The A&G Replay Monday Hour Four

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: The A&G Replay Monday Hour Four
Date: May 25, 2026
Host: iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

This episode features Armstrong & Getty's engaging blend of sharp commentary, humor, and lively banter as they discuss science news, nutrition debates, the Trump presidential library announcement, the impacts of AI and AGI, media coverage of global conflicts, a Supreme Court decision on counseling and free speech, and surprising developments in Sweden’s social system. The hosts explore current events with their signature wit, skepticism, and cultural insight.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Science and Space: The “Slingshot” Effect

• Jack and Joe discuss launching rockets and the physics behind using Earth's rotation:
  • The launch “window” depends on Earth's orbit to gain speed.
  • Quote:
    “The rotation of the Earth flings the rocket and helps it speed out of the atmosphere. Which is wild to me.” — Joe Getty (03:35)
  • Analogy to a marble in a funnel demonstrates the concept of gravitational acceleration.

2. Nutrition, Delicious Meals, and New Guidelines

• American Heart Association guidelines recommend plant protein, avoiding red meat, low-fat dairy, and plant oils.
• Conversation about the “delicious meal” paradox: unhealthy food tastes best.
  • Quote:
    “If you have more than one delicious meal a week, your diet isn’t correct...” — Joe Getty (05:55)
  • Jack debates the idea, asserting healthy food can be tasty.
  • Story about indulging in “dirty fries”—tater tots, cheese, pulled pork, BBQ sauce.
  • Debate: Would people trade years of life for more frequent indulgence?
    • Quote:
      “I think most people would trade in several [years], wouldn’t they? ...Five might be the sweet spot, though.” — Joe Getty (10:16, 10:28)
  • Discussion on what those final years of life are even like, and if it’s worth prolonging them without enjoyment.

3. Trump’s Proposed Presidential Library

• Announcement of Trump’s planned Miami library:
  • Mock-up features a glass tower, golden escalators, statues, rock music, and an animated Chuck Norris.
  • The project is controversial in Miami, especially due to its proximity to the Freedom Tower; 74% of local voters oppose the location.
  • Obama’s library is referenced as “ugly as hell” and over budget.
  • Quote:
    “Biden’s gonna have like a shelf at his local library because nobody wants to donate to that. Look, you’re a miserable senile failure as a president.” — Jack Armstrong (13:08)

4. AGI, Universal Basic Income, Meaning & Motivation (Mailbag Segment)

• Listeners respond to last episode’s discussion of AGI and a future without the need to work:
  • If needs are met by AGI, who will do hard jobs or become doctors?
    • Quote:
      “If everyone is given the same amount of money, who is going to do the harder, dirty job? ...And freedom is dead.” — Matt the Land Surveyor (Email Read by Joe Getty, 15:00)
  • Will loss of financial incentive erode human motivation and skills?
  • Reference to Dostoevsky and Brave New World: humans crave purpose, not just comfort.
    • Quote:
      “We humans are created to crave meaning. Meaning is most readily found in delta...the chase.” — Michael’s Email (17:29)
  • “Don’t be a Gamma.” (19:47) — A nod to Brave New World and the danger of complacency.

5. Media Coverage of War and International Events

• Joe critiques major media (like Face the Nation) for not giving enough attention to global conflicts:
  • Jon Stewart’s Daily Show segment is featured; he mocks coverage that frames war impact in trivial consumer terms (e.g., gas prices, party balloons, or snacks):
    • Quote:
      “The whole region is being flattened. Innocent people are dying...and our news is like, ‘If this goes on any longer, say goodbye to your stuffed crust pizza.’” — Jon Stewart (24:12)
  • Armstrong & Getty agree—media focus is misplaced and condescending.
  • Some listeners/texts demonstrate “war fatigue,” but Jack and Joe insist on discussing geopolitics and its stakes.

6. Supreme Court Ruling: Free Speech & Counseling for Minors

• Supreme Court (8–1) sides with a Christian counselor challenging Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy”-style counseling for LGBTQ minors.
  • Armstrong & Getty explain the distinction between talking through issues vs. forced “conversion”—media coverage was misleading.
    • Quote:
      “They characterized that caring patient actually looking at underlying problems as ‘trying to change the sexual orientation of minors.’” — Jack Armstrong (31:14)
  • Justice Gorsuch’s majority opinion cited First Amendment’s protection of viewpoint speech.
  • Host frustration with media for not investigating why the ruling was nearly unanimous.
  • Quote:
    “You cannot hate the media enough. End of rant.” — Jack Armstrong (34:27)

7. Lighter Segment: LA Zoo Baby Boom

• A brief, humorous interlude on the Los Angeles Zoo’s spate of baby apes.
  • Hosts riff on the zookeeper’s name “Megan Fox” and the ubiquitous LA vocal fry.
  • Quote:
    “Time to feed the monkeys.” — Jack Armstrong (38:20)

