WEBVTT - Civic Cipher 022021 Ramses Ja and Q Ward 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.120 Welcome to another episode of Civic Sidefer. I'm your host, Ramses. 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:03.480 Josh. 0:00:03.480 --> 0:00:05.600 They called me q Warden. That just so happens to 0:00:05.640 --> 0:00:09.360 be my name, Ramses. Going on, what up though? 0:00:09.800 --> 0:00:12.280 Man, it's a it's a cold world. 0:00:12.440 --> 0:00:15.520 It's a cold world. 0:00:17.040 --> 0:00:19.120 Shout out to Texas one time, but we're gonna get there. 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:20.720 Prayers up for Texas, man. 0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:24.800 But you know what, a lot of things in the news, 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:26.239 a lot of things we have to talk about. This 0:00:26.320 --> 0:00:29.240 is still, of course, Black History Months, so I want 0:00:29.280 --> 0:00:31.400 to get to some more Black History because we haven't 0:00:31.400 --> 0:00:32.720 had a chance to do as much as I would 0:00:32.720 --> 0:00:34.720 have liked so far this month. 0:00:35.560 --> 0:00:39.000 But first order of business, I wanted to take a moment. 0:00:42.920 --> 0:00:51.199 To discuss what's happening with our Asian brothers and sisters. 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:58.200 So I came across something this week and have a 0:00:58.200 --> 0:01:04.480 couple of times in recent months that illuminated an uptick 0:01:04.760 --> 0:01:11.920 in hate crimes against Asian American And one thing that 0:01:12.640 --> 0:01:16.200 I recall from our time on the streets, you know, 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:20.720 my era of the Civil rights movement, if you will, 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:25.240 was that out on the streets, I saw people who 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:28.560 were Native American, I saw people who were Jewish, I 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:31.440 saw people who were seek. I saw people who were 0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:34.640 of course Mexican and you know, all across the board. 0:01:34.800 --> 0:01:35.800 And you know what else I saw. 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:41.000 I saw Asian people out there too, signs that say 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:45.720 Black Lives Matter, and they were out there supporting. 0:01:47.160 --> 0:01:47.920 Our cause. 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:55.280 And I want to make sure that we keep that 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:59.160 same energy when it comes time for us to support 0:01:59.560 --> 0:02:02.040 our age brothers and sisters. And so, if you're listening 0:02:02.080 --> 0:02:06.040 to my voice right now and you got something that 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:07.760 you need to talk about, you got some funk that 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:10.640 you want to air out, this is a space that 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:14.440 we want to share with you as well. You know, 0:02:14.520 --> 0:02:16.959 we rise in solidarity. We're all in this together. And 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:21.080 you know, I know that a lot of folks have 0:02:21.440 --> 0:02:27.200 made the connection with you know, Donald Trump, the former president, 0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:33.000 calling COVID nineteen the China virus uh and there being 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:37.600 an association with like hate crimes against Asian Americans. 0:02:37.840 --> 0:02:40.640 And so we the Black Delegation. 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:47.000 Hill will officially, you know, put our hat in the 0:02:47.080 --> 0:02:51.000 ring or officially declare this to shared space for our. 0:02:50.880 --> 0:02:52.119 Asian brothers and sisters. 0:02:52.520 --> 0:02:54.240 If you want to come up and talk about it, 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:56.320 you know, just hit the website. So if excited for 0:02:56.360 --> 0:02:59.280 dot com reach out to me or Q. Let us 0:02:59.320 --> 0:03:01.280 know what's going on and let's talk about it. Let's 0:03:01.280 --> 0:03:04.480 have some therapy, and let's let's teach each other how 0:03:04.480 --> 0:03:09.280 to be better allies. I'm not gonna forget the energy 0:03:09.280 --> 0:03:11.440 that I felt out there, and so you know, this 0:03:11.520 --> 0:03:13.440 is and this is what we created from that, and 0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:17.880 this is an opportunity we can share that with. So 0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:20.799 I wanted to make sure I got that off. Another 0:03:20.840 --> 0:03:24.880 thing I wanted to say was I was fortunate enough 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:31.320 this week to speak