WEBVTT - Not Even Close to World War 3

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to the Buck Sexton Show podcast, make sure

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<v Speaker 1>you subscribe to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app or

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<v Speaker 1>wherever you get your podcasts.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey, everybody, we need to discuss World War three, which

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<v Speaker 2>is not happening, but there's a lot of national security

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<v Speaker 2>stuff going on and that is worth a discussion with

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<v Speaker 2>our friend Stephen Yates, who is of the Wonderful Heritage

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<v Speaker 2>Foundation and formerly a senior national security advisor to a

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<v Speaker 2>vice president and speaks Chinese, which I always think is

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<v Speaker 2>so Mandarin, which I always think is very impressive to

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<v Speaker 2>tell everybody. And I've asked him to take me out

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<v Speaker 2>with him to a Chinese restaurant some time so I

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<v Speaker 2>can really check this stuff out. But we'll get there

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<v Speaker 2>at some point. Let's start with this. I have never

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<v Speaker 2>seen so many people on our side the right broadly speaking, However,

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<v Speaker 2>one even really defines that. So just I guess unrepentant

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<v Speaker 2>about being so wrong on a national security thing so

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<v Speaker 2>quickly as these air strikes will lead to World War three?

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<v Speaker 2>Like what happens? Now? Where do they go with that?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, partially to me, I think this is evidence that

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<v Speaker 1>TDS comes in multiple forms, and President Trump is doing

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<v Speaker 1>things at a pace and a scope and a quantity

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<v Speaker 1>that has never been done before. And I think even

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<v Speaker 1>people on our side can fall into the trap of

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<v Speaker 1>trying to make protracted judgments based on instant analysis and

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<v Speaker 1>the pace of things. The change all of it is

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<v Speaker 1>so fast that a lot of people are going to

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<v Speaker 1>be wrong some of the time, and I just think

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<v Speaker 1>people on our side aren't used to that, and it's

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<v Speaker 1>much more of a severe syndrome on the other side.

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<v Speaker 1>But I think the first rule of living in Trump's

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<v Speaker 1>world is it's going to get shaken four five times

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<v Speaker 1>a day. Don't panic, don't assume the first result is

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<v Speaker 1>the end result, and let him cook for a little

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<v Speaker 1>bit before you sort of get a sense of the direction.

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<v Speaker 1>And I think ultimately that's what it is. He is

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<v Speaker 1>a directional leader who distracts people with things that happen

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<v Speaker 1>along the way they don't even realize they've moved. And

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<v Speaker 1>so I mean, maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong, But

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<v Speaker 1>when I look at even what we're dealing with with

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<v Speaker 1>some of the zigs and zags on Israel and Iran

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<v Speaker 1>right now, directionally, this is miraculously a positive direction based

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<v Speaker 1>on what the history of this has been and does

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<v Speaker 1>it mean it's over. No, nothing is over until we

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<v Speaker 1>say it's over. So but this, but this is you know,

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<v Speaker 1>when you look at the negotiations on trade, you look

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<v Speaker 1>at the negotiations on Russia and Ukraine, these things take

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of time. But he's not even six months

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<v Speaker 1>in and directionally we've done some things that are far

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<v Speaker 1>far better than than they were in the Biden years.

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<v Speaker 1>But that, I think is what messes with people. But

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<v Speaker 1>I've been disappointed with a lot of people that I know,

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<v Speaker 1>of our friends. But you know, there's no horse disappointment

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<v Speaker 1>than when you work for somebody that you like and

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<v Speaker 1>then they do something you didn't agree with and you

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<v Speaker 1>were right and they were wrong, and you feel bad

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<v Speaker 1>all the way around. Hey that's my life.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've got to say I think that

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<v Speaker 2>the I think that the trends right now in the

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<v Speaker 2>Middle East are more positive than I can ever remember them, being,

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<v Speaker 2>certainly in my adult lifetime, right in the post nine

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<v Speaker 2>to eleven g watt Era, because even on things like

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<v Speaker 2>when people say, okay, well what about the proxies and

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<v Speaker 2>the terrorist I'm like, look, first of all, we're always

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<v Speaker 2>at risk from some you know, if somebody wants to

