Welcome to the commentary magazine. Barely podcast today is Friday March. Nineteen, twenty two when I am jump, our hearts, the other of commentary magazine with me, as always in a veterinary Remould high Hydra, associate editor nor Rossman Heine our job. An Senora Christine rose, high, Christine Hygiene, so Yesterday there was this very peculiar meaning in Alaska,

between Secretary of state. To answer me, Blinkem and chinese diplomat young, chee that involved that the first, he's the phase of senior officials of the two most important countries and most powerful countries in the world. Most of the two economic powerhouses of the planet and damn it began with deeds with with yeah deserve assaulting the United States for fifteen minutes starting out was someone Elsa China Steak, so our Wang YE who complain that this meeting took place in the wake of a? U S: sanctions against chinese officials. Because of you in response to the crack down where they serve the ending of democracy and freedom.

Jim Hong Kong and saying this, is the way to start a good relationship at which point then his colleague, Justa Yang, just dumb, just went to Our assaulting the United States, which has ear parallels by the way to the negotiations with them. The means in Paris in in the early seventies, where the north fit me is what would do you know whether we will be having peace talks with the United States, and these were then to serve devolve into criticism sessions in which the Russian is talk about how we mystery of the Indians and stuff like that the way Noah your thoughts will. I believe that the chinese delegation arrived with the intention of causing a scene and making as much of a spectacle of themselves as possible. Nevertheless, its can speak. the extent to which the present

diplomatic corps, has ignored the certain just courtesies basic products, that had the Trump administration than the executors of it? It would have a mountain two hours of cable news coverage. The chinese delegation, arrived first of all And they were greeted by a red carpet that was clear. Unlikely small hysterically small. It was there with the role that it was like a Warner Brothers cartridge wrote about five and happy and that sort of set the tone for what you could expect for the rest of the meaning. Nevertheless, by demonstration for years, some credit for a standing on Hong Kong and the treatment of the weak horse and that, an issue in a public setting and the chinese delegation behaved as the Soviets dead as the more the enemy is dead by echoing the sentiments of the far left out how America, which is treats its minorities, is responsible, used the term genocide for its treatment of black Americans, for example,

it signals the rather common propagandistic approach to diplomatic affairs with the United States and in Serbia, I agree with them the by demonstration that the sign of our strength is a sign of our strength that we're competent and capable enough to address our own fallacies weaknesses, but god I mean this was a diplomatic debacle and twenty blinking and done Jacob Sullivan, presided over an embarrassment to the United States in very accepting and I think that came out the shorter for unfortunately, I'm not sure how they could have navigated that situation better, because the Chinese, in my view, arrived with the intention, of blowing up. Never less! You see this restoration? I'm with you, John. You passed along this peace from your time yesterday about how the left is very frustrated, with the Biden Administration for aquifer presiding over and executing. What is this

Surely a foreign policy that has a lot of continuity between the Trump administration, by demonstration that George W Bush administration and, to a certain extent politics does and that the water s edge and we have preserved the kind of Cotonou, a continuous pressure that we apply to rub regimes an adversarial regimes like the Chinese, like the Iranians, like the Russians, that left wants to see us ease off and we're not and that's a source of profound concern and I think you'll signal on the part of the squad types were happy people who focus on foreign policy with domestic on the left. You a lot of continuity between what they say in public. chinese delegation said yesterday I have to say. I pushed back a little bit on your assessment that they did the vine administration. Folks it a good job, responding to that they actually could have been much stronger than just saying. Look. We allow people to discuss these matters, they could have said you know.

is. There is no equivalence between what China does to its minorities, which is put them in concentration camps and and make them work is prisoners and what what we are going through in terms of racial reckoning in this country, and I think for a but if all they needed to do is say one beat on that say. You know what these are not comparable situations here in a here. The ways in which are minority populations are encouraged to thrive, etc, etc. But they can't say that, like that's, the part that struck me is that the work just fine, when that you know when the left was in power in the United States in the far left word doing this in the sixties. they can't say anything then they'll anger their own progressive bays and that's the point at which we talk a lot about the The deterioration of civic health? It comes from these, like sixteen nineteen project messages that their that America's evil, but its very full to our enemies to and even if its mainly for domestic consumption, in China to hear that this propaganda public stage. I still think it

incumbent on anyone, regardless of whether there is a deer and our after their name, Tis, to push, harder on that when it said in these sorts of settings. So I agree that The policy in general is: is it it's great when you hear the progressives criticising binding for the sake of the trumpet but I really would have liked to have heard a slightly stronger defence of this country and its values from from those folks unalaska, I have to say, I'm always feel kind of energized and excited when the. U S has public spats with It will regimes that are in fact are antagonists, as opposed to you know what we ve gotten used to over the past. However, many administrations, where a new president comes in and sort of makes these preposterous overtures toward bad regime who seek to do as Harmon Paper of our differences and to try to start for A false friend

new beginning I'll, there's something I think this is an opening because we see just how overtly aggressive the Chinese now are being toward the. U S We have many problems on that front and its name, seems quite the time to deal with them because it is. It is such an enormous undertaking and I think, we're getting very close to Africa for not there to the point where it is time to do to deal with this end, it's getting very hard to ignore. So I think there's an opportunity there. While there there is clearly, I mean there are two ways I think of looking at this, one of which is that the Chinese have decided to take a new tack with a new administration which is too to jump out of the gate.

