In short
The episode covers U.S. and Israeli military actions and the political fallout, plus New York City mayoral politics and a far-right assassination case. It argues that Trump’s Venezuela strikes and Israel’s Qatar strike were either unjustified or involved deception/advance coordination, and that Gaza operations reflect intentional atrocity/genocide. It also discusses IDF soldier war-crime confessions and trauma, and frames NY politics around support for Zohran Mamdani.
Guest backgrounds
No guest bios are provided in the transcript excerpt. The hosts are Sagar and Crystal (Breaking Points). A “Ryan” and “Emily” are referenced, but no backgrounds are included.
Key claims
Trump’s Venezuela “drug” justification is contradicted by claimed low Venezuela fentanyl/cocaine shares; strikes may be regime-change-adjacent and violate Congress authorization. Israel’s Qatar bombing allegedly had a Trump heads-up (via leaked Israeli officials), while Trump denies it. Leaked Israeli deliberations reportedly show Iran-war rationale was not imminent nukes but longer-term strategic goals and regime destabilization. UN findings are cited as concluding genocide in Gaza. Haaretz is cited as reporting IDF war-crime confessions.
Notable examples
Venezuela boat strike killing three; Israel bombing Hamas leaders in Doha/Qatar; Netanyahu transcripts about Fordow requiring U.S. attack; Trump True Social claim hostages moved above ground as human shields; Haaretz sniper account describing shooting aid-line civilians; IDF commander pressure to “secure humanitarian aid” while killing children. Zohran Mamdani endorsement fight in NYC; Tyler Robinson “shitpost” shell-casing details tied to Charlie Kirk assassination.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOTrump's Military Action in Venezuela
0:35 to 1:13
Discussing Trump's military strikes against Venezuelan drug cartels.
“At Orderly Meds, we know this time is a reminder that life is full of new beginnings.”
Trump's Military Action in Venezuela
1:17 to 2:25
Discussing Trump's military strikes against Venezuelan drug cartels.
“because every new season is an opportunity to take the next step forward.”
Trump's Military Action in Venezuela
3:08 to 4:22
Discussing Trump's military strikes against Venezuelan drug cartels.
“The strike occurred while these confirmed narco terrorists from Venezuela were in international waters transporting illegal narcotics, quote, a deadly weapon poisoning Americans headed to the U.S.”
Analysis of Drug Trafficking Claims
4:23 to 5:47
Analyzing claims about drug trafficking from Venezuela and their implications.
“government statistics, accounts for less than 7 % of all cocaine headed to the United States.”
Potential Consequences of Military Action
5:48 to 7:20
Exploring the potential consequences of military strikes on Venezuela.
“Look, Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs.”
Historical Context of U.S.-Venezuela Relations
7:21 to 9:00
Discussing the historical context of U.S. relations with Venezuela and past interventions.
“I think everybody needs to watch this stuff very closely.”
Alternative Strategies for Drug Policy
9:01 to 11:15
Proposing alternative strategies for addressing drug trafficking and fentanyl crisis.
“But, you know, you can read into that whatever you want.”
Critique of Current Military Justifications
11:16 to 14:00
Critiquing the justifications for military actions against Venezuela as a facade.
“I was like, hey, you know, it's actually not a horrible idea.”
Neocon Obsession with Global Conflicts
14:00 to 15:05
Discussion on historical neocon involvement in various global conflicts, especially in South America.
“Everybody who knows about neocons, they know about their obsession with Israel, about Ukraine, and about NATO, and stuff.”
Neocon Obsession with Global Conflicts
15:19 to 15:30
Discussion on historical neocon involvement in various global conflicts, especially in South America.
“Compounded medications are not FDA approved.”
Show all 24 chapters
Trump and the Qatar Bombing
16:20 to 18:43
Analysis of Trump's denial regarding prior knowledge of the Israeli bombing in Qatar.
“gathered to assess a ceasefire proposal that had been put together probably by the Israelis, but floated by President Trump.”
Israeli Justifications for the Strike
18:43 to 25:15
Exploration of the Israeli government's rationale behind the bombing and its implications for U.S. relations.
“Ravid version of events isn't exactly what happened.”
Humanitarian Concerns and Military Actions
25:15 to 28:00
Discussion on the impact of military actions on civilians and the troubling reports of war crimes.
“A couple more things to get to here that are really significant.”
The Routine of War Crimes
28:00 to 30:20
Discussion of the brutal realities faced by soldiers in the Gaza Strip and the moral implications of their actions.
“This says, for my son, a sniper in the Nahal Brigade, changing rules no longer enough.”
Personal Stories of Trauma
30:20 to 30:59
A soldier's confession reveals the deep psychological impact of engaging in violence during aid distribution.
“16 years ago, I started working as a CNA in the hospital.”
Personal Stories of Trauma
31:59 to 32:14
A soldier's confession reveals the deep psychological impact of engaging in violence during aid distribution.
“like Baja Bay, our 15-acre lush tropical water park, interactive wildlife experiences, including our daily flamingo parade, world-class golf, tennis, spa, and so much more.”
Zoran Mamdani's Mayoral Campaign
32:39 to 40:04
Analysis of Zoran Mamdani's political landscape and the challenges he faces in the New York City mayoral race.
“Let's go ahead and take a listen to that.”
The Shift in Democratic Endorsements
40:04 to 42:00
Discussion on the changing dynamics within the Democratic Party regarding endorsements and the implications for Zoran Mamdani.
“I think in terms of the politics of it, that makes sense.”
The Need for Political Change
42:00 to 43:36
Discussing the necessity for a transformative approach in politics, particularly among Democrats.
“That's why I'm saying he should just take it up and be like, no, I'm, you know, it's like, I'm the captain now, bitch.”
The Need for Political Change
44:09 to 44:52
Discussing the necessity for a transformative approach in politics, particularly among Democrats.
“At Orderly Meds, we know this time is a reminder that life is full of new beginnings.”
The Need for Political Change
44:55 to 46:04
Discussing the necessity for a transformative approach in politics, particularly among Democrats.
“Because every new season is an opportunity to take the next step forward.”
The Rise of Blackpill Killers
46:15 to 56:00
Examining the connections between online subcultures, nihilism, and real-world violence.
“We are still in the early days of divining the specific motivations and downward spiral that led Tyler Robinson to go from Mormon conservative upbringing to public execution of a leading Trump world figure.”
The Dangers of Hopelessness and Blackpill Killers
56:00 to 58:41
Explore the societal factors contributing to the rise of violence among young men.
“Community says we are the ones who get the joke.”
The Dangers of Hopelessness and Blackpill Killers
58:56 to 1:00:04
Explore the societal factors contributing to the rise of violence among young men.
