I Was Not Saying "Oh Good" To You Dying

Summary

Podcast Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "I Was Not Saying 'Oh Good' To You Dying"

Release Date: May 13, 2025 | Host: iHeartPodcasts

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1. Introduction

In the episode titled "I Was Not Saying 'Oh Good' To You Dying," hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty engage in their characteristic blend of political commentary, humor, and cultural critique. Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, the duo delves into pressing geopolitical issues, economic concerns, and intriguing social headlines, all while maintaining their signature light-hearted banter.

2. Middle East Geopolitics: Saudi Arabia’s Project 2030 and US Relations

The conversation opens with a discussion on the evolving relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Joe Getty references a New York Times article highlighting former President Joe Biden's initial stance against Saudi Arabia's pariah status following the Khashoggi incident. However, he notes the swift pivot back to embracing Saudi leadership under President Trump:

Joe Getty [02:13]: "Biden went over there to meet him and beg for help... Now we're fully on back with Trump getting the red carpet treatment..."

Jack Armstrong critiques Biden's approach, labeling him a "senile idiot," and emphasizes the pragmatic necessity of maintaining relationships with oil-rich nations despite moral qualms.

Saudi Arabia's ambitious Project 2030 is a focal point, aiming to position the kingdom as a global technological hub by 2030, with significant investments in AI and green energy. The hosts debate the feasibility of such grand plans, considering internal challenges like dissent and extremism:

Joe Getty [03:56]: "Saudi Arabia wants to be the capital of the world... But they're dealing with fundamentalist opposition that could derail these ambitions."

3. The Potential Meeting Between Putin and Zelensky

Armstrong and Getty touch upon the anticipated meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They express skepticism about its occurrence and potential outcomes:

Jack Armstrong [05:45]: "I think Putin may have written a check for more... It's the old switcheroo."

The uncertainty surrounding this diplomatic engagement underscores the ongoing tensions in the region.

4. Trump’s Engagement with Qatar and Concerns Over Gifts

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around former President Donald Trump's interactions with Qatar. The hosts debate the implications of accepting high-value gifts, such as planes, from foreign entities:

Joe Getty [06:33]: "Who turns down a gift? Who turns down a free plane? Who would do that?"

Jack Armstrong raises concerns about potential surveillance risks associated with such gifts:

Jack Armstrong [07:49]: "Could there be anything more complex and difficult to search than a zillion-dollar wildly tricked out 747?"

They contemplate the challenges of detecting hidden surveillance devices in sophisticated aircraft, reflecting broader worries about national security and foreign influence.

5. Economic Updates and Federal Budget Concerns

Transitioning to economic discourse, Armstrong and Getty discuss the alarming growth in federal expenditures. Referencing Ron Johnson's analysis, they highlight the ballooning federal outlays from $4.45 trillion in 2019 to an anticipated $7.03 trillion, marking a 58% increase relative to GDP:

Jack Armstrong [26:02]: "From 2019 to this year we've gone from 4.45 trillion to 7.03."

The hosts criticize Congress's inability to implement meaningful budget cuts, attributing the surge to persistent pandemic-related spending without current justification. They further explore the inefficiencies and corruption within programs like Medicaid and food stamps, emphasizing the societal implications of broad government dependency:

Joe Getty [23:32]: "I want the return of shame. You should be ashamed of yourself if you're grabbing food stamps and you're an able-bodied man."

6. Social and Cultural Headlines: From Inflation to Psychopaths

Katie Green, serving as the news anchor segment, presents a series of eclectic headlines that the hosts dissect with their trademark wit:

• Inflation Trends: USA Today reports a four-year low in inflation attributed to Trump's tariffs. Armstrong remains optimistic about sustained low inflation but debates its broader economic impact.

• Workforce Challenges: The Wall Street Journal editorial emphasizes the overreach of food stamp programs, citing over 41 million Americans enrolled and the detrimental effects on workforce participation.

• Technological Advances: A study highlights a ping pong-playing robot capable of returning balls at 31 mph, sparking discussions on automation and human interaction.

• Psychological Insights: Newsweek presents findings that psychopaths may appear more attractive, leading to concerns about social trust and personal relationships.

• Satirical News: The Babylon Bee humorously reports Trump accepting an Imperial-class Star Destroyer from Emperor Palpatine, blending politics with pop culture references.

Notable Quote:

Katie Green [15:45]: "Study warns that psychopaths are more attractive and that someone who is a narcissist makes them look more trustworthy."

