Club Random with Bill Maher - Marianne Williamson | Club Random with Bill Maher

Episode Date: August 13, 2023

Bill Maher and Marianne Williamson on whether a truth teller can get elected, the media’s role in lying, corporations and capitalism, college is a scam, the Halloween scandal at Yale, books being banned by the left, redlining the Constitution, why Marianne wants to appear on Joe Rogan, whether the consciousness survives death, and the planet dying and burning.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Climb and know. Yeah, even when I don't agree with you, I'm glad you're out there because the dirt we have in this country I feel rhetorically is from people not to forget either side of it. Just who's gonna say what they really think, as opposed to what they are supposed to think, what they're indoctrinated to think?

I think most of them don't even know what they really think. We just live in an age of indoctrination on both sides. Would you agree with that? I would, actually. I think that people are so afraid of being counseled, and I understand where that fear comes from also. Not only do you have to say what you're supposed to say, but you have to say it the way you're supposed to say it today

is opposed to how we might have said it if you're older and we said the same thing, but we said it differently. You have to be happy about it. You have to be happy about men on the women's swimming team. You can't be neutral on anything. You can't just be pure. You can't just be open and thinking about it. You have to be real.

This is going on and it's a great thing. Yeah, it's true. It's true. What are you drinking? Arnold Palmer without alcohol. That's when I drink when I go out to a restaurant because I don't want to drink. But here I can have my soda that doesn't have bad sweeteners in it. But you on the campaign trail is it? I am. I am on the campaign trail. Don't must be ruling. It is ruling.

It is very ruling. It's a mix of awful, emotional roller coaster and really exhilarating at the same time. What's the exhilarating part? Talking to people. You know, the American people are not the problem. The sporadic political and media systems that suppress and thwart the will of the people

is the problem. But when you actually just are out there talking to people, people would ask me what was your experience last time, and it's even more so this time that the system, the political media industrial complex is even more corrupt than I feared, and the people are even more wonderful than I feared, and the people are even more wonderful than I hoped. I don't agree. And again, I'm glad you're here, because we can be honest about this and say we appreciate each other for saying

what we think our truth is. But I sort of understand why is a politician, even if you didn't really believe that, you have to say that you can't start. No, I don't say things you have to say. I'm not really saying that. I think we have different experiences, that's all. I'm just saying, I don't say things you have to say. I'm not really saying anything. I think we have different experiences, that's all. I'm just saying, I don't think you can ever separate the people from this government that's

warding the will, not in a country like this. Yes, of course. And behind the iron curtain, the will of the people was not what the East German government wanted. That's not really not the case. We, I think, our government is a reflection of the people. I think you let the people off the hook a little too easily. The reason we have the people we have, it's, you know, they didn't get there by entering a wanted.

Well, they got there because people voted for them and their policies and politicians yes, tell people bullshit, but you know, the main reason they tell them bullshit, because if they tell them the truth, they'll throw them out of the race. Okay, so what you need is somebody who doesn't mind being thrown out of the race. Somebody says to tell the truth. And when you just said, you think I let the people off the hook too much, and the way I say it, you let the government off the hook too much. Because if you look at poll after poll, for instance, the majority of Americans both

Democrats and Republicans, want universal health care. If you look at the polls, the majority of Americans, including Democrats and Republicans, want tuition-free college and tech school. If you look at the polls, the majority of Americans... Don't just want free things. I want ice cream too. No, those things aren't free.

How your own tax dollars are used. But what easy statement could you ever make in politics, then, people want? If they want, that's not where the rubber meets the road. The rubber meets. Yes, they want free healthcare. What kind, what are they willing to sacrifice for it? Are they willing to, I mean, why don't we have good healthcare in this country? It's because they never really learn to tame the corporations. Exactly. My point. Okay point but who likes that happen the government the the legislators who are doing more to show the profit making all are elected by the

people no bill come on some of the sense ten crews to washington well that that's taxes my own state so i can say it so well yet but the obfuscation bill and the suppression and the thwarting and i know that I'm running for office I'm in the belly belly that piece right now And I know how they manipulate narratives absolutely the left as well You know it seems to me that if you if you have any two Americans You would talk about the indoctrination before if you talk about any two Americans just having a conversation

We tend to kind of get down and get real and get authentic as much. Like us now. Yeah, you and I would do that. We're doing it. Right, okay, but hold on. And that's one of the values of your programming always for years now, but hold on a moment. My point is that when it comes to our collective public political dialogue, we have been trained to go stupid,

we've been trained to do exactly what you said. When it comes to our public conversation, we're indoctrinated and we think in terms of slogans and we think, and you see it on the left as well as the right, you see it right now at the Democratic Party. This co-dependent relationship with the Democratic, with the DNC, they say Biden is the one. Can we have some independent thought here? Can we have some, maybe some exposure to other candidates? But I think that what I find, in my experience, is that people hear that and a kind of yearning

for a more meaningful public conversation. But there's a lot of obstruction to it. And the media chops the wood and carries the water for the political elite, the mainstream media. Absolutely. All enabled by the people. All enabled by those corporations. We're giving the money to the government. Corporations the people. All enabled by those corporations. We're giving the money to the government.

Corporations are people. And they... Did you just say, go for corporations are people? No, not in the legal... Not in the legal... No, that's not in the legal sense. I mean corporations are made up of people.

And people benefit from corporations. And apparently Americans are not that up in arms about corporations. No, I agree. You could get started in the open. Corporations do have a stranglehold on this country. I've always said it. And on our government. Socialism is, I think it should always have been called capitalism plus.

Do I think we should get rid of capitalism? Not at all. But there is some need for socialism because there are some things that should not be left to the private sector. Healthcare being one of them. Thank you. Okay. Coalition for college, childcare, pay family, guaranteed housing, guaranteed sick pay.

