Just Two Good Old Boys
We never mean any harm!
Just Two Good Old Boys
080 Just Two Good Old Boys
Ever wondered how libertarianism stacks up against social grace? We dissect the heated debate between personal rights and public restrictions, confronting the morality of censorship, and reflecting on current public safety measures like COVID-19 mask mandates. From philosophical differences on retaliation to the practical challenges of applying libertarian principles in real-world scenarios, we unravel the complex web connecting individual freedoms to collective rules. We also weigh in on the moral positions of devout Christians versus pragmatists, considering both long-term faith perspectives and immediate societal concerns.
Finally, we take a historical lens to revolutionary ideologies and political discourse, from the Bolshevik Revolution to Mao Zedong's China, and compare them to modern political climates in countries like Argentina and the UK. With a look at recent social unrest and the controversial actions of the UK police, we explore the implications of social media policing on free speech. Wrapping up with reflections on geopolitical tensions, firearms trade-ins, and even a sprinkling of nostalgia from classic movies, we blend serious political analysis with engaging personal anecdotes to offer a comprehensive and thought-provoking discussion.
Check out Gene's other podcasts -
podcast.sirgene.com and unrelenting.show
Read Ben's blog and see product links at namedben.com
If you have comments drop at
Email: gene@sirgene.com Or dude@namedben.com
or on
X.com: @sirgeneTX @dudenamedbenTX
Can't donate? sub to Gene's GAMING youtube channel (even if you never watch!) Sub Here
Weekend Gaming Livestream atlasrandgaming onTwitch
StarCitizen referral code STAR-YJD6-DKF2
Get EMP protection for your car using our code sirgene
Hey Ben, how are you today? I'm doing well. Gene yourself Pretty good pretty good it's.
Speaker 2:uh, my timing's off because we're recording a day early.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we are, I've got some family stuff going on that requires it so.
Speaker 2:Yep, so again, every week seems to be a week with lots of stuff going on. So again, every week seems to be a week with lots of stuff going on?
Speaker 1:Yeah, just a few things, not the least of which was we went on the no Agenda stream right after no Agenda.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was cool. Yeah, did you do that? I have no ability to do that. If I did, it would be out every time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really wonder who put us on there like that.
Speaker 2:Whoever did it, thank thank you, that was nice. Well, I think, technically speaking, ben rosen's in charge of that and he, uh he claims to try and randomize the podcast. My personal opinion is that he's just lazy and, uh, whoever he gets around to as he goes on there.
Speaker 1:But you know, theoretically, potentially he does actually rotate people that are on there well, either way works for me, so yeah, um so so you must have been listening to the stream then uh, no, I was listening to the recording and no agenda, and adam announced it afterwards, so I don't even know which episode played. Oh, you know, it's one of those things like okay, well, that was unexpected we'll take it hopefully. Yeah, hopefully we'll get some uh, new listeners out of it.
Speaker 2:Right, right exactly uh, well, that's uh something definitely that we want to keep going is growing the listenership base. We do know that people that do listen enjoy the show. I think we had one more person sign up for recurring donations, so that was good, yep that was good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and, as per usual, unless somebody actually tells us they want their name mentioned per usual, unless somebody actually tells us they want their name mentioned, um, we're, uh, we're not going to mention, and their email address was literally their name. So, yeah, you know who you are. We appreciate it. Thank you, uh. If you had a goofy email, we maybe would have mentioned that, but uh, don't want to blow your cover. Um and uh, as always, you know, we we do this because it's fun. However, there are some costs involved with doing podcasting and, uh, we definitely appreciate people that help us cover those costs. Everything we receive goes right back into paying for the infrastructure, the software tools, etc. We're we're certainly not making any money off of this, but it's still fun to do and hopefully people enjoy listening to us.
Speaker 1:Well, and you know, one of the things we're both trying to look at doing is okay, how do we grow the listenership and, as we get a little bit of buffer and we're making enough to cover the tools we're currently using, putting that towards either ads or something to kind of get it out there. So hitting people in the mouth is always appreciated as well.
Speaker 2:Did you send any money to my other podcast? I did.
Speaker 1:Y'all were talking about me, so you know.
Speaker 2:Okay, all right, I see podcast I did. Y'all were talking about me, so you know. Okay, all right, I see. I just saw a message from darren, from unrelenting, uh, thanking you for sending the money and and promising not to share a penny with me.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, well, that would be par for the course. That would definitely be far for the course uh too funny, but um, yeah, it's.
Speaker 2:Uh, it's always fun to uh kind of get people that maybe haven't been exposed to something uh that, um that darren. Well, frankly, darren does like 20 podcasts right, so there are plenty of people that listen to one of his that have never heard of us either, so it's always good to get a mention on the show as well.
Speaker 1:Yep, and you know, like you did on Unrelenting thanking CSB for the continued putting it out there. So it's very much appreciated.
Speaker 2:He's definitely been doing a good job of hitting people in the mouth of the message by, uh, essentially donating money with a mention of us to other podcasts. So we, we definitely thank you for that, csb yep all right on to politics and stuff, a few things going on there.
Speaker 1:Uh, where do you want to start? Well, uh, you're, you're, uh, tracer oh man, um well, we can start with tim uh waltz, if you want, or we can start with kamala or no, let's talk about rogan or any of it. There's a lot going on or we can start with the uk.
Speaker 2:Uk is pretty basic uk is going nuts, but let's start with tim all right, what do you?
Speaker 1:what's your take on?
Speaker 2:uh, kamala's vp pick tim waltz well, she picked somebody left of her.
Speaker 1:That was interesting yeah, um, oh, but he's just a mild-mannered midwesterner. What do you mean?
Speaker 2:well, he is, I think, a midwesterner. That's the only part of that, that's uh, that's true, uh, he, uh, he seems to have a little stolen valor issue um claiming a higher rank than they actually had at, uh, when he left the military. There's also folks that were in the military with him saying that he seemed to very conveniently have bailed just as they got orders to deploy. So he was in the National Guard, I assume, and took the opportunity to not actually go and fight overseas.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he retired after the warning order came down, which you know some would say, oh well, he had that plan for a very long time, which is possibly true, some people actually canceled their retirement plans to go, which you know hey if you're retiring. Anyway, I'm not going to begrudge you that, I'm not going to call you a coward or something for no, I was already aging out.
Speaker 1:Uh, you know, I'd been in the reserves for 20 something years, whatever. But when you say that I was in combat and a weapon of war that I carried in war, uh, dude, that never happened.
Speaker 2:So that's the problem. He carried an AR-15 in the war Interesting, yeah, I think like none of these things by themselves are bad, but combined together into a package, and especially a package of somebody that had the desires of being a politician and everybody knows that you got to minimize the skeletons in your closet if you're a politician it's not looking good for him.
Speaker 1:Well, I don't think it's looking good for the campaign in general.
Speaker 2:I don't know man, I've been seeing nothing but ads about all kinds of people White, black, brown, Asian, Hispanic all voting for Kamala. Okay, You've seen those right, I'm white and I'm voting for Kamala.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:Have you not seen those ads?
Speaker 1:Are you kidding? I've seen ads sure.
Speaker 2:At least I assume there are. I assume they're a lot of grassroots. Well, yeah, I mean they're, they all look like they're grassroots. It looks like just random people mentioning that they're voting for kamala, but, um, uh, you know like there's one of a dude that kind of looks like a 50 something weight dude and a cowboy hat and somebody that ought to be voting for Trump. And yeah, you know, as a somebody that believes in personal freedoms and going out and hunting deer and stuff, blah, blah, blah, I'm absolutely voting for Kamala is Donaldald. Trump is just weird. You know it's. They've got the money. They're putting a lot of ads out they are right now.
Speaker 1:They're flush with cash.
Speaker 2:Uh, after you know, a lot of democratic donors held we should find out where these, these people that donate money to them, work. Why? Well, let's make sure everybody knows. No, I think way too many people are flying undercover, uh-huh.
Speaker 1:And what happens when you find out? Oh, oh, I've just doxxed this woman who lost her job, and she didn't really do it. And there was some donate, like there have been several reports coming out of people's names hitting the donor roles and them coming back and saying hey, hey, oh, it's a great opportunity for them to make sure that those roles are accurate.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't want my name to be on some Democrat donor role? I'd rather know about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think what you're proposing is evil, but whatever Well.
Speaker 2:I'm tired of losing.
Speaker 1:Okay. You lose by being evil. You lose by being evil.
Speaker 2:You win by being evil. No you don't, you lose. Well, all you got to do is look at this country and you realize you're wrong If you think good has been winning in this country.
Speaker 2:No, I don't, but that doesn't mean that I would win by being evil yeah, well, choosing to call something evil because you're not doing it is, uh, you know it's going to lead to the same result. Yeah, it's war, buddy, it's war, and uh, too many people don't realize it's war yeah, and you can still fight. Be a pacifist. I get it. A lot of people want to be pacifist in any way, shape or form.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm not a pacifist, but I'm not going to do something I think is immoral to win.
Speaker 2:That would be compromising myself to the point where there's no point in me winning well, until there's enough if my desired outcome is a moral, just society, I can't get there by being immoral when you get to decide what your morals are and then you apply them to everybody else, sure I don't apply them to everyone else, I apply them to myself. It's the thing here so it's personal evil, it's not global evil, then um, I think, going after um, how do I put this?
Speaker 1:putting people on blast for a donation they made or um, you know, because again, donors the trump made donations to the okay, uh obama campaign.
Speaker 2:I put that on blast.
Speaker 1:I don't have I mean, I technically made a donation to an obama campaign when I bought a yard sign at one point, because I collect, uh, political memorabilia.
Speaker 2:Well, you bought it directly from the campaign, uh I?
Speaker 1:I don't remember. It was in college, so it's been a while. But regardless, you know, I just I don't see the utility in doing that. I see that as nothing but backlash and problem bait, that's all.
Speaker 2:All right. Well, let's keep losing.
Speaker 1:I don't think we have to lose by sticking to morals.
Speaker 2:Would you change your mind if Trump does not get elected?
Speaker 1:No, I would say that it's a hockey dude. Even if Trump gets elected, I think it's time for this country to split up. I think it's it's over, it's done, it's been over states to leave and there to be a thought revolution in how we conduct ourselves and going back to the stance of a rugged individual, and anything short of that is going to mean a worse life for my children, and that's what I'm more worried about than anything else.
