« Commentary Magazine Podcast

Commentary Podcast: One States, Two States, Whatever

2017-02-16 | 🔗
On the second Commentary podcast of the week, we (Abe Greenwald, Noah Rothman, and I) dilate upon Donald Trump's seeming revolution in the U.S. posture toward the Israelis and the Palestinians while asking this question: Does the president actually know what the "one-state" or "two-state" solution is? We also point out that just as paranoids have enemies, Trump has reason to believe he is under attack from inside his own executive branch—but that his response may hurt him and not help. Also, like Jack Benny and Fred Allen's radio shows of old, we have a sponsor! Give a listen.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Hello, fresh is the meal kit delivery service that makes cooking finally easy and convenient for thirty five dollars off your first week of deliveries, visit hell afresh, dot com and enter commentary. When you subscribe, welcome to the commentary magazine, podcast
I'm John path towards the editor of commentary. Commentary magazine a seventeen year old monthly of intellectual probity, serious political, cultural and philosophical analysis from conservative perspective join us. A commentary magazine dot com, where we give you some free, reeds and ask you to subscribe ninety ninety nine for a digital subscription and between them, and provide for a full access all hands on board subscription, including our beautiful monthly magazine, sent directly to your mailbox with me. As always nor Rossman Associate editor high Noah. I dont and agree multi another high Abe, I John. So as we
are recording this David Friedman. The ambassador designate to Israel is testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in his confirmation hearing day after the visit of Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington and the very striking press conference that he and president shared in which President Trump literally said? Look there could be a two state solution that could be one states who could be to states it could be whatever anybody but the they want I want and whatever they don't want. I don't want that.
Seeming to throw decades of? U S, policy out the window, except for the fact that it seems to me relatively clear that the present doesn't know what the one state solution is. None of us when we know what the one state mission, as it did means one of two things: either there is only Israel and no country for the Palestinians, or there is the total annexation of the West Bank and Gaza, and a unitary jewish state West of the Jordan River or palestinian state that overtakes and destroys Israel and swallows Israel up there. Many possible interactions of the one state solution that Trump seem to think was totally fine with him. If that's what the parties were going to agree to. Thus we find ourselves in.
Forms of yet another foreign policy dilemma with the president, which is that when he says things, it's like clear that he knows what it is that he is saying or what it means or You know whether the ministries of every country in the Middle EAST, who are going to sit there and have Tom Mood accessions, arguing what the possible intention could be from this will find it difficult to accept the fact that there is no intention that there was no intentionally doesn't know what he's talking about that. He has no. But you know No history or understanding was never read an article in the case of understanding the two state solution and what it is and what the ones solution might be- would actually have to read something longer than two hundred and fifty words which it's likely the president does likes maps. Well we're told he likes maps. He said he likes maps. We understand that his intelligence breathing his his daily intelligence briefing features lots em out his vanity state solution, maps right
It's the one state solution. That was the issue here. In other words, he said I'm not. Basically, we have now had weeks of this quest. How serious the White House is about settlements or prevent settlement activity or is it abandoned, the two state solution and that some of that the matter is the answer is, for all intents and purpose, Does this white, as is not going to insist as the precondition of all discussions, that the final conclusion is to states that very clear but whether or not settle and activity by Israel could include the maid, of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements not geographically, but in terms of their size and their density. That you're not gonna, get an answer on since what he said to Netanyahu was. I want to stop it little bit we'll talk. What does that mean? I mean stop at a little bit. What are you stopping or you stopping? You now
you shouldn't put a toilet in the new euro enough in the in the new room, or does it mean that you shouldn t now build illegally? I shouldn't build new settlements. It out in an Arab were formerly occupied our plans or what so, on the one hand, the pro Israel community should be rejoicing and celebrating this unbelievably pro Israel statement, on the other hand, word a clearer about where the american policy is- and we were before it now also bring up a good point, which is that I think this is summits. Happen over time, foreign governments, I'm not Netanyahu. I think he has a handle on this, but other governments or you'll have to sort educate themselves on trumps ignorance to under stand that when he throws things out like that, like whatever Two state solution, one state- you know fries onion rings of by good, with both that he doesn't know, He doesn't really know what he just said that that's gonna be
patents are learning curve for four governments going foes. I really does serve the interests of just about every other foreign government that his ambiguity is so pervasive that they can take from whatever he says whatever, meaning they prefer in they can. Bree Middle Eastern government can infer whenever they want from that sent him. Ok, so there is real, can celebrate, but so can Cairo and Silken Riad. If they want to do and say, you know that this is a freeze on settlements and that he was being a little vague on it. Well, you could. Although the simple fact of the matter, as you can claim successor, claim that three. That is generally not what
all countries in the world faced with the opinion of the United States, are trying to do there, trying to actually understand you s intentions and where the lines are that they can or cannot cross to either make friends or to make enemies. Now, of course, the Big news that I'd buy, caught, buried or it's not big news- is the open statement both by by Netanyahu and by Trump there their hope for a future Middle EAST peace now rests on a regional on Israel's being net into the region that there are now and then Yahoo said allies. He referred to you didn't say which countries would effectively. He referred to Egypt and Sadie Raby as allies, which has an unthinkable thing for him is really premises.