the aggressor and say your condescending. Your country stinks. You have all this domestic trouble. We know where you think you have the moral authority to tell us that we're doing bad things when you have black lives matter problem. In your own country, is an interesting tactic right. It's not like, oh hello, there's a new administration may be. There are things we can do together and you know, like they'd, starts out nice and then gets gets ugly. They decided to go for the juggler from the ghetto and that of obviously a conscious and considered choice. The questions Why did they make that choice and there are two possibilities, one of which is that they felt like they heads for years with awe and administration of the trumpet

illustration that had served done this to them right answer jumped out and gone after their throat, at least rhetorically. Ah, you know and em both from the beginning and the end, and so they weren't gonna take any gaffin. They ve been spending a year. Either they hurt Wu Wu on again flick, it flew blamed on them and all of that, and so they weren't gonna, they weren't gonna, take it anymore and they were did they were gonna. That's one thing and the other possibility is of course, that they are sending a clear signal that they need. States is not to think of itself as the senior figure in this relationship. They are not going to act as though they are weird the climbing power there are rising power and all that matters from here on in how Whatever is motivating them is how we react to them. It's not a question of how they react to us. We are always in the United States and in the west

worried about how our interlocutors are reacting to us, how we can build trust and how we can we can, you know, make them key reason, nor you know, come to the community of nations and and and and all of that and add, the Chinese have made it crystal clear from this one meeting that they are uninterested in. They consider such ideas and thoughts and approaches condescension that they will not be condescended to in this fashion, and that leaves american diplomats with fewer arrows in their quiver, because this is this, is there go to the go too? Is let's see if we can find areas of common agreement, and then we can build trust, and we can do this in their saying. We don't trust you and you suck and we're not listening to you and I'll blow, but this is not all that dissimilar from how the Soviets approached relations with the United

it's from Saint nineteen, sixty five nineteen sixty nine right and what ultimately, at an exacerbating domestic racial tensions in other states, exploiting them, highlighting them sent, making them central to the propaganda. Stick efforts internationally and what the fuse that they taught me provided them with a much more important objective. Then the agitation in the west and the actual relaxation tensions and the large commensurate material benefits that they would derive as a result of those relaxations, I mean look, The negotiations with communist countries over the course of the last hundred years, to the extent that there have been negotiations, often involve, as I mentioned, these citation them, the the recitation of american crimes against humanity at two in Africa Square. The circle has, of course, these are

how's your in countries that abuse and enslave their own populations, and then they want to say oh yeah who the hell? Are you? What about native Americans? What about black lives matter? Something like that and the funny thing is, of course, that Blinkem himself you know the right now led this liberal administration doesn't have the best answer I mean here answered? He said kind of the thing that you're so as to say, which is we're not perfect, but we ve done but our challenge is openly right or something like that. Then, ah Yang said your your condescending tells. How dare you write? So this is it. This is a tried and true technique. They are. The weird thing is that the one person we really heard it from in the last four years was Donald Trump right? Who got have made that right that weird russian gazers, all really aware so great think we're not Maria you're calling Putnam arteries. Isabella Riley we're. So then we have been murdered. People

Ordinarily, you don't do that. You yourself, right, you don't say, output and right here he's right. There were terrible and we're just as bad as as he is, but I mean it isn't. It is an interesting. You know it's an interesting problem, firm, fur for this attitude, which is that you know Trump wouldn T go, Now we are bringing sweet reason back to the table, and you know China may not to have any real reason to negotiate with us on on on these matters like if we actually think about it, what are the negotiating over out? What can we give them there? well arise in Hong Kong. They want they want to do whatever they want to do with the wiggers. They want to dominate the south, China Sea they wanted. Ants on Taiwan's sovereignty. You know

Oh all, all we can do say you know, don't do all that and then will be nice to you and they're saying we out why you to be nice to us. What do we need you for an answer of soft power, human relations Human rights arguments are effective. In so far as they help you isolate the offending country from the international community, and that has to be two pronged effort. It's not just saying your bad, it's also your bad and everybody else should do business with you or anybody else Isolate you are, everybody else should ring you. Your country, in your sphere of influence with military, is to keep it contained in it since the second problem. The first promise just whining well see. We saw an example of this week. We saw this with IRAN right, there's a really interesting piece by a former hostage who is in IRAN, who went who, when he was young scholar, nothing from Princeton, he wrote a piece of theirs. About him in the Atlantic recently where he says

