Mini Show #35: Congress Corruption, Saudi CIA Meeting, Bank Fraud, Hunter Biden, New Right, & More!
May 14, 2022
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Louis C.K., the renowned comedian and actor, shares his thoughts on political polarization. The discussion dives into black Republicans, the complexities of Hunter Biden's financial woes, and the troubling Saudi ties to the 9/11 attacks. They explore the rise of the New Right movement, contrasting its populist nationalism with liberal critiques. The session also discusses the mishaps in the banking sector and how these issues relate to public trust. Get ready for a blend of humor and hard-hitting political commentary!
The podcast discusses the failure of the Democratic Party to codify Roe v. Wade and highlights the new right's emergence as a conservative movement seeking to refashion the Republican Party into a nationalist, anti-globalist force.
The new right and progressive left offer different critiques of mainstream politics, with the new right emphasizing community and decline while the progressive left focuses more on economic populism.
The new right challenges traditional Reagan-era conservatism by critiquing its corporatist and globalization vision, and presenting a nationalist, anti-globalist alternative for the Republican Party.
The podcast examines the TD Bank scandal, revealing deceptive practices and the erosion of the rule of law in the American banking industry.
Deep dives
Democratic Civil War: Gavin Newsom criticizes Democratic Party leadership
Gavin Newsom criticizes the Democratic Party leadership, questioning their lack of a counter-offensive and their failure to outmaneuver pro-abortion rights Democrats. Pelosi responds, claiming ignorance of why pro-choice Democrats were outmaneuvered and defending the Democratic Party's ongoing fight for women's rights. However, the party's failure to codify Roe v. Wade during past periods of Democratic control is highlighted. The new right emerges as a conservative movement seeking to take over the Republican Party and refashion it into a nationalist, anti-globalist force. There is also an intellectual aspect that critiques liberal individualist capitalism. The new right's emphasis on decline sets it apart from Reagan-era conservatism. The article highlights the cultural aspects of the new right, including a longing for community and the re-emergence of religion. The left faces challenges in addressing these concerns and articulating responses to the critique of liberal values.
The New Right and the Progressive Left: Tensions and Overlaps
The new right and the progressive left have different critiques of mainstream political ideologies, challenging the prevailing neoliberal consensus. While they share some concerns about societal values and the need for change, the new right tends to emphasize community, decline, and centralizing executive power, while the progressive left focuses more on economic populism. However, there is a lack of clear articulation on the left regarding acquiring and wielding power quickly to implement desired changes. Cultural issues, such as abortion and sexual revolution, also play a role, with the new right offering a conservative critique of societal shifts. The left must address the concerns of those drawn to the new right without alienating them.
How the New Right Differs from Traditional Conservatism
The new right challenges traditional Reaganist conservatism, criticizing its corporatist and globalization vision. It points to the failure of Reagan-era policies in achieving the desired outcomes. The new right emphasizes decline and offers a nationalist, anti-globalist vision for the Republican Party. It also presents a cultural critique, reflecting a desire for stronger societal boundaries, community, and values. While some aspects of new right critiques resonate with the left, such as concerns about the neoliberal market-oriented society, cultural differences and methods of acquiring and wielding power differ. The new right is more open to re-centralizing executive power, while the left lacks a clear vision.
Personal Perspectives on the New Right
The article examines personal experiences and perspectives on the new right. The author describes encountering the new right and its critiques of liberalism, noting the discomfort of the progressive left with cultural issues and the desire for community and values. The interest in religion and criticism of the sexual revolution are highlighted. The conversation surrounding the new right evokes responses ranging from strong critique to intrigue and interest. The article aims to allow individuals within the new right to speak for themselves and prompts introspection and questioning of prevailing political ideologies.
TD Bank's Sales Culture Scandal
TD Bank, like Wells Fargo, had a sales culture that encouraged employees to open fake accounts and sell unnecessary products to meet aggressive sales targets. Employees would mislead customers about the costs of services, open new accounts without consent, and push customers into products they didn't need. Despite regulators knowing about this since 2017, the scandal only recently came to light. TD Bank, currently looking to acquire First Horizon, denied the allegations, but there could be potential trouble for the bank as regulators and Congress may become interested in the scandal.
The Cover-Up of Bank Scandals
Under the Trump administration, Keith Nureka, the head of a powerful bank regulator, chose not to make public the findings of an industry-wide review of bank account openings. The review, conducted in 2017, revealed that other banks, including TD Bank, had similar aggressive sales cultures that led to the opening of fake accounts. Instead of publicly addressing these issues, Nureka issued private reprimands and asked banks to make sure they didn't cheat customers. Nureka returned to his law firm, Simpson Thatcher and Bartlett, which represents TD Bank in its acquisition attempts.
Erosion of the Rule of Law
The TD Bank scandal, along with the Wells Fargo scandal, highlights a broader problem of deceptive practices and the erosion of the rule of law in the American banking industry. Regulators were aware of these issues for years, yet little was done to hold the banks accountable. This points to a systemic problem where powerful institutions and players are allowed to cheat consumers, undermining trust and the functioning of a fair economy.
Krystal and Saagar talk about black Republicans, corrupt lobbying, Saudi connections to 9/11, Louis CK comments, Hunter Biden's funding, Pelosi vs Newsom with Kyle Kulinski, Marshall Kosloff interviews on The New Right and the foreign policy blob, Ryan Grim & Ken Klippenstein on Saudis, and Matt Stoller on a massive bank fraud scandal!
