Neutral Tasting Pill Of Reality

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "Neutral Tasting Pill Of Reality"

Date: January 9, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

---

Episode Overview:

This episode dives into themes of economic reality, societal responsibility, and the intersection of politics, foreign policy, and social trends. Jack and Joe offer their trademark satirical yet thoughtful takes, discussing inflation, government debt, voter morality, political drama at home and abroad, and shifting youth culture. With a mix of humor and serious analysis, the show paints a nuanced picture of America’s current moment—offering listeners a “neutral tasting pill of reality.”

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Social Media Stunts & The Decline of Shared Values

• Michael opens by mocking viral stunts, referencing a couple riding a horse through Target. He expresses exhaustion over people chasing fleeting online fame.
  • Quote:
    • “I'm just worn out by—I’m gonna do something crazy, you hold the phone, then we'll post it and people will be slightly amused for two minutes as they scroll through Instagram.” (Michael, 03:13)
• Jack quips about how quickly such moments are forgotten, underlining the fleeting attention span of modern America.
  • Quote:
    • “Let it be heard, let it be said, let it be written. That January 9th of 2026 was the day that America was amused for roughly 90 seconds by a couple of yahoos riding a horse through Target. And it'll never be thought of again.” (Jack Armstrong, 03:32)

2. Jobs Report & The Problem of ‘Missing’ Workers

• The hosts react to the latest U.S. jobs numbers, highlighting the statistical oddities and their disconnect from economic reality, particularly due to millions of able-bodied people having left the workforce entirely.
  • “We have…8 million able-bodied men who have just chosen not to work. So if they're not looking for a job, they don't count as unemployed.” (Michael, 03:58)
• Jack dismisses the unemployment number as now “utterly useless.” (Jack Armstrong, 04:36)

3. Welfare Fraud and Political Cynicism

• The “Minnesota fraud” triggers Jack’s satirical definition of welfare and criticism of both parties’ handling of waste and fraud in social safety nets, referencing a Babylon Bee headline:
  • “Republicans vow to uncover all Somali fraud and then do nothing about it except fundraise.” (Babylon Bee, 05:16; Jack Armstrong, reciting)

4. Unsustainable Government Debt: The Ferguson’s Law Segment (06:16–09:43)

• Discussion of historian Niall Ferguson’s warning about nations spending more on debt servicing than defense—what he calls "Ferguson's Law":
  • “Any power that spends more on servicing its debt than its military will cease to be a power. That's a pretty good law.” (Michael, 06:57)
• The trio review the three options available to heavily indebted countries:
  • Massive productivity gains (e.g., via AI)
  • Dramatic tax increases and spending cuts (politically toxic in U.S., U.K., France)
  • Inflate their way out (likely outcome, but disastrous for savers and retirees)
    • “Inflation is a tax and it's intentional.” (Jack Armstrong, 09:03)
    • “A million dollars ain't what a million dollars was. Even close by the time you retire.” (Michael, 09:25)

5. On Democracy, Responsibility & Generational Theft (09:59–14:36)

• Jack and Michael philosophize on losing civic morality, generational selfishness, and the flaws of democracy if not undergirded by virtue.
  • “The founding papas absolutely did not want a democracy because democracies don't work. Human beings as a whole don't have nearly the sense of responsibility to do the right thing.” (Jack Armstrong, 09:59)
  • “It is theft from the young and the unborn…I have never once encountered anyone who's contradicted that in any way. It is perhaps the most black and white, irresistible, undeniable moral argument I have ever heard in politics. And yet nobody cares.” (Jack Armstrong, 11:55)

6. Lighten Up Moment: Monarchist Satire

• Jack jokingly suggests monarchy as an answer, offering Michael the ambassadorship to Costa Rica. (14:16)

---

International Affairs & Political Developments

7. U.S. Withdrawal from Global Organizations (18:10–22:10)

• Jack lampoons the U.S. exit from “globalist organizations,” listing obscure or redundant-sounding entities and questioning their utility.
  • “Man, if all of these just disappeared overnight, would anybody on the planet other than the people who work there notice?” (Michael, 21:19)
  • “I just got like a third of the way. I think it was 66 or something.” (Jack Armstrong, 21:54)

8. Escalations: Russia, Venezuela, & U.S. Foreign Policy (24:16–29:48)

• Reports on Trump’s comments about Venezuela and possible troop deployment; Senate moves to limit executive military action there.
  • “I don't think a single voter was thinking, and I sure hope we start attacking Venezuela...” (Michael quoting Peggy Noonan, 27:46)
  • “Trump says it's all about the oil...the commies are still in charge, so we have no interest in that.” (Jack Armstrong, 29:25)
• Russian use of a nuclear-capable missile in Ukraine discussed; hosts skeptical this is as dramatic as Russia wants it to seem.

9. Iranian Protests & Information Warfare (29:48–38:52)

• Iranian anti-regime protests ramp up; protesters appeal to Trump directly, even naming streets for him.
  • “People of Iran are better allies compared to these backward mullahs for America...” (Iranian activist, cited at 34:10)
• Rich discussions about the potential for U.S. involvement, echoes of Obama’s passive response to the Green Revolution, and the role of Elon Musk’s Starlink in providing internet access.
• Michael draws a distinction between “cosplaying revolutionaries” in the U.S. and the true risks faced by Iranian protestors.
  • “How about you look at some real, actual revolutionaries who are risking it all, like the women on the street in Iran. They're risking being tortured and raped to death because they care about changing their system. They're not cosplaying.” (Michael, 33:32)
• Jack describes the regime’s shift from public executions to systematic hospital snatchings as a way to minimize international blowback.

