WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.080 --> 00:00:05.000 Hey, everybody, Welcome to another episode of Eyes on Geopolitics. 2 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:08.560 I am dimitriconn Tacos. I'm here with Jason Lyons Mick mulroy. 3 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:13.400 We're here. Do us a favorite liking, subscribe. If you're 4 00:00:13.400 --> 00:00:15.800 listening to us on audio, give it rated five stars, 5 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:18.239 subscribe there as well. And if you want to support 6 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:21.879 the show Patreon dot com, slash the Teamhouse. Mick has 7 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:24.039 a new podcast, of course, The Pub and the Porch 8 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:24.960 Applied Stoicism. 9 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:27.640 It's great, comes out every Monday. Check it out. 10 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:30.239 Links are in the description, Jason's links are in the description. 11 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:32.000 Everything and anything you need to know is down in 12 00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:33.280 the description or the show notes. 13 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:33.920 So thank you. 14 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:37.600 All right, guys, A lot happening as usual. The big 15 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:40.280 news I think it came out on Friday was the 16 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:44.280 National Security Strategy and I dubbed it and I'm gonna 17 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:46.479 trademark this so I'm gonna call it the Love Letter 18 00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:51.880 to Putin or Love Letter to Vladimir. Incredible stuff. I'm 19 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:53.920 sure Mick you've mentioned that you've been talking about it 20 00:00:54.200 --> 00:00:57.280 since it's been since it came out, So what are 21 00:00:57.320 --> 00:01:01.159 your what were your initial your thoughts and then after 22 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:03.439 you started going through. What did you come up with 23 00:01:03.479 --> 00:01:07.120 that anything change? Where are you at with this? 24 00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:12.359 Yeah, yeah, I've been totally geeking out. I'm gonna lie 25 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:17.040 about this, not in a good way, but certainly really 26 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:20.280 digging into what this means for the United States and 27 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:25.040 the world, because we are the most consequential nation I 28 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:28.560 think byas of course, but the national security strategy for 29 00:01:28.599 --> 00:01:33.599 the United States impacts essentially the globe. Where to start 30 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:41.959 see change from the last really any national security strategy 31 00:01:42.040 --> 00:01:45.760 going back to the end of World War Two, including 32 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:49.680 the national security strategy we drafted in twenty seventeen the 33 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:53.640 first rep administration, which was very much in line with 34 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:58.840 past national security strategies. This is a complete departure in 35 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:02.640 my estimation. So and we could talk about this for 36 00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:04.799 three episodes, to be frank, even though it's a you 37 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:09.520 know what, around thirty pages. The first thing is the 38 00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:17.360 reorientation from basically having a major impact globally to a 39 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:20.680 focus that's on the western hemisphere. So what they're calling 40 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:25.039 them Monroe Doctrine two point zero or the Trump corollary. 41 00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:28.639 And I'll stop at each section because if not, I'll 42 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:33.599 just be rambling for enough. That is, you know, it's 43 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:37.280 an illusion to the Monroe Doctrine of eighteen twenty. So 44 00:02:37.319 --> 00:02:41.080 it's a nineteenth century doctrine where the United States said, 45 00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:45.080 you know, we need to control our backyard. It was 46 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:51.120 predominantly about European powers coming into the Western hemisphere, and 47 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:54.560 we thought that was a challenge to us. Now it 48 00:02:54.599 --> 00:03:00.039 is focused mainly on mass migration, so the immigrant the 49 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:02.840 issue of and it's called mass migration, so not just 50 00:03:02.919 --> 00:03:06.680 illegal immigration, but of course it's probably mostly illegal context 51 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:11.879 they're using it stopping the flow of narcotics and essentially 52 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:16.120 dominating the Western hemisphere. So it and it took some 53 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:23.240 quotes from it. So the new National Security Strategy frames 54 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:26.840 US security is beginning at home in our hemisphere where 55 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:30.960 threats now move faster than alliances. So that that says, 56 00:03:31.400 --> 00:03:34.360 you know, exactly what I just mentioned that we're focusing 57 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:38.319 on the Western hemisphere, and we're doing so regardless of 58 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:44.080 any kind of cooperative effort. So it's not based on alliances. 