He was in IRAN, he was all for rapprochement. You thought you know what Obama wanted to do with the Iranian was great, then he's imprison, put in prison I basically marks the idea that you know that this was anything other than something they would use against the United States, is a power move. This idea that they could actually read some sort of agreement about this and he's change. She's mine and the great thing is he's come back later. He was freed his back and he won't stop talking about why he changed his mind. it's kind of amazing to hear him. You know spell out in detail why he things any attempt to negotiate with IRAN. Or make a deal with IRAN again would beat, would make would repeat this Mistake That is another example where it like, with the enemy illustration. That's invested in an idea in an image of what american foreign Elsie should look like you know with this like hazy, nice progressive thing, in contrast to the terrible mean instrumental republican foreign policy, for example, still

wrong and they get it wrong in nothing worse way, because there's this overlay that the media encourages of you know we're morally superior and we're doing this out of the kind of not just out of up in mental way to achieve american power and influence, but because we're back. We are literally better and I think in that sense, the choice. He's saying: you're, not better your condescending, was kind of it. That was a shocking moment too, because they were saying out loud what usually gets buried in all this kind of diplomatic speak. You know of it, because we will win the nose talking about soft power. We have a huge soft power crisis right now. I think, because we have as as John recounts, our political right that has no problem rehearsing, that the the manifold faults, of our country in including the t v accurate.

That our of free and fair elections are in fact a hoax, we have left that arms as that we are founded on nothing but racism. and slavery and everything, although you all the supposed fruits, of our democracy are nothing but expressions of us of that system. where is what is the? What is the great cultural projection about of United States It's that that where, where, where does what is the source of our some of our soft power at the moment, it's not worth it won't by saying America's back won't cut it that that look. That's a very important point. We have this year. We deserve interesting moment. We ve been talking about for a couple of years.

Well don't pay attention to that. China has attempted a kind of soft power outreach with this. Some who, I was gonna, say: silk, robots like this, Well grounded some the elder road Nadia Belgium, road that in other ran building infrastructure in in a world where the less developed countries, as a form of maybe having some control over the infrastructure in these countries that we are really no I would also like trying to create a reward structure for themselves where they're, they're they're giving stuff be out of the goodness of their hearts and in creating a friendships two rival to rival the United States.

like this is ultimately the disaster that has posed by the reckless and repulsive. You know got check anti Americanism that that that both the left and an increased, really the right defaults too in our serve solid, cystic self obsession, which is, of course were better than China. China is an unfrequent. where, if you speak your mind, you get thrown in prison. If you are the wrong, if you are the wrong religion or the wrong no minority group. They will heard you into concentration camps where, if you are you now, if you were a believer in Tibetan Buddhism, your you will be. You know tormented end and and and prosecuted, and if you have the, if you were

a free person in Hong Kong until You know a year ago, relatively free press, You are now on free person like with. That is not what we do. We we have civil rights guarantees. We have all of this, and and we act as though we are bad. And then we hand are enemies then rivals around the world. The you know with the weapons and tools and rhetorical devices to attack us with by the very people who would not be able to attack the United states. If the United States, where the country that they say that the United States was because they I'll be in jail or lined up against the wall and shot, and they aren't, they get Pulitzer. They get Macarthur genius grants they get to run the school system, they get to brainwash second graders, about the evils of the United States. And we are doing this to ourselves.

and we now see the consequences of it in our inability to have a frank dialogue with aid tell country that we nonetheless have to figure out ways to live with, and you know this is a huge a woman, Tony blinking, saying we're only good, because we discuss our problems openly. That's not why we're good we're good, because we have a constitution were good because we have civil rights. The United States were good, because we're not communists, we're Republicans and Democrats living democracy at that's where it that's what so bothersome like the fact that their immediate go too were platitude to see other things like Biden says: never you know it's always wrong, not to bet on America. I mean it's just that the platitudes are not working this time they used to work in a weird way, because both sides played the game, platitudes no platitudes than a work now anyway, so it'll be

just think has also, I would say one other thing, which is that we, we have been told, You know that this is a restoration of you know a bore, a doll, So unless you know less kind of rum flaky foreign policy establishment that you know isn't this kind of Jerry rigged bunch of people. You know the Abu Rex. What what what's this ass, I can remember, is ready for secular state Rex the pillars- then you know followed by this, One fall by that when they did the seventeen defend secretaries ate their nationals, Ernie advisers, you know people, you go here and there you know all of that, Now here we have, we have grown ups grown up, sober sobered, judicious people, anti Blinkin Jake's. Well, then, Torreon rule in these are you now. These are like very serious in our long term professionals there

harm their measure there. You know they're, not that it illogical and they gathered added that that this is the first major. Foreign policy moment of the binding administration like They don't have any intelligence to say, they're going to come and try to sandbag you. So, let's prepare, but we're going to say when they do this ordinarily. You might have some advance word or advance leanings. Right certainly not necessarily they violated protocol, and that was what the new, what made the remit? responses so facile. Is that thing? so you're extending your opening remarks beyond that which was already agreed to which isn't it? reaches a fence in diplomatic parlance, but kind of false. for just about everybody in the real world, particularly anybody. The live through the Trump administration, because they had very little regard for diplomatic, niceties and the like and done. Perhaps That is the new normal

