PBD Podcast - Former United States Navy SEAL - Mike Ritland | PBD Podcast | EP 122 |

Starting point is 00:00:00 you know what to be honest with you. I'm a little bit. We're alive. Okay, guys, Mike Ritland is going to pull out his new book that just came out that's selling yet churches across the country. Go ahead. Can you tell us the title? I believe it is called, Mike's new book is called Unfuck America, a respectful, open-minded

Starting point is 00:00:19 conversation. Seems very respectful, Mike. I'm a dichotomy there. Yeah. So when did you write this book? When did this come out? So I wrote it actually during the COVID shutdowns kind of first took place.

Starting point is 00:00:31 Everything was closed. The kids were home from school. And so I just use that as an opportunity for me to work on that. I was approached by a publishing house to do a similar book. But immediately I thought my thoughts on it, coupled with their process of editing and things like that, it's probably not going to make for more than about a pamphlet worth of material when it's done.

Starting point is 00:00:59 So I just did it myself and self-published. It's something that I've been thinking about for a while. Thank you. and self-published. So it's something that I've been thinking about for a while. Thank you. With a lot of conversations I've had on my show with experts of all different varieties, whether it's border, drugs, guns, child trafficking, you name it, is that I wanted to have kind of an all-encompassing book that kind of shed light on all of those topics

Starting point is 00:01:24 through the eyes of the show having had all these experts on. So, by the way, we've had Mike on. Mike, you've been on, is it one sort twice? We had you on twice, right? You've been on the podcast. And one time you made comments about women in Navy SEALs, which some loved, some didn't like, but a lot of people wanted to find out more about it.

Starting point is 00:01:44 And it was another comment video that we did that was on what? It was on Mike. I enrolled in Mike's class on how to understand guns and safety. Yeah. And that clip has pretty much gone viral. Half a million views online and it's definitely opened my mind as to, you know, the... He's carrying it right now just so you know. Right now.

Starting point is 00:02:02 We find a guy with a carry. Oh, that's good. Yeah, that's Florida. But at the same time, folks, if you don't know Mike Ritland, he's a former Navy SEAL, dog trainer, millions of views, and he's got a sense of humor. I'm telling you, stick around. The guy's got a sense of humor. He's got a yogi-barrow type of a sense of humor that you have to have.

Starting point is 00:02:20 I think you have to be witty enough and sarcastic enough to catch the sense of humor, but it's there. It's for sure going to come out. Well, hopefully it's not too low-row. Like, hopefully it is. By the way, I was looking at the clip that we did last time at Perform Very Well. A lot of people really enjoyed it. Thousands of comments.

Starting point is 00:02:42 And then I happened to stumble across images of you online. Naked. No. You found an occupation. Like I said, he was performing well. Are you on my only fan now? That's how it's happened. I'm so thrilled.

Starting point is 00:02:56 I'm 99 a month. It's a fantastic look for you. Loyalty. Tyler, but look at this guy. It's either dogs or this guy looking chiseled. And it's an implants and Photoshop. I know what you're talking about. But I mean, look at the top right picture, dude.

Starting point is 00:03:11 Mike, you kidding me? Mike, it's not a joke. Is that you? It is, but that's me on the left, too, as a 22-year-old baby frogman in Hawaii. Now on the right, you're just kind of looks Middle Eastern. It looks very hairy and you know some time there. Yeah, I mean that could happen. You think I would run it?

Starting point is 00:03:29 It rubs off for sure. It is very contagious. Anyways guys, we got a lot of topics to get into. We're gonna talk about the book as well. Some things folks you gotta know about. So news just came and ISIS leader killed in US special operations rating Syria, Biden says he didn't do it himself, but it is something that just came. I want to make sure I put it out.

Starting point is 00:03:50 Biden flying off the helicopter, Rambo style and started unloading. Here's the part that's the most impressive one. So this entire time everybody's been trying to fix this COVID issue, but present Biden, you got to respect how aspirational he is. He has taken up a different challenge. He aims to reduce cancer death by 50% over the next 25 years. So he is attacking cancer now. They did such a good job with COVID, now they're going after cancer. You tell me that's not impressive though.

Starting point is 00:04:14 I'm, hey, kill cancer. Yeah, that's, that's a, but I'm okay with killing cancer. What I'm not okay with this, let's first kill COVID before your aspirational love to kill cancer. You got to do two things. You want do two things you want to say you can do two things on but the covitts over here russet no no don't look here let's look over here let's look over here got you maybe i'm right hand kind of so braady made comments about

Starting point is 00:04:37 retirement there's one thing he left that when he talked about retirement he didn't think bellichek he didn't think braady i didn't think none of the pictures fans nothing but i want to read what bellicics said which i really like bellicics comments uh... and uh... what he said uh... zucker uh... i know your heart broken by this java zucker from cnn yeah i was on all night i didn't get it you know i thought you were gonna cancel today was a little bit concerned i thought for sure i wasn't here i would

Starting point is 00:05:00 like what's gonna cancel uh... data came out showing the fact that Tucker Carlson, nearly 40% of his viewers are Democrats. Liberal leaders. Interesting stuff. That's a very interesting stuff. Whoopi made some comments. I definitely want to get your commentary on that on what you think, what she said.

Starting point is 00:05:17 Sackie actually responded about Joe Rogan being censored. And did you guys hear about how many COVID related videos and podcasts as Spotify took down in the last few weeks? Did you guys hear? Does it hurt more than that? 20,000. What 20,000 clips? 20,000.

Starting point is 00:05:36 Anything related to COVID that could be missing for the clips. Anything that would. Not episodes. No podcast. Podcast episodes. Long form. What? 20,000 were taken.

Starting point is 00:05:47 I made that decision. So spotter. Recently. So they're saying now that spotter fights maybe caving in and it's kind of, you know, going to different direction. Your boy, Daniel Elk. Daniel, I know you're feeling like going to Casa to have some Elk, but it's Daniel. So 20,000 of them, AOC heartbreaking.

Starting point is 00:06:04 She's dealing with anxiety because of her visiting floor down. And she got a lot of criticism for visiting Florida. So she's not wanting to get on Twitter because she gets too much criticism. And we have to kind of lower the criticism there. So folks, I just disclaimer to everybody. Next time if you see her video, please take it easy on her.

Starting point is 00:06:21 And then we got a few other things. Vox did a story. You ready for this Vox story. When I saw this title, I almost thought it was a joke. It said, remote work isn't the problem. You know what's the problem? Work is the problem. What? So let's not have to, let's not work anymore. And let's get everybody to stay home. And then, you know, we broke a record. US is officially in debt. 30 trillion dollars. Okay. Congratulations. Yeah. It's so bad that Babylon B wrote's it's a little bit more than that

Starting point is 00:06:46 babel on b wrote an article about a satire article about a saying that that is so high that immigrants are turning back around a go back home and it was okay so let's go into this so isis this news just came up if you want to pull this up with the isa story and let's kind of go through this if you can make a little bit bigger sort of yours can see it uh... so here we go. By U.S.

Starting point is 00:07:05 rate in Syria, killed top ISIS leader, colonel Lord so we can read it in a mic if you can give us some thoughts on this. President Biden said on Thursday that the U.S. rate in northwestern Syria killed top ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Horashi, what he's saying is last night at my direction us military forces at my direction very impressive us military forces in north was Syria successfully undertook a counterterrorism operation to protect the american people

Starting point is 00:07:32 and our allies and make the world a safer place by inset thanks to the skill and bravery of our forces we have taken off battle for the abu ibrahim the i leader of isis all all Americans have returned safely from the operations, monitoring and other groups, as well as residents of the rated village atmeh, in the rebel held Idlib, promised near the border with Turkey,

Starting point is 00:07:56 report a multiple deaths including civilians, British and the other countries, when they came nine people were killed, and Thursday strike including two children and one woman. Wow, okay, so that's the part that's going to British monetary group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least nine people were killed in Thursday's strike, including two children and a woman. The Syrian civil events first responders, also known as the White helmets said at least 13 people died, including six children in shell-linked enclashes that followed

Starting point is 00:08:23 the rate. So Mike, former Navy SEAL, when you see something like this, what do you think in and what do you know about it? Well, in terms of detail that I know about it is basically zero with it being this new and maybe having been out as long as I have. I have no connections as to any pertinent details. But what I will say is that stuff like this takes place pretty regularly from a timing standpoint. It's easy to look at it and say, it's a shell game of, hey, things are going bad, so let me do something like this. There's a potential for that, no two ways about it, but I think it's always good when things like this happen

Starting point is 00:09:00 as it relates to keeping terrorist groups accountable overseas and keeping the pressure on them there so that they feel the heat there and it's harder for them to execute things over here but I just don't like the timing of it, I guess, it does seem a little convenient because we haven't done anything over there. His debacle or botched abortion of a withdrawal from Afghanistan. You know, to me still stings and always will for most guys who have had any involvement in the war on terror in the last 20 years. And so it's hard for me not to have some bias coming into a story like this just because of how how badly he's fumbled

Starting point is 00:09:46 military Policy and in the short year that he's been at the helm if you can even call it that by the way Tyler can you go copypaces name and go on Google copypaces name Abu. Yeah, I've never even heard of her Yeah, yeah Go on Google and let's read the Wikipedia because I've been going through the Wikipedia. Go the lore yeah go the lore the main Wikipedia it's a little concerning because it's born in October go a little lore there you go okay good I make it bigger. Let's see what's born in September 1976 February 13 2022 was an Iraqi Islamist and the second leader okay so it was second in

Starting point is 00:10:24 command of the Islamic State. His appointment by Shura Counselor was announced by the Islamic State media, 31st of October 2019, less than a week after the death of previous leader, Abu Bakr, okay, so he got a point at after the US Rewards of Justice program while it's offering $10 million in exchange

Starting point is 00:10:41 for information leading to his apprehension. So does Biden get the $10 million on February 3rd 2022 he killed themselves The family isn't even like triggering an explosive device during a counterterrorism rate by us joint special operations Come on, wait, so he killed himself. He did the same thing that Baghdad He did as he blew himself up when they were coming to get him They sent the dogs after Baghdad he needed a cave and he blew himself up. Yeah, he's not gonna give you the pride of killing him.

Starting point is 00:11:10 He's gonna do it himself and his family, which is nice. Okay, so explain that by the way. You'd rather kill yourself, set off an explosive, kill yourself and your family rather than being taken out by infidels. I wouldn't explain that. But I wish I could. No, from their mentality, you spent time over there.

Starting point is 00:11:26 How does that work? Well, to me, it doesn't again, trying to understand the mindset and the mentality of these guys, even though you know, know your enemy and you want to understand who you're fighting is very, very difficult for that reason, is that there's such a disparity culturally between here and there and religious values and things of that nature that it makes it.

Starting point is 00:11:46 I'll say for me, even not being a religious guy, really, really difficult to understand what the mentality is there. I mean, I can't understand him doing what he does to begin with let alone killing himself, but it's such a backwards mentality as far as the way that hard line extremist guys and in these networks and such the way that they and their families view Suicide bombers is of a very high regard You know, so apparently you know according to the Quran if you blow yourself up You know in the the name of Allah you literally go to heaven, you get 72 virgins.

Starting point is 00:12:25 That's part of their mantra. Yeah, I mean, I don't know that it speaks to actual suicide in the Quran, but I know that from the twisted versions of a lot of the networks over there, and we'll even say Afghanistan, I had holly maca on my show just a couple weeks ago, who was there during the withdrawal, you know, in the viewpoint and stance that a lot of that culture kind of looks at as far as the suicide bomber mentality is that those, let's say there's a 17-year-old son and he blows himself up at a checkpoint and what have you is that that family is now almost considered royalty like they're

Starting point is 00:13:08 paid they're they're revered they're held at a really high standard society is because their son blew himself up like not the family is revered right and and so other families see that and they encourage their their kids to do it and their kids are their kids want to do these are our sports figures are actors I mean they're like that's why I'll be suicide bomber baseball cards they encourage their kids to do it and their kids want to do it. These are our sports figures, our actors. I mean, that's why I'll be suicide bomber baseball cards here before too long, brother. I'll tell you one thing, I actually had an Uber ride from Fort Lauderdale to Miami. To Miami.

Starting point is 00:13:38 And in Miami, there's a 90% chance that your Uber driver is going to be of Latino descent, whether that's Cuban or Colombian or Venezuelan. I mean just that's my the makeup of the DNA of South Florida. This particular man was actually Palestinian and We got into a whole long conversation. He's like, so where you from? Da da da da Miami. You Jewish. Yeah. Yeah. I love Jews. I'm like, oh, you're Palestinian. Yeah, yeah You know like he got he's been in America for 30 plus years. This is so thick accent. And we had a very unique conversation.

Starting point is 00:14:09 Jew, Palestinian driver, and we actually exchanged numbers, and this was actually new years. He actually picked us up later. Point is we had a great time. And he said something, he goes, you have to understand one thing about these types of people. And he goes, I'm a Muslim, but I'm very moderate. He goes, they value death more than we value life.

Starting point is 00:14:32 And I said, whoa, what? And he goes, yeah, they value death more than we value life. And we just discussed that, what that meant. And I mean, that kind of to your point here, Mike, is that their mentality, their values are totally different than any normal person would have, yeah? Yeah, absolutely. That's half of it, too, is the other half is that the economies and societies over there overwhelmingly so have a feeling of despair almost.

Starting point is 00:15:02 Like, there's some employment rates must be insane. Just, I mean, everything, like there's unemployment rates must be just the same. Like the lack of infrastructure, just, there's so many negatives in the societies there that there's not a lot to want to live for, frankly. You know, and so when you couple that with an isolated, extremist conditioning from a religious standpoint and talking about the afterlife and basically brainwashing people.

Starting point is 00:15:25 No different than some aspects of society here, frankly, but there it's just supercharged to a level where it's kind of a perfect storm of all these different elements that contribute to it making it very easy for them to manipulate young, pest-broke families into sending their kids into those scenarios. But let me ask you this, let's have some cellar money when we when he was killed. Did he get a lot of negative pushback from the opposing side on why would you take somebody out that powerful? Like I don't want to say Iranian top is like the head of the CIA FBI. He was the next in line. Yeah. Zeller said I don't know if that was the right move to make. Yeah. Right to do some like that. They're still talking about it. Oh yeah. FBI, you will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together.

Starting point is 00:16:05 You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together.

Starting point is 00:16:13 You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together.

