Welcome to the Bob Davis Podcasts. All my podcasts are right here. Listen by clicking on the podcast and then clicking ‘play’ on the media player. Subscribe to the RSS feed right off the page, or use the The Bob Davis Podcasts streaming audio. Subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify or listen on Blog Talk Radio, Spreaker.com, Stitcher.com or TunedIn.com and more. Just follow the links.
Listen to streaming live now! (opens a new window)
War and rumors of war. This time between the United States and Iran. These days you don’t know what’s real. We’ll talk about it in War-Rumors-Iran-Trump-Bob Davis Podcast 832.
In addition I’ll provide details and perspective you don’t get from breathless cable news channels, talk radio and advocate commentators. Once a crisis develops advocacy media will try to convince viewers for or against.
Iran is a much more complicated issue.
First of all, at issue is the so called JCPOA. The Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action.
The JCPOA was signed by all five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Iran during the Obama administration.
Moreover in exchange for Iranians giving up weapons grade uranium some US and European sanctions dating back forty years were temporarily waived.
In 2016 republican presidential candidate Donald Trump campaigned on getting rid of the JCPOA calling it ‘the worst deal I’ve ever seen’. In contrast some sources say Iran was actually abiding by that agreement. By the way, the deal Trump signed with North Korea recently pledging to de-nuclearize the Korean Peninsula was in fact a communique like the JCPOA, with fewer conditions.
No matter. President Trump has taken the US out of the deal and imposed sanctions last year. Just recently the US has reimposed sanctions on Iran’s oil exports as well as copper, aluminum and steel most recently. The economic effects have not been good for Iran.
Trump ordered a US carrier battle group into the gulf. The Saudis want Iran ‘defanged‘ and have called for ‘surgical’ US Airstrikes.
Here come endless loops of jets leaving carrier decks. Pundits talking over shock and awe. Headlines across the bottom of screens showing US troops in Iraq.
Finally we have been through all this before. It did not end well. In fact it has not ended. The Iranians are not paragons of virtue but they are no Iraq or Afghanistan either.
In conclusion we ought to think about that before we’re snookered into another war.
(Editor’s Note: I refer to PPP when giving Iran’s per capita income at about 22,000 a year. In US Dollars it’s probably about 8,000 a year. In addition I gave Iran’s oil export total as 1.2 barrels a year. Even more it is roughly 1.2 million barrels a day.)
Sponsored by Whitetail Builders of Andover Minnesota and Reliafund Payment Processors
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:31 — 74.4MB) | Embed
The latest battle cry among democrats is “We don’t follow the rule of law in this country these days”. Is the House of Representatives playing the white knight battling a lawless pretender in the White House? Find out in Rule Of Law-Rhetoric-Bob Davis Podcast 831.
Especially relevant is the ongoing battle between democrats the house and the republican president. The flashpoint? Recent committee hearings on Attorney General Barr’s ‘summary’ of the Mueller report on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Even more like a bad divorce, Mueller publicly released a letter criticizing Barr’s summary. Consequently a House committee ‘investigating’ Barr’s conclusions demanded Barr ‘testify’ again. Barr refused. As a result, the House Judiciary Committee finds Barr in “contempt of congress”.
Hit play on the media machine and this is what you get. Gasp. Barr is in ‘contempt’. Trump is not ‘obeying’ the ‘rule of law’! Horrors! Due to this contempt of the rule of law, something must be done!
Will Trump and Barr be cellmates in the house jail?
On a midnight walk and talk I look into this. People shouting about the ‘rule of law’ might be shocked to learn just what contempt of congress means. How does contempt of congress contrast with contempt of court? Check out Rule Of Law-Rhetoric-Bob Davis Podcast 831.
In addition the administration is in distinguished company when it comes to contempt of congress. Presidents back to the federalists and anti federalists have held congress in contempt and have been held in contempt by congress.
Finally do people fully understand the overblown “constitutional crisis” is nothing more than business as usual in Washington? Certainly these kinds of disputes are nothing new.
Sponsored by Reliafund Payment Processors and Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:05 — 91.7MB) | Embed
If you study history you know we all have our favorite periods. These days I turn more and more to 1930’s America. Specifically the story of Bonnie and Clyde. Learn more in Bonnie-Clyde-1930s-America-Bob Davis Podcast 830.
There’s a new movie on Netflix called ‘Highwaymen‘. The movie details the search for Bonnie and Clyde and their inevitable end and stars Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson. I like this movie because it does a better job telling more of the real story, than other efforts.
Especially relevant to the story is the automobile and the then new national highway system. For Clyde Barrow there was no equal to the then brand new Ford V-8. This was Barrow’s number one choice to steal. Bonnie Parker died with a map of the old national highway system on her lap.
Most noteworthy Barrow was famous for covering as much as a thousand miles in one day in one of his stolen Ford V-8’s. The duo sped across New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and Kansas on those brand new blacktopped two lane interstate highways, and many a dirt road or field during their crime sprees.
The height of the depression in the early 1930’s comes down to us in faded black and white photos, and speed graphic newspaper photos taken in tourist camps, abandoned farms and failed banks. Yet the people then, experienced it in color. Find out why this era fascinates me in Bonnie-Clyde-1930s-America-Bob Davis Podcast 830.
