Somebody Is Rich & It's Not Me

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: Episode Summary – "Somebody Is Rich & It's Not Me"

Released on February 5, 2025

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Somebody Is Rich & It's Not Me," hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a range of pressing political and social issues. Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Armstrong and Getty navigate through Donald Trump's controversial statements on the Gaza Strip, scrutinize recent moves to cut USAID programs, and critique Hollywood's portrayal of sensitive topics in film. This summary captures the essence of their discussions, highlighting key points, notable quotes, and the hosts' insightful analyses.

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1. Donald Trump's Proposal to Take Over Gaza

Timestamp: [00:24] – [09:57]

The episode kicks off with a surprising segment where Donald Trump announces a bold and contentious plan regarding the Gaza Strip. Trump articulates a vision where the United States takes control of Gaza to dismantle dangerous weapons, clear destroyed buildings, and foster economic development to provide jobs and housing for the local population.

• Trump's Statement:
  [00:24] "The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site..."

Joe Getty immediately questions the authenticity of Trump's statement, noting that it appears to be a prepared statement rather than an impromptu remark.

• Joe Getty:
  [00:50] "Worth pointing out. As you can tell, he's reading there, this wasn't like just something he shot off the top of his head. Somebody wrote that."

Jack Armstrong expands on the implications of such a proposal, suggesting that it signals a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, potentially leading to deeper entanglements in Middle Eastern affairs—contrary to Trump's previous promises to avoid such involvements.

• Jack Armstrong:
  [01:53] "Taking control of the hotly contested territory would put the US at the center of the world's most complicated diplomatic and national security conflicts..."

The hosts dissect the feasibility and motivations behind this plan. Armstrong speculates that Trump's advisors, likened to estate developers, might see the Gaza Strip as a lucrative opportunity, given its strategic location and value.

• Jack Armstrong:
  [03:02] "Arab, Muslim, neighboring countries. You're not going to turn your back and say it's Israel's problem in the US's anymore. You're going to help us or I'm going to hurt you or we're just going to start taking over giant swaths of land."

Joe Getty adds that this approach implies a no-nonsense message to neighboring countries, signaling that the U.S. is no longer willing to ignore ongoing conflicts.

• Joe Getty:
  [05:32] "He's telling Egypt and Jordan particularly, you don't get to rile up your people anymore about how awful it is for the Palestinians while at the same time not allowing a single Palestinian into your country."

As the discussion progresses, Armstrong raises concerns about the practicality and ethical implications of such an intervention, questioning the long-term consequences for regional stability.

• Jack Armstrong:
  [07:11] "We're not going to have uneasy peace with people who want to wipe us off the map because we're Jews anymore. That's over and throughout the history of mankind."

Analysis:
Armstrong and Getty critically analyze Trump's proposal, emphasizing its potential to lead the U.S. into prolonged conflict. They highlight the unlikelihood of the plan's execution, suggesting that such rhetoric is more about signaling a hardline stance rather than outlining a feasible policy.

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2. Cutting USAID Programs: Implications and Reactions

Timestamp: [16:58] – [26:28]

Transitioning from international policy, the hosts address recent announcements about the State Department recalling thousands of USAID employees from foreign assignments. This move aims to bring 1,500 to 2,000 USAID workers and their families back to the United States by the weekend.

• Joe Getty:
  [25:03] "These expenditures exist proves that the agency is utterly corrupt. The problem is not those expenditures specifically... That is a diseased agency."

Armstrong criticizes USAID for misallocating funds, providing examples of politically motivated projects such as supporting electric vehicles in Vietnam or funding a transgender clinic in India. He argues that these expenditures indicate systemic corruption within the agency.

• Jack Armstrong:
  [24:17] "US Aid managed more than $40 billion and has no fewer than 10,000 employees around the world... And $164 million of US aid money has supported radical organizations around the world."

The discussion touches upon the broader theme of government overreach and inefficiency. The hosts express frustration over the perceived disconnection between government employees and the average American, suggesting that such programs are out of step with national priorities.

• Jack Armstrong:
  [19:46] "The progressive scam ... they've convinced a large number of people in the US... that the government is good and benevolent."

Joe Getty echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the real-world impact of these policy changes on individuals, including his own experiences with job relocations.

• Joe Getty:
  [21:37] "I know with every fiber of me, I hope that."

Analysis:
Armstrong and Getty scrutinize the decision to cut USAID programs, framing it as a necessary step to eliminate government corruption and inefficiency. They argue that these cuts will protect taxpayers from wasted funds and refocus the government's role to better align with American priorities.