Starting point is 00:16:21 You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. You will put it together. right? What happens with a situation like this? What's the next, could there be a possibility of a revenge or a pushback or the side effects of doing something like this? Or is it more positive for ISIS to know, listen, if you do anything, we're going to constantly come and

Starting point is 00:16:39 keep doing this to you. So is it a positive move on what happened? Is there any negative thing that could happen here? To me, it's 100% positive. Is there going to be, or is there a potential for blowback revenge? Of course there is, but to me, you should never base decisions as to whether or not you do something based on how somebody might retaliate based on that. If it's the right thing. You have to anticipate it, don't write. You have to anticipate that, don't right? You have to anticipate it. You have to anticipate it. Something could happen. Yeah, but I mean, I look at it as kind of a net reaction as far as, you know, if there's 5,000 capable guys with a, you know, combat experience with strategic value with, you know,

Starting point is 00:17:18 logistical expertise that are within these organizations, it's always better to remove as many of those people as possible. You know, irrespective of what potential blowback might be, I mean, no difference in say your company here, like if somebody wanted to take out your company, you know, does the thought of you hiring, you know, the next best guy or bringing somebody else in

Starting point is 00:17:39 or replacing whoever, is that gonna deter them from trying to crumble your company? No, like they're just gonna come at you harder, you know, even if you they know you're going to respond and in kind or what have you no different than I mean, you've had a bunch of mob bosses on similar mentality there is that they're going to take out who needs to be taken out and who's going to be value value added to being lost by that organization. So yeah, I got I got to tell you I like this. I like that this happened because for a minute we seem sloppy. For a minute we seem weak. For a minute it was like, you know, these guys can't handle anything. I love the fact that some like this happen.

Starting point is 00:18:14 Forget who's in the White House. It's great that America is seen with some like this taking place. Now it's tragic when you read it and say, because look how this one wrote it. This one wrote it. Stay right there on the article, it says, the Syrian civil defense first responders on Hamas at least 13 people died, including six children and shelling and clashes

Starting point is 00:18:31 that followed the raid, right? So you read that and it doesn't look positive. It looks negative. British monitoring group the Syrian observatory for human rights that at least nine people were killed and Thursday strike, but we don't, a two children and a woman, but you don't know if he killed those kids. We don't

Starting point is 00:18:47 know who those two are those, those his kids because on Wikipedia says he killed himself, right? He blew himself up. I'd be curious to know as information comes in to see what that situation was like in Syria. Mike, years ago, I mean a handful years ago, we all we would hear about was the Syrian Civil War. I remember when Gary Johnson, the libertarian party, was running for president. This was in 2016 when Trump won and obviously edged out Hillary Clinton. He completely shitted the bed because they said, what are your thoughts on what's going

Starting point is 00:19:20 on with Aleppo, right? And he's like, what's Aleppo? And he's like, what's Aleppo? I was like, bro, you want to be president? You don't know the capital of Syria, what the hell are with Aleppo, right? And he's like, what's Aleppo? And he's like, what's Aleppo? I was like, bro, do you wanna be president? You don't know the capital of Syria what the hell are you talking about right now? And that guy was done. But what is going on in Syria these days?

Starting point is 00:19:33 We heard so much about Assad, chemical warfare on their citizens, you know, ISIS, you know, it's so like, you have ISIS and then you have the Taliban in Afghanistan and then you have Syria and the dictators and like the Shiites and the Sunnis and these people and then the Kurds up there it's we can't figure out who to kill and then Syrian the government is fighting ISIS but we're fighting ISIS but we're also against Assad. We don't hear a lot about it this days the past point. What just can you make some sense of it or is there no way to make sense of what to do going over there?

Starting point is 00:20:05 Well, being a part-time janitor at the CIA, let me tell you what's going on. I mean, the short answer is it's not as involved as it was, you know, four years ago. Is it still a mess the same way a lot of places are still a mess over there? Yes. You know, to try to dissect it and understand, you know, the cause and effect and what is really going on, to me, you really need to spend time there and try to evaluate it from a journalist standpoint of not taking sides and just there figuring out what that is. Why there's not more attention paid to it, I think, just really stems from the fact that Afghanistan heated up with the draw down and then the debacle of the withdrawal from there as well as Iran getting nuclear material and things happening between Israel and

Starting point is 00:21:00 Palestine, the same way that it has for the last several years. And so there's just so many different things going on there that are all kind of equally terrible. I wouldn't say that it's necessarily any worse than seven other places over there. It's just you're not hearing about it because there's no reason to hear about it. There's not an election going on. We have almost no involvement over there. And so it's just not on the radar, especially with something like COVID here making such a big deal out of that. It's a priority thing.

Starting point is 00:21:32 And is ISIS still as powerful or are they not anywhere? No, they're nowhere near as powerful. Do they still exist? Yes. I mean, there's a faction. There's ISIS, K and Afghanistan that's caused a lot of problems. But to me, they're smaller than they used to be. What caused that? Like quite a bit. Mostly the four years that Trump was in office have really good in getting after it from an offensive standpoint as opposed to a reactive standpoint. In what way?

Starting point is 00:21:58 Just operations like this times a thousand. There was a lot more troop presence there. You know, we took a lot of intelligence-based measures to execute missions like this and other ones to push them back and take territory back and get rid of high-value targets and things of that nature. So... Mike, how much of this one in operation like this

Starting point is 00:22:22 has taken place to White House is aware of it a month, two months, three months, six months, a year prior to it happening. Like is this something that Biden knew about three, six months ago or is it last minute, hey guys, here's where we are, we found them, let's make the phone call, take them out, boom. So generally speaking, you know, there's kind of a pulse or tabs on guys in certain areas. When something like this happens, it's generally to a degree with which there's very,

Starting point is 00:22:48 very credible and corroborated through multiple sources, viable intelligence that this guy is right here, and now we can go find him, which is why, you know, this is a big deal is that to pinpoint a guy and actually be accurate as to his exact location, going and finding him even though we didn't kill him, he blew himself up. The fact is, the result is the same, is that that's a big deal intelligence wise, you know,

Starting point is 00:23:11 as far as a victory. So we knew about it. For sure. Now, did we know? He's been on the radar is what you're saying. Yeah, but the opportunity arises both. Sure. But what's not said and what's very possible, I don't have any intimate knowledge of it,

Starting point is 00:23:24 how many times did we think he was somewhere tried to go and nothing happened? Who knows? It could have been a dozen. So that's the tricky part with this, like to your question, the different directors and people in different places of a high value in our government that know, okay,

Starting point is 00:23:43 this guy's in this region, this guy is in this region, this guy's in that region, this outfit's operating here, they have about this many troops, you know, you have a good idea of all of this. You know, I'm going to ask a crazy question, and I just want you to be thinking about it both of you guys. Tyler, you think about it, see how you process this. So, you know, sometimes somebody all of a sudden has a bad rep for something they did, and they hire a publicist, and a publicist comes and tries to rebrand the person, right? Like A-Rod rebranding himself very well

Starting point is 00:24:08 until the J-Lo situation. It kind of went back to what it was, I think, a little bit, right? He took a little bit of a step back. But when A-Rod came back out, A-Rod was, this guy, listen, I did it. Here's what I did. This is what it is. He's definitely transformed.

Starting point is 00:24:21 And then he was on, you know, a shark tank, you're seeing him every words, and he's like, this guy's incredible on TV. Great communicator, great all this stuff. And some people were up, so what happened with JLo? No one knows a real story. What happened there? The JLo fans came out and didn't like him.

Starting point is 00:24:35 But A-Rot recreated his persona. Would you guys both agree? I agree. Who else would you put in that category that recreated their persona at that level? I think musicians do it, rappers do it, Kardashian did it, stars do it all the time, right? And especially when you're getting older, you gotta do it even more,

Starting point is 00:24:53 because if you don't, you're no longer 22, you're now 53, you don't look like you did at 22, you gotta kinda mix it up, right? I wonder if there's meetings where you're sitting there saying, look, let's face it, man. And by the way, I'm talking to any president. Look, your score right now, your polls, you're rating sucks right now. You ain't looking good.

Starting point is 00:25:13 I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden.

Starting point is 00:25:21 I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden. I'm talking about Biden we're gonna talk about cancer. Number two, we need a strong position from your end to go take out somebody from ISIS. Let's call this. Number three, we need to do, do you think those types of conversations happen? They have to.

Starting point is 00:25:32 Okay, I agree. I agree. No doubt that. And I wonder if there's like a 30 point marker of things to do to recreate your reputation in these 30 markers, okay, which one of these do we wanna do? Well, let's take this, this, this, this, this. You've had a publicist before, right?

Starting point is 00:25:48 I sure know your relationship. A handful of things. Yeah. It's their job to make you look better, to recreate you, give you better talking points. All right, listen, you're gonna get off the COVID thing, you're gonna start focusing on cancer, but you just botched Afghanistan.

Starting point is 00:26:01 Let's kill some mofos in Syria. This is, I think this is, you know, PR, one on one, like get your ratings back up. And I think Biden needed that. And to your point, Pat, I think it's important that I wanna get Mike's thoughts on this as well. Notice it was a raid and they didn't send in a drone, they didn't send in a reaper,

Starting point is 00:26:18 because what happened last time we did that, we killed the aid worker and what, seven children. We've drawn Pat Tillman. I mean, so where does that come from? The, is it situational where they decide to raid or? Yeah, it is. I mean, so much of it is going to be driven by kind of the actionable intelligence on what's on target. Now, speaking from personal experience, you know, we, we did operations where our intelligence was spot on. And there were times where we

Starting point is 00:26:43 did operations where the intelligence was woefully inaccurate. And that's kind of the dice roll that you take with any of these things is that it's always, from a collateral damage standpoint, I would say generally speaking, not always. It's a better mechanism to send human beings there to execute a mission because they're thinking on target.

Starting point is 00:27:05 Now, it doesn't mean that it can't go wrong where civilians are being used as shields or kids get blown up or things of that nature, but you at least have an interactive component on the ground that can make decisions. Whereas once the trigger is pulled on a drone, hellfire, that's it. So when it comes to things like this,

Starting point is 00:27:29 it's generally regarded as the better decision for the big picture to send people. Now the obvious drawback is that what if some of our our guys get lost? My perception of, especially how this administration would view that is that that's not a huge consideration on their part. It's 100%.

Starting point is 00:27:50 How is it going to make us look good or you know what is the PR going to be based on on something like this happening? Mike, sorry, the human capital. I have a two two part question. Well first let me give a retraction. I believe I called Aleppo the capital of Syria. It's Damascus, but it's a major city. And either way, I don't want to get, you know, slam into the comments.

Starting point is 00:28:14 This guy doesn't mean time to read them. Exactly. And I believe me. I don't, my question to you is regarding our allies. We know who our enemies are, the ISIS K, the ISIS, you know, the Taliban, the list goes on and on and on. Who are our biggest allies in the Middle East, right? And where they house, like, where were these guys based out of? Obviously, we know Israel. Who else is on our list of allies? We know the enemies. Who are the allies?

Starting point is 00:28:42 So, to me, it's kind of a tough question because it depends on what position you take and who you are even within our government. Having said that, Jordan historically has been what I would consider probably our biggest ally in the region outside of Israel. I don't think Saudi meant for a number of reasons which would be its own episode by itself. It doesn't have any of our best interest in my 9-11 being a clear cut example. And all the rest of the countries, it's not that black and white as far as just like with our country, right, is that you've got, even within our government, you've got people on polar opposites spectrums of... So there's no countries other than Israel and Jordan, you would put on that list. What about regions or types like the Kurds? We had always here about the Kurds are great fighters and they were fighting against

Starting point is 00:29:29 Yeah, the northern third of Iraq is is generally a considerable ally for us But we've turned our back on them a few times and totally sold them out so You know to say that there are a staunch ally and we can depend on them I wouldn't I remember Trump caught a lot of heat about pulling out and basically sent people don't recall as much heat as Biden took in Afghanistan for the sloppy withdrawal. There was a brief period of time where Trump was taking a lot of heat from abandoning the Kurds. Not as big as Afghanistan because don't people don't know that, but do you recall that?

Starting point is 00:30:01 Not really. You know, and maybe that's the media portion. I don't know. You know, to me, the abandonment of them happened well before he got in office. I mean, it happened four years prior to that. It happened, in my opinion, midway through Obama's term. So, to me, to pin that on Trump, I think, is disingenuous because the rise of ISIS took place halfway through Obama's term without question. When he called them the JV. He pulled basically all of the territory that we had, all of the regions and areas

Starting point is 00:30:38 interact that we had fought so hard to secure, just like we did in Afghanistan and basically just pulled everybody back with Drew almost every troop from the region and just let ISIS steamroll through there. And just, I mean, the things that they did there was, I mean, hard to even wrap your mind around. And that took place for years before Trump came out. Does the United States always, always, always need to have a presence in the Middle East? I don't think so. No, East. I don't think so. No, I don't think so. No, I mean, I take much more of a, I would say bordering on isolationist viewpoint in

Starting point is 00:31:12 terms of foreign policy at this point. I mean, to me, I reduce, I tend to reduce foreign policy all the way down to such a micro level like a bar fight, right? And to me, they're interchangeable that way is that you're walking by your favorite club, right? And there's a huge fight going on. Now you can walk in there and you can help the guy that has four dudes penning him down and bash his head in, or you can help the woman that's getting slapped around,

Starting point is 00:31:36 you know, whatever it is, just by walking in there, you're gonna piss somebody off. No matter who you help, you're gonna piss somebody off, and you're gonna create enemies, right? And so, to me, I think World War II is the most clear cut example on how to handle things at a geopolitical or international level where you don't get involved until you have to, but when you do, you take the fucking gloves off and you go over there until the job is done and you do whatever is necessary to come to Sherman's style from the Civil War for

Starting point is 00:32:04 a million. But isn't that what we did after 9-11? For a month. For about two months. We were out of Afghanistan. No, no one wanted to have Afghanistan. And then we went. No, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi, I mean, exercises in Jordan, joint operations in Israel.

Starting point is 00:32:19 We've been heavily footprinted in the Middle East way more than we need to be for decades. I mean, it started back and honestly, when the first Persian Gulf war took place and you know, we got bombed in Saudi Arabia for being there. I mean, that's really when it really started, in my opinion, where the hardline groups, specifically Al Qaeda, I mean, that was born out of Saudi allowing us to have troops in the region to defend Kuwaita. That Pistosam have been laden off to the point where he created al-Qaeda because of that.

Starting point is 00:32:51 So, you know, to me, there's been a lot of involvement that we've had that's unnecessarily created problems that we're still paying for until we're able to pay. But these people fear the United States military? For sure they do. They do. 100% and even just as recent as seven months ago, that the fact that we had 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and they still weren't doing anything until Biden was like,

Starting point is 00:33:16 yeah, we're actually leaving and they closed down the air base. The fact that just 2,500 troops held the Taliban at bay because you saw how fast they took the country over, right? It was supposed to be months and then it literally was days. It wasn't 2,500 troops. It was the fact that we still had a presence there and they knew if they tried to do that while we still were taking the stance of we are here,

Starting point is 00:33:38 that it would have been 2.0 Afghanistan, we would have come back in and they would have paid for it. I mean, you can see it in their operations with attacking certain bases and knowing how long they have before close air support is going to be there. I mean, there's a healthy respect for it, or they would have done what they did seven months ago, 18 years ago. There's a reason they didn't do it that entire time.

Starting point is 00:34:02 How worried should we be that we left behind what was it $80 billion of military equipment? I mean, at this point, to be worried about it, I think is fruitless, but is it a kick in the gut? Yes, absolutely. Do I think that they're gonna take those assets and now launch attacks into America? No, I don't.