7. Listener Mailbag and Community Interaction

Engaging with their audience, Armstrong and Getty address listener feedback. A prominent critique from a listener named Brad challenges their coverage of tariffs, arguing that the impact on small businesses is underrepresented. The hosts respond by reiterating their previous discussions on the complexities and unintended consequences of tariff implementations:

Jack Armstrong [35:04]: "We've covered how tariffs become a cesspool of swampy lobbying and how favorites get picked and winners and losers are chosen by government."

Additionally, they feature thoughtful contributions from listeners like Paolo, who theorizes about the global angst and rapid environmental changes outpacing human adaptability:

Paolo [33:06]: "We're changing our environment much faster than we're able to change ourselves right now."

8. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Wrapping up the episode, Armstrong and Getty reflect on the intertwined nature of geopolitical strategies, economic policies, and social dynamics. They express cautious optimism regarding Trump's strategic maneuvers in the Middle East and economic stance against China while remaining critical of government overreach and systemic inefficiencies. The hosts emphasize the need for reassessing societal values and individual responsibilities amidst evolving global challenges.

Closing Quote:

Jack Armstrong [30:06]: "Trump is setting up a two-front strategy. You've got the oil leverage in the Middle East, the economic leverage on China."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Joe Getty [02:13]: "Biden went over there to meet him and beg for help... Now we're fully on back with Trump getting the red carpet treatment..."

• Jack Armstrong [07:49]: "Could there be anything more complex and difficult to search than a zillion-dollar wildly tricked out 747?"

• Joe Getty [23:32]: "I want the return of shame. You should be ashamed of yourself if you're grabbing food stamps and you're an able-bodied man."

• Katie Green [15:45]: "Study warns that psychopaths are more attractive and that someone who is a narcissist makes them look more trustworthy."

• Jack Armstrong [30:06]: "Trump is setting up a two-front strategy. You've got the oil leverage in the Middle East, the economic leverage on China."

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This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand offers a comprehensive exploration of contemporary issues, blending insightful analysis with engaging dialogue. Whether discussing international diplomacy, economic policies, or societal trends, Armstrong and Getty provide listeners with a thought-provoking commentary on the state of the world in 2025.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Live.

[Jack Armstrong]

From Studio C, Senor.

[Joe Getty]

A dimly lit room deep within the bowels of the Armstrong and Getty Communications compound.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

A word that might came up in the Diddy trial probably will.

[Jack Armstrong]

What now?

[Joe Getty]

Bowels. There are some. There's some awful words. There's some awful words being thrown around in the Diddy trial yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised if that. That word doesn't come up at some point.

[Jack Armstrong]

Golly gee, I hope not.

[Joe Getty]

Today we are under the tutelage of our general manager, Arabs bearing gifts.

[Jack Armstrong]

I remember when I was a kid, I heard the saying, beware Greeks bearing gifts or somebody bearing gifts.

[Joe Getty]

Really?

[Jack Armstrong]

It was kind of your, your old timey, I'd say. Yeah, you know, if somebody comes at you, say, hey, I just like to give you the little gift, little token of my affection. There's a string attached. There's something going on. Well, the Arab governments are coming at Trump with gifts and I'm wary.

[Joe Getty]

So. How about the New York Times? I was just reading it as I was coming up in the elevator. They did a good job of laying out the whole. Joe Biden had promised MBS and Saudi Arabia would be a pariah on the world stage after the bone sawing of Khashoggi. Then gas got real high and we decided we need your help. So Biden went over there to meet him and beg for help. Fist bumped him. Now we're fully on back with Trump getting the red carpet treatment and, you know, the handshakes and hugs all around and everything like that. So, so much for the pariah state. That didn't last long.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that was, that was just an incredibly undisciplined thing to say, which is, you know, Biden's deal. Look, nobody's in favor of bone sawing journalists who are dissidents of Saudi Arabia. I don't. Well, not many people are in favor of it, but in geopolitics, a guy is not a basis for severing an important relationship, even if it's an unsavory, frenemy, weird relationship. Anyway, Biden was a senile idiot. Back to you.

[Joe Getty]

So, so Trump's there and getting the full on I'm a king, you're a king treatment. And I was just listening to the Fox report on how Saudi Arabia has got a Project 2030 that they're spending unimaginable amounts of money on, especially for a country that size. They want to be the most technologically advanced place on Earth by 2030, particularly around AI and green. That all the world. That will be the capital of the world if you're going to as a country or a business for, you know, investments or where all we're all, where everybody who's anybody hangs out and that's where the deals are made. That's what they want to be. Yeah, well, and they might pull that off. Well, well, meanwhile, out in the, you know, 100 miles outside of town, you got a bunch of camel humping fundamentalist Muslims who want to saw off MBS's head.