59 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:48.000 It's not trying to develop, you know, countries to be 60 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:51.319 trading partners, et cetera. You know, we've get done away 61 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:53.159 with most of our foreign aid. It is it is 62 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:56.719 trying to force our agenda on the Western hemisphere. We 63 00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:00.919 can see that Benezuela right now, right, So I'll stop 64 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:02.639 there because there's a lot more to say about this. 65 00:04:02.840 --> 00:04:08.039 But that means, of course, much less emphasis on Europe 66 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:09.400 and we'll get to that. I got that in a 67 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:13.759 whole separate category. Uh, less emphasis in less military power 68 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:17.240 in the Middle East, even after these new security arrangements 69 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:21.279 with Katar and Saudi Arabia and we're running the you know, 70 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:26.839 ceasefire and Gaza, but less emphasis on that. Africa's barely mentioned. 71 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:30.600 But it's mostly you know, economic opportunities that are valuable 72 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:34.120 to the United States, not not a cohesive like plan 73 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:38.759 to build partnerships and democracies and free market systems and 74 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.360 stuff like that. And then into Pacific it's a little 75 00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:48.879 bit more emphasis probably Kobe's influence, but also because we 76 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:52.279 still view China as a competitor. Russia, by the way, 77 00:04:52.319 --> 00:04:54.879 and the first time ever, is not listed as an 78 00:04:54.879 --> 00:05:00.879 adverse adversary in this but China. It's it's predominant based 79 00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:04.120 on economic competitions. But it talks about the need to 80 00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:07.720 have a substantial military presence. But of course, if we're 81 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:09.480 going to also signal that we're not going to do 82 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:13.439 things like defend Japan and South Korea and the Philippines 83 00:05:13.480 --> 00:05:15.879 and all these things. Then just having a military force 84 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:19.199 there isn't as consequential as you would think, because if 85 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:22.199 you're sending a clear signal to China like you're not 86 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:24.920 going to invade or we're not going to defend Taiwan, 87 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:29.240 then who cares if we have aircraft carrier striker out there. 88 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:31.600 So I'll stop there, throw it back to you guys. 89 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:37.600 But my first category from this NSS is the Monroe 90 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:38.720 document in two point zero. 91 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:45.480 Yeah, it's I mean, for lack of a better term, 92 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:47.560 it's going to be a lonely road if we stick 93 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:52.920 with this. And my fear is, how is this going 94 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:57.000 to weaken us as a nation? Because as you said, 95 00:05:57.040 --> 00:06:01.560 we are the most consequential nation on earth. I believe 96 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:07.240 that as well. But I mean literally, we're handing this 97 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:10.240 to our allies, our friends, and then turning our backs 98 00:06:10.360 --> 00:06:13.120 so here read this, and turning our backs on them. 99 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:17.319 And I fear where down the road, even if twenty 100 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:20.759 twenty eight and beyond this administration is out of office, 101 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:23.839 that this is going to take years to repair, if 102 00:06:23.879 --> 00:06:24.199 at all. 103 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:29.920 And so that's my big fear. I have founded. 104 00:06:30.360 --> 00:06:32.800 Yeah, I have a couple questions. So how often does 105 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:35.399 the National Security Strategy come out every year? 106 00:06:37.160 --> 00:06:39.639 So we did one for the term of the first 107 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:42.519 and it's usually done once. And that's a good point 108 00:06:42.680 --> 00:06:45.639 to make here is so you got the National Security Strategy, 109 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:52.639 which is everything right, so it's diplomacy, economics, obviously, security intelligence, 110 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:56.160 it's it's the big picture. And then from that and 111 00:06:56.199 --> 00:06:59.600 that's what Secretary of HEGCEPT is doing at the Reagan 112 00:07:02.040 --> 00:07:06.279 Foundation this week or this weekend. He's talking about I 113 00:07:06.279 --> 00:07:08.079 don't know if it's completely come up, but the National 114 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:12.000 Defense Strategy flows from the National Security Strategy. So that's 115 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:16.040 how the military is going to do its part in 116 00:07:16.120 --> 00:07:20.720 the national strategy, and then from that the National Military strategy. 