WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.400 All right, twelve O wait, welcome in seven hundred wlw 2 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:14.199 the average America in put the great American on this Thursday. Yes, yes, yes, Budelah, 3 00:00:14.679 --> 00:00:18.640 I know, I know. Somebody again left the air conditioning 4 00:00:18.679 --> 00:00:23.120 on outside. Why do we keep doing that? Don't worry? 5 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:25.920 Spring's coming. Look at it this way. Opening Day is 6 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:28.800 still what a month away? It's been a month away, 7 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:30.760 a little more than a month, five weeks. It has 8 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:34.039 to get warmer, doesn't it. I mean that was in 9 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:37.880 the brochure when we all moved here, wasn't it. The 10 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:41.479 dizzying effect of Donald Trump continues in Washington, d C. 11 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:46.200 It is claimed Mitch McConnell, who not surprisingly today announced 12 00:00:46.200 --> 00:00:48.439 that he will not seek reelection in twenty twenty six. 13 00:00:48.479 --> 00:00:51.560 I think that was almost a foregone conclusion when he 14 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:56.320 was forced out as Senate Majority Leader or Senate Minority 15 00:00:56.399 --> 00:00:58.600 leader at the time Senate majority leader, he would have 16 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:00.920 been that now belongs to you. So I don't think 17 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:04.760 that's any great shock. And there are those that think 18 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:07.000 that McConnell should have just taken it back to the 19 00:01:07.079 --> 00:01:11.480 ranch after he successfully blocked Merrick Garland's nomination to the 20 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:15.359 Supreme Court all those years ago, but nevertheless he's hung 21 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:19.920 on in some of these elections, never really a serious primary. 22 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:24.439 With regards to McConnell, he did have some people that 23 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:27.359 the game a run for his money. Amy McGrath in 24 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:33.439 twenty twenty certainly did in twenty fourteen Alison Lundgren Grimes 25 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:37.120 also gave him a run. But by and large this 26 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:41.920 has been his seat to hold and to and to 27 00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:45.120 wield great power from. It'll be interesting to see who 28 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:49.400 the Republicans put up. Kentucky is certainly not a red state. 29 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:53.359 It is a purple state. Andy Basheer is very popular 30 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:56.560 in Kentucky, and as you well know, as they just 31 00:01:56.599 --> 00:01:58.840 sit right across the river from us here in Cincinnati, 32 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:02.120 or we sit right across the river from you in Kentucky. 33 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:03.840 So we'll see what happens with the seat and how 34 00:02:03.879 --> 00:02:06.719 it all plays out. But McConnell officially out in twenty 35 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:10.240 twenty six. As for Trump, I don't think there's been 36 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:13.520 any executive order of note today, although it's tough to 37 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:17.719 keep up because Donald Trump has just been let's just 38 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:21.080 put it this way, just has just been putting pen 39 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:26.240 to paper more than sixty executive orders as of February 40 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:30.800 nineteenth just yesterday, the most in the president's first one 41 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:37.400 hundred days in the last forty years sixty and that 42 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:41.080 doesn't count in things like proclamations and whatnot. Some will 43 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:44.840 see whether they'll hold up in quart or not. Others 44 00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:48.240 have been kind of well, that's interesting. The Gulf of America, 45 00:02:48.280 --> 00:02:52.400 which used to be the Gulf of Mexico birthright citizenship. 46 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:55.960 I think that thing is probably destined for failure in 47 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:58.120 the court, but we'll see how it all plays out, 48 00:02:58.599 --> 00:03:00.800 watching it as well as you and me. Is my 49 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:04.199 first guest today. He is Kevin Howard. He is the 50 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:06.919 author of the book Onward at last twenty twenty four 51 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:11.159 presidential election edition. And Kevin is a guy with a 52 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:13.919 great background. He has served this country in uniform, a 53 00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:17.280 veteran of the US Army, and has a background in 54 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.879 economics and law and a certification in climate risk management 55 00:03:21.159 --> 00:03:25.960 and sustainability. Who doesn't who doesn't want to sustain anyway, 56 00:03:26.039 --> 00:03:28.400 Let's bring Kevin on for