WEBVTT - Congress 101 0:00:00.960 --> 0:00:04.520 From UFOs two, ghosts and government cover ups, histories real 0:00:04.760 --> 0:00:08.320 with unexplained events. You can turn back now or learn 0:00:08.400 --> 0:00:16.680 the stuff and don't want you to now. Welcome back 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:19.360 to the show. My name is Matt, and I'm known 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:23.880 and I am Ben And most importantly, you are here 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:27.360 listeners that makes this stuff. They don't want you to know. 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:30.280 If you're listening to this the day it comes out, 0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:33.239 then we hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. Wait, if 0:00:33.240 --> 0:00:36.280 you're listening to this the day it comes out and 0:00:36.360 --> 0:00:38.720 you celebrate Thanksgiving, we hope you had a good one. 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:41.280 That's correct. If it was just Thursday, we hope that 0:00:41.360 --> 0:00:45.600 worked out. Clear. Do you guys, have you ever this 0:00:45.680 --> 0:00:48.520 is just a question. Sure, have you guys ever deep 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:52.760 fried a turkey for Thanksgiving? And do you celebrate Thanksgiving? 0:00:52.960 --> 0:00:57.120 I've been witnessed to send turkey deep frying. Yes, it 0:00:57.200 --> 0:00:59.320 was good. I mean, you know, it's a fried thing. 0:00:59.600 --> 0:01:02.960 I could you know, my god, it wasn't extra moist, 0:01:03.160 --> 0:01:06.440 just pretty boist. Oh head word. You have to be 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:10.240 careful when in deep fry turkey, right, Yes, there's a 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:15.039 there's a certain set of procedures and the tastiness of 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:18.640 the turkey all inges on on that, and you don't 0:01:18.640 --> 0:01:21.600 want to throw a frozen turkey into oil that is 0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:26.520 extremely hot because you will be blind when you know fires. Yeah. 0:01:26.560 --> 0:01:29.240 Actually it's funny because you see this thing on my hand. Listeners, 0:01:29.280 --> 0:01:32.560 I'm holding up my right hand for the guys here, 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:35.000 and there is a series of like four or five 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:39.600 puncture wound looking things on the side between my index 0:01:39.640 --> 0:01:42.600 finger my thumb, and it looks like a bite, right, yeah, 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:46.360 but it's not right, No, it's it's actually from trying 0:01:46.360 --> 0:01:49.840 to fry a turkey cutlet because it's a grease bite. 0:01:49.920 --> 0:01:54.080 It's a grease bite by the grease. Speaking of grease, Yes, 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:56.600 you know what they say about the squeaky wheel, right, 0:01:57.680 --> 0:02:01.160 it gets the grease. I put the agrease on its skin. 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:05.720 Uh and or else it gets the vote. Again. Yes, 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:09.960 today we are talking about something that correlates to our 0:02:10.120 --> 0:02:15.120 most recent video. Congress. We're talking about Congress today, ladies 0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:18.680 and gentlemen. Uh So, the first question? First things first, 0:02:18.680 --> 0:02:20.720 why why do we why do we have a Congress? 0:02:21.480 --> 0:02:24.040 I guess I can take this onet the mind. Um So, 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:28.639 the United States federal government, there being real proper here 0:02:29.320 --> 0:02:34.920 was purposely separated in three distinct bodies entities, if you will, legislative, executive, 0:02:34.960 --> 0:02:37.919 and judicial. This is all kind of basic civics class stuff. 