Welcome to the Commentary magazine Daily Podcast these Friday may twenty second, twenty twenty, I jump upwards. The editor of commentary, the seventy five year old, monthly of intellectual analysis, political pro, cultural criticism from a conservative perspective. We invite you to join us as always commentary magazine dot com would give you a few free, reeds and then ask you too, describe our June issue is up as I've been telling you, with Eli Lakes, blockbuster article, the railroading of Michael Flynn, which has some, which is burning up the internet, and and that well worth your your time and attention,

also pieces by nor Rossman, Christine Rosen ME, Terry teacher, Andy symmetric when Weldon Rob Long Matt continuity Marcella agent Casey Johnson and Store Taylor just dub a panoply of riches so June issue Commentary magazine, DOT come with me as always. Senior editor, a green waldheim, how jump senior their Christine Rosen High, Christine John and because It was just about to say, Jape onwards, a Gmail duck because the Grab were now using to record for site, for reasons took obligated to explain nor Robins name is, is attached to my email address, but it's. Of course associated or Rossman high Noah,

You can tell me later, if you want me to edit out your personal email out of this recorder. Locate rugs were who cares anyway, so I don't even know where to begin so somebody else decide where, where we should begin don't I'll jump in one year, just you all depend on me to just you know like monologue for twenty minutes. You can all drink coffee in Ok, why I'll just been in San spoke to a friend of mine this morning, whose a small business owner here in d c- and you know we have our new phase, one reopening the mayor of DC, as announced that that, on the twenty ninth we can start a phase, one reopening it still in a gradual stages, etc, etc. We were trying to forecast, are or make predictions about whether and how quickly each domino of the phase would fall, because I think what what

we ve seen in Florida in Texas in Georgia. Other states is that the first phase that everyone sort of tiptoeing around and trying to figure out how to do things and then very quickly when disaster doesn't strike the rest, the dominoes fallen, more places are able to open up with some social distancing. So I feel very optimistic this morning I know we're supposed to be a model of crushing ferocity, but today I'm I'm I'm guardedly optimistic and particularly for my friends who owned businesses. Most of them are small business owners. They're gonna be able to keep their hopefully keep their doors open and their employees paid in them. They they see a light at the end of the tunnel. So that's good news There is reason to feel optimistic because you know for a while people are saying that if you took New York out of the equation because up to New York had so dramatically bent the curve than the rest

The country infections were on the rise, but they were saying that there was. That was a trend for you know like a day or two or something that they were saying. It is as if it were this sort of state of Affairs perpetuity. It is no longer the case, even if you take New York out of the equation now nationally case, is are on the wane. They know I haven't detected any sort of a shift in the national conversation from these maximum most measures its much. In fact the better the news, the moral ex analysed, the rhetoric becomes although I have very much nowadays, but an egg makes a little bit of logical sense, I'll I'll grant them that, just because there is a fear of what people will do with good news. But, as believe panting exiles means whereby last week this is functionally panic. Ok! Well, you know when build the blow there was talking about opening up. That means that the elite, panic in some sense is not the coming to an end, but that politicians are

going to see that there is a real, even in the in the blue, as taboo states are starting to see if there is a real purpose. Permanent potential cost in terms of their own leadership. In the the way people are To react to this. For continued locked down and the economic, particularly economic hit, that is, that is represented, I'm hearing more and more from people from education professionals and others that the Consequences of the lock down besides the pure the economic are manifesting themselves in everybody's life. It's why what we ve been talking about since we started doing this, but Social isolation, depression,

the schooling is really hard for kids, I mean I I don't know how to describe. I've got three kids and three different levels of schooling rather better. If I've got a fourth greater I've got a seventh greater. I've got a tense greater, nor therein, too, FR in schools, schools are very committed to doing whatever they can to help and be good, and all of that it is very, very, very difficult on them. To go through this. This way, and also to have this kind of tantalizing thing where they see all their friends. On this thing, team screen, but can't touch them can't talk but I can't see them they face but them later they'd. This is deeply unhealthy. I mean an end and the fear of I think up a play.

