DeProgram with John Kiriakou and Ted Rall - Progressive Abdul El-Sayed Wins in Michigan | DeProgram with Ted Rall and Jamarl Thomas

Episode Date: August 5, 2026

Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. Today we discuss:• In a stunning development, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed wins a fiercely competitive Michigan Democratic Senate primary race in a big victory for the Left, and a humiliating defeat for AIPAC, which spent about $60 million—which turned off voters, most of whom oppose Israel. Bitter corporatist Haley Stevens refuses to concede.• Iran and Oman progress toward a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a potential breakthrough that could help wind down the war in the Middle East. Ships would enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route controlled by Oman, with service fees charged for providing security and preserving the maritime environment. Any deal is linked to lifting the U.S. blockade on Iran’s ports. Any agreement formalizing Iran’s control of the strait would mark a significant strategic victory for Tehran.• Europe Climate Crisis: The drought is so severe that it is jeopardizing countries’ economic growth and forcing them to take extreme measures like blowing up riverbeds. Gripped by a summer of weather extremes, Romania recently shut down its sole working nuclear reactor cooled by the Danube for the first time, deploying naval forces to carry out underwater detonations to improve water flow. The drought has impacted two of Europe's major river routes — the Danube and the Rhine; both rivers are popular cruise routes, so the drought has disrupted travel for passengers. Some tourists have been bussed to other ships farther down the river. Farmers facing restrictions on irrigating their crops are warning of smaller fruit harvests and rising prices this season. Dutch dikes are leaking.LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShowhttps://x.com/tedrallhttps://x.com/JamarlThomas#tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Good morning, but not if you're Haley Stevens. It's Wednesday, August 5th, 2026. Welcome to D-Program with Ted Rall and Jamaral Thomas. The election results are in from Michigan. It's official. Haley Stevens, backed by A-PAC and $60 million in dark money, has been defeated in a big political upset by Dr. Abdul-El-Said. He goes on to defend a sitting Democratic seat this fall against the Republicans. This has massive political implications for the Civil War for control of the Democratic Party. So obviously, Jamarle, you were up very late covering this. The election, the race wasn't called overnight. It looks like he has prevailed by about 1.3% of the vote.

close. You know, it's, I mean, you know, it's close. I wouldn't say, you know, it's not Bush v. Gore, but it's close. So that was, you know, that's an interesting gap between the polling, which showed him ahead by between 10 and 11 points on average. Some polls up by at least 16 points, or I should say as much as 16 points. So anyway, there's a lot to talk about. We also need to talk about the likelihood of this Iran-Oman straight of Hormuz. deal, which looks like, I think this one looks like it's going to happen. And the situation in Europe, where the weather is just absolutely disrupting the economy and everyday life and, of course, killing people. It's, the climate change crisis is hitting really hard right now. So,

you know, we need to touch base on that. So obviously, let's get, let's talk about Michigan. So now the political establishment starts to complain that, you know, we need to touch base on that. So, you know, Abdul will not be electable this fall. That's their argument now. Did you see her interview, Haley Stevens? She was bitter. Bitter is an understatement. She was like, because they asked her the most basic question in the world.

You receive $60 million. And what do you think about the fact that you got that money and it was, you know, had negative consequences? And her basic point was, well, look, Democrats take this money under normal circumstances. Peters is going to take this money. So, you know, what's the issue? Right.

And he even made the point of saying, well, I don't like dark money. I think dark money sucks. And reporter, to his credit, was like, but you took $60 million. I guess $30 million was not. I think it's all dark because, you know, $30 million came under this pack that has like, what is it, like the Democratic progressive, you know, whatever. It's not called APAC. And when they run the ads,

they usually, only 6% of the ads that they ran in this race had anything to do with Israel or made any reference to supporting Israel. They're all about other things, right? So to me, that's dark money, although officially it doesn't count as dark money because we know we can attribute it directly to APAC if we're journalists. But the other $30 million, versus $60 million total,

there's no way really to know for sure where it came from, but we all kind of know where it came from. Yeah. Kind of know. But it's all dark money, really. But yeah. Well, I guess the point is the idea that you're like, well, I don't like this system and I do this and I hate dark money and blah, blah, blah. He was outspent nine to one. Nine to one. I'm seeing 12 to one. That could be the case. I just thought like when I was watching CNN, the coverage on it. Either way, nine to one or 12 to one, that is an astonishing sum.

And they are attributing it to APEC. Like meaning when the reporter is asking her questions, he's attributing her loss to APEC and to the Democratic establishment and effectively backing her in the way that they were backing her. And yeah, from her point of view, she's like, well, I'm the only one that can win. He's going to lose, et cetera.

Well, she would endorse him and campaign for him if requested, although I don't know what good it would do him. but she did say that before yeah she well you know they don't always do it um i don't know how enthusiastic she would be right you know but but that's the spin right i mean so now the democratic party gets at least in michigan gets to test out my base theory of politics which goes back decades and which donald trump has certainly proved on the right now we get to see if it works on the left which is that there's a lot, you know, after years of the Democrats chasing the elusive swing voter,

you know, Bernie Sanders and other people have argued that what really motivates voters is enthusiasm and that there's more enthusiasm in the base of the Democratic Party than there is among the soft centrists. Now we're going to see if that's true. This is going to be a turnout. It always is a turnout game. But, you know, I mean, obviously, it's up to Saeed to develop a good, ground game and bring it across the line. I mean, there's a lot to talk about here. So, you know, well, can we talk about the polling thing for a moment? Yeah. The reason I was entirely reluctant at times where I would hedge myself when I was talking about this race is because there's so much money on one side of it. And when you get the political machine of the Democratic Party, you get

$60 million, you get this kind of huge golf between the two candidates and dollars to the amount of money that they have to spend, I get worried about what may happen on the election night with that much money and that much political power in the party, meaning the ability to get people out to the votes, the ability to bust people in, the ability to knock on doors. Okay, money and a ground game is huge in that. And they obviously had it. Meaning if that polling was any degree closer, he would have lost. Oh, well, that's true. Yeah, I mean, it's kind of like to beat a corporatist in today's Democratic Party, you need that 10 to 15 point margin just to get, just to squeak in barely under the wire. Yeah. I mean, they had him up by like 15 points for what you.