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:42.000 Under this arrangement, each branch was given the ability to 0:02:42.160 --> 0:02:44.120 check and balance the other, so it's sort of like 0:02:44.200 --> 0:02:47.239 one hand watching the other, etcetera, so that no branch 0:02:47.320 --> 0:02:49.919 becomes more powerful than the other, which is called separation 0:02:49.919 --> 0:02:53.680 of powers um and it's the basis of the entire 0:02:53.760 --> 0:02:57.320 American system of government. Also applies in all cases except 0:02:57.360 --> 0:03:01.000 for one, which is the presidential pardon. Yeah, the separation 0:03:01.040 --> 0:03:04.560 of powers is extremely important when looking at how the 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:07.680 United States functions, how it was formed, and how it 0:03:07.720 --> 0:03:11.320 was formed and how it functions, and the that that 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:13.720 whole idea of the presidential pardon being one of the 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:18.720 only things that is an exception to these three powers 0:03:18.800 --> 0:03:21.399 working together to try and make sure nobody has too 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:24.200 much of it. That is a unilateral decision the president 0:03:24.240 --> 0:03:26.600 can make of for his own reasons. Yes, and the 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:29.760 only situation. There have been some controversial ones. Uh I. 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:31.960 You may have heard a couple of times, at least 0:03:32.000 --> 0:03:35.680 recently with the past three or four presidencies. People who 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:40.200 are maybe acquaintances or friends, may even family who have 0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:44.360 been pardoned from not to mention that turkey that he pardoned. 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:49.080 I mean, let's come full circles every years. I wonder 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:52.160 is it the same turkey. I think it's just a 0:03:52.280 --> 0:03:55.240 stand in for all turkeys, you know. That might be it. 0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:57.400 That might be it. But there is one other thing 0:03:57.440 --> 0:04:01.040 that is kind of in a nebulous world outside of 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:03.960 these these three powers working together, and that is the 0:04:04.000 --> 0:04:09.680 executive order, which interestingly is it's almost like a suggestion 0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:14.040 to the other uh powers, right to the other three 0:04:14.040 --> 0:04:16.760 that the Executive Office can say, hey, we we would 0:04:16.760 --> 0:04:20.320 like this to happen. But an executive order cannot be 0:04:20.880 --> 0:04:24.480 given to the actual citizens of the United States, like uh, 0:04:25.279 --> 0:04:29.599 President Barack Obama couldn't say X, and then each citizens 0:04:29.600 --> 0:04:31.479 within a state have to do that or each state 0:04:31.520 --> 0:04:35.360 has to do that. Yeah, it can and also cannot 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:40.280 be UM cannot be directed at Congress or at the 0:04:40.320 --> 0:04:43.919 Supreme Court. So you can't say sign an executive order 0:04:44.320 --> 0:04:48.960 saying that now there will be eleven and a half 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:51.839 justices and one of them will just do twenty hours 0:04:51.839 --> 0:04:54.040 a week. Yeah, so it's given. Sorry, just to clarify, 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:56.200 it's given to an agency, right right. It's like the 0:04:56.279 --> 0:04:58.400 E P A, the D O T S something like 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:02.279 that exactly. Uh. And the the reason that we have 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:07.919 this complex sort of rock paper scissors system is to 0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:13.120 enforce a a kind of check and balanced idea. And 0:05:13.160 --> 0:05:16.120 what that means, which every again, as Noll said earlier, 0:05:16.120 --> 0:05:20.640 this kind of early civics stuff, it means it is 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:27.760 meant to keep one branch from controlling everything. Uh. However, 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:29.920 you know, I know there are a lot of people 0:05:29.920 --> 0:05:32.040 in the audience will say, well, yeah, that's good. That's 0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:36.359 a part of the beauty of our democracy. Funny story, 0:05:36.400 --> 0:05:41.280 you guys. Technically, the US is not really a democracy, 0:05:41.360 --> 0:05:44.919 is not a direct democracy. A democracy originally is a 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:48.440 form of government where people decide policy matters directly. So 0:05:48.560 --> 0:05:52.560 every time the US would make a decision, all all 0:05:52.720 --> 0:05:57.320 three hundred what thirty plus million of US, we get 0:05:57.360 --> 0:06:00.320 together and say, well, you know, I guess um, we 