Is there countries that you know who I mean Israel had to get a violent shooting wars with with Egypt, Egypt was the country that attempted to destroy Israel in nineteen. Sixty seven, the Sally's have been fun Palestinians for forty forty fifty years and you know, are the key funders of extremists is Lompoc. Guenaud, though addresses that preach The destruction of Israel in the you know in the sunny world, and yet here We are, and the president said the same thing that you know his hope is that is that the new version of coming to the table and making up a Middle EAST peace deal involving Israel. The Palestinians is a regional hope, and this is very much the unintended and ironic work of Brok Obama who, in in helping ran a sort of so tat, a great regional comeback, scare them Jesus
Israel and and many of its arab neighbours either the only countries in the world in which you now ordinarily having Jesus scared! Out of you really isn't that thing, your most afraid of adding about costs, you got Jews and Muslims, and that was a joke and move on from that. I'm gonna plug my piece on cometary magazine that common this very subject in the Wall Street Journal yesterday there was a bombshell report that didn't get nearly enough attention that it deserved according to rip
orders there. There are talks in the works for some sort of a NATO like mutual Defence alliance between Sunni Powers, Cairo, Riad, the United Arab Emirates, etc, and included in that deal, is a intelligence sharing agreement with Israel. So it's over it's a de facto arab alliance. That includes Israel again, as you said it. This is all a function of these arab states joining together, banding together for the collective security in the face of the threats posed to them by a research in IRAN, which is precisely what Brok Obama wanted to do, and this this new arrangement that the Trump Administration is pursuing blows up. A really of noxious pervasive method has been an obstacle to peace, which is the idea.
That, before the sine qua non, you cannot have peace in this region without addressing and rigged in dealing with the palestinian israeli conflict. That's gone that it's not. I do not think for a moment that, if this happens, that apologists for Barack Obama will not claim that he is the author of the new reality in the Middle EAST. We claim to do just that an emphasis. What I'm saying they'll say that this is. You know it's like this is what I want at all along, but you know what I think they're gonna have a problem claiming that I think, because I think I mean it. Such a long way away, but but in the distance, possibility of a sort of regionally era.