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3. Hollywood's Portrayal of Sensitive Issues in Film

Timestamp: [28:32] – [35:09]

Shifting gears, the episode critiques Hollywood's latest controversial film, "Amelia Gomez," which has garnered 13 Oscar nominations despite significant backlash from Latino communities.

Armstrong and Getty dissect the film's portrayal of cartels and transgender themes, arguing that it mishandles both subjects in an insensitive and inauthentic manner.

• Jack Armstrong:
  [29:21] "It's like cartels aren't so bad with no Mexican people, them slaughtering the language, speaking in the wrong accent..."

Joe Getty compares "Amelia Gomez" unfavorably to classic mob films like "Goodfellas," highlighting the film's failure to capture the brutal reality of cartel violence.

• Joe Getty:
  [33:12] "How's that not kind of making the mob seem cool and like you kind of wish you were a part of it?"

The hosts relay criticisms from Latino audiences and experts who describe the film as "completely inauthentic" and "one of the crudest and most deceitful films of the 21st century."

• Jack Armstrong:
  [33:15] "Renowned Mexican writer George Volpe blasted it as, quote, one of the crudest and most deceitful films of the 21st century..."

The conversation underscores the disconnect between Hollywood's creative intentions and the cultural sensitivities of the communities portrayed.

Analysis:
Armstrong and Getty argue that Hollywood often fails to accurately represent marginalized communities, leading to films that neither educate nor respect the subjects they aim to depict. They call for more authentic storytelling that honors the experiences and voices of these communities.

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4. The Wealth Gap and Perceptions of Affluence

Timestamp: [28:23] – [28:59]

The episode also touches upon the growing wealth disparity in the United States, encapsulated in the theme "Somebody Is Rich & It's Not Me." Through a tweet from Peter Baker of the New York Times, the hosts draw attention to the stark contrast between U.S. aid spending and the astronomical increase in Elon Musk's net worth.

• Peter Baker's Tweet:
  [27:36] "Total US aid annual spending to provide food, medicine, shelter and other services to impoverished countries around the world. $38 billion. Total increase in Elon Musk's net worth since November election. $156 billion."

Armstrong uses this data point to criticize the priorities of the U.S. government and media, suggesting a misallocation of resources that favors individual wealth accumulation over global humanitarian efforts.

• Jack Armstrong:
  [27:53] "What's the next part? Because that's completely... I don't quite get the nexus there and there isn't one."

Analysis:
The hosts highlight the irony of substantial governmental spending on international aid juxtaposed with the immense personal wealth amassed by individuals like Elon Musk. This comparison underscores the broader issue of wealth inequality and questions the effectiveness and priorities of government spending.

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Conclusion

In "Somebody Is Rich & It's Not Me," Armstrong and Getty provide a critical examination of current political maneuvers, governmental inefficiencies, and cultural misrepresentations in media. Through incisive analysis and a wealth of supporting quotes, they encourage listeners to question prevailing narratives and consider the deeper implications of policy decisions and societal trends. The episode serves as a call to reassess priorities, advocating for transparency, authenticity, and alignment with genuine American values.

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Notable Quotes

• Joe Getty on Trump's Gaza Plan:
  [01:08] "Arab, Muslim, neighboring countries. You're not going to turn your back and say it's Israel's problem in the US's anymore."

• Jack Armstrong on USAID Corruption:
  [24:17] "US Aid managed more than $40 billion and has no fewer than 10,000 employees around the world... $164 million of US aid money has supported radical organizations around the world."

• Joe Getty on Hollywood's Failures:
  [34:23] "I'm appalled by the idea that they put out this trans movie at this moment in time and Hollywood jumped and gave it the most Oscar nominations in the history of motion pictures."

• Jack Armstrong on Wealth Disparity:
  [27:53] "What's the nexus there and there isn't one... it's just kind of scary sounding emotion provoking progressive non."

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This summary encapsulates the multifaceted discussions of Armstrong and Getty, providing listeners and newcomers alike with a comprehensive understanding of the episode's key themes and arguments.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

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's Armstrong and Getty.

[Donald Trump]

The US Will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings. Level it out. Create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.

[Joe Getty]

Worth pointing out. As you can tell, he's reading there, this wasn't like just something he shot off the top of his head. Somebody wrote that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Correct.

[Joe Getty]

And he walked in to read it. The whole the United States is gonna take over Gaza thing, he's half serious about this.