for a community college up in 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:35.240 black Staff. I was They had an event for a 0:03:35.280 --> 0:03:39.840 Black History Month, and you know, they invited me to 0:03:39.840 --> 0:03:43.800 come and speak and just kind of share my thoughts 0:03:43.840 --> 0:03:46.440 on you know the world and you know what leadership 0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:50.400 looks like when you live in black skin. And the 0:03:50.400 --> 0:03:54.280 theme of my message was leading with love and you know, 0:03:54.360 --> 0:03:56.760 so big shout out to everybody that you know, uh 0:03:57.040 --> 0:03:59.960 listened to me, you know, give my presentation to that 0:04:00.400 --> 0:04:04.680 to that college. But something came up during that presentation 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:07.600 and it had to do with cancel culture. They asked, 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:11.400 you know, what my take on cancel culture was, and 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:14.680 I came up with an answer that I thought. 0:04:16.600 --> 0:04:18.120 Was appropriate. 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:20.960 And I want to just kind of share my thoughts 0:04:22.400 --> 0:04:30.760 again today with respect to cancel culture. So I recognize that, 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:35.400 you know, cancel culture especially you know, so on this 0:04:35.480 --> 0:04:42.320 show we talk about leaving a space in the narrative 0:04:42.640 --> 0:04:46.359 for there to be some forgiveness, right, and that is 0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:51.760 inconsistent with the spirit of cancel culture. You know, you 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:55.000 can't cancel someone out and forgive them at the same time. 0:04:55.880 --> 0:05:03.400 The two approaches are incompatible, know, and so if I 0:05:03.440 --> 0:05:06.240 had to choose one, obviously I'm gonna leave some space 0:05:06.240 --> 0:05:08.640 in the narrative for there to be some forgiveness. But 0:05:08.720 --> 0:05:13.799 I also recognize that as the ultimate consequence, to cancel 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:21.800 someone certainly works as a deterrent for some folks, you know, 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:24.839 to recognize, hey, there might be some consequences for the 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:26.440 things that I say and the things that I do. 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:30.360 I think that a lot of times, you know, we're 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:32.000 we have that mob mentality. 0:05:32.920 --> 0:05:34.760 Perhaps it's rightfully so, but there is. 0:05:34.760 --> 0:05:38.320 A mob mentality sometimes when something bad happens to someone 0:05:38.839 --> 0:05:43.240 and everyone jumps on board to try to you know, 0:05:44.160 --> 0:05:49.160 seek justice, immediate justice and you know, remedy the situation 0:05:49.440 --> 0:05:53.800 brings some balance to the universe. But I think that 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:56.160 when the first move is to just cancel someone out. 0:05:57.600 --> 0:06:01.760 I think that what we end up doing, unfortunately, is 0:06:02.800 --> 0:06:08.320 creating a dividing line where Okay, you've committed this sin 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:12.600 against me, and I want nothing to do with you anymore. 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:18.120 And then whoever has committed the offense is on the 0:06:18.160 --> 0:06:22.480 opposite side of a line. And you know, the easiest 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:27.000 thing for them to do is double down on why 0:06:27.000 --> 0:06:30.400 they are right, as opposed to acknowledging that they made 0:06:30.440 --> 0:06:33.240 a mistake. We haven't left the room in the narrative 0:06:33.240 --> 0:06:34.800 for them to come back and say, listen, I made 0:06:34.839 --> 0:06:37.960 a mistake. I apologize, and then you know every day 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:41.039 after that they're going to be a supporter, a cheerleader, 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:43.760 a champion for our cause. What we've done is created 0:06:44.240 --> 0:06:47.520 a bona fide, long term enemy out of them by 0:06:47.600 --> 0:06:50.800 canceling them. And a lot of times these folks, when 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:56.799 they get canceled, they will seek other folks that either 0:06:56.800 --> 0:07:01.560 have been canceled themselves or hold an opposing view of 0:07:01.600 --> 0:07:04.279 how the world should be. And then they find comfort 0:07:04.320 --> 0:07:10.320 in community in these small circles, and then they're that 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:14.080 hatred and that divisiveness that tends to fester. And then 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:17.040 because their strength and numbers, they become stronger. So the 0:07:17.080 --> 0:07:20.760 more people we cancel out popular culture and out of 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:23.680 our you know, work circles and out of everything, the 0:07:24.120 --> 0:07:26.840 more we're creating a stronger. 