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DMZ America Podcast #116: Bidexit, UAW Strike Deadline, Autonomous Assassination Drones

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Ted Rall

Editorial Cartoonists Ted Rall (from the political Left) and Scott Stantis (from the political Right) discuss breaking news and politics.

This week, Democrats are finally focusing on and starting to become alarmed by President Biden’s stubbornly-low poll numbers. 67% of Democrats say they don’t want him to be their candidate next year. Democratic senators say that even voters who think he has done a good job think he is simply too old to run again. Now mainstream media outlets are starting to float the possibility that he may decide to step aside, and either open up the Democratic primary process or anoint a successor. Scott and Ted handicap the various scenarios for Bidexit.

Four days away from their strike deadline against the big three Detroit auto makers, the United Auto Workers union is still far away from the latest offers on the table. In agreement that a strike currently looks likely, Scott and Ted discuss the state of negotiations, the future of the auto industry and the economic impact of a walkout.

Reuters has published a shocking expose of the advanced state of autonomous AI weapons currently in development and available for sale on the international arms marketplace. From drones to trucks to submarines to fighter jets, the dark vision of the Terminator movies is upon us. Will the world act to ban these dystopian killer robots?

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 116 Sec 1: Bidexit

DMZ America Podcast Ep 116 Sec 2: UAW Strike Deadline

DMZ America Podcast Ep 116 Sec 3: Autonomous Assassination Drones

DMZ America Podcast #110: Hunter Biden Plea Deal Meltdown, Fed Reserve Rate Increase, Kevin Spacey Cleared

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Ted Rall

Syndicated Editorial Cartoonists Ted Rall, (from the left) and Scott Stantis (from the right) unpack the many layers from the week’s top stories.

First up, the Hunter Biden plea deal. The judge said it was unconstitutional and the defense wanted it to provide a blanket get-out-of-jail card. Why it fell apart and how it reflects the media’s disdain for anything that may conflict with its prevailing narrative. Ted and Scott take a rhetorical side trip to explore other issues they have been way in front of, and examine why the mainstream media takes so long to catch up to common sense.

Next up, the Federal Reserve Board continues to raise interest rates although it seems from this healthy economy that they shouldn’t. Scott argues against government overreach while Ted makes the case for deeper regulation of the American economy.

Lastly, Kevin Spacey, one of the best actors of his generation, has been found not guilty of sexual malfeasance in yet another trial. Ted and Scott discuss whether he should be welcomed back to the entertainment business.

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 110 Sec 1: Hunter Biden Plea Deal Meltdown

DMZ America Podcast Ep 110 Sec 2: Fed Reserve Rate Increase

DMZ America Podcast Ep 110 Sec 3: Kevin Spacey Cleared

DMZ America Podcast #109: Neither Biden Nor Trump Fit for Office, Texas Sucks Best, Highly Sensitive People Catch a Break

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Ted Rall

Check out the latest edition of the DMZ America Podcast, where a pair of American political cartoonists (Ted Rall, who leans left, and Scott Stantis, who leans right) who happen to be best friends analyze and discuss the major and minor stories of the week while having a few laughs along the way. This week: no flamethrower drones. But coelacanths!

A new kind of poll dissects public opinion about presumed presidential nominees Joe Biden and Donald Trump as we begin the 2024 campaign cycle. We already knew that voters did not want this rematch. What we did not know was that so many voters do not believe either man is fit to hold office. Scott asks: where do we go from here and what does this say about American democracy?

CNBC issues its latest list of the best and worst states to live in. Vermont is supposedly best. Texas is supposedly worst. You might find the results interesting, frustrating, even perplexing. Like everything these days, politics has a lot to do with it.

Walmart has become the latest organization to embrace a new trend of sensory-friendly hours for neurodivergent people. Ted applauds the move to make public spaces more pleasant for everyone while Scott suggests that we might want to buck up and quit whining.

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 109 Sec 1: Neither Biden Nor Trump Fit for Office

DMZ America Podcast Ep 109 Sec 2: Texas Sucks Best

DMZ America Podcast Ep 109 Sec 3: Highly Sensitive People Catch a Break

DMZ America Podcast #108: Three Pulitzer-Winning Editorial Cartoonists Canned the Same Day, Nazis Symbols Worn by Ukrainian Troops, Can Biden Capitalize on Lower Inflation?

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Ted Rall

Editorial Cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) discuss the latest startling development in the ongoing demise of American editorial cartooning. With the recent firing of not one but three Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonists, Ted and Scott mourn the job loss of their fellow journalists and those who preceded them. Was the demise of editorial cartooning as a profession the planned end-game all along by antagonistic editors?

The New York Times reports that there have been more and more sightings of Nazi symbols being worn by Ukrainian troops. Ted has said for years that neo-fascism runs deep in Ukraine. Russian President Putin has framed the Ukraine War as partly motivated by a desired “De-Nazification of Ukraine.” Does he have a point? Ted and Scott debate discuss what the Times describes as mere bad optics.

