Title: DeProgram Show with Ted Ra
Show: DeProgram Show with Ted Rall and Jamarl Thomas
Date: 2025-11-18
URL: https://youtu.be/MK5zeJV8aqc
Duration: 57:00

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[00:00] with Ted Rollins, John Kuryaku. It's Tuesday, November 18th, 2025. And if you're watching this on the internet, you're probably lucky because much of the internet is down today uh due to a problem uh with the internet infrastructure company Cloudflare. Uh banks are down, X is down, Truth Social is down, Chat GPT is down, Open AI overall is down, um Grock is down. uh you know it's at a certain point it'll be just like the blizzard of 77 where

[00:30] it'll be shorter to announce the list of things that are still open. Good morning John. >> Good morning Ted. How are you? >> I'm I'm I'm better than uh Cloudflare. I'm up and running such as it is. Um lots to talk about. Uh we're going to be talking about uh the [clears throat] James Comey indictment. Uh I'm sure you'll have one or two things to say about that John. Um, also the effect of Trump policies on uh, student enrollment at American colleges and universities.

[01:01] We have some numbers. Um, they're down uh, basically 17% this year. That's, you know, that seemed actually a little lower than I expected uh, that drop to be. Um, South Africa, that's the main story today for us. uh Israel is uh basically seems to be quietly ethnically cleansing by drip drip drip uh Palestinians out of Gaza uh to >> other countries. Yeah. Like 150 people at a time and and also extracting money

[01:32] from them uh at the same time to do so. And the UN Security Council appropo visav that um is just uh signed off on Trump's plan. John, you you called this yesterday. You said this is exactly what was going to happen and I'm just surprised by just exactly how you were totally spot on. I was like, really? [laughter] That happened? But uh and we have some problem awful, awful meetings. Awful. And the the sad truth is Russia and China just don't

[02:02] care about the Middle East. And if if voting yes will make the Americans shut up, then they'll squeeze out of the US side whatever they can and then just vote yes. >> It's really it it's really strange because it's so like the thing is, you know, I'm a I'm a former banker and one of the things I learned from negotiating contracts was it's not about necessarily, you know, a good deal. It's about a you need a contract that works. And I don't see how the current 20 point

[02:32] plan by Trump, I don't see how it functions in a number of ways, including for Israel. I just don't see how it really works. Um, and we can we can talk about that and we we will. Um, John, we have a couple of comments before we get to the main topics. Comment for me, Eric Adams, in kissing that wall in Jerusalem uh in a photo saying that he came to Israel to let them know he serves them as mayor of New York City. I mean, you know, Eric Adams is yesterday's news. He's not going to be the mayor.

[03:03] >> Yeah, he's a nobody. >> He is a nobody. He's a He's He's a He's on notice. He's been fired and uh he's But still, I mean, it is it is it's a it's not a good look. And John uh Langghorn Langghorn Clemens is saying, "Just heard a retelling of your fib setup story with the Japanese ambassador. Not calling it into questions, just curious. How common is it for Japan to send people to the United States that can't speak English? I I I have thoughts about that after you answer that. Go

[03:33] >> ahead. That that's a very good question. I and I I don't take umbrage with it at all. It's a very good question. The Japanese are unique in this respect in that for example um when I was in Bahrain the Japanese console general in Chicago was named Japanese ambassador to Bahrain and we were kind of excited like okay the guy spent three years in Chicago now he's going to come here he couldn't even say hello my name is in English it's ridiculous the Japanese are

[04:06] very unusual in that respect in that a lot of them just don't even speak a a single word. I don't know how in the world they they get through. >> The thing is it's their national character. They're arrogant. They don't know. John, >> arrogant. Exactly. >> I worked I you know, as you know, I worked for the Industrial Bank of Japan Trust Company in the late 80s and um most of my colleagues were sent to the United States and all claimed that they spoke fluent English. Like the people you described, they couldn't speak English for [ __ ] They

[04:37] could not. And and and it was like they were and like if an American didn't understand like like a waiter what they what they wanted >> they would be like that person is stupid and I'd be like you can't speak English and they use the word a lot. In fact >> I I wasn't going to tell the story but I will now that you say that. Um the Japanese ambassador the new Japanese ambassador in Bahrain he had just arrived from Chicago. This was 19 94 or 1995.

[05:08] And so we get this invitation that um the ambassador is inviting our ambassador, our deputy chief of mission, our political officer, our economic officer, and our commercial officer. So it was five of us to dinner at his residence. And one thing about the Japanese, when they have a dinner, they they it's no holds barred. It's caviar and the most expensive steaks and it's incredible. >> We're like, "Hey, we're gonna have

[05:38] dinner at the at the Japanese ambassador's residence. This is going to be great." So, we go there and um we're all just kind of standing around and the younger guys spoke some English. The ambassador didn't speak a word. Well, barely a word as you'll see in a moment. And so um we finally sit down uh after you know an hour of chitchat pleasantries we sit down at the dining room table and our ambassador says so Mr. Ambassador to what do we owe this pleasure and the Japanese ambassador

