WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.040 Good evening, friends, Thank you for joining us at the 2 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:06.480 Nonprofits for the first show of twenty twenty five. Today 3 00:00:06.519 --> 00:00:10.080 is a Monday, January thirteenth, and I am with a 4 00:00:10.119 --> 00:00:13.080 panel of wonderful people. We're going to discuss and well, 5 00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:17.600 I almost said awesome but maybe disturbing article. And you know, 6 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:20.440 they say forty is the new thirty. And following that 7 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:23.320 line of thinking, I say, for a majority of Americans 8 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:27.719 that fascism is the new constitutional democracy. While many characterize 9 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:32.600 the New Republican Party as authoritarian excuse me authoritarianism, I 10 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:37.000 don't think that description goes far enough. They increasingly champion 11 00:00:37.079 --> 00:00:40.359 the type of American, the white Christian who are predominantly male, 12 00:00:40.520 --> 00:00:43.000 that would benefit in the system that it would run. 13 00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:46.520 This is likely the outcome should the Trump administration conform 14 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:49.920 to the far right thinkers who provide their agenda and 15 00:00:49.960 --> 00:00:53.600 political philosophy, which will result in a fascist as well 16 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:56.960 as the dictatorial regime. We've seen it happening incrementally over 17 00:00:57.000 --> 00:00:59.280 the past decade, and there are no signs of its 18 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:03.039 slowing down. This article is from The Guardian by Wilson 19 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:07.599 Jason on December twenty first, twenty twenty four. And you know, Tracy, 20 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:10.599 I want to jump right into it. The article talks 21 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:17.439 about how conservatives in the current administration, the administration that's 22 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:20.319 about to come in, I should say, are looking to 23 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:26.359 attract libertarian minded youth in the tech industry. First of all, 24 00:01:26.519 --> 00:01:29.879 a lot of people think that libertarianism is somehow the 25 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:33.879 centrist point of view on the political spectrum, somewhere between 26 00:01:33.959 --> 00:01:37.280 liberal and conservative. It's actually far more conservative than people 27 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:41.599 people give it credit for. But why why? And I 28 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:45.000 know that you have some thoughts about the tech industry 29 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:47.959 and algorithms and the way that they play into this messaging, 30 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:50.400 So I kind of just want to ask you, why 31 00:01:50.680 --> 00:01:54.719 are they interested in attracting libertarian minded youth in the 32 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:55.959 tech industry. 33 00:01:56.359 --> 00:02:01.239 Well, Jimmy, these are my thoughts on that I was 34 00:02:01.640 --> 00:02:05.799 at When I was a younger man. I fancied myself 35 00:02:05.879 --> 00:02:08.919 as a libertarian because I saw it, like you said, 36 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:12.280 as that mid range point. What I'm going to tell 37 00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:15.159 you is it's easy. That's why they want to do it. 38 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:21.039 It's really easy to convince these younger people who think 39 00:02:21.080 --> 00:02:23.960 that their stance is in the middle. They're trying to 40 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:29.039 be the reasonable person when they're in reality. Like you said, 41 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:33.360 far off on one side, it's really easy to get 42 00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:38.439 them to come down to the American right as opposed 43 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:43.199 to way further down to the American left, because, as 44 00:02:43.240 --> 00:02:45.319 you said, they think they're in the middle, but they're not. 45 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:48.840 Yeah, you know, I think that that's an important thing 46 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:52.080 to highlight, because really what happens is the Libertarian Party 47 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:55.159 becomes so appealing to people who are disenchanted with the 48 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:57.520 current political system that they say, well, you know, this 49 00:02:57.879 --> 00:03:00.240 party's got some good aspects, but actually, if you break 50 00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:03.879 down the philosophy and the policies associated, you find yourself going, 51 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:06.560 oh shit, you know, I'm like way further to the 52 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:09.400 right than I thought I was. And I think it 53 00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:12.080 could be problematic for people who really don't know what 54 00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:16.439 the what libertarianism stands for. But you know, Helen, I 55 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:19.560 want to kind of pick your brain on whether or 56 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:23.560 not this is surprising. You know, Is it surprising, uh 57 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:27.039 that this kind of philosophy, this kind of advice is 58 00:03:27.080 --> 00:03:31.080 coming from people that are highlighted in this article to 59 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:34.560 the new administration. H what do you make of this 60 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:35.919 article and everything it outlined? 