Fighting Turf Wars From Home

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Fighting Turf Wars From Home

Date: January 23, 2026
Podcast Host: iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: Jack Armstrong (A), Joe Getty (B)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Armstrong and Getty dive into current events with their trademark blend of biting commentary and humor. Major topics include the historic nationwide winter storm, airline ratings, shifts in media reporting styles, controversial obituaries in the New York Times, academic culture wars, the staggering drop in U.S. murder rates for 2025, American xenophilia, the crackdown in Iran, debates over international athletes and politics, and the dire state of American Studies in academia. As always, their irreverent rapport skewers both the sacred and the ridiculous, with classic recurring skepticism about the media, higher education, and societal trends.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brutal Winter Storm and Airline Industry Jokes

[00:14–01:23]

• The show opens with discussion about the historic winter storm paralyzing much of the country and leading to temperatures as low as -40°F.
• Airline banter: Despite the storm, the hosts quip about Southwest Airlines canceling hundreds of flights for unrelated reasons, and reference recent airline ratings.
  • Notably, Southwest tops some reliability metrics, while American Airlines is lowest-rated.
  • A (Jack): "I've been screwed by United more than any other airline. But that's just my personal experience." [01:16]

2. Looksmaxing & Influencer Trends

[01:51–02:25]

• The hosts hint at a discussion about "looks maxing" among young men – efforts to optimize physical appearance for social media. They marvel at how enthralled (and bewildered) their own kids are by this influencer phenomenon.
  • A: “These influencers who are trying to make their faces more attractive… My kids… were just, their eyes were wide with wonder that anybody's actually doing this.” [02:03]

3. Barry Weiss Takes Over CBS News & News Media Critique

[02:25–04:18]

• Barry Weiss takes over CBS News; Jack expresses hope for less bias and faster-paced newscasts, noting growth in the desirable 25–54 demo under new evening anchor Tony Dokoupil.

  • A: “I like it because it's faster paced and they're much less likely to hit you with weather… we have world changing events going on … and you're telling me the weather somewhere 2,000 miles away.” [03:09]

• Behind-the-scenes drama at 60 Minutes: Sharon Alfonsi and Scott Pelley reportedly clashing with Weiss’s new direction, leading to rumors they may be out.

4. New York Times Obituaries: Bias and Controversy

[04:33–09:24]

• Scott Adams’ Death: The hosts discuss how the New York Times obituary for Dilbert creator Scott Adams emphasizes his “racist comments” while being comparatively gentle with obituaries for far more malign figures like ISIS leader Al-Baghdadi, Stalin, and Qassem Suleimani.
  • B: “Somebody says something ‘quote, unquote, racist’ according to the New York Times, I figure probably it's almost certainly not racist. It might be racially provocative or might just be about race.” [04:47]
  • A: “A cartoonist who made some racial comments and they put something negative in the headline, but nothing negative in the headline for the death of Al Baghdadi … which is really quite amazing.” [05:25]
  • B: “Good thing Stalin and Suleimani didn't do anything really awful like make a racist comment on a podcast. Wow.” [08:40]

5. Xenophilia and Critique of American Academia

[09:24–10:33; 25:52–34:50]

• Xenophilia: Joe Getty coins the term "xenophilia" to describe left-leaning Americans’ reluctance to criticize anything foreign, sometimes to absurd or harmful lengths.

  • B: “It is an irrational and obsessive fixation and love of anything foreign. Don't get it.” [10:33]

• Academia Slam: Later, they highlight a study analyzing the flagship journal of American Studies (American Quarterly), finding 80% of articles critical of the US, 20% neutral, and zero positive—a clear sign of anti-American bias in academia.

  • B: “80% of the articles over a three year period were critical… zero were positive. Wow. Zero, wow.” [32:34]
  • A: “If all I need to know is there were zero positive, that's amazing.” [32:43]
  • A: “Has this ever happened in world history or does it always happen… where a really successful culture… hates itself?” [33:11]
  • B: “Now do you believe me? How diseased our campuses are? That's wild.” [34:50]

6. Iran Uprising, Crackdown, and US Responses

[10:33–13:44]

• The show covers the aftermath of Iran’s anti-regime protests, with estimates that 20,000 people were killed and the regime justifying the crackdown on grounds of “foreign plots.”

  • Audio Clip [11:17]: IRGC’s tactic "to traumatize a generation."
  • A: "The aim was to traumatize a generation. Don't even try it." [12:03]

• Trump purportedly announces a "deadly armada" heading towards Iran and the hosts analyze what US options really exist, suggesting there may not be any effective ways to support the protesters after such a harsh crackdown.

• Iranian missile test: The hosts discuss Iran’s claim it tested a missile that could hit the US East Coast—a provocative move in the tense climate.