[06:10] says your president he's stupid. It turned out that when he was in Chicago, he somehow struck up this acquaintance with Dan Quayle, who had been the vice president. And Dan Quail said, "Oh, Bill, Bill Clinton cheats on his wife. He's no good." So, the Japanese ambassador called us all together to tell us. He didn't really literally mean he's stupid. It's that his English was so bad that he just couldn't convey himself. And our

[06:40] ambassador, David Ransom, loveliest guy I've ever worked for, he stood up and he says, "Well, thank you for your hospitality." And he says to us, "Gentlemen," and we all got up and walked right out >> because yeah, you're not going to stand for the head of state being insulted that way. >> Absolutely not appropriate. And we walked out. But it the the point of the of the story was um it's not unusual for Japanese to not speak any English at all even though they're posted in the United

[07:11] States. And that's >> and that was true about international banking at the highest levels. I mean IBJ was essentially the Federal Reserve Bank of Japan. Wow. >> And and and the New York branch was the most prestigious branch to work at. Um, and it's because in the 80s, right, that connection between New York business and Tokyo, and it was the same thing. I mean, I was amazed. I mean, don't get don't get me wrong. I mean, there was a lot to like about the Japanese, but there was a lot to dislike as well. Um,

[07:42] uh, you know, during that period, and I'll tell this one story, and we'll we'll move on. Um you'll remember the that every there was a whole spate of biggest art sales of all time during that period and [snorts] uh Van Go's Sunflowers was one of them. Um Sumitomo Bank bought the I or was it Mitsubishi? Is either Sumitomo or Mitsubishi Bank bought Sunflowers for something like $60 million? I know there's several versions of it. I think this is like Sunflowers number four. Anyway, it's the one or

[08:13] it's one of the ones. Anyway, it was the biggest art sale of all time and my boss was like an art lover. He's like, "I want to see that. I want to see it." So, he made a pretextual excuse to have a business meeting with the president of the bank because he heard the painting was in the bank's office in the bank president's office that they had put it there. So, we go over there and he just like he was always like scheming like this. So, we had no business really with them. It was just like just we just wanted to be in there for 15 minutes just to see the painting. So, we go over

[08:45] there and, you know, sure enough, there it is. And it was hanging over the radiator >> over the over right like like directly above like with where the heat's coming out directly underneath. And I we didn't even my boss and [clears throat] I my boss was brilliant like you. I loved working for this guy. He was my best boss ever. And Shabuya looks at me, I look at him, you know, we don't even have to say a word to each other. We're just like, "Holy shit." We walk out of there and he I remember he just says

[09:16] disgusting. He's like we don't you know like the he's like the Japanese will get their comeuppants we're [ __ ] Um you know because it was like they were flying high in the 80s and buying real estate all over the place. >> We thought the US was done >> for the Japanese. Yeah, >> we did. Yeah. Remember there were those movies like uh about like American, you know, workers having to learn how to do jumping jacks in the morning at the factories and stuff like that. I'm glad that didn't [laughter] >> honestly they would not have been good

[09:47] overlords. Um, so let's see. Uh, we should so yeah, what do you want to talk about first because we're getting a late start here. >> Well, you know, we should we should say real quickly that uh Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is in uh Washington today. So, this sort of completes his rehabilitation after ordering the uh the murder and dismemberment of a Washington Post journalist. Uh, you know, Trump loves the Saudis. The Saudis love Trump. You can bet your bottom dollar that the

[10:19] Trump family is going to be wealthier uh at the end of the day today than it was in the morning. And the Saudis are going to go back with a a giant package of F-35s, which is the reason why he's here in the first place. We the position of the United States is that we would not sell F-35s to the to the Saudis because the Chinese have infiltrated the Saudi defense industry and we're afraid that the that the Chinese would steal the the design and the plans uh for the F-35. And Trump announced yesterday on the eve

[17:06] Comey in the uh Eastern District of Virginia and the uh US attorney for the Eastern District said, "I'm not seeing any crimes." And so what they did was they just fired the US attorney and named a new US attorney who said, "Oh, I'll find some crimes." and the judge is just saying, "Oh, no, you don't. >> That's not how that that's not how this is supposed to work." Uh, want to thank Kokakei over in uh in Rumble for becoming a paid monthly sub supporter of

[17:38] the Drogram show. >> Wonderful. Thank you, Kaki. >> Totally. Um, so yeah, by the way, this Cloudflare thing, um, Cloudflare is sort of glossing over this. Uh at first they claimed that it was a a poorly administered update which happened a few years ago. I'm sure you'll recall. Um but you know then I'm thinking that uh they said they reported an unusual spike of traffic right before the crash. That sounds to me like a denial of service attack. Yes. >> Um yeah

[18:10] >> I'm looking at chat GPT right now and I just get an error screen and it says please unblockchallenges.cloudfair.com to proceed. So then I went on to comet to try perplexity and it gives me exactly the same message. >> Yeah. Yeah. And apparently Canva has the same exact thing. So I mean Cloudflare is all over the place. And of course it's just a reminder that uh the internet is basically tied together with like duct tape and bailing wire. Uh remember when when this was sold to us, you know how like compact discs were

[18:41] sold as like they're indestructible. They can't scratch and they will never skip. They will last thousands of years. And the internet was sold to us like even in nuclear war it can't be destroyed. It will all have a workaround. I'm like I don't think we I think like a a good big thunderstorm will probably take it the whole thing down. >> Oh my god. Yeah. I I'm afraid the same is is uh is true. And I wonder, you know, is this going to have any There you go. That's right.

