Podcast Summary: The Victor Davis Hanson Show – "Immigration, Civic Education, and Sleepy Joe"

Release Date: December 31, 2024

Hosts: Victor Davis Hanson and Jack Fowler
Guests: Sami Winc (occasionally)
Platform: victorhanson.com (The Blade of Perseus), Rumble

1. Introduction

The episode kicks off with co-host Jack Fowler introducing Victor Davis Hanson, highlighting his esteemed positions at the Hoover Institution and Hillsdale College, and mentioning his recent bestselling books: "The End of Everything" and "The Case for Trump." Jack sets the stage for a retrospective discussion as the episode airs on New Year's Eve, touching upon social etiquette, immigration, and critiques of the Biden administration.

2. Social Etiquette on Flights

Discussion Highlights:

• Headphone Usage:
  Victor expresses frustration over passengers not using headphones, citing a Wall Street Journal article about declining headphone use among travelers. He remarks, “Why don't they have signs up? There should be an announcement on the plane.” (04:45)

• Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals:
  The misuse of service animals is a significant point of contention. Victor criticizes the relaxation of service dog regulations, observing that many animals labeled as support animals are simply pets, leading to disruptions. “They act as if they didn't know... It’s just everything about it is bad.” (08:15)

• Passenger Behavior and Airline Policies:
  Victor delves into the chaotic boarding processes, attributing issues to insufficient regulation and the desire to accommodate individual eccentricities. He shares anecdotes about overcrowded boarding groups and passengers pretending not to understand instructions, stating, “It's part of the whole Greyhound bus phenomenon, which is what characterizes flying today.” (09:30)

• Aircraft Maintenance and Cost-Cutting:
  The deterioration of airplane quality due to cost-cutting measures is highlighted. Victor laments, “These planes are like used cars now... Everything is clean, everything works. But the airlines have...” (17:00)

Notable Quote:
Victor Davis Hanson: “They want to accommodate individual eccentricities... because they reflect the therapeutic society in which we all are afraid to, you know, enforce norms of behavior.” (09:10)

3. Immigration Policy and Its Impacts

Discussion Highlights:

• Critique of Current Immigration Policies:
  Victor strongly criticizes illegal immigration, emphasizing the lack of civic education and assimilation among immigrants. He argues that without integration into American civic life, immigrants retain disruptive customs from their home countries. “If you do not have civic education and you do not require assimilation and integration into the body politic...” (14:20)

• Mexican Government’s Stance:
  The Mexican government's approach to deportation is dissected. Victor explains that Mexico is preparing to handle mass deportations by setting up shelters, expecting the U.S. to shoulder the financial burden. “They are going to empty out Oaxaca, Michoacán, Chiapas, and we want you state, local, and federal governments to subsidize them...” (26:11)

• Cultural Assimilation and Societal Erosion:
  Victor discusses how immigrants maintaining their native customs can erode American societal norms. He shares observations from local communities, highlighting issues like increased crime rates and cultural clashes. “When you have a lot of people like that who come and they retain the characteristics of their mother country, then you start to see this erosion...” (16:45)

• Potential Trump Policies on Immigration:
  Victor speculates on future Trump administration policies, including building a wall and imposing taxes on remittances to Mexico. He envisions a stringent approach aimed at reducing illegal immigration and curbing cartel activities. “Donald Trump is going to look at it and say, you know what, this is not symmetrical... we'll slap a 10 or 15% on anybody...” (34:19)

• H1B Visa Debate:
  Addressing the need for skilled workers, Victor acknowledges the tech industry's reliance on H1B visas but stresses the importance of limiting overall immigration numbers. He suggests a balanced approach where each high-skilled immigrant admitted would offset others entering through family-based channels. “For each engineer at the top level, you have to say there's one less person admitted on purely family considerations...” (48:06)

Notable Quote:
Victor Davis Hanson: “America works because if everybody did what you did, it wouldn't work. But there's not many like you.” (16:30)

4. Criticism of the Biden Administration

Discussion Highlights:

• Allegations of Corruption:
  Victor accuses the Biden administration of widespread corruption, highlighting Hunter Biden's activities and insinuates that Biden's connections to China have led to policy failures. “They didn't go after Biden in the same way, nor did we go after Obama... And they're in the National Archives...” (17:35)

