Dave Portnoy is Missing the Point

Summary

Podcast Title: Part Of The Problem
Host/Author: GaS Digital Network
Episode: Dave Portnoy is Missing the Point
Release Date: May 7, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Part Of The Problem, host Dave Smith engages in a robust discussion with co-hosts Robbie the Fire Bernstein and Natalie. The conversation traverses multiple topics, including government inefficiencies, libertarian principles, foreign policy, and a critical incident involving Dave Portnoy. The episode offers insightful commentary on current events through a libertarian lens, enriched with personal anecdotes and notable quotes from influential figures.

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Government Overreach and Airport Regulations

Dave Smith opens the discussion by expressing frustration with the current state of air travel, highlighting the government's role in disrupting the airline industry. He states:

Dave Smith (00:56): "We're in the meltdown of the civilized world right now like mine is. I was literally going through flights... the government screw up... everything about the airport's so ridiculous."

Robbie the Fire Bernstein echoes this sentiment, pointing out the financial implications of government policies on the aviation sector:

Robbie the Fire Bernstein (01:48): "It's amazing how much money there is in the airport business... they're okay with just disrupting an entire industry."

The conversation delves into the inefficiencies of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), with Dave referencing a past report on the TSA's performance:

Dave Smith (02:53): "They published the results of the TSA's tests. They missed 80% of fake explosives... for all that shit that we go through, they still don't get the stuff."

Robbie adds personal frustration with the high security fees and invasive procedures:

Robbie the Fire Bernstein (02:37): "There's a security fee on your flight ticket... $35 fee. $15 more than a porch tour... outrageous that it costs them that much to facilitate long security lines."

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Upcoming Debates on Immigration

Transitioning from government inefficiencies, Dave Smith announces upcoming debates focused on immigration, emphasizing his commitment to libertarian principles. He shares his excitement about participating in an Oxford-style debate at the SoHo Forum:

Dave Smith (09:33): "I'm debating Cato's number one immigration specialist... lay out the case for why libertarians ought to support immigration restrictions."

Robbie expresses enthusiasm about contributing humorously to the debate:

Robbie the Fire Bernstein (11:34): "Immigration jokes, got a couple ideas."

Dave underscores the significance of these debates in shaping libertarian discourse:

Dave Smith (10:07): "It's a very good opportunity for me to lay out my case... why open borders are insane and libertarians should oppose them."

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Trump’s Nord Stream Pipeline Commentary

A significant portion of the episode analyzes a clip featuring former President Donald Trump discussing the Nord Stream pipeline incident. Dave Smith critiques Trump's response to a question about the pipeline explosion, highlighting the administration's failure to address underlying issues:

Dave Smith (13:38): "It's like, here's the funhouse mirror version... does not come along with this nonsense about how he was really the one who blew it up."

Robbie supports the critique, questioning the logic behind the investigation:

Robbie the Fire Bernstein (13:50): "So I'm wondering, now that you're President, if you would consider launching a formal investigation into what happened there."

Dave Smith contextualizes the discussion within broader US foreign policy and historical tensions between Germany and Russia:

Dave Smith (14:36): "The entire motivation for US foreign policy post World War II was to always keep the Germans and Russians out... if Hitler and Stalin had gotten together, who wins that?"

The hosts explore the implications of Trump's remarks, emphasizing the disconnect between media projections and presidential actions:

Dave Smith (16:09): "He just pivots into this nonsense about how he was really the one who blew it up... it's not a good thing because he got them to stop."

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Dave Portnoy's Anti-Semitic Incident

A central focus of the episode is the incident involving Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, and his overreaction to anti-Semitic behavior at his bar. Natalie recounts the event where someone displayed a "Fuck the Jews" sign, leading to Portnoy's aggressive response:

Natalie (35:44): "I'm gonna make it my life mission to ruin these people... I've been hunting down waitresses... This girl, one of the waitresses, I just told her, like, you're the dumbest I've ever talked to."

Dave Smith criticizes Portnoy's approach, arguing that it amounts to bullying rather than constructive confrontation:

Dave Smith (49:46): "You're not doing that. You're bullying all of these people now. What did the waitress exactly do that was up?"

Robbie the Fire Bernstein adds to the criticism, highlighting the disproportionate response:

Robbie the Fire Bernstein (50:35): "This kind of fun. It just sounds like you're bullying all of these people now."

The hosts discuss the ineffectiveness of Portnoy's reaction in curbing anti-Semitism, suggesting that it exacerbates the problem rather than resolving it:

Dave Smith (61:58): "This is all wrong. This is not the way. Don't go into this woke... you're not going to get the results you want."

They contrast Portnoy's tactics with more effective approaches, such as Daryl Davis's method of dialogue and understanding to counter hate:

Dave Smith (62:15): "Step number one, be cool. Treat people with decency... start a conversation."

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Analysis and Conclusions

Throughout the episode, Dave Smith and his co-hosts advocate for libertarian principles, emphasizing personal responsibility, minimal government interference, and the importance of constructive dialogue over punitive measures. They critique government inefficiencies, question established foreign policies, and challenge aggressive approaches to combating hate.

A significant takeaway is the advocacy for rational discourse and the rejection of fear-based or forceful tactics in addressing societal issues. The hosts argue that creating an environment where open, respectful conversations can occur is more effective in mitigating conflicts and fostering understanding.

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Notable Quotes

• Dave Smith (00:56):
  "We're in the meltdown of the civilized world right now like mine is."

• Robbie the Fire Bernstein (02:37):
  "There's a security fee on your flight ticket... outrageous that it costs them that much to facilitate long security lines."

• Dave Smith (09:33):
  "I'm debating Cato's number one immigration specialist... lay out the case for why libertarians ought to support immigration restrictions."

• Dave Smith (13:38):
  "It's like, here's the funhouse mirror version... does not come along with this nonsense about how he was really the one who blew it up."

• Dave Smith (49:46):
  "You're not doing that. You're bullying all of these people now. What did the waitress exactly do that was up?"

• Dave Smith (61:58):
  "This is all wrong. This is not the way. Don't go into this woke... you're not going to get the results you want."

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Conclusion

In "Dave Portnoy is Missing the Point," Part Of The Problem offers a critical examination of government policies, libertarian ideologies, and contemporary social issues. Through candid discussions and sharp analysis, Dave Smith and his co-hosts encourage listeners to question prevailing narratives, advocate for personal freedoms, and seek constructive solutions to societal challenges. The episode serves as a compelling discourse for those interested in libertarian perspectives on current events and cultural phenomena.

Transcript

[Dave Smith]

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[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Glad to be home. It's the calm before the porch, my friend.

[Dave Smith]

The calm before the porch. Well, at least your airport of choice is not the meltdown of the civilized world right now like mine is. I was literally, I have to book. I. I was literally going through flights and I'm, they're like, you know, it's like, I'm flying again in like a week and they're like, it's going to be bad for another week. I'm like, okay, so I can't fly out of Newark and then now I got to book flights for our next trip after that. And I'm like, do I take government people at their word? That'll be fixed in a week. Like, the government told me we needed 15 days to slow the spread and then we were in lockdowns for a year and a half. So I, I'm not.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

It's amazing how much money there is in the airport business and that. I guess since government doesn't like profits, they're okay with just disrupting an entire industry. I assume the FAA positions are actually government staffed and they're not staffed by the airlines. Yeah.

