IF WE ARE REAL AMERICANS, IF WE LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND AREN’T TRADERS, QUISLINGS, AND WE WILL WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT JUMPING WITH BOTH FEET INTO A HIGHLY COMPLICATED CONFLICT IN AN OBSCURE PART OF EASTERN EUROPE WHERE WE HAVE NO NATIONAL INTERESTS. WHY? BECAUSE UKRAINE’S BORDERS ARE SACRED, UNLIKE YOUR OWN, AND IF
WE ARE GOOD PEOPLE, WE WILL RECOGNIZE THAT AND NOT ASK ANY QUESTIONS. SO THAT’S BEEN THEIR ARGUMENT. YOU MAY NOTICE IT’S NOT ACTUALLY AN ARGUMENT. IT DOESN’T EVEN APPROACH AND ARGUMENT. IT IS A LECTURE. IT IS DELIVERED AT HIGH-VOLUME WITH THEIR SIGNATURE FRESHMAN YEAR SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. HOW DARE YOU! NO ONE FROM THE BIDEN
WHITE HOUSE IS ACTUALLY TRYING TO CONVINCE YOU OF ANYTHING. THEY LEAVE THAT FOR PEOPLE THEY CARE ABOUT, LIKE THEIR DONORS. THEY ARE NOT TELLING YOU THAT WHAT HAPPENS IN UKRAINE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR COUNTRY, ALTHOUGH OBVIOUSLY THAT’S THE UNDERLYING ASSUMPTION, THEY CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT, BUT THEY CAN’T SAY
IT OUT LOUD. THEY RARELY SAY ANYTHING THEY MEAN OUT LOUD. WHAT THEY DO, AND WHAT THEY’RE DOING NOW IS THEY JUST YELL AT YOU ABOUT EVERYTHING. SHUT UP, PROLE! TAKE THE SHOT! SURRENDER THAT CIVIL LIBERTY. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO UKRAINE OR ELSE YOU ARE A DANGEROUS TOOL OF VLADIMIR PUTIN. IT’S A HEAVY HAND.
THIS, ONCE AGAIN, IS NOT SUBTLE STUFF, NOT A LIGHT TOUCH, SO WHY DID THEY DO IT? WELL, THEY DO IT BECAUSE IT WORKS. YOU CAN SEE IT ON DISPLAY IN WASHINGTON EVEN IN THAT SUPPOSEDLY DIVIDED CITY, A PLACE WHERE YOU HEAR ABOUT PARTISANSHIP, A PLACE WHERE NOTHING GETS DONE.
WELL, SOME THINGS GET DONE. YOU’LL NOTE THAT NOT A SINGLE REPUBLICAN LEADER HAS STOOD UP TO POINT OUT HOW INSANE ALL OF THIS IS AND HOW COMPLETELY DIVORCED IT IS FROM ANYTHING THAT AMERICAN VOTERS ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT. JUST THE OPPOSITE. IF YOU LISTEN TO MITCH McCONNELL, THE LEADER OF
REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE, YOU WOULD THINK THAT WITH THE AVERAGE WELDER BACK IN HIS HOME STATE OF KENTUCKY REALLY WANTS MORE THAN A PAY RAISE OR AN AFFORDABLE VACATION OR DECENT SCHOOLS FOR HIS CHILDREN, WHAT HE REALLY WANTS IS AN END TO RUSSIAN AGGRESSION AGAINST THE BRAVE PEOPLE OF EASTERN UKRAINE.
AND THAT’S WIFE YOU GO TO ANY DOLLAR STORE IN THE STATE FROM ASHLAND TO COVINGTON, YOU’LL FIND WHAT THEY USED TO CALL REGULAR FOLKS MUTTERING BITTERLY ABOUT THAT VLADIMIR PUTIN. WILL HE CROSSED THE RIVER ON THE WAY? HOW CAN ZELENSKY STOP HIM? AT ARE THE MOLDOVAN SAFE? WHAT ABOUT HOLDOVERS TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY?
THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT IN KENTUCKY TONIGHT. OF COURSE IT’S POSSIBLE — WE HAVEN’T RUN A POLL OR ANYTHING, THAT SOME IN KENTUCKY AND IN FACT ABOUT 49 OTHER STATES MIGHT BE WONDERING TONIGHT ABOUT GAS PRICES, AND THEY HAVE REASON TO WONDER. THE PRICE OF ENERGY IS ABOUT TO
GO UP DRAMATICALLY IN THIS COUNTRY THANKS TO JOE BIDEN’S ADVENTURISM EASTERN EUROPE. SO THAT’S A NEWS STORY TOO AND OUR OWN PETER DOOCY ASKED ABOUT HER TODAY IN THE WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING. WATCH. >> GAS IN CALIFORNIA IS ALMOST $5 A GALLON. SHOULD PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY EXPECT TO SEE THAT KIND OF A
NUMBER WHEN THEY GO TO GAS UP THEIR CAR, $5, $6? >> Secretary Psaki: I THINK AS YOU ARE THE PRESIDENT SAY LAST WEEK, STANDING UP FOR OUR VALUES IS NOT WITHOUT COST. >> Tucker: OH. THAT’S THE “ANSWER.” STANDING UP FOR OUR VALUES IS NOT WITHOUT COSTS, SCHOOLS THE GENDER STUDIES MAJOR FROM
OBERLIN COLLEGE. FAIR ENOUGH. BUT THAT RAISES TWO QUESTIONS. WHAT EXACTLY ARE OUR VALUES AND WHAT IS THE COST? WE CAN’T ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION WITH ANY DECISION, THE WE ARE PRETTY CERTAIN IT IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH TRANS RIGHTS. HOW COULD IT NOT, THOSE ARE VALUES. AS FOR THE COST?
WHAT IS THE COST? WELL, HERE’S NBC NEWS. >> THE NATIONAL AVERAGE NOW THE HIGHEST SINCE 2014 AT 3.51 A GALLON. UP $0.20 IN A MONTH, UP $0.88 FROM YEAR AGO. CALIFORNIA WITH ITS HIGHER GAS TAX IS NOW AVERAGING $4.72 A GALLON, $4.82 IN THE BAY AREA. RUSSIA IS THE THIRD LARGEST OIL PRODUCER.
EXPERTS WARNED THAT AN INVASION, SANCTIONS, AND COUNTER SANCTIONS WOULD PUSH GAS PRICES TO AN ALL-TIME HIGH. >> I THINK THAT COMBINED WITH THE SEASONAL INGREDIENTS WOULD PUSH THE NATIONAL AVERAGE UP BEYOND THE $4-GALLON MARK. JUST A MATTER OF TIME. >> POTENTIALLY PUSHING $6 A GALLON IN CALIFORNIA. >> Tucker: $6 A GALLON.
OIL TONIGHT BROACHING $100 A BARREL. THE LONGEST IT’S BEEN THAT HIGH IN A LONG TIME. SO THAT’S NOT A SMALL THING, AND IT DOESN’T JUST APPLY TO YOU IF YOU DRIVE A CAR. IF YOU PURCHASE ANY PHYSICAL OBJECT IT’S ALMOST CERTAIN THAT OBJECT HAD TO BE DRIVEN TO YOU
BY SOMEONE WHO BURNS GASOLINE, SO THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING IS ABOUT TO RISE. AND IN A COUNTRY THAT JUST BENEATH THE SURFACE IS A LOT POORER THAN IT LOOKS, THAT’S NOT A SMALL THING. IN FACT, IT’S GOING TO BE A TRAGEDY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, ILLEGITIMATE TRAGEDY, SO IF YOU
CARED ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU GOVERNED, THAT WOULD NOT BE SOMETHING YOU BLOW OFF WITH A FLIP OF THE HAND AS THE COST OF OUR VALUES. YOU’D CARE. WHAT YOU CERTAINLY WOULDN’T DO IF YOU WANTED TO PRESERVE DOMESTIC STABILITY IS MAKE IT VERY, VERY OBVIOUS THAT YOU DON’T CARE AT ALL.
