No Agenda Show – Episode 1792 "Meloni in the Middle"

Hosts: Adam Curry & John C. Dvorak
Date: August 21, 2025

Overview

Episode 1792 of the No Agenda Show, "Meloni in the Middle," delivers a characteristically spirited and irreverent deconstruction of recent political, economic, and cultural developments. The hosts, Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak, tackle topics ranging from President Trump’s policing initiatives to the European migrant crisis, the labor market, the global AI bubble, and evolving international alliances. This episode is rich in satirical commentary, media criticism, and the hosts’ signature blend of humor and skepticism.

Key Discussion Points

1. President Trump’s “Ride-Along” Crime Initiative

[00:24–02:00]

• Adam and John discuss President Trump's scheduled ride-along with D.C. police, drawing parallels with historical crime bills.
• Dvorak refers to the "Batman" image and notes that previous crime bills, notably the 1994 Biden/Clinton bill, had problematic legacies of mass incarceration, especially for black men.
• The infamous "super predator" label is revisited, attributed to Hillary Clinton during this era.
• Memorable quote:
  “The 92 [sic] crime bill, of course, incarcerated over a million black men for smoking weed.” — John C. Dvorak [01:44]

2. AI Hype and Bubbles

[03:57–04:43]

• Reports abound about the end of the AI bubble, with Sam Altman of OpenAI cited as acknowledging a bubble exists (not necessarily that it has burst).
• The hosts lampoon the cyclical nature of media narratives and see caution against media’s premature declarations.
• Quote:
  “Yeah, everyone's publishing articles now. It seems to be the new, new thing to publish articles about the AI hype being over. Yeah.” — John C. Dvorak [03:57]

3. Skilled Labor Shortages and “Learn to Code”

[04:50–12:03]

• A CBS report on skilled labor shortages is played ([05:36]–[08:16]).
• Adam mocks the “learn to code” mantra, blaming past administrations for nudging youth away from trades.
• Electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs are in demand; wages up ($150K possible with no college debt).
• Dvorak and Curry reflect on societal devaluation of apprenticeships and the enduring value of blue-collar work.
• Quote:
  “Data centers now compete with factories and manufacturing plants for electricians and plumbers...” — Adam Curry [06:10]

4. Energy Costs, Data Centers, and Societal Strains

[09:25–13:42]

• They analyze how surging tech infrastructure (data centers for AI) is straining local utilities and impacting consumer energy bills.
• Dvorak predicts eventual "riots" over doubled utility bills and lambastes California’s political management for exacerbating costs.
• California's woes, water mismanagement, and PG&E's role in wildfires are dissected, ultimately linking back to national political narratives.
• Quote:
  “Put it in the red book. Riots coming. I'm telling you, it has to be that way. We're Americans ultimately.” — John C. Dvorak [12:03]

5. Operation "Raise the Colours" and Immigration in the UK/EU

[13:44–20:26]

• Dvorak reports on the growing British nationalist movement, "Raising the Colours," a subtle anti-immigration protest marked by flying flags.
• The hosts detail rising public anger over crime associated with migrants and lack of government response.
• Community groups like the "Pink Ladies" (mothers/grandmothers defending children) are spotlighted as turning points in grassroots activism.
• Quote:
  “We don't hate these men at all. What we hate is what the government has done...” — Lorraine Kavanagh, Pink Ladies organizer [18:08]

6. Theories on Migrant Policies & “Cultural Marxism”

[20:26–25:20]

• Adam and John theorize about coordination behind “Drag Queen Story Hour” and migrant benefits in Western countries — suggesting international elite networks or “globalists” are orchestrating policies to destabilize western civilization.
• Dvorak goes so far as to cite “Satan” and "Socialist Marxists" as the real masterminds, before also blaming named political leaders.
• Quote:
  “I don't think it's about money because ... these people aren't ... doing the law on anybody's lawn. That's nonsense. ... It's about breaking the backs of Western civilization.” — Adam Curry [21:20]

7. Satirical/AI: Trump Commentates on EU Leaders

[26:11–28:02]

• A humorous AI-generated Trump voice narrates the arrivals of European leaders at the White House, lampooning European personalities and referencing Giorgia Meloni.
• Quote:
  “Giorgia Meloni. I love her. I told her and Elon that if they ever have a kid, they better name him Iloni Maloney. Ursula. I like that she calls me daddy. They all should, when you think about it.” — "AI Trump" [27:32]

8. Ukraine War, NATO, and EU Security Guarantees

[31:00–55:21 & 61:37–71:20]

• Explores shifting U.S./EU war policy: Trump pushing for peace, Russians open to legal (but non-NATO) guarantees for Ukraine.
• AI-generated clips and real analysis by experts (e.g., Andrew Rasulas) predict a future where EU supplies “tripwire forces,” with differing attitudes among leaders—especially Italy’s Meloni resisting boots-on-ground.
• Bolton’s acknowledgment that Article 5 (NATO) is more ambiguous than often quoted.
• Satirical question whether world leaders are "body doubles" or "clones" [55:21–62:26].
• Quote:
  “There is the deal, and the deal includes Crimea and whatever security guarantees you want. It will not be NATO.” — Andrew Rasulas [38:49]

9. China as Global Puppet Master

[71:20–83:05]