61 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:40.840 So when I was reading this article and plus, like, 62 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:43.360 I know the person that they highlighted like I don't 63 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:46.360 know him, know him, but I was there's an episode 64 00:03:46.360 --> 00:03:48.400 behind the Bassards and they went into a deep dive. 65 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:50.479 About this dude who's terrible. 66 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:54.599 By the way, these far right, you know, a conservative 67 00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:57.199 young men with a lot of money, a lot of influencer, 68 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:01.400 very much into the tech industry, and a lot of 69 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:03.000 them are Silicon Valley people. 70 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:06.800 And they also use. 71 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:10.080 Like the algorithms and also like the scientific data. I'm 72 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:13.680 using those in quotations to say things like, you know, 73 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:18.759 to promote things like white nationalism, you know, and they 74 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:22.920 use what it could be you know, what can we 75 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:27.160 conceived as like statistics and basically a new form of 76 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:31.560 eugenics to say that, you know, certain groups of people 77 00:04:31.879 --> 00:04:35.920 are supposed to, you know, buy into the idea that 78 00:04:36.040 --> 00:04:38.079 you know, one group of people is better than another 79 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:42.079 group of people. And also when when people hear a libertarian, 80 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:46.240 you hear liberty in that in that word, but that 81 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:51.519 means deregulations, that means letting the free market decide, you know, 82 00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:55.439 if people get education or healthcare, that you know, pulling 83 00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:59.879 back things that are for environmental protections. And also that 84 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:03.920 includes that you know, normally white people are going to 85 00:05:03.959 --> 00:05:07.319 have a leg up because we, unfortunately in this country 86 00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:11.240 white people do and because of that, they want to 87 00:05:11.319 --> 00:05:14.800 keep that going. But only for like, you know, the 88 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:18.000 very very like super special people like Elon Musk is 89 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:20.279 one of these people that he thinks he's so super 90 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:25.879 fucking special. And that's the issue, because when you get 91 00:05:25.879 --> 00:05:31.279 into these mindsets of these ultra right, very rich young men, 92 00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:35.199 they they want to procreate those ideas and they'll do 93 00:05:35.240 --> 00:05:36.600 it under libertarian rhetoric. 94 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:40.279 Yeah, I thought that is that is a perfect point. 95 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:43.560 I feel like I picked up the same things when 96 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:47.319 I was reading this. I do consider this not just authoritarianism, 97 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:50.439 because the the article, the author of the article talks 98 00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:53.319 a lot about authoritarianism, and you could be an authoritarian 99 00:05:53.399 --> 00:05:56.839 in multiple different types of government. But I think fascist 100 00:05:56.879 --> 00:05:59.639 is a more appropriate term. And and to the point 101 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:03.279 that you eight, this would allow the white majority to 102 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:06.199 not be influenced by people that are culturally or even 103 00:06:06.279 --> 00:06:09.720 racially different from them, plain and simple. Uh. And so 104 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:12.000 I want to jump over to Stephen, you know, what 105 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:12.959 do we do about this? 106 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:13.399 Is? 107 00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:21.040 What what should how should American society flex to this shift? Uh? 108 00:06:24.519 --> 00:06:27.120 Like this was my first time hearing about this courtesy 109 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:30.920 Arvin guy who seems to have so much sway over 110 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:35.279 the incoming administration. And it's and it's and it's it's hard, 111 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:39.199 it's frustrating. Like I know that I am a really 112 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:43.560 privileged person, you know, being a white Cis male, Like, 113 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:45.600 I've got a lot of privilege, and I know that 114 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:48.519 I would be uh, I wouldn't be aware of it 115 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:51.399 