Useless, Dumbass Weasles

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand — “Useless, Dumbass Weasels” (October 2, 2025)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of the Armstrong & Getty Show delves into the aftermath and perceptions of the U.S. government shutdown, the media's narrative on Antifa and political violence, and the ongoing culture clash between left-wing and right-wing ideologies. The hosts, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty, also dissect national news headlines, share personal anecdotes, and offer sharp commentary on mainstream and left-leaning discourse, particularly how it manifests in academia, government, and media.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Government Shutdown—Cynicism and Consequence

[01:07–05:55]

• The show launches with satirical dramatization of the government shutdown’s “devastation,” illustrating public apathy about the actual effects.
  • Jack jokes: “I tried to go to the grocery store yesterday. Fires burning all over town. Gangs of young ruffians, stray dogs. Bones piled high in the streets.” ([01:20])
  • Both agree that, outside of those who work in affected agencies, most Americans don’t care about the shutdown as much as the political class believes.
• Joe notes: “You look back over the shutdowns of my lifetime, who got blamed doesn’t seem to have any indication that it had a result in the next election. So it just doesn’t matter who gets blamed.” ([05:09])

2. Media Failure and Antifa Coverage

[07:25–09:44, 20:24–22:30]

• The hosts are frustrated with national media (both left and right) for underreporting or misunderstanding the situation with Antifa in Portland and Seattle.
  • Jack: “We have been among the few voices trying to bring attention to that situation...it’s spreading across the country. Contagions tend to.” ([08:00])
• Joe notes how NPR and major outlets portray Antifa as a myth or non-issue, despite continuing unrest in Portland.
  • Joe: “I heard...last week that there’s no such thing as Antifa. It’s a myth...Antifa stands for anti-fascists, so they couldn’t possibly be [problematic].” ([08:11])

3. Gender, Social Issues, and Radicalism in Institutions

[06:46–07:19]

• The hosts mock the proliferation of leftist concepts related to gender identity, homelessness, and criminal justice.
• A recurring bit: “Whiteness is toxic.” “Penises in women's prisons.” “Welcoming the intifada. We are done, done, done with that.” ([07:09–07:19]) – a montage dismissing progressive talking points.

4. Left vs. Right-Wing Political Violence

[22:30–29:09]

• Main segment focuses on Barton Swaim's analysis from the Wall Street Journal, suggesting left-wing motives for violence are mainstreamed in reputable institutions, while right-wing violence is driven by causes unfamiliar to most mainstream conservatives.
  • Jack: “Here’s the crazy part. What stands out, he says, is how distant most of the causes motivating right-wing acts of violence are from anything an ordinary conservative would recognize. But how familiar most of the left-wing motivations sound.” ([25:15])
  • Joe: “So the list you had for conservatives, I don’t know a single person that is into those things. The list you had of Democrats, every progressive I know is into all those things.” ([28:28])

5. Headlines and News-of-the-Day

[13:07–18:53]

• Deepfake politics: White House shows “racist deep fake video” on loop—hosts goof on the fading power of simply calling something “racist.”
  • Jack: “Things that are barely kind of sort of ethnic in nature...the day where you say it’s racist and everybody cowers and cringes, that day’s gone. Shut up.” ([13:29])
• International affairs: Editorial support for shooting down Russian planes, Russia’s military draft, Trump’s defense pledge to Qatar, Zelensky’s European talks.
• Immigration: “Illegal immigrants issued 18-wheeler licenses with ‘no name given’ in NY, IL, CA.” ([15:35])
  • Joe: “They just filled out all the stuff without the names.” ([15:47])
• Miscellaneous: Cheetos using paprika, Israeli-Gaza flotilla intercept, Greta Thunberg detained, Harvard hiring a drag queen as visiting professor, Babylon Bee satire about Gavin Newsom, and a joke about Jane Goodall’s death.

6. Personal Stories & Humor

[20:07–21:20]

• Braces stories — Jack and Joe riff on orthodontics, parenting, and DIY wire fixes, blending banter and relatability.
  • Joe: “I got out my same clippers I used for my guitar strings...cut it off so it wasn’t jabbing him in the mouth.” ([20:59])

7. Woke Ideology & The Military

[34:14–37:45]

• Listener letter about “freedom loving quote board” in an Army office; leadership reprimanded a Captain for putting up harmless quotes about warrior ethos after “woke” DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) reforms.
  • Al Nonimus: “This is not hyperbole and it is for the sake of our nation.” ([37:04])
• Hosts lament “woke ideology” in the military and hope new leaders will root it out.
  • Joe: “It was a major attempt to turn around the enormous ship that is the military...that S is over. If you’re not on board, retire. Thank you for your service.” ([37:31])

8. Business Closures & Civic Decay

[38:45–39:26]

