 00:51:09,720 Speaker 1: own national anthem, both as a sign of protests against 992 00:51:09,760 --> 00:51:13,640 Speaker 1: the regime, possibly even regime supporters. All of this in 993 00:51:13,680 --> 00:51:17,000 Speaker 1: support of the protests that are happening right now in Iran. 994 00:51:17,160 --> 00:51:19,400 Speaker 1: Let's go to the next one, because this is the 995 00:51:19,440 --> 00:51:23,200 Speaker 1: Iranian football team captain. Here's what he said whenever he 996 00:51:23,320 --> 00:51:27,000 Speaker 1: was asked about the protests. Quote, we have to accept 997 00:51:27,280 --> 00:51:30,239 Speaker 1: conditions in our country are not right. Our people are 998 00:51:30,280 --> 00:51:33,799 Speaker 1: not happy. They should know we are with them, we 999 00:51:33,880 --> 00:51:38,200 Speaker 1: support them, we sympathize with them regarding the conditions. And 1000 00:51:38,239 --> 00:51:41,080 Speaker 1: then finally, let's put this up there. Inside of Iran. 1001 00:51:41,520 --> 00:51:44,840 Speaker 1: Nobody actually found out about any of this because Iranian 1002 00:51:44,880 --> 00:51:47,960 Speaker 1: state TV actually censored the footage of the team refusing 1003 00:51:48,000 --> 00:51:49,920 Speaker 1: to sing the national anthem. And they're not going to 1004 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:53,280 Speaker 1: hear from that press conference, but hey, this social media, 1005 00:51:53,480 --> 00:51:55,560 Speaker 1: they'll find out. I hope. So I don't know, but 1006 00:51:55,640 --> 00:51:58,600 Speaker 1: I mean when you buttress the Europeans saying, oh we 1007 00:51:58,680 --> 00:52:00,479 Speaker 1: might get a yellow card, we're not going to where 1008 00:52:00,520 --> 00:52:04,600 Speaker 1: this with the courage of these guys, I mean their 1009 00:52:04,600 --> 00:52:06,279 Speaker 1: lives could be in danger. Yeah, I mean, you know, 1010 00:52:06,320 --> 00:52:09,520 Speaker 1: hopefully nothing happens because they're too afraid that they'll get 1011 00:52:09,520 --> 00:52:12,480 Speaker 1: too much bad press about it, but you can be certain, 1012 00:52:12,560 --> 00:52:14,560 Speaker 1: you know, I might go after their family members. They're 1013 00:52:14,560 --> 00:52:17,600 Speaker 1: going to face harassment, interrogation whenever they go home. Especially 1014 00:52:17,600 --> 00:52:20,120 Speaker 1: the team captain me openly rebuke to the regime in 1015 00:52:20,160 --> 00:52:22,719 Speaker 1: front of the entire Western world. Shows like ours are 1016 00:52:22,719 --> 00:52:25,120 Speaker 1: covering at all. Sports media is covering it. This is 1017 00:52:25,120 --> 00:52:28,960 Speaker 1: an act of complete and pure heroism with real consequences 1018 00:52:29,080 --> 00:52:31,319 Speaker 1: they faced at home, and the Europeans can't slap an 1019 00:52:31,400 --> 00:52:33,440 Speaker 1: armband on and possibly risky yell all. Some of the 1020 00:52:33,480 --> 00:52:36,280 Speaker 1: protesters reportedly and irun, I mean, many have been arrested 1021 00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:40,360 Speaker 1: and some of them reportedly have been like sentenced to death. 1022 00:52:40,680 --> 00:52:42,440 Speaker 1: So this is we don't know the number on that 1023 00:52:42,480 --> 00:52:44,319 Speaker 1: boy we did right, there were reports that it was 1024 00:52:44,320 --> 00:52:46,080 Speaker 1: like all fifty thousand. That seems not to be accurate, 1025 00:52:46,120 --> 00:52:49,399 Speaker 1: but there are some who have been sentenced to death. 1026 00:52:49,520 --> 00:52:52,040 Speaker 1: That is how serious this type of descent ultimately is, 1027 00:52:52,120 --> 00:52:55,440 Speaker 1: especially on a national stage, this level of humiliation for 1028 00:52:55,480 --> 00:52:59,160 Speaker 1: the regime. I mean you really you can see as 1029 00:52:59,200 --> 00:53:02,480 Speaker 1: the players are standing there like they're just they're stone faced, 1030 00:53:02,520 --> 00:53:05,760 Speaker 1: and it really is quite a stunning moment, a bravery. 1031 00:53:06,120 --> 00:53:07,680 Speaker 1: I thought about a couple of things. I mean, first 1032 00:53:07,719 --> 00:53:09,800 Speaker 1: of all, I think it's really important, like the cowardice 1033 00:53:09,800 --> 00:53:12,080 Speaker 1: of the Europeans, that's an important part of this. But 1034 00:53:12,160 --> 00:53:16,719 Speaker 1: obviously the worst actor here is Qatar and these I 1035 00:53:16,760 --> 00:53:20,120 Speaker 1: feel like these authoritarian governments, like they're so used to 1036 00:53:20,239 --> 00:53:23,720 Speaker 1: no dissent that they just have no ability to perceive 1037 00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:27,840 Speaker 1: how the world is seeing them right now. Like taking 1038 00:53:27,880 --> 00:53:31,560 Speaker 1: the label off the back of the uniform, this is insane, 1039 00:53:31,680 --> 00:53:33,600 Speaker 1: Like let them have their freakin' arm, but no one's 1040 00:53:33,640 --> 00:53:36,960 Speaker 1: even going to really notice, Like it's just there. It's 1041 00:53:36,960 --> 00:53:39,600 Speaker 1: a total strie Sand effect kind of a situation where 1042 00:53:39,640 --> 00:53:43,759 Speaker 1: because they're being so completely insane, it really is what 1043 00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:47,080 Speaker 1: you said, Zager, like they are really unmasking themselves to 1044 00:53:47,320 --> 00:53:50,000 Speaker 1: world audience. And I'm not sure they have any ideal 1045 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:53,720 Speaker 1: idea exactly how this is all landing around the globe. 1046 00:53:54,280 --> 00:53:57,600 Speaker 1: I was driven insane by the people who are making 1047 00:53:57,600 --> 00:54:01,080 Speaker 1: some like attempted woke defense of Katar of like, oh, well, 1048 00:54:01,120 --> 00:54:05,560 Speaker 1: this is just a Islamophobia. It's ridiculous, Like this is 1049 00:54:05,600 --> 00:54:10,960 Speaker 1: an authoritarian government. No freedom to the press, homosexuality is outlawed, 1050 00:54:11,040 --> 00:54:14,200 Speaker 1: Like you're allowed to criticize human rights, whether it's here 1051 00:54:14,360 --> 00:54:16,719 Speaker 1: or there, or in China or anywhere else, and I 1052 00:54:16,840 --> 00:54:19,719 Speaker 1: encourage you to do so. So there's that. And then 1053 00:54:19,760 --> 00:54:22,920 Speaker 1: the last thing I really thought about is, you know, 1054 00:54:22,960 --> 00:54:27,360 Speaker 1: with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the reaction overall of the 1055 00:54:27,400 --> 00:54:32,520 Speaker 1: sports world was to ban Russians from competition in all 1056 00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:36,160 Speaker 1: sorts of different sports. And it occurred to me as 1057 00:54:36,200 --> 00:54:40,760 Speaker 1: I was watching these Iranian players that that has really 1058 00:54:40,840 --> 00:54:45,640 Speaker 1: denied Russian athletes venue in order to voice their own descent. 