if I hadn't already like, had some of that privilege 116 00:06:51.399 --> 00:06:53.759 stripped away from me. I'm started like thinking critically about 117 00:06:53.800 --> 00:06:57.360 the experiences of other people, so I can understand why 118 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:00.639 it has for the ignorance, for the ignorant let's not 119 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:04.680 let's not buttergoat sugarcoat it daymore for the ignorant people 120 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:08.120 who are just within their dome, it just makes sense that, yeah, yeah, 121 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:10.319 this this benefits me, so let's go with it. So 122 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:14.240 I don't know how to address that other than to 123 00:07:14.839 --> 00:07:18.279 like just through education, right, I think I think it's 124 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:21.439 really important that we just rip this band aid off 125 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:27.040 and see just how far away we have fallen. We 126 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:30.800 need to just articulate what exactly are our ideals and 127 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:34.560 where exactly are we because so long as we're like, well, 128 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:36.959 maybe it'll be fine, like, oh, can't wait for the 129 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:39.839 next four years to be over, then things can well 130 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:42.319 have a chance. Like No, things are never going to 131 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:46.639 go back to being normal, right man. It's because we're 132 00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:50.439 giving oxygens to fuck faces like this courtesy Yarvin. Guy 133 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:54.399 who doesn't have the best interests of everybody in mind. 134 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:57.800 He has the interests of a very small demographic in mind, 135 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:01.439 and he is being listened to and supported by people 136 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:03.959 in power who do not have the best interests of 137 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:07.120 everybody in mind. They just have a very small demographic 138 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:10.680 that they are looking out for, and we just need 139 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:13.240 to see that for what it is and then start 140 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:14.079 to rebuild. 141 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:17.199 Yeah, yeah, you know, I think that part is evident. 142 00:08:17.800 --> 00:08:20.839 The thing that is is I don't want to say funny, 143 00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:23.199 but I'm going to use that term for right now. 144 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:27.120 What's funny to me is that they're encouraging or heat. 145 00:08:27.399 --> 00:08:32.440 Jarvin and his cast of characters are encouraging dictatorial policies, right, 146 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:37.279 fascist policies, some might say, like myself, But they're encouraging 147 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:42.039 it for the incoming administration. So tracy. If they think 148 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:45.639 that these policies are so good, why not just encourage 149 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:47.679 them for the administration that's been in office for the 150 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:51.120 last four years. Why wait, you know so, I wanted 151 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:54.000 to see what's your reflection on that part, my friend. 152 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:57.559 You may be muted. You may very well be muted. Welcome, 153 00:08:57.799 --> 00:08:59.159 Welcome to the nonprofits. 154 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:03.919 Thank you, thank you. Why would they because they don't 155 00:09:04.039 --> 00:09:07.879 really want at least as far as I can tell, 156 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:12.960 they don't want America as it stands this mister Yarvin 157 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:17.840 to take the current administration and just inject it with 158 00:09:17.879 --> 00:09:22.480 their ideas would still not be as screwed up and 159 00:09:22.679 --> 00:09:26.080 authoritarian and good for only some people as they want 160 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:29.159 it to be. They want their way. They don't want 161 00:09:29.159 --> 00:09:31.960 anybody else to get anything. They want to be in 162 00:09:32.080 --> 00:09:34.399 charge because they're the big strong boys with all the 163 00:09:34.440 --> 00:09:38.240 money and all the everything. They're they're the best, and 164 00:09:38.279 --> 00:09:40.679 that is in their mind what should happen. The people 165 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:43.320 who are the best should be in power and should 166 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:44.200 make all the decisions. 167 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:46.840 Yeah, and I would I would point to that point. 