1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: Hey, guys, thanks for listening to Breaking Points with Crystal 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: and Sager. We're gonna be totally upfront with you. We 3 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: took a big risk going independent to make this work. 4 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: We need your support to beat the corporate media CNN, Fox, MSNBC. 5 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: They are ripping this country apart. They are making millions 6 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: of dollars doing it to help support our mission of 7 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: making all of us hate each other, less hate the 8 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: corrupt ruling class more support the show. 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We have an amazing show for everybody today. 19 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: What do we have, Crystal? Indeed, we do pretty remarkable 20 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: reporting for The Washington Post about the Biden folks, the 21 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: Democratic Priority, whether he's going to run in twenty twenty four. 22 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: Some really interesting tidbits there that we want to get into. Also, 23 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: a frankly relatively ignored bombshell report about Hunter Biden and 24 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: his involvement in the sale of a gigantic cobalt mine 25 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: to the Chinese. Cobalt very important for our you know, 26 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: electrified electric cars, all ugerphones, renewable energy like this. This 27 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: is actually really important stuff New York Times. With that report, 28 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:45,199 Speaker 1: also a few glimmers of hope that maybe the supply 29 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: chain crisis is easing. We will bring you all of that. Also, 30 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: our friend Chris Smalls is going to join the show again. 31 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: Of course, he's been involved in organizing an Amazon He's 32 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: going to give us an update there. We wanted to 33 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: start with acknowledgments of what's going on in Wisconsin though. Yeah, 34 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: so this is a breaking store or we don't have 35 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: a lot of details, but last night a car plowed 36 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: through Christmas parade and Wacasha, Wisconsin. Five people have been 37 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: confirmed dead and there are at least forty others injured. 38 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: A lot of them were children. If you guys have 39 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: seen the videos, it's really horrifying. I mean, it's just, 40 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: you know, the most evil thing you can do is 41 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 1: plow into a bunch of kids at a Christmas parade. 42 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: We don't have any details around who the assailant is. 43 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: There was somebody who was arrested, but nothing has been 44 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 1: released there. They found the vehicle, they have a person 45 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: of interest. That's what we know at this point. Keep 46 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: everybody updated tomorrow whenever the details become fuller. But yeah, 47 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: gotta start with and acknowledge and really think about all 48 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: the people in the cash. You're right, absolutely, and we'll 49 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: keep monitoring that, all right. So guys, gonna be real 50 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: with you. We didn't really want to talk about the 51 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: Kyle written House trial. And there's a couple simple reasons why, 52 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: at least this from my perspective. You can say if 53 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,360 Speaker 1: you feel differently about it, but the discourse around it 54 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: was extraordinarily polarized, poisonous. It's completely poisonous and very toxic. 55 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: So that was one reason. The other reason, I think, frankly, 56 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: the stakes in this trial, in my opinion, were not 57 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: either what they were being portrayed as on the Writer 58 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: the Life, I agree with you, And so we didn't 59 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: feel like we needed to wade into it because frankly, 60 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: we felt like there were other things more consequential to 61 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: the future of the country going on. However, because the 62 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: coverage has been so poor and so polarized and so tribal, 63 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: we felt like we should that we had a responsibility 64 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: to sort through as best we can the facts of 65 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: this case. And since we haven't covered it yet, we 66 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: wanted to start from the ground up of just what 67 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: we know confirmably happen on that night. As you guys 68 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: probably know at this point, Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on 69 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: all charges stemming from he killed two wounded one other. 70 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: This was during the protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. So there's 71 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: a couple things to sort through here. One is just 72 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: the law, and that's probably the most clear cut piece. 73 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: And then there's the question of the morals, the ethics, 74 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: the politics. That's where things start to get a little 75 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: bit messier. So let's start with the law, and I 76 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: thought Eric Levitz over at New York Magazine did a 77 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: good job of just laying out the undisputable facts, undeniable 78 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: facts of what we know happen on that night. So 79 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: no speculation, no spin this way or that, way, this 80 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: is what we know happened on that night when Kyle 81 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,359 Speaker 1: Rittenhouse ultimately killed two and wounded one. Let's throw this 82 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: first piece of this up on the screen, so he says, 83 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: before examining the substance of Rittenhouse's defense. It's worth reviewing 84 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: the case's undisputed facts. Bystander's cell phone videos establish the 85 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: thirty six year old protester Joseph Rosenbaum chased Rittenhouse into 86 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: a parking lot, shouted fu, and threw a plastic bag 87 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: at his back. That a different protester fired a gun 88 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: into the sky. Immediately following this shot, Rittenhouse ceased fleeing 89 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: and turned around that Rosenbaumb then moved toward Rittenhouse, who 90 00:04:55,560 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: proceeded to fire four times. Rosenbaum was killed. Those shots 91 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: attracted the attention of nearby demonstrators. Let's put the next 92 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: piece of this up on the screen. One ran out 93 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: behind Writtenhouse and hit him in the head. Another kicked 94 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: the gunman to the ground. Then twenty six year old 95 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: Anthony Huber whacked Writtenhouse with the skateboard and appeared to 96 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 1: reach for his rifle. Writtenhouse shot Hubert through the heart, 97 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 1: instantly killing him. Gauge Gross Croats, twenty eight years old, 98 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: approached and pointed a handgun at Writtenhouse. Writtenhouse nearly blue 99 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: Grosscruts's right arm off. So really the key piece here 100 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: because of course, what Kyle Rittenhouse and his defense team 101 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 1: argued and what the jury agreed with them on is 102 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: that this could plausibly be self defense. And I say 103 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: it in those terms because in Wisconsin, as is the 104 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: case in most states, the burden is on the prosecution 105 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: to disprove a self defense defense. That's right. So he 106 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: comes in, Kyle Rittenhouse, to this trial with effectively an 107 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: assumption that this was self defense, and the prosecution has 108 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 1: to fully disprove it. And if there's even a reasonable 109 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: doubt that it might have been self defense, then what 110 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: the law says is you have to acquit. You have 111 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: to find in favor of the defendant. So that's the 112 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 1: piece of the legal burden we could put. There's a 113 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: little bit of New York Times analysis here that we 114 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: can throw up on the screen, just indicating what I 115 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 1: just said. When it comes to self defense, the prosecution 116 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: has a heavier burden. Wisconsin's rules for self defense, they say, 117 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: are well within the national mainstream of people reasonably believe 118 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: they are at risk of death or great bodily harm, 119 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: they can use deadly force. Most states say that someone 120 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: who provokes violence or is acting illegally wighs the right 121 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: to self defense, but Wisconsin allows it if the person 122 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: has exhausted every other reasonable means to escape from or 123 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,559 Speaker 1: otherwise avoid death or great bodily harm. So, at the 124 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: very beginning of this video, when the chaos and the 125 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: mayhem unfold, the fact that Rittenhouse is retreating, we don't 126 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 1: know what happened before that. It's possible there was a provact. 127 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 1: We just don't know. Okay, we don't have that on video. 128 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: But at the very beginning of this video, when Rittenhouse 129 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: is running away and he's being pursued and he turns 130 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: around and Rosenbaum, who he ultimately kills, moves towards him, 131 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: that the fact that he was retreating and that he 132 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: was being pursued gave the jury enough to say we 133 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: believe this could reasonably have been self defense, that he 134 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: may have believed he was in danger of bodily harm. Obviously, 135 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: this is fairly subjective because you have to you have 136 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 1: to take you know, what was in this person's mind 137 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:40,679 Speaker 1: and what factors were they wearing, et cetera, et cetera. 138 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: But that is the law, that is the way it 139 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: was written, and that's why legally analysts who were following 140 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: this were not surprised ultimately that the jury found him 141 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: not guilty. That's right. And you know, you'll recall up 142 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: for those who watched Rising, my friend Richie McGinnis was 143 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: actually on the ground. He actually interviewed Kyle Rittenhouse moments 144 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: before all of this happened, and he actually ride to 145 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: save Jose Rosenbaum's life. He wrapped his head around it. 146 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: So anyway, he was right in the thick of it, 147 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: and I remember asking him at the time, I'm like, well, 148 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: you know, the facts of this are going to matter 149 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: a lot. Richie actually did end up testifying in the trial, 150 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: and it was very clear that under pretty standard self 151 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: defense law that it was going to be a very 152 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: difficult case for the prosecution. That's why if you'll look 153 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: at what the prosecution went throughout the case, and I 154 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: know there's been a lot of amateur legal analysts out 155 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: there which has been quite annoying frankly to watch, it 156 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: was clear what the prosecution was trying to prove is 157 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: that Rittenhouse himself rose above the barrier of provoking the incident. 158 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: But they were always going to be able. They were 159 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: always going to run up against the fact that they 160 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: have on camera him fleeing the scene and then being pursued. 161 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 1: And as long as that remains the case under Wisconsin's 162 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 1: state law and pretty well established self defense precedent, it 163 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 1: was just going to be a very difficult thing for 164 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: them to be able to rise above. And there was 165 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 1: also a question there around misdemeanor. They were like, well, 166 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:01,679 Speaker 1: they could have bumped it down manslaughter and all these 167 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: other things, but that's not actually how self defense works. 168 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: It's not like a car accident where you know, like 169 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: drunk driving equivalents to one thing as opposed to like 170 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: second degree murder and felony. There's not like a lesser degrees, 171 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: like it's either self defense or it's not. And so 172 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 1: in that particular thing, what the prosecution their hail mary 173 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: was to try and get him convicted on a lesser charge. 174 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: But if anything rises to the level of self defense, 175 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 1: it basically nullifies any other positive charge, which makes it 176 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 1: so that you know the facts of the case and 177 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: all of that. The prosecution had an incredibly difficult job there, 178 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 1: and look, I think they should. I mean, there's a 179 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 1: legal precedent that we should establish that self defense is 180 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:47,839 Speaker 1: a long standing tradition. And there's also been a lot 181 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: of talk I've seen online around standard ground laws. Wisconsin 182 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: is not a standard ground state. Actually, they don't even 183 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: have the standard ground provision. So they have to basically 184 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: prove that as long as the def you know, made 185 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 1: a reasonable attempt to flee or to avoid a deadly situation, 186 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: and then you act and use deadly force, and you 187 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: know in a particular case, like somebody points a gun 188 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: at you, So you have all of that together. It 189 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:14,439 Speaker 1: was always going to be a very very difficult problem 190 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 1: for the prosecution to rise to that level, right And listen, 191 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: from what I saw of the trial, I don't think 192 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: the prosecution was particularly well prepared or that good at 193 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: their job. I don't. I do think that the judge 194 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: seemed quite biased and didn't allow things into the trial 195 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: that may have been relevant in terms of writtenhouse, a 196 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: state of mind, et cetera. Ultimately, I don't think those 197 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: things made it. I don't think the trial because that 198 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 1: initial shooting is the one that was most in question 199 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: because after that Rittenhouse is being pursued, it gets hit 200 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 1: with the skateboard, and Gauge ultimately pulls a gun on him. 201 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 1: So and listen, if this had been turned around, let's 202 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: say that, you know, Rittenhouse had ultimately been killed in 203 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: this situation, those guys may also have had a claim 204 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,439 Speaker 1: to self defense because he's already an active shooter on 205 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,319 Speaker 1: the scene they're pursuing him. They could also have argued 206 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 1: that they had reasonable self defense interest in that regard. 