Quit Being A Jerk Or You'll Come Back As A Bug

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "Quit Being A Jerk Or You'll Come Back As A Bug" – Detailed Summary

Release Date: February 25, 2025

In this engaging episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a myriad of pressing issues ranging from government accountability and public health to Supreme Court cases and international affairs. The conversation is rich with insights, humor, and sharp commentary, making it a compelling listen for those interested in current events and political discourse.

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1. Introduction to Humphreys Executor and Government Accountability

The episode opens with Joe Getty introducing the topic of the Humphreys Executor, a pivotal Supreme Court case significant to the early Trump administration's policies.

• [00:43] Joe Getty: "General manager, Humphreys Executor. What? Humphreys Executor. It's a Supreme Court case that could be fundamental in the developing news in this early part of the Trump administration."

Jack Armstrong expresses his unfamiliarity with the case, leading to a discussion about its implications on federal agencies and executive power.

• [00:59] Jack Armstrong: "Wow. Interesting. That's something I've never even heard of. So here I have a chance to learn something today."

The hosts critique the Trump administration's approach to enforcing accountability among government workers, highlighting the issuance of orders requiring employees to list their weekly accomplishments.

• [02:07] Joe Getty: "That's the way Trump explained it yesterday. But the fact that so many departments, including Christine Ohm at DHS, Patel at FBI, his reasoning was we got way, way too many security issues to do this sort of thing."

They argue that such measures may undermine future directives by creating skepticism and diminishing authority.

• [02:30] Jack Armstrong: "It does water down the next directive, doesn't it?"

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2. Public Health Concerns Amidst Multiple Diseases

Transitioning to public health, Jack Armstrong brings up the prevalence of diseases like bird flu, RSV, and monkeypox, reflecting on the challenges of navigating healthcare during a multi-demic scenario.

• [05:39] Jack Armstrong: "Since we're in the middle of a quadremic or maybe even a quintemic, with four or five diseases going around the country at one time, how often do you feel like going to the doctor is worth it or a waste of time?"

Joe Getty concurs, emphasizing that minor symptoms often don't warrant medical attention, advocating for over-the-counter solutions and rest.

• [06:14] Joe Getty: "Unless you have a high fever or there's just developed, like, really weird symptoms, there's nothing there."

The conversation touches on the psychological impact of constant health threats and the societal shift away from natural causes of death.

• [08:17] Jack Armstrong: "If you ask people if they want to die at home or at a hospital, it's almost a hundred percent of people want to die at home. The reality is almost 100% of people die at a hospital."

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3. Gender as a Social Construct vs. Biological Reality

The hosts address the contentious debate over gender identity, critiquing the notion that "womanhood is a social construct" versus biological definitions.

• [10:11] Joe Getty: "Woman is a social construct that we use. I can barely bother to break a sweat to answer an argument that idiotic."

They discuss the implications of such viewpoints on education and societal norms, expressing skepticism towards progressive gender theories.

• [10:42] Jack Armstrong: "Like everyone that is a conservative commentator who's gone on college campuses and gotten into some arguments with various teachers and students."

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4. Immigration Policy and Political Polarization

A significant portion of the episode focuses on immigration, with Joe Getty analyzing a New York Times article by David Leonhardt that discusses the rise of the far right in response to immigration policies.

• [16:35] Joe Getty: "The left's recent strategy, lecturing working-class voters and ignoring the burdens on their communities has not worked."

They critique the liberal approach to immigration, advocating for stricter policies to secure national borders and reduce illegal immigration.

• [17:49] C: "Trying to turn federal workers into this sort of protected class of victims, I think is a bad spin."

Jack Armstrong adds that current immigration policies are unsustainable and politically motivated rather than based on national security needs.

• [15:33] Jack Armstrong: "Because the word got out that there's no point in coming to the border because you're not going to get in and if you get in, you're going to get deported."

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5. Supreme Court's Role in Federal Agencies

Returning to the Humphreys Executor case, Joe Getty elaborates on the Supreme Court's stance on quasi-independent federal agencies established by Congress.

• [21:15] Jack Armstrong: "That's why it's so crazy. People yelling on the street about who elected Elon Musk, who elected all these people that are making all these rules."

• [22:04] Joe Getty: "You function as the executive branch. And the idea that that's a fourth branch of government not answerable to the actual executive branch, to me is looney tunes."

They discuss the potential for the Supreme Court to revisit and possibly overturn the Humphreys Executor decision, which could significantly impact the balance of executive power and regulatory oversight.

