Title: DeProgram Show with Ted Ra
Show: DeProgram Show with Ted Rall and Jamarl Thomas
Date: 2025-08-14
URL: https://youtu.be/Htr-FhIuCKo
Duration: 68:00

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[00:00] Hi everyone, you're watching the drogram show. I'm Ted R. Over there is CIA whistleblower John Kuryaku. Uh we are talking to you on Thursday, August 14th, 2025. Thanks so much for joining us. We have a very short show today because John's got a train to catch. >> Sorry. >> And I guess with the new regime in Washington DC, which we'll be talking about, the trains might be running more on time than in the past. We'll explain that. We're here. We've this week we are here Monday, Wednesday, Friday 5: PM

[00:30] except we weren't here yesterday. So, but we will be back tomorrow at 5:00 PM. Uh please like, follow and share the show. Uh we will be next week inaugurating our daily schedule Monday through Friday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday for people who are not familiar with the days of the week at 5:00 p. p.m. Eastern time. Thank you so much for supporting the show. You guys are awesome. Since we do have such a short time, John, let's just get into it. Why don't you talk to a little bit about uh what you encountered in or what you what's going on in

[01:01] Washington DC where uh the National Guard has been federalized and the uh Washington Metropolitan Police which is the local police force has also been federalized by Donald Trump ostensibly to crack down on street crime. >> Yeah. The thing is though there is no street crime not in the parts of Washington that that Donald Trump is talking about. Yes, there are bad neighborhoods in Washington just like there are anywhere in any city regardless of size. But uh this is a publicity stunt. What makes me so upset

[01:31] today and I'm smiling because there's one funny component to it too. the the cops plus the National Guard plus the FBI and ATF and DEA have set up roadblocks on major thorough affairs like 14th Street which is one of the most important um streets in all of Washington. They set up roadblocks and what are they doing at the roadblocks? They are writing tickets for people who are not wearing their seat belts. Seriously, >> is that all they're doing?

[02:02] >> Dozens. That is it. And they they wrote a couple tickets for uh brake lights being out. The Washington Post is is reporting um there was an incident on uh Ust Street at 14th and U last night. I was telling Ted before the show started that uh that Ust Street is kind of famous because it was the center of the Washington jazz scene 100 years ago. It's where Duke Ellington uh lived and performed and the Duke Ellington school is there now. Anyway, it's a real hipster area. great restaurants and bars

[02:34] and it's a little bit seedy but in a cool way. Anyway, a 38-year-old white man was coming out of a a Subway sandwich shop. He saw a bunch of National Guards people and he called them fascist pigs and words were exchanged and he threw his sandwich at one of them and the sandwich hit the National Guardsman in the shoulder and he was promptly tackled and arrested and Janine Piro of course being the new US attorney for the District of Columbia

[03:05] called a late night press conference last night to announce that this deranged criminal had been arrested. he was being charged with a felony count of assaulting a police officer and that her office would be asking for 10 years in prison. Well, you know, it's created it's led to all these memes being created today. And I told Ted there's there's no jury anywhere in Washington that is going to convict this guy of assault on a police officer for throwing a sandwich. But

[03:38] we're we're in the silly period and I I have to go to the train station. Um is is well right at 5:30 or 5:25 or something like that. And I'm going to have to figure a way around these roadblocks because my train leaves at 6:05 and I don't have time to fool around with these people. >> Well, you better not be You're not bringing a packed sandwich lunch, are you? With you on the train because you could be you could be shot. >> It's a weapon. It's a It's a weapon. Yeah. It's gotten just nuts already.

[04:09] >> I do feel badly for the for the innocent sandwich that >> I said to you earlier, I hope it was either tuna or meatball. At least then it would be worth it. I hope it's not like, you know, salami that's not going to leave a mark. >> No. Well, not to mention, I love salami. >> Um, so well, so yeah, I liked Janine Piro's statement. She said, "Oh, he thought it was funny, but we charged him with 10 years in prison. Now he doesn't think it's so funny." Oh, Janine, you just made it funnier.

[04:39] >> Yeah, >> it was always going to be funny. It's not going to ever not be funny. >> This is up there. >> I made a mistake last week. >> This is the This is like when uh that guy the the Iraqi journalist threw the shoe at Bush. >> Shoe. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Two shoes. >> You were saying I >> I made a mistake last week when I said that uh the National Guard could only be called out for three days before Congress had to approve it. Turns out there's a proviso in the law that says that if Congress is not in session, the three days becomes 30 days. So by the

[05:10] time the 30 days is up, Congress will be back in session and then Trump can make his case for renewing for another 30 days. The bottom line here on this deployment, I guess we have to call it a deployment, is Donald Trump hates looking out the window and seeing homeless people, right? He hates it and he wants them all cleared out and he doesn't care where they go. can put him in the woods or send him to Maryland or send him to New York, but he does not want homeless people in the the parts of Washington where tourists go, which is

[05:40] sick. But, you know, rather than to try to fix the the homeless problem, you just throw them out and make them somebody else's problem. That's what we're headed toward. >> Yeah. Yeah, I mean that's a very different attitude than look, he wasn't my favorite president, but George HW Bush wrote quite eloquently about looking out the window of the White House and seeing a homeless guy sleeping on a great uh in the ellipse or near the ellipse uh between the White House and I don't know what street that is. Um you would know and he and he just said this is just not right. This is this is

[06:12] beneath the dignity of of the United States of America. And of course, obviously he was right. But there's been no I I don't think there's ever been a serious attempt to to grapple with homelessness at the federal level. Um there's a couple of cities who do a good job. They call it housing first like in Dallas and Denver. And basically it's conditionfree housing. >> Just come in. If you have a substance or an alcohol abuse problem, no worries. You can keep using come in and of course obviously we're going to have counselors help you and social workers help you.

