« Commentary Magazine Podcast

One Last Parting Insult

2020-12-23 | 🔗
Outgoing President Donald Trump issues two final insults to the American people on his way out the door by throwing a wrench into negotiations over a new COVID relief bill when the deal is already done and by pardoning three convicted former Republican officeholders. Also, Christine’s adventures in music, John and Abe’s take on film, and Noah’s abject dullness. Give a listen, and we’ll see you all in the new year.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Welcome to the Commentary Magazine Daily podcast today is Wednesday in December twenty. Third, twenty two this is our last podcast of the year will be back after the new year. I'm John Ports, the editor commentary magazine with me, as always associate editor nor Rossman. I know a guy senior, Christine Resin High Christine I got an executive editor Greenwell High Abe, I jump so guys. You know I had to determine that we weren't gonna play for tee with what we are really talking about Trump and the election, so weakened
but that's the one side, but the president came warring out last night after thee. everybody was pale themselves the back at having. Finally, he delivered corona virus relief to the suffering american people, Democrats and Republicans, everyone say: well, it's good. It's maybe by saying maybe it's only a first step or enough go back to the well, but you know were proud of having done this David Purdue, one of though the senators who is up for reelection in Georgia in January and the run off put out a whole tweed about how yes, he is gone and he has helped the people of Georgia with this wonderful package, I'm proud of, and then Trump comes out in this tape message. Ah last night it saying the package is a disaster, others no relief shouldn't be so.
Hundred dollars per family should be two thousand dollars per family, and nobody knows what this means, whether, he's going to veto the bill or not? It passed the bill with veto proof majority in both the House and the Senate, so he could having Denise one of the few presidents to leave office without having a video overturned. He could end his tenure having a veto overturned, but the other question would be whether this scares to the you know the bejesus out of out of Republicans, who, I'm happy to have sighted the first place and has them like fleet will run away from it. Although fifty or something Republicans voted against the bell, so that actually live express themselves in that way and, of course, now policy and Bernie Sanders and various other people going great. We want that money. We want two thousand out in a week. Can I don't know how the procedure works,
Apparently they can go into unanimous consent, and you know that Claire by unanimous consent that that there will be this addendum to the but without having to reopen the entire process we get unanimous, can tell how she gets unanimous consent of Sixty republic and voted against it in the first place. But it's a pretty good talking point right, so they're going a great the present too. If he wants it, where we're all for it. Ok What's going on. I have many thoughts on this other thoughts, so there Parliament Drawing and then we will go around I'm going to just briefly introduce one thought and then expand another. So there's some parliamentary maneuvering here that is available to the president, which would ensure that this thing just is held hostage permanently, said the legislator
wonder as such than ever. It is out of town and there's only so many days left in this Congress congresses. It will join and there's not enough time if the president just determines not to sign is the constitutional up timeframe in which he has to sign this thing, and he could just not sign it, which will constitute a coat pocket. Be though, so we could go into the next Congress and Congress with this. Conversely, have the opportunity to overturn a veto. If you just languish in there's also, I think that less than a week left on the calendar before continuing resolution to fund the government expires so that would also constitute a government shut down and we'd, have a government shut down into the holidays and perhaps into the next Congress the bigger the way is no joke. There's one important thing to be said here, which is this, is no joke. Because money, the necessary to distribute the corona virus, which has to be done which is being distributed by by the by the army had seen
why is this is already asked themselves, do not belong to distribute the purport of advice were that it doesn't its outfits. Yes, it's some its unspeakably reckless and hostile towards just about every decent sense of propriety that the president should have. It should go without saying that it needs to be said, but more I mean the democratic economic messaging here with a jumped on Donald trumps. You know the demand for a two thousand dollar check, and now everybody's outbidding, each other in the president was arises from this process, so he's getting a lot of like plaudits from populists and democrats- and everybody thing. You know this is great, but it's it's obviously political nest, kind of silly and it should be transparently sell you, the next time,
this is going to be more republican, then this Congress and I'm gonna get a better deal at the next Congress and the political class. It exposes a mile beyond the political class because they are women whenever anyone talk about this stuff, what gets for everybody jazzed in the written in among reporters and columnists is the checks, as the stimulus money is one sixth of the bill and it's the least important least urgent part of the bell. Nobody on political twitter relies on unemployment insurance. Nobody on political twitter is employed by an institution that can make payroll next month without a small business. Long, that's the stuff, It needs to pass a needed the past two months ago, but everybody's focused on the checks because they're the ones they're gonna get the Czechs do not gonna get to you. Why they're not gonna get the PPP and that's the stuff that needs to go out immediately and for the president to hold that sort of thing hostage and for Democrats too, to applaud it is contemptuous. Ok, I think, is really important.