207 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: But Rittenhouse obviously is the one who ultimately is the 208 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: shooter who the jury decides acts in helf defense. And 209 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: so that first one, to me, was the most controversial, 210 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: the first shooting and the one that was sort of 211 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: the stickiest. But since he was fleeing, it almost didn't 212 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: matter what happened before the video started, because he was 213 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: retreating and because he was being pursued, and so ultimately, 214 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: you know, that's the lot to your point about let's 215 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: talk about whether the law should change. There was one 216 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: other charge that was a gun charge that at the 217 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:50,559 Speaker 1: very last minute the judge dismissed, and there's effectively without 218 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: getting into all of the sort of like you know, 219 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: technicalities of this there's effectively a loophole in Wisconsin law 220 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,120 Speaker 1: that says, you know, if you're he was seventeen at 221 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: times you're seventeen, you can't have a sawed off shotgun. 222 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: But since this was a long rifle, he got through 223 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:08,679 Speaker 1: on a technicality. Now, if I was going to look 224 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: at the laws to change with regards to this, I 225 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,200 Speaker 1: would personally say, I don't think it is great for 226 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:16,960 Speaker 1: seventeen year olds to be running around with ar fifteen's period. 227 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:21,119 Speaker 1: End of story. It seems like the law is outdated. 228 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: The idea was for hunting, you know, since old law, etc. Etc. 229 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: So that might be a place you could change. But 230 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 1: on the question of where the burden should fall to 231 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,679 Speaker 1: prove self defense, if you feel a certain way about 232 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 1: this particular set of facts, there are a lot of 233 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: other situations where you might feel very differently. One common 234 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: issue with self defense is people who are victims of 235 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: domestic violence. The fact that it's on the prosecution to 236 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: disprove the self defense defense oftentimes benefits victims of domestic 237 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,319 Speaker 1: violence who otherwise would have a very hard time proving 238 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,440 Speaker 1: if they strike back or if they shoot or kill 239 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: their abusive spouse or partner, they would have a hard 240 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: time proving that they were acting in self defense. So 241 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: there are a lot of other fact patterns that may 242 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 1: cause you to feel differently about how and when you 243 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: exactly want the burden to fall. So that's why this 244 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: is so incredibly complicated. Now, as we talked about before, 245 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:22,959 Speaker 1: obviously this was politically a powder keg. Biden put out 246 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: an initial an initial response that was very sort of 247 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 1: like neutral, the jury is spoken. Let's take a listen 248 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: to that. Well, look, I stand by with the jury 249 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 1: as concluded. The jury system works, and we have to 250 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: be alide by it. Hey, then, I think probably after 251 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:42,079 Speaker 1: getting a lot of outrage, let's just say it got 252 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: roasted on by a lot of the identity left on 253 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: the left broadly, he put out a sort of a 254 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,079 Speaker 1: statement that put a little bit of a different spin 255 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 1: on it. Let's go ahead and put that up on 256 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 1: the screen. The relevant part here is at the beginning 257 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,320 Speaker 1: he says, well, the verdict in Kenosha will leave many 258 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: Americans feeling angry and confused. Myself included, we must acknowledge 259 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 1: that the jury has spoken. I think this statement kind 260 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:11,679 Speaker 1: of an acknowledgment of how just politically potent and explosive 261 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: this was, and the fact that he initially put out what, 262 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: in my opinion was a very appropriate, neutral response was 263 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: met with a lot of anger from people who and 264 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: we'll get to this in a minute. You know, had 265 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: I think, in a lot of ways been misled about 266 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: what direction this case was likely to go in and 267 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 1: some of the basic facts of the case. That's that's 268 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: really why you know, it was so difficult, and also 269 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: why I still don't think covering trials in real time 270 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: is necessarily a good thing. You know, like facts are 271 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 1: changing all the way throughout the ground. You of this 272 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: and that, and the way that the media had coverage 273 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: of this it was like OJY all over again, and 274 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: where people feel bought into something which has nothing to 275 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: do with you. It has to do with exactly what 276 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 1: happened at that time. And so let's put this up 277 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 1: there on the screen. This best crystallizes what I have seen. 278 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: It's a right wing reaction, right the onion, he says. 279 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: Kyle Rittenhouse is sentenced to forty five years of seapack appearances. 280 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 1: What's hilarious, Crystal, is that they turned this kid into 281 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 1: a hero when at the time the general consensus was, hey, 282 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 1: The whole reason you won't want chaos is because chaos 283 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: loves a vacuum, or the kreos creates a vacuum, and 284 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: all kinds of crazy stuff happens. And I saw a 285 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: lot of right wingers are now very upset at Kyle 286 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: because he just did an interview with Tucker Carlson which 287 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 1: fully airs tonight where he said, quote I am a 288 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. They're like, wait 289 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: a second, what happened? What is Kyle turning on us? 290 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: That's the whole point when you try and make this 291 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: stuff all about one tribe and Matt Gates and all 292 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 1: these people offering this kid an internship. You don't know 293 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: anything about him well, and it's like turning the hymn 294 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: and all of this into some like harrowists, like hate heroic, 295 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 1: you know, stand down between two grooves you don't like. 296 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: As I have been trying to point out, the law 297 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: is the law, you know. In September, just last month, 298 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 1: a black George Floyd protester was just acquitted on all 299 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: charges on the chart, which of self defense with the 300 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 1: defense of self defense after he shot at Minneapolis police 301 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 1: because they were deploying non lethal rounds and he felt 302 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: that his life was threatened. That just happened last month. 303 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: So do you not now believe in self defense? I 304 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: do because I think that when you have that standard, 305 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: the prosecution had to prove that this man, this George 306 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: Floyd protester back in September or last month, did not 307 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: have a reasonable right to self defense whenever he felt 308 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: his life was threatened, even by the police. Yeah, that 309 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: is This is why whenever you try to nationalize this 310 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 1: and say, oh, well, in this particular case that one, 311 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: whenever it fits my priors, I don't want the law 312 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: to apply. This is why it all just completely breaks 313 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 1: down and the culture were really rots people's brains, yes, love. Yeah. 314 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: I don't know what's in Kyle Rittenhouse's brain, or in 315 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: his heart or anywhere else, but we can see, you know, 316 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 1: how the law applies to the specific facts. I do 317 00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: think it's disgusting the way that he's being treated with 318 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 1: some kind of You don't want anybody, no matter their age, 319 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: running around with AR fifteen's making an already volatile and 320 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 1: chaotic situation, helping to turn it deadly, taking the law 321 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 1: into their own hands, thinking they're going to run out 322 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 1: and play pool. There's the opposite of what you want 323 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: to Yeah, I would say that very resoundingly to a 324 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: lot of people who, if you believe in law and order, 325 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: this is literally the the opposite, right, And so there's 326 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: a big difference, and I think this is where the 327 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 1: coverage has gotten really muddy. There's a big difference between 328 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 1: what the law technically says and what the fact pattern 329 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: is and the morals and the ethics of the situation. 330 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 1: Kyle Rittenhouse never should have been there, and if he 331 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 1: hadn't been there, then very likely that night everybody would 332 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,400 Speaker 1: have gone home safe and we wouldn't have had two 333 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: deaths and another individual grievously wounded. And so to turn 334 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: this guy into some sort of a hero to you, 335 00:17:57,480 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: want to make him an intern to you, probably will 336 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: be sentenced to forty five years of seatback appearance all 337 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: that stuff. It's ridiculous, it's completely absurd, And yet there 338 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: are so few voices out there who can hold those 339 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: two thoughts in their head that based on the law 340 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: as it exists, he was always very likely to get off, 341 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: and that this is not a person or a set 342 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 1: of actions that should be celebrated in any way. So yeah, 343 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:28,239 Speaker 1: that's why we felt sort of compelled to say our 344 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:31,159 Speaker 1: piece on it. I completely agree with you, and I 345 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,679 Speaker 1: know it's very frustrating and emotions are high. I mean, 346 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 1: should you know these guys have had guns, been out 347 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,919 Speaker 1: there protesting and you know, causing violence and looting and rioting. No, 348 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 1: I mean, but that's the whole point, which is that 349 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: when all this chaos and all this stuff happens, then 350 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,360 Speaker 1: there's going to be a chaos within the vacuum, and 351 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 1: you do not want to celebrate that. That's the entire point. 352 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: And Jesse single actually wrote a fantastic piece to this point. Crystal, 353 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: let's put this up there, which is that the Writtenhouse 354 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:00,879 Speaker 1: verdict should not have been a surprise if people in 355 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,280 Speaker 1: the media had done their job and explained how Wisconsin 356 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:08,400 Speaker 1: self defense law works. You know, Glenn and many others 357 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 1: have been pointing out that abroad in the UK, the 358 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: UK media was reporting that they thought that the protesters 359 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: had been killed were black because they literally did not 360 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: know based upon the way that the US media was 361 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 1: reporting it. And what Jesse points to is that the 362 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 1: actual facts of the case were almost never discussed. It 363 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:29,119 Speaker 1: was always discussed as you're pointing to in a moral 364 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: term of like, oh, it's in a bit that doesn't matter. 365 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 1: That's not how self defense law works. You can argue 366 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: it like I just did, on both sides in terms 367 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:37,159 Speaker 1: of who should have been there and who should have 368 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 1: not been there. That's on your moral judgment as to 369 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: how you decide. What matters is how the law applies 370 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 1: in a very narrow fact pattern whenever a death occurs, 371 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:49,640 Speaker 1: whenever it comes to self defense. And what Jesse continues 372 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: to point to is that the actual specifics of Wisconsin 373 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: state law were never discussed by CNN and MSNBC and 374 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: many of these other people, and so that actually did 375 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:04,360 Speaker 1: a grievous disservice to a lot of people, probably suburban moms, 376 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 1: you know, others, who did not know what the actual 377 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,639 Speaker 1: facts of the case were. That's where this all just 378 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,200 Speaker 1: completely breaks down. And I will also, I'm not gonna 379 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 1: spare my brethren on the right, who you know, are 380 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:19,159 Speaker 1: all very very obsessed with, you know, the actual minutia 381 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: or whatever the facts of this case and are going 382 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:23,119 Speaker 1: to ignore the one that we're about to talk about, 383 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 1: or the one you know, many other cases this George 384 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 1: Floyd Saint Paul Man because he doesn't fit their political narrative. 