[Dave Smith]

Yes. Yeah, yeah. Those are government employees. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it's a government screw up. And of course air travel is like one of the most highly regulated industries. I mean, a lot's made about how, like, Ronald Reagan like, deregulated to some degree, I think the airlines, but there's still like a crazy regul, you know, industry. And once you get to like, that level of regulation, it's basically all government jobs anyway, you know what I mean? Like, maybe not officially but it's all, like, just the worst. The worst. Everything about the airport's so ridiculous.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

I, I've been flying now. I take like 40 flights a year, maybe more. I take a lot of flights. I think I've only first noticed that there's actually a security fee on your flight ticket. And it's not cheap. Like, if you just. I think it might be a $35 fee. That's $15 more than a porch tour.

[Dave Smith]

Take it.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Like, and what, for them to hold you up and, and, and touch your underwear? It's kind of outrageous that it cost them that much to facilitate long security lines. I got to check the price tag on that. I don't know if it ranges differently on flights.

[Dave Smith]

Yeah, maybe. I'm not. I'm not sure. But, yeah, I have noticed that before. But that's also just like everything you remember. There was the thing. Wait, I forget the exact details of this, but this was years ago, like 15 years ago or something like that. But they did, like, you know, they, they, they published, like, the results of the TSA's tests. Like, they have these third parties go in and just try. They sneak in, like, fake explosives, and they missed 80% of them. Like, for all that shit that we go through, they still, like, don't get the stuff.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

I don't know. That's possible. Just with the way that they harass me in my bags. Maybe it's just my dumb face.

[Dave Smith]

It probably is your dumb face. That's the reason for most of my problems is your dumb face just being too closely associated with it.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

I've traveled with this same shotgun microphone for also 40 flights or something. And I don't remember the airport, but in one airport, they pulled me over for it, and the guy was so excited, he really thought he found a gun. And then when he opened it up and he double checked it, and then he finally pulled it out, and then he had to look at me. He's just a dumb government employee. So all disappointed, like, so what was this thing? It's a microphone, you fucking retard.

[Dave Smith]

Well, it's also. I mean, I'm not trying to be annoyed.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

He really thought he had something.

[Dave Smith]

Look, I'm not trying to be a dick, but, like, there are different levels of government employees and whatever the TSA is, you know, you're just like, I, you might be better suited to work at Wendy's, I think might be like, like, literally, the people who are working at the TSA were applying to Wendy's and the tsa, and they got The TSA job. It is.

[Natalie]

It's.

[Dave Smith]

They're also just, you know, it's one of the things that I just. Look, I mean, this is like, you know, the essence of, like, Libertarianism 101 type stuff. But there is something where you're, you know, it's. The problem with government in a nutshell, right, is that it's. It's based on force. So it's not like, you know, you are. Every interaction you have with the government is like there's this threat of force behind it. And we all know that on some level. And so, like, you in any other set. In any other setting, like, if you go to a business, you're the customer. Like, I'm not saying there's. There's not some example where someone's, like, rude to you in a business, but generally speaking, when you go into any type of voluntary, you know, market action, you. The customer is kind of king. People are nice to you. They'll. They'll try to help you find something. They're trying to get your business. That's the whole model here, is that we want you to shop with us whenever it comes to something like that. It's like, you know, you're essentially the boss when you walk into a store, but when you walk into the. Anything with the government, they're just the boss. They're. They're a monopoly that's based off force. You have no choice. And so it just breeds this thing where, like, you know, in. If you. If you walk into the Apple Store, it's like, hey, I'm a customer here. I need this. I need this. And they're like, okay, let me get that for you. But when you walk into the dmv, it's just like, wait on the long line. That makes no sense to have you wait on. You know, like, everything's just like. And with the tsa, it's like, it's all of that, plus they are the most people you'll ever meet in your life. And no, I got. I did get the other day recognized by a TSA agent who said he's a huge fan. So if you're listening. Not you, but also if you're listening, you know exactly what the I'm talking about, because you work with all these people, but it'll just be things like, literally, like, even. They're just dicks. They're. Oh, my God, dude. I mean, like, I. I literally. I got into. I got into a thing with the tsa, which literally almost went bad because one of. Because, like, they're a dick to me all the time, but, like, I'm just trying. I fly all the time, and I'm just trying to keep it moving. But I was flying with my wife, and one of them was real snappy to her. And then I started talking back to him, and that. I just get. I. I could take that to me, but don't fucking talk to my wife that way. And I said some pretty mean things to him.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

I always like it when sometimes they have the energy, like, they're about to miss a flight, and it's like, relax. You can process this slower. You don't have to yell at us. We're not checking into prison. It's not that big of a deal. It's not your problem if someone misses a flight. Relax.

[Dave Smith]

Yeah, well, they'll also just be. They'll be rude to you when you ask the most reasonable question.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Oh, yeah, because you know what's funny? I'm in every airport, and they all operate differently. So sometimes I literally walk up to the thing, I'm like, hey, is laptop coming out of the bag? Why would you ask me that? Not going out.

[Dave Smith]

Keep it in the bag.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Everything goes on. You're like, relax, I was just asking the question.

[Dave Smith]

You're.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

You're one airport. There's 100 of these across the country. They all have a different policy.

[Dave Smith]

Well, also, I've had that happen when it's the same airport with a different policy. I've literally had that happen where it's like, we got to take laptops out. And they're like, no. What do you. And I go, oh, okay, well, we did two weeks ago right here. So it's a pretty reasonable thing for me to ask. Um, but, yeah, anyway, I'm literally getting myself angry thinking about that TSA person being rude to my wife. Oh, I was pretty vicious in response to him, though. I said mean things. Anyway, okay, let's. Let's get into some stuff that's not just us bitching about flying, by the way. We. The reason we fly is to come see you good people. And we will be. I got a. You know, geez, I got a busy, busy month coming up. I guess I'm. I'm always kind of busy these days, but we should let everybody know. Well, first of all, I'll be doing. I'm doing another big podcast that I think you guys will be excited about in a few days here, so that should be out soon. And then the next one we got together is Appleton, Wisconsin. Very excited to do that. Salt Lake City, Denver, Cleveland, Providence, Tacoma, Spokane, a whole bunch of dates coming up. Comic Dave Smith.com for those, for those ticket links and, and then also I haven't mentioned it in a while. It is, it's sold out, so you can't come. But I think, you know, I gotta check. I don't know if it'll be live streamed or not, but I'm debating at the soho Forum. That is my next debate. It's going to be an Oxford style debate on how libertarians ought to feel about immigration. I have been, it's coming up in a, in a few weeks here, it's May 20th something and I've literally, it just was like occurring to me today that I was like, I should probably start thinking about that should probably put my argument together here. But I am, you know, I just, I've had so much other stuff going on that I've been focused on, but I am, I am excited for this because it's, you know, there's like, there's, I've done a lot of debates and different styles of debates, you know, like, you know, like, you know, like informal debates where it's just like two people on a podcast arguing an issue. And then I've done the slightly more formal ones where like there's a moderator and then there's two people arguing about an issue. And then I've done a couple of like Oxford style debates and there's advantages and disadvantages to both, but there is something about an Oxford style debate where it's a little bit cleaner. You know, you, you get to give your opening statement and then give your rebuttal and then you have a little period to mix it up and then you give a closing statement and then people are going to vote on it and vote on before and after and you see how many people you could change. And it's kind of a, you know, it has been one of my areas of focus for a while now has been trying to get libertarians good on this issue. And I don't know, this is a good opportunity for me I think, because I'm first off it's at Gene Epstein's SoHo forum, which is like an amazing debate series there. And it's, you know, it's kind of, it's, it's backed by Reason magazine and it's become kind of like known in the libertarian world as like the kind of the libertarian debate series. And then I'm debating like Cato's, you know, number one immigration specialist there. So it's a very good opportunity for me to like lay out the case for why libertarians ought to support immigration restrictions. So I'm excited for the opportunity for that. And I believe you're going to, you're going to do stand up there, right?

