China's Like A Pig With An Enormously Long Tongue

Summary

Podcast Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "China's Like A Pig With An Enormously Long Tongue"

Release Date: March 6, 2025 | Host: Armstrong & Getty | Produced by iHeartPodcasts

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1. Introduction

In the episode titled "China's Like A Pig With An Enormously Long Tongue," hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a range of pressing geopolitical and domestic issues. From U.S.-China trade tensions to Europe’s military rearmament and controversial government spending, the discussion is both comprehensive and incisive.

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2. U.S.-China Trade War Escalation

The conversation kicks off with an analysis of the intensifying trade war between the United States and China. Armstrong and Getty explore the motivations behind President Trump's aggressive stance towards China, highlighting the administration's intent to economically weaken China.

Notable Quote:

"They're our global enemy and they are hell bent on taking over the world and we need to try to stop that."
— Joe Getty [09:52]

The hosts reference a Wall Street Journal article that discusses how China's President Xi Jinping is concerned about being isolated similarly to Moscow during the Cold War. Xi's focus is on salvaging China's position within the global trade system amidst internal economic challenges.

Key Points:

• Trump’s trade policies aim to dismantle the existing trade framework that has disproportionately benefited China.
• The strategic objective is to "break China economically," as emphasized by commentator Mark Halpern.
• The trade war is portrayed as a necessary move to restore U.S. economic dominance and ensure national security.

Notable Quote:

"Mark Halpern says what you should be saying is Trump will... China will be broken. Because Trump believes that China must be broken."
— Ashley Kineti [29:28]

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3. Trump's Confrontation with Hamas

A significant portion of the episode focuses on President Trump's vehement response to Hamas following the tragic hostage situation involving Israelis and Hamas militants.

Notable Quote:

"Shalom. Hamas means hello and goodbye. You can choose release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered or it's over for you."
— Ashley Kineti [04:42]

The hosts critique Trump's no-nonsense approach, debating whether such emotional declarations are effective in shaping national policy. They discuss the severity of Hamas as an Islamic supremacist organization intent on global domination, emphasizing the threat it poses to international stability.

Key Points:

• Trump's tweet is analyzed for its direct and aggressive language aimed at coercing Hamas.
• The ethical and strategic implications of using strong rhetoric in diplomatic conflicts are debated.
• The impact of Trump’s stance on U.S. credibility and foreign policy is scrutinized.

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4. European Military Rearmament and Fiscal Policies

Armstrong and Getty shift focus to Europe, particularly Germany and the United Kingdom, examining recent moves towards military expansion and fiscal changes in response to perceived threats.

Notable Quote:

"We must do whatever it takes for our continent."
— Friedrich Merz (Referenced by Joe Getty) [32:27]

Key Points:

• Germany’s Prime Minister Friedrich Merz announces a departure from strict fiscal rules to fund military rearmament and infrastructure projects.
• The hosts discuss the historical context of Germany’s previous military restrictions post-World Wars and the implications of this policy shift.
• They highlight concerns about Europe's readiness to independently defend itself without relying heavily on the U.S. military umbrella.

Notable Quote:

"Given the threats to our freedom and to peace on our continent, we must do whatever it takes for our continent."
— Friedrich Merz (Referenced by Joe Getty) [33:05]

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5. Funding Controversies and Government Spending

A critical segment addresses alleged misappropriations of taxpayer money under the guise of progressive initiatives like the Green New Deal. The hosts enumerate various questionable expenditures, labeling them as "graft" and "theft."

Notable Quote:

"These are all scams, and they're far worse."
— Ashley Kineti [19:17]

Key Points:

• Examples include billions allocated to decarbonization committees, voter confidence programs in Liberia, and social cohesion initiatives in Mali.
• The discussion underscores the inefficiency and lack of oversight in governmental financial allocations.
• Armstrong and Getty argue for broader tax reforms to ensure accountability and reduce unnecessary government spending.

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6. Lesotho Grant Controversy

Referencing a statement from President Trump, the hosts shed light on Lesotho—a small, landlocked country in Southern Africa—and critique the allocation of substantial grants to it, questioning the rationale behind such financial decisions.

Notable Quote:

"Lesotho has perhaps the highest rate of HIV in the world, with 1 in 5 adults living with HIV."
— Joe Getty [22:45]

Key Points:

• Lesotho’s socio-economic challenges, including high HIV rates and limited resources, are highlighted.
• The episode questions the strategic benefits of providing significant financial aid to Lesotho.
• Armstrong and Getty express skepticism about the effectiveness and necessity of such grants, suggesting they may be part of broader governmental mismanagement.

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7. Domestic Crime Case: Kansas City Chiefs Fans

The hosts discuss a high-profile manslaughter case involving Kansas City Chiefs fans who died from exposure while under the influence of drugs at a party. The case raises questions about accountability and the responsibilities of hosts in preventing drug-related fatalities.

