Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: I've Always Wanted a Moat
Date: February 12, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty examine a turbulent news cycle dominated by the ongoing release of the Epstein files, political grandstanding in Congress, and broader themes of class warfare and societal instability. They weave in cultural commentary, economic analysis about jobs and immigration, and even tangent into personal observations on restaurant odors and the allure of moats for the super-rich. The hosts invite listeners into a candid conversation with their signature blend of skepticism, humor, and sharp political insight.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. "Race to the Bottom": Congressional Dysfunction & the Epstein Files

• Political Spectacle:
  The hosts kick off with a discussion about recent Congressional hearings focused on Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Epstein files. They lament the performative outrage from both political parties and express frustration with a lack of substantive problem-solving.

  • "[It's] not good in the race to the bottom as we just keep going further, further and further away from grown ups trying to solve problems. It's...I don't, I don't know where it ends."
    — Jack Armstrong [07:28]

• Populist Narratives & Media:
  Drawing parallels between current populist anger at the “Epstein class” and historical moral panics (like the Jack the Ripper era), the hosts reflect on class dynamics and media manipulation.

  • Joe Getty notes, "...the narrative that it was an upper cruster who was preying on the poor and the lower classes because that's what the rich do...that sort of narrative is populist catnip." [04:09]

• Transparency, Redaction, and Conspiracy:
  They question why some Epstein case files remain redacted and muse on how conspiracy theories thrive in the absence of total transparency.

  • Jack: "You think there's a chance that the Justice Department...kept a couple of things back among people they really don't want embarrassed?" [09:47]
  • Joe: "There's no satisfying the conspiracy theory crowd because they would say, ah, that was the distraction." [10:28]

2. Media, Culture, and the News Cycle

• Valentine's Day Cynicism:
  Jack recounts his teenage son’s skepticism about Valentine's Day, echoing themes of commercialism and societal programming.

  • "Valentine's Day has got to be the stupidest day. It's just chocolate and card manufacturers trying to make money. You've nailed it down at age 14." [02:35]

• Class, Social Change, and the Persistence of Scandal:
  Jack and Joe relate the moral panics of the 1880s (Jack the Ripper) to modern political scandals, suggesting that public outrage doesn't fundamentally change.

  • Joe: "The undercurrents of human nature don't change." [09:32]

3. Economic Discussion: Jobs, Immigration, and Labor Markets

• Healthcare Leads Job Growth:
  The hosts highlight the U.S. jobs report, pointing out that health care is now the main engine of employment.

  • "Nearly all of the 130,000 new jobs...in January allegedly were health care jobs or positions related to health care. As the people of America age..." — Joe Getty [19:13]
  • "Health care jobs have become the engine of America's labor market." — Katie Green (quoting WSJ) [15:55]

• Immigration’s Role in the Labor Market:
  Discussion on how foreign-born workers are concentrated at both ends of the medical field’s skill spectrum:

  • "By 2024, they accounted for less than 15% of the U.S. population but 39% of home health aides, 28% of physicians and 24% of dentists..." — Joe Getty [21:27]

• Uncertainty & Technology:
  They touch on how economic uncertainty (trade policy, AI) complicates both employment growth and future prospects.

  • Joe: "Hesitation to hire as employers await the onset of AI could also play a role, especially at large companies that are able to deploy AI sooner." [22:56]
  • Jack: "If you are one of our younger listeners...I have no idea what's going to happen or what to do about it. You're right to think that." [26:16]

4. Social Trends & Cultural Observations

• Moats and Ultra-Rich Security:
  In a lighter moment, the hosts discuss a trend among the ultra-wealthy fortifying their homes and joke about the childhood fantasy of having a moat.

  • Joe: "Coming up, the ultra rich are turning their homes into fortresses. The new trends in ultra security." [20:48]
  • Jack: "I've always wanted a moat." [20:55]

• Olympic Politics, Restaurant Odors, and Everyday Life:
  The news round-up includes a variety of topics:

  • Ukrainian athlete banned from the Olympics over helmet images supporting victims of war—reinforcing Olympic policies on political messaging. [15:06]
  • Humorous exchange about unpleasant restaurant smells and the cultural subjectivity of cuisine. [16:48–17:44]

5. Technology, AI, and the Uncertain Future

• The looming impact of AI on employment and the value of traditional skills, like writing.
• Concerns that many are not taking AI advancements seriously enough.
  • Jack: "Will you...will there be any value in being able to write? Or is it just being able to use AI to write?" [26:41]
  • Joe: "They'll just babble out verbal prompts in their overly simplified...moronical ramblings, and AI will sort it out and make it coherent." [27:03]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It would have been nice if one congressperson could have stood up and said, 'We have a $35 trillion debt. I yield my time.' Sit back down. Anybody want to talk about that?"
  — Jack Armstrong [08:03]

• "The utter dishonesty and wokeness of the media, clearly."
  — Joe Getty [02:31]

• "We kind of had a moat, sorta in one house, but it was more like a well landscaped drainage ditch."
  — Joe Getty [21:07]

• "I don't think there's any preparing for it [AI disruption] other than maybe, you know, save your money."
  — Jack Armstrong [25:52]

• "As Matt Taibi, I quote him so often: upper class twits promoting revolution. I Caramba."
  — Joe Getty [29:39]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Political Performance & The “Race to the Bottom”: [07:17–11:27]
  Congressional hearings devolve into spectacle over substance regarding the Epstein files.

• Class Warfare Through History (Jack the Ripper): [04:09–06:35]
  Parallels drawn from Victorian England to today’s populist politics.

• Economic Update & Labor Market Analysis: [18:00–22:56]
  Latest jobs data, healthcare employment surge, and immigration’s role discussed.

• AI & the Future of Work: [25:50–27:47]
  Concerns over automation’s impact and the fading value of traditional skills.

• Ultra-Wealthy Security Trends (Moats): [20:48–21:14]
  Light-hearted discussion about literal moats as status symbols.

• Mailbag and Listener Feedback: [28:07–36:09]
  Reader questions and comments on pessimism, media narratives, restaurant odors, and more.

Tone & Style

The episode maintains the Armstrong & Getty signature: irreverent, questioning, occasionally exasperated but always witty. They blend pointed criticism of political and media actors with humor, skepticism, and moments of everyday relatability.

For listeners seeking to catch up on the episode’s core conversations — from Congressional circus acts to why a moat might be the new status symbol — this summary covers the essential moments and insights, preserving the hosts’ candid point of view.