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Yep.

[Dave Smith]

Yeah. So Rob Bernstein will be there, some.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Immigration jokes, got a couple ideas. Hopefully I'll tune them up over Florida weekend.

[Dave Smith]

There you go. And then I think we're doing like, I think Gene is organizing some type of after party type thing too. So if you are there, I hope for those of you who have already bought tickets, it'll be, that should be a Fun time. The SoHo forum for a long time was like my home. I think I'm, as Jean likes to mention, I believe I, I hold the distinct honor of being the only person who has, I've done standup opening for the debates many times and I've also debated and moderated. So I've done everything at that series and I used it back when I had, I had less wives and babies. I used to be at every single one of the, the SoHo forums because I just love going there and hanging out. It's like always a great group of people and really interesting debates and you know, all of that. By the way, when I say less wives and babies, I only have the one wife. I haven't gotten any more wives, but I did have gotten more babies. But anyway, so it's kind of like a, like a homecoming type thing. And then I get to kind of lay out my case for why open borders are insane and libertarians should oppose them. So I'm, I'm very much looking forward to that. And at some point I'll start thinking about what I'm going to say. It'll be good by the time I get there. Don't you worry. Okay. Anyway, let's, let's jump into this. This was a topic that I found kind of interesting and for a couple of reasons. It hits on obviously the, the war in Ukraine, which is something we've spent a lot of time talking about over the years. And it also kind of hit on a major theme that I've been talking and tweeting a lot about. So let's play this clip. This is from yesterday. Donald Trump was taking questions at the White House. And I thought actually a very. One of the better questions that I have heard asked of Donald Trump since he's been back in the White House was, was asked of him. So let's play that clip.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Two and a half years ago, the Nord Stream pipeline blew up.

[Dave Smith]

And despite what people like John Brennan.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

And all the cops said you were one person who said Russia probably did not blow up its own pipeline, if you can believe.

[Natalie]

They said Russia blew it up.

[Dave Smith]

Yeah.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

And so I'm wondering, now that you're President, if you would consider launching a formal investigation into what happened there, who.

[Dave Smith]

Actually did blow it up. Well, probably if I asked certain people.

[Natalie]

I'd be able to tell you without having to waste a lot of money on an investigation. But I think a lot of people know who blew it up. But I was the one that blew it up originally because I wouldn't let it be built. And then when Biden got in, he allowed it to be built.

[Dave Smith]

All right, can you just pause it for a second here? Okay, so part of the reason why I found this so fascinating, right, is that it's. First of all, it's a great question. It's one I don't know that I would have thought. Huh.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Props to Tyler Durden of Zero Hedge.

[Dave Smith]

Is that who asked the question? Was it a Zero Hedge guy?

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

We actually know who it was, but Zero Hedge has a guy in the room now who got that.

[Dave Smith]

Oh, right, right. Yes, it's. Yes. Oh, okay. I didn't. That's funny. I didn't even realize that I know who this is. Asking a question, so. Giving credit. Excellent question. I don't know that I would have even thought that. I mean, I could think of some pretty good questions for Trump, but I don't know that I would have thought of that one. But a really good question. And I think in a way, it really got to the heart of, of one of the things that, you know, me and you have, have talked about. Like, that's just been, you know, utterly disappointing about this administration. But it's like, oh, yeah, that's right. You know, the goddamn government commits so many crimes, I almost forget about really major ones. You know, like, he was like, it was just when you asked me to rattle off the crimes, I'm like, okay, well, they lied us into several wars and they instituted totalitarian lockdowns. They covered up a giant pedophile ring. They framed the president for treason. And you're like, oh, yeah, and the biggest act of invent terrorism in human history. That's right. There's that other one that they did. And then literally, this happens two and a half years ago. The they. The Nord Stream pipeline gets blown up. Joe Biden is on record having threatened to destroy the pipeline. It's clearly got the West's fingerprints all over it. And they tried to tell you that Vladimir Putin Blew up his own pipeline, which he built, and he can just turn off, like, he doesn't have to blow it up, Blowing it up. Just all it does is not give him the option to turn it back on. And so this question is asked, and then look, I mean, what do you get from Donald Trump here? He asked the question, are you going to launch an investigation? And Donald Trump goes, yeah, I wouldn't even need to launch an investigation. I could probably just tell some people and then tell you. A lot of people know. A lot of people know who did it. Translation. No, there won't be an investigation. Donald Trump, like, what is this? A lot of people know. I could just ask them and then tell them it's. Yeah, could you do that? Would you mind, like, can we do that right now? Can you call. Do you have your cell phone on you? Can you call them right now and ask them how, like, why. It's so funny, the level of, like, you know, like, if you think about all the projection from the corporate media, who was like, if Donald Trump gets in there, he might prosecute his political opponents. And you know that while they were doing the same thing to him and how much was made over him having that lock her up chant back in 2016. But then you sit, like, the reality, it's just unbelievable. It's like, here's the. The funhouse mirror version. And then the reality is them going like, hey, how about this very specific, blatant crime that was committed by the previous administration who supposedly guts you hate. You want to tell us about that? It's like, no, no interest. And then, of course, he pivots into this nonsense about how he was really the one who blew it up. As if that's a good thing because he got them to stop. You know, he got Germany and Russia to stop.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

They should blown it up. But I would have blown it up better, believe me.

