A Nut Job Way Of Looking At The World

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: A Nut Job Way Of Looking At The World
Date: January 14, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

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Overview

This episode features Armstrong & Getty’s trademark blend of humor, cultural commentary, and pointed skepticism as they cover several topics: the turning tides of Gen Z slang, political posturing on economic issues, corporate housing, the challenge of balancing personal principles with policy realities, the indictment of actor Tim Busfield, the roots of envy in wealth politics, and a critical analysis of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the military.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gen Z Slang Breakdown

[02:35–05:15]

• Joe plays a clip of common Gen Z slang alongside their “translations” for older generations—terms like "Ohio" (weird), "skibidi" (random), "Riz" (swag/game), "no cap" (no lie), "busin" (dope), etc.
• Jack and Joe poke fun at their generational gap in understanding youth slang; Jack admits he has little interest but a mild linguistic curiosity.
• “It comes and goes so fast. So I don't try to memorize it or anything.” – Joe Getty [04:24]

2. Political Posturing on Affordability & Housing

[05:35–12:03]

• Discussion shifts to Trump and other politicians making affordability a central midterms issue. Specific policies proposed: banning large investors from buying single-family homes; capping credit-card rates; pressuring the Fed to lower interest rates.
• Skepticism about efficacy and whether proposals are genuine policy or just election talking points.
• Armstrong denounces corporate and foreign conglomerates buying up homes, especially in regulated markets where new housing can’t easily be built:
  “It pains me to make that argument. But I just, I despise the idea of Chinese oligarchs buying up all of these starter homes in an area.” – Jack Armstrong [11:06]
• Armstrong & Getty wrestle with libertarian free-market principles versus the real-world constraints and unintended consequences of government regulation.

3. The Limits of Principles in a Complex World

[12:03–13:28]

• The hosts philosophize about trying to hold steadfast principles in a world with conflicting realities.
  “There are endless examples of where they run into the real world and you have to give a little bit on them to make things work, usually because there are other realities.” – Joe Getty [12:45]
• Example: open borders vs. the existence of the welfare state.
• Jack muses, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, about the futility of being endlessly outraged at government waste and fraud, referencing welfare as “a theft program that is occasionally exploited by the needy.” [13:23]

4. Tim Busfield Allegations and the Nature of Fame

[16:50–21:41]

• Detailed reporting on actor Tim Busfield’s recent arrest for alleged child abuse during TV production; Busfield denies the charges.
• The hosts express their personal acquaintance with Busfield and refuse to speculate on guilt/innocence. “He is a lovely and thoughtful guy but I have nothing upon which to base an opinion in either direction because who knows what sexual evil lurks in the hearts of any of us?” – Jack Armstrong [18:18]
• They reflect on Busfield’s lesson to them about the ephemeral, externally bestowed nature of fame:
  “Fame isn't something you have, fame is something they have.” – Jack Armstrong quoting Busfield [21:09]

5. Havana Syndrome Update

[24:24–25:27]

• Joe recaps new developments: U.S. officials are investigating a device that could explain diplomats’ mysterious illnesses (“Havana Syndrome”), with Russian components possibly implicated.
• Jack remains skeptical against past speculation that symptoms were “psychosomatic.”

6. Human Nature, Fairness, and the Wealth Tax Debate

[26:01–33:38]

• In-depth dialogue on the instinctive human sense of fairness, and its distortion in modern wealth and tax debates.
• Deep dive into California’s proposed “one-time” wealth tax on billionaires. Both hosts deem it problematic and likely to chase the wealthy out of state, leaving no net gain.
• They criticize envy-driven politics:
  “It's a nut job way of looking at the world. Do you have enough right now? ...and if you can say yes to that, who gives a crap if there's a billionaire somewhere?” – Joe Getty [30:15]
• Jack reflects on the universal, self-defeating nature of envy:
  “If you'd like to make yourself completely insane, base your happiness on what other people have.” [31:03]
• Both locate these impulses in ancient tribal instincts poorly adapted to modern society.

