Real Time with Bill Maher - Overtime - Episode #359 (Originally aired 8/7/15)

Episode Date: August 10, 2015

Overtime - Episode #359 (Originally aired 8/7/15)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to an HBO podcast from the HBO late-night series, Real Time with Bill Maher. Sanctuary, oh, there's a great question for the future governor. Are sanctuary cities real or overblown GOP fearmongering? Completely overblown GOP fearmongering. It's just a fact. And they don't look at the facts. They don't actually look at the ordinances. What?

It's complete, it's hyperbolic misinformation. And it's very difficult to get into the weeds because no two sanctuary cities are alike. They're close to 300. Now, how would you define it for people who haven't been following? So I define it the way Rudy Giuliani, who was a big proponent of sanctuary cities. Is that right? You would have defined it in New York, as almost every major city mayor is, Republican and Democrat. The bottom line is you want folks in your city, regardless of how they got there, regardless of their status, to cooperate with law enforcement.

If someone is raped, if someone is in a domestic abuse situation, you want them to cooperate with police. But if you're concerned about someone in the family being deported, you're less likely. to be cooperative. So as a consequence, sanctuary cities provide a framework for that kind of engagement. What they do not do is sanction people that are here with violent criminal records or in jail for felonies to be released. There are, however, some exceptions, and that's where this tragedy in San Francisco fell. And there are gaps that need to be closed unquestionably. But there's a lot of mythology on this. Well, that cleared up a lot of it. And I assume some of them are good people.

Yeah, no. Oh, geez. Okay. Okay. Caitlin, how can universities distance themselves from the lingering power of fraternity? Well, that's a great question, because fraternities are kind of like Donald Trump.

Like, in a world where that's too politically correct, people go to some jackass because, oh, it is a breath of fresh air from political correctness. Right, exactly. And the university, really can't distance themselves. Those kids have a constitutionally protected right to the freedom of association.

They're allowed to join any club they want. Right. But you'll certainly find, I mean, their vile, hideous terrible language that they use is really the only expression of free speech that you'll find on many campuses. And the real problem with what's going on

with this political correctness is that when you can't talk about things in the open, when you drive it underground, it festers. And kids start to think there's some kind of secret knowledge to be able to get together. behind the closed doors of a fraternity and use the N-word or, you know, speak about horribly misogynist comments, they start to think, oh, we're really powerful. We know the truth behind our closed doors. So there's a real symbiotic relationship between the fraternity,

out-of-control fraternities and the political correctness, I think. Okay. Michael, what do you make of the recent study that says sea levels are rising at a faster rate than we first anticipated? Will we have to evacuate our coastal cities? Well, there was a recent article by James Hansen, who we talked about earlier, has been extremely prescient in what he has predicted in the past about climate change. So any time he says something, you want to listen very carefully to him. He has argued that we could see as much as six feet of sea level rise, which, you know, if you think, look at Hurricane Sandy, Superstorm Sandy, just that one foot of sea level rise that we've had already meant that there were, 25 square miles of additional flooding along New York City, the New Jersey coast. It also meant that there was something like $7.5 billion more damage done by that storm.

So if that's what one foot does, imagine what six feet do? Now... What do it do? Six feet would mean that you're basically starting to abandon many of our coastal cities. Really? Because of the... Not just the inundation. How far inland?

Well, it depends on the topography. I mean, with... But my lawn would get water. Southern Florida is very flat. So, you know, six feet of sea level rise inundates, you know, a good chunk of the southern part of Florida. But seriously, how far inland?

Like, West Hollywood? You'll probably be okay here. But, you know, again, that damage is damage that reverberates through our economy, through the global economy, we all end up paying for the damages that climate change does anywhere, whether it's our coastlines or, you know, here in California, where we are seeing unprecedented drought and wildfire. And that is a problem for the rest of the country because this is where we get a lot of our, you know, our fruit and nuts.

Sure. Oh, there's a lot of fruit and nuts. A lot of nuts. All right. Walked right into that one. Of course you did, Doc. Will Joe Biden entering the race if he does derail Hillary Clinton's campaign? Well, it won't be good news for it, right? You can look at it a number of ways. In many ways, it may sharpen the debate, may sharpen her message, may create a diffusion in terms of the targeting coming from the Republicans, because I'll have to target a number of other candidates,

or at least Joe Biden himself. So you can look at it multiple ways. I don't think he'll run, but I hope he doesn't run just because of what happened to his son. I hope he runs because he thinks he'll make a difference to be an outstanding precedent. And so it's a tough choice because he's run twice, as you know, 87 and during your 2000. And, you know, I mean, you probably were aware. I did something about Governor Brown, your boss, your immediate boss, defending him vigorously against the charge of ageism.

