Bratz Dolls Look Like Whores

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "Bratz Dolls Look Like Whores" – May 2, 2025

In the May 2, 2025 episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a range of pressing topics, from economic policies and manufacturing jobs to campus diversity controversies and recent unsettling incidents at baseball games. This episode, aptly titled "Bratz Dolls Look Like Whores," intertwines discussions on consumer quality, political strategies, and societal issues, providing listeners with a comprehensive analysis of contemporary American challenges.

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1. Economic Policies and the Manufacturing Sector

Jack Armstrong and Michaelangelo kick off the discussion by addressing the ongoing debate surrounding cheap Chinese imports versus maintaining high American manufacturing standards.

• Jack Armstrong (02:18): "If we were to sacrifice a significant chunk of our standard of living to create a few manufacturing jobs, is that a good idea?"

  Armstrong questions the viability of prioritizing manufacturing jobs at the expense of the overall standard of living, emphasizing the balance between economic growth and consumer benefits.

• Michaelangelo (02:38): "There are 140,000 plus manufacturing jobs available right now that they can't fill. There is a bit of a that's like pretending like that's the magic job that everybody's really wanting if only they could get it."

  Michaelangelo counters by highlighting the existing demand for manufacturing jobs, suggesting that the narrative around these roles may be more complex than it appears.

The hosts explore the nostalgia associated with manufacturing jobs from past decades, debating whether the American dream's simplicity aligns with today's economic demands. They discuss the potential trade-offs between job availability and maintaining consumer abundance.

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2. Campus Diversity and Alleged Discrimination

The conversation shifts to the contentious issue of diversity and hiring practices on college campuses, referencing reports by Chris Rufo.

• Jack Armstrong (09:13): "Chris Rufo... has just come out with a report on how the school tried to discourage hiring white men and how Princeton faculty were hilariously open about it."

  Armstrong introduces Rufo's findings, which allege intentional bias against hiring white males in favor of underrepresented groups.

• Michaelangelo (09:34): "Just flat out, we can't hire a white guy. Man, you gotta twist yourself into knots to have that make sense."

  Michaelangelo expresses skepticism towards the reported hiring practices, questioning the logic and fairness of such policies.

The hosts debate the implications of these hiring strategies, discussing whether they reflect genuine efforts to promote diversity or if they inadvertently foster reverse discrimination. They examine the broader societal impacts of these practices on academic integrity and equality.

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3. Disturbing Incidents at Baseball Games

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing two tragic incidents where individuals fell or plunged at baseball games.

• Jack Armstrong (14:23): "A man fell from his seat at Pittsburgh's PNC Park, landing on the field... the man remains in the hospital in critical condition."

  Armstrong reports on the incident, initially treating it as an accidental fall triggered by excitement during the game.

• Michaelangelo (16:21): "A 32-year-old hottie who had some attention in the world of skydiving... killed herself the other day."

  Michaelangelo relates a separate case of a skydiver who committed suicide, drawing parallels to the incident at the baseball game.

The hosts engage in a heated debate about the possible motivations behind the PNC Park incident, with Michaelangelo suggesting it might have been a deliberate act of self-harm, while Armstrong maintains skepticism without concrete evidence. This segment underscores the complexities of interpreting such events without definitive information.

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4. Consumer Quality vs. Cheap Imports

Returning to economic themes, Armstrong and Michaelangelo discuss the shift from high-quality, durable goods to cheaper, disposable products.

• Jack Armstrong (20:07): "Rich Lowry of the National Review... says Trump is dismissing abundance, which is one of the marvels of our system."

  Armstrong references Lowry's analysis of President Trump's stance on consumer abundance and manufacturing.

• Michaelangelo (26:57): "The metal Tonka truck that I still have from when I was a little kid versus the just crap that falls apart immediately that your kids get now."

  Michaelangelo nostalgically contrasts durable toys from his childhood with today's low-quality alternatives, emphasizing the decline in product longevity.

The discussion highlights the trade-offs between affordability and quality, questioning whether the consumerist trend towards cheaper goods undermines long-term satisfaction and sustainability. They explore statistical data on the time price of goods, illustrating how reduced working hours have made products more accessible but often at the cost of durability.

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5. Final Thoughts: Free Markets vs. Central Planning

In wrapping up the episode, Armstrong and Michaelangelo reiterate their support for free-market principles over central planning.

• Jack Armstrong (38:30): "Economies, markets are complicated. Let them be as free as humanly possible. Central planning is terrible. It never works."

  Armstrong firmly advocates for minimal government intervention in markets, criticizing centralized economic planning as flawed.

