The A&G Replay Friday Hour Four

Summary

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Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: The A&G Replay Friday Hour Four
Date: September 19, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

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Episode Overview

This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand centers on deep societal and political pessimism in America, generational economic anxiety, the integrity of the American Dream, technological shifts like AI in everyday life, the ongoing failures of the U.S. education system, and a segment focused on political and economic turmoil in France. Woven with Armstrong & Getty’s trademark candid, sometimes sardonic, banter, the discussion tackles both hard data and cultural mood—often pushing for blunt honesty and hard questions over comforting narratives.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Death of American Optimism

[03:18–14:53]

• The hosts react to a Wall Street Journal/NORC poll revealing unprecedented American pessimism: only 25% believe they can improve their standard of living—a historic low since 1987.
• Jack Armstrong reflects on generational expectations, recalling how his elders, despite growing up in harsh conditions, never questioned whether their kids would be financially better off. The notion of "guaranteed progress" is labeled a "blip in time"—not a universal historical norm.

  “How could you craft any system where you could always expect your kids to do better than you?” – Jack Armstrong [04:54]

• Joe Getty critiques the assumption that the American Dream—that hard work guarantees getting ahead—holds for everyone. He suggests the dream may have always been conditional, dependent on world circumstances.

  “Is that expectation realistic in the 21st century? I would argue it’s not.” – Joe Getty [04:23]

Notable Poll Numbers:

• 75% lack confidence that the next generation will fare better.
• Nearly 70% now believe the American Dream of hard work = success "no longer holds true or never did."
• Armstrong sees defeatist attitudes as both “troubling” and “damaging,” arguing that belief in effort remains crucial, even if the rewards aren’t as immediate or grand.

  “Very few people believe that [hard work pays off]. That is the most troubling statistic to me of all.” – Jack Armstrong [07:04]

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2. Role of Expectations and Cultural Defeatism

[06:41–08:35]

• The hosts discuss how unrealistic expectations for rapid, universal success lead to disillusionment.

  “Success is temporary because you want to go out and prove it again...If you quit, that’s permanent. That’s the warm, huggy blanket of ‘I’m not even going to try because there’s no point.’”—Joe Getty [10:29]

• “Defeatism” is blamed for stifling initiative and ambition, with generational and political divides worsening the malaise.

  “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” — Jack Armstrong [09:17]

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3. AI: Mundane Marvel or Creepy Disruption?

[17:45–22:34]

• Armstrong shares anecdotes about journalists embedding AI in their workflow to check logic and consistency, raising questions about the future of skilled human labor.
• The peculiar integration of AI voice assistants, like Grok in Tesla cars, enters family life for trivia and parenting advice:

  “Hey Grok, my high schooler only answers in one word... Is there anything I can do?” (AI: “...High schoolers can be so surly...sometimes it’s just hormones...”) – Jack Armstrong & AI [19:47]

• Both hosts and Armstrong’s kids express discomfort with the “buddy-like” tone of these AIs, landing on the concept of the "uncanny valley":

  “You’re a silicon chip. Why do you have an opinion on jazz?” — Joe Getty [19:21] “It gives me the willies...like, practically chills.” — Jack Armstrong [20:50]

• They speculate that every car will soon have an onboard AI, pondering both its utility and its social drawbacks.

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4. U.S. Education: Declining Results and Misplaced Blame

[25:46–34:52]

• The hosts analyze the "National Report Card," which shows declining student outcomes in American schools—a trend persisting for decades, not just since COVID.

  “Once again [schools] are headed in the wrong direction...and it was blamed on COVID...But it’s not the cause by any means whatsoever.” – Jack Armstrong [25:46]

• Armstrong and Getty decry phones in classrooms, lax retention standards, and the self-esteem movement as contributors to poor learning.

  “You can’t read or do math at the grade level you’re in...Why would I move you on to the next grade?” – Jack Armstrong [28:44]

• A 20-year veteran teacher’s email highlights insufficient skill development before school, unsupportive parenting, and the limiting influence of teachers' unions.

  “We have kindergarteners arriving to school where we are now expected to send them to first grade as readers, who cannot identify, much less write their name, nor do they know how to use crayons.” [29:16, teacher’s letter]

• Getty insists on open, honest discussion—no sacred cows—about root problems, especially when progressive educational policies may harm minority students:

  “No, you do not get to hide behind your rhetoric anymore...When you and your progressive policies doom little black kids and brown kids to low achievement, that’s the worst thing you can do to them.” – Joe Getty [31:12]

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5. France in Crisis: Economic Reality vs. Political Fantasy

[39:18–47:45]

• Armstrong recounts France’s government crisis, as Macron’s debt-cutting PM is ousted by parliament across party lines for proposing even moderate austerity.