7. DEI and the U.S. Military Recruitment Crisis

[37:39–44:25]

• Discussion of new book “The Lost Generation” and its findings that DEI policies in media, academia, and the military have led to counterproductive outcomes.
• DEI-driven quotas and perceptions have notably driven down white male (and overall male) military recruitment. “By signaling that white men were less welcome, DEI initiatives pushed thousands of them away from military service.” – Joe Getty [40:04]
• Armstrong denounces DEI, equating equity with “Marxism,” and argues the inclusion only ever brings more leftists to the table, not true diversity.
• Strong condemnation of experimenting with social engineering in the armed forces:
  “We don't do any of these cultural experiments on the military. Military is separate ...you don’t get to touch the military with these various experiments in crafting utopia. Right, because it's too important.” – Joe Getty [42:10]
• Hosts point to declining trust and recruitment among groups DEI claims to benefit, and note recent trends toward self-selection away from affirmative-action admissions.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It pains me to make that argument. But I just, I despise the idea of Chinese oligarchs buying up all of these starter homes in an area.” – Jack Armstrong [11:12]
• “There are endless examples of where [your principles] run into the real world and you have to give a little bit on them to make things work.” – Joe Getty [12:45]
• “Fame isn't something you have, fame is something they have.” – Tim Busfield via Jack Armstrong [21:09]
• “It's a nut job way of looking at the world. Do you have enough right now? ...if you can say yes to that, who gives a crap if there's a billionaire somewhere?” – Joe Getty [30:15]
• “If you'd like to make yourself completely insane, base your happiness on what other people have.” – Jack Armstrong [31:03]
• “By signaling that white men were less welcome, DEI initiatives pushed thousands of them away from military service.” – Joe Getty [40:04]
• “We don't do any of these cultural experiments on the military. ... it's too important.” – Joe Getty [42:10]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:35–05:15: Gen Z Slang explained and ridiculed
• 05:35–12:03: Political proposals on affordability & housing; free market vs. regulation
• 16:50–21:41: Tim Busfield allegations & reflections on the nature of fame
• 24:24–25:27: Havana Syndrome device breakthrough
• 26:01–33:38: Human fairness, wealth tax debate, and envy in politics
• 37:39–44:25: DEI, military recruitment, and the dangers of ideology in the armed forces

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Tone & Style

The hosts employ a colloquial, irreverent, occasionally biting tone, blending humor with pointed social commentary. Jack often adopts a skeptical pragmatism while Joe provides a slightly more earnest counterpoint, with both routinely mocking political correctness and the excesses of current political discourse.

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For Listeners

This episode is a classic Armstrong & Getty deep-dive on the anxieties and contradictions of modern American life: cultural change, economic dislocation, justice vs. principle, and the pitfalls of envy and ideology. It will particularly resonate with those skeptical of political fads and hungry for forthright, unvarnished commentary.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Jack Armstrong]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. Armstrong and Getty Enough Armstrong and Yeti.

[Joe Getty]

So I haven't heard this yet. This is an adult translating Gen Z words for older people.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now hang on a second. Gen Z, that's.

[Joe Getty]

Which one is that?

[Jack Armstrong]

Is that people like the young teens and early twenties, right? The people that went through the Great Depression? I don't believe so.

[Joe Getty]

No, no, it's the younger people, okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's the youngsters.

[Joe Getty]

All right. Ohio is weird. Bogus. Skibidi is random, is off the wall. Riz is Swag is game, Rizzler is player Is Mack Daddy no cap is no lie for real Sus is shady sketchy Gyat is dump truck booty caught in 4k is exposed busted meat riding is simping brown nosing pressed is butt hurt bent out of shape Bussin is bomb dope.

[Jack Armstrong]

So kind of relates it to the slang of a previous generation or two.

[Joe Getty]

I wish I had that written down in front of me because there were several of those that went by. So I know for a fact a couple of those I've used with my sophomore in high school. And he said, dad, nobody says that anymore. But several of those my son does use currently. Like Ohio gets used a lot. I don't know why the poor state of Ohio came to represent. We play the very beginning of that again. Ohio is weird. Bogus. Yeah, yeah. Ohio gets it.

[Jack Armstrong]

That is so Ohio.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, he uses that now and then.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know, as a guy with an empty nest. I can't imagine anything I have less interest in knowing than the it's momentary slang of the young. Except in a kind of linguistic curiosity. No.

[Joe Getty]

And it comes to go so fast. So I don't, I don't try to memorize it or anything like. But it is hilarious that. And I'm sure you had this experience when your kids were younger. Sometimes I hear my son having a conversation where he died. Either doesn't know or forgets. I'm listening. That's like, what.

[Jack Armstrong]

Bra.

[Joe Getty]

You're so Ohio.

[Jack Armstrong]

Bra. Bus.

[Joe Getty]

And well, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what you people are talking about.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's been true for every generation.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, sure, absolutely, Daddy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, it's, it's kind of cute. I just, you know, in all of human history until now, I never would.

