WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.120 Welcome to the nonprofits. In our third segment this week, 2 00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:06.120 we look at a conservative activist and as financial crusade 3 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:10.919 against woke companies. Conservative activist Robbie Starbuck recently launched a 4 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:15.759 boycott against Harley Davidson, criticizing the company for supporting LGBTQ 5 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:20.519 plus initiatives and other woke causes. Starbuck, who previously targeted 6 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:23.960 companies like Tractor Supply and John Deere for similar reasons, 7 00:00:24.199 --> 00:00:28.000 claims his efforts aim to remove politics from corporate America. 8 00:00:28.039 --> 00:00:31.559 His campaigns have resonated with some conservative audiences, but they've 9 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:35.479 also sparked backlash, particularly from those who see his actions 10 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:39.640 as divisive and harmful. While Starbuck argues that businesses should 11 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:43.200 stay neutral on social issues, critics argue that diversity and 12 00:00:43.240 --> 00:00:47.520 inclusion are crucial for modern company's success. This story is 13 00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:51.479 from USA Today by Jessica Gwinn on August second, twenty 14 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:53.960 twenty four, and Aaron, I would like to go to 15 00:00:54.119 --> 00:00:58.280 you first on this one. So, Aaron, political activism, much 16 00:00:58.439 --> 00:01:03.359 like the atheist activism we practice, depends on voices of 17 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:06.280 the activists to prompt change. What are the voices telling 18 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:07.280 you with this story? 19 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:10.560 Well, it's something that this guy's got the loudest voice, 20 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:13.719 and the loudest voice is the voice that wins. Unfortunately, 21 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:16.480 the it's not the fairest voice, it's not the most 22 00:01:16.599 --> 00:01:19.040 just voice, it's not the it's just it's the loudest. 23 00:01:19.079 --> 00:01:22.280 Whoever's gonna make the most noise, make the biggest ruckus. 24 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:26.359 That's usually who people listen to. And and unfortunately, there's 25 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:29.840 I don't see a lot of voices out there countering this, 26 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:32.159 this gentleman's message, you know, and I don't see people 27 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:33.959 out there working to shut him down and make sure 28 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:36.680 that the loudest voice is the fairest voice, is the 29 00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:40.560 voice that wants diversity and wants equality. And you know, 30 00:01:40.599 --> 00:01:41.760 these people that are working. 31 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:43.680 Harder, and they work hard, and we need to work 32 00:01:43.760 --> 00:01:45.560 we need work harder. And I don't. 33 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:48.519 Understand where this is what he has what's his beef? Right, 34 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:52.719 It's it's why does he care what these companies are doing? 35 00:01:52.760 --> 00:01:56.159 What's what's And for some reason, I think it's because 36 00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:00.400 that for white men are seem to be losing, they 37 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:04.439 seem to be losing their their their power in our 38 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:07.799 country and our culture. And I believe he's scared of that. 39 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:10.800 And you know, he's not the only voice, he's not 40 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:14.000 the only person out there who is decrying these uh 41 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:19.000 rallying against diversity in equity. And it's almost like these 42 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:21.319 guys also kind of have maybe have a deep understand 43 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:25.479 of how economic systems have worked historically, that economic systems 44 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:27.919 really rely on a base. 45 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:31.840 Of underpaid or not paid at all worker class that 46 00:02:31.879 --> 00:02:36.599 they can take advantage of any time and use that underpaid, 47 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:41.000 unpaid worker class to make them enrich themselves. And that's 48 00:02:41.159 --> 00:02:43.719 really what is going on here, is he doesn't he 49 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:47.000 doesn't want to see himself lose power, and he doesn't 50 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:51.080 want to see uh and he loses he loses power 51 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:53.919 by having a more diverse and equitable workforce. 52 00:02:54.120 --> 00:02:58.080 So you're saying that there's some kind of well, there's 53 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:00.400 a there's a quiet part, right you say, the quiet 54 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:02.280 part quiet and the loud part loud, and so that 55 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:07.439 there's some kind of well known arterial theial motive going 56 00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:07.960 on here. 57 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:11.439 The quiet part is you want really underpaid workers so 58 00:03:11.479 --> 00:03:13.879 that you can enrich yourself. That's that's the quiet part, right. 