Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Hey China! Get Away From Our Moon!
Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the modern chaos of media, politics, and global affairs with Armstrong & Getty’s signature wit. The hosts tackle the spread of misinformation, sensationalism surrounding public scandals (namely the Epstein files), geopolitical threats like China’s new flying aircraft carrier concept, the weaponization and politicization of sports and ceremonies, as well as developments in AI and military tech. As always, they comment on society's weirdness, from ethics in tech and pacifism to the fatigue caused by non-stop culture wars.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Stupidity of Modern Discourse & Media Saturation

• 00:07:20 – 00:16:20
• The hosts decry the nonsensical state of news coverage, misinformation overload, and social media “crap.”
  • Jack: “So many of the stories are stupid… there are so many layers of, like, clouding over, you know, what's, what's true, what's good, what's important in life…”
  • Joe: “Between our adversaries and our own greed heads… it’s somebody’s goal… to just get us so inundated with crap that we just kind of tune out.”
• They explain how crazy conspiracy theories now have a real megaphone (internet/social) and lament that investigative “raw data” gets released, fueling wild claims without context.
• Frustration mounts about feeling obligated to debunk nonsense repeatedly.
  • Jack: "How much of that stuff do you then respond to? I don't know, because some days I think, oh my God, we've got to respond to this..."

2. Epstein Files, Conspiracies, and Public Gullibility

• 00:08:00 – 00:19:30
• Jack recounts being asked about wild Epstein-related rumors involving George H.W. Bush, highlighting how such bizarre claims gain traction online.
  • “There's a document in the Epstein files because some crank… reported… George H.W. bush had been seen at… raping children and dismembering babies.” (Jack, 00:10:00)
• Joe points out the danger of releasing unverified tips from investigations.
  • “We never release everything from an investigation, including crank tips… but now we do.”
• Discussion expands to how many people may actually believe this stuff and the futility of estimating real vs. bot-driven discourse.
  • "It's probably somewhere between 5,000 and 5 million." (Jack, 00:13:00)

3. Determining What Matters Amidst Media Noise

• 00:14:45 – 00:16:30
• The hosts ponder what standard listeners should use to focus attention.
  • Prompt to listeners: “What standard should everybody use for what they pay attention to? Is it, will this impact my life directly?”

4. Olympic Activism & Politicization of Events

• 00:20:00 – 00:26:50
• Critique of NPR’s promotion of political activism at the Olympics.
  • "If you win a medal and get on a podium and you're from Minnesota, you need to use that opportunity to say something about ICE and all that sort of stuff…” (Jack)
• The sentiment: keep politics out of events meant to unite and entertain.
  • "Let's just have a foot race." (Joe, 00:25:00)

5. Virtue Signaling & 'Stolen Land' Rhetoric

• 00:27:00 – 00:33:00
• Ridiculing celebrities (e.g., Billie Eilish) and media for making grand moral pronouncements like "No one is illegal on stolen land," especially when not matching actions (e.g., not giving up their homes).
  • "If you feel so strongly, give your house back to the tribe. Or shut up." (Joe, 00:32:20)

6. Lead Stories of the Day (News Rundown)

• 00:34:00 – 00:40:45
• Epstein Story: Big names caught up in the latest files, Clinton(s) agree to deposition under certain conditions.
• Minnesota: Federal immigration agents now required to wear body cameras.
• China: Announces a “flying aircraft carrier”—hosts debate if it’s a real threat or propaganda stunt.
  • “China unveils flying aircraft carrier. Oh boy, that's terrifying." (Joe, 00:36:25)

7. U.S. Moon Mission & China in Space

• 00:48:30 – 00:54:20
• NASA’s Artemis test flight delayed due to fuel leak; sparks a broader discussion on global competition for space.
• Hosts get to the episode’s titular theme:
  • "Hey, China, get away from our moon!” (Jack, 00:54:00)
• Reflection: The 'cooperation in space' era is ending; militarization of space is coming, with resource and territory grabs inevitable.
  • "It's going to be a battle among the powers for who gets to control it and what the resources are. And it's going to be ugly. And I hope our technology wins out, but that's going to happen real damn soon.” (Jack, 00:54:45)

8. Military & AI Ethics

• 00:55:40 – 01:01:00
• Contract between Anthropic (Claude AI) and the Pentagon hits snags over restrictions on domestic surveillance and lethal autonomy.
  • “Anthropic won't let Claude be used for any fully autonomous killing systems.” (Jack)
  • Joe critiques this idealism: “Pacifism is the ideology of the moron.” (Joe, 01:00:10)
  • Jack: "Do you think China gives a crap?"