In fact, it's in Playboy this month. They reprinted a lot of it. saying that if he was 43 instead of 73, the guy who turned around the biggest state in the country in the eighth largest economy would be absolutely viable as a presidential candidate. And there is no reason why somebody his age can't do the job. It's completely relative.

I remember Bobby Kennedy says, I wonder, what the world needs are the qualities of youth, not a time of life, but a state of mind, a quality of imagination. And Jerry Brown sort of proves that point. And I would argue, And I would argue to counter, I think Rubio proves the point in the other degree. I don't think his points of view represent a state of mind that is progressive as his age.

Right. And not that he's young. It's that he's dumb. But, you know, it's a very important question because Trump is 69, Hillary is 69, Bernie Sanders is 73, and Joe Biden is 72 or 73. So we have all these people around this age, and none of them seem like they couldn't do the job. How old was McCain when you... McCain was 72. 72 when he ran? McCain was 72.

Oh, wow. How old was... Seemed like 300. It seemed like 300. Yes, he did seem old. And Reagan was 69 when he was 69. Right. And Hillary would be the same. Right.

McCain, by the way, was an example of a Republican who was extremely good. on climate change. At one point? Well, you know, I don't think he's changed his views. I think he's maybe a little quieter about it now. Right. Okay. Gavin, do you support the legalization of recreational marijuana? As some folks may know, we very likely to have a ballot initiative in 2016 to tax and regulate marijuana for adults. Strong confidence will win. We've got to do it right and be thought for. and deal with the legitimate concerns folks have about our children and not allowing big tobacco to come in, become big marijuana.

So we want to do it in a very thoughtful way, and we'll have that opportunity next year. And you're for it? Leading the effort. Right, I know you always haven't. And that would be good, because, I mean, four states have it legal now. California, which has been on the forefront of so many things, has been lagging on this.

We weren't close to being first on gay marriage. you know, I'm going to start calling us West Arizona. I mean, the thing about it is marijuana is already legal in California in the way that you used to have to buy a beer in Utah, right? You have to sign up for the membership club. Is that right in Utah? For you a drink.

California, you have to jump through the hoop. You get your description and you get it. And I think as a country, is this really what we want to spend $50 billion in Iran, fueling an enormous law enforcement bureaucracy? The militarization of police departments as they seize, you know, as they, the rationale for, well, this is why we need an armored personnel carrier to enforce the drug warrant for a nonviolent marijuana offender and the civil asset forfeiture that comes along with it. And for a conservative, concerned about the size and growth of government, this is something you should absolutely be for. Yes.

Because it's one of the most effective ways to reducing the size and scope and influence. influence and hypocrisy of government. Right. I've said that years ago, that this is an issue the Republicans could have stolen from the Democrats. Absolutely. Freedom issue. Right. Rand Paul has this, it's in his platform. Sure.

Yeah. Well, he also has a giant cash crop of cannabis in Kentucky. Say that 12 times fast. What do you mean? He's... A giant cash crop of cannabis? Do you want to go visit Kentucky? Yes. It's a cannabis growing state. I'm sorry. I'll probably get sued for this. Well, lots of states, they grow it, but you mean secretly?

Well, I guess since it's not legal there yet, but I can't imagine other than his being a libertarian, although I agree with Steve. You seem to know a lot about this. I am, I'm saying this as a mother. In addition to what Steve is saying, these kids are going to try it, and I'd rather there be some regulatory oversight. of it and stop wasting money overcrowding our prisons and creating crimbals and such. And you make a point.

And as a parent, to your point, without belaboring this, and you guys, hey, I love this panel. I'm impressed. The two of you have this point of view. But, you know, drug dealers don't card. They don't care how old you are. They don't care what you're selling. They sure, don't. And so from the parents' perspective, I appreciate that point of view.

And so, look, the thing about California, though, one should not underestimate the impact this will have, not only across the country, but around the world, notably with the cartels down in Mexico. We produced just in the Emerald Triangle, which is that Mendocino-Humbull area, California, roughly $12 billion of cannabis at wholesale a year. Oh, yeah, we do. We make the rest of the world. So this, the impact of what we do will be much more significant, certainly than, I would argue, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska combined. So it's a very, very serious debate for serious people,

and I hope we don't demean the debate by talking about stoners and talking about hippies and the usual rhetoric. In a good to be. No, I hate that. And to your point, you know, the dispensary is, you're right. It makes me feel dishonest and like a criminal. Because I genuinely suffer from whatever it is I told them I had. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.

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