[Joe Getty]

Have heard it so.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I resent the fact that my generation finally got old and bitter and were exposed to the lingo of the youth through the damn Internet and. Or media.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. One thing will always be true. Hippies ruined the world.

[Jack Armstrong]

So yes, get a haircut, hippie.

[Joe Getty]

Tim Busfield, pretty famous actor for depending on your age for a couple of big shows that he was in. And a friend of the Armstrong and Getty show. If you have caught on to the. He's in the news lately. Made the evening newscast last night. So we'll, we'll talk about that story coming up next. We have a personal connection with the guys.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Accused of some terrible, terrible things. So Trump and Kump have become convinced that the affordability thing, the economic stuff is, is important, especially to their electoral.

[Joe Getty]

Chances in the midterms, maybe the most important thing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah, they've decided that. Because it's absolutely correct.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And they've trotted out a handful of different measures or proposals, I should say, like a ban on large investors from buying single family homes.

[Joe Getty]

Like this is all with a very short Runway because it's all about for the midterms, trying to make enough people think Trump cares about affordability, that on the election in 10 months, the Republicans can hold on to the House. So it's almost, I don't know how many of these could have any effect by then, but some of it's just got to sound like a really good idea and some of them would have an effect by then.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. And honestly, if you accept that analysis, and I think you're absolutely right, talking about the wisdom or lack of wisdom of the various programs, it's kind of a waste of time. Unless you just enjoy understanding how economics work. I mean, because Trump doesn't plan on any of these actually existing, probably.

[Joe Getty]

Or something that will put more money in your pocket in the next couple of months ain't necessarily a good idea for the country.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh yeah, Well, a lot of it. Like, like capping credit card rates and forcing the Fed to lower interest rates. That's going to be as inflationary as Joe Biden's wildest spreading money across the hinterlands dream.

[Joe Getty]

Well, let's back up to the first one and then I want to talk about the credit card ones. The one you talked about with corporations buying single family homes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

So I know in the town I live in, particularly with foreign companies, like big giant conglomerates buy up the houses and they're willing to pay a price that other people won't pay. And then it's driven up and I hate it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I agree.

[Joe Getty]

And, and I don't know what you do about it when you're a free market guy, but the interesting thing about that is in the whole Trump derangement syndrome world, where you've gotta be against anything, Trump is for I flip on NPR when I get in my truck yesterday and they had somebody on there talking about this is typical Trump, how awful this is that he wants to ban corporations from buying single family homes. And they twisted it into somehow and they twisted it into a way that it's going to hurt the working class. What are you talking about? If there's anything unfair going on here, it would be against the super rich who, you know, probably should have the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right to an ability to just like everybody else to buy homes.

[Joe Getty]

If they have the money. But it's interesting that NPR had to twist it into a way that it was a bad thing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right?

[Joe Getty]

You know, I mean, idea this sort of thing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Several of them are. Well, Elizabeth Warren has come out in favor of, like, capping credit card rates, which, again, is an insane idea because everybody will just get cut off. They won't have credit cards anymore, or they'll have credit limits of $33. But the housing thing is interesting. It reminds me a little bit of the question of a lot of our libertarian brothers, like Capital L, Libertarian Party wackadoodles, who get together at their conventions and accomplish nothing, ever. Sorry, fellas. And you're almost entirely fel. And anyway, stone fellas. Well, and it reminds me of the discussion about open borders. They're staunchly in favor of open borders, but that's conditional on there being no welfare state. And though I might dream of such a beautiful day, and I think certain people ought to, you know, I'm fine with them getting some of my tax money, although private charity ought to be much bigger in it. Let's not get off on that tangent. The disappearance of the welfare state is never going to exist. So stop yelling at me about open freaking borders. We're wasting our time here. And the housing thing, my argument against the free market argument, which it pains me to even make, is that in a lot of parts of America, housing production is so constrained by government regulation, it becomes an extreme example of, like, you know, in the radio industry, there are only a limited number of licenses. And so you can't have a true free market because the market can't produce more to lower the price when demand gets too high. And in the housing market, it's very, very difficult, especially in blue states, to build more housing. So theoretically, if you're a free market guy, you know, whether it's a foreign corporation, which I especially hate, or an American one, buying up all the available housing, the free market argument is, well, that jacked up the price. So more and more companies will build more and more houses because there's so much money in it. And that will inevitably bring down the price, as the market always does, with incredible efficiency. But again, there are so many artificial government constraints on building that that can't happen. So you have a situation where you have the citizens, the taxpayers, unable to afford housing, which is one of the basic needs of humankind. And so if you're going to have the regulations, you can't have that part of the free market work. And again, it pains Me to make that argument. But I just, I despise the ideas of. The idea of Chinese oligarchs buying up all of these starter homes in an area.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And letting them deteriorate. Overcharging for rent or not giving a damn. Letting the, the neighborhoods go to hell. It's just, it's poisonous.