Speaker 2:That's a worse life, because people aren't willing to stand up and fight okay and really if you think in the concept of good and evil. It evil is going to keep prevailing until good men actually push back.
Speaker 1:Yes, Good men have to push back yeah.
Speaker 2:Agreed. When's that going to happen?
Speaker 1:I don't know. I think I'm pushing back, doing my best to. I think that there are several people who are. I don't know where this ends or where it goes, but you know, all I can say is we're not at a kinetic point at this stage, and fighting with ideas is all I have all I have.
Speaker 2:Okay, so you would see less issue getting to a point where there's bullets flying than making people accountable for their decisions.
Speaker 1:That is not what I said at all, but I think they're talking about people that come to make this country worse and making that public.
Speaker 2:I think they're talking about people that I think there comes to make this country worse. Uh, and making that public, I think, is holding that accountable for the decisions.
Speaker 1:Uh, okay, Well, you know you, you go do that and you know it. You, you're free to do that, and you know it you, you're free to do that. I think it's you know I think we have secret ballots for a reason. Yeah, we should, um should be public. I don't necessarily disagree, because I would give that up in a heartbeat, uh, and I think it would be a good cultural change, um, if there were non-secret ballots. But there is a principle behind it and I think that's something you don't understand.
Speaker 1:So well, the communists certainly understand it and they're doing a great job, communists didn't have secret ballots, exactly the communists had a polling in the ussr the communist had a polling place where you walked in to one booth to vote for the communist party and you walked in to another booth to vote for the opposition and you had a poll watcher there who worked for the communist party, taking note of everyone who walked into the other opposition, and usually they got disappeared.
Speaker 2:So I, I love how you're explaining this to somebody that actually grew up in the ussr. Yeah, but you were young.
Speaker 1:But yeah, yeah, yes, yes I'm just reminding you of the issues there. That's because those people, those people who walked into that booth, committed suicide in a way, but they were also standing up for their beliefs. And that's where a secret ballot is beneficial, in that you do not have someone watching what you're doing like that. You cannot have someone call you out, like you're suggesting, because of wrong think, and that is the problem and that's why I'm drawing this analogy.
Speaker 2:All right, go ahead, finish up. I can give you my rebuttal here. Go ahead, okay. So, uh, the reason that you started saying this because I didn't finish my thought, which is, yes, the communists know that they can leverage and always do leverage the rules of other people in order to get communism in, and that's exactly what's been happening here in the united states, using the rules and laws and commonly accepted decency, as you would say. Uh, they are doing a great job of stealing elections, installing their own people and, frankly, we don't have a president right now. There's literally no president. When's the last time anybody saw joe? It's been weeks and yet nothing happens. This is par for the course. This is okay, not a big deal. We're a country with no president.
Speaker 2:Now you can make jokes about how there's really no difference in whether Joe is here or whether there is no Joe, because he's been kind of out of it for the entirety of his presidency, and sure I'll laugh at that joke, but the reality is very sad. And sure I'll laugh at that joke, but the reality is very sad. And the reality is nobody really knows who's in charge right now, because it's hard to believe it's actually Kamala. It's even harder to believe that it's Joe, somebody's in charge, and during that time in charge, this country has been shifted further into communism, socialism, whatever your preference is, then it has ever in its history, in four years, great. So yes, the communists know what they're doing, and they're doing very well, and I would like to put an end to that, and one of the ways you do that is by identifying communists okay, and what it's a non-violent way of doing it.
Speaker 2:incidentally, the other way to do that is by removing communists.
Speaker 1:No, the better way of doing that is by never letting it get to that stage.
Speaker 2:Congratulations. That's been fucked up Now what?
Speaker 1:So what you're proposing is going the route of uh of the uk. You recognize that right.
Speaker 2:No, yeah because I'm not trying to push muslim ideas.
Speaker 1:I don't care if you post something that is antithetical to the belief of the state.
Speaker 2:You can be arrested and jailed because you said something bad if you said something wrong and that is what you're proposing of the state, then you should be jailed. Yes, that is moronic.
Speaker 1:No, that's not moronic, not what you're saying is open opposition. No, what you're saying is anyone who disagrees with the stated policy of whoever's in power and has the power to destroy your life can and should do that morally. And that's the problem. What do you?
Speaker 2:do with somebody that is actively destroying the country. You fight them. You ignore them. What do you do? You fight them. You're not.
Speaker 1:How am I not?
Speaker 2:You don't want to talk even about who these people are. You want to pretend they don't exist.
Speaker 1:I want to go through and beat them in the marketplace of ideas. They don't work in that place.
Speaker 2:They work in a place of cheating and lying and coercion and winning. You're fighting a war that they have other weapons in that you don't Okay you're playing a game. Well, yeah, of course I'm playing a game.
Speaker 1:All right, you're playing a game and someone is cheating and you know you're going to lose unless you cheat.
Speaker 2:Do you cheat? There's two ways to handle that situation. Well, there's probably more than two, but two common ways to handle that situation. Well, there's probably more than two, but two common ways to handle that situation. The most common way is you get angry and you stop playing the game and, effectively, you let the other person win because you no longer are able to play this game because these people are in there. The other way to handle that game is to record what they're doing documented, and submit those reports to the game company and they will cancel their accounts. Which would you prefer?
Speaker 2:first of all, you're taking this to a digital place and that's not the analogy, but okay oh well, you should have said that board game, if you meant the board game.
Speaker 1:You're playing a board game. There is no company to report them to. Yes, but let's assume you do that. Okay, so next week they make a different account and they're on there playing doing the same thing again.
Speaker 2:It doesn't really matter, well they're paying for each of those accounts, so it does matter.
Speaker 1:Okay, matter, or they're paying for each of those accounts, so it does matter. No, the account is free in this case, because there are too many useful idiots out there sniping and destroying one person's life. All you've done is guarantee that that person is going to hate you and your cause for the rest of their life. You cannot make martyrs, you cannot make ideologues go deeper. What you have to do is win on the merits and then say you know this, far or no farther. There are lines in the sand here that you cannot cross, and as you cross them, we've got a bigger problem here, and that's when you flip over the board and take your pieces and you go home and you set up your own game, aka leaving the country, aka Texas, aka revolution. That is the point you get to and that is a just immoral one. But sitting there trying to cheat your way, okay. Well, if they're going to cheat, I'm going to cheat, and if they're going to do immoral things, I'm going to do immoral things.
Speaker 2:well again, you're you're you're deciding what is moral here. I don't think war is immoral. I think war is a natural outcome of replying to somebody that's already initiated that type of action. So, in your mind, it would be immoral to have a list of people that donated to the Nazi party during World War II be circulated, because those poor, innocent people that donated money to the Nazi party they have nothing to do with what the party is doing.
Speaker 1:I think that's a spurious argument.
Speaker 2:Ben, you're on the wrong side of this argument. You've got to think about this. Let's come back to it, maybe a few episodes later.
Speaker 1:I'm not on the wrong side of this. I'm on the moral side of this, and here's why you do not compromise your principles in order to achieve a there's nothing being compromised here not by you. You're an atheist who doesn't have a strong moral foundation.
Speaker 2:Obviously, that's the place we're okay, and I just won the argument. Congratulations. How so personal attack, that's not, you just said and how is it, gene you're you're equating atheism with a lack of moral foundation. You just lost the argument.
Speaker 1:Why it's fact.
Speaker 2:If you don't believe in anything, how?
Speaker 1:can you have a moral foundation?
Speaker 2:Oh, I'm sorry. Am I a nihilist? Do I not believe in anything? Do? You not know the difference between a nihilist and an atheist.
Speaker 1:Personal attack. If we want to keep score here, we can. But what I would say?
Speaker 2:is wait, wait, wait. No, that's not a personal attack, that's a factual basis. If you don't understand the difference between the two, I can explain it do you understand the difference?
Speaker 1:yes, I understand the difference. Then why would you?
Speaker 2:call. Why would you say I believe in nothing?
Speaker 1:because fundamentally, I think atheism and nihilism are more akin than they are distinct and I think that atheists like to draw distinctions where I see little to none. Okay, so you don't see a distinction in anything else.
Speaker 1:I said, I know the distinction, I know what people say. That does not mean I necessarily agree with it. I think if you don't believe there's a god, if you don't believe there's something fundamental, if you don't believe there's something fundamental, whether that be nature, nature's force, whatever it is, if you do not believe there is any higher power or purpose how, I hate to say it, but man, what I think you're suggesting is just to me flat-out immoral. You're saying I'm naive, I'm on the wrong side of history, which I would classify as a personal attack and everything else, but I don't see that as a justifiable thing. But I don't know how to get. Why do you want to?
Speaker 2:hide your enemies? Why do you want to give them comfort and shelter? Why I don't? Do you not see them as your enemies? Maybe that's the problem.
Speaker 1:Maybe I'm just assuming that you see people that want to create a communist United States of america as enemies, because I have firsthand experience with communism I see them as mostly useful idiots that can go either way when persuaded and the right carrot stangled in front of them, and I would rather reduce the pool of useful idiots through education than lambasting them in such a way as they double down on their philosophy should I play the clip of baguan shri rajneesh sure, if you want about democracy?
Speaker 2:no, I wish I. I haven't got it set up, but I'm just saying that rhetorically, because you've heard the clip, you know what it says and I think it it tells a great truth, which is that the problem with democracy is that most people are idiots yes, this is why we don't have a democracy.
Speaker 1:This is why we didn't start this nation with universal franchisement.
Speaker 2:This is why it shouldn't exist, totally agree the problem with most people being idiots is that you're asking these idiots to be able to have the clarity of thought that you do in being able to establish what is good and what is bad and what is wrong, and that's asking too much. Okay, okay, people will happily walk their way to socialism, but, as the memes say, you know, you can vote your way to socialism, but you have to fight your way back out. I'm trying to get us to start moving out before the bullets start flying well, I think we're a little late for that in a lot of ways.
Speaker 1:Well, but again, if the bullets are going to be flying position, well, let me ask you this, okay?
Speaker 2:so the bullets start flying, so we're at a point of a, an actual revolution of a hot revolution I would be a technical term. Would you at that point agree to publicize the names of people that are actively fighting and shooting at you, or would you also?