  “France’s government was toppled in a vote of no confidence...throwing the EU’s second largest economy into chaos.” – Jack Armstrong [39:18]

• France’s debt-to-GDP (114%) is now lower than America’s (119%).

  “When you go over 100%, that’s supposed to be like serious, doomsday spiral...France is doing better than us at this point.” – Jack Armstrong [41:27]

• The former French PM’s parting words make a pointed argument:

  “You have the power to overthrow my government, but you do not have the power to erase reality.” – (French PM, paraphrased by Armstrong) [42:33]

• The hosts link French and U.S. unsustainable spending, lamenting that western democracies lack politicians who will accept necessary, painful reforms. Getty wonders if modern democracies can survive given their “moral view of overspending.” [43:10–44:52]
• A related report spotlights France’s educational woes and integration challenges with rising immigrant populations, arguing elites have refused to address these issues honestly.

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6. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Boy, optimism has powered this country since the beginning...and belief in self.” — Joe Getty [06:55]

• On generational pessimism:
  “I don't know that I do [think my kids' lives will be better], but I wouldn’t put it all around economics.” — Jack Armstrong [04:02]

• On hard work and success:
  “If you don’t believe [hard work gets you ahead], you’re using it as an excuse to not try hard.” — Jack Armstrong [06:41]

• On government schools:
  “Schools don’t exist to teach your children anymore. They exist as a jobs program and a political patronage program, says me.” — Joe Getty [32:44]

• On policy pains:
  “You have the power to overthrow the government, you do not have the power to erase reality.” — (French PM, paraphrased) [42:33]

• On expectations and disappointment:
  “Just because guys could stumble out of high school in 1950 onto an assembly line and make a good living...that’s not where our expectations need to be set.” — Joe Getty [13:30]

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Time-Stamped Segment Guide

• [03:18–14:53]: Poll results, American pessimism, generational expectations, and belief in the American Dream
• [17:45–22:34]: AI in daily life; reactions to human-like AI and social consequences
• [25:46–34:52]: The National Report Card, school decline, systemic educational failures, and teachers’ perspective
• [39:18–47:45]: France’s government debacle, debt-to-GDP comparison, the danger of ignoring economic reality, and the rise of cultural fragmentation in French schools

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Overall Tone

Armstrong & Getty blend irreverent humor with blunt criticism and anecdotal storytelling. The tone is conversational but hard-hitting, laced with skepticism about popular narratives—whether around the economy, education, or technology. The hosts prize honesty over comforting illusions, repeatedly challenging the audience to reconsider their assumptions and accept the discomfort of reality in both American and international contexts.

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For Listeners

This episode is essential for those seeking a clear-eyed, sometimes jaded but always colorful examination of America’s collective mood, economic anxieties, education malaise, and the spillover of similar challenges abroad. The breadth of topics, grounded in both personal stories and hard numbers, offers a panoramic view of modern cultural defeatism—and a call for engagement, grit, and truth-telling in public life.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Variety Podcast Host]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new Daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Jack Armstrong]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Variety Podcast Host]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in Chief Cynthia Littleton.

[Joe Getty]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

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Open your free I Heartbreak Radio app, search Daily Variety and listen now.

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Check us [e-mail] America is changing and so is the world.

[Tristan Redman]

But what's happening in America isn't just the cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.

[Asma Khalid]

I'm Asma Khalid in Washington D.C. i'm.

[Tristan Redman]

Tristan Redman in London and this is the global story.

[Asma Khalid]

Every weekday we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet.

[Tristan Redman]

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jack Armstrong]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio.

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Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty T. And now here's Armstrong and G.

[Joe Getty]

You have tuned in to a real treasure. It's an Armstrong and Getty Replay.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, let's think about the reality that you don't listen to the entire 20 hours every week. So there's a bunch of stuff, even though it's not live, you've never heard before. I mean, let's be honest. And it's pretty good. So kick back and enjoy an Armstrong and Getty Replay. We are the most pessimistic economically that we have ever been, according to this Wall Street Journal NORC poll that is out that found that the share of people who say they have a good chance of improving their standard of living. So that's the question. Do you feel like you've got a good chance of improving your standard of living? It fell to 25%. That's a record low dating back to 1987. More than three.

[Joe Getty]

That is horrifying.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is horrifying. More than three quarters said they lack confidence that life for the next generation will be better than their own, the poll found. Let me think about that question for a while. Do I think, do I think that life for my kids will be better than mine? I don't know that I do, but I wouldn't put it all around economics.

[Joe Getty]

Here's a question, a preliminary question. Before you ask that question. Is the American assumption that every generation will be better off than the previous, which began, you know, in the 20th century when America was, you know, just stood alone as an economic superpower, is that expectation realistic in the 21st century? I would argue it's not.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, I don't. I think it was a blip in time and odd.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

How could you craft any system where you could always expect your kids to do better than you?

