Gene: 0:14

This is sir gene. And then once again, joined by a Dude named Ben named Ben. How's it

Ben: 0:20

Gene. Well

Gene: 0:20

We're recording back in the morning here.

Ben: 0:24

it was a long.

Gene: 0:25

Yes. Yes. I will agree with that for me as well. Although a long week that seemed to have. Still left. Plenty of things unaccomplished.

Ben: 0:36

Indeed and lots in the news. So we wanted to make sure we had a conversation this week,

Gene: 0:41

Yeah. You mean like, besides the other conversations we have.

Ben: 0:44

Recorded conversation. Well let me rephrase a recorded. by us.

Gene: 0:49

exactly. Exactly. Right. Oh man. So yeah.

Ben: 0:54

other conversations are being recorded, certain agencies just aren't doing their job.

Gene: 0:58

said that the, if you could only just do a foyer request and create a podcast out of your own. Conversations.

Ben: 1:07

Yep. All right.

Gene: 1:08

The ones that are recorded for you. unfortunately not available to you.

Ben: 1:14

Well, some someone posted on no agenda, social, a meme. The other day that I thought was perfect. And it basically was just saying, if you're not on a list by now, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Gene: 1:25

Yeah, I would actually modify that a lot. I'd say. if you are then not on the list right now. You're a fed.

Ben: 1:32

Yeah. There's some truth to that too.

Gene: 1:35

Because. Being being in knowledge of the social and that being in the list pretty much been CURF had yeah, no, that's true. It's. there's been a crazy stuff. Coming out of are are possibly the right way to phrase it is not coming out of Ukraine. Specifically Gonzalo liras. Gonzalo Lira, which I think a lot of people that listen to this, have seen as videos because I've posted them very frequently. He is a guy. is, I don't know if he's technically American. or not. He grew up in the U S he grew up in the U S he was born in In Chile. Still has a Chilean passport. And for the last six years he's been in Ukraine, he's married to a Ukrainian mom down there. They've got kids. Land lived in or. Yeah. In Kharkov. And He had. Shortly after the start of the Russian occupation, he started doing videos. Because what he was seeing in Western media in the news was not matching what he was seeing out his window. In Ukraine. And so he started doing videos and talking about how first and foremost, the,

Ben: 2:47

Very counter-narrative.

Gene: 2:48

Yeah, very, very counter-narrative. And About how the. A lot of these Ukrainian winds that are reported by Western media. He started debunking them a lot of the videos and the images. came from other conflicts in the world in the past. Tanks that were presented as Russian tanks that were blown out by Ukrainians. Turned out to be Ukrainian tanks blown out by Ukrainians. were maybe even blown up by Russians, but the point is showing that what was presented as one thing was actually something else. And You know, he doesn't really have a like here. He. Is certainly more Ukrainian than Russian he's lived in Ukraine for six years. He doesn't speak a word of Russian. And even though everyone kept saying he was carrying water for But it was one of very few and there's maybe three or four of these types of people out there that are on the ground that are. In the actual country, to counseling, tapping in. And then providing firsthand news firsthand accounts. of what it is that they're talking about. So consequently. They are. rare and very interesting to listen to. Because narrative. Is so contradictory to the mainstream. And it makes you realize just how created the whole mainstream narrative is.

Ben: 4:15

Well, and at the very least it's one of those things that I don't know that I take everything that he says at face value, but. It's a, let's say you take the lefts side of this and say he is doing anything but carrying water for Putin. Well, he's a good English language source of Russian propaganda. Cool. I don't think that is the case. I think he has his political views and his bent

Gene: 4:41

Yeah.

Ben: 4:42

of that, some of his analysis is tainted by that, but so is mine. That's human nature, right?

Gene: 4:48

Right. And. the, And he, he got very upset. In fact, About a month ago. When his videos, some clips were taken out of context by our T. And he was telling them that they're no better than the Western media for doing something like that. Because they're trying to use what he's talking about to create a narrative, just like Western media is doing that instead of just, you know, telling the truth by playing a full segment. Of, of the thing instead of cutting it up. So

Ben: 5:20

well

Gene: 5:21

definitely not like he's never been a, team he's not on their payroll or their. And some of the guys that are presenting that viewpoint. Like Scott Ritter. Regularly appear on our team. So, I mean like you could argue that while Scott clearly he's a Russian. You know, a foreign

Ben: 5:39

agent.

Gene: 5:40

Russian agent registered. while he, in fact, he would have to be, if he's in our T. To be a registered, a foreign agent in the U S.

Ben: 5:46

So you, you know, it's an interesting thing that this is just normal news propaganda. When I, I remember going to the Bora symposium at U of I many years ago, which the bores and Bora was a Idaho's Senator who was very anti-war. So he set up this entire thing about the outlaw revival. Okay. Never going to happen. But anyway, the symposium at the time was on propaganda and I was caught off guard by one display that had war on a warrant interact from CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and then Al Jazeera was war on Iraq. One letter difference, totally different meaning the propaganda, right?

Gene: 6:37

Yep.

Ben: 6:37

It is all about your perspective and how you're going to interpret something like that. And something as small as a single letter change in a sentence all the difference in the world.

Gene: 6:50

Oh, and, and that quite often gets changed news where you see the video of somebody speaking and the quote has a word or two that is similar, but actually changes the meaning of the sentence.

Ben: 7:02

Absolutely. And in language like English, it's fairly easy.

Gene: 7:06

Yeah. Yeah. Because the placement, the words even has more impact than English and other languages. Many other languages you can certainly in Russian, you can shuffle words around. To a greater extent, not completely, but. You know, you can say walk there, you could say their walk and it means the same thing. Whereas in English one actually means something. The other one is gonna make people confused.

Ben: 7:30

Nonsensical. Yeah.

Gene: 7:31

or they're going to think. That Someone over there is walking rather than you walking over there. So, yeah, it's Propaganda involves. a good propaganda that works. Propaganda. that is successful. Certainly involves a very good understanding of the English language or whatever languages and. In order to be able to craft just the right. Message. That sounds similar, but yet conveys the specific message that's being intended.

Ben: 8:06

Yeah, a neuro-linguistic programming.

Gene: 8:09

Well, yeah, more modernly for sure. Yeah.

Ben: 8:12

we get too far off of it I do want to talk about what happened to, Gonzalo.

Gene: 8:17

Yeah.

Ben: 8:18

So, you know, he, he stopped it broadcast stopped putting anything out there for several days and the worst was kind of feared there

Gene: 8:28

five days. Nothing came out of him.

Ben: 8:31

and apparently he still doesn't have access to his accounts.

Gene: 8:33

Well, okay. So let me, here's where getting into conspiracies. I think he's dead. And. The reason I think he's dead, even though there, there was a A couple of days ago or a day ago, there was a video that came out with him. Saying that he's not there. Is because if you watch that video, there's nothing in the video that would prove that it was recorded. On the day that he mentions in the video, which is the day it came out. And I will say that it is fairly standard practice in a torture situation like that. I've heard that. One of the things that has done is. After an initial round To soften up a person, then you get the old camera out. And we've seen this in Jihadi videos too, where they, they basically, you know, tell somebody. Talk about how the U S is evil and Allah is great. Things like that. Well, in a. In a more. Professional situation, let's say meaning. This would be like old KGB methods or old I mean, I, I'm not going to speak for good bone, but I'm just saying that these methods have been around since before world war two. But after you soften up the guy. What you do is you record. Multiple videos. Of that person saying a wide variety of things. And you have them mentioned future dates. And then that video is going to be kept around long after the person's actually dead.

Ben: 10:07

Conversation that came out yesterday between him and a couple other gentlemen, and they didn't monitor the chat to make sure it all tracked, but it seemed to be that they were integrating the live chat into the into the conversation.

Gene: 10:23

the live check can be overlayed at anything. It's not a big deal. I'm what I'm, what I'm saying is that. What, what is in the video that Lira talked about is that. He, he lost his phone he lost his camera. He lost his computer. Not only that, not the physical devices, but the access to all those accounts were taken over by these guys. Now that part of it. I'm sure is quite accurate. This is Quite true. And what these guys, what I mean is the the Ukrainian security services. And which is the Ukrainian KGB effectively. But. In any case there was well, we'll see. I mean, maybe there'll be so many videos that come out that my, my theory here is proven to not be the case, but it doesn't

Ben: 11:12

time will tell.

Gene: 11:13

be. Yeah, time will tell if he starts cranking out more videos. One right after the other, like he used to do, if the topic's the same, that's a different issue, but. But there's just too much wrong with the video that he was on the Alex. His hat was the wrong hat. His voice clearly very shaken, very disturbed. He didn't go into any details. He said the date they were talking on, but didn't. Didn't say anything that would have indicated that that was actually date.

Ben: 11:47

Well, and, and, and he showed that he was, I mean, he was clearly up in black bags

Gene: 11:54

oh, Absolutely. He was completely.

Ben: 11:56

been released and he's okay. Or whether or not he has met an end, you know, that is TBD.

Gene: 12:03

Th The camera was not moving at all. There was, it was clearly set up for him to do this. You didn't see his hands anywhere. And this is a guy who is very articulate. He. he, Yeah, he he moves his hands, touches his face. So.

Ben: 12:18

you know, in the other conversation that I was mentioning, it was, they had the video off for quote unquote bandwidth reasons for the majority of it, which would ease a deep fake. And there's certainly plenty of recording material out there

Gene: 12:31

There is to train. Yeah. Yeah. In fact, the software we're using to record right now, that's one of its functions is that. It can replace words simply by me typing a word. And it'll just, you know, create the wave form, speak the word. If you will. So that I don't have to rerecord things. I mean, it's, it's a commercial feature that allows editors to tweak what was said during recordings. To correct mistakes.

Ben: 13:00

Just such a dangerous technology.

Gene: 13:02

it's so easy these days that even like, you know,$20 a month software

Ben: 13:08

Oh, I understand. And I, trust me, I fully get

Gene: 13:12

Yeah.

Ben: 13:12

I'm just saying that Pandora's box man. Indoors box.

Gene: 13:17

Look. w What. Yeah, every dystopian movie you've ever seen that that's just a a plan for the future. That's all it is. There's there's very little there. Very little in technology that would prevent a human from seeing simply being utilized as a tool. It's the individuality is dead. There, it only lives in the minds of people. It, It does not exist in the real world at this point.

Ben: 13:47

I don't know if I'd go that far, but it's, it's definitely,

Gene: 13:50

you you've shown me where does it.

Ben: 13:52

I think I have exude individuality and I think you do as

Gene: 13:56

in your head, dude. It's it lives in people's heads. It doesn't, it doesn't live in the real world.

Ben: 14:03

Define what you mean for me in the real world,

Gene: 14:06

So there are not people going around beating up. Communists. There, there are. The idea of individualism is seen as a problem of toxic white masculinity, not as a solution to the world's problems. We're, we're very much in a Atlas shrug kind of environment

Ben: 14:29

oh yeah. yeah. the The, looters are running rampant. for sure.

Gene: 14:33

rampant. Exactly. kind of where I was going with that.

Ben: 14:37

Yeah. But there are still. The quite frankly, though, the, I mean, you've mentioned that less shrugged, and I think that that analogy is very apt. The producers are at some point, I have to believe that my fellow producers, at some point in time will go on strike. Then it all collapses.

Gene: 14:55

Well, I've been thinking that that was going to happen imminently since 1998.

Ben: 15:02

Oh shit. You're that late to the bandwagon.

Gene: 15:05

Well, I I've known a lot of people that have, that were, you know, very much Objectivists that we're Very in agreement with with the book. And a lot of people have prepped. A lot of people were ready to, you know, take off and go to some. Country down in central America. But. It just keeps on going. And that's the thing is if there's enough. People willing to put up with the absurdity of tho Of the current regime. Then. Things just keep moving. It's just, it's.

Ben: 15:48

Yeah, but are you familiar with the predo distribution? Okay. So roughly it's. essentially the square root of the number of people do somewhere in order of 80, the majority of the work. That that's a scary statistic and radio distributions seem to be all over the place in physics. And it is not just a human product, Prieto distributions exist in nature everywhere. So yeah. the majority may be willing to do something, but it's a uniquely capable minority that actually make things work

Gene: 16:30

It is But my, my point is that there's always enough of minority that are willing to put up with the majority. To prevent that sort of Atlas shrugged scenario. Of a strike.

Ben: 16:43

well for now. So let's see what 300 million, so 17,000 people in the country do the majority of the work of the country based off of that. I think we have lacked a John Galt leader. Some at some point in time, someone rise up and that will be

Gene: 17:00

Yeah, but who's doing golf.

Ben: 17:03

exactly. For those of you who haven't read Atlas shrugged, you're

Gene: 17:06

Then shame on You God

Ben: 17:07

are they talking about it? You know, my favorite Randy and quote, actually comes from the Fountainhead,

Gene: 17:13

Hm.

Ben: 17:13

It's Howard Roark. And who's going to let you do that or whatever. And he replies, it's not a question of who will let me it's who will stop me. And I think that's the right? attitude to have in life is, you know, asking permission or getting permission is not the right level of analysis.

Gene: 17:32

that every pirate ever.

Ben: 17:34

Exactly.

