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Former presidential candidate 18 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: and also former New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang 19 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: making some big news apparently according to Politico, And we 20 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: can throw this tear sheet up on the screen he 21 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: is planning to launch a third party. So we knew 22 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 1: that he had a book coming out. It's called Forward 23 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy. Full disclosure, I 24 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: blurbed the book. It includes a lot of sort of prescriptions, 25 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: things like rank choice voting and his view of the 26 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 1: types of reforms that our democracy needs, many of which 27 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: I'm certainly supportive of. But this is an indication he's 28 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: going to go one step further and actually launch a 29 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: third party effort. So it'll be interesting to see. And also, 30 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess what I'm curious about. Is he 31 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,119 Speaker 1: going to have more of the energy of his presidential 32 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 1: campaign or is it going to be more of the 33 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: energy of his New York City mayoral campaign, which to 34 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: me was very disappointing. I mean, basically got these like 35 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: Bloomberg consultants around him. His platform was kind of confused. 36 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: It was a harder place to really tout his universal 37 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: basic income, which was kind of the centerpiece of his 38 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: presidential campaign. So we'll see. I think it's going to 39 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:58,919 Speaker 1: be interesting, which is that it's not just about UBI. 40 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: It was we covered the so much. His crossover amongst 41 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: Trump people was the highest of any Democratic camp except 42 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: for Tulca Gabbart almost forty percent or something crossover support. 43 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: Now here's what he says, and this does sound like 44 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: my kind of book. Indictment of America's era of institutional failure, 45 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: introduces to the various priests of decline, including politicians whose 46 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: incentives have become divorced from the people they supposedly serve. 47 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: And as you point out, the problem that they had 48 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: was that his New York City candidacy was just a 49 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: little bit too typical. He seemed like a normal politician. 50 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: That's the problem, right, is that if you're going to 51 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: run as a normal politician, then they're going to vote 52 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: for the actual normal politician, who's Eric Adams. Ergo why 53 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: he won. And so in this one, if he returns 54 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: to like the real roots of the Yanggang and that 55 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: energy that he found back in twenty nineteen, one hundred 56 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: percent think that not even about the success of the 57 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: third Party in sparking a discussion, It would be interesting, 58 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 1: It would actually be important. So that is where the 59 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: energy has to be. Yeah, look, even going it just 60 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: in terms of talking about issues and whether this will 61 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: be a platform that I would be interested in even 62 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: as presidential campaign. You know, I'm Medicare for All supporter. 63 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: He ran away from that federal jobs guarantee supporter in 64 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: addition to UBI supporter. That's not something that he supports. 65 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: So for me again, I'm going to be interested to 66 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: see what the platform actually looks like. But even putting 67 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: the policy details aside, I think third parties can be 68 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: important in pressuring the mainstream parties to do better, and 69 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: I support them from that perspective. In terms of a 70 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: practical reality of what I think is going to actually 71 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: succeed electorally and have the greatest chance to impact American politics, 72 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: I just think that the evidence is crystal clear. No 73 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: pun intended that hijacking one of the existing institutional parties 74 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: is the way to go, and we saw that, I 75 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: mean we actually saw it from the other terrible direction 76 00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: with Bill Clinton in the nineties and the DLC who 77 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: came in to takeover that was easier to do because 78 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: they were corporate backed in shilling for corporate interest. Trump 79 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: tea Party, and then Trump did a similar thing with 80 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: the Republican Party. And while yes, ultimately Trump turns out 81 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:16,279 Speaker 1: to be just another handmaiden for the elites, the elites 82 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 1: didn't necessarily know that they did n't know that going in, 83 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: so you know, they were very much opposed to him, 84 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: and he still managed to do it and totally take 85 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: over the party and crafted in his own image. Now 86 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 1: that image turned out to be just about fealty to 87 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: him rather than anything actually like good