[Jack Armstrong]

We were joking last hour about how everybody's freaking out when Trump, he just, he indicates what direction he wants to go by making outrageous demands or statements or whatever. And then the negotiations begin and it's gonna be fine there. It's, it's. The only thing that keeps MSNBC on the air is freaking out over what Trump says, for instance. But not around here. We try to bring you what's happening, then help you understand it if we can. I will tell you this. As insane as the idea of us owning Gaza is, it's been what was described, at least in the Wall Street Journal, as a closely held idea among a small group of senior advisors. Now I listen to Trump talk and all I can hear is a real.

[Joe Getty]

Estate developer like Dick Cheney and some other. There's other names I've forgotten who want to take over Iraq. That crowd, I mean, I can't remember.

[Jack Armstrong]

If they name names. I read this a couple hours ago. Taking control of the hotly contested territory would put the US at the center of the world's most complicated diplomatic and national security conflicts, raising the prospect that Trump is signing up for exactly the kind of foreign entanglement he told voters he would avoid. Well, that is absolutely self evident.

[Joe Getty]

Taking Gaza and holding it would make Iraq seem like taking over Nebraska.

[Jack Armstrong]

It would certainly bet the vet the best case. It would be very similar. Yeah. Although it's a much smaller area.

[Joe Getty]

Definitely that, that, that's an advantage, but. Oh, my God. So I even. It's funny, since he said it yesterday, I didn't even contemplated it in reality because I just assumed that's not on the table.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And I am, I don't know, I'm going to say 2/3, 1/3 Two thirds is all right. He's signaling directionally that the time for farting around is over.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Arab, Muslim, neighboring countries. You're not going to turn your back and say it's Israel's problem in the US's anymore. You're going to help us or I'm going to hurt you or we're just going to start taking over giant swaths of land.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, no, I definitely think that's the message.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's two thirds of it. So when the other third of it is that he and his advisors have been talking about this, wrote out that statement and he was like, you could hear the lust in his voice as a real estate developer, because, you know, if you're not familiar with this, the Gaza Strip is an astonishingly valuable piece of land, globally speaking. It is a beautiful, temperate LA like climate right by the Mediterranean with nice hills and everything. I mean, it, it would be, you can't even imagine the value of that land if you could get, get crazy Islam out of it. And, and a third of me hears Trump talking about that and, and I can hear the, the excitement in his voice. And there's about a third of me that thinks he's at least half serious.

[Joe Getty]

Wait, let's hear some more of the Trump stuff so we can discuss it all. Let it just roll on in order there. Michael.

[Donald Trump]

This was not a decision made lightly. Everybody I've spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs. If the United States can help to bring stability and peace in the Middle east, we'll do that.

[Joe Getty]

Quick question. Where are the people going to be when we have it somewhere, somewhere else?

[Jack Armstrong]

He kind of sort of gets to that, doesn't he?

[Donald Trump]

We should go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts, and there are many of them that want to do this and build various domains that will ultimately be occupied by the 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza. Ending the death and destruction and frankly, bad luck. This can be paid for by neighboring countries of great wealth. It could be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12. It could be numerous sites or it could be one large site. But the people will be able to live in comfort and peace.

[Joe Getty]

To me, that my takeaway yesterday was he's telling Egypt and Jordan particularly, you don't get to rile up your people anymore about how awful it is for the Palestinians while at the same time not allowing a single Palestinian into your country. When you're right next door. That game is over.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here's the rub they're smart to not let them in. The countries that have tried, you know, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, at one point, you know what they get? They get angry Islamist revolutionaries in their country, screws up their country. Look at the Beirut civil war if you want to. You want to see bloodshed, sectarian bloodshed. So that's, that's the rub. There's it. And it's funny. We have a lot of new folks listening, new radio stations. Thank you very much for being here. Give it a little while you get used to it. It's not like a lot of talk shows that always try to.

[Joe Getty]

New Hampshire, hello. Oklahoma City.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. And others around the country. Hello, Tulsa, Fort Collins, Colorado. Love Fort Collins. Anyway, where were we? Oh, a lot of talk show hosts are constantly trying to sell you certainty. They know everything all the time, every single second. There are times that there is uncertainty. For instance, I'm looking through some of the specifics that Trump said and a top advisor said and, and, and I don't want to be inflammatory.

[Joe Getty]

I do.

[Jack Armstrong]

But if you were to momentarily take seriously the idea that, okay, the U.S. is going to, quote, unquote, take over Gaza temporarily. We're going to relocate all the Palestinians temporarily, find them nice places to live in other lands.

[Joe Getty]

All right?

[Jack Armstrong]

We're going to rebuild it into a fabulous seaside resort town with jobs for everyone and wealth of plenty. And then, yeah, yeah, the plan is we'll let all the angry, militant Palestinians right back in. Now, if you heard that as a realist, what would you think?