[Jack Armstrong]

But. Right, sure, yeah. And our belly kept under wraps by the regime through bribery and threats. Yeah, boy. The whole we want to be the world's biggest on AI thing, that seems promising to me. But isn't the bloo off the green rows.

[Joe Getty]

I think they're, I think they missed, I think they missed the reality of that one. Perhaps.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I mean the Euros are still making all sorts of noises and driving tiny little cars.

[Joe Getty]

You're right. Gasoline, that's what that is. That's to get the whole Euro crowd.

[Jack Armstrong]

But friends, the populist right is on the rise fast in Europe and one of the things, they're just, I think a little behind the US in that the populace is going to say we're paying enormous amounts and having terrible damage done to our standard of living to realize these fanciful green energy goals. That wouldn't make a difference anyway. So can we change, please? That's coming.

[Joe Getty]

Trust me, I'm all for living in reality. You got to. What other choice do you have? But man, I'm looking at the video of MBS and Trump walking through that palace and I mean, it's just so, you know, you wouldn't believe that the world in 2025 could still be that way. That people because of their, that they were born into live that life of luxury because they own the country. Because, you know, it's just, you wouldn't think that that could still exist on planet Earth, but it does.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because they were the toughest camel herders back in the day.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

150 years ago, first to sign a big contract with the Aramco, the big oil company, fdr. I don't, I don't know, you know more about the history of Saudi Arabia than I do.

[Joe Getty]

I think FDR in the original house Assad is when it started with this particular family. But it is something that continues to Be a thing and, you know, we're as powerful as we are, we still got to deal with them. They got a lot of oil, they got a lot of money, and that's just the way that the world works. There you go. Meanwhile, is Putin and Zelensky, are they going to show up on Thursday to that meeting? I think that's an exciting story.

[Jack Armstrong]

Haven't heard anything lately, have you?

[Joe Getty]

Well, Zelensky's still saying he's going to show. There hasn't been a word out of Russia about. It was his idea. Hey, Putin, it was your idea, dude. You're the one that said you wanted a meeting. He said, okay, and then you haven't said a word. What's going on there? The old trickaroo, the old switcheroo, the old bait and switch.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, it's one of those, certainly. Yeah, Yeah. I, I still am highly skeptical that it will happen. I think Putin may have written a check for more. What. What do they have over rubles than his. His mouth can cash or something? Something like that.

[Joe Getty]

And then.

[Jack Armstrong]

So how it's the old switcheroo, I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

And how much time should we be spending on the Qataris? Give Trump a plane story that for much of the mainstream media is a very big deal?

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know. It's not a good idea. It's a bad idea, but I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

As Trump said yesterday, who turns down a gift? Who turns down a free plane? Who would do that? That's what Trump said yesterday.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So you know what? I've got a great example of that. A fabulous example of that. Would you like to hear it? Yes, you would. He's taking a drink of water. I'll answer for you. In certain highly dysfunctional families, sometimes gifts come from a, say, controlling parent.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I've seen this.

[Jack Armstrong]

And you know, there will be strings attached and hell to pay and guilt signed in the rest of it. You turn down a gift when you know this is going to ensnare me into something unsavory, and that's. Qatar is evil, folks.

[Joe Getty]

Well, is there a chance. Trump thinks. You think you're gonna ensnare me into something? I'm gonna take your plane. You ain't getting nothing from me.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure, yeah. Yep. That's possible.

[Joe Getty]

I was listening to the. Just from a technological standpoint, the. How would you take that plane apart to make sure there's not, you know, any sort of like, listening device or tracking device or, you know, stores data somehow? How would you.

[Jack Armstrong]

How would you do that?

[Joe Getty]

You'd have to take it completely apart, wouldn't you?

[Jack Armstrong]

Like every. Goodness, goodness knows, I am not up on the state of the art of listening device sweeping and surveillance equipment, you know, detection. But could there be anything more complex and difficult to search than a zillion dollar wildly tricked out 747? I mean, great Scott, it's got miles and miles, hundreds of miles probably of wiring.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

For instance.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Every tiny little piece of metal could be something.