8. Russia’s “Human Wave” Tactics in Ukraine

• Discussion of a Wall Street Journal article:
  • Russia's battlefield tactics rely on sacrificing marginalized populations (prisoners, homeless) in futile assaults.
  • Russia losing 20–30,000 soldiers per month; enormous contrast to how the U.S. views casualties.
  • Speculation that Russia may be “purging” undesired groups via the war.
    • Quote:
      “They think the war is a deliberate campaign to purge society of those on the lowest rungs.” — Jack Armstrong (41:11)

9. Sweden’s Surprising Shift Toward Capitalism

• Sweden is scaling back its social spending, privatizing schools and clinics, lowering taxes.
  • Contrasts with popular perceptions of Sweden as the model socialist country.
  • Key insight: “Socialism works really cool for a little while. Problem is, it doesn’t have legs.” — Joe Getty (42:41)
  • Now, social spending as % of GDP is similar to the U.S.; Sweden embracing entrepreneurship and growth.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Time | Speaker | Quote/Comment | |---------|----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:35 | Joe Getty | “The rotation of the Earth flings the rocket and helps it speed out of the atmosphere. Which is wild to me.” | | 05:55 | Joe Getty | “If you have more than one delicious meal a week, your diet isn’t correct...” | | 08:44 | Jack Armstrong | Explains the “dirty fries”—tater tots, cheese, pulled pork—celebrates indulgence. | | 10:16 | Joe Getty | “I wonder what most people would say. I think most people would trade in several years, wouldn’t they?” | | 13:08 | Jack Armstrong | “Biden’s gonna have like a shelf at his local library because nobody wants to donate to that. Look, you’re a miserable senile failure as a president.” | | 15:00 | Matt (Email) | “If everyone is given the same amount of money, who is going to do the harder, dirty job?...And freedom is dead.” | | 17:29 | Michael (Email)| “We humans are created to crave meaning. Meaning is most readily found in delta… the chase.” | | 24:12 | Jon Stewart | “The whole region is being flattened. Innocent people are dying...and our news is like, ‘If this goes on any longer, say goodbye to your stuffed crust pizza.’” | | 31:14 | Jack Armstrong | “They characterized that caring patient actually looking at underlying problems as ‘trying to change the sexual orientation of minors.’” | | 34:27 | Jack Armstrong | “You cannot hate the media enough. End of rant.” | | 38:20 | Jack Armstrong | “Time to feed the monkeys.” | | 41:11 | Jack Armstrong | “They think the war is a deliberate campaign to purge society of those on the lowest rungs.” | | 42:41 | Joe Getty | “Socialism does work really cool for a little while. Problem is it doesn’t have legs.” |

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Segment Timestamps

• Science & Launch Physics: 03:21 – 04:21
• Diet & “Delicious Meal” Debate: 05:55 – 10:48
• Trump Presidential Library: 11:07 – 13:45
• AGI, Work, Universal Income (Mailbag): 15:00 – 20:09
• Media & War Coverage / Jon Stewart: 23:28 – 26:36
• Supreme Court Ruling on Counseling: 27:30 – 34:27
• Baby Apes at the LA Zoo: 37:23 – 38:44
• Russia’s Ukraine Tactics: 38:53 – 42:05
• Sweden’s Capitalist Turn: 42:10 – 44:12

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Tone & Style

Armstrong & Getty maintain their irreverent, sometimes biting wit, showing skepticism toward both mainstream narratives and government orthodoxy. They balance serious topics—politics, war, free speech—with lighter, quirky interludes and self-deprecating humor.

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Summary Takeaways

Listeners get a fast-paced, humorous, and insightful look at the week’s biggest stories—often with a contrarian, libertarian flavor. The episode stands out for its willingness to critique media framings, challenge political orthodoxy on both sides, and elevate thoughtful listener commentary about the future of work, technology, and meaning. The show’s signature mix of banter, outrage, and curiosity makes even the weightiest issues both accessible and entertaining.

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(Advertisements, intros, and outros omitted for clarity and focus as directed.)

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Show Announcer]

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

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty. Hey there. How you doing?

[Joe Getty]

We're not working today. This is on Armstrong and Getty Report.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hope you're enjoying your Memorial Day weekend. Mixing some food and fun and family and friends in with some good solid patriotism. Don't forget the reason for the celebration.

[Joe Getty]

Now back to the Armstrong and Getty replay.

[Jack Armstrong]

Quick word from the world of science here. A good friend of the Armstrong and Getty show talking about the what you were discussing launching toward the moon. How we've got to wait till a particular, you know, moment in the orbit.

[Joe Getty]

The rotation of the Earth flings the rocket and helps it speed out of the atmosphere. Which is wild to me.

[Jack Armstrong]

Exactly. Yeah. As, as my old friend Mike says, tell Jack to imagine a marble in a funnel and how it seems as it gets closer to the drain, whip around faster and faster. That's the slingshot effect and that's how it works. It's a gravity thing.