to point out that the president had a negotiator in this negotiation. His treasury secretary has been negotiating this bill. The idea that he was not present for their negotiations are participating in the negotiations is infamy. He has no right to claim that he didn't have a seat at the table. He had a deluge It negotiator working on this and last week he apparently floated the idea that he should call for two thousand dollar checks and was talked out of it by his own staff so now. He has decided that he wants to go into it, so people have been negotiating for weeks and months in some cases, and we talk yesterday about who is to blame for the fact that it didn't happen for the election, and we put a lot of blame on Nancy Pelosi, but to walk into a negotiation at the twelfth our that he was a protest.
and then to change. The rules now finds out the negotiations. Now it's like. I that's not cricket right that it's really bad so he could do I don't care what's good or bad like this number is too low. I decide it's too low you're going to go back in and do this I don't care whether you're going home. I don't care if it's Christmas. This is for the american people. That's her sounds good. It's crazy. I mean if the number is going up. Three hundred structured is a structure in exactly the same way, so that an individual who makes seventy five thousand gets two thousand dollars. But what about a couple that makes a hundred and fifty do they get two thousand dollars? What about to dependence under the age of seventeen? You now get eight thousand dollars. The sort of thing doesn't make any sense. You have to go back to the drawing board. Everyone knows you can't a unanimous consent on this. You have to restructure. The whole arrangements were, and that will take us into the next year and of course, the cost of the bill goes with forget about the in the cost of the bill. Guarded two to one trillion again- and I thought he didn't want ability
You know it's like. I don't know what the hell is going on. I can I can. I know what the hell's going on public Christine can I can. I propose something, a little more simplistic, which is that doesn't schedule today says he's leaving the end of the day the afternoon to head down to Florida, presumably for the holiday he as you know, his all of his efforts with the Sydney, the crack and power to disrupt the election and argue in court have all failed spectacularly. He could have ended. Sitting around in the White House on Monday and Tuesday morning and thinking This is just terrible. I've gotta may I've gotta get back in the new cycle. I've gotta be frightened centre and honestly, I really don't think he feels like he was part of the negotiation because he's a narcissist and if he's not in the room heat, nothing is happening. It's like the tree that follows from the forest So it's very likely that each us on a whim which he we know he does things this way.
Besides hey, you know what I'm about to go down to my you know a state it for the holidays. I want to give the bare can people something I want to make them feel better and everybody else's is screwed up the system on gonna, get at them and take this message and is tainted and I'm gonna John. But while we were kind of preparing for the pot cast mentioned it analogy, which I think is brilliant its fatal attraction he's Glenn closer.
lucky, nor in the american people, are the bunny that spoiling on the stove. I mean look, look, let's put it this way. He becomes a deep twelve hours at the eleventh hour but the twelve hour to say I don't like what I'm seeing here and said this thing where he said something like you're. The next president is gonna have to go in and fix this, and that could be me, so he still, he still throwing out the he's playing in this field were half of it is like where you're not doing enough for the american people, and then half of it is some bizarre. continuing continuing ploy to suggest to his it to the idiots in his base, who still think that he has a chance of overturning the results of the election. That he's.
Illegal to overturn the results of the election here so or did you no Mo Brooks and Matt Gates and we go mad and the drooling the end or fall moron dips in his party, who are just you, know slavery after him like you know like hungry hyenas, you know cause he's gonna provide them with the with their next meal to give them some kind of meat to throw at the initiative to say that this is an over. Yet maybe this is the thing that he can leverage into getting the house to overturn the results of the election. Something like that. I am speaking in extraordinarily disrespectful terms. We talk before the Pike S about how disrespectful to be here, because I dont see- I don't you know, he's leaving,
If this is done, a bunch of good things he's helped Israel I'm. We know he appointed good judges and I would prefer to sort of like let this administration, and peacefully, but he is not allowing it to em peacefully and I I I don't think that looking at this Finally, there was a bipartisan negotiation that got something done in relation to something that is critically important, so that we don't double dip into a second vicious. session and he is stepping in because he wants attention now. Because of any other reason, if he wanted to Thousand dollar checks that could have been the firm position of the administration
