WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.800 --> 00:00:08.800 Well, whiskey coming Take pains, don't you? 2 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:15.439 From power Line blog dot com and produced by Ricochet 3 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:20.399 dot Com. This is the Three Whiskey Happy Hour with 4 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:26.120 your bartenders Steve Hayward, John Yu and power Lines International 5 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:29.320 Woman of Mystery Lucretia has. 6 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:34.200 Gotta giving let that whiskey clone when you're feeling in love, 7 00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:35.359 down and loa. 8 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:41.880 Well, welcome everybody to this very special and it is 9 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:45.560 indeed very special edition of the Three Whiskey Happy Hour 10 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:49.119 because we can see and I took a picture Steve, 11 00:00:49.240 --> 00:00:52.119 so that you can actually put it up. All three 12 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:55.039 co hosts of the Three Whiskey Happy Hour in the 13 00:00:55.200 --> 00:00:59.799 United States of America and in their own homes over zoo. 14 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:03.200 It doesn't last long because, of course, our world traveler 15 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:06.879 friend John is taking off again for Switzerland, and Steve's 16 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:09.560 going other places in California. I, on the other hand, 17 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:13.239 am staying home and not leaving anywhere. I've decided I 18 00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:15.359 no longer want to be a world traveler for a while. 19 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:18.599 But anyway, we do want to talk momentarily one more 20 00:01:18.680 --> 00:01:23.840 time about our trip to Tuscany, because, as we talked 21 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:30.079 about last time, we all visited the castle the Brolio Castle, 22 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:34.879 which is the main castle of the Ricossoli family, and 23 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:38.519 tasted their wines, had a lovely, lovely time at lunch 24 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:42.280 with their wines. And one of those wines is actually 25 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:47.640 on Wine Spectators one hundred best. Steve's showing it. Maybe 26 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:49.480 I take a picture of it there so I could 27 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:52.159 get it all at once, Steve, hold on, keep holding it. 28 00:01:53.480 --> 00:01:56.400 Did you know that, John? It's number fifty? Isn't that. 29 00:01:58.280 --> 00:02:00.319 One more time? That is a bargain? Oh? 30 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:02.000 Sorry, Okay, there it is? 31 00:02:02.599 --> 00:02:08.039 Uh okay wow? Which which one of the twenty vintages 32 00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:10.360 that Steve was drinking won the prize? 33 00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:16.800 It's the It's the Baron Ricosoli Kanti Classical, Guyoli, Cordi 34 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:21.360 Colada grandwy One. I didn't get that all right, but 35 00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:24.919 those long things no. Look of course John doesn't know this. 36 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:27.159 I mean he pretends to be a dad. 37 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:29.319 I'm the only one who has the bottle right in 38 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:29.759 front of me. 39 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.840 Okay, I have that one still, we didn't. 40 00:02:33.080 --> 00:02:34.639 I have it right in front of me on my desk. 41 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:38.479 I did find, you know. We had a difficult time 42 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:42.840 locating where you can buy some of the Ricossoli family wines, 43 00:02:43.400 --> 00:02:45.960 but I did go to my local total wine local, 44 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:49.080 you know, an hour and a half away, and find 45 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:53.039 uh a couple of bottles of from the Brolio Castle. 46 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:54.199 So it is a. 47 00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:57.680 What's that? Oh wow? 48 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:00.800 On a show. 49 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:03.439 That doesn't mean a bad thing. 50 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:06.199 No, I think that's it's got photos on it. It's 51 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:08.199 the fortieth anniversary of Camus. 52 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:11.840 Camus is one of the better stags Leap, you know, 53 00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:13.479 sub Appalachians in Apple Valley. 54 00:03:14.439 --> 00:03:16.879 That's usually a very expensive bottle of wine. John, I'm 55 00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:18.000 not sure what Lucas. 56 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:20.120 Was talking about, but no, no, it's I mean my 57 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:23.159 opinion as a gift giver just went up. Yeah, sure, yeah, 58 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:24.479 they have expensive wines. 