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<v Speaker 2>infiltrate a four man terror cell unfortunately across our southern

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<v Speaker 2>border of the last four years, you know, that's a risk, right,

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<v Speaker 2>that's the thing that they can do. But that will

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<v Speaker 2>just kill a bunch of innocent people, which is horrible,

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<v Speaker 2>But it's not going to change the military calculus that

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<v Speaker 2>of what's going on with the Israelis in the Middle East, right,

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<v Speaker 2>So that doesn't. But also on top of that, Hamas

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<v Speaker 2>and Hesbola are in the worst position they've been, which

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<v Speaker 2>are the primary proxies. I think that we're usually concerned

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<v Speaker 2>about the Middle East, we talking about Iran. They're in

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<v Speaker 2>the worst position they've been in since I can remember.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, the pay people. Things have gone so well

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<v Speaker 2>with the airstrikes, Steve that the pager operation against Hesbola,

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<v Speaker 2>which is the most incredible intelligence operation I can think of.

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<v Speaker 2>No one even seems to remember.

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<v Speaker 1>Completely agree, Yeah, completely agree, I know. And so I

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<v Speaker 1>think it partially comes down to people who have lived honestly,

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<v Speaker 1>and there are some who don't live honestly in the

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<v Speaker 1>national security world know that we don't ever get the

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<v Speaker 1>luxury of zero risk, and there's always in several different places,

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<v Speaker 1>terrible things that could happen in an instance, and we

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<v Speaker 1>work against, we hope against. It's just sort of a

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<v Speaker 1>management process. But if you look at how you know,

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<v Speaker 1>some people say, well, but could strike back in our homeland. Yeah, well,

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<v Speaker 1>we always have to watch out for things like that.

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<v Speaker 1>But you know, the risk in that was pretty severe

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<v Speaker 1>without Israel having done anything against Iran, without the US

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<v Speaker 1>having done anything against Iran, and that's courtesy of the

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<v Speaker 1>Biden years of letting a whole host of unknown people

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<v Speaker 1>into our country. But the best way to mitigate those

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<v Speaker 1>things is sort of what the Israelis have done and

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<v Speaker 1>what I think a broader coalition of people need to

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<v Speaker 1>do is one by one you lessen the capabilities of

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<v Speaker 1>the bad actors. You get the Chinas and the Russians

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<v Speaker 1>to think maybe they want to back off, and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe they're not all in for their Iranian pals. The

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<v Speaker 1>Iranian pals aren't able to fuel those subordinates, and you

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<v Speaker 1>have a demonstration effect by the president being decisive. It

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<v Speaker 1>was always thought it was a little bit ridiculous for

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<v Speaker 1>people to say, oh, Donald Trump is going to get

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<v Speaker 1>us into Worldorld War three or some kind of protracted

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<v Speaker 1>a commitment. I mean, having B two's fly over and

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<v Speaker 1>shake the earth is profoundly different than sending ground forces anywhere.

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<v Speaker 1>And so if anything this I mean. And also I've

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<v Speaker 1>just loved, loved, loved the idea of how many people

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<v Speaker 1>are sol hurt by not being told in advance this

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<v Speaker 1>was happening, and I thought Scott Jennings actually had it

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<v Speaker 1>perfectly summed up. The way you guard against leak is

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<v Speaker 1>you don't talk against talk to leakers again, so you

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<v Speaker 1>sort of tell where the leaks were coming from based

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<v Speaker 1>on who the president and his top team didn't talk to.

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<v Speaker 2>You'll appreciate it before and I mean, two hours before

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<v Speaker 2>the Israeli strikes kicked off, I was with the President

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<v Speaker 2>and then right next to the Oval with the whole

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<v Speaker 2>you know, your old your old office, I mean the

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<v Speaker 2>NSC and uh talking to all those different folks, and

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<v Speaker 2>it was funny because everything was very you know, we

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<v Speaker 2>were off the record, but I mean we're talking about

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<v Speaker 2>all kinds of national security stuff and everything was pretty

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<v Speaker 2>you know, oh yeah, we can talk about this week.

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<v Speaker 1>You know.