“It was like a bomb had just been dropped in my life.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. I have been with Rasmussen University since 2013. All virtual. All of my professors throughout the entire journey have been nothing but supportive of making me reach my dreams. Rasmussen professors, they want to see you grow so that you can be what you went to school to be. I'm so thankful for Rasmussen University for being able to make it so easy and seamless. Rasmussen University. Find your seat and start now at rasmussen.edu. Summer is here. At Orderly Meds, we know this time is a reminder that life is full of new beginnings. Whether you're celebrating the nice weather, starting a new chapter, planning a vacation, or simply looking ahead to what's next, this season can be the perfect time to invest in yourself and your health.
0:51If you've struggled with weight loss and are curious about GLP-1 medications, Orderly Meds can help you learn about your options. Through a simple virtual process, you can connect with licensed medical professionals who can determine whether treatment may be appropriate for you. Getting started is fast, convenient, and happens online from the comfort of home. This summer, consider a new approach to feeling your best. Visit orderlymeds.com slash podcast to learn more. That's orderlymeds.com slash podcast. Orderlymeds.com slash podcast. because every new season is an opportunity to take the next step forward.
1:25Compounded medications are not FDA approved. Eligibility required and determined by a licensed provider. Individual results may vary. See website for details. Discover a spectacular island destination with crystal blue seas, endless sunshine, and the cool Bahamian breeze. Bahamar, located in Nassau, Bahamas, offers your choice of three luxury hotels. the richly refined Rosewood, the playfully hip SLS, and the stylishly modern Grand Hyatt. With over 45 restaurants, bars, and lounges, Baja Mar serves up delicious dining from world-renowned chefs like Daniel Bouloud and Marcus Samuelson, nightlife venues like the new Jean Batiste Jazz Club, and the Caribbean's most luxurious casino.
2:08At Baja Mar, you'll find every pleasure under the sun and one-of-a-kind experiences for the entire family, like Baja Bay, our 15-acre lush tropical water park, interactive wildlife experiences, including our daily flamingo parade, world-class golf, tennis, spa, and so much more. Visit BajaMar.com today and discover a vacation destination where memories are made for a lifetime. Baja Mar, life spectacular. Hey guys, Sagar and Crystal here. Independent media just played a truly massive role in this election, and we are so excited about what that means for the future of this show. This is the only place where you can find honest perspectives from the left and the right that simply does not exist anywhere else.
2:49So if that is something that's important to you, please go to BreakingPoints.com, become a member today, and you'll get access to our full shows, unedited, ad-free, and all put together for you every morning in your inbox. We need your help to build the future of independent news media, and we hope to see you at BreakingPoints.com.
3:07In non-Kirk news, there is still a lot going on. Let's put this up here on the screen. Trump announcing that for the second time, the United States military conducted a, quote, kinetic strike against positively identified extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narco terrorists in the South Com area of responsibility. The strike occurred while these confirmed narco terrorists from Venezuela were in international waters transporting illegal narcotics, quote, a deadly weapon poisoning Americans headed to the U.S. These extremely violent drug cartels, quote, pose a threat to the United States national security, foreign policy, and vital interests.
3:44The strike resulted in three male terrorists killed in action. No U.S. forces were harmed in the strike. Be warned. If you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you. The illicit activities by these cartels have wrought devastating consequences in American communities for decades. So that is the second time now such an extraordinary action has taken place. One of the reasons why it all matters is if we'll all recall, we had Juan David Rojas here on the show. I recommend everybody go watch that interview. Why? Because he laid out very specifically the designation here is against Tren de Aragua, which is a gang in Venezuela.
4:19Well, Venezuela, as I've laid out here before from U.S. government statistics, accounts for less than 7 % of all cocaine headed to the United States. What he says there specifically about poisoning Americans, that is referring to fentanyl. Venezuela, according to DEA and published data, accounts for 0 % of fentanyl that enters the United States of America. So if this is about drugs, it's a pretty shitty way to actually go after drugs. If you were going to, it would be Mexico, okay, or Colombia or China, which gives the precursors for fentanyl. Why are they not doing any of that? Because there's extraordinary economic implications there, and it doesn't necessarily intersect with a neoconservative regime change operation, which has been the literal dream of Marco Rubio and several other members of this administration, and why then we have to take this very seriously.
5:12Trump was asked just days ago, is getting rid of Maduro an option? Here's what he had to say. Is the president an option? Is getting rid of Maduro an option right now? We'll see what happens. It's not an option or not option. We'll see. He had an election that was wrong. It was almost as corrupt as our election of 2020. You know that? You know what I'm talking about? I wouldn't say theirs was much more corrupt, but it was certainly corrupt. But ours was corrupt also. And just on that, do you think we will start doing strikes on the mainland Venezuela? We'll see what happens. Look, Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs.
5:53It's not acceptable. It's not an option or not option. We'll see. Well, let's look at the facts. The United States government has a$50 million bounty on Nicolas Maduro. 50 million. The United States military has extraordinary military assets that have only struck boats that are coming from Venezuela. The United States is here openly talking after the Secretary of State has previously in his role posted a photo side by side of Nicolas Maduro and of Muammar Gaddafi getting sodomized on television. What's your takeaway as to what all of that is about? And that's scary stuff because all of this is being conducted with no justification, no authorization by Congress.
6:45It's literally adventurism at the craziest level. There's apparently everyone's just OK with this. And considering how wrong – I mean this is – nobody ever asked second-order consequences. So for example, Maduro overflew jets over the US military after that strike happened. And Trump was like, shoot it down, General. What? So now we're shooting down Venezuelan jets. We're in a different world then, right? Now it's not about drugs. Now is it? And that's when the bounty and all the previous statements here by the government all start to come together. I think everybody needs to watch this stuff very closely.
7:23Out of everything, I'm actually the most worried about Venezuela. I think it's the easiest way to cakewalk ourselves into a quagmire. I'm not saying that we're going to invade Venezuela or any of that. But, hey, listen, targeted strikes on the regime and all of that, he floated it. He said it. Yeah, it's an option, mainland strikes in the government. How do you think they're going to respond? Yeah. It could be crazy. Just reverse it and imagine we were the ones who, like, our citizens were being randomly blown up. I mean, they say they're drug traffickers. There's zero reason to take them. Maybe they are, but there's zero reason to take them at their word.
7:53This is the second boat that they've blown up. The first one had 11 people on it. And, you know, as we've covered, very little of the drugs that enter this country come directly from Venezuela. Is Venezuela a place that drugs travel through on their way? Sure. Are we talking about both from Venezuela? Very unusual. And Trender-Aragua is not involved in that type of international drug smuggling. Nor is Maduro directly connected to Trender-Aragua in the way that this government, that the Trump administration has asserted. I mean, let's also remember, first of all, Venezuela has been a longtime target of the foreign policy establishment here, and especially the deocons, and especially Marco Rubio, like specifically.