[06:43] Just having a home, just having a roof over your head often goes a long way to making people stop self-medicating. >> That's right. That's exactly right. And I I want to point out real quickly, too, that Robbie is informing me that Sandwich Man has also been fired from his job. >> Oh yeah, he was a DOJ employee. Yeah. >> A DOJ employ. Oh my god. The the world's gone crazy or we've gone crazy anyway. >> Yeah. I mean, what I mean, what does it mean, right? I mean, so the fact that first of all, a heavily armed guy with

[07:15] Kevlar is so pissed that he gets a sandwich thrown at him that he has to go after him. Okay. And then what does it mean? What is what message, you know, uh, politically is the administration trying to send with such a radical overcharge? I mean, you know, obviously they know that people like us are going to make fun of them and everyone else is going to make fun of them and the overcharge is only going to draw attention to it. Yes. Are they basically just like is it is this simply like a don't [ __ ] with us move or >> That's exactly what it is. >> That's exactly what it is. And like I

[07:46] said, if if these guys were going to go to, you know, deep southeast Washington, which is the highest crime or deep northeast Washington as well, the the two highest crime areas in the city, and try to straighten the the place out and, you know, maybe raid the crackouses or, you know, disrupt shootings or whatever. Okay, great. Good on them. >> That's not what they're doing. >> No, not at all. >> I think this is all about normalizing the militarization of American city

[08:17] streets. Um, you know, the thing the LA and the DC I mean they're basically standing around. They're not really doing anything like you say. So, what's this? This is about making us used to seeing heavily armed soldiers on the street. The way that if you live in Israel, you're always used to seeing soldiers with uh you know uzies uh out on the street. Uh if you live in if you're in any number of countries in the developing world, you're used to seeing heavily armed troops or paramilitaries out on the streets. And you know, I think that's about that's what this is

[08:48] about. >> I think that's exactly right. >> Yeah. Um, let's talk about uh we got to talk about the big story of the day because we time is short. I don't want to miss out on it. Uh, Putin and Trump meeting today in Anchorage, Alaska. Um, Nicholas Kristoff at the New York Times had I thought and he's not he's normally one of the more sober Democrats. I thought he had a complete case of Russian derangement syndrome today. He said that the choice of Anchorage, Alaska was a uh a sop to Putin because

[09:18] it used to belong to Russia and it confirms the idea that borders are funible. Now, I could I could interpret it the opposite and say, well, it's actually a diss to Putin because we're forcing him to come to us and also he doesn't get like a 16, you know, a 21 gun salute at the White House and he doesn't get uh, you know, and also we're rubbing his nose in the fact that we now own former Russian property. I mean, which I don't think that's true either, but I mean, it's just basically looking for stuff to

[09:50] criticize. I think they chose Anchorage because it's sort of halfway in between. >> Right. Right. It's going to take Trump probably what seven hours, seven and a half hours to get there. It's going to take Putin maybe 10 hours to get there. Little less than that. Go. >> It's either that or Vladivastto. Right. >> Well, I think you're right. I I think Yeah, that's right. It's either that or Vladivastic. Um Vladivastic. Uh I think you're right. I think it's kind of sort of the halfway point. Yeah, that >> I'm sure that's what I'm sure that's what >> I will say today, I was looking at the

[10:21] Russian media today, the Russians are bringing a who's who of their top diplomats and negotiators. So, at least from the Russian side, they're taking this very seriously. Ah, sanctions temporary lifted. Could RT and Sputnik be back on the menu? That is the subject of hours and hours of text messages I have been exchanging all day with my former Sputnik and RT um colleagues. There are a lot of hopeful people who were not hopeful yesterday. So that's

[10:52] >> I'm sure >> that's what we're pulling for. >> Obviously there's not going to be any deal without without that happening. I would think >> it's one of those things like I don't think it's a priority. I don't think it's the a priority but I think it doesn't nothing gets done without that happening. >> If that makes sense. Yes, indeed. >> So, uh, basically it looks like this is all going to boil down to mineral rights, right? So, Zalinski promised rare earth meta, uh, minerals to, uh, Trump if he kept supporting Ukraine. Um,

[11:23] now Putin's like, I'll see your rare earths and I'll raise you 2 million tons of aluminum that you really need. Um, and so basically, is this is it going to boil down to an eBay auction for uh whoever is willing to cough up the most minerals to Trump? >> I think so, Ted. Uh, but at the same time, they're going to have to throw something at Zalinski. You know, you gota you got to get Zalinski to a place where he's willing

[11:53] to concede territory. That's the bottom line. >> He's going to have to concede territory, >> right? I mean, he's saying, "Yeah, I mean, well, he is going to have to," right? I mean, so I think I mean, what this looks like to me, if it works, John, and tell me what if you if you think I'm wrong, is basically, uh, Trump and Putin hash out a deal. Crimea obviously stays with Russia. Donbas pretty much stays with Russia. Uh, the probably uh, no NATO membership for

[12:26] Ukraine, which makes sense because they'd have a disputed border anyway. Zilinsky can stay because his own people will get rid of him and send him off to to Lake Ko. So, uh they can join the EU, no mus, no fuss. Um and then basically that's and then they go to they go to then Trump calls Zilinsky and says, "This is it. Take it or leave it. I'll offer you security guarantees if you agree to it, but not if you don't agree to it. Um and then I'll just stop. I'll

[12:56] just cut off all funding and arms. That's it. >> You know, >> that's what it basically looks like. >> I think so. And and so many people have been saying for so long that Zalinski is weak. Zalinski is in a box. He's in a corner. He can't call the shots. He's he actually has a couple of cards in this hand. >> Well, he can just say no. and he can bring the Germans and the French and and the rest of the of the European countries, whether they're NATO or the EU, along with him and try to isolate uh

[13:28] Trump and without without a formal agreement seating this this territory there there is no peace and then Trump fails. >> No doubt. No doubt. >> Can I ask can I add something? Um Eric Huso is saying what about the Ukraine Nazis? Um, Colonel uh uh uh Doug um Oh my god, what's the matter with me? You know who I'm talking about. Doug uh now I have to look at my phone.