• [22:34] Jack Armstrong: "So the bottom line, you think the Supreme Court's going to have to deal with this and come up with some rules?"

• [22:40] Joe Getty: "I think there's a really good chance. Although often, you know, we Supreme Court watchers, Jack, are sometimes surprised and disappointed that the court says, nah, we're not gonna look at that one."

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6. Current Events and International Affairs

The hosts briefly touch on various international issues, including Russia's stance on Ukraine, Israel's handling of Palestinian prisoners, and the United Nations' recent votes.

• [13:38] D: "From Newsweek, Putin says Zelensky has, quote, no chance in fair election as Ukrainians grow frustrated with his leadership."

Joe Getty criticizes Vladimir Putin's tactics in Ukraine, likening negotiation attempts to "manipulating an alligator emotionally."

• [13:44] Joe Getty: "He's trying to posture himself for the negotiation with Putin. As I've said many times, it's like trying to manipulate an alligator emotionally."

The discussion also covers the horrifying actions of Hamas and their impact on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

• [14:05] D: "From Fox News, Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release over Hamas disgusting hostage ceremony."

• [14:58] Joe Getty: "Hamas doesn't want peace for a second. They want war. I say give it to them."

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7. Listener Mailbag and Quotes

Interspersed throughout the episode are interactions with listeners, featuring insightful quotes and personal anecdotes.

• [27:47] Jack Armstrong: "Patriotism isn't always the last refuge of a scoundrel. But it is sometimes."

• [27:55] Joe Getty: "Washington said truth will ultimately prevail where there are pains to bring it to light. Reality bats last. Sometimes it takes a long damn time, though."

Listeners contribute quotes and comments that prompt reflections on patriotism, truth, and societal norms.

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8. Closing Remarks and Future Topics

As the episode draws to a close, the hosts hint at upcoming discussions, including interviews with Congressman Tom McClintock and further analysis of the Humphreys Executor case.

• [35:14] Jack Armstrong: "Yeah, I'd like to talk to him about where he thinks we are on the big tax bill because the Trump tax cuts expire and they got to get to working on that real soon."

They emphasize the importance of strategic political maneuvering and the need to address economic policies head-on.

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Notable Quotes

• Joe Getty [00:10]: "Don't mess with Humphrey's executor. He will break you in half."

• Joe Getty [10:11]: "Woman is a social construct that we use. I can barely bother to break a sweat to answer an argument that idiotic."

• Joe Getty [22:04]: "You function as the executive branch. And the idea that that's a fourth branch of government not answerable to the actual executive branch, to me is looney tunes."

• Jack Armstrong [27:47]: "Patriotism isn't always the last refuge of a scoundrel. But it is sometimes."

• Joe Getty [27:55]: "Washington said truth will ultimately prevail where there are pains to bring it to light. Reality bats last."

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Conclusion

This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand offers a comprehensive look into the intersection of government policy, public health, and societal issues. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty provide listeners with informed perspectives, backed by historical context and contemporary analysis, making complex topics accessible and engaging. Whether discussing Supreme Court cases or critiquing immigration policies, the hosts maintain a balance of critique and humor, encouraging listeners to think critically about the world around them.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

Foreign.

[Joe Getty]

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.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Get it. Room deeper than the bowels of the Armstrong and Getty Communications compound. And hey, y'all. Today we're under the tutelage of our.

[Joe Getty]

General manager, Humphreys Executor. What? Humphreys Executor. It's a Supreme Court case that could be fundamental in the developing news in this early part of the Trump administration.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. Interesting. That's something I've never even heard of. So here I have a chance to learn something today.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, I'm telling you, don't mess with Humphrey's executor. He will break you in half. Boy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Of course, I got a mix of bird flu and what's that three letter one that's going around?

[Joe Getty]

Rsv.

[Jack Armstrong]

Rsv? What's that stand for?

[Joe Getty]

Respiratory Synchial Virus. Something like that, I don't think. I'm not a doctor, Jack.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think I have bird flu and monkeypox.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Wow. That had to be quite a party.

[Jack Armstrong]

It was. We had fun. We all knew it was risky, but we had a good time.

[Joe Getty]

The memories will last forever. The videos will never be disclosed.

[Jack Armstrong]

No. We're all working from home now, though, so it didn't go well.

[Joe Getty]

So you're ailing, huh?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. What are you going to do? So midnight last night was a deadline for you lazy government workers to put in your list of the five things to that you did last week. And the deadline kind of came and went and a whole bunch of different department said I don't worry about it and I don't know where we are on all that now.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I don't want to over react to anything because that's kind of what you do when Trump is in the White House. But I don't think it's a good look to issue spurious orders that people kind of snicker at and ignore. You're Elon Musk and all. You got the ear of the President. I love the Doge thing. It just don't do that. Why would you?