or different. But 88 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: that's another example. And then we can't ignore the fact 89 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: that Bernie almost did it twice. You know, he came 90 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: a whole lot closer to actually taking over the Democratic 91 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: Party and affecting change there. Then say third party, Evergreen 92 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: Party or another third party effort has been having success 93 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: from a third party standpoint. So again I'll wait to 94 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: see what the platform is in terms of whether I think, 95 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,280 Speaker 1: you know, that's something I'm interested in or not. Wait 96 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: to see whether it's more of the presidential campaign energy 97 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 1: or the mayoral campaign energy, and whether he's going I mean, 98 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 1: his mayoral campaign was almost this sort of like weird, 99 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: like no labelsy third way type of thing, which I 100 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: guess I also got fourth yeah, which I'm not into 101 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: at all, But just from a strategic perspective, I don't 102 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: think this is the most effective way for Yang to 103 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: impact politics. I'll give the one scenario where I saw 104 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: from Nate Silver and I was like, hm, that actually 105 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: makes sense. He was like, I don't think it'll be 106 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,599 Speaker 1: Ander Yang, but one thing I could foresee is an 107 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: unpopular Kamala Harris running against a Donald Trump in twenty 108 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 1: twenty four. That would be the most rife area where 109 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 1: a third party might And I was like, well, you 110 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: know that's not a bad thing. I'd be one hundred 111 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 1: percent Yangang in that scenario. It's like, if you think 112 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,119 Speaker 1: about it, you're like, wow, like Harris Trump, you're about 113 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 1: two politicians with maybe thirty percent I mean Harris even less, 114 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: but like twenty thirty percent of the population. That actually 115 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,559 Speaker 1: would leave you know, some sort of area open. Look, 116 00:05:57,640 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that it's 117 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: easy for a third party person to come close. But 118 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: what did Ross pro win? Twenty percent of the vote 119 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 1: could be enough. I mean, it's a crazy system we have. 120 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: Well before pro did a whole like drop down, then 121 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: I'm sort of back in thing. I mean, he was 122 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: a real good number there for a minute, so I look, 123 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: it can be done. It has to be an extraordinary 124 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: set of circumstances. Yeah, is Yang the man to do it? 125 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: We'll see all right, guys, we'll have more for you later. Hey. 126 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 1: So remember how we told you how awesome premium membership was, Well, 127 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: here we are again to remind you that becoming a 128 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: premium member means you don't have to listen to our 129 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: constant please for you to subscribe. So what are you 130 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 1: waiting for? Become a premium member today by going to 131 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 1: Breakingpoints dot com, which you can click on in the 132 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: show notes. Fascinating new study. We've talked a lot about 133 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,839 Speaker 1: how people profit a off of war, but sometimes we 134 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: don't have the exact numbers. A brand new study from 135 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: Brown New University actually puts a number on that figure. 136 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 1: Let's go ahead and put this up there on the screen, 137 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 1: which is that Pentagon reliant some contractors hurt us in 138 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: nine to eleven wars? Oh yeah, file that one under 139 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:08,359 Speaker 1: no curse word. So up to half of the fourteen 140 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: trillion spent by the Pentagon since nine to eleven went 141 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: to for profit defense contractors. A study released found it's 142 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: the latest work to show that the reliance on private 143 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: corporations for war zone duties used to be done by 144 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: troops contributed to mission failure in Afghanistan. So there's two 145 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: important things that are going on there. Number one is 146 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: obviously there was a profit incentive. This is from the 147 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: Brown University's Cost of War project. But number two is 148 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: that we used to have native capacity within the armed 149 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: forces to do all sorts of things the mess hall, 150 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: you know, feeding the troops, cleaning whatever, you know, all 151 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: kinds of stuff. But then they introduced you know, competitive bidding. Well, 152 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: once you start having all that stuff happening, sometimes even 153 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: no bid contracts that are being awarded for all sorts 154 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: of you know, basic services, that all starts to add 155 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: up real quick. Corruption gets involved in terms of trying 156 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: to game the system and more. And next thing you know, 157 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:10,559 Speaker 1: you've created a multi trillion, not billion, multi trillion dollar 158 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: industry where all the dollars just flow right back here 159 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: to Northern Virginia. And this was the game plan from 160 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: the jump. As so many evil things are, this is 161 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: traced directly back to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. 