59 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:16.919 But look look at the rate. 60 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:20.360 Of increase of salaries and a in the United States, 61 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:22.400 and it has been flat. 62 00:03:22.120 --> 00:03:25.199 For a long time flat for the workers. 63 00:03:25.240 --> 00:03:28.599 For workers, yeah, workers are not keep it keeping up 64 00:03:28.599 --> 00:03:30.120 with inflation. Workers are making. 65 00:03:29.960 --> 00:03:32.639 Less what they have and minimum wage is not minimum 66 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:34.400 wage and most of the country has not gone up 67 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:35.960 for a very long time. 68 00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:39.479 All right, Thanks Aaron. Let's jump over to Jimmy here. 69 00:03:39.560 --> 00:03:43.000 Jimmy Starbuck is a political activist and he couches his 70 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:46.439 opinions in a political context. Can you comment on some 71 00:03:46.520 --> 00:03:49.919 of the political motivations and implications of his efforts? 72 00:03:50.280 --> 00:03:54.759 Well, sure, I think there is definitely some credibility to 73 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:57.960 what Aaron's saying as far as white men feeling like 74 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:01.599 they've lost power in this country, which obviously is ridiculous. 75 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:06.960 I mean, they still overwhelmingly hold a majority, especially in government. 76 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:11.439 When we look at elected officials in our country, they're 77 00:04:11.479 --> 00:04:14.520 overwhelmingly white men. So this idea that white men are 78 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:16.800 losing power is a little bit crazy to me. I 79 00:04:16.839 --> 00:04:20.519 think that the election of Barack Obama really angered a 80 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:25.160 lot of would be biggots who were hiding kind of 81 00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:28.360 in the tall grass, and they expose themselves once a 82 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:32.199 person or once we saw this kind of far right 83 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:35.959 push that came after Barack Obama, and so I think 84 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:38.319 a lot of people felt emboldened to kind of speak up. 85 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:40.759 The thing is, though, and let me get to the point, 86 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:44.560 I don't know what being a conservative and bigotry have 87 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:47.759 to do with each other. So unfortunately in this country 88 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:51.920 we've seen bigotry become intertwined with conservative politics. But conservatism 89 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:57.519 is not something that really needs to be enmeshed in bigotry. Conservatism, 90 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:04.040 traditionally speaking is just, and you can be somebody who 91 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:07.319 advocates for small government and still not be a bigot. 92 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:12.920 For some reason, though we see those things being mutually exclusive, 93 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:16.560 and so to be a conservative doesn't mean you need 94 00:05:16.600 --> 00:05:20.600 to speak out against dei policies. In fact, if you're 95 00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:24.879 a conservative, you should recognize that the smaller the government 96 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:30.000 and the more disproportionate your population is by ethnicity, that 97 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:34.160 the smaller population, that smaller ethnicity is probably going to 98 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:37.560 be disparaged in some way. Our history tells us that. 99 00:05:37.959 --> 00:05:41.519 It tells us that. So, you know, conservatives like to 100 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:46.079 take the stance that they are excuse me, representative of 101 00:05:46.120 --> 00:05:49.759 what the founders intended, right. They take a hard, hard 102 00:05:49.800 --> 00:05:53.319 line approach or a strict constructionist view of the constitution, 103 00:05:53.399 --> 00:05:56.279 where everybody gets equal rights. Well, if you play this 104 00:05:56.360 --> 00:06:00.000 conservative card and you advocate for small government, not every 105 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:02.639 everybody's going to have equal rights. And so it might 106 00:06:02.759 --> 00:06:06.160 even make sense to be a conservative and advocate from 107 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:08.800 the government not being involved in your affairs as a 108 00:06:08.839 --> 00:06:13.399 business owner, and also recognizing that maybe we need some 109 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:17.199 safeguards to ensure everybody's treated equally and has the equal opportunities. 110 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:18.600 And so that's my point there. 