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<v Speaker 2>I had a on the not on the record content,

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<v Speaker 2>but on the record meeting with Tulsi Gabber, the d

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<v Speaker 2>and I and all these different folks I talked to

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<v Speaker 2>you just in general. The second remember, hours before these

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<v Speaker 2>really strike, if if I even mentioned the word Iran,

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<v Speaker 2>it was you know, it was all of a sudden. Ever,

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<v Speaker 2>it kind of just like got really they're like, oh,

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<v Speaker 2>but you know, I even had one I won't say

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<v Speaker 2>who it was. I one person who had just said,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, what's the what's the temperature like with Iran

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<v Speaker 2>right now? Because I'm getting a sense that things might

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<v Speaker 2>be you know, there's some chatter up, things heating up, whatever,

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<v Speaker 2>And it was, well, I can't separate the classified from

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<v Speaker 2>the unclassified, so I can't make further comment. I remember

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<v Speaker 2>my head tell yeah, I I remember thinking, okay, so

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<v Speaker 2>we're going in like this is happening. So yeah, no

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<v Speaker 2>surprise there, Yeah, it's h they were, they were very

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<v Speaker 2>Everyone was very quiet about it for sure. So it's

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<v Speaker 2>gone much. I will say this has gone better even

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<v Speaker 2>than I had anticipated in terms of the retaliatory response

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<v Speaker 2>to Iran. The fact that Tehran were and I believe

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<v Speaker 2>it told us that they were going to fire or

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<v Speaker 2>missiles at our base in this show of force thing.

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<v Speaker 2>Clearly they can't do any military to military damage to US.

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<v Speaker 2>Their only option is terrorism. And look, you know, I

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<v Speaker 2>think people need to remember also October seventh, what Hamas

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<v Speaker 2>did in Israel was it was the Israeli nine to eleven.

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<v Speaker 2>That was the let's just go out and kill as

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<v Speaker 2>many civilians as possible approach to things. And I think

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<v Speaker 2>people can look back historically, will look back historically and

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<v Speaker 2>think that was maybe the biggest strategic miscalculation that Hamas

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<v Speaker 2>has ever made among many, right, I mean, among a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of areas and blunders, but I think they just

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<v Speaker 2>they they completely they missed it. They don't understand you

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<v Speaker 2>do something like that, and the First World armies of

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<v Speaker 2>the of civilization they take the gloves off.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I agree with that. I also think it exposed

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<v Speaker 1>more because we had had rental mobs and agitators for

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<v Speaker 1>years doing destructive things in the United States, and as

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<v Speaker 1>long as it was domestic politics, it kind of hid

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<v Speaker 1>who was up to what. But after October seventh, the

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<v Speaker 1>flash mobs were immediately holding up Hamas and Palestinian flags

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<v Speaker 1>and things like that. It made very very clear, I

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<v Speaker 1>think to a lot of sane America that holy crap,

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<v Speaker 1>this is something different. This is not organic, this is

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<v Speaker 1>not American.

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<v Speaker 2>There were people they were still burying the dead in Israel.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, you know, women and children and the elderly

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<v Speaker 2>burying the dead, and you and people in this country

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<v Speaker 2>calling for a ceasefire. A cease fire before the Israelis

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<v Speaker 2>had even been able to fire or shot in response

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<v Speaker 2>to that is the most disingenuous. I mean, this is

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<v Speaker 2>like if a guy ran into a bar, punched the

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<v Speaker 2>first person the face he saw, and then when the

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<v Speaker 2>guy went to hit him back, he goes, hold on

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<v Speaker 2>a second, ceasefire. No, that's not how this works.

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<v Speaker 1>It's peace and love. Brother, Come on.

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<v Speaker 2>But I mean the ceasefire talk was just but you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm actually in a sense, I think it was good

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<v Speaker 2>that they did that because it showed the same people

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<v Speaker 2>saying ceasefire are the same people who have been saying

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<v Speaker 2>there's a genocide in Gaza as things move along, are

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<v Speaker 2>the same people who are saying that were violating international

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<v Speaker 2>norms by striking Iran. They really actually just root for

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<v Speaker 2>the bad guys. I mean, they're really actually just on.