I may again another thing that the term those foreign policy salesman left its frustrated with Joe Biden for was apparently outreach to Jared Cushion or who mirabile a debt to managed to fetch one of the most amazing foreign policy cools of the whole house this century and the guy. He should be facing this administration on on affairs of state in part, because about the box, thanking the school erotic thinking that is wrong. ordered in foreign policy establishment, is something that absolutely needs to be challenged, but I'm just think if you're tony Getting Jake solid than you had just had that session. You you're diamond, you go back. You know to your where, wherever what you get on the plane or you. I guess there. Still there right. They're gonna have a couple more days of talks on Lincoln Stay Adena whose staying there you go back

and you say what the hell was that or do you say really that was just that, but that was not right what they did. There was just terrible that data you data. We were violated protocol, but they should say as what happens at this. How do we get this? How do we let this to us. Well, they should throw out whatever playbook their working within rethink. It is that that should be what they go back north after that meeting of appointment is like Don't be a worse like these guys came a you throwing punches, so I mean I understand that that's not the approach that we want to take but they're, not gonna, respect anything else like if you actually have action items and objects that you want to deal with what the Chinese to get going here over the next four years.

They have already clear that they're not gonna. This is not the turf that they're gonna play on. So yet you better you better. You no change. Your game and because you know I don't even know if they lost or wanna be what is it there wasn't anything to win or lose their just having an opening. Although we know an opening press conference or whatever the hell, it was. what's was going on, the press was present and they end they and they got out. They got their hats added to them, but. I mean it doesn't need to mean anything unless it is suggestive of how they are going to behave over the next four years and will also lead to the other. and was the other some text. Everyone should always remember in the context of China, is how much of our debt they hold right. Now right we're about we're going into this, like massive spending era as a response, the pandemic and that I don't think this is it isn't a correct, the chinese one?

disclose, how much about that they actually own? But like it's a lot, I think they're, one of the top holders of of our foreign debt, so their day, they actually do have leverage over us that we know about there's all this technology suffered five g and whether or not we are gonna be making agreements with them about that meet there There are many many issues in which the Chinese probably correctly feel there are already at an advantage and the internal Oh, a weakness and the kind of civic unrest has been going on in this country is one for them to two zero sort of draw attention to our supposed weakness. But there's EL structural issues that we're going to have to deal with the China in during this ministration, and I like I said I hope they go back and rethink how they're gonna approach those. Well I mean they do on our debt. We we control their economy, however, in a different way, which is that we

are the market the day they they are the manufacturing arm of the? U S market and their entire export economy is based on R. consumption of the goods they make for us and so Oh did in a weirdo Two can play that game. I mean you know it. It would mean a lot of pain, hardship for american consumers, but if, if you're, actually talking about really can conflict. You know we have resources, punish them and they are. They are of course. On the one hand, much stronger than we are in a funny way because they are and they have the snow, they they have, cracked out on their populations and- and you know, Adie, liberalized and done, everything to deliver lies instead of following the path that people were hoping that they were going to follow, which is but economically liberalization would proceed.

political liberalization, so in some sense they can do whatever they want at will and and in another sense, ah reversal. Was deep. Economic reversals will have very catastrophic consequences for them. They have. They been old age crisis, they ve pensioners crisis, they have a health care crisis, they have a wildly aging population and you know their day. They depend on these stratospheric rates of Mama growth. That can be that don't necessarily have to continue forever. So what The places that you might you are going to find some real insight and am and thought about what all this is going to mean for the? U S, economy and for markets and investing is the bonds and group. today's first sponsor

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million shot arm. Isn't that amazing we're just you know they? Never? They said it couldn't be done, even though Remember saying it could be done on January fifty, so they they set. It couldn't be done, and now it's been done, then the people are met rolling and by the way I should say it is a fantastic thing. That's happened here, the roll out the vaccine. What's what's goin on and the fact that thirty nine percent I believe, a people over sixty five or, of course, the most vulnerable to the virus, have now been full vaccinated, or something like that is. It is a stunning achievement in a country of three hundred and thirty million people and, of course, is important because of the false force multiplier effect here, which, as it is more as it is more dangerous to people the older you get the more old people who get vaccinated. You know it's less

the less important as you get younger the vaccine spread, and all of that is mitigated by the fact that you are getting people vaccinated. We're not gonna get sick. So it's it's it's twice as good as it seems because it's not like Nobody needs it in the same way. But that is not the meadow message that you are getting by nor anybody else, because them the message is, we are nowhere near out of the woods. Yet God here, come the variants variants or coming and you gotta keep out gotta. Socially distance gonna wash your hands, although again, I'm not sure I remain unsure what the washing your hands thing is about. I am all for washing your hands when you come in from because if I sneeze cough into your hands, you can then transmit what you'd I've got you,

theoretically can transmit. That's ok, so wash your hands where mass keep socially distanced. As has been said in the most amazing statement yesterday July fourth, our independence day quote we can begin to declare in and then from the virus on July. Fourth, we can begin to declare independence from the virus. That's a hundred and eight days from now that we can begin. A hundred and eight days from how we can't right now there were beginning to declare independence and the virus. Because- That would be letting our guard up too easily. and now you have you- have you have a a medical doctor eight had tv sage guy the complain about I should yeah