Gene: 17:37

Yeah. Exactly. Now that was a fun character. I don't know how realistic that that TV show was, but I enjoyed watching it.

Ben: 17:45

Oh, no. Right. Ragnar Dan skill. That's a character out of that list.

Gene: 17:49

Oh, Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I was thinking of a different Ragnar. I was thinking of a Viking.

Ben: 17:55

Yes. I understand. Yeah.

Gene: 17:57

No, that's. Yeah. So, where are we going? Let's finish up Lira. And I mean, the bottom line is for me, like, I'm perfectly willing to admit that he. that, that he is a alive and be that things turned out the way that he originally described. I'm highly doubtful of both of those. I have a. An over 50% chance that the guy's actually dead and the videos or audios that we're hearing. Are either prerecorded or deep fakes. Not him. But even if he is actually alive and doing the audio and video stuff, There's a a much even higher chance that he is doing it. Under duress.

Ben: 18:40

That I completely agree with. And even if he is quote unquote free let's say they, they, they're not literally holding a gun to his head. They just showed him. You either play ball and change your narratives. Or next time you're not coming out of this and that's going to have an effect on you, period.

Gene: 19:00

And that it's, it's amazing that there's, there's no freedom of speech with Nazis. What.

Ben: 19:07

Well, freedom of speech is an illusion in this country as well. I mean, many of the things we've said on this podcast, if her by my employer would probably get me fired and.

Gene: 19:20

Wait, why are you on here then though?

Ben: 19:22

I guess, I think things need to be said and you know, it, it's not hard to figure out who I am and find, find me. I'm not trying to hide, but at the same time, I'm not putting it out there to the world. And, you know, freedom of speech is the most important thing we have. And the reason why is because freedom of speech, you, you can't fully form a thought until you've at least talked it out to yourself. You, you can't be introspective enough to really define what you think in about a situation until you've talked through it with someone or at least yourself, because that's just the way humans work a lot in language are mixed. So tightly that it's. It cannot be undone. That's why in 1984, you know, controlling the language in SOC was such a devious thing in the book because by controlling language you control thought. And I think to a large extent that cancel culture that has popped up over the last few years is a, another method of doing that while not necessarily changing the dictionary definition, although the cancel culture does change the dictionary

Gene: 20:39

That's the only way that they can win arguments.

Ben: 20:42

right? So by doing this, you were controlling thought. You know, when I was growing up you know, years ago, having a Confederate battle flag was not a big deal now. Oh my God, you're a racist. No, I'm not. And it, it just drives me nuts to see. Such a shift in our culture and these cultural shifts that we're seeing are not normal. This is revolutionary ESC cultural shifts that we're seeing in our culture.

Gene: 21:17

you mean kind of like the the 1920s and. In Europe.

Ben: 21:22

Yeah. I mean, you could say that quite frankly, some of the demonstrations, what we've seen is very reminiscent of 1920s farewell 19 for period of the 19 teens all the way through the 1930s in everywhere from Russia to Germany very reminiscent. And when you have had such a general. Liberal society that has been very accepting. And you get into this strife scenario, you're asking for, for totalitarianism one way or the other it's that is the next step in the evolution of a country.

Gene: 22:07

Totally

Ben: 22:08

it then gives to more freedom, but that is, you know, it is the natural order of government power to increase and freedom to wane. And, you know, as Thomas Jefferson said, the tree of Liberty must be watered from time to time

Gene: 22:24

Absolutely.

Ben: 22:25

we're approaching one of those times,

Gene: 22:27

Yes, I. I think you're absolutely right. And the idea of totalitarianism arises. most times. Very very much desired by the people. They would not use that word of course, it is the idea of we've had enough of this bullshit. And things were better in the past and it's time. to Put a restraint on all this bullshit happening. One could say that this is happening in Florida right now. And like I'm not saying this is the Alterian ism, But this is the mentality that ultimately does lead to it. With all the pedophilia that Disney has been pumping out lately. And their particular push in that direction. It's creating a backlash to the extent that in Florida now, Disney. Which shouldn't have had all these exclusive privileges like they did, but. They've now lost them.

Ben: 23:24

Yeah.

Gene: 23:24

so consequently. It is in that same mindset of pushing back against ridiculous, progressive ideas. totalitarian movements gained their foothold as well.

Ben: 23:37

Well, and the, don't say gay bill, which I'm using that as the general moniker, because most people that's not the title of the bill. However, I would say that restricting what teachers can do in that manner is the wrong it is. I'm going to step on some toes. It's the right thing to do, but it's the wrong way to do it. The answer is pull your fucking kids out of school, take their education to make it your responsibility, not the responsibility of some teacher.

Gene: 24:12

let me play Devil's advocate here. And I'm not even going to go down the path of like, well, not everybody can afford to do that, but. Let's say that. Okay. But in a purely libertarian perspective. Are the parents not employing the teachers. Can Present the list of tasks and required activities. So their employees. To be performed. You will do this. You will do that. You won't do this other thing. because we don't want anything to do with it.

Ben: 24:43

Yeah, and that's fine, but again, the government shouldn't be necessarily involved with schooling. And

Gene: 24:49

Yeah.

Ben: 24:49

if you want to reform the school system reform the school system, so teachers, teachers, should be able to be fired easily by school

Gene: 25:00

Yes,

Ben: 25:01

So if it, you know, change that, and then parents who are concerned about this and want are screw that parents who want this taught in their classrooms. The parent should be in control of this. The fact that we have the bureaucracy that we have, and that we've abstracted this out, this law will do in my opinion, little to nothing to change. What is happening in the schools now, and is actually probably done a bigger disservice to parents because they think, oh, okay, little Johnny safe. No, I mean, the bill doesn't even prevent a teacher going over and say, Hey Johnny, I noticed you playing with that. Barbie. I think you might be a girl. And having a private conversation is fine in the bill. It's having the classroom wide conversations as a problem. So now all the teacher has to do to circumvent this bill is had private conversations. My problem is I don't want a teacher having that conversation with my kids. I want to have that conversation with my kids.

Gene: 26:03

Well but. I think this again, falls under employee employer. Sort of. Definitions. If you don't want to have the teacher to have that conversation with your kids, then you need to make sure that that is a prohibited activity for your employee.

Ben: 26:18

Again, then you have to change the school system. And this is where I would say the government has no business in education. There is no.

Gene: 26:26

I think one is not related to the other. I think this could be equally true of private schools as well. You may have, and you probably do have private schools. Where. There's

Ben: 26:38

All right.

Gene: 26:38

one teacher that everybody knows is like, mm, Maybe we shouldn't have hired that person because don't agree with what she's teaching.

Ben: 26:46

that is where a private employer can crack down on something a lot easier. And if enough parents complain, they will, the government is less likely, unfortunately to hear a redress of grievances and You know, my general mentality is that the public school system is screwed. We have interested too much to it, and it is causing the destruction of this country,

Gene: 27:13

and I, I don't.

Ben: 27:14

and the public schools. We're not in a good place.

Gene: 27:17

I don't disagree at all on the big picture. The department of education should not exist, should have never been created. But. Having said. That if you I think the problem is not. Specific to only government run schools. I I've heard of a number of instances of people complaining about their, their private Catholic schools as well. So I think that this is an issue of. Of parental control and. And frankly, I blame a lot of the institutional Institutionalized learning on the parents. I totally agree with you on that as well. That if you don't take responsibility for your kids. And you leave that up to somebody else. You may not be happy with the results and you need to just look in the mirror as to how you should fix that and why the results are what they are. But I don't think this is, this is a bad deal. I think it's It's something that is. Demonstrating that enough is enough. There is a limit to this, but also the example of what I'm using this for is. The exactly the kind of thinking, the kind of backlash. That is created when things drift too far. To the opposite extreme.

Ben: 28:34

Absolutely. And that's kind of, my point is not only do I think it's a useless bill, but I think that it is the beginnings and certainly could be initial steps to totalitarian control because when the government starts writing these bills and being very prescriptive in the way they say you shall conduct yourself, that's when I have a problem. And just to wrap it up on the school thing, my opinion is abolish public and private schools. Parents get involved in co-ops and go that way. I know that's not going to happen, but I can be idealistic. But yeah, I, I think that

Gene: 29:10

w isn't that? isn't a, co-op just the school.

Ben: 29:13

it could be, but it's amount of involvement. So w you know what I'm saying, there is, don't just throw a check towards, okay, y'all go do this, or whatever, be involved. And, and really whether it's public school, private school homeschool, whatever the level of education of the child really depends on the involvement of the parent. I mean, you can have your kid in the best school in the world. If you're not involved, probably not going to produce optimal results, you can have them in one of the worst schools in the world. And if you're involved that child will probably learn a great deal.

Gene: 29:46

That's true. I've, I've got friends that have some third kids$200,000 a year. Prep schools. And then they. You know, they, they learn how to how to

Ben: 29:56

Cheat the system.

Gene: 29:58

Smoke pot all day. Yeah, cause it's. You have to have enough. interest in the outcome and most kids. At that age when they're still in school. Really don't have the internal I don't even know what to call it. Like the internal drive. To focus on the outcome. And they're more interested in just doing things as a group. Like we see this in all animals. Kids of all animals pretty much. Well, okay. Let's limit it to to Mammals. Yeah, I mean, cause I started thinking about reptiles, like, okay, maybe they don't do this, but almost all mammals. When there are multiple kids that are in the same general vicinity. They're always playing together and roughhousing and doing that. And they would much rather do that then. Pay attention to what the parents have to say. Like.

Ben: 30:54

Well in that place, circuits you know, that a very important thing

Gene: 31:00

Yeah.

Ben: 31:01

and the play circuit in a, you know, through that play, you enable a sense of fairness and what is equitable and okay.

Gene: 31:11

Mistakes that are not going to cost you longterm.

Ben: 31:14

yeah, you, you get to play and roughhouse and not lose your life because you take someone off to an N degree and yeah. Socialization through that play circuit is incredible.

Gene: 31:29

Yeah. So. I I just think that obviously. The parent needs to stay involved in order to help motivate the kid because the kid. The average kid lacks the self motivation and there's some kids that are amazingly self-motivated from an early age. And then there, there are kids whose parents are so overly motivating. That their first opportunity that they get a freedom. They completely just ruin their lives

Ben: 31:59

right. There's definitely striking a balance of discipline and fun. And you know what strikes me is why globally and as a race have we decided, and I say globally, I'm sure that there are areas where this is not the case, but why have we so extended adolescence? What is the end goal there? You know, my grandmother on my mom's side was married and having kids at 16 and Brandon, my grandfather was older than her and so on, but that was a common thing, you know, a hundred years ago. It was,

Gene: 32:37

kids as a farmers to get free labor that nothing to do with wanting more kids.

Ben: 32:42

yeah, this is true. I understand that.

Gene: 32:44

Yeah, I mean, And then we had all kinds of laws. I think that started in England from the, the mid 18 hundreds that started looking at child welfare. And saying, look, you can't have a kid under 10 working for your company. Like they got to get to at least 10. And then eventually that age kept creeping up. I think the original thought was by delaying a lessons. We enable more growth and learning and the people that come into the adult workforce. Are going to be that much more mature. Unfortunately, I think the opposite is happening.

Ben: 33:18

Yeah, I think what started in the U S mainly with the education system, you know, it was set up by the robber barons, and it was meant to create a better factory worker, not an edge, not an educated individual. You know, someone who knew enough to generate money for someone else, but not necessarily themselves. Who would provide remedial labor and not complain too much about it, right. The type of person who

Gene: 33:44

Yeah.

Ben: 33:45

once just a job, not necessarily a career.

Gene: 33:48

Know that that's necessarily a bad thing because that represents 90% of the population. If not

Ben: 33:53

well, I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad thing, but I'm saying our education system being geared towards that is a bad thing.

Gene: 33:59

wasn't geared towards. a

Ben: 34:03

me, let me.

Gene: 34:03

or. Entrepreneurial-ism that's for sure.

Ben: 34:05

Right. Let me rephrase. So I don't come off as an elitist asshole. There is nothing,

Gene: 34:10

Sasol,

Ben: 34:11

there is nothing wrong with a nine to five job that you go do, whatever, you know, I mean,

Gene: 34:17

you work for somebody?

Ben: 34:19

I do, You know, my, my, my, my dad actually has been self-employed for forever, but he's very blue, blue collar. And

Gene: 34:29

elitist prick.

Ben: 34:30

Y

Gene: 34:31

Blue collar. Since you know, the color blue is racist.

Ben: 34:35

how,

Gene: 34:37

I'm just fucking with you.

Ben: 34:40

I mean today, maybe,

Gene: 34:42

as well. be. You're starting Actually wondering if you miss the latest news.

Ben: 34:46

Did I miss the latest meme. Anyway, you know, I, I grew up upper middle class than poor and we've gone up and down and you know, I, it, there's nothing wrong with just working your ass off by any stretch. My dad still does it to this day. He's 60. Let's see, how old am I? He's 66. He's not going to retire anytime soon. He at all. And he works every day and he works his tail off physically every day. He's in better physical shape than I am. And I'm 30 years as

Gene: 35:22

Same Here. I mean, I, I hate to admit it, but I'm sure people probably aren't shocked to find that out, but yeah, my dad's definitely in better shape. than that.

