April 17, 2021
An Incisive and Fun Chat with Troy Senik
Our own Troy Senik, former Presidential Speechwriter, Editor in Chief of Ricochet, and current Co-Founder and Vice President for Content at Kite and Key Media, drops by to talk about the intersection of public policy with his new endeavor at Kite & Key. But perhaps the best facet of this conversation is, simply, two friends enjoying a conversation that ranges from various approaches to... Source
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Podcasting from Memphis, Tennessee. He's
a soldier, storyteller, historian, and
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maybe a bit of a hell raisers
and enjoy It's Dave Carter. Are you
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net worry? Then we're locked and
loaded and ready to go. Hey,
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folks, I'm Dave Carter. I
mean, can you imagine anyone else taking
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on the job of being me?
I mean, who would want to in
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the first place. Anyway, it's
a treat, a treat, indeed,
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to welcome you to the show today. Thank you for being here, for
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listening in and watching with us.
We've been gone a little while. A
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lot has been going on behind the
scenes, like, oh, I don't
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know, a day job, for
example, paying the bills, you know
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that kind of thing. It's in
retail my day job. As you may
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know, the stimulus checks hit a
couple three weeks ago, and people are
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in an absolute panic to get rid
of all that money that's in their accounts
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now less they actually, you know, save up a little bit in case
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something goes wrong at some point.
We can't have that, so they're in
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a hurry to get rid of it. So then go back living paycheck to
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paycheck, teetering on the brink of
financial disaster, which is good news for
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US retailers. Right, So the
store I work at man we have been
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as busy as a mosquito on a
nude beach. That may not be the
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best analogy. In fact, that
analogy kind of sucks, I guess,
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but then so does the mosquitos.
So anyway, you get the idea.
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But I think you'll find the weight
here to have been worth it. Because
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a Ricochet favorite and my favorite,
Troy Senek, will be along with us
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and we'll bit to talk about his
latest adventure, which is actually an exciting
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initiative and a project in which he's
recruited some of the best researchers and the
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best minds out there in an effort
to explore some of the questions that nag
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at us every now and then,
whether it be great big volcanoes and the
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kind of damage they can do there
was They did a video even of the
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effect on crime of seemingly innocuous things
like increasing street lighting in certain parts of
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town and how what the impact that
has on the crime rate. So it's
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not necessarily an ideological mission that they're
on. They're just taking the things that
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we talk about around the water cooler
or wherever and exploring it in depth and
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giving us information that for the most
part a lot of us had no idea
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about. And then we get the
discide from there, but we think about
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it, but at least the research
has been done. It's in compelling video
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three figure so minute video snips and
the video the film is unbelievable, the
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videography, the graphics, the narrations. Troy or narrate some of this stuff.
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So that's really really good. So
we'll be getting into more of that
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with Troy here in just a minute. But speaking of retail, it's been
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my experience and probably probably yours as
well, that when you advertise a big
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sale, let's say, a fifty
percent off sale Black Friday, just to
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take that as an example, you
can anticipate when you do that, a
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lot of people will be at the
store right places is going to be crowded
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when on that particular day. If
you work at the store as I did,
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for example, where every New Year's
Day they have dramatic reductions, there'll
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be a forty percent reduction and for
example, in the items that are already
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marked down sixty five percent, so
that you can walk out of the place
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with high end merchandise at flea market
prices. It's wonderful for the customer,
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and so you've incentivized them to maximize
their the power of their shopping dollars.
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They take advantage of that, so
they show up in great, big mobs.
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There's a standpede every New Year's Day
when the door opens, and it's
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just it's bedlam. It looks like
the sacking of Rome all day long.
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When the crowd finally leaves at the
end of the day, the store is
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thoroughly pillaged. The employees are shell
shocked, and every one customer employee alike,
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it is utterly exhausted. But you
know what doesn't happen. Absolutely no
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one in the store, customer and
not employee, not manager, none of
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them look around and say, geez, I didn't expect all that to happen,
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because it was absolutely predictable. You
knew that when you put this thing
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together right, And yet that's exactly
what's happening on America's southern border. The
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Fed's picked up just in the month
of March nineteen thousand unaccompanied children traveling across
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the Mexican border into the US.
Just in the month of March alone,
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an all time record, roughly double
the number of children that came across a
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year earlier in March of twenty twenty. Overall, the bar patrol encountered nearly
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one hundred and seventy thousand people entering
the US illegally just during the month of
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March, and they run out of
space to house them, so a great
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many of them were now being trans
supported to different venues in various cities,
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military bases, hotels on your dime, of course, but they were kept
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in such cramped quarters for so long. Now they're being dispersed about, and
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god knows how many of them are
taking COVID nineteen with them, for example,
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while the rest of us are being
locked down and made to wear face
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asking all that kind of thing.
Meanwhile, Vice President Harris has been placed
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in charge of this fiasco, an
utterly predictable one, and she has evidently
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been mute ever since. Not a
bad thing, actually. And then the
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borders are ROBERTA. Jacobson, I
believe her name is said. Nope,
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done, she's out of here.
She's had enough fun. She's walking out
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the door. No more for her. Who could have seen this coming?
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Right? Actually, anyone who has
enough sense to lock their doors at night
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could have seen this coming. When
you come into office vowing to stop construction
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on a border wall because it's inhumane, don't you see you effectively leave the
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door unlocked if you will, And
then you reverse the policies that required those
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applying for asylum here to stay in
Mexico pending the adjudication of their case.
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When you tell these folks they'll be
welcomed into the country, there will be
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jobs and free education, and free
benefits and free healthcare and all kinds of
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nice things. What exactly do you
think is going to happen that which you
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subsidize you get more of? I
mean, Ray Charles could have seen this
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coming. And yet the folks who
claim to know best how to order our
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lives and spend our income, our
earnings, and because they are so much
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smarter than the rest of us,
don't you know, have been caught flat
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footed. They are positively dumb struck
as to how to handle a humanitarian crisis
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which they created. Did you see
the video of those two children that were
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just literally dropped, practically thrown over
the wall into the US two small children,
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or the video that of the border
patrol guy who encountered a youngster of
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just last week, I believe it
was who was here all alone because by
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himself in the desert, no one
to help, not knowing what was going
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on, crying his eyes out.
Or a week or so ago, I
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believe that we had a small child
eight years old I believed drowned, and
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the rio grand trieding to get over
here, families back home. They dispatched
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the kid. When the guy who
sits in the office that used to be
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occupied by leaders of the free world
rolls out the welcome meant to everyone,
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don't be surprised if everyone, including
a few terrorists, come over. It
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doesn't surprise me. In fact,
none of it surprises me, because it's
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so predictable that I predicted it.
What does surprise me, what just dumbfounds
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me are the Americans who cheered when
this administration came into power, who now
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have grown as silent as statues while
all this is happening. They lose their
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voice, They forget how to applaud
when their accomplishments happen. Come on,
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folks, all the devotees of the
high Church of wokeness and cultural suicide take
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credit where you've earned it where it's
due. Is ess not what they wanted.
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They knew it was coming because a
lot of people told them what would
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happen, and still they persisted out
of their hatred for one man. So
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I think a curtain call is an
order to take a bottle, and while
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they're taking about, stay in that
position for a while longer, because a
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lot more is coming our way,
so to speak. The Senate filibuster hangs
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by the skin of Joe Manchion's teeth, and with it the rights of legislative
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minorities. The administration has begun the
process by which they intend to pack the
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Supreme Court with as many justices as
it takes to assure a progressive hegemony and
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the destruction of the separation of powers. And the sanctions it had crippled her
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on and kept them in line for
a while are being lifted, of course.
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And after months of standing down your
cities, your businesses were being torched
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and looted, and innocent people were
being dragged out of their vehicles and beaten
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senseless. After months of defunding and
de moralizing the police, which resulted in
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more innocent blood being shed, with
skyrocketing homicide rates and assaults. The same
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people that left you vulnerable to all
of that, who couldn't be bothered to
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protect you, are now going to
make it even harder for you to protect
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yourself, because that's what happens when
you go from America first to Americans last.
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But hey, there's no mean tweets
being twittered out of the White House,
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so it's all good, right,
all the mayhem the streets, the
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full of chaos, the chaos on
the board of tens of thousands of jobs
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already lost, the million more jobs
predicted to be lost as Joe Biden's tax
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increases take effect, with Americans losing
their jobs while people who are here illegally
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claimed benefits that you get stuck with
the bill for. It's all worth it,
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right, way to go, take
a bow, But don't worry about
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claiming your prize, because your prize
is going to claim you and the rest
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of us, our kids, our
grandkids, will all suffer a loss of
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liberty, dignity, and ameni instences
their very lives to the rule of incompetent,
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totalitary little misfits who have this stupid
audacity to presume to order you around
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like you were born with a ring
through your nose, made to be led,
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made to be ruled, and judging
from the election results, I guess
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enough of you apparently fit that description
to tank the place. See this is
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This is why I don't dwell on
this too much normally when I do a
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podcast, because I get too irritated
about it, and I probably shouldn't.
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But I'm passionate about the country which
multiple generations of my family served in the
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military to defend, in which I
spent twenty years defending. I'm not too
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keen to see it administer a self
lobotomy and implode. But here we are.
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So let's just chalk it up to
a moment, a momentary candor on
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my part, to borrow a phrase
from Stephen Tyler, dancing on a land
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mine. But we'll turn down the
temperature here a little bit and turn up
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the fun as we cool things off
a little and relax and enjoy a much
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needed conversation where they're really really has
now. If you don't know Troy Synek,
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then here let me read the bio
that I found on his new website,
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Kite and Key Media. It says, quote Troy synec is the co
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founder and Vice president for Content at
Kite and Key Media. He's been a
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White House speechwriter, a think tank
executive, a newspaper columnist, a podcaster,
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and a Jeopardy champion. He is
currently at work on a biography of
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President Grover Cleveland, meaning that he
will soon be able to add guest on
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c Span three to his list of
accolades. That book he's working on,
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by the way, if I haven't
correct, is called a Man of Iron
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The Turbulent Life and air Improbable Presidency
Grover Cleveland. Now, if you haven't
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noticed, Troy can be wonderfully self
deprecating, at times charmingly so, but
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he has a one full gift for
eloquence, which he's used to help others,
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including including President George W. Bush, Arnold Schwarzeneggern Gingrich, and a
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whole host of writers at the Manhattan
Institute and also at Ricochet when he was
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our writitor in chief. They're even
helping yours truly here. He holds several
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podcasts on Ricochet and over at the
Hoover Institute, and those shows feature distinguished
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scholars, historians, accomplished academics.
And then he obviously got drunk and ended
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up here today talking with me.
So Troit cheers, Dave. Good to
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see again, my friend. That
is an incredibly unfair introduction because I'm going
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to do nothing but disappoint, right, I just don't see to be generous.
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Don't see that happening. Not not, not in the least. And
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if so, we'll switch over to
c SPAN. Right. So, but
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thank you, thank you for taking
the time to appear on the proworm,
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and hopefully you'll leave here with your
reputation at least somewhat intact. I can't
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take much. My mom in law
and Shelley, of course, in their
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regards. Uh, they know I'm
talking to you, and they're they're all
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jealous. So you left, you
left the Manhattan Institute a little while back.
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Now, are you still living in
the seventh Circle of Dante? I
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mean, are you still living in
the New York area. It's got it's
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gotten worse days because as you know, I was in your adopted home state
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of Tennessee before I came, right, I remember that I didn't think they
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would leave. I don't mean that
is a bad thing. I thought,
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you know, I didn't intend to. I was very happy being in Nashville.
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And then I got this unexpected sort
of offer out of the blue from
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the Manhattan Institute back in twenty fifteen
and tried to see if there was a
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way that I could work it remotely. And there was just no way too,
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because I was I was managing all
the scholars. It just wasn't a
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thing that you could do from,
you know, your basement in a bathrobe,
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which is how I would have been
doing it. So I came up
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here, but ahead of your time, so um allergic that I lived on
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forty acres in the woods in Nashville. So the last thing that I was
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going to do was come to midtown
Manhattan. So I lived about as far
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out as you can in Connecticut and
now Dave. Even though I'm no longer
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at the Manhattan Institute, not only
am I still in the greater New York
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area, I have managed to make
it much worse for myself, which is
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I live in a high rise in
New Jersey. Oh. So this is
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devolution. So you really are drunk? Okay, Wow, I feel I
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feel a little liberated though, because
when I was at the Manhattan Institute,
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the history of the Institute is so
wound up with the history of New York
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City and the work that they did
with Giuliani on crime, and all this
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work they continue to do on New
York. So if you are at the
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institute, you know you always had
to reflect on the majesty of New York
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City and how important the work was. And now that I'm out of it,
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I feel free to say it's a
nightmare, like I really don't.
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I really kind of hate it here, so I don't think I've heared it
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a long term but alas I am
still in the New York area. When
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Shelley and I were dating, and
I was still driving eighteen wheelers across the
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country, I had to go from
the northern Connecticut down through New York City
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and on further south, and in
an eighteen wheeler, I mean, it's
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just a nightmare to drive to take
ninety five and do that whole deal over
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the bridge and GW Bridge and all
that stuff. And I was gonna say
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a little Catholic prayer because I was
in the middle of converting to Catholicism,
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so I want to get this right. And I could not remember, you
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know what Saint controls traffic. I
don't know. I couldn't. I couldn't
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figure it out. So I'm like
calling all Saints, calling all Saints,
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kid me for this place. You
know. So now, well, now
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with Kit and Key media, you
found a niche it seems in the national
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conversation that really I think needed some
attention. You guys focus on the sort
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of questions that we all ask ourselves, right, the things that we're curious
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about and talk to each other about. And you've got a group of researchers
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there. So so tell me,
if you will please, from your perspective,
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how what you how would you describe
the mission of Kinde and Key and
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what it's primarily focused on. It
was sort of motivated by my experience at
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the Manhattan Institute and with other thing
tanks. As you mentioned. I've worked
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with the Hoover Institution too, because
think tanks are very good at reaching elite
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audiences. They're very good at getting
to policymakers, members of Congress, getting
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stuff on the opinion page of the
Wall Street Journal. Those were the things
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that we would count as victories when
I was at the Manhattan Institute, and
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they felt good. But then I
would go home and I talked to my
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family members or my friends, people
who were sort of immersed in this world,
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and you realize that whatever they had
seen on Instagram or Facebook or YouTube
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had much more influence than they never
picked up the Wall Street Journal, you
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know. And then when you looked
at the content that existed in those places,
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on the online platforms, the kinds
of things they were consuming, they
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you know, they're so brutally oversimplified, or they or they operate from such
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erroneous from such erroneous suppositions that you
just feel like, you know, there's
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a lot of people who are consuming
a lot of media thinking that it's making
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them smarter, and it's probably they
would have been better off consuming nothing.
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And it used to be that these
sort of elite institutions, whether they were
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the think tanks or to some degree
the Academy, this stuff would kind of
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bleed down into broadcast media or print
media, and you'd get a sort of
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oversimplified but still functionally correct version of
it, and then there'd be sort of
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the next level where it went down
to the grass root. It's kind of
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like a xerox of a zero.
Every layer, you'd lose some precision,
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but people would still have a good
understanding of policy topics. And we just
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felt like it had gone away.
So our idea was, you can't actually
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do this. You can't try to
educate the public directly from a think tank,
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because think tanks are full of PhDs
who are just going to get in
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their own way when they're trying to
explain something to, you know, someone
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in a diner. Right, So, my background, having been a speechwriter,
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having been a columnist, having been
somebody whose entire life has been about
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trying to simplify and make things clear, we thought, let's just cut out
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the mentalman, and let's just take
all this great research that's being done in
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think tanks or academic institutions, wrap
it up and synthesize it for a general
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audience, and try to do it
in a way that's visually arresting, that's
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sort of a magazine style, and
try to do it with a sense of
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humor. And I mean, I
call it the pill pocket approach. Right,
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if you've got a dog and you've
got to give them the pill,
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you put it in the little thing. And so this is not supposed to
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feel burdensome or like you're watching a
documentary. They're five to seven minute videos
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that we hope you know they're I
think necessary to get people to understand these
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issues. Not sufficient. We'd love
if people went back and actually read the
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underlying material. But if you're only
going to give five minutes to the kinds
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of issues we do, we hope
we can get you started on it.
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Okay, Well, the thing is
a marvelous success so far. Now you're
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you're the co founder of Kite and
Key and vice president for content. The
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other co founder of Vanessa Mendoza also
has had a distinguished career leading public policy
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research efforts. She's co founder and
CEO, so she must be. She
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must be a wonderful partner because she
gave you the better end of the deal.
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Vice president for Content. Actually,
it does sound like a lot of
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fun. Is it as fun as
it sounds? Oh, it's a ton
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of fun. I mean what it
basically comes down to is the division of
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labor as she handles all of the
business stuff, which she's fantastic at.
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We work together at the Manhattan Institute. She used to be the executive vice
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president Institute. Okay, and we're
nonprofit, so she does most of the
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fundraising, She does all the strategic
planning, she oversees all the marketing that
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I get to sit around and think
what could we write about today? I
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get to sit around and because there
are not enough people supervising me, get
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to say, what if we did
a video about super volcanoes and there's no
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one reading there to say no.
I mean, this is an extra ordinary
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and frankly reckless amount of power to
give someone like me. I agree,
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but but I think it's a great
I think so far. You know,
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you know, whatever you're drinking,
keep drinking it because it's it's it's working
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out keeping the lid. Yeah right, h I've got I've got some good
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Cajun coffee here. Now this is
a different mug. It's in a hell
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of a mug. Yeah, it
says more coffee, less commies, if
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we were being grammatically correct, would
be fewer comedies. But screw it.
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It's just you know, this is
this is good chickory coffee. So have
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put hair on your teeth, you
know, and it's it's good for you.
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And I stopped stirring at the spoon. Just stands up straight in the
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cup. See this, tear off
a slice and all it's great stuff.
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Now I'd get a little reading up
on you. Um, and I can't
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what I mean you did a little
reading up on I mean, how long
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have I known you? Dave?
What reading up? When? Did you
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just recently found find out what what
air Force based? I've retired from,
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So these things eke out over time, right, that's a good So I
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came across a twenty and eighteen interview
in which you talked about the role of
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a presidential speechwriter and you said that
they quote must be able to distill complicated
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ideas and a short, pithy and
intelligible formulations for people who just don't have
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enough time to go deeper. So
it seems like kite and Key becomes a
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realization of that whole train of fault
that you had going back then, Zach.
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Was that fair? Yeah, it's
fair. It's it's just been it's
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been just getting for a long time. You know, I'll give you I'll
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give you a version of this just
occurred to me when you said it when
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I first came on at the White
House. If you're the low man on
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the totem pole and the speechwriting team, one of the things you always get
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assigned, or at least you did
in my day, was the President's weekly
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radio address. Is the short thing
that came out every Saturday. Usually it
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was sort of derivative of something that
he had done during the week, So
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you're kind of synthesizing someone else's.
That's really cool stuff too. I mean
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Ronald Reagan had Yeah, I remember
all that. Yeah, yeah, I
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mean, well, and it's heyday. It really meant something. By the
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time I was there, it was
it was kind of a tertiary priority.
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But I remember saying at the end
of the Bush administration this if you recall,
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oh seven away or is this where
you would recall because you were you
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can probably driving there's this huge spike
in gas prices. No excuse me.