• Discussion of why retailers (Target, Walmart, Starbucks) are leaving cities like Portland, criticizing companies for being opaque about the obvious criminal and social disorder driving closures.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Government Shutdown Apathy:

• “I do not care. I don’t believe you care.” – Joe Getty ([03:40])
• “I've not met anybody who cares.” – Jack Armstrong ([03:44])

On Media and Antifa:

• “Even national right-wing media doesn’t get the Antifa Portland story...it’s too far from New York. I mean, we have planes these days.” – Jack Armstrong ([07:25])
• “The media...portrays Antifa as a myth or non-issue, despite continuing battles in Portland...” – Joe Getty ([08:11])

On Culture & Wokeism:

• “Whiteness is toxic.” “Penises in women's prisons.” “Welcoming the intifada. We are done, done, done with that.” – Montage ([07:09–07:19])

On Violence & Partisan Motivations:

• “What a party says about an act of violence tells you a lot about that party’s responsibility for it.” – Barton Swaim (paraphrased by Jack) ([24:49])
• “The list you had for conservatives, I don’t know a single person that is into those things. The list you had of Democrats, like every progressive I know, is into all those things.” – Joe Getty ([28:28])
• “That is an interesting point.” – Jack Armstrong ([28:42])

Listener Story – Military & Woke Leadership:

• “He’s been stopped from putting up quotes for the love of liberty. How can this be true of my military?” – “Al Nonimus” (listener email, paraphrased by Jack) ([36:42])

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Description | |-----------|----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 01:07 | Opening Discussion | Satirical take on the government shutdown | | 07:25 | Antifa & Media Critique | Callout: Lack of national media coverage | | 13:07 | News Headlines | Katie Green's news roundup, viral moments | | 22:30 | Political Violence Segment | Analysis of Barton Swaim’s thesis on violence motivations | | 34:14 | Starbucks Closures | Discussion on urban retail exodus | | 36:42 | Listener Letter | Military “freedom loving quote board” story |

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Overall Tone

Armstrong & Getty’s tone throughout the episode is sharply satirical, skeptical of mainstream media narratives, and critical of both political extremes while focusing especially on left-wing institutional dominance. They blend humor, cultural observation, and personal anecdotes to provide a combination of entertainment and pointed critique.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is a must for those tracking current culture wars, government dysfunction, and the media’s blind spots on topics like Antifa and political violence. The hosts’ no-nonsense, irreverent approach offers a perspective rarely echoed in mainstream radio, laced with humor, skepticism, and concerns about the trajectory of American public life, from big cities to the military.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an I heart podcast.

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[Katie Green]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the Georgia George Washington Broadcast Center. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

And now here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong Getty live from Studio C. Senor, deep within the bowels of the Armstrong and Getty information complex, this is the Armstrong and Kitty show live this Thursday 2nd October, the year of our Lord 2020. Arrived this morning under the tutelage of honorary general manager. The devastation. The devastation wrought by the government shutdown. I tried to go to the grocery store yesterday. Fires burning all over town. Gangs of young ruffians to the stray dogs. Bones piled high in the streets. Oh, there's Jack.

[Joe Getty]

Everybody play the door open there. Michael. What is my face color?

[Jack Armstrong]

It's rather pale looking odd.

[Joe Getty]

Well, it's always pale. Ish and odd though.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, yeah, you don't look as robust as normal.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, just wanna.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, come.

[Joe Getty]

Got a bit of a thing going through our house. Oh, and the thing may have reached me. It's a stomach thing. And I'm gonna keep the trash can right next to.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh boy, there's a hint. Okay, all right.

[Joe Getty]

The trash can there.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sorry to hear that.

[Joe Getty]

That's all right. School. School's in. And when school is in. Oh, seems like somebody's sick constantly. Just part of the deal.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's a great incubator. Or, and. Or your immune system learns as much as your brain as a kid going to school, you know.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, that's interesting. Anyway. Oh, man, I hate this feeling.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, boy. I don't even want to say the wrong thing because if you're kind of on the edge, right.

[Joe Getty]

And all. I am. I'm on the edge.

[Jack Armstrong]

Mirrors. Suggestion can be unhelpful.

[Joe Getty]

I'm not that susceptible luckily to that sort of thing. I'm sorry, what were you talking about?

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't even. Oh, oh. The devastation caused by the government shutdown.

[Joe Getty]

Well, that's probably part of why I feel this way.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. The grocery store was in flames.

[Joe Getty]

Well, the shelves were empty. Shelves were empty. So there was no medicine to be had.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? Yeah. Yeah. So they did neighbors just attacking neighbors just out of just pure animal fear. Like one of those experiments where the rats are over packed in a cage and they turn on each other.

[Joe Getty]

Right. And today's a holiday, so they won't even have a vote on the whole shutdown thing today.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't care.

[Joe Getty]

I do not care. I don't believe you care.

[Jack Armstrong]

I really don't believe.

[Joe Getty]

I've not met anybody who cares.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no.

