Title: DeProgram Show with Ted Ra
Show: DeProgram Show with Ted Rall and Jamarl Thomas
Date: 2025-07-25
URL: https://youtu.be/RypVxybJzHo
Duration: 84:00

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[00:02] [Music] Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us.

[00:33] You're watching DProgram with me, Ted R, editorial cartoonist, CIA whistleblower, John Kuryaku over there. I'm pointing the wrong way because on my >> You're right. Yeah, that was right. >> He's backwards. Nice to see you, John. >> Ted, kudos on that music. >> Oh, well, I wish I could take credit for it. >> I enjoyed it. I I I picked it from uh hopefully we don't get into any copyright problems, but these are that's YouTube's officially sanctioned copyright feel free to use it music, so it should be aok. Okay. Uh you know,

[01:06] >> as uh someone who uh >> good stuff >> is uh is is always into uh intellectual property. I make my living on it. Uh I'm very respectful of other people's copyright. >> Um John, we have a lot to talk about, so we should probably dive right in. We France uh as we talked about and we anticipated has decided to uh formally recognize Palestine as an independent state, exchange ambassadors, the whole thing. We're get into we're going to get into that and all the political ramifications. Uh we've got to talk about the uh Democrats who are uh

[01:38] raising the alarm about the masked ICE agents in their unmarked vehicles. Um they're going to try to see if they can conduct some oversight from the minority side of the aisle. I'm not sure if they're going to get anywhere with that. >> Good luck. >> Gain Maxwell's lawyer says she didn't take the fifth on anything. Uh that she answered every question um flesomely and wholly and uh honestly um she seems to be jonesing for a pardon, but like the cartoon of the fat lady raiding the refrigerator, she might be

[02:10] looking for love in all the wrong places here. Um Trump uh he wants to basically signed an executive order uh making it illegal to be homeless. >> Yeah. >> How do you like that? >> It's Well, I I wish he could make all sorts of things illegal. I you know, I'm already I'm already working on a cartoon about this. Um you know, he can do an executive order for everything. Um anyway, so uh we will talk about the ramifications of that. So, let's get into it. Um, French President Emanuel

[02:41] Mcron um had a conference next scheduled for next week that was supposed to be concerning the Israel Palestine crisis. Uh, and it basically fell apart. and it looks like he decided to um sort of take it to turn um a lemon into lemonade and basically pull the trigger on something that he's been toying with for a long time which is to join the ranks of the many countries like uh Spain um Ireland,

[03:12] Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, many others and most of the world that have already formally recognized um the uh the pal the Republic of Palestine. Um, I've been arguing, John, with my friends that this is a big deal and huge. >> We're going to look back and say this was a turning point for the people of Palestine that uh it's hard to really uh overstate. >> Um the you know and I think that comes down to the fact that France used to be

[03:44] until very recently was the most important diplomatic country. All diplomats had to learn be fluent in French. French, >> which other no matter what country they were from Franca until maybe the 1920s or 30s, you weren't really considered an educated American if you weren't fluent in French. >> That's right. >> And so it's like now my friend Scott Stantis says, well was is the key word. >> And it's a point, you know, he's he he it's true that maybe but I don't think France can be ignored. I think much of

[04:15] the world when it comes to diplomacy is going to be looking to France. I think so too. And among European countries and especially European Union countries, France is a major leader along with the Germans. >> The Germans have thrown their lot in with the Israelis. The French are showing real leadership here. I think you're right, Ted, that we're going to look back on this decision as a turning point. It's one thing for the Irish to recognize Palestine, which they did back

[04:47] in February, I think it was. All that did was piss off the Israelis. But but it it threw a bone to the Palestinians that was really worth its weight and gold. We we expected that to happen because the Irish have been oppressed, you know, throughout their history. France though, I mean, France is one of the historic uh colonial powers in the Middle East. Uh that's why they speak French in in Syria and and Lebanon, for

[05:18] example. >> Right. >> But for the French to go out on a on a limb like this and say enough is enough. We're recognizing the state of Palestine, which you're correct in pointing out uh includes an exchange of ambassadors and presumably French diplomatic support at the United Nations. Remember, France has a Security Council veto, >> right? I wish they could veto the American vetos. >> I wish they could too. This is huge. It really is. The question now is who's next,

[05:49] >> right? That is the question, right? Luxembourg um and Italy, >> Portugal all seem to be lining up. >> Yes. >> Um there will be others. >> There will >> and yeah, they're permanent. And you know, they're a G7 country. They're the only uh I guess uh well, Russia and China are on the G7. Well, no, they were >> No, they were >> they were um but yes, the only G7 country, so it's the only permanent member of the security council. Yeah. France is a colossus here. Yeah. and um

[06:19] a major power in the Middle East. Um yeah, I don't think you can overstate this and you know um you know it's probably the most important move of Macron's presidency. >> Agreed. That and his recent lawsuit against Candace Owens, although we can talk about that later. Now, I do want to take note of Benj I mean, not surprisingly, Benjamin Netanyahu was displeased by this move, but um the way that he expressed his displeasure on X was particularly interesting. He

[06:50] deplored the fact that uh France was recognizing a a Palestinian state right next to Tel Aviv. >> Well, the Palestinian state was always going to be right next to Um, so unless he knows something about the laws of physics or he's engaged in ethnic ethnic cleansing, >> ethnic cleansing because they want this state talking about >> Yeah. They want this state to be either on an Indonesian island or in in a a

[07:21] piece of Albania that would be lpped off. >> Right. >> That's exactly what he's what he's alluding to. >> Yeah. He doesn't want it there. Yeah. I mean, and he didn't say, you know, I mean, if he was a temperate uh person and leading a a normal government instead of a gangster regime over there in Israel, he would have said something along that goes more like, you know, of course, we would be the first to recognize a lawful uh dulyeleed democratic republic of Palestine and we

[07:52] would be proud to work hand in hand to help rebuild as neighbors and friends. We just can't possibly work with Hamas who've attacked us without provocation. That's what you would hope he would have said. But there's no pretense here, right? We don't. Now, he didn't say recognize a terrorist state, recognize a Hamas state, to recognize a Palestinian state right next to Tel Aviv. Oh my god. You know, I remember when I was a kid watching an episode of uh 60

[08:24] Minutes in which it was like Azer Viceman, who who was the defense minister at the time, was showing the 60 Minutes crew from a helicopter um historical Israel, right, without the West Bank. And at the narrowest point, it's nine miles across from from the line of the West Bank to the Mediterranean Sea. Nine miles. and he says, "You know, we can't live with that. They can cut off the nine miles and just choke us and it would be the end of Israel. So, we have to have the

[08:56] West Bank." And even as a teenager, I was like, "Are you guys out of your minds? >> They want lean stra." >> Yes. Yes. >> I mean, it's so much. It's amazing how much they sound like the Germans. I mean, it really is. I mean, >> yeah. You know, it's kind of like, you know, I've had pro-Zionist friends criticize me for that and making that comparison. I'm like, well, if the jack boot fits, wear it. You know, I mean, >> Hans Eli makes a good comment here, Ted. We should probably address it,

[09:26] especially the the last sentence there. The world isn't always going to prop up Israel. And I think that's what we're seeing the beginning of right now. These are the first cracks, right? the first cracks in global or at least western support for Israel. You're right, the United States will try. The United States is going to be the last country to support an independent Palestine, the last one. >> But this is the beginning of it. And and like Ted said at the very beginning of the show, I I don't think we can

[09:58] overestimate the importance here. >> Yeah, I think I I think uh Hans Eli is right. I think you're right. Um, and you know, in terms of the I I agree with Hans's question here, the first part of it as well, isn't the Israelis unwillingness to go along with the two-state solution and trying to go for the whole shmear? >> Yeah. >> They're unwilling to have any kind of state solution. >> Yeah. No, they don't want they they like they like the current state of affairs. >> They do. >> And uh they and yeah, it will lead to a one-state Palestinian solution. Um, you

[10:30] know, Israel was I mean, it's funny. Israel, I would say, I I've often thought was like a uh an outdated, obsolete solution to a non-existent problem. Now, uh but maybe it made sense in 1948. I actually don't think it made sense in 1948. I mean, in 1948, you know, the the Brits were withdrawing from the Raj from India, the most important colony they had. That's right. And within 20 years pretty much every major European power was out of Africa