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And the issue on the table at
the time was anwar was opening up an
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wark. And I said to somebody
on the communication staff, you know,
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we could accomplish so much more if
we did these in a video format,
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so we could actually show the specifics
of because anwar people have in their mind's
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eye, they have this abstract vision
of caribou frolicking on a meadow. God
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forbid that we in truth when in
reality, I mean, the point that
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George will always used to make is
anmar is the size of the state of
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South Carolina and the area that they
wanted to drill is about the size of
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Logan Airport in Boston. And I
remember saying somebody, if we could,
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if we could show this to people, it would totally change this debate.
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So, even going back that far, there was this idea that if we
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can do it in sort of a
concise fashion, if we can use the
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visuals to kind of make this stuff
clearer. They never listened to me.
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By the way, the Obama descrusion
came in and did precisely that thing.
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They turned it into a video series. Yeah, well, I mean it
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makes sense. They did a few
things that make not many, but they
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did a few things that makes sense. Um, well, look what I
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want to do with your with your
kind indulgence, I'm going to play a
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segment for our folks here of one
of the videos that you guys do.
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This is one is on the subject
of volcanoes. So so everyone is thinking,
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you know, hold up, it's
just it's not marginal tax rate productions.
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This is interesting stuff, right,
So you know, so we'll do
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a little video on that. If
that's okay. All I've got to do
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is hit about sixteen buttons simultaneously.
All right. Volcanos have played a dramatic
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role in human history. In seventy
nine eight, Mount Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii.
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The eruption of Krakatoa in eighteen eighty
three was so violent that the sound could
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be heard three thousand miles away,
the equivalent of hearing something happened in Dublin,
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Ireland from Boston in nineteen eighty Americans
even got their own taste of volcanic
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destruction with the eruption of Mount Saint
Helen's. But there's one thing humans have
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never encountered, at least not since
we've been keeping historical records, the eruption
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of a supervolcano. What is the
supervolcano? Put simply, it's a flaming
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death hole. Put slightly less simply, it's a volcano capable of eruptions on
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a scale we can barely imagine.
A supervolcanic explosion would be at least four
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thousand times as powerful as the eruption
at Mount Saint Helen's and could wreak havoc
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across the entire planet. So that's
that's uplifting. Well, the goal was
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not to be uplifting. The goal
was to responsibly scare people. Okay,
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that's good, you congratulate. I
mean the video work, it's outstanding.
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I mean, if you have,
if you called the filmography whatever the proper
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name for it is, I mean, it grabs you and just draws you
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into what's going on. You're narrating
that one wonderfully, and so it's a
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good, pithy, informative way,
as you say, of wondering if the
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planet is going to become a flaming
of death hold, I want you to
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know I fought very hard for that
line. I fought very very hard for
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the sort of norse metal visual that's
behind it, and the funching guitar underneath
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it. These are the things that
make my work worth doing that. And
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then we had a we had a
a minerals video earlier on where I fought
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very hard for We photoshopped an old
Maoist poster with because the underlying line was
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about how China was never going to
relax, that laid back dictatorships aren't a
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thing, and so we photoshopped an
old Mauist propaganda poster with the slogan dance
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like Nobody's watching, And I mean, these are these are the things that
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define my life nowadays. Well,
if then, if and if you will
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permit me, then with with the
mental respect, of course, but I
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would offer one word one word of
caution here, yes, because when when
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you put this sort of thing together, you never know when someone with oh
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I don't know, a twisted mind
and a soundboard or something of that order
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can take to just add one little
tone right and the next thing you know,
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you've got a flaming So you've got
to be You've got to be really
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really right now right now, Choy
is thinking, I agree to do this.
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Well, yeah, I enjoyed.
I enjoyed the the Cajun cuisine with
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yours, so I've had this experience. Joy's thinking, I worked in the
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White House, damn it, And
here I am about talking about talking about
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blaming. We now return you to
see spend free and book notes already in
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progress. I'm just honored that you
think this is less thing if I'm working
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in the White House. Be Um, okay, I'm gonna try to be
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somewhat serious. But one of one
of the things, uh, that I've
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noticed, and easy one of the
things that I've noticed about you and that
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admire uh. In addition to the
masochistic strict that brought you here today?
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Is uh you correct me if I'm
wrong, But I get the impression that
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you prefer to stay a few steps
back from the outraged djor right, and
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that you want to find ways to
engage the mind, but you're really not
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interested in the polemical fisticuffs and free
for all that that. Yes, lord
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anyway, um uh so dominated right, that's right, I should I should
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stipulate I'm not interested in being on
the supply side of that market. Doesn't
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mean that I'm not on the demand
side something. Yeah, I do enjoy
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some people who who engage in that. Um, But I, in my
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heart of hearts, I think this
is an untenable position. Unfortunately, in
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the year twenty twenty one, I, in my heart of hearts am a
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culture war pacifist. Most of the
things that occupy our attention in the culture
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war, I tend to think would
be things that would be better solved in
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people's communities rout an individual. Absolutely. The problem with that, of course,
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is if one side doesn't agree to
those terms. There's actually much like
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the problem with real pacifism. You're
going to get eventually. You may have
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interested in but they're interested in you, right, now exactly right, exactly
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right. But because so much of
American politics I think has shifted to a
398
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focus on these cultural issues, the
sort of bread and butter stuff that we're
399
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talking about a Kite and Key sort
of takes a back seat, and I
400
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think we're actually losing the muscle to
have the lay person is losing the muscle
401
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to have serious arguments about that kind
of stuff. So yeah, I mean
402
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the idea with Kite and Key was
to build that muscle back up, but
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00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:56.440
also to I mean, we're not
trying to hide who we are. We
404
00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:59.720
came from the Manhattan Institute. We're
right of center people. We're not trying
405
00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:03.279
to head join any of them,
right, but in doing videos about public
406
00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:07.480
policy and public policies, I really
go out of my way. We go
407
00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:11.480
out of our way to we don't
feature politicians in these videos as either objects
408
00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:17.200
of ridicule or objects of praise.
We really don't talk about Republicans or Democrats,
409
00:29:17.240 --> 00:29:22.559
conservatives or liberals, because I want
people to focus on the ideas before
410
00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:26.160
they start trying to label them,
especially with people who have kind of soft
411
00:29:26.200 --> 00:29:30.200
priors. Well yeah, and when
they hear a label, they automatically attach
412
00:29:30.240 --> 00:29:33.640
all sorts of attributes to that person
that has that label that may or may
413
00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:36.680
not be accurate, and in many
cases they're not at all accurate. That's
414
00:29:36.720 --> 00:29:38.440
sort of my thing. I don't
want to give people the excuse to take
415
00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:42.519
the shortcut to actually think through it
on the merits. Yeah. Yeah.
416
00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:48.960
My grandfather on my dad's side was
a Democrat from you know, from the
417
00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:53.240
time the earth cool I guess and
so, and he and I during the
418
00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:56.720
Reagan president. So he and I
would go round and round and round.
419
00:29:56.720 --> 00:30:00.759
He couldn't figure out where my folks
have gone wrong in my bringing because I
420
00:30:00.839 --> 00:30:03.119
wasn't. And so what I did
is I would say, all right,
421
00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:04.759
Grandpa, was let me just ask
you some questions. We don't even talk
422
00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:08.880
about political parties anymore. And I
would ask him topic A, topic,
423
00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:11.839
B, topic CE, and he
would tell me what he thought. I
424
00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:19.200
said, you've just a spouse Republican
platform essentially, and he looked at me
425
00:30:19.240 --> 00:30:23.400
like you bastard. You know,
he was not happy. But when you
426
00:30:23.400 --> 00:30:26.920
get down to the ideas, that's
that's what matters, right, Yes,
427
00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:33.240
yeah, And he's representative of an
entire generation of shutter Democrats where you had
428
00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:37.160
and where you had the opposite thing
happening with Northeastern Republicans too, right.
429
00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:38.920
I mean this is I think we've
actually, in a weird way, we've
430
00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:42.799
lost something by the parties becoming more
consistent. They you know, they were
431
00:30:42.920 --> 00:30:47.279
a little more interesting and there was
a little bit more play in the joints,
432
00:30:47.319 --> 00:30:52.079
even legislatively, when there was more
ideological diversity within the parties. I
433
00:30:52.119 --> 00:30:55.480
think it does make it harder when
they get they're more intellectually consistent, they
434
00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:59.880
kind of make more sense. They've
purged. Yeah, maybe two two blunt,
435
00:30:59.880 --> 00:31:02.960
but yeah. But the Democrats,
particularly if you are in any any
436
00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:10.119
way, become somewhat pro life,
if that's if that's think about that and
437
00:31:10.279 --> 00:31:12.599
things and things in those terms.
No, no, we don't. There's
438
00:31:12.599 --> 00:31:15.880
no place where you here. You
know, it's funny you bring that up.
439
00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:19.599
I was trying to think the other
day if there are any prominent and
440
00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:22.440
by prominent, I mean like they
could be a House member. Any prominent
441
00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:26.880
pro life Democrats left anywhere in the
country. I don't think so. Since
442
00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:30.640
think of one, not since Zell
Miller died, I don't believe. Yeah,
443
00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:33.839
who's that, I'm freaking his name
now? The congressman from Michigan during
444
00:31:33.880 --> 00:31:41.240
the Obamacare fight that was was pushing
on this cannot cannot remember. Maybe maybe
445
00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:45.400
sports Stupak, that's the last one
I remember. I don't. I don't
446
00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:48.680
think there are any, so it
be you're right. So that's the reason
447
00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:53.400
why I guess those labels come attached
with all these pre pre preconceived ideas because
448
00:31:53.400 --> 00:31:57.200
the parties have made that happen.
So talk about ideas. Yeah, And
449
00:31:57.319 --> 00:32:01.480
there's also a focus in the work
that we do on finding some issues that
450
00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:06.160
I'd almost call pre ideological, Like
I don't think that there is a Republican
451
00:32:06.279 --> 00:32:09.200
or democratic approach to how you think
about the long term threats of something like
452
00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:13.559
blaming death all. Oh yeah,
right, yeah, yeah, yeah.
453
00:32:14.119 --> 00:32:16.880
And so I mean, I like
we did one on the future of cash,
454
00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:22.000
because there are proposals out there to
abolish the use of actual, you
455
00:32:22.079 --> 00:32:24.720
know, hard currency in the future
that hasn't really broken along partisan lines yet.
456
00:32:24.759 --> 00:32:28.079
So we're going to keep trying to
do those things because I liked,
457
00:32:28.240 --> 00:32:32.160
I like to get to issues where
people don't alwa, their signapses aren't already
458
00:32:32.200 --> 00:32:38.119
wired a certain bringing in the perspective
of Aretha Franklin, and that was just
459
00:32:38.599 --> 00:32:43.480
that was fantastic, Thank you,
I approved. Yeah, we used.
460
00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:46.920
We used to read Aretha Franklin in
the opening because Aretha Franklin always wanted to
461
00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:51.119
be paid in cash. And the
reason that Franklin always wanted to be paid
462
00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:53.160
in cash was when she was younger. There are tons of black musicians who'd
463
00:32:53.200 --> 00:32:55.680
get stood up, they'd do the
show and they wouldn't get the money.
464
00:32:57.200 --> 00:32:59.880
So we're just trying to underscore the
point that boy having it in your hand
465
00:33:00.200 --> 00:33:01.920
makes a difference. Yep. There's
something called common sense. There's something called
466
00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:06.559
good sense, and she had good
sense. So frankly, I just wanted
467
00:33:06.599 --> 00:33:08.799
an excuse to put a rutha Franklin. Who can deny that? Who I
468
00:33:08.839 --> 00:33:13.960
mean, who can at all?
Okay, So changing gears very quickly.
469
00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:17.279
How the Grover Cleveland book? How's
that coming? You remember Hamley? He
470
00:33:17.400 --> 00:33:22.759
was a I mean, I will
I will say two things. Yeah,
471
00:33:22.799 --> 00:33:28.599
One, I think it's coming pretty
well. Two. About a year ago,
472
00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:35.240
I had, much to my chagrin, an extremely intense about with an
473
00:33:35.319 --> 00:33:42.160
extremely bad kidney stone, and I
would compare writing my first book to that
474
00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:45.960
experience. It will pass eventually,
It's going to be extremely painful in the
475
00:33:46.160 --> 00:33:51.680
process, and I might black out
at some point before it's Yeah. I
476
00:33:51.720 --> 00:33:54.359
don't know if you remember you were
you were, Yeah, you were editor
477
00:33:54.400 --> 00:33:59.000
in chief at the time, and
I had I was hospitalized for some kidney
478
00:33:59.039 --> 00:34:01.440
stone issues. I remember it.
I remember it very h you say that,
479
00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:05.519
I mean it starts hurting right away
soon as Oh my god. If
480
00:34:05.559 --> 00:34:09.079
you compare writing a book that particular
book to that, it is funny.
481
00:34:09.599 --> 00:34:14.840
I don't catch title. I don't. I don't know if you've found this,
482
00:34:15.679 --> 00:34:20.880
but after I went through my experience
quite traumatic, I found that amongst
483
00:34:20.960 --> 00:34:24.639
men, it seems like second only
to being a combat veteran in the amount
484
00:34:24.679 --> 00:34:29.639
of immediate is free decor Like,
if you mention it, every guy who's
485
00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:35.880
ever gone through it will reflexively wins
and then immediately want to tell you their
486
00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:37.679
story. In fact, I have
to have to tell you something. It's
487
00:34:37.800 --> 00:34:43.199
so fantastic. Do I do this
show with Victor Davis Hansen. Yeah,
488
00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:46.880
Victor has been through this many times. Oh okay, And Victor, as
489
00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:51.119
soon as he found out this will
tell you a lot about Victor Davis Hanson
490
00:34:51.159 --> 00:34:55.159
as a person. Victor immediately started
walking me through all the things that he
491
00:34:55.280 --> 00:34:58.920
recommended as to what to do and
what not to do. As soon as
492
00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:01.800
we got off of our pod cast
that day, he sent me a fifteen
493
00:35:02.360 --> 00:35:08.119
paragraph email walking me through everything.
And he's a lovely guy. But also
494
00:35:08.199 --> 00:35:15.880
this is just you immediately feel a
sympathy in your bones for somebody. Riscont
495
00:35:15.039 --> 00:35:20.719
absolutely absolutely, Oh my gosh,
mine up having to have a surgery to
496
00:35:20.800 --> 00:35:23.280
take care of so yeah, I
remember, oh my gosh. Um.
497
00:35:24.519 --> 00:35:29.440
Yeah, I won't share them.
Yeah, god there, Yeah, I'm
498
00:35:29.480 --> 00:35:30.800
sorry. I didn't mean to take
the show in that direction, but that
499
00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:35.079
is the analogy that comes to mind. I'm very close to finishing this book,
500
00:35:35.199 --> 00:35:37.920
and I have to tell you the
interesting thing about this book is it's
501
00:35:37.960 --> 00:35:43.280
totally serendipitous. This is a thing
that I've been obsessed with for ten or
502
00:35:43.360 --> 00:35:47.519
fifteen years. I've always thought there
needs to be a modern revisitation of Grover
503
00:35:47.639 --> 00:35:52.440
Cleveland. He's one of the only
two term presidents that is not sort of
504
00:35:52.599 --> 00:35:55.880
fixed in the public's memory. If
you go and think about the people who've
505
00:35:55.880 --> 00:36:00.960
actually served two full terms, we're
almost on first name basis with most of
506
00:36:01.039 --> 00:36:06.199
them, the exceptions being Cleveland and
maybe James Monroe. Anyway, this was
507
00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:07.239
a thing in the back of my
head. It was a thing I never
508
00:36:07.400 --> 00:36:10.679
pursued. And it just so happened
that a couple of friends of mine who
509
00:36:10.719 --> 00:36:15.360
are agents, who are literary agents
in DC, were in New York when
510
00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:19.199
I was still at the Manhattan Institute
and stopped by just on a social call,
511
00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:23.440
and in trying to learn about their
business, I asked them, you
512
00:36:23.480 --> 00:36:27.079
know how they go about finding projects, how they go about finding authors?
513
00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:29.599
And they said, well, everyone, now and again we take something from
514
00:36:29.639 --> 00:36:32.800
a publisher on spec. They just
have something they want and they don't know
515
00:36:34.199 --> 00:36:37.480
who the author to do it is. And their example of one of these
516
00:36:37.559 --> 00:36:40.559
that was so ludicrous that they could
never find anybody was Simon and Schuster wants
517
00:36:40.599 --> 00:36:44.239
a book on Grover Cleveland. Where
the hell are we going to find that?
518
00:36:45.800 --> 00:36:49.159
At which point I said, gentlemen, you find back an idea for
519
00:36:49.239 --> 00:36:52.960
you. You have come to the
writer right, well, I mean literally
520
00:36:52.039 --> 00:36:54.639
literally fell into my lap. Well, they just gotta push through then,
521
00:36:54.639 --> 00:36:57.960
all right, just like you move
with the Kenney. You just got you
522
00:36:57.960 --> 00:37:00.880
gotta push through. Because I want
to say it, but well, I'm
523
00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:05.400
around this time next year, that
is when it is due to be hitting
524
00:37:05.760 --> 00:37:10.920
hitting stands partially because they want to
get it out before the field starts congealing.
525
00:37:12.400 --> 00:37:17.480
For the Republican presidential context, because
Donald Trump, God bless him,
526
00:37:17.599 --> 00:37:23.239
the prospect of him running again is
the only thing able to push Grover Cleveland
527
00:37:24.960 --> 00:37:30.599
back into public consciousness. Well,
there we are, so very very quickly.
528
00:37:30.639 --> 00:37:37.679
House of the family. The family
is great. My wife finished right
529
00:37:37.719 --> 00:37:42.320
before COVID started, finished a PhD
at the University of Connecticut Biomedical Science.
530
00:37:42.519 --> 00:37:46.480
Nice. She's now working at Bristol
Myers squib in New Jersey. So she's
531
00:37:46.679 --> 00:37:50.440
she's the brains in the family.
I mean, I'm just obviously you would
532
00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:52.880
know this by looking at me.
I'm I'm arm Candy. That's what I
533
00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:59.840
mean, you two. I mean
the things that we that we that we
534
00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:02.320
do, you know, suffer and
go through for our spouses. It's just
535
00:38:04.159 --> 00:38:07.440
remember I told you earlier about Shelley
and her eyes, just like you know
536
00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:08.920
right now she sees that she's going, oh god, there he goes,
537
00:38:12.360 --> 00:38:15.719
Well, look, this has been
mad fun. It always is, Dave,
538
00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:19.280
I always is when I'm talking about
I hope that you can still find
539
00:38:19.320 --> 00:38:25.719
gameful employment after this goes public.
And it's an open question whether It's been
540
00:38:25.760 --> 00:38:29.000
a treat Sir, thank you so
much for taking the time to talk with
541
00:38:29.039 --> 00:38:31.039
this. I do appreciate it.
Likewise, Dave, thank you very much,
542
00:38:31.239 --> 00:38:36.920
folks. As Troy Cenec on the
Dave Carter Program, we're talking with
543
00:38:37.079 --> 00:38:40.199
Ricochet co founderer and Cheers executive producer
Rob long. I used to say when
544
00:38:40.199 --> 00:38:44.519
I lived I lived in the Panhandle
before, and I used to say that
545
00:38:44.559 --> 00:38:46.199
the further south that you went in
for to the further north you go.