[Joe Getty]

I don't like it. Or just pricing it out of the market for regular people.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Community matters. And, and we've underestimated, underestimating that as a country. I think culture and community matter.

[Joe Getty]

I love this issue in general. I was listening to a podcast about it the other day and it was blowing my mind. And they were using a whole bunch of different examples of. You love the idea of having principles and beliefs. We all do. I do. I do have principles and beliefs. But there are all kinds of examples where you can get into thorny gray areas where you can't just have a rigid. This is what I believe and stick with it. It's just impossible when it runs up against the real world. And it's, it's a fascinating topic.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I love that. I'd like to hear that now.

[Joe Getty]

It happens a lot and.

[Jack Armstrong]

It certainly doesn't happen enough that you ought to not have principles.

[Joe Getty]

No, no, you've got, you've got to have principles and beliefs. Right. And. But you, but they're. Well, there are endless examples of where they run into the real world and you have to give a little bit on them to make things work, usually because there are other realities. Kind of like your example of. Sure. I like a practically non existent safety net only for people who can't help themselves. Love the idea of that. But we're never going to have that. So since we have a giant safety net to help anybody who doesn't want to work, you can't have open borders. I mean, so those two things running up against each other.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. For what it's worth, there's more on. And you know, some days just, you know, how much do you good people want to be outraged? I mean, you got your own problems, you got your own life. You're aware the government sucks, it's fraudulent, they're stealing your money, blah, blah, blah. But we don't want to lay it on too thick because, you know, you don't, you don't want to be angry all the time. But. But I tweeted the other day a whimsical definition of welfare, which is a theft program that is occasionally exploited by the needy.

[Joe Getty]

That's pretty good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. And man, you look coast to coast. You know what the notable thing about the Minnesota ripoff is? The however many billions of dollars, the notable thing about it is that anybody's paying any attention to it. Yeah, it's not even that impressive by for instance, California standards. There's a giant scandal in Mississippi. It's welfare. The government dole is a theft program that occasionally is exploited by the needy.

[Joe Getty]

Do you remember actor Tim Busfield? He was, he won Emmys on 30 something. What was that? Early 90s. And then he was a big deal on the West Wing where he won more Emmys.

[Jack Armstrong]

Direct prolific director of good TV shows as well.

[Joe Getty]

Big stage actor guy writer. Yeah, yeah, and a friend of the show. We used to have him on regularly and he used to be on right after us with his own radio show. He's in a, you know, a high profile sex thing that's got all of the ingredients of the media like to pay attention to it. So bring that to your attention. Coming up among other things to talk about. Stay with us.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

Get [e-mail] in late 2024, Timothy Busfield is working as a director and an actor on the Cleaning lady where he comes into contact with these two boys. So they're twin Bo. The boys make a statement to their mom that raises her antenna and she contacts a lawyer. The lawyer advises her to go seek a medical professional. After the medical professional examines the boys, now things start to unfold. What he's been accused of two counts of improper contact with minors and the child abuse in the state of New Mexico carries a mandatory minimum of three years. If he's found guilty, he maintains his innocence. He surrendered himself to the police for.

[Jack Armstrong]

They'Re all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I'm I'm gonna fight him.

[Joe Getty]

That's Timothy Busfield. If you're 50s and 60s probably. He's a he was a major television star of some television shows you watched. I don't know if there are will are there even such thing as TV stars Now I know if you could be a TV star but back when you know gazillions of people would tune into number one shows. He was a star of West Wing and 30 something and a couple of big hits and we know him personally so I hope this isn't true. I haven't spent enough time thinking about it or looking into it because it's pretty much impossible to ever tell what's true or not from TMZ reports. Anyway.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, he's strenuously denying any of it is true and I you know he is a lovely and thoughtful guy but I have nothing upon which to base an opinion in either direction because who knows what sexual evil lurks in the hearts of any of us? Nobody does. So I'll let the system work.

[Joe Getty]

It's.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's a shame. I hope it's not true because he's a again, a lovely guy.

[Joe Getty]

Made national news. Let's hear a little bit from ABC's report from last night.