[19:14] There you go. Good. I'm looking at your uh your feed or the feed on Rumble right now. You just put up the book. So good. Anyway, I'm I'm hoping that this doesn't affect banking or something today or even if it does affect banking, they can get this dog on thing fixed in the next few minutes because, you know, we need to >> the market's the market's open in in eight minutes in the in New York. >> You're exactly right. And weren't we just talking yesterday about uh the film

[19:45] Trading Places and how um on the commodities exchange they no longer use these little slips of paper. Everything is computerized. Everything is computerized. Talking about the global economy here. >> So they they best get their act together. >> Too much [ __ ] is automated. I mean it's like you know I don't know. It's like everyone should learn from the Iranians with the uh the stuckset virus. It's like, >> yeah, remember that >> Iranian nuclear scientists shouldn't shouldn't need to cyber commute. You guys should drive to the plant and and work there. Um, here we go. Um, if you

[20:19] haven't I just got an ad to do this here. Uh, if you haven't already, make sure you download the Rumble app. It's free, simple to use, and the best way to stay connected to the content you want. Once you've got it, search for my for our channel and hit follow. That way, you'll get a notification every time we go live. No missed shows, no extra steps. You can grab it right now using the link in the description of the or the pinned live chat. Download it to your phone and you're ready to go. And if you prefer watching on the big screen as I do, Rumble is available on all major streaming devices and smart TVs. Just search for Rumble, follow the

[20:49] channel, and be part of the action. >> All right, that's right. >> At least we solved some problems. We solved my my uh packet loss problem yesterday. Um um that was very irritating. So good to have Robbie back. Did I say that? It's really good to have Robbie back. Um, so James Comey, does he So if Comey, the Comey case falls apart, will Trump will Trump come back for another uh for the will the DOJ come back for another whack at the piñata or will they politically say, you know what, we looked foolish and best to move

[21:21] on. >> You know, isn't it sad that we even have to stop and consider these two positions? Um, >> yeah, >> my guess is they're going to jump up and down and and scream and holler and then move on. I think they have a stronger case against Brennan because the argument with Brennan the argument with Brennan is that >> Comey is more popular politically than Brennan. >> Much much more popular. Good point. The the thing with Brennan is that the accusation is that he tried to

[21:53] initiate a coup. uh tried to deny the voters in 2016 their choice of president of the United States. And um >> that's pretty serious. >> It is. And and the argue it's it's uh sedicious. What do they call it? Or or something something sedition. uh I forget the term that they've been using, but anyway, uh they argue that the conspiracy remained ongoing until

[22:24] uh Brennan was charged. >> And so there's no statute of limitations, at least not one that can prevent his his trial. >> [snorts] >> Somebody, one of my attorneys sent me the the videos a couple of weeks ago of Brennan being confronted at George Mason University and and poking that congressional candidate in the chest. Remember? And then >> like three or four hours later, he's arguing with some heckler on the on the subway platform at the Virginia Square Metro Station. And my lawyer wrote,

[22:55] "What do you make of this?" And I I watched both of the videos a number of times. And I wrote back and I said, "He's scared." That's what this is. I've known John Brennan for 35 years and I've never seen him lose his cool. >> Really? >> That's because he's scared. >> Well, wow. And and he's and he's responding with anger as many people do. Fo, thanks for the buck. >> Black Friday dream purchase this year. John,

[23:26] >> what's yours? You have one. What would be your your dream purchase for Black Friday? You know, the day after Thanksgiving. >> For Black Friday, [laughter] >> it's usually typically it's electronics typically. >> Yeah. When when I was a kid, I never understood it when I would ask my parents what they wanted for Christmas and and they would say nothing. We have everything we want. My mom would always say, "All I want is to have good kids, right?" >> But I'm at that point now. I'm 61. You're 62. I I have everything that I

[23:56] want and need and I just I just don't need anything. >> No, I know. I'm I'm the same way. The truth is if I need something, I I I just get it, you know? I mean >> Yeah. Just get it. >> Yeah. I mean, it's not like Yeah. It's It's not like being a kid where you just don't have that cash flow. I mean, >> h you know, I I probably do need a new scanner, John. I have a flat I'm a cartoonist and I have a I need a big flatbed scanner like an 11 by7. >> There you go. >> And uh my my current one, however, it's

[24:27] the oldest working electronic in my house. It's from 1997 and it's still going strong. So, you know, >> that's amazing. >> Hulet Packard. Uh yeah, I had it's it's and I mean it's like a beast. I kind of like want to see how long it'll go. Um anyway, so all right, let's we can talk a little bit about we'll get to the meaty stuff a little bit later. Get the get the easy ones out of the way, knock them down. Um so, uh obviously we all know what's going on with Trump's, uh you know, anti-immigration policies, and he's been doing everything he can to

[24:59] lean on colleges and universities to uh deny student visas so that they can't attend. Anyway, long story short, international student enrollments are dropping. If they if it hadn't been dropping, you'd have to wonder what the hell is going on. But the Institute of International Education surveys 828 American institutions um and they they find a 17% drop in firsttime enrollments this year. Only a 1% decline overall. So

[25:29] overall enrollment, but they say it's going to, you know, obviously it'll snowball. Um you know, John, I'm torn about this. How do you feel about it? [snorts] Yeah, I I'm I'm a little torn, too. Um I don't know, man. You know, it just seems to me like we have we have so many important things happening. It's almost not possible to be worried about everything. >> There aren't enough day to worry about everything.

