Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "Some Really Weak Tea"

Date: September 8, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

In this episode of Armstrong & Getty, Jack and Joe delve into a wide spectrum of current events and cultural trends, focusing on the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Venezuela, recent US military moves, European responses, and US domestic politics. They also engage in an in-depth conversation about climate change skepticism, the phenomenon of social conformity (with a notable Malcolm Gladwell story), and discuss youth development through Boy Scouts. Their signature blend of skepticism, humor, and candor carries through the episode, as they dissect both hard news and cultural undercurrents.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Ukraine, Russia, and Western Response

[03:46-11:55]

• Russia’s Major Attack:

  • Over the weekend, Russia launched its largest attack of the war on Ukraine, with up to 800 drones and missiles targeting Kiev and even American-owned infrastructure far from the front lines.
  • The hosts discuss whether the target—an American-owned factory 700 miles from the front—was strategic or a deliberate provocation.
    • “I think it's more likely he just attacked an American entity. Just as a thumb in the eye, just F you. I think.” — Jack Armstrong [05:56]

• Divisions over US/European Strategy:

  • Inside the White House, debate is ongoing about whether to push for more peace talks with Russia or double down on military aid and sanctions.
    • “Does somebody actually still think…that Putin actually wants peace? I mean, if they do, slap them hard.” — Joe Getty [04:41]

• European Energy Reliance:

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy expresses frustration with European countries for buying Russian oil and gas, undermining sanctions.
    • “Europeans, I’m very thankful…but some of them, they continue buy oil and Russian gas. And this is not fair.” — President Zelenskyy (via ABC report) [07:27]
    • The discussion segues into Europe’s dependency as “trustafarians” (trust fund babies) under the US security umbrella.
      “They've grown their bloated welfare states…formerly significant powers and they can't even muster up the will to find their gas and oil somewhere else.” — Joe Getty [08:30]

• Trump’s Stance:

  • Trump continues to say there will be “severe consequences” for Russia but apart from rhetoric, nothing has concretely materialized, echoing his approach with Iran.
    • "He does it on his timetable, not yours. Although it has been a very long time and a lot of promises of, you know, severe pressure coming eventually. Haven't seen it yet." — Joe Getty [09:47]

2. US Military Moves Against Venezuela and Drug Cartels

[10:02-13:53]

• F-35 Deployment:

  • The US deployed F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico for counter-narcotics operations, raising eyebrows about their true intended use.
    • "Why would you need F35 stealth fighter jets for a counter narcotics mission?...We might be jumping super ugly with Venezuela." — Jack Armstrong [10:02]

• Venezuela’s Posturing and Maduro:

  • Venezuela’s president, Maduro, displays defiance by buzzing US assets with F-16s.
  • Hosts speculate this is internal posturing to shore up his regime amidst a growing domestic opposition.
    • "I have a feeling he's trying to come off as the great defender of Venezuela to try to sway the populace because he is a dictator, but they got a pretty decent opposition movement there." — Joe Getty [12:23]

• Controversy over Cartel Killings:

  • The US military struck a boat with alleged cartel members off the Venezuelan coast. The action is met with both praise and criticism.
    • Senators like JD Vance and Rand Paul offer sharply divergent takes on military intervention against cartels.
      "Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military." — Quoting JD Vance [13:53]

3. Ethics of Military Strikes Without Trials

[15:05-15:49]

• Blasting the Cartel Boat – How Troubled Should We Be?
  • Jack and Joe rate their unease over extra-judicial killings.
    • "Scale of 1 to 10, how troubled are you by us blasting those people in that boat?" — Jack Armstrong
    • "7.2...I'm more interested in the ethical legal questions involved. I'm more interested than troubled.” — Joe Getty [15:14]
    • "I'm more like a 2." — Jack Armstrong [15:18]
  • Joe expresses a “small-l libertarian” concern over unchecked government power.

4. Climate Change: New Energy Department Report and Skepticism

[21:05-24:49]

• DOE’s Surprising Findings:

  • New DOE report challenges the alarmist consensus on climate change:
    • Elevated CO2 is leading to global greening.
    • Extreme weather event data does not show alarming trends in the US.
    • Climate models may overstate future warming. "Complex climate models provide limited guidance on the climate's response to rising carbon dioxide levels...Claims of more frequent or intense hurricanes, tornadoes, floods...are not supported by historical records." — Joe Getty referencing the report [22:39]

• Parallels with Social Phenomena:

  • Jack draws a parallel between climate change orthodoxy and the sudden reversal in “trans” issues, both likened to “secular religions” that suddenly lose mainstream dominance.

