Welcome to the Commentary magazine podcast for today August twenty second, twenty nineteen. I am no arrive. Many associated with her commentary magazine dot com with me, as always senior editor, a brick wall. I know not with me but hearings it is Christine Rosen Christine in and John Burt is still out. He will be back

is on Monday, so the President of the United States has been busy. He has been driving the news cycle and saying a lot of stuff that are of deep in compelling interest to our audience, and it would be extremely unfair not to give jump out hors. A bite at the apple, so we are going to postpone that conversation until Monday. That tease you all got a tune back in on Monday. In the meantime, there's plenty of other stuff for us to get to and talk about. Of course, we wanted to get

briefly into what we feel like some of the twenty twenty themes that are just sore floating under the rate are the sort of stuff that we thought would be of much more importance to not just to the general election voters, but primary voters, specially activist Wing Democratic Republic, in primary voters that just have seems to soar her fizzle over the course of this new cycle and Christine. You saw something interesting along these lines in access to the correct. Yes, this is electronic Hammond has agreed. Fourpiece about how the supposed me to election that were supposed to have in twenty twenty isn't is fizzling. So eighteen, you know a lot of a lot of the end. About the Me Metoo movement did bring out more female voters. Female candidates, but we're not were certainly not seeing that with the democratic presidential Mary contenders. Carson Gillibrand, obviously, is the one who has made Being a woman and being a mother,

a centerpiece of her election campaign. However, she also has the dramatic baggage of being the first person to CHE Al Franken out of the Senate, so whats interesting to me is that there have been plenty of steady elegant. There was a rate other rape allegation against President Trump by a journalist. There have been plenty of moments that could have been potentially galvanizing to bring me to to the forefront again, and it has it I mean one theory I have is that the Jeffrey ST in stuff has kind of er passed a lot of the Metoo things, because people are now very much focusing on that and again. This is about elite, wealthy people being able to protect themselves from the consequences of their criminal behavior, so there are similar themes and its you this one celebrities as well, and so I wonder if that hasn't pulled of some people's attention away. Me too, but I it's kind of fascinating how little

The hearing about these me too, about the me to movement in the context of the upcoming elections. You know- and it also could be that amid they do first revelations of me to movement and and all the accusations and then the high profile Thisthat, that explosive cascade eventually had to sort of. Wind down and we met you there. There was such an explosion of names and and and incidents that did they this, like. Maybe they to flushed out this sort of the grand all all this are big ticker most of the big ticket you know kind of offenders, and now there is a there is like just simply kind of news lol comparatively and the interesting thing about Gillibrand is because He wedded herself to that issue and

it is a dog thats, not barking when she tied about it with its, it seems so wooden and forced and I'm sort of stiff, because it see it's no longer exactly where things are she's, just a bad actor theres. That too really really bad at being a genuine person. There is also mean they're sort of a real bigness around the Epstein stuff that wasn't present in a lot of the contrived way. The meat to movement went from being a real effort to flush out these abusers were being protected by the institutions that were allowing them to be

the people in their midst and the smallness that it was used as a political weapon by people like just Angela Brain who, who was trying to display some intellectual honesty. By going after a frank and in the way she did, albeit pretty late in the game. But that's resented now by by Democrats, others sort of its very difficult to maintain us any sort of intellectual honesty there and then there's and obviously the brick Havana effort to to impute him, which was a complete contrivance Senate, total up pull up will display political opportunism that has just disappeared now that he is no longer a vital target, but a contrast with the real bigness of the Epstein case which is a societal malady. I mean it involves so many prominent people in positions of authority and sort of dovetails with the

