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The world is justifiably turning its back on us. The Catholic Church is denouncing us. 80 years of Allied power is over because of this administration and the party that enabled it. As world experts are telling us, the Republicans may never appreciate the gravity of what they have done, but this is a paradigm shift. The era of a united west led by the US Is dead, and we are all worse off. Hello, and welcome to the Politics Girl podcast. I'm your host, Leigh McGowan. Let's get into it. So I am on the road right now with everything going on in the media environment. I try to do mainstream media at least once a month so I can give the truth a fighting chance. And right now I'm in New York. But this past week was a real doozy. Or as Heather Cox Richardson said so succinctly, this past week was a year. We are living through extraordinary times. And I don't know about you, but I hate it. And none of this is necessary. But Dr. Richardson also identified this past week as very important turning point for the United States. Because when President Trump threatened to destroy the Iranian civilization, to wipe them off the face of the earth, America publicly threatened another country with genocide and the world, and a fair amount of the American public was not okay with that. Our country's leadership threatened 90 million people with death. And in doing so, we terrorized the rest of the entire world, including our own, many of whom are now genuinely afraid of our own government. It has become more than clear our government is irrevocably broken and the American experiment is a failed one. And we know this because the Republican Party, the party in charge of both houses of Congress, the presidency, and essentially the Supreme Court, did not do or say anything when their president made this abhorrent threat to destroy a 6,000-year-old civilization, which proves once and for all that there is no level to which Trump can sink that will not be acceptable to them. Which begs the question, how can we possibly trust these people with power? As Heather says, their behavior, or lack thereof this week has been an extraordinary indictment of the Republican Party. You don't have to like or support the Democratic Party to know that the Republican Party holds all the levers of power right now, and they have all the power they need to stop this madness. They have simply chosen not to. That's not just a lack of leadership. It is a lack of morality. We have to be honest with ourselves. When Donald Trump tweeted, a civilization dies tonight, he was correct. It doesn't matter that he lifted his threat 90 minutes before the deadline. A civilization did die on April 7, and that civilization was ours. We can no longer dine out on the idea that America is the good guy or feel confident that we are representing freedom and justice to the world. We can't even say we represent democracy when we have one man with unquestioned, unchecked power itching to start a nuclear war for no reason other than he's not getting exactly what he wants. That is the opposite of a civilized nation and the antithesis of a nation to be proud of. It's possible that many of us are just waking up to something that has been true for a long time. But even the illusion of America as a good guy died this week, and we can't get it back without real change. We held a gun to the head of a nation and we threatened to blow their brains out. We held them hostage. We gave people just enough time to call their relatives and say goodbye and then we put that gun away and said we'll talk about it again in two weeks. That doesn't make us tough negotiators. That makes us psychopaths and it feels criminal. We have become a nation to be afraid of, to hate, to judge. And make no mistake, the world is judging us. Our President put the threat of an unprovoked nuclear war into the world and we didn't do anything. We didn't arrest him, we didn't remove him, we didn't 25th amendment him. Our Congress didn't even come back into session. They didn't even come back from their vacations when we threatened almost 100 million people with immediate death. Where are the impeachment papers? Where is the outrage? Why did we have to hear the most full throated condemnation of this atrociousness from right wing media darlings like Tucker Carlson and Megan Kelly and Alex Jones? I shouldn't be seeing sense and logic from people I vehemently disagree with when at the very least the opposition party is right there. Heather Cox Richardson spoke directly to the Republicans in her letters to an American Substack this week, basically saying that she has written a history of the Republican Party and she recognizes that there was a time when they deserved the moniker of the Grand Old Party. But she says if there are people in that party who were horrified by what Donald Trump did in their name, in all of our names, then it was up to them to take their party back. Because MAGA is not a conservative party. They are a group of extremists who have become a danger to the world. So it doesn't matter how good or moral or loyal these people believe they are being, the country is going down on their watch. As far as the Democrats, I had a conversation on a Saturday show where I said that while I fully understand the Democrats don't have any power in Congress, they are not hogtied in some closet somewhere with only long winded press briefings available to them. As far as I'm concerned, this is the perfect opportunity to take the narrative and leadership back. Democratic leadership should have called their members back to Congress immediately. They should have all been there in Washington with their faces in front of every camera saying are you kidding me? What are we doing? An entire civilization will die. This person cannot be in charge. He is unfit and must be removed. We need articles of impeachment yesterday. This is the time to boldly differentiate themselves from their opposition, to be vocally anti war, certainly anti nuclear war, anti war crimes, pro democracy. Donald Trump is currently acting completely unitarily. He is acting