Not to mention it's a Democratic primary. So, okay, I hate to say it. You know, I'm not one, two. I'm not a big election integrity person. But it's a primary. There's more more possibilities for biased vote counting shenanigans in a primary than there are in a general election. Yeah, you basically, I think the rule is that you need a hell of a lead if you're going to win it against that much money and that much money. I guess this is kind of the Thomas Massey thing, right? That confers a certain amount of power. And when we see polling that says, hey, this person is going to be up 15, 10 points. It depends on who they're going against. It depends on how much money, whether the establishment is back. And it depends on the latter stuff.

But that gap needs to be significant. At least it seems that way. Because otherwise, I don't know how to explain it. We could say that the polling was wrong, but maybe it wasn't wrong. I mean, polling has become more challenging now that landlines are no longer a thing, right? You know, they're calling people on cell phones. It's harder to get the numbers. It's harder to know, you know, I mean, like, you know, people have cell phones.

I have a good friend. He has a New Orleans phone number. He hasn't lived in New Orleans in 25 years, right? I mean, so, you know, who knows where those phone numbers belong to? And I mean, I was looking at the map of the state. I thought the results were interesting where they were. In some cases, it's like not surprising Detroit went for Stevens. That's obviously the DNC, Jim Clyburn machine at work to some extent.

It's, you know, small C conservative black voters concerned about electability. They're scared of losing the seat to the Republicans in the fall. There's other stuff that's definitely also. predictable Ann Arbor where the enormous University of Michigan, big liberal center in the state, obviously went hard for Stephen, I mean, sorry, for Saeed. But then there's other stuff that is really, like, odd, like upper peninsula of Michigan. Like in the middle of places where, you know, there's a lot of hunters, conservative MAGA types. They went hard for Saeed.

I saw that. And it's so interesting. And then, you know, so I guess the challenge for Said is he's got to pay attention to black voters. I mean, he's got to get the Detroit people out to the polls. Otherwise, he is going to lose this fall. That's what he needs to do. Yeah, I don't know what it is with the Sanders wing that for whatever reason can't make connection. And for the life of me, I don't get it.

as a person who's black, who are defined as such. I don't get it. Like, from my point of view, like, and the only thing I can attribute that to is the democratic machine, like, meaning blacks, it's not that we're monolith. But in some respects, we are because we dump all that energy into one particular political party, for the most part in mass, like by enormous numbers. Who keeps the monsters at bay? And it seems like the older black population is very wed to this notion of the democratic machine,

whereas young voters, a war, you know, they will make a different choice. Older voters seem to be wed to this, like the church goers, the, you know, the boomers that go to black church and soles to the polls and all this stuff. Those people seem to be wed to a democratic machinery that they, for whatever particular belief, trust despite its failures, which is wild. How many failures does it take for you just finally say, okay, maybe this isn't working. And the black voters haven't necessarily hit that point yet, at least the older generation, who seems to be stuck in their ways on this. I don't think they realize it's falling apart. No, I would vote for Saeed in a general election as a right winger if he would just ski off his gun control crap. Oh, he's a gun control advocate.

Oh, hell yeah. He's a Democrat. Which is wild for Michigan. Well, they aren't all, but they, I mean. But he is. But I mean, seriously, if, you know, if you go after the magotypes, and the way you should do that is, no. So, okay, you know, if you can keep your guns, if you let us have our abortions. But see, I think this is destroyed. If I'm being honest, I think the issue might be true. Well, I agree. But if he overperforms in rural Michigan, he doesn't need you short as much.

No, no, no. What I mean by that is if you are, let's say if you're dealing with gun balance, let's say, for example, if you're Chicago. And if you get elected, they're going to ask you questions, hey, what are you going to do with gun violence? We're looking like a war zone. They may do something similar in various areas of Michigan, considering Michigan has hit the skids, you know. Lock the thugs up and sit them away for a very, very, very long time. No more catching release. No more letting people slide on violating gun rules, actually enforce them. So basically go after the criminals, not lawful gun owners.

That's the answer. This may shock you, but I am not a huge gun. To be honest, a lot of lefties aren't really gun advocates. They believe that when a revolution comes, they need to have their guns. Like many, they're very similar to people who are on the right with this idea of guns are required for revolutions. Guns are required in order to stem the tide of government overreach, especially in the black community. No BS on that. Well, the first gun control laws were racist.

I mean, they were passed by the U.S. government to deprive. black people from the ability to defend themselves against the clan. I will tell you another one, Ronald Reagan, if you remember in California, there was this thing where blacks were going to have this march and everything else in California. Ronald Reagan comes out and wants to have gun legislation because we don't want these blacks with guns. So I'm not entirely against you on that. The problem that I have is that when you're seeing a huge level of gun violence, your first instinct is I need to do something about the fact that there's gun violence. And government, often doesn't take this long view look like, hey, what are the reasons for it? What are the causes?

What is, you know, it's one thing to say, hey, let's lock a bunch of people. But we already have a fourth of the entire prison population in our jails. We only have 0.5% of the world. So how many people do you actually want to lock up? And is there a better way of doing it before the person turns to a life of crime in the first place? The government doesn't really ask that question, which is what the question should be asking. Because otherwise, this idea of, Hey, let's just throw everybody in prison. Again, 25% of the world's jails are in America, meaning 25% of people who are in America in jails.

Okay, that's outrageous. That's problematic in itself. That's like a gulag. Well, that's because we have a for-profit prison system. So to answer your question, instead of picking somebody up for tax evasion, which frankly, I mean, they should be given a medal for because there's tax dollars being used to fund a genocide.

