Intro
In this episode of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” Ben discusses the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the media’s biased coverage, the state of politics in the United States, and the upcoming meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Main Takeaways
Pro-Israel Rally and Support
- Pro-chemoseralies aim to intimidate through violence and flying terrorist flags
- Far more people in the West oppose Hamas than support it
- Pro-Israel rally in Washington DC demonstrated that those who support Israel love the West
- The support for Israel yesterday was bipartisan and featured prayer, solidarity, and love
- Hamas supporters vandalized a medical tent at the rally the night before
- Bus company chartered for pro-Israel rally refused to participate in bringing Jews to the event
- Drivers of buses hired for the rally deliberately and maliciously walked off, delaying the arrival of many participants
Political Sentiments and Media Biases
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized Israel and urged them to exercise maximum restraint
- The world is watching the conflict on TV and social media, hearing testimonies from doctors, family members, survivors, and children who have lost their parents
- Sentiments against Israel are coming from the far left, including Trudeau who is “a terrible person” according to the speaker
- Representative Jamal Bowman claims opposition to Israel is an attempt to uphold Judaism
- Ilhan Omar claims all people of faith should oppose Israel
- AOC suggests Israel should negotiate with terrorists who wish to murder every Jew on Earth
- Fringe sentiments against Israel are coming from the far left
Israel’s Actions and Media Misrepresentation
- According to a new poll from Harris X, 67% of Americans believe Israel should continue fighting Hamas until Hamas is defeated and Israel’s hostages are released.
- The media ignored the largest Jewish rally in centuries, choosing instead to focus on astroturfing resistance to Israel finishing off Hamas
- Despite Hamas using hospitals as fronts for military sites, the media continues to undermine Israel’s ability to defend itself
- The Pentagon spokesperson confirmed that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad use hospitals as fronts for military sites, including the El Shifa Hospital, as a way to conceal and support their military operations and hold hostages.
- Hamas is using hospitals in Gaza City to store weapons and operate
- International law does consider such sites as military targets
- Israel has warned Hamas and medical officials inside al-Shifa hospital for weeks
- The BBC has been lying about Israel’s actions in the hospital and had to apologize for their false claims
- Elizabeth Spires, a New York Times columnist, called it racist to say Hamas uses human shields
Politics and Incentive Structures
- Politicians aspire to be political commentators instead of public servants
- Incentives have shifted from good governance to making deals and manipulating
- Politicians promise the world to win elections, but cannot deliver on those promises
- The electorate falls for politicians who promise the world and get frustrated when they fall short
- The government continues to spend large amounts of money and make poor policies while politicians focus on posturing and making deals
- In politics, incentive structures matter more than the politicians themselves
- All incentives are currently misaligned, leading to politicians posturing for camera time rather than making good policies
Congressional Clownish Behavior
- Senator Mark Wayne Mullin threatened to get into a fist fight with a union boss during a Senate hearing
- Bernie Sanders, a socialist, was the voice of reason during the altercation
- Clownish behavior has been incentivized in politics, leading to unproductive actions by politicians
- Actual terror supporters are in Congress
- Fractiousness within the Republican caucus has led to physical altercations between members
- Representative Tim Burchett was shoved by former Speaker McCarthy during a GOP conference meeting
- Republicans are putting on a three-ring circus in Congress
Changing the Incentive Structure of Congress
- Matt Gaetz files a formal ethics complaint against Kevin McCarthy for allegedly elbowing Tim Burchett
- Gaetz’s deep hatred for McCarthy is extraordinary and he’s like a cool late man ready to go
- Gaetz’s claim of increased breaches of decorum in Congress is ironic given his own history of clowning around
- Changing the incentive structure of Congress requires electing better representatives
- McCarthy slams Gates: “The clown show just continues.”
- Congressman Gaetz files complaint to ethics committee, McCarthy responds: “I think ethics is a good place for Gates to be.”
- Jared Moskowitz implies Comer is corrupt, Comer calls him a smurf.
- Mitch McConnell says it’s difficult to control the behavior of everyone in the building.
US-China Relations
- Xi Jinping is coming to California to meet with Biden, expectations for major breakthroughs are low
- China’s economy is facing challenges from a deflating property bubble, unmanageable local government debts, and slumping confidence in deflation.
- The US has leverage due to its strong economy and subsiding inflation.
- Biden should push for Xi to calm down on military antics in the South China Sea and open the books on COVID-19.
- Biden’s focus is on climate change, and he wants to continue to have a good relationship with China.
- Beijing’s agenda includes relieving bans on manufacturing sophisticated microchips and stopping US help for Taiwan’s democracy.
- The US should push for demilitarization and signals of conciliation from Xi Jinping.
- There are doubts about whether Biden will push for these things.
Summary
Conflict in Israel and Media Bias
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has sparked international debates and media coverage. Pro-Israel rallies have demonstrated broad support for Israel, with bipartisan participation and messages of prayer, solidarity, and love. However, there are fringe sentiments against Israel coming from the far left, including politicians like Justin Trudeau, Ilhan Omar, and AOC. The media’s biased coverage has undermined Israel’s ability to defend itself, despite evidence of Hamas using hospitals as military sites. The BBC has even had to apologize for false claims about Israel’s actions in hospitals.
Incentive Structures in Politics
The state of politics in the United States is characterized by misaligned incentive structures. Politicians focus on posturing and making deals rather than good governance. Clownish behavior and physical altercations have become common in Congress, leading to unproductive actions. Changing the incentive structure requires electing better representatives who prioritize good policies over personal agendas.
US-China Relations and Biden’s Approach
The upcoming meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping carries low expectations for major breakthroughs. China is facing economic challenges, while the US has leverage due to its strong economy. Biden’s focus on climate change and desire for a good relationship with China may impact his approach to issues like China’s military activities and transparency regarding COVID-19. The US should push for demilitarization and conciliatory signals from Xi Jinping, but doubts remain about Biden’s willingness to do so.
Conclusion
The ongoing conflict in Israel, the state of politics in the United States, and the upcoming meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are all topics of concern and debate. It is crucial to analyze media biases, understand the incentive structures in politics, and carefully navigate international relations to ensure the best outcomes for all parties involved.