[Joe Getty]

I get that. It's just since we don't feel it, you know, walking around the Earth.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

It's surprising to me that it makes that much difference. But obviously it does.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it's. It's practically incomprehensible. I remember hearing this as a kid, but that essentially the surface of the earth is moving at something like 10,000 miles per hour. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Really fast.

[Jack Armstrong]

Everything's moving at the same speed so you don't perceive the movements like being on an airplane.

[Joe Getty]

Thank God I have motion sickness constantly.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh yeah. Oh please. So more from the world of science and or medicine. I love how the media is presenting this as well. I'll read the headline from the usually much more reasonable Wall Street Journal than a lot of the lamestream media. Heart association clashes with RFK Jr over red meat, dairy and beef tallow. Okay. It is a contrast with the recently issued quite different than we're used to government guidelines on what to eat. But for what it's worth, the AMA recommends getting protein from plants. Do you enjoy a good lentil, Jack? You should be eating more lentils rather than meat and avoiding full fat dairy. Which is interesting because I eat full fat Greek yogurt. Blah blah blah. New guidance from the American Heart association advises getting protein from plants rather than meat, using low fat or fat free dairy and using olive soybean canola oils instead of beef tallow and butter. Contrasting with Trump administration guidelines, the AHA counts 30,000 scientific, medical and healthcare professionals and bong blah, blah, blah. Mostly unchanged from the guide guidelines that released in 2021. And to their credit, everybody's saying, well, look, don't focus on the conflict. Look at the commonalities. Avoid saturated fat, cut down on your sugar. Don't eat processed foods, eat limited refined grains and added sugar. That's the key. Pay attention to that. So I think they're right. But some of the most delicious stuff on earth, sliced ham, bacon, sausage. Let me. The worst thing you could eat.

[Joe Getty]

And I'm going to keep eating it. That's just where heard this the other day and it's true, probably true, if you have. And I forget what they said, but it was something like this. If you have more than one delicious meal a week, your diet isn't correct. The idea that you should not a delicious meal is by definition not healthy. Unless you're one of those weirdos that you've trained your brain to get really excited about eating lettuce. But for most of us, you know,

[Jack Armstrong]

I'd like to punch them right in their gaunt face.

[Joe Getty]

Salty, fatty, whatever. Sugary is what we find delicious. And if you're, if you eat, if you have that, if very often you think, oh, that was delicious, that's ain't good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Most your meals should be just. And I do this a lot. I have a lot of meals that are just. They're so mad. I mean, they're beyond meh. They're just fuel to get me through

[Jack Armstrong]

the next several hours.

[Joe Getty]

There was no enjoyment in it whatsoever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes.

[Joe Getty]

Katie, I don't like this at all.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't either. I don't buy it. You don't buy it?

[Joe Getty]

You don't agree?

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no, because I mean, I, I make like salmon and bell peppers and stuff for dinner regularly and I think it's. It tastes great. I don't understand how. I mean, you're supposed to just be

[Joe Getty]

like, eh, oh, wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's. You can actually eat some really yummy healthy stuff. Yeah, I see their point.

[Joe Getty]

I think most of the time it's probably true.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I think when the vast majority of us think a delicious meal. Katie. Wow, that was fantastic. We're not thinking of salmon and bell peppers. No. Kudos to you.

[Joe Getty]

Fatty, greasy, salty, and then a sugary dessert.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, so Judy and I were out kicking around yesterday, hitting various like consignment stores and resale shops and stuff. I was looking for.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, you're down to selling your clothes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, Alma, plasma is gone. I just got the one kidney, so. No, you're actually, I Got, I got my new bookshelf, bookshelves in my man cave and they're all like open ended, they're mounted on the wall and so I'm looking for antique bookends and I'm finding some really fun, cool stuff. But so we were kicking around and then we drive by this microbrew place and she's like, I didn't know that was there.

[Joe Getty]

And I'm like, yeah, beer sounds kind of good, huh?

[Jack Armstrong]

So we stop and we have a couple of beers. Late in the afternoon, here's what we had for dinner. We decided this was a good idea. Recreating one of our favorite meals slash appetizers from our favorite barbecue place way up in the mountains in California. A bed of tater tots covered with cheese, covered with smoked pulled pork and then barbecue sauce and sour cream.

[Joe Getty]

What do they call that?

[Jack Armstrong]

Think this, this is the. I think they called it dirty fries.

[Joe Getty]

Heaven is what they called. Yes, heaven.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, heaven and. Or he'll be in heaven soon if you keep eating like this. But that is, that's. I was picturing that as we were discussing the delicious meal that you probably shouldn't eat. Holy cow.

[Joe Getty]

How many, Here's a good question. How many years, if you could like, if you could calibrate it this closely, how many years would you be able to be willing to shave off the back end to eat more delicious meals and worry about it less?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I wonder what that number would

[Joe Getty]

be for most people.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, the problem with that question is if you ask a 20 year old, they'll have a very different answer than a 50 year old and sure as hell a different answer than an 84 year old. I wonder.