Starting point is 00:34:23 I think it sucks. Is it gonna turn them into an overnight success? No, it isn't. I think it sucks. Is it going to turn them into an overnight success? No, it isn't. I mean, if you look at how much money we put into forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and doing, you know, foreign internal defense with a lot of other countries over there, you know, we've spent at this point trillions of dollars on equipment and training. I mean, I've worked with guys before to have the capabilities that the United States has takes a whole nother level of generational dedication that just isn't there. You know, so am I worried about it? Ultimately, no. Does it piss me off? Yes, it does.

Starting point is 00:34:55 By the way, while this whole thing's going on, the story comes out from the Washington Freebeek and about Iran being weeks away from having full fuel to power atomic bomb state department warrants. Iran will have enough fissile material enriched to weapon grade capacity in weeks, not months, a senator, a senior state department official said Monday following the conclusion of another round of indirect talks with Iran and world powers in Vienna. Following 10 months of negotiations, the state department says diplomacy, diplomacy will seize in the coming weeks whether Iran takes a deal or not.

Starting point is 00:35:28 This is because the Biden administration assesses that Iran's nuclear program will have become so advanced that reentering the 2015 nuclear court will provide no benefits to U.S. and global national security in the years since Trump withdrew from the deal. Iran has enriched uranium, the key component, and a bomb, so extremely high levels of purity. Negotiations are paused as Iranian diplomats travel back to Tehran to consult with the hardline ruling government. If Iran takes the deal virtually all U.S. sanctions imposed by Trump administration will evaporate, giving the regime access to billions of dollars of cash.

Starting point is 00:36:01 Is that a concern to you with what's going on there with Iran? I mean, it is, but I also think, you know, this is kind of to Adam's question of involvement, is that you really have to decide, do we want them or are we okay with them having this or are we not? If the answer is, we're not, and we need to stop it, then as a country, you have to decide we will do what is necessary to prevent that. Whatever that is, right? Is that if it's that red line, like, hey, Iran cannot have the capability to have any nuclear capacity whatsoever, if that means that we carpet bomb, you know, the facilities, you know, whatever it takes intelligence-based, you know, wise, is that

Starting point is 00:36:43 that's what you do. You know, again, no different than Afghanistan or Iraq, World War II, wise, is that that's what you do. You know, again, no different than Afghanistan, Iraq, World War II, whatever, is that, you know, to me, the cat and mouse aspect of the negotiations and the accords and the peace deals and the cash and all these other things are kind of a distraction in that you just have to ask yourself, are we going to be, are we going to sit on the sideline while they do it, or not? Now, whether or not we take action, that's a whole nother conversation, but I think as a country, there needs to be a decision one way or another, and you just do whether.

Starting point is 00:37:14 Here's my question. How do we know, how do we even know that this is taking place right now? Why is, how do we know that Iran is weeks away from having fuel to fuel power atomic bomb. How do we know that? What inside of the formation is Iran leaking to us? They're not going to leak anything to the state. I mean, so this is where I'll be careful on how I tread on what I say, but there are intelligence assets that provide the capabilities through a number of resources. And that's electronic human, you know, traditional spying, you know,

Starting point is 00:37:49 communications intelligence, et cetera, all kind of coupled together to make determinations and assessments like that. But that's really all. How deep are we as a, and I'm going to go a little bit deeper to hear what you're going to say about this. And I want to go a little bit deeper to hear what you're going to say about this. How deep is US, whether you want to put CIA or whatever you want to call it in Iran, to constantly gather intel and send it to us? Are we pretty involved heavily there or it's mild?

Starting point is 00:38:21 I would say, again, not having maybe as intimate as a knowledge is maybe you would assume, but what I do know is just again from having a lot of friends that do things like that and having worked in that capacity is that there are always people involved in all of the kind of big actors and that's in everyone of those capacities that I just mentioned. It's signal intelligence, it's communications, it's human, it's all of those things. And so, you know, the United States has this map of, okay, here are all the major concerns,

Starting point is 00:38:55 and then they dedicate assets based on the same way, say an ER doctor would triage an emergency room after an accident, is that this is the biggest threat, this, you know, and they're allocating resources based on that. So without a doubt there is moderate to heavy involvement in every capacity that we have the ability to be involved in that country specifically. And also don't forget, I mean our position keeps changing whether it was a Biden who led the charge on the Iran nuclear deal. Trump pulled out, you know, now Biden is getting back in it, whatever it is, but there's one thing that has not

Starting point is 00:39:31 wavered and that's Israel. Yeah. Our stance has changed here in the United States. Israel is that set on Iran not being a nuclear power. So whether that's them taking out scientists, taking out plants, like they are not playing around, they do not want I ran to have this nuclear power. Yeah, I mean it's a much bigger threat to them than it is to us I mean, yeah, the right wall obviously the the Iranian rhetoric is we're gonna wipe them off them out They don't want Israel to exist. Yeah, I mean no different than if you know say China built a An Air Force base in in Tijuana, right?

Starting point is 00:40:05 Like we're gonna be a lot more bent about that than Israel is because it's right there, you know? Or if it's Cuba, yeah, or if it's Russia. It's like that. Yeah, Russia has a, you know, an amphibious assault group or an aircraft carrier, you know, 30 miles off the coast of California, you know, is Israel going to say,

Starting point is 00:40:26 yeah, that's messed up and we don't think they should do that or whatever, probably, are they going to be as worried about it as we are absolutely not, you know. Geographically, the United States has to just be very lucky that we're not in the middle of all this nonsense and the Middle East, your Asia, anything like that. Yeah, I mean, geographically, it certainly is at our advantage. I will say the more technologically advanced the human race becomes the less that matters. Whether it's cyber attacks or satellite stuff, shit coming, you know, lasers from outer space type stuff, the more and more capable human beings become from a technology standpoint, it's not going to matter as much. It already

Starting point is 00:41:03 doesn't. I mean, China has the ability to do what they do as well as Russia. I mean, they've made our lives pretty difficult over the last decade, both of them, without ever even having to come here. So it still plays a role. I'd still rather have a geographical advantage than not, but that gap is shortening year after year. You wonder when you think about this stuff, like even with Iran,

Starting point is 00:41:29 because Iran signed the 25-year-400-billion-dollar deal with China, right? That's the deal that they signed when they said, hey, you wanna do this Trump, we're gonna go take advantage just and get with China. China is the number one competitor to US. Do you think today's administration of Iran cares whether they have a good relationship with US or not?

Starting point is 00:41:50 Like do you think they wake up in the morning saying, okay, let's have a meeting. Guys, let's figure out a way how we can be better with US. You think they give a shit at all? I would say it's probably the opposite, is that they're trying to come up with ways to piss us off, get under our skin, and degrade the relationship with them.

Starting point is 00:42:04 I totally agree. Okay, so if that's the case, and they're saying, well, we're going back to come up with ways to piss us off, get under our skin and degrade the relationship with that. I totally agree. Okay, so if that's the case, and they're saying, well, we're going back to see 10 months of negotiations, State Department says the diplomacy will seize with coming weeks. After they're going to go back to Tehran, you think they care? Like, you think they're sitting there saying, hey boss, we have to improve this relationship with US or else we're going to lose. I don't think of a personal question.

Starting point is 00:42:27 Yeah, being born in Iran and being a proud Iranian, born in Iran, made in America, serving in the military, being a world-class entrepreneur. When you hear these types of stories or Iran comes up, how does that make you feel just as a citizen? Yeah, all I think about is progress. All I think about is I got kids that I'd like to show them Chiavone Hojette that I was raised on a street called Hojette. I want to take them to Bandar Pa'hlavi, port of Pa'hlavi, to show them caspiancy. I want to take them to Jam Hospital where I was born. I want to take them to the Kabab place we would go to Huch.

Starting point is 00:43:05 I want to take him to the city Gandhi. I want to go show them those places. I can't. I want to take him to Esfahan, which is the only place we want to vacation with my mom and dad when they were married to each other. I listen to the song by Moeen, who's a famous Persian singer who sings the song, saying, De la mi jadbe esfahan baggardam.

Starting point is 00:43:23 My heart wants me to return back to Esfahan. It's the only vacation I ever went to. So great song, it's a very heart-felt song. I love that song. So I think about progress for me to go, I wanna go visit Iran tomorrow. I wanna go see what that place is at tomorrow. I remember going to the Shah's castles and mansions

Starting point is 00:43:44 and visiting it and touring and seeing all these pictures being upside down that's what i think about so for me every time i hear stories like this i think to myself we're going backwards because remember the green part was at the green party in iran that was trying to do a cool remember the green party uh... can you pull up iran green party it was something like that

Starting point is 00:44:02 the green movement or green party that had something that was going on. Iran, a green party of Iran, they were pushing back to get Iran to be free again. You saw them at the embassy. You were seeing them everywhere. And they were making some progress. Under Trump, there was a minute where the people of Iran could have revolted to change things, but every time it happens, a president changes. I think if Trump would have stayed president for eight years, and he would have just kept

Starting point is 00:44:34 going, if you remember gas prices at one point, were so expensive, people just stood there not even driving like, I can't afford to buy gas. I don't know Iran, well, you don't remember this, like a year and a half ago, it was so bad people just are walking, they're like, I're like, how am I going to pay for this gas? For sanctions or out of control. It was at the time. But the point is, as much as you're saying, what the sanctions were out of control,

Starting point is 00:44:53 if the current regime in Iran falls, somebody has to replace it. And that somebody that replaces is hoping to be a different philosophy with relationships with neighboring countries like Israel would be better, would US would be better, and it would be back and forth, but it's not been like that since 1978. Yeah, I want to go to Iran tomorrow, but I can't go to Iran tomorrow.

Starting point is 00:45:15 So if my motives are different motive, then maybe the average person's motive that's worried about the fact that we keep going, I'm selling money and hey, these guys are going to retaliate and do another 9-11 to US. I'm coming from a different step. Where does, because you're a Christian, and I don't know what percentage of Iran are Christians, I'm sure 1% is less than, Jewish is less than 1%. But they are the stronghold of, hold of Shiites in the Middle East, and the rest of the Middle East is for the most part, Sunni.

Starting point is 00:45:41 How does that weigh into the relationships of the rest of the Middle East, being the Shiite stronghold of the Middle East? It's not gonna be pretty, it's not gonna be easy, because some people don't want the revolution to happen. Some people want it to stay the way it is. And the reality of it is, in order for revolution to happen, it's gonna cost a lot of people's lives. It's not gonna be pretty, it's gonna be very ugly for that to be taken place.

Starting point is 00:46:02 And as a parent, think about your mom, your dad, and you got kids. And you're sitting there and you want a revolution to happen. You want Iran to go, let's just say you're 70 years old. You remember when Iran was amazing. You're 50 years old. You remember when Iran was great. You wanted to go back to that, but at the same time to go back to that, you encourage your kids too much to be radical and take a stand. Do you really

Starting point is 00:46:26 want to have some bad news or somebody, you know, given you a call saying, Hey, here's what happened to your kid? Your fear is what they're going to do to your kid. So you almost discourage your kids of wanting to revolt. Remember, this guy who got merated from ISIS was willing to take a life of his wife and his kids and himself to not give you the victory. That is so radical if you think about that. I mean, to be willing to do something like that, I don't think the reasonable people on the opposing side are willing to risk their kids having to go out to protesting and God forbid somebody gets killed.

Starting point is 00:47:04 So, they're like, listen guys, it's not worth it. Let's just be okay. It's not a big deal. So, they're not pushing them. willing to risk their kids having to go out to protesting and God forbid somebody gets killed. So like, listen guys, it's not worth it. Let's just be okay. It's not a big deal. So they're not pushing it. What would a revolution even look like in Iran? Because correct me if I'm wrong. I don't think the people have access to guns. That's not the thing. No, no. No, no. The only way it happens is with help.

Starting point is 00:47:17 You're not going to do it without help. There has to be another country that's helping. It's not going to happen just by the people. What, providing ammunition providing ammunition guns military support it's ever involved yeah it's heavy to heavy duty involvement it's not you do people won't be able to do it are there uh... do you have relatives that are still there you can contact with uh... i do yes from my mother side we have relatives there

Starting point is 00:47:39 is it uh... difficult to like does that come up at all where you talk about kind of the the pulse of what's going on there and we we don't really talk about any of that stuff when we're supposed they can't probably right? I mean it's being monitored. No, you don't want to put them at risk if you even if you even think about having those Subs of conversations now, but here's what's interesting like today I'm talking about this right? I'm probably going to get 50 messages on Instagram or Twitter or Some social media platform of Iranians that are listening to our podcast through a VPN underground system and they're sending messages. Hey, keep talking about the stuff because we're listening.

Starting point is 00:48:13 Hey, keep talking about the stuff because we're listening. But in order for that to happen, you need an administration that doesn't look at them and say, hey, this is let's just negotiate with them. It's very hard to negotiate with reasonable people. It's very unreasonable people. Very hard. When you're negotiating with unreasonable people, no progress is going to take place. These guys are not reasonable people. Well, this is where you need to add them to my point.

Starting point is 00:48:39 This is where you need Israel to step up and the peace of courts that have come through the Middle East, that Israel is making because everybody's biggest fear right now, is Iran? That's where you need these people to step up so the peace of court that have come through the Middle East that Israel's making because everybody's biggest fear right now is Iran. That's where you need these people to step up so we don't have to, you know. Well Israel has done plenty of stuff. I mean Israel will go take out scientists. Israel is not

Starting point is 00:48:55 afraid. Israel is the kind of place that they'll they'll play the proxy but they're not afraid to play the direct without a proxy. I don't know if that makes sense. Like they're not trying to use some of them lying on us to take charge and to me. They are, but they'll still come at shoes as well and say,

Starting point is 00:49:09 I did it. They'll do it alone. Yeah, if we don't like, especially with this, I wouldn't be surprised if you see a legit, like you said, this is us and we're not trying to hide it, you know, attack on different, whether it's nuke sites or scientists locations or what happens or what happens it'll be interesting to see what happens all i know it's had love to see run

Starting point is 00:49:31 open up so we can go tour and show the entire place and see how beautiful of a country run is you know you you go to a lot of museums you're like hundred year building to hundred year building go to like three thousand year old building yeah studio i am curious like from from kind of a an investment standpoint here, like do you think it's worth the United States getting involved at that level? Not not right now because it's 25 years, $400 billion with China. Is it worth paying more than $400 billion? No. Iran's the day Iran signed at 25 year, four hundred billion dollars we probably lost iran for a few decades

Starting point is 00:50:08 i guess i mean investment from a a blood and treasure standpoint uh... like the the sacrifice that it would take for the united states to actually get involved in and over throw the the regime it's not worth it because the only way to be worth it is in a following way so here here's the only strategy, again, I'm not involved in any kind of this is just, I'm thinking like a strategist, is you need a couple of things in place.