117 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:24.360 So that's the that's the actual uniform military saying okay, 118 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:26.000 this is our defense strategy. This is how we're going 119 00:07:26.040 --> 00:07:27.439 to carry it out. So that's what gets down to 120 00:07:27.480 --> 00:07:30.600 the nuts and bolts. But that's how it flows, and 121 00:07:30.759 --> 00:07:31.959 it's usually done. 122 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:32.959 With all those. 123 00:07:34.519 --> 00:07:36.360 Every four years. 124 00:07:36.680 --> 00:07:44.000 Okay, yeah, somebody, maybe I'm a dummy, but somebody explained 125 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:48.079 to me when the Western hemisphere, outside of illegal immigration, 126 00:07:49.399 --> 00:07:53.000 has ever been a place where we have not dominated 127 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:55.879 the area. 128 00:07:56.720 --> 00:08:00.279 So the original Monroe doctrine was concerned about European and 129 00:08:00.279 --> 00:08:02.959 that's just not a concern anymore. If anything, now, I 130 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:06.480 think the proponents, and I have to be frank, I 131 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:09.519 know a lot of people that wrote this were involved 132 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:13.439 in it, and they never talk like this before ever, 133 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:17.319 So I don't know what happened there, but I think 134 00:08:17.319 --> 00:08:22.959 the proponents of this plan would say that China, Russia, 135 00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:27.439 Iran or having especially in places like Venezuela, or having 136 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:30.319 too much of an influence, and it's right in our backyard, 137 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:33.960 and we got to change that. I don't know why 138 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:37.320 we couldn't, you know, do that as well as still 139 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:40.559 be the leader of the free world, the leader that 140 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:44.919 we're Reagan envisioned, you know, be that champion of democracies. 141 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:48.559 But that's another clear part of this is that we 142 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:51.600 are not It's you know, I have some quotes from 143 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:57.840 it on how we're basically not going to focus on 144 00:08:58.360 --> 00:09:01.879 being that chiny city on the hill anymore. That it's 145 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:05.159 going to be, you know, American prosperity as a foundation 146 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:09.399 of American power. Our policies will prioritize economic returns of 147 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:10.120 our citizens. 148 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:12.879 Yeah, we're all off for business is what it's saying. 149 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:18.039 Foreign engagements must demonstrate clear financial benefits to the United States. 150 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:22.399 Yeah, right, so that says, yeah. 151 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:24.559 That's that's I mean, I'm not saying that we shouldn't 152 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:27.399 look out for own financial interests, but it has to 153 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:29.519 have a clear benefit or we're not going to take part. 154 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:30.039 Yeah. 155 00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:32.679 But I feel like the overall national security strategy of 156 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:36.919 the last forty years has been like American interests, right. 157 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:42.679 Which American interests were believed to also include promoting democracy 158 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:47.000 and civil rights. Yeah, one work growth with from the 159 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:51.200 thing the United States will bozue peace through strengths and advantage, 160 00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:56.039 not ideology or moral aspiration. It's hard to believe somebody 161 00:09:56.039 --> 00:09:59.799 would put that last three words in a strategy for 162 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:05.799 the our own country, not ideology or moral aspiration. So 163 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:10.559 it's I mean, the issues that people have, and I 164 00:10:10.600 --> 00:10:14.480 think next we should talk about the europe situation. But 165 00:10:14.840 --> 00:10:19.519 is it clearly indicates profit over. 166 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:22.080 Principles? 167 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:24.720 I guess this is the way I put it, and 168 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:27.159 I don't think the US has ever viewed themselves that way. 169 00:10:27.159 --> 00:10:30.159 I think we should put our interest first, right, because 170 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:32.960 I mean, especially our government employees, they work for the people, 171 00:10:33.559 --> 00:10:37.639 but our interests should include and my I guess dated 172 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:41.840 view of the world is the promotion of democracies to 173 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:44.960 promotions and visual sibilis free markets. I mean, free markets 174 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:49.200 used to be a core part of conservative political beliefs. 