AND YET THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THEY’RE DOING. THEY ARE TELLING YOU TO YOUR FACE WE DON’T CARE. WATCH THIS GUY ON CNN. >> WILL THERE BE ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON AMERICANS AND PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD IF WE STAND UP TO AGGRESSION? YES. BUT WHAT THE SACRIFICE THAT’S BEING REQUESTED FROM PEOPLE
POTENTIALLY TO DEFEND DEMOCRACY IN THE LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL ORDER THAT HAS BROUGHT IN 75 YEARS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY IN EUROPE, SOMETHING UNPRECEDENTED IN THE WAKE OF WORLD WAR II THAT AMERICA AND ITS ALLIES HELPED BUILD. WE NEED TO A MEMBER THAT WE ARE NOT FRAGILE. WE ARE NOT, AS CHURCHILL SAID,
MADE OF SUGAR CANDY. DEALING WITH A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFICULTY TO STAND ON AUTHORITARIANISM AND AUTOCRACY IS NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK. WE NEED TO STRAIGHTEN AND STIFFEN OUR SPINES A LITTLE BIT. >> Tucker: HE QUOTED CHURCHILL, HE MUST BE ONTO SOMETHING. HE’S CHANNELING ONE OF THE GREAT LEADERS OF THE ANGLOSPHERE,
WINSTON CHURCHILL. A COUPLE QUESTIONS. HOW ARE WE DEFINING LIBERAL DEMOCRACY? HOW ARE WE DEFINING INTERNATIONAL ORDER? HOW ARE WE DEFINING SACRIFICE? NONE OF THOSE TERMS ARE EVER DEFINED, BUT IT’S THE LAST ONE THAT THEY SPEND THE LEAST AMOUNT OF TIME ON. SACRIFICE. BECAUSE OF COURSE THE SACRIFICE WILL BE YOURS.
IT WILL NOT BE THEIRS. THE PERSON YOU JUST SAW SPEAKING LIVES IN A DUPLEX IN NEW YORK CITY THAT WAS ONCE OWNED BY THE ASTOR FAMILY. WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE HE INVITED A “NEW YORK TIMES” REPORTER AND PHOTOGRAPHER INTO ITS OWN TO BRAG ABOUT HOW RICH HE IS. THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING
RICH, BUT IF YOU ARE IT’S PROBABLY UNWISE TO GIVE THE BACK OF THE HAND TO PEOPLE WHO AREN’T MEANT TO TELL HIM YES, YOU’RE GETTING A LOT POORER, BUT THAT’S OKAY BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE ME FEEL BETTER ABOUT MYSELF. THAT POSTURE, OVER TIME, IS MORE CORROSIVE OF SOCIAL COHESION —
INFECTIVE DEMOCRACY — THAT MAY BE ANY OTHER AND HISTORY IS LITTERED WITH FALLEN REGIMES THAT HAVE PROVED THAT. LET THEM EAT CAKE. SO EVEN AT CNN, WHO SHOWS ARE NOT ANCHORED BY GENIUSES, AND EVEN ON THE SHOW, WHICH IS ANCHORED BY THE FORMER MORNING ZOO HOST FROM TACOMA — SO SHE SAID SO.
>> THAT’S A LOT TO ASK. GETTING PEOPLE TO FOCUS ON DEMOCRACY WHEN THE BIG TABLE ISSUES ARE EATING THEM UP. >> I THINK TWO THINGS ABOUT THAT. BUT YOU’RE RIGHT, OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE ARE FEELING A LOT OF DIFFICULTY BUT THAT’S ALSO WHERE GOVERNMENT CAN TAKE ACTION TO ALLEVIATE SOME SHORT-TERM STRESS
AND I KNOW FOLKS ARE TIRED. I KNOW THEY ARE FRUSTRATED BUT WHAT WE ARE BEING ASKED TO DO, WHAT WE’VE BEEN ASKED TO DO IS FAR LESS THAN OTHER GENERATIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO. >> Tucker: WE ARE BEING ASKED TO DO — BEING ASKED TO.
— SHE WILL BE ABLE TO GO ON VACATION WITH YOUR FAMILY THE SUMMER, SURE. THE STAPLES THAT YOU USE EVERY SINGLE DAY MAYBE OUT OF REACH BUT IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL BECAUSE DUNKIRK. IMAGINE. BUT IT’S NOT JUST THAT GUY, THAT DIM BULB LECTURING US ABOUT HOW THE SACRIFICE IS WORTH IT.