[Joe Getty]

What's the last part there exactly?

[Jack Armstrong]

They're going to clear them out and not let him back in. And Israel, having decided post October 7th, something is going to change, fundamentally. I mean, really, really change. We're not going to have uneasy peace with people who want to wipe us off the map because we're Jews anymore. That's over and throughout the history of mankind. And again, I'm not saying this is true. I'm just saying it's. It's in your pie chart of possibilities in the history of mankind. The way you settled an intractable situation like that is you got rid of the people occupying that land. Where are we supposed to go? I don't know. Not here. In short, Israel and its ally, the United States, are going to take over that land and usher in a fundamental change of who's in what place in the Middle East.

[Joe Getty]

Well, let me hit you with this. This was in Mark Halperin's political newsletter this morning in which he wrote his newsletters called the Wide World of News. He said this from a wide world of news reader. One of the smartest and most anti Trump people I have ever met in a series of emails to me and I'll just read a little bit of it. Trump made me love him. This is from one of the most anti Trump people Halperin's ever met.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Trump made me love him. He spoke to the reality of the situation, that a winning side must now emerge and it must be us. The cycle of killing between Jew and Arab Muslims must end. And he is colossus will make it happen. Quite stunning, quite obvious, quite visionary, quite outrageous to everyone but me. He's got MSNBC spinning. He stunned Bibi and left him speechless. Amazing theater. But the message is somebody needs to emerge the victor and the time is now.

[Jack Armstrong]

This ends. Exactly. Yeah. And you know, it's funny, I've been pitching that idea for a while and some people probably think I sound like a lunatic. But Israel's peace plan is to defeat their enemies and defeat them to the point that they are no longer an enemy, they're not a threat in any way.

[Joe Getty]

It's also Hamas's plan, Iran's plan, the other direction.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and given that fact, Israel's flexibility to like have a half solution, a peace loving, patient half solution where they go back to something. October 6th, the no, they've decided they're not going to do that anymore. What does that look like in reality?

[Joe Getty]

This is one of them.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've been saying for a long time it looks like the complete and total annihilation and or removal of those who have vowed to wipe every Jew off the face of the map, particularly Israel.

[Joe Getty]

All right, that's something we haven't figured out in the modern world with the UN and you know, video cameras everywhere. Video cameras everywhere and modern sensibilities and all that sort of thing is wars have always ended when one side wins to the point that the other side has to give up whatever they got to give up to make the fighting stop. And we've stopped doing that around the world for the most part, except for in like your God awful parts of the world where nobody cares what happens. We've stopped doing that. And the only way for this to end is for one side to just obliterate the other side. I don't know if we can stomach that. I don't know if I can stomach that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right. Well, I just think the Barack Obama, John Kerry, Joe Biden, to the extent that he had any thoughts, they believed that not only could we eliminate unconditional surrender Type conflicts, mostly, which I think is a good idea if you can do it diplomatically. Don't kill people, don't hurt people, don't wreck their stuff. But they thought you could, you could do that completely, 100%. Eliminate wars of, of, you know, annihilation or total victory. It's not realistic. Human beings will not cease to be human beings just because you want them to stop anyway. Again, though, I can't decide which of those options Trump is most enthusiastic about. The other thing about Trump is that he is. He's a bull in a China shop negotiator, but he's very good at a couple of things. Number one, he understands 100% where leverage is in a negotiation. He is acutely aware of that, like a fox. And he's also very good at understanding if you're not willing to walk away from a negotiation, you have lost a significant amount of leverage. And so he will walk into something like a bull in a China shop. And he has two, three, even four outcomes in mind that might be acceptable under certain conditions. And I'm not sure which one of those he's most enthusiastic about here, but the whole palette is. Is available here.

[Joe Getty]

How's. Is. Is MAGA world taking him seriously? But not literally. When he says he was asked about. We got another one here. I know we're about out of time, but.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I know I keep rambling on. Sorry.

[Joe Getty]

Dang it. We got the 43 maybe. Yeah, I don't have the right sheet. Go ahead.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, go ahead, Michael. Mr. President, given what you've said about.

[Joe Getty]

Gaza, did the US send troops to help secure the security back here?

[Donald Trump]

As far as Gaza is concerned, we'll do what is necessary.

[Joe Getty]

I mean, nothing could be less MAGA than that, right? I mean, that's been his whole thing since before he even started running in 2015. These stupid wars in the Middle east and everything like that. And he's talking about. He's talking about sending troops to Gaza. How do people react to that? I assume you are taking him seriously. Not literally. You don't think that'll ever actually happen? I. That's never going to happen.