some of his thoughts on 57 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:31.919 what's transpired so far far here and just a little 58 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:34.120 bit more than a month. And Kevin Howard, how are 59 00:03:34.120 --> 00:03:35.360 you on this glorious day? 60 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:39.680 Man? I am doing fantastic. It is so good to 61 00:03:39.719 --> 00:03:42.120 talk to you again. You may not remember because you're 62 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:46.560 a busy man. We spoke in September of twenty twenty, 63 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:50.520 going into the previous presidential election, you know, talking about 64 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:53.960 the adults in the room with Biden perspectively being the president, 65 00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:56.479 which obviously he was. So it's great to talk to 66 00:03:56.560 --> 00:03:58.719 you again. Thank you so much for inviting me today. 67 00:03:58.759 --> 00:04:01.919 I'm glad you're back. Just news of the day. What 68 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:03.680 do you make of McConnell's saying he's not going to 69 00:04:03.719 --> 00:04:04.800 run in twenty twenty six. 70 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:10.039 Well, basically, McConnell sees the writing on the war wall. 71 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:13.400 What Trump was elected to do and by the people 72 00:04:13.400 --> 00:04:19.800 who elected him, is to dismantle the establishment aspects of 73 00:04:19.800 --> 00:04:23.519 both the Republican and Democratic Party. Right, the neo con 74 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:28.600 neoliberal project is over, right, and so yes, McConnell understands 75 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:31.639 his day has passed because he represents that group. But 76 00:04:31.879 --> 00:04:35.639 this is the whole you know, w Bush, Cheney, both 77 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:42.439 Lynn and Dick, this is Clinton, Obama, Biden, Harris. The neoliberal, 78 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:47.360 neo conservative project is over and this is a part 79 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:51.199 of the demolition that McConnell just recognizes that his day 80 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:51.800 has passed. 81 00:04:52.439 --> 00:04:54.519 I think you're right, and I think it won't stop 82 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:56.639 with him. I think you'll see other defections as well. 83 00:04:56.680 --> 00:04:59.160 I don't know if the Republicans hold that seat in Kentucky. 84 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:01.560 It's not quite a a slam dunk as it was 85 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:04.639 in years past, and he kind of held onto it 86 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:07.639 with an iron fist as much with reputation as he 87 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:11.319 did with campaigning. But we'll see. I don't know that 88 00:05:11.319 --> 00:05:13.120 that'll play out over the next year and a half. 89 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:16.160 Trump though, has come in and done as planned. And 90 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:18.519 I have to laugh when I see some of these 91 00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:21.680 Democrats that pop up on MSNBC and CNN. I have 92 00:05:21.720 --> 00:05:25.079 to laugh when they seem shocked and they seem agassed 93 00:05:25.079 --> 00:05:27.439 at what Donald Trump is doing. This is exactly what 94 00:05:27.480 --> 00:05:29.560 he said he was going to do. What part of 95 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:31.920 that did you miss over the last year and a half. 96 00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:35.079 I don't understand why people don't pay attention anymore. 97 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:39.279 Kevin Well, it's true. Well, it's only because they do 98 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:41.959 pay attention. The problem is is that this is the 99 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:47.879 pro question at their recognition that the economic plan, the 100 00:05:47.959 --> 00:05:53.959 geopolitical plan, American hegemony, globalization that has disserved the American 101 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:56.959 middle class, the American working class and the working poor 102 00:05:57.639 --> 00:06:00.680 that those policies are coming to an and are on 103 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:03.480 the severe threat, and so they will do Those who 104 00:06:03.560 --> 00:06:06.680 benefited from it will do anything they can to defend 105 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:08.240 it and protect it. And so it's not that they 106 00:06:08.279 --> 00:06:11.199 didn't listen. They saw it coming. They just can't believe 107 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:12.240 he's actually doing it. 108 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:15.959 Yeah, those who scream the loudest are the ones that 109 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:18.959 are most affected by what is going on. And I 110 00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:22.680 raise that because I look at Doge and I'm not 111 00:06:22.759 --> 00:06:27.000 saying that Elon Musk is the brightest man in the world. 