[25:59] >> You have to do anxiety triage. >> Yeah, that you know what, that's a great way to say it. Yeah, it is. It's anxiety triage. >> Yes. And so, yeah. No, it's like, well, I mean, >> let me >> I went to college and I I valued my relationship with international with foreign students a lot. >> Oh my god, me too. >> When I when I first went to college, um, most of the upper classmen who were foreign nationals were Iranians because they had been stuck in the United States because of the Iranian revolution. >> By the time I left, most of them were

[26:30] Lebanese because they had fled the Lebanese civil war. But looking at this operationally, Ted, we want foreign students to come here and we want them to study hard sciences. Why? >> So the CIA can recruit them now as students and send them back to work in the Chinese uh missile program or the Russian nuclear program or the Iranian nuclear program or whatever. And there are already assets in place. So, we want

[27:02] foreign students here, especially foreign PhD students here. >> Does anyone with Trump's ear tell him that from the from the CIA? >> I doubt it. I doubt it. >> I doubt it because remember, most of the time the CIA director most of the time is a is a political appointee and they're really not thinking about these longer term issues. >> It's I mean, it does it does bug me that like what a profit center they are. Um, and that like I think it was Harvard that said that 27% of all of their

[27:33] undergraduate enrollment was international students and think about how incredibly comp competitive is it is to attend Harvard. I mean literally one out of four spots there is is taken by foreigners. I mean I can't think that one out of four spots at the SBAN or the University of Tokyo are are taken by foreign students. >> Right. Yes. I doubt it, but I think you're right. >> Oxford, I don't think so. Um, well, yes.

[28:04] Okay, good point. Anything else to say about that before we move on? >> No, just that it it could be a very important uh operational opportunity lost. >> This is a funny comment. I'm So, I'm just going to read it. Toli says, "I want my adult stepson to move out so I can experience time with my husband before I die. Can I get that somewhere on on on Black Friday? He's only 36, but I don't feel badly one little bit. Only 36. Don't worry. Once once they hit 42, they fly the nest. It'll be fine.

[28:37] That's really funny though. But that's the new economy. I mean, that's how things are now, right? Um, >> yeah, that's >> Oh, this is a good question. This is from uh Rod and Goo 9864. Thanks for the two euros. Um, can Trump and Mandani find a way to coexist? I'm glad you brought up that question because there is uh there's reporting today that says that um Mumdani uh as his team asked Trump's team for a meeting and uh Trump said that he's amendable to sitting down

[29:07] with Mdani and talking John. What do you make of the fact that like all the people who came out so harshly against Mumani, the communist who was going to uh you know restore to bring bring Marxist Leninism to the five burrows. Um now you know you have your favorite uh Gustides Greek groceryer. Um he says he's not only not leaving the city, he wants people to cooperate with Mandani so that things work out really well. Trump, who had all sorts of shitty

[29:37] things to say about Mandani, is now saying, "Oh, I'll meet with him." Um, Governor Hokll, who refused to endorse him until the last second. I guess I'm still waiting. Hillary Clinton might endorse Mani like halfway through his term. Um, but I mean, every all these establishment, I mean, Mani's wielding a lot of power. So, it's a two-part question. >> Um, how do they look in all this? And then here's the other thing. How do how can voters take any of this seriously when you you know when they hear this

[30:08] person is evil and terrifying and far-left and communist. Oh, hey. Hey, welcome to the White House. How's it going? >> Yeah. Right, Ted, you and I are both old enough to remember when the Democratic Party was a big tent party. when when everybody from Ted Kennedy to George Wallace were Democrats, you know, when when almost every Senate seat in every southern southern state was held by a conservative Democrat, and I mean

[30:38] conservative Democrat. >> Yep. >> And the Democrats claim that they're still a Big 10 party, and they're not. They're not now. They are so middle of the road that they're just stuck. It's like being stuck in neutral where they don't want these conservatives, but they also don't want these liberals either and it's gonna it's gonna end up being the demise of the Democratic party. >> Well, I mean, the question if the Republican party doesn't fall apart first, I mean, the civil war between the

[31:11] uh Trump wing and the MTG wing is really heating up. >> Um, right now, I got to say, I didn't I didn't expect to see this. I mean, Trump is still such a canny politician. Like, even the way that he that he's pivoting on the on the Epstein files, it's it's really I mean, it's, you know, it's a masterclass really in uh in many ways, but even though it's cynical, but I didn't but I don't know that he's winning the war with MTG right now. She's the one who's coming out smelling

