« Commentary Magazine Podcast

Commentary Podcast: Are Trump's Tweets Helping the Tax Bill?

2017-11-30 | 🔗
On the second COMMENTARY podcast of the week, we ask whether the constant swirl of dust around the president might actually be helping the Senate Republicans convince members to vote for tax reform because they are not constantly center stage as they were during the repeal-Obamacare debate. And we wonder whether Nancy Pelosi has brought a Democratic Tea Party down on her own head. Give a listen.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Welcome to the commentary magazine. Podcast today is Thursday November thirtieth Twin seventeen, I'm John POD words. The editor commentary the seventy three oral monthly of intellectual analysis, political probity and cultural criticism from a conserved. Perspective join us is always a commentary magazine dot com where we give you a few free, reeds and then ask you to subscribe as ever, one thousand nine hundred and ninety five for digital, two thousand nine hundred and ninety for an all access subscription, including our beautiful monthly magazine. Your mailbox eleven times here with me is always a brain while their senior editor hell away, John NO awry
our associate after high now I John and Sorrow but Mariar Senor Writer High sore up, I John so news has just come across the wires. The Senator John became is a yes on the tax reform. Bill, thus indicating that it is now far more likely than not that by the close of this week, the Senate will vote fifty one forty eight to pass the tax reform through the Senate, and since the house has already passed that they will go to committee and indeed they are made, well be a tax reform bill on the president's desk for Trump to sign before Christmas, thus giving Republicans and trump the first major legislative victory of his presidency and their tenure as the dominant single down and party in Washington.
This is a pretty big moment what's interesting about. It doesn't feel I quite a big moment because Trump simultaneously Mondays and confuses and and creates all sorts of controversy surrounding at that time, that the that seem to rob the moment of its of its of its grandeur and seriousness and the and the political achievement that that comes passing what is at least at this moment a pretty on pop we're bill according to appalling, so what kinds of things has trump in doing that have been money in these waters, say both was yesterday morning, that was the sort of crazy rash of tweets ride like his. The day was guess, whereas someone near where so, let's see so, he read between aid sound from some fire.
First radio. First, rights for bus and Britain, Britain First Anti Muslim, tweets him, sir, if you know fallacious debunk, two footage or on those tweets, He picked you. I had us thus occasioning a rebuke from Teresa may end questions in parliament about what about serve like whether or not trumps should somehow be censured. For this that treaty piggy back on the Mat Lauer story of all things. To then ask aloud when NBC word be firing, taken action to fire the news heads fur for for firms. Peddling. All the fake news he implied that Joe Scarborough has has murder and is passed,
involved and the killing of a staffer, yes I'd of who died of a blood forest, they had as result of a myocardial infarction get in in his district office when he was a con I spent two thousand one, two thousand one right but ass. The amendment that than that that that's not enough, but that was recovers, were a lot of it's mostly at the area. I am Monday, we had the reigniting of their debts, sort of reaching attempted efforts, reignite the feud with the NFL, where he was going out. Players for kneeling and how the fuck, the stadiums, emptying out and they Annabel is weak, Out of control in Sweden, try and trying very hard to make something happened. I don't think it actually succeeded. So. So the question again is, you know, is their method in this madness? Is it madness? There's all this talk, so you know there's these are signs. That Trump is, you know, did showings the marks of sin
mention one of the ways the Joe Scarborough referred back against tromp was to say that he had been told by staffers that Trump staffer last year that there were signs. The trump is in the early stages of dementia. There's all this talk to Trump is unwell. Bret Stephens of the New York Times has of our good friend has a. This is no no! No it's not that he is unwell. It's that he is a president obsessed, Morse ratings and popularity in what he wants us to constantly keep people entertained, and this creates a kind of, Dynamic in which he is willing to sacrifice his reputation for thee, serve control of the political system in this image, of dynamism and and that you know he he sucks up all the oxygen in the room
I would raise this question and see if now, maybe you can respond to it. Maybe it helps the set of past tax reform to have trump doing ten thousand different other things, even though we does tweet about and talk about it, but maybe it helps because it tat they are not the sole focus of everything, as was the case with the health care. The two efforts to pass the healthcare reform bill that failed in the Senate earlier this year that, even though this is going on, they ve announced they want to do at the end of the week and all every want in Washington is consumed. With this and the New York Times, opinion pages now tweeting out phone numbers of senators, so that you can call them to yell and complain that, because the poor, conversations about so many other things and tax reform that actually is, and aid to Mitch Mcconnell in his you now serve
efforts to seduce the wavering senators into voting for it at long last while it may be, all they need or Republicans. Democrats are really sort of out of this conversation, so it doesn't matter whether their pitching fit. It's all about Republicans and that's play. This is sort of succeeding so far as Donald Trump has exceeded my expectations and not attacking this bill in the sense that, in the way that he did health care reform, he turned Republicans on health care reform. They lost Republicans, partly as a result of the fact that nobody was united partly because the president was united, we don't have a bill, yet its propaganda go conference when it goes to conference, will have something that everybody can bring a rather pans around in school. In Paris and talk about it in concrete terms, everything right now is sort of speculative, but Trump talks this, it's not that he isn't ignoring it. He tweets about what he calls the tax cut. Billing only calls a tax cuts, he doesn't call attacks. Could reform so view tweets about the tax got bill. All design me tweets about the stock market all