scandal involving the women's gymnastics team were. There was institutionalized factories of of abusing young girls. That is a real issue and who knows how many more out there and the scope of that and the amount of people who are implicated in that is perhaps a little bit daunting and because it defies its so big that it can't be really used for immediate political gain by any one tribe or the other that it just simply becomes background litigation. Well, I think it that I think that's exactly right and I think it does take years of both an investigative work and and legal prosecution to really make sure that the people who should be brought to justice are, and I and whats interesting, and, by contrast, is that were seeing now more debates about men who accused to movement. You know, celebrities like a season. Sorry journalists, like Mr Corn, trying to me come back

even those debates about the possibilities of comebacks are much more muted than the original clamor the charges and I think that speaks to what you were, but you both saying, which is that some This was policy Fourteen on behalf of of women, Who really work suffering like the victims of Harvey Weinstein shouldnt shouldn't be compared to someone who went on a bad day with disease im? Sorry, and yet they were, and I we're seeing this replayed on a smaller scale. With this question of what what happened to these men, who were accused of lesser infraction who want to return to either the public spot later to their professions. I think perhaps also, I think I e, some of the Meto momentum life this energy in terms of the the primary to the extent that the sort of accusations against Biden not really accusations, but the framing of bidens past behavior began

I think such a such a clear, overstretch overreach to so many people that I think they did, the movement obviously deserve. Is there yeah? I mean if he supping, the general election nominee. It will do democrats no favors to conflate his behavior as unseemly as it might be, with what the president is alleged to have done negation youre, going to want to maintain some some moral authority there oh yeah, I guess it serves even sorted dial that back while in the glare I'm sure what it when it. Oh, I haven't read Alexis peace. What it did she swore to speculate on? What a me to election would have like no not at all, I mean in some ways what it the thought it prompted

when I, when I read it was actually it's a good thing, if you're a female politician that you don't have to run on so called women's issues right, I mean if you're kind of a classical liberal feminists than every issue is always a women's issue, because we're all individuals who have put opinion so from my perspective. It's a good thing that it that particularly the women don't feel like they have to get a pic women's issues to run on, because that's that's limiting mean they're they'd rather talk about Medicare for all fine so, and that since its it's, it's good for our political culture that women female candidates for president don't feel like they have to constantly talk about reproductive rights for, but she didn't come to much conclusion about what an actual me to election would look like. I assume there would.

A fair amount of finger pointing out the debate staged, rather that's been occurring with regard to race, but not with regard to sex. Yet I so elsewhere in them and the political landscape more, you would think you would have heard from democratic candidates going into this year a lot more, as we said in the break and Christine, as you mentioned, a lot more about Donald Trump and the extent to which he, his scandalous behaviour merits some action on the part of Congress, be it in impeachment agree or what have you, but that has sort of died down to, as perhaps in this just a dynamic of a primary election, where the focus on Inter Party disputes that the there has been very little talk of impeachment or employments further or even the Mahler probe, which by no means was scope, exculpatory

for this president but Didn'T- I guess, consign him him to ignore me- league, being the Kremlin with the Kremlin. But you don't hear much about that either. Maybe that will change when we get around the actual general election. I think probably will, but I mean it's just I guess. What are you going to do? How we were going to attack Congress and we've seen a little bit about that. But how are you going to go after Nancy? Go after Nancy Pelosi so makes sense, and its also think again an issue of of timing in that Muller really fizzled as the democratic primary was getting off the ground and that really tick A lot of wind from their sails and now in terms of the impeachment talk

I mean we hear a lot about how out damning the MOLO report is, but actions speak louder than words right and you just simply havent seen anybody. Everybody has pivoted away from that as to the least as far as the democratic candidates got the pivoted away from the pretty significantly, and also you know just we an you sort of if you're running against Trump. You need him in there. You know he have to Agothey gotta, keep him in people's minds as the problem whose staying unless, unless you, unless they they they call upon You get rid of and thats why you could make the case I mean again,

is probably a general auction stuff, but you could make the emoluments case. For example, you can make the corruption case. It can certainly make the comportment kids youve seen some of that, but maybe you morethe general electron pristine. I was just going to say that you know August is the August recess, for members of Congress is typically when they are supposed to go back to their districts and you listen to their constituents and thats. Why ill be curious to see when they will get back after the recess? What their constituents have been saying? Maybe enough of them have been saying a version of what what you are suggesting Abe. Where you know, let's just beat him. Let us beat him at the polls because we probably can his is. You know, there's potentially a recession coming his favourable are really really low. There there's not a clear path. Victory for him right now, so how it's better? for the system and for the man can people if we, if you know if he's defeated in the way that we always take people out of office, which is at the ballot and