[Jack Armstrong]

Police say the mother told CPS the alleged abuse started when one of the alleged victims was seven and lasted more than a year. One of the victims saying Tim would come into the bedroom on the movie set and inappropriately touched the child actors multiple times. The affidavit claims the children said they were afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the director. One child was later diagnosed with PTSD.

[Joe Getty]

And then a little more on the to the actual him ending up under arrest.

[Jack Armstrong]

At one point yesterday U.S. marshals were searching for Timothy Busfield in the Catskills of New York. Late yesterday he turned himself in here in New Mexico. He claimed he will be exonerated. Accused of repeatedly sexually abusing those two boys on a TV show set.

[Joe Getty]

Could be completely guilty, could be completely innocent. I haven't got the slightest idea. He's pretty old guy at this point. Anytime these things pop up when you're old, I often think you didn't start doing this now. So who knows.

[Jack Armstrong]

But yeah, yeah. And just to the whole he was on the lam or something, he no, he explained no. When this came out I got served the papers, I called an attorney and essentially we decided get to New Mexico and let's deal with this. So he jumped in his car and headed for New Tim. Bus fly. I don't know. It's a hell of a long drive.

[Joe Getty]

A related story about Tim Busfield's got nothing to do with this case. He was the person we learned from and this was fantastic because we used to have him on the show all the time. He had a. He and his brother have had. Have a theater in Sacramento where they put on plays. I went and watched Tim do a play there one time. He starred in a play and it was really interesting seeing a top notch professional actor with other also good actors. But amateurs like stood out as like LeBron James playing basketball against people who are very good but not professionals. I mean it was really interesting to see. But he is the one to explain to us in this radio studio many, many years ago about what he learned about fame. He became really, really famous as a young man. Like he's one of the biggest stars in America. Covers a TV guide and stuff like that. Winning Emmys and then when it all came to an end, he realized that fame is completely.

[Jack Armstrong]

Made up.

[Joe Getty]

It's not a thing. You don't become you, you don't become famous. Famous in the eye of other people. And as soon as it goes away, you are still the same person you always were. And it's as if it never happened. Which for me to hear as a guy, as we were becoming a little more famous.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I guess. Was he the guy who told us, fame isn't something you have famous, something they have.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And, and you know, it's been illustrated by we'll meet two people, one who's been a huge fan for a very long time. And so they're so nervous they can barely speak. And their companion has never heard of us and is like, yeah, good to meet you. How you doing? That's, that's. They have the fame, we don't. It's, it's so don't, don't think about it.

[Joe Getty]

And he says he bought into it and thought he was permanently, you know, a different person, special man by being famous and found out that wasn't the case. So.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

That was a good lesson for me from Tim Buzzfield. We got a lot more on the way. If you missed a segment, get the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand.

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[Joe Getty]

They may have the source behind the mysterious illness known as Havana Syndrome. It first emerged in late 2016 when U.S. diplomats stationed in Cuba reported symptoms of vertigo and extreme headaches. U.S. defense Department has spent nearly a decade trying to find the cause. Well, now sources tell CNN that Homeland Security investigators have been testing a device purchased in an undercover operation that may be the culprit. They say it emits pulse radio waves and contains some Russian components. Device still being studied. The illness remains officially unexplained. So we talked about that a lot. 60 Minutes has done a couple of segments on it and we played clips because it's so troubling. And was it the Chinese? Was it the Russians? Was it the Iranians? Koreans? But then in light of the fact that we used the old brain scambler there, maybe in Venezuela to grab Maduro, do we have one too?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and remember back when it was getting so much coverage? The other thing was it's probably just psychosomatic. Those poor people imagined it. Which I never bought for a second.

[Joe Getty]

No, me neither.

[Jack Armstrong]

How interesting. Yeah, I hope that story continues to develop and your angle is exactly right. That's what Maduroites are Saying it was like my brain was on fire. Oh, speaking of matters military, you've heard me, Joe Getty ranting about DEI and how evil and awful it is for a long time. I'm afraid I've been underselling it. The damage done to our military by that DEI Biden, Lloyd Austin period of our history. It's, it's worse than I'd imagine. More on that to come.

[Joe Getty]

So what drives DEI is fits into.

[Jack Armstrong]

This.

[Joe Getty]

Measure that's going to be voted on in California. It's this, I think normal human impulse for fairness. I think we're born with some sort of, a lot of religious people say this is proof of God and that sort of thing. We're born with this desire for fairness.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think it's an instinctive understanding that if we don't have it, everything falls apart.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. But past a certain age you realize or should realize that if you, if you have two 50 year olds head of households and one has more money than the other, that is not a concrete example of something being unfair.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

To about half the population it seems to be, well that's unfair. That person has more than that person. So the rest of us, it's like, well give me more information. How hard did that guy work? How smart did that guy work or woman? All kinds of different things.