me too. It's about even the GDP growth, number gdp, growth numbers and last quarter. We're good of three point: three percent more than good. You know that don't get revised. We have three quarters in a row three percent growth in Europe, I sometimes, but so far too quarters have been survived. Three percent growth and more three percent growth that sustainable. Let's get stuff, he talks about it, but he doesn't only talk about it and people. Sort of ignore when he talks about it. Now you want to know, if he's putting a whole lot of effort into it, it is kind of like perfunctory, but it's. Like it drives the conversation when he does when people say wizened from tweeting about the economy and talking about his successes in crisis and the good stuff that he does, he does it. Just nobody pays attention to it cause I can't hear it over the din. Of nonsense, crazy, stuff is a crazy stuff that much about I mean I don't think it's senility and I don't think it's a strategy. I think he is a man has driven by grudges always has been, and this is endemic. Is that mean that that's what all these are a bad? These are all the lashing out angrily
I guess I just read retweeting the M d of the right wing. The right wing anti muslim stuff is not that isn't grudge oriented, I think there is a method there, but it's not, strategic, as I think people make it out to be, but I do think that he has intuitive sense of how to how to create chaos, how to set the oxygen out of the out of the room, and, at least in the case of tax reforms. I do think it may have it may have helped, because everyone was in such a frenzy over so many different things so with the Muslims. Have. I think I have this this explanation for it. He has this ability to point out the things that respectable people on the left and right if they are not allowed to say or that they than that faces censure. So he's like. Let me show you what Muslims are like. Obviously, it's a grotesque kind of notion to suggest that a muslim
I've is only we are throwing. Gay people off of buildings and and beating up handicapped people which, by the way to end the handicapped case, it's not even clear that if the person doing it was was muslim, but the point is he sort of pointing out, or letting ex letting out expressing things that that people are supposedly not allowed to say and that's the kind of the joy He takes out of it and and clear, and why are they not allowed to say it? It's not. As, though, is political correct it's gone awry and nobody wants you to know that there is a problem with radical islamist violence. It's because these stoking too, genes and grievances that could result in domestic I totally agree. I am not sure that that's right, I mean. I do think that it's not true here in part, because We actually said in his tweet aimed at Teresa may, but which was actually sent at somebody who was not true, you may have to let go into hiding.
We're doing fine here, but it is. It is true that Europe, and particularly England, is doing far less fine in dealing with that behind viewer of radical Muslims who make up a much larger percentage of the public patient England than they do here and who therefore hate crimes in the United States against Muslims are hundred idea, but that's not eat. You just can't compare thee, The I've been, for example, this is, and to say that if the president is urging that sort of sentiment it's dangerous, you can add. I reiterate that, like this, I agree with, but no it reacts poorly dunno, but both, but both can be true. At the same time, he is due It s a reckless, probably reckless and evocative way. That will only do wrong and he is pointing out uncomfortable truths about the behaviour,
the uncivil and uncertain behaviour of a certain type of young, even though it was sonic. Man well known, as father was always one of whom was it out one of em but even so I'm just saying what sort of a saying is true, that is, he is saying things that resonate with people in part, because as civilised society says you're my love to say anything about anything, as opposed to saying you know that's really tour in Europe, then it is here- is a departure in Europe. But in the U S, it's not for the most part we have well. Simulated muslim communities. Obviously we do have pockets of radicalization, but it's not like Europe, but in Europe that there are packed of profoundly illicit assimilated muslim immigrants. Where you live there, There are no goes on a while ago people made fun of Fox NEWS for the putting of a patent. A map of
Harrison like the whole city was nowhere whose zones, which is ridiculous, but there are pockets and areas where, as you know, the police were entering has to negotiate with a sort of tribal will know only right, all in a beacon of income in Brussels, in oh by the way. If that is how you got trumped sentiment, though, which I just find repulsive is that we can't, because there are politically correct, People on the left, who are hostile to or its addressing the reality of our assembly. Muslim communities in Europe, fostering in developing violence and the problem of radical islamic violence generally therefore, We can only discuss this issue in the most crass and instead full inciting of terms your exact you're right. I don't. I don't worry about it. We're both agree with you. All I'm saying is, and what's more, there was no reason to retweet Britain. First, yes, Nothing happened. There was no incident, there was no. Controlling moment there was it wasn't a response to an event that you know that this might explain
we don't know what lunatic Anita in his ambit sent him this material for him. He apparently reads his mentions witches terrify. How is that possible how many there let it go recorded at the other day. This, where is everyone, have highly inventions a day? How on earth can see reading his mentions anywhere is twitter mentions by the way, you don't know what that is. We cannot only or whether you are so much better off, not knowing. I don't even want to begin to explain it. Ok. So the point is that the Trump impulse are, we also forgot the Navajo. Talkers denoted colleague, Elisabeth, worn Pocahontas, which then created. Absurd went in american discourse when he miss, he told the joke wrong right Gazette it isn't that we call was worn Pocahontas. We call her folk, a hunter spaghetti, Claimed with no evidence and with very laid out to be in order,
to law, school and also to represent them and be a minority representative on law, school staff claimed to be part. Part native american right. So the job was, she spoke a hunter, so he called her Pocahontas would never Hokosa talkers behind and then Elizabeth worn call this a racial slower water. No, if you can Oh me, Gandhi, if you called you have you called King David, I'm not sure that I would consider that a racial slur like what what's out there being called Pocahontas, is not a racial slur. It can be insulting because and if she said he shouldn't be insulting me, but so for now gonna the term, if a bit of the term of a beloved figure in sir American history and popular culture, calling somebody that too slight them to use a racial slur than everything has gone totally crazy.