Involved a peace agreement in order to get the air powers on board the. U S would have to say to them something like out. I'm gonna, take care of your ram problem for real ran the end, and that said that that would undo everything Obama. Well, you can look the other way, though, as well I mean we have an active military coalition engaged in in the kinetic operations against an iranian back militia in Yemen, and I suppose the real their sticking point is is is a rack where we have an alliance by necessity of between the United States and and Baghdad ended the Sunni, the shit militias, some of which have some direct operational control from Turann. Others don't. But this is. This is something that the abundant ministration created out of necessity, and it's not something. I think we can just don't mind tomorrow right. Well, I mean, I think, it's worth taking a moment to step back and look at
darkly? What an ethical alteration? This is because the it was the general view of the American Administration's that is real needed to deal with the arab world entirely in order to solve the palestinian problem and various innovations of this, there was the famous Rogers Peace plan of nineteen sixty nine, the Schulz plan of nineteen eighty two and then the post first Iraq WAR, Madrid Conference of ninety ninety one, all of which featured to some extent or other american saying we want countries in the
He didn t take represent the Palestinians in a negotiation to effectively pressure is real to do the right thing in out, because we are not going to go. She with terror. We're not gonna go shaped with the pillow is their terrorist, but so is welcome to go. She was sorry Raby or something like that and Israel. Oh rejected this whole heartedly, Israel was like these are enemies. Twenty two nations were gathered against us and try to destroy us in eighteen, forty, eight, and now they have alliance essentially backed you know: Egypt and Syria, one thousand nineteen sixty seven and nineteen seventy three. These are not our enjoy. These are not our friends, there are enemies and if we're going to a peace conference with them, we're just going to stand there and say no, no, no! No! No you talk to me or the ten Prime Minister country said. No. All he did was sit there and say no, because nobody,
Israel's interests, that Madrid Conference and ninety one America De Nevers rules interest in play and these countries wanted to blame Israel for everything and Israel said no, and now we have Benjamin Netanyahu. This possibly most right wing leader that Israel's ever had the revisionist the monster veto, the monster that these hated more than you know anything the Israeli laughed and the American. You know wish left hates, and he is openly talking about cooperation with arab regimes to create a world us more stable Middle EAST for Israel to flourish, and this is a momentous develop
people have been watching it for a couple of years and talking about this possibility of essentially a sunny Israel alliance, but that is come out in the open that you haven't talking about it in the open at up at a press conference at the White House is just you know, I mean we should not discount the immensity of this historical moment. It is worth mentioning that it is still yet to come out in the open on the sunny side while running we, you had Sadie planes landing, in TEL Aviv, and that was really like a lot of things like that. An earthquake yet little things like that in certain areas and an M M Egypt's Egypt's pay that's easy is all, but openly said that he and Israel
are facing something of the same enemy that the Muslim Brotherhood he's facing is like Hamas in other Israel's phase. It yourselves threat I supposed to this the stability of these regimes, the regime in Saudi Arabia and the Cecy regime in Cairo, and that is the lesser Sata kingdoms and sooner kingdoms. Rather in states like the. U S whether or not there as stable as Israel's right. While the problem, of course is the other than that, if those regimes falter than them and more radical more, we know more radical regimes. Command that are that are more lined with deep ideological predilection to destroy Israel. Then then the alliances will be at an end, but I don't think the no harm, no foul. It's like It's that happen. You deal with that reality when it happens, if it happens,
I mean. There's that I suppose you there are those from some remove. Who think that this this alliance itself would threaten the stability of those regimes, because their peoples would would be frustrated by it. But then we had these stories when the Trump administration was was flirting with moving the the american Embassy to Jerusalem, and there were some, I think, with the Jerusalem Post that was interviewing people in EAST jerusalem- Arabs in these truths. Whether or not they cared about it now, just like just about everybody was like now says, really affect my life until we started having Friday, Sir, about it and political leaders started talking about it and now opinions are starting to change again were frustrated by it. So I would imagine that you'll have a very similar real action across the arab world to the prospect of an israeli alliance that sort of up the problems at home. Domestic politics are far more important to these