Finally there is this question of criminal behavior. Bonnie and Clyde have a special place in 1930’s history. To a certain degree their story line is a lie. Foolish young people pushed into a life of crime by life circumstances? Or criminals that terrorized local communities across the rural Midwest?
In conclusion Highwaymen, three books I read before for a podcast I did about the mystery and legend of Texas Ranger Frank Hamer. Those links are here. I did these podcasts because so many inaccuracies and lies have become part of Bonnie and Clyde lore.
Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating Of Saint Paul
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:01 — 103.0MB) | Embed
Lots of talk about social media and free speech these days. Facebook just banned several top content creators. Learn more in Free Speech-Social Media-Bob Davis Podcast 829.
My personal struggles with Facebook’s byzantine rules for advertising my podcasts is especially relevant. In addition I provide some ways to circumvent the rules I am sure the Russians have already figured out.
Moreover the question of whether the constitution or a company determines free speech, is key.
Facebook banned Louis Farrakhan Alex Jones, Paul Nehlan, Mllos Yiannapoulis, Paul Joseph Watson and Laura Noomer last week. Twitter banned actor James Woods. Who’s next?
Some say this all started with Charlottesville a couple of years ago. Even more alleged Russian ‘election tampering’ through social media has really got the social media companies running scared.
A litany of testimony in front of House and Senate committees from big Internet companies and the threat of antitrust enforcement have Silicon Valley billionaires shaking in their sneakers. In a way I almost feel sorry for them. Politicians used to love social media. Now Zuckerberg’s in the doghouse. Details in Free Speech-Social Media-Bob Davis Podcast 829.
Consequently one wonders whether people in this country will ever be able to hear an opinion they don’t agree with, without being ‘triggered‘, or thinking there’s an international conspiracy against them.
Certainly users can block, mute or unfollow unsavory characters and people they don’t agree with.
However this isn’t enough.
Gag Them! Shun Them! How Dare People Express Opinions I Do Not Agree With!
Finally the real truth is you can ban someone from expressing their opinions or entertaining, but you can’t ban the backlash. Sooner or later competitors to these companies will emerge. Content Creators will find other platforms.
In conclusion and in defense of Facebook, getting them to let me advertise podcasts has been clunky and frustrating…
Not impossible.
Moreover some of the worst trolls hide behind anonymity. In this sense, I can understand why ‘registration’ and ‘authentication’ is now part of the process for media businesses on some platforms.
There will be challenges to gaggings. Some of those challenges will be based on the first amendment and perhaps equal protection clauses of the fourteenth amendment.
And there should be.
I may not agree with your crazy conspiracy theory or your opinion, but I defend your right to tell the world about it.
Without free speech, we are no longer a democracy or if you prefer a representative republic.
THAT is truly terrifying.
Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul and Reliafund Payment Processors
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:07 — 78.1MB) | Embed
The 2020 presidential campaign is already underway. Democrats are already touting their plans from free health care to free college. Thing is, a plan beats no plan when it comes to politics these days. We’ll talk about it in Plan Beats No Plan-Bob Davis Podcast 828.
Certainly this week attention has been focused on the president’s statements regarding unions. Meanwhile lesser known state and local ‘conservative’ republicans attack democrats for being ‘socialist’.
Especially relevant is whether this approach will work.
Come to think of it, doesn’t the United States increasingly have a “controlled market economy” meaning the government already ‘controls the means of production’?
Moreover President Trump touts trade protection, and lately government appropriation of 5G wireless technology. It’s also a republican president pushing for ‘infrastructure’ development. Republicans even have their own ‘Single Payer‘ health plan where big insurance companies implement the federal program. This is capitalism? Learn more in Plan Beats No Plan-Bob Davis Podcast 828.
State republican representatives and senators who are real estate agents, housing developers, doctors and lawyers find themselves voting for ‘socialist’ ideas from MAO Clinic funding to laws regarding how you use your cell phone while driving.
Moreover from TR to Trump, republicans have been advocating for ‘progressive’ and socialist policies. Would you believe German Socialists actually supported Abraham Lincoln back in the day?
In addition rank and file republican voters rely on government pensions, social security, ObamaCare, Medicare, Veterans Benefits and all kinds of tax breaks for their businesses. Good republican ‘capitalists’ take every legal tax benefit they can get from real estate to Tesla’s in the driveway. Rural farmers who voted for Trump love their subsidies. But socialism? God no!
Seems to me that a real Capitalist Agenda would be seen as quite radical these days. Most Americans haven’t experienced true Capitalism. The means of production, from stock trades to light rail, have indeed been controlled by local, state and federal governments for a long time.
Finally if republicans are against socialism they’d better get busy designing a capitalist plan.
In conclusion, sadly a republican capitalist plan will never emerge. Much easier to call democrats socialists and shout ‘build the wall’.
That’s a plan, right?
Sponsored by John D Scott Personal Injury Attorney and Reliafund Payment Processors
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:31 — 74.4MB) | Embed