162 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: The article says it started with then Vice President Dick Cheney, 163 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: former CEO of Halliburton. Halliburton received more than thirty billion 164 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: dollars to help set up and run bases, feed troops, 165 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: and carry out other work. In a rock in Afghanistan 166 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: by two thousand and eight. The defense contractors argue that 167 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: relying on private contractors for work that service members had 168 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: always done in previous wars would allow for a trimmer 169 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: US military and be more efficient and cost effective. There 170 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,200 Speaker 1: are a couple impacts that this has. Number One, people 171 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: get fabulously wealthy. Fabulously wealthy, seven trillion dollars. In fact, 172 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: there's some number and here one of these defense industrial 173 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: contractors has received more contracts than the entire state department budget. 174 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: I mean, that's the type of money that we're talking 175 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: about here. So number one, people get fabulously wealthy. Number two, 176 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: you can portray to the public that there's a lot 177 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: less cost in terms of lives light footprint, so those 178 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: politically problematic having actual troops on the ground risking their lives, 179 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: those numbers become less. So the American people are sort 180 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 1: of fleeced about what's really going on and how heavy 181 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: of a footprint and presence you really have in the countries. 182 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 1: But in terms of how this actually hurt our effectiveness 183 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 1: on the ground here, they provide a couple of very 184 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: specific examples. One with regards to we insisted that the 185 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: Afghan army use our US made black Hawk helicopters when 186 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: it was the case that basically the only people who 187 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: knew how to fly and maintain these helicopters were US 188 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: and our contractors. The Afghans preferred the Russian made helicopters, 189 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: which were apparently a better suit, better fitted for the 190 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: rugged terrain, and that they knew how to operate, they 191 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 1: knew how to maintain. They're a little less fancy, more durable, 192 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: and they knew what to do with them. We said, no, no, no, 193 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 1: you've got to have our equipment, and so that hindered 194 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:20,560 Speaker 1: their ability to be effective once we were out the door. 195 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 1: That's just one example here of how our insistence of 196 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: funneling trillions of dollars to our own defense industry, domestic 197 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: defense industry, hampered our ability to be effective on the 198 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: ground there. So it really is quite incredible when you 199 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:35,959 Speaker 1: think about, you know, we heard all this, Oh, we 200 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: invested so much money in Afghanistan. It's true, but most 201 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: of that money actually stayed right here at home. And 202 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: when you talk about who won and who lost this war, 203 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: the people who were profiting off of it, they won 204 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: all day long. They're still going on cable news to 205 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 1: make the case for why we should stay forever. And 206 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: you cannot possibly wrap your mind around the amount of 207 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: money that was at stake for these folks. Yeah, and 208 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 1: let's go ahead and put this up there in terms 209 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 1: of our personal congressmen and women, which is that? And 210 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:05,839 Speaker 1: you found this this was pretty good. At least forty 211 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,440 Speaker 1: seven members of Congress and their spouses hold between two 212 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: million and six point seven million worth of stock in 213 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,359 Speaker 1: companies that are among the top one hundred defense contractors. 214 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: And once again, look, are they personally making decisions in 215 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: order to benefit themselves. There's actually no way of knowing that. 216 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 1: There's literally zero. So what do you think we should do? Well, 217 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 1: maybe you know, have a law that's just they can't 218 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: do this whatsoever. Every time Nancy Pelosi does some crazy 219 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: stock trade, it's not just her, you know, Richard Burr, all, 220 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: kinds of Republicans, Democrats, everybody's involved. Riches, particularly bad though 221 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:40,719 Speaker 1: her husband, you know the guy. It's just like, dude, 222 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:43,439 Speaker 1: you're like eighty years old, You're worth a one hundred 223 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: dollars chill. You guys have a whole freezer it's full 224 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 1: of ice cream. Does you may lay off. You've got 225 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: the freezer that's just for ice cream. You're good, you know, 226 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: I don't understand it. Maybe that's not worth one hundred 227 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: million dollars. That's the problem that we have is that 228 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: it undermines confidence within the system. And you just see 229 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: the sheer amount of money that's being made. And I'm finally, 230 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: you know, real props to Brown. They've always been at 231 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:11,200 Speaker 1: the spearhead of this. They've actually quantified some of the 232 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: top costs. I used to use it all the time 233 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: when I was a Pentagon correspondent and now they've got 234 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: the final numbers for US and seven trillion dollars sludge. 