56 Comments

We'll work on not crashing the Zoom room next month Thom :)

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OMG yes! Navarro might be the hapless, nameless crew member! But we really need to take down the entire Borg collective. My God Ive never seen such a diabolical hive mind as the bizarrely obedient Trumplican party. If navarros the only one to go down, i’ll be extremely bummed. Navarro’s entire performance begs the question, “did someone else author his dissertation?”

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You are SO right - the Trump Republicans are like a hive mind! One of their annoying and obvious tactics is trying to say that they have a right to say anything no matter how oppressive and offensive it is under the guise of Freedom of Speech and if you don't agree with that you aren't American. The 'ole argument from definition....the most persuasive type of argument and unfortunately it's working on those who apparently have never been taught to think critically I suppose.

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Indeed. Its working alarmingly well. Almost as if conspiracy theories spread like a contagious virus. Fox propaganda must be shut down, in order to protect actual free speech!

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Absolutely, I like the Borg label.

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Hi Tom. My wife and I start our day with your show. It is so refreshing. I particularly like the books you bring into the discussions. Have you ever sighted "How Fascism Works" by Jason Stanley? I find it a brilliant analysis of whats going on with the Republican Party.

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Yes, he's brilliant. I cited him in my book on oligarchy, and he's been a guest on the show a few times. Really worth sharing!

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My day starts before Thom’s show , I’m Blessed to have two live in Grand Kids. However they both know when Thom’s show starts, GP war room is forbidden territory.

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I agree regarding Navarro. And I love your analogy with the Star Trek no name guy. My husband and I call him the red shirt guy. He’s the only one wearing a red shirt on the expedition, so easy to spot. Your cat is beautiful!

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I’ve never posted here before. Thanks Thom and Louise for all you do. Your dedication and energy are wonderful gifts. First about AI talking to itself in its own made-up language. Isn’t that what precocious kids do? What’s it going to be like when I throws up? And what will science-phobic voters make of it? Will their paranoia be stirred? Second, a brilliant movie call Galaxy Quest (a Star Trek parody) featured exactly the expendable guy you cited re Navarro. Check it out. Stay safe, and stay sane.

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Thanks, Leopold! The article I quoted about the AI program called it "demonic" so I suspect the meme has begin. Stephen Hawking was quite alarmed about what may happen if AI ever became self-aware (this hasn't gone that far, apparently)... Safe and sane are good things! :)

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what's to keep it from becoming so?

are they monitoring it 24/7?

might wana keep it far

FAR Away from '2001

a Space Odyssey'

and the

Nukes.

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Skynet/the terminator. May not be as far in the future that we think. Self aware AI that will make our decisions for us.

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Peter Navarro was one of the few "intelligentsia" types that worked for Trump, and "academic" who obviously had some personal ambitions that Trump might give him. But he wasn't smart enough to ignore the indictments from Congress like the other wingnuts, and became one of the few to get arrested, handcuffed, and thrown in jail. He is usually long winded and doesn't like to be interrupted whew spewing BS. Ari Melber, MSNBC got him to interview and dressed him down quite well. Check it out on MSNBC.

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Yeah it was good. 👍🏼Ari.

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If Navarro becomes the fall guy and dawns on him that he is, he may become willing to tell tales for a deal.

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From your lips to God’s ear.

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🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

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Thank you Thom, for your valuable time today on Zoom. Very interesting topics on the table as you do make us think. There is a lot of things to be paying serious attention too. Thom I can’t say enough about how much I really appreciate you.

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BINGO Jackie

& as the Great

Oxymoron*

used to

say:

DITTOS.

*can I say

that here?

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I wouldn't underestimate Peter Navarro. He's well spoken and articulate (I know, it doesn't make sense), and he holds his own in the Ari Melber interviews on MSNBC. He's a fanatic Trumpkin in any case.

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Navarro likes to talk, perfect for a Plea deal.

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One can hope - he's definitely more "insider" than most, was there at the White House on January 6th, and was involved in the plotting. If he's smart, he'll turn states' evidence ASAP.

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I keep wondering who's going to flip first. Navarro or Meadows.

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Aww, man! I'm sorry I missed this mornings Zoom! What a bummer! Kedi is adorable! How hilarious. He needs his own cat grass if he doesn't have it. He's probably trying to get your attention. Very interesting hearing about that the new AI program Dall-E. It feels concerning that AI will replace so many jobs and at the same time it's amazing what it can do. It's hard to fully predict what will happen with the types of jobs that will be replaced - who would have thought that AI would try to replace artists and psychotherapists (my job) but it's happening. That would all be fine if we could have the leisure life of the progressive future that Star Trek portrays but it seems we are stuck teetering on falling back into the Middle Ages. Not surprised to read that some people see the AI system as Demonic or possessed! (Lol) That's where we are in the anti-science resurgence. I'm a Star Trek fan and love your analogy about the "red shirts" comparison on Peter Navarro, except maybe more like in the mirror universe episodes where the good guys become bad!