[Dave Smith]

It's also like, you know, it's such a weird. The. The Nordstream pipeline's like a particularly interesting issue because it. It exposes, like, how people think about the world. And, you know, there is. What's his name, the Stratford guy? I think his name is Freeman, who. He was the head of Stratford for a while, but he basically, what he said, which is kind of an interesting theory, is that he was like, the entire motivation for US foreign policy post World War II was to always keep the Germans. It was always like to keep the Russians out and to keep the Germans down. And that essentially, like the big fear from the American empire is like, that Germany And Russia would get together like if they, you know, like this was like obviously the big fear right before World War II was that, oh my God, what if Stalin and Hitler, you know, like, which is kind of interesting. Like there's, there's a lot of interesting nuggets about World War II. Like, like Hitler had a real affinity for the British Empire earlier in his life. Obviously they ended up going to war, but he had like a lot of respect for the British Empire. He had a, a deal worked out with Stalin at one point. And like you have, you have like imperialist Britain, capitalist America, Communist Russia and fascist Germany. And it's not so clear where the partnerships would end up. You know what I mean? Like, it's not like such a given that the capitalists and the communists ought to be friends. And you could make a lot of arguments that fascism is a lot closer to the system of communism than capitalism is. And, and anyway, so it's just, it's like you could see where, okay, the team of, you know, Britain, US and Russia ends up defeating the Nazis and their allies, Italy and Japan and them. But like, oh my God, if Hitler and Stalin had gotten together, who, who's to say who wins that? You know what I mean? Like it's, it's not a given. And, and basically what, what Friedman was arguing was that like there is the concern from the American empire was like if you ever combined the natural resources and the human capital, like the sheer size of Russia and number of people with like German ingenuity, this could pose a real threat to the, you know, like he would say it in nicer words like this could pose a threat to the rules based international order or whatever, you know, the global hegem. But whatever they, whatever term they use instead of empire, which just means empire in a different, with different words. But so it's interesting, like I'm not sure this is exactly right, but it's in, it's an interesting way to look at things and that, you know, I know for sure. Like there was, if you go read, because there's like notes from the meetings that have been declassified, but there were what's called the two plus four meetings and then there were like some subsequent meetings after that, like that where the minutes to the meetings have been declassified and these are the meetings that were taking place from like 1989, 1990, 1991. So like as the Soviet Union is about to collapse and during the meetings, you know, like they're not, it, they're not exactly like certain that the Soviet Union is about to collapse, but they're talking about allowing German reunification and pulling back. And there's even talk, I think, of, like, of dissolving the Warsaw Pact. And like, so there's like all these. So, so while this is happening, and you can read this like the west is trying to get German reunification, and then a big topic of debate is about NATO expansion. This is where the. Not one inch to the east promise, where all those promises are made. And one of the things they're talking about is like, okay, so at the time, right, during the height of the Cold War, or I shouldn't say the height, but during the Cold War, I guess this would be not the height, but the end. But so at this time, right, the line was drawn right down the middle of Germany. It was down the Elbe River. So the West. West Germany is, is with the west and East Germany is with the East. And they're talking about, you know, allowing German reunification. The Berlin Wall had just come down like the previous year. And while they're talking about it, kind of like the Russian beef is like, okay, but like, what about NATO now? Because if we reunify Germany, are. Is NATO now moving east? And this is where the original, like, not one inch east. And they were saying, even let Germany be reunified, but NATO military hardware won't move beyond the Elbe River. Like, it'll still. Will still draw the line militarily in the same place. Now, ultimately, even by the end, I think the Russians even accepted that. Like, that doesn't make any sense. And like, how are you going to reunify Germany but only the west half of it is. Has NATO protection and not the eastern half of it. And anyway, one of the things that's interesting in that, if you read through the notes of the meeting, is that what they keep, what they do, in a sense, to kind of get the Russians to fold and go, like, okay, fine, like, have Germany under NATO's umbrella is that they keep, like, propose, like, they float out the idea. They go, or maybe Germany could just be independent. Like, maybe we could just have an independent Germany. And then that, like, sends shivers down everyone. Like, the Russians are like, whoa, wait a minute, hold on. We don't like that. And so there is this interesting thing where, like, we may not think of it that way. World War II seems like kind of ancient history, but to a lot of powerful people, and particularly this is in, you know, 1990. So this is, you know, it's, it's 50 years or 45 years later, but they Still, I mean, this war, you know, 60 million people died in World War II, I think was 30 or 40 million of them died in Eastern Europe in the war between Russia and Germany. And so a lot of. Anyway, my point is that there's a lot, a lot of people are freaked out over the prospect of there being this pipeline of like Russia and Germany being, becoming allies and doing business together and all of this. And the concern, I think, is that that could threaten U.S. dominance. And Donald Trump always fell right into that. And that's why he's bragging about, oh, yeah, I was the one who got them to stop being friends. But it's always amazing to me. I remember when I, when I debated at Princeton University, it was the last Oxford style debate I did. I debated Josh Ha. And one of the points he was making was like bragging about the Abraham Accords and how successful Donald Trump was for working them out. And I just kind of made the point. I go, it's a little bit weird for you to brag about the Abraham Accords right now because, like, I don't know if you've paid attention to the Middle east over the last couple years. It's not going great. And so it's got. Now, I'm not saying that, like, causation isn't, isn't correlation or whatever, but, like, it is a little bit strange. It's. And I, the example I used in the debate was, I said it would be like, you're bragging about how you and your wife saw the best couples therapist. Like, this guy is the best. It was unbelievable. Like, the best thing we ever did. And we go, oh, so things are going a lot better for you guys now? And they're like, no, we got divorced, horrible breakup. But I'm, but man, that couple's counseling was so great. So. Well, it didn't seem to work out that well. And so it's funny that even in hindsight, Donald Trump can't even like fathom. And maybe it wasn't a good idea. Maybe we would have been way better off if Russia was more integrated with Europe. You know what I mean? Like, why? It's just crazy. And, and, you know, I think from, certainly from my perspective, I go, okay, well, look, I don't. First off, I don't care about the American empire because we're not supposed to be an empire anyway. We're supposed to be a republic. And it's been nothing but a disaster for the American people that we've been an empire, not to mention for the countries that we dominate. But I just look at it on a human level and I go, okay, if the worst thing that ever happened in the history of the world was when Germany and Russia went to war, then it seems pretty great that they'd be friends. And of course, America comes in to go, no, let's ruin that. All right, guys, let's take a moment and thank our sponsor for today's show which is American Financing. 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Plus they may close your loan in as little as 10 days and you may be able to delay two mortgage payments giving you a cushion in uncertain times. Once again, call today 8668-8620-2686-6886-2026 or visit them online at american financing.net Dave all right, let's get back into the show. So anyway, it's just all of it is I found this, this question to be interesting. I found Trump's answer to and kind of, I don't know, it illustrates something about first off, how he still gets everything wrong about what led up to the war. And also just the more, you know, the more basic point that I've been harping on for a long time that me and you have talked about for a while, Rob, that it's just like look like the crimes that the government has committed are so profound. And you got all these people, Tulsi Gabbard and Dan Bongino and Cash Patel and Bobby Kennedy and Donald Trump himself who have like been making a living calling out these crimes, you know, making their name off, off calling out These crimes. I mean, Donald Trump had a name, but you know what I'm saying? Even in the question here, Liam points out that it's like, yeah, you're the guy. You're the guy who called it out. Hey, I remember two and a half years ago when, when this happened, and I remember you calling out that this was all bullshit, and yet all of you guys are in power now and there's just no move. There's no move being made. By the way, Rob, I posted this, something to this effect earlier on Twitter today, and I was assured by many Trump supporters, you got to give it time, dude. Got to be patient. All these guys are going to be brought to justice. And it's just like, how. I don't know. At what point are you just like, no, they're not. Sorry, I wish they were, but none of that's going to happen.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

I'm just not a believer, Dave.