0:07:26.520 --> 0:07:27.400 Enemy, if you will. 0:07:28.560 --> 0:07:32.480 And so I just thought it was important that that 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:35.680 be stated, because you know, I see a lot of 0:07:35.680 --> 0:07:38.920 that happening, and I recognize that, you know, we only 0:07:38.960 --> 0:07:41.400 have two cheeks. So when I when you got to 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:43.600 turn the other cheek, that's a that's a tall order, 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:46.960 but more often than not, it's the right thing to do, 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:49.080 which is why I turn the other cheeks sounds so 0:07:49.120 --> 0:07:52.360 familiar to you. That's wisdom that's been around a lot 0:07:52.400 --> 0:07:56.760 longer than Ramses has been around. But you know, I've 0:07:56.760 --> 0:07:59.280 never heard anybody say turn two cheeks. And so you know, 0:07:59.400 --> 0:08:02.280 there should be some ultimate consequences. And so for folks 0:08:02.360 --> 0:08:06.160 who you know very much believe that cancel culture has created. 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:11.200 A little bit more mobility with respect to the cause. 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:15.960 I'm not saying that cancel culture doesn't have its place, 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:18.120 or canceling folks doesn't have its place, but I think 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:22.280 that if we relegated it to simply just the ultimate consequence, 0:08:22.840 --> 0:08:25.600 that if we took some steps before we canceled, some 0:08:25.640 --> 0:08:28.080 folks out that we would end up. 0:08:29.480 --> 0:08:33.600 Perhaps creating more allies. 0:08:33.720 --> 0:08:39.360 Than long term enemies. Just my thoughts, you know. And 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:44.160 you know, if you want to debate me, you know 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:47.160 you know where to find me again, civiccipher dot com. 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:50.840 You want to check it out. Two things I definitely 0:08:50.840 --> 0:08:55.920 wanted to get off. So yeah, and then now we 0:08:56.000 --> 0:09:03.120 have to talk about big news, which is man, I 0:09:03.120 --> 0:09:04.680 feel like we're gonna this is gonna be a full 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:06.600 frontal on capitalism. 0:09:07.679 --> 0:09:12.000 But how dare you speak against what makes this country great? 0:09:13.440 --> 0:09:13.560 Well? 0:09:13.600 --> 0:09:16.360 I don't know that capitalism is what makes the country great. 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:22.640 I think that the things that the country does right, Uh, 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:27.320 you know, I wouldn't put capitalism in that in that group. 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:31.439 There's not a how dare you well? Listen another thing 0:09:31.440 --> 0:09:35.880 that I could deal against, the great capitalism that makes 0:09:35.920 --> 0:09:36.680 America great. 0:09:36.960 --> 0:09:40.440 Q's being funny if you haven't picked up on the sarcasm. 0:09:39.920 --> 0:09:41.880 Here before and again. 0:09:42.160 --> 0:09:47.000 But listen listen, just because some folks might, you know, 0:09:47.440 --> 0:09:51.640 agree with what Q is joking about. The capitalism is 0:09:51.679 --> 0:09:54.679 great and the ultimate decider and the force, the invisible 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:57.760 force that guides you know, all things that are true 0:09:57.800 --> 0:10:01.200 and just in the world. It doesn't mean that it 0:10:01.200 --> 0:10:03.440 can't be improved upon, that it can't be better. You know, 0:10:03.480 --> 0:10:06.640 So for those folks who champion capitalism, who have drank 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:09.920 the kool aid, if you will, it doesn't mean that 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:22.560 you can't include some ideas from communism, socialism, marxistm you know, 0:10:22.640 --> 0:10:25.600 you name it, you know, because all of these ideas 0:10:25.640 --> 0:10:29.839 were born out of folks trying to do better for 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:31.840 their countries. 0:10:32.120 --> 0:10:33.320 You know, they were trying to do something. 