[13:59] McGregor. Colonel Doug McGregor was on Judge Npalitano today and Npalitano asked him what about the Ukrainian Nazis or these Nazi units? He said um they were decimated early early in the fighting. They've been moved far away from the front. They're less >> right. They got captured. >> That's right. And they're just not um they're not of import. So the Ukrainians have essentially already be been denazified is what he said. And and

[14:30] he's kind of pro-Russian. So I mean >> I mean look, I always said that denoxific we you and I both said that denazification was always a throwaway demand. >> Yeah, it was. We we have said that >> and and it kind of it kind of had to be because it's impossible to enforce. I mean, yeah, you know, you want to see all those Bandaraa signs ripped off the wall, but that's for the Ukrainians to deal with. >> That's it. >> That's right. >> So, all right. So, I guess uh we need a uh Oh, this is really funny. After this meeting, we need an emergency drogram

[15:01] live stream this weekend, >> perhaps. So, we'll see how it goes. >> We'll see how it goes. John and I are going to be in the same city this weekend. Yes. >> So, we'll be both be here in whatever is left in New York after it all boils away in the current heat wave. Um, so let's see. Uh, did you get a chance to go to Russia when we all were implied with Sputnik? No, I never went. And I kind of always fished around for an invitation, but >> I always fished for >> I went um I I went on my own dime uh in

[15:34] uh 2023 and uh it was great. I mean, yeah, I mean I'd been before, but it was obviously really interesting to go in the current situation >> uh after the beginning of the war. the biggest uh there were some serious practical concerns which is uh even though things were a lot cheaper for tourists than they had been uh you had to bring all of your money in cash because your credit cards and your debit cards don't work at all. So um although I found a workaround, but I'm not going to say what that was because it might screw things up for uh other tourists

[16:05] who go there. But there there is a workaround. >> Uh you know I hope I I I don't know if it still might not work anymore but who knows. Uh, Asaf had never had more than 200 people. Cameron Drawley says, "It's weird, but it's been blown way out of proportion in my opinion." >> I think that's probably right. >> Perhaps, but I mean, you know, how many how many American military units have swas on their uniforms? I mean, not that many. Uh, none. You know, like you can be drummed out of the military for being

[16:35] a neo-Nazi. >> You know, there you might get promoted. >> Um, so yeah. No, we're I'm very hopeful. We'll see what happens. Although, frankly, I'm I'm hopeful for this show, too. I mean, you know, it's >> I am too. I am, too. And, you know, we're getting to the point, thanks to our fantastic and dedicated uh listeners and viewers, that um we're getting to the point where we may not need a helping hand from RT or from uh from >> That's true. Especially if you all go to over to Rumble uh Rumble.com. Yeah,

[17:07] >> there's the terrible URL. We didn't invent it. The C thing. Just go to Rumble if you're not already doing that. We get paid like 80 times more uh if you literally if you go watch us on Rumble. Uh and also there's going to be exclusive content over there. It's you could just you can either see all Rumble content exclusively for five bucks for 10 bucks a month. But if you don't care about Rumble in general, you just want to see us, it's five bucks a month or if you just watch us over there, um it's it's helpful, too. So that's that's our little that's our little sales pitch

[17:38] here. Um, okay. So, let's move on here. So, what do you So, what do you what do you expect from this initial meeting? Some people are reporting this is a getting to know you summit and that the real thing will be later. >> Yeah, they're trying to tamp down expectations, but you know how Trump is. Trump is going to probably throw out this gigantic grand plan to end all conflicts. Just >> I like it. >> Yeah, I do too. just to see what uh what

[18:09] the Russians uh response will be. Um there there's never any downside to diplomacy. I I've said this for decades. >> It's never a bad thing to talk to our enemies. >> Never. >> Better to jaw jaw than to war. Churchill said, >> "Yeah, that's right. We we shouldn't expect any giant breakthroughs, but this is at the opening of a door and I >> happen. So, is is Putin the reticence madman that's being portrayed in the American media?

[18:39] >> Nope. Not if he's bringing Lavrov and a and a and a stable of seasoned diplomats. No. >> And his own self. >> Seriously. And his own self. That's right. This is a summit. An actual summit. >> No, this is this is too serious. This is a serious thing. Um >> Yeah. I mean, who knows? I mean, I think it's in a way, I don't think this is complicated. Um, you know, it's like the details of land swaps will the drawing that border will look like Versailles in 1919. But >> yes,

[19:10] >> um, and definitely it's going to be an ugly look for the Ukrainians as their fate is decided >> uh whether they get to stay in their hometown or not >> uh based on the whims of cgraphers. So it is going to feel a little bit like British imperialism but >> um okay Israel uh lots going on there. So uh basically Israel's now talking to five countries about uh accepting Gazin refugees, expulsion victims, ethnic cleansing victims. Um is this going to

[19:41] go anywhere, John? I mean I I >> No, I talked to Miko Pellet about this today uh for my other podcast. This is this is literally the definition of ethnic cleansing. Yes. >> Which is a form of genocide and is illegal under international law. So no, they they tried with the Albanians. They tried with the Indonesians. They tried with the Egyptians and the Saudis. Now they're talking about sending two million people to South Sudan, the worst place on earth. >> Ridiculous. >> You can't do it. It's illegal. I

[20:13] strongly recommend um that people read the latest Ezra Klene um transcript that's in the New York Times where he interviewed a guy who's an expert on the definition of genocide which is called is it genocide? And basically it just explains the history of how genocide came to be defined as a term uh during actually before World War II uh and then and then how it got popularized. >> Do you know where it came from? >> Isn't isn't it from the Armenian genocide or >> No. >> No. Um, it was it was a word coined by

[20:44] the father of Robert Morganthal in 1921. He happened to be on an American ship in the port of Isizmir as the Turks were slaughtering Greeks and Armenians, literally slaughtering them. >> And Yenos is peoples, right? >> Yenosidi genocide is the killing of a people. And so he coined the term in a letter that he was writing to the

[21:16] president. Yeah. In fact, Robert Morgan thou he was almost like a hundred years old. He came to testify before the Senate rel foreign relations committee when I was working there and he had to take my arm in the hall and I walked him to the hearing room and I said that I had just finished a book called um Smeirna 1921. I said I didn't realize that your father had coined the term genocide. and he said yes. And on his deathbed he said that that was the thing that he was the most proud of. >> That's cool. I like it.

[21:46] >> Isn't that cool? >> Um so and yeah, the definition of genocide is not just you know uh death camps like Achvitz. It's u you know it can include that of course but it's also about uh making it impossible for people to live in a certain place. You you might not that you could have a genocide that might not kill anyone. >> That's right. Like forcing them to move to South Sudan. And Eric has a question here too. odds that Israel tax Iran again. Eric, I have moved dramatically over the past week, especially after reading Treata Parsey's uh piece on

[22:18] Substack a couple of days ago. I think the chances are very good that Israel is going to attack Iran in the next three weeks. It'll be >> for distraction purposes to uh scuttle any peace talks to uh force Trump to to come to heal. >> Exactly. Uhhuh. >> Will it work? I mean, if you're if you're if you're Trump, you've got to be like you gota you gota see right through that. >> I mean, that's the kind of thing that Trump would do. Therefore, I would think that Trump would recognize it.