Okay. Well, no one has this much money, Maryann. You know, it's so easy. No, it's the same amount of money. Oh, we're talking about when you were talking about the private sector does some things and the public sector, it should be. That's what you have in the hybrid economy. That's too much.

I'm talking about things like the news media, which would cost nothing. If that used to be a lost leader, in other words, they didn't expect to make a profit from it. So it wasn't about getting eyeballs. That's right. So the nightly news didn't have two minutes of real news and then a fucking bear in a hot tub. That's the point though, it's all become corporate conglomerates.

A lot of that came from the Telecommunications Act in 1996. It's a bunch of media companies profit-making rather than educative. But here are the things I think that got eaten by capitals and that shouldn't of. Prisons? Correct. News media.

Correct. Healthcare. Correct. When you start college, high education. No. The message we send to people about college is wrong. The message should not be everyone should go to college. College is fucking bullshit most of it.

The message should be, we need far less college and most people don't need college to do whatever job they're doing. But you're sitting here talking about how people are not thinking deeply. It's a scam college college. Well, it has become in anywhere. Scam higher education. They sell you this ticket because without this ticket, this diploma that says you went to college some four-year day camp center, you can't get the kind of jobs that pay well. And we know the statistics of people who, what are the salaries of people who don't go to college

versus go to college? It's night and day. You need that golden ticket so they can sell it. That's why all the things that have been suffering from inflation in the last like 20 years, college the most, it's gone up like 600 percent. But all the things that have been suffering from inflation in the last like 20 years college the most it's gone up like 600 percent. Well, and you have the college loan debt because these people were told that we closed pay gap.

That's part of the scam. That is part of the scam. But there's another value to education which is much more valuable. And that is the expansion of our thoughts, the expansion of our critical thought process. That's that they're doing the exact opposite on campus. In many cases they are. All they do on campus. The expansion of their thoughts. In many cases, they are. All they do on campus is throw people off of it

for having thoughts that don't conform to the one true opinion. I could list 50 professors I've read about who were fired or thrown off just for trying to teach nothing outrageous, just mentioning things. Yeah, I agree with that. And the kids, the way these kids have been raised, the ones who go to those elite colleges, where we've all seen that video from Yale, remember, when the girl was going, that shit

on the professor because his wife had written a little memo saying, maybe we shouldn't be such fuss budgets about the Halloween costumes this year. And this kid is just screaming at this professor, and I thought, okay, this is where it all went downhill for this country. I agree. I was asked to teach, I won't even say what the institution was.

I said, well, let me go and give a couple of classes or something, and I'll see. And I felt so judged by the students. Instead of the teacher grading the papers, I felt that the students were grading me the whole time. You shouldn't talk about that. I don't like the way you talked about that. I was like, well, yeah, there are some problems.

And that's you. That's a very liberal enlightened woman. About a book I have written for a kind of new one. I was talking about. I mean, that, let's just paused there for a moment to think what that means that you Yeah, but that doesn't mean we should get rid of all colleges. It just means there needs to be a transformation there But but we also can't glide over the fact that that is the head of the snake that is where the insanity that becomes winds up downstream in your world,

in the political world, and then becomes issues, like about transgender and racial stuff and what's going on in school boards where people do not like what their kids are being taught in schools. That it begins at the universal level. Well, well, the people who are complaining about what their kids are being taught in school

in general are not the ones who went to those colleges. Correct. They just, it's the people who are teaching their kids, who went to those colleges, or are fans of that kind of thought. And there, I think a lot of teachers these days are kind of like semi-activists, I think, I think a lot of teachers these days are kind of like semi-activists and they think they can reorder human society and the easiest way to do it.

I tell you're so cool most of the time and then you become this co-mugin on a slightly more like right-wing family. You don't, you don't, excuse me, that's an ad-hommer and an argument. We should be stick to the facts and the issues should I talk about you as a unapersonal level. Well, I didn't mean to be like personally insulted. But yeah, but the I get that sometimes it's like, well, I can't really argue with this on the fact. So I'm going to say, oh, you're at mean all men who say get off my lawn. Okay. And that's not what I am. And let's just stick to what's the reality. So what let's go to the reality of there's not indoctrination going on in schools, not all schools,

but kids are not- Are you talking about little, but- I'm talking about all levels. All levels, because I've seen the videos. So I know it's not second-hand information on being fed by any media source. Its actual videos teachers themselves will make and put up on TikTok

and they'll tell you right away what they're telling their kids. Yeah, but what about the parents who are complaining about things? Just kids being taught history. Kids being taught about, you know, the history of race in America, banning books. That's far more concerning to me. Well, they're banning books from both sides. No, what, what, what, what? You say they're banning books on both sides.

Where is there a left wing banning of books? What about husband and like, give me an example. Oh, they try to do it here in California. I think they try to get rid of, to kill a mockingbird. No, no, no, that's not from the left. Yeah, it is. Yeah, that would have happened. You're right.

It's more from the right, but again, some of the books that they're being taught, I mean, I saw a very interesting video of a guy, he was at a school board meeting, and he was reading from the book that the little kids, little kids these are, are being taught from, and it got very graphic. And so parents in the room, in the school board, start to say, please, please, it's too much. We're at a school board meeting. And he said, okay, it's okay for me to, for you to read it as children, but I can't read it here among the adults.