Notable Quote:

"Do not do drugs. Kids. Street drugs bad."
— Ashley Kineti [46:35]

Key Points:

• Discussion centers on the legal implications for hosts who provide drugs, leading to the unintended deaths of guests.
• The conversation extends to the broader issue of drug safety and the responsibilities of dealers and suppliers.
• Armstrong and Getty emphasize the dangers of street drugs, advocating for stricter controls and personal responsibility.

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8. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Armstrong and Getty wrap up the episode by reiterating the need for strong national policies, accountability in government spending, and vigilant foreign policy stances. They stress the importance of understanding global dynamics and the repercussions of domestic decisions on international relations.

Notable Quote:

"Powerful countries do what they will, weak countries do what they must."
— Ashley Kineti [37:36]

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Closing Remarks

The episode provides a thorough examination of U.S. foreign and domestic policies, critiquing current administration actions and highlighting significant global shifts. Armstrong and Getty offer a perspective that emphasizes fiscal responsibility, strong alliances, and proactive measures against global threats.

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Disclaimer: The podcast includes commentary and opinions of the hosts and may contain strong language and viewpoints. Listener discretion is advised.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

Stop hitting snooze on new tech. Upgrade the whole [e-mail] Unlock AI experiences with the ThinkPad X1 carbon powered by Intel Core Ultra processors so you can work, create and boost productivity all on one device. Win the tech search for business PCs at Lenovo.com Lenovo Lenovo the new Year's Here. It's the perfect time to refresh those household essentials and score some cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive from toothpaste to dish soap, chances are you've got Colgate Palmolive products on your shopping list and in your house. Right now we're talking brands like Colgate Soft Soap, Palmolive, Irish Spring, Fabuloso, and Tom's of Maine. And right now you can get up to a $10 digital Visa prepaid card when you buy up to $30 of Colgate Palmolive products. Here's how it works. Sponsored Spend $20 on their products Get $5 Spend $30 Get a $10 reward. All you do is shop your favorite brands, snap a pic of your receipt and upload it to cprewards.com it's so easy. That's cprewards.com so grab what you need or maybe try something new and get rewarded just for doing your usual shopping. And start your year fresh by earning cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive. Rewards available while supplies last. Limit Supply US Only 1125 through 33125 for full terms and conditions, visit CPR.

[Joe Getty]

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[Ashley Kineti]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Ashley Kineti]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Ashley Kineti]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

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

[Ashley Kineti]

Frozen Pizza company DiGiorno has partnered with makers of Hidden Valley Ranch to offer a chicken bacon Ranch stuffed crust pizza. So I guess add Italy to the countries that hate us. What? Stuffed in there kind of made me nauseous. Of course, I'm chicken bacon.

[Joe Getty]

That's one of my favorite pizzas. Like chicken, bacon, garlic, that sort of thing.

[Ashley Kineti]

Delicious. Chicken, bacon, garlic. I've never had one.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. So a couple of things. Number one, to cap off the discussion last hour, and if you didn't get last, you weren't here. What were you? We waited and we waited. Grab it via podcast. Hour one, Armstrong and Getty on demand. We probably ought to subscribe today's date, but anyway, we were talking about horrific wastes of taxpayer dollars. Well, it's graft. It's theft under the guise of the Green New Deal and the rest of it. The one way to get Americans to care about the incredible graft in our government is to broaden the tax code, have everybody have significant skin in the game, and you will see populism like you've never seen before in favor of fiscal responsibility. That's why the left is constantly harping on about the rich need to pay their fair share so they can narrow the tax base. It is a specific strategy. Secondly, in his not the State of the Union address the other night, Donald Trump, enlisting a bunch of stupid expenditures that they've gotten rid of, mentioned a giant grant for something ridiculous to the country of Lesotho, which he said is a country nobody's even heard of. Well, I've heard of Lesotho, and I'm here to tell you it's a fascinating land that leads the world in not one category, but two. Actually, three. Stay with us. Fascinating Lesotho.

[Ashley Kineti]

Narrow it down to a hemisphere. For me.

[Joe Getty]

It's. It's in Africa.

[Ashley Kineti]

Okay.

[Joe Getty]

Southern hemisphere, obviously.

[Ashley Kineti]

In World War three news, a couple of different things. First of all, this Donald J. Trump, he is at real. Donald Trump on your Twitter tweeted this out yesterday. This is how the world got this news. Shalom. Hamas means hello and goodbye. You can choose release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered or it's over for you in all caps. Only sick and twisted people keep bodies. And you are sick and twisted, exclamation point. I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the Job. Not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don't do as I say. I have just met with your former hostages whose lives you have destroyed. This is your last warning. Exclamation point. He met in the Oval Office with a whole bunch of hostages who were released and told him their horrifying stories of abuse and torture and people they saw murdered. So it was fresh on his mind when he sent out this tweet, well.

[Joe Getty]

And again to echo the President's sentiments. What kind of sickos hold back the dead bodies as extortion, as a bargaining.