[31:42] like roses. >> They they both backed off yesterday, but she she has won this this little kuruffle. Yes. I mean, her [clears throat] her reputation has improved dramatically. I think the the real the the the secret sauce was admitting that she had contributed to the toxic atmosphere and expressing regret for it. I mean, I don't know about you, John, I mean, I'm a I'm a huge I, you know, I grew up Catholic. I'm a huge sucker for penance and and and repentance. If someone if

[32:12] someone's an [ __ ] and they say, "Oh, God, I was an [ __ ] and I shouldn't have been and I'm sorry." I'm like, I got nothing. You win. You know, that's because that's all you can ask from people. They can't go back in time. >> I agree. I agree. Robbie, uh, Robbie is saying that Tucker has doubled down. Tucker has doubled down, you know, and it's funny. People ask me all the time you what I make of of the new Tucker Carlson. And all I can say is, you know, the guy answers to

[32:43] nobody. And when you have when you don't work for anybody but yourself and you don't you're not doing it for the money, you can say anything that you know your heart desires. And and we're seeing a totally liberated and free Tucker Carlson right now. >> I can't even imagine. Speaking of which, like when you when he was at Fox, like how many memos came down like, "Okay, so our our our point on this topic or this person is this. Don't deviate from that.

[33:14] I mean, I know from uh internally I've heard about how MSNBC, like now uh NBC now, how they they did that all the time. I mean, they they sent the word down like, you know, Ed Schultz, right? Uh you know, he he was told in no uncertain terms, you can't discuss Bernie Sanders during the during the Democratic primary. Like really, you can't talk about a major primary candidate? Ed was a friend of mine uh and we ended up working um at RT together. He um he never forgave MSNBC

[33:47] for doing that. >> Never forgave them. >> Well, it's disgusting. And of course, you know, I mean I I think I told you this story, but like my agent uh you know told me that they MSNBC was interested in trying me out like you know late night on a weekend >> and they said the only thing I had to promise was to never criticize the Democratic Party. And and I I remember what I said. I said, "Well, you know, tell them like when it's like France and there's 26 parties and if there's one out of the 26 that I can't criticize, that's fine. But

[34:18] there's only two, so how can you do your job?" It wasn't even a matter of integrity. It was literally like from a practical standpoint, I don't know how you can >> do this without sounding ridiculous. And the truth is, you can't. They do sound ridiculous. >> Um, I want to say two things. First of all, Maro, thank you very much for the donation. $4.99. Appreciate that very much. And then James Jalis, hey James. Uh James says, um John would love Lincoln stove stove pipe hat for Christmas. You know, the

[34:48] stove the stove pipe hat is on display in the Smithsonian's Museum of American History. It's an incredible thing to see. But I will add that >> the only He must have had several. Yeah, but the one that he was wearing the night that he was killed is on display. Yeah, >> he actually had taken it off and had put it on a table next to him, so there's not like a hole in it or anything. >> Right. Cuz a gentleman didn't wear a hat inside. >> That's right. That's right. >> That still bugs me. I'm old enough to

[35:19] like when I see dudes wearing baseball caps inside, I'm like, >> [ __ ] thing off, [ __ ] So, um, this past week I spent in Oxford, Ohio with my with my son Max, my third son. And, um, Max loves antique malls as much as I do. So, we drove to Indianapolis, which isn't too terribly far away. It's about two hours from where he goes to school. Hour >> drive. >> Boring, boring, boring. Just farm after farm after farm. It's enough to make you want to cut your throat. Anyway, um

[35:52] there's this one dealer that we like that I've bought stuff from before because he he has impeccable provenence for everything that he sells. And I bought a hunk of wood from the gallows where the Lincoln conspirators were hung. And it includes a scan of the um of a of a handwritten letter dated 1889

[36:23] >> um from the soldier who was one of the members of the crew that took the gallows down and he kept one of the planks and then divided it up to give to friends. >> What was with that? Like you know there's all these when they used to hang people the the gallows often seemed to be improvised. They didn't have a permanent facility. >> That's right. >> Any Do you have any understanding of why that is? I don't. >> Well, in this case, it's because um people weren't normally hanged at at

[36:54] this uh this base. It's it's the base still exists. It's now Bowling Air Force Base. >> Um or or they call it joint base bowling something something or other. They just changed all the names a couple of years ago. Uh now the site of the gallows is the officer's tennis courts. So there's no there's no trace that these gallows were there and that they hung the Lincoln conspirators including the first woman to be executed by the US government. So

[37:24] >> wait, there was a woman there was a woman conspirator. >> Yeah, Mary Sarat House. >> Um she she plotted with them and she's the one that hid the the um gun that John Wols Booth used. She hid it behind the stove in her kitchen. >> Wow. >> Yeah. >> So, yeah. I mean, I do I do have I definitely have a wish list for my political ephemera collection. I I >> All I'm lacking now is >> I I want uh I want a pardon signed by