You know along these lines and I think this is probably a little overblown, but the exit of Washington, Governor Janes leave from the race who is in Galicia, Kansas running on radical environmentalism suggested to some analysts that radical environmentalism is doesn't pull the weight that you might have thought it would have if you leave your whole life on twitter and and and exists in this, you know of fishbowl with people who are radical, progressive environmentalist for whom this is

single issue. I think that perhaps a little overblown, but not totally- and there is a grain of truth there you do still have people like toms- are who is also a radical environmentalist running a single issue campaign for this presidency, who is currently buying his way into Iowa. He is just not campaigning anywhere, but is spending a ridiculous amount of money on the air in the early primary states and is steadily climbing into the mid to high single digits in these areas. So you can imagine that hell make is way into the debate stage at a certain point and then will nudge the than that direction. Similarly, Bernie Sanders today came out with a sixteen trillion dollar green new deal plan. That is not, I guess he actually did some math on the back of them. Below for a spreadsheet and came up with sixteen trillion dollar money doesn't seem to really be much of a concrete concept for Bernie Sanders. Just

It just exists in the ether and it doesn't really matter where it comes from, but yeah so I mean people are paying. The service to it, but that the lack of Yesterday's alone suggests that this issue just doesn't carry the weight that people with would have thought it would have. If few monitor the progressive dialogue you don't. I think that Environmental Climate change as an issue is perpetually kind of the dog, doesn't bark or or barks, but it doesn't bite. Let's say because it is It is the thing that everyone cares about, and no one really cares about when we they care about it in the abstract tremendously, and whenever you get down to a for your own behavior What your role might be in any in any subsequent ledges legislation did the to address it. It it all. It runs out of gas like there's. Also, I think for it

For example, the average American who doesn't want to pollute the globe and care. Is it like? You said in the abstract, about making the environment is is better they're willing to do a certain amount of Nigro in Florida. Along the Gulf of Mexico when it was pretty polluted and there were a lot of problems with it its much better now than when I, Kean in part? That was through a lot of cleanup effort. Son of the kind of environmental policies that take decades to come to fruition Do cost some money but balance that the regulation against the need to make sure that there sure still opportunity business owners and what not it worked that work, but I think what what it comes down to for lot of people nowadays, as you know, they go to a restaurant and theyre trying to have her mother paper straw and suddenly the reality of the movement becomes. You please need to change your base,

while the rest of US jet around and go to conferences talking about the importance of climate change. So I do wonder if there is not a little bit of understandable, populist style revolt among the average citizen who Isn't it a running around polluting like bad cares about this issue, but but there's not a lot of concrete things. Individuals can do to change this problem and that's something that the climate change, extremists failed stand which is you know these problems are vast, their global. There, cooperation by by countries that are unlikely to make changes to the way they do their do business, and yet it's you know, Americans who are supposed to feel bad for for drinking out of plastic straws, and I think that people are a little fed up with the Demonios tone of some of the debate at least a lot of people. I know and talk to I mean we attain to my kids and one of my sons to you has been raised. Hearing the kind of typical environmental messages through his public school system, which are fine fairly innocuous. So