  • A: “That was provocative … you demonstrate that if you got a nuclear weapon, you've got, you know, rockets that can reach the United States." [14:19]

7. Stunning Drop in US Murder Rate (2025 Data)

[15:24–22:37]

• The hosts highlight the remarkable news:

  • 21% drop in murder rate across major US cities in 2025, lowest since 1900.
  • A: “In 2025… an historic decline in the murder rate. 21% drop across major cities, bringing the national homicide rate to its lowest level since 1900.” [17:06]
    • They joke about people not going out:
      B: “Yeah, well, it's pretty hard to get murdered if you never go outside.” [16:34]

• Why the drop?

  • Experts and chatbots alike are stumped. Theories include normalization post-COVID, changing policing strategies, community programs, and demographic shifts, but “nobody's exactly sure why.”
  • A: “I went to all of my different chat bots and asked them… the biggest consensus is we don't know why.” [17:05]
  • Satirical suggestions (“fighting turf wars from home,” young men working remotely, wearing masks made them nuts) highlight the absurdity of crime trends.

• Additional speculations:

  • Later, a listener suggests lower alcohol consumption among under-40s could play a role.
  • A: “I suspect the murder rate dropped due to decreased alcohol consumption by a lot. For people under 40. Oh, that absolutely could play a factor.” [26:18]

8. Dog & Cat Humor and Pet Owner Responsibility

[06:11–07:37]

• The hosts riff on a viral new story about a woman who rehabs obese cats, segueing into complaints about Americans letting their pets get overweight, and how animal social structures are bizarre.
  • A: "There's not enough criticism of pet owners for letting their pets get fat… they don't make these decisions on their own." [06:49]

9. Microplastics, Autism, and Pop Science

[21:12–22:37]

• With their trademark skepticism, the hosts pick apart recent headlines declaring microplastics aren’t killing us, and note how little real understanding society has about causes for autism, anxiety, or the murder rate.
  • A: "If they could eliminate [microplastics], that'd be a good thing. That's what you do when you do science." [22:23]
  • B: "Relax. Microplastics aren't killing you." [22:00]

10. Sports, Politics, and International Competition

[24:09–26:52]

• The hosts bemoan the trend of putting athletes on the spot in political discussions, referencing American tennis players being grilled at the Australian Open.
• Olympics/Russia update: No official boycotts, but Russian athletes compete without flag, anthem, or “Russia gear.”
  • A: "You work your whole life to do something and it's not your fault." [26:37]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Media Bias and Obits:

• B (on NYT and Scott Adams):
  “Somebody says something ‘quote, unquote, racist’ according to the New York Times, I figure probably it's almost certainly not racist. It might be racially provocative or might just be about race.” [04:47]

• A (on ISIS leader v. cartoonist):
  “You got a cartoonist who made some racial comments and they put something negative in the headline, but nothing negative in the headline for the death of Al Baghdadi, who started isis, which is really quite amazing.” [05:25]

On Academia:

• B: “80% of the articles over a three year period were critical of the United States. They were bashing. 20% were neutral and zero were positive. Wow. Zero, wow.” [32:34]

Satirical on Academia:

• Comedy classroom skit (parody):
  • “What's one plus one?” – “Two.” – “Incorrect.”
  • “Gender equality.” – “Very good.” [27:08–27:31]

On American Self-Image:

• A: “Has this ever happened in world history or does it always happen… where a really successful culture… hates itself?” [33:11]

On Murder Rate Drop:

• A: “In 2025… an historic decline in the murder rate. 21% drop across major cities, bringing the national homicide rate to its lowest level since 1900.” [17:06]
• B (satirical): “Yeah, well, it's pretty hard to get murdered if you never go outside.” [16:34]

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Noteworthy Segment Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Topic | |:-----------:|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:14–01:23 | Winter storm, airline ratings, media habits | | 01:51–02:25 | Looksmaxing and social trends among young men | | 02:25–04:18 | Barry Weiss at CBS, newscast changes, 60 Minutes drama | | 04:33–09:24 | NYT obituary controversies: Scott Adams, world leaders | | 09:24–10:33 | American xenophilia, uncritical view of the foreign | | 10:33–13:44 | Iran protests, regime violence, Trump's reactions | | 15:24–22:37 | The historic collapse in the US murder rate; analysis | | 25:52–34:50 | Academia anti-American bias, parody math class, poll data | | 07:04–07:37 | Obese cats and pet owner responsibility humor | | 24:09–26:52 | International sports, Olympics, Russian athletes debate |

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Tone and Language

The dialogue is a mix of dry, sardonic, and sometimes dark humor. Armstrong and Getty satirize recent news, frequently use comedic exaggeration to highlight contradictions in media and academia, and openly admit their own limitations ("…this article is very long and I have got things to do"). Quotations maintain their original, conversational tone, often blending feigned ignorance and biting skepticism to make their criticisms more engaging.