1059 00:54:46,360 --> 00:54:49,000 Speaker 1: And you know, in a way has sort of been 1060 00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:52,680 Speaker 1: a good thing for the Kremlin because it forces players 1061 00:54:52,719 --> 00:54:55,600 Speaker 1: who may have a dissenting view to basically shut up. 1062 00:54:55,600 --> 00:54:58,080 Speaker 1: I think it was rube Lev, a tennis player, who 1063 00:54:58,120 --> 00:55:00,960 Speaker 1: before all the bands on like RUSSI is playing tennis, 1064 00:55:00,960 --> 00:55:06,600 Speaker 1: wrote on the camera like lens no war, Yeah we 1065 00:55:06,680 --> 00:55:10,560 Speaker 1: played it here. So you know, that crackdown, which has 1066 00:55:10,600 --> 00:55:13,360 Speaker 1: been wrongheaded, which ascribes blame to the player so have 1067 00:55:13,440 --> 00:55:16,200 Speaker 1: nothing to do with what Vladimir Putin and Krumlin are 1068 00:55:16,239 --> 00:55:19,080 Speaker 1: decided to do, but like punishes them for their actions, 1069 00:55:19,120 --> 00:55:22,120 Speaker 1: has really cut off the ability for them to have 1070 00:55:22,239 --> 00:55:24,839 Speaker 1: this type of international descent on display. And I think 1071 00:55:24,880 --> 00:55:27,360 Speaker 1: that's a real loss. I think that's a great point. Yeah, exactly. 1072 00:55:27,400 --> 00:55:29,920 Speaker 1: You know, many of these players are probably very cosmopolitan, 1073 00:55:30,000 --> 00:55:32,000 Speaker 1: travel all across Europe. I have been willing, Yeah, that 1074 00:55:32,000 --> 00:55:33,920 Speaker 1: they don't support and even if they do, like, okay, 1075 00:55:33,960 --> 00:55:36,160 Speaker 1: you want to be clown yourself by supporting on popular 1076 00:55:36,200 --> 00:55:38,239 Speaker 1: war on the FIFA pitch and get booed in front 1077 00:55:38,280 --> 00:55:40,680 Speaker 1: of the entire world. Let's see that too. I've seen 1078 00:55:40,719 --> 00:55:43,240 Speaker 1: it happen. Remember every time North Korea plays, there's always 1079 00:55:43,239 --> 00:55:46,719 Speaker 1: some clown. There's some Russian gymnasts who wore the like z, 1080 00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:51,319 Speaker 1: the pro war Z thing, like okay, idiots, fine, let people, 1081 00:55:51,440 --> 00:55:53,560 Speaker 1: that's always a good thing for people to see that, 1082 00:55:53,880 --> 00:55:56,759 Speaker 1: and it's full display. But yeah, I mean, you know, 1083 00:55:56,800 --> 00:55:59,920 Speaker 1: you put my thoughts really together, which is, you know, 1084 00:56:00,080 --> 00:56:03,080 Speaker 1: some woke defense of like h And another thing is 1085 00:56:03,880 --> 00:56:07,680 Speaker 1: the idea that Qatar and Saudi Arabia represent the best 1086 00:56:07,680 --> 00:56:12,160 Speaker 1: of the Middle East itself is deeply, deeply Islamophobic in 1087 00:56:12,200 --> 00:56:14,839 Speaker 1: that most of the people in the Islamic world they 1088 00:56:14,880 --> 00:56:20,720 Speaker 1: don't want to live that way. I've traveled all over Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Egypt. 1089 00:56:20,840 --> 00:56:23,080 Speaker 1: They don't live like the Qataris in the Saudis. In fact, 1090 00:56:23,080 --> 00:56:25,440 Speaker 1: they have a derogatory word which I won't say here 1091 00:56:25,520 --> 00:56:28,040 Speaker 1: for people who are from the Gulf. And actually I 1092 00:56:28,080 --> 00:56:30,080 Speaker 1: think we would have been very well off if there 1093 00:56:30,160 --> 00:56:33,200 Speaker 1: was a World Cup in Egypt, in Jordan, in any 1094 00:56:33,280 --> 00:56:36,240 Speaker 1: or Lebanon, any of these countries. Beautiful countries, great people, 1095 00:56:36,600 --> 00:56:40,600 Speaker 1: real societies that aren't built on like petrochemicals, deep history, 1096 00:56:40,800 --> 00:56:43,280 Speaker 1: love for the arts. I mean, you know, look, yes, 1097 00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:45,600 Speaker 1: I know the know alcohol and all that. People in 1098 00:56:45,640 --> 00:56:47,520 Speaker 1: the by the way, people in all these countries drink, 1099 00:56:47,560 --> 00:56:50,160 Speaker 1: But in Jordan, Egypt, and it's a they have a 1100 00:56:50,239 --> 00:56:53,840 Speaker 1: much more lase fair view of both social issues alcohol. 1101 00:56:53,920 --> 00:56:57,359 Speaker 1: They might be some conservative Islam, but they're they're much 1102 00:56:57,480 --> 00:57:01,680 Speaker 1: they're much less, not even strict, they're less authoritarian as 1103 00:57:01,719 --> 00:57:04,960 Speaker 1: the theocratic monarchy as opposed to military dictatorship. I'm not 1104 00:57:04,960 --> 00:57:07,360 Speaker 1: saying it's a good thing, but to me, it's like 1105 00:57:07,680 --> 00:57:09,160 Speaker 1: all on a scale, and if you really want to 1106 00:57:09,200 --> 00:57:13,560 Speaker 1: showcase real like Islamic culture, it would should have been 1107 00:57:13,560 --> 00:57:15,600 Speaker 1: an Egypt, or it should have been, you know, in 1108 00:57:15,640 --> 00:57:18,479 Speaker 1: some place which didn't just straight up by itself off 1109 00:57:18,680 --> 00:57:21,320 Speaker 1: as a real society, could have actual Egyptians build their 1110 00:57:21,360 --> 00:57:24,040 Speaker 1: stadiums if they wanted to, you know, this is just 1111 00:57:24,160 --> 00:57:26,600 Speaker 1: it's a farce all the way up and down. And yeah, 1112 00:57:26,720 --> 00:57:28,600 Speaker 1: I mean I maintained that the guitar has really played 1113 00:57:28,640 --> 00:57:31,120 Speaker 1: themselves because now the whole world is getting a view. 1114 00:57:31,120 --> 00:57:33,280 Speaker 1: Most people had no idea what Katar even was and 1115 00:57:33,280 --> 00:57:35,600 Speaker 1: now they know, and not in the way I think. Yeah, 1116 00:57:35,600 --> 00:57:38,840 Speaker 1: I mean the Iranian protesters are as culture as well. Yeah, 1117 00:57:38,960 --> 00:57:41,680 Speaker 1: great point, you know, there you go. Okay, let's move 1118 00:57:41,720 --> 00:57:44,880 Speaker 1: on our final segment here for the media block, just 1119 00:57:45,520 --> 00:57:50,640 Speaker 1: absolutely studying and hilarious CBS News after beclowning themselves yesterday 1120 00:57:51,080 --> 00:57:53,480 Speaker 1: by leaving Twitter for a span of twenty