three months ago and an he could out, he could have our cornered. He could have made Nancy Pelosi come to the table with a huge number. She could not have avoided, and he didn't do that, and so three months past and now at this moment, when it would be great just for the money to go out is no, I said, for him to step in and gum up. The works is not only unconscionable It is destructive, like it is literally destructive cause it's either gonna, be this or nothing. This collapses and its collapse, like there's gonna, be preposterous. Shenanigans go on the first week of January in the house and admire maybe in the Senate, with questions of contesting the electoral college. Acceptance of the electoral college results. A pro forma thing that should be here You know on six January,
So you know, that's gonna happen the first week, so basically, the entire american economy and the condition of small businesses in this country are being held hostage to Donald Brahms Insane inability to accept that his presidency has come to an end and entered nay. You know he can't stand not getting the last word so too, to whatever extent he he wanted the two thousand hours beforehand and was muzzle that's it. You know, as he perhaps use of its like when he has to read off the teleprompter, gets bored and then comes out the next day with a contradictory message that wasn't. You know that that was of that was different from what was on the on the teleprompter, but I mean I think he will be made aware of the damage this. This will do not only to the country but to to his his presidency at this late
stage and I don't think it's impossible to start seeing him zagging back from this, not only not impossible. I think it's the most likely outcome likely we shouldn't go to do their job food. We should also make this very simple point. Johnson is the number two person in the sun and the republican side. John soon said, if anybody he comes here, meaning Tommy Tommy tub reveal. I gather its friends Somerville not to prevent, even though it should be pronounced over them, you know comes here and tries to contest the elections in the Senate, like we're, gonna hunt them down like a dog because we need this to be over with and so he basically has said the John soon should now be primarily by Christie, no and the governor of his state, who then tweeted out and said, I'm not primarily John, we, by which I want the job right anyway,
aside from that like he now wants to hurt John soon, for you know harsh in his Melo on whether or not there should be a cut, can contested stuff in the Senate on his on his election, and so that's. Why he's doing this he's mad at Mitch, Mcconnell and John soon for you now basically saying we're done here. Ok had a month and we're done here and now like, oh yeah, well, I want two thousand dollars right vetoing you Billy jerk you now. This is why, if you want to come to me and say he likes to fight snap fighting, this is just being jerk. This is like it's my ball and go home from the playground, because you guys you're so mean you now I mean a it's. It's infantile and repulsive is what it is, and you know that's that's that there's no defence for it I mean if he came,
last night and said I have structured a day, here's what we're gonna do. I have this. My people have come up with a continuing, but our blah blah blah that we can handle Nancy closely, that they can but I'm unanimous consent that will do the Earl and somebody did. He just stood there and said I want two thousand dollars. You know in this bill is terrible that you ve been doing for the last few weeks, Does it he's been quietly and now? Obviously, an overtly trying to put Republicans and about position does trying to make them uncomfortable well in order to demonstrate your feet, your loyalties, where are your loyalty, labored me or with third out, though your covenant with a country? I think that you know his method of, of, observe governing or ruling or whatever, through fear and intimidation. He is trying to stretch into his post presidential periods, give him options right so that nobody attacks and tries to run against and were does stuff, like that
he's gonna, try to use his power over his followers to scare the crap out of John soon and maybe get a primary challenger and shall Johnson We have to spend money, so you better, not say anything negative about Trump in twenty twenty one, twenty two it took us a tweet against you and then only make trouble for you and all of that and that's an interesting thing about keeping his options open. The real question is what people take away from this liked is John soon scared or not does not nodded. He can now back off what he did, but Is this a workable way to deal with the party once he leaves office in diameter, its role as a fascinating question, because we actually dont have an example of a defeated press?
leaving by throwing his toys out of the Krim stopping off and then saying I'll be back. I mean very rarely does that happened in and Republican. The republican Party in particular, is pretty harsh on its losers, not hard, by publicly shaming them, but in the sense of you lost, be quiet, move on get off the stage, which is why Hillary Clinton behaviour was always so strange if you're, if you're a conservative- and you watched your post election like just get new laws, will move out of the way by the way her own party is doing a lot of post election flattering to make her feel better. With that generally, not how Americans feel after elections we wanted We move on The only thing I can think of is someone like a t, our type figure who then creates its own. You know Bull Moose party and then runs again on that ticket. I mean you and I don't see the Trump organization. Having that kind of political discipline, I mean it's the best thing that could happen. please, he leaves continues to threaten and nobody takes the threat seriously. When there's no power behind them anymore, look it's only help.
