Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "Let's Not Become Europe Today"

Release Date: May 20, 2025

In the episode titled "Let's Not Become Europe Today," hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty dive deep into a spectrum of pressing political and social issues, offering sharp critiques and insights into current events shaping the United States and Europe. This comprehensive discussion touches on presidential transparency, media accountability, US foreign policy, European political dynamics, and the burgeoning influence of technology and artificial intelligence.

1. Biden's Health and Media Transparency

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to scrutinizing President Joe Biden's recent health disclosures. Armstrong and Getty express concern over the timing and transparency of the announcement regarding Biden's prostate nodule, suggesting it may be strategically timed to divert attention from other pressing issues, such as Biden's forthcoming book.

• Jack Armstrong (02:01): "This is the first time in his career he can remember when he checked his top 25 news sources and no two had the same headline and that it was the lead story."

Armstrong advocates for greater transparency, emphasizing that as President, Biden should provide immediate and comprehensive updates on his medical condition.

• Jack Armstrong (04:03): "We demand transparency as a governing body. Everybody should have to tell us everything all the time, immediately about their personal medical reality."

However, Getty raises practical concerns about the extent of such transparency, questioning where the line should be drawn regarding personal health disclosures.

• Katie Green (06:18): "Find this a really interesting conversation. Where do we draw the line? If the president has a rash on his ass, does he have to disclose, for instance?"

2. Comparing Presidential Health Disclosures

The conversation juxtaposes Biden's handling of his health information with former President Trump's initial medical disclosures, which the hosts describe as lacking seriousness and strategic depth.

• Katie Green (08:23): "Trump's first medical disclosures were hilarious. I mean, he wasn't even trying. He like found a guy on the street who may or may not have been a doctor, who declared him the healthiest man to ever inhabit the planet Earth."

Critiquing media coverage, Armstrong references Jake Tapper's book as emblematic of broader media failures in addressing presidential health transparently.

• Jack Armstrong (08:59): "It's the biggest failure of media in our nation's history and it should not just disappear as a minor thing."

3. US vs. Europe: Political and Economic Contrasts

A central theme of the episode revolves around the perceived differences between the United States and Europe, particularly in terms of economic policies, technological innovation, and regulatory environments. The hosts argue that the US should avoid adopting Europe's perceived pitfalls, such as stringent labor laws and overregulation, which they believe stifle innovation and economic growth.

• Jack Armstrong (28:00): "Don't become Europe. That's what we as a country need to repeat to ourselves every morning."

They highlight the Wall Street Journal's analysis of Europe's lag in the tech sector compared to the US and China, emphasizing Europe's regulatory constraints as a significant barrier.

• Katie Green (25:00): "Apple’s market value is bigger than the entire German stock market. There's no Google, there's no Amazon, there's no Meta in Europe. There's nothing even slightly close."

The discussion extends to European political dynamics, focusing on Germany's handling of the AfD party and its controversial classification as extremist based on contentious rhetoric rather than violent actions.

• Katie Green (26:22): "The evidence against the AfD consisted not of plans for violence or insurrection, but just controversial rhetoric and deeply nationalist views... they're twisting the German political system into knots."

4. US Foreign Policy: Ukraine-Russia Conflict and the Trump-Putin Call

Armstrong and Getty delve into the complexities of the Ukraine-Russia war, scrutinizing President Trump's recent phone call with President Vladimir Putin. They question the effectiveness and implications of Trump's decision to allow Ukraine and Russia to negotiate directly without clear US intervention.

• Jack Armstrong (18:48): "Now, what about the Putin call? Remember we had a clip of that?"
• Katie Green (20:58): "We need to work every day as a country to not become Europe."

The hosts analyze European leaders' recent commitments, such as Germany's decision to lift its prohibition on nuclear energy to reduce dependence on Russian energy, viewing it as a significant economic blow to Russia.

• Jack Armstrong (22:03): "They are going to, like France start using nuclear energy so that they don’t have to buy energy from Russia. So that’s a pretty big deal economically for Russia."

Additionally, they discuss NATO's evolving strategies in response to Russia's territorial ambitions, emphasizing the need for robust defense postures.

• Katie Green (23:32): "The play for the Kremlin is obvious here. It wants to keep inching ahead with territorial gains... with major advances against an increasingly hard-pressed Ukraine."

5. Mailbag: Listener Engagement and Reflections

The hosts engage with listener submissions, highlighting graduation quotes and political observations. A notable submission echoes the show's enduring slogans, reinforcing their messaging strategy.

• Katie Green (32:13): "Her graduation quote was 'stupid should hurt.' She credited her dad with that quote, even though that's been our slogan for many, many years."

They also address the increasing polarization within American politics, noting the diminishing space for bipartisan cooperation and the rigid loyalty expected within party lines.

• Katie Green (33:51): "We now have two parties defined by not being the."

6. Technology and Artificial Intelligence

Towards the episode's conclusion, Armstrong and Getty touch upon advancements in artificial intelligence, contrasting expert predictions with their own observations. While acknowledging AI's growing capabilities, they debate the timeline for achieving true artificial general intelligence.

• Katie Green (34:57): "We're not nearly as far down the road... Chatbots are terrible, even though they deal with fairly restricted subject areas."

They commend tools like ChatGPT for their practical applications while maintaining skepticism about the imminence of fully autonomous AI.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jack Armstrong (05:36): "The doctor that looked at Joe Biden should have been on TV yesterday afternoon answering the question did you ever check him for prostate cancer?"

• Katie Green (23:39): "Russia has been playing hockey for years. We are not going to figure skate our way out of this."

• Katie Green (32:19): "What's ominous is the ease with which some people go from saying that they don't like something to saying that the government should forbid it. When you go down that road, don't expect freedom to survive very long."

Conclusion

In "Let's Not Become Europe Today," Armstrong and Getty offer a critical examination of current political and social trends, urging listeners to remain vigilant against perceived governmental overreach and to champion transparency and innovation. Their discussions serve as a call to action for maintaining democratic values and fostering a resilient economic landscape in the face of evolving global challenges.