[Jack Armstrong]

And to be tricked out to be Air Force One, it has astounding capabilities of, you know, evasion and self defense and communications and that sort of thing.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. You can't just take the plane from the Qatari. Qataris and then say, oh cool, there's a USB plug in here right next to my chair. I'll plug my phone in to charge it.

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean, he could work like that. Yeah, I, I would love to hear from somebody. I wonder if we could seek out a guest. What is the state of the art in A, hiding and B, detecting the sort of surveillance devices that we're talking about here? I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

I don't know either. We should start the show officially before we get in trouble. I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty on this. It is Tuesday, May 13th.

[Jack Armstrong]

We need a plane. The Ang Force One.

[Joe Getty]

Cool.

[Jack Armstrong]

Probably afford a little Cessna.

[Joe Getty]

Don't need as much gold.

[Jack Armstrong]

Needs work. Missing one wing.

[Joe Getty]

The Saudis like their goal. They gold. They got the same sort of decoration thing going as Trump does. It looks like a Trump property. That big Saudi building they're in right now. I'm looking at it. It's. What is it about certain mindsets that really like lots of golden chandeliers. I don't know what that is exactly. It's not my taste. Particularly the year 2025. Armstrong and Getting. We approve of this program.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're more a chandelier fashioned out of a wagon wheel type guy.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly. Antlers.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. All right, let's begin the show. Now, officially, according to FCC rules and regulations. Here we go. At mark. Their economic plans are really focused on how do we keep the Chinese Communist Party in power, how do we keep people employed, how do we keep people happy so that the regime can stay in place. Their economic goals are just different than ours in the west. And we have to figure out a way how to fit a square peg into a round circle, if that's possible. So true. Came across a great piece by one of America's favorite business thinkers about how rotten China is to deal with our theme Seems to be frenemies this morning today, because China is, is the weirdest sort of frenemy that I've ever observed on the world scene. Honestly, to be this entangled and this at odds, weird.

[Joe Getty]

I think I'm going to be dead soon, so I feel like I should say everything I've ever wanted to say.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, good.

[Joe Getty]

About any topic because, I mean, I think I'm going to be dead soon of the whooping cough.

[Jack Armstrong]

I didn't mean oh good. I meant that seems like an appropriate thing to do given your, you know. Oh, hello.

[Joe Getty]

You said, oh, good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I did. I, I meant to be surprised.

[Joe Getty]

I said I'm going to die and you said, oh, good. I mean, now we can go back to the tape if you want to.

[Jack Armstrong]

Perhaps you have something you'd like to say about that. No, I, I meant to be encouraging that. Oh, you're going to say all the things you want to say. Oh, good. That was my oh good.

[Joe Getty]

There you go. Thank you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. Expression. Get it off your chest.

[Joe Getty]

That's the way I took it. That's the way I took it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, good. Thank God.

[Joe Getty]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

And we got Katie's Please don't croak.

[Joe Getty]

We got Katie's headlines next on the way. And our text line is 415295KFTC.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

I noticed the pencil store near my house had taken down their going out of business sign. So very excited about things. The turn everything has taken.

[Jack Armstrong]

America's doll and pencil imports have continued. Now we've been reinvigorated, thank God. Hey, there's all sorts of stuff going on. Let's figure out who's reporting what. It's the lead story with Katie Green. Katie.

[Katie Green]

Well, with USA Today to begin, inflation eased to a four year low in April as Trump's tariffs took effect.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Okay. Four year low on inflation like that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. And I don't see any reason it shouldn't continue to stay low, honestly with the tariff rollback so far from abc.

[Katie Green]

Of course, you guys talked about Trump lands in Saudi Arabia for big Middle east trip.

[Joe Getty]

He's not going to Israel though.

[Jack Armstrong]

No. There are signs of a little, several signs of a little discomfort between the US and Israel, some space between us. But the Israelis said the other day, hey, we're not lockstep. Sometimes when you tango, you step on each other's toes. That's fine. I didn't know the tango was so big in Israel, but that's what the guy said. I thought they did. The more the Havana thing. But Whatever.

[Katie Green]

From Fox News, Colorado Capital female staffers fear retaliation after filing bathroom complaint against transgender aid.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, really?

[Jack Armstrong]

Got a dude in their bathroom. They don't like it. Boiling that down. If you're not hip on the modern lingo.

[Katie Green]

From the Washington Post. From elephants to inline skates. A history of foreign gifts given to presidents.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it's in the first time. Who got an elephant?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Who gave who an elephant? Well, I need the details on that. I'll look into that story, Katie.

[Katie Green]

That's up on our list.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wearing the in lions case. Now you got something.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly.