[22:50] >> I think I think he probably would. >> It's Yeah. You know what I mean? It's like, >> yeah, >> don't [ __ ] a bullshitter. >> That's right. I hope that's the case. I'm worried >> also. So, okay. So, these five countries would all be viewed as complicit in genocide. So, >> they're just Why are they talking to the Israelis at all? Ted, a lot of them haven't actually been asked. Like the Indonesians are like, "Whoa, whoa, we never heard of it." >> Yeah. We're not giving up an island for two million Palestinians to come. No. And the Albanians are like, "Are you

[23:20] kidding us? We're the poorest country in Europe, and you want to send two million more people here?" That's insane. Well, I'm sure they would love to divvy them up. Kind of like uh you know, the US divvied up the Guantanamo victims. Um but, you know, there were only a few hundred of those. >> Yeah. And some got lucky and some got unlucky. Some went to Switzerland, some went to Albania, >> right? Yeah. Some went to Bermuda, >> some went to Tahiti. Yeah. A couple more went to, you know, Bangladesh. So, it's the luck of the draw.

[23:51] >> Uh I uh let's Okay. Well, we got to talk about this uh Sue me Terry story. Uh this is your wheelhouse. This is your bailwick. John, take it away. >> Oh, okay. And I have one minute because I gotta go. Sumi Terry, who I had forgotten until Robbie reminded us is the wife of Max Boot and she is now >> formerly of the Wall Street Journal. >> That's right. So, I'm going to I'm going to get the exact >> He was my editor at the Wall Street Journal for a time. >> She's a She's a big deal. So, she's

[24:22] being charged with spying spying for South Korea. This is going to be a real stretch, it seems to me, Ted, because she's widely respected, providing analysis. The Justice Department is saying that actually, I'm going to pull it up. She was she's been charged with multiple offenses not under the Espionage Act, but under the Farah Act, Foreign Agents Registration Act, which means that oh my god, she forgot to fill

[24:55] out a form on the internet. That makes it a felony. Now, that calls for a sentence of 0 to six months, first offense. On Farah, the Justice Department doesn't care what it is. Uh, Maria, what's her face? From from Russia. Thank you. Uh, was convicted of failing to file and even though it was zero to six months recommendation, she got 18 months in solitary confinement. So, I don't know

[25:26] why the CIA is demanding that these charges be pursued. I think it's kind of nuts. And I'm no friend of Max Boots. I never never >> Do you think she's guilty? She may be guilty of, you know, laziness. And like I say, the crime literally is failing to fill out a form on the internet. Literally, >> that's that's sort of like uh Yeah. Like, you know, we talked about RT and Sputnik. >> That's something that like under um under the uh what is that thing called? The Farah. Like they had to fill out a form every single day. Yeah.

[25:56] >> And I'm going to apologize to our viewers. I've got to run. I have to dodge these these roadblocks and get to the train station. >> John, go ahead. Go, go with God. I'll see you this weekend. >> I'll see you tomorrow at the You Know Where and uh see you at the You Know Where. I'll be there. >> And All right. Cool. And and we'll be back uh tomorrow at 5:00 PM, right? You're still good for tomorrow at 5. >> Okay, cool. I'm gonna Thanks, John. Go. John's going to take off. Um I'm going to stick around. There was a request uh from inside the uh inside the chat here

[26:27] on both the Rumble and on uh the uh on YouTube to uh do a Q&A with me once John leaves. So, if anybody's interested uh in doing that, I'll stick around as long as people are interested in doing that. Okay. All right. Um Okay. First, uh Clovis overrules us all. Clovis is my cat, so uh if he blesses us with his presence, I'm looking around. I don't see him. Okay. So, uh, I'm being requested here for the, uh, to for the

[26:57] LA Times story debacle. All right, I will tell that story as short and as sweet as I possibly can because it is a very, uh, long and complicated ordeal, but the long story short is in uh, 2009, I was hired as the staff cartoist at the LA Times. Um, it was honestly, you know, just like one of the biggest breaks you could ever get, especially at a time when the industry was falling apart. 2009 uh you know was during the global recession and newspapers were hit super hard. So I was really lucky to get the

[27:28] gig. I was very excited about it and uh anyway I worked there without incident uh between 2009 and 2015. Now, um that what that entailed was every every 2 three days I drew a cartoon for the LA Times. And then about this is important. Um about 2012 or so, they called me and said, "Oh, would you be willing to write a blog that would go with the cartoon that would sort of uh explain uh you sort of how you came up

[34:15] handcuffs going on. There's no there's there's no sound of an angry crowd. There's no indication that the cop ever was rude to you. And I'm like, this thing doesn't show anything. It could have space aliens on it. But he didn't, you know, the guy the fix was clearly in. Long story short, Nick Goldberg fires me. Um, they print an article in the LA Times calling me a liar and a fabulist to explain my firing. And clearly the goal here was to not only get rid of me but also to make sure I

[34:46] would never work in journalism again. Few days later I start getting I I get a a fan who writes to me and says you know I've been reading about this. This is a big national story. It's on Fox News. It's on the AP. It's all over the place. Um and uh you know Ted R fired for for making up story about poor innocent LAPD. So uh I'm completely desperate. But I think my life and my career is completely destroyed. And anyway, this fan writes and says, "Have you ever heard of audio enhancement technology?"

[35:18] And audio enhancement is basically uh where you can strip away noise and maybe reveal what's underneath the noise. So, can you please send So, this guy was like, I know a guy who knows a guy. Long story short, three different people did enhancements and they all ended up getting the same results, which was once you cleared away the noise, it was still pretty crappy, but you could hear, among other things, uh, people screaming at the police officer, let him go, why are you hurting him, take off his handcuffs,

[35:49] and so on. It all vindicated my sto my side of the story. Nothing vindicated the LAPD side of the story. I sent this audio recording to the LA Times figuring it's going to be fine. They're gonna they're going to see reason. Obviously, there's no reason for them to go on. But what I didn't realize was that there was this power dynamic where LAPD uh chief Charlie Beck had secretly met with Austin Bututner, who was a former mayoral candidate. Uh he was a a hedge