We got so afraid that this was essentially a new play that everybody was gonna, give everybody this disease that had no cure. And that enormous numbers of people who got it we're going to die and I'm wet. But what I mean by enormous, isn't a hundred thousand, I mean in the millions and Therefore, we needed to live as though everybody else was a potential carrier of the plague. That is clearly not the case with this illness. Has, it hasn't changed anybody's priors, to change the lot of you. I that's what I'm telling you. I think I see the same time from the prospect of millions to Trans directly, without any proportional changin enough, in your sense of fear, to the prospect of a hundred thousand two hundred. Fifty thousand I got, it know means, I think, I'm saying I hear and see people who were as maximal as does

who could possibly imagine not journalist, dick authorities and in a loud mouse on twitter and people like that, but this or people in my life who were fully prepared to cocoon themselves forever, who can't who are seeing the consequences again audience or by people who are suffering economic hardship, which is, of course, the the real horror here at work in a business collapsing, but more stuff that is. Is more in the Ether Moon Spirit. That's why I'm are focusing on schooling, which of course is not. You know, not everybody s school age, kept people's kids are well out of school, and all that, I'm just saying that you know this is

very wearing and people can't live like this, and at some point that thing about you know, we gotta take a risk to open up, because the economy can take it well, it can't just be about the economy, its be a kind of general spiritual sense that the staff the plague status quo is, and we cannot live. In it and therefore how we view it is good, alter itself, like you can say. Oh my. God, two per cent of people might die from this or you can say only two percent of people will die from this. You know it's a question of what it's not two percent right. It point two percent or why we don't even know what is one thing there is a way of looking at. In saying that number is on accession.

Doubly enormous or that something that we can take, and that's a perceptual leap. It's not that it's not up nothing! Factual is gonna make that leap, it's what happens inside people's spirits fun at that, but that's a really important point right, because we're seeing we ve talked about the public health crisis. Part of this, whose effects are are seen every day and who, for which we have more statistics, and we can possibly my sense of on a daily basis. But there is a sort of spiritual crisis to write. Small s ecumenical spiritual crisis. People are, there, are suicides, are gonna come out of this, and already have there are. There are questions about where we are going to be as a country and and how how we will be able to come together in future crises, given how we handle this, when we were all sort of texting about Peggy Noon, increasing recent column in the Wall Street Journal this week, where she has a very you, know, she's trying to be optimistic and she sang oh we're, gonna be a player,

more simple people. I completely disagree with that have a lot of respect for his opinion, but I dont think she's right. I mean, I think, a bit said during the course of the conversation new. Actually people gotta be rushing as quickly as they can to embrace as much you know, sort of moments of decadence and and relaxation and sociability is as they did before it. I think that's right, but we shouldn't, because we can't quantitatively grasp it. Yet. We should not ignore this. This looming spiritual crisis it will there will be an aftershock to this pandemic. Even we have a vaccine not just economic, not just public health but but emotional and spiritual. This country, I would submit that the healthy responds to this would be to ask move as quick. It is possible to forget it. So far as I am not an ideological endeavoured stating our mutated in its is an evolutionary treat that we have a capacity to erase trauma from our collective memories like this, but we know that it is by no means always absolutely no one,

Would you want to live in this in the act in the aftermath of Munich, though? If you have any one who does, I think who serve stays in this mindset? Decide agree has been did negatively. They write it it's more apology or or as is as I have said time and again, it confirms a deep psychological virtual per perspective on the world that they have been prepping for forever. It's like what what, if you're, if you're talking about like the proper right, the poor, thirdly, apocalypse. What the is always that joke that in, like the movie world then, with Simon Pegre Weather for that. You know these kind of crazy people who been prepping and then the aliens com and everything is destroyed, their kings are the world just as this is what they get. This is what they ve been preparing for. Similarly, with people who, you know have lived, that kind of life of them of a real fear of you know, contagion like

