A new episode of Five Minutes Five Issues posted. You can listen to it, and read a transcript, below. You can also find previous episodes of the show at Stitcher, iTunes, YouTube, and SoundCloud.
Listen to the new episode here:
Read a transcript of the new episode, including links to further information regarding the topics discussed, here:
The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity welcomes you to Five Minutes Five Issues.
Starting in five four three two one.
Hello, I am Adam Dick, a Ron Paul Institute senior fellow.
Let’s start.
Issue one.
Ron Paul has talked often about the deep state’s influence on United States government actions. A new Monmouth University poll indicates many Americans share his concern. While a majority of polled individuals said they are not familiar with the term “deep state,” when the deep state was then defined as “a group of unelected government and military officials who secretly manipulate or direct national policy,” 27 percent of polled individuals said the deep state definitely exists in the federal government and another 47 percent said it probably exists. Together that is 74 percent.
Issue two.
In the November 25 episode of Five Minutes Five Issues, I talked about the CBS show 60 Minutes that week airing a feature story focused on dire conditions in Yemen that mentioned the US government only in context suggesting the US is seeking to help suffering Yemenis. The 60 Minutes story entirely left out the US government’s major support for the Saudi Arabia-led war on Yemen at the root of the problems.
On Sunday, 60 Minutes presented a profile story regarding Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In the introduction, correspondent Norah O’Donnell said bin Salman was embarking “on a cross-country American tour where he’ll pitch his kingdom to a skeptical US pubic.” The remainder of the 27-minute story proceeded to buttress that public relations effort.
Much of the new 60 Minutes story depicts bin Salman as a reformer bringing greater respect for freedom, especially for women. It also depicts the war against Yemen as defensive, with Iran the villain.
As in the November 60 Minutes story, the US government’s major support for Saudi Arabia in the Yemen War is unmentioned. Yet, the US selling much more weapons and military equipment to Saudi Arabia that can be used to further decimate Yemen was a big topic of discussion between bin Salman and President Donald Trump at the White House this week.
Issue three.
It has been 10 months since Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel to investigate alleged illegal activities between the Russian government and individuals associated with Donald Trump’s campaign to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Mueller’s team of lawyers has since pursued an intense investigation. And they have obtained indictments for several people, though notably none for Trump campaign people taking actions with the Russian government related to the presidential election.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), in a Fox News interview this week, presented a proper solution to this too-typical example of a government project ballooning in size and scope. Said Paul, “there really is no reason why Mueller should be investigating things other than Russian collusion; if there is no Russian collusion, he should wind up, close his investigation, and let’s move on.”
Issue four.
After worries about privacy for Facebook users contributed this week to the company’s stock price dropping and people deleting their Facebook accounts, Facebook Chief Executive Office Mark Zuckerberg said in a Wednesday CNN interview that he would like to see the “right” kind of government regulations imposed on his company.
In the Friday episode of the Ron Paul Liberty Report, co-host Chris Rossini commented that Zuckerberg’s welcoming of regulation should be no surprise. “Big corporations love government regulations,” explains Rossini, because “the big corporations end up doing the regulating via government, and they end up protecting themselves, kind of creating a moat around their business [protecting it] from new competition.”
Issue five.
The Ron Paul Institute (RPI), together with the Future of Freedom Foundation (FFF), will put on a conference Sunday, April 29 in Charleston, South Carolina. RPI Chairman Ron Paul and FFF President Jacob Hornberger will speak. You may have read some of Hornberger’s great articles at the RPI website. Citadel military college Professor Richard M. Ebeling and RPI Executive Director Daniel McAdams will also speak at the conference.
Conference tickets are just five dollars each. Tickets may be purchased at ronpaulinstitute.org/conference.
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That’s a wrap.
Transcripts of Five Minutes Five Issues episodes, including links to related information, are at the Ron Paul Institute blog.
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