[36:19] fund billionaire, the publisher of the LA Times who had been installed by the LAPD pension fund as publisher in 2014. They even gave him as soon as he in the same way that Obama won the Nobel uh in uh for peace prize six months after being president just basically for being a Democrat and for being black. Um, Austin Butner won the LAPD badge and eagle award for service to the LAPD just for being the publisher of the LA Times. Parenthetically, you're not you're not

[36:51] supposed to as an employee of the LA Times accept any kind of awards whatsoever from uh any agency other than, you know, something like the Pulitzers, a journalistic organization, which obviously the LAPD is not. You're certainly not supposed to accept favors from the government. Anyway, long story short, I post all this um to my to my blog. I write about it in my syndicated column. Uh a news website called a new domain goes after it, sicks their investigative team all over it. Um

[37:23] it ultimately works it winds its way through the Guardian. Uh the New York Observer, owned by Jared Kushner at the time, decides to do their own enhancement. Everyone ends up basically on my side and against the LAPD, the LA Times. The LA Times three weeks later decides to double down with yet another smear piece saying, "Well, okay, this time we hired our own enhancement people and they say that Ted R's stuff isn't there." Well, first of all, there's no Ted R stuff. this is other people professionals who found this information

[37:54] and then um they so my friend who's at a new domain she's like you know I went to school with this guy uh this audio enhancement expert that the LA Times is citing it doesn't sound like he would say something like this that he would make things up she calls him up she calls me back two hours later she said you better be sitting down I just got off the phone with Paul with uh with uh Paul Griggas I think was his name. Uh, and he says, you know, the LA the LA Times never hired me. They lied about

[38:26] me. They made up a quote to say that I had said there was nothing there. I never wrote any said anything of the kind. The LA Times basically just made this up and used my name. And now my reputation is smeared because everyone thinks that I'm the stoogge of the LA Times and the LAPD. LA Times is in embroiled in this massive scandal in the in August of September of 2015. Um, after a while they had to shut down all of the comment sections to the uh to the LA Times website because even in the

[38:57] sports section, people were posting comments like, "Yeah, you say the Packers won, but what does the LAPD say happened at the game?" So, anyway, this went on for years. I sued in uh LA in the LA uh trial court. Um the fix was in um every single step of the way. Uh, and I kind of feel bad because there's questions piling up here and I can go on and talk about the court procedure, but basically uh this story involves

[39:27] everyone from Governor uh Gavin Newsome to uh the uh to Tom Gerardi, the disgraced uh lawyer who was married to uh Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Erica Jane, to uh my judge who was having an affair with Tom Gerardy who was also friends with Charlie Beck. It's an incestuous snake bit politically over there. Anyway, that's the short version of what happened. Needless to say, ultimately Gavin Newsome overruled

[39:59] the uh California Supreme Court, had my case thrown out. Uh and that's kind of like where that went down five years later. I currently have a judgment for $1.2 2 million in legal fees against me in the state of California because basically the court decided, you know, they decided to award the LA Times uh their legal fees because they are the poor innocent victims of Ted R who was trying to censor them. Okay. What was my beef? Uh Reed wants to know what was my beef with Anne Coulter. and Coulter

[40:31] jokingly, haha, said, "Hey, um, you know, Ted Ra, uh, entered the, uh, the anti-semitic Iranian cartoon contest." Okay, I didn't. So, I was really furious about this and I did threaten to sue her. I put it out. I I asked people, "If I sue her, would you help fi back me up financially?" Uh, I collected a lot of pledges, but then when I talked to lawyers, they said, "I'd never win.

[41:03] She's protected by First Amendment and satire just as I am." And, uh, I guess I guess unless I'm going after the LAPD. And so therefore, uh, I decided not to pursue it, as I said, in public. Um, and I I think it was really reckless. Uh, she basically accused me of consorting with terrorists and being an anti-semite. So, I was really really furious here. Okay. Um, Starline wants to know, "How do I feel about Ian Ran?" Two-part question. First, as an author, second, as a leerous old woman who prayed on young

[41:35] male college libertarians. Um, I'm not a fan of her writing. I I I definitely understand the appeal to the people who she appeals to. Um, I think she's talented. Uh, but she's not my cup of tea at all. Um, as someone who's always kind of had a fondness for older women, uh, I don't think that those uh, young male college libertarians were victimized in any way, shape, or form, when I was, uh, you know, they were over 18 years old. They're consenting adults, and she probably taught them a lot, and

[42:07] uh, you know, good for them. Uh, but if they're under 18, then I feel very differently about it. I mean, when I was 20, I had a uh, over 60 girlfriend for a time, so I'm biased there. Okay, let me uh we've got a few more questions here. Okay, not um over on the Rumble feed, uh Nadia Margaret wants to know, "Do I draw by hand or do I use a graphic tablet?" Draw by hand. Um here's a cartoon that I'm working on right now. This is how I draw them like a pen and ink. Uh it's just on Bristol board. Here's the pen. I

[42:39] draw it black and white like this. And then uh when it's done, I scan it into Photoshop and add the colors and make any mistakes that uh fixed in Photoshop. Um, okay. How do I get in uh Rex0527 on Rumble wants to know, "How do I get into politics? I'm 16 in Arkansas and I really want to be more involved in anything. Helps also to love your content. I've been watching you since you guys started." Thank you so much, Rex. Much appreciated. Um, so how do you want to be more involved? Well, I mean,

[43:10] it depends on, you know, if you want to be involved in one of the two major parties, the best thing to do is is to go to the lo local party headquarters or the part party headquarters of one of the candidates. Um, and, you know, get to volunteer for a campaign and work for it. If you're more interested in activist politics outside of electoral politics, uh, find an organization that speaks to you and just reach out and say, "Hey, what are you guys doing? Do you have any meetings? Uh, can I, uh, do you have any literature I can read?" Uh, that's what I did when I was a kid. Um, I I went to work I was 10 years old and

[43:42] I worked for the McGovern campaign with my mom. Oh, I didn't reach out. She did that. Uh, but I did phone bank for uh Jimmy Carter. And then I moved to the left after Michael Dakus. I worked on I was a New York youth coordinator for Dakus when I was 25 in 1988. And I decided that I really just couldn't stand electoral Democratic politics internally anymore and that I was to the left of that and uh I migrated. But, you know, you do you and just basically keep an eye out for people who appeal to you