You can instead go after drug dealers, thugs, murderers, that kind of actual real, honest-to-God, people who are a predator on the public at large. That's the case that Saeed can make. Listen, I must say he's going to. If Saeed is trying to appeal to black voters, though, in Detroit, I mean, you know, look, nobody knows better than, you know, people in urban black communities, you know, how the prison industrial complex is, has, you know, completely ravages families, right? Like one person gets arrested for doing something stupid when they're 18 years old. And then like everyone, the whole family spins out. They're reduced to driving long distances to visit them, filling their commissary accounts, paying hundreds of dollars to talk to them on the phone.

And they get bankrupted too. I mean, and they don't see their communities getting any safer or cleaner as a result. I don't think that's going to fly. Also, we're talking about a Senate race, right? I mean, he's not running for governor. I mean, he's not going to have any effect on this. I mean, it's sort of like, I mean, I guess you can talk about it, but it's not going to, you know. Yeah, it's not going to change anything.

I mean, the Supreme Court's been very clear. You could now buy guns legally in Manhattan. You know, it's gun control is out of the bag. It's kind of like a non-issue at this stage. I mean, or it ought to be. I mean, yeah, maybe it's just something I wouldn't talk about if I were saying. I just sort of like, focus. It's got to be. He's got to focus on bread and butter issues, and he's got to reach out to blacks.

I mean, it's Michigan. There's just a way you can't do that. I mean, I was like, yeah, reach out to blacks. Reach out to all of them. Yeah. I mean, like, meaning with one of the benefits, and a number of bringing up Sanders, when I'm bringing up Sanders in his association with Saeed, because I think there's probably a similarity between these two, was this universal campaign. Like, and I think that's where, I think that's where lefties get it wrong, with lefties disconnect a bit. it. When they look at it, they say, well, Medicare for all is for everybody. It's not about you being black, right? It's not about you being white. It's not about you. It's for everybody. It's

across the board. Increases Social Security is for everybody. Fifteen dollars an hour of age is for everybody. And then black community says, yeah, but what are going to do for me? Now, that is coming from a Democratic Party thing, but this is, this feels like this, it's like, but the party wasn't doing anything for you anyway, whereas all these other things are for you, just like it's for everybody else. I'm reaching out to everybody because everybody is an American and all of us are, you know, similar under the law. And for whatever particular reason, that doesn't connect, which I don't quite get. It, like, honestly got, it was a mystery to me. And the only thing I can reconcile it with is the Democratic Party and the machinery is against those things. And the black vote tends to

float with the machinery of the party. That's exactly. I don't know another answer for it. I don't, I don't either. I mean, you know, look, if I'm Sayyed, I'm focusing, you know, on urban issues, not necessarily black issues, but it's Detroit. You know, most people who live in Detroit are black disproportionately. You know, maybe, you know, more mass transit, cleaner drinking water, you know, rehab, you know, more community centers, more rehabs, you know, better schools, you know, all that kind of stuff. Like he said, he doesn't really touch with a Senate. Right, right.

I mean, that's the thing, right? I mean, it's not going to be like he can deliver a lot of this stuff, especially as a freshman senator. But, you know, he's got to make those connections. I mean, he's got to those. I mean, let me ask you before we take some questions. I mean, how badly is the DNC is obviously but hurt to the extent that we care about, you know, any entity that has a minus $2 million bank account. But, you know, they're going to try to, I mean, are they going to, I mean, I know the answer to this. But, I mean, they should just.

They should get the memo and just say like, okay, this is our guy in Michigan and let's reach out and let's back him to the hill to the extent that we can with our minus two million dollars. Or, you know, and reach out to the donors. Or are we going to cut them loose and like we're going to lose that Senate seat to the Republicans because, you know, we really don't want to give up control of the party to the DSA people? I think they will be hard pressed to give up. It depends on whether this is a brain trust issue or whether this is we want to see issue. If it's a brain trust issue, whether the Democratic Party feels like they're under threat and react to the fact that they're under threat, it's very possible that they would cut him loose because they would prefer him to lose in order to damage the idea of a lefty running in the race. Meaning Haley Stevens' final assessment is he's going to lose. in the general. He can't win

in the general. Okay, is that a Democratic Party point of view? Make a meaning, do they look at that race and say, it's better that he loses because we want to make it look as if a lefty can't win. Kind of like the Mamdami thing, right? Medani thing.

What we want to do? A poison pill. Yeah, a poison pill. We want it to look as if the left can't win. The next time another candidate comes up that is further to the left than the Democratic Party, we want people to believe that guy is going to lose. Kind of like what is the presidential candidate,

McGovern, that they always bring up McGovern, right? Well, McGovern, look how bad McGovern loss. Look how bad McGovern lost. McGovern couldn't win. Lefties can't win. This is what we want to instill. It may be that, right? I can very well see that.

I can totally see that, meaning he has to run in a way where he cannot depend upon the Democratic Party and the machinery of the party to win. He has people to win in his own merits. And if he can do that, though, he's free. He has to run as an insurgent.

And then, yeah, then he's liberated. Yeah, he's liberated. Although, I don't know, AOC ran that way. And, you know, she's not, she, she, she captured herself. True. Voted for Mama Bear right away. Well, true.

But he may have to do the same thing. Sure. No, he'll have to bend the knee, of course. Well, I'm not saying he has to bend the knee. I'm saying he will have, if he wins this race on his own merits, he's not beholding anybody. He won't have to own merits. the party, you know, especially if he believes that the party is trying to put a knife in him as he's trying to run.

Which, of course, is true. It could be very true, yes. It could be very true. Yeah, although, yeah, I mean, you'd like to, you'd like them to turn over a due leave, but they won't. Okay. Well, I think we're kicking and screaming. I mean, like, if it's one of, if this is not a flash in a pan, and if what you see is righteous anger and indignation from a public that looks at the party as a red letter or as a scarlet letter, which means that every time the party backs somebody, the public tends to go in a different direction.