[11:01] or on their way out of Africa. Um and so I mean basically the colonial experiment that this really was I mean this really is the goes back to 1920 and the and it goes back before but it goes really as a colonial experiment to the Balffor declaration of 1920 which was a British colonial adventure at the peak of colonialism but by the time it got done colonialism was out of fashion and was and done >> and like and here we are. It's the last. I mean, you could argue that Puerto Rico

[11:32] is a colony or or or Guam, but I mean, this is the last settler colonialist experiment. Puerto Rico is not a a settler colonial experiment. It's the locals who live there. We just govern them. >> That's not saying it's right or wrong. >> Yeah. Right. Right. And actually, even even the Puerto Ricans are split. You know, a third a third a third. Uh, a third want to be a state, a third want to be an independent country, and a third want to leave things just the way they are. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I did, and I'm glad Lulu

[12:02] brought this up because I was about to mention it also, which is that Israel is the last country to support apartheid era South Africa. >> Yes, >> man. They, you know, they know how to pick them. It's like apartheid era South Africa and we're going to be their last friends. I mean, yeah, we are going to be their last friends. It's going to be sooner rather than later. Um, it's going to be really hard uh to for each European country to domestically the the the domestic unpopularity of the state of Israel is just going to blow away. John, I got to ask you about these

[12:32] horrific photos that have surfaced in the last 48 hours of of tiny children um who have become tinier due to famine who have been reduced to skeletons. It reminded me of the famous footage from Ethiopia during the famine half a century ago when I was a kid. Um, Somalia, places like that. Um, you know, I mean, so in those sit I mean, you could argue that all famines are man-made. Irish potato famine, um, etc. But this is the most man-made famine

[13:03] outside of the of the Warsaw ghetto that we've seen in a long time. I mean, five miles away from all where this these people are where surgeons are are collapsing because they themselves are starving to death and BBC journalists are starving to death and dying. Um, now people are, you know, eating couscous and and hummus and >> Yeah. >> and drinking, you know, sweet red wine. >> That's right. >> This is I mean, there's plenty of food. There's no shortage of food. >> I said that earlier today in an

[13:34] interview. There's there's plenty of food. We see these pictures of children starving to death. We're seeing reports of surgeons in the middle of performing surgery, passing out and fainting from a lack of food. There's plenty of food. >> The Israelis just won't allow the food in. And when they do allow the food in and people mob the distribution centers, the Israelis then just open fire on the crowds, which they've done at least three times in the last two or three weeks. >> Oh, more more. It's almost every day,

[14:05] John. I mean, sickening >> and and it's like and so I mean, so you know, >> well, let me interrupt you for a second. Here's a good here's a good point. I was talking about this for with a friend of mine, Brillard Definit, sorry, I don't speak French. What about the Egyptians? The Egyptians are under real pressure today to open the border. They have said that they're not opening the border under any circumstances. they open the border, they will be complicit with the ethnic cleansing. >> Exactly. >> Iraq in a hard place.

[14:36] >> They are. Do you just let people starve or do you jump in on the side of the Israelis in cleansing Gaza? >> [ __ ] Israelis. That's what they that they did this on purpose. >> Yeah, they did. >> And and the and the and the Egyptians aren't stupid. That's why they built that burm over a year ago. >> That's right. something like they're worried that the Israelis will throw open the border and then you know they won't be able to to resist their troops aren't going to aren't are not going to want to and will not shoot two million people. >> For the last couple of years I've

[15:07] donated money to a Palestinian medical relief organization. Not a not a lot of money. If I have an extra 50 bucks, I send it in. And um and I got a an automated email from them um telling people to stop donating because there are no hospitals in Gaza now, >> right? There's nothing to donate to. >> There's nothing to donate to. >> Yeah. This reminds me a lot of um so like from 1996 to 2001 when the Taliban were running Afghanistan the first time

[15:39] they um there were there were Clinton administration trade sanctions against the Taliban in Afghanistan. But they always said no no no no it's not medical supplies or food. We don't prohibit that at all. And when I was there the first time in 2000 and I visited a hospital um and the doctors and I found this to be true at other hospitals too. They were like, "We haven't seen a band-aid since the early 90s." Um, and it's like nothing. Nothing at all. It's like it's field medicine. They It's basically like you're outside

[16:09] >> a mash unit, >> but you're inside. Yeah. That's That's it. You have a roof that may or may not leak. That's That's what you've got. It's a It's a nice tent, basically. Um >> Oh my god. >> So So, but John, about these pictures, um, you know, I think you and I are about, you know, we're experienced. We've seen a lot of [ __ ] We have many of us here who are watching and reading have too. But these these pictures landed hard with me in a surprising way and you know pictures thousand words all

[16:42] that. It could really I mean I I get the impression this is going to >> things >> it makes a difference. I think Mcron saw those photos and was like this is it done. He was already on the way and I think that's and I think that's it. I mean, it's just like no one wants no one cares anymore but October 7th, you know, but the Holocaust. No one cares anymore. It's like you're out of you guys are out of excuses. You have to stop. >> Ted, um

[17:13] I have a friend, we've been friends for 20 years, and he posted on Facebook. He he's not just Zionist, he's a dual USIsraeli national. And uh he posted on Facebook yesterday, this happened in the last 24 hours. Roads Greece, Israelis blocked from from uh coming off a cruise ship, Cedos, Greece, Israelis targeted by angry

[17:43] Greeks, Cyprus, Israelis had tomatoes thrown at them. And it was like 10 things. >> The gossins would love to have some tomatoes. >> I took a picture of a child starving to death in her mother's arms, nothing but skin and and bone. And he blocked me. >> That's what we're up against here. Yeah. >> Yeah. Well, >> yeah. They don't care if children are starving to death. They don't care. >> They don't. And you know what's funny?

[18:14] getting back that I'm still haunted by that Brett Stevens column from a couple of days ago. >> Yeah. Day before yesterday. >> And and you know in there he talked about like well you know yes there some people who say it's a genocide point to the genocidal comments that were made by his highranking Israeli officials in the days after October 7th. But they were just being inmperate. They were being spicy. They were just angry about October 7th. Okay. So if that had if that were true and that was not the

[18:44] official policy of the Israeli government, which we know it is because all the journalists have reported that it is. But let's just say that, you know, we're going to pretend here that Brett Stevens is telling the truth. >> Yeah. >> Those people would have been fired. >> Yes. >> You know, if President Kiryaku of Israel doesn't let those people stay on like, what are you doing? That's not what that's not who we are. Please leave. Leave your ID at the door. That's just not I mean that's I mean that's left them in there. >> And remember we're talking at uh we're

[19:16] talking about Smootrich and uh Ben Gavir. >> They were successfully prosecuted for felony hate crimes against Palestinians years before ever becoming >> ministers in the Netanyahu government. These are very bad people. >> They are very bad people and they should really be. I mean, honestly, um, people went to prison at Nerburgg for less. >> Yes, without a doubt. >> I mean, I mean, hell, one guy just he went to I think he killed him, right,

[19:47] Julius Striker? He just newspaper. >> Yes. >> You know, I mean, granted, it was a nasty piece of work, but it was just a newspaper. >> That's absolutely right. So >> yeah, I'm I'm worried about where this uh is going in that I think a whole lot of people are going to starve to death. Women, children, the elderly, all civilians, they're going to starve to death. >> No question. They are >> the US. Yeah. The US is not going to put

[20:18] pressure on Netanyahu. It's just not. We know what our government is like. And I'm not saying this is specific to Donald Trump. The Democrats are exactly the same way. >> Absolutely. >> Um, so it's not it's not going to get better in the near term. It's just not. >> No, I mean, look, we're in a world where even AOC can't beed on a comment upon to uh resist sending war funding to Israel. I mean, >> yeah, >> even even just from a fiscal conservative standpoint, you should be

[20:48] able to say, you know, little birds, we've been feeding you since 1948. >> Time to fly the nest. >> Yeah. Yeah, that's right. >> Yeah, without a doubt. >> Um, is there anything else we want to say about this? >> I mean, Trump says that this is interfering with his peace efforts. There are no peace efforts, right? I mean, there's I mean, basically, it's very strange. Um, there's been the two delegations in Qatar or Qatar, whatever. >> Yeah, we should we should add that. We should talk about that. The US walked