5. Social Conformity and the 'Malcolm Gladwell' Moment

[24:14-36:49]

• Gladwell’s Admission:

  • Malcolm Gladwell, previously silent about his views on the trans issue in sports, recently admitted he’d been too afraid to speak his mind—despite immense success and security.
    • "Gladwell essentially came out and he said, no, that's ridiculous. But I was afraid to say so." — Jack Armstrong [24:49]
    • "The reason I'm ashamed of my performance on that panel is because I share your position 100%. And I was cowed.” — Quoting Gladwell [34:17]

• Crowd Conformity and Preference Falsification:

  • They discuss how small, vocal minorities intimidate majorities into silence—until the social tide turns.
    • "I've become fascinated with this concept of a preference falsification...forceful advocates for a minority position are so adamant and bullying that everybody sits there silently." — Quoting Malcolm Gladwell [31:23]
    • "Even at that level, people are willing to go along with the crowd if it’s just easier." — Jack Armstrong [36:35]

• Vivid Host Reaction:

  • Both hosts harshly criticize elite silence and cowardice in the face of unreasonable activism.
    • "You let people like Riley Gaines put their physical safety at risk by speaking what they believed...You agreed with them, but you're too big a freaking coward..." — Jack Armstrong [35:32]
    • "How much credit do you get now for saying, yeah, I'm ashamed? Very, very little." — Joe Getty [38:06]

6. Boy Scouts, Leadership, and Youth Resilience

[45:13-50:26]

• Eagle Scout Ceremony Reflections:

  • Jack describes attending his son’s first Eagle Scout ceremony, sharing deep admiration for the leadership skills, responsibility, and maturity fostered by the Boy Scouts.
    • "All the leadership stuff, it's all...almost entirely about going to these different camps and seminars to learn leadership skills...and running meetings. The whole thing is kid-run. The adult leaders just stand to the side in case something really falls apart, which it rarely does." — Jack Armstrong [45:13]
    • "These kids now, this kid is 17 or 18...I know plenty of people that have come into the workplace as 23 year olds with a college degree and weren't a tenth of this mature..." — Jack Armstrong [47:21]

• Importance of Challenging Kids:

  • The hosts agree that kids rise to the challenge and grow in confidence when given real responsibility.
    • "People, especially children, tend to rise to your expectations of them, have high expectations." — Joe Getty [48:18]
    • "How we ever came to the conclusion that doing everything for children from age 0 to 25 was gonna make it better for them, I don't know." — Jack Armstrong [50:09]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Does somebody actually still think…that Putin actually wants peace? I mean, if they do, slap them hard." — Joe Getty [04:41]
• "I think it's more likely he just attacked an American entity. Just as a thumb in the eye, just F you. I think." — Jack Armstrong [05:56]
• "The Euros are such, like, trustafarians. They've been under our security umbrella... they've grown their bloated welfare states." — Joe Getty [08:30]
• "Scale of 1 to 10, how troubled are you by us blasting those people in that boat?" — Jack Armstrong [15:05]
• "Complex climate models provide limited guidance...claims of more frequent or intense hurricanes…are not supported by historical records." — Joe Getty [22:39]
• "Even at that level, people are willing to go along with the crowd if it’s just easier." — Jack Armstrong [36:35]
• "All the leadership stuff, it's all...almost entirely about going to these different camps and seminars to learn leadership skills...and running meetings." — Jack Armstrong [45:13]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Russia/Ukraine Attack & Trump Response: [03:46-09:47]
• European (In)action and Critique: [07:27-08:30]
• US Military & Venezuela: [10:02-12:59]
• Cartel Boat Ethics Debate: [15:05–15:49]
• Climate Change Debate: [21:05–24:49]
• Malcolm Gladwell/Social Conformity: [31:23–36:49]
• Boy Scouts & Youth Development: [45:13–50:26]

Tone & Style

The episode blends sharp political skepticism with a conversational, irreverent tone. Armstrong & Getty riff off each other, mixing serious analysis with humor and caustic commentary. Their willingness to challenge social orthodoxies and use vivid examples gives the episode both immediacy and depth, while their admiration for traditional virtues like resilience and leadership shines through in more positive segments.

For listeners who missed the episode, this summary covers the central debate topics, cultural commentary, and most impactful moments—delivering both the gist and the flavor of "Some Really Weak Tea."