[Ashley Kineti]

Chip for the leadership? Now is the time to leave Gaza while you still have a chance. Also, to the people of Gaza, a beautiful future awaits, but not if you hold hostages. If you do, you are dead. All caps, exclamation point. Make a smart decision. Smart in all caps. And the rest of the message is all caps, capital letters. Release the hostages now or there will be hell to pay later. Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Wow. Are you able to get through all that veiled diplomatic talk, Jack, to get at the message he's trying to send?

[Ashley Kineti]

Do you think he means it? Yes, I do, too.

[Joe Getty]

Now, he was fired up from that meeting with the hostages, and you probably shouldn't decide national policy while you're fired up.

[Ashley Kineti]

Or maybe it should.

[Joe Getty]

Well, that's an interesting thought. Yeah, and he has said that sort of thing before, so obviously it's not just a momentary whim. Look, here's my point of view, which I've made fairly clear. They are Islamic supremacists bent on wiping out the Jews. This is Hamas and the radicals, and that includes many of the average folks in Palestine. They believe in the Palestinian territories. They believe this, too. They're bent on dominating the entire world in the name of Muhammad, period. No matter who they have to kill or how many of them have to die. They're Islamic supremacists. They're incredibly dangerous. As dangerous as any movement that's ever existed on earth, period. Refute me if you can.

[Ashley Kineti]

Almost always it's a bad idea to make big decisions or pronouncements when you're emotional, but maybe in this case, fresh off us, talking to people who are held by these monsters is a good time to make a very clear declaration before you get bogged down in a whole bunch of foreign policy papers of Saudi Arabia and oil prices and blah, blah, blah, and this and that and tectonic plates and Nana. And just. Just flat. You know, I just heard this woman's Story being raped and seeing people murdered. Screw these people. You release all the hostages and bodies now or I'm killing you all.

[Joe Getty]

I guarantee the autopsy reports of that young mom and her two little boys who were murdered deliberately in cold blood with their hands by Hamas.

[Ashley Kineti]

So I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job. Not a single Hamas member will be safe. This is your last warning. You got to follow through on that. I mean, you lose all credibility.

[Joe Getty]

Boy, I bet the gender studies classes at Columbia University are abuzz this morning.

[Ashley Kineti]

How about that opening? Shalom. Hamas means hello and goodbye. You can choose, right?

[Joe Getty]

It's like Aloha Jack. Very similar.

[Ashley Kineti]

Release all the hostages now, not later or it is over for you. Well, I don't know. There's not a specific deadline on this now does now mean by close of business, Cob, or this weekend or in the next month or.

[Joe Getty]

I think it means we are now taking the steps, the countdown has begun to massive strikes, etc. We are going to unleash them the moment they're ready. Unless you make a move or Israel.

[Ashley Kineti]

Will release them and you're. And what's going to be different is you're not going to hear a peep out of the president of concerns for going too far or don't, as Kamala Harris said to Benjamin Netanyahu when he was talking about going into Ramallah or wherever he was going to go to. Rafa.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ashley Kineti]

Ridiculous.

[Joe Getty]

You've got to pursue the two state solution.

[Ashley Kineti]

Yeah. So that's one part of World War iii. Here's the other part. So we got the trade war ramping up with China, which as we keep saying, is a completely different story than Mexico and Canada. China's Defense Ministry spokesman put out this message yesterday. This is from the, this came out of their, their embassy here in the United States. Basically their, their spokesman for the Sec Def.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and unlike Pete Hegseth occasionally getting out over his skis, this is with the full approval of Xi Jinping. It's. It's without a doubt.

[Ashley Kineti]

Well, that's interesting. This is actually a different one which is also very provocative than the one I was thinking of earlier. But anyway, put out this statement. If a war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end. That's from the Chinese embassy. Wow. And obviously that's pretty provocative because you, you could have said, you know, we're standing up to any tariff war, but. Or any other type of war. We're Ready to fight till the end is pretty provocative between the two most powerful. Well, two of the three most powerful countries on earth. Russia being the other one, by the way.

[Joe Getty]

Although, as has been said many times about Russia, it's like a midget with one gigantic arm, which is metaphor. That's tough to get past to the substance.

[Ashley Kineti]

I didn't know what you were gonna say.

[Joe Getty]

That's, that is, ah, the lighter side of nuclear holocaust. That is the problem with that metaphor. It's an excellent one. But Russia is a paper tiger. It's a Lilliputian, but its gigantic arm is its nuclear arms. And, and so if you, if you assume nobody's going to get into a nuclear holocaust, then don't even mention Russia to me. Well, apparently, unquestionably more powerful.

[Ashley Kineti]

Apparently we regularly do assume they're willing to do that. I mean, all of our decisions on arming UKRA in the Biden administration were based around how likely Putin would use nukes. So that was the whole thing. Will the midget hit us with his giant, giant arm?

[Joe Getty]

I hope not. Wow.

[Ashley Kineti]

I've got more on that thought right.

[Joe Getty]

After, you know, I apologize, it's a useful metaphor, but it's derailed the entire conversation. I, I blame myself. We'll get back to that after a quick word from our friends at Prize Picks. The best way to get action on sports in more than 30 states, including Cal, Unicornia, Texas, Georgia, Florida and many more. And Prize Picks invented the Flex play, which means you can still cash out even if your lineup isn't perfect. You can double your money even if one of your picks doesn't hit. You're just picking more or less on stat projections for individual players on all sorts of sports.