---

Cultural Trends & Oddities

10. Sober Party Girls & The Return of Cigarettes (41:10–42:34)

• Armstrong & Getty riff on contrasting youth trends: “sober influencers” headlining parties with no alcohol, while cigarette smoking statistically rises among 20-somethings as a countertrend to vaping.
  • “Now we're completely sober, but we do suck down 20 cancer sticks a day. Okay. Go figure.” (Jack Armstrong, 42:34)

11. Dictator Fashion: Maduro’s Hoodie (43:03–44:07)

• A viral photo of the ousted Venezuelan dictator wearing a Maine-based company’s hoodie sparks a run on the brand.
• Michael notes the hoodie’s rise to mainstream fashion from military wear, triggered by Rocky in the 1970s.

---

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-------------|------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:13 | Michael | “I'm just worn out by—I'm gonna do something crazy, you hold the phone, then we'll post it...I'm tired of the genre.” | | 06:57 | Michael | "Any power that spends more on servicing its debt than its military will cease to be a power." (Ferguson's Law) | | 09:03 | Jack Armstrong | “Inflation is a tax and it's intentional.” | | 11:55 | Jack Armstrong | “It is theft from the young and the unborn…I have never once encountered anyone who's contradicted that in any way. ...And yet nobody cares.” | | 21:19 | Michael | “Man, if all of these just disappeared overnight, would anybody on the planet other than the people who work there notice?” | | 27:46 | Michael / Noonan | “I don't think a single voter was thinking, and I sure hope we start attacking Venezuela...” | | 33:32 | Michael | “How about you look at some real, actual revolutionaries who are risking it all, like the women on the street in Iran. ...They're not cosplaying.” | | 42:34 | Jack Armstrong | "Now we're completely sober, but we do suck down 20 cancer sticks a day. Okay. Go figure." |

---

Conclusion: The “Neutral Tasting Pill” Wrap-Up

This Armstrong & Getty installment weaves together satire, frank commentary, and serious concerns about the future—personal and national. The “neutral tasting pill of reality” is their call for an honest reckoning with debt, inflation, and American civic character, illustrated by global turmoil, fleeting social trends, and the contrast between trivialities at home and high stakes abroad. Through lively banter, biting sarcasm, and a dash of optimism, the episode gives listeners both laughter and plenty of food for thought.

---

[For more: Listen to the Armstrong & Getty On Demand episode from Jan 9, 2026, “Neutral Tasting Pill Of Reality.”]

Transcript

[Prolon Advertiser]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human coming off a GLP1 and looking for a weight loss solution that actually lasts this new year. Research shows up to 40% of weight lost on GLP1s comes from lean muscle, slowing metabolism and making weight regain almost inevitable. Prolon's five day Fasting Mimicking Diet offers a drug free way to get and keep results. It activates fasting pathways to trigger fat focused weight loss, protect muscle and rejuvenate cell. No injections, no guesswork, just real results. Get 15% off when you [e-mail] iheart that's prolonlife.com iheart the NFL playoffs are.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

Here and it all starts with Wild Card Weekend powered by Verizon.

[Michael]

Man, it all comes down to this.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

12 teams, six games, three days and one epic weekend. My goodness, it's win or go home and every moment counts on the road to Super Super Bowl 60. It's a touchdown wild card weekend powered by Verizon. January 10th through 12th. Visit watch NFL.com for the full schedule.

[Better Picks Advertiser]

Do you like free money? Well, today's your lucky day. Better Picks is offering a free $10 just for signing up. Download the Better app, pick more or less on player stats, watch the games and win some cash. It's that simple. Better Picks is available in 33 states including Texas and California and Georgia. Download the Better app today. That's Better B E T R and get a free $10. No deposit necessary. Must be 21 or older in a jurisdiction where Better Picks operates. Terms and conditions apply. Better Picks Sports Just got Better ready.

[Orangetheory Fitness Advertiser]

To change your Life. For just $2 a day, Orangetheory Fitness delivers one hour workouts that combine strength and cardio to help you burn fat, build muscle and feel unstoppable. Right now, get a full month of unlimited classes for just $62. Don't wait. This offer ends soon. Visit orangetheory.com or your local studio and start your transformation today. Offer ends January 31, 2026. New members only. Premier membership, performance monitor and monthly billing required. Discount applies to first month only. Other terms apply. See Studio for details.

[Michael]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center.

[Lenovo Advertiser]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Michael]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here's Armstrong and Yeti.

[Michael]

Hope we don't cry. Oh. How y' all doing?

[Jack Armstrong]

Y' all gotta get out the door.

[Michael]

Yes, sir. What are y' all doing? Get out of the store with a horse.

[Jack Armstrong]

We gotta go.

[Michael]

Yeah, we gotta go.

[Jack Armstrong]

Why?

[Michael]

Because I'm gonna call the police. For what? So Michael found that charming couple of people riding a horse through a Target.

[Jack Armstrong]

Riding a horse through a Target? Why, that's outrageous.

[Michael]

Horses don't belong in Target.

[Jack Armstrong]

There's a horse in the hospital. Right.

[Michael]

I just, I just, I'm just worn out by. I'm gonna do something crazy. You hold the phone, then we'll post it and people will be slightly amused for two minutes as they scroll through Instagram. I just, I'm tired of. Maybe I'm an old man. I just am tired of the genre.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let it be heard, let it be said, let it be written. That January 9th of 2026 was the day that America was amused for roughly 90 seconds by a couple of yahoos riding a horse through Target. And it'll never be thought of again.

[Michael]

Right. So this, this is breaking news. I don't know if there's anything to make of it, but the jobs numbers came out. Uh, weakness is evident. I don't know if they're just looking at me or if they're talking about the jobs number. U.S. hiring remains at a modest pace and weaknesses are evident. Employers added 50,000 jobs in December, but unemployment ticked down. Of course, who knows what that number means, really? Because we have, whatever it is, 8 million able bodied men who have just chosen not to work. So if they're not looking for a job, they don't count as unemployed.