[37:57] Abraham Lincoln. They're out there. They go for about 10 to$14,000. I'm not in a position to buy something like that, but I'm hoping that 2026 turns out to be a really great year for me. In which case, I'm going to I'm going to grab one. >> That's That's cool. I'd rather, frankly, I'd rather you got a pardon signed by President Trump, but that's just me. >> Me, too. >> Um, [laughter] so although the Lincoln one sounds cool, too. Um, all right. So, let's we should probably uh talk about u the situation

[38:28] in Israel. All right. So, let's talk with let's first like get into the UN Security Council. So, we all know I'm not we're not going to we talked here on the show about the 20point plan and if you're watching this show, you probably have a pretty good idea of what's in here. Um but you know, as I mentioned, John, it this is not a plan that seems to have um you know, enough enough meat on the bones to make a lot of sense. Okay. So, there's a peacekeeping force that I understand. Um it it's going to be uh it's it's going to be a bunch of Muslim countries like including Pakistan. That I understand too. But who

[39:00] are they keeping the peace from? They're going to disarm Hamas. How how are they Hamas says they don't want to be disarmed. They they had no seat at the table here. Um you know they called this international guardianship mechanism which is kind of reminiscent of like say the French mandate over Lebanon and and that kind of thing. Um, I don't think they're wrong. Um, >> and then, uh, you know, basically this is a non-ontiguous state. Israel, by the way, just parathetically

[39:32] rolling this back, you know, Hamas justified October 7th by saying if they hadn't done something like this, they would have never achieved statehood. Now Netanyahu says, "We will never agree to the creation of a Palestinian state." retroactively basically confirming what Hamas said. >> Yeah. >> Um and and kind of justifying October 7th after the fact. Um I I guess >> um it's like so many so easy to see all the ways this passes through that this

[40:03] can't work and yet this this agreement now has the uh the force of international law. >> Yes, it does. >> Is it a dead letter or or or is this are they going to try to do this? [snorts] Let let's try to parse it out. Um there is no meat on the bone when it comes to the issue of Palestinian statehood. So the vote was 13 to nothing. Uh China and Russia abstained just like we predicted that they would do. And u >> and nobody and the and the reporting

[40:34] doesn't talk about China's abstension. Only Russia's abstension. >> Only Russia's. That's right. Um but almost all of the council members, France, Guyana, Pakistan, Slovenia, Somalia, um complained that there was no language about an independent Palestinian state. And that's where we're going to get wrapped around the axle again. Um everybody agrees that there needs to be peace, there needs to be respect for

[41:06] Palestinian human rights, etc., etc. But Benjamin Netanyahu said, here's his quote. I have it right here from the New York Times. Our opposition to a Palestinian state in any territory has not changed. There will be no independent Palestinian state if it's up to the Israelis ever in any configuration. It's not going to happen. And so, >> can it be forced can it be forced down their throats is the question or will it be? It can be, but will it? >> It can be.

[41:36] >> Not not as things sit today. Now, >> can the Israelis just be sidelined at a certain point? Because I mean, you know, international relationships re rely on cooperation. If the Israelis are uncooperative, maybe you just don't work with them. >> So, and and what do you think of this, Ted? I is this just an accident or is Donald Trump a genius here where you've got we you've got all these Arab countries um Egypt, the United Arab

[42:07] Emirates, Tunisia, and other Muslim countries, Indonesia, Turkey, that have agreed to send troops, these peacekeeping troops, but they're very afraid of their troops getting into an armed conflict with Hamas. So, you're going to have Muslim armies shooting Hamas U paramilitary forces. Arabs killing Arabs, Muslims killing Muslims. Is that

[42:40] what Donald Trump planned or did it just kind of work out that way? >> I don't think that's what he wants, right? I I think I mean I think he's really kind of hoping the Hamas will not fire at them because they're Muslims and that [clears throat] they'll be I mean look I I guess another question is do you think Ham do you think Hamas will handle this the way the Afghans handle an invasion? you know, they they go to ground. The Afghans go to the mountains. Um they they they study the enemy, then

[43:12] they do probing attacks, and eventually they come back and and and flood the field and and the invaders never knew what hit them. Obviously, there's no mountains in Gaza to hide in and they can't even hide in those tunnels forever. But basically, they can take off their uniforms and slip back into uh into civilian life and just wait to get the call from their commanders, right? It's a cell structure, right? like you know you're my commanding officer and you command me and like a couple other people and then I have someone under me and so on. Um

[43:43] >> is I mean it's a resistance organization. It's a classic resistance organization. >> Classic. Um so will they just sort of okay guys you know just go back home try to rebuild the best you can and uh you know we'll outlast and outweight these Pakistanis and so on and then uh you know we'll we'll get our country back. I mean what do you what do you what do you is it going to look like that? [snorts] >> I think it very well could. Um the the bottom line though is is what we said a

[44:15] minute ago. The Israelis are going to have to be forced into this. And it really we do need to force the Israelis into this. There has to be an independent Palestine. There must be. >> There has to be. There has to be. >> There's no other alternative. There has to be >> for for Israel's own good, by the way. >> And what and an independent Palestine was called for in the Security Council resolution that created the state of Israel in the first place. >> Right. >> And and reasonable Israelis all know this is essential for their own security. Yes.