111 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:23.439 You know, Jimmy, both you and Aaron mentioned that, you know, 112 00:06:23.560 --> 00:06:27.319 there doesn't have to be a necessary connection between conservativism 113 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:31.120 and bigotry, right, and so it seems like why, you know, why, 114 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:34.000 why does it? At least it seems to us on 115 00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:36.360 a show like this, it's it seems to us that 116 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:40.360 that particular mindset, the conservative mindset, seems to be drawn 117 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:45.120 to that type of belief and interaction. And I know 118 00:06:45.399 --> 00:06:49.240 it seems like I bring up this this research too often, 119 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:51.920 too often on the nonprofits, But there was a there 120 00:06:51.959 --> 00:06:54.519 was a study done that shows that there is a 121 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:58.439 strong the difference, the biggest difference between a conservative mindset 122 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:03.000 and a liberal mindset is authoritarianism. And that and it's 123 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:07.160 not because it's not because the conservative mindset encourages authoritarianism. 124 00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:09.839 It's the other way around. And so it's it's rather 125 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:13.560 than dividing people by are you conservative or liberal, you 126 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:18.480 can divide them by are you are you pro authoritarianism 127 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:20.920 or are you against it? And then the group that 128 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:26.759 is pro authoritarianism is way more likely to be conservative politically, 129 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:31.519 is way more likely to be conservative religiously, is way 130 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:35.560 more concerned about things like purity and loyalty and that 131 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:37.600 kind of thing. And so I think I think there 132 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:41.399 is kind of a roundabout tie from the from the 133 00:07:41.480 --> 00:07:47.040 conservative mindset to this idea of bigotry through that conduit 134 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:49.600 of authoritarianism and purity. 135 00:07:50.600 --> 00:07:53.360 But I would I would say that that is unique 136 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:56.120 to the United States, though, because if you look at 137 00:07:56.160 --> 00:08:01.120 another country like Hungary, for example, they don't have a 138 00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:04.680 minority African American population that's going to be disparaged the 139 00:08:04.680 --> 00:08:09.120 more conservative they are, right, So conservatism means something different 140 00:08:09.160 --> 00:08:11.560 in a country like that than it does here. So 141 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:14.480 when you get that kind of population in a country 142 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:20.199 that's got disproportionate groups, you're going to see disproportionate a 143 00:08:20.279 --> 00:08:23.920 disproportionate splitting of the resources and splitting of the gains 144 00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:27.800 of that society between those groups because one is essentially 145 00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:31.839 going to control the other, and being conservative means that 146 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:34.960 that group gets to be more authoritarian over the rest 147 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:37.440 of them. So I don't know. I hope that makes 148 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:38.279 make sense. 149 00:08:38.519 --> 00:08:40.679 Oh no, yeah, that was a thanks for thanks for 150 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:42.960 adding that. I'm glad you did. I want to jump 151 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:46.320 over to Eli here real quick. So Eli, to you 152 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:49.159 and I, this seems like a ridiculous overreaction, of course 153 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:52.840 on on Starbucks part. What could prompt such a strong 154 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:53.919 reaction from him? 155 00:08:54.360 --> 00:08:57.720 Well, I think it is just like Jimmy said, and 156 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:03.919 it's this this power that white men have, the idea 157 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:07.200 that they're losing and also don't necessarily realize that they have. 158 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:09.879 At the same time, I think the last time you 159 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:15.360 and I Scott talked about the white standardism and how 160 00:09:15.960 --> 00:09:18.559 a lot of you know, white people will have this 161 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:21.080 idea that like, just the way that my life is 162 00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:23.039 is just a standard way, and that's like most people 163 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:25.440 feel that way and just don't recognize that different people 164 00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:30.159 have different perspectives unless and I think that's probably true 165 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:34.200 for the majority perspective, because we are not living in 166 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:37.600 somebody else's perspective. So Robbie Starbuck says in his rent. 167 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:39.960 He says, just get rid of social issues and a 168 00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:43.960 divisive causs and that's such a violently unaware statement. And 169 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:47.639 I think because I think what makes it so divisive 170 00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:51.440 is this idea that the way that it always has 171 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:53.679 been is the way that it should continue to be, 172 