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:36.480 And you know, granted there's a lot of corruption that happens, 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:38.840 but I mean, obviously we're seeing right now that there's 0:10:38.840 --> 0:10:42.240 a lot of corruption in a capitalistic society too, you know, 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:45.080 so there's nobody who is free of sin. And so 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:47.839 just because there are folks who are champion capitalism doesn't 0:10:47.880 --> 0:10:50.560 mean that it cannot be improved upon. That there are 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:52.600 things that we can't pick and choose and create something 0:10:52.640 --> 0:10:53.160 that's new. 0:10:53.840 --> 0:10:54.080 You know. 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:57.160 For those folks who are super all American, we can 0:10:57.200 --> 0:11:00.880 call it americanalism. You know, let's just make it work 0:11:00.920 --> 0:11:01.960 for everyone. 0:11:01.679 --> 0:11:02.760 And then we're good. 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:07.320 But the reason we're talking about this is because, of course, 0:11:08.280 --> 0:11:10.360 what we've seen in Texas and this has kind of 0:11:10.360 --> 0:11:13.199 been on our minds for some time. 0:11:15.280 --> 0:11:16.040 It's really sad. 0:11:16.760 --> 0:11:18.600 And the thing is, you know, we're based in Phoenix, 0:11:19.080 --> 0:11:21.400 and we have a lot of listeners in Texas too, 0:11:21.920 --> 0:11:24.560 but we're based in Phoenix, and so there's a bit 0:11:24.559 --> 0:11:28.440 of a kinship between you know, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico. 0:11:28.480 --> 0:11:31.520 We're all in the Southwest, and so there's a part 0:11:31.520 --> 0:11:34.400 of this that doesn't feel too distant, too far away 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:37.920 from what could happen to me in my home with 0:11:38.080 --> 0:11:43.880 my family and my children. But there's a very different 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:52.280 culture that exists in Texas that is very self assured, 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:55.480 very self confident. You know, Texans just got it figured out. 0:11:55.520 --> 0:11:57.360 They got it right. In the great State of Texas. 0:11:57.360 --> 0:11:59.480 You know, there's this attitude there. 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:06.040 And it's it's very reflective of America. You know what 0:12:06.160 --> 0:12:06.439 is it. 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:11.599 Uh, folks are really patriotic and they think America is 0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:13.520 the best place in the world. What's that called nationalism? 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:15.080 American exceptionalism, nationalism? 0:12:15.040 --> 0:12:15.440 THERETI is. 0:12:17.320 --> 0:12:24.720 A similar attitude in Texas too, where you know, Texas 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:27.640 is the best and nobody can you know, no one's 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:33.000 on their level. And you know, for a lot of folks, 0:12:33.040 --> 0:12:34.760 that's fine, you know, that's that's great. 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:36.760 And it should you should feel that way. You know, 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:38.080 I've been to Texas. 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:44.400 I like that place because Texas is dope. But I 0:12:44.440 --> 0:12:46.680 think that now is a great opportunity for us to 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:51.280 see the shortcomings and and the places where maybe Texas 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:55.120 is not so great. And I think that, you know, 0:12:55.360 --> 0:13:00.600 that nationalism is kind of learn that. 0:13:00.679 --> 0:13:03.400 What we'll do is we'll look at the US and say, oh, 0:13:03.440 --> 0:13:04.440 the US does this great. 0:13:04.480 --> 0:13:07.520 We have the biggest military, we have the you know whatever, 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:10.280 we have all the biggest companies and you know whatever 0:13:10.320 --> 0:13:14.400 it is that folks see and they'll ignore the shortcomings 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:16.080 because it hasn't affected them. 0:13:16.240 --> 0:13:17.439 Or you know whatever. 