[44:46] >> Um, exactly right. >> And by the way, the the non nobody is addressing the contin the uh the contigu what's the the noun for contiguous? >> Contiguity contiguous >> contigu contiguity. [laughter] >> Yeah. >> But anyway, the fact that it's not contiguous, the fact that it's not [ __ ] attached, >> that's a problem. I mean to ask ask Pakistan whether that's a problem or not. >> Yeah, [snorts] that's right. That's right. Now they made it work in Bosnia Herzgoina, but that was an unusual

[45:17] situation, >> right? I mean I mean look, so the Israelis I don't see them giving granting a corridor, >> but but they but they have to, right? >> They're gonna have to >> I mean I guess a bridge, right? Like a big long bridge like the way that they have over the Florida Keys >> so that the Israelis can go underneath and stuff. >> Oh my god. I can't even imagine. >> It's got to be some Well, it's not that far. I think before that happens, we're going to see the proposed uh Trump Putin bridge tunnel connecting uh Siberia with

[45:49] Alaska. >> I I want By the way, I that's actually a good idea. >> Yeah, I would I would actually drive it just to say I did. >> I also think it's a really I do think it's a good idea for political and economic reasons. I mean, it's like I mean, Siberia, I I it would be great for American business to have access to Siberia. >> And it would be fun. You know what I did with my kids a couple of Christmases ago? Christmas I I find Christmas to be very very depressing. And I I don't

[46:20] decorate. I don't put up any >> any tree or decorations or anything. I just pretend it's a normal day like every other day just because I get too depressed to even function. So, >> how come you always were you like that as a kid? Were you always like that? >> No. No. Christmas was wonderful when I was a kid, but I don't know. I'm divorced twice and it's just not I I just can't do it. So, what I did with the kids a couple of years ago, I said, "Hey, >> let's open your presents and then let's get on the subway and we'll go to every

[46:51] single station on the entire subway system without >> You couldn't do that in New York City." >> Oh, you can do it in New York City. There was an article about it in the Times and a guy did it in 25 hours which is like record fast. >> I was going to say because I've been to every station in the New York City subway system and uh I used to explore it in college and I was going to say you'd have to it would take a long time. >> A lot of planning because there's a lot of backtracking. But anyway, we did it in nine and a half hours >> and we did take a break. We did actually

[47:22] come up out of the station at the zoo and we had lunch and then we went back down in and finished it. >> We have similar impulses. I'm I'm not a big fan of the holidays either. I I hate Thanksgiving more than Christmas. Um and uh but I once spent Thanksgiving uh sorry Christmas Christmas day with two friends exploring the abandoned uh subway tunnels under Cincinnati. I don't know if you know about that, >> but there was a fact my son and I were just talking about it day before yesterday. Cincinnati has more abandoned

[47:52] subway tunnels than any other city in America. >> It's a it's it's I I don't know if it's a I I bet it's not as accessible as it used to be, but back in the day you could just like there was a place in near in a public park where you just break where someone had broken in and you could just like walk in there if you just brought >> bring lot a flashlight and plenty of batteries and you could >> walk like 12 miles. It was really crazy. And there's fallout shelters in there from from the from the Cold War. Wow. Including with like a podium where someone where you know someone people

[48:24] were going to address the crowds. There's a locked arsenal that you couldn't break into. >> I mean if there were bed there was bedding uh you know it was it was really cool. And in the end finally you you you're sort of like there's a ladder. It's like oh I think this is the way out. Climb the ladder and there's a manhole cover and you you lift the manhole and there's cars going over. And it's like, oh, oh, better better time this carefully. Um, yeah. Yeah, it was it was cool. Anyway, um, so, okay, so this so so I do think

[48:56] that Trump, to get back to your main question, though, he is kind of a genius in that as [ __ ] up as this plan is, >> this is progress, right? I mean, I don't think we'd be here with under President Biden or President Harris. Um, yeah, I think I think the Israelis would still be bombing. >> I agree with you. As pro-Israel and pro- Zionist as Donald Trump is, he expects people to do as they're told. >> And Netanyahu won't do as he's told. And

[49:28] so, you've got to force him. >> Yeah. I mean, that's the thing about is Trump. He does understand power and leverage. It's the only thing he really understands, but he understands them really well. And you know, I I I still have to say I'm in complete agreement with Tucker Carlson and his rant about, you know, Israel is inconsequential. We don't need them. They're a liability. We should have nothing to do with them. And we don't need to be We have lots of friends in the Middle East. You know, we get along with the We have Jordan. We have Egypt.