IT’S VIRTUALLY EVERYONE IN POWER. WHAT BASIS IS IT WORTH IT? THEY’LL HAVE THE SAME LINE. IT’S NOT REHEARSED OR ANYTHING. THEY’RE TELLING US THAT BEING ABLE TO DEFEND DEMOCRACY, OUR GREAT PRIVILEGE, WILL MAKE ALL THE SUFFERING WORTH IT. WATCH. >> THE REALITY IS THAT THIS IS A MOMENT WHERE WE WILL HAVE TO
EXPERIENCE SOME SHORT-TERM PAIN IN ORDER TO MAKE VERY CLEAR THAT PUTIN CANNOT INVADE UKRAINE. >> YES, THERE’S LIKELY TO BE A COST. EXACTLY WHAT THE COST IS GOING TO BE WILL BE IN THE POCKETS OF THE AMERICANS. THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. >> MY .2 PEOPLE HERE AT HOME IS
YOU CAN EXPECT GAS PRICES TO GO UP, YOU CAN EXPECT FOOD COSTS TO GO UP, AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM HISTORY, ANYTIME WE WATCH THE RIGHT OF ONE GROUP THE EVISCERATED, IT’S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT COMES BACK TO HAUNT US. >> Tucker: IT’S A LITTLE
GALLING TO BE LECTURED BY PEOPLE WITH IMPOSSIBLY GENERATION CONGRESSIONAL PENSIONS ABOUT SACRIFICES YOU GET TO MAKE. BUT IT’S ESPECIALLY INFURIATING TO HAVE THE LAST GUY SPEAKING OF FOOD RACES, HAS SKIPPED VERY FEW MEALS RECENTLY, TELL YOU THAT LOOKING AT HISTORY INFORMS YOU OF EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FUTURE. IT REALLY?
WHAT SORT OF HISTORY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? HOW ABOUT LAST YEAR, WHEN THE WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN HUMILIATED, DEGRADED, AND WEAKENS THIS COUNTRY. LINDSEY GRAHAM SUPPORTIVELY CARES ABOUT THE MILITARY, DID HE DO A SINGLE THING TO IMPROVE IT? DID HE CALL FOR THE RESIGNATION OF ANY PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT HUMILIATING DISASTER THAT
RESULTED IN THE DEATHS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS? NO, HE DIDN’T. IN THOSE SAME PEOPLE ARE NOW IN CHARGE OF OUR STRATEGY IN UKRAINE. SO YOU CAN CALL THAT HISTORY AND IT MIGHT BE WORTH LEARNING FROM IT. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU LEARN AS THE PEOPLE CURRENTLY IN CHARGE HAVE AN EXTENSIVE AND EASILY
VERIFIABLE TRACK RECORD OF FAILURE WHEN THEY INTERVENE INTO THE HIGHLY COMPLEX AFFAIRS OF OTHER COUNTRIES, COUNTRIES WHOSE LANGUAGES THEY DON’T SPEAK AND WHOSE HISTORIES THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND. PEOPLE WHO BY HUBRIS AND BOREDOM WIND UP INTERJECTING THEMSELVES INTO PLACES THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. THE BIGGER QUESTION REALLY FOR LINDSEY GRAHAM IS ONE IS THE
LAST TIME HE DID ANYTHING, ONE THING, TO IMPROVE THE LIFE OF AN AMERICAN CITIZEN OTHER THAN HIMSELF? GAS PRICES ARE UP, FOOD PRICES ARE. THAT’S OKAY, BECAUSE IT WON’T AFFECT LINDSEY GRAHAM. HE DOESN’T HAVE KIDS AND HE’S GOT THAT GENERAL TO GENEROUS CONGRESSIONAL PENSION. WHAT ABOUT YOU?
YOU ARE GOING TO BE REPAID IN VIRTUE. NOW, IT’S NOT CASH. IT’S NOT EVEN CRYPTOCURRENCY. IT’S BETTER. FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE YOU CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT HAVING SUPPORTED SOMETHING CALLED DEMOCRACY, SOMETHING THAT IS IN SHORTER SUPPLY IN THIS COUNTRY THAN IT’S EVER BEEN, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE HOPE TO DEFEND
IN A COUNTRY YOU CAN’T IDENTIFY ON A MAP. SO YOU MAY BE POOR. IT’S ALL MOST CERTAIN THAT YOU WILL BE, BUT YOU CAN BE VERY PROUD OF THAT. AND BY THE WAY, IF YOU DON’T DO THAT, YOU’RE A MURDERER. HERE’S OUR DAILY REMINDER FROM MR. ALEXANDER VEND BEEN, A ON MSNBC.
>> WHEN YOU HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CASUALTIES, THE REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO OWN IT. TUCKER CARLSON IS GOING TO OWN THIS. HE’S BASICALLY DIGGING HIS OWN GRAVE, SO TO SPEAK, HIS POLITICAL GRAVE. IT IS GOING TO BE A MEAT GRINDER AND HE JUST WENT ON RECORD, TUCKER CARLSON, DONALD TRUMP,
BASICALLY ENCOURAGING THIS. I THINK THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THESE, YOU KNOW, COMPLETELY OUT OF TOUCH, FAR RIGHT WHACK JOBS THAT ARE BASICALLY ENCOURAGING PUTIN TO TAKE THIS ACTION. >> Tucker: SO IT TURNS OUT IT’S NOT VLADIMIR PUTIN WHO’S INVADING UKRAINE. IT’S THE REPUBLICANS.
