Cockroach in the Ear

This is the story of the one. As a maintenance tech at a university, he knows ordering from multiple suppliers takes time away from keeping their arena up and running. That's why he counts on Grainger to get everything he needs, from lighting and HVAC parts to plumbing supplies, all in one place. And with fast, dependable delivery, he's stocked and ready for the next tip-off. Call 1-800-GRANGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Granger, for the ones who get it done.

The weeks go by fast. It's another Dennis and Julie. Dennis Prager, Julie Hartman. Dennis and Julie podcast number 100.

Woohoo! Should have brought champagne.

Just hit me. Did you— it's an interesting question, I don't know the answer to this— did you think pretty much for sure we would reach 100?

Oh, that's a good question.

It is, because I'm trying to think of my own mindset.

I did. I, I do remember the first episode.

You do?

Of course. It was, I think it's called Authentically Alone. And it was in, we did it out of, or I always say we, I did it out of my senior year dorm room at Harvard. We started it in March of my senior year and we were on Zoom. Remember that, Sean? And we were trying to connect to me via Zoom and I had the, the laptop stacked on my, my textbooks and I threw all my laundry in the, you know, to the side of the room. And I remember after the first episode, because we were trying to get our footing, I remember thinking, oh gosh, is he going to regret this?

Really?

Yes. I remember thinking, did I do a good job? Is he going— you know, this was a— you've never had a co-host, never, let alone like a 20— at the time I was 22. I'm now 24. 22-year-old co-host. And I thought, oh gosh, he is going to, you know, like, look at this and he's going to go, what the heck have I gotten myself into?

Wait, you thought that prior or after?

After the first episode.

Really?

Yes.

So you didn't think it went well?

Well, you know me.

Not particularly well. I do know you.

No, I thought it went well, but I—

Oh, you thought. I know by my standards.

Extraordinary. I thought it had to be extraordinary. And I remember sitting in the dining hall after, and I was talking to some of my friends about it, and I have such really supportive friends, and they listened and they're like, you were great. And I remember you called me because Sue was going to watch it. And I remember getting that phone call and thinking, Is it like, am I done? Like, is this, is this the call I want, or is this the backhaul? And when Sue said she loved it, that's when I knew that it was gonna be okay. But then once we got going, yeah, I thought we'd get to 100, God willing.

And we haven't missed a week, correct?

We have not missed a week, no matter where you've been or I've been.

We have not missed a week, which is really remarkable because I've been a lot of places.

I know.

And I'm headed to South Africa this, this spring, and we're gonna have to do things in advance, but we'll do them. We're not gonna miss one.

We both take this show so seriously, selfishly, because we love it, as we may have remarked a few times.

Oh yeah, that's right.

So how do you, how do you feel after 100 episodes?

The speed of life.

I know.

100. That's that. So you know what I'm up to on the fireside chat?

I know, I was thinking that.

363. Wow. I started the fireside chat while Obama was still president. I figured it out when I recorded it yesterday.

That's crazy, isn't it? It is. Wow. Yeah, that is— that's— wow, that's quite something.

Yes.

Well, I, I just hope and pray that we have a long—

that's right—

a long road ahead.

But we're—

that is, I, I truly want to take a minute to thank the listeners because obviously we couldn't do this without you. But one of the things I say to Dennis off air, and I really should say it more on air, is that when I throw out my email julie@julia-hartman.com, I get so many emails from, from our listeners. And the thing that I noticed with every single one is that every individual is so deep and they give incredibly thoughtful responses. And even when they're disagreeing, I can't take issue with the— that they disagree in an agreeable way. They raise very good points. And that makes me so proud because— and I say this to Dennis—

why the applause? Who are you applauding?

Oh, see, I don't hear that.

You're applauding the audience.

If we're attracting those kind of listeners, we're doing something right.

Oh, well, that's, that's my mirror's theory.

Yes.

How do you know your character? What's the mirror? The people you attract to you.

And of course, we couldn't do this without all 5 of the guys in the room.

We could certainly do it without Sean.

They go above and beyond.

I'm not sure we could do it without Zach.

That's how you reward me for thanking you? There was a finger that went up.

Yeah, that was for Dennis. There was no question that was for Dennis. That's what I said about him, that we could do it without him. He was hurt. Okay, I'm sorry. He's crying. I feel bad now. I feel bad. I'm kidding, everybody. Some people might believe.

Do you remember? We don't— we don't have to focus on this, obviously, for the entire episode, but I'm really curious. Do you remember a particular Dennis and Julie episode that stands out to you, or one that you're, you're proud of?

Oh, I'm proud of all of them.

Uh, or I should say, especially proud of—

you know, there were times when I, I know that I left thinking, wow, this was, uh, like, this was a demo, this was a demonstration quality. But I don't remember the subject. You do?

No, I, it's interesting. I mean, when you film as much as we film, both with this show and our own shows, you, it's kind of all a jumble. But I, I do remember feelings after episode. What I will say about Dennis and Julie, for me, and this is probably not the same for you because you've gone through all of your, your thinking and over the past, you know, 40 years of your career. But I feel like this show is the show where I kind of break new ground. Or where I try to venture into territory that is a bit uncomfortable for me, but I want to push myself to do it. For instance, a recent episode, I don't know if it was last episode, we were talking about how important, how the truth is good. And, you know, a lot of people are afraid of the truth, but if you get down to it, you'll discover that the truth isn't sexist, the truth isn't racist, the truth isn't bigoted, it's God-given, it's It's good. And then we were talking about it's not just enough to know the truth, you have to say the truth. And we were talking about abortion. It's just those episodes that, you know, that's— I don't mean this as a credit to myself, but that's gutsy to do. And sometimes my thoughts are like developing on the air. And I really appreciate that I have the opportunity to do that on this show and maybe refine my thinking as I'm going along because there's so much pressure nowadays to be 100% certain in what you think. And I think before you speak, you ought to have, you know, a pretty good sense of what you're going to say and you have to stand behind your words. But what I hope to model on this show is that sometimes you can think it through and maybe not have a fully formed opinion and throw it out there. And that's okay.

Think it through in real time.

In real time.

Right.

You don't have to be an expert or have everything 100% thought out. Again, you should be thoughtful, but we hold people to this standard where everything they say is their affirmative till the end of time opinion.

This is not exactly related to what you were saying, but we got away with that on this particular podcast. I was thinking, I think a lot about how people develop into whom they are. For example, I had, oh God, what's the doctor I had on the show earlier? Yeah, I had Simone Gold on. Do you know Simone Gold? Of course. Well, she's— she is lovely.

She's brave. She's—

well, she's brilliant and brave. And so I asked her, and I do this all the time with guests I admire, I say, do you know why you are a fighter? And do I know why I am a fighter? And the answer is I don't. So I have been obsessed in the last just few years with the issue of our own natures. You know my theory, we have two natures, human nature and our own nature. Human nature is universal. And for whatever reason, and it was totally my lacuna, my lack, my gap. But I had not thought about the second as much in my life. I've thought about human nature all of my life, but I didn't think about our own nature. Dennis's nature, Julie's nature, who—

Sean's nature.

And they're all— I never think about Sean's nature, to be honest. But the Okay, I'm sorry, here we go again.

Anyway, my mom thinks you hate him.

That I think— well, look, your mom thought that Sanskrit for white.

Yes, yes.

So this question of your own nature is perplexing. It raises so many issues. For example, How much can we blame someone if they're given a certain nature? I've always wondered about that. The issue of free will is complex. The issue of can you blame somebody— if you're not a fighter, I can't blame you. I can blame you for not helping fighters, right? That's a really important thing for people to remember.

And not everyone can be a fighter. You need the helpers. Well, yeah, imagine if every—

well, everyone can be a fighter, but it doesn't matter. If everybody helped the fighters, the fighters would win. The problem is the vast number of people who don't do anything. They don't fight and they don't help the fighters. They're not the bad guys. The bad guys win. I mean, this is— what is the famous line? All that evil needs to triumph is for good people to do nothing. I mean, something like that. Have you heard that line?

Sorry, one more time.