[Jack Armstrong]

It does water down the next directive, doesn't it?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. You know, it's funny, the counter arguments are burbling up in my mind. Elon would probably say no. I just wanted everybody to be talking about government workers having to prove what they do well. Oh, that's why you're on SpaceX and I don't run anything.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, we probably have the clip, but Donald Trump explained in the yesterday it's just to see if there's anybody there. I mean, if we don't get any response, we'll assume that there's nobody even doing that. We've got all kinds of people out there that don't even go to work, that we're paying. And we're just trying to figure that out. Step one. So that's the way Trump explained it yesterday. But the fact that so many departments, including Christine Ohm at dhs, Patel at FBI, his reasoning was we got way, way too many security issues to do this sort of thing. But sure, and then another of other departments did join in. But yeah, ultimately I just wonder what you wonder if it doesn't just like take a little the air out of the whole Doge thing and like the next big directive to come down the line, people kind of shrug at in a way that they wouldn't have before. So we'll see.

[Joe Getty]

Right. And just more generally, it matters in a system like ours whether you have popular support or not. Obviously it matters come election time. But just culturally speaking, if the country were to be swept up in Dogemania and just be thrilled at the idea of waste and fraud being eliminated and no show workers fired from their jobs and taxes being lowered, that would matter fundamentally to how successful it is. So I just, I can't decide if this one was dopey or again, maybe he just wanted America talking about government workers. What do they do? Not sure, we'll have to see.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know. But man, the never ending mass media attention to. Here's someone who thought they could work in the department forever and found out differently. I planned to be here till I die and now I don't know what I'm gonna do.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Welcome to the rest of everybody else.

[Jack Armstrong]

I just don't think that's landing the way they think it's landing for America.

[Joe Getty]

I would agree.

[Jack Armstrong]

Those stories. I moved here for this job.

[Joe Getty]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

I moved for a job one time too and it didn't work out. It just, it happens.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. There's a headline in the New York Times today. Fired federal workers worry about housing. Yeah, I'm sure they do. And what else? Joe Jones worked for the Department of labor for 23 years doing something and now wonders.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I'm sure he'd does doing something.

[Joe Getty]

God, the idea that, that government employment is sacrosanct, it's permanent. It's like being some sort of high priest. Just stop it, America. What the. What the hell? What? What? How did. Well, this attitude is crept upon us now it's infected the national psyche. Everybody has weird assumptions.

[Jack Armstrong]

I got a question for you. Since we're in the middle of a quadremic or maybe even a quintemic, with four or five diseases going around the country at one time, how often do you feel like when you feel kind of like I feel. Is going to the doctor worth it or a waste of time? I feel like most of the time it's a waste of time, in my experience.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Yeah. I would say, you know, unless you have, like, a high fever or there's just developed, like, really weird symptoms, there's nothing there.

[Jack Armstrong]

There's no medicine that you can't get over the counter, probably. And rest.

[Joe Getty]

Take some Tylenol, drink plenty of fluids.

[Jack Armstrong]

When the doctor says rest, always want to say, sir, you're going to come take my kids to school or, how's this going to work?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, could you. That lady up in the front office, she didn't seem busy. Can I borrow her for the afternoon? Actually, you know what? It's funny. I'm in a very cheery frame of mind, delighted to be here with.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's good.

[Joe Getty]

My friends, doing my job, and I don't want to get into what I texted you about last week.

[Jack Armstrong]

I want to hear that. I want to hear that.

[Joe Getty]

It's. Well, see. No, no, because then I will be angry and I will. I will yell bad words and I will want to murder people. Specific people.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, maybe. Maybe you feel good and happy, but we, the listener, like angry, Joe. So if we can poke you with a stick and maybe remind you of things that have gone wrong in your life in the past. Anything to get you upset.

[Joe Getty]

I just. I worry that every time I get into that headspace, it shortens my life by five minutes. Like smoking a cigarette.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wouldn't that be something if they found that out? If you might. You might not know this, because I think this is way back in the day, but anyway, they used to say every cigarette shortens your life by seven minutes. If they could do that, every time you get pissed off, it shortens your life by 10 minutes. That'd be funny.

[Joe Getty]

You definitely would have an incentive to. Okay, deep breaths.