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:05.960 got this bill here about standardizing the size for straws, 0:06:06.000 --> 0:06:09.520 and uh, I feel like they should be a democracy 0:06:09.560 --> 0:06:12.320 like that, or a pure democracy. Even some people call 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:15.560 it a dramatic direct democracy. That may be something that 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:19.200 you remember hearing about when the Occupy Wall Street protests 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:21.960 were happening, and you would actually have groups of people 0:06:22.760 --> 0:06:27.120 who would make proclamations, but they would take turns. Did 0:06:27.120 --> 0:06:30.159 you guys ever go down to one of those. It 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:34.359 was fascinating to see it working at least somewhat working 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:39.839 on principle, But I cannot imagine that functioning on, you know, 0:06:40.000 --> 0:06:43.400 with three hundreds something million people trying to do this right. Yeah, 0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:46.719 there's uh. And that's what the founding fathers of the 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:49.240 US thought as well. But then if we're not a 0:06:49.279 --> 0:06:52.800 true democracy, what kind of government are we? Who is 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:56.200 this tiny scamp? Well, I'll never mind. I'll answer your question, lad. 0:06:56.600 --> 0:07:01.720 The US is technically speaking a wee public because what 0:07:01.800 --> 0:07:05.680 we do is we vote or other people to go 0:07:05.960 --> 0:07:11.160 and be our representatives, right to have our opinions. So 0:07:11.360 --> 0:07:16.040 we'll say, okay, this person represents a trapload of people 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:19.400 in for months. Yeah, but they're all kind of the same, right, 0:07:19.880 --> 0:07:25.119 so it makes sense that one person would represent them. Sure. Yes, Uh, 0:07:25.240 --> 0:07:27.000 if you live in the US and you vote, you're 0:07:27.040 --> 0:07:30.920 only really voting for that representative on and we talked 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:33.280 about how you'd have to vote for every decision of policy. 0:07:33.320 --> 0:07:36.880 The founding fathers thought that democracy direct democracy was a 0:07:36.960 --> 0:07:42.720 terrible idea. Instability, crime, dogs and cats sleeping together, revolutions, 0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:47.520 active property. That is one of the biggest problems that 0:07:47.560 --> 0:07:51.640 could happen. I mean, especially if gosh, it's so horrible 0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:55.040 to even think about, but the disparities in levels of 0:07:55.160 --> 0:08:01.600 education and understanding throughout humans, I mean, mob rule is terrifying. No, 0:08:01.800 --> 0:08:03.600 I think we take for granted that that we have 0:08:03.680 --> 0:08:07.080 not really had to experience too much of that. Yeah, no, 0:08:07.200 --> 0:08:10.200 you're right, we we really do. I don't think I've 0:08:10.280 --> 0:08:14.679 experienced mob rule in any situation. I mean, there's there's 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:16.640 like a going to a concert, for example, where you 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:18.360 can let this picture going to a concert and get 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:20.680 swept up in a mosh pit. You're not into it 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:22.640 at all, but you just you kind of have to 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:24.840 just go limp and go along for the right. That's 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:28.400 probably a simple version of what mob ruled. And then yeah, 0:08:28.440 --> 0:08:31.920 that's good, that's good. And then there's reddit, oh yeah, 0:08:32.840 --> 0:08:35.880 shots fired. Yeah, that's more of circle jerk actions. So 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:38.680 we could say, if we had an adjective, we could 0:08:38.679 --> 0:08:42.880 call some different kind of democracy, maybe a representative democracy, 0:08:42.920 --> 0:08:45.520 because we elect representatives and those are the people that 0:08:45.559 --> 0:08:48.599 we're going to talk about today. Interestingly enough, though, It 0:08:48.640 --> 0:08:52.800 could also be called a constitutional democracy because the Supreme Court, 0:08:52.920 --> 0:08:59.559 according to the Constitution, appointed for life, not elected, never