00:09:54.200 --> 00:09:56.759 because that's the way where I was basically allowed to 173 00:09:56.759 --> 00:09:58.960 treat other people however I wanted, and I could like 174 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:00.679 benefit the most, and I liked it that way, and 175 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:03.679 that made me the most comfortable, and I went that back, 176 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:07.559 and it's it's not you know, go and these whole 177 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:12.240 like the Pride flags in the tractor supply company store, 178 00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:16.679 those don't affect Robbie Starbuck. The DEI programs that any 179 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:21.360 of these companies use, they don't affect Robbie Starbuck negatively 180 00:10:21.399 --> 00:10:23.919 in any way. He just wants to be hateful and 181 00:10:23.960 --> 00:10:26.120 get it back to the way he's used to having 182 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:28.960 it because that's what he likes. It's just ignorance. 183 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:33.159 Yeah, you mentioned that that phrase white standardism, and I 184 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:36.039 remember when we talked. That came up in a story 185 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:38.960 we covered on the nonprofits a few weeks ago, and 186 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:44.200 the context was it was an African American woman was 187 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:47.559 talking about how history, and I think it was Arizona, 188 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:51.720 maybe New Mexico had been whitewashed. And she said, you 189 00:10:51.799 --> 00:10:55.120 might not be a white supremacist, but you're a white standardist. 190 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:57.840 And what that means is that you think of being 191 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:00.679 white as like the default, as the as the standard, 192 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:03.879 and anything else's deviations from from being white. And so 193 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:06.000 I wonder if that I mean to me that this 194 00:11:06.120 --> 00:11:08.200 story here just kind of reeks of that of that 195 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:11.200 white standards and that we were talking about before. Okay, 196 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:14.399 so let's jump back over to Aaron here. Aaron, you 197 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:16.840 you kind of painted a dark picture of capitalism earlier. 198 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:20.120 What changes could we make to the way that we 199 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:23.480 examine capitalism or change capitalism itself? What what can we 200 00:11:23.480 --> 00:11:25.519 do that can lighten up this dark picture a little bit? 201 00:11:25.559 --> 00:11:28.480 Well, let me read something from you for you. I 202 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:31.159 don't think, yeah, I don't think. I don't think this 203 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:35.279 gets red and talked about enough. Okay, most of us, 204 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:38.600 we'll find this familiar. We the people of the United States, 205 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:41.879 in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, 206 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:46.240 ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the 207 00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:49.720 general warfare, welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to 208 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:52.720 ourselves and our pasterity, do our dain and establish this 209 00:11:52.840 --> 00:11:57.000 Constitution of the United States of America. I love the 210 00:11:57.080 --> 00:11:59.879 Preamble to the Constitution because it tells us exactly why 211 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:04.639 the Constitution exists and why our government exists. It basically 212 00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:07.759 exists to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and 213 00:12:07.799 --> 00:12:11.919 our posterity. If you look in this country, let's say 214 00:12:11.960 --> 00:12:14.799 reincarnation is a real thing, and that well, we're all 215 00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:18.399 going to get reincarnated. Look around this country and if 216 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:20.639 somebody asks you, well, who, what kind of a person, 217 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:24.519 with what kind of a nationality or race, or sexuality, 218 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:26.799 gender would you like to be born as. 219 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:29.080 In this country? And if the answer is I don't care, 220 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:30.720 then we have some work to do. And you know 221 00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:33.000 what I think, I don't think people can answer it, well, 222 00:12:33.080 --> 00:12:36.080 it doesn't matter, right, I think it does matter how 223 00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:37.759 you're born and who you're born in this country. And 224 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:39.759 that's a shame. That means that there are groups that 225 00:12:39.799 --> 00:12:41.679 don't have and there are groups that have. And it's 226 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:44.879 the purpose of our government to make sure that everybody 227 00:12:44.919 --> 00:12:48.279 has secured the blessings of liberty for themselves, regardless of 228 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:52.399 their race, their nationality, their sexuality, or their