Starting point is 00:50:33 You need a trump-like personality that is hurting China first, okay? Hurting China first. China has to feel the pain. Then, US has to say, if you don't pull out of this deal with Iran, we're gonna increase the tariffs to 40%. So then China says, the announcement comes out saying, China pulled out of the Iran deal for 25-year-old

Starting point is 00:51:02 $400 billion, that's progress. Do you remember when Huawei, do you remember the company in Huawei? Do you remember when every day everything we talked about was Huawei, Huawei, Huawei, 5G, Huawei, do you remember that whole story with Huawei? Telecommunication. Telecommunication.

Starting point is 00:51:14 And then one day what is Trump doing with Huawei? Ben's the phone. Do you remember Huawei, we were on their bigger markets, they were growing here, they were exploding. And then do you remember the situation where the Huawei CFO, who happens to be the daughter of the owner who in Canada got caught do you remember that story in Canada she got

Starting point is 00:51:31 caught and then she had dealings doing a deal with Iran Huawei was do you remember this whole story or no vaguely type in Huawei CFO Canada Iran Huawei CFO Canada Iran and type in Iran as well I'm going to continue Dealink okay, Mingzoo can return to China admits helping Huawei conceal dealings in Iran. There you go This was a story Washington, Po Wapu. What date was this national security go up a little bit? Do you see the date? Yeah, this is not that long ago. This is five months ago. This is six months ago, But this has been going on for a while. So the only way it would work is if Trump says,

Starting point is 00:52:10 here's more tariffs, here's more tariffs, here's more tariffs. And in China, it says, screw this guy. You know what, Iran will pull it out. Then they pull out, then his next move would be tariffs to Iran, then him saying, no other Middle Eastern banks can do business with Iran, all the banks tighten up, the people get pissed off with the regime. Of course, they're going to blame the US for it. And then at that time, it's like, do we want this regime to be here? Then they revolt. It's like a five-step process of getting there, but it won't happen without China.

Starting point is 00:52:38 It won't happen without China. So we get them, then we can do something with Iran. Other than China, what other country from business standpoint Yeah, dealing standpoint are invested in Iran or as Iran doing business with actively. Let me ask you question Who do you think's more of this a pretty weird question to ask who's more reasonable Putin or G Who's more reasonable? I have an answer. I'm not even close. My gut is telling me Putin. It's not even close I'm telling you It's not even close. I'm telling you, it's not even close. That you think Putin is more reasonable?

Starting point is 00:53:08 There is no way it's even close that Putin is more reasonable than she is. There's no way. You're saying she is the least reasonable person. Let me ask you a question. Are you more worried about visiting China or Russia? China, by the way. If I told you right now,

Starting point is 00:53:22 let's go to Moscow, Leningrad for a week for vacation. Would you at all be worried? Yeah, I'd be a little worried, but I've got to send it. I get your point. I'm just saying. I'm going to China. So let's go to China for a week and do vlog or do videos, do some interviews. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:53:36 If I told you right now, hey, you know, the center of Houston Rockets invited us with NS Cantor to go to China to see how great the country is. And then I say, how you doing? You'd probably take vacation that week. You know what I'm saying? But the point behind, I think Putin is more reasonable. So who has incentives? Putin has to be good with Iran.

Starting point is 00:53:57 Still not good, but it's right there. So they're dealing there between Kaspian C&M. Everybody has to figure out a way to be okay with that neighbor because it ain't going away. It's not like it's your living in a gated community. There's a terrible of a neighbor that is just a mess and you're hoping one day they move. Iran's not going to move. The country is in the EU deal with them.

Starting point is 00:54:16 Not to the levels of, because remember, EU, individual countries to deal with Iran have to be also held accountable to the other countries in EU, so you're almost one major country. So I think it's very different than EU. I may be wrong, then it would be in countries that are closer to Iran. But again, I would tell you, I think Putin is 10 times more reasonable than she is in China.

Starting point is 00:54:45 Do you agree? Yeah, I would agree. I think for my standpoint, both countries have a level of national pride that kind of trumps everything else, the way that the United States used to have. And that's why they're emerging as I think, countries that are gonna eclipse us sooner than later. You could argue that in a number of ways China already has.

Starting point is 00:55:09 I think they're still dependent enough on us to where they couldn't execute certain things that they probably would once they get to that point. But, you know, both of them, I think, are, while they're hard-line guys and they're, you know, the pride and success of their country is kind of the pinnacle of what they base all their decisions off of. Both of them are also not dumb enough or so emotional about those principles that they have, that they're not willing to look at it, no different than you did with Iran. Like, you have a, I think, a natural bias to want to see the United States get involved, but

Starting point is 00:55:46 your non-emotional side says, no, you need to do it this way first. You know, whereas most people wouldn't do that. And I think from a leadership standpoint in those two countries, that's necessary and that's why they do the business deals that they do and are as successful as they are in executing them. But by the way, it's China compared to Russia. It's not even close. But China is a hundred X.

Starting point is 00:56:09 What Russia is in every way. Exactly. I don't even know what the other than oil industry, what kind of industry does Russia have, other than oligarchy and oil. But in Volta, the Volta is a bulldy industry. But China has, in many respects, like you said, Mike is gonna surpass United States.

Starting point is 00:56:27 Keep in mind, they have 1.3 billion people. Russia, Putin has way more, has to be way more of a strategist, you know, XKGB, then she has to be. I wouldn't say, I think they're both very, very capable in that regard. Yeah, but China is at least, like you used this analogy before,

Starting point is 00:56:50 if there's a poker hand, China at least has a flush or a straight, Putin's playing with like a pair of threes and he's like pretending that he's got pocket aces. He doesn't have the economy. The economy. The economy is one thing which you're right. If you want to show that real quick tighter to validate Adam's point, David, if you can

Starting point is 00:57:11 put that on the screen. Zoom in even a little bit more. You see how big a China is. Japan is US is, France is Germany is Italy is, UK is Canada is not fine Russia. I don't know if they're top 10 and if they are, they're number 10 or 11. Bottom right. You got a zoom in at like four o'clock. Right. Zoom in. Look at right United States. Twenty three. All the way to the right at one point. Yeah. Five. Four times bigger than Norway.

Starting point is 00:57:34 Okay. By the way, where's South Korea on this tiny little South Korea? I don't know if you could find it. Yeah. Top right. One point eight two trillion. One point eight two trillion. Bigger than Russia. Little as South point eight two trillion bigger than Russia bigger than Russia a little South Korea has a bigger GDG Now flip this now go to World leaders with nuclear bombs world leaders are top of the list Okay, but you got to realize I mean that's that's like say something. You know look at that say something China And I click on it so you see the rest go a little more to see the rest see see if there's a leader's bulletin on there

Starting point is 00:58:06 Okay, check that out. I so Nuclear what do you see US is at the top I'm curious as to why they're at the top because Russia's both of Russia's numbers are high Go that's not a go go to another chart because this Wikipedia go to another one go back Go back. There's another one that shows it's a side go little more there's one that shows you just go to images I'm sure if you go to images that'll give you a graph click on the click on that one right there arms control that or let's see what that is go a little more to see if they're ranking it because there's a better site that shows there you go Russia

Starting point is 00:58:39 6,257 the only country that is anywhere near the United States. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no russian knows that their decades ahead by the time china catches a nuclear warhead you know world war three may have taken place by the time to try to catch up you can't have to ask yourself though i mean at what point does it not even matter i mean to me three hundred and fifty fifty nuclear weapons is still enough to kill everybody on the planet it was a crazy enough kind of can pull the trigger is this one of those things where the the best defense is a good offense or the best offense is a good defense where it's like Yeah, I mean the the fact that You know that all these numbers even exist is is proof of that is that it's a deterrent You know, I also find it interesting the United States is the only country. It's actually used them

Starting point is 00:59:38 You know But you know so for us to to metal the way that we do, I think, you know, is a little convenient or strange. Right. By the way, the India Pakistan situation that's going on, I don't know if you have any strong things, but they say that's the most dangerous border in the world. Yes, sure. They're both armed nuclearly, and they border each other, and they are enemies.

Starting point is 00:59:59 Yeah, no, I mean, I don't dispute that from that standpoint. I mean, I guess the good news is it's at least there, you know, as opposed to here, not that I'd want to see any more nuclear weapons being used. But, you know, I think back to Pat's point is that, you know, Russia has a bigger thorn in the side of the entire world that way. You know, like they're more capable of causing bigger problems,

Starting point is 01:00:24 I think, at the drop of a hat or in a heated exchange, more so than probably Chinese. From a military perspective, for sure. From an economic perspective, they are below tiny country like South Korea. I mean, even militarily, outside of the Newt capacity, they're not that capable. I mean, they're nowhere near as capable as the United States or China. It's just the nuclear stockpile.

Starting point is 01:00:50 And that's kind of the great equalizer. I mean, nuclear weapons are kind of the firearms of countries that way. If you kind of parallel it to say a 70 year old woman with a revolver, I mean, like the nuclear weapons gives people a stage. That's why Iran is so hell-bent on getting them is because it enters you into a realm of respect internationally that just

Starting point is 01:01:12 doesn't exist in any other way. Mike, do you have any aspirations of getting involved in politics? Is this something you're interested even a little? Not even a little bit. Why not? Well, for a couple of reasons. I mean, one of the things I talk about in my book is the election process and my views

Starting point is 01:01:28 on how I would change that, which I'm happy to share. But to me, there's an element of even wanting to run for any higher office, I think, should automatically disqualify you for it. How do you mean by that? I think there's a level of arrogance and narcissism and bordering on. There's got to be something wrong with you to want to put you and your family through the process that it takes to get elected and the things that you have to do in terms of getting in bed and getting

Starting point is 01:01:53 donations and the deals that you have to strike. By the time you get to that point, I think you're so far removed from the initial reasoning why you started it, that is why you see the level of corruption and bribery and lobbying that exists in Washington DC. Talk about your election. Talk about which ideas would be in your book. So within the three branches of government, well, let me take one step back is that you've got, you know, we're so far gone to the point where a lot of people talk about, you know, revolution

Starting point is 01:02:26 or these huge, you know, red flags as far as the NSA and CIA would be concerned or FBI, you'd be labeled a domestic terrorist for even talking about it. So, to me, the happy medium is looking at the three branches of government and saying, which one is the most influential and from a checks and balances standpoint, the most powerful, to me, it's the legislative branch. The Supreme Court justices have to be have to go through there they have the ability to put checks and balances on the president veto power executive order etc. But the problem is is that those groups you know the the sub 500

Starting point is 01:03:02 number of people within the Congress are so heavily influenced by that election process that nothing really gets done. The fact that every one of them gets into office and are worth 10X four years later is a huge problem. And so my take is no different than small county Texas of how they do grand jury selection is that I think that you create a basic checklist of being a net positive member of society. You're up to date on your taxes, you're not a felon, you've lived in that county or region for X number of years, you're a net positive on society. And every one of those people have to come up with, let's say,

Starting point is 01:03:41 five names, three names, seven, whatever. And then just like an election that the tally comes in and your vote is on who you think is the best person in that county to represent that county on a national level, right? And then so now at that point, whoever gets the most votes for that process now is the delegate for that region. And you don't get a choice just like with jury duty or being drafted in the military and Vietnam

Starting point is 01:04:08 or whatever people may say, well, that's unfair. Let's say it's a two year term. We drafted hundreds of thousands of people in Vietnam, 50,000 of which didn't even come home. They didn't get a choice on that. Jury duty, some trials last six, eight months, and you don't get a choice, you have to execute that. And so I think to have less than 500 people that are so well liked by the net positive members of their community,

Starting point is 01:04:32 there's no finances involved, there's no, hey, you donated two million. And so when I get in office, this transport deal that's running through our county is going to go to your brothers' construction company, there's none of that because none of that plays a role in the initial Selection process once everybody is is decided now you you've got the the most accurate legitimate representation of Of your society in the legislative branch. That's the entire representation of of the entire nation At that point, those people, hopefully, are good enough to where they didn't ask for it. They were voted in.

Starting point is 01:05:10 They did it almost unwillingly as a civic duty. And so now they're the ones deciding which justices get in. They're the ones deciding on how to check and balance the presidential powers. Is there going to be concerns or road bumps with that? I'm sure there would be, but to me, shy of completely wiping the whole thing away,

Starting point is 01:05:30 I think that that's the quickest and most efficient way to try to hit the reset button on how our country does its business. So if that was the case, who would have been the president of the United States? So it can't work for the president, right? It can only work for local, and even statewide, we'll say, even at a national level,

Starting point is 01:05:49 that the presidential thing, because of the size of how that works, would still have to be, at least from my perspective, still done essentially how it's done. There's probably a hybrid system, people much smarter than me, that could

Starting point is 01:06:05 come up with a way to maybe even funnel through the legislative branch at that point, is that maybe it's somebody that gets selected from there as, or let's say, your potential candidates get selected from the legislative branch so that now on a national level, it's at least one of those people that has cleared through the check and balance of the local populace, and it's not just some asshole that had aspirations to be president from the time he was foreign, Dr. Evil, his way, you know, all the way through it. Yeah. That would be, that would be an interesting way.

Starting point is 01:06:41 I do know, like, I did a whole video on how I would change the voting system. My voting system would be slightly different. You would have 10 votes. No, my voting system is contribution to society. That would be my vote. Yesterday Bernie Sanders sent out a tweet and he said something about call me radical. radical uh... uh... he said uh... he said something about call me radical but i believe that uh...

Starting point is 01:07:10 and let me just pull it up and read it to you uh... call me radical but i happen to believe that a job should lift workers out of poverty not keep them in it a job should lift people out of poverty not keep them in it. Right, depends on the job. Exactly, depends on the job.

Starting point is 01:07:27 So I turned around and I said something different and you can call me radical. And I said, call me radical, but I happen to believe that America owes me nothing. The system of capitalism attracts good talent. 40 million immigrants had 200 other countries to choose from and they chose America for a reason. No one forced immigrants to come here.