[Joe Getty]

I might have to ask my parents. I don't know that that's true. Definitely the 2050. Because I got some teenagers who think there's no point in being alive when you're 30, which is hilarious.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're all used up.

[Joe Getty]

It's hilarious.

[Jack Armstrong]

How could you possibly have any fun after 30? You're basically dead at that point.

[Joe Getty]

And yeah, the 50 versus 75, sure. But I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

I'll have to ask some more older people I know. Would you, would you go back through your life and have eaten all the salads if you could add, I don't know, three more light years to your

[Jack Armstrong]

life and teach their own. But never touched alcohol, you know, never had any of the epicurean pleasures. Well, I've made my decision.

[Joe Getty]

I wonder what most people would say. I think most people would trade in several years, wouldn't they?

[Jack Armstrong]

A couple. Couple, two, three, maybe. I don't think anybody'd say 10.

[Joe Getty]

No. I think five might be the sweet spot, though.

[Jack Armstrong]

But then we get to the incredibly important and incredibly depressing question of how's my health going to be in those final years? I mean, if it's going to be like barely hanging on. Yeah,

[Joe Getty]

wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm checking out. That's fine.

[Joe Getty]

That's the take me now facial expression, I guess.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, with the thumb

[Joe Getty]

give you the hook.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. But you know, if I'd be an inspiration to my children and grandchildren and breaking new ground and setting Sprint records as an 85 year old or whatever,

[Joe Getty]

maybe I don't want to solo rock climbing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Exactly. You know how I love that. Probably. I don't want to trade that in. Yeah. All right. Moving along. President Trump has released a mock up of images of quite an impressive video of his intended presidential library.

[Joe Getty]

God, he's the world's greatest troll. He knows how that drives all the media just nuts, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

It is an enormous gleaming glass tower emblazoned with his last name. A red, white and blue spire sits atop the multi story tower. The library is set to feature golden escalators, at least one golden statue of the president raising his fist in the air, and several aircraft, including what appears to be one of the Air Force's one kid.

[Joe Getty]

Rock music blasts through speakers on every floor and an animated Chuck Norris greets you at the door.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now, Trump and his advisors aim to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for the library fund. You can donate, certainly go to his website. The.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna donate money to a president. Good Lord. And I mean for anybody, not for Trump. Whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

The location in Miami is 2.6 acres valued at $67 million. It was transferred from Miami Dade College to the state of Florida last year and then to Trump's Library Foundation. Florida Governor DeSantis, other state Republicans advocated for the project, arguing it would draw tourism and be a cultural asset. There's some controversy because it would be right next to this big 289 foot Freedom Tower commemorating all of the Cubans who've come to the United States for freedom. A small number of Miami voters are against that location. Tower. Tower, Jack, it's 74% are against. And about a quarter of Republicans, 59%, are against it, too.

[Joe Getty]

When do you get your presidential library built like Obama's? Isn't built yet, I don't think.

[Jack Armstrong]

And it's well underway. It's ugly as hell. It's terrible and way, way over budget, as you might expect. It's this big, ugly, nasty, concrete block looking thing. It's like the, the brutalist architecture almost right in the middle of a park in Chicago. Biden's gonna have like a shelf at his local library because nobody wants to donate to that. Look, you're a miserable senile failure as a president. Here's five bucks. All right, now leave me alone.

[Joe Getty]

Next to the section for people who still check out CDs at the library, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, the Joe Biden memorial shelf. That's gonna be his residential library. You made it rhyme louder and it's

[Guest or Caller]

rhyme in a long time.

[Show Announcer]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. The Armstrong and Getty Show.

[Jack Armstrong]

The Armstrong and Getty show. There's your freedom hating quote of the day once again from the chancellor of German, Dolph Hitler. Not the current one. That's a guy named Mertz. Anyway, the second to last of his blockbuster quotes this week, the victor will never be asked if he told the truth.

[Joe Getty]

Wow, that's a good one.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oof.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, that's a good one. Along the lines of Churchill's, you know, the, the winners write the history.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? Right. Though Victor will never be asked if he told the truth. Mailbag Tell the truth when you write us an email. Mailbagarmstrongygetty.com in an exciting and innovative mailbag today. Two emails, one topic. That's it. Matt the land surveyor.

[Joe Getty]

Is this kind of like two girls, one cup? Is it similar to that or.

[Jack Armstrong]

Good God. Matt the lan surveyor, unofficial Armstrong and Getty everyman philosopher along with Matt, the Idaho farmhand. Different guy. Yesterday, during the first segment of the show, you're discussing what Elon Musk said about AGI, universal high income and of course the old rob the river of blood. Elon said that we will have free health care. But if AGI is providing mankind with all of its wants and needs so much that money is now obsolete, who's going to study for years to become a doctor? Better yet, why would that individual want the headache of dealing with the public if they have no financial incentive? It's one of the issues I have always with socialism and communism. If everyone is given the same amount of money, who is going to do the harder dirty job? Would anyone want to work at the sewage treatment plant if you make the same amount as a quote unquote poet? They wouldn't. Therefore, what governing entity is in charge will have to. Whatever governor governing entity is in charge will have to force Some people to do jobs they don't want to do for no extra compensation. And freedom is dead. Well, that is certainly history.