Now, excuse me if I told that story before, but it bears repeating. I mean, I've said a story. I saw it. Again, one reason I like to watch things like that is because, okay, now I'm getting stuff first handed. I'm not getting a New York Times report of what happened at the school board, meaning I'm seeing it. Well, I think you're right that there's this fringe element on both left and right. There's no doubt about that. And Eisenhower was, you know, famously said that the American mind that it's best is both liberal

and conservative. I mean, there are high-minded conservative values and high-minded liberal values. And we all need to recognize that and listen to other people rather than judge so quickly. And so I'm sorry. But given your experience that you just relate to me, you don't want to say the college,

but I'm sure we can look it up. Oh, yeah, it was union theological, so many times. OK. All right. So a seminary. I don't want to say the college, but I'm sure we can look it up. Oh, yeah, it was Union Theological Seminary. Okay. All right. So a seminary, even the kids at the seminary are well. Oh my god, this is worth it. Yeah, it was actually. That is fucking amazing.

Okay, so given that situation just anecdotally, you don't feel like there is a problem in the educational system in this country that it's too much indoctrination, too little actually learning anything. I mean, how about the fact I know we should teach history plainly and for real. And by the way, when I was even back when I was in school, they did teach us about slavery. They did teach us it was wrong. We didn't dwell on it like they do now, but yes, and we should have been teaching more about that period and more about that and how bad it was. Yes.

Okay, but now I think we've gone to a level where that's only what they teach is kind of areas where they want people to have a political view on something, and if you test the kids on actual history, like basic history, they have no clue. Because they don't teach history. They don't teach anything. There are some people in this country

who only want to talk about what America did right and have no listening for places we got it wrong. And wrong. And there are other people who only want to talk about what we did wrong and have no recognition of where we got it right. And I think that we really missing the point because if you really look at the facts,

we are a glorious trajectory of both and. Of course. And that's what I think every generation needs to understand in order. It's the mature way to look. It's kind of like learning about your family history. Where did my family get it right? I want to stand on the shoulders,

go to got it right and even do it better. And where did I inherit some things? I want to stand on the shoulders, though, to got it right, and even do it better. And where did I inherit some things that I want to stop right here, so that I don't pass it on to my kids? To me, that's the value of learning history. And definitely the value of learning American history. And when you, I know when I ran last time, I don't know what the statistics are now.

When I ran last time, 11 states didn't even require half a year of American history, civics, or government. Now, if a child is not taught about the Bill of Rights in those younger years, how do they know to be horrified when it's under an assault and the only thing people are telling them about is the Second Amendment? So So yeah, we have to pass these things on generation to generation, or people don't even know what they should be protecting much less expanded. No, when they don't know to be horrified when you have something like the Supreme Court actually diminishing our rights rather than expanding them.

Yeah, or a more blatant example would be Trump trampling on norms. We heard that so much when he was president and he did, you know, and then he went right to breaking laws and stuff. But, you know, certainly if you don't know what the norm is, then how are you gonna know that he's breaking it? Then it doesn't become alarming to you what he's, Yeah, that's right. You don't see what's the big deal that he did that. Because if that person never learned in school,

once again, the meaning, the purpose of education, I remember there was a story when he first became president and his administration, someone came in and they were telling him the basics, I guess, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the preamble, the Bill of Rights. And he was like a little boy who went. Right, I know.

Oh, I know. Now, I'm beginning to think he was not a good president. Yeah. But no, the starting to refer to us, it was a problem there. That doesn't even get into what's going to happen now. The opening of the declaration of independence, we hold these truths to be self-evident. Self-evident. Yes. You don't hear that word a lot, but it's interesting that they chose that self-evident, meaning any fucking moron would know this without even being told. And those are the things he went right away with a red pen and went, no, let's not do that. That's exactly right. It's self-evident.

You don't want your kids to run the White House. Okay, so that's true that he put the red line through all men created equal. But Democrats as well as Republicans have put the red line through inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We'll put the red line through men created equal. Trump, in just the ways that you just said. What does it have to do with men created?

He put the red line through all these ways that government is supposed to function. Like, you know, the FBI is not your personal police force. Don't appoint your kids to run the White House. Those kind of things, that's what he did. I don't know what you mean by wall men are created equal. All men are created equal means. I mean, he said, he's.

If you say that some group is better than another, if you demonize one group of Americans, you were talking about attacking the norms. He's attacking the principle of radical equality, which is the whole purpose of the American ideal, that we are out of many, we are one. You're not supposed to say Muslims aren't as good, Mexicans aren't as good, or, you know, someone say Jews aren't as good, someone say blacks aren't as good. The whole point of the American ideal is that we seek to hold that all men are good. I mean, I would never-

And should be treated equally before the law. American ideal is that we seek to hold that all men agree. Right. I mean, I would never... I should be treated equally before the law. Yeah, I would never call him an enlightened liberal Donald Trump. But they've also made a little more of that than there is. I think he's a man of a certain era who, yes, definitely has racist inclinations. And certainly has said some things, but like that thing about, if you really look at what he said with the, there are good people on both sides, he did, they just, again,

I'm the least of a fan of Donald Trump as there is in this country. I've said the most ridiculously horrible things about him and I'm proud of it, but don't gaslight me. It's what, like you don't have to gill belilli. And. Well, no, like, on that, if you look at that, it's unnecessary to make the case on that.

Like, there are good people on both sides. It's like very soon after he did explicitly condemn the Nazis and the plan and stuff like that. I mean, I've seen tapes put together where he has explicitly said, I disavow, I disavow, it's just stick to how awful he is. We don't have to add on to it. A lot of people were more responsible for men and not created equal before Donald Trump came along. Well, as saying, Jefferson Davis comes to mind. Well, that's the whole point because he

was a Confederate and because he was a slave. Right. And Trump isn't. Yes, but Trump did when he said there are good people on both sides. You talk about Nazis who were there. You're talking about people who are marching in the street saying Jews shall not be placed. But I think he explained he didn't know how to Didn't say anything, but clearly Gary Cohen, who was his Jewish secretary of treasury, whatever. So when he said,

it's a horrible thing to say. When you say he backed it up, he backed it up when he got back to the office and somebody says, you better back that one up, sir. Okay, certainly, look, as I always say, he's stupid and crazy. So it's crazy just to say that and then stupid the way he did it.