fired, 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:02.839 say whatever they want, and it's a law that's a 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:06.600 little weird. I mean, history is going to look back 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:11.840 on that as at the very best to compromise. So, 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:15.800 uh so, how did this all work out? These people 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:19.120 that we you know today? Democracy is often used to 0:09:19.160 --> 0:09:22.200 describe a government that gets its power from the people 0:09:22.960 --> 0:09:25.959 and is accountable to those people when it comes to 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:29.079 use of the power. And if that's the thing, right, 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:32.200 if the folks that we're all sending to washing each election, 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:36.960 our are our conduit to the hallowed halls of power, 0:09:38.080 --> 0:09:42.000 how's it working out? How do people feel about Congress? Well, 0:09:42.040 --> 0:09:48.920 then people hate them, that's true. Here's a good stat 0:09:49.080 --> 0:09:53.680 I love this with every ounce of my being. Um So. 0:09:53.760 --> 0:09:56.880 According to five thirty eight dot com in public policy polling, 0:09:57.240 --> 0:10:04.400 in Congress held a staggering approval rating. Now, if you're 0:10:04.400 --> 0:10:07.680 not into polls, that might just kind of roll right 0:10:07.720 --> 0:10:09.520 off you. What does that even mean? Here are some 0:10:09.600 --> 0:10:14.880 things with a higher rating. One jar jar banks, two 0:10:15.640 --> 0:10:22.480 dog poop, three traffic jams, four cockroaches, five completely unfair 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:25.080 in my opinion Brussels Sprouts. I love Brussels, huge fan 0:10:25.160 --> 0:10:29.559 of Brussels Sprouts and six Nickelback. And you know, I'm 0:10:29.600 --> 0:10:32.640 almost tired of ragging on Nickelback. I think it's it's gotten. 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:35.440 They've really been through a lot. They really have. Really, 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:39.160 guys really didn't No one's making me listen to their music. 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:42.800 Just look at this photograph. Look how sad the singer 0:10:42.840 --> 0:10:44.680 of nickel Back looks. I know, I feel like Sarah 0:10:44.760 --> 0:10:47.920 mclachman needs they come in on the side of that photograph. 0:10:48.440 --> 0:10:50.959 I was at a Halloween party in two thousand thirteen 0:10:51.320 --> 0:10:53.920 and there was a house mix of music that was 0:10:53.960 --> 0:10:55.840 going on, and there was a tiny little computer in 0:10:55.840 --> 0:10:58.800 one of the corners, uh in this living room area 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:02.200 that was playing the mix, and Chandler Are, a co worker, 0:11:02.600 --> 0:11:05.720 would go over and throw a Nickelback song in the mix, 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:09.960 and the owner of the house got so angry, and 0:11:10.000 --> 0:11:13.280 not in a jokingly like funny, ha ha, that's funny 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:15.520 you're doing that. He was so pissed because he did 0:11:15.520 --> 0:11:19.520 it four or five times after the dude, I've never 0:11:19.559 --> 0:11:22.160 seen someone so upset about some music. And again, this 0:11:22.200 --> 0:11:28.000 guy probably prefers Nickelback to yeah, you know. And also 0:11:28.120 --> 0:11:32.720 it's strange because a lot of people don't participate in voting. Uh, 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:36.360 every four years, people will turn out to vote for 0:11:36.440 --> 0:11:42.360 the president. However that is not that's not playing the 0:11:42.440 --> 0:11:44.920 game to the full set of rules. Right. You're supposed 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:47.440 to vote for the person who is supposed to represent you. 0:11:48.480 --> 0:11:54.040 However a lot of people don't do that, so with it, 0:11:54.280 --> 0:11:56.160 so there is a little bit of irony in there. 0:11:56.320 --> 0:11:58.880 You know, would would people vote for Brussels sprouts? I 0:11:58.920 --> 0:12:01.920 think I would. I think they're tasty, especially if you 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:06.800 pair them with a little honey honey preserves. So we'd 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:09.320 like to talk about a little bit today is uh, 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:14.840 why people often don't participate or feel like it's useless 0:12:14.840 --> 0:12:20.040 to vote, and why why Congress is so very very unpopular. 