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Summary Value

For those who missed the episode, this summary offers a comprehensive roadmap of both serious and humorous content discussed. Key news stories are analyzed with a critical eye, and deeper societal trends—such as media framing, American academic self-loathing, and mysterious crime statistics—are explored in accessible language. Comedic moments (from fat cats to mock classrooms) punctuate heavier topics, making the show’s complex blend of news, commentary, and satire clear to any reader.

Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast, guaranteed human.

[B]

Broadcasting. Live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[A]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty. Well, guys, this weekend there's a historic.

[B]

Winter storm hitting most of the country that's bringing brutal temperatures and over 20 inches of snow. Greenland heard and was like, well, you.

[A]

Wanted us, you got us.

[B]

Yeah. Today, Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, although that had nothing to do with the storm.

[A]

It's freezing out there.

[B]

This morning on my way to work, I saw a Wall street stockbroker spooning with Zoran Mandani. That's funny. Southwest was that. Yeah, Southwest just was rated the best airline.

[A]

Really?

[B]

On a series of metrics, including on time, this, that, and the other canceled flights, baggage handling, blah, blah, blah. They beat out Delta, the perennial.

[A]

I've been screwed by United more than any other airline. But that's just my personal experience.

[B]

American was the bottom rated one.

[A]

Oh, really? Yeah. Often these storms don't live up to the hype, but they're saying New York might get the most snow it's had in several decades. So that'll get a lot of attention since all the media is in New York. It's going to be minus 40s with the wind chill through a bunch of the country. That's pretty chilly.

[B]

That's really chilly. That may assist these young folks with the newest online trend.

[A]

No.

[B]

By January. We'll tell you more about that coming up.

[A]

You know what we need to revisit for the show because we did it on the One More Thing podcast. These influencers who are trying to make their faces more attractive or their bodies more.

[B]

Oh, young men. Yeah. Looks maxers.

[A]

Looks maxers. We got to talk about that later for everybody because I was telling my kids about it last night. They were just, their eyes were wide with wonder that anybody's actually doing this. It's stunning. So stick around for that as cbs.

[B]

Or we just direct them to the Armstrong and Getty One More Thing podcast. It's also an option.

[A]

So CBS News got taken over by Barry Weiss and you either know her act or you don't. But I was pretty hopeful that things would get better in terms of its down the middle coverage and attempt to not be biased one way or the other. How well they're doing it, that is in the eye of the beholder. But the new CBS evening newscast with Tony Decouple. Is that how you say his name? Has grown 10% in adults 25, 54, which is your money demo. According to Nielsen, the first two weeks it was up 4% in viewers and then 13% after that. So it grew. And then the people that show up didn't leave. It seems like more people came. So there you go. I like it because it's faster paced and they're much less likely to hit you with weather. They are now because this is historic. But the other newscasts, it's just always weather. Quit the weather. We have world changing events going on, some of the biggest things in history and you're telling me the weather somewhere 2,000 miles away.

[B]

Weather and puppies. Yeah. Much more cutesy. It's a more serious newscast, definitely. It's annoyed me a couple of times, but all news annoys me.

[A]

But yeah, and it's, you know, it's never going to be perfect for anybody, I suppose. But sure. Speaking of CBS 60 Minutes, Sharon Alfonsi and Scott Pelley's jobs, If you're a 60 Minutes fan, you know those names are on the line after pushing back hard against Barry Weiss's CBS News shakeup. So they, behind the scenes apparently have said some pretty harsh things and gotten very loud in meetings. And now the talk is that they may be out. You don't need to get on board or get out. And two of the biggest stars of 60 minutes might be out. According to the New York Post.

[B]

Was it that Scott Pelly was saying really strong things during the meeting or was it that he just says them so slowly it was driving everybody crazy?

[A]

I'm talking too slowly.

[B]

I'm not joining the new culture adequately.

[A]

And then he takes off his suit jacket to make sure you notice how giant his arms are.

[B]

Goodness sakes. So here's how Scott Adams creator Dilbert, later a conservative commentator online podcaster, was memorialized in the old gray lady. The New York Times breaking news. Scott Adams, whose comic strip Dilbert was a sensation until he made racist comments on his podcast, has died at 68. Okay, first of all, and I think you all know this, somebody says something quote, unquote, racist, according to the New York Times. I figure probably it's almost certainly not racist. It might be racially provocative or might just be about race.

[A]

Yeah. So a lot of people were contrasting that with the headline that they had for Baghdadi, the guy who started ISIS and was, you know, setting people on fire in cages and everything like that when they had their headline about him. That Austere Scholar dies at the Age of whatever.

[B]

Right.

