Today's Issues continues on AFR with your host, Ed Vitagliano
>> Fred Jackson: Today's Issues continues on AFR with your host, Ed Vitagliano.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And welcome back, folks. Ed Vitagliano, Fred Jackson, Steve Jordal, Dr. Alex McFarlane, joins us from his home. All right, before the break, Steve, because you're up. You're up in terms of, leading our discussion on, news stories. Fred, was going to play. We're going to play, have some sound. Why don't you kind of set that up and, we will listen to the sound we didn't have time for before.
>> Steve Jordahl: Well, yeah, what he was saying and then this.
Fred Frost: Washington D.C. has a new mayor, Janice Lewis George
Fred is very obviously welcome to jump in and lead this particular story, but DC Has a new mayor that's coming in. there still is a vote on November, but the. The Janice Luis Louis, George's, opponent, has dropped out of the race. So she's going to be the only one running. And she is a Democrat, Socialist. here you can hear her. We were joking, when we were talking off the air here that I, need to give our listeners, an audio warning here because if you value your vocal cords, this voice,
>> Ed Vitagliano: this is painful to hear.
>> Steve Jordahl: Oh, this is so hard to hear. I want you to hear. This is Janice Lewis George offering, her socialist bounty to the people of Washington D.C. cut 8.
>> Speaker D: We are Democrats, Independents and Democratic Socialists. Over the past year, we assembled the most diverse coalition in this city's history. And that's why we will deliver universal, affordable childcare in D.C. that's why we will expand home ownership for Washingtonians and enact policies that protect tenants.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I thought Bob Goldthwaite died.
>> Steve Jordahl: I know. One of the things, Fred, that, Washington D.C. people are a little worried about with her is, her antipathy toward the police. Because Washington D.C. has had a remarkable recovery with crime in the last, several months. And, her philosophy of governance does not really go well with, maintaining that, right?
>> Fred Jackson: No, absolutely not. Thanks to President Trump sending National Guard troops into, the murder rate has gone down dramatically, in our nation's capital. but also her platform has given rise to President Trump saying openly already if she gets elected the next mayor, which looks like she's on track to do so, that his administration needs to look at the federal government coming in and taking complete control in Washington D.C. it is a district, it is not a city in the normal definition of that term.
>> Steve Jordahl: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: The federal government does have the right to go in and take over.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Am I mistaken or the previous mayor, Muriel Bowser, was she not forced to admit that what President Trump did with the National Guard troops actually lowered crime.
>> Fred Jackson: Oh, yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: I think she thanked the president, didn't she?
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Or did I dream that?
>> Steve Jordahl: You did not imagine it.
>> Fred Jackson: And she's been working with the district attorney that, President Trump appointed for D.C. pirro.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah, yeah. Jeanine Pirro.
>> Fred Jackson: Jeanine Pirro, who is a tiger. Oh, yeah, she's a tiger. She wants to hold parents of young people who do violence, wants to hold the parents responsible. so, he has done a lot, as he has said many times, people can go out and go to restaurants at night, not fear their death in Washington, D.C. so we'll wait and see what happens. The people of D.C. will vote for whoever they want. but we're going to have to wait and see what the Trump administration is going to do if indeed, she is elected.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Alex. What? I don't, I don't want to be unfair here. Okay. I realize I'm a conservative. I've been a Republican ever since I can remember, certainly since I've been old enough to vote. So I don't want to be unfair to Democrats. But what is it about Democrats that run major blue cities that, that, that makes them okay with skyrocketing crime and chaos in the streets and drug addicts on the sidewalks and the homeless camped out in front of businesses, and, we don't care if kids can read when they go through public schools. Why? I just. I do not understand their obsession with policies that destroy the very cities they rule over. I know it's a blanket question, but
>> Alex McFarland: that's a fantastic question. Do you know, Democrats and Republicans, that, bifurcation is actually pretty accurate because you think about this, Republicans or conservatives, we recognize that people are sinners, but yet valuable to God. Democrats believe in the inherent goodness of people, but they. People are expendable. I mean, Democrats believe in the inherent good goodness of people, and the perfectibility of people. Robert Frost, the famous poet Robert Frost, he said in. In every home, the father is a Republican and the mother is the Democrat. Oh, because of the permissiveness, indulgence, and. Whereas generally the father is the disciplinarian. So, but the, the left. And by the way, Washington, D.C. they've got about as good a record picking mayors as Elizabeth Taylor did in picking husbands. I mean, that's a great line, Barry.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah, yeah.
