1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Joining us now for our weekly partnership segment with The 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: Daily Poster is the founder of The Daily Poster himself, 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: the one and only David Starret. Great to see David, 4 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: Good to see you. Thanks for having me. So we've 5 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: been tracking on the show here damage from those deadly tornadoes, 6 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: the fact that some of the worst damages were sustained 7 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: at people's workplace, as a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, 8 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: where workers were not allowed to leave hours before when 9 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: they wanted to, and also at an Amazon distribution center 10 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: in Illinois, where we have looked at the final text 11 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: of a driver there who wanted to leave, Amazon wouldn't 12 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: let him go, and ultimately it cost him his life. 13 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: Talk to us about what you uncovered here in terms 14 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: of Amazon lobbyists and the rights that workers have in 15 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: their workplaces. So in Illinois, in the months before this disaster, 16 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: there was a there's legislation in the Democratic controlled legislature 17 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: to change Illinois laws to say that an employer has 18 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: to have a just cause in order to terminate a worker. 19 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: Right now, almost every state in the country is what's 20 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,119 Speaker 1: known as at will employment. An employer can fire you 21 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: for basically almost any reason other than reasons covered in 22 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: the civil rights laws. But that means if your employer 23 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: doesn't like the let's say the color of your tie, 24 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: your employer can fire you. In Illinois, they were trying 25 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: to change this to say that the employer has to 26 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: have a just cause. Now, how does that connect to 27 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: the situation in a disaster like we saw in Illinois. Well, 28 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: if a worker tries to leave their workplace, they can 29 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: be threatened with firing they under the current at will 30 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: employment laws. So, in other words, Amazon is empowered to 31 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: fire its workers if they walk off the job under 32 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: at will laws. Amazon linked lobbying groups business lobby groups 33 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: in Illinois, we're lobbying against the just cause legislation in 34 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: the lead up to this disaster. Now, to be clear, 35 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: we don't know in Illinois whether Amazon was trying to 36 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: keep its workers there out of safety to try to 37 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: get them to not go out into the tornado or not. 38 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: But the point here is, the bottom line is is 39 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 1: that workers in Illinois and across the country essentially do 40 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: not have in almost every state state protections to be 41 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: able to leave the workplace or to be able to 42 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 1: do anything to make themselves safe without fear of potentially 43 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: being fired by their employer. And you know, it's really interesting, David, 44 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: I was reading this and looking through which is that 45 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: I don't see any consideration of this within the media. 46 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,959 Speaker 1: I mean, why is it that you're the only person 47 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: who can seemingly dig this stuff up? People died. I 48 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: mean the initial segment, of course happened, and they report 49 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: the investigation. But this is just clear as day here. 50 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,799 Speaker 1: I mean, I think it's disgraceful. Yeah, I mean, look, 51 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: people's employment situation is inherently linked to whether they can 52 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: blow the whistle on safety problems in the workplace, whether 53 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: they can leave their workplace in the middle of a 54 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: natural disaster. I mean, think about how big a problem 55 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: this is going to end up being. Climate change is 56 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: intensifying these kinds of weather cataclysms workers are facing more 57 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: and more in the day to day. Do I have 58 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: to come to work during a flood? Do I have 59 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: to come to work during a hurricane warning? Can I 60 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: leave my workplace during a tornado warning again without fear 61 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: of being fired? There were reports that in Kentucky workers 62 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: were told they might be fired if they walked off 63 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: the job. Again. That connects directly to the at will 64 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: employment situation throughout the country, And you're right, the media 65 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: doesn't talk about it because corporate media doesn't typically talk 66 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: about things that the corporate lobby wants to keep in place, 67 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: and the corporate lobby wants to keep in place the 68 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: situation that employers can fire you for any reason at all. 69 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: Can we talk about your movie, David, don't look up. 70 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: You guys probably already know. The reviews have been amazing. 71 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: Did you get to go to the film premiere? Like? 72 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: What is this? What has this personally been like for you? 73 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: This little star turn Hollywood elites, what are they like? Yeah? 74 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: The premiere was everything that you'd imagine a premiere to be. 75 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: I got to walk the red carpet. I got to 76 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: see all the stars walk the red carpet. It was 77 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: you know, it was a classic one of those big spectacles. 