four hours 1121 00:57:53,480 --> 00:57:57,400 Speaker 1: over quote security concerns, but covering news, I know, we 1122 00:57:57,440 --> 00:58:00,280 Speaker 1: have to keep beating up on them. Well, now they've 1123 00:58:00,320 --> 00:58:02,800 Speaker 1: just decided to air a segment where they're like, hey, 1124 00:58:02,880 --> 00:58:05,200 Speaker 1: you know, it's been over two years, we can now 1125 00:58:05,240 --> 00:58:08,440 Speaker 1: confirm that the Hunter Biden laptop is real, and this 1126 00:58:08,600 --> 00:58:12,600 Speaker 1: segment is just stunning in its hubris and airing it 1127 00:58:12,880 --> 00:58:16,040 Speaker 1: without any admission that they've been holding off on this 1128 00:58:16,280 --> 00:58:18,919 Speaker 1: for the entire time. Let's take a listen, and as 1129 00:58:18,920 --> 00:58:21,960 Speaker 1: Republicans take control of the House, Hunter Biden the President's 1130 00:58:22,000 --> 00:58:24,720 Speaker 1: sign will be a target for investigations, and that means 1131 00:58:24,800 --> 00:58:27,680 Speaker 1: data from a laptop reported that belonged to Biden could 1132 00:58:27,720 --> 00:58:30,960 Speaker 1: be crucial to the investigatory process. CBS News has obtained 1133 00:58:31,320 --> 00:58:34,320 Speaker 1: its data not through a third party or political operative, 1134 00:58:34,360 --> 00:58:36,840 Speaker 1: but directly from the source who told us they provided 1135 00:58:36,840 --> 00:58:40,120 Speaker 1: it to the FBI under subpoena, and we commissioned an 1136 00:58:40,120 --> 00:58:44,560 Speaker 1: independent forensic review to determine its authenticity. Senior investigative Course 1137 00:58:44,840 --> 00:58:46,840 Speaker 1: Katherin herridj joins us now with what we found. Catherine, 1138 00:58:46,840 --> 00:58:49,600 Speaker 1: I'm very interested. Good morning, Good morning, Tony. These House 1139 00:58:49,600 --> 00:58:52,040 Speaker 1: Republican investigations are coming and that could be a challenge 1140 00:58:52,040 --> 00:58:53,840 Speaker 1: for the White House as we head into twenty twenty 1141 00:58:53,880 --> 00:58:56,840 Speaker 1: three and twenty twenty four. The laptop data we had 1142 00:58:56,880 --> 00:58:59,800 Speaker 1: analyzed showed no evidence it was faked or tampered with. 1143 00:59:01,200 --> 00:59:04,480 Speaker 1: Digital forensic investigator Mark Lanterman was previously a member of 1144 00:59:04,480 --> 00:59:07,360 Speaker 1: a Secret Service Electronic Crimes task Force. There was one 1145 00:59:07,400 --> 00:59:10,200 Speaker 1: thing that got my attention, and that was a voicemail 1146 00:59:10,520 --> 00:59:17,280 Speaker 1: the love you than the whole world Hell. That voicemail, 1147 00:59:17,320 --> 00:59:19,880 Speaker 1: apparently from Joe Biden during his son Hunter's drug addiction, 1148 00:59:20,120 --> 00:59:22,840 Speaker 1: is one of many findings Lanterman used to authenticate what 1149 00:59:22,920 --> 00:59:25,760 Speaker 1: is believed to be Hunter Biden's laptop data, your compiment 1150 00:59:25,800 --> 00:59:28,000 Speaker 1: based on your analysis, this is Hunter Biden's data, and 1151 00:59:28,040 --> 00:59:31,880 Speaker 1: that it's real. Yes, this is so absurd. You can 1152 00:59:31,920 --> 00:59:34,440 Speaker 1: take the laptop and you go, hey, Hunter, is it real? 1153 00:59:34,800 --> 00:59:38,560 Speaker 1: And he says no, or if he says yes, guess what. 1154 00:59:38,680 --> 00:59:40,440 Speaker 1: He's never said either of those things. So if he 1155 00:59:40,440 --> 00:59:43,760 Speaker 1: doesn't say anything, then it's obviously real. All of the 1156 00:59:43,800 --> 00:59:46,560 Speaker 1: photos look, you know, some real tawdry stuff that has 1157 00:59:46,600 --> 00:59:50,000 Speaker 1: come out from there. It's obviously real. There's never been 1158 00:59:50,040 --> 00:59:52,400 Speaker 1: a question since the day after it was released, and 1159 00:59:52,440 --> 00:59:54,920 Speaker 1: they didn't deny it. Every single thing off that laptop 1160 00:59:55,000 --> 00:59:57,680 Speaker 1: is real. They are welcome to dispute that at any time. 1161 00:59:57,880 --> 01:00:00,440 Speaker 1: I remember during WikiLeaks they kept trying to say, like 1162 01:00:00,640 --> 01:00:03,680 Speaker 1: maybe some of these emails were faked by the Russians, right, 1163 01:00:03,720 --> 01:00:07,840 Speaker 1: which one? Which one is fake? Nade one fake email, 1164 01:00:08,040 --> 01:00:14,560 Speaker 1: one emailing. It's like it's November twenty second, two twenty two. 1165 01:00:14,880 --> 01:00:18,440 Speaker 1: We learned about this in October of twenty twenty. I 1166 01:00:18,520 --> 01:00:21,920 Speaker 1: just I'm so curious, why do you get around to 1167 01:00:22,000 --> 01:00:25,640 Speaker 1: it now, like it is astonished. I don't get it. 1168 01:00:26,160 --> 01:00:29,600 Speaker 1: All these people just say we were afraid we thought, 1169 01:00:29,720 --> 01:00:32,520 Speaker 1: you know, wiki leagues about but but doing that requires 1170 01:00:32,680 --> 01:00:35,320 Speaker 1: too much admission that you were taking your cues from 1171 01:00:35,360 --> 01:00:37,960 Speaker 1: the security State, from the CIA, from the FBI. I mean, 1172 01:00:38,000 --> 01:00:41,120 Speaker 1: I think a really crazy admission was when Mark Zuckerberg 1173 01:00:41,200 --> 01:00:43,000 Speaker 1: was on Rogan H and he was like, yeah, look, 1174 01:00:43,040 --> 01:00:45,120 Speaker 1: the FBI came to us and told us something was coming, 1175 01:00:45,120 --> 01:00:47,280 Speaker 1: so we were afraid, and we basically made it less 1176 01:00:47,280 --> 01:00:50,439 Speaker 1: hard to find please to it. Yeah, I guess, yeah, 1177 01:00:50,880 --> 01:00:53,600 Speaker 1: it's better than these people. And these people are just like, yeah, 1178 01:00:53,640 --> 01:00:56,560 Speaker 1: we confirmed that. It's like, you're just be clowning yourself. 