[Jack Armstrong]

Every time you get cussing, angry, it shortens your life by a quarter of an hour.

[Joe Getty]

Well, can I get some sort of preview of the last six hours of my life? Maybe. Maybe that's a good thing, you know? God.

[Jack Armstrong]

Henry and I had a good discussion about that the other day. Pretty heavy. And maybe I'll get to it later because it takes a lot of time I. I don't remember how we started, but we. Oh, the idea of dying in natural causes and how that used to be just a thing and now it no longer is. They always have to name the specific thing that you died of as opposed to, you know, you're 97 years old.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

And. And then mainly the statistic that if you ask people if they want to die at home or at a hospital, it's almost a hundred percent of people want to die at home. The reality is almost 100% of people die at a hospital. And how, how crazy that is that we're that far off of our wants from what we do.

[Joe Getty]

It's perverse. Yeah, yeah, it's. It's troubling. I'm sure there is some really, really good journalism out there on why that is. And soon, folks, the discussion will take a cheerier turn, I promise. But that is so ugly and perverse, it's hard to believe it exists. What could be more my choice than that?

[Jack Armstrong]

There's also the statistics. I don't have them in front of me, but I know it. Something like 90 of the money you spend on healthcare in your life is in the last two weeks of your life or something like that. So there's a lot of money changes hands in those last couple of weeks.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. My goodness.

[Jack Armstrong]

Anyhow, that's an interesting topic. We should start the show officially before the fcc, which I don't know how many of them responded with their list of the five things they did last week. We sent Armstrong a letter warning them for their language.

[Joe Getty]

That was one of those sipping champagnes of some country club somewhere. What do they even do.

[Jack Armstrong]

On this? It is Tuesday, February 25, year 2025. We're Armstrong and getting. We approved of this program.

[Joe Getty]

Let's begin then, officially, according to FCC rules and regulations. Here we go at Mark.

[C]

Gender is a set of preferences we have. Woman is a social construction that we've agreed upon. Typically, we imagine womanhood as makeup or whatever. There is a difference between the word woman and being a biological female. Woman is a social construct that we use.

[Joe Getty]

That's a teacher. Oh, that was a teacher by the by.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not just a college student.

[Joe Getty]

That's an educator who's declared that woman is whatever you want it to be not. It's completely different from biological female. All right, I. I can barely bother to break a sweat to answer an argument that idiotic and, and, and like came around 10 minutes ago and is rejected by the vast majority of humans on earth. And when I say vast majority, it's.

[Jack Armstrong]

Like everyone that is a conservative commentator who's gone on college campuses and gotten into some arguments with various teachers and students and pretty revelatory as to the attitud some of our campuses. And then you need to decide whether you need to want to send your kids there or if you've already sent your kids there, if that was a good idea.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Speaking of popular consciousness and if the society gets behind something, you know, it's like who was it? There was a great Supreme Court, Lincoln, Mark Twain, John Wayne. I know somebody said essentially that if the John Wayne, if the people, if the culture values the Constitution, nobody can threaten it really. And if the culture doesn't support the Constitution, no court can save it. We have to believe in what we're doing. Anyway. I think it's really important to have people aware of how crazy education has gotten cuz it's off the rails. Speaking of off the rails, we should probably take a break and have time for Katie's Headlines.

[Jack Armstrong]

Katie's Headlines. We got Mailbag. Later this hour we'll get into some of the news of the day. All on the way. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty, Wall Street Journal editorial.

[Jack Armstrong]

Board calling yesterday a sad day for the United States at the UN we can talk about that later. That vote came down while we're on the air. We voted with Russia and some of the other awful countries of the world against the idea of saying Russia's a bad guy now.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, we can talk about that. Looking forward to that. Also Humphreys executor and its outsized effect on the American scene and how it's an idiotic court case that ought to be overturned and that will definitely change the look of the federal government.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh really? And that's in play because of what's going on now?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, to a large extent it's these, these organizations, these bodies, these departments that are created by an act of Congress but then they exercise executive power, but they're answerable to nobody, democratically speaking, they're not answerable to the executive branch. And it was a dopey, in my opinion, 1935 Supreme Court case during FDR's reign of socialist terror that said no, no, that's, that's fine. Yeah, they can do that. And it really hasn't been tested since that I know of anyway. But that's in play. We'll talk about that among other things to come. Right now let's figure out who's reporting what sor.

[D]

Oh boy.

[Joe Getty]

The monkeypox.

[Jack Armstrong]

Monkeypox.

[Joe Getty]

Katie Green.