[Jack Armstrong]

It doesn't mean anything on $2 and I got one that's not fair. Johnny worked way harder than you and longer son. Yeah, I think once you pass eight years old you ought to abandon that.

[Joe Getty]

Or person a made series of terrible decisions. Right. And that fits in with this, this wealth tax ballot measure that's going to be on the ballot in California that frighteningly was winning in polling not very long ago. The wealth tax, it's a one time.

[Jack Armstrong]

Ha ha, that's a good one.

[Joe Getty]

Any one time tax is just. If you fall for that, you are a child.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's a temporary tax.

[Joe Getty]

It's a one time 5% tax on California residents worth more than a billion dollars.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let me throw out a quick example. It's a temporary Covid era subsidy for Medicare.

[Joe Getty]

Temporary.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's a good one. Right.

[Joe Getty]

Now, I didn't actually read the bill. Is it 5% on all the money you have more than a billion dollars or is it on your entire net worth if you're worth more than a billion dollars, I don't know what it is, but 5% tax on California residents worth more than a billion dollars. And it was winning in the polls. 55% support this article, which I think is missing the point in the New York Post says that support has collapsed to just 41% of voters after respondents heard arguments from both sides. The pollsters said, so that's pretty interesting. Somebody got out there and made an argument to it. Well, well, first of all, all the billionaires will flee the state before it's enacted. So you won't get any money and you'll have less tax revenue, period. So there's one downside going forward.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes.

[Joe Getty]

But as Charlie Cook pointed out in the National Review, the fact that it's still got 41% support is horrifying. And the underlying polling on it. A majority of voters feel the wealth tax will be ineffective and not make a difference in the gap between the extremely wealthy and everyone else. So the goal is to narrow the gap between the extremely wealthy and everyone else. How? Why in the world do you think that if the richest people have less money, that helps you? I'll never understand that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and here's, here's the truth. If you were to poll people, I don't know what the percentage would be, but it'd be too high. If you were to say if we could just make the rich less rich, the money wouldn't go to you in any way. It would just go to government bureaucrats and those whose backs they scratch. But it would make the rich less rich. Are you in favor of that? There's a pretty good chunk of people who say yes, I just want them brought down. Even if it enriches the evildoers and doesn't help me.

[Joe Getty]

That, that's why I wanted to bring it up.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's why it's a deadly sin.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, well, that's why I wanted to bring it up. And I teased it last hour as you know, if you want to spend the rest of your life living in envy and being miserable because that's what you're setting yourself up for. I mean, if you're going to go with the idea, if some people have more than me, I'm unhappy.

[Jack Armstrong]

What?

[Joe Getty]

You'll never be happy. It's a, it's a nut job way of looking at the world. Do you have enough right now? You know, look back to when you were 25 and if you were, if you told 25 year old you you'd be living in this house and driving this car and blah blah, blah, would you have been happy with it? And if you can say yes to that, who gives a crap if there's a billionaire somewhere? What the hell difference does it make, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Unless you think the deck is stacked, then it's the deck stacking that you ought to go after. But that's, you know, hard and complicated. But yeah, it's just envy and. And trust me when I say, and it took a long damn time. We've done okay. And there's always somebody with more money. There's always somebody with a bigger house, more houses, cooler stuff, et cetera. Goes out to nicer dinners, buys more expensive wine. There's always, always, always, always, always somebody. If you'd like to make yourself completely insane, base your happiness on what other people have.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, we've been talking about this for so long. I used to say, unless you're Bill Gates, somebody out there with more money. Now it's Elon Musk by a lot. He has $700 billion. But unless you're Elon Musk, there's everybody on the planet, there's somebody that has more money than you. So what you're going to be. You're going to be unhappy until they're brought down to your level. That makes no sense to me whatsoever. 53% said the measure. The reason they're against it is the measure won't make a difference in the gap between the wealthy and everyone else. Yeah, it's the question on its face drives me nuts. So I don't know what to do about that. I hope I can teach my kids to not think, okay, you got a nice car you, you wanted, you got a house you wanted. You got the things you wanted. But that guy across town has more. I'm not happy yet. If he had less, oh, that would be so nice. Geez, what a recipe for misery.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's human beings. That's human beings.

