Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Swirling Around In The Toilet Of Politics
Date: January 16, 2026
Host: iHeartPodcasts
Main Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

Episode Overview

This episode covers a wide array of current events and big-picture societal issues, maintaining Armstrong & Getty’s irreverent, candid, and satirical tone. Key topics include the ongoing Iran crisis and U.S. foreign policy, the realities of recycling, the contact between scientists and uncontacted Amazon tribes, and the concepts of revolution and modernity. Interspersed throughout are humorous moments, pop culture references, and sharp asides on recent news—including a debunked political scandal.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Foreign Policy: Tensions with Iran (00:16–11:39)

• Aircraft Carrier Movement:
  Jack Armstrong opens with news of a U.S. aircraft carrier heading toward Iran, raising questions about possible military action and uncertainty (“who knows?”) in the region.
  [00:16]

• Crackdown in Iran:
  The hosts discuss recent reporting of violent repression of protests in Iran—highlighting internet shutdowns, mass killings and the deployment of 5,000 battle-hardened Iranian-backed fighters from Iraq.

  • “So they had 5,000 of their hardened fighters who had been in Iraq fighting all kinds of different people go back to Iran and say okay, let's, let's end this now.” — Jack Armstrong [05:08]
  • Joe expresses shock at the brutality and strategy:

    “How do you do that to your own people? ... No, they got the most hardened, fanatical battle ... killers to do it.” [05:44]

• Trump’s Approach and U.S. Involvement:
  Discussion around Trump’s stance, possible strategies (referencing Venezuela as a model), the moral and practical challenges of supporting revolutions or regime change, and the limitations of U.S. power.

  • “With the carrier group now fissioning its way toward Iran, Trump is buying time … I don't see him doing something as craven … as saying, take to the streets, help is on the way ... and then just saying, we've applied a few more sanctions.” — Joe Getty [06:38]

• The Dilemma of Revolution:
  Using historical comparisons (including the American Revolution), they debate the rarity of ‘good’ revolutions and the dangerous chaos that typically follows regime change—warning against an overly optimistic view of revolution.

  • “The biggest revolution in modern history is … Iran in 1979 … that revolution didn’t make people’s lives better.” — Jack Armstrong [10:49]

2. Contemporary News Mash-up: “Clips of the Week”

[01:37–04:08]

• A rapid & surreal roundup of major and minor news stories is presented with the usual tongue-in-cheek commentary and audio montage, satirizing the chaos and spectacle of the week’s events: social protests, political scandals, internet controversies, celebrity oddities, and more.

3. Recycling: The Myth & The Mess (13:10–17:08)

• Unmasking California’s Recycling Reality:
  The hosts mock the proliferation of recycling bins and the low recycling rates for plastics, noting the performative nature of local recycling and possible labor union incentives for multiple waste-collection crews.
  • “You end up with ... 2% of milk cartons get recycled.” — Jack Armstrong [15:12]
  • “Putting it in the bin ... isn’t the recycling. ... That’s the very, very beginning ... They just sit there.” — Joe Getty [15:12]
  • Critique of government jobs created by recycling policy and the possibly counterproductive impact on the environment, comparing it to “canon law” of a “cult’s tradition.”
    • “I’ll bet some of this stuff is probably counterproductive for the environment. But it’s become like canon law …” — Joe Getty [16:50]

4. Anthropology: Contact with Uncontacted Amazon Tribes (17:13–26:58)

• Paul Rosolie’s Amazon Encounter
  Segment explores conservationist Paul Rosolie’s experiences with a largely uncontacted Amazon tribe, as recounted on a recent Lex Fridman podcast. The conversation touches on the “noble savage” myth, early interactions, and the danger and consequences of such contact.

  • Armstrong describes the tribe’s pristine lifestyle as visually indistinguishable from 5,000 years ago, highlighting the strangeness and fascination of the footage (20:18).
  • Rosolie’s account:

    “There was this very human moment ... joking ... Then ... things did calm down ... It was a false sense of security." — Paul Rosolie [19:25] On violence following initial peaceful contact:
    “... 200 of the tribe ran out, surrounded the boat and they started firing arrows … One arrow came in just above his scapula and came out by his belly button … horrific amounts of blood … somehow he lived.” [21:51]

• The Risks and Ethics of Contact
  Hosts discuss motivations for contacting tribes (e.g., missionaries), the high stakes for isolated peoples, and the parallel to “sending signals into the universe” (quoting Stephen Hawking’s warning on alien contact).