Ben: 35:33

No. Anyway. But the point is the, the education system not pushing and striving for, I guess maybe my ideal is a little off, but I would think that the more educated we have, the better off our self self-govern society would be. Right.

Gene: 35:53

You're not going to look, you're trying to break the, the premium curve there.

Ben: 35:59

trying. Yeah.

Gene: 35:59

Yeah. So if you want more educated people running society, then you need to increase the population of the planet.

Ben: 36:08

That are we Institute poll tests so that the only people who are actually running the, you know,

Gene: 36:13

Oh, you're definitely not

Ben: 36:15

and everything.

Gene: 36:15

Sprick at this point.

Ben: 36:17

Oh man, I'm sorry. I just don't. I, I I will, I will flat out say it. I do not believe in universal franchisement

Gene: 36:24

Yup. Yup. I know the day women got to vote. It was like one of the saddest days for the.

Ben: 36:31

Well, I have, no, I don't think that it should be based off sex race or anything else, but I think you should have some skin in the game. For instance, I would say that most of New York city shouldn't be allowed to vote because they don't own property.

Gene: 36:43

Yeah. And when the

Ben: 36:44

property owning requirement

Gene: 36:46

in the first place? What was that? 1906.

Ben: 36:49

again, I have no problem with anyone based off of their race and or sex

Gene: 36:53

No, I'm. I totally get it. You've got strong opinions in this topic.

Ben: 36:58

Yeah. So just to dig a hole, little deeper, one of the old jokes that I always thought was hilarious. Women couldn't vote. We had a vote to see if women could vote. How the fuck did we lose that?

Gene: 37:09

Yeah. And how did things turn out after.

Ben: 37:12

Hey, you know what? It's all good, man. But.

Gene: 37:16

Is it though. I thought we started this whole podcast talking. About how it's all bad. Like all the dystopian movies are coming I don't know, man. I blamed the women on.

Ben: 37:28

I don't blame the women. I blame every good man and woman that stood by and has done nothing over a long, long period of time to the point where we are coming to a crisis. And, you know, that's another natural thing. It's a natural cycle for these things to go through. And it's unfortunate. you know, the fourth turning is here and I, you would think humanity would learn, but as you look through history, it, it doesn't necessarily repeat, but it sure as hell rhymes.

Gene: 37:58

Yeah. Yeah. And I think there's an awful lot of repetition in there too. It's like, In any musical. piece, It doesn't matter what the genre is. It wouldn't be recognizable as music. If it didn't have repetition. I don't care if it's Mozart. Or if it's

Ben: 38:17

Well, and, you know, classical music, the, the, you know, there's always the main narrative of the musical piece. And then there's the counterpoint. And I think the musical piece, that is our society unfolding before us. You and I are, the counterpoint, not the main narrative.

Gene: 38:35

And. I always been that. And it's, it's funny too. because Tim Paul talks about this, and then I don't know why he's so then polarizing. I have a lot of friends and listeners that really disliked some pool and I like him. I mean, he's a Younger dude, but I totally get where he's coming from. He came more from the left side, but. But, you know, Most of my. Younger days, I was always very much libertarian kind of objectivist in my thought pattern. And and so. I would have been grouped with the, the hippies by a lot of people. And I was frankly, in the eighties and nineties. Because I was the one saying, well, I don't understand what the hell your problem with. Drugs is I don't understand what your problem is. Giving a shit. If two women marry each other, instead of you know, A guy. Like to me, it just, these are inconsequential things that shouldn't be the main issues. What the main issues are, is the future of the country and the what we're dealing with right now, frankly, w which is a collapse of of really. Ideas that this country was founded on and a rise Of socialism. That to me is way more important. And so. My views have not changed. That was not one of these guys that flip-flopped, as I got older. You know, I I'd always kind of thought that way. In large part because of the way that I was raised. And, after having discovered. Oh, my God, there are other people like me in Objectivists in libertarians. I pretty much you know, then had somebody to speak to. After that for, for the rest of my life. But yet, somehow right now I would be classified as a near Nazi by, you know, the average person, because. Because of my thought. And then they're exactly the same as they were 40 years ago.

Ben: 40:38

Yeah. Unfortunately we have language should matter. Again, it's just that shift in language to push us out, but, and it's the, it's the movement of the left to a further extreme. And it's, it's interesting. Cause the, if you look at general trends and so on the conservatives in the country have pretty much stayed where they are. They haven't, they haven't polarized near as much as the left hand,

Gene: 41:10

I think they move. I think the conservatives have moved to the left.

Ben: 41:13

Yeah, I would say they've moved to

Gene: 41:14

Yeah,

Ben: 41:14

Psalm. Now there, if you're looking at the tail end of the bell curve there, I would say there's a shift of the more fringe, right. That has moved a little further. Right? Probably which, I mean, a lot of people would throw me in that category, but I'm clearly not. But the, but the fringe left, they have moved so far left. It's it's.

Gene: 41:37

yeah, Yeah. they they have, but again, if you look at the. The far left in pre Nazi Germany. You look at the far left in pre rubbish and revolution, Russia. You look at the far left in what are the timeframe? Can I, pull? Well, let's just focus on those two.

Ben: 41:57

French revolution.

Gene: 41:59

revolution. I was thinking, but I want. I don't have a good Example from the French revolution though, but in all situations The response that comes after is that they are treated as useful idiots. They are utilized by a group that gains the majority. And, or I shouldn't say majority, a group that gains power. Let's just say that that's probably more accurate anyway. And once that group has gained power, then they start turning on that far left the same people that were instrumental to them getting in stop start being grouped with end desirables. And I think that is going to happen in this country eventually. I don't know if it's going to happen in the next two years or the next 50 years. It is a cycle. It is going to repeat, but. There is a there there's A growing number of people that keep finding the left. To go further in. Like there, there are people that are way beyond what the traditional definition of far-left is They're they're not socialists or communists They're they're not anarchists. They're literally. They're sort of. There's authoritarians, but they're authoritarians from A standpoint of counter-cultural they're like counter-cultural authoritarian. So I don't know if that makes sense to

Ben: 43:26

Well, what's interesting is they they're seen as counter-cultural by people you say they're counter-cultural, but again, I say a few things. I get canceled. What is the dominant culture? It's obviously not mine.

Gene: 43:43

But I think they go way Above and beyond that. So you can have a predominantly liberal country. You know, countries in, in like Sweden or Denmark. Have no conservative voice in government. They're they're very Liberal. They have very high taxes. They are happy that the government takes care of them. The population keeps voting these people in.

Ben: 44:08

I mean, we have pretty high taxes

Gene: 44:10

And we do we do, but I think. There's are like 80%. But. what I'm talking about is the far left that we'll look at Those people. And start to instantly. See them. As what's wrong with the world, They're too white. They're too upper class they're they're, you know? They have. Too many people that have either male or female sex and not enough people that have neither sex. Or. A mix of sexes, They'll start pointing out all kinds of problems, even with the most. Liberal societies out there. And that's what I mean by culinary culture. Is there. they're so far to the left that they're even countered to a fairly liberal college.

Ben: 44:56

yeah. And you know, what's interesting is the, if you people in the United States often fail to realize how homogenous the European population is inside the countries, even with the immigrant situations that have come up. Oh yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah,

Gene: 45:16

realize. Yeah.

Ben: 45:17

yeah. With very, very few exceptions. In the U S is really the only place where we are this mixed up and jumbled up. And we are the only place where, for the most part racial tensions, aren't that high. You, you look at what has happened with Sweden, with some of the African immigrants there and north African, not really, you know, anyway,

Gene: 45:45

I mean more. Muslim than African, I would say. It's it's

Ben: 45:48

well,

Gene: 45:49

religion, than the,

Ben: 45:50

I, but still same continent.

Gene: 45:52

Yes, but I think. like you, if you bring somebody from. I dunno, from Somalia. Well, now Somalis are Muslim too. I was just trying to think of a non Muslim African country. If you bring them to Sweden, I don't think there'd be the problems that they're seeing.

Ben: 46:07

I tend to agree regardless, you have lots of issues because. There is no cultural mixing. And even in parts of Michigan, we see some similar things happening there.

Gene: 46:21

There's plenty of places in the us. That's the case.

Ben: 46:24

Yeah. So The us has, is slowly turning into a very dangerous

Gene: 46:29

Balkans.

Ben: 46:31

yes, but the balkanization of the U S so we used to be a, you know, the Melting pot. where everyone comes together, culture shifts, you accept the dominant culture. You change yours. If you're Irish, you're still Irish. If you're, you know, whatever, you, you still have your quote unquote identity to a large extent, but you're not the same as you were in the old country. And now what we're moving to is the salad bowl, where we're all in the same fucking bowl, But none of us are mixed together. Exactly.

Gene: 47:04

It's a, it's a, it is a great analogy because Even if you look at like the Irish immigration that, that occurred. Where they were seen as, you know,

Ben: 47:13

Subhuman not white.

Gene: 47:15

Yeah. Which kind of makes sense. They do have the highest percentage of Neanderthal DNA. So, you know, but I'm pumped. But the.

Ben: 47:22

I am scotch Irish.

Gene: 47:24

Did most people I talked with. Are have that genetics? I just like red hair. So, you know, I kind kinda, I'm a Neanderthal chaser, I guess. But No, my my point. With this That there was social pressure. To meld. With the dominant culture in the U S which was a culture that was heavily influenced by the French revolution and English common law. And so whatever you came from and whatever the culture was there, that your idea was, it was better in the U S and when you get to the U S you were told you were shit. And you quickly wanted to not become shit. And become part of the mainstream us culture. Certainly that's what parents wanted for the kids. Same thing with the Italians coming over.

Ben: 48:11

Yeah.

Gene: 48:12

exact. thing. It's like they're not white. They're literally like Africans that are in Europe.

Ben: 48:17

Yeah, but if you, well, and there, there's a reason why the Greeks and the Italians are darker, it's all about, you know, the rating. Well, now, now the rating and pillaging that occurred, By the Moore's. But anyway regardless, but if you look at, you know, New York, New Jersey and the Italian subculture, that's still there. They are still a distinct for the most part,

Gene: 48:43

Yeah.

Ben: 48:44

but they have integrated into society and no one would

Gene: 48:47

Yeah. The own garbage companies.

Ben: 48:50

you know, the mom's a thing. You look at Chicago and the, the Irish and the Chicago area, same thing. They, they are very defined of people to a large extent. But they're integrated into society. And, you know, the, the Hispanics in Texas, a lot of the Hispanics in Texas have integrated extremely well. And some of them are here legally. Some of them are not, and I

Gene: 49:14

their ancestral. land.

Ben: 49:16

eh, well, you know, the, the Mexican constitution of 1828, my friend we can, Yeah. anyway.

Gene: 49:25

fault. There's no denying it.

Ben: 49:28

Yeah. it, and I would say that you know, it, wasn't just the white settlers over here that were fighting in the Texas revolution.

Gene: 49:35

not at all. No.

Ben: 49:37

And I would say the biggest mistake Texas ever made was joining the union.

Gene: 49:41

But there are a lot of people just pouring for that from the get go. Even before Texas was a country.

Ben: 49:46

Oh, absolutely. The, the, the, the carpet baggers and the scallywags were a thing before the civil war in Texas.

Gene: 49:55

be careful there. You're talking about your. Ancestors because they Coming to Texas from. Kentucky. Is carpet bag of tree.

Ben: 50:05

My family didn't come and come to Texas until actually shit, 18, 18 80, 18

Gene: 50:14

No, you're latecomers.

Ben: 50:16

Yeah. Well, not to the nation, but to Texas, my family originally settled pre American revolution in what was then the Spanish Feliciana is AKA modern day Louisiana. My family had several plantations outside of Alexandria.

Gene: 50:30

Oh, that explains everything.

Ben: 50:32

yeah. Well, my, my, my.

Gene: 50:34

the plantation didn't chip yet tutors in. Everything homeschool. And that's why you're all for that

Ben: 50:39

my ancestors you know, he was living in the Spanish Louisiana's and the American revolution kicked off and he wrote in his diary that this was a revolution, not for the colonies, but for the continent and ended up going and fighting and was captured by the British and lots of things. And by the time he got back home, his wife had died in childbirth. So.

Gene: 51:00

So

Ben: 51:01

you know, lots of things.

Gene: 51:02

was only gone for nine months.

Ben: 51:05

No, he was, she that he, she died while he was gone. No, he did not get back for multiple years.

Gene: 51:12

Yeah. Yeah. And. I think there is a lot of a lot of. Lessons that could be learned by people that if they bothered reading history and understanding it. But every, every generation, really the majority of the people just want to do things their own way. And I get it. It's it Is human nature. I think it's actually animal nature to do that to not Try and learn ideas from. People that have done things in the past, but think that you're. your, new bright way of doing things has never been tried in the past. And is going to be therefore successful because it is brand new. The thing is it's only brand new to you. It's not actually brand. new to the world.

Ben: 51:59

There's nothing new under the sun, just the derivation thereof.

Gene: 52:03

And Sometimes not even. So. I don't know. It's a.