546
00:38:46.960 --> 00:38:51.280
That's true. That's exactly. Reactions
changed, the driving habits change. Oh
547
00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:57.519
my god, it's like anyway,
my grandfather was a Bostonian and then spent
548
00:38:57.639 --> 00:39:00.559
most of his life sort of living
abroad and kind of crazy places in Africa
549
00:39:00.599 --> 00:39:05.119
and Mexico. And he was living
in the nineteen fifties and sixties in Paris,
550
00:39:05.639 --> 00:39:09.920
and he was doing mining in Africa
and French Equatorial Africa and um and
551
00:39:10.039 --> 00:39:13.159
people and he would drive in Paris
and people said, my god, I
552
00:39:13.280 --> 00:39:15.800
mean, how did you learn to
drive so well in Paris? And I
553
00:39:15.920 --> 00:39:20.280
learned to drive in Boston. If
your spinkers are making a funny sound,
554
00:39:20.760 --> 00:39:23.199
you're listening to the Dave Carter Show. Speaking of the Panhandle. Just to
555
00:39:23.239 --> 00:39:28.719
go back to that, we're going
what happens when people in New York and
556
00:39:28.880 --> 00:39:32.719
in California discover how beautiful the Panhandle
is. Don't don't, don't no,
557
00:39:32.840 --> 00:39:36.400
no, but no, because when
I when I get it, when I
558
00:39:36.440 --> 00:39:39.320
get out of Mogad, I'm sorry, Memphis over here more likely than not
559
00:39:39.400 --> 00:39:42.679
going to be in the pant No, no, please, please, I'm
560
00:39:42.719 --> 00:39:50.400
going to edit that part out.
Okay, let me tell you something now.
561
00:39:50.840 --> 00:39:52.920
When the time comes, I'm gonna
be out of here so fast it's
562
00:39:52.920 --> 00:39:57.840
gonna make my head spin. Enough
fun, man, So how'd you like
563
00:39:57.960 --> 00:40:04.159
Troy Center? Wasn't it great?
Normally on these various other programs and podcast
564
00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:07.639
on which he appears, he plays
it pretty straight, you know, which
565
00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:12.039
makes sense when you're talking with brilliant
legal minds like Richard Epstein and John you
566
00:40:12.320 --> 00:40:15.119
or Were Professor Victor Davis Hanson,
who is arguably one of the smartest men
567
00:40:15.159 --> 00:40:19.480
in the country. So when TROYA
comes over here, while it's a little
568
00:40:19.480 --> 00:40:22.199
bit of a different vibe, and
so we encourage mister Senec to let his
569
00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:25.960
hair down, if not his guard
and have a fun time. But he's
570
00:40:27.000 --> 00:40:31.519
really doing fantastic work along with Kite
and Key co founder and CEO Vanessa Mendoza,
571
00:40:31.960 --> 00:40:36.679
and there's superb team of researchers and
producers over there at Kite and Key
572
00:40:36.800 --> 00:40:38.880
to give us all a lot of
information to consider as we look at some
573
00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:43.920
of the major issues that affect all
of us. Regardless of your ideological disposition,
574
00:40:44.039 --> 00:40:47.440
whether you're a Bernie Sender's utopian or
some fire breathing nut like me,
575
00:40:49.559 --> 00:40:52.920
just affects us all and they give
us the information to think about. So
576
00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:57.119
if you've enjoyed the exchange thus far, I would encourage you to head them
577
00:40:57.159 --> 00:41:00.960
over to Bricochet to Audio Network and
enjoy the things that we have for your
578
00:41:01.400 --> 00:41:07.559
consumption there, from choice programs to
commentary magazine's podcast and my friend Nick Plosser
579
00:41:08.079 --> 00:41:13.239
and his show called The Half Percent
Podcast where he interviews veterans and the after
580
00:41:13.400 --> 00:41:15.599
duty folks to give you a sense
of what is being done on your behalf
581
00:41:16.199 --> 00:41:20.920
by members of our armed forces.
And of course the ricord Say Flagship podcast
582
00:41:21.079 --> 00:41:23.880
keeps humming along each week with Peter
Robinson and Rob Long and James Lilacs because
583
00:41:23.880 --> 00:41:28.559
they engaged some of the most interesting
and nozule people in the news today.
584
00:41:28.679 --> 00:41:30.079
So if you want to pony up, say four and a half bucks a
585
00:41:30.159 --> 00:41:34.400
month, you can listen to all
the podcasts, you can read the articles
586
00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:37.480
on the main feet and on the
member feed behind the paywall, and you
587
00:41:37.599 --> 00:41:43.360
can comment on everything that's there if
you chip in just fifty cents more per
588
00:41:43.440 --> 00:41:45.280
month, and you can write your
own articles for the whole wide world to
589
00:41:45.320 --> 00:41:49.480
see what you think about things.
But if you're not sure, if you
590
00:41:49.559 --> 00:41:52.000
want to make that commitment yet just
not trying this thing out for a while
591
00:41:52.079 --> 00:41:55.280
and see what's about, then I've
got a deal for you. For listeners
592
00:41:55.320 --> 00:41:59.519
to the Day of Carter program,
you can drag your cursor on up to
593
00:41:59.599 --> 00:42:05.079
the top of the screen and type
in ricochet dot com slash gumbo gumbo you
594
00:42:05.159 --> 00:42:07.199
were good at free thirty day trial
a Ricochet. Try it out, see
595
00:42:07.239 --> 00:42:10.639
what you think about it right,
comment, read, do your own articles,
596
00:42:12.079 --> 00:42:14.519
and if you like it well,
then four and a half bucks per
597
00:42:14.679 --> 00:42:16.639
month gets you in the door.
So take that and stick it in your
598
00:42:17.239 --> 00:42:21.119
situation. Give us some thought.
You ever had any good gumbo. By
599
00:42:21.159 --> 00:42:24.360
the way, man, I could
use some. I'm making myself homesick,
600
00:42:24.480 --> 00:42:27.320
you know, but yeah, I
could. I could use it anyway,
601
00:42:27.519 --> 00:42:31.760
that means nothing. Just going over
to ricochet dot com slash gumbo gumbo and
602
00:42:31.960 --> 00:43:07.239
you can join the conversation. Newsmakers, celebrities, counties, people to oh
603
00:43:07.400 --> 00:43:15.559
here of the day car to show. So this is the part of the
604
00:43:15.599 --> 00:43:20.480
program where I get to talk to
Ricochet members in basking their wisdom and insight.
605
00:43:21.079 --> 00:43:24.840
And this edition of the member segment
is no exception at all. Now,
606
00:43:24.920 --> 00:43:28.159
remember, folks, if you take
advantage of my offer by going to
607
00:43:28.280 --> 00:43:31.599
ricochet dot com slash gumbo becoming part
of Ricochet, you could very well find
608
00:43:31.639 --> 00:43:36.599
yourself right here on the podcast as
well. Now tell me if you've heard
609
00:43:36.639 --> 00:43:43.199
this before. Okay, things have
gone absolutely bat guano insane in the Minneapolis
610
00:43:43.280 --> 00:43:46.800
area. That's a shock, isn't
it. And another person has resisted arrest
611
00:43:46.960 --> 00:43:52.519
and surprise, bad things followed,
at which point cue the rioters, the
612
00:43:52.679 --> 00:43:57.280
mayhem, the looting, the arson, the destruction, because nothing says we
613
00:43:57.440 --> 00:44:01.199
want justice like stealing flat screen TVs
in setting businesses and things on fire.
614
00:44:02.079 --> 00:44:05.159
But there are different layers of the
story, and as I often do,
615
00:44:05.239 --> 00:44:08.440
I try to talk with folks on
the ground when these significant events take place,
616
00:44:08.559 --> 00:44:12.280
and my go to person in Minneapolis, as many of you know,
617
00:44:13.039 --> 00:44:16.480
is fcochet member and a writer at
the Federalist. Jenna Stalker Jenna's Marine Corps
618
00:44:16.559 --> 00:44:21.119
veteran, where she served as an
officer. She was a researcher at the
619
00:44:21.199 --> 00:44:24.280
Center for Security Policy, a think
tank in Washington, DC, and she
620
00:44:24.480 --> 00:44:30.639
now resides in Minneapolis with her husband, who's also a military veteran. They're
621
00:44:30.679 --> 00:44:32.679
both out numbered by number dogs.
I've had that in my notes here,
622
00:44:34.119 --> 00:44:37.280
but at least the dogs are domesticated, which is more than one can say
623
00:44:37.320 --> 00:44:40.800
about the mob that's determined to wreck
the city. So with that backdrop,
624
00:44:40.880 --> 00:44:45.039
I'm helping happy to welcome again to
the program, Jenna Stalker, though I
625
00:44:45.159 --> 00:44:51.000
regret the circumstances. How are you
good and yourself? I'm just having all
626
00:44:51.079 --> 00:44:53.639
sorts of fun here and joined this
and I've got the coffee going. But
627
00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:58.480
I hate what I'm seeing on the
TV. Now. I know that the
628
00:44:58.559 --> 00:45:02.360
TV. A lot of what you
see on TV is just the tunnel vision,
629
00:45:02.440 --> 00:45:07.639
if you will. It doesn't show
the larger landscape. But I know
630
00:45:07.960 --> 00:45:13.760
also that what's happening in Minneapolis is
happening with the backdrop of the Derek Chauvin
631
00:45:13.880 --> 00:45:19.119
case. And I believe the National
Guard has been brought in and police presence
632
00:45:19.159 --> 00:45:23.000
had been beefed up. So talking
about again the tunnel vision that the camera
633
00:45:23.119 --> 00:45:27.960
gives, the larger landscape that's south
there. With that in mind, what's
634
00:45:28.039 --> 00:45:30.199
your impression? Because you live there, You've lived there all your life pretty
635
00:45:30.280 --> 00:45:35.159
much, I believe, yet born
and raised. So what do you make
636
00:45:35.199 --> 00:45:38.320
of all this? Just from a
macro point of view? I think the
637
00:45:38.840 --> 00:45:45.639
trial itself, the Chauvin trial,
is definitely having a tangible effect on people's
638
00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:51.960
mindset. It's pretty tense. All
the local news stations are running live stream.
639
00:45:52.320 --> 00:45:58.679
The arguments have ended yesterday, and
the jury has a day off today,
640
00:45:58.719 --> 00:46:02.519
and I think they're going to start
deliberations on Monday, if I have
641
00:46:02.679 --> 00:46:07.920
that timeline right. So, you
know, that's kind of this is kind
642
00:46:07.920 --> 00:46:13.119
of cold, be what people have
been holding their breath about. You know.
643
00:46:13.159 --> 00:46:16.679
I think a lot of people have
their minds made up. At least
644
00:46:16.679 --> 00:46:22.400
the activists set have their minds made
up of what they want to see and
645
00:46:22.599 --> 00:46:25.639
expect nothing less unless there's going to
be violent. Well, they had their
646
00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:30.920
minds made up before there was ever
a trial. Absolutely, the evidence is
647
00:46:30.960 --> 00:46:34.159
not necessarily needed after a certain point, they just in their opinion, They
648
00:46:34.239 --> 00:46:37.880
just see what they see and there's
nothing else that matters. Two part question,
649
00:46:38.239 --> 00:46:43.559
to what extent has all the unrest
and the looting and the carnage and
650
00:46:43.639 --> 00:46:47.360
all that, to what extent has
that all damaged the city's reputation as a
651
00:46:47.480 --> 00:46:52.559
safe place to live and work and
attract businesses for example? I think it's
652
00:46:52.599 --> 00:46:57.519
going to be a long time before
Minneapolis makes its way back to even approaching
653
00:46:57.599 --> 00:47:01.320
where it had its potential. I
think before all this started, before the
654
00:47:01.400 --> 00:47:07.880
pandemic, I would say, um, you know, there was a few
655
00:47:08.559 --> 00:47:15.159
officer related shootings. Uh you know
before then, um flann the Castile was
656
00:47:15.199 --> 00:47:19.280
one, um and they had.
But after this, you know, crime
657
00:47:19.400 --> 00:47:22.920
is only escalated, especially violent crime
in the city. So you're kind of
658
00:47:23.159 --> 00:47:31.440
um perpetuating a feeling of mistrust between
the people on the street and the police
659
00:47:31.480 --> 00:47:39.719
officers. They're pretty combative. So
and then after after the George Floyd death,
660
00:47:40.159 --> 00:47:45.039
there was um, you know,
uh feeling where you know, cops
661
00:47:45.079 --> 00:47:51.880
are just not welcome here until they're
needed exactly, yes, and they're needed,
662
00:47:51.880 --> 00:47:53.719
they're supposed to be there. You
know, we don't need fund you
663
00:47:53.880 --> 00:47:57.039
right now, come on back,
because we need help right now because this
664
00:47:57.119 --> 00:47:59.760
guy's trying to kill us. But
after that, you're defunded again. So
665
00:48:00.000 --> 00:48:01.880
it's tough for the cops to adjust
to this kind of mentality. Well,
666
00:48:01.920 --> 00:48:07.519
there was an immediate, immediate call
for just absolute defunding of the police.
667
00:48:07.800 --> 00:48:14.440
Are Alan Omar is a rep for
that area, and so she was out
668
00:48:14.480 --> 00:48:19.320
there with her bullhorn calling for that, along with a Black Lives Matter crowd.
669
00:48:20.880 --> 00:48:23.119
So and it kind of um,
you know, they had to backstep
670
00:48:23.199 --> 00:48:30.599
that. With a triple digit spike
in in percentage of violent crime carjackings,
671
00:48:30.679 --> 00:48:36.199
especially when juveniles has increased, police
are having to turn to more of a
672
00:48:36.360 --> 00:48:40.960
reactionary instead of a proactive type of
policing, which you know, it's it's
673
00:48:42.719 --> 00:48:45.280
not making the city any safer.
No, proactive policing is what helps keep
674
00:48:45.360 --> 00:48:49.880
these things from boiling to the service
in the first place and keeps these neighborhoods
675
00:48:50.440 --> 00:48:53.519
safer than they would otherwise be than
if all you're doing is responding to calls,
676
00:48:54.320 --> 00:48:57.679
which which brings me to my second
part of that of the question I
677
00:48:57.800 --> 00:49:00.440
was posing, do you think that
the city will ever come back as a
678
00:49:00.519 --> 00:49:04.320
vibrant place to settled down or is
everyone that can pretty much voting with their
679
00:49:04.360 --> 00:49:08.079
feed at this point. Yeah,
I think the people that can leave um
680
00:49:08.480 --> 00:49:13.239
or have seen the writing on the
wall, have left or make plans to
681
00:49:14.800 --> 00:49:19.440
find other places, uh, you
know in the suburbs even um you know,
682
00:49:19.639 --> 00:49:23.519
remote work has made that a lot
easier target has uh made plans are
683
00:49:23.559 --> 00:49:28.320
going to keep people away. They're
they're leaving their headquarters in downtown, which
684
00:49:28.400 --> 00:49:32.559
is already a ghost town because of
the pandemic. So um, you know,
685
00:49:32.599 --> 00:49:37.719
all I really have left in down
in the downtown area are homeless people
686
00:49:37.800 --> 00:49:40.920
and drug addicts and and you know, mentally unstable and mentally ill people.
687
00:49:42.719 --> 00:49:45.800
Enough about local government, yeah,
so you know, and it's not just
688
00:49:46.360 --> 00:49:51.480
people that are leaving, but it's
people that maybe could be attracted to Minneapolis
689
00:49:51.480 --> 00:49:55.480
as a destination point. We're talking
about major sporting events, political events that
690
00:49:55.599 --> 00:50:02.159
are just going to completely bypass the
cities and go somewhere um more um or
691
00:50:02.280 --> 00:50:08.039
less hostile to tourists. Um.
So it's really going to be a long
692
00:50:08.119 --> 00:50:13.079
haul to try to get that back. Um. And and the people that
693
00:50:13.159 --> 00:50:15.840
are left you that can't uh leave
are going to be the ones that suffer,
694
00:50:16.280 --> 00:50:21.280
right, because the tax base is
going to shrinks as the people that
695
00:50:21.360 --> 00:50:24.480
can leave do so. So now
the local governments rely on people who can
696
00:50:24.599 --> 00:50:30.639
least afford the cost of of of
goods and serve of services government services,
697
00:50:30.360 --> 00:50:36.360
and it becomes to me a death
spiral. Really. Yeah, we have
698
00:50:36.880 --> 00:50:42.079
you know, uh, pockets of
you know, more middle class and upper
699
00:50:42.480 --> 00:50:45.880
upper class in South Minneapolis, you
know, around the lakes Um, you
700
00:50:45.920 --> 00:50:50.239
know, with certain businesses that are
still here. But you once that property
701
00:50:50.320 --> 00:50:55.280
tax base drives up, you're looking
at schools receiving less funding, which you
702
00:50:55.360 --> 00:51:00.000
know, for the bureaucracy is a
major blow because they rely on their money
703
00:51:00.079 --> 00:51:07.920
to at least out their graduation rates, which are certainly acceptable, except they're
704
00:51:07.920 --> 00:51:12.880
graduating kids at a proficiency of a
fifth grade level, so they're pretty much
705
00:51:12.880 --> 00:51:15.840
setting them up for failure. So
then you know, you're putting these kids
706
00:51:15.880 --> 00:51:19.679
out on the street that aren't prepared
for life. I don't have any life
707
00:51:19.719 --> 00:51:22.320
skills, can't find a job,
So what are they going to do?
708
00:51:22.559 --> 00:51:25.679
You know, they've probably find more
solace in the streets than they do in
709
00:51:25.760 --> 00:51:30.400
stable employment. So it's pretty it's
pretty dire. Obviously, what they need
710
00:51:30.440 --> 00:51:32.280
to do is keep voting for the
party that brings all these things to fruition
711
00:51:32.320 --> 00:51:35.800
in the first place, right,
that makes perfect sense. Well, the
712
00:51:35.920 --> 00:51:39.559
thing is they use the crutch of
systemic racism, so that's always their go
713
00:51:39.760 --> 00:51:47.719
to excuse for their their failures.
But at some point it would seem whistling
714
00:51:47.760 --> 00:51:52.960
against fighting against the railing, against
the storms here. But at the same
715
00:51:52.000 --> 00:51:58.679
at some point that you look at
the who is committing the bulk of the
716
00:51:58.920 --> 00:52:02.760
violent crimes and you say, these
people can't be white supremacists. But that
717
00:52:02.880 --> 00:52:06.519
doesn't get the news headlines. You're
not going to get that on CNN.
718
00:52:06.599 --> 00:52:14.400
They see, they love these the
they just eat up all the they call
719
00:52:14.519 --> 00:52:17.920
protests that are you know, with
the flames in the background, and it's
720
00:52:19.039 --> 00:52:22.920
mostly not as the shoe stores and
the dollar stores go up in flames where
721
00:52:22.960 --> 00:52:28.159
people are working and they shop at
you know, so it's uh, you
722
00:52:28.239 --> 00:52:32.719
know, the national media and the
corporate media love it. They it's their
723
00:52:32.760 --> 00:52:37.320
cause. Well, they and they
establish a narrative that at least why what
724
00:52:37.480 --> 00:52:39.280
I see here in Memphis, they
established a narrative at the national level that
725
00:52:39.480 --> 00:52:45.079
is pretty well filtered and carried at
the local level as well, so that
726
00:52:45.239 --> 00:52:50.159
you don't see people talking about which
lives matter when some when a family here
727
00:52:50.280 --> 00:52:54.360
is killed, you know, just
just just neighborhood violence or people like we've
728
00:52:54.400 --> 00:52:58.599
had over thirty six highway shootings in
the first few since the first of the
729
00:52:58.679 --> 00:53:01.480
year. It's not going to be
talked about what lives matter and when that
730
00:53:01.599 --> 00:53:06.119
happens. It's only when it's a
certain demographic or it's a police involved thing,
731
00:53:06.320 --> 00:53:08.400
then then it matters. Otherwise we're
not going to talk about that.