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Thanks for the reminder. I've been meaning to grab one of those wheatgrass trays for the cats at New Seasons next visit. Now it's on my list! :) Peter is an interesting guy - he used to be a progressive Democrat, used to come on my show frequently to talk about trade (we largely agree on the stupidity of neoliberal trade policy that shipped our jobs and factories overseas), and somehow just went totally down the rabbit hole with Trump. I guess that's what power can do to people, as the old Lord Acton quote goes...

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Aww, hopefully Kedi will eat the wheatgrass! I keep buying it for my cat but he prefers the lawn. Thanks for the insight that Navarro was a progressive Democrat - wow - now working for Trump! That's too bad. I know a few people who consider themselves independent were going to vote for Bernie in 2016 but then changed to Trump (but I know many more who voted for Hillary who would have voted for Bernie). Must be where class intersects political party affiliation. When I was going door-to-door for the Bernie campaign, talking to Independents I could get people who might have leaned Republican because they claimed to be angry about Hillary's e-mails to commit to Bernie. But after there was no chance of Bernie, those people were totally sucked down the Faux News/Trump rabbit hole.

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Be of good cheer, psychotherapist: You are irreplaceable. The central theme of Trek affirms that logic can't cope with, much less amend, the human condition. One of the frustrations of therapy patients is, I want to have my judgment of myself affirmed, why can't you judge me? At least give me an authorotative alternative judgment! The wry respect, yet tinged with recognition of its limitations, of Spock's logic, is the fundamental wisdom and joy of Trek.

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maybe AI will become self aware enough to 'know' Republicans are a threat to life on earth and come up with an answer? But I am sure the insurrectionists are confidant a Republican will win the Presidency due to Republican state legislature's refusal to affirm Democratic Electors with the 'independent state legislature' theory and pardon them. Biden's only option will be to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act for these state legislation--which he will be too wimpy to do (because they are all his good friends). This would be the only way to get around state legislatures dallying around constantly trying to get new recounts until a Republican is elected.

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Let’s, send Thom to Washington to get things done for the love of common sense already.

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Jackie, I had your sentiment years ago , hearing Thom’s clear, commanding, sensible voice on the radio. Uplifting, is his presence now on Zoom, still swinging the Sword of Fact.

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Trump will abandon anyone who won't be a useful benefit for him again in the near future. I'm surprised he has his children around him still. Maybe he thinks they are useful.

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NO, NOT red shirt. I'm on the side of calling Navarro part of the Borg from ST:NG. The red shirt guys were clueless as to the mission and were not part of the leadership; they just blindly followed. The Borg, however, were all linked in to limited and specifically prescribed pathways, knowing all, part, very little, or basically nothing of the true mission depending on their value to the Collective. I think that defines the RepubliCons today. The number involved in top leadership is tiny. The next level knows a lot, but not all. Further down there's more limited knowledge/understanding, and, through various descending levels, at the bottom are the drones (the average Fox Propaganda Network audience). Navarro probably fell somewhere in the middle. (Frankly, I don't think even Comrade tRump is at the very top.) All of the lower Borg are expendable once they become vulnerable or a liability; they are allowed to be destroyed without any Collective protection, or they may even be cut from the Borg link completely. Thus, Navarro. (Sorry for the extended metaphor, Thom, but you started it ha ha.) As for Kedi, I don't think I've seen a more obvious look of guilt from a cat's face and posture in my life -- and I've had many many cats and dogs my entire life. That kitty needs to learn poker face skills.

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I can appreciate both your Star Trek example regarding Navarro and the position he has been placed. However I believe we shouldn’t be surprised by the behavior of thieves / insurrectionist take your pick. Both lack honor and loyalty. As it relates to Navarro taking the fall for 45 and his minions, I don’t believe The Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi would be satisfied with such a small fish. Our Country was attacked by the individual that Our Country allowed to inhabit Our White House, then after being told that his services were no longer appreciated. He decided to disregard the choice made by the majority of Our Country’s Citizens, and attempt over turn a fair election. Everyone involved for that type of behavior must be held accountable.

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Agreed. I didn’t mean to suggest he would be the only one; probably just the first… Just like with Watergate…

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Now I'm really sorry I had to leave early. However, the dance recital was wonderful, I live for those moments. I generally agree that Peter Navarro may be the scapegoat. On February 11th I called into the show, that was the day after Navarro first appeared on Ari Melber's show. My major concern then was (and still is), as crazy as it sounds, if Navarro can get his case before the Supreme Court, with the current make up of the court; they will rule that it is Constitutional correct to send the votes back to the state legislators to decide the President. The fact he attempted to over-through the government is inconsequential.

On a separate topic. I just watch James Carville parroting what I had suggested earlier during the zoom. Democrats have to take head-on the “kitchen table” issue of inflation. Don't try to explain it, instead blame it on Republican owned oil companies and tell the voters that if the Democratic candidates are elected we will fix it.

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Yes, great chat this morning, Thom. Thanks again for doing this--it must be the 12th in your 11 hour days.... Regarding Navarro, it seems to me he's already turned de facto state's evidence in his Melber interview. Adding just that one bit to the mountain of evidence accumulating elsewhere, I can't see how (legally, maybe not politically) Trump's indictment, trial, and imprisonment can be avoided.