Inflation is down to its lowest level in years. If it is the economy, stupid, why are President Biden’s approval numbers still so low? And does this open the door for Green Party candidate Dr. Cornel West? Or other third-party candidates?

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 108 Sec 1: Three Pulitzer-Winning Editorial Cartoonists Canned the Same Day

DMZ America Podcast Ep 108 Sec 2: Nazis Symbols Worn by Ukrainian Troops

DMZ America Podcast Ep 108 Sec 3: Can Biden Capitalize on Lower Inflation?

DMZ America Podcast #106: A Big Week of Supreme Court Opinions

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Ted Rall

Syndicated Editorial Cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) analyze the issues and news changing our world. This week’s podcast is entirely dedicated to a historic week of opinions handed down by the Supreme Court of the United States.

First up, a look at a pair of landmark cases affecting higher education. Ted and Scott put into perspective the court’s decision to end race-based Affirmative Action and President Biden’s Student loan forgiveness program. Ted concisely explains the basis for the build-up of resentment over decades towards Affirmative Action and what led to the court’s ruling. Scott takes a victory lap after arguing for months that Joe Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness program was executive overreach and should and would be struck down.

Next up, a pair of cases impacting the workplace: the Postal Worker and the Web Designer,(which sounds a lot like a really lame Hallmark Christmas romance movie). The mailman refused to work on his Sabbath; the web designer refused to create a site for a LGBTQ couple. When does common sense check bigotry? Scott and Ted’s spin on these decisions may surprise you.

In the last segment, Ted and Scott applaud the court shooting down, yet again, Independent State Legislature Theory (ISL), which would have allowed states to set up draconian voting procedures that would have served to deny ballot access to millions of voters.. They end up tying everything up in a neat little bow. You should listen.

 

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 106 Sec 1: Supreme Court Overturns Race-Based Affirmative Action

DMZ America Podcast Ep 106 Sec 2: The Cases of the Postal Worker and the Web Designer

DMZ America Podcast Ep 106 Sec 3: Death to the Independent State Legislature Theory

DMZ America Podcast #105: Hunter Biden Skates, Donald Trump Going to Trial, Teenage Depression

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Ted Rall

The DMZ America podcast features two political cartoonists who happened to be best friends. Ted Rall (Andrews McMeel Syndication, Wall Street Journal, WhoWhatWhy) comes from the Left; Scott Stantis (Andrews McMeel Syndication, Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News) comes from the Right.

Hunter Biden once again assumes his role as America’s Prince Andrew: safe, protected, facing minimal charges. In this case, it’s two years probation for evading the payment of $100,000 in taxes and for a gun charge. Republicans are going crazy. Maybe they have a point.

Former President Donald Trump has a trial date in his federal criminal case related to improper handling of classified documents: August 14. Scott and Ted examine the shocking political and legal repercussions of this completely unprecedented case, and what it means for the future of the country and democracy as we head into a presidential election.

Teenage depression hits new lows as more young people than ever before tell psychologists, that they feel worthless and without hope for the future. The cause: social media and digital devices. We don’t let a 12-year-old drive a car. Should we be allowing a six-year-old on Instagram?

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 105 Sec 1: Hunter Biden Skates

DMZ America Podcast Ep 105 Sec 2: Donald Trump Going to Trial

DMZ America Podcast Ep 105 Sec 3: Teenage Depression at New Lows

That’s Democracy

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Ted Rall

As we head into a Trump versus Biden rematch nobody really wants, it’s hard to argue that the American electoral system is really a democracy.

DMZ America Podcast #103: Debt Ceiling Madness, Gaming the GOP Primaries, and the War on Gay

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Ted Rall

Editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) analyze the week in politics, and what’s coming up next. Tune in for informed passionate debate between two best friends who prove that it’s possible to disagree while remaining civil.

A controversial compromise bill negotiated between President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy goes to the House of Representatives for a vote. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. Will the US government default on June 5? Even if this bill gets through, is it too late to preserve America’s credit rating?

Donald Trump has a full slate of new primary rivals for the GOP presidential nomination, most notably, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who had a disastrous launch and is now seeing his polls go exactly the wrong direction, and former Vice President Mike Pence. Does Trump face any credible threat from these competitors?

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made a name for himself, declaring war on “woke,” even including Disney in his campaign to demonize LGBTQ people. Why do Republicans keep waging culture war even though it’s a loser at the polls? Also: separating reactions to gays and lesbians from controversies over transgender people.

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 103 Sec 1: Debt Ceiling Madness

DMZ America Podcast Ep 103 Sec 2: Gaming the GOP Primaries

DMZ America Podcast Ep 103 Sec 3: The War on Gay

Validation Culture

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Ted Rall

In cancel culture, people who do something offensive find themselves out of work. Shouldn’t it work the other way around too? Why not reward incompetent people with great jobs if it turns out that they are nice outside of work? Or are we just a bunch of negative people?

Nothing to Worry about

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Ted Rall

Humanity seems absolutely determined not to do anything about the climate change crisis or the environment. But think about the bright side: rising oceans will resolve all sorts of issues that we actually pay attention to.

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