I'm not the only satisfying explanation for any of this at this point is that they're just trying to drive us crazy? It's and it's kind of working, especially if you allow it on CNN yesterday, Doktor, Sanjay Gupta, was defending Anthony found. She who got into a bit of a spat with the Santer Rant Paul. hearing yesterday were brand Paul, confronted em said you look, you got you backs unaided double vaccinated for a long time now, you're coming here with two masks: isn't this a bunch of theater and then Doktor felt she goes various like I'll, never get that with the theatre, stuff, listen, the variants, the variants are common, there's a lot of variants out there and you never know about the variants in sunder. Gupta was attempting to defend his remarks, which I'm being flippant about, but nevertheless I didn't find them especially compelling. So let me be flip, so Sancho Group says as about masking, and nobody really has a problem with masking the masking is it is. It cannot be said,

quote the virus, learns how to sort of adapt and mutate now to a vaccinated person, so exposing vaccinated people to the virus We could start to inspire more and more mutations, so should you even bother to get vaccinated, because you're, just gonna get more widely. I won't mutations out there, the drives me that you don't have to be an epidemiologist to understand. This makes no sense that studies now empirically an clinically from places like Israel, where eighty percent of the of the circulation of this virus is the UK variant. This be one whatever and they found that the fibers visor vaccine, which is the primary thing they studied. They also steady Medina, but primarily to fight The vaccine is ninety four percent effective at stopping asymptomatic transmission of this disease, meaning you don't even know your habit but you're, giving it to other people. transmission is how you get a virus.

Let me take you didn't just new team in the air. again into you and replicate try to get around your immune system, so being immunized prevents the transmission prevents the mutations. What are they talking about? Why are they trying to drive us crazy and when the compelling things that ran Paul said yesterday too, to factory was that if you're worried about the fact that there are people out there who won't get vaccinated stop telling them that vaccination will change their lives, it will anyone. It makes for a very boring programming day to say the same thing over and over and over and over again, but if the primary problem that we're facing right now is on vaccinated populations that are hesitant to organs and resistant towards messaging about this vaccine and left to say that over and over and over again and everybody has to say- and you can't give them some sort. out, where you just asking questions about the sort of thing republicans do this to an

where's me absolutely nuts. Yesterday, the transportation security administrations green over one point: four million people in ports, it's the highest number of travellers we ve had in his country since March, fifteenth of twenty twenty, the eve of the pandemic People are getting back to normal they're, not listening to this bullshit anymore, and they to start getting on with the american public or nobody's gonna, listen to these people anymore. But if you put them if there are not listening to them, what? Why are you so? Where? Where were you driven? So crazy, you're staying listening to you of landings and they actually an end it's worse, because they still have an impact on public policy making with regard to things like business? reopening schools reopening so it's not just that, you know we the people in general, if it doesn't affect your life, can ignore them and go about their business and get on an airplane, but for people who want their kids backwards, or for businesses that want to reopen a full capacity there

still listening to this, the CDC guidance has literally become t leave. Reading among people who care about school reopens it's ridiculous right, and then they are. I agree with no, they are squandering there. There ability when they keep messaging. This this extreme message that doesn't comport with the reality of what's happened: vaccination, ok, so listen to this is the New York Times a story called: U S, rushes, to expand coded vaccine eligibility in a race against time. Ok cases, deaths and hospitalizations have all falling sharply from January peaks, yet infect levels have plateau this month and about fifty five thousand new cases a day. So now we are now we are revising the

we are defining out of danger upward so that case loads have crashed, but they ve now hit a level of fifty five thousand a day. So that's that's! That's dangerous, because they're not just falling forever right. So, rather than taking the wind that there was a caseload, there was going. But now it's going down. We are to look at the plateau as though it is an increase. Ok, that's number one. According to this logic, doctors, even J, Thomas Sunni, upstate, medical universes, chief infectious disease. I think it is a race against time. He says. Every single person that we can get vaccinated or every single person that we can get a mask on is one less opportunity that a variant, hats, ok, now, first of all, every single but we need vaccine is one less opportunity that a varied house right, that's absolutely true, and that is the

that is the answer to Sunday good as insane statement that vaccination will still hit it out. People will still get variance right. But putting a mask on somebody, is not necessarily one less opportunity that a varying has May, but it also may not, and if you are, if you are actually trying to tell people. That masking is the same as vaccinating that the terrible message like either magical weight on line to get a vaccine just where a basque, or they held with all of it into badness that it's not that it's not the world's biggest problem. The problem here is that anybody who crafts public policy knows that it has to be accompanied with inducements, with incentive with carrots and my own masking is probably the last carrot you're going to be able to offer, but there are a bunch and in between, like being able to travel like being aim. the gathering large groups inside not outside, like being able? resume are going

restaurants at full capacity or going to concerts or half a dozen other things that characterize modern life before you get masking last fine, but you have to be able to offer well, who get vaccinated an opportunity to go back to the real life, because otherwise they dont have any up inducement. To do so. Will I need help? You don't have to think about that. The politicians should theirs alone. Also, I think that the public health messengers, even when trying to do their job honestly forget, which is at the public talking about it, the way they do there, The public often hears oh, so we're not safe till there's. No more virus circulating rakers, there's variants. There's this there's that this. Iris will be with us for a very long time, just like all kinds of corona, Viruses and flew viruses are constantly in circulation in the public, but we ve gotten because The scale of this crisis we ve got into this weird. It's gotta be a zero to be safe,