Speaker 1:keep those secret because they're useful idiots. I don't, at that point I don't see a purpose of publishing names. Why would you be publishing?
Speaker 2:names. If someone's on the other side of a firing line, what difference does it make? Why do you need to know their name? Why humanize them at all? Well, maybe that's the difference is because I don't try and dehumanize everybody. I see everybody as being an individual and being a human and capable of feeling uh, of feeling different feelings, shaming people into. Shame works, okay, if shame didn't work, catholic Church wouldn't exist.
Speaker 1:I think the correctness of one's ideals and allowing your ideas to win on their merits is a better one.
Speaker 2:But okay, your ideas can win on their merits if you're the one in charge no, my ideas they're not going to win if you have no ability to push your ideas forward like this is the problem with a lot of and I'm not suggesting you're a libertarian at this point, that's a dirty word but that's the problem with a lot of libertarians and their ideas is they.
Speaker 2:They like to think in a fictional sort of idealized world. This is how things ought to be okay and in, if you're writing a book, great, we can have libertarian characters, we can have a libertarian world. You start, you start asking libertarians questions about okay, so how do you deal with x or y or z today, practically right now, what would be the solution? And if the solution is make people understand that libertarianism is the best system of government there is, and once everyone's a libertarian, we'll all work uh, you know, doing things that are for our own good and it'll be perfect. Okay, that might even be true, but how do you propose getting everyone to see the benefits of being a libertarian? How do you propose getting everyone to see the benefits of being a libertarian? That's the part they can't get out of, because that just isn't going to happen.
Speaker 2:So let me ask you this Do you think Twitter should be censoring left-wing speech right now? No, how the hell would we identify who's?
Speaker 1:putting out left-wing speech if it was censored? You kidding, okay, so why is that a moral line you don't want to cross? That's a useful line it.
Speaker 2:You don't let censorship. Censorship is always bad.
Speaker 1:Hold on, yeah, only what is useful to you is acceptable yes, let's generalize general utility to you you're willing to work with there no, got it.
Speaker 2:No, you're once again generalizing what you love doing, uh, and just taking something and then assuming I win.
Speaker 1:Uh, not a personal attack we have episodes generalizing, which is not the case.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm gonna have a list of all the generalizations that you've thrown.
Speaker 1:I am trying to break down a topic that I hit you the last time we had this debate, that we went for three hours on yeah I went over and over and over different examples, trying to re-listen to it in those three hours you kept repeating the same thing over and, over and over yes because you clearly ignorantly did not understand, either willfully playing devil's advocate or something I don't know there's a little bit of devil's advocate in everything I say, however.
Speaker 2:However, what I challenge you to do is make a better argument, interrupting me Dude you interrupt me as much. Listen to the episode yeah, but you call me out on it.
Speaker 1:I know, I know, I call you out, I don't call you out in the same way.
Speaker 2:No, you just get frustrated.
Speaker 1:I am a bit because quite frankly, I know it's fun.
Speaker 2:Quit being frustrated, just keep going with it. Oh, fuck it All right, dude.
Speaker 1:Look, what it comes down to is we have to have some founding principles that we don't move on. And you know, I was in a conversation the other day a pretty fun one in a lot of ways where, you know, I was talking to some fairly liberal people, intellectually liberal, some pretty intelligent people, and we were talking about covid and some of the covid measures and I relayed my story about some of the mass stuff and how I never complied with the mass mandate and all that.
Speaker 1:Well, what about other people? Fuck other people. I don't give a shit about other people. I don't care if it saves you or not. You do not have the right to do that.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, mr Libertarian which, okay, I'm not, but whatever, I'm not If we all have a grocery store and we want to impose those rules, can we kick you out then? Yeah, no, no, Sure, you can prop. No, property rights are not immutable. There has to be the right of the minority protected. So if I want to walk in wearing a face mask uh, because I'm fearful of something and I'm an idiot.
Speaker 1:I ought to be allowed to do it. And if I don't want to because I'm not, I ought to be allowed to do it. And if I don't want to because I'm not, I ought to be allowed to do it. And anyone trying to stop me is violating my rights.
Speaker 2:And fuck them. I'm going to fight them. No, you're wrong. No, you're wrong.
Speaker 1:You don't understand property rights, then yes, I do, yes, I do, but if I am opening it to the public, I will I'm not opening it to the public. I'm selectively opening it to the public that's willing to not wear a mask okay, so have memberships and say this is membership only and you have to come in here based off of our rules, fine that is what a libertarian position would be. Yes, yeah okay, but if you're opening it to the public, ie target ie-b, ie any grocery store in existence today.
Speaker 2:Fuck you, you're not gonna I want to go bya chick-fil-a on sunday. It's my right. They should open. That's not because they should open, but they should open.
Speaker 1:That's a spurious argument, dude, how? Because it's not the same thing. It's not imposing anything on you. You're trying to impose on them like.
Speaker 1:This is the problem we've had on these last two debates and what you're not getting here is I am making a fairly you know straightforward argument that you're jumping the shark on and changing the subject to something totally different and I you're trying to draw a connection that doesn't exist. Saying well then, chick-fil-a should be open on Sundays is asinine, it's out of the blue. It has nothing to do with what we were just talking about.
Speaker 2:I think HEB has a sign that says we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone and, within Texas law, that is something they can absolutely do. No, it's not. It is.
Speaker 1:No, it isn't no shirt, no service is not enforceable, but it's absolutely enforceable.
Speaker 2:No, it isn't kick you out of the store. They can trespass. It isn't dude? I went through this on covid.
Speaker 1:I I I went through this, you know I I had, I had places say, well, we're gonna, we're gonna call the cops on you because of the current orders and I said okay do it let's adjud, adjudicate the exemptions and everything else, let's go. And then I had a manager come out and say well, we're going to refuse you service. I said you can't because of you know. Equal rights and protections, things that have happened, the civil rights laws.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's no law that says they can't refuse service to you. You can absolutely refuse service you. There's no law that says they can't refuse service to you. You can absolutely refuse service. You can then sue them for refusing service, not off of a deeply helpful, but they can totally refuse service to you.
Speaker 1:No Okay, let a black guy walk into a store you own and refuse him service.
Speaker 2:You can absolutely refuse service. They can sue you based on federal law. Then they will probably win and you will have to pay them.
Speaker 1:There is no enforceable, no shoes, no shirt, no service law in Texas. You cannot do that, you don't need a law for that.
Speaker 2:It's a private property right. I cannot have somebody that I don't want in my store, in my store.
Speaker 1:I firmly believe that there should not be any restrictions on a business owner's ability to set a rule and say I don't want to have anyone wearing blue jeans walk into my store and as long as they enforce that rule equally to anyone wearing blue jeans, I have zero problem with it.
Speaker 2:Exactly, that would be a libertarian position. Yes, okay.
Speaker 1:However, that is not the way the laws are structured currently here in Texas or the US. You cannot arbitrarily not serve someone. If you are open to the public, you cannot say redheads are not allowed in my establishment.
Speaker 2:Right, can't do it Should be able to.
Speaker 1:Nope.
Speaker 2:Because that's an immutable characteristic.
Speaker 1:So what?
Speaker 2:Doesn't matter.
Speaker 1:It does matter no. Yes, because the right of the individual has to be sacrosanct, and if it's something about an individual that cannot be changed, including one's deeply held beliefs, that should not be a criteria for your exclusion.
Speaker 2:It is for everybody in their own heads and it absolutely should be. If you're operating a business, there's no reason for it not to be be. If you're operating a business, there's no reason for it not to be. If Home Depot wants to not serve conservatives, they ought to be able to not serve conservatives.
Speaker 2:No, if somebody wants to ban somebody wearing a MAGA hat from entering their establishment. They absolutely should be able to ban somebody who's wearing a MAGA hat from entering. That is within their rights ahead from entering. That is within their rights. It's their business to be operated with for the clientele that they want to utilize that business. Now you can argue that it's stupid. You can argue that it's bad business practice, but it's their business. You can't force somebody to operate a business or open their home, which would be just an extension of what the business is to people that they don't want to associate with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, so here's what it comes down to. I don't like you. I'm not going to sell to you. Well, why, my own personal reasons.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, but you've established something for the public and the public good. No, you can't do that.
Speaker 2:I never sell anything for the public good. I only sell it for my own good. What you're talking about is a social contract, which is essentially saying we don't want to allow businesses that want to operate that way to operate and therefore, if you are allowed to operate a business, you have to operated within certain parameters, including not refusing the right to anybody to enter, like that's what actually exists right now.
Speaker 1:Okay, but that's not the libertarian example Okay Well, again not a libertarian Gay cake. Yeah, colorado cases where you know where the cake store owner didn't want to do a custom designed cake yeah I agree with his saying look, I don't want to design this cake, right? That's my artistic expression it's not something I want to do completely within his rights. However, he did offer to sell them a standard cake and something that did not require this extravagant work from him and I see no problem with that if he had just totally refused them service yeah, could he then?
Speaker 1:that's a line that I think is a problem see, I don't why one is compelling in action. The other is denying them the ability to purchase something that you would sell to anyone else. Had you and had you not known what they were or what they wanted, you would have sold it to them anyway.
Speaker 2:That is the distinction do you believe that when you're working for somebody, you're selling your talents, your time, like is? Is working for somebody the same as selling him something, or is that different?
Speaker 1:uh, it's a. It's a ongoing perpetual contract sale.
Speaker 2:It's a sale right, yeah, do you think anybody ought to be able to write, to buy from you your time and your talent?
Speaker 1:um, well, time and talent are different. This is exactly the reason why I just use the cake example is because if it's something that's pre-made already there, that you know, hey, this isn't um, a custom artistic expression compelling me to violate my own morals, then yeah, you ought to just sell what is sitting there. So if someone comes up to me and says, hey, ben, that, uh, that presentation you did, uh two years ago, we want you to just do that same thing again.
Speaker 2:Requires no new effort on me, but we want you to do it at this communist convention yes, okay, um, do you think it's up to you to decide whether you're going to do it or not, or do you think that you're bound to do it? You have no say in the matter If they want to play the video of me giving that presentation.
Speaker 1:fine, if they want me to go up on stage and do it myself. That's the distinction what is effort for me and what is already done and you know, not a custom act, I guess but playing a video doesn't actually involve you doing anything.