gender. And 229 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:55.200 I think our government needs to step up and it 230 00:12:55.240 --> 00:12:58.159 needs to help people have better wages. It needs to 231 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:02.679 help people have medical bills that don't crush them. Is 232 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:05.360 to help people get educated, to provide education for people 233 00:13:05.399 --> 00:13:09.279 so they have opportunities to improve their lives. So I 234 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:13.559 think I think to solve this problem, it requires government intervention, 235 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:17.399 It requires government regulation and to help improve and secure 236 00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:20.679 the blessings of liberty for everybody in this country, regardless 237 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:22.799 of how you were who you were born as. 238 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:26.200 Yeah, I mean you mentioned that what was that the 239 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:28.440 veil of ignorance morality? 240 00:13:28.519 --> 00:13:28.720 Is that? 241 00:13:28.919 --> 00:13:31.080 I think it was John Wrawles that that said that. Yeah, 242 00:13:31.159 --> 00:13:34.080 and yeah, that's a really good perspective to have. You know, 243 00:13:34.120 --> 00:13:36.399 if if you want to judge the fairness or judge 244 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:39.519 the judge's system, just imagine if you don't get to 245 00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:42.559 pick what role you're going to play in an organization 246 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:44.639 or in that system or whatever. And you know, that 247 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:47.919 really gets people thinking about other people because you don't 248 00:13:47.960 --> 00:13:50.240 know if you're going to be the other people or 249 00:13:50.279 --> 00:13:52.080 if they're going to be the other people, right, And 250 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:55.279 so if you don't know that, then uh, if you're 251 00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:59.240 if you're making decisions based on position, then that's taking 252 00:13:59.240 --> 00:14:01.480 advantage of the fact that you're in that position. That's 253 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:04.720 exercising that privilege. And and so I and I also 254 00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:09.000 appreciate that you read us the preamble to the Constitution there. 255 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:11.799 I agree. I think that's uh. I think we should 256 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:15.360 read that a little more often. But anyway, I digress 257 00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:17.879 a little bit here. I Uh, let's jump down to 258 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:21.720 uh to Eli here, Eli, So we talked about maybe 259 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:25.440 there's racial motivations, maybe there's some political motivations. It seems 260 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:28.440 like there's some kind of maybe kind of deeper urge 261 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:31.279 pushing Starbucks here into doing these kind of things. What 262 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:35.360 do you think about that? So what he. 263 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:37.159 Says here, like I said before, like this is all 264 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:39.279 just about hate, Like I want to hate these people, 265 00:14:39.320 --> 00:14:41.360 and you're making it uncomfortable for me to do that. 266 00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:44.600 And he says at one point or does a quote 267 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:46.399 from an article that says, if you give people the 268 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:48.519 inform I am paraphrasing, but it says, if you give 269 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:51.639 people the information, especially if you are doing it in 270 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:54.799 a way that is focused at the right demographics and 271 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:58.320 at the right customer base, then they are going to 272 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:00.679 make wise choices. And what he means by that is, 273 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:03.279 if you manipulate people, you can get them to do 274 00:15:03.320 --> 00:15:05.840 what you want. And I guess I shouldn't say that's 275 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:07.799 what he means. I shouldn't, you know, put intent to it. 276 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:09.759 But that's how I read that. That's how it feels, 277 00:15:10.200 --> 00:15:13.879 just coming from like the like the what he's been doing, 278 00:15:14.039 --> 00:15:16.039 like these campaigns that he's on that he finds to 279 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:19.399 be so important that like, I haven't really made any 280 00:15:19.480 --> 00:15:22.240 change to the way that these companies do business other 281 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:26.279 than like these particular products aren't on display anymore. It 282 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:28.759 really just seems like the only reason for it is, Hey, 283 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:32.080 the purpose of an ad campaign is to like draw 284 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:35.480 in customers, and if if Harley Davidson wants to draw 285 00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:39.240 in customers that are of the LGBTQIA community, which I'm 286 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:42.320 sure that they do, because like money doesn't have sex, 287 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:46.759 so there's no wrong way, Like there's no wrong money, 288 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:49.759 so I'm sure they want that money. There was in 289 00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:51.679 the article it said that there is one point four 290 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:55.519 trillion dollars of purchasing power in the USA among the 291 00:15:55.639 --> 00:15:59.440 LGBTQIA community. So I know that Harley Davidson wants that money. 