this is our it's like you see where we were right and and now there is a way to serve, get through the ice or have I been, This requires high. Oh, I know how to live with it. Peggy, neurons column, I thought was put is particularly worth noting came out, they last night. There was your journal because, he's like trying to look for the good, and it looks like a friends of mine, say it's so great to have my kids home from school reading, don't together every night and playing board games and yeah. So that's great for two weeks, but it's you know. It's been three months and you know it's like it's really fantastic to be in the family- and you know my Antonia By- will gather and lived together in a dugout under you know I in the winter, in the ask where we did not have and it s story. That's what I'm saying is like saying no boys,

the great to live through a blizzard where we are. We can't go out for six weeks, so we got a lotta jerky, and yet everywhere everyone's gonna to it's like a quietly. It's really great the aliens we'll make any noise the aliens will kill. You say you gotta, find out all sorts of adventure, ways to hack, sperience togetherness and a cabin without speaking like that, sorry. That is that in some high level make. Lemonade. Lemons that is not does not conform with the reality of a moment and then also you know. I think all these things you know playing board with one's family or whatever else is going on right now? This is all happening because these days in these weeks and months are completely shapeless, and these are efforts to impose some shape on things, what what Actually gonna go back to is for a change. Yeah we are Lebanon. We will not have shapelessness defined shape in any more so we don't

we're not gonna need to serve. You know come up with these. Stations of the day, in the same way that they will be there. They will be furnished by reality for us. I will we have in my household instituted a I'm gonna try to make a permanent, but we have a temporary ban on forcing others to play settlers and this is all cases. This is why we need to talk about settlers of guitar for like two seconds, because we, a week of settlers of contents. Antlers of content is a is a board game that is about well, who go essentially go to an island and settle it, and it's all about how you create you're supply lines and where you been your cities and all this at it sounds a lot better than it is now. Why the number two Stephen. I recommend rating for days overtaxed about the horror that was being visited upon us, by the necessity by the demand that we play settlers

catana was ours. I swear to God been up. I mean how this ended up so popular if you're, one of these people who is like get well past age of having you know, kids and all of that and you're happy playing added up. Diplomacy or monopoly or whatever I salute you, I congratulate you. It's really wonderful! If you want, if we what we really want to do is to press, and unlike do something to call ferment revolution in IRAN. We should drop two hundred million copies of settlers of Contemn and have them all play, have forced them to play it and there will be a revolution every adult. Will you know like demand? A change in the you know

This is my. This is my my pandemic advice you settlers of attend as a tortured device for people. I apologize and taking this ridiculous detour but I really struck by the way I mention this bill De Blasio said last night that he expects me work to reopen. You know of some point at the beginning of June in the first couple weeks of June, which of course will only lead Andrew Cuomo to close New York city. We know until twenty two for just to give the blood. The finger. What does this mean? What is opening up me cause it because there are, could be We theatres right now sporting events. There are going to be There's got to be some cut their even some cockamamie rules about restaurants, their effective gonna make it possible for most restaurants in New York City. Forget you have to go through the country, but you know I

some Applebee's or something that has allowed us, where footage in Oak classic Restaurant is Cheesecake factory can figure out how to practise social distancing I'm in their square. Footage of these places is colossal. That is not its that's, not the way it is city. Restaurants, not just New York City, but most places where the footprints much more. The kitchens are smaller everything smaller, where people can wait before they get their tables a smaller either they're gonna hafta not observe the rules or they're, not really gonna reopen so there's gonna be a zombie reopening just like no knowest it's about the zombie lockdown We could also have a zombie reopening where nothing really reopens, but don't you think human nature suggests that they'll be some some adherence to these very strange new guidelines, especially with restaurants, and that there will be a gradual softening of adherence to those rules, regardless of whether the officials are telling you remove from stage when the states to so the real question becomes how