0:13:18.000 --> 0:13:23.480 Well, in Texas, that exceptionalism has caught up to them, 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:26.360 because how great is the state of Texas now? When 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:28.640 Texas can't take care of its people, when its senator 0:13:29.120 --> 0:13:31.800 jumps on an airplane to go to Cancun, when folks 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:37.240 are literally freezing to death in their homes, and again 0:13:37.520 --> 0:13:39.520 where we are not a far cry from that. And 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.520 then the reason why this is important on this program 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:47.480 is because I forget which which side of town north, 0:13:47.520 --> 0:13:50.920 southeast or west, but I think it was Austin, and 0:13:51.120 --> 0:13:53.280 the it will just say east. I might be wrong, 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:58.720 but the east side of Austin, Texas was like primarily 0:13:58.840 --> 0:14:02.040 like black an American, that was the black side of town, 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:05.000 if you will. And that whole side of town the 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:09.200 lights are off and there's no electricity, and then there's 0:14:09.280 --> 0:14:12.960 you know, electricity elsewhere. There's in the city center, of course. 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:14.080 And on the other side of town. 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:17.280 I think that was Houston. Houston, was it okay? So Houston, 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:17.960 maybe not Austin. 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:20.960 You had the corporations that are lit up, empty office 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:25.560 buildings lit up warm, and like you said, the community 0:14:25.600 --> 0:14:30.000 where you know, black and brown people live, no power, 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:35.000 no electricity, no heat, nothing. Some of those places do 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:37.880 have gas, however, so you got people trying to heat 0:14:37.920 --> 0:14:41.200 their homes with the stove. And then you have those 0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:43.480 same people having to be rushed to the hospital because 0:14:43.520 --> 0:14:50.720 of carbon monoxide poisoning, having to choose, you know, the 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:56.840 simpler of two ways to die, hypothermia or poison. That's 0:14:56.880 --> 0:15:00.160 the choice their government is leaving them to make. Is 0:15:00.200 --> 0:15:04.320 they've deregulated their power grid, and the way that the 0:15:04.360 --> 0:15:07.320 citizens of that state receive power is deregulated to a 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:14.320 point where those companies are seeing mass profits now as 0:15:14.360 --> 0:15:19.720 their people are dying, literally freezing to death babies. You 0:15:19.760 --> 0:15:22.160 know people, you know Pita, and you know, people do 0:15:22.240 --> 0:15:24.760 a lot of pretending to be outraged by the way 0:15:24.760 --> 0:15:30.200 that animals are treated. They have animals too, and you 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:35.360 know those people are suffering, and they've given power to 0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:40.840 private corporation to take over things like utilities. Google the 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:44.280 word utility and you'll understand why private corporations shouldn't be 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:47.240 in charge of that, and why should people shouldn't be 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:50.120 left to freeze. People who are paying their bills on time, 0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:54.960 people who have always paid the bills on time, are suffering, 0:15:55.760 --> 0:16:00.960 and those corporations are seeing massive profits because of shortages. 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:08.720 There's no incentive for them to swiftly act or change 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:11.840 infrastructure or do anything that's for the benefit of the 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:21.200 people that they're supposed to serve. This is for profit capitalism. 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:24.720 So another. 0:16:26.080 --> 0:16:29.600 Crazy part about this is that usually when stuff like 0:16:29.640 --> 0:16:35.000 this happens, it tends to disproportionately affect black and brown people, 0:16:37.040 --> 0:16:39.480 as black folks and brown folks make up the two 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:45.000 largest minority groups in this country and rarely do problems 0:16:45.040 --> 0:16:47.760 affect white folks in the same way, which is part 0:16:47.800 --> 0:16:50.120 of the reason why they show exists so that there's 0:16:50.400 --> 0:16:52.480 you know, a little bit of more of a voice 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:57.120 in the in the media landscape with respect to you know, 0:16:57.240 --> 0:17:01.479 issues that affect you know, black folks. 