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:24.439 So what is it? Guys? What don't people like about Congress? 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:27.640 You're right, it is crazy that that that is our 0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:30.520 real power as a citizen at three citizens of the 0:12:30.559 --> 0:12:33.280 United States right here, and you're listening. If your sitisant, 0:12:33.320 --> 0:12:36.760 I mean, that is our at least on paper, that 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:40.520 is our power. It's a very important right on paper. 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:44.920 Absolutely well. One of the reasons that people don't vote 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:49.400 and for a while there, I didn't vote is apathy 0:12:49.440 --> 0:12:52.679 because it feels like it doesn't matter, especially if you 0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:55.200 live in an area the way votes are counted, if 0:12:55.240 --> 0:12:57.200 you live in an area that is predominantly one way 0:12:57.280 --> 0:12:59.360 or the other way because we have a two party system, 0:12:59.440 --> 0:13:02.720 or if it's mander Yeah, yeah, jerrymandering is a huge issue. 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:05.600 It honestly doesn't matter what my opinion is if I 0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:07.760 don't fall in with the majority. I mean, we live 0:13:07.760 --> 0:13:10.600 here in Atlanta, which by all accounts is, you know, 0:13:10.679 --> 0:13:12.840 something of a cultural hub. There's a lot of you know, 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:15.400 film activity that goes on here, a lot of music, 0:13:15.440 --> 0:13:19.400 a lot of interesting culture. But it is a sliver 0:13:19.920 --> 0:13:23.560 of the overall, you know, makeup of of Georgia, and 0:13:24.000 --> 0:13:28.400 we can vote to we're blue in the face, and 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:31.440 it's not really gonna keep things from turning red. Well yeah, well, 0:13:31.600 --> 0:13:33.760 but that again, it doesn't really matter what side drawing, 0:13:33.920 --> 0:13:36.720 because you could say the same thing about certain areas 0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:38.920 in New York, right. I mean, it's just like and 0:13:38.960 --> 0:13:42.040 from the opposite direction, of course. But I think that 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:45.320 for me, at least in my experience, and for a 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:48.120 lot of people, I know, that feeling of apathy that 0:13:48.160 --> 0:13:50.599 you can't actually do anything in it. It's a meaningless 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:56.439 power not personally agree that. That is definitely a factor. Yeah, 0:13:56.600 --> 0:13:58.440 and then another thing I think that a lot of 0:13:58.440 --> 0:14:01.240 people don't like about Congress, if we're talking about the 0:14:01.240 --> 0:14:08.480 average voter, is that here's a disconnected it doesn't seem representative, 0:14:08.720 --> 0:14:11.800 you know, like the average age. Remember the House of 0:14:11.840 --> 0:14:16.480 Representatives is around fifty seven. And for the vast majority 0:14:16.559 --> 0:14:20.200 of our listeners, many members of the House of Representatives 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:24.120 and Congress are going to be, uh, financially in a 0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:27.720 much different place. Was that that you mentioned about the 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:32.800 the income of a member of Congress. Yes, they're They're 0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:38.320 put in the fifth percentile, I believe, of all incomes 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:41.720 inside the United States. And that's just what they get 0:14:41.720 --> 0:14:46.200 paid for being a member of Congress and for or 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:48.520 you know, in the Senate in particular. Isn't that about 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:51.440 what the president makes? I think the president makes about 0:14:51.480 --> 0:14:54.240 four thousand year because I just have this memory if 0:14:54.280 --> 0:14:55.720 when from when I was a kid and my mom 0:14:55.800 --> 0:14:59.160 told me how much politicians made, and I remember thinking 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:01.640 that doesn't seem much, you know, like I would think 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:05.760 they'd be jillionaires. Well turns out well, and the thing 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:11.000 is that there are a lot of benefits. Benefits got 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:14.080 a lot of opportunities to become Yeah, especially then if 0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:16.720 you're on the board of a couple of things, you know. 