112 00:06:27.240 --> 00:06:29.639 Some might think that I don't know who the brightest 113 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:31.680 man in the world is, but okay, let's just say 114 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:34.519 for a moment it is Elon Musk. All he's doing 115 00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:37.680 is a deep dive into a corporation the United States 116 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:40.800 of America that is a pretty good cash flow. We 117 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:43.959 have a good GDP about half of his pay taxes, 118 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:47.120 but we have an inordinate problem with spending, and we 119 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:49.920 spend too much, and therefore there is waste. And so 120 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:52.720 the first thing anybody who takes over a company does 121 00:06:52.920 --> 00:06:55.439 is you look and you find out why this company 122 00:06:55.480 --> 00:06:58.360 that seems to do pretty well. Then the bottom line 123 00:06:58.439 --> 00:07:01.199 comes out and it's in the red. Well, what's going 124 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:03.879 on here, that's all he's doing, and what he's uncovering 125 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:06.480 is a tremendous amount of what you and me and 126 00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:09.600 everybody else over the course of our lifetime figured out. 127 00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:12.439 This government loves to spend money, and there are a 128 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:15.759 lot of people making money off the government spending money. 129 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:18.800 Anybody that wants to die on that hill fighting that, 130 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:19.920 go right ahead. 131 00:07:20.040 --> 00:07:24.439 I don't think you win, Oh, absolutely not. And let's 132 00:07:24.439 --> 00:07:27.680 put some concrete numbers to this so that everyone who's 133 00:07:27.720 --> 00:07:31.720 listening can can appreciate what we're talking about. Since the 134 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:37.199 neo conservative neoliberal agenda started being implemented in the early nineties, 135 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:40.240 Back in nineteen ninety two, the federal debt was four 136 00:07:40.279 --> 00:07:43.079 point one trillion four point one trade. That's after two 137 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:46.439 hundred and sixteen years of our country's history. Okay, in 138 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:51.160 thirty three years, we're up to thirty six point five trillion, right, Okay, 139 00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:54.199 so on extra thirty two plus trillion dollars in thirty 140 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:59.279 three years. What we're talking about here is the persistent 141 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:04.399 news of the federal treasury because who benefited from all 142 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:07.560 that debt? Again, if you look at the demographics of 143 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:12.160 American socioeconomic demographics of America. The top one percent, according 144 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:15.199 to the Federal Reserve, has more wealth and income than 145 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:18.160 the entire American middle class. And so what Dose is 146 00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:22.680 doing is absolutely going in there and observe it. Well, 147 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:25.399 why is it that the Pentagon can't pass an audit 148 00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:29.759 right because they have four trillion dollars and unaccountable funds. 149 00:08:29.800 --> 00:08:33.159 I mean, just wrap your brain about that. That has 150 00:08:33.320 --> 00:08:37.639 been what the establishment has been doing for thirty three years. 151 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:41.720 And this is what President Trump was elected to do. 152 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:47.360 Go in there and dismantle the interagency infrastructure that is 153 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:51.360 exercise that has executed that agenda. Well that those days 154 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:53.840 are over, and yeah, we're going to find out. Look 155 00:08:53.879 --> 00:08:57.559 at all the specifics coming out of the outrageous amounts 156 00:08:57.559 --> 00:08:59.759 of expenditure. It doesn't matter where you live, where you 157 00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:04.200 live on the political ideological range, No one with support 158 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:07.279 what this is unless you were personally benefiting from it. 159 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:08.519 And those days are over. 160 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:12.759 Yeah, No one anywhere in this world, well certainly in 161 00:09:12.759 --> 00:09:16.120 this country, is entitled to the job he or she has. 162 00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:18.879 You're not entitled to it. You stay on that job 163 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:22.120 and you earn it until the company deems it that 164 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:24.960 that job is not necessary anymore, and we've moved on, 165 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:29.120 and we can do that more efficiently with either AI 166 00:09:29.320 --> 00:09:32.240 now or some other means. But you're not entitled to 167 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:34.919 your job now. Some jobs are protected by unions, and 168 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:38.559 some jobs are protected, for example, in the teaching profession, 169 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:43.240 by tenure. But nobody is entitled to keep a job. 170 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:45.720 You keep a job for a lot of things, your 171 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:48.399 own hard work, but other outside forces. So when I 172 