385 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: And that is why I truly despise so much of 386 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: the discourse around this, which is the selective brain fog 387 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: on who you want to focus on and not. It 388 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 1: just rots everything down and it makes it unable to 389 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:43,439 Speaker 1: have a conversation in this country. I am I can't. 390 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:45,919 Speaker 1: I really wish it hadn't happened for Thanksgiving. Can you 391 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: imagine how many people are gonna have to have a 392 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:50,120 Speaker 1: stupid fight about this. It's like, just spend some time 393 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 1: with your family. Yeah, seriously, just just leave. Yeah exactly, 394 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:55,920 Speaker 1: don't bring this one up at the Thanksgiving dinner table. 395 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 1: Is not gonna end. Well, I'm certainly not gonna go 396 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: there with my family, but yeah, I mean, on the right, 397 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,400 Speaker 1: they want to paint a portrait of him as a hero. 398 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:05,400 Speaker 1: They want to focus on, Oh, here's a video of him, 399 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: you know, tending to someone and pretending he's an EMT 400 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,159 Speaker 1: and he really was there out of the goodness of 401 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 1: his heart, et cetera, et cetera. They don't want to 402 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,360 Speaker 1: talk about the video that emerged of him saying at 403 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:17,919 Speaker 1: you know, CVS a couple weeks earlier, that he wished 404 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 1: he had his AR fifteen so he could shoot at people. Right, 405 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: So there's an attempt to paint a portrait of Kyle 406 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: Rittenhouse that's very favorable on the right. And of course, 407 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,719 Speaker 1: as you said, the media, in terms of most mainstream 408 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: liberal outlets, they just did not give people the hard 409 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: facts here and the relevant law in advance, so people 410 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: had a lot of fuzzy thinking about what actually happened here. 411 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 1: One of the things that you mentioned is there was 412 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:50,399 Speaker 1: assumption by some and by major outlets in places like 413 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,439 Speaker 1: Brazil and partly the UK, that the people who had 414 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,920 Speaker 1: been shot were black. And the reason that that assumption 415 00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 1: was made even though I at least never saw that 416 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: actual mistake made in the US press where they said 417 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: these protesters who were shot were black, but because it 418 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: was framed as a racial justice issue. And I do 419 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: understand that, because of course you're talking about the protests 420 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 1: that came out of George Floyd and then Jacob Blake, 421 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: and so there is an element of racial justice, but 422 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: they created a false impression among people that also I 423 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 1: think changed how people were emotionally thinking and feeling about 424 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:30,919 Speaker 1: this case as well. So it sounds very complicated ultimately 425 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:34,199 Speaker 1: in terms of the law, it's really not It's not colic. 426 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: He was on the video. This is you know, you 427 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: can't deny it or dispute it for whatever reasons. He 428 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 1: was there for whatever reasons, whatever he had in his 429 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: mind he was going to do that day. The facts 430 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,919 Speaker 1: are he was retreating, he was being pursued when he 431 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: first turned around and fired the first shots, and ultimately, 432 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,360 Speaker 1: whether the judge was terrible or the prosecutor was terrible 433 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,880 Speaker 1: or anything else that happened, those were the relevant facts 434 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: that the jury took it into account in coming to 435 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:06,160 Speaker 1: this verdict. Yeah, that's right. Now, let's talk about another 436 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,640 Speaker 1: case where the defendants are also arguing self defense where 437 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: they have a much less of a leg to stand on. Here. 438 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 1: This is why we decided to put these back to back, 439 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 1: because your guys are seeing here how self defense law 440 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: works and the specifics in the case matters a lot. 441 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 1: So you guys will require the horrific video back in 442 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: February of twenty twenty, which kind of preceded a lot 443 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 1: of this achmad arbery, who was jogging out in near 444 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: his home in the outskirts of Brunswick, Georgia, when he 445 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: was pursued by two guys in a truck with guns 446 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:42,160 Speaker 1: who said that they were performing a citizens arrest based 447 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 1: upon what they claim was a reasonable assumption that Arbury 448 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 1: had been involved in a crime which was nearby. Okay, 449 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 1: So this caused a lot of consternation, given the whole 450 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 1: you know, citizens arrest, you know, which you're not really 451 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 1: supposed to be doing, you know, in the year twenty 452 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 1: twenty one, unless you literally see something happened in front 453 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 1: of you. That's not what happened here whatsoever. The defendants, 454 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael, they were charged in May 455 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,159 Speaker 1: with murder and with aggravated assault. That was after the 456 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 1: video actually came out, and there was some discussion and 457 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 1: evidence there that there had been some connections at least 458 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,360 Speaker 1: with the McMichael family and some of the prosecutors there 459 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 1: in Georgia. With the video made it undeniable such that 460 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: the county did, or sorry that the District attorney's office did, 461 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: have to bring a charge against these Let me pause 462 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 1: you there on the prosecutors, because I do think this 463 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 1: part is important. These individuals were not initially charged, and 464 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 1: one of them was former police officer who had a 465 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:45,679 Speaker 1: lot of personal relationship. That's why they had his relationships 466 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 1: with these prosecutors. Multiple prosecutors who were put on the 467 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:52,160 Speaker 1: case ultimately had to recuse themselves because they had personal 468 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: or professional relationships with Gregory McMichael, and one of those prosecutors, 469 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:01,199 Speaker 1: the very first one has actually been indict did for 470 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 1: giving the McMichael's favorable treatment, including suppressing this recording that 471 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:13,840 Speaker 1: ultimately is released that shows a much more horrific set 472 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:16,919 Speaker 1: of actions that were taken here than was sort of 473 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 1: initially portrayed to the public. That's right. So you can 474 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 1: see there that after all that happened, there's been four 475 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: prosecutors now that have had to take over the case, 476 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 1: which is completely crazy. You can actually see that eventually 477 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: what happened is that these gentlemen were then charged with murder. Now, 478 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:36,160 Speaker 1: the thing is is that there was a previous Georgia 479 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 1: citizens arrest law, which eventually did get overhauled in response 480 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 1: to the circumstances of this case. But that Georgia law 481 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 1: is kind of what is subject of the self defense 482 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: claim of the McMichaels. However, the problem is that, and 483 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: let's put this up there on the screen. The ap 484 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: actually did a pretty good job of what the defense 485 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: strategy there in the case is. Is. They are arguing 486 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:02,360 Speaker 1: in the trial that alachmant Arbury, who was shot three times, 487 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,400 Speaker 1: that it happened in the course of what they say 488 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 1: was a citizen's arrest. Now, according to McMichael, he said 489 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 1: that he was going past his house he believed he 490 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:14,439 Speaker 1: committed burglarys nearby. He ran inside, he grabbed a handgun. 491 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 1: He shouted to his son, who then came out with 492 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:18,119 Speaker 1: a shotgun. They jumped in the pickup truck and they 493 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 1: ran after Arbury. He told the investigator that he used 494 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 1: his truck several times to block Arbrey. This is the 495 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,439 Speaker 1: third man who is also involved in the incident, and 496 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 1: at the end you can actually see Greg in the 497 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: bed of his truck with a handgun and McMichael outside 498 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 1: with a shotgun. They claim then they chased him to 499 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: keep him from leaving the subdivision and told him to 500 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: stay until the police come and then check him out. Now, 501 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:43,199 Speaker 1: state law on the books at the time said exactly this. 502 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 1: A private person may arrest an offender if the offense 503 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: is committed in his presence or within his immediate knowledge. 504 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 1: If the offense is a felony and the offender is 505 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 1: escaping or attempted to escape, a private person may arrest 506 00:26:55,960 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 1: him upon reasonable and probable grounds of suspicion. The actual 507 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:02,920 Speaker 1: words of the citizens arrest they do not appear there, 508 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 1: so again this comes to the private person. However, the 509 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,439 Speaker 1: key that the judge has also ruled is that the 510 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:13,720 Speaker 1: self defense claim must be evaluated within the McMichael's claim 511 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:17,119 Speaker 1: that they were arresting an offender if it was committed 512 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: in his presence or within his immediate knowledge. Now here's 513 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:27,239 Speaker 1: the thing. We already know from testimony and from the 514 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 1: previous interviews of the McMichaels and the third man that 515 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 1: they did not have immediate knowledge of the act of 516 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:38,440 Speaker 1: any crime that achmar Arbury had committed, and it did 517 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:42,760 Speaker 1: not happen within their presence. So already, within the grounds 518 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: of the law, they have essentially admitted that they did 519 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 1: not act within those grounds. Right, there is not a 520 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: lot of doubt here as to how the jurors are 521 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: going to find if they interpret it within the statue. 522 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: And the judge made a ruling within that case and 523 00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 1: dismissed the mistrial based upon the hey they dismissed a 524 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:05,200 Speaker 1: mistrial motion introduced by the defense, saying that this was 525 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 1: an illegitimate prosecution under those grounds, which essentially kicks it 526 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:11,480 Speaker 1: now to the jury, who will have to evaluate it 527 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:14,239 Speaker 1: within the exact text that I read you. But as 528 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: I said, within that text, there is no realm in 529 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: which they had immediate knowledge. They suspected him of burglaries 530 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 1: that had happened, and they did not see anything happen. 531 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:27,760 Speaker 1: So if you don't have immediate knowledge and you didn't 532 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,760 Speaker 1: see anything happen, then the subsequent altercation that happens between 533 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:32,680 Speaker 1: them and Arbury is not going to fall within the 534 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 1: grounds of self defense. Yeah. I mean, what the family 535 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 1: has said about Ammad Arbory is this was somebody who 536 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: had been an exceptional athlete growing up, who still really 537 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: took pride in keeping himself in shape. He was a 538 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: regular jogger in the neighborhood. He's out for a jog. 539 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: There is video of him on a construction site. There 540 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 1: has been nothing proven or even really alleged that he 541 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: did that was illegal at that construction site. Okay, so 542 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 1: he's out for a jog and he's pursued by these individuals, 543 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: three of them who have now been indicted, one of 544 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: whom actually is the one who recorded this video and 545 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: released it thinking it was exculpatory. It is not exculpatory. 546 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 1: But so he's out for a job, he's pursued by 547 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 1: these individuals who are screaming at him and by their 548 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: own admission, trying to run him off the road. That's 549 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 1: the context for the altercation that unfolds. They have it 550 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 1: in their mind that he's a criminal, even though they 551 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: didn't see him commit a criminal act, and it does 552 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: not appear that he committed any criminal act. So those 553 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 1: are the facts there. One of the issues in this 554 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: case that's been relevant as well in terms of the 555 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: trial is the jury is nearly all white, and the defense, 556 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 1: you know, went out of their way to strike most 557 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 1: of the black jurors from the pool. So that has 558 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: raised concerns that the jury will ultimately be biased because 559 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 1: clearly the defense thought that they would have a better 560 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 1: chance if they had an all or mostly white jury. 561 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:11,840 Speaker 1: So that has been one of the issues at play. 562 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: And I will say, you know, I looked at the 563 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 1: data here on how because these self defense claims. Part 564 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: of what makes this so challenging is they do introduce 565 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: a lot of individual bias into the system because they 566 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 1: are so they are so much up to your subjective judgment. 