59 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:26.680 They have two three hundred dollars bottle of wine that 60 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:30.680 costc So, I don't know, I don't remember what that 61 00:03:30.759 --> 00:03:32.439 one is. I do want to tell you really quickly, John, 62 00:03:32.479 --> 00:03:34.520 before we move on to real stuff, is that I 63 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:39.159 was at a Christmas party for the college last night 64 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:42.800 and somebody had brought there a student who just came 65 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:47.280 to us from South South Korea. So I went over 66 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:49.639 to welcome her and talked to her and I said, 67 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:54.759 you know, my good friend is has a lot of 68 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:57.919 students Asian students. You come to him, and he insists 69 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:01.360 that it's a Korean cultural tradition that you have to 70 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:05.280 bring your professor's bottles of alcohol and the whole you know, 71 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:08.680 you know how they are at my university, the teetotalers, 72 00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:10.960 that they are their faces all, you know. And I said, 73 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:13.199 and she's she looks a little bit shocked, and she goes, 74 00:04:13.639 --> 00:04:14.520 do you like him? 75 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:23.160 It was very funny, Lucretia, you just outed another North 76 00:04:23.240 --> 00:04:23.879 Korean agent. 77 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:28.040 I know, I know, because there's no way that person's 78 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:28.759 really Korean. 79 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:35.319 Answer exactly. All right, gentlemen, how are we doing this week? 80 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:35.959 Are you? 81 00:04:36.199 --> 00:04:40.399 Are you both caught up now? Back with the happenings 82 00:04:40.439 --> 00:04:43.519 of the world. I don't know how anybody stays caught up, right. 83 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:45.639 I thought my email was going to get better after 84 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:49.319 the after the election was over, you know, because I 85 00:04:49.399 --> 00:04:52.120 was getting a thousand a day with politics. Now of 86 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:56.920 course I'm getting still politics, but cyber Monday, Black Friday. 87 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:59.680 Oh yeah, anyway, so sorry about that, go ahead. 88 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:02.680 Thought I thought that actually the things had were a 89 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:04.800 little bit calm when we had left the country to 90 00:05:04.920 --> 00:05:08.120 go to Italy, right, they compared to what it's like now. 91 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:10.480 But I think this is I think we all forgot 92 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:13.319 the speed at which things happened in the Trump years. 93 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:16.319 I think it's just come back to the average for 94 00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:19.639 the four years under Trump. Remember we had the Russia 95 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:24.360 hoaks and a Special Council and Ukraine, and I mean 96 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:27.800 that's just we had impeachment twice, we had COVID lockdowns. 97 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:30.240 To think of all that, We had an amazing economy, 98 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:32.519 think of all the stuff that happened in that For 99 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:36.399 I think we're just returning to the pace that's Trump normal, you. 100 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:39.360 Mean, as opposed to somebody who's brain dead and living 101 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:42.120 and basically living in the basement. I do want to 102 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:44.279 say before one more thing before we go on with 103 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:48.319 the serious stuff, that how happy I am that both 104 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:51.000 of you were not washed away out to see with 105 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:53.160 the tsunami that followed the earthquake. 106 00:05:54.839 --> 00:05:57.839 Well, yeah it never happened, but yeah, go ahead, Well 107 00:05:57.879 --> 00:05:59.800 you were, but I was still overseas John. 108 00:05:59.639 --> 00:06:00.480 And I'm oh I was. 109 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:04.399 But yeah, the minute I got the warning, I headed 110 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:06.360 for the Golden Gate Bridge and I was actually on 111 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:09.160 it at I actually was on it at twelve ten 112 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:12.439 when the tsunami hit. Because Steve and I am Stephen 113 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:14.560 and I've talked this. I wanted to see if it 114 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:17.800 was Godzilla. I was hoping to see some Kaiju come 115 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:21.399 out of this huge wall of water like in the 116 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:24.439 movies and then tear the Golden gate bridge into shreds. 117 00:06:25.079 --> 00:06:25.920 Nothing happened. 