And the now called talkers themselves that they didn't mind and one of them said? Look when I was in the when you know when I was a paratrooper in world war, two they made me say Geronimo when I jumped out of the play that I didn't mind that either I mean it it's tremendously, disrespectful to than ever hope Khatami's in that he he collected them omitted to what I wrote it at the time and it is no amount of opprobrium get he bought him. That would be worse then the silence his joke got bombed bonnet was, I was rowed, fail, cringe worthy, but here's the thing. So I think that the key to understanding Trumbo. This is what this is. What the Navajo thing got me thinking is, he is his total impulse again. So me with his intuitive. Not you know doctrine or
workings or strategic to take every event any and every event and lower it to debase it that that where he cannot play at the level at the elevated levels that we expect of presidents and leader this is a gimme event. This is this is a classic thing where you been he's all right. You have a beautiful moment, it's very ceremonies who give them. You pay their respective, it's a beautiful, follow up, and it's very touching and very moving, and he isn't. That is not his comfort zone. His comfort zone is taken event and bring it down, bring everything down, because if he could it's in the dirt and in the muck, that's where he is strongest being a
noble, get our representative of the best that is in America, is his weak spot and he doesn't want to play in his weak spots of when, at whatever it is. Whenever it happens, he undercuts he He does a you know him. He tries to part, is a nice things or jack things in inappropriate settings because it makes all these moments moments in which he is the dominating figure of the realm and at the level that is most comfortable to him. I think that two excellent pointed to get a few. It sort of it you can trace it back you look at so what was sort of Obama's, area of what was his comfort zone with things he turns out of everything into a sort of lecturing teachable moment right. That's that's where he felt in his element. Bush was most conference
framing things and sort of grand moral questions. Trump is is key, about reducing everything, to refine the might write exactly wrestling or the bore the confrontational moment in the board room at the end of the apprentice or whatever. So so, it's not that he was zero. Throwing a racial slur by using the word put this. This is where people on the left are going bought like dont cannot get their finger on what it is that drives them so crazy, out him because they they can only frame this in the terms that that make that that you now, sir, provoke the most outrage in their own heart. So the worst part the whole thing you can do is thoroughly actual slur will how about bring and you're old guys into the oval office and ruining their event like that's bad,
that's pretty bad nine year old american heroes and like turning their event into a like a roasts unseemly thing. While we're talking a comfort zones, is reducing everything to racial offences that the democratic comfort zone. Where we're back to words and that's where we that's, where we get to where the doggedly lay and it even a minute ago, which is the that's where you got Trump, so it's like if it We think that it comes out of everybody's mouth is then immediately reduced to you can't say that that is not how you that Trump, we didn't get trump because of that, but it was a key element of his of his appeal to the people. He appealed to. So that's that's. The point I was trying to make earlier is: if there are people who are interested in stopping America's champion drift right, whether that's that's never trumpery weather, responsible Democrats wherever it may be its. I think it's very important too, to to break the taboos
It is in a responsible way and be able to an end for the left to regain anguish for the centre and even some, never trump peons too began a language for speaking about radical Islamism for speaking about the downside of immigration and so forth, so that there are and taboos which he can then channel because I'd I just I'm telling you. I speak with trompe and friends voters and just feel it there's this feeling that I haven't been able to speak about uncomfortable uncomfortable. It is to go to certain cities in in the periphery zone? Cities in Europe in something in Paris or or a Muslim big in Brussels, but then also in parts of the Eu S. But we all know is a Democrat as a different demographic question. To be able to talk about these things in a responsible way will defuse that trumpet
ability yeah were beyond that. The problem, the problem with a problem with my thinking about this is that were way beyond this, in that they are themselves so much the contributors to the degradation or have become so much. Melody. Though the you mean the trompe in Europe. We are not allowed to speak any more so yeah. You know, for example, give you an example here, so let us talk about. No wrote about this in cometary before a joiner staff right, we rope he's, probably need heavily. He rope he's called. We need to have a national conversation on race which, which you now I'll drive out Martin in the end, the about them The national conversation is never a national conversation devolves into a lecture. It's not about were not about a conversation. The conversation is lasting, actually want right. It's a way of its a wave serve control. Conversation. Having said that,. There are two ways of looking at the trail. Martin George Human case, which is there, was a judgment. It wasn't fair
examine was a guy in the street. Trailer Martin was another guy in the street. Something tragic happen that you treating them as, though, is a murderer and he's not a murderer at them it is? George Zimmermann was right. George. Was right, travel and tat. One was travel Martin up to, and why was he walking down the street in the hoodie? How dare he doesn't know you're not supposed to do that and and were not allowed to say that about Travel Martin, because we're also politically correct. So this goes from age well since that maybe there was a rush to judgment that will unfairly our somebody's life in order to make a political, convenient political point, Out and out racism about the high was killed too, and that is that continuum is not acceptable. It happened, and the question is not the worst sensible conversation or their responsible view of the trail on my. George Zimmermann moment that was helpful to Trump. It was the EU response