8:37If you recall, back in the first Trump administration, Venezuela already had sanctions placed on them, which is an attempt to topple the regime, by the way. That's the purpose of the sanctions, is to try to topple the regime. Trump increased the sanctions, and then they did their whole Juan Guaido thing. And there were also indications, I don't know if you guys remember this, but some, I think it was like a former Navy SEAL turned up there and was arrested. There were indications that we were potentially also sponsoring mercenaries to go into Venezuela to try to directly overthrow this government.
9:08The plot failed. We denied any sort of association. But, you know, you can read into that whatever you want. John Bolton, remember this, went on CNN. Absolutely, I remember. And made some quip about, oh, well, it's not so easy to, this was in the wake of January 6th. He was like, well, it's not so easy to do a regime change, to do a coup. I would know. And Jake Tapper's like, care to elaborate? Guess what example he brought up? Venezuela. Now he says, oh, well, you know, we only had a limited amount to do with that. And Tapper says, well, I have a feeling that you're holding some things back. You're not being totally straightforward.
9:42And Bolton said, yeah, I probably am. When I covered the White House, one of the craziest things that ever happened is I was at this press conference when John Bolton was there. and he had a notepad on it and he flipped the notepad around accidentally and a photographer was able to grab it and on it, it read 5 ,000 troops to Colombia. To date, we still do not have a single explanation about what that happened. About what that was about. Nobody, and that was all in the midst of this Guaido thing. So look, that's all I wanna caution people here. They say it's about, I just told you, this has, I mean, look, maybe there were drugs on the boat, I don't know.
10:15Again, if you're gonna deploy the US military and all of that under this justification, I think you should be honest with people. The absolute vast majority of cocaine that enters the United States comes from Mexico, from Mexican drug cartels. All of the fentanyl comes from Mexico and from China. The precursors all come from China. All of it goes to the Mexican drug cartels. And so if that's where you were fighting, it would be a different story. It would also cause tremendous backlash inside of Mexico. And that's the reason why they won't do it because you can just imagine how Claudia Sheinbaum and their government with our number one trading partner might react.
10:50The economy of Texas and California would collapse overnight if you just look at the amount of goods between the two. By the way, that's where a lot of the drugs come from too. So it's just so preposterous just from like a very basic level. And there's a lot of other ways that we could deal with it. You know, we've had debates here and other things on the show. One of the more genius ideas I heard recently was to go to them and say plata or plomo, which is like their famous saying, money or gold, and basically say, hey, we'll buy the fentanyl from you at double the market price. I was like, hey, you know, it's actually not a horrible idea.
11:23We're either going to kill you or we'll buy it from you. I don't think it's so bad. At least at the very least it would stop people from dying. But it's one of those where even that we're not seeing anything extraordinary, interesting, out of the box thinking, whatever, for fentanyl. It's let's use this as like some sideshow to get people beating their chest. I mean, it's the same. It's like Saddam 9-11 level connection to me. You know, to take some side-active thing and then turn it as a guise for an ideological project. Everyone should be very skeptical about this one. Yeah, it's this Cold War hangover plus Venezuela, you know, with oil wealth.
12:01Venezuela? Why do we care about Venezuela? We just leave these people alone. We have plenty of oil. It doesn't matter anymore. We're the number one oil. We're like a net oil producer. It's not the 1980s. And what was the oil company, Citgo? Is that what it is? The Venezuelan one? I forget exactly. There was, this shit, it's irrelevant. And it's like, they're obsessed with it. I mean, if you have, you know, a failed state in Venezuela, you're going to create more migrants, you know, or something you're supposed to oppose. And, I mean, it's just, it's hard to even wrap your head around why they're so obsessed with this stuff.
12:36But, you know, and for Trump, too, I think he just likes the spectacle of being able to post these videos. of, I mean, this is just like random murder, basically. I mean, wild violation of international law. They don't even bother to give any sort of legal justification whatsoever. We're all assuming that they're going off of the war on terror authorization for the use of military force, but they haven't really spelled it out. They just say like the president can do whatever he wants to do. So I think that's a big part of it for Trump too, is just being able to like, you know, show how big and tough he is that the US military can blow up some random dinghy.
13:11that happened to come from Venezuela. I prefer, again, to talk. It's deeply disturbing. International law is fake, but American law is not. American law is clear. Like, you actually need, they don't have a pretext. Congress is supposed to declare war. Like, deploying millions of dollars of military assets with no justification, and actually with the justification, which is a total lie. I mean, literally, the people reacting to this are like, these are the people poisoning. Again, it's one thing. You want to kill the top fentanyl producer? I might be on board for that if you go through the top channels.
13:47But you want to go and be striking boats in the middle of the ocean? That's a very different story, right? And using the former justification for the latter, basically using misplaced anger about drugs and the drug crisis that we have here to transpose, again, onto an ideological project where I think crystal people who are casual observers. Everybody who knows about neocons, they know about their obsession with Israel, about Ukraine, and about NATO, and stuff. But they forget the South American connection from the 1980s. That's a deep cut, which thankfully Ryan is always here to tell us. Oh, yeah.
14:25Yeah. So it's alive and well. It certainly is. Shortly after I enrolled at Rasmussen, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was Like a bomb had just been dropped in my life. I reached out to Rasmussen. They immediately were like, Rosa, take what time you need. You can come back when you're ready. We are cancer-free today, and I'm just so grateful for Rasmussen, for all of their support throughout my journey, and for my own village. Rasmussen University. Find your seat and start now at rasmussen.edu. Summer is here, which means we all want to look and feel our best. A GLP-1 may be right for you.
15:05Visit orderlymeds.com to learn more about which GLP-1 you could be eligible for. Getting started is fast, easy, and happens virtually through telemedicine from licensed professionals. Check it out for yourself. Go to orderlymeds.com slash podcast. That's orderlymeds.com slash podcast. Taking care of yourself feels great. Compounded medications are not FDA approved. Eligibility required and determined by a licensed provider. Individual results may vary. See website for details. Hi, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Are you looking for a beach read this summer? may I suggest your big wireless bill.
15:36It's got suspense, mystery, a slightly flat emotional arc, and a shocking twist where you realize you've been overpaying the entire time. Fortunately, though, Mint's story is better. Every plan,$15 a month, even unlimited. That's it. Happy ending. Zero tears. Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for three months,$90 for six months, or$180 for 12-month plan required. $15 per month equivalent. Taxes and fees extra. Initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes may slow when network is busy. See terms. Why don't we get to Qatar? All right, let's go ahead and put D1 up on the screen here, guys.
16:06We've got a Barack Ravid report that Netanyahu did, in fact, give Trump a heads up before Israel bombed Qatar. Of course, they were attempting to take out Hamas political leadership, which was there gathered to assess a ceasefire proposal that had been put together probably by the Israelis, but floated by President Trump. Now, we had Jeremy Scahill on while this news was breaking of this attack on Hamas political leadership within Qatar. And immediately all of us said it has to be the case that the U.S. had a heads up. We have CENTCOM there. We have tens of thousands of troops stationed in Qatar.