• Michaelangelo (38:16): "Armstrong and Getty wrapping up another grueling four-hour workday."

  Michaelangelo humorously concludes the discussion, reinforcing the episode's themes and the hosts' commitment to their economic philosophies.

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Conclusion

The "Bratz Dolls Look Like Whores" episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand provides a multifaceted exploration of America's economic and societal landscape. From scrutinizing manufacturing policies and campus diversity to dissecting tragic incidents and consumer trends, the hosts offer a critical perspective on issues that shape contemporary life. Notable for their candid discussions and engaging dialogue, Armstrong and Getty deliver a thought-provoking episode that encourages listeners to reflect on the balance between economic growth, quality of life, and societal values.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong (02:18): "If we were to sacrifice a significant chunk of our standard of living to create a few manufacturing jobs, is that a good idea?"

• Michaelangelo (09:34): "Just flat out, we can't hire a white guy. Man, you gotta twist yourself into knots to have that make sense."

• Jack Armstrong (20:07): "Rich Lowry of the National Review... says Trump is dismissing abundance, which is one of the marvels of our system."

• Michaelangelo (26:57): "The metal Tonka truck that I still have from when I was a little kid versus the just crap that falls apart immediately that your kids get now."

• Jack Armstrong (38:30): "Economies, markets are complicated. Let them be as free as humanly possible. Central planning is terrible. It never works."

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This episode serves as a compelling commentary on the intersection of economic policy, societal trends, and cultural shifts, offering listeners a deep dive into the factors influencing modern America.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Katie Green]

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

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here, here's Armstrong and Yeti.

[Michaelangelo]

I'm at home, not at the studio because I'm sick. And I just went said to Henry, I said we're going to go to Thunderbolts tonight, the movie. He said we will be like people on Wheaties box. Which is one of the funny lines from one of the trailers. But Hanson, how did you go out of your way to pick a trailer that didn't have a joke in it? Since that's the whole thing is it's a comedy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, and he's not shotgunning snakes, he's yelling at the staff over perfectly understandable.

[Michaelangelo]

We will be like people on Wheaties box. I want this thing you said you're going to do later. I'm fascinated by this.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, the question of cheap Chinese crap is not great. And we've given away our manufacturing jobs, et cetera, et cetera. What the President has been talking about versus the fact that we have an incredibly high standard of living because of a lot of those things. And I will illustrate through statistics, not arguing one side or the other, but if we were to sacrifice a significant chunk of that standard of living to create a few manufacturing jobs, is that a good idea?

[Michaelangelo]

And again, my favorite stat is there are 140,000 plus manufacturing jobs available right now that they can't fill. There is a bit of a that's like pretending like that's the magic job that everybody's really wanting if only they could get it. Which may be way, way untrue.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I think some of this nostalgia is a little twisted as well. You could have a Good, well paying job right out of high school and realize the American dream, which was a, a 950 square foot house and one car. And maybe one car. And your vacation was down at the lake. That was a two hour drive.

[Michaelangelo]

You never flew anywhere.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. So I just, I would like to deal with reality and not slogans and hazy, you know, versions of yesterday.

[Michaelangelo]

Right. Excuse me, Let me do my cough button.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, please. Oh, boy. Bring the coffee into the theater with you tonight.

[Michaelangelo]

Yeah, I might be in the lobby, but I saw a stat the other day that I thought was interesting. So I, I hate the point of view that some of pundits have around this that, oh, we're going to bring back sewing up sneakers like Americans are too good to do those kind of jobs. I hate that point of view.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Michaelangelo]

But if there are manufacturing jobs available out there that Americans aren't doing now, the idea that bringing more is gonna fix that seems weird. And then you've got the, adjusted for inflation, service, what do you call it? Service. Extra jobs are paying more than manufacturing jobs. So it's not like manufacturing jobs are some ticket to wealth compared to what we've got now.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, true. And we didn't even touch on the idea of. We also need radical welfare reform to beat the bushes and get all of those hundreds of millions of workers who are sitting on their asses out to a job.

[Michaelangelo]

Is it because politicians have kind of led us to believe that when you talk manufacturing jobs, it's all gonna be like you're a worker at General motors in the 50s?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, there's that patina around it, that kind of halo around it when people.

[Michaelangelo]

Talk about it, where the United Auto Workers was able to get you unbelievable salaries and benefits and you retire early and etc. Etc. As opposed to you're going to be so in Nike's somewhere for very little money, which is more reality.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think you're right. Yeah, more, more drone jobs, if you will. And I don't, you know, I don't use that in a pejorative way. I've had those jobs. But yeah, you're, you're pretty replaceable. And the work is not what you would call mentally stimulating nor terribly satisfying, but it puts food on the table. But again, man, we would have to have a whole of society reordering of certain things, which I would love to see, but it's fairly unlikely. More on that topic to come later on the hour. But first, it's the Friday tradition. Let's take a fond look back at the week that was its cow clips of the week. America wants our land, our water.