these peoples, then than is real agitating against Israel, but I think some of that will also be mediated by the degree to which IRAN continues to prey on its arab neighbours if their, if there are causing them deadly problems than this, it's going to ship their focus well. Well, one thing we know is that this general idea that that you you can't wrong using Israel too, you know, stir up the arab streets, cause the arab street to get all street. He conclusively disproved by the When we saw the arab street truly inaction, it was to overthrow Mubarak and to overthrow the government in Tunisia and to essentially create this. You know what now horrendous you know disastrous monstrous, terribly tragic, syrian civil war, so EDA wasn't Israel that caused any of that which is no point in his very fine peace on our blog is
I hadn't rule out literally nothing to do with that, and so the arab street is interested in what streets are usually interested in, which is the domestic and their own domestic condition and their own free in their own economic futures and all of that, and not some abstract issue with a country far away that they don't even know anything about them and peoples that are you know that they are sentimentally attached to let's say, but in the end they don't really care about either. So that was an interesting day that that debt, that they have the way has a nice happy couple hours of friendship and comedy, and then it was back to the dumpster fire Andy Puzzler, the Labour secretary withdraws after some Pino web nanny problem in some
twenty five year old accusations of domestic abuse that his ex wife literally said she made up, but that didn't really seem to matter. So he he quit he's out and the White House. You know war of all against all seems to continue a pace, since we last thought an essay Michael has resigned yet you know what that was that, while we monday- and this is thursday- and they had already feels like it- was like six months ago- your member MIKE Flynn, what was What the hell was that a back up like like Flynn wasn't like that social security adviser four days ago. Remember him You know there are hilarious stories going back and forth about how you know this guy, whose name I now can't remember this admiral, who is gonna come in to me,
May, be given the NSC see just gonna come and bring in all bring it, and this is gleeful, bringin, NEO cons and throw out. Flynn, loyalists Flynn what, That's the guy was therefore twenty three days. Well, you mean fled loyalists every promptly, the flint, loyalist or Katy Macfarlane them MIKE Land on or something I don't even know, but I say that dumpster fire continues. I mean that we still have the president, like tweeting, the gacha going to kill you
major alive and and this story, I think fascinated all of us that Trump is going to import his and Steve Balance Hedge fund friend, Mr Fine Burg, to do a review of the intelligence agencies with an eye toward making sure that the war of the intelligence agencies on trumped administration is stopped or the backdrop tall, and this is something that we need to discuss and since we last talked there have been a flurry of reports citing people within the intelligence community and leave it at that, indicating that the Trump campaign lied when it said that it had no contact with russian agents. Whether or not those there were information that was discussed. There was of any consequences. Sort of an open question seems like there wasn't, but nevertheless there were contacts between people like MIKE Flynn and Paul man afford with Moscow which, by the way,
anybody. The fact that upon me and afford who was working for a russian puppet and Might Flynn who is a fixture on russian propaganda network had contact with Russians really doesn't shocked me. Secondly, we had a report and, by the way I just want to say man afford such a sleeves that when The angrily denounced the New York Times for claiming that he had no contacts with russian Intelligence Gazette. You know if he did, they don't walk round wearing badges and he never dealt with the russian government knowingly now, when we dealt with the russian government when he was paid twelve million dollars in the twenty thirteen and twenty fourteen working for victory. Ghana Kovich, who was a russian agent in ukraine- I mean that we adopt a puppet yoga paid agent of the Russians, in Ukraine, against whom there was a revolution you stole in election who, by the way, that the
It is now living in Moscow. I believe yes, yes, the chief prosecutor of the portuguese government is, as you told us at a meeting. Why was in Kiev that there are investigating that black letter that Black leisure so very much of the black leisure in which, in with that, led to a man of words downfall as trumps campaign manager, because his name was in it with twelve million dollar parity list of Anna Kovac, loyalists metaphor on there and its various sweets regarded. As you know, our list
of targets for this regime, and then we had a report last night that came out just hours, maybe minutes before we had this. Does this report about the so called? I guess the ban in review of intelligence agencies is this report that indicates again with thin sources but enough to so that the Wall Street Journal published it that tells US officials or withholding from the present in the United States, certain sensitive aspects of intelligence at his briefings, sources methods, nothing actionable, nothing that would affect american national security. In fact, it's not something I haven't haven't been happened before it's not uncommon, but at the same time they are doing so for an uncommon reason, because this intelligence community severely mistrusts the president of the United States, and they in fact cited. Trumps campaigns statement encouraging the hacking of of Hillary Clinton server to find bye, bye, bye, bye, Russians to get us to find a hidden emails and who doesn't love. Wikileaks. Remember that Trump who doesn't look