and if they ll be enforced and by who wrote and then you can imagine you can envision the run The forcible by police, first of all its it's just beyond the scope What does it mean phrasing, TB and enforce it- can be enforced by social stigma ray individuals deputizing themselves theme of the observers of social distancing and enforcing it. By calling in not three one wonder or just causing a sting complying with the right and got going viral with it and that that is enforceable to an extent. Our police omitted that would involve the threat of police, it doesn't get her physical presence. Well, I mean you know in my neighborhood in Manhattan, things have loosened up to the extent that there are buncher Restaurants and bars that are sort of serving patrons on the sidewalk who were standing around an neighbours have

planed and send please over No one should anything down, but they ve. It's just been. Prices have been inconvenienced by by the police. Up and she answered what we all of this belle more area. Jim is instructive. Here I think so on Monday and you're the big showdown with local police. There please showed up, said, listen you're, all in violation of the governors executive order have a nice day, yeah, really one right now really

following day after the cameras had one there were issued a summons and then two days later, the health department came agenda. To know fanfare was quiet affair that you can see that happening on a much grander scale. Only haven't we still haven't solve the problem for business owners of the liability rate, whether they're gonna be sued in Congress, has talked about passing legislation that give some protections for businesses, but is correct me if I'm wrong, we have. We don't have some sort of blanket pandemic exception to people being able to sue business owners for getting sick for either. I went to a restaurant and with a lack of of easily verifiable contact, tracing and place which were never gonna have in this country. It you know you could just you could certainly see people taking advantage of the situation to to it.

You get sector, they want to blame someone. They want someone to pay for their, so either every single year were. I feel like the world can become like a car dashi at home, where anyone who sets foot then has to sign an NBA or we're gonna all have to sign waivers any time we go into any public space that acknowledges the risk. I was telling you guys. I took my kids to the dentist yesterday in Maryland. They reopen pediatric dentists and I had to sign a whole bunch of waivers, including when that said, I had not take Mass transit in the past two weeks. Lazo there are under each businesses have those in plain sight, bring up. Democrats would be on board with liability in tort here, just because its essential there is now opening without some sort of a liability reform agenda They ve since backed off of that in part, because their constituencies will not allow her to reform, have not for decades and will not now and I saw a shroud brown on tv yesterday, demagogy,

the janitor from Ohio, Democratic Donna gagging meet packing plants. Now, how cruel and unusual was to force people to go to work in these new packing plants, as though there is an alternative you'd have to staff them with the national guard. They have to be open in order to maintain lockdown for this country. You cannot social distance within them or the production line breaks down. It's not an easy answer, and for. Somebody like shroud Brown to reach for that really low, common denominator, populist nonsense. I was really disheartening. Can I tell you a supply chain story of worrisome supply chain? Storing. I told you guys earlier this morning, so you know all my kids herb in zoom class and all this, so everyone has to have a device to log onto zoom that they can type onto you know to class work whatever My my son was and fourth grade, has chrome book which, as you know, the cheapest possible laptop and it that developed a fatal error. Yesterday, so said great, you know

our drivers, damage put it rains. All the west's like I never thought of tat the west reinstall anyway, so I'm I'm I'm out on long island, and there is a walmart near here and I went at seven thirty this morning when it open to get a new chrome book. I go to the electronic sexual Walmart, there's no one there, they you know they have like. Fifteen computers lined up and look for a Walmart associate to help me. There's someone serve stacking stuff in some areas. I say really. I wanna buy Chrome, book and she's like we have no computers, we have no tvs, we have no game systems, we have no switches, we have no game cartridges. We have nothing. This is Walmart. Walmart invented the modern supply chain

when I say what I Walmart is the inventor of the just in time american supply Jane system. It is. The genius of Walmart is how Walmart is Walmart that day, all no way store, is running low on things and they re supply it and the inventory system in all this is the wonder of the western world and rebel Smythe Retailing and they are out of computers in suffer county. One island. That's pretty startling. I dont know what it means. I don't understand now a whether it's a momentary thing or something like that. You can bet that there is no point in the history. Walmart went any such thing as ever happen, I'm sure I'm sure they run low on product or you know that their Like everybody else like there, you're not gonna have the Iphone. Eleven