That's why the deed? That's the default! Now that's the default for reopening businesses in schools and do it getting back to normal life and that actually, that part of the message I hear from friends all over the country who are like well what about the variants, but we really have to the campaign cases the plateau, interestingly John, that I'm hearing from people who or otherwise excited about opening up the. Like all, but now the cases are puttering like there's always could be. Cases is just it. Just that's how viruses work That message on having our case of corona the same as in every other case of corona many people get it and don't get sick from it. The point is that we, we have prioritized vaccinations over the past two and a half months for the people who are most likely to get sick from it. Therefore, it is going to have an outsize effect on the nature of the diseases affect, are they're gonna, be people who get it and are you know, get may very sick by it? Yes, are they gonna get

long covered? Yes, is that the thing that we must guard against by keeping the economy have shut down or travel or people can, socialize or anything like that. No it's a matter of priorities and it's not it's how to Glinda took any event mass deaths. We are not attempting to prevent mass sick, this like well lobbies, guys that has never been the goal, to play? My own devils advocate Sunday group does not wrong. It's it's not impossible. Ninety four percent percent, it's an impossible for vaccinated people to get this disease is an impossible for it to replicate near system winter of applicant vaccinated, if not impossible, for there to be some sort of mutation. It's just that. It's an infinitesimal problem it's the scale of your priorities here that the priority should be vaccinated and accidents. Has all these incentives and worry about them? The prospect of a vaccinated people incubating weird mutations,

later, because it's not impossible. It's just not the problem, at the moment some areas go back. So let's go back to the Greenwood theory. Can we go back to the Green Mulberry ensure the green while there is the virus? Does what it does and every every spot, every geographical location gets its spike and its deep and doesn't have much to do with what we do, how we respond deserted the curve kind of bans on its own. just as a function of of serve. You know people getting infected and it did the waves of transmission and then subsided. But my thought is that they don't have long to go with this message right I mean

Four hundred and sixteen million shots administered. Now How much longer are they going to be able to say where will where this is a critical time Are we with cases could rise? this is our are clad telling though the writing is certainly not quite but on the wall? But it's it's it's about to be right. I mean either. The vaccines are ninety four percent effective or they're, not and if they are whatever they say is not going to matter varies very soon. I mean facts on the ground. Can change so there's a plateau, so let's say there's a place over two weeks and then case number start to crash again, which is the likely outcome from the vaccination campaign. Is that you now, as as the number as we start getting in,

do the thirties or forty percent of Americans being vaccinated, there simply will not be. I don't care. I am not now going to get into the room, you could get it without knowing it senior system today, students that people and all that I mean you're, just not going to get the net The point about the Greenwood theory is that is that the viruses opportunistic and its or goes places where wasn't before, and it finds people who who have the wherewithal against it and attacks them, and it makes them secular kills them right. That's that's what happens well if they get vaccinated whereby the time it get they are there, the virus bounces off them harmlessly and goes away, and therefore this is not an endless cycle Well, then they should see some of the plateau. Enough of a case dropping. As looked at this point, that should the first impulse should be to see. That is a problem with the back.

nation strategy look. I'm still waiting to get a vaccine. I programme. I did everything, I suppose you, I can't get it here and easy. I cannot get the vaccine yet I would love. I would do it. You know tomorrow or today. If I could get the appointments, I think in some places you ve got a lot of bad distribution, and vaccination policy is still kind of work, in their kinks out, and hopefully these supply problem will soon be solved, as we know that production is increase. So even if we see a plateau, our go too should no longer be. Oh, my god we're all gonna die. It should be what's on working in our vaccination strategy. Why are people you know the people? We need to be signing up. Why are we getting shots and arms that the practical vaccination now should be the focus from here to the by July. Fourth, it salt Lake were beginning to emerge from, aren't you know our day? nor whenever and have our independence will already be there. I'm gonna be. There is also some go about Israel, some encouraging news,

from there is that the cases first knows dived when they started. bidding the vaccine, and then there was a bit of a plateau there as well to three weeks something that and then they knows dived again. There is every reason to think that with that, if that is what will happen here, guys as we as we come to the end of the week, and we are approaching fast approaching the beginning, a pass over next weekend. I want to remind you that this is your opportunity to go to Amazon Barnes Ennoble wherever and get yourself the telling how Judaism's essential book review the meaning of life by Mark person, so that everybody who celebrates or observes pass over can get wonder new information, facts, discussion, points to Scots at your sailor, which is of course, the point of the sector, which is to have conversations about