567 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 1: And so there was an analysis of homicides done after 568 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:41,239 Speaker 1: Trayvon Martin's death, and the Urban Institute did find that 569 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: cases with a white perpetrator and a black victim were 570 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: two hundred and eighty one percent more likely to be 571 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: ruled justified than cases with a white perpetrator and a 572 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:55,440 Speaker 1: white victim. So in a society where you know, unfortunately 573 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: we'd love to get to a place where we're colorblind, 574 00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 1: that is not the case. It's certainly not the case 575 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: in the criminal justice system. Routinely, systemically, white perpetrators who 576 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: claim self defense are more likely to be let off 577 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: by a jury than black perpetrators than when it's you know, 578 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: when it's reverse, or even when it's white perpetrator and 579 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 1: white victims. So those that's the background. That's why you know, 580 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: people are watching this case very closely. But the facts 581 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:26,040 Speaker 1: here very very different from the Kyle Rittenhouse situation. So 582 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:31,000 Speaker 1: they're doing closing arguments today expectation as we could have 583 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: verdicts this week, so we'll see what ultimately happen. That's right, 584 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 1: it's also going to lie on. Georgia does have standard 585 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: ground law, which means that you don't have to flee 586 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 1: the situation. But all the prosecution has to argue is 587 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: that Rbury was allowed to defend himself against a man 588 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: who was chasing him and was pointing a gun at him. 589 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: That's that's all they have to argue in order to 590 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: prevail in the facts of the case and actually prevail 591 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 1: over the self defense claim. So that's more than you 592 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:59,080 Speaker 1: probably ever wanted to know about self defense, and we apologize, 593 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:01,680 Speaker 1: but I do think it is important for I'm sure 594 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 1: you know looks royal in the nation. Everybody's on Instagram 595 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 1: and has a take one way or the other. The 596 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: facts of one case aren't always the same as another case. 597 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 1: And get familiar with the law, especially with the state 598 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 1: law in which these things happen, and it will become 599 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 1: clear as to how the outcome will eventually be. Yes, 600 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:21,840 Speaker 1: so we will keep our eye on that. But yeah, 601 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: we felt a responsibility to kind of lay out the 602 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: hard objective facts as best we could, and I hope 603 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 1: you guys have found that useful. All right, somewhat lighter topic, 604 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: maybe Joe Biden will he or won't he be alive 605 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:40,080 Speaker 1: and well enough to run in twenty twenty four. Washington 606 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: Post has a very interesting report, and I'm actually going 607 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:45,959 Speaker 1: to talk a little bit more about some of what 608 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 1: is in this report in my monologue as well, but 609 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 1: let's throw this tear sheet up on the screen. So 610 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:55,480 Speaker 1: President Biden and members of his inner circle have felt 611 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: it necessary. That's my own spin on it. But they 612 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 1: have reassured allies in recent days, is that he plans 613 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:02,880 Speaker 1: to run for reelection in twenty twenty four. Is they 614 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 1: take steps to deflect concern about the seventy nine year 615 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: old presence, commitment to another campaign, and growing Democratic fears 616 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 1: of a coming Republican return to power. Let me just 617 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:17,560 Speaker 1: stop there, because it's extraordinary that they feel it necessary 618 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:21,120 Speaker 1: to tell the Washington Post and telegraph to everyone. And 619 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 1: he also said something directly to a group of donors recently, 620 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: I am planning on running in twenty twenty four. They 621 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 1: enlisted a long time Biden friend, Chris Dodd, to also 622 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 1: get the message out there, saying to the Washington Post, 623 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 1: the only thing I've heard him say is he's planning 624 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 1: on running again, and I'm glad he is. However, effectively, 625 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,000 Speaker 1: no one is buying it. They say in interviews with 626 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 1: twenty eight different Democratic strategists and officials, they none of 627 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 1: them believed, basically that he was very likely to be 628 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: on the ticket. One of the ones that they quote 629 00:33:56,320 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 1: here involved in campaigns, they say, said they could not 630 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: think of a single person they had spoken to in 631 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: the last month who considers the possibility of Biden running 632 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:11,400 Speaker 1: again to be a real one. So pretty extraordinary landscape. 633 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:13,160 Speaker 1: And then they go on in the piece to be like, well, 634 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 1: here's some of the other potential candidates. Of course, Kamala Harris, 635 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 1: Pete Boodaget, but a whole other list of names, none 636 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 1: of whom have an approval rating over forty percent. Yes, 637 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:24,839 Speaker 1: so that's right, that's where the Democrats are. I also 638 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:28,640 Speaker 1: think what is in there is also extraordinary as to 639 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,399 Speaker 1: if he did run in twenty twenty four. Let's put 640 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: this up there on the screen, which is that the 641 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 1: Biden team's top priority states. And again this is from 642 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:42,320 Speaker 1: the mouth of the Biden team. Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Arizona, Georgia, 643 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 1: North Carolina, and Nevada. Now what's missing from that list, 644 00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:52,440 Speaker 1: Crystal Florida, Ohio. They are effectively riding off Florida with 645 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:57,400 Speaker 1: its you know, lot of electoral votes and saying that 646 00:34:57,440 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 1: it is effectively a red state. This is going to 647 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:02,960 Speaker 1: be the first residential campaign in my entire lifetime where 648 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 1: that will be the case. As to considering Florida a 649 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 1: de facto red state, it was always, you know, all 650 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 1: the way back until the nineties, considered a battleground state 651 00:35:11,239 --> 00:35:14,759 Speaker 1: one to be warred over. Ohio. Same thing. Ohio went 652 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:17,480 Speaker 1: i think eight points for Trump in twenty twenty. So 653 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:19,239 Speaker 1: that just goes to show you how far that one 654 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:21,840 Speaker 1: has moved. It probably never was realistic for them to 655 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:25,279 Speaker 1: try and contest it there, but Florida in particular, I mean, yes, 656 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:27,239 Speaker 1: Trump won it by three point three, which is the 657 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:30,439 Speaker 1: highest margin, higher than Barack Obama in two thousand and eight. 658 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:32,520 Speaker 1: But still, I mean, you would expect them to at 659 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 1: least try and say, oh, we're going to contest there. Instead, 660 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:41,040 Speaker 1: they're going all in on the former blue wall of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, 661 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:43,920 Speaker 1: New Hampshire, and Nevada, also showing that they really want 662 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 1: to rack up those small electoral vote victories, and they 663 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:50,239 Speaker 1: still see some contestability in North Carolina. I don't think 664 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:56,319 Speaker 1: that's realistic. So North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania. 665 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:58,560 Speaker 1: Those are the states that made Joe Biden president. Georgia 666 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:01,040 Speaker 1: and Arizona in particular was put here over the top, 667 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:03,200 Speaker 1: and he's going to have to try damn hard in 668 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:06,040 Speaker 1: order to keep on to them in twenty twenty four 669 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 1: if he were to run. It is just fascinating to 670 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:12,480 Speaker 1: have a you know, electoral map in my lifetime where 671 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:16,880 Speaker 1: Arizona and Georgia are considered more contestable than Florida or 672 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:19,799 Speaker 1: or Ohio. I mean, it just goes to show you 673 00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:23,560 Speaker 1: the changing coalitions, how they are really banking on those 674 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 1: suburban white voters in Arizona, Maricopa County, and in Fulton 675 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:30,440 Speaker 1: County in Georgia in order to carry them over the edge. 676 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:33,240 Speaker 1: And you know, Crystal, what did we just see in Virginia. 677 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:35,040 Speaker 1: I mean, those people will come right back to the 678 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:38,839 Speaker 1: Republican Party if they're not happy. And they centered their 679 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 1: entire democratic political strategy around these folks and it didn't 680 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:46,680 Speaker 1: work out. Already within a year they were willing to 681 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:49,839 Speaker 1: turn on them. The Biden youngkin voter is a very 682 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 1: real voter that he's almost a carbon copy of the 683 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:56,239 Speaker 1: people in Maricopa County, of the people in Fulton, in 684 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:59,600 Speaker 1: Atlanta who went ahead and voted for Joe Biden in 685 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:01,880 Speaker 1: some case is reluctantly, but we're still willing to do that, 686 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:05,439 Speaker 1: still willing to give blue seats to the senators. Those 687 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:07,960 Speaker 1: people can turn, you know, literally on a dime. As 688 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:10,839 Speaker 1: we just saw the changing you know, political nature right now, 689 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:14,040 Speaker 1: we have seen that in those states that they listed, 690 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 1: Biden's approval rating is actually lower than his overall national 691 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:20,600 Speaker 1: approval rating. His battleground approval rating right now is somewhere 692 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:25,200 Speaker 1: in the thirty three percentile on average, really right, and 693 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:27,560 Speaker 1: he's more popular still than a lot of the people 694 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 1: they're floating his potential alternatives if he doesn't or is 695 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:37,239 Speaker 1: unable to run next time around. You know, Ohio's been 696 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:40,480 Speaker 1: gone for a while now, and it doesn't have to be. 697 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:43,560 Speaker 1: I mean, shared Brown still wins there and actually very popular. 698 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:46,200 Speaker 1: Last time he ran, he won easily. I mean, it 699 00:37:46,239 --> 00:37:49,120 Speaker 1: wasn't even particularly close. I just looked up the margin yesterday. 700 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:53,680 Speaker 1: It was not particularly close. Ohio. You guys, some of 701 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:55,239 Speaker 1: you know, I used to live in the state. I 702 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:59,000 Speaker 1: actually happen to live in the district in the entire 703 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:03,160 Speaker 1: country that has moved to the right the fastest of 704 00:38:03,239 --> 00:38:05,680 Speaker 1: any congressional district in the entire country. And it was 705 00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:08,359 Speaker 1: in the state of Ohio. And it was exactly what 706 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:11,719 Speaker 1: you think is sort of white working class district that 707 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 1: used to have labor Democrats represent them. And then in 708 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,160 Speaker 1: the Tea Party wave, that's when they really made a 709 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 1: hard turn to the right. And now I mean it 710 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:24,040 Speaker 1: is a very right leaning A Democrat won't win there 711 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:27,200 Speaker 1: again for a long time. But this is one of 712 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 1: the things that you know, I really hate about the 713 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:32,680 Speaker 1: Democratic Party is rather than being like, oh hey, what's 714 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:35,280 Speaker 1: going on in Iowa or what's going on in Ohio, 715 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:38,239 Speaker 1: why did these voters who used to support us as 716 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:42,240 Speaker 1: recently as Obama? Why have they run in the other direction? 