[D]

Katie from the Washington Post. Trump administration tells agencies that they can ignore Musk order on email reply.

[Jack Armstrong]

So who said that? Trump said that.

[D]

Trump administration telling agencies.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay.

[D]

From Newsweek, Putin says Zelensky has, quote, no chance in fair election as Ukrainians grow frustrated with his leadership.

[Joe Getty]

That's just not true. I don't. He's trying to posture himself for the negotiation with Putin. As I've said many times, it's like trying to manipulate an alligator emotionally. He doesn't care whether you kiss his ass or threaten him. He doesn't care.

[D]

From Fox News, Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release over Hamas disgusting hostage ceremony.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I want to talk about that a little bit later on. It's, it's absolutely horrifying. It will probably mean the end of this quote, unquote peace process, which has been phony from the beginning. And those two little kids were murdered, murdered with the bare hands of Hamas little kids. Well, right. They were mutilated to look like it was a bombing even though the autopsies were unequivocal.

[Jack Armstrong]

So, yeah, if you weren't, this happened after we got off the air on Friday. But when the Hamas gave back the mom and her two dead babies, the babies had been murdered and the mom wasn't the mom and the caskets were locked. It was all kinds of horrible jerking around Israel and there's no way Israel should put up with it.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and it's intentional. We'll get, you know, I don't want to get off on this tangent, but Hamas doesn't want peace for a second. They want war. I say give it to them.

[D]

The wording on this is priceless. USA Today Trump's announcement of a right wing media figure as FBI's deputy director has the bureau worried.

[Joe Getty]

And we'll see how it goes. He's a smart guy. It's an unconventional choice.

[D]

ABC News apprehensions along the southern border plummeted in January.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, because the word got out that there's no point in coming to the border because you're not going to get in and if you get in, you're going to get deported. Yeah, that's, that's the message we needed out there in the world.

[Joe Getty]

I want to talk about that, too. Really interesting perspective from a smart, fairly moderate guy at the New York Times pointing out that there is not a single country on earth that has permitted rampant immigration, that hasn't seen their right wing emerge to stop it with huge popular support.

[D]

Shocking NBC fake video of Trump kissing Musk's feet displayed at HUD office in Washington.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, the HUD headquarters. Housing and Urban Development. They got TV screens, you know, in the lobbies and here and there, and somebody. Was it AI or something?

[D]

It's AI. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

I also heard it described as a. A toe sucking video.

[D]

That's what it was. It was. It was more toe sucky than kissing. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, my. Fast.

[Jack Armstrong]

That is gross. It is. I mean, I know some of you like it, but.

[D]

Okay, moving on. New York.

[Joe Getty]

Not Elon Musk's.

[D]

Oh, boy. New York Post. Married couple forced to sit next to woman's dead body after she drops dead on 15 hour flight.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. Can I get a different seat, please?

[Joe Getty]

I don't think she'll mind.

[D]

Yeah. Finally, the Babylon B. Trump fired after forgetting to reply to Elon's email.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I'd be jamming her up in the overhead compartment. Can I move your bag? I need to fit her up in here. Just bender all. Well, if you're gonna leave her in the seat next to me, literally anywhere.

[Joe Getty]

But right pressing against my elbow. Icky. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

The armrest is mine. Dead lady. If you miss an hour of the.

[Joe Getty]

Show, get the podcast.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty on Demand.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[E]

I thought it was great because we have people that don't show up to work and nobody even knows if they work for the government. So by asking the question, tell us what you did this week. What he's doing is saying, are you actually working? And then if you don't answer, like you're sort of semi fired or you're fired because a lot of people are not answering because they don't even exist.

[C]

Trying to turn federal workers into this sort of protected class of victims, I think is a bad spin. Like, this is a country with massive private sector churn. People lose their jobs all of the time. And to say this is all outrageous, I don't think has the political salience of that. Where it's going to matter in all of this is competence. When does it seem like these guys are doing all of this chaos stuff for chaos sake rather than actually making the government more efficient and more responsive to people's needs? And time will tell on that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jonah Goldberg of the Dispatch there, you.

[Joe Getty]

Got to remember Donald Trump of the White House before that.

[Jack Armstrong]

You got to remember that the pushback is driven mostly by. They think it's horrifying that any government worker would ever be challenged or fired. That's what drives their emotion.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I think some of that's sincere and I think some of it is just the. If the other side is doing it, I must act as if it's outrageous and horrifying, even if it's fairly mundane. I like reigning in the bloat of the federal government. How can you be in favor of bloat? I don't think anybody really is, but if Trump's doing it, it's a horror.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know, as a physical feeling, that might be my least favorite feeling. My bloat.