[21:20] out >> yesterday. The US walked out saying that that Hamas is not serious about hostage releases. It's like seriously that's that's what the talks are about, hostage releases. And and why is it that we call Israelis held by Hamas hostages and Palestinians held by Israel prisoners? >> That's a good question. >> When they haven't been charged with any crime, they were just scooped up only because they happen to be Palestinian, >> right? Because Israel is a nation state and we love them. It's sort of like why

[21:50] if it's Iran, it's the regime. If it's France, it's the government. >> Mhm. >> It's, you know, all this loaded language. >> That's right. So there there are no peace talks right now. We walked out. They're on hiatus and they weren't accomplishing anything anyway. >> No. And you know, there was a piece in today's times and we weren't and this is not really on the agenda, but whatever. Like we care. Um Russia Ukraine and it's brought up a good point. Yeah. that really peace negotiations haven't really begun in earnest. No. And that's true

[22:21] about Israel and Palestine. I mean, and basically talked about shuttle diplomacy back during the Henry Kissinger era and whatever whatever many bad things you want to say about Henry Kissinger. He was uh no, you know, he certainly was a hardworking dude. Sure. And he went back and forth all the time. >> Sure. Philip Habib in the 80s. Same thing. It was a very like it was an arduous prolonged long process to end a complicated war between nation states. Um you know I mean look Hamas was really

[22:54] a government a real government. >> Yes. >> Um you know and >> in fact the Israelis the Israelis use the the Hamas Ministry of Health uh numbers. >> Yes. They accept the the Hamas numbers on people killed or wounded or whatever. >> Yeah. It's only the Zionists in the United States who pretend like they're not true. You can't trust them. They're they're right. They're an undercount. Um >> I don't them either. >> Um Wow. Uh yeah. No. So for sure. Um the

[23:26] Israelis are sitting on top of thousands and thousands of uncharged political they're political prisoners is what they got to and subjected to all sorts of humiliating treatment. Um so yeah peace talks um >> you know I mean it's we're not gonna there's no chance because you know Israelis the Israelis aren't serious and people will say well what about Hamas? Well, any in any kind I say in any kind of lopsided military conflict, most of the burden of making peace falls on the

[23:57] superior military force. Um, they're going to have the advantage. Um, you know, I mean, they're going to have to make most of the concessions. Um, you know, in terms of getting close if you want to have a ceasefire anyway. Um, I know people will say end of World War II or whatever, unconditional surrender. That war went on. I I never, you know, never I wasn't there, but I would have never agreed with the policy of unconditional surrender. I think it dragged World War II on much longer than it needed to. >> I think you're right. >> And th those days are gone.

[24:29] >> That's just not how how conflicts end anymore. >> No. Now that now you like like Saddam Hussein, you go hide in your spider hole. You leave weapons behind and then an insurgency pops up. And you know, nobody ever admits that they were defeated. Hell, right. Donald Trump did admit he was defeated. >> That's true. >> So, >> Tom Ford, >> good. >> How How in the world did Robin Hood know that these were Tom Ford glasses? >> That's >> I never even heard of Tom Ford till I bought these glasses. >> I never heard of Tom Ford >> and they're like, "Oh, they're Tom

[25:00] Ford." I was like, "Okay, >> what's the big deal about Tom Ford?" >> I don't know, but I like them. >> Are they pricey? >> Uh, yeah, they kind of were. Yeah. >> Glasses. Glasses cost ridiculous. The These were like $1,200. They don't look like much, but >> Yeah. Well, these were only seven 700 only, >> but still, I mean, to me, that's a lot. >> Yeah. >> It's absurd. Um All right. Well, so I guess we should talk about the ICE thing. So, um, Robert, so Democratic, uh, House Representatives Robert Garcia

[25:30] and Summer Lee >> are, um, demanding, they wrote a letter to Christine, the Department of Homeland Security to demand that she provide all the information, internal DHS memos and policies, uh, that concern how ICE is supposed to comport themselves, um, how they're supposed to dress. Uh, I don't know if there's a, you know, certain color of mask that they're supposed to wear. You know, white in the winter, I don't know. Pink for the gay ice members. I don't know. Whatever. Um, but

[26:03] the they're they're trying to get all that info. Are does does DHS have to reply? >> No. Um, it's a that's an executive order function. They don't have to reply. And I'll tell you, one of the things I learned when I was uh on Capitol Hill at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is most of the time cabinet members uh just ignore us. We would write letters to secretary of whatever or assistant secretary or the FBI

[26:35] director or the CI dire. They would just ignore us. >> And what are you going to do? Is it worth going to the mat over the fact that they ignored the letter from your staff member? No. So, yeah, I don't think they're going to get any satisfaction here. I'm still laughing though, Ted, at the uh at the reporting in the LA Times that that tow truck operators are are following these ICE officers and towing their cars because they always park illegally because they think they can do whatever they want because they're ICE. And then as soon as

[27:05] they get out to do their raids, the tow trucks tow their cars and impound them. And after all, it's not like they can extend any professional courtesy to these random unidentified people >> unidentified. >> How are we supposed to know that they're federal law enforcement officers? Although I mean, are I officers really law enforcement officers? >> Well, you know what? That's a good question. >> Agents, >> they're they're not really law enforcement officers. Just like Bureau

[27:35] of Prisons, prison guards are not really law enforcement officers, >> right? They're not. I mean, they're they're either what's called a series 1810 or 1811. In this case, they're both 1810s, which means they're allowed to be armed, but that doesn't necessarily mean that, you know, like they're not going to pull somebody over for speeding. They're not going to they're not going to likely not going to disrupt, you know, the the the a shoplifter at the Walmart if that they

[28:05] happen to be in. >> Could they? I'm not even sure. >> I remember there was some strange experience that the university, this was analogous, maybe a University of Cincinnati campus policeman >> pulled over someone on a city street for running a stop sign and it led to a violent um you know incident where there was a you know that the dude shot the motorist. Um, it was it's like one of those like shootings of black motorists by a white cop. And I was like, can a

[28:37] University of Cincinnati, you know, rent a cop really play real cop? I mean, aren't you like Paul Mart cop Paul Mall cop? I mean, to me, an ice person I mean, look, if they want to be treated like real law enforcement officers, they ought to wear uniforms and they ought to show their faces and they should show ID. I mean, as far as I'm concerned, they're just random thugs. >> That's it. I I have to agree. Um, you know, somebody makes a Where did I just see it? They went to Fletzie. Uh, Houdini. Uh, they've gone through Flexie, which is the Federal Law

[29:08] Enforcement Training Center. I went through Flexie before my CIA days. I was a But I was in 1810. So, we did the handgun training, but I was 100% not considered law enforcement. >> Oh, so you don't necessar So, going to Fletsy does not necessarily What does Do you know what Fletsy stands for? >> Yeah, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. I I had a beautiful shiny gold badge that I kept in this beautiful leather case. I really regretted having to turn it in when I went to the agency. Um and it got me out of a couple of

[29:38] speeding tickets. >> Mhm. >> But uh I I was not considered law enforcement. I didn't consider myself law enforcement. And um and I would not have tried to stop a shoplifter at Walmart. >> I would have said, "Well, it's not my job. Let the next guy do it." Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's like I mean, I think it's funny how uh ICE people are they want our sympathy, too. Um >> Yeah. >> I don't care at all. I mean,

[30:08] >> I told you I told you on on the morning of January 6th, I think I said this like a week ago, I I had to go up to Capitol Hill to meet with Bruce Fine. And we knew all hell was going to break loose later in the day. So, I wanted to, you know, get into Bruce's office, sign this document, and get the hell out. And so, um, when I parked my car, there were all these guys taking off their Bureau of Prisons logo polos and putting on black shirts, and I

[30:38] was like, "Shame, shame, shame. You clowns aren't law enforcement." >> No, not as soon as you do that. >> Uhhuh. >> Yeah. No, it's gross. All right. So, uh, I guess >> can I interrupt you, >> please? >> In all seriousness, what do you think about this Candace Owens situation? Candace Owens has been on this rant for the last three years where she has been saying that Emanuel Mcronone's wife was born male

[31:11] and um she's just she even did a documentary about it there. She has no childhood history. No documents exist. No photos exist. Of course, none of that's true. >> That can't be true. >> No, it's just not true. >> I I literally just spent like my son doesn't know I realized was filling out forms and doesn't even know like where I was born. I'm like, you don't know [ __ ] about your family. So, I decided as a gift, I'm going to create a giant I did a a family tree, right? I have all this