175 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:53.200 It clearly states in this document that that's not true, 176 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:57.759 at least for this administration. It is tariffs as a 177 00:10:57.879 --> 00:11:03.320 means of coercion, which is not which is antithetical to 178 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:05.120 the idea of free markets. 179 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:13.720 Say yeah, I mean, and then I don't know, I 180 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:16.120 don't think you read that point it says about Africa. 181 00:11:16.279 --> 00:11:19.200 The African section says, for far too long, American policy 182 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:22.360 and Africa is focused on providing and later on spreading 183 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:27.240 liberal ideology. So there's that. And then the Latin America 184 00:11:27.240 --> 00:11:32.600 one says, they talk about encouraging governments and political parties 185 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:35.200 that broadly align with ours, but we must not overlook 186 00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:38.120 governments with different outlooks, with whom. 187 00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:40.360 We have nonetheless shared interests and who want to work 188 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:40.759 with us. 189 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:45.519 That is a really broad and open door to saying 190 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:48.879 we'll work with the worst of the worst, you know, 191 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:50.919 as long as it gets us what we want. And 192 00:11:51.559 --> 00:11:53.960 people can come back and say, well, you guys are Cia. 193 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:56.480 Isn't that what you do? You know you did all 194 00:11:56.519 --> 00:11:59.399 the time. Yeah, on a tactical level, Yeah, that's what 195 00:11:59.399 --> 00:11:59.679 we did. 196 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:00.240 But we in. 197 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:06.639 The furtherance of our democratic policies, you know so, and 198 00:12:06.679 --> 00:12:10.519 it was against those bad guys, you know so. Yes, 199 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:11.799 it's not an excuse. 200 00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:16.559 Very good point, Jay, And I think it's clearly stating 201 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:18.600 that they're not so concerned. 202 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:19.240 I mean, one of the. 203 00:12:19.159 --> 00:12:21.360 Things that aid USAID was supposed to do is help 204 00:12:21.399 --> 00:12:24.879 develop the economies of other countries to be trading partners 205 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:26.759 with the United States. It wasn't to keep them in 206 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:29.879 a perpetual state of need, right, But now it's and 207 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:34.120 that's all gone. Now it seems to be our policy 208 00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:38.879 in Africa is where is the rare earth minerals? And 209 00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:41.960 whoever is in charge of that is now our friend, 210 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:46.039 and we'll work with them for the economic benefit. Now 211 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:48.360 I get it. I mean, it's easy to sound like 212 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:52.519 a complete ideologue and say, you know, but it's a balance, 213 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:54.960 at least the way I view it. We want to 214 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:58.480 develop countries to be trading partners so that we don't 215 00:12:58.519 --> 00:13:03.639 have complete imbalance economically. That's what causes the mass migration, 216 00:13:03.720 --> 00:13:08.039 which is the undercurrent of the entire national security strategy. 217 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:10.639 In fact, this is the first one I can remember 218 00:13:10.679 --> 00:13:15.799 where its specific talks about, you know, specific policies of 219 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:20.559 another country like Europe. So Europe is one of the 220 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:23.600 next to the United States, the largest bastionions of democracy, right, 221 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:30.200 and it specifically criticizes Europe challenges the very notion that 222 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:33.519 we're in an alliance with them. It says things like, 223 00:13:33.639 --> 00:13:39.600 quote internal governance failures. It says European partners must confront 224 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:44.720 the consequences of uncontrolled migration that's strained cohesion and fuel 225 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:47.480 extremens And they actually use this term and I didn't 226 00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:52.759 write this down, but it's like cultural erature. Oh yeah, right, 227 00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:59.360 So it's criticizing Europe, not the countries the despots around 228 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:03.399 the world. Again, we already talked about Russia, who has 229 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:08.679 