Ben: 52:11

Well, it's, you know, something that is often said about communism. Well, that wasn't real communism. If they had only done it this way,

Gene: 52:20

did it properly. real communism. I've always. said. that It is literally impossible because it is the garden of Eden. It is the idea. Of, a living. And then. Idealized world that can, that exist. It is period Topia.

Ben: 52:39

Well, and again, we we've said this before. It's a noble idea. Marx's idea is a noble one, right? From each according to his capability to each, according to his needs. That is a very noble idea. It's also extraordinarily nice.

Gene: 52:58

Yeah. Yeah. No it is. And. It's it's a fun theoretical discussion while you're sitting at a men's club, smoking a cigar or a pipe. And having a conversation with your buddy. About how things ought to be. And living on the money from your dad's factory. As Mark's dead. So,

Ben: 53:24

Have you ever wrote? So Orwell, you know, wrote a lot of really good nonfiction as well.

Gene: 53:30

have not read any.

Ben: 53:32

You need to read the road to Wigan pier.

Gene: 53:34

Oh, interesting. Okay.

Ben: 53:36

It is about

Gene: 53:37

for the episode recommendation.

Ben: 53:40

Alex ends up happening. Yeah, the road to Wigan pier is about a British mining site and the struggles there and the struggles of the worker and so on Or Or we'll was a very interesting character because he played with communism and communistic ideas early in his life. Then what, wait a second and saw the dangers of it. So it's very interesting to read his writing throughout his life and watch his opinions shift and really what woke him up was the Spanish revolution and what he saw going on there and the purity tests that happened very early on in the Spanish revolution. And that's what a lot of people don't understand is as soon as you start going down a totalitarian path, you inevitably have an othering that occurs whether it's an ideological or racial othering, doesn't really matter. As soon as you say they are not in our group.

Gene: 54:45

Yeah.

Ben: 54:47

That becomes very dangerous, Very quickly. is. That's why human society. So the idea that the United States can be 120 320 million people in population And

Gene: 55:03

of the south. again, once you

Ben: 55:06

anyway, the

Gene: 55:08

with you, man,

Ben: 55:10

subconsciously to me, how?

Gene: 55:11

you know, it's like, well, the United States so the 120 million. Oh, I guess, I guess there's a Northern states too. So 360.

Ben: 55:18

well, is there, is there really anyway so 320 million you have allowed Congress to cap its number

Gene: 55:28

right. right.

Ben: 55:29

And the Senate is now the Senate ever since we amended the constitution so that the Senate was no longer the state's voice. This is what a lot of people don't understand. The way the constitution was written is the Senate was meant to be the state legislatures voice. That's why the Senate is the upper house. They were not meant to be directly elected. You should not be voting for your Senator. Your state legislatures should be appointing them. And the reason why is because the state, we are the United States with a capitalist, because I'm not an American, I am a Texan. And. you know, that's like saying European is what it should be. We are in a Federation. I'm sorry.

Gene: 56:11

It's just like a. Texan to say that.

Ben: 56:14

Amen. We, you know, we were supposed to be in our own countries, loosely connected in a larger sense.

Gene: 56:20

this. is something just A little bit of tangent, but this is something that I've always noticed is funny about Europe. Currently is that. it's always European. Union. When it's convenient and it, and then it very easily, quickly flip-flops to Ireland. or you know, Belgium or Denmark or whoever. If all of a sudden they're talking about a problem that they don't like. Like well, You know, we as a country against that, but if they're talking about something that is You know, of lesser consternation to them selves then it's well, we, as Europe, as the EU, So I think. In some ways it would be better if the states acted a little more like the EU. In terms of states feeling like small countries.

Ben: 57:15

I agree. Part of our problem in the United States is we allowed Congress to cap the number we have made the Senate, which was supposed to be the state's voice in the federal government to be nothing more than another house of representatives.

Gene: 57:33

Yup. Yup.

Ben: 57:35

had a smaller number with a longer term.

Gene: 57:37

Yup.

Ben: 57:37

And when you look at the amount of representation that a member of parliament in the UK has versus a Congressman you're talking, I think in the UK, it's around 30,000 people to to an MP in the United States. It's hundreds of thousands of people to a member of Congress. You cannot represent that many people.

Gene: 57:57

Yeah. When I ran for Minnesota. House of representatives way back when. My district. Was a. 36,000 As a state representative. So, yeah. It's it's vastly different in European countries. And certainly in England.

Ben: 58:19

Well,

Gene: 58:20

it is here.

Ben: 58:21

in the part of reason why I'm bringing this up is direct democracy has never worked. We'll never work to talent terrorism doesn't oh, Well, it, it it can work, but it's going to be very brutal. Yes.

Gene: 58:37

It's, It's going to be a small group that it works for.

Ben: 58:39

The best system of government that we have ever had is a representative Republic and an indirect democracy. But that starts to fail. At scale and that's the problem. The U S the, the problem with the us government isn't the structure of government is that we've got too damn many P exactly. And it was never meant to be this big.

Gene: 59:01

No.

Ben: 59:01

should be broken up. We should go to a smaller sets of countries. I think Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas,

Gene: 59:09

is their own country. clearly.

Ben: 59:11

they Clearly. act like it. The Northeast,

Gene: 59:15

too about the, the west coast is like, I have no problem at all with California, Oregon, and Washington.

Ben: 59:22

they can be great trading partners,

Gene: 59:24

crazy ass. Woke nation. Like I'm okay with that, but they have a problem with us in Texas being what we want to be.

Ben: 59:33

not just Texas, the rest of the country.

Gene: 59:35

the rest of the country, but that's what I mean, it's. Like, I don't mind that when wacko crazy ass. Libs decide to do their thing as long as they don't bother me, but it, it makes my existence simply bothers them.

Ben: 59:51

Well, and that is one of the things that has

Gene: 59:55

That's what.

Ben: 59:57

Bruce to vote. You, you have to break it down to where we are going to, it has to be broken down to where there is a good representation for people and either the U S Congress needs to quadruple its number to even come close to representing people. Or I don't know, man, something's gotta go.

Gene: 1:00:24

Yeah, something's going to. give. I think that's inevitable and I think we're at the early stages of it. I'm not happy about it. I'm not rooting for it. But the United States is on downfall. And it is likely to create a big reset for everybody here. And one of those outcomes. When China owns not just half a United States output, but half of the United States property Is going. To probably be a breakup of the country.

Ben: 1:00:55

Yeah, I think we're going to a point in time in history where the elites are going to try and control this fourth, turning and create an outcome to their benefit at the same time. I think we're also coming to a time that could be extremely volatile and dangerous. And if it is that volatile and dangerous, I don't think deeds are going to matter much. That said on, on the road to this great reset. been tracking the food processing plants, randomly catching on fire all over the U S

Gene: 1:01:32

I mean, I've heard blips. Here and there, I haven't really paid attention too much. I know the price is definitely getting into.

Ben: 1:01:39

so there've been multiple stories in the last couple of weeks of random food processing plant a or B catching on fire and being out of operation for long periods of time. it could just be coincidence, but you know, on about the fourth or fifth story about

Gene: 1:01:57

Oh, those didn't

Ben: 1:01:58

it just,

Gene: 1:01:58

that many. I just saw a couple.

Ben: 1:02:01

oh no, I it's been easily four or five that have caught fire or, and, or cease production due to whatever calamity. One of them was a plane crashing into it. I guess I'm a conspiracy theorist, but that just seems like an odd set of coincidences, since we're going into this great reset where, you know, by an administration has already said that there will be food shortages.

Gene: 1:02:24

Absolutely.

Ben: 1:02:25

So,

Gene: 1:02:27

Yeah, and I think. There'll. be shortages, both in terms of Lots of products will not be on the shelves, but also shortages in terms of. Oh, Did you, did you. Want to have a cheese with that sandwich? Yeah. That that's like$5 extra. I mean, I think the pricing is going to start getting ridiculous for a lot of items that people are very used to. I think fast food restaurants are either going to Jack prices up or start shutting down their locations. Because they can't afford. to operate at a loss.

Ben: 1:02:59

I think that the restaurant industry, I mean, we have so many restaurants when you think back to the nineties,

Gene: 1:03:07

Yeah.

Ben: 1:03:07

And the amount of increase in number of restaurants in the, your typical town, it's insane. And you are going to have a collapse of the restaurant industry. The big problem with that is that's a huge chunk of jobs.

Gene: 1:03:23

a Big important, text.

Ben: 1:03:25

Yup.

Gene: 1:03:25

Even, even that just people working in a restaurant, the people working in the companies that own restaurants. So, yeah, there's a lot. of

Ben: 1:03:33

Well, and then the supply chain for it and everything else, you know, what I'm wonder is how are people going to survive? Because many people don't cook at home. Don't know how to cook.

Gene: 1:03:44

Yeah.

Ben: 1:03:45

Don't know how

Gene: 1:03:46

I don't have a freezer with a half a year supply of food in it.

Ben: 1:03:50

no, you know, seasoning their spices

Gene: 1:03:54

Yeah. Yeah, no, that's, that's very true. It's going to be gradual, which is always the thing people forget. When you start talking about doom, state prepping stuff. Is that. The odds of there Just being a nuclear blast and then everything being reset in a one second period. Are still extremely small, even though we're closer than we have ever been since the fifties nuclear war today. but even with that, The much greater odds, the virtually guaranteed thing that's going to happen. Is a gradual. Decrease. Into a point of survival from a point of, you know, comfortable living.

Ben: 1:04:38

Yeah, well, and three days, you know, three days supply of food is what your grocery store typically has. We are so reliant on just in time. And nothing is very few, very little as sourced locally.

Gene: 1:04:55

Yeah. That's true. Everything here is coming from Mexico.

Ben: 1:05:00

We are, we are looking at something when, you know, think about toilet paper and what happened at the beginning of the pandemic. When you start seeing those blank shelves and people get enough bite over fucking toilet paper, you know, I mean, worst case scenario, go get a washcloth, you know, you can make do, when, when, it's the last dozen eggs, when's the last loaf of bread on the shelf.

Gene: 1:05:25

Yeah.

Ben: 1:05:25

You know, when you are in what's going on in Shanghai, you know, food spoiling and you're getting a few, you're getting rash in the food society will change very rapidly. And I don't know, it's going to be an interesting.

Gene: 1:05:41

Yeah.

Ben: 1:05:42

And it's going to be interesting in this, in a place like Texas, where we are fairly well armed and people may not have prepared, but they have weaponry.

Gene: 1:05:53

Yeah.

Ben: 1:05:54

So

Gene: 1:05:55

Yeah. And the, and the, sort of the cynical. Comment that has always passed. around is like, well, I don't really need to worry about food because my Neighbors are liberals. And they don't have guns.

Ben: 1:06:07

yeah, I and I I'm sure my morals, if I were ever put in a position would become far more flexible because I

Gene: 1:06:14

Yeah.

Ben: 1:06:15

feed my family over, keeping my morals, but at the same time,

Gene: 1:06:19

a, it's not. I don't think there's a difference. There, I think that. Things have a, a. hierarchy morals have. a Hierarchy. They're not all identical.

Ben: 1:06:31

But what I would say is I have taken the impetus to prepare and to, you know, I like food storage, man. I think of it as cheap ass insurance. You know, you lose your job. Guess what? We don't have to have a grocery bill right now. Whatever it doesn't matter if there's a hurricane URI hits that matter.

Gene: 1:06:49

somebody. That's. A little older and. And taking a number of prescription medicines. That's my bigger fear. Is it's. Not the food. It's the medicine because. You can't hoard it because prescriptions won't give it to you. You're you're relying on that. System. And there have been instances already. Plenty of times for me. Where, like I remember. Like I use insulin. Diabetic. So. You know, picking up. The insulin. But they're out of. Syringes. Oh, great. Okay. Now what. So, for somebody that. Isn't equipped. To be able to deal with unforeseen. circumstances. Like that. And certainly I'm, I'm both, young enough and financially enough secure to be able to find other means. Whether it's for insulin or for syringes, but for the average person, You know, what are you going to do if the drugs you take or the insulin that you take? For your disease. Just starts becoming rarely. available. It's not completely gone, but it's like, if you're lucky you can get it. And if you're not lucky, you can't.

Ben: 1:08:00

Well, I would say there are a couple of them. Insulin is a hard one. My grandfather was diabetic as well. Making lifestyle changes to help that

Gene: 1:08:10

Yeah.

Ben: 1:08:10

is a thing for some people, some people it's not you, what I would say, especially since you grew up around goats and everything, I would look at the way insulin was produced in the 1950s. But that, that said anyone who's on sustaining medications, I would highly encourage them to look at natural alternatives and ways of shifting that

Gene: 1:08:29

Yeah.

Ben: 1:08:29

not going to be available for everyone. And when we look at what's going on in China right now, and the fact that we can't even make vitamin C in this country, because it's been a lot of the precursors and everything are outsourced to China, that's a very dangerous position, especially now that the elites are looking at killing globalization.

Gene: 1:08:52

Yep.

Ben: 1:08:53

I don't think is necessarily a bad thing, but it depends on how they do it. If you cancel all trade between the U S and China right now, the U S collapses.