[44:14] that way. Um, so many questions. Okay. Uh, Hardin66 wants to know, "Do you have any concerns about how the media is currently used within the US? As from the outside, it looks like it's all propaganda for political gain as opposed to informing the public." Um, well, yeah. Um, you know, I do we have 10 hours? Uh we're we're not going to be able to get to all that but yes um the obviously so much of the media is propaganda and it's very dangerous. It literally leads to people

[44:46] dying in wars. I mean think about the uh you know currently what's going on in Israel. US support for Israel is uh without any fil any filter at all. Uh there's no restraint whatsoever and as a result hundreds of thousands and it is hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have lost their lives. Many more have been severely traumatized. They're going to ethnically cleanse the entire strip if they get away with it. And they're doing that because of the media uh not only in Israel, which is strictly controlled and self-controlled, but also here in the United States because we're

[45:17] paying the bill. And we're only paying the bill because the political support is generated by American propaganda. So, yeah, no doubt about it. It's a terrible, terrible thing. Um, all right. So, let's talk about what's my opinion on georgism and taxing the unimproved value of land. I need more details on that, Tom. I I have to admit no opinion at all. Um, was the 2001 jaywalking before or after 911? Good question. Uh, Star Lion. Uh, it was um a it was

[45:48] actually after 911. Um, it was in uh when was this? This was uh it was literally I think 3 weeks after 9/11. I think it was something like se like uh October 4th or so 2001. And in fact, one of the things that the people in the crowd yelled at the cop was uh you know what's wrong with you? Don't you have anything better to do with everything that's going on? And that was a reference to 911. Um you know it this

[46:18] this uh it was the corruption in uh what was called the west traffic bureau was thick and thin. In fact a group of dissident LAPD officers were furious at being told that they had to write tickets even to people who had not done anything wrong because they were just trying to generate revenue for the city. Uh and they had sued at the same time. Now in the same so those people the dissident cops they were being passed over for promotion and denied raises all the time. Meanwhile my cop will Durr uh

[46:51] was viewed as was constantly being promoted and told that and uh being given great reviews because he was a corrupt police officer. Um okay let's talk about another wonderful secret wants to know Trump's been out on bail since August 2023. 200 grand in his active Georgia criminal case. looks like he'll be held accountable after his term. That case isn't gonna just magically disappear. Very true. Very, very true. Um, in my experience, who which side has more grifters and hypocrites? Reed wants

[47:22] to know, liberal or conservative media? Well, I'm biased because I come from the left, so I pay more attention to the liberals than to the conservatives. you know, you always police your own side more than you police the uh other side, but I you I pay more attention to the liberals and the Democrats. And uh you know, I would have to say there's more true believers I think on the right than there are on in mainstream left media. Uh you know, there's you're not really getting the whole story. Like most of

[47:53] the New York Times editorial page, they're like me. They're socialists, but they can't admit it. They're just trying to cash a paycheck. And they'll tell you like over drinks the real deal, but you know, they just don't want to do that. Um, here we go. Star lying in print next to plagiarism, the fastest way to destroy a career in publishing. Yes. Yes. Um, what's my prediction about the Gaza genocide war going to end? Kak Ka Punct wants to know, Netanyahu in jail. Will the UN finally interfere or is the ethnic cleansing going to continue? It's

[48:24] really really hard to say, but clearly the you uh Israel is completely um a cornered animal increasingly. So um you know I this is going to go one of two ways. Either of them is going to be extreme and Netanyahu could end up in jail on those domestic political charges. Um I would love to see him arrested and brought up uh to the H where he belongs to be held accountable for what he's doing and what Israel is doing in general. Not just him, but all of the top Israeli commanders and

[48:55] government uh and min the war the war ministry uh the war cabinet members should all be brought up brought up. Um will the UN finally interfere? I think that's extremely doubtful just because the UN doesn't have a great history of bringing in white helmets to put an end to genocide. They weren't there for Rwanda in any meaningful way. I don't think they're going to be there in any in any meaningful way. the ethnic cleansing is going to continue. Uh I don't think any other country is going to take them uh the Palestinians and I don't think they should because that

[49:26] would be enabling genocide. So I think that's going to um you know I I I don't I I don't have an easy prediction there. I'm really really really sorry. Um, as someone who has heard recently about feds in journalism, do you know or how feds operate in journalism when they il infiltrate? Well, it's hard to say, right? I mean, the thing is that to me, the danger isn't really secret agents in journalism. To me, the danger is the uh

[49:57] the chummy relationships that take place uh in Washington and around the world where basically, you know, a journalist makes friends and with politicians and federal government and federal and state and local politicians and hangs with them and likes them. And this is why the embedding program in the military is so incredibly toxic. It shouldn't be permitted at all because it crosses that line. Journalists should be completely independent. You shouldn't be able to have any personal relationship what

[50:28] whatsoever with the people that you're covering. I mean, I think that's a big duh. I think most people would agree with it. And yet, it happens all the time. Um, Star Lion is saying, uh, there's a guy used to work in LAPD intelligence, Roth Miller, did a few did a good interview on Gates, the history of the red squad in the intelligence division. All right. I'll have to check that out. Um, yeah. Uh, let's see. What's the thing that Oh,

[50:59] what's the thing I have with Nuome that makes him look bad? Sarah Lion wants to know. Okay, I'll I'll fess. So, my case works its way up to the California Supreme Court. Um, short. This is uh right during the pan at the very beginning of the pandemic uh in 2020 and they say we are going to rule unanimously in Ted R's favor. The money quote is from the initial ruling. This appears to be one of the most egregious examples of corruption in the history of the state of California. My lawyers and

[51:29] I are completely ecstatic and thrilled and they say, "But the courts are about to shut down for months, maybe six months, maybe a year. The whole country is going on lockdown. We're all going away. Uh we'll get back to you." So to confir to issue the final ruling on April 1st and I think this is an interesting choice of date. Suddenly they without comment after after issuing this detailed wholesome declamation of

[52:00] the LAPD and the LA Times and corruption in Southern California. The court reverses itself from five to zero to 0 to five against me. No comment in an uncertified decision like Bush vGore. That means it's a decision that can never be used as a precedent in a California court because they know it's bad law and because it's political. Um, and anyway, the very next day I learned that two things. Number one, all of the cases against the LA Times have

[52:31] magically vanished at the California Supreme Court ruling uh level. Number two, Gavin Newsome holds a press conference with Dr. Patsun Xiang, the new the new owner of the LA Times, um in LA announcing that he will reopen the hospitals that he closed in order to treat California COVID patients. So, obviously, there was a quid proquo here. Uh I'll reopen my hospitals if you get rid of these medalsome people uh plaintiffs in the various age