You may see something different, like, meaning the party may not have a choice. He's only insurgent because the Democratic machinery is intact currently. But if that starts to wither and creep because the public is looking for something different, and they believe that the center has failed, oh, you may, I don't know what that something would be, but you may get something that starts to change the mechanics of what this stuff looks like. That will take a while, however, unfortunately. Totally. All right, Harry Ballsack.

Thanks for the comment. Hey, guys, great show last night. Tomorrow, buddy, I love you to death. But you got to do something about the jumpy video and sketchy, in and out, scratchy mic. What do you mean, jumpy video in and out sketch? See, I'd heard that's with the way that we broadcast yesterday, right? Like we grab.

I'll see. I see. That's why. Because we weren't going directly. from Rumble Studio. It was processor lag. That's what it was. Because that wasn't on my channel.

Like, meaning, I didn't get the lag on my channel. And I think, I don't think you guys did the link, like a typical link where you share. I think you guys did it on the show and didn't present it. Yeah, I grabbed it. Yeah, I grabbed it and rebroadcasted it. Yeah. That will be normally the case. Yeah.

I mean, I mean, stuff happens. Yeah. And that wasn't that way. I don't think people experienced it on my channel that way. But I do appreciate you. Thank you for that. Anamanda Rakei, imagine saying that you dream of Israel and still getting over 40% of the votes. People have no pride.

Yeah. Yeah, you know, it's so funny about that. Well, you know, I certainly hope, she certainly has a lot of time to now go spend in Israel, and I hope she goes and does that, and that'll be good for her. saw Larry Spock's Turtles saw Larry Lumer call Saeed an Islamic jihadist. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered he isn't. Larry Lumber.

Larry Lover. Oh, by the way, tell me if he noticed, if the video's jumpy and the mic is off, and as we do have videos here. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, okay. Harry Balsack said, I wasn't going to vote, but I did.

It takes a lot to get me to the ballot box, and Haley Stevens was enough to say this could not happen. Face red droopy eyes. I mean, there is a candidate quality issue here. We talked about it yesterday. I mean, she was truly a miserable candidate, you know, taking ideology aside. I mean, she just had nothing going for her in terms of presentation. And I don't really mean that.

It's just about her looks. I mean, you know, it's a casting call. And I think Michiganers look at it and they're like, do I want to see this lady staring at me out of my TV screen or out of my phone for the next six years. Do I want to hear that voice? I mean, that has a lot to do with it. I think that has a lot to do with it. Yes, agreed.

But, I mean, there's a substance issue. I mean, I think Saeed, at the very least, has an ideology. I think for her, as you point out, I think it's more of a casting call. Like, unfortunately. Like, meaning, I don't need her to be intelligent. I don't need her to be bright. I don't need her to be knowledgeable of the world. The party machinery is choosing her because she's not.

those things. And by the way, do you remember, I think this was, Steny Hoyer did this. What Steny Hoyer had a conversation. There was a guy that was running. I forget where he was running, but Stony Hoyer has a conversation. The guy records the conversation. And Sidney Hoyer tells the guy to get out the race. Hey, I know you want to run, but, you know, we're not going to help you. You're not going to get any of the stuff. You're not going to get any of the stuff. You just need to get out the race. And then Nanspawks was pissed off that he recorded it and out of the conversation. They choose people. That is what they do. I mean, famously, I mean, well, famously maybe to me, when Hillary Clinton ran successfully for Senate from New York,

and she was a carpet beggar. She didn't live in the state. You know, and they basically, they had a lady who was going to be like the likely nominee. She was fantastic. She'd been working through the, she was an educator. She'd been working her way up the system, a huge advocate for kids in the state. If memory serves, she was black. And she was, I mean, you know, basically everyone was really look, all us, all us lefties were looking forward to seeing her as senator from New York. Because if you have the Democratic nomination for Senate, you will be the senator.

And they basically called her and said, like, stand down. We're giving this spot to Hillary. And, you know, don't worry, we got you later. You know, we have a marker for you. We'll get, we got you. Of course, you know, they never, I mean, I don't know what she's doing now, but she's not in politics. Yeah.

Yeah, that's wild. But that is what they do. Because what they're doing is they're trying to maintain the brain trust. Like basically, we have a body of idea, which is in and of itself a wild concept. A lame brain trust. Yeah. Like, meaning they have a mind. Not geniuses these people.

No, they're not. But they have a ideology. that they want to maintain. And in making choices themselves, that's their way of maintaining it. Yeah, yeah, that's right. Okay, thanks for the $2 for maybe Bluth. Funk.

Isn't it odd that the establishment only allows a random ethnic as the liberal option? It seems like a way to bake in a minus 10 discount on votes. I'm not anti-Elsaid at all, but it feels odd. I don't understand the question. Isn't it odd that they get... That, in other words,

it's like that, you know, basically, as the liberal option, I don't know if she means as the Democrat. I'm assuming she means as the Democrat or maybe as the liberal option within the Democratic Party. But in other words, it's like if that person with that demographic is going to get in, it's only going to be from the left. Oh, I see. Yeah, but that's, but yeah, but that's not a Democrat thing. That's a Republican issue, right? I mean, Republicans could choose a Muslim. No one's stopping them.

Yeah. Yeah, nobody stopped. It's a free country. You know, you can recall anyone you want. You can do the opposite of one of those calls. Like, hey, we love you. We want to, like, lift you up where you belong. Yeah, that's a Republican question.

Why don't they choose more corporate just democratic question? Vick is a Hindu. So I mean, and so is the war Karen. She used to be a Hindu and she supposedly converted to Christianity. Yeah, but those are like Zionist Luker. Those are two. Right? Yeah.

Like his point is the predominance of these people are coming out of the left. That's his point. Well, lefties are more open to voting for people who, you know, are not, don't look like me, right? Yeah. I mean, no, it's a Democratic Party. it says diversity is your strength. It's people on the right typically say too much diversity is a poison. So you're not going to have

I mean, that's a philosophical divide between the two wings. I don't even know why that's philosophical. Or it's just that right wingers are racist, right? Yeah, sure. Listen, I'm the most racist person that you all know. You know that. Let me go get my plan rover real quick. I didn't say, I don't mean all of them.