16:47There's no way that they could attack inside of Doha and feel like that would be OK without getting some sort of a heads up. So Barack Ravid here with the report says Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed President Trump last Tuesday morning that Israel planned to attack Hamas leaders in Qatar shortly before the strike took place, according to three Israeli officials with direct knowledge. Now, since then, Trump has come out to deny this report. And then the Israelis publicly said, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, what he said. Sure, we totally didn't give him a heads up. He says he learned the same way that all of us learned what was going on there.
17:24OK, let's go and take a listen to what Trump had to say. Did Bibi Netanyahu speak to you directly to alert you that Israel was going to be striking Hamas sites in Qatar? No, he didn't. No, he didn't. How did you learn a bit? Same way you did. How did you learn the same way you did? OK, sure. Prime Minister's office says the White House rendition of events is correct. Israel's action against Hamas leaders in Doha was a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated, carried it out, and takes full responsibility. Again, this comes after three Israeli officials leaked a Barack review. Like, dude, of course we gave him.
18:01Of course. Right. We gave him a heads up. And what that means is that you're given a green light. Because if the U.S. had said no, then they would not have done it. But if they say we're doing this and there isn't an objection, that is the same as there being an affirmative green light for this action. Now, why doesn't Trump want to claim that, you know, wants to claim that he didn't know in advance? It's because, you know, he doesn't want to be in hot water with the Qataris. He wants this plausible deniability that, you know, Israel was allowed to bomb one of our allies in the region that he has positive relationships where, again, lots of U.S.
18:41troops are stationed. He wants to be able to deny that, even though like it's absurd to think that the Barack Ravid version of events isn't exactly what happened. Oh, I mean, look, let's be clear here. Like Barack Ravid at this point, he could be a stenographer for the Trump government, but he's also a stenographer, clearly, for some of the Israeli government. And I think really what has happened is that the Israelis are seeing very clearly that they were being blamed for striking Qatar without Trump approval. And while Netanyahu needs to maintain that fiction, the rest of his security cabinet's like, hold on a sec.
19:17The world needs the truth. We didn't do shit without America's approval. Trump had plenty of time to call this off. In fact, one Israeli official, a fourth one, reached out to Ravid and said, your story is 98 % accurate. The only issue is you said your call was at 8 a.m. It was actually at 7.45 a.m. before the attack happened. That's the only quibble that I have with what you have reported. So, yeah, I mean, look, it always seemed the case. And that's what we even said. We were like, look, you have two options. Both are horrible. Israel feels compelled enough to be able to strike Qatar literally without even calling the United States.
19:52The other is that we knew about it and lied. I honestly don't know which is worse. I think knew about it and lied is 10 times worse because now the reporting from the Israeli officials want to come out and set the record straight. And it shows also that the Qataris themselves, they look like a joke because their entire security strategy is buy hundreds of billions of weapons from Qatar or from the United States. We will host a U.S. base that will and should protect us. And now the whole Gulf has woken up and said, oh, my God, not only can they kill us, they killed one of our citizens. The attack failed.
20:30it didn't even kill the Hamas leaders that they wanted to, and the government will just say it's totally fine? I mean, Trump apologized for it in that statement. Since then, the Secretary of State has been like, yeah, terrorists, they're going to get killed wherever they are. Okay, I mean, and that's why you see this, there's a Gulf confab right now where MBS and the Qataris and everybody's gathering and they're like, what are we going to do about this? They're realizing for the first time who's actually in charge. They thought they could buy America off, and even their dollars have not been enough to protect them.
21:04That's right. So good luck. And also, yeah, it's going to be great whenever they just look right across from the number one purchaser of oil in the world, China, and say, hey, there's a nice, pretty relationship sitting right over there. Yeah. Great. Absolutely right. And at the same time, we're getting some leaks from inside the Israeli administration about their actual reasons for the war with Iran, which, of course, were not the same as the public reasons that were given. We can put D4 up on the screen here. So this is from the Times of Israel. They say a historic moment. Leaked transcripts reveal secret deliberations at the start of the Iran war.
21:40They say Channel 13 News published the details as part of a report set to air in full. They did not detail how they obtained the transcripts from these top secret closed-door meetings. But Netanyahu said at the meeting's outset, we are at a historic moment with a crucial decision. If we don't stop them being the Iranians, within a few years, they will get tens of thousands of kilograms of nuclear explosives. Within a few years. Remember how this was sold. It's imminent. The breakout time is days, weeks, months away. We have to do this now. We can't wait. Within a few years, they will get tens of thousands of kilograms of nuclear explosives.
22:17Iran has already enriched fissile material at a level that is enough for eight to nine bombs. They're working on the weaponization. If we don't act, we simply won't be here. So in addition, he said, they're getting close to being the second biggest powerhouse on ballistic missiles after we destroy some of their sites and scientists. Negotiations for a deal will be held in a different reality. We've held marathon discussions over many months. An unnamed senior military official told the ministers that one of the goals of the operation was to create the conditions for preventing Tehran from going nuclear in the long term and to improve Israel's strategic balance.
22:51They also, of course, admit that they are completely reliant on the U.S. in terms of damaging Fordow. They said Fordow will be destroyed only if the U.S. attacks it. And warned that the basic assumption is at the end of the operation, Iran will still possess enriched material. In the first few days, they'll be able to launch hundreds of rockets toward Israel. So there you go. The actual rationale here. And one more senior intelligence official quoted as saying, There are surprising operations we've prepared for years. Some are against surface-to-surface missiles in addition to an intelligence operation to disrupt enemy activities, including activity to destabilize the regime.
23:31So, look, I mean, again, if you were watching our coverage, if you were following any of this, it would not be surprising that this was the reality of what was being discussed. It wasn't this imminent, oh, my God, they're getting the bomb right now. It was years down the road. Maybe we're concerned about this. And by the way, we're actively working to destabilize the regime. And by the way, we want to, you know, use the U.S. for our purposes to rebalance the balance of power in the region. So there you go. The actual rationale. Guys, they said this shit out loud. How many attacks did I take? How many?
24:03This isn't about regime change. It's just what now? Huh? It's like every single time they're like, you're a hater. You are. They said it's just about the nuclear program. and Trump said, he says it behind the scenes, regime change. It's not about an imminent nuclear threat. We're trying to kill as many civilians as possible to collapse the regime. What else is there to say, guys? It's out in the open. And they just lie and lie and lie. And they attack the people who warned about it. The very fact that we didn't, I mean, what should we give Trump credit for? He didn't give Bibi what he wanted. Yet.