[Joe Getty]

Well, we could bomb Europe back to the Stone Age and do the same to Asia, I guess because that's what it took the first time. I should ask my plus a Head start because we're an optimistic, freedom loving, entrepreneurial people. Or at least I thought so until this poll came out.

[Jack Armstrong]

Back to the poll in just a second. But I'll tell this story about visiting Iowa and my, my, my, my dad's side of the family with my son. But we're Talking to my dad and he. We were at his older sister's house who's 94, she's still alive and is with it as can be. And we all went out, eat and everything like that. But they're talking about when they were kids and they grew up with no electricity, no running water, going to school in a horse drawn wagon. I mean like it was 1810. But I doubt they ever even thought about will my economic situation be better than my parents. It was just, what are we going to eat today? How do I get warm? I think I don't know where we came up with this standard.

[Joe Getty]

Well, right. And as baselines go, I mean it's pretty easy for the next generation to do better. Really.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. Anyway, so it's only 25% of people that who say they have a good chance of improving their standard of living and 75% lack confidence that life for the next generation would be better than our own. Nearly 70% of people said they believe the American dream, that if you work hard you will get ahead. No longer holds true or never did. I don't agree with that. The highest level in nearly 15 years of surveys. I do believe that if you work hard you will get ahead. I think that's clearly true. And you're using. And if you don't believe it's true, you're using it as an excuse to not try hard. That's what I believe.

[Joe Getty]

Will it necessarily get you as far ahead as soon as you'd hoped?

[Jack Armstrong]

Probably not. Well, are you going to be rich and famous? No. And I know that's the standard for.

[Joe Getty]

A lot of people.

[Jack Armstrong]

If you're not rich and famous, then it was a failure.

[Joe Getty]

Boy, optimism has powered this country since the beginning, since before it was a country. And belief in self anyway, more of the numbers.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, so that bothers me way more than those other numbers though, that they made the headline in the Wall Street Journal. The fact that you can't think you can get ahead or your kid's gonna be better off or whatever, okay, you can pick around that. But the idea that if you work hard, you'll get ahead. Very few people believe that. That is the most troubling statistic to me of all.

[Joe Getty]

It's defeatism.

[Jack Armstrong]

Where does that come from?

[Joe Getty]

I don't know. I find this so troubling.

[Jack Armstrong]

What in your life experience or looking around you leads to, leads you to believe that, you know, I can picture.

[Joe Getty]

People having done all the right things and then their industry changing very suddenly, being rattled by that and having a bad attitude about it. I did all the right things and I still look at me, I'm screwed. That's a discouraging thing. It absolutely is. But the fact that sometimes it doesn't work out the way you had hoped doesn't mean that your premise wasn't accurate. In general, working hard, looking for opportunities, believing in yourself is good. It's not only good, it's necessary. Does it always pan out as quickly, as richly as blah, blah, blah, or sometimes do you get screwed?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, a certain percentage of the time. Well, maybe it's an expectation.

[Joe Getty]

Always been. Well, that's. Yeah, that's what I'm driving at. You said it in far fewer words.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's all expectations then. Because if you ever have the idea that I've gotten into an industry and now I'm set for life, that was an unrealistic expectation.

[Joe Getty]

Now, here's a stupid, stupid aspect of this poll and that's that there's a long standing trend that the party holding the White House has a rosier view of the economy than. Than whoever's out of power. 55% of Republicans had a negative view of the prospects for themselves and their children. Over half of Republicans, it was 90% of Democrats. 90%. Because what kind of message do you think they're giving to those aforementioned children? Right. Good Lord.

[Jack Armstrong]

Boy. And that's. What's that saying that I've never quite understood. Whether you think you can or think you can't. You're right.

[Joe Getty]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

But. Yeah, if you're, if you're telling your kids every day or telling yourself every day, you can't get ahead, you just can't. Well, let me guess how that's going to turn out.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Working hard and looking for opportunities and trying to change the world. That won't do me any good anyway, so I'm not gonna.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow, what a depressing poll that is.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Well, one of the guys behind it, this Stanford economics professor who is one of the good guys at Stanford, I'm going to shame Stanford with all of my might as soon as I can. They are just woke and sick anyway. But this guy, Neil Mahoney says it sort of saddens me. I think one of our superpowers as a country is our relentless optimism. It is the fuel for entrepreneurship and other except exceptional achievements.

[Jack Armstrong]

But it's not just optimism. It's also true if you work hard, you will get ahead.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, eventually, sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

As opposed to what, by the way? Getting ahead by not working hard or doing nothing? I mean, what? I just, I don't even understand. I barely understand the question.