what, if is no life on eleven. Like they can't event inventory that doesn't exist, but that's where the three months of lockdown, also you say like them, packing plan we're gonna start running out of things that the lock down culture requires of people, that they have, like how is my son gonna do zoom school, That happens. I have an Ipad with a keyboard, so he can use that not that it's that effective, efficient way of typing or something like that, but you can use that and what? If it goes on the fritz, as devices to you know and then then there's that's it like schools of hope.

As I need mine to record the spot Gaston to do my work and all that, so I think that an interesting aspect of the well we just have to sit locked is sit tight until in live through the second wave and not shut because sorry and what's more with liability insurance or without without a liability protection without liability protection, so these places. How are gonna, have to take the risk of an eye. That's part of it is. Are you really gonna not. If you have a small they ve have like a restaurant, there are three employees and you're in a one. Lawsuit destroys your life forever. That's one thing: if you actually have a growing concern- and you know people need you like there, you're one of the awful things about shared brown and that kind of populism. Is this notion that these come

Please don't have a social conscience like they. They make products for people not because they hate them and want them to go into debt and be terrible and be addicted to evil devices, and all of that make them because people want them, because they often think that what they are producing is a good and something that will help people like a computer, and they will want to do that because it makes them feel good about what they do and this you know one of the terrible consequences of this moment in the world of people saying things like oh, this is really great. You know, because we were there so much trouble is Johnson Saffron the New York Times with the supply chain on meat and chicken. All that that now we can all become vegetarians. Well, ok, so you're idiot committed to vegetarianism while screw you like you know I'm I believe it committed to a lot of things. I would like a flat tax,

I have a brief of grape with that particular article, because I'm not I'm becoming increasingly intolerant of clever arguments like a sincere arguments in favour of destroying all meat production and this on the planet, in favour of the planet in its global warming. But have you I understand that argument about agree with it, a bit that at least it's a sincere argument that goes on in the peace to say. You know these, Agricultural businesses are subsidized by something like thirty million dollars worth of taxpayer dollars every hour billing in Auschwitz taxpayer dollars every year and the can't exist in the market. As there is. No free market will not support meat consumption is the argument that seeks to make there which is a asinine and be if we, to try to remove agricultural subsidies. I guarantee you who would be turning around ripping his clothes off and beating his chest about the destruction of the lives of the poor and impoverished in this country, because we dare not subsidize their meeting there eating habits. It was we have noxious argument on his part because it will show the Athens.

Front for wrote something of noxious heavens startling. He was just sort is always well there's. No, some other. There's a way in which the the progressive it has really exposed itself in the last few weeks in the same way that to be fair, so has the kind of right wing in throughout this crisis, but that the progressive, as did the progressive id bids, is sort of amusing said the other, the other tweet. There was getting a lot of attention yesterday either come. It was from New York Times calmness far had man Jew, who basically tweeted. Why do we need billionaires anyway, and he got absolutely roasted, became very defensive, kept digging the whole even deeper. He should have just spend my car. Well, that's how I think, but basically people pointed out exactly what you were saying. John witches billionaires exists because they ve done in many cases the ito, if you're telling budget bases, for example, he created something that people really want and benefit from, and he profits from that

and the idea that the inner that someone was saying. Oh look at all the money billionaires have made during the pandemic as if no one we should all you sink deep into poverty. We do need that there's plenty of arguments you can make about the concentration of wealth in this country, but just this sort of glib expression of if they have made a lot of money, they are by definition, evil. That's gained a lot attraction during this. Lockdown from people who themselves have never missed a paycheck. You witnessed active citizenship, which is crazy because a billion has been employing scores. With so many people. During this thing you know, there's a cotton industry in the press. Now, whenever of of the billionaire gives hundreds of millions of dollars to a relevant charity or relevant scientific endeavour designed to get us out of this predicament to say yet that constitutes thirteen sense for every american individual. Let's be absolutely nothing, even though that the relative