[Joe Getty]

Actually I know one person who works for the Department of Agriculture and the number of people they're going to lay off there, they're worried they might be the one and I could understand that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, sure.

[Joe Getty]

Because I do think some people are going to lose their jobs out of this deal. Which, you know, it's a, it's an attempt to use the shutdown to fire some people, which, you know, whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. You know, I realize the shutdown quote unquote is not that interesting or compelling, but some of the things around it like this Russell vote. It looks like it ought to be vought cuz it's the word ought with a V in front of it. But I'm told he pronounces it vote. But anyway, he's the director of the Office of Management and Budget and he is like a conservative's dream come true. Small government, we need to rein this in guy. And he is looking at this shutdown as an opportunity to just super turbocharge the ability to trim the fat. And you know, how successful will he'll be and how long it will endure and what judges will interfere, on what level, nobody's really sure, but it's an opportunity.

[Joe Getty]

Anyway, my final word for now on the shutdown would be the Washington Post editorial board. The Washington Post editorial board says the Democrats walked into a trap on this and it's not a good idea. So they don't even think the whole Democrats claiming it's the Republicans fault thing is going to work. I don't.

[Jack Armstrong]

Unless you're Hakeem Jeffries. Nobody's saying that.

[Joe Getty]

I don't think it matters anyway. You look back over the shutdowns of my lifetime, who got blamed doesn't seem to have any indication that it had a result in the next election. So it just doesn't matter who gets blamed.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I wouldn't get a tattoo commemorating the great victory you're going to be having it removed or changed into a pretty girl with high heels or something down there.

[Joe Getty]

What's that tattoo? I overreacted to a shutdown.

[Jack Armstrong]

And you remember when the Democrats got blamed for that shutdown? No, no, I really don't. Yeah, I was super excited.

[Joe Getty]

Well, I think that was an overreaction. I think he got caught up in cable news. That's what happened there.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Get out.

[Jack Armstrong]

Touch grass, as they say, until it makes you want to do what Jack is trying not to do.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, man. Yeah. I gotta find a way to. I'm gonna figure out a way to.

[Jack Armstrong]

Peppermint.

[Joe Getty]

Peppermint.

[Jack Armstrong]

Peppermint, yes. Settles the stomach, clears the mind. It's a very good nausea treatment.

[Joe Getty]

I've never used peppermint. I don't think I will get. I will order. I will doordash. A peppermint mocha with whipped cream. Would that make me feel better? Probably. Oh my.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or I think there are probably like peppermints. The little lunchroom. What about convenience store? Pellegrino water?

[Joe Getty]

Something bubbly.

[Jack Armstrong]

Maybe a tea. Another. All good remedies.

[Joe Getty]

Okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

Perhaps a peppermint tea.

[Joe Getty]

There you go. Let's start the show officially. We got a good clip today. I'm Jack Armstrong, he's Joe Getty. On this it is two or third. Sorry. Thursday, October 2nd, the year 2025. We are Armstrong and Getty and we approve of this program.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, by golly, let's start officially then. According to FCC rules and regulations, the show starts at Mark Armstrong and Getty. They see gender is only a const. Sex is assigned at birth and they.

[Katie Green]

Say we are done with that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Transient kids by self diagnosis with no age limit, no parental notification and no acknowledgment of social contagion.

[Katie Green]

We are done with that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Homelessness is a lifestyle.

[Katie Green]

Done with that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whiteness is toxic.

[Katie Green]

Done.

[Jack Armstrong]

Penises in women's prisons.

[Katie Green]

Done.

[Jack Armstrong]

Welcoming the intifada.

[Katie Green]

We are done, done, done with that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Hanson. Put that together. That's really good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I love that.

[Joe Getty]

That is fantastic. You know, one thing that America is done with, if it is even, is aware that it's happening, is the whole antifa in Portland thing. Got some reporting on that from Fox as has been now for many years. The media, even, even national right wing media doesn't get the antifa Portland story. They just. I don't. It's too far from New York. I mean, we have planes these days. I don't understand how you can't figure out what antifa is or how. How big a deal it is in Portland and Seattle.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, agreed, agreed. They. We have been among the few voices trying to bring attention to that situation and it's spreading across the country. There is. Contagions tend to.

[Joe Getty]

There have been battles in the streets in Portland now for like 100 straight days and getting so little media coverage. That's why the National Guard is there now. I heard on NPR and I think one of your cable news channels last week that there's no such thing as antifa. It's a myth. And by the. Antifa stands for anti fascists, so they couldn't possibly be. I mean, they actually said that on national media.

[Jack Armstrong]

Good Lord. I know. Well, they're. They're part of the, the. What's the right word? That doesn't sound crazy. They're. They're part of the team that is trying to push radical leftism, including violence. I have some excellent evidence of that coming up later in the show.