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:19.840 I mean there's I believe there's certain restrictions on some 0:15:19.920 --> 0:15:22.400 of that, but as we're going to find out a 0:15:22.440 --> 0:15:25.000 little later, there are ways around it, which I think 0:15:25.040 --> 0:15:28.200 brings us to another point about why that sort of 0:15:28.240 --> 0:15:31.120 related to the apathy about why people are distrustful of 0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:34.400 Congress is there's I think a pretty palpable sense that 0:15:35.720 --> 0:15:38.440 these folks aren't necessarily in it for the greater good. 0:15:38.560 --> 0:15:41.640 They're in it for their quote unquote constituents, and they're 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:44.800 in it for their special interests, you know, and kind 0:15:44.800 --> 0:15:50.800 of like for you know, to um propel their financial 0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:53.360 you know, interests, or their you know, or their career, 0:15:53.440 --> 0:15:58.360 their quest for power, their consultancy. So the yeah, this 0:15:58.360 --> 0:16:02.360 this brings us to some disquiet things, Right, who are 0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:06.080 the true constituents. One thing that we've joked about on 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:08.920 this show before is you know how race car drivers 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:14.600 wear sponsorship patches. That would be great if elected representatives 0:16:14.640 --> 0:16:17.800 had to wear those two you know, I remember this, Yeah, 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:21.280 that's a great idea. I'm I am less and less 0:16:21.400 --> 0:16:23.600 jovial about it as we go on, because it seems 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:27.800 like a better and better idea, just fantastic, you know. Well, yeah, 0:16:27.880 --> 0:16:30.840 but the way a just this is my frame of reference. 0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:33.080 A UFC fighter or an m M A fighter has 0:16:33.120 --> 0:16:35.200 a big banner that has all their things on it. 0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:36.840 If they when they go and make a speech, you 0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:39.080 just had to be behind them at all times. Yeah, 0:16:39.120 --> 0:16:42.520 what's wrong about that? They have to really go fine 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:46.000 with the print on something. So maybe just make a 0:16:46.000 --> 0:16:50.600 bigger banner, right, So, yeah, maybe just make a bigger banner. 0:16:50.680 --> 0:16:55.320 Maybe that's the problem with this country, right, ladies. And 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:59.040 you can create jobs doing that. I'm just saying that's true. 0:16:59.080 --> 0:17:01.360 I was just thinking about graphic designers who would be 0:17:01.360 --> 0:17:04.520 working on that. Here's the thing though, with Congress. A 0:17:04.560 --> 0:17:08.679 lot of the rank and file voters amongst uh, you know, 0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:10.640 that's a group that we put ourselves amongst. A lot 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:13.679 of the rank and file voters see Congress as somewhat 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:16.960 above the law. And this came to head with an 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:21.600 insider trading scandal. For a long time, insider trading was 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:25.320 just fine with Congress. Well, yeah, when you could keep 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:29.199 it quiet and nobody's really talking about it. The with 0:17:29.320 --> 0:17:32.960 the nature of lobbying, you've always got hand holding, right, 0:17:33.080 --> 0:17:37.360 and negotiations going on between the congressional body, and it's 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:40.920 just a hot tip, right, maybe I got a hot tip. 0:17:41.760 --> 0:17:44.760 But but it becomes a