Wikileaks, while TAT, who doesn't love working weeks, the intelligence community doesn't love what colleagues, the Adele since community, which has had dino enormously precious information, stolen from it and put out, and we now american secrets, put out and on the entire webs, as we say, so We should discuss the question of what it means for the good working order of the government and the legitimacy of these the actions of these agencies and we come back, but we gotta start with our first sponsor. Very excited to have them hello, fresh. First commentary: podcast Sponsor held fresh wants to change the way people are forever. They believe everyone deserves honest natural, delicious, healthy food, whether you're a busy professional couple, a large family it runs at breakneck pace,
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president says that leaving the way telling me where'd, you get the information from, and the guy says I can me doesn't. Obviously I say I can't tell you but withhold information from the present lights. It's going to do mutual damage to both too to the president and his plans and then weak the Counter war that Trump seems to be launching is is going to wreak havoc, On intelligence agencies, if there is going to be now, this rooting out of of leaks of, I think its trump described on twitter, low life, leaks law, Flickr let alone what low life leakers here, they're gonna get those low life leakers? Yes, so there is, there is going to be some sort of hunt that will rock the confidence within the agencies that that will destroy What's left of mutual trust between the White House and these agencies. And there is also going to be-
presumably more leaks of this. If this is not if this is an ongoing war against Trump, not clarify from there, the New York Times report on this did to the extent that there can there's a review that can make recommendations but to the extent that they can make changes within these intelligence agencies. Its Gunnar require congressional cooperation and that's probably not gonna, be forthcoming. So these agencies are really concerned about appearances, but it doesn't seem like there's gonna, be a big shifting LEO Culture, youth ass. If to step back and ask what what this Weinberg thing is about, because several factual matters there's a director of national intelligence, that post has been filled by Dan Coats, former senator of from Indiana and Dan Coats will have his confirmation.
The hearing next week, or something like that and be the director of national intelligence and he will enter that office with his knees cut off, since that is what he was still. The office was created to be a perpetual review of the intelligence agencies it as it is a relatively new office, and it exists in the wake of nine eleven to ensure that the intelligence agencies are all singing from the same hymnal that they are not engaged in bureaucratic wars, answer each other or in fact in wars against the say the White House. If they are thinking about doing that. So what exactly? Is it the damn? Coaches gonna do in this? territorially confirmed Paul That has statutory responsibilities when Trump and ban are bringing in some hedge fund guy from New York to investigate. Now I, this, I think, is my Answer my answer: this is that the
general mood inside the ban in wing of the White House with there is merit or justifications view. Is that trouble entered the swamp in the swamp is attempting to kill Trump, and you ve seen this, and this is what the flint leaks are about, and this is what the hostility is about, and this is where everything is going on in this fashion and so trust, no one. You can trust. No one and Damn Dan coach was cemeteries from Indiana dont trust him. You can't he's not a friend of ours. Rights is the one who told us the Hiram without it in fine Burke, because we can trust fine so, we're for weeks in, and we have a white House now. Parent it's kind of enemies, and it's not paranoia for Trump to think that if he has a target that has happened the intelligence services, that, he doesn't have enemies are very powerful. They manage literally to take out the national security adviser in three and a half weeks, but they wouldn't be able to take up the national security adviser if he wasn't a problem,
He wasn't somebody who should in the first place the ban and wing, is the problem for Trump the ban and will create this disaster with this idea, which made them looking executive order right, incompetent and foolish, and in unable to manage their own priorities in their own legislative desires that they had the Miller debacle. Last Sunday, when he decided, as even Miller the assistant to the president and balance to value of really when I wrote to litigate whether or not Donald Trump selection is legitimate, I suppose, by talking about voter fraud, which doesn't really exist. I know everybody thinks it supports. This makes Donald Trumps Base really happy and frustrates people down the line, its rays positioning, everybody for vote, a register you laws and twenty twenty or what have you but we're talking about a new cycle now and it's a new cycle of the White House is losing now they lost Flynn. All of this