• China/CCP characterized as grand manipulator behind keeping the Russia-Ukraine war active, with North Korea and Iran as junior partners.
• The hosts and their guest analyst suggest the war serves to distract the U.S. as China advances strategic goals.
• Adam questions whether EU leaders like Ursula von der Leyen are on China’s payroll; John argues “it has to be money.”
• Quotes:
  “This is all a master plan by the Chinese Communist Party. ... We all have a long history of underestimating the Chinese Communist Party and it's high time that we understand just how critical their role is...” — Casey Fleming [78:29]

10. U.S. Stablecoin Conspiracy and Financial Power

[83:18–97:52]

• Discussion of U.S. Treasury's strategy (via Besant) to deploy stablecoins, undermine the Fed, track global money flows, and weaponize finance against rival governments — referencing Arthur Hayes' analysis.
• Social media giants (Musk, Zuckerberg) eyed as distribution arms for stablecoin wallets, enabling tighter global dollar control and sanctions.
• Quote:
  “So Besant can one fell stroke completely neuter the Fed. And no longer does the Fed have any control over fed funds...” — Arthur Hayes (via John C. Dvorak) [91:38]

11. Climate Change & Tech Failures

[152:21–154:06]

• The hosts mock a short-lived battery-powered ferry that was lauded as an environmental milestone, only to break down weeks after launch.
• Quote:
  “All right, so we've got a battery powered ferry. What could possibly go wrong? Two months later, ... it's not clear exactly what that issue was. Or how long it'll be out of service.” — John C. Dvorak [153:01]

12. Media Satire, Vaccine Politics, and Health Deconstruction

[175:01–187:00]

• Dr. Celine Gounder is lampooned for promoting COVID shots for infants, despite federal recommendations to the contrary—Dvorak and Curry suggest the pediatric establishment is driven by profit.
• Further critique of "safe and effective" mantras and science-as-religion narratives.
• Quotes:
  “Their first encounter with COVID should be with the vaccine. What does the vaccine give you? Covid.” — John C. Dvorak [179:31]

13. Community, Show Operations, and Meta-Content

[104:48–113:29]

• Behind-the-scenes tales: Adam recounts feuds with the "podcast industrial complex" and the podcast conference scene.
• They discuss innovations in conference audio setups (multi-channel audience headphones) and muse about “brand growth” on X (Twitter).
• Karma shout outs, community support, special titles (e.g., "Secretary General" at $500+ donor level), podcast art selection, and meet-up promotion all maintain the show's participatory producer model.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Two forgetful boomers.” — Adam Curry [02:59]
• “We've got Error here. ... That's her name now. Error. ... Does she make mistakes, you think? Error. Error. Error.” — John & Adam on the AI assistant [03:40–03:50]
• “If this gig comes to an end, I'm going into plumbing. Good to go. Good to go. Good to go.” — John C. Dvorak [09:14]
• “I'm just telling you these things that are harder to... in California, people like what, what do people do with their high gas and electric bill? They stop using their power. And then they just say, okay, well let's freeze the death. You buy more sweaters.” — Adam Curry [11:49]
• “That's the problem. California is America. You know, if California was Texas, we'd be better off...” — Adam Curry [13:09]
• “When the mums get involved. Serious.” — John C. Dvorak on the Pink Ladies movement [17:48]
• “I'm just saying they have to be identifiable that is behind the whole thing somehow. All right, he's managed to pull this off. And I think it's obligatory for us to figure out who these people are and name them.” — Adam Curry [25:20]
• “The true enemy of the people in this world is Satan.” — John C. Dvorak [25:34]
• “We need all these data centers and everything. Of course, it's unfortunate that people are paying for it and paying for your stupid chatgpt by your electric bill and utilities doubling.” — John C. Dvorak [10:23]
• “No, power is about power.” — Adam Curry [22:31]
• “There's always truth in humor.” — John C. Dvorak, after playing AI Trump satire [28:02]
• “We have a first row seat. It was about redistricting, getting more, in this case Democrat seats and, and illegal voters. So isn't it ultimately about power?” — John C. Dvorak [22:12]

Show Structure, Language, and Tone

Throughout, Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak maintain a conversational, sardonic style, frequently interlacing serious political analysis with biting humor, asides, and playful jabs at each other and public figures. They often invoke audience participation ("troll room"), use recurring inside jokes (e.g., “Error” for AI assistance, “Secretary General” for top donors), and drop pop culture references as well as outlandish speculation (clones, Illuminati, Satanists).

They scrutinize mainstream media reporting, challenge "official narratives," and encourage self-reliance, alternative viewpoints, and critical thinking in true No Agenda fashion.

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:24–02:00 – Trump ride-along & historical crime bill analysis
• 05:36–08:16 – CBS Skilled Labor Shortage report
• 13:44–20:26 – Operation “Raise the Colours,” UK immigration reactions
• 26:11–28:02 – AI Trump Red Carpet satire of EU leaders
• 31:00–55:21 – Ukraine/NATO analysis, Bolton’s Article 5 discussion
• 71:20–83:05 – China as puppet-master in world conflicts
• 83:18–97:52 – Stablecoin speculation, finance and global power
• 152:21–154:06 – Battery-powered ferry climate tech satire
• 175:01–187:00 – Vaccine policy and pediatrician conflicts critiqued

For Further Engagement

• Full episode, art, show notes, and meetups: No Agenda Show
• Community: No Agenda Meetups

End of Episode

This is not My Little Pony. — End-of-show ISO

“We go out, we hit people in the mouth.”

Summary prepared using the original language, context, and tone of the speakers and formatted for clarity and accessibility for new or returning listeners.