[50:00] We don't need Israel. Um this tiny little country with no natural resources at all. I mean, >> that's right. >> It's it's Egypt's far more important. Um anyway, that's just so okay, let's talk about this South Africa story. I'm fascinated by this. Yeah. >> So, so this is >> Nobody knew this was happening. >> This is a dark story. So, so basically these Palestinians are reporting, well, this happened, right? So, basically these Gazins were told, "Hey, so like I

[50:30] know how you can get out. If you want to get out, you got to give me $1600 in crypto per person in your family who wants to leave." and then show up at a certain point and we've got it all figured out. So for the people who decided to to bite on this, which probably wasn't most of them because there's so many scammers, so many lying sacks of [ __ ] in a war zone situation like that that you know, you'd be very I mean you that's a leap, a serious leap of faith that most people wouldn't take. But some people did. And for those

[51:00] people, they ended up being put on a bus and routed down to Conunice and then um and then taken to the border crossing uh and waved by by Israeli troops. And the Israeli troops uh finally right before they left the Gaza the the occupied territory of Gaza. This is this is very sinister. The Israelis said, "You have to leave all of your belongings behind." And then so they so just with the >> just yeah very familiar um very 1942

[51:33] and they they they they got they were they boarded uh they they got into Israel proper they were taken to the airport and uh and then flown they they didn't know where they were going. Um, this one group, they flew to Kenya. They went to Nairobi. Um, and then they were stuck for 10 hours on the airport tarmac. They have no idea where they're going. This is also familiar. It reminds me of the ship um the St. Louis, right, that uh during World War II that's, you

[52:03] know, flying around. But maybe this was all part of the plan. um this obscure charity that appears to have serious probably be a front organization for the Israeli government or for the Mossad or both. Um >> and then uh basically arranged all this and they found themselves in the Republic of South Africa. South Africa has long historic ties supporting the Palestinians for obvious uh political and uh cultural reasons. And um and so the South Africans, this has been going on for a while. And now the foreign the

[52:35] foreign minister Ronald Lamola finally became aware of it and he's like, "Wait, wait, wait. We see what you're doing here. You're you're like we we welcome our Palestinian friends and brothers, but you're ethnically cleansing the Gaza Strip like drip by drip by drip. And there's been a lot of flights to other countries in Africa and possibly other continents as well. Um this this is what it looks like, right? It does. It I mean the South Africans are right >> and this is this is exactly what the Egyptians have been have been um warning

[53:08] against since since this whole thing started is yes they love their Palestinian brothers. Yes, they want to help. But to open the border and allow Palestinians to come across the border into Sinai would do nothing but to abet um Israel's policy of ethnic cleansing. That's it. Yeah. >> You can't do it. >> No. Because as soon as that happens, the Israelis are like, >> "Well, what can you do? It's empty now." It's like, "You going to eat that or what? If you won't, we will." And then

[53:40] they move in. And and it's a fat. I mean, that's already what they've done to 60% of the West Bank. >> Yes. Exactly. >> Exactly. >> It's so I mean, I got to say I admire the level of cynicism. It's amazing. >> It is. And you know, one of the things that's pleasantly surprising to me, and don't take this the wrong way, because I I don't mean that, you know, Palestinians should suffer more than they have already, but it's it's good

[54:12] and it's important for these countries to stand up to the Israelis. Finally, stand up to them and say no. [snorts] >> Yeah, for sure. Um, thanks for the donations over on YouTube, guys. Much appreciate the super chats. Um $4.99 from Mororrow. Uh really really appreciate that. Um and uh thanks thanks for tuning in. Alex Bruce also $499. Thank you very much. Uh he's a Christian who leans conservative but greatly appreciates our insights. Thank you very much. I hope we're not blurry on my on

[54:44] my YouTube. We're blurry, but I don't know. >> Mine looks pretty good. >> Okay, so that's probably that packet issue that that Robbie filled me in filled us in about yesterday. So um yeah, so I guess that puts an end to it. I mean what happens to these people when they get to South Africa with not with just the clothes on their back? I mean one of the >> the one of the girls from little girls in the family said she loved being able to go to the store and buy things uh

[55:15] something they couldn't do in Gaza. Um >> obviously someone's giving the money so that that can happen. So there must be a support infrastructure there. >> I I really fear that they're going to be forcibly returned. >> You think I >> I can't imagine that. >> I hope I I seriously I can't imagine the South Africans doing that. I mean, they've been such a good friend to the Palestinian people at like the ICJ and everything. I mean, I just don't see it.

[55:45] [sighs] Well, um [gasps] yeah. Um, I'm trying to look see if there's any last second questions or comments um that we need to get to before we say Sananara until tomorrow. Um, okay, good. We don't look blurry. Okay, quick, very quickly, uh, John, off-topic question. Have you been follow following Kuwaiti news at all? If so, any thoughts? >> I have been following Kuwaiti news, as a matter of fact. Um there is a very serious significant split in the Kuwaiti

[56:16] royal family that has spilled into the media [snorts] and um I'm worried about it because the the Kuwaiti response has been to dissolve parliament which isn't going to help the split in their family any. We'll see where it goes. >> Okay. Well, uh I I have no I was not asked that question and I'm glad because I don't have an answer for that question. Guys, thank you so much for tuning in to the program with Ted Roll and John Kuryaku. Uh we will be back tomorrow, Wednesday, 5 o' uh sorry, 900

[56:48] a.m. Eastern time. We're here Monday through Friday. Please like, follow, and share the show. Please stay tuned to the TMI show with me, Ted R, and Manila Chan coming up right after this. And uh take care and see you tomorrow. John, take care and uh talk. >> Byebye, Ted. Bye. >> Take care. >> [music]