168 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:49.000 I would say, you know, this is actually these are 169 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:51.159 not good policies then, I mean, if they if they 170 00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:54.120 just don't work, and they only work at a certain circumstance, 171 00:09:54.279 --> 00:09:56.600 well then they're not the best policy, are they? You 172 00:09:56.639 --> 00:10:00.399 know our policies as a country that is consistently or 173 00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:04.759 continuously in flux with the different demographics, and just like 174 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:08.919 the changing waves of society and culture, we need to 175 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:11.399 make sure that we have policies that always work for 176 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:15.440 every American. And clearly these policies aren't working. So I 177 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:20.159 want to, Helen, get your comment on this. Okay, So 178 00:10:20.200 --> 00:10:26.120 there was something that the author quoted another advisor to 179 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:28.679 the Trump administration, somebody by the name of Anton, And 180 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:30.440 forgive me, I don't have the first name here, but 181 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:34.440 our Anton writes that the United States peaked in nineteen 182 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:37.759 sixty five and that Americans are ruled by a network 183 00:10:37.799 --> 00:10:41.960 of unelected bureaucrats. So right now, Americans are now ruled 184 00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:47.240 by a network of unelected bureaucrats, corporate tech, finance, senior 185 00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:50.559 management experts quote unquote, I'm doing my air quotes who 186 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:55.000 set boundaries of acceptable opinion and media figures who police 187 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:58.440 those boundaries. So Anton is accusing the United States right 188 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:02.759 now of that characteristic. I would say, is that not 189 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:05.840 calling the pot calling the kettle black? And Helen, I 190 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:07.000 wanted to see what you thought about that. 191 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:10.200 I mean, yes, I can see this, yes, and no, 192 00:11:10.559 --> 00:11:15.200 like like they're obviously not elected, but are they whispering 193 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:19.919 in people's years? Yes, like you know, you know Yarvin 194 00:11:20.039 --> 00:11:22.639 is whispering in JD Vance's here, so you know, and 195 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:26.120 has adopted these policies and like things, these policies are 196 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:27.519 a good idea and like. 197 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:29.759 You know, it's become a racist, fascist piece of crap 198 00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:34.559 and so like I so peaking in nineteen sixty five 199 00:11:34.759 --> 00:11:37.200 is hyperbole and stupid. 200 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:39.879 Whether when black people had their own r Yeah. 201 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:42.679 Women didn't have rights, Like I couldn't get a credit 202 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:45.519 card if I was live in nineteen sixty five and 203 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:51.039 couldn't get an abortion. Well that's new, that's that's that's current. 204 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:56.919 But like, this is the thing when when one this 205 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:00.320 is not true, we do still for now, I'll have 206 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:01.120 a democracy. 207 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:03.600 You know, we just had an election. You know, it 208 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:03.960 didn't go. 209 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:06.600 Our way, but oh my god, there's a peaceful transfer 210 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:10.840 of power. So this is the thing that but when 211 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:14.320 someone says like you know, we're like you're being hypocritical, 212 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:16.480 like and I think that's trying to pass the buck 213 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:22.000 because they know that these corporate you know Elon Musk, Yeah, 214 00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:27.639 that are like Trump just put a bunch of businessman 215 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:30.840 millioneires as part of his cabinet. 216 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:33.399 You know, you're mantling the Department of Education. 217 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:36.240 There's all these things that are coming that basically like 218 00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:39.600 if you want America run like a fucking business, hello, 219 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:42.759 you know. But the issue is is that you can't 220 00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:46.279 sit there and be like serious and say like, well, 221 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:49.639 you know, you know, it's warned by like, you know, 222 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:53.440 corporate burcrats, And I'm like, you're the corporate burcrat mofo, 223 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:56.960 like shut up, you know, and the irony there, it's 224 00:12:57.039 --> 00:12:59.120 just so funny and I think that's just but I 225 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:03.200 think that's more about deflection then what is actually going on, 226 00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:06.320 because like with Yarvin, like whispering and like jd Vance's ear, 227 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:09.919 you know, and jd Vance you know, grew up poor, 228 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:13.360 you know, came from an home with an an addicted