118 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:30.519 Nothing happened, but I gave the bathtub. I do want 119 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:32.639 to tell you that, John. This was John's comment when 120 00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:34.240 I said I was worried about him. He says, I'm 121 00:06:34.279 --> 00:06:36.800 thirty feet above sea level. But but I'm about to 122 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:39.720 drive into San Francisco across a golden great gate bridge 123 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:42.319 at the time the tsunami is to hit. This will 124 00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:48.160 be so cool parenthesis, famous last words. John was looking 125 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:48.879 forward to it. 126 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:50.040 Yeah, I really was. 127 00:06:52.519 --> 00:06:56.199 Regardless. We're glad you're here. So my theme for the 128 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:03.519 podcast is Trump has Trump has in fact a revolution? 129 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:05.639 What would be the right word, Steve, help me with 130 00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:09.399 a good word here? Trump The world is now Trump's world. 131 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:10.040 Yeah. 132 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:12.000 Well, I've been saying this for you know, months now, 133 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:15.160 or maybe longer than that, that Trump is the dominant 134 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:17.759 political figure of our time. I mean, it's you know, 135 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:19.879 the age of Trump on the global scale. I mean, 136 00:07:20.279 --> 00:07:23.160 and occasionally I get I'm not say mystical about it, 137 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:25.279 but I've been saying there's something about him. He's a 138 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:28.040 figure of destiny, he's a force of nature, all those things. 139 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:30.240 And you know, one of the things that you're saying, 140 00:07:30.279 --> 00:07:33.040 things are happening fast John already is Isn't it. 141 00:07:33.319 --> 00:07:35.839 Interesting that Trump it seems like he's president already. 142 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:39.480 I mean, you have Justin Trudeau hopping the first plane 143 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:42.360 tomor a lago after Trump raises a threat about tariffs. 144 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:45.040 You have I think one interesting thing is Trump is 145 00:07:45.319 --> 00:07:50.360 en route maybe today Saturday, to parents to and apparently 146 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:53.279 he was asked to come personally by Macrone, who's in 147 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:56.360 a whole heap of political trouble. And Biden's not going, 148 00:07:56.519 --> 00:07:59.240 Jill's not going, Vice President Harris is not going. But 149 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:02.439 Trump is going. It's like he's president already. And even 150 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:04.959 the people in Europe who hate him and fear him, 151 00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:07.360 they wanted me next to him and they want to 152 00:08:07.399 --> 00:08:09.800 get on with him. And I think that's extremely significant. 153 00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:12.079 He's going over to do that, and so there you go. 154 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:14.199 It's like he's already ruling our. 155 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:18.399 Country and and you know, taking over foreign policy, and 156 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:21.120 I you know, I can't think of any I mean, 157 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:24.000 there was the long interregnum between Hoover's defeat and thirty 158 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:27.120 two and Roosevelt taking office those days still in March. 159 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:29.439 Remember it was after that we moved it up to 160 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:33.600 January twenty, during which time Hoover kept this long story. 161 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:36.440 But I'll just say, in one sentence, Hoover kept saying, Roosevelt, 162 00:08:36.440 --> 00:08:38.480 what would you like me to do to help you know, 163 00:08:38.519 --> 00:08:40.960 we're going to Cristis. Tell me what you'd like me 164 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:42.399 to do, and I'll try and do it and ease 165 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:46.759 the transition and speed things up. And Roosevelt refused to respond, 166 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:49.799 and you know, wanted to get a fresh start of 167 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:52.320 his own. And that's a long, controversial story. But instead, 168 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:54.279 you know, Trump's not paying attention to Biden. 169 00:08:54.360 --> 00:08:54.960 He's just gone. 170 00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:58.080 And you know it's it's going to be a long 171 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:01.159 four years in this sense, in a good sense that 172 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:06.039 because Trump does so much, so much turmoil, it's gonna 173 00:09:06.039 --> 00:09:06.679 be a wild ride. 174 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:07.679 It's gonna be a lot of fun. 175 00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:11.159 I think, Look, I'm gonna get down and dirty. I 176 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:15.080 did not know Steve was a follower of Rousseau and hegel. 