[Joe Getty]

I think a lot of it is ignorance about antifa. They just, it's not on the east coast the way it is on the west coast and they just missed the story somehow.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're.

[Joe Getty]

It's bad journalists is what they are.

[Jack Armstrong]

Depends who you're talking about. I believe that for like Fox News and some of the other reasonable. Wall Street Journal maybe, but not npr. NPR squarely on their side.

[Joe Getty]

So you call yourself antifa, short for anti fascist. And then you can go around beating people down to try to get them to do what you want them to do and you get credit for being anti fascist. Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

You dressed in. You dress in black and beat down your opponents in the streets so they can't hold meetings or carry out policies?

[Joe Getty]

Yes. Night after night. How far could you take it? Could you wear Nazi uniforms with swastiks, swastikas on. On them burning down synagogues but call yourselves anti Nazi and would you still get credit for that? But no, no, no. You, you, you misunderstand. They're anti Nazi.

[Jack Armstrong]

The New York Times and NPR would be forced to go with government. Republicans are claiming that the use of the Nazi insignia is indication that antifa is not really anti fascist. They would go with. With Republicans. Pounce.

[Joe Getty]

There's also a video that is causing some problems in some schools, some good problems, in my opinion, about there being two genders as opposed to 50 that we can talk about later. That's a good one. Watch some baseball last night? Yankees closed it. Closed it out. They. No, no, they gave the game three. So everybody's got a Game three.

[Jack Armstrong]

All.

[Joe Getty]

All the series went to game three. Wow. That's exciting. So you got all the wild card games. It's a do or die today. Good. That's good baseball. I need that while I'm sitting there trying not to vomit. Perfect.

[Jack Armstrong]

The Dodgers won. They cleaned out the Reds.

[Joe Getty]

That's what I was thinking of. The Dodgers won and they finished off the Reds. I knew I had something in my head like that, but my stomach is confusing me.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I'm sorry. This just handed to me. All the baseball games have been canceled because of the shutdown. It's just too dangerous to try to go to the games. Right.

[Joe Getty]

What was the shutdown going on? So I got a lot of the way. Stay here. Text line 415295 KFTC Armstrong and Getty.

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[Joe Getty]

Yo yo yo. Diddy gets sentenced tomorrow. I hope I didn't steal one of your headlines there. Katie Diddy is going to be sentenced tomorrow and there's some hubbub around whether how much time he's going to spend in jail. I hope a lot.

[Jack Armstrong]

He's been teaching a class in jail. Been very well received. Have information on that.

[Joe Getty]

A class in what?

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll tell you about it.

[Katie Green]

Okay, freak out.

[Jack Armstrong]

No freaky freak off.

[Katie Green]

Here's how you throw a freak off.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right. Creative uses of baby oil.

[Joe Getty]

Step one.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. Yeah. How to terrify and or bribe people into compliance. All sorts of interesting stuff. Got a great study of what it looks like inside the informational bubble of the left with a variety of examples coming up later in the show. I'm excited to bring that to you. It is really quite something, and I'm bringing it to you. Not, not entirely just to bash lefties, but just as a. An observer of humankind. I think it's really interesting to look at what that sort of life is like and how it can lead you off track. Anyway, let's figure out who's reporting what. It's the lead story with Katie Green. Katie.

[Katie Green]

Okay, it's worded this way because it's the guard. White House plays racist. Deep fake video of Democratic leaders on loop. Now, the reason I chose this is because Yesterday they had two TVs set up and the sombrero video was playing on loop in the White House briefing room.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, wow.

[Joe Getty]

Is that where we, where we're headed? Oh, my God.

[Jack Armstrong]

Note to the Guardian. Things that are barely kind of sort of ethnic in nature. The day where you say it's. That's racist and everybody cowers and cringes, that day's gone. Shut up.

[Joe Getty]

The calling it racist thing is, is dumb, but it is definitely, you know, a pretty snarky, modern, young, online sort of way to. I, I don't know if it's good.

[Jack Armstrong]

That it's not presidential, but it is hilarious.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, it's hilarious.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Katie Green]

From abc, Zelinsky to meet with European leaders in Denmark with Russian invasion at top of agenda.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. There was an editorial in the Wall Street Journal today by. I can't remember who the guy was, but he was saying, look, you got to shoot down those drones and planes that make incursions into airspace. Shoot them down. And he gives the example of Turkey, of all places. A number of years ago, the Russians were making incursions into Turkish airspace and the Turks shot the damn plane down. And did that cause World War 3 or an escalation or. No, no. The Russians are like, oh, okay, that's how far we can push in Turkey next.

[Joe Getty]

You know, Russia had the biggest call up of draftees they've had since 2016.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's.

[Joe Getty]

That's a sign of something.

[Jack Armstrong]

And what that causes domestically will be interesting to observe.