[Joe Getty]

You should be able to be talked out of that. I'm a human being and that's not the way I look at it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, right, yeah, I agree with you. But I think our ancient mechanisms for figuring out if something a situation is fair, getting back to the beginning of the discussion, has to do with, you know, we're all in a tribe, we're all working. If you don't work, you get thrown out of the tribe or killed or whatever. And so if Johnny ends up with four pounds of buffalo meat and I've got two pounds, and we've all been working as hard, that's unfair. And I think maybe that ancient because I'm, you know, I love kicking people for being dopey, but there's part of me that also is interested in. Since it's so widespread, obviously it's very common. So where does that come from? And I think it is that human beings are not built to live in the modern world. The modern world is a half a blink of an eye in, you know, the, the span of a, one of the like, what are those tortoises that live 130 years. The modern world, we are not adapted to it yet at all.

[Joe Getty]

Well, yeah, yeah, I get it. That's human nature. And. But my point is you should be able to talk somebody out of that by the time they're a teenager. And then they, they get over it. But it is why it's so easy to sell socialism and so much harder to sell the free market because it requires some explanation. Not a lot of explanation. With social, with socialism, everybody would have the equal amount. And like you said, we're built to think, oh, that'd be awesome. We all have the same amount.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, good. Speaking of dei. Yeah, we'll all have the same amount. Misery. Misery. We'll have lots and lots of misery. Except for the fat cats who control it all. That's funny. Didn't see that coming. Anyway, speaking of that sort of thing, DEI and the damage it did to the United States military, it's. It's worse than I thought. Material damage to our war fighting capabilities. Have that for you in a moment.

[Joe Getty]

I want to talk later about. Maybe I should see a doctor about this. Sensory issues. I want to know why I'm willing to go through the entire day with one shoe tied way too tight and being uncomfortable because of it before I can recognize it.

[Jack Armstrong]

I can't even imagine that. Plus, as was disclosed a few days ago, you've been wearing the wrong size shoes, quote unquote for a very long time.

[Joe Getty]

Oh yeah, I did that until I was 50 something. Somebody actually texted us about that and said you, you mentioned in 2019. So you were whatever age I like to. Some people keep closer track of when I do things and say things than I do. Anyway, we got that DEI stuff on the way and a whole bunch of other things. Hope you can stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Jack Armstrong]

So yeah, you can do the individual plan for up to five devices or a family plan up to 10 identities on up to 10 devices and you get all that stuff jack managed and at a huge discount right now.

[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

This year, choose the protection that's right for you. Just head to webroot.comarmstrong for 60 off. Live a better digital life with Webrew.

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[Jack Armstrong]

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[Angie Hicks]

Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of Angie and one thing I've learned is that you buy a house but you make it a home. Because with every fix, update and renovation it becomes a little more your own. So you need all your jobs done well. For nearly 30 years, Angie has helped millions of homeowners hire skilled pros for the projects that matter from plumbing to electrical roof repair to deck upgrade. So leave it to the pros who will get your jobs done well. Hire high quality [e-mail] Two Decade Steeler.

[Joe Getty]

Coach Mike Tomlin out in Pittsburgh. So now nine teams are looking for a new head coach. Almost a third of all the NFL teams. That's something.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, absolutely crazy. Speaking of crazy, we spent a lot of time an hour at one of the show talking about the oral arguments in front of the Supreme Court about the gender bending madness trans boys playing in girls sports and and it was pretty damn good, frankly but we're going to revisit the topic and stretch out a little more. Talk about the Supreme Court with our favorite legal analyst, Anastasia Bowden from the Pacific Legal Foundation. Is that right? Yeah, that's where she's from. Anyway, that's next hour, so join us or stay with us or grab it via podcast if you can. So, totally different topic. There's a new book out called the Lost Generation that Jacob Savage is the author. He describes how US media and academia in the 2010s closed the doors to millennial white men and how the DEI thing was so evil in academia and media, but it also infected the US Armed forces. And under President Biden, senior officers worked to make our military less white. That precipitated a recruitment crisis, which you're not going to hear about much from the media, obviously. But during Trump's first administration, lethality was the military's focus. Obviously, that changed in 2021. Mr. Biden issued an executive order. I'll bet you remember this embedding, quote, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility across all parts of the federal workforce. And then Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin took the unprecedented step of ordering a stand down to combat, quote, unquote, extremism in the armed forces. By the time the independent report commissioned by the Pentagon found that these concerns were baseless, they'd already formed the. The ideological permission structure, as they call it, for the DEI crusade. So in 2022, you remember General C.Q. brown, who was later promoted to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was the black guy, the Air Force guy. He issued a memorandum that set numerical quotas for everyone from white males to Pacific Islander females among commissioned officer applicants to the Air Force, which is obscene, racist, and un American. Racial discrimination, likewise.