177 00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:19.039 He thinks all the spirit of the age has concentrated 178 00:09:19.080 --> 00:09:22.399 into one leader who can recognize it and ride the wave, 179 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:24.720 like Napoleon or somebody. 180 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:29.399 Well, yeah, I mean I knew it. I knew it. 181 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:32.720 Hegelian, Hegelian. This is like what happened. I was with 182 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:35.480 a bunch of Straussians and that's what they were yelling 183 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:38.919 at each other. Really, but the other I was at 184 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:42.720 Ai for this Natural Law and the American conference, and 185 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:47.159 after dinner there are accusations of Hegelianism being thrown about 186 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:49.960 left and right. I wasn't sure what they were arguing about, but. 187 00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:50.720 Now I get it. 188 00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:54.559 Steve thinks that Trump is one of these world what's 189 00:09:54.600 --> 00:09:56.519 the first world historical figures? 190 00:09:57.120 --> 00:09:59.440 Well, yes, yes, but you know it doesn't have to 191 00:09:59.480 --> 00:10:01.159 be a gay and to believe that, all you need 192 00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:05.159 to do is think about supremely talented people like like 193 00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:08.720 Napoleon or Marlborough, you know, Churchill's great ancestor or Churchill. 194 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:12.360 Right, that's that's all you don't have to go John, Okay. 195 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:19.039 I was working out this morning, blow man, I know God. 196 00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:22.720 And I was working out this morning and the Ricochet 197 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:26.879 podcast appeared on my podcast list, you know, right front 198 00:10:26.919 --> 00:10:29.360 and center on my phone. So I decided to listen 199 00:10:29.399 --> 00:10:30.360 to it because you were on. 200 00:10:30.519 --> 00:10:34.519 It, and that's what happens when Steve's in flight. 201 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:39.320 I guess so. But before you came on, I don't 202 00:10:39.320 --> 00:10:42.720 know if you listened to the Yeah, they're they're boring 203 00:10:42.840 --> 00:10:44.440 without you. I hate to see it. But anyway, I 204 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:47.000 didn't say that out loud, but one of the one 205 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:49.320 of the things they said that was actually very interesting. 206 00:10:49.399 --> 00:10:52.320 They were all talking about their especially James was talking 207 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:56.360 about his uh international travels and that he was in 208 00:10:56.480 --> 00:10:58.919 I believe he said, can kun somewhere in Mexico, and 209 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:02.679 that all of these Europeans and Canadians and on and 210 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:05.080 on and on, we're there and they all hate their 211 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:08.679 country right now and they're all thinking that America. It 212 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:11.240 was part of a whole discussion about what you're thankful for, 213 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:15.799 that America was just the number one prime place on 214 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:18.360 Earth to be and the rest of the country is 215 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:21.720 so jealous of us because of electing Trump and all 216 00:11:21.799 --> 00:11:22.519 that that means. 217 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:27.039 You know. I was reading something about how when we 218 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:30.639 wrote to how depressed the Europeans are, Yeah, and why 219 00:11:30.840 --> 00:11:35.159 and one reason that I think I really was struck 220 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:38.600 by being there again, how everything is in stasis. There's 221 00:11:38.679 --> 00:11:42.159 no growth, there's no innovation. They even will say that 222 00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:45.600 about themselves. They're worried about at least in Italy, all 223 00:11:45.639 --> 00:11:48.879 their young people are coming here. There's a brain drain 224 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:51.879 in Italy for the United States and England, the Anglo 225 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:56.240 Saxon countries, as the French dismissively call us. But one 226 00:11:56.320 --> 00:11:59.120 statistics suck with me. I think I read that during 227 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:03.559 the Bush ministry George W. Bush took office, the size 228 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:06.320 of the European Union economy and the US economy were 229 00:12:06.360 --> 00:12:07.360 us roughly the same. 230 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:08.080 Yeah. 231 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:11.320 Now we're fifty percent larger somewhere around there, and the 232 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:14.120 European Union economy is roughly the same as it was 233 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:17.639 in two thousands. There's been almost no growth there, and 234 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:22.840 we've clearly done despite all of the terrible policies of 235 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:27.320 Obama and Biden. Despite them, we have still you know, 236 00:12:27.399 --> 00:12:30.039 the American economy is still dynamic compared to the rest 237 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:32.399 of the world. I would be depressed too if I 238 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:35.559 lived in those countries. They're becoming a bit like Disneyland 239 00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:39.120 for adults. You know. You know, you go there for vacation. 