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[Ashley Kineti]

So I'm looking at the clock. I'm trying to figure out. So there is some interesting reporting in the Wall Street Journal about Trump's trade war, particularly with China later. It's the first, like, thoughtful. This is what Trump's trying to accomplish with China actually makes sense sort of thing I've read. Yeah. And it's in the Wall Street Journal day. So we'll get to that later. In terms, when it comes to trade.

[Joe Getty]

Though, China's like a pig with an enormously long tongue. I mean, really, if you think about. Oh, I'm sorry, but I was listening.

[Ashley Kineti]

To a podcast yesterday speaking of, you know, militaries and who's tough and who's not, is how weak Britain is now. Oh, yes, their army is 78,000 men. Yeah, 78,000 men. That's the British Army. How do you like that?

[Joe Getty]

And it's. If you think the US army is woke and not built as a lethal war machine. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to the panty wearing British military. Now that's said, with all due respect to the fighting they did in Iraq and Afghanistan is a close ally of ours. I'm not talking about any individual man or unit. By God, they're an old friend. I hope they can revive their, their national spirit someday. But as an institution, the British military is completely unimpressive.

[Ashley Kineti]

Well, you know, in a century ago, little more than a century ago, was the dominant military on the planet. It has now got 78,000 people in their army, 32 grand in the navy and 38, 000 in the air Force. That's a tiny military. Yes, they fight above their weight because they got some pretty high technology and they are a nuclear power. But that is really something. And it's, it's, it's why all this talk of Europe stepping up to the plate and being able to defend themselves. I got more on that, but we're running out of time. I'll get to that later.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, Germany has made some major moves in the last 24 hours or so. They are shaken out of their slumber by Trump, it would seem, and they, they've declared no, we're going to be a military power again. Good for y'all. Be an ally worth having.

[Ashley Kineti]

That's funny though. I read something the other day, I don't remember who it was, but saying, you know, maybe this whole not letting Germany rearm since the last two world wars was, you know, for a reason. Maybe we're about to find out. Anywho, a lot more on the way. Stay here. Armstrong and Getty during tax season, your sensitive info does a lot of traveling to places you can't control, stopping off at payroll, your accountant or tax preparer, and countless other data centers on its way to the irs. Any of them can expose you to identity theft because they all have the info on your W2. Just the ticket for criminals to steal your identity. No wonder the IRS reported tax fraud due to identity theft went up 20% last year. You need Lifelock. They monitor millions of data points per second and alert you to threats you could miss. If your identity is stolen, LifeLock's US based restoration specialists will fix it, backed by the million dollar protection package and restoration is guaranteed or your money back. Don't let identity thieves take you for a ride. Get Lifelock protection for tax season and beyond. Join now and save up to 40% your first year. Call 1-800-LIFELOCK and use promo code iheart or go to lifelock.com iheart for 40% off. Terms apply.

[Jack Armstrong]

Stop hitting snooze on new tech Upgrade the whole [e-mail] Unlock AI experiences with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon powered by Intel Core Ultra processors so you can work, create and boost productivity all on one device. Win the tech search for business [e-mail].

[Ashley Kineti]

This is Ashley Kineti from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. It feels like everyone is talking about GLP1s these days. Those are Ozempic and Semaglutide. And with Future Health you can find out if they're right for you too. Maybe you feel like you've been struggling with your weight for years and no matter how much you diet and exercise, you just don't feel healthy. Just go to try fh.com to find out if weight loss meds are right for you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Try fh.com future health is not healthcare services provider.

[Ashley Kineti]

Meds are prescribed at provider's discretion. Results may vary.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sponsored by Future Health. The New Year's here. It's the perfect time to refresh those household essentials and score some cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive. From toothpaste to dish soap, chances are you've got Colgate Palmolive products on your shopping list and in your house. Right now we're talking brands like Colgate Soft Soap, Palmolive, Irish Spring, Fabuloso, and Tom's of Maine. And right now you can get up to a $10 digital Visa prepaid card when you buy up to $30 of Colgate Palmolive products. Here's how it Spend $20 on their products. Get $5 Spend $30 Get a $10 reward. All you do is shop your favorite brands, snap a pic of your receipt and upload it to cprewards.com it's so easy. That's cprewards.com so grab what you need or maybe try something new and get rewarded just for doing your usual shopping. And start your year fresh by earning cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive rewards available while supplies last. Limit supply US only 1125 through 33125 for full terms and conditions, visit cprewards.com.

[Ashley Kineti]

$32 million for a left wing propaganda operation in Moldova. $10 million for mail circumcision in Mozambique. $20 million for the Arab Sesame street in the Middle east It's a program.

[Joe Getty]

$20 million for a program.