mom, 229 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:16.759 grew up in like an abusive household. Was kind of 230 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:22.159 leaning a little bit to like understanding the economic issues 231 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:25.320 that were happening in Tennessee where he grew up and 232 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:29.600 on the Appalachian Trail and these people that became addicted 233 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:32.840 to drugs and didn't have any upward mobility. He was 234 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:36.840 sensitive to that to a point but then he got involved, 235 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:40.159 He got involved in like you know, Ivy League schools 236 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:42.960 and where mommy and daddy are paying their very rich 237 00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:45.360 kids to go to college and get influenced by that, 238 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:46.279 and that. 239 00:13:46.600 --> 00:13:49.000 Is feeding into and it's the same thing. 240 00:13:48.840 --> 00:13:52.000 With these corporate butt heeads that want to influence government 241 00:13:52.039 --> 00:13:55.600 because there they don't see the world from a more 242 00:13:55.639 --> 00:13:58.480 diverse lunch. They just have that narrow view that only 243 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:00.799 like straight white men that have a lot of fucking 244 00:14:00.840 --> 00:14:02.240 money in our conservative and. 245 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:04.840 Far right are the ones that she ruled the country. 246 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:06.279 Yeah, you know, that's why they think it. 247 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:08.600 Peaked in nineteen sixty five, because that's what happened then. 248 00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:11.840 In Jdvan to jade Vance's point, or to the point 249 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:14.519 you're making about jade Vance, you know, uh, he realized 250 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:17.080 later in life that he can benefit, you know, he 251 00:14:17.159 --> 00:14:19.840 can benefit by this system like we've all alluded to. 252 00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:24.200 So you know, Stephen on that note, has democracy failed? 253 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:29.799 Well, I don't know, like your leader is talking about 254 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:34.799 invading our sovereignty and just absorbing us like that's that's 255 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:39.279 that doesn't seem like a healthy democratic system. Like has 256 00:14:39.320 --> 00:14:44.840 has democracy failed? I think it's been co opted. I 257 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:47.840 think it's been purchased, and I can't like, I can't. 258 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:52.120 I can't first off, like if if like it's was 259 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:55.720 it all a ploy? The fact that we that Democrats 260 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:57.799 had to fight so hard to say no, there wasn't 261 00:14:57.879 --> 00:15:01.080 election interference last time, you just the lost yet ding 262 00:15:01.159 --> 00:15:05.600 bay for us to like further that narrative, and then 263 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:08.240 like so that means that if they did steal all 264 00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:10.480 these dominion machines and figured out how to hack them, 265 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:13.279 and now they stole the election, it feels like really 266 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:16.440 two face in order to say well, actually, maybe it was. 267 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:20.879 It just has democracy failed? It's failed? Yeah? Ah fuck, 268 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:24.039 that's I don't know. I don't want to say yes. 269 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:26.480 And yet how can we say anything else? So when 270 00:15:26.519 --> 00:15:28.759 one third of the population doesn't care or doesn't have 271 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:32.960 voice to express what it wants, like that doesn't seem 272 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:37.080 like a system you know that has been appointed by 273 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:39.159 the people, right, And I don't know. 274 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:42.759 Well, I would you know, you say our leader and 275 00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:45.559 fair fair. However, I do want to make a distinction 276 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:47.480 that I don't think a lot of people understand. And 277 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:51.559 this isn't you necessarily Stephen, but I think constituents across 278 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:56.240 the country we often refer to our elected officials as leaders, 279 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:58.840 and that just comes with the misunderstanding of how our 280 00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:01.879 government is actually supposed to work. We are not electing 281 00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:04.480 people to necessarily lead us as we are to be 282 00:16:04.519 --> 00:16:07.519 a representative of our intent, our wants, to our desires, 283 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:10.679 and our need to have our social contract upheld. I 284 00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:13.960 think what we've seen in the United States is that 285 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:18.960 our democracy is definitely being challenged. Those principles are being challenged. 