[Jack Armstrong]

If I was Tucker Carlson's dog, I'd run for my life. Because he's looking for something to kick right now. He can't believe it.

[Joe Getty]

What do you think? You think he means it? I don't think he means text line 415295 KFTC.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty. I saw that the price of a Super bowl commercial just went up from $7 million. To $8 million. Here's an ad that they're planning to run in the second quarter. Oh, my God. Why didn't anyone tell us that a Super bowl ad cost $8 million?

[Joe Getty]

We don't have $8 million. We're barely hanging on by a thread over here.

[Jack Armstrong]

When's the last time anyone went to a Best Buy? Even we just buy this crap on Amazon now. This also counts as an ad. Oh, God. Oh, God. Cut away Best Buy.

[Joe Getty]

Imagine that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, they didn't really think that through. Speaking of the super bowl, the newest J.K. rowling release ought to be Harry Potter and the Secret Playbook. Ooh, I was just reading about how the Chiefs have a. Just a. The reason they always look so great and whoop up on teams in the playoffs after stumbling, fumbling, bumbling their way to just barely good enough season. Well, they had a wonderful season, but like each individual game, they would just do enough to win. And is that they keep all sorts of clever, innovative plays secret. They don't use them during the regular season. They have an entire now it's the playoffs playbook.

[Joe Getty]

Wow, that's a risky maneuver. Seems to be working for him.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, it seems nuts. But anyway, speaking of nuts. So perhaps you've heard Donald J. Said, the US Is going to take over the Gaza Strip, won't it? We'll be responsible for it. We'll clean it out, we'll rebuild it. The Palestinians will go away, then we'll let them back when it's all rebuilt and stuff. And it's, it's, it's. I'm almost certain is straight out of the will invade Panama playbook. And we got some great, sensible. No, you're not going to be in China's back pocket. Concessions from Panama, really productive negotiations. I'm pretty sure it's that. But for whatever reason, Jack, I'll let you analyze. The White House put out multiple pages just last night. Tonight, President Donald J. Trump announced a bold vision for the United States to secure lasting peace in Gaza. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The killing must stop, and President Trump will finally ensure there is peace. President Trump's visionary proposal and relentless pursuit of peace was immediately praised. Former U.S. ambassador to Israel. I'm not going to name some of these people just to save time, but Trump's proposed USA takeover the Gaza Strip may sound out of the box, but. But it is brilliant, historic, and the only idea I've heard in 50 years that has a chance of bringing Security, peace and prosperity to this troubled region. Former deputy national security advisor said today we heard President Trump come out and say what no American leader has had the courage to say before, which is that the United States is willing to step in here and play the leadership role we need to play. Let's see News Nation's Leland Vittert. I know his act, he's a journalist. But there's a lot of appetite, especially in the US to say the way we've been dealing with the past Palestinians for the past 50 years hasn't worked. Why not give something new a try? Senator Rick Scott Hamas terrorists murdered babies and burn people alive. They're evil monsters. Thank God we finally have a president who's committed to standing with Israel and working with Netanyahu. Get the terrorists out of Gaza. Bring every hostage home. The list goes on and on. Pages of statements in support of this policy, including Marjorie Taylor Greene.

[Joe Getty]

I don't know. I heard a bunch of them, including Lindsey Graham, where they're like, yeah, that's an idea.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think it is a directional gesture. It is the giant crazy.

[Joe Getty]

No, I'm not freaking out because I don't think there's any chance we're going to take over Gaza.

[Jack Armstrong]

So, no, no. But what does he really want? What he really wants is a serious shake up of the status quo. What will that look like?

[Joe Getty]

If I may quote the Spice Girls? Tell me what you want, what you really, really want. That's where we are found. If you missed a segment, get the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand. Armstrong and Getty must sees in control of usaid, which provides humanitarian assistance around the world. But Musk, who is the world's richest man posting, we spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper. The State Department is now starting to evacuate all USAID staff who are on foreign assignments worldwide. Some 1500-2000 people. The goal is to bring all those workers and their families back to the United States by this weekend.

[Jack Armstrong]

All of this stuff is unfolding better than I could have imagined. A lot of it, including the reaction to some of the DOGE stuff that's going on. Give me 6162 back to back there. Michael. DOGE is not a real government agency. DOGE has no authority to shut programs down or ignore federal law. Doge's conduct, I said, cannot be allowed.