good that donation has done is worth many thousands of dollars to the average individual Americans lives, but it's got caesium. Twenty five liberal arts grads Vassar too there nine telling us what philanthropy should be. Last week, Richard Guilder died at the age of eighty seven. He was We now have banker hedge Fund guy, a very, very rich. Gentlemen. In the early nineties, eightys as a central park in New York was had become, serve mud ball at a dust bowl. If you look at movies made in New York in the early late seventies, early eighties, like hair or something I had, you can see the condition into its central park had fallen. The grass wasn't plan nope. I care, know tat. You know graffiti everywhere, all of this at dickie.

Their invented, something called the Central Park Conservancy he put seventeen million dollars into it and then challenged all of his friends to help contribute money and this private philanthropy saved central Park they replace did all of the fields hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of acres of Greenery saved Sheep's meadow, save all this. He and put money into the New York historical society, because he was a believer in trying to tell the tale of the United States and its sir. And its history and its legacy but the guilder that is interesting, is that he didn't have to do any of us. I mean he didn't eat out. He he could have bought paintings, I'm sure he did by many paintings, but he could You know what his is. He could have been Larry. Ellison floating remedy is through five hundred foot. You know, God,

in the Aegean he could have a Donald Trump who, famously or infamously has given almost no money to charity in his life- and there are no buildings in New York named after him, and no you know that there's a build there's a hospital in in queens name for his mother that his father partially in doubt on the way to on the way to Kennedy Airport Phil. Tropical II, A billionaires who seem quite selfish and uninterested in Dino in in supporting larger causes, and then there our billionaires, who who? Basically including ones that I disapprove of right and we, like George Soros or you know who money that build some of the money. The bill gates wants to throw around some of the money. The Warren Buffett once with her around, but the point is that they don't have to do it. Every cent that they get tax deductions from it. But the whole point of attacks reduction is, if you get it acts of sexual, a dollar you give away

get zero dollars and thirty five cents back. That means you're spending zero dollars and sixty five cents. It's not like you getting the thirty you sent and you get the dollar back. The point is that you're out to zero dollars and sixty five cents and we subsidize weeps, live in a subsidy. You use sort of like there's a kind of matching effect by government, bye, bye with bye, bye to having a tax deduction this kind of these kind of attacks on on the philanthropic reminded are repugnant. Also because they are also based on the idea that if you just tax them- and you take all there, we give it. The government government will do better with it. Then they will write. What do we know about government is the most singularly inefficient way of distributing money that the world has ever seen for good reason because its purposes, not that is not the efficient distribution of money,

I'd like to introduce another aspect of what you're getting at here, there's a of a viral tweet which risks not obnoxious concept, even room anyone, but of doing anything from my own sparring partner, and I must have we seen on your guard us who put to have put out a video clips together. Individuals who our being absolute jerks and in some cases criminal behaviour of abuse lockdown down and going going out without coughing on people and spitting on people and hitting people, because they can't get into their own people restaurant, and then you know some of that criminal, but some of it isn't and his. Action for this video was that we in this house this new hobbyhorses that we have this obsession with freedom. We have missed a fine freedom in this country and these are the abuses of freedom. And this is a child's definition of what freedom is and therefore ass, soon ass. He doesn't make things the argument, but in play,

you saying that these freedoms should be curtailed in favour of what precisely the empowerment of the state in the hands of Donald Trump, to execute the kind of social order and social organisation that he would prefer. It's sort of up it's it's a non sequitur, but it's again in gaining a lot attraction on the left, that this is a product. These conditions that wherein and why they're going to perpetuate themselves is a product of our obsession childish obsession with constitutional liberties. It's a funny. It's a funny thing for the left to become opting because it's it's typically Benda conservative arguments. Talk about with freedom comes responsibilities right, it's not just freedom, the conservative arguments and freedom for everyone. There's a libertarian strain. That says you know, let's just to have no rules, but even that obviously is not. It is a caricature but the, but it strikes me that what the where the responsibility lies for coming at this from a progressive angle is, you know,