All that evil needs to triumph is for good people to do nothing. It's a very famous line. I have paraphrased it, but it's a very famous line. And now people can understand how true that is. If every basically decent person helped fighters, the good guys would always win. But they stand by— when I do ads on my show, my regular radio show, for all these wonderful organizations, and I won't name them now because by the time this is heard 2 years from now, you know, there'll be another organization, but I do ads for for really wonderful organizations. The response is quite small. It's enough for them to continue advertising, but it is quite small. People don't bother either. Either all— in most cases I'm asking is not even for a financial donation of $5. I'm just asking that they get in touch with them. Let them have your email address, right? And very many good, decent people don't do that. So—

I've been obsessed recently with your point about natures because once you've alerted me to it, now when I go out and meet people, I'm noticing it more and more. So recently I went on a date with a doctor and I want everybody to relish this moment because I very rarely talk about my dates or who specifically. Because I don't want people to think if I go on a date with them, the next Dennis Prager, Julie, I'm going to detail their entire life. But I feel comfortable saying this because I don't think he's watching. And if he is watching, I still would be comfortable with him hearing what I'm, what I'm about to say. So he's, he's a doctor, and I— we were, we were talking about God on the date. I don't know why I'm laughing, but I know why you're laughing. Why am I laughing?

You're laughing because how many people talk about God?

I know.

Okay.

We were talking about God because he was saying, what do you like to read? And I obviously have a lot of answers to that question, but I was like, well, I'm really trying to get extreme— what was that?

My computer. Forgive me.

By the way, when Dennis is on the air, people will call him and his phone will ring on the air.

And after all these years, you still haven't realized. No, no, no. This was Sean sending me the actual quote. Okay, so there's an excuse. All right, I have to find it. All right, here's the whole thing. Okay, well, I gotta hold on, I gotta copy it because it's in tiny lettering. Okay. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. So I was close. I will read the whole thing. It is a quote routinely attributed to Edmund Burke, but it turns out falsely so. Apparently, he never uttered these words. At best, the essence of the quote can be traced back to the utilitarian philosopher John Stuart Mill, who delivered an 1867 inaugural address at the University of St. Andrews and stated, "Let not anyone pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part." and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends than that good men should look on and do nothing. He is not a good man who, without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name and with the means which he helps to supply, because he will not trouble himself to use his mind on the subject.

Oh, boy, is that good.

They wrote well in those days.

So the— I think he was the former president of Harvard, or perhaps he wasn't. I'm getting that wrong. But a man named Nathan Pusey.

Yes, he was.

Gave the 1960 commencement address at Harvard. And everyone— I actually want to do a timeless on it. So you can either wait till I do the episode or just print it out and read it now. It's not long. 5, 6 pages. And it is so— I mean, it could have been written today. And he talks about, I think the title of the speech is, Why Are People So Afraid to Believe in Something? And one of the— he talks about specialization at universities and the competition kind of to impress people and to seem smarter than other people. And he has this great line where he says it's not just enough to know about beliefs. You have to believe in something. And that is the— the—

the— well, the problem is they do believe in something today.

That's true. A lot of people do.

But I've met a lot of bad stuff.

I know you're right. I'm agreeing with you. However, I have also met people who go to elite universities, and they kind of like to keep it neutral and be able to pull out a name like Burke or John Stuart Mill or Adam Smith and have these things. But then they don't take it seriously to go, okay, in addition to just knowing these people and to be able to say their names, which one of them do I actually like? Whose thinking am I most aligned with? And that's so true because in colleges, you're right that they teach you bad, you know, bad to believe in bad things. But a lot of courses, if they're not teaching you to believe in bad things, they kind of take this very like sterile, neutral academic approach. And how much richer universities would be if they actually facilitated good conversations that made people not just know about thinkers, but, but figure out which ones they believe in.

Well, I just want to go back to why I raised the issue, because you, you— who raised the issue about God on your date?

Me.

Right. How did you raise it?

I was starting to tell, which I want to finish the story about my, my doctor.

Yeah. Good. That's so— that's what the reason I asked the question. And it Does no harm to say it now before you finish the story. You, you, you think about the big issues.

I'm obsessed with the big issues.

As I am. Dennis Prager here with a man I have come to admire for his work. So when I asked him, what do you do? This is the title he gave. Wealth architect.

Very simply put, I am a wealth architect that helps my clients accelerate the way they grow your wealth. It's not how much you make, it's how much you keep. The Internal Revenue Code is embedded with a number of things that you can take advantage of. It's what I call playing tax chess. We take the time to play tax chess in your favor. We give our clients unbiased, independent advice across all areas in their financial life. Because we have no incentive to sell anything.

I was taken enough and impressed enough to have you do my work, and you have in fact saved me a serious amount of money. CharlesDombeck.com/Prager. So, uh, what age did you— do you remember being obsessed with the big issues?

Hmm, really young.

Like? Was it elementary school?

Yes.

Really?

I remember when I was 5 years old, and I, I don't know if everybody has this experience, but, but it would hit me maybe once every few months, but it started when I was 5. I would have this overwhelming, indescribable feeling of, who am I? Like, I'm a human being. How did I get— like, how did, how did God place me in my parent in my parents' house? Like, how did I get born to my parents? And how did I get— like, just sort of like the what, what is existence question. And again, I'm doing a really poor job of describing it because it's an indescribable feeling. But I had this very acute sense of that, knowing that my existence was, was unique and a part of a greater cosmic order. Does that make— does that make any sense?

Yeah, look, the very fact that you thought about it, uh, yeah, it would hit me like I couldn't control the feeling. I just need to re-emphasize, you're an outlier. It's not a compliment, it's a fact. I'm an outlier. It's not self-aggrandizing, it's a fact. And I just want you to know that that will make finding someone harder. Okay, I, I, it's, it, interestingly, you will find friends and you have—

so interesting you say that. Yeah, really, really interesting because I feel like I have an abundance. You do, of deep friends.

Yes, your cup runneth over.

Really, my cup runneth over.

Yes.

But isn't that interesting that I can find the friends, but the romantic is harder?

I have the exact issue.

Why is that?

Hmm. It's a small pond you're fishing in.

I know, but it's a small pond I'm fishing in with friends too.

Yes, I know, I know. That's the reason I hesitated, because it would seem if you could find friends, why can't you find romance? With that type of person. But to be fair, the people you have found who are kindred spirits are like triple my age. They are triple your age.

Well, Anne isn't.

Well, no, but she's female, right?

Oh, so you think it's— you think the deep are more common among females?

No, I, I, I, I don't think so. I don't know. I don't think so. Although it is interesting. No, I, I know young— I know young deep men. I do, actually. But you don't have an abundant— you don't— it's not a surplus of those either.

Well, I think, Matt, I mean, to really go down an avenue, masculinity is has especially been torn apart, right? And masculine.

I mean, and so, yeah, that— because you don't— oh, it's not enough for the male to be a deep thinker. It's, it's, it's a requirement, but it's not enough, right? I mean, you have to be attracted to him. He, he has to, you know, have a temperament that, that you— a masculine masculinity about him. So I'm just saying that it's, it's not going to be easy.

Oh, I'm aware.

Yeah, I know. But I— but that's not the only reason I raised this issue. I raised it to point out how important it is for people to know their natures, but both natures. You need to know human nature and you need to know your own. You know, know thyself, the famous line from, I don't know, Plato or Aristotle, obviously. What does know thyself mean? Know your nature. Know human nature and know your nature. Because if you don't, life is going to be a puzzle, just a total puzzle. And you won't understand why, how people react to you.

You—

nothing will make sense. But if you— by the way, it's really to know yourself isn't necessarily to go, wow, I'm terrific, right? No, know yourself is, is not positive or negative.

Well, this is an aside, but to your point, I mean, I was, I was at the gym recently. I do this workout class and they have these Post-it notes I think in honor of Valentine's Day or something, I don't know. But in the bathroom you put up a Post-it note and one of them was like, you're beautiful, or you're doing great. You know, you're perfect the way you are. And I look at those, I'm like, how do you know that if I'm beautiful? How do you know if I'm doing great? How do you know if I'm perfect the way we are?

The one that drives me crazy, you're perfect the way you are.