732
00:53:09.960 --> 00:53:14.280
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I
saw the I assume you have too,
733
00:53:14.360 --> 00:53:19.440
the bodycam footage of what happened in
this with respect to what to Dante,
734
00:53:20.159 --> 00:53:23.280
right, it seemed pretty obvious to
me that the officer thought she was deploying
735
00:53:23.280 --> 00:53:28.599
her taser. I mean she vocalized
the whole time, I'm deploying taser,
736
00:53:28.679 --> 00:53:31.400
Taser, Taser. My immediate reaction, and it may not be correct.
737
00:53:31.559 --> 00:53:36.840
Was most likely the more experienced and
the senior officers probably hit the bricks last
738
00:53:36.920 --> 00:53:42.079
year. They probably left retired found
departments elsewhere and they're gone, and that
739
00:53:42.360 --> 00:53:46.880
leaves a smaller workforce. In many
instance as are younger than more inexperienced workforce
740
00:53:47.480 --> 00:53:52.199
with an overwhelming problem that's grown worse
because the police have been weakened, so
741
00:53:52.360 --> 00:53:57.360
they're literally in over their heads trying
to deal with this. The officer in
742
00:53:57.559 --> 00:54:00.000
question, I believed, believe had
over twenty year twenty five years or so
743
00:54:00.119 --> 00:54:05.119
on on force, So it seems
to me it's a it's a training issue.
744
00:54:06.079 --> 00:54:08.840
But I don't know. Again,
I don't know what what happens with
745
00:54:08.920 --> 00:54:10.599
this. I mean, you can
have all the experience in the world and
746
00:54:10.679 --> 00:54:15.079
you're overwhelmed and bad things happen.
Um. But do you think that that's
747
00:54:15.119 --> 00:54:19.599
what it is? The good,
the experience, the bulk of the experienced
748
00:54:19.639 --> 00:54:22.239
people have left, and what what
what's left is just really not equipped to
749
00:54:22.320 --> 00:54:28.239
deal with the spiraling, escalating violence. Yeah. I think that's probably just
750
00:54:28.360 --> 00:54:30.840
the start of it. I think, you know, we've had not just
751
00:54:31.079 --> 00:54:37.639
a demoralizing of the police set are
there, um, you know, the
752
00:54:37.760 --> 00:54:43.159
hostilities directed towards them at all level? UM? But UM, I think,
753
00:54:43.360 --> 00:54:47.239
uh, you know, we've had
I think eight over eight hundred plus
754
00:54:47.480 --> 00:54:54.920
is the h we started at before
UM at the beginning of May last year.
755
00:54:55.559 --> 00:55:00.360
Now we're down two hundred plus and
then they defund the police even more.
756
00:55:00.440 --> 00:55:06.960
The mayor didn't get his full budget
that he requested. UM. So
757
00:55:07.159 --> 00:55:13.559
they have early retirements, uh,
people taking um leave of absences for mental
758
00:55:13.599 --> 00:55:22.719
health reasons. So it's going to
be difficult to regain the force needed to
759
00:55:22.840 --> 00:55:27.719
bring the city back to the policing
that they need in these neighborhoods that are
760
00:55:27.800 --> 00:55:31.280
underserved. Um and uh. And
they're not going to be able to hire
761
00:55:31.559 --> 00:55:35.239
qualified people who I mean, who's
gonna want to be You know, you
762
00:55:35.320 --> 00:55:39.079
can if you can find a different
job and not be uh cursed at or
763
00:55:39.960 --> 00:55:47.079
leered at and shot yeah and shot
so um and have the governor pretty much
764
00:55:47.119 --> 00:55:51.159
throw you under the bus. Uh. I don't know if you saw his
765
00:55:51.239 --> 00:55:59.480
tweet after uh juante rights death,
but it was pretty So that was that
766
00:55:59.639 --> 00:56:05.480
was pretty We have a situation now
in which narrative transcends facts. It is
767
00:56:05.519 --> 00:56:07.480
not going to change. I think, if I mean, if if I
768
00:56:07.519 --> 00:56:09.639
could, if I could propose any
solution that all we would take the same
769
00:56:09.760 --> 00:56:15.280
number of National Guard troops they're new
Washington, DC protecting defense over there and
770
00:56:15.480 --> 00:56:20.480
deploy them to Minneapolis. Yeah.
It's funny. You know, the people
771
00:56:20.559 --> 00:56:25.079
that cry for defunding the police all
have living gated communities and they have they
772
00:56:27.280 --> 00:56:30.880
to have their own protection. Absolutely. Yeah, um, you know.
773
00:56:30.039 --> 00:56:32.760
And in meanwhile, in the city, for example, in George George Floyd
774
00:56:32.840 --> 00:56:37.239
Square, which I went to a
couple of weeks ago. Um, you
775
00:56:37.320 --> 00:56:39.760
know, you can walk in there, and residence and business owners can drive
776
00:56:39.840 --> 00:56:44.840
in there. They're allowed, they're
allowed in by the gatekeepers. But it's
777
00:56:44.880 --> 00:56:50.159
overwhelmingly being pulled. The people that
live there want it open. Um.
778
00:56:50.599 --> 00:56:55.000
You know, there's an escalating,
concentrated amount of violence in that square,
779
00:56:55.519 --> 00:57:04.159
and if a violent attack hers there, um, the police and EMTs aren't
780
00:57:04.199 --> 00:57:07.280
allowed in. They have to request
the victim to be taken out of the
781
00:57:07.320 --> 00:57:12.440
square to be treated just dumbfounding,
and they can't investigate a crime. So
782
00:57:12.719 --> 00:57:17.679
it's it's pretty much just the wild
West on street violence steroids there. So
783
00:57:17.960 --> 00:57:22.559
it's it's pretty uh, it's going
to be a daunting task. And the
784
00:57:22.679 --> 00:57:25.639
same people we're going me for interrupting, but I feeling rant coming on and
785
00:57:27.039 --> 00:57:30.719
I resist. I was just I
resist the urge. But the same people
786
00:57:30.800 --> 00:57:35.599
that want to defund the police,
that have sections of their cities that are
787
00:57:35.760 --> 00:57:37.800
that are just no man's land,
that can't even get to the victims of
788
00:57:37.880 --> 00:57:42.199
crime, and aren't going to help
the people that are being attacked, are
789
00:57:42.280 --> 00:57:45.239
saying, by the way, room
are going to make inroads on your right
790
00:57:45.320 --> 00:57:50.840
to defend yourself as well. Yeah, it's there, makes perfect autonomous zone.
791
00:57:51.000 --> 00:57:53.199
Yeah, so it doesn't. It
makes no sense. They already have
792
00:57:53.400 --> 00:57:58.039
a perfect example of what happens when
you need to defund the police or when
793
00:57:58.039 --> 00:58:01.320
you don't allow the police, and
yet they want to make that what Minneapolis
794
00:58:01.519 --> 00:58:07.840
is. Yeah. Yeah, so
uh was a senator from Louisiana recently said,
795
00:58:07.920 --> 00:58:10.719
So if they get their way,
whenever you're attacked or you fear for
796
00:58:10.760 --> 00:58:14.840
your life in my shooting at you
call a crackhead, because that's all that's
797
00:58:14.880 --> 00:58:19.239
going to be left. Well,
all right, that was uplifting. Um,
798
00:58:19.639 --> 00:58:22.119
you and your family, okay,
through all this hanging in there,
799
00:58:22.239 --> 00:58:28.519
we're hanging in there. So my
husband works in an office building that should
800
00:58:28.599 --> 00:58:32.280
hold about five thousand people and he's
one of about a dozen that go into
801
00:58:32.360 --> 00:58:37.119
work. So it was quiet.
Yeah, it's quiet, but it doesn't
802
00:58:37.119 --> 00:58:44.559
bode well for the yeah, really
for the future of the workforce. In
803
00:58:45.280 --> 00:58:46.840
speaking of the future, you guys
have an addition to the family, I
804
00:58:46.920 --> 00:58:50.880
mean, in addition to all the
dogs, right, yeah, so all
805
00:58:50.920 --> 00:58:57.880
the way instead of another four hopefully
not four legged. But I mean,
806
00:58:57.920 --> 00:59:00.800
I guess you never know. Oh
yeah, we're we would love no,
807
00:59:01.039 --> 00:59:05.480
no, yes, I'm just just
stopped that train of thought right there.
808
00:59:06.639 --> 00:59:09.719
Would you bring it to a stop? Yeah, A little baby boys,
809
00:59:09.840 --> 00:59:15.960
fantastic. I'm still I'm not insisting. I am in no position to do
810
00:59:15.079 --> 00:59:19.039
that, but I was strongly urge
you to look at some good Cajun names.
811
00:59:20.159 --> 00:59:24.880
Boodreaup in Minnesota. Yes, yeah, Boodreau. It'd be great,
812
00:59:25.039 --> 00:59:30.239
it'd be great. Well, thank
you again for kind of giving us.
813
00:59:30.360 --> 00:59:34.360
I had no idea to think that
it was such a hellhole. Um,
814
00:59:36.239 --> 00:59:40.239
George Floyd's Square, that's like you
know, I've mentioned this before when I
815
00:59:40.320 --> 00:59:44.800
was driving an eighteen wheeler across country
and in any number of cities that I
816
00:59:44.840 --> 00:59:47.039
would go through, the most one
of the most violent streets in that city,
817
00:59:47.679 --> 00:59:52.719
ironically, tragically and ironically was named
after Martin Luther King, Junr.
818
00:59:52.800 --> 00:59:59.559
Who called for non violence. It's
this, yeah, anyway, so you
819
00:59:59.639 --> 01:00:01.559
guys day safe. You know,
if you want to get out of there,
820
01:00:02.079 --> 01:00:05.480
I know some good parts of the
country I can recommend, okay,
821
01:00:05.639 --> 01:00:07.719
and you don't, and you don't. It's not freezing all the time.
822
01:00:08.599 --> 01:00:13.360
Yes, this is saw snow falling
during the protest. Like you've got to
823
01:00:13.360 --> 01:00:15.519
be kidding. There's snow falling up
there still. Yeah. I mean,
824
01:00:15.639 --> 01:00:17.599
you know we're not out of the
woods till the end of May, so
825
01:00:20.039 --> 01:00:23.199
I know there's one more snowstorm coming. Yeah. So even this week we're
826
01:00:23.199 --> 01:00:27.679
supposed to get wintry mix. That's
our optimistic term for it. The summer
827
01:00:27.800 --> 01:00:30.280
last about a week and a half. Well, and this is good,
828
01:00:30.440 --> 01:00:34.679
you know in southern Minnesota is actually
not too bad. People you know in
829
01:00:34.760 --> 01:00:37.960
Duluf have it. I think what
the joke is the Twain said. Um
830
01:00:38.440 --> 01:00:44.159
Mark Twain said, the coldest winter
I ever spent was the summer I spent
831
01:00:44.239 --> 01:00:49.880
in Duluver. So yeah, I
can't complain. At least we get a
832
01:00:50.000 --> 01:00:52.719
month. That's pretty good. Oh
man, alrighty, well then stay warm
833
01:00:52.760 --> 01:00:58.039
and stay safe, please, and
thank you again for dropping in and letting
834
01:00:58.079 --> 01:01:00.159
the snow. What's going on?
Oh it's my positive. Thank you very
835
01:01:00.239 --> 01:01:02.840
much for having me. Always a
treat, Always treat folks. That's Jenna
836
01:01:02.840 --> 01:01:08.920
Stalker on the Day of Quitter program. Some podcasts shouldn't be tossed aside lightly.
837
01:01:09.760 --> 01:01:15.440
They should be thrown with great force
people jutting from Memphis, Tennessee.
838
01:01:16.000 --> 01:01:22.400
At the intersection of the spell binding
conversation and mischievous humor, your host Dave
839
01:01:22.519 --> 01:01:29.320
Carter brings you the exceptional audio visual
experience you defer from podcasts and live stream
840
01:01:29.400 --> 01:01:36.559
events for irresistible analysis, playful laughs, and audaciously good music. It's the
841
01:01:36.760 --> 01:02:00.559
Jave Carter Show. How's that for
some audaciously good music? Huh times?
842
01:02:04.480 --> 01:02:07.280
Speaking of fun times, if you
enjoy the proceedings here today, it's been
843
01:02:07.400 --> 01:02:12.559
huge fun bringing all this to you, and I do hope that you found
844
01:02:12.599 --> 01:02:15.360
some things to think about today and
some things to laugh about as well.
845
01:02:15.760 --> 01:02:20.000
Even if you're laughing at the thinking
parts, that's okay, that's all fine.
846
01:02:20.079 --> 01:02:22.719
We all need a reason to giggle, whether it's with the host or
847
01:02:22.800 --> 01:02:28.559
at the host. You know,
that's all good. Now, If you've
848
01:02:28.639 --> 01:02:32.400
enjoyed this and are massochistically inclined to
want more of it than I would encourage
849
01:02:32.440 --> 01:02:36.800
you to go on over to my
little web so I'd at Dave Carter online
850
01:02:36.840 --> 01:02:42.119
dot com, where you'll find a
video version of this program and sizeable collection
851
01:02:42.159 --> 01:02:44.599
of articles I've written over the years, and some other stuff, some of
852
01:02:44.679 --> 01:02:47.599
which some of those articles predate even
my time at Ricochet. They were written
853
01:02:49.000 --> 01:02:52.719
from various places to across the globe
when I was in the military. There's
854
01:02:52.719 --> 01:02:55.559
also a page on the site called
the Inkwell, now that's why I write
855
01:02:55.599 --> 01:03:00.840
more introspective pieces. In fact,
I would a piece last week or perhaps
856
01:03:00.880 --> 01:03:06.159
the week before, called the Sum
of Our pet Peeves. It was more
857
01:03:06.199 --> 01:03:09.880
of a lecture that I delivered to
myself, actually centering on the unfortunate tendency
858
01:03:10.039 --> 01:03:15.199
on my part at least, so
let those things that annoy become the focus
859
01:03:15.320 --> 01:03:21.480
of one's thought and attention. You
can wind up in a pretty bad sour
860
01:03:21.559 --> 01:03:24.639
place or with a dour disposition when
you do that, particularly if you work
861
01:03:24.679 --> 01:03:30.320
with the public, especially if you
work with the public in a retail setting
862
01:03:30.400 --> 01:03:34.119
for example. Anyway, you might
find that piece interesting, and who knows,
863
01:03:34.199 --> 01:03:38.360
you may identify with it to some
extent as well. The podcast is
864
01:03:38.440 --> 01:03:42.920
doing really, really well. At
last count we are being heard in over
865
01:03:43.679 --> 01:03:47.400
one hundred and eighty cities and towns
across the country and then over thirty countries
866
01:03:47.679 --> 01:03:52.599
around the world. And while I'm
on that topic, let me invite you
867
01:03:52.719 --> 01:03:55.360
also to head on over to iTunes
and give us a rating. If you
868
01:03:55.440 --> 01:03:58.679
like. They're a five star rating
if you'd want, and then leave some
869
01:03:58.800 --> 01:04:00.920
comments on what you thought of the
program. You can find us on YouTube
870
01:04:00.960 --> 01:04:04.599
as well. Subscribe there if you'd
like. Just look at Dave Carter over
871
01:04:04.719 --> 01:04:09.519
it on YouTube and you can chime
into the comments as well. On that
872
01:04:09.920 --> 01:04:12.840
venue. We're going to try and
pick up the pace of the show production
873
01:04:12.960 --> 01:04:16.119
here to the extent possible, consistent
with the day job. There are a
874
01:04:16.159 --> 01:04:19.079
lot of interesting people that want to
get on the program that we're lining up
875
01:04:19.239 --> 01:04:26.239
and bring to focus. Well,
we've got a rapidly changing situation in our
876
01:04:26.280 --> 01:04:28.639
country and in our world right,
and so we want to talk some more
877
01:04:28.639 --> 01:04:31.920
about that and mount some ideas off
of you and talk some interesting people and
878
01:04:32.159 --> 01:04:36.119
see what you think about all that
stuff. So, as I always say,
879
01:04:36.239 --> 01:04:43.480
with thanks to my friend Troy Senek
and Ricochet members Jenna Stalker, and
880
01:04:43.599 --> 01:04:46.320
with special thanks as always to you
the listener, I am Dave Carter.
881
01:04:46.519 --> 01:04:55.760
I'll see you next time. Thank
you for listening to The Daker Show.
882
01:04:56.039 --> 01:05:00.800
Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes so
you will miss a single episode. While
883
01:05:00.800 --> 01:05:02.679
you're there, Please leave a review
and tell us what you did. Hand
884
01:05:02.760 --> 01:05:06.519
on behalf of all of us at
the Dave Carter Show and the Ricochet Audio
885
01:05:06.639 --> 01:05:09.159
Network. Thank you for listening.
1
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:07.120
Podcasting from Memphis, Tennessee. He's
a soldier, storyteller, historian, and
2
00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:14.199
maybe a bit of a hell raisers
and enjoy It's Dave Carter. Are you
3
00:00:14.359 --> 00:00:23.039
net worry? Then we're locked and
loaded and ready to go. Hey,
4
00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:26.800
folks, I'm Dave Carter. I
mean, can you imagine anyone else taking
5
00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:29.039
on the job of being me?
I mean, who would want to in
6
00:00:29.079 --> 00:00:32.359
the first place. Anyway, it's
a treat, a treat, indeed,
7
00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:34.479
to welcome you to the show today. Thank you for being here, for
8
00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:38.479
listening in and watching with us.
We've been gone a little while. A
9
00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:42.079
lot has been going on behind the
scenes, like, oh, I don't
10
00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:45.039
know, a day job, for
example, paying the bills, you know
11
00:00:45.079 --> 00:00:48.240
that kind of thing. It's in
retail my day job. As you may
12
00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:53.960
know, the stimulus checks hit a
couple three weeks ago, and people are
13
00:00:54.039 --> 00:00:58.920
in an absolute panic to get rid
of all that money that's in their accounts
14
00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:02.079
now less they actually, you know, save up a little bit in case
15
00:01:02.119 --> 00:01:03.519
something goes wrong at some point.
We can't have that, so they're in
16
00:01:03.519 --> 00:01:07.719
a hurry to get rid of it. So then go back living paycheck to
17
00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:11.680
paycheck, teetering on the brink of
financial disaster, which is good news for
18
00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:15.560
US retailers. Right, So the
store I work at man we have been
19
00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:21.319
as busy as a mosquito on a
nude beach. That may not be the
20
00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:23.799
best analogy. In fact, that
analogy kind of sucks, I guess,
21
00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:27.000
but then so does the mosquitos.
So anyway, you get the idea.