235 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: Phenomenal work on corruption. No matter whether it's Democrat or Republican, 236 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: they're always on top of it. But yeah, I mean, 237 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: it's disgraceful, it's disgusting. It's insane that this is legal, 238 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: and you just know that it's going to continue because 239 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: the people who would have to say, you know, we 240 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 1: shouldn't do this anymore are the ones who are directly 241 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 1: profiting off of it. I do have a confession, which 242 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,079 Speaker 1: is that I tried that ice cream. Oh's one of 243 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: my neighborhood. Yeah, it's actually it's actually good. There's always 244 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,959 Speaker 1: a lot, really it. There are these people out there. 245 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: There's round near where I live, and there's always people 246 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: lined up out the door for this ice cream. It's 247 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: like a Georgetown cupcake situation. I'm like, is it that good? 248 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 1: It actually stam, it's pretty incredible, right, I'll take your 249 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: word for it. Yeah. Anyway, it's not really a nice 250 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:02,679 Speaker 1: cream of the people, though it is a pretty hefty 251 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: person Okay. Anyway, all right on more of are you 252 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: guys later? Wow, you guys must really like listening to 253 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 1: our voices. Well, I know this is annoying instead of 254 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 1: making you listen to a Viagra commercial. When you're done, 255 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,199 Speaker 1: check out the other podcast I do with Marshall Kassof 256 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:18,560 Speaker 1: called The Realignment. We talk a lot about the deeper 257 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:21,959 Speaker 1: issues that are changing, realigning in American society. You always 258 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: need more Crystal and Zag in your daily lives. Take care, guys. 259 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: So little news item here that it's not the biggest 260 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: deal in the world, but it did kind of bug me. 261 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: So let's throw this La Times Terari sheet back up 262 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: on the screen. Cops, the long running reality show, is 263 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 1: going to return on Fox News's streaming service basically failing 264 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 1: streaming service called Fox Nation, so it's going to be 265 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: you know, for subscription, you can get episodes of Cops 266 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: on Fox Nation. LA Times talk to the executive over 267 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: there at Fox about the criticism of the show, which 268 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 1: had been pulled a lot with Live PD in the 269 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: wake of the George Floyd protests, and he said, look, 270 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 1: I can't speak to a larger cultural movement that was 271 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: happening at the time of its cancelation. I think the 272 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: content stands on its own. It's a very compelling show 273 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:13,960 Speaker 1: for people who are interested in following the lives of 274 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: police officers. So let me tell you why this bothers me. 275 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: There's a podcast out there called Running from Cops, which 276 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: is actually, yeah, you told me about this at the time, idea. Yeah, 277 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: So it's actually really excellent. And what it exposes is 278 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: you think, when you're watching Cops, and I growing up 279 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 1: used to watch this show too, you think you're really 280 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: getting an unvarnished look at what really happens. But it 281 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: turns out, like all of these reality shows, so much 282 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: of what you're seeing is fake and is fabricated, and 283 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: it creates these horrific incentives. Number One for the cops 284 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: who are on camera to sort of perform for the camera. 