But I think it wasn't by the way, Nick, about, I think it was in the same news conference. I think he did say something about that was much more explicit and which made me go, okay, you know, I hate it when that side cherry picks the one thing. And especially with him because it's like, what you can do it with, it's like working with a five year old, you can find something that's so easy, it kind of have to like understand,

okay, again, he's bad enough as he really is. Don't do that to me because it makes me just go, oh, everything has to be a teen game. Can we just show me what is without putting your spin on it? You know, the times used to be a team game. Can you just show me what is without putting your spin on it? You know, the times used to be a newspaper where yes, I understand that I'm going to get your opinion on the opinion page, but the front page was like, oh, okay, you're just giving me the news. And that doesn't exist anymore. I guess it doesn't exist anywhere. Well, it's because of what you were saying before, the conglomeratization of these media companies. And there's no Walter Cronkite out there right now.

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Again that's zippercuder.com slash random. Zippercuder. This is Marnit's Way to Higher. Hey Carolinas, North, you first. I'm coming to perform there this next weekend. Saturday, August 19th, I will be at the Ubbins Auditorium in Charlotte, North Carolina. I love Charlotte. August 20th at the township in Columbia, South Carolina.

And coming up, I'll be in Austin at the Moody Theater September 1st and in Grand Prairie Texas between Dallas and Fort Worth at the Texas Trust CU Theater, September 2nd. And then Las Vegas at the David Copperfield Theater at the MGM Grand, September 15th and 16th. Get your tickets in the link on our channel or at Billmark.com. See you there! I love that we can, we're living in an age now where this is where the presidential candidates

can come. They go to Joe Rogan. Well, Joe Rogan asked Joe Rogan to have me alone because he hasn't. Really? Yeah, we have a hobby, but he won't have me. You know, I'm not in that close communication with Joe too. I'm a supporter and a fan and a friend. I hope I would hope something gets this probably easier. Let me just say it and then somebody will tell Joe,

but you definitely should do Joe. I don't understand that he won't have me on and also Elon Musk who gave the Twitter spaces to Bobby and others. He said, any presidential candidate, I will give the Twitter spaces to Bobby and others. He said, any presidential candidate, I will give the Twitter spaces. And I twice raised my hand on Twitter and said,

I'd love to do it and he won't have me. I feel very invisible, I spill, very erased. And you should and that's not right. Not you. I mean, there are some people who I wouldn't object at, but you ran once before it. You're a really serious person. Look, I don't mean to say this in a mean way,

but you're not gonna be president. I mean, that's just, you know. But, but you know what, somebody's gotta be in. It's that indoctrination, see. Well, yes, I guess. Right, long shot, the long shot candidate. I'm no more of a long shot than Barack Obama was at the beginning. Yes, you are.

Donald Trump, Donald Trump, no, well, he, well, he, Donald Trump wasn't and nobody thought Donald Trump was going to win. Donald Trump was, yeah, okay. Well, you're, I'm not arguing those facts. I'm just saying that, uh, no, I, look, I think it'd be a better president than a lot of the people in there who, uh, but you're right. Yeah. A lot of thousand flowers bloom.

Thank you. From the people and thank you And that's a very surprising about Elon because Anjo who I like both and you know, but yeah, no It'd be different if they didn't have the platforms. It's not like you're There on once a month and you'd be crowding out. No, there's plenty of time in space And I'm a president of Canada. Yes, and a serious person.

Thank you. Yes, we know this. I mean, look, you'll always be characterized because that's what media does. And let's be honest, comics. We all have to find things about everybody. Usually it's one thing. Bush was stupid and Clinton was horny.

Trump was like everything. You know, Bush was stupid and Clinton was horny. Trump was like everything. He was stupid and he was fat and he was horny. No orange face. Orange face and a mushroom dick. It was just like never ended with that guy. But with you, they had to be the crystal lady or the, because you have this background in spirituality. And look, you know me. We're kind of not on the same page

with that either, but it in no way stops me from liking you or thinking that you're not serious. And also realizing, I could be wrong. Maybe you are right, we'll find out, you know, it'll all come to an end and I'll be like, oh fuck, there are ends here. And a certain point of all, be very clear. Really, you know, it'll all come to an end and I'll be like, oh fuck, very clear. And a certain point of all, be very clear. Really, you think so?

Well, that's my thought about what happens at a certain moment of death. What, oh, I'm very interested. Well, that's where you and I would be varied. Well, tell me what happens. I'm interested. Well, I do believe that consciousness survives death. How? Well, there's a...

Like consciousness, like a ghost, like a... I think the brain is the transmitter of consciousness. I don't think consciousness emanates from the brain. I mean, in what form does it live on after we... Form lessness. Form lessness. So it's like we can't even imagine it right now. We can't even imagine it because it's beyond what the mortal mind can grasp, because it's

beyond the concepts of time and space. Well, I mean, I'm not gonna say there's a lot of evidence for it. You're an ultimate truth, pure ultimate reality. Okay, I mean, again, I'm not gonna say there's a lot of evidence for a thing like that. I mean, we are just imagining this and saying it could be the truth because I'm thinking of it. Right. So you're in.