286 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:22.960 Will they fall, will they be upheld? I think it 287 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:25.919 remains to be seen. And so on that note, you know, 288 00:16:25.960 --> 00:16:28.399 I want to turn to Tracy and say, do we 289 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:31.679 as Americans have the ability to govern? I mean, are 290 00:16:31.799 --> 00:16:34.240 are we capable of self governance? At this point? 291 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:36.960 Well, I just need to ask you, Jimmy, have you 292 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:40.759 left your house recently? And when you did, did you survive? 293 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:41.600 You? 294 00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:45.440 Okay, all right, well that's good, that's good. Then that's 295 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:51.519 a resounding case for self governance. Because there wasn't a 296 00:16:51.559 --> 00:16:54.879 police officer on every step. There wasn't a soldier on 297 00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:56.000 every door, was there? 298 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:58.240 Of course not? Of course not, of course not there. 299 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:00.600 What you're talking about the desigre tire to have the 300 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:05.359 social contract upheld, That is innate in a person. Nobody 301 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:08.960 wants their neighborhood to start burning down and murders to 302 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:11.559 happen left, right, and center. We are, of course able 303 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:14.559 to self govern. We've been doing it for thousands of years. 304 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:17.039 We're gonna keep doing it for thousands of years unless 305 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:20.039 you know, the current administration, or the incoming administration, or 306 00:17:20.039 --> 00:17:22.640 any of the whack jobs around the world decide to 307 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:26.480 do something about it. I'm not at all concerned with 308 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:32.200 people's ability to self regulate and to self govern. What 309 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:38.200 I'm concerned with is a runaway population that is small 310 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:42.759 but loud, just making everybody think, oh, well, this is 311 00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:47.880 the loudest voice. And we all know that being popular 312 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:52.559 is very is very dangerous because not everybody understands that 313 00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:55.720 the most popular thing is not necessarily the correct thing. 314 00:17:55.799 --> 00:17:58.960 Many people will just fall in with the most popular thing. 315 00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:02.319 And if the most popular thing is dangerous, then what 316 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:06.079 are we going to do? So I do think we're 317 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:09.359 able to self govern. I think we do still need 318 00:18:09.400 --> 00:18:10.079 to work on it. 319 00:18:10.279 --> 00:18:14.319 Okay, yeah, So the fear I think I have is 320 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:17.880 that when you have cabinets of each branch of government, 321 00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:20.039 I shouldn't say cabinets. That was the wrong terminology. But 322 00:18:20.039 --> 00:18:23.039 when you have each branch of government dominated by the 323 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:25.920 same party and then able to acquiesce into a way 324 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:30.440 that is not helpful, we're not beneficial to the entire society. 325 00:18:30.599 --> 00:18:34.279 You know, do we run the risk of dismantling? And Helen, 326 00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:37.119 I want to get your take on that. Are we 327 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:41.039 at risk of our government being dismantled by policies that 328 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:43.400 the electorate can no longer affect? 329 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:47.519 Yes, yes, we know that Probaty twenty twenty five is 330 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:50.759 going to beathing. They said that this was going to 331 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:54.559 be added a part of the new administration, and we 332 00:18:54.640 --> 00:19:00.000 have these corporate oligarchs that are going to be influencing policy. 333 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:04.240 We are going to see a dismantling of our democracy. 334 00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:08.359 It will have the features you know of a democracy, 335 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:13.160 but it's going to be designed that only I hate 336 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:13.720 to see it. 337 00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:15.799 You know that it's. 338 00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:18.200 Going to be harder to get people to register and 339 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:23.319 be able to vote. It's going to affect people's mobility 340 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:27.319 and ability mobility and also to get proper to political education. 