bull, racist saddened. That was much more part of that gamer gate. Oh all, right boy, you know yes, I'm taboos are proletariat. Conversation has then they're, not that's I feel in conversation their ensuring that we're civil and just and nodded he gets to one another. I all add than there is another one. Yes that were currently breakdown, just child molestation right we're having a were breaking down the taboos surrounding child molest station. In order to have a real and pc conversation about that. It's all. This stems from a peace at published today in the Federalist which I absolutely repulsive, I'm not sure. If everybody else does you can go ahead. A really yourself. It's generally of a real sort of self indulgent rationalization for voting for Roy more and in so doing,
the gentlemen who wrote it makes the case for why you know? Even I would I would beat up a guy who molested my fourteen year old daughter, but that I wouldn't moralize and judge those who vote for somebody who behave in such a fashion. Oh quite the opposite. The peace says it's not that he says I would be somebody up, but I wouldn't moralising says there are many. The reasons why, forty years ago, a thirty year old man might want to pursued and data. Fourteen year old woman like what, if you wanted to have a large family, you might have a large family. You gotta get started early, hey my grandparents. My grandmother was sixty when she got what's the age of consent and are an album anyway. Sixteen how far from fourteen is Steve anyway was a long time ago for small, I'm old, After remember, nineteen, seventy eight- I was eighty I was seventeen years old at nineteen. Seventy eight and
yeah? It was a long time about will be one of the things it was going on in America in nineteen. Seventy eight was that Woody Allen was filming a movie in which he made himself out to be. A moral icon, because he was a forty two year old man sleeping with a seventeen year old, Highschool Senior, and we look at that movie It was released, the nitrates every guy Manhattan and we look at it today and we think what on What was going on there? Like? That's, not Alabama, that's Manhattan right, that's not that's! The whole point was that the culture was degrading to a great degree. Now I'm gonna tell little quick family story. My great grandmother, my great grandmother, lived in Poland was thirteen years old. A widower from the next village, who is a rabbi in the next village set his cap for her, went to have went to her parents and said he wanted to marry her and she and they married her off to this guy, who was a drunkard and violent, and she left him at the age of fourteen pregnant, with my grandfather
in Poland in the eighteen, in the early eighty nine? These now I bring up to say: I got a family story to about a thirteen year old RO married to a thirty five year old guy, and it's a high global story, so you tell me a good story about how you are graph other got married to thirteen year old you ve got married to thirty five year old guy. Well, I got my own story, so my story cancels your story out. Let's just deal with this as it is, and the thing is that the victim, Roy more case the credible, the credible accuser, even if you don't If you accept the contention that its statutory rate, because no person under the age of consent can affirmatively give consent for sexual activity, that's what we call them story, rape. She says she didn't want him to touch her. He was just offering her left lift home in his car Then he went at her, so even under the term this horrendous and monstrous peace. It's a lie because she didn't we,
to bury him and bear his children so that he could have lots of kids Earl the author even doubts, the veracity of the of the claims that were made and it started outside that delay. Northern it s big network rightly says I just wanna go through because of the foregoing condemn it. We should condemn and he says there is real evidence that the your book, that is, the contemporaneous proof that they were to do that they that he knew her then are the yearbook was a forgery, and then he links to appeal is in power line by Paul Marin Gough, who says that the lawyer, in that the who said that the more campaign consult and said We need to see the yearbook to see if it's a forgery there's no evidence that the year, because a forgery, none at all so. This is how it links to the whole Trump thing is that these bubbles means are being put out their ostensibly not because there are indicative of of any particular
view of that shared by a lot of people, but that it might be an end. In order to understand fully the finance and that brought us Trump and the phenomenon that maybe I bring us more. To understand how these people think and to condemn this sort of thing. You're, just not indulge the thinking that is behind. It is the latest and minded and the sort of phenomenon that will resume then the Republican Party slipping even further away from you, because you just lost touch with these voters. Well, I reject that notion not because you know I really well thought out notion, although it's not, but because of the fact that its it. Since its rationalization for immorality and it's it's it's as its call for us to self sensor. You have to be quiet about sort of stuff when you see it lest you be called in the latest and that suits of corruption and the corruption that that, I guess people think