[Jack Armstrong]

So I don't know what the raw number is, but let's just all agree the highest number in American history and.

[Michael]

It just outside of a depression and it kind of distorts what that number means. So I don't know. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that information.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, the unemployment number has become one of those statistics that's utterly useless. It's terrible. I'm working on something behind the scenes. Maybe y' all can help me. I've been reading about the Minnesota fraud like everybody has, and actually the Wall Street Journal. Who is this writing? Oh, the editorial board is talking about welfare grift from Minnesota to Mississippi. And I'm working on a sarcastic definition for the word welfare. The gist of the joke being it is a theft program that is occasionally exploited by the poor to take money. Something to that effect. You get what I'm driving at? Yeah, and they pointed out the Babylon B headline I mentioned this last hour. This is one of my favorite Babylon B headlines in the recent memory. Anyway, Republicans vow to uncover all Somali fraud and then do nothing about it except fundraise. Oof, that one doubled me over.

[Michael]

Yeah, I was listening to a podcast the other day, mentioned this yesterday with Neil Ferguson, the historian who has written a lot about economics throughout his career as a history professor and writer. And he is talking about, he was talking to a couple of Brits about their economic situation, which they're like several steps further down the road in Britain and France from where we are. Same doomed path of this has got to come to an end. You can't keep spending more than you take in at this rate and at some point you're gonna have to make some adjustments and they're further ahead so we get to watch them do it first in Europe.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, they've gone the further step of crushing the entrepreneurial spirit and the creativity of their people. So they don't have the dynamic American economy that enables this awful, awful way to live life to continue. But that'll end soon enough.

[Michael]

Yeah, but his point was there's really only three ways out of this as we now have the highest debt to whatever ratio that we've ever had, GDP ratio, and we're now spending more in.

[Jack Armstrong]

A time of peace growing economy, and.

[Michael]

Now we're now spending more on servicing our debt than we do on the military. And he came up with a law he's calling Ferguson's Law. He wanted to have his own law that yes, any power that spends more on servicing its debt than its military will cease to be a power. That's a pretty good law.

[Jack Armstrong]

Can't argue.

[Michael]

Yeah, hard to argue with that. But there are only three things that can happen, really. One of them is some sort of.

[Jack Armstrong]

Giant.

[Michael]

Explosion of productivity that gets you out of this problem. I've, maybe you've done this in your own life. You got, you get some financial problems, but you start making enough money you can kind of COVID it up, you can kind of fix it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Maybe the only problem is that enables you to double down on the bad behavior. Sooner or later the birds come down to roof.

[Michael]

If you don't, if you don't fix the behavior, it doesn't work. And that could happen with AI or whatever. So that's a possibility to get us out of this problem. The other possibility is raising taxes quite a bit and cutting services quite a bit. He sees that as a non starter for the United States, Britain and France. And pointing out that Macron tried to just incrementally, just a tiny bit, raise the age of when you get your benefits there in France. And he has been dead in the water as a political force ever since then. Look, we'll grandfather it in over 50 years.

[Jack Armstrong]

And the people went crazy.

[Michael]

Yeah. And he said the third way, which might be what happens, but will be awful, is you inflate your way out of it. So if you have any debts, for instance, like if you owed, say you bought a car five years ago on payments for six years, this has been great for you, the inflation. Because you owe $60,000 on a car. The $60,000 ain't worth what it used to be.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. As long as your wages have risen. But anyway, back to you.

[Michael]

Yeah, yeah, but, but. So that's the way that works. You can inflate yourself out of these situations where the debt just doesn't. It's not as big a number. The number isn't as big as it seems because inflation has hit so much. The problem, of course, being is all of our savings and investments and everything that we've built and everything like that just gets eaten up by inflation and we're miserable.

[Jack Armstrong]

Inflation is a tax and it's intentional.

[Michael]

But he thinks that might be the most likely thing that these three countries do to get themselves out of it.

[Jack Armstrong]

I guarantee their way out of it. And it makes me. We've used the term sangry again. It makes you sad and angry. But I'm also sickened, Sick hangered, because that's exactly what's happening.

[Michael]

So you put away. You've managed to put away a quarter million, half million million, whatever, in your 401k investments or whatever through your whole life, your house, all that, and it's not worth near as much as you thought it was. A million dollars ain't what a million dollars was. Even close by the time you retire. So that's nice.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here's a bitter pill to swallow, as if you haven't given you enough. Well, it's not that bitter. It's. It's the. It's the kind of neutral tasting pill of reality. It's like your daily vitamin. It's not bad. I wouldn't eat them, like, as a snack.

[Michael]

Well, I do. Flintstone vitamins.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're delicious.

[Michael]

Do you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. That explains why you're so robust. Anyway, the founding papas absolutely did not want a democracy because democracies don't work. Human beings as a whole don't have nearly the sense of responsibility to do the right thing. If, for instance, they discover they can vote themselves money from the treasury. It won't work. It can't work. Human nature doesn't change. That's why they designed a republic.

[Michael]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Of the sort that they did.

[Michael]

I was kind of thinking about this last Night as I was watching the. What's the lightning movie I'm watching about Garfield.

[Jack Armstrong]

By lightning?