717 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:45,880 Speaker 1: Maybe like what is it about our program or what 718 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:48,160 Speaker 1: is it about the way we're talking about issues that's 719 00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:51,960 Speaker 1: turning people off in droves? Instead, they just write a 720 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,080 Speaker 1: state off the minute that they get a little bit behind, 721 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:57,319 Speaker 1: and they try to move on to somewhere else that's 722 00:38:57,360 --> 00:38:59,319 Speaker 1: going to be a little more favorable to them. And 723 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:02,200 Speaker 1: it is credible to me that Ohio, to me is 724 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 1: not a surprise at this point, because I think they've 725 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:06,839 Speaker 1: written off Ohio and effectively Iowa a long time ago. 726 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:11,520 Speaker 1: Florida is pretty surprising because at the very least, even 727 00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:15,080 Speaker 1: if you think you can't compete, you want your opponent 728 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:18,920 Speaker 1: to have to spend some time and resources and you know, 729 00:39:19,080 --> 00:39:22,359 Speaker 1: trying to make sure that they have that state locked up. 730 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:24,960 Speaker 1: And so the fact that after you know, a couple 731 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:27,000 Speaker 1: of defeats there, you're just ready to write the whole 732 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:32,120 Speaker 1: thing off and move on is pretty astonishing. But going 733 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:35,440 Speaker 1: back to the Biden questions, this is very unusual for 734 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:39,359 Speaker 1: there to be such opening questioning of whether he's going 735 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:42,799 Speaker 1: to be on the ballot the next time around. And 736 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:44,960 Speaker 1: then the fact that when you look down the lineup 737 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 1: there's no one that you know has much probise if 738 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:54,000 Speaker 1: you think Joe Biden and Florida, go ahead and see 739 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:56,080 Speaker 1: how Pete Budajede or Kamala is going to do in 740 00:39:56,960 --> 00:40:00,120 Speaker 1: the one the one person that they floated here that 741 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:02,560 Speaker 1: might be interesting, as shared Brown, who I just mentioned 742 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,120 Speaker 1: who centered from Ohio. I mean, his problem is, first 743 00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:06,600 Speaker 1: of all, no one knows who he is. Yeah, there 744 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 1: has no national name ID for a reason because he 745 00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:11,080 Speaker 1: doesn't really fall within the Democratic priority. Yeah, I mean 746 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:14,239 Speaker 1: he's he's one of the very rare sort of like 747 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:18,640 Speaker 1: more populist and labor oriented Democrats in either the House 748 00:40:18,719 --> 00:40:22,200 Speaker 1: of the Senate. And clearly he's been able to create 749 00:40:22,239 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 1: a brand for himself in Ohio where people feel like, Okay, 750 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:27,000 Speaker 1: this guy really is on the side of the workers. 751 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:30,080 Speaker 1: If he could translate that nationwide. I mean, out of 752 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:32,839 Speaker 1: this list, I think he's by far the best bet. 753 00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:36,360 Speaker 1: They had Elizabeth Warren on there. We know how that one. Yeah, 754 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:38,799 Speaker 1: they had aoc on there, and I mean she's just 755 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:42,359 Speaker 1: she's made herself a niche player. That could have gone 756 00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:45,040 Speaker 1: another way, but she has made herself into a niche player, 757 00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:47,680 Speaker 1: so that one's not going to work out. But right, Yeah, 758 00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:51,839 Speaker 1: pretty dire landscape for Democrats at this point. The fact, 759 00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:53,920 Speaker 1: when you have to say it, you shouldn't even have 760 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:55,520 Speaker 1: to say it when you're the leader of the party 761 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:58,000 Speaker 1: and you're president of the United States. If people have actual, 762 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:01,279 Speaker 1: you know, confidence in you, having to go around saying no, 763 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:03,359 Speaker 1: no, no no, he's definitely gonna run and then having all 764 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:06,360 Speaker 1: those people on background tell the Washington Post and what 765 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 1: is you know, the hometown paper. Everybody in the White 766 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:11,960 Speaker 1: House reads this thing. They know that it's a real 767 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:15,640 Speaker 1: shot across the bow. And not only do you have 768 00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:17,960 Speaker 1: that going on with Biden, but if there was the 769 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:21,040 Speaker 1: assumption that Biden's not going to run, it should be common. 770 00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:24,920 Speaker 1: I mean, that's that's why they put her in that position, 771 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 1: was exactly for this eventuality or possibility. And so the fact, 772 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:33,000 Speaker 1: i mean nobody's scared of jumping into a primary against 773 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:36,160 Speaker 1: her is also fairly extraordinary. Yeah, okay, there you go. 774 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:39,120 Speaker 1: All right, let's move on concerning the president's son. This 775 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:42,439 Speaker 1: is extraordinary and it's funny to me before you even 776 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:45,719 Speaker 1: get into the facts of the case how this all happened. 777 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:47,880 Speaker 1: So the New York Times set out to do a 778 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:53,359 Speaker 1: big investigation into cobalt. Now, cobalt is something which is very, 779 00:41:53,440 --> 00:41:55,920 Speaker 1: very valuable for electric vehicles, for batteries. It's in a 780 00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:58,040 Speaker 1: lot of people's phones. It's one of the most valuable 781 00:41:58,040 --> 00:41:59,840 Speaker 1: resources in the world as we move to try and 782 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:04,399 Speaker 1: towards a battery you know, electric vehicle type consumption for 783 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:08,800 Speaker 1: our energy. Okay, very important mineral that is mined predominantly 784 00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:13,200 Speaker 1: in Africa. Well, what they uncovered whenever they began diving 785 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:17,280 Speaker 1: into cobalt Crystal is they uncovered how the President's sun 786 00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:21,120 Speaker 1: somehow found himself at the center of all of these deals. 787 00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:23,560 Speaker 1: And because they uncovered it, they had to print it, 788 00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:25,520 Speaker 1: even though they didn't make it one of the top 789 00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:27,319 Speaker 1: stories that came out of this. Let's put it up 790 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:28,759 Speaker 1: there on the screen and we'll give you guys all 791 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:32,680 Speaker 1: the facts how Hunter Biden's firm helped secure cobalt for 792 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:37,080 Speaker 1: the Chinese. So the President's son was a part owner 793 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:40,840 Speaker 1: of a venture involved in a three point eight billion 794 00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:44,239 Speaker 1: dollar purchase by a Chinese conglomerate of one of the 795 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:48,040 Speaker 1: world's largest cobalt deposits. Now, as they point to, cobalt 796 00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:52,359 Speaker 1: is one of the most important minerals for putting into batteries. Now, 797 00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:55,719 Speaker 1: one of the world's richest coal mines. Cobalt mines is 798 00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:59,120 Speaker 1: located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And I 799 00:42:59,239 --> 00:43:02,480 Speaker 1: was telling Crystal before this, anytime that you have multi 800 00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 1: billion dollar deals involving the Congo and especially involving mining, 801 00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:09,560 Speaker 1: there's some sketchy stuff going on, and Hunter Biden is 802 00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:13,239 Speaker 1: at the very center of this, which is that BHR Holdings. 803 00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:15,280 Speaker 1: If you guys have heard about this in the past, 804 00:43:15,480 --> 00:43:18,719 Speaker 1: it's a Chinese investment firm where Hunter received a lot 805 00:43:18,719 --> 00:43:21,920 Speaker 1: of money in terms of payouts from private equity deals 806 00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:24,560 Speaker 1: and more, some of which were linked directly to the 807 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:27,640 Speaker 1: Chinese government. Anyway, he continues to own ten percent of 808 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:29,760 Speaker 1: this firm to this day. By the way, despite resigning 809 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:31,759 Speaker 1: from the board of directors, as if that removes this 810 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:34,880 Speaker 1: conflict of interest. The three Americans who were involved in 811 00:43:34,920 --> 00:43:41,640 Speaker 1: this deal were controlled thirty percent of BHR Holdings. Now 812 00:43:41,680 --> 00:43:44,600 Speaker 1: the rest of that company actually owned by the Bank 813 00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:48,000 Speaker 1: of China and others. Was one of the early ones 814 00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:53,360 Speaker 1: to actually help finance this actual deal itself. The mining 815 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:59,120 Speaker 1: deal actually happened in twenty sixteen whenever they previous Chinese 816 00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:01,800 Speaker 1: firm announced was going to two point sixty five billion 817 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:04,000 Speaker 1: in order to buy this mine. Now, as part of 818 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:07,319 Speaker 1: that deal, they needed a partner, this Chinese firm, and 819 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:12,120 Speaker 1: that partner was then became BEHR Holdings. They put one 820 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:17,680 Speaker 1: point for one four billion dollars through subsidiaries in order 821 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:20,080 Speaker 1: to buy a part of this deal, which was then 822 00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:23,279 Speaker 1: involved in the purchase of this mine. So there's a 823 00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:26,560 Speaker 1: lot geostrategically that actually matters around here. And this goes 824 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:29,000 Speaker 1: to the point of the original Times investigation in the 825 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:31,280 Speaker 1: first place. Let's put it up there on the screen, 826 00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:34,480 Speaker 1: how the US lost ground to China in the contest 827 00:44:34,520 --> 00:44:36,879 Speaker 1: for clean energy. What they point to is that clean 828 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:39,680 Speaker 1: energy actually has a lot of dirty stuff behind it, 829 00:44:39,719 --> 00:44:42,600 Speaker 1: and one of those being cobalt and especially the war 830 00:44:42,719 --> 00:44:44,880 Speaker 1: over all of the raw materials that you need to 831 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:47,280 Speaker 1: put into electric car batteries. I don't know if people 832 00:44:47,280 --> 00:44:50,640 Speaker 1: are familiar, but electric car batteries are huge. One of 833 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:54,080 Speaker 1: the reasons why a Tesla or a Ford Mustang, you know, 834 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:56,400 Speaker 1: Machi or whatever, it can only go a couple hundred 835 00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:59,200 Speaker 1: miles is because, well, it's really hard to put a 836 00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:01,000 Speaker 1: lot of energy into to a battery which is not 837 00:45:01,040 --> 00:45:03,120 Speaker 1: only not too heavy, but you know, small enough in 838 00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:05,760 Speaker 1: order to fit inside of the chassis of a car. 839 00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:08,719 Speaker 1: It's quite difficult. And so what you could see from 840 00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:10,640 Speaker 1: that is that the raw materials if you want to 841 00:45:10,640 --> 00:45:12,880 Speaker 1: move in that direction, given that we're now subsidizing up 842 00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:15,719 Speaker 1: to twelve thousand dollars for every electric vehicle purchase in 843 00:45:15,719 --> 00:45:18,200 Speaker 1: this country, and you know, President Biden in particular wants 844 00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:20,360 Speaker 1: to do the whole you know, the highway of electric 845 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:22,880 Speaker 1: charges all the way across the nation. If any of 846 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:25,239 Speaker 1: that were to ever become a reality, it's going to 847 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:27,960 Speaker 1: require a ton of cobalt and a lot of these 848 00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:30,600 Speaker 1: raw materials. And what they point to in the story 849 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:33,279 Speaker 1: is that China, who has been going all in not 850 00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:35,760 Speaker 1: just on solar panels and the production of solar panels, 851 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:39,400 Speaker 1: but also in terms of battery production, has gone and 852 00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:42,040 Speaker 1: has bought the controlling interest in some of the world's 853 00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:44,840 Speaker 1: largest cobalt mines. And they compare it back to a 854 00:45:44,920 --> 00:45:49,080 Speaker 1: race over uranium back in World War Two for the 855 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:51,400 Speaker 1: Manhattan Project. So that is, you know, kind of a 856 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:55,640 Speaker 1: comparable realm in which the competition for raw materials is 857 00:45:55,680 --> 00:45:58,800 Speaker 1: also a competition for the future. But the president's son 858 00:45:59,040 --> 00:46:02,319 Speaker 1: intimately involved here and has a direct financial interest in 859 00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:05,440 Speaker 1: Chinese ownership of this cobalt mine. So very very dirty 860 00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:08,200 Speaker 1: stuff that's going on here, Crystal. Yeah, I mean, effectively, 861 00:46:08,480 --> 00:46:12,520 Speaker 1: there's a low key global resource scramble going on that's 862 00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:15,040 Speaker 1: not in the headlines a lot, but is actually really 863 00:46:15,120 --> 00:46:18,600 Speaker 1: important if we care about you know, making electric cars 864 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:22,560 Speaker 1: here and moving you know, getting a foothold and being 865 00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:26,120 Speaker 1: having a leg up in the electric car market. This 866 00:46:26,160 --> 00:46:29,960 Speaker 1: is not something that's a Democrat or Republican thing. This 867 00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:33,839 Speaker 1: sort of focus on these raw materials started under the 868 00:46:33,880 --> 00:46:39,200 Speaker 1: Obama administration, continued at least in word under Trump, although 869 00:46:39,200 --> 00:46:41,640 Speaker 1: they didn't really do anything about it, and then has 870 00:46:41,719 --> 00:46:44,279 Speaker 1: also obviously Biden has actually talked about it a bit 871 00:46:44,320 --> 00:46:49,000 Speaker 1: more and made it a focus. So this particular mind 872 00:46:50,239 --> 00:46:54,239 Speaker 1: that Chinese company was able to acquire is one of 873 00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:58,399 Speaker 1: the largest and richest deposits of cobalt in the entire 874 00:46:58,480 --> 00:47:01,600 Speaker 1: world world. Yeah, to go and find out that the 875 00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:06,120 Speaker 1: president's son, and again this President Biden has, i think, 876 00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:09,960 Speaker 1: talk more about the importance of these type of minerals 877 00:47:10,000 --> 00:47:14,080 Speaker 1: and about moving to electric vehicles than any other president before. 878 00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:17,080 Speaker 1: So to go and find out that his son had 879 00:47:17,120 --> 00:47:21,840 Speaker 1: anything to do with getting this particular mind into the 880 00:47:21,840 --> 00:47:26,719 Speaker 1: hands of the Chinese is really something. There's also, though 881 00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:28,960 Speaker 1: a lot to be said about some of the sort 882 00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:32,880 Speaker 1: of policy and political details here are really interesting and effectively, 883 00:47:32,920 --> 00:47:35,120 Speaker 1: what the New York Times lays out is because we 884 00:47:35,320 --> 00:47:40,560 Speaker 1: haven't had an effective, a real industrial policy, we've gotten 885 00:47:40,600 --> 00:47:43,239 Speaker 1: way behind. The Chinese have had their eyes on the 886 00:47:43,239 --> 00:47:46,439 Speaker 1: prize here. They've been going after and securing all sorts 887 00:47:46,480 --> 00:47:49,640 Speaker 1: of resources around the world, and we've been sort of 888 00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:52,640 Speaker 1: fumbling around because you know, it comes back to a 889 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:55,000 Speaker 1: theme we talk about here all the time, which is 890 00:47:55,040 --> 00:48:00,719 Speaker 1: that we only prioritize like corporate profits and the bottom line, 891 00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:03,439 Speaker 1: and we haven't done what it takes to make sure 892 00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:05,520 Speaker 1: we have an industrial base here, that we have a 893 00:48:05,560 --> 00:48:08,120 Speaker 1: capacity to produce here in all of those things that 894 00:48:08,160 --> 00:48:11,160 Speaker 1: would be inherent in an industrial policy. And so that's 895 00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:13,440 Speaker 1: how you end up with I guess the Presidence then 896 00:48:13,520 --> 00:48:17,360 Speaker 1: being involved. Here's my favaial part of this. Mister Biden's 897 00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:19,200 Speaker 1: father was near the end of his term as vice 898 00:48:19,239 --> 00:48:22,000 Speaker 1: president when the mine was sold. In the run up 899 00:48:22,040 --> 00:48:25,279 Speaker 1: to twenty twenty, his business ties were obviously scrutinized, but 900 00:48:25,360 --> 00:48:28,400 Speaker 1: the role of BHR in this mining purchase was not known. 