[Dave Smith]

That is the problem, I suppose. Well, and that is true. I am not a believer. I do not believe it at all.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

It's a tough pitch for why Russia in a pre Ukraine environment isn't allowed to sell natural gas directly to Germany. Other than that you're representing American oil interests, or you think you got to keep down every single nation so that they can't acquire wealth. It's just a tough pitch. Other than mercantilism that I don't understand how else you kind of justify not letting other countries freely trade with each other.

[Dave Smith]

Yep. No, that's. That's exactly right. And, and also just that, you know, like, on top of that, like, Germany had embraced all of these insane climate policies. So I think they got rid of like a whole bunch of their, like, nuclear power, maybe all of it. I don't remember. I remember reading about this years ago, but it was crazy. And then it's like, oh, here comes Vladimir Putin. Like, I'll sell you some natural gas at a very reasonable price. And they're like, oh, so that. You mean that would be like, really great for the people of Russia and the people of Germany. And then our role is to come in here and be like, no, stay poorer. Don't get richer. Just horrible on every level. All right, you want to here. You want to move on? I kind of almost reluctantly, but I do want to talk a little bit about this, this Dave Portnoy story, because I, I just find it fascinating and the, the reaction to it is crazy. So if you, if you guys don't know, which I don't know that much about Dave Portnoy, I I kind of tend to like him. I don't really know, you know, that much. Like, I don't really watch his content that much. I'm just too. I'm too busy for like, sports content. Just. I've just got too much work to do and got little kids and a wife who I try to hang out with every now and then. But I did grow up like a big sports fan, and I still am. I watched the Knicks game the other night. Amazing. Beat the Celtics. But he does like, you know, he's like a sports company and they do like, it's just like, it's like dude stuff, I think. You know, like, he does like pizza rankings. Like, he'll go to all the best pizza places in the country and rank their pizza. And then they cover like, you know, the football games like that. And that's like. Even though I don't like really do that anymore, that's like kind of my type of thing. You know what I mean? Like, if I was, if I, when I was 20, I was watching everything on, on, you know, ESPN. If I were 20 today, I'd probably be a huge barstool sports fan. And ranking pizza seems right up your alley, Rob. It seems like you were only like, you were a couple zigs when you zagged away from ending up there rather than here. But do you know the, the barstool guys at all? Like, do you ever watch any other stuff?

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

I. I think he's great. I don't follow everything. I certainly don't agree with all of his political opinions, but just as a radio guy, he's great when, you know, every once in a while I end up on a wormhole of watching his pizza reviews. Every once in a while he, he pops up on the news. He's funny, he's a great personality. That's not an endorsement of everything he says or does, nor do I watch all of it. But more often than not, when he comes across my feed, I'm like, oh, look, Dave Portnoy. And it's entertaining.

[Dave Smith]

Yeah, that's kind of how I've felt about him too. And then he, he. I think, like, I think there was this dynamic that happened to a lot of people. I'm speaking on my ass a little bit here because I don't really like, follow him that closely. But I think if I'm not mistaken, essentially what happened to him is what happened to a lot people is over the years of like woke insanity, like he was kind of like, oh, I'm not like political. I just want to, like, be over here and be a dude. And then like, the woke people were like, well, that's actually a political statement to be a dude. And so you're our enemy. And then they, you know, like, they almost, like, started attacking him about everything. And then he's a dude, so he's not a pussy. You know what I mean? So, like, once they started attacking him, it was like, no, fuck you, you know, and started, like, battling with the woke people.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Hey, I've made. I'm wealthy and awesome. And I built this company from scratch. And that's awesome. I love. I love that part of his thing. And he's such a winner. He got some massive payout from that gambling company and then bought back Barstool for like a dollar ownership, plus all that money that he received on the buyout. Just winter shit.

[Dave Smith]

Yeah, yeah. Can't argue with any of that. So anyway, look, I. So I'm not coming at this as a guy who, like, doesn't like Dave Portnoy. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's just that I do. See, I don't know, I think there's. There's like an inability that some people have of how to grapple with, like, the Jew hating stuff. But they don't like. And I understand why they don't like it. I don't like it either, but I've always. I just like. I think. I think ironically, I suppose that a lot of the people who really prioritize, like, shutting down the Jew hatred, like, we gotta. We gotta handle this. This problem that people are saying mean shit about Jews. They're. They go about it all wrong. And ironically, they end up being the ones who are really feeding that fire. Like, if you think this is a problem, you're making the problem much worse. So I guess what happened was he had some event at like, a bar that he owns doing some sports thing there, and someone showed up with a the Jews sign. That's the story. Okay, so here was Dave Portnoy's. I guess this. This. I guess pictures were taken and that went up on social media and it was a bit of a scandal. And then this was his video the next day. I believe he called this an emergency press conference.

[Natalie]

All right, emergency press conference time.

[Dave Smith]

There you go.

[Natalie]

So I'm getting ready to go to the BET gala, and all of a sudden, my phone, the last hour or two, my phone's blowing up. Our bar in Philadelphia, Barstool, Sampson street, usually a great bar, you know, bottle service, people buy drinks, you get a Sign. There was a sign yesterday that said the Jews. I've been shaking. I've been so mad the last two hours. Like I instantly got on. This is why the emergency press conference late because I was so over the top. It's like I'm gonna make it my life mission to ruin these people.

[Dave Smith]

Okay, pause, just pause it right here.

[Natalie]

I'm never ending.

[Dave Smith]