I mean, you know. Dude, you just went there. All right wingers. Did you just went there. Right wingers? But if you had to do a percentage, I love questions like this of the number of people that are racist in the country. What do you think that number is? Oh, who are racist?

What both of you think? Well, it depends on how you define racist, right? I mean, like, to me, I mean, like, okay, so are you racist if you, if you consider race at all in things like dating? Or is it, or is it, I mean, I think you are if you consider things like that. Yeah. That's right. We've had this conversation before. Or are you racist, like, let's say you were an employer and you would just, you know, all things being equal, you would take the white dude over the black dude. That's racist too. You know, I mean, so I don't know how to define racism. I mean, I don't want to be a weasel about it, but how defining racist racism is tricky.

Well, that's so hard part, right? Yeah, but I would, but part of the question is in your own definition of what that is. Well, I mean, part of the question on some level is, okay, well, what do I define racism is? And what do I think the country is? Or if you're like the only white dude on a subway train at two in the morning in bedstay, are you scared? You know, is that racist? I mean, but if I'm the only black dude on a subway in bedside, I might be. Yeah, or yeah, you're the only black dude in a shit kicker bar in southern Alabama,

you know, at two in the morning. Are you scared, right? I am leaving that fucking bar. I don't think it's racist. I would be wise. Yeah. I don't believe that far. I don't think that makes me racist.

It's like, you all right. Yes. Well, I mean, isn't the definition of racism believing that one race is genetically superior over another? That is clearly. I mean, that is the definition of racism. Okay. I'm not racist.

Well, it's discrimination based on race, right? Which could be systemic or it could just be personal. Well, I'm clearly racist because I'm racist against black, against white women. I don't want to be with a white woman. So I married a black one. So I'm, my definition, of course it is. Well, by your definition, which is retarded, but now here we are. Thank you.

So I mean, so make the term. Like the David Chappelleau thing, it was the black Klansman. I don't know if you all saw this skit. Oh, he didn't know he was black because he was blind. And so he went through his life hating black people. He was married to a white woman. And at the end of it, when he found out, he called her in lover. So he divorced her.

That's her. The skit is hilarious. The skit is utterly hilarious. My best friend. I didn't mean it. Like, I legit meant the question just as a thought experiment for how people view the society to which they live is. I think most Americans are racist. I mean, for sure.

Well, most white people are racist. Yeah. I think most humans as a whole are. Sure. No, are, I'm going to say it's racist. I think that they have references based on culture. There's like, for example, no, Ted, you, you have the option to live in the United States or to live in. France. You're a dual citizen of both nations. Why is it that you don't take your

pasty little white self and you go live in Kenya? It's because you have a preference not to live on the dark country. I just answered your own question. I don't have a legal right to live in Kenya. But if you did, would you? I've never been to Kenya, so I can't say. I mean, I'm not being a weasel. I can't, I literally cannot say. I mean, why would anyone move to a country they've never been to? It's just I know, for example, I would not ever want to go live in Baltimore. And the reason is because there's a hillside. There's a lot of great things about Baltimore. The best part about Baltimore is me not being there.

That question is not there. See, you haven't been to Baltimore. You're postulating something that's, that's, that's, it's inherently problematic. You've never been to a particular country, meaning if you say, hey, would you like to go live in feudal Japan? Well, I'm not raised in feudal Japan. I don't have a, Japan doesn't exist.

No, no, I'm but I'm given an example. I'm trying to make the point of saying, why would you ever, want to go and live in a culture that you've never lived in before if you haven't experienced it. I grew up in America. I'm reared here. I am geared to be here because this was where I was raised. I could tell you when I was in Nepal, I had a difficult time in the war. Let me answer you. I'm trying to make your point of saying yes, you're right, but it's because I wasn't raised there. But let me answer your question. NERC is powerful. Yeah. Well, let me answer your question with an observation. The vast majority of

migration happening on the on the entire planet is from people from asian africa making their way to western europe or to the united states culturally those countries are completely different from where they come from because they want to make life well they're they're very desperate but yes but that's the point i guess i'm trying to make though i know but one of your complaints is that they maintain their culture when they come into the united states and they don't necessarily assimilate which which means it's not like they gave up their culture as they moved here. Correct. And that's my point. I mean, but that's a damning point to the question that you're making or to the, to the question.

They didn't give it up. They didn't say, okay, we're here and we're now just Americans. So we're acting and everything I like Americans. Some do. But as you point out, some people are desperate when they get here. It's not, you know, it's not like they want to give up something of their culture. It's more so that they want to be. It's more so that they want to be pointed out that the vast majority of people who are born

in Zambia are perfectly happy to stay in Zambia and have no desire to leave and live in their entire lives in Zambia. Yeah. But I guess the point that I'm trying to make is, and I'm doing a very bad job at it, is it's not racist by having a cultural preference by preferring either your own culture or a culture, at least that's adjacent to your own. That's not a racist thing. Being more comfortable living in the culture that.

you in language and all that that you're accustomed to. It's just the path of least resistance. Okay. That's not a preference really. I mean, I guess you could say it to preference, but it's just easier, right? But like, I mean, preference to me indicates like, you know, I mean, a racial preference is, is racist by definition, right? Like, I don't think it is. Like, if I put it as way, if I have a preference for, like, if you want to only be friends with members of a, like, you know, I only want to be friends with Latinos. That's racist. Why? Okay. Well, yeah, that might be, but I guess racism again, though, is saying that you're genetically superior, but no, because you're friends are Latino. Now you're talking about racial supremacy. It's the same thing.

The subset of racism, but it's not all, all racial supremacy is racism, not all racism is racial supremacy. But then that's the problem. You can't define the term. I mean, everything is racist at that point. Okay. The term is pretty straightforward. I mean, you know, it's a racism is just considering race in decisions, you know, in a negative by, in a biased way, right? In a negative. Look, if somebody said that I had a friend of mine who had a choice of preference for white women. What does this say? Chris, Chris would only date white women. Even when he was a child, his mom would say that was his preference for white women. That doesn't make a racist. Yes, of course.