But I think in terms of the kinds of things that you and I are very concerned about politically, it's not going to be until after we die that some things are made clear, some things are being made very clear right now, such as climate change, and it's catastrophic results. There are things happening on the planet right now

that should be causing us beyond grave concern. And the fact that we are right now in the midst of this heat, you know, according to all indicators, this is going to be the coolest summer of our lifetimes, the storms, the tornadoes, the floods, and at a time when we should be ramping down fossil fuel extraction, We are ramping up fossil fuel extraction. And if we elect either one, rather Trump or Biden, any of the status quo candidates, we will continue to ramp up fossil fuel extraction because of the undue influence of big oil. Do you ever take a private plan? I have, but I wouldn't do it anymore. You would never again take a private plan? Well, I will say this. I recognize that there's something wrong with it now.

In a way, which when I lived here, someone might have said there were a few times that there were private jets. Somebody probably someone you and I both would know, they're going to go to New York. So you don't take a private plane to campaign? No, I mean, I'm not at that point in my campaign. Right. But you've got a good point though. What if your campaign did catch fire and you had to like do the kind

of schedule that candidates do where they do take their one plan? You wouldn't take it. I don't know. I have to really think about that because there would be an argument of the legitimacy of that. That's kind of not private at all. See, I did an editorial about this which, yeah, what would be the answer for you if you were running for president?

The point of this is that like every single person in this town is a giant environmentalist. They all take private planes. You can get a... But they're not running for president. They're just having to New York for the weekend. That I would not do. No, no, no, I get that. But no, I did a Miyakopo about...

I don't know, sometimes this year year about the fact that I do take private planes to do my stand-up gigs, otherwise I couldn't get to them. But it's still something I don't have to do. But I'm tired of being a phony about it, or I was. So I just said, look, I can be called a bad environmentalist, I can live with that, but I cannot be called a hypocrite. All these other people are fucking hypocrites. They all, everybody who's a big environmentalist and politics and government,

except when I need to get somewhere and men I fly private. And you know what? God bless them because my, the bigger point I was trying to make is, look, I believe as much as I ever did that this planet is dying and burning and burning. It is so hard. And we have to do something.

But I also recognize that after 50 years of trying this plan of, let's fix it by being better people. That's not working. I think we have to really work very hard to think of another answer to other than people are going to be good and use less. Absolutely. People are selfish and are going to do, and it's very hard to tell the people in China and India who haven't had air conditioners and cars for all these years, and now they're becoming a giant middle class society that can afford them. Oh no, you can't use that

air because we already used it up. Well, we don't have the power to tell China or India what they can do. But you see one of the powers. Yes, I do, but I also know, for instance, if I were president, the first thing I do is cancel the Willow project. Bagen has, what is the Willow project?

You've got the... Willow project is $8 billion, Connickr, Phillips Phillips oil extraction project in Alaska, which completely nullifies all of the green energy investments in the inflation reduction act. But here's the thing. You're attacking it from the wrong end, and they've done this before Germany said, okay, you know what we're going to do?

We are going to get rid of all our nuclear because we don't want any nuclear, and that's no good. And then what happened is they had a shardful and they got ahead of themselves and they needed more energy. So what did they have to go back to coal? So beginning of a rid of nuclear, which is the cleanest, they went back to something worse.

And I feel like we're doing that also week. How are we doing that? Well, because we're going to buy. He's given more oil drilling permits, even than trumpets. Yes, because people need good, we're, we're good. Biden. He's given more oil drilling permits, even than Trump did. Yes, because people need oil, and they're going to use it. And it doesn't, and the idea that we were not going to talk to Saudi Arabia. Remember when they killed the journalist and they cut his head off? Yeah. And with the bone

saw, I was like, we don't talk to you anymore. Of course, this year, Biden was over there sitting in a gold chair holding hands with a man and drinking coffee out of him bowl. So why would we be supporting him honestly, Bill? Because if we're going to use the oil, why not American oil? Does Saudi oil not ruin the atmosphere? Of course it does.

It doesn't, if you're going to use the oil, use the oil that is not going to hurt the country while you're trying to figure out how to get off of oil. And also, again, we need to really work on the idea that maybe there is another way because again, I'm losing faith in the people can be tamed to, and again, this is your thing about the people are good people. Well, they're not good on the environment because you cannot get the, if you ask in a poll, do you think we should be doing more of the environment?

Yes. Next question. How much would you be willing to spend a year to do it? It's always like less than $100. It does poll. For $100 a year, yes, I'll fix the environment. Those polls so obvious, Kate, we need to make a mass, we need to mass mobilize World War II level mass mobilization for a trust transition from a dirty economy to a

country. Well, that sounds like a lot of big government. And I agree that- Oh my god. No, and I agree government does have to get involved. Yeah, I mean Bobby Kennedy says the discipline of the free market will fix it. No, no, no, I don't believe that necessarily either. But the idea of World War II mobilization sounds to me like a lot of dictating to people how they're going to live in a way that is going to backfire. It has to do, it has to do with massive investments in green energy. But we're doing, I mean, I mean, Biden. Once again, he says that he says that with the investment's green energy, very healthy green energy investments in the inflation reduction act, that is true, but the willow project completely

nullifies the value of those. And also the $858 billion defense budget, the US defense establishment is the single largest institutional emitter of greenhouse gas. Of course. Well, like let's change that. The US military, I think, if it was its own country, would be like something like the 20th biggest polluter in the world.

Yes, correct. I mean, it's a single largest institutional one. So we've been taught to limit our political imaginations, and we must break free of that. This is our grandchildren's lives we're talking about here. We must make this change. And you know, Franklin Roosevelt, when when Hitler's, when World War II, when Hitler started marching in Europe, the United States had basically nothing when it comes to a military. England had nothing. Right. And Hitler had been preparing his military for the last five years, plus every country

he went into, he was able to absorb their industrial capacity. So what did Franklin Roosevelt do? He talked to the people, he educated people, he convinced people, this is something we have to do. And we did it. When the American people are roused by genuine leadership and they can really understand this is something we have to do. Do you really think?