78 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 1: But there's one thing I think that I took away. 79 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: One of the things I took away that was really 80 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: great about it was all of the stars and the 81 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 1: filmmaker Adam McKay And in my own interviews on the 82 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: Red Carpet, we use the opportunity to talk about the 83 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: climate crisis and to talk about an even deeper crisis 84 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: as well, the crisis of our media, as Sager just mentioned, 85 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: our media not focusing on the real issues, and ultimately, 86 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: without giving away anything about this movie, that's what this 87 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: movie is about. It's about whether we as a society 88 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: can take verifiable facts, have them be in a media 89 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: discussion without them being frivolized, without them being suppressed, without 90 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: them being turned into a partisan weapon. And the sad 91 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: thing about our society right now is that almost every 92 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: important fact is put into that media machine and then 93 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 1: turned into either a partisan weapon, a culture war weapon, 94 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: and not something that we are using to constructively build 95 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: policies around. Well, and what I loved about not all, 96 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 1: but some of the coverage of the movie was it 97 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 1: turned into rather than like, oh, Adam McKay made this 98 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: really important commentary on climate change and our inability as 99 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: a society to deal with any real threats that are 100 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:46,600 Speaker 1: facing us, and so their response to that was to 101 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 1: dig into this like beef between Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, 102 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: like just literally proving the point of the movie that 103 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: all they care about are these trivial personal feuds and 104 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 1: reality TV type bullshit. Adam and I have been going 105 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: back and forth on text for like the last three weeks. 106 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: Every single thing like that, we keep saying we're living 107 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: inside the movie. I feel like we're inside the actual 108 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: movie and it's actually horrifying. Yeah, that's amazing. Well, David, congratulations. 109 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: Tell people when they can watch the movie where all 110 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: of that. Sure, the movie is in theaters now. It's 111 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: in select theaters about five hundred across the country, and 112 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: it will be on Netflix on starting on Christmas Eve, 113 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: and I hope everybody will watch it. I want to 114 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: say one other thing, it is not a movie designed 115 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: to make you feel comfortable. It's hilarious, it's fun, but 116 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: I think the reactions are pretty intense because it's not 117 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: a movie that wants to make you feel comfortable. Interesting. Well, 118 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 1: next week maybe that segment because that will post on 119 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: Christmas Eve when the movie's coming out. Let's talk about 120 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: the movie. Soccer and I will watch it. If we're able. 121 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: You can get as screeners or whatever we need to 122 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: be there so that we can just talk to directly 123 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: about the movie itself, so that people can, you know, 124 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: get a little reminder of it the day that it 125 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: comes out. But David, congrats, yep, and thanks for all 126 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: the great work here. Thank you David, Thanks to both 127 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: of you our pleasure. Thank you guys for watching a 128 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: lot more for you later. We've been tracking the surprising 129 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: phenomenon of previously unfunny comedians saying one true thing and 130 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: then getting a tremendous amount of backlash. First it was 131 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: Trevor Noah questioning the motivations of moderna CEO over booster shots. 132 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: Now it's Sarah Silverman calling out MSNBC's Joy Reid. Of course, 133 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: she was basically said that she was a racist and 134 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: all of that. Here's her response. It's pretty interesting on side. 135 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: We can't even critique anyone in your own party without punishment. 136 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: One of the hosts of the View is like, what 137 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: hubris for Sarah Silverman to accuse a black woman of 138 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: not reading OI? Jesus H, what the I fucking I 139 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: surrender good grief. I don't want any drevel. I cannot 140 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: believe I need to say this, But I did not 141 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: criticize Joy and because she's black, but because she's a 142 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: Harvard educated journalist with the responsibility ideally of showing the 143 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:25,679 Speaker 1: whole picture and not just a piece of a picture. 144 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: That is quite a it's a real coming to like 145 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: realization in the veil, She's like falling from the eye. 146 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: This happened to me? How did I find myself here? 147 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: I can't believe. I don't have to say it. So 148 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: for context, what happens. There is this whole story going 149 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 1: around about how Ron de Santis wants to re implement 150 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: a civilian military thing that twenty two other states have, 151 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: and everybody on Twitter was like, oh my god, like 152 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 1: Ron de Santis is restarting the SS and all this 153 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: other nonsense, and Joy Read, of course, the dumbest woman 154 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:59,479 Speaker 1: on television says, oh, y'all know this is fascisty bananas 155 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: right in her trademark form, and Sarah Silverman said, please 156 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 1: read the article before you post this stuff. You're a 157 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: news outlet, the truth has to matter. Great, thank you, Sarah. 