problem then because when we're 0:17:44.760 --> 0:17:48.919 talking about constituencies, then are they really looking after the 0:17:48.920 --> 0:17:51.480 people they represent? Are they're looking after the people the 0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:54.600 hand that is giving them some money. And that's how 0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:56.720 a lot of unfortunately, that's how a lot of voters 0:17:56.800 --> 0:17:59.800 see it. Without knowing every single congress person, I can't 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:04.840 I say, I can't really speak to it, but it 0:18:05.040 --> 0:18:10.680 is a popular and widespread opinion that these representatives or 0:18:10.720 --> 0:18:15.800 these elected officials are not representing the people so much 0:18:15.840 --> 0:18:21.080 as the powers. And we came. We we saw this 0:18:21.160 --> 0:18:25.080 really great thing, the intercept published back in what may 0:18:25.200 --> 0:18:30.359 or something this year. UH. You may recall that, you 0:18:30.440 --> 0:18:33.159 may recall that a few years ago, UH Congress got 0:18:33.160 --> 0:18:37.000 in trouble with insider trading stuff that we were mentioning. However, 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:45.360 H lawyers last summer filed a brief claiming that an 0:18:45.520 --> 0:18:50.399 SEC Security Exchanges Commission investigation of insider trading had to 0:18:50.440 --> 0:18:54.680 be blocked on principle because lawmakers and their staff are 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:59.840 constitutionally protected from such inquiries given the nature of their work, 0:18:59.880 --> 0:19:03.479 because they are constantly in contact with these lobbying groups. 0:19:03.680 --> 0:19:06.600 And remember that thing about checks and balances was also 0:19:06.720 --> 0:19:12.200 because insider trading probes would violate the separation of powers 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:16.920 between the legislative and executive branch. It seems so counterintuitive 0:19:16.960 --> 0:19:20.720 to me. It just seems like it's a rule to 0:19:20.920 --> 0:19:25.320 keep there from having to be any rules. But there 0:19:25.359 --> 0:19:27.840 was this thing called the Stock Act in two thousand 0:19:27.880 --> 0:19:30.800 twelve that was passed by Congress, and it was it 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:34.960 meant to try and enforce some of these things right, 0:19:34.960 --> 0:19:39.680 to stop insider trading. However, at the moment that that 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:43.680 that it actually started being acted upon, was like whoa, whoa, whoa, 0:19:43.680 --> 0:19:46.400 whall hold on, guys, we come on, now, come on now, 0:19:46.440 --> 0:19:49.760 we're Congress. So I was thinking, instead of doing an 0:19:49.800 --> 0:19:53.119 ad today, you guys, could I tell you a horrible, 0:19:53.840 --> 0:19:56.960 a horrible joke that I thought I wrote that you 0:19:57.080 --> 0:20:08.639 thought you wrote, I'll explain. Okay, knock, knock, who's there? Two? Two? Actually, guys, 0:20:08.680 --> 0:20:13.880 it's to whom you son of a I'm sorry, it's 0:20:13.880 --> 0:20:16.760 such a terrible joke. Uh, and it has it has 0:20:16.800 --> 0:20:19.119 nothing to do with what we're talking about. It's just 0:20:19.119 --> 0:20:22.680 a little bit of levity there in place of uh 0:20:22.720 --> 0:20:25.480 an ad until we hear back from what was that? 0:20:25.560 --> 0:20:30.240 What was that other group called Illumination Global Unlimited. Yeah, yeah, 0:20:30.359 --> 0:20:34.560 like I'd like to refer to them as I gu Yeah, 0:20:35.080 --> 0:20:36.399 well we'll talk about it later. I don't want to 0:20:36.400 --> 0:20:39.360 talk af air kind of thing. Okay, Yeah, moving on. 0:20:40.200 --> 0:20:44.080 Here's where it gets crazy because, as you might have guest, 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:48.160 ladies and gentlemen, Congress is the subject of a lot 0:20:48.400 --> 0:20:54.360 of conspiracy theories, some big, some small, some I think 0:20:54.359 --> 0:20:57.439 completely true, and then some that are kind of wild 0:20:58.240 --> 0:21:00.159 and then suddenly there or somewhere in between. Yah. And 0:21:00.240 --> 0:21:03.159 these are apart from the general stories of corruption that 0:21:03.240 --> 0:21:06.479 you'll hear on a micro and macro scale all across 0:21:06.520 --> 0:21:09.600 the internet. Oh yeah, we're talking about stuff like JFK. 0:21:09.920 --> 0:21:14.280 Ladies and gentleman John F. Kennedy. Uh and the the 0:21:14.359 --> 0:21:19.840 How Select Committee on Assassinations, Right, the h s c 0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:26.640 