Twice in american history in the last time was tat result in in in nineteen twelve, which is a hundred and eight years ago, obviously see how did the math in my head. You guys should be really really impressive, as I didn't really badly on the math ass. I t anyway, but yeah honoured. I know a hundred eight years ago. He decided he didn't like how his successor as hand points December was doing things, and so he came in and basically brought in. You know someone who, but maybe in the worst present in american history, Woodrow Wilson by by splitting the vote between him and tat in nineteen, twelve and, of course, there's the exactly one s heart and sleep undine depths Oh you Jimmy Dabs, excuse me that's right and and then of course, Grover Cleveland who lost them. One again, you know had had to non consecutive terms in the presidency, both unsuccessful, so I
you out- and that was a hundred and thirty years ago, or some like that. So I can't even do the math their hundred twenty eight years ago. Whatever was- and these are good examples to follow right. So obviously everything is different. You can, but the fact that it has happened. The fact that it doesn't happen is a sign that it is he he's of our highly unusual figure but like, as is almost unprecedented, where they may be trying to do and you know, obviously the ruling parties is not the republican Party that it was it's not the old republican Party. It's no norm breaking party, it's not it's, not a conventional stayed party. It's a party of you know with it with a revolutionary context to it that it didn't have before, and so that's, where he's that's? Where he's playing, but I
yeah. It's there's not a great history of this and, of course, the danger of him threatening food and other people with this thing is that if in twenty twenty two, the threats prove hollow He will be testing his power and showing that you no longer has it. I mean that's why you don't necessarily wanna play this confrontational game now Saint John soon should be primarily defeated, because of Johnson Winds and twenty twenty two that it's like our trump doesn't have it anymore. You know he's a cop he's a cock he's he's a eunuch. I just wonder about the extent to which the last six to eight weeks- have overshadowed alot of his legacy in office. He's he's made himself into the such a menace, but an impotent menace that it will be difficult to escape
that shadow and right now he's tearing down the barrel of leaving office and trying to accomplish as much do as much damage as he can on the way out and just the sort of tantrum, and that we will have repercussions political repercussions if the legacy of that effort is to delay the distribution of the vaccine to usher in it. will they procession? I mean that sort of thing haunts you and people are gonna, be around him saying this is what's gonna happen and it's gonna to be your fault in everybody's can have trouble. Saying no- and I see her shaking your head and saying what areas only gonna care about is, for example, has his rough base we might, then you really might, but I got he's been talked out of them. A fork or I'm I'm only shaking my head, not because I don't. I don't accept your analysis, but because that with this that the task, the thing that the next four years is going to test is what is it that people who liked Trump liked about TAT
and this is a very interesting question. It seems to me, because people like Trump, we could say that there were things we liked about Trump. We like the policy on the Middle EAST we liked and pulling out IRAN deal. We like the judges, the tax had seemed to have had a positive consequence. The economy was in good time regulatory agenda was in good shape and all of that, but the people really like trunk may not give a crap about any of that. What they liked was the tweets. What they liked was the confrontation. What they liked was the ugliness, but they liked was what they like is what's goin on since the election they like that, and so, if that's really where the intensity of his support from then your analysis of of his legacy here, legacy will be exactly what the people who are there in solid thirty five percent who want him under all circumstances, let's say want to have seen a book
what do you think I mean in terms of overshadowing? You know his his legacy that that's kind of the story of the entirety of his presidency is that whatever he's done, that is Salutary, has always been overshadowed every step of the way by by the destructive and reckless way he's conducted them I'm honored utter know that that's new. I think that's already the case that it's your tempted to say you, get a fair shape, but it is fair. Certainly won't get a fair shake. It's that. It's that the assessment of how what he's been, how he's behaved, what he is dungeon Shrub things will always be folded into any reckoning of what he's done policy one, and it's already mixed in there from the start. You know
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Terry Podcast? Ok, so we we have now talk through the bill and the threat to veto the bill. With you. If there is evidence even threaten me that the bill, and now we can talk some about the pardons in committee. patients. So there's screaming and yelling at hollering about the partisan computations at least two of the pardons and calm are totally justified and merited. Largely a few been reading the pieces that Eli Lake has been writing for four commentary, including the latest guilty and framed frame them guilty. when at which is it. I can't even remember driving me crazy, framed and gale frame guilty. Excuse me that this doesn't deal with the two. These two figures with George Poppet opulence, and I'm sorry,
I'm looking for the name of the other gentlemen, so minor a figure Alex Manders, one who I think that they be they both got like fourteen days in jail for making false statements, the federal affair. Neither of them did anything wrong. They were not they. In fact, George Papadopoulos, if anything was, was abused by by a transparently wrong and disingenuous FBI investigator, who invested investigatory process and those pardon are totally justified in the widest night, but I think we should stipulate that line lying to federal investigators is a crime and it's crime for reason. Yet it is but go, look and see what George that you know, but believe me you can you can claim that summit he pledged to that, so they could get a scalp. Ok, that's why
They did it, so they could put him on their list like boy under under under normal prosecutors. Discretion rules, nobody would have sought to seek a conviction of him on those grounds on there and for the lie that he, supposedly than for support? You was anyway, it's ridiculous and that that partners is is is justified. There are three pardons that are horrifying beyond belief. They are of three members of Congress, trompe members of Congress Duncan Hunter Steve Stockman and dug Collins, all of whom committed financial crimes and whom he pardon, because they were slavishly loyal to him. Ah Collins's in his in jails within geologists till this morning, conspiring to commit serious fraud stockman