[Michael]

Yes, about the assassination of President Garfield. And it's really, really good so far. I'm several episodes and really well put together. Pretty interesting movie. And so I was having the thought that a lot of people point out, look, our politics have always been ugly and the politics are certainly ugly there. I mean, oh yeah, Chester A. Arthur, who ends up president was beaten people in the streets to get them to donate money or come over to their side. I mean that's really something. But was the populace as bad as it is now and as immoral or, or maybe if you don't like that term, just short term minded selfish. Was the population of the country as selfish and self centered and, and short term, thinking back in the day as they are now, I don't think that's probably true. I think we're probably a better society of voters back in the day, even though the government. My point being people always hit you with politics has always been ugly. People like act like it's new, that politics are ugly. True. But has the population, have the voters been better people throughout our nation's history than they are now? And I think that might be true.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here's the way I would answer that proposition. I have in certainly on the air with you and many, many times in my personal life made the argument that spending our children and grandchildren's money through overspending and accumulating more debt that they will have to take care of, whether through inflation or higher taxes or whatever, is utterly immoral. It is theft from the young and the unborn. I have never once encountered anyone who's contradicted that in any way. It is perhaps the most black and white, irresistible, undeniable moral argument I have ever heard in politics. And yet nobody cares. Nobody, nobody. Either people don't think about that in a widespread way or nobody cares that says we are an immoral people. It doesn't. You don't need a degree in economics to understand what I'm trying to say. Anybody can understand it. If we lived in a system where when I die, my debts are passed on to my children and I lived like a lunatic, greedy, selfish lunatic. And people would say over and over again, Joe, your kids and their children are going to have to take care of this debt. You've got to stop. 100% of people would say I was a monster. But when it's on a societal level, people don't act like they don't even comprehend it or they get convinced that, you know, they're trying to balance the budget on your back. You deserve all those stuff, the things you're getting. And guess what? My party will give you more. People's greed overcomes any sense of morality that they have.

[Michael]

You're right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Democracy can't work.

[Michael]

If your debt passed on to your kids and you bought like a really big house and you're. You're 75 years old and a crazy fancy car you can't afford, knowing that they'll have to pay for it, that would make you a really bad person.

[Jack Armstrong]

People would despise you.

[Michael]

Right. But we, we absolutely are doing that just as a generation, the populace. Yeah, we're, we're buying whatever a dollar eighty worth of government for a dollar's worth of taxes and, and hoping the next generations figure it out. Yeah, you know, live, live in a crappier country. That's your grow our way out of.

[Jack Armstrong]

It or inflate our way out of it monarchy now. That's what I say. I'm ready to rule over you as you're a wise and benevolent king. Michael, you want to be an ambassador to somewhere? You name the place. Hmm. How about Costa Rica? It's a nice done. You'll love it. The beach is amazing. The monkeys. So many monkeys.

[Michael]

I am going to vow for the rest of the show, since that was a real downer, that I'm not going to do any more downerism the rest of this show. On a Friday.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, you go ahead, Manby. Pebby Whistle Past the graveyard Pollyanna. I've got the complete list of organizations that the US Dropped out of. Marco Rubio announced that the other day. Some of them you're going to be pretty sure I made up, but I swear I won't.

[Michael]

Cool. Lots of good stuff on the way. Stay here.

[Lenovo Advertiser]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael]

This episode is brought to you by Prize Picks. Whether you're starting a new routine or making player picks for the first time, trying something new can be hard. But in life and on Prize Picks, it always feels good to be right.

[Jack Armstrong]

You got high pressure playoff matchups almost every weekend. He elite hoops almost every night. The action never stops and Prizepix lets you take control.

[Michael]

By the way, Prizepix now has early payouts. If your player gets off to a hot start, you now have the option to cash out those winnings before the game even finishes.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's really innovative. If you want flexibility, choose flex play where you can get paid even if one of your picks miss. Or if you want the biggest payouts go for the power play. No matter your play. Price Picks is a great way to put your takes to the test and it's super easy. You just pick at least two players and say they're going to do more or less than their stat projections. Price Picks offers venmo, Apple Pay, MasterCard and more for quick and easy deposits into your account.

[Michael]

Download the Prize Picks app today and use the code Armstrong to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That code is ARMSTRONG to get $50 in lineups AFTER you play your first $5 lineup. Prize picks it's good to be right.

[Prolon Advertiser]

Feeling heavy and depleted after the holidays? Prolon's five day Fasting mimicking diet makes it easy to reset your body habits and energy heading into the new year. Developed with USC's Longevity Institute, Prolon is a nutrition program that works at the cellular level to rejuvenate you from within, supporting fat loss, glowing skin and sharper focus. It's a simple, science backed way to turn intentions into action. No injections, no guesswork, just real results. Get 15% off when you [e-mail] iheart that's prolonlife.com iheartra the NFL playoffs are.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

Here and it all starts with Wild Card Weekend powered by Verizon.

[Michael]

Man, it all comes down to this.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

12 teams, six games, three days and one epic weekend. My goodness, it's win or go home and every moment counts on the road to Super Bowl 60. It's a touchdown wild card weekend powered by Verizon. January 10th 12th. Visit watch.NFL.com for the full schedule.

[Better Picks Advertiser]

Not everyone can be good at fantasy football and at Better. We understand that. That's why we're giving you $10 for free just for signing up. Download the Better app, pick more or less on player stats, watch the games and win some cash. It's that simple. Better picks available in 33 states, including Texas, California and Georgia. Download the Better App today. That's Better. B E T R and get a free $10. No deposit necessary.

[Michael]

Must be 21 or older in a.

[Better Picks Advertiser]

Jurisdiction where better picks offer rates, terms of conditions apply. Better Picks Sports just got better Breaking news.

[Michael]

The sheriff of Philadelphia said she will arrest ice agents for being in Philadelphia. You don't want this smoke, she says. More on that won't. More on that coming up.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right, we're done here. We're through. Got local sheriffs threatening to arrest federal agents. Oh sweet mother of God. If this was a different country, I would be on the edge of my seat.

[Michael]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you would think, you would think it was falling apart. Definitely.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right. Speaking of insane. So Marco Rubio announced in his one of his many capacities, this is Secretary of State, that the US was pulling out of a bunch of globalist organizations. Self important globalist grifters. According to this. This author sounds right. Yeah, yeah, really. And I don't have the typical red meaty current right wing view of foreign aid that a lot of people do because I have a real realpolitik view of the world. Some friends you, you have because of ideology, some because they're scared of you and some because you bribe them. And that's part of foreign policy. And it's okay to bribe people. It's part of the world anyway.