[Joe Getty]

Or pay them more. And then it obviously becomes a completely different thing.

[Jack Armstrong]

And then Matt, in his way, anticipated my first probing question. Now I know that Elon would say AGI will provide the healthcare and run the sewage treatment plant. I'm guessing he is envisioning robots that are built and programmed by AGI that will do every job for us. But if you want a good sci fi dystopian future, imagine humans stop passing on the knowledge that they have gained to the next generation because AI does a better job than any human ever could. 100 years goes by and humans have stopped using their brains to think critically and there's a glitch, some computer bug that shuts AI down and no one is skilled at anything. We have officially re entered the dark ages. AI won't come for our vital juices because it is a machine, will eventually fail and people will be back to killing each other with sticks.

[Joe Getty]

I could talk about that email all day long because I'm really into this topic. But that first question. Yeah, why would anybody study to become a doctor? Put in the 10 years of work, the stress, everything, if everybody gets paid exactly the same. And that's true.

[Jack Armstrong]

There's no value to money at all because everything you need is available, whether you are a neurologist, a sewage plant worker, or a crackhead or a guy

[Joe Getty]

who plays his guitar and writes crappy poetry.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? Right. Second email on same topic, this one from Michael. Appreciate all the ways you all keep to find. Can I have a second take on that? And put the words in something approaching the right order. I'm sorry I read so much faster than I can talk. I get all to tangle up. Appreciate all the ways you all keep finding to help me laugh up here in the Emerald City. Oh Portlandia, God bless you. To your point about AGI moving us to a future where our every need is essentially managed, I cannot imagine a scarier place to live. Dostoevsky touched on this in his book Notes from the Underground, so I won't waste precious time reciting it here. The book is short enough, suffice it to say, as I'm sure you're aware, we humans are created to crave meaning. Meaning is most readily found in delta, or the difference between what is and what could be the chase. If we as a species embark on a reality where algorithms dictate our desires and in doing so flatten our desire to chase, then huxley will have been a prophet beyond compare. You know, it's funny, as a giant fan of both Huxley and Orwell, the classic question is, who got it more right? I've always thought that was a stupid question. Both of them. Depends on what tool the evildoers need at any given moment in any given situation. Are they going to beat us into submission or drug and pleasure us into submission? I think both.

[Joe Getty]

I really think the missing piece to a lot of this, and we touched on this yesterday, is people like Elon Musk and Sam Altman and, you know, the guy who runs Google, whoever that is, are so driven to just accomplish things, they can't imagine that most of humanity's not like that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

So unless I mean accomplish things for accomplishment's sake, most of them. Humanity is not like that. I need, you know, I need to get a win here. I need to make enough money or something. And without that, most people are just gonna lay around and do nothing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. I think it's really useful when a person realizes, oh, I'm kind of an outlier in this. I'm like in the outer 10% of people who think like this or are like this, because then it helps you relate to humanity a little better. And I think you're absolutely right. Let me finish up Michael's email real quick. If we go down that road, I'm sure it will all be all rainbows and unicorns to begin with. Candy houses in the woods for starving children.

[Joe Getty]

Candy houses.

[Jack Armstrong]

Boy, this is a really literate email. I'm really enjoying this. But the need for meaning will emerge from under the weight of stasis. And it wouldn't surprise me to see those same savages that Huxley mentioned in Brave New World, Chasing meaning once again, much to the consternation of the central planners. Anyway, thank you all for what you do. Whatever comes next, don't be a Gamma.

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Ethos.com Armstrong It's a celebration 250 years in the making.

And we want everyone in America, from Maine to Montana, from Alabama to Alaska to be a part of it.

This year marks America's 250th anniversary and we're coming together from coast to coast at star spangled events, live performances and the largest day of giving in American history.

Join the nationwide celebration at America and 250.org

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[Show Announcer]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty the Armstrong and Getty Show.

[Joe Getty]

I've been complaining a lot about the Media coverage of the war. I think it's by far the biggest story in the world. And like Sunday, I Face the Nation, they didn't get to it for 18 minutes to start Face the Nation. They talked about TSA lines and they talked about shutdown and they talked about some other thing I didn't care about before they got to the war. Like, seriously. Jon Stewart on the Daily show thinks it's ridiculous that the media isn't getting to the war more often and treating it with more seriousness. Also, his conclusion about the war is different than mine. But the coverage, he's got the same point of view.

[Guest or Caller]

What else is being blocked?

[Jack Armstrong]

It's getting harder to get food that comes with pistachios.

[Show Announcer]

You can't make to buy chocolate bars.

[Guest or Caller]

Oh, no. What will our influencers stand in line to pretend to eat to buy chocolate? My God, that's been an American staple for tens of days. I can't believe how the news has to frame world events to try and make Americans care. The whole region is being flattened. Innocent people are dying. Their food and fuel are in total chaos. And our news is like, if this goes on any longer, say goodbye to your stuffed crust pizza.