[53:02] discrimination, liel, and other lawsuits against the LA Times from the previous regime. You know, Dr. Pat, you could have called and we could have just worked it out. I would have settled for an apology. I didn't need money. I needed a retraction. But, you know, when you're when you're a when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. And that's what Dr. Pat did. So, Gavin Newsome put his thumb on the scale. There's no question in my mind at all. And I think anybody who looks at it would see the same thing that I saw. And I swear to God, if he runs for

[53:34] president, I'm going to make it my business to make sure that California journalists go after him and get all the all the duty, everything there. All right. So, what's the sat what's the line between satire and defamation? Um, well, that's for the courts to decide, but um, you know, I think I think defamation is when you say something that could credibly be construed as true and is construed as damaging. I mean, so if I lie about what you wear, that's not really, you know, it might not be true,

[54:06] but it doesn't make it defamatory. But a good example of defamation would be, let's say context matters. So, let's say uh you accuse me of not washing my hands after I go to the bathroom. It's probably def it's not true or it might be true, but it's not really defamatory because who cares if a cartoonist or a podcaster washes their hands after they go to the bathroom? But let's say I'm a butcher. It would completely destroy my line of work. So in that incident instance, uh that could be defamatory if

[54:38] you falsely allege that I don't wash my hands after I go to the bathroom. Um now I if I let's say I I do something and that implies that satirically that a butcher doesn't wash his hands, but it's clearly a joke, that's satire. If it's not clearly a joke, like Anne Coulter, that's defamation. All right, let's see what else we got here. Um, and you do have to So, there's two kinds. You have to um defamation has to be untrue. Correct. Um, and you have to prove

[55:09] damages probably. That's correct, too. There's two kinds of defamation. There's p defamation, regular defamation, which you do have to prove actual damages like what jobs did you lose? What jobs did you not get? That's very hard to do. Then there's defamation per se, which is a higher standard, but you don't have to all you have to prove is that it was said. You don't have to prove that it would that it cost you any money. That would be something like, for example, you accuse someone of being a pedophile and they are a boy, they are a scoutmaster. You don't need to prove

[55:40] actual damages. It's so outrageous and if it's not true, that that would be defamation per se in most courts. I I don't know about I don't know if George RR Martin will ever finish his books, but I'm gonna guess probably not. He's been really slow. Um, all right. Let's see what else. Do I think Zachary Beard on Rumble think the US will ever ratify the Rome Statute and subject itself to the ICC? No. The US is a criminal organization and uh

[56:12] therefore it will never do that. I I think um how can I send you a copy of my graphic novel? Do I have a PO box? I do have a PO uh P po PO box. Um it is on my website. Go to raw.comcont and it's right there. Uh so go check that out. Um let's see. Uh on which issues do John and I disagree the most? You know, John and I tend to agree about a lot of things. Um, you know, he's he's probably

[56:45] I'm gonna have to I'm gonna have to think about that one. I don't really uh you know, we definitely aren't the same person and we have different backgrounds. Um I'm betting that he might have um a little more affection for uh you know the the for you know the the government than I do or but they betrayed him. I don't know. I'm just I'm spitting here. It's like I'd like to say we disagree about a lot of things but I don't think that's really true. Uh, so I'm not going to just make that up here. All right. So, thank you very much, uh,

[57:15] Marble 455 for that generous donation. Um, let's see. Can you take your case to the US Supreme Court? Yes, but so we did appeal to the US Supreme Court. Um, and it's a complicated thing. Justice Clarence Thomas indicated that he was very interested in my case. And um I'll take like John, I'll take my my friends wherever I can find them. The irony is that when we counted the votes on the Supreme Court, the liberals were going

[57:45] to go against me uh because they're in favor of the anti-slap statute that the LA Times abused to go after me. Um if you watch, everybody in the establishment loves the anti-slap law. This is the same thing that the New York Times used to screw over Sarah Palin. Um anyway, Thomas was interested in taking the case, but we realized that if we appe if we got before the US Supreme Court, and believe me, I would love to be talking to Nina Totenberg on NPR about my case, uh it would we would have

[58:16] lost probably uh by six to three and then my what the shitty thing that happened to me would be codified in federal law and would apply to everyone in the country. So, it could happen over and over again. And so one of the things you don't want to do is make, you know, if you make bad, they say bad cases make bad law. They don't mean that the case involves a bad person. They mean that a case like mine where it's novel and strange can lead to a really bad uh

[58:46] judicial verdict that can end up being abused by the powers that be. Um, no. I've never watched The Expanse. Don't know about it. Uh, who are the good Democrats in the party right now? No, there aren't any. Uh, okay. I'll check out Continuum and Okay, I'm trying to think. Um, I think we are probably Okay, Star Lion saying it's the most Occupy Wall Street show I've ever seen other than Mr. Robot. Another great Thinking Man's

[59:17] show. That's high praise. I will have to check that out. I've been lately I've been uh I've been wanting to watch Alien Earth uh but I don't have the channel that it's on. I've been watching old episodes of uh uh God, what's that show called? Banshee. It's trashy, but kind of fun. Uh for sure. And Mr. Robot, too. Yeah, for sure. All right, guys. We are Oh, we'll do Okay, we'll do one more here. What do I think of Obama contacting Mumani a few hours a few days

[59:48] ago? You know, I'm so happy, Cameron, that you brought this up because it really made my blood boil. So, one of the things that hap, you know, when I was a kid, um, I got bullied a lot in elementary school and, uh, sorry, in junior high school, not in elementary school as much. And I was walking home with a guy who lived in my neighborhood and we were friends and we played together and like one time he we're walking back and he had something to tell me and he's like, "Ted, would you do me a favor and just not acknowledge that we're friends at school because,

[1:00:19] you know, you're unpopular and no one likes you. I don't want to be seen as your friend." So, I had enough pride at that point to say, "You know what? No, I don't want to be your friend anymore." Uh, I you can't be my friend in public. I don't want to be your friend at all. Obama calling Mani the other day on the DL really reminded me of that. Barry, where the hell is your endorsement? you know, uh, Zeron Mumdani is the Democratic nominee for the mayor, mayor of New York, and he's almost certainly