Speaker 2:It's just the recording of you having done something somewhere else exactly, yeah, but so the question I'm asking is do they have the right?
Speaker 1:no one has the ability to compel my speech or actions without my consent okay.
Speaker 2:Okay, perfect, perfect. So if no one has the ability to compel your speech or actions, for you, then why? Are you arguing for a compel or compilation I don't know if that's a word A compelling of you doing actions, of selling to everybody? Just like you have a choice who you work for, you have a choice of who you sell, to who you sell.
Speaker 1:Your ability to work is no different than who you would sell a dish that you cooked you know it's ironic that you're sitting there talking about libertarians having these ideals, in this utopia, and yeah that wouldn't work, except that's exactly what you're advocating for right now. Oh, it is what I'm advocating yeah, absolutely I.
Speaker 1:I think that and I think that if you go to that level of ant fucking on, literally, okay, am I gonna have to go. Then go to go to your grocery store, gene, fill out a questionnaire and sit there and say, okay, this is exactly how I believe can I purchase this or not, and you're gonna scrutinize that. Do you think that's acceptable?
Speaker 2:no, I'm just gonna look at your voting records and you have no right to do that absolutely do no, what gives you a right to? Freedom association. I can associate with people that I want to associate with and now associate with people who I don't want to associate yes, and it's my right to keep my mouth shut and not disclose it absolutely.
Speaker 2:It's your right to not disclose things. However, as soon as you start disclosing them, it's my right to utilize that information. It's called karma. And look, there are tons of people that voted for Joe Biden that don't say a peep. And we don't know that they voted for Biden, do we? But look at all the available people that are out there talking about how the shooter missed and he should have done a better job against Trump. We know what those people are saying. They're stating in the public forum and not holding that against them frankly seems idiotic.
Speaker 1:Okay. I think the difference here is that you believe in karma and I believe in grace and I believe in instead of okay, you slap me, I'm going to slap you back.
Speaker 2:I believe in turning the other cheek, when at all possible.
Speaker 1:You're absolutely right. Believe in turning the other cheek when at all. Bingo, you're absolutely right. And at some point there is okay, um, you cross the line and I'm not going to be hit anymore. And you know, anyone who said christ is a pacifist obviously did not read the bible first. Uh, first commandment that he really gave his disciples was if you don't have a cloak or if you don't have a sword, go sell your cloak and buy a sword be, armed be dangerous.
Speaker 1:The meaning of the word meek is not so much the demure aspect that we think of today, but rather those who are capable of violence and choose not to well meek was also a standard practice of the scenes which he was a member of, so it's not unique at all to Christ.
Speaker 2:It was part of the holy scene movement. But you're absolutely right, so this is a difference.
Speaker 1:I think that explains our different beliefs in this area is that I'm not going to take a slap on the cheek empty-handed yeah, well, I'm going by old testament rules eye for an eye yeah, well, keep it to the torah and not the talmud, please well, the talmud is not the old testament, is it?
Speaker 2:no, it isn't, but I'm just, you're jewish, so I'm just saying you know, yeah, I'm a non-practicing jewish, but uh, uh, but no, I think that that is right there. A very good um clarity of distinction is that the rationale that you see for not doing it is one that's based around the idea of grace. It's like somebody does something bad to you. Your first reaction shouldn't be retaliation it, it should be try and I don't know with it understand it. How would you explain it?
Speaker 1:So anytime. So okay, you have to go back to the four types of love, and agape and grace being part of that, or charity, however you want to put it, but you should have unconditional love for your fellow man and for, if you're truly trying to be Christ-like, that is one of the things we're called to do, and what it comes down to is love the people who harm you. You're not forgiving, you're not just letting everything go, but you're not retaliating. It's not that eye for an eye. What it is is you know, father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Speaker 1:That is exactly what I'm talking about here, is a lot of these people that you're talking about hoisting on their own batard, have no clue what they're doing.
Speaker 2:They're those useful idiots. I just don't consider that a defense.
Speaker 1:It's not a defense, it's a moral position.
Speaker 2:It has nothing to do with defending myself.
Speaker 1:This is the difference between Christianity and a lot of other philosophies, at least the way I see it, no matter what happens to me. This is one of the reasons why, really, whatever I end up having to do in this world doesn't matter. Really, whatever I end up having to do in this world doesn't matter. I will do my best, I will live my best life. I will try and stick to the positions that I deem morally acceptable, to my own detriment, and I have in the past, and I will continue to, because, in the end, I know what's going to happen. Did I lose you, gene?
Speaker 2:No, no, no, that all sounds good. I mean, I don't have anything to disagree with that. I think that is the proper position of a believing Christian.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Why is it not More? Or less, I mean if somebody believes that you, that you would say, yeah, that's a good question okay, I don't think there's a.
Speaker 1:I don't like the term good christian okay. Well, you're not a bad christian uh sure, and by a lot of people but I don't like a lot of those holier now people. So you know that's, wow, that's that's a whole separate category.
Speaker 2:Uh, but uh, no, no, I, I'm on board with that. I think that makes a lot of sense as a distinction between uh, you know your thought, mine on this matter, because, um, I don't, I just don't need to go down that road myself. So for me, it is about addressing problems that I see in this world immediately.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but here's the difference I'm playing a longer game than you. That's fine Because, again, I have kids and I want them to inherit a certain type of world You're worried about. How can I make my world better right now?
Speaker 2:Yes, I am definitely, but not at the cost of future generations either. I think what I'm trying to do is, having seen the future of the United States in the past of the Soviet Union, I am very greatly interested in doing whatever I can to prevent that from happening, because it is moving very quickly in that direction and it would take very little for this country to have the people in power, the people in charge. I mean we are damn close to right now that will just decide that the Constitution doesn't matter, the supreme court needs to be imprisoned and, uh, just to make sure everything happens nicely, the national guard will be deployed. This is extremely possible right now.
Speaker 1:We're really close to it and you will see a violent clash and you will.
Speaker 2:Well, you know what the useful idiots will go along with it, and they represent about 80 of the population. So the real question is can the remaining 20 become violent enough to do something about it? And my, my take is well, why are you sitting on your hands right now when we can try and prevent it in other means, by affecting the useful idiots?
Speaker 1:Because, again, I don't believe in attacking someone based off of their ideas. I will debate them. I will say I disagree with you.
Speaker 2:I think you're an idiot for thinking what you're thinking. But I'm not going to go after someone's job for it.
Speaker 1:What is your definition of useful idiot, though? Let's get that clear too. Someone who does not understand I mean, I can cite historical examples the brown shirts would be right up there, right. Someone who is a fervent believer in an ideology that they really have no part in creating or leading, that, as soon as the revolution is over, they are purged and done with. After the communist takeover in China, with Mao Zedong and you know his social reforms. Or if you look at my computer's trying to reboot, uh-oh. If you look at what happened, really, you know that's the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, right? If you look during the Nazis, the rise of the Nazi party, and after the Night of the Long Knives, the brown shirts were done, they were gotten rid of. Those are the useful idiots.
Speaker 2:Those are the examples.
Speaker 1:If you could have demonstrated to a brown shirt.
Speaker 2:If you could have demonstrated to a brown shirt or the you know other, to a brown shirt or the the you know, other people. They're revolting during the soviet revolution, the that things are moving in the wrong direction. And, by the way, there's a personal cost to you for being a brown shirt. Uh, for being useful idiot. Um, do you think that that would have been worse than all the deaths that are suffered as a result of these useful idiots?
Speaker 1:being successful. I don't think it would have changed anything I think it would have okay, I think that's a.
Speaker 2:That's a disagreement, because I I think that preventing revolutions that only happen with support of useful idiots, by making useful idiots less interested in supporting that thing that ultimately will throw them away, would actually be a good thing. I think better for a useful idiot to lose a job at Walmart than to lose a country to socialism.
Speaker 1:Not if you're the useful idiot.
Speaker 2:But there's a reason they're called idiots.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, there's a matter of opinion. There isn't there?
Speaker 2:No, not really.
Speaker 1:There is.
Speaker 2:The opinion of useful idiots to me is not valuable.
Speaker 1:Okay, what I'm saying is someone listening to you might? Say the same thing about you. You recognize that.
Speaker 2:That's all right. I totally recognize it, absolutely Okay.
Speaker 1:And if they choose to say, well, I'm going to make sure gene never gets to work again, yep, okay, if I was afraid of the consequences of my actions.
Speaker 2:I would be pathetic. I have to stand for what I believe in and I assume everyone should not be necessarily afraid, but at least cognizant and thoughtful, absolutely.
Speaker 1:And maybe there shouldn't be certain consequences to certain actions like that. There has to be some dividing line there. There has to be some uh saying hey, you know what? Um, I, I don't like what you said, I don't agree with what you said, I'm not going to support what you said. But I'm not going to support what you said, but I'm not going to destroy your life over what you said. And showing that grace and winning the argument both morally and philosophically, that's how you win, not just tearing someone else down. That's a very short-term strategy and all it wreaks is division and moves us closer to civil war. As far as I'm, concerned.
Speaker 1:It sounds good ben, but historically, looking at the entire history of of uh civilized society, that's just not the case no, it absolutely is the case that every time civilization has been uh torn asunder, whether internal revolution, revolution, external revolution or civil war, including the war of Northern aggression, the rhetoric and personal attacks and destruction of the individual has been paramount. Look at the French Revolution.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Perfect example of that.
Speaker 2:It is.
Speaker 1:That is what you are proposing is a French Revolution.
Speaker 2:I've been saying that for years.
Speaker 1:The French Revolution didn't exactly work out very well.
Speaker 2:Well, it worked out pretty well. No, it did not. What do you mean it?
Speaker 1:did not. The French Revolution devolved into a socialist communist. Just crap, that fell apart uh okay.
Speaker 2:Well, you're jumping about 100 years there, but uh sure okay, uh I'm, I'm telling you the problem with tolerating.
Speaker 1:I can get on board with the use of some, you know, homemade guillotines and stuff like that for certain things that part of the French Revolution, maybe depending if we get there or not but, the problem is, when you put brother against brother and you're no longer fighting for an ideal but you're well, if I don't destroy them, they're going to destroy me. That becomes an all-out vicious thing that it doesn't necessarily have to be, and if you limit what you're doing, then you limit the overall damage. That that's all I'm saying.