[31:42] information that I've been meaning to put together. I started putting it together. I got it. I went down a rabbit hole through the French and German government uh genealogy sites. >> Oh, very cool. >> We could go back four or 500 years, right? We know like if if you you know in this country, in France, in Germany, in most countries, like uh you know, we know where you were born, when you were born, when you got married, which church you got married at, you know, who you got married to, >> who who baptized you, where and when you were baptized. >> Yeah. It happened in 1611. And so like

[32:15] Yeah. in and in in France I guarantee you that uh you know Emmanuel Mrs. Macron is is she was a it's not a dude looks like a lady situation. >> No, she looks like a woman and she's obviously clearly born a woman. So anyway, it turns out >> not to mention she was very cute when she was younger. >> She was cute and has a son >> meeting up her her husband, >> right? And has a son. So, so the Mcron, it turned out, through their

[32:47] attorneys, approached Candace Owens a year ago and said, "Stop doing this. It's not true, and we're going to sue you." >> But she doubled down. Nobody knew this until a couple of days ago that she had been warned to back off and she doubled down. And she said that in part she doubled down because she became she converted to Catholicism and her Catholic faith demands of her that she out you know

[33:19] this man who is masquerading as the first lady of France and so the Mcron filed the defamation suit now >> where yeah that's a good question I'm not sure where would be better for them >> England. Yeah, the best I really wish I'd sued the LA Times in England. I could have because of the internet and so um and I should have >> even though, you know, would have required me to go to England quite a bit.

[33:50] >> Um wow, thank you. Uh we have a couple of paid donations here. >> Oh, thank you. >> So, we should answer the question. So, uh we'll we'll go in reverse order here. Um obscure obscure orca. Yeah, >> John was about to bombing of Yugoslavia. >> Yeah. You know what? I was about >> I was stationed in Athens at the time and it was absolutely miserable not just to be an American diplomat in Greece, but to be an Orthodox Christian American

[34:20] diplomat while the United States government was bombing an Orthodox Christian country that the Greeks considered to be brothers. Um, it was absolutely miserable to the point where even one of my uncles attacked me verbally at a uh at a dinner and I could barely respond to him. He was like, "Why the [ __ ] did you blow up the Yugo factory? What the [ __ ] were you

[34:50] thinking you blew up the Yugo factory?" >> That wasn't me. >> And I said I said Theo. And I almost didn't want to answer him. I said they converted it to manufacture tanks, which was true, but the bombing of Yugoslavia was wrong, wrong, wrong in the first place. And we created this this fake rump country called Kosovo that has never otherwise existed through the course of of, you know, human history. And it just so happens to be

[35:23] holy ground for the Serbian Orthodox Church. and it's where most of the Serbian Orthodox uh monasteries are located. And we're like, "Yeah, tough luck. We're going to we're going to take this land away from you. We're going to give it to these Muslims that you've been feuding with for the last 1500 years. And there's nothing you can do about it." Oh, and by the way, we're going to bomb you, too, just for the hell of it. >> Of course. I mean obviously I have to I agree with you but you know what about the argument that this was to try to stop the genoci this the genocide uh you

[35:54] know in Kosovo. >> Yeah that that is what it was for. Yeah. Well less so the genocide in Kosovo than what was happening well no it was it was Kosovo by then. Yeah. Yeah. You know what we should have done? It was supposed to create like an a safety zone, right? >> Yeah. >> But but nobody ever said anything about it being an independent country five minutes later. >> And I don't know and I I had access to the information at the time, but it just there was no information. Why did we not

[36:27] work with Boris Yelton to figure this out? Why were we at odds with the Russians over this is the the the nater of our of our relationship with the Russians. Why didn't we do something to to make it better? >> Yeah. I mean, I mean, we installed Yeltson basically. >> We did. We did. We installed Yeltson. >> Yeah. I mean, the Russians will never forgive us. >> No. And Ted, coming back to, you know, serving in Athens in in 99 while we're bombing uh Yugoslavia. Every year we have to vacate the embassy

[36:59] on the 17th of November because it's the it's the date of the uprising against the military hunda that we installed and there's a massive demonstration that marches from the polytenic university where where the uprising began to the American embassy. So we just shut the whole place down at 12 and everybody goes home. You just get a half a day off. We evacuated the American embassy at least a dozen times that year because these demonstrations

[37:30] were absolutely gigantic. And at the time, this is right before the Greeks converted to the euro. So they had these 100 drama coins that are about the that were about the size of a of an Eisenhower silver dollar. >> Mhm. >> And so you could fling them and they had some heft to them. So they would take these 100 D rama coins which were worth about a quarter 27 cents and they would smash all the windows on the front of the embassy and then they would fill

[38:00] balloons with red paint and with slingshots launch the red balloons at at so the the next day the embassy is just peppered with >> red paint splotches and the windows are all broken from 100 drama coins. It was awful. It was miserable. >> I bet. Hey, John. Uh, we got to answer USC Arad 21 who donated five bucks. Thank you. >> Thank you, USC. >> Uh, I don't want to put your pardon into jeopardy, John. Uh, but what are your guys take on South Park going after

[38:30] Trump? >> I I DVR it. It was freaking hilarious. >> I haven't seen it yet. >> Oh, you got to watch. >> You got to see it. You got to see it, Ted. Um, I I won't spoil it for you, but you know, they the the creators of South Park just a couple of days ago signed a $1.5 billion streaming agreement. God bless them. >> It's obviously for the high quality animation. >> You know, I still watch South Park. I I will admit to you, I watch Family Guy, Simpsons, South Park, and Bob's Burgers.

[39:01] I love all the animated shows. >> Thank you, Caleb. Also, >> South Park. Thank you, Caleb. South Park is by far the most cutting edge. Like when I watch when I watch um uh Family Guy with with one of my housemates, I always say, "Oh my god, how can they get away with a joke like that?" But South Park, it's like, "Oh my god." Like, it's shocking to me that they're able to do what they're what they're doing. Now, it's all for a good laugh. It's all comedy, but I I just love it. I think

[39:34] it's great. Yeah. Well, I' I'm Yeah. My favorite um the thing that those two guys did that I love the best is still Team America: World Police. I can never get over how I've seen it more times than I could count. It's one of the funniest seen in my life. >> Absolutely hilarious. >> Yeah. >> I wish I could be creative like that. I don't think I can be creative like that. >> See, I think I could. Uh and I think I wish I could be I wish I was in the writer room, you know? >> Yeah. and and you deal in in very um

[40:04] sharp comedy. I mean, you're a political cartoonist. You have to have that kind of biting sense of humor. >> Yeah. Well, >> yeah, they are geniuses. >> You would totally think. Uh but so many of my colleagues are just uh you know, they're wussies. Um it's because they worked at Daily Papers and they were scared and they were you know, I'll never forget I got a job interview at the Aspbury Park Press. He's dead now, so I'll name him. executive editor Ray Olworth brings me into his office and you know it's like one of those things where you really feel like it's going

[40:35] well and see I'm there for a good hour. I'm feeling like ah I'm going to get this. And it should be pointed out that I'd been drawing for them local cartoons for central New Jersey for a year. So it wasn't like I was just blowing off blowing in off the street. Yeah. Like we've been dating now. Are you gonna put a ring on it or not? And so everything's going great. And then Ry goes, leans back, points out the window, and says, "There's just one more thing. Am I ever going to look outside that window and

[41:06] see people protesting because of one of the cartoons you drew?" And I said, I was I was flumxed. >> I hope so. >> I said, I mean, I was honest. I said, it's not my intent, you know, when I sit down to to make that happen, but I don't care if it does. And like people are going to do what they're going to do. legit answer. >> And people get mad at stuff that I never see coming and other stuff that I think is going to blow up the world. There's no reaction. I I don't know. It's like, don't you have security? I mean, I don't

[41:37] know. So, I was like I that you that look like wrong answer till and you know, never got the job. And I had one interview like another like that after that St. Louis Post Dispatch, same thing. Sacramento B. I'll never forget the guy. He goes, he goes, "Uh, >> thank you, Gav, >> Howard Weaver." He goes, "Um, am I, you know, what I have to figure out here is if we're going to let the Good Burgers of Sacramento wake up to ground glass every morning on their opinion page." In

[42:08] other words, if he hires me, I'm like, I hope so. Uh, you know, that's that's what it's for. Uh, so yeah, I mean, I this could go we could do a whole whole show on that, but that's Yeah, >> I've actually purchased their >> [ __ ] I I purchased years ago their uh Mormons episode that people are talking about in the chat. And I also purchased the um the lice episode. You remember the lice episode? >> Yes. >> Oh my god. So funny. I still laugh out loud every time I watch it.