[Joe Getty]

I agree with that. I don't agree with his thought on the war, but.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. They do.

[Joe Getty]

They have to come up with these. Gas is expensive. So that's why you should get. There's a freaking war going on that could go any direction at any point. Anyway, Jon Stewart goes on.

[Guest or Caller]

It turns out there is another key material being affected by the war in Iran. Fertilizer.

[Joe Getty]

There could be helium shortages.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, the gas that's used in party balloons.

[Guest or Caller]

What? The helium is a fundamental gas used in the production of advanced chip technology. You don't have to dumb it down to make us. Oh, this war could be even bad for your promposals. Like, come on.

[Joe Getty]

I agree.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow, that is shocking. That is. I mean, I thought I was cynical enough. The same gas that's used to fill party balloons. Yeah, we know. A, A, we know. B, that's not the problem at all. Helium's incredibly important to high tech production of chips, et cetera, as he mentioned.

[Joe Getty]

Well, all those things he mentioned, though, including to me, the price of gas. If, if, if, if chocolate bars go away and gas gets way more expensive than we'd like, the war is either a good idea or it's not. Let's discuss it on the. On the merits of being at war with another major country or not.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, how about the whole major malevolent power exporting jihad around the world, killing more of our soldiers than any other country. And I mean, we'll get to the chocolate and the party balloons if you want to, but can we take a look at that picture first? That is astonishingly. I'd say it's condescending, but maybe they just know where their viewers are trying desperately.

[Joe Getty]

I'm guessing that. And I'm surprised. Cbs, Face the Nation. That's Barry Weiss. I'm sure she cares about the war. Maybe they've got data that says, hey, people just don't care.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, either that or she just hasn't gotten to Face the Nation because nobody watches it.

[Joe Getty]

The we get several texts of, oh, my God, you guys are talking about Iran again. I ignore them because I think it's a really, really important story. But some of you feel that way.

[Jack Armstrong]

Fine. Good. Great. Some of them are dressing up as furry animals and having sex and, you

[Joe Getty]

know, maybe they need conversion therapy. I was in my transition, too.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know. I just. I'm beyond helping. Michael. I may need the paddles. Go out to the lobby.

[Joe Getty]

I might need the paddle.

[Jack Armstrong]

Get. Get the paddles again. My. Already on Tuesday.

[Joe Getty]

Usually we don't have to bring out to the paddles till, like, Thursday or Friday.

[Jack Armstrong]

My will to live has gone solo. I'm gonna need clear. All right, here's the story. Oh, my God. This is not going to help me at all. The Supreme Court made an absolutely fantastic ruling 8 to 1. I'll explain why I'm struggling with this in a moment, saying that a Christian counselor in Colorado who challenged a ban on mental health counseling for either transgender confused kids or in some cases, gay kids or whatever, that. You can't restrict that for First Amendment reasons. It's the law. Censor speech based on viewpoint. Justice Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion. Colorado may regard its policies as essential to public health and safety. Certainly censorious governments throughout history have believed the same. But the First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy and thought speech in this country. Justice Kagan wrote a concurring opinion. She went at it a little bit differently from a legal point of view. It was 8 to 1. Ketanji Brown, Marxist, was against. She wrote the only dissent. Her dissent was longer than the court's opinion and Kagan's concurrence combined.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Even the other liberal justices have to be rolling their eyes at her behind the scenes, don't they?

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And I scanned her reasoning and essentially. And oh, my God. You want to talk about a slippery slope? This is. This is you know, I don't. I don't know. One of those old playground slides covered with KY jelly. I mean, it is a slippery slope. She said, well, because the state has an interest in regulating medical professionals, then they can regulate speech, medical professionals, and like, oh, for God's sake, the state regulates freaking everything at this point. So barbers can be barred from, you know, speaking out against Democrats by your insane post modernist reasoning. Anyway, here's the reason I was not completely enthusiastic about bringing you this story. Oh, my God. I expected it out of the New York Times. Oops. It closed for some reason. Here we go. The Supreme Court on. Oh, oh, oh, sorry. You need to know this. This case is about the gender bending madness, especially for kids. These kids who are autistic or they are victims of sexual abuse or they are merely misfits, they want to be somebody else. They're not comfortable in their own skin. They have the sort of angst that adolescents always have, some more than others. God bless them. And as the dad of an autistic kid, I can tell you that angst is suffocating at times. These counselors say, hey, before we start feeding you hormones or talk about surgeries or transitioning, let's talk about what's going on in your life. Let's talk about what's going on in your heart and mind for a while before we go down that road. Would that be okay? That's what this counseling is, and it's being called conversion counseling by the transgender activists because they want people to think of that, like, fundamentalist religious thing where you would tell a gay boy, you can't be gay because that's against God. Woman. Get with a woman. You can't be gay when those are two very different things. Although they're both protected by the First Amendment, in my mind or in my opinion. Okay, so that's what the counseling is. Let's talk about what some of the other problems might be in your life, and we'll get to the transgender thing. Here's how it's characterized in the New York Times. The Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with a Christian therapist, rejecting a Colorado law that prohibited mental health professionals from trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ minors. They characterized that caring patient actually looking at underlying problems as, quote, unquote, trying to change the sexual orientation of minors. And then I look at the Wall Street Journal. The Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with a Christian counselor who challenged a ban, blah, blah, blah, on mental health counseling that seeks to change young people's sexual Orientation or gender identity. The New York Times, written by Ann E. Marimo, who is a died in the world progressive in the Wall Street Journal, handed this assignment over to James Rossamer, who apparently is of the same ilk. Or because big time journalists exist in a journalistic bubble too, you wouldn't think they would. That's what they think this is. They just don't know. The Colorado. Colorado law targets what is colloquially known as conversion therapy. No, it's called conversion therapy by transgender activists. James, you jackass.