They have to do in the Trump error in order to remain relevant, but if irrelevancy is the price of being a moral human being then I'll be irrelevant shown or its trump peons and awakened, introduce sort of any vile point and sort of justify their discussing an end or an end or defending it. By saying this, this this has been in the dark too long because of its people are afraid to talk. We get this throughout all of twenty. Sixteen didn't we I feel like we had. I know, but I'm rotation loyal, to enjoy more no so the centre today, but Roy more, was an objectionable candidate who should not have been, who should not be in the United States and a before these accusations were levied right? That is We would argue that that was the case. There is no evidence to suggest that he should not be an effect. My programme for the USA, which is Somebody found on Monday a course description being he wrote about the politics and whose that says writ within twenty eleven. That says that women should not be
loud to run for office women, should not be allowed to run for office. This guy is worrying for the: U S Senate. So you know what boat form go ahead both for him. He says that surely that Illinois is under Sharia law. He says it must shouldn't be allowed to run for office and women shouldn't be allowed to run for office. He you know he he refused to follow a judge. Or federal judges, order involving the placement of the ten commandments stone and on on the on the courthouse grounds. He was removed from office. He's a bad guy the bad politician he's demagogues and he has a horrendous monstrous opinions, but go ahead and vote for him. Just don't make an argument. For it to go vote for him on the grounds that you know what you're not going to vote for a Democrat. That's it you're gonna vote for Republican, that's it but factors! specious and and and in bad faith arguing
station. That said that it's ok, a thirty year old american man to be what you want, hanging around high schools and molesting fourteen year old girl, for that. We have to understand the persecution complex that is motivating individuals to make these immoral decisions goes grow. Yet you know what I am I don't even have to be a moralising about this. Like I yeah, I think that to the moral position to its moral, to vote for Roy more but forget morality, ok, you're not going to vote for what you're enough override more vote forward. More just spare me your moralising about it and I'm wrong because you feel like you need to do it just do it and suck it up. You know if you're gonna, if you're gonna, do something bad, because you think that the other consequence these are worse, don't go around praising yourself or making excuses. Just do it. You know I mean Iago in hand in hamlet, Jago and fellow says: evil,
My good right, he says: ok, you know what I'm gonna be a bad guy right now, so fine, so do it be a bad guy, be own up to it? You're a ban, guy, you think we worse for the country if it went the other way, Zag designed to you. But you know, don't come at me and say that tell you got Trump, because I'm saying what are you crazy Of tribal Esther in the Congress, that's homes, so I think the main problem we have that were Guido, we're losing we're losing our moral frame but we're losing a lot of things and here's one you can find something that's lost has that for transition. So I ve got to talk to you about Tracker Abe Tracker, I'm all ears, ok, So your phone, your while your keys, you know their plotting
answer the hiding somewhere to try to make you eight, while their sick game is finally over Noah. There's a ritual to looking for your keys, Exupere couched chick kitchen pockets, then the bathroom the fringe of the hamper. Then he started looking getting creative. You will look in a pickle jar baby, something maybe your kid put it there. Maybe it's in the cat letter but were all we're lookin. Then we gotta find our key is or whatever is that we gotta find, and you basically half do, find it and that's what trackers for tracker is a blue tooth enable device a little thing you can put on something to find
keys are a very good example, as I have said before, in the show, I use it for my apple tv remote, which is very important to my kids and its little at its black and cut of meld invisibly into everything, and if we lose it, we can't find that I press the button and it makes this horrible noise and then you can immediately find it and it also lights up and it shows it to their. So it's the lightest, Bluetooth tracking device in the market place it on. Whenever you want, they call it. The pixel keys wallets apple tv remotes. You know small enough to fit anywhere and use your smartphone and a nine decibel or will help you find it in seconds and flashing led light so and in reverse, You tell me if you lose your phone, you can press the tracker pixel and it will make your phone paying. So that's a nice device so and you can locate if its miles away, because the tracker our system could have everybody who has tracker is
United in a giant system like ways for Europe, for your keys flying your thing so trackers thirty day, money back guarantee means it's got nothing to lose and it makes a great gift during this holiday season. So go to the tracker dot com slashed commentary to get twenty percent off any order that spell TH e t array see k our dot com, Ford, Slash commentary for twenty percent off the tracker, dotcom slash commentary, so I hope they aren't don't mind too much that transition, which I think is still was maybe a little morally problematic. Nonetheless, the other big news that came out this morning, which is now both in the New York Times of the Washington Post, is that the White House has
painted a giant target on were on. Secretary of State Rex Tiller, since forehead he's going is out, is these out of their they're gonna, get rid of them. They're gonna, put in C a director might Pompey YO a secretary of state and maybe Senator Tom cotton to replace Bumpo essay director. I don't know why cottonwood wanna leave the sensitive to go say, but whatever so what this brings up of courses. This is happening the week that North Korea fired. Es Willie fired in intercom. Ballistic missile, which is the delivery system for a nuclear warhead. That is exactly the delivery system we have, that was the part of our nuclear tried entered the president had no idea of what it was I recall the nuclear try to land, sea and air, so the land missiles take off from silence.