serving a ten year sentence for it. For me, wandering and- and Hunter, who, literally in another money laundering skin tried to throw his own wife under the boss by claiming that she was the one wouldn't engaged in the scheme. I mean talk about appalling, like they were- that the day did absolutely nothing to merit or justify being pardoned. I mean, maybe they could have had their senses, commuted made. I don't know why, but they could have, but he fully pardon them because, of course they voted for him. They voted the way that he wanted them to vote
when one, while improving that for all of his claims to be an outsider. Who does things differently he's exactly like every other presented as bad pardons of cronies at the end of his term? Including did the same thing. I mean it's, it's it's terrible it, but it shows that he's actually does know how to play at least this part of the power game. Washington. It's it's also a long term message seriously to its an interesting long term. Message which is Yes, I will, if you, if you are slavishly devoted to me- and I come back into office and twenty twenty five you do what I want. You go embezzle all pardon you like. Don't don't you worry I'll? Take care of you like that is the implicit message here: you're gonna be as long as you in Gaza. As you bend the me and do what I want. I will take care of you and that's any, which is bad. Hurry pad your. If you're done enough to believe that
actually ever men drain. The swamp I mean that's. This is on you. This is the somebody who has always been very comfortable with corruption. Who simply wants to wield it towards his own ends and who doesn't seem have any compunction about the people who were lawbreakers in and law violators because I don't think he has a lot of respect for the law. I don't get a lot of respect for any institution, frankly, Rennie Convention, that which advances his own purposes and the p who were loyal to him in those purposes, are apparent and I think there is probably a fair amount of the people within his coalition
who knew what he meant by drain, the swap, which was never about being above board and morally righteous. It was about revenge, was about getting what's theirs and stick in it to the people who really deserve it. Yeah they dont do if you were a drain. The swamp person you're not troubled by this at all. Now this is not just this doesn't violate. You know we're you're, you're sincerest hopes for the for the from presidency. Slowly, ok guys so- we can now we can pull back from the air from the condemnations and everything and talk a little about other interesting political things. I'm not sure, but those are, but I mean there is. There is of course, the collapse of the israeli government and the coming forth election in two years, with very little hope on the part of anybody,
really wants baby Netanyahu to be ousted from office that he will in fact be ousted from office at when this that, when this election is actually staged in February or March part because they are vaccinating at an incredibly rapid clip in Israel Day Baby Netanyahu was an early corona hawk case. Everybody thinks that you know the politics of America are precisely track. The politics of Israel baby was the Andrew Cuomo of of Israel and the liberals and left worth worthy worthy. We need to get back to work and you know he's a fascist and doing all this stuff, so he was very, very nervous about the virus and negotiated with Pfizer early
they're gonna and got a lot of vaccine bottle out of vaccine and people are getting vaccinated and so and they only there ain't. No, people there. So it's not necessarily it's not the same challenges there that it is here obviously, and so by the time the election everybody might be vaccinated and almost everybody might be back soon. then the end, and so there Might be serve a new era of good feeling that he handled this well and got them out of it fast he's. Also, you know riding high this this moment of all these incredible Abraham accords dividends, paying off and- and I think that The the olive flight to Morocco happened yesterday or is it happening today? Do normalizing Europe, where relations left and right itself, yeah he's.
that's kind of amazing anyway. This is not his doing. This is all the result of a collapse of his partner, his partner than the blue and White Party, which has run by a a buffoon men penny Gansu, is maybe a country famous for its incredibly ineffectual and stupid. Politicians may really have taken the cake this time for Complicated but basically found himself cornered in a trap and and M M didn't know how to handle this, and basically the police party is now destroyed. I doubt that it's gonna be reconstituted in time to run in the in the next election anyway, in his political career is basically over it. It appear so once again be you know, has out played outfoxed him and out outdistanced everybody. Let me
I also wanted to mention one thing: our contributor Ruth Weiss, who has a pretty amazing peace, coming up on our February issue, which can't read yet about the family of Incoming Secretary of state Tony Blinkin, our friends at mosaic thee. The online magazine, published by the Tick Provand, published her unabridged translation of one of the great ah stories language, my quarrel with Hirsch, rush Aigner by high am Grata. Last week, the first real add up the first fully unabridged version of the story, which was actually initially published in unabridged version in it commentary in the early nineteenth fifties anyway, tonight, Wednesday December, twenty third at seven p m.
On mosaics website. There will be a staged reading of the quarrel, my quarrel thirty by go to find you the url most magazine, dot com to sign up to. here the story read to participate in a really fun, unusual event being done by the Tipp Refund, live reading up of us of this great jewish classic story, and please by means, give it a shot. So that's mosaic magazine that come tonight, Wednesday, seven thirty, so guys. What else should we talk,
We got work where we were here. We are. We got that twelve days we're gonna Bourgogne we're goin we're going dark for twelve days while everybody gets to take a bit of a break. I'd see, don't don't have your soon. I doubt, soon as safely. In its case, under my bed, I threatened but you can you? Can you tell me because this is very instructive to me? The story of you and your sister, who is a professional musician and why tired of the double the double red instruments that usually played causes anyone who has ever played or come near a double red instrument understands it at a certain point. You have to make your own reeds and the red meat. In challenge, it's actually a kind of craftsmanship that so it's so abstruse requires all kinds of weird tools that are difficult to find an expensive and it's very personal. But it's it's it's a weirdly stressful part of being.