[Michael]

But some of it's dumb.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, a lot of it's just stupid and way outlived its usefulness as a bribe years ago. How many of these organizations strike you as like the Human Fund from Seinfeld or just a joke? Here we go. Here are the global organizations that the US has just pulled out of the 247 carbon free energy Compact. Okay, I'm sure maybe somebody can on the fingers of one or two hands, count how many like vaguely environmental organizations.

[Michael]

I'm sure they did lots of good.

[Jack Armstrong]

We've gotten off to a good start. The Colombo Plan Council. What will we do without them? The Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Oh, that's two of the first three. Education Cannot Wait. The European Century. They spelled center wrong. The European center for Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats. The Forum of European European National Highway Research Laboratories. The Freedom Online Coalition. Oh, that's the Human Fund right there. The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund. The Global Counterterrorism Forum. The Global Forum on Cyber Expertise. The Global Forum on Migration and Development. That one might be worth studying. Inter American Institute for Global Change Research.

[Michael]

These could be groups that do a lot of good and really mean it. Or they could just be complete fraud and it'd be very difficult to know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, there are like five dozen of these things, so I'm gonna have to skip around a little bit. The International Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Whoops, there's, there's another one. The Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. None of this is at all redundant, of course. All of these have to exist in as independent entities with their own staff and building and the rest of it. International center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property. International Cotton Advisory Committee. International Development Law Organization. International Energy Forum. International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies. International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance. International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law. Here's one of my favorites. I applied to these people like 4 times. Couldn't get a gig. The International Lead and Zinc Study Group. I'm a zinc specialist.

[Michael]

Man, if all of these just disappeared overnight, would anybody on the planet other than the people who work there notice?

[Jack Armstrong]

And just environmental crap. Phony environmental crap. The International Renewable Energy Agency. The International Solar Alliance.

[Michael]

Why don't you do something? Start a restaurant or something.

[Jack Armstrong]

Do something. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Which I'm in favor of, but come on, let's see there.

[Michael]

Oh.

[Jack Armstrong]

A Renewable Energy Policy network for the 21st century. Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program. Program spelled with two m's and an.

[Michael]

E. And how many total did we pull out of?

[Jack Armstrong]

I just got like a third of the way. I think it was 66 or something.

[Michael]

That's awesome. That's awesome.

[Jack Armstrong]

God, it goes on and on and on.

[Michael]

I'm sure Trump haters portray that as just awful that we're no longer involved in those organizations.

[Jack Armstrong]

We're isolationists. Oh, no.

[Michael]

Boy, Russia did something provocative yesterday. Among other things.

[Lenovo Advertiser]

On the way, Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

The NFL playoffs are here, and it all starts with wild card weekend powered by Verizon.

[Michael]

Man, it all comes down to this.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

12 teams, six games, three days, and one epic weekend.

[Jack Armstrong]

My goodness.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

It's win or go home, and every moment counts. On the road to Super Bowl 60. It's a touchdown wild card weekend powered by Verizon. 1-10-12. Visit watch.NFL.com for the full schedule.

[Better Picks Advertiser]

Not everyone can be good at fantasy football and at Better. We understand that. That's why we're giving you $10 for free just for signing up. Download the Better app, pick more or less on player stats, watch the games, and win some cash. It's that simple. Better picks available in 33 states, including Texas, California and Georgia. Download the Better app to date. That's Better. B E T ATR and get a free $10. No deposit necessary.

[Michael]

Must be 21 or older.

[Better Picks Advertiser]

In a jurisdiction where Better Picks operates, terms and conditions apply. Better Picks Sports just got better.

[Orangetheory Fitness Advertiser]

Ready to change your Life. For just $2 a day, Orangetheory Fitness delivers one hour workouts that combine strength and cardio to help you burn fat, build muscle, and feel unstoppable. Right now, get a full month of unlimited classes for just $62. Don't wait. This offer ends up soon. Visit orangetheory.com or your local studio and start your transformation today. Offer ends January 31, 2026. New members only. Premier membership, performance monitor and monthly billing required. Discount applies to first month only. Other terms apply. C Studio for details in the heat.

[Lenovo Advertiser]

Of battle, your squad relies on you. Don't let them down. Unlock elite gaming [e-mail] Dominate every match with next level speed, seamless streaming and performance that won't quit. Push your gameplay beyond performance with Intel Core Core Ultra processors for the next era of gaming. Upgrade to smooth high quality streaming with Intel Wi Fi 6e and maximize game performance with enhanced overclocking. Win the tech Search power [e-mail] lenovo.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

Lenovo.

[Michael]

President Trump telling the New York.

[Prolon Advertiser]

Times that the US Will be running.

[Michael]

Venezuela for, quote, much longer than a year. He also is not ruling out putting American troops on the ground. How does MAGA feel about that? Peggy Noonan, the Wall Street Journal has some interesting thoughts we'll get to in just a second. We just grabbed a couple more oil tankers that are involved with Russia getting oil from Venezuela. That is making Russia really mad. So all of this stuff ties together. And speaking of Russia, this was the breaking news last night. Russia appears to use nuclear capable missile in Ukraine. If confirmed, the use of the missile would be an ominous threat to Ukraine and its Western allies, according to writers for the New York Times. Is it a big deal or not? I guess. Well, the noises they're making out of Russia would lead me to believe that they're hoping it's a big deal. I mean, they were, they, they did that on purpose just to make it, you know, seem all threaty and whatnot.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I guess it's the second use of that hypersonic missile that they've been working on.