Go up into the atmosphere. Travel across the earthen then hit the Soviet Union if necessary, and that's the that's the main areas the bomber be fifty two bomber with a nuclear weapon in the and the sea is the nuclear submarine with with with with second strike capability. So there is, then there are the North Koreans with an icy, be em and what we believe to be. We know they have nuclear materials and that they, I've gone nuclear. I have a question about this, but I don't see being asked one. Why did the North Koreans tests suddenly stopped failing? Every time I mean there's a long bring of us felt ass, we would collapse, the little bed and say, but you know one day: they're gonna get it, but this one you know another failed
ass, one off into the sea, the king regimes lying about it and now sort of test after tests seems to be actually successful, end and frightening or well. It's been two months since the last task, so they were just sort of like fire. They were doing this indiscriminately and maybe they now have a sounder, more real. No more was there, but their programme is more serious, like there actually refining at their getting more information and their they're they're not try they're, not going for volume. Now they're going for accuracy. They want to scare the crap out of everybody by the potential delivery of a missile across the Pacific, not just to the coast of the the West Coast, the United States, but well into the interior of the United States and, of course, we're not just the only ones threatened. The missile landed. The test landed somewhere near Japan, there's Japan there, some dinner, China amounting China's really at risk from North Korea, but I mean a basically willow and thousands of metres and
Bay, three came went round. I gotta virtually at an angle, is like eighty degrees. If it was that of a lower angle, it would have reached the entire Continental United States of America, but I'm getting as not only so is. Does the to the successes demonstrate their stared seriousness of purpose. But if you believe visit, as I suspect is true that we have had some hand in the in the previous failures, then we seem to have lost lost that building, which is which is in itself an additional scary fact. Well I mean we had unsuccessful attempts to do militate IRAN's nuclear programme right we'd. We we did it for a while.
Eventually, these regimes will catch. The exact causes flaw in the system that allows western intelligence agencies to manipulate their systems. They continue to refine and eventually you have a successful launch, but this is something this is something the trumpet demonstration inherited and die here: lots and lots of talk and from from Democrats. Another suggesting that this is a crisis trumps creation because of his ill tempered, tweets and so forth its not at your dvd dealing with it. It had how tearing regime that's been, am monstrous rogue state, that's been a problem for the United States, first for close to three decades and more and them I dont know what to do, but I really I mean well, nobody does what to do about it. So above a solution was the doctrine of strategic patience which, if you serve think through it, is one of the great comic moments and all in the history of diplomacy is what strategic patients meant was
we're not gonna, do anything and then we're we're out of office. The next guy will have to deal that's what strategic patients was That is, as you know, ferris So let's not blame him so go. This is an intractable problem, so they started in two thousand and six. They started this gang of sex. What error was called the trades six nation talks that were, and basically the sensation talks, are just a cover for China trying to force China, which is has ninety. We all ninety percent of North Korea's trade and economic activity goes through and with China try to get China Billina North greatest
this and why China doesn't want to. We don't really understand like why it would want to have this. You know rogue state with a with it, with an ex kind of remarkably advance nuclear programmer. You know we had some. We have fewer worries about North Korea fifteen sixteen seventeen years ago, because weird stuff would go on there. They would build the sky, they built a skyscraper. There was a hundred and five story is told that no one could ever move into because it had been badly architect it and was unstable and on sound at it. It's their empty in Pyongyang, because it's too dangerous for anybody to even like take the elevator. So that's like this is the case
they have no money, and they have this two and a half million people in this. You know horrible logs islam- and you know the country is a nightmare and has is the poorest country in the world by some reckonings and yet the obviously there they their technological capabilities, are vastly improve from what they were. When Clinton said. Well, we can buy them off a little bed and Bush said well, they ve got nuclear, but you know we can somehow contain it may be, and now here we are, you know, twenty years after Clinton, the first of the twenty three years after Clint made the first pay off to North Korea to control their nuclear behaviour. Right when I said once, it has been a problem for closer three decades, I meant, as in terms of a nuclear dimension. Obviously our problems with it with him dynasty stretch much further to what extent we know anything about this place. It's from people getting out
and I'm looking at her name at the post, but does the rapporteur, whose do did some really step the work in reviewing some recent people who have escaped and the dynamics in the deep your case seemed of change a little bit than eighteen. Ninety, as it was a very reconstruction, construction economy that was marked by incompetence. That was over the country more by famine, which has largely abated. There then some reforms in the form of market economies, that sort of sprung up have been retroactively, approved by the controlling regime. As opposed to Kim Jong IL this guy doesn't seem like a kleptocratic. You can't really by him off with cognac, like you could kindled Kim Jong IL and The individuals who have escaped discuss the x and to which information is getting in more than they did before of trade and thumb drives and back channel ways you get like.