We've proven in our past we can and we'll do it. Yeah, but the people huddled around the radio in 1939, were very different from the assholes staring at their phone and reading Reddit today. A lot of those people that you feel are assholes sitting around their phone, reading Reddit today, feel personally insulted by that and would listen

to a leader that showed the more respect. They're not listening because they don't listen to a show like this. I mean, and the ones who do, the ones who do would not be insulted by that because let me tell you, when I talk to younger people and you critique their generations, they never back down, they never like fight back, they go, I know, we're terrible. And I don't know what I, that's not what I learned, that's not what I say out there. They never fight back. They go, I know. We're terrible. We're terrible. That's not what I learned. That's not what I say out there.

And also, we're attracting a very small, politically involved audience. That's not... Mary Ann 2024, I can't... Exactly. That's not the typical person out there. Okay. You know what, Bill? Who doesn't even know who you are.

The 20-year-old doesn't know who you are. You're watching TikTok. Hold on a second. Hold on. You know what, Bill? Who doesn't even know who you are, the 20 year old doesn't know who you are. You're watching TikTok, they're all down a second, hold on. The majority you're putting a lot of stock in the majority, the majority is not what changes things. The majority didn't wake up one day and say, let's free the slaves.

The majority didn't wake up one day and say, let's give women the right to vote. The majority didn't wake up one day and say, let's desegregate the South. As a matter of fact, interesting, fact to me, the majority didn't even say, let's break and get independence from England. It always starts by a few people considered outrageous radicals by the status quo of their time, have a better idea, who are so convicted and conviction itself becomes a force multiplier

and invite and attract more and more people who get that this is the more evolutionary, sustainable idea. And then you reach that critical mass and things tip. And I believe what's happening right now, the status quo is unsustainable. Things are going to break one way or the other. They're either going to break in the direction of greater democracy and justice, or they are going to break in the direction of dystopia and authoritarianism. That's why we cannot put against Donald Trump or any of those guys in 2024, someone who does not deliver more for the people. Franklin Roosevelt said that we wouldn't have to

worry about a fascist takeover, as long as democracy delivered on its promises. Democracy is not delivering on its promises, Bill, and you can't expect people to be okay with that. It's not delivering on its promises to all the people. All the people, 20% of Americans live these, you know, if you're in the top 20% of the American economy, you're doing pretty well. 20% are like on an island surrounded by a vast sea of economic disparities.

70% of American's experience, economic, economic anxiety. One in four Americans live. That's 70%. That's ridiculous. That's the latest report. One in four. Report from a whole set.

I don't know what that means. CMBC. Okay, I believe, like I believe. One in four Americans live with medical debt. A few, half of our seniors are going $25,000 and less a year. People are rationing insulin in this country. Yes, there is definitely an underclass. It's true.

It's amazing that they are somehow able to take as much taxes as they do take and still can't fucking solve that problem. They can't get it from either end. I don't understand that because it's not like they don't take a great deal of taxes. What they do with it is a lot of wasted, laughed, I mean look what the COVID money, I did a loan.

We talked about that actually on your show. Well, I did a loan piece on it. Like, at least half of that COVID money, and we're talking in the trillions, we just got out of people who needed it. Dolan. They could have just given $60 every person. It would have been more for people and just to make it so.

So yes, there is this underclass in this country. I agree, like 40% of the country, I think, could not absorb $400, or $400 $400,000. Or something like that. Yes. So think of the anxiety that you would feel all the time. I agree. To live with that. So we need to attack it on the level of cost.

That's why we should have universal health care. That's why we should have tuition free college and tech school. We should have those things which are given to the citizens of every other advance democracy, including those, like you said, the hybrid economy with capitalism, with socialist elements, so that you are taking care of the... Well, let's pretend that we don't already have a lot of socialist. Well, we have the police department is basically a socialist. Social security? Yeah,

so which came from the socialist party. Okay, Medicare. But in the... But in the... In the... Medicare for all. Unemployment. It's Medicare. It's not Medicare for all. Well, while Medicare is very getting very close to Medicare for all. We still have 85 million Americans who are underinsured or uninsured. And you have to be really like kind of kind of buffer emotionally if you think 85 million people does not matter. No, I hope I'm not the strong man who thinks 85 million. Yeah, I'm not saying that you are. Okay. But I'm not saying that you are, but I'm just saying when people say, oh, well, that doesn't matter. No, but I'm also saying that when you just write around,

you just see a country that does not look like it's falling apart. Bill. My eyes also matter. It matters what I read and what people tell me. It also matters that I just live in this world, and I travel a lot and I'm out in the city a lot. And a lot of people are just living their best lives and they're not, they're not all fucking rich.

It's not all the top 20 percent. For all its horrible problems, this country still somehow, how we got through the pandemic and didn't go broke, I don't know. I mean, we're probably well in the future. Maybe it's the inflation is part of that issue. But I just don't see a country where the people are just seething ununhappy when I'm out. And that has to count for something. You know where I was last night? I was speaking to teenagers on Skid Row. Do you know how many people are homeless in Los Angeles County on any given night 70?

You caught a Skid Row, you can do that. How many people are homeless in Los Angeles County on any given night? 70. If you cut a skid row, you can. That's my point. You said you drive around, but where do you drive around? You don't drive too many miles. Of course, why would I go to skid red? That's kind of my point. So you don't really, you say, I don't see anybody going through that.