IF DONALD TRUMP AND THE FOX NEWS TALK SHOWS, THEY ARE INVADING UG OUT DEMOCRACY. WHY DO WE PLAY THAT? WHY DO WE GET THAT GUY AIRTIME? BECAUSE IT’S JUST INTERESTING TO CHECK IN ON THE HYSTERIA LEVELS. JUST HOW FLORID ARE THEY? HOW RED IN THE FACE AND PRAISED ARE THEY?
THEY ARE AT 11 THIS WEEK. ANY CRITICISM AT ALL, ANY QUESTION AT ALL EVOKES THAT KIND OF PERFORMANCE. WHY IS IT IN AMERICA’S INTEREST TO DO THIS? THAT SEEMS LIKE A FAIR QUESTION. SHUT UP, YOUR HITLER! [CACKLES] AND WE ARE NOT OVERSTATING IT! BEFORE WE PLAY THIS NEXT CLIP,
FROM NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, IT TELLS YOU A LOT. IF YOU RESPOND TO A QUESTION LIKE “HOW DOES THIS HELP US” BY ACCUSING THE PERSON WHO ASKED THE QUESTION OF EVIL MOTIVES, OF WORKING FOR SATAN, OR WORSE, YOU’RE PROBABLY NOT COMING FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH. STRONG PEOPLE ARE COMA.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEY THINK, THEY KNOW WHY THEY ARE DOING WHAT THEY’RE DOING. THEY KNOW HOW TO CONVINCE YOU TO SUPPORT THEM AND THAT. PEOPLE WHO KNOW THEY ARE WRONG, MORE DOING SOMETHING THAT THEY DON’T WANT REVEALED IN PUBLIC, BECOME HYSTERICAL, AND SO THESE PEOPLE ARE HYSTERICAL. AS PROMISED, HERE’S NANCY PELOSI.
>> THIS IS A VERY EVIL MOVE ON THE PART OF VLADIMIR PUTIN. HE’S A KGB GUY WHO HAPPENS TO BE PROBABLY THE RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD BECAUSE OF HIS EXPLOITATION OF HIS OWN PEOPLE THAT HE DOESN’T WANT THEM TO KNOW ABOUT. THIS, MY FRIENDS, IS OUR MOMENT. THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING
THERE. >> Tucker: IT’S OUR MOMENT! [CACKLES] DID YOU CATCH THAT? SO IT’S A NAZI THING. LIKE EVERY THING ELSE THEY DON’T LIKE. ANYONE WHO OPPOSES ELECTION FRAUD IS A NAZI. GOT IT, THAT’S THE TEMPLATE, ALWAYS. BUT IT’S KIND OF WEIRD TEMPLATE, NOT TO GET TOO LITERAL OR ANYTHING, TO APPLY IN THIS
CIRCUMSTANCE SINCE TECHNICALLY IT WAS RUSSIA THAT FOUGHT THEM AND MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY BEAT THEM. JUST SAYING. WHILE IT WAS UKRAINE THAT COLLABORATED WITH THE NAZIS. IF THAT DOESN’T MEAN THEY’RE DOING IT NOW. BUT AS LONG AS WE’RE PULLING OUT THE HISTORICAL REFERENCES… THAT’S TRUE. YOU THINK NANCY PELOSI WOULD KNOW THAT.