901 00:48:28,719 --> 00:48:30,520 Speaker 1: When asked if the President had been made aware of 902 00:48:30,560 --> 00:48:33,920 Speaker 1: his son's connection, a White House spokesman said no, and 903 00:48:33,960 --> 00:48:36,640 Speaker 1: that's all that they had to say. I mean, as 904 00:48:36,640 --> 00:48:39,160 Speaker 1: you said, Crystal, there has been no president in American 905 00:48:39,200 --> 00:48:42,440 Speaker 1: history who has cared more about electric vehicles. Which fine, 906 00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:44,880 Speaker 1: that's okay, But if you are going to and this 907 00:48:44,960 --> 00:48:47,560 Speaker 1: president will be a person who passes a twelve thousand 908 00:48:47,560 --> 00:48:50,640 Speaker 1: dollars substy for electric vehicles, and your son has a 909 00:48:50,680 --> 00:48:53,680 Speaker 1: direct tie to the minerals that are involved into going 910 00:48:53,680 --> 00:48:57,000 Speaker 1: into electric vehicles, and then even more so, has a 911 00:48:57,040 --> 00:49:00,640 Speaker 1: direct financial tie and interest in a deal which makes 912 00:49:00,680 --> 00:49:05,400 Speaker 1: sure or at the very least biases Chinese control over 913 00:49:05,600 --> 00:49:08,840 Speaker 1: electric vehicles for the future. That is such an obvious 914 00:49:08,920 --> 00:49:12,680 Speaker 1: conflict of interests and of corruption it is difficult to 915 00:49:12,760 --> 00:49:16,799 Speaker 1: even describe. Did it influence Biden's decision to pass the thing? 916 00:49:17,120 --> 00:49:20,480 Speaker 1: Probably not, okay, but that doesn't matter. Why is his 917 00:49:20,560 --> 00:49:25,000 Speaker 1: son have a financial interest in this whatsoever? It should 918 00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:27,080 Speaker 1: not even be a question. And this is again a 919 00:49:27,160 --> 00:49:29,800 Speaker 1: media problem, which is that they don't even point out 920 00:49:30,040 --> 00:49:32,560 Speaker 1: in this New York Times story because again I really 921 00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:35,279 Speaker 1: do assume that they stumbled across it and they're like, well, shit, 922 00:49:35,440 --> 00:49:38,080 Speaker 1: you know, we have to report this. They didn't report 923 00:49:38,080 --> 00:49:41,160 Speaker 1: it out or even acknowledge that Hunter continues to this 924 00:49:41,320 --> 00:49:44,960 Speaker 1: day to have a ten percent ownership stake in this 925 00:49:45,160 --> 00:49:48,600 Speaker 1: Chinese company. He said, I resigned from the board. Okay, 926 00:49:48,640 --> 00:49:50,640 Speaker 1: if you resign from a company and you're still being 927 00:49:50,719 --> 00:49:53,360 Speaker 1: paid out from that company, or you have an investment 928 00:49:53,440 --> 00:49:55,360 Speaker 1: or you have equity in that company, do you not 929 00:49:55,480 --> 00:49:59,080 Speaker 1: still have interest in how that company does? Obviously, and 930 00:49:59,120 --> 00:50:02,200 Speaker 1: at the time he was actually intimately involved in many 931 00:50:02,239 --> 00:50:04,759 Speaker 1: of the dealings of this company. So this is the 932 00:50:04,800 --> 00:50:07,200 Speaker 1: type of thing where if Jared Kushner them had done it, 933 00:50:07,239 --> 00:50:09,719 Speaker 1: and they did some similar stuff on visas, which we 934 00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:12,600 Speaker 1: covered at the time, people would have freaked out about it, 935 00:50:12,600 --> 00:50:15,520 Speaker 1: and they should. I mean, this really is just outright 936 00:50:15,680 --> 00:50:18,960 Speaker 1: corruption from Hunter Biden. He gets away with it completely 937 00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:22,440 Speaker 1: free the Biden administration. You know, this is buried in 938 00:50:22,480 --> 00:50:24,000 Speaker 1: the New York Times. They made it one of the 939 00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:27,560 Speaker 1: very bottom parts of the of the story itself after 940 00:50:27,640 --> 00:50:30,680 Speaker 1: they uncovered it, and you know, now trying to even 941 00:50:30,680 --> 00:50:32,760 Speaker 1: bring it to you, I know it does sound complicated, 942 00:50:32,840 --> 00:50:34,759 Speaker 1: but it's very basic. He owns an ownership and a 943 00:50:34,800 --> 00:50:38,080 Speaker 1: stake in a company. That company helped buy one of 944 00:50:38,080 --> 00:50:40,439 Speaker 1: the largest cobalt minds in the world. Cobalt is super 945 00:50:40,440 --> 00:50:43,520 Speaker 1: important for electric vehicles, and the race for the control 946 00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:45,759 Speaker 1: of cobalt is a race between the United States or 947 00:50:45,760 --> 00:50:48,400 Speaker 1: the West and China. That's it. It's very basic. And 948 00:50:48,480 --> 00:50:51,200 Speaker 1: he has a direct financial interest in this company. Pretty loud, Yeah, 949 00:50:51,239 --> 00:50:54,560 Speaker 1: it is okay, supply chains. This is something that you 950 00:50:54,680 --> 00:50:57,160 Speaker 1: flagged for us and I actually do think is very important. 951 00:50:57,320 --> 00:51:00,520 Speaker 1: Let's put it up there on screen. Supply chain problems 952 00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:04,800 Speaker 1: are showing signs of easing. So Christmas was previously canceled, 953 00:51:04,920 --> 00:51:10,000 Speaker 1: maybe uncanceled. Christmas is back. So it turns out that 954 00:51:10,160 --> 00:51:12,920 Speaker 1: Asian output is actually coming back in terms of their 955 00:51:12,960 --> 00:51:16,840 Speaker 1: ability to deal with production and some of some of 956 00:51:16,960 --> 00:51:21,000 Speaker 1: being the keyword there. Bottlenecks are beginning to clear. Labor 957 00:51:21,040 --> 00:51:23,400 Speaker 1: shortages are going to continue to be one of the 958 00:51:23,400 --> 00:51:28,719 Speaker 1: major ones. But manufacture, right shipping, manufacturing and retail say 959 00:51:28,719 --> 00:51:31,880 Speaker 1: that they actually don't expect a return to like totally 960 00:51:31,920 --> 00:51:35,440 Speaker 1: normal operations until next year, and that cargo is obviously 961 00:51:35,440 --> 00:51:38,440 Speaker 1: going to be continued to be delayed around COVID, but 962 00:51:39,520 --> 00:51:43,279 Speaker 1: that the previous level of COVID disruption that we had 963 00:51:43,360 --> 00:51:46,520 Speaker 1: seen is no longer really the case. The number of 964 00:51:46,560 --> 00:51:48,920 Speaker 1: ships waiting to unload, for example, at the Port of 965 00:51:49,040 --> 00:51:52,600 Speaker 1: la and Long Beach has improved. Now it's still hovering 966 00:51:52,680 --> 00:51:56,480 Speaker 1: near record levels, it's just not at the backup that 967 00:51:56,520 --> 00:51:59,480 Speaker 1: we had seen previously, and there's beginning to show some 968 00:51:59,719 --> 00:52:02,840 Speaker 1: signs of easing. And obviously we wanted to cover this, 969 00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:04,799 Speaker 1: you know in the past, whenever it's showed like it 970 00:52:04,880 --> 00:52:07,560 Speaker 1: was going to be really bad. But the costs right 971 00:52:07,560 --> 00:52:10,880 Speaker 1: now in order to move container across the Pacific actually 972 00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:14,279 Speaker 1: fell more than a quarter in the week that ended 973 00:52:14,320 --> 00:52:16,719 Speaker 1: of November twelve. That's the biggest decline in two years 974 00:52:16,719 --> 00:52:18,840 Speaker 1: of the cost of shipping. That's something that obviously is 975 00:52:18,880 --> 00:52:21,280 Speaker 1: going to translate into the cost whenever you buy something. 976 00:52:22,040 --> 00:52:24,520 Speaker 1: I also saw a crystal. The gas futures in the 977 00:52:24,520 --> 00:52:27,520 Speaker 1: next couple of weeks are beginning to go down. Oh 978 00:52:27,520 --> 00:52:30,759 Speaker 1: really in terms of how it should should be the 979 00:52:30,760 --> 00:52:33,520 Speaker 1: case if Exeon, Chevron and all those people prices they 980 00:52:33,520 --> 00:52:35,799 Speaker 1: are supposed to in terms of the futures in the 981 00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:38,400 Speaker 1: next couple of weeks, if you know the price of 982 00:52:38,440 --> 00:52:41,680 Speaker 1: gas sometimes it doesn't always track with gas futures and 983 00:52:41,680 --> 00:52:44,759 Speaker 1: barrels and all, that should go down to like two 984 00:52:44,800 --> 00:52:47,120 Speaker 1: something dollars, a gap to ninety to eight. I'm not 985 00:52:47,160 --> 00:52:49,160 Speaker 1: saying that's good, but you know it's better than what 986 00:52:49,239 --> 00:52:52,080 Speaker 1: it is right now, maybe a forty fifty percent reduction 987 00:52:52,360 --> 00:52:54,680 Speaker 1: on average, especially out in California. I'm so sorry to 988 00:52:54,719 --> 00:52:57,400 Speaker 1: you guys. I've been seeing these screenshots of like six dollars, 989 00:52:57,480 --> 00:53:00,160 Speaker 1: five dollars fifty or whatever. I can't even mate. It's 990 00:53:00,160 --> 00:53:03,880 Speaker 1: totally insane. But we are beginning to see what we 991 00:53:03,960 --> 00:53:05,640 Speaker 1: might be on the other side of the curve on 992 00:53:05,719 --> 00:53:07,479 Speaker 1: the supply chain, and we should, you know, we should 993 00:53:07,480 --> 00:53:09,960 Speaker 1: look at that, we should celebrate that. Yeah, directionally, at 994 00:53:10,040 --> 00:53:13,440 Speaker 1: least what this article indicates, it's moving in the right direction. 995 00:53:13,719 --> 00:53:17,400 Speaker 1: That doesn't mean the problems are fixed. Still huge almost, 996 00:53:17,440 --> 00:53:21,160 Speaker 1: you know, record level backlogs at the ports, and shipping 997 00:53:21,200 --> 00:53:25,080 Speaker 1: prices are still elevated, and you know, there's still definitely 998 00:53:25,120 --> 00:53:29,240 Speaker 1: a lot of problems. But it seems like by some metrics, directionally, 999 00:53:29,640 --> 00:53:33,080 Speaker 1: we are headed the right way. With regards to Christmas, 1000 00:53:33,360 --> 00:53:36,160 Speaker 1: they say in the US, major retailers say they have 1001 00:53:36,320 --> 00:53:39,239 Speaker 1: imported most of what they need for the holidays, and 1002 00:53:39,360 --> 00:53:43,680 Speaker 1: ocean freight rates have retreated from record levels, So Christmas 1003 00:53:43,719 --> 00:53:46,120 Speaker 1: is on. Guys will be able to get all your stuff. 1004 00:53:46,360 --> 00:53:50,640 Speaker 1: Maybe is what it looks like at this point. But 1005 00:53:50,760 --> 00:53:53,320 Speaker 1: you know, I mean the very real issues that the 1006 00:53:53,320 --> 00:53:56,440 Speaker 1: supply chain crisis has caused. Obviously it's contributed to inflation. 1007 00:53:56,520 --> 00:53:59,239 Speaker 1: Obviously it's contributed to those increased prices that then, as 1008 00:53:59,280 --> 00:54:03,880 Speaker 1: we reported week companies have used the excuse of inflation 1009 00:54:04,600 --> 00:54:08,680 Speaker 1: to inflate their prices even more, something that at least 1010 00:54:08,680 --> 00:54:11,320 Speaker 1: some advisors are telling the Biden administration and Joe Biden 1011 00:54:11,360 --> 00:54:13,600 Speaker 1: that he ought to be more aggressive at sort of 1012 00:54:13,640 --> 00:54:18,080 Speaker 1: calling out and doing whatever he possibly can about that situation. 1013 00:54:18,719 --> 00:54:21,960 Speaker 1: But you know, good signs that things are seen to 1014 00:54:22,000 --> 00:54:27,520 Speaker 1: be working themselves out, because obviously that has created higher 1015 00:54:27,560 --> 00:54:30,040 Speaker 1: costs for you guys and has cut into some of 1016 00:54:30,080 --> 00:54:32,560 Speaker 1: the very real wage gains that have been had and 1017 00:54:32,600 --> 00:54:34,960 Speaker 1: made it so that even as wages are going up, 1018 00:54:35,360 --> 00:54:39,000 Speaker 1: you're not really feeling the benefit of that because prices 1019 00:54:38,600 --> 00:54:40,560 Speaker 1: at the gas pump in the grocery store are so 1020 00:54:40,640 --> 00:54:43,040 Speaker 1: much more. Yeah, you know, something I found interesting from 1021 00:54:43,040 --> 00:54:45,120 Speaker 1: reading this is that the labor shortage is not just 1022 00:54:45,160 --> 00:54:47,600 Speaker 1: an American phenomenon. And this is what I always love 1023 00:54:47,680 --> 00:54:49,960 Speaker 1: about this, which is, look, we live in a globalized world, 1024 00:54:50,040 --> 00:54:52,799 Speaker 1: so we're going to actually have globalized responses to this. 1025 00:54:53,400 --> 00:54:57,399 Speaker 1: You see inflation. China's inflation is out of control. If 1026 00:54:57,440 --> 00:54:59,680 Speaker 1: you think that ours is bad, go and take a 1027 00:54:59,680 --> 00:55:01,719 Speaker 1: look a at the price fixing that is going on 1028 00:55:01,960 --> 00:55:05,120 Speaker 1: from the Chinese government. They have rolling blackouts in their 1029 00:55:05,160 --> 00:55:08,120 Speaker 1: major cities, because they don't have enough coal in order 1030 00:55:08,160 --> 00:55:10,680 Speaker 1: to keep up with demand. It's totally crazy in terms 1031 00:55:10,719 --> 00:55:12,840 Speaker 1: of the disruption to day to day life in China. 1032 00:55:13,040 --> 00:55:15,680 Speaker 1: What they're pointing to here is that actually there's even 1033 00:55:15,760 --> 00:55:19,200 Speaker 1: labor shortages in Vietnam where a lot of this stuff 1034 00:55:19,239 --> 00:55:21,960 Speaker 1: is made, especially furniture, so they are running at like 1035 00:55:22,120 --> 00:55:25,839 Speaker 1: sixty eighty percent capacity, not necessarily because of COVID, but 1036 00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:28,000 Speaker 1: there's just a lot of disruption. You shut things down, 1037 00:55:28,040 --> 00:55:30,160 Speaker 1: people leave, they go get different jobs. Now you're trying 1038 00:55:30,160 --> 00:55:33,200 Speaker 1: to wrap up at the same time. Basically, the one 1039 00:55:33,280 --> 00:55:36,960 Speaker 1: year paused in the global economy has created havoc. Who knew? 1040 00:55:37,200 --> 00:55:40,400 Speaker 1: And inflation is not just an American problem, it's a 1041 00:55:40,480 --> 00:55:43,520 Speaker 1: huge European problem. It's a huge Chinese problem. Labor shortage 1042 00:55:43,520 --> 00:55:47,919 Speaker 1: is not a problem for the Asia and for labor 1043 00:55:47,920 --> 00:55:50,960 Speaker 1: shortage is a problem in Asia and in America. Why well, 1044 00:55:51,239 --> 00:55:53,520 Speaker 1: Europe actually had more of a program in order to 1045 00:55:53,600 --> 00:55:55,719 Speaker 1: keep people connected to their jobs, so they've had a 1046 00:55:55,719 --> 00:55:59,120 Speaker 1: lot less disruption in their supply chain, something that maybe 1047 00:55:59,120 --> 00:56:01,439 Speaker 1: some of us were advocated waiting for back in the time, 1048 00:56:01,480 --> 00:56:03,040 Speaker 1: but who knew that it was going to have major 1049 00:56:03,040 --> 00:56:05,040 Speaker 1: consequences in order to let a bunch of people leave 1050 00:56:05,080 --> 00:56:07,560 Speaker 1: their jobs and then starting up again is actually very difficult. 1051 00:56:07,719 --> 00:56:10,680 Speaker 1: Asia didn't do that, neither did we. Consequently, we're the 1052 00:56:10,719 --> 00:56:14,880 Speaker 1: two places facing massive supply shortages whenever it comes to labor, 1053 00:56:15,080 --> 00:56:16,840 Speaker 1: and a lot of chaos in the way that people 1054 00:56:17,040 --> 00:56:19,120 Speaker 1: are feeling about all of this. But you put it 1055 00:56:19,160 --> 00:56:21,600 Speaker 1: all together, things are moving generally in the right direction. 1056 00:56:21,800 --> 00:56:23,600 Speaker 1: I think we'll probably reach a new equilibrium in like 1057 00:56:23,640 --> 00:56:25,600 Speaker 1: two years. Yeah. I mean, look, I'm in favor of 1058 00:56:25,600 --> 00:56:28,319 Speaker 1: a labor shortage because it means that workers have a 1059 00:56:28,320 --> 00:56:30,919 Speaker 1: little bit more power, something that we've been seeing. Actually, 1060 00:56:30,960 --> 00:56:33,399 Speaker 1: we're going to talk to Chris Malls and John Deer. 1061 00:56:33,440 --> 00:56:39,840 Speaker 1: Workers just won a contract with significant increase in pay, 1062 00:56:40,200 --> 00:56:44,759 Speaker 1: increase in bonuses, getting rid of another tier, like they 1063 00:56:44,880 --> 00:56:47,919 Speaker 1: want a lot in this contract. So congratulations to them 1064 00:56:48,120 --> 00:56:50,759 Speaker 1: for having the courage to go out on strike. So yeah, 1065 00:56:50,800 --> 00:56:53,520 Speaker 1: I mean, listen, there's actually a good piece in Jacobin 1066 00:56:53,600 --> 00:56:57,080 Speaker 1: right now that's pretty interesting saying, you know, our COVID relief, 1067 00:56:57,160 --> 00:56:59,600 Speaker 1: some of these things really were effective to help people 1068 00:56:59,680 --> 00:57:03,440 Speaker 1: get through what was an incredibly chaotic time. Some people 1069 00:57:03,520 --> 00:57:06,960 Speaker 1: were able to you know, get unemployment and save a 1070 00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:09,600 Speaker 1: little bit in their bank accounts. Low and behold, some 1071 00:57:09,640 --> 00:57:13,600 Speaker 1: people were able to explore other options than whatever crappy, 1072 00:57:13,680 --> 00:57:17,600 Speaker 1: low wage job that they hated before COVID. And but 1073 00:57:18,040 --> 00:57:21,200 Speaker 1: our economy is so built on an assumption that workers 1074 00:57:21,240 --> 00:57:24,720 Speaker 1: will be completely desperate and so desperate that they'll just 1075 00:57:24,800 --> 00:57:28,600 Speaker 1: take whatever job is out there. Well, right at the moment, 1076 00:57:29,160 --> 00:57:32,960 Speaker 1: that assumption is not necessarily safe, and so I've always 1077 00:57:33,040 --> 00:57:35,280 Speaker 1: thought that, you know, we should be focused more on 1078 00:57:35,480 --> 00:57:38,680 Speaker 1: dealing with the fragility, with the just in time manufacturing, 1079 00:57:38,720 --> 00:57:41,640 Speaker 1: with the supply chain issues, with the monopoly issues, than 1080 00:57:41,720 --> 00:57:44,680 Speaker 1: worrying about, oh, my god, it's terrible that workers have 1081 00:57:44,720 --> 00:57:46,320 Speaker 1: a little bit more in their bank accounts or they're 1082 00:57:46,320 --> 00:57:48,840 Speaker 1: getting a little bit higher prices, because ultimately that helps 1083 00:57:48,880 --> 00:57:51,920 Speaker 1: rebalance the scales and makes it possible for workers to 1084 00:57:51,960 --> 00:57:53,920 Speaker 1: have a little bit more power in the society. If 1085 00:57:53,960 --> 00:57:56,240 Speaker 1: there's anything good that comes of this. I read a 1086 00:57:56,400 --> 00:57:58,760 Speaker 1: hilarious tweet. I don't know whose it was, but they said, 1087 00:57:59,120 --> 00:58:01,520 Speaker 1: you know, after of two thousand and eight, people like 1088 00:58:01,640 --> 00:58:04,200 Speaker 1: us who were kind of coming of political age at 1089 00:58:04,200 --> 00:58:07,840 Speaker 1: that time, became weirdly familiar with like derivative trades, and 1090 00:58:07,880 --> 00:58:10,400 Speaker 1: you know, like being like, oh, like leverage and banks 1091 00:58:10,400 --> 00:58:12,800 Speaker 1: and like how much cash reserves they should have and 1092 00:58:12,920 --> 00:58:16,000 Speaker 1: should banks be allowed to do these complicated financial maneuverings. 1093 00:58:16,080 --> 00:58:18,200 Speaker 1: My hope is that having lived through this, is we 1094 00:58:18,240 --> 00:58:20,240 Speaker 1: all get a little familiar with terms like just in 1095 00:58:20,320 --> 00:58:23,800 Speaker 1: time and the supply chain, how container works, what exactly 1096 00:58:23,960 --> 00:58:26,320 Speaker 1: means for cheap stuff from China in order to come 1097 00:58:26,400 --> 00:58:29,320 Speaker 1: over and actually get to your house through Amazon or 1098 00:58:29,360 --> 00:58:32,800 Speaker 1: whatever in six hours or something like something terrifying like that. 1099 00:58:33,440 --> 00:58:35,360 Speaker 1: If we have a little bit more knowledge, we can 1100 00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:38,000 Speaker 1: then demand stuff as a public to say, yeah, you know, 1101 00:58:38,120 --> 00:58:40,480 Speaker 1: just in time is fine, and it's you know, it 1102 00:58:40,520 --> 00:58:42,720 Speaker 1: was a decent idea, but it has a lot of 1103 00:58:42,800 --> 00:58:45,720 Speaker 1: perils in the way that we end up living our lives. 1104 00:58:45,760 --> 00:58:48,520 Speaker 1: If there's a major pandemic so to speak, or another 1105 00:58:48,560 --> 00:58:51,760 Speaker 1: global supplied disruption, it reveals how weak that we actually 1106 00:58:51,800 --> 00:58:53,640 Speaker 1: set up our economy and we don't have to live 1107 00:58:53,640 --> 00:58:58,320 Speaker 1: that way. So that's my hope. Yes, indeed, all right, Zager, 1108 00:58:58,360 --> 00:59:01,200 Speaker 1: what are you looking at? Well? When util when independent, 1109 00:59:01,240 --> 00:59:03,320 Speaker 1: we were so excited and we had so many reasons 1110 00:59:03,320 --> 00:59:05,480 Speaker 1: as to why we should do it. In the yes column, 1111 00:59:05,600 --> 00:59:08,760 Speaker 1: no corporate control, be your own boss, build something new, 1112 00:59:08,760 --> 00:59:10,840 Speaker 1: instead of complaining all the time. You guys know all 1113 00:59:10,880 --> 00:59:12,920 Speaker 1: the good ones, but in the no column was a 1114 00:59:12,960 --> 00:59:16,480 Speaker 1: single but important one. What if going independent removes the 1115 00:59:16,520 --> 00:59:19,000 Speaker 1: protection that we've had in the past, we get censored, 1116 00:59:19,120 --> 00:59:21,120 Speaker 1: or at the very least, we don't receive the same 1117 00:59:21,160 --> 00:59:23,880 Speaker 1: treatment we did when working at a major DC news organization. 