22
00:01:27.079 --> 00:01:30.959
But I think you'll find the weight
here to have been worth it. Because
23
00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:34.959
a Ricochet favorite and my favorite,
Troy Senek, will be along with us
24
00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:38.799
and we'll bit to talk about his
latest adventure, which is actually an exciting
25
00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:44.200
initiative and a project in which he's
recruited some of the best researchers and the
26
00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:48.879
best minds out there in an effort
to explore some of the questions that nag
27
00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:53.359
at us every now and then,
whether it be great big volcanoes and the
28
00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:56.920
kind of damage they can do there
was They did a video even of the
29
00:01:57.079 --> 00:02:04.760
effect on crime of seemingly innocuous things
like increasing street lighting in certain parts of
30
00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:07.400
town and how what the impact that
has on the crime rate. So it's
31
00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:13.759
not necessarily an ideological mission that they're
on. They're just taking the things that
32
00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:17.919
we talk about around the water cooler
or wherever and exploring it in depth and
33
00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:22.840
giving us information that for the most
part a lot of us had no idea
34
00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:24.560
about. And then we get the
discide from there, but we think about
35
00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:29.319
it, but at least the research
has been done. It's in compelling video
36
00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:35.879
three figure so minute video snips and
the video the film is unbelievable, the
37
00:02:36.199 --> 00:02:39.919
videography, the graphics, the narrations. Troy or narrate some of this stuff.
38
00:02:39.960 --> 00:02:43.759
So that's really really good. So
we'll be getting into more of that
39
00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:47.199
with Troy here in just a minute. But speaking of retail, it's been
40
00:02:47.240 --> 00:02:53.080
my experience and probably probably yours as
well, that when you advertise a big
41
00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:58.560
sale, let's say, a fifty
percent off sale Black Friday, just to
42
00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:01.360
take that as an example, you
can anticipate when you do that, a
43
00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:06.879
lot of people will be at the
store right places is going to be crowded
44
00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:10.639
when on that particular day. If
you work at the store as I did,
45
00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:17.159
for example, where every New Year's
Day they have dramatic reductions, there'll
46
00:03:17.159 --> 00:03:22.759
be a forty percent reduction and for
example, in the items that are already
47
00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:25.479
marked down sixty five percent, so
that you can walk out of the place
48
00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:32.080
with high end merchandise at flea market
prices. It's wonderful for the customer,
49
00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:38.759
and so you've incentivized them to maximize
their the power of their shopping dollars.
50
00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:43.280
They take advantage of that, so
they show up in great, big mobs.
51
00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:47.159
There's a standpede every New Year's Day
when the door opens, and it's
52
00:03:47.240 --> 00:03:51.560
just it's bedlam. It looks like
the sacking of Rome all day long.
53
00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:55.120
When the crowd finally leaves at the
end of the day, the store is
54
00:03:55.159 --> 00:04:01.120
thoroughly pillaged. The employees are shell
shocked, and every one customer employee alike,
55
00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:06.840
it is utterly exhausted. But you
know what doesn't happen. Absolutely no
56
00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:12.280
one in the store, customer and
not employee, not manager, none of
57
00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:15.480
them look around and say, geez, I didn't expect all that to happen,
58
00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:20.240
because it was absolutely predictable. You
knew that when you put this thing
59
00:04:20.279 --> 00:04:28.040
together right, And yet that's exactly
what's happening on America's southern border. The
60
00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:33.720
Fed's picked up just in the month
of March nineteen thousand unaccompanied children traveling across
61
00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:38.720
the Mexican border into the US.
Just in the month of March alone,
62
00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:42.839
an all time record, roughly double
the number of children that came across a
63
00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:47.439
year earlier in March of twenty twenty. Overall, the bar patrol encountered nearly
64
00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:55.160
one hundred and seventy thousand people entering
the US illegally just during the month of
65
00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:58.800
March, and they run out of
space to house them, so a great
66
00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:02.279
many of them were now being trans
supported to different venues in various cities,
67
00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:09.000
military bases, hotels on your dime, of course, but they were kept
68
00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:13.399
in such cramped quarters for so long. Now they're being dispersed about, and
69
00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:16.240
god knows how many of them are
taking COVID nineteen with them, for example,
70
00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:19.560
while the rest of us are being
locked down and made to wear face
71
00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:25.279
asking all that kind of thing.
Meanwhile, Vice President Harris has been placed
72
00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:29.800
in charge of this fiasco, an
utterly predictable one, and she has evidently
73
00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:32.720
been mute ever since. Not a
bad thing, actually. And then the
74
00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:38.160
borders are ROBERTA. Jacobson, I
believe her name is said. Nope,
75
00:05:38.519 --> 00:05:42.199
done, she's out of here.
She's had enough fun. She's walking out
76
00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:45.560
the door. No more for her. Who could have seen this coming?
77
00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:49.839
Right? Actually, anyone who has
enough sense to lock their doors at night
78
00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:55.560
could have seen this coming. When
you come into office vowing to stop construction
79
00:05:55.639 --> 00:06:00.439
on a border wall because it's inhumane, don't you see you effectively leave the
80
00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:04.360
door unlocked if you will, And
then you reverse the policies that required those
81
00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:09.879
applying for asylum here to stay in
Mexico pending the adjudication of their case.
82
00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:13.959
When you tell these folks they'll be
welcomed into the country, there will be
83
00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:16.680
jobs and free education, and free
benefits and free healthcare and all kinds of
84
00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:21.040
nice things. What exactly do you
think is going to happen that which you
85
00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:26.879
subsidize you get more of? I
mean, Ray Charles could have seen this
86
00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:30.959
coming. And yet the folks who
claim to know best how to order our
87
00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:35.040
lives and spend our income, our
earnings, and because they are so much
88
00:06:35.079 --> 00:06:39.480
smarter than the rest of us,
don't you know, have been caught flat
89
00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:45.959
footed. They are positively dumb struck
as to how to handle a humanitarian crisis
90
00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:51.240
which they created. Did you see
the video of those two children that were
91
00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:56.800
just literally dropped, practically thrown over
the wall into the US two small children,
92
00:06:57.399 --> 00:07:00.800
or the video that of the border
patrol guy who encountered a youngster of
93
00:07:00.920 --> 00:07:06.240
just last week, I believe it
was who was here all alone because by
94
00:07:06.279 --> 00:07:10.399
himself in the desert, no one
to help, not knowing what was going
95
00:07:10.439 --> 00:07:15.319
on, crying his eyes out.
Or a week or so ago, I
96
00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:17.759
believe that we had a small child
eight years old I believed drowned, and
97
00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:23.959
the rio grand trieding to get over
here, families back home. They dispatched
98
00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:28.399
the kid. When the guy who
sits in the office that used to be
99
00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:32.199
occupied by leaders of the free world
rolls out the welcome meant to everyone,
100
00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:38.759
don't be surprised if everyone, including
a few terrorists, come over. It
101
00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:42.560
doesn't surprise me. In fact,
none of it surprises me, because it's
102
00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:47.600
so predictable that I predicted it.
What does surprise me, what just dumbfounds
103
00:07:47.639 --> 00:07:53.639
me are the Americans who cheered when
this administration came into power, who now
104
00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:59.399
have grown as silent as statues while
all this is happening. They lose their
105
00:07:59.480 --> 00:08:03.759
voice, They forget how to applaud
when their accomplishments happen. Come on,
106
00:08:03.800 --> 00:08:09.160
folks, all the devotees of the
high Church of wokeness and cultural suicide take
107
00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:13.360
credit where you've earned it where it's
due. Is ess not what they wanted.
108
00:08:13.959 --> 00:08:18.040
They knew it was coming because a
lot of people told them what would
109
00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:24.040
happen, and still they persisted out
of their hatred for one man. So
110
00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:26.399
I think a curtain call is an
order to take a bottle, and while
111
00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:30.800
they're taking about, stay in that
position for a while longer, because a
112
00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:33.759
lot more is coming our way,
so to speak. The Senate filibuster hangs
113
00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:37.840
by the skin of Joe Manchion's teeth, and with it the rights of legislative
114
00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:43.720
minorities. The administration has begun the
process by which they intend to pack the
115
00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:48.240
Supreme Court with as many justices as
it takes to assure a progressive hegemony and
116
00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:52.720
the destruction of the separation of powers. And the sanctions it had crippled her
117
00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:56.000
on and kept them in line for
a while are being lifted, of course.
118
00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:01.639
And after months of standing down your
cities, your businesses were being torched
119
00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:05.279
and looted, and innocent people were
being dragged out of their vehicles and beaten
120
00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:11.440
senseless. After months of defunding and
de moralizing the police, which resulted in
121
00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:16.000
more innocent blood being shed, with
skyrocketing homicide rates and assaults. The same
122
00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:20.120
people that left you vulnerable to all
of that, who couldn't be bothered to
123
00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:24.879
protect you, are now going to
make it even harder for you to protect
124
00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:30.440
yourself, because that's what happens when
you go from America first to Americans last.
125
00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:33.200
But hey, there's no mean tweets
being twittered out of the White House,
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so it's all good, right,
all the mayhem the streets, the
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full of chaos, the chaos on
the board of tens of thousands of jobs
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already lost, the million more jobs
predicted to be lost as Joe Biden's tax
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increases take effect, with Americans losing
their jobs while people who are here illegally
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claimed benefits that you get stuck with
the bill for. It's all worth it,
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right, way to go, take
a bow, But don't worry about
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claiming your prize, because your prize
is going to claim you and the rest
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of us, our kids, our
grandkids, will all suffer a loss of
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liberty, dignity, and ameni instences
their very lives to the rule of incompetent,
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totalitary little misfits who have this stupid
audacity to presume to order you around
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like you were born with a ring
through your nose, made to be led,
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made to be ruled, and judging
from the election results, I guess
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enough of you apparently fit that description
to tank the place. See this is
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This is why I don't dwell on
this too much normally when I do a
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podcast, because I get too irritated
about it, and I probably shouldn't.
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But I'm passionate about the country which
multiple generations of my family served in the
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military to defend, in which I
spent twenty years defending. I'm not too
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keen to see it administer a self
lobotomy and implode. But here we are.
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So let's just chalk it up to
a moment, a momentary candor on
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my part, to borrow a phrase
from Stephen Tyler, dancing on a land
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mine. But we'll turn down the
temperature here a little bit and turn up
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the fun as we cool things off
a little and relax and enjoy a much
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needed conversation where they're really really has
now. If you don't know Troy Synek,
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then here let me read the bio
that I found on his new website,
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Kite and Key Media. It says, quote Troy synec is the co
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founder and Vice president for Content at
Kite and Key Media. He's been a
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White House speechwriter, a think tank
executive, a newspaper columnist, a podcaster,
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and a Jeopardy champion. He is
currently at work on a biography of
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President Grover Cleveland, meaning that he
will soon be able to add guest on
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c Span three to his list of
accolades. That book he's working on,
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by the way, if I haven't
correct, is called a Man of Iron
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The Turbulent Life and air Improbable Presidency
Grover Cleveland. Now, if you haven't
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noticed, Troy can be wonderfully self
deprecating, at times charmingly so, but
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he has a one full gift for
eloquence, which he's used to help others,
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including including President George W. Bush, Arnold Schwarzeneggern Gingrich, and a
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whole host of writers at the Manhattan
Institute and also at Ricochet when he was
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our writitor in chief. They're even
helping yours truly here. He holds several
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podcasts on Ricochet and over at the
Hoover Institute, and those shows feature distinguished
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scholars, historians, accomplished academics.
And then he obviously got drunk and ended
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up here today talking with me.
So Troit cheers, Dave. Good to
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see again, my friend. That
is an incredibly unfair introduction because I'm going
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to do nothing but disappoint, right, I just don't see to be generous.
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Don't see that happening. Not not, not in the least. And
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if so, we'll switch over to
c SPAN. Right. So, but
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thank you, thank you for taking
the time to appear on the proworm,
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and hopefully you'll leave here with your
reputation at least somewhat intact. I can't
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take much. My mom in law
and Shelley, of course, in their
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regards. Uh, they know I'm
talking to you, and they're they're all
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jealous. So you left, you
left the Manhattan Institute a little while back.
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Now, are you still living in
the seventh Circle of Dante? I
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mean, are you still living in
the New York area. It's got it's
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gotten worse days because as you know, I was in your adopted home state
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of Tennessee before I came, right, I remember that I didn't think they
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would leave. I don't mean that
is a bad thing. I thought,
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you know, I didn't intend to. I was very happy being in Nashville.
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And then I got this unexpected sort
of offer out of the blue from
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the Manhattan Institute back in twenty fifteen
and tried to see if there was a
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way that I could work it remotely. And there was just no way too,
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because I was I was managing all
the scholars. It just wasn't a
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thing that you could do from,
you know, your basement in a bathrobe,
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which is how I would have been
doing it. So I came up
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here, but ahead of your time, so um allergic that I lived on
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forty acres in the woods in Nashville. So the last thing that I was
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going to do was come to midtown
Manhattan. So I lived about as far
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out as you can in Connecticut and
now Dave. Even though I'm no longer
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at the Manhattan Institute, not only
am I still in the greater New York
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area, I have managed to make
it much worse for myself, which is
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I live in a high rise in
New Jersey. Oh. So this is
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devolution. So you really are drunk? Okay, Wow, I feel I
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feel a little liberated though, because
when I was at the Manhattan Institute,
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the history of the Institute is so
wound up with the history of New York
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City and the work that they did
with Giuliani on crime, and all this
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work they continue to do on New
York. So if you are at the
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institute, you know you always had
to reflect on the majesty of New York
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City and how important the work was. And now that I'm out of it,
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I feel free to say it's a
nightmare, like I really don't.
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I really kind of hate it here, so I don't think I've heared it
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a long term but alas I am
still in the New York area. When
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Shelley and I were dating, and
I was still driving eighteen wheelers across the
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country, I had to go from
the northern Connecticut down through New York City
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and on further south, and in
an eighteen wheeler, I mean, it's
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just a nightmare to drive to take
ninety five and do that whole deal over
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the bridge and GW Bridge and all
that stuff. And I was gonna say
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a little Catholic prayer because I was
in the middle of converting to Catholicism,
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so I want to get this right. And I could not remember, you
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know what Saint controls traffic. I
don't know. I couldn't. I couldn't
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figure it out. So I'm like
calling all Saints, calling all Saints,
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kid me for this place. You
know. So now, well, now
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with Kit and Key media, you
found a niche it seems in the national
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conversation that really I think needed some
attention. You guys focus on the sort
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of questions that we all ask ourselves, right, the things that we're curious
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about and talk to each other about. And you've got a group of researchers
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there. So so tell me,
if you will please, from your perspective,
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how what you how would you describe
the mission of Kinde and Key and
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what it's primarily focused on. It
was sort of motivated by my experience at
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the Manhattan Institute and with other thing
tanks. As you mentioned. I've worked
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with the Hoover Institution too, because
think tanks are very good at reaching elite
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audiences. They're very good at getting
to policymakers, members of Congress, getting
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stuff on the opinion page of the
Wall Street Journal. Those were the things
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that we would count as victories when
I was at the Manhattan Institute, and
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they felt good. But then I
would go home and I talked to my
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family members or my friends, people
who were sort of immersed in this world,
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and you realize that whatever they had
seen on Instagram or Facebook or YouTube
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had much more influence than they never
picked up the Wall Street Journal, you
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know. And then when you looked
at the content that existed in those places,
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on the online platforms, the kinds
of things they were consuming, they
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you know, they're so brutally oversimplified, or they or they operate from such
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erroneous from such erroneous suppositions that you
just feel like, you know, there's
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a lot of people who are consuming
a lot of media thinking that it's making
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them smarter, and it's probably they
would have been better off consuming nothing.
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And it used to be that these
sort of elite institutions, whether they were
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the think tanks or to some degree
the Academy, this stuff would kind of
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bleed down into broadcast media or print
media, and you'd get a sort of
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oversimplified but still functionally correct version of
it, and then there'd be sort of
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the next level where it went down
to the grass root. It's kind of
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like a xerox of a zero.
Every layer, you'd lose some precision,
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but people would still have a good
understanding of policy topics. And we just
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felt like it had gone away.
So our idea was, you can't actually
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do this. You can't try to
educate the public directly from a think tank,
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because think tanks are full of PhDs
who are just going to get in
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their own way when they're trying to
explain something to, you know, someone
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in a diner. Right, So, my background, having been a speechwriter,
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having been a columnist, having been
somebody whose entire life has been about
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trying to simplify and make things clear, we thought, let's just cut out
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the mentalman, and let's just take
all this great research that's being done in
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think tanks or academic institutions, wrap
it up and synthesize it for a general
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audience, and try to do it
in a way that's visually arresting, that's
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sort of a magazine style, and
try to do it with a sense of
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humor. And I mean, I
call it the pill pocket approach. Right,
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if you've got a dog and you've
got to give them the pill,
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you put it in the little thing. And so this is not supposed to
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feel burdensome or like you're watching a
documentary. They're five to seven minute videos
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that we hope you know they're I
think necessary to get people to understand these
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issues. Not sufficient. We'd love
if people went back and actually read the
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underlying material. But if you're only
going to give five minutes to the kinds
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of issues we do, we hope
we can get you started on it.
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Okay, Well, the thing is
a marvelous success so far. Now you're
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you're the co founder of Kite and
Key and vice president for content. The
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other co founder of Vanessa Mendoza also
has had a distinguished career leading public policy
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research efforts. She's co founder and
CEO, so she must be. She
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must be a wonderful partner because she
gave you the better end of the deal.
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Vice president for Content. Actually,
it does sound like a lot of
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fun. Is it as fun as
it sounds? Oh, it's a ton
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of fun. I mean what it
basically comes down to is the division of
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labor as she handles all of the
business stuff, which she's fantastic at.
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We work together at the Manhattan Institute. She used to be the executive vice
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president Institute. Okay, and we're
nonprofit, so she does most of the
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fundraising, She does all the strategic
planning, she oversees all the marketing that
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I get to sit around and think
what could we write about today? I
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get to sit around and because there
are not enough people supervising me, get
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to say, what if we did
a video about super volcanoes and there's no
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one reading there to say no.
I mean, this is an extra ordinary
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and frankly reckless amount of power to
give someone like me. I agree,
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but but I think it's a great
I think so far. You know,
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you know, whatever you're drinking,
keep drinking it because it's it's it's working
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out keeping the lid. Yeah right, h I've got I've got some good
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Cajun coffee here. Now this is
a different mug. It's in a hell
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of a mug. Yeah, it
says more coffee, less commies, if
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we were being grammatically correct, would
be fewer comedies. But screw it.
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It's just you know, this is
this is good chickory coffee. So have
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put hair on your teeth, you
know, and it's it's good for you.
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And I stopped stirring at the spoon. Just stands up straight in the
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cup. See this, tear off
a slice and all it's great stuff.
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Now I'd get a little reading up
on you. Um, and I can't
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what I mean you did a little
reading up on I mean, how long
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have I known you? Dave?
What reading up? When? Did you
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just recently found find out what what
air Force based? I've retired from,
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So these things eke out over time, right, that's a good So I
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came across a twenty and eighteen interview
in which you talked about the role of
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a presidential speechwriter and you said that
they quote must be able to distill complicated
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ideas and a short, pithy and
intelligible formulations for people who just don't have
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enough time to go deeper. So
it seems like kite and Key becomes a
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realization of that whole train of fault
that you had going back then, Zach.
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Was that fair? Yeah, it's
fair. It's it's just been it's
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been just getting for a long time. You know, I'll give you I'll
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give you a version of this just
occurred to me when you said it when
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I first came on at the White
House. If you're the low man on
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the totem pole and the speechwriting team, one of the things you always get
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assigned, or at least you did
in my day, was the President's weekly
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radio address. Is the short thing
that came out every Saturday. Usually it
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was sort of derivative of something that
he had done during the week, So
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you're kind of synthesizing someone else's.
That's really cool stuff too. I mean
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Ronald Reagan had Yeah, I remember
all that. Yeah, yeah, I
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mean, well, and it's heyday. It really meant something. By the
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time I was there, it was
it was kind of a tertiary priority.