[Joe Getty]

You know, one of the most interesting and powerful things I've read in the last several years. I can't remember who said this, I've got to look it up. But they said success is temporary because you want to go out and prove it again. You've got other hills to climb, more, more challenges to take on or you know, just staying on top. So it that challenge never ends. If you quit, that's permanent. That's the warm huggy blanket of I'm not even going to try because there's no point in it and everybody's against me. And that's why I have a bad life that is like a drug that you take once and it numbs you forever. That's why it's so attractive to people. Does that sound ugly and judgmental? Good.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm on a big Bruce Springsteen kick, but I remember something he said about working hard and getting ahead years ago. I'll tell you about that right after this. He is a liberal Jack. So like I said, I've been on this big Bruce Springsteen kick for a while, his music and I started reading his autobiography over the vacation and everything like that. Really interesting stuff. As an artist, his view of economics and politics is insane and it's hard to overlook to enjoy the music. But I remember seeing a video of him way back in the day and he said basically what this poll is saying, unfortunately he said they've been selling that lie forever. And he was talking about working hard to get ahead. They've been selling that lie to people like us our whole lives. And I thought, wow, what a depressing view of the world that that somebody is selling you. What advantage do they get out of that? What advantage is the somebody getting out of selling you the lie that if you work hard you'll get ahead? And what is your alternative method? Again, I can barely wrap my head around the premise of this.

[Joe Getty]

Well, I think like half wit Marxist like Bruce and he's not a half Witten general, he's a very good writer, but he just, he has practically a child's view of these things. He would say, well, they convince you to go down to the factory and bust your ass and you wear out your back and then you're still poor and that's the lie they're selling. Well, dude, you figured out what you were good at, then worked like crazy to become successful at it. I know your story. Why is that true for you? But it's a fantasy for everybody else because you're the special Man. Or you just got lucky or what?

[Jack Armstrong]

I just.

[Joe Getty]

I don't understand the reasoning.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

You know what's weird about this poll is the number of people who rate the economy as excellent or good is up significantly.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, there is last.

[Joe Getty]

And it sucks.

[Jack Armstrong]

It was a different poll last week while you're gone. But there is a certain amount of, oh, I'm fine. But it's bad for everybody else that's going on in polling right now, which is a strange phenomenon. I'm doing okay. I think we're going to be out. Okay. My family. But it's really rough out there for everybody else, which is its own weird negativity.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Right now. Housing is really, really difficult now for young people. It's brutally hard. So what are you going to do? Quit? Because 90% of Democrats think there's no point. I mean, that's. That's a miserable philosophy of life. It really is. You know, I just. I don't know. I don't. I'm profoundly discouraged about humanity right now. We are not facing. We. You, your kids, your grandkids, your great grandparents, all of us face our own set of challenges in the times we live. And sometimes it's world wars, sometimes it's horrific pandemics, sometimes it's just pretty bad pandemics that the government F's up the response so badly. It makes everybody miserable anyway. Everybody has their own list. Every single generation that's ever lived. Just because guys could stumble out of high school in 1950 onto an assembly line and make a good living and raise a couple of kids, then retire with a pension for, like a blip, that's not where our expectations need to be set. It's just not a good way to be a human being. Try to be good at being a human being.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's a good T shirt. Try to be good at being a human being.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

Bring the Boom X Boom.

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[Variety Podcast Host]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Jack Armstrong]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Variety Podcast Host]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in chief Cynthia Littleton.

[Joe Getty]

The only constant in Hollywood is cheap.

[Variety Podcast Host]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Daily Variety and listen now.

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[Asma Khalid]

Check us [e-mail] America is changing and so is the world.

[Tristan Redman]

But what's happening in America is isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.

[Asma Khalid]

I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. i'm.

[Tristan Redman]

Tristan Redman in London and this is the Global Story.

[Asma Khalid]

Every weekday we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet.

[Tristan Redman]

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was listening to a podcast over the weekend where some journalists were talking about how they use AI in their lives and where they think it's going. The where they think it's going part, everybody had a different guess and boy, who knows? We don't know but how they were using it. Now one Washington Post reporter talking about how every article she runs through AI to look for any logical inconsistencies or that sort of thing, which I thought was really interesting because at some point, I mean, that's what being a good writer is, right? Is the ability to not do that. And now you can use AI. So does that eliminate a whole bunch of the talent involved in being a Washington Post level reporter?

[Joe Getty]

About three quarters of the articles I read from the Washington Post have giant logical inconsistencies in them.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, this is one of the good reporters, but good in my opinion. I thought that was interesting in a more frivolous way for using AI. And I would assume soon every car is going to have AI in it. So Teslas have Grok in it now because that's Elon's AI that he's put billions of dollars into, and it's right there in your car. And I can just tap the screen and like yesterday, we're listening to a jazz song on the way to eat breakfast. And I just tapped Grok. I said, hey, who's playing trumpet on this song? And the AI chick said, oh, that's Wayne Shorter. Isn't it amazing? He really kills it on here.