Starting point is 01:07:45 They chose America works, right? So for me, I think anybody that gets elected should have the most contribution to society and the way you contribute to societies in many different ways. The more you contribute, the more you, you know, you know, the same way how in school somebody wanted to be a president and you had to go do, you know, what he call it Volunteer work you had to do this you had to do them same thing that he's talking about who is like who's contributing you contribute to get a bigger votes You don't contribute you don't get as big of a vote now this may sound a little bit like well How about the person that's gonna be taken advantage of there's exceptions to the rule But anyways, that's a complete difference. We talked

Starting point is 01:08:26 about it on the podcast before. I want to transition to a different topic. We'll be Goldberg. Let's go to We'll be Goldberg. We'll be Goldberg. Suspended from the view for Holocaust remarks. This is a variety story. Okay. This is a variety story. We'll be Goldberg has been suspended from the view for two weeks after facing white criticism for her remarks that the whole cost was not about raise. Goldberg's suspensions, suspension was announced and statement released by ABC News, public relations to Zinnite. Effectively immediately, I'm suspended Wopey Goldberg for two weeks for her wrong and hurtful comments. Rita's statement attributed to Kim Godwin, present at ABC. While Wopey

Starting point is 01:09:03 has apologized, I've asked her to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments. The entire ABC News organization stands in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, friends, family, and communities. Goldberg-Sween Marx emerged during a conversation on Monday's broadcast of the view in which co-hosts discussed a Tennessee school board's

Starting point is 01:09:18 bands of mouse, a nonfiction graphic novel about cartoonist art, Spiegelman's father's experience surviving the holocaust let's be truthful about it because the holocaust isn't about race set goldberg uh... this is white people doing it to other white people the holocaust isn't about race it's about a man's in humanity to man atom i'm assuming you've seen her comments and the banter back and forth what

Starting point is 01:09:44 you're thought yeah i am well this much i can't i don't watch the view to men Adam. I'm assuming you've seen her comments and the bands are back in Ford. What do you think? Yeah, I Well, this is my shock you. I don't watch the view So it's not like I know I know I know I do I do like Jenna Daya Yeah, I'm not a fan of Whoopee or Joy Bayhara, but is there any? Person who's more confused any person who's more confused than will be Goldberg. Her last name is Goldberg. That's pretty jiu-y if you ask me.

Starting point is 01:10:12 But yet she's not Jewish, but she kinda hijacked the Jewish name to kinda be more palatable to Hollywood, I guess. I don't know, understand, but she's black, but not saying that you can't be black can't be Jewish, but then I don't, she, I think she's not a lesbian, but she kind of looks like one. I don't know, I don't want to get canceled, but I don't know what she's got going on. But the naivete of her and the comments, and then her co-host just kind of letting ... sitting

Starting point is 01:10:40 back and letting her go deeper and deeper and not being like, hey, whoopee, do you want to just kind of back up a second? They just, they, they let her kind of hang herself and they gave her the rope. Then she went on Colbert and doubled down on the comments. I don't know if you saw that. And Colbert just kind of sat there was like, okay, coming up on brain. Anything else you want to say? Anything else. And then I think someone ultimately got to her

Starting point is 01:11:05 and they were like, whoopi. I don't know what the hell you're doing. Or what you're thinking. Put your shut up and read this script. And then she came out and she's like, I whoopi Goldberg, do understand that racism exists. And you know, these are my words that I'm scripted. So, again, not a fan of the view.

Starting point is 01:11:22 I don't watch the show. This is sort of the trickle down effect of hearing it by hearsay, but what I will say about Hitler is he looked at the Jews as non-human. That was his whole thing. And as a Jew, it's funny because I don't know many Jews who just consider themselves to be just white. Again, Jews in general, there's Ashkenazi Jews who are basically, that's me out of the Eastern Europe, Poland, Russia,

Starting point is 01:11:53 Finland, Germany, that area of the country, then there's Sephardic Jews out of Morocco, the Middle East, Iran, for an example, and then there's Ethiopian Jews. They're basically just south of Israel, in the Middle East. So to be Jewish is not just a religion, it's a culture, it's an ethnicity, it's sort of all encompassing. I don't know many Jews that even if they're white are like, yeah, I'm just a white guy. There is something unique about being Jewish,

Starting point is 01:12:23 and her comments were what exactly exactly the Holocaust isn't about race It's about all that. It's about inhumanity. It's about race. It's about ethnicity. It's about white power white supremacy Judaism, Aryanism It's never good to start making these types of comments and this is an example why now. I'm glad that she's not start making these types of comments and this is an example why now I'm glad that she's not cancelled for good she's what suspended for two weeks should she be can't see i do not think she should you fire i do not think she should be fine with the bar say

Starting point is 01:12:55 when she got fired what it was an issue got fired i'm curious oh when she said uh... what it was an essay she obviously made some what was a comment when she said, what did Rosanne say? She obviously made some comments. What was her comment? When she got fired, go right there, tweet Rosanne Bar, right there, shows being canceled. She talked about Valerie Jarrett and looking kind of like a monkey or something like an ape. Is that what it was? Can you figure out a way to find out the tweet?

Starting point is 01:13:20 Just go to images. Just go to images. It'll show the tweet. So it's what it's like when he drives, as you guys work in order. You know what it is, this is like go left. No, no, go right. So it's probably just as frustrating on Tyler

Starting point is 01:13:35 as it is on us, but think about it. Just from before we find this tweet, look on that. Oh, you got it. Yeah, let's see. I apologize to Valerie. No, no, no, it's not. Apology, apology.

Starting point is 01:13:44 The main one. Look at the, um, Muslim brother, planet, the planet, the Apes had a baby because Valerie Jared, exactly. Okay, what do you, what do you think about? Is that the fireball offense? Look, man, I think we're so, a comedian saying that. Would you say Rosanna's a comedian?

Starting point is 01:14:00 I don't, yes. Uh, a non-foney one, but yeah, she, you know, I agree. Yeah, so, but she's a comedian, right? Sofunny one, but yeah, she, you know, I agree. But she's a comedian, right? So she made a comment like that, which by the way, that's a stupid comment to make. Like she was also on the sleeping pills. I forget what they're called. Whatever you're on, though, but that's a dumb comment to make, okay? There's nothing about this that to me, it's funny. That's not funny to me when I hear that right now Somebody thinks it's funny. It is what it is and what would be said

Starting point is 01:14:29 Obviously, she's she wasn't trying to be funny. She was just now. She talked like she believed what she was talking about What's funny is would be used to be a comedian? I don't know if anyone would define her as a comedian today. She's too serious She's too bitter. Yeah, she seems upset I don't know what's gonna happen, but think think about this first thing and here's the reason that that You know, we talk about Joe Rogan being canceled. I think more than anything the first amendment It doesn't it's not there for the speech you want to hear It's for the speech that you don't want to hear and that's the whole point of the first amendment. And just the knee jerk reaction to cancel somebody, at the very least, now you can learn

Starting point is 01:15:08 and people around you can learn. You know, like, this is an off topic, but remember when Michael Vic was basically removed from the NFL, that's another one for changing your reputation. He's actually shown back in the media, right? That's my point. Is that you can learn and get smarter and better

Starting point is 01:15:24 and improve and now- That's what Sharon Stone said. And now you can learn and get smarter and better and improve. And now- That's what Sharon Stone said. And now he's really, and now he's an advocate for dogs. I mean, I'm sure this is something that probably hits close to home for you and not dog fighting. By the way, can you do me a favor, type in Sharon Stone cancel culture.

Starting point is 01:15:38 She may have explained cancel culture better than anybody else I've heard. Sharon Stone out of everybody. Okay, click on that so we can read it. Make it see if you can find her comments according to, she believes if someone says something or behaves in a way that you are displeased with, you can always try and understand each other.

Starting point is 01:16:00 You can learn to respect each other's opinion on different matters. She further explained that people have struggled and done so much for you to cancel the person all because they did something you are not happy with. Go lower, go lower, go lower to read the rest of it. No, she didn't just express her opinions on the sake of an inner validation for the sake of going against wanted to wants to profound reaction comments. Anyway, she keeps continuing to go on saying, how are we supposed to learn of each other if we don't argue? How are we supposed to learn more about each other?

Starting point is 01:16:29 Where you say something, I'm offended, but I gotta go do the research, right? The part that here becomes the concern is the following. I got a question. I have curious to know what you're gonna say. So what is a bigger crime? What is a bigger crime? What is more offensive?

Starting point is 01:16:41 Is it a bigger crime to ask tough questions everyone's thinking about, or is it a bigger crime to make dumb statements? What's a bigger crime? Is it a bigger crime for me to ask, you know, someone a direct question, you're dating and you're sitting or you're getting to the point that you're thinking about, you know, maybe I'm a call this guy, my boyfriend or girlfriend, is a dumber to say, hey, man, that's your question, last two relationships, how come they didn't work out? Looks like both of them left you, why did they leave you?

Starting point is 01:17:12 That's a tough question. Or is it worse to say, you're such a dog, okay? What's worse? Well, to me, to me, it's honestly neither, as it relates to both that, that question and, and these is that I think we're, we're the majority of, of society who gets up in arms on either side of the table on stuff like this, can't differentiate between something that they don't like and something that legitimately harms them.

Starting point is 01:17:39 And, and I think that, that's the, the benchmark that, that everybody should try to adhere to when it comes to stuff like this. I don't think anybody should be canceled or fired or whatever for stuff like this, especially when it's somebody who is in the media. You know, if you're a comedian, you're an entertainer, you're a big personality on social media, whether it's Twitter or you have your own radio show or whatever it is, is that you are out there in the public expressing your opinions and views and people have the ability to just not fucking watch you if they don't like it. I mean, to me, the NFL is the same way. You know, taking a knee or some of the other controversies that they've had is that I don't think it should be outlawed.

Starting point is 01:18:18 Does it piss me off? It does. But I have the choice to either watch the NFL or not watch the NFL. And I think it's the same with the view. I think it's same with comedians. I think it's same with listening to Joe Rogan. To me with all this stuff, it's really that black and white is that it's either all or nothing. You know, you either decide we're going to dictate what everybody can say. And then we don't have a democracy, a freedom of speech, anything, or you don't,

Starting point is 01:18:41 and you let people do what they're going to do, and you choose to listen or not. I'll take a different angle with this one. Okay. I'll take a different angle with this one. Okay, I'll take a different angle with this one with Wippy, okay. I think Wippy's so necessary for media. I think she is so necessary. I think a lot of people don't like her, but I think Wippy needs to be there

Starting point is 01:18:58 because Wippy is pushing buttons to get others to sit there and say, what the hell is she talking about? I think she needs to stay. I think whoopi the way she handled mail gifts and when mail gifts have made the comments. This wasn't 2010 or 2011 when the view. That's a long time ago. Top in mail gifts and the view whoopi

Starting point is 01:19:16 and see what your comes up. It could have been 2010, 2011. And she said, look, I don't know what happened there. But here's what I can tell 2010, when she made that right, that Wuppie Defense Goldberg 2010, go to the bottom on CBS news. Yeah, when she defended Wuppie Goldberg Defense Mel Gibson on the view, okay, so go up.

Starting point is 01:19:35 And if you guys remember, this was not like a, she says, I don't like what he did here. But I know Mel, and I know he's not racist. The view on the Monday, he may be a bonehead. I can't sit and say know he's not racist. The view on the Monday, he may be a bonehead. I can't sit and say that he's a racist, having spent time with him in my house with my kids. If someone's kicking you behind and punching you while you're holding your kid, you don't go to the cops first.

Starting point is 01:19:57 You go to a radar online, Goldberg said. Anyway, so you know, Mel made a few comments and she defended him, okay? She just kind of came out and said I don't know and then by the way there was another guy who was a very big actor He was on there as well full on Republican. He was on the view any disagrees with whoopee So I think whoopee has friends on the opposing side But I just think she made a very bonehead Mistake with the comments she making you have to realize that Hollywood is ran by

Starting point is 01:20:22 had a mistake with the comments she making. You have to realize that Hollywood is ran by Jews. So you're making a comment to the point where a lot of these executives, you know, the whole history of Hollywood started by who. So you just gotta be very careful with some of the comments you're making, but I don't think she needs to be canceled. I think she needs to stay on the view.

Starting point is 01:20:40 But knowing what's going on today, if I'm a betting man, I'm leaning more towards her getting fired than her not getting fired. You're shaking your head for a minute We didn't think Cuomo was gonna get fired. He did for a minute. We didn't think Zucker would ever get fired He did for a moment without Chris Cuomo would never get fired He did these are all people on the left by the way So so to have your own selective hearing conservative side to say they would never fire it they would keep her I think they're probably leaning towards firing her. I hope they don't But what's the benefit of firing whoopee?

Starting point is 01:21:12 I we did it we got rid of her Comments will no longer happen like you're never gonna create a safe space That you're never gonna create this echo chamber that everybody gets to hear everything that they want and no disagreement and no arguments. That's the whole point of what we're doing here in America is that we're never gonna always get along. But talk it out, figure it out. And if everyone just doesn't feel safe

Starting point is 01:21:38 to say what's on their mind, now we're not basically living under the first amendment and it's freedom of speech. And now it's like, you're walking on eggshells. I don't wanna say that, you're in my thoughts. And then it just becomes a China thing or an Iran thing where you can't even say what's on your fucking mind.

Starting point is 01:21:52 That's crazy. And the best thing that'll come after this whoopi thing, just like the Michael Vick thing, is that you'll learn from it. And then the people will be like, what be you get to understand that this is an issue. But, and only progress will happen from this. Not saying what's on your mind, no progress will happen. Do you know the Jewish Holocaust Museum reached out to her to say we'd like to invite you here?

Starting point is 01:22:12 The Simon Weasant Thalsey. Yeah, they invite it. They invited. We would love to invite you to come here. Let us share with you the history. Yeah. I think if whoopie goes there and she shows the effort, I think that's a great example for Americans I wonder if they address it as dear Mrs. Goldberg would you like to The irony here. Oh My gosh, okay, so let's go to the story with this leads me to the next story There's this guy. I don't know if you follow his content. His name is Joe Rogan And he never yeah, he's he does he talks and he asks questions and

Starting point is 01:22:46 some people follow his content not that many like he's a big 11 million to 50 million people who listen to his stuff kind of a big day and he kind of maybe and he kind of beats everybody in mainstream media and yeah by a lot and they're not happy about a stelter what's his name Brian stelter who cannot stand Rogan but let me kind of give youelter what's the name Brian stelter who cannot stand Rogan but let me kind of give you an idea what's going on with saki yesterday, okay? So first I'll read the Spotify story then I'll go to the saki story Spotify responds to Joe Rogan uproar and groan training controversial content. This is a polygon story if you want to go to page four page four so Last week after Cesar Vopon letters to Spotify,

Starting point is 01:23:26 imploring the streaming audio site to cut holes, Joe Rogan-Luce from its podcast roster of a reaccinated related misinformation, legendary music musician Neil Young voluntarily removed his music from the platform, the opera cost by Young's protest prompted Spotify to finally issue statement on Sunday, on January 30th and a blog post,

Starting point is 01:23:42 credited to Spotify founder Daniel Eck. Spotify announced that it was working to add a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion of COVID-19, which went implemented direct listeners to COVID hub where they can find updates from BBC political CNN and other mainstream news outsources. Look at the names they took, BBC political CNN, all left leaning, a decade ago we created Spotify to enable the work of creators around the world to be heard and enjoyed by listeners around the world. To our very core, we believe that listening is everything, almost any issue you will find most people as opinions on either side.