158 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 1: She got smacked by the view and many others saying, 159 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: how dare you criticized Joyanne Reid. She's a black boy, 160 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: And as Sarah Sullivan points out, she's like, I'm a 161 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: freaking comedian. You're the Harvard educated journalist with the large show. 162 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: I'm just saying, don't freak people out for no reason. 163 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: Boom doesn't matter. The hubris of Sarah Silverman. Well, and 164 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 1: that's actually Silverman's point is Jerry is not stupid. Yes, 165 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: she's you know, very well educated. She is a very 166 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 1: intelligent person and so and she has a very large 167 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: platform and it's really important to use that in a 168 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: responsible way. So the Ron de Santis thing, I mean, 169 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 1: there were I think legitimate ways to criticize this move, 170 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 1: like okay, why are you doing this now? Why are 171 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,680 Speaker 1: you out all that stuff? But to paint it as 172 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: like this is literally fascism when it's something that twenty 173 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: two other states do, I mean, you just make yourself. 174 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,199 Speaker 1: It makes you easy fodder for people to say, look 175 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 1: at these people, they're ridiculous. Nobody can do anything without 176 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:19,199 Speaker 1: it being fascism these days. And so with Sarah Silverman 177 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: replied to that Doe I read tweet. She said, please 178 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: read the article before you post this stuff. You're a 179 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: news outlet. The truth has to matter. That's what she said, 180 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 1: which triggered this whole response. The view ladies got involved, 181 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: apparently they always mouthing off about but you know, this 182 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 1: is what comes when you accept the promise that a 183 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: lot of liberals and a lot of people on the 184 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: right to have accepted, which is that the truth actually 185 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:52,559 Speaker 1: doesn't matter. All that matters is you providing talking points 186 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: that are in service of your partisan team. And when 187 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: you create existential stakes, you can understand how people start 188 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: to think that way that like, sure, it's not technically 189 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: exactly accurate, or you're leaving out a lot of important 190 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: other side context and information, but the threat over here 191 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: is so great that it justifies that type of spin 192 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: lies misinformation because we have to fight back against this 193 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:25,439 Speaker 1: authoritarian threat over here. If you're MSNBC or if you're 194 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: Fox News, it's you know, the leftists coming to do 195 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: communism or whatever they're afraid of over there. So because 196 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 1: that threat is is you know, amplified to be such 197 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:40,320 Speaker 1: a such a grave and ex essential threat, then yeah, 198 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: you just you get into the service of whatever is 199 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 1: going to further my team's political future, and you know, 200 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: the truth be damn, that's that's not the most significant thing. 201 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: The most significant thing is the political project of making 202 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 1: sure my side wins. Of course, the end effect of 203 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: that is no one trusts you, and so when you 204 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:00,439 Speaker 1: do have important information to convey happen, any sort of 205 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,439 Speaker 1: trust is john people very clearly see through what you're 206 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: doing as just like partisan hackery, and it doesn't even 207 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 1: end up helping your people win when that was your 208 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: goal to start with. And this is the thing Sarah 209 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: Silverman goes, where do I just get the plain old news. Well, 210 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 1: Sarah hasn't been out there for a long time. We're 211 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,320 Speaker 1: out here. You're welcome anytime. And she also says, I, 212 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 1: more than I like her, and more than I don't 213 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 1: like him, I care about what is true and how 214 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: it is presented by news outlets. I just feel like 215 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: the far right is nuts, and I worry that anything 216 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: beyond what's absolutely true dilutes the power of what is true. 217 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: I've been trying to say that for quite a long time. 218 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: This little dust up, it's very revealing. You know, they'll 219 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 1: eat your own they'll go after you, criticize you. I mean, 220 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:45,959 Speaker 1: you know, call you racist one of the worst things 221 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,079 Speaker 1: you can call somebody in society. Yes, so casual, and 222 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:51,319 Speaker 1: people always ask like, what do you mean. What I'm 223 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: saying is is that rightfully we have made it, We 224 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: have recognized racism is a heinous, horrible thing in our society. 