[Ashley Kineti]

$1.9 billion to recently created Decarbonization of homes committee headed up and we know she's involved just at the last moment. The money was passed over by a woman named Stacey Abrams. Have you ever heard of her? A $3.5 million consulting contract for lavish fish monitoring. $1.5 million for voter confidence in Liberia. $14 million for social cohesion in Mali. $59 million for illegal alien hotel rooms in New York City. He's a real estate developer. He's done very well. $250,000 to increase vegan local climate action innovation in Zambia. $42 million for social and behavior change in Uganda. $14 million for improving public procurement in Serbia. $47 million for improving learning outcomes in Asia. Asia is doing very well with learning. You know what we're doing. Should use it ourselves. A $101 million for DEI contracts at the Department of Education, the most ever paid. Nothing even like it under the Trump administration. All of these scams, and they're far worse. But I didn't think it was appropriate to talk about them. They're so bad. Many more have been found out and exposed and swiftly terminated by a group of very intelligent, mostly young people headed.

[Joe Getty]

Up by, you know, I was looking for something specific. We thought it was in that clip, but I was enjoying it so much I didn't want to cut it off. And that was the grant of, however, whatever giant stack of money it was to some dopey program in Lesotho which Trump mentioned, country nobody's ever heard of. Well, Lesothans, Jack, as you might imagine, are aghast at that and offended. And so here's. Welcome to Lesotho.

[Ashley Kineti]

A little primer, if you'd ask me. Is this the name of an actual country? It would have been a coin flip for me. Yes or no?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. It's known as the kingdom in the sky. It's the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 3200ft in elevation. It is entirely surrounded by South Africa.

[Ashley Kineti]

Okay, so we were near there, in.

[Joe Getty]

The middle of South Africa when we.

[Ashley Kineti]

Did our fabulous broadcasts from South Africa. We were near that country.

[Joe Getty]

It is known to have the world's most intimidating airstrips to land on. Blah, blah, blah. The people of Lesotho, who number more than 2 million, share some cultural and language similarities with South Africa. Nobody cares about that. Resources are scarce in Lesotho, a consequence of harsh environment. Blah, blah, blah. Its biggest resource is water, known locally as white gold, which is exported to South Africa. Also diamonds, which are known as diamonds. It has the highest ski resort in Africa, Jack. Very, very popular. They're known for their traditional blankets and conical hats, which actually appear on the country's flag. But let's get down to the really important stuff. Lesotho has perhaps the highest rate of HIV in the world, with 1 in 5 adults living with the HIVvy.

[Ashley Kineti]

1 in 5.

[Joe Getty]

That's correct. Lesotho also exports jeans to the US and has the world's highest suicide rate.

[Ashley Kineti]

And why did we give them money? Why did they get some of my taxpayer money?

[Joe Getty]

I don't know. Help the kids, read, friends and influence people. They have 87 and a half people per 100,000 of the population take their life every year. This is nearly 10 times the global average average.

[Ashley Kineti]

That's something. But you know, in all these individual programs, maybe you could justify some. Maybe some of them you can't. Maybe some of them you could justify, but only half as much. And again, how efficiently is the money used? Nobody's paying any attention at all to that, of course. Murder mystery solved. Big one national one. If you haven't heard that, stay tuned.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty stop hitting news on new tech. Upgrade the whole [e-mail] Unlock AI experiences with the ThinkPad X1 carbon powered by Intel Core Ultra processors so you can work, create and boost productivity all on one device. Win the tech search for business [e-mail].

[Ashley Kineti]

This is Ashley from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. It feels like everyone is talking about GLP1s these days. Those are Ozempic and Semaglutide. And with future health, you can find out if they're right for you too. Maybe you feel like you've been struggling with your weight for years and no matter how much you diet and exercise, you just don't feel healthy. Just go to try fh.com to find out if weight loss meds are right for you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Try fh.com future health is not healthcare services provider meds are at provider's discretion.

[Ashley Kineti]

Results may vary.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sponsored by Future Health. The New Year's Here. It's the perfect time to refresh those household essentials and score some cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive. From toothpaste to dish soap, chances are you've got Colgate Palmolive products on your shopping list and in your house. Right now we're talking brands like Colgate Soft Soap, Palmolive, Irish Spring, Fabuloso, and Tom's of Maine. And right now, you can get up to a $10 digital Visa prepaid card when you buy up to $30 of Colgate Palmolive products. Here's how it works. Spend $20 on their products. Get $5 spend $30 get a $10 reward. All you do is shop your favorite brands, snap a pic of your receipt and upload it to cprewards.com it's so easy. That's cprewards.com so grab what you need. Or maybe try something new and get rewarded just for doing your usual shopping. And start your year fresh by earning cash back rewards with Colgate Palmolive rewards available while supplies last. Limits apply us only 1125 through 33125 for full terms and conditions, visit cprewards.com how to have fun anytime, anywhere.

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[Jack Armstrong]

The CEOs of the big three American automakers Ford, Stellantis and General Motors making.

[Ashley Kineti]

A personal appeal to President Trump, calling.