[Michael]

The Russian Defense Ministry said that it had struck Ukraine with a nuclear capable intermediate range ballistic missile. An ominous warning by President Putin of Russia as US Led negotiations to end the war have gained steam, with Witkoff and Jared Kushner seeming to be more in favor of the United States getting involved in some sort of security guarantee, which seemed like it was off the table to me a couple of weeks ago. Russia said it that it used this missile known as the Orchnik and other weapons to hit drone making and energy infrastructure in Ukraine. Explosions were reported early today near the Western city of Leave after the Ukrainian military warned of a potential missile launch. The Russian Defense Ministry called to strike a response to an attempted Ukrainian attack last month on one of Mr. Putin's homes. Now I don't know if you've been following this story. This was going on during the whole Christmas break thing and maybe you missed it or, and we weren't on the air, but Putin claimed that Ukraine tried to hit his house. When I first heard that, I thought, okay, well if they did, is that, was that off limits? You hit everybody's houses, if you could hit, right? I mean, you hit houses, schools, people waiting at bus stops, maternity wards, all kinds of things. So why would it be out of bounds to try to hit your house? But anyway, Ukraine says, funny, you don't.

[Jack Armstrong]

See a lot of even handedness among these belligerent dictators.

[Michael]

But Ukraine said that they didn't try to hit Putin's house. That's a lie. And US Intelligence agencies have concluded that there's no evidence that there was an attack on Putin's house also. So he's just going around saying that, you know, it's what he does to have reasons for things. But in a statement today, the Ukrainian Air Force reported the threat of a launch from a Russian strategic nuclear testing site near the Caspian Sea. So as always, this thing seems like it could be heating up and getting really, really jazzy. So that leads me to this between whether we get, whether we're getting involved in Ukraine, Russia or what we're doing in Venezuela or whatever. Peggy Noonan wrote this and I thought it was pretty darn interesting because what Trump get about 80 million votes, something like that, 72 million votes, whatever he got, I don't think a single voter was thinking, and I sure hope we start attacking Venezuela when, when they do it. And, and Trump's been famously a, you know, we can't get involved in these forever wars sort of guy. Peggy Newton write, Newton writing Trumpian Republicans came to hate what they call forever wars. What they really hated is what we have called them in this space. Long unwon wars. Which is a better term.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's right.

[Michael]

That's a much better term than forever wars. Long unwon wars that bled blood and treasure for years and yielded nothing. That was what they hated. All that loss and nothing good coming out of it. Capped off by Afghanistan, where our aircraft and vehicles abandoned to the people we went there to fight the Taliban as they took charge. That is what Donald Trump's supporters hate. If this is a war in Venezuela, for instance, if, if, if this works in quotes, however, that looks Trump voters will be happy about that. It wasn't the act of being in a military involvement. Knows whether or not we are getting anything out of it, which I think she's right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I Think the whole, oh, they voted against forever wars. Wait a minute. They, they had a special operations operation that went in, went out, accomplished its mission. No one was lost. What are you talking about? Even. That's just how dumb a lot of our politics and journalism are. I will tell you, the future of Venezuela is wildly uncertain. And one interesting aspect of this is Trump says it's all about the oil. We're going to bring in the American companies, we're going to make Venezuelan oil great again, blah, blah, blah. All the big oil companies have now rushed to the White House. I think today they have a meeting with Trump where they're going to tell him that would take like, billions of dollars in a decade or two to really get going. And the commies are still in charge, so we have no interest in that. And that sort of oil is a little more difficult to extract and refine in the rest of it, too. But they're like, no, thank you. So where that goes, nobody knows.

[Michael]

So the Senate voted yesterday 5247, that Trump shouldn't be able to do more military operations in Venezuela without congressional approval. That's got to go to the House. But you did have five Republicans join the Democrats yesterday in the Senate for that to pass. And Trump called them traitors and that said that they should, somebody should run against them and all that sort of stuff. I don't know if it passes in the House or not. And I suppose Trump would veto it even if it, even if it did pass in a different country. Iran. You got this going on overseas. Iranian protesters have intensified nationwide demonstrations over the past 24 hours. They are directly appealing to President Trump while chanting anti regime slogans. Video now shows a protester in Tehran symbolically renaming a street after Trump. Other videos captured handwritten appeals reading, don't let them kill us. Yeah, I was listening to a reporter, an Iranian reporter yesterday, and he's anti the government there on a British podcast that I really, really like. And he said there are lots of towns around Iran that have named streets after Trump.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, isn't that something?

[Michael]

It really is. It helps the leadership to a certain extent, you know, claim that it's United States belligerence leading this protest or whatever the hell. Trey Yings of Fox with more on what's going on in Iran.

[Better Picks Advertiser]

Internet service was cut off or partially.

[Michael]

Restricted in major Iranian cities, including the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Capital of Tehran, as leadership there tried to quell growing protests further east.

[Michael]

Iranian protesters destroyed their country's flag in Iran's second largest city, Mashhad. I know Elon said that he was going to get Starlink in there so that they would have Internet. I don't know if that hasn't worked or not worked as well as he wanted or he failed or what, but that was his plan. He announced that earlier in the week to because, you know, obviously that's what all regimes do. They shut off the Internet, so that's up in space.

[Jack Armstrong]

How can the mullahs and revolutionary guards stop that? They can't even stop Israeli agents from coming to their homes and snatching them up and putting bullets in their heads.

[Michael]

Right. It's something, isn't it, that there's one guy on planet Earth that can say, nah, you're going to have Internet and do it in Ukraine or Iran or wherever he decides to do it.

[Jack Armstrong]

And there are a couple of big name competitors. I think Amazon and Google are both going hardcore into competing with Starlink as well. So that sort of system is going to be pretty ubiquitous. China's one. I'm interested in what happens when people can just get a little clandestine receiver there and hook up to the old Starlink Aruni. I'm sure the Chinese commies will crack down on that as hard as they can, but they're afraid of the Internet and they're terrified of AI going forward.