[42:40] >> Oh my heavens. >> You know, I mean it's like one of my I mean I have to say if the animation were better, I would have seen every episode. The animation's a little rough. >> It's terrible. >> Yeah. But that I think that's part of the charm. >> Oh well, obviously what's their 27th season? I think they kind of got it figured out. Yeah. >> It's just crazy. >> Yeah. >> Oh my god. >> No. Probably not complaining about them. >> Um but I'm right, but I just don't feel like it because I don't think it would

[43:10] be true. All right, so let's see what else we got to talk about here. Um stuff to hit. Oh, yeah. >> Gizlane, how do we pronounce her name? Gal Galain >> Galain I can never pronounce Gain lady Gain Maxwell she um she's still her prison photos she's still hot >> she looks good >> anyway so she's so she so John I'm I'm a little bit confused by this like so I don't understand I mean I know that obviously the heat is on uh on the Trump

[43:42] administration over Epstein I get it and but now is this just window dressing are they just pretending to look into But I mean it looks like she requested the interview with the DOJ >> and Dave complied and went in and had a wide ranging conversation with her about anything and everything according to >> she answered everything. >> She answered everything. She seems like some she could be per if she committed perjury she would be um she would have exposure to prosecution. Yes. And could extend her

[44:13] >> it was very risky to to answer these questions. >> To me that indicates someone who's probably telling the truth. Yes. >> When you take a risk, it's uh sort of like when you sue for defamation, then that's right. Subject yourself to discovery and everything. Um so what so what is this about? Like why did this interview take place and what was the desired outcome from both sides and what's what's the actual outcome? >> Well, we we this has to be speculation

[44:43] because we really don't know. >> Totally. >> Thank you, Houdini, very much. And I I I'm thinking that do you remember last week, Ted, when we were talking about the comment that that um the attorney general made about the the videos being just child porn and they will never see the light of day. Pam Bonnie said, "We will never release." And I said, "We don't want to see the child porn. We want to know the names of the men committing crimes

[45:14] against children. That's what we want to know." Um, so it could be that it could be that that she's naming people who would be on uh those hard drives. >> Apparently that happened. >> Yeah. Um >> reportedly according to her councel >> much of the uh much of the uh reporting has been on you know these allegations and they're not a

[45:46] stretch by any means that she wants a some sort of a commutation even a pardon and Trump being Trump um wouldn't rule it out. >> Well why would he give it to her right? Doesn't he want her to shut up? I can't I my brain can't wrap itself around what in the world would possess Donald Trump to to throw her a bone. >> Yeah. I mean, wouldn't he get wouldn't he wouldn't he pardon her for being quiet, >> right? >> You know, I mean, >> not blabbing everything. And it turns

[46:17] out that, you know, remember we were joking the other day about it depends on what your definition of a list is. >> Well, apparently we were right about that. And it turns out that some of the names that are popping up are Bill Clinton and John Kerry and a handful of other people who are well known to every single American. But the question remains, who were the guys committing crimes against children, >> right? Like I mean, yeah. So this remind

[46:47] So in the Mayflower Madam pro, you know, >> oh yeah, I remember that case. >> Oh, you're going back now. >> Very old 80s. there was a very famous little black book that belonged to her that that made its way unlike the Epstein files into the public eye. And um and the thing is what was notable is of course yeah she had her John's in there and she had her girls in there but she had her dry cleaner in there and she had her Chinese food in there. I mean, the point is that's what people do, right? And and anyway, there so there's

[47:19] we it's not I guess if like >> you're looking for a spreadsheet that says >> my child sex client XLS, it's it's not in there. Okay. But that's not really the issue. I mean, it's kind of like as usual, the Trump administration is playing Well, like all administrations, they're being they're playing it too cute. >> Yeah. Yeah, they are. That's right. So, was was Maxwell railroaded? >> Oh, I don't think so. I think she was

[47:50] she was guilty. I think that there were a whole bunch of people who were guilty. They shouldn't have gone after just her and Epstein, but uh but yeah, I think she got what she deserved. Okay, so she got what she deserved. I mean, okay, she got what she deserved. She procured for Epstein. We know that. Now the question is basically what this looks like to me is they partied a lot. Um they they probably they had lots of

[48:21] young girls around. >> They passed them around, >> right? It's not about necessarily a honeypot operation. It's not about necessarily or probably >> it's probably just like gross dudes drinking and doing drugs and having a good time. Yep. >> And doing [ __ ] that's illegal and immoral sometimes. Not all. Some of them. It's sort of like you're at a party and there's something going on in another room and maybe you don't go into that other room and maybe you do go into that other room. I think that's what it

[48:53] was like. >> I think that's I think you've hit it on the head. You know, there's another thing, too, and this is a minor point, but it's something that I've often wondered about. I've spoken publicly a lot about how pedophiles are almost always locked up in low security prisons. They're not eligible for minimums because they're pedophiles, which means they're dangers to society, but they don't go to mediums or maximums because they'll be attacked or killed or

[49:23] beaten or tortured or whatever >> people who are already there. >> That's right. She's at a minimum security work camp. How the heck did that happen? Why were the rules waved for her? Why is she getting special treatment? >> And what's your answer to that question, John? >> I don't know. I I don't have an answer. >> It doesn't make any sense to me. >> Yeah. I mean, that's the whole thing, right? Like there may not be a conspiracy, but when things don't make sense, people fill in the blanks. And I

[49:55] mean, and it look in all fairness, there's weird [ __ ] that happens in the real world. I mean, >> yeah, >> you know, I mean, how the Concord crashed is very strange. Um, right. >> Not a conspiracy, just a piece of metal fell off a plane that was in front of it and went to the engine and blew it up and now we can't fly supersonic transport anymore. >> Michael Gardner says, "Rich people get different rules, even in prison." Absolutely true. Listen to this. There was a guy in the next row of cells

[50:26] over from me. Oh, I can't remember his name, but he was a quarterback for the New York Giants in the early 1970s. And he was a uh he was in for like 25 years uh for running this major massive Ponzi scheme. And you know, let's say he made a hundred million and they made him pay 50 million in restitution. He still had 50 million left over. So what this guy did, he was a real scumbag, too. What this guy did was he paid off all the the

[50:58] Mexican and black gangs to ensure his safety, right? So he he, you know, paid like $500 a month, I think, is what he told me, like $500 a month to the MS-13 shot collar, 500 to the Crips, 500 to the Bloods, 500 to the Mexican Mafia. And then he he hated the food in the cafeteria. Everybody did. >> But but he hired one of the Hispanics to be his personal chef. And so other guys, their their side

[51:30] hustle in prison is they steal food out of the cafeteria and they're allowed to steal food. The the guards look the other way. So he would spend his 500 a month in the commissary that he was allowed to spend and then he would buy the rest of it on the on the black market stolen from the cafeteria. And he had this personal chef make him three meals a day. So you're right, Michael Gardner. Rich people, >> it's good to be king. >> Yeah, it's good to be king. Rich people are different. There are different rules

[52:01] even in prison. >> Wonder how it was for Martha Stewart. >> Oh, everybody loved Martha Stewart. Yeah, >> she taught them how to make soap and she taught them how to make little handy crafts and you know I I think Martha Stewart's experience in prison was kind of like mine where I'm still in touch with a lot of the Italians. I I spoke to two of them last night. We did a little Zoom call to say hi. Um there was a there was a crooked congressman from Ohio who went to prison

[52:32] a couple years before I did. He was in my prison. >> Oh, I remember that guy. remember him? >> Trafficant. >> No, no, this was after this was actually the the district immediately south of Jim Travocant. >> Okay. All right. >> I forget his name now. But anyway, he said when he got out, he was in for like two years or two and a half years. It was a corruption charge. And he said, "Oh my god, Clyde Hall." Yes, it was Clyde Hall. How in the world did you pull that up? >> Must be an Ohio.