[Hanson]

I need a lot of water.

[Jack Armstrong]

Take that, you stupid hoser. Die, die yada, die, die. And Dougie's here too. I could code talk to white guys watching football, fixing their truck. Gonna take you with our next feed right here, man. Ye. Yes, sir. Let's be legendary. But you're gonna have to wait a little bit longer, man. Robert De Niro's 29 year old child.

[Michaelangelo]

Aaron, has come out as transgender.

[Jack Armstrong]

When the press asked her for comment, she said, you talking to they them? How did you guys meet? Not talking about this. No, no. President Trump's call to the founder and executive chair of Amazon peeved.

[Hanson]

Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls. You know, they have ships that are loaded. Much of which, not all of it, but much of which we don't need.

[Michaelangelo]

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan faces multiple charges for allegedly obstructing ICE agents.

[Katie Green]

While a state prosecutor and victims of domestic violence are sitting in the courtroom.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is a sad reflection on the state of our media that you obsessively try to shill for this MS.13 terrorist. Let's move on. Wait a minute.

[Hanson]

Okay, Terry, Terry, Terry. He did not have letter MS.13. It says MS.13.

[Jack Armstrong]

That was photoshopped.

[Hanson]

Hey, they're giving you the big break of a lifetime. You know, you're doing the interview. I picked you because frankly, I never heard of you.

[Jack Armstrong]

But that's okay.

[Katie Green]

This is really stunning news that Mike Waltz, the national security advisor, pushed out.

[Hanson]

But now in for the United nations ambassador.

[Joe Getty]

I think you can make a good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Argument that it's promotion. He likes Mike. President Trump, I know, really likes Mike. I read President Trump's book, the army to Make a Deal.

[Michaelangelo]

Putin thinks that America has taken the bullet train to Chumptown. Oh, Canada.

[Jack Armstrong]

We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons. But you're going to take us forward. Aren't as well behaved as our goody two shoes brother Canada, who, by the way, has never had a girlfriend. Just saying.

[Michaelangelo]

I love when Trump says to interviewers he's attacking the free press. I love when he says that's a stupid question. Because they often are. Stupid questions.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure, yeah, yeah.

[Michaelangelo]

By the way, I've never heard of you before.

[Jack Armstrong]

There are some conventions that I think are better left intact. But yeah, don't dignify a stupid question with a response. Yeah, love that. So a couple of notes from the world of campus these days, from college campuses. Princeton has not really been in the spotlight of the campus madness and the controversies and the woke crap.

[Michaelangelo]

Should be tremendous amount of money from various places like Dubai.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah, yeah. But Chris Rufo, who's doing fabulous work in campus reform, has turned his gaze in that direction and he has just come out with a report on how the school tried to discourage hiring white men and how Princeton faculty were hilariously open about it. Quote, you can't shortlist this person. We can't hire a white guy just like that. No weird phrases like of minority experience or preference to underrepresented racial groups.

[Michaelangelo]

Just flat out, we can't hire a white guy. Man, you gotta twist yourself into knots to have that make sense.

[Jack Armstrong]

Quoting Nelly Bowles. Quoting Chris Rufo. Another professor told Rufo that administrators tore down portraits of former faculty chairs because they were white. Quote, it's just a bunch of white faces. So they removed all the photographs and no one objected. That's. That is just something.

[Michaelangelo]

Where do you think that will lead that? Out and out. Obviously perfectly comfortable with it. Racism. Where do you think that will lead?

[Jack Armstrong]

No, we will do racism and we will do it in the right way for the right reasons. But the rest of you must refrain from it. Yes. These people, seriously, they have no connection with reality. And meanwhile, at Harvard Law School, the most prestigious law journal in law schools made DEI the first priority. That's a quote of its article selection process. For editors, that's number one. Over coherence, insight, significance to American society. DEI is the first priority priority.

[Michaelangelo]

How well written it was.

[Jack Armstrong]

Over four years worth of documents show that submissions were routinely rejected because of their author's race. The negative feedback on one submission reads, quote, lastly, this author is not from an underrepresented background. He is from a non T14 school. But his resume includes many articles in top tier journals, blah, blah, blah. Wow. You can't publish him because he's white.