[Joe Getty]

To stand watching Elon Musk because he's the guy who's trying to centralize all power behind him and he hasn't been elected to anything. Whatever the Atlantic cover story this month. Are they a monthly or weekly? It's a website. The Atlantic. The constitutional crisis is here with a picture of Elon staring up in the Capitol. Constitutional crisis.

[Jack Armstrong]

The part of this that I love is that all of this is exactly what Trump ran on.

[Joe Getty]

Right. The reaction to the government and part of the country to wanting to get rid of government employees should tell you something.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, What?

[Joe Getty]

Why, why, why would you be so resistant? I mean, unless it's your sister who's going to lose her job, and nobody wants to lose their job and have to go find another job. I mean, it's not pleasant, no matter what. But other than that, I mean, why would you be against the government shrinking or getting fewer employees? Why would, why would your immediate reaction be so emotional and fearful?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, that. That's why the progressive scam, I think, is so evilly brilliant. They've convinced a large number of people in the US and maybe, maybe people are just inclined, you know, by their psychology that they were born with, to lean in this direction, but they've convinced many, many millions of people that the government is good and benevolent. It not only is meant to solve all of your problems, but it will solve. Solve all of your problems if you give them enough money and enough power. And people would hear that couple of sentences I just uttered and say, yeah, yeah, they, they are here to solve all of our problems.

[Joe Getty]

Well, for instance, this U.S. aid thing, money we give to various countries around the world. And we've heard the list in the last week or so about how we gave, you know, $70 million to Ireland for a transgender play or something like that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I have more of that list. Yes.

[Joe Getty]

But now they're talking about recalling thousands of US Aid employees form from foreign countries by Saturday, like, fast. You got to get out. Josh Rogan, who we really, really like generally. But I don't, I don't like his take on this. ABC reporting that State Department is moving to recall thousands of US Aid employees from foreign countries. Shame. These are people who have dedicated their careers to helping out. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And one of my favorite pundits reacted. This is not a military deployment. These are jobs, not religious missions. They signed up to serve their country. Spare me. Right. I agree.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. There's part of this that seems a little chaotic to me, like the Jan6 pardons and that sort of thing. I think we could probably do a better job if we take our time. It doesn't need to be by the end of the week. It's more the generalized squealing about reducing These programs, that bothers me.

[Joe Getty]

These are some sort of missionaries. These people have worked in government, have given their lives to the church, which is government in your eyes, and just. You don't understand what you're doing. I was reading another article. It was, I forget which newspaper it was, but it was a like a write in, give me advice sort of thing about how my partner and I had bought a house in this area. And now because we could, we didn't have to go into the office. But now with the evil Republicans. They didn't say evil. But now with the Republican administration, my partner is going to have to go into the office and we need to sell our home and blah, blah, blah, blah. Yeah. Welcome to the freaking world. Do you know how many people.

[Jack Armstrong]

Go ahead.

[Joe Getty]

You know how many people have had to sell their homes because their jobs changed? Lots. Lots and lots, including me, including my dad, including Joe, including tons of people. Yeah, it happens. You are so insulated from the real world, you government employees, you have no idea what you're talking about. And it makes me furious.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So USAID managed more than $40 billion and has no fewer than 10,000 employees around the world. And some of the programs they, they run are very, very good. I think we'd all be in favor of them or most of them. Most of them are definitely defensible, just. And including on a purely real politic level where we're winning friends and influencing people and keeping China at bay in various parts of the world. But having said that, and here's not only is this list amusing, but it leads me to my ultimate point. Uh, let's see. So the USAID who's. Who's writing this article. I thought it was really good. Oh, it's the editorial aborted the journal. Um, Ba ba ba ba ba. USAID is hardly full of Mother Teresa's who only want to do good without a political agenda. And the House Foreign affairs chairman cites some examples. The agency in the Biden years supported electric vehicles in Vietnam. I mean, because where would America be if people were just riding around in regular cars in Vietnam and a transgender clinic in India? A Serbian LGBT group called the Groupa is A G received a million and a half dollars to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities. Many, many other examples. Uh, also an analysis by the Middle east forum says $164 million of US aid money has supported radical organizations around the world. And 122 million of that aid was going to groups aligned with foreign terrorist organizations. We are Funding to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. The very people who are killing our soldiers and our people if they stray into the wrong part of the world.

[Joe Getty]

Well, to your point of. There are examples of it doing good and I'm sure there are.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I'm not close to my ultimate point, which will probably answer yours.

[Joe Getty]

One of your points, but one of your points being there are, you know, there's money spent that's doing good. And then the idea that there are, you know, domestically employees or programs or whatever, they're good, fine, then we'll bring them back. Let's go too far, let's go way too far on cutting the government. And if it turns out, you know, we really need that agency, it'll be easy to put back. We seem to be really good at growing the government. That never seems to be a problem.