[Joe Getty]

Do you call it conversion therapy when the teachers counselors at school are trying to convince your little girl she's a

[Jack Armstrong]

boy and then tell her? Let's not tell your parents. They don't need to know about this. That's not conversion therapy. Excellent point. Oh, my God. Only could Justice Katanji Brown Jackson dissented in this eight to one. Er, I mean, for God's sakes, you'd think that journalists in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times would say, holy crap, eight to one. Maybe I ought to look into this. Why was it nearly unanimous?

[Joe Getty]

But no, I could see you right in that headline if it was a 54 you didn't agree with. Maybe, but it's 8 1. You gotta think. Okay, I must be missing something here if you have the point of view of your headline.

[Jack Armstrong]

KJB warned of the broader implications for medical care, she said could be catastrophic if states cannot regulate some kinds of speech by licensed professionals. And I quote, this decision might make speech only therapies and other medical treatments involving practitioner speech effectively unregulatable. She wrote, criticizing her eight colleagues for having made, quote, this momentous decision without adequately grappling with the potential law, long term and disastrous implications. Hey, I almost said something disparaging. Why would I do that? I'm a grown man. Hey, Justice Jackson, you don't get to regulate speech based on what you perceive to be long term implications. You fundamentally misunderstand the First Amendment. It exists to protect speech you think will lead to people thinking the wrong thing. That's why it exists.

[Joe Getty]

Well, it went 8:1 the right direction.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it did. God, you cannot hate the media enough. End of rant Armstrong and Getty.

[America 250 Announcer]

It's a celebration 250 years in the making.

And we want everyone in America, from Maine to Montana, from Alabama to Alaska to be a part of it.

This year marks America's 250th anniversary. And we're coming together from coast to coast at star spangled events, live performances, and the largest day of giving in American history.

Join the Nationwide Celebration at america250.org

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[Show Announcer]

came with a built in crew? That's cornhole. Whether you're brand new to the game or just looking for an excuse to get outside, there's a whole world of players out there ready to welcome you in. Local leagues, weekend tournaments, backyard throwdowns. It's all happening near you. Find your people at your next [e-mail] events new hobby, new new friends. Same you just having a lot more fun.

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Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures

[Jack Armstrong]

the

[Show Announcer]

Armstrong and Getty Show.

[America 250 Announcer]

It's the call of the wild or

[Show Announcer]

maybe just just the call of nature. But crowds I want to go in there and eat are going bananas for the baby boom at the LA Zoo. So which one's your favorite? I can't say that Megan Fox is the senior animal keeper now in her troop. Five new infant grade apes. Some of these moms I've known for 30 years to see them with their babies. It's just very special.

[Guest or Caller]

Look at the babies.

[Show Announcer]

The zoo is now home. Home to a baby gorilla, a baby orangutan and three baby chimpanzees, all born in less than five months. All endangered species.

[Joe Getty]

First of all, you can't be named Megan Fox and be a zookeeper. You gotta change your name. You're probably born with that name, but there are famous sex bots with that name. Also. She had vocal fry. Got a zookeeper. Has. Ah, the monkey was so amazing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Time to feed the monkeys.

[Joe Getty]

How LA is that? Even to work at the LA Zoo, you have to have vocal fry.

[Jack Armstrong]

You've got to be world weary, cynical. You have to have ennui about your apes. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Well, it's fun.

[Jack Armstrong]

Baby baby beasts. People love baby bees. People love babies in general.

[Joe Getty]

That's why we paired that with Katie's announcement that she's having a baby any moment.

[Jack Armstrong]

We.