Read the full transcript
24:43The full-on, yeah, yet, right? You know, it's like, look, we got taken for a ride. If that wasn't the plan all along, again, I'm not sure what is worse, that we believed BB that it was just about nukes or not, that we allowed them to bomb while we were in the middle of diplomacy or use the diplomacy as a ruse. Either way, the message is always simple, is that Israel gets to do whatever it wants. We will co-sign it on the back end or the front end. You can make up your mind as to which particular one is the absolute worst. I think both are horrific, and that's where we are. Yeah, absolutely. A couple more things to get to here that are really significant.
25:18So the official, the bombing campaign in Gaza City had already begun. Now the ground invasion has also launched. Israelis are talking about how the bombing is so intense. They feared that they were under attack. But no, of course, it's still just the Palestinians. And this was very ominous. Go back to DZERO, guys. This was very ominous from Trump for him to say this. He said, on True Social, I've just read a news report that Hamas has moved the hostages above ground to use them as human shields against Israel's ground offensive. I hope the leaders of Hamas know that they're getting in what they're getting into if they do such a thing.
25:54This is a human atrocity, the likes of which few people have ever seen before. Don't let this happen or all bets are off. Release all hostages now. And, I mean, effectively what people are reading into this is that they're trying to pre-justify the hostages getting killed in this bombing campaign, renewed bombing campaign and ground invasion in Gaza City. So when Trump says, oh, the hostages are above ground being used as human shields, then later on, if it ends up that the hostages are predictably killed in a sort of all-out war assault on Gaza City, they can blame oh Hamas was using them as human shields.
26:31That's the reason that they ultimately got killed, not the incessant Israeli bombing and, by the way, starvation campaign. I also wanted to mention that this is significant, and perhaps Ryan and Emily will dig into this more tomorrow. But the U.N. Commission of Inquiry officially concluded that Israel is committing genocide. They're calling on, I'm reading from Prem Thakur now, the U.N. body calls on nations to stop sending weapons to Israel, ensure people within their jurisdiction are not aiding or inciting genocide and hold those who are accountable. So for this official UN body to come out with assessment is significant.
27:08You know, it's not going to matter in the US, but in other countries around the world will take this seriously. They do have a responsibility to, you know, to prevent genocide and not aid or incite genocide. So, you know, can be further pressure on the Israelis and certainly Israelis who are trying to travel abroad. So, you know, that was a significant finding. And then the other piece that we wanted to bring to you guys, if we could put D5 up on the screen, Haaretz did this investigation into mental breakdowns and suicides within the IDF. But in the context of talking to these soldiers about their trauma from what they saw and what they did in Gaza, they also elicited a bunch of confessions of a variety of war crimes committed against Palestinians by the IDF.
27:57Let's go ahead and put a couple of these up on the screen so you can get a sense. This says, for my son, a sniper in the Nahal Brigade, changing rules no longer enough. The wound he describes is already too big. It's gone very deep. It started before for about two months. Every day we have the same mission to secure the humanitarian aid in the northern Gaza Strip. His day and that of his friends begins at 3.30 in the morning, accompanied by drones and armored forces. They set up a sniper position and wait. According to him, between 7.30 and 8.30, the trucks arrive and begin unloading their contents.
28:25In the meantime, the residents try to move forward to take a good place in line, but there's a line ahead of them that they do not notice. A line that if they cross, I can shoot them, explains Benny. It's like a game of cat and mouse. They try to come from a different way every time. And I'm there with the sniper rifle, and the officers are shouting at me, take it down, take it down. I shoot 50 to 60 bullets every day. I stopped counting X's. That means death. I have no idea how many I killed a lot children. So that is a description of the, that is a confession of the routine aid massacres that journalists, Palestinians, whistleblowers have been, doctors have been speaking about with regard to aid distribution.
29:08I think we have one more for you that we can put up here on the screen. They say they forced him, threatened him. The battalion commander would scream over the radio. Why aren't you taking off? They're advancing on us. It's dangerous. He describes an example of the pressure. The feeling is that we're being placed in an impossible situation. No one prepared us for it. Officers don't care if children die, nor do they care what it does to my soul as far as they're concerned. I'm just another tool. So, you know, it's kind of gross to frame this in the context of like, oh, these poor soldiers who committed war crimes now have trauma and stress, but very useful reporting and confessions of these routine war crimes and atrocities and the fact that this is coming from the top.
29:43Remember, for so long we were sold soccer. Oh, there may be some rogue bad actors. They're just undisciplined. They need to stop recording this stuff on their phones, et cetera. I mean, now it is just absolutely clear. The plan is from the top. This is an intent of leadership. And the UN just joining the world consensus that this is an intentional genocide, which has been architected from the top. Well, if anybody wants to dispute this? It's from Israeli media, as usual. Directly from IDF Soldiers. To quote Mr. Kirk. Probably not Hamas. To quote the late Mr. Kirk, I feel like Israelis can criticize their government more than I can.
30:21What a country. 16 years ago, I started working as a CNA in the hospital. I loved it. On the day I decided to enroll in the nursing program at Rasmussen University, it was afternoon of my 35th birthday. I was hanging out with a friend and they had just questioned me what I was going to do with this next chapter of my life. I immediately said, I want to go to nursing school. So I actually had contact information from an advisor at Rasmussen, contacted her and actually ended up starting like three weeks later. My name is Cherish Adams and I'm a Rasmussen University graduate. Learn more at rasmussen.edu.
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32:14Visit BajaMar.com today and discover a vacation destination where memories are made for a lifetime. Baja Mar, life spectacular. spectacular. Let's get to the updates with regard to Zoran and some very interesting and intriguing comments from Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senator Van Hollen of Maryland, traveled to Iowa to make some comments and call out Democratic leaders for not endorsing Zoran Mamdani in his race for the New York City mayoralty. Let's go ahead and take a listen to that. Fellow Americans and Iowans, we are at an inflection point. The country's not going to fix itself. The National Party is not going to fix itself by itself.
32:59It's up to all of us. It's up to all of you. And it means supporting our Democratic nominee in New York City's mayoral race, Zoran Mondami.
33:13He is focused on ensuring that people can afford to live in the place that they work. That should be our goal in New York City, Des Moines, and every town and city and place across the United States of America. Donald Trump and New York's financial elites see that as a threat. The idea that everybody who works in New York City should be able to afford to live in New York City, and they have mobilized to defeat him. Yet many Democratic members of the Senate and House representing New York have stayed on the sidelines. That kind of spineless politics is what people are sick of. They need to get behind him and get behind him now.
34:01So interesting there, both in terms of the content, saying this is exactly the kind of spineless politics. People are disgusted with the Democratic Party. Sagar, I think that is absolutely the case. Him directly calling out, you know, the New York Democrats, which would include Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries and Kirsten Gillibrand for not endorsing the Democratic nominee, Zoran Mamdani, and also raises the question of whether Chris Van Hollen, since this was given in Iowa, may be himself positioning for a presidential run, which is kind of interesting. He has been a bit of a leader, I would say, in Trump 2.0.