Okay, so I remember when I was a kid. So when I was a, when I was a little kid, like I was around, I think I was five, maybe six. Five or six. And I moved. We moved to this, to a block that was kind of like a tough block. And I wasn't a tough kid at that age. I had never really been. And my parents had already been divorced for years. I didn't really have like a father who was like teaching me how to be a man. I'm noticing that now as I'm doing that with a young boy. Oh yeah, that, that's important. And so we moved to this blog. It was like a really tough block and I used to get like really viciously bullied and it was like these 12 and 13 year olds who used to do it and, and I also. And I was going to this, this public school was a pretty like, I'm not, I'm not like trying to paint a picture. Like I was like had some like horrible childhood or something. But it was tough. It was Brooklyn in the 80s and there were fist fights and there were like these 12 year olds used to us up, up. And man, when you're six, a 12 year old is like a God. I mean it's just impossible to even imagine that you could stand up to them. And I was at this school, there were a lot of fist fights at school and stuff. And I remember just literally I had a single mom. I'm not blaming her at all. She just didn't know. You know, there's not really the type of thing a mom can help you with. And I just had to figure it out. And eventually I figured it out and kind of figured it out like, oh, you can't be a. You have to fight. Like that's it. It's like it sucks. But there's a very basic realization that a lot of men have when they're boys that it's like. And I just had to figure it out myself that it was like, oh, getting beat up is not as bad as just getting humiliated. Like it sucks. But you're also kids, they're not like it wasn't an environment. I'm not like Getting curb stomped here, you know what I mean? I'm gonna get like punched in the stomach. It's like, it's not like. Anyway, so I kind of figured out how to deal with bullies. So, okay, later in life, this is like much later in life. I think I was in the fifth grade or maybe the sixth grade, and then I went to like a very soft private school. So, like, I went to public school and then I went to private school. By the way, best you want to make a future libertarian, send someone to public school and private school. Let them see the difference between the government and the market. Anyway, that's neither. Neither here nor there. I remember they brought in, this was like at the very beginning of like anti bullying campaigns. And they brought in this chick, like a school psychologist or something like that, that gave us a talk on how to deal with bullies. And one of the things they said was that you, you're supposed to start with an eye statement and tell them how their actions are making you feel. And you'd be like, I feel disrespected when you speak to me this way. And I remember just sitting there and being like, like, yo, I figured out many, many years ago that that is completely wrong. Like, that is. If somebody is bullying you, the last thing in the world you would ever want to do is let them know that it's working. That's why they're doing it. Like, you can't. That's the incentive for them doing it to begin with. And likewise, in this situation, it's just like, it's crazy to me to like, we're grown adults sitting here and you're like, oh, are you still. So I figured this out at 5. You've. You have to sit here and go, I was literally shaking because this, I'm so angry about this. And this is so wrong. It's like, dude, that's the point. What do you think someone went to a bar in a public event with a Fuck the Jews sign for to blend into the crowd? Or do you think maybe they were trying to trigger a reaction out of you? So how counterproductive is it to just give them this reaction? Like, it's. You just. So now you. This has always been the dynamic, right? And it's like, it's so strange that it's so hard for people to figure this out, right? But since the rise of even like the alt, right? And back in like 2016 or any of that, it. It's like, dude, this guy. I mean, I don't know anything about the Guy who is holding the sign. I don't know if he's been revealed on, online or whatever, but this guy is presumably no one, right? He's some dude. Oh, was it? Maybe, maybe you're right. I don't know.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

But maybe, Natalie, you're a lesbian. You're good at tracking down hot chicks.

[Dave Smith]

Natalie, you could just, what's, what's coming from inside you right now? What do you feel? Do you know? Can you see him? But you're like, look, presumably whoever this person is, it's like they go there to trigger this reaction and now look what you hand them. They get to have Dave Portnoy saying he's literally shaking. Like it's. Do you not get the power play here? You know, like this has always been the thing now that like some 15 year old on the Internet can get an editor at the New York Times or the owner of the comedy seller or whoever to be like freaking out. It's like, yes, just recognize this. Take away. It was a couple. Okay, so. But if you recognize this, you just, you can immediately take away the energy source and go like, okay, whatever. You're like, I don't know what's, what's the appropriate response to this robbery? I would say if it's my bar and someone comes in and holds up a the Jews sign, I'd probably have someone from the bar walk over to them and be like, guys, you can't, you gotta leave if you have that sign here, you know, can't do that. You want to put the sign away or you wanna, you wanna head out somewhere else, guys, you know, it's like, could be handled like that. Like that's it. And it's. And also like, we gotta stop. And this is, I mean, you can weigh in here, Rob too, but as me and you have been saying for many years, we've got to stop being snowflakes here, dude. Like, I don't like Jew hatred any more than anybody else does. You know, why would I? It's like against me and my group, it's against my friends and my family and you know, okay, I don't like that. But like, what are we? Are we fucking pink haired 20 year olds on a college campus somewhere? Nothing has happened to anybody. No, like, it's like, okay. And I, I really do. The reason I bring up that childhood story, because I really do think like my childhood for whatever like informs the way I, I view a lot of this. Although maybe it's just the way I'm wired or the way I, I view Things, but it's like, I just think it's such a bad idea to ever turn it. To start catastrophizing. Like, very non big deals. Like, don't do that. This is. It's like if we didn't learn anything from the rise and fall of wokeism, it's like, don't do that. You don't. Like, if you want people to actually be persuaded over to your side. If you want, like if that's what you're attempting to do, then the last thing you want to do is be hysterical. And it just. I'm sorry, it. The reaction to this is hysterical. That. That's. Any, Any thoughts, Rob? What? What? What?

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Yeah, I mostly agree with you. I, I think, I think being not cool doesn't help. It's. And yeah, I, I. What are you gonna make? People shouldn't have signs. The Jews. You can make that statement. Hey, no, no. Coming into my bar with the sign, fuck the Jews. You're not invited to, to do that here.

[Dave Smith]

Yeah, I mean, we're any group of people. It's like, yeah, come on, you can't do that. Like, I don't know. If you, if you hold that up at a bar, you're probably going like, oh, we might get kicked out for doing this. And then they'd be like, listen, you got to put that away or you gotta wait. All right.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Anyway, this is a little bit surprising that people feel comfortable enough. Do. Like. I remember once outside of Grand Central, I saw some guy on some anti Jew tirade and I was a little surprised by the comfort level and that. I guess Jews are such pussies that they'll be like, oh, you shouldn't have the sign. Whereas like with other groups of people, if you pull that shit, you might just get. You might get stomped out on the corner. So there is something a little bit. You talking Asians, I don't know about Asians. You can probably get away with Asians. But there's, there's certainly some groups of people that if you decide to make a very public display in the Times Square area about your hatred of this group of people, I think you'd be, you know, I'd be surprised that you felt comfortable doing so, and I'd be surprised. I'd take the over under on how long until that sign at least gets torn up or someone protests it. So there is something a little bit surprising about that. People do have that comfort level to go to public places, you know, with, with signs like that.

[Dave Smith]

I don't. Listen, I don't disagree with you on that. And there's. There's no question. I mean, there's been a. There's been a real rise in the amount of, like, hostility toward Jewish people on Twitter, for sure. There's. And there's accounts with, like, a lot of followers who. Who are way into that shit. And. Yeah, o. So I guess that that's a fair point that, like, it is bleeding over to some degree where someone now feels comfortable enough to go do this at a Dave Portnoy event. I guess my main point is that, like, there's no way anyone did this without this being the intended reaction. Like, it's not as if they did this and then thought to themselves, like, I bet Dave Portnoy will love this. You know what I mean? Like, they're doing this knowing they're going to create that, and I think enjoying it. Hey, guys, let's take a moment and thank our sponsor for today's show, which is Blackout Coffee. As I've told you before, I am a real coffee enthusiast and a bit of a coffee snob, and I love blackout coffee. I've been drinking their cold brew for weeks now. It is absolutely delicious. They're a great company filled with people who believe in liberty and free markets, and they do all of their roasting right here in the United States of America. So cut out the big corporations, cut out the middlemen. Get your coffee from a company that loves freedom and makes it fantastic product. Go check them out right now@blackout coffee.com and make sure to use the promo code problem when you check out. To get 20 off your first order, go to blackout coffee.com problem and make sure to use the promo code problem at checkout. That'll get you 20 off your first order. One more time. Blackout coffee.com problem. Promo code problem for 20 off your first order. All right, let's get back into the show anyway. Let's keep. Let's keep playing.