9. Ukrainian War & Meaning of ‘War Crimes’

• 01:01:30 – 01:07:10
• Russia’s escalation against Ukraine’s energy grid during peace talks—an example of real global chaos.
  • “Russia launched one of their biggest attacks ever on Ukraine’s energy grid during one of the coldest winters Ukraine has had in decades.” (Jack, 01:04:00)
• Cynicism about enforcement of international law and war crimes:
  • "If a war crime is committed and no one is outraged enough to do anything about it, does that war crime exist? No." (Joe, 01:06:45)

10. Mailbag, Listener Reactions & Media Satire

• 01:09:00 – 01:15:00
• Highlights of listener emails about conspiracies, virtue signaling, and the hypocrisy of celebrity activism.
  • “If the Grammys were on stolen land, would [Billie Eilish] be cool with letting me in? Since no one is illegal... do I need a ticket?” (Listener email)
  • Mockery of media narratives, e.g., the Washington Post hailing pop stars for finally “daring” to get political.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “So many of the stories are stupid… The way they’re being reported is dumb. I don’t know what there is to say about it other than keep repeating that this isn’t true.”
  — Jack Armstrong, 00:07:35

• “Pacifism is the ideology of the moron. That might be insulting to some of you, but it’s an ideology for morons.”
  — Joe Getty, 01:00:10

• “If you feel so strongly, give your house back to the tribe. Or shut up. In fact, now that we think about it, just shut up. Yeah, let’s just start there.”
  — Joe Getty, 00:32:20

• “Hey, China, get away from our moon!”
  — Jack Armstrong, 00:54:00

• "If a war crime is committed and no one is outraged enough to do anything about it, does that war crime exist? No."
  — Joe Getty, 01:06:45

• “The militarization of space ... it's going to be a battle among the powers for who gets to control it."
  — Jack Armstrong, 00:54:45

• "If you speak Spanish in the Americas, aren't You living on stolen land? ... the conquistadors crossed the ocean, and you people are idiots."
  — Steve, Listener Email

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:07:20 | The “stupidity” of media discourse and misinformation | | 00:10:00 | The Epstein files’ wild claims and online conspiracy | | 00:14:45 | “What should we care about?” – filtering information | | 00:20:00 | NPR, Minnesota, and politicizing the Olympics | | 00:27:00 | Virtue signaling and “no one is illegal on stolen land” | | 00:34:00 | Lead stories & headline rundown | | 00:48:30 | NASA moon mission; intro to China’s space ambitions | | 00:54:00 | “Hey China! Get Away From Our Moon!” & space militarization | | 00:55:40 | AI, Anthropic, military tech, and AI/pacifism debate | | 01:01:30 | Russia-Ukraine escalation; meaning of war crimes | | 01:09:00 | Mailbag & listener reactions to past episodes |

Style & Tone

• Language/Tone: Irreverent, skeptical, and direct, often employing sarcasm and gallows humor.
• Chemistry: Hosts riff off each other, mix serious commentary with comedic asides, and regularly draw in listener perspectives.

For Listeners Who Missed The Show

This wide-ranging episode is a crash course in the challenges of living in the “too-much-information” era. From dunce-worthy conspiracies to the real risk of wars over space, Armstrong & Getty cut through nonsense and challenge both listeners and the world’s powerbrokers to focus on what matters (and laugh at the rest). Expect smart, rapid-fire commentary—a welcome antidote to both panic and propaganda.

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