I don't think I don't think Well, okay, here's a question. If you notice that you have a preference, like, you know, okay, like, I have a preference for short-haired cats over long-haired cats. Right. He races against long-haired cats. Would I, yeah, I'm a long-haired cat racist, right?

But like, am I, but would I go so far as to say, fuck long-haired cats. All long-haired cats suck. I would never have a long-haired cat. No. There are circumstances under which, a long-haired cat might be really great. And it's like similarly, like if your friend was like, look, I just have noticed that in general,

I prefer white chicks, that's one thing. But if you say, that's totally, if that's just like you notice your preference, that's totally like I noticed that, you know, like my preference is hamburgers. I love hamburgers. It's like, okay, but if you're like, but if he said, like, if you were like, dude, I have this black lady friend, she's so hot and she's so great. and so smart and so fun, I think you guys would get along

and he's like, no, no black ladies for me, then that's racist. Because he's not willing to even consider her, just purely based on her race. I don't put it this way. I don't think Chris went that far with it. I think if he, you know, in a moment, he would totally mess around.

But, yeah, I guess, okay, I guess the question would agree. Like if he wakes up and a hot black chick is sitting on his face. Is he going to throw her out of bed? No, he's not. All right. He's not. He's going to eat breakfast.

He's going to have breakfast. All right. Okay. Here we go. All right. So this is pertinent. If you so, thanks for the dollar. My friend argues that black people can't be racist.

But I argue that blacks are human like the rest of us, good and bad. We are all flawed humans. Black people can be as racist as anybody else. my ex-wife's dad one of the most racist people that I've ever come across in my life now he might have reasons for it but he was rough

he was rough yeah no I mean look my my former in-laws they were definitely biased against me because I was white they were Asian and they were like not pleased that their daughter was marrying a white guy wow but you know

That's not uncommon. They got, you know, we ended up, you know, working it out and getting along great. But like, that was, you know, it was a process. I mean, the idea that blacks are somehow, you know, impervious or special on this front. I think maybe you know this theory, right? Like, it's just the idea that a historically disadvantaged group, by definition, ideologically, cannot be racist because racism is always a form of discrimination expressed by the powerful against the powerless. us. True. No, I get it. No, no, I understand the theory. I guess I'm saying, but it's bullshit. It's not like black people are. Right. I mean, it's not like black people are some special entity.

We are human beings like any other human being. If we're put in a particular condition, we can act in very similar ways. Like, it's like meaning just because white people had the ability to create or have slaves and for it to flow in the way that it has over the course of the arc of history up to the point where we're, we are now with a certain amount of control and that type of stuff. It doesn't mean that if blacks were in a different situation, that they couldn't behave a different way. We are human beings like anybody else's human beings. In fact, I always think, like, when Democrats are making these pitches and stuff like that,

I keep thinking myself, they realize blacks are people, right? Like, we have to pay for card notes, house notes, kids, pay for school things. We have to buy groceries. We stump our toes. We're just human beings. like they act like these things are different when they're acting like going for the Hispanic community or the white community or the black community or the Asian community. They're all people.

They're all just people. Deal with their material concerns. That's all. Just do that. If you so, thanks for another dollar, most people are not, most Americans are not racist. The state wants us all to hate each other instead of the elites. Well, that's certainly true. It's propaganda to do that.

I mean, however we define it, I don't think most people are. In fact, I open the number like 15%. And maybe that's just me, but I don't think, I don't think most people are, I think many people may have preferences. And I think many people may have biases based upon just how they were raised, culture, their familiarity, et cetera, et cetera, what they've seen, what they understand of the world. I think all that's true. But the racist part is a little bit different to me.

Systemic, yes, structural, yes. But people just on a daily basis and interacting with people, I don't think that's the case. All right. We got to talk about Iran and Oman, but let's hit a few more comments first. So let's see. P.W. Walker, thanks for the buck. A man who leads by 15% suddenly wins by a hair. I'll consider the O.P. voting for Stevens as Michigan has an open primary. And Republicans ran uncontested. But I can't get the smell of Democratic shit fuckery. I don't. That's a hell of big, the polling companies need to explain how they F that up. That is a big gap. It really, really, really is. Phileas Fobb, thanks for the dollar.

Again, I refer to the research on group ethnic density effect, where the odds of becoming schizophrenic go up as one becomes less of a majority in one's neighborhood. Really? Huh. How weird is that? It's correlation. Correlation of the causation. Yeah.

Correlation of the causation. Nope, that's true. All right, let's talk about Iran and Oman. Okay, so Trump announced it. But despite that fact, more to the point, Iran and Oman have announced. And it looks like there's, unlike Trump, there are some credible sources. This looks like it's probably something that's actually being worked on, whether it happens or not. I don't know.

But this would be. potentially the beginning of the end of one of the major sticking points to the Middle East War, which now has embroiled up to 14 countries. So under this deal that's being worked out, ships would go into the Persian Gulf via Iran and then exit via a route controlled by Oman. They would charge service fees. It's like when you buy a ticket through ticket master. You know, that's a bullshit term for tolls.