Speaker 2:If you could prevent the French.
Speaker 1:Revolution or the.
Speaker 2:Russian Revolution or the Chinese?
Speaker 1:Revolution? I don't think you can.
Speaker 2:But you don't know, but if you could prevent those.
Speaker 1:I think history shows that you can't.
Speaker 2:What history shows is a lot of people have been saying what you're saying, which is, well, don't do things that shame somebody. That's not good. And then next thing you know, you're actually fighting in the war of bullets and I think a lot of times.
Speaker 1:The war with bullets is inevitable well, okay, that's fine.
Speaker 2:You can think that, but I'm trying to avoid the war with the bullets argentina the only way out war with bullets.
Speaker 1:The uk the only way out probably a war with bullets you mean like right now yeah it sure is looking that way, but but again I think that if, if you, uh, which, by the way that I get uh, you know, extradited for saying stuff like that oh yeah, yeah, I heard about that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we can. We can wrap this up pretty quick, because I enjoy this kind of stuff uh immensely, but I know that some people don't uh like you, so we can move on I do enjoy this stuff, gene.
Speaker 1:I'm just, you know, I don't know that the listeners want to hear us bicker.
Speaker 2:Oh, they love it, it's not bickering it's, and we should probably rename the podcast to this week in debate but uh, just two bickering boys. Actually, I kind of like the sound of that. I'm almost tempted to get an AI-generated musical piece for two bickering boys.
Speaker 1:Uh-huh, uh-huh.
Speaker 2:Now, this was before your time, but I'm sure you're familiar with it. The thing that I've always loved is the two old guys in the balcony on the muppet show it's not before my time were they still making muppets I thought jim hansen literally died before you were a kid I'm okay. Well, I watched the muppets okay, all right, but you remember the two old guys in the balcony uh-huh yeah, those guys were awesome. Uh, some people even know their names. I can't remember their names. I.
Speaker 1:I don't remember their names.
Speaker 2:They have very unusual names like Durwood or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all I hear sometimes when you talk to those derpy, derpy, derp.
Speaker 2:I know and that's the problem with you, dude is you've got to get past that. You've got to actually pay attention.
Speaker 1:I'm like triple-tasking.
Speaker 2:Here I'm having a drink, I'm playing a video game, I'm talking to you, the the peanuts teacher. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, yeah, that was that was called. Uh, no budget for another actor. Um, so, yeah, let's, uh, let's shift uh gears a little bit then.
Speaker 1:So the UK? Yeah, they've arrested a little over 3,000 people for social media posts.
Speaker 2:Holy shit, I didn't realize it was that many. I thought it was a handful.
Speaker 1:No 3,000.
Speaker 2:Wow, and they have threatened to arrest people in other countries I saw that they they have.
Speaker 1:In fact, they've even threatened elon musk that's right. Yeah, that's right so, and I don't think they would go after elon musk first. In fact I think they'd probably go after well, someone like you or I that doesn't have a big presence first, and if we can get extradition there, then you know hey first they start with the oligarchs.
Speaker 2:Next thing you know they're going after us in the uk yeah, um, I, I, I.
Speaker 1:I sent you a thing that I don't know if it's actually from Clarkson or not. I haven't been able to validate it, but his theoretical comments on the current issues Did you just send it?
Speaker 2:No, I sent it last night.
Speaker 1:You liked it on Twitter.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that was pretty good. Yeah, but all I can say is that sounds like the seasoned vinegar was pretty good as well that you sent me okay, are we going from? We should make that vinegar, no no, no, but we should make that link public. I know a lot of people like foodie stuff, so okay, well okay, I'll make it public.
Speaker 1:Yeah it was actually a john devvorak recommendation.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, so it is public. So it's in his tweets.
Speaker 1:It's somewhere, but yeah, it's a spiced vinegar. That is just awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and.
Speaker 1:I love vinegar.
Speaker 2:Let's get back to the UK.
Speaker 1:Okay, squirrel, exactly, anyway. So yeah, the UK is literally arresting people for Facebook posts, retweets and comments. So if you comment on the wrong post, that can be an endorsement of hate speech, regardless of what your comment said.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm, this is so. This is the kind of thing where we have to have that very fine a post. You put on X here, dude named Ben, and we're going to extradite you to the UK. Yeah, I'd go. Okay, one second. Go back into my bedroom, come out and say, yeah, leave my property now.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Like line in the sand sand now you believe in property rights my private property, absolutely, um, what I? What I would say is there have to be lines in the sand where you are. You can try and come arrest me for something like that. It's not fucking happening yeah, like that is an area where I, I and other people may die before I go to jail over there yeah, uh, yeah, I don't disagree with that.
Speaker 2:I I think that the the uk has been a socialist country.
Speaker 1:Now probably about 20 years or so, selected a massive socialist government.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's showing and this is what happens with socialism is the socialists get in using the methods and tactics that are allowed by non-socialists, thinking everyone's not a socialist. They leverage that and then, as soon as they're in, they start implementing new laws and measures. Not even laws necessarily, they just arbitrarily come up with shit and disregard what's been done in the past. And this is what I'm trying to prevent this is where we are today in this country is we're on the verge of having a socialist takeover like that.
Speaker 1:So the UK started its socialist transition pre-world war ii, right that's orwell everyone road to wigan pier there was definitely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there was. There's a lot of poor people in the uk which are aka useful idiots and there has been a long-standing trend of socialism is a good thing in the uk, but the rest of the populace has managed to keep it at bay.
Speaker 1:Keep them at bay, um I disagree I think up until has gone down the socialist rabbit hole since, at the very latest, you could say the 60s I, I don't, I would not put it in the 60s I think that there's been a lot of socialist movement, but I would not consider the UK to be a socialist country.
Speaker 2:Certainly was not in the 80s, was not when.
Speaker 1:Margaret Thatcher was in power. Thatcher that was, you know, not necessarily a socialist or a communist, but definitely a totalitarian.
Speaker 2:in many ways I'm not a fan of Thatcher or reagan, so don't don't get me started there um, but nonetheless I I would say it's definitely been within my lifetime, and I'd say the last 20 years is there's been more and more frequent examples of just how socialist uk is watching jeremy Jeremy Clarkson's farm is like an education in socialism, frankly and how the UK has gone down the toilet. Maybe there's a reason that the UK peasants needed to be organized by the upper class class is because if they were left to their own devices, they would have become socialists yeah, well, all I can tell you is we are headed for, I think, civil war in the uk.
Speaker 1:I don't think this is going to stop, I think. Did you see the song I reposted?
Speaker 2:X. Yeah, how long ago.
Speaker 1:Last night. It's very Oliver Anthony-esque.
Speaker 2:Oh is it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's Irish British.
Speaker 2:Scottish.
Speaker 1:Okay, and then there's posts, you know, of Belfast, of people throwing Molotov cocktails at police cars. So I think nature is healing itself right. I think the return to the troubles is very much coming and I think it's going to be a lot bigger and broader than just Northern Ireland.
Speaker 1:So I hate to say it, but I think the UK is headed for a very quick, violent political correction. I think Argentina is as well. I think France is on the verge of it and I think, if you look at what's going on in China and some of the rumors and things that are coming out of there, some of the leaked things that are being attributed to Xi if at all true whatsoever I think China may be looking at the verge of civil war.
Speaker 2:That would be interesting. That would be interesting. The Elon Musk picture that you retweeted is freaking hilarious.
Speaker 1:The meme of the four black dudes and a girl.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, and the four Hajis and the.
Speaker 1:British policeman yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I've actually tweeted on this exact same topic.
Speaker 1:By the way, do you know the origin of the term Haji?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:So this was a cartoon when I was a kid, Johnny Quest.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:And in fact I think it was like Scooby-Doo. It was in reruns, but Johnny Quest.
Speaker 2:I thought it was a 60s cartoon.
Speaker 1:It may be, but I watched it as a kid and one of the things I'm re-watching it with my kids now. And one of his best friends is a Muslim whose name is Haji and you know, sim sim salabim. There's some tropes there, but you know, it's very interesting that this was all set up, but that's where that comes from, so yeah, Okay, I thought it just meant pilgrim, but okay. Well, that's the Hajjj, but the haji yeah, it's a.
Speaker 2:I thought the haji is a person who's on pilgrimage right, but the reference okay, well, whatever, anyway, the the um. I I vaguely recall jenny quest, but I it seemed to me like that was already in reruns when I was a kid, but so was scooby-doo. That was already in reruns when I was a kid, but so was Scooby-Doo that was already in reruns.
Speaker 1:The new Scooby-Doo sucks, by the way.
Speaker 2:I could imagine it's pretty woke.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Don't let your kids watch it.
Speaker 2:It's as expected for anything being created these days, unless it's alternative anything being created these days unless it's, uh, alternative, um, yeah, that so what I commented on previously on x. Uh, it was based on watching this uh youtube channel called the apologetics road show. I don't know if you've seen it, no, um, so it's. It's basically, uh, a christian dude who is a born-again Christian and extremely well-versed in the Quran, pointing out things that either most Muslims don't understand because they're useful idiots, or they do understand and they're obfuscating it because they don't want the West to understand. And then his uh partner on that show is a guy that's turkish, that grew up in turkey in a islam family and is now, uh, you know, is an apostate. He's uh, he's uh. If he ever goes back, he'll be killed, probably.
Speaker 1:So very good show. You know, one of the things that a lot of people and this was actually addressed on Joe Rogan relatively recently that people are starting to see, but something that is true is you have a culture of inbreeding that exists. That is pretty problematic. That helps to create those useful idiots because, quite frankly, it lowers IQ.
Speaker 2:You know, traditions of Elaria don't need to be talked about in those types of words.
Speaker 1:Why.
Speaker 2:Because it's a great country and a great culture I don't you're, I'm missing something. Uh, you are, you are yeah, I just jumps, jump to uh the uh valerians, the uh from oh, valeria, okay, I didn't hear what you said. Yeah, okay, well then what you keep hearing? Blah, blah, blah. Well, you keep hearing wah, wah, wah, wah wah.
Speaker 1:Pretty much yeah. Jesus Christ Something like that, like squirrel yes, I know when.