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:51.279 see some of these federal workers getting all worked up 173 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:54.360 into a ladder, what did you not see when you 174 00:09:54.360 --> 00:09:56.879 were on the job. Did you not see that there 175 00:09:57.039 --> 00:09:59.039 was waste, that there might have been four of you 176 00:09:59.159 --> 00:10:02.120 doing a job that one other person could do. Was 177 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:04.519 that not a warning sign for you that maybe you know, 178 00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:07.039 this might not be the best place for me from 179 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:09.759 a long term basis. I think a lot of this 180 00:10:10.120 --> 00:10:13.200 needs to go back to personal accountability, and a lot 181 00:10:13.240 --> 00:10:15.039 of it needs to go back to the fact that 182 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:19.519 good hard work is your best chance of keeping a job. 183 00:10:19.639 --> 00:10:22.200 But nobody is entitled to a job, are they, Kevin? 184 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:27.080 You're absolutely right, Ken. But what we're dealing with here 185 00:10:27.399 --> 00:10:32.639 is people who were so entrenched in the trough of 186 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:36.320 the American Treasury, right. They didn't think this would ever change. 187 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:40.879 This was the interagency Presidents come and go. Obama came 188 00:10:40.919 --> 00:10:44.639 and went, w came and went, and this infrastructure stayed 189 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:46.639 in place. So these people didn't think it was ever 190 00:10:46.679 --> 00:10:50.120 going to change. And they certainly didn't think that President 191 00:10:50.120 --> 00:10:53.919 Trump would be able to execute this time. The first 192 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:56.120 time he was elected, he didn't know how to govern 193 00:10:56.399 --> 00:10:58.440 and he got sidetracked with a number of issues, and 194 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:00.679 we don't have to get into that now. This time, 195 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:03.679 he was ready. He had his team ready. Fourteen and 196 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:07.720 fifteen major cabinet members have been confirmed and stuff like that, 197 00:11:07.799 --> 00:11:11.879 and Cash Bottel will probably get confirmed today. So he's 198 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:16.639 hit the ground running. And it's shocking them that the earthquakes, 199 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:19.720 the eight point nine, you know, has filed their prives. 200 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:23.639 Yeah, yeah, And I you know, I think that Trump 201 00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:26.720 is the kind of guy, at least I think, who 202 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:30.000 will go in there and he'll drop an anvil on 203 00:11:30.039 --> 00:11:33.080 an ant just to see exactly what happens with the 204 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:38.200 residual effects. He's a guy that is not a minimalist, 205 00:11:38.519 --> 00:11:41.799 and so he'll go in and he'll do something large 206 00:11:42.039 --> 00:11:44.240 just to see what the rest of the reaction is 207 00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:46.720 and if he only gets half of what he wants, 208 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:49.200 well that's good. But if he went in looking for 209 00:11:49.559 --> 00:11:52.519 half of what he did by dropping the anvil on 210 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:55.159 the ant, he probably would only get ten percent of 211 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:57.799 what he wanted. So I guess my point is is 212 00:11:57.799 --> 00:11:59.840 that if you didn't go to school on Trump in 213 00:12:00.039 --> 00:12:03.360 twenty sixteen to twenty twenty, then shame on you, because 214 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:09.200 this is a guy who is basically uninhibited by the 215 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:12.360 prospects of having to get re elected or worrying about 216 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:15.360 what his second term will be. He's just doing what 217 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:17.399 he said he was going to do, and in four 218 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:19.840 years he's going to write off into the sense sunset. 219 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:23.279 You know again, Kevin, I just don't. I just don't 220 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:26.159 know why this should be a shock to anybody, because 221 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:29.039 it was pretty plain and evident in the year and 222 00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:32.000 a half he declared and his lead up to this election. 223 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:35.000 He's just not You might might not have you might 224 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:37.919 have been paying attention, but you probably didn't want to 225 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:39.879 believe it. If you're having a problem. 