[Michaelangelo]

That is unbelievable. How can you possibly. Like I said, you've got to twist yourself in the knots to make this worldview make sense. I feel like that, I guess you're just so into the whole oppressor, oppressed thing. You feel like you're gonna balance it out somehow but not go too far. You'll never go too far to where it'll be. Oh, what are you talking about? Racism is racism.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's an academic theory that's fueled by a religious energy, a religious devotion, and so you just, you become a zealot. And, and if, if anything around here, we're underestimating how screwed up our colleges and universities, apparently. And the awful effect that they've. They've had already, apparently.

[Michaelangelo]

Those are two amazing stories. So you're not gonna try to put out the best articles about law you can come up with at your prestigious university? You're more into the idea of who wrote it based on skin color. That's insane.

[Jack Armstrong]

Again, it is, quote, the first priority of article selection. Yeah, I, I'm, I'm picturing a house, say, or a building that's got mold in the walls in a lot of it, because it's been let go for a very long time. And I think our colleges and universities are. I mean, they're near the point where there's. You can't clean it all out. It would take far too long. It's just. We're much better off tearing it down and starting it again. The problem being. What does that even mean? I just. The infection is so awful. I guess all we can do is our best. But it's really disappointing that we, the greatest country on earth, let this go as far down the road to Crazyville as we did. But here we are. Gotta do something about it.

[Michaelangelo]

So we've got an update on that guy who plunged to the field at the Pittsburgh Pirates game and then another person that plunged to their death. Did you hear this story?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oof.

[Michaelangelo]

And a bunch of other stuff on the way. Stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Katie Green]

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[Jack Armstrong]

A man fell from his seat at Pittsburgh's PNC park, landing on the field. When you look at it like in Slow mo, he just looked like he was, like jolting up because it was a huge play. Pittsburgh public safety says the incident is being treated as accidental and the man remains in the hospital in critical condition. Wow.

[Michaelangelo]

So wasn't on purpose. Although Hanson, you, you feel like perhaps it was on purpose. Some people have looked at the video, Katie.

[Jack Armstrong]

It looked intentional.

[Michaelangelo]

I've got something that will back that up in a second. But.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let me go on the record as saying that assertion is ridiculous and in fact free. It's. It's based on nothing but sort of irresponsible speculation, which I condemn.

[Michaelangelo]

Well, it might be fact free, but I don't think it's ridiculous. It's not ridiculous that somebody would kill themselves that way, is it?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes.

[Michaelangelo]

You think it's ridiculous.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm gonna hurl myself 20ft to an outfield. Yes. I am ridiculing it right now, which is the definition of ridiculous.

[Michaelangelo]

It is being ridiculed in my verbiage.

[Jack Armstrong]

If it turns out that you and Katie are correct, I will sit and be ridiculed and deserve it. Well, here Hanson says you've never seen the Pirates play. They're bad.

[Michaelangelo]

So I've got this story which might fit in with it. Here's an experienced, well known skydiver. It's in Great Britain, but doesn't make any difference. A 32 year old hottie who had like some, had some attention in the world of skydiving, probably partially because she was hot in the way that world works, apparently killed herself the other day. She had done 11 jumps over the weekend and then on the next jump she just didn't pull the chute and crashed straight into the ground. And they've determined it was, it's not being treated as suspicious in any way. They think she just decided to end it all.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's astonishing. Right? So she did 11 jumps trying to decide whether to do it or think about how it would feel or, or.

[Michaelangelo]

This is what I really enjoy. I think I'll do it a couple more times, but I want to kill.

[Jack Armstrong]

Myself by doing something I love.

[Michaelangelo]

But anyway, so some people commit suicide in not the most normal ways. So you, you think it's impossible that the guy at the Pirates game dove onto the field.

[Jack Armstrong]

That is putting words in my mouth. Do not BS a BS or I see what you did there. No, I said it was ridiculous, not impossible.

[Michaelangelo]

How about this caveat that as we all know, if you commit suicide, we know from watching late night TV dramas, if you commit suicide, your family doesn't, you know, necessarily get your insurance payoff. You're at a baseball game and you fall over the stands and your family gets the money and, you know, you're a decent guy that everybody misses. Not a somebody who abandoned their family and killed themselves.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? Yeah. Generally it's just a couple of years after you sign the policy, but no, I just find the idea of hurling yourself 20ft onto an outfield to be such a ludicrous attempt. I just. I don't believe it.

[Michaelangelo]

Okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean, come on. He had, like, half a dozen better choices on the way to. And, well, not from the stadium. He's in the hospital.

[Michaelangelo]

But how come there's no reporting on how much he drank? Because that's got to play a role, doesn't. I have never almost fallen over a railing or out of my seat at a game, ever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not at a game. Certainly you've dealt with stumbling drunks before, though.