no legitimacy in its elected leadership and specifically invaded in democracy, 230 00:14:09.080 --> 00:14:13.639 has deliberately targeted civilians and stole twenty thousand children. So 231 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:16.559 we're not going to criticize them, but we are going 232 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:20.080 to criticize Europe for its lacks when we're calling lax 233 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:25.039 migration policies. It also says the United States will not 234 00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:29.320 underwrite europe European security and definitely, well, the one thing 235 00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:31.919 I've mentioned this before. I mean, Europe should have woken 236 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:34.200 up a long time ago that it needed to defend 237 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:37.320 itself and not just rely on the US umbrella. But 238 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:41.519 now it is crystal clear. It's crystal clear that they're 239 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:44.440 actually challenging the future of NATO, so. 240 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:45.360 Europe needs to. 241 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:50.159 If I was European, I would start taking my security 242 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:53.519 entirely in my own hands. I wouldn't rely on anything outside. 243 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:58.440 I would develop a comprehensive, integrated European military and that 244 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:01.919 would be as as strong as anybody else on the planet. 245 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:04.240 That'd be my plan, and we can get into how 246 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:07.679 that would affect Ukraine. But right now I would hope 247 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:10.799 that European leaders are waking up to this. There's no 248 00:15:10.840 --> 00:15:13.679 more neutrality. I'd also throw that out, you know, my 249 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:18.639 beloved homeland and social homeland being part of it is 250 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:20.720 if you're in Europe now, you need to contribute to 251 00:15:20.759 --> 00:15:26.360 the overall defense of your coalition. You've got the example 252 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:29.799 of why right next to you waging a war in Europe, 253 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:34.840 which they've already said this week. Although they don't want to, 254 00:15:34.919 --> 00:15:37.639 they're perfectly ready to go to war with Europe, which, 255 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:41.799 if you don't take that as another warning in addition 256 00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:45.080 to this national security strategy, you have your head in 257 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:47.080 the sand. 258 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:49.879 This time of year, the pace doesn't slow down, but 259 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:53.759 you still need to. The calendar's packed, the weather's changing, 260 00:15:53.799 --> 00:15:56.240 and your body's reminding you that it's time to rest 261 00:15:56.320 --> 00:15:59.879 and reset. That's where ghost bed can help. It's a 262 00:15:59.879 --> 00:16:03.000 family run company founded by a team with over twenty 263 00:16:03.080 --> 00:16:07.320 years of mattress making expertise. They've spent decades perfecting how 264 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:10.600 to build a bed that's durable, comfortable, and engineered to 265 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:15.320 help you recover. Every Ghostbed mattress is made with premium materials, 266 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:20.080 proven cooling technology in their exclusive pro Core layer, a 267 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:23.440 targeted support system that reinforces the center of the mattress 268 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:26.519 where your body is the heaviest. It helps to keep 269 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:29.320 your spine aligned and your back supported so you wake 270 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:32.600 up ready to take on what's next. In ghost beds, 271 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:35.720 cooling materials don't just keep you from overheating, they help 272 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:39.879 regulate your temperature year round. Each mattress comes with one 273 00:16:39.960 --> 00:16:42.759 hundred and one night sleep trial and a twenty to 274 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:47.360 twenty five year warranty plus fast free shipping. Most orders 275 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:50.120 arrive in two to five days, so better rest is 276 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:51.200 just around the corner. 277 00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:52.360 Right now. 278 00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:55.159 During ghost beds Holiday Sale, you can get twenty five 279 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:58.480 percent off site wide for a limited time. Just go 280 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:02.559 to ghostbed dot com slash house and use the promo 281 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:07.720 code house at checkout. That's ghostbed dot com slash house 282 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:12.200 promo code house. Upgrade your sleep with ghost bed, the 283 00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:15.519 makers of the coolest beds in the world. Some exclusions 284 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:18.519 apply see site for details. And thank you ghost bed 285 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:21.559 for sponsoring the show. Please check out the link down 286 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:24.480 the description and support our sponsor. 