[53:03] >> Wow. Wow. Uh, I'm Listen, man. RS, I'm impressed. Yes, it was Clyde Hall. I have not thought of that name in a decade. So, um, he got out of prison and he said, you know, they say that, uh you don't go to prison to make friends. And he says, >> I I came out of prison having made some of the best friends of my life. And I remember thinking at the time, this is before I was ever in trouble, thinking that he was nuts.

[53:33] >> But he's not nuts. And I understand it now. >> Is it trauma bonding? >> In part it could be, but but the the people that you trauma bond with, you tend to walk away from. These guys were genuinely good guys. I mean, some of them did some very bad things. Like I remember one of them saying, I said, "So, what are you here for?" And he goes like this. He goes, "The cops found a body in a barrel in my storage unit.

[54:04] I don't know how that body got in there. I said, "No, no." I said, "I'm not judging you." >> Seriously, >> happened to anybody. >> He goes, "A 100 people had access to that storage unit." I said, "I'm not judging you. Don't worry, but uh yeah, we're still in we're still in touch." And um it's a strange place. Um how do people get so jacked like bodybuilders? That's a good question. And I saw there are three three guys that

[54:34] pop into my head immediately as like the most perfect human specimens I've ever seen in my life because there is literally nothing to do but work out. Nothing. >> What about you? >> I I walked I made sure to walk five miles a day around the track and when it snows they close the track and you're only allowed to walk around the basketball court. So you walk around 500 times, you know, when I first arrived, um, I was walking around with with a

[55:06] captain from the Banano family. So this is a very senior guy. And it was the first really great advice anybody had given me in prison. I had been there about two or three weeks. And we're walk it's it's pouring down snow. It's like 10° and we're walking around the outside basketball court. And he he said to me, "How much time did you get?" I said 30 months feels like 30 years. And he said, "Let me give you some advice." He said, "If somebody asks you how much

[55:38] time you have, you say five years." I said, "Why?" >> He said, "There are guys in here with 20, 25, 30 years. If they hear that you have 30 months and you're pissed off about it, they're going to kick your ass. So tell them five years." Does anybody ever ask to see your paperwork? >> Only when >> to find out if you're a child molester or what? >> Only when you first arrive to see if you're a child molester.

[56:09] So, I had to give my paperwork to the to the shot caller for the Aryans. And um and he he read the paperwork and he goes, "Intelligence Identities Protection Act." He goes, "What the [ __ ] is that?" And I said, "It's like it's like a conspiracy charge." And he goes, "Okay." So I sat with the Aryans for a while till the Italians took me.

[56:40] >> Yeah. >> At at meals. >> Yeah. There are some guys who like will just sit with the Aryans and then the shot caller will go up and say, "Who the [ __ ] are you?" and give me your paperwork. And then the smart ones will just go sit with the pedophiles without saying anything. Some will just claim that they can't find their paperwork or they'll have their lawyer write a letter. It's like, no, no, no. If you have any idea what's good for you, you're going to get up and move to the pedophile table right now. And they always do.

[57:11] >> Wow. Uh I mean, I think this is I have have to put this question up. How bad are the showers? We've all seen the movies. >> Yes. You know what? That was one of the very few questions I asked my attorneys. One of the things that my attorneys did for me was they scheduled a lunch a couple of weeks before I left for prison with a former professor from George Washington University who played fast and loose with the National Science Foundation credit card and got two years. So the very first question I asked him was, "What's the situation

[57:43] with the showers?" And he said, "Oh no, don't worry about that." that. He said, "It's nothing like what you see on TV. You're going to go to a low or a minimum, and they're all individual showers, completely enclosed with shower curtains. Same with the toilets. They're all individual toilets with shower curtains. Don't worry about it at all." And he was exactly right. And and I'll say, you know, one thing, um I never saw a guy naked in prison. Well, that's not true. We we did have

[58:15] one strip search once. Um, but you do not walk around exposing yourself unless you want to have like every bone in your face broken. There was a there was a an Afghan child molester who uh came into my cell just before I I left. I have an entire chapter about him in my second book. And um he went out to play soccer one day and then he came back and we we had these huge fans like a 4 foot tall fan

[58:47] because there's no air conditioning in prisons. And so the fan was on like for months at a time in the summer. So this guy went out to play soccer and he came back and he takes off all of his clothes. His his his clothes are literally dripping sweat. It was disgusting. And he goes up to the fan and he's airing out his balls. And I walked past him and I said, "Sheir, you're going to get your ass kicked. You can't." I said, "This isn't a [ __ ] country club. You're in prison." >> And he's like, "Fuck you. I don't answer

[59:19] to you." Four guys were on him like white on rice. They left him in a bloody pulp on the floor. >> Not surprised at all. >> Told you, [ __ ] >> And he's like lifting up his balls and airing them out. We're like, "What are you doing? Are you out of your mind? >> People I mean it's always weird to me when people are in situations like this and they just don't know how to act. Um I like this question where criminals actually respected if child molesters

[59:49] chomos are at the bottom >> who's on top or does it work that way? >> Oh yeah. Yeah. It very much works that way. The chumos are at the very very bottom. The rats are very barely above the chamomos. The Italians were at the very top. very very top and you know it was funny because of all the gangs and they're considered a gang >> mafiosos or Italians or is there a differentiation? >> Oh there there's a there's a difference you have to be connected in some way >> like they'll they'll the Italian network is very strong and

[1:00:22] so they'll know weeks in advance that you're coming to the prison. >> Um so >> this is also an important >> that's a good question. Okay that's a good question. changed during and after your imprisonment. >> I assume your prison was like the California system that I've read about where everything is racially segregated. >> Absolutely everything. >> You in fact at higher levels you cannot have any contact with other races because you're then branded a race

[1:00:52] trader and then you >> make friends with say a Latino just to be like >> absolutely not can't play cards. I made a conscious decision when I first arrived and I say that in my in my book. I made a conscious decision to ignore those racial divisions. And at the end of my my sentence, the black shot caller, a guy named Ali from Newark, he was at the tail end of a 25-year uh drug charge. He came over to hug me

[1:01:23] and to tell me how much he respected me. I helped him. I I wrote his resume for him. I helped. >> How did that happen if you weren't allowed to? >> Because I refused to respect those racial divisions. >> So you were Did you Did you get any any [ __ ] for that from whites? >> No, I got [ __ ] from the Hispanics. And I was like, you guys all hate each other. Like the Mexicans hate the the the Puerto Ricans and the Puerto Ricans

[1:01:54] hate the the Dominicans and the Dominicans hate the Costa Ricans. It's ridiculous. I like you guys all look exactly the same to me and you all hate each other. I just never understood it. Um so the Italians were by far the most respected and that was the point I was going to make of the gangs, right? If you're if you're in an organized gang, MS-13, Bloods, Crips, Mexican Mafia, Burachos, Nortenos, all these guys, your prisoner number ends with the number -47. 47 means organized gang. Well, the

[1:02:26] Italians were also 47s. Um, so of all the gangs, the Italians were by far the smallest and by far the most highly respected. And what about what? And was there a charge that was most respected like like you know like in the hierarchy of robbery, murder, rape? >> Rico. Rico. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. Rico. And Rico usually had murder attached to it. Usually it was

[1:02:56] conspiracy to commit murder because, you know, a guy will murder somebody and then 20 people will get charged for it because they're all part of the conspiracy. >> I'll tell you who who they didn't like. They didn't like these these big rich white collar criminals. >> Really? >> Yeah. Yeah. They didn't like those guys. The only ones who, you know, >> why were they just viewed as soft and uh >> Yeah. soft. Oh, you thought you're going to get away with it. No, poor you. You got caught and now it's like, "Oh, I'm in prison. Oh my god." >> So So it's a class thing. It's class.