[Michael]

Before we get to what Trump said again about Iran, here's Richard Engel of NBC News on the hopefully revolution that's happening in Iran.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hundreds of thousands of anti government demonstrators are on the streets in multiple cities including the capital Tehran. And they're pushing hard, tearing up Iranian flags, setting fires and in some cases confronting the feared security forces. The economy is collapsing with inflation and a currency crisis. The Internet appears to have been completely blacked out across large parts of Iran, a sign of how seriously the government is taking this.

[Michael]

It always worth pointing out, I think to our and none of this crowd is listening to our show probably, but you flipping pampered, grew up rich, went to a fancy college, American college students who bravely go on the streets and get in the face of cops or ICE agents knowing that they can't do anything or won't do anything. How about you look at some real, real, actual revolutionaries who are risking it all, like the women on the street in Iran. They're risking being tortured and raped to death because they care about changing their system. They're not cosplaying.

[Jack Armstrong]

You get the oppression, you got the terrible economy which is getting worse and worse and worse. And then after 35 years of the powers that be in IR spending like all the GDP's money on building up their proxies around the region, your Hezbollahs and your Hamas and the rest of it, and, and explaining how we have an ironclad regime and we'll hold off the Zionist Jews and the American pigs and blah, blah, blah. And then it turned out to be a paper tiger, just a national humiliation. Whether you like the regime or not, you're like, we suck at the military, too. The people are like, you have nothing to offer us. And it's over from their point of view. But when the crackdown comes, it could be horrific. Or there are other possibilities which we can discuss at some point.

[Michael]

Well, and how much do we get involved when the crackdown comes, which might be today? Here's CNN's reporting. So for the first time that we now see United States of America's president taking a strong action, saying that he is ready to save the lives of Iranians. Iranians are welcoming that. I want to see action. Otherwise empty wars are not going to save lives. Let's be very clear. People of Iran are better allies compared to these backward mullahs for America, for the rest of the world. And Iran without Islamic republic will guarantee global security.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, shoot. That was Jake Tapper's head exploding because somebody said something positive about Trump. That's too bad.

[Michael]

First time a US President is taking strong action. Barack Obama famously, and even people on the left criticized him for this, did not get behind the Green revolution when that was going on in Iran because he had that whole policy of don't do stupidness. And as you were talking about the other day, sometimes doing, doing nothing is a decision. How does everybody not know that? How does everybody not know that choosing to stay with the status quo is a decision as much as changing?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's a specific course of action. Think about it like that.

[Michael]

And deciding not to support the protesters is not staying away from stupid ass necessarily. It's making a decision anyway. Trump is at least verbally is supporting the Iranians. He was on Hugh Hewitt's show. We don't really like people around here. I have a same name, first name and last name or something going on there.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hugh Hewitt, Eric Erickson. Who's the other one, the other talk show host.

[Michael]

There's a third one. There's a Steve Stevenson.

[Jack Armstrong]

All kinds of people like that don't like him.

[Michael]

So Trump's on Hugh Hewitt and said this.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I have let them know that.

[Michael]

If they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots, they have lots of riots. If they do it we're going to hit them very hard. They know, and they've been told very strongly, even more strongly than I'm speaking to you right now, that if they do that, they're going to have to pay. So does he mean that or not?

[Jack Armstrong]

Somebody. If I'm the Mullis, I got my beard in a twist right now because they are up against it.

[Michael]

Well, they've been hit hard before. He talked this way and then did hit Iran harder than they've ever been hit in the entire time that they've been in charge there.

[Jack Armstrong]

See, that is correct. Oh, thank you. President Maduro, him weighing in on whether Trump lives up to threats.

[Michael]

And somebody made the point yesterday. Well, I don't think anything's going to happen because we haven't moved any resources into the area. That's because we already have so many resources in the area. We don't need to move more resources into the area.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here's a hint. They're under the ocean and nobody knows they're there. And they rhyme with flub.

[Michael]

Farine.

[Jack Armstrong]

You have the world's third strongest military. Every time one of our boomers sails by your, your home country, you've been.

[Michael]

In a submarine because your brother was a submarine guy. They have a great.

[Jack Armstrong]

And they wanted me to consult. That's correct.

[Michael]

They have a great submarine thing at the World War II Museum where you get this simulator and everything like that. It's very, very cool about the silent fleet. Very.

[Jack Armstrong]

Gotta get there.

[Michael]

But, boy, that'd be something. So this reporter I was listening to yesterday said what Iran has been doing because they are worried about reaction from Trump is they are not killing people in the streets, they're beating them down in the streets to the point that they go to the hospital. Then when you go to the hospital, the security forces go and snatch you out of the hospital and take you to the prison and torture you. So you don't have the people getting shot in the streets. You just grab them out of the hospital after you broke their leg, broke their kneecap in the street. How about that for a policy?

[Jack Armstrong]

Trump will hear that by this afternoon and it will anger him.

[Michael]

Isn't that something?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Michael]

So they'll break your ankles, you're no longer protesting in the street. Then they go to the hospital and grab you. Yeah. So that you don't have a stack of bodies in the street like happened with Tiananmen Square or whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, they're evil. They're evil, evil human beings.

[Michael]

This could be something to watch this weekend because the protests are really growing in the last 24 hours. Anyway, we got a lot more to.

[Lenovo Advertiser]

Come see her, Armstrong and Getty the.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

NFL playoffs are here and it all starts with Wild Card Weekend powered by.

[Michael]

Verizon man, it all comes down to this.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

12 teams, six games, three days and one epic weekend. My goodness, it's win or go home and every moment counts on the road to Super Bowl 60. It's a touchdown wildcard weekend powered by Verizon. January 10th 12th visit watch.NFL.com for the full schedule.