[Jack Armstrong]

Him to say his 25% tariffs on everything imported from Canada and Mexico will devastate their industry. Begging him for a reprieve. The President agreeing to pause his tariffs for one month on cars coming into.

[Ashley Kineti]

The US From Canada and Mexico. So that's the cars portion of the tariffs between Canada and Mexico and the United States. Okay, so there's that, but then you got the China tariffs, which are a different topic, as we keep saying. And they are our global enemy and they are hell bent on taking over the world and we need to try to stop that. And as I mentioned, they, their embassy put out this statement yesterday. If war is what the United States wants, be it a tariff or a trade war or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end. That's pretty belligerent. And then the sec Death of China put out this statement yesterday about to Taiwan, we will come and get you sooner or later. We make no promise to renounce the use of force which is targeted at the Taiwan independence separatist forces and external interference. We warn the U. S Side playing sneaky tricks on Taiwan would only backfire. So that's pretty belligerent.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Yeah. You want to go? Let's go.

[Ashley Kineti]

And this gets to. I think we did this on Monday to start the week, Ross Duthat's piece in the New York Times where he is basically saying for people that, you know, talk about the world order and this and that, and Trump is just realizing what it already is, the world, the old US Led world order is already over. The old Europe and US Led world order is already over. And Trump's just recognizing that that is already over and recognizing what things currently are. Which leads to this, I think in the Wall Street Journal about the. The trade war with China. And this is what the Wall Street Journal wrote today. Soon after Donald Trump won the presidential election in November, President Xi of China asked his aides to urgently analyze the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. That's fascinating. Xi's concern, according to people who consult with senior Chinese officials, was that as President Trump gears up for a showdown, Beijing could get isolated like Moscow did during that era. He's not wrong to worry, writes the Wall Street Journal. Even though Trump may be the one who currently looks isolated on the world stage, picking trade fights with allies like Mexico and Canada, alarming Europe over his handling of the war in Ukraine and vowing to annex Greenland in the Panama Canal, the truth is that China doesn't hold a strong hand. With the domestic economy in crisis, Xi is playing defense, hoping to salvage as much as possible of a global trade system that helped pull his country out of poverty across the Pacific. Trump is intent on rewriting that very trade system, which he and his advisors see as having benefited the rest of the world and China most of all, at the U.S. s expense.

[Joe Getty]

So, Mark, that's That's a great point that's seldom made, is that nobody has benefited more from the giant global trade system that we have run than China.

[Ashley Kineti]

Right. And then. So the analysis Mark Halpern has in his newsletter today about the Wall Street Journal piece is this. While a lot of people say Trump starting a trade war makes no sense, it's a huge, unnecessary distraction. Blah, blah, blah. Mark Halpern says what you should be saying is hairs will be. Must. China will be broken. Because Trump believes that China must be broken. He sees that as the ultimate goal and an absolute 100 necessity that we break China economically.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. How and when is the great question.

[Ashley Kineti]

But sure. And then fitting in with that whole thing, I think this holds together in my mind. Anyway, the. So the other day, you know, they had their elections in Germany, and you got this guy Fred Mertz, who's gonna take over in Germany, and he gave his little speech in the. What is that thing? What do they call that thing? We thought the name was hilarious. After they have elections in Germany, they get everybody who ran for election, like that night together on a stage, and they all talk about the issues of the day, which is the elephant round. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Ashley Kineti]

I don't know if our politics would allow for that. Could you had Kamala and Trump get together that night and discuss the issues?

[Joe Getty]

I would be fascinated by it. No is the answer to that question. It'll never happen.

[Ashley Kineti]

But anyway, so old Fred Mertz gave his speech and said, we no longer can rely on the United States. We need to be able to, you know, fend for ourselves. And Trump haters took that as, look how awful this is. Trump has abandoned our allies, and now they're desperate enough that they feel like they need to support themselves. Well, I missed this last week. So referring. And everybody believes this was referring to Fred Mertz's statement there in Germany about how we need to, you know, I guess we're going to have to fend for ourselves. Oh, poor you. Donald Tusk, who is the guy who runs Poland, he's the prime minister of Poland, speaking in Warsaw, on his way to London because he had just heard what Fred Mertz said. Yeah, Europe needs to become more independent so we can be a better ally. But he also said it is ridiculous saying to 300 million Americans that 500 million Europeans need to be defended from 141 million Russians.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. For the win.

[Ashley Kineti]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

The elephant round, huh?

[Ashley Kineti]

Well, he's basically saying, yeah, Fred Mertz, and we should be able to defend ourselves. So you're saying 300 million Americans need to defend us, 500 million Europeans from a much smaller Russia because we can't or shouldn't have to.

[Joe Getty]

Or what do you say? Love that quote, love that quote. And then do you have more on that? No. Okay. Because the next foot to drop was so interesting. There was a hastily convened press conference late on Tuesday in Germany, and Friedrich Merz Fred Mertz announced a break with German tradition for the last 75 years. From now on, Germany's famously strict fiscal rules. Is it even worth noting post WW1 till WW2, Germany was a financial ruin. That's one of the reasons Hitler was able to take power.