Yeah, there's this idea of like, figure out who you are and then be okay with exactly who you are. And have radical loving acceptance of yourself. I believe that you need to have self-respect, but you also need to surveil the bad parts as well as the good parts and rectify the bad parts. I reject this whole like, obviously it's corny, it's corny as hell, but I also just reject this idea that you just have to know and accept yourself.

Are you aware of how much I was attacked for saying on the radio?

I was thinking about fifth graders. Yes.

Do you remember what it was?

Yes. There was a— yeah, there was a sign in a classroom that I think said, you're perfect the way you are in a fifth grade classroom. And then you made the point that we're making.

No, no, no.

Yeah, yeah, no. Yeah, that's different. Yeah, he's right. The world— the world is better with you in it.

The world is better with you in it. Yes. And you—

So first, I want to say something. I'm laughing again, even though I laughed that day when I saw this poster up in an elementary school class. If either of my parents had said that to me when I was in 5th grade or 3rd grade or whatever that grade was, I probably would have thought that Mommy's not feeling well. It would have been so bizarre for me to hear that, and I am better for not having heard it. How is the world better? I just want to know. And they say Prager attacks 5th graders. I mean, this is all over the internet.

I saw it.

Like, I like— that's, that's what I go around doing. I'm not attacking 5th graders.

Of course not.

I'm attacking the stupidity of the sign. Wait, the same people who have the sign up, the world is better with you in it, also tell us how much bullying goes on in schools.

Right.

Well, wait, so who is the sign directed to?

Right. You know what's unsettling about that, in addition to the fact that it's a platitude that doesn't make sense or that is not actually great to teach people, it doesn't mean that some 5th graders are, aren't making the world better, but just this idea that everybody is inherently making the world better by existing in the world, that's not true. But in addition to that, the thing that, that startles me about these things, but that example of walking into my gym bathroom and seeing the Post-it notes is people used to have a radar for— sorry, Sean.

Sean can handle it.

I should have— no, it's because he has to bleep.

He has to bleep it. Is that true, Sean? Do you have to bleep that?

Of course. It's— do you want me to do it again?

All right. So, bull—

yes.

Okay.

People— I'm going to do it again. People used to have a radar for shit, and people used to see that shit was a form of contempt, which sounds a little bit exaggerated, but I think it is because it shows I don't respect you. I don't take you seriously. I can essentially lie or BS you to your face. I can throw goofy sludge at you and you're just gonna take it. Like, I tell this anecdote often that at my college graduation, dean after dean after dean got up and said, you are the generation.

Oh yes, I love that you mentioned that.

Who's gonna make the world a better place.

You're the future leaders. You're the ones who saw all the red.

It's like, how do you know? I could be a total a-hole.

Right.

Like, you know, I hope not.

Well, no, the truth is you could be a total a-hole and a future leader.

What?

Which is likely what happened.

But it was just— I didn't like— in addition to the fact that I thought that it was factually incorrect, I didn't appreciate being BS'd. I was like, please, like, give me something useful. Tell me something, you know, give me good life advice. I don't want to hear these platitudes.

You would have had 50 speakers at your Harvard graduation. You would have heard 50 meaningless talks.

It was a beautiful, beautiful day. I had a wonderful time with my friends, with my family. It was a day I'll always remember, but the speakers were horrible. We had just seen the Ardern.

For the record, my dear friends, yes, when my college graduation took place, I was at a Woody Allen movie.

Oh yeah, that was, that was not Can't relate. So can I tell the story about the doctor date? He was so lovely and was very gracious and paid for the dinner, which, you know, is not a given these days. Very, very nice. And so whenever someone does a job that I know nothing about, I love asking them about it.

Oh my God.

And just to explore. I mean, you can, you can do— you can be an accountant. I want to know all about it. You know, I don't care anything. I want to know. I just want to ask questions. And so there were kind of two conversations that I want to bring up that I think are related. One of them was when I was talking about God. And just for the record, you know, I don't go on dates and go, hey, nice to meet you. I'm Julie. Let's talk about God. You know, but, but it comes up, you know, and I, I say that I, I enjoy reading the Bible. I think it's filled with a lot of wisdom. I don't really know denominationally or what I am or a religious home I have, but this is something that I take seriously and I feel like my life has been enriched by, by learning this. And this, this doctor was saying to me, you know, I have a lot of respect for people who believe in God, which is, which is great, by the way, because a lot of, a lot of people will just be like, oh, right, correct. But he said, I have no interest in reading the Bible, or it's not something that I You know, it's not something that I prioritize. And so I respected his point of view. And so then we kind of moved on to another conversation. And then I started asking him about his job. And he has done open heart surgery. He has been in hospitals with— and he was telling me he's seen dozens of people die right in front of him. He's dealt with people after car accidents, after they were stabbed on the street. I mean, really, really gory stuff. And I asked him a question. I said, you know, when you are operating in front of a human who is in his or her last few moments of life, or when you're operating on the— repairing the human heart, does that bring you closer to science and further away from God? Or does it bring you kind of closer to God and further away from science? Are you thinking about the scientific aspects of this, or are you thinking this is divine, the way that these bodies are constructed? And you know what his answer was? Neither. I just do what I have to do. And he said he just has a very clinical approach, and he says that he puts these, he and his team put cloths, if they're operating on a heart, if they're operating on a stab wound, they'll put all of these cloths around the body so that they're just focusing on the wound. And he said that's for two reasons. Number one, to create a sterile operating environment. But number two, you want to block out any distractions. You almost don't want to process that it's a human being and you just need to zero in and fix what needs to be fixed. And that's where something connected for me, apropos of your nature point. He is a better doctor because he doesn't contemplate the divine the way that I contemplate the divine. If he If he looked at every human being that was in his or her last 5 seconds of life and was thinking like, what happens in the afterlife? Was this free will or was this God's? He wouldn't be able to do what he does. And so, and I could, for all that I love to pontificate or think about these great larger than life cosmic issues, I could never be a doctor. I mean, he was talking about, He just mentioned the word blood and I got shaky. And so isn't that interesting that if you believe in God, God needs to create people with certain natures, including natures that don't really think about God so that they can achieve what God wants them to achieve. In the case of this doctor, saving a human being's life.

Well, that's another example of nature. My brother's a doctor. And I realized very early on we have different natures. I mean, he, for example, nothing grossed him out.

Nothing.

Oh my gosh.

Whew. When I saw his dermatology text, I lost my appetite for a day.

This, this guy on this date, he said, um, he was talking about some, some doctor in residency who he shadowed and he was going, he did the first successful face transplant. And I literally went, oh, Like, I couldn't— I stopped eating.

By the way, you'll get a kick out of this. So will the listeners. My brother, when he was after medical school, he was an intern in some hospital and he said, Dennis, finally it happened. I was grossed out.

Oh no. Oh, please don't tell me.

I know exactly what I'm thinking.

I don't want to know.

Oh God, I'm not sure I want to know, but now I'm really curious.

Is it really bad?

No, it's actually benign. Hilarious.

Oh, what is it?

But it did gross him out. Okay, he gets a call about a patient.

Oh God, I'm feeling nervous.

He goes over to the bed, he picks up the chart, under complaint or whatever it was, cockroach in ear. Oh, and he looks at it again, he goes I'm not— I can't be reading this correctly. And he looks at the guy and he goes, sir, it says here you have a cockroach in your ear. Yes.

How the hell did that happen?

That's a very good question.

How did that happen?

Anyway, my brother says he picks up, you know, those illuminated ear scopes. He looks in and sure enough, a cockroach looks back at my brother.

Oh my God, Dennis.

That was the one time in his medical career He was grossed out. Can you imagine looking in there and then looking right back at you as a cockroach?

I would.

And then he had to pull it out. Oh, you know, limb by limb.

So that's the point, everybody.

No, no, that is the point, though. Or one of the many points. Thank God we have different natures.

Thank God.

Exactly.

I mean, like, can you imagine if someone like this doctor didn't exist? Can you imagine if everyone was like me who just, you know, read these books and thought about these? I mean, no, you need people who don't really consider that because they need to do what they need to do. It's an amazing thing. I have an enormous amount of respect for him. I mean, what he does is heroic. I could literally never do it.

