Iran Protests, “Insurrection” Talk & the Cockpit Wings Rule

This week had that “new headline every two hours” feeling — loud, reactive, weirdly jittery. Dr. David and Dr. Rob are joined by returning guest psychiatrist Amit to track the pattern underneath it, without doing the usual outrage treadmill.

They start with Iran: protests, violent crackdown, and the performative “we support democracy” posture — then contrast it with a much harsher posture toward protest at home, including tossing around “insurrection” language in response to domestic demonstrations (Minnesota comes up explicitly). The question isn’t “who’s right,” it’s: what’s the function of this kind of messaging? What does it soothe? What does it signal?

From there it widens to the “foreign trophies” vibe: Venezuela, shifting justifications, and the surreal moment where a Nobel Peace Prize shows up as a kind of political prop (and yes, there’s an Office reference). Greenland makes a cameo in the same category: big, simple dominance theater that’s easier than the messy constraints of domestic governance.

And at the end: prescriptions. Including the “cockpit wings rule” — if you got handed a shiny symbol, you don’t get to announce you basically flew the plane.