292 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:02.360 So if they want to show that community that they 293 00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:05.440 are welcoming and inclusive to them, they need to include 294 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:08.679 that community and welcome that community in their ad campaigns. 295 00:16:08.679 --> 00:16:12.679 This is one plus one. And like Robbie Starbuck's upsaid 296 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:15.440 about it, the UFC fighter Sean Strickland, who was mentioned 297 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:19.000 in the article saying that this is betrayal by Harley Davidson. 298 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:21.120 That is treachery. And it seems to me that. 299 00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:25.279 If that's not a word of privilege right there, right exactly, 300 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:29.039 if acknowledging that people that are different from you exist, 301 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:32.720 like that's not betrayal, that's like snowflake narcissism. 302 00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:37.759 Yes, I'm calling calling Jean Strickland out because that just 303 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:41.080 seems really fragile to me. To feel like you're being betrayed. 304 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:43.080 If your image, if it is so important to your 305 00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:46.519 image to reject other people as people, then your image 306 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:47.080 is fragile. 307 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:51.759 Yeah, no shit, But you point out that. So in 308 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:54.600 order to be able to apply that pressure, then he 309 00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:58.799 must be somewhat successful. Jimmy, let's jump down to you here. 310 00:16:58.840 --> 00:17:01.879 We've seen that's Arbuck has been successful in the past 311 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:06.039 with tractor supply and with John Deere. They basically all 312 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:08.920 but caved in to his demands. And now Harley Davidson 313 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:11.960 is you know, on the edge or figuring out what 314 00:17:12.039 --> 00:17:15.359 to do here? What can these companies do other than 315 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:19.200 what ELI has been suggesting, you know, just embracing it 316 00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:20.880 and going with it. Is there anything that they could 317 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:24.200 do to resist that kind of business pressure? 318 00:17:24.599 --> 00:17:28.200 Well, I think that based off my sheer observation and 319 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:30.680 not on any data. So this is dangerous, but I'm 320 00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:32.839 gonna I'm gonna go down this road anyway. And based 321 00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:34.599 off the fact that I have lived in New York 322 00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:37.680 and Texas and Florida, I would probably venture to say 323 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:41.519 that Tractor Supply and John Deere do not have a 324 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:47.119 large customer base or employment force that represents anybody other 325 00:17:47.240 --> 00:17:51.920 than the kind of conservative population. Right. Maybe there might 326 00:17:51.960 --> 00:17:54.640 be some onesie tuosies, but generally speaking, I don't think 327 00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:58.799 that they, you know, John Deere or Tractor Supplier in 328 00:17:58.839 --> 00:18:00.839 the middle of New York City and doing a whole 329 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:02.839 lot of business. Right, I haven't seen one in Times 330 00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:06.319 Square recently. These are in the rural areas where things 331 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:09.799 like that are common and where a mindset that is 332 00:18:09.880 --> 00:18:13.359 anti woke, if you will, is more common as well. 333 00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:17.000 Why not test this theory? Why not open up a 334 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:20.720 business and do some business in the sectors of society 335 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:22.839 that you have no connection with, and see how fruitful 336 00:18:22.839 --> 00:18:25.640 it is. I would agree that opening stores in urban 337 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:31.079 liberal centers and going completely woke, hiring transgender people, hiring 338 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:34.359 people that don't look like your neighbors for a twenty 339 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:37.680 mile radius, you know, that's an experiment that I would 340 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:40.119 love to see by some of these big organizations. I 341 00:18:40.119 --> 00:18:43.240 don't think that that Harley Davidson has fallen yet, because 342 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:48.920 Harley Davidson is not quite as