a bag of plastic straws and like immediately proclaim that we had to bite and because we can't find them anymore, so we did, we bought them. I'm sorry, we will make sure no turtles are killed in the use of those draws. Yet, though, I agree you actual crease completely and think I think pollution is Jason, but slightly different issue than when I was thinking about, because no one wants to live in pollution pollution is real and immediate, and you and you to experience it and you are bird to act right there on the spot. I and I think that the problem with the climate change urgency argument is that individuals, walk around at least not in this country, feeling experiencing feeling hot the way they say it. You know it. I don't want to live in filth, so it's and so there is no connection to make with that paper other than that, it's it's. Your just being gum serve limit

and it feel silly. I mean Christina a really valid point that doesn't get addressed enough by anybody in this debate, which is that if you're you five or older- and you remember a time in this country when it was just gross yeah, you couldn't The air, in LOS Angeles, when you couldn't swim in the Hudson River, but Those things are no longer true em in the amount of remediation that has been done in this country. Over the last half century is spectacular and where its, where the problem is, is in the developing industrialized countries, a cup, the Bric countries, countries we might have used to call places with mixed economies and we'll have a mixed kind of any more but have a scant substantial amount of less civil society and much more government directing industrial development and thats, where you see rapid industrial growth, d, prioritizing the environment and actively harming the environment, because often

Two things conflict right and you don't really see a lot. I you do talk that the environmental like talk about it and they say yeah farm policy and climate change as a foreign policy issue, and I say so. Why are you talking about foreign policy or we are talking about climate change, but no one ever talks about foreign policy when it comes to climate change has just we have to lead the world in lead by example, and everything's legislative and has very little to do with actual of international agreements and of people pay lip service to, for example, the Paris the courts which were entirely voluntary and toothless, and the only people who are living up to the standards they set for themselves were us. We, by the way, I think we still continue to I'm not sure, having checked on that's deadened about two years, but we used yet mean I think, come. I think we were doing better than other Paris Court countries right, because the driver of environmental protection is per capita income in you know in a craft

to say it is that you get the environment that you pay for. If you a relatively poor country, and the government is directing industrial growth and prioritizing growth. Then you dont have them the cash to the There is no civil society to demand from the bottom up environment. Remediation, which is pretty much how it happened in the in the western world, which has the better the vastly environmental standards, because their richer countries, people demand of what wealthier societies demand that standard of living and so eventual you know. If you're. If that's your objectives to clean up the environment, then you should be prioritizing income growth, individual income, growth right, yes, right, sent forth. So all this is gonna leading us to answer

twenty five race has been relatively predictable in a lot of ways, and you had some polls coming out recently about the twenty twenty democratic field and its pretty static ie for all. Talk about how Elizabeth Warren is searching. Re no, not I mean she's gained some traction pretty significantly over the last three

State sustained growth, but is pretty much leveled out shes about where burning sanders is, and Joe Biden continues to be the prohibit of favorite last five polls, with the exception of economists, you go which does not count toward debates because they have different tholos and theyre very friendly towards warn CNN political morning. Consult Fox news that Hell Harris all have Joe Biden in the high thirties are high, twenties, low thirties and Sanders and Warren bringing tie for second, essentially in the mid teens, and then the rest of the field is kind of an afterthought. Harris's collapsed. So that's pretty much where the race has been for the last several months with Harris's. Surge and then collapse, suggesting that we have a mean as pretty static and what? If this, is it? What if it's just a really boring primary? And this is where we a for all of autumn, and we get into February and Joe by

who is still leading in Iowa and all the polls wins in Iowa this New Hampshire and thats it, the primary is over. Election starts in early march. I mean it would be horrible for the commentary class commentary community, but would make for probably a better general election if we didn't start it around the conventions and actually had in full year general election. Yes, because that that will certainly not, be boring Think the answer to what, if this is it, is that we will you to see sort, semi manufactured little moments for novelty candidates and and The second stringers who put good showing here and there, but its going to be a kind of less sort of gender