[1:00:51] going to win in the general election, but he's the Democratic candidate. You should endorse him no matter what. Um, and he didn't do that. So, yeah. So, he's trying to have it both ways, like, oh, I'm going to be the Eminance Gre. I'm going to calm him down behind the scenes and it's going to and blah blah blah. and it got, you know, leaked out to the New York Times and other places and he gave him some some general advice. You know what? Mandani doesn't need your advice. I mean, he really doesn't need anything from Obama. But

[1:01:22] what he really needs, if he needs anything, is his endorsement. Something that he hasn't gotten from Hakee Jeff or from Governor Hokll. Um, all the top Democrats are freezing him out. So, screw him. Um, I think it's disgusting. Screw Obama. I hate that. Ah, I love this story. Okay, Reed, a great question. What was Barry like at Colombia? Oh, let me tell my Colombia story. Okay, I don't know if you've heard this before, but it's a good story, so it's worth repeating. So, um, oh, uh, when I was a sophomore at

[1:01:54] Colombia, um, I lived at a dorm called BHR, Brooks, uh, Brooks, um, what was something Reed Reed, BHR, uh, anyway, Huitt, Brooks Hwitt, Reed. And um when I was uh and so I lived on the first floor, room 146, Huitt. Uh and kind of like down the hall, but also on the first floor uh was the black students organization. And you know, there weren't that many black students at Colombia and they kind of stuck out like a sore thumb. It was a very very white

[1:02:25] school at the time. And I noticed this one kid who was had a very unusual look and had a fro uh hanging out a lot. And uh one time I walked by and I noticed him being dressed down by the president of the BSO and I overheard him say and I'll never forget it. He said, "Barry, you can't come around here anymore. You're always coming around here scamming on girls, but when it comes to putting up and throwing down and participating in the struggle, we can never count on you. You're gonna have to

[1:02:56] decide who you are." And uh at this was at the time when there was the student d um the the South Africa divestment struggle at Colombia and other schools around the country. And basically the left on campus was focused on that and the BSO as you can imagine was front and center there. And so basically, you know, when he emerged, uh, you know, I forgot all about Barry Obama until I I read in uh I guess the early 2000s in Time or Newsweek that there was this

[1:03:26] upand cominging state legislator in Illinois. And I I'll forget your your name, but I'll remember your face forever. And I was like, "Oh my god, that's the guy I went to school with back then." I was in the convention hall in 2004 when he gave his big speech. And you know, he's a man who's always been full of [ __ ] Um, when he emerged in 2007 as like, you know, running against the stupid war in uh in Iraq for the smart war in Afghanistan, I when, you

[1:03:58] know, I I was uh I decided to look into his voting record. Now, OB Obama voted six out of six times to fund the war. Six out of six times. That's when I realized he was full of [ __ ] Full disclosure, I voted for John Edwards in the primaries, even though John Edwards had already dropped out of the race here by the time the New York primary happened in 2008. So, yeah, I saw Obama, I wouldn't say I mean, you know, define a lot. He's one of those people that, you know, you just see sometimes. Um, and he was a very striking dude. So,

[1:04:29] yeah. I mean, I I don't know how many times I saw him. I guess that's a lot if you can't really count it. Um so yeah that yeah Barry Barry never changed MA that's that's that's really right. Who have I voted for in the last elections? Uh last year election uh I voted for uh Green Party Dr. Jill Stein in the last election. I voted for um Howie Hawkins in the um in the 2020 race. I vote voted for Dr. Stein in 2016 as well. And I think it was if Ralph Nater was running in 2012 I think he was. I think I voted

[1:05:02] for him. I think that's exactly right. Um, okay. So, there we go. Um, okay. Oh, wait. All right. There's more. Yellow Banana wants to know if we could go back to 2008, would you change any presidential results between the two candidates? All right. So, this was uh John McCain versus Barack Obama. Well, I mean, yeah. Well, between the two candidates, you know, it's a good question. I mean, I hated John McCain. He was a wararmonger. um a representable

[1:05:33] figure. I was really truly terrified of what would happen if Sarah Palin became president. Um you know, and I thought John McCain was like five seconds away from dropping dead. So um you know, I guess I'm agnostic about that. I I think in the end it wouldn't have made any real difference if McCain had won. Uh you know, Obama turned out to be a massive wararmonger, too. Um he ended up not delivering on his key promise for a public option in the Affordable Care Act

[1:06:03] and he he betrayed us all. I mean I wrote a book called about all about his betrayals called the book of Obama and you know he was a remarkably right-wing man who's passed off he but he plays a liberal on TV. Disgusting. Thanks Reed. Thanks Star. Appreciate it. Um voting for a third party. Cameron wants to know, "What's the thought process beind if you know they'll never win or change much?" Well, it's first of all, I don't want them to change. I uh want them to win. Um the way I look at it is uh

[1:06:34] voting is really a very simple act. You vote for the candidate or party that you'd like to see win. And if you don't want to see them, if you wake up on election day and your person wins and you're not excited, you shouldn't have voted for them. And so you, you know, people talk about we need a third party. Everyone agrees we need a third party or a fourth or a fifth or a sixth. Well, okay. So, if you believe that, then support them. Give them money. Uh, you know, volunteer for them and vote for them. And if you don't believe that, then like don't say you believe in a

[1:07:05] third party. I mean the voting strategically is also inane and stupid because literally there is zero chance that your one vote which is all you can control is going to change the outcome in any state at all much less a state a key swing state but there's no way and people will say well if everybody thinks that way okay but the point is we're not you can only control yourself we can't you know we do work in in in as a group but we work as a group individ

[1:07:35] individually. So, I just don't think that it's like that. Yes, indeed. Don't forget to like and subscribe. Much appreciated. Um, okay. And I think now I'm going to call it because this is a full show. Thanks so much everybody for watching and following the show. Uh, John Kiryaku and I will both be back for a full show tomorrow, 5:00 PM Eastern time. We'll be back next week, Monday through Friday. But don't miss tomorrow. I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about

[1:08:07] after Trump and Putin uh have their meeting. I have a feeling we'll probably have a statement from them before the show comes out. What with the time difference and everything. Thanks you. Thank you all for uh tuning in. Uh please consider buying my latest book, What's Left? Um it's called Never Mind the Democrats, What's Left? It's basically what would and what should a real left demand? In other words, you know, they're not. And uh really appreciate you. Like, follow and share the show. See you tomorrow.