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But I remember saying at the end
of the Bush administration this if you recall,
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oh seven away or is this where
you would recall because you were you
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can probably driving there's this huge spike
in gas prices. No excuse me.
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And the issue on the table at
the time was anwar was opening up an
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wark. And I said to somebody
on the communication staff, you know,
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we could accomplish so much more if
we did these in a video format,
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so we could actually show the specifics
of because anwar people have in their mind's
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eye, they have this abstract vision
of caribou frolicking on a meadow. God
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forbid that we in truth when in
reality, I mean, the point that
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George will always used to make is
anmar is the size of the state of
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South Carolina and the area that they
wanted to drill is about the size of
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Logan Airport in Boston. And I
remember saying somebody, if we could,
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if we could show this to people, it would totally change this debate.
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So, even going back that far, there was this idea that if we
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can do it in sort of a
concise fashion, if we can use the
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visuals to kind of make this stuff
clearer. They never listened to me.
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By the way, the Obama descrusion
came in and did precisely that thing.
328
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They turned it into a video series. Yeah, well, I mean it
329
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makes sense. They did a few
things that make not many, but they
330
00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:10.799
did a few things that makes sense. Um, well, look what I
331
00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:14.039
want to do with your with your
kind indulgence, I'm going to play a
332
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segment for our folks here of one
of the videos that you guys do.
333
00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:22.200
This is one is on the subject
of volcanoes. So so everyone is thinking,
334
00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:26.359
you know, hold up, it's
just it's not marginal tax rate productions.
335
00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:29.160
This is interesting stuff, right,
So you know, so we'll do
336
00:23:29.160 --> 00:23:32.880
a little video on that. If
that's okay. All I've got to do
337
00:23:33.079 --> 00:23:45.559
is hit about sixteen buttons simultaneously.
All right. Volcanos have played a dramatic
338
00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:49.720
role in human history. In seventy
nine eight, Mount Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii.
339
00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:55.640
The eruption of Krakatoa in eighteen eighty
three was so violent that the sound could
340
00:23:55.640 --> 00:24:00.720
be heard three thousand miles away,
the equivalent of hearing something happened in Dublin,
341
00:24:00.759 --> 00:24:06.559
Ireland from Boston in nineteen eighty Americans
even got their own taste of volcanic
342
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:11.440
destruction with the eruption of Mount Saint
Helen's. But there's one thing humans have
343
00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:15.920
never encountered, at least not since
we've been keeping historical records, the eruption
344
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of a supervolcano. What is the
supervolcano? Put simply, it's a flaming
345
00:24:22.119 --> 00:24:26.400
death hole. Put slightly less simply, it's a volcano capable of eruptions on
346
00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:32.799
a scale we can barely imagine.
A supervolcanic explosion would be at least four
347
00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:37.519
thousand times as powerful as the eruption
at Mount Saint Helen's and could wreak havoc
348
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across the entire planet. So that's
that's uplifting. Well, the goal was
349
00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:55.599
not to be uplifting. The goal
was to responsibly scare people. Okay,
350
00:24:55.640 --> 00:25:00.839
that's good, you congratulate. I
mean the video work, it's outstanding.
351
00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:03.640
I mean, if you have,
if you called the filmography whatever the proper
352
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name for it is, I mean, it grabs you and just draws you
353
00:25:07.720 --> 00:25:12.839
into what's going on. You're narrating
that one wonderfully, and so it's a
354
00:25:12.839 --> 00:25:17.519
good, pithy, informative way,
as you say, of wondering if the
355
00:25:17.559 --> 00:25:23.000
planet is going to become a flaming
of death hold, I want you to
356
00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:27.480
know I fought very hard for that
line. I fought very very hard for
357
00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:33.880
the sort of norse metal visual that's
behind it, and the funching guitar underneath
358
00:25:33.880 --> 00:25:37.559
it. These are the things that
make my work worth doing that. And
359
00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:41.519
then we had a we had a
a minerals video earlier on where I fought
360
00:25:41.640 --> 00:25:48.599
very hard for We photoshopped an old
Maoist poster with because the underlying line was
361
00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:52.200
about how China was never going to
relax, that laid back dictatorships aren't a
362
00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:56.200
thing, and so we photoshopped an
old Mauist propaganda poster with the slogan dance
363
00:25:56.240 --> 00:26:00.759
like Nobody's watching, And I mean, these are these are the things that
364
00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:03.759
define my life nowadays. Well,
if then, if and if you will
365
00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:07.599
permit me, then with with the
mental respect, of course, but I
366
00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:10.640
would offer one word one word of
caution here, yes, because when when
367
00:26:10.640 --> 00:26:15.680
you put this sort of thing together, you never know when someone with oh
368
00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:19.279
I don't know, a twisted mind
and a soundboard or something of that order
369
00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:26.480
can take to just add one little
tone right and the next thing you know,
370
00:26:26.920 --> 00:26:32.759
you've got a flaming So you've got
to be You've got to be really
371
00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:40.160
really right now right now, Choy
is thinking, I agree to do this.
372
00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:45.880
Well, yeah, I enjoyed.
I enjoyed the the Cajun cuisine with
373
00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:51.880
yours, so I've had this experience. Joy's thinking, I worked in the
374
00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:55.759
White House, damn it, And
here I am about talking about talking about
375
00:26:55.799 --> 00:27:00.039
blaming. We now return you to
see spend free and book notes already in
376
00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:04.119
progress. I'm just honored that you
think this is less thing if I'm working
377
00:27:04.119 --> 00:27:11.279
in the White House. Be Um, okay, I'm gonna try to be
378
00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:14.480
somewhat serious. But one of one
of the things, uh, that I've
379
00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:17.599
noticed, and easy one of the
things that I've noticed about you and that
380
00:27:17.640 --> 00:27:21.799
admire uh. In addition to the
masochistic strict that brought you here today?
381
00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:26.599
Is uh you correct me if I'm
wrong, But I get the impression that
382
00:27:26.680 --> 00:27:32.920
you prefer to stay a few steps
back from the outraged djor right, and
383
00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:36.160
that you want to find ways to
engage the mind, but you're really not
384
00:27:36.279 --> 00:27:41.680
interested in the polemical fisticuffs and free
for all that that. Yes, lord
385
00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:49.039
anyway, um uh so dominated right, that's right, I should I should
386
00:27:49.079 --> 00:27:52.440
stipulate I'm not interested in being on
the supply side of that market. Doesn't
387
00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:56.920
mean that I'm not on the demand
side something. Yeah, I do enjoy
388
00:27:56.039 --> 00:28:00.839
some people who who engage in that. Um, But I, in my
389
00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:03.000
heart of hearts, I think this
is an untenable position. Unfortunately, in
390
00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:07.559
the year twenty twenty one, I, in my heart of hearts am a
391
00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:11.319
culture war pacifist. Most of the
things that occupy our attention in the culture
392
00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:14.920
war, I tend to think would
be things that would be better solved in
393
00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:18.200
people's communities rout an individual. Absolutely. The problem with that, of course,
394
00:28:18.279 --> 00:28:21.920
is if one side doesn't agree to
those terms. There's actually much like
395
00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:26.000
the problem with real pacifism. You're
going to get eventually. You may have
396
00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:29.319
interested in but they're interested in you, right, now exactly right, exactly
397
00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:33.799
right. But because so much of
American politics I think has shifted to a
398
00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:37.039
focus on these cultural issues, the
sort of bread and butter stuff that we're
399
00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:41.839
talking about a Kite and Key sort
of takes a back seat, and I
400
00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:45.200
think we're actually losing the muscle to
have the lay person is losing the muscle
401
00:28:45.240 --> 00:28:48.599
to have serious arguments about that kind
of stuff. So yeah, I mean
402
00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:52.480
the idea with Kite and Key was
to build that muscle back up, but
403
00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:56.440
also to I mean, we're not
trying to hide who we are. We
404
00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:59.720
came from the Manhattan Institute. We're
right of center people. We're not trying
405
00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:03.279
to head join any of them,
right, but in doing videos about public
406
00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:07.480
policy and public policies, I really
go out of my way. We go
407
00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:11.480
out of our way to we don't
feature politicians in these videos as either objects
408
00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:17.200
of ridicule or objects of praise.
We really don't talk about Republicans or Democrats,
409
00:29:17.240 --> 00:29:22.559
conservatives or liberals, because I want
people to focus on the ideas before
410
00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:26.160
they start trying to label them,
especially with people who have kind of soft
411
00:29:26.200 --> 00:29:30.200
priors. Well yeah, and when
they hear a label, they automatically attach
412
00:29:30.240 --> 00:29:33.640
all sorts of attributes to that person
that has that label that may or may
413
00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:36.680
not be accurate, and in many
cases they're not at all accurate. That's
414
00:29:36.720 --> 00:29:38.440
sort of my thing. I don't
want to give people the excuse to take
415
00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:42.519
the shortcut to actually think through it
on the merits. Yeah. Yeah.
416
00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:48.960
My grandfather on my dad's side was
a Democrat from you know, from the
417
00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:53.240
time the earth cool I guess and
so, and he and I during the
418
00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:56.720
Reagan president. So he and I
would go round and round and round.
419
00:29:56.720 --> 00:30:00.759
He couldn't figure out where my folks
have gone wrong in my bringing because I
420
00:30:00.839 --> 00:30:03.119
wasn't. And so what I did
is I would say, all right,
421
00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:04.759
Grandpa, was let me just ask
you some questions. We don't even talk
422
00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:08.880
about political parties anymore. And I
would ask him topic A, topic,
423
00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:11.839
B, topic CE, and he
would tell me what he thought. I
424
00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:19.200
said, you've just a spouse Republican
platform essentially, and he looked at me
425
00:30:19.240 --> 00:30:23.400
like you bastard. You know,
he was not happy. But when you
426
00:30:23.400 --> 00:30:26.920
get down to the ideas, that's
that's what matters, right, Yes,
427
00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:33.240
yeah, And he's representative of an
entire generation of shutter Democrats where you had
428
00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:37.160
and where you had the opposite thing
happening with Northeastern Republicans too, right.
429
00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:38.920
I mean this is I think we've
actually, in a weird way, we've
430
00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:42.799
lost something by the parties becoming more
consistent. They you know, they were
431
00:30:42.920 --> 00:30:47.279
a little more interesting and there was
a little bit more play in the joints,
432
00:30:47.319 --> 00:30:52.079
even legislatively, when there was more
ideological diversity within the parties. I
433
00:30:52.119 --> 00:30:55.480
think it does make it harder when
they get they're more intellectually consistent, they
434
00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:59.880
kind of make more sense. They've
purged. Yeah, maybe two two blunt,
435
00:30:59.880 --> 00:31:02.960
but yeah. But the Democrats,
particularly if you are in any any
436
00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:10.119
way, become somewhat pro life,
if that's if that's think about that and
437
00:31:10.279 --> 00:31:12.599
things and things in those terms.
No, no, we don't. There's
438
00:31:12.599 --> 00:31:15.880
no place where you here. You
know, it's funny you bring that up.
439
00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:19.599
I was trying to think the other
day if there are any prominent and
440
00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:22.440
by prominent, I mean like they
could be a House member. Any prominent
441
00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:26.880
pro life Democrats left anywhere in the
country. I don't think so. Since
442
00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:30.640
think of one, not since Zell
Miller died, I don't believe. Yeah,
443
00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:33.839
who's that, I'm freaking his name
now? The congressman from Michigan during
444
00:31:33.880 --> 00:31:41.240
the Obamacare fight that was was pushing
on this cannot cannot remember. Maybe maybe
445
00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:45.400
sports Stupak, that's the last one
I remember. I don't. I don't
446
00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:48.680
think there are any, so it
be you're right. So that's the reason
447
00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:53.400
why I guess those labels come attached
with all these pre pre preconceived ideas because
448
00:31:53.400 --> 00:31:57.200
the parties have made that happen.
So talk about ideas. Yeah, And
449
00:31:57.319 --> 00:32:01.480
there's also a focus in the work
that we do on finding some issues that
450
00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:06.160
I'd almost call pre ideological, Like
I don't think that there is a Republican
451
00:32:06.279 --> 00:32:09.200
or democratic approach to how you think
about the long term threats of something like
452
00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:13.559
blaming death all. Oh yeah,
right, yeah, yeah, yeah.
453
00:32:14.119 --> 00:32:16.880
And so I mean, I like
we did one on the future of cash,
454
00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:22.000
because there are proposals out there to
abolish the use of actual, you
455
00:32:22.079 --> 00:32:24.720
know, hard currency in the future
that hasn't really broken along partisan lines yet.
456
00:32:24.759 --> 00:32:28.079
So we're going to keep trying to
do those things because I liked,
457
00:32:28.240 --> 00:32:32.160
I like to get to issues where
people don't alwa, their signapses aren't already
458
00:32:32.200 --> 00:32:38.119
wired a certain bringing in the perspective
of Aretha Franklin, and that was just
459
00:32:38.599 --> 00:32:43.480
that was fantastic, Thank you,
I approved. Yeah, we used.
460
00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:46.920
We used to read Aretha Franklin in
the opening because Aretha Franklin always wanted to
461
00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:51.119
be paid in cash. And the
reason that Franklin always wanted to be paid
462
00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:53.160
in cash was when she was younger. There are tons of black musicians who'd
463
00:32:53.200 --> 00:32:55.680
get stood up, they'd do the
show and they wouldn't get the money.
464
00:32:57.200 --> 00:32:59.880
So we're just trying to underscore the
point that boy having it in your hand
465
00:33:00.200 --> 00:33:01.920
makes a difference. Yep. There's
something called common sense. There's something called
466
00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:06.559
good sense, and she had good
sense. So frankly, I just wanted
467
00:33:06.599 --> 00:33:08.799
an excuse to put a rutha Franklin. Who can deny that? Who I
468
00:33:08.839 --> 00:33:13.960
mean, who can at all?
Okay, So changing gears very quickly.
469
00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:17.279
How the Grover Cleveland book? How's
that coming? You remember Hamley? He
470
00:33:17.400 --> 00:33:22.759
was a I mean, I will
I will say two things. Yeah,
471
00:33:22.799 --> 00:33:28.599
One, I think it's coming pretty
well. Two. About a year ago,
472
00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:35.240
I had, much to my chagrin, an extremely intense about with an
473
00:33:35.319 --> 00:33:42.160
extremely bad kidney stone, and I
would compare writing my first book to that
474
00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:45.960
experience. It will pass eventually,
It's going to be extremely painful in the
475
00:33:46.160 --> 00:33:51.680
process, and I might black out
at some point before it's Yeah. I
476
00:33:51.720 --> 00:33:54.359
don't know if you remember you were
you were, Yeah, you were editor
477
00:33:54.400 --> 00:33:59.000
in chief at the time, and
I had I was hospitalized for some kidney
478
00:33:59.039 --> 00:34:01.440
stone issues. I remember it.
I remember it very h you say that,
479
00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:05.519
I mean it starts hurting right away
soon as Oh my god. If
480
00:34:05.559 --> 00:34:09.079
you compare writing a book that particular
book to that, it is funny.
481
00:34:09.599 --> 00:34:14.840
I don't catch title. I don't. I don't know if you've found this,
482
00:34:15.679 --> 00:34:20.880
but after I went through my experience
quite traumatic, I found that amongst
483
00:34:20.960 --> 00:34:24.639
men, it seems like second only
to being a combat veteran in the amount
484
00:34:24.679 --> 00:34:29.639
of immediate is free decor Like,
if you mention it, every guy who's
485
00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:35.880
ever gone through it will reflexively wins
and then immediately want to tell you their
486
00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:37.679
story. In fact, I have
to have to tell you something. It's
487
00:34:37.800 --> 00:34:43.199
so fantastic. Do I do this
show with Victor Davis Hansen. Yeah,
488
00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:46.880
Victor has been through this many times. Oh okay, And Victor, as
489
00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:51.119
soon as he found out this will
tell you a lot about Victor Davis Hanson
490
00:34:51.159 --> 00:34:55.159
as a person. Victor immediately started
walking me through all the things that he
491
00:34:55.280 --> 00:34:58.920
recommended as to what to do and
what not to do. As soon as
492
00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:01.800
we got off of our pod cast
that day, he sent me a fifteen
493
00:35:02.360 --> 00:35:08.119
paragraph email walking me through everything.
And he's a lovely guy. But also
494
00:35:08.199 --> 00:35:15.880
this is just you immediately feel a
sympathy in your bones for somebody. Riscont
495
00:35:15.039 --> 00:35:20.719
absolutely absolutely, Oh my gosh,
mine up having to have a surgery to
496
00:35:20.800 --> 00:35:23.280
take care of so yeah, I
remember, oh my gosh. Um.
497
00:35:24.519 --> 00:35:29.440
Yeah, I won't share them.
Yeah, god there, Yeah, I'm
498
00:35:29.480 --> 00:35:30.800
sorry. I didn't mean to take
the show in that direction, but that
499
00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:35.079
is the analogy that comes to mind. I'm very close to finishing this book,
500
00:35:35.199 --> 00:35:37.920
and I have to tell you the
interesting thing about this book is it's
501
00:35:37.960 --> 00:35:43.280
totally serendipitous. This is a thing
that I've been obsessed with for ten or
502
00:35:43.360 --> 00:35:47.519
fifteen years. I've always thought there
needs to be a modern revisitation of Grover
503
00:35:47.639 --> 00:35:52.440
Cleveland. He's one of the only
two term presidents that is not sort of
504
00:35:52.599 --> 00:35:55.880
fixed in the public's memory. If
you go and think about the people who've
505
00:35:55.880 --> 00:36:00.960
actually served two full terms, we're
almost on first name basis with most of
506
00:36:01.039 --> 00:36:06.199
them, the exceptions being Cleveland and
maybe James Monroe. Anyway, this was
507
00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:07.239
a thing in the back of my
head. It was a thing I never
508
00:36:07.400 --> 00:36:10.679
pursued. And it just so happened
that a couple of friends of mine who
509
00:36:10.719 --> 00:36:15.360
are agents, who are literary agents
in DC, were in New York when
510
00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:19.199
I was still at the Manhattan Institute
and stopped by just on a social call,
511
00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:23.440
and in trying to learn about their
business, I asked them, you
512
00:36:23.480 --> 00:36:27.079
know how they go about finding projects, how they go about finding authors?
513
00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:29.599
And they said, well, everyone, now and again we take something from
514
00:36:29.639 --> 00:36:32.800
a publisher on spec. They just
have something they want and they don't know
515
00:36:34.199 --> 00:36:37.480
who the author to do it is. And their example of one of these
516
00:36:37.559 --> 00:36:40.559
that was so ludicrous that they could
never find anybody was Simon and Schuster wants
517
00:36:40.599 --> 00:36:44.239
a book on Grover Cleveland. Where
the hell are we going to find that?
518
00:36:45.800 --> 00:36:49.159
At which point I said, gentlemen, you find back an idea for
519
00:36:49.239 --> 00:36:52.960
you. You have come to the
writer right, well, I mean literally
520
00:36:52.039 --> 00:36:54.639
literally fell into my lap. Well, they just gotta push through then,
521
00:36:54.639 --> 00:36:57.960
all right, just like you move
with the Kenney. You just got you
522
00:36:57.960 --> 00:37:00.880
gotta push through. Because I want
to say it, but well, I'm
523
00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:05.400
around this time next year, that
is when it is due to be hitting
524
00:37:05.760 --> 00:37:10.920
hitting stands partially because they want to
get it out before the field starts congealing.