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<v Speaker 1>I agree, Yeah, yeah, very very clarifying. The other the

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<v Speaker 1>other thing was after October seventh, somewhere along the lines. Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>there was, there were some back and forth. Of course,

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<v Speaker 1>the Israelis have done some incredible things by way of

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<v Speaker 1>human intelligence, embedding themselves into their enemy in ways that

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<v Speaker 1>the entire world ought to learn.

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<v Speaker 2>Can I just kind of jumped in really quickly with

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<v Speaker 2>this because you had you had a TS and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>secret squirrel clearance. I had a T S Secret squirrel clearance.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, we saw some interesting stuff back in the day.

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<v Speaker 2>I've never seen anything like one with the Israelis pulled

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<v Speaker 2>off with hesbe Lah obvious, I don't think anyone's seeing that.

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<v Speaker 2>But also it's like they mapped out I mean, Stephen,

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<v Speaker 2>they they did missile strikes on nuclear scientists at home

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<v Speaker 2>in apartment buildings and only killed the scientists. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>this is like it's like they had the whole playbook

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<v Speaker 2>of how they were going to take out all the

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<v Speaker 2>guys they wanted to take out.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I think they literally did have the playbook, and

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<v Speaker 1>they had people that were trusted and at the side

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<v Speaker 1>of some pretty key leaders. So they ended up with

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<v Speaker 1>the intelligence, the necessary knowledge, but then the precision and

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<v Speaker 1>the discipline to deliver on what they aimed to do.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean the visuals of seeing a hole in the

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<v Speaker 1>side of a condo building that only fried the unit

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<v Speaker 1>the bad guy was in. That is otherworldly. That is

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<v Speaker 1>the stuff of movies that we wouldn't believe if we

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<v Speaker 1>read the script, and so it was really really amazing.

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<v Speaker 1>Plus they had an exchange of missiles. So Iran launched

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<v Speaker 1>some missiles in the direction of Israel, like a year

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<v Speaker 1>ago or something like that, and the Israelis were able

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<v Speaker 1>to learn from that when they retaliated the state of

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<v Speaker 1>Iran's air defenses. Iran had bought a lot of air

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<v Speaker 1>defense capabilities from several different sources, Chinese, the Russians, others,

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<v Speaker 1>and on paper it could have been scary. We had

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<v Speaker 1>to have some uncertainty, so did the Israelis. But I

0:12:32.417 --> 0:12:35.577
<v Speaker 1>think the Israelis learned a lot more than the average

0:12:35.617 --> 0:12:40.297
<v Speaker 1>bear about the vulnerability that Tehran and other places had

0:12:40.577 --> 0:12:45.577
<v Speaker 1>when they saw their missile counter strikes succeed and that

0:12:45.697 --> 0:12:48.857
<v Speaker 1>led them to know they could conduct deeper operations. So

0:12:48.897 --> 0:12:52.657
<v Speaker 1>they had the playbook, they had some technical tests, but

0:12:52.737 --> 0:12:57.017
<v Speaker 1>then they also had the gumption to give it a go,

0:12:57.297 --> 0:12:59.297
<v Speaker 1>and they had their reasons for it. Now we also

0:12:59.337 --> 0:13:01.657
<v Speaker 1>have people you've talked about some people on our side

0:13:01.657 --> 0:13:04.657
<v Speaker 1>that got spun up in different ways. You'll talk about,

0:13:05.137 --> 0:13:08.457
<v Speaker 1>you know, the Israelis leading us in a direction or

0:13:08.497 --> 0:13:13.057
<v Speaker 1>to us, you know, doing these things for Israel. I

0:13:13.097 --> 0:13:15.577
<v Speaker 1>don't know. I'm old enough to remember four hundred and

0:13:15.577 --> 0:13:20.257
<v Speaker 1>forty four days, and I'm old enough to remember marine

0:13:20.337 --> 0:13:24.217
<v Speaker 1>barracks and other kinds of things getting blown up. There

0:13:24.337 --> 0:13:26.537
<v Speaker 1>is and I also, you know, we can before or

0:13:26.657 --> 0:13:29.697
<v Speaker 1>against the Iraq War. I certainly have a lot of

0:13:30.057 --> 0:13:34.297
<v Speaker 1>questions and criticisms of how things were conducted after major

0:13:34.337 --> 0:13:40.017
<v Speaker 1>military operations were done at the initial phase. Lots and

0:13:40.057 --> 0:13:43.937
<v Speaker 1>lots of criticisms and questions. But no matter what, there's

0:13:43.977 --> 0:13:48.137
<v Speaker 1>a lot of Iranian ordinance that killed Americans during that war.