[1:03:27] >> It's a class thing. The only The only guys who were in where nobody gave a [ __ ] was like arson. I knew three arsonists and people people were like, "Eh, arson." Did you kill anybody? No. Okay. Nobody cares. Like insurance fraud, mortgage fraud. Uh, one guy was property fraud, which I had never heard of before. >> Funny. He he just forged papers um transferring ownership of a golf course

[1:03:58] to himself >> and then he tried to charge people rent. >> He's like one of those squatters with the that write up the fake deed. Exactly. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> It's kind of a big deal, right? It's sort of like how car theft is uh, you know, is is is a direct hair to horse theft and it's cons and you're basically stealing a a man's livelihood. So, it's considered >> Yeah. not cool. >> Really serious. And stealing a man's home is the same way. Um, this question from Nick. Um, what are our thoughts

[1:04:30] about all the recent trade deals? the tra, you know, I I told my sister this the other day. I can't believe Trump is actually getting away with it. >> I know. >> People were saying, "Oh my god, he's nuts and the tariffs 100% and 50%. Oh my god, he's coming to deals with all these countries and they're deals that favor the United States." I can't believe I'm saying it. >> So, yeah. No, I I I I don't have anything to add to that. That's that's very very very true. Um, all right. So,

[1:05:01] finally, um, but maybe not least, um, Donald Trump issued an executive order, uh, stating that he's, uh, very upset about the the the explosion of homelessness. >> Yeah. >> The executive order actually understates the problem. It says that there's 250,000 homeless people in the United States. They're actually 770,000. >> I was going to say, by a factor of three or four. Yeah. >> And and it's gone up a lot. That number was 550 for years and then it shot up um over really over the last four years

[1:05:31] since since COVID and prices shot up and uh people got priced out of housing. That's not counting the millions who are couch surfing hidden hidden homeless. But he's he doesn't care about that. He he said it's a bad look in DC for foreign dignitaries to see tent cities as they drive in from Reagan airport. He's right. Um he he says that it's uh you know it's it's it's disturbing and dangerous for law-abiding citizens to see people pissing and [ __ ] outside. >> Yeah. Nobody wants to see that. But

[1:06:04] you know >> that's capitalism for you. >> That's capitalism and you can't keep cutting the budget and starting with with services, >> right? So, so, so here's what he So, Donald Trump, I think, is really good at diagnosing problems like, hey, factories in the Midwest have closed and we haven't retrained anyone and everybody's just depressed and and poor and uh addicted to opiates. >> Yeah, >> that sucks. >> Yeah, >> for me, but he's and he's right and and honestly, that is not a small thing. Being able to diagnose the problem is

[1:06:35] very, very important. Like, I didn't see Joe Biden doing that. I didn't see Kla Harris doing that. Okay, good for you. But Trump's very bad at coming up with the um with the cure and the treatment. And so here he want he's basically the thesis here is that the vast majority of public homeless people are mentally ill, uh emotionally disturbed, uh drug addicts, or some combination thereof. That's probably true. If they aren't before they get on the street, they rapidly deteriorate. I've seen that

[1:07:06] happen in my neighborhood here in New York. So what do we So the question is what do we do about it? His answer seems to be forcible commitment. Now I'm not the kind of liberal who's going to say that someone should has their has a moral and legal right to sleep outside in Manhattan when it's five below zero, right? >> No. No. I want them picked up, >> dragged off and and taken somewhere, but I want them taken somewhere safe >> and nice and warm. I don't want them to

[1:07:37] be abused, treated like [ __ ] humiliated, um attacked, raped, whatever. So, the problem is that there's no facilities here. So, it's a two-part thing, right? We've got drug addicts and we've got um mentally ill people. And he's like basically reopen the insane asylums like the old Creedmore, you know, scandal from the 70s. >> Oh, yeah. >> Where people were chained to, you know, to their beds and stuff. Yes. >> Well, the point is, >> Mr. present. There are no facilities, right? Where are you going to put them?

[1:08:08] This reminds me of the mass deportations. There's no facilities to handle the mass deportations. There's no facilities to handle the mass removal of the homeless from American city streets. I mean, where are you going to put them? And and that goes double for drug addiction. There's no treatment really available. There's no services available. If you want to create a massive infrastructure, a massive safety net to deal with these people, God bless you and I will help you and I will

[1:08:38] support you and I will scream it to the heavens. What a great president you are. But I don't see that happening. >> No, I don't see it happening either. Um, our our viewers are making a lot of really good points here. First of all, the the tent uh right behind the executive office building. Uh there's also another one now up at uh Union Station. Same idea. My guess is he'll find some pretext to to move them out. Uh you know, Reagan,

[1:09:08] well, it started really under Carter where the Supreme Court ruled that people could not be held against their will if they were not a danger to themselves or to others. But a lot of them are a danger to themselves or to others and and they're deserving of mental health care. >> Yes. So what what do we do? Do we do we make it easier to force people into mental health care? And then on the other side, >> lots of abuse, right? I mean, >> lots of abuse. >> I had when I was a little kid, my neighbor, he decided that it was like a

[1:09:39] lot easier and cheaper than paying alimony to have his wife, who was perfectly wonderful and lovely and sane, forcibly committed. And she spent six months at the local Assane asylum in Dayton before she managed to get out. Um, that kind of [ __ ] used to happen all the time. >> Yeah. >> So, I mean, you don't want to make it too easy, >> but you don't want to make it too hard either. >> California suffered with that for many years. Many, many years. And it was in the 1970s that they finally changed the law so that the police couldn't forcibly

[1:10:10] commit you. Can you imagine the cops just ring your doorbell and then by force take you and put you in a mental institution and there's literally nothing you can do about it? Well, I mean in in a sense in a sense that does happen now. I don't know if you've seen the Netflix I think it's Netflix the movie we care a lot but it's >> Oh, I have. Oh my god. >> Real phenomenon, right? >> Yes, it is. >> Like so basically um these nursing homes they they they they conspire to have power of attorney.

[1:10:40] >> Yeah. and and there and and it's for people often who've done ab who are perfectly fine, nothing's wrong, but they target them because they're rich and they're going to take their money >> and they do they take their money. Uh but you know we we really we we spend scandalously little money on mental health and in fact >> even though even though mental health parity is in the Affordable Care Act completely uninforced >> completely uninforced and in most counties I I read this I think at the

[1:11:12] Rutherford Institute website um in most counties in in America >> forcing into mental health care done after mental health care is vastly improved if at all. If at all. >> Exactly. That's right. >> So, in most counties in America, there are more mentally ill people in the county jail than there are in mental hospitals. >> Yeah. Well, there just aren't enough mental hospitals. And the mental hospitals that are there suck ass. >> Yeah. >> So, um Yeah. I had a I had a friend her

[1:11:42] um she discovered her ex-husband had committed suicide. She walked in on him >> and um and uh and found him. The guy had almost took a butcher knife and nearly hacked his own head off in his kitchen. >> Oh my god. >> Unsurprisingly, she freaks out, runs into the streets of Brooklyn screaming and screaming, you know, I want to die. NYPD shows up understandably. They think they have a mentally distraught woman on their hand, which they did. And uh they

[1:12:12] so they dragged her off to uh Belleview >> um and and put her in like the padded room. She saw her phone. So, she called her sister. Her sister came to visit. And her sister was like, "Honey, I know you're really upset." She said in a really low voice, "But listen, they're going to keep you here unless you can pretend like you're okay." Like, do you understand what I'm saying? They're going to keep you here like indefinitely, maybe forever. You have to get it together. Stop crying. Stop

[1:12:44] sobbing. And just be like, "I'm good now. I I can go home and just keep it together and so that they'll let you go. And she did. Um and then she fell apart later. But I mean it's like that's that's how it works. >> There was even an episode of Lou Grant about this. Um, I happen to see on Hulu years ago where uh this investigative journalist who was working at the LA

[1:13:14] whatever it was called Dispatch um uh got himself committed to a mental hospital so he could write an article from the inside and >> that's what that's what happens with the Creedmore document. >> Yeah, that's right. But he couldn't get out. >> Yeah. Yeah. Couldn't get out >> and they drugg you. Yes. >> So, yeah. I mean, they drug they drugged the seniors and old folks home, too, to make them compliant. >> Yes. >> And there's so they weren't great before they showed

[1:13:45] up and they're definitely not great after that. >> Um, they did it to my mom. I watched them do it. I knew they were doing it. And there's it was, you know, basically when they say you need an advocate when you're in there, they're not wrong. You need you need to be there like all the time. Um, I wanted to Yeah, this is a good question actually. So, there's a border war. >> Oh, yeah. >> Border conflict, right? Thailand and Cambodia going on right now. It's not like war in the Southeast Asia has ever been a problem for the United States. So, maybe we don't need to talk about it. >> Uh, but in all seriousness, um, Thailand