285 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: And number two, it's just completely dedicated to exploiting poor 286 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: people who are at their you know, experiencing the worst 287 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: moments in their lives. Then, and I always wonder this too, 288 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 1: like how do you get people to agree to be 289 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: on this show and sign the release, etc. Running from 290 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: Cops digs into the really unscrupulous tactics that they use 291 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: to basically forge people's signatures and coerce them into using 292 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: the threat of legal action, coerce them into signing these 293 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: releases so that they're horrifically embarrassing them at their worst moments, 294 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: are forever memorialized and they're shamed in their entire community. Again, 295 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: totally classist, preying on exploiting poor and vulnerable people, disproportionately 296 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: black of course, And there have even been instances and 297 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: this again is from Running from Cops, but documented in 298 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 1: this news article as well, that we can throw up 299 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: on the screen where in order to play the camera 300 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: cop allegedly looks very likely based on what happens on camera, 301 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: plants drugs on a woman who was completely innocent so 302 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 1: that they can have their moment of glory on the 303 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 1: you know, on the small screen. Here, what happened is 304 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 1: they pulled this woman over. They said that they suspected 305 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: drug use because she had a marijuana tattoo and like 306 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: a grateful dead bear tattoo, something stupid like that. They 307 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: open up our trunk, they find some sort of like 308 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 1: you know, dust, something of that nature. They test it 309 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: to see whether it's cocaine. It comes back negative. The 310 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: police goes back then to the trunk and tests it 311 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: again and lo and behold, now it's positive. So it 312 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: looks very much like they effectively planted the drugs on 313 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: her so that they could have their moment of glory. 314 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: So anyway, it's a gross show. It's not good for society. 315 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: It just makes us like look down and have more 316 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 1: content for poor people. It does not actually show like 317 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: the best of law enforcement doing what they can to 318 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: keep communities safe. Totally exploitative and it sucks that it's 319 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: coming back, but yeah, we go, look, I believe in redemption, 320 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: and you know, I have no sympathy for criminals. And 321 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, though, like embarrassing people like, look, 322 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 1: that's the worst day of their lives, right, And once 323 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: again I think they should be punished, but that doesn't 324 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: mean that you should be broadcasting it for people's enjoyment. 325 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 1: And I think that's the problem, which is that you 326 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 1: introduce the money and you introduce the entertainment aspect and 327 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: I didn't know, you know, it shows that it actually 328 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: makes perfect sense. People are going to perform for the camera. Yeah, obviously, 329 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: maybe even both sides. Yeah, it's a human nature thing. 330 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:23,119 Speaker 1: They want attention. You know, a boring night is actually 331 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: good for the rest of the populace, not good for 332 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: the camera crew. Not. So you think about that, you 333 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:30,159 Speaker 1: put it all together, Let's keep the cameras off and 334 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: let's make sure that I mean, let's keep the entertainment 335 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: cameras off, and let's make sure that we don't like 336 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:39,920 Speaker 1: make this into some culture war thing where it's like, actually, 337 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,199 Speaker 1: the show Cops is great. It's like, as you think 338 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: about it, I mean I was riveted by it too. 339 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 1: You know, you're in a hotel room or a motel 340 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 1: or whatever. You turn it on and it's kind of entertaining. 341 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 1: But that's kind of the problem, and we should think 342 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: about that. Yeah, it's like the ultimate cancel culture. I mean, 343 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 1: once you've been like publicly shamed like that, people had 344 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:57,959 Speaker 1: to move out of their communities, et cetera because they 345 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: were so embarrassed. Sometimes they're good. Sometimes they're getting and 346 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,159 Speaker 1: I'm not excusing us. Sometimes you're getting aggressed for like 347 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 1: drunk driving. And look, drunk driving is bad. I think 348 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:07,359 Speaker 1: drunk drivers should be punished. I think, you know, with 349 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: taking your license away, all that does that mean? And 350 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:12,479 Speaker 1: think they should be punished forever and you should be 351 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: ultimately shaming yourself. No, and there's a reasona law isn't 352 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: written that way. So that's that's what I think gets 353 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: to the problem. Yeah, indeed. Anyway, I just want to 354 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,479 Speaker 1: update you on that little story and we'll have more 355 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: for you guys later. Thanks for listening to the show, guys, 356 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: we really appreciate it. To help other people find the show, 357 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:29,119 Speaker 1: go ahead and leave us a five star rating on 358 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,679 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts really helps 359 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 1: other people find the show. As always special, thank you 360 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 1: to Supercast for powering our premium membership. If you want 361 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: to find out more, go to Crystalansager dot com.