[Katie Green]

This one from the Wall Street Journal. Trump signs order that could see US Military defending Qatar.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, Nah, that'll never happen. As part of the whole Middle east deal, Trump issued an executive order which does not have the power of a treaty or anything like that, saying, we will defend the territory and safety of Qatar in case of an attack. We will come to your aid. It's just part of the whole getting the, the terrorists supporting Qataris to do the right thing. Finally with Hamas.

[Katie Green]

From Breitbart.com Illegal immigrants were issued 18 wheeler licenses in New York, Illinois and California with quote, no name given.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I've been following this story for the last couple of days as it is broken. I guess that's the way they. One of the ways they got around the given illegals licenses to drive big rigs is they just, they just, they filled out all the stuff without the names.

[Katie Green]

Yeah. So on our licenses, where it usually would say your name, it says no name given on the actual driver's license.

[Jack Armstrong]

What the hell. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Pretty amazing.

[Katie Green]

From NBC. Police chiefs across the country sounding the alarm over quote, disturbing rise in rhetoric citing rising political threats.

[Joe Getty]

I'd say.

[Katie Green]

From the Associated Press. Pepsi looks at coloring Cheetos with Paprika as companies ditch synthetic dyes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Paprika's got a bit of a taste to it. Yeah. Certainly change the Cheeto experience.

[Katie Green]

From the Washington Post. Israel intercepts Gaza Flotilla detains Greta Thunberg and other activists.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Leading advocate of the eternal omnicause.

[Joe Getty]

I feel bad for her too. I actually do.

[Katie Green]

She just got launched into this as a child.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Katie Green]

This is all wrong.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is, sweetheart. It is all wrong. You really ought to go live a normal life. I should be back in school. Yep. Or whatever. Yeah.

[Katie Green]

This is the headline. This is not me from the New York Post. Harvard hires drag queen named Lahore Vagistan as a visiting professor.

[Jack Armstrong]

Lahore Vegistan. Oh my God.

[Joe Getty]

You know, I've never understood the drag queen phenomenon. I don't know how this ever got a toehold in our world, but that's quite the name.

[Jack Armstrong]

And they've hired this human as a lecturer of some sort.

[Katie Green]

Yeah. It's a visiting professor.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. Yeah. Study finds the abnormal psychology department, I hope.

[Katie Green]

Oh, hopefully study finds stuck in line Science says waiting is actually good for your brain.

[Joe Getty]

I'll bet it is. I wanna, I wanna read that. That's interesting.

[Katie Green]

And finally, from the Babylon Bee supporters beg Gavin Newsom to stop doing meth before he posts on social media.

[Joe Getty]

I saw the headline.

[Jack Armstrong]

What's going on?

[Joe Getty]

I saw one headline yesterday. You probably all saw it. I thought, wow, the monkeys finally got her. But no. Jane Goodall died of natural causes in her 90s.

[Jack Armstrong]

Chimpanzees are actually apes, Jackson. Jack. And not monkeys. But yes, the famous chimp lady has passed.

[Joe Getty]

But it wasn't at the hand of the monkeys. They weren't like, we've had enough of this.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no, they would have done that long ago.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

She was lucky they didn't ever like rip her arm off or something. Because chimps can go wild.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, no, she.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because they are, well, wild.

[Joe Getty]

She had a good relationship with him. A bunch of that stuff that we talked about that we're going to get to. It's a pretty newsy day and of course we're all lighting candles for the government shutdown.

[Katie Green]

Armstrong and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

An Egyptian wrestler recently attempted to break a Guinness world record by pulling a 700 ton ship across water by a rope with his teeth. The record was for richest dentist.

[Joe Getty]

That reminds me.

[Jack Armstrong]

I stand by it.

[Joe Getty]

I got Henry's first appointment since he got his braces on today. I don't know what they do. Do they tighten them up or those of you who had braces? Is that what they do, Michael? They tighten?

[Jack Armstrong]

I believe so.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

If I remember right.

[Joe Getty]

Cinch them down.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Get them good and tight.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm one more. One more notch. Yeah, that sort of thing. Katie.

[Joe Getty]

Yes.

[Katie Green]

Yeah, cranking was the word that I.

[Joe Getty]

Was going to use. Hey. Hey. One of the wires broke the other day somehow. And then it was like. It was just this sharp end. It reminded me it was like an E string on an electric guitar. It was like super sharp on the end and I didn't know what to do that I got out my same clippers I used for my guitar strings.

[Jack Armstrong]

And cut it off so it wasn't.

[Joe Getty]

Jabbing him in the mouth. But hopefully they can fix that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Every guitar player in the world cringed when you said that. I think because we've all punctured our fingertips. That damn E string.

[Katie Green]

Anyway, Katie, he gets to change his rubber band color today too.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, that's exciting.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Fall colors, earth tones probably. That's what I would suggest.

[Joe Getty]

Pumpkin spice colored.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? Exactly. Did you or you mentioned something?