[Jack Armstrong]

We're all blading elephants.

[Joe Getty]

Somebody gave Harding a roller skating elephant from Axios. There it is now.

[Katie Green]

There it is skating on by from Axios.

[Jack Armstrong]

Exclusive.

[Katie Green]

New new book says Biden aides discussed wheelchair use if he were re elected.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Katie Green]

Apparently that's in Tapper's book.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, really?

[Katie Green]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Well, that's not surprising given his decreasingly, you know, ambulatory shuffle.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Katie Green]

From the New York Post, RFK Jr takes a dip in D.C. creek known for high levels of fecal bacteria.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that seemed like America Poopy again.

[Joe Getty]

Seemed like a hit piece on RFK Jr when I read it yesterday from.

[Katie Green]

The Wall Street Journal. United Airlines adds caviar service and jammies and race for super premium travelers.

[Joe Getty]

There you go.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're gonna give you PJs.

[Katie Green]

Yeah. This is for their Polaris studio suites that they have in Canada.

[Jack Armstrong]

Just wear something comfy. Where am I changing in this scenario? I guess do they have like little sweets? Wow. Interesting caviar from.

[Katie Green]

Study finds this ping pong playing robot can return balls with precision at 31 miles per hour.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. That seems like a lot. A ping pong robot.

[Katie Green]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

What a time to be alive.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. That'd be kind of fun though, if, you know, you had nobody to play with and you want to keep your game in shape until it keeps kicking.

[Katie Green]

Your ass because it can hit the ball at you 31 miles per hour.

[Jack Armstrong]

Surely it would have settings.

[Joe Getty]

You put that, you put that on top of a roller skating elephant and you've. Your life is complete.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah.

[Joe Getty]

There's no reason to get up in the morning. You've seen it all.

[Jack Armstrong]

There he goes doing another lap around the studio.

[Katie Green]

From Newsweek. Study warns that psychopaths are more attractive.

[Joe Getty]

There you go.

[Katie Green]

Said something about someone who is a narcissist makes them look more trustworthy.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, wow.

[Katie Green]

Yeah, it's.

[Joe Getty]

That's troubling.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'd like to know more about that. Perhaps you could bring that to us. Later. That's odd.

[Katie Green]

And finally, from the Babylon Bee, Trump accepts generous gift of Imperial class Star Destroyer from Emperor Palpatine.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think they're trying to make a point there.

[Joe Getty]

I'm not a Star wars person. Is that a Star wars reference?

[Jack Armstrong]

That's the evil. Evilest of the evil.

[Joe Getty]

Okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's the head evil guy.

[Joe Getty]

Gotcha.

[Jack Armstrong]

You don't want to be ensnared in his web of deceit.

[Katie Green]

And it was Reagan that got the roller skating elephant. I'm sorry, just the elephant.

[Joe Getty]

And who gave it to him? Do we know this?

[Katie Green]

Presented to him by President J. Warwajin of Sri Lanka.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, okay. Yeah.

[Katie Green]

In 84.

[Joe Getty]

When you say that. I kind of remember it. Yeah. It slept in the Lincoln bedroom there.

[Jack Armstrong]

For several weeks before he decided, questioning the accuracy of that report. Was it some sort of a gift of the peoples.

[Joe Getty]

Because one of those that goes straight to a zoo. One of those countries, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

The National Zoo, sure. Yeah. Yeah. Like the pander bears.

[Joe Getty]

So that girl that Sean P. Diddy Combs had by the hair and was dragging down the hallway in the video everybody's seen, she is going to testify, it looks like. And she's got some pretty disgusting things she's going to testify to. I don't even know if I want to say them on the air. But if she does testify, that's going to be the trial. I don't, I don't know how there's any bouncing back from that. Among other things we have to tell you about today. I hope you can stick around. If you miss a second, we get.

[Jack Armstrong]

The podcast Armstrong and Getty. I think Trump is setting up a two front strategy. You've got the oil leverage in the Middle east, the economic leverage on China. So expect Trump to look down to.

[Joe Getty]

His Middle east partners with the tech.