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:05.560 Interesting point, however, especially in a place like Texas, where 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:08.520 people you know, made a big deal at the last 0:17:08.600 --> 0:17:12.280 election about the state being turned blue because it's always 0:17:12.320 --> 0:17:15.480 been red. The really strange thing about the demographics of 0:17:15.520 --> 0:17:18.879 the biggest cities in Texas, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, is 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:24.479 that they're predominantly blue. It's just as is true throughout 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:29.479 the South, very very difficult to vote there. That is 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:33.240 not by mistake either, Right, So, not just the problems 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:35.600 of black and brown people, but the problems of poor 0:17:35.640 --> 0:17:42.720 people across the board, Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, the problems 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:46.800 of poor people and our lack of ability to unite 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:51.280 on those fronts because of the very divisive rhetoric that's 0:17:51.320 --> 0:17:55.199 been ingrained into us for hundreds of years. Right, So, 0:17:55.280 --> 0:18:03.240 you have working forces upholding what benefits, upholding what benefits 0:18:03.280 --> 0:18:08.600 the corporations rather than what benefits labor. The labor is 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:13.000 fighting to uphold what benefits the corporation, and instead of 0:18:13.040 --> 0:18:17.760 the labor, you have poor white people that vote for 0:18:18.520 --> 0:18:22.440 laws and legislation that benefits rich white people because they 0:18:22.560 --> 0:18:27.879 just see themselves as white and pretended that very large 0:18:30.520 --> 0:18:34.879 gap in financial equality doesn't exist. Right, So, if you 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:39.320 convince a population of people that their problems are external, 0:18:40.000 --> 0:18:42.080 especially when you can point to another group of people 0:18:42.119 --> 0:18:43.800 and say, only things that are holding you back are 0:18:43.800 --> 0:18:47.080 those criminals over there, those people that are stealing your 0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:49.480 jobs and trying to rape your wives and trying to 0:18:49.560 --> 0:18:52.119 rob you and steal from you, and whatever the case, 0:18:52.480 --> 0:18:55.800 those criminals over there, those people are the only things 0:18:55.800 --> 0:18:58.920 that are holding you back. I know I have significantly 0:18:58.960 --> 0:19:00.800 more than you, but you can do this too, if 0:19:00.800 --> 0:19:04.720 you just work hard. If you just work hard, you 0:19:04.760 --> 0:19:08.000 can reach the point that I'm at. I know, not 0:19:08.160 --> 0:19:10.520 you or your grandfather or your great grandfather have ever 0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:14.040 had wealth. But if you just work hard, you'll be 0:19:14.119 --> 0:19:16.560 the one that gets here to where I am. 0:19:16.680 --> 0:19:20.119 And you keep them out of your way, correct, you know? 0:19:20.280 --> 0:19:23.040 So you know, when you speak about the problems that 0:19:23.640 --> 0:19:28.919 disproportionately affect black people, those same issues disproportionately affect poor people. 0:19:29.560 --> 0:19:32.560 Except when you can convince a large population of a 0:19:32.640 --> 0:19:36.800 large segment of that poor population that these things that 0:19:36.840 --> 0:19:39.280 are happening to them are not supposed to be happening 0:19:39.320 --> 0:19:41.840 to them. However, they are supposed to be happening to 0:19:41.840 --> 0:19:44.320 that group over there because they just inherently deserve it. 0:19:45.160 --> 0:19:49.119 You create a divide that maintains the power, wealth and 0:19:49.160 --> 0:19:53.160 control of a very very very small minority. How about that, 0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:58.040 And the vast majority of people will vote, fight and 0:19:58.160 --> 0:20:03.200 empower legislation, peticians and laws against their own best interest 0:20:03.240 --> 0:20:08.040 in the name of uphoping, upholding this wonderful American dream 0:20:09.280 --> 0:20:12.720 that has the best marketing strategy and the history of 0:20:12.760 --> 0:20:13.480 Earth ever. 0:20:14.359 --> 0:20:18.480 So, uh, you know something that I think is. 0:20:20.760 --> 0:20:28.199 We'll call it interesting, is that in a place like Texas, 0:20:28.960 --> 0:20:35.719 you can really get off this idea that climate change 0:20:35.960 --> 0:20:39.680 is a hoax. You could have a week ago, right, 0:20:39.800 --> 0:20:42.239 You have a hard time come kid off now, right, 0:20:42.280 --> 0:20:44.520 because people got snow in their driveways, right, So it's 0:20:44.560 --> 0:20:46.760 a little different these days. But people that don't own 0:20:46.800 --> 0:20:50.200 coats because you because you live in Houston. 