When I think I don't have I don't have a, when I think about it, I don't have a better-than-thou view of those who don't think about the big issues like I do or you do. I realize, and this is a very important thing I'm saying, if everybody thought about these issues as much as I do, who would be the doctors? Who would be the sanitation workers who are as important as doctors for health, as my brother always reminds me? Who would be the baseball players? Who would be the violinists? It's also— here, this will crack you up. Let's show you where my brain goes. I think about all the ramifications.

There are many good reasons to buy gold and silver. Bank failures, digital currency volatility, emerging market countries trying to topple the dollar as a global reserve currency. Julie Hartman here for Amped Coin and Bullion, Dennis' choice for precious metals. If you ask Amped owner Nick Grovich to simplify the case for precious metals, he'll tell you that when President Roosevelt recalled the gold in circulation and paid people with paper money, they received a $20 bill for a $20 gold piece. Today, that $20 bill won't even fill half of your gas tank, but the gold piece is worth about $2,000. Which would you rather own? Now let's simplify the reasons to use AmpFed Coin and Bullion. Nick's been in the industry for over 42 years, and he's proud of providing transparency and fair pricing to build trusted relationships. If you're interested in buying or selling, call Nick and his team at AmpFed Coin and Bullion, 1-800-221-7694, americanfederal.com, americanfederal.com.

If everybody thought like I do, I wouldn't have a job.

That's true.

Isn't that interesting?

Yeah, you're right. And if we all were like them, they wouldn't have that, you know.

Yes, it, it seems like a divine gift, all these different natures that are handed out, because we need all these different types.

We do. Yeah, it's really cool actually. Once you start to notice it, you can't unnotice it.

So when I get angry at doctors, and I have been for the last few years about their sheep-like behavior in COVID, which was very unimpressive, I will admit. And, you know, not thinking at all out of the box, you know, just immediately, if the CDC says X, it's X. If the FDA says Y, it's Y. On the other hand, that's the nature of most doctors. I get a directive and I, and I believe it and I follow it. The experts told me it's true. They, they're not built to dissent.

Hmm, that's right, right.

That's why though we don't listen, we shouldn't listen to experts with regard to what policies we should do.

Boy, the fact the past few years has seen the demise of the experts. I remember growing up and obviously I know, as you do, I still have a profound amount of respect for, for doctors and even lawyers. Not, not all lawyers by any means. But, you know, I haven't totally lost respect for any of these jobs. But when I was younger, I used to think doctors walked on water.

That's right.

I was just overflowing. And there was this— there was a culture of respect.

Go on. No, no, no, no, no.

You know what I'm going to say? There was a culture of respect for doctors.

Yes.

And now I think, understand, tragically but understandably, there isn't— there's no longer that kind of culture.

And there's going to be much less because socialized medicine reduces respect for doctors.

Yes.

When they were, as they should be, entrepreneurs. They should be their own business, their own doctor, not working for giant companies, giant health companies, which has really, really rendered doctors cogs. When the doctor worked for himself, he was more respected.

You know, it's sad. I— it's very unfortunate that members of a group tarnish— have a way of tarnishing the entire group. I'm sure many doctors who don't just march to the orders of the CDC and are principled in their practice are so angry at the— at the sheep of doctors who have— who have done this. And I think about that as a conservative. It is so frustrating to me when I see people who call themselves Republicans or conservatives who, I'm sorry, it's not PC, but I don't care. They like some of the people on January 6th with their corn hats and their paint. And it's just like you are, and by the way, obviously, January 6th, many of these people are being horribly prosecuted for nonviolent offenses. I'm just using like the— some of the individuals on January 6th as an example of what I'm talking about. And I'm just like, you're, you're just— you're fulfilling the stereotype of what people have of conservatives. Don't do that. Like, I'll give you another example, and you may disagree with me on this. There is someone who I know who wears a necklace with a really, really, really big gun, like an AK-47 on the necklace. And you know what, I'm of two minds, because on the one hand, like, I understand what you're trying to say, but I just, I don't like fulfilling the stereotype of what the left has of us. And then they point to people and they're like, these are AK-47-loving, gay hate, you know what I mean? It just pummels on all of these associations. And in every, my point is in every industry, you have those people who tarnish the name for all the rest. I'm sure liberals are very upset at the name of the leftists.

I don't know, my sense is they're never upset at their own.

Liberals, you mean? Yeah, that's true.

It's like my old line from 40 or 30 years ago: being on the left means never having to say you're sorry. They don't seem to have a sense of shame either about themselves or about fellow leftists. You know, wouldn't they have been embarrassed at the despicable BLM riots of months' duration?

Do you think I'm fair in the examples that I gave about conservatives?

It's not my cup of tea. And so what I say to myself is, look, it's not my style. I'm glad that there are people who understand the importance of the Second Amendment. As the line goes, the Second Amendment protects the First.

You're right.

And I'll tell you, if really bad guys take over the American government, which is now, I believe, possible.

That's fair.

We will bless the kooks that were adamant about gun ownership. Had there been widespread gun ownership, there might not have been a Holocaust. Had there been that in Germany? I mean, it is fair. It's just a fact that the first— but would I wear an AK-47? If you saw me in an AK-47 necklace, you would have the right to assume, oh, this is a sad day. Anyway, has dementia.

I'm kind of evolving on this point actually, because, you know, we see all the time, I mean, I've talked about this on this show, in college people would wear, would put up computer stickers with their political beliefs, you know, protect women's reproductive rights.

Right, they're perfect for that.

And that's fine, but then when we, you know what, I retract.

Yeah, no, well, you see, that's to your credit.

Well, it's kind of what I was talking about earlier in this episode, that you evolve.

That is exactly right.

I retract the AK necklace point. I don't.

But you're still not going to wear one.

I don't retract the greater point of just— I don't.

I get you don't want to feed their stereotype. I totally get it. I know that.

And that doesn't mean— that does not mean that you shy from being principled. That doesn't mean that you shy from voicing your opinions. None of that. But I don't like fulfilling the idea of the stereotype that the left has of me. And I'll give one other example. And this is going to be a little controversial, but when Mike Pence— I went to the second GOP presidential debate in Simi Valley, which was so cool, by the way. I'm just bragging that I was there. It was so cool.

Was it cool?

So cool. Yeah, it was so exciting. And you're in the sprint room. It was great. And at that time, Mike Pence was running for president. By the way, you know what's really interesting? Afterwards, in the spin room, when all the candidates were coming in, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, even Tim Scott, even Doug Burgum, when they were coming in, all of us like little reporters were running up to them going, Mr. Ramaswamy, you know, when Mike Pence walked in, the former vice president of the United States, no one rushed to him.

How do you explain that?

I don't think he's exciting. I don't—

Right.

I— some would say, well, people don't have respect for him. I don't think it's that. I think it's just he's not exciting. So I thought that— I knew at that point that his candidacy was dead because no one was paying attention to him. And it was an amazing thing to go, whether or not we think he's exciting, he's the former vice president. This is someone who we should relish the opportunity to speak to. But no one cared anyway. In that debate, Mike Pence was many times said, you know, our Heavenly Father. This, this, this, or Christ that, that, that. And I'm of two minds about this because no one should be ashamed of their faith. And I believe that people— I know people are hiding their faith and being Christian especially is so frowned upon and persecuted today. And I— this is— when I say this, I am not saying that people should hide or be ashamed of their faith. But I was looking at Mike Pence and I thought, he's not helping himself here by invoking, by every third sentence talking about our Heavenly Father, because he is fulfilling the stereotype of what people see him as. And they go, oh, well, he and all other conservatives are these religious kooks. You know, they see everything through the lens of God and every single piece of legislation. It's all, it's all going to be like about Christianity and not about the country. I don't believe that to be true, but that's the idea that they have of him. And so if I were his campaign manager, I would have encouraged him to, again, not hide his faith, but avoid those things which are fulfilling the stereotype. Is that fair or do you disagree?

I have lived my whole life like that. It's one of the reasons I've been effective. I have not spoken to stereotype. That's exactly right. And it drives the many, many, many people who can't stand me crazy. Many of their critiques— oh, you know, he sounds really intellectual, but deep down he's just another religious fanatic or something like that. But they acknowledge I don't sound like one. See, that's what drives them crazy.