we put on the shoulders of the ban and wing and so that their barking about rents, previous rights previous rather, but it's the I haven't wing, that's causing down drunk all these troubles by the way are actually think. I think it's Donald Trump. That's cause rubbish world because before before the ban and was a figure in this and in in India Campaign or the administration, Tromp was saying things that that proved himself to be a potential high bill. In into intelligence officials, eyes were an end. He notices tell us is right. This is the result of the rocks. I mean you, can you know he wanted. You could say that here too, the campaign, wherever else, but these are the consequences I mean the simple fact of areas. It is legitimate for the intelligence community to be making decisions about whether or not the president I'd state should or should not have intelligence the entirety. I mean this is a very hard concept for people to grasp constitutionally, but these
the majority of the executive branch, the existence of the executive branch and its and its role as one of the three coequal branches of the federal government emanates from the person of the president himself. He is the person who gets the electoral votes in the electoral college that make, same president, and it is from him that all legitimacy outward flows where other people are appointed. Now he doesn't simply appoint people Senate has to confirm people and that sort of thing, but the tell giants community exists with it- doesn't have a forty independent of the existence of the president, terms, and it has no right- under under our system to be making decisions like that none whatsoever. Now you can say it's how the higher form of patriotism to protect the country against somebody that somebody- and he tells me, we might think- is a paid russian agent. Well, that's good,
The problem is if this country elected paid russian Asian as the President, this country is in deep trouble and and and We had all kinds of signs that this was an opinion. That was, you know, entirely illegitimate to hold and the country went in form anyway, and if he wants to fund for around intelligence and play footsie with Russia. There is nothing that we can do about it or theirs. They are legitimately allowed to do about it. I'm sorry there I mean they don't have to. They do not have to do something. Legal that the present asked them to do. They do not have to enact a legal orders, they do not have to behave in ways that violate their own moral dictates. Because he their order too. However,
They are also not allowed to be making decisions about everything that goes on the executive branch. That is the president's right to know, and I also thank MR reiterated his pointed port after report for months now says that there is no evidence of collusion between Agnes from between airport in record time story itself. That was the final nail and friends coffins as there is no evidence of collusion, and we see those last night said: there's no ever seclusion collusion. I wanted state as usual, because this have you know we are very distressed at the at the closeness of the relationship between trumpet the Russians and trumps fondness for Putin, and we heard it horrifying and it's a moral stain on the country and its moral stain on Trump, and if this were persist, it will be. You know it will be a degradation of you, no central, fundamental principles of men,
in foreign policy and ideas about freedom and whom we should be alive, but. If they don't have evidence of collusion. They don't have. Evidence of cohesion is no evidence of collusion in the behaviour of this administration, not not just not just writ rhetorically, but in a policy you happened Annie. You can just look at Nicky Haley's addressed to the United Nations and the statement from the call poor shank over he called the conflict or Sancho is the presently greening president, where they called the conflict when between Russia and Ukraine. That is not Russia's version of events, Russians version of events the ukrainian conflict is entirely and Trump am Trump. Yesterday, tweeted Russia has to get out of Crimea Correct so an We have russian signals that suggest that there are very frustrated with this administration. We haven't an intelligent ship, that's parked off the coast of Connecticut, as we speak, intermediate range missiles moving into Europe, which is a violation of the standing treaties from the nineteen eighties. These are signals to the way,
as the and by the way, no sanctions. Relieved from this administration, which was promised and which has not been forthcoming and which Moscow resents alot everybody's getting a little aggressive over this. That was the fear by the way, the fear web Donald Trump rhetoric. Wasn't that we're into a lie with Russia. It was that I was gonna, give Putin the false and premise the false idea that he could test, don't trumps parameters and perhaps push him a little too far to the point where Donald Trump would feel compelled to respond, and that's the sort of thing that cascades I think that's. It basically sums it up yet, but it can also judges to take your your point of a little further about about what what intelligence, committees, can do and what individuals can do and claim is ass of conscience or what not? Do you not think that there were scores of intelligence officials during the eight the Obama?