[Joe Getty]

Bloated. I. I prefer bloated to desiccated. That's completely dried out.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I don't know if that. That happens to me very often, but, yeah, I do not like the feeling of being bloated.

[Joe Getty]

Well, okay, noted. So a couple of things on the quick side, but I think are pretty interesting. One of the things the Trump administration is doing is going after these quasi independent agencies. Maybe it's the National Labor Relations Board or some of the other agencies and commissions, Federal Trade Commission, you know, that sort of thing. If it's not an actual cabinet and it says commission or board, it's. It's one of these quasi independent agencies, you know, decreed by Congress, but then. But then answerable to nobody. And there are a couple of disputes going on right now having to do with Trump firing the heads of some of these things, including a woman by the name of Gwen Will Cox, who's a Democratic member of the National Labor Relations Board. And the reason it's interesting is that she and her lawyers are saying firing her is a blatant violation of a statute as well as a 1935 precedent called Humphrey's Executor. And that is virtually. Well, you know what? I'm not an expert on this, but apparently the Supreme Court has not really taken a serious look at these agencies. Independent. I'm quoting now from who wrote, oh, it's the editorial board of the Wall Street. Independent agencies are a constitutional chimera that is like half man, half beast. Yet the High Court blessed them sort of in the Humphreys case. They said, quote, the Federal Trade Commission is an administrative body created by Congress to carry into effect legislative policies. Its duties are performed without executive leave, meaning control, and in the contemplation of the statute, must be free from executive control. Now, these bodies regulate much of the US Economy, and they're democratically answerable to. Well, who exactly? Well, right.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's why it's so crazy. People yelling on the street about who elected Elon Musk, who elected all these people that are making all these rules, sending me letters saying I got to send them more money or I'm going.

[Joe Getty]

To jail and whatnot, Right? Yeah. So, you know, to paraphrase the Constitution, the Congress writes the laws and then the executive branch takes pains to execute them faithfully. Right. Well, let's go back to that quote from the Supreme Court. In FDR's super progressive era, the Federal Trade Commission is an administrative body created by Congress to. Here's the key phrase, carry into effect legislative policies. Does that not sound like the executive branch? What does carry into effect legislative policies mean? Probably means faithfully enforce the laws.

[Jack Armstrong]

Means you can probably do about anything you want.

[Joe Getty]

Well, exactly. You function as the executive branch. And the idea that that's a fourth branch of government not answerable to the actual executive branch, to me is looney tunes. So this is. It reminds me of the overturning of the Chevron deference case earlier by the Supreme Court, I guess, last fall. I think it's terrific. And it could have a fundamental freeing effect on the economy, which means, you know, higher wages, more economic activity, less paperwork for everybody.

[Jack Armstrong]

So the bottom line, you think the Supreme Court's going to have to deal with this and come up with some rules?

[Joe Getty]

I think there's a really good chance. Although often, you know, we Supreme Court watchers, Jack, are sometimes surprised and disappointed that the court says, nah, we're not gonna look at that one, or tells the appeals court to just tweak it a little bit. You know, the time is here for bold action. Another thing that promised we would talk about. Oh, and it's interesting. David Leonhardt is. He's an editor writer with the New York Times. He does their morning newslet thing. He is remarkably moderate for a New York Times guy and a very smart guy. You know, I disagree with him a fair amount, but he's one of those reasonable lefties. But he, he published a Twitter thread and then an article that expands on it. And I'm just going to read you part of it. The left has lost power in the US In Germany, Italy and Sweden. Canada and Australia appear to be next. And the far right is growing across the West. And the point of his article is. But there is one European country where the left has won reelection and marginalized the far right. Denmark. Why? And then he goes into some detail about Denmark's center left party is way left. Part of that is because of oil money. Denmark lives in a fantasy land. It's a small, homogenous country that, you know, everybody's Dane pretty much, that has humongous amounts of oil revenue. And so they don't have to behave like a normal economy in government, behave. So they're not a great example of much, but he points out that the key difference between Denmark center left and the center left in the US and much of Europe is that Danish progressives listen to working class voters on immigration and reduced immigration levels. As Prime Minister Unpronounceable told me, immigration is the number one reason that the Danish left still governs even when the left is in retreat most everywhere else. Consider this. Around the world, there is not one clear example of a country that has accepted large numbers of newcomers in recent decades. I would point out, like completely willy nilly too. There is not one clear example of a country that's accepted large numbers of newcomers in recent decades while marginalizing the far right and reducing inequality. Immigration is now roiling politics in the us, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Europe. And the left's recent strategy, lecturing working class voters and ignoring the burdens on their communities has not worked.