225 00:12:57,840 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: And so when you call somebody that, it is one 226 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: of the worst thing that you can say about someone, 227 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,679 Speaker 1: and so you should be very judicious in how you 228 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: use that terminology and casually throwing it out in order 229 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: for somebody questioning a completely false narrative is a ludicrous 230 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: use of the term. Dilutes it, dilutes the actual power 231 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: of it and makes it so that Joy and Read 232 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:20,959 Speaker 1: and all of them can be some of the dumbest 233 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 1: people in public discourse and not have any criticism and 234 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,079 Speaker 1: hide behind their race. That is actually an insult to 235 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: any real, you know, idea definition and experience of real racism. 236 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: So look, it's a pathetic instance, but it's very revealing 237 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: in terms of how it all works today. Yeah, so 238 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: we'll see Sarah Silverman has had her eyes open now 239 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: or where she goes here. You're welcome on the show anytime. 240 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:47,439 Speaker 1: All right, there we go. Yeah, we'd love to talk 241 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: about it. All right, guys, thanks for watching. A lot 242 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 1: more for you later. The Washington Post has published a 243 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: very revealing and detailed account of what happened when six 244 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: workers at a Dollar General store attempted to form a union, 245 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: and they describe it as the most lopsided battle in 246 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: the ongoing low wage worker revolt. Let's go and throw 247 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: the tear sheet up on the screen. They say, the 248 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:15,920 Speaker 1: worker revolt comes to a Dollar General in Connecticut. A 249 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: call to a union triggers one of the most lopsided 250 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: battles of the ongoing low wage worker revolt. What they 251 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: track here is how these six workers, which is kind 252 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: of astonishing that a Dollar General is run by just 253 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: six workers, but that is in fact the reality, at 254 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: least of the store in Connecticut. These six workers were 255 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: disgusted with a range of issues that they had in 256 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: their store, and mostly they just wanted to have more 257 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: say and formalized channels where they could issue complaints, where 258 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: they could push back against some of the things that 259 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 1: were happening, and so, at a particularly frustrated moment, one 260 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: of those workers a woman named Shelly Parson, who had 261 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: had a lot of struggles in her life. She dealt 262 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 1: with addiction, she dealt with physical abuse, but was doing 263 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: really well, and she considered she really actually valued her 264 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: her Dollar General job. At fifteen dollars and seventy five cents. 265 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: She was very afraid of losing it, but she was 266 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: also completely fed up, so she dialed union representatives and 267 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: started the process of formalizing, putting in a petition, and 268 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 1: being able to vote on a union. So when all 269 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: of this happens again, these six workers at this little 270 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 1: store in Connecticut, Dollar General headquarters executives went into overdrive, 271 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 1: very similar kind of tactics to what we saw with 272 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:36,600 Speaker 1: the Starbucks workers in Buffalo. They brought executives in, They 273 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 1: brought in anti union consultants, paid two thousand dollars plus 274 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 1: a day to consult with them to try to fight 275 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: back against this union. Sometimes the executives that were in 276 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: the store were basically there as spies to try to 277 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: catch people wrongdoing so that they could have some fig 278 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 1: leaf of a justification to fire them. One of the 279 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: workers here, who had been pro union, was terminated because 280 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 1: he said a curse word one time in earshot of 281 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: one of these executives, not even around a customer, but 282 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: in earshot of one of these executives. So they were 283 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: in direct touch, of course, with each one of the 284 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 1: workers and just pressured the hell out of them. And 285 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: the workers say that they went beyond what is even legal, 286 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 1: and we know that the law allows for a lot 287 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 1: and directly threatened these workers. And this is where it 288 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: gets even more disgusting. So I think we've mentioned on 289 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: the show a couple of times that there was another 290 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: Dollar General store in Missouri that had voted to unionize, 291 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: and after exhausting all of their appeals and realizing that, oh, 292 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: these workers are in fact going I get to join 293 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 1: a union, Dollar Generals just shut the store down. So 294 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 1: with these workers here that we're trying to unionize, they 295 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:51,720 Speaker 1: told them, hey, you should look into what happened at 296 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: that Missouri store and directly, and again this would be 297 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: illegal if it's proven. Directly threatened them with just closing 298 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: the store all to time together in an area where 299 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: you know, there may not be a lot of other 300 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:07,239 Speaker 1: employment and where these workers really needed the job. So 301 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:11,159 Speaker 1: in the end, narrowly, after all of those threats and 302 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:14,159 Speaker 1: coercion and the anti union lawyers and the spying and 303 