[Joe Getty]

What a great way to build the most lethal fighting force on the planet. Do it by racial quotas. God, that's suicidal.

[Jack Armstrong]

Racial discrimination likewise distorted admissions to the U.S. naval Academy. For instance, black applicants scoring in the fourth decile, meaning 40 percenters, had an admission rate higher than that of whites in the eighth decile. And, well, in the media isn't. I'm sorry, the military isn't the media. It requires young people to sign up for unglamorous and sometimes dangerous jobs far from home. By signaling that white men were less welcome, DEI initiatives pushed thousands of them away from military Service. And between 2013 and 2023, annual male enlistments in the army fell 35%. From 2018 to 2023, the number of white army recruits dropped, dropped from 44,000 to 25,000. No other group saw such steep declines. Meanwhile, the share of white high school boys who in monitoring the future, said surveys said the military is doing a good or very good job, declined from 76% to 57% in 10 years.

[Joe Getty]

Well, if you were aware of this at all, like as a parent or a kid, you would think, well, and you're white, you think, well, now's not the time for me to go into the military. I'm, you know, I'm never going to get anywhere.

[Jack Armstrong]

And they've made it clear they hate me.

[Joe Getty]

That is horrifying.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it absolutely is. You know, the thing about dei, and I hope this is clear to everybody at this point, is, you know, I've often said diversity is. Means more Marxists, equity is Marxism, and inclusion means including more Marxists. Have you ever noticed that the diversity. Well, they couch it as we need more black people, but it's always progressive black people. It's never a conservative black man or woman or conservative Hispanic person. It's always Marxists. And the inclusion never includes anybody who has even a slightly conservative bent. It's because that's not what they're doing. It's a lie. It's canard. And every DEI program everywhere it exists in government, in media, in education, in the private sector today, by the end of business, by close of business, as they say. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

[Joe Getty]

God, I wish there could be some sort of law, maybe Congress to do this. We don't do any of these cultural experiments on the military. Military is separate from. You want. You want to try this stuff in school. I don't like it anywhere. But if you want to try this stuff in schools or the workplace or your sports team or whatever the hell you want to do, but you don't get to touch the military with these various experiments in crafting utopia. Right, because it's too important.

[Jack Armstrong]

It reminds me of a couple of other things we've talked about, like, should boys be allowed to compete in girls sports? Asked that question a dozen years ago. People are like, why are you asking me that? What are we even talking about here? Of course not. The idea that should we conduct weird sociological experiments that may compromise our fighting ability in the military? People would be like, of course not. Why would you even ask me that question? A fight pretty short time ago in our history.

[Joe Getty]

God, I don't care if the military is 95% Hispanic or all black or, or whatever you end up with. Just have the best people in the important positions. God dang it. You think the Chinese are worried about it.

[Jack Armstrong]

My final bit of evidence, Female recruitment is up in 2025. Encouragement to enlist increased among blacks, Hispanics and women under 55, blah blah blah. It's up among everybody because the DEI thing doesn't serve black people. It doesn't serve Hispanic people. Doesn't serve anybody but Marxists. Actually there's a story about law school admissions are getting much and much less racial quota. E and the fascinating part of it, it is a lot of it is people of color saying I wouldn't be happy at that crazy super late school. I just, I don't have the chops. How about I go to this mid level school, find my level and excel there and learn at a pace that I can handle. They're self selecting away from affirmative action because they know what a bad idea it is. I'm telling you, the woke thing is just, it's a disease.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, well the woke thing is a lot of what the Supreme Court was hearing about yesterday and their oral arguments around the whole trans athlete issue, which we'll get into a lot in our four. Again, if you missed the segment or can't get the hour, look for our podcast Armstrong and Getty on Demand. You should subscribe.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, and give us a glowing five star review. It helps with the algorithms.

[Joe Getty]

What if, what if people don't like it that much?

[Jack Armstrong]

Shut up. Mind your own business.

[Joe Getty]

Supposed to give a five star review if you thought it was mediocre poker.

[Jack Armstrong]

I just don't give a review at all. Forget I said anything. Mind your own business. Shut up. Anyway, see you then. Armstrong and Getty.

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[Joe Getty]

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[Angie Hicks]

When you stay in your home, what you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Love gets to stay too.

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[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.