240 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:41.840 The people who live there seem to enjoy the life there, 241 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:44.240 but there's no thing productive going on there. 242 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:47.879 Yeah, So, you know, I've for years referred to England 243 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:51.120 as History Land, you know, sort of Disneyland for right, 244 00:12:51.320 --> 00:12:55.039 And yeah, no, I've looked at some of those same 245 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:58.799 figures too, John. It's really stunning how little growth there's 246 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:00.840 been in Europe for quite a while now. If you 247 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:03.440 can look at stock market capitalization which has been flat 248 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:07.360 while ours has been soaring, startups, you know, I pos. 249 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:11.440 All those kinds of things are lacking, way behind. And England. 250 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:13.639 By the way, you said people want to flock to 251 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:15.639 the Anglo American world. I think you really want to 252 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:18.960 say the American world. Most people don't know this, but 253 00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:23.440 real per capita income in England is lower than Mississippi, 254 00:13:23.960 --> 00:13:28.039 our poorous state. Really, I mean seriously, England, you know, 255 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:31.159 the great nation of the Empire, and you know their incomes. 256 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:35.120 Of stagnant, so bad or below Mississippi. So it's an 257 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:35.759 amazing thing. 258 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:39.000 And the other thing I'd add to it is the 259 00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:41.519 thing why they're excited about Trump and so many places. 260 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:44.159 And I wanted to make this point that our presentations 261 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:46.639 we made in Florence two weeks ago now, but didn't. 262 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:47.840 Have the time every time. 263 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:49.519 By the way, the reason Steven have time because he 264 00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:50.799 was mobbed with students. 265 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:52.360 I hope people saw the photos. 266 00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:56.879 Mob people ignored me, and the Kresha absolutely ignored us. 267 00:13:56.960 --> 00:14:00.960 No student asked me single they were twenty people. Steve, 268 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:03.200 we still don't know why. 269 00:14:03.720 --> 00:14:05.600 It's my raw animal maggotism job. 270 00:14:06.679 --> 00:14:10.240 It was your raw animal world historical magotism. 271 00:14:10.759 --> 00:14:13.200 I just give off that Hegelian aura wherever I go. 272 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:17.679 Now, No, the play is every ruling party is losing 273 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:20.320 votes and getting clobbered. And by the way, it's a 274 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:23.279 bipartisan thing. I mean as I did mention but didn't 275 00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:26.720 explain the point. The great cautionary tale for populace of 276 00:14:26.759 --> 00:14:29.720 the right is Boris Johnson, who you know ran and 277 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:33.519 won a smashing victory in twenty nineteen and then governed 278 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:35.559 from the left, and that was his mistake. He totally 279 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:39.039 capitulated the left and the Tory Party five years later 280 00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:40.000 was nearly wiped out. 281 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:42.000 There were showing in two hundred years. 282 00:14:42.519 --> 00:14:45.039 And you know that's the That's what faces say Marine 283 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:47.600 Lapan if they allow her to be president of France 284 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:51.240 or by the way, breaking story. I haven't gotten the details. 285 00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:54.240 I've only seen the headline is that some court, I 286 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:58.279 guess a constitutional court in Romania has invalidated the presidential 287 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:01.519 election that went on this week because a conservative populace 288 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:04.399 was in the lead and they're claiming Russian interference. 289 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:06.360 The boy, isn't this interesting? 290 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:06.600 Right? 