[Jack Armstrong]

Of course not. Oh, yeah, that. There's no doubt that if Biden had cracked down on the border, he would. He wouldn't have stayed in office because of actuary tables. But a Kamala or someone could have won, no doubt.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And what a nightmare that would have been. So I don't want to have like Stockholm syndrome where I'm trying to please my kidnapper so he won't beat me anymore or whatever with the mainstream media, but because I love my country more than, you know, kicking the left. The fact that the New York Times is saying, hey, immigration policy has been abusive of the working class and they're not taking it. And you know what else? They're right is crazy overdue. But I'm glad to see it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, cool. And then that whole thing with Humphreys whatchamacallit.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah, Humphrey's executor. Don't mess with him.

[Jack Armstrong]

And scrotum watchers are going to be seen if the Supreme Court takes that up.

[Joe Getty]

Scotus. SCOTUS is the generally used acronym.

[Jack Armstrong]

I get the mixed up all the time.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, that's. That's got to be uncomfortable. You have to file an appeal.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and I've had some funny exchanges in the bedroom. We've got Mailbag on the way. Our text line is 415295. KFTC.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

More drinking songs. I've been drinking NyQuil. That's what I'm drinking.

[Joe Getty]

I was feeling a bit festive last night.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, really?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it got a little Thursday nightish on Monday night.

[Jack Armstrong]

Got Thursday on a Monday. Gotcha. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. I'm reminded of the great old 97 song. Every night is Friday night without you. Anyway, it was, it was lovely and I was just feeling festive and perhaps tipped the glass once more than I needed to. But what are you gonna do? How many times are you gonna do?

[Jack Armstrong]

How many times do you live?

[Joe Getty]

Once.

[Jack Armstrong]

Once.

[Joe Getty]

Ish. Right. No offense to our Buddhist friends, yolo. Their belief in reincarnation sounds like, I don't know, an opportunity and a punishment. Well, it depends what kind of life you live, right? You want to come back as a. A human or a bug. Could be an eject. You're gonna come back as a bug. Here's your freedom loving quote of the day. Continuing on our series from George Washington, a couple of them because they're short guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.

[Jack Armstrong]

Ah, that's a good one.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Patriotism isn't always the last refuge of a scoundrel. But it is sometimes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

And then finally this. This is a hundreds of year old version of one of your favorite sayings, Jack, that the truth bats last. Well, Washington, not a baseball fan, according to the historical record, didn't get that reference. He said truth will ultimately prevail where there are pains to bring it to light. Reality bats last. Sometimes it takes a long damn time, though. The liars are good at their jobs. Mailback. Drop us a Note [e-mail] will begin with a bonus quote sent along by Scott from Bordeaux, France. Wow, that's a humble brag again, no kidding. Legendary wine growing region. Speaking of tipping the glass, I'd like to get there sometime myself. I tried and the trip was canceled by the damn Covid. Anyway, he quotes Margaret Thatcher who said, power is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.

[Jack Armstrong]

Good one.

[Joe Getty]

I love that Maggie Thatcher. And Scott points out this one inadvertently also hits on Joe's gender bending madness. Yeah, if you have to say I'm a woman, you're not.

[Jack Armstrong]

Speaking of humble brags, I know someone that every story they tell has to include when I was in law school just to make sure everybody knows they went to law school. You can't say when I was in college. You gotta always say when I was law school or when I was younger. You don't even need to say when you were in college.

[Joe Getty]

We're back in school. Yeah, how about I go with this one just before I got my PhD and it's still before I got my PhD right now.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's a good one. There you go.

[Joe Getty]

Right. I'm any Minute, though I was working.

[Jack Armstrong]

On my PhD when.

[Joe Getty]

Which is more or less still. Amen. It'll be the day I croak. Anyway, let's see. Ted writes, guys, the left wants to call mothers inseminated persons. That's right. Proposed law in Wisconsin. Tony Evers, the communist governor, is in favor of this garbage. Inseminated persons? Really? They want to reduce pregnant women to something out of the Handmaid's Tale. Irony. Michael Savage always claimed that liberalism was a mental disorder. I always assumed he was just being hyperbolic. But when you look at what the left has become and what they support.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, in Wisconsin of all places, you can't get more regular person salt of the earth than Wisconsin. And then you got the government in charge. Wackadoodles.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and that's, that's the problem with our system, which is a wonderful system, but you got a handful of giant college towns and then the inner, the big cities in Wisconsin. And they dominate what is geographically a very big, very red state. Moving along. Rest in peace. Roberta Flack, right? Zabo. I, I dismissed her as a fine, you know, soft pop singer, not realizing what a jazz genius she was. My ignorance on display. I apologize for it. He writes, those squealing corn pigs today couldn't order a pizza over the phone without auto tune, let alone to be worthy to be a roadie carrying Roberta Flax microphones.