Yes.

Yeah, that is important. What is our time frame, Sean? Because I don't know if we could put on the my appearance on— we have done that, so we have time.

I—

what I suggested to Julie, we really tell everything here, was I think people would find it interesting. I was on Piers Morgan. Piers Morgan. Yeah.

Your nature is not blessed with remembering names.

Oh, and it is.

It is.

It's true. It was as true 40 years ago as today. It has nothing to do with getting older. Thank God I have. I have not identified a single trait with getting older. Lack of energy, lack of health, lack of enthusiasm. Yeah, I agree.

Do you knock wood?

Well, I have no problem with doing so. By the way, you know where knock wood is from?

No.

You'll love this. The crucifix. Really? Yes.

Oh, that's really cool.

Yes.

So that's where the origin of the term comes from.

That is the best of the best.

God, isn't it so— sorry, I know that we're going to move on to the Piers Morgan thing, but isn't it so funny? Like, the things that people— like, can you imagine if a leftist knew that?

Oh, they would never talk about it.

And I'm sure they're the most like, knockwood people. Imagine if they knew it came from the bigoted, heteronormative patriarchal religion of Christianity. So many of the things that we do So many of just our daily lives that you and I can pronounce heteronormative so easily. Well, I—

the way we— their language seeps into the norm is amazing.

Yeah, that's so true.

Yeah, cisgender, heteronormative, patriarchal, non-binary. I mean, these are, these are words that 10 years ago no one used, and, and now they're normative. That's when you can, when you control schools and the media, that's what you can do.

God, what you're saying, this makes me even more supportive of the girl wearing the AK necklace.

Really?

Yeah.

Oh, how interesting.

Yeah.

Right. Why should they be the only ones to determine the culture? Is that why?

Yeah. She's resisting the culture.

Yes, she is.

I would not do it, but she's resisting the culture.

That's right.

That's right. Anyway, here's Morgan.

Well done. So I was— so this is one of the world's— that's the key here— most widely viewed podcasts, Piers Morgan. And when I was invited on, I, I was very happy about it because I want to get my ideas to as many people on earth as possible. So anyway, I knew it was important. And it was going to be about the Middle East, which is extremely important to me. So I have— I had a thought that I said to you of watching— I don't know if we could do it all, but watching some of it and how you— what you picked up. You had insights. And for me to tell you what was going on in my mind, I've never done this. So this is a first. I can't believe people won't find this interesting. What is going on in your mind? You're talking to this massive audience all over the world and a guy who can't stand you is the other person on the program. All right. So let's give it a beginning. Let's, let's play it.

Welcome back to Uncensored. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talked tough on Iran in a new interview, telling Uncensored regular Douglas Murray that Iran is bent on domination and conquest. He framed Israel's ongoing war with Hamas as a battle between the West and Iran before warning that Israel will fight on as long as it takes, alone if necessary. Comes as President Biden warns the US will respond after 3 American soldiers were killed in a drone strike by Iranian-backed militants on a US base in Jordan. Donald Trump, meanwhile, says we're on the brink of World War III. Is he right? Joining me to discuss all this is the conservative talk show host and author Dennis Prager. And the Democratic presidential challenger, Cenk Uygur. Welcome to both of you, by the way.

So here already, let me tell you a thought that went through my mind. I was thinking I had no idea. First of all, I had no idea what we were going to talk about.

Really?

No, I only knew it was the Middle East and I knew I'd be up against this guy, The Young Turk, Cenk Uygur.

His last name's Uygur.

Or Yüger, I'm not sure how it's pronounced, but I'm not making fun of it.

No, of course not. But the Chinese.

But, and he's Turkish origin. But I just want, when I'm thinking, really, Trump said that? We're on the brink of World War III? I'm thinking, whoa, and I'm supposed to comment on that?

Really?

I mean, that's a pretty big deal.

I love this. This is a really great thing we're doing because I like, Sometimes I wish people could know my thoughts when I'm on live. You know, I was on Australian news or British news. I wish people could know that.

It's got to be interesting. That's what I said. Of course it'll be interesting.

Well, I was watching this thing in the control room and I can tell you my thoughts in real time. I don't have one yet.

Okay, fine. Go ahead.

Energized.

Okay.

About the potential of a massive escalation in this war in the Middle East because of these attacks killing Americans. Because of Biden's comments and because of Iran's general saber rattling. What do you feel about what is happening here?

I don't believe Iran wants a hot war with the United States. I believe that Iran wants to use people to kill Israelis, to kill Americans, and see how far it can go. Thus far, it has been able to go pretty far. And there was a great Wall Street Journal editorial on this, that there is a sense that the American president is much more interested in avoiding conflict with Iran than in fighting back against Iran. But I don't predict a violent war with Iran. However, it is accurate to say that there is a world war now, and there has been for quite a while, between the West and those who hate the West. Iran hates the West. The Islamist world hates the West. Not every Muslim— the Islamist world as opposed to the Islamic world. And the, uh, people like Hamas hate the West. Israel is attacked for being an outpost of Western civilization in the Middle East. It's fascinating that that is an attack. One would think that that would be praise, since Western civilization has been the most decent civilization ever created in human history. But it is used as an attack by those who hate the West, the left, not liberals, the left and the Islamists. And they are in alliance against Israel and the United States.

All right.

Okay. So let me tell you. So, so here I have an agenda and there are two. One is answer the man's question. But don't only answer the man's question. Add what you think is really important for people to hear.

Boy, is that good advice.

I know that I am on television. Television is not a podcast like this. You don't have a lot of time. And this was more time than I get on most television shows like Fox. And I, I'm saying to myself, How do I get the really, really important point in? And the really important point in is that the Islamists and the left want to destroy the West. And if that's the only thing the listener takes away from what I said, that's valuable. That's really valuable.

Mike Lindell and MyPillow employees want to thank our listeners for your continued support. To thank you, they're having an overstock clearance sale right now for the best prices ever when you use the promo code Hartmann and you get shipping on your entire order. Get 50% off of the MyPillow 2.0 and the brand new flannel sheets that just arrived and won't last long. Get 6-pack towel sets for only $29.98 and take advantage of free shipping on larger items like mattress and mattress toppers, 100% made in the USA, on sale for as low as $99.99. Everything is on sale, from the brand new kitchen towels that have the same technology as the bath towels that actually absorb dog beds, blankets, couch pillows, and so much more. To get the best specials ever, go to mypillow.com, use the promo code Hartmann, or call 1-800-566-6745 and get free shipping on your entire order while supplies last.

Plus, I said it was the greatest civilization that was ever made.

I know.

I— if there are as The last time I looked was right within 24 hours of it being posted on YouTube. There were 100,000+ views in like 12 hours, and there were 3,000 comments already. I didn't read all 3,000, but I read, I read a few hundred and Sure enough, the number of people who wrote, 'Who the hell is he to claim Western civilization is the best?' And they came from two sources, just as I said: Muslims— not all Muslims, but Muslims— and leftists. They were the ones who most resent— comments in the comments— they were the ones who resented my saying Western civilization has been the best civilization. It's, it's, it's— in other words, from my perspective, I hit the jackpot.

This is such great media coaching and life coaching because you got to get to the, the meat and potatoes, right? Got to get—

so you can't— I don't like people who avoid questions, right? But I, I, but I, I have more— what I have to say is more important to, in my view, The battle— what I said, yes, there is a world war taking place, it's just not violent. I really responded to the question.

Well, you know what? I think about the way I would have answered that question. Sometimes when I watch people, I pause it.

Of course.

And I think, how would I answer it?

Yeah.