291 00:15:06.679 --> 00:15:06.960 Again? 292 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:09.799 My definition of populism being when the wrong person or 293 00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:12.840 party wins an election from the establishment point of view. 294 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:14.600 So there, you know, that kind of thing is going 295 00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:15.399 on in France. 296 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:18.559 They're trying to disqualify Marine Lapin from running for president 297 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:21.720 through you know law fair So the stuff that was 298 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:23.879 done against Trump is spreading overseas fast. 299 00:15:24.600 --> 00:15:26.519 So things are going to get worse before they get worse. 300 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:33.679 I'll stop there, Okay, John, anything else to add to that? 301 00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:37.120 Let me oh, I already accous Steve of being a 302 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:39.000 Hegelian several times or something. 303 00:15:38.840 --> 00:15:40.440 That I think that he probably is. 304 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:41.759 I think so too. 305 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:43.440 He is a. 306 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:48.399 That's even worse than being called a pretentious intellectual. John. 307 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:53.200 This is really I've studied what I know what's considered 308 00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:54.960 an insultant trouse world. 309 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:59.000 Ah, the mun slinging hasn't begun, all right. 310 00:15:59.320 --> 00:16:02.600 So if my theme, my belief, my theme is it's 311 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:04.919 Trump worlds Now. We're actually gonna start with a really 312 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:08.159 interesting article that John wrote the other day. Which he 313 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:13.720 was worried was untimely because this happened what seven days ago. 314 00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:17.759 We no longer can discuss major events that happened seven 315 00:16:17.840 --> 00:16:20.480 days ago because they've been preempted by other events. But 316 00:16:20.840 --> 00:16:23.240 really interesting article. Let me make sure I get the 317 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:26.440 title exactly right, because that was my favorite part of it, John, 318 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:31.600 There was a good article. Why an international arrest warrant 319 00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:37.320 for Net and Yahoo is legal trash? Now let me 320 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:41.240 set you up like this, John, and say that the 321 00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:44.240 Biden administration, as you point out in there, has gone 322 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:48.279 along with you know, the I should let me say 323 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:50.799 that again, something on which Net and Yahoo and Biden 324 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:55.879 and the Biden administration agree. I'm wondering, though, if the 325 00:16:56.000 --> 00:17:01.360 fortunes of the Biden administration were stronger, if if Trump 326 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:03.879 was not on the scene, if the Biden administration would 327 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:07.000 have been so quick to condemn the International Criminal Court. 328 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:09.680 Your thoughts, your article, you give me your thoughts. 329 00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:13.480 Well, I agree with you that if Obama or a Biden, well, 330 00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:18.720 first of all Obiden Obama Obiden, we should call it Obiden. 331 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:22.440 Their administration always played foot see with the ICC, just 332 00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:25.880 like Clinton did. They call the Clint administration actually signed 333 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.880 the treaty creating this International Criminal Court, which is an 334 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:32.759 abomination of the rule of law. Here's this institution which 335 00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:36.279 is politically unaccountable. No one allocts a prosecutors, there's no juries. 336 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:40.240 The judge and the prosecutors are the same office. There's 337 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:46.039 no way that nations can actually influence what they do. 338 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:50.359 They don't take into account that Israel is a democratic 339 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:53.359 country with its own legal system, a very vibrant legal system, 340 00:17:53.400 --> 00:17:56.920 and a very vibrant democracy where if the president did 341 00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:59.920 something wrong, as as we've seen, the people think they doesn't, 342 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:04.640 they'll prosecute. I mean Yahoo was under prosecution for corruption, 343 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:09.839 and that this abomination is allowed to police the way 344 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:14.200 the United States and our Western allies fight wars that 345 00:18:14.440 --> 00:18:19.720 are fought to defend Western civilization and world stability. I 346 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:21.519 think the whole thing was a travesty. 