I imagine, sort of challenge that starly veiled desire among the objective press court to see Elizabeth Warren win. This nomination will move from quiet, subtle doc use to outright anger. So I have a theory. I have a theory about why the kind of liberal mainstream media want to see is with orand when this, even though it doesn't look like can and its because shes sort of the perfect amalgamation of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton right. So she would be a woman. So it's like how we messed that up less time. Let's get let's get the woman in there so that you can have a real chance again and but she's more to the left and Hillary was she's a lot she's more of an activist, so you get kind of but she's old. So she's, not like scary young, squad activate she's like more like a grandma activist, but with with some and bigger left, so I think, that's kind of why they they love her, even though the public is still a

The thing is, you guys are clearly clearly downplaying Marian Williamson's powers in the universe is powers to elevate Williams right by the way Priscilla thing gets: that's dead on and brilliant about Elizabeth Warrant, like it's a way of almost inclosure, omby, Amby Bernie Hilary ratified right, but that the problem there now is that, in order to make that happen, they have to knife burning, rightness. George, you gotta get burned. I am, but I mean how can you do that if you're the mean, if this is the mirror image of the, would you would you really? Why did they talked they? Everyone in this business talks themselves into circles, so everybody has talked themselves into the belief that they're not competing for the same voters. They totally different sets of voters, but that doesn't even make sense, theyre all primary voters right, I mean just yeah just from that conception. This is the same pool of primary voters. Right short, but at the same

and yet they are both the progressive candidates in the re. So at them so well they are competing for different them, demographics and away. They are competing for the same voters and Bernie Sanders voters in every polluting the has second choices. They really don't have second choices, their Bernier bus types, which makes sense because he's not really Mc Grath to begin with right, but I think it but outside of that, I think there is in its clear that their competing for the same boat as because they're they're competing for All these Democrats out there who say look I don't really care who it is. I just want to be Trump. I don't love this when Levon another, whoever it is in the vote them to be traps. They are literally competing for the same for the same yeah. So that's actually interesting because that's become much more explicit Jill Biden Kinda got into a little bit of heat when she said. Listen. You know, I know you guys might have different choices about candidates in my favorite, this policy or over the other one, but in the end of the day you've got to support Joe, because you can win. I mean that's really saying the subtext out loud

and for people who are in this business, who used to campaigning and poetry and having to decipher the meaning of what people are saying getting at being round about without trying to be socratic with voters and get them to come to your conclusion in a round about way I mean that sounds a tone and it was called a GAF, but I don't think it's a gap. I think, is the synthetase. Well I mean you know, sort of the level of theater. The primary is all about what its about race really right and it's about America's you know racial history and about in not without outside of policy. Yeah yeah, yeah methane say it's postbut, that is not

it rather absolution in that's right? That's what they culture work right, you yeah right exactly and then, but then I think the m she sort of you know Joe binds were to give voice to what perhaps it's really about which is getting some good defeat. All right, yeah yeah, that's the mechanics of it! when you can't do anything without getting dropped, but then you know responding to that now. Cory Booker is saying the subtext out loud see was in the. I forget. Where was the other day, but he said you know we can't go for a safe candidate. You can't you can't just vote, safe, which seems to me like a really terrible message. I mean why would even let's, let's assume that you could actually win, then why would what what voter would vote for you and then, on the assumption that you're, an unsteady huh and on the till right, but I have we- have the whale who had in office right now. We don't need another one playing. It is such a,

in an implicit concession to Biden, claim of being the steady hand, trade you now using knowledge of all shore. Ok, how can we get right? Let it I'd which was far right, blue aright, so obviously the democratic primaries. Is not really boring per se, but it's possible that the outcome is predetermined. We may not have that. Do, but we also have a little bit of turn on the republican side which will get to in one second. But I wanted to talk to you briefly about Express VPN, wouldn't when it be nice.