Speaker 2:I heard you talking about inbreeding. I'm like oh yeah that's a whole thing.
Speaker 1:Have you ever read the Song of Ice and Fire?
Speaker 2:No, no, I started reading, I think in book one, and I did not ever get very far.
Speaker 1:Okay, I don't normally like that type of fiction, like I'm struggling to get through Tolkien because I just don't like fantasy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I prefer sci-fi more than fantasy, but I've read some fantasy.
Speaker 1:But I will say the Game of Thrones books or the Song of Ice and Fire is very, very good and very well done.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm watching the Dance of the Dragons right now. So that's the current thing.
Speaker 1:House of.
Speaker 2:Dragons no, it's the dance. I'm pretty sure it's the dance.
Speaker 1:Okay, you're on, it's okay.
Speaker 2:I'm pretty sure, anyway. So getting back to what I was saying, so the thing that I noticed from watching that show and interviews they're doing with other people, that like escaped Islam and stuff, is that the methods utilized in the Iranian revolution, in the Iranian revolution even though it was not a socialist revolution were very, very similar to the same methods utilized in the Chinese revolution and the Russian revolution, which is a general populace that is unhappy with the current ruler, which was the case with the American. The Western installed Shah of Iran. With the American, the Western installed Shah of Iran.
Speaker 2:There was widespread dislike of him of multiple groups and through that combined dislike, much like in the other revolutions, he gets toppled and as was the case in China and Russia with the communists, it was the same way. And Russia with the communists it was the same way, but not with the communists, but rather with a particular Islamist sect in Iran that went in, utilized the useful idiots, captured power and quickly started deporting and imprisoning the useful idiots. So they don't interfere with them again Because, remember, if you're involved in a revolution that is successful, the party that is controlling after the revolution, the revolution never stops. Well, they need to make sure you don't do it again.
Speaker 1:Can we point out something? This is the difference between the American Revolution, the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution. The French Revolution and the Russian Revolution, because the American Revolution was very much founded in English common law, magna Carta principles and was a very limited war in that they weren't seeking to overthrow the British government, they were seeking to enforce rights that they felt that they had.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Period and that is a key difference here and why the American Revolution. You know there were some rebellions and some things here and there and you can argue that the drafting of the Constitution was attrition in this act, but regardless.
Speaker 2:I want to get more into that in future episodes because I know people have been asking for you to talk more about that, really Okay.
Speaker 1:I'm happy to. But regardless, what it comes down to is it was a very limited revolution. The revolution didn't continue afterwards. The revolution didn't continue afterwards Even when you had people like John Adams and the Seditions Act and things like that. It was A largely ignored and B considered very shameful of him it in history saying how could he have done that? Well, because he was kind of more your type of ideologue going that way. Whereas when you look at washington, and jefferson.
Speaker 2:It was much limited right it was. It was more of a separatist type revolution. It was very much in character with the people that left europe to begin with they wanted to be left alone and go somewhere else and do their thing yes, the rugged, individual well, there was all kinds, though remember it wasn't necessarily the rugged individual in the early days.
Speaker 2:I mean there were plenty of religious zealots that left because the, the practice of their particular version of Christianity was not particularly approved of in France or in England. So it was like leave us alone with an exclamation mark, type revolution versus a. This country that we all live in and we consider ours needs a new form of government. So it is very different from Russian or Chinese or Iranian revolution. It's probably closer to some of the African, not even so much that because they were conquered. But I don't know. I don't know of a good example of another revolution that happened. I don't know of a good example of another revolution that happened.
Speaker 2:Maybe some of the countries that came out of the Ottoman Empire maybe I don't know, it's hard to say, but, yeah, very different from the two or three big ones that we were talking about. But anyway, the point being that if you are participating in a revolution, your group is, or you individually doesn't really matter and you're not part of the group that ends up holding power, that ends up being the government post-revolution. You better get the hell out of there. Because you are on on the list, as I'm sure Ben would think I'd like to say because you're now demonstrated your ability and interest in overthrowing the government, and the next government post-revolution does not want to be overthrown, to be overthrown, and so it is in their best interest to get rid of everybody that they worked with to have a revolution who aren't directly within the party.
Speaker 1:Well, and even when you are in the party, the party has purges. That's been seen over and, over and over again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, that's's absolutely true. But I'm just saying as like you had better hope that when you're in the revolution, that your side actually gets to govern, because if they don't, you're kind of fucked because now you just fought a revolution for some place, you're gonna have to leave.
Speaker 1:Yeah, indeed you know, like the confederados and others you know, like the confederados and others, the confederate who are the confederados? After the uh, after the civil war, a large group of confederates went down to latin america oh and founded uh uh, some settlements and they became an interbred and everything else you know because they were so racist. I mean, you know they didn't, but they kept their culture. And if you go to certain parts of latin america you'll find the confederados really wow, I did not know that.
Speaker 2:Yep what? Uh, just any random place or any particular country they settle in oh, I'd have to go back and look okay no worries, yeah, it's. Uh, that's in brazil. Oh wow, there. Brazil seems to attract all kinds, doesn't it?
Speaker 1:yep, but uh, anyway, the the confederados still celebrate and uh do, uh lots of like reenactments and history migration. They teach english to their kids uh, I'll send you the wikipedia article okay, but yeah, it's because I was watching a program on the anyway apparently they settled in different remote parts of the amazon. And yeah, and I read so what?
Speaker 2:why do I have to breathe? Why? What's the deal with it and breathing?
Speaker 1:well, I'm just saying they don't, they're not they the confederate the modern confederados are, because I'm making a point that the confederates weren't fucking racist like they just went down there and integrated into the culture and brought their own culture, anyway, okay, um, yeah, it's like what happened to roanoke.
Speaker 2:Oh, I don't know we've got a lot of and brought their own culture Anyway.
Speaker 1:Okay, it's like what happened to Roanoke? Oh, I don't know. We've got a lot of Indians with blue eyes. Gee, I wonder what happened to Roanoke. It's that sort of thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I was watching a video on the Germans in Texas, texas Germans, whatever you want to call them and how, after like seven generations, they're still teaching German, yeah, although, uh, as the German speaker watching that video thought, well, he could understand them. They had the weirdest accent because at first they sounded Bavarian, but then they sounded like they're from, uh, north Germany, and then they said, like their accents seem to be jumping, and I think that's because people came from different parts of germany to settle in texas not all from the same part and so the accents that survived are kind of a mix, which is interesting they also pronounce fredericksburg, friedrichsburg, which is very Yiddish sounding.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so yeah, confederate, emerges some 20,000 Southerners from 12 states who preferred Brazilian wilderness to life under the Union rule. After the. Civil War.
Speaker 2:Yep, okay, birth to the confederados anyway makes sense you learn something every day yeah, I definitely learned that I did not, was not aware that was a movement, certainly not of that size.
Speaker 1:That's well and then you had others that uh led uh went to territories like dixie idaho it. It was founded by Confederate exiles.
Speaker 2:So where are we going to go, Ben, if the Texas happens and is unsuccessful?
Speaker 1:We're going to have to leave.
Speaker 2:You realize that right.
Speaker 1:Oh, no, no.
Speaker 2:Because they bury me in southern ground.
Speaker 1:man, that being Brazil, you mean, I don't think that's the problem is, this is the last stand on earth. There is no place to go that's mars baby mars sure if we had the technology, but I think that would be a pretty authoritarian state, so not exactly where I want to live.
Speaker 2:I don't know why you think Moscovia will be authoritarian at all.
Speaker 1:Because I think anytime you have limited oxygen supply and have to control people's behavior and limit their water consumption and everything else, you have to be authoritarian to it. That sounds like total recall to me yeah, exactly you read total recall right uh, I didn't even know it was a book. I watched the schwarzenegger movie as a kid yeah, the uh bar scene was one of my favorites, yeah he made good movies when we were young. Yeah, you're totally just skipping over it, but that's fine.
Speaker 2:It's what the bar scene.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Why am I skipping over it?
Speaker 1:It's obviously not connecting with you, but it's fine, others will get the joke.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to remember the bar scene. I don't remember the bar scene, the three-boobed lady Gene the what?
Speaker 1:The three-boobed lady. Oh, the three-boobed lady.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay. I thought the funniest thing was the.
Speaker 1:No, no, this is as a kid, gene. It wasn't about funny. You're missing the point.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, you wanted milk, I get it. We're watching it as a baby going gaga, goo, goo boobs. That's the best more like as a adolescent ah, okay, anyway, so you must have been watching in a rerun, son of course yeah it's uh.
Speaker 2:I thought the scene at the airport was pretty good with the the the fat lady costume okay yeah, busts out of yeah yeah, we're getting more towards reality these days yeah well, I don't know, ma'am, I I'm, uh obviously a big fan of elon mus Musk. So even if it's authoritarian government, as long as he's running it, we know there's going to be good memes uh, dude, there's a post about nato hits russian airbase with massive ballistic missile on x or where would you see?
Speaker 1:yeah huh I, I pray. This is not true.
Speaker 2:Hmm.
Speaker 1:But anyway, we'll have to see on that. I haven't validated that at all. I just sent you the link.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'll check it out. Yeah, the newest thing I see on X is Jack Black's Borderlands earns just $1 million in the box office.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Jack Black committed career suicide.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. I think so, and well it's too bad.
Speaker 1:Let's put it this way Kevin committed career suicide and Jack nodded his head Exactly.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's true. Jack was not the one that said it, jack just nodded his head.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, and you know what I would?
Speaker 2:say though know your audience, people know your audience what?
Speaker 1:I would say again is I have no problem with people saying hey, I want a refund for my tickets that I bought because I think what you said was disgusting and I don't like it. I want this done and back Right.
Speaker 2:Well, they shouldn't be. They shouldn't have to lose their jobs for their beliefs.
Speaker 1:No, they shouldn't.
Speaker 2:So people shouldn't be allowed to get refunds.
Speaker 1:No, they should be allowed to get refunds. That's that's. But the insurance companies canceling them, and we've already had this conversation I know, I know the insurance companies canceling them and the bullshit around. That is the problem yeah, and and I.
Speaker 2:It is kind of a dick move. However, I will say that the insurance companies are still owned by somebody.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Well, people are involved, people have opinions and I'm pretty sure the insurance company can tell you for any reason.