[Jack Armstrong]

In the arms and those trade deals to freeze China out of the region. So Trump is on the road in the Middle east cutting all sorts of deals and managing all sorts of interesting relationships. I would like to take a few minutes to kick the Qataris at some point during the show today as they have unholy influence in the US Particularly on our college campuses. And I would like to talk about that, but on a completely different topic. First of all, this preamble disclaimer. It was more disclaimer. We usually don't talk much about the big budget bills as they're taking shape. No, we don't budget, conciliate, reconciliation, grand compromise stuff for a couple of reasons. Number one, a strategic reason. When you go into Any depth of these things, people's eyes glaze over, they quickly become bored. And our strategy is to have listeners. And so it doesn't seem like a great idea to, to, to drown you in that. The second is a more practical concern. They change so much.

[Joe Getty]

Right? Yeah. I've always thought talking about what actually gets passed is interesting, but all of the hypotheticals leading up to it are mostly wasted air.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, right, exactly. If you're some sort of budget wonk, policy wonk inside the Beltway, and this is what you do for a living, that's fine. It's like, I will talk about April baseball games with you just because I really like baseball, but they don't really matter that much to who's going to win the World Series anyway. Having said that, there are some really interesting trends going on right now, and they're not super great. I'm going to hit you with a handful of headlines, then get to a piece. Ron Johnson, one of the real fiscal conservatives in America, wrote headline number one. Alicia Finley, the great editorialist. Welfare as we know it is back and it's bipartisan. It's the Clinton years in reverse. Democrats and some Republicans refuse to reform Medicaid. Combination of swing state folks and Republicans sensitive to how easy it is to demagogue people losing their health insurance, even if it's a healthy working age male who's getting unholy subsidies from the federal government. More on that at another time. Here's another headline.

[Joe Getty]

See, on Meet the Press on Sunday, they had the governor of New Mexico on. In New Mexico, for whatever reason, has the highest percentage of people on Medicaid, apparently. And so they had the governor on there and lots of sad stories about people that would lose this or that if the Republican plan went through. So that's the sort of demagoguing you're talking about.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah. And if you pull that sort of stuff, it's so easy to get people convinced that, oh, I heard the Republicans are cutting taxes on the rich and canceling poor people's insurance. I mean, it's just so easy to sell that to low information.

[Joe Getty]

It's funny, I've never reacted that way to those stories, even when I was poor.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, I don't, I don't know why.

[Joe Getty]

But I've just always been get a job with health care like everybody else.

[Jack Armstrong]

Then there's this from the Wall Street Journal editorial board. The case for fixing food stamps. Its work requirement is evaded and states don't share its costs. And it's wildly out of control. More than 41 million Americans are on food stamps. 41 million. And the program long ago ceased to be temporary help for those who fall on hard times. Enrollment doesn't shrink in strong economies and the roles include millions of adults who can work. The program is contributing to one of America's most pressing social ailments. Prime age men attenuated from work. That's not a word I use that much. Kept away from working or induced to not work. And it's attendant disciplines and contributions to society. You know, they have a huge challenge with working age men who don't work.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, well, I just has been growing our entire lives, I suppose people who are willing to game the system and realize, well, there's, there's money out there to grab in a variety of ways if I'm willing to make this claim or that claim. So yesterday we did the big 60 minute story from Sunday night that there was a trillion dollars of theft of COVID relief money. A trillion dollars. And the number one text reply we got was, why didn't I figure out a way to get some of that at some point? That's what you think? I thought the same thing. I thought, geez, I should have claimed I was a business and Florida and just sending the paperwork and seeing if I could have grabbed $100,000 or something.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? Yeah, no kidding.

[Joe Getty]

I'm not a thief. But I mean if a trillion dollars, the taxpayer money's going out the door.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know, it reminds me of the, the situation that you have in like former Soviet Socialist Republics, Russia obviously, and Ukraine and, and we'll name them or like in Afghanistan, places in the Middle east where Americans say, look, there's so much corruption. And the locals say, we don't call that corruption. We have a different word for it like in the Middle east or Afghanistan is backsheesh. It's the fee you pay to get things done. And they don't see it as corruption at all. They just see that as a way of life. And if you were living in the Soviet Union, you know, you might have had derogatory words for the way you get ahead by bribing communist party officials or getting to know one or your uncle is the guy or whatever. But that's just the way you run your life. And I worry we're getting closer to that in this country where people think all my neighbors are scamming the system and they have a better life than me, I'm getting in on it. Right, yeah, that's. That would be a bad tipping point. I don't know if we're already at it. But anyway, I could howl about the food stamps program and how it's feeding healthy working age people, but I'll move along.

[Joe Getty]

I want the return of shame. That's what I've been talking about forever. You should be ashamed of yourself if you're grabbing food stamps and you're an able bodied man. Ashamed of yourself.