>> Alex McFarland: You know, but the liberal Democrats, that ruin everything they touch, they believe that people are good, people, shouldn't have to be held accountable for what they do if they Have a need. they also assume one of their presuppositions is if one person is successful, they necessarily got it off the backs of some victim.
>> Ed Vitagliano: It's a lot of socialist ideology, isn't it?
>> Alex McFarland: So. So, you know, Reagan, I believe, said this. He said, it's not that our Democrat friends aren't intelligent. It's just they believe so many things that aren't true. Do you remember that?
>> Ed Vitagliano: I do. I do remember. Hey, listen, Fred, I think you've got the story. Let's talk about Seattle for a second and then we're going to go to Steve on China.
Let's talk about Seattle's, um, mayor
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah, let's talk about Seattle's, mayor. She still lives with her mom and dad, I think, doesn't she? In the.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: In the basement of her mom and dad.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Are you serious?
>> Steve Jordahl: I think so. Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. Steve will check that for us. But I certainly have heard that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Oh, you have a story too, Steve?
>> Steve Jordahl: That's okay. No, go ahead. I'm waiting for the China thing.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes.
Seattle under socialist mayor has lost 30,000 jobs, according to report
All right. so very briefly, according to this report, on Fox News, downtown Seattle since she's become there, has lost 30,000 jobs. Billions in office value since 2020 payroll tax, according to a new report. And what has happened is, and we've heard about Starbucks moving.
>> Ed Vitagliano: They left the whole state.
>> Fred Jackson: Yeah. They're gone to Nashville for the most part. That's what they're moving. And others are moving in that direction. Seattle had so much, you know, you've got Microsoft and all of that. I mean, high paying jobs.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: But you've got a left wing mayor out there that is driving that city into the ground and she's proud of it.
>> Ed Vitagliano: In the name of socialism.
>> Fred Jackson: In the name of socialism. what this story talks about is a lot of businesses and people, all right, They've just picked up and they're going to the burbs. Yeah. Bellevue is a very successful burb of suburb. Suburb of Seattle.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Only the cool kids will know what you're talking about.
>> Steve Jordahl: Cool kids and Canadians.
>> Fred Jackson: I lived on the west coast, the burbs, but, what gets me is there were people. And she didn't make a secret of her agenda, but they voted for her.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, they're all going to learn the hard way. NewSong York, Washington, D.C. seattle, some of these other cities. Because the, socialist Democrats are, this is their moment. So there can be a lot of hardship.
Steve Martin: China has half a billion surveillance cameras in the country
Okay, Steve, we talk about this. I've been looking forward to getting to this. want to see what real socialists and real communists believe we Have a country that is a powerhouse right now economically, militarily. It is some people think, going to take over into the number one spot from the US but it is a picture into a dark and dystopian future for anyone who chooses Communism.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah, one of the things that socialists and communists will abridge is freedom. And the communists is all after power. And I was talking with Todd Nettleton yesterday. I talk with him once, every other week or so. We get stories about, he's with Voice of the Martyrs. We talk about the church, the persecuted church. And China is of course one of the largest persecutors of the Christian church. And we were talking yesterday about a pastor that is in prison there. And he was talking about the surveillance capacity of China. And I was floored when I heard this. to set this up, China has 1.4 billion with a B people living in, people that are Chinese living in China. And they're trying to keep track of every one of them. And with AI, they're able to, let's say they got 13.
>> Todd Nettleton: There is something like half a billion surveillance cameras in China. so no, there is no anonymity. there is no way you can get away from being watched. I remember interviewing a Chinese pastor who had been detained by the police. And he said one of the policemen pulled out his phone and started scrolling through this pastor's file. And the pastor was shocked at how much they knew, how much they had about him, about his comings and goings, about his locations. Yes, it is very difficult to do anything in secret in China. they say they want to be able to identify and locate anybody on Chinese soil in three seconds.
>> Steve Jordahl: Three seconds.
>> Ed Vitagliano: That's incredible.