Speaker 1:Okay, then insurance should not be required?
Speaker 2:That's a good question, Ben. If you own a venue, should you be able to require that anyone that uses your venue that?
Speaker 1:you own have insurance or not.
Speaker 2:Uh, it's private contractually yeah, contractually, but you're okay with it contractually right yes, but I'm talking about the government mandating.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yeah, none of yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:None of this should be. Anything that I've said about any kind of requirements does not apply to the government. These are all personal, private contracts with either companies or people. Yeah, the government should just stay out of everything. Yeah, just provide an army in case of foreign invasion or attack. That's it.
Speaker 1:On other news on gun news, palmetto state and a couple other websites have had some interesting law enforcement trade-ins lately yeah, I know, it sounds really good, yeah, that one, uh, some sig p uh 226s, which uh is arguably one of the most reliable handguns ever made For.
Speaker 1:You know, generally the models that we're seeing come in on law enforcement trade-in are $1,000 plus guns right. They are probably about five years old, based off of the serial numbers and everything else that I'm seeing and you can, depending on the website. Palmetto State's had them as cheap as like 400-something bucks. Some others have been a little bit more. I think Palmetto State even had them down to three-something with one magazine. Some of the other websites have been in the the 400 range, but either way, good deal and uh a what was it aim surplus that I ended up ordering mine from? Because palmetto was sold out when I.
Speaker 2:They're sold out wow uh, they.
Speaker 1:And then the very next day they posted more, which I could have gotten a slightly better deal from Palmetto. But at the same time we've got some versions in 40 cal and 9mm floating out there, aim Surplus. Have you looked at that website before? Uh-uh, you ought to.
Speaker 1:It looks pretty interesting They've got a lot of military and police trade-ins and anyway I was able to also from them pick up some surplus magazines cheap, so it kind of all works out, but either way a great deal on a arguably one of the most reliable handguns ever made, so something to consider I've been a fan of getting police refurb guns for one very simple reason, which is they're almost not used at all the the biggest yeah, it's exactly right.
Speaker 2:The. The biggest where you'll see on the gun is on on the slide itself, because it's typically holstered on unholstered once a day or twice a day or whatever it's. It's shot way less than it's ever holstered and unholstered. A five-year-old gun is, very realistically, probably only been shot between 250 and 500 times, which is what Ben calls a weekend. So it is a very lightly used gun. Most guns you will buy just from gun people will be shot way, way more than police guns. So if you want to get your hands on a very uh big, you know well discounted, lightly used gun, police guns are a good way to go.
Speaker 1:And I.
Speaker 2:I was just going to wrap up and say, you know I I had purchased, about a year ago I think now, a police SIG rifle. I forget the model number now but I remember talking about it when I got it. But it was the same kind of deal. It was like this was the best deal ever.
Speaker 1:The rifles were shot even less.
Speaker 2:It was the chief of police's personal gun from Frisco.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it was never fucking fired.
Speaker 2:It's never been fired, exactly.
Speaker 1:Last thing I'll say is you know, even if this gun, when I get it, has a bunch of slide wear or whatever my plan is, I've already talked to the local gun shop and everything I'm going to get get you know, uh, spend another hundred dollars on cerakote, on it and it'll be a brand new gun as far as I'm concerned, you know what color are you going with?
Speaker 2:pink no, I will not be going with well, you did a pretty good job with doing your own uh gun painting on yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a little different, though.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, the the you know, just traditional black. What are you going to get for your surcoat? No, no, I'll probably go with like od green okay desert tan or something, something just basic you're gonna have to match your finish on it.
Speaker 1:Your tavor color wise no, I'm not worried about that at all okay, you don't like matching guns I don't really care and I but I am really thinking about having the Tavor cerakoted you mentioned that yeah, I think I'm gonna have the whole thing done in a multicam.
Speaker 2:I just I can't get past just having a gun that's not black. I don't know, I just keep thinking it just I don't. The last thing I want is to be wearing all black and have my gun jumping out at people because it's not black well, why would you be wearing all black? Because that's that's the only beauty use I have, is all black well, why would you now get camo black'sitter not in the woods?
Speaker 2:yeah, that's arguable it's no, it's not yeah, if you're gonna be, uh, out there in the woods and in the middle of the day, sure, but uh, if you're gonna be at at night, then Black Spinner.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Well, or just wear orange and everyone will just assume you're a hunter, because you know that would make sense. You have a gun, you're wearing orange. You're clearly no threat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh man, all right, anything else we want to cover?
Speaker 2:I feel like there was more stuff that happened that we didn't talk about.
Speaker 1:Well, I was trying to talk about Tim Waltz and we never got to the you know. Well, I talked about him.
Speaker 2:What do you want to? Never got to the? Uh, you know well, I talked about it. What do you want to? So that's an accusation? Has there been a actual verification?
Speaker 1:of this accusation. I mean, there's been as much verification of the couch. So tell people what the accusation is okay so because I'm on a scale from how much people like uh horses, there's elmer's and then there's Tim Waltz.
Speaker 2:That is way too cryptic.
Speaker 1:There's an accusation that he had to have his stomach pumped after ingesting horse ejaculate.
Speaker 2:Now why would you need to have your stomach pumped if you ingested horse ejaculate?
Speaker 1:I don't know Too much. It makes no sense to me.
Speaker 2:It no sense, it's protein, neither does jd vance fucking a couch, how do?
Speaker 1:you fuck a couch.
Speaker 2:I don't know the in between the cushions, you know it's got to be a fancy couch if it's got a built-in hole like that my point is the absurdity of both of these claims is just insane and makes no difference these sound like 4chan memes they do, don't, they are yeah yes, that does not sound like anything coming out of reality agreed agreed. I don't think jd vance needs to fuck a couch.
Speaker 1:He's got a couple kids oh hey, you might want to rephrase that okay, that's a good point.
Speaker 2:Maybe he doesn't need to fuck a couch.
Speaker 1:That's a good point you really might want to rephrase that uh well, no, no, I see, I see what.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, successfully fucked his wife and produced a couple of kids. That's what you meant to say there, gene. I did not imply that there's anything to the rumor circulating that JD Vance has got a couple of kids and therefore doesn't need to fuck his couch. Yeah uh-huh, Jesus Christ, I can't believe people are calling JD Vance a pedophile. That's crazy man. I don't understand why people are calling JD Vance a pedophile. That's crazy man. I don't understand why people would do that.
Speaker 1:Way to defend yourself there, Gene Throw the other guy under the bus. Throw the other guy under the bus.
Speaker 2:Hey man, it's a war.
Speaker 1:Well, according to Elon Musk, it is.
Speaker 2:It is. Did you see that post? Yeah, Elon's the guy man.
Speaker 1:Well, we'll see Anyone who seeks power I am very distrustful of. So there's that.
Speaker 2:That's a fair policy. I think that's not a bad way to go. There was a cartoon about that. I'm trying to remember what it was it was. It was like a monty python type thing, I think, to where there's there's like a, a few people representing a larger group, but basically revolutionaries come and they, they topple the king and and this, uh, I think it was a John Cleese type character.
Speaker 1:Maybe it was actually John Cleese, but if not, it was somebody like him, it was a John Cleese type character played by John Cleese.
Speaker 2:Exactly. He's like okay, you know, we've decided that we're going to support you. Maybe it was like African countries and John Cleese was playing like a British dude or something, but you know we're going to help you in your revolution.
Speaker 2:And so the British help in the revolution and they topple this evil dictator and they win the revolution and the new guys all like, yes, this is great, with our help from our friends the British. And just as he says our friends the British, there's another guy from his country along with the British that are there to overthrow his government. And then so the guy that just had the revolution has now been overthrown with another revolution. And that guy says, well, thankfully we were able to get rid of that evil person that was the pretender. And just as this guy's talking and getting ready to thank the British, you see the British coming in with another guy and the British are helping them with the revolution nations that are each one is propped up by the uk from, but literally going after the guys that they just helped previously kind of sounds like the us and the taliban.
Speaker 2:And and the variety of other countries that have been held by the us over the years should not exist no comment. Uh so, but it was a funny bit. If anyone finds it, let me know, because I haven't seen it in ages.
Speaker 1:Clearly I'm not remembering it very well palmetto just posted a new deal that guns and gear just posted up. But they've got, uh, if you don't like the sig route, they have, uh, glock 17, gen 4s, which is, you know, pretty new. Uh, the patents are expired. Gen 4s, which is pretty new. The patents are expired on the Gen 3, which is what all your daggers and everything else are based off of. Anyway, le Trade-In, which they're getting a bunch of them for $319.
Speaker 2:That's a hell of a deal. Yeah, yeah, why even get a dagger at that point?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, a dagger is a. You can get a dagger for about $250. Oh, get a dagger at that point. Yeah, I mean, a dagger is a. You can get a dagger for about $250.
Speaker 2:Oh really, they're that cheap now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I will say that the dagger.
Speaker 2:They've tweaked it. Yeah, they've tweaked a few things.
Speaker 1:They have done some really nice things. Now the big difference on the Gen 3 and the Gen 4, and I think Glock is currently a Gen 5 on the 17s is really around the trigger mechanisms. There have been some improvements, but you can put in aftermarket triggers. You can do lots of things. There's two schools of thought. I don't particularly like Glocks, so that's my thing. The changes in the ergonomics that the dagger made to me are very good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and I don't have one, but I've heard you talk about that and I certainly would probably pick up a dagger in lieu of an actual glock if I bought another one. Um, I mean, I still have a actual glock, but uh, um, and you know, you, like I was very much about a year and a half ago probably, I was very much in a new gun every, uh, other week. Purchasing mode, uh, not not been into guns for a while. I've been upgrading my computer and joysticks and whatnots, but you certainly have been in the gun buying mode lately okay, you're exaggerating.
Speaker 2:Well, talking about more yes, yes, just in case your wife listens to this show, you haven't bought a damn thing in a decade, exactly. That's still one of my favorite skits little videos of the woman coming into the gun store to sell a couple of guns, and so she's saying you know, this is a blah, blah, blah, and I think my husband said it was $250 so I'd like to get like $150 for it and it's like a $1200 gun, yeah, exactly if anything ever happens to me for the love of God someone sell my guns for me so daily deal.