1179 01:00:56,600 --> 01:00:59,360 Speaker 1: Everyone in this country knows that that thing is real now, 1180 01:00:59,440 --> 01:01:01,240 Speaker 1: to the extent it matters or not. We could talk 1181 01:01:01,240 --> 01:01:04,320 Speaker 1: about that absolutely, but this is the issue. They refuse 1182 01:01:04,360 --> 01:01:07,360 Speaker 1: to give any credence. They won't give any investigation. I mean, 1183 01:01:07,520 --> 01:01:09,360 Speaker 1: you know, some of the stuff Hunter was engaged in 1184 01:01:09,520 --> 01:01:12,080 Speaker 1: was sketchy. And look, it does appear that there is 1185 01:01:12,120 --> 01:01:15,080 Speaker 1: a chance, I'm not saying necessarily high chance, given what 1186 01:01:15,120 --> 01:01:17,960 Speaker 1: we know yet, that Biden was involved, at least on 1187 01:01:18,000 --> 01:01:22,360 Speaker 1: some level of facilitating transactions, possibly getting some money out 1188 01:01:22,360 --> 01:01:24,280 Speaker 1: of this. I mean, you know, one of like he's 1189 01:01:24,360 --> 01:01:27,280 Speaker 1: having these people get like anyway in terms of using 1190 01:01:27,320 --> 01:01:29,720 Speaker 1: the White Housing platform for Hunter's business dealers. That is 1191 01:01:29,760 --> 01:01:32,120 Speaker 1: a scandal. I think it should be rightfully investigated, and 1192 01:01:32,160 --> 01:01:34,240 Speaker 1: it should be investigated by the news outlets, just like 1193 01:01:34,280 --> 01:01:35,480 Speaker 1: the New York Times just did a piece on the 1194 01:01:35,480 --> 01:01:39,000 Speaker 1: Saudi Arabia. Yes, and if like legitimate news outlets don't 1195 01:01:39,000 --> 01:01:41,000 Speaker 1: do it, then we're left with the freaking Republican House 1196 01:01:41,040 --> 01:01:45,640 Speaker 1: Caucus and they're like totally bad faith investigation that they're planning. Yeah, 1197 01:01:45,680 --> 01:01:48,800 Speaker 1: I mean, listen, Hunter Biden was not on the board 1198 01:01:48,840 --> 01:01:54,680 Speaker 1: of Ukrainian Energy company because he's a specialist in Ukrainian energy. Okay, Now, 1199 01:01:54,680 --> 01:01:57,280 Speaker 1: whether they got anything out of Joe Biden or not, 1200 01:01:57,920 --> 01:02:01,800 Speaker 1: we don't really know. But was he getting paid because 1201 01:02:01,840 --> 01:02:03,960 Speaker 1: his last name is Biden and they were hoping to 1202 01:02:04,480 --> 01:02:08,000 Speaker 1: pedal influence with the White House. Obviously you have to 1203 01:02:08,000 --> 01:02:10,280 Speaker 1: be an idiot not to think that that's what's going 1204 01:02:10,320 --> 01:02:14,800 Speaker 1: on here. So this was always not the photos and 1205 01:02:14,920 --> 01:02:17,320 Speaker 1: the you know, what sex workers he was with and 1206 01:02:17,360 --> 01:02:20,080 Speaker 1: what drugs he was doing like that is all totally 1207 01:02:20,200 --> 01:02:23,520 Speaker 1: inappropriate to talk about it and totally beside the point, salacious, 1208 01:02:23,720 --> 01:02:27,680 Speaker 1: just tawdry stuff. The pieces of you know that deal 1209 01:02:27,720 --> 01:02:30,680 Speaker 1: with business has always been a legitimate line of inquiry. 1210 01:02:30,760 --> 01:02:33,560 Speaker 1: There are a few reporters who have dug into it. Basically, 1211 01:02:33,640 --> 01:02:36,080 Speaker 1: once Joe Biden became the Democratic nominee, a lot of 1212 01:02:36,080 --> 01:02:38,840 Speaker 1: that inquiry was completely shut down, as you know, totally 1213 01:02:38,880 --> 01:02:41,760 Speaker 1: out of bounds, et cetera, et cetera. And then this 1214 01:02:41,840 --> 01:02:46,240 Speaker 1: is truly one of It was an incredibly shameful incident 1215 01:02:46,320 --> 01:02:48,800 Speaker 1: in terms of how the social media companies bent to 1216 01:02:48,880 --> 01:02:53,600 Speaker 1: pressure from the deep state and in terms of how 1217 01:02:53,840 --> 01:02:56,920 Speaker 1: little curiosity there was from any of these news outlets 1218 01:02:56,960 --> 01:02:59,240 Speaker 1: at the time to dig into whether or not the 1219 01:02:59,280 --> 01:03:02,800 Speaker 1: laptop was legitimate. And then the most shameful part, in 1220 01:03:02,880 --> 01:03:07,400 Speaker 1: my opinion, was all of these national security state guys 1221 01:03:07,720 --> 01:03:10,640 Speaker 1: and I'm sure some women too who signed that letter 1222 01:03:10,680 --> 01:03:13,000 Speaker 1: that were like, this spares all the home all marks 1223 01:03:13,360 --> 01:03:17,920 Speaker 1: of Russian disinformation, not pointing to anything that was fake. 1224 01:03:18,480 --> 01:03:21,200 Speaker 1: After Biden people didn't even deny that it was real, 1225 01:03:21,480 --> 01:03:24,520 Speaker 1: and they still run with Russia Gate ten point zero. 1226 01:03:24,560 --> 01:03:27,800 Speaker 1: It was so disgraceful. So this is really just the 1227 01:03:27,880 --> 01:03:29,960 Speaker 1: cherry on top that more than two years later they 1228 01:03:30,000 --> 01:03:32,320 Speaker 1: finally get around to be like, you know, that laptop 1229 01:03:32,320 --> 01:03:35,000 Speaker 1: thing that actually turned out to be correct. Just so insane. 1230 01:03:37,600 --> 01:03:39,120 Speaker 1: All right, Crystal, what are taking to look at? So? 1231 01:03:39,160 --> 01:03:42,600 Speaker 1: John Stewart recently hosted two former secretaries of State on 1232 01:03:42,680 --> 01:03:47,080 Speaker 1: his podcast, one Hillary Rodham Clinton and Condalliza Rice. It 1233 01:03:47,120 --> 01:03:49,640 Speaker 1: was an extraordinary conversation in a whole lot of ways, 1234 01:03:49,640 --> 01:03:52,919 Speaker 1: because you had two leading representatives of the Blob foreign 1235 01:03:53,000 --> 01:03:56,680 Speaker 1: policy consensus, one Democrat and one Republican, put on the 1236 01:03:56,680 --> 01:04:00,160 Speaker 1: spot to explain the US's disastrous foreign policy record of 1237 01:04:00,160 --> 01:04:02,880 Speaker 1: recent years. Now, if you listen to the entire thing, 1238 01:04:02,920 --> 01:04:05,800 Speaker 1: you will get to hear Condollieza Rice defending our war 1239 01:04:05,840 --> 01:04:09,560 Speaker 1: in Iraq by claiming unbelievably that the US government really 1240 01:04:09,600 --> 01:04:12,080 Speaker 1: thought there were weapons of mass destruction. They just could 1241 01:04:12,280 --> 01:04:14,920 Speaker 1: stand to leave a dictator like Saddam Hussein in power. 1242 01:04:15,280 --> 01:04:18,440 Speaker 1: Such great humanitarians in the Bush administration, you know you 1243 01:04:18,480 --> 01:04:21,840 Speaker 1: will hear Hillary Clinton downplaying our actions in Libya to 1244 01:04:21,880 --> 01:04:26,240 Speaker 1: takeout Kadafi, portraying our role as simply supporting local actors, 1245 01:04:26,280 --> 01:04:29,880 Speaker 1: including the Arab League, shirking responsibility for the aftermath. You 1246 01:04:29,880 --> 01:04:32,760 Speaker 1: will also hear a consistent drum beat from both of 1247 01:04:32,800 --> 01:04:35,960 Speaker 1: them trying to deflect from the disastrous interventions which cost 1248 01:04:36,080 --> 01:04:38,520 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands of lives and trillions of dollars and 1249 01:04:38,560 --> 01:04:42,840 Speaker 1: spread chaos and terror through an entire region. Propaganda, the 1250 01:04:42,920 --> 01:04:46,400 Speaker 1: lies and the misdirections are really quite stunning now, and 1251 01:04:46,440 --> 01:04:49,120 Speaker 1: they're telling the US is a good