without any buy in from Congress who are the people's elected representatives. The war itself was started without their permission when it is up to Congress to declare war. Now this man is threatening world nations and other nations like Russia and China are apparently ready to retaliate against us should he follow through. We are talking about literal world destruction being on the table and these people couldn't come back to D.C. to say that what is going on now? To be fair, I should say there are some truly wonderful, brave Democratic representatives, but it is becoming increasingly clear they are not the ones in leadership. It should not be this hard. Donald Trump speaks only for himself and arguably the ultra rich. He appeals to the racists and the bigots and the ignorant, but many of them hate this war stuff too. So speak to everybody who hates this. Be the party that actually speaks for the people. We don't want our tax dollars to go to genocide or war or bombs. We don't want to build $38 billion worth of private detention centers. We don't want our boys to be drafted into the military to fight unwinnable war wars for profit. There is a reason. NPR just reported that cracks are forming inside the military, driven by low morale, ethical unease and a growing number of service members choosing to retire early, declining to reenlist or walking away regardless of the consequences. As Ali Veshi reported this weekend, the GI rights hotline has seen call volumes more than double since the Iran war began with the majority of calls asking about conscientious objection. Which makes perfect sense because clearly they are in a War they can't explain, led by leaders who clearly don't care about them. Look at who America sent to represent us at the peace talks after the ceasefire fell apart. The US Delegation reportedly consisted of JD Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. No technical experts, no State Department, no Iranian experts, no one with any experience in peace negotiations, just two real estate guys. And JD Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner aren't American diplomats in the Gulf. They're Trump's business development team. Their goal is not peace, it is funneling money right into their private businesses. And they're out here using the full authority of the US Government as their calling card. As Timothy Snyder said, they don't know how war works and they don't know how negotiations work, but they know how grift works, which is the game that they are playing. They want our oligarchs to make money. They want Putin to make money, and that's the victory that they care about. J.D. vance came out on Saturday night and said, the bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. And I think that bad news is much more for Iran than it is for the US So we're going to go back to the US Having not come to an agreement because they have chosen not to accept our terms. But as Professor Snyder points out, the war is obviously a defeat for the US because had the US Won, it would be US Dictating the terms. We also need to remember that the Secretary of State skipped the Iran negotiations in Pakistan to attend a UFC fight with the President. So did the special envoy for south and Central Asia. And Pakistan has no confirmed US Ambassador, even though that's where the negotiation negotiations were taking place. Tens of thousands of Americans are in harm's way. The US Navy ships are on their way to the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices are rising. The world is on edge, and this is what the leaders do. This is not serious leadership, as many experts have pointed out. This is amateur hour and the whole world can see it. 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The foreign minister of Iran told the world after the talks fell apart that J.D. vance took a phone call from Benjamin Netanyahu in the middle of the meeting and when he got off the phone, the focus of the meeting shifted from U. S. Iran negotiations to looking out for Israel's interests. The foreign minister said the United States tried to achieve at the negotiating table what they could not achieve through war. We came here in good faith. We are committed and prepared to safeguard our nation's interest and sovereignty. But we are very disappointed with how the US Behaved. And for goodness sakes, I believe Iran, Iran, who is even in charge of our foreign policy at this point? Just consider Jared Kushner being in that room. He has no security clearance, has provided no financial disclosures, is hopelessly conflicted financially. He's not Senate confirmed. He doesn't report to anyone subject to any congressional oversight. Why was he there? He's there to make money and build resorts. He is there on behalf of his close personal friend Benjamin Netanyahu, who stays in his bedroom when he visits the Kushner family. None of this is pro America. None of this is in our best interests. And everyone except the MAGA faithful can see it. Trump has now announced that America will block all ships entering or leaving the state of Hormuz. He said the ships in international waters that have paid Iran will be seized. The Iranians who get in the way will be blown to hell, and that all of our guys are locked and loaded. Sorry, what? He's now going to block the strait. He's going to do what we have been criticizing Iran for doing because of a problem that he caused. The strait was open, free and clear to pass until we started bombing Iran. Then we had a ceasefire, but Israel decided to bomb Lebanon hours after the ceasefire and it ended. JV and his friends walked away without a deal. And now Trump is blaming everyone but himself. Just to be clear, if Americans attack or destroy any foreign ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz, that would be an act of war against another nation. How long are we going to tolerate this? Where the hell is our Congress? Where is our military? This is the stupidest, most short sighted move. There is already an energy crisis coming our way because of this behavior. The Strait is closed because of us. And now we're going to block