Starting point is 01:24:19 Personally, there are plenty of individuals and views on Spotify that I disagree with strongly, we know we have a critical role to play in supporting creator expression while balancing it with the safety of our users If that critical if that in that role it is important to me that we don't take any position of Being content sensors While also making sure that there are rules in place and consent consequences for those who violate them Okay, so now here's a kicker Adam on this the one that I was telling about earlier Spotify initially announced in response in young that the the company had great responsibility and balancing both safety for listeners and freedom of creators and Had removed 20,000 podcasts episodes related to COVID since the started a pandemic, but after the episode purge

Starting point is 01:25:01 Spotify left up GRE 1757 with Dr. Robert Malone who's claims of mass societal hypnosis in comparisons of the pandemic response to Holocaust prompted over 200 million medical professionals, et cetera, et cetera. So that's Spotify's position. Then Sacky comes out and I'll get your thoughts. Jensacky cheer Spotify warning on COVID podcasts is more should be done. New York Post story White House Press Jen Sackie Plot is Spotify Tuesday for adding a

Starting point is 01:25:27 disclaimer to podcast episode COVID-19 before adding, there's more that can be done. The new Spotify warning will link to that. We talked about that. This disclaimer is at a positive step, but we want every platform

Starting point is 01:25:38 to continue doing more to call out, miss and disinformation while also uplifting, accurate information. Our view is it's a good step, it's a positive step, and there's more that can be done. Thoughts. I think the White House should stay out of it. I don't think they should have a position on it, and I think that they should let companies

Starting point is 01:25:57 run their business, how they run their business, especially when it has to deal with censorship in the first amendment. I think if anything, they should champion and applaud companies for allowing platforms that let people say what they want to say. You know that Rogan has a point or he stands on fertile ground when you have left-leaning people saying, yeah, I don't agree with this guy, but do not cancel this, dude. I.E. Howard Stern.

Starting point is 01:26:31 I.E. Joy Behar from the view. They have all come out and basically said, look, I think Joy Behar basically called him a moron, which, believe me, I think everyone would agree that of the two, we know which one is the moron, and it's not Rogan. But Howard Stern, who, for whatever reason, has sprinted left, but if there's anybody that's an advocate

Starting point is 01:26:53 for freedom of speech, it's freaking Howard Stern. That guy has been, people don't understand these days. As big as Rogan is now, Howard Stern was 10 times bigger that for a decade, okay? Now Rogan clearly is the king of all media. I now Howard Stern was 10 times bigger that for a decade. Okay. Now Rogan clearly is the king of all media. I think Howard Stern labeled himself the king of all media. But even Howard Stern came out and said, I don't agree with Rogan.

Starting point is 01:27:14 I don't agree with some of the stuff he talks about in his podcast, specifically the COVID stuff, but do not cancel this man. And this goes back to our first point is just because people are saying the things that make you uncomfortable or may not even be true. Is that grounds for dismissal and cancel? No, I mean again, I think this whole canceling thing is a snowball off the rails turning into an avalanche. You know, anytime you cancel anybody, it takes a notch of liberty out of the country in my opinion.

Starting point is 01:27:47 You just gotta let people do what they're gonna do. And again, I'll beat the dead horse and say you have to differentiate between not liking something and legitimately being hurt by it. There's a huge difference. And Pat, I mean, we've talked about this numerous times. You were on Rogan. You've had a great experience there.

Starting point is 01:28:04 You have your own podcast right now. We have aspirations of being as big as Rogan. You've had a great experience there. You have your own podcasts right now. We have aspirations of being as big as Rogan one day. How does this make you feel with everything that's happening with him right now? He's the most necessary voice in the world today, in America today, period. Rogan is the most necessary voice in America today. Listen, let me put it to this way. Everybody better protect the sky. Everybody better protect the sky. Because if he, you know, some people are saying, well, he's kind of also being bullied to not talk about it.

Starting point is 01:28:33 Or it's like, okay, he's gonna go back to only talking about hallucinogenic, you know, mushrooms and aliens and all that, and he's going away from COVID, right? They're kind of pulling in him for him to be silenced in a way. You have to know that is a very, very necessary guy. But here's a big butt. This is the big butt. And it's what I said to Rogan when I went on the podcast with him. And I was doing my best to get him to think about this. And I think it's actually going to happen, to be honest with you. I think it's going

Starting point is 01:29:01 to happen. I think here's what I'm convinced. Say Spotify, they went from a $70 billion company a year and a half ago. The market hasn't tanked. They've lost, they went from a $60 billion company to a $36 billion auto company. They've lost $24 billion.

Starting point is 01:29:21 Almost kind of half. Since signing Rogen, okay. Now, this is not a Rogan thing. They've just lost that much during that time. Neil Young alone, they lost $4 billion on this one guy. And if all these other guys show up, they lose money. Now, let me give you a complete different aspect, perspective on this.

Starting point is 01:29:38 Let's say, Spotify, what do you think of the chance of Spotify dropping Rogan? Give me a percentage. No, I don't, zero. No, it's not zero. You can't say zero. I don't I think there would be. You cannot say zero. Such insane backlight. Give me a number. Give me a number. Less than 2%. You think it's less than 2% what do you think? Canceling Rogan? To me, to me, I'm going to put it at 50 if they're losing that amount. Okay, so here we go. Okay, I think it's 10%. I don't think it's 50%, but I'm 10%. Okay.

Starting point is 01:30:06 250, 40, 10% fine. Here's the thing. Let's say they do it. Let's go there. Okay. Spotify if you're listening to this. Let's say you go there. Okay.

Starting point is 01:30:18 Well, no, no, actually go there. No, I'm there. I'm there. I'm not taking my head. You're gonna see if this happens. What happens? Go in and cancel Rogan. Who's a first person that's gonna call Rogan? Give me the first person that's gonna call Rogan. Apple music. No, no way. No, no, no. One person's gonna call

Starting point is 01:30:37 Rogan. It's the first phone call if Rogan gets canceled. Elon Musk. Elon Musk is gonna call Rogan. He's that. Okay. Elon Musk is gonna call Rogan saying here's $20 billion. Let's go whoop everyone's ass. Then Elon's gonna say we're hiring for engineers. Me and Rogan have teamed up with Peter Thiel. We're hiring engineers. We're hiring developers. We're giving big ass bonuses and equity.

Starting point is 01:31:02 Come on down. Let's whoop everyone's ass. And that's going to be Elon, Rogan and feel. Who do you think is going to go on that website? An Elon Musk, they just called them JV of EV. Biden said JV of EV. They're not even inviting him to the White House again. And Elon Musk, if you see Elon Musk, what he said about Biden this last week, I don't know if you saw what Elon Musk said about Biden this last week. Sure, of course it's not a favor,

Starting point is 01:31:28 because you're talking about Tesla, when you think about EV, you know, when you think about EV, you think about like EV, Elon Musk only said that's it. Who are the names, do you think about it? You don't think about it, you don't think about nobody else. No, by the way, he said,

Starting point is 01:31:43 he meant a said Donald Trump, I disagree. That's not the right guy to bring behind it, because that would not help the cause. I think it's Elon Musk, Rogan, Peter Thiel, if Spotify drops him. So here's the thing. Why would Elon Musk need a Peter Thiel? You have Peter Thiel, oh my gosh,

Starting point is 01:31:59 you must not know who Peter Thiel is. I know who he is, but why would he? Why would he need Elon? You don't need him, but you need him. Okay, because Peter Thiele is a true believer. And again, here's a guy that's a gay libertarian who has strong beliefs, but has everything in Silicon Valley all roads lead to Peter Thiele.

Starting point is 01:32:17 You don't, Peter Thiele is an underground, the tough guy, brilliant guy. You don't mess with that guy. That guy's a genius. You put those three together, then guess what everybody's doing. Everyone's shivering. Everybody is shaking if those three guys back up. So, to me, I do think, right, now, how old is Rogan today?

Starting point is 01:32:35 Rogan's held. He's 50, he's 50, 53. Okay, how old is a herrster. Rogan is well, he's 54. Okay, how old is Stern? Go Stern age. I'm guessing 66 His age is what 68 okay, you're probably just sound like a 10-year contract and he's 60 so it's gonna go to 78 Okay, we just say Rogan's a young 54 year old can we say Rogan's a young 54 year old? Okay, so watch this watch this watch this

Starting point is 01:33:01 So Rogan musk what, 50? Yes, Musk is also around the same age. So if these guys teamed up and they started recruiting people, it would be game over. So there is a side, there is a side that I dare Spotify to do something. I dare, I double dare you. Elon would make it a mission of his to go out there and do this. It would be bad news for a lot of people in Silicon Valley in Spotify. It would be great news for

Starting point is 01:33:35 free thinkers for entrepreneurs for those that just want to sit there and say I disagree with you. Can we sit down and have a conversation? I have some banter. That's what I think. So the concern about if Joe, you know, by himself, not wife's not around, girls are not around, daughters are not around, friends are not around, Joe is not around. All these other people are not around that he talks to regularly. He's by himself. You're in the car by yourself driving. You're secured. Nobody's around you. He's sitting there and is like, man, what if Spotify drops me? Secured and your bodies around you. He's sitting there and is like, man, what if Spotify drops me? Okay, I would say They're to drop me. It would be more from that perspective because then right now he's got a lot of followers now You're gonna go into you know legendary

Starting point is 01:34:23 It's game over type of lead you talking about now you have a world type of influence at the next level because now you dictate, now, you know, Joe's gonna be like, okay, let me get a handful of these guys that I like their strategies. Let's go recruit. What do you think that phone calls on like, hey, I'm Joe Rogan, I notice you have a podcast.

Starting point is 01:34:41 We like to have you come to XYZ Company with me, I'm almost gonna be the real. What is that? So, so yeah, I imagine that. Yeah, by the way, I I I don't know why I want to see that. So do I. I want to see that. You know how that idea starts, by the way? How? It's just them to on a podcast. One big fat ass joint. Elon must take in a hit. If Rogan encouraging him in that. I feel like that's how we are recruiting people. If you want to be in

Starting point is 01:35:11 text us at this number, here's a link or subscribe. Let's start. So I don't know. So to me, you know, people have to protect Joe. And I think Elon in a ways, a protector of ideas. I think Elon and a handful of other people who are very powerful in their own way. Boom, let's go. And they're going to go on right. Do you think Elon actually has those types of aspirations to putting together a big media attack company to him?

Starting point is 01:35:36 The guy wants to go merrierians according to what you want to say. He wants to live on Mars. So if he wants to go on Mars, this what's harder? Living on Mars or kicking everyone's ass on Silicon Valley, I'm sorry, it's them on Mars. So if he wants to go on Mars, what's harder, living on Mars or kicking everyone's ass on Silicon Valley, I'm sorry, it's living on Mars. This is nothing to him, it's chump change. I think that they could do that or that that's a possibility that's not going to influence whether or not Spotify drops him. I think they're going to look at it purely as a business move, is that if it gets to the

Starting point is 01:36:02 point where enough people say if you don't drop them, we leave and their bottom line gets to a certain number then they'll get rid of them just based on that, you're kind of irrespective of what they think might happen. But is there number, hemorrhaging because of Rogan? That can't be the reason. No, I'm sure it's impossible to quantify. I have no doubt that there's a lot of factors to it. But, you know, to me, again, like at some point, if they just continue to lose and lose, I'm

Starting point is 01:36:27 still sitting here a little bit reeling from the fact that Neil Young cost him four billion by leaving. How the fuck is that even possible? Spotify lost four billion from him. Oh, type it in. Put Neil Young, four billion Spotify. To me, that's surprising, I guess. I'd be shocked if people under 30 even new

Starting point is 01:36:45 who Neil Young was I mean but and that's the thing right in Spotify like if you look at a lot of older musicians like they have very small followings on their most of them look at that right there Spotify loses four billion dollars of market value after Neil Young controversy that's crazy yeah so so you think it's not an impact it's an impact so I guarantee the board there's no way they impact. So I guarantee the board, there's no way they're not looking at that. The board has got so much pressure. Listen, listen, I'm telling you right now,

Starting point is 01:37:11 Joe, Elon, Peter, I'm telling you, two to three have plenty of experience running companies going up against bigger enemies. I mean, Tesla went up against, who's a bigger mafia than Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota? Tell me who's a bigger mafia than Ford GM Chrysler Toyota tell me who's a bigger mafia who is a bigger mafia you go take their lunch are you kidding me this guy took their lunch this is no joke this is not an easy industry to take their lunch you're talking about that guy he didn't say let me create a new website called Facebook.

Starting point is 01:37:46 And let's go create something new. He said, what does everybody use a car? Let me go make cars. What? And beat everybody. That's hard. That this is not hard. That's hard.

Starting point is 01:37:57 So yeah, so if this keeps happening stuff like this, let me make your job easier for his Spotify. I resign, okay. You pay me $100 million, no problem. Elon's willing to pay me a billion dollars. Elon will send a $1 billion 20-year contract with Joe Rogan, that's what he would do in a heartbeat. Hey Joe, 50 million a year for 20 years.

Starting point is 01:38:16 Do the podcasts on my show. That's what Elon would do, okay? And 50 million a year to Elon Musk is what? It's like you go into Starbucks, okay? He ain't even gonna feel it, okay? He's gonna say, Joe worry about it drop Spotify send a letter of resignation. It's become too much of a frustration Let's go up some ass together. Everybody would be shedding bricks Everybody would be calling their mommy saying mommy. You will not believe Joe. Oh my gosh. What do we do? Everybody would be in tears saying this is the one guy crazy enough that can pull it off

Starting point is 01:38:45 That is the one guy because when you when you push when you push true believers Who are the best at what they do who are number one not complainers that quit and then they say I'm Joe You ain't Joe bro. You're like numbered. You know when somebody leaves a company And I'm gonna go do I'm gonna be the next Joe. No, no, no, There's only one Joan the world. There's only one in La Musca in the world. If that happens, game over. Oh my God. You know what that's like? Frazier against Ali. Forget about it. Trump Hillary, forget about it. I mean, who do you want to put in there? Make it magic against Jordan, 1990, 1991, forget about it. You know, Jordan against Pistons, forget about it.

Starting point is 01:39:27 This is gonna be the underdogs against the bullies. Let's go bully the hell out of the bullies. These are the guys that are the rack-tag people that are showing up. Let's go. It would be freaking entertainment at the highest level. Now, maybe I'm just dreaming. Yeah, just what you went somewhere with that, by the way, you're on fire right now. Oh, but I tell

Starting point is 01:39:50 you, but I tell you, but I tell you, but I tell you, I'm telling you right now, I fully tell you right now, the biggest insurance policy is being a worker, is being fair, is being a chill guy that people like it's being humble yet competitive and Deliver on the product willing to constantly improve you track the right people in your life this morning I did a video about talking about the biggest currency to invest into more than Bitcoin more than Ethereum more than any stock More than gold more than anything. There's nothing more valuable than Bitcoin. Everybody wants to get some more Bitcoin in their wallet or whatever it is. Yeah, there is no currency more valuable than your attitude.

Starting point is 01:40:32 There is no currency more valuable than your attitude. No currency more valuable than your attitude. Your attitude is why you're here. You and I met at an insurance event for eight years. We didn't do nothing. Every year I saw your attitude. I'm like'm like what I can't wait to meet that guy What's the guy? I don't know his name, but I like meeting this guy. I'm like Adam. What's up? And hey, this is Adam. Hey, let me to Adam. You got to do content

Starting point is 01:40:54 Your attitude is the most expensive currency you you have money That's fine. You have crypto. That's fine. Your attitude is worth 20 times more than all the one you got in the world Look at Joe's attitude. It's freaking attractive. Look at Elon's attitude. It's attractive. And some people don't like attractive attitude. That attitude is worth billions. Forget the 100 million dollar contract.