0:13:49.097 --> 0:13:52.337
<v Speaker 1>So you know, there's any number of reasons why a

0:13:52.417 --> 0:13:56.537
<v Speaker 1>decisive action would be justified just on American interests. And again,

0:13:56.817 --> 0:13:58.977
<v Speaker 1>I similarly to a lot of these people, I don't

0:13:58.977 --> 0:14:02.937
<v Speaker 1>want to protracted war. But this was striking at distance

0:14:03.017 --> 0:14:06.777
<v Speaker 1>and with stealth, and that I think for the timbers

0:14:06.937 --> 0:14:08.457
<v Speaker 1>of Russia, Russia and China.

0:14:08.537 --> 0:14:11.097
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, remarkably successful. Let's come back and actually talk next

0:14:11.137 --> 0:14:12.977
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<v Speaker 2>All right, So now Trump doesn't really need to hear

0:15:27.457 --> 0:15:30.097
<v Speaker 2>the lectures from the chattering class over like no nation building.

0:15:30.097 --> 0:15:32.057
<v Speaker 2>I think he's pretty clear on that. And I also

0:15:32.057 --> 0:15:34.617
<v Speaker 2>think he's a little like like like the dad who's

0:15:34.657 --> 0:15:36.777
<v Speaker 2>been paying all the bills who now has people chirping

0:15:36.777 --> 0:15:38.857
<v Speaker 2>at him about like, how do you know he's got it?

0:15:38.897 --> 0:15:42.457
<v Speaker 2>You know he's figured this out? Yeah, Like, well, what

0:15:42.497 --> 0:15:45.977
<v Speaker 2>do you think is next here? For? If thing go

0:15:46.137 --> 0:15:48.497
<v Speaker 2>the way that we would like them too? Because I

0:15:48.497 --> 0:15:51.657
<v Speaker 2>I'm always very I would to say, I don't know

0:15:51.657 --> 0:15:53.617
<v Speaker 2>if cynical is the word, but I just feel like,

0:15:53.657 --> 0:15:58.817
<v Speaker 2>look Asad had suicide bombers infiltrating pretty much his inner

0:15:58.857 --> 0:16:01.497
<v Speaker 2>circle in like twenty twelve, and it looked like they

0:16:01.497 --> 0:16:02.777
<v Speaker 2>were going to get him in any a, you know,

0:16:02.897 --> 0:16:07.217
<v Speaker 2>lasted another decade in change right under tremendous pressure and

0:16:07.297 --> 0:16:10.257
<v Speaker 2>managed to just sort of slither out and last and

0:16:10.377 --> 0:16:13.377
<v Speaker 2>what is he now? He's living in Russia? Right, I'm

0:16:13.417 --> 0:16:15.257
<v Speaker 2>not as convinced as some others that this is the

0:16:15.297 --> 0:16:18.737
<v Speaker 2>death knell of the Ayatolas at all. But so then

0:16:18.857 --> 0:16:21.577
<v Speaker 2>if that is the case, what is the best like,

0:16:21.657 --> 0:16:25.137
<v Speaker 2>what's the best realistic option for what happens in Iran

0:16:25.297 --> 0:16:27.737
<v Speaker 2>without without US pushing regime change?

0:16:28.857 --> 0:16:32.217
<v Speaker 1>Yeah? Well, I mean, I would confess over the arc

0:16:32.297 --> 0:16:36.417
<v Speaker 1>of my life, I've been disillusioned about the nature of

0:16:36.457 --> 0:16:40.177
<v Speaker 1>authoritarian and brutal regimes. They have a stickiness that is

0:16:40.257 --> 0:16:41.977
<v Speaker 1>very very disappointing, very good.