[Michaelangelo]

Well, yeah, but I mean, completely sober. Have you ever almost fallen over a railing? Just.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, is this guy completely sober? Has that been.

[Michaelangelo]

Well, that's what I'm trying to figure out. How come nobody's talked about how much he was drinking? Because I think of the story.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, 100%. Yeah, I agree with that. I mean, the idea. I mean, if you're at a baseball stadium, you decide to off yourself, go up to the top deck and throw yourself into the parking lot, if that's physically possible or something like that. You don't go down to 20ft above the outfield, which is grass and dirt, and hurl yourself onto the dirt. Just not buying it. No.

[Michaelangelo]

Okay. Okay. Well, that skydiver, she, then. They're not even investigating, so. Oh, yeah, she clearly killed herself, so.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, well, sometimes the authorities aren't forthcoming. So what about the cheap Chinese crap versus. Hey, we have abundance. A great standard of living argument. We'll present both sides. Next, stick around. Armstrong and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

One of you speaks to President Xi of China.

[Hanson]

Look, right now. And I told you before, they're having tremendous difficulty because their factories are not Doing business. They made a trillion doll dollars with Biden. A trillion dollars, even a trillion one with Biden selling the stuff. Much of it we don't need. You know, somebody said, oh, the shelves are going to be open. Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of $30. And maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally.

[Michaelangelo]

But, hmm, Again, the question is, was he talking about on the shelves or under the tree? Because if you're saying your kids get too many presents already, that's not cool.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, he did make a reference, the reference to the shelves there, but it's not clear. Rich Lowry of the National Review, who will quote in a minute, a little more, said Donald Trump must be the first president in history to say that his policies will deprive American children of toys. Let that president elaborate for just another second.

[Hanson]

They have ships that are loaded up with stuff, much of which, not all of it, but much of which we don't need. And we have to make a fair deal. We've been ripped off by every country in the world. But China, I would say, is the leading. The leading one, the leading candidate for the chief ripper offer. There has never been, There has never been a country that's been ripped off more than the United States of America.

[Michaelangelo]

The key to this negotiation and many negotiations, but the key to the whole thing might be Trump has got to convince she and everybody else is coming along for the ride, that he's willing to take this thing clear to the end, no matter what. I mean, that's really the only way it will work is if she's convinced, well, this freaking lunatic, no matter what happens, no matter what happens to his polls, no matter what the stock market does, no matter what his party says, he's going to continue this.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So on the topic of $30 instead of two, in whatever context, Trump, minute Rich of the National Review, who I, I like personally, and also he's a terrific writer and he has a very Armstrong and Ghetti ish approach to Trump. When Trump's right, he says Trump's completely right. And when he thinks Trump's wrong, he says Trump is wrong. And his article is tongue in cheek entitled We Need Cheap stuff and lots of it. But his article is actually really, really interesting. He starts it with the potential empty store shelves that the president played down. Much of it we don't child will have $32 instead of 30, et cetera. @ that moment, Trump surely made history. He must be the first president in history, say his policies will Deprive American children of toys. The American Girl, Disney Princess, Cinderella doll, maybe collateral damage in a trade war to reduce our strategic dependence on China. But then he gets down to the more serious and interesting stuff. I thought what Trump was ultimately dismissing is abundance, which is one of the marvels of our system. Fewer choices at a greater cost, whether of dolls or other means, a lower standard of living. And yeah, there are counter arguments to this. In fact, we got a great email from Ryan who said, you know, Trump is right. My wife and I have four kids and our kids do get way too many toys. So much of our house is flooded with crappy quality toys from China. My parents and my wife.

[Michaelangelo]

Crap.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's crap. It's crap. And my wife's parents buy for them. I'd love for there to be some significance to getting something. Too much expectation and entitlement for something new immediately being done with too quickly. He goes into some detail, but my wife and I often wish it were easier to find quality, more expensive products that would last longer and be more satisfying for a longer time, etc.

[Michaelangelo]

Yeah, as I've been saying for years, I wish they would substitute or add into. When you're talking about people accepting fewer choices at higher prices, if it means higher quality, I'm, I'm fine with that. If, if are there going to be fewer choices on the shelf at a higher price because it's higher quality? I think that'd be better for everybody in every way.

[Jack Armstrong]

But are you going to engineer the free economy? So that's the only choice? No, I mean, that's your preference and good for you.

[Michaelangelo]

But we had that when more things were manufactured here. I'm not exactly sure why, because we.

[Jack Armstrong]

Didn'T have any other choice.

[Michaelangelo]

But why was the quality high? Why were we not when we were manufacturing stuff, why were we not just cranking out the cheapest crap you could crank out?