[Natalie]

And I just sat. In the last two hours, I have been on the trail. Trust me, I've been on the trail. You think I'm gonna put up with this at my bar? So I've been hunting down waitresses, the table who did it and everything you can name, because I want consequences for action. So I'm not just sitting back like, oh, what are you gonna know? Trust me, I have been on it. I believe the two waitresses responsible, the table already fired. I talked to one of them, one of the dumbest humans I've ever talked to in my life. She's at a Dance recital. She's like, can I call you back in 20? No, honey, you can't. There's your one chance to talk to me. Idiot. Total idiot. This girl I've talked to the guy, Mike Wade, who's tagged, guess what? He wasn't even there. I had this kid basically in tears, turning state witness to me, rolling on the people there. I've talked to one of the two guys who did it. He's like, I'm not anti Semitic. He's basically crying to me. And I'm just like, I don't buy it for a second. Who the would do that sign in my bar? You think I'm just gonna sit here? I'm gonna make it my mission to put you in lights. My mission. Kids crying. I just hung up on his ass. I go, I'm giving you one hour. One hour. Two kids go to temple. Tell me how do I make this right before I go ape. You want to take anti Semitism classes, you want to do whatever, you make it feel right. I don't need your tears. The Mike Wade kid wasn't even there. Was in the bar. We got the footage. Not even bar. Trust me, they're pulling the footage. They're doing this. I'm 20 steps ahead. I'm using everything. I'm like, I am going to come for your throat unless you give me answers. The two girls at the bar, idiots. This one girl, one of the waitresses, I just told her, like, you're the dumbest I've ever talked to. 25 years old going on two. You dumb. What I'm saying is I'm getting.

[Dave Smith]

So let's just pause it for a second here, okay? I mean, that's. You can cut that video off. That's basically it. But it's like, I don't. Dude, isn't Talking to a 25 year old girl like, that kind of fucked up who works for you?

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

None.

[Dave Smith]

Right. He's saying this is a waitress at his bar. You're like, I don't know, dude. Like, isn't the spirit of. I would think, like, the spirit of. Why you would be against holding up a Fuck the Jews sign is because you'd go like, hey, don't be dicks to people, man. You know what I mean? And I don't know if you really drive that message home, being like, so I cursed out a 25 year old waitress who works for me, like, all right, just seems a little bit of an overreaction.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

I half feel like I'm 8 years old being pulled into the Principal's office laying on the Jewish guilt trip. But then I have kind of like the boss energy of this is my fucking bar. Mafiosa. Listen, honey, what the fuck did you do? Calling, finding the 24 year old who was in the bar and getting him to cry on the phone. This kind of fun.

[Dave Smith]

It is kind of funny, I will admit that. I grant you that. But it's also kind of like. I don't know, dude. Like, it just. I don't know, it just sounds like you're bullying all of these people now. And like, what did the waitress exactly do that was the up. I guess it was on her to say, like, oh, you can't have that sign here or something like that. But yeah, she's probably some young dingbat chick who is just like, I don't know, they had a sign. I was. They were tipping well. So, like, you know, like, I don't know. Anyway, right, let's go to the second video because this actually gets funnier to me and just more ridiculous. But let's go to the. The other video because this is so. That's the first video he made. Then there's an update, by the way. I've lost track. I think there's like seven more update videos, but let's go to the next one because this was particularly funny.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Natalie, can you pull the video of the actual incident? You have it?

[Dave Smith]

Oh, yeah, that's probably a good idea. Yeah, let's get here. Let's, Let's.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

I mean, you can play this first and see if you can track it down.

[Dave Smith]

Let's do this and then see so she has some time. Let's see if we could find the. The video of the incident. But think all I saw, I just saw a still picture and it's just someone holding up a the Jews sign.

[Natalie]

All right, real quick update on the the Jews sign. That was at my bar in Philadelphia yesterday. Two hours ago, it could literally could have cooked an egg on my head. That's how much steam and heat I had come out of my ears. And the more I thought about it, it's like, these are young morons who did this. They're drunk. It's like, do you really want to ruin somebody's life? And let me be honest, I don't know what's going on in the world. Well, I do the Middle east, obviously, but I've been doing Barcelona for 20 years. I've had more hate, more anti Semitism in the last year, year and a half than I've ever had doing it. And Whether people have, like, Kanye, the UFC guy, it's like mainstream lunatics. And I'm not talking about politics or what's going in the Middle east. Just hating groups of people. People you hate my parents, you hate my grandparents. Like that. It's crazy.

[Dave Smith]

So, yeah, let's pause it already there for a second. It really is, right? Look, man, it's just like you even say it there yourself without really thinking about it, but it's like, yeah, I've never seen it, like, the way it's been the last year, the last 18 months. Like. Like, yeah, that's kind of the thing, right? And this. This has been like one of my messages that I've really been trying to. To get out there for. For the people who are very concerned about the rise in. In Jew hatred is that it's like, yeah, dude. Like, maybe it is the case that this policy is going to come with this blowback, and that is not the same thing as justifying the blowback or excusing it. I think people are responsible for their actions. And, like, it's a fucked up thing to do to go bring this sign to a bar. Now I will also say it's an insane thing to even consider the possibility of. Should I ruin a young person's life for this crime? I mean, that is insane. Like. Like the fact that Portnoy even asked to go. I was thinking I should ruin their lives, but now I'm going in a different direction is like, yo, that's a crazy. I don't know. That's also, I think my mentality, Rob. Like, I'm just old school. Like, I could understand. I could understand going, I'm gonna punch this kid in the mouth for doing this. I cannot understand going, I'm going to ruin this person's life. Like that. That to me is just too nutty. In the same way I. I remember this. I don't know. You weren't there for this, Rob. It was a thing. A year ago, I almost gotten a. I came very close to getting into a fist fight with the guy who was running the open mic after the Legion of Skanks. It was at the old creek in the Cave in Long Island City. And I. Oh, I really almost this kid up. But, like, we got very close to being in getting into a fight, and he was in the wrong and he was talking and then he just kind of backed down and didn't want to fight. And I was furious. And then I go to the bar and I was having a drink at the bar and Rebecca who is the owner of the club. She used to live her above the club. So she comes down because she had heard about this, I guess, and she comes over to me and she goes, and, and just to be clear here, I really wanted to fight this kid who was not willing to fight me. After he was talking, I was like, I was white hot angry. This is maybe a half hour later. But I was furious at the kid. And then she comes down and she goes, she goes, hey, I heard what happened. Like, what's the problem here? Do you need me to get rid of this guy? And, you know, like, I, you know, not that I have the most pull all throughout the world, but at the creek, in the cave, I could have said the word and gotten this kid banned from the club. And I remember immediately just going, no, no, there's no problem, Rebecca. Everything's fine. Because like, in my mind it was always like, look, either we're gonna fight or we're not. But I'm not, like, I'm not doing that. I'm not trying to, like, tell on you so that you're like, livelihood is hurt in some way. That just seems wrong. And so anyway, I think that reaction is crazy. But look, in the same way that I think it's like, fairly easy to recognize that, like, if we're going to have this policy of, say, bombing Muslim countries and this involves killing a lot of innocent people, then we are going to deal with a bunch of Muslims who want to kill us. Like, that's one of the things that comes along with that policy. That doesn't justify terrorism. That doesn't mean Osama bin Laden was the good guy, but it does mean it's an understandable, predictable consequence of killing a lot of innocent people, is that the people who were close to them are going to be ready to kill you. And in the same sense, you just go, if you see this rise in anti Semitism over the Last year to 18 months, it is quite reasonable to say that maybe this is a result of a policy. Otherwise, why has it been rising? Is it a pure coincidence that it's been rising as we are backing Israel's destruction of Gaza? And then if you really considered concerned about the rise of Jew hatred, maybe think about what's going to happen if we get sucked into a war with Iran on behalf of Israel and what this country ends up looking like, or if we are to help the Israelis ethnically cleanse Gaza after this campaign is over, what that's going to do here? Do you think Jew hatred goes up or down as a result of that. And anyway, this is just like that. I think that, as I've been saying for a long time now, I think that if you. You want to see less people who hate Jews, which I certainly do, you know, it may not be my number one priority. I think there are other outrages that rise above someone holding a sign at a bar. But if you want to see less of that, you can't just be like, you can't give in to the outrage that they are trying to generate. And you got to think about what, what policies we have that are leading to this. I don't know. To me, that all seems reasonable. What? I. I don't know. I'm curious your thoughts, Rob.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