[Joe Getty]

She says to me, and again, cool and disturbing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Cool and disturbing. And my kids were like, I hate that. They hated the voice and the way it sound. Sounded so, like, conversational. It's. It is kind of weird.

[Joe Getty]

You're a silicon chip. Why do you have an opinion on jazz?

[Jack Armstrong]

And I said, hey, Grok, I'm taking my two boys to IHOP for pancakes. Is that a good idea nutritionally? Oh, boy, that's a tough one. She says, pancakes are loaded with carbs. If you go with the whole grain, it'd be a lot better. And don't use the syrup, but you.

[Joe Getty]

Know, they are delicious. She says, but they are delicious and leave out the butter too. Boys, here are some nice dry whole wheat pancakes for you.

[Jack Armstrong]

And my. And my high schooler in the back seat says, stop doing that. I hate this thing. And I said, hey, Grok. My high schooler only answers in one word questions. Is there anything I can do about that? And she said, high schoolers can be so surly. Sometimes it's just hormones and sometimes. Dad, stop. Oh, wow. It was very funny.

[Joe Getty]

That is hilarious.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is weird how she talks to you, though.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And it's. I wonder how other people react. My natural reaction. And then watching my kids, their natural reaction to that conversational weird buddy style is like revulsion. I mean it, right? It's a turn off.

[Joe Getty]

It's the uncanny Valley syndrome.

[Jack Armstrong]

Which is what?

[Joe Getty]

That's. Things that are nearly human disturb us.

[Jack Armstrong]

It must not disturb everybody. As I've heard stories of people getting into relationships or whatever with their AI. Yeah, I'm. I'm immediately turned off by the fact that it's trying to sound like a person. It gives me the willies.

[Joe Getty]

Like, practically chills. Well, right. But you proved my point. Your point? Right there. You hear these stories about people who get into relationships with AI, or the AI helps them kill themselves or whatever. Yes. They. They don't sense the weirdness and the threat there, so they end up being swept away by it. Oi.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. It's funny how odd times, how repulsed my kids were to her. Her tone of voice, in the way she talked, just. Dad, you gotta stop. It's killing me. That's. That's interesting. Good. I'm. I hope that we all react that way. Of course. It's probably gonna get better at it. I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

Again, you're a bag of silicon chips. I'll tell you anything you want to know. I don't care. You're not a person.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's weird.

[Joe Getty]

Although the privacy thing is, you know, significant.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wouldn't you assume that soon every car will have this in it within five years?

[Joe Getty]

I don't see why not.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I mean, it's pretty handy for the, like, the song thing was cool, or. We want to go to ihop. Is there one around here?

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Just go up two blocks and turn left. You know, that sort of stuff is pretty handy. Asking how to raise teenagers. I don't know, maybe that crosses a line.

[Joe Getty]

You like ihop more than anybody I've ever known.

[Jack Armstrong]

They make great pancakes. They're good at pancakes. Their other stuff is marginal, but if you want a pancake, they're pretty good at it. Oh, well, you know what the main. You know. You know what the main thing is, though? And this probably makes your point, not mine.

[Joe Getty]

The diversity. Because it's international, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

There's not a line. Every other breakfast place we want to go to, especially on a Sunday, it's going to be an hour wait. And we ain't waiting an hour to eat our breakfast. I go to ihop, we walk in, we eat, we leave, so.

[Joe Getty]

Because nobody wants to eat there. So you can just sit right down. That's. That's a good recommendation.

[Jack Armstrong]

No kidding.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong, Jack and Joe are here to.

[Jack Armstrong]

Tell you your day will be just fine.

[Joe Getty]

Just download the podcast.

[Jack Armstrong]

Won't cost you a dime. Armstrong and Getty on demand. That's the podcast.

[Joe Getty]

Subscribe right now. Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Variety Podcast Host]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Jack Armstrong]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Variety Podcast Host]

Featuring the iconic journalist of Variety and hosted by co editor in chief Cynthia Littleton.

[Joe Getty]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Variety Podcast Host]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Daily Variety and listen now.

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[Asma Khalid]

Check us [e-mail] America is changing and so is the world.

[Tristan Redman]

But what's happening in America isn't just a cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.

[Asma Khalid]

I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, dc.

[Tristan Redman]

I'm Tristan Redman in London and this is the Global story.

[Asma Khalid]

Every weekday we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet.

[Tristan Redman]

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jack Armstrong]

So one of the biggest topics in America yesterday and we talked about it a lot was the so called national report card on our schools that came out that showed once again they are headed in the wrong direction, as they have been for three decades at least. The coverage of it was exactly what I expected. Unfortunately, it was blamed on Covid. And then they would mention this at a time that the Trump administration has fired half of the people in the Department of Education. Neither of those things really relevant as the numbers have been going down, as I pointed out for decades. And you know, Covid didn't help. But it's not the cause by any means whatsoever.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and the idea that your child learns to read and write because of the federal Department of Education is hilarious. Right? I mean, that's a canard. Is this, it's a falsehood, please. Minor and overblown duties and just tracking test scores and forcing schools to adopt progressive policies for the last several years.