0:16:41.977 --> 0:16:44.217
<v Speaker 2>Staying in power. That's like the main thing they want

0:16:44.257 --> 0:16:46.177
<v Speaker 2>to do, yeah, yeah.

0:16:46.137 --> 0:16:49.137
<v Speaker 1>And willing to do anything, and so they have escalatory

0:16:49.177 --> 0:16:51.977
<v Speaker 1>dominance over anyone who wants to challenge them in many,

0:16:52.057 --> 0:16:55.297
<v Speaker 1>many cases. You know. The one that seared in my

0:16:55.457 --> 0:17:01.057
<v Speaker 1>mind was the absolute universe of intelligence services in the

0:17:01.137 --> 0:17:04.057
<v Speaker 1>US and the entire world saying that the North Korean

0:17:04.097 --> 0:17:07.457
<v Speaker 1>regime was on its deathbed in the nineties, and it was.

0:17:07.497 --> 0:17:11.817
<v Speaker 1>It was overwhelming evidence, and there was mass starvation, right,

0:17:11.857 --> 0:17:12.897
<v Speaker 1>So you can look at this and be like, oh,

0:17:13.057 --> 0:17:15.777
<v Speaker 1>there's no way that people. It's hard for starving people

0:17:15.777 --> 0:17:20.537
<v Speaker 1>to overthrow a huge military apparatus. Yeah, And then you

0:17:20.577 --> 0:17:24.177
<v Speaker 1>think of, you know, the regimes now have tools that

0:17:24.457 --> 0:17:28.177
<v Speaker 1>the people back then could only imagine. And so yeah,

0:17:28.217 --> 0:17:34.337
<v Speaker 1>I would love it if the Iran pre revolution had

0:17:34.377 --> 0:17:37.017
<v Speaker 1>a second go of things. That would be a beautiful

0:17:37.057 --> 0:17:39.937
<v Speaker 1>thing to witness. It would be great if the history

0:17:40.017 --> 0:17:43.297
<v Speaker 1>of the Persian Empire could kind of give some of

0:17:43.337 --> 0:17:47.497
<v Speaker 1>those good civilizational qualities back to this war torn part

0:17:47.577 --> 0:17:50.417
<v Speaker 1>of this planet. But I'm not going to hold my

0:17:50.457 --> 0:17:53.057
<v Speaker 1>breath on that. And I think that what President Trump

0:17:53.137 --> 0:17:55.897
<v Speaker 1>has been doing, he's hit a lot of major reset buttons.

0:17:56.337 --> 0:17:58.857
<v Speaker 1>But one of the major reset buttons is a true

0:17:58.897 --> 0:18:02.937
<v Speaker 1>sense of realism and foreign policy, and that really focuses

0:18:03.017 --> 0:18:05.417
<v Speaker 1>less on the nature of the state and more on

0:18:05.537 --> 0:18:08.777
<v Speaker 1>containing the malign influences and seeing if you can negotiate

0:18:09.177 --> 0:18:14.217
<v Speaker 1>a more stable balance point for our interactions with different countries.

0:18:14.617 --> 0:18:16.657
<v Speaker 1>And that's uncomfortable for a lot of people that live

0:18:16.817 --> 0:18:19.377
<v Speaker 1>in the world of black and white, complete one hundred

0:18:19.377 --> 0:18:23.897
<v Speaker 1>percent right or wrong, no gray, no middle, which is

0:18:23.897 --> 0:18:27.857
<v Speaker 1>not my life, whether it's in dealing with the family

0:18:27.897 --> 0:18:31.737
<v Speaker 1>that I love or dealing with with friends or other experiences.

0:18:31.777 --> 0:18:36.057
<v Speaker 1>There's the real world is not all or nothing, and

0:18:36.137 --> 0:18:38.977
<v Speaker 1>it's not that here either, And so I think what

0:18:39.137 --> 0:18:43.297
<v Speaker 1>President Trump has now, you've got the Abraham Accords. Countries

0:18:43.337 --> 0:18:46.737
<v Speaker 1>that probably aren't one hundred percent happy with the way

0:18:46.777 --> 0:18:50.777
<v Speaker 1>things have played out. Israel probably pretty happy, but some

0:18:50.857 --> 0:18:53.577
<v Speaker 1>of the Arab allies maybe mixed feelings. But on balance

0:18:53.777 --> 0:18:56.977
<v Speaker 1>there they didn't want Iran to have a nuclear program either.