And basically that would be it. Iran's basically saying that deal, there's no deal for the for the for the for the for the for the for the state of Burmuz at all. This deal with Oman is a non-starter unless the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iran's southern ports. So that's you know, obviously if that happens, it would be a huge victory for Iran. I mean, absolutely this is something, this was a deal breaker for the Americans, then they were like, we will never allow, these are open waterways, you know, they went on and on about this. But, you know, as we talked about here, you know, months ago, there was just never any way this was going to end up any differently. Yeah. And by the way, Iran, from my understanding, unless I've read that wrong, was still going to have exert control

over ships going out of the strait of Ramos, also. Meaning they might, Oman may be getting the waterway, but Iran is still exerting control over what goes out also. Oman would just get the fee. Right. And they get the fee. Well, I mean, again, I could have misread it, but for my, I mean, unless the negotiations ended up with something different, I mean, because they could have still been negotiations over yesterday as they were reporting. But either way, you're right. I think the other part of this we need to talk about is Trump. Donald Trump and the United States have been running with this idea that the U.S. is in talks. Donald Trump used talks as a dodge in order to get around the fact that he proclaimed that he was going to launch the larger strikes since the Second World War,

something that I don't even think we had the capacity to do, considering we dropped news in the Second World War. And we're apparently out of bombs. And Vietnam, we get more bombing in Vietnam than we did in the Second World War, right? So put that to the side for the moment. But the fact that he said it, he was stuck in a corner and he used the fact that Oman and Iran were negotiating as a way to claim that the U.S. is negotiating with Iran. Nonsense. Iran has continuously said, we are not to the third party, meaning we're not talking to the U.S. We have nothing to do with that. But the U.S. continuously went with this idea that,

oh, the Strait is going to be open on Monday. It's going to be open on Tuesday. CENTCOM puts out, the street is already open. The reality of it is, as you point out, Iran has made it very clear. Look, the deal that we're making with Oman has nothing to do with the U.S., nor does it have anything to do with the Strait of Ramuz opening now.

Basically, the war continues. Right. We're making this deal for after the war. But right now, the war continues. I think what's wild, too, as Iran looks at this and says, hey, this is number five of the memorandum of understanding. That's what we're fulfilling right now as we make this deal with the mind to control the straight of Fremuz, which is wild.

But the wildest part to me, J.T, is the, is Trump is trying to spin this as like a positive development. I mean, he's talking about it. He's not remaining quiet. man he he has to be no matter what's going on even if it's like you know bad for him he's got to be bragging about it you know he's like the guy in idiocracy who watches the thugs blow up his car and he's like yeah yeah and then the star is like dude that's your car yeah he's like yeah like they're they're You're going to charge tolls on this. That's so great. And it's like, we're going to be close to a deal. It's like, yeah, that's the deal you didn't want. That's the deal that is bad for you. That's the deal that means that energy prices globally will never come down to their pre-war levels, right? That's, that's, and it puts Iran in the catbird seat in a big way. I mean, you know, which they have been, but it acknowledges it. For Trump to, to, to, to, to, to, to,

pimped it up. I mean, that's amazing to me. Like, he's been in panic. Because, Iran is never going to control the straighter for Moose. We're not going to allow that. But we're near a deal. A strainer, so Moose is going to be open. And Ron keeps saying, you have nothing to do with this deal. They keep saying over and over again, you have nothing to do with this deal.

But as you point out, he's out there like, a deal is nearly there. We're going to open this straight. And then we're going to talk about nukes. Right. No. No. Do you think that like when the U.S. surrenders to Iran and we have Iranian occupation troops driving through the streets of Washington and New York, that he's going to be like, yeah,

you know, I arranged this. It's thanks to me that we've got this going on. Yeah, you're welcome, America. Oh, that is so humiliating. I mean, look, this is on top of the bases being empty, like basically U.S. banning many of his bases. There's been footage of just planes lined up in Israel at Iliot. Like, this is astonishing that he is out here screaming as if he's the dominant force. Like, he's God emperor.

And it's like, dude. Like he won. Your bases are being emptied. You are getting hit over and over again. Iran attacked you and you didn't even respond to the attacks. Like, meaning this stuff needs to be put in perspective. I mean, sure, you got a blockade, but obviously if you had a military solution, you would have taken it. Didn't have it.

No. It's humiliated. And then for him to be out there bloviating like this and when everybody can see it. I give him mad credit just for the balls on that guy. Holy shit. I mean, wow. If you're going to lie to make a good lie. I don't want this shallow.

There's a book called On Bullshit, but there should be a second edition just for Trump, just to acknowledge. just to acknowledge him because, man, it's amazing. And you know all of his little maggot, you know, tarts on X are going to be like dutifully, like, thank you, President Trump. Locked in. Locked in. So much winning. Best president of our life.

Best president of all time. Fuck Thomas Jefferson. What? Unbelievable. George Washington got shit on Trump. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Fuck Lincoln.

Fuck Roosevelt. Fuck that guy. Assholes. Losers. All right. Phileas Vav. Again, I refer to the research on group and, oh, sorry, we already talked about that. Okay.

Sorry, there was, where was this thing? Oh, yeah, here we go. Mr. A. Lee, I have some African aunties. You should hear them talk about white people. Oh, I bet. Oh, I bet. Okay, so I guess the thing is, this deal may well happen. After all, it's totally in Iran's interest.

I think it will happen. I legit think the deal between Israel and Oman will happen. A, it's in Oman's interests. B, Israel's interest. And let's be very clear, Israel holding onto the straight is a material. Iran. Iran hold on the trade.

Yeah, it's a clear indication of failure. Clear indication of failure. So yeah, Oman is going to collect a bunch of your money out of it. Iran is going to be able to control straight. From Iran's point of view, this is a win-win. The memorandum of understanding said this is what the U.S. agreed to. And so Iran is like, hey, you agreed to this. So you know what's next is the Houthis. They're going to be like, you know, we could use some of that sweet oil petro dollars. We could use some of that. See, I don't know how they, they don't exert the same control of them.

No. Like, the straight of the loose, only six ships went through on Monday. Well, Britsi is more pores. Yeah. Yeah. Well, the Houthis don't have long-range weapons the way that the Iranians do. I mean, the Iranians have vast stockpiles. And they've been, and they have underground launching stations, and they've been prepared for this for a long time.

You know, they knew this shit was coming. And also, they have a real economy. And, you know, they're not ravaged by civil war. I mean, Yemen's been, you know, obviously destroyed. So, yeah. Yeah. But they've still been able to. control i mean they recently hit dubai this morning so dubai is apparently on flames went in flames

um they hit a tanker the other day indian flag tankers out there burning in the red sea tourists still go to dubai oh that's a good question i would i wouldn't not now not right now yeah yeah any random day a missile can hit it used to be the it was the it's the vagus of the middle east but you know you know in this case It's like, you know, what happens in Dubai might be you and you might stay in Dubai, like on fire. All right. So let's go on here. Europe.