SHE WAS ACTUALLY ALIVE AT THE TIME. BELIEVE IT OR NOT NANCY PELOSI WAS BORN BEFORE THE SECOND WORLD WAR EVEN STARTED. BUT WHATEVER, ALL BAD THINGS ARE NAZI THINGS. AND ALL GOOD THINGS ARE DEMOCRACY THINGS. WATCH. >> I THINK THE ONE THING THAT WE ALL AGREE UPON IS THE ATTACK ON
THE UKRAINE BY THE RUSSIANS IS AN ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY. >> PUTIN IS TERRIFIED BY THE PROSPECT OF A DEMOCRACY AT HIS BORDER. >> AND THAT’S WHY DEFENDANT DEMOCRACY BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD MUST BE AN URGENT NATIONAL SECURITY PRIORITY. >> WHAT IS OUR DEMOCRACY WORTH IF WE ARE NOT ABLE AND WILLING
TO STAND AGAINST AN INVASION OF ANOTHER DEMOCRACY? >> Tucker: YOU’VE JUST GOT TO PLAY THE CLIP OF THE LAST GUY WITH HIS WEIRD SCRAGGLY BEARD. ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE HE’S READING SOMETHING. CAN’T QUITE PRONOUNCE THE WORDS. IT’S ABOUT DEMOCRACY. WE TOLD YOU NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, NOT BECAUSE WE ARE ANTI-UKRAINE
OR PRO-RUSSIA, WE ARE AGNOSTIC ON BOTH, DON’T LIVE IN EITHER COUNTRY, DON’T PLAN TO, DON’T CARE TO. IT’S NOT A MATTER OF PREFERRING ONE OVER THE OTHER. IF IT’S A STUBBORN INSISTENCE ON DEFINING WORDS ACCURATELY BECAUSE THEY MATTER IN THIS COUNTRY. IF YOU SUBVERT THE MEANING OF A WORD AS FUNDAMENTAL AS
“DEMOCRACY,” MAYBE YOU CAN TAMPER WITH THE WAY WE LIVE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, JUST SPIT FALLING FOR A SECOND. SO UKRAINE, TO BE TECHNICAL, IS NOT A DEMOCRACY. DEMOCRACIES DON’T ARREST POLITICAL OPPONENTS AND THEY DON’T SHUTDOWN OPPOSITION MEDIA, BOTH OF WHICH UKRAINE HAS DONE. AND BY THE WAY, UKRAINE —
AGAIN, THAT’S FINE. WE ARE NOT MAD ABOUT THAT, GO AHEAD AND RUN UKRAINE IF YOU THINK YOU CAN DO A BETTER JOB THAN UKRAINE IS, JUST DON’T TELL US IT’S DEMOCRACY. BUT AS LONG AS THE CORE GOAL OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY IS TO DEFEND DEMOCRACY AND OPPOSE ANYONE WHO IS NOT RUNNING A
DEMOCRACY, YOU’VE GOT TO KIND OF WONDER — AND THIS MAY BE OCCURRING TO THESE COUNTRIES — WHAT ABOUT OUR FRIENDS IN JORDAN, QATAR, SAUDI ARABIA? WHAT ABOUT AT LEAST 50 COUNTRIES IN AFRICA, NONE OF WHICH IS A DEMOCRACY. ARE THEY IN TROUBLE TOO? ARE WE BE SENDING ADVANCED WEAPONS SYSTEMS TO TOPPLE THOSE
NONDEMOCRACIES JUST ON PRINCIPLES? ARE THOSE THE VALUES WE ARE DEFENDING AS WE LIVE THROUGH HIGHER INFLATION AND HIGHER GAS PRICES AND GET STEADILY POOR? WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTING TO KNOW IF THE PEOPLE YOU JUST SAW TALKING ABOUT DEMOCRACY ARE AS EXERCISED BY CHINA’S LACK OF DEMOCRACY. IF CHINA EVER MOVES AGAINST
TAIWAN, WILL WE GET THE SAME LECTURES? PROBABLY NOT. THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S DONORS HAVE GROWN RICH FROM THE CHINESE NONDEMOCRACY. IN OTHER WORDS, THE DICTATORSHIP. NANCY PELOSI’S FAMILY HAS GROWN RICH FROM THAT DICTATORSHIP. SO DON’T EXPECT TO HEAR NANCY PELOSI COMPARE CHAIRMAN XI TO HITLER ANYTIME SOON. DEBATES ABOUT WHAT IS OR WHAT IS
NOT A DEMOCRACY ARE INTERESTING, AND THEY MAY HAVE SOME ACADEMIC IMPORTANCE. BUT IN THE FACE OF THE MATERIAL REALITY OF LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES, FOR EXAMPLE HOW MUCH DO THINGS COST, CAN I AFFORD THEM, DOES THE PLANE LAND ON TIME, DOESN’T LAND SAFELY, CAN I TAKE THE SUBWAY OR MY
GOING TO GET STABBED BY MENTAL PATIENT, SOMEBODY LET OUT ONTO THE STREET? THOSE OF THE REALITIES THAT ACTUALLY MATTER, NOT JUST IN THIS COUNTRY, BUT IN EVERY COUNTRY. IN THE VERY PEOPLE PUSHING THIS DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY ARE THE VERY PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THOSE MATERIAL REALITY IS MUCH WORSE THIS COUNTRY.
AND UNTIL THEY ANSWER FOR