Starting point is 01:41:15 You can't teach Joe's attitude. That attitude is very, very attractive. And the attitude, you know what's the best thing about a great attitude? You know what's the great thing about a big attitude? What business are you and I earned? What industry are we? Rent insurance, financial service. There is not a bigger insurance policy than a great attitude. Because you protected for the rest of your life.

Starting point is 01:41:33 Because you're an attitude who can take your attitude away from you. It's yours. Every organization, every company, every city, every state, every country wants people with better attitudes. It goes back to your voting system and your book that you talk about, where the 500 people and the people that have done most for that, it's a form of an attitude. You want to contribute to your society, to the society you live in. So, they're not going to nominate people with shitty attitudes. No, they're not.

Starting point is 01:41:57 They're just not going to do it. And by the way, we're not going to bring somebody back on our podcast with a shitty attitude three times. You're added to this freaking awesome. You know, it goes to you. You're added to this freaking awesome. You know, it goes to you. You're added to the sick. Every time you come here, it's attractive. There's something, here's a Navy seal

Starting point is 01:42:10 that if you wanted to go out there and do a lot of harm to people, just a chill guy. You're talking to laughing, chopping it up, different kind of conversation. So I don't know more and more I'm getting excited about this. More and more, I kind of want to see this happen. As you went there, you was a start of a year. 10% or even a number. No, no, I'm of want to see this happen. As you went there, you were like, I'm 10% or you bumping in up.

Starting point is 01:42:25 No, no, I'm 10% that Spotify will drop. But I tell you, the biggest bad ass move would be, so you're 10% on Spotify dropping. Dropping, but where are you at on Rogan's saying, like you said, I don't need this. Rogan's sees us be doing, I'm gonna go to I'm gonna send a message. I'm gonna say Joe Rarely send just watch this and just please consider it. Joe. Just please consider it. Okay. Just please consider it I'm telling you and Elon you're watching this

Starting point is 01:42:56 Sign a billion dollar contract with Joe for 20 years You can do it. I bet he do it for free. By the way, no, no, Joe wouldn't do it. Joe doesn't need to do it for free because Joe's attitude and the way he does things is worth a billion dollars. Minimal. If I was running a media company, Joe's a billion dollar 20-year contract. Joe's a minimum. I'm not even telling you high alone.

Starting point is 01:43:20 That's a minimum of Joe's a 50 million dollar year guy for 20 years and by the way you're this isn't like I'm trying to get on Rogan this isn't like I'm some people like oh people say good things about you because they want to get on Rogan I was out on the Rogan's away a great time to get on Rogan's yeah no I'm saying this because I'm telling you Joe's a billion dollar network attitude and Elon needs to come out and say I'm signing a 20 or $21 billion contract with Joe for Joe to do his podcast on the network that I'm creating. I think that's what needs to happen.

Starting point is 01:43:49 And that is the biggest power move. Oh my, people would be, by the way, check this out. Watch this now. Watch this now. This Friday I'm having a meeting with a very powerful CEO of a major social media company that you all know about. He's coming here. We're going to have dinner together today's one's your what is today today today's Thursday tomorrow night yeah maybe we'll go to dinner as well so it's

Starting point is 01:44:10 tomorrow night right um Trump starts a net the truth network who's gonna join the network who do you think you think Alex Jones do you think aos is gonna be on that network? No. No, but she needs to be, okay? If she wants to do a debate, but not really. But watch this, if Elon and Joe and Peter Thiel start a network who would be on that. Everybody left, right, center, up, down, all the things everybody.

Starting point is 01:44:37 I don't think AOC would be, but here's who would be. If this is Alex Jones, if this is AOC and young Turks and who else you wanna put in your Bernie, I think everybody is guys, if this is center, these guys would be on. 12% of America is like, I think these guys will be on, the people that matter would be on.

Starting point is 01:44:53 100% but I think if Trump does it, I think only these guys will be on. Okay. So what's crazy is they're painting Joe Rogan to be out some like right, and like far right, he's, he's said he would vote for Bernie. No, I'm mean, I'm mean, I said's anyone vote for Bernie. No, I'm not I'm not.

Starting point is 01:45:06 I'm not. You would vote for Bernie. To me, that's just grasping it straws, trying to, trying to discredit him because they don't have anything else to do it with. The dumbest thing that CNN and these people on left can do is try to go after Rogan. Yeah, I agree.

Starting point is 01:45:19 You know, Sanjay Gupta to his respect went on Rogan and answered some talk questions. You got slayed, but but respect to him for going on. Yeah, for sure. Agreed. I mean, that's how it needs to happen. And again, that's why, you know, my take on Saki and in the White House having a position on it, I think, is a mistake.

Starting point is 01:45:35 You know, it just makes them look bad. I mean, historically, look at any government that tried to censor its citizens has always been the fucking bad guy. Always. Like, that's never a good thing, ever. You know, so for them to do that, I think, is a huge misstep. And I just don't get it. I mean, the same PR guy or whoever is trying to advise the president on actions to take

Starting point is 01:45:59 out to pull his head out of his ass. Image wise needs to do the same thing with their mouthpiece. You remember there was a very famous clip. This was during the George W. Bush wise needs to do the same thing with their with their number. There was a very famous clip. This was during the George W Bush years when I believe the press secretary was Ari Fleischer. Yeah. And he was talking about Bill Marr and he goes Bill Marr needs to be very careful what he's

Starting point is 01:46:15 saying these days. Nobody appreciates, you know, the thing now Bill Marr, other than Rogan, like the more necessary voices in America and where's Ari Fleischer these days? To your point, Mike Ridland, when the government goes after people to silence them, never good luck. Can I throw one other thing in there? Yeah, well, we'll go ahead.

Starting point is 01:46:35 Yeah, so who just resigned? Who just resigned? So, Jeff Zucker just resigned, which let me first say, CNN worldwide presented President Jeff Zucker, the influential news executive who reshaped the iconic network, CNN wrote this article about it. So I'm reading a sentence of the way they wrote it. And who reshaped the iconic network,

Starting point is 01:46:54 abruptly announced Wednesday morning that he has resigned from his position. In fact, he immediately has part of the investigation to Chris Comos 10 years. CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship by closest colleague. Someone had worked with him for more than 20 years. I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years.

Starting point is 01:47:09 I was required to disclose it when it began, but I didn't. I was wrong as a result I am resigning today. That's not lie. Yeah, Zucker did not name his colleague in the memo, but the relationship is with Alison Golas. The chief marketing officer for CNN, she is still staying with CNN.

Starting point is 01:47:26 So watch this. Okay, let's throw, see, you know how you go to a restaurant, you first order your drink. I'd like to have a, you know, Arnold Palm, they bring you on. Sorry, we're out of lemonade. I call it lemonade.

Starting point is 01:47:37 I call it lemonade. I call it every time. He says, would you like some salad? I'll take, I'll take some Brotter G salad with some balsamic glaze on the side, fantastic. Thank you. Would you like to do some appetizers? Yes, I'll have some Brotter G salad with some balsamic glaze on the side. Fantastic. Thank you. Would you like to go do some appetizers? Yes, I'll have some fried zucchini flowers and some you know steak tartar Some oysters and with a full gris and some bone marrow. No problem. No bones buffalo stress

Starting point is 01:47:59 That's coming make your choice No, you know, we're my kids and we're friends. I'm at Friday. Exactly. You know, or my kids are more than five years. I'm not five. It's not exactly nine. I guess I'm five. I'm not gonna fly. Please pull ground, but take it away. Can we get some skeets chicken? Someone will go that route. Yes, with any, would you like some dessert?

Starting point is 01:48:15 Yes, I'll take some whatever dessert, Sunday or, you know, Sorbet or whatever they bring. Dessert here, you know what? The dessert would be here if Elon went about CNN. Oh my God. Oh my CNN, oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. If Elon says I'm gonna buy CNN, that would be amazing.

Starting point is 01:48:34 If something like that were to happen. If you were to say, I'm gonna cut a check and buy CNN, people with would lose it, okay? And by the way, if they bought CNN overnight, you would see all the airports that would no longer show CNN, it would be MSMEC now, for sure. Why do you think the airport... They're not gonna let Elon have control to show,

Starting point is 01:48:53 that would scare the crap out of them. That's a scary crap out of them if he did something like that. Do the airports have some sort of arrangement with CNN? Is that their... The airport show CNN, that's, that's, right? I mean, is that, is that just the airport's I- Airports, I- Shorty of airports show CNN.

Starting point is 01:49:08 Why? If you go to Texas, they'll have CNN and Fox. What's the story behind that? Because- In Florida, they show Nickelodeon as well, they show. But in New York, I don't want to even tell you what New York shows. In New York shows, you hold different perspective.

Starting point is 01:49:21 But yeah, it's mainly a lot of CNN. What are your thoughts on what happened here with Zucker? What was the real story here? Oh, I think a Cuomo got him fired. Specifically Cuomo. I absolutely have Cuomo got him fired. Why? Why? Because Zucker threw Cuomo under the bus.

Starting point is 01:49:37 You don't remember when it first came out? It's like Zucker, yeah, we have to let Cuomo go. And then Cuomo was like, wait a minute. No, no, no. You ain't gonna make me look like an idiot. we have to let Cuomo go. And then Cuomo's like, wait a minute, no, no, no. You ain't gonna make me look like an idiot. My father's Mario Cuomo. We don't let the bully bully us. Nope, here's what we're gonna be doing.

Starting point is 01:49:53 This is exactly what you did as well. And then Zucker got fired. So Zucker got fired by the person he fired, Chris Cuomo. What can I read a quote? Yeah. As part of the investigation into Chris Quillmo's tenure here at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I've worked with

Starting point is 01:50:11 for more than 20 years. Zucker told employees in a memo, I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began, but I didn't. I was wrong as a result. I'm resigning today. So I could now name his colleague in the memo for his relationship with Allison Gollist, the chief marketing officer for CNN, is remaining at CNN. So what's your, what's it? It's just

Starting point is 01:50:36 apparently inappropriate work relationships or not even inappropriate, not disclosing it. I mean, there's no way that that took place for 20 years and everybody didn't know about it. Everybody had to know that he was banging Alice. Yeah, to me, there's just got to be more to it. I mean, how about the fact that they've lost 90% of their viewers? How does that not play some role in this?

Starting point is 01:50:55 Has to be. Well, you know, look. But by the way, just think about it. Think about it. What network did Trump call fake news? CNN. Did you see Trump's comment about CNN? did you see Trump's comment about CNN? Did you see Trump's comment about Zucker?

Starting point is 01:51:07 Did you read it or no? Yeah. Why don't you pull out with the Trump said about Zucker getting fired and he wrote out a memo while you're pulling it up I have it here so I'll just read it. Jeff Zucker, a world class, sleaze back, who has had it in ratings and a real news challenge CNN for too long for far too long has been terminated for numerous reasons were predominantly because CNN has lost its way with viewers and everybody else. Now it's a chance to put

Starting point is 01:51:33 fake news in the backseat because there may not be anything more important than straightening out the horrendous, lame stream media in our country and in this case of CNN throughout the world. Jeff Zucker has gone, congratulations to all. Okay? That's your guy saying that, but you were at his place yesterday, right? I was at Trump, I brought you some gifts,

Starting point is 01:51:53 and I appreciate that. If Kai's listening, I would love him to bring in the gifts that I brought for Pat, but by the way, I don't know if this is a left or right thing because this is just a power thing. There's two things going on here. CNN's ratings are in the tank. I'm sure you want to transition to maybe the talker story, which is applicable here.

Starting point is 01:52:13 But this is a powerful thing. This happened to Roger Ailes. This happened to Bill O'Reilly. This happened to Charlie Rose. This happened to Matt Lauer. This happened to Chris Cuomo. Whether it's Harvey Weinstein, even, this is a power move. If you're the head of a network or the face of a network, you've got the power, you've

Starting point is 01:52:30 got the money, everything that happened with Roger Ailes is applicable here to Jeff Zucker. And when you're the guy in charge and you see a pretty little marketing lady over there, you're going to step into my office, do a little twirl, let's see the outcome. Is that how it goes? Allegedly, I don't know. I mean to me, I'm sure that there's more of the story. I think to your point with it being Chromo, there's probably gonna be more to come out of it too.

Starting point is 01:52:57 He's obviously pissed and taking the ship with him or at least trying, I would bet that you'll see more backlash and maybe even more people either quitting or getting fired up. You fired your best guy, and then you trash him? No, man, you can't, you can't do that. What do you remember when we talked about

Starting point is 01:53:15 CNN thinking about, they're bringing in Chris Wallace? It's because they're getting bought out by this guy John Malone. And he can't stand seeing it. He's a serious person with serious goals who as he said quote, he wants to bring it back to actual journalism. Can you show this picture by the way with Tyler some of the discovery board members John Malone, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, Lodz Fox news before saying he wants CNN to evolve back to actual

Starting point is 01:53:39 journalism. And I don't want to say I called this a couple months ago, but yeah, it's because of this new owner. He, he he he wants actual journalism. He understands that CNN is a joke and as you guys say it's ratings now Why they're going with but rating sucks? So their strategy's not working. That's why he wants to switch it And he's getting out Jeff sucker why they went with that for the excuse I don't even need to tell me you need to tell me Komo didn't fire Zucker Cuz I mean this one you're saying the backlash from Komo. Oh I'm telling here's what happened with Komo Komo probably made fire, Zachary. Because I mean, this is a very good thing. You're saying the backlash from Komo. Oh, here's what happened with Komo. Komo probably made a phone call and he said, listen,

Starting point is 01:54:10 here's what you guys want to do to me. You want to ruin my reputation and hurt my family. Just know, that's not the right move. And I don't appreciate that. And then boom, it left two conversations together with them and obviously the rest of the history. I mean, because that article was from mid-November. This is two hours ago from Insighter.

Starting point is 01:54:26 CNN Insighter suspect Chris Komo, Flag Jeff, Zucker's workplace relationship has a revenge. There you go. And I don't even, this is when? This is when we just went live on the podcast. This is two hours ago. Yeah, so. Get out of here.

Starting point is 01:54:37 No, inside. Oh, here's Kai with the gifts that I brought you. So how was this Fending Time with Trump? How was it for you? He's a huge fan of the podcast. Okay. Good huge fan. You know what he basically said was like listen, it's possible for us to disagree without being disagreeable. I said thanks, Don. I really appreciate that. I have I miss my invitation to Mar-a-Lago, but I appreciate all the goody bags and gifts that you gave me and this is what I wanted to give to you.

Starting point is 01:55:03 Thank you. Wow. So by the way, here we go. I feel this. I want to get you. There's something going on. This is a Trump hotels. Yeah. Bag right here.