the accidents, the history of the jewish people, why the jewish people have survived the way they have survived, what it is about, our ethical, moral, religious codes and and and our relationship to God that has has created this miraculous. Multi Millennia existence were a people that were were largely homeless for most of of human history, very rich, very important. And a really you know if you ve been. I will be attending my out. No fifty, my sick. My fifty I'd say earlier this year, fifty a sailor this year and you I'll think. Sometimes you need to keep things fresh, because you need to do what what it says in the Junta, which is you shall tell your son and that day saying it is because of that which the Lord did for me. When I came forth from Egypt,

the more you tell the story? The more praiseworthy you are, and so this is a way of telling retailing retailing story. That's Mark persons book the telling how Judaism's essential book reveals the meaning of life, Gee I saw when Amazon Barnes, noble, download the audio books, you ever what you have to do to get this book and refresh your past, overseer and refresh your mind and refresh you're a reverence for this area. Using annual US, Calibration of the love of the launch of any of the jewish people So I will say this about Abiden saying we will begin to demonstrate. in the past, which is are we just need Maybe we should just think this is just another version of the under promising over delivering thing that he is going to say. You know, I said you couldn't dead, see anybody I do know without being in a body suits. You know like the boy in the plastic bubble until October, twenty twenty seven, but you know what may first

I'll day you can have these things or you know, arbored, day or April fool's day, unable that's too clubs, but maybe that what's going on- is that they know perfectly well there now there now, but were bet basically now on track to getting seventy percent of people vaccinated. I think the beginning of July. I mean if we get if we're doing to enough, I am shocked today from from you know. That means you can, We're gonna have you're gonna, get close to hurt immunity by the beginning of the summer and at some point the case loans will crash and all of that in the end and they won't be able to, but they won't want. That's my this is my devils every point there. want to any more because they're going to want to claim success. We're in TWAIN? Twenty I said at some point. The democratic politicians are gonna deem the virus beaten.

now that happen away later than I thought I would, but at some point by Biden, is gonna deem the virus beaten. There's got it. There's a tipping point that there's gotta be some point at which you know doktor doom, stop saying you know everybody needs have a mask sown into their skin and might away. I have rightly seventeenth interview today on CBS and the cable network with three people watching Yeah, maybe I mean it's just for people who don't subordinate their common sense to their partisan object. it's just kind of obnoxious to see them take credit for it instead are happening. I mean it you can set. Your watch by people will be travelling in numbers equivalent to what they were before the pandemic. we'll, be gathering large numbers and the Bush administration will retroactively deem that ok and take credit for it, because that's what they ve done ever since I came into office and was kind of frustrate, adopt on the hundred text. Read that

in the Soviets, just should have lower their production quotas and then their fellows Voters in the West would have said every five year plan with smashing success, we didn't threeg. We didn't you how here's my one question, because we were speculating that the message would become much more optimistic after the released bill got pass and actually do. I think the weird The violence of islands messaging since then suggested that might not have been totally accurate. So my question is they have some stakeholders in the Democratic Party that really have an investment in? Not not moving the needle on the messaging. How will they buy off those folks? They borrowing throwing money at the problem. That's not working like how are they gonna get there with those groups? I dont know because the interesting thing is that our main, a joke here by doktor doom and the masks and all that but so much is invested. In fact, she and apparently Biden is on the phone with Fouche you all the time

that he needs we're we're in a position where there's this you know, one octogenarian who is having the time? goddamn life. being America's Doktor being Doc. Who killed their work out mark as well be MD, Ribaut, or something and he's got say the Biden we beaten this thing or he's gonna come out and binds gonna say this is all right, everything's, going gray, we're gonna, do there's something. I've now is very important to keep that mask on until twenty twenty seven but this is a version of what happened with the CDC director. She said about schools like hell: let's start, you know it's safer teachers to be back and that had to be yanked back immediately by the administration row, we're right. how did you love? You know about Russia once he has no independent standing and Biden and found. She asked

Yes, now transcendent figure, and they can't do what we're talking about that. You got that he did. I would urge movement, gatherings. Joe Biden said you know it's wrong, claim, said. You know this is what we're working toward, which is like small gatherings with your immediate family on July. Fourth, only like this is our The girl, how do you know hugging and then- and then budget goes our maybe I'll, be bigger than he goes off the reservation all the time, but he can that's my point. He can go off the reservation but you know how if we ve talked about, he is the reservation, so we can go off the reservation because I'm saying he's the resurrection. You know we ve talked about the crash and burn of the anti trumps Fouche IE is a different kind of anti trump right. You know you would not like obviously you didn't, bring the fight to him, but he was absolute.

He worshiped as the voice of reason to counter what was coming out of the White House. I think, ethical crash and burn. I think there is some reason to think that that stranglehold- on the american consciousness made He loosening, you know. I mean I don't. I don't know that Turkey is worshipped white. The way he was went when Trot was in office it just the bed, the nature of the challenges to his lockdown wisdom.