[Joe Getty]

There is a Fox reporter writing as opposed to broadcasting about walking the streets of Portland and how Antifa has taken over many city blocks. It's pretty danged interesting and it's amazing it doesn't get more national attention.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. Even in conservative media. Again, the lefties are in favor of it. But speaking of that sort of thing and what a great fit that is for this. First of all, the Fox News is reporting on a panel at Harvard. This happened a couple of years ago. The Ivy League school hosted a panel called don't stand around and Let People get Hurt. Anti Fascism. Fascism after Charlottesville. And of course Charlottesville, one of the great overrated incidents in American history. If the left to just let those useless dumbass weasels march around with their torches and then go back to their ramshackle homes, you know, it just. There was nothing. These people don't have followers. They didn't. They don't have popularity. They don't have power. But it was useful politically to make it seem like that is the Republican Party.

[Joe Getty]

Well, it's what caused Joe Biden to run for president.

[Jack Armstrong]

Boy, there's one more reason to hate those guys.

[Joe Getty]

There's way more Jew hatred on college campuses than there was at that little Charlottesville gathering.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, way more. Way more and more potent. But anyway, the panel's star guest was Professor Dwayne Dixon of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, who was placed on administrative leave Monday after reports of his armed left wing activism as a member of the far left gun club Redneck Revolt. And so he's on leave. And video of the event was quickly removed from The Harvard Center's YouTube page after this guy was was put on leave. But the Internet is forever. And they point out that he was introduced by three Harvard academics. Education Professor Timothy McCarthy, professor of American History and African American Studies Vincent Brown. American history professor Lisa McGurr Brown introduced Dixon. Many of you are aware of the ongoing vigorous debate over whether it's okay to punch a Nazi. I personally happen to believe that ethical question was settled by World War II when the Raiders of the Lost Ark, which is a fairly amusing reference. And the whole thing, the whole conference that's celebrating this guy as the guest speaker, is that really these Nazi white supremacist fascist types, supporters of Donald Trump are so dangerous that violence against them can be justified. And, you know, I'd like to get into more detail about that and more of the specifics of what they said, but as always, repressed for time. And I wanted to get to this because I thought it was an unbelievably great observation by Barton Swaim, who was writing in the Journal about mainstream political violence. And he writes, a public square dominated by fury and contempt isn't likely to give us much helpful analysis of political violence. But an important principle has emerged since the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December. The best articulation of the principle I've read appeared in Noah Rothman's essay for Commentary magazine. To put it briefly, what a party says about an act of violence tells you a lot about that party's responsibility for it. And Rothman points out, ta Nehisi Coates this week nicely illustrates what he calls the butt rule. I have a, this is a quote. Now I have a politic that rejects violence, that rev. Rejects political violence. I take no joy in the killing of anyone, no matter what they said, but there it is. But if you ask me what the truth of Charlie Kirk's life was, you know, and the truth of his public life, I would have to tell you it's hate.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay. So Mr. Coates, among the meanest and least observant professional writers in America, I would agree, is a hack and a liar and a kook. Can't be expected to notice his own role in a dire cultural trend. But his remarks help clarify it. Clarify it for everyone else. And here's the point of this. Now, a report was released last month by the center for Strategic and International Studies that tells us, in the unlikely event you hadn't noticed it, that the left, left wing political violence is on the rise. This, this is notable, the authors explain, because for the past three decades, acts of right wing terrorism and violence have far outnumbered left wing ones. Maybe so, but here's where Barton Swain gets into a really interesting and important conclusion realization. Acts of murder, arson, sabotage don't come with right wing left wing labels, though in some cases you can make reasonable deductions. He talks about how if somebody's just mentally ill, it's really hard to assign motive. And it's a good point and a fair point. But here's the crazy part. What stands out, he says, is how distant most of the causes motivating right wing acts of violence are from anything an ordinary conservative would recognize. But how familiar most of the left wing motivations sound. Here you go. Because the reports about partisan extremism, right wing violence, often motivated by ideas of racial or ethnic supremacy, opposition to all government authority, believing it is tyrannical and illegitimate misogyny, hatred of women, including incels, hatred based on sexuality or gender identity, belief in the QAnon conspiracy theory or opposition to abortion. And as Swaim points out, really only the last item is anything any conservative he knows would recognize as a worthy value to pursue. The rest of it's terrible. Racial supremacy, hatred of women, belief in QAnon, whatever.

[Joe Getty]

That's all wackadoodle crap, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

And that's this allegedly neutral scientific study of political violence. That's the stuff that motivates right wing political violence. Left wing violence, on the other hand, can arise from an opposition to capitalism, imperialism or colonialism, all taught in our nation's schools and universities. How about black nationalism? Support for LGBTQ rights, support for environmental causes or animal rights, adherence to pro communist, pro socialist beliefs or anti fascist rhetoric, opposition to government authority under the belief it is a tool of repression responsible for social injustice, or support for decentralized political and social systems such as anarchism. Most of these, almost all of them, have a place in the mainstream left of the Democratic Party, and some are beloved in the Democratic Party. And the title of his piece, I should point out, is Mainstream Political Violence.