[Jack Armstrong]

This data was from before those firings happened anyway.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

But I guess the idea from the media is now we're going to try to fix this with half of the Department of Education. What makes, what is it that leads you to believe that more government, more at the federal level is what would fix this anyway? Where's that come from? Oh, and then I wanted to throw in, as I mentioned last hour, an eighth grader I know talking about being in science class yesterday with kids looking at their phones. That didn't get discussed yesterday. How prevalent is that around the country? Kids having phone in the class, phones in the classroom. That's insane to me. I can't believe that lasts five minutes, let alone school by school. The whole classroom, people are just sitting there looking at their phones. I was told that a couple of girls sitting there with earbuds in watching videos on their phone. Of course you're not learning. Oh my God.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, there I think it's. A majority of states now have banned smartphones in classrooms, but whether it's enforced or not is, you know, varies I'd imagine state by state and even district by district. Certainly blue county to red county, there's probably a difference. We got this email from a 20 year school marm as she describes herself. I'm a 20 year veteran teacher having taught almost every grade K through 8. I've spent the last seven or so years in kindergarten. And I agree with all of your takes on public schools and why we are failing. I believe very strongly the teachers unions and the inability to retain students are our main obstacles to real and effective positive change. Some other food for thought.

[Jack Armstrong]

What was the per capita number Retain meaning hold back or flunk like we.

[Joe Getty]

Used to call it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Flunk. You flunked second grade now and then they called it held back. Now I noticed they call it retain. But you're not allowed to retain people.

[Joe Getty]

Why?

[Jack Armstrong]

You can't read or do math at the grade level you're in right now. Why would I move you on to the next grade?

[Joe Getty]

Says the administrator. Because that's easier for me. It'd be super hard to justify to the parents and tutor this kid and, and get them caught up to speed. It's super easy to pass them on.

[Jack Armstrong]

Part of that, there's a number of reasons. Part of it is the whole self esteem movement. It would be, it would hurt the kids. Self esteem. Well, you're not going to help their self esteem by sending them out into the world where they can't read or do math and they can't work a job. That's pretty hard on your self esteem too.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. So anyway, some intriguing questions from the veteran teacher. What was the per capita number of books per child or books per household 20 years ago? How about the minutes per day that children interact with crayons, scissors, play, doh before the age of five, 20 years ago as compared to now. We have kindergarteners arriving to school where we are now expected to send them to first grade as readers who cannot identify, much less write their name, nor do they know how to use crayons. And they've spent the first five years coloring with fingertips on screens. I could go on, and it's worth pointing out here that and a person could certainly say, well, this is the computer age, they don't need crowns or, you know, whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

But I was about to ask that.

[Joe Getty]

Unfortunately, as study after study has shown, handwriting is an incredible stimulator of your brain, connecting the mechanical with the cerebral. We're talking about your brain, but. And there's practically no substitute for it for developing your brain.

[Jack Armstrong]

But I'm, I, I, I, I, that's true, but is it, it's not the same though, when you're coloring in with your finger on a tablet. Because I've done that with my kids when they would do that. It's very similar. I sort of motion or writing. You're writing with your finger instead of holding a pen. I don't know why that would be much different.

[Joe Getty]

I am absolutely, deeply in agreement with the need for a complete overhaul of the way public schools operate, government schools, but we have to talk about the ways that families are, or not setting their children and teachers up for success with what they are doing with their children before they reach the school doors. Thanks for beating the drums for sanity. KTA O K A C A S Keep talking about our crazy ass schools. That's 20 year school, Mom. I will tell you this and this, this is a statement that any sane, decent person must agree with.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's a good setup.

[Joe Getty]

And I will take all comers who deny that. We need to approach the failings of our government schools and the failings more generally of our kids to learn and achieve with completely open eyes and honesty. And there can be no sacred cows spared if they shouldn't be spared. Teachers unions, we hammer them all the time. No, you do not get to hide behind your rhetoric anymore. There can't be any fear of quote unquote blaming the victims. There can't be any fear of coming off as racist or what have you. When you and your progressive policies doom little black kids and brown kids or whatever to, to low achievement and failure.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's not being nice to them.