[A]

That's what they said about the guy who led isis. You got a cartoonist who made some racial comments and they put something negative in the headline, but nothing negative in the headline for the death of Al Baghdadi, who started isis, which is really quite amazing. Yeah. Okay. I got another great New York Times story yesterday. I talked about this, how it's, there's all this chatter about how Europe is going to start siding with China because of Trump and a variety of other things.

[B]

Really?

[A]

You're going to side with China? Does that seem like a good idea? Some of the explanation of that in the New York Times was quite hilarious. Also, we've got a woman who's dedicated her life for relocating obese cats. I want to check in on. That's all on the way. Stay here.

[B]

Armstrong and Getty.

[A]

There's not much to what I teased. I can tell you the whole story in one sentence here. There is a woman up on the television I just saw who has dedicated her life to rehoming obese cats. Wow. People somehow can't know, can no longer take care of their really, really fat cat. And, and she is. I, I guess if you've got a fit cat, sorry that they're on their own, but your cat.

[B]

A number you can call, but I can't help you, right?

[A]

Yes, Katie.

[B]

Well, I don't, I mean, if you have a really overly fat cat, you.

[A]

Can'T take care of it in the.

[B]

First place because you got it fat.

[A]

There's, there's not enough criticism of, of pet owners for letting their pets get fat. Yeah, they, they don't make these decisions on their own. True.

[B]

The many ways I offend people, though, I think I will leave that one to you. You're absolutely right.

[A]

But you can.

[B]

You know, the irony is my dog is slim. My dog looks great. His owner, not so much. He ought to be in charge of my food.

[A]

We slimmed down one of her pugs and she seems much happier now. She would eat all the other dogs food. That was the problem though. She runs out, including a almost 200 pound whatever the hell it is. The, the little pug just rules a roost, eats the food. I'm gonna make you. What? Watch me eat your food. All right, you can have what'. The dog world is so weird. It's got nothing to do with anything but like aggression.

[B]

It's the size of the fight and.

[A]

The dog, as they say, it doesn't make any difference. If you fit in the mouth of the other dog, you can be as fightful. I don't know.

[B]

Who are we to question the ways of dogs anyway? Let me make One more attempt at this. The ridiculous New York Times obituary headline of Scott Adams, Dilbert guy. Breaking news. Scott Adams, whose comic strip Dilbert was a sensation until he made racist comments on his podcast, has died at 68. Never mind that those comments weren't racist. They were just provocative. Here was the headline of the New York Times for Joseph Stalin when he died. Stalin rose from czarist oppression to transform Russia into a mighty socialist state. At least he wasn't a racist like that damn Scott Adams. Or the infamous New York Times obit for Qaseem Suleimani, commander of Iran's Quds Force. Qaseem Suleimani, master of Iran's intrigue, built a Shiite axis of power in the Middle East. Good thing Stalin and Suleimani didn't do anything really awful like make a racist comment on a podcast. Wow.

[A]

Isn't that amazing? Yeah, that is stunning. And then I use the example of Al Baghdadi, the guy who started isis. Austere Scholar dies at whatever age it was.

[B]

Right? Right.

[A]

It's absolutely amazing. If you lean right, they've got to put the worst thing you've ever done in the headline of your obituary. But you could be.

[B]

You could be a person who.

[A]

Throws gays off of buildings to kill them like they do in Iran or whatever.

[B]

Murders after a good beating and torturing. That's right.

[A]

Murders college students in the street who tried to get any freedom or women who want to show their hair. And you get the, you know, did.

[B]

A good job of bringing people together.

[A]

Headline when you die.

[B]

Oh, that reminds me. I have a segment plan that I think you are thoroughly going to enjoy even as you hate. It has to do with how sick and twisted academia is in the United States. You're saying. Yeah, we know, Joe. No, this example is too good. It's too good. If there is ever a trial of American academia, I will lead with this evidence, then the prosecution will rest. That is coming up. But the reason I thought of that is there's been so little said practically outside the Armstrong and Getty show of xenophilia in American culture, particularly leftist American culture. If it is foreign, we dare not criticize it. We must only praise it or only look for its good attributes, because it would be belligerent and kind of, I don't know, racist or something to criticize, I don't know, Kassim Suleimani for torturing and murdering gays and anybody who dared dissent against the government or anything. That would not be good. It's xenophilia. It is an irrational and obsessive fixation and love of anything foreign. Don't get it.

[A]

Speaking of Iran, there are more photos and videos that are coming out. What they did last weekend where they finally squashed that. The biggest, the biggest attempt at a revolution since the revolution in 79. And. And more people are getting on board with the death toll numbers being 20,000 or greater, which is really something, which is why, I guess Trump announced today that there is an armada, a giant deadly armada, to use Trump's words, headed toward Iran. So it's still on the table that we do something, and nobody knows what that something is.

[B]

We have some pretty damn dramatic audio of what you were just talking about, the crackdown.

[A]

Okay, I wouldn't mind Hearing that.