So the drought is so severe that basically we're seeing all sorts of insane actions. I mean, we talked about like yesterday, so in Japan, the heat wave killed is killing Japanese people right and left. Even the lions are dying at the zoo from, you know, from heat stroke. And Romania just had the water levels in the Danube have gone so low that they had to basically blow up the river in order to improve the water flow. Otherwise, there was this only one nuclear reactor in the country and it risked overheating. That's not great. And then the Danube and the Rhine levels have gone down so low that you can see sandbars. and these are like sort of river cruise destinations.

I don't know, since they're not going to have portage for these things, they have to basically drive people by bus around the blocking points. Farmers are saying that like Europeans are going to have to expect fewer and smaller fruits and higher prices. In Holland, the dikes are starting to leak because they're making peat. and like, I know, not the lesbos. I never said anything. I didn't say anything.

It's a funny word, right? I did a deep dive in this. I don't know shit about Dutch dykes until this morning. And basically a lot of them, so when they dry out, when ironically, this is sort of like what happened in New Orleans with when the, when the Leveys were topped over and it like so basically this is kind of the opposite of that. When the water level drops, the peat's no longer soggy. and then it dries out, becomes brittle, and then you get leaks, ironically, and interestingly.

So lower water means actually you're going to have more leaks in the dyke system. So anyway, Europe's in deep shed. Look, it looks like Europe is actually going to be ground zero in the climate crisis, at least as far as the developed world, because of the breakdown in that Atlantic current, right, which basically is used to keep Western Europe really moderate and temperate. But they're in danger of a new ice age and or at the same time as they're burning up in the summers. It's really crazy. I mean, there's some, there's some, you know, models, computer models that show Europe destroyed by the year 2100.

I mean, it could become uninhabitable. I mean, but what do you do? about it. Like, because... At this stage, I don't think there's much you can do. Like, let's pretend for the moment that climate change was an alien civilization coming to Earth in order to take it over. At the very least, you can get this kind of clear indication of, okay, we see it coming, meaning, or an asteroid, we see the asteroid. We know it's going to hit us. We know it's going to cause damage. But on that, that's more conceptual whether people are going to kind of understand. They can wrap their head around. Okay, we need to do some of the fact that an asteroid is about

to hit Earth. This is. This is going to do it. This is going to do it. We know, we know, is so amorphous. And it's asking people to deal with something. A, they have their own material concerns that they have to deal with. And B, that is kind of nebulous. It's hazy. Yeah.

A lot of the consequences are, you know, if you're 60 years old, you're probably going to die before you really see the worst of this. Yeah, you don't care. I guess, I mean, I mean, I got to say purely logically, there's kind of two main courses of action that ought to happen.

And like for the reasons that you described, probably will not, or at least not in a timely manner. One is mitigation for the fact that of all the energy that's already in the atmosphere and all the results that are inevitable, like even if you eliminated internal combustion tomorrow, you still, this process is already underway. And you've got to like, you've got to relocate people. You've got to build things. You've got, you know, all sorts of stuff you got to do. But then also we should be radically reducing our carbon emissions so that maybe in the 22nd century, the results, it's not an ongoing process. And we're not going to four, five, six, seven degrees Celsius over the beginning of industrialization as average global temperatures.

I mean, we should be thinking about the human race long after we're gone. And I don't, you know, we should be doing both of those things. Well, from my point of view, Europe was doing those things. But Europe prioritized a war in Ukraine over any of this stuff. I mean, keep in mind, from the standpoint of the war, Europe was taking a hit. Like, Europe is usually far better with energy than we are in the United States. I mean, we have a glut of it. And because we have a glut of it, you know, we leave the lights on.

We go puttering about driving cars just a block away in order to get so on. They don't really do that, not really in Europe. No. Like the cars tend to be more. That's why they don't want air conditioning, even though it's fucking hot and they're dying. Yeah. Or even in the cold, they don't necessarily have heat in a way that we would have in the States. I mean, God's sake, I've freezing in Germany.

In fact, I even burned the stove or burnt the lining to the refrigerator of an accident because I was using the stove to try to heat the house because the heat in Germany didn't necessarily go beyond a certain amount. And I'm like, what is wrong with? I've been there in New York, yeah. Yeah, it's just wild, right? So they do prioritize environmental concerns, but they decided that they wanted to fight a war in Ukraine. They decided that, right? And you can't have it both ways.

And so whereas they were getting cheap energy before that they were trying to be environmentally friendly with, not so much now. So I don't know. I am not confident for the short term. I am more bullish for long term. Yeah, yeah, it's bleak. Well, I want to remind everyone that at 12 noon today, we've got the Q&A show with you, me, and Robbie. So ask us anything. We'll talk about anything, including the Michigan election results or Iran, Oman, anything that comes up between now and then, whatever you want to talk about. So we're looking forward to that. Thank you for supporting the show. We do the Q&A Monday and Wednesday at 12 noon. We do the regular. show, deprogram Monday through Friday at not from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. every single day, Monday through Friday, Eastern time and stream anytime or listen, and you can obviously listen

anytime. And coming up right now, we've got the TMI show with myself and Manila Chan. Producer Robbie is having power issues out there in Montana, so I don't know how much we'll see him coming up. But JT, it's fun. There's been more requests. for evening streams. So. I thought it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We should maybe.

I mean, I'm not for the nighttime, but, you know, who knows? Yeah, I don't know if you can hang for the late night. I'm like, it's sleepy time. It's so true, though. All right. Well, thanks, everyone. Thanks, JT. We made a lot of fun of you last night after you left.

I hope so. Yeah, we did. The audience was joking the shit out of you. I hope you called me gay. Okay, bye. No, no, bad. Have a good one, Ted. Have a good one, Ted.