[Joe Getty]

So the list you had for conservatives, I don't know a single person that is into those things. The list you had of Democrats, like every progressive I know, is into all those things.

[Jack Armstrong]

And again, absolutely enshrined in academia, all of those things.

[Joe Getty]

That's interesting.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. And Swaim says that's not to say any are wrong or evil, only that most have a mainstream provenance. He says the high profile acts of terror that have us so rattled, in other words, are propelled by creeds and attitudes to which American media and liberal political class have, in one way or another, given their blessing. That is an interesting point.

[Joe Getty]

God, I would say so. I have an interesting point to make after we tell you about simply safe. As I say, every time I pull away from my house, I'm happy to see the simply safe sign in my yard reminding me that I, you know, I got the system. I set it up myself. It's super easy to set up. That's part of the whole simply safe thing, your security system. And I got the cameras, I got the sensors, I got the whole thing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. And if you need help, they'll absolutely give you help. Since setting it up, although it is pretty easy and the amazing part of Simplisafe is it's such an innovation. Like the old systems don't prevent someone from entering your home. They just go off when somebody smashes their way in and that's too late. Real security stops a crime before it even starts. Simplisafe does that. They take action while a criminal still lurking outside your home. Thanks to AI security cameras. Given the heads up to Simply Safe's professional monitoring agents, they take action immediately confronting the criminal. Two way communication. Call the cops, turn on the spotlights, the sirens, the whole shebang before somebody smashes into your house. Right now, you good people can get 50 off on a Simply Safe home security system at simplisafe.com Armstrong that's simply safe.com Armstrong there's no say like Simply Safe.

[Joe Getty]

I watched some of the Dodgers game last night. They're going to be tough to beat. But the other games all go to game three today. Very excited about that. Really digging the baseball, really enjoying it. This is a break from the crazy world.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know, I was watching the Yankees, Red Sox myself, and what struck me, and this is true of the playoffs in all sports, particularly the sports that have a very, very long season. The players care so much, right?

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh my God. There was a. There was multiple guys on base. It looked to be a home run ball. The pitcher was about to, you know, hurl himself off a cliff. Then his center fielder makes the catch. And he celebrated like he'd won a war. This picture was beside himself with joy and relief. I'm like, that's why you watch sports?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's why he watched the playoffs. Yeah, it was cool. So before we take a break, Elon Musk apparently is the richest man in the world again, briefly, Paul Allen was. Elon Musk just became the first person to hit $500 billion in net worth a half a trillionaire. The first one ever on earth. Yeah, I don't know if that's true.

[Jack Armstrong]

What am I gonna buy? Maybe France.

[Joe Getty]

I don't know if that's true. Adjusted for inflation. Like if you go back to J.D. rockefeller, what he would have been worth today. Maybe I'll even look into that. But yeah, elon is worth $500 billion. If that's not, you know, F F U money. Like I can say and do whatever I want, which he says and does whatever he wants. Pretty obviously I don't know what is.

[Jack Armstrong]

So I was being silly, obviously. But I find myself wondering if you were to offer, say $50 billion, how many countries on Earth that are. They got to be autocracies, probably. Unless they have real financial problems and they think, yeah, all right, he can be our king and pay off all of our loans.

[Joe Getty]

You want to be king of a country?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, no. How many countries would sell themselves to you as elon Musk for $50 billion? I'm some warlord. I got a stressful job. I mean, I'm looting the treasury every day and I live like the king that I am. But it's, you know, it's, it's tough work. I'm thinking, all right, I will sell you, you know, name your, your African Republic. I'm not sure you'd want one of those, but.

[Joe Getty]

Well, I love that. That is his big, his big thing is he wants to figure out how to get us to Mars. So the more money he has, the more likely that happens. I think that's very exciting. I hope that happens in my lifetime.

[Jack Armstrong]

You want to go with a tropical island nation? Clearly. But I submit to you, there are no fewer than 70 nations you could buy for $50 billion.

[Joe Getty]

Probably that'd be an interesting thing to start. Just start adding up. Elon. Elon Musk just bought his 15th country today.

[Jack Armstrong]

Talk about a collection. Yeah. Coming up, a very, very special freedom loving quote of the day.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, cool.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's different than anything I've ever done.

[Joe Getty]

Trump just said something pretty funny about the shutdown. We got mailbag on the way and a bunch of stuff. Stay here.

[Katie Green]

Armstrong and Getty.

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[Joe Getty]

I was just reading about all the Starbucks that are shutting down across the country. Hundreds of them. Though there are how many thousand did I say the other day? Like 12, 000.