Gene: 1:09:01

and that's, that is the big. Smoking gun or the big gorilla in the room that nobody's willing to talk. About why. I think that. Taiwan. is completely. fucked. And it's inevitable that they will become part of China. Is because the us. For all its hot air and talk. And. Even for it's sending money. To Ukraine. It isn't going to, like, there are very few Russian goods that people in the U S purchase that they care about. Now they're going to care a little more. Now that fertilizer is going away. And the food production. Is going to be affected. The gas prices Went up, but you could still buy gas. slightly effected by what, what a Biden did with Russia. But China is a whole other animal. There's almost nothing that you can buy at a Walmart that wasn't produced in China. And you could literally live just by things. You buy it in Walmart.

Ben: 1:10:02

Well, there's also, even if it wasn't made in China, what components or precursors were. This is going to sad fact is this is going to push us to account a Anglo Sino conflict. And it really is going to be interesting to see

Gene: 1:10:23

I think China's got it. I honestly, and I've been saying this for years and people have been making fun of me and I've, I've studied a little bit about China and back just when I got out of college and I'm like, I did a little bit of a deep dive and it became pretty apparent to me that the way things are going politically in the U S and in China, they're going to win. From a individual perspective, there are certainly people in the U S and, and mentalities that I think are you know, in a much better position than China. But the problem is that the consumerism of the U S is driving Chinese growth and in correspondence, the America has gotten so reliant on. That you think about this, you're the president of the U S you get a phone call on the Chinese phone, which probably still is read at this point and say, yeah, we just wanted to let you know. So next Tuesday or two weeks from now on Tuesday we're going to start the occupation of Taiwan and we're letting you know, because we want to make sure you guys don't do anything about it. And the

Ben: 1:11:37

Hmm.

Gene: 1:11:38

is, well, you can't do that. How dare you? And the second thought is, well, you know, that would be a bad thing. And then Chinese people are like, well, I would assume you guys don't want us to put a hundred percent tariff on all goods being shipped out of China to the U S right, because if the alternative is an immediate collapse of the U S not a gradual collapses, we're going through right now, but in the immediate collapse of the U S versus. Saving Taiwan from China. I can tell you what the president, any president Republican or Democrat is going to do

Ben: 1:12:12

Well, what we

Gene: 1:12:13

a shit about Taiwan.

Ben: 1:12:14

Yeah. Well, what We need to do is increase production in this country

Gene: 1:12:19

We need fucking factories in this country is what we need.

Ben: 1:12:21

Yes, absolutely. We need to produce here. w I, I, I would say if, if you had a good, you know, his credit, Trump did a lot of good things. He did some bad things too, but the deregulation that he did a lot, there's no doubt that didn't appoint all the right judges, but he appointed some right judges. And I'm not just talking about the Supreme court, I'm talking about all the judges that he did.

Gene: 1:12:50

Yeah. He had some bathrooms in the Supreme court.

Ben: 1:12:53

yeah, well, and, and, and lower courts as well, but there were a lot of good judges. The deregulation, moving, making moves to bring production back here. You know, what I would like to see is not only moves to encourage production here, but I would like to see us start imposing tariffs on imported goods and becoming a little bit more of a protectionist country. And even though I'm a libertarian and you know, believe in the free market, the reason why is because China is not playing fair. And if they are not playing fair, we have to have strategic interests because if the future is a Chinese style of government, that is not what I want my kids to inherit. And that's not something I want to live in.

Gene: 1:13:42

Yeah, I don't think it's a trading style of garment. I think it is the Chinese government. I think a United States. And again, this is like, people are going to say, oh, you're full of shit here. This is doom and gloom. Yes. Worst case scenario, but a possible worst case scenario is that the United States effectively just becomes a puppet state of China.

Ben: 1:14:01

I know,

Gene: 1:14:02

They're not going to invade. They won't need to, because American politicians will be handpicked by China.

Ben: 1:14:10

well, I mean

Gene: 1:14:11

The same shit that we've been doing. Yeah, exactly. Literally, literally. Yeah. But it's the same shit that we've been doing in plenty of countries in the middle east, including Ukraine, not in the middle east, but in Ukraine where we hand picked yeah. Around the world where we hand-picked politicians that are locals, but really they're working for us and.

Ben: 1:14:34

Well,

Gene: 1:14:35

I, I, it's not going to be a fun day. And it, you know, again, I'm not saying this lab next year. I think this is a we're on the road to this, unless something changes drastically.

Ben: 1:14:47

and this is why I have a secede bumper sticker on my car.

Gene: 1:14:51

Yeah. So see, people are probably reading it succeed. You're really into success. Are you following the Texas secessionist movement?

Ben: 1:15:01

Yeah, I actually no comment. I will say at a gun show the other day I bought a book from from a individual who is definitely a procession and I started reading it. And the interesting take let's just put it that way.

Gene: 1:15:16

Well, the guy who was running for a V or what, what's the, the Lieutenant governor, he's, he's a big time guy in that. I can't remember his name, but I get emails from him like every other day.

Ben: 1:15:31

Yeah, texts. It was a good book. And I really think that the only hope of preventing something like what we just described from China would be a breakup of the us. I think if you broke it up into smaller state,

Gene: 1:15:47

Yeah.

Ben: 1:15:48

There, there could be, then You have questions on national debt and how that gets divvied up and everything else. it well, I mean, to an extent, but I'll, I'll say this at this point in time, the only way we have a right to change, this is through the right of revolution. there isn't going to be a peaceful succession.

Gene: 1:16:13

no, no, definitely not.

Ben: 1:16:16

I mean P you know, people talk about peaceful, divorce, peaceable, divorce. There aren't very many divorces in marriage that are very peaceful.

Gene: 1:16:25

Well, mine was, but I had a nuclear option. I, I, my, my legal was paid for by somebody else. And that, that, that made it very peaceful because it beyond the shadow of a doubt demonstrated to my now ex-wife that going to court is only going to cost her, not me,

Ben: 1:16:48

Now.

Gene: 1:16:50

but that's name. That's a very, yeah, that's a huge exception. Plus no kids that's a huge exception compared to what. most people go through. So, but either way, I think, I think that the, the fear I have right now, and maybe it has more to do with where I live is I'm starting to see the Texas that I moved to the Texas that I recognized as being. The place that I really belong is slowly getting whittled away by all these immigrants from California.

Ben: 1:17:24

Yeah, that's cause where you're living. And I would say that there, there there've been several things over the last few decades that have changed the makeup of a lot of the big Texas cities. Katrina was actually one of them. A lot of people don't realize, but when new Orleans got hit and Katrina happened, there were a lot of refugees. They got shipped into Texas specifically moment. And Beaumont's never been the same city. Not that Beaumont was ever a great city, but I'm just saying there was a massive shift in the politics of that city after Katrina.

Gene: 1:18:00

beautiful mountain.

Ben: 1:18:03

Yeah. And it's very flat land. It was, it was some some some Coon ass had a sense of humor and I'll just put it that way. You know, Houston, Houston has been a fairly liberal city for well parts of it for a long time. San Antonio, the demographic shifts there. I mean, it's San Antonio has been fairly left. But it's really the big cities you get outside of the big cities. You know, even, even college station is pretty liberal,

Gene: 1:18:29

Yeah,

Ben: 1:18:30

function of the college.

Gene: 1:18:31

I've been, I definitely need to start looking more seriously looking at getting out of here. I was planning on leaving Austin last year and you know, I just got lazy and then the weather started changing. I'm like, damn, I don't want to move when it's crappy weather outside. So

Ben: 1:18:48

Well,

Gene: 1:18:48

thinking about it again. And I will say this. My original thought was, well, I haven't lived in either Houston or San Antonio. I'll pick one of those two. And the more I stayed in each one, I can did a little visits. Definitely there's some pros to Houston, but San Antonio seemed like the winter.

Ben: 1:19:06

why do you want to city?

Gene: 1:19:08

Well, and that's where I'm getting to. Right. And my latest thought is, you know what, well, I really need is like 10 acres. I don't need people. I'm less, I find myself less in need of actual direct in-person interaction on a regular basis. When I moved to Austin, after I got divorced I was having a lot of regular interaction with people on a daily basis. I'm just finding just not as much of a need for me these days.

Ben: 1:19:37

But, you know, you could live somewhere, like let's say, outside of Huntsville and you're right there on 45, can get to Intercontinental and an hour, hour and a half, depending on where you're at, You can go anywhere in the world.

Gene: 1:19:51

yeah. How about Bronzeville?

Ben: 1:19:54

I haven't been to Brownsville in a very long time, but you know, your nearest major airports going to be San Antonio.

Gene: 1:20:01

Yeah. I mean, that's the downside of not being near a city is you have to use a puddle jumper to get to the better airport.

Ben: 1:20:10

I would probably not do Brownsville, but I, I, I just, just because Brownsville and stuff like that, there, there have been issues there for a long time, just because of the proximity to the border. But you know, take it for what it's worth outside of Corpus can be really pretty And

Gene: 1:20:29

Corpus. I was looking as well. Corporate itself is very

Ben: 1:20:32

no. Yeah. The

Gene: 1:20:34

in the seventies and never moved down.

Ben: 1:20:36

well, Waco's the same thing. Waco's is more the fifties and sixties, but yeah.

Gene: 1:20:41

yeah. Yeah. But it's, that's why I think it's kinda sad because it's the Corpus seems like it should have been a much more hip kind of resort place then it never really turned into, but on the other side of the bay in Portland, it seemed like there's some decent houses out there I looked at.

Ben: 1:21:02

Yeah, Galveston area. If you want coast Matagorda and surf side, I think would be better than a lot of other places, but it was. just expensive.

Gene: 1:21:13

a bunch of times. I wouldn't mind. I looked at the land at port day. At one point I could have bought land on the. For under a hundred grand, but like all those prices have shot way up since the California start moving here.

Ben: 1:21:27

Well, and quite frankly, I wouldn't want to be on the beach side. I'd be on the bay side, if it were up to me and I grew up on the beach side But the, the base side whether it's Galveston bay, a medical order, and so on Corpus Christi bay you know, from hurricanes, you're more protected. You've got access to the water. You know, if you, if you want to go to the beach, you can go drive down to the beach and do whatever. But

Gene: 1:21:49

I had a boat back then when I was looking

Ben: 1:21:53

well, I have about, I just don't use it as much as I need to. I need to get that sucker

Gene: 1:21:58

that's

Ben: 1:21:59

ready for the spring.

Gene: 1:22:01

Yeah, that's literally why I get rid of.

Ben: 1:22:04

Yeah. Well, but your boat and my boat are probably drastically different things. Mine's worth a couple grand. It's an aluminum fishing boat with a 50 horsepower Johnson and side consoles.

Gene: 1:22:12

I had a center console fishing boat

Ben: 1:22:15

Yeah.

Gene: 1:22:16

that was for off shore,

Ben: 1:22:18

Yeah. My mine's for the bay going up bio's and stuff like that. But.

Gene: 1:22:23

there's probably a smarter if had I bought one of those instead, I may have still had it,

Ben: 1:22:30

Right.

Gene: 1:22:30

but I didn't. So that was, that was an issue.

Ben: 1:22:34

Oh, there's a cost to everything. So

Gene: 1:22:36

my biggest, my best boating related decision I ever made, and that it was stupid for me to get rid of. It was as soon as I moved to Austin, I joined the boat club, which is, you know, you pay monthly and you get access to the fleet of boats that they have. The, the reason this program works is it's just like communism because they have a hundred members and 20. everybody can't use a boat all the time, but nobody really always wants to use a boat

Ben: 1:23:05

it's.

Gene: 1:23:06

yeah, it's timeshare boats. And so if I remember correctly and this was, you know, like 12, 13 years ago, I think it was 2,500 bucks initiation and 400 bucks a month. And which may seem like, wow, that's quite a bit, but you think about it, you know, your payment with forget the marina, just your payment on a boat of the same type that they have in their fleet is going to be more than 400 bucks a month.

Ben: 1:23:36

Well, yeah, I mean, if you're spinning in, if you don't have boats or I'm around boats, a bass boat can be$60,000 depending on what you're getting. So Yeah. much less a ski boat or anything else.

Gene: 1:23:50

Yeah,

Ben: 1:23:51

People go a little crazy.

Gene: 1:23:53

hard to get to a hundred K in a boat. So, and they had and I also, also, I really liked pontoons. Like when you get a few friends in it's like,

Ben: 1:24:00

yeah. Party barge.

Gene: 1:24:02

Yeah. It just needs to putter around and then chit chat. And in fact, I like to have the engine spinning at an RPM, not for a particular speed, but more for a particular volume level. Like, get it, get it as fast as it'll go at a point where we can have a conversation without yelling, which is usually about maybe 12 miles an hour.

Ben: 1:24:26

The biggest problem I have with the boating laws in Texas is that DUIs can be on the water now.

Gene: 1:24:32

You kidding?

Ben: 1:24:34

No, you are operating oh a while ago,

Gene: 1:24:38

Really?

Ben: 1:24:39

yeah,

Gene: 1:24:40

Wow.

Ben: 1:24:40

Drinking and piloting a vessel is now a problem.

Gene: 1:24:44

really. Cause I mean, there was like everywhere I've

Ben: 1:24:47

does it.

Gene: 1:24:47

Yeah. Everywhere I've lived there. There's been events where there's literally thousands of boats of everybody sitting around drinking.