525
00:37:12.400 --> 00:37:17.480
For the Republican presidential context, because
Donald Trump, God bless him,
526
00:37:17.599 --> 00:37:23.239
the prospect of him running again is
the only thing able to push Grover Cleveland
527
00:37:24.960 --> 00:37:30.599
back into public consciousness. Well,
there we are, so very very quickly.
528
00:37:30.639 --> 00:37:37.679
House of the family. The family
is great. My wife finished right
529
00:37:37.719 --> 00:37:42.320
before COVID started, finished a PhD
at the University of Connecticut Biomedical Science.
530
00:37:42.519 --> 00:37:46.480
Nice. She's now working at Bristol
Myers squib in New Jersey. So she's
531
00:37:46.679 --> 00:37:50.440
she's the brains in the family.
I mean, I'm just obviously you would
532
00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:52.880
know this by looking at me.
I'm I'm arm Candy. That's what I
533
00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:59.840
mean, you two. I mean
the things that we that we that we
534
00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:02.320
do, you know, suffer and
go through for our spouses. It's just
535
00:38:04.159 --> 00:38:07.440
remember I told you earlier about Shelley
and her eyes, just like you know
536
00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:08.920
right now she sees that she's going, oh god, there he goes,
537
00:38:12.360 --> 00:38:15.719
Well, look, this has been
mad fun. It always is, Dave,
538
00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:19.280
I always is when I'm talking about
I hope that you can still find
539
00:38:19.320 --> 00:38:25.719
gameful employment after this goes public.
And it's an open question whether It's been
540
00:38:25.760 --> 00:38:29.000
a treat Sir, thank you so
much for taking the time to talk with
541
00:38:29.039 --> 00:38:31.039
this. I do appreciate it.
Likewise, Dave, thank you very much,
542
00:38:31.239 --> 00:38:36.920
folks. As Troy Cenec on the
Dave Carter Program, we're talking with
543
00:38:37.079 --> 00:38:40.199
Ricochet co founderer and Cheers executive producer
Rob long. I used to say when
544
00:38:40.199 --> 00:38:44.519
I lived I lived in the Panhandle
before, and I used to say that
545
00:38:44.559 --> 00:38:46.199
the further south that you went in
for to the further north you go.
546
00:38:46.960 --> 00:38:51.280
That's true. That's exactly. Reactions
changed, the driving habits change. Oh
547
00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:57.519
my god, it's like anyway,
my grandfather was a Bostonian and then spent
548
00:38:57.639 --> 00:39:00.559
most of his life sort of living
abroad and kind of crazy places in Africa
549
00:39:00.599 --> 00:39:05.119
and Mexico. And he was living
in the nineteen fifties and sixties in Paris,
550
00:39:05.639 --> 00:39:09.920
and he was doing mining in Africa
and French Equatorial Africa and um and
551
00:39:10.039 --> 00:39:13.159
people and he would drive in Paris
and people said, my god, I
552
00:39:13.280 --> 00:39:15.800
mean, how did you learn to
drive so well in Paris? And I
553
00:39:15.920 --> 00:39:20.280
learned to drive in Boston. If
your spinkers are making a funny sound,
554
00:39:20.760 --> 00:39:23.199
you're listening to the Dave Carter Show. Speaking of the Panhandle. Just to
555
00:39:23.239 --> 00:39:28.719
go back to that, we're going
what happens when people in New York and
556
00:39:28.880 --> 00:39:32.719
in California discover how beautiful the Panhandle
is. Don't don't, don't no,
557
00:39:32.840 --> 00:39:36.400
no, but no, because when
I when I get it, when I
558
00:39:36.440 --> 00:39:39.320
get out of Mogad, I'm sorry, Memphis over here more likely than not
559
00:39:39.400 --> 00:39:42.679
going to be in the pant No, no, please, please, I'm
560
00:39:42.719 --> 00:39:50.400
going to edit that part out.
Okay, let me tell you something now.
561
00:39:50.840 --> 00:39:52.920
When the time comes, I'm gonna
be out of here so fast it's
562
00:39:52.920 --> 00:39:57.840
gonna make my head spin. Enough
fun, man, So how'd you like
563
00:39:57.960 --> 00:40:04.159
Troy Center? Wasn't it great?
Normally on these various other programs and podcast
564
00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:07.639
on which he appears, he plays
it pretty straight, you know, which
565
00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:12.039
makes sense when you're talking with brilliant
legal minds like Richard Epstein and John you
566
00:40:12.320 --> 00:40:15.119
or Were Professor Victor Davis Hanson,
who is arguably one of the smartest men
567
00:40:15.159 --> 00:40:19.480
in the country. So when TROYA
comes over here, while it's a little
568
00:40:19.480 --> 00:40:22.199
bit of a different vibe, and
so we encourage mister Senec to let his
569
00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:25.960
hair down, if not his guard
and have a fun time. But he's
570
00:40:27.000 --> 00:40:31.519
really doing fantastic work along with Kite
and Key co founder and CEO Vanessa Mendoza,
571
00:40:31.960 --> 00:40:36.679
and there's superb team of researchers and
producers over there at Kite and Key
572
00:40:36.800 --> 00:40:38.880
to give us all a lot of
information to consider as we look at some
573
00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:43.920
of the major issues that affect all
of us. Regardless of your ideological disposition,
574
00:40:44.039 --> 00:40:47.440
whether you're a Bernie Sender's utopian or
some fire breathing nut like me,
575
00:40:49.559 --> 00:40:52.920
just affects us all and they give
us the information to think about. So
576
00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:57.119
if you've enjoyed the exchange thus far, I would encourage you to head them
577
00:40:57.159 --> 00:41:00.960
over to Bricochet to Audio Network and
enjoy the things that we have for your
578
00:41:01.400 --> 00:41:07.559
consumption there, from choice programs to
commentary magazine's podcast and my friend Nick Plosser
579
00:41:08.079 --> 00:41:13.239
and his show called The Half Percent
Podcast where he interviews veterans and the after
580
00:41:13.400 --> 00:41:15.599
duty folks to give you a sense
of what is being done on your behalf
581
00:41:16.199 --> 00:41:20.920
by members of our armed forces.
And of course the ricord Say Flagship podcast
582
00:41:21.079 --> 00:41:23.880
keeps humming along each week with Peter
Robinson and Rob Long and James Lilacs because
583
00:41:23.880 --> 00:41:28.559
they engaged some of the most interesting
and nozule people in the news today.
584
00:41:28.679 --> 00:41:30.079
So if you want to pony up, say four and a half bucks a
585
00:41:30.159 --> 00:41:34.400
month, you can listen to all
the podcasts, you can read the articles
586
00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:37.480
on the main feet and on the
member feed behind the paywall, and you
587
00:41:37.599 --> 00:41:43.360
can comment on everything that's there if
you chip in just fifty cents more per
588
00:41:43.440 --> 00:41:45.280
month, and you can write your
own articles for the whole wide world to
589
00:41:45.320 --> 00:41:49.480
see what you think about things.
But if you're not sure, if you
590
00:41:49.559 --> 00:41:52.000
want to make that commitment yet just
not trying this thing out for a while
591
00:41:52.079 --> 00:41:55.280
and see what's about, then I've
got a deal for you. For listeners
592
00:41:55.320 --> 00:41:59.519
to the Day of Carter program,
you can drag your cursor on up to
593
00:41:59.599 --> 00:42:05.079
the top of the screen and type
in ricochet dot com slash gumbo gumbo you
594
00:42:05.159 --> 00:42:07.199
were good at free thirty day trial
a Ricochet. Try it out, see
595
00:42:07.239 --> 00:42:10.639
what you think about it right,
comment, read, do your own articles,
596
00:42:12.079 --> 00:42:14.519
and if you like it well,
then four and a half bucks per
597
00:42:14.679 --> 00:42:16.639
month gets you in the door.
So take that and stick it in your
598
00:42:17.239 --> 00:42:21.119
situation. Give us some thought.
You ever had any good gumbo. By
599
00:42:21.159 --> 00:42:24.360
the way, man, I could
use some. I'm making myself homesick,
600
00:42:24.480 --> 00:42:27.320
you know, but yeah, I
could. I could use it anyway,
601
00:42:27.519 --> 00:42:31.760
that means nothing. Just going over
to ricochet dot com slash gumbo gumbo and
602
00:42:31.960 --> 00:43:07.239
you can join the conversation. Newsmakers, celebrities, counties, people to oh
603
00:43:07.400 --> 00:43:15.559
here of the day car to show. So this is the part of the
604
00:43:15.599 --> 00:43:20.480
program where I get to talk to
Ricochet members in basking their wisdom and insight.
605
00:43:21.079 --> 00:43:24.840
And this edition of the member segment
is no exception at all. Now,
606
00:43:24.920 --> 00:43:28.159
remember, folks, if you take
advantage of my offer by going to
607
00:43:28.280 --> 00:43:31.599
ricochet dot com slash gumbo becoming part
of Ricochet, you could very well find
608
00:43:31.639 --> 00:43:36.599
yourself right here on the podcast as
well. Now tell me if you've heard
609
00:43:36.639 --> 00:43:43.199
this before. Okay, things have
gone absolutely bat guano insane in the Minneapolis
610
00:43:43.280 --> 00:43:46.800
area. That's a shock, isn't
it. And another person has resisted arrest
611
00:43:46.960 --> 00:43:52.519
and surprise, bad things followed,
at which point cue the rioters, the
612
00:43:52.679 --> 00:43:57.280
mayhem, the looting, the arson, the destruction, because nothing says we
613
00:43:57.440 --> 00:44:01.199
want justice like stealing flat screen TVs
in setting businesses and things on fire.
614
00:44:02.079 --> 00:44:05.159
But there are different layers of the
story, and as I often do,
615
00:44:05.239 --> 00:44:08.440
I try to talk with folks on
the ground when these significant events take place,
616
00:44:08.559 --> 00:44:12.280
and my go to person in Minneapolis, as many of you know,
617
00:44:13.039 --> 00:44:16.480
is fcochet member and a writer at
the Federalist. Jenna Stalker Jenna's Marine Corps
618
00:44:16.559 --> 00:44:21.119
veteran, where she served as an
officer. She was a researcher at the
619
00:44:21.199 --> 00:44:24.280
Center for Security Policy, a think
tank in Washington, DC, and she
620
00:44:24.480 --> 00:44:30.639
now resides in Minneapolis with her husband, who's also a military veteran. They're
621
00:44:30.679 --> 00:44:32.679
both out numbered by number dogs.
I've had that in my notes here,
622
00:44:34.119 --> 00:44:37.280
but at least the dogs are domesticated, which is more than one can say
623
00:44:37.320 --> 00:44:40.800
about the mob that's determined to wreck
the city. So with that backdrop,
624
00:44:40.880 --> 00:44:45.039
I'm helping happy to welcome again to
the program, Jenna Stalker, though I
625
00:44:45.159 --> 00:44:51.000
regret the circumstances. How are you
good and yourself? I'm just having all
626
00:44:51.079 --> 00:44:53.639
sorts of fun here and joined this
and I've got the coffee going. But
627
00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:58.480
I hate what I'm seeing on the
TV. Now. I know that the
628
00:44:58.559 --> 00:45:02.360
TV. A lot of what you
see on TV is just the tunnel vision,
629
00:45:02.440 --> 00:45:07.639
if you will. It doesn't show
the larger landscape. But I know
630
00:45:07.960 --> 00:45:13.760
also that what's happening in Minneapolis is
happening with the backdrop of the Derek Chauvin
631
00:45:13.880 --> 00:45:19.119
case. And I believe the National
Guard has been brought in and police presence
632
00:45:19.159 --> 00:45:23.000
had been beefed up. So talking
about again the tunnel vision that the camera
633
00:45:23.119 --> 00:45:27.960
gives, the larger landscape that's south
there. With that in mind, what's
634
00:45:28.039 --> 00:45:30.199
your impression? Because you live there, You've lived there all your life pretty
635
00:45:30.280 --> 00:45:35.159
much, I believe, yet born
and raised. So what do you make
636
00:45:35.199 --> 00:45:38.320
of all this? Just from a
macro point of view? I think the
637
00:45:38.840 --> 00:45:45.639
trial itself, the Chauvin trial,
is definitely having a tangible effect on people's
638
00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:51.960
mindset. It's pretty tense. All
the local news stations are running live stream.
639
00:45:52.320 --> 00:45:58.679
The arguments have ended yesterday, and
the jury has a day off today,
640
00:45:58.719 --> 00:46:02.519
and I think they're going to start
deliberations on Monday, if I have
641
00:46:02.679 --> 00:46:07.920
that timeline right. So, you
know, that's kind of this is kind
642
00:46:07.920 --> 00:46:13.119
of cold, be what people have
been holding their breath about. You know.
643
00:46:13.159 --> 00:46:16.679
I think a lot of people have
their minds made up. At least
644
00:46:16.679 --> 00:46:22.400
the activists set have their minds made
up of what they want to see and
645
00:46:22.599 --> 00:46:25.639
expect nothing less unless there's going to
be violent. Well, they had their
646
00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:30.920
minds made up before there was ever
a trial. Absolutely, the evidence is
647
00:46:30.960 --> 00:46:34.159
not necessarily needed after a certain point, they just in their opinion, They
648
00:46:34.239 --> 00:46:37.880
just see what they see and there's
nothing else that matters. Two part question,
649
00:46:38.239 --> 00:46:43.559
to what extent has all the unrest
and the looting and the carnage and
650
00:46:43.639 --> 00:46:47.360
all that, to what extent has
that all damaged the city's reputation as a
651
00:46:47.480 --> 00:46:52.559
safe place to live and work and
attract businesses for example? I think it's
652
00:46:52.599 --> 00:46:57.519
going to be a long time before
Minneapolis makes its way back to even approaching
653
00:46:57.599 --> 00:47:01.320
where it had its potential. I
think before all this started, before the
654
00:47:01.400 --> 00:47:07.880
pandemic, I would say, um, you know, there was a few
655
00:47:08.559 --> 00:47:15.159
officer related shootings. Uh you know
before then, um flann the Castile was
656
00:47:15.199 --> 00:47:19.280
one, um and they had.
But after this, you know, crime
657
00:47:19.400 --> 00:47:22.920
is only escalated, especially violent crime
in the city. So you're kind of
658
00:47:23.159 --> 00:47:31.440
um perpetuating a feeling of mistrust between
the people on the street and the police
659
00:47:31.480 --> 00:47:39.719
officers. They're pretty combative. So
and then after after the George Floyd death,
660
00:47:40.159 --> 00:47:45.039
there was um, you know,
uh feeling where you know, cops
661
00:47:45.079 --> 00:47:51.880
are just not welcome here until they're
needed exactly, yes, and they're needed,
662
00:47:51.880 --> 00:47:53.719
they're supposed to be there. You
know, we don't need fund you
663
00:47:53.880 --> 00:47:57.039
right now, come on back,
because we need help right now because this
664
00:47:57.119 --> 00:47:59.760
guy's trying to kill us. But
after that, you're defunded again. So
665
00:48:00.000 --> 00:48:01.880
it's tough for the cops to adjust
to this kind of mentality. Well,
666
00:48:01.920 --> 00:48:07.519
there was an immediate, immediate call
for just absolute defunding of the police.
667
00:48:07.800 --> 00:48:14.440
Are Alan Omar is a rep for
that area, and so she was out
668
00:48:14.480 --> 00:48:19.320
there with her bullhorn calling for that, along with a Black Lives Matter crowd.
669
00:48:20.880 --> 00:48:23.119
So and it kind of um,
you know, they had to backstep
670
00:48:23.199 --> 00:48:30.599
that. With a triple digit spike
in in percentage of violent crime carjackings,
671
00:48:30.679 --> 00:48:36.199
especially when juveniles has increased, police
are having to turn to more of a
672
00:48:36.360 --> 00:48:40.960
reactionary instead of a proactive type of
policing, which you know, it's it's
673
00:48:42.719 --> 00:48:45.280
not making the city any safer.
No, proactive policing is what helps keep
674
00:48:45.360 --> 00:48:49.880
these things from boiling to the service
in the first place and keeps these neighborhoods
675
00:48:50.440 --> 00:48:53.519
safer than they would otherwise be than
if all you're doing is responding to calls,
676
00:48:54.320 --> 00:48:57.679
which which brings me to my second
part of that of the question I
677
00:48:57.800 --> 00:49:00.440
was posing, do you think that
the city will ever come back as a
678
00:49:00.519 --> 00:49:04.320
vibrant place to settled down or is
everyone that can pretty much voting with their
679
00:49:04.360 --> 00:49:08.079
feed at this point. Yeah,
I think the people that can leave um
680
00:49:08.480 --> 00:49:13.239
or have seen the writing on the
wall, have left or make plans to
681
00:49:14.800 --> 00:49:19.440
find other places, uh, you
know in the suburbs even um you know,
682
00:49:19.639 --> 00:49:23.519
remote work has made that a lot
easier target has uh made plans are
683
00:49:23.559 --> 00:49:28.320
going to keep people away. They're
they're leaving their headquarters in downtown, which
684
00:49:28.400 --> 00:49:32.559
is already a ghost town because of
the pandemic. So um, you know,
685
00:49:32.599 --> 00:49:37.719
all I really have left in down
in the downtown area are homeless people
686
00:49:37.800 --> 00:49:40.920
and drug addicts and and you know, mentally unstable and mentally ill people.
687
00:49:42.719 --> 00:49:45.800
Enough about local government, yeah,
so you know, and it's not just
688
00:49:46.360 --> 00:49:51.480
people that are leaving, but it's
people that maybe could be attracted to Minneapolis
689
00:49:51.480 --> 00:49:55.480
as a destination point. We're talking
about major sporting events, political events that
690
00:49:55.599 --> 00:50:02.159
are just going to completely bypass the
cities and go somewhere um more um or
691
00:50:02.280 --> 00:50:08.039
less hostile to tourists. Um.
So it's really going to be a long
692
00:50:08.119 --> 00:50:13.079
haul to try to get that back. Um. And and the people that
693
00:50:13.159 --> 00:50:15.840
are left you that can't uh leave
are going to be the ones that suffer,
694
00:50:16.280 --> 00:50:21.280
right, because the tax base is
going to shrinks as the people that
695
00:50:21.360 --> 00:50:24.480
can leave do so. So now
the local governments rely on people who can
696
00:50:24.599 --> 00:50:30.639
least afford the cost of of of
goods and serve of services government services,
697
00:50:30.360 --> 00:50:36.360
and it becomes to me a death
spiral. Really. Yeah, we have
698
00:50:36.880 --> 00:50:42.079
you know, uh, pockets of
you know, more middle class and upper
699
00:50:42.480 --> 00:50:45.880
upper class in South Minneapolis, you
know, around the lakes Um, you
700
00:50:45.920 --> 00:50:50.239
know, with certain businesses that are
still here. But you once that property
701
00:50:50.320 --> 00:50:55.280
tax base drives up, you're looking
at schools receiving less funding, which you
702
00:50:55.360 --> 00:51:00.000
know, for the bureaucracy is a
major blow because they rely on their money
703
00:51:00.079 --> 00:51:07.920
to at least out their graduation rates, which are certainly acceptable, except they're
704
00:51:07.920 --> 00:51:12.880
graduating kids at a proficiency of a
fifth grade level, so they're pretty much
705
00:51:12.880 --> 00:51:15.840
setting them up for failure. So
then you know, you're putting these kids
706
00:51:15.880 --> 00:51:19.679
out on the street that aren't prepared
for life. I don't have any life
707
00:51:19.719 --> 00:51:22.320
skills, can't find a job,
So what are they going to do?