A investigated both Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Big deal. Yeah, 0:21:26.680 --> 0:21:30.560 And it's something that we've talked about for on numerous episodes, 0:21:31.359 --> 0:21:35.640 and it's a fascinating time when those things were when 0:21:35.720 --> 0:21:40.720 the House Committee gosh, what is it, the Select Committee 0:21:40.760 --> 0:21:44.840 Committee on Assassinations? Okay, yeah, when they were doing their thing, 0:21:44.960 --> 0:21:48.320 just because for people who are reading along at the time, 0:21:48.359 --> 0:21:54.600 again not me eight three over here, Um, they you're 0:21:54.640 --> 0:21:56.720 following along with this news and it just seems like 0:21:56.840 --> 0:21:59.560 there is information that or you're not getting all of 0:21:59.600 --> 0:22:04.439 the infra nation right, yes, or that it is changing. 0:22:04.680 --> 0:22:07.960 And yeah. So the h s c A actually met 0:22:07.960 --> 0:22:10.360 from nineteen seventy six to nine seventy eight, and then 0:22:10.400 --> 0:22:13.840 finally in seventy nine issued his final report that concluded 0:22:13.880 --> 0:22:17.600 that Kennedy was probably assassinated by the mafia and that 0:22:17.680 --> 0:22:23.080 the CIA was lacking in its investigation, right, Yeah, that 0:22:23.119 --> 0:22:27.439 the CIA did not actually in assist even in the 0:22:27.600 --> 0:22:32.320 limited role they were required to assist in and a 0:22:32.359 --> 0:22:36.800 lot of people had the here's the thing. So they 0:22:36.880 --> 0:22:40.280 did say that they believed there was a conspiracy to 0:22:40.320 --> 0:22:45.400 assassinate John F. Kennedy. They said that they did not 0:22:45.560 --> 0:22:52.159 think any anti Castro groups or necessarily internal groups were involved. 0:22:52.280 --> 0:22:54.879 They couldn't find out who Oswald was connected to. And 0:22:54.920 --> 0:22:58.359 he's got some very interesting adventures before that. Before that 0:22:58.480 --> 0:23:02.840 year when he forms the assassinations. We're traveling, yes, some 0:23:03.080 --> 0:23:06.920 very strange traveling, and many people have studied this or 0:23:07.000 --> 0:23:10.880 looked at it in either an attempt to prove their 0:23:10.960 --> 0:23:13.680 pre existing opinion or in an attempt to find out 0:23:13.680 --> 0:23:18.760 what actually happened. So this is one of the crown jewels. 0:23:19.280 --> 0:23:21.840 I would argue of the reason that historically people don't 0:23:21.920 --> 0:23:27.879 necessarily trust Congress, regardless of what political stripe you like 0:23:27.960 --> 0:23:32.679 to paint yourself with, regardless of your philosophical differences on 0:23:32.720 --> 0:23:36.399 the nature of federalism, etcetera. Uh, you know, if you 0:23:36.440 --> 0:23:39.200 get the idea that your own government is is shooting 0:23:39.400 --> 0:23:43.440 your heroes, yeah, we're going to trust them. Strangely enough, though, 0:23:43.480 --> 0:23:47.240 in this instance, this is the House of Representatives saying that, hey, 0:23:47.280 --> 0:23:50.080 your government is like may have had a hand in this, 0:23:50.200 --> 0:23:53.600 or at least said there was a conspiracy. Right they didn't. 0:23:53.640 --> 0:23:55.720 They don't give you anything. Well in the next the 0:23:55.800 --> 0:24:00.000 next thing is what I think makes the Congress seem 0:24:00.080 --> 0:24:04.639 even less trustworthy, right, Yes, because this the report in 0:24:04.720 --> 0:24:08.280 nineteen seventy nine, It's not only consisted of the full report, 0:24:08.320 --> 0:24:13.679 but also twelve volumes of appendencies on both assassinations and uh, 0:24:13.720 --> 0:24:15.720 and that was published by Congress. I did have one 0:24:15.840 --> 0:24:18.320 quick question. I just was wondering if either of you 0:24:18.359 --> 0:24:21.639 know how many pages this report was. I'm just always 0:24:21.720 --> 0:24:24.680 kind of amazed at how massive some of these official 0:24:24.720 --> 0:24:26.639 documents are. And you know, when you think about how 0:24:26.680 --> 0:24:28.880 easy it is to kind of slide things in there 0:24:29.040 --> 0:24:33.680 when there's that much just absurd overload of information. Interesting 0:24:33.720 --> 0:24:36.359 that you say that, Um, they say slide slide in 0:24:36.400 --> 0:24:40.639 there because it's a it's about one page, uh simal sided, 0:24:41.200 --> 0:24:46.480 so they can slide it underdoors. It's twelve twelve twelve volumes, 0:24:47.160 --> 0:24:50.639 and then they had a single volume summary report. So 0:24:50.680 --> 0:24:54.640 without getting an exact page count for you, it's, uh, 0:24:54.760 --> 0:24:58.000 it's a dictionary, got it. You know, it's huge. Um, 0:24:58.040 --> 0:25:01.280