287 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:29.640 It's kind of a wild place to be where you 288 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:36.440 have European leaders doing damage control in terms of we're 289 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:39.759 going to stand for democratic institutions and stuff like that, 290 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:43.000 and America isn't. And whether whatever you believe it or not, 291 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:47.880 like America's imperialists, whatever your view might be, the fact 292 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:51.000 that and Europe's got a lot of problems like any 293 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:53.880 other country, but they're democratic for the most part, right 294 00:17:54.039 --> 00:17:59.119 Like they are not China, they're not Russia, they are 295 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:04.240 not Iran, which are fucking straight up authoritarian. Plus plus 296 00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:07.519 plus countries that are up to no fucking good. The 297 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:11.400 only thing they give a shit about is their own regime. 298 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:18.160 Survival has thrown a million plus people into this meat 299 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:23.079 meat grinder in Ukraine, doesn't give a fuck about any 300 00:18:23.160 --> 00:18:28.160 of them. And it's like unbelievable that an American administration 301 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:30.640 can come out and do something like this. I mean, 302 00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:32.359 the writing has been on the wall since they got in. 303 00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:35.359 Let's call it a space of spade like that February 304 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:37.240 meeting in the Oval Office was. 305 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:38.319 The launching point. 306 00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:41.480 But to actually put it in like hard writing, which 307 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:45.079 is like this is our actual strategy is a fucking joke. 308 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:47.680 And when you come out and the you know, Russian, 309 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:51.160 the Russian government has publicly welcome the shift, saying the 310 00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:56.720 new NSS is largely consistent with Moscow's worldview. We should 311 00:18:56.799 --> 00:19:01.400 never be consistent with the Kremlin or Moscow's worldview. They're 312 00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:05.039 fucking lunatics. Vladimir Putin's a lunatic. That's why I called 313 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:08.720 it love letter to Vladimir, because it's an absolute joke. 314 00:19:08.839 --> 00:19:12.000 And the fact is this, like all this NSS is 315 00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:17.160 saying is hey, guys, whoever you are, whether you're an authoritarian, whatever, 316 00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:20.839 we're open for business. So we don't give a shit 317 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:23.240 what you guys do, how many people you starve, how 318 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:26.160 many people you kill? We're open for business if it's 319 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:29.160 in our interest in terms money wise, like we're all in. 320 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:31.599 And I don't know if that speaks to whether this 321 00:19:31.720 --> 00:19:36.799 is like some light late stage mutant you know, mutated 322 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:40.599 capitalism or what it is, because yeah, free markets, it's 323 00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:43.000 not free. It's it's who fucking controls shit and has 324 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:45.599 the biggest guns, they can make the rules. There's nothing 325 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:46.960 free about this at all. 326 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:51.559 Make back to you. Sorry I blacked out, Just now 327 00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:52.279 I blacked out. 328 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:58.279 So just a direct comparison. I you know, this is 329 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:03.319 a quote from the twenty seventeen Russia's described as a 330 00:20:02.039 --> 00:20:07.400 revisionist power seeking to undermine the US and its allies, 331 00:20:07.640 --> 00:20:11.119 and is explicitly labeled as an adversary. I asked our 332 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:16.759 cyble overlords, I e. AI, how was Russia categorized in 333 00:20:16.759 --> 00:20:20.279 the twenty twenty five NSS, and its response is Russia 334 00:20:20.359 --> 00:20:24.359 is no longer identified as an adversary rival or a 335 00:20:24.440 --> 00:20:28.559 threat category at all. That's what AI when it read it, 336 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:35.799 So that you know, do that at your own peril, right, 337 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:39.559 Russia would love for the US not to be viewed 338 00:20:39.640 --> 00:20:43.720 as even an adversary anymore. Yet they're going to do 339 00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:46.359 whatever they can to undermine us all around the world. 