34:34He's the one who flew down to, you know, to meet with Kilmar Abrega Garcia and really made a lot of noise about that, Abrega Garcia having lived in Maryland. So he's also been outspoken in terms of Gaza. Now he's not like where I am. He doesn't call it a genocide. But he did just go alongside another Democratic member, and they released a report saying this is ethnic cleansing. So he has been one of the more consistent and courageous voices. He's also one of the ones who went, tried to observe the aid distribution. They wouldn't let him on the airplane to do the flyover. He'd been there earlier as well, more proximate to October 7th, also blowing the whistle on, hey, the reason sufficient aid isn't getting in, it's not because of Hamas, it's because of the Israelis.
35:18So he has sort of staked out a leadership position for himself. So that was kind of interesting. A couple other things here. I think there's a sense now of inevitability around Zoran and a lot of politicians, some politicians trying to kind of like make their peace with it and stake out their position. Kathy Hochul, governor of New York, put out this op-ed saying, I am endorsing Zoran Mamdani. I mean, it's crazy that you even had to think about it since he's the Democratic nominee. She goes out of her way in this piece to be like, oh, I disagree with him. I disagree with him. I disagree with him.
35:52But, you know, he's our guy and he's better than the alternatives. Hakeem Jeffries responded to Chris Van Hollen's attack on him. Mr. Jeffries has hinted he was moving toward a decision on endorsement. By the way, Zoran won his district, Hakeem Jeffries, by like double digits, quite handily. Leader Hakeem Jeffries will have more to say about the general election well in advance of November 4th, said a spokesman. Meanwhile, confused New Yorkers are asking themselves the question, Chris Van who? So that's where we are with that. Meanwhile, it looks like maybe Eric Adams' E5 is going to drop out of the race, potentially, but we got these indications before, so we'll see.
36:33Tara Rosenblum reporting, two sources tell me New York City Mayor Eric Adams has made a decision will likely drop out of the New York City mayor's race by the end of this week. And I think in a final sign of desperation, Andrew Cuomo is trying to pretend like he hasn't been stridently pro-Israel to the point of even being a lawyer for Benjamin Netanyahu himself. New York Times reporting Cuomo's staunch supporter of Israel says horrific Gaza war must end. Remarks were a departure for former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who trails Assemblyman Zoran Mamdani in New York City mayor's race. And I think this one saga with Cuomo here is maybe the most significant sign of the times because you'll call in the primary, Cuomo really thought it was a winning argument for him to attack Zoran and his opposition to Israel, to Zionism and to, you know, Israel's genocide in Gaza.
37:31He's the one who made that an issue in the primary. Now we're in the general election. So presumably a less liberal electorate. So if that message was going to stick anywhere, it would be with the general electorate. And even Cuomo, who has been a consistent, strident defender, is looking at the polls and going, I got to change my tune a little bit if I'm going to have a prayer of winning this mayor's race. And I don't think he has a prayer at this point anyway. But it's more interesting to see that in his last desperate flail, he's realizing even he needs to reposition himself with regard to Israel and Gaza.
38:05This is what makes Hakeem Jeffries so extraordinary. It's like the governor endorsed him. What are we doing here? It's so obvious around it. this is just what being a Democrat is now. By the way, it's kind of an interesting prospect, actually, for how he's going to navigate what it's like to be mayor. I'm pretty curious. Mr. Zoran is a lot smarter than a lot of his critics give him for. I don't know if you saw he's going to apologize to the NYPD about calling them racist in 2020. Let that be a lesson, shit libs, is that you actually should backtrack on a few things if you want to get yourself elected.
38:38But on the other hand, he's also going to instruct them that they need to arrest Netanyahu if he comes into town. Yeah, great. Yeah, exactly. I'll take that trade. It's equal application of the law. We believe in the law, not defunding the police and Mr. Shalwar Kameez shitlib that he used to be. So let it be a lesson. You know, ditch the Shalwar and the third worldist weirdo act and just, you know, put a suit on and be normal. And you yourself can take extraordinary positions and you can get the governor and the democratic establishment and win the primary and make your way. So I'm curious to see in particular how he gets, you know, how he navigates all of this and what it's like.
39:19It is very telling to see the Hakeem Jeffries, you know, the way that he is reacting because he is the literal leader. I don't know. I just, it just feels Tea Party-esque to me. Oh yeah. I actually would say, on Zoran's part, dude, you need to like man up a little bit here and start attacking them straight up. Like maybe not Schumer because he's the New York senator. And I know Hakeem Jeffries is from New York as well. But I don't know. At a certain point, take on the Tea Party thing. These corrupt politicians are taking money from their donors and telling them not to endorse me. I fight for you and they don't.
39:57And you should vote their asses out of office. Something. Like take on a posture. Because if they're going to act with such impunity, why should you not just take up the call of battle? I think in terms of the politics of it, that makes sense. I think he also has an eye. I mean, he's basically won this race. There's a new pullout today that has, even if Adams and Sleewa drop out, he's still leading Cuomo by double digits. So this race is over. I think he has an eye towards governing. And the Newark governor can make your life miserable. Just ask Bill de Blasio, because when Andrew Cuomo was governor and de Blasio was mayor, they were legendarily at each other's throats.
40:33Now, de Blasio actually was still able to get through his pre-K, universal pre-K, which was an extraordinary achievement over the fierce objections and roadblocks of Cuomo. But if you are able to have something approximating a working relationship with the governor of New York, your mayoralty is more likely to be successful. Now, with regard to Hakeem Jeffries, that's a different deal. You know, I'm sure he is influential in New York. I don't really have a clear picture of how influential or how that works or what sort of pain he could cause for Zoran. But I think, you know, in addition to the Israel piece with Hakeem Jeffries, the other part is as Democratic leader, I think he he wants to extract some sort of promise from Zoran that he's not going to back other primary challenges.
41:18And, you know, so what's ironic is that by from Hakeem Jeffries holding out and Chuck Schubert holding out and all of these like mainstream Democrats holding out, I think they only spark more fury and interest from, you know, the left of the party to primary people, not to mention, let's say in 2028, they get their like centrist establishment Democratic nominee for president. every lefty is going to turn around and say, vote blue no matter who. That didn't apply when we're talking about Zoran. So I think they are being very short-sighted and creating a lot of problems for themselves. And you're right, it does have Tea Party vibes.
41:56Like, Zoran is wildly more popular in New York than Hakeem Jeffries or Chuck Schumer is. That's why I'm saying he should just take it up and be like, no, I'm, you know, it's like, I'm the captain now, bitch. Yeah. You know, like, take over. Yeah. I want to see more of that energy. These people just got to go. I support that energy. Not even just for the left thing, because I don't care about a left takeover. I hate this ossified structure. It's undemocratic. It's narcissistic. It's the worst of politics. We need to normalize for all parties. When you suck, you got to go. And that was the best part of the Tea Party energy at its best was just like, no, you're done.