[Better Picks Advertiser]

Nothing in life is free except this free $10 that better picks is offering. Download the Better app, pick more or less on player stats, watch the games and win some cash. It's that simple. Must be 21 or older in a jurisdiction where Better Picks operates. Terms and conditions apply. Better Picks Sports just got better.

[Orangetheory Fitness Advertiser]

Ready to change your Life. For just $2 a day, Orangetheory Fitness delivers one hour workouts that combine strength and cardio to help you burn fat, build muscle and feel unstoppable. Right now, get a full month of unlimited classes for just $62. Don't wait. This offer ends soon. Visit orangetheory.com or your local studio and up sign. Start your transformation today. Offer ends January 31, 2026. New members only Premier membership, performance monitor and monthly billing required. Discount applies to first month only. Other terms apply. Z Studio for details in the heat.

[Lenovo Advertiser]

Of battle, your squad relies on you. Don't let them down. Unlock elite gaming [e-mail] dominate every match with next level speed, seamless streaming and performance that won't quit. Push your gameplay beyond performance with Intel Core Ultra processors for the next next era of gaming. Upgrade to smooth, high quality streaming with Intel Wi Fi 6e and maximize game performance with enhanced overclocking. Win the tech search power [e-mail].

[Michael]

Excited about NFL NFL Playoff football this weekend? Excited about the college game tonight. Something to watch.

[Jack Armstrong]

Excellent. Excellent. I do love the football. Coming up, the immigration forces v local authorities thing in blue cities is heating up. Oh boy. More on it to come on the.

[Michael]

Sheriff in Philadelphia said she they're going to arrest ICE agents there.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, you're not my favorite. What the hell? Story of the week After a couple of head scratchers, I'm trying to figure out you young people. Here are two stories back to back. Number one from the New York Times A new generation. Oh oh, it's the sober party girl revolution revelation. A new generation gives up alcohol, but not the party at a members only club in Manhattan. A new generation rejects alcohol. Blah blah Blah. It's all about these fashionable. A lot of them are like Instagram influencers who really like to party but don't drink. They're sober. My I'm known as sober party girl. And this other influencer, another cutie and a low cut thing is called more fun without it. They're sober influencers anyway. So that's hot. Then this article from the Wall street journal. Why 20 somethings are trading their vapes for cigarettes. More and more young people are thinking effort and they just smoke cigarettes.

[Michael]

Oh really?

[Jack Armstrong]

Cigarette smoking is on the rise for the first time since the Surgeon General's warning.

[Michael]

That's interesting. I just read the other day that stopping vaping now is like the number one New Year's resolution in America. It used to be stopping smoking every year, not stopping vaping.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, interesting. But a lot of people who dig the nicotine are thinking why am I sucking on what looks like a USB drive when I could look like Steve McQueen? Or they use the example of Joan Didion or one of your the heroes of the 60s 70s, whatever has always got a sing in their, in their mitts. So go figure. Now we're completely sober, but we do suck down 20 cancer sticks a day. Okay. Go figure. All right, here's my favorite story. The Maine based Maine, the state apparel companies phones have been ringing off the hook after a shackled Nicholas Maduro was snapped wearing one of its hoodies when he was hauled to the Big Apple. According to the company, the ousted Venezuelan dictator wore the origin company's attire in the company's patriotic blue shade in a now infamous photo of him flashing two thumbs up while surrounded by the DEA agents as they touchdown in New York. Unclear how the dictator ended up in the hoodie, but everybody looked at and said, wow, that's a good looking hoodie.

[Michael]

That's funny. I did research on the hoodie yesterday. It came up in a conversation with my son about like how long has a hoodie been around? I, I looked at it, I thought and I actually said to him, I think it became popular about the time I started wearing them when I was in junior high. It turns out that's right for people at Joe. And I say, do you know what made the hoodie popular? It's been around since the 40s, but it was only a military thing really. It became popular in the 70s because of the movie Rocky. Rocky wearing the hoodie. It's exploded. And ever since then people worn hoodies like crazy.

[Lenovo Advertiser]

Armstrong and Getty.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

The NFL playoffs are here and it all starts with Wild Card Weekend powered by Verizon man, it.

[Michael]

All comes down to this.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

12 teams. Six six games, three days and one epic weekend. My goodness, it's win or go home and every moment counts on the road to Super Bowl 60. It's a touchdown wild card weekend powered by Verizon. January 10th through 12th. Visit watch.NFL.com for the full schedule.

[Better Picks Advertiser]

Nothing in life is free except this free $10 that better picks is offering. Download the Better app, pick more or less on player stats, watch the games and win some cash. It's that simple. Must be 21 or older in a jurisdiction where Better Picks operates. Terms and conditions apply. Better Picks Sports just got better.

[Lenovo Advertiser]

In the heat of battle, your squad relies on you. Don't let them down. Unlock elite gaming [e-mail] Dominate every match with next level speed, seamless streaming and performance that won't quit. Push your gameplay beyond performance with Intel Core Ultra processors for the next era of gaming. Upgrade to smooth high quality streaming with Intel Wi Fi 6e and maximize game performance with enhanced overclocking. Win the tech search power [e-mail] lenovo.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

Lenovo.

[Better Picks Advertiser]

Well, the holidays have come and gone once again.

[Michael]

But if you've forgotten to get that.

[Better Picks Advertiser]

Special someone in your life a gift, well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless.

[Michael]

So here's the idea. You get it now.

[Better Picks Advertiser]

You call it an early present for next year. What do you have to lose?

[Michael]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time.

[Orangetheory Fitness Advertiser]

50% off regular price for new customers. Upfront payment required $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for 12 month plan taxes and fees. Extra speeds may slow after 50 gigabytes per month when network is busy. See Terms.

[Prolon Advertiser]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.