[Joe Getty]

Speaking of cynical, Jon Stewart, pretty cynical about the coverage of the freaking Hantavirus. Maybe we'll play a little bit from the Daily show in hour three.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. Indeed. A couple of international flavored stories. First of all, Wall Street Journal with a piece about this ex convict who was conscripted into the Russian forces. Or he might have volunteered, I don't know, in that recruiting drive where if you did something completely heinous, but you're willing to go serve as machine gun fodder in Ukraine, we'll let you loose, but. So he got conscripted into the army. One way or another. He got half blowed up. He's missing part of his right arm, has two titanium plates in his head, as they say. He might not seem like the best soldier to put in the vanguard of a military offensive, but for quite a few days last year, he was at the tip of Russia's spear trying to pierce Ukraine's defenses in the kind of infantry assault that's yielding meager gains and heavy losses for Russian troops. And they describe his mission, which was just spending human lives like, I don't know what, just horrific. Just a terrible strategy. Incredibly costly to gain practically nothing. But they did it over and over and over again. They make the point that this guy's short stint last year in the vanguard of Russia's army offers a glimpse of the tactics Russia is employing to eke out battlefield advances in Ukraine. And it's just incredibly expensive and futile.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. So part of our problem in trying to exert deterrence around the world is we don't want to lose any Soldiers, which is, you know, obviously good on one hand. My brother is in the military in war zones for a very long time. But you know, you can't win battles without some willingness to risk lives. Sure, but man, if we lost, if we lost a hundred guys like this weekend in Iran, it would be the biggest story in America. Russia is losing 20 to 30,000 guys killed or wounded every month. 20 to 30,000amonth, and have been for years.

[Jack Armstrong]

So they mentioned Putin at the Red Square military parade the other day, the victory day parade. He reiterated his commitment to a Russian victory, but also suggested the war was drawing to a close. There are signs that his army's methods are losing even their limited effectiveness. Losses are so heavy that this fella who we're talking about, a former heroin addict who was jailed on drug charges after his previous frontline stint and injury, rejoined the army in return for freedom after six months service. He said he and many in the Russian army think the war is a deliberate campaign to purge society of those on the lowest rungs, culling the downtrodden, the homeless and the prison population because they, they can't figure out why you would spend the lives on so little gain. Unless that's the point. Not a bug. It's features, they say, and Ukrainian soldiers are baffled by the number of Russians pressing forward under fire. It's like shooting sitting ducks.

[Joe Getty]

God, that's brutal.

[Jack Armstrong]

Can you imagine? The Ukrainians are saying, what are they doing?

[Joe Getty]

We're just gonna kill those guys.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here they come again. I guess we'll kill them.

[Joe Getty]

Wow, that's so brutal.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it is.

[Joe Getty]

That is the history of Russian wars though. They've won a lot of wars or a lot of battles that way.

[Jack Armstrong]

You want something a little more life affirming. How much do I love this story? The world's most surprising capitalist makeover is underway in Sweden.

[Joe Getty]

I read about that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Shaking up the cradle the grave. Huge government, huge spending, huge tax system, embracing individual initiative, capitalism, free enterprise, lower taxes.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Finally, the country that the Bernie Sanders of the world have been throwing at you your whole life works in Sweden. A tiny little monochromatic country.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

And it only works for a while. Is the thing with socialism. Socialism does work really cool for a little while. Problem is it doesn't have legs.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yep, yep. Today, nearly half of primary healthcare clinics are privately owned. One in three public high schools is privately run, up from 20% in 2011. School operators are listed on the stock exchange. And they make the point that Sweden's experience has lessons, good and bad for other rich countries. Including the us where Zoran Mamdani is trying to turn New York into Sweden. And the capitalist makeover has allowed Sweden to do what few industrialized countries have managed in recent years, however, shrink the size of the state. It's enabled the government to sharply lower taxes and, economists say, has sparked a surge in entrepreneurship and economic growth.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

The free market's better than government control. Damn, I wish we'd known that.

[Joe Getty]

I wonder how that happened. I mean, how did the the laying around, retiring at 50 crowd decide they're willing to embrace the free market, which is not as comfortable?

[Jack Armstrong]

We could dig into this more. There's, there's quite a bit to be said, but their total social spending has fallen to 24% of their gross domestic product, which is similar to us. We spend about 24% of our GDP on social programs. We borrow a lot of it it and make our kids pay it off later or inflate away the debt. But that's well below 24%, well below the over 30% for countries like France

[Show Announcer]

and Italy, Armstrong and Getty.

[America 250 Announcer]

It's a celebration 250 years in the making.

And we want everyone in America, from Maine to Montana, from Alabama to Alaska, to be a part of it.

This year marks America's 250th anniversary, and we're coming together from coast to coast at star spangled events, live performances, and the largest day of giving in American history.

Join the Nationwide Celebration at america250.org

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[Jack Armstrong]

You fired up the grill, you strung the lights, you even cleaned the patio furniture. But let's be honest, your cornhole set is an embarrassment.

[Public Investing Advertiser]

This summer, level up with official American Cornhole League gear. We're talking pro quality boards, bags, and everything you need to become the undisputed backyard champion of your entire neighborhood.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or at least beat your brother in

[Public Investing Advertiser]

law shop [e-mail] because summer's too short.

[Jack Armstrong]

Short for bad cornhole.

[Jacob Goldstein]

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