Ben: 1:24:56

Absolutely

Gene: 1:24:58

I guess they're not technically moving because they're tied up. But yeah. And look, I don't, I don't want people to drink and drive boats. That's a great way to get yourself killed, lose a boat and hurt somebody else.

Ben: 1:25:10

again, if you hurt someone, it doesn't really matter. The reason if you did it

Gene: 1:25:15

Yeah, yeah.

Ben: 1:25:16

be what matters, not your intoxication level. You could be tired, You could, just be negligent. You've heard someone.

Gene: 1:25:22

could for sure.

Ben: 1:25:24

So, you know, I don't know. I

Gene: 1:25:26

Yeah. I Was the thing. Cause it,

Ben: 1:25:28

yeah,

Gene: 1:25:28

don't think it was when I was on. Maybe it was maybe I just didn't realize it. Wasn't.

Ben: 1:25:32

it all, it's not heavily enforced. And then that's another reason why I have a problem with it. I, I think any law that is subjectively enforced, shouldn't be.

Gene: 1:25:44

Yeah.

Ben: 1:25:44

And it's very subjective. It can be,

Gene: 1:25:48

Yeah.

Ben: 1:25:49

or it can be class divisions. It can be lots of things. Selective enforcement is not okay. That is not something we should accept into our lives.

Gene: 1:25:58

Yeah. And I've said for many, many decades, this point that we need to have computers and robots doing law enforcement, not humans takes all the, the subjectivity and all the discretion out of it.

Ben: 1:26:14

So

Gene: 1:26:15

And if you,

Ben: 1:26:16

the role of policing, I can say yes to, as long as we have strong jury nullification powers,

Gene: 1:26:24

Yeah. And then you've talked about how the the power of the prosecutor should be taken away and given to computers as well.

Ben: 1:26:31

well, or at least a grand jury would be my preferred method.

Gene: 1:26:36

you know, potato, potato,

Ben: 1:26:38

No, a grand jury where people and again, jury nullification has to be strong. And I think that's another thing that we have to start doing in this country is jury nullification?

Gene: 1:26:48

but isn't jury nullification. Just the same thing that's happened with with the, the whole slew of liberal prosecutors coming in, paid by Soros isn't Soros, just nullifying.

Ben: 1:27:03

no, because the jury is so for instance let's say trying to think of a recent case.

Gene: 1:27:08

by the way we are at 95 minutes right now. And for anybody, who's an actual listener that pays attention to my bitching about it. A descript has been quitting at right around 90 minutes consistently. It seems to be still running. So maybe they did fix something in this latest patch.

Ben: 1:27:25

Oh, that would be nice.

Gene: 1:27:26

Wouldn't it?

Ben: 1:27:27

Yeah.

Gene: 1:27:28

let's see how it goes,

Ben: 1:27:30

So I drew the notification is where you have and how it should be used is you have con technically committed a crime. You have broken the law, you are guilty of it, but the jury of your peers says, well, there was no harm done. And this is a stupid law. Therefore, we are not going to find you guilty.

Gene: 1:27:52

right?

Ben: 1:27:53

So for instance, you're out on your boat, you're drinking. You've been having a few beers and enjoying yourself and you're piloting yourself back in. You're not doing anything wrong, you haven't run into anybody or anything, but a game warden decides to stop. You sees some empty containers in your trash bag because you're a responsible adult and

Gene: 1:28:11

You gotta be toss them in the lake.

Ben: 1:28:13

Yeah, Exactly. where they can mine aluminum in a hundred years. But because you're responsible, he sees this and says how many of those have you had, sir? Well, I had a couple, but you know, whatever. Well, because in the state of Texas, there is no legal intoxication level anymore. It's whether or not the officer thinks you're impaired. And he says, well, you're, you're, I'm going to write you up for DUI. You're under arrest. Hopefully a jury would go, he was piloting his vessel adequately. There wasn't an issue. The officer's overstepping. That's a case for jury nullification. Someone who killed a bunch of people because of whatever in the jury says, we're not going to put you in jail for an appropriate sentence. And So, on. That would be equivalent to what Soros and the prosecutors are doing. And.

Gene: 1:29:00

me ask you this your, your it sounds like you're opposed to drunk driving laws.

Ben: 1:29:05

Vehemently, I think there are moral.

Gene: 1:29:07

Okay. So do you think that if let's say somebody got pulled over for coasting through and not stopping at a stop sign and the officer comes up to the car and the person seems a little incoherent and there's a smell of alcohol. Do you think that it would be moral for that officer to let them keep driving?

Ben: 1:29:34

Yes, because they have not committed a crime.

Gene: 1:29:40

Okay. They've not committed a crime. So the officer just follow them for the rest of their drive.

Ben: 1:29:47

No.

Gene: 1:29:47

Why?

Ben: 1:29:48

Why should he?

Gene: 1:29:49

Because they're highly likely to commit a crime.

Ben: 1:29:52

That's all.

Gene: 1:29:53

Well, I mean, that's not, that's the mystical modeling for where you should be policing.

Ben: 1:29:58

No. And here's why you there's the concept of pre-crime is the problem. You know, when DUI laws are nothing but crime prevention, Well, guess what you can't prevent crime does not work, has never worked in the history of policing. And I'm sure that there are some cops, if they are listening, who will vehemently disagree with me on this, but the problem is you are charging someone for something they might do. And that is a moral problem

Gene: 1:30:32

Well,

Ben: 1:30:33

done it.

Gene: 1:30:34

you know, drinking while driving is not the only moral law that exists. There's a whole shit to the moral laws on the books that have nothing to do with a victim in a crime that has to

Ben: 1:30:45

I,

Gene: 1:30:45

with morality.

Ben: 1:30:46

with them. I use the reason why I am so vocal about drunk driving laws. Not because I I've never had an issue. never, I'm not a drunk driver, never been arrested for any of that.

Gene: 1:30:58

Well, yeah,

Ben: 1:30:59

had a problem.

Gene: 1:30:59

your cans in the lake, like a normal person.

Ben: 1:31:02

I I've watched some of my friends get prosecuted. One of my buddies, he left a party, parked his car at taco bell because he said, you know what? I, I I'm way drunker than I thought I was. I don't need to be driving, parked his car to taco bell. Turn the engine off, pulled the seat back, laid back, fell asleep. Cop shows up because his keys were still in the ignition. They charged him with DDA DUI. That's wrong.

Gene: 1:31:29

Yes, but that's a red herring. You're using an extreme example of a case

Ben: 1:31:33

Well, not,

Gene: 1:31:33

order to disprove the whole case. If you want to have a conversation about, should your buddy have been charged? The answer is obviously no, he wasn't on the road. He was in a parking lot. He was on private property for that matter. And he was not moving in the vehicle. The keys may have been in, but the vehicle was not moving. So that to me would be something that should never have been a charge,

Ben: 1:31:56

Okay. Let, let me, let me put it to you.

Gene: 1:31:59

of traffic with a whole bunch of people. Then I think he probably should have been charged.

Ben: 1:32:07

Okay. What crime would he have committed?

Gene: 1:32:11

Well,

Ben: 1:32:12

So do you think reckless endangerment should be a crime

Gene: 1:32:14

the legislature passed. I

Ben: 1:32:17

So reckless endangerment, do you think

Gene: 1:32:21

I

Ben: 1:32:21

that

Gene: 1:32:22

crime, reckless nature. And I think that

Ben: 1:32:24

well, that's all the.

Gene: 1:32:26

if we're going to have DUIs be criminalized, then you don't need to make up a bunch of shit. It's kind of like resisting arrest is not a crime.

Ben: 1:32:37

It shouldn't be,

Gene: 1:32:38

no, it's, it's literally you should be impossible. But in this situation, I think that what you gotta, you gotta apply the reasonableness test. And if the reasonable test is can you charge somebody in your opinion, who's serving between. And

Ben: 1:32:54

have they hit anyone?

Gene: 1:32:57

No, they haven't because people have swerved away from them to prevent them from being in an accident.

Ben: 1:33:02

Okay. Have they destroyed any property? Have they restricted anyone's Liberty?

Gene: 1:33:07

they have restricted people's Liberty because people have had to respond to their poorly controlled driving.

Ben: 1:33:15

So. Then why aren't We charging every bad driver for being a bad driver?

Gene: 1:33:21

have those laws on the books. They're just

Ben: 1:33:23

Okay. So then why does the DUI need to come into place? Charge them with whatever driving. Okay. There you go. Fine. What does the P the, the reason for the, the crime should be irrelevant to what you're charged with? Just like the, and this is the exact same argument I have for hate crimes.

Gene: 1:33:46

disagree at all. I, yes. My point you don't call it drunk driving. Just call it reckless.

Ben: 1:33:51

Sure. Whatever. And if you're, if you're driving record recklessly, because you're tired Or because you're a shitty driver

Gene: 1:33:58

some prescription drugs,

Ben: 1:34:01

and whatever fine, but yes, but to have a classification.

Gene: 1:34:06

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Now we're on the same page. I agree with you on that. I don't think that there's anything special about drinking. I'm certainly, even though technically I am taking this whole year off of alcohol.

Ben: 1:34:17

Mm.

Gene: 1:34:17

so I am administering temperance to myself I guess,

Ben: 1:34:22

Hmm.

Gene: 1:34:23

I do think that I've been in enough situations, including when I was riding a motorcycle, when people acted erotically in dangerously while driving and I watched them leave a bar. So it's highly likely the reason that they were driving, like that was impairment due to. I didn't want to get into an accident and then have to prove that, but it is, if everybody starts driving the way they would like to drive, instead of the way that you're supposed to drive on the road, then one or two things are going to happen. Either roads will become extremely dangerous or we're going to have what happened in Dallas happened in which is there are two sets of roads. There are the private roads where you can go as fast as you want, and there's never a cop around. And then there are public roads where there are plenty of cops and their shitty traffic.

Ben: 1:35:23

So I think that if you look at a lot of other countries where they don't have a lot of traffic. regulations, it tends to work out. Okay.

Gene: 1:35:33

No country has the level of cars that we do no country at all.

Ben: 1:35:39

Okay.

Gene: 1:35:40

It just doesn't exist. I mean, like, look, there's plenty of, I have a photo of myself. Drinking a beer while driving in Costa Rica. I thought it was a funny photo. So I asked the guy to take it because when I was there, there was no enforcement. There may have been regulations. I don't even know, but essentially where I was, we had a pass to do anything. We want around with guns, showing drinking while driving anything. So, yes, you can do that, but you have to be responsible for any outcomes that happen as a result of that behavior.

Ben: 1:36:19

I think you should. And I think that should be the regulation on yourself to curtail your behavior, not an outside force.

Gene: 1:36:27

it's true. However, what we do know is that this is basically the majority of people have a hard time curtailing their own behavior. Now the extremes they're pretty good at like most people aren't running around murdering their names. But for things that have a slight chance of causing accidents, people are progressively worse at controlling themselves out.

Ben: 1:36:48

And that's where Darwin awards come in and that's where, you know, excessive prosecution. So if someone kills someone with their car through negligence, that should be manslaughter at the least, regardless of the circumstances.

Gene: 1:37:03

Yeah. Yeah. And

Ben: 1:37:04

So if so, what I would say is the brakes failed. Well, you own the vehicle. Yes. Have you maintained the vehicle? Obviously not manslaughter. It shouldn't be ruled an accident. It should be through you buying wagon negligence. If nothing else you cause someone else that I, it is man.

Gene: 1:37:23

Yeah. And then you get to Sue the mechanic that worked on your brakes because they didn't do a good enough job. And then, you know,

Ben: 1:37:29

exactly.

Gene: 1:37:30

everybody else's result. This is in principle, I'm on board with all. I also

Ben: 1:37:37

Well,

Gene: 1:37:38

practical aspects that the problem with the libertarian society now that we have one we're so far away from it, is that lawyers make up 50% of the population

Ben: 1:37:50

okay,

Gene: 1:37:51

because everything will be settled through private tort. It won't

Ben: 1:37:55

so

Gene: 1:37:55

of government loss.

Ben: 1:37:57

let, let me ask you this driver's licenses.

Gene: 1:38:01

Yeah.

Ben: 1:38:02

Good thing. Bad thing.

Gene: 1:38:03

If you mean driver's license as simply approve of having completed some training, probably a good thing, because it demonstrates that you've can through safety training.

Ben: 1:38:14

Really do you think that the driver's license does anything to make you a better driver in any way, shape or form?

Gene: 1:38:20

to make you a better driver. It's supposed to put you through the same level of training as everybody else.

Ben: 1:38:25

What about a hunter safety? Do you think that that should be enforced? See, I, I think I, I think that there, these are all immoral things. I think the government should have no requirements around ID to begin with. I should not have to prove to anyone I am who I say I am outside of a financial transaction to where that is relevant to the other party.

Gene: 1:38:44

the, now you're talking about the use of a driver's license.

Ben: 1:38:47

Well, that's part of it, but again, to the licensing side, I don't think my the, the lady who cuts my hair should have to have a license.