Like a little laptop or a little screen on which you can watch material from China, and sometimes grave and though that's criminalized is increasing to the extent that people are beginning to see the outside world a lot more than they ever did. The fear is that you know you can actually congregate and you can't have these sort of meetings that could result in some sort of a revolutionary. Because those are really strictly controlled, but more information is getting, and so from a chinese perspective when they all they want, is to make sure that this regime doesn't collapse. In God, forbid. Have some sort of a migrant crisis the border resulting in millions of starving, malnourished foolish in and poorly educated korean streaming across the border. Is they want to make sure that this? Jim doesn't collapse. So, to that extent, they can maintain the regime is, that seems to be their their primary concern so that the
The other make moves in the direction of of supporting America's capacity to contain this thing, but then wanted to fall. They have two other interests. One is that they like having North Korea as a as a tool with which to irritate U S, power in the region and you as allies, and I think the third one which is often talked about is for for as much as China has changed and opened up to market economies without obviously without much political reform at all. There is still a degree of communist solidarity. I mean there's some ideological affinity that they have fought for a fellow communist regime, even though, obviously the Chinese don't take communism to seriously anymore with something there were. They can't give up on a fellow right, we'll just look Mickey Hayley there. This morning at the motivation said yesterday, said that, even if, if China didn't act, we would we would do something basically militarily to impede
trade with North Korea's trade, which is a military threat, not enough she's in a position to make a military threat. Is the? U N a basket, are obviously this administration. Whatever structure this administration? Has you can't exactly see that Nicky Hayley is committing the administration? They think as nobody commits any bade anything anyway? What, in its also it's kind of rough of slight refinement of on what tromp has been repeatedly sang whenever there's any transgression of that part of the north crazy? Well, we're gonna, take care of it. Don't worry, we're gonna. Take care now will handle I think it will rule handler handling was what he said this week. So you know whether he knows what he means by that or not is is of course, of course, if a mentality,
public mystery. Well, you know I don't remember his whole thing is strength. That's all it it like his whole projection is strength, he's strong and so he's going to handle it and million prize promising to handle it so we'll handle it mean while just coming across the wires. Is the news that policy. The house minority leader has. Finally, asked for John Conyers to resign. I think I now need to apologize to Noah, because I thought- and I even said this in the New York Post the other day that what Pelosi had been doing on on Sunday by saying you know, we don't know who the accusers are and he's an icon and blah blah was a signaling to her members that she would take a bullet famine to take the bad publicity, while this scandal sorry unfolding and now I'm thinking. Maybe that was a on over think on my part and that she just did this calculation
Just Conyers old african american icon, I'm not gonna, attack him and who, when I like I've known him forever and who are these people anyway, and she didn't realize that she was destroying her parties. You know and her movements narrative about sexual harassment, scam guy, don't think you're wrong at all. I think she did give her members cover and it was the worst possible decision she could have made because they took it. I'm gonna real, quick. We were talking about this reformed in a red and quick treat for tweet from New York Times reporter. Our Draper yesterday walking into a meeting in which democratic numbers to discuss representative Conyers Fate Representative clayburn of South Carolina was approached by reporter and talk Matt Lauer met Lauer, who is defended strayed from his perch for twenty years of the anchor of today and NBC, because of
supported allegations of sexual violence in the question is: why is the government behaving as such sluggishness when it comes to people like Jim caught, our representative, Conyers and Alfred, when the private sector is moving with such alacrity. On these things and climbers response was to say who elected them. Dismissive illegal in the elevator disappear according to were Mr Draper in that meeting quote also at them at meetings House Democratic Caucus, James Kleiber, compared Connor's, accuser to the church. Murderer. Susan Smith, who initially clay a black man had abducted her kids Clayburn said these are all white women who have made these charges against Conyers, implying, unquote implying they are not to be believed because of their race. If you were to replace the d with the are in any circumstance. This would be a thermonuclear disaster, for the Republican Party Democratic Party manages to escape these things, and we all know why
but it's not as though this isn't a scandal, and it's not as though this isn't sapping the Democratic Party of its identity and identity. It is cultivated for gears title. Nine is a result of that. Identity yes means. Yes, laws is as a result of that identity within a couple of hours, Nancy below through that identity on the fire if one member right, but we don't know actually probably many more members now that's the thing is I don't know where this is going. There are now five accusers of L, Frank and now the accusations are
of extremely unseemly behaviour that doesn't seem to rise to the level of him having to resign his seat and then go. We now live in the illusions, but you know that so far the politicians that have been voiced on this but hard the same politicians are Democrats amount Republicans, which is a reversal because through the first two decades most of this, the sex scandals, particular two thousand six were all were all Le Republicans, David Vetture, the centre for Louisiana We had the mark folly, the congressmen from Florida, other Kate Larry, Craig Centre from Ohio of. I hope these were those these were the sex. Gambling is. However, we had a republican congressmen who had to resign the result of an extra marital, a family and an errand shock. Remember him of their various cases. So so this is the dead. The Democrats, also, I think I've used- the idea in their heads that basically, they were somehow immune from the possibility of getting caught in this
course, one of the other interesting aspects of the scandal is that, with the exception of Roy more both to these that these figures, and now that Roger Ales and Bill O Reilly are gone and arab bowling. All these figures are sort of members of the liberal establishment. Charlie rose Matt Lauer Harvey wine steam. I'm counting John Lassiter is a figure of the liberals, head wit, Russell Simmons today, the the wrapper and entrepreneurs who basically step down from his businesses after being accused of having raped, screenwriter, Jenny, Lou, Madame five years ago a jailer met wrote a piece about this, and if you can't the detail is just too he doesn't it. Either it happened by the way. So so these are not conservative. This. Conservative moralists, who have been caught unawares, Roy more is the only one. I have a new counterfactual erratic. What if Anthony Wiener
What, if what? If, what, if that whole scandal. His whole election took place today took place now, not the knot. The eventual discovery that he was sexting with under age females, but the initial one that he was just. While the initial shows that he had centre right yet here I meant to send a DM direct Raza John Twitter, with a with daddy. It's the forgotten to do it privately right right right, but the wetlands account right right right, but that was with the wonders of age. Right right paired to the rest. Of these a predatory cases, he it again larger context of this now almost looks if that vat We ve only that part of the scandal as as initially erupted erupted. Now he almost looks sort of you know
I'll bikers now, because there was a picture of a penis. Well, the direct message was a picture of his male member, but but these were, but these were sort of here that there are pictures. Re are told of rights that, of course, the sea was to be the the eared, uniting factor of all these stories as these men who think that it's really alluring to women to show them their name. It fell, but I didn't mean arrogant attitude but, as we know, was brought down by consensual these. Were these root. Consensual virtual relationships, look of it we have then twenty ten, I'm really embarrassed because I said you know a picture of my penis did somebody was right, direct message and I'm so ashamed. I really is feel terrible and I'm it's awful thing. I'm gonna go good tat, says sex addiction treatment. He would have been fine, it's what he.