That's right. You're not driving there. Right. And most people don't. They're in underclass. Yes. They're this invisibleized feel of suffering. It's not more than an underclass because they're invisibleized. Yes. Feel of suffering. It's not more than an underclass.

It's an underclass. It's a large, a too large underclass that this country, that it's a scandal that we certainly can't seem to address it. No, no, no, no, no. It's not that we can't address it. It's that in order to address it, you have to challenge the corporate bottom line. You either can allow short term profits for huge corporate entities, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, big agricultural companies, chemical companies, big food companies,

gun manufacturers, big oil and defense contractors. To be this corporate aristocracy that get theirs first, you can either have that or you can have a government of the people by the people and for the people. It's not that we can't bill. It's that we at this point in this aboriginal chapter of our history do not care. Problem is a big deal. And our government is bought and sold by that corporate aristocracy.

Right. But government, I mean, from both sides, just, we were just saying a lot of that money was Biden money that got stolen. They passed out COVID money. So whether it's Republicans or Democrats, it seems like they both waste a lot of money, take a lot of money they shouldn't have. And corporations obviously live like fat cats too. And corporations very often don't pay the taxes that they should. Yes, very often, Bill.

Yes. And they should not be able to park all that money overseas. It's a traitorous thing to do. I agree. But what's the answer is to take that, I mean, I'm sympathetic to the idea that we take that money that you're parking in the Bahamas and not paying taxes on. And we'm sympathetic to the idea that we take that money that you're parking in the Bahamas and not paying taxes on, and we give it to the government to fix these problems. But then I don't really trust the government to fix my problems because they don't. Because they take that... But if you look at something like universal health care, it's not government run, it's

government funded. Well... It's just Medicare, it's simply Medicare for all. Yes. funded. It's just Medicare work. It's simply Medicare for all. Yes, and Obamacare is a success. I mean, with all the times that the Republicans tried to kill this, like, they wrote like 70 bills in Congress trying to kill this, and then they tried to kill it through the Supreme Court. And they did that. It's a takeout. One of the legs of it, and it still works. But that's why, if the Democratic Party would just do right by people, it's the Democratic

Party. They didn't do right by passing Obamacare. Obamacare was the best he could do, given that the insurance company said, you cannot go any further. You take the greed of the insurance companies out and we could go all the way. It's not the insurance company. It's the pharmaceutical company. It's the pharmaceutical company. Well, the pharmaceutical company is why we're people arasening.

Incellant, it's why people are putting go-fundme pages on the internet in order to pay for life-saving. The profit of the insurance company is not, it was, I read this recently, it was surprisingly low, lower than I thought. I mean, I'm sure that they're, I think they've been, back before Obamacare, they were getting away with murder. They have been somewhat tamed, that industry. But I mean, the system itself is just so fucked up

that you can get a knee operation at one hospital and in the same city across town, it cost five times as much. There's no, there's no like sort of limit on gouging. That's all the more, that's why we said, I don't want to care for all, that's what. Well, do you know that the top five, that's why we should have Medicare for all, actually. Well, do you know that the top five, the total medical... I don't know, that's all of the gouging problem.

Yes, absolutely. Even right now, the government has given away... So the government would say all prices... To negotiate these prices. Right. But the government does have marching rights, which means that they could go in there, if a drug is developed with even one dollar of taxpayer money, which is basically all drugs, the government actually has the right to go in there and

lower prices, but too often, including now, they do not exercise that right because they don't want to piss off the insurance companies and the pharmaceuticals. The top five pharmaceutical companies last year alone, their profit was $80 billion. And our medical debt is somewhere between $88 and $200 million. So do you think it will make a difference in this election that not just you, but you and Bobby Kennedy? Both are serious critics of the pharmaceutical industry. Yes.

Skeptical, I mean, I'm in the same camp of, I don't agree with everything, Bobby says, I don't know exactly where you are on this kind of stuff. I may medical skeptic of everything that includes vaccines. That doesn't make me or, I don't know, Bobby says he's not an anti-vaxer. I think he's a little more anti than I am. But I want the decisions to be able to be my decisions, what I do with any medical intervention, including vaccines. I, of course, understand that they work. I'm not sure we are on the same page on that.

I think he thinks that the vaccines may have done more harm than good. My view is that because Americans are in such bad shape, they needed a vaccine. So it did save millions of lives. That's my view on that. I was not one of those Americans who wanted it or thought I needed it and resent having to had taken it. Where are you on that? Well, I certainly don't go as far as Bobby does. I think that the government was afraid

to just be honest with the American people. Right. I was very concerned that there was so little conversation about treatment. And I agree with what you were saying. I think a lot of the danger and the risk involved had to do with the fact that we're not a healthy society. You know, look how much higher the chronic diseases are here than they are in Europe. And it's all because of obesity or almost all.

A lot of it. Well, we have a sickness care system, as I said last year, and last debate, rather than a health care system. And that, of course, has to do with the quality of our food, quality of our water. Look at a ketchup bottle, an American ketchup bottle, and the different between that and a ketchup bottle in Canada. What is it? Oh, there are elements in the ketchup in the United States unhealthy factors that would not be allowed in Canada. That's why you have all these companies. There's a company called Senko Bain

that has a factory in Merrimack, New Hampshire and it is just spewing PFAS into the water. And there's this huge PFAS, these forever chemicals that don't break down, and there are known carcinogens. And what are they called again? PFAS, PFAS, PFAS. But PFAS.

This is what's so interesting to me. Sanko Bain would not be allowed to do that in France. So like other companies around the world who are told by their governments, you can't put those kind of carcinogens in the food. You can't spew those kinds of carcinogens in the environment or the water. They say, that's okay, we'll go to America.

I'll let us do it. Right. No, I know. Oh, I've been on that forever. So this deregulatory orgy that really began with Ronald Reagan, of course. And then they would call it job killing regulations. And it's, you know.