[Jack Armstrong]

Shame. Ring a bell baby? Call it out. That's right. This editorial have Medicaid courage Republicans. The politics of reform isn't nearly as dangerous as some of them think. And again they point out that the feds currently pick up 90% of the bill for able bodied adults eligible under the Affordable Care Act. Obamacare's expansion, but the federal share is a tiny fraction of that for like a pregnant poverty stricken lady. So Obamacare distorted what Medicaid is wildly. And then the states play these games and I wish, you know, there's part of me that would like to describe them to you because you get an idea of how crooked our system is. But the like the states, they put all these people on Medicaid and then they charge these taxes to hospitals and healthcare providers that then beefs up how much money the state is spending. But then they get that back from the Fed and then they give it back to the hospitals who know what's going on and wink and nod because it's all induced to get more federal money going. It's, it's a, it's a just a. You want to talk about corruption? Good Lord. And the Wall Street Journal is trying to convince the. The Republicans. Guys, you gotta do something about this. But the Republicans are afraid. Anyway, that brings us to the main point, which is a piece by Ron Johnson, the Ugly Truth about the big beautiful bill. Year after year. I'm sorry, years after Covid, the overspending continues even with a Republican Congress. The one big beautiful bill the Congress is working on is certainly big, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Too often the reality of these budget debates gets obscured in details, politically charged issues and demagoguery. Let me attempt to clarify the current discussion by focusing on the most important facts and numbers. In fiscal 2019, federal outlays totaled 4.45 trillion, or almost 21% of Gross Domestic Product. This year, according to the CBO's report, total outlays will be 7.03 trillion. Why that's more than $2.5 trillion more than 2019, a growth of almost 50% and gone from almost 21% of Gross Domestic Product. To over 23% of it. That's a 58% increase over 6.

[Joe Getty]

Well, the country doubled in size, so.

[Jack Armstrong]

Good lord. The CBO projects federal outlays will total. There are so many numbers here. Here's where we get into the glazing eyes. But this is important. CBO projects federal outlays will total $89 trillion across fiscal 26 to 1235. Much of the blame goes to pandemic spending. But lockdowns are long over. There's nothing now to justify this abnormal level of government spending. Pathetically, Congress is having a hard time agreeing on a reduction of even one and a half trillion dollars from that 10 year amount. That's a 1.68% cut. A little more than a rounding error. My guess is that much of that minuscule decrease will be backloaded to the end of the 10 years for which Congress is now budgeting, increasing the probability that those savings will never be realized. There are a handful of Ron Johnson's and Chip Roy's and guys like that who are being pushed to the edges of the Republican party. And I think they ought to be our heroes. Well, I think they ought to be the guiding lights, the North Stars. And I just am starting to lose hope.

[Joe Getty]

Well how would you not?

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean from 2019 to this year we've gone from 4.45 trillion to 7.03.

[Joe Getty]

Trillion with roughly the same population of people. So I mean, explain why that's necessary.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, right, and once a program is started, it just doesn't go away. Cause they're, they're cutting. Look at two, one armed Amish farmers, the aid that they depend on to feed their children. I mean it's just, it's so nakedly obvious a scam that DC wants more power, which means more money. They will come up with any rationale for it. They will call a giant green energy New deal the Inflation Reduction act and guffaw as it echoes down the halls of Congress. Just the laughter. And then because it appeared once upon a time, those, those spending levels must continue. Otherwise you're, you're yanking chicken soup out of the mouth of blind little girls and America votes for it. So I don't. I give up monarchy now. You know what? You know what? Trump is over there in the Middle East. He's learning how monarchies work. Cuz that's our only hope.

[Joe Getty]

And neither party even pretends anymore to care. Really. And, and the public demands that $1.90 worth of government for the price of a dollar and is willing to borrow against it, yeah, it's, it's, it's frustrating.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's very, very. Is anybody still got their tea party hats and T shirts and placards and stuff? Can we fire that up again? And then the media will say it's about race again. That'll be tougher to call. Well, it's. Hakeem Jeffries is the minority leader of the house and, and these crazy white people are against him. So clearly it's racism.

[Joe Getty]

If you're an NBA fan, everything changed last night. Jason Tatum, one of the best players in the league from the defending champs, went down. He may never play again. Certainly probably not going to play next year, let alone this year. So everything's up in the air in the NBA right now. That's a drag.