  • “That’s not the way uncontacted tribes, which we are to the universe, tend to survive …” — Jack Armstrong [22:55]

• Should We Leave Tribes Alone?
  Pondering why modern people often support leaving isolated tribes untouched, questioning whether it’s rooted in the “noble savage” idea or unease about imposing modernity.

  • “Why do I have a childish feeling that these tribes should be left alone as opposed to come in contact with my … modernity?” — Jack Armstrong [25:32]
  • “Most people’s reaction, I think, is leave them alone and let them live their savage, probably brutal, violent, and short lives rather than bring them up to modernity speed.” — Jack Armstrong [26:43]

5. Politics & Media Satire: The Eric Swalwell Scandal Spoof (27:26–28:53)

• False Breaking News:
  The hosts read ‘breaking news’ about Eric Swalwell's supposed political collapse, accusations of infidelity and embezzlement, only to immediately debunk it as fake—a meta-commentary on misinformation.
  • “This is not discernible as humor or parody. You’re just misstating something. Huh?” — Joe Getty [28:28]
  • “He has lain with Chinese spies and they have known him. That’s very biblical of you.” — Jack Armstrong [29:06]

6. Biden Family Drama: Hunter Biden & Daughter Controversy (29:12–32:31)

• Family & Legal Strife:
  The hosts discuss a news story about Hunter Biden’s refusal to acknowledge or communicate with his daughter, referencing the high-profile nature of the Biden family and lamenting the lack of contact.
  • “As a dad ... what he’s doing is not a lot of work.” — Jack Armstrong [30:14]
  • “But, sweetheart, these people are monsters. You don’t want to be in contact with them.” — Joe Getty [31:16]
  • Discussion of legal and familial obligations and the desire for a share in the “family trust wealth.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the brutality of Iranian crackdowns:
  “They got the most hardened, fanatical ... battle hardened killers to do it. It just took a couple of days to get the right people in place, then unleash the slaughter.” — Joe Getty [05:44]

• On recycling’s effectiveness:
  “Putting it in the bin ... isn’t the recycling. ... That’s the very, very beginning ... They just sit there.” — Joe Getty [15:12]

• On the Amazon tribe contact:
  “... This could be 5000 years ago as easily as it could be today.” — Jack Armstrong [18:26]

• On the perils of making contact with uncontacted peoples:
  “That’s not the way uncontacted tribes, which we are to the universe, tend to survive ... by waving: ‘Hey, anybody new … want to come dominate us?’” — Jack Armstrong [22:55]

• On revolution and risk:
  “We should have in our head revolution not good outcome. ... All right, gets rid of the status quo and puts us in a period of dangerous chaos.” — Jack Armstrong / Joe Getty [10:15 & 10:56]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• 00:16–11:39: Iran crisis, foreign policy, revolution
• 13:10–17:08: The recycling debate and local policy skepticism
• 17:13–26:58: Contact with uncontacted tribes, anthropology, the “noble savage”
• 27:26–28:53: Satirical “breaking news” debunking
• 29:12–32:31: Hunter Biden & daughter—family drama

Overall Tone

Armstrong & Getty maintain their characteristic blend of caustic humor, skepticism, and curiosity throughout the episode, combining serious analysis with irreverent asides and a readiness to call out misinformation (even their own). The discussion swings fluidly from global affairs to local policy, ethics, and culture, always with an eye for the absurdities of modern life and politics.

For First-Time Listeners

This episode is a textbook example of Armstrong & Getty’s mix: current events with sharp skepticism, deep dives into overlooked details, and comic skewering of media spin and political hypocrisy. If you want frank, humorous, and sometimes biting analysis with a wide aperture—from nuclear carriers to the recycling bin—this episode is representative, replete with memorable lines and offbeat perspective.