[Ashley Kineti]

So you know why? I just learned this recently from reading that book about the impressionists and Paris in 1870.

[Joe Getty]

I have an idea, but go ahead. Yeah.

[Ashley Kineti]

After Prussia, which became Germany during that war, so soundly defeated France, France started the war, but Germany then just thrashed them in like in a couple of days. They imposed such over the top onerous financial penalties on Paris. That's why Paris went so far. After French France beat Germany In World War I, they were still angry from that war in 1870, and they went too far. Isn't that interesting the way history works?

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah, absolutely. So. So anyway, so from now on, Mertz said Germany's famously strict fiscal rules would no longer apply to military spending, paving the way for a rapid acceleration in the country's rearmament. The incoming government was also set up a 500 billion euro infrastructure investment fund to rebuild the country's long neglected transport, energy and digital infrastructure. He added, quote, given the threats to our freedom and to peace on our continent, we must do whatever it takes for our continent. The country needed to rearm, he added, and so to do so, it needed to rebuild its economic muscle at all as well, rather. So this is. And look, I'm not willing, I'm not going to rush in and praise Trump as some sort of grand historic puppeteer because we have to see how all of this plays out. But it sure seems to be going in the direction of at least some of the European powers are becoming, I believe, to paraphrase Tusk, allies worth having.

[Ashley Kineti]

Right?

[Joe Getty]

I mean, what the hell's the point? Britain is a good old friend. We used to have a king together. Those were good times. Common language, English, common law, blah, blah, blah. I love the Brits, I love the uk, but as an ally, maybe too.

[Ashley Kineti]

Many dudes have, or people just in general have watched too Many World War II movies and documentaries and, and still think of Germany, France and Great Britain as These dominant global military powers.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. When they're not the vaunted British Navy, the, The German ground forces and tank columns and. And Luftwaffe. No, no, not so much.

[Ashley Kineti]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

It's like, it's like thinking, I'm the baseball player, player I was in 1983. I'm not. And neither are they.

[Ashley Kineti]

Yeah. And I heard some of the math on this. It's very troubling. Even if, you know, Germany actually does and France does and Britain does really commit to spending a lot more money and building up their forces, it would take years for them to get up to a place where they're somewhere close to the United States. I mean, we're the dominant military power. They have 500 million people is Europe, and they're not even close to the United States, Russia or China militarily.

[Joe Getty]

And their economy, the EU economy, especially if you include Britain, has, depending on how you measure it, an economy the same size as ours, slightly more, slightly less, depending on what year you're talking about. So it's more people, every bit the economy. And they have like a stick as their military because. And it's, it's like so many things we say, you know, soft people or soft, easy times produce soft people, soft people produce hard times, hard times produce tough people, blah, blah, that cycle. And, and in the same way that we often say, hey, the kids didn't raise themselves, Europe is the product of the United States security umbrella being so impregnable, and we are so serious about keeping it strong. And, you know, frankly, the Soviet Union crumbled and China wasn't much, and so there weren't any great threats. They became very, very soft in the way that it's practically inevitable for countries to do and people to do. But now. And lefties who just try to discredit Trump are blaming Trump for this. That's ridiculous. I'm blaming Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping and just the way the world changes. But they've realized that period is over. These are the tough times that we warned about. And soft people in soft countries will get squashed. You know, it's that great saying. Who said this? Dostoevsky or King Lear? I don't know. I can't remember. It's. Powerful countries do what they will, weak countries do what they must.

[Ashley Kineti]

And the MSNBC crowd constantly that portraying this is us abandoning our. I mean, I, I'm for. I think we should support Ukraine, blah, blah, blah. I've said that a million times, times. I'm not making that argument.

[Joe Getty]

But the idea is a very, very useful alliance.

[Ashley Kineti]

But the idea that we're abandoning them. They abandoned us a long time ago. Or they abandoned the commitment to the current world order. Right. They like it. They just want us to make sure we do it.

[Joe Getty]

And there's not no value to continuing to speak of our strong reliance. That does actually have value some. But the old guard placed so much value on saying the right things and acting as if it was still the NATO of 1950 that they ignored the utter rot within. And Trump is not putting up with that. On paper, it's great. It's indisputably great. Just have to see how it plays out.

[Ashley Kineti]

Yeah, I personally could talk about this all day, but for better or worse, we will be talking about it for the coming days, weeks, months, years, and maybe centuries.

[Joe Getty]

I have more information on beautiful lesotho. No? Okay, never mind.

[Ashley Kineti]

I do want to get to the you remember the story the Kansas City Chiefs fans, they go over to a buddy's house to watch a game. He he falls asleep on the couch is the last thing he remembers.

[Joe Getty]

Passes out? Yeah.

[Ashley Kineti]

His buddies apparently went out in the backyard and froze to death. He didn't know they were out there. So he says anyway, there have been some arrests in that whole thing and kind of. If you're a partier, you might want to hear how this story is going down. Anyway, lots of stuff on the way. Stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Ashley Kineti]

This is Ashley Kineti from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. It feels like everyone is talking about GLP1s these days. Those are Ozempic and Semaglutide. And with few your health, you can find out if they're right for you too. Maybe you feel like you've been struggling with your weight for years and no matter how much you diet and exercise, you just don't feel healthy. Just go to try FH.com to find out if weight loss meds are right for you.