42:37And I think Democrats need more of that. Yeah. I'd like to see more. That's what the Democratic base is looking for. I know. That's why I'm saying Zoran, the rest of these guys, step up. Like, you know, like, go after them. Be like, screw you. I'm going to win. At this point, like, you will win 100%. So now, like, you've got to fight. I mean, look at Plattner in Maine. This guy has never run for anything, comes out of nowhere, and now is, like, elbowing the sitting governor of Maine, potentially. I still think she's going to run. Yeah, I think she is, too. I think he's going to win the primary.
43:07And he is being more, you know, I mean, they asked him, will you vote for Chuck Schumer for leader? He's like, no, you know, he didn't mince words about it. Like, no, we need to go in a different direction. We'll see who the options are, but not Chuck Schumer. So this is a it is a winning model. The Democratic base is absolutely hungry for it. And I do think you're going to see a lot of other mainstream. We already saw it with, you know, in our interview with Alyssa Slotkin, you're going to see a lot more mainstream Democrats trying to reposition themselves on Israel because they realize that they have become wildly out of step with where the Democratic base is and that it's a big problem for them politically.
43:43Shortly after I enrolled at Rasmussen, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was like a bomb had just been dropped in my life. I reached out to Rasmussen. They immediately were like, Rosa, take what time you need. You can come back when you're ready. We are cancer-free today. And I'm just so grateful for Rasmussen for all of their support throughout my journey. and for my own village. Rasmussen University. Find your seat and start now at rasmussen.edu. Summer is here. At Orderly Meds, we know this time is a reminder that life is full of new beginnings. Whether you're celebrating the nice weather, starting a new chapter, planning a vacation, or simply looking ahead to what's next, this season can be the perfect time to invest in yourself and your health.
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45:04Compounded medications are not FDA approved. Eligibility required and determined by a licensed provider. Individual results may vary. See website for details. Discover a spectacular island destination with crystal blue seas, endless sunshine, and the cool Bahamian breeze. Bahamar, located in Nassau, Bahamas, offers your choice of three luxury hotels. The richly refined Rosewood, the playfully hip SLS, and the stylishly modern Grand Hyatt. With over 45 restaurants, bars, and lounges, Baja Mar serves up delicious dining from world-renowned chefs like Daniel Bouloud and Marcus Samuelson, nightlife venues like the new Jean Batiste Jazz Club, and the Caribbean's most luxurious casino.
45:46At Baja Mar, you'll find every pleasure under the sun and one-of-a-kind experiences for the entire family, like Baja Bay, our 15-acre lush tropical water park, interactive wildlife experiences, including our daily flamingo parade, world-class golf, tennis, spa, and so much more. Visit Bahamar.com today and discover a vacation destination where memories are made for a lifetime. Bahamar, life spectacular. Crystal, what are you taking a look at? We are still in the early days of divining the specific motivations and downward spiral that led Tyler Robinson to go from Mormon conservative upbringing to public execution of a leading Trump world figure.
46:27But one piece of his ideology is pretty clear. Edgelord. According to authorities, the one piece of evidence Robinson intentionally discarded was his weapon and ammunition engraved with various irony-laden brain-rot internet phrases. The casing on the shot that ended Charlie Kirk's life was engraved with a 12-year-old furry-bashing meme. Notices bulge. Ooh-woo. What's that? Which tells us an important thing. This assassination was a shitpost. That is the lens to analyze it through. Another of the casings references a video game Helldivers 2 and a specific bomb that you could send on your enemies in the game with the command up right down down down this command line sort of became a meme in image boards where it would be deployed to kind of represent you know ending an argument but almost more so as just like if you know you know and that sort of signals the in group there.
47:14Another of the four casings references Bella Chao which is an Italian anti-fascist anthem from the World War II era that has stuck around and remained very popular online. It's been used both in left and right-wing political contexts, and it's used in a lot of video games. And then the fourth and final shell casing was engraved with, if you're reading this, you're gay, LMAO. This was a shitpost. It was designed to be maximally disruptive and incomprehensible, cloaked in layer upon layer of irony so that nobody would know what he really meant unless they were our guy. This performs a kind of nihilism that plays really, really well on particular image boards and discord servers where this guy spent most of his life.
47:50And I say most of his life because that furry meme is from 2013. He was 10 years old when it was first posted and became popular. He, like you and I, grew up alongside this part of the internet that trickled out through the other platforms that we went on and has actually informed and driven a lot of our politics. If you're reading this, you're gay, laughing my ass off. The world of internet memes and Blackpill Nothing Matters humor bursting into the real world in the form of a public spectacle of murder. The ultimate way, I guess, to achieve notoriety both IRL and online, to guarantee you live forever in internet lore and political history, to enlist yourself as a warrior in some imagined cause, to make it so your piece of shit life leaves a mark.
48:34Robinson was extremely online apparently, but not in the way that someone like me might have meant it. In the race to turn up a social media footprint for Robinson and uncover the killer's true ideological motives, internet sleuths have come up pretty up-to-handy. His brand of way too online was apparently Discord servers, video games, perhaps some Black Pill meme-soaked message boards. That's what we're being told anyway. And if this is true, Robinson appears to be part of a broader trend. We are witnessing the rise of the Black Pill killers, predominantly young white male misanthropes, memeing themselves into radicalism and violence.
49:07You don't have to look far for some other examples. In fact, on that very same day that Tyler was allegedly lying on a roof, meme-laden ammo in hand, 16-year-old Desmond Hawley, shot up his Denver area high school, critically injuring two students before turning the gun on himself. Holly was apparently fond of neo-Nazi symbology and a gore forum called Watch People Die. He lionized previous school shooters, including the Columbine killers who kicked off the school shooting horror in the very same county where Holly would then go on to conduct his own rampage. According to the Denver Post, Holly's online profile was, quote, littered with references to mass shootings and anti-Semitic views.
49:44A sheriff's office spokesperson and said he had been, quote, radicalized through an online extremist network, but has left details of that network vague. Hawley also apparently drew inspiration from a different Black Pill, Wisconsin mass shooter whose alleged manifesto was titled, quote, War Against Humanity. In that manifesto, the author writes that humans are filth and society is a plague and that their own parents are scum. This all, of course, follows closely on the heels of the mass shooting at Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis, that killer, Robin Westman, posted a long YouTube video including journal writings littered with internet and cultural references that were all over the map and very confusing.