[B]

Yeah. 60, please, Michael.

[A]

Iran's leadership has admitted that thousands were killed, but blamed the deaths on rioters.

[B]

And agents of Israel and the U.S. the regime has long used the narrative.

[A]

Of a foreign plot to justify its crackdowns. This time it had an exiled opposition and a US President urging a revolt.

[B]

I think that the regime has never been closer to a fall to a complete regime change. Doing it for survival, but also to prevent more protests in the coming years. The aim is to traumatize a generation. Wow. Wow.

[A]

The aim was to traumatize a generation. Don't even try it. You saw it with your own eyes as people died next to you, had their eyes shot out or whatever.

[B]

Right. Getting back to our discussion of dogs. Turn a generation into cringing dogs that are afraid of a beating. Yeah.

[A]

So do you think Trump does something big like goes full on, tries to foment regime change? I don't know if he could get people to come back out of their houses.

[B]

Right, right. Well, and I came across a piece that was very well written. The Journal ran it. Trump has options in Iran. None are likely to help the protesters much. Well, right.

[A]

So if we could have, I don't know, taken out some of their capabilities two weeks ago, while, you know, millions were in the street, hundreds of thousands were in the street tearing down flags and breaking into government buildings and stuff like that. But that ain't gonna happen now. So what would we do?

[B]

Make it clear that there will be a terrible cost when they do this by bombing various installations or something. But the ayatollahs and the IRG will just say, yeah, well, we did what we needed to do. All right, we'll rebuild it. Thanks for nothing.

[A]

Well, and is that that reporter just said that they were at full on existential threat? Yeah, this could be politically tough. Or might, you know, cause Trump to attack us or whatever. But if we don't do it, we're going to be hung by our feet in the Tehran Square. So we got to do something.

[B]

In another headline, Iranian regime claims it tested a long range missile that can hit the US Eastern seaboard.

[A]

Who did that?

[B]

Iran did.

[A]

Iran did. Well, that was provocative.

[B]

Yes, I would say so, yeah. The missile was fired towards Siberia with Russian permission to test it. It would have traveled up to 3,700 miles to reach its target. But they claim it has a range of up to 6,200 miles, which is plenty to hit the eastern seaboard. That would be quite the maneuver by the Iranians. Surely they wouldn't do something that insane.

[A]

No, but, man, that's really provocative when you've been trying really hard to get a nuclear weapon and then you demonstrate that if you got a nuclear weapon, you've got, you know, rockets that can reach the United States.

[B]

And by the way, we have three good buddies that do have nuclear weapons and we all hate you. Yeah.

[A]

And that was provocative. Within armada headed their way.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

I'd say this will be fun to watch. Could be a very exciting weekend.

[B]

I'm close to curling up in the fetal condition position. Just saying. La la la la la la la la la la la. It's all too spicy. There's too much.

[A]

How about some good news that I want to unpack? Coming up next segment. We've mentioned it several times this week, but here's some of the numbers behind the numbers. We'll get. Unbelievably, like, that's never happened before and all kinds of different crimes dropped. Like just crazy. Maybe the lowest murder rate since 1900, they think, what is going on there?

[B]

Why did it happen? 2025?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So you can't, you can't, you can't really make some sort of argument that it's, you know, trying to make Trump look bad or something like that. I mean, because. Yeah, but all these mainstream outlets, they're talking about how the murder rate has dropped in a way it's never dropped before. We, we need to get into some of the details and then wonder why. I guess.

[B]

Show of hands. Anybody murder anybody in 2025? Anybody on the crew?

[A]

Handful.

[B]

No. Yeah, well, a couple of people, I'm not gonna say two years ago, thought about it.

[A]

Handful.

[B]

It was 2024, Michael. Okay.

[A]

A handful. They all had it coming.

[B]

Let me check my calendar. Yeah, that was the end of 24 murder, Jim. There it is on my monthly calendar.

[A]

Telling you they had it coming.

[B]

Wow. Okay. I want to hear more about that. Plus a takedown of American college education. Oh, it's so terrible.

[A]

You get on the interstate at 45 miles an hour, you got it coming.

[B]

As far as I'm concerned. Armstrong and Getty. According to a new report, the US murder rate has fallen to its lowest level since 1900. Yeah, well, it's pretty hard to get murdered if you never go outside.

[A]

And then he shows a picture of a young man in his house playing video games. That plays a role. So the flat out numbers are, in 2025, the United States saw an historic decline in the murder rate. 21% drop across major cities, bringing the national homicide rate to its lowest level since 1900. They think that'd be four murders per 100,000 residents.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

I went to all of my different chat bots and asked them what the leading theories are for why this happened. And the biggest consensus is we don't know why. That's the biggest consensus. Everybody's got a whole bunch of different possibilities and they overlap quite a bit, but nobody's exactly sure why. The first thing everybody says is, this is a normalization after Covid, because there was a spike, as we all remember, 2019-2022, as Covid hit and then George Floyd, and just unrest and a general feeling of everything's gone crazy and everything and, you know, to the point of.