347 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:22.559 That's just one. 348 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:25.960 And so here's the positive thing which I saw lacking 349 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:29.039 in most commentary is what could Trump do about it? 350 00:18:30.119 --> 00:18:35.519 Trump could, I think, right sanctioned countries. Here's the other 351 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:37.920 n I think this thing is supported by the countries 352 00:18:37.960 --> 00:18:41.359 that are pleading with us to protect them. Some of 353 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:46.559 the greatest financial donors to this body are Japan, Western 354 00:18:46.599 --> 00:18:48.759 Europe and so on. They're the ones that want us 355 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:51.759 to fight the wars to save them. So I thought 356 00:18:51.799 --> 00:18:54.680 one thing Trump should do is saying, oh, Japan, you're 357 00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:56.799 the I think they're like the number three or two 358 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:00.200 donor to the ICC. Well, maybe we're going to use 359 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:04.039 military spending in Japan by the same amount or more. 360 00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:07.160 Maybe we don't need the base in Okinawa to be 361 00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:10.680 as large as you would like it. Why should our 362 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:15.039 troops be under threat of prosecution by this rogue court 363 00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:19.000 when we're fighting for our allies and those same allies 364 00:19:19.400 --> 00:19:22.240 are essentially funding this institution is sticking a knife in US. 365 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:26.440 Yeah, ste have any comment on that? 366 00:19:27.559 --> 00:19:29.960 No, I agree with all of it. It shows that, 367 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:32.160 you know, even Hegelians have their redeeming virtues. 368 00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:36.880 Well, I will say this much. You know the military 369 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:40.240 commitments in Japan Okinawa. You know, my dad was in 370 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:43.920 the Korean Wars, a Navy flyer based in Japan and 371 00:19:44.119 --> 00:19:47.680 flying essentially spy missions, trying to track Soviet fleet movements up. 372 00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:50.559 Oh yeah, well, you know, seventy years ago now. But 373 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:53.839 one could imagine the scenario in which North Korea gets 374 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:58.880 risky and an American pilot fires on a freighter that 375 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:01.880 they think is a spy or something with military purposes, 376 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:04.599 and maybe it's a mistake, maybe it's a civilian after all. 377 00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:07.799 And suddenly the international criminal courts is, oh, those American 378 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:10.160 soldiers who made a mistake, or even it's not a mistake, 379 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:13.160 they bring an indictment, and you know, Japan's giving them 380 00:20:13.240 --> 00:20:16.160 money behind all this. As though I think your point 381 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:17.480 is a good one, we got to tell them, look, 382 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:19.599 you cut this nonsense out or you know, we're going 383 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:22.799 to rethink entirely our committment, which Trump wants to do anyway, 384 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:25.440 in a lot of ways, right, And it's a whole 385 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:27.720 separate question about whether that's a good idea because we're 386 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.480 overextended militarily or not. 387 00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:31.920 But still I think it ought to be done. 388 00:20:32.599 --> 00:20:38.359 Okay, So to show my incredible reputation for flexibility on 389 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:41.440 these things, I'm going to flip things around. I had 390 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:47.000 actually put John's legal trash article under my categories of 391 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:50.559 the legal world, but because we started talking a little 392 00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:54.359 bit about Korea, I'm going to move to Trump's influence 393 00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:58.319 on or why it's Trump's world now in world politics, 394 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:01.039 and ask John to talk to just a little bit 395 00:21:01.559 --> 00:21:05.119 about South Korea. I do want to say I had 396 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:12.519 dinner the other night with the general who just last 397 00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:14.839 duty station was in South Korea, and he gave me 398 00:21:14.920 --> 00:21:17.480 some interesting insights which I probably won't repeat, but I'm 399 00:21:17.559 --> 00:21:19.480 interested to see if you have the same ones, because 400 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:24.079 he loved, loved the response that you gave, which was, no, 401 00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:26.559