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[Ashley Kineti]

Meds are prescribed at provider's discretion. Results may vary.

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[Ashley Kineti]

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[Ashley Kineti]

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Empathy is our best policy.

[Ashley Kineti]

Authorities booking the so called chemist along with another man on manslaughter charges yesterday. The first defendant, Jordan Willis, owns the home where his his friends bodies were found back in January of 2024. Now after searching Willis's home, investigators found a bag of drugs with Willis DNA on it. Another bag of fentanyl had traces of Carson's DNA.

[Jack Armstrong]

And a witness who was watching the.

[Ashley Kineti]

Game with the victims providing a probable.

[Jack Armstrong]

Cause statement claiming he saw a large.

[Ashley Kineti]

Plate of cocaine supplied by Willis for the rest of the group earlier that day. So we talked about this a lot when it happened. It was 14 months ago. This is a year and two months ago they found those chief sickles in the backyard of that guy's house. 3 Kansas City Chiefs fans that froze to death. And everybody's trying to figure out and, and he was passed out in the house and it was like three days. People tried to get ahold of him. He didn't answer the phone or whatever. Finally people had to come knock on the door. He's like, you know, they're asking hey, have you seen Jim? I don't know. Somebody at some point looks in the backyard and Jim's frozen solid. Him and two other dudes.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Yeah. Seemed pretty clearly a drug overdose thing at the time, and that's what it turned out to be. But now they've made us some arrests.

[Ashley Kineti]

So you have a party at your house. It's probably not unusual. I'm guessing. I doubt this was the first time they've ever had this sort of get together. But you have a party at your house, you supply the inebriates, they freeze.

[Joe Getty]

A mirror is more traditional. But back to you.

[Ashley Kineti]

And then you're charged with what?

[Joe Getty]

It's. Oh, my gosh. I just saw the story. Manslaughter. That's sort of pretty bad, though. Not. Yeah, it's a serious crime. Yeah, it's not murder, per se, but. And. And to me, the. The guy who served up the drugs, the homeowner, the buddy, that's a different situation than the guy who sold it to them.

[Ashley Kineti]

Right? Yeah. Well, that's why I've been focusing on the. The dude just. He owned the house, and he did what his friends probably do. Also, the drug dealer is a different thing. And. And, you know, if this scares drug dealers all across the country, holy crap, I'm on the hook for murder. If something stinks into the drugs. Well, good. I have no problem with that.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Yeah. Yeah. I love this idea. And we've known some great, you know, grieving parents whose kids thought they were taking a Xanax and they found them dead in their bedroom in the morning. There are no pills or powder drugs that are safe at this point. There are no street drugs that are safe, in short. And people selling death are responsible for the deaths. I mean, on the left, you have bizarre arguments that a firearms manufacturer is responsible if somebody commits a murder. I mean, that's just. That's a stretch beyond a stretch. But somebody who sells drugs, that might be one thing or not or the other, and people die from it. I mean, that is clearly a crime. If you're misrepresenting what you've sold, you're poisoning people.

[Ashley Kineti]

Which I was about to say in the drug dealer's defense.

[Joe Getty]

Well, he's entitled to a defense, Jack. It's in the Constitution.

[Ashley Kineti]

He's. Unless you're gonna like every. Because you've got your supplier who's probably a scary person or works for a very scary person. But what are you supposed to do if you want to be in that line of work? And maybe. Maybe the overall point here is you shouldn't be in that line of work, I suppose. But if you're in that line of work, As a drug dealer, are you supposed to have like a chemistry set and check everything you get to make sure it's not laced with something or.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that would probably be a really, really good idea. Unless you want to be on the hook for a murder.

[Ashley Kineti]

Wow. And again, like, if this ends up driving lots of people away from wanting to do this for a living, fine. I'm fine with that. But God, that guy who just threw the party. Just like I'm sure many parties they've had. Maybe they did it every home Chiefs GU game or twice a week or whatever. All of a sudden you're gonna be going to prison because they froze to death in the backyard and you're like asleep the whole time. That's got to be quite the thing, right?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. You all just got together to get hammered and then three people are dead. Yeah, it's, it's, it's damned unfortunate.

[Ashley Kineti]

How do you think they ended up in the backyard though? You think they went out? I was always suspecting they went out there to smoke cigarettes, something like that. And then the fentanyl kicked in or something, right?

[Joe Getty]

Exactly. Or even, you know, they're going to their car for the night or whatever. But yet it kicked in. They passed out.

[Ashley Kineti]

Wow. Well, let that be a warning.

[Joe Getty]

Kids, Adults, don't do drugs. Do not do drugs. Kids. Street drugs bad. Coming up, fascinating stories from the Department of Justice and much more. Stay with us if you can.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Ashley Kineti]

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