[B]

Murdering another human being.

[A]

I know.

[B]

That's why I murdered no one.

[A]

Well, I suppose that's why you get to the. Nobody's exactly sure because it doesn't exactly make sense why you'd murder somebody, as you just jokingly referred to. Things got pretty nutty with a lot of our politics, and now all of a sudden you're working at home and all kinds of things. But, I mean. And then you murdered someone, Right?

[B]

Right. Oh, Covid sucked. I mean, with. I couldn't socialize and my stores were closed and I murdered a guy. I mean, come on.

[A]

And then if you add in the fact that it's a one year drop. We didn't. Everybody doesn't decide at the same point. Okay, that's over. I feel less murderous. Here we go. I'm gonna yell at you and I might punch you, but I ain't gonna kill you.

[B]

And I've killed a handful of people to settle minor disputes, and it's. You know, it finally occurred to me that, well, this is wrong. I need to stop doing this. Yeah. That. It's just a. You know, there are many things that happen in human society that are the confluence of several different things coming together. And this is absolutely going to be one of those.

[A]

Well, let me run through some of them and then you can. So number one that everybody throws out is the post spike normalization after Covid, then the increase. But we're now well below pre Covid numbers. So it wiped out the COVID bump and then is lower than pre Covid policing strategy and law enforcement actions. I mean murders got bad enough that we cared more about murders and they're paying more attention to it. Community programs and local investments, economic and demographic factors, long standing theories about crime like an aging population, fewer people in high risk age groups. That didn't happen. That didn't happen in a year. You didn't go from being an angry 19 year old to a tired 75 year old between 24 and 25.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

But one of the consistent points experts all across, and this is according to all of the chat bots ask, is there's no agreed upon cause yet. Combination of factors likely interacts, as you were just pointing out. And researchers warn it may be too early to draw a firm conclusions. But what the heck.

[B]

Yeah. I hope people are taking the time to look most carefully at the places where most of the murders take place. I mean. Well, right.

[A]

So we always talk about that, how it's, you know, gang ridden areas of Chicago. Gang ridden areas of Chicago where everybody's shooting each other and it doesn't have anything to do you. But why did they stop murdering each other? Was it Covid?

[B]

They.

[A]

They didn't start working from home and got all upset about it?

[B]

Right, right. Fighting turf wars from home. You know, I've converted my spare bedroom into an office now and I, I mur.

[A]

Rips from there or wearing a mask made them nuts.

[B]

Right, right. It's utterly befuddled.

[A]

We got a bunch of things going on like that and it's. Well, it's stunning that we can't figure it out. Why did we stop having babies? You know, why did the murder rate.

[B]

Drop so far one way?

[A]

Well, all kinds of different things. Just why? I don't know why. Why are. Why do we have so much autism and depression and anxiety, all these things?

[B]

We don't know. Probably not microplastics. Scientists are now saying, oh really?

[A]

I hadn't heard that.

[B]

I don't know if big milk jug weighed in and, and threatened people or what. But yeah, the free press with a big piece about how. Don't worry, microplastics are probably not killing you.

[A]

Not killing Us. But is it the cause of autism and all the different stuff they saying?

[B]

No, I actually don't know. But this gal who has a degree in geophysics from California Institute of Technology and has written for Science, the Economist, the New York Times, and many other publications, has a piece entitled Relaxed Microplastics aren't killing you. A debunked study last year connected microplastics in the brain to everything from heart attacks to dementia. Guess what? It's not true.

[A]

Huh.

[B]

Junk science.

[A]

And haven't we all learned that we all have like a spoonful of plastic in us now? Spoonful of microplastics, something like that in our brains or our heart or somewhere. Yeah, right in my gallbladder. But if they could eliminate that, that'd be a good thing. I mean, that's what you do when you do science. You eliminate various things until you can narrow it down to something.

[B]

Yeah, I don't know that they've eliminated it, but they've unlike prosecuted it.

[A]

So it's chemtrails.

[B]

It's clearly chemtrails. Yeah, I need to read this whole thing and it's very, very long, but anyway, call us. Do you have dogs?

[A]

I'd like to read this, but it's very long and who' the time? So you don't hear that much on the news when you listen to the news. Murder rate is down. Have the explanation here, but it's very long and I'm kind of busy, so it's Friday.

[B]

The hell with it.

[A]

We want to tell you about Simply Safe, which is a hell of a good idea. I love the fact that I have Simply Safe. They use their AI powered cameras outside your home to spot real threats and instantly alert live agents. Your home, your stuff and your family is going to be safer with Simplisafe.