• Biden’s Personal Conduct:
  The conversation deteriorates into personal attacks on President Biden, with Victor alleging dementia and criticizing Biden's behavior, including his handling of military actions and personal scandals. “He was always late. He was late the other day for a picture of the G20... Everything about him was the praise of James O. Eastland.” (71:40)

• Suppression of Dissent:
  Victor argues that the administration has suppressed alternative theories about COVID origins and has fostered a narrative that deflects blame from officials. “They played the wounded fawn. How dare you say that... They knew that Western society is very sensitive about racism and xenophobia.” (57:20)

Notable Quote:
Victor Davis Hanson: “We are in the National Archives. We're professionals. So that's why we went after Trump. That's why we went after him.” (17:34)

5. COVID Origins and Intelligence Findings

Discussion Highlights:

• Lab Leak Theory vs Natural Origin:
  Victor reiterates his support for the lab leak theory, citing intelligence reports that suggest COVID-19 may have originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. He criticizes the suppression of this theory by health officials and the Biden administration. “I wrote a couple of articles that it had to be the lab... If it came from a pangolin or a bat, somebody could find a pangolin or bat that had it and they went and they searched.” (57:20)

• Intelligence Agency Suppression:
  Victor discusses the alleged censorship and dismissal of intelligence findings that pointed to a lab leak, attributing it to political motivations aimed at deflecting blame from the administration. “The left felt that this was valuable to suggest that it was a natural leak... Without the COVID virus and without the lockdown, Donald Trump would have been president in 2020.” (57:20)

• Public and Scientific Discourse:
  He laments the stifling of open discourse on COVID origins, noting that questioning the natural origin narrative led to professional repercussions. “They went after you, right?... They went after just like if you question Mask or you question the COVID thing. And they didn't go after, they tried to delete, destroy you.” (71:07)

Notable Quote:
Victor Davis Hanson: “Everyone understood that it was designed to be infectious at each decision point, each crossroad on the genetic material.” (58:41)

6. Listener Comments and Responses

Listener Feedback:

• Comment from Becca:
  A listener from Montana shares her observations from visiting Germany, noting an influx of Middle Eastern immigrants leading to increased rude and loud behavior, presence of undercover police, and environmental degradation. She expresses nostalgia for the Germany she loved and appreciation for living in a sparsely populated American state.

Victor’s Response:
Victor blames the left's policies for Germany's societal changes, citing increased immigration, environmental policies, and cultural shifts. He warns of potential backlash and the inability of Western societies to defend their civilization against unchecked immigration and cultural dilution. “You chose to come here. If you don't like it, leave.” (85:43)

Notable Quote:
Victor Davis Hanson: “The immigrant community, Latino community... have to pay for this. And they wanted to get away from this and they are being used as the communities to absorb this 12 million and they don't like it.” (26:11)

7. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Jack Fowler encourages listeners to engage with Victor's website for more content and highlights the center's resources on civil thoughts. The hosts reiterate their criticisms of current policies and emphasize the need for stricter immigration controls, better civic education, and accountability within the Biden administration.

Notable Quote:
Victor Davis Hanson: “We are a hell of a lot better than the alternative. You chose to come here. If you don't like it, leave. But if you stay, you're going to be an American.” (86:37)

Key Takeaways:

• Airline Experience Decline: Victor laments the deteriorating passenger behavior and airline policies, advocating for stricter regulations to improve the flying experience.

• Immigration Reform Necessity: A strong call for comprehensive immigration reform, emphasizing legal channels, assimilation, and the reduction of illegal entries to preserve American societal norms.

• Biden Administration Scrutiny: Intense criticism of President Biden's policies and personal conduct, with allegations of corruption and misuse of power.

• COVID-19 Origins Debate: Support for the lab leak theory and dissatisfaction with how intelligence findings have been handled and suppressed by authorities.

• Cultural Preservation vs. Immigration: Concern over cultural erosion due to unchecked immigration, using Germany as a cautionary example through listener feedback.

For More Information:

• Website: victorhanson.com (The Blade of Perseus)
• Center for Civil Society: civilthoughts.com
• Subscribe & Support: Follow Victor’s weekly essays, Ultra subscriber content, and watch videos on Rumble by searching “The Victor Davis Hanson Show.”

This summary provides a comprehensive overview of the episode, capturing key discussions, notable quotes, and the overarching themes addressed by the hosts. Listeners are encouraged to visit Victor's website and associated platforms for deeper insights and additional content.