1118 00:59:24,440 --> 00:59:26,760 Speaker 1: That last one. It weighed very heavily on us, and 1119 00:59:26,800 --> 00:59:28,760 Speaker 1: while it was a real concern, we decided to do 1120 00:59:28,800 --> 00:59:31,040 Speaker 1: it anyways. That's why we built our business to be 1121 00:59:31,080 --> 00:59:34,040 Speaker 1: subscription first. But something that we always try to highlight 1122 00:59:34,080 --> 00:59:36,720 Speaker 1: to all of you is the very real reality of 1123 00:59:36,760 --> 00:59:41,000 Speaker 1: covering news as a business and highlighting why relying on 1124 00:59:41,120 --> 00:59:46,440 Speaker 1: advertising and specifically YouTube or anyone company is impossible if 1125 00:59:46,440 --> 00:59:48,080 Speaker 1: you want to do it right and that's your only 1126 00:59:48,120 --> 00:59:50,760 Speaker 1: source of revenue. It brings us to what's happened to 1127 00:59:50,880 --> 00:59:53,400 Speaker 1: us in the last seventy two hours. Check this out. 1128 00:59:54,040 --> 00:59:56,720 Speaker 1: In our previous show, you may recall that we covered 1129 00:59:56,760 --> 00:59:59,480 Speaker 1: the story of Peng Shui. She was a Chinese star 1130 00:59:59,560 --> 01:00:02,440 Speaker 1: tennis player who disappeared from the public eye for weeks 1131 01:00:02,760 --> 01:00:06,920 Speaker 1: after accusing China's vice premier, a vice premier, of rape 1132 01:00:06,920 --> 01:00:10,560 Speaker 1: and sexual assault. Her post was removed from Chinese social 1133 01:00:10,600 --> 01:00:14,600 Speaker 1: media within minutes. She was effectively unpersoned in Chinese society 1134 01:00:14,600 --> 01:00:18,080 Speaker 1: for weeks. It's a worthy and important story, especially after 1135 01:00:18,160 --> 01:00:21,600 Speaker 1: Chinese state media released a hostage statement from Pung where 1136 01:00:21,600 --> 01:00:26,360 Speaker 1: she supposedly disavowed her previous accusation. Now, the segment that 1137 01:00:26,400 --> 01:00:30,720 Speaker 1: we ran was titled Chinese Tennis Star vanishes after rape accusations, 1138 01:00:30,920 --> 01:00:34,120 Speaker 1: and immediately after we uploaded into YouTube, we were notified 1139 01:00:34,160 --> 01:00:37,280 Speaker 1: it would not be eligible for monetization. Now, this is 1140 01:00:37,280 --> 01:00:39,919 Speaker 1: something that we've told you guys about before. Content which 1141 01:00:39,920 --> 01:00:43,120 Speaker 1: should be could be incendiary like nine to eleven or 1142 01:00:43,160 --> 01:00:46,320 Speaker 1: the coverage of sexual assault is automatically flagged by YouTube's 1143 01:00:46,320 --> 01:00:49,640 Speaker 1: monetization algorithm because it's a controversial topic. I got that, 1144 01:00:49,880 --> 01:00:52,320 Speaker 1: I really do. But here's the thing. We have been 1145 01:00:52,320 --> 01:00:55,160 Speaker 1: previously told by YouTube that in almost all cases, if 1146 01:00:55,160 --> 01:00:58,240 Speaker 1: we submit an appeal and upon human review, if it 1147 01:00:58,280 --> 01:01:01,360 Speaker 1: is newsworthy, the decision will we reversed. Which is why 1148 01:01:01,400 --> 01:01:03,600 Speaker 1: I was shocked when I checked our email the next 1149 01:01:03,720 --> 01:01:07,680 Speaker 1: day and I saw this YouTube decided, even after human review, 1150 01:01:07,920 --> 01:01:11,600 Speaker 1: that segment was not eligible. You see, that segment was 1151 01:01:11,600 --> 01:01:14,720 Speaker 1: as straightforward as a new segment as it gets a 1152 01:01:14,800 --> 01:01:19,880 Speaker 1: recitation of the facts, reading Punshwi's original post, then her statement, 1153 01:01:20,200 --> 01:01:23,240 Speaker 1: then describing the facts as they happen. That's it. It 1154 01:01:23,280 --> 01:01:26,480 Speaker 1: also happened, of course, to highlight a story deeply embarrassing 1155 01:01:26,520 --> 01:01:29,280 Speaker 1: to the very top of the Chinese regime. Now because 1156 01:01:29,280 --> 01:01:31,680 Speaker 1: it's me, I tweeted it and I posted about it 1157 01:01:31,720 --> 01:01:34,280 Speaker 1: on Instagram. A lot of people took notice, even some 1158 01:01:34,440 --> 01:01:37,280 Speaker 1: United States senators, which was surprising, and even the Republican 1159 01:01:37,360 --> 01:01:40,280 Speaker 1: ranking member of the House Anti Trust Committee. So YouTube 1160 01:01:40,320 --> 01:01:43,320 Speaker 1: reached out to explain the situation to me. Their explanation 1161 01:01:43,640 --> 01:01:45,920 Speaker 1: is that the segment had nothing to do with our 1162 01:01:46,000 --> 01:01:49,960 Speaker 1: criticism of China, but instead is not eligible for monetization 1163 01:01:50,280 --> 01:01:54,360 Speaker 1: because it focuses on a specific sexual assault allegation between 1164 01:01:54,400 --> 01:01:58,400 Speaker 1: two people, Punshui and the former Vice Premier of China. 1165 01:01:58,720 --> 01:02:02,960 Speaker 1: That's their policy. Now, okay, maybe that's the policy, but 1166 01:02:03,080 --> 01:02:06,640 Speaker 1: consider this. By that same standard, Harvey Weinstein's story in 1167 01:02:06,680 --> 01:02:10,560 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen would not be eligible for monetization or matt lower. 1168 01:02:10,720 --> 01:02:12,560 Speaker 1: If you're a Democrat, do you want it so that 1169 01:02:12,600 --> 01:02:15,920 Speaker 1: news organizations on YouTube are not incentivized to cover a 1170 01:02:15,960 --> 01:02:19,400 Speaker 1: woman accusing Donald Trump or of sexual assault or of 1171 01:02:19,480 --> 01:02:22,680 Speaker 1: Christine blasi Ford's accusation against Brett Kavanaugh, and if you're 1172 01:02:22,680 --> 01:02:26,080 Speaker 1: a Republican, what about Tera Reeve's accusations against Joe Biden 1173 01:02:26,240 --> 01:02:29,840 Speaker 1: or Juanita Brodrick and Bill Clinton. Should news organizations be 1174 01:02:29,880 --> 01:02:33,200 Speaker 1: able to cover this and have an incentive to do so? 1175 01:02:33,600 --> 01:02:36,720 Speaker 1: The obvious answer is yes, But it highlights a growing 1176 01:02:36,760 --> 01:02:38,960 Speaker 1: problem that Chris and I are at least big enough 1177 01:02:38,960 --> 01:02:41,040 Speaker 1: to speak out about. For a lot of other news 1178 01:02:41,040 --> 01:02:45,320 Speaker 1: creators out there, all of this invites either self censorship 1179 01:02:45,560 --> 01:02:48,240 Speaker 1: or a sanitized version of facts if we want to 1180 01:02:48,240 --> 01:02:51,560 Speaker 1: play by the rules. For example, I know the fact 1181 01:02:51,560 --> 01:02:53,480 Speaker 1: that I said rape in the very first minute of 1182 01:02:53,480 --> 01:02:56,320 Speaker 1: this monologue means it will not make any money. But 1183 01:02:56,400 --> 01:02:59,480 Speaker 1: how else am I supposed to describe the experience of Punshwi, 1184 01:02:59,640 --> 01:03:01,960 Speaker 1: who say, as in her original social media post, that 1185 01:03:02,000 --> 01:03:05,160 Speaker 1: she was crying and shaking as China's force vice premier 1186 01:03:05,480 --> 01:03:09,000 Speaker 1: forced himself on her. I bring you the news. All 1187 01:03:09,040 --> 01:03:12,080 Speaker 1: we have is our credibility and our ability to describe 1188 01:03:12,120 --> 01:03:14,560 Speaker 1: things in a most important way so that you know 1189 01:03:14,640 --> 01:03:19,080 Speaker 1: what's going on. We take that responsibility very seriously. I'll 1190 01:03:19,080 --> 01:03:21,400 Speaker 1: give you more mundane examples. I'm sure that If you 1191 01:03:21,440 --> 01:03:24,040 Speaker 1: watch normal YouTubers, they go a great pains in order 1192 01:03:24,080 --> 01:03:27,400 Speaker 1: to react to something without running a foul of copyright policy. 1193 01:03:27,880 --> 01:03:31,160 Speaker 1: But that's actually news. That's really hard. When we want 1194 01:03:31,200 --> 01:03:33,560 Speaker 1: to show you something or a snippet of something, we 1195 01:03:33,600 --> 01:03:36,520 Speaker 1: have to make the constant decision every time it means 1196 01:03:36,560 --> 01:03:38,640 Speaker 1: you will not make a single dollar from that video. 1197 01:03:39,120 --> 01:03:42,000 Speaker 1: Or as we have highlighted previously, we get flagged when 1198 01:03:42,040 --> 01:03:44,520 Speaker 1: we cover nine to eleven. How are we supposed to 1199 01:03:44,560 --> 01:03:47,560 Speaker 1: cover them news on the month of September without talking 1200 01:03:47,560 --> 01:03:51,800 Speaker 1: about international terrorism? Or what about Jeffrey Epstein. Just so 1201 01:03:51,960 --> 01:03:55,000 Speaker 1: you guys know, we have never made one dollar off 1202 01:03:55,040 --> 01:03:57,600 Speaker 1: of our coverage of that, even though it has garnered 1203 01:03:57,640 --> 01:04:01,440 Speaker 1: by my count millions of YouTube view I think it's important, 1204 01:04:01,520 --> 01:04:03,560 Speaker 1: so I just do it. Anyways, I could go on. 1205 01:04:03,960 --> 01:04:07,440 Speaker 1: Sometimes the news is bad. That's why CNN and Fox 1206 01:04:07,480 --> 01:04:10,240 Speaker 1: and MSNBC's advertisers they don't get to choose when they're 1207 01:04:10,280 --> 01:04:14,480 Speaker 1: commercials air. A key to Noam Chomsky's famous manufacturing consent 1208 01:04:14,880 --> 01:04:19,240 Speaker 1: was revealing institutional incentives within media that come together to 1209 01:04:19,360 --> 01:04:24,280 Speaker 1: produce manufactured content on behalf of the powerful opening the 1210 01:04:24,320 --> 01:04:27,439 Speaker 1: kimono here is not going to make anyone happy over 1211 01:04:27,480 --> 01:04:30,400 Speaker 1: at YouTube, a platform which we literally depend on to 1212 01:04:30,480 --> 01:04:33,400 Speaker 1: distribute our content, and once again we just don't care, 1213 01:04:33,640 --> 01:04:36,360 Speaker 1: because I think it's important for all of you out 1214 01:04:36,400 --> 01:04:39,600 Speaker 1: there to understand not just what we have to deal with, 1215 01:04:39,760 --> 01:04:42,840 Speaker 1: but how the entire system itself is constructed and how 1216 01:04:42,880 --> 01:04:46,080 Speaker 1: that shapes the content that you get from every single 1217 01:04:46,120 --> 01:04:48,960 Speaker 1: person that you watch online. And by the way, since 1218 01:04:48,960 --> 01:04:51,080 Speaker 1: this segment is already not going to make any money, 1219 01:04:51,160 --> 01:04:53,000 Speaker 1: I might as well tell you about what's up with 1220 01:04:53,040 --> 01:04:55,920 Speaker 1: Pun Shwai. Chinese State Media released a video of Punk 1221 01:04:56,040 --> 01:04:58,800 Speaker 1: where she was supposedly having dinner with friends, and they 1222 01:04:58,880 --> 01:05:01,960 Speaker 1: made sure to mention the exact date, as everybody does 1223 01:05:02,040 --> 01:05:04,480 Speaker 1: went out to dinner with friends. It was so unsubtle 1224 01:05:04,600 --> 01:05:06,440 Speaker 1: they might as well have made her hold up the 1225 01:05:06,480 --> 01:05:09,400 Speaker 1: newspaper while she was talking. The second video that they 1226 01:05:09,440 --> 01:05:12,960 Speaker 1: released was a Pun signing autographs. Chinese State Media commented 1227 01:05:12,960 --> 01:05:15,800 Speaker 1: about the video quote, can any girl fake such a 1228 01:05:15,840 --> 01:05:19,440 Speaker 1: sunny smile under pressure? Those who suspect Pung under duress, 1229 01:05:19,680 --> 01:05:22,560 Speaker 1: how dark they must be inside. I feel for her. 1230 01:05:22,840 --> 01:05:26,240 Speaker 1: I truly do imagine going public about your claim of 1231 01:05:26,280 --> 01:05:29,640 Speaker 1: sexual assault, becoming a literal prisoner of the Chinese state 1232 01:05:29,880 --> 01:05:32,240 Speaker 1: forced to smile like a puppet for the cameras so 1233 01:05:32,280 --> 01:05:35,600 Speaker 1: that pesky Westerners will shut up about criticism of China. 1234 01:05:35,840 --> 01:05:38,120 Speaker 1: It's one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen. 1235 01:05:38,360 --> 01:05:39,960 Speaker 1: And because of the way that I'm talking to most 1236 01:05:39,960 --> 01:05:43,360 Speaker 1: of you right now, I am literally disincentivized from telling 1237 01:05:43,360 --> 01:05:46,160 Speaker 1: you about it YouTube, and all of us should think 1238 01:05:46,200 --> 01:05:48,360 Speaker 1: pretty long and hard about how we came to have 1239 01:05:48,400 --> 01:05:51,120 Speaker 1: such a system. And that's the thing, Crystal. Look, we 1240 01:05:51,200 --> 01:05:53,720 Speaker 1: built our business so we don't have to care. It's fine, 1241 01:05:53,800 --> 01:05:57,280 Speaker 1: but it's still a conscious decision. And if you want 1242 01:05:57,280 --> 01:06:00,400 Speaker 1: to hear my reaction to Sager's monologue, become a premium 1243 01:06:00,440 --> 01:06:06,000 Speaker 1: subscriber today at Breakingpoints dot com. What do you take 1244 01:06:06,000 --> 01:06:08,640 Speaker 1: a look at? Well, guys. As we mentioned earlier, there 1245 01:06:08,720 --> 01:06:11,479 Speaker 1: is a remarkable piece in the Washington Post this morning 1246 01:06:11,480 --> 01:06:14,520 Speaker 1: spelling on how top Democrats are thinking about Biden's likelihood 1247 01:06:14,520 --> 01:06:16,880 Speaker 1: of running for a second term. First of all, this 1248 01:06:16,960 --> 01:06:19,840 Speaker 1: sort of open speculation about whether or not the president 1249 01:06:19,880 --> 01:06:22,080 Speaker 1: will be well enough or alive enough to put his 1250 01:06:22,160 --> 01:06:24,840 Speaker 1: name on the ticket pretty as dounding in and of itself. 1251 01:06:25,280 --> 01:06:29,480 Speaker 1: But this line from the piece left me absolutely gobsmacked. 1252 01:06:29,680 --> 01:06:33,200 Speaker 1: Quote Barry Goodman, a Democratic donor who served on Biden's 1253 01:06:33,240 --> 01:06:36,360 Speaker 1: National Finance Committee for his twenty twenty presidential campaign, said, 1254 01:06:36,600 --> 01:06:40,800 Speaker 1: many donors are quote praying that Trump runs. I think 1255 01:06:40,880 --> 01:06:43,400 Speaker 1: no matter who runs, a Democrat beats him, he said 1256 01:06:43,400 --> 01:06:45,960 Speaker 1: of Trump. At the end of the day, people are 1257 01:06:46,000 --> 01:06:50,280 Speaker 1: not going to put that despot in office one more time. Wow, 1258 01:06:50,840 --> 01:06:56,320 Speaker 1: you people have literally learned nothing, absolutely nothing. It might 1259 01:06:56,360 --> 01:06:58,400 Speaker 1: have been forgiven to think Trump would be an easy 1260 01:06:58,440 --> 01:07:01,200 Speaker 1: mark back in twenty sixteen, no one quite understood how 1261 01:07:01,200 --> 01:07:03,640 Speaker 1: politics had changed, how fervently a large chunk of the 1262 01:07:03,640 --> 01:07:06,720 Speaker 1: population would support him, how he would accelerate a realignment 1263 01:07:06,720 --> 01:07:09,240 Speaker 1: that ultimately has been pretty favorable for the Republican Party, 1264 01:07:09,640 --> 01:07:11,920 Speaker 1: although anyone with a half working brain could see what 1265 01:07:11,960 --> 01:07:14,040 Speaker 1: a bad candidate and terrible fit for the moment Hillary 1266 01:07:14,040 --> 01:07:20,240 Speaker 1: Clinton was. But now you're still underestimating him, still praying 1267 01:07:20,560 --> 01:07:25,400 Speaker 1: that Trump runs again. That is completely insane, not to mention, 1268 01:07:25,680 --> 01:07:30,840 Speaker 1: utterly delusional. With absolutely everything going for him, Joe Biden 1269 01:07:30,960 --> 01:07:33,800 Speaker 1: still barely won by the skin of his teeth in 1270 01:07:33,840 --> 01:07:37,840 Speaker 1: twenty twenty. Think about that. It took Trump's total callous 1271 01:07:37,840 --> 01:07:41,240 Speaker 1: indifference contributing to the hundreds of thousands of American COVID 1272 01:07:41,280 --> 01:07:43,640 Speaker 1: deats and then failing to get a relief checkout in 1273 01:07:43,680 --> 01:07:46,680 Speaker 1: the final weeks of the campaign. In order for Biden 1274 01:07:46,720 --> 01:07:49,960 Speaker 1: to eke out a win. It took a pandemic that 1275 01:07:50,040 --> 01:07:52,560 Speaker 1: allowed Biden to hang out in the basement, occasionally zooming 1276 01:07:52,600 --> 01:07:55,920 Speaker 1: into appearances and getting asked zero tough questions by the 1277 01:07:55,960 --> 01:08:00,439 Speaker 1: press for him to barely find a victory. It took 1278 01:08:00,600 --> 01:08:04,280 Speaker 1: every ball bouncing Bind's way and Trump working overtime to 1279 01:08:04,320 --> 01:08:07,600 Speaker 1: cook up his own demise for the pathetic Democrats to 1280 01:08:07,640 --> 01:08:10,439 Speaker 1: pull this thing off by fewer than eighty thousand votes 1281 01:08:10,480 --> 01:08:13,000 Speaker 1: in a few key swing states. Now, if Trump had 1282 01:08:13,040 --> 01:08:16,040 Speaker 1: just encouraged his supporters to vote by mail rather than 1283 01:08:16,080 --> 01:08:19,759 Speaker 1: dismissing it as fraudulent, he would probably be president today. 1284 01:08:20,280 --> 01:08:23,240 Speaker 1: But the truth is Democrats have even bigger problems than Trump. 1285 01:08:23,560 --> 01:08:26,719 Speaker 1: Their entire approach to politics and governing is a disaster 1286 01:08:27,040 --> 01:08:30,760 Speaker 1: that's stuck in a nineteen ninety's Clinton era mentality. The 1287 01:08:30,800 --> 01:08:33,880 Speaker 1: neoliberal ideology of the Clinton era is a haulid out 1288 01:08:34,160 --> 01:08:38,439 Speaker 1: carcass that voters have rejected election after election after election. 1289 01:08:38,920 --> 01:08:41,960 Speaker 1: Voters thought that they were going to get something different 1290 01:08:42,000 --> 01:08:44,960 Speaker 1: with Obama, only to realize he was just a trailblazing 1291 01:08:44,960 --> 01:08:48,240 Speaker 1: trojan horse for the same politics of the last several decades. 