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: all of that, the union effort narrowly fails. So it 304 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: just shows you how stacked this process is and how 305 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 1: much you're up against and what resources they will throw 306 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: at you, even when you're just you know, six workers 307 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 1: at at one of their stores in Connecticut. They will 308 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: do everything it takes to keep you from ultimately joining 309 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: the union. No, it's really remarkable, And the thing is 310 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:41,680 Speaker 1: how transparent they are. I mean, I was just looking 311 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 1: for that particular quote where they asked Dollar General, why 312 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 1: did you close this store weeks after the negotiation with 313 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: union was ordered? Because they said, based on quote assessment 314 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 1: of the store's future profitability. So they didn't even blame 315 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: the current metrics. They said the future profitability, which of 316 00:17:57,600 --> 00:17:59,200 Speaker 1: course they might be able to tie to the union, 317 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:01,720 Speaker 1: and they don't have to say anything else, period, boom, 318 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,159 Speaker 1: they can just close the store. Why does this all 319 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:06,360 Speaker 1: of this matter? I mean, we've covered here previously about 320 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 1: how Dollar General plays a very specific role for a 321 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: lot of rural towns in America who don't have any 322 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:15,400 Speaker 1: grocery stores. They are, outside of gas stations, the only 323 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: place which actually sell frozen foods, snacks, and can goods. 324 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,200 Speaker 1: So it's made it so that it's actually inconvenienced everyone 325 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 1: in this entire town, especially quote elderly folks who can't 326 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: get around really well. They really needed that Dollar General 327 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: in order to get the most basic levels and types 328 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,160 Speaker 1: of food. This serves its role in a lot of places. 329 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: That amount of power means that they can point to 330 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: this to all future employees and say Hey, look, you 331 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 1: want to unize cool, maybe we'll close the store. Yeah, 332 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: you want to be the reason that your neighbor or 333 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: your grandma has to drive twenty five miles in order 334 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: to go buy a frozen pizza. You want that on you? 335 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 1: What about the mayors of these small towns. They're gonna 336 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,440 Speaker 1: side with Dollar General every single time they need them. 337 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 1: That's the problem, the power imbalance that we have here. 338 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: And what you know, I always get, what are these 339 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:04,159 Speaker 1: people firing for? Like basic like fifteen dollars thirteen? What 340 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:07,640 Speaker 1: even out in apple Ashord like twelve thirteen dollars? Yeah, 341 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 1: minimum wage, some time off so you don't have to 342 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: do with clopening shifts. It's like, it's not a lot 343 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:15,960 Speaker 1: that people are asking for. But even then it's an 344 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 1: existential threat and they'll just destroy you. Dollar General is 345 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:23,120 Speaker 1: one of the worst in terms of wages. Their wage 346 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: is lower than Walmart, their median wage is lower than 347 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:31,160 Speaker 1: other stores in a similar category. And to your point 348 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:36,720 Speaker 1: about why this is so significant, Dollar General has absolutely flourished. 349 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:42,679 Speaker 1: There's actually more Dollar stores than there are like Walmart, Starbucks, 350 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: and McDonald's combined, So this has become incredibly significant. Yeah, 351 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,680 Speaker 1: in the US, there's more Dollar stores, which includes Dollar 352 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:55,400 Speaker 1: Tree and Family Dollar and Dollar General, than all Walmart, Starbucks, 353 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 1: and McDonald's locations combined. Dollar General is the biggest of them. 354 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: They pay low wages and apparently if you vote to unionize, 355 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,919 Speaker 1: they will close your shore. And so what really was 356 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: gross to me is not just the tactics, but the 357 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 1: fact that their previous misdeeds of closing that store are 358 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 1: then used to make as an example to scare workers 359 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: out of any at any of the other stores of 360 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,120 Speaker 1: doing the same thing. And so, you know, I will 361 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: say these workers, even though the union effort failed, they 362 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 1: felt like conditions did marginally improve for them at their store. 363 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: They felt like they were being heard more, They felt 364 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: like some of the concerns that they had brought up 365 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 1: during the union drive were actually addressed. So that is 366 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 1: a good thing. But the message that was sent here 367 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 1: from that Missouri store and that you know was used 368 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: weaponized to prevent this shop from also unionizing, is pretty chilling. 369 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: So it's interesting when they're able to do a deep 370 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: dive and just shape show you just how stack the 371 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 1: deck is and why it is so incredibly differ difficult 372 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: and why ultimately you know union rates, even though union 373 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 1: favorability is nearer historic hives. There's a lot of sentiment 374 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,680 Speaker 1: in favor of it. If you ask people, they're very supportive. 