Speaker 1:Right now you can get a psa dagger compact extreme carry cuts.
Speaker 2:Uh, just the base model for 259 yeah, that's crazy, that's very good I mean frankly, given the inflation, that's basically like a hundred dollars during trump's presidency no shit dude, it's sad but true I got groceries today delivered before we did the podcast. Did you do a price shop comparison?
Speaker 1:Not quite, because I never get the exact same cart.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:But you know what I'll say is it's insane. You know what I'll say is it's insane. I mean, a weekly grocery trip is easily $150 to $200.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Even being pretty conservative with what you're getting.
Speaker 2:For one guy. That's what I'm paying.
Speaker 1:Well, okay, maybe you could cut back a little bit.
Speaker 2:I literally buy almost nothing and it costs that much. I did the, I sent the. We actually didn't even talk about it with Darren, but I sent him about nine different products from two years ago and from today, and the most extreme was two and a half times the price in two years, yeah.
Speaker 1:however, some things like milk only went up 55 cents or there are a couple things that have gone down too, but I don't think I had any.
Speaker 2:What would you have that one down?
Speaker 1:oh, um, I'll have to go back and look okay, but um, yeah, I mean mean there's some items that have not you know. But again, that's why inflation is looked at as a basket of goods. Yes, and that's why changing that basket of goods can change the inflation rate so drastically.
Speaker 2:Well, I'll tell you when I went to the barbecue joint two weeks ago. Oh, my God $35 per pound for brisket. I paid less than that for filet mignon guys. $35 a pound for brisket is insane.
Speaker 1:One of the things I'll say is, if you go to your local barbecue joint and they used to have prices up on the board, they probably don't anymore.
Speaker 2:No, they do. That says $35 a pound.
Speaker 1:No, no, no says 35 a pound. No, no, no, no. But my point is like the local barbecue joint here, one of them yeah uh, they had a nice wooden sign and everything and they had the. You know that because the price keeps changing, they've they've just taped over it and literally just written stuff up there, because these guys have a chalkboard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they can change prices midday. Uh, yeah, it's, but I remember the first time I went to this restaurant. So this is blacks in austin, not the original blacks, um. But uh, I went to that restaurant probably a decade ago or so the first time and I thought it was pretty good, nothing special um the back then the brisket was 12 bucks a pound. So I mean, it is 10 years, not just three years, but in the 10 years the price has tripled. Yeah, and the brisket, as you well know there's a reason, it was it's a cheap cut of meat.
Speaker 2:It's, it's. There's a reason that, like it's, it's used in in uh jewish deli foods and uh is popular with barbecue with black Americans.
Speaker 1:Because this is not your best cut of meat. It's Texas barbecue and it's just. It is a cut of meat that is absolutely delicious, but you have to cook it low and slow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:For a very long period of time.
Speaker 2:Or boil it for a long time.
Speaker 1:Don't, don't do that, that, that will ruin it.
Speaker 2:No, I'm thinking sous vide. Yeah, Not not like in water. Okay, Well, in a bag cooking in the bag in water.
Speaker 1:Jewish like deli brisket and everything else, unless you take it to the corn beef stage, not great, yeah, uh, the corned beef stage.
Speaker 2:Not great, yeah, uh, it's uh god you're an anti-semite.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, some, someday I'm gonna get, uh, a knock at the door, mr sterling uh mr ben, here you're, uh, you're accused of being an anti-semite. Uh, by who? Uh, huh, uh huh. I see how it's going to go exactly feel free to use me as a reference.
Speaker 1:Yeah, hey, with friends like that, well you know. Again I go back to the Harding quote my enemies, my enemies, I can handle. No, it's my god damn friends that keep me up at night. Exactly friends like you, gene. My enemies, my enemies I can handle. No, it's my goddamn friends that keep me up at night.
Speaker 2:Exactly, yeah, Exactly. Friends like you, Gene, yes, the best types of friends. So yeah, I've been looking through Musk's stuff and I love the fact that in between the political memes he has time to do a review of Diablo, the video game.
Speaker 1:Yeah or post about the Raptor 3 engine test fire.
Speaker 2:Well, yes, yes, but that like I would expect that. But you know, video game posts from him in the midst of all this stuff is hilarious.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Uk police commissioner threatens to extradite and jail US citizensS citizens over online posts will come after you, yeah, you know. What's sad, though, is I think the Biden administration would capitulate.
Speaker 2:I don't see how that's different from Jan 6. Honestly, it's the same kind of thing meaning frivolous, but it's the same kind of thing it's. It's a a political punishment tactic versus an actual crime committed thing. Okay, it's ridiculous. I mean the. I didn't realize that many people that are already been rounded up for Facebook posts. That's crazy.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and comparing that to what they are giving out as punishments for these.
Speaker 1:Oh, the Facebook posters are getting more time in jail than the guy who stabbed Right the girls at the dance recital.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. It's like oh, you're a immigrant, hang on, we'll give you a 95 discount off of your uh penalties. So you, uh, you know you well. You already went. Uh, you were picked up and brought to jail for a night.
Speaker 1:Okay, you've served your time, now you can go the uk has put more people in jail over this incident for wrong speech than russia has in the last year then, but not the Soviet Union.
Speaker 2:I think they still hold the record okay for putting people on in China might actually have done more than Russia, frankly, but yeah, russia, china keep. China didn't jail them, china killed them well, russia did plenty of that too during Stalin's day. I mean, russia did plenty of that too during Stalin's day.
Speaker 1:I mean there's plenty of people that said something and then were never heard from again. So Pol Pot and Mao Zedong have the record there, my friend.
Speaker 2:Yeah, here's your.
Speaker 1:UK song.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:I found it back on Twitter, but anyway.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:Cool, All right, Gene. What else you got man?
Speaker 2:I don't know, man. I think that I mean, there's always going to be stuff that I remember after we stop recording. But I think we covered a few topics. We did a little bit of debating, which some of the folks like, and I certainly am one of those folks.
Speaker 1:Well, you'll have to remind me to bring up why the Constitution and the enactment of the Constitution was an act of treason.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, because there are people. It's funny, there are people that listen to the show, have never donated and will talk to me because I know them and mention oh, yeah, yeah, no, it's that dude, he ought to be blah, blah, blah. Or then also not about you. But somebody said, yes, that co, it's, you know that dude, he ought to be blah, blah, blah, or then also not about you. But somebody said, yes, that co-host, yeah, god, he's got such a great voice, he ought to be on AM radio. And so I brought that up last show. I was like so do you think? Is that a compliment?
Speaker 1:or not a compliment. Who are they talking about, darren?
Speaker 2:Darren's got a great voice, he ought to be on am radio, not this podcast stuff. But I'm like, wait, is that a compliment or an insult? It depends, right? Uh, okay, I mean to some of us that's a compliment because you know, rush was on am radio and he arguably had one of the best voices out there and and the great, uh, political speaker as well. But also I kind of think that to the average person, saying you ought to be on AM radio sounds like an insult.
Speaker 2:I don't think so, no, no but you probably listen to him radio.
Speaker 1:I have in my life, just not in a very long time, in a long time I know same here.
Speaker 2:I may be accidentally in the car while I was trying to get something on my phone to play.
Speaker 1:I might have had am come on but, not intentionally listening to it well and you know like I had serious xm for a while but I just when they got rid, when Sirius got rid of Mike Church, I got rid of Sirius cause, like Mike Church was the reason why I had Sirius X film to listen to. I don't know if you even know who that is. I do not you should go look up Mike Church. I think you'd like some of his positions and some of it, you would go what the? But that's about where you are with me.
Speaker 2:So yeah, he's a little too catholic for my taste, but you know, at the same time he's you enjoyed watching, listening, uh, listening to him, yeah yeah yeah, that's interesting. Well, it's um focus seems to be shifting off europe right now and on to the UK, which I think Europe is thankful for, but whatever is happening in the UK is likely to happen even more so in Europe in terms of laws and people getting arrested for saying things. I don't think UK is anywhere unique in this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you want to know something funny.
Speaker 2:Hmm.
Speaker 1:I have three trips that are still TBD, and two of them are to the UK and Europe.
Speaker 2:Well, if something goes down, we'll know why.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I, I, I just, I don't know. Yeah, so I may not have to be extradited I just may be, you may be.
Speaker 2:It's like uh, mr sterling, uh, come with us. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Uh, you're being advised that uh, the york a uh law order, uh has determined, and I mean these are serious times. They're giving people like three months.
Speaker 1:Or longer yeah.
Speaker 2:For posting something. Holy shit, that's crazy. Yeah, yeah, I don't know man, I hope that there's still enough people in the UK left to have a revolution, but I'm not holding my breath on it. I think, the more likely scenario is that Sharia law becomes law in the UK. Left to have a revolution, but I'm not holding my breath on it. I think the more likely scenario is that Sharia law becomes law in the UK.
Speaker 1:All I can say is listen to the song the Men Behind the Wire.
Speaker 2:Okay, we'll definitely check it out.
Speaker 1:Armored cars and tanks and guns. They came away to take our sons.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I just, I don't know't, know, man, I don't have a good feeling about the uk after watching german collections farm oh well, all I can say is uh, if there's any hope, they gotta learn some lessons from the ira yeah, yeah. Well, look at you advocating bombs and I didn't advocate anything.
Speaker 1:I'm saying you got to learn from it. I mean, if you wouldn't have been arrested before now.
Speaker 2:you're definitely going to get arrested after saying this. Learn from the IRA what this show does not condone terrorist acts.
Speaker 1:Not at all.
Speaker 2:All right, well, before you get into any further trouble, let's wrap up for this week. Uh and uh. Frankly, we ought to be freaking, sponsored by uh palmetto state, given how much we talk about them it's not just them, but yeah but it's them a lot like I probably at least every other episode.
Speaker 1:What do you want from?
Speaker 2:me Money. I want money from them, not from you. We should approach them and see if we can get some kind of something they're going to listen to.
Speaker 1:one bit of our, content and go, yeah, no.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, exactly. Well, you never know. You never know Some of these gun manufacturers, including Palmetto, incidentally, because you forwarded me the link of the interview with the guys that started it, I think they've got a pretty similar mindset to us when it comes to politics.
Speaker 1:To an extent.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm. Yep, all right, ben, see you next week.
Speaker 1:See you, Gene.