See my into question children something up yet but Biden. Maybe there is I'm not talking about whether or not the public needs grouchy. This everything's fine Biden may mean Voucher to say it because he has now turned FAO Chee into the voice of the risks or the vaccine or or or the or the cure, or something like that, and he will not feel confident in deeming the virus beaten until he has this independent else. You'd have said that the work Dell FI or cling that at that time we have up, we have with defeated the variants or we have whatever. And then, when that happens, Sancho Gupta can't say his nonsense, because all he will be here, that's not without she said I mean I don't know, I'm so that sir, that's very important

So you know he's disagreeing with forty, so I'm saying that this may be a personnel issue in the Bible administration, and you know when running a business. smells a real issue. Hr issues can kill you. Wrongful termination suits minimum wage requirements, labour regulations, those hr managers, salaries, aren't cheap an average of seventy thousand a year ban These will be. I am BP, was created specifically for small business. You can get a dedicated hr manager, craft age, our policy and maintain your compliance all four, just ninety nine dollars a month with Bambi. You can change hr from your biggest liability to your biggest strength. Your dedicated h, manager is available by phone email, a real time chat from on boarding determinations. They customize your policies to fit your business and help. You manage your employees data. They offer just ninety nine dollars. A month month to month, hidden fees, cancel any time. You didn't start your business because you wanted to spend time in hr compliance. Let Bambi help get your free h. Our audit today,

Bambi that comes out commentary right now to schedule your free hr audit, that's Bambi dot com. Such commentary spell Ba em to the bp dot com. Slash commentary What does anybody doing this weekend? Don't I'll jump in that once again to make it Ok, I get out our bar. Our resident black belt is doing so. My Cato Abe Plasma friends plans with friends what I don't care. What found she says: ok, ok, Noah Packaging for his vacation. Yes, nor will not at right yet we by the way, are not sure yet only one. It was raining. Passengers that doctor doom, we will be we're still working out how we're gonna do the podcast? In his absence I will be in Chicago,

four pass over, so we'll see how that goes in. Yes, I'm driving I'm not flying I will say one thing and I will go on Chicago last summer, first time I went to college in Chicago and I drove from New York Chicago during college three or four times in this way. the lights, seventy nine eighty, eighty one and the speed limit was fifty five and it took me eighteen hours to drive

New York, Chicago sign that a mere I'd Know- and I said you know what it's gonna be a little better, because the speed limit is higher, took thirteen hours five hours and that was with you know, stops to eat stuff, like that we ate the car, but nonetheless thirty five hour, difference that fifty five mile in our speed limit was one of the worst things ever when other, and that was talk about one of those moments where you really saw the difference between

Democrats and Republicans and nanny Staters M free people, or something like that. Like everybody who believed you know, everybody who believed that the purpose of the federal government is to put you in a sea, keep you safe and causing you, it make sure you're safe and all of that love the fifty five on our speed limit and everybody else who thought that the central point about living in America was to be a free person hated the fifty five on our speed limit and it was destroyed basically because people couldn't take it because it was started as a as a way of saving gas during the oil embargo, and then it became a thing. It was her mutated into something else. Also grade stopped Hoss I stopped TAT is so good that was so wonderful and then it just basically state by state by state like people figured out.

you know penetrated and then they change new. You have to get credit a Sammy Hagar for his. I can try. Fifty five is on playing its cultural and eliminating anyway that that, in the end, the arrival of easy pass or whatever the transponder system you might have- I have to go through tolls without having to stop at the tall both have transformed the experience long range driving, like nothing else, am I remember, driving to Washington D C and every there were five tolls and like every time there was a fifteen minute line that the two of them are in malware, yet nowhere that there were two in Maryland and NEWS of weight in these lines, and now you just sail- and I it's weird- it's been like fifteen years since easy pass came on and every time I go through one of those things like this is just so great I don't know I was here- I love science, so why it's better? It's been like this is not really related

it reminded me of it's been like twenty years since consumers, as customers and stores we are. Responsible for inserting arc our credit cards into the little machine but I still every now and then I find myself handing my heart over to the cells person to dare to swipe Doing it. Inevitably there like younger I don't even remember a time when when when, when we shoppers didn't have the wherewithal to to be able to swipe our own cards. So my my daughter now having my fourteen year old daughter, I haven't conversation yesterday about something, and I was like a we're talking about when when did they start frying food like where, when frightful? so good when they start crying food nose, like you know what I know actually know the answer that question so you know took my phone out so tight and Wendy.

Frank food began. It turns out by the way there were funnel cakes in ITALY in the thirteenth century, just just to let you know before Falafel apparently funnel kegs perceiving falafel anyway. So she looked at me and she said, can imagine a time before Wikipedia she said I said, imagine the time before Wikipedia I was forty for there was a big video to go ahead with that? I wish you good. We can lead to reflect on the time that came before Wikipedia for no one Christine, John but words keep the burning.