Gene: 1:38:56

think you need a driver's license to drive on private property. I

Ben: 1:39:00

I think there would be some cops that would disagree with you

Gene: 1:39:03

around anywhere a license. cause I I've seen this. I mean, like I'm, I don't have all the state laws in front of me here, but I've this enough times of this being referenced that, you know, my kid's 14 and he's driving around the farm because you know, there's no there's only legal requirements for him to have a license to drive on our private.

Ben: 1:39:25

So on this. Topic. And this just goes to my mindset as someone who. I got my first. Ticket this year and like over a decade. Huh. Yeah.

Gene: 1:39:39

Yep.

Ben: 1:39:40

No. I was turning left crossing over a highway. And the light was, there was a big dump truck in front of me. And when I entered the intersect. Intersection the light was yellow. And they. And the cop that was on the other side had no way of knowing when my light. Was. Turning red.

Gene: 1:39:57

you need a dash cam.

Track 2-1: 1:40:00

Find me a dash cam that actually encrypts the video where I am the only one who can access it. And it can't be. Taken and used against me and sure. You know that that's

Gene: 1:40:10

okay. So here's the thing. There may they may exist. First of all, I don't know. I haven't, I

Track 2-1: 1:40:15

I've looked a lot.

Gene: 1:40:16

Have you okay. I know Tesla's have them built in, but he might. His all time. The other thing is they also have a loop of re. Erasing and rerecording stuff. So. I mean, you don't want to be destroying evidence for sure. But if you don't pull the card out, then you keep driving. Whatever you were doing that you don't want discovered is going to go away automatically.

Track 2-1: 1:40:41

Right. Go to a website for me. I want to show you this product that this has been part of my EDC kit for a long time is T I H. H k.cl. And it's the Yeah. It's the H is it's a misspelling of think. But it's the HK two handcuff key. And Definitely

Gene: 1:41:03

I think I went somewhere else. Cause there's a bunch of black chicks asses on the website I'm looking at. Yeah.

Track 2-1: 1:41:10

You went the wrong one. T I H K dot C

Gene: 1:41:16

went to the wrong one. T I H what.

Ben: 1:41:21

Tango. India. Hotel, kilo dot. Charlie Oscar.

Gene: 1:41:27

I might stay on this site now. Thick. Okay. All right, so you have a handcuff key.

Track 2-1: 1:41:34

Well there. It's a kind of a inconspicuous thing and sit on your belt loop and might get some people in our, in our out of trouble.

Gene: 1:41:42

Absolutely. It looks conspicuous.

Track 2-1: 1:41:45

The H a K. Two.

Gene: 1:41:48

Oh, oh, oh, a little tiny. Oh, the handcuff key. Yes.

Track 2-1: 1:41:51

have multiple. Multiple

Gene: 1:41:53

Gotta gotta, gotta get it. I've got a I've got a handcuff. I am the. Cuff. Shim. Thing. That's in the ring.

Track 2-1: 1:42:06

Gotcha.

Gene: 1:42:06

And I never wear it, but I do have it. And it's a. It's a neat idea. I don't know. There. Have you seen anything that Brian Brushwood has done?

Track 2-1: 1:42:16

Oh, yeah. Oh Yeah.

Gene: 1:42:17

So Brian's a buddy of mine and a. So I've played around with a lot of the. In fact, we talked about some of the coming up with some ideas for this stuff as well, a few years back.

Track 2-1: 1:42:28

Well, And one of the things that people need to set themselves. Mindset to tying back to Gonzalo. If you're arrested. If you allow yourself to be taken into custody. That's it.

Gene: 1:42:43

What do you mean?

Track 2-1: 1:42:44

I mean, once you're in the back of that car.

Gene: 1:42:46

Yeah.

Track 2-1: 1:42:46

If. You, you are at the mercies of the system at that point.

Gene: 1:42:50

Oh, yeah. Yeah, but also if you do actually use a handcuff key. You've just committed a felony. So.

Track 2-1: 1:42:58

Resisting arrest.

Gene: 1:42:59

No, by, by leaving the scene. Of an investigation. Or, well, actually you've been arrested at that point. Yeah. So that's even, even a greater than, yeah.

Track 2-1: 1:43:10

Again, depending on the circumstances might be worth it.

Gene: 1:43:13

If you want to get away from Mexican drug, Lord is in handcuff you in the back of a van. Totally worth it. Absolutely no two ways about it. If you get pulled over for making a turn through a red light, probably not

Track 2-1: 1:43:23

Probably not agreed. But if the, if we're looking at our societal collapse and. Things going the way of the Chinese communist government, then, you know, you might want to.

Gene: 1:43:34

A 50 pack of military issues. Zip ties. I don't want people leaving once I've cuffed them in. Nope. You get to stay here. No key is going to help you.

Track 2-1: 1:43:48

there are other ways around that, but anyway

Gene: 1:43:50

there are, but, you know, You think I'm not going to search?

Track 2-1: 1:43:54

Hopefully by the time you've zipped, you'd better search me before you zip timing. But anyway,

Gene: 1:43:58

that next time. I'm over. I'll zip. Diane. You'll see how long it takes you to get out of that. These are not your little flimsy. You know, zip that these are like 250 pound test strings of dyes.

Track 2-1: 1:44:08

Yeah. I don't want to know what you use this for on a regular basis, gene.

Gene: 1:44:13

It's prepping kids stuff, but do you mean. You know, for the deer, so it doesn't run away.

Track 2-1: 1:44:18

Yeah. Alrighty, man. What else should we talk about?

Gene: 1:44:21

I don't know, I'm kinda getting out of top of it. We covered.

Track 2-1: 1:44:25

almost two hours minus the silence.

Gene: 1:44:27

Yeah. Silence.

Track 2-1: 1:44:29

Minus genes. Just dropping.

Gene: 1:44:31

even the script software has managed to not quit on me, not crash at 90 minutes. Right after this. It was clear to my fault. Right. I shouldn't have said anything. Because I jinxed it. I said, look at that it's working even after 90 minutes. And then the computer's like, wait a minute. We can fix that. Hardy Hardy har. So I have, you've done a lot of lockpicking.

Track 2-1: 1:44:51

Yeah. I mean, I learned to, I got my first lock pick set. When I was probably 10 years old.

Gene: 1:44:59

That's pretty young. You were always planning on being criminal. Got it.

Track 2-1: 1:45:04

No. So my, again, my parents, I grew up in a very political family.

Gene: 1:45:08

Fun of you.

Track 2-1: 1:45:09

I, I grew up in the Patriot. community. Do you know who Bo. Rights is.

Gene: 1:45:15

Yeah, I know who book rights. Not everybody will though.

Track 2-1: 1:45:18

Do you remember him from the nineties? All right. So, you know, he did the spike training and all that. So, yeah. I. No boat rights. Pretty personally don't think much of him. At this point at all much bigger fan of Jack McLamb. In fact, my first. It job was working for Jack McLamb. Maintaining the database of his vampire killer 2000 newsletter subscribers.

Gene: 1:45:42

Hmm.

Track 2-1: 1:45:43

So grew up around a lot of those people. And Yeah. So, I mean, I learned to do military style repelling. By the time I was 10. So, yeah.

Gene: 1:45:56

Absolutely easier when you're in 10.

Track 2-1: 1:45:59

Yeah. I mean, you're fearless. You

Gene: 1:46:01

And the way nothing.

Track 2-1: 1:46:02

Exactly. So it's, you know, when you're doing Australia. Yeah. The Australian repelling is not as scary of a prospect, right?

Gene: 1:46:10

Yeah.

Track 2-1: 1:46:10

So, yeah, I I grew up a little differently than most people.

Gene: 1:46:13

Yeah. Yeah, no that's, which is great. That's Testament to your parents, frankly.

Track 2-1: 1:46:18

I'm pretty lucky to have had the parents that I had. And part of it is that they had me older and later in life too, you know? My mom, my mom was 40 when I was born. So.

Gene: 1:46:29

was really my life.

Track 2-1: 1:46:30

Yeah.

Gene: 1:46:31

Do you have any younger siblings?

Track 2-1: 1:46:32

New.

Gene: 1:46:33

No. Okay.

Track 2-1: 1:46:35

No. Yeah. And yeah, my, my dad.

Gene: 1:46:38

And what was your mom's maiden name?

Track 2-1: 1:46:41

Kelly.

Gene: 1:46:42

And the last four of your social.

Track 2-1: 1:46:44

Yeah. No.

Gene: 1:46:45

Yes. Anyway. Well, I thought you would've stopped earlier on that one.

Track 2-1: 1:46:50

Oh man. The again, personally, identifiable information.

Gene: 1:46:54

it's all out there. It doesn't matter.

Track 2-1: 1:46:55

Well, and. Cybersecurity tip. Anyone who's using the pre-canned questions for your password reset stuff and answering them. Honestly, you're a full. So just saying.

Gene: 1:47:07

I completely agree with that. And my answers have nothing to do with the questions whenever they come about.

Track 2-1: 1:47:16

Yeah, exactly. In fact.

Gene: 1:47:18

it. It doesn't

Track 2-1: 1:47:19

Yeah.

Gene: 1:47:19

is. I just need to know if it's question one, two or three.

Track 2-1: 1:47:23

Exactly. And, you know, that's. Your information is so out there at this point. So in a previous life, way back, like in college, I was working for a managed service provider and doing some pen testing, stuff like that for hospitals and so on. Hospitals, banks, et cetera. And this was right after a lot of. The HIPAA enforcement really started hot and heavy after the Obamacare stuff. And we went to digital medical records. And a lot of people don't realize, but when Obamacare went in. There was actually some teeth put into the HIPAA regulations around digital medical records and, To this day, I will say. You're your independent practices. Most likely violating HIPAA to a

Gene: 1:48:09

absolutely.

Track 2-1: 1:48:10

degree. Because just don't spend any money on cybersecurity. They've got a link to this, Larry going and setting up networks and it's just, you know, nothing.

Gene: 1:48:19

You. There

Track 2-1: 1:48:20

But.

Gene: 1:48:20

oh, sorry. Go ahead.

Track 2-1: 1:48:22

No, I was just going to say. Right after that got passed. a lot of time. Pin testing, hospital networks and things like that. And I will just tell you. To this day, they haven't gotten much better. And that's a very scary thought because when you think about your medical records, That's literally everything you would ever need to steal someone's identity.

Gene: 1:48:42

Yeah, they're usually pretty good. So I, I was a HIPAA auditor, but on the compliance side where you were doing the pen testing, I was reading a whole bunch of documents. And I really enjoy and really have done it almost up to this point, even though I haven't done testing in forever. But or outing in forever, but I always loved coming into a doctor's office. And like, if you changed doctors or if, you know, you have to go see somebody else, cause yours is not around. As they inevitably always for that sort of. You know, Conversation mindless conversation in the beginning. It's like, oh, well, what do you do? Well, I'm going to HIPAA auditor. the attitude changes immediately. You get better quality service. I'm telling you right now, there's a hot tip for you right there.

Track 2-1: 1:49:33

No. The.

Gene: 1:49:34

they don't want to, that's kind of like coming in somewhere and saying you're in. IRS agents. I was like, oh, would you like a cup of coffee?

Track 2-1: 1:49:44

Well, I mean, Before the pandemic, I ended up changing doctors, but. The doctor I was going to, they their practice got purchased by conglomerate. Which is just horrible. And they started wanting a copy of my driver's license to scan my driver's license and put it on file. And I said, there is no reason why you need that. No. Well, but it's our policy. I said, I don't care. Well, we have two. You know, get the office manager, get the doctor. And you're going to make an exception. I will show it to you every time to prove I'm me, but you're not going to have a copy of my driver's license and your shitty medical record system. There's no reason for that. I, you shouldn't even have to have my social security number, but you do so. Okay. Anyway is just pet peeves of mine. Now my wife hates hates it because, you know, I'm constantly that, that person, that doesn't just acquiescing given and. Embarrassing.

Gene: 1:50:41

had plenty of Patriots from my ex-wife about that exact same topic in the past.

Track 2-1: 1:50:46

Yeah.

Gene: 1:50:46

that's very true. And I, I will say I probably have gotten more lax than that stuff after leaving a security, but. But there's still certain things that are always going to remain there just because you can't unknown things.

Track 2-1: 1:51:02

Oh, yeah. And it's just one of those things that it. People's blind compliance with policies because it's our policy. Just that grades against me. It's just. In now. It's not just like all these mask mandates and everything else. I just.

Gene: 1:51:19

Yeah. Yeah. And.

Track 2-1: 1:51:21

You know, your county judge does not have the authority to what.

Gene: 1:51:25

Okay. Good. No there's a car alarm has just started going

Track 2-1: 1:51:28

Oh, I can hear it now.

Gene: 1:51:29

Okay.

Track 2-1: 1:51:29

When there was some silence. So your county judge does not have the right to dictate. You know, for instance fashion requirements. And the mask is a fashion requirement. As far as I'm concerned, they can't make me wear a watch or a hat and people have used the, oh, what about the no shoes, no shirt. You know, and businesses enforcing that in most states, you can't mostly no shoes, no shirt is not enforceable

Gene: 1:51:54

Well, but in Texas, we can just read. Deserve the right to refuse source or anyone. Right.

Track 2-1: 1:51:58

No, actually, because of our anti-discrimination laws. So while I think a business ought to be able to discriminate against whoever they want. Because of our anti-discrimination laws. No, you don't have the right to refuse service to anyone. So that, that becomes problematic for me.