you watch what was going on with, would save II ran, Dylan and and laying the groundwork of IRAN deal while, while the administration was saying that there is no the others that well entirely secret talks with with the regime which, with which we had knowed diplomatic relations, that that wished us debt, there every week- and they didn't say boy I would love to. I want to blow this open. I can't. I can't believe that that Whitehouse officials are speaking to these monsters about some grand bargain that that the other side is never going to observe. Yet by the way there was one we, those neighbours they was Michael Flinty was headed. My friend, you get halogens agency if he was zero men. He believed the belief then believe that IRAN is the greatest existential threat to the world. Not just not just Israel and not just a video, the other says so many countries, and and and he was happy- we're told that he was ousted because it was impossible to work with and all of that, but
but he wasn't antagonist. The administrations desire to find a rapprochement with IRAN and yeah we heeded leak and end if he did Than did the times
or he would be about enemies of peace leaking. It would run it wouldn't be about we asked about, but those betraying the. U S. Still not seen the terms of the Er Andean half was Tehran, as is openly warning the Trump Administration not to release them right, but I didn't look there there there. There are a couple of different dangerous here and one of the dangerous here is that so Trump as a force for instability, not for stability, that's a new phenomenon in american politics, and we don't it's early, so maybe he'll settled down, and maybe this all right itself in some fashion he doesn't seem like that type of person or that would fit in with his character. But you know it could well be the best working order for him to do whatever his yes do more important. In this case,
untaxed. I think it and maybe not more important, but equally important- is the fact that a lot of people in this country are store, r, r, whipping up Lee Notion and the idea that, because he is so such an unprecedented threat to arm republic in our democracy in future that The ends of blocking him justify the means in every way, shape or form and not to do the I've. A friend on Facebook thing that I'm a friend on Facebook was rabbi in New York. Who literally came at me with the argument that we must celebrate the intelligence officials who are leaking information illegally because they are they up in doing so. They are appealing, they are doing, something that is deeply patreon
Harvard LAW and strive to the same thing. Ok, but is you know so- and this is this- is nothing less than sheer antinomian ism everybody gets to pick the crime that they can break based on the virtue that they think it is fine, the higher virtue that they are willing to uphold, and the simple fact of the matter is That is a stress that our system cannot survive long. If we are pushed to that point and we do have.
A very large number of people at an entire intellectual tendency that is now going in this direction. That David from was a friend of mine and a contributor. These pages and stuff like that basically says that to a parent, to paraphrase a scene in the blues brothers, with the with the John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, when the cop gets an order as they're driving through the city, use of violence against the blues, brothers has been approved. Other words Trump is so bad that what you do to stop them. You know you will be. You will be forgiven for in the next world and the next life and then The thing is we ve seen so many times throughout history. The those opposing trump don't recognize that as this sort of symbiotic half dead, that will in turn accelerate exactly what they fear.
In other words, trumps? Liberalism is provoking liberalism in them, which will which will encourage the further his further liberalism? Yes, and he will feel more buggered and and more paranoid and in fact, have more enemies and and lash out it right and and use the means that we are all horrified by it. I think most people accept his deepest fans, are horrified by you know, sir bullying, on twitter and yelling about nor extremism, and you know, and and acting in general, in a manner that is ill ill befits the leader of the free world, but that will be his freedom Yahoo. That the odd thing is that, as I know, said, the last pot gasoline the system war is bisbees. Work king, in the sense that you know flints out, served, presses reporting on things. It, however, hesitant the congresses to invest aimed as their republicans they're going to investigate
Russia Matter and, as you know, the system is working, and so he will be constrained and what will he will not be constrained about are the way. This is the way he speaks and the way he talks about things in the way he aggressors against people who upset him. You are describing it post on commentary magazine dot com which have written for us called, don't test the coup theory. I believe we're ok, so the coup right. So why not? What I'm saying this is a slightly different manner, but so do don't test. The coup theory thing is that suddenly people earn their eyes or widened with the hope of impeachment and removal write that down the Russia thing is that you were going to prove that Russia Trump
colluded with Russia to win the election and end. And the arrow has these ties to Russia. They lied about, and you know it was effectively a russian foreign and that's it that he's going down in this impeachment removal, and they got to be very careful for the sake of this country, because only to people that impeached no one's ever known to presence of impeach no one's ever been rule from office, Nixon resigned ahead of impeachment. They would surely have led to his removal the an elite war on Trump. With Trump still commanding most of the support of the Republican Party there somehow pushes the political system into a confrontation with impeachment could lead to real social unrest and the United States for the first time since what I would describe as since the nineteenth sixties, like