BB player I always hated making my job. I had an extremely generous teacher, who would let me buy his kind of cast off reads that he didn't like my little sister would like it either. Honestly, though, It was the professional musician for a long time. In a lot of it was the challenge of of deal with an arts organization that it's kind of like higher education, a whole lot of administrative blow that gobbled up a lot of them. And musicians themselves were hustling constantly and felt unappreciated, not not by their audience, whom they loved, but by the people who were tasked with running the orchestra which they perform. So there is low that that, in as many musicians also tell you She can't walk through a ball, and here the Nutcracker plague without country who have taken the extreme reaction is the big money maker, so the pots concerts and did not cracker Christmas cards spirits. She did tireless But the truth is she just? She has a lawyers mind and she found her waited that a little late and she loves her new profession, but
So basically, what you're saying is that double replay ears like they? If, if you have to do it, it would be like a pianist who has to tune his or her piano before every concert, or a violinist who s the Riis string her own via the earth. Little trust you gotta make like ten reads: to have one: that's really good and performance worthy and then that maybe will last you a couple of performances if you're lucky and then you and you gotta, constantly be keeping the steady stream of you, you know it reads in production and some people love it actually love that part of being a double replied, the making of the region and what not. But you have to love that if you're gonna be a professional double red player, because you can't you can't the machine maybe exist, are impossible to use a mean I stopped using them in high school. When I play they were so bad. So it's inasmuch as it's like painting. It's like when you read about painters before the modern era. Of course, you know they couldn't go to
Benjamin more and by pain we actually had to. They were chemists. They had to actually formulate and make their own paint using flowers. And you know, rocks, and this year there was no there how you got the car, how Rembrandt got the colors that he wanted, that they didn't from a store you there was no store, and so this weird combination of artisan are, as re, an art which has been completely separated in our time. We now because the because the artists can buy the raw materials that are rob at all, also completely finished, and here we have this kind of like regression to it almost with evil, You know you, you have to like. No, these incredible skills just to be able to execute the stuff that we think of as the as the art you known in some ways. Maybe arguably it's more
press of what they were able to do to constitute the materials that they used include, stretching their canvasses, making their canvasses getting their canvasses. All that stuff to align the unique quality of the art comes from the fact that so much that cannot be replicated every every double replay remembers. That perfect read. I mean I remember playing a concert being like it will never be this good again right and then it's God is just its femoral. So just like Rembrandt's particular tinge of green you're, not gonna, see that again it can't exists pre moving now, because it so stressful to make reads as so stressful that people stop playing double real instruments. Maybe those people could use head. Space was ever occurred to you, daily dose of mindful is in the form of guided meditations in an easy, is app heads base. The only want one of the only meditation apps advancing the field of my fullest meditation, through clinically validated research, so whatever the situation had, space really can make you,
feel better overwhelmed. That's bases its remit, it s less meditation, for you need some help falling asleep heads because wine down sessions are members whereby, and for parents had space even as morning meditations you can do with your kids. Its approach to mindfulness can reduce stress and brutally boost focus, increase your of all sense of well being backed by twenty five publish studies on its benefits. Six hundred thousand five star views and over sixty million downloads head space makes it easy for you to build a life ending meditation practice with mindfulness works for you on your schedule, anytime anywhere. You deserve to feel happier and head space meditation made simple: go to head space, dot, com, Slash commentary: that's has based outcomes, left commentary for a free one month's trial, with access to head spaces, full library, meditations, reverie situation. This is the best deal offered right now had two heads may start comes less commentary today, Abe you been watching a lot of stuff. You watch loudest.
let's face it, I sure do you? Do you much gimme, some giving some unusual you? You watch unusual stuff, artsy unusual stuff. Can you get me like one or two interesting unusual things that people might want to look for during this period ha interests are right on this point. We are that's ok, boy. I get out of recommend something: it's not that arts, your unusual she's, good. Ok, that is the beaches documentary on HBO. Ok, it's it's wonderful! I'm a huge beaches fan there there? You know tremendous songwriting and singing talent from way before their disco euro when they were back when they were doing, should be duly pop songs in the late sixties and and seventies There are also an interesting group because they are brothers and
like all family brought groups or pop groups there's all sorts of weird tensions and alliances and break up and get backs bread, and you know we will come back to me and all the rest of it and bury give strikes me as particularly interesting and kind of decent guy for a massive star. You know, through four years ago I was twice watch twice. This documentary called. I think it's called a hit.
the eagles. But it's about the Eagles, obviously to part documentary, and you may like the eagles around like the eagles, though you ultimate California Rock band. But this thing was absolutely jawdropping, this document, because it it it. It told the story these guys who they came to hate each other in a way that few people hate other people in the midst of do sing this music that a one of their you know, I think their greatest heads out. They have to grasp at one of them maybe the best selling album of all time. It's either the best selling or the second best selling album of all time, and so they were making and godly amounts of money. Worshiped people love them all of this and they couldn't stand each other and there's this footage in it. There's like us there's a moment when there's some document Harriet was filming.