226 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:43.440 With it right now, and Ken, before we go, if 227 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:45.720 we could just touch on so that the audience knows 228 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:49.200 the two major things that President Trump has got that 229 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:53.799 he's bringing about in this first month is to execute 230 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:57.559 his strategy to end the forever wars. America has been 231 00:12:57.720 --> 00:13:01.879 in combat somewhere around the world for over thirty years, right, 232 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:04.080 and so what you see, what's going on with the 233 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:06.399 war in Ukraine, what you see, what's going on with 234 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:10.519 the ceasefire and Gaza. What you see the Secretary of State, 235 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:13.679 you know when he in his interview with Megan Kelly 236 00:13:13.720 --> 00:13:19.360 saying that the superpowers will use diplomacy to settle competing 237 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:21.679 interests so we do not have to come engage in 238 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:27.240 armed conflict. That is President Trump's ending the forever war strategy, 239 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:29.679 and Tulca Gabbert is at the tip of that sphere. 240 00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:35.279 The tariffs is about unwinding globalization. What happens to the 241 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:37.840 American middle class, in American working class is because it 242 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:42.879 got commoditized competing against China, competing against Mexico, South Korea 243 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:46.679 and other places. By bringing a manufacturing back to the 244 00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:49.840 United States and our productivity back to the United States, 245 00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:53.559 that's where the quality jobs in mass at large is 246 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:55.759 going to come back, right. And so that's what the 247 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:59.080 tariff regime that's going to be that has to be 248 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:02.440 passed by Congress is all about how do you unline 249 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:06.639 globalization and bring production back to America. That will be 250 00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:09.200 that will rebuild the American litdle class. It's going to 251 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:12.480 be painful for some period of time in the transition, 252 00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:13.960 but it'd be well worth it. 253 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:17.200 Kevin Howard our guest his book Onward at last twenty 254 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:20.840 twenty four presidential election edition. You know, with regards to 255 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:24.840 the war in Ukraine. Ukraine has been a piggy bank 256 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:27.399 for a lot of people that govern in Washington, d C. 257 00:14:27.720 --> 00:14:31.039 And eventually the real story on Ukraine is going to 258 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:34.720 get out. And Zelensky's all been out of shape because 259 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:40.000 Trump didn't include him first. When I guess Trump's envoy 260 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:42.879 went to Saudi Arabia and talk to the Russians and whatnot. 261 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:47.279 Zelenski doesn't exist without the United States, and so Zelenski 262 00:14:47.399 --> 00:14:51.759 needs to understand a few things. There was no exit 263 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:54.879 strategy for Zelensky with this war. There was none. I mean, 264 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:58.279 you know, was he the aggrieved party? Absolutely? Was Russia 265 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:02.559 the aggressor, absolutely, But there was no exit strategy for Zelenski. 266 00:15:02.600 --> 00:15:05.039 And so the constant flow of dollars from the United 267 00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:06.879 States was the only thing that was going to keep 268 00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:11.000 Ukraine above water. So he has to listen now to 269 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:14.360 Trump and what Trump wants to do. Trump is sly 270 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:17.879 as a fox. Just because Zelenski is not involved in 271 00:15:17.960 --> 00:15:20.879 round one doesn't mean he's not going to be involved 272 00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:23.679 in rounds three, four, and five. The second thing is 273 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:25.919 is Zelensky's got to clean up his act. I mean, 274 00:15:25.960 --> 00:15:30.759 this is a guy that did not allow certain religions 275 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:34.159 to be religions to be practiced inside his country. He 276 00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:38.919 clamped down on free media in Ukraine, and he doesn't 277 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:41.759 want to hold elections. And the suspicion is he doesn't 278 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:44.320 want to hold elections is because if he did, he 279 00:15:44.440 --> 00:15:47.679 might not get re elected. So I think Celenski has 280 00:15:47.720 --> 00:15:48.960 got to clean up his act. 281 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:53.000 His approval rating it you crate is four percent. That 282 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:56.519 has some studies done at that four. So no, I 283 00:15:56.559 --> 00:16:00.559 mean it takes I want your listeners to take careful 284 00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:05.279 attention to how President Trump responded to Vilainsky with his 285 00:16:05.320 --> 00:16:08.759 complaint that he wasn't that he wasn't participate. The fact 286 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:12.639 is is Villainsky had three plus years to negotiate with 287 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:15.159 the Russians. He chose not to. Not only did he 288 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:20.200 choose not to, he passed legislation preventing anyone in Ukraine 289 00:16:20.200 --> 00:16:23.440 from negotiating with the Russians. This is why he was excluded, 290 00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:27.720 you know, right, And it's so important, right he recognized. 