And I would have answered it, I think, in a more technical and factual way. And by the way, I'm not saying you answered it better than I would have answered it. I would have said you know, the, the— I think we are at least in the beginning of a world war because there are all these kind of different threads which are increasingly coming together. You know, we have China upping the ante with regard to Taiwan. We have China who's been trying to infiltrate into the United States with spying mechanisms for some time now. Obviously, we have, you know, that regional war in Israel. Like, I would have kind of gone through a lot of the— we have Russia's war in Ukraine and Iran. Russia and China are very much allied. I think I would have gone into a very factual answer. But you, you're so good at this. You just distill it right down to really what it is. All of those details that I said are important. But the main detail is we are right now in a war for Western civilization. That is the through line with China and Iran and Russia, all the different, you know, yeah, there are all these details and they all have their own context. But the, but the throughline is it's Western civilization versus people who endeavor to topple it.

So your answer, which was perfectly accurate, is what is happening. And my— and I was answering, why is it happening?

Why? That's what you said. Why?

Why?

Yeah.

Well, because they want to destroy the West. Okay.

We'll continue a clip from this interview between Douglas Murray and Benjamin Netanyahu, where he talks about the war will take as long as it takes. Let's watch this.

We have to win in Gaza. We have to achieve total victory. Hamas cannot be left standing, coming out of the ruins with a V sign and saying, we'll do it again and again and again. What I say to our American friends, whose help I appreciate a great deal, I said The war will take as long as it takes, but it will result in total victory because this— our battle is your battle and our victory is your victory as well.

I think I saw today that one of his cabinet was suggesting that they believe 25% of Hamas terrorists have now been killed and 25% more wounded. And so in their estimation, 50% of the enemy has now been effectively taken out of the battlefield. A, do you think that is probably true? And B, what do you make of what Netanyahu said about this? Effectively, whether people like it or not, they're going to finish this job. Yeah.

So I'll address the propaganda first. There's no way of confirming any propaganda that comes out of Israel. Those are made-up numbers. But let's assume for a second that it was true. Okay. So you've taken out half of Hamas and killed 26,000-some-odd people. Does that mean you're going to kill—

All right, so hold on. Forgive me, but I— to my credit, I didn't interrupt him when he spoke, which was difficult. So are you going to believe Israel's figures? But he believes Hamas's figures. So tell me, in the history of the modern world, when you have a police state and a free state, with a free press, which data are you more likely to think is true? From the free, democratic, open, free speech state, or the controlled totalitarian state? I mean, isn't it absurd? So Hamas's numbers are believable, but Israel's are not? When you have a free press to challenge every number that comes from the Israeli government? I wish I— believe me, I'm sitting there. That is a really good point.

That is a really good point.

Yes, that's why we're doing this. I want people to hear what wasn't said.

And you just did something that you did the first time around, which is that— I hope I'll say this well. The way I would have answered that question or the way that I would have argued what you just argued was to go through facts and be like, well, the, you know, the The Hamas Health Authority has been proven wrong X amount of times in the UN, RWA, you know, did it like manufactured these, like I would go through proof of this is how Hamas's side is not credible and then proof that Israel's side is not credible. But you, my dear friend, zoomed out and made a broader, like more principled point, which, which isn't mired in facts and data. It's just a general kind of truth about life or truth about the way the world works, that oftentimes, most of the time, the side with the free press, the free country, is more reliable than the police state. That's what really makes you unique. And that's what I'm trying to learn.

You are.

I feel like this is media training for me. You're way—

you're good. I think this is very valuable.

But this is so relevant for arguments, not just for those of us who are on air.

Right.

Yeah. Keep going.

How many Palestinians is America supposed to help you murder for your nonsense objective, which never made any sense in the first place? Which leads me to the second part. Netanyahu says two absurd things. One is an effort to avoid accountability. He kept saying to Douglas over and over again, oh, in terms of what went wrong on me not defending Israel. On October 7th when they needed the defense, not offense, not killing random innocent Palestinian civilians, but actual defense. He says, oh, we'll get to that accountability after the war. Well, okay, when is the war going to be over? He says, well, we have to have total victory. What does that mean? You have to kill every member of Hamas? Well, then everybody knows that's impossible.

How does A equal B?

Well, okay, so here, believe it or not, I actually believe that he made sense.

Really?

Yes. The first of all, I don't think— and I've not said this publicly before.

Welcome to Dennis and Julie.

That's right. I don't think that Prime Minister Netanyahu should have said we are going to destroy Hamas. I think he should have said we want unconditional surrender.

Mm.

There's a very— and they're not the same thing, but I don't know how you destroy Hamas.

I mean, but what Sank just argued is that total victory equals every Palestinian killed.

Well, no. Okay. That's propaganda. Yeah, that is correct. I agree with you.

That makes no sense.

You're right. No, no, he, he, he does that a lot. And I'll show you later where he really does it. He makes so many different points that it's a word salad. And unless you interrupt him, which I I only did once. It was critical that I did. You can't respond to every point that's made. But by the way, the question does haunt me. How was Israel— how did it allow, enable such an attack on October 7th? It haunts me. The massive errors were made in Israel which had a devastating effect on Israel and the Jewish people. And I'll tell you exactly how. Again, something I have not said before right this moment. The, the great premise of the establishment of the Jewish state of Israel was finally there's a place you could be secure. You won't have pogroms, massive outbursts of violence against Jews like Jews have endured in the Arab and in the European worlds, the Christian and in the Muslim worlds almost throughout their history. This won't happen. You will be protected in the Jewish state. And the Jewish state failed on October 7th.

Would you say Nazi Germany was the Christian world?

No.

Why?

Because Nazism was not Christian, was not a Christian movement. However, Christianity did lay the foundations of, of Jew hatred for almost 2,000 years because of the killing Jesus thing. The partially— it was, it was the— it was that and the rejection of Jesus. Even if the Jews are not blamed in some way in the New Testament, you know, give us Barabbas, and you know, his blood is on us and our children for generations, the Jew— Jesus said he came to his fellow Jews, and they said, the vast majority said, We're sorry, but we don't believe that you're divine. We don't believe you're the Son of God. We don't believe you're the Messiah. And that caused among some Christians a real hostility to Jews.

So your point is taken. I want to go back though to the Nazi Germany point. Also, your point is taken that Nazism was not a Christian movement. It was an atheist movement. However, Nazism cropped up in a Christian world and in a Christian country. I mean, Germany is where Martin Luther, the father of Protestant Christianity, came.

Yeah, you— so that's a very tough question. If a movement— look, the symbol of Nazism was the twisted cross, not the cross. If it was a Christian movement, then the cross would have been its symbol.

No, no, I— there's no disputing that Nazism was not a Christian movement. However, the, the radical ideology of Nazism came about in a Christian society.

That's correct, yes. And, and you can add to that, which is what Eric Metaxas does in Bonhoeffer and has done with his whole life, this great Christian thinker is, you know, by and large Christians failed in Germany. You know, I don't expect people to be heroes and risk their lives, okay? Few people do that. But it wasn't even a quiet resistance on the part of—

How about the Vatican?

Well, oh no, the Vatican. Well, remember, the Vatican is a separate issue. Germany was half Protestant and half Catholic, which is really fascinating because most European countries are not 50/50. They're either mostly Catholic or mostly Protestant. So you have the quintessential Catholic-Protestant country, and its clergy basically supported Hitler. They didn't support the Holocaust. I don't— I want— supporting Hitler for many Germans was not coequal with "I want to see every Jew gassed or murdered with an Einsatzgruppen firing squad." But his Jew hatred was well known. I mean, people did know about Kristallnacht and did know about Mein Kampf and so on. Look, Christians in Germany largely failed. And by the way, I do believe that, uh, that is a big part of the reason that Christianity is, is in the decline in Europe. Have Christians been heroic in World War II? And there were some Christians who were heroic, but they were a very small minority. It's a very— look, uh, there I don't walk around, you know, with this great anger at Christians. First of all, American Christians, who by the way did send back ships of Jews. American Christians, you know, were the best. The best Christians who ever existed were American Christians, in my opinion. And Jews were blessed to live in America. That's a fact, not an opinion. But with regard to the Jews of Europe, Why wasn't Auschwitz bombed? I know people defend Roosevelt and Churchill on this matter. I don't. I'm sorry. I don't find any— I've read all the arguments to the best of my knowledge about why Auschwitz wasn't bombed. None of them make sense to me. Well, they weren't precise bombers. It's not like the old, you know.

So why do you think it wasn't bombed?