the Strait for everyone so that no ships can pass. Not just ours. Again, if anyone's civilization died this week, it was ours. Because if this is what can happen at the whims and greed of one unbalanced, unwell American man, then we have blown it. If this one guy has the power to destroy nations, the world's commerce, international relations, then our country's checks and balances don't exist. We are not just a danger to ourselves. We're a danger to everyone on the planet and we need to deal with that. Clearly our constitutional republic is not working and we desperately need to rethink the entire framework for how we're going to function in the future because this is absolutely unacceptable, trump said. I feel that countries like Japan and China don't have the courage or the will to open the Strait of Hormuz. China responded by saying the Strait of Hormuz was open before the war. It was you who created war out of nothing and got it closed for the rest of the world. Then Trump said that the NATO allied nations would be joining him to block the Strait of Hormuz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer came out and said they would not be joining him, that Britain is working with Spain and France and other partners to build a coalition to protect freedom of navigation because the US doesn't just get to dictate how they all manage their affairs. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, our country's closest and longest ally, made a speech saying the days of sending 70 cents to every dollar in military spending to the United States are over, and he received a standing ovation. Even Pope Leo came out with his strongest condemnation of the Trump Vance war against Iran, saying, we are surrounded by a delusion of omnipotence that is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive. We are met by threats instead of invitations to come together. Those who pray do not threaten death. Death enslaves those who have turned their backs on God and turns themselves and their own power into a mute, blind and deaf idle. They demand the whole world bends their knee. Enough of the idolatry of self and money. Enough of this display of power. Enough of war. The world is justifiably turning its back on us. The Catholic Church is denouncing us. 80 years of Allied power is over because of this administration and the party that enabled it. As world experts are telling us, the Republicans may never appreciate the gravity of what they have done, but this is a paradigm shift. The era of a united west led by the US is dead and we are all worse off. We clearly can't carry on like this. Our entire political system needs to be rethought. Apparently a large majority of our checks and balances were actually just polite norms that were dependent on people doing the right thing. And then we reelected this wrecking ball of an administration and everything went out the window. The Trump government is clearly a criminal enterprise, but it can be defeated. Much like Viktor Orban, the leader for which this administration has held up as a shining example of how to lead was defeated this week. After 16 years of far right authoritarian power, Viktor Orban has lost his power in Hungary and he has conceded defeat. Yes, the new leader is still a conservative, but he was not the choice of the corrupt players of the world like Putin and Le Pen and Trump. And Orban lost so badly. This new prime minister is set to secure a supermajority which is enough power to dismantle Orban's entire system, which included full control of the courts and the media in his country. Democracy won out in Europe this weekend, even with J.D. vance going over to campaign for Orban in the final hours and having Trump offer to pay Hungary's bills like we don't have bills to pay at home. The Hungarian people who had over an 80% turnout were simply over the corruption and even with the changing of their constitution, the takeover of their media, their courts, election interference, foreign interference, Orban could not overcome the people's participation and they won freedom from his regime. I'm not sure if you've seen the parties and celebrations on the streets of Budapest, but it is a sight to behold and it is very important for Americans to remember right now these types of leaders can be overcome, but it takes all of us participating and caring to overcome them. So we're coming into spring and that changes what we eat. The chilies and soups and hearty pastas we enjoy in the winter make way for bright salads and fish and everything that comes from a farmer's market. We'll cook. Unity feels the same way. Cookunity is the first chef to you service, delivering locally sourced meals from award winning chefs right to your door every week. And honestly, it is cheaper than most delivery options. CookUnity works with some of the best chefs in the country to bring creative, delicious meals to you. Made in local micro kitchens and not large production facilities. The food arrives fresh, never frozen, in packaging that keeps the meals ready to go go in the fridge for seven days. 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A new season means fresh routines and resets, and with iRestore's anniversary sale running from April 13 through April 27, it's honestly the perfect time to upgrade your hair and skincare routine. Shawn and I personally have an Irestore face mask for me and an Eye Restore Elite for hair regrowth for him. For over two decades, iRestore has been leading the way in red light therapy with clinically backed devices trusted by over 500,000 customers worldwide. So this spring sale is a celebration of the community that has grown alongside them. The Irestore Elite is their most advanced laser hair growth system, using 300 lasers and 200 LEDs to help regrow thicker, healthier hair in as little as three months. It's effortless. You can wear it while working, reading or like Shawn does, unwinding at night. And the Illumina face mask. It targets fine lines, breakouts, dullness with triple wavelight therapy. 