Backstage and Glenn fry in somebody like they start saying, like I'm a bit about you and me, I you come near me, go and come on, come on, come on like while they're playing there like they're. Like doing you, know the riff from the middle of hotel, California, and they are basically three each other with with physical violence, and you could see it there are they mean to, and so that that is cut of staggering stuff at yesterday, Peter Jackson and the Director of Lord of the rings, and all that came out with five minutes of footage, is apparently found he's gotten fifty six hours of footage of the Beatles that has never been, then, before that he has carving into a documentary, that's gonna be released in the summer, a lot of it footage from like the last sessions that they did it Apple studios when they were
and when you go was there and Linda was there, and there were a lot attentions and stuff, but they were very, but it was all very plate. They were still very playful and fun with each other and like trying to the the footage it uses of them doing get back the song get back, and so it's it's some. Obviously that's gonna be a fantastic thing to watch when it when it comes out cause. He of course also made this amazing. They shall not grow old documentary, the one where he updated footage from those from World war, one and nineteen seventeen of you know of men in the trenches and served made it so that you could see them in a way you could never see them before, which is an amazing peace work. No. What are you were? What are you looking forward to over the next ten twelve days? That's not political! That's a very good question. I'm I'm an M short term mode right.
oh. What focusing on them in on the next skyward agreeing hours, which involve ungodly amounts of work and planning and foresight and preparation and timing. The time of everything that has to unfold, have believed that Africa. Yet if you re not talking about staging like a mass murderer like it, that can be liked very important. Like first I've made a metaphor, there are Jews, and then I have to lay the yeah. So it's it's the Christmas extravaganza we host and that involves meal planning and meal preparation and Neil buying and alcohol buying, and the coordinating of what has to be
captain when- and my mother get all this. My mother is an amazing cook and amazing planner, who created out this multi day extravaganza until it's a big thing to live up to, and I do attempt to live up to it. So it involves preparation and up and up new planning for the last week. I've been doing there and it begins today to prep all the other stuff. I dont have a Sou chef, which would be lovely people the stuff I have to peel about five thousand potatoes and two hundred carrots, and then I have to do all that none of the other. stop. There has to be prepared ahead of time. Fridge rate it and ultimately women's. If it all goes right, then you can have a pretty relaxing Christmas and destroy everything in the oven and create this in a miraculous meal, but it definitely involves two days worth of work. I want bore you with everything involved here. Let me just say one thing:
and his learning to cook and when, when I'm, I forced Noah to always send me pictures of the like the elaborate stuff is made in here, like this role model to my teenage sundays like oh and they'll, be able to meet Beef Wellington like that. So you see your illegal public service, wouldn't do while you're peeling potatoes or listening to music. Are you are you watching? You know you watching the fifth season of anti. I asked what about you. God now. He also. Usually I listen to the radio really old radio cause, I'm a very old person like ten years ago, stuff that when I was in talk radio that I used to listen to and really enjoyed in solemn, you tube. So it's just like go back to it. My way over here, like listening your listening to like rush Limbaugh from two thousand Lord no now, mostly like a comedy hot talk, comedy radio open Then he shows eyes too well in turn, for their shown, I'm still a big fan and of most of the?
media and so on- that children are dead to demonstrate just how old, I am but the never list, it's some it's satisfying and then occasionally I'll go back to like the stuff that I watch on the treadmill, like curb your enthusiasm, like old stuff that I've already seen before. So I don't have to go to my focus to it. If I have to actually watch it, then I can't do doing so it's it's invariably something that I'm not that interested in, but just keeps your mind entertained, while you're doing this Monday in putting task I'm so got an extraordinarily boring. I apologise for being after nine p M I concerned that boring. I consider that euro mundane household tasks and ten year old, entertaining products. This is how I keep my son, busy and also watching a lot of comedy these days for a variety of reasons on, but that's a sort of thing than that, I'm focused on well look Noah! We! This is important because it makes you happy and I'm concerned
because you know for a lot of people. There are things interfering with their happiness or preventing them from achieving their goals and better help can assess them to assess their needs and match them with their own licence. Professional therapist. You can start communicating in under forty eight hours, not a crisis? Why not self help professional counts done securely online with abroad- change of expertise available that may not be locally available in many areas. Service available for clients worldwide. Login to your account any time and send a message to your counselor, we'll get timely and thoughtful responses. Plus you can schedule weekly videophone sessions. Better help is committed to facilitating great therapeutic matches, so they make it easy and free to change councillors if needed. It's more affordable than traditional offline counselling and financial aid is available. Better help wants you to start living a happier life today,
Is it better help dot com, slash commentary? That's better! Eighty LP enjoyed the over one million people will have taken charge of their mental health with the help of an experience, professional in fact, so many people have been using better help that they are recruiting additional councillors and fifty states special offer for commentary. Podcast listeners get ten percent off your first month at better help, dot com, slash commentary, so I like junk, I tend not to like to watch really good stuff on small screens, causes I can't really sink into its, so I prefer more to graze words like streaming stuff on his computer or something like that So what I say? I think I mean stuff that isn't gonna challenging, are emotionally gripping or anything like that. So, like
I like the man, the warrior. Am I really like the man Delorean, I'm. I have hated most star wars products since the empire strikes back. This is the first successful star wars product. Therefore it forty years as far as I can tell, as you know, for those who don't like or aren't that interested in science fiction, It's really a western I'm its literally the story, about a guy alone. Gunman who follows a very severe code protecting, while child against marauders in a hostile landscape and the landscape changes every episode as as he travels, you know, from planet planet, but basically these are all western towns, some version variant of above a western dusty western town outposts. Somewhere we go out in the galaxy far our way and it is really spectacularly good. So I really do recommend that too.