50:23In particular, Westman's weapons were inscribed with over 100 different symbols and messages, things like release the list, nuke India, skibbity, some cyrillic writing, and references to a bunch of other school shooters. Potentially the most revealing inscription said, quote, there is no message. Now, some analysts have theorized that Westman may have been radicalized by an online nihilist subculture that glorifies acts of violence as in-group currency called 764 or 09A. Could be, but who knows? Westman also had a history of mental illness, intrusive violent thoughts, and suicidal ideation. Trump's attempted assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, might also fit the mold of the Black Pill Killer.
51:05Like Robinson, Crooks was a high academic achiever. He scored a 1530 on his SAT. Classmates describe him as a bit of a loner, a bit of an outcast, frequently bullied. His Google history showed that he was searching for information on depression. Authorities have never fully explained a motive for his attempt on Trump's life, but he was apparently searching for nearby appearances for a whole host of political figures, everybody from Joe Biden to Merrick Garland to Catherine, Princess of Wales, in addition to Trump, suggesting he was basically open to murdering any major political figure who happened to come nearby.
51:39Officials found a social media account linked to Crooks that they said had allegedly posted extreme anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant content. Now, in each instance, the overarching ideology here appears to be nihilism, the belief that nothing matters, humanity is garbage, the world is ending, everything sucks, and there is no redemption. It is this black pill belief that spawns a trans neo-Nazi school shooter posting racist internet crap alongside Trump hate or a gun-loving white guy scrawling hey fascist catch. In a truly excellent new piece, Freddie DeBoer argues that in these spectacular acts of political violence, we are witnessing murder as a form of meaning making with the ideological content scraped together semi-randomly in a desperate attempt by the killer to cast themselves as part of some broader community and project.
52:28DeBoer calls this quote, cargo cult meaning-making. He writes,
52:40Now, this argument is likely going to be the most difficult to accept in the case of Tyler Robinson, who chose, of course, an extremely ideological figure, Charlie Kirk, as the target for his assassination and inscribed pseudo-political phrases on the bullets. Of Tyler, Freddie writes, quote, someone who scrawls an Italian anti-fascist slogan onto a bullet casing. And also, if you read this, you are gay LMAO, as well as obscure video game references, this is exactly who I'm talking about. Clearly he had some sort of ideological urge, some sense that his violence should contain meaning, but his impulses and influences are incoherent.
53:17Indeed, that urge has been inculcated in online communities that are defined by nothing so much as, well, nothing. The all-consuming LOL, LOL, LOL, of contemporary sad young man online culture, forum after forum dominated by an endless race to the bottom of nihilism and self-hatred. I'm going to guess that Robinson has not deeply read in the works of Camilo Bernari. I think instead that he saw some quotes pop up randomly in the same frenetic and directionless Discord servers where he lived the rest of his life and thought they would be cool things to write on a bullet. Now, we may still learn more about Robinson that throws a more coherent political ideology into relief.
53:56But even if we do, it will not erase the message he wanted to send from those LOL nothing matters shitposting bullets, the one thing that he left intentionally at the scene. Now, Crooks and Robinson are particularly significant, I think. They both signal the merging of the school shooter archetype with the political assassin archetype. Social outcast, young white men stewing in a brew of disaffection, potential mental health issues. It makes sense though, doesn't it? If you're looking for notoriety in modern America, school shootings have become so common, they barely raid anymore. If you want infamy, you're going to have to up the ante.
54:32Political murder still packs that horrific shock factor that these killers apparently crave. And if you're looking to conjure meaning for a meaningless life, the whole nation will desperately scramble around looking for clues in order to assign a coherent ideology. Now, early speculation about Robinson's motive focused on the possibility he was a griper. That looks very unlikely at this point, but a TikTok explaining the differences between griper nihilist and Charlie Kirk style Christian nationalist actually helped very effectively to unpack the black pill worldview and understand why it can be so appealing for so many.
55:08If you're looking at a swirl of cryptic memes and trying to reverse engineer a motive, you're going to misread this story. What looks like politics is often subculture. What looks like a manifesto is sometimes a dare wrapped in a joke, wrapped in a void. The black pill is the conviction that decline is irreversible. If nothing can be redeemed, then the only creative act is negation. And that's where accelerationism comes in. In this context, acceleration means pressing on every social fault line, race, gender, religion, class, until something breaks. It is not policy, it's physics. The expectation is collapse followed by nothing.
55:50It packages three things people crave when they feel powerless, certainty, community, and a role. Certainty says the game is rigged in doom. Community says we are the ones who get the joke. And a role says speed the ending. It is a toxic story. It's also tidy, and it's available 24-7 on your phone. The antidote is not to romanticize institutions that have failed people. It's to refuse the seduction of entropy as identity. Now, it's counterintuitive, at least to me, but I guess it can feel good to give up on everything, to succumb to hopelessness, embrace the fatalism, I'm cooked, you're cooked, society's cooked, and the only thing to do is to set it all ablaze.
56:30The internet, of course, is acting as an accelerant here, disconnecting us from real life, from real human beings, radicalizing some and launching its twisted fruit into the real world. But remember, most other countries in the world have full internet access, they have gaming, they have algorithms, AI, and message boards. Yet the mass shooting epidemic, it is a uniquely American epidemic. I suppose it turns out when you take the toxic brew of gun culture, hyper-individualism, mass inequality, untreated mental illness, and a failed and unresponsive democracy, you get a whole lot of young men who feel like they are doomed to failure and have zero stake in society.
57:07Rage bait algorithms are just gasoline on that fire. And I fear we are just now beginning to see the consequences. Freddie DeBoer has something to say about the risks ahead as well. In a healthy system, we can absorb the shocking actions of a single or even a handful of these types of black pill killers. The overall national landscape would continue to be governed by policy, elections, social structures, civic life, those sorts of things. Do we live in a society that feels to you like it's got those sort of shock absorbers right now? We are already watching as the right launches a witch hunt, declares war on the political left, backed by the president of the United States and his most powerful advisor, Stephen Miller.
57:43There is no seeming end to the cultural and material factors as well that have sent so many young men spiraling into this sort of online oblivion. As Freddie writes, quote, there's a moment when the ambient low-level radiation of purposeless violence ceases to be mere noise. and becomes the trigger for a terminal feedback loop. We appear poised at the event horizon of a cascade where the smallest act committed in the absence of ideology could initiate a period of truly ugly and spectacular public violence, a kinetic reaction that will reshape the social phase space with terrifying, unpredictable certainty.
58:23Indeed, we are all, I think, filled with a sense of existential dread that while Charlie Kirk might be the first, he will almost certainly not be the last. And this is, Sagar, the thing that is most disturbing to me is we can all see this. And if you want to hear my reaction to Crystal's monologue, become a premium subscriber today at breakingpoints.com.
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From the publisher
Krystal and Saagar discuss Trump bombs Venezuelan boat, Israelis say Trump lying about Qatar strike, NY Gov bends knee to Zohran, the rise of the blackpill killer.
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