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Mark. Sanford has been talked about and we may be getting a primary challenge and I'm sure what it could consist of, but getting a primary challenge from former congressman and radio host Joe Walsh. According to reporting in some mainstream media ATLAS, Washington, Post New York Times, Walsh, is not only actively looking at the bed. He is probably go in and out something up to as soon as this weekend, even trot was very popular among Republicans. Eighty percent. Ninety percent, depending on the Poli look at and the party is fully aligned against him and this states are making it as difficult as possible to have a primary election and twenty twenty on the republican side. So this obviously goes to not that he's not going to be. The nominees is not going to settle down trumps chances of being necessarily that damage

by a primary process. If the party can help it, they are going to protect this president, but is is an interesting development. I think in part, because of the world Joe Walsh comes out of he sort of restyled himself, all Aponte, my Lola get hot air calls. Him woke Joe Walsh now he's he's very attuned to to racial sent, nativity and gender sensitivity- and that is the primary attacks that he mounts against Donald Trump, including also some really old, familiar conservative values that are destined to become conservative values again, namely the frustration that he has with Donald trumps tendency towards fiscal profligacy and the fact that he doesn't talk at all about the incoming entitlement crisis. The unfunded liability,

crisis that is scheduled to hit us some time in the late twenty twenties early twenty thirty's. So he does have an issue set that could resonate with some Republicans. Any comes out of the conservative talk media top radio world, which is obviously where Donald Trump came out of and where the the Republican, the Republican you know heart is the head, isn't really in Washington in the airwaves. So I mean what are we make of? It says it? Does it just doomed to blow up in the launch pad doing to expect there to be some some effort again to two to make this a thing, because I mean from Microsoft. It would be nice at least to hear Republicans again talk about deficits and debt and that's that sort. Then we haven't heard anybody talk about really in four years, and you started to see some rumblings now, among Republicans, were telling reporters you know down Trump going to get to deficit reduction and debt reduction in his second term, which seems just hysterical

but you know it would be at the very least nice. I don't expect them. So here's. Where would matter it will matter if he generates enough traction. If this even happens, if you generates enough traction to force Donald Trump to engage with him on his terms, how likely do we think that's going to be? you know, I think they're. It's not entirely unlikely, because one of the things that wealth has going for him. Besides the fact that we should note that it says everything about the craziness of our political times that the former Tea Party guy is like the voice of reason. As a potential primary challenger, but he he initially he kind of gave his half hearted support to drum at twenty sixteen, so he can't be branded and never trumper. He came out with this. You know your. Times of that not long ago calling trump a racial arsonist and really speaking in Trump. Type language about the President's approach to race and about the president's approach. Dad treatment of women

and that that actually speaks to a lot of Republicans who are sitting quietly shaking their heads at Trump's behavior, but still care about conservative values. Right I mean he could look forced Truman Tripledouble to ignor him, and you know, make some new nickname for him and try to marginalize him. But it's it's a very good thing to have someone coming at Trump from the right, even if it just roughs him up a little bit because right now all we have is you know the through Wanna be weld you no kind of staring out all might have for as well the right right. I everybody ever gets about that. That's about legal, needs another Walsh is combative, Welsh has you tea party principles and he he has an audience. So, even if he just gives him a hard time, that's good for the country, that's good for Republicans. It might allow some people to come back out in.

Think about how comportment behavior racism sexism should still matter to people who have conservative values. Look, I think, no matter how relatively minute the effort proved remember. There is no fight too small for trunk, We will get trumped, no matter what its a good point, yeah and as in trouble will respond. Will overreact no matter what right, so that could make it bigger? and right absolutely right. He could help elevate his I mean home challenges hurt there, No primary challenge that doesn't hurt and the data is that the primary challenge that is effective comes at you from the margins on your side of the aisle so every primary challenge in the Post war era has come at the sitting, president from either their left or their right, depending on their political.