demonstrations and counter demonstrations in which there is via in which there are exchanges of violence between the two sides, Noah prefer, quickly saw this written about it, both on the blog the magazine about how the one of the features of twenty fifteen entwined sixteen was this notion that trumps rallies were uniquely violent and he did in fact say he wanted people to be protesters up at which was terrible, but tat. The other half of this that is ill does is little discussed, is that there is with jet, were genuine efforts at provocation to provoke rioting in our by by leftist agitators, who wished to create the conditions, particularly in Chicago, at a rally that was cancelled for an actual riot, for which tromp could then be blamed, and if you that was a precis too
If this is if this is a real thing and and there was no smoking gun and trumps own support doesn't collapse, you know we'll efforts to impeach. Him could lead to very, very deleterious social rs, there's an anecdote and that peace whose violence is it that we'd never really come to terms with. As a country, there was a demonstration by white nationalists in Sacramento that was countered by a quote. Unquote. Anti fascist group anti far is what they described themselves, as is becoming a very gives of ubiquitous term nowadays, because this group is generating a lot of publicity and getting a lot of people behind it, and this counter demonstration was violent and the demonstrators were violent and we had a knife fight in the streets of Sacramento between Fascists and communists. For real and that's a sort of thing, I think we just didn't want to talk,
about as a country, because it was so grotesque and Weimar Like- and this is where we are- would make a good musical, though with good or bad or a really bad. What I mean are not there yet, but we had. As you know that this was a moment it, it was a moment a heated moment in time. I'm just saying that, don't you know the don't be sure that when you hope for is what you get under these circumstances says let the system work. If you are the sort of person who believes that Trump should not make it through his first term in office because of everything that he is, and you know let the system work, let the press get up, let the leaks hit him, let let Republicans who do not, who who cover for him and then Ich
on that their covering for him face primary challenges and have to answer uncomfortable questions about it at me, right now, Jason Schaefer too, as the head of the House Oversight Committee, you know, has said pretty outrageous and shocking things about how he has no interest in investigating the federal government, because it's the governor it was own party, and you know he's a guy from Utah and new tie is of all the republican states may be the least trump be an incline deadly other than those a substantial minority population of of members of the churches. Cassowary saints, really don't like him and chief its went home and got you know, beaten about the face and neck at a town hall by people. Saying: ok, that's what you're saying so. What's your redline? What does this have to do to get you to to investigate him and then, like the next day, he wrote a letter saying Kelly and Conway needed to be investigated for her promotion of vodka.
Clothing line on television does the most innocuous of trumpets and offences over the course of the last couple of weeks, half a pound of most clear how the that's right, if it was open and shoddy good, really couldn't really I mean she said, go by divine buying it, a new should go by a vodka trumps goods. You know like a crazy person or like a corrupt personal like somebody who was just sucking up in the most creepy way, in my view, and by the way, probably no longer Kelly, his whole long time acquaintance of mine. I don't suppose, after what I just said, that acquaintanceship will be friendly in the future, but bet. You know such as such such is life in the rough and tumble world, Podcasting Abe alone and in the trunk age generally around. That's right I mean lions are fracturing and refractory fracturing and friendship, sir ending and marriages, and keep hearing about now
friend of mine who, as a doctor in New York, who works with a lot of these women that says, like she's, got four different marriages that are breaking up because of political differences in her practice. So that better that that her, that her plied say. I just can't talk to me. I can look at em, I can talk to him. Marriages are breaking up, friendships are breaking up. You know, riots in the end and and ban, and I mean who knows how long that marriage can last with a bright Bart their serving like Andorra Bewitched. It just constantly tried to stir up trouble, but also broom answers are forming for action.
The one between you and ran Paul. I s Wrath hall, praise we praise me this morning a morning Joe, and you know soon. Yes, soon ran Paul and I will start succumb together as two men sharing department without driving each other, crazy or driving each other crazy anyway. So This brings us to the end of another commentary. Pie aghast Commentary magazine dot com go, take a look, go, we know Robins essay whose violence is it. We just have our new issue up with some amazing essays and articles that we will be putting out on social media over the next course in the next couple of days. But you could read the whole thing just right there and give you some free reads and then asked me to subscribe again. One thousand nine hundred and ninety nine for Digital Subscription play mint in it.
Full access subscription, including our monthly magazine, have a great president stay weekend- will be back next week and will be saying things like hey remember four days ago. But we are talking about that. Fine, Bert guy. Whatever happened to him so for no Rossman in a green wild, I'm John ports keep the candle burning.
Transcript generated on 2020-02-26.