[B]

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[A]

Yeah. Join me in the 5 million Americans who are doing this. The best home security system that there's there is out there. According to U.S. news and World Report, for five years in a row right.

[B]

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[A]

So smart. They may have figured out what causes autism, but this article is very long and I have got things to do.

[B]

That was shorthand for. It's more detailed. And I think we want to take on the show, of course, have grasped the entirety of it.

[A]

But I do want to get to this sound bite. Maybe we can do this next segment. I haven't actually heard it, but I'm just looking up at the tv they're playing on Fox. So the Australian Open tennis tournaments going on. It's in one of the big four tennis tournaments. And for whatever reason, our American tennis players, after their matches, when they're doing the whole press conference thing, journalists grilling them on political questions, trying to get them to weigh in. Try to get them on the record of you being four against something. I guess. So you can make their lives miserable as tennis players or hold them responsible.

[B]

For the government of their country or something.

[A]

Exactly. I hate this time we live in.

[B]

I'm reminded of when. Remember when we banned Russian like ballerinas and stuff like that for a bit?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

[A]

Well, how's that? So the Winter Olympics is going on here in Starts in just a couple of weeks. Is there any banning of Russian athletes for that? I haven't heard anything about it.

[B]

I haven't heard.

[A]

And if not, why not?

[B]

If you know anything about it, email us, but keep it short because you know me, I don't have a lot of.

[A]

Because if it's long, we're just not going to get to the answer. Maybe put it in the. Put it that. Put it in the subject matter.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, I'll actually look into that and come up with the answer because I was hardcore last Olympics, that you can't be letting Russia compete here violates the spirit of everything. I feel like. Right. Of course, the other argument has always been that the sports is supposed to transcend politics and everything and show that.

[B]

We'Re all something or other. Yeah, says the people making zillions of bucks off the Olympics.

[A]

Yeah, no kidding. Of course. Why do we have China participating anywho? Bunch of stuff on the way. Stay here. Armstrong and Gettysburg finish up a couple of previous conversations. Why'd the murder rate drop? Friend of the Armstrong and Getty show texts. I suspect the murder rate dropped due to decreased alcohol. Alcohol consumption by a lot. For people under 40. Oh, that absolutely could play a factor.

[B]

Great theory. Yeah.

[A]

And then on the Whole Olympics question. Which Olympics start Feb. 6? They're in Milan, Italy. The Winter Olympics. There are no official boycotts of countries. But Russia and Belarus, their athletes can't participate with, like, Russia gear and national anthem and flag and all that. You're just an individual athlete that happens.

[B]

To be from Russia.

[A]

So I like that it doesn't penalize the athlete. Cause that always sucked. You work your whole life to do something and it's not your fault.

[B]

Yeah, there are arguments on both sides.

[A]

But I think definitely don't need Russia getting to walk into the stadium with their flag in their national anthem. Screw you. Right?

[B]

So our headline on this segment is. You thought you knew how awful academia was. Right? Well, you're wrong and I was wrong. It's worse than I thought. But first, let's ease into it with this somewhat humorous look at American education.

[A]

One plus one. Yes. Two incorrect. Yes.

[B]

Multiculturalism.

[A]

Well done, Simon. Next question. What is three times three?

[B]

Yes. Nine. Wrong.

[A]

Yes. Penelope?

[B]

Gender equality. Very good. Is this a joke?

[A]

You think gender equality is a joke? Excellent.

[B]

No, but isn't this a maths class?

[A]

Don't be so racist. I just asked a question. We don't ask questions. Questions are offensive.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We don't discriminate. This has nothing to do with mathematics. You think you're so great with your maths and your science and your facts. What about feelings, huh?

[B]

Yeah, you're all crazy.

[A]

Stop violating me with your different opinions.

[B]

I have the right to speak my mind.

[A]

No, we have the right not to be offended.

[B]

And that's more important.

[A]

Where did that come from?

[B]

That's. We ran that a couple of years ago. That's funny. It's from Australia or New Zealand. What's one plus one?

[A]

Two. Wrong. Gender equality. Correct.

[B]

Exactly. Beautiful. So, easing my way to my ultimate point, Yuval Levin, who's a terrific writer and thinker about America and its institutions and history and that sort of stuff, wrote a piece entitled, America's 250th isn't just a Birthday. And of course it's too long, so I didn't read it. Tldr.

[A]

But gonna drink Bacardi like it's your birthday. That's what we're gonna do.

[B]

So what he's urging us all to do is answer the question. The 250th birthday of what? The Declaration of Independence. The words, endowed by our Creator within unalienable rights. Blah, blah, blah. All men are created equal. That sort of thing. The birth of a nation founded a certain. Dedicated to certain principles. Because you don't celebrate your wedding anniversary. And don't think about your wedding or your marriage or your sweetheart or whatever. It's not just an excuse for a party. It's a rededication. And he wants us to remember what. But we're celebrating.