[Jack Armstrong]

Because we're America, you commie. Huh?

[Michaelangelo]

Make a toaster that the handle, the little plastic, flimsy handle is going to break off in two months. But it's really cheap. Why didn't we do that before?

[Jack Armstrong]

No, you're making an excellent point. The culture has changed. Absolutely. Toward more consumerist, immediate gratification. Feel the endorphin rush of getting something new, then chuck it two weeks later. Society. It's absolutely true. And Ryan goes on to say it may be more of an American consumerist mindset problem and less of a China jamming cheap crap down our throat problem.

[Michaelangelo]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

And then he says I could go on and on about this, but I won't because you're not my wife and you don't have to listen to it. Anyway, love the note. Ryan, thanks so much for writing it. But getting back to Rich Lowry, here's the part that I found most compelling. He says Trump is dismissing abundance, which is one of the marvels of our system. The Human Progress Project at the Cato Institute calculates the time price of various goods. That's how long you have to work to buy them. Typical salary, that sort of thing. And specifically Cato has been doing it from 20 I'm sorry, the year 2000 to 2024. The time price of toys dropped by more than 88% over the period. In other words, the work that it took to afford to buy one toy a quarter century ago would buy almost nine toys today. This is important not because we want children to have nine times as many toys as they did in 2000, although, as Ryan and other parents would tell you, it kind of did happen. But the important part is the reduced time devoted to buying a toy can be used to buy something else. Clothes, sports equipment, art supplies. Work less, invest, save, what have you. Same dynamic holds across the board. Mark Perry of the American Enterprise Institute looked at the time price of 11 basic household goods from 19 the 1950s, 50s to 2013. Now this is 11 basic household appliances. They don't list them, but it's, it's minor and major appliances from a a washing machine and a fridge to an iron and a a box fan.

[Michaelangelo]

So I'll only say it one more time as I've already crossed the line into being a pain in the ass. But I feel like quality's got to be thrown in there. Toys, sure, they've gotten so much cheaper, but you know, the metal Tonka truck that I still have from when I was a little kid versus the just crap that falls apart immediately that your kids get now. It's not just less expensive.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I, I would say, at least in some categories.

[Michaelangelo]

Washer, dryer that you're about to get into. Huge difference. Dryer at the rental I'm in. They bought new washer and dryer when I moved in. I've been here what, what going on a year. The washing machine crapped out yesterday because that's the way washing machines are in the modern world. Not the ones my parents got that you could have for 30 years before you had a repairman come look at them.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And, or the repairman would just change out a belt, which you could do yourself, essentially, and it'd be up and running as good as, as ever. But so in a lot of categories. Yeah. The one flaw of this and, and I should probably do the numbers first, but is that it does not measure satisfaction across time for the product. A washer is not a washer is not a washer. And if you're talking about, you know, the sort of, you know, it'll be found by a future civilization still washing clothes, appliances sometimes of the past, although I did see a comparison that some of that's the rosy glow of history. You remember it better than it was really. But, but some of us anyway. But this is interesting even given that they looked at the time price of 11 basic household goods appliances from 1950s, 2013. Typical factory worker in 1959 would have to work from January 1st till the middle of June to earn enough income to purchase those 11 appliances half the year. A worker in 1973 would have had to have worked from the first of the year until the second week of April. And today's factory worker would only have to work until the end of January to earn enough income for those 11 appliances. Now, I see your point, Jack, but that the modern person is working, it's a little more but 1/6 of the time that it took to buy those things in the 50s. And you can't tell me they last six times as long on average or, or have six times the features or six times the, the quality in general.

[Michaelangelo]

Boy, I might disagree with that on some stuff. I keep using toasters, but I, I, I know the answer on some of these because I remember we had the same toaster my whole life when I was a kid. You can't do that now, at least not with the toasters I get at Target. So, yeah, it could last six times as long, 12 years instead of two. I absolutely think that could happen.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Then, yeah, that's in that example. Yeah. I haven't owned a toaster, I don't think, in 25 years.

[Michaelangelo]

It's kind of funny. I'm at home because I'm sick. I don't feel very good. During the commercial break, I smelt burning toast, which is one of the things you're supposed to watch out for. I go out in the kitchen, there's toast burning. It says, that's the problem with working from home. It might actually be burning.

[Jack Armstrong]

Christmas. Yeah, that's like the sign of a massive stroke.

[Michaelangelo]

Anyway, my son was actually burning or.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or alternatively, someone has left the toast in too long. It's one of those two things. Yeah.

[Michaelangelo]

So make sure you check.