Because they didn't care. I don't think they were happy to know that Jews were being slaughtered. I don't— that would be a terrible charge. I just don't think they cared. I know it sounds incredible. Look, you know, on the other hand, Eisenhower made sure to video what he saw so that the world would know. Yes, that's correct.

Can you imagine if he didn't?

He was wise enough to know people will Bad people will deny that this happened.

And they still do, even with the proof. Should we continue?

Yes, please.

An impossible standard for the war to be over so that it's never over and we never get any accountability. And finally, the idea that America should fight Israel's war for it is absurd. No, a hard no. We should send no money to Israel going forward.

Okay, so here's an example. Okay, so We're probably not going to get— there's a lot of demagoguery. We'll continue it. I think it's worth it.

No, we should.

Yeah, but I just want to say, America, the idea that America should fight Israel's war for it. Who said America should fight Israel's war? Also, we're not— Israel has said, as long as I am living, that they don't want one American soldier to die on Israeli soil. Asking America for aid is not fighting Israel's war for it. Are we fighting Taiwan's war? By the way, we might have to. I mean, ironically, I would be for using American troops if necessary to defend Taiwan. But that's another— obviously it's a completely separate issue. But that's a demagogic statement.

Oh yes, that— well, this is what happens on the left. You can just throw out a statement and then it's repeated enough and now it's fact.

And he threw out so many, and I'm sitting there going, oh, let me react to that.

And you have to pick. You have to—

that's right.

It's so hard because then you're ignoring all the others, and then you go down the rabbit hole of one, right?

And when you ignore it, it sounds like you sort of don't have a response.

Exactly. It's tough.

Is this our time or are we good? We're good. We can continue. Good. Let's go.

Or as long as they do the occupation and now they're dragging us into a giant war in the Middle East.

Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait. Okay. See, this just— look, I was honest enough to say where I actually thought he made a valid point. We're dragged— Israel is dragging America into a war. Do you know who dragged Iran is dragging us into a war. If anybody is dragging it, it's the inversion. It's men give birth on a, on a, on the international plane. It's Israel is dragging us into a war. And again, I just, of course, I had to sit there. I can't believe that, that these things go by without being refuted. How is Israel? What is Israel? See, you know what is never asked, and I mean it, never. I have really watched a lot of these debates on the Middle East on the internet. Do you know what is never asked, or I have not heard asked? I can't say never. Dennis Prager here with a man I have come to admire for his work. So when I asked him, what do you do? This is the title he gave: Wealth Architect.

Very simply put, I am a wealth architect that helps my clients accelerate the way they grow your wealth. It's not how much you make, it's how much you keep. The Internal Revenue Code is embedded with a number of things that you can take advantage of. It's what I call playing tax chess. We take the time to play tax chess in your favor. We give our clients unbiased, independent advice across all areas in their financial life. Because we have no incentive to sell anything.

I was taken enough and impressed enough to have you do my work, and you have in fact saved me a serious amount of money. CharlesDombeck.com/Prager. What should Israel do? And he'll— I know his answer. Oh, stop the occupation. As if, as if— oh, really? Oh, so wait a minute. Before the occupation there was peace? What are we talking about? Do you know why there's occupation? There is only occupation because the Palestinians want Israel annihilated. Again, back to my viral video, the first one I made at PragerU on the Middle East, uh, Explaining the Middle East, I think it's called. It has millions and millions of views, and I'm very happy about that. One side wants the other side dead. That is the recurring theme of my 5-minute video. And that's all it is. If, if the Palestinians did not want Israel dead, there would be peace within a week.

Well, that's your famous line. If Israel laid down its arms, Israel wouldn't exist. If Palestine— if Palestine, you know.

Right. The Palestinians.

Yes. Laid down their arms.

There would be peace in a week. That's the next day. That's correct. That's the, that's the answer. Israel. The average Israeli has as much interest in occupying the West Bank and Gaza as I do in, in, I don't know, playing water polo. I mean, that's not true. I— well, if I were your age, I would have liked to, but at my age anyway, I can't even think of what I want to do as little as Israelis want to, most Israelis.

Yeah, most.

I mean, there are some who do for biblical reasons. And see, for if—

You mean settle in the West Bank?

Yes. Or even retain it. See, okay, this is—

See, I don't know what the settlements— Yes, many are doing it for biblical reasons, but many are doing it because they don't want the land to be totally run by the Palestinian Authority because we saw how that happened in Gaza.

It is worthy of a question. How come Jews can't live in Palestinian lands but 20% of Israel can be Palestinian? How come? Again, one of the unasked questions. Okay, continue.

Or both in blood and treasure. There's no Americans that are actually in favor of that other than neoconservatives that dragged us into Iraq and that debacle over there. So my answer to Netanyahu is hard no. No way do I want to go to war with Iran to help your political career.

Okay, so see, this is demagoguery again. When Donald Trump took a hard line against Iran, had nothing to do with Israel, nothing, and there was peace. In fact, not just peace, peace agreements like the Abraham Accords. And then you've got a weak president who constantly sent Iran money and $16 billion, $10 billion of which after October 7th. Wow. I didn't even know that.

Yes, this is— this is— people don't understand this. He unfroze $6 billion in South Korean assets on September 11th, 2023, 3 weeks before October 7th. After October 7th, after— after Iran orchestrated the greatest massacre in Israel's history. In November, he unfroze $10 billion of Iraqi assets to go to Iran.

Well, sick. Okay.

I'm sorry. I think I derailed your point.

No, no, no, no, you didn't. Go ahead.

Netanyahu is long for this world as the leader of Israel because he's so unpopular domestically. The polls have never been worse for him. You get a feeling of somebody where the war is almost his last stand. As leader and in a very cynical way, if he stays in it long enough and can claim victory over Hamas, that might be his only way of maintaining power.

It's hard to imagine another Israeli leader acting differently. There is this perception in the West that I'm neither a Netanyahu fan nor a Netanyahu opponent, but it is hard to imagine an Israeli leader who would say, you know, Hamas butchered our people on October 7th, raped our women, burned families alive, want to destroy us, want to kill every Jew that they can find, but we won't respond militarily. There, in Israel, there is virtual unanimity. There may be disgust with that man individually. I have no idea. The British kicked out Churchill after World War II. People are very fickle about their, about their political leaders. So I have no interest in what the polls are. All I can tell you is I can't think of an Israeli leader who would be acting differently.

By the way, just for you, you'll get a kick out of this, you and the listeners. So really giving you inside Dennis Prager's brain when he spoke. So of course, Piers Morgan is British. And I just thought at that moment, I have no doubt He found that point very telling. The British kicked out Churchill after World War II.

I want to fully understand that point.

What he was saying is so low in the polls. Churchill was extremely low in the polls.

Right. But Churchill did an amazing thing in World War II.

Right.

Well, obviously under his watch.

Well, well, you're right. But, but a lot of people in Israel think that Netanyahu, until, until October 7th, was doing amazing things for Israel, or he wouldn't get reelected all the time. Whether you love him or hate him, he is reelected. Israelis, unless you think half the country is just stupid. And by the way, that's not an inconceivable thought. I think half of my country voting Democrat is doing something stupid. I don't think they are stupid, right? But I think they are doing something stupid because it's— look at our borders, look at our economy. I mean, look at, look at, look at the woke military. I mean, it's endless what the government is doing. Yeah.

So, but forgive me for pressing. I just, I truly want to understand. So you're saying that people are—

the fact that somebody is unpopular doesn't tell you anything. So, so I didn't— I didn't finish the point. His point was that, well, he says, look, he's so low in the polls, he's 30%. Remember I said, so fine. So, so Churchill got kicked out and that was after a tremendous victory and he was low in the polls. How much more so if you had a defeat, you'll be low in the polls.

Let's keep going.