291 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:30.120 He negotiated well with the United States Senate to take 292 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:33.639 auric tax dollars over there, exactly right. 293 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:37.080 Right from sad he's a salesman, right and and. 294 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:40.120 So okay, So if you got to pick a good 295 00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:43.000 guy in this, Okay, he's the good guy. But you know, 296 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:45.480 you've got to have to have some strategy. You can't say, 297 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:47.559 here's you know, here's a couple of billion more, you're 298 00:16:47.559 --> 00:16:49.799 a good guy, go away, go buy some more bullets. 299 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:52.519 There was no there was no way. There was no 300 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:55.000 way that this thing was going to end because it 301 00:16:55.080 --> 00:16:57.679 was it was beyond Biden's contral. The whole thing happened 302 00:16:57.679 --> 00:16:59.720 because of Biden, but he didn't know what was going on. 303 00:16:59.799 --> 00:17:04.480 So how would anyone expect that the more money you 304 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:06.720 give to something that's a losing effort is all of 305 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:09.000 a sudden going to make it a winning effort. You 306 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:10.759 see that in business all the time. And you got 307 00:17:10.759 --> 00:17:12.839 a problem, if you just throw money at it, it 308 00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:15.279 doesn't fix the problem. It just throws more money at 309 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:17.359 the problem. And so that's why I said, I think 310 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:20.559 Trump is crazy as a fox. Kevin. I think at 311 00:17:20.599 --> 00:17:23.279 the end of this, it's not going to be something 312 00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:26.359 that's a victory or something that Putin is going to 313 00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:29.000 be running around in his country talking about how wonderful 314 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:31.000 it is. Trump's going to get it done on his 315 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:33.440 term so that the United States comes out of this 316 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:37.079 with something minerals, access to minerals or something. But he 317 00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:38.160 knows exactly what. 318 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:43.319 He wants, oh absolutely. And for another show, Ken, we 319 00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:46.960 really got to talk about the Ukraine narrative because that's 320 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:49.680 a part of the problem. The reason why the Russians 321 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:54.160 are willing to compromise with President Trump is because President 322 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:57.559 Trump is acknowledging the truth about how we got to 323 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:01.359 the war in Ukraine and that the narrative is not true. 324 00:18:01.640 --> 00:18:03.799 So it's too much to go into right now, but 325 00:18:03.880 --> 00:18:06.599 there's a lot bit people like John Mensheimer from the 326 00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:10.640 University of Chicago, people like Jeffrey Sachs from Columbia University, 327 00:18:10.680 --> 00:18:13.519 and the developmental economists, they have been telling the truth 328 00:18:13.559 --> 00:18:17.440 about this and it's a different story. So President Trump 329 00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:20.519 is right to bring this water and end and but 330 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:23.480 the basis by which he is and will be favorable 331 00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:27.839 to America is because we're dealing straight now with with 332 00:18:27.960 --> 00:18:31.119 Putin and the Russians, and we're going to actually normalize 333 00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:34.519 the full range of relations both with Russia and with 334 00:18:34.680 --> 00:18:38.000 China and with Europe so that we can actually get 335 00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:40.559 back to doing business, which is what which would benefit 336 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:42.599 us and the world. 337 00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:45.920 Yeah, well, you you just you just bargained away another 338 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:47.960 twenty minutes of your life because I just made a note. 339 00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:50.400 I'm going to have you on here again in about 340 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:52.200 three weeks. Then we're going to go on to the 341 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:56.079 real story in Ukraine. Kevin Howard his pot d Yeah, 342 00:18:56.400 --> 00:19:00.000 Onward at Last twenty twenty four presidential election a day. 343 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:03.799 It's out right now and you can find Kevin at 344 00:19:03.799 --> 00:19:08.599 Onward at last dot com, Onward at last dot com. Okay, Kevin, 345 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:10.720 you stay well and you know your phone's going to 346 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:11.200 be ricking. 