But again, I got to go back to the people. Like, the people have it in their power. We had a prop, you probably were very aware of this living out here in California, a proposition some years ago to label, just label, whether GMOs. GMOs. And the people voted no. I don't want to know what's in this shit. I mean, it wasn't like a proposition to get rid of the GMOs. GMOs. And the people voted no. I don't want to know what's in this shit. I mean, it wasn't like a proposition to get rid of the GMOs

just to tell me that the GMOs are in there and they went TMI. Okay, so let's look at a lot of people. Well, first of all, that has to do with the incredible obfuscation and the billions of dollars that the other side spends. Remember when the Clinton started to do a universal- So you're saying that people were too stupid to toss it out? No, it's both, Ann Bill.

I mean, I'm not excusing intellectual laziness or anything, but with what you just said before- I don't blame them, I can't toss it out either. When I see those ads on TV, vote yes to say no, to say, I don't know what the- But that had to do a lot with the lift and the, hold on. When you were saying before, the people, look at the millions of people who work so hard

to support Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020 and saw the way the DNC suppressed his candidacy. The DNC even admitted in court that they suppressed his candidacy. So you're talking to a lot of people who feel, God damn, I tried. And they are cynical and they are depressed about it. And they are frustrated and they are angry. And then when they hear someone say, you just need to work harder.

No, the system needs to stop thwarting democracy and start facilitating democracy instead. And that includes our political parties. So, the Bernie Sanders thing, that's interesting. Their answer would be, no, no, no, yes, the DNC, the people like, the establishments, the same people who have no imagination about everything. You correct?

Okay, their answer about all of this, about you, I mean, the way they attack you and Bobby Kennedy in the New York Times like this thread, you thick Hitler was rolling over Europe again. Right, thank you. Jesus Christ. And we're in Pomona. And their Trump card is Trump,

because what they say is, and it's not an argument without heft, I'm not going to lie. Their argument is with Donald Trump as the candidate of the other party, we cannot fool around with dividing it all. We just have to get behind the most likely as unappealing as the candidate might be, that we have. There's one that did beat him before. He's the president. There's a lot of advantages to in-convency.

And you know, when you look at what Biden has done, if they do make the case, there's always Democrats are terrible at making the case, getting out of Afghanistan, turning a lot of the big money we spent towards stuff that was green energy stuff. It's not a horrible record. And somehow the economy is not crashing. Okay, so that answer, it's not a horrible answer. I do think that we need more voices. I'm glad you're doing it, but I get that.

That with Donald Trump circling like a shark, we cannot afford to like a throwing chum in the water. Okay, May, I respond. Yeah. Okay, 2020. We're out of time. It was great to see it. 2024 is not 2020.

In 2016, the Republicans had many candidates. The Republicans stole one. In 2020, the Democrats had many candidates and the Democrats stole one. So this idea that many candidates somehow weakens the party. I think debating, for instance, President Biden debating Bobby on myself would only strengthen him.

I mean, if he's ready to take on Trump, prove it to us by taking on Bobby and me in debates. Secondly, when you talk about what he has done, the president's argument that the economy is doing well is contradictory to the visceral experience of the majority of American people. This is like the slow motion of power crash of 2016. When Hillary said, let's continue with the success of the last eight years, millions of people said, what success? I'm drowning here. Those people are still drowning, Bill. Those people are still drowning. A third of America's workforce lives on less than $15 an hour

and cannot find a place to live. I rode a bike. I'm Venice Boulevard about two weeks ago. And you saw the homeless people? No, I didn't see any of them. I saw like a billion people who were not rich but live in their best life and having a great fucking day in the California sun.

Both are true. I mean, I'm just... Both are true. What? Both are true. Both are true. Yeah, I'm not trying to take away from the wonderfulness of this country, but I am saying that there is a rumbling underneath on Earth.

There is. And we need to deal with that earthquake. And that's the point. What's the earthquake? When you say before, they say, we have a fascist at the door. You know what I said about when people say to me, Maryanne, how can you do this? Don't you realize that you have a fascist at the door? My response is, that's why I am doing this. These arguments are making about Biden.

I don't believe we'd beat the fascists. There was such a fear of him in 2020. This time people are rethinking what is going on Bill and if we really I agree with Roosevelt you want to you want to avoid a fascist takeover delivered for the people. Our agenda should be universal health care, should be tuition free college, should be free childcare, should be paid family leave, guaranteed housing, and economic bill of rights, and guaranteed living wage. That's how you beat Trump.

That's how you beat Trump in 2024, and even more importantly, that's how you repair the country. You know these kids don't know how Roosevelt is, right? It doesn't matter, they're just saying. I'm telling you, let's get you a more. That's my brother's saying. My brother's a staffer, you know.

Who can you be? Who can you be? Yeah. Who can you be quoting that maybe- I can't play drugs, I can you be quoting that maybe- I can't play draw, I can't play draw, I can't say. They're diesel. You know, somebody like that.

All right, August 19th, I'll be at ovens on a Tori, I'm in Charlotte, North Carolina. See, America, it's happening. August 20th, the township in Columbia South Carolina, September 1st, the Moody Theater, Austin, Texas, September 2nd, outside of Dallas, at the Texas Trusts, to you, theater, that's Grand Prairie. Look at that. America's still happening.

They're still going to comedy shows. They're having a great time. Yes, we have problems. Yes, you're going to get elected in Fixed-Om. Thank you. Climb. Thank you, God bless you, darling. I hope you had fun. I had a ball. Thank you, though. Okay.

That was cool. I hope you had fun. I had a ball. Thank you, though. Oh, no. That was cool.