Gene: 1:52:12

Hmm. I thought we

Track 2-1: 1:52:13

No. Go open up a bakery and trying to refuse service.

Gene: 1:52:18

Well, what you saying? If I open up a bear Curry, I can't have a blacks only bakery that I run.

Track 2-1: 1:52:24

Nope.

Gene: 1:52:25

I don't know ma'am I think I probably could.

Track 2-1: 1:52:28

I don't think you could.

Gene: 1:52:31

I think I couldn't ask them.

Track 2-1: 1:52:32

Anyway. So, you know, the, the Colorado baker who gets the, that whole lawsuit, the reason why he won the Supreme court case. And I actually agree with this. Is because he never refused to serve the gay couple. He refused to create a custom cake for them. He would have sold them any of his off the shelf cakes or any standard design that wasn't a problem, but they wanted to compel. It was a compelled speech case. They wanted to say, you must create this artistic thing for us.

Gene: 1:52:58

Yeah.

Track 2-1: 1:52:59

That's where that. That's where. That's

Gene: 1:53:03

he was just servicing their car, then he would have lost.

Track 2-1: 1:53:07

Yeah. Yeah. He would have lost if it wasn't for the artistic expression biz.

Gene: 1:53:11

too, because there's no reason that somebody has to be forced to do business with somebody. They don't want to do business with.

Track 2-1: 1:53:17

For whatever reason.

Gene: 1:53:18

For whatever

Ben: 1:53:19

Gene you're short.

Track 2-1: 1:53:20

A little Tubby and you've got a long beard. I don't want to do business with you.

Gene: 1:53:24

Those are all positive qualities, Italy. I used to be naming negative qualities in that example.

Track 2-1: 1:53:28

All right. You're you're an appropriately hyped individual.

Gene: 1:53:32

That's exactly right. Huh. I I'm literally in the image of Buddha.

Track 2-1: 1:53:38

Depends on which Buddha. Yes.

Gene: 1:53:40

true. That's true. Yes. The Indian one that the Chinese one.

Track 2-1: 1:53:44

Yeah. Alright man. But yeah, I think you should be able to discriminate, unfortunately, in our society. I during the pandemic, I use the anti-discrimination laws to my advantage personally. I didn't wear a mask the whole time. I was an asshole about it. I had the I had a Jason's deli in grapevine threatened to call the cops on me. And I said, okay.

Gene: 1:54:07

Yep.

Track 2-1: 1:54:07

But again, I'm, I'm, I'm willing to be that embarrassing asshole.

Gene: 1:54:11

Adams, the entire. like I was the only guy walking around the HEB during 2021 without a mask. I was like, Whatever. I don't care. You can tell me to do stuff. That's fine. You told me now go away.

Track 2-1: 1:54:24

Exactly. Even if you want to try and call the cops on me, please do.

Gene: 1:54:28

Yeah.

Track 2-1: 1:54:29

So.

Gene: 1:54:30

Yeah, and usually the cops will just get you out of there just for belligerence. So it's, it's another one of those sort of nebulous. You're not. Acting friendly. Therefore we can. Remove you.

Track 2-1: 1:54:43

It was funny. So Walmart was enforcing masks and everything. And this was bef. Over the summer. And my the AC and my truck. Developed a leak. And I had to get some Freon because I was about to have a long drive and before I could get it fixed and it was summer, so I needed some Freon. You know, in Texas driving on the highway at 70, 80 miles an hour with the windows rolled down is not a fun experience when it's a hundred degrees outside. So I did the pickup order, right?

Gene: 1:55:14

free on anymore though.

Track 2-1: 1:55:17

I, Yeah. Well, My truck's old enough that it does.

Gene: 1:55:21

really? Wow. Okay.

Track 2-1: 1:55:23

It's paid for. And I like it. We've got newer vehicles, but this particular truck is an older vehicle.

Gene: 1:55:29

since 97.

Track 2-1: 1:55:31

Okay, well, whatever the refrigerant is, then.

Gene: 1:55:34

see if something, something.

Track 2-1: 1:55:35

Okay. Regardless. I think in cars, they used it longer than that. Anyway, it doesn't matter. So I tried to do a pickup order to just not have an argument and everything else. So I'd go to the pickup line. Oh, that you had to pick up at our pickup counter inside.

Gene: 1:55:51

Yes.

Track 2-1: 1:55:53

So I go, okay. I got to walk in. And there's a guard. Standing outside saying, Hey, you, you. need a mask. I said, no, don't walk past them. So you're going to, I'm going to have to ask you to leave and so on. I'm going to have to call the police. So I walked to the counter. He's following me saying all this. I said, okay. Call them. And the, I check out the. To go counter or whatever. And I said, you know, I tried to do a pickup order. This is ridiculous. Well, sorry. I see a suggest you get out of here before. The cops come so it doesn't get ugly. said, I took my goods and I said, screw you. And I walked around that Walmart without a mass for another half hour. Going just up and down the Isles. Waiting and no one ever showed up. I left. But it was just people being so blindly following and belligerent about it.

Gene: 1:56:42

Hmm.

Track 2-1: 1:56:42

And, you know, it's, it's insane to me that. Why would you care? You want to wear a mask, wear a mask, but why would you care so much about. MI defying you to and threaten the involvement of law enforcement. And I think that really says something about our society that instead of just letting it be or saying what you want to say to me, or dealing with me in the manner you want to deal with me, we're going to involve a third party.

Gene: 1:57:09

Hm.

Track 2-1: 1:57:10

You know, it's not an individual interactions anymore. It's you're breaking the rules. I'm going to tattle on

Gene: 1:57:16

Yeah.

Track 2-1: 1:57:17

And that, I guess that was a long way to get to that point. But.

Gene: 1:57:20

Did you listen to the the last episode of unrelenting?

Track 2-1: 1:57:26

I haven't finished it.

Gene: 1:57:27

Okay. So there's a story I tell him there about.

Track 2-1: 1:57:30

It was on, I mean, you just published that yesterday, gene.

Gene: 1:57:33

Oh, okay. Well, whatever. Our room. It may have been an. Or two ago, I don't even know myself, but I talked about a story during COVID where I went to a coffee shop. That makes really good

Track 2-1: 1:57:44

Oh, yes, I did hear that one. Yeah. Yeah.

Gene: 1:57:46

We're like, oh, you know, this, this window is just for us giving you stuff. You can't actually order. Through the window. Even though I'm talking to the same person, that's going to be taking the order. And the cash register is literally four feet away. And I'm ordering one fucking drink. And they're like, no, you have to go inside to order in order to go inside, you have to put on a mask. And then, and then the, the option would, there was one of the, if you don't want to do that, you can use our app, which is what I ended up doing, but that also had a$5 surcharge. For the coffee for the privilege of pre-ordering coffee. So that it was ready and waiting for me when I got there, which of course I was doing right from the shop. So. Yes, you go.

Track 2-1: 1:58:33

Gene am I the only one who thinks we're living in a dystopian novel?

Gene: 1:58:37

Well, we are. Absolutely. And that's why I said the earlier today that everything you've ever seen about dystopia is literally where we are right now. Yeah, it's happening. It's just, they're, they're just an in X number of years away from pick any number of dystopian movies or books.

Track 2-1: 1:58:54

Yeah.

Gene: 1:58:55

We're definitely moving in that direction and the. And that's the thing is like, Podcasts like this people like us talking about. What we're seeing. Is both sad and funny at the same time. It's sad because we've let it get to this point. It's funny because it is a literally following the, what used to be thought of as absurd. predictions or potential consequences of doing the wrong things. You know, 1984 was not written as an instruction manual. But it sure seems to have turned into one.

Track 2-1: 1:59:31

Yeah. That are just, or Wells per. Or Will's observations and thought. conclusions were just extremely accurate.

Gene: 1:59:43

Well, they. Yeah. I mean, they. Words like dis information like that. Can't be, that has to be right out of 1984. That's. It's that same kind of word. It's a word that literally means nothing is misused. Because what this information is. Is something that has no information. It's a blank page. That's disinformation. The way it's being used as. Incorrect information information that goes against the mainstream narrative. That's the way that this

Track 2-1: 2:00:17

That is politically that is politically not suitable to the current

Gene: 2:00:22

It's your yours thinking something we don't like. And

Track 2-1: 2:00:27

a thought crime.

Gene: 2:00:28

that is the opposite of information. It's. Yeah, it is.

Track 2-1: 2:00:33

By definition. It's not absence of information. It's just information. You don't like.

Gene: 2:00:37

Well, by definition, it is, but boring by route. W of the word, what disinformation should mean? Is the lack of information.

Track 2-1: 2:00:48

Yes.

Gene: 2:00:50

But it's, you know, but. Far be it for the lefties out there that are creating these these terms. To actually follow any kind of rules or guidelines about. How English words are made up.

Track 2-1: 2:01:04

Well, it's like the term gender, right? Gender is actually a fairly new. Term.

Gene: 2:01:10

That's.

Track 2-1: 2:01:10

Especially the way it's being

Gene: 2:01:11

It the way it's being used, the word Jenner has been around forever. And we've talked about this, I think even on this show in the past, Gender, certainly through my you know, most of my life. It could only refer to language. It could refer to words. That's where the correct usage of the word gender was, is looking at the gender of. Of particular

Track 2-1: 2:01:31

because a word does not have sex.

Gene: 2:01:33

no, and, and,

Track 2-1: 2:01:35

and when I say sex, I don't mean the act. I mean, the, yeah.

Gene: 2:01:38

the sanction. And I was, I remember being corrected by a college professor at one point. When I conflated those two and being told that. People have sex words, have gender.

Track 2-1: 2:01:51

Well, and that's E. An English rule, right? When. When like for instance, when I refer to your snake, I say he, do you know why.

Gene: 2:02:00

Because that's his sex.

Track 2-1: 2:02:02

Well, no, I don't know that

Gene: 2:02:03

I told you that. I'm pretty sure I've told you.

Track 2-1: 2:02:06

Okay, well, regardless. So if sex is unknown, you assume the masculine in English and in most other languages. That is not sexist. That's the way, the language. Works.

Gene: 2:02:17

Right. And, and you know, a woman just has a wall in front of a man anyway.

Track 2-1: 2:02:23

Yeah.

Gene: 2:02:24

Yeah.

Track 2-1: 2:02:25

Anyway, gene. Now that we've said. Probably a good two hours worth of cancelable material.

Gene: 2:02:31

Yes. Absolutely. Yeah, always fun. I'm still looking forward to an episode that records fully and is ready to go when we stop. Instead of having some little quirky thing happened in the interim. But,

Track 2-1: 2:02:45

still have to publish last weeks.

Gene: 2:02:47

Oh, no, no. Did I seriously not. I know I edited it. Did I end up fucking publish it? Goddammit. Fuck me. Yeah, because I went through and edited. I know. Ah, yeah. Yeah. I know it was because I'm because we did it on the weekend. I didn't want to stick it up immediately after unrelenting.

Track 2-1: 2:03:06

Ah, gotcha.

Gene: 2:03:07

so I wanted to wait a couple days, so I edited and then I waited.

Track 2-1: 2:03:13

And then didn't.

Gene: 2:03:15

Dammit. So. Ooh, now I have a choice. Do I publish. The old one first or do

Track 2-1: 2:03:23

I just go ahead and publish I would go ahead and publish.

Gene: 2:03:26

do both.

Track 2-1: 2:03:27

I would go ahead and publish. The cause you're gonna have some editing on this. I would go ahead and publish last week's episode. You know today or whenever. And then as soon as you get the editing done, publish this one.

Gene: 2:03:38

Publish this, I just need to make sure that this one gets published before. Wednesday.

Track 2-1: 2:03:44

Yeah.

Gene: 2:03:44

Friday. Like Wednesday's the cutoff. Cause I don't want to do like a Thursday episode then have on their own thing on Friday. It's the one thing that Darren does publish the same day, usually. So he's pretty good about that. But and I've usually been pretty good, but lately work has just been like, Sucking up all my time.

Track 2-1: 2:04:02

I understand. This week was. 60, 70 hour week for me. So.

Gene: 2:04:07

Yeah. I

Track 2-1: 2:04:09

man.

Gene: 2:04:09

you. All right. Well, I'm glad you you were able to make it here today and, and. And having an almost false recording here. And I'm looking forward to listening to the bits that I missed with my computer rebooted. That was All right.

Track 2-1: 2:04:22

Yeah. We'll have to leave some of it in. Just for shits and giggles.

Gene: 2:04:26

Oh, I'll probably leave all of it.

Track 2-1: 2:04:28

Oh, God.

Gene: 2:04:29

especially you realizing that I'm no longer there. So

Track 2-1: 2:04:33

just kill the, some of the dead air.

Gene: 2:04:35

Yeah. I'll take out the empty stuff. If you're still listening to this, then by all means, hopefully you enjoyed it. We do this because we enjoy doing it. And we put it out there because we hope that you enjoy listening to it. And if you do, by all means, you can. Either. Leave a message on those, on the social, if you're on there or if you really want some say, you're not on there. You can also email Gene at sir Gene. Dot com. And I'll get the message that way. Bye-bye.