[Jack Armstrong]

Starbucks or something like that was an enormous number. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Anyway, where they're shutting them down is kind of interesting and I think they're not being completely honest about why they're shutting them down. But we can talk about that later.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's funny, that is. I've got something very similar right in front of me on that topic. Here's your freedom loving quote of the day. Except it's not a freedom loving quote of the day. It's a story. We're flipping the format here in a way. It's a note from Al Nonimus who is an active duty member of our military. And he says this is the most important thing I've ever sent you. It needs to get out to the freedom loving world. As he shared with us in the past, he has. He had a very large freedom loving quote board behind his desk inspired by the Armstrong and Getty showed. I need to put it up during COVID times for my own sanity. As I saw the shenanigans in real time, I can only imagine the, you know, kicking people out, healthy young men for not getting the jab, et cetera. It is very visible to at least 100 army civilians, contractors and soldiers daily. I'm proud of the conversations this board has instigated over the last four years. Deported, departing from his note. Imagine that. People look at the quote and talk about liberty and how precious it is and how to defend it and the army's role in preserving it. I love that. Love that. Getting back to Al's note, I recently moved desks. I am now in a private office. Luckily, the captain that took over the quote board is an articulate, freedom loving hard charger. He takes his oath to the Constitution first and foremost, and it shows. He promised to keep the tradition of putting up a daily quote going. And then Al sings the praises of this guy, says he's a terrific soldier. Um, he's been reprimanded twice now by his leadership for putting up quotes regarding the new warrior ethos ideology. Most re recent reprimand was a couple of days ago after the HEGSET speech and one day after the 10 directives were sent out to all of the Department of War. They were direct quotes from our chain of command from Secretary of War Hegseth. And he points out these aren't the firebrand type quotes he sometimes chucks out there. These were the more vanilla type things explaining the importance of the warrior ethos mindset that I know you understand the Importance, Importance of. He has been stopped from putting up quotes for the love of liberty. How can this be true of my military? The point of this situation has revealed to me just how much the weak feelings over logic woke ideology has embedded itself in the military. I don't think three and a half years will be enough to root this out. Whoever's the next leader of our nation has got to be like minded. We must win this fight against DEI and critical theory for the sake of freedom everywhere. This is not hyperbole and it is for the sake of our nation.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I think that's how you can justify Pete bringing all those generals together and making such a big show of that in that it was a major attempt to turn around the enormous ship that is the military. I mean it very slow to turn around something that big and just had to really get a lot of attention say well like he said that, that, that, that S is over.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

If you don't, if you're not on board, retire. Thank you for your service.

[Jack Armstrong]

We're changing ways, right? We're not asking you to consider these thoughts. We're telling you this is the way it is.

[Joe Getty]

Well I hope he's successful.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well yeah, but the fact that Al Anonymous and his protege there are being told take down those quotes, that's amazing. Now if there's some obscure military regulation that I'm not aware of that factors into this. Yeah, that could be certainly. But the fact that Al for four years had the freedom loving quotes of the day up and they yielded many many discussions among hundreds of people and all of a sudden now no. That is interesting. Anyway, mailbag, that was an email. Couple of good. Speaking of Portland, Jack, as I know you want to and Starbucks. No one is. This is from Tim. No one is talking about the fact that Target closed all their Portland stores months ago and Walmart has just followed suit, all of them. What did Target and Walmart know that the Oregon governor and Portland mayor don't?

[Joe Getty]

I don't understand why these businesses don't say out loud why they're closing. They always come up with well there's a downsizing something or other and we've decided to focus on online sales or something. They never just say out loud this city has become such a crap hole, we can't get anybody to work here, our workers are being attacked, our customers won't come in because there's too many.

[Jack Armstrong]

Drug fiends outside the door and our shoplifting losses are so enormous we can't make a profit which is a huge factor but you're 100% right. Walmart issued a mealy mouthed, non committal, saying nothing statement about considering many factors. Yeah, why don't you say it? Walmart?

[Joe Getty]

I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's amazing. We'll get more into that later. Speaking of the great Northwest, Ricky the Bricky, who's a huge Mariners fan, says, Jack, feel free to jump on the Mariners bandwagon as you threaten. Just for the love of all that is holy, no merchandise. Don't buy it, touch it, don't even look at Mariner swag. I'm not superstitious, but we all know about you.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's my team. Once we get to past this wild card round, I'm all about the big dumper.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jack is the great cooler. The minute he even looks at a Mariner's hat, they will be ejected from the playoff.

[Joe Getty]

Gotta admit, I don't like the Mariner logo, so I'm probably not gonna buy a hat. So you're in the clear.

[Jack Armstrong]

What's not to like?

[Joe Getty]

I just don't. Just don't dig it. We got a lot of stuff on the way. I hope you can stay here. If you miss it, get the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand.

[Katie Green]

Armstrong and Getty?

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.