Ruthless Podcast: "Why the Left is Collapsing"

Date: September 26, 2025
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook (Comfortably Smug out on assignment)

Episode Overview

In this "Fun Time Friday" episode, the Ruthless crew explores what they describe as the cultural, political, and organizational unraveling of the American Left. Holmes, Duncan, and Ashbrook provide their signature humorous and irreverent take on liberal coalitions, failings in left-wing activism (from Gaza flotillas to campus protests), the role of media bias in political power, and the rise and fall of deep state influence. The show includes playful games, listener questions, and the infamous "Jackassery" improv segment.

Main Discussion Themes & Key Points

1. The Collapse of the Left-Wing Coalition

[01:26-08:36]

• Lack of Leadership and Vision
  • Josh Holmes: "There's no new ideas, there's no fresh face, there's no message. There's no actual assertion one way or another about how they can improve the lives of the American people. It's like they forgot what government was all about." [00:00]
• Internal Contradictions
  • Michael Duncan: "All of this is held together with rubber bands and band aids... cognitive dissonance between these varying coalitions." [02:37]
  • Unions vs. environmentalists, e.g. on pipelines—“their existence is in direct contradiction.” [04:37]

Memorable Moment:

• Josh Holmes on Greta Thunberg’s activism shift: "She's very concerned about Gaza because you can understand the energy tie there, right? And they don't even have working lights." [06:14]

2. "Gays for Gaza": The Gaza Flotilla Farce

[08:36-15:34]

• Greta Thunberg's involvement in an aid flotilla to Gaza is mocked for its political confusion.
• Flotilla leader resigns over inclusion of LGBTQ activists, resulting in chaos and infighting among activists.
• Technical hilarity as flotilla boats’ radios are jammed—by someone playing ABBA music—making communication impossible. [09:31-11:11]

Quote:

• Josh Holmes: "First of all, the captain of this ship is Greta Thunberg." [09:31]

Bombing Claims Debunked:

• Activist claims their boat was bombed by Israel [12:03-13:20], only for video evidence to show it was actually set on fire by one of their own shooting a flare into the boat.
• Michael Duncan: "The intellectual honesty of the left doesn't know domestic bounds. Like, this is an international thing." [15:35]

3. Media Bias & The Erosion of Institutional Trust

[13:45-25:17]

• Media highlighted as complicit in uncritically repeating sensationalist activist claims.
• Josh Holmes: "They have baked into the cake up until 2025 this presumption of a gullible media." [18:31]
• Discussion turns to how the rise of alternative media and social platforms is exposing media narratives to broader public scrutiny.

Quote:

• Michael Duncan: "It's the hiding of the ball." [22:07]

4. Pop Culture and Narrative Control

[26:41-36:15]

• Hollywood’s persistent left-leaning themes in Oscar-bait films and TV shows, described as “sermonizing” and promoting social justice narratives instead of entertainment.
• John Ashbrook on Apple postponing the release of “The Savant”: “A blockbuster... forwarding the narrative that right wing extremism is the cause of violence in America. Something to fear.” [32:20–32:38]
• Debate over whether streaming hits (e.g., AppleTV’s “For All Mankind”) are exceptions; but larger point is about ideological filtering at the major studio level.

5. Censorship, Free Speech & Hypocrisy

[38:41-50:20]

• Revelations that the Biden administration pressured social media companies to suspend or restrict accounts sharing views on vaccines or other topics, under threat of regulatory action.
• Michael Duncan: “It was a mafia racket... these people hate the First Amendment.” [40:10-44:11]
• Irony seen in liberal outrage over broadcast decisions for figures like Jimmy Kimmel, juxtaposed against their silence or complicity in government-driven censorship.

Quote:

• Josh Holmes: “If you have shed even a single tear... that what happened with Jimmy Kimmel was an abridgment of First Amendment rights in this country, I have some facts for you...” [40:52]

6. Deep State Accountability: The James Comey Indictment

[50:37-57:24]

• DOJ reportedly seeking indictment of ex-FBI Director James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress.
• Michael Duncan delivers a passionate monologue on Comey as "one of the most villainous people in modern history in our democracy." [51:50–54:29]
• Discusses perceived asymmetric accountability for bureaucrats vs. enemies of the bureaucracy.

Quote:

• Michael Duncan: "We are finally rebalancing the scales away from unelected bureaucrats in a deep state who pretend to run our country..." [51:03 and repeated from intro at 00:15]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Segments

• Josh Holmes: “Can you imagine? First of all, the captain of this ship is Greta Thunberg.” [09:31]
• John Ashbrook: “Who needs Jimmy Kimmel when real life libs provide you every punchline you could ever want in real life?” [11:11]
• Michael Duncan on media coverage: “It's the hiding of the ball.” [22:07]
• Michael Duncan: "We are finally rebalancing the scales away from unelected bureaucrats..." [00:15; 51:50]

Featured Segments with Timestamps

• Opening Salvo: The Failed Leadership of the Left [00:00–02:37]
• Flotilla Fiasco [03:53–14:52]
• Media Complicity and Gullibility [13:20–25:33]
• Pop Culture as Political Sermonizing [26:41–36:15]
• Censorship & First Amendment Ironies [38:41–50:20]
• Deep State Reckoning: Comey Indictment Discussion [50:37–57:24]
• Listener Comments & UN Deportation [61:57–63:28]
• Audience Participation Game: "Jackassery" [63:33–71:20]
• Fat Bear Week & the Case for Taxidermied Orcas [71:34–76:00]
• NFL Sports Talk & Weekend Preview [77:40–79:47]

Ruthless Signature Bits

"Jackassery" Game [63:33–71:20]

• Hosts are forced to argue ridiculous, indefensible positions straight-faced for one minute each, as assigned by one another.
  • John Ashbrook defends Brian Stelter as "a valuable asset to CNN."
  • Michael Duncan argues America would be better run as a matriarchy.
  • Josh Holmes forcibly champions soccer over American football.

Listener Engagement

• Over-the-top ideas for deporting the UN, with snappy audience commentaries and quick-witted replies. [61:57–63:28]

Fat Bear Week Segment

• Humorous analysis of "fat" bears in Alaska and lighthearted rivalry over who gets a taxidermy bear rug, leading to a wild aside about mounting orcas. [71:34–76:00]

Episode Tone

• Fast-paced, irreverent, and comedic; heavy use of sarcasm, parody, and mockery.
• In-group banter and running gags make for a lively, tongue-in-cheek atmosphere.
• News analysis is highly opinionated from a next-generation conservative viewpoint, focused especially on lampooning left-wing politics and their impact on American culture and institutions.

Conclusion

Throughout the episode, Holmes, Duncan, and Ashbrook contend that the American Left is beset by infighting, hypocrisy, and a loss of institutional and cultural dominance, propped up only by a willing media landscape—one that is finally being punctured by new media and public scrutiny. They skewer left-wing activism, activist-media symbiosis, and the deep state, all while keeping things brisk, comedic, and interactive.

Final Call to Action (79:31):
Listeners are invited to describe what they imagine the "next left-wing leader" will look or sound like— “get creative, throw your back into it”—as the hosts close out with their regular rallying cry:

“Keep the faith, hold the line and own the libs.”