340 00:20:46.359 --> 00:20:50.039 If you go in ben Tonnibal friend of mine, super smart, 341 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:53.039 I used to be at RAND he did a thing. 342 00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:56.160 One of his posts talks about all of the terms 343 00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:58.559 used against Russia in the twenty seventeen one and it 344 00:20:58.680 --> 00:21:04.519 is what I think most people would think we view Russia. 345 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:06.519 None of it's in there this time. It is a 346 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:10.359 complete shift. So that has to have some consequence. I 347 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:14.440 mean Ukraine should read that and view that they need 348 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:19.400 to basically get Europe more, not only on their side, 349 00:21:19.400 --> 00:21:21.319 I think they're obviously on their side, but they need 350 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:26.279 to be their main advocate. Like there. If we're gonna 351 00:21:26.279 --> 00:21:31.359 just send Special Envoy Witkoff with a pro Russia dictated 352 00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:35.559 peace plan to go talk to the people who dictated it, 353 00:21:35.559 --> 00:21:38.440 it's not gonna amount to anything. It's not going to 354 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:41.720 amount to any ceasefire. It's just a delay and a 355 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:46.000 reason to actually put consequences. So we're not gonna do 356 00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:48.920 the secondary sanction bill that has overwhelming support in the Senate. 357 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:52.000 We're not going to push for releasing the over four 358 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:55.319 hundred billion dollars worth of frozen Russian asset so Ukraine 359 00:21:55.359 --> 00:21:58.599 can defend itself. We're not doing these things because Russia 360 00:21:58.680 --> 00:22:01.160 agrees to have a meeting next month and then the 361 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:03.839 next month and the next month, even though and they're 362 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:09.079 in shockingly and not shockingly. Yes, the Russian advances are 363 00:22:09.079 --> 00:22:12.400 incremental right now in Ukraine, but the Institute for the 364 00:22:12.400 --> 00:22:17.519 Study of War just highlighted that they took more territory 365 00:22:17.640 --> 00:22:19.240 in the last four weeks than they did in the 366 00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:20.279 previous four. 367 00:22:20.039 --> 00:22:23.400 Weeks, almost two hundred and fifty square miles right exactly. 368 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:25.000 Was Yeah. 369 00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:28.839 So the other thing that's attached to this, the consequences 370 00:22:28.839 --> 00:22:31.599 of this security strategy is when is Europe going to 371 00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:34.960 start talking about where's our red line, like a real 372 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:37.960 red line, like are we going to allow them to 373 00:22:38.039 --> 00:22:41.240 take keep I'm not saying they're going to I think 374 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:45.079 some of the it's overstated how much. But from Russian perspective, 375 00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:48.319 I mean from the European's perspective, when would they be willing, 376 00:22:48.519 --> 00:22:52.039 if they will be willing to deploy forces to stop 377 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:57.240 and advance that consumes Ukraine. And again, I'm not saying 378 00:22:57.279 --> 00:22:59.079 it's going to happen, but you got to talk about 379 00:22:59.079 --> 00:23:02.599 this now, and you gotta start sending clear messages that 380 00:23:02.680 --> 00:23:06.359 if you can't come to an agreement. If not, in 381 00:23:06.440 --> 00:23:10.839 say hypothetically, Russia takes Ukraine for the rest of history, 382 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:13.720 they will ask RiPP did all these European leaders do 383 00:23:14.279 --> 00:23:17.440 as they clutched their pearls and twiddled their fingers as 384 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:23.680 Russia kept taking incrementally over parts of Ukraine until it 385 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:27.319 was too late. And then what if Russia immediately turns 386 00:23:27.319 --> 00:23:28.039 and goes after. 387 00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:34.480 Moltova or another or or NATO country. Yeah, we're just 388 00:23:34.519 --> 00:23:38.480 gonna clutch our pearls and twiddle our fingers for that. 389 00:23:38.839 --> 00:23:40.720 I mean, I'll bet money that the US wouldn't do 390 00:23:40.759 --> 00:23:43.000 shit to be on at this point. I'm gonna be 391 00:23:43.079 --> 00:23:45.440 completely honest. I mean, that's the signal that's coming out 392 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:48.559 of the administration. If they went and took over Estonia, 393 00:23:48.599 --> 00:23:50.799 which is probably not that difficult to do. It's a 394 00:23:50.839 --> 00:23:53.880 tiny country, and God bless them like they're they fucking 395 00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:58.319 hate the Russians more than most If they what what 396 00:23:58.440 --> 00:24:00.519 we do? Would we actually fucking step Well, I don't 397 00:24:00.519 --> 00:24:03.400 even know Europe would sure, but like would we I 398 00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:03.880 doubt it? 399 00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:07.960 Well, I mean, if you view the strategy as definitive 400 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:11.440 on the topic, and I would point out we write 401 00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:14.079