[Jack Armstrong]

You don't care if kids die of AIDS in Africa anyway, that would be the response. So anyway, to work to my ultimate point, the list of these dumb, wasteful or like in a bloody way, self defeating expenditures, they're not only stupid and amusing or frustrating, they're proof that here I put it like this. The fact that those expenditures exist proves that the agency is utterly corrupt. The problem is not those expenditures specifically, although that's a problem, but the agency that would permit that and promote that and be happy of it and proud of it. That is a diseased agency. So yes, Jack says, let's go too far.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, they're, they're crazy people. For one thing, you're crazy people way out of step with the mainstream of America. If you sign, how many people would have to be involved? Maybe shockingly few would have to sign off on millions of dollars for some sort of trans clinic in India. I mean, that's not in step with the American priorities. What was my other point on that? Blah, blah, blah. Oh yeah, and to your point, they're corrupt, but that's the stuff that we can look at. And we obviously scratch our head and think, okay, you need to justify that. How about the programs that sound pretty. There are lots of programs in the United States that sound great and they still don't accomplish anything. You're going to tell me we don't have lots of those around the world, that their intention is great, but they're just flabby or poorly run or it didn't work or whatever. You know, that happens all the time. All the time.

[Jack Armstrong]

And according to virtually everybody I trust who, who's looked into USAID through the years, it has become this incredibly self congratulatory self regarding branch of the government that views itself as above the government.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's what.

[Jack Armstrong]

Above taxpayers.

[Joe Getty]

That was one other point that I flitted out of my head was the. It shows how insulated they think they are, how nobody's watching and they can do whatever they want because they know how unpopular some of this stuff would be. But they're just so confident nobody's ever paying any attention. We can do whatever we want and nobody's going to notice or care.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I think it's even worse than that. I think their beliefs not that nobody's watching, but that nobody dare criticize them and nobody should have that right.

[Joe Getty]

Which leads me to my favorite tweet I mentioned earlier. I can't believe the US is about to invade Gaza and our government has $0 to put on any transgender musicals there.

[Jack Armstrong]

Speaking of which, the self be clownement of Hollywood through this ridiculous gender bending madness movie. Emilia Perez. It's even funnier than I thought. And I thought it was pretty damned funny.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, we gotta get to that next segment. That is great. I wanted to jam in this one thing just cause we were talking about usaid. This is a tweet from Peter Baker, who's an incredibly smart guy. He's got one of the most important journalistic positions on on planet earth. He's the White House reporter for the New York Times. Smart guy. And this is what he tweeted out. Total US aid annual spending to provide food, medicine, shelter and other services to impoverished countries around the world. $38 billion. Total increase in Elon Musk's net worth since November election. 156 billion. And that's the whole tweet.

[Jack Armstrong]

What's the next part? Because that's completely.

[Joe Getty]

What the hell is that?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh my God.

[Joe Getty]

And so that lands with the New York Times, right? Does that land with the New York Times crowd without all devastating. That's just devastating.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

I don't understand the way you people look at the world. It just. I can't even wrap my head around it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let me chase this rabbit down its hole. So if for instance Tesla had the worst quarter ever and Elon's wealth had dropped by 30%, that would excuse or justify a different level of government spending. I don't. I don't quite get the nexus there and there isn't one. It's just kind of scary sounding emotion provoking progressive non.

[Joe Getty]

Somebody's rich and it's not me is the whole message I think. I don't even know. Yeah, the transgender movie thing is great and a bunch of stuff. Stay with us.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty. Hello, Very nice to meet you. I'd like to know about Exchange operation.

[Joe Getty]

I see, I see, I see.

[Donald Trump]

Men to woman.

[Jack Armstrong]

A woman to men. It's the feel good hit of the springtime from the hit musical Amelia Gomez.

[Joe Getty]

So is the female Amelia Priz is the female sounding voice, the former guy that's now a woman that's nominated for an Oscar?

[Jack Armstrong]

No, it's Zoe Saldana who's a sturdy and fine actress and unfortunately a completely embarrassing movie. A self be clowning. It is the most exquisite self be clowning in the history of self clowning. Hollywood driving like the last 10 nails in its own coffin by nominating this, this horrific wreck of a movie for 13 Oscars.