0:18:58.017 --> 0:19:02.257
<v Speaker 1>But you have tools to manage risk better going forward,

0:19:02.297 --> 0:19:06.857
<v Speaker 1>and a lot of motivation to do it. Trump pushes prosperity,

0:19:07.457 --> 0:19:11.257
<v Speaker 1>and people might downplay that, but it is a useful

0:19:11.297 --> 0:19:14.657
<v Speaker 1>and good tool. It doesn't work all the time perfectly.

0:19:14.697 --> 0:19:17.577
<v Speaker 1>I think US China relations are the best counter example

0:19:18.057 --> 0:19:22.617
<v Speaker 1>to prosperity. Doctrine doesn't solve all your national security woes,

0:19:22.617 --> 0:19:24.577
<v Speaker 1>and you have to watch out, but it's a lot

0:19:24.737 --> 0:19:30.017
<v Speaker 1>safer set of options than having a theocratic totalitarian regime

0:19:30.097 --> 0:19:33.697
<v Speaker 1>with a bunch of violent terrorist proxies. So we're in

0:19:33.737 --> 0:19:37.617
<v Speaker 1>a different set of tools. He's also really focused on

0:19:38.137 --> 0:19:42.777
<v Speaker 1>arming and enabling independent capabilities among our allies so that

0:19:42.817 --> 0:19:46.377
<v Speaker 1>they can over time take a lead with this this

0:19:46.457 --> 0:19:50.777
<v Speaker 1>stupid talk of closing the straits of Hormuz, that that

0:19:51.337 --> 0:19:55.817
<v Speaker 1>shivered the timbers of the Chinese they flowing.

0:19:55.817 --> 0:19:57.497
<v Speaker 2>They're not gonna They're not gonna say, yeah, you know what,

0:19:57.537 --> 0:20:00.377
<v Speaker 2>guys to stop selling us your oil. That's not gonna help.

0:20:01.257 --> 0:20:03.937
<v Speaker 1>So here's a big country that wants to be your friend,

0:20:03.977 --> 0:20:06.377
<v Speaker 1>and your peeing in their teerios. Come on, you can't

0:20:06.457 --> 0:20:06.897
<v Speaker 1>do this.

0:20:07.377 --> 0:20:10.857
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and that sounds even better in the original Chinese.

0:20:10.937 --> 0:20:11.697
<v Speaker 2>You know, that's.

0:20:13.577 --> 0:20:18.857
<v Speaker 1>The classical Chinese modern Yeah, exactly, it's more poetic in

0:20:18.897 --> 0:20:19.657
<v Speaker 1>the old language.

0:20:19.697 --> 0:20:21.217
<v Speaker 2>I mean, look, I mean, maybe we have to do

0:20:21.257 --> 0:20:22.617
<v Speaker 2>a follow up to this, Steve, when we say, oh

0:20:22.657 --> 0:20:24.377
<v Speaker 2>my gosh, you know, who knew that Iran had that

0:20:24.417 --> 0:20:26.217
<v Speaker 2>ace up their sleeve? I think the chance of that

0:20:26.337 --> 0:20:29.217
<v Speaker 2>is like a less than one percent, so so far,

0:20:29.297 --> 0:20:31.617
<v Speaker 2>to me, it seems like a remarkable success where we are.

0:20:31.657 --> 0:20:33.617
<v Speaker 2>We will do a follow up, but we're doing this

0:20:33.777 --> 0:20:38.177
<v Speaker 2>was our Middle East Yates deep dive. We'll do as

0:20:38.497 --> 0:20:41.497
<v Speaker 2>a East Asia deep dive next time we talk. Stevin

0:20:41.577 --> 0:20:45.177
<v Speaker 2>Yates over at the Heritage Foundation. Steven Alway, appreciate you man,

0:20:45.217 --> 0:20:45.817
<v Speaker 2>Thank you so much.

0:20:46.177 --> 0:20:47.257
<v Speaker 1>Take good care. Thank you. Buck