[Jack Armstrong]

So Anyway, Rich Lowry's point is that you have to work a fraction of the time to have the same lifestyle as back in the day. With all the caveats Jack is, has has lashed us with repeatedly. This is the process of a society getting richer. Trump spoke of what we really need. At the end of the day, we don't need anything except food and shelter. That doesn't mean we should be content to settle for less rather than more. The United States, for instance, he writes, has a higher standard of living than Greece. According to CIA figures, US had $74,000 per capita. Blah, blah blah. Greece had 36,9 per capita. That doesn't mean that people are dying in the streets of Greece. They just have less and lower quality stuff. Until now, everyone would have agreed that that is a bad thing and should avoid taking any steps back down the ladder of prosperity. And then he goes into dolls for a minute. Well, grocery stores, in the bins, in the produce section, all the choices we have, the freshness. And you look at apples. Oh, there are too many varieties to choose from or considered dolls. Among the major brands there are Barbie, American Girl, lol, Surprise, Bratz, Cabbage Cat, Patch Kids, Bratz dolls look like whores, and Rainbow High dolls, all with a dizzying variety of dolls at all sorts of prices. We don't need a central authority telling us which dolls are more necessary than others. The market does that. All of this is off brand for President Trump associated with business success and consumerist access. It's more natural for him to be booster ish than to talk people into attempting accepting scarcity. The sooner he can get out of the position of explaining away what might be imminent shortages and higher prices, the better.

[Michaelangelo]

Yeah, I think the whole quality thing might just be almost entirely cultural. And maybe the Chinese figured it out before we figured it out in America. And we might have figured it out earlier because quality was so big. I remember Joe and I are old, but when we were kids everything was advertised as quality, not price. It was just quality, quality, quality for everything you're gonna buy. Somebody figured out that, no, people don't give a crap about the quality. They don't care if it's gonna last a month, as long as it's cheap.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I love arguing about ideas and what comparisons are valid and invalid and how a statistic might be misleading. I've enjoyed the conversation, but it occurs to me as you get down to the end of this conversation that in terms of policy, the idea that what Trump is doing will yield American made washing machines built by Americans with Great jobs and Americans will buy those significantly more expensive washing machines that last longer. It's all a pipe dream.

[Michaelangelo]

Well happen even in this random case. If it did, which I don't think it would, you can't have central planning doesn't work. It's been tried a gazillion times.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. The minute you try something like this, a hundred things change and you're so far behind you'll never catch up up trying to centrally plan. On the other hand, are there strategic industries, products, etc that we cannot for the love of George Washington be dependent on our greatest adversaries to supply us 100? Yes.

[Michaelangelo]

Oh my God. The fact that dolls ain't it no. Pharmaceuticals, yes. Computer chips. Yes. Variety of other things. We'll finish strong.

[Jack Armstrong]

Next Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Katie Green]

It's true that some things change as we get older. But if you're a woman over 40 and you're dealing with insomnia, brain fog, moodiness and weight gain, you don't have to accept it as just another part of aging. And with MITI health, you can get help and stop pushing through it alone. The experts at MIDI understand that all these symptoms can be connected to the hormonal changes that happen around menopause. And MIDI can help you feel more like yourself again. Many healthcare providers aren't trained to treat or even recognize menopause symptoms. MIDI clinicians are menopause experts. They're dedicated to providing safe, effective, FDA approved solutions for dozens of hormonal symptoms, not just hot flashes. Most importantly, they're covered by insurance. 91% of MITI patients get relief from symptoms within just two months. You deserve to feel great. Book your virtual Visit [e-mail] that's join M I D I.com an overturned truck.

[Jack Armstrong]

Covered a Texas highway in 8 million dimes, sparking a wild frenzy of drivers picking up like three dimes and saying, this is actually hard. Let's just go.

[Michaelangelo]

Yeah, no kidding, right? How many dimes?

[Jack Armstrong]

Eight million. Is that what this.

[Michaelangelo]

Okay, Joe's, what do we got coming up?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, right, a major breaking, plunging out of the stands into the outfield. Update.

[Michaelangelo]

Okay, I want to get this on one more time because it's so stupid. Here's a Democratic House member.

[Jack Armstrong]

First, they came for the Latinos outside of the Home Depots. And I didn't say anything about it. It because I'm not a Latino at the Home Depot.

[Michaelangelo]

I feel like that pause was him thinking it sounded better when I said it to myself. This kind of sounds.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh no, I. I took it the opposite way. I thought he thought he was thinking, you know, I'm riffing here, I'm rapping, I'm rhyming this. I'm like Jesse Jackson over here.