Said he came out angrily and said that his account had been hacked and that Republicans are trying to destroy him. That was, as you know, as the king of the bed judgment Olympic see made every though, as we know from the astounding documentary which of you haven't seen it, you must see about him You ve never seen anybody make more bad choices in his life, cascading Lee them Anthony, Wiener dead sea we spent. The last is where I think this is a problem for Democrats that they really haven't fully internalized. Republicans have spent the last eighteen months, twenty two months, sort of coming to terms with moral ambiguity and compromises and making making compromises of themselves. Democrats have been keeping themselves in the self righteousness for years is now especially about rape and sexual assault and sexual harassment engender egalitarian ism, and now we find out from the democratic democratic parties highest elected representative that it's all a sham silhouette
it has another, it's all tribalism and isn't that we never really serious about this. It was a pander to get you on board Sudan, alot of people really. Does it believe it? Do you think that policy changing her tune and calling for Conyers resign. I think about it. A lot worse. You should have a united allow where I stood and Bass, because all the notion that the icon disappear in and after four days we ve had due process. That was that was
work do ok, so my view as this, which is its not that policy we know has gotten, will get more and more elected, although its now looking like war, more is gonna win because, after the after the after the heat died down, it looks like a dog Jones gained of two or three points with the more is now back in the lead and absent, more revelations, or something like that, I don't know entropy would suggest that he male may well win, but you know I do think that the creating the impression that everybody does this everybody does. It is helpful to Trump and its helpful to more that the reason that they that they freaked out about this and are so freaked out about this, was that if the moral high ground was my God, you Republicans, you elected this cereal. You know sexual abuse or to the presidency. None of us voted forms
it's all. I knew it all on you, it's all on you and then suddenly, it's John Conyers, its l, Frank and and and republican voters can say well. They're, not gonna, be on the turnout in the defence of anywhere there like he does it, he does it, they do it every fingers. I think you're wrong there for Democrats, specifically because the Republican Party is lopsided, we older and mail. The democratic party is lopsided early, female and younger and these younger voters and these female voters are a little bit more ideological about this I don't think we're gonna go where I'm gonna go me they're, not gonna, go I'm just saying it's like they're gonna turn around and join the Republican Party in saying. Well, everybody does it so I can vote for Donald Trump. No, I don't think I'm gonna disengage either. I think they're going to engage monotonously policies benefit, so you think they're gonna have a civil war over this of the Democratic Party just when they need to be united so that they can achieve this sort of thing that creates a tea party. I think that's
oh- and I really think that this is a that's a very good way of putting it that you have. You have the events you have corporate democrat right. You have served the thing that that that dead that inaugurated, ignited Sanders move
that you now Hilary was just another corporatist Wall Street, her with no interest in you, no ordinary people and the problems ordinary people, and now you have this sort out of touch social, we're just protecting our own there's, a power structure them great party and we're in a line up without frankenberry line up with John Conyers, and maybe it is it. Maybe it s a tea party I mean right now, most of their energy seems to be the opposite. It all seems to be finding candidates will run against Republicans and republican districts, and they ve done a pre sensational job that they have two hundred and forty candidates, or something like that in districts where there you know they had sixty six candidates in twenty sixteen or something like that, they are making it possible for their. If there is a way for there to be a person standing there who can be swept in in the
Dave. But a real tea party would have to take on these people in primaries, and that's that I think we doesnt quite feel that what just happened just now. Well, we don't know if this is a galvanizing issue. Yet I could be wrong, but it most only rail link, it could be a litmus test issue its pretty interesting. I think so. With that interesting possibility, we will bring today's podcast to a close, with hopes that you have a wonderful weekend and that there is no news, because I just wanna how much more of this we can take before we go insane. But what we can say that every week and yet here we are. Sitting here so maybe which already slipped into into insanity and robust was, I were all or summaries abroad? Is all a simulation? Oh my theory: that White UK happened the universe split into whether we are in the wrong you
in another universe. Marco Biagi present element of yours. I don't even know who know who knows whose president, because another universe, probably Al Gore, win the elections in two thousand. There were publicly beats him in two thousand beats whoever's successor, two thousand aim- God knows where they were wherever we are them, so But if we're not dissimulation, please, and if we are, as we all know, that we are not. Please join us again next week for aid. We want no arrangement and sorrow. Sorry, I'm John put more obscure.
Transcript generated on 2019-12-13.