Listeners who might otherwise. Thank God. I want to watch that that seem stupid or something like that. It really is it, and also the episodes are like thirty minutes long. It's so great want something where the episodes or thirty minutes, long and and- and I don't have that distended quality- that a lot of these streaming shows have, where They really only have like thirty minutes of content, but their hour there, our long show, so they stretch them to forty eight minutes and you get so in credit. The board of I will take one story before I go so as reading this book about game a thrones and what people really loved about game of thrones and, of course, of its seven seasons, often worthy ease.
Serve out of nowhere dialogue, scenes where the characters were just or sit, kick back and start talking about politics or how the world is constitute our stuff, like that, in a turns out that this was born of necessity, that when they shot the first episode of the first two episodes of of game thrones and they had the boughs and they did that that the episodes were way too short, there were two short like take the content that they had written up, and
and ended up being like thirty, four thirty, five. Thirty seven minutes, and they were too short for the hour slot that HBO had given them and they needed to pad them out with dialogue. And so they stumbled into this signature quality of the show, which is like you'd, Odette Tyrian. You know the dwarf cut of expostulating on the politics of of the seven kingdoms or something like that all because they intended to be a fantasy action series, but they didn't have enough money to have an hour's worth of action which is very expensive to film, and so this was as is often the case with a great works of popular art, entirely accidental found brilliance. That was a solution to a problem that was found on the fly. You know it's like me my favorite sir, which is that data
Casablanca, as you may know, which they do not have to answer the phone for endings and then they serve they set up. It lets pick this one's the greatest ending of any movie. Ever probably, it was very close to the case that Casablanca was going to start Ronald Reagan in an Sheridan that that they were so like the alternates and if they hadn't If the deal's had been made to get Humphrey, Bogart and and inward Bergmann, it would appear Ronald Reagan in an Sheridan, and we never would ever have known that the movie Casablanca ever even existed. So the happenstance that can lead to the creation of great popular it is a very bad the interesting thing, and one of the reasons that it's not art in the conventional sense of we're talking back as it's, not that is acknowledged, sing a unified
Singular vision of an artist in recreating the world for us, but still something incredibly pleasing and wonderful anyway. So thank you guys for listening this year to our podcast. I hope that we have brought you some. You know, comfort, peace, entertainment, you know we did go to five days a week, beginning in March when the pandemic head- and it's been immensely helpful to us to keep us connected while we're in in four separate places and- and you guys seem to like it, so we continue doing it and I'm I'm I'm very good. For so grateful, in fact that I do not I'm grateful to your listening, but I also would like to make the last It's not only that you should go to commentary magazine dot com and subscribe, which you should causa partially, if you support
to the magazine into our website. You are subscribing to the podcast cast helping defray our expenses in the end that, regarding helping to support us but also I we are non profit. Five hundred and one c three, if you go to commentary magazine, dot com and you look just below the Big Commentary- logo with the top you'll see donate commentary com, donut country magazine dot com on eight is the website, and we, if you are doing end of year giving I really would be profoundly grateful if you would consider us among those that you don't. I too, as the year comes to a close, we are very dependent, upon our elements canary nonprofit givers, to continue doing what we do and it would be the greatest presently could receive. If, if you would, if you would consider doing that, for us a commentary magazine dot com, slapped,
donate. So with that, for those of you who celebrate Christmas very merry Christmas for those of you celebrated Hanukkah, I hope you got good presence and for everyone, a very, very high, the new year as we bring a blessing close to this terrible year with hopes for only good things in the years in the year that follows, sell for aid Christine now John ports keep the camel.
Transcript generated on 2020-12-23.