Starting point is 01:55:13 Here we go. Laundry bag. Now, obviously, say that money. I didn't spend money on this. I took it from my hotel room, but I noticed something. He's going to come find it.

Starting point is 01:55:24 And I wanted to get your take on this. So here are a lot of goodies from took it from my hotel room, but I noticed something. He's gonna come find it. And I wanted to get your take on this. So, here are a lot of goodies from the Trump hotel room. Now, what I wanted to get your opinion on was this. Now, these are just a ton, these are shampoo, these are conditioners, these are lotions, these are Q-tips, these are hand lotions. This is everything, this is everything. And ironically, I wanted to bring you this anyway.

Starting point is 01:55:47 This was not the point of this. I was like, let me get some Trump stuff. But here's what I was like, holy shit, I need to get Pat's opinion on. Look on the bottom of every single one of these things. It says, made in China. Every single one of these things, read that right there. What's it say on the top right there made in China?

Starting point is 01:56:06 I'm thinking this how is this possible? I'm at Trump property Doral Miami his amazing golf course and I'm showering. I'm getting ready I'm stealing gifts to give the Pat and they all say made on China made in China How is that possible? How is that possible for For everything he's done against China and respect for him from calling them out, this is not a good look. I'm surprised it's not more popular. Like more people don't know about it. Are you surprised?

Starting point is 01:56:37 Are you, I'm a little surprised. I'm a little, I'm all the above. Okay, I got you. I was genuinely looking at yourself. I was genuinely looking at yourself. I was genuinely looking at this and expecting. Donald J. Trump to have made an America, conditioners, shampoos, all that kind of good stuff. But let me ask you, is he still operating this place?

Starting point is 01:56:55 Does he still own this place? Is this his like, I'm literally buying? Yes. I don't think it's a good look. I think he needs to contact a CMO that's running this and saying why are we having stuff that we're producing? That's made in China? I don't think it's a good look, to be honest with you.

Starting point is 01:57:07 I agree. I'm actually like, this is obviously some little joke, whatever, but I would want and expect someone like Donald Trump to only have made an America property. Made America material in the first part. Made in Chinatown, let me just see. Made in Chinatown, LA, that's what it is. Made in Chinatown. Let me just see. Made in Chinatown. Yeah, that's what it is. Made in Chinatown. Anyway, but you do travel a lot and I want you to look good.

Starting point is 01:57:31 You do spend $72 on a haircut. So I want you to have the best of the best of the best. Only the best products for yours. So amazing. You're always looking out for me. I genuinely was. Final thoughts about Brady. Final thoughts about Brady. Brady retired. Will you surprise when he retired? Not really. Yeah.

Starting point is 01:57:49 But, you know, to me, I think it's good that he did when he did. I hate to see when guys even switching teams, you know, obviously he won another one. But, you know, when they just kind of fade off because they suck, I think that's a shitty way to go for a guy like that, same with, you know, Joe Montana or Farve or whatever it's like. When you see guys who are that good for that long and he's, I think, the epitome of that, I think it's better that he left when he was kind of still on top. Yeah. Charlotte main the god called them the greatest athlete of all time.

Starting point is 01:58:19 Charlotte main the god called the great like, meaning better than Michael. Yeah. I wouldn't call them the greatest athlete of all time. He's definitely the greatest winner of all time. I would say he's the most successful football player of all time. But here's what makes me a little upset here. Imagine if Michael Jordan retired, what he did briefly, but then and then he did it again and then he came back from the, you know, came back to the Washington Wizard.

Starting point is 01:58:41 Let's just say he won a championship with the Wizards. Let's just say Michael Jordan after everything he did with the bulls. And then he retired and all he did was thank the wizards and the great organization they had, he was there for two years, he was there to the other, and Patriots for 20 years. And all he did was thank the wizards. You'd be saying, what are you talking about? You were a Chicago bull through and through, legend. And that's the way I look at

Starting point is 01:59:06 Tom Brady, dude. Congratulations. You're the man. You took Tampa Bay that was nothing franchise for decades. And then you took him. It was super awesome. But let's not forget you're a patriot. So obviously he's a little salty from his exit, whether that's Bob Kraft, whether that's a Bella chick thing. He's a little salty about his exit, whether that's Bob Kraft, whether that's a Bella chick thing. He's a little salty about that, but I do think that Bill Bella checked, it had a very classy tweet or memo that he had out about Brady. I have a perspective on this.

Starting point is 01:59:35 Here's one of my perspectives. So let me ask you a question. So imagine you're Brady, okay. And you are making your mind whether you're going to retire or not. You talk to your wife, you talk to your kids and you say you know what? I wake up in the morning. I'm retiring. Okay Tell me the first five phone calls you make before you're gonna go public Give me the first five phone calls you make other than your family or not even family you can't tell everybody

Starting point is 02:00:01 It's wife and I mean to me. It's immediate. What's giving me to five phone calls? I know where you're going with this. It needs to be the organization you're retiring from first. Okay, so perfect. So can we say he probably is gonna talk to Bruce. Jerryance. Bruce Jerryance. Yeah.

Starting point is 02:00:16 And then after coach, who else? Malcolm Gladwell isn't that the owner? Not Malcolm Gladwell. Malcolm Gladwell's a model. Malcolm Gladwell family. Malcolm Gladwell family. Believe they own the, so you got the coach who else is gonna call

Starting point is 02:00:28 Do you think he's gonna call anybody from the Patriots organization? No, no, he's not gonna alert them at all you so you don't think he calls any but you don't think he has a good relationship with Kraus Where he calls him and say hey Jerry listen, I was with you for 20 years. You're talking about I'm not Jerry Kraus I'm telling a Robert Kraff. You know what's he's gonna call Robert Kraff and say, hey, you know, here's where I'm at. You don't think he's gonna make a phone call like that? He's definitely not gonna call Bill.

Starting point is 02:00:54 We know he's not gonna call Bill. It's not gonna call Bill. Well, isn't Bob Kraff that decided not to resign him two years ago in 2019? I don't know who it was, but is that Bella chick? Is this the GM? I think he called a few people. Okay. And I'm thinking one of the people he called, to resign him two years ago in 2019. I don't know who it was, but is that bellicite? Because these are GMs. I think he called a few people. Okay.

Starting point is 02:01:07 And I'm thinking one of the people he called is from New England Patriots. Somebody leaked the information to the news. Everybody he called and he says, tell me you didn't say it. He believed four people. The one person that did say it, he was so annoyed that he says, I'm gonna snub you for my recognition.

Starting point is 02:01:24 Screw you guys. I think people like that are so sensitive to respecting them sharing private information with you that if you cross it, they cross you. I think it was that simple. I don't think it was. I don't disagree with you. Yeah, I don't think. Something happened. The weather was. Because even like the fact that people leaked it, he wanted to be the one to. It wasn't official for like 72 hours. But I the guarantee was official. I guarantee was official for 96 hours. Didn't he put something on social media about it before his team. He said in the interview, no, he never did that then he never did. He said in the interview, I'm

Starting point is 02:01:59 going to talk about and see what I'm going to be doing and I'll get you to get back to you guys after he lost. But put up Bella check steal. Is Bella check steal here for me to read or is it up there? Is it on pay? He did in his Instagram post, he think the, obviously Tampa Bay, everything we just said, he had one reference to the Patriots. Did you see it?

Starting point is 02:02:18 He had one reference to the Patriots. What was that? He had a picture of him beating the Patriots. Yeah. Beating the Patriots as a Tampa Bay Buck this year. So there was a subtle so go down hand right there. I want to read here's what Bellicic said I am I am pretty can you make a little bigger so I can see it. I am privileged to have drafted. I am privileged to have drafted That's a state, but meaning I picked you. I am privileged to have drafted. That's a state, but meaning I picked you. I am privileged to have drafted in coach Tom Brady, the ultimate competitor and winner,

Starting point is 02:02:50 Tom's humble beginning in professional football, ultimately ended with him becoming the best player in NFL history. Tom consistently performed at the highest level against competition that I was made him to number one, player to stop. His pursuit of excellence was inspirational. Tom was professional on and off the field

Starting point is 02:03:07 and carried himself with some class, integrating kindness. I think Tom, what a powerful word. I think Tom for his relentless pursuit of excellence and positive impact on me. That's a pretty humble statement writer. I think Tom for his relentless pursuit of excellence and positive impact on me and the New England Patriots for 20 years. Good for you. How do you process

Starting point is 02:03:32 that? Okay. You sounded a little sarcastic about which one? About Bella chick. No, no, when I said, I drafted me, don't forget, I risked everything on you, because I believed in you 199. 198 people did not. I picked you. I believed in you. Never forget that one. You were nobody. And I chose when Drew Bletsow,

Starting point is 02:03:55 when you got a hits and your knee was gone and you were dropped and we benched you second half, Drew Bletsow came and won that game and took us to the Super Bowl and I had two weeks to decide and everybody from Willie McGinnisd, everybody said, Belicechek's gonna choose Drew Bletso as a starting quarterback. After having signed a hundred million dollar contract, I made the announcement publicly and I said, Tom Brady will start the Super Bowl.

Starting point is 02:04:22 And Bletso in an interview was devastated and He says every every player quarterback looks for this position to be into going to the Super Bowl But it is what it is and you can see the interview with bless. How tough it was for him Bellicic chose Brady now imagine if he doesn't you just can't you know there's You can't you have to know that there is some value there, man. That's the only thing I'm saying. Bella Chick is trying to say,

Starting point is 02:04:50 listen, I took a chance on you, okay? And listen, without your drive, there's no way we went six, but still somebody had to pick you, even if nobody believed in you at that time and I picked you as a starter. I think it's a beautiful thing. Listen to me, I think Brady, when people talk about Brady versus Jordan,

Starting point is 02:05:08 greatest athlete, it makes no sense. I mean, the guys got a vertical leap of a six-year-old. He's not gonna be able to jump that high. Okay, he runs the zero to a 40-year-old. 40-year-old, like five seconds, right? So, but it's not an athlete, but I'm gonna tell you something here. When they took the heart of the one horse,

Starting point is 02:05:27 that not Seveskiat, no, it's one of the recent ones, they took the heart and they saw he was in the 99.6% time. Right, the horse, he wasn't the biggest, he wasn't the fastest, he wasn't the strongest. It's gonna be, the name is would be P horse. Just go to the top of Kentucky, there'll be winners. Secretariat. Not Secretariat, no, it's another one. What's the horse's name, Kai? horse just go to the top of Kentucky Derby winners secretary not secretary no it's another one what's the horse's name guy go to go to a horse

Starting point is 02:05:50 winning uh... not secretary go to horse winning Kentucky Derby uh... winning Kentucky Derby at the names off i'll take exactly what it is uh... somebody probably putting it down here right now with the name is but anyways when they talked about this horse They said the guy had a heart a bass of heart that was gonna win just go to all of them buddy I don't know why you're yeah, just go to all of them. We'll figure out who the name is in a minute here Anyways, the point is this guy's got a heart of a champion American Pharaoh is who it is American Pharaoh

Starting point is 02:06:23 He was not the biggest. He was not the fan. He was not the fastest, not the strongest, not the biggest. He didn't look impressive, but when they measured his sword, you know, they bought him for like 5,000 hours. You know that horse was bought for like 5,000 hours or 15,000 hours. You know his stud fee alone, it's 300,000 hours per stud fee. Okay, so, you know, that was on Brady, but somebody believed in him and Credit goes to both of them and the the league will miss him Although I think NFL is right now stacked with a lot of great Talent that's gonna take this leak for sure make it exciting for another day. I just hope that he does not

Starting point is 02:07:01 Go away meaning I hope he does what, you know, Pete Manning has done, has done, and even drew breeze and the legends and just still be a part of the game. But he'll do it his way. He'll do this. As he should. He's not gonna do it like the other guy should.

Starting point is 02:07:15 To me, I don't see him playing his bigger role as those guys, just his personality, isn't really that, that type of commentator, you know, analyst, like he's just not that dude, you know, but I agree. I hope he does. I just, is there a bigger stud in the world than Tom Brady? I was going to say, I didn't make my point. I'd say it's the greatest athlete of all time. He's the greatest winner all time. Yeah. He's the greatest winner all time. Listen, when you play against somebody else, Michael Jordan, you play finals. You could have a

Starting point is 02:07:41 bad day. The nicks could beat you first game when he played against the Nix and the playoffs. That means he would have been out of the playoffs if it's only one game. But this guy, you have one game and you win seven out of it. What is it? Seven out of ten? Yeah, I'm not saying saying to do that. And the argument is always from the Giants fans. Eli beat him twice. Yeah, did you see what Eli said? Eli said, I just want to sit there and say, I think I'm uniquely qualified because I watched you win when I wasn't college and Super Bowl. Then I played against you and I watched you win when I was in the league.

Starting point is 02:08:13 And I watched you win a Super Bowl after I retired. And he used the words. He says, you were gracious enough to let me win two. Right. Correct. Yeah. No doubt. He's his biggest foils were the manning guys. He had to go through Peyton Manning

Starting point is 02:08:27 every year and bait manning him through him. And the two Super Bowls that he lost other than Philly was to Eli Manning. And people had to literally catch balls on top of their helmet in order to beat Tom Brayhead. He had me, you had me catch balls. Yeah, well listen, oh, do you want to make a public that you are subscribed to his only fans because he did say yeah Mike Everyone, by the way Mike Ritland has only fans. It's him and dogs both Not at the same skimpy website micro-itland's book if you want to tell everybody the book Adam

Starting point is 02:08:59 again un How to un fuck America is that what it is? It is how to un-fuck America, is that what it is? How to un-fuck America. It's an illustrated manual. Can you put up a picture of it? Can you put up a picture of it? Open-minded conversation. Put the link below for people to be able to go by it.

Starting point is 02:09:15 If there's anything we could say about the legendary micro-itland over here is that we always have a respectful open-minded conversation and we are doing our part to un-fuck America. Three times on a podcast, man. Mike, you're a man, baby. Thank you, thank you. Thank you, Mike. Take care, buddy.

Starting point is 02:09:29 Yes. Bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye. By the way, tomorrow, what are we doing tomorrow? Tomorrow, we're doing Jordan Peterson. It's going to be in the house for a few hours, and I think it's going to be on the other channel, for three hours, but it's going to be on the other channel instead of this channel.

Starting point is 02:09:39 Or is it on PVD podcast? I still don't know which one it is. I think we're doing PVD podcast, and it's 12 o'clock. It's at 12 o'clock tomorrow It's 12 o'clock tomorrow on whatever the time is on YouTube. That's what the time will be We'll see you guys tomorrow if you got questions you want to ask Joe Rogan send me and not Joe Rogan Jordan Peters and send me a tweet Maybe we'll address it tomorrow take care everybody. Bye bye bye bye bye Yeah.

Starting point is 02:09:59 That was tough.

PBD Podcast - Former United States Navy SEAL - Mike Ritland | PBD Podcast | EP 122 |

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