We need a cartel these. These people, who are harming everyone by exercising their freedom or their liberty big. But the responsibility for enforcement for punishment for repayment to or whatever anyone's losses is the state right. The state should be the one to take responsibility for anything that comes after the curtailing of the liberty, and that's where it is really ironic, because it has long been a conservative principle that the freedom requires you to act responsibly into into have responsibilities to exercise that privilege. It also strikes. It also strikes me that whatever form or brown a freedom that is being promoted or cherished somewhere on the right. Is the wrong kind of freedom by the left is the childish obsess, obsessive freedom, gardens were yet guns, and also, even if you, if you take it beyond that, I mean I'm during the Bush hears the freedom agenda was considered. Like this, you know preposterous

As I speak specifically remember, I'm Jonathan friends and, of course, who ended up writing a book about it taught talking about. On the Kyle dish? of of political freedom that was there his harboured by, but are the right. You re view is that populations based on their history. Let's say: definitely not there, ethnicity necessity there serious rendered them incapable of executing the kind of freedom, a statement that we enjoy here. So what is the vital freedom that I think that this has been consistent on the left that the people talk about his freedom from an income russian right habit. Let about that. That's actually one valid one: the dangers to the freedom as they perceive it is always. Structural right is structural racism, structural sexism, because you can start identifying individual wisdom as a key component here, because then that suggest personal responsibility and you can't have that

I guess we should mention that the the most egregious threat to freedom on the planet today. Right now is that the Chinese, government is moving on Hong Kong. The winner, on your british protectorate. That was returned to chinese sovereignty. Guarantees, twenty two three years ago, that its british common law liberties were going to be sustained and maintained, and the the aids and showed answered constrictions over the last year. Over the adopt of chinese Communist legal point suppose in Hong Kong, largely involving extradition and things like that,

That's the Chinese have now decided this is intolerable and r, R r who are going to take eleven million free people and make them on free. I mean that There is to be the case at work. Standing here talking you know on under Giraldus is talking in whatever the hell it is that he's talking about and how terrible it is that there are rich people, and all of that- and here is a circumstance in the world in which a you now hey totalitarian communist regime, is literally going to chop the freedom and the life out of out of a free place on on the planet. We I'm trying to think most of the communist revolution I mean in the sort of thing happened: There is a result of civil wars or the aftermath of wars when the Soviets took various places and dominated them after the first world, the Second World WAR.

This is something new than this: The subordinate the subordination of Hong Kong is eight is a new phenomenon on earth, because you will basically you had this exception to the rule, and now that you know thing doesn't change, a free place is going to become on free So I had actually plan on blogging about this today and them I'm just Hong Kong by China, is definitely on the move and making the most of this pandemic that they looked upon the world moving military assets round the South China Sea, engaging naval engaged and with the vietnamese vessels malaysian vessels and also taking the populations of these re education camps in engineering, I believe, is apron, ass, proud and

ethically cleansing that moving these populations around the country and populating these factories that, where the wise depopulated by this virus, in order to maintain the production line here and this really the antarctic opportunity. I think that the president, who is seeking an opportunity to meet China, the bag here to execute a version of the freedom agenda in rhetoric at least alone. Due to really highlight human rights abuses in human rights abuses are a tool in the tool box of the diplomat than that. It's not just altruism alone, it hasn't mental utility and done it would it would benefit. I think, the president to to focus China's human rights abuses and to highlight these abuses and to demonstrate the extent to which we have a moral obligation to Hong Kong during the protests in twenty nineteen. These protestors. We're flying american flags singing the national anthem. Holding Up demanding our current demanding right, that we have enshrined in the constitution. It is a perfect vehicle, too