I want. I want to see the end of this clip.

[Dave Smith]

All right, here, let's. Let's play the end of the clip.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Sounds like a walk back. Started off with don't fall courtnoy message.

[Dave Smith]

We'll watch it, though.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

I'll let it slide.

[Natalie]

I'm gonna burn these people to the ground, their families, everything. And it's like, you know what? Maybe that's not the best course of action. Maybe I can use this as a teaching moment. And like, before, people just are like the Jews or any group and the hate. Let's try to, like, turn a hideous incident into maybe a learning experience as cliche and very unlike me. But I talked to both the culprits who I know are super involved in it. Talk to the families. I'm sending these kids to Auschwitz. They've agreed to go. That's, of course, the Holocaust concentration camp.

[Dave Smith]

It's too much to bear, Rob. It's too much to bear. First off, can I just say, like.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

It started off like Sesame Street. I'm going to teach him a lesson. Then I got to get on a flight and go visit Auschwitz.

[Dave Smith]

First of all, I will say, like, I understand clearly. I just want to make it clear for any people out there that Dave Portnoy is talking about the museum that is currently at Auschwitz, but there is something about I'm going to send them to Auschwitz that still rings very Nazi. Like, to me, to be like, that's the appropriate punishment. I'm going to send them to Auschwitz. It just kind of comes up.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

It's not like if you just told me I had to go touch the floor of Germany and come back, even that's punishment. But I have to go all the way to Germany and visit the site of horrible humanity. Oh, that's so brutal. And then also, you can't even get through it by cracking jokes, which I've. I personally there was once a school trip that was doing. I was like I can't go. I'll just be cracking jokes the whole time. This is not for me. I'm not mature enough nor do I want to process any. And they were one of the rabbis or even why, why go visit God's devastation? But that's just such a, like that's almost the worst part is having to go and be respectful the whole time. If you're some dick bag kid from Philadelphia who showed up to a bar with a fuck the Jew sign and you got to go and spend four days pretending to be respect. I wonder if Port Nor goes with them also and chaperones it, dude.

[Dave Smith]

Well, so here's the funny thing, right? And you could end this video. We don't have to play any more of it. But so this is the, the funniest thing too is that. So I don't know where the saga is at now, but the next video after this like his third emergency press conference is that they've gone dark on him. Like they just stopped responding after he was like, you have to go to Auschwitz. You know, they're just like go to fucking Auschwitz. What are you talking about, dude?

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

It's such funny thing of wealthy people dolling out punishments where it's like your parents would give you a timeout but a guy who can pay to send you on a ticket will mandate that you go take a tour of Auschwitz.

[Dave Smith]

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[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

It's also just the kids go there and they're such anti Semites, they realized, oh, there's actually an efficient system to get rid of them.

[Dave Smith]

You go, my God, I thought the best we could do was hold up signs at bars, but no, we could set up a whole apparatus here.

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

Yeah, there's hope.

[Dave Smith]

The people who bring a Fuck the Jews sign to a bar don't need to be taught that. That was insensitive. They're aware. And nobody, also, nobody hasn't heard of the Holocaust. Like, there's not. It's not an issue of educating people about this. And this is. I mean, look, all I'm saying is, like, if you want to see this stuff persist and you want to see more of it, you. This is the way to deal with it. Okay?

[Robbie the Fire Bernstein]

I hope he does a daily press conference of 102 days since these people did not report to Auschwitz.

[Dave Smith]

Dude, it is hilarious, just hilarious that that's the direction he went and said, I'm sending you to Auschwitz. Look, man, like I, I'll just say. And this is the old. Look, I'm not saying like, like, this is the exact perfect model or anything like that, but, you know, there was that, that Daryl Davis guy and his. He was this black dude and he was famous for converting people out of the Klux Klan. And he would like, he, he would collect their, their hoods and like, keep their hoods. I forget how many he's got, but he's got like 20 hoods or something like that of like all these guys who used to be in the clown who he convinced out of it. You know, the way he would do it is he would have dinner with them and he wouldn't even talk about the fucking clown. And he wouldn't even pre. He wouldn't get it. He wasn't angry at him. He wouldn't preach him. They wouldn't talk politics, nothing like that. They just break bread and have some dinner. Like, he would just be cool. And then because he was being cool and he was black, eventually they kind of started going like, ah, you know, and then, like, I think as he built a rapport with them, he would just kind of let him know, like, how much it. That hurt him. You know what I mean? It was like, that's like really hurtful to me that you be a part of this organization and then let them all. I'm saying, I'm not saying that's the perfect dynamic. I'm just saying this is. This ain't it. This ain't it. You're not forcing, Forcing under duress, clearly here, right? Like, he's not like, it's not like, hey, I'd really like to educate you about this and I'd like to bring you here to Auschwitz. It's like, hey, I could either ruin your life. Life. Or you could go here to. That's not the way. That's not how you convert people. It's like, step number one, be cool. Step number one is like, be a decent person. Treat people with decency. Okay? Step number two, don't catastrophize things. Don't make them a bigger deal than they are. Then you lose all credibility. The thing is, like, you could just go like, you could just call it what it is. Be like, come on, man. Like, that's like, that's not cool to do that. And then you could just have a conversation with people like they're human beings too. What would have been way more interesting to me than any of this would be like, you try, like, interview these guys and you could even hold them accountable. But again, follow my rules. Follow the Dave Smith rules here. You're not going to be the. How could you. My God. It's just start, start a conversation. You don't even have to talk about this. Start talking about sports with them for a little bit and then get into this and then just be like, hey, dude, you know, if you're like a fan of my thing, you come to my bar. You know, this really caused me a whole headache. Also, I'm Jewish. It's kind of like personally insulting to me. I, I guarantee you, you have a much better shot at results attacking it that way than you do with this stuff. But this one was more hilarious, so I'll give you that. All right, gotta wrap up there. We'll be back with a brand new episode tomorrow. Thank you everybody for listening. Catch you then. Peace.