[Joe Getty]

That's the worst thing you could do to them. It's got to be dealt with honestly and bluntly. I don't have a lot of hope that that's going to happen, but. And as we pointed out yesterday, and I was going to try to dredge up this article again by the absolutely brilliant Harvard economist whose name is flitted out of my head because I'm old. They figured out how to turn around schools and they did it successfully in Houston. Poor schools with poor kids. It's known what to do. But the educational industrial complex has no Internet, no interest in that. Schools don't exist to teach your child anymore, your children anymore. They exist as a jobs program and a political patronage program, says me.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're still doing the test scores up on cbs. I'm happy to see because that should be a topic. And it has gone down 10 points. I forget if it was reading or math, which one it was, but one of them has gone down 10 points in the 30 years they've been tracking it for seniors. That's an amazing drop given how much more money we spend per pupil on schools across the country. More money, less results. But one of my blind spots would be, you know, I only know my own socioeconomic experience. I don't know what it's like for most of the country or, you know, the bottom third or whatever of schools, because that person that just wrote about kids showing up to kindergarten without any of the skills that kindergartners used to have. God, where I live, the kids show up, they've already know how to play the cello and speak another language and they've been to Europe and all these different things. But what I've always wondered is it seems like the, like kindergarten, first grade is so much more advanced than it was when I was a kid. Where does the drop off occur from? You're doing like math that we used to do in seventh grade in first grade. But then somewhere in between it like falls off a cliff. That's what I don't. Yeah, I'm happy to see up on the screen they're talking about it. It says, American kids test scores declining. It should be talked about. It is a. Couldn't hardly be a bigger deal. Like I said, the. As usual, the finger pointing goes in the wrong direction. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

The, the dominant media, legacy media, excuse me, will all be saying, therefore we need more money. Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

And then so what? What, We've been throwing more money at it and it's been going the wrong direction. You'd think for, for decades. You'd think that'd be enough to say, okay, we gotta try something different.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you'd think. But you said progressivism has, is their scam is easier to sell than the truth.

[Jack Armstrong]

But you said blue states, red states with like phones in the classroom. I don't know, is that the way it would break down? What's, what's the blue state argument for phones in a classroom?

[Joe Getty]

I've heard various arguments about, you know, the, the progressive parents who tend to vote in blue state say I need to be able to get together with my, to connect with my kids. They've got to have their phone. And I would, I would be willing to bet a substantial sum of money that helicopter parenting, snowplow parenting is more prevalent in progressive families than in conservative families. A word from our friends at Trust and will. Get the peace of mind. You know you want. You know you need to do this. You just haven't gotten around to it. Get security and peace of mind by making an estate plan now.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Bring the Boom XBoom.

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[Variety Podcast Host]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solutions. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Jack Armstrong]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Variety Podcast Host]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co Editor in Chief Cynthia Littleton.

[Joe Getty]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Variety Podcast Host]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Daily Variety and listen now.

[TiVo Advertiser]

Over 300 channels, zero bills. That's TiVo. Plus curated movies, new series and sports highlights. No credit card, no logins, just TV that gets straight to the good stuff. Grab the remote. Press play and start watching TiVo free binge worthy always on.

[Asma Khalid]

Check us [e-mail] America is changing and so is the world.

[Tristan Redman]

But what's happening in America isn't just the cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.

[Asma Khalid]

I'm Asma Khalid in Washington D.C. i'm.

[Tristan Redman]

Tristan Redman in London and this is the Global Story.

[Asma Khalid]

Every weekday we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet.

[Tristan Redman]

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jack Armstrong]

France's government collapsed in a spectacular fashion yesterday after Macron's hand picked leader tried to rein in public debt. Macron understands that they're on a course of disaster and he has been choosing people to be in his government that agree with him. And not enough voters agree, I guess. So. France's government I'm reading for the New York Post some of it and from other publications. France's government was toppled in a vote of no confidence yesterday, forcing Emmanuel Macron to search for his fourth prime minister in the last year and throwing EU's second largest economy into chaos. The premier was ousted overwhelmingly. Huge vote 364 to 194. Not even close against him losing an apparent gamble the lawmakers would back his push for France to slash public spending to repay its debts. That's the crazy idea that he had. Let's cut our spending so we can pay down our debts. And he got overwhelmingly trounced. He was voted out, ending his short lived minority government after being appointed by Macron just in December.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, left wing and right wing joined together and said, yeah, let's toss out the moderates and we'll fight for the scraps.

[Jack Armstrong]

The former president now admitted Monday that his last speech as prime minister was a gamble to tackle France's debt crisis by standing by his unpopular economic plan. And it didn't pay off. At the end of the first quarter of 2025, France's public debt stirred at 3.93 trillion, a hilarious number by U. S standards, obviously about $4 trillion. But that's a hundred and fourteen percent of gross domestic product. When you go over a hundred percent, that's supposed to be like serious doomsday spiral. By the way, just in case you were wondering, the US debt to GDP ratio is 119:19%. France is doing better than us at this point.

[Joe Getty]

Wow, wow, wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

The former president hoped to cut debt, included a bid to push a $51 billion savings plan that called for scrapping two public holidays. They have a public holiday a week practically in France. He wanted to get rid of two of them. No, you can't do it. And freezing government spending at its current level, not cutting like this is what happened with the Tea Party. You're not even trying to cut. You're just trying to cut rate of growth and you get killed for it.