708
00:51:22.559 --> 00:51:25.679
You know, they've probably find more
solace in the streets than they do in
709
00:51:25.760 --> 00:51:30.400
stable employment. So it's pretty it's
pretty dire. Obviously, what they need
710
00:51:30.440 --> 00:51:32.280
to do is keep voting for the
party that brings all these things to fruition
711
00:51:32.320 --> 00:51:35.800
in the first place, right,
that makes perfect sense. Well, the
712
00:51:35.920 --> 00:51:39.559
thing is they use the crutch of
systemic racism, so that's always their go
713
00:51:39.760 --> 00:51:47.719
to excuse for their their failures.
But at some point it would seem whistling
714
00:51:47.760 --> 00:51:52.960
against fighting against the railing, against
the storms here. But at the same
715
00:51:52.000 --> 00:51:58.679
at some point that you look at
the who is committing the bulk of the
716
00:51:58.920 --> 00:52:02.760
violent crimes and you say, these
people can't be white supremacists. But that
717
00:52:02.880 --> 00:52:06.519
doesn't get the news headlines. You're
not going to get that on CNN.
718
00:52:06.599 --> 00:52:14.400
They see, they love these the
they just eat up all the they call
719
00:52:14.519 --> 00:52:17.920
protests that are you know, with
the flames in the background, and it's
720
00:52:19.039 --> 00:52:22.920
mostly not as the shoe stores and
the dollar stores go up in flames where
721
00:52:22.960 --> 00:52:28.159
people are working and they shop at
you know, so it's uh, you
722
00:52:28.239 --> 00:52:32.719
know, the national media and the
corporate media love it. They it's their
723
00:52:32.760 --> 00:52:37.320
cause. Well, they and they
establish a narrative that at least why what
724
00:52:37.480 --> 00:52:39.280
I see here in Memphis, they
established a narrative at the national level that
725
00:52:39.480 --> 00:52:45.079
is pretty well filtered and carried at
the local level as well, so that
726
00:52:45.239 --> 00:52:50.159
you don't see people talking about which
lives matter when some when a family here
727
00:52:50.280 --> 00:52:54.360
is killed, you know, just
just just neighborhood violence or people like we've
728
00:52:54.400 --> 00:52:58.599
had over thirty six highway shootings in
the first few since the first of the
729
00:52:58.679 --> 00:53:01.480
year. It's not going to be
talked about what lives matter and when that
730
00:53:01.599 --> 00:53:06.119
happens. It's only when it's a
certain demographic or it's a police involved thing,
731
00:53:06.320 --> 00:53:08.400
then then it matters. Otherwise we're
not going to talk about that.
732
00:53:09.960 --> 00:53:14.280
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I
saw the I assume you have too,
733
00:53:14.360 --> 00:53:19.440
the bodycam footage of what happened in
this with respect to what to Dante,
734
00:53:20.159 --> 00:53:23.280
right, it seemed pretty obvious to
me that the officer thought she was deploying
735
00:53:23.280 --> 00:53:28.599
her taser. I mean she vocalized
the whole time, I'm deploying taser,
736
00:53:28.679 --> 00:53:31.400
Taser, Taser. My immediate reaction, and it may not be correct.
737
00:53:31.559 --> 00:53:36.840
Was most likely the more experienced and
the senior officers probably hit the bricks last
738
00:53:36.920 --> 00:53:42.079
year. They probably left retired found
departments elsewhere and they're gone, and that
739
00:53:42.360 --> 00:53:46.880
leaves a smaller workforce. In many
instance as are younger than more inexperienced workforce
740
00:53:47.480 --> 00:53:52.199
with an overwhelming problem that's grown worse
because the police have been weakened, so
741
00:53:52.360 --> 00:53:57.360
they're literally in over their heads trying
to deal with this. The officer in
742
00:53:57.559 --> 00:54:00.000
question, I believed, believe had
over twenty year twenty five years or so
743
00:54:00.119 --> 00:54:05.119
on on force, So it seems
to me it's a it's a training issue.
744
00:54:06.079 --> 00:54:08.840
But I don't know. Again,
I don't know what what happens with
745
00:54:08.920 --> 00:54:10.599
this. I mean, you can
have all the experience in the world and
746
00:54:10.679 --> 00:54:15.079
you're overwhelmed and bad things happen.
Um. But do you think that that's
747
00:54:15.119 --> 00:54:19.599
what it is? The good,
the experience, the bulk of the experienced
748
00:54:19.639 --> 00:54:22.239
people have left, and what what
what's left is just really not equipped to
749
00:54:22.320 --> 00:54:28.239
deal with the spiraling, escalating violence. Yeah. I think that's probably just
750
00:54:28.360 --> 00:54:30.840
the start of it. I think, you know, we've had not just
751
00:54:31.079 --> 00:54:37.639
a demoralizing of the police set are
there, um, you know, the
752
00:54:37.760 --> 00:54:43.159
hostilities directed towards them at all level? UM? But UM, I think,
753
00:54:43.360 --> 00:54:47.239
uh, you know, we've had
I think eight over eight hundred plus
754
00:54:47.480 --> 00:54:54.920
is the h we started at before
UM at the beginning of May last year.
755
00:54:55.559 --> 00:55:00.360
Now we're down two hundred plus and
then they defund the police even more.
756
00:55:00.440 --> 00:55:06.960
The mayor didn't get his full budget
that he requested. UM. So
757
00:55:07.159 --> 00:55:13.559
they have early retirements, uh,
people taking um leave of absences for mental
758
00:55:13.599 --> 00:55:22.719
health reasons. So it's going to
be difficult to regain the force needed to
759
00:55:22.840 --> 00:55:27.719
bring the city back to the policing
that they need in these neighborhoods that are
760
00:55:27.800 --> 00:55:31.280
underserved. Um and uh. And
they're not going to be able to hire
761
00:55:31.559 --> 00:55:35.239
qualified people who I mean, who's
gonna want to be You know, you
762
00:55:35.320 --> 00:55:39.079
can if you can find a different
job and not be uh cursed at or
763
00:55:39.960 --> 00:55:47.079
leered at and shot yeah and shot
so um and have the governor pretty much
764
00:55:47.119 --> 00:55:51.159
throw you under the bus. Uh. I don't know if you saw his
765
00:55:51.239 --> 00:55:59.480
tweet after uh juante rights death,
but it was pretty So that was that
766
00:55:59.639 --> 00:56:05.480
was pretty We have a situation now
in which narrative transcends facts. It is
767
00:56:05.519 --> 00:56:07.480
not going to change. I think, if I mean, if if I
768
00:56:07.519 --> 00:56:09.639
could, if I could propose any
solution that all we would take the same
769
00:56:09.760 --> 00:56:15.280
number of National Guard troops they're new
Washington, DC protecting defense over there and
770
00:56:15.480 --> 00:56:20.480
deploy them to Minneapolis. Yeah.
It's funny. You know, the people
771
00:56:20.559 --> 00:56:25.079
that cry for defunding the police all
have living gated communities and they have they
772
00:56:27.280 --> 00:56:30.880
to have their own protection. Absolutely. Yeah, um, you know.
773
00:56:30.039 --> 00:56:32.760
And in meanwhile, in the city, for example, in George George Floyd
774
00:56:32.840 --> 00:56:37.239
Square, which I went to a
couple of weeks ago. Um, you
775
00:56:37.320 --> 00:56:39.760
know, you can walk in there, and residence and business owners can drive
776
00:56:39.840 --> 00:56:44.840
in there. They're allowed, they're
allowed in by the gatekeepers. But it's
777
00:56:44.880 --> 00:56:50.159
overwhelmingly being pulled. The people that
live there want it open. Um.
778
00:56:50.599 --> 00:56:55.000
You know, there's an escalating,
concentrated amount of violence in that square,
779
00:56:55.519 --> 00:57:04.159
and if a violent attack hers there, um, the police and EMTs aren't
780
00:57:04.199 --> 00:57:07.280
allowed in. They have to request
the victim to be taken out of the
781
00:57:07.320 --> 00:57:12.440
square to be treated just dumbfounding,
and they can't investigate a crime. So
782
00:57:12.719 --> 00:57:17.679
it's it's pretty much just the wild
West on street violence steroids there. So
783
00:57:17.960 --> 00:57:22.559
it's it's pretty uh, it's going
to be a daunting task. And the
784
00:57:22.679 --> 00:57:25.639
same people we're going me for interrupting, but I feeling rant coming on and
785
00:57:27.039 --> 00:57:30.719
I resist. I was just I
resist the urge. But the same people
786
00:57:30.800 --> 00:57:35.599
that want to defund the police,
that have sections of their cities that are
787
00:57:35.760 --> 00:57:37.800
that are just no man's land,
that can't even get to the victims of
788
00:57:37.880 --> 00:57:42.199
crime, and aren't going to help
the people that are being attacked, are
789
00:57:42.280 --> 00:57:45.239
saying, by the way, room
are going to make inroads on your right
790
00:57:45.320 --> 00:57:50.840
to defend yourself as well. Yeah, it's there, makes perfect autonomous zone.
791
00:57:51.000 --> 00:57:53.199
Yeah, so it doesn't. It
makes no sense. They already have
792
00:57:53.400 --> 00:57:58.039
a perfect example of what happens when
you need to defund the police or when
793
00:57:58.039 --> 00:58:01.320
you don't allow the police, and
yet they want to make that what Minneapolis
794
00:58:01.519 --> 00:58:07.840
is. Yeah. Yeah, so
uh was a senator from Louisiana recently said,
795
00:58:07.920 --> 00:58:10.719
So if they get their way,
whenever you're attacked or you fear for
796
00:58:10.760 --> 00:58:14.840
your life in my shooting at you
call a crackhead, because that's all that's
797
00:58:14.880 --> 00:58:19.239
going to be left. Well,
all right, that was uplifting. Um,
798
00:58:19.639 --> 00:58:22.119
you and your family, okay,
through all this hanging in there,
799
00:58:22.239 --> 00:58:28.519
we're hanging in there. So my
husband works in an office building that should
800
00:58:28.599 --> 00:58:32.280
hold about five thousand people and he's
one of about a dozen that go into
801
00:58:32.360 --> 00:58:37.119
work. So it was quiet.
Yeah, it's quiet, but it doesn't
802
00:58:37.119 --> 00:58:44.559
bode well for the yeah, really
for the future of the workforce. In
803
00:58:45.280 --> 00:58:46.840
speaking of the future, you guys
have an addition to the family, I
804
00:58:46.920 --> 00:58:50.880
mean, in addition to all the
dogs, right, yeah, so all
805
00:58:50.920 --> 00:58:57.880
the way instead of another four hopefully
not four legged. But I mean,
806
00:58:57.920 --> 00:59:00.800
I guess you never know. Oh
yeah, we're we would love no,
807
00:59:01.039 --> 00:59:05.480
no, yes, I'm just just
stopped that train of thought right there.
808
00:59:06.639 --> 00:59:09.719
Would you bring it to a stop? Yeah, A little baby boys,
809
00:59:09.840 --> 00:59:15.960
fantastic. I'm still I'm not insisting. I am in no position to do
810
00:59:15.079 --> 00:59:19.039
that, but I was strongly urge
you to look at some good Cajun names.
811
00:59:20.159 --> 00:59:24.880
Boodreaup in Minnesota. Yes, yeah, Boodreau. It'd be great,
812
00:59:25.039 --> 00:59:30.239
it'd be great. Well, thank
you again for kind of giving us.
813
00:59:30.360 --> 00:59:34.360
I had no idea to think that
it was such a hellhole. Um,
814
00:59:36.239 --> 00:59:40.239
George Floyd's Square, that's like you
know, I've mentioned this before when I
815
00:59:40.320 --> 00:59:44.800
was driving an eighteen wheeler across country
and in any number of cities that I
816
00:59:44.840 --> 00:59:47.039
would go through, the most one
of the most violent streets in that city,
817
00:59:47.679 --> 00:59:52.719
ironically, tragically and ironically was named
after Martin Luther King, Junr.
818
00:59:52.800 --> 00:59:59.559
Who called for non violence. It's
this, yeah, anyway, so you
819
00:59:59.639 --> 01:00:01.559
guys day safe. You know,
if you want to get out of there,
820
01:00:02.079 --> 01:00:05.480
I know some good parts of the
country I can recommend, okay,
821
01:00:05.639 --> 01:00:07.719
and you don't, and you don't. It's not freezing all the time.
822
01:00:08.599 --> 01:00:13.360
Yes, this is saw snow falling
during the protest. Like you've got to
823
01:00:13.360 --> 01:00:15.519
be kidding. There's snow falling up
there still. Yeah. I mean,
824
01:00:15.639 --> 01:00:17.599
you know we're not out of the
woods till the end of May, so
825
01:00:20.039 --> 01:00:23.199
I know there's one more snowstorm coming. Yeah. So even this week we're
826
01:00:23.199 --> 01:00:27.679
supposed to get wintry mix. That's
our optimistic term for it. The summer
827
01:00:27.800 --> 01:00:30.280
last about a week and a half. Well, and this is good,
828
01:00:30.440 --> 01:00:34.679
you know in southern Minnesota is actually
not too bad. People you know in
829
01:00:34.760 --> 01:00:37.960
Duluf have it. I think what
the joke is the Twain said. Um
830
01:00:38.440 --> 01:00:44.159
Mark Twain said, the coldest winter
I ever spent was the summer I spent
831
01:00:44.239 --> 01:00:49.880
in Duluver. So yeah, I
can't complain. At least we get a
832
01:00:50.000 --> 01:00:52.719
month. That's pretty good. Oh
man, alrighty, well then stay warm
833
01:00:52.760 --> 01:00:58.039
and stay safe, please, and
thank you again for dropping in and letting
834
01:00:58.079 --> 01:01:00.159
the snow. What's going on?
Oh it's my positive. Thank you very
835
01:01:00.239 --> 01:01:02.840
much for having me. Always a
treat, Always treat folks. That's Jenna
836
01:01:02.840 --> 01:01:08.920
Stalker on the Day of Quitter program. Some podcasts shouldn't be tossed aside lightly.
837
01:01:09.760 --> 01:01:15.440
They should be thrown with great force
people jutting from Memphis, Tennessee.
838
01:01:16.000 --> 01:01:22.400
At the intersection of the spell binding
conversation and mischievous humor, your host Dave
839
01:01:22.519 --> 01:01:29.320
Carter brings you the exceptional audio visual
experience you defer from podcasts and live stream
840
01:01:29.400 --> 01:01:36.559
events for irresistible analysis, playful laughs, and audaciously good music. It's the
841
01:01:36.760 --> 01:02:00.559
Jave Carter Show. How's that for
some audaciously good music? Huh times?
842
01:02:04.480 --> 01:02:07.280
Speaking of fun times, if you
enjoy the proceedings here today, it's been
843
01:02:07.400 --> 01:02:12.559
huge fun bringing all this to you, and I do hope that you found
844
01:02:12.599 --> 01:02:15.360
some things to think about today and
some things to laugh about as well.
845
01:02:15.760 --> 01:02:20.000
Even if you're laughing at the thinking
parts, that's okay, that's all fine.
846
01:02:20.079 --> 01:02:22.719
We all need a reason to giggle, whether it's with the host or
847
01:02:22.800 --> 01:02:28.559
at the host. You know,
that's all good. Now, If you've
848
01:02:28.639 --> 01:02:32.400
enjoyed this and are massochistically inclined to
want more of it than I would encourage
849
01:02:32.440 --> 01:02:36.800
you to go on over to my
little web so I'd at Dave Carter online
850
01:02:36.840 --> 01:02:42.119
dot com, where you'll find a
video version of this program and sizeable collection
851
01:02:42.159 --> 01:02:44.599
of articles I've written over the years, and some other stuff, some of
852
01:02:44.679 --> 01:02:47.599
which some of those articles predate even
my time at Ricochet. They were written
853
01:02:49.000 --> 01:02:52.719
from various places to across the globe
when I was in the military. There's
854
01:02:52.719 --> 01:02:55.559
also a page on the site called
the Inkwell, now that's why I write
855
01:02:55.599 --> 01:03:00.840
more introspective pieces. In fact,
I would a piece last week or perhaps
856
01:03:00.880 --> 01:03:06.159
the week before, called the Sum
of Our pet Peeves. It was more
857
01:03:06.199 --> 01:03:09.880
of a lecture that I delivered to
myself, actually centering on the unfortunate tendency
858
01:03:10.039 --> 01:03:15.199
on my part at least, so
let those things that annoy become the focus
859
01:03:15.320 --> 01:03:21.480
of one's thought and attention. You
can wind up in a pretty bad sour
860
01:03:21.559 --> 01:03:24.639
place or with a dour disposition when
you do that, particularly if you work
861
01:03:24.679 --> 01:03:30.320
with the public, especially if you
work with the public in a retail setting
862
01:03:30.400 --> 01:03:34.119
for example. Anyway, you might
find that piece interesting, and who knows,
863
01:03:34.199 --> 01:03:38.360
you may identify with it to some
extent as well. The podcast is
864
01:03:38.440 --> 01:03:42.920
doing really, really well. At
last count we are being heard in over
865
01:03:43.679 --> 01:03:47.400
one hundred and eighty cities and towns
across the country and then over thirty countries
866
01:03:47.679 --> 01:03:52.599
around the world. And while I'm
on that topic, let me invite you
867
01:03:52.719 --> 01:03:55.360
also to head on over to iTunes
and give us a rating. If you
868
01:03:55.440 --> 01:03:58.679
like. They're a five star rating
if you'd want, and then leave some
869
01:03:58.800 --> 01:04:00.920
comments on what you thought of the
program. You can find us on YouTube
870
01:04:00.960 --> 01:04:04.599
as well. Subscribe there if you'd
like. Just look at Dave Carter over
871
01:04:04.719 --> 01:04:09.519
it on YouTube and you can chime
into the comments as well. On that
872
01:04:09.920 --> 01:04:12.840
venue. We're going to try and
pick up the pace of the show production
873
01:04:12.960 --> 01:04:16.119
here to the extent possible, consistent
with the day job. There are a
874
01:04:16.159 --> 01:04:19.079
lot of interesting people that want to
get on the program that we're lining up
875
01:04:19.239 --> 01:04:26.239
and bring to focus. Well,
we've got a rapidly changing situation in our
876
01:04:26.280 --> 01:04:28.639
country and in our world right,
and so we want to talk some more
877
01:04:28.639 --> 01:04:31.920
about that and mount some ideas off
of you and talk some interesting people and
878
01:04:32.159 --> 01:04:36.119
see what you think about all that
stuff. So, as I always say,
879
01:04:36.239 --> 01:04:43.480
with thanks to my friend Troy Senek
and Ricochet members Jenna Stalker, and
880
01:04:43.599 --> 01:04:46.320
with special thanks as always to you
the listener, I am Dave Carter.
881
01:04:46.519 --> 01:04:55.760
I'll see you next time. Thank
you for listening to The Daker Show.
882
01:04:56.039 --> 01:05:00.800
Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes so
you will miss a single episode. While
883
01:05:00.800 --> 01:05:02.679
you're there, Please leave a review
and tell us what you did. Hand
884
01:05:02.760 --> 01:05:06.519
on behalf of all of us at
the Dave Carter Show and the Ricochet Audio
885
01:05:06.639 --> 01:05:09.159
Network. Thank you for listening.