[Michaelangelo]

There will be a statue to me because of this.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that was, what's, what's his crank. What's this crank's name? Johnson of Georgia. Yeah, beautiful. So.

[Michaelangelo]

So he argued violently over whether this guy tried to kill himself by falling out of the stands on the baseball field.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So this guy who all of his friends and former coaches are saying is a hell of a nice fella, he was sitting out there when Andrew McCutcheon hit a two run double to put the Pirates ahead four to three. Video appears to show Mark woods, that's the gents name, springing up, toppling over the railing and somersaulting through the air before crashing onto the warning track below. Pittsburgh newspaper reported that witnesses, because they asked everybody around him what was going on, described that 20 year old Mr. Markwood was growing exciting, excited that the Pirates were rallying, quote, and had taken off his shirt and poured beer on himself before McCutcheon's at bat.

[Michaelangelo]

Yes, this is the detail I needed.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. So not only was he drinking, he was drunk enough that he was taking off his shirt and pouring beer all over his head because the Pirates were rallying in a freaking April game. Huh? Yeah.

[Michaelangelo]

So alcohol may have been involved.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. You think?

[Michaelangelo]

Wow, that is funny.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hey, kids, it's that time again with Armstrong and Giddy.

[Michaelangelo]

He might be a nice guy, but he's the kind of guy that pours takes off his shirt and pours beer on his head when his team makes a comeback.

[Jack Armstrong]

Son, let's think this through. When you dry off the stickiness, the smell, come on.

[Michaelangelo]

Now here's your host for final Thoughts, Joe Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let's get a final thought from everybody on the crew. Michelangelo, lead us off. Final thought.

[Hanson]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know, if I was going to end my life at a baseball stadium, I'd make sure I had a giant foam finger on each hand and then dive off to make sure viral video, you know, that's dark and stupid. Katie Greener, steamed newswoman, has a final thought. Katie?

[Michaelangelo]

I, I don't now. I don't because now I have the visual of Michelangelo doing that and everything.

[Jack Armstrong]

That I was just going to say left my brain.

[Michaelangelo]

So there we go.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, boy. Yeah. Way to go, Michael. Jack, final thought for us.

[Michaelangelo]

So I'm going to the new Marvel movie tonight at the theater, Thunderbolts, which looks great and funny. To me. But the National Review says it's anti American, anti Trump and very depressing. So I have that to look forward to. We'll see. I'll give you a review on Monday.

[Jack Armstrong]

That sounds like a great Friday night.

[Michaelangelo]

Right? You can be really misled by trailers.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. Gosh. My final thought. Economies, markets are complicated. Let them be as free as humanly possible. Central planning is terrible. It never works.

[Michaelangelo]

Armstrong and Getty wrapping up another grueling four hour workday.

[Jack Armstrong]

And look, your baseball team's going to play a lot of games. All right, Drink the beer, stay in your seat station. Everybody get home safely. Stay sure nobody wants to see your nipples, sir.

[Michaelangelo]

Wow.

[Hanson]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

So go to armstrongygetti.com, would you? A lot of great reasons. The the hot link to Katie's Corner. Get some swag, drop us a note.

[Michaelangelo]

He's gonna have to change his name and move. I mean, if he's okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean, he has serious head injuries. Wow.

[Michaelangelo]

Well, we'll see you on Monday. I'm sure there'll be many updates on a whole bunch of different major stories. See you then. God bless America.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty is an unpredictable beast. What a powerful metaphor. I was wondering, you know, what you felt about that. You drive it and you drive it up. You say that and child listen. Baloo Kalei, we're in luck.

[Michaelangelo]

It's cold. One final message.

[Jack Armstrong]

You aren't as well behaved as our goat goody two shoes brother Canada, who by the way, has never had a girlfriend. I'm just saying. Have a great Friday.

[Michaelangelo]

You mother Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie Green]

It's true that some things change as we get older. But if you're a woman over 40 and you're dealing with insomnia, brain fog, moodiness and weight gain, you don't have to accept it as just another part of aging. And with MIDI Health, you can get help and stop pushing through it alone. The experts at MITI understand that all these symptoms can be connected to the hormonal changes that happen around menopause. And MITI can help you feel more like yourself again. Many healthcare providers aren't trained to treat or even recognize menopause symptoms. MIDI clinicians are menopause experts. They're dedicated to providing safe, effective, FDA approved solutions for dozens of hormonal symptoms, not just hot flashes. Most importantly, they're covered by insurance. 91% of MITI patients get relief from symptoms within just two months. You deserve to feel great. Book your virtual visit today at joinmidi.

[Jack Armstrong]

Com.

[Katie Green]

That's joinmidi.

[Jack Armstrong]

Com.