[Joe Getty]

They're doomed.

[Jack Armstrong]

They are, and so are we.

[Joe Getty]

True.

[Jack Armstrong]

The greatest risk was not to take a chance, he said, to let things go on without changing anything, to go on doing politics as usual. He said in his final speech, the nation is facing a silent, underground, invisible and unbearable hemorrhage of excessive public borrowing. Submission to debt is like submission through military force dominated by weapons or dominated by our creditors because of a debt that is submerging us. In both cases, we lose our freedom. That's what got voted against.

[Joe Getty]

And the unions and leftists said no, we want to keep getting stuff.

[Jack Armstrong]

And here's my favorite thing he said in his final speech, you have the power to overthrow my government, but you do not have the power to erase reality. Wow, that is some good ass right there.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Reality remains inexorable. Spending will continue to increase and the debt burden, already unbearable, will grow heavier and more costly. Good Lord. How are there so few grownups in Western civilization willing to stand up and say this? Well, they do and you get voted out immediately by. By the left and the right.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I was thinking about, you know, the US obviously reading about France and we're just a couple of generations, I guess, away from politicians who would not vote for unsustainable debt, that they would consider that a horrible betrayal of the trust placed in them. They would consider it personally immoral and a crime against the kids and the grandkids. You could not get somebody to vote for what everybody votes for now. And I find myself wondering whether a democracy with our current moral view of overspending can save itself.

[Jack Armstrong]

By the way, just back to France briefly. That decision to boot boot him out created means there's no dominant political bloc for the first time in France's modern political history. I don't quite understand those systems, but they are in a lot of turmoil over there. But back to, well, you got to.

[Joe Getty]

Cobble together a multi party coalition that you can't get anything done.

[Jack Armstrong]

But back to his quote that I love so much. You had the power to overthrow the government. You do not have the power to erase reality. God dang it. That's the whole reality. Bats last. You can ignore the growing Debt and how it's unsustainable. And all these programs are going to go broke for a while, but the pain only gets worse. The pain that you will not, may. Will suffer at some point is only going to be worse the longer you wait.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Meanwhile, there's a new report out in France about their educational system and how it's just failing miserably. Sound familiar? And for the first time now, experts, educators, there's a book out that's made a huge wave in France. It said, look, we've had rampant immigration, just unfettered immigration, and now one in five, grade five, essentially students speak a language other than French at home. And 41% of under fours are immigrants or immigrants children's. And they're transforming the schools.

[Jack Armstrong]

That number on speaking French at home is astounding.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. More than one in five Year 5 pupils speak a language other than French at home. And much like in Britain, we've been discussing this and Germany, Germany's a little behind Britain, but they're heading in the same direction. France too, where it was just agreed upon. It was literally agreed upon. I think it was in Germany. I've got that around here somewhere by all of the major parties that we won't blame this on immigration. All right? You don't bring it up and we won't bring it up. And they made a behind the scenes agreement. But now the people in Britain and France and Germany are like, yeah, we are talking about it and we're going to talk about it loudly. And things are nutty in Europe right now, politically speaking. Where it goes, nobody knows. I mean, you combine popular disgust with being betrayed by the elites. The immigration thing especially, and the Islamization of European countries. They've allowed, you know, enormous numbers of people who despise their very principles and their way of life. Anyway, you combine that with the populist. Once I get a benefit, I will never accept you scaling anything back. Where does that go?

[Jack Armstrong]

Why is there such a small number of us who are willing to accept the pain that has to happen? Right now I realize my taxes are going to go up and I hate my taxes going up. And I'm not on many government services, so I wouldn't notice those being cut. But it's got to happen. So bring it on. Like tomorrow. Let's do it tomorrow.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Well, because those who profit from the status quo are very, very good at spinning the politics. It is so much easier to say, not only do you deserve it, but I'm going to give it to you, than say, we can't give it to you anymore. And here's why taxes are Sales pitch is so easy. Armstrong and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

Bring the boom XBoom.

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[Variety Podcast Host]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Jack Armstrong]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Variety Podcast Host]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in chief Cynthia Littleton.

[Joe Getty]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Variety Podcast Host]

Open your free iHeartradio app, search daily Variety and listen now.

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[Joe Getty]

Free.

[TiVo Advertiser]

No signups, no fees, just press play. That's TiVo plus free, binge worthy and always on.

[Asma Khalid]

Check us [e-mail] America is changing and so is the world.

[Tristan Redman]

But what's happening in America isn't just the cause of global upheaval. It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.

[Asma Khalid]

I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. i'm.

[Tristan Redman]

Tristan Redman in London, and this is the Global Story.

[Asma Khalid]

Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet.

[Tristan Redman]

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.