1292 01:08:48,680 --> 01:08:51,840 Speaker 1: As a result of this realization, voters tossed Democrats out 1293 01:08:51,880 --> 01:08:54,320 Speaker 1: of the House, the Senate, and decimated the party in 1294 01:08:54,360 --> 01:08:57,880 Speaker 1: state houses and governor's mansions across the entire country. Since 1295 01:08:57,920 --> 01:09:01,080 Speaker 1: the slow witted Democrats weren't getting message, voters sent the 1296 01:09:01,120 --> 01:09:04,479 Speaker 1: clearest possible signal that they could have in a direct 1297 01:09:04,479 --> 01:09:10,160 Speaker 1: contest between Clintonism and Jesus Christ, anything but Clintonism. They 1298 01:09:10,160 --> 01:09:14,240 Speaker 1: went with anything but picking an egomaniacal lunatic over another 1299 01:09:14,320 --> 01:09:18,160 Speaker 1: round of condescending neoliberalism and its attendant palliative care for 1300 01:09:18,200 --> 01:09:21,120 Speaker 1: the working class. Of course, rather than see the obvious, 1301 01:09:21,160 --> 01:09:25,240 Speaker 1: Democrats instead chose to believe in elaborate Russian conspiracy hoax. Now, 1302 01:09:25,320 --> 01:09:28,000 Speaker 1: this self delusion led Democratic elites to think it'd be 1303 01:09:28,000 --> 01:09:30,479 Speaker 1: a fantastic idea to line up behind a neoliberal relic 1304 01:09:30,520 --> 01:09:32,720 Speaker 1: in Joe Biden, who has proceeded to govern like it 1305 01:09:32,760 --> 01:09:35,600 Speaker 1: is still nineteen ninety three. Let's obsess over crap no 1306 01:09:35,600 --> 01:09:38,960 Speaker 1: one cares about, like process and civility. Let's blow through 1307 01:09:39,000 --> 01:09:42,000 Speaker 1: nearly the entire first year of the administration, chasing down 1308 01:09:42,000 --> 01:09:45,400 Speaker 1: a few bipartisan votes, wasting time and also crippling the 1309 01:09:45,520 --> 01:09:48,560 Speaker 1: end product in our attempts to appease a few Republicans, 1310 01:09:49,000 --> 01:09:51,400 Speaker 1: Let's hand our agenda over to a bunch of technocrats 1311 01:09:51,400 --> 01:09:54,000 Speaker 1: who will make it so complicated that few will benefit 1312 01:09:54,200 --> 01:09:58,080 Speaker 1: and even fewer will understand what we even passed can help. 1313 01:09:58,120 --> 01:10:00,600 Speaker 1: But look that Joe Biden's horrific approval ratings and the 1314 01:10:00,600 --> 01:10:02,640 Speaker 1: fact that not a single person in this country is 1315 01:10:02,680 --> 01:10:05,559 Speaker 1: excited about this man, and think we told you so. 1316 01:10:06,160 --> 01:10:08,240 Speaker 1: Those of us on the populace left tried to warn 1317 01:10:08,280 --> 01:10:11,960 Speaker 1: you not to dismiss Biden's obvious aging, his flagging energy, 1318 01:10:12,200 --> 01:10:15,320 Speaker 1: his halting ability to communicate. We tried to tell you 1319 01:10:15,520 --> 01:10:17,519 Speaker 1: that this man has been on the wrong side of 1320 01:10:17,600 --> 01:10:21,280 Speaker 1: virtually every issue his entire career. It continues to fall 1321 01:10:21,320 --> 01:10:25,080 Speaker 1: on completely deaf years that voters have rejected neoliberalism and 1322 01:10:25,120 --> 01:10:28,280 Speaker 1: are desperately searching around for a new vision and paradigm 1323 01:10:28,320 --> 01:10:31,280 Speaker 1: to replace the long dead Reagan era and to shake 1324 01:10:31,320 --> 01:10:34,559 Speaker 1: off the creeping sense that America's best days are over, 1325 01:10:35,000 --> 01:10:37,800 Speaker 1: to shake off that growing sense that our only real 1326 01:10:37,880 --> 01:10:41,840 Speaker 1: choices are between slow decline and rapid decline. But as 1327 01:10:41,880 --> 01:10:44,280 Speaker 1: bad as the political landscape is for Democrats under Joe 1328 01:10:44,320 --> 01:10:47,400 Speaker 1: Biden right now, they're likely to get much worse because 1329 01:10:47,439 --> 01:10:49,960 Speaker 1: the Brainiact donors and consultants who run the party have 1330 01:10:50,000 --> 01:10:52,920 Speaker 1: decided to annoy some of the least popular people in 1331 01:10:53,000 --> 01:10:56,639 Speaker 1: America as the future of the party, namely Kamala Harris 1332 01:10:56,680 --> 01:11:01,040 Speaker 1: and Pete Budagic. Get this, Kamala stands at twenty eight 1333 01:11:01,240 --> 01:11:05,760 Speaker 1: percent approval rating. Pete he's only marginally better at a 1334 01:11:05,880 --> 01:11:10,080 Speaker 1: thirty seven percent approval rating. Basically, let's take the bad 1335 01:11:10,160 --> 01:11:12,760 Speaker 1: old idea of neoliberalism and couple it with the bad 1336 01:11:12,840 --> 01:11:16,519 Speaker 1: new idea of ultra wokeness and moral panic politics. Let's 1337 01:11:16,520 --> 01:11:20,360 Speaker 1: center an entire party around the trailblazing aspirations of our 1338 01:11:20,520 --> 01:11:24,480 Speaker 1: hated politicians, rather than say I don't know the aspirations 1339 01:11:24,520 --> 01:11:28,360 Speaker 1: of working class Americans now. We recently covered a groundbreaking 1340 01:11:28,360 --> 01:11:30,599 Speaker 1: study here from Jacob and yugovn the Center for Working 1341 01:11:30,600 --> 01:11:34,160 Speaker 1: Class Politics, which sought to identify the type of candidates 1342 01:11:34,160 --> 01:11:37,720 Speaker 1: who performed best with the multi racial working class. Progressive 1343 01:11:37,760 --> 01:11:41,880 Speaker 1: populist who leaned into class rhetoric did the best woke 1344 01:11:42,000 --> 01:11:45,479 Speaker 1: moderates people like Kamal and Pete, who cloaked their corporate 1345 01:11:45,560 --> 01:11:50,160 Speaker 1: agenda in academic language. They did the absolute worst, So 1346 01:11:50,360 --> 01:11:54,240 Speaker 1: naturally Democrats are leaning hard into the worst possible lane. 1347 01:11:54,640 --> 01:11:57,400 Speaker 1: It would be laughable in its absurdity if the situation 1348 01:11:57,560 --> 01:12:00,760 Speaker 1: wasn't so dire, because the hard reality is we are 1349 01:12:00,880 --> 01:12:04,000 Speaker 1: stuck with these two parties as the only real options 1350 01:12:04,120 --> 01:12:07,479 Speaker 1: for the foreseeable future. The Republicans stand for nothing except 1351 01:12:07,520 --> 01:12:10,920 Speaker 1: for fealty to a maniac and endless sectarian culture wars 1352 01:12:11,160 --> 01:12:14,439 Speaker 1: in a Democrats stand for oral, historic self delusion about 1353 01:12:14,520 --> 01:12:17,000 Speaker 1: what the country wants, what the country means, and who 1354 01:12:17,120 --> 01:12:20,599 Speaker 1: might actually deliver it. Sager, When I saw that line 1355 01:12:20,600 --> 01:12:23,760 Speaker 1: about Trump, I thought my mind was going, I mean, 1356 01:12:24,280 --> 01:12:27,360 Speaker 1: you're praying for Trump to running? And if you want 1357 01:12:27,360 --> 01:12:30,280 Speaker 1: to hear my reaction to Crystal's monologue, become a premium 1358 01:12:30,280 --> 01:12:35,960 Speaker 1: subscriber today at Breakingpoints dot com. Join us now for 1359 01:12:36,160 --> 01:12:40,559 Speaker 1: an update on efforts to unionize Amazon's workforce is Chris Smalls. 1360 01:12:40,600 --> 01:12:43,639 Speaker 1: He is an activist and an organizer. Great to see you, Chris, 1361 01:12:44,800 --> 01:12:48,000 Speaker 1: likewise think bad of course, always a pleasure. So just 1362 01:12:48,040 --> 01:12:51,439 Speaker 1: give us an update on your strategy and what's going 1363 01:12:51,479 --> 01:12:57,599 Speaker 1: on in Staten Island. Yes, absolutely so, Yeah, we're still 1364 01:12:57,600 --> 01:12:59,760 Speaker 1: in the beginning phases of our fight. No, I know. 1365 01:13:01,000 --> 01:13:03,080 Speaker 1: It kind of was a bummer that we had to withdraw. 1366 01:13:03,920 --> 01:13:07,639 Speaker 1: So we had to withdraw because of basically our time 1367 01:13:07,760 --> 01:13:11,880 Speaker 1: expired from the time you filed. Just want people through 1368 01:13:11,920 --> 01:13:14,400 Speaker 1: that a little bit, because there's a some people aren't 1369 01:13:14,400 --> 01:13:16,280 Speaker 1: familiar with the process that you have to collect a 1370 01:13:16,280 --> 01:13:18,839 Speaker 1: certain number of signatures and you have to file those signatures. 1371 01:13:18,880 --> 01:13:23,720 Speaker 1: So just take people from the beginning through the process. Absolutely. Yeah, 1372 01:13:23,760 --> 01:13:28,600 Speaker 1: So we filed on October twenty fifth. We had the 1373 01:13:28,760 --> 01:13:34,720 Speaker 1: requirement that thirty to file. We filed that number. I 1374 01:13:34,720 --> 01:13:36,880 Speaker 1: don't want to give specific numbers because obviously that give 1375 01:13:36,920 --> 01:13:41,040 Speaker 1: the company an advantage. So we filed what we thought 1376 01:13:41,160 --> 01:13:43,320 Speaker 1: was the bargaining unit and we met our requirements for 1377 01:13:43,360 --> 01:13:47,880 Speaker 1: that thirty percent. The NLRB then contacted me saying that 1378 01:13:48,000 --> 01:13:53,000 Speaker 1: Amazon wanted to push the hearing back two weeks. So 1379 01:13:53,120 --> 01:13:56,920 Speaker 1: of course I said no, we're ready to go. We 1380 01:13:56,920 --> 01:14:00,960 Speaker 1: were originally scheduled to go to court on November fifteenth. 1381 01:14:01,600 --> 01:14:05,520 Speaker 1: The NLRB then sent me another letter saying that Amazon 1382 01:14:05,720 --> 01:14:12,519 Speaker 1: is filed another motion push you back, be reconsider. I 1383 01:14:12,560 --> 01:14:15,720 Speaker 1: said no again, but the NLRB is allowed to give 1384 01:14:15,760 --> 01:14:18,400 Speaker 1: them a two day attension. What they did, so they 1385 01:14:18,479 --> 01:14:23,080 Speaker 1: changed the day from November fifteenth to November seventeen. Then 1386 01:14:23,920 --> 01:14:26,320 Speaker 1: the NLRB said, you know, hey, you need a couple 1387 01:14:26,439 --> 01:14:31,320 Speaker 1: more one hundred signatures. So I said, okay, no problem, 1388 01:14:31,840 --> 01:14:36,320 Speaker 1: We're allowed two days extended to get that amount. So 1389 01:14:37,400 --> 01:14:41,439 Speaker 1: we met that requirement, brought them a couple hundred more 1390 01:14:41,439 --> 01:14:47,240 Speaker 1: signatures within the forty eight hour. But within the forty 1391 01:14:47,280 --> 01:14:51,879 Speaker 1: eight hour Zon also filed another motion for the NLRB 1392 01:14:52,080 --> 01:14:56,200 Speaker 1: to actually to do a car check because they didn't 1393 01:14:56,200 --> 01:15:00,000 Speaker 1: believe that our cars were legitimate. So during that car check, 1394 01:15:00,840 --> 01:15:05,639 Speaker 1: the NLRB determined that we needed more cards, so which 1395 01:15:05,680 --> 01:15:08,559 Speaker 1: I went back to the NLRB office a second time 1396 01:15:09,240 --> 01:15:12,800 Speaker 1: and dropped off more cards. So we met the requirements 1397 01:15:13,000 --> 01:15:18,360 Speaker 1: multiple times, but still when it came to determination, they 1398 01:15:18,560 --> 01:15:23,200 Speaker 1: determined that we needed to get more cards. A lot 1399 01:15:23,240 --> 01:15:27,960 Speaker 1: of the folks that signed up during the seven month 1400 01:15:28,320 --> 01:15:31,920 Speaker 1: campaign no longer work for the company got it. That 1401 01:15:32,040 --> 01:15:36,120 Speaker 1: is very important. I want. We were doing this because 1402 01:15:36,120 --> 01:15:38,760 Speaker 1: we want people to understand the exact mechanics of how 1403 01:15:38,800 --> 01:15:40,920 Speaker 1: this stuff actually works and some of the things that 1404 01:15:40,960 --> 01:15:43,719 Speaker 1: you're up against when we're trying to unionize. We've got 1405 01:15:43,760 --> 01:15:46,760 Speaker 1: some reporting here from Status QUP. Let's put this up 1406 01:15:46,800 --> 01:15:50,760 Speaker 1: there on the screen about leaked audio of Amazon's union 1407 01:15:50,800 --> 01:15:55,120 Speaker 1: busting meeting showing HR officials pushing workers against unionizing. Can 1408 01:15:55,120 --> 01:15:56,960 Speaker 1: you just describe to us a little bit about what 1409 01:15:57,080 --> 01:16:03,040 Speaker 1: was revealed there? Yeah. Absolutely, you know they're doing the 1410 01:16:03,080 --> 01:16:06,479 Speaker 1: cutig audiences. Obviously since we filed, they were preparing for 1411 01:16:06,520 --> 01:16:10,200 Speaker 1: an election because they knew that we had the requirements, 1412 01:16:10,360 --> 01:16:12,400 Speaker 1: but unfortunately didn't go in our favorite to get to 1413 01:16:12,439 --> 01:16:16,200 Speaker 1: that point. But they still have held these meetings and 1414 01:16:16,240 --> 01:16:21,320 Speaker 1: a lot of the members of ALU have been recording 1415 01:16:21,320 --> 01:16:24,639 Speaker 1: these meetings and disrupting them. Not only just recording them, 1416 01:16:24,680 --> 01:16:28,160 Speaker 1: but they've been disrupting them. Yes, they're bringing fifty to 1417 01:16:28,200 --> 01:16:31,920 Speaker 1: sixty people into these classrooms at a time, and they're 1418 01:16:31,960 --> 01:16:34,040 Speaker 1: pretty much been spreading a bunch of lies. You know 1419 01:16:34,160 --> 01:16:37,320 Speaker 1: that they're allowed to do that legally, which I don't 1420 01:16:37,360 --> 01:16:40,400 Speaker 1: agree with, but they're just spreading lives, breaking doubt, you know, 1421 01:16:40,479 --> 01:16:44,040 Speaker 1: saying that we're gonna take money, saying that we're in experience. 1422 01:16:45,439 --> 01:16:47,599 Speaker 1: They're trying to say that, you know, we're some third party, 1423 01:16:47,640 --> 01:16:50,639 Speaker 1: we're not actual Amazon workers. That's the way they try 1424 01:16:50,680 --> 01:16:54,519 Speaker 1: to throw the information out there and basically that Amazon 1425 01:16:54,640 --> 01:16:57,320 Speaker 1: is going to take care of all their associates needs, 1426 01:16:57,360 --> 01:16:59,519 Speaker 1: which we all know that is a lie. You know 1427 01:16:59,600 --> 01:17:02,880 Speaker 1: that amaz John does not really care about folks. Uh, 1428 01:17:02,960 --> 01:17:05,960 Speaker 1: they just replaced them. So that's what we're up against 1429 01:17:06,040 --> 01:17:09,000 Speaker 1: right now. We're in that phase where we have we 1430 01:17:09,080 --> 01:17:13,120 Speaker 1: have the onslaught of the capitive audiences. But I can 1431 01:17:13,240 --> 01:17:16,560 Speaker 1: say in our in our favor because they've been disrupting 1432 01:17:16,600 --> 01:17:20,679 Speaker 1: them so well, they actually suspended them. So that's where 1433 01:17:20,680 --> 01:17:24,959 Speaker 1: we're at right now currently. Chris talk about the decision 1434 01:17:25,120 --> 01:17:29,400 Speaker 1: to form a new union AILU Amazon Labor Union rather 1435 01:17:29,479 --> 01:17:32,360 Speaker 1: than down in Bessemer, they were trying to join an 1436 01:17:32,400 --> 01:17:38,320 Speaker 1: existing union. Why did you decide to go that route? Well, 1437 01:17:38,640 --> 01:17:41,760 Speaker 1: you know, I visited Bessemer and I brought a lot 1438 01:17:41,800 --> 01:17:44,240 Speaker 1: of Amazon workers with me when I went down there, 1439 01:17:45,240 --> 01:17:48,200 Speaker 1: and we saw a lot of missed opportunities that we 1440 01:17:48,680 --> 01:17:52,840 Speaker 1: thought that wouldn't benefit workers. Uh if he went that route. 1441 01:17:53,240 --> 01:17:55,840 Speaker 1: You know the reason why we chose to decide the 1442 01:17:56,000 --> 01:17:59,720 Speaker 1: lead to start something working leg it's because we know 1443 01:17:59,760 --> 01:18:04,040 Speaker 1: the company more than the third party, our established union. 1444 01:18:05,080 --> 01:18:08,320 Speaker 1: We know the issues, we know the grievouses, and we 1445 01:18:08,400 --> 01:18:12,160 Speaker 1: felt like organizing workers from within will be will resonate 1446 01:18:12,240 --> 01:18:15,160 Speaker 1: more than trying to bring the established union that has 1447 01:18:15,240 --> 01:18:19,719 Speaker 1: to pretty much learn how to connect with Amazon workers, 1448 01:18:19,880 --> 01:18:23,879 Speaker 1: even though they have plenty of experience in our resources, obviously, 1449 01:18:24,360 --> 01:18:29,759 Speaker 1: political power and celebrities. That doesn't sit that doesn't resonate 1450 01:18:29,800 --> 01:18:33,200 Speaker 1: with the workers. The way workers talking to each other 1451 01:18:33,240 --> 01:18:36,280 Speaker 1: that been with the company for several years, like myself 1452 01:18:36,320 --> 01:18:39,960 Speaker 1: and others up here in New York City, we know 1453 01:18:40,280 --> 01:18:44,479 Speaker 1: we have a bigger influence on our co workers and 1454 01:18:44,640 --> 01:18:46,680 Speaker 1: it's been working in our favor. And I believe that, 1455 01:18:46,800 --> 01:18:48,559 Speaker 1: you know, this is the way to go when it 1456 01:18:48,560 --> 01:18:51,320 Speaker 1: comes to Amazon. You know, I understand that there's other 1457 01:18:51,479 --> 01:18:55,599 Speaker 1: unions that have resources that can that they can spend 1458 01:18:55,600 --> 01:19:00,000 Speaker 1: money and mat Amazon and certain capacities. But I believe 1459 01:19:01,160 --> 01:19:02,840 Speaker 1: the way it's going to get done is if works 1460 01:19:02,880 --> 01:19:06,439 Speaker 1: start to organize themselves. What are the sort of questions 1461 01:19:06,479 --> 01:19:09,640 Speaker 1: that you're getting from workers, What are the concerns or 1462 01:19:09,640 --> 01:19:14,519 Speaker 1: the pushbacks that you're having to address, Well, most of 1463 01:19:14,560 --> 01:19:18,200 Speaker 1: them be about the dues. You know, Amazon is trying 1464 01:19:18,200 --> 01:19:21,080 Speaker 1: to calculate our abuse for us, but the Amazon doesn't 1465 01:19:21,120 --> 01:19:25,080 Speaker 1: know this process either. They're just guessing and making up things. 1466 01:19:25,439 --> 01:19:27,280 Speaker 1: They don't know how to create a union, like who 1467 01:19:27,280 --> 01:19:31,200 Speaker 1: creates the union in twenty twenty one? Right, So they're 1468 01:19:31,280 --> 01:19:33,320 Speaker 1: just creating. They're just creating a bunch of lives and 1469 01:19:34,120 --> 01:19:37,200 Speaker 1: talking about our dues, but as if they know what 1470 01:19:37,240 --> 01:19:39,320 Speaker 1: our needs are going to be. But the thing about 1471 01:19:39,320 --> 01:19:42,320 Speaker 1: this union is we don't have any dudes because we're 1472 01:19:42,320 --> 01:19:44,720 Speaker 1: a brand new union and we want to have a 1473 01:19:44,720 --> 01:19:50,840 Speaker 1: democratic process to decide what will be once we get 1474 01:19:50,880 --> 01:19:53,760 Speaker 1: to that point. So my rebuttal to that is that, hey, 1475 01:19:53,800 --> 01:19:56,280 Speaker 1: I'm the elected president at the moment, and I don't 1476 01:19:56,320 --> 01:19:59,240 Speaker 1: want any dues. All I want to do is get 1477 01:19:59,280 --> 01:20:01,800 Speaker 1: to an election. Then when it's time to cross that bridge, 1478 01:20:02,120 --> 01:20:05,479 Speaker 1: we'll all democratically decide what the union dos will be. 1479 01:20:06,560 --> 01:20:08,200 Speaker 1: And then on the other side, what are some of 1480 01:20:08,200 --> 01:20:11,000 Speaker 1: the chief concerns you're hearing from workers that would lead 1481 01:20:11,040 --> 01:20:12,880 Speaker 1: them to join the union, that make them feel like 1482 01:20:12,920 --> 01:20:17,559 Speaker 1: they need to join together and have that representation. Oh wow, 1483 01:20:17,600 --> 01:20:22,160 Speaker 1: well this goes on and knowing on about that, obviously, 1484 01:20:22,200 --> 01:20:26,120 Speaker 1: safety safety is the number one concerned. You know, we've 1485 01:20:26,120 --> 01:20:31,960 Speaker 1: been fotching. Our coworkers get dragged out by a pretty 1486 01:20:32,040 --> 01:20:35,640 Speaker 1: much every other day unfortunately, somebody just passed away two 1487 01:20:35,720 --> 01:20:39,439 Speaker 1: days ago. It's just a lot of safety issues with 1488 01:20:39,520 --> 01:20:43,400 Speaker 1: Amazon and COVID nineteen is still the thing over there 1489 01:20:43,439 --> 01:20:46,800 Speaker 1: in JFKAD especially they get COVID case every single day, 1490 01:20:47,240 --> 01:20:50,679 Speaker 1: the same thing. I was fired for speaking up a lot. 1491 01:20:51,560 --> 01:20:54,639 Speaker 1: People know my story there, so this is home based 1492 01:20:54,640 --> 01:20:58,800 Speaker 1: on me and you know the conversations of course a 1493 01:20:58,880 --> 01:21:03,960 Speaker 1: comedy as well. They don't accommodate people that have medical issues. 1494 01:21:04,960 --> 01:21:08,519 Speaker 1: They force people into these medical leads with no pay, 1495 01:21:09,080 --> 01:21:11,400 Speaker 1: so people end up quitting the job by losing their job. 1496 01:21:12,240 --> 01:21:15,880 Speaker 1: And of course, uh, just the just the commute that 1497 01:21:15,960 --> 01:21:18,960 Speaker 1: these workers have to have to travel every day two 1498 01:21:19,000 --> 01:21:23,599 Speaker 1: and a half hours, three hours uh each way and 1499 01:21:24,280 --> 01:21:27,320 Speaker 1: Amazon doesn't provide it any type of teedle service for 1500 01:21:27,400 --> 01:21:31,600 Speaker 1: them to get to the ferry station and where most 1501 01:21:32,120 --> 01:21:36,479 Speaker 1: workers travel into from Manhattan. Yeah. Well, Chris, we know 1502 01:21:36,520 --> 01:21:38,320 Speaker 1: you're going to continue to fight. Tell people where they 1503 01:21:38,360 --> 01:21:43,800 Speaker 1: can support your efforts. Absolutely, please, please please, We're telling 1504 01:21:43,840 --> 01:21:46,840 Speaker 1: everybody to donate to our goal fund me. It's on 1505 01:21:46,840 --> 01:21:51,880 Speaker 1: our Amazon Labor Union on Twitter, Amazon Labor Union dot 1506 01:21:51,880 --> 01:21:54,800 Speaker 1: o r G. You can find it links on my 1507 01:21:55,160 --> 01:21:59,120 Speaker 1: Twitter handle as well at shut underscore down Amazon. Please 1508 01:21:59,120 --> 01:22:02,639 Speaker 1: support us as very grass roots and every dollar, every 1509 01:22:02,680 --> 01:22:06,240 Speaker 1: penny goes stores, you know, feeding workers, helping workers for 1510 01:22:06,320 --> 01:22:09,400 Speaker 1: various reasons, and helping out organizing the effort. So please 1511 01:22:09,439 --> 01:22:12,360 Speaker 1: thank you and continue to support us. Yes, and we'll 1512 01:22:12,400 --> 01:22:14,439 Speaker 1: put the link to that down in the description so 1513 01:22:14,479 --> 01:22:17,519 Speaker 1: people can find it easily. We're always so grateful for 1514 01:22:17,600 --> 01:22:19,760 Speaker 1: your time and all the work and the heart and 1515 01:22:19,760 --> 01:22:22,160 Speaker 1: the hustle that you're putting in. Thank you, Chris, Thank you, Chris, 1516 01:22:22,800 --> 01:22:25,519 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you bad take care absolutely man. We'll 1517 01:22:25,520 --> 01:22:27,840 Speaker 1: see you later. Thank you guys so much for watching. 1518 01:22:27,880 --> 01:22:29,680 Speaker 1: We really appreciate it. I mean I went over it 1519 01:22:29,680 --> 01:22:31,920 Speaker 1: in my monologue. Now you guys know exactly what we 1520 01:22:32,000 --> 01:22:35,120 Speaker 1: have to deal with in terms of you know, demonetization, 1521 01:22:35,360 --> 01:22:38,000 Speaker 1: and when we want to bring you the best show possible. 1522 01:22:38,160 --> 01:22:41,559 Speaker 1: It is directly against the financial interests of just relying 1523 01:22:41,560 --> 01:22:44,479 Speaker 1: on YouTube or ad revenue generally. That's why we build 1524 01:22:44,520 --> 01:22:46,559 Speaker 1: subscription first. So if you can help us out, the 1525 01:22:46,600 --> 01:22:49,559 Speaker 1: link is down there description. We deeply appreciate it. Thank you, guys, 1526 01:22:49,680 --> 01:22:51,559 Speaker 1: Love you guys, have a fantastic day, and we'll see 1527 01:22:51,560 --> 01:23:01,200 Speaker 1: you back here tomorrow.