And, Jake, you go. I want to talk about this disturbing report which has come out about the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Well, there were murmurings about potential involvement of some of their members in what happened. We've now seen a Wall Street Journal investigation which seemingly establishes from a dossier, actually, The New York Times as well, an Israeli intelligence dossier alleging that 200 workers from the UNRWA are Hamas or Islamic Jihad operatives. Didn't provide detailed evidence. The dossier also alleged that 12 workers crossed into Israel on October 7th with the Hamas terror group. UNRWA sacked 9 of those employees and says it's investigating. Another report by the Wall Street Journal, citing also Israeli intelligence dossier, alleges 1,200 of the UNRWA's 12,000 employees in Gaza have links to Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Now, I'm sure your first response will be, well, I'm not going to believe Israeli intelligence dossiers, but the fact that the UNRWA has already sacked 9 of these people suggests there's a clear problem there.

Yeah, so there's 2 different issues here, Piers. So first, you're right, I don't believe Israeli propaganda. They say, oh, trust us, there's hundreds of them. No, I don't trust you at all. The IDF and the Israeli government have an enormous track record of lying on almost every occasion related to this war. But okay, so you say there's—

See, by the way, just, just let me say something here. This is since I didn't interrupt while he spoke, so I can interrupt now. I'd like to know the examples of all these lies that—

I agree.

Well, so here is, uh, here is something I need to note to people having done this for so many years. Every leftist columnist and every leftist I have debated and every leftist that I have heard makes a generalization and almost never provides a specific.

So we were saying a few minutes ago, just toss it out as if it's fact.

These particular things. I would like to know when Donald Trump is called a racist, I'd like to know, give me the examples. Donald Trump was president for 4 years. Did the country increase its racism? Yes, it did under the left, to be honest. Certainly directed against white males, but that's a separate issue.

And I think against Black people.

Well, I do too, because the claim that they're—

What Black Lives Matter has done to our country and to Black America.

Right.

It's devastating.

Well, the whole separation of—

Right.

Like the Black national anthem, at the Super Bowl. But I am 100% for generalizations. But a generalization without an example is usually demagoguery.

Mm-hmm.

Been terminated. And that's fair. And that's definitely true. So obviously there must be some evidence. Okay, great. Fantastic. I want accountability. I don't want anybody involved in October 7th attacks and they've been fired. If you want to do a further investigation to see if anybody else was involved and you want to fire them, terrific, no problem. But that's not the real issue here. The real issue is, uh, the right-wing Israeli government hates this organization because they help Palestinians. There's now half a million Palestinians that are starving, and the only people that are helping them is basically this organization. And Israel thinks— now, their right-wing government thinks, well, look, if we can eliminate the one organization that's helping Palestinians, they'll starve more. That way when we bomb them and we kill them and we starve them, there'll be no one to help them. So that'll help us with our ethnic cleansing when we try to push them into Egypt, which several cabinet ministers, including their national security minister, have now said that is what they want to do, which is of course ethnic cleansing 101. So they're targeting this group to try to eliminate its funding, and it's working brilliantly. The Western powers don't actually want to help the Palestinians, so they're using this as an excuse to target the whole group. And one last thing that gives you a stark example of it. Let's say that there was 9 people or even a couple hundred people inside Israel who helped Hamas on October 7th. It's not impossible. There could be collaborators, right? So does that mean we should get rid of funding for all of Israel? It's an absurd idea when you apply it to Israel, but somehow it's not absurd when you apply it to this.

So it is a very— what I was thinking is, is anybody listening, thinking, what a great point. That, that members of the UN agency in Gaza helped murder Israelis on October 7th and kidnap children and families. Oh, well, what if Israelis did it? Okay. It's not worth spending a lot of time. Israel does not want to starve the Palestinians. What, what good would starving Palestinians do? Aside from the fact that Israel thinks morally, what good would it do for Israel?

So the evidence, all evidence to the contrary. Israel gives food and fuel and—

yes, nobody talks about the number—

drops the leaflets.

The number of Palestinians treated in Israeli hospitals and cancer hospitals, the press doesn't report those things.

Things.

And that's, that's a tragedy. Okay, go on.

Of course it's absurd. They should keep the funding but fire anyone who is involved.

Dennis Prager, your response to this story?

Well, first let me just say the idea that Israel wants to starve the Palestinians is vile. It is, it is another left-wing atrocity on language. Like Israel is committing genocide. Genocide has been raped, like the word racism has been raped. Every decent term has been denuded of its meaning by people on the left. Not by liberals, I always draw that distinction, but by people like Cenk. They have raped the word genocide. They have raped the word racism. They have raped the word sexual attack. All, all the evils have been removed from their context. Israel has no interest. There are 5 times more Palestinians today than there were in 1950. It is the worst, most ineffective genocide in the history of genocide. It is a vile smear. The United Nations stinks. The United States should leave the United Nations with every other democracy. It is a place where the Human Rights Commission has been headed by Iran, where you have Iran even heading the Women's Rights Commission. It is a terrible organization. The United Nations is to nations what the university has become to education. It has become a moral cesspool. It is time for America to leave.

Jane, your response finally.

Yeah, I mean, this guy's hilarious. Did he say I rape words?

Yes, you rape words. I know you find that funny.

It isn't funny.

Yeah, I do.

Yeah, I think first of all that what you've done then by your own definition is rape of the English language and rape of the word rape, let alone the fact that of course, you know, you say, oh, the left says racism. Anytime anybody criticizes Israel, what do you guys all say? Anti-Semitism. Have you raped that word?

That's not true.

That's a lie.

We say it about those who want to destroy Israel, not criticize Israel.

It is a complete lie.

Okay, so let me address the United Nations.

That was the only time I interrupted, by the way.

No, it was critical.

It was critical. It is a gigantic left-wing lie. The Israel haters all say that, that if you criticize Israel, you're called an anti-Semite. That is not true. If you call for Israel's destruction, you're you're called an anti-Semite, or if you help the people who want to annihilate Israel. And that, if that doesn't qualify as Jew hatred, there is no such thing as Jew hatred.

It's true. I want to address for a moment the use of your word rape, because we actually talked about this on Dennis and Julie, because you said to me, we were talking about how words have been distorted, and you said, yes, they've, you know, raped the English language. You basically made the same point right here that you made there. And I said to you on this episode, on this show, I said, I wouldn't use that word rape because as Cenk did, people are going to accuse you of doing the same thing. But here's— but then I went home and I thought as I was driving, what word would I have used if I were Dennis on the air? They have distorted the word racism. They have undermined the word racism. They have misused the word racism and with every substitute, none of it captured the full gravity of what they are actually doing with those words, which is beyond distortion, which is beyond misuse, misusing them. They are, again, I wouldn't use the term rape, but what I'm trying to say is I understand why you did because it captures the gravity in the entirety.

Yes. I have looked for another word all of my life and I have not found it.

And listeners, if you think there's a better word, please comment it. I really would love to know. But I, I don't know if I would have used it, but I understand.

By the way, I think we're okay with the video. We don't need to see more because, uh, yeah, that was shown. That, that, that pretty much summarizes the way things went. And there's a little more. This— I, I, I knew this would be valuable, so I'm glad we did it. Happy 100th.

I know, on that, on that happy note, happy—

we don't always end on happy notes.

No, we don't. But I know that you are proud of that appearance, which is good. You should be proud of that appearance. I gave Dennis a thumbs up.

Yes, she did.

In the control room after you made that point.

It was very, very powerful.

Well, you can reach me at julie@julie-hartman.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Twitter @JulieRhartman. You can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisPrager and on Instagram @thedennisprager. And please continue joining us here on Dennis and Julie. We really love and appreciate you. So, shabbat shalom.

It's a little early, but— well, no, no, by the time people see it— no, no, no, it's really early. Shalom will do, but it's fine. Bye, everybody.

Here's something most people don't know. When Warren Buffett was just 13 years old, he didn't put his money into a savings account. While other kids were earning next to nothing at local banks, Buffett put $114 into a little-known investment. Today, that $114 would be worth over $50 $17 million. And it wasn't a risky trade. It wasn't even insider knowledge. It was an account that's been around since 1888, and over the last 25 years, it's averaged 29% a year. That's what happens when your money is allowed to compound. Compare that to today's savings accounts paying less than half a percent while inflation quietly eats away at your buying power. Buffett understood early: banks are great business Businesses, just not for savers. If you'd like to see what some investors call the 29% account, go now to SecretAccount29.com. That's Secret Account, the numbers, 29.com. SecretAccount29.com.