375 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:16,120 Speaker 1: But then you see such low union density rates. Well 376 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 1: that's why. It's because the laws and the playing field 377 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 1: are so incredibly uneven. Absolutely right, All right, guys, thanks 378 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: so much for watching. A lot more for you later. 379 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 1: So a dystopian scene was played out at a recent 380 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,360 Speaker 1: hockey game in the state of South Dakota. So at halftime, 381 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: teachers were brought out to scramble for five thousand dollars 382 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:44,120 Speaker 1: in cash, not even for themselves, but to be able 383 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:48,239 Speaker 1: to fund supplies for their classrooms. This is what that 384 00:21:48,280 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 1: looked like. Of course, there are a million things that 385 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: are dystopian disturbing about those, many comparisons made to squid games. Also, 386 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,400 Speaker 1: a lot of people brought up the fact that South 387 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: Dakota has one of the lowest teacher salaries next to 388 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: last yeah, in the entire country. So what kind of 389 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: a society do we live in that we casually throw 390 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: trillions of dollars at the military industrial complex without blink 391 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: an I and teachers have to debase themselves just to 392 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 1: get the very basics of what they need for their classrooms. Yeah. 393 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: I don't even know what to say. This is really gross, 394 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,639 Speaker 1: dystopian stuff. And it was organized by a mortgage, local 395 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 1: landing company and the suit Fall Stampede of the Hockey League. 396 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 1: I mean, I think it went viral because just it 397 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 1: was such a stark image. You know, these teacher for 398 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 1: those people who are just listening, I mean this, they 399 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:56,200 Speaker 1: were on their knees, helmets trying to stuff cash inside 400 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:59,439 Speaker 1: of their jerseys frantically just to raise a few hundred 401 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: one hundred dollars that got like between three hundred and 402 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: six hundred dollars. It wasn't even that much cash in 403 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:10,160 Speaker 1: order to try and pay for classroom improvements. So first 404 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: of all, the state of South Dakota is supposed to 405 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,399 Speaker 1: handle that. But second, I mean, I just think that 406 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 1: it's a really gross Uh, I don't know, just write 407 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 1: a check to the teachers or something, you know, like 408 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:24,479 Speaker 1: why are you making people compete the scramble cash? Right 409 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,479 Speaker 1: for this? They even there's some other extra images of 410 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: them counting out the one dollar bills in order to 411 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 1: see how much that they were able to get for 412 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:35,879 Speaker 1: their Yeah, to get for their school. I don't even 413 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 1: know what to say. You know, we just had Freddy 414 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:41,360 Speaker 1: Deboor on Crystal Coyle in Friends. He wrote a book 415 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: called The Cult of Smart that we interviewed him about 416 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 1: Ashbrow when we were on Rising as well, And part 417 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 1: of what he argues and makes really clear is teachers 418 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:55,399 Speaker 1: oftentimes shoulder the blame for like everything else that's failing 419 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,640 Speaker 1: in society totally. So it's such an eat. There's such 420 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: easy scapegoats. If a school isn't doing well, if a 421 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 1: community isn't doing well, if a kid isn't succeeding well, 422 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: you can just blame blame the teacher. And of course 423 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,640 Speaker 1: we've seen over years the way that education funding has 424 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: been stripped and stripped and stripped such that you had 425 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 1: massive teacher strike wave that predominantly actually hit Red states. 426 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 1: It wasn't an accident because those are the states were 427 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:23,440 Speaker 1: the funding had been cut the most. So I think 428 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 1: it went viral to your point because it is so 429 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:31,760 Speaker 1: emblematic of the sick priorities that we have as a country, 430 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,920 Speaker 1: just like all these quote unquote heartwarming stories of like, 431 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: you know, the kid who raises money for their classmates 432 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 1: cancer treatment or whatever, It's like, why is just the thing? 433 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 1: Why do you have to have a go fundme so 434 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: that you can get basic medical care? This is a 435 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:52,439 Speaker 1: similar situation. It's like, why do you want to Who 436 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 1: would ever think it was a good idea to force 437 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,800 Speaker 1: teachers to have to scramble for cash on the ice 438 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,239 Speaker 1: as you know, an entire stadium or what do they 439 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 1: call arena of spectators looks on very disturbing, very disturbing 440 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:10,239 Speaker 1: statement on where we have. It's just one of those 441 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 1: things where you just watch that and you're like, what 442 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: the hell is happening here. I'm sure they were well 443 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 1: into the fact that anyone would think this was, like, 444 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 1: you know, a good idea for the way to to 445 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: go about things. And again, this wasn't even money like 446 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:26,199 Speaker 1: for themselves. For them to be able to just have 447 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:32,440 Speaker 1: basic supplies in their classrooms unbelievable. All right, guys, thanks 448 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: for watching. A little more for you later.