>> Steve Jordahl: 1.6, 1.4 billion people. Any one of them.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well now, now Steve, we, we do not have officially a surveillance state in the US at this point. However, with the terrorist threat, the Patriot act, all those kinds of things, and with the ability of big companies, especially social media companies, but also companies, like Microsoft and Amazon and so on and so forth that track your every move. Listen, we all know this kind of thing is true. I have saw an ad for, for some T shirts celebrating the 250th anniversary of the of the United States. And so I, I clicked through to see them. They were a little too expensive for my taste, but they were pretty cool looking. Now it's all I see on social media is these, these ads popping up because everybody knows what everybody else is doing. So we, we have our own backyard to watch in terms of surveillance. But this idea of China being able to locate anybody in three seconds with the technology that's available, this could really turn frightening.
>> Steve Jordahl: We do not have a surveillance state yet. But, Alex, we do have the infrastructure, set to be there. And one of the things that we're talking about is the central bank digital currency. They, want to do away with cash, and they say it's for convenience. But really, if they can track not only where your body is, but what your wallet is doing, it's just one more nexus of control the government can exert over the people under its sway.
>> Alex McFarland: You know, before we, leave China, probably four years ago, I was meeting with, a Christian missionary that, we've helped support. And they were in China for almost 20 years. And, it was interesting. One of the ways that all of these, you know, billion surveillance cameras, they look at facial features and height and stature and hair color and walk and your gait or your walk. And, every one of us has a unique gait. And yes, they can zoom in. And, pretty much all of your life is under the surveillance microscope. But, this particular missionary had. There was a local, I don't know if it was a police chief or constable or what they would call it. and he knew this guy was. He was Chinese. He didn't realize that he was a Christian. But, this particular police chief said, you, need to leave, and you need to leave now. You and your family are in danger. You. And this guy was really putting his life on the line by sharing this privately, as privately as they could. But he said, you are about to be apprehended, and you have, you know, X amount of hours to leave the country. And they did. But, the infrastructure is there. The global police state. And really the only thing, there are two juggernauts wrestling for the control of the planet. One is the iron sword of Sharia. The other is the iron fist of communism, statism. And the only thing that can hold those juggernauts at bay is Christianity and constitutional America.
>> Steve Jordahl: Because they've united this whole green red alliance. This is between, like, Mamdani, huh? Muslim communist, right?
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. Yeah. And so, folks, this is the time to have our house in order. and. And by that I mean spiritually. and look, I love life. I'm a happy camper. but Christ is coming back. And the Bible says in the last days, perilous times will come. Satan will be very active because he knows his time is short. America, may exist another century. The world may exist years and years. But I personally believe that all of us listening to this show right now, m. Very well might be alive when Christ returns. And this is the time to lean into Jesus, know Christ, help others find Christ. Because, the chess pieces are on the table, guys. In terms of the last days, I really do believe that.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Fred. I think. I don't know how anyone could argue with, With Alex. I'll be honest. 20 years ago, I, I was 50. 50 on what Alex said. But with AI and other trends, it seems clear that what, what Alex said, the chess pieces are on the board. If God wants to let this tumble into what we see prophesied, it would be very easy for that to happen.
CNN just did a poll on, uh, patriotism
one of the things I just want to mention is kind of, bouncing off what, Alex said in terms of what people in the United States should do. This is not a moment for Christians to stop going to church, to stop getting close to God and just having a party. And it is certainly not time for Christians or anyone else really, who love our republic to, let other people make the political decisions for the nation.
>> Fred Jackson: Absolutely.
>> Ed Vitagliano: People need to. Christians need to be registered. They need to be informed. They need to vote. Ah, I could turn this into a commercial for afa. We have all kinds of resources available, but this is the moment for true patriots. 250th anniversary. Okay, birthday, whatever you want to call it. If we want another 50 and God grants us or another hundred years. We are at a crossroads in this country. This is not the time to, kick your feet up and not be involved.
>> Fred Jackson: I just read an article by our good friend Robert Jeffress. Decision magazine, the Billy Graham association has a magazine out celebrating the 250th anniversary of the country. And Robert Jeffers, as he has done in the past, part of being salt and light as a Christian is voting is being out there. We still have the right to do that in this country. If you're a citizen of this country, you have a right to vote. And, you know, that is to be exercised and treasured, because, we don't know the Lord may tarry a number of years, and you know, it's in his hands when he returns. But I'm like you. We, we have to be getting very close. I'm, not a date setter.