I think, conservatively aligned 343 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:52.279 or rurally aligned if you can even use those words 344 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:56.119 like that that way as the other companies that we've 345 00:18:56.160 --> 00:19:00.720 talked about. Right, So, just like Starbucks said, ironically not 346 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:04.799 related to the corporation Starbucks by any means, but Starbuck 347 00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:09.440 himself had said, Look, I understand that Starbucks is a 348 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:11.400 I don't know what he called it, like a liberal 349 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:14.319 shit show or something like that. Whatever he goes, I 350 00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:17.839 completely I completely accept that that's who they are, and 351 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:20.839 I go in and I get my coffee anyway, Right, Okay, 352 00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:23.599 so then what what is the problem? You must see 353 00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:27.559 the financial benefit and what is the problem with your 354 00:19:27.880 --> 00:19:31.759 your companies that you that you love so much getting 355 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:35.160 a financial benefit as well, but also providing a safe 356 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:39.319 and inclusive work environment for people who might want to 357 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:41.880 work there, who might want to take on that company's 358 00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:44.480 mission and get a paycheck and be part of the team. 359 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:45.559 What's wrong with that? 360 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:46.039 Right? 361 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:47.319 I go for it? 362 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:51.640 So you're saying not not only not only embracing the 363 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:54.720 that portion of that what was it ELI one point 364 00:19:54.759 --> 00:19:58.319 four billion? Was that brillion? One point four trillion dollars? 365 00:19:58.359 --> 00:19:58.640 Okay? 366 00:19:58.680 --> 00:20:01.200 So I was off by three factors of ten there 367 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:03.960 one point for trillion dollars. They want to get that 368 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:09.079 rather than just targeting for that, rather than just creating 369 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:14.599 an interaction or a company that is friendly to consumers. Jimmy, 370 00:20:14.599 --> 00:20:17.480 you're saying that they should incorporate that into their entire 371 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:20.960 corporate identity, right, that they should be embracing at from 372 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:22.200 the inside out. Almost. 373 00:20:22.440 --> 00:20:24.920 Well, I think they should just recognize the benefit and 374 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:27.920 recognize the fairness. I don't think that they need to 375 00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:31.200 rebrand themselves. I just think that they don't need to 376 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:36.079 be exclusive or what's the word discriminatory? 377 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:38.920 Right? Yeah? Yeah, I don't think that that would require 378 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:41.240 any kind of rebranding either, just to come out and 379 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:45.799 say we recognize that there are other human beings. It 380 00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:48.359 seems that seems like a pretty basic thing to say. 381 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:51.160 But I have one last question for all three of you, 382 00:20:51.160 --> 00:20:53.079 and I'm going to ask for a quick, short answer 383 00:20:53.160 --> 00:20:56.000 from each of the three of you. Clearly that we're 384 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:59.480 talking about one guy here, Robbie Starbuck, and he's made 385 00:20:59.559 --> 00:21:01.799 kind of a big splash. So what does that tell 386 00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:04.680 us about the power of one person's voice and does 387 00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:08.400 that impact our perceptions of our own voices as we 388 00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:13.319 promote the ACA's position of promoting atheism, critical thinking, secular humanism, 389 00:21:13.319 --> 00:21:16.799 et cetera. What does that tell us about the ability 390 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:18.880 of one person to make a difference. We'll go to 391 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:19.680 Aaron first. 392 00:21:19.880 --> 00:21:20.920 We all can make a difference. 393 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:23.640 We all can be that voice, that loud voice that 394 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:26.480 affects change in the world. We just have to take 395 00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:28.599 the energy and the time to do. 396 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:32.000 It, all right, Eli, The reason that Robbie Starbick was 397 00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:35.480 successful is because those companies recognize the platform that he 398 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:38.960 has and the influence that he has. And it's just 399 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:41.200 so it's just like you said it, like you use 400 00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:43.319 the platform, the influence you have to make the changes 401 00:21:43.319 --> 00:21:44.799