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Give your hair and skin the upgrade they deserve so you can feel confident and refreshed@irestore.com these types of leaders can be overcome, but it takes all of us participating and caring to overcome them. We have to get money out of politics. We can never again have a president who is for sale giving his children and friends no bid government contracts and pay to play pardons. We can never again have a Congress that's on the take from everyone from lobbyists to foreign nations to insider trading. We need to clean up our courts all the way up to the Supreme Court. These justices are not owed lifetime appointments if they can just be on the take. And we need to bring back antitrust legislation so these giant companies can't get this big or powerful. One family cannot own half of our media backed by foreign governments that are bankrolling it. And we have allowed our wealth gap to become so astronomical, almost insurmountable. And in the history of time, that has only ever led to public and violent uprisings. There is a reason why the Tech Bros are working so hard to get all of us under their surveillance to track and register us, to monitor what we say and what we buy and who we know and where we go. It's so dangerous. And the same government that's supposed to be regulating these industries is taking money directly from them and then turning around and offering them government contracts in every industry from domestic surveillance to the war machine. And the war machine. The war machine is the big moneymaker. It turns out that the no New wars president is automatically registering all of our boys for the draft starting in December 2020. I gotta tell you, as the mother of an 18 year old son, he will fight for this administration over my dead body. Literally. There is no way it's happening. And I know I'm not alone in thinking that we have an election this year, but our power to change this starts before that. We have to be relentless with our Congress members who have completely abdicated their responsibilities to us. Republican leadership wasn't usurped by this president and his executive orders. They willingly and shamefully gave away their power. But with Donald Trump acting this erratic, it is well past time for them to wake up. And it is well past time for us to start holding them accountable. We need to harass them, show up at their work, talk to them on the streets, talk to them in restaurants, call their offices every day. They should get no peace while we get no representation. We don't need helpless head shakers on the Democratic side or sycophantic cheerleaders on the Republican side. We need these people to be the leaders we elected them to be. And as we all pay our taxes this month. I don't want to ever hear again that we don't have money for something when we just spent $50 billion in less than a month on Operation Epic Fury and we have absolutely nothing to show for it. We do not have a money problem in America. We have a values problem. The one shining light for American values this week, the bright light in the darkness, was the joyous, inspiring crew of the Artemis 2, a national event in America that actually went right when a bunch of smart science people working with four brave heroes did something that has never been done before. Liz Plank, who is one of my favorite online writers, wrote on her substack that Artemis 2 was competency porn. Competency porn that we were all starving for. To paraphrase Liz, watching the Artemis, didn't you feel it? A relief that was hard to name. This feeling of watching something go right and realizing you'd forgotten things could go right. Because when something actually goes right, when the people in charge do their jobs well and speak in full sentences and make decisions that protect people instead of endangering them, the reaction you have is strangely emotional. She wrote that what we were feeling wasn't just relief, it was grief. Grief for every year we have spent bracing ourselves, grief for how normal bracing ourselves has become, grief for how completely we have forgotten that competence was once ordinary. She said what we got out of the Artemis was our nervous systems coming up for air. And now that they have landed and the news cycle will obviously move on, we have to remember that we felt this way. When you look at those pictures of Earth from space, you can't help but think, why would we ever go to war? Why would we threaten to nuke this planet? That, as one of the astronauts said, is our own little spaceship in the empty void of the universe. Why are we not protecting it with everything we've got? What in the hell do we think we are doing? The entire mission was a reflection of humanity, of who we are, of who we could be, of kindness and camaraderie and cooperation between races and genders and countries. I saw someone write that they saw an American flag this weekend, and for the very first time, they thought NASA and not maga. And I thought that was telling. As someone named Rushi brilliantly wrote online, the most annoying thing about being a human on Earth right now is the absolute waste of potential brilliant minds and artists could be solving world hunger, climate change, ending cancer. We could house and feed and clothe and care for everyone. But instead, we have decided to let a handful of asshats become billionaires, start wars, murder and imprison people and keep the majority of people in poverty while ruining the climate. That's just so stupid. And the wasted ingenuity hurts to think about. Yes, Rushi, exactly. Thank you for saying that, because that's exactly how it is. We can no longer squander our potential. This is untenable. I am recording this on a Monday and it drops on a Tuesday and I don't know if we'll destroy the world between now and then. All I can say is no leader should ever have this kind of power again and it is up to us to make sure that is so. So I want to thank you for joining me today and for caring enough about this country to listen and hope for more. Until next week, PGF the Politics Girl Podcast is written and performed by me, Leigh McGowan, and produced and edited by Happy Warrior Entertainment. All rights reserved.