341 00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:29.960 We have such a problem with it before and now 342 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:34.000 it's going to get worse. Because if you don't know 343 00:19:34.039 --> 00:19:36.079 how to like this is one thing we keep, you know, 344 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:39.200 yelling at the at the ether about on these shows 345 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:42.640 is that there's a lack of education and critical thinking. 346 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:47.039 And when a good portion of the American populace sees 347 00:19:47.079 --> 00:19:50.200 people like Jarvin and they see people like Elon Musk 348 00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:52.319 and like, yeah, people are getting in channel with Elon, 349 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:55.160 that's fine. But there are people that think that, oh, 350 00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:58.400 this person is rich, that means they're a good person, 351 00:19:58.759 --> 00:20:02.079 you know, because rich, she goes good. And it's like no, 352 00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:04.839 because you don't get that rich without screwing a lot 353 00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:08.200 of fucking people over. And that's what's going to happen. 354 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:11.880 The oligarchs are going to have that mindset and bring 355 00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:15.880 it down into the American populace. And I know, in 356 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:18.119 four years we might have a reelection and we might 357 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:21.559 we might get somebody else in office that I don't 358 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:26.359 want to scream into my pillow and cry. But that 359 00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:30.000 being said, that means but this is going to take 360 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:34.480 a decade or two and as going in a more 361 00:20:34.519 --> 00:20:38.960 progressive direction to fix it will not suddenly disappear in 362 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:40.359 four years when we have a new election. 363 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:43.119 Yeah, you know, And that's the thing I'm more scared. 364 00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:45.079 Of lot a lot to unpack there. You know, you 365 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:48.200 talk about the lack of education, you talk about the 366 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:51.160 system needing to be rebuilt, and you know, Stephen, on 367 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:54.160 that note, I want to kind of relay or repeat 368 00:20:54.279 --> 00:20:56.119 some of the quotes that were in this article. So 369 00:20:56.680 --> 00:20:59.640 one Jarvin says, we need to eliminate the freedom of 370 00:20:59.640 --> 00:21:03.400 the press. Incredibly dangerous. Uh, you know, not being able 371 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:07.200 to spread spread, spread the message right, not being able 372 00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:11.079 to get a message out or to for for uneducated 373 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:12.920 or for the people that need to be informed to 374 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:15.519 not be informed. And then our own Vice President elect 375 00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:20.200 jd Vance says, uh, the system will inevitably collapse and 376 00:21:20.359 --> 00:21:24.680 Conservatives must replace it with something better, a d bathification 377 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:30.400 alluding to Saddam Hussein's party and a dewolcification program. We 378 00:21:30.440 --> 00:21:32.960 have to strike at the heart of the beast universities. 379 00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:35.599 Uh So, Steven, what is at risk right now? 380 00:21:35.880 --> 00:21:36.240 Uh? 381 00:21:36.279 --> 00:21:39.599 You know, how do we prevent the collapse? And what 382 00:21:39.720 --> 00:21:43.359 is the most vulnerable I think asset in our society 383 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:46.599 that could be attacked and enable this collapse. 384 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:53.480 Like within I know, like one piece of advice that 385 00:21:53.559 --> 00:21:58.599 I see echoed within minority groups and then especially in 386 00:21:58.680 --> 00:22:02.000 queer groups is just the idea of like find your 387 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:06.079 home base, find your home group, find your home community. 388 00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:09.039 That's that's something that we are going to need. I think. 389 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:14.640 I think those marginalized people, they have the most to lose. So, 390 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:19.759 you know, so whether that's racially marginalized, or or gender 391 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:24.599 or sexually, anything that puts you that takes away, that 392 00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:27.519 gives you less of a voice compared to these these 393 00:22:27.640 --> 00:22:33.319 loud voices of rich people who who yeah, that believe 394 00:22:33.400 --> 00:22:37.440 that that because of their empowerment and because of their entitlement, 395 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:41.480 that they have the best idea, the right idea. I 396 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:43.960 think those are the voices, that's what we have the 397 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:46.799 those are the communities that we need to be looking 398 00:22:46.839 --> 00:22:50.200 out for the most. And and then yeah, like we've 399 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:54.599 mentioned here, like education obviously is going to be it's 400 00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:57.359 going to be the one of the greatest blows that 401 00:22:57.400 --> 00:23:00.680