actor in the world, 1252 01:04:49,200 --> 01:04:53,440 Speaker 1: intervening for benevolent humanitarian reasons, and should be held blameless 1253 01:04:53,480 --> 01:04:56,360 Speaker 1: for all of our many mistakes. These mistakes are treated 1254 01:04:56,400 --> 01:04:59,480 Speaker 1: by the two as little oopsies rather than the catastrophic, 1255 01:04:59,520 --> 01:05:02,360 Speaker 1: devastating failures that they actually were. The whole thing is 1256 01:05:02,360 --> 01:05:04,840 Speaker 1: worth a listen, but I thought I would share with 1257 01:05:04,880 --> 01:05:08,480 Speaker 1: you my favorite exchange in which John Stewart explains the 1258 01:05:08,520 --> 01:05:12,600 Speaker 1: military industrial complex to Hillary Clinton. Take a listen. Have 1259 01:05:12,720 --> 01:05:18,880 Speaker 1: the actions of America led to a more unstable and 1260 01:05:18,960 --> 01:05:24,800 Speaker 1: globalized situation that has inflamed populism in this country, inflamed 1261 01:05:24,840 --> 01:05:28,480 Speaker 1: it in Europe? And I'll explain what I mean. You 1262 01:05:28,520 --> 01:05:33,680 Speaker 1: talked earlier about the buckets, defense, development and diplomacy, and diplomacy, 1263 01:05:34,720 --> 01:05:38,400 Speaker 1: our priorities as a country since World War Two have 1264 01:05:38,680 --> 01:05:42,840 Speaker 1: really all the conversations that you're talking about. But there's 1265 01:05:42,880 --> 01:05:46,720 Speaker 1: also this other, sort of, as Eisenhower warned, military industrial 1266 01:05:46,800 --> 01:05:50,560 Speaker 1: complex that kind of has a mind on its own 1267 01:05:50,600 --> 01:05:53,920 Speaker 1: and I'll give you the example. State Department budget is 1268 01:05:53,960 --> 01:05:58,760 Speaker 1: what fifty billion dollars a little bit more, but around there, 1269 01:05:58,840 --> 01:06:05,440 Speaker 1: usaid not big enough. Lockheed Martin got seventy some billion 1270 01:06:05,480 --> 01:06:09,040 Speaker 1: dollars just by itself. And if you think about a 1271 01:06:09,080 --> 01:06:12,320 Speaker 1: budget as a set of priorities, if we're giving one 1272 01:06:12,360 --> 01:06:16,800 Speaker 1: defense contractor we sell arms to over one hundred countries, 1273 01:06:17,120 --> 01:06:21,800 Speaker 1: we sell arms to countries, we sanction we have there 1274 01:06:21,840 --> 01:06:25,720 Speaker 1: are conflicts in the world where both sides are using 1275 01:06:26,680 --> 01:06:31,240 Speaker 1: US armaments, you know, Turkey and the Syrian Kurds. Is 1276 01:06:31,440 --> 01:06:37,240 Speaker 1: our inability to control that aspect of our society sowing 1277 01:06:37,360 --> 01:06:43,280 Speaker 1: the seeds for the instability that we see around the 1278 01:06:43,320 --> 01:06:50,280 Speaker 1: world that's leading to this more populist, illiberal pendulum swing, 1279 01:06:50,960 --> 01:06:54,720 Speaker 1: and how do we rain that? In some great points 1280 01:06:54,760 --> 01:06:57,360 Speaker 1: there about the military industrial complex and a great question 1281 01:06:57,600 --> 01:07:01,640 Speaker 1: have the actions of America actually create more instability? I mean, 1282 01:07:01,640 --> 01:07:04,320 Speaker 1: it's object actually a pretty simple question. But what he's 1283 01:07:04,360 --> 01:07:07,760 Speaker 1: really asking is, with all your concern about democracy, are you, 1284 01:07:07,920 --> 01:07:11,360 Speaker 1: Hillary Clinton and your ideological ilk are you the real 1285 01:07:11,400 --> 01:07:14,960 Speaker 1: threat to democracy? Let's hear how she responds. I understand 1286 01:07:15,000 --> 01:07:18,440 Speaker 1: the question, and I do think it's worth exploring and 1287 01:07:18,440 --> 01:07:21,200 Speaker 1: I'll get to that in a minute, but I think 1288 01:07:21,240 --> 01:07:26,320 Speaker 1: it is historically inaccurate to say that our defense budget 1289 01:07:26,400 --> 01:07:33,640 Speaker 1: or our arms sail has promoted the authoritarian impulses in 1290 01:07:35,080 --> 01:07:39,240 Speaker 1: Victor Orbon who was a NATO ally, to Vladimir Putin, 1291 01:07:39,320 --> 01:07:43,400 Speaker 1: to Shijin Ping. Think. I don't see the correlation there. 1292 01:07:44,920 --> 01:07:48,520 Speaker 1: She doesn't see the correlation there. Behold the propaganda work. First, 1293 01:07:48,760 --> 01:07:52,160 Speaker 1: Hillary chooses just three examples Orbond, She and Putin as 1294 01:07:52,200 --> 01:07:54,840 Speaker 1: if they comprise the entire world. Then she claims, we 1295 01:07:54,920 --> 01:07:57,160 Speaker 1: obviously have nothing to do with the rise of these 1296 01:07:57,200 --> 01:08:00,760 Speaker 1: autocrats in these three countries, even though just with this 1297 01:08:00,840 --> 01:08:04,320 Speaker 1: tiny subset of nations her analysis is already preposterous. Just 1298 01:08:04,360 --> 01:08:07,040 Speaker 1: consider Putin and Russia as one example, where first of all, 1299 01:08:07,240 --> 01:08:09,920 Speaker 1: we were instrumental in triggering the downfall of the Soviet Union. 1300 01:08:09,960 --> 01:08:12,760 Speaker 1: We were center stage and constructing their post Soviet system 1301 01:08:12,760 --> 01:08:15,440 Speaker 1: of oligarchy and imposing economic shock doctrine so that our 1302 01:08:15,440 --> 01:08:19,560 Speaker 1: capitalists could exploit the profit opportunity, And we pursued policies 1303 01:08:19,840 --> 01:08:21,960 Speaker 1: like NATO expansion after that end of the Cold War, 1304 01:08:22,000 --> 01:08:25,000 Speaker 1: which predicatively led to that nation feeling they were under 1305 01:08:25,080 --> 01:08:27,560 Speaker 1: threat from the West. Let me give my standard disclaimer. 1306 01:08:27,680 --> 01:08:30,439 Speaker 1: None of this is a justification for their invasion of Ukraine. 1307 01:08:30,720 --> 01:08:33,960 Speaker 1: But to pretend like we had absolutely nothing to do 1308 01:08:34,040 --> 01:08:36,720 Speaker 1: with the current domestic political situation in Russia is to 1309 01:08:36,760 --> 01:08:41,639 Speaker 1: borrow a phrase from HRC herself historically inaccurate. But there's more, 1310 01:08:41,760 --> 01:08:43,720 Speaker 1: because John Stewart is not ready to let her off 1311 01:08:43,760 --> 01:08:45,760 Speaker 1: the hook just yet, let me draw it and then 1312 01:08:45,760 --> 01:08:48,240 Speaker 1: maybe a little bit more specifically, and this is all 1313 01:08:48,280 --> 01:08:53,000 Speaker 1: and again this is not to reltigate. Honestly, are what 1314 01:08:53,120 --> 01:08:57,519 Speaker 1: happened in Libya? We take out an authoritarian leader through 1315 01:08:57,640 --> 01:09:01,439 Speaker 1: a military action, but we don't have of the civic 1316 01:09:01,479 --> 01:09:04,400 Speaker 1: institutions that you talk about to back that up, and 1317 01:09:04,439 --> 01:09:08,600 Speaker 1: it creates instability, or what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, 1318 01:09:09,000 --> 01:09:13,640 Speaker 1: there's a chaos that is born of that. Right, Suddenly 1319 01:09:13,680 --> 01:09:20,759 Speaker 1: you have thirty five million displaced individuals who migrate towards Europe. 