0:20:52.080 --> 0:20:52.280 I know. 0:20:53.080 --> 0:20:58.040 So you know the way I figure it is even 0:20:58.040 --> 0:20:59.720 that idea, not to cut you off, but even the 0:20:59.760 --> 0:21:02.680 idea of climate change, we used to call it very 0:21:02.720 --> 0:21:09.440 flagrantly global warming. Client climate change is like the PC version, right, 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:13.159 So instead of just speaking on racism, we speak on 0:21:13.240 --> 0:21:17.520 racial injustices, like more vanilla, more water down, you know, 0:21:17.600 --> 0:21:20.840 more accepted words that don't trigger people and make them 0:21:20.840 --> 0:21:25.119 feel less guilty. Well said, we can't even agree on 0:21:25.240 --> 0:21:29.920 global warming, something that should be extremely nonpartisan. 0:21:29.280 --> 0:21:31.680 Like we all on this planet together. 0:21:31.760 --> 0:21:33.600 Yeah, man, I don't want to go down this rabbit hole. 0:21:33.640 --> 0:21:36.320 But no, but that's that's what're you're goodness. 0:21:36.920 --> 0:21:39.960 The thing is like the folks that think that global 0:21:39.960 --> 0:21:44.840 warming is a myth perpetuated by the Chinese government to 0:21:44.920 --> 0:21:48.080 hinder American industry. 0:21:47.640 --> 0:21:51.080 Or perpetuated by Democrats, because you know, that's the that's 0:21:51.080 --> 0:21:52.560 the easy punch to throw. 0:21:54.800 --> 0:21:58.280 What we what we find out now is you know, 0:21:58.720 --> 0:21:59.960 you know it's Cuba saying. 0:22:02.600 --> 0:22:05.120 There's a lot of people or maybe not a lot 0:22:05.119 --> 0:22:08.040 of people, but a handful of people say that who 0:22:08.160 --> 0:22:12.280 made a lot of money over the years off of 0:22:12.320 --> 0:22:14.119 these utilities. 0:22:15.560 --> 0:22:19.760 And completely ignoring the. 0:22:19.840 --> 0:22:24.199 Risks to you know, their power grid because there's no 0:22:24.400 --> 0:22:26.120 fiscal incentive for them to do it. 0:22:26.200 --> 0:22:30.879 You know, they've elected people who. 0:22:30.840 --> 0:22:35.159 Have these bizarre views of science, the same science that 0:22:35.240 --> 0:22:38.000 has produced the richness. 0:22:37.560 --> 0:22:39.119 In this capitalistic society. 0:22:39.200 --> 0:22:41.639 All of a sudden is not good enough when it 0:22:41.720 --> 0:22:46.040 comes to hey, we should probably reinforce these levees, you 0:22:46.080 --> 0:22:50.960 know in Louisiana, we should probably you know, deal with 0:22:50.960 --> 0:22:53.080 our power, whatever whatever it is. 0:22:53.160 --> 0:22:55.520 And that school of thinking isn't new, right, that the 0:22:55.640 --> 0:22:58.960 science makes it very difficult for you to justify your 0:22:59.119 --> 0:23:05.439 very very sol fish and and and and when you 0:23:05.480 --> 0:23:07.959 think and operate in a way that's designed to only 0:23:08.080 --> 0:23:12.520 help you, you come up with ways to try to 0:23:12.720 --> 0:23:14.440 justify it because you don't want to just say I'm 0:23:14.440 --> 0:23:17.960 a selfish, awful person, So you have to you have 0:23:18.040 --> 0:23:21.560 to ignore very obvious truths that hit you in the face, 0:23:21.680 --> 0:23:24.480 like science. It's the reason why people used to use 0:23:24.520 --> 0:23:28.240 religion to justify slavery. It's the reason why people to 0:23:28.320 --> 0:23:30.880 this day and for thousands of years have used religion 0:23:30.920 --> 0:23:35.040 to justify war, right when even then it was just 0:23:35.359 --> 0:23:37.960 we want the land and the resources that you have. 0:23:38.840 --> 0:23:41.920 Our God is greater than yours, and because of that, 0:23:41.960 --> 0:23:47.800 we are henceforth entitled to this area. And then you know, 0:23:47.960 --> 0:23:51.040 you convince the people that follow you we're doing the 0:23:51.080 --> 0:23:54.320 work of God so that they don't feel guilty for 0:23:54.480 --> 0:23:58.280 murdering and taking from people. So you and a lot 0:23:58.280 --> 0:24:01.360 of these cases that choice to ignore science. It's very 0:24:01.440 --> 0:24:04.800 very intentional. It's not new. We just have way more 0:24:04.800 --> 0:24:07.920 information available to us now, so some of these things 0:24:07.920 --> 0:24:12.240 are way more obvious. But through throughout time we've ignored 0:24:12.359 --> 0:24:18.200 truths for the justification of awful acts. Right, pretending that 0:24:18.480 --> 0:24:25.760 electricity isn't finite, It has to be created. They don't 0:24:25.760 --> 0:24:30.640 just plug a plug into earth and power comes out, right, 0:24:31.119 --> 0:24:35.200 So that very very irresponsible thing they did to deregulate 0:24:35.240 --> 0:24:39.439 power in Texas so they could maximize profit. They did 0:24:39.640 --> 0:24:44.000 not see this coming. But if they jump on TV, 0:24:45.080 --> 0:24:47.680 then they have to be held responsible because they did that. 0:24:47.720 --> 0:24:50.760 They elected the position that they're in, not the people, 0:24:50.840 --> 0:24:52.600 but the people that represent them, the people that they 0:24:52.720 --> 0:24:55.399 vote for, the people that they continue to vote for. 0:24:55.640 --> 0:24:58.120 How about that Ted Cruz just one again. 0:24:59.480 --> 0:25:00.480 Be better? Yeah? 0:25:00.520 --> 0:25:04.280