>> Steve Jordahl: Right.
>> Fred Jackson: Never do that. but you know what did it for me back a few years ago? Remember the trucker protest, up in Canada?
>> Ed Vitagliano: Yeah.
>> Fred Jackson: they didn't like some of the rules that were brought in during the COVID And what did the government do up there to stop that protest? Froze their bank accounts.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Ed Vitagliano: And that told me, supposedly, free country.
>> Fred Jackson: Yes. So we've arrived at that point and, I've said before, we could have a change of government in two years here. And look at the types of people that are coming forward in the Democrat Party. they are like this person who's going to be the next mayor in Washington, D.C. they really think Zoran Mandani is a hero. they like the idea of big government, but they don't see what's between that sandwich. And what's between that sandwich is control over you. Socialists and communists dress it up and they say, here's what the government can do for you, right? Get you housing and free grocery stores and all of that sort of thing. But once they have you, I often say the socialists come at you with an open palm up. But once they've got you, it's a fist. It's a fist that controls you.
>> Steve Jordahl: It's interesting to note that it's not just the leadership. CNN just did a poll on, patriotism. Harry Antin, here describes what they found in this poll. Cut 6.
>> Walker Wildmon: Look at how we have an increasing polarization on this issue. Will display the flag on July 4th. The American flag back in July of 2001. Look at this. Yet 68% of Republicans, 65% of Democrats saying that they would in fact display the flag on July 4th. You come over to this side of the screen. Republicans basically are, where they were 25 years ago. Right? 64%. But look at that Democratic percentage absolutely plummeting. Just 27% of Democrats say they will, in fact display the flag on July 4th. What about this idea? Are you proud to be an American? Extremely or very proud to be an American? Back In January of 2001, 90% of Republicans, 85% of Democrats. This was after a very contentious 2000 election. Keep in mind, right. With George W. Bush coming into the White House in 2026. Look at this again. The Democratic percentage absolutely plummets to just 29% of Democrats say they're extremely. Are very proud to be an American. Wow.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Alex, listen, I've been, kind of interested in the social media posts of Europeans who are coming to the U.S. and Canada and Mexico, but especially here in the U.S. for the World Cup. And they are posting videos saying, we've been lied to. I never knew America Was this beautiful? The people are friendly. We love the food.
>> Alex McFarland: The steak is good.
>> Ed Vitagliano: The steak is good. And I saw a, a, young lady, post a US Citizen posting something. She was in tears saying, these people are making me feel patriotic. And I don't want to feel patriotic because I don't like our country. I was kind of stunned by that. But here are all these Europeans coming over and they're saying, what an awesome country. We wish. Wish our country was this free.
>> Steve Jordahl: Yeah.
>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. What is that, poem breathes there a man so dead that he is not within himself said, this is my own, my native land. You know, we need to encourage patriotism. And I want to say to all my pastor friends out there, my fellow clergy, preach sermons about what a blessing it is to live in Christian America. And I know, like, many ministers that are probably 50 and younger, they would never preach a patriotic sermon. But there was a day when, one of the engines to, encourage patriotism were American churches. And I'll say this, I'll get off my soapbox. Look, I know our home is heaven, of course, but until we get there, our home is the usa and we are ambassadors for Christ in our homeland. And so, yeah, we need to make patriotism popular again.
>> Ed Vitagliano: Well, I know this, that out of gratefulness to God, if there are folks, who are listening, who own their own home or paying on their home, or are able to rent a home, that's nice, or you have a car that God has blessed you with, you take, you're thankful to God for it and you take care of it.
People seem hesitant to take care of the country, even Christians
Both of those things. We take care of the things we treasure. But when it comes to the country, people, even Christians, seem to hesitate, as if there's something wrong with taking care out of gratefulness for the freedoms we have in a wonderful country. I don't get it. So anyway, thanks to, Fred Jackson, Steve Jordal, Alex McFarland, Brent Creeley Cole, our video guy. Hey, folks, we'll see you tomorrow for Trivia Friday.