Antigua and well. None of them are successful and unseating an income at present and obviously, which is too high a bar. All of them had were perceived to have contributed to their damage, ultimately, in the general election, the extent that they suffered any so I mean it's not like Joe off isn't coming at Donald Trump from his right, but least what we used to define as the right, which would be a fiscal conservatism and sort of these libertarian values live and let live values I mean that's. That is as though he status quo Ante republicanism. So but it's you know it's it's to the left, to the extent that its now believe that

if you'd challenged Trump you're, you're you're, giving oxygen and yours seeding ground to the level. That was my next point. Is that no matter that sorry was one of the recent none I mean since you ve set a better than I did, because I didn't say it all that this. If it does hurt Donald Trump, then it will be perceived as a gift Democrats and even if it doesn't hurt now I'll, be perceived as a gift to Democrats and obviously there will attack Joe Walsh on those lines. So does that mute? The effectiveness of this primary challenge is that just the sort of thing met, beltway types in on your talkers lightwood with would make up a big deal out of, but doesn't really register with

well, I think long term, for the soul of the Republican Party to even exists in four years. It we'd we Unita Challenger, just so that that the people who really dont like trumpet, also dont, want to vote for a Democrat. They can write it Joe walls, they can write mean that their that there has some option that is assigned by voters who dont want to re elect Trump, even if they vote for the first time. I think that's a good thing for the republican parties future whatever that may be, even if it doesn't, even if it means that, in a day, while sitting called, is going to be blamed for handing an election to a Democrat honestly, I think there are enough people who are concerned about Trump, as the president that that might be an appealing alternative

I mean I I like jewels personally, but I mean it's not like use Mitt Romney right. As far as you know, his his personal behaviour has been in the past. These admitted to and in poligized for some of his conduct, the got him in some some trouble, but I mean it's not like where we have this shining example of unimpeachable moral authority up against dumb trump. Rather, the contrast, there is also a little muted, so we're not its Alec. We're not going to talk about what the president said entirely on this pod cast we? We are going to get into the biggest controversy of August, which is our desire for territorial expansion and acquisition of new land so that our people can Rome free. It's simple, really as it is the man manifest destiny that we will assume control over Greenland at some point in the near future. It is become

quickly becoming a litmus test on the right. Where are you on the down the acquisition of Greenland? Should it be purchased, or should we simply invade and enacts a? What would it where you standing on this one? I am perfectly fine without Greenland, but, but I also think that it is actually not a crazy idea, but it sound so immediately and overtly comical that we saw sort of all couldn't help ourselves and it into this enormous, like you, know, comic Marion on social media and everywhere else- and I think that FED this- that this sort of, like I don't know the tension that that sort of lead to the bee contretemps with with Denmark of it, then of course Trump handled horribly. Yes, oh here's. The timeline this was reported. The Greenland stuff was reported that Trump had been talking about for the better part of a year.

Were more talking about the prospects of purchasing Greenland, it was really a thought bubble, but not entirely because he did direct some people to get on this sort of thing. We recently learned that this was before the National Security Council that there was some real talks about this, but it wasn't a firm. Policy plan or a national priority, its definitely not part of Americas Grand strategy, so it was just sort of existing therein yet came out and everybody had sort of a cute moment of levity. A rare moment of bipartisan levitin around those things. It has since become an actual real thing, not because it is a thing, but because people were laughing about it. So then, now down from Sort of joking on Twitter about it and in appropriating Johns men in posting means of

casinos in Greenland and then it got kind of cute and then the people it is a danish territory, and the Prime Minister of Denmark was asked about this and said basically in out of greens, not for sale, but you know were open for business and the trump goes after her in this press conference yesterday and calls her and as woman and now appears to be very deeply offended that well I thought you said something harsher than that, though I thought you said it's ridiculous. I want discuss it or something oh yeah, Israel's right? Okay, so she went after yes, so she was asked about a second time. I don't remember what her exact was, but I don't think it was nasty nor I would if they're there was something along along those lines out that Greenland isn't isn't danish, it's greenlandic I, like these people, have their own territorial sovereignty and their own control over their own destiny. So don't you think that its pi, that. Some