[A]

Yeah, Walter Isaacson, one of the great authors out there on history stuff, he's got a new book coming out this year called the Greatest Sentence Ever Written. And it's that first sentence. We hold these truths to be self evident. That sentence.

[B]

And then I'm glancing toward a. A poll. Delta poll of American students. 45% of high school students polled said that they were taught that America is built on stolen land. In class at school, 45%. Another 22% heard it from an adult there, my eighth grader.

[A]

First day of class. They had to do the. They had to write the land acknowledgement before they started history class.

[B]

The first day.

[A]

Oh my God.

[B]

In America.

[A]

Stupider than land. Acknowledgments. It's moronic.

[B]

It's one of the stupidest things ever invented. I agree. As you know, in America, white people have white privilege. Yeah. 41% said they were taught that in school. Another 25% said they were taught it by a different adult. Blah, blah, blah. Gender is an identity choice regardless of the biological sex you're born into. In America, white people have unconscious biases. Blah, blah, blah. All these things were taught in the schools. Which brings me to my ultimate point. This is almost hilarious. Let's see, here's a couple of guys who they explain who they are. They're scholars about scholarship. And they mentioned the 250th anniversary of America's founding provides an opportunity to reflect on and fight over the country's extraordinary story. Unfortunately, many of the serious scholars who study America, its history, literature and culture, also known as American Studies, fail to provide anything close to a balanced and nuanced account of the country's complex tale. And they go into America's story as a story of greatness. The wealthiest, most powerful nation on the planet. Its founders created what is now the world's longest lasting liberal democratic constitution, Declaration of Independence, put forth revolutionary ideas about human freedom and equality, ushered in a new era. Then, of course, we've had our problems between slavery and Jim Crow, treatment of Native Americans, high levels of economic inequality, which exists everywhere and always had. That's a canard. But finally, here's the point. They went to just under 100 articles over a three year period in American Quarterly, which is the flagship journal of the American Studies Association. This is the big association of American Studies that all your professors in all the universities belong to. Published by Johns Hopkins University, widely considered country's premier journal. Blah blah blah. 80% of the articles over a three year period were critical of the United States. They were bashing. 20% were neutral and zero were positive. Wow. Zero, wow. And they go into a great deal of detail about the fact that the 20% that were quote unquote neutral were pretty critical, but they were just a little less bashy than the bashy ones.

[A]

I don't need to argue about that. If all I need to know is there were zero positive, that's amazing.

[B]

Zero in the field of American Studies. How perverse is that?

[A]

And I ask this question all the time. Has this ever happened in world history or does it always happen? I just don't know about it. Where a really successful culture at some point turns on itself and hates itself. Has this ever happened before? Did the Romans do this? The Greeks or the Persians or any of your great empires? Did they at some point turn on themselves and hate themselves like this?

[B]

Well, even if they had, they didn't have the near instantaneous ability to go from one country, one continent to another and to export military power and. Or become xenophiliac about foreign things. That simultaneous hatred of yourself and. And lust for the foreign. They couldn't have gotten that going. That is wild. It's. Well, they write, it's astonishing. We couldn't find a single positive article over a three year period. There were none on American ingenuity. Readers wouldn't come to understand why as of 2020 the US which represents 4% of the world's population, won 42% of the individual Nobel Prizes since the awards creation in 1901. Or why the US was the first country to land a man on the moon. Not a single article about America's vanquishing Nazi Germany In World War II, Soviet Union in the Cold War, thereby freeing millions and millions of people. No discussion of why the US is rated as the most desirable destination for immigrants across the earth.

[A]

There's a good one to start there. Why do millions and millions and millions of people try to sneak into this country when there's nothing positive to say about it?

[B]

That's pretty hilarious. Hey, every dollar, peso and drachma on earth. Where would you most like to invest yourself? Us. Please, Us. Can I go to America, please? Not a single effing paragraph long article in American Quarterly, the flagship journal of American studies. Now do you believe me? How diseased our campuses are that's wild.

[A]

And I would imagine if there was anybody that wanted to write something positive, they feel like I'll be ostracized. I can't. I can't do that. I can't stick my neck out like that.

[B]

Oh, you're not swimming against the tide. You're swimming against the, I don't know, jets of water going 100 miles per hour.

[A]

Yeah. I'm not going to get on any boards or invited doing conferences or win any prizes or get any jobs. If I come out and say something positive about the United States.

[B]

How do we feel about jailing academics?

[A]

I'm. I mean, it was a joke.

[B]

What joke? Friends, can't we laugh anymore?

[A]

You gotta hear this. New York Times journalist going after our tennis players at the Australian Open. It's really something. It's getting a lot of attention.

[B]

Armstrong and Getty.

[A]

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