1320 01:09:21,200 --> 01:09:26,479 Speaker 1: Europe feels the heat of what they consider this other 1321 01:09:26,760 --> 01:09:31,040 Speaker 1: that's coming to their borders. It creates the impetus for 1322 01:09:31,240 --> 01:09:37,679 Speaker 1: more populist, more illiberal, more authoritarian impulses to then gain 1323 01:09:37,720 --> 01:09:45,360 Speaker 1: traction democratically. Those are direct results of American military intervention. 1324 01:09:46,760 --> 01:09:50,120 Speaker 1: So Stuart's argument here pretty clear. These wars and interventions 1325 01:09:50,160 --> 01:09:53,120 Speaker 1: trigger humanitarian disasters and floods of refugees, which were not 1326 01:09:53,160 --> 01:09:56,240 Speaker 1: only catastrophic obviously for those countries and those human beings, 1327 01:09:56,560 --> 01:09:59,639 Speaker 1: but also helped to create political instability around the world. 1328 01:10:00,120 --> 01:10:02,760 Speaker 1: That this instability resulted in the rise of far right, 1329 01:10:02,800 --> 01:10:06,800 Speaker 1: anti democratic parties. Here, John Stewart is actually offering up 1330 01:10:06,840 --> 01:10:10,559 Speaker 1: an explanation that Hillary Clinton herself agrees with. We know 1331 01:10:10,720 --> 01:10:13,960 Speaker 1: this because she has, in a different context, made almost 1332 01:10:14,000 --> 01:10:17,839 Speaker 1: exactly the same argument, just without connecting the refugees flows 1333 01:10:18,000 --> 01:10:21,400 Speaker 1: directly to US actions. Here, for example, is HRC in 1334 01:10:21,439 --> 01:10:25,800 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen arguing that refugees are fueling illiberal right wing 1335 01:10:25,840 --> 01:10:29,360 Speaker 1: parties and suggesting that European leaders cracked down on migrant 1336 01:10:29,400 --> 01:10:32,640 Speaker 1: flows in an attempt to maintain neoliberal political powers. She 1337 01:10:32,680 --> 01:10:35,360 Speaker 1: told the Guardian quote, I admire the very generous and 1338 01:10:35,360 --> 01:10:38,719 Speaker 1: compassionate approaches that were taken, particularly by leaders like Angela Merkel, 1339 01:10:38,960 --> 01:10:40,720 Speaker 1: but I think it is fair to say Europe has 1340 01:10:40,760 --> 01:10:42,960 Speaker 1: done its part and must send a very clear message 1341 01:10:43,000 --> 01:10:44,880 Speaker 1: we are not going to be able to continue to 1342 01:10:44,920 --> 01:10:48,160 Speaker 1: provide refugees and support because if we don't deal with 1343 01:10:48,200 --> 01:10:51,879 Speaker 1: the migration issue. It will continue to royal the body politic. 1344 01:10:52,280 --> 01:10:55,240 Speaker 1: So it's got our checkmated here based on her own statements. 1345 01:10:55,320 --> 01:10:59,559 Speaker 1: Our policy driven by the military industrial complex cause refugees. 1346 01:10:59,640 --> 01:11:03,759 Speaker 1: Refuge's fed political instability and illiberalism. So will she admit 1347 01:11:03,880 --> 01:11:06,800 Speaker 1: maybe he's got a point, of course not. It's very 1348 01:11:06,840 --> 01:11:10,479 Speaker 1: hard to lump even the examples you just put together 1349 01:11:11,360 --> 01:11:16,720 Speaker 1: into sort of one bucket and say that then caused dislocation. 1350 01:11:16,880 --> 01:11:19,920 Speaker 1: That dislocation meant refugees to the shores of Europe, and 1351 01:11:19,960 --> 01:11:22,800 Speaker 1: that you know, gig because remember Angela Merkel took a 1352 01:11:22,960 --> 01:11:26,280 Speaker 1: million Syrian refugees. The United States had nothing to do 1353 01:11:26,400 --> 01:11:31,360 Speaker 1: with bashir al asad joining forces with Russia and Iran 1354 01:11:31,600 --> 01:11:36,880 Speaker 1: to suppress legitimate descent. She took a million refugees and 1355 01:11:37,760 --> 01:11:42,719 Speaker 1: Germany did not turn into Hungary. So every but Germany 1356 01:11:42,760 --> 01:11:45,960 Speaker 1: feels that pressure. And you see those right wing parties 1357 01:11:46,200 --> 01:11:50,479 Speaker 1: not really now it's it's minor league compared to certainly 1358 01:11:50,880 --> 01:11:55,400 Speaker 1: to Hungary. Yeah, and because of strong institutions didn't take 1359 01:11:55,400 --> 01:11:58,320 Speaker 1: any refuge I mean, he built the walls, kept them out, 1360 01:11:58,360 --> 01:12:02,720 Speaker 1: He didn't take any refugees. He used the issue not 1361 01:12:02,800 --> 01:12:06,400 Speaker 1: to solve a problem. But to consolidate power for himself. 1362 01:12:07,160 --> 01:12:10,519 Speaker 1: And so I think that there are lessons always should 1363 01:12:10,560 --> 01:12:14,080 Speaker 1: be learned from any of these situations, and woe on 1364 01:12:14,200 --> 01:12:17,519 Speaker 1: us if we don't learn the lessons. Woe on us 1365 01:12:17,520 --> 01:12:20,080 Speaker 1: if we don't learn the lessons. But apparently, per HRC, 1366 01:12:20,600 --> 01:12:23,719 Speaker 1: there are no lessons to learn, at least not for her. Ultimately, 1367 01:12:23,760 --> 01:12:25,920 Speaker 1: her response here boils down to, well, it's complicated, so 1368 01:12:26,000 --> 01:12:28,559 Speaker 1: let's just pretend our policies had absolutely nothing to do 1369 01:12:28,640 --> 01:12:30,760 Speaker 1: with it. Now, both of these women were part of 1370 01:12:30,880 --> 01:12:34,320 Speaker 1: catastrophic foreign policy mistakes. Neither one appears to have learned 1371 01:12:34,400 --> 01:12:39,160 Speaker 1: a single thing, and more importantly, their ideology still dominates Washington. 1372 01:12:39,320 --> 01:12:42,400 Speaker 1: It's the ideology that lamented our withdrawal from Afghanistan is 1373 01:12:42,439 --> 01:12:45,160 Speaker 1: a tragedy for women, but remain silent as we starve 1374 01:12:45,200 --> 01:12:48,040 Speaker 1: them of their own money. The ideology that ignored our 1375 01:12:48,040 --> 01:12:50,400 Speaker 1: complicity and genocide and Yemen because it was being done 1376 01:12:50,400 --> 01:12:53,160 Speaker 1: by our buddies. The saudis the ideology that is pushing 1377 01:12:53,200 --> 01:12:55,679 Speaker 1: for full regime change in Russia and goes into complete 1378 01:12:55,760 --> 01:12:59,920 Speaker 1: meltdown if you even suggest them your possibility of diplomacy 1379 01:13:00,200 --> 01:13:03,320 Speaker 1: to try to end the Ukraine War. Listen, carefully to 1380 01:13:03,360 --> 01:13:05,920 Speaker 1: their words, because they may not have their positions of 1381 01:13:05,960 --> 01:13:10,120 Speaker 1: authority anymore, but their disastrous views still hold a lot 1382 01:13:10,160 --> 01:13:14,360 Speaker 1: of power. Sober the level of dissembling here like total. 