[Jack Armstrong]

Squealing corn pigs.

[Joe Getty]

I just like the sentence. Wow, couldn't order a pizza on the phone without auto tune. That's a great blast. Zabo. JT and Livermore, always good for a great email. Says, I don't know if Trump is playing seven dimensional chess or if he's utilizing the utilizing the art tactics from the Art of War or if he's secretly a Tai chi master. But Trump derangement syndrome and Trump's first term showed pretty clearly that the left would oppose anything Trump stood for. Trump wanted secure borders, low crime kids back in school during COVID Then the left felt they must take the opposite positions. So what does Trump do in his second term? He picks dozens of policies that have 80 plus percent support and dares the left to take the opposite stance. And they do just that. They step on every rake that Trump leaves around. They want mass illegal immigration, high crime, massive wasteful government spending, green energy boondoggles, porn in elementary school libraries. They want to protect convicted murders, rapists and pedophiles from being deported. They want to spend billions of dollars on trans plays in foreign countries, want to continue their racist DEI programs. They want men to play in women's sports and be in women's locker rooms. They want to continue to sexualize grade school kids and to perform irreversible experimental surgeries on prepubescent kids against the wishes of their parents. How dumb can one party be? Well, I'm saying just let's be smart, let's be strategic, not give them an opening. Let's see. Grant writes, maybe I'm giving Trump too much credit, but what if he's using this mineral rights issue with Ukraine to strong arm Russia? Once the US Owns those minerals, couldn't we defend them from Russia?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, yeah, that is many people's take. Not this way, but more of a. The good news in this would be we would have a real interest in making sure Russia doesn't take over Ukraine.

[Joe Getty]

That would be the security guarantee, probably. You're definitely onto something, Grant. And we'll talk about that more later. Love this from Matt Land, surveyor, longtime friend of the Armstrong and Getty Show. Helped me out personally once or twice. Dear Angie, the California Bull s Train. You're discussing that a majority of Californians are still in favor of it. Effing kill me, right? Your explanation of why was a good one. Makes sense. The polling question was worded intentionally and could easily mislead the average Californian. News not really paying attention. Polling technique, he said. There may be even more to that. Back to Trump derangement syndrome. Trump said he was against the bullet train, therefore the blue voters of California are for it. I'm waiting for the day that Trump comes out pro abortion, even up to the third trimester, and that it's permissible in all 50 states and that the federal government will pay for it. Because I'm convinced that liberals will then start talking about baby killing and the sanctity of life, while Republicans will begin reciting whatever reason Trump gives being pro abortion. Does anyone think for themselves anymore?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, Trump should say every girl's volleyball team has to have at least one dude on it. And the mainstream media, the left would.

[Joe Getty]

Go opposite women's rights. Why don't we protect women's spaces? This is the misogyny of the Trump administration. Yeah, I think he may be right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now that that Ukraine issue with the mineral rights and stuff, that's really interesting. So we, if we were getting like 50% of the revenue or whatever they're going to work out, then Trump would say to Putin or the agreement would be, hey, that's a lot of money for us, so don't be going messing with our hustle.

[Joe Getty]

And I will steel man, as we say these days, the Trump administration foreign policy philosophy that seems to be taking shape of a great powers world as opposed to an international order, laws and traditions world. I'm not sure I agree with it, but at least we can understand what he is trying to do it. I think so. More on that to come coming up next hour. Kicking off next hour, Tom McClintock, Congressman, fiscal conservative who wants to talk about Doge, how it's going. Some of the idiotic coverage is getting in the media. I think this will gratify ye.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I'd like to talk to him about where he thinks we are on the big tax bill because the Trump tax cuts expire and they got to get to working on that real soon, like in the next couple of weeks. And that's going to be quite the political battle.

[Joe Getty]

And I haven't paid my taxes in like 10 years. So I'd like to know what the future looks like. Oh, geez.

[Jack Armstrong]

If you miss an hour, it's podcast Armstrong and Getty on Demand, Armstrong and Gettysburg.