US assistant or or confidant of trumps after after the initial Greenland remark was made in it was mocking it. We start with this year, that you know four William Seward, he he bought Alaska from Russia, the nineteenth century of on call it Seward's folly, but look at a great idea that was in the long run I mean you could see someone or even trump himself, convincing himself that his ego d then over reaction was in fact in some sort of grand, as you mentioned, Manifest destiny strategy to accede to expand. The United States is reach and the fact that he had to make it personal and calls once again we're gonna now be seeing nasty women make history, t, shirts and bumper stickers everywhere, just ass. He had opened his mouth again, which is annoying. I do think it shows his strange mano, maniacal way of thinking about his role as

president and about how he makes policy is so reactionary and so driven by his thin skinned response to normal. Events as an executive that It is amazing to me that he actually didn't launch into a discussion of trump casinos in and great liniment. Just it's it's baffling Eight Notjust say I is very bad for this particular president to make a speculative dubious speculative land acquisition with other peoples, money exactly thats, just sort of style, but it has become real international incident. I mean we get as silly as this is. There is cancelled, canceled a visit offer from Queen Margaret a second to visit. Denmark

ostensibly over this, although Mega Herman, the New York Times says that this visit hes canceled visits before but to other places a lot. He doesnt really like traveling, first of all and second, but its very unlikely that this is the reason why this visit was canceled. So I take her expertise in hand, but the stated ostensible reason from the president himself is the Greenland thing. So you can't simply dismiss it off hand, and now we have an actual reduced more tensions. If not, you know reduced relations. Between the United States and NATO ally in Denmark, that's not good, and it's over nothing thought bubble. With his visit, there has been a lot of semi frightening nous cycles over thought bubbles in the past two years. Well and meanwhile, what's going on with this Russia Nuclear accident, I mean that's the other thing in the news that should be much more worrisome from a geopolitical perspective, the lack of information. Again, I was watching the HBO Chernobyl,

mini series, so I'm probably more on edge about this. The people who havent seemed method, but that's not so I mean I'd rather hear some from the White House speak thoughtfully about that than about Greenland I think I'm gonna run about the gesture. The only thing the President saying about Russia's lobbying on Putin's behalf to re enter the remove industrialized nations injury, seven, which would begin become the G8 which Moscow was expelled from after its invasion and an accession of sovereign european territory in Ukraine. The president just doesn't seem to care and its does not alone, and we do. You have a lot of staunch NATO allies who are resistant to this notion, but european institutions, like the Council of Europe, is voted to restore Russia's voting rights

was stripped from it after these are creating actions, and we were just sort of losing the women vigour that we had an after this after this assault on international norms to enforce the prescriptions on on Russia that that followed it and it's, you can only see this inviting more wars of conquest. But also using the fact that the russian explosion isnt A bigger news on the left and among Democrats also goes to show that there Russia obsession really is limited to Trump an environmental session, thats right, thats, right yeah, I must

gone under the radar for the concerned to the doesnt a lot of concrete data to point to, unfortunately, her mom being stations were turned off for quite some time and its all speculate. The only speculation that ive seen is that maybe this was a nuclear power cruise missile that went wrong or something on those lines. So speaking out a turn here, because im not sure one hundred percent what the speculation is, but why on earth would you put a nuclear engine in a cruise missile is going to blow up but thats the whole point of it right. This is the blow up tenaya, I think thats our headline, if I dont want to get into that, we were going to talk about something im going to blog about did I saw I don't. I was going to steal christian thoughts because she's much more depth at the issue that I'm going to talk about, but that would just make her Christine's blog, and I don't want it to be christened this blog for myself

the elephant in the room we're going to get to it on Monday. I promise and John Podhoretz will be back in the captain's chair and he will leave the discussion and you guys don't want to miss but sign for now for jump boards in absentia, Northman Aerin! all Christine Rosen. This has been the commentary magazine podcast to keep the candle burning.