347 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:14.480 Thank you, Thank you so much. Ken, You all take care. 348 00:19:14.759 --> 00:19:18.920 Yeah, there you go. Trump knows exactly what he wants. 349 00:19:19.559 --> 00:19:22.960 He's crazy as good, guys, crazy as a fox. And 350 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:26.240 all the MSNBC and CNN was watching them this morning 351 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:29.720 and they're all jumping around and dancing around and calling. 352 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:32.960 You know, he called Zelenski. You know what, Just calm down, 353 00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:36.359 by the way, nobody's watching anyway. It is twelve twenty 354 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:43.440 eight news radio seven hundred Wow. Where are we? Well, 355 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:45.599 we're right here, of course, No. Twelve thirty eight news 356 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:49.240 Radio seven hundred WYLW. Sometimes you just got to cry 357 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:52.640 on your neck to see the clock twelve thirty eight 358 00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:54.640 here on this Thursday. It's the average American in for 359 00:19:54.680 --> 00:19:58.119 the great American. Great to have you with us. Uh No, 360 00:20:00.039 --> 00:20:05.759 Damir Zelensky is wildly unpopular inside his own country. Oftentimes, 361 00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:09.640 when a country is at war, the rally round the 362 00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:12.319 leader of that country is enormous and the leader becomes 363 00:20:12.359 --> 00:20:14.799 even more popular. We saw it in this country during 364 00:20:14.839 --> 00:20:22.160 the First Afghan War, which involved the United States. George 365 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:25.480 hw Bush was the president of the United States the 366 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:30.359 Gulf War, if you will, and his popularity was unbelievable 367 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:35.000 as that war was brought to a close and Saddam 368 00:20:35.079 --> 00:20:42.559 Hussein was captured. But within months, because of the way 369 00:20:42.599 --> 00:20:46.359 this country was headed economically, it's the economy stupid, was 370 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:52.599 the great quote. George hw Bush's popularity fell remarkably right 371 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:55.440 off a cliff, and he lost the ensuing election to 372 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:59.119 Bill Clinton. We saw it back in this country in 373 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:03.720 World War Two, with FDR remained in office for four terms. 374 00:21:04.039 --> 00:21:07.799 That was legal back then. The law was quickly changed 375 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:11.240 after that because what FDR was doing was approaching a monarchy, 376 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:16.400 and quite frankly, it was time for him to go anyway. 377 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:19.759 He died very early into his fourth term in office, 378 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:24.279 and Zelensky won a five year term in twenty nineteen, 379 00:21:25.079 --> 00:21:27.519 which meant that at the end of twenty twenty. 380 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:27.920 Four his. 381 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:32.440 Time would be up. But he declared martial law in 382 00:21:32.599 --> 00:21:35.240 Ukraine in twenty twenty two, and because of the Russian 383 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:39.039 invasion he so declared there would be no election, and 384 00:21:39.160 --> 00:21:42.359 Zelenski at that point outlawed and opposition party. You couple 385 00:21:42.440 --> 00:21:44.759 that with what he did with religion and what he 386 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:47.799 did with the free press, and you're beginning to see 387 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:50.640 what's going on over there again. As I prefaced all 388 00:21:50.680 --> 00:21:54.839 of this with my guest Kevin Howard, the Ukraine is 389 00:21:55.400 --> 00:21:58.839 the agreeved party. There's no question about that. They were 390 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:01.359 the country that was at they were the country that 391 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:04.400 was invaded. We can get into the whys and the wherefores, 392 00:22:04.839 --> 00:22:07.839 and historical boundaries and all of that other stuff that 393 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:13.440 keeps academia up at night, perumpting and pipe puffing into pipes. 394 00:22:13.480 --> 00:22:16.720 The fact of the matter is Ukraine was invaded by Russia. 395 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:21.960 Ukraine is the aggrieved party. But Ukraine, for very very long, 396 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:27.960 long before Zelensky showed up on stage, was a gold 397 00:22:28.039 --> 00:22:32.440 mine for American politicians. There was more US money coming 398 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:35.200 in and going out of Ukraine than virtually any other 399 00:22:35.240 --> 00:22:39.759 country in that area of the world. But Zelenski declared 400 00:22:39.799 --> 00:22:44.240 martial law and says there will be no elections. Well, 401 00:22:44.279 --> 00:22:46.799