Regarding trade policy: I'm a happy alumnus of the Battle in Seattle, and have written quite a bit about all that for Common Dreams, CounterPunch, et. al, but never knew Navarro was on the right side of the issue. Acton be damned: how could Navarro possibly have made such a gargantuan flip? For that alone the sob needs to be stigmatized, hard time or no.

(A dog has a master. A cat has a staff, and Kedi's well served.)

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Peter actually ran for congress from California as a progressive Democrat 30 years ago or so; I think it was Chris Hayes (maybe Ali) who played the clip on MSNBC yesterday or the day before. Great seeing you this morning!

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I saw that clip. It was on MSNBC Now with Mehdi Hassan. He showed the clip of Navarro campaigning for Bill Clinton and talked about how he ended up as Trump’s Economic Advisor. It’s a story that could only come out of the Trump administration. According to Mehdi, Trump asked Jared Kushner to find him an Economic Advisor that would be tough on China. Jared literally went on Amazon and found a book called “Death by China” by Peter Navarro, and the rest is history.

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Thanks Mr. Behan, until your total explain, I could never put into words the dog/cat dynamic 😳🙏

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Cheers, sir: we have been cat-staffers for years.

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Thom’s the best.

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The, time we are living in should let us know how getting the right information matters. Thom really does a great job of keeping us all well informed. Knowledge really is power. Thanks Thom.

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Glad, to be part of a great community of people too, who really believe in Thom and facts.

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Working in experimental music/arts, I've been interested in DALL-E (Salvador Dali meets Pixar's WALL-E) for about a year and a half. New intelligence systems often raise the red flag of how they can be misused - and, yes, that can be a problem - but it doesn't go unnoticed by technologists and therefore, safeguards are studied and implemented over time.

To me, the internal language of DALL-E is a natural extension of its ability to kind of cross-fertilize data from differing types of information. The visuals that it comes up with when given text-based prompts is fun and amazing to see created, but you will see that they are imperfect - and so would be the language used to describe them. A Joycean mix of Indo-European prefixes, suffixes and root forms is probably at the heart of it all. ...and it would make perfect sense that if, after constructing the picture it did - with all of its faults - that it would give it a very specific name that would bring up the same picture each time the funny-looking word was typed out. In other words, it doesn't really appear to be the mystery that one might want to make of it.

Continuous emphasis on the negative aspects tho, kind of make it difficult for those who would like to have an open-sourced way of creating new works and ideas sooner rather than later, so I hope that the helpful, creative side outshines the naysayers out there who seem to love to be contrarians about things they know little about (I'm not including anyone here - ha!).

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Navarro will probably try to run out the clock with appeals until Trump, in his second term, can pardon him.

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In his dreams. Although DeSantis is a real threat...

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I want my governor to invite Disney World to move here (NM). Itd be win win.

DeSantis is such a frightful freak! Hes competing with Murdoch and Putin for title of Most Evil Man in the World. Its a toss up!

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I used to call the RED SHIRTED CREW PERSON LUNCH MEAT bcuz that's usually what happened to them!

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I was told my darker-background kitty was a "mackeral tabby." Like "chaotic space" distorted the stripes. (Trek "Voyager," and her name was "Jadzia.") I've seen a lot of Navarro, and my money is on him going down in flames enjoying the glory of victimhood. On his own trip, which makes T. irrelevant. I saw an interview with a former House colleague of Meadows, on the other hand, who actually said Meadows was a horrible person even before T. came along; so, birds of a feather. The question that confounded the Founders is, is there any system that can enable and attract men (you know:men) of good character truly motivated by instincts toward public service, and not just venal glory-hounds? Maybe there just isn't. Maybe there's something intrinsic in the idea of "tolerance," that the intolerant creeps are the ones who want to run the show, while the tolerant instinct to go-along-and-get-along defines the eternal victim of the eternal bully.

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Kitties garden from chewy is the only thing my Spudcat will eat. A healthy mix of grasses, American made. God knows I've tried a multitude of mixes!

Navarro is the John Dean of Nixon; throw him under the bus. Who, other than Cohen and Rudy are next? Who will talk? Who has a commitment to democracy? Anyone on the horizon?

AI? Interesting question. Who is watching this? Besides Amazon, Goggle, Facebook, Apple and us?

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I hope Trump goes to prison!!!

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"Proper preparation promises perfect paint performance."

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I need to get on that Saturday Report zoom! Don't know much about Peter Navarro or Star Trek but have five cats, ought to get them some of those grass trays too. How sad that someone so educated and knowledgeable shifted to supporting Trump.

I listen to Thom walking and running in the neighborhood here in Albuquerque in the evening and at night. Thom and the NYT are my news. No time for other news, don't see how you and Louise can write your editorials, plan and execute your daily shows, and do all the news research. You are truly amazing! Your past service and businesses and travels and all the books as well. Geesh!

Thank you for your work.

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Nice, to know there are signs of intelligent life out there.

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If, common sense doesn’t work, then they don’t have any.

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