1383 01:13:14,560 --> 01:13:17,439 Speaker 1: And if you want to hear my reaction to Crystal's monologue, 1384 01:13:17,439 --> 01:13:24,000 Speaker 1: become a premium subscriber today at Breakingpoints dot Com. All right, Saga, 1385 01:13:24,040 --> 01:13:25,720 Speaker 1: were real looking at Well? Something I've been trying to 1386 01:13:25,760 --> 01:13:27,840 Speaker 1: highlight here on the show for months now is how 1387 01:13:27,880 --> 01:13:30,960 Speaker 1: corrupt the higher education system in the US is. Why 1388 01:13:31,000 --> 01:13:33,200 Speaker 1: full scale war really needs to be declared on it, 1389 01:13:33,479 --> 01:13:36,760 Speaker 1: not only because it's bankrupting unsuspecting college students, but also 1390 01:13:36,800 --> 01:13:39,880 Speaker 1: because its commitment to a pernicious ideology is seating itself 1391 01:13:39,920 --> 01:13:43,599 Speaker 1: across the hire elite of American society. Perhaps no sector 1392 01:13:43,680 --> 01:13:46,480 Speaker 1: of our economy is more despised and yet more imperative 1393 01:13:46,600 --> 01:13:49,160 Speaker 1: than the law. Thus, the governing bodies of law, the 1394 01:13:49,200 --> 01:13:52,479 Speaker 1: American Bar Association, and more importantly, the law schools themselves, 1395 01:13:52,680 --> 01:13:55,719 Speaker 1: have immense power in how they run their institutions, which 1396 01:13:55,720 --> 01:13:59,040 Speaker 1: will undoubtedly influence one of the top tiers of our economy. 1397 01:13:59,280 --> 01:14:02,240 Speaker 1: So what exactly the law schools up to these days? Well, 1398 01:14:02,280 --> 01:14:04,320 Speaker 1: if you sadly have been forced to pay attention over 1399 01:14:04,320 --> 01:14:06,320 Speaker 1: the last few years. As I have, I can tell 1400 01:14:06,360 --> 01:14:09,880 Speaker 1: you it's not great. The nation's legal educators have been 1401 01:14:09,880 --> 01:14:12,439 Speaker 1: embroiled in a project of who can out crazy each other, 1402 01:14:12,600 --> 01:14:14,680 Speaker 1: from the Yale Law School scandal where they try to 1403 01:14:14,680 --> 01:14:17,600 Speaker 1: effectively force out classmates and professors for every once in 1404 01:14:17,640 --> 01:14:19,880 Speaker 1: a while trying to have of you, not only within 1405 01:14:19,920 --> 01:14:22,840 Speaker 1: the mainstream, to routinely trying to get professors fired for 1406 01:14:22,880 --> 01:14:25,720 Speaker 1: towing the line. But the latest game at an institutional 1407 01:14:25,800 --> 01:14:28,000 Speaker 1: level is the most cynical move of all that the 1408 01:14:28,040 --> 01:14:30,240 Speaker 1: media is giving these schools to total pass on. The 1409 01:14:30,320 --> 01:14:33,559 Speaker 1: nation's top law schools are currently in open revolt against 1410 01:14:33,560 --> 01:14:36,960 Speaker 1: the US News and World Report rankings. Ordinarily, I would 1411 01:14:37,040 --> 01:14:39,120 Speaker 1: cheer this, as I've done in a whole monologue about 1412 01:14:39,120 --> 01:14:41,879 Speaker 1: why the ranking system sucks and how IVY League schools 1413 01:14:41,920 --> 01:14:45,519 Speaker 1: like Columbia have gained it for years. But their deeper 1414 01:14:45,560 --> 01:14:48,679 Speaker 1: motivation for pulling out is sinister. If you listen to them, 1415 01:14:48,920 --> 01:14:51,479 Speaker 1: it sounds very high minded. Yale Law School was the 1416 01:14:51,479 --> 01:14:53,519 Speaker 1: first to withdraw, and they ranked first in the country 1417 01:14:53,520 --> 01:14:55,840 Speaker 1: for a long time, so why would they pull out? Well, 1418 01:14:55,880 --> 01:14:59,120 Speaker 1: if you listen again, it just sounds very nice, the 1419 01:14:59,280 --> 01:15:02,840 Speaker 1: US News rankings are profoundly flawed. The dean said, it's 1420 01:15:02,880 --> 01:15:06,040 Speaker 1: approach fails to advance the legal profession, but stands squarely 1421 01:15:06,080 --> 01:15:10,439 Speaker 1: in the way of progress. Harvard echoed a similar sentiment, saying, quote, 1422 01:15:10,479 --> 01:15:12,920 Speaker 1: its approach not only fails to advance the legal profession, 1423 01:15:12,920 --> 01:15:17,639 Speaker 1: but stands squarely in the way of progress. Progress. Anytime 1424 01:15:17,640 --> 01:15:21,280 Speaker 1: I hear that from diversity, equity and inclusion obsessed bureaucrats, 1425 01:15:21,400 --> 01:15:23,839 Speaker 1: I'm going to be very suspicious and lo and behold. 1426 01:15:23,840 --> 01:15:25,680 Speaker 1: When I dug deeper, I have every right to be. 1427 01:15:26,040 --> 01:15:28,760 Speaker 1: The timing of these decisions happens to come at the 1428 01:15:28,920 --> 01:15:31,880 Speaker 1: exact same moment that the Supreme Court is poised for 1429 01:15:31,920 --> 01:15:34,760 Speaker 1: the first time in history, to strike down affirmative action 1430 01:15:34,920 --> 01:15:37,759 Speaker 1: in college admissions, as was evident of the most recent 1431 01:15:37,840 --> 01:15:40,200 Speaker 1: oral arguments in the Court. This has left at leads 1432 01:15:40,240 --> 01:15:43,040 Speaker 1: schools scrambling who are wholly committed to a racial quote 1433 01:15:43,120 --> 01:15:47,479 Speaker 1: vision of diversity and not one of class whatsoever. Over years, 1434 01:15:47,520 --> 01:15:50,280 Speaker 1: they have evolved fake qualitative metrics that have had the 1435 01:15:50,280 --> 01:15:54,080 Speaker 1: effect of outright discrimination against Asian Americans, Jews, and several 1436 01:15:54,080 --> 01:15:56,759 Speaker 1: others in pursuit of what their racial for the country 1437 01:15:56,880 --> 01:16:00,479 Speaker 1: should be Supreme Court decision will be a low to 1438 01:16:00,600 --> 01:16:03,879 Speaker 1: this type of racism which is casually accepted by elites. 