[Jack Armstrong]

Dallas Mavericks, who made what may be the worst trade in the history of sports, got bailed out by an incredibly unlikely pulling of the ping pong ball. And they get the number one pick in the draft and get that gifted behemoth from Duke.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

What's his face.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. God, I can't imagine what it's like to be 27 years old in the peak of your career. I mean, you're ungodly rich, but then to have an injury that might all be over, that'd be hard to wrap around your head. Anyway, it's a wide open season now. Wide open playoffs now. We got Mailbag on the way. Hope you can stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty. One of the Shark Tank guys takes his, puts both fists. I'm sorry, I'm trying to read and talk at the same time. One of the Shark Tank guys beats the hell out of China for the trade policies and says they're the tariffs against them ought to be 400% plus. Qatar is trying to win the hearts and minds of your children by turning them into Islamists. So more on that to come next hour. Hope you can stay around. First, your freedom loving quote of the day. I absolutely love this from legendary sci fi author Robert Heinlein, who I read avidly as a youth. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them. If I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. Like that. Just have to be willing to take the repercussions. As we've discussed many times, the brave little would be Che Guevara's at our nation's Universities who like to chant and commit acts of civil disobedience and vandalize and block Jewish students from going to class. Then when you arrest them, they squeal like hurt little children. Say, you're hurting my wrists. Mommy, Mommy. You know, don't do the crime if you can't do the time, huh? Mailbag drops a note. Mailbagarmstrongygetty.com want to get this one in from Paolo, Guys, you're talking about, is there some sort of unified explanation for all that troubles us these days? We're talking about, you know, whether it's anxiety and depression and weird sexual stuff and incumbents being thrown out of office and the established political parties losing power and just. There seems to be a global angst and dissatisfaction anyway. Powell says, Paolo says, I honestly don't know what it is, but I always enjoy theorizing, that is making stuff up. So I think we're changing our environment much faster than we're able to change ourselves right now. I don't think any species has ever done that. If humans expect to live satisfying lives into the future, we'll need to radically modify what it is that gives meaning and satisfaction to our lives. For example, much, if not all of the work we do now will eventually become unnecessary. That should be a good thing, not a bad thing. The reason we get satisfaction from doing work is that it's been necessary for us to thrive. Feeling rewarded for doing that work is an important survival mechanism. In the future, very different things will be important to us. It's up to us to learn to derive the same or even greater satisfaction from these new things. If we can't do that, maybe the human race just isn't cut out for the long haul. And then we have, of course, Katie, the Planet of the beavers. Here's the problem, though. You can't will yourself to have different, like, fundamental primal urges. I mean, we're the beast that we are because of millions of years of experience and evolution.

[Katie Green]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't think you can just will yourself, as an average working guy or girl, to all of a sudden not need a life of purpose and just write, like, groovy poetry and lay around and feel good about that and amuse yourself.

[Katie Green]

I feel like that's making an excuse for giving up. That's what that sounds like.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, but if there's no point in working, there's no need to, or what have you. I don't. Yeah, Paolo, I wish you were right. I wish you could will yourself to do that. Let's see Got this from Brad. Your coverage of the tariff issues have been mostly terrible. You continue to not discuss the impact of these tariffs on small business. The explains how no small business can handle that kind of price shock on stuff they've already ordered. In addition, lead times are weeks and months. These changes can't be fixed because Trump played golf with Xi Jinping. These changes are devastating to thousands of businesses. You always say you stand up for the little man, but only the large corporations had any reasonable way to mitigate these drastic and sudden changes. Shame, shame, shame. He hits us with a triple shame. I wrote back to him. We've talked about that specific aspect of this many times, but thanks for your hysterical shaming nonetheless. Best wishes. Yeah, we've talked about that a bunch.

[Katie Green]

I was just gonna say you've covered the hell out of that.

[Jack Armstrong]

We've covered how tariffs become a cesspool of swampy lobbying and how favorites get picked and winners and losers are chosen by government and how that's. That's awful in a, what ought to be a free ish market. Yeah, but you know what, Brad? I don't know. Maybe A, if you're gonna come at us with that sort of, you know, tears running down your cheeks, shaming, A, you gotta listen to every minute of the show, and B, you've gotta, like, take detailed notes. I can't remember what we talked about last hour, you know, so. Yeah. Wow. Ease up, brother.

[Katie Green]

That was a beating.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Shame. He triple shamed us. Let's see. Kelly writes, the plane is a Trojan horse. Obviously it's something like that. Beware of Qatari's barren gifts. More to come. Stay with us. If you can't, subscribe to the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand. Armstrong and Gettysburg. You're listening to an I Heart podcast.