[Joe Getty]

So this person tweeted the other day, we mentioned this yesterday. Tweet or tweeted a couple of years ago. She had tweets in 2020 about George Floyd, writing in a thread that she believed very few people ever carried about the drug addict swindler George, George Floyd. She also had tweeted out remarks about Muslims calling Islam an infection for humanity and describing Muslim migration to Spain as a planned invasion. Those kind of things have got her on the wrong side of the woke crowd.

[Jack Armstrong]

Her. Her being a male, but it makes it very confusing if we don't stay consistent with pronouns here. Also posted once posited once that Adolf Hitler simply had his opinion of the Jews and he was entitled to it.

[Joe Getty]

You can't, you can't say like that's just your opinion, man, about Hitler and the Jews.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? So this, this brave, brave transgender person who's the first dude ever nominated for a best actress in Hollywood is nominated this wreck of a movie for 13 awards just because it's all about the ugly, nasty, murderous cartel boss who longs to be a girl and his plucky lawyer helps him be one and that turns him into a saint. And we'll get more into that. But it's even worse than that. And I'd mentioned that, that, that Mexican audiences hate it and Latinos in general are not digging it. But I hadn't really fully understood why. The flaws of Emilia Perez, I'm quoting from an article here in Indiewire, were always more disturbing than outdated tropes or its casting directors. Absurd suggestion that the production couldn't find qualified actors in Mexico. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Analogies are imperfect. But to understand why Latinos are appalled by Emilia Perez, imagine this. The Academy lauds a clan rehabilitation musical like the Klan was really pretty cool themed musical set in the deep south, but shot in Paris. It's non American actors speak in British and Aussie accents and the few black actors are relegated to extras. That's what this movie is to Mexican people, Hispanic people, Central Americans, whatever. It's like cartels aren't so bad with no Mexican people, them slaughtering the language, speaking in the wrong accent and, and, and just like pretending like it's no big deal. Latinos, especially those from working class communities along the border, view cartels as the lowest of the low. These aren't code bound Hollywood thugs like Tony Montana. Cartels mercy as they kidnap, torture and dismember including children. Their victims number in the hundreds of thousands with no end in sight. And it's infuriating to see awards body celebrate a film that repackages suffering as a kitschy tele nolla with garish musical numbers. Okay, equally frustrating, one more sentence is Hollywood's obliviousness to regional class divides, which now that's kind of a distraction. Go ahead.

[Joe Getty]

I'm just noodling this through, so. And, and I am appalled by the idea that they put out this trans movie at this moment in time and Hollywood jumped and gave it the most Oscar nominations in the history of motion pictures. I mean, give me a break. I mean that's just so over the top, it's ridiculous. But that particular critique about the way they treat the cartels, how's that different? Like, I was just looking at the latest list of the greatest movies of all time and Goodfellas was in the top 10 and it is one of my favorite movies of all time. How's that not kind of making the mob seem cool and like you kind of wish you were a part of it?

[Jack Armstrong]

That would be too long an answer, comparing it to this movie.

[Joe Getty]

I just mean that overall thing where you take something back, you know, like Bonnie and Clyde or Butch and Sundance or. I mean that's. That gets done.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, the concept of the anti hero. Yeah, absolutely it does. To be sure, some American outlets did cover the unease among the few Latinos who'd seen Amelia Perez in November, well before the best picture nomination reported that acclaimed Mexican born raised cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto described it, quote, as completely inauthentic. Renowned Mexican writer George Volpe blasted it as, quote, one of the crudest and most deceitful films of the 21st century for its sheer incompetence. Even if you believe Latinos are overreacting, the film's blunders are blatant and they go into a list, but I think that it's. It's a movie for black people explaining that the Klan wasn't that bad without black people in the cast. Everybody's speaking in Aussie and British accents, and they get everything wrong and, like, dismiss the suffering as it doesn't really matter because this transgender Klansman is now a really nice guy. That's what this movie is.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. And some of it might be the timing. You know, a lot of mob movies, if you had shown them in the neighborhoods where the mob was being so cruel at the time it was happening, the people in that neighborhood probably wouldn't have thought it was so great, wouldn't have enjoyed it the same way.

[Jack Armstrong]

And the mob didn't have hundreds of thousands of disappeared victims of. Just from the general populace, including children.

[Joe Getty]

Important question. Has the Oscar voting happened already? Because I want them. I want them to give the awards to these people. I want them to go up there and the crowd try to decide if they should cheer or not and how they're going to handle it.

[Jack Armstrong]

I hope it's too late. I know with every fiber of me, I hope that.

[Joe Getty]

I hope they've already voted and this person's already set to win best actress. It's.

[Jack Armstrong]

The movie's got to win 10 awards. Yes. Armstrong and Gettysburg.