[1:14:18] deployed an F-16 across the border into Cambodia and, uh, and took out artillery positions. They claimed that they were retaliating. This all boils down to a goes back to a treaty from 1907. >> Yeah. by the French colonial power that set that border as usual. The text so this is fascinating as a graphic artist, right? So the text of the treaty says that basically the the the border follows the natural flow of the river, but the drawing that went with it that

[1:14:50] some Frenchman in 1907 drew doesn't really do that. and it puts this temple that's uh on the Cambodian side of the border and the Cambodians are like thank you and everybody went everybody went with the with the drawing and as graphic artists I agree with that 100%. But you know I think actually under under most treaties you look at the words and um and the ties are like well we're looking at the words [ __ ] the drawing and so

[1:15:21] that's what this is all about. It's like art versus text. >> Crazy. >> And um and it's about this this temple. >> Um this this seems like maybe not a big deal, but it's not not a big deal either. >> Tell you the truth, I didn't even realize that the Cambodians had a military. >> Oh, really? >> Seriously? Yeah. >> Well, it got really over Well, the Cime Rouge got overrun by the Vietnamese. >> Yeah, >> that was a long time ago. >> Yeah, sure. Sure. >> It must not It must not be much of a military. It it can't be. And they still

[1:15:53] have all those minds all over the place. Yeah. When I when I first saw this, I was like, "Wait, what?" And then I had to I had to reread it. Like, okay. And they're they're firing at each other across the border, too. >> Yeah. >> This happens between India and China every few years. >> That's true. Yeah. >> Yeah. Kind of major war over it in 192. >> Um, and then there's uh Yeah. Yeah. Like a few years ago, right? drunken border guards. >> They drink a lot up there. Nothing to

[1:16:24] do. >> Things get out of control. >> That's what I always say is like that's why that's why Putin never wanted a NATO country on his border. He knows about drunken border guards. >> Yeah, that's right. >> And then the next thing you know, you've got like French nukes headed your way. >> Crazy. >> With Article Five of NATO. Uh we were asked, and I'm sorry, I apologize to whoever it was who asked this earlier in the chat, but I'm going to do a call back. I hope you're still here. Um, what do we think about Trump's reversal on NATO? He used to hate it, now he loves

[1:16:54] it. >> Well, you know, Trump's always flip-flopping like a fish on a dock. >> Um, what do you think? >> I think he really believed that Vladimir Putin would do what he told him to do. And I think he's just so angry that Putin won't just go to the negotiating table and settle this thing with Ukraine that now he's got to embrace NATO. He's got to. Otherwise, he's going to be out there all alone. >> Well, this is like this is what we were

[1:17:25] talking about earlier, right? I mean, it's like diplomacy takes [ __ ] work. >> Exactly. >> I mean, Bill Clinton, I know neither of us supports supported his actions in against Serbia, but I do have to hand it to him. You know, the date I love the story about how the Dayton Peace Accord came to be, right? So, he cleverly brought the three leaders of uh Serbia, Croatia, and uh um who am I forgetting here? Um Kosovo. Yeah.

[1:17:56] >> To uh to Dayton uh to the Air Force base, right? Patterson Air Force Base. And you know, having grown up there, I I'm pretty sure uh Bill Clinton was aware of the fact that it was one of the most boring places in the United States. So he's like, "You got you got you guys work on this, you work it all out, then you get to go home." And anyway, so he left them there and they were kind of kept prisoner. >> Yeah. And >> but he but he did give them soccer balls. I remember that. >> But he but they were getting really

[1:18:26] desperate. And finally he was like, I tell you what, there is a French restaurant called Low Bears. It's just south of D South Dayton. It's the only French restaurant in Dayton. >> You guys, you fellas can all go down there and you can have a good meal, but you got to sign you got to sign the agreement. >> And uh so Sloan Malloic and the rest, they were like, "Man, I gotta have me a good meal. Dayton sucks." So they so

[1:18:57] they all signed and u and and like so they I grew up like you know I don't know a quarter of a mile from Lil Bear um and they so I used to walk by it on my way on my way from my house my mom's house to uh to my school every single day and anyway so they they came they went to Lober and and and had a nice kind of old-fashioned too much sweet sauce you know old style French place it's gone now at Town and Country Shopping Center and And they had they used to have a seating chart like with,

[1:19:28] you know, they showed like where all of the diplomats sat. >> That's cool. >> Where Clinton was and all that, what what type of wine they had. But I always always like I laughed at that. I was like, "This is like French food diplomacy. We're hungry. We can't eat this shitty base food anymore." >> No. No. It gets to be too much. >> Yeah. And by the way, uh, totally true. Uh, two toes. Yeah, that's a surprisingly excellent museum. >> That is big. It's not like a, oh, pop in

[1:19:58] for 30 minutes and you'll see everything. That's a half day event and it's good. I mean, it's also got a strong uh aeronautics aspect to it also. Um, and also uh and also all the the space stuff is amazing, too. >> Um, >> yeah. >> So, someone I lived in Dayton then. The story back then is that Malva insisted something needed to be signed. I think it was Clinton, but I don't know. Who knows? Who knows? All we know is

[1:20:29] that people were hungry and they ended up at Loberge. >> Indeed. >> But um yeah, and it was a boring place. Um but anyway, yeah, I love that story. So um so let's talk a little bit before we should wrap it up. The um the the the the homeless executive order. >> Yeah. Um, this could be an opportunity for Democrats to say, "You know what, Mr. President, you're right. Homelessness is a is a national shame for the world's richest country. Um, we shouldn't have

[1:21:00] anybody sleeping outside. Let's let's work together on this. Um, that's that can't happen, right?" >> No. Yeah. There was a piece in the post today saying that, you know, it's all fine and good to sign an executive order, but the the truth of the matter is that this is a a state issue and he might be able to to fiddle with what little federal funding there is, but there's nothing he can do to force, you know, tent cities to be removed or to force people into mental institutions or

[1:21:32] whatever. He can't do anything. Now, if he wants to make a proposal to take abandoned or mothballled military bases and turn them into housing for the homeless where maybe they can undergo some job training, get mental health uh care, whatever, and then be reintroduced into society. I guess that's something else. But I think this is mostly talk. >> I agree. Yeah. I mean, I don't think it's one of those things that can get done this way. Very. I think we could

[1:22:04] maybe ask answer this last question. I think we need to and then we should be on our way and start our weekends. So, what do you think what do we think about Trump saying Obama could be arrested over the Russia election scandal? >> Well, thanks thanks to Donald Trump going to the Supreme Court, a president can't be arrested for anything. >> Correct. >> Issues done closed. >> If it was ex Yeah. All that Obama would have to argue is that he did it in the exercise of his functions as president of the United States. >> Yes. Now, John Brennan is another issue.

[1:22:36] Just before we started this show, I interviewed um Matt Taibbe for for my other podcast, Deep Focus, and Matt says I I I sort of lamented the fact that that what the Justice Department um has had referred to it is um misdemeanor charges against Brennan and Comey. um related to allegedly lying to Congress. And he said, "Yeah, that's true." But he said what he's hearing now is that they are actively pursuing felony conspiracy

[1:23:08] charges against at least Brennan and maybe Brennan and Comey. >> Wow. >> Yeah. And I'll tell you what, I mentioned to you offline the other day, I will go to Brennan's trial every single day. I mean it >> with a big fat grin on your face. >> Karma is real and she's an evil [ __ ] >> And I think that's a perfect place to start our weekend.

[1:23:41] John Kuryaku, thank you so much as always. It's a pleasure to be here with you. >> Yeah, it's always fun. Uh we're we're we're deeprogram. We're going to be here again next week. Monday, Wednesday, Friday 5:00 pm Eastern. Maybe we should try for the week the the whole every day the week after maybe. But >> sure, we could try that. >> Okay. All right. So, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Eastern five o'clock. Um, please like, follow, and share the show. Seriously, please share it. Like, you know, just find the link and pass it around. Massive thing for us. Um, we're

[1:24:13] trying to get it. I mean, the numbers are definitely go in the right direction, but um, anything you can can do to make them go there even faster would be much appreciated. Um, as always, thanks for your questions. It was always fun to answer them. We have the best fe the best viewers. Love you guys. Take care. >> Thanks everybody.