1439 01:16:04,080 --> 01:16:06,559 Speaker 1: But the latest scheme actually goes hand in glove. The 1440 01:16:06,640 --> 01:16:09,320 Speaker 1: long term goal of Harvard, Yale, Stanford in many of 1441 01:16:09,320 --> 01:16:12,439 Speaker 1: these other law schools is to preserve affirmative action in 1442 01:16:12,520 --> 01:16:16,120 Speaker 1: all but name only. As Mayan mccarli explains quote, one 1443 01:16:16,160 --> 01:16:19,160 Speaker 1: way to keep from being held accountable for discriminating against 1444 01:16:19,200 --> 01:16:23,080 Speaker 1: Asians or in favor of underrepresented minorities is to downweight 1445 01:16:23,200 --> 01:16:26,240 Speaker 1: or eliminate objective metrics such as test scores in favor 1446 01:16:26,280 --> 01:16:30,760 Speaker 1: of harder to compare criteria such as essays, interviews, and recommendations. Now, 1447 01:16:30,800 --> 01:16:34,840 Speaker 1: because doing so in admissions would inevitably hurt them in 1448 01:16:34,920 --> 01:16:38,680 Speaker 1: the rankings, which weigh heavily towards LSAT scores, they are 1449 01:16:38,680 --> 01:16:41,920 Speaker 1: preemptively pulling out of the rankings so they don't suffer. 1450 01:16:42,280 --> 01:16:44,479 Speaker 1: In many ways, what's happening right now is just to 1451 01:16:44,520 --> 01:16:47,320 Speaker 1: prelude to twenty twenty five, when they get their long 1452 01:16:47,320 --> 01:16:51,800 Speaker 1: held wish of eliminating objective criteria entirely. It is no 1453 01:16:51,920 --> 01:16:55,200 Speaker 1: surprise that at the same time that affirmative action is ending, 1454 01:16:55,360 --> 01:16:59,000 Speaker 1: the American Bar Association just days ago voted to eliminate 1455 01:16:59,040 --> 01:17:02,320 Speaker 1: the requirement that law schools use the ELSAT exam. That 1456 01:17:02,479 --> 01:17:05,280 Speaker 1: rule will go into effect, likely in twenty twenty five, 1457 01:17:05,520 --> 01:17:10,120 Speaker 1: and effectively end any standardized method for comparing applicants. Meaning 1458 01:17:10,479 --> 01:17:14,679 Speaker 1: what you already know, it will throw admissions purely into 1459 01:17:14,720 --> 01:17:18,080 Speaker 1: the realm of qualitative where law schools won't even really 1460 01:17:18,160 --> 01:17:21,559 Speaker 1: have to pretend anymore to discriminate against Asians and Jews, 1461 01:17:21,800 --> 01:17:25,360 Speaker 1: all in the name of affirmative action. Worse, this is 1462 01:17:25,439 --> 01:17:28,479 Speaker 1: not better for students in any way, as even the 1463 01:17:28,520 --> 01:17:31,960 Speaker 1: diversity obsessed law school deans argued in an open letter 1464 01:17:32,000 --> 01:17:35,479 Speaker 1: to the Bar Association, doing away with ELSAT ends the 1465 01:17:35,680 --> 01:17:40,000 Speaker 1: one last universal quantitative measure of applicants and will likely 1466 01:17:40,120 --> 01:17:43,200 Speaker 1: lead to more people getting admitted who cannot either handle 1467 01:17:43,240 --> 01:17:45,920 Speaker 1: the courseload or less likely to pass the bar exam. 1468 01:17:46,120 --> 01:17:49,160 Speaker 1: Why is that a problem, Because currently average cost of 1469 01:17:49,240 --> 01:17:53,040 Speaker 1: law school is forty six thousand dollars a year. At 1470 01:17:53,120 --> 01:17:56,960 Speaker 1: Ivy League like Harvard it is seventy thousand. Imagine racking 1471 01:17:57,080 --> 01:17:59,800 Speaker 1: up one hundred and fifty thousand in debt to not 1472 01:17:59,840 --> 01:18:03,479 Speaker 1: even reap the rewards of your degree. So much of 1473 01:18:03,520 --> 01:18:06,519 Speaker 1: this scheme is exposing that the law schools are committed 1474 01:18:06,560 --> 01:18:09,679 Speaker 1: to preserving affirmative action, and they're willing to burn any 1475 01:18:09,760 --> 01:18:13,519 Speaker 1: vestiges of remaining academic credibility that they once had. They 1476 01:18:13,520 --> 01:18:15,600 Speaker 1: are also exposing one of the great lives about the 1477 01:18:15,600 --> 01:18:18,559 Speaker 1: so called meritocracy. It doesn't have anything to do with 1478 01:18:18,680 --> 01:18:21,320 Speaker 1: merit anymore these days. It has more to do with 1479 01:18:21,400 --> 01:18:24,320 Speaker 1: the social vision of a few select bureaucrats at ivy 1480 01:18:24,360 --> 01:18:27,880 Speaker 1: League institutions. Overall, I'm of several minds on this one. 1481 01:18:28,040 --> 01:18:30,880 Speaker 1: On the one hand, I abhor the basically legalized racism 1482 01:18:30,960 --> 01:18:33,800 Speaker 1: of affirmative action. On the other hand, I want these 1483 01:18:34,000 --> 01:18:37,600 Speaker 1: major credentialing institutions to lose credibility and burn so we 1484 01:18:37,640 --> 01:18:41,559 Speaker 1: can reimagine our entire higher education system. But in the meantime, 1485 01:18:41,800 --> 01:18:44,599 Speaker 1: while thousands of would be lawyers are going to suffer, 1486 01:18:44,960 --> 01:18:47,760 Speaker 1: those that make it may incur a lifetime of debt 1487 01:18:48,000 --> 01:18:50,920 Speaker 1: with no payoff, and the only people laughing to the 1488 01:18:50,920 --> 01:18:54,360 Speaker 1: bank are the administrators using their and government money to 1489 01:18:54,520 --> 01:18:57,880 Speaker 1: re employ themselves. It is a scam and we all 1490 01:18:57,880 --> 01:18:59,960 Speaker 1: need to wake up to this as soon as possible. 1491 01:19:00,160 --> 01:19:02,040 Speaker 1: You know, it's really interesting, right because at first you're 1492 01:19:02,080 --> 01:19:04,559 Speaker 1: like Oh, screw the rankings. This is great And if 1493 01:19:04,560 --> 01:19:07,400 Speaker 1: you want to hear my reaction to Sager's monologue, become 1494 01:19:07,400 --> 01:19:14,920 Speaker 1: a premium subscriber today at Breakingpoints dot com. Thank you 1495 01:19:14,920 --> 01:19:17,320 Speaker 1: guys so much for watching. We really appreciate it. It's 1496 01:19:17,320 --> 01:19:20,080 Speaker 1: been a fun show to do before the Thanksgiving holiday. 1497 01:19:20,320 --> 01:19:22,439 Speaker 1: Go ahead and buy those live show tickets if you 1498 01:19:22,479 --> 01:19:24,880 Speaker 1: can for December sixth, and for December seventh. We will 1499 01:19:24,920 --> 01:19:27,519 Speaker 1: have counterpoints tomorrow. We are also going to have content 1500 01:19:27,600 --> 01:19:29,360 Speaker 1: for you all throughout the breaks you are really not 1501 01:19:29,400 --> 01:19:31,439 Speaker 1: even going to notice. That will be gone on Thursday 1502 01:19:31,439 --> 01:19:33,799 Speaker 1: and we'll be right back here at the desk on Monday. 1503 01:19:33,920 --> 01:19:37,560 Speaker 1: We love you all. Thank you very much. Have a beautiful, wonderful, 1504 01:19:37,880 --> 01:19:41,920 Speaker 1: glorious Thanksgiving. Don't listen to Saga, eat whatever you want, 1505 01:19:42,240 --> 01:19:45,040 Speaker 1: enjoy yourself. You can if you want. Just make sure 1506 01:19:45,040 --> 01:19:47,000 Speaker 1: your work out on Monday. That's what I will be doing, 1507 01:19:47,200 --> 01:19:49,320 Speaker 1: and we will see you guys back here next week. 1508 01:19:49,479 --> 01:19:50,000 Speaker 1: Love you all.