and then straight the fallacy of the enlightened left which believes these these freedoms that we have our earth is now something of a figment and not something to be especially proud of in part, because they are in this You'll be gotten ill used and dumb and present us with a false idea when no false notion of what citizenship really truly entails. Ah, when you have people who are living under what is now it's going to be imposed upon them. Dictatorial, communist rule saying we want these freedoms to we desire these God, given rights as well, a fantastic opportunity that president would be foolish to exploit Well, he's not going to exploit so we'll, never he'd, say now, but we we had. We have reports right in October. Twenty nineteen that he was not going to press the issue in light of trade negotiations, This trade negotiations were the paramount objective,

holding a regulation that has changed, look for good or ill. Turns into a Trump lemon session, but you out he is allergic to moral governance. It is, it is everything that he is the most deeply, and deepest got opposed. To is the notion that you're supposed to make moral calculations as you govern, he thinks setup. You now if you want to take it as a serious world view. He believes that as a suckers bat, it's a way of being constantly on the defensive and making mistakes because you are not acting in your own, narrow self interest, if you I take it up in a more complicated. It's that it's that, if it involves a an abstract calculation, and that is not how his mind works, ass, population that Liberty is or is not only a

in itself, but has a long term positive benefit consequence for the United States. He doesn't think in the long term. That's not how he conceived of things so the notion that, with that he is gonna, make use of this. Does he he does want to be at war with China any doesn't he they use China any does it because they also told us that you know how we may get our draw. If we get into a big fight how we gonna get our drugs from China, we let China make all. Whatever. So I dont think we're gonna see that that happen. You ve been seeing all this kind of putting on close and taking off clothes in terms of how is gonna conduct himself during twenty twenty, like. China, Joe right peeking, Joe Beijing, Joe, that was the three weeks ago. That's that's, been dropped, writing delicious and I'm starved

sorry about that, but there's also there's a longer game that China has been playing in our international institutions that the United States is way behind us. As the wonderful piece we had the magazine last month showed I've been, we haven't been strategic about making sure we have a way to thwart their ambitions internationally. So when something at and Trump is the last possible leader two to a bee savvy enough to to rectify that fact and b to even want to because he might makes right. I agree. I think that the whole back and forth over the last twenty four hours about will hear wound he, where a mask when it goes and visits of factory is. It is a perfect encapsulation of his lack of moral reasoning about these bigger issues in his inability to kind of sea and abstract. Bigger picture is really about whether you felt like wearing mask and whether he thought it would make him look weak, and I think, unfortunately, that's the same challenge with this much more complicated

international influence and power game this been going on for decades. That did he's just they're, not even playing there, I'm playing a game. Well. Can I just have to side with no a bit here. I think Trop is not entirely immune from aligning with those who do believe in a moral framework for the american use of power. If it's a trap himself see some sort utilitarian purpose in it. I'm thinking of though the deal administrations approach to Venezuela to Cuba want this the danger here? Is you never know how long he's on board? Because these things to a tube see these things through you sort of need the actual moral dimension,

you actually have to believe in it? Okay, so I think we have successfully concluded are experiment with a new way that were may be doing the pike. Sometimes Knowest crossing his fingers and over over zoom We will see how it how it sounds as if we have got We can't really use the system, so will be going back to a different system. Isn't this thrilling? This is the best news. You never got really. How did you upon her aid? May we don't even really understand what we're doing here with this with this new system, but friends of ours is recommended it and that we hope that it will solve Some of the sound problems that we ve been having over the over the last couple of weeks,

It is moral they weekend. I know many people, when I'm not going to experience this weekend, is any different from any other dead days. In these I think there are people who are living in more open climbs than we are, and if so, I hope you have